The Beast
Within
Disclaimer: Ranma ½, Darkstalkers and all
other characters mentioned in this story belong to their respective creators so
go bother them!
< >:
Thoughts
[ ]: Spoken in Mandarin/Cantonese
Chapter 17
World Tour
Part 6
Challenge of
the Deep
Nabiki could only stare in total amazement
as she was the first human, (technically a Secondary Lycanthrope), to visit the
Kingdom of Atlantis in over 10,000 years. Though it was mostly in ruins since
the earthquake that wiped out nearly the entire populace of Rikuo’s
race, it was still quite magnificent.
The buildings
seemed to be a combination of natural rock and coral formations, which
glittered like gemstones as they were illuminated by several crystalline
structures that gave off their own light. The main capital city of Aquarius was
about the size of Tokyo as Sea Fang Alpha made its way toward the royal palace
where the kingdom’s only inhabitant dwelled.
Swimming
ahead of the mini-sub, Kalesse the Undine was not looking forward to meeting
with King Rikuo Aulbath. If
she had a choice, she would rather pick the barnacles off Bob’s backside than
spend a single minute alone with that pompous merman.
Her tribe of
undines favored true strength and honor, which was the main reason why they
respected the Talbains. Rikuo
however, had a very big ego. He considered himself the most beautiful of
Poseidon’s creatures, which meant that he deserved nothing less but the best.
During her first visit, Kalesse had to fight off several dozens of his advances
and told him repeatedly that she wanted nothing to do with him, let alone agree
to become his queen. The merman proved to be quite stubborn and she knew that
he hadn’t given up on her.
In the
mini-sub, Nabiki discussed with Matthew and his
father about the upcoming meeting with the ruler of Atlantis.
“So are you
certain that the medallion fragment is here in Atlantis?”
Matthew
nodded as he took out the incomplete object in question. The artifact glowed
with an eerie light, indicating that a part of it was in the vicinity.
“Hopefully
we’ll be able to find it without any trouble.” Jon commented. “But since it
happens to be here in Atlantis, we’re going to need Rikou’s
permission to search for it.”
“So what’s
this Rikuo like? I mean, why does Kalesse hate him so
much?” Kasumi’s sister asked.
Jon’s son
activated a nearby console and pulled up the file on the last survivor of
Atlantis.
“His full
name is Rikou Albath, and
he was elected as the ruler of Atlantis by his people some five years ago. You
see Nabs, unlike most royalty, a king of Atlantis isn’t born into the position;
he’s actually elected by the people every few years. You might say that it’s
one of the earliest forms of democracy.”
“Indeed.” His
father commented. “Rikuo had only started his rule
when a seaquake devastated Atlantis and killed nearly all of the merfolk living here. Personally, I really don’t blame him
for wanting to rebuild his civilization and regenerate his species, but he’s
going to have to find another way than trying to force Kalesse into being his
new queen.”
“He can’t
really be THAT bad, can he?” Nabiki inquired.
“He IS that
bad and then some.” Matthew confirmed. “You remember how Mousse was with
Shampoo in China?”
Matthew’s
girlfriend groaned as she remembered how foolhardy Mousse was; trying to
impress Shampoo by attacking a Deathwing’s foot… with
a duck-shaped training potty. Then she also recalled how ticked off Akane was when Kuno made that
stupid declaration to defeat her in battle in order to date her. Oh yes, she
could understand Kalesse’s anger over a persistent
suitor who couldn’t take a hint and take a hike.
“So what does
he look like?”
Her beau
brought up an image of Rikuo on his console. After
gazing upon Rikuo’s looks for a minute, she did
several double-takes between the image and Kalesse who was swimming out in
front of them. She then gave her boyfriend a questioning look.
Matthew
nodded as he responded to her unspoken question. “Rikuo
and Kalesse come from different species of merfolk. They may be children of Poseidon, but that doesn’t
necessarily mean that they’re compatible.”
“I think it’s
because of Rikuo being so lonely for the last five
years.” Matthew’s father added. “Being the last of his kind is a scary thought.
I suppose his loneliness is overriding his better judgment. I’ve also done the
research. Rikuo and Kalesse’s
species are like horses and donkeys.”
“Horses
and donkeys?” Nabiki repeated in confusion.
“When you
cross a horse with a donkey, what do you get?” Matthew asked.
“You get a
mule. So what does…?” The middle Tendo girl then
realized what the Talbains were getting at. “Oh, I
get it. If Rikuo and Kalesse
have any children, then they’re going to be like mules. They’ll be sterile.”
“And that’s
another reason why Kalesse doesn’t want to marry Rikuo.
And if Rikuo wants to propagate his race, he’d be
better off giving up on her and try to find someone else.” Jon said. “A female
of his own kind would be the best match. A Nereid might be able to do the job
as well.”
“Good luck on
trying to change his mind.” The younger werewolf commented. “He was dead set on
marrying Kalesse and he didn’t believe us when we told him that his kids
wouldn’t be able to have kids of their own.”
“I know.
Sometimes loneliness and wanting to love someone can make a person lose all of
his common sense. But we have another chance to convince him otherwise and
maybe even help him. We’re just going to have to wait and see.”
At that
point, Kalesse signaled to the mini-sub and pointed to a very large structure,
which was the main palace. She then led the group toward a nearby entry port.
Things were
about to get complicated.
--------
In
Japan…
Akane couldn’t believe how complicated
things had gotten. Who was this wrinkled little gnome, and why was her father
and his friend so terrified of him?
After beating
the living daylights out of his former pupils, the one known as Happosai took a long puff from his pipe as the heads of the
Tendos and Saotomes
groveled in front of him. He would have pounded them even more, but they
smelled like freshly-pressed women’s panties and sweaty men’s boxer shorts, lthough it wasn’t enough to sap enough his perverted
strength. He had gone for a quick panty raid in the nearby village before
finding his disciples again, which explained the large bag of unmentionables he
had with him. The smell was still quite disgusting. He also wondered why their
auras, along with Tendo’s youngest daughter’s were
erratic and unstable. He filed those thoughts away for a later time as Soun tried to sound joyous over his master’s return.
“M-Master! I-I-I am s-s-so happy to see that you
are alive and…”
“Save it Tendo! You’re not fooling anyone, least of all me.” The
ancient lecher said as he took another puff, then looked down at the Matthew’s
former father. “And you Saotome, you haven’t changed
at all. I see you’ve put on a few dozen pounds since I last saw you.”
“DAD?! WHO IS
THIS PERSON?!”
“Oh my!”
Kasumi remarked.
Behind her,
the two bodyguards and the Talbain maids stood by in confusion and revulsion.
Compared to this little human troll, the youkai at
Castle Talbain were preferable company.
