A Final Fantasy VII / Ranma 1/2 crossover  
PM Productions Presents  
A Phillip Masters Fanfic  
Eugenics  
Prologue  

Japan, Nerima, September 20, 1996

      The birds awoke with the rising of the sun, whistling to greet the new day. People were roused by their various alarm devices, grumbling about work, school, and what to make for breakfast.

      In the Tendou Dojo, Kasumi was simply making the meal, not really bothered at all by doing so. In fact, she enjoyed it. Everything about it, from the self-gratification of creation, to the joy of watching others gain pleasure from it. The fact that it kept Akane from doing it never hurt either.

      A cry came from the second floor, ending in a muffled splash outside. Kasumi smiled as the scream, "What'dja do that for?!" came from the newly formed female. As the sounds of battle began she finished preparing and picked up the tray. Carrying it out into the living room she noticed Akane kneeling at the table. "Oh!" Kasumi exclaimed. "Aren't you going out for your jog this morning, Akane?"

      Akane looked up at her older sister, her face looking slightly pale. "I'm not feeling so good this morning," she croaked softly.

      "Oh, my!" came the familiar response. Kasumi put down the tray and ran around the table. She put her hand on Akane's forehead and her brow furrowed in worry and concern. "It feels like you have a very high fever, Akane! I'm surprised you could make it downstairs!"

      Nabiki smirked from across the table. "Yeah, right. With her constitution she could scale Mt. Fuji on fire."

      Normally, Akane would have voiced a protestation at this, but mearly grunted.

      "You should go back to bed, Akane." Kasumi said, "I'll call the school and tell them you're too sick to go today." She looked pointedly at the tray of food. "Do you think you can eat something? Maybe some soup?"

      Akane seemed to deliberate this internally for a moment, then nodded. Kasumi stood up and filled a bowl with Miso and put it in front of Akane with a spoon. Then, she went to the back door and opened it. "Mr. Saotome! Ranma! Breakfast!" she cried into the yard.

      Almost instantly the two combatants were at the door. "Thanks, Kasumi!" a sign held by Genma, currently a Panda, stated.

      Ranma kneeled in his normal place next to Akane and began serving himself. He glanced over at his fiancee, then did a double take. "Are you alright, Akane?" he asked.

       Akane turned bloodshot eyes on Ranma and tried her damnest to retort. Unfortunately, all she could muster was a whispered, "Baka."

      "Wow, you really don't look so hot." Ranma commented, "Maybe you should stay home today."

      Akane nodded weakly and turned back to her soup. She stuck her nose over it and enjoyed the warm mist that rose from the surface. She coughed suddenly and the soup splashed up into her face. Fortunately, given her internal temperature it didn't hurt, but her already bruised pride didn't escape damage. She closed her eyes and tried to breath easy. It was so difficult to even care when all she truly wanted to do was fall into Ranma's arms and have him carry her back to bed.

      Her eyes opened again in surprise when she felt a napkin dab her face lightly. She looked over to see Ranma holding it with a look of... mirth? Pity? Or maybe something else....

      "You're so clumsy, Akane... sometime I wonder what you'd do without me." Ranma said softly while folding the napkin and wiping more soup off her face.

      "I have to agree with him there." Nabiki threw in.

      Soun, of course, was on the verge of tears. "Did you hear that, Saotome? He just proposed to her!" The dam was breached, and the water did come.

      Genma growfed in response, while waving a sign proclaiming, "Way to go, son!"

     Ranma, for the most part, managed to ignore everyone around. While he wanted to protest the overreacting he couldn't stop paying attention to Akane. For some reason he felt the strong need to take care of her.

      Akane just frowned slightly. Her current state wouldn't allow much more movement. When she had dragged herself downstairs she must have been in denial or something, because she hadn't felt this bad previously. Now, all she wanted to do was pass out. "Ranma," she said softly.

      "Yeah?"

       She worked up the strength to say a complete sentence, and let fly, "Could you take me back to bed?"

       Ranma nodded with a light smile. He stood up and reached down, putting his arms under Akane's legs and neck. He hefted her up, being careful not to jar her too much. Everyone aroudn the table watched quietly as he took her out of the room, the only sound being Soun's quiet whimpering and the bird's merry whistling.

       Ranma carried Akane to her room and laid her down on her bed. He covered her with blankets, and wondered if she would need more. "Are you comfortable?" he asked while sitting on the edge of the bed.

      Akane nodded while smiling at him. She put out a hand from under the covers.

       Ranma looked down at the hand and took it. "I'm going to have Kasumi phone Dr. Tofu." He patted her hand and set it down on the bed, then left the room. He went downstairs and into the dining area. "Kasumi," he began.

       He didn't get to finish, as a bright light suddenly flared outside. He squinted and put a hand in front of his eyes. "What the...?"

      After it died down everyone stood up and looked out the back door. Ranma's eyes widened as he saw, from over the horizon, a fountain of fire rising into the sky. The ground started shaking mildly, gaining in intensity as time passed.

       "Did someone bomb us?" Soun asked, wiping his face with the sleeve of his shirt.

       Nabiki shook her head. "It looks too far away to be in Japan."

      Kasumi gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. "But if that's outside Japan... then..."

       "It's bigger than any bomb I've ever heard of," Ranma finished for her.

      "What's that?" Soun asked, squinting.

       Ranma stepped back, his features showing a fear that was normally reserved for cats. "That's a shockwave." He turned and began to run towards Akane's room. He stopped and looked back at everyone, who were now all staring at him. "Get to cover! Quickly! I'll get Akane somewhere safe!" he cried, then lunged up the steps as fast as he could.

       Running into Akane's room he began to pick her up urgently but carefully. She woke up, blinking and wincing. "What's going on?" she asked, her voice horse.

      "There's trouble... I need to get you somewhere safe." he said as he ran out of the room with her. Downstairs he found Soun waiting at the back door.

      "Come on, Ranma!" he called. "Ichikawa next door has a bomb shelter, he says there's more than enough room for the neighborhood."

      "Thank Kami for the War." Ranma whispered as he followed the elder Tendou out the back and into the yard next door. As he made it to the entrance and Soun began to push him lightly he stopped. He handed Akane to Soun and ordered him to go down. He put up a hand at the first protest. "Please, Mr. Tendou... I'll be down soon. I just have to see this."

      Soun stared at Ranma a moment, then nodded and ran down the stairs. Ranma looked to the horizon and marveled at the sight. A wall of wavering air was filling the entirety of his view. Small rocks began to fly past him. One struck him in the hand and he winced. Glancing down he noticed a small hole in the middle of his palm, a small trickle of blood flowing from it. He covered it and started when a loud explosion sounded from his left. He turned and found the Tendou Dojo... gone. A cloud of dust and flames billowed up from where the proud structure once stood.

       He ran down the stairs into the bomb shelter and shut the old wooden door behind him. The ground was shaking violently and he could hear the cries of his frightened neighbors coming from the dark of the shelter. He bumped into a person and found it to be Mr. Toyowa, a business man who lived down the street. He was dressed in a nice suit, apparent ready to head to work. His arms were wrapped protectively around his wife and two children, who were crying.

      He turned away from the family and ran into a woman. She was holding a little girl to her chest.

      "Mommy, what's happening?" the little girl questioned, her eyes filled with terror and a determination not to outwardly show it.

      "I don't know, darling," was the mother's shaky reply.

      Ranma stood up on the tips of his toes and looked over the rather large crowd of people who now filled the shelter. Near the back, lit by a small oil lamp was his family.

      As he tried to make his way through the people the rumbling reached a crescendo and the Earth violently heaved beneath his feet. He saw people, food, and lamps fly to one side of the room. The roof began to buckle and dirt rained down upon the crowd. Cries were suddenly cut off as they struck the wall. One man screamed as a lamp emptied on him and he caught fire. Around him, people who were still conscious tried to put him out by dropping him to the floor and rolling him around.

      Ranma grabbed the mother and daughter he was still next too and threw himself between them and the wall. He grunted as he impacted with it, sending the breath out of his lungs. He coughed as his throat protested the sudden smoke. "Akane!" he yelled, unable to make out anything in the dark and chaos. He let go of the woman and child after making sure they were okay. He ignored her grateful thanks and crying and began to make his way back to where he had seen his family.

      Everyone was more or less against one wall once the shaking stopped. The earth still rocked occasionally, presumably as rocks continued to fall. Everywhere Ranma looked there was death and despair. People tended to bodies who had obviously had the life crushed out of them against the wall. Ranma himself had been lucky, without his strength and endurance he would have surely been killed. The sound of people crying, and the sad wails of children who had just lost their parents filled the suddenly all too small space. He stopped briefly as another strong shake rocked the shalter, and some more dirt came down on his head. After he was sure the ceiling would stay put he continued over to the corner. He already knew he wouldn't like what he would find.

      He could already hear the tell-tale crying of Soun as he made it across the room. The light was dim in the corner and he had to wave the dust out of his way to see his family hudled there. The first thing he saw was Kasumi's tear stained face. She was looking at the floor, occasionally reaching up to wipe her cheeks. Before her on the ground lie Nabiki, her neck twisted at a very unatural angle. He looked to her right to see Akane lying in the lap of his father, who had obviously cusioned her with his enormous, furry body. He went over to her side and immediately felt arms wrap around him.

      "Oh, Ranma! We thought you were dead!" he heard Kasumi cry from his shoulder as she held him tightly.

      He patted her on the back as she sniffled softly. "I'm okay, Kasumi." He felt himself tearing up, unable to control it any longer.

      She pulled away from him and looked down at Nabiki. "She was between me and the wall." she explained, then choked on a sob. "I couldn't stop... it was so sudden...." She broke down again, her hands going to her face.

      Soun put his arms around his eldest daughter and tried to console her. He looked to Ranma like a man about to drown. "Why?" he asked simply.

      Ranma just stared back, unable to give an answer. After a few moments he looked back down at Akane and reached down to feel her forehead. Her fever was, if anything, worse.

      "Ranma?" Akane said softly, trying to move to see better.

      He helped her around and looked into her eyes. She seemed to not entirely focus on him. "Yes, Akane, I'm here."

      She smiled and closed her eyes, coughing lightly. Ranma looked up from her at his father. The large Panda was leaning against the wall, a sort of glazed look in its eyes. "Are you alright, Pop?" he asked.

      The Panda lifted its hand, a sign in it said, "Please make sure your mother is alright." Then, the hand fell again limply, making a thud as it hit the ground.

      "Pop?" Ranma shook his father, but received no response. He looked down at Akane, noting that she was now asleep, then up to Soun. The patriarch just stared back at him. A moment of understand passed between the two, then Soun went back to taking care of Kasumi, who was still crying.

      Ranma took in the scene around him. Next to their corner another family was mourning the loss of their loved ones, and next to them another. It seemed no one was free from the pain and anguish. And no one even knew why they were all suffering. What had caused it? He lied down next to Akane, putting a hand on her shoulder and resting his head on his father. Soon, exhaustion won out and darkness swallowed him up.

Shinra Headquarters, September 20, 4035

      "This is the anniversary, Mr. President! We have to have a parade... we have one every year!"

      Issac shook his head. "We just founded the Shinra corporation. I want to look forward to the future, not wallow in the past!" He took a puff of his cigar and placed it in the ivory ashtray sitting on his desk. "It's been over two thousand years since the Earth was struck with the asteroid. Sure, mankind rose from the ground and rebuilt as best he could. Sure, if it weren't for the strength of our ancestors we wouldn't even be here today, but I say we move on! Let History class take care of the laurels, and let business move forward!"

      His second in command, Edward Wallace nodded his head. "I can see where you're coming from, sir. However, I think it would simply be good for morale, that's all."

      "And I, as well, understand where you are coming from. And I think morale is at an all time high, and it is unnecessary to show them the hardships of the past, as if to make light of their own! Our people work hard and long to make Midgar the greatest city in the world... Project Shelf is nearly completed, people are already moving into the new homes on the second level." The President picked up his cigar again and smiled, "We are going to be the richest people in the world, Wallace, let the past stay buried!"

      "Yes, sir."

Wutai, December 15, 4123

      "Sir, I think we've got something here!" Professor Yamata yelled from the end of the tunnel.

       The excavation had been going so smoothly, and it seemed their efforts were finally going to pay off. Dr. Uri ran down to Yamata and looked over his find. "Did you detect any viable DNA?" he asked excitedly.

      "Yes, sir... he was a male, about 22 years old." Yamata said as he read the small scanning device he held.

      "Perfect!" Uri cried. "Get him out of there and get him ready to travel."

      "Um, sir... what exactly are we doing with him?" Yamata asked.

      Dr. Uri, so thrilled by his discovery, didn't think as he blurted out, "He will be the newest in modern weaponry!"

      Yamata furrowed his brow. Modern weaponry? His face lit up, "You're going to use him in the Jenova Project?!"

      Yamata was reported to have died when a tunnel collapsed.

End of Prologue