[Ranma][Fanfic] Adulthood of a Modern Dynasty - Chapter 12: The Black Wars "Out of Africa; Tearful Homecomings" ======================================================================= Adulthood of a Modern Dynasty Chapter 12: The Black Wars "Out of Africa; Tearful Homecomings" Ranma 1/2 characters/situations created and copyright by Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan/Kitty/Fuji/Viz - Used without permission Adulthood of a Modern Dynasty series created, written, and copyright 2000-2001 by Jim Lazar An ongoing series set after the end of the Ranma 1/2 manga and anime. For maximum enjoyment of this fanfic series, please read my Childhood of Modern Dynasty series before reading Adulthood. E-mail comments and/or criticisms to: jim [at] animeprime.com Make sure to check out my Modern Dynasty website for all released AMD stories, graphics files, and other information: http://www.animeprime.com/ff/md ======================================================================= Yet more violent and bloody events unfold in this chapter. ======================================================================= June 9, 2009 - Sudan, Africa (Black Wars Day 41) Out of Africa... Dressed in a loose-fitting army uniform since her regular clothing had long since succumbed to the ravages of war, Sanma scanned the desert in front of her. "I swear I saw something moving..." She squinted, as if that would help her see in the early evening dusk. "You are incorrect. The last Buyierfei activity-" the tall Amazon by Sanma's side said, pausing to kiss and press her fingers to her forehead. "-was reported at least twenty kilometers to the south of us." She glanced at one of the local army soldiers. The dark skinned soldier nodded his agreement with the Amazon's statement. He was currently acting as the liaison for the eastern Amazon force because he spoke Chinese--both Mandarin and Cantonese--English, Japanese, Swahili, and Tiv. Knowing that last language would probably not be of much use to him any longer, since the Fourth Monolith had effectively made Tiv a dead language. Regardless, he had quickly turned into the eyes and ears of the Amazons. One thing the Amazons lacked was long-range intelligence and contact with the western and southern Amazon forces, both of which they were able to get from the multinational ground forces they fought alongside. News from the southern front line was encouraging. They had been able to keep the Buyierfei from moving further south than Kinshasa and had already pushed them back northward to the Central African Republic. There was great hope that the southern force and the eastern force--which Sanma was a part of--would soon be one. The news from the western force was not as good. Hampered by the terrain and smaller local armies, the western force had only been able to slow the Buyierfei's advance and had been losing ground steadily. The Atlantic Ocean might be the only thing that would stop the massive surge of their enemy westward. But as the scattered battles in Europe, Asia, and America showed, even water couldn't totally contain the black demons. The people of the world had found--much to their chagrin--that the land Buyierfei could float in small numbers across the ocean waves. So water would only slow them down. Sanma sighed at the 'wait and be attacked by hordes of Buyierfei' attitude of the warrior who had taken command of the local Amazon warriors after Yukiko was put out of commission. She had been sent back to the Amazon village to heal along with several other wounded Amazons. Unfortunately, many times more dead also made their last honorable trip back to the village with them. Sanma was glad Yukiko would be okay, but would have preferred the next in command to be a little more aggressive. She turned toward the tall Amazon. "Nailclipper, we can't just wait here li..." "There!!" Nailclipper snapped suddenly and pointed at the dark sands in front of them. "At last," Sanma said gleefully and shot off a red chi ball in the direction Nailclipper had indicated. One explosion later, an English voice rang out over the desert. "Fuck, what the hell was that?!" Sanma frowned. What words of the English curse she understood made her suspect that it wasn't a Buyierfei in front of her. Buyierfei don't tend to swear like drunken sailors, after all. "Who goes there?!" she shouted back, regretting the cliche. The English voice replied--without swearing this time--and Sanma looked around to one of the nearby soldiers. "Throw a light over there!" Seconds latter a searchlight from one of the nearby hummers illuminated a group of figures in the sand a hundred meters or so in front of the Amazons. A middle-aged woman with graying hair shielded her eyes from the glare. She and the three people with her looked tired and had sand caked in every crook and cranny that could be seen. And many that couldn't be seen. "What the..." Sanma gasped in amazement. "How could there still be humans alive out there?" Nailclipper shouted out instructions to her warriors, who quickly pelted the area around them with darts. When no floating wounds appeared, they moved forward and picked up the previously thrown darts. Again, the darts flashed forward, trying to locate the enemy. They got half way to the group of four when one of the darts stopped in midair. "Crap!" Sanma shouted and sent a series of small carefully aimed chi balls into the area right around the four people. "The bastards were using them as a shield, hoping we wouldn't fire on them!" Nailclipper nodded. "Fan out and attack anything you can't see!!" Right next to the gray-haired woman, a tentacle appeared and flailed about as its central body was blown apart by one of Sanma's chi balls. The four people started running. Fast. As the battle re-ignited around them, the line of warriors and the four weary people crossed without a word. The warriors had Buyierfei to battle and the four people were too eager to get behind what they assumed--and rightly so--must be the front line to make small talk. As several army medics rushed up and helped her fellow survivors away from the front line in order to treat their wounds and scrapes, the gray haired woman looked back at the battle. As if torn between a story and her safety, she paused. "Who are you people?" a British soldier asked. The woman looked back at the source of the voice and smiled weakly. "We're reporters..." She looked around the blackened battlefield. "We've been caught behind the front lines..." She looked at the date displayed on the soldier's sand-covered digital watch. "For over a month... I think." The soldier's eyes widened. "A month? How did you survive?" "It's a long story... you'll probably be able to read it in the New York Times someday." A worried look crossed the woman's face. "Is New York okay? How much damage have the Buyierfei caused?" "New York hasn't been hit by anything-" The woman smiled. "-yet... but Africa is a mess." The woman understood that last part all too well, but hearing that New York was still safe meant that all the pain and suffering she had seen and felt over the past month had not been in vain. Her family was safe. "Can I get a message back to my family?" "You can see what they can arrange at a evacuation center, Miss, but I'm afraid there's a long waiting list for the communications systems that haven't been crippled." "Crippled?" "There's been a lot of satellite damage from the explosion on the moon-" She filed that little piece of info in her mental notepad. "-a lot of damage to other forms of communications here in Africa and some in Europe. And a lot of people were swamping the phone circuits. Even the Super-Internet is having trouble keeping the international links from failing on a daily basis due to staffing shortages." The woman was amazed. "So much for modern technology." The soldier nodded. "The problem's gotten so bad that the governments of the world have commandeered most of what IS working in order to coordinate the war efforts." He reached for his PDA to make a notation, proving that not all technology had been thrown back to the Twentieth Century. "What's your name, Miss?" "Angela." Despite her extreme fatigue, the woman smiled slightly. "Angela Rodriguez-Davidson." "So, you're a reporter?" the medic asked as he checked her swollen arm. "Yes, although I'm seriously thinking of giving up field reporting for good this time." Angela sighed. "I imagine you have all kinds of reporters covering the battle." "No, not since..." The young soldier trailed off. "Since?" Angela "There were some... losses in the early weeks of the war." "Losses?" "You know that guy who got famous during the Gulf War?" "Yeah?" "His final report was broadcast live and... well, kind of soured other reporter's enthusiasm for getting the story from the front line." "Was he..." The medic nodded. "He never left the battlefield... at least not in one piece." He looked at the nearby fighting with a pained look. "Then there was the ABC news crew that got ripped apart by a couple dozen Buyierfei." Angela cringed, having come close to sharing the same fate. "And then some USA Today reporters tried to..." Deciding she'd heard enough, Angela tuned out the medic as he treated her wounds. She glanced back at her nameless rescuers, wondering what kind of stories each of them could tell and if it would be good or bad. A small redhead in the middle of the battle caught her eye. Angela's eyes widened as a string of red chi balls flew from the woman's hands and blasted apart several newly visible creatures in a heartbeat. Then she recalled the fates of the other reporters trying to get those stories. *********************************************************************** >From the personal journal of James Davidson July 9, 2058 "What was that?" I asked, shaking myself out of my intense examination of the flight time remaining display. Fifty-three minutes before I could be at my wife's side. I've talked with her several times during our mad flight to Nerima, but it's not the same as being there. So far, Jaki had violated Manchuria's airspace and is probably doing the same to the United Republic of Korea's at the moment, but then there's not really anyplace on Earth off-limits to a Task Force aircraft. In Jaki's own words, "I'll make up an excuse later." "The old man saved your grandmother's ass, didn't you know that?" Jaki said, grinning at me from the pilot's seat. I shook my head. I had only been half listening to Jaki's description of