Sorry this one took so long. I would have had it out sooner, but
you'll know why I didn't when you read the Author's Notes at the
end of the story. ^_^
James "The Man With The Machinegun"
================================================================
Twilight of the Dead -- Series I
A Ranma 1/2/Day of the Dead crossover
by James Epnett
================================================================
WARNING: This story is considered DARK and may
contain extreme scenes of gore, violence, and foul
language. You've been warned.
================================================================
Chapter 4 - The Letter
Daisuke had exited the lobby and headed for his
bedroom directly after the funeral. He was tired of
the strange behavior his friend, Hiroshi, had been
expressing that evening.
Hiroshi had always had a thing against Ranma,
and Daisuke knew that his long time friend would
try to push the pigtailed martial artists buttons,
but he was just acting too weird at the funeral.
It had to be the stress of the situation, he
decided, and dismissed it. He didn't really care,
he was beat after all that had been done that day.
Dr. Tofu had been teaching him first aid, CPR, and
other necessary life saving skills, and he was
beat.
Daisuke opened his bedroom door and stepped
into the pitch black room. He reached out and
flipped the switch up.
As he turned around, he almost screamed as he
came face to face with Hiroshi.
Hiroshi back-stepped and smiled. "Whoa.
Didn't mean to scare you."
Daisuke lifted his hand and placed it on his
chest over his heart. "Don't do that to me. You
trying to give me a heart attack,. Hiroshi?"
"I said I was sorry," Hiroshi grumbled as he
moved towards the only chair in the room. He pulled
it away from Daisuke's desk and sat down in it. He
looked up at his friend. "You left the funeral in a
hurry."
Daisuke only nodded as he walked over to his
bed and plopped down. He reached down towards his
feet and began to unlace his boots. "I wasn't
feeling too good."
"Ah." Hiroshi picked a small piece of paper
up from Daisuke's desk and crumpled it. He fumbled
with it between his fingers and looked back at
Daisuke. "So your leaving didn't have anything with
my taunting Ranma?"
Daisuke looked up and turned his head to look
at Hiroshi. "How do you mean?" He pulled one of his
heavy leather boots off and let it fall to the
floor with a dull thunk.
"I mean you got upset when I started
questioning Ranma's actions."
"Because there is no need for it." Daisuke
decided that now would be the best time to ask.
"Why were you doing it, Hiroshi?"
Hiroshi leaned back in his chair and threw
his feet one by one up onto the desk before him. He
looked out Daisuke's window down to the ground
below. He sighed. "Because I hate it here, Daisuke.
I hate being caged up in the damned building."
"It's not exactly a field trip for any of the
rest of us," Daisuke protested, pulling his other
boot off and dropping it to the floor. "We didn't
ask for the bodies of the dead to come back, did
we?"
"It just isn't safe," Hiroshi continued,
"There are hundreds of them out there. Thousands. A
million of them." Hiroshi looked back at his
friend. "If you stick your head in the sand,
they're going to come up behind you and bite off
your ass. This whole project is bull."
"Ranma believes in it." Daisuke noted,
swinging his feet up onto the bed.
Hiroshi snorted. "That's because he's the
leader. This 'Tokyo Defensive' group is good for
nothing. They're like a bunch of crime fighters.
These aren't exactly criminals we're dealing with."
"He's kept you alive, hasn't he?" Daisuke
slid his hands under his head as he lay back on the
bed, propping it up so he could see Hiroshi.
"This building has kept me alive," the other
boy corrected, running his finger down the window
glass. "Ranma just keeps them away from this
building. They know we're in here even if they
can't see us."
Daisuke shook his head and looked up at the
ceiling. "So what would you suggest, Hiroshi?"
"I thought you'd never ask." Hiroshi spun
around in his chair and rested his arms on the
back. "I suggest we go to an island. Everyone here.
To Okanawa or Hokkaido or something. There can't be
many more creatures over the number that Ranma has
killed so far on an island."
