The characters contained within this story are owned by Takahashi Rumiko and Takeuchi Naoko. No infringement of copyright is intended. This work to be distributed for free, unchanged, crediting the current author. Thanks to my pre-readers: Ranmas This is a crossover between Ranma 1/2 and Sailor Moon. To make the two stories fit together the way I wanted, I needed to shuffle the dates at which a few things occur within the main timeline of Sailor Moon. I bow my head in shame: please forgive. Die hard fans of Ranma may also notice a very subtle change to its story timeline... This story is dedicated to the letter F the numbers 1 and 2. Visit my website at dzillman@ozemail.com.au http://www.ozemail.com.au/~dzillman/fire _________________ / \ | Destiny's Child | \_________________/ What has gone before: Nothing yet, this is the first chapter. ---------------- Swimming Lessons ---------------- It took little more than a single splash for Genma to realise that for once he should have listened to the local guide. His sixteen year old son, his pride, his only reason for living in a cold, hard world was now his daughter. When he saw the girl bearing an unmistakable resemblance to his son, he almost fell into the pool beneath him, which would have meant getting wet for the second time this morning. Listening to the girl scream tore his heart and he leapt to the ground, pulling her from the pool. When he saw the furry paw which he used, he bellowed in anger. The Guide stepped up, looking splendid in his lacquered bamboo armour. "Oh, sir, you fall into Nyanniichuan, Spring Of Drowned Young Girl. Very tragic story of girl who drown in spring 1500 year ago. Now whoever fall into spring take body of young girl. Very tragic-- urk!" Checking that Ranma was all right, Genma grabbed the guide. Ranma was just as shocked by the events as Genma, an acceptable excuse for some trauma. Ranma was strong, and anyone could see that one day he would be a man among men. Lifting the large man another couple of inches off the ground, Genma stared him in the eyes. 'How do we cure my son?' What came out was the guttural growls of a angry Panda. The guide gurgled and gasped. He may have tried to answer, but the way that Genma held him was slowly choking all the air from him. Genma relaxed his grip, and the guide tried again. "Oh, Mr Customer, sir. Is no cure. Very tragic-- wargh!" This time the guide flew across half a dozen meters. No cure. That was what the guide said: no cure. Looking down at his son, he could understand why the boy was weeping. Genma would have sacrificed his own life for the art, and he would have sacrificed his son's too. Sacrificing your manhood: that was another matter. All his life, Genma had told Ranma how women were weaker than men. They were there to be treasured, cherished and protected: Ranma was a man, he should be the one doing the protecting. Even if Genma was a Panda, he was a male Panda. Genma picked up his son... no, daughter... no, son... and carried her to the guide's hut. Perhaps some tea and some time to think. Genma had a son to be proud of, and he was damned if any magic pool would take him away. 'I'm sorry, Ranma. So sorry. I will find a cure, Ranma. I will.' "Growl, rargh rargh, brarrr!" They ended staying there for two days. When Genma recovered from his anger with guide, they discovered several pieces of important information. The curse was activated and dismissed by water temperature. Each curse was water sensitive, and each chose it's own focal temperature in some unknown way. Starting with cold water, the guide worked on Genma while Ranma watched. The guide would ladle some water from his large cauldron and pour it on the animal. If the change did not occur, he would wait for the fire to heat the water, then try again. It was not far above body temperature - say a warm bath - when Genma finally returned to human. Ranma took a bit longer. Again they started with cold, then kept working their way up. When the water was hot enough, Genma stole some for tea, and they all drank some while the small girl recovered. The guide had dampened the fire and recommended that they wait for a while before continuing. Ranma nodded gratefully, then went outside to douse her head with cold rain water to relieve the pain. When she returned, the red flush was beginning to fade from her skin, and they sat for dinner. "Mr Customer, Sir. Is very tragic, but water to change you back must be very hot. You wish to continue this tomorrow?" Both Genma and Ranma nodded. The path of a true Martial Artist is fraught with peril, and this was just another one. Ranma knew that he was a man, and would one day make his father proud. If it meant that he needed to pour scalding water over himself, then that is what he would do. The guide talked late into the night, explaining the origin of their curses, and the tragic stories associated with them. He also told them of the true perils associated with the training grounds. Despite the best efforts of the people which lived near here, the Kami responsible for the pools seemed to choose their victims, and little could stop their destiny. Obstacles, fences and barricades might last for years while no visitors came. Then in the space of day, a storm would destroy the fences, and when the weather cleared, someone new would arrive to be cursed. If you were not destined to be cursed, you could never so much as approach the pools, let alone fall in by accident. The guide had seen a party of travellers come to admire the place where a friend had been cursed. Because of rains that day, the ground was muddy and not one of the people could come within ten meters of a spring without falling over. The person who had been cursed, they had seen the guide but had not heard a word that was said... until it was too late. The Kami of the springs hungered for victims, so the Kami consumed. Maybe the gods just liked to have their sport. The guide did not know of any cures, but he could tell Genma of some other people within the area which may. The way to find them was hard and dangerous, certainly no place for a twelve year old girl. Looking at the guide, Genma snorted, his son might look like a twelve year old girl, but he was a true man in his heart. "Why are you the guide here? Who provides your food? Why should you help us?" The guide sighed and sucked on his pipe. "Oh, Mr Customer, Sir. Is very tragic story. Twenty year ago, I fall into Spring Of Drowned Jusenkyo Guide, now whenever I get splashed with cold water, I take on body and soul of Jusenkyo guide which drown there 4000 year ago." "So why don't you pour some hot water on yourself, and leave this place?" The guide turned his head and pointed to the left side of his face. Dimly, in the flickering fire light which they sat in, they could see old scars. The scars were healed over now, but it looked like he had been badly injured once. "I try, Mr Customer, I try. When first I get this curse, I try. Heat water as hot as possible. Bubbling and steaming, I pour it, burn self very badly, but I free. I no more Jusenkyo Guide. It sunny day then, but as soon as I step outside, it rain. I become Jusenkyo Guide again. "Mr Customer, cursed springs need Guide, so springs get guide. Ever since first guide drown in spring, 4000 year ago, new guide come and replace when old guide die. Everyone nearby give me food, housing, clothes so I stay alive. If I alive, no new Guide needed. Is good reason why springs called cursed." That night Ranma slept fitfully. The water they had been trying had been painfully hot. Not hot enough to burn, but bad enough to be painful. What if he was stuck like this for the rest of his life? There were further things which the Guide had said. His spring was a special one. The Guide had never known anyone to fall in it before. It was also the only spring which included some mention of age in the curse. His father had fallen into the spring of the Drowned Panda, a physical body spring. There was the spring of the Drowned Virtuous Man, and the spring of the Drowned Raging Hentai; these were mental springs affecting only the mind of the person who fell. The spring of the Drowned Jusenkyo Guide affected mind and body. His was the spring of the Drowned _Young_ Girl. Whenever he entered his cursed form, he would be a twelve year old girl. When Ranma woke, it was to the thought of his real body ageing invisibly under the curse. While he never aged a day as a girl, he would one day fall over dead, his male body decayed, decrepit and no longer able to sustain life. A morning rain had reverted Genma to a panda, but heating the water for tea and Ranma's testing allowed him to change back. Eventually the water was hot enough to try again. The first time the guide tried, Ranma gritted her teeth, and held the table when the painfully hot water cascaded over her. The second time caused her to gasp in pain. When she stayed a girl, Ranma dashed outside and dunked her head in the rain barrel. Eventually the pain subsided, and she returned. Genma looked on his daughter with pride. Ranma had shown dauntless determination in the acquisition of the Art, and now he showed the same determination in retrieving his manhood. What more could a father ask of his son? The third try did work. While Ranma screamed in pain from the near boiling water, he rose in stature, and again took his place in the world of men. With thanks to the Guide, the pair eventually headed off for the next stop on the quest for Martial prowess. They lasted all of about four hours before a midday shower soaked them to their skin. The small girl and her panda wandered miserably through the forests of China. * * * When Genma led them into the Japanese town, he explained to Ranma the latest reason that they were there. Genma was in his human form, but Ranma was still a young girl - it had been almost a week since he was last a man. "Ranma, my boy. When I was your age, I trained under a great master with another man, Tendo Soun. My friend Soun has raised his own family, and it was our intention that our clans should be joined to ensure the future of our Art. Son, today you gain a wife." Ranma grabbed her father and threw the heavy set man end over end. Genma landed in a small peasant's hut, it's thatched roof shaking and dropping pieces from the impact. Pulling himself from the debris, Genma heard his small, girl-shaped son curse him and saw him start to leave the town. Running up to her, Genma took her shoulder and spun her around so he could shout in her face. "Boy, this is a matter of family honour. By doing this we can ensure the survival of the School of Anything Goes Martial Arts. It is your destiny and your duty!" Snarling, the little girl took the meaty hand which held her shoulder and turned under it. Applying a pain hold, she levered him up and tossed him at the well. Bits of stone fell around him, but Genma again rose. Bellowing at the watching town's people, Genma chased after his errant