Sanma's time on the African battlefields, but the last thing she had said definitely caught my attention. "My grandmother wasn't at the front line long. She really didn't have much more than a few minutes before they rushed her and the other reporters away. It wasn't until she got to an evacuation center near Rome that she even had a chance to write down anything." "Yeah, Grandma saved that clipping in a scrapbook." "Really?" "Something about a redhead that could make fire dance for her?" I nodded. "Apparently, recording news reports off TV and clipping newspaper stories about Sanma kept my grandmother occupied during the months of waiting before the old man finally returned to her.... at least for the short breaks between wars." "According to my mother, that article was how my father and grandfather found out she was still alive." I noticed how surprised Jaki looked at hearing that. "Somehow the article got to the New York Times offices before the telegram from my mother got to them." "Well, I guess those primitive communications systems couldn't handle all the damage and traffic at the time." I nodded. "Not to mention all the people fleeing the big cities leaving some serious understaffing." *********************************************************************** >Excerpt from the New York Times, June 15th, 2009 One Step Ahead of the Buyierfei By Angela Rodriguez-Davidson (feature reporter) Reporting from Rome, Italy A strange thing happened on my way to a refuge camp in drought-stricken Africa. As my long-time readers will remember, I was in Florida during ninety-nine and just barely survived the shock wave caused by the explosion of the First Monolith. Imagine my surprise when I was forced to outrun another Monolith's shock wave when the Fourth blew in Africa. Call it fate, call it bad luck, or call it being in the wrong place twice in one lifetime. But whatever you call it, I am thankful to have survived so that I can return to my loving family. I just wish the rest of the world could share in the happiness I will feel when I step off the evacuation plane--again--and into the loving embrace of my family--again. But for every happy story, there is another story--many more stories, in fact--of death, pain, and loss. The good and the bad stories sometimes cross each other's paths and sometimes they don't. The pain I suffered to survive in the war torn desert of Africa paid off. For others, that pain ended, but the pain of their families continues. If not for an old, broken-down bus, our busload of reporters would have arrived on time at the eastern Chad refugee camp we had been heading to. A twist of fate saved us from a quick, painful death with those closer to the Fourth Monolith. As he tried to repair the bus, the driver didn't even have a chance to know why he died during the sudden earthquakes caused by the Fourth's explosion. Abib Jaken I only know his name from the license he left behind on the bus' visor. Acting out of fear or out of determination to see my family again, I got the bus started somehow--with thanks to whatever the driver managed to do under the engine--and kept one step ahead of the onrushing Blackness. Again. In the end our bus was tossed into the air by the shock wave and ended up buried under the black sands left in the wake of the blast. Jack Rimmer Hiroshi Sato Vlad Forester Fellow reporters. That's all I know of these three men. They didn't survive the crash of the bus. After several attempts to dig ourselves out of the bus only ended in more sand coming in and almost burying us all over again, we waited for a rescue that we knew would likely never come. We were fortunate to have plenty of food and water with us--which we had intended to deliver to the refuge camps--and with the engine compartment of the bus apparently sticking out of the sand, enough air got in to keep us alive. For a while. Rosetta Johnson She never woke up one morning. Be it from age, from internal injuries, or just because she had given up hope in her mind, I don't know. All I know is her three grandchildren will never be told a bedtime story by their grandma again, but I am grateful that she kept the rest of us entertained by reciting those stories from her sharp memory. My own children will now be able to enjoy those stories that are forever burned into my memory. And if we manage to live through this nightmare that has engulfed the world, they will tell the stories to their children and so on and so on. Gary Trud He died of madness, while saving the rest of us. He was a simple man, used to a simple life of factual reporting. He traveled, but only as much as he needed to get the facts for his next story. He didn't try to get the big scoop, he just tried to get the facts. "Just the facts, Ma'am," he would always insist as we talked quietly in the dark tomb we found ourselves buried in. I won't go into the details of how he died, it's not important. Know only that his death gave the rest of us a chance to live again. And for that we are eternally grateful to him and the other six people who never left that desert. Seeing the sun for the first time in over four weeks was unsettling to us at first, but soon we set off to the east with the last of our almost exhausted food and water. Why east? Because there was nothing but blackness to the west. What signs of civilization we came across was not very encouraging and convinced us that we were behind enemy lines. Ruins of buildings, burned vehicles, and the remains of the Buyierfei's victims. Florida and the southeastern United States got off easy in retrospect. And worse of all, not a sign of military equipment or battles. By our fifth day in the desert, we had started to believe that we were the last five humans alive. Our first signs of life did not help prove that belief wrong. That's when we became four. Fiona Wildman She--of all people--should have made it. Young, fit, always driving us on to continue our march through the desert. She had her whole life ahead of her. Was the Buyierfei that tore her apart a straggler or part of a large group of the creatures? We'll never know. All we could do is crouch down in the shadows of ruined buildings and hope that none of the unseen creatures had seen us. On the seventh night a burning ball of red energy showed the four of us the way to salvation. The red fireball came out of nowhere and blew apart the sand less than a yard from us. When we looked at where it had come from, we saw an endless line of women armed to the teeth. Our salvation. Amazons I had never been so happy to see so many large breasts in all my life. My son would have been in heaven. They fight like demons themselves. Using primitive armor and weapons, they seem to have been taken out of time. But while modern weapons can kill the Buyierfei, sometimes simpler methods prove more effective. Weapons from medieval times against demons that may predate the human race. Hopefully, the demons won't outlive us. And then there was the fire and wind. I had heard reports from ninety-nine of Amazons that could will the winds to do their bidding and generate fire from thin air, but there are no words that can adequately describe the sight of Amazons in action. From the redheaded Amazon who could make fire dance from her fingers to a group of Amazons that could form tornadoes with an intricate dance, I will never forget my brief time at the front line with them. And neither will I forget the seven people who were left behind in the desert. Seven names added to the estimated six to seven hundred million people feared dead during what most have called the blackest war in history. The Black War. The name is fitting. Even the survivors will never be the same again. The Blackness has touched us all. Does the future hold more pain for the world? Pain for my children? My children's children? When will the pain end? -A- -M- -D- June 15th, 2009 - New York, New York, USA (Black Wars Day 47) "Bobby!!" Bobby didn't move from his comfortable position on his bed. That position had his head hanging over the edge of the mattress, his left foot folded under his butt, and his right arm tied in a bed sheet. It looked painful, but it was comfortable for him. "Bobby!!" The voice was followed by a loud knock on the apartment's door. Bobby didn't move. More pounding followed. "Bobby, there's a naked girl out here for you!!" Bobby's eyes shot open and he rolled over, only to crash to the floor, wrapped in a sheet. "What?" "Bobby!!" the voice repeated along with more pounding. Bobby rubbed his eyes as he stumbled out of his bedroom towards the front door. "Huh?" he grunted as he opened the door. He was immediately tackled by a pair of breasts. It wasn't the worst way to be woken up. "Deborah?" He recognized the breasts immediately. "I'm so happy for you!" Deborah said, even as she squeezed the stuffing out of Bobby. "Um... I'm happy now too." Something told Deborah that they weren't talking about the same thing. That 'something' was pressing into her leg. "Haven't you seen it?" "What?" Bobby said, glancing down at Deborah's cleavage. Deborah slid off Bobby and held up that morning's New York Times. Bobby refocused his eyes from Deborah's bosom onto the newspaper. "What..." His eyes shot wide open. "Mom!!" Deborah smiled. "I'm so happy for you!!" She threw her arms around Bobby. Tears flowed out of Bobby's eyes. "Mommy..." "What's all the racket... out... here..." Mike Davidson trailed off. "Oh... um... I'll leave you two al...." Bobby's head shot toward his father. "Dad, Mom's alive!!" "What?" Deborah smiled as she held up the paper again. "Angel..." -A- -M- -D- "She can't stay away from the story, can she, Dad?" Bobby said as he put down the New York Times. His father shook his head. "Nope, the story always seems to find her." "Outrunning the explosions of two monoliths in one lifetime, what are the odds?" Deborah shook slightly as her own memories of ninety-nine threatened to surge to the forefront of her mind. Mike sighed and looked at Deborah. "Pretty bad, I would think." Deborah looked accusingly at Bobby. "Now about that comment that you'd be in heaven if you were surrounded by Amazon breasts?" Bobby flinched. "Um... no... um... she meant that I have always respected strong women." Just then, the doorbell rang and saved Bobby further embarrassment. "I'll get it, Dad," Bobby quickly offered, getting up and tying his robe tighter around his waist as he left the kitchen. Mike reached over the breakfast table and clasped the younger