"Ranma's been killing them, with a team of
fighters, I might add, for over 12 months." Daisuke
rolled onto his side and looked at Hiroshi.
"Besides, how would we get there?"
Hiroshi sagged in his seat and his almost
excited expression faded. "That's the snag I
haven't worked out. Helicopters, maybe."
"Sure," Daisuke replied sarcastically, "We
can just run over to the local helicopter shop.
They're practically giving them away."
Hiroshi frowned and threw the paper wad he
had been fumbling with at Daisuke. "Shut up."
* * *
Ranma stood silently next to Soun, Tofu, and
one of the men who lived in the complex, named
Natsu. The four men watched as Konatsu's casket
crackled in the scorching flames of the
incinerator.
Ranma glanced at each one of the sullen men
and then back at the fire. He wondered how many
more times he would have to do this. The stress of
this whole situation was steadily beginning to gain
weight, and he knew he would eventually snap, as
would everyone else. They couldn't stay locked up
in the building forever.
Tofu finished a short prayer and then turned
to the other men. "If you will excuse me. I have an
early medical tutorial this morning."
Natsu and Soun said their fair-wells to the
good doctor, and Ranma glanced down at his watch,
which read '1:24am'. He groaned inwardly and also
said goodnight to Tofu.
After both Natsu and Soun had left, Ranma
pulled the only chair in the room up and sat down,
watching Konatsu's casket burn. He had to stay with
it until it was finished, as a sort of fire
control. He didn't much like the job, but he had
volunteered for it because it gave him time to
think.
All in all, things had been quiet around the
old Square Soft building lately. No attacks. The
creatures had been banging and kicking at the doors
to the building for over 10 months, but slowly it
all began to fade. He didn't really understand it,
and he also knew that some of them were still
there, kicking and thrashing at the doorway.
That was the only sign he had that the
creatures hadn't just dropped over, like he so
often wished they would.
But there was something else bugging Ranma
that he didn't tell anyone else about. He didn't
know exactly what would happen if he did, but he
DID know that people in the complex would surely
try to leave if he told them what he knew.
And for some reason, it made him feel guilty.
He felt deep down that he should tell them -- tell
them all that he had seen a helicopter land on one
of the distant buildings deep within the heart of
Tokyo while he was on patrol at the top of the
building two nights earlier.
No, he couldn't tell them. There was no way
any of them would make it through the city. Not
alone, and he sure as hell wasn't going to take any
unnecessary risks.
No. He would just have to wait and hope that
maybe someone in the helicopter would notice the
lights in the building.
Ranma hung his head and rested his arms on
his knees. It was going to be a long morning.
* * *
He was tired of walking. Not only tired, but
also in a spiral of non-stop pain. He looked down
at the torn fabric of his pants leg and could see
where a light crimson fluid had soaked through the
bandanna he had used as a bandage.
Ryoga wasn't in very good shape, mentally or
physically. The Bakusei Tensatsu had drained a
great amount of chi. The original attacked called
for the use of the opponents chi to destroy them,
but since said opponent was dead and without chi,
he had to use his own, and now he regretted it.
His leg was beginning to go numb, but not the
pain free kind. It still ached. A dull, deep ache
that was beginning to annoy him. He tightened his
grip on the strap to his backpack, which hung over
one shoulder, and continued down the dead highway.
* * *
MEANWHILE -- AT THE TOP OF A BUILDING SOME 20 YARDS
FROM HIBIKI RYOGA'S CURRENT POSITION
Akane Tendo was in a state of panic. Her eyes
were wide as her hands moved frantically through
her possessions. She let the shotgun that hung
awkwardly from her shoulder slide down and hit the
roof next to her feet.
"Is something the matter, Ms. Tendo?"
The cheeriness of the voice that emanated
from behind Akane always awoke some kind of foul
bitterness deeply within her. How could anyone stay
so cherry at a time like this? "No, I'm fine, Ms.
