Ranma 1/2:
Ranma No More
Alternate History
By:  Dani Yanega
yanega@mindspring.com (please respond to this e-mail address)


Chapter Thirty Five


The leaders of the monks begin to tell the 'Warriors of the
Light', how this all began.  The companions listen intently, some
with worry, some with shock, some with awe, but all with anger.

*-*-* The Story *-*-*
Over eight thousand five hundred years ago, our world was invaded
by a being of immense evil.  No one knew where he came from, but
with him came his minions of despair, hatred, apathy, anger, and
intolerance.  They destroyed the innocent, and we did not even
know his name.  We gave him the name 'He Who Devours the Light'
because everywhere he went darkness followed, and when he moved on
it stayed.  He was a humanoid; he stood over seven feet, and
weighed near three hundred pounds.  That was the most any could
tell about him, for always surrounding him was a mist of black,
deep nothingness, the only thing coming through the blackness was
the red glow of his eyes.

Three warriors followed him, they were wizards of great power.
One was a man who morphed into a white tiger with golden stripes,
one was a woman that changed into a red Phoenix with copper
striping and finally another man who became a silver and black
dragon.  Over the millenniums it has always been two men and one
woman that were the wizards, but which sect they led always
differed.

The battle was fierce; it lasted for over five hundred years.
When the fighting started our brethren numbered in the hundreds of
thousands.  When it was over there were but eighteen.  We divided
ourselves to stand with each of the 'Warriors of the Light', and
to this day there has never been more then eighteen.  There were
many brave warriors lost during that war, but it was won.

The 'Warriors of the Light' however, could not destroy 'He Who
Devours the Light' they were only  able to banish him and his
island of evil for a thousand years.  After that the strength of
each group of the 'Warriors of the Light' determined the length of
how long he was banished.  The least amount of time was one
hundred years, and so far the most was two thousand.

The fighting took its toll on the light warriors.  They knew they
could not fight his evil again and win.  They had lost one of
their most precious gifts during that fight, their immortality.
Now mortal and growing old like the rest of humanity they needed
to prepare for his evil to return.

><*><*>< Jusenkyo 8000 years ago ><*><*><
The valley was devastated; smoldering fires dotted the area.
Bodies littered the field of battle.  In a valley filled with
springs stands the last of a group of monks in gray robes.  They
were once a powerful order, now they are but eighteen members.
They were once known as the Monks of the Gray Mist, now they call
themselves the Monks of the 'Warriors of the Light'.

These monks glowed with magical auras.  Six of the monks were
glowing a coppery red and stood next to a female humanoid with
white wings and claws for hands and feet.  Her long hair a
beautiful coppery red, her eyes the color of bright copper.

Standing on the left side of the woman was a white tiger with
golden stripes, and eyes of spun gold.  The cat was the size of a
full grown horse.  With him stood another six monks glowing a
golden white.

On her right towering over the valley was a black dragon with
silver wings, and shining silver eyes.  Its ebony scales glowing
red where the fires reflected off them.  With him the last six
monks glowed a silvery black.

The three comrades stood before the valley, blood flowed
everywhere.  The hundred or more springs had turned red with the
blood of the brave warriors that littered the valley.  The
'Warriors of the Light' began to glow; the woman was the first to
speak.  Addressing the monks, she explained their new duty.

"Your sect and all future generations are now the guardians of
these springs, it will be your duty to select those who have been
blessed by these waters to be the new warriors against his return.
There will be three groups of five.  One for each of us."

The woman pointed to the tiger, dragon and herself.  She then
turned back to face the valley of springs, but the dragon is the
next to speak.  His voice like his size is mammoth.  As he boomed
out more information for the monks.

"We plan to change the composition of these springs to give to
you, a group of warriors from which to choose.  Not all that fall
to the magic of these springs will be suitable, but we will also
give you guide lines to follow when selecting them."

He then turned back to the springs, and finally the tiger had his
say in this meeting.  He turned to face the monks his fangs
showing when he sneered at them.

"They must be strong of will and heart, they must prize others
well being above their own, they must understand hardships, and
that even though they can live through great pain, they will
understand that for those of the earth, most can not.  Finally two
of each group either by your hand or theirs _must_ be soul mates"

When he finished he too returned to staring at the springs.  Then
all three started glowing.  The tiger a golden white, the Phoenix
woman a coppery red, and the dragon a silver black.  They started
to walk down into the valley, as they walked closer to the springs
they began to glow brighter.  The monks shaded their eyes while
the trio got brighter.  When the three reached the center of the
springs, they faced each other clasping each others left wrist;
well the tiger did the best he could.  The monks began to chant
while the three warriors levitated off the ground.  they began to
spin first clockwise then counter clockwise glowing brighter with
each revolution.

While spinning their lights began to mingle and spread across the
Valley of Jusenkyo, first covering the entire set of springs, then
slowly sinking deep into each pool.  When the combined lights of
the three disappear from view the monks chanted even louder and
faster.  Suddenly the waters in the pools exploded out of their
confines shooting straight up like geysers.  The water red with
the blood of the dead.  The columns fanned out at the top like
funnels then the combined lights explode out of the center of the
each of the funnels.  The flashing lights stretched out connecting
each of the springs.  The chanting of the monks reached its final
crescendo.  When they stopped the three beings in the center of
Jusenkyo were gone.  The pools were eerily calm and glowed with a
flashing golden white, coppery red, and silver black.