woman's hand. "Thanks for bringing this over." "It's my pleasure, but I expected you to have known already when I spotted it on the newsstand when I went out shopping." Mike nodded. "I may have to ream her editor a new one." Bobby reappeared with an envelope and several pieces of paper. "Hey, Dad, Mom's alive and in an evacuation center near Rome." He couldn't help chuckling. "You don't say?" Mike replied, a wide smirk on his face. -A- -M- -D- June 16, 2009 - Sudan, Africa (Black Wars Day 48) A week after rescuing the odd group in the desert, Sanma slept peacefully in a large tent that had been used as barracks for the Amazons during the month-long battle with the Buyierfei. The various armies that were fighting alongside them had provided the tent, as well as food, water, medical attention, spare clothing, and anything else they needed. Their own supplies had run out a couple weeks into the battle. Needless to say, they had expected a shorter battle. Or maybe they just didn't want to admit the odds they were up against when they left the village. Some of the Amazons complained about having so many men around. Likewise, some of the men--mostly those from Arabic countries where the women dress slightly more modestly than the Amazons did--in the multi-national force didn't like fighting alongside women. Fortunately, they all knew that there wasn't any choice in the current situation. On the battlefield, the blood was the same color, be it from a man or a woman. The spirits of all the fighters in the eastern force were lifted when they merged with the southern force and pressed westward. Slowly, but surely, they were beating back the wave of Buyierfei that had threatened to engulf them all. Sanma's much needed sleep was interrupted by the sounds of some hushed voices. She opened her eyes and shut them again to block out the midday sun that was illuminating the tent. She opened her eyes slowly and looked over at the sound of the voices. He recognized one of them right away. "What was that?" Nailclipper asked, rubbing her eyes as if she'd just been woken up herself. "The western front line has collapsed," a young man in a Japanese SDF uniform said. "Oh no, we were so close to full containment too." The young man nodded. "We'll have to..." Sanma sat upright in her bed. "What was that?" The middle aged woman looked at Sanma. "The western front has fallen, but you should get some more sleep," she said, walking over to Sanma's cot. Sanma shook her head. "No... we've got to redouble our efforts." She started to get up, but her legs and arms didn't seem to want to keep her vertical. She fell down, slipping off the cot and crashing to the floor with a crash. Nailclipper and the young man helped get Sanma back onto the cot. "See?" Nailclipper said, sounding like a worried mother. "You get some rest. You of all people should know that anyone generating large amounts of chi like you have been leads to severe exhaustion." "Nonsense... I just stood up too fast," Sanma insisted, knowing it was a lie. Her thoughts ended when she passed out from exhaustion. Or maybe it was the right hook Nailclipper landed to Sanma's jaw. "Um... is that the way all Amazon mothers put their kids to bed?" the Japanese soldier asked. Nailclipper shook her head. "Sanma is neither my child nor an Amazon by birth, but she has an Amazon warrior's heart and soul," she said, looking out the open tent flap toward the tent that they were using as a morgue. It wasn't much different than the tent they used for sleeping, but the air around it seemed to be thicker and smelled of the death that permeated the entire battlefield, just stronger. -A- -M- -D- June 16-July 2, 2009 - Mali, Africa (Black Wars Days 48-64) The Amazon's chest exploded outward when two black tentacles pierced it, showering the ground in front of her with her own blood. Seconds later she was torn in half and the pieces of her mangled body fell to the red sand. All the pieces hadn't even settled by the time that the blood--red blood--covered Buyierfei tentacle pierced its next victim. The small redheaded Amazon screamed as the tentacle pierced her leg. While using her shield to deflect another meant for her chest first, she lashed out with her sword and sliced the tentacle that was sticking through her leg off at the source. Rolling to the side, she thrust up and then to the side, effectively ending the creature's killing spree. The Amazon had a second to breathe a sigh of relief before another Buyierfei's tentacle charged with black energy sliced off her arm. As her sword dropped onto the sand, the Buyierfei gutted the Amazon and drew the proud warrior's internal organs into itself. Leaving the remains that contained very little of the energy the Buyierfei thrived on behind, it shuffled off to find more energy to feed on. It didn't have to go far on the bloody battlefield. -A- -M- -D- "What's that?" Ranma asked as he stuck his face against the helicopter's side window. Neither of the two American pilots in the front of the helicopter responded, mostly since they didn't speak Japanese. From her seat on the other side of the helicopter, Ranko smushed her face against the glass and followed Ranma's gaze. "That doesn't look good," she said when she saw the plumes of thick black smoke rising above the blackened ground that the helicopter was headed toward. She looked down at the unblemished grasslands they were flying over, wondering if the same fate awaited this pristine land. Hairwax was busy sharpening the high-tech swords provided by the U.S. Army for the three of them. Shortly after deciding to go to Africa, they discovered they had no idea how to get there. If they hadn't already sent the telegram to Akane, they might have called off their trip into Africa. After several failed attempts elsewhere, Ranma managed to use what English he had learned during his time at Disney World to convince the diplomats at the American embassy in Mexico City that they were Amazons in need of transport to Africa. Which was technically the truth, of course. At first, they weren't convinced since Ranma didn't look anything like an Amazon woman, despite his five-o-clock shadow making him look very similar to some of the hormonally challenged warriors. Not even the new Amazon names that Hairwax had given Ranma and Ranko helped. It took a little chi ball demonstration to convince the Americans. Within an hour, they were on a plane to the U.S. to join a troop transport to West Africa. They had been given new clothing to replace their torn outfits, several of the high-tech swords the U.S. Army had been using as standard issue since two thousand, and other various survival gear. The three hundred U.S. Army soldiers that shared the ride to Africa with them weren't quite sure what to make of the strange trio, so they ended up treating each of them differently. Ranko was easy. She quickly drew most of the attention, marriage proposals, and offers to join the Mile High Club. Ranma got questions about how to become a male Amazon. He also received one marriage proposal. Ranma decided not to tell. Hairwax was avoided. It might have been the razor sharp swords she was swinging around to test the balance, but it was mostly to do with her five-o-clock shadow and hairy armpits. The somewhat upbeat attitude on the plane changed midway when they heard news that the already precarious western front had collapsed and they were needed even more urgently. The young soldiers grew even more nervous as they neared their first battle. For some of them it would be their last battle. Ranma and Ranko discussed the best ways to assist the fighters now. With the front line in shambles, they weren't sure where they could help the most. And that's how they ended up flying toward the worst possible place on Earth at that moment for anyone to be headed toward. If that wasn't bad enough, there was the totally insane thing they were going to do when they spotted the enemy. Their wife was used to their moments of stupidity, but she'd have been beyond speechless if he knew what they planned to do. That's why they didn't bother to tell their wife in the telegram they sent. A black chi ball flashed by the helicopter, only missing the rotors due to a quick maneuver by the experienced pilot. "Buyierfei below!" the co-pilot shouted in English. Ranma and Ranko understood the first word, but didn't need to be told what the black chi ball meant. They exchanged a look that dared the other to stop their plan, but neither would be the one to chicken out. This usually resulted in them doing something their wife would call insanely stupid. This time was no exception. "GO!!" Ranma yelled. Two U.S. Army privates standing on opposite sides of the helicopter behind Ranma and Ranko slid open the large side doors of the helicopter with a bang. Ranma and Ranko jumped. The fact that they weren't wearing parachutes would have freaked their wife out. Fortunately, they weren't the total idiots their words and actions sometimes made them seem to be. As the three-point harnesses that each of them were wearing pulled taut, they both grunted with the sudden jolt to their bodies. "Light them up!!" Ranma shouted as he hung off one of the skids at a forty-five degree angle. "They won't know what hit them!!" Ranko replied from the other skid in a similar position as Ranma, except she was showing more cleavage due to the position of her harness and the fact that she had breasts, where Ranma didn't. Not anymore, that is. A stream of red-hot chi balls flashed from each of their cupped hands and traced a path in front of the helicopter. The helicopter pilot was so started by their sudden appearance that he jerked the control stick, causing the helicopter to shake. "Hold it steady!!" Ranma yelled in vain, since the pilots didn't understand Japanese. Had he not been concentrating on the battlefield beneath him, Ranma might have recalled that he could speak English. Each stream of chi balls impacted against the ground in front of the helicopter, tracing a straight line at first and then turning into a wild pattern when the shaking of the helicopter screwed up Ranma and Ranko's aim. It didn't really matter; nothing below was hit. Nothing living at least. "Nothing!!" Ranko yelled to Ranma. "Fire a wider pattern this time!!" Ranma replied even as he started to generate another stream of chi balls. "Right!!" Ranko yelled over the wind that assailed her senses. Seeing small groups of Amazons and soldiers fighting below, she sent