Soun looked up from his groveling position
with a panicked expression. “Akane! Show the proper
respect! This is the Dreaded… er, Honored Grandmaster
Happosai of the Founding School of Anything Goes
Martial Arts! He was our sensei!”
“Your
sensei?! HE’S the grandmaster of the Anything Goes?!” Akane
said in total disbelief.
Happosai nimbly jumped over his disciples to
stand in front of the youngest Tendo. He gave her a
leering expression and nodded. “Hmmm, not bad Tendo!
She’s a cutie! Except for that smell of newly-bought bras and old gym socks.
Whew! There’s nothing more disgusting than the smell of a man!”
Akane’s hair-trigger temper immediately got
the better of her as she took the comment as an insult and started swinging.
“WHY YOU
LITTLE…!”
However, uncontrolled
rage wasn’t enough to land a blow on someone with more than two hundred and
eighty years of experience under his belt. Soun and Genma’s master easily avoided the strikes with a lazy
grace. As he continually dodged, he casually gave Akane’s
skills his candid and not-too flattering assessment.
“Hmm… sloppy,
sloppy, sloppy… absolutely no control whatsoever… openings are big enough for a
truck to drive through… poor recovery time… “He casually glanced over the Soun. “Tendo, I’m disappointed if
she’s the BEST your branch of my school can offer. You REALLY should have
trained her better.”
Akane’s father could only whimper as his
child continued to assault Happosai with no success. However,
as the girl started to build up a sweat, her odor increased in potency, making Happosai grimace in disgust and increase the distance
between them. This was noticed by his scheming students as they watched the
fight continue.
“Look Tendo, see how the Master avoids her!”
“Yes. I
cannot understand it, but Akane is actually holding
her own against him!”
“I get it, Tendo! It’s her smell! Remember what the Master said?”
“I see, Saotome! This is the first time I’m grateful for her odor!
If she cannot be touched by him, then we can use Akane
to keep him at bay!”
However,
their hopes were quickly dashed as Happosai proved to
be quite resourceful. Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out a wooden
clothespin and used it to plug up his nose. With a speed that was considered as
inhuman, he darted past Akane’s nearly nonexistent
defense and latched onto her chest.
“Aah this is bliss!” The old pervert marveled as he nuzzled against
Akane’s bosom.
The youngest Tendo daughter reacted in a violent but understandable
manner.
“AAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH!”
WHA-BOOM!
Akane sent her molester skyward with an
uppercut that would have shattered concrete. She stood panting and in state of
total distress.
“That… that
disgusting little toad! Ugh! Gross! He touched my chest!”
As Soun and his friend quickly began packing up and prepared
to leave the area before the Master returned, the Talbain staff moved off to
one side as one of the bodyguards began dialing on a cellphone.
--------
In England…
“Castle
Talbain, this is Head Butler Dubroke speaking… ah,
hello Oscar. How are things with the Tendo clan in
Japan? What? Happosai? Are you certain? Yes, I do
recall Master Jon telling me about him. I see. Well, for now, since we are
still under orders to watch over the Tendo household,
I suggest that you show him the Talbain Family Crest. I am certain that he will
not trouble you, once he realizes who we work for. Yes, keep me informed of any
further developments. Goodbye.”
--------
Meanwhile, a
trio of witches from Salem and an Amazon Elder were busy pouring over several
volumes of ancient texts. Cologne was especially impressed with the amount of
magical lore her distant relatives possessed.
“I’ve been
looking all over for the final ingredient to this spell!” She pointed to a
section of a thick tome. “The Amazon Archives are incomplete about this ritual.
May I copy it?”
Tyselli looked over Cologne’s shoulder at the
section she was indicating and nodded. The Elder was family after all.
Shampoo’s
great-grandmother immediately produced an inkwell, a writing quill and a piece
of parchment. She speedily jotted down the information and let the ink dry
before rolling up the information and putting it away in her robes. She then
went back to researching the counter-spell needed to free the Tendos from their demonic stench.
--------
On the other
side of the compound, Shampoo was getting acquainted with another resident of
Castle Talbain. So far, she had been enjoying her visit and had met with
several non-human beings over the last few hours. This particular denizen had
green, scaly, clawed hands and feet, finlike ears and a leathery tail
protruding from the small of her back. Otherwise, she was more or less human
with her brown, wavy hair tied up in a ponytail, blue eyes and a slender figure.
Her name was Cendra, but her race known as the Reptyls, a species of Lizardmen.
Like all Lizardmen, Cendra prided herself
as a capable fighter and she wanted to meet with an actual Amazon warrior.
Since no fighting was allowed at the castle, she instead invited Shampoo to
train alongside her. Presently, both were in one of the practice gymnasiums and
using swords.
“Like this?” The
warrior girl asked as she swung her scimitar about in a choppy motion.
Cendra shook her head as she demonstrated
with her broadsword. “No. Make more smooth! Like this!” She made a circular
maneuver with her weapon, and then ended with a sharp thrust.
“Oh! That is
good move!” Cologne’s heir remarked as she duplicated the technique. “Where you
learn it?”
“Kalesse show
me! She top fighter at castle! Except for Talbians of course.”
“Who
Kalesse?”
“Kalesse is
undine, great underwater warrior. Pretty good on land too. She go with Masters
right now to Atlantis.”
“She is
really good fighter?”
“She happens
to be one of the best, Shampoo.”
The two
adolescents stopped in their exercises and turned to face Cologne and the Grimbard Sisters as they walked up to them.
“Great-grandmother!”
Shampoo exclaimed as she put down her weapon. “You find cure for curse now?”
The aged
matriarch nodded. “We may have found the correct counter-spell, but we’re going
to need a special ingredient to make it work. Once we collect it from the Botanical
Gardens, we’ll be heading to Japan to cure the Tendos.”
“Awww!” Her great-granddaughter pouted. “Shampoo want to
stay here longer!”
“Perhaps the next time we visit here. Now come
with me child.”
After bidding
her new sparring partner goodbye, the purple-haired girl followed her relatives
toward the Talbain Botanical Gardens, which happen to be within a gigantic
greenhouse. The temperature, humidity and sunlight were meticulously maintained
in each section. Each area was given its own simulated environment to promote
optimal growth of all the plant life and plant-based beings.
As they made
their way deeper into the Gardens, Shampoo was amazed at the varieties of
strange flowers and trees. Every now and then she would glimpse strange
creatures as they came out of the foliage.
“Why we here
great-grandmother?”
“We’re going
to need a rare type of tree sap; one that can only be produced by a dryad.”
“What is
dryad?”
“She means
me.” A new voice was heard, causing the group to stop in their tracks. A very
large tree beside them shuddered slightly, as a person literally came out of
the trunk. She was a voluptuous girl with pale white skin, deep forest-green
eyes, and long emerald-green hair. She wore a simple short dress that seemed to
be made of leaves. She had pointed ears and a kind of energetic aura about her.
