114Author's Notes: This story is mainly a Ranma ½ fanfiction story and will mainly feature characters and locations from the Ranma ½ anime and manga. It will, however, also contain lots of crossover elements in the form of references to other series, cameos, guest appearances and even crossover characters that might play a somewhat important part in the story.
Also, it's been a pretty long time ever since I've last written a story, so I hope this will still enjoyable for you, the readers. If enough people let me know that they enjoyed this fanfic, I will continue to write for it. So please don't hesitate to leave your comment and tell me your opinions.
And now, let the story commence…
A lone dryad was sitting beneath her favorite tree. She only wore her casual outfit, meaning nothing but a skimpy layer of leaves and vines. Her long, moss-green hair was flowing in the wind as she held a quill, writing something on the scroll that was placed on her lap.
"Vault Keeper assistant's journal," she muttered to herself. "It's been over a decade since the Vault lost its last Keepers. Ever since that day, I've been keeping an eye on security and making sure everything is still in place. Not that I'm worried about intruders… to reach this plane of existence, you need to know the proper spell. And the only remaining inhabitants of this place are some slimes and zombies, combined with the usual wildlife.
As for finding a new Keeper… I'm fairly certain I have found a new pair of candidates. They don't look like much… actually, they both appear to be pretty wimpy. But tradition says that this is exactly what a proper Vault Keeper must be like: Your average everyman. And those two are as average as they get. And everything they need is in here, I'm sure they'll do a passable job.
I'll be making the preparations for inviting them to the Vault right after writing this journal entry. My next report will be, as usual, after the next lunar cycle."
She signed the report with "June the dryad, Vault Keeper assistant", furled the scroll and placed a wax seal on it. Afterwards, she stood up on her bare feet and turned around to face the entrance to the Vault.
On first glance, it looked like nothing more than a simple wooden door, built into a piled-up mound of dirt. Vines were growing from the soft soil and covered most of the door, the surrounding trees of the grove also did a passable job of keeping the entrance hidden. June opened the door and entered a narrow tunnel leading straight ahead. Sticking to the dirt walls were several torches that cast the tunnel into dim, flickering light. The dryad followed the tunnel to its end, where a long rope was hanging down into a dark shaft. She held onto the rope and slid down, until she reached the bottom. Here, another pair of torches was flanking a bigger door, this one made completely out of solid iron. She pushed the door opened and stepped into complete darkness. Her hand reached for a small switch hidden to her right and flipped it, illuminating the whole area with the light of several bright lamps hanging from the ceiling.
June looked around the Vault. "Well," she said to herself. "It's been a while since I've had some company down here… I better tidy up the place before I begin the summoning ritual." She let out a deep sigh. "I really hope I'm not making a mistake here." She then shook her head. "I really should stop worrying. They really can't be worse than the last chosen one…"
Meanwhile, at the gates of Furinkan High School…
The school bell was ringing, classes were over for today. Hiroshi ran up to his friend Daisuke. "You got everything for tonight?"
"Sure have," Daisuke grinned as he showed the other boy several bags. "I bought the soda and the chips, and here's the newest zombie flick, just right for a late night of fun." With a smirk, he took a DVD case out of the bag, titled 'Blood Moon Rising'.
"You can never go wrong with zombies," Hiroshi chuckled. "I prepared my Playstation 4 with a collection of the best multiplayer games the console has to offer. Anything we're missing?"
"Well, a third guy would be nice," Daisuke said. "Didn't Ranma say he wanted to come, too?"
"Nah, he's busy escaping the latest scheme of his fiancees," Hiroshi sighed. "The guy just can't see how lucky he is… I wish I had four hot babes throwing themselves at me. Well, maybe not if they're as crazy as that Kuno chick."
"He gets to go on all those exciting adventures, too," Daisuke nodded. "Cursed springs, secret martial arts techniques, magical creatures… And what do we have? A normal, boring high schooler's life."
"At least we've got guy's night," Hiroshi tried to cheer up his pal. "That's something, right?"
"Yeah, I guess so. I just wish something exciting would happen to us once in a while."
And that's when the two of them disappeared in a flash of light.
When the two boys reappeared, Daisuke almost lost his balance and quickly grabbed onto his friend's shoulder. Nervously, they looked around. But the only thing they could see was that they were in the middle of a dark and gloomy chamber.
"Hiro?" Daisuke whispered. "What happened to us?"
"I really don't know… but you did wish that something exciting would happen."
"Yeah, but I didn't expect it to be taken literally," he gulped nervously. "Where are we?"
Right after he said those words, a pair of enormous stone torches lit up in the back of the room. They could see now that they were standing in the middle of a rectangular chamber with pillars of marble to the left and right. Also, they were standing in the middle of a big circle of strange symbols on the ground. The whole place looked a lot like a temple in ancient Greece.
"What… what is this place?" Hiroshi asked.
"This is the Summoning Chamber," a powerful, female voice spoke up. "I have summoned you here, Hiroshi and Daisuke of Nerima!"
A tall, female figure then stepped forth from behind one of the torches. At first glance, she looked like a regular human girl, maybe a couple of years older than the two of them… except for her quite unusual clothing, that is. "I am June the dryad, and you have been selected to be the new Keepers." She spread her arms. "Welcome to the Vault!"
The boys blinked.
"The… Vault?" Daisuke asked. "What's the Vault?"
"And what do you mean, you summoned us here?" Hiroshi added. "Wait a minute…" His eyes widened. "Are you… naked?"
June felt a popping vein on her forehead. "Keep calm," she muttered to herself. "You've gone through this before." She took a deep breath and approached the confused duo. "I'm not naked," she said through clenched teeth. "I'm wearing the traditional attire of the dryads."
"Looks like a bunch of leaves and twigs to me," Hiroshi said. "What's a dryad, anyway?"
"My people are the tribe of the forest," June said. "But never mind that now. My duty is to be the assistant to every Keeper of this vault and I take my job very seriously. Now will you two step out of that summoning circle so I can show you around and give you instructions?"
"An assistant?" Daisuke asked.
She nodded. "Yeah, you know… like a moon cat, an exposition fairy or a dragon assistant. Something like that. Except, I'm a dryad."
"So you brought us here?" Hiroshi asked as they stepped out of the circle. "To be some sort of… keeper? What does that mean?"
"It means you are responsible for everything that happens to this place and every item and artifact that is stored inside," June explained. "You get to decide when to use the Vault's contents and on who. As long as the Vault is kept safe and none of the relics get lost, you can do whatever you deem appropriate."
"Relics? What kind of relics?" Daisuke asked.
"I will show them to you during the tour," June said. "Any other questions before I show you around?"
"Well, yeah," Daisuke nodded. "Why did you choose us? We're… nothing special."
"That's exactly the reason why you're perfect," the dryad explained. "The powers that be have decreed that the Keepers of the Vault have to be a couple of average persons with no special powers, no huge amounts of wealth and no exceptional social standings. No kings, no rich businessmen, no powerful wizards, warriors or martial artists, but also no poor homeless people, slaves or terminally ill hospital patients. Understood?"
"Well, I understand that those are the rules, but I'm not sure I understand the reasons…"
"You don't have to, that's what I am here for," June said. "I've been Vault Keeper assistant for 300 years now, that means I know everything there is to know about this place and this job."
"Wait, you're 300 years old?" Daisuke gasped as he stared at her.
"Did your mother never teach you not to stare at a lady?" June said in a huff. "It's impolite and rude. Yes, I'm 300 years old, even older than that. That's normal for a dryad. "Anything else?"
"I have a question." Hiroshi raised his hand. "Something I've been wondering for a while now… do we have to stay here? I mean, we have a home and family…"
"Don't worry, you don't have to stay here," June said. "There are quarters prepared for the new keeper with a bed and a bathroom, but you don't have to use it. You can always leave this realm using the summoning circle. It works in both directions. If you need to return, I can always summon you back. Just make sure to check in for at least one hour each day."
"I guess that's not too bad then," Hiroshi said. "One hour is not that much, and it's not like we have a ton of responsibilities back home, right, Dai?"
"I suppose not," his friend agreed. "So… what's this 'Vault' all about, anyway?"
"All right!" June said with a smile and clapped her hands together. "Let's start the tour then!"
Upon leaving the Summoning Chamber, they found themselves in a wide, long corridor with walls made of grey stone bricks. A big iron door was in the middle of each the left and right wall. Both doors were surrounded by several smaller, wooden doors. Everything was illuminated by lamps that hung from the ceiling.
"This is the central corridor of the Vault," June explained. "The two main chambers can be entered through those big doors, through the smaller doors are the living quarters, storerooms, crafting stations and the recreation room. The living quarters contain a bathroom with showers, a tub, a whirlpool and a toilet. The crafting stations include several workbenches with tools, a forge, an anvil, an alchemy station and a tinkerer's workshop. The door on the far end of the corridor leads to the entrance shaft which leads outside. Please inform me if you plan on exploring the wilderness surrounding the Vault, I cannot allow newbie keepers to get themselves killed during their first week on the job."
The boys gulped. "Is there something… dangerous out there?" Daisuke asked.
"During daytime, just a couple of slimes," June said. "But I wouldn't risk anything as long as you don't have at least a small amount of weapon training. If you're interested, let me know. I may be able to convert one of the storerooms into a training hall. Now, for the main event…"
The dryad stepped in-between the two iron doors and motioned the boys to follow her. Now that they were standing right next to them, they were able to read the signs above each of the two doors. The left one read 'Chamber of Orbs' and the right one read 'Chamber of Essences'.
June spread her arms. "These… are the main chambers of the Vault, the main reason it was constructed in the first place. Everything else is just a bonus. Stored in here are a huge amount of powerful, magical relics and substances. Your main job in here is to keep watch over them. Don't let them be damaged or even destroyed… it's very hard to do so in the first place, but not impossible. If you take any of them from their spot, make sure to return them within 24 hours."
"What happens if we don't manage to bring them back in time?" Hiroshi asked. "Will they be destroyed? Or won't we be able to bring them back anymore?"
June glanced at him. "No. You can still bring them back. It's just that there are certain rules that need to be followed. Security measures, you see? And everyone who breaks the rules… will have to answer to me! And trust me, boys, you do not want to see me angry."
"But… I thought you're supposed to be our assistant," Hiroshi protested.
"Yes, it is," June nodded. "My job is to help you… but the best way I can do that is by keeping a close eye on you and the relics. So make sure to bring them back in time… and we won't have a problem. Got it?"
The boys gulped again. "Yes, ma'am." Daisuke then whispered to Hiroshi: "She's really cute, but I have the feeling she'll get really scary once she gets mad." Hiroshi nodded in agreement.
"And just what kind of relics are these?" Daisuke asked.
"Ah." A big grin appeared on the dryad's face. "This is where the fun part begins. Come inside, boys." She opened the door to the Chamber of Orbs and stepped inside.
The boys quickly followed and found themselves in a gigantic underground hall with steel-enforced walls. From where they were standing, a lot of rows of small pedestals were going down the hall. And on each pedestal sat a small, glowing orb, each in a different color and about as big as an apple. There had to be at least hundreds of them in this underground vault.
"The Chamber of Orbs," June said, in a voice full of awe. "The artifacts contained here are the so-called class orbs. The forefathers – an ancient tribe of powerful wizards – once created this huge collection of transformation relics. Stored within each of the orbs lies the power of a fallen hero, each with their own class and abilities. Using these allows a person to perform a class change, exchanging all of their existing skills of abilities with those of the hero whose soul is dormant in this orb."
"Excuse me, but…" Hiroshi spoke up. "What's a class?"
"Good thing you asked. A class is what defines a hero. Some say you could also call it a job or profession, but if you ask me, those terms don't quite express what it truly means to be a hero of that class. A class defines the hero's abilities and talents, the skills and weapons he can use, the armor and clothing he usually wears and the experience that comes with it. The basic and most well-known adventurer classes are those of the warrior, the mage and the thief… but there are more, hundreds more, some of them derived from these three basic classes, others being something completely new."
"So what do we do with those orbs?" Daisuke asked. "Just watch them and make sure they don't disappear?"
"That's the most important task, but there's more to it," June said. "Being a Vault Keeper comes with the rights and privileges to keep the relics, but also to use them in any way they see fit. If you have the feeling that someone you know or meet should follow a different path, bring him or her a class orb. Let them change to a new class and let their new destiny unfold. If they decide to refuse, they have every right to do so. But only the Vault Keepers can decide who shall gain the right to a class change."
"I'm not certain I follow," Daisuke said. "Why should we let someone do this in the first place?"
June shrugged. "Maybe you know someone who's unhappy with his life? Or someone wants to try something new? Or maybe you meet someone who, in your eyes, does not deserve the position he's in. In each of these cases, a class orb might just be the perfect solution. Just remember to bring the orbs back to the Vault in time. Also, each orb can only be used once a month, so keep that in mind."
"Wow", Hiroshi muttered. "So I could take the orb of… um…" He took a quick look around the closest pedestals and read their inscriptions. "The orb of the… bard, for example, and bring it to a, say… martial artist. And then the martial artist can decide if he wants to be a bard from now on."
"That's the gist of it," June nodded. "If he agrees to the change, he will forget all the moves and attacks he ever learned as a martial artist. Instead, he will learn how to use all sorts of instruments and how to sing and play different songs. Understood?"
The boys nodded. At the moment, their minds were barely able to process everything the dryad had told them up to now. But one thing was crystal clear already: As Vault Keepers, they would not only have to deal with a lot of responsibility, they were also given the opportunities to make lots of changes in the lives of other people.
"Perfect!" June smiled. "Then let's take a look at the other big chamber of the Vault, the Chamber of Essences!"
The three of them went back into the corridor and stepped through the iron door on the opposite side. Behind it, they found a room that was almost identical in structure and size. Just like the Chamber of Orbs, it was filled with hundreds of pedestals. But it wasn't orbs that lay on them, this time around. Instead, on each pedestal stood a crystal bottle with an unidentifiable, colorful liquid inside. They were all corked tight and had labels on them.
Once again, June started to explain: "These bottles contain essences. An essence is, basically, every bit of information of the creature it was taken from, converted by magic into a liquid state."
"Um…" Daisuke scratched his head. "What?"
June sighed and took one of the bottles. "See this? Essence of fairy. This essence contains everything that makes a fairy, a fairy. If consumed, the essence of the selected creature will overwrite the previous essence inside that person's body. And not just that, it will completely, irreversibly replace it."
"I think I get it," Hiroshi spoke up. "If I let a bird drink this, that bird will be turned into a fairy. Is that right?"
"Close," June smiled. "The essences within the Vault only contain the information of sentient creatures. You can't turn anyone into a basic animal or mindless monster. And equally, animals and monsters will not be affected by drinking some essence. But a human could be turned into a fairy and vice versa, that's true." She made a sweeping motion across the room with her hand. "We have essences from all sorts of sentient creatures, magical and not magical, from Earth and dozens of other realms. Those over there are Mobian essences… next to them Equestrian… then Hyrulean… Azerothian…"
"But that's amazing!" Daisuke shouted. "Just think about all the awesome creatures we can turn ourselves into, Hiroshi. Just look here… essence of dragon!" He had a big grin on his face. But then it turned into an expression of worry. "But wait a minute… if there's only one essence of human, and we use that up… we won't be able to turn ourselves back to normal."
"Don't get ahead of yourselves," June said. "First of all, the essences within the Vault will never run out. As long as the bottles stay undamaged, the essence within will refill automatically each sundown. That means you can't 'use them up'. And one more thing." She looked at them very seriously. "A Vault Keeper can never, ever use any of the orbs and essences of the Vault on himself… at least not permanently."
"Why not?" the boys asked in surprise.
"That's part of the job," June shrugged. "When the forefathers created this Vault and the position of Vault Keeper, they made sure that the Keepers don't use the powers of the relics to escape their duties. Thus, every essence or orb used on a Vault Keeper will only keep them in that form for a limited time. After one day is passed, they will return to their original self. Their memories also won't be changed by consuming an essence."
"Memories?" Daisuke wondered.
"Ah yes, I forgot to mention: Unlike the orbs, the essences influence the core being of the person that consumes them. Not only will their self be replaced by that of a different creature, their memories will also be replaced. For example, if a human drinks essence of fairy, he will first transform into a fairy. Then the memories of his whole life will be replaced with memories of a life as a fairy. They will still know the same people and places, and most of their experiences will be the same… the only differences will be that everything will have happened from the viewpoint of a fairy. And it's not just their memories that will be changed, the memories of everyone he knows will believe that he has always been a fairy."
"So that means we must be extra careful with the essences, since they change even more than the class orbs," Daisuke realized. "And with no way of ever turning them back."
"Um, is that even ethical?" Hiroshi asked. "I mean, we're basically changing a person's life completely, with no chance of him ever getting his old life back! Isn't that a horrible thing to do?"
"Yeah, I agree," Daisuke nodded. "I don't want to be responsible for destroying someone's whole life."
June sighed. "Listen boys, I understand what you're saying. But as someone who's on this job for 300 years, let me tell you that you don't need to worry about this. Of course a changed person's life will be completely different… but will it really matter if no one remembers anything of his old life? Except for the Vault Keepers and their assistants, of course. So trust me when I tell you: You're not taking anything away from them. You're just giving them a new self that might even better suit them." She gave them a smile of confidence. "It's up to you, really. You don't have to use the essences on anyone, if you don't want to. But if you ask me, that's wasted potential. You are Vault Keepers, after all, and you have opportunities now. So why not use them?"
Hiroshi scratched his head. "Well, if you put it that way…"
Daisuke frowned. "I'm still not sure about this…"
"Then sleep on it," June suggested. "You don't have to agree right away. Give it some time and think about it some more. The Vault hasn't had a new Keeper for several years now… one day more or less won't make a difference."
"And if we decide we don't want to do this after all?" asked Daisuke.
June shrugged. "You will continue on with your normal lives and I will look for a new pair of suitable Vault Keeper candidates. So what do you say?"
The boys looked at each other. "Let's sleep on it for now, Dai," Hiroshi said. Daisuke simply nodded.
"Excellent!" June clapped her hands. "Then let's get back to the Summoning Chamber and I will send you back. Tomorrow, I will summon you back here and you can tell me your decision. Now come along…"
Already as they followed the dryad back to the Summoning Chamber, the boys had a lot to think about. Most of it, they kept to themselves. And even after stepping back on the summoning circle and reappearing back in front of the school, there was just one thing Hiroshi felt like saying:
"Well… this certainly was more exciting than our usual guy's night."
Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.
The Dryad (NPC) and everything Terraria belongs to Re-Logic.
