[jitou@geocities.com] *---------------------- The Dark Crucible Mega Crossover Episode 2 v1.2 "A Crossing of Paths" *---------------------- Kuno, Ukyo and Akane stood in the now deserted schoolyard, surrounded by a wide plethora of beasts. Each beast was different and varied. Some were bestial, like wolves or tigers. Some were hideous, distorted features of humanoid derivation. Some were simply horrific, indescribable beyond the imagination of mortal men. Some had claws, some had fangs, some had both, while others simply looked ugly. What they all had in common, however, was that they all seemed intent on rending the three humans limb from limb. "Fear thee not, fair Akane, for mine prowess in battle is legendary. Not a single foe shall lay its filthy claws upon thine magnificent elegance!" Kuno declared. "Will you just shut up?" Akane retorted angrily. "Sorry to break into your interesting dialogue, but we have a slight problem here." Ukyo noted. The pack of beasts attacked. "You will pay for your insolence!!!" Kuno drawled, indifferent to the fact that his opponents probably did not understand a word he was saying. He dashed forward, his boken flashing quickly, precisely, angrily. The mob of demons were cut down as they came. Still, there were dozens upon dozens of them, and Kuno, although showing great skill, could not hold them all back. "Looks like the Blue Thunder needs help." Ukyo remarked, taking out several small spatulas into her hand. Having lost her large spatula, she had to resort to her smaller ones. Ukyo leapt into the air and tossed her projectiles in a sweep of her hand. Several of the monsters in the tide fell down, clutching their throats. Still, there were too many of them. A handful came up to Akane, teeth bared and claws flailing. A look of madness was in their eyes. "Get away from me, you freaks!" Akane cried, smashing her fist into one, sidestepping the lunge of another, and sweeping her feet across the others. "Not only is she beautiful, but she possesses the heart of a tiger; fierce, bold and deadly! How righteous it was that she doth grace this earth!" Kuno rescinded, amidst bashing an incoming horror in the face. "Shut up and watch what you're doing, baka!" Ukyo snarled. As if on cue, one of the little buggers crept up behind Kuno as he disemboweled a ferocious rat-like demon (not an easy feat with a boken -- a testament to the Blue Thunder's strength ). The sneaky little thing took a swipe and scored a long gash against Kuno's back with its claws, rending clothing and flesh alike. Kuno snarled in pain, bashing his boken against the offender's little head, but his momentum had been stopped. The horde of monsters howled with fury and renewed their attack. *** The princess Rune Venus sat in the palace gardens, a wan look disturbing the serenity of her face. The princess was beautiful, many ballads had been composed in her name, depicting her beauty as cool and as pleasant as nature itself. Her smooth white skin and finely chiseled features were the object of many a poem and song, and her elegant blond hair was laid against the finest streams of gold. Today, however, she simply stared around the lush greenery and foliage surrounding her, wondering how long peace would last this time. "Cheer up, sis. You know those old windbags don't know what's good for them." A sharp voice said from behind her. Rune Venus did not have to turn to know that it was her little sister, Fatora. Fatora came around the bench and sat beside her sister. "I just wish they'd listen. Just because we've defeated the Bugrom, doesn't mean that we can relax. We must always be ready for any threat to El Hazard." Rune replied, turning to face her sister. Although they were sisters, there wasn't much that they had in common. Rune was often introspective and reserved, giving a quiet dignity to her seriousness and sense of duty. Fatora, on the other hand, seemed full of life and vitality, her face a picture of boyishness and energy. Rune could be described as a cool, quiet lake in a mountain glen, Fatora was the fire that crackled under the stars at the camp of a hardy adventurer. *She really does look like Makoto,* Rune thought for what must have been the millionth time. *Aside from her pale skin and long black hair, they could be twins.* "Don't worry, Rune. Even if we don't have the support of the other lands, we don't really need them just yet. We're not even sure what we're facing. I'm not surprised that they didn't fall head-over heels about this thing. Strellbaugh really seemed to be grasping at straws." Rune nodded. Earlier, she had called for a convention for the leaders of El Hazard, after hearing of the potentially disastrous news Strellbaugh and Ifurita had isolated. However eloquent was their delivery of the perceived situation, the representatives could not commit themselves because there wasn't enough evidence, or grounds, to do anything about this purported other dimensional threat. They asked that she present them with more solid information on the matter before doing anything. Besides, as an emissary from one of the northern kingdoms had pointed out, there really wasn't anything that they could do. It's not as if they could send a whole army across dimensions. They would simply have to wait it out. "Still, I think it would be best if we looked into this matter some more. We can't afford to be careless." she said. "What do you plan to do about it?" Fatora asked. "I think we should send someone through the Eye of God, to this dimension `Earth.' That way, we can gather more information on this matter." "Good idea, but who can we send?" At that moment, one of the garden shrubs burst open as Makoto flew through it, running at an incredible pace across the two of them. He was gasping and panting for breath, crying, "Wait! Stop! It was a mistake!" As he passed by, a furious-looking young woman with short, brown hair sprang out of the bushes, holding what appeared to be a cabbage in her hand. As she ran up in front of the two princesses, she gave the cabbage a mighty hurl, hitting Makoto in the head. "Nanami, cut it out!!!" Makoto whimpered, still running. "That'll teach you, Makoto Mizuhara!" Nanami fumed as she stalked off. "You know, Rune, I think we just found our man." Fatora smiled slyly. *** He woke up to the soft touch of the wind on his face. With a soft moan, he pulled himself into a sitting position, placing one hand on his aching head. He'd never used his power to such a level before. Indeed, he didn't even think that he could teleport four people. Heck, he didn't even think he could teleport two people. Still, strange things were going on lately, and the hidden power of his family had been exhibiting some very strange effects. Just the other day, his sister had conjured a huge tiger out of thin air. That was very, very strange. Good thing it turned out just to be an illusion. Perhaps this was the reason that grandpa had decided to bring them over to this