"Elements"
Prologue: In the Beginning...
Ranma Saotome had been sleeping rather soundly, but his father had a
nasty habit of sleepwalking. Tonight was no exception, as he sleptwalked right
into Ranma's room, kicked him out of the second story window and right into the
pond. Then the panda fell over and slept soundly for the rest of the night.
Ranma woke up to the feel of cold water, and he saw himself as
herself, a girl. He looked up to see a panda-like shape snoring upstairs where
the window used to be. That would explain the minor cuts he had. Ranma grumbled
and stepped out of the koi pond. Then he saw the three Tendou girls floating in
the air and radiating a colorful hue.
"Uh oh," Ranma said to himself. "This does not look good."
The girls heard Ranma's voice and whispered back to her, saying,
"Come...come...come."
"Must be something in that tea Akane made," Ranma muttered. She came out
of the pond and sloshed her way to the girls. She carefully looked at the girls
and noticed a couple of things. First of all, each of them were exhibiting a
different shade of aura. Kasumi had a whitish aura, Nabiki had a gold shade, and
Akane's was firery red, and the "flames" shot out from her body much like a
typical hellish scene.
The other thing was that they were floating in the air at different
heights. Nabiki hovered barely off the ground while Akane and Kasumi were both
at higher levels, Kasumi floating a good six meters off the ground.
Ranma didn't know what to think, which was very common for Ranma.
Finally, the girls opened their eyes, and smiled. Ranma felt her spine
shiver. It was one thing for Kasumi smile, and another thing for Akane, but for
Nabiki to be smiling as if it was the best day of her life really disturbed
Ranma.
"A long time ago, the Greeks determined there were four basic elements:
Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire. Many other ancient civilizations determined the
very same thing, and thus the elements were born. Even today, modern science has
divided the world into four "elements": Weak and Strong Forces, Electromagnetism
and Gravity. They still are in the four ancient elements of earth, wind, water,
and fire."
Ranma blinked as Nabiki spoke this words, and would have said something
if Kasumi hadn't pipped up.
"I have the power of wind, which existed even before the Earth existed
as the Sun brushed its solar wind on the collection of gasses that combined
itself into the planets and astroids that we know. But, it took the efforts of
my other sisters to create the Earth as we know it."
"And thus," Akane continued, "is how I was born. I was the child of the
Sun, who came to the Earth to help heat and then cool it down."
"And then I arrived," Nabiki said. "I am the Earth, who has some of the
powers of fire, and of wind, and of wather. From the three of us, water existed,
and it is water we have been missing for some time."
"I am the wind, proper and true. I am gentle most times, but even a
little anger from me does great damage," Kasumi chanted.
Nabiki nodded to Kasumi and continued, "I am the earth, grounded in
reality. I know what does and does not exist. I know the from where Man came and
where he will go. I am indifferent when happy, and I shake those whom I am
displeased with."
Akane smiled as she took up the chant. "And I am fire, a proud servant,
but a cruel master. I radiate when I am happy, but I am quick to anger and
quicker to burn."
"And that leave you, dear Ranma, water. You are always active, always
stirring. Things always happen around you. Your moods vary and are both quick
and slow to anger. You have the power of water, and with that the circle is
complete. We are one again, and together, nothing can defeat us."
The Tendou girls joined hands, as Akane and Kasumi reached out and held
Ranma's hands. Her spine tingled, and then saw a faint blue aura igniting around
her. Suddenly, she remember who her cursed side was, and why she was here. It
was time. She closed her eyes, and if anyone saw them, they would see four girls
reaching with their auras towards the center of the circle, and causing it to
swirl.
Suddenly the swirls extended up and down, the auras started to form the
shadow marks of a person. Within a moment, a young man appeared, holding a man,
and muttering all the while about where the fuck was Japan. He looked, saw the
four girls and blinked.
"Akane! Ranma! What are you two doing in Taiwan?" Ryouga Hibiki asked.