a burst of chi balls into the empty areas between the groups. "Two!!" she called out as she scored two kills. Ranma grumbled something and then sent out his third volley, focusing on a patch of blackened earth that had smoke floating over it. The only problem was the strange patterns the smoke made, as if there was something there, but not there. "Five!!" Ranma shouted gleefully as his chi balls met their intended targets. The strafing runs continued as the helicopter soared over the heads of the fighters, both human and non-human. Unfortunately, the chi blasts ended up hitting both as well. Ranma and Ranko did their best, but with the defenders and attackers so close together they occasionally hit the humans as well as their intended targets. They could only hope the humans they hit weren't hurt too badly, since they were moving too fast to see more than where their blasts were hitting. Over the course of their aerial assault, their aim improved as they got used to the motion of the helicopter and the feeling of hanging over a field of blood by three tethers. Those tethers suddenly seemed much smaller than when they had decided on this plan. "Got them!!" Ranko yelled as she counted at least three Buyierfei being blown apart by her latest stream of chi balls. Suddenly, the helicopter banked left and turned around in a tight circle. "Hey!" Ranko snapped as she was slammed into the side of the doorframe. Ranma, eyes wide, feared he'd fall from the helicopter, but the tethers held him tight. Hairwax looked at Ranko. "I think they are almost out of fuel, Tampon." Ranko rolled her eyes at hearing the Amazon name Hairwax had picked out for her. What bothered her the most was the snickers from the American soldiers when anyone called her by her Amazon name. She looked through the open doors at her brother. "Here we go, Hemorrhoid." Ranma thought at he sent a barrage of chi balls at the approaching ground to clear their landing area of Buyierfei. Their fight from above was about to end. It was time to get their borrowed boots dirty. Or, by the looks of the battlefield, bloody. -A- -M- -D- When their fight entered its second week, Ranma and Ranko knew their hopes of getting out of Africa quickly had been wishful thinking. Ranko danced around the tentacles of her latest opponent, slicing away each tentacle with her sword as she went. When she was done, the tentacle-less central mass of the Buyierfei tipped over onto the black-blood covered ground with almost comical thud. Ranko ended its pointless wobbling with a single precise cut through its thick hide. Then--as she'd done several hundred times before--she went onto the next floating wound that identified a Buyierfei on the battlefield. she thought as she sliced into black flesh. The sounds of gunfire cut off by a gasp for breath made Ranko look toward her left. She shuddered and sent a large chi ball in the direction of the gasp. The Buyierfei was blasted into a thousand different pieces that fell to the ground along with its last victim. Nearby--but not out of sight or earshot of Ranko--Ranma cast a wide spread of chi balls across the corpse-laden battlefield. "Shit..." he spat when he didn't hit anything. "Where the hell are they coming from if not here?" He looked around toward the group Ranko was with. Nearby, he saw a squad of 'locators', which was the term the fighters had come to use for the squads of soldiers who sprayed the so-called 'empty' areas with bullets in hopes of identifying the enemy. What worried Ranma the most is that they still couldn't seem to find the source of the Buyierfei. That was why he was trying to locate any sign of them behind the main battle. He and Ranko had already had several helicopter journeys deeper into enemy territory, but found that there were no great concentrations of Buyierfei behind the thousands that they fought at the front. Which left the obvious question. "Where the hell are they all coming from?" Ranma asked himself as he let another series of chi balls fly. -A- -M- -D- "Where the hell am I now?" Ryoga called out as he looked for any sign of life in the black landscape spread out in front of him. He kicked the ground, causing a cloud of black dust to drift away. That dust was what as left of the life that once flourished along a river in northwestern Nigeria. "I can't figure out how I keep missing Japan! I have been headed east for weeks now!" He looked into the distant sky, not noticing the rising sun behind him. "Akari..." He muttered as he walked toward what he thought was the west. "Tonkatsu..." He sighed. "Subuta..." He squinted. "Gyouza... ooof!" He ran into something and fell backwards. As the sun behind him shown its rays across the barren black desert, he couldn't see what he ran into. Putting two and two together, he arrived at the obvious answer. "Buyierfei!!" He cupped his hands together and generated a yellow chi ball between his hands. "How the hell did they get to China already?" Right enemy, wrong location. Nothing new for Ryoga there. "Golden Pig Blast!!" he called out the name of a heavily refined chi blast based on negative Shishi Houkou Dan energy. Normally he didn't like being reminded of his curse, but since his oldest son--Tonkatsu--named this particular technique it only helped to remind him of his family. Which in turn made the chi blast possible since it was based on the joy he experienced when he was with his family. It was a joy he hadn't experienced firsthand lately. -A- -M- -D- Ranma's sword sliced through ten tentacles before it finally embedded itself in the Buyierfei's central mass. He grinned and sent a surge of green energy down the blade, blowing apart the Buyierfei. Through trial and error, he'd learned that the green energy that Ukyo used to charge her spatulas was less tiring to generate in large quantities than a full blown Moko Takabisha blast. It wasn't as damaging either, but every fight was different and called for a different amount of force. At the exact moment that he was sure the Buyierfei was dead for sure--also learned from trial and error--Ranma leapt into the air. "Moko Takabisha!!' he called out and spread a salvo across the empty battlefield in front of him. It wasn't empty for long. Parts of Buyierfei flew everywhere. Of course, sometimes he resorted to a good old MT blast for some serious carnage. Ranma smiled until a light caught his eye. "Crap!!" He landed and did a back flip. Ranko, we've got a big problem!" Ranko already had a big problem of her own. That problem being the approximately thirty Buyierfei that had cut her off from the other fighters. She could only see the floating wounds of five multi-tentacled creatures, but the African fighters had quickly learned to multiply the Buyierfei they could see by six to get an idea of how many unseen attackers they truly faced. Deep down, they figured their estimates were probably still too low. Ranko drove her sword into the central mass of a Buyierfei, pinning it to the ground. Swinging around with her foot outstretched, she kicked another Buyierfei and sent it crashing into her other attackers. With the blocks caused by the Buyierfei pinned to the ground behind her and the bowled over Buyierfei in front of her, Ranko concentrated on the creatures attacking from her sides. Arms outstretched to the side, Ranko sent dozens of small--but highly concentrated--chi balls screaming into those Buyierfei she could see, and several that she couldn't. Feeling a slight change in the air pressure around her, she pivoted to the side and avoided a tentacle from a Buyierfei that had escaped her chi balls. Shoving a chi ball against its leathery hide, Ranko leapt into the air to avoid being covered in black blood. Or more black blood, since her clothes and skin were covered in spots of black blood, both dried and fresh. As her leap reached its peak, she laid down a ring of fire and punctuated it with a diamond shaped chi blast to clear her landing spot. She had learned long ago when fighting the Buyierfei, that an empty landing spot wasn't always empty. This time it was. As she landed, Ranko scanned the immediate area for signs of any surviving Buyierfei. Jumping forward, she grabbed her sword out of the ground and swung it up into the air, gutting one of the surviving Buyierfei in the process. The other half-visible Buyierfei's life was ended on the end of the sword a second later. Only then did Ranko look toward Ranma. "This had better be good, I'm kind of busy here!" Ranma pointed toward a yellow glow that could be seen against the black battlefield to the south of the rising sun. "I think Shuma's son is coming." Ranko swore. "This is not good." -A- -M- -D- Ryoga was minding his own business--well, actually, he was blowing apart some Buyierfei--when dozens of chi balls, Hiryu Shoten Ha vortexes, and assorted sharp pointy things rained down on him. Fortunately, some of them rained down on the Buyierfei he was fighting and saved him the trouble of killing them. Unfortunately, the rest hit him and blasted him across the black ground. Ryoga grunted as he came to a stop, smoke rising from his singed clothing. "Crap..." He looked up just in time to see a second salvo coming at him. Using all four of his limbs, he sprang into the air and avoided the entire second volley. Charging up a chi ball between his hands he scanned for his attacker. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw the hundred or so Amazons approaching across the blackened battlefield. He was even more surprised to see Ranma and Ranko in the front of the pack of Amazons. "What the hell did you do that for?!" Ranma shielded his eyes from the rising sun. "Ryoga?" Ranko was still scanning the battlefield for the yellow glow they had seen earlier. "Where did it go?" Ryoga dropped down in front of Ranma. "How'd you guys get here?" he asked, ignoring the fact that most of the 'guys' had breasts. "That's my line. How'd you get to Africa from Moscow?" Ranma asked, knowing the reason already. The lost boy frowned. "Africa?" Not for the first time, he looked at his miniature GPS watch his wife had given him for an anniversary present two years earlier and sighed. "This thing is no use at all!!" "Can you two greet each other sometime when we're not looking for a Buyierfei that can kill with a single touch?!" Ryoga spun around and charged up a yellow chi ball. "Where?" Ranko flinched and dove to the side when the yellow glow suddenly appeared. "Blast it!!" Ranma gulped as he realized that he had mistaken Ryoga's yellow chi for Shuma's golden son. "Oops..." -A- -M- -D- "This is pointless!!" Ranma snapped and hit the planning table, around which stood Ranko, the Amazon in charge of the western force, and several of her high-ranking warriors. Ranma and Ranko were the oldest at the table, mostly due to attrition on the battlefield. The young Amazon leader flinched. "What would you have us do? Surrender?" "No, Garter, I wouldn't. We have to fight, but..." Ranma sighed. "Trying to re-form the front line isn't working; it's just costing us lives." "Those warriors died honorably!" Garter snapped back. "Yes, I know they did." Ranma looked at Ranko for help, knowing his sex wasn't exactly helping him in this argument "What my brother means is that we've lost the battle here. We'd best pull back and let the combined African defense force do some aerial bombing runs to cut the enemy's numbers down," Ranma suggested. Garter shook her head. "The last time they tried that, Libya was overrun." Ranko flinched. "Really?" Garter nodded. "Look... we appreciate you both coming here to help." she glanced at Ranma. "Despite one of you being male... you are fine Amazon warriors, but fighting the Blackness on a wide battlefield like this is not the same as defending a single compound against them or even fighting them inside the monoliths." Ranma pounded the table again. "Don't tell me I don't know how to fight the Buyierfei, little girl!" He would soon come to regret those words. Ranko jumped forward and caught Garter's blade between her palms before it could slice into Ranma's neck. "He didn't mean it, Garter." Ranma tried not to show any fear as the tip of the blade hovered over his Adam' s Apple. It could have been worse, she could have aimed for another male-only body part. Garter glared at Ranma. "I might not have fought the Blackness in ninety-nine, but I've trained in all the ancient Amazon techniques designed to battle them and I've been here on this hellish battlefield since the first Amazon blood was spilled!" She leaned forward to give Ranma a close look at her eyes. "So don't tell me how to fight a battle that you have yet to experience in its worst possible way!" Ranma almost backed away from the intensity he saw on the blue-haired girl's eyes, but having Akane for a wife had made him used to the glares of blue-haired women. "Um... I'm sorry. I just wanted to help." It had also had taught him when not to push an argument too far. Garter lowered her sword. "Apology accepted. Be glad that we are at war with the Blackness and that personal conflicts between Amazons are forbidden until it is vanquished." "I'm sorry, Garter, I'm just getting worried that we may be fighting a losing battle here." Garter glared at Ranma. "That kind of attitude is not proper for those warriors under my command." Ranma opened his mouth to reply, but thought better of it and closed his mouth again. He sighed. -A- -M- -D- Several days after Ryoga joined the western force, something unusual happened to him. Even more unusual than the fact that he hadn't wandered off and gotten lost yet. He grew depressed. People who knew him back in the nineties wouldn't find that unusual at all. But Ryoga had changed. He had the love of a wonderful woman, three fantastic kids, and a prosperous pig farm. True, he wasn't always able to be with his family or find his farm, but even then the fond memories and hope of returning home kept him from growing depressed. So why was he depressed now? A thunderstorm had just passed through the area and there was no hot water within fifty kilometers ever since the Buyierfei took out the mess tent. And, of course, Ryoga thought the Buyierfei had done it just to spite him personally. Ryoga squealed irritably as he watched the battle from on top of a Humvee. Although he could generate his chi attacks in his pig form, fighting Buyierfei physically would be difficult. Not only were the Buyierfei bigger and faster than him while he was in his pig form, the human fighters tended to step on him if he was in the thick of battle. He had figured the latter out only after being stomped on by dozens of Amazons. With nothing else to do, he waited on top of the Humvee for a supply truck with cooking equipment and fumed. Thoughts of his wife and family alone on their farm drifted through his troubled mind. He squealed softly as he remembered what day it was. That last thought caused his despair to deepen to the point where a yellow aura appeared around his round black body. Elsewhere, Ranma was dodging tentacles and doing his best to keep a couple dozen half-visible Buyierfei occupied. Deep down, he knew there were probably a couple times that number that he couldn't see around him as well. "The more the merrier," Ranma said as he jumped into the air, just barely avoiding several tentacles aimed at his body. As he traced a graceful arc through the air, he laid down a series of chi blasts at his attackers, both visible and invisible. His smile and graceful part of his leap ended when a Buyierfei tentacle suddenly snagged his right leg. He had a second to see the Buyierfei that had caught him hovering in mid-air before he was slammed face first into the ground. With no time to worry about the shooting pains spreading through his body or why a ground Buyierfei was floating, Ranma rolled to the side and fired a chi blast at his floating attacker. When the blast went low, he found out why it was floating. Or had been floating until the invisible creature it had been standing on was blasted into small fragments by his chi ball. "Clever little bastard, aren't you?" he said as he made sure that particular Buyierfei couldn't be clever again with a well placed chi blast. His immediate foes vanquished, he scanned for something to blast. Instead he saw a little black pig glowing with yellow energy that had waves of blue rippling through it. Ranma had seen that aura often enough to know what was about to happen. He smiled as a plan formed in his head. "Waste not, want not." Ryoga was almost at the bottom of his current depression spiral when he was grabbed around his collar and lifted off the Humvee. He squealed loudly. Ranma raced for the front line, gritting his teeth at the energy that washed over him. "Sorry, Ryoga," he said as he launched the pig at about a hundred half-visible Buyierfei that seemed to be massing in order to break through the Amazon's line of defense. Ryoga was not happy about this. He was downright angry, in fact. Most people would be if they were thrown into the middle of what might be hundreds of killing machines. That anger mixed with the depression that had been building up inside him and triggered a perfect Shishi Houkou Dan blast. The blast rippled away from the pissed off pig, blowing apart the already blackened ground. Multi-tentacled forms flashed into view just before they were vaporized or blown apart by the searing yellow shock wave. The nearby Amazons were out of range of the blast, but got showered with dirt and debris anyway. The dirt just added to the layers and layers of dirt already covering them from head to toe and barely made any noticeable difference in their appearance. Weeks of fighting with very little access to bathing water--it being more valuable for drinking in the hot desert--tended to make even the most beautiful Amazon look like a skid row bum. War isn't pretty, after all. Not even with the Amazons fighting it. Ranma smiled at the carnage his plan had caused. "Worked even better than I thought." "What was that?!" Ranko shouted as she ran over. "Pig bomb," Ranma said straight-faced. Ranko's jaw dropped open and looked at the crater and saw an extremely pissed off pig at the bottom of it. "Wow... he must have been seriously depressed." "Yeah... let's go clean up any stragglers." Ranko nodded and set off toward the crater with her brother. As they got closer and got a good look at the debris, Ranko skidded to a halt. Ranma looked back. "What's wrong?" Ranko pointed to some small pillars and spires that had been revealed by the blast. "Those pillars are just like the ones Akane and I found on our honeymoon." "What?" Ranma gasped and looked back at the crater. Some of the pillars were split open, revealing small blobs with short tentacles. Some were dead, but others were bouncing around aimlessly. "It's a nest of Buyierfei babies." Ranko frowned and looked around. "Oh crap!! That's why they seem to come from nowhere!!" Ranma immediately realized his sister was right. "Dammit..." "Let's see how far the nest goes." Ranko leapt toward the south side of the crater, charging up a large chi ball between her hands. Ranma was right behind her. The two chi balls hit the ground in front of the Amazons who had barely taken notice when the pig exploded. The dual chi balls blasted a small crater out of the ground, but it was enough to see that the pillars were under that ground as well. Ranma and Ranko exchanged a silent look that expressed the hope and exhaustion they both felt inside. *********************************************************************** >From the personal journal of James Davidson July 9-10, 2058 I burst through the doors of the clinic and raced down the hallway. The dust kicked up by Jaki landing the hoverjet just in front of the entrance to the Clinic drifted down the hallway with me, but couldn't keep up with this soon to be father. I burst into the birthing room. "Hanaki!!" "Push!!" I had never seen something so disgustingly bloody and glorious at the same time. "Hanaki!" "Grrrrrr...." Hanaki replied. "See, I told you my son wouldn't miss this for all the stories in the world.," my mom said from Hanaki's side. She was sitting it a chair and holding my wife's hand. "This family learned that family came before the story a long time ago-" She looked at me. "-isn't that right, Dear?" I nodded absently, not even sure what I was agreeing to. I rushed to my wife's right side and gave her a kiss and a hug. "How are you doing, Honey?" "How am I doing?! I'm in labor here, you jerk!!" I flinched backward, surprised at the angry out burst. "Don't mind her, all the Ono women tend to be a bit cranky giving birth." I looked at the source of that voice and was surprised to see Kasumi between my wife's legs. "Grandma, aren't you retired?" Kasumi smiled. "Yes, but I've delivered all my grandkids and I see no reason not to deliver my first great-grandson too." I nodded and then looked back at my wife. "I'm sorry I'm late, Honey." "Oh, that's