Shampoo
tensed up a bit as she was caught off-guard by the sudden appearance of the
tree-nymph, but calmed down as Cologne stepped up to greet the forest spirit.
“Ah, I was
just thinking about you Laursa. It is good to see you
again, but I’m afraid that this is a business call. I require a small amount of
your tree’s sap in order to undo a foolish girl’s self-inflicted hex.”
“Very well.”
The woodland nymph gestured to the upper branches of the tree she was bonded
to. As if it heard her silent request, the tree lowered one of its limbs so Laursa could pluck off a few leaves to hand to the Elder. “There
should be enough sap in these leaves to do the job.”
“I thank
you.” Cologne said as she took the offering.
“Is sap
really so strong?” The younger Amazon asked.
The
three-hundred-year-old Amazon nodded as she replied, “Dryad tree sap is
extremely potent Shampoo. Many of our own Amazon remedies use it as a base. A
single drop can be diluted into a THOUSAND different potions! A key ingredient
of the Miracle Hair Grow Shampoo is the tree sap of a dryad. To counter the
shampoo’s effects, makes use of a distillation of the sap, which is the secret
ingredient to the Anti-Hair Grow Formula. And we shall now use the sap to cure
that botched hex of the Tendos.”
“Ah! Shampoo
get it!”
“Good luck my
friends.” Laursa the Dryad said as she merged back
into her tree and disappeared from sight.
--------
An hour
later, after bidding farewell to their friends at the castle, both Amazons were
flying in the Talbain private jet on their way to Japan.
“Oh, Shampoo
had lots of fun! So many Old Races!”
“Indeed.”
Cologne agreed as she reclined in her seat. “I’ve always enjoyed visiting that
place. So who did you meet there?”
Shampoo
started counting off her fingers. “Meet up with spider-woman, winged man with
very old things, funny frog boy, tiny man with cane, cousins with
great-grandmother, fighting lizard girl and tree girl!”
“So you’ve
met with Arana the Jurogumo, Grom
the Gargoyle, Shinko the Kappa, Shamus O’Shea the Leprechaun, Cendra of the Reptyls and our
dryad friend Laursa.”
Cologne’s
heir nodded. “Wanted to meet with Kalesse but she no there. Say she is great fighter.”
“She is for a
fact. I pity anyone who challenges her.”
--------
In Atlantis…
KA-BOOM!
The ruler of
the underwater kingdom groaned in pain as he was blasted through a wall and
landed hard on his back.
Rikuo Albath was
beginning to regret his rash challenge to Kalesse for her hand in marriage. He
had thought that he had finally found the means to have his bride. However,
things didn’t exactly turn out the way he wanted…
--------
Flashback to
a few hours ago…
As the mini-sub
came through the entrance port of the main palace and surfaced inside, Kalesse came up and morphed her fish tail into a pair of
legs. She also took out her collapsible battle staff and extended it to its
full length. As she walked up the bank, the werewolves and their guest exited
the Sea Fang Alpha and followed her. Inside the palace was relatively dry and
had an atmosphere for them to breathe, but Jon was taking no chances. He put on
a strange bracelet, then handed two more to his son and Nabiki.
“What are
these?” The middle Tendo girl asked as she put on the
piece of jewelry.
Matthew
looked down at his own bracelet and nodded as he noted the blue-white stones
embedded in it. “These bracelets have Aqua-Air Stones in them. They’re from the
Makai.”
“Right.” The
elder werewolf affirmed. “Werewolves can handle themselves on land, but this is
Kalesse’s territory. She’s at home in the ocean, and we’re
not. If for some reason we end up in the water, these bracelets will enable us
to breathe and withstand the crushing pressure for about two hours before
needing a recharge. But don’t stay too long under. I’m not too sure if our
hyper-recuperation abilities will be able to save you from drowning.”
Both teens
nodded as the group continued toward the inner palace areas. Nabiki noted that the place was about the size of Castle Talbain and had the remnants of past splendor about it. Gold
and gemstones lined many surfaces and gave her surroundings a kind of opulent
glow. However, after being with the Talbain family for
so long, all that wealth just didn’t interest her as much as it used to.
Accumulating vast amounts of money wasn’t all that important to her any more.
She was a bit surprised at her current thoughts and realized how much she had
changed since meeting Matthew. She then began to think that it was for the
better that she had altered her line of thinking. Who knows how she would have
ended up if she had continued on with her mercenary ways?
She then made
a note to dismantle her gambling and blackmail operations once she returned to
Japan. Though it was going to be hard to keep her family afloat, she felt that
she needed a more honest means of earning income. Perhaps she could convince
her father to start teaching again.
As they came
to the entrance to the main throne room, Jon and Matthew tensed up as their
danger senses began to give them warning signals. Kalesse’s
aquatic perception abilities didn’t like how things felt either as she gripped
her staff. In the water, it was virtually impossible to get the drop on her as
she could sense even the slightest irregular vibrations in the wave movements.
On land, it was still quite difficult as she could feel the disturbances in the
air currents surrounding her.
Nabiki noted her boyfriend’s anxiety and
gripped the hidden tonfa in the holster at the small
of her back.
It was then
that Jon Talbain opened the door. As he did so, he
morphed into his lycanthrope form. Matthew followed suit as Nabiki
removed her pendant.
The group
cautiously entered the huge throne room; there was not a soul in sight. At the
far end of the room was an elaborate throne, made from one half of a giant
oyster shell. The sides were decorated with precious pearls and brilliantly
colored coral. As they looked about they were all on edge and ready to do
battle.
The wait was
not a long one, as huge monstrous foes in the form of four gigantic crabs, came
out from either sides of the room. Their menacing claws snapped and their
mandibles drooled slimy saliva as they advanced toward their prey. However, Kalesse and the werewolves would prove to be no easy
targets.
Kalesse demonstrated her abilities by nimbly
jumping over a claw, then came down on her opponent with her staff. The tip
crackled with energy as she infused her ki into it.
“HYDRO
SHOCKER!”
As its name
implied, the technique would react with any moisture in her enemy’s body. The
crab lit up like a Christmas tree as its inner body was electrified with the
equivalent of 100,000 volts. The hardness of its exoskeleton proved to be no
protection as the electricity was transferred by her ki.
The giant crustacean dropped to the floor unconscious and slightly cooked.
Jon handled
his own foe as he knocked it off balance with his Beast Cannon maneuver, then
followed through with a couple of swipes, using a pair of butterfly swords.
Since he had anticipated aquatic fighting, he knew that his usual nunchakus would not work as well underwater. Both of the
crab’s claws fell off, leaving the monster literally unarmed. It scurried away
until it could regenerate its limbs.
Matthew
followed suit with a Beast Cannon of his own, then a solid strike with a
blazing kick.
“RAZOR DIVE!”
