[FFML] [Fanfic][Anime][X-over]Darkness Chronicles: FFML Foreword

Tue Feb 17 00:55:18 PST 2009

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Darkness Chronicles

An Anime-Manga Cross-over

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FFML Foreword

Quick note: the HTML/RAAC foreword will be based on something a lot longer 
and more formal, but I imagine anybody reading this here just wants to get 
to the story.  In other words, I've cut this thing to ribbons, ^_^ so 
hopefully you'll read it and understand what's going on.  Without further 
ado:

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Well, it's been over twelve years since the old _Dark Chronicles_ was 
first posted to RAAC in late 1997: longer still since its first appearance 
on the FFML in May '96, and since then, a great many things have happened.

As I said all those years ago, this thing was my first attempt at fanfic, 
although far from my first writing project. Unfortunately, although a 
promising premiss, the original story foundered quickly in a mire of 
increasingly intractable problems, and although I've continued now and 
then to correct and improve my own copy, DC would have been consigned to 
the past, had not an idea I submitted in mid '99 been accepted as part of 
the Sailor Moon Expanded multiverse. With SME and all it precipitated, DC 
gained an entirely new lease of life.

Still, that rekindled enthusiasm has been tempered by myriad events over 
the past ten years, added to the fact that I've original work to consider, 
which must take priority.  Furthermore, large cross-overs are a lot more 
prevalent than in mid '96, and concepts and ideas that seemed then unique, 
are now a good deal more hackneyed.  Nevertheless, I'd like to give this 
thing one last try in this tremendously revised incarnation.  If this 
doesn't work, it's finished; permanently.

In order of first appearance, the Anime-Manga will be Ranma 1/2, Mamono 
Hunter Yohko, Sailor Moon (Japanese & DIC), BGC (classic), Project A-ko, 
Dirty Pair, Slayers and Ah Megami-sama.  Other universes, most notably 
classic Dr. Who, Blake's Seven, Sapphire and Steel and The Chronicles of 
Narnia, will at times pop up later, but not in Part I.

However, although DC won't be unremittingly oppressive, its premiss is 
deadly serious, and most definitely not for anybody who doesn't wish to 
see their favourite characters put through an omniverse of slowly 
gathering darkness and growing, ruinous horror and evil.

Also, I should warn anybody who hates the idea of original characters, 
that the story does include some of these.  But don't run away just yet: 
the full complement of canonical characters for every included universe 
will play in their way each a pivotal role, and although as important as 
the rest for the unique abilities they possess, my original creations most 
definitely won't be of greater power; DC definitely isn't self insertion 
by proxy.

Well, now that that's out of the way, just three things.

1) First and foremost, for anyone who read the old Dark Chronicles from so 
many years ago: forget everything; Darkness Chronicles is a tremendously 
expanded endeavour, and bears only a superficial resemblance to the 
original.

2) These are alternative universes in the sense that all diverge from 
established canon in the moment this tale begins.  for the most part, the 
divergence begins after the final Anime/Manga story and so won't affect 
established pre-DC canon, with the following caveats:

R1/2:

As it seems impossible to establish a consistent chronology, I've placed 
the final trip to China and the failed wedding almost at the end of the 
school year. Further, as there's so much divergence between Manga and 
Anime continuity, it should be assumed that Manga events take priority, 
with Anime additions only where the two don't conflict. If anybody can 
point me to a consistent, rationalised Ranma continuity, it would be a 
tremendous help. But I suspect any attempt to reconcile Manga and Anime 
continuity, or to date important events during either, is impossible.

SM (DIC):

This should be imagined to have continued to the last Sailor Stars episode 
with no CWI influence, and with the changes that might have been expected 
had DIC produced the rest of SMR, SMS, SMSS and SS in accordance with the 
interpretation of SM canon suggested at the time of DC's original genesis. 
To this end, the Outer Scouts possess the names then believed to be most 
likely: Hotaru = Christin (which I prefer to Christine), Haruka = Alex, 
Michiru = Michelle, Setsuna = Susan.  Further, Alex and Michelle are 
cousins, and although very close, their relationship is entirely platonic, 
as might have been expected for a programme reinterpreted specifically for 
children.

