Time Masters
A He-Man multi-crossover by Night Hunter MGS
Author's notes: Dear merciful savior, where did this come from? Ok, that's it no more late-night Buffalo wing extravaganzas for me, they play with my mind.
Disclaimer: C'mon, we know I don't own 'em, so why do I have to keep saying so?
Eternia was a world literally split into two, the light hemisphere where the kingdom of Eternia prospered under the benevolent and courageous leadership of King Randor, and the dark hemisphere where night was eternal and the evil forces of the mad sorcerer Skeletor hid within the volcanic depths of Snake Mountain. For years, the guardians of Eternia, the Masters of the Universe, battled against Skeletor's Dark Warriors, with neither side gaining ground, and the planet locked into an eternal war. But there were evils much more ancient than Skeletor, evils that hid beneath the self-proclaimed lord of evil's very feet, deep within the bowels of Snake Mountain. Long ago, the warlord known as King Hiss and his legions of Snakemen were sealed within their very own fortress of Snake Mountain just before they could conquer the entire planet. For centuries, there has been relative peace in Eternia, and all have forgotten the horror that was King Hiss and his legions. But now, through deceit, trickery, and betrayal, the few Snakemen that remain hidden in the shadows are finally ready to resurrect their leader and his forces. Not even the mysterious and powerful warrior called He-Man has a chance against this threat. But the power of the Elders, the greatest force in Eternia and the known universe, was not bound to just one single man, planet, place, or time. The saviors of Eternia would not come from the present, but from the past.
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Adam! Are you there? Prince Adam!
A young, blond haired teenager stood upright, hand lingering over the massive broadsword strapped to his back as the mental communication raced through his brain. I'm here sorceress, what's wrong?
Hundreds of miles away from the palace where the young prince stood, a lonely, imposing castle overlooked a bottomless gorge. Many knew this abandoned place as Castle Greyskull, a worthless, decaying structure of a forgotten time. But what only a few knew was that deep within the castle's recesses resided the manifestation of the power of Eternia. The guardian of this power was a beautiful, winged woman known only as the Sorceress. Years ago, she had granted the power of the Elders to a young prince named Adam, who secretly became Eternia's greatest hero, the warrior He-Man. Now, she had to call upon him once again. Adam, the Elders have seen a horrifying glimpse of the future. King Hiss will be resurrected.
The prince felt a chill run down his spine at this information. About a year ago, a deadly warrior known as Cobra Kahn had joined Skeletor's forces, only to betray them in hopes of freeing an ancient warlord known as King Hiss from his imprisonment below Snake Mountain. Only with the help of the blind hermit Zodac and the other Masters were they able to stop Kahn's plans and seal King Hiss away for all eternity. No! It can't be true! We sealed him away forever!
Nothing is forever young prince. Both the Elders and Zodac have foreseen it. King Hiss is about to be freed. Not even He-Man can stop the terror that he will bring.
Then what can I do?
Fear not, the powers of the ages shall be granted to you.
What's that supposed to mean?
The Sorceress paused, a light frown adorning her face. To be honest, she didn't know either. Not only was the power of the Elders contained within the crystals underneath Greyskull's walls, but their souls as well, forming a non-living yet conscious entity with the wisdom and knowledge of thousands of generations. And whenever the Elders foretold the future, they were always vague in their advice and instructions. They had simply told her that the powers of the ages would come to Eternia's aid and save it from destruction. And of course, He-Man was the hero of Eternia as foreseen by the Elders decades ago, so it had to mean that he would be given new strength, right? Deciding to banish her own doubts and curiosity, she responded to her chosen champion as best she could. Simply transform to He-Man, and you shall see.
Obeying, Adam lifted his sword to the sky and called upon the powers of Greyskull, transforming into the legendary warrior He-Man. He could feel new, even greater power than usual flooding through his veins, and new armor snaked over his arm and chest. Transforming his friend, the cowardly tiger Cringer into Battle Cat, the fastest steed in all of Eternia, He-Man raced off to meet his destiny, unaware of the pulse of energy sent hurtling through time and space by his transformation.
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Japan, Feudal Era
A young girl, her dress unusual and rather indecent for the time, sat slumped against a tree, her knees pulled up to her face as she sobbed uncontrollably, knowing that the man she loved so dearly would never feel the same way about her. Standing by to comfort her was another young woman dressed in sleek armor and wearing a massive boomerang on her back, a tiny kitten with two tails perched upon her shoulder, and a young child with a brown, bushy tail. Without warning, they were surrounded by a globe of light, which quickly shrank down to nothingness, leaving the forest empty as a man dressed in a red kimono and white dog ears showing through his long silver hair burst through the undergrowth, panicked at the sudden loss of his friends' scents.
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Kyoto, Japan, end of the Meiji Revolution
A short, redheaded soldier stood on the outskirts of the city, fingering the crossed scars on his cheek as he gazed at the dying fires. After so many years and so much killing, the revolution was finally over. It seemed so strange, some days it had felt like it would never end. Could he really give up the sword, like he had promised himself over the grave of his wife? As if in answer to his silent question, the warrior felt a presence and spun around to meet it, his blade gleaming as it left it's sheath with lightning fast grace and power. Leaning against a tree about twenty feet away from him stood a tall, lanky figure, his angular features reminiscent of a relentless predator. Narrowing his violet eyes, the warrior sized up his opponent, searching for what move his old adversary would make. "What are you doing here, Wolf? The war is over, and your side lost. What do you want?"
The figure calmly stubbed out his cigarette, a new novelty item the Westerners had brought to this land that he immediately took a liking to. "I could ask you the same thing, Battousai. What will you do, now that the war is over? The new government won't have any need for assassins, at least not any need that they'll admit to. So, what will you do?"
The Battousai turned away from the ruthless Wolf of Mibu, looking once again at the embers of the fires symbolizing the conflict which had engulfed the country for so many years. "I slew someone that I shouldn't have. I promised them that as soon as the war was over, I would retire my sword and never kill again."
Mibu's Wolf glared at his rival, his narrow golden eyes gleaming in the moonlight, and voiced his opinion about what the redheaded warrior had just said. "Bullshit, Himura. I fought against you for years, and I know that you'll always be the Battousai deep down, no matter how hard you try to deny it. The war will never truly be over, or have you forgotten the code that the two of us share? Aku. Soku. Zan. Slay evil immediately. There will always be evil in the world. Go ahead and try to fool yourself if you like, but the war is not and never will be over as long as evil lies in the hearts of men. Your choice never to kill again is an idealist's fantasy!"
In anger, the redhead's violet eyes flared a brilliant gold, and just before the two adversaries could clash, a blinding light enveloped them, fading only seconds later and leaving no sign that the two had ever been there to begin with.
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Germany, 1945
Inhuman soldiers clad in the familiar gray uniform and swastika ran through the night and the bombed streets of Berlin, desperate to escape their pursuers. Without warning, several dozen of the lifeless, gray skinned abominations lay decapitated, the moonlight gleaming over the razor sharp wires that had done the deed. In the rooftops above, a man dressed like a classic English butler smirked, the Angel of Death admiring his handy work. It would almost be a shame when the war ended and he was put into retirement, but for now the undead had to be banished into eternal damnation, and Walter and his partner were just the two to do it. As if in answer to his thoughts, the shadows around the remaining ghouls shifted, revealing a pair of glowing red eyes and a razor sharp set of teeth stretched into a maniacal grin. The shadows surrounding the disembodied features curled around themselves and formed into spikes, impaling the last of their prey with solidified shadows, turning their helpless enemies into piles of dust. As the dust settled, the shadows rippled and out emerged a tall, lanky man dressed in an old red overcoat, an enormous red hat hiding his features. Looking up to Walter, the figure's orange glasses caught the moonlight, hiding his eyes from the other man. In a telepathic burst, the figure expressed it's pleasure at the night's hunt. Ah, that was pleasing, impaling that trash like the rubbish it was. Reminds me of the old days.
Before Walter could make a snide remark to his companion, he felt a strange tug at his very being, then he saw a bright light and then there was only darkness.
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Canada, 1987
Standing out amongst the white forest around him, the burly figure stopped and sniffed the crisp, winter air around him. Something was wrong, but what? As if in answer to the man's question, a circle of light appeared around him, and if anyone had been watching the sudden mass of light surrounding the figure before it disappeared with it's unwilling cargo, they would have heard a growl of animal rage and seen the faint gleam of metallic claws.
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Balakayna Mountain range, China, 1998
His pigtail flapping in the wind, a young man stared down at his hands, still trying to come to grips with what he'd done. He'd killed. For the very first time, he'd killed a man, but not just any man, he'd killed a god. What did that make him? He certainly wasn't a martial artist anymore, that's for sure. Martial artists didn't use weapons according to his father, and he'd used a powerful magic sword during the battle, not that it had done him any good. And martial artists protected the weak by rendering their enemies defenseless, but he'd only barely been able to protect those around him and had to resort to killing the Phoenix God, Saffron. As if his life wasn't miserable enough already with his curse, his lazy father, multiple fiancées, and countless enemies, now he was uncertain of himself for the first time he could remember. He was so deep in thought that he never noticed the glowing light surrounding his body until it was too late.
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Tokyo-3, 2015
The Angel was breaking through her defenses. Soon she'd die, and another clone would take her place. Most people would be fearful of their oncoming death, but she wasn't. She simply did not understand what fear or any other emotion was. Just as the Angel broke through, a brilliant light filled the entry plug, and the blue haired girl was whisked away to another time and place.
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Earth orbit, AC 197
Above the seemingly peaceful planet, the fate of mankind was being decided. Straining his machine to it's limits, the young pilot desperately tried to stop the falling wreckage which would impact with the Earth and annihilate all of the people living on the planet. With one last ditch effort, he fired his weapons directly into the exposed reactors, causing a brilliant explosion that effortlessly masked the flash of light which surrounded him.
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Planet Gunsmoke, 130 years after the Great Fall
The blond man closed his aquamarine eyes, thinking about all of the horrible things which had happened in the last few months. Despite his age, the evils that mankind could produce still horrified him, even while he admired their better nature. If only he could talk his brother into giving the humans a chance! Oh well, at least his arm had been fixed and he was as healthy as ever again. He only wished that he hadn't been driven to kill, and that his brother, evil and insane though he might be, would wake up from his coma caused by the wounds he'd inflicted during their fight. If the person had opened their eyes, he would have been startled at the light surrounding him, shining more brightly than the twin suns in the sky.
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Teela gulped as she stood with the other Masters in front of Castle Greyskull, desperate not to show fear in front of the others. They'd tried to stop the Snakemen but failed miserably. Skeletor was as foolish as he was evil, refusing to listen to their warnings and preventing them from stopping Cobra Kahn and General Rattler from releasing their fellow Snakemen. Now, Skeletor was defeated by King Hiss' hand, and an entire army of Snakemen was approaching Castle Greyskull, hoping to claim the powers of the Elders for their leader, King Hiss. The only thing standing between them and ultimate victory was her father, Zodac, Mechaneck, Stratos, He-Man, and herself. Out of all the battles that they'd faced, none seemed more hopeless than this. Skeletor's forces had easily sent them running with only a three to one advantage. Now, they'd be outnumbered by at least ten to one, facing against the same forces that had effortlessly defeated Skeletor. Was there any hope at all?
Before she could muse any further on the subject, the snake-like hordes burst out from the woods, and the battle for Eternia was on. Everybody was so focused on their enemies, that they did not notice the brilliant flashes of light out in the forest.
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Ranma was dazed. What exactly just happened? One minute he was walking through China, traveling to the nearest seaport so that they could return home, and now he was in the middle of a forest that looked like it would be more at home in the jungle than the Chinese countryside. Suddenly, he heard the distinct shouts of people locked in battle and the clash of weapons.
Running through the forest, he was stunned just for a minute when he saw the horrifyingly snake-like things surrounding a small group of normal looking humans. None of them were martial artists, but he could tell that they were warriors. And right now, they were being mercilessly assaulted by overwhelming odds. If there was one thing that Ranma could not stand for, it was somebody attacking a weaker opponent. Decision made in the blink of an eye, the pigtailed martial artist let out a war cry and leaped headlong into the fray.
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Sango and Kagome stiffened as they heard somebody cry out in fury, a sound that they were far too familiar with. Shippo clung tightly to Kagome's chest, seeking refuge from the horror his young nose was telling him. Trembling, he buried himself as deep as he could go into his adopted mother's chest. "Mama, it smells like snakes. I'm scared mama."
Kagome carefully comforted her kit, part of her melting as he called her mother even as the rest of her body and soul steeled itself for battle. "Sango, I feel a strong evil presence, not exactly like demons, but close to it. It's over that way, where we heard that shout come from."
The demon exterminator nodded in acknowledgment, unlimbering her weapon as the three of them plus Kirara made their way through the thick and unusual forest, preparing themselves for yet another battle.
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Heero was as confused as he ever got. He'd just been in space, destroying the Libra so that it didn't impact with Earth, and now he was at what appeared to be the bottom of a deep ravine. At least Wing ZERO did not appear to be damaged. Suddenly, his sensors started going crazy, as around a corner in the ravine appeared a massive blue mobile suit that was over five times the size of his own Gundam. On instinct, he brought the Buster Rifle to bear, only to pause, narrowing his eyes at the mecha.
It was heavily damaged, and seemed to be moving sluggishly, as though it was low on power. Confirming his suspicions, he saw a severed umbilical cord hanging from the rear of the other mobile suit, sparks and electrical discharges spouting from it. It made sense, something that large would be difficult to be powered by a self-contained generator. It seemed like the other unit hadn't noticed him.
Suddenly, the radio crackled to life, and Heero was barely able to contain the surprise he felt when he heard a calm, emotionless voice that sounded like it belonged to a girl his age, possibly even younger. "This is EVA Unit 0, NERV operations center, please come in. I am in unfamiliar territory, the EVA is heavily damaged by the Angel attack. The power umbilical has been severed, only three minutes of internal power remaining. The LCL fluid seems to be agitated somehow, I estimate that it will be incapable of life support functions within seven minutes, thirty-two seconds. Permission requested to eject the entry plug. Repeat, NERV base, do you copy? Pilot Ikari, Pilot Soryu, do you read me?"
In the deeply buried, rarely used portion of his mind that had escaped his brutal lifelong training, Heero admired the girl's composure and also felt sorry for her. She sounded so much like him, did she undergo the same horrors as he did? Now wasn't the time to think about this. The immediate question was, should he attempt contact, and if so then what should he do. Shrugging, he flipped his radio to transmit. Doctor J was probably dead, his final orders had been carried out as far as he knew, so he might as well try to understand the situation, and perhaps this girl could render assistance. Hiding behind a large boulder in case the other pilot proved hostile, the serious young pilot sent his transmission. "Unidentified mobile suit, this is Gundam Unit 01, do you require assistance?"
Inside the Evangelion, Rei focused on the sudden radio transmission. The pilot had identified himself as Unit 01, but it was definitely not Shinji's voice, and he had referred to his designation as Gundam Unit 01, whatever that meant, not EVA Unit 01. Looking around, Rei couldn't spot anybody nearby, and there certainly wasn't anyplace in the vicinity large enough for an EVA to hide itself. Deciding that this was her best chance to figure out what was happening and how she'd survived that attack, the First Child continued contact while keeping a careful eye on her dwindling power and oxygen supply. "Unknown pilot, this is Rei Ayanami, designated First Child, piloting EVA Unit 0 under command of NERV Japan branch. Are you in contact with EVA Unit 01, EVA Unit 02, or NERV headquarters? Do you know what happened to the attacking Angel, and is Tokyo-3 and the Geo-front intact?"
"Ayanami, my designation is Heero Yuy, piloting Gundam Unit 01, Wing ZERO. I do not understand your previous transmission, please repeat."
"Acknowledged Pilot Yuy. I am the First Child, piloting the Evangelion Unit, EVA 0. I was engaging an Angel, when my defenses were penetrated, and I suddenly found myself here. Are you a member of the UN forces, Pilot Yuy?"
Heero stiffened, certain that he must have heard wrong. "Pilot Ayanami, please repeat, did you say the UN?"
"Affirmative."
"That's not possible, the UN was disbanded in BC 029, nearly thirty years before the first space colony was constructed."
"Pilot Yuy, you're not making any sense. There are no space stations. Humanity was spread far too thin by First and Second Impact to send citizens into space, and all available resources went into the EVA project in order to combat the Angels."
The young man known to some as the Perfect Soldier was slowly succumbing to frustration. It didn't make any sense! Angels? First and Second Impact? They were only fairy tales used to frighten small children! Even if such events had occurred, it had been over a thousand years ago! A creeping suspicion began entering Heero's mind, providing a theory that was far fetched but the only idea that made any sense so far. "Pilot Ayanami, you said that you were under attack, did you see a brilliant flash of light just before you found yourself here?"
"Affirmative, what relevance does this inquiry have to our current situation Pilot Yuy? And as an update, my EVA has approximately thirty seconds of power remaining, I need to eject my entry plug immediately."
Finally coming to his decision, Heero piloted Wing ZERO out to where Rei could easily see him. "I'm right here Ayanami, and you have permission to eject your entry plug, whatever that is. The relevance is that the same thing happened to me, only where I come from there are no such things as Angels. My theory is that the light we both saw was some sort of space time distortion, transporting the both of us here, wherever here is. I would advise that until we ascertain the full depth of the situation, that we stick together."
There was a long pause, before Rei answered the other robot pilot. "Your logic is sound Pilot Yuy. I must say, that is a rather unusual EVA you have, giving credence to your theory since the technology between our two vehicles is so drastically different. In answer to your query, the entry plug is what you might refer to as the cockpit. I am ejecting the plug now while I still have power."
Several seconds went by where nothing occurred, before the radio cackled to life again. "Pilot Yuy, there appears to be an error in the ejection system. My entry plug refuses to exit the brain casing. The LCL is definitely corrupted, and is becoming contaminated at a greater rate than anticipated. I estimate two minutes before all life support functions cease and my oxygen supply reaches zero. There is a short in the system, I am now totally without power or motor controls. I've pumped all emergency power into the plug ejection system, but the hatches remain closed."
The young soldier blinked, a faint smile stretching across his lips. Damn, this girl was certainly well trained. She was slowly suffocating inside an inoperative mobile suit, and still she remained cool and collected. It really would be a shame if a fellow pilot so much like himself was allowed to perish. "Ayanami, where is the entry plug located?"
"The entry plug hatch is located at the base of the EVA's skull, under about one meter of shielding."
"Alright, sit tight, I'm going to remove the entry plug manually."
Flying up to the massive robot's head, Heero drew one of his beam sabers, carefully cutting away at the behemoth's metal skin with all the precision of a brain surgeon. With a final flick of the energy sword, the entry plug lay revealed, allowing Wing ZERO's pilot to delicately rip away the plug's entry hatch. Yellow fluid gushed out of the opened cockpit, revealing an attractive blue haired girl in a skintight jumpsuit, much like the spacesuit that Heero had worn when he first came to Earth in the Wing Gundam. Glancing over his cockpit's sensors, Heero carefully lifted the female pilot into the Gundam's hand, flicking on the external speakers. "Good to see that you're undamaged Ayanami. We'll talk more later, but for now my scanners are picking up life signs near the top of this canyon. I suggest we fly out of here and attempt to gain aid from any nearby locals."
Rei nodded once, and without another word the Gundam took to the skies, carefully keeping Heero's newest ally safe from harm as they sought out answers.
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Even further within the depths of the jungle surrounding Castle Greyskull, two figures each had their swords to one another's throats. "What did you do Saito?"
"I'd ask you the same thing, Battousai. If this is a new technique, I swear I'll..."
Suddenly another voice emerged from the shadows as a tall, blond haired man dressed in red emerged from the forest, hands held out to show that he came peacefully. "If what happened to you was the same thing that happened to me, then the answer is that it's a spacial and temporal distortion, like what was suggested by the Einstein-Rosen bridge theory, that all time and space is relative and connected. Now, since we've established that it's nobody's fault except for the hidden quirks of dimensional theory, why don't you two put those things away? It really doesn't make any sense slitting each others throats while we still don't know where we are."
Another, much gruffer voice grunted in agreement with the man, bringing their attention and weapons to bear on a short, burly man sitting in the tree branches above. Taking another drag of his cigar, the leather clad individual, looking very much like a biker, blew the fragrant smoke out slowly before speaking. "You're right bub, we've got no friggin' clue to what's goin' on, so we'd better keep our heads screwed on nice n' tight, don't ya think? Now, how bout introductions, huh? Name's Logan, but ya' can call me Wolverine. How about you, blondie?"
"Just Vash, that's all."
"My name is Kenshin Himura, nothing else."
"Why so humble, Battousai? My name is Saito, leader of the Shinsengumi third squad, and what Himura here fails to mention is that his mere name freezes the blood of men everywhere it's heard."
"Be silent Wolf, or I'll..."
"Hey, bubs! Shut up! Besides, I smell something about half a mile that way. Smells to me like a fight is going down without us. Don't know about you, but I can't pass up a good scrap. You bums coming?"
"Sure, just be sure not to kill anyone! Nobody has the right to take a life."
"You must be joking. Aku, Soku, Zan. The only way to be rid of evil is to kill it."
"Shut up Saito. Lead the way, Logan-san."
"Alright, you bubs just try and keep up."
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"Alucard, what did you do?!"
"Relax, Shinigami, whatever it was it wasn't me. I sense we're on an entirely different plane of existence, possibly even another place in time or even another world. As for where we are, well, look around and use your ears."
Taking the advice of his partner, Walter slowly scanned the room they were in. Cold, dark stone lined the corridor, probably covering even the vaulted ceiling which was too high up to see in the dim light afforded by the flickering torches. Ancient weapons and dusty statues abounded throughout the maze-like interior, giving it a sense of antiquity and history. As for using his ears... Straining his fine tuned senses, Walter could clearly hear the ringing of metal meeting metal and the screams of people fighting for their lives. His eyes snapped wide open, and the vampire beside him only smirked even more widely. "Yes, we're in a castle, a castle under siege."
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Teela didn't know what happened. One second, she was on the ground, about to be impaled on a Snakeman's polearm. Then, there was a fiercesome cry and her attacker was sent hurtling into the woods, snapping several trees in his path in two. At first she thought it was He-Man, come to rescue her once again. Who else could possess such strength, to send an opponent flying like that? But then she turned around to meet her savior, and she was profoundly shocked. It wasn't He-Man.
The boy behind her, his fist still extended, didn't look like a warrior. He wore no armor, carried no weapon, and the silk clothes he wore looked more suited to a wealthy merchant. Why, not even the royal family wore silken clothes of such a fine manufacture! Yet despite that, the set of his face, the firm muscles, the way he carried himself, and the hard gleam in his eye revealed to her trained eyes that this boy who was just her age was a seasoned veteran of hundreds of fights. Then he moved, and she could tell something else about him. How he moved, the way he fought; it was obvious that this wasn't just a veteran, but a master of the art of battle, a solitary dynamo that always conquered despite fighting all of his battles alone. Her eyes were captured by the sight of this mysterious fighter who appeared out of nowhere, memorizing every move and twist he made, her mind in awe at his prowess.
Suddenly she was yanked out of her astonishment by the sound of hissing behind her. Spinning around, she was just in time to see Cobra Kahn launch a wad of poison straight for her face. It was just too fast, she didn't have any time to dodge and her staff couldn't deflect all of the venom away! Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, she waited for the impact and the pain of the corrosive substance eating away at her skin. Only, it never came. Instead was the feel of strong arms encircling her waist and the wind whipping across her face, the sensation of flying through the air.
Looking up, she came face to face with the mysterious boy, and felt her face redden and her heart beat faster. Icy blue eyes, burning with an inner fire that had the fury of a raging volcano behind them glanced down at her with concern. Corded, steely muscles without an ounce of fat on them held her tightly to his firm chest. Lustrous raven hair tied back into a small and functional pigtail, fluttering wildly in the wind. A handsome, chiseled face that showed equal amounts of seriousness, determination, and cheerfulness. Even now as the spears and arrows of Snakemen whizzed past them, she could feel a fierce joy and elation radiating off of him, the thrill of battle shining in his eyes. With just that one look, Teela was completely smitten.
Ranma looked down to make sure the woman he rescued was alright, only to notice her prominent blush and the dreamy expression on her face as she gazed up at him. Inside his mind, Ranma started to recite every swear word that he'd ever learned in his entire life, in Japanese, English, German, Chinese, Korean, Russian, and even a few words in Arabic and Swahili. Just his luck, he'd hooked another one!
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Duncan, also known as Man at Arms, the captain of the royal guards, knew that this was it. He'd lost his mace early on in the battle, his armor had sustained heavy damage, he only had enough power for five more blaster shots, and about fifty Snakemen were converging on him from all sides with General Rattler leading the charge. Zodac was too involved with trying to reach King Hiss to even notice him, Mechaneck was being pinned to the ground by about a dozen of the Snakemen, Stratos was dodging about recklessly just to avoid being shot down, he couldn't see his daughter Teela anywhere, and Adam was doing everything in his power to hold the drawbridge of Castle Greyskull. Duncan looked on sadly as he watched his prince and student fight heroically in the guise of He-Man. He'd always known that he would have to take Adam's secret with him to the grave one day, he just hadn't expected it to be so soon. Turning back to the oncoming horde, he calmed his nerves and aimed squarely for Rattler's chest. If this was to be his final battle, then he'd ensure that at least one of the servants of King Hiss joined him in oblivion today.
Suddenly several blurs plowed into the charging enemies, and the attack was quite literally shredded apart along with nearly fifteen of the snake-like creatures. He blinked to make sure that he wasn't hallucinating in the heat of battle, and hope surged through him when he found that he wasn't. Standing there was a short, feminine looking man with red hair, a tall, skinny man with black hair slicked back except for two long bangs sprouting out from just over his forehead, and a short, stocky man who hadn't shaved in weeks. Even without the bloodstained swords held by the first two men and the metallic claws protruding from the last man's knuckles, he could tell that this trio was extremely dangerous. They stood still for just a second as the Snakemen were still reeling in shock, and then their attack began anew. The reptilian humanoids never stood a chance. In less than five minutes, what had been fifty trained soldiers were nothing more than piles of blood, shredded meat, and splintered bones.
General Rattler was a strategist as well as an excellent fighter, he knew that it was time for a strategic withdrawal, more commonly known as running for the hills. Turning to run, he saw another man that he knew nothing about, this one with spiky blond hair and a red trench coat. In a flash of movement that even the lightning fast Snakeman couldn't see, the man had a large, silver handgun whipped out of it's holster and pointing at him. The gun was emptied so fast that the six bullets seemed to come from just one single shot, and as the Snakeman leader felt his shoulders and knees shatter, he gladly surrendered to unconsciousness.
Logan looked at the blond gunman's handiwork with respect and genuine interest. "Hey blondie, I thought ya' didn't believe in killin'."
Vash just gave him a look that was part guilty grimace and part amused smirk. "He'll live."
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Adam felt sweat pour down his body as he sent dozens of Snakemen flying with every swing of his blade, only to have hundreds more try to swarm over him. Even his nearly limitless strength was threatening to fail, and the forces of King Hiss seemed to just be getting started. Cold dread shot down his spine as he began to realize that they were going to lose. They were going to lose this battle, and with it all of Eternia. He looked on helplessly as King Hiss and a small number of his troops crossed the drawbridge into the castle itself, trying to get past the endless ranks of enemy soldiers purposely standing between him and their monarch. It was all over.
As yet another wave of Snakemen began to pour over him, he caught a faint whistling sound, like that of a large stick hurling forward at high speeds. The next thing he heard was the fearful and pained screams of dozens of Snakemen, and suddenly he found himself free of attackers. Looking around, he couldn't help but stare at the sight of nearly forty Snakemen crumpled into small heaps on the ground, some of them cradling broken arms and legs or shattered rib cages while others lay twisted and still. There were even a few that had been decapitated or cut in two. Another wave of Snakemen, still shaken by the sudden decimation of their ranks, managed to gather enough courage to charge at He-Man again. Again he heard the whistling sound, a sharp rushing of wind, and then he saw a gigantic boomerang, larger than he was tall, smash into the serpents. The enormous weapon cleaved through flesh and broke through bone like it they were cardboard and toothpicks. As it's pass completed, yet another forty or so of the reptilian attackers lay dying or dead.
He-Man watched in fascination as the boomerang arced back around and spun back towards where it had come from... to be caught expertly by a girl in a black and reddish-pink bodysuit. Adam's jaw dropped just a little at the sight of her, and he watched with rapt attention as she swung the boomerang out to smash into yet another of the Snakemen. He had heard tales even more ancient than Eternia itself of the angelic warrior women, the valkyries, shield maidens of the old Norse gods and those who carried brave warriors that died in battle off to their final reward. Of course he'd never put any faith in the old legends, but now he wasn't sure if he might have been a little too hasty in dismissing them. He was snapped out of his trance when he saw a Snakeman creeping up behind her as she batted away the hordes of enemy soldiers coming at her from the front. Without another thought his sword was in his hand, held like a javelin, and sent hurtling through the air straight through the heart of the girl's would be attacker. Bashing aside the few serpentine warriors that stood in his way, he ran to retrieve his sword and stand by the mysterious woman.
Sango had sensed one of the strange snake-like youkai creeping up behind her too late to do anything about it, and she'd consigned herself to meeting her parents and fellow villagers in the next world. Then she heard the solid thunk of tempered steel meeting flesh, and she turned to see a broadsword nearly as long as she was tall and almost as wide buried up to the hilt in the creature's chest. Suddenly a hulking, blond-haired man was beside her and he wrenched the embedded sword free as easily as if he was merely taking it out of a well oiled sheath. Sango felt her heart skip a few beats as she looked at his crystal blue eyes and sandy blond hair. Kagome had once shown her a book called Conan the Barbarian and she'd had somewhat naughty daydreams for an entire week after seeing the musclebound warrior pictured on the front cover. Now she was in front of a real flesh and blood person who put the fantasy warrior to shame. He grinned at her, revealing brilliant pearly white teeth and sending her heart beating even faster than it had when she thought she was about to die. With a flick of his wrist, he sent another of the snakes flying before turning back to her again with that endearing grin. "Well met, warrior maiden, and my thanks for joining our struggle against the Snakemen. I have not seen you in this region of Eternia before. I am called He-Man, protector of Castle Greyskull and the royal family of Eternia. And might I inquire as to what you are named?"
Even as he spoke conversationally with her, he was sending scores of the creatures he had identified as Snakemen flying through the air with broad sweeps of his sword. Reminded that there was a battle on, Sango hurled her boomerang towards the thickest concentration of Snakemen before unsheathing her katana and joining He-Man in his bloody but glorious work. Sparing him a glance and an enchanting smile of her own, she introduced herself to the warrior known as He-Man. "My own thanks for your timely assistance back there. My name is Sango."
He-Man nodded in acknowledgment, and working as one the two of them lost themselves in their beautiful dance of death.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Stratos and Mechaneck had managed to join up together, but despite that they were still in trouble. Snakemen were swarming all around them. Suddenly a small child was standing next to them, and a wall of blue flames leapt up between them and the Snakemen. Acting on instinct, the humanoid reptiles recoiled in fear of the flames and leapt back. That was when there was the sharp twang of a bowstring being released, and an arrow embedded itself into the ground in the middle of a large group of Snakemen. Suddenly it exploded in a brilliant ball of light, and there was nothing left of the snakes save for a few small piles of ash. Several more twangs followed, and in seconds all of the Snakemen that had surrounded the two were no more. As the two Masters of the Universe stared in shock, a young girl in a blouse and skirt stepped out of the woods, holding a bow and with a quiver of arrows strapped to her back. Smiling, she gestured to the child that had appeared next to Stratos and Mechaneck, who had finally noticed that the child had strangely pointed ears and a fluffy tail. Laughing happily, the boy launched himself into the girl's arms and hugged her tightly. "Did you see Kagome? I drove them back! I was good and brave, and I used my fox fire better than I ever have before, and I scared them back!"
The girl affectionately rustled the boy's hair before perching him on her shoulder and walking back towards where the fighting was. "Yes Shippo, I saw, you were a brave little trooper. As soon as this is over, there's some chocolate pocky in my backpack that's just for you for being such a good boy."
"Yay! Pocky!"
As the two walked off, Mechaneck and Stratos turned to stare at each other. There was a long moment of silence before Mechaneck finally spoke. "Say, uhmm, Stratos, did you just see..."
"A small boy and a young woman destroy about twenty-three Snakemen like it was as easy as stepping on ants? Yes."
"Oh good, then my visual sensors aren't malfunctioning after all."
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
The remaining Snakemen, demoralized and suffering heavy casualties under the assault of the warriors from different times, somehow managed to regroup at the edge of the canyon for one final offensive against the defenders of Castle Greyskull. A faint roaring sound began to emanate from the depths of the canyon, and the Snakemen glanced at each other nervously as the sound steadily increased in volume. Suddenly a giant robot holding a blue-haired girl with red eyes in it's left hand ascended to just above the gathered horde of Snakemen, rocket thrusters burning brightly. Panicked, one particularly foolish Snakeman launched a spear at the girl held in the robot's grasp. The other Snakemen and King Hiss' remaining lieutenants looked on in dismay as the girl erected a red shield of light between her and the incoming projectile, letting the spear shatter against the solid energy barrier. Inside the cockpit, Heero frowned as he assessed the situation. "Multiple non-human contacts armed with primitive weaponry, presumed to be hostile. Threat to Gundam Wing ZERO, non-existent. Threat to Pilot Ayanami, moderate. Taking appropriate measures against the targets."
As the Vulcan machine-cannons rattled to life, the last collective thought in the minds of all the Snakemen could be summed up in two words. Oh, shit.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Evil Lynn stalked the corridors of Castle Greyskull, accompanied by one of the more powerful Snakemen as they scoured the castle for any other possible enemies. She hadn't caught his name, but he possessed a terrifying power, the ability to turn anyone he chose to stone with just a glance. Suddenly she felt a dark presence and dodged into a dark, shadowy depression in the side of the castle's wall. She watched from the shadows as a tall, spindly man cloaked in red with a large red hat appeared out of a strange mist. The Snakeman stepped back in surprise, then smirked as it strode forward, his features twisting into a gruesome mask which froze the blood of men with terror. "Look at me!"
To the shock of both him and Lynn, the stranger seemed unaffected. In fact, he was chuckling in amusement. "Oh please, you expect such a paltry display of cheap theatrics to effect one such as me? Let me show you the true face of terror!"
With that his form twisted into a patch of inky black shadows covered in hundreds of blinking red eyes, and it suddenly surrounded the Snakeman. Lynn cringed as the reptile's horrified screech rang in her ears. Then the shadows receded and turned back into the red cloaked man, and with morbid fascination she stared at the limp form of the Snakeman, clutching at his chest and with an expression of pure fear frozen onto his face. Shivering, Lynn huddled deeper into the shadows, praying to whatever gods that would listen to her that whatever that thing was, that it didn't find her. As if hearing her thoughts, the monster's head turned towards her, and she could see the red eyes glowing fiercely underneath the yellow tinted glasses and a pair of vicious fangs as he smirked cruelly. His gaze settled on right where she was hiding and the smirk grew even bigger, sending icy chills down Evil Lynn's spine. Taking a seemingly lazy step forward, the creature's grin widened as her terror mounted. Suddenly he stopped and a long tongue came up to caress the gleaming fangs. "I see you, little witch. My, don't you smell delicious."
For several seconds the entire castle shook with her screams before they were abruptly cut off, and only the sound of someone drinking could still be heard.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
The Sorceress was caught in the deadly grip of King Hiss, helpless to prevent him from pumping her full of his venom. As the glistening fangs descended towards her, she thought how apparently the powers granted to He-Man hadn't been enough. Had she misinterpreted the Elders plan to save Eternia, or was the evil of King Hiss too great for even their power? There was a silvery gleam and the snake head that was descending to bite her was suddenly lopped off. As King Hiss screamed in agony, a young man in his early twenties and dressed like a butler emerged from the shadows, the shining ends of several different wires held in his grasp. A feral smirk covered his lips as he looked up and down the body of the Snakemen's ruler. Following his gaze, both the Sorceress and King Hiss himself saw that the Snakeman had been covered in the razor sharp wires. Walter's smirk just grew as he saw the panic in the beast's eyes, and he allowed himself to let out a quip before pulling the wires taut and shredding the last of the Snakemen into a pile of ground meat. "Well now I say chap, that really is no way to treat a lady."
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Within their crystal prison, the essence of the Elders watched in satisfaction as the last of the Snakemen were dealt with and new friendships forged as the defenders of Greyskull met and introduced each other. The great powers from throughout the time stream had gathered, and despite the Sorceress' misunderstanding they had been successful. Focusing their energies, they once again pierced the veil of time, only now rather than retrieving champions from the past they peered into the future.
They saw Ranma Saotome, clad in a special suit of Eternian battle armor similar to Teela's, instructing new recruits in the basics of unarmed combat as Teela and the now retired Duncan watched the new captain of the guards with pride. They saw Sango discovering Adam's secret, and two moths later being presented as the future bride of the crown prince. They saw Heero Yuy and Rei Ayanami working with Duncan to create a mecha division of the Eternian armed forces, and how the two grew closer together ever so slowly, attracted by the thought of someone so much like themselves. They saw Kagome settling down with her adopted son, Shippo, and becoming the healer and protector of a small village. They saw Kenshin Himura wandering across Eternia searching for peace and helping those in need, while Saito found himself a position in the royal guards battling against the forces of evil. They saw Vash the Stampede finally retire his gun and live peacefully in a quiet little town. They saw Walter becoming a retainer and trusted adviser to the royal family. They saw Logan living in the untamed wilds of Eternia, no longer man or beast but having found a balance between the two. They saw the vampire Alucard hunting freely in the dark and evil underbelly of the Dark Hemisphere, gleefully stalking threats to the Eternian throne and making sure that they didn't become a problem. And they saw the many battles ahead against Skeletor and power mad warlords just like him, and how the new Masters of the Universe would prevail, vanquishing evil from Eternia's soil and beginning the reign of King Adam as a new golden age. The Elders saw all of these things, and if they still had faces, then they would have smiled.
The End
Author's notes: Ok, first things first, don't ask me what I was on when I wrote this because I don't know, although I have a sneaking suspicion that it was a combination of far too little sleep, stress over various exams, too much caffeine and sugar, cleaning fumes, and far too much He-Man and the Masters of the Universe on Cartoon Network. I started this on a whim months ago, and instead of mercifully letting it die I went ahead and finished it. Please do not stone or lynch me for this horror, since I merely did what my muses told me to. If by some slim chance you liked this, and even if you didn't, please read my other fics, especially since they are all much better than this monstrosity. Trust me. And please, as always, review, review, review. It makes Matty happy and keeps Chainsaw out of his head. Ja ne minna!
-Night Hunter MGS, a.k.a. Hunter-kun