A downward
version of his father’s Climb Razor hit in a spot just between the crab’s
eyestalks, causing a concussion to its brain. It fell hard on its belly in a
stunned state then lapsed into unconsciousness.
“Need any
help Nabs?” He called out as his girlfriend dealt with the last of the
monsters.
“I… think… I
got it!” She replied as she slowly hefted the crab above her head. After it lunged
at her, she managed to get under it, and was now lifting it off the ground. She
was amazed that she was actually holding up something that weighed the
equivalent to a small bus. With supreme effort, she upended the oversized
seafood platter onto its back. Kalesse came in and
finished the job with another jolt to its belly.
As she jumped
down to the floor, she gave a nod to the female lycanthrope.
“Impressive
young one.”
“Indeed.” Jon
agreed as he sheathed his blades. “You’ve gotten a lot stronger. Though you
could use more training in terms of skill. There’s a lot more to it than just
brute strength. Don’t expect your werewolf powers to pull you through every
fight.”
“Yes sensei.”
She nodded as she knew that her younger sister almost always relied on pure
force to win her fights. Matthew had since proved that it was insufficient
against more skilled foes. Nabiki made a note to step
up on her training in the Talbain Wolf-Fist.
It was then
that a figure came out of nowhere and landed in front of the throne.
“Who dares
intrude upon the Kingdom of Atlantis?”
This
statement made Kalesse scoff.
“Kingdom?
Hah! What kingdom? Aside from those crabs, you’re the only one here!”
As soon as Rikuo heard Kalesse’s voice, he
turned and his expression softened in an instant. He became speechless as he
gazed upon the beautiful undine, while she merely looked at him with a bit of
contempt.
Standing a
little further back, Nabiki studied the so-called
ruler and noted the differences between him and Kalesse.
While the Talbain’s underwater combat instructor could easily pass as
a human, she had a kind of unnatural beauty that could never be achieved with
cosmetics or surgery. Her aqua-colored eyes shone like sapphires, while her
hair was as lustrous as the finest silk. Her figure was that of a cross between
a Playboy centerfold and a pro athlete at a decathlon. She was literally
Aphrodite and Artemis combined. (1) In her aquatic form, she resembled that of
a mermaid with her fishlike tail, but she didn’t have the same peaceful and
serene personality that all mermaids are said to have. The end of her tail was
narrower and tapered.
Rikuo however, was far from human-looking,
though Nabki could see that he was ‘curiously
attractive’ for a fish man. (2) He was basically a humanoid with green skin and
a huge fin that started from the top of his head and ran down toward the small
of his back. He had webbed feet and hands, as well as finlike structures where
his eyebrows and ears were supposed to be. He also had some fins on his elbows
and some spikes on his forearms. He wore a ceremonial necklace. He was
generally in good physical condition and had a muscular physique.
Though he was
supposed to be a king, he certainly wasn’t acting like one as he quickly moved
forward to embrace his intended queen.
“Kalesse! So you finally decided to become my…!”
WHA-BOOM!
Though it
looked like a casual slap, Kalesse sent Rikuo flying backward like a bullet shot out of a gun. He
slammed into his throne with such force, that it broke apart into fragments,
just before his momentum was stopped by the far wall. He more than dazed at the
sudden rebuff of his affections as he staggered back to his feet.
Nabiki let off a low whistle and remarked,
“Ouch! I don’t think even Akane could hit Kuno that hard!”
“Well that’s
to be expected of Kalesse’s people.” Jon said. “Think
about it. She comes from an environment of crushing water pressure. You either
die or you develop superhuman strength to deal with it. It’s about the same as
living in a place of heavy gravity or constantly training with heavy weights.”
“In any case,
Rikuo should count himself lucky that Kalesse pulled her punch that time.” Matthew said.
“That was
pulling her punch?!” His girlfriend asked incredulously.
“If she had
put her full strength into it, Rikuo would have been
on the other side of Atlantis by now. I’m just glad she didn’t break the
necklace he was wearing. We need it.”
Nabiki focused in on the piece of jewelry
the merman was wearing and gasped as she saw the center of the necklace.
“Oh my God!
That’s the fragment that we’re looking for!”
“And
unfortunately, it’s part of the Royal Seal of Atlantis.” Jon surmised. “I have
a feeling that it’s going be harder to get this piece.”
--------
Later…
“So let me
understand.” Rikuo said with his hands clasped behind
his back. He was on the main observatory balcony of the palace and looking over
the seascape. Behind him was Kalesse as she stood
with her staff held in her right hand. Jon was also there as well. Matthew and Nabiki waited in the throne room. “You’re asking for the
Royal Seal of Atlantis because it contains a fragment of an ancient medallion
that you need.”
“That’s about
the long and short of it.” The elder Talbain
confirmed.
“You realize
that you are asking that I give you one of the most precious treasures of
Atlantis, which has been passed down through our long lines of kings to me.”
“I am willing
to pay any amount you want for it.”
“Hah!” The
merman scoffed. “Money has no interest to me! If I were to give up such a
precious heirloom to my people, then I would require something more substantial
in return for it!” He turned about and focused his gaze upon Kalesse.
The undine
let off a groan as she already knew what his price was. “Oh no! Not in a
billion years!”
Jon also
sighed tiredly. “Rikuo, we’ve been through this
before. Now I know how much you want to rebuild Atlantis and save your species,
but you can’t do it with Kalesse. I’ve had experts in
the Makai and MIB look over your genetic
compatibility, and it’s impossible.”
“You don’t
know that for certain!” Rikuo shot back as he pointed
an accusing finger at the werewolf. “And you don’t know how lonely it’s been
since the great disaster that had wiped out my people! I will not be alone
anymore and I WILL have my queen!”
“Over my dead
body.” Kalesse commented, and then she amended
herself. “And if you keep going with this idiocy, it’s going to be over YOUR
dead body.”
“But we would
be perfect for each other!” Rikuo insisted. “I knew
that from the first time I saw you! You’re more beautiful than the finest
pearls on Poseidon’s crown! I would make you happy and we would have such fine
children!”
“I doubt
that! Flattery won’t win my heart and I shall not doom any of my future
children to a life of sterility.”
“It’s all
lies fed to you by Talbain! We are the true children
of Poseidon!”
“Just because
we happen to be Poseidon’s children, DOES NOT mean we have to marry each other.
Furthermore, I find you to be very annoying in the best light, and a pompous,
arrogant fop in the worst. What could you possibly offer me that I would
consent to be your wife?”
“You would
have the riches of Atlantis! The treasures of a million galleons would be
yours!”
“Hmph! Have you forgotten that I already live in the lap of
luxury at Castle Talbain? My every need and desire is
fulfilled there. Furthermore, I am not impressed with mere baubles!”
“You would be
of royalty as my queen!”