spiritual place of his on the top of a mountain somewhere near Tokyo. Grandpa had said that this place was a great source of ESP concentration, thanks to some sort of natural node formation which drew the spirits of nature like a magnet. Looking around, he saw that he was in a small clearing in a grove of trees. He wondered where they were? He wasn't familiar with this district where they were staying, what was it called? Nerima? As such, he could only guess where they were. He looked up to the sky and saw that the sun was already half-way through with its descent. It was around noon when the monster had erupted from the ground of the park; they had been unconscious for around three hours. He checked the three other people whom he had brought with him. Madoka Ayukawa was still unconscious from the blow to her head, and there was a slight matting of blood at the side of her head crusting her hair together. He sighed. She wouldn't have been here had he not promised to go out with Hikaru-chan. But why was it that fate had brought grandpa's visit and their plan on the same schedule? When Hikaru-chan heard of it, she just wouldn't take no for an answer, even if grandpa insisted it was a family affair. She even managed to get Madoka to tag along, too. Now, here he was, enjoying a quiet noon with Ayukawa at a park, when suddenly this monster leaps out of nowhere... could his powers be acting up again? Grandfather had told him to take his two `outsider' girls out so that he and the rest of the family could go to the shrine undiscovered. Go figure. It was a good thing Hikaru-chan went back to the hotel to get her wallet, or else she might have been hurt as well. Bad enough that Ayukawa got involved in this. He looked at one of the young men he had saved. He was a curious character, wearing a yellow shirt and dark green pants. A yellow and black striped bandanna was tied across his head. Who was he? He certainly looked surprised when the monster leapt up from his finger. He was certainly... strange. But he was a great fighter. What was that thing he threw at the monster? The... ishikaduhan? He looked to the other man, and he got an incredible jolt. He looked exactly like he did! The same facial features, short-cut brown hair; heck, he was even wearing the same white t-shirt he was wearing. Even the sneakers he wore were exactly.... hmm... wait a minute... didn't he have black hair and a braided pony tail? He looked down at himself, and was surprised to see himself wearing a red chinese-cut shirt. He put one hand to the back of his head and felt... a braided pony tail. Something was very, very wrong here. I am Kyosuke Kasuga. But why am I lying down on the ground, unconscious? "Hey, Ranma, what happened?" Kyosuke's attention was quickly taken away from his mysterious physical appearance to the other boy he had saved. He had begun to stir while he was checking over `his' body, and now was regarding him intently. "Uh... I think we're safe now!" Kyosuke rattled on hesitantly, not quite sure how to handle this situation. "This guy," he pointed to his body, "seems to have saved us! Thank goodness, too!" He gave a small laugh. "Are you feeling okay, Ranma?" Ryoga asked, raising an eye-brow. *Why was Ranma acting kinda strange? He seems kinda scared and unsure. I never thought I'd see Ranma like this. Hah! Of course, the coward finally shows his true colors. He must've gotten scared stiff by that monster.* "Uh, of course!" Kyosuke-Ranma replied. "Why wouldn't I be?" He laughed even more. Ryoga just big-sweated. *Damn,* Kyosuke thought, *I've switched bodies with this `Ranma' character. What did I do this time? The last time I switched bodies with that idol star, it was a disaster. Why does this always happen to me?* "Hey, look at this guy." Ryoga continued. "You know, Ranma, he looks kinda like you. Except for the hair, you two could be twins!" *Twins?!* Kyosuke thought. *Does he know... no, of course not. Hmm... do we look alike?* "We could?" Kyosuke said. "Why isn't that strange! Hahahaha!!!" *Something is definitely wrong with Ranma. I think he got hit too hard in the head or something.* Ryoga mused. His fang glinted strangely as he thought about it. Images of him beating Ranma up flashed through his mind while Ranma was laughing like an idiot. *No! Until we find out who those two freaks were, I can't go picking fights with Ranma. We have to dispose of that monster. It might try to hurt Akane!* Kyosuke's body suddenly began to stir. "Hey, look! He's waking up." Ryoga said. "Now we can get some answers!" *Uh, oh...* Kyosuke thought. Ranma-Kyosuke woke up to find himself staring at him. "Gaaah!!! What the heck is going on?!" Ranma demanded, staring eye-to-eye with himself. Kyosuke was beginning to form numerous beads of sweat on his brow. "Um, well, you see..." Kyosuke fumbled. "What do you mean? I thought *you* knew what was going on." Ryoga said. "How could I possibly know what's going on, Ryoga? You're the one who summoned the monster! Besides, why am I staring at myself?!?" "What do you mean, staring at yourself? Oh yeah, you two *do* look alike. Could've been brothers! Wait a minute... how did you know my name?" Kyosuke was definitely getting hot under the collar. Ranma's chinese-cut shirt, somewhat tight at the neck, wasn't exactly helping either. *No, no, no, no, no, my secret is bound to be revealed! At least I'm not at home, so we don't have to move away...* "Hold on, pig-boy." Ranma-Kyosuke said. "Lemme slow down a bit so you can understand. *I* am Ranma. That guy over there-" Ranma pointed at Kyosuke-Ranma, "is an impostor." "Hold on, since when did you have brown hair?" Ryoga wanted to know. He let that comment slide because he was getting quite confused, and he didn't think fighting was a good idea right now. "Brown hair?" Ranma asked doubtfully, running a hand through his hair. Suddenly, his hand went rigid. *Where's my pony tail?* Ranma groped frantically behind his head. It wasn't there. "NANI?!? Hey you! Give me back my hair!" Ranma yelled, lunging for Kyosuke-Ranma. "Wait!" Kyosuke protested. "There's a very good reason for this!" "Oh yeah?" Ranma retorted. "Give me back my body or else!" Ranma had noticed that he wasn't exactly himself right now. "There's something very fishy with you, out with it!" Ranma demanded, hands on Kyosuke-Ranma's collar and shaking violently. *Oh great, what do I do?* Kyosuke whimpered. "How did you get us away from that crazy black-clothed guy?" Ryoga asked Ranma-Kyosuke. "How many times do I have to tell you?" Ranma said exasperatedly at Ryoga. "I AM RANMA!" He pointed at Kyosuke. "This is the guy you should ask questions too!" Ranma glared at the now cringing Kyosuke. "Alright, who are you? *What* are you?" Ranma demanded. "Uh, well, it's like this." Kyosuke's thoughts raced desperately. *What can I tell them? Even though I'm not at home right now, it's best they not learn of my powers. But they saw me teleport, and now our bodies are swapped. I know! I'll say...