There are situations that had arisen in our lives that at a later time, when we have time to reflect, we may wish to have been able to have done it differently. Perhaps there was some kind of accident that we may have caused (and of course, don't admit it). We think "...if only I was paying more attention" or "...that shouldn't have happened..." or an infinite number of other things. However, what is done is done, and there is nothing that we can do once it's done. "You can't change the past!" and "Once you've said it, you can't take it back!"
But what about if you really could change the past? What about if it wasn't that, but to actually alter the very direction of history itself. What would you do? How would you do it? Would you be able to cope with the life-shattering results? We are about to find out if some can do it, and what the results will be.
"Ooohhh! My head, my back...my everything. I must have been hit by enough power to send me right to Hell, because that's where I must be to feel such pain. Well, Hell looks a lot like Japan, only without all the cities and stuff," Mai said to herself as she picked herself up off the hard ground to have a look around.
"Well, that explains why there aren't any cities. I seem to be in a forest. I sure would like to know how I got from that crazy machine in Southtown to...here. Going to have to get off my butt and find out."
The more she walked, the more she began to know that she wasn't dead, or at least she told herself. The surroundings reminded her of her native Japan, yet it seemed like a Japan from years ago. She knew she hadn't been here before, yet it seemed like she had seen it somewhere before.
She then spun around as she heard some sort of beast jump down from a tree. She nearly jumped out of her skin, for it looked like a man, but it had green skin, little hair, and a sort of claw on one hand. It eyed her intently, looking from time to time to his claw and gave a menacing grin to her. Finally, the thing spoke in Japanese to her.
"Hello, my pretty. What are you doing here, alone in these woods? Don't you know it's full of strange and deadly things?"
She replied in Japanese to him in a harsh tone, "Listen, whoever you are! I don't know how I got here, or even where here is! I was nearly killed I don't know how long ago. Now, I'm confronted by a little green man. When did I enter The Twilight Zone?
"I don't know what this `Twilight Zone' is, but you have enter MY domain. Now I, Gen-an must demand payment from you. You should make a good one. It has been a while since I had one as pretty as you. Come now!" demanded Gen-an.
Mai was horrified at the very idea. This freak of nature wanted to...
"Gen-an, you...
"Gen-an Shiranui!"
She froze. This...demon...had the same last name as her. There couldn't be...NO!
"...You can go slit your throat, you freak!"
"Ah, one with a temper. I love a woman with fire! It makes it all the more rewarding! I will have my way! You'll get no favors from me!"
"Oh, quit whining and attack!"
At that, he started rolling at her, his claw spinning and ripping up the Earth as he neared. There's only one chance, and it has to be timed perfect. Failure means being cut to ribbons. He was in range and was almost about to slice her.
"Now, woman, you have met your master!"
"Now! Yah!" she yelled as she spun with her fan outstretched, frying her attacker.
"I don't believe it. How can this be?"
"I'm number one!" she sang as she made on her way again, leaving Gen-an to his fate.
"This isn't over! We will meet again!" he yelled after her, but she didn't care to reply. All she needed to know was that she had won.
"What do you mean `She just disappeared,' Galford? A person just doesn't disappear! There had to be something else! Tell me that you left something out. What in God's name happened to Charolette?"
"Easy, man. Loosing your cool like this won't help us to determine where she's at. As I said, I was visiting her as she was getting set to go before the peasants of France. She went into her room to change. After a few minutes, she screamed out a scream of death. I tried the door, but it was locked. Poppy then let out a howl that made by blood crawl and turn to ice. I bust down the door, only to see an outline of her in a crazy light. Then, she was gone! That's all I know, so let go of me and chill, before one of us gets hurt."
For a moment, his grip tightened. He looked into the eyes of his friend, and the released him. He sat down on a stool, his head between his hands. Poppy then put her head on his lap. He smiled, and started petting her.
"I know who it was, but I don't know how it was done!" Haohmaru blurted out as he shot up, startling Poppy and Galford.
"Woah! Slow that down and run that by me again!"
"I know who did it. And from that, I will find out why?"
"Huh? You've lost me. Who, or what, are you talking about?"
"There's only one soul insane enough to do such a thing, and in such a manner. Amakusa!"
"Amakusa may have done even more than that, I'm afraid."
"Nakoruru! What brings you brings you, and your animal friends, to this humble adobe?"
"Tragic news, I'm afraid. It seems that a red-haired woman in strange garments was attacked by Gen-an. It's said she defeated him in one hit!"
"What a babe!" Haohmaru exclaimed.
After a hard look by Nakoruru, she continued, "She seems to be looking for something or someone. The question is, what next?"
"Good question. Any ideas, Haohmaru?"
"Only one. We head for Amakusa's. If we meet this woman, we'll find out for ourselves what she wants. If we don't, we find out what Amakusa did with Charolette."