Hinako."
The 4'9" ex-disciplinarian officer of
Furinkan High moved quickly towards the only
remaining student she had seen in over 9 months.
She glanced around Akane, into her bags. "Did you
lose something?" she asked in that same, irritating
voice.
Akane shook her head. "No, I didn't," she
replied defensively, turning so that her back was
to her ex-teacher.
Ms. Hinako frowned, but only for a moment,
and then smiled. "I'm going into the building to
find something to eat. I'm soooo hungry." She
giggled and moved towards the door into the
building. "I'll bring you a cup of ramen, Ms.
Tendo."
Akane watched Ms. Hinako head towards the
door leading down into the stomach of the building.
She couldn't stand how happy the shape-shifting
energy drained could stay, especially at a time
like this.
"If I find your letter I'll let you know,"
Ms. Hinako added as she pulled the door open.
Akane's mouth fell open. "H.. how did you
know I lost a letter!" she demanded, placing her
hands on her hips.
"You were running around up here saying
'Where is that stupid letter? I know I left it in
here somewhere'." Ms. Hinako smiled sweetly before
disappearing through the archway.
Akane slapped her hand against her face and
shook her head. Of all the people in Tokyo, she had
to get stuck with Hinako.
* * *
Ryoga stopped and dropped his bags onto the
ground. He turned his head to look around the area
he had mane it too. He couldn't see any of the
creatures, but he knew they could come from
anywhere at anytime.
"I'd better just rest for a moment," he said
aloud, still watching the surrounding area. "I
don't want another one of those things to find me.
I might have to find shelter in doors."
He sat down slowly next to his bags and
reached out to pick them up. He couldn't remember
weather or not he had any antiseptic, but he had
better find out. The faint burning in his leg could
only mean one thing -- Infection. That was
something he definitely didn't need right now.
If his leg got too infected, he'd be in a
heap of trouble, especially if he couldn't use it
any more.
He rummaged through his bag, tossing aside
spare socks and bandannas. His hand came across a
small bottle and he pulled it from within the bag.
He frowned as he realized it was an empty water
bottle. He tossed it to the side and continued to
search.
He was beginning to think he should return to
the old Square Soft building, if he could ever find
it again. Traveling the way he did was becoming
dangerous.
Ryoga remembered a time when he found himself
in China, several months back. He had been
traveling for weeks, hoping to find survivors of
the catastrophe. When he finally did, they turned
out to be looters.
There were hardly any normal people left.
Thieves, looters, murderers, and rapists, that was
all he could find.
Well, that wasn't exactly true. He had found
and rescued some American exchange student by the
name of Sheri. She was living at the shelter, as
far as he knew. He never did figure out why she was
so adamant against leaving her home, even though
her parents and little brother were dead. He had
finally left that one at stubbornness, pure and
simple. He hadn't seen her in ages, but the time
they had spent together he had always found
pleasant.
That suddenly reminded him of someone else he
knew. He felt a tightening in his stomach flush
through him as Akari's face floated through his
mind.
Even while he was chasing after sweet Akane,
he found himself drawn to Akari. He gave up the
search for antiseptic and let his hand fall down to
his pocket. From within, he pulled a picture of
Akari. It was the picture that was thrown off a
cliff by Ranma all that time ago. And he had a
choice -- save either the picture of Akane or
Akari. He never understood why he chose the picture
of Akari, but he thought he was beginning too.
Maybe he did love her, not Akane. After all,
he had decided after all this time that Akane was a
crush. She was so kind to him, that he fell 'in
love' with her.
He shook his head and pocketed the picture
quickly. He had gone to Akari's house, somehow, and
found that she was gone. All that was there had
been the corpses of her pigs.
Ryoga frowned and looked down at the ground.
He wished he knew where she was. He wished...