okay. You're here now." Hanaki smiled pleasantly at me. My eyes widened and I looked back at Kasumi. "Mood swings too?" Kasumi nodded. I smiled and gave my wife anther kiss. "I love you." -A- -M- -D- "I hate you!!" I smiled, having gotten accustomed to Hanaki's mood swings over he last eight hours. "You're the love of my life." "Hanaki, push for me, please," Kasumi said, looking at one of the nurses. Hanaki gritted her teeth and pushed. I helped her sit up, glad now that I took all those Lamaze classes with Hanaki. "Okay, relax..." I lowered Hanaki onto the bed and wiped her brow. "I love you." I smiled, as my wife swung to the happy side again. "I'm so proud of you. I know that I..." "I see his head!" Hanaki strained to see anything in the mirror that was set up behind Kasumi. "Is he okay?" Kasumi smiled. "He has an adorable scalp." Hanaki giggled. "Push..." The giggled turned into a deafening scream. -A- -M- -D- "Red Tofu Davidson." We all smiled as Hanaki told everyone the name for our child, Kasumi most of all. In addition to Hanaki, Kasumi, and myself; my mom, Mary, Akane, Sanma, and Jaki were crowded around Hanaki's bed. There were many more well wishers outside, but the small room wouldn't hold any more. Hanaki stroked the strands of red hair on his little tiny head--which was as adorable as the top of his scalp. "Red for his hair and Tofu for his great-grandfather." "My Tofu would have been honored," Kasumi said from where she sat next to Hanaki's bed. She looked very tired after the long hours of labor. So did Hanaki and I, for that matter. My mom reached over and touched her grandson. "You know, James, your grandmother's favorite color was red." I nodded. "I know. She always wrote about it in her journals after she got out of Africa." I looked at Sanma. "According to Jaki, that might be because you saved her in the desert." "Did I?" Sanma asked. "I really don't remember much about that battle. It seemed endless." Jaki punched her grandfather playfully between her breasts. Of course, in this family a playful punch would be strong enough to knock over Mike Tyson. "Come off it, Old Man." "Well, I didn't know who she was until much later," Sanma admitted, seemingly not even fazed by Jaki's heavy blow. I smiled. "Well, I hope you'll accept a belated thank you from her grandson." "No big deal, I saved a lot of people back then." "How many?" Sanma shrugged. "I stopped counting after the first billion." Before Sanma's head could explode under the pressure of her over-inflated ego, Yohachi poked his head into the birth recovery room. "Excuse me, but there's an angry mob at the South Gate." Akane sighed and rolled her eyes. "What part of me do they want me to cut off for them this time?" Yohachi smiled devilishly. "Actually, they're here for James." I frowned. "Me? Why?" Yohachi smiled even more devilishly. "I guess you forgot what the date is." I glanced at the time and date indicator on my wristtop. "July 10th..." My eyes widened. "The anniversary of the end of the First Black War in Africa!!" "Yes, but what else..." I could tell Yohachi was enjoying this. "Well... the birth of my son." I looked at Hanaki. "Guess we won't have trouble remembering the date." "And why else might be hundreds of readers be here for?" "Oh!! Childhood hit the stores yesterday!! I completely forgot with my trip to Siberia and little Red here." Yohachi smiled. "Bingo. I think they are upset at how badly you shattered their perfect image of my Mom and Dad." I sighed, having expected some negative reactions to revelations contained in my second book about Akane and her family. Akane walked over and took my hand. "Well, in this case, the truth is stranger than all the fictional accounts of my life." "I guess." Akane suddenly pushed me towards the door. "Hey!" I yelped. "It's your turn to face those jackals." I looked back over my shoulder at her. "You don't have to enjoy it so much." "If you've faced as many angry mobs as I have, you learn to relish the moments when the angry mobs are after someone else's head for once." "I'll be back, honey," I told my wife as I was ushered out to meet my readers. "I hope," I added as I disappeared out the door. Of all days to have to do this, it had to be the day my son was born. And all because my editor wanted the book on the shelves for the annual celebration of the end of the First Black War. Considering all the other anniversary dates surrounding the Black Wars, it's amazing that the end of the first is still one of the few that is celebrated annually by most of the world. Maybe because it was a reminder during all the other Black Wars that it was possible to win. According to my grandmother's journals, that knowledge was sometimes all people had to get them through the hard times that followed the First Black War. *********************************************************************** July 10, 2009 - Former Country of Niger, Africa (Black Wars Day 72) For seven days and seven nights, bombs rained down on the land immediately in front of the reformed western front. After the dust settled, the mixed force of Amazons and traditional soldiers moved in and cleared out the nests of Buyierfei that had been replenishing the Buyierfei numbers. Similar operations were being carried out all over Africa as the world's military finally felt they were winning for the first time since the war started. Ranma and Ranko sensed victory, but it was only when they accidentally blasted Sanma that they knew the battle for Africa was essentially over. Sanma wasn't exactly happy to see them. "Dammit, look where you fire those things, you jerks!" she yelled as she rolled on the ground to put out her clothes. "Sorry," Ranma said. then smiled. "But it's great to see you, man." Ranko looked around as the Amazons slowly stopped fighting and began to greet the other Amazons that had appeared from the east. "So... we won?" Sanma looked around, her face showing the exhaustion of her months on the blood-caked battlefield. "No... this is only the beginning, I think." Ranma and Ranko knelt down in front of Sanma and wrapped their arms around each other. Silently, they relished their reunion after a battle that they knew wasn't truly over. -A- -M- -D- July 10, 2009 - Nerima, Japan (Black Wars Day 72) "Oh my!" Ukyo gasped and turned away from the television. "Akane, everyone, get in here!!!" Moments later the other residents of the Tendo house stumbled in and made various noises of astonishment. Akane stumbled forward and put her hand on the image. "Ranma... Ranko..." The image on the screen showed a large group of Amazons gathered together at the point where the eastern/southern force met the western force. The Amazons were greeting their comrades who they hadn't seen in over two months. In that mass of bosoms, the three Ranmas held tightly onto each other. "All three of them are alright." Ukyo wiped a tear out of her eye. Soun reached forward and turned the sound up. "That was the scene earlier today when the two groups of Amazons fighting in Africa met in the ruins of Niger. While erratic fighting continues in various spots around the world with Buyierfei from the Iranian Monolith and those that escaped the cordon around Africa, the victory in central Africa is a significant turning point in this war." "They... they cleared out the mass of Buyierfei in Africa?" Akane asked, unable to believe it was possible. Ukyo had waited for this day and could hardly believe it was possible. Sanma would be coming home to her. She knew that now, but dare not think or speak about it, lest she jinx Sanma's return. So she just pulled Akane into a hug and cherished the moment. It was a day that would come to be known as the end of the First Black War. But only after it became clear that many more wars would be fought with the Buyierfei. -A- -M- -D- July 11, 2009 - New York, New York (Black Wars Day 73) "Is it over?" Bobby asked as he watched the news report closely. Mike shrugged. "The battle in Africa is, but..." Bobby finished the sentence. "It's probably not the end of the war." "What's a war?" little Susan asked from where she was wrapped up in her father's arms. Mike looked down at his daughter. "Well... a war is when two groups of pe... beings fight each other." "Why?" Mike looked uncertainly at Bobby, uncertain how to answer. "Well... there are various reasons that we go to war. In this case, the Buyierfei are beings that attacked us and we have to fight back to survive." Susan smiled and looked down at her Amazon Barbie doll. "So Barbie fights too?" She straightened the doll's armor that covered her 44DD scale breasts. Mike held back a chuckle. "In her own way, yes." He kissed his daughter's head. "Why are all the Amazon's chests bouncing up and down?" Susan asked, looking at the footage of various celebrations in Africa. Once the fighting was over--and thus the danger to themselves--the news personal had quickly descended on Africa to get the story. She shook her Amazon Barbie doll and frowned when her doll didn't jiggle or bounce like the real Amazons. Mike gulped and opened his mouth to answer--although he wasn't sure what he was going to say--but the doorbell interrupted. Bobby stood up. "I'll get it." He smiled. "You explain bouncing breasts to Susan. Okay, Dad?" Mike sighed heavily and looked down at his daughter, who was eagerly awaiting his explanation. Bobby was chuckling to himself as he opened the front door. His jaw dropped. "Mom!" He flung himself into his mother's arms, almost knocking her over. Angela smiled and returned the hug and gave her son a peck on his cheek, a little surprised when he didn't complain like he always did. He even returned the peck. "How's my baby?" "I'm fine..." "Oh, hello." Angela looked down the hallway and saw a well-endowed blond girl dressed only in a towel. She scowled and looked at her son. "What have you done to that poor girl, Bobby?!" "Mom!!" Bobby replied as only a son being scolded by his mother could. Deborah smiled. "You must be Mrs. Davidson. Don't worry, Bobby and your husband are just letting me stay here during..." She searched for the words. "All this." "Yeah, her mother was in Hawaii and she didn't have anyone else to stay with and I never touched her and..." Deborah giggled. "You can stop now, Bobby." She smiled at Angela. "He's just a friend-" Bobby visibly flinched at her use of 'friend'. "-helping out his former tutor." Recognition dawned on Angela's face. "Ah, you're the one he was drooling over." "Mom!!" "What's all