"What if Amakusa isn't involved with this?"
"Then we find out there!" he answered Galford.
His mind is set. If Amakusa does know what happened to Charolette, then he'll stop at nothing to bring her back. If she's dead...he'll avenge her, even if he has to cut Amakusa's lair to pieces with his blade.
Knowing that he wouldn't wait for them to get the rest of their friends together, Galford and Nakoruru joined Haohmaru in his quest, knowing their chances for just coming out alive were slim. They were his friends, and as such, they would help him. They also wanted to help find the missing Charolette. If Amakusa was behind this, then the world was in for an evil that none of them could be ready for. And what if it was someone else? They hoped not, one villain of this level is enough.
Then there was Mizuki and Zankuro. What if they had made an unholy alliance of sorts? Could they stop that?
They had been traveling for about a week now, and were slowly reaching their goal. Once they got there, they would seek out their answers. What happened to their friend and ally, Charolette? What caused her to disappear, why, and how? What, if any, was Amakusa's involvement in it? They were just getting up and getting set to eat. Haohmaru decided to put it off for a little pre-meal training. Galford told him that he was addicted to his sword. They laughed and he went off a short distance to train.
"I'm worried about him, Galford. He's so upset over Charolette's disappearance, he may do something dangerous."
"Hey, this is Haohmaru we're talking about. The man lives for danger. That's what his entire life is about. I can't help but admire his devotion."
"I can't help but pity it. That is all he seems to care about in his life. That isn't a way to live. He says that he's a loner and that's just the way he is, as he had told Oshizu. How he feels toward both of them may not even be known to him. But, we both know that he still harbors feelings and needs to feel wanted. I think Charolette and he both know that and that is why he's become so obsessed with finding her."
"Woah! Remind me to never get into a debate with you, I'll get my butt kicked. But you are right. A constant quest for justice takes a lot out of a man."
"And protecting the Earth takes a lot out of a woman," she added in perfect unison.
Haohmaru finished his workout, when he spotted someone approaching from the left. It was a red-haired woman. Was it the one Nakoruru had mentioned a while back? There was only one way to find out.
"Hey, you there! Stop!"
Mai stopped, and looked in his direction. Great, last week it was demons; this week, it's samurai movie-rejects. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know what was next.
"What do you want with me? I've had a bad week, and I don't want to waste time with any foolishness," Mai said, rather ticked that she knew she was in Japan, yet it wasn't her Japan. This was a different Japan from the one she came from.
"I just need you to answer a few questions for me. Then we'll go from there. Did you fight and defeat Gen-an?"
He had made his way up to her and was now only a few yards from her. It was much closer than she liked. After her first encounter with someone from here, she wasn't going to take her chances.
"STOP RIGHT THERE! THIS IS AS CLOSE AS YOU GET!"
He stopped, more from surprise that she had blurted out at him to stop than because she had said so. They both looked at each other, eyeing both the one who stood before them, and to their surroundings should an ambush occur.
"Listen, all I need to know is if you are the one who fought and whooped Gen-an."
"Why?"
"Don't ask stupid questions! It's a yes or no answer!"
"I don't know who you are, nor do I care! You won't tell me what I can and can't do!"
She whipped out her fans, and got set to fight.
"Ok, if that's how you want it. Just don't think I'm going to hold back for a woman! You'll get no favors from me!"
"Oh, stop whining and attack!"
He rushed at her, getting ready to slash, and she was setting up for the move that had taken down Gen-an.
"STOP! STOP FIGHTING AT ONCE!" commanded the voice of Nakoruru. Right behind her was Galford.
"You must forgive Hahomaru's rashness. A dear friend of ours, Charolette, has disappeared. About the same time, rumors started to fly that a red-haired woman had defeated Gen-an in one hit. Being that you are red-haired and that you are dressed in strange garments, we assume you to be this person. Am I right?"
Suddenly, Mai had a flashback of a blond woman who had passed by her after the beam hit her. Maybe this was her.
"I may know who you are talking about. Describe her to me."
Haohmaru did so. In fact, he went to even the tiniest and most insignificant of details, that Mai wished that Andy would pay that much attention to her.
When he concluded, Nakoruru had to slap Galford to wake him up. Mai took a deep breath, and then spoke.
"I know where she is. You won't believe it, nor will you like it."
So she started to tell bits and pieces of how she got there, making edits here and there. When she finished, all had looks of utter amazement and shock on their faces.
"So, Haohmaru," Galford began," what do we do next?"
"I can only think of one who may be able to willingly help us."
"Oh no! You don't mean..." began Nakoruru.
"Please, not him. Does it have to be him?"
"Yes, him. He may be crazy, but Caffeine Nicotine may be the only one to help us."