* "I'm Kasuga Kyosuke, and I belong to a family of ESPers." *Doh! Why did I say that?* "ESPer? What's an ESPer?" Ryoga asked confusedly. "Um, to keep it simple, my family has powers which do some very strange things." *Alright, that blew it.* "Teleportation is one of the things we can do." "Is body snatching another thing you do all the time?" Ranma asked, a scowl on his face. "NO!!" Kyosuke protested, feeling just a little bit intimidated. "It's just that lately, our powers have been working strangely. In fact, the reason why we're here at Nerima is because we're going to visit a place of high-ESPer concentration. We're trying to figure out what's happening." "So why am I in your body?" "I'm not sure," Kyosuke mused. "It may be a side-effect of the teleporting. I've never teleported other people before. I'm not even supposed to be able to. The unpredictability of our powers nowadays seems to have made my power stronger." "So how do we change back?" Ranma demanded. "I'm not sure. This happened once before, when I ran into someone head-on. We changed back by bumping our heads together." "Well, let's try it." Without missing a beat, Ranma rammed his head into Kyosuke's. "OWW!!!" they both cried in unison. "Hey you're still me..." Ranma-Kyosuke said. "... and I'm still you." Kyosuke-Ranma finished. Ranma winced in pain. "Man, your head is soft! Oww...!" "Sorry." Kyosuke said. "Will somebody please tell me what's going on?!?" Ryoga screamed frustratedly. A soft moan came from Madoka. "Uh oh!!!" Kyosuke said. He looked at Ranma and Ryoga seriously. "Please, I can't afford to let Ayukawa, or anyone from my hometown, know that I have these powers. Please try to act normally!" "Huh?" the two replied. Madoka's eyes opened, and she regarded the three boys before her. "Kasuga-kun? What happened? Who are these two?" she asked Ranma, motioning towards Kyosuke and Ryoga. Ranma just stared dumbly, unsure what to do. "Uh, um, this is my good friend Ranma!!!" he said, taking Kyosuke by the arm. "He's a very powerful martial artist! No one can defeat him. He's strong, brave, fast, courageous and handsome. Don't you think?" Madoka just eyed the rambling Ranma-Kyosuke testily. "And this is his friend, Ryoga!" Ranma continued. "He's slow, lumbering, and has an awful sense of direction! Don't go to the malls with him!" *TONK!* Ryoga just gave Ranma-Kyosuke a *very* hard tap to the head with his fist. "Look, *Kasuga*, let's not get any more gratuitous with this than necessary, hmmm?" Ryoga said, fangs gleaming in the light. Madoka just narrowed her eyes. "Well, it was nice meeting you," she continued, holding a hand to her head where the blood matted her beautiful raven hair. "However, I think Kasuga-kun and I need to be... getting back now. Hikaru-chan is probably... very concerned..." Madoka's eyes suddenly glazed over as she fell to the ground. Faster than even he would have thought possible, Kyosuke-Ranma caught the fallen girl in his arms before she hit the floor. Madoka felt so tender in his arms, a fragile icon of beauty and intricacy that might crumble in his grasp. *A-ayukawa!* Kyosuke thought. "Ranma! What's the big idea, keep your hands off that girl!" Ryoga screeched, knocking his fist into Kyosuke's head. Ranma-Kyosuke rammed his into Ryoga's. "How many times do I have to tell you, I'M RANMA!!!!" Kyosuke just looked at the two wanly. "Please! Ayukawa is hurt! I can't be sure how bad it is. Is there a hospital around where I can take her?" "Hmm... well," Ranma thought. "I know just the place!" *** They had been fighting for what seemed to be hours now. Perhaps, they had been. The boken felt like a deadweight in his hands, yet still he fought on. He could not allow Akane Tendo to see any sign of weakness. Kuno had mowed down quite a number of the beasts already, but more were still coming. Akane and Ukyo weren't any much better. Ukyo had run out of throwing spatulas and was forced to go hand-to-hand with the monstrosities. All three were covered in their sweat and blood, numerous cuts and scratches drawn across their arms, legs and bodies. *How much longer can we keep this up?* Akane thought wearily as she smashed her fist into another of the little demon. "Fear... thee... not... Akane Tendo... I have.... much strength... left..." Kuno panted, although it was obvious he was on the verge of collapse. Nothing but pride was keeping him going. "How come no one's... arrived... to help us yet?" Ukyo lamented breathlessly, dodging the swipe of another creature. "We've been... fighting so long... someone's bound to... have noticed..." she stomped on the head of another creature and launched off to deliver a kick to another. It was getting very repetitious and very, very tiring. A scream cut through the air. Akane lay sprawled on the ground, the demon's attacks finally having caught up to her. A number of the demons leered over her, ready to rip the life from her flesh. "I will save thee!" Kuno declared, cutting swath across the demons towards his *true love*. Unfortunately, he was nigh exhausted, and the there were quite a number of the demons between him and Akane. He was brought to a halt mid- way, and the demons bore over him. Akane closed her eyes as the demons grinned evilly. She never thought her life would end like this. She never even had the chance... *Oh Ranma, I'm sorry...* Instead of the hot, searing pain she expected when the demons would disembowel her, she instead felt a soft throbbing. She waited and waited for the throb to become pain, but it never did. Curious, she opened her eyes and saw the demons turned away from her. Turned away from Kuno and Ukyo, and staring at a brilliant red rectangular slab of glowing energy and light in the middle of the courtyard. It looked like a door, erected in the middle of the field, throbbing and pulsing with energy, emitting a humming, throbbing noise which seemed to resonate in Akane's mind, a dull, almost hypnotizing sensation that blocked away all other perceptions. Her attention was fixed solely on the red gate. As time seemed to stand still in that temporal quality of essence, a figure emerged from the red haze. Akane gasped, along with Ukyo and Kuno, at the otherworldly presence which entered into their midst. It stood tall, seeming to thunder over them all, with a massive frame shrouded in a blood red cape. Gleaming in the sunlight was a layer of cold steel, glittering brightly underneath the cape as it stirred in the breeze. A huge helmet of a like metal lay upon its head, daunting with its blunt curves and its two protruding horns. No face could be seen in the dark recesses of that helm, partly silhouetted against the soft light of the gate. Across its right shoulder could be seen a beautifully crafted hilt of the darkest color of night, jutting out from the form as an offensive presence of sheer malevolence. On the zenith of the hilt where it met the guard and the blade lay a magnificent gem of the deepest blue, crackling with an unholy energy that had its own powerful fire. A fearsome bluish aura crackled about the helmet, and underneath the red cape, soaking the air around it with power. It spoke. "I have finally arrived." its voiced echoed, projecting quietly, but powerfully, into the hearts of those present. It was a fearsome voice, echoing gratingly underneath the visage of that massive helm. Akane shivered in fear, Ukyo stared in shocked astonishment, Kuno gripped his boken tightly, in fear or in rage, it was uncertain. With that stolid decree, it clasped the hilt of the black sword with a gauntleted fist, also crackling with bluish aura, and drew the sword forth, pointing it high into the air. The sky, once a brilliant afternoon blue, darkened as it crackled with energy, and the sword rose its song, bursting with awesome might. From the jewel that lay upon its hilt, gouts of flame spread forth and engulfed the little demons, causing them to writhe in unimaginable agony. *Such power!