BGC:

The events of BGCrash never happen, due to a cardinal pre-Crisis 
divergence central to this BGC continuity, and of course the 2040 version 
won't play any part.

DP:

The DP reality of DC will be an amalgamation of all three canonical DP 
universes.  Shasti and her history are canonical also in this world, 
although probably nothing more will exist of Adam Warren's alternative.

P: A-ko:

The Blue/Grey version won't appear.

Dr. Who:

This should be imagined as the Classic BBC continuity with the additions 
of the Big Finish Productions audio dramas, but uncontaminated by the new 
television joke (hmm...series :( ).

Blakes 7:

The BBC radio dramas did not occur.

3) Finally, it's important to understand that, unlike what appear to be 
the majority of cross-overs, the included universes are entirely unrelated 
before the first Reality Storm and their initial contact.  They're 
entirely self-contained, with no possibility of connection, and if known 
in others at all, they're as fictional to the rest as to our own.  As an 
example, the Slayers reality is known as Anime/Manga in all other included 
continuities, but, of course, the reverse can't be the case.  Don't 
imagine that kami-sama, the Lord of Nightmares and Aslan can sit down for 
afternoon tea and a chat; to any reality or meta-reality that has gods or 
a creator archetype, to them, their reality is the totality of existence.

Well, that's it.  Still a bit longer than I'd hoped, but it saves a lot of 
author's notes that would have ended up just as long. ^_^ Obviously, any 
public or private C&C is welcome.  If this does turn out to be as much of 
an improvement as I believ, I'll get it to RAAC, and it will go up on 
fanfiction.net in Misc/Anime X-overs, under the `Magister Archive' 
pen-name.  Hopefully, a fully formatted HTML version will also get to the 
non-SME section of the SME site.  Anyway, we'll see.

Enjoy (I hope).

Craig

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The rest of this file is just the boring but necessary copyright stuff, so 
I don't have to include it in every chapter.  Skip it at your leisure, but 
don't then go blaming me if some Youma, Mazoku or Outer God devours your 
soul for it. ^_^

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Disclaimers and Copyrights:

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Original Copyrights:

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This work is copyright, and permission to distribute it on a non-profit 
basis is given hereby, so long as nothing has been tampered with (save of 
course for changes deemed necessary for acceptable presentation), and it 
is distributed in its entirety.  No unauthorised copying, broadcasting, 
public performance, or appropriation of characters and concepts, in full 
or in part, is permitted, without written permission from me first.  This 
work may *_not_* be distributed for profit, or in or with a for-profit 
publication, without written permission from myself.

Johnathan Liam O'Reilly, Joanna Marina O'Reilly, Marina Alexeievna 
Zhuranovskya, Liana, Camilla, Ligeia, Lenore, Rhiannon, Alexei Ivanovitch 
Zhuranovsky, his Genom team, the DA-series buma concept, Fellini, the Dark 
Kingdom and Negaverse crew etc., and all other original characters, are 
Copyright 1996-2009 © by me.  Unlike many fanfic creations, some of these 
characters appear in slightly altered form in original work intended for 
publication, and thus are protected under international copyright law.

Everything else not native to the canon of an included universe is 
Copyright 1996-2009 © by me, unless someone suggests ideas to me that I 
like, and they're willing to let me use.  In that case, the ideas remain 
theirs unless they tell me otherwise, so you'll have to ask them if you 
can use them. ^_^ A case in point is C-koH, a version of whom will appear 
at some point, and the name Kent Magami for A-ko's father.  Both are 
Copyright 1996-1998 © by David Outram a.k.a. Kent Magami, and C-koH at 
least probably will pay you a visit to express her creator's extreme 
displeasure should you use her without his consent. :-)

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Other Copyrights:

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BubbleGum Crisis & Crash & ADP Files are Copyright © Artmic / Youmex / 
Suzuki Toshimichi, Sonoda Kenichi, Gooda Hiroaki and Urushibara Satoshi.

Ranma 1/2 is Copyright 1996 © Takahashi Rumiko / Shogakukan Inc. / Kitty / 
Fuji TV / Viz Video.

Sailor Moon is Copyright 1996 © Takeuchi Naoko / Kodansha / Toei Animation 
/ DIC / CWI.

The Chronicles of Narnia epic is Copyright 1951-2009 © by C. S. Lewis.

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