child. "Don't try and stop me Pop. I'm going back to China." With the time for subtlety over, Genma kicked at a tree, knocking off a large branch. With a heave, he threw it high in the air. All Ranma noticed was her father charging in for another attack on her. The battle was brief and decisive: they had traded blows for all of five seconds when the large branch landed exactly on Ranma's head, knocking her cold. "There's more tricks to this old man than you know yet, boy." The Saotome's arrival at the Tendo's was a quiet matter indeed. Ranma was chastised and sullen, and Genma contemplative. The only noise was the sounds of birds, some farm animals, and the smithy a few houses back. Needless to say, Tendo Soun was delighted to see his old friend, even if he did bring a young daughter. It had been years since they had last met, and since letters were so expensive, it meant that the friends had not been in contact for over a decade. After a quick round of introductions, Soun and Genma sat down for a private 'men's talk'. Kasumi and Nabiki, the eldest sisters retired from the room, silk kimonos whispering quietly. Akane looked at the young girl who had been introduced as Ranma. She was obviously uncultured from her time on the road. Apparently she thought she should stay there while their parents discussed important matters. Before she left the room, Akane spoke to her. "Hello, my name's Akane. We have a dojo out the back where Father trains students. Would you like to see it?" The small girl nodded, so they retired from the room. Akane changed into a Gi for training, and ushered the girl outside. The Tendo house was quite opulent, a testament to the quality of her father's teaching. Not only did they have their own bath house, but they also had a large attached dojo for training. When they sparred, Akane was stunned at the prowess which the child displayed. Surely she could not be more than twelve, but the small girl showed skill and experience far beyond her years. Eventually Akane conceded defeat, and the two retired inside. After a bath, the family and their guests gathered; the two patriarchs smiling at their children. Soun Tendo was the first to speak, while Genma watched over the kettle boiling on the open fire. "Daughters, this is my dear old friend, Saotome Genma. Beside me, he is the greatest practitioner of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. When our two families are joined, the future of Art will be assured. "Kasumi, as you are already promised to the village's healer, we shall exempt you from this arrangement. Nabiki, between you and Akane, we shall have a wife for Ranma." The Tendo girls stared at him in shock, until they burst out laughing. Not only was the idea of marrying a complete stranger ludicrous, Ranma was both a little young, and quite obviously female. The laughter died down when Genma stood and lifted the kettle. He walked over and stood next to his daughter. "Akane, Nabiki: my son and I were tragically cursed while in pursuit of the finer points of Anything Goes. While we expanded the School's knowledge and skills, we suffered greatly. While Ranma is cursed with the body of a girl, he is a man in his soul. His is a fitting heir to the Tendo name." With that, he poured the scaling liquid on his child. Ranma shuddered and gasped in pain, but managed to hold in the scream. The sturdy, well muscled man which he really was stood forth and was now apparent. Everyone was shocked at the magical transformation. Kasumi briefly made a hex mark in the air, trying to ward her from whatever evil had possessed the small girl and made her a man. When he had recovered, Ranma bowed to the girls again and re- introduced himself. He had just settled back, sitting on his folded legs when Akane brought the table smashing down on him. "You pervert! We took a bath together! How could you?" The fathers chuckled. So the match had been made that easily. They would hold the wedding tomorrow. Two month's later, they were still fighting on a daily basis, and again Ranma spent most of his time in his girl form. The pain of the hot water made changing a great burden: something not to be done casually. Akane was a dynamo of aggression and bottled emotions. Each day they would fight, more often than not Akane would end up knocking the smaller girl over the town and out into the surrounding forest. When Kasumi moved out to marry the town healer, the house became a louder and more dangerous place to live. Unrestrained by Kasumi's caring touch and soothing words, the children's emotions would flare again and again, while their fathers watched from the sidelines. Nabiki relished the extortion of her sibling, especially once she had gained the favour of one of the Samurai which the Shogun employed to keep peace in the town. Worse still, Akane would insist on cooking for days on end, until the entire house was bedridden from nausea and stomach cramps. Nabiki's Samurai lived in a large house on the other side of the town, but they had met through a common tutor. The success of the Tendo dojo had allowed Soun to spend freely, and he had bought his daughters the best education available for a girl. Ranma, Akane and Nabiki all studied under the tutor, along with three other young adults from the town. Among these was a certain Kuno Tatewaki, an up and coming Samurai. By the time Nabiki married Tatewaki, she was feeling like she was doomed to become an old maid. Already her twentieth birthday had passed, almost four years after she had first met the warrior of her dreams. When he finally proposed, Nabiki's cry of 'yes' could be heard throughout the district. The wedding was a massive affair. Although he had appeared only slightly wealthy, Kuno had hidden his true value, preferring to marry for love. His family was held in high esteem by the Shogun, and Nabiki was elevated to a noble status. By the time of her wedding, Akane and Ranma had begun to settle some of their differences. Now they could go hours without trading an insult, and sometimes a whole day would pass where they would not fight. The Tendo dojo continued to grow in stature and fame. With the two living masters of the Art of Anything Goes living and teaching there, people came from many kilometres, drawn by the fame it possessed. It was in Ranma's twenty third winter that the plague struck their town. It was fast acting and vicious, and anyone affected by it was almost certain to die. Within days of the first symptoms showing, the afflicted would suffer from diarrhoea and vomiting. From there they would continue to suffer fluid loss until they eventually died. Making special exception for the crisis, Ranma had changed back into a man, still young and healthy. Much strength was needed for digging graves and burning the infected houses. Three days after their first student had been affected, Ranma sat there cradling the man in his arms. Once Keiichi had been a great warrior. He was training so that he would be worthy of being one of the Shogun's elite warriors. Now he was a withered husk. Tears fell down his cheeks when Ranma looked up and spotted his wife. "Why does it have to happen? He had such promise. His honour was impeccable. Why do the Kami claim his life so young?" Moving the body from his arms Akane held her husband and offered her sympathy. With the pain of his curse, it was rare for them to hold each other like this. While he made the sacrifice at least once a week (and often more) so they could try for an heir, Ranma seldom had time to just hold her while he was a man. Gathering him in her arms, Akane lifted him to his feet and they left the dojo. "Kasumi oneechan came past this morning. There are another twelve people sick this week. What are we going to do?" Ranma patted her head. Every day she became more beautiful in his eyes, and when he thought of her looking like Keiichi, his heart was gripped by an icy fist. "We will do what we must. Come, let us tell our fathers. It is time for the Tendo dojo to move to a new location." The news was not met with happiness by the two ageing masters. Genma still acted like a man half his age, but Soun had recently left the tasks of training students to Genma and the children. Soun coughed once and spoke with the firmness which came from being the family's leader for decades. "No. This has been the site of the Tendo dojo since 1432. We will not desert it. This is where I was born. This is where I will die." The next two weeks saw many of the town's inhabitants leave. Nabiki and Tatewaki left when recalled by the district's Lord. They would never abandon their position, but no criminal would risk their life in a plague stricken town. Some of the students of the dojo left, but since the new acknowledged Master of Anything Goes was teaching daily now, most deemed it worthy of staying. For the last few years it had been Genma and Akane which took most of the classes. On occasion Ranma would teach or train with the students, but only when he was in his man form. No respected warrior would tolerate fighting with a twelve year old girl. Since he only aged when he was a man, Ranma still looked young, around seventeen. Even so, his skill in the Art had surpassed his father, and all bowed to him when he entered the dojo. His consistent presence was a signal event in the dojo. When Tendo Soun died from the plague that week, Ranma entered the dojo with his body and placed him on a unlit pyre at the far wall. When the class came in, they found the two masters of the Art kneeling and facing them. Ranma eventually spoke when all of their students were in attendance. "This town has been cursed by the Kami. It was Father's words that this dojo would be where he died, and so it shall be. It is time for all of us to obey the dictates of the Kami and leave this cursed town. We will be re-establishing the dojo in the north. Almost three hundred kilometres to the north of here there are a set of natural hot springs. All who wish to learn are invited to go there in three years. "All I ask is that you travel our nation and learn the Martial Arts. When next we meet, you shall teach, and I shall learn. With your assistance, we shall continue to develop the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts." Ranma and Akane held each other closely as the dojo burned. Genma stood their and cried silent tears for his life long friend. Soun's funeral pyre burned brightly in the night. With the fire went over a hundred years of heritage, and the body of the greatest Sensei that decade. Some may have known more, some may have been better fighters, but Soun had been able to teach without peer. He had spread the Art to hundreds of young people, and aided the Shogun's forces many times in teaching his greatest soldiers. Needless to say, it rained buckets for the following month. As a twelve year old girl, Ranma had speed, strength and endurance beyond anything which could be expected, but she was unable to match the pace set by the fully