He blinked and shook his head as his eyes
focused on something on the ground. "What's that?"
Between his legs lay a small white envelope
with a word written on the front -- Ranma.
Ryoga reached up and rubbed his eyes. "It
can't be. Does that envelope say.. Ranma?" He
snatched the envelop up abruptly and opened it.
Within was a small, folded slip of paper. He
grasped it between his index and middle fingers and
pulled it out.
Unfolding it, he began to read the small text
that lined the page. His eyes grew slowly larger,
and then he lowered his head. "So it's true. I had
failed. But at least they might somehow be happy."
With that, he folded the slip up and stuck it back
in the envelope. He shoved it into his bags and
stood shakily.
"Time to find the Square Soft Building."
Ryoga turned on his heel and started forward - only
to bump into a wall with 'THE DEAD WALK!!' painted
on it in gigantic, red, letters.
* * *
Akane moved down the stairs quickly, towards
the second lever entrance. She held her weapon
tightly, her eyes darting back and forth around the
gloomy hall. She didn't like dark places, even in
the security of the windowless building they had
chosen as a place of operation.
Thankfully, one of the young men who had
helped her was able to rig up a generator to keep
power going within the complex. It was a shame that
he had died. Akane had really liked him. He had
reminded her of Ranma....
Akane pushed through the door and headed down
the corridor. She felt a little more comfortable in
the dimly lit hallway.
Even in its hazy light, it was a little
brighter than the stairways, which had a single
light bulb at each level.
Akane let her eyes move from room to room as
she passed each one. It was made mandatory to leave
the door to every room open and unlocked, just in
case anything happened.
As she turned the corner, she could see the
door into the room of the only other person,
besides her and Hinako, to still be there.
She stopped next to the door and reached up
to tap on it. "Akari?"
Akari spun around slowly in her seat, looking
up to see Akane. "A.. Akane?"
Akane looked the small, teenage girl over and
noted the wet streaks down her cheeks. She frowned
and stepped into the room. "Can I come in?"
Akari nodded. "Sure." She reached up and ran
the back of her hand over her cheeks, sniffling.
She looked down at her desk.
Tossing her gun onto Akari's bed, Akane
entered the room and moved slowly towards the desk
at the far end of the room. She pulled up the only
other chair in the room and slid it around to the
opposite side of the desk. She sat down slowly and
looked down at where Akari looked. On the desk lay
a small Polaroid picture of her and Ryoga, sitting
together at a picnic.
Akari looked up and noticed Akane's gaze. She
hurriedly snatched up the picture and looked back
down at the blank desk. "Do you need something,
Akane?"
"Just someone to talk to," the raven hair
girl replied, looking out the homemade window they
had installed so that Akari could look out over the
city. "Are you okay?"
Akari nodded. "I'm fine. I've just been going
through some old photos and remembering."
"Not to fun, is it?" Akane looked back at her
friend. They had been stuck together for 12 months,
and had, over time, become great friends.
Akari nodded her head in agreement. "It's so
hard..." She trailed off and looked up at Akane.
"It's so hard, knowing it will never be the same
again. And I'm scared, Akane."
Akane rested her hands on the desk and looked
down at them. "So am I, Akari. And even if Ms.
Hinako doesn't really show it, she's scared too."
"I miss all of my friends, and my piglets,
and..." Akari trailed off again, looking back at
the desk.
"And Ryoga," Akane offered, nodding. "I know
how it feels to miss someone."
"You mean Ranma?" Akari asked, folding her
hands in her lap.
"Yes, I mean Ranma," Akane admitted, blushing
slightly. "I don't really talk about it that much."
"We've been here for 12 months and I've never
heard a word. But I could see it in your eyes."
Akane looked up at Akari. "We'll be okay,
Akari, and I'm sure we'll find those that we are
looking for. I'm sure of it."
She remembered the letter suddenly. Her eyes
widened and she stood. "Oh, I got to go. Will you
be okay, Akari?"