“I care not
for titles and lineage. The only kings that I will acknowledge is Lord Poseidon
himself or that of the Great Maker! Your
crown is as nothing to me!”
“But I love
you Kalesse!”
“BUT I DON’T
LOVE YOU!” The sea warrior maiden shot back. “I grow very tired of this pointless
argument! I didn’t come to Atlantis just to reopen a debate that is going
absolutely nowhere!”
“I too, grow
weary of your refusal to see our destiny together, so let us settle this once
and for all!” Rikuo said with finality.
“What are you
saying?” Kalesse asked, thought she had a feeling she
already knew.
“I challenge
you for your hand in marriage!”
“What?”
“As the king
of Atlantis, in accordance to your undine tribal laws, I challenge to sea
combat!”
The
aqua-haired maiden was silent for a moment before giving the merman this
warning, “Do not make a request so easily, King Rikuo.
You may not LIVE long enough to regret it!”
“Do you accept my challenge, or do you accept the disgrace
in front of Lord Poseidon? If I win, you will agree to be my bride! If I lose,
then you may have the medallion fragment.”
Jon stepped
up and put a hand on Kalesse’s shoulder. “You don’t
have to do this.”
She gave him
a reassuring smile before shrugging off his hand. “It
looks like I must pound some sense into Rikuo's head
since it seems to be as thick as 1,000-year-old coral.” She turned back to her
unwanted suitor and replied in a very sarcastic tone. “Very well oh King of
Atlantis. Prepared to get crowned; the HARD WAY!”
--------
End of
flashback…
WHA-BOOM!
Rikuo now knew what being a soccer ball
felt like as he was booted out of the palace and into the courtyard. He flipped
over several times before landing on his face and skidding on the ground for
twenty meters, digging a shallow ditch before coming to a stop. In terms of raw
physical power, his intended bride-to-be was no joke! He had fought rampaging
killer whales with less strength than her!
As he
staggered to get back to his feet, he steeled his resolve. This was his only
chance to get Kalesse as his wife! By the laws of her
tribe, she would have to concede to his wishes if he beat her, and he wasn’t
going to lose this battle. However, he had to rethink his strategy. Going
toe-to-toe with her was NOT favorable and he would need to wear her down.
As Kalesse closed in for some more close combat, Rikuo leaned back as several large pores in his torso
opened up, sending out streams of noxious smoke into her face. She coughed and
backed off as her eyes stung. The merman pressed his attack and let loose with
a piercing sonic shriek. The undine winced as her hearing and sense of balance
was put off. Her opponent charged in to finish the fight quickly and claim his
mate!
However, the
aqua-haired girl was not the Talbain’s underwater
combat instructor for nothing as she focused her ki
and let it out in an aura of pure electricity. As soon as Rikuo
touched her, he let off a howl of pain as the voltage ran through him and
nearly fried him to a cinder. He went sprawling as Kalesse
regained her balance and her vision cleared. In addition to keeping her foe at
bay, the technique also cleared her system of the effects of his poison gas
attack.
--------
“Where did
she learn that technique?” Matthew asked as he, his girlfriend and his father
watched the battle from the balcony of the palace.
“She told me
that she learned to convert her ki into high amounts electricity
after meeting some wild man in Brazil.” Jon replied. “She was cruising down the
Amazon River at the time. Apparently it mimics the ability of the electric
eel.”
“There’s some
wild man in Brazil?” Nabiki inquired.
“Yes.” Talbain nodded. “I believe his name was Jimmy, but the
locals called him Blanka.”
The trio went
back to watching the battle.
--------
Back in
Japan…
Zed pondered
deep in thought at his desk, as he was given the latest reports at the Japanese
HQ of the MIB. So far, the mysterious force that had devastated several alien
systems was still too far to be any threat to the Earth, but the organization’s
deep-space observation stations were keeping a close watch on the thing that
was making mincemeat out of whole space armadas. Long-range scanners couldn’t
penetrate its outer energy fields and space probes disintegrated before they
got within fifty kilometers of it.
The head of
the secret organization didn’t like having zero information about a potential alien
threat to the Earth, which went against everything the MIB stood for. But all
he could at this point was to wait and see what horrors humankind would
encounter when it finally arrived.
--------
At the Tokyo
Airport…
Shampoo and
Cologne stepped off the private Talbain jet and took
their first steps onto Japanese soil. As the Chinese Amazons were led toward
customs by their host’s staff, they conversed in their native tongue.
[“So where
are we going now?”] Shampoo asked.
[“After we
settle up with customs, we’re going to get settled in. I’ve already purchased a
small property where we can start a business. I was thinking along the lines of
a Chinese restaurant.”] The Elder mused as she hopped on her cane.
[“We’re not
going back to the village after we finish with the Tendos?”]
[“No.
Remember that we have to get you enrolled in school and I figured that we could
do that after we cure the Tendo family. We should be
able to have you start by the next semester. Besides, I promised to meet with
an acquaintance and she is currently living in Japan, along with her
daughter.”]
[“Who is
that?”]
[“Her name is
Morrigan Aenslade and…”]
The elderly woman paused for a moment as she felt a chill run down her spine.
[“Great-grandmother?
What’s wrong?”]
Cologne
paused for a long moment, then shook her head and mumbled to herself. [“No, it
couldn’t be… it’s nothing child. I just thought for a moment that an old
headache had returned. Come along.”]
--------
In a remote
area, Happosai also felt a slight chill after he had
just finished a quick panty and bra raid of a nearby village. He quickly
dismissed it and decided that it would be too much of a chore to track down his
traitorous pupils. It would be much easier to just wait at the one place Soun and Genma would surely go to
after they found a cure for their stench.
He began to
head toward Tokyo where he was certain he could find out the location of Soun’s home.
The Tendo Dojo.
--------
Back in
Atlantis…
“KILLER
VORTEX!”
The merman
leapt into the air and dived down feet first like a spear against his opponent.
Though this
move would deliver some damage if it connected, it also left Rikuo vulnerable to a counter, which Kalesse
was more than eager to demonstrate.
“STEAM SHOT!”
Since the air
in Atlantis was quite humid, it was not a problem for the undine to heat up the
surrounding water droplets with her ki and form scalding
liquid bullets. With a sweep of her hand, she launched them at her unwanted
suitor.
The aquatic
king of Atlantis screamed as he was burned in several places. He missed his
target as he came down, but lashed out with a fist, which morphed into a spiral
shell point.
Kalesse blocked with her staff, then ducked
under his next strike when he morphed his other arm into a crab claw.
“You will
marry me!”
“It’s time
someone SLAPPED some sense into you!”
With these
words, she spun into a handstand and morphed her legs into her fishtail. With a
speed that was absolutely mind-boggling she started to repeatedly whack her fin
against Rikuo’s face!