* Kuno thought, *Can only be... black sorcery!* It was then that Akane noticed three others who had appeared with the mighty figure. Appearing beside and behind him were three others, of no less stature, but each almost entirely different. The first to the figure's right wore an impressive full- body suit of gleaming silvery steel. It was fashioned in the age old tradition of medieval knights that Akane had read about in studying the history of Europe. Steel gauntlets adorned his hand and steel greaves which ended in plate boots covered his legs. A gleaming red tabard ran across the front length of his breastplate, held in place by a brown leather sword belt which ended in a curved scabbard holding an ornate scimitar hilt. His face was ruggedly handsome, with shoulder-length brown hair and a flowing brown mustache. To his right was a man wearing soft hues of green. Underneath, however, could be seen the glint of metal, woven into intricate links which reminded Akane of chains being stringed together. He wore a red cap on his head, covering his rich blond hair. At his back was a large bow of beautiful ashwood, which throbbed with a greenish quality. Beside it was a small quiver filled with feathered arrows. At his side hung a slender sword. His blue eyes looked at Akane and sparkled, a small grin appearing underneath his slight blond mustache. The last figure newcomer looked to be an old man in a drab brown flowing outfit. Laced across his body was an assortment of pouches, and slung at his waist was a strange contraption which tugged at the edges of Akane's medieval studies... ah! A crossbow. At his back could be seen the handle of a strange pear-shaped instrument, made of wood and strung with several taut strings. A strange ensemble indeed. The figure in the lead lowered the black sword which had burst with incredible power as the reddish light behind them began to fade. Around them were the charred remains of demons, contorted into grotesque, blackened shapes. "Vile sorcerer!!! Your fell minions could not do the job, so you have come to face us yourself!!! DIE!! Die like the scum beneath my feet!" Kuno drawled, stomping over the blackened remains of the demons, seeming to have gotten his second wind as he brandished his boken against the mysterious figure. "Kuno, you jackass! Have you lost your mind!?" Ukyo screamed. The figure and his three companions were taken aback at this unexpected attack, but the lead figure easily brought his sword up to deflect Kuno's frantic thrusts. "I shall smite thee, base villain! Kuno vowed, murder in his eyes as he stabbed again and again. "I swear this upon my honor!!!" *** The room was lofty and dark, made even loftier by the soft hum of complicated machinery. The soft metallic surfaces finely shaped into the smooth contours of a sleek aero-dynamic car made excellent paneling for the room, covering layer upon layer of circuitry and advanced nanotechnology. All along the walls were patterns of vidscreens, consoles and terminals, dimly lit by the glow emitted by a massive screen taking up the majority of one of the walls of the alcove. In front of a large console before the screen was a figure. Not many of the features of the slender, wispy figure could be made out in the dark, but short dark hair could be seen framing a face marked by one distinguishing feature -- a smooth visor which ran across the figure's eyes. The figure was busily tapping into the console while studying the screen before it, which flashed with images and data. "Damn!!" it swore, taking one fist away long enough from the console to clench and shake it. Whilst the other hand continued typing away, the other slowly softened its tight fist and resumed its place beside the other more industrious hand. "What is it?" another figure asked from the darkened room, at another console. In the soft light of the screen, its features could not be clearly defined, but the even the dark could not block out the finely chiseled features of the comely face, nor its tall, towering height. "My fears have come to pass! Do you recall that strange disturbance Askani detected a few weeks back? Since then, its echoes have been growing in size and intensity, and finally, now, they seem to have reached a peak. And they keep reaching that peak. Something bad is going on, and from the advanced data which I've recorded from our past dimensional hopping exploits, it seems that a large mass of entities from this dark dimension charted as `KX-020' has been moving to this other dimension called `A5-Prime'." "Hold on there," the other figure said. "A5-Prime? Isn't that a highly symmetrical dimension to our own?" The figure at the console nodded. "Indeed, with Dr. Light's dimensional scheme, we are `A2-003'. Dr. Light's dimension is classified as `A1-Prime'. This dimension is in a class highly parallel to our own, and is very, very accessible to ours." Another figure walked over to the three. This figure was burlier and more strongly built than the other two, and in the dim light, he was an impressive figure. "If that is the case, then I can only come up with a few scenarios, most of them quite ugly." "Such as?" the tall figure asked. "A large migration can only mean two things -- an exodus to escape an offensive or dying land, or an invasion. What are the stats about that dimension `KX-020'?" The figure at the console had already been typing and reading more information. "It seems to be a long-uninhabited dimension of barren life-less qualities. There seems to be a lot of negative energy coming from this dimension, and the history of records from Dr. Light's Dimensional Guide indicate that this dimension has had a massive influx of dark energy only in the recent year. It's as if something has just awakened." "Dark energy... hmmm..." the tall figure thought. "This whole thing stinks of evil." "Indeed," the figure at the console agreed. "I do not believe that this could have been an exodus from a dying world -- this world was long dead and gone before we were even born. I think some strange phenomenon has been revived here, spawning a massive army of dark creatures. I believe that this army is now invading Dimension A5-Prime." "If that is the case," the burly figure said, "then this might be a case of inter-dimensional conquest. From the dimensional map, it seems that if Dimension A5-Prime will fall, it is highly likely that the next target will be our own." "It is decided. We must investigate this matter closely and prevent any dangers that might arise." the figure at the console declared. "We must go over to Dimension A5-Prime immediately. There can be no delay. I shall just compose a short message to Dr. Light to inform him of the situation. I am sure that he will be able to lend some assistance to this matter." As he said this, he was already composing his message to Dr. Light. His hands dashed across the terminal. "Chavez, gear up the Mega X-2. We will be going for a trip." he added. Across the room another figure, this one wearing a cape, was flicking switches on a nearby console. A circular platform to the other side of the room was beginning to light up, revealing six nodes arranged in a circular pattern. "Hurray! Another adventure! Things have been getting boring here of late." a wiry figure announced from another corner of the room. "Ack, but I thought that you had finally decided to rescind into the moldy presence of fungus." the tall lean figure said derisively. "Hey, I resent that. I must say, I am much more sophisticated than a piece of bread mold!" the wiry figure quipped. "In fact, I eat bread mold for breakfast!" "The message is sent." the figure at the console stood up and went over to one of the six nodes. The tall figure joined him beside it, as did the wiry figure. In the light, we could see three youths, a slender one wearing a brown vest and a curious-looking visor, a tall youth with a regal bearing and handsome features, and a short wiry youth with soft features. From another corner came another figure, and as it stepped into the light, it was an attractive young lady with long, raven black hair and a slender figure. She took her place on another node. "Strategics," the slender, visored figure barked. "Set our coordinates and ready the transfer. You and Chavez set the auto-dimensional tracking and follow us as soon you have stabilized our position. I will be setting my specs to record data." "Of course." the burly figure replied. He turned to the console and said, "Askani, take notes of all features of Dimension A5-Prime as transmitted by the Demon Sword." He then began tapping onto the terminal. "As you will," came a soft, melodic female voice that wafted through the room. "The coordinates for the warp to Dimension A5-Prime is set." "Ready here," the caped figure replied from his console. "Warp levels are at prescribed levels." "Send us." the visored figure enjoined. The warp pad begun to light up, and the four figure began to shimmer out of this dimension. "All readings are normal." the caped figure called Chavez reported. "Warp signatures are in place, and we will be able to track them within 10 seconds. Askani, commence tracking sequence." "10-" the atmospheric female voice said. "Conduit to Dimension A5-Prime is opening without fail." the burly figure known as Strategics replied. "9-" "Warp factor reaching critical level. In two seconds, the warp will have commenced." Chavez stated. "8-" "Holy cow, what was that?" Strategics cocked an eye as a slight crackle of energy flew across his console. "7-" Suddenly, a huge crackle of electricity ran across the room as Chavez was turning some switches at his console. "The hell!?!?" he stammered. "Askani! Stop the sequence! Something is wrong!" Strategics screamed. "I am sorry," the ambient female voice said. "But you see, the warp factor has surpassed critical levels. I cannot reverse the procedure now." "5, 4, 3-" Strategics looked over to the warp platform the four figures were now more light and energy than physical human bodies. He could only hope nothing was severely wrong... *** In another dimension, a huge behemoth of mechanical design was hovering above the ground, high into the air. A huge tower, reaching mile upon mile up into the heavens, did not even come close to the huge machination in the sky. It looked like another moon for the world known as Roshtaria. "The Eye of God is ready." the Princess Rune Venus declared. With her was her sister, Fatora, and they were both garbed in the formal robes prescribed throughout Roshtarian tradition for two princesses who were to wield the awesome Eye of God. Gathered at the top of the tower as well were Makoto, Ura, Ifurita, Nanami, Mr. Fujisawa and the three priestesses of Mt. Muldoon. "Sensei, are you sure you want to go with me on this? Ifurita and I can handle it." Makoto said to his teacher. "Of course, kiddo!" Mr. Fujisawa declared. "Besides, I kinda miss the old Shinonome High. It'll be nice to go back to Earth." "And wherever Masamichi goes, I go!" Miz declared, glomping onto Mr. Fujisawa and eliciting a blush from said sensei. "And we sure as hell aren't letting her go alone. Priestesses of Mt. Muldoon stick together." Shayla announced. Afura nodded stalwartly beside her. "And don't think you're going to leave me behind!" Nanami declared. "It'll be good to be back on Earth!" "Makoto! Makoto!" Ura playfully called, strapping onto Makoto in typical cat-armor fashion. "Hey, Ura!" Makoto laughed. "It is settled, then." Rune Venus said. She nodded to Fatora. The two princesses began their motions, unsealing the power of the Eye with the spiritual power that only a princess of the royal house possessed. The Eye of God turned to face the pedestal at the tower where the eight travelers were assembled. It opened its front eye and a beam of powerful white light shot out, engulfing them, ready to send them across dimensions. Suddenly, the intensity of the beam rose dramatically, blinding in its light as the Eye hummed loudly, more intensely than in the previous travel. "Uh, sis, I think something's wrong!" Fatora declared. With a final powerful burst of light, the Eye stopped and the two princesses were left alone at the top of the tower. It seemed that Makoto and his companions had been sent underway. A gasp from Rune prompted Fatora to look up into the heavens. "Oh my..." The Eye of God's front end was blackened, darkened actually, but it did not seem to be a residual carbon deposit as would have been the case from intense heat burning. Rather... it seemed to be a palpable darkness that... defied explanation. "Rune, I think we'd better tell Strellbaugh about this..." *** "2-" Chavez was noting wild fluctuations of dimensional warp energy on his console. "Ben, there's something very, very wrong here! My sensors are overloading with unknown readings!!!" "1-" The figure called Strategics continued to regard the four on the platform. "0. Warp complete." The