Akari nodded. "I'll be fine. I just need some
rest."
Akane nodded and smiled. "Good night, then."
With that, she made for the door.
* * *
"Oh no! She's gone!" Ms. Hinako pouted and
looked down at the steaming hot cup of ramen. She
had already eaten, and didn't think she could eat
Akane's forgotten food without exploding.
She sighed, but let the half smile that she
always wore on her face return. "Oh well, cold
ramen for breakfast in the morning."
She smiled and began down the room, going
around to the door. After a moment, she stopped and
looked out over the town.
Something caught her eye. She could have
sworn she saw something moving in the distance. She
squinted as she peered over the edge.
Below, many yards from the building, she
could make out the figure of a man dressed in
yellow and brown. Something clicked inside her
head, and somehow she knew who it was.
She bolted into the building and started down
the stairs. As she burst into the hall of the
second floor, she called, "Ms. Tendo! Ms. Tendo!
Mr. Hibiki is outside the building!"
* * *
Ranma sighed as he walked down the corridor,
towards the lobby on the third floor, where most
everyone hung out. He didn't much care for spending
his 'free' time around there, for trouble would
always ensue, especially when former Furinkan High
students were around.
Many of them were still none to happy with
Ranma's actions after the 'execution' of Gosunkugi.
He didn't really care. No one, not even the adults,
had stepped forward to do ANYTHING despite the fact
that a 16 year old had been killed in a heated,
cold-blooded lynching.
Hate was the down fall of Furinkan and many
of the students who had taken shelter there. He
didn't understand why he seemed to be the only one
who could figure that out.
Soun was one of the only other men in the
group of survivors who realized, after Happosai and
Genma vanished, that life wasn't black and white.
He knew, now, that people could be inherently
cruel.
Ranma turned a corner and exited the hallway,
into the lobby. The room was mostly empty, he
observed, and moved towards the small kitchen area.
He walked into it slowly and sat down at a
table, looking up at the TV in the corner of the
room. They had hooked a VCR up to it and were
watching some Chow Yun Fat movie. He believed it
was 'The Killer', but he couldn't be sure, and he
didn't really care.
Languidly, he reached up and tugged at his
foot long pigtail -- an annoying habit. He had to
break it, but he had picked it up over a period of
13 months.
He had to do something with his hands during
the endless waiting, after all. Even when he was
lazy he was active in one way or another.
He sighed again and placed his hands down on
the table top. He looked over at a small clock and
noted that it was 1:56am. He really should get to
bed, but he didn't feel like it. He didn't think he
could make the walk.
He leaned forward and placed his head down on
his folded hands. He closed his eyes, and was
instantly asleep.
* * *
"Are you absolutely positive it was him, Ms.
Hinako?" Akane's voice was stern as she turned from
the edge of the roof to look at Hinako.
The ex-disciplinarian nodded. She moved over
to the edge of the building. "I saw him right down
there."
"And you didn't stop him?" Akari looked
towards Hinako, her eyes wide in a mix of
un-determinable emotion. "You could have called out
to him, you know."
Hinako looked down at the roof and frowned.
"I didn't think about it at the time." She smiled
brightly and looked up suddenly. "But at least we
know he's alive!"
After a moment, Akari nodded in agreement. "I
guess that is something."
Akane sighed and turned to face her two
friends. "Well, there's not much we can do now
other than hope he passes by again and we notice
him."
* * *
Quinn yawned and looked at the clock on the
tinny table next to his small cot. "2:36," he read
aloud, groaning.
He hadn't been able to sleep, not after the
scene in the mess hall earlier. He and Brendan had
been comrades and friends. He had known the guy
since they were both kids, no more than 7 or 8
years old.
He shivered at the thought that Brendan was
really dead. He couldn't believe Cooper had done
it. He was beginning to lose it, Quinn decided. He
wasn't so sure their small faction could last much
longer if Cooper's sanity continued to deteriorate.