“FIN FRENZY!”
WHAPPITY-WHAPPITY-WHAPPTY-WHAPPITY-WHAPPITY-WHAPPITY-WHAP!
--------
Jon snickered
as the high-and-mighty king was slapped about comically in the face. He was
reminded of those cartoons where an inept fisherman had caught a fish, but the
fish would use its tail to slap him silly before escaping.
Beside him,
his son cheered on his instructor.
“Oh
yeah! Give it to
him Kalesse! Make him REALLY feel it! Yeah! Yeah!” (3)
--------
Rikuo’s face began to swell up as his
intended spouse continued her assault. Then she added insult to a lot of injury
as she suddenly morphed her fishtail back into her human legs and spun
upside-down while kicking out.
“SPINNING
STARFISH KICK!”
The merman
was caught completely off-guard and received a dozen more hits to the head and
torso before he was knocked back several dozen feet.
--------
“Hey, wasn’t
that the move Chun Li used at the tournament?” Nabiki
asked.
“Where do you
think Li’s family fighting style got that move?” Jon Talbain
remarked. “Darkstalkers have influenced a lot of
human history and its culture. I do recall Kalesse
telling me that one of her distant ancestors visited China and trained with the
Li family. The Chinese Amazons have also made connections to the Old Races,
after meeting with Jacob Talbain.”
--------
In
Japan…
“Well, well!
If it isn’t Cologne!”
Morrigan Aenslade
warmly hugged her Amazon friend as soon as she answered the door. Behind the
Elder, Shampoo looked on with curiosity. This person was supposed to be a
member of the Old Races? She looked like a normal Westerner.
The two
Chinese females were invited inside the Aenslade
home, where they were introduced to Lilith. A few minutes later, they were all
having tea in the den and discussed various points of interest. As they talked
among themselves, Shampoo couldn’t help but stare at the seemingly normal-looking
mother and daughter. Certainly Morrigan was
strikingly beautiful and Lilith was cute, but there was nothing special that
labeled them as Darkstalkers.
Finally,
Cologne noted her great-granddaughter’s non-interaction and chided her. “Shampoo! It is RUDE to stare at your host!”
“Ah! So sorry
great-grandmother!” The younger Amazon apologized. “No mean disrespect!”
Lilith’s
mother smiled knowingly as she took a sip of her tea. “It’s all right young
one. I would think you would be curious about us. Cologne tells me that you
have just come from Castle Talbain and you were
wondering what members of the Old Races were we, correct?
We don’t mind showing you.”
“Is
okay! No need to
show Shampoo!”
“I feel like
spreading my wings anyway.” With a nod to Lilith, they dropped their human
disguises and let the Amazons see their true forms. Mystical energy emanated
from both of the succubi as they displayed their bat
wings and supernatural auras.
The
purple-haired girl gazed in amazement at the two denizens of the Makai, then addressed Cologne,
“Great-grandmother?”
The Elder
nodded and explained. “Morrigan and Lilith are called
succubi. They happen to be quite powerful and masters
at seduction. A lot of our Amazon love potions and aphrodisiacs have the Aenslade name on them.”
“Indeed.” Morrigan affirmed as she reclined a bit on the sofa and
crossed her legs. “As much I enjoyed catching up with you, I have a feeling
that you are not here in Japan just to connect with an old friend.”
“You know me
very well, Morrigan.” Cologne admitted. “Actually,
our main business is get Shampoo enrolled in school
here and to cure a certain family of a demonic stench.”
“You mean the
Tendo family?” Lilith asked. “They’re not here.”
“What?”
Cologne asked in surprise.
“The entire
neighborhood couldn’t stand their smell anymore, so the city council had them
exiled from Tokyo. Them and that guest of theirs.” The younger succubus
explained.
Morrigan nodded. “Jon Talbain
had a few of his staff go with them to look after their needs, but we haven’t
heard from them for a while. Last time they were in contact, they were
somewhere deep in an area near Maebashi, I think. Where they are now, your
guess is as good as mine.”
Shampoo’s
great-grandmother let off a sigh and shook her head. “That’s quite a ways out.
It’s going to take a while to find them.”
“Too bad Jon
and his son aren’t here. Werewolves are the world’s best trackers.”
As they
continued to discuss how to find the missing Tendos
and Genma, Cologne got another chill down her spine
and wondered why she had this feeling of dread.
--------
At
the Tendo home…
Happosai shook off the sudden chill down his
spine as he broke into Soun Tendo’s
liquor cabinet. He smiled as he took out an elaborate bottle.
“Ooh! Imported
French wine! Wonder how Tendo managed to score this
kind of quality booze?”
Popping the
cork, he greedily chugged down the contents as he waited for the house’s
occupants to return. He then started to go through the premiere Chinese Rice Wine
and other alcohols that Nabiki had sent to her
father. He was a bit tipsy when a certain someone found his way back to the Tendo home.
“Finally! I
made it back!” ‘Ranma’ said as he came through the
front door and walked down the hallway. When he saw the perverted Grandmaster
of the Anything Goes in a drunken stupor, he immediately thought he had come
across a burglar. “Hey! Who are you?! What are you doing?!”
The little
gnome turned to look at the newcomer, shrugged and waved him off. “Ah, go ‘way
and let me enjoy my hooch!”
‘Ranma’ immediately charged him, but even when drunk, Happosai was no pushover as he took out his pipe. Only when he was passed out was he an
easy target, and that was the only time Soun and Genma had the chance to lock him away. This time however,
he wasn't out cold...
--------
CRASH!
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
‘Ranma’ didn’t know how he was sent skyward as he went up
into LEO and came down in another area. From there, he became lost again.
--------
The Aenslades and the Amazons were a bit startled at the sudden
commotion and came out of the succubi’s house to see
a small dot disappear over the distant horizon.
“What that?”
Shampoo asked.
Lilith
shrugged as she was already used to the goings-on in Nerima. “It’s really
nothing. That sort of stuff happens all the time. Keeps things interesting.”
Assured that
it wasn’t any their business, the Amazons went back inside with everyone else.
As they prepared to search for the Tendo clan and Genma in order to cure them, they did not realize that one
of the greatest enemies of their tribe was just a few blocks away.
--------
In the
underwater kingdom, a certain individual was getting his royal rear end kicked
in as the undine warrior continued to knock him around like a hackey sack. At this point in the fight, Rikuo was on the verge of collapsing. Kalesse
was among the top fighters if not the very top of her generation. It was
obvious that there was no question that Rikuo wasn’t
going to win this duel unless he used his strongest moves on her.
The merman
was on his hands and knees as Kalesse slowly
approached him to finish him off. He was more than winded and his vision was
spinning. His intended queen had no compunctions whatsoever in beating him to
within an inch of his life. He knew that she would give some of the strongest
children in the ocean, and that was one of the main reasons why he wanted her.
