Author's Notes
The following story is meant for entertainment purposes only, and all 
attributes and characters mentioned or used within the confines of this 
story belong to their rightful owners. Some characters mentioned in 
here are of total fiction, and are of my own creation. I wish that you 
might not steal these characters from me. This story contains graphic 
violence and some explicit language, so if that offends you, I suggest 
you do not read this story. Also I will do a feature called "The Song 
of the Episode" in which a song or melody of my selection will be made 
and recommended to listen to, as to get more feelings or emotion from 
the episode. With that, send all hate/fan mail to 
nemisis5k@yahoo.com Hope you enjoy the story.

Background Info
The year is undetermined. The deepest reaches of space are still yet to 
have been explored. The earth has advanced its technology and knowledge 
of extraterrestrial beings and has started to make colonies in the 
outer regions of the earth and the solar system in order to contact, 
and even live with the alien life forms. Earth though, is still viewed 
as a young planet by most other space empires but is assisted by the 
empire of Jurai in terms of contact with other planets and 
representation in the U.A. (Universal Alliance) Space pirates, 
mercenaries, outlaws, and even the elite space forces all continue to 
wage war against one another to control the uncharted territory of 
space. Races such as Nameks, Saiyins, and Ctarl Ctarl are plentiful 
among the inhabited planets, but are ridiculed and looked down on 
behind the scenes because of their heritage. 

Episode 1: Premonitions 
"Life and death, they co-exist as one, nether can be stopped nor 
escaped, it is an eternal cycle that involves everything in existence 
and is the one thing that keeps us all from becoming like a God. Some 
though tried to seek out the ability to create life and cheat death 
itself. These people in essence have always held a certain naivety to 
themselves and everything, forcing them to become a separate part of 
existence. What happens though when an eternal being, a God becomes 
fearful of death and offers these people a chance to become immortal? 
Life as we have come to know it could change drastically for the worst, 
but there lies that one hope that in man and in all living things, to 
triumph over adversity, and to finally realize that the essence of war 
and fighting are useless and meaningless as there is a greater power 
among us mortals. One that could destroy us in a whisper and nothing 
more..."
					By: Philosopher 
					Nathaniel Scott Barlow

	Were his eyes deceiving him? Or was this the cold harsh reality 
of it all?  He looked up to see the sky black, blacker than anything he 
had ever seen, blacker than the darkest cloth or hole. The darkness 
seemed to have engulfed the sky in just the mere presence of its wake 
and seemed to have no end. The ground in which he stood, a rusty red, 
it looked to be worn and barren. Almost as if no one had ever lived on 
this planet, or if they did, weren't here anymore. The constant sound 
of silence surrounded him. It seemed like he was all alone, not a 
single other soul on the planet. But then, it began. The horrible and 
terrifying sound of people moaning and screaming, as if being tortured. 
He fell to his knees and covered his ears wishing, begging for the 
horrible sounds to disappear. He wished to be off of this accursed 
wasteland, and back in his home with his beloved family. Laughter then 
filled the air. Not just any laugh, a maniacal one, one that seemed to 
take pleasure in the sounds of those who were suffering. All he could 
do was still wish to be home, back with his wife and children. In an 
instant it all stopped. The screams, the laughing, they were all gone, 
but where? Suddenly, he herd the sound of footsteps, possibly by not 
one, but a group of people. He turned to his left, then his right, but 
no source of the sounds could be spotted. The laughter then started 
again, only this time sounding closer than before. He turned to look 
behind him and saw a group of eight shadows. All with demonic glowing 
black eyes. Eyes that looked as if they could burn your very soul out 
of existence.

	In a rough and cold voice the lead of the shadowy figures spoke. 
"You're the one. The one who will save this world and many others, but 
only with your death." Confused, he continued to gaze into the shadow's 
eyes, shocked that the thing could speak. "Only with the sacrifice of 
your life will this universe continue to thrive and live. This world is 
but a small example of what could happen to the rest of existence." 

	"I don't understand... what do mean?" He asked confused and 
frightened.

	"With the sacrifice of your life, we will not destroy this 
world, or this universe, and we will leave." The shadow said in a low 
tone, walking ever so closer in front of him. 

	Scared and unsure he questioned the shadows. "But why? Why do 
want me? Why do you want my life?"

	"Because you are the one, the one with the power, and you can be 
the one who saved this universe." The shadowed answered.

	"No! I don't understand! You will not have me as some sacrifice, 
not until I know why!" He retorted, angered, but scared that these 
shadows wanted his death.

	"Very well then, if you will not die for this universe, then 
your family shall take your place." The shadow jerked its head and one 
of the other shadows from the back pulled his wife, his son, and his 
daughter forward. They looked as if they had been assaulted, bruises, 
cuts and scrapes all over their bodies, some only being covered by the 
tatters of what was their clothes. "If you die, the universe will 
continue, and if they die the universe will end. So what will it be? 
Your life for theirs?"

	"Dan! Don't do it!" His wife screamed to him, tears in her 
bruised and beaten eyes. All he could do was look on in horror. His 
family, his beloved wife and children, beaten to a bloody pulp, and on 
the brink of destruction, but only at his decision.

	 His son shouted to him in a horse voice. "Don't do it Dad!"

	"What will it be?" The lead shadow questioned, irritated by his 
stalling.

	"My answer..." The shadows all stared at him hoping his answer 
will be the one they wanted. "My answer... is... NO!!!" He then rushed 
the shadows and attempted to throw a punch at the one holding his 
family. The figure merely stepped back and let him miss the punch and 
fall to the ground next to his family.

	"I gave you the chance, and you refused. Now this world, and 
this universe will perish." The shadow said low, but angered. It 
floated into the black sky, gazing down on the scared and beaten 
family. "Now you will all die!" It screamed as a purple light began to 
form around it. The light seemed to ripple off of the shadow, as if it 
were energy. The shadow rose what looked to be a hand and the purple 
energy began to gather into it. "See you all in Hell!" The shadow 
shouted as it hurled the purple energy toward them. All he could do now 
was just hold his family tight and wait for the end, which soon came as 
they were engulfed in the purple energy. The screams of his family were 
unbearable, he watched as his and their skin slowly began to peal and 
incinerate. All he could think about was why this was happening. What 
did he and his family do to deserve this? The laughter was the last 
thing he heard in his final moments as he and his family perished into 
nothingness.

	"NOOOOO!!!" Dansuba shot up out of his bed. He looked around to 
see he was still in his home, his wife Rimi sleeping soundly at his 
right side. Rainfall could be herd outside of his bedroom window, and 
he ran to take a look outside to see if the world he knew was still 
there. "Why? Why does this dream haunt me?" He spoke to himself. 
Dansuba walked away from the window and through his bedroom door, into 
the bathroom across the hall. He stood in front of the mirror above the 
sink. Looking at his face. He was a well-built man, with a tall stature 
of about 6 foot. His hair was spiky and parted down the middle, making 
sort of palm tree kind of look. And his face covered by a thin gotee. A 
simian tail stuck out the back of his boxers and just hung down. 
Dansuba was exhausted, this dream, he had been having it for the last 
two months, and he didn't know why. He never really told anyone about 
it except for his wife Rimi, but she couldn't quite understand it. "No 
one could." He said to himself. Rimi had just then walked in through 
the bathroom door, looking tired and wondering where her husband was.

	"There you are." She said relieved. "I thought you might have 
went on another one of those walks again." She walked up behind him and 
hugged him around the waste, as she closed her eyes and rested her head 
up against his back.

	"Nah, not this time Hun." Dan responded. Enjoying the fact that 
his beautiful wife was still with him. He then felt Rimi's hands start 
to rub around his lower back, and her tail wrap around his. 

	"It was that dream again, wasn't it?" She questioned, now 
kissing his back. "Why don't you come to bed? I'll get your mind off 
it." 

	"I think I'll take a rain check on that." Dan laughed out lowly. 
"Besides, its near six thirty, the kids might hear."

	She stepped back from him looking disappointed. "Yeah I guess 
you're right. Well I'd better wake up Ken before I make breakfast." 
Rimi walked out of the room and down the stairs. Dansuba though 
continued to look on into the mirror not helping but to think about the 
dream and why.
	
	"Hey wake up Ken." Rimi shook Kenshin, trying to wake him up for 
school. She then began to become irritated. "C'mon Ken get up... fine. 
Guess I'll have to go with plan B." Rimi walked out of the room for a 
few moments and then back in holding a bucket of water. "Last chance 
Ken, get up or you'll get an early shower." Kenshin just merely tossed 
the cover over his head and turned to his side. "Fine." Rimi tossed the 
bucket of ice-cold water onto the sleeping saiyin teen. 

	 Kenshin shot out of bed in a wet panic. "Bah! I'm up! I'm up! 
Huh? Dam it Mom don't do that!" Kenshin shouted as his mother stood in 
the doorway of his room laughing at the site of a wet Kenshin in 
pokadotted boxers. Realizing that he was still only in his boxers 
Kenshin quickly took the sheets of his bed to cover himself. "Get out 
Mom! It's not that funny! Get out!"

	"Hey you're the one who didn't want to wake up." Rimi said 
laughing as she walked out of the doorway. "Breakfast will be on the 
table when you get down." She walked by the stairs as Dansuba was 
coming down. He noticed her giggling and came up to ask.

	"Ken didn't want to wake up again did he?"

	"Yep." She responded with a smile.

	"Water bucket move?"

	"Yep."

	The table had filled up quickly. Kenshin had gotten dressed and 
came into the kitchen, along with his little sister Kira. Rimi and 
Dansuba were already eating, waiting for Kenshin, Kira, or someone to 
speak up. Dansuba growing tired of the silence spoke up. 

	"So Ken, you think you can go today without getting into a 
fight?" Dan asked jokingly.

	"I don't know. One things for sure though, Kiyone will probably 
stop me."

	"Yeah, good ol' Kiyone. I wish I could've had a girlfriend like 
that when I was your age." Dan said trying to hold back his laughing.

	"How many times do I have to tell you guys, shes not my 
girlfriend? We're just good friends, that's it!" Kenshin said irately. 
"Besides how would you know if she was my girlfriend or not?"

	Dan turned his head to Rimi. "Oh I have my ways. Besides, if all 
that huggy kissy stuff is what friends do these days then maybe I 
should get a few friends." 

	"Just cut it out Dad alright. I already had a bad start today 
because of a specific someone." Ken said looking at Rimi who was 
holding back a large grin. "Man why do guys always pick on me?"

	Rimi looked at Kenshin and laughed. "Because its just so easy." 
Ken just looked at his parents with spite. 

	 Ken got up from the table and headed for the front door. "I 
better head to Kiyone's, you guys know how she gets when I'm late."   

	"Yeah, go ahead, besides I got to get an early start on training 
today with Hairdin." Dan said waving Kenshin off for his day of school. 
"Oh yeah! And don't get into a fight today alright. That paper work is 
really starting to get annoying with that school."

	"Okay Dad, see ya Mom, Kira you be good okay." With that Ken 
grabbed his book bag at the front door and was off for another day of 
school. Walking down the street, Kenshin was admiring the pleasant 
spring scenery. The sun had just rose and the rain from earlier had 
given the neighborhood a lively fragrance and all the children were 
beginning their walk to school. Kenshin soon saw Kiyone's house come 
into view and Kiyone sitting on the front porch waiting for him.

	 Kiyone shouted to him from her porch. "Hey you're not late 
today!"

	"Yeah you can thank my Mom for that." Kenshin said sarcastically 
laughing as he walked through her front gate. "So, you ready for school 
today?"

	"Like always. You think you can go today without getting into a 
fight? Kiyone said jokingly.

	Ken just sighed. "Lets just go okay." The two then walked back 
out of the gate and resumed the walk to school. "So Kiyone, when are 
you moving?"

	"In two weeks. Why?" 

	"Just wanted to know... so I guess I could spend some more time 
with ya before you move I guess." Ken responded hesitantly. As they 
went on walking something watched them from within the trees. A shadowy 
figure with dark glowing eyes.

	"So, that's his son? Looks kinda weak." The shadow said to 
itself in a low raspy tone, following Ken and Kiyone with its dark 
eyes. "Well once Ten gives the sign, Dansuba is ours." The shadow then 
showed its pearl white teeth, all of them sharpened to a fine point in 
a sinister grin. "Soon, the time is soon..."


Next Time 
Next time on the End of Times, the Hiryu family begins another long 
day, but something is wrong, something is coming. What is the purpose 
of the dream Dan has been having, and what is the thing that was 
watching in on Ken and Kiyone? All this and more will be revealed on 
End of Times Episode 2 The Brotherhood.

Author's Notes
So what do you guys think? Remember this is my first fanfic, so 
hopefully this will begin to progress better. Besides its only the 
first episode. I think I did well though. Any who "The 
Song of the Episode" for this one is "Loosing my Religion" from REM. 
It's a song that talks about dreams becoming reality, which is what 
Dansuba is fearing right now. Well again, send all hate/fan mail to 
nemisis5k@yahoo.com. And if you wish to talk to me, go to 
russael.cjb.net and log onto the message boards, I'm the guy with the 
board name Kenshin Hiryu. Any who, until the next episode, see ya...