light reached its brightest and began to fade away. Once visibility was back to normal, the four were gone. "Oh, great!" Chavez said. "Ben, you'd better take a look at these readings." he pushed a few buttons, and the main viewscreen shifted to a different kind of data. "Wait a minute... Askani, does this mean what I think it means?" Ben asked. "Affirmative, if you mean the that warp signatures are overloaded and unviable for further use." Askani replied in that ambient female voice that echoed throughout the room. "Then that means..." Chavez said unsurely. "Yes, inter-dimensional travel is dead." Ben said gravely. "We're stuck here, while Erwin and the others are stranded on Dimension A5-Prime with no way to contact us." *** Tatewaki Kuno proceeded with a series of lightning fast thrusts and strikes with his boken, but the armored figure easily deflected the blows with deft twists of his massive black sword. "Do you think that a few lucky maneuvers will overcome my superior skill?" Kuno demanded of the mysterious figure. "No. That's why I am using carefully timed counters." the figure responded in that strange resonating voice. A few flicks of its wrist and it sent Kuno struggling back for even ground. "What does that baka think he's trying to accomplish?" Ukyo seethed. "That stick of his won't even dent that guy's armor!" "He can rot in hell for all I care!" Akane humphed. The three figures on the other side were busy conferring as well. "Don't you think that she's being excessive?" the handsome man in plate armor noted. "Methinks the fight is quite boring." the old man in brown said. "Your age is catching up with you! Anything requiring energy is boring for you." the green-garbed man said. "I am *not* being excessive!!!" Akane roared at the man in plate armor. "He *can* rot in hell for all I care!!!" "I was not referring to thee!" the man replied. "Oh, so I'm being excessive now, is it?!?" Ukyo demanded. "No, no!!! Not at all! You see..." whatever he was about to say was cut off as a brilliant flash of light lit the scene. Standing a scant distance from the two parties were two youths. One was tall and well-built, with fine features and dark brownish-black hair. He was dressed in a simple collared shirt overlaid with an ochre-colored sweater, as well as a simple pair of jeans. His companion was shorter and wiry, wearing a casual grey-colored sweater and jeans. Kuno charged the figure once again. "Die, you shameless knave!!! Stand back and face me like a man, for thy cowardice knows no bounds!" he went through the same routine of jabs and thrusts, but this time, the figure had caught on to his fighting style. With a few flicks and parries and a sudden twist, the figure sent Kuno's sword flying to one direction and the Blue Thunder the other. He landed painfully on the ground. The figure simply regained his stance, red cloak barely rustled in the series of maneuvers it went through, settling gently around its wearer once again. *That sword!* The tall handsome youth's eyes fell onto the black sword held by the armored figure. *It reeks of demonic power! This must be the dark energy that Erwin had mentioned!* "Die, demonic fiend! I sense your evil!" the tall, handsome youth shouted. "What?" the armored figure turned to face its new threat. "Wait, Charles!" the wiry youth called. "You can't be serious! You saw how that dude can fight! I think we should regroup and find Erwin and Giel first!" "Justice awaits no man!" Charles replied. "I cannot abandon these three to the mercy of this demon spawn!" with a fierce shout, the handsome youth snapped out a bull-hide whip from his belt and whipped it at the sword-wielder, charging forward at the same time. "Hold on here," the figure grated in his resounding voice. "You do not know who you are facing!" "Your evil tells me enough! Even if you were the king of hell himself, I would not hesitate to cleanse this world of your taint!" the whip curled around figure's legs, and the youth pulled, knocking the armored figure down. The three companions of the armored sword-wielder drew their weapons. "Nay, we've done enough damage as it is!" the figure shouted. "I will handle this!" "You cannot fool me with your benevolent facade!" Charles replied. "You *will* listen." the armored figure retorted. With a quick flick, he slashed at the whip entangling his legs with the black sword, intending to cut himself free. Instead, a brilliant flash of energy emerged as the sword struck the seemingly fragile bull-hide, causing sparks to fly. The sword burned an angry fire, and the gem flared a bright blue, as if in distaste of the contact. The whip, on the other hand, began to glow a pure white light and was soon immolated by the powerful aura. "Impossible!" the armored figure screamed. "Believe it! Behold a Paladin's Holy Weapon! No evil can withstand the righteous might of a true Paladin!" the youth jerked the whip violently, bringing the entangled figure towards him. Charles balled his free hand into a fist, and smashed it into the helm of the armored figure. The figure's head snapped wildly backwards, caught off- guard by the unorthodox tactic. The black sword fell to the ground with a clatter as the armored figure fell to the ground before the paladin. "How can he just punch that helmet with his bare hands?" Ukyo wondered. "Methinks this paladin-person is quite daft." said the man in plate armor. "Even so, he seems to be doing quite well in his lunacy." commented the old man. "Hah, that muckety-old paladin packs more power than you might think, as much as I regret saying it." the wiry youth said. "Why exactly is that?" Akane asked. "Uh, let's say that we had a sort of `operation' in our recent past." the wiry youth quipped. "I will defeat you as I have defeated countless others pawns of evil!" Charles declared. "Witness the power of the Sunburst Technique, first hand!" the paladin began glowing with pure white energy, covering his entire being with brilliance. "Oh, great. He's doing it *again*." the wiry youth whined. "What is he doing?" the old man asked. "The Sunburst Technique." the wiry youth explained. "Passed on through generations of paladins, or some such bull. It cleanses and destroys evil with sheer, stubborn righteousness. Or something like that." The youth shrugged. "I've seen wretched evil people blasted into silliness with that thing." "It doesn't work on good people?" the man in plate asked. "Hmm... I dunno. I think the more evil you are, the more it hurts. Ol' Charlie here used it on a street thug once, and he got bawled over, like he was run down by a heavyweight boxer. He used it on a demon once, and the thing just plain vaporized!" "Hehehe, did you hear that?" the plated man laughed. "What a fiasco! Hahahahhaha!!!!" "Good joke!" the guy in green agreed. "This is too rare!" the old man joined in the laughter. The three were laughing so hard, they were doubling over and their eyes were starting to water. "HAHAHAHHA!!!" "What the