Naturally, there was a moment of silence as the girls simply just
smiled, causing Ryouga to feel a little contentious.
"You are the chosen one, young Ryouga Hibiki," glazed Ranma, her voice
taking on the sound of Vanna White from "Wheel of Fortune." "Young and true, you
were lost, and now you are found."
Ryouga blinked, accidentially dropped the man he was fighting with. The
man immedately disintegrated into the swirling auras, screaming as he did so.
The bandanna boy reached down to feel the aura, the energy felt like the
prickily points of an English hedgehog, tickling Ryouga's hands. The swirling
colors continued to intensify, the white glow allowing Ryouga to see the four
girls smiling. One look at Nabiki grinning from ear to ear made him shudder.
Japanese girls just simply do not grin.
"You seem surprised, oh Lord of the Elements," chirpped Kasumi.
Ryouga nodded. "Well, I am a wee bit surprised, especially seeing ol'
Mistress Money here looking she downed a bottle of Ritlin. Actually, no one here
seems to be there usual self. And why am I talkin' like a blubberin' Irishmen?"
"That is because they have remembered who they really are, and why are
they here. We are the elements, the elements that control the basic fundermental
aspects of life," Akane replied, her silky smooth voice had a bit of a slur.
"Okay, so what's with Ranma?" Ryouga pointed to the pig-tailed goddess.
Ranma opened her eyes and smiled. "I am water, the element that created
life. Many, many eons ago, I came across a young girl, condemned to die for a
crime no girl should ever have to commit."
Ryouga looked somewhat concerned. He could be lying. "And what would
that be?"
"Murdering a Panda. She needed the food."
Ryouga promptly facefaulted.
"But, no matter how small the crime, I paid her price with my life, and
my fellow elements quickly followed. We all have returned because you came into
the world! You are the fifth element!" smiled Ranma, emphasizing every other
word.
Ryouga blinked, shook his head, and then reached out to touch Ranma's
head. "Okay, who are you, and what have you done with R-"
The next morning, Soun Tendou, master of everything that involves
crying, stumbled out of bed, and glanced up at his alarm clock. The big hand was
on the 6 and the little hand was between 12 and 1. He gasped, as he had missed
breakfast and was about to miss lunch too. Correction, he *had* missed lunch.
The master of all things wet rushed out of his bedroom, and went downstairs to
see if he could scrounge a ball of rice or two.
He gasped when he saw Ryouga floating merrily along, folding his hands
and looking down at Soun, grinning all the while. Soun turned to see a stone
statue of a panda. Genma looked like he had seen the latest "Battlefield Earth"
movie, and was about to run away as fast as possible. He turned around to see
the four girls holding hand, their auras radiating with an eerie bug-zapper like
hue. In fact, there was a small chard corner where insects didn't make it to
their average 2 1/2 days on earth. Ryouga himself now had that same aura,
chuckling all the same. That frightened Soun.
Frightened him enought to do the only thing he could do. He wailed. "My
daughters, son-in-law, and best friend have been possessed by demons and turned
my bestest friend into stone!"
"On the contrary," boasted Ryouga in his best manly voice, "we have
punished the man for being inhuman to his son!"
Soun blinked for a moment, and then decided that it would NOT be in his
best interest to argue that point. So, he did the next best thing and
complained, "Waaaah, may I have some lunch?"
"Well, why didn't you say so, dear father," smiled Kasumi, as the four
girls continued to meditate in their trance. Ryouga floated over to them and
eventually joined them in the group meditation.
Soun watched Kasumi telepathically cooked him lunch, as if the kitchen
applicanes were hooked up by Jim Henson himself. Fetticine with pesto sauce.
That's odd, Soun thought, Kasumi has never cooked Italian before.
"That's because I've been watching 'Iron Chef' lately," Kasumi replied,
taking on a very, very, very happy disposition.
It wasn't long until the rest of the Nermia locals got wind of the
problem. Cologne, Shampoo, and Mousse glanced upward at the floating five-some,
continuing to meditate.