However, that dream was becoming more and more impossible.
<No! I
won’t give up! SHE WILL BE MY QUEEN!>
Out of sheer
desperation, he lashed out at the last minute with a kick, catching Kalesse by surprise, and flipping her into the air. Then he
pulled himself into a giant oyster shell and began shooting gigantic energy
balls shaped like pearls at her.
“GEM
ANGER!”
As Kalesse was blasted further upward, Rikuo
emerged from his shell and let loose with his most powerful attack.
“WATER
JAIL!”
A huge bubble
appeared and floated upward, catching Kalesse as she
came down. Then it started to sap her strength. Rikuo
managed to get back to his feet and smiled in triumph.
“Give up and
become my wife Kalesse! Nothing can break my Water
Jail!”
Inside the
bubble and in considerable pain, the undine snarled at this uppity merman and
replied, “Don’t bet on it!”
Her body began
to glow blue white and crackled with energy. Sparks began to fly as the bubble
shuddered and started to lose its integrity. Finally, it exploded into a huge
shower of water and lightning bolts.
“HYDRO
STORM SHOCK!”
Unfortunately
for Rikuo, he had been certain of victory and was too
close when she released her attack. And the liquid he created his Water Jail
from, made an excellent conductor. As soon as he was splashed, he was nearly
electrocuted and fell face-first into the ground.
Kalesse fell to her knees in exhaustion and
knew that she couldn’t generate enough amps to power a light bulb, let alone
one of her lesser attacks. However, she didn’t have to as Rikuo
was down for the count.
She had won.
--------
In the
mountain areas near Maebashi…
“Aiyah!
How we find them here?” Shampoo asked as she and her great-grandmother hiked
through the unfamiliar terrain. The younger Amazon was hefting a backpack which
was filled with the various ingredients to the spell needed to break Akane’s unintended hex. Inside the pack was a tiny vial,
which contained an emerald green liquid. This was the pure Dryad tree sap that
Cologne had obtained from the leaves given to her at Castle Talbain.
After their
visit with the Aenslade family, the Chinese warriors
were escorted into the last known areas the Tendo
family was seen in. From there, Cologne decided to teach her relative some
tricks in tracking.
“Look over here.”
The Elder pointed to a recent campfire then gestured to several small holes in
the ground which indicated where tent spikes and poles had been placed. “Look
at how the soil is scattered and how fresh those embers are. They were here not
too long ago. Judging by how haphazard these signs are, I’d say they left in
haste.”
“How
you know it them?
Could be someone else camping here.” Shampoo said.
“Take a deep
breath and tell me what you smell.”
The
purple-haired girl did so and wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Aiyah! Smell like horse dung, rotten fish heads and
Blacksmith Slag after eating too many beans! Shampoo also smell flowers,
morning dew and fresh soap. Why smell together?”
“That’s the
curse the Tendo family and Genma
Saotome are afflicted with. And if you’re able to
smell it that strongly, then that means they’re not too far off. If it were
more than a few days old, the smell could only be picked up by dogs… or the Talbains. Come! The smell is strongest in that direction.”
Cologne pointed toward the horizon.
“Hope we find
soon.” Shampoo commented. “Bad smell may cause trees to die.”
“Perhaps.”
Her great-grandmother agreed. “And let’s hope they don’t stand too close to
their campfire. That smell of theirs is liable to ignite.”
--------
Meanwhile in
the Atlantic Ocean…
“Are you sure
that it’s all right just to leave like this?” Nabiki
asked as she, the Tailbanes and Kalesse
rode the Sea Wolf II away from the entrance to Atlantis.
They were all
back in their human forms. Lying on a nearby table was the incomplete
medallion, now joined with its fourth fragment. Matthew’s father had decided to
look for the next fragment location once they were back at Castle Talbain.
“I did offer
to help Rikuo search for any other survivors of his
race, but he wouldn’t listen to reason.” Jon pointed out as he piloted the sub.
He looked over his shoulder and addressed the undine. “He really wants you Kalesse.”
“Hmph!”
Kalesse snorted in disgust. “He was just a sore loser
and he kept on saying that I cheated! He should take his loss and go find
someone else!”
“Yeah, but he
was really mad at us and blames us for everything that’s happened. He even
swore he’d get his revenge on us.” Soun’s daughter
pointed out. As a former mercenary and blackmailer, she knew just how
vindictive and petty a person could be. Anger and pride could make someone make
rash decisions and thoughts of revenge can drive him/her over the edge.
“Hey! That
was NOT our fault!” Matthew said in protest. “We just came here to bargain for
that medallion piece and he was the one who was being unreasonable. Then he
tried to force Kalesse to marry him with that
challenge. She won fair and square and we get the medallion piece. We offered
to help him and he turned us down. There’s not much else we can do. In any
case, if he comes after us for some kind of stupid revenge, then we’ll deal
with him. It’s not like one merman can do much against us.”
At that
moment, the sub’s sonar alert system went off as a huge explosion rocked the
craft. Matthew and Nabiki were nearly thrown out of
their seats. Jon fought hard to right the ship, and then looked down at the
console to see a very large object on the sonar screen, coming toward their
position.
“Matthew!”
The younger
lycanthrope nodded as he turned on all the Sea Wolf II’s scanners and monitors.
“What hit
us?” Jon asked.
His son began
reading the date and was shocked at the results.
“According to
the sensors… we were just hit by… a torpedo?!”
“A
torpedo?!” Nabiki gasped. “Who fired on us?!”
Matthew then switched on the rearview monitor
and stared in disbelief at what he saw. The others also gaped in shock at what
was coming at them.
The thing was
about two hundred and twenty feet long and was cylindrical. It had coral
attached to several areas of its rusted hull. The ugly machine had not been
seen in over 65 years and it looked like it was about to fall apart. However,
it was still recognized by all those aboard the Talbain’s
vessel.
“I don’t
believe it! That’s a World War II submarine!” Matthew exclaimed.
Jon noted the
identification number imprinted on the bow of the vessel and fed the
information into the Sea Wolf II’s computer. He then read the data out loud.
“Hmmm… U-boat 338… Type VIIC submarine… reported lost in combat on September 20th,
1943… mysteriously disappeared after diving to escape the Canadian Corvette Drumheller… explosion was heard, but the wreckage was never
found.” He looked back at the rearview monitor and commented, “So that’s where
she ended up!”
“But who’s
shooting at us?!” Nabiki cried out.
As if in
answer, the radio crackled to life as the sound of static filled the air. Then
a familiar voice was heard.
“You will pay
for denying me my queen! I, Rikuo Albath,
King of Atlantis, shall have my revenge!”
At that
moment, the Talbains learned that the insane merman
was at the helm of a Nazi war machine.
“HOW THE HELL
DID HE GET A U-BOAT?!” Matthew exclaimed as he began to track the German sub.