The last eighteen monks turned and walked away from the springs,
their numbers greatly reduced.  They returned to the seclusion of
their temple in the mountains overlooking the Jusenkyo valley.
Where they decided from that day forward there would only be
eighteen full-fledged monks of their order only to be replaced
when one died.  The monks then set about to record the horror of
the last thirty years of the war, making the last five hundred
years of history complete.  They prayed and hoped that the next
war with 'He Who Devours the Light' would not last as long.
*-*-* End Story *-*-*

The candles have nearly burned out and the new "Warriors of the
Light' stare glassy eyed at each other the images of five hundred
years of horror still playing across their minds.  Everyone at the
table shedding tears of sorrow for the anguish of those innocents
that were lost to 'He Who Devours the Light'.  With the tears,
rage courses through the new warriors.  The monks continue, for
the warriors.

"Because Jusenkyo gives us a large variety of people to choose
from, those under the dominion of 'He Who Devours the Light' have
no idea who each new set of warriors will be."  The Dragon monk
tells the warriors.

"Since we do not pick until the time is close.  We know it will
make it difficult in your training, but it is to protect you and
your families that we wait so long."  The Tiger monk explains.

"Did anyone know his real name?"  Rufino asks his eyes flashing
pure rage.

"The original wizards knew his name but they fear if the name was
remembered, like all evil he could be summoned and then his evil
would have a foothold on this plane.  To prevent this his name has
been obliterated from the minds of man; even we do not remember
his name.  His evil is only known as 'He Who Devours the Light'."
The Phoenix monk explains.

"The war eight five hundred years ago was for the right to control
this planet and plane of existence, it was a war that lasted five
hundred years but has been forgotten.  Not even myths or legends
remember, only we the Monks of the 'Warriors of the Light' know of
it.  Sporadically 'He Who Devours the Light' will return to try
and claim his lost prize.  He is met by the 'Warriors of the
Light' each time he tries.

"Over the eons he has tried to destroy the springs but the magic
of Jusenkyo has become to strong and we believe today even if the
original wizards wanted to, they could not take the magic away.

"The power of Jusenkyo also offers some protection from his evil.
We don't understand how, but it must be do to the fact that the
first three wizards have placed their souls at Jusenkyo, to
protect those that fall in from his attempts to destroy them.

"When the war started more than eight five hundred years ago this
world was filled with many races and magic, it was this world
against him.  As the races fought side by side to destroy him and
follow the 'Warriors of the Light'.  At the end however, the
alliances fell apart, and enough evil remained that many of the
races vanished.

"He is the reason that many of the races no longer exist.  Elves,
Dwarves, and many more were so depleted in number they went into
hiding.  Do not expect help from these races any longer, as they
were hunted down by humans for sport, slavery, or exhibitionism,
once humans knew they existed.  That is why as the centuries
passed we look for stronger and more powerful warriors."  The
monks explain in rotating sequence.

"We do not fight in the battles any longer, but offer counsel and
information.  We also leave in your care until your death the many
magical tomes we have collected.  We also give to your care the
complete history of the first war and every war since with 'He Who
Devours the Light'.  You must call to your sides warriors that
will fight, with honor, strength and wisdom, for you can not win
alone.  When the last of your mages is gone we will collect up all
the artifacts and magical tomes that are stored here, and that
belonged to the 'Warriors of the Light', to be passed along to the
next set of warriors."  The Tiger monk explains

The 'Warriors of the Light' hear the monks hidden in the gray
smoke begin to chant even louder and faster.  The smoke begins to
speed up in its swirling and the lights of golden white, coppery
red and silver black begin to pulse faster.  The monk leaders
begin to fade slowly back into the smoke, leaving the new warriors
even more confused and uncertain as to what is going on, but
determined none the less to stop the evil they know is coming.

The smoke spills over the table of warriors, the chanting slowly
ending.  When suddenly there is an explosion of the three lights.
The frozen companions closes their eyes to the brightness, when
they open them again the smoke is gone and all of the shelves on
the room are full of old tomes, and scrolls.  They stare agape as
many more are piled on the floor and on Ryoga and Ran Koh's desk.

"Well it looks like I am going to need to get more shelves, I
wonder if they used any of the storage shelves in the side caves?"
Ran Koh inquires to no one in particular.


She then hears the rest of the warriors gasp.  She turns back
looking confused when she notices Alex and Samuel are glowing
there teams color she looks down at herself and sees she is
glowing the golden white light as well.  The three magic users are
levitated from their chairs.  The others try to grab them to hold
them down but they are still frozen to their seats.

The three magical warriors rise up over the table, facing each
other; as if by instinct they grab one another's left wrist as
they did in the dream.  The others watch in awe when they begin to
spin clockwise then counter clockwise glowing brighter, and
spinning faster.  Their colors begin to intermingle covering the
three of them completely.

The other warriors try to get up, to help them but are unable to
move.  Sitting on the table watching all this is Cali who has been
playing with the different warriors.  She stares curiously at the
site above her.

{Poppa Ryoga, I am frighten is Momma Ran Koh ok?}  The little
kitty asks as she runs and jumps into Ryoga's lap.

His hands are not frozen so he picks up the little kitten and
holds her close to him.  Stroking her back and scratching behind
her ears absently while he watches his soul mate, above him.

{She will be fine Cali, don't worry.}  He reassures the little
kitten, he just wishes someone will reassure him.

Soon the sitting warriors watch while the mingling lights begin to
coalesce around the necks of the three mages.  When the glow
settles to the center of their abdomens they begin to move to an
empty space of floor and are set down.  When they finally touch
the floor, they collapse into unconsciousness.  The other warriors
finally free from their imprisonment rush to their comrades, when
they roll them over they gasp at what is placed at the center of
each of their abdomens.