"So, how long have the been like that?" Cologne had a pad and a pencil
in hand and was writing down her comments as fast as she could.
"Just today, but I fear these demons have been lurking for sometime!"
wailed Soun.
Mousse tsked. "I knew Saotome was too evil for you, dear Shampoo."
"Ducky-boy no understand situation airen in," Shampoo muttered. "It's
Pig-boy and Scheming lady look too happy, that worries Shampoo."
"Noted, great-granddaughter. I suppose we should talk to these demons."
Mousse shrugged, and Soun wimpered, crouching near the corner. Cologne sighed
and shouted up to the floating girls and Ryouga. "Um, excuse me demons, I'd like
to talk to you."
"We are the five elements!" they shouted as a happy-go-lucky chorus.
"Elements? As in water, earth, fire and air?" said Cologne.
"Indeed," chirped Nabiki. "For I am Earth, the element that is grounded
in reality. My mighty earthquakes change the movement of the earth, and it's
techtonic plates."
"Techtonic plates?" Mousse scratched his head.
"Hey, it's the 21st century. Even an element has to change with the
times."
"Makes sense," nodded Shampoo.
"These are my sisters, Wind, Fire, and Water," Nabiki said.
"Isn't that a name of a band?" asked Soun, which prompted a through
beating from Shampoo.
"When their four powers combine, I am created! I am the Fifth Element!"
shouted Ryouga.
"Shampoo scared, Pig-boy not usually this happy." Shampoo said behind
the protective cover of Cologne.
"Indeed, the happy looks of Ryouga and Nabiki are enough to make me
terrified," Cologne then shouted out to the 'elements', "So, why are you here?"
"We are here to fulfill our destiny as the elements. We are here to
seek for the elusive 12 Chinese animals whom had trapped us in these future
bodies and seek revenge for that entrapment!"
"Especially a rabbit whom defeated us wielding only a switchblade!"
shouted Ranma.
Shampoo growled, "How can a silly rabbit wield a switchblade?"
Cologne nodded, "Yes, but the panda here did wield a sign, so a
switchblade is possible. Spirits, if we help you track down this bunny, would
you release the spirits of those whom you've trapped?"
Ryouga shook his head. "I'm afraid that's not possible, for you see,
we've already transported them into another dimension. And unfortunately,
transporting people and/or spirits into another dimension is a difficult and
dangerous task, not to mention that the transportation has a bit of a chaotic
factor."
Mousse rubs his chin a bit. "How random is this?"
"You'd have better luck winning a bingo game on the first five numbers
picked than finding the right dimension we've transported them to. We don't even
know where they've gone to," said Kasumi. "But, help us out, and I'm sure we can
reward you in some manner."
"Would that include Shampoo marrying airen?"
The five elements huddled together, and talked it over.
"Sure...who's Airen?" asked Ranma. Everyone, except the five elements,
facefaulted.
***********************
Meanwhile, in an alternative universe really, really, really, and I do
mean really far away from their home world, the five people whom the elements
traded spirits with were lying down in a slumber-like state. Ryouga was
prostrated along the ground with Akane very close by, her hands grasping
Ryouga's neck as if she was about to strangle him. Ranma was also in a lying
down position, grasping onto Akane's waist. Nabiki was also nearby, hugging
Ryouga's waist for some strange reason, and Kasumi was slumbering in a fetal
position.
Their movements were being watched by a woman, a women who had been on
their world before. She sighed and said, "So these are the children whom the
prophets had said they would bring chaos and excitement to this world. Oh, why
did have include my daughters?"
------
Author's Notes
Hey, it's been a very long time since I've written anything for the fanfiction
group, but with the new knowledge that I've learned from working with a
semi-famous novelist, I'm hoping that I'll be able to churn out better fiction.
However, please do not hesitate on telling me the good and bad points about this
work. I'm hoping on writing five additional parts, one for each element and a
afterward.
And thanks for reading this fic.