heck is the matter with those three?" the youth asked the two girls. "Dunno, sugar." "Hmmpph. They can rot in hell if they want to." The armored figure lay on the ground, before the spectacle of righteousness the paladin was displaying. "Now, your fell existence ends, demon!" "We shall see." the armored figure said through its helm. If Charles hadn't known better, he thought that he'd heard a chuckle underneath that huge metallic mask. "Taiyosuidokan!" the paladin's white aura came alive as he held his hand, palm-extended, over the prone figure. The light blasted forth, engulfing the armored figure completely. The paladin relaxed from his pose, his righteousness spent. "It is over." he declared. "Not likely." the plate-mailed man smirked. "That was... nice." came the resonating voice. "What?!" the youth stared incredulously at the red- caped, armored figure, who was once again standing, the bull- hide whip in his hand. The figure muttered a few arcane words, and held his hand out towards the paladin. A ring of fire grew around him, encircling him in flames. "What's this thing about a Holy Weapon?" the figure rumbled, regarding the whip. "Maybe I should get one of these myself." The helmed face turned towards the youth. Charles thought he could see blue eyes in the depths of that shadowy helm. "Fool, only a paladin can command the might of a holy weapon!" "You know, you really should learn some manners!" the figure sent the whip flying through the air, and it curled around Charles' wrist. "Fool, a paladin's weapon can never turn against its master!" he simply waved his hand, and the whip uncurled from his wrist, at the same time leaping from the figure's hand. In a flash, the paladin sent a bright glow of white aura across the weapon, and the whip coiled around its master, following the circle of fire. The fire died down, leaving the whip in a circle around the paladin. "We shall see who will be teaching whom!" the paladin declared. "Hmmph." came the resonating reply. The figure held out its hand, and the black sword came to his hand. "All the same, I do not think I need to use this." The figure laid down his sword. "Have at thee, brutish knave!" he put up his fists. The armored figure charged, his red cloak whipping slightly around his fast form. He threw a couple of punches and jabs at Charles, but the tall youth nimbly sidestepped and blocked the incoming hits. Without missing a beat, the youth rebounded from his sidestepping and blazed in with several graceful punches and kicks. The figure likewise retreated and deflected the hits with swift parries of his wrist. The two disengaged and regarded each other intently. "How can someone wearing so much metal move so fast?" Ukyo wondered. "I can move faster than that." the wiry youth pouted. Ukyo just glared at him. "Scouts honor!" he replied, holding his hand up. "I really can! Trust me!" "Impressive footwork..." Charles noted appraisingly. "I have trained under the fighting masters of a whole kingdom. I have mastered a dozen different fight styles in pursuit of the finest fighting form. I have trained under, and defeated, the master of the Library of Scars. " the figure replied. "I expect I should have learned *something*." "You'd like my friend, the Demon Sword, then." the paladin replied. "If his fighting style is as good as yours, I'm sure I will." "I'll take that as a compliment. En garde!" the paladin wove in with a few quick kicks and punches, which his opponent easily deflected. The armored figure would then drive in with a series of well placed counter-attacks, many of which came close but would not hit the mark. This seesaw tirade continued for quite a while. The six onlookers (seven, counting the semi-conscious Kuno) were starting to tire of the performance. Suddenly, the paladin struck a glancing blow against the armored one's breast plate. Following more attacks and ripostes, the paladin began landing more and more hits. "What is the matter, villain? Lost your footing?" Charles taunted. "Hardly. I can't seem to move right." came the reply. It was noticeable that the figure's bluish aura seemed to be subsiding. "Look!" the old man noted. "`Tis impossible! The aura..." "Verily! How can the armor-" the plate-mailed man agreed. The figure began to take off its gauntlets. Then it undid its breastplate, dropping the heavy metal onto the ground. Load considerably lightened, the figure nonetheless kept his red cloak wrapped about himself, and indeed, he seemed to be able to fight quite effectively in spite of his strange costume. "Shall we begin round two?" he chided. "Anytime." the paladin replied, charging. This time, the flurry of blows once again commenced, but the once armored-figure now moved much faster, and managed to get in a few more telling blows than the paladin. "Ack, that does it." Charles avowed. He once again rushed the now unarmored figure, but as he came closer, he leapt into the air to deliver a flying kick. His opponent, however, would not be so easily finished. He ducked under the attack and came up behind the unbalanced paladin, having just landed from his attack. It was an easy advantage which promised victory. An ungauntleted hand was raised for a final blow to the back of the neck, but as it descended, the paladin smiled. "Gotcha!" The paladin brought up his hands in a practiced motion, entrapping the descending member. With a few quick twists of his feet and jerks of his arm, the paladin reversed his position and was about to send his opponent flying above him. His opponent, however, was better versed at fighting than the paladin gave him credit for. As Charles was about to execute his brilliant flip, the helmed figure locked a leg down the paladin's lower body and brought his other hand to bear the paladin's throat. Charles was forced to let go of the arm and brace his hands across his opponent's body, or else the figure would fall upon him and break his windpipe. The paladin fell to his back, but easily caught his opponent in the chest with his hands, stopping the descent of the arm against his throat. He was about to flip his opponent over as planned, had he not received the shock of his life. His hands had caught his opponent's chest, and he felt something ... soft. Soft, but firm. *What the...