Let's try this again... ignore previous attempt. Now read the teaser.
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King of Ducks Publishers Proudly Present,
In association with Seven Drunken Albino Dwarves Ltd.,
Funding Provided by Nabiki Tendo Investment Firm (NTIF),
Blood Of Heroes (teaser)
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction
Written By: BloodRainer, who is The King of Ducks.
<Insert Standard Disclaimer here. For further information, listen to "The
Disclaimer" on The Offspring's Ixnay On The Hombre.>
[In the middle of clearing an old man with with dark gray hair sits. In
front of him a fire roars, and all around him eyes glow in the darkness. He
is meditating and as he does more eyes appear.]
Young Man: Yes. Soon it will be time. Cuchulain, come forth.
[A pair of eyes start to move forward and come out of the shadows. As they
do the eyes turn out to belong to a large man in antique Celtic armor. A
great sword hangs at his side and a long black cape billows in an unfelt
wind. As Cuchulain appraoches it becomes obvious that he is translucent and
through him the forest can almost be made out.]
Cuchulain: Yes Shaman, I am here. For what purpose hast thou summoned me
from mine rest. For untold seasons I have lived in the other world and my
rebirth here is immenent. Why hast thou brought me prematurely to this world?
Shaman: Your blood cries from the other world, the balance has beeen
destroyed. The time has come for him to appear. Pendragon step forth!
[Another pair of eyes steps out of the darkness. A bear of a man strides
forward and his form shimmers, as if fighting the resistance to return.
Again, this man is translucent.]
Pendragon [Looks at Cuchulain]: Cousin? Is it time for our return? My
long sleep holds me weary for life once more. And though I have never died
as thou hast, mine rest has been just as profound and my spirit resists.
Cuchulain [Looks at Pendragon]: Yes, it nearly time. Uther has been reborn
and in a generation the world shall know us once more.
Pendragon [Looks at the Shaman]: Why have ye drawn me from Avalon? In the
Mists of the Faeries I did rest with my sister and awaited my time. Is there
a purpose to my walking this mortal coil before my awakening?
Shaman: Yes Pendragon, there is. Your blood cries from the mists of the
faerie and it is nearly time. The Starsworn has been reborn. Now is the
time when your power must be passed. Gawain, come forth.
[Another pair of eyes steps out of the shadows and this a younger man with a
lighter sword at his side. His armor is that of 5th century Wales and yes,
he is translucent.]
Gawain [Looks at Pendragon]: Milord, is it time yet?
Pendragon: Yes Gawain, it almost is. One more generation.
Gawain [Looks at the Shaman]: By the Green Knight why have I returned?
Shaman: Your blood calls from the battlefield where young Mordred slew you.
The wrath of the heavens has been reborn. Now is the time when your rebirth
is in question.
[The Shaman stands and address the three spirits.]
Shaman: One of the Picts strong, Another of the Britons shorn, The last from
the Stonehenge's birth, your rebirth is in doubt. Cuchulain, your gods
willed that you would return, Pendragon, it was laid down in prophecy that
you would reclaim your throne, Gawain your valor has brought you to return.
But the Great Destroyer is reborn, the one known as Fenris Ulf, The Midgar
Serpent, Sirtir the Fire Giant; the one who was known as Mara, as Shiva, as
Kali; The white snake, the evil manitou, the slayer of Quetzcucoatl; the one
called Baba Yaga; the one called Fallen by the earliest walks the land. He
who was imprisoned long before man drew a breath and who has been set free to
reign destruction before, he who was returned only by the efforts of you and
your ilk. The mighty who thundered across the plains, who ran the deserts,
who stalked the forests, the greatest warriors of all time. Ye who all have
locked away this creature are all beyond our world, I call to you because IT
has returned. None have been reborn to stop it. Hiawatha, when you slew the
Manitou with the arrow you stopped it's awakening [At this a young man steps
out, he is a native American and nods his head solemnly.]. Robin of
Locksley, your actions defeated it's greatest servants and prevented it's
unsealing [A gaijin dressed in green steps out and laughs.]. Qui Chang Kane
throughout your travels you defeated many evil sorcerors whose dabbling could
have unleashed it [An older asain man wearing clothes from the American Old
West steps out stoically]. All of your actions and countless others unnamed
have stopped it, but now there are no more heroes to fight it and already
it's darkness is stretching outward. The Starsworn has returned to battle it
but none can help him. already he is seeking warriors for a purpose but he
knows not what it is. I have summoned you to warn you that will not return
for none remain that are your incarnations, all the old heroes are fallen.
The Starsworn shall fail and this world shall pass. There is nothing we can
do, I come only to deliver this message, please help mankind in the other
world.
Pendragon: Uther has been reborn, he was a great warrior. Surely then there
is hope.
Shaman: Uther was a powerful warrior and a minor hero in his own right, but
he lacks a Merlin to guide him and has no other companions to help. There is
no hope.
Gawain: Isn't there anyway to slow it until we can fight against it?
Shaman: It has been slowed as much as possible.
Cuchulain: And my descendants, what of they? They possess my heritage, they
can stand up to the All-devourer.
Shaman: Your last remaining descendant is the Starsworn. There is no hope,
unless a new group of heroes emerge, nothing can help.
Pendragon: A new group of heroes?
Gawain: A new band of warriors who can defeat the darkness?
Cuchulain: Who will guide the Starsworn to to his final confrontation?
Pendragon: Then there is hope.
Gawain: Aye, Galahad was earned his place among them as did I without being
of the old blood.
Cuchulain: Shaman, there is hope.
Shaman: Maybe, but not likely. This world is not the world you left behind.
No great heroes are born from the people. Those who know of the old ways
are few and those who can fight in the old ways are rarer still. The
Starsworn will fail unless he can find the ones who know of the eldern ways.
There is naught we can do except wait, spirits, return to your slumber, the
time has passed.
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[Ranma awoke with a start in Nerima, to his left lay a snoring Panda. Ranma
was sweating, a dream he had had was really unnerving him. More so than it
should. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and lay back down, but no
sooner had he closed his eyes than the images came tumbling back. He shot up
and out of bed this time.]
Ranma-kun: Dammit. I guess I'm not getting anymore sleep tonight, I wonder
what time it is.
[Ranma then walked over to a clock which read 4:00 in bright red digital
letters.]
Ranma-kun: Aw hell. I still coulda had another few hours. Grr.
[Ranma walks past the Panda which doesn't even notice him stomping out of the
room or the slamming of the door. Ranma then walks down the stairs and heads
into the Dojo, where, having nothing better to do, he begins to practice some
katas. As he practiced the thoughts came back into his head...]
[Ranma is in a black void wearing his usual red Chinese shirt and his black
pants and is staring a strange old man in front of a roaring fire. The old
man looks past him and calls out names Ranma doesn't know. Cuchulain,
Pendragon, Gawain, and later Hiawatha, Robin of Locksley, and someone who
sounded vaguely familiar, a Qui Chang Kane. He speaks to them in a language
Ranma doesn't understand, and Ranma only caught the names because the others
came forth by the names. The old man and the others have a heated discussion
and then the others leave. The old man looks at Ranma now and calls "Ranma
Saotome".]
Ranma-kun: Damn dream.