the..." Mike trailed off as he saw who was in the doorway. "Angel..." Angela separated from her son and took one step towards her husband before Susan tackled her. "Mommy!!" Angela smiled and knelt down and pulled her daughter into a tight embrace, kissing the young girl all over. It wasn't long before little Susan was sandwiched between her father and mother and the three of them were reunited. "I hope my mom can get home soon," Deborah said wistfully. "She finally got to Seattle on an emergency flight a week ago, but they still aren't running flights cross country yet..." "I'm sure she..." Bobby trailed off as he glanced at Deborah. That was when he first noticed that she was wearing only a towel. "Watch were you're looking, mister." Deborah swatted his nose and returned to the room she was sharing with Susan to get dressed. Bobby watched her all the way, blushing from head to toe. Angela watched her run off as well. -A- -M- -D- July 13, 2009 - Joketsuzoku, China (Black Wars Day 75) Yukiko stood near the main gate with the other Amazon warriors, awaiting the first of the returning heroines. Her husband and children were on either side of her, with little Razor being carried by Shashiki. As she waited, Yukiko stood up straight and tried not to show any sign of the wounds that had forced her to leave the battleground. Not only was it to show respect for the returning heroines, it was to make sure the rest of the tribe and--most importantly--Calluse didn't think her unfit to lead the tribe in these troubled times. She knew her problems with the Circle weren't over, just postponed. The laws that allowed Calluse to call for her removal as Matriarch and for Yukiko's fight to the death challenge with Calluse weren't allowed to be exercised during times of war with their ancient enemy. But there were other ways to force her removal as Matriarch. The Matriarch's place was traditionally at the front line with her troops. Calluse wasted no time in reminding the Circle of this when Yukiko had first returned injured from Africa. If the fight in Africa had gone on much longer, Yukiko could have been out of a job. Her husband wouldn't have been that disappointed if that had happened. Like many spouses that had to see their loved ones go off to war, he had spent endless nights and days worrying about her. When she had first been carried into the village on a stretcher, he had fussed over her and tended to her every need until she told him to relax and get some rest. Mostly so she could get some uninterrupted rest herself. "How many are returning?" Shinuma asked softly. "About five hundred today," Yukiko replied without taking her eyes off the gate. "Some of the warriors that held up the best over the course of the African battle have been transported to other hot spots around the globe, but now is the time for the bulk of our warriors to rest and prepare for the next battle." Shinuma nodded, knowing that the Buyierfei weren't destroyed, only repelled. Without fanfare, the large gates that protected the village were swung open. Beyond the normal fence that had protected the village for untold years, two more recently constructed anti-Buyierfei fences could be seen. Entry to the village could only be accomplished by passing through a series of carefully laid out chambers in the fences that were designed to prevent any invisible Buyierfei from getting through undetected. Proud Amazon warriors marched proudly with their bosoms held high through the open gates, their weariness from the long battle evident on their faces. Despite their fatigue, they marched with pride of victorious warriors returning from a successful battle. But not all of those returning could stand tall. In addition to the many wounded warriors being carried in on stretchers, the simple caskets containing the honored dead were at the front of the procession as befitted their honorable status in the tribe. "When is Nair coming back?" little Shashiki asked, straining her neck to find her friend and mentor in the crowd of Amazons. Yukiko stiffened and looked toward the bonfire that already blazed brightly on the western side of the village. That bonfire was the final resting place for the honorable warriors who had already returned to the place of their birth, but it would bestow the final honor of many more in the days to come. A tear ran down Yukiko's cheek, for she knew Nair had earned her honor just like hundreds of other warriors that she had sent into battle had. But she had no idea how to tell her daughter. -A- -M- -D- Outside the triple fences and well out of sight of the village, three figures stood and studied the returning warriors through high-powered binoculars. Their black suits made them look very out of place against the bleak mountain terrain. The short one suddenly lowered his binoculars and turned away from the village. Silently, he started to walk away, followed by his two taller partners. -A- -M- -D- July 14, 2009 - Central Japan (Black Wars Day 76) "I'm home," Ryoga said, knowing without a doubt where he was. That certainty was because of the young beautiful woman, three kids, and dozens of squealing pigs that surrounded him to welcome him home and to keep him from wandering off again. "Welcome home," Akari said and gave him a long kiss "Welcome home, Daddy!" the kids chorused repeatedly and hugged any part of their father they could grab. It was somewhat painful for Ryoga, but he wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. He was home. -A- -M- -D- July 15, 2009 - Washington D.C., USA (Black Wars Day 77) Transcript of President Hogan's speech in front of the Emergency Joint Meeting of the House of Representatives and Senate. "Thank you. "Today, I come before you after our country and world have withstood another attack by the creatures known as the Buyierfei. "Although some criticized my decision to send our troops into Africa to assist the multi-national forces and the Amazons fighting there, I felt--and still feel--that the best defense to the Buyierfei is a good offense. We can't sit back and wait for them to reach our own borders before taking action, we must fight them when and where they appear. "Nine years ago, we thought them gone for good. But did we sit back and do nothing? No. Our armed forces changed to prepare for a possible return of the creatures that devastated the former state of Florida. "Sword training is now a required skill of most soldiers around the globe and swords standard equipment. Special techniques were discussed and refined in the years since ninety-nine. Many of these techniques proved invaluable in the war we have just fought and won. "But even with these preparations, the magnitude of the waves of destruction that hit central Africa, Iran, Moscow, and Mexico City overwhelmed us. "My thanks, as should the world's, go out to the brave Amazon warriors that we fought alongside. As you know, shortly after the Fourth Monolith destroyed most of central Africa I ordered all United States military forces to provide any and all aid necessary to any Amazon, anywhere. Transportation, weapons, food, and clothing; it's a small price to pay for their assistance in fighting the Blackness. "As the changing face of the Moon yet again reminds us; the Buyierfei are not an enemy to be taken lightly. "Three African countries have already been rendered non-existent due to the loss of their capitols, leaders, and most of their populations. A fourth is questionable whether it can recover from the devastating losses they suffered. "We may never know the exact count of lives lost in the past three months, but it is without a doubt the blackest war in history. Half a billion at least and up to a billion by some estimates. We cannot allow that to happen again. "We continue to clean up the small pockets of Buyierfei activity, but we must be prepared if... no... WHEN the Buyierfei return in force yet again. "I do not come before you to ask for money to help rebuild Africa beyond the emergency refuge relief operations I already re-authorized yesterday. The time will come for the rebuilding of Africa in due course, but now our resources are needed elsewhere. "I do not come before you to ask for your approval of my plans. There is no other choice. "I come before you to make a simple statement. "Today, July fifteenth, Two-thousand and nine, I declare that a permanent state of war exists between the United States of America and the beings known as the Buyierfei and any allies of those beings until such time that they are defeated once and for all or they cease any and all hostilities against the United States of America, the world, and the entire human race. "I take this step knowing that it will cost our country dearly--financially and in the lives of our sons and daughters--but the cost of doing nothing would be much greater. "Tomorrow, I will go before the United Nations Emergency Security Council and urge them to do the same. "Next week, Vice President Rodham shall go to China. "Not to Beijing, but to meet with the Amazon leaders and to see how we can work together to rid the world of our common enemy. "This is not a battle between one nation and another; this is a battle between the whole world and an enemy unlike any we have ever faced before. "It is a fight for survival of the human race. "It is a fight I intend for us to win. -A- -M- -D- July 16, 2009 - Nerima, Japan (Black Wars Day 78) "One pork and bean curd okonomiyaki!" Ukyo flipped a half-done okonomiyaki on her grill. "You got it, Sugar." The older man who had just ordered settled into one of the stools by the grill counter. "So how are you and your kids holding up during all this?" Ukyo started ladling out the batter for his order. "Good, but they miss their father." "Where's Sanma been anyway?" "Africa." The man paled. "I didn't know you married an Amazon?" Ukyo laughed. "Not exactly. He just couldn't resist a good fight." "Is he..." "He's fine." Ukyo flipped a finished okonomiyaki onto a plate and picked it and another plate up. "Excuse me." She slipped out from behind the counter and approached a young couple with their orders. "One fried pork and red onion okonomiyaki, please." Ukyo stopped in her tracks. A second later the two plates of okonomiyaki crashed to the floor; the plates shattering, the contents splashing across the floor. Her eyes wide open, Ukyo started to shake. She almost jumped out of her skin when two familiar arms wrapped around her body. "Sanma..." Sanma pressed her head against her