* "Uh-oh, he's done it now." the green-garbed man replied. "Done what?" Allan, Ukyo and Akane asked. Charles just realized what had happened when a hand slapped him across his cheek. "You pervert!!!" the figure rose and took off its helmet. Long blond hair cascaded down across a strikingly attractive face. As the figure stood back, the red cloak swirled dramatically with a flourish, revealing a full- bodied figure wearing a bright orange tunic which revealed some very nice curves. A short skirt revealed a pair of long, shapely legs covered by knee-high boots. Along the breast of the tunic was a strange yellow symbol that looked like a `T' with an `O' balanced at the top. "Uh..." Charles said, still stricken on the ground. "Oh, my lovely goddess of strength and might!" Kuno declared, suddenly awake and fully conscious, glomping onto the now unarmored girl's full figure. Her face lit up like a very, very angry fire as Kuno drawled on his inane poetry. "JERK!!!" She screamed, launching Kuno into the air with an ire-powered kick. "Oh, great, what have I gotten myself into?" the paladin lamented. *** *---------------------- Confused? I sure hope so! In the Next Episode of... The Dark Crucible Ranma, Ryoga and Kyosuke bring Madoka over to Dr. Tofu's, only to meet a mishap with Shampoo! Meanwhile, Charles and his companion spend a fun-filled day at the Tendo dojo with the Tendos and the mysterious babe and her three stooges. This and more! Be there! *---------------------- ***BLAH, BLAH AND BLAH : A lot of problems were encountered writing Episode 2, but I've sorted most of them out in this next revision, v1.2 I've kept the BLAH section short, so as not to keep you readers away from the action. Many people have complained that they can't keep up with everything that's happening. I admit it's a problem intrinsic in the fic itself, being a poorly planned experiment on my part. But I fun doing it, and to help you enjoy it more, I wrote a Dark Crucible Info file which should be available at my website. Although this information file is designed to be the one-stop "manual" for the Dark Crucible, I decided to keep the old character profiles intact within the fic for easy reference. *------Character Profiles ----- *** The Ranma Gang - Most of you should know this, but just in case... Ranma Saotome - He trained for 10 years to become the heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. Cursed to turn into a girl when wet. Engaged to three fiancees, none by choice. Very prideful, never backs down from a fight, and will never admit he likes his *foremost* fiancee, Akane Tendo. You can tell him by his black hair braided in a pony-tail. His training has made him very fast and agile, and his fighting skill is virtually without equal in his hometown. Has some interesting combat techniques like the Moko Takabisha (a yellow ball of ki energy), the Tenshin Amaguriken (a super fast hand technique useful for punch combos) and the Hiryu Shotenha (a strange whirlwind punch attack). Ryoga Hibiki - Ranma's rival who followed him around because his terrible sense of direction got him late for their fight. Got cursed to turn into a pig because of it. Poetic, shy, and gullible. Would be a great catch for ladies if he weren't so dense. Worships Akane Tendo, but she treats him like a brother. Distinguishable by a yellow striped bandanna that's *always* on his head and a pair of fangs which jut out every now and then. Oh, and he often has a backpack with an umbrella. He's not as fast as Ranma, but he is much, much tougher and stronger. He can also use the Shishi Hokodan (a blue yellow ball of ki energy) much more effectively than Ranma's ki blast. Also has a powerful technique to break rocks, or anything non-living, called the Bakusaitenketsu (Baksai Tenkets) Tatewaki Kuno - an upperclassman (sempai) at the school Ranma attends. Reknowned as the best martial artist until Ranma came along. His fighting style is Kendo, or the art of the sword. He uses a practice boken even in serious fights. I think that's because he's even denser than Ryoga, and he thinks he's God's gift to women everywhere. His *true loves* are Akane Tendo and Ranma Saotome (in girl form). Ukyo Kuonji - one of Ranma's fiancees. Got engaged because of an okonomiyaki incident with Ranma's father. Is the best okonomiyaki (a japanese pizza) cook in all of Japan. Dresses around as a boy because she was ashamed when Ranma jilted her unwittingly as a child. Very tough, sweet and responsible (she runs a restaurant while going to highschool). Fights with a huge spatula for melee and a ton of mini-sized throwing spatulas. Your standard woman of the 90's. Akane Tendo - Ranma's *first* fiancee, technically, although she's actually the last whom Ranma meets. Has short bluish hair and could be cute if she weren't so very violent. Has the strange ability to whip a huge mallet out of thin air to hit her fiance and other hentais with. The youngest of 3 sisters, so she comes out as a spoiled brat. Men love her, though. Go figure. Oh, and she *cannot* cook. *** The Kimagure Orange Road Kyosuke Kasuga - a very whimsical, indecisive young man who also belongs to a family of ESPers. Basically all those psychic stuff like teleport, telekinesis, telepathy, etc... For the purposes of this story, something is happening to his powers so some very strange effects may occur. He is currently involved with two women -- and he can't decide between which. A real lamer who can't seem to do anything with his life. Is often the victim of circumstance. He has short brown hair, but his features are very similar to Ranma's (as seen in the anime, so for the purposes of this fic they look alike). Not as manly, though. Madoka Ayukawa - a tough, mysterious girl with many talents. She can rough it up in a fight, play musical instruments (particularly the sax) and she sings very nicely. Has long black hair and is very attractive. She likes Kyosuke but she isn't exactly sure of his feelings. *** The M-Team - a bunch of young sleuths who were used by a megalomaniacal madman in order to take over the world. Treated with a biological process, they were enhanced beyond normal bounds. There are some side-effects, though... Charles Tyler - a paladin of noble standing. Tall, dark-haired with debonair looks and a pleasing personality. Stoic until provoked. Mortal enemies with Allan, the wiry youth we saw earlier. His enhancement made him the strongest among the team. Has superior fighting skill due to his training with two masters. Very honorable and philosophical. Because of his kind, "non-violent" nature, he uses a whip instead of bloody swords and maces. His paladin powers enable him to strengthen his weapon of choice with holy righteousness. He can also detect evil, cleanse impure things and heal others of their injuries. In the true spirit of sacrifice, he cannot heal himself. As a final resort against evil, he can use the Taiyosuidokan, or Sunburst Technique, to destroy evil like a ki blast. *---------------------- That's it for now on character profiles. Expect more profiles in the upcoming episodes in order to keep up to date with what's happening. Well, that wraps up this episode. It's a miracle what a glass of chocolate milk and mocha crackers can do to your writing. I actually finished this damn thing. I expect Episode three to come out in a month or so. End -- The Dark Crucible - Episode 2 v1.2 *---------------------- This fic, and others like it, are available at my fanfic page: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Towers/2098/fanfic.htm E-mail addresses, use in this order of preference: pach001@info.com.ph jitou@geocities.com jitousai@yahoo.com