“I’m guessing
that in World War II that U-boat must have strayed too close to the outer
borders of Atlantis, and was automatically sunk due to the protection field.”
Jon hypothesized as he began taking the Sea Wolf II through evasive maneuvers.
“Rikuo’s people must have salvaged the sub.”
“How could it
withstand the pressure down here? It doesn’t have an orichalcum
hull or titanium infrastructure. Heck, it shouldn’t even be moving!”
“Judging from
the energy readings I’m detecting, I’m also guessing he’s using special Makai Aqua Stones to strengthen the sub’s structure and
power its electric batteries. He must have also put in an autoloader and… uh
oh!” Jon then put his sub into a violent turn to avoid a pair of torpedoes
launched from the U-boat. The underwater projectiles streaked passed the
werewolf’s vessel and blasted into a large crevasse, causing the huge area to
collapse.
“And I think
it’s obvious that he’s enhanced the torpedoes! Those things are hitting with a
lot more power!”
The Sea Wolf
II made another series of turns as Jon spoke on the radio to convince the
merman to stop his insanity. He refrained from firing back as he didn’t want to
kill the misguided king of Atlantis.
“Rikuo!
Don’t do this! We can still help you!”
“NO ONE CAN
HELP ME!” Rikuo screamed. “I AM THE LAST OF MY KIND!”
Another
torpedo was fired and this time, Jon couldn’t move his submarine out of its way.
It struck hard on near the center of the ship, causing it to shudder violently.
That’s when Matthew’s control panel lit up.
“Dad! We’ve got a breach in the hull!”
“SAY WHAT?!”
“I don’t know
what that torpedo was packing, but it actually punched through the orichalcum! We’re taking on water!”
--------
In the
damaged section, the gremlins immediately began patching up the hole before the
sub became filled with water.
“FIX NOW!
STOP WET STUFF!”
Glitch
ordered Boo-Boo, Hitch and Jinx to fill up the gap with whatever material they could
find. Once they filled in the hole, he and Snafu began sealing up the cracks by
using their powers to weld and glue the pieces together. Once the water stopped
flowing, the lead gremlin turned on the intercom to communicate to the bridge.
“Hole patched
up! No more boom-boom okay?”
--------
On the
bridge, Jon made one final attempt to convince Rikuo
to halt his attack.
“Rikuo,
please! I don’t want to hurt you! Stop this madness now!”
The merman’s
only reply was another salvo of four torpedoes. Jon let out a sigh and shook
his head in resignation. He had no choice now.
“So be it. Farewell...
King of Atlantis… my friend.”
As the
torpedoes neared the Sea Wolf II, Jon activated the countermeasures, sending
out an ultrasonic pulse, which caused the projectiles to detonate prematurely.
The explosions also hid the submarine from Rikuo’s
sight, so he was unprepared when his opponent launched a dozen mini-torpedoes
toward the obsolete U-boat.
The last of
the Atlantean mermen let out one final scream as Jon’s
counterattack struck on several areas of the German submarine, causing it to nearly
split in half. The Makai Aqua Stones may have allowed
the ship to withstand the high water pressure, but they were nowhere near as
strong as orichalcum. As the wreck sank down toward
the entrance to Atlantis, its main power source began to overload toward
critical mass. Just as the sub hit the ocean floor, its main drive detonated.
A massive
shockwave rippled throughout that area in the Atlantic Ocean, causing the
canyon walls to collapse. The waves thundered through the maze of caverns, then
struck Atlantis itself. For over ten thousand years, the legendary Kingdom of
Atlantis had withstood the test of time. Now the end finally came as every last
building and structure was reduced to rubble. Even the palace was not spared as
it was broken apart, all due to the folly of its last ruler.
Atlantis was
wiped out from the pages of history.
--------
Later that
evening…
The Sea Wolf
II cruised on the surface of the ocean as it made its way back to Castle Talbain. Jon wasn’t afraid of being detected since the orichalcum hull also made the sub invisible to surface
radar. Swimming behind it was Bob as the Loch Ness Monster let off a series of
moans and high-pitched sounds.
With the
apparent death of the last Atlantean Merman, it was
the Leviathans’ duty to spread the word of his passing to all the other citizens
of Poseidon. As such, Bob and his brethren scattered themselves throughout the
oceans to give the bad news to those who dwell in the deep.
Jon let off a
tired sigh as he sat on the deck of the conning tower outside of the sub. He
had the vessel on autopilot, as he wanted to watch the night skies. He was
currently in his hybrid form. Down below, Nabiki and
Matthew were having dinner in the galley.
An hour
later, his ears twitched as he heard someone climbing the ladder toward the
entrance hatch. He nodded as Kalesse came up onto the
deck and sat down beside him to look up at the stars.
“I thought I’d
find you here, Jon.” The undine said. “How are you feeling?”
Matthew’s
father let out a long sigh and replied. “It didn’t have to end like that. We
could have helped him!”
“I know, but
he didn’t leave us with much of a choice. I’ll admit that deep down, he wasn’t
really a bad sort, but that obsession of his clouded his judgment.”
“It’s my duty
to see that the Old Races gets the chance to prosper in the human world. I felt
like I was betraying that duty when I fired those torpedoes. I denied Rikuo that chance.”
“You OFFERED
that chance to him many times.” Kalesse pointed out. “Time
and time again, you showed him that you wanted to help, and he always refused. We
all make our own decisions, and Rikuo just made a bad
one.”
“I know. I
just didn’t think our quest would have something this tragic happen. And I’m
starting to wonder if more tragedy awaits us.”
--------
Out in
distant space…
The being
known as Pyron continued to streak across the cosmos,
leaving several dozens of solar systems in ruins. The civilizations that he had
sent into extinction were not much of a challenge and he hoped the signal he
had received from Earth would provide him with more amusement before he
obliterated whatever resided there.
Armageddon
was approaching humankind.
To be continued…
Author’s
Notes
As much as I
like Rikuo’s character in the Darkstalkers
videogame, this spells the end for him in this story… for now. In any case,
this quest needed a bit of doom and gloom to make it more substantial once Nabiki and Matthew collect all the pieces. Next stop,
America and a certain catwoman returns! As for the
plight of the Tendos and Genma,
we’ll see if Cologne and Shampoo can get rid of that smell, or if Akane can make things worse, (hint, hint).
See you then!
(1) Aphrodite (Greek) or Venus (Roman);
the goddess of beauty and love. Artemis (Greek) or (Diana); the goddess of the
hunt.
(2) This phrase was used a LOT in the
American version of Darkstalkers to describe Rikuo, and could explain a bit for his arrogance.
(3) I got this from Dragonball
Z when Super-Saiyan Goku
slapped Frieza silly and King Kai cheered him on.
(incomplete)