wife's and whispered into her ear. "Honey, I'm home." If not for the fact that Sanma was holding her tightly, her legs would have collapsed under her and sent her sprawling onto the floor along with the two hungry patrons' meals. "How... how did you get back so fast?" "Does it matter?" Sanma whispered as he turned her wife around to look into the eyes she hadn't seen in three months. At least not in person; she had seen them often in her dreams. Ukyo took one look at the weary face in front of her and knew it didn't matter how her husband got back from Africa. All that mattered was that her husband had returned to her in one piece. Heedless of the stares of her customers around her, she let herself drop into Sanma's waiting arms and welcomed her man back with a long kiss. At the counter, a young man snickered. "Don't see lesbians kissing in public like that often." The older man laughed. "You must not be a regular. The redhead's a man, despite her breasts." "No way..." "Yeah... cutest man I know." The man suddenly remembered something and snickered. "Well... one of the two cutest men I know." Ukyo almost fainted after the prolonged kiss ended. As she steadied herself on a table, she noticed that the crowd in the restaurant had doubled in size thanks to the large windows that looked out on the busy shopping street and park. "We have to put on show like this more often." Sanma smiled. "I was a little surprised to see the restaurant open, but I guess since the fighting's mostly over..." Ukyo shook her head. "I've kept the restaurant open almost every day." "But..." "The kids are safe in the compound," Ukyo quickly reassured her husband, knowing what he was worried about by the look on his face. "But the bills don't stop coming because there's a war. In fact, some prices have already gone up." Sanma relaxed at hearing the kids were safe in the Compound. He had assumed Ukyo would go to Akane for help, since he knew their little combination house and restaurant was not made to defend against attacking inhuman demons. She looked around. "Well, let's get these customers taken care of then and then I want to go see our kids. It's been way too long since I've seen my babies." Ukyo smiled and looked at her customers. "Okay, folks, my husband is back from fighting the Buyierfei in Africa and wants to go see our kids. So get out..." She smiled more. "And please come again tomorrow." There were some gasps of amazement at seeing someone who had fought in Africa and some grumbling at being told to leave. "You don't..." Ukyo interrupted Sanma with a kiss. "Some things are more important than money, my love," she said after their lips parted. Sanma smiled broadly and looked at the grumbling customers. "You heard my wife... GET OUT!" -A- -M- -D- North of Ucchan's, another reunion was taking place. If fighting the Buyierfei in Moscow, inside the monoliths, and in Africa for two months wasn't hard enough on Ranma and Ranko, imagine the pain of being buried by their four kids, their wife, and Sanma's six kids that mistook Ranko for their father. They loved every painful moment of it. There's no place like home after all. "Hey kids, what are you doing with Uncle Ranko?" Six heads popped out of the pile covering Ranma and Ranko. "Daddy!!" Ranma and Ranko suddenly found the pile lighter by six kids as they swarmed toward their real father and Ukyo. That just allowed them to relish every second with their own kids and wife. "How was the war, Daddy?" little Seto asked as he pulled on Sanma's pigtail. Sanma frowned. "Not pleasant." She ruffled her son's hair and then pulled him into a hug. "I missed you all." Ranma pulled back and looked into Daiji's eyes. "How are you, Daiji?" "Fine, Papa," Daiji replied back, her blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight. Seeing those beautiful eyes, Ranko stopped tickling Yohachi and looked at Akane. "How did..." "We had some visitors here..." Akane sighed. Ranma looked around, not seeing any signs of damage. But then the Amazons were always very good at repairing battle damage. "Is everyone okay?" "We lost Crybaby and four Amazons." Ranma and Ranko gasped in unison. It was a gasp of sadness and of relief. Having experienced much more death on the front lines in Africa, they knew it could have been worse. Much worse. -A- -M- -D- July 17, 2009 - Nerima, Japan (Black Wars Day 79) As dusk fell over Nerima, Mousse, Nabiki, and their two kids walked up to the second fence that now surrounded the recently reinforced fence that had protected the Compound ever since it had been rebuilt after ninety-nine. Needless to say, the Amazons felt they needed a little extra buffer space from the Buyierfei. So the second fence had been the first thing built after the escape tunnel was cleared out after the glowing Buyierfei's attack on the Compound. Unseen by Nabiki's family or the Amazons patrolling the Compound's double fences, three figures surveyed the area with electronic binoculars. Ironically, the binoculars were one of Tendo Enterprises little side ventures. "How come the local police don't have any details on this obvious Amazon fortress in the middle of Tokyo?" the short one asked. "We haven't figured that out yet. Possibly the local police are Amazons too," the tall one suggested. "Or totally clueless," the short one added. "One of the neighbors I interviewed talked about frequent property damage and naked people running around, but that's about all they had to offer," the other tall one reported. The short one's eyebrows suddenly raised. "There." He pointed at the gate to the inner fence. "The woman with the long, blue hair. She has to be their leader." The tall one nodded. "Yes, the other Amazons all seem to defer to her." "After we identify as many of the people entering and leaving this fortress as we can, we'll report to Control." The three figures continued to survey the Compound and surrounding streets for several minutes until one of them spotted something new. "Two... no three more targets approaching from the south," the other tall one said. -A- -M- -D- "Are you sure this is alright?" Nabiki asked as Akane led them into the Tendo house. Mousse and their two kids were right behind her and Akane. "Yes... don't be silly," Akane insisted as she stepped into the house and removed her shoes. Flipping her long ponytail back over her shoulder, she stepped into the hallway. "I was a little worried that we wouldn't be welcomed since we stayed away during... all this," Nabiki said as she added her shoes to the large pile of shoes of all sizes stacked in the entryway. Akane sighed. "Nabiki, I didn't like your decision, but considering that we did get attacked here, you were probably right to stay away." She smirked slightly. "Although, I was a bit annoyed that you sent back the Amazons I sent to protect you." "They were a bit obvious and overbearing." Nabiki laughed. "You'll notice that I didn't bother complaining about the second group you sent." Akane gulped. "You knew about them, did you?" "Well, they weren't quite as obvious, but when you have a two and a half meter tall woman in a way-too-short sailor school uniform walk by the street in front of your house every fifteen minutes, you start to get suspicious." "Well, I didn't want to chance you getting caught in some kind of cross-fire." Akane gave Nabiki a quick hug. "Thanks, little sister." Mousse smiled as the two sisters hugged. "See, Honey, I knew you were worried for nothing." "Partytime yet?" little Nijiko asked. Akane giggled and tweaked Nabiki's daughter's nose. "You bet, cutey." She looked at Mousse and Nabiki. "This is a night for our families to celebrate Ukyo and my idiots' return from a war that may restart at any time. So stop worrying about the past and let's celebrate our good fortune at getting through this nightmare more or less intact." -A- -M- -D- The celebration of the three returned warriors was in full swing when the latest arrivals walked down the hall and stood in the open doorway of the family room with a fidgeting two-year-old clutched in her arms. Ranma was the first to notice her. "Mom!" Everyone's head snapped around and saw Nodoka and her young daughter, Tsugi. Ranma, Ranko, and Sanma all quickly surrounded their mother and greeted her and Tsugi with hugs and kisses. Akane and the others were right behind them. "Are you okay, Mom? You look exhausted," Ranma asked after the initial hugs, kisses, and greetings were exchanged. Nodoka nodded. "Just tired from the long trip. We've been shuffled between trains, busses, and boats for the past three weeks in order to get here from the evacuation center in Istanbul." "So, where's Mr. Saotome and Kenage?" Akane asked A loud crash from outside identified Kenage's present location. Nodoka looked towards the sound. "Kenage's working off some pent up energy." "And the old man?" Ranko asked, wondering how much flabbier her father had gotten since she had last seen him. Nodoka reached into a large bag she had over her shoulder and pulled something out. The room went deathly silent as they all saw what she held in her hands. Engraved across the front of the small urn was a panda's face. "Father..." Ranma gasped. Ranko just shook her head and stumbled backwards. Her mouth opened and closed soundlessly in disbelief. Sanma dropped to her knees in front of her mother and traced the engraved lines that made up the image of the panda. Soun unconsciously glanced at his dust covered shogi board and shed his first tear in over two years. Tearful homecomings... [End - Chapter 12] Coming soon: Chapter 13 - Ally or Foe? ======================================================================= The real author's (Jim Lazar) notes/ramblings: Well, as usual, it's taking me more chapters to tell the story than I planned (these events should have been chapter 10 or so). AMD is going to be a long one. Please hang in there. I'd like to thank my pre-readers David Johnston, Micki Hibiki, Thomas C. Kinnen, Kus Kus, and Michael A. Chase for helping me find and fix problems with this story. FFML member Lathrop Preston was also helpful in fine tuning this story. Thank you all. Of course in the end, any mistakes and botched characters are my fault. Revision 0.0 - Rough draft began (February 9, 2001) Revision 0.1 - Rough draft finished (March 17, 2001) Revision 0.3 - Pre-reader draft (July 23, 2001) Revision 0.4 - FFML draft (August 19, 2001) Revision 1.0 - Final version (September 20, 2001) Revision 1.1 - First RAAC posting (October 12, 2001)