Sighing, he rolled over and looked towards
the door to his room. On a cot right next to the
entrance, he could see Johnson sleeping peacefully.
He closed his eyes and tried to force himself
to sleep, which he knew was useless. He was going
to have to go into action the next day after little
to no sleep. He hoped everything would be okay.
"Quinn?"
Quinn's eyes opened slowly and Kelly's figure
came into focus.
The young, petite scientist stood in the
doorway, the light from the hall casting a thick
dark shadow over Quinn's face. He sat up slowly.
"Kelly? That you?"
Kelly nodded and looked around the room. She
could see Johnson sleeping next to where she stood.
She looked back up towards Quinn, who slowly sat up
on his cot. "I didn't wake you, did I?"
Quinn shook his head and stood slowly. "No. I
haven't been to sleep yet." He walked slowly
towards her, stepping softly so his feet wouldn't
cause too much noise. He rested his head on her
shoulder and pulled her out of the room, closing
the door softly.
He turned to look at her and noticed that,
like him, Kelly hadn't even changed into night
clothes. "Something on your mind?"
Kelly nodded and looked up at Quinn, who
towered over her by a good foot. "Yes, actually. I
wanted to thank you."
Quinn pulled a face. "Thank me? For what?"
"For making me sit down earlier." Kelly
looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry about Brendan.
I know you military types form a strong foundation
on each other."
Quinn nodded. "He was a good man. I've known
him most of my life..." He trailed off and looked
down the corridor. He could see Weston, the
helicopter pilot, watching them. He looked back at
Kelly. "Would you like to go for a walk?"
Kelly looked up and sighed. "A walk? To
where? We're in an underground bunker. There is no
where to walk."
"Come on," Quinn rested his hand on her
shoulder and ushered her forward. "Let's just talk.
I don't figure either of us will be getting much
sleep tonight, anyway."
Kelly moved slowly along, and only nodded.
* * *
Weston watched as his two elders disappeared
down the corridor. He realized, then, that he was
probably the only 17 year old left on the planet
with the technical know-how that he possessed, and
it made him feel a little older.
After all, how many people at the age of 16
like survived when the crisis first began? Not
many, he imagined.
He waited until Kelly and Quinn were out of
sight and then started back towards his room. It
was quite boring around the bloody bunker,
especially for a 17 year old.
On top of that, there was really nothing
technical for him to work on below ground.
Oh well, it didn't really matter. After all
-- he, Quinn and Johnson were going out in less
than 12 hours.
But he was a little weary of the mission.
Kidnapping wasn't really his game, especially
someone his age who had been killing the undead
without weapons for 13 months. It made him nervous,
but he couldn't pull out now. The stage was set,
and the mission about to begin.
================================================================
Authors Notes: One Important thing I will mention
-- due to the fact that I am eventually going to
post these stories on a webpage, I am now doing it
in "Series" format (sort of like the anime --
Series I, Series II: Anything Goes Martial Arts,
etc.)
This shouldn't interfere with the plotline any. All
it will do is mark the transition from storyline to
storyline, because I may be working on this arc for
a while. I hope to keep each series as low as 10
chapters, no more than 20 (I hope)
On one final note -- this part would have been out
much soon had I not recently purchased a
Playstation, Final Fantasy Anthology, Final Fantasy
VII, and Final Fantasy VIII (which I think is most
under rated. I've heard SOOO many bad things about
this game, but I rather like it) As long as I am on
the subject -- if someone can explain a few things
about FFVIII to me (like how to get a new weapon
for the characters. I'm on the second disk, the
Garden is floating in the ocean, and I still have
the original gunblade. I can't figure out how to
update my weapons) e-mail me!
================================================================
________________________________________________________________
Get free e-mail you don't need Web access to use --
Or get full, reliable Internet access from Juno Web!
Download your free software today: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagh.