Obligatory Disclaimer: I don’t own Ranma or the game this fic is based on

I’m baack! I’ve been wanting to write this ficcie for a long time! This story is based on the highly underrated RPG Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, and will even have one of the characters. Most people don’t even know about this game, so this should all be new to you. Enjoy, bitches!

--

We need not fear those who hide among the abyss. We must instead fear those who choose to leave the abyss, and walk among us humans.

--Dr. Sam Loomis, Halloween

I will judge you,

And your Blood shall flow

Throughout the Land

For I have spoken

--Ezekiel 21:33-37

Light.

Light was the only thing that filled the eyes of the few Nerima inhabitants. They did not register the people beside them. Their eyes soon adjusted to the light somewhat, allowing them to see.

The light was emanating from a wall in front of them, apparently made of windows. A form could barely be seen standing in front of it, their back to the group. The sunlight made complete recognition impossible.

“A world that loses its power will fade into nothingness.” A soft feminine voice spoke. “If such is the fate of this world, then it must be returned to its mother’s womb. That is the only way to salvation, as recorded in the prophecy.”

The woman standing in front of the glass turned around, the light still obscuring her features. “The world shall fall for its sins, and all will die. But I do not wish for you to meet the same fate. Your wills to live shall be sustained. Believe in that, and live. You may not understand now, but you will learn. The time will soon come.”

As she spoke these words, visions flashed before their eyes- great flashes of blue lightning, a great tower, demons from the foulest pits of hell. And voices chanting “The Conception! The Conception!” repeatedly.

“I wish to see each of you in the next world. Go ahead and wake up. It’s time.”

--

Akane Tendo snapped her eyes open. She had had that strange dream again, about a woman warning them of the end of the earth. She’d bean having the same dream nightly for the past week.

Akane sighed and pulled herself out of bed. The dream was long forgotten by the time she was going downstairs.

Soun Tendo sighed as Ranma and Akane had their usual morning argument over breakfast. “Saotome, my friend, I often wonder if our schools will ever be joined.”

Genma-Panda flipped him a sign Don’t worry, Tendo. We must persevere. They won’t fight forever.

Soun nodded silently and turned back toward the news, which was broadcasting a story about how a rich corporation CEO had gone missing.

“…A hotline has been set up, and any information about the disappearance of Johji Hikawa should be reported immediately. In the weather today…”

Soun shook his head at the news story. “Genma, the world just seems horrible these days. Stock Market’s failing; there was that riot in Nerima Park last week, and now this.”

Genma wasn’t listening, and just went back to chewing his bamboo.

--

Ranma balanced on the fence as per usual. He wondered how he let Akane talk him into this. Their teacher, Miss Hinako, was sick in the hospital with pneumonia, and Akane and Ukyo were making him waste his perfectly good Saturday to go visit her in hopes that it may give them extra credit or something, Ranma hadn’t really been paying attention. It’s not like he was gonna pass school anyway.

Ranma wasn’t listening to what Akane was talking about. His mind kept drifting back to the dream he’d been having, about bright light, and some woman.

“Ranchan! Akane!”

He shook it off as he saw Ucchan waiting for them, dressed in her usual boys uniform, waving to Akane and him.

The trio were rather wound up upon reaching the hospital. Kuno and Shampoo had done their usual attacks on the way there, Mousse had joined the brawl, glomping, malleting, etc, etc. This was all wiped from their minds as they entered the hospital.

The building was deserted. No one waited in the chairs in the lobby. No doctors went by. There wasn’t even anyone behind the reception desk.

“Hello? Miss Hinako? Anyone?”

Ranma was relieved for an excuse to leave. “Oh well, she’s not here, let’s go home.”

“Ranma! This is serious! For all we know, something bad may have happened!”

Ukyo spoke up. “Maybe this place has been infected with that flesh-eating virus they talked about on TV.”

“Yes, thank you, Ukyo, for that delightful image.” Akane said dryly.

--

Hinako stared out her window. One who knew her would expect the child to be running around like any other, but she was strangely serious at the moment.

She knew that Saotome, Tendo, and Kuonji were already in the lobby, and the Hibiki boy was lost in a closet somewhere in the building. If everything went as planned, the others would arrive soon.

A beeping noise roused her from her thoughts. Her watch was going off. It was time.

--

The elevator doors slid open with a bing! Akane stepped out. She, Ukyo, and Ranma had split up to search the hospital. Ukyo was up on the second floor, and Ranma was in the basement.

She could tell that something was definitely wrong with the hospital. I mean, sure, it may be slow in business every now and then, but deserted? I think not.

She paused as she heard a banging off to her left. It was coming from inside a nearby janitors closet. Cautiously, she approached it, drawing out her mallet from itemspace. Slowly, she placed a hand on the knob.

The door fell open. Ryoga fell out along with several mops.

Ryoga noticed four things: 1) He was out of the dark enclosed space. 2) Akane was on the floor. 3) He was on top of Akane. 4) His face was planted between her boobs.

The mallet wailed that day.

--

Across town, Tetewaki Kuno heard the wail of Akane’s pervert-bashing-mallet.

“Ye Gods! The beauteous Akane Tendo must be in trouble! I must save her!”

And he dashed off toward the source of the wailing.

--

Shampoo was attempting to shake off Mousse (as usual) when she too heard the sound of the pervert mallet.

“Aiyah! Violent kitchen-destroyer is hurting airen again! Must save him!”

And she too ran off, leaving Mousse in the dust.

--

Ranma walked down the dark basement hallway, mumbling to himself about the ‘uncute, bitchy tomboy’. He really didn’t see the point in dedicating ones weekend to their teacher.

A low noise drew him from his ramblings. It was coming from a nearby room. It sounded like… chanting? The door the noise came from behind had a strange symbol scrawled on it. It looked like some kind of column.

He slid the door open silently. The room was dark except for a few computer screens filling the room with an eerie blue light. A column identical to the one drawn on the door sat at the back of the room, several wires hooked to it. In the center of the room was a swivel chair. Its occupant sat with his back to Ranma. The chanting came from a nearby stereo, apparently playing a tape.

Ranma tried to close the door quietly. However, it clicked as it closed. The click sounded like an explosion in the silence.

“Well, who have we here? Who dares to disrupt this stillness?”

The chair turned around. The man sitting in it looked vaguely familiar. He wore a brown suit that, at first seemed to be covered in small polka dots. However, closer inspection revealed them to be small diamonds checkering the hideous suit. The man had his short hair cut in a widow’s peak, and a purple bracelet hung from his wrist.

Ranma realized where he had seen the man: he was the executive that had disappeared that was on the news, Johji Hikawa.

“Hmph. How irritating.”

Hikawa began to tap his fingers. “A well-known poet once said ‘April is the cruelest month’. Why? Because it is then that one must wake up and face the barren, unforgiving world.

“Looking back on our past, it is obvious that the history of mankind is comprised of meaningless events. Never learning from our mistakes, spreading like a weed.”

Hikawa crossed his legs. “Who are you? If memory serves, you are not one of our followers who participated in the ritual in Nerima Park last week.”

Ranma’s eyes widened at this remark. If he understood this man, then Hikawa purposefully caused the riot in Nerima Park.

“Are you an acquaintance of Miss Hinako? Ah yes- this was a hospital. How foolish of me. However, even pebbles create ripples in water. I pity you, but… your life ends now!”

Hikawa whipped his wrist up before his face. Holding the bracelet to his mouth, he began to chant, matching the voice on the stereo perfectly. The column at the back of the room began to turn slowly. Red lightning bolts emanated from it, and a shadowy form appeared behind it.

The thing had a goats head on a humans body. It floated in midair, surrounded by the red lightning. The demon- indeed, that was what it was- opened its eyes and seemed to stare into Ranma.

“Do not fear. All inhabitants of this world will soon follow. Baphomet will just make sure you come sooner.”

“STOP!”

At the new voice, the column stopped turning. Baphomet vanished.

Hinako stood in the doorway, arms crossed. She spoke to Hikawa as an equal. “C’mon, Hikawa, you can’t let one person go?”

“The insignificance of your morals makes no difference. There will be no exceptions.”

“Fine. Kill him. I’ll leave the hospital then.”

Hikawa almost leapt to his feet. “Fine. He lives. Just stay. You’re the teacher, I’ll leave teaching to you. Now leave this room. I wish to enjoy the Conception in solitude.”

Hikawa turned his chair around again and said no more. Hinako turned toward Ranma. “Ranma, I’m going to be on the roof. Fetch Akane and come up there. There are things I must explain, things you must see.

And the diminutive teacher turned on her hell and left.

--

Kuno and Shampoo entered the hospital simultaneously. Nodding to each other in passing, they dashed inside.

--

As Akane tucked her mallet into hammerspace, she heard the elevator ping as it opened. Ranma stood in it.

“Oi! Akane! I found Miss Hinako!”

Forgetting the bloody pulp behind her, Akane dashed for the elevator. “Where is she? Where has she been?”

“On the roof, and I don’t know. She told me for us to meet her there.

--

Mousse dashed in through the doors after Shampoo.

A pair of people watched him enter the hospital from across the street. One was an old woman, clad in black, a veil over her face. A child clutched her hand, dressed in a finely pressed suit.

“That is all of them, my young master.”

The boy whispered something to her. The woman stiffened.

“Indeed. We shall approach her when the time is right.”

And the two vanished.

--

“…And that’s what happened.” Finished Ranma.

The doors slid open as Ranma and Akane stepped onto the roof of the hospital.

There was a magnificent view of Nerima up here. The roof was fenced in. Hinako stood in front of one, staring at the city.

“Ah. You came.”

Akane spoke up. “Miss Hinako, what is going on?”

Hinako ignored her. “Ranma, you heard what Hikawa said, didn’t you? About the Conception occurring?”

“Yeah. Just what IS the Conception? I’ve heard it before…”

Hinako sighed. “The Conception is the destruction of this world.”

Akane felt her jaw go slack.

“The Conception is an event which no human being alive has ever witnessed. Everyone and everything outside this hospital will be destroyed. Some may survive, but they will be slaughtered by demons.”

Akane stepped forward, brandishing her mallet. “And you approve of this? How can you do this?”

Hinako almost smiled. “It has to be done. If not, this entire world will merely go to waste. The world is full of evil. War goes on, rape, hate, street bums murdering people over twelve dollars. Steps have to be taken.”

She looked out at the city. “We must destroy this world to purge it of its sins. You all came here, led by fate. And fate will allow you to live through the Conception. Ranma, Akane… please find me. After the Conception, you must find me. I shall provide you with guidance. But enough talk. It is time.”

Hinako stared out at the city for the last time.

The world fell silent. In the distance, a bolt of lightening shot down from the cloudless sky. The ground began to shake. Someone screamed. Maybe it was Akane.

The Sun went black. Ukyo stared out of the second story window in horror.

The great lightning bolt struck again, this time in town square. A great black spot lingered there. It began to spread, first across Nerima, then Tokyo, then Japan, then Asia, and still it continued. Countless screams of the dying filled the air.

Kuno fell to his knees, gazing out of the skylight. Ryoga passed out from shock. Shampoo curled her legs up close to her and prayed.

The Earth seemed to be turning inside out now, like half of a tennis ball. In that moment, they saw everything.

And the universe blew up.