grown adults she travelled with. Consequently it took almost a whole month for the trio to reach their destination. Building a new home was a labour of love. Ranma could use one of the boiling springs to change his form with ease, then he and Akane would smash trees or chop wood to build their new home. As a Panda, Genma had massive strength, which he used to move objects no human could hope to shift. In six months, the Tendo Dojo of Anything Goes Martial Arts was reborn. Despite the availability of easy hot water, and the frequent efforts of the loving couple, Akane was still without child. She stayed that way until the day Genma died. He was an old man of fifty two when it happened. Chibi-Ranma was preparing dinner, and Genma was digging in the garden in Panda form. With a look of amazement on his fuzzy face, the panda jerked upright and grabbed it's chest. When Genma spontaneously reverted to human form, Ranma raced out. He grieved for two weeks at the loss of his father. Classes were cancelled, and it was only Akane's strength which brought him through. By this time, Akane had moved into the full bloom of maturity, and Ranma believed - and told her - every day she was everything to him. It was only when he lost his father did he truly appreciate what he had in his family. His father had been there for him every day of his life that he could remember. His sage advice and reckless, hearty humour had seemed such a burden before. Now their absence was a hole in his heart. As always, Akane filled that hole. In the months that passed following his father's death, the couple grew even closer. Akane too felt his loss, because there had always been the hope that one day she could present him with a grandchild. The one thing in her life which she should have been able to succeed at - especially given the fertility of her sisters - she was as much a failure as when she cooked. People still came to train at the Tendo dojo, but as time passed, the numbers dropped. Akane was no longer able to handle the advanced classes she once could, and people refused to learn from 'Tendo Miyagi' the girl they said was her daughter. The year of 1641 brought it's own difficulty. Although a revered family, students no longer came to the dojo, unless it was to learn the wisdom of the elderly matriarch which lived there. As the rumours spread of her isolation, bandits also learned. Since her only known companions were her young granddaughter, and a young man, the obvious conclusions were reached. If a man young enough to be her grandchild was living - and by all accounts, sleeping - with her, it meant that he must have some pressing reason. What reason could be more pressing than the inheritance of whatever wealth she had obviously amassed? '41 and '42 saw the defeat of not less than thirty bandits, who attacked in groups of between two and ten. Quickly the story of the legendary might of the young warrior prevented any more attempts on the gold they believed was there. Six years later, Ranma lay in his bed, cradling the frail form of his wife. Until the last two years, Akane had aged gracefully and slowly. Recently, the years had begun to show. While he looked like a nineteen year old - never ageing in his cursed form - she showed every hour. Now she lay in the cold bed. Not even the raging fire, or the proximity of his body could warm her any more. The old woman looked at her young husband. "Ranma." "I'm here, Akane. I'll always be here for you." "I'm sorry, Ranma. So sorry. I failed you." He smoothed her grey hair (it seemed like yesterday it was thick, and so black it was almost blue). "Shhh. You never failed me. No man could ever ask more from his wife than the love you have given me." Akane coughed a couple of times and tightened her grip on his hand. She hardly had the strength of a child now. "I always wanted to give you a son. A son which would be as proud, and strong and handsome as you." Gripping her tightly he kissed her face tenderly. "Akane, my life was complete from the day I met you. You are my life and my soul. I will love you always." Akane repeated the words of love and rested. She died some time that night. Three days later, Ranma left the ashes of his heart and home. For decades he had wished for the cure to his curse. Perhaps if he had been a full husband to Akane, they could have had the child she wanted so much. Now he simply wanted the cure so that he could be able to grow old and join her some day. --- End Of Chapter The characters contained within this story are owned by Takahashi Rumiko and Takeuchi Naoko. No infringement of copyright is intended. This work to be distributed for free, unchanged, crediting the current author. Thanks to my pre-readers: Saran This is a crossover between Ranma 1/2 and Sailor Moon. To make the two stories fit together the way I wanted, I needed to shuffle the dates at which a few things occur within the main timeline of Sailor Moon. I bow my head in shame: please forgive. Die hard fans of Ranma may also notice a very subtle change to its story timeline... This story is dedicated to the letters A and K the number 8. Visit my website at dzillman@ozemail.com.au http://www.ozemail.com.au/~dzillman/fire _________________ / \ | Destiny's Child | \_________________/ What has gone before: While on a training trip with his father, Ranma fell into the spring of the drowned young girl. Unfortunately, his curse can only be changed back with _very_ hot water, which means he spends most of the time in his cursed form. Not only that, but since the spring was drowned young girl, he turns into a 12 year old girl who never ages. It is now the mid 1600s, and Ranma must deal with the fact that Akane - his wife of the last 50 years - has just died of old age, and he still looks like an 18 year old. Oh, yeah. If George Lucas can get away with calling Star Wars part 4, I can call Chapter 2 that also... ------------------- Part IV, A New Hope ------------------- The small girl, eyes filled with pain beyond her years descended from the hills and walked to the coast. Wherever she went, she would seek the best fighters and the best teachers, and learn what she could. Medicine and fighting were the two goals in her life. With enough knowledge she could find a cure. When she was cured, she could grow old. One day becoming a lady, rather than a young girl. For if a girl can be come a lady, then a lady can become an elder, and one day she can join her family in the heavens. Ranma was not counting on any miracle cures, she would be perfectly happy - well, almost - if only she could age gracefully and naturally. Every journey begins with but a single step. The journey to old age begins with being a lady. Ranma's goal had always been to be the greatest Martial Artist possible, and to be the manliest man possible. Now he added that while a girl, he wanted to be a lady. She travelled Japan for three years searching for knowledge, questing for her elusive goal. As time passed, she came to realise that she was looking for the end of the journey, rather than the start. Taking a boat to China, 'Tendo Yuki' headed for Jusenkyo. * * * Yuki looked down on the pools of Jusenkyo and marvelled at how little they had changed in the last five decades. All the little bamboo poles were still there, looking as freshly cut as the day when she and her father had arrived the first time. Walking along the edge of the pools, she looked down into the cursed waters and wondered what spirit dwelt within the spring. She was leaning over the water, trying to see into the depth when she heard a voice behind her. It was unmistakably the Guide, but he sounded depressed and resigned. "Oh, little Miss. You no go near cursed Spring, is very bad you fall in." When Yuki turned and walked away from the spring, the Guide almost fell over. People never heard what the Guide was saying until it was too late. A dozen times the Guide had seen people come to Jusenkyo and had tried to warn them away: each time they had ignored him. If a person was doomed to be cursed, they would never notice the Guide's warnings until it was too late. When she was next to the Guide, Yuki looked up (compared to the massive figure of the Guide, Yuki's slender juvenile frame made it quite a way to look up). "Don't worry about me. From what you told me, there's no danger of me ever falling into one of the springs." "No! Little Miss, is very bad. You should not try. Go home now. Very tragic if you fall in." Yuki laughed. "Oh, something like the Nyanniichuan, a very tragic story of young girl who drowned in the spring 1500 years ago?" The Guide patted her on the back and led her into his hut. "Don't know where you hear story of Nyanniichuan, but no risk of that. Spring of Nyanniichuan destroyed fifty year ago. Spring dry up and vanish. No more spring of drowned young girl any more." Yuki sat down and gasped in astonishment. All of the healers and priests she had spoken to over the last three years agreed on one thing. The best chance they would have to counter the curse would be if they had a sample of the cursed water to work with. If the spring was gone, even that hope was dashed. Seeing his guest in such a distraught state, the Guide took her inside, prepared tea and pressed a cup into her hands. Seeing the small bowl of tea, Yuki looked up at the Guide and smiled. It's been so long, he probably doesn't recognise me. After sipping at the tea for a moment, Yuki decided it was time for a demonstration. Reaching past the Guide, she lifted the pot of hot water off the stove. When she poured it over her head and shuddered in pain, the Guide gave a short scream and stepped backwards. "No! Is not possible! Is no Nyanniichuan! You find hot spring of drowned boy?" Ranma looked at the Guide and he seemed to be terrified out of his wits. "Calm down man! I've been here before, remember? You explained it all to me: the cursed springs, hot and cold water, the spring of drowned Jusenkyo Guide. Please, you have to remember. I need your help." Still breathing hard, the Guide had backed to the other side of the room. Taking a few deep breaths, he finally managed to get himself under control. "I new Guide, only been here six year. You too young to have been cursed here before then. Where you get curse?" Ranma sighed and took a sip of his tea. "I got cursed here fifty years ago, probably just before the Nyanniichuan dried up. While I was training with my father, he fell into the spring of the drowned panda. I fell into the spring of the drowned young girl." The Guide shook his head, jowls wobbling. "Is no possible. You no more than nineteen. How you fall in spring of drowned girl?" "Ah! There's your problem. It wasn't the spring of drowned girl. It was the spring of drowned _young_ girl. Do you have any idea what it's like to spend almost every minute of the last five decades as a twelve year old girl?" The Guide did not say a thing. He just turned his big shoulders and faced a wall. Ranma looked enviously at his back. Sure, he wasn't in great shape, but he was a man. Why should he be upset? Was... was he actually crying there? Slowly the guide turned around with some moist tracks down his cheeks and spoke softly. "I... I no understand. I fall in spring when I seventeen year old girl. Now I spend every day as fat old man. Once... Once I great warrior. Now I nothing more than fisherman. I collect people who fall in spring, try keep them alive. Never... Never get to live my life..." When the Guide began to cry in earnest, Ranma became concerned. Stepping around the table he placed an arm around the Guide's shoulders and held him tight. It didn't take long before the Guide was clinging tightly to him, crying like the woman she was on the inside. The Guide's curse was the harshest of all the curses from Jusenkyo. If the Guide died, someone would quickly fall into the spring and be cursed to become the new Guide. For this reason, no-one would ever try and cure the Guide. All his food was provided, but none would stay with him, for to do so was to court the danger of the legendary cursed springs. Worse still was what happened when a Guide tried to leave Jusenkyo. The Kami that watched the springs obviously wanted a Guide, and anybody that had been chosen and tried to leave the place was befallen by any number of horrible fates. From surrounding villages she had heard tales of Guides' friends catching all manner of diseases, towns burning to the ground around them and crops failing for miles. The Guide would never be harmed, but they would never be welcomed anywhere else in the world. Ranma and the Guide talked long into the night. While the Guide had never heard of anyone ever being cured of their curse, he suspected it was possible. The magic of the springs was powerful, but surely there must be some limit. Although the hope was small, the Guide continually clung to the hope that some day there would be a cure and he would be changed back into a girl. Already the best years of her life had been robbed away, and it seemed unlikely that would change, or she would ever be able to get them back. As the fire in the hut was guttering low, Ranma spoke of his life and his goals. All he really wanted was to be able to grow old and die, to be with his beloved wife. He realised that suicide was possible, but that was just a coward's way of saying that they could not fight the way life was. Ranma was going to hang on to life until it was stolen from his grasp. He just wanted to remove the curse so that nature could take its toll. It hurt to much to see everyone and everything you loved grow old, wither and die while you watched through the eyes of a child. Offering Ranma a place to stay, the two turned in for the night. Tomorrow they would again pool their knowledge. Perhaps they may have a clue to the cure that the other needed. During the night it rained. Needless to say, the roof above Ranma's head leaked slightly (and for the first time in years). When Ranma awoke it was as a she, not a he. Over breakfast, the Guide told Ranma of his village, the Joketsuzoku. They were mighty Amazon warriors and would be happy to take in a girl as talented as Ranma. Since they lived close to the springs, they were also the most likely to be the ones which would have a cure. Ranma in turn told the Guide of his life and love with Akane. It was three years since she had died, but every day still started as a bleak and hopeless look at the future: alone, and eternally missing the one woman who he truly loved. Eventually Ranma left for the Joketsuzoku. As she left the Guide's hut, she promised the Guide: 'If I ever find a cure for the curse, I will return here. You won't have to take the cure, but I promise you that I will offer it.' While he walked down the hill, leaving the valley which held the springs, he wondered which was worse: being a man in a young girl's body, or being a girl in a man's body, and knowing you were losing your own life as time ticked by. --- End Of Chapter The characters contained within this story are owned by Takahashi Rumiko or Takeuchi Naoko. No infringement of copyright is intended. This work to be distributed for free, unchanged, crediting the current author. This is a crossover between Ranma 1/2 and Sailor Moon. To make the two stories fit together the way I wanted, I needed to shuffle the dates at which a few things occur within the main timeline of Sailor Moon. I bow my head in shame: please forgive. We also have guest appearances by Slayers and 3x3 Eyes. Die hard fans of Ranma may also notice a very subtle change to it's story timeline... This story is dedicated to the letters A, and K and the number 8. Visit my website at dzillman@ozemail.com.au http://www.ozemail.com.au/~dzillman/fire _________________ / \ | Destiny's Child | \_________________/ Summary of Chapter 1: While on a training trip with his father, Ranma fell into the spring of the drowned young girl. Unfortunately, his curse can only be changed back with _very_ hot water, which means he spends most of the time in his cursed form. Not only that, but since the spring was drowned young girl, he turns into a 12 year old girl who never ages. It is now the mid 1600s, and Ranma must deal with the fact that Akane - his wife of the last 50 years - has just died of old age, and he still looks like an 18 year old. He has just returned to Jusenkyo only to find that the Nyanniichuan has dried up. He also learned the true horrors of the history of the Spring Of Drowned Jusenkyo Guide. Now he is going to a nearby tribe for help... ---------------------------- Getting Out Stains With Soap ---------------------------- Outside the gates to the village of the Joketsuzoku the black haired, pig tailed, young girl was challenged by two female sentries. When she said that she was a warrior from Japan who was seeking asylum within, they laughed. When Ranma demonstrated some Kata suited to the knowledge of a mid-level student of Anything Goes, one of them offered to escort him to a village elder. The old woman - Deodorant - listened to Ranma story while appearing to nod off. She was a withered old woman, and must have been over a hundred years old, but she still moved with the grace of a warrior. When Ranma was finished the Matriarch's eyes snapped open and focused on the small girl. "Well, Little Miss. I have some trouble believing your story. After all, no-one has ever known the cursed springs to have a beneficial side. They are _cursed_ springs after all. Would you object to a demonstration?" Ranma grumbled and eventually assented. If she was going to get the help of these people, she would need to show them everything. Besides which, it was also the polite thing to do, since they were to be her hosts for the near future. As soon as Ranma nodded, Deodorant whipped a kettle from nowhere and splashed the boiling water on her. As soon as Ranma stopped thrashing from the shock of the heat, Deodorant sniggered. "Your story is true, but you relax your guard too much to be a true warrior." "Grrr. Old woman, I am the Master of the Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts. The day I need to be afraid of a decrepit old woman like you is the day I need to return to the beginner's classes." "A challenge! Very well, please attack me, young Ronin." "Feh! I don't attack helpless old women." Even as the words left his mouth, Deodorant leapt at him, swinging her staff. Ranma jumped back out of the tent, doing back flips until he had space to recover. When he righted himself he saw the entire village had come to watch them fight. How they go here so fast, he was not sure. Then he realised that the sentries would have alerted anyone nearby. They would have told their friends, and so on. Now rather than watching a little girl fight an old woman, they would see a fully grown man in his fighting prime wipe the floor with her. Deodorant came out of the house and took a stance near him. Ranma also took his stance while the Matriarch told the rest of the village that there was no need to interfere. This was merely a training exercise. Either side would stop when unconsciousness was achieved, or when mercy was requested. Then she leapt. For anyone it was quite a jump, for an old woman, it was a miracle. She was beside Ranma in an instant and began throwing punches. At first he just dodged and blocked, but when she increased the pressure, he began to realise that he would lose if he never retaliated. Dodging to the side, he began to send his own fists flying. Unbelievably, the old woman managed to block this and still keep striking at him, and since he was not blocking as much, he started taking hits. Time to try a different tactic. Now Ranma switched styles and began to use a highly athletic form of combat. He bounced around and struck at the Matriarch constantly, forcing her to try to match his movement in an attempt to keep things equal. He had scored two decent hits when the old lady's arms vanished in a blur of speed. In a moment he had been struck two dozen times, then thrown across the arena and into a water barrel. Coughing and spitting, Ranma-chan burst from the barrel. Although she was much smaller and weaker, she was just as fast, and a smaller target to hit. Back and forth the ranged across the arena. This time Ranma was alert to the possibility of her speed punching attack, and leapt backward whenever she started. After ten minutes she had barely hit the Amazon leader, and she was a mass of bruises. The old woman had managed at least three pressure point strikes in that time too. She had returned the function of her left arm, but the supposedly debilitating pain strike had almost done her in. It was only slowly beginning to fade, and the Amazon was beginning to use her as a punching bag. Ignoring the pain, Ranma focused her energies and leapt vertically. Aerial combat was a speciality of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts; if the old woman wanted to fight her up here, she was welcome. When the Amazon did not join her, Ranma began striking her own pressure points. The woman obviously knew some she did not, because the pain strike could not be totally relieved. When Ranma touched down, she swayed for a moment then charged into battle. Everyone was obviously impressed by the jump, especially the old woman. For the next thirty seconds all she did was block and circle Ranma. Then, when Deodorant was finally close enough for Ranma to get some good blows in, she attacked. The next thing Ranma knew, she was flying high in the air, sucked up by a roaring, raging tornado. Battered by debris, and bruised by the winds, Ranma fell to the ground. Looking up at the old woman, Ranma struggled to one knee. Seeing Ranma move, Deodorant almost fell over. She had defeated her pressure points, dodged the Chestnut Fist, and now she survived an Rising Dragon Defeat. Still this man turned girl continued to fight. Ranma could barely move, but she crawled forwards. She had not lost a fight in three decades. Mercy or unconsciousness: there was no way she would ever ask for mercy. This time when the old woman used her speed punching technique, Ranma could not dodge. Ranma's eyes flicked open and saw the ceiling of a small hut. Damn. Damn again. Beaten by an old woman. He was almost glad that his father was dead, for today would forever be a stain upon the Tendo name. How the School would ever be mentioned in public without ridicule was something he could not even guess at. What person would ever want to learn Anything Goes ever again? Its master was a twelve year old girl most of the time, and even when he was a grown man, old women could defeat him in fair combat. Rolling over, Ranma saw Deodorant sitting on a chair. She was relieved to see that the old lady had a couple of bandages, and one arm was in a sling. She felt guilty about hurting her like that, but considering the way that she felt, it was nice to know that at least some of her blows had effect. With supreme effort, Ranma forced her way to her feet and stood shakily in front of the seated Matriarch, then bowed deeply. "Mistress, I humbly apologise for my presumption earlier." Deodorant cackled. "Girl, there would be perhaps two women in this village which would have lasted as long as you did in that battle, and they know every move which I used against you. The Joketsuzoku Amazons have over 2700 years of history in fighting, and I am the living repository of that knowledge. If I had been defeated, I would have shamed our village. What you have done is to make us realise the value of the outside world. I have already discussed the matter with the other Elders of the village, and they would like you to stay and pass on your knowledge." The girl's eyes closed to slits and she considered what she was being offered. "Mistress, your offer is most generous, but I have some problems with teaching. If I have to turn into a man before each lesson, I risk injury from the effect of such frequent boiling water. After all, who would want to take lessons from a twelve year old girl?" "They will take lessons from you as a girl for three reasons: first, they saw you fight as a girl. They know you could beat most of them that way. And second: this is an _amazon_ village. It's more likely they would object to taking lessons from a man. What does it matter if you look young? Do you judge me by my looks? And well you should not, for knowledge is my ally. And a powerful ally it is too. In a hundred years will you look so good?" When they stopped chuckling, Ranma sobered. "Actually, yes. In 100 years, I will look exactly as I do today. I fell into the spring of the drowned _young_ girl Mistress. That is why I came here: to try to find a cure for my curse." Deodorant shook her head sadly. "Such a burden for one so young. I have grave news for you indeed my friend. There is no cure. In all my time living here, and in 2700 years of Amazon history, we have never heard of a cure. All I can offer you is a place to stay where you will be accepted for who you are. A place where your talents will never be wasted, and where the cornerstones of society are loyalty and sorority. I offer you an exchange: stay here and teach, and we will teach you in turn." That statement bore thinking on. This was the closest village to the Cursed Training Grounds, and they had no cure. But the world was a large place... somewhere there would be magic powerful enough to cure him. He could not, would not, ever stop looking. "Mistress, your offer honours me. All I ask is that once I have taught you all I know, I may be free to leave some day. While I can stay here to learn and teach, I must someday find a cure; not just for myself, but for others who are affected." "Ha, Ha! You are a sharp one! No blind agreement to stay here. I accept, a trade as it were. Since you are a teacher of the Art, I only ask that you refrain from teaching our secret techniques to others in China or those who may harm us." She agreed, and Deodorant pushed her back onto the bed, insisting it was time to rest. Ranma could have a few days to rest, then it would be time for their exchange of knowledge to begin. Deodorant was just heading out the door when Ranma stopped her with a quiet word. "Mistress, you said that there were three reasons why they would learn from me. You told me two, what is the third?" Deodorant cackled as she left the room. Glancing back she favoured her new student with a smile. "Ha! A sharp one! Third reason is because I told them to do it, or else! HA HA HA HA HA HA!" In the weeks which followed, Ranma found herself being accepted by the members of the tribe. The Amazons had taken in a number of women over the years, and it was this very policy of openness which had forged the village in the beginning. Although she needed to prove her abilities on a daily basis initially, Ranma realised that it was the first time since Akane's death that she had ever felt that she had a home. Two months after he first arrived, Ranma changed back into a man. He had been in the form for twenty minutes when a group of angry looking armed women challenged him. Pleading his innocence, and dodging their attacks, he led them through the village in a high speed game of chase. Having fully developed muscles was such a blessing that Ranma regretted the need to change back. After playing with them for almost an hour, Ranma leapt on top of a water trough, feet straddling it. Seeing their prey cornered, the women circled him and began to advance. Looking at the back of the crowd, Ranma spotted Deodorant. With a smile and a wave, he brought his feet together and fell into the sun warmed water. Just as the villagers closed in, Ranma-chan popped her head out and gave them the cutest smile she could manage. "I did tell you who it was." The beating the gave her was all in good fun too: nothing too serious, but enough for her to remember not to surprise people like that. Ranma didn't mind, when they finished brawling, everyone was laughing, splashing water, and having fun. Having a few hundred sisters could drive the loneliness from her heart for hours at a time. That night, Ranma realised how much she missed Akane and cried herself to sleep. It was winter when the Musk and the Joketsuzoku went to war again. It was a harsh winter, and the Musk leaders had decided that it would be easier to survive without their perpetual enemies. Villagers clashed and high powered martial artists waged war as only they could. By the time winter was over, no clear winner had emerged, and dozens from each side were dead. Deodorant died in the fighting, and was succeeded by Liniment. Ranma began her own collection of trophies in the cellar under her house. For every Musk warrior she defeated in battle, she was awarded 50% of the gold or items he carried. In the weeks which followed the battle, Ranma would occasionally go down to the cellar and look at the prizes. All his life he had been a teacher, fighting only to defend his family. Now he had a bigger family, and fought to defend their future, as well as their present. As Spring began, all the tribe gathered for one of their many celebrations. Life as a warrior was hard and short, so everyone learned to live life to the fullest. The Joketsuzoku partied as hard as they fought, and their idea of party games could kill lesser mortals. During the feasting (before the really serious drinking and gaming), Liniment stood on the table in the middle of the village and called everyone to order. "When she was alive, Deodorant was one of our greatest warriors and one of the wisest elders. Before she died, she made a request of the council of Elders. Normally the Elders would think on such a request for a long time and debate it's merits. This request took little consideration. Tendo Ranma: for what you have done, you are no more. For the way you acted in front of our enemies, I, leader of the Joketsuzoku say this: you are NO MORE!" A stunned silence hovered over the party. Everyone knew Ranma, she was a brave and valiant (if a little short) fighter. None could question her courage or ability. Why would she be cast out? "You wonder why I would cast her out? I do not, for only one of our village may be cast out. From this day fourth, Tendo Ranma is no more, she is now an honoured warrior of the Joketsuzoku! Rise, and let all people know and recognise you: Soap Onna Rope!" Before she could move, the little girl was hoisted from her chair and carried on the shoulders of the winner of the village's yearly Martial Tournament. The party that night exceed any in Ranma's memory, and carried on until the first rays of light edged over the horizon. It should be noted at this point that even though she was martial artist with tolerances and healing beyond the norm, it took four days to recover from the hang over. Living in the Amazon village gave Soap Onna Rope very little encouragement to change back into a man on a regular basis. The few times that he did over the following years he was usually treated as a stranger, and always as a second class citizen. Sometimes the idea of being stuck as a girl forever would become too much, and Soap would leave the village for several days to hike in the mountains. In times like these she would pitch camp, boil water and change back to a man. Then he would stay there and watch the sunset, and think of the things which were important, or more precisely, who was important. When the sun sank below the horizon, Ranma would train for a few hours, luxuriating in the strength, speed and toughness of his body. After training, Ranma would invariably change back to a girl, and cry herself to sleep. The Kami had made it quite plain about what they thought of him trying to stay a man and die of old age. Any night he went to bed a man, it would rain. Somehow, some way, he would get wet: welcome back Soap Onna Rope. Soap was a popular girl in the village. She was smart, incredibly skilled for her age, and had the fiery spirit of a true warrior. Everyone in the village knew about Jusenkyo, but most did not realise that Soap was one of the cursed individuals. Certainly they may have seen his original fight with Deodorant, but by now that was fading into the past. A decade without reminders would tend to dull the sharpest memories. To most of the villagers, Soap was simply a villager who had been cursed to never bloom into womanhood. Soap was a small girl, but she had obviously halted her ageing on the verge of blooming. This fact did not escape the notice of the young boys in the village. Kids which had been babes in arms when Soap first entered the village were now in her apparent age group. As one of her duties in the village, Soap was teaching an intermediate course in unarmed combat. Intermediate was a fuzzy sort of word, since it implied that there was a beginners and an advanced course. This was not really the case: everyone learned to fight from their family as soon as they could walk, and when you were good enough, you stopped the intermediate classes for private tuition. After her class finished for the day, Soap watched with pride as the children moved off to relax for a while. Training was well and good, but even Amazons needed to rest some times. She was turning to go back to her own hut when one of her students came up to her and stood uncertainly beside her. Pretending not to notice him, she did a few stretches and let him sweat. Just when it looked like his nerve would fail him, Soap turned slightly and 'happened' to gain a glimpse. "Oh, hello there Brush. I didn't notice you. Can I help you with something?" Brush blushed all the way to the roots of his hair. 'She remembers my name!' "Err, Soap, I was wondering... would... would you like to take a walk?" Shrugging, Soap looked around. No more classes today, don't have to see Liniment until tonight. "Sure, Brush. Lead on." Walking beside her, Brush bubbled with excitement. He knew she was older than she looked, especially since she was the one teaching the class, not taking it. However, he was fourteen, so she could not be much older than him. They walked along the streets for a while, and gradually Brush led them to the main entrance to village. When they got there, Brush went and had a chat to his sister who was one of the two sentries. Figuring that Brush was trying to arrange for the two of them to be outside without an adult, Soap wandered over to the other sentry. Smiling happily, the sentry gave the smaller girl a quick hug: Soap had been her unarmed combat instructor five years ago. "What's up with Brush?" Soap glanced over her shoulder. "Don't know. He seemed a bit nervous. I figure he wants to ask out one of the girls in the class and wants to get some good advice from the teacher." "Makes sense. Well, no Musk raiders have been reported recently, but there's a wolf pack somewhere to the south at the moment, so be careful or head north." "Gotcha. Whoops, here he comes. I'll report in when we return." Waving goodbye, Soap followed Brush, gently leading them north on one of the trails leading from the village. Brush spoke up, his voice filled with pride. "That was my big sister back there. She said she'd cover for me if I went for a walk with one of the girls from the class. I guess she figures I can keep the two of us safe." "Probably, there shouldn't be anything out there at the moment to worry about. Did you tell her who you were taking?" "No, she trusts me. She tells me that I fight so well I should start looking for a girl to be my wife sometime soon." Soap smiled inwardly. She was right! He did want advice on one of the girls in the class. Probably wanted a bit of advice on their fighting styles. Nothing wrong with a little advance planning. "Probably a good idea. The younger you marry, the more time you can spend with the woman you love. Did you have anyone in mind?" They stopped by a small stream. In the sunlight the water bubbled and gurgled happily. After looking at the ground for a while, Brush summoned his courage and looked into Soaps large purple eyes. "Soap Onna Rope... I would like to challenge you for marriage." Immediately Soap went as rigid as a board and turned away from the boy. 'He doesn't know. He doesn't know. There's no need to kill him. There's no need to kill him.' Clenching and unclenching her fists beside her, she fought to bring her emotions under control. Bad enough that he would have the audacity to ask another guy out - 'he doesn't know' - but he happened to choose a day only a week after the anniversary of his marriage - 'there's no need to kill him'. Finally she turned around and stared up at the boy. He was an inch or two taller, and looked a year or two older. Probably figures it will be an even fight, but he might wear me down... "Brush... You really don't know about me do you?" "Not much, I've heard you're older than you look, but you can't be that much older. Now come on, I challenged you: let's fight." Soap sighed and backed into a fighting stance. She knew the laws of the village when she became an Amazon, she just hadn't realised that this one would apply to her. "All right. I accept your challenge. All I ask is that if I win, you don't mention this to anyone for a week. After that... it's up to you." Brush nodded once, then charged her, doing a leap kick. Needless to say, it went though empty space. When Brush recovered and turned, Soap was there, hands behind her back, trying to look innocent. He came in again, this time going for a series of punches and leg sweeps. While Soap hopped and dodged, she examined his style. Reasonably fast, but not tight enough. Dropping under a left hook, she berated herself. A student's ability reflected on the teacher, and he had just left an opening wide enough to drive a cart through. Have to revise that in class. Hop over the leg sweep. Come on boy, get your arm down, your side is exposed. After a dozen attacks, Soap gave a little jump and waved at Brush from ten meters away. "I hope your not getting tired. I haven't finished stretching yet!" Brush puffed a few times and advanced on her again. Perhaps this wasn't the best idea. She had evaded everything he had, and made it look easy. But Brush had fought young girls before, he knew if he got a couple of blows in against someone as small as her, she would be on the ground permanently. He was still five meters away when Soap looked at him and smiled. "Goodnight." Ceiling. Brush was sure that there were not any ceilings in this part of the forest. Sitting up, he looked around. Hmm, definitely one of the huts in the village... but I don't recognise it. The furniture (what little there was) was all simple. Just the mattress he was on, a table, some chairs, and a few cupboards. One of the chairs held a smiling man. Tall, dark hair, tied back like Soap's... he could almost be her brother. That was probably who he was, but Brush was sure that Soap did not have any relatives. "Brush. Good to see you awake. My real name is Tendo Ranma, but when I'm in the village most people call me Soap Onna Rope." Brush laughed. Soap was a girl, and quite a nice looking one at that. A bit small, and still young looking, but undeniably a girl. She was also at least a foot shorted than Ranma, and probably half his weight. Ranma stood up and wandered over to where Brush was sitting. When he was close enough, he crouched down and looked the boy in the eyes. Brush reached out for the glass of water Ranma carried, but he easily held it away. "This is why I didn’t want you to challenge me." With a splash, Ranma shrunk. The loose robe he had been wearing seemed to balloon on the small form, and in under a second the clear purple eyes of Soap stared at him, where once Ranma's blue eyes had been. "Jusenkyo. I'm a guy, Brush. Most people her don't know or care because I can't change back often. I thought you ought to know... just in case you wanted to try again. Follow me for a minute, I want to show you something." Small tears trickled down the side of Brush's face. He was disgraced. Not only had he failed in his first challenge for marriage, but he had challenged a _man_. One of his best friends, his teacher, the girl he liked most in the whole village was a man. By this time tomorrow, he would be lucky if he could ever show his face in public again. After a few moments he realised that Soap was waiting for him. She had pushed aside a floor mat and had lifted up a trapdoor. This was a reasonably common thing in Amazon houses, hidden cellars, false ceilings, false backs in cupboards, fake chimneys, even fake plumbing. If you have something valuable, you hide it; not from other villagers, but from thieves or attackers. Getting off his backside, Brush followed Soap underground and into a series of locked rooms, radiating out from a central chamber. All he could think was it would take a lot of time and effort to dig this through the rock. When she opened one door, he trudged through the fell to his knees in awe. The entire room was filled with gold, jewels and ornate weapons and armour. "You realise that when we fight another village or go to war, a winner gets to keep some of the loot, the spoils of victory? All this is mine. Every knife, every coin. Every item you see here I took from the dead hand of an enemy of the Joketsuzoku who I killed with my bare hands. Bandits, Musk, wild animals, traitors or regular Chinese army. I just wanted you to know there is a reason you lost today." Soap ushered the star struck boy from her hoard and closed the door. Next she opened the opposite door. "This is a shrine Brush. It's a Japanese tradition, to help you remember someone dear to you. I would trade everything in that room for one more minute with Akane." Akane was the woman in the pictures which adorned the shrine. Ranma had paid the best artist in the village to paint them and work until they matched the face in his memory. One large and two smaller portraits of the woman he loved. The large one was Akane in the prime of her beauty, say late twenties. The smaller ones were when she was a girl, and when she was older. In each she held the same beauty for Ranma. A tear trickled down Soap's cheek just looking at her. "Your mother?" "MY WIFE! When I married her she looked just like that. And when she died, that's her in the other picture. Find someone, Brush, and grow old with them. I got cursed, and thirteen years ago I watched my wife die of old age. Not a day goes by when I do not miss her. Believe me Brush, there is nothing worse than watching, day-by-day, year-by-year as the woman you love dies before your eyes and there is nothing you can do." Soap took a deep breath, bowed to the pictures and lead Brush back up to the main room. "I never really expected to marry anyone here, either as a man or a woman. I'm afraid you caught me by surprise today. When I brought you back here, we came over the wall, so no-one knows we were here. I don't want people to know you challenged me, because they might try too. You probably don't want people to know either. I'll get us back out of here, then we can come in the normal way." Brush looked at his teacher - possibly even his friend - with hope. "We just went for a walk?" "We just went for a walk." Class the next day was a bit different. Soap knew she needed to do something which would keep the wolves at bay, or more people would challenge her. "Today, I'm going to show you what it means to be a warrior of the village! Along with your sisters, and a few brothers, I have defended this village against all who would attack it. For practice today, I shall demonstrate how much you have to learn before you can consider yourself suitable to teach the advanced pupils. I currently teach three advanced warriors. Use any technique, and any blunt weapon. "The person who defeats me and takes the tiara I am wearing gets to keep it." The prize in question was a simple gold tiara which Soap had won when the village had killed a group of slavers which had travelled nearby. A pretty trinket, and a suitable reward if anyone was good enough. Even attacking twelve to one, she expected to keep it easily. After arming themselves with staves, bokken and bonbori, the students attacked as one. She let them play for five minutes, simple dodging and blocking all their attacks. Then she struck back. Soap not only beat them, she demolished them. Before rendering one of them unconscious, she would give them a quick work over. Nothing permanent, and no special techniques, just enough bruises to show them who was boss, and who was the better fighter. The next day she gave the tiara to the one girl who had actually hit her. Liniment was not entirely pleased with the little demonstration. She didn't mind the fact that Soap was showing off, or the fact that she beat up so many students. Liniment just disliked the fact that she was one of the best healers in the village, and she would have to prepare lots more pain killers and healing ointments. As punishment to Soap, she began to instruct her as a healer. --- End of Chapter The characters contained within this story are owned by Takahashi Rumiko or Takeuchi Naoko. No infringement of copyright is intended. This work to be distributed for free, unchanged, crediting the current author. This is a crossover between Ranma 1/2 and Sailor Moon. To make the two stories fit together the way I wanted, I needed to shuffle the dates at which a few things occur within the main timeline of Sailor Moon. I bow my head in shame: please forgive. We also have guest appearances by Slayers and 3x3 Eyes. Die hard fans of Ranma may also notice a very subtle change to it's story timeline... This story is dedicated to the number 4 and the letter Q. Thanks to my pre-reader: Ranmas Visit my website at dzillman@ozemail.com.au http://www.ozemail.com.au/~dzillman/fire _________________ / \ | Destiny's Child | \_________________/ What has gone before: While on a training trip with his father, Ranma fell into the spring of the drowned young girl. Unfortunately, his curse can only be changed back with _very_ hot water, which means he spends most of the time in his cursed form. Not only that, but since the spring was drowned young girl, he turns into a 12 year old girl who never ages. It is now the mid 1600s, and Ranma must deal with the fact that Akane - his wife of the last 50 years - has just died of old age, and he still looks like an 18 year old. He has just returned to Jusenkyo only to find that the Nyanniichuan has dried up. He also learned the true horrors of the history of the Spring Of Drowned Jusenkyo Guide. Since then, he has moved to the village of the Joketsuzoku. Now he lives there with his friend Brush, the first boy to have proposed to his girl side for marriage. ---------------------------------------- When The Cat Is Away, The Mice Will Play ---------------------------------------- Five years later it was Soap Onna Rope who was the midwife delivering Brush's wife's baby. It was a beautiful child, bright red, and coughing and crying from the first moments. Every sign was there of a healthy baby. Soap smiled as she showed the new-born warrior to Brush's wife. "You have a perfect little baby girl. What will you name her?" The girl smiled, holding Brush with one arm and the baby with the other. "Cologne." In all his years, Ranma had known a great many children. The village had lots of them, they were an essential part of its future. Akane had often been upset at her own failure to have children, given the fact that both her sisters had broods of six. The Tendo sisters and their children had visited them several times, especially in the early days when the Dojo was still in the same town that they were. Ranma liked children: there was something special about them, an energy, a naivete, an endless joy which swept up everyone nearby. Somehow, Cologne was special. She was the first person Ranma had known from the very moment of their birth. Ranma knew Cologne from the very first seconds of life, even before she started to breath. When Cologne was born, it was Ranma's hands which were the first sensations which she would ever feel. When Ranma was taking the baby girl to her mother, it was Ranma's face which Cologne saw the first time she ever opened her eyes. From the instant Ranma saw her wrinkled head, Ranma loved Cologne like her own daughter. The fact that the father was one of her best friends in the Amazon village also help matters. Over the next few days, Ranma spent as much time with little Cologne as either of her parents. Although she eventually picked up her duties in the village again, Soap spent every spare moment with the child and happy couple. Even when she was not with them, she was thinking about them. Brush was excited by the fact that his best friend loved his child so much. After Ranma's revelation, they had become much closer. Closer to the point where Brush realised the huge burden of suffering and loss which Ranma carried. Brush sincerely hoped that Ranma / Soap's love for Cologne would help her get over the loss of his wife, and begin to accept the future. The prospect of having Soap as a beloved Aunt was not purely selfless of course. Soap was considered one of the premier warriors in the village, if not the best. Since she was still considered a maiden, she was eligible (and encouraged) to enter the yearly Martial Tournament. Every year she refused, and it was only on years where a particularly egotistical girl took the competition did anyone _not_ suggest that Ranma could be the winner if she desired. The protection and education which was offered by having such a friend for your child could not be overlooked in this harsh world. Similarly, the fact that Soap was one of the village's designated Mistress Healers meant free and instant medical attention. From the day Cologne could walk, Soap was there, helping her, training her. If Cologne fell, or was hurt in a fight, Soap would appear in moments with encouragement or, if needed, first aid. Soap had just finished taping a bandage onto the little six year old's arm when her father appeared. "What happened to her this time?" Cologne looked up at her father and smiled. "Lotion and I were fighting a monster in the cave, Daddy. Then it woke up and it got mad, so we ran back here. I tripped over and cut my arm. Are we going to hunt the monster, Auntie Soap?" Soap patted the head of the little girl. "No, not today. Cologne- chan, you take Lotion back to Mummy. I need to have a talk to your Daddy." Cologne nodded her head, dark hair bobbing cutely as she tried to look serious. When she was out of earshot, Soap turned to Brush and snarled. "I realise we can't guard them all the time, but when I find out who was on gate duty, we're going to have a little 'chat'." Brush did not need to look into her eyes to see the fire that they held. The forest was filled with all sorts of dangerous animals. The villagers liked it that way: free protection from strangers, and it helped to keep them on their toes. On the other hand, the forest was not the place for six year olds to be playing unattended. "Are we going to look for the monster?" "Damn right. If we have a bear moving in for hibernation, we need to tell everyone where not to go. Could also be important if winter's bad." Brush grunted and the two set off for the cave that Cologne and Lotion had described to Soap. They were approaching the cave when Brush restarted the conversation. "What was that name you used earlier? Cologne-chan?" "Yeah. I'm originally Japanese, and I remembered that's what we used to call each other when we were young, and when we got older, that's what we called the cute little kids." There was not much more that could be said really. Most people could tell that Soap had some sort of ethnic background, but when you considered that she had looked twelve for the last twenty years, minor details began to fall by the wayside. In silence the pair entered the cave and looked around. It was fairly deep, and quite dry inside. A cave like this would be the perfect retreat for almost any form of animal. Something as dangerous as a bear would love this cave for the winter, or even the most dangerous animal out there: man. They had searched the cave and found nothing. The kids had probably scared it as badly as it scared them. They were almost back at the entrance to the cave when a low growl reached them. Instantly both of them paused. Holding up a hand, Soap advanced alone. In moments she was back, stumbling backwards, shaking in fear, her expressive eyes large and flicking around the room for any sign of escape. Following her lead, Brush backed up. If the mighty Soap Onna Rope was scared, then it must be some sort of horrid demon which was approaching. He had seen Soap fearlessly charge into a crowd of Musk warriors two years ago during a minor border incursion, so he know there was no-one - man or beast - which she feared. They had reached the back of the cave, retreating ahead of the sounds, and Brush said a silent prayer hoping for the safety of his family. When the scent of wet fur reached them, Brush knew his demise must be at hand. Soap was starting to gibber in fear beside him, and was almost trying to push through the rock. Whatever demon this was, merely to see it must induce fear, sufficient to cripple the greatest Amazon he knew. When the creature finally stepped into view, he almost collapsed. Sure, it was unusual to see a Bengal Tiger in this part of China, but he know a dozen warriors which could slay the animal without breaking a sweat, and while Soap was definitely one of them, he was not. Dropping into a combat stance, Brush prepared to meet his maker with as any Amazon should. Needless to say, his respect for his friend fell even further when she began to scream like the little girl she obviously was. The tiger advanced. It could smell their fear, and it knew that it had not eaten in several days. If these were the inhabitants of it's new home, they would soon be lunch. With a snarl and a roar, it leapt at Brush, knocking the man to one side with a massive paw. Despite his speed and training, Brush took almost the full impact of the blow, all he had managed to do was prevent the inevitable by not being opened up by the massive claws. Turning to him, he could smell the beast's fetid carnivore breath as it arrived to deal the final blow. The great cat had just raised its deadly paw when a snarling challenge was called out from beside it. Man and beast turned and to see the small form of Soap, crouched on the ground on all fours. Her mouth was open and hissing, while she held one curled hand off the ground in a similar posture to the tiger. All trace of fear had been washed from her face as she advanced on the tiger. Brush and tiger both realised the futility of Soap's attempt to fool the animal. From that position, no human could muster the speed or strength to fight effectively. The fact that a forty kilo girl was less than a third the size of the cat did nothing to improve the image which she was trying to project. Before Brush could intervene, both the combatants jumped at each other. They met in mid-air, and became a rolling, boiling ball of blood, fur and limbs. Shrill screams of pain filled the air, while blood blossomed around the cave, coating everything a brilliant red. By the time Brush had regained his feet so he could leap into the fray, he was dodging the pieces of flesh which flew from the still snarling whirlwind in the middle of the cave. As a terrifying roar split the air, he lowered his arms and saw a blood covered Soap perched on what little remained of the tiger. Despite the fact that she was covered head to toe in blood and other bits of undetermined nature, Soap seemed unhurt. Brush moved towards his friend, only to halt when he saw the look of pure savage, vicious bloodlust he backed off. Soap leaned down and took a bite at the carcass near her hands, picking up the cat in her mouth. Following the Soap out of the cave, Brush could only wonder at what demon now possessed his friend. He knew that Soap was no ordinary girl, and that she was stronger than most men, but what sort of strength allowed you to carry a hundred kilos of tiger corpse in your teeth? His concern grew as they approached they village. After seeing Soap fight before, and seeing how quickly she managed to kill the tiger, he seriously wondered how many people would die before they could kill whatever was controlling Soap. They reached the wooden picket which surrounded the village, and Soap simply jumped to the top and then inside. The fence was designed to keep everyone but the strongest of animals or warrior from the village, and she had just jumped it while burdened. Yelling for help, Brush rushed for the entry gate. There was no way he could climb the stockade in time to help, all he could do was pass the news as quickly as possible. By the time he had arrived at the gate and passed inwards, the commotion was already starting. A blood covered girl carrying a tiger in her mouth through the centre of the village is not something that you normally see. A large crowd had gathered to watch what was going on when Soap arrived at the hut where Cologne and Lotion were playing. The two children looked up and squealed when they saw their friend. All Neko-Soap did was drop her burden at Cologne's feet and purr. Little Cologne gave a short squeal of terror and backed away, running for her mother who was standing in the doorway of their home. The woman looked down at her terrified daughter, and at the blood covered girl and frowned. "Soap, what on earth do you think your doing?" Soap did not respond, but only bounced over the corpse and rubbed one bloody flank up against the little girl. "Soap! Stop this immediately! Your terrifying little Cologne!" Still ignoring the adult, Soap was getting into Cologne's game. As the scared girl would retreat around her mother, Soap would follow her. Some of the Amazons were getting sufficiently concerned about the girl's odd behaviour that they started to advance. Some of the weapon wielding women had almost come within fighting distance when Liniment's aged but authoritative voice rang out over the village. "Hold! No one move!" Instantly everyone within earshot stopped moving. Even Soap stopped, but that was because she had managed to catch up with Cologne and was happily rubbing herself against the small girl. By the time Liniment made her way to the hut, Cologne was tentatively patting Soap, wiping the matted hair back from her face, and getting a deep purr from her friend. Seeing another friend, Soap sat on Cologne's feet and began to work on cleaning her hands, licking off the blood. Liniment was almost ready to offer an explanation when Brush appeared. The man was frantic with worry, especially when he saw the deranged girl so close to his daughter. Pushing his way through the crowd, he was preparing to rescue his daughter when Liniment pressed a paralysis Shiatsu point on his neck. "Now that we are all here, does anyone know how this happened?" From where he lay at her feet, Brush gave an explanation of the events in the cave. Nodding contentedly to the story, Liniment waved the villagers in close and revealed all. "It appears that Soap has been trained in the Cat Fist. This is an awesome Martial Arts technique, which endows the user with almost super human speed and strength. The only drawbacks are the fact that almost no-one can survive the training, and it results in at least a temporary loss of sanity. "Sometimes the loss is permanent. "Neither we nor the Musk bother using the Cat Fist to train our warriors. It will only work on the best warriors, and even then many are driven insane. In times past, many strong, valiant warriors were lost, sacrificing their minds to the cat first, only few ever yielding the promised power. "Some fool has trained Soap in the Cat Fist. It makes her completely terrified of all cats, even the smallest kitten. It can also make her into a deranged killer if she or those she loves are threatened. "For now, everyone is quite safe. If no-one makes any sudden moves towards her, and no-one threatens her or the child, she should be quite harmless. Remember, now she has the mind of a cat. Treat her like a cat, and all will be well." Liniment looked at the ground for a moment, then back at the girl who she had invested so much time and effort in training. "Having a villager in the grip of the Cat Fist is not something we can take lightly, however. While she is safe now, she is also unpredictable, and extremely dangerous if she is aroused. We will allow her three days of rest. If she has not recovered in that time... then more desperate measures may need to be taken." Cologne and Brush managed to wipe most of the blood off Soap in the course of the next hour. Just as they were almost finished with most of the job, Neko-Soap apparently decided that it had received enough petting for the while, and it was time for some serious playing around. Cologne had just finished cleaning Soap's hair, and was working on tying it back when Soap stuck both her arms around her and sent both of them tumbling out of the hut with a loud cry of "Miyaaa!" All the adults who had been watching immediately charged outside, prepared to offer their lives to save the little girl, but by the time they got there, it was too late to change the outcome. Soap and Cologne had become inextricably locked in a vigorous game of tag. Sighing in relief, they watched as the two jumped around the yard, both making cat sounds as they chased, rolled and frolicked. It didn't take too long for the grown ups to feel tired just watching the two play. If there was something to be climbed over, jumped on, or crawled under, the two managed to find it. Drawing on the almost limitless energy that only small children and elite martial artists under the Neko-ken have, they played for almost two hours straight before returning to the house and collapsing in an exhausted, boneless heap on the floor. Seeing little Cologne-chan lying on her sleeping mat, half covered by the larger form of Soap, Brush almost felt concern. But after watching them play and be around each other all afternoon, Brush began to wonder if there was actually any safer place in the world for his daughter. Soap could obviously defend her from any sort of attack, and her devotion to his daughter was quite unmistakable. Shaking his head, Brush settled down to have his own rest. He was still sitting in a chair, half dozing when around midnight a cry of distress rent the air. "CAT! CAT!" Immediately awake, he saw Soap sitting there, looking around with a lost expression on her face. After a moment she realised she was holding the still sleeping Cologne, she replaced her on the mat, and wandered over to her friend. Whispering, Soap asked the obvious question. "How did I get here? What happened to the c-c-c-cat?" "What do you remember?" "I just remember being in the cave and that... that... thing coming at us... How did I get here?" Brush chucked quietly. "That 'thing' happened to be a Bengal Tiger, about the biggest cat you're likely to see." Soap shuddered. "I don't care how big it was, it's still a c-c-c-c... you know. I... um... have this little fear of... THEM. Did I black out? Did you bring me back here?" "Yes and no. You blacked out, but you came back here under your own power. Do you know a Martial Arts technique called the Neko-ken?" Soap pondered for a moment. "Oh, yeah! Sure I do. Pops tried to train me in it when I was really young. He said it was a complete failure. Just drove me nuts for a while and gave me this great fear of c-c-c- ca... THEM." "Liniment said he succeeded. Yesterday when you blacked out, you actually went into some sort of strange cat-like state, and tore the tiger to pieces. When we got you back here, we cleaned you up, and let you play with Cologne for a while. You fell asleep about five in the afternoon. Hasn't this sort of thing happened to you before?" "Not really. My family always knew about my phobia, so they made sure there were never any... any of THEM around. Akane told me I'd black out like this three or four times in the past when a cat did get to me for long enough, but she always looked after me." Soap wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and tried to pull her mind away from the happiness of the past. Over the next week, people stayed cautious around Soap, but she never relapsed. In time, all was forgotten, and people moved on. Cologne was a bit upset at the loss of her playmate, but eventually Soap relented and offered to play tag with her as a normal girl. While cats were never a popular pet in the village, they became slightly less popular, and were never seen near Soap. One of the irrefutable laws of the universe was the fact that children grow up. Girls become young ladies, and young ladies become women. It hardly seemed to be the blink of an eye; all too soon Cologne was sixteen and winning the yearly Martial Tournament. In the month prior to it, Soap had handed most of her duties over to other women, and was training Cologne personally. It was a close match, but when the new challenger won, everyone went berserk. The food was the offered prize, but the real prize was the esteem which everyone held for you, and the fact that you joined the elders' table in the feast that night. The next day, Cologne sought out Soap and took the younger girl for a walk. It was time for them to discuss things, and it was probably best not to say everything in the open. Everyone who had been Soap's age when she entered the village was starting to show the signs of age. The little kids who had been babes in arms were now the current generation of adults in the village. Brush and his generation were now respected adults, bearing children, and passing their knowledge on to the youngsters. Soap