Subject: [FFML][R1/2][REVISED]Shadowstryker's Journeys: Nodoka Saotome
From: Shadowstryker
Date: 10/8/1998, 5:44 PM
To: Fanfic Mailing List
Reply-to:
stryker@execulink.com

I sent this out last night and thanx to the help from
Matthew Campbell <mgcampb@CLEMSON.EDU>
and Lord Talon <talon@sgi.net> I think I've cleaned it
up, but I'm not sure it's ready yet.  Special thanx to
Lathrop Preston <lp0027@drake.edu> to begging for
more.

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Shadowstryker's Journeys: Nodoka Saotome

By

Shadowstryker

 This is an attempt at writing a fic that its parts can be read
individually or altogether at once.  This is also an alternate timeline
so people will act slightly different than the canon.  This story was
cooked up after reading a story in the r.a.a.c. archives, I can't
remember the story or the author but I'd like to say it was their
fault.

The Saotomes are copyright by Rumiko Takahashi, Shadow AKA
Shadowstryker are my creations, if you want to use him, ask me, I'll
probable say sure.

Shadow is an abbreviation of Shadowstryker, I just don't want to write
the entire thing out.

This story is set during volume 36.  Nodoka found out about the curses
that morning.
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Story One, 1st Contact
 Tendo Ancestral Home & Dojo, Nerima Ward, Tokyo, Japan

 Three figures were in the darkened dojo; two on their knees, head
bowed, tanto at their hearts; the other stood above them, katana held
at the ready.  The two kneeling were going to commit seppeku, the one
standing, their second.  In ten seconds, noon exactly, they'd take
their lives, the katana welding figure acting as the second, until her
job down, then, she'd take her own life.

6...5...4...3...2..."STOP!"

 And that's what happened; time stopped, and everything came to a
halt, except Nodoka, for that who the third was, spun around to look at
the voice, the light that was streaming into the dojo from the, now,
open door revealing her face.

 "Who are you to interfere with a matter of family honor?" Nodoka
hissed angrily at the figure who was silhouetted in the door, the glare
from the light hiding the figure's identity.

 "I have been known by many names throughout the ages.  But, the
name I like is Shadow." The figure said, stepping into the dojo letting
his face be seen.  He stood about 6'2, had thick long brown hair done
in a ponytail, and wore a black wool cloak.

 "Why do you interrupt in a matter of honor?" Nodoka asked
angrily.

 "Really? it's a matter of honor?" Shadow asked sarcastically. "I
only see two people about to die because you saw so." Shadow said,
looking pointedly at the sword clasped in the red haired woman's grip.
"So why are they dying?  Is it because your only son is also your only
daughter?"

 "No.  I can look past that, for it is only a curse, it doesn't
affect the mind." Nodoka replied hauntingly.  "The real reason is
because he's a coward!" Nodoka said, the last yelled.

 "Oh?  I know all about his life, just like I know all about
yours, your husband's, the Tendo's, the young couple that just moved in
next door.  I'm an Avatar of the Four.  As a result, I try to set fate,
destiny, luck and death , right." Shadow replied

 "I know the hardships he's faced and overcome, and he has
overcome them all, from the simplest to the most complex." Shadow said,
his anger increasing. "I couldn't tell you a moment when he hasn't
risked life and limb, for himself, Akane, and for those he doesn't and
will never know."  Shadow said, overcoming his brief moment of anger.

 "So you say he isn't a coward?" Nodoka demanded, then went on
before she got a reply. "Look at him!" She shouted pointing at Ranma
with her sword, "He won't even look his own mother in the eye's!"

 Shadow walked calmly over to Nodoka and in the blink of an eye
was holding the Saotome sword. "There, now he doesn't have a reason to
fear you." Shadow replied, holding the sword in one hand casually.

 "Give that back!" Nodoka demanded grabbing at the sword but
failing.

 "No." Shadow said pointedly.  "The only reason he fears you is
this sword.  And I can't fault him for feeling that fear."  Shadow said
coldly.  "The only thing he's seen you with is this sword, that doesn't
exactly inspire trust."

 "He's supposed to be a man amongst men, and I get a coward!"
Nodoka shouted angrily.

 "Like I said at first, I work for the Four, and one of them is
Death.  Ranma isn't supposed to die yet, but if you give me good enough
reason, I _might_ allow him to pass on.  However, _you_ won't be, I'll
make you live with your decision until you're old and gray and die from
age." Shadow answered looking at redhead with calm amusement.

 "But, he's supposed to be honorable."

"Oh, he is, he is." Shadow responded mysteriously.  "If you
want I can show you the honorable things he's done."

"Huh?  What are you talking about?" Nodoka inquired, confused.

Shadow grinned at Nodoka's confused look and waved his
right hand in the air in a `go away' gesture.

Reality started smearing, the colors become pastels, and
perception shifted.  Nodoka vaguely noticed that she and Shadow
were the only two that looked `normal'.  As suddenly as the
`smearing' begin it ended.  Reality suddenly jolted back into
sharp relief; Nodoka stumbled as her sense of reality and
perception shifted back sharply.

Nodoka looked around and saw that she was in a forest
clearing; a mountain formation behind her, and a Hydra like
beast.  She saw Ryouga dressed in drag, Ranma in his female form,
an unconscious boy lying on the ground, an old man watching Ranma
and Ryouga battle the creature and Akane trying to get what
looked like moss off of one of the  monster's seven head.  This
entire picture was frozen in time as Nodoka looked on.  "Wh-where
are we?" Nodoka asked, finally getting her voice back.

 "We're at a point in Ranma's life where he had to make a
couple of tough decisions." Shadow answered, looking at the
figures frozen in time.

 "We went back in time?" Nodoka asked shakily.  At Shadow's
nod she asked, "How?  How is it possible?"

 "Like I've already stated, I work for the Four.  And two of
them happen to be Fate and Destiny; to better serve them I was
given the ability to travel the time stream." Shadow answered,
under his breath he added, "Pisses the hell out of Pluto, too."

 "Anyway, back to the reason why I brought you here." Shadow
said, waving at the frozen figures, who started moving again. "Oh
yeah, in case you need to know, to them we aren't here, we don't
exist." Nodoka just nodded dumbly as she watched events unfold.

 What happened was a recount of Ranma's battling with the
Yamata no Orchi, Shadow prompting Nodoka; the two unknown
watchers followed Ranma.  They saw the after events of the
battle, concluding on the confrontation with Ranma and Akane.

 Stopping time again, Shadow turned to Nodoka, and said,
"That is what you want, he was willing to let his fiancee marry
this other guy because she seemed to want to.  Yet he fought for
the guy's life knowing that he might lose Akane to him." Shadow,
waved his hand again and the scene changed again, to after
Ranma's fight with Herb.

 Unfreezing time, the two watched Ranma unlock Mousse and
Ryouga from their cursed forms.  Stopping time yet again, Shadow
said, "And here he uses a magic artifact to unlock Mousse and
Ryouga from their cursed forms."  Waving his hand, the scene
shifted yet again back to the dojo, with the two male Saotomes
still frozen in time. "Ryouga and Mousse are sworn enemies of
Ranma, on more than one occasion they've both swore they'd kill
him."

 Looking at Nodoka, Shadow finished his little speech on Ranma's
honor. "At one time he saved a guy who might've won Akane, in the
other, he helped two people who, in the state they were in, wouldn't be
able to attack him.  Those two, after they got back, kept trying to
kill Ranma."

 "But why does he fear me than?"

Shadow replied.  "The death you deem he deserves means he isn't
honorable, yet he's spent his entire life trying to be honorable.  He
doesn't fear honorable death, but this, "He said, motioning at the two
figures kneeling on the floor as if they were made of stone, "Isn't
honorable death, this is a mother judging her son and making him fear
if he is honorable or not.  That isn't what you should be doing, you
should be dissuading that fear, not compounding it."

 The two stood in eerie silence, Shadow calmly watching emotions
play across Nodoka's face, while Nodoka thought about what had been
said.  Her emotions warred inside her; her anger at the interruption,
her sadness at her son's fear, her fear that Shadowstryker was right,
but most of all her confusion at not knowing what emotion should win.

 They stood like that for over half an hour, until finally: "If
what you say is true, how do I correct what I've done?"  Nodoka asked,
tears streaking her face.

 "You don't.  _You_ can't do anything, _all_ you can do is stop
two needless deaths, and stop carrying this sword around." Shadow said,
motioning with the sword. "The rest, Ranma is going to have to do.  It
may take a couple of months, maybe even years, but only Ranma can do
it." Shadow said walking over and putting the sword down in front of
the male Saotomes.  Turning back towards Nodoka he said, "Give your son
a chance, and don't push him.  You'll only push him away."

 With that said, Shadow stood and walked towards the door, his
body becoming transparent, then disappearing before he stepped out of
the shadows cast by the dojo.

 Nodoka was staring at the spot that Shadow had disappeared with
tears.  "Mom, how did your sword appear in front of us?"  She heard
behind her, whirling she saw Ranma looking at her with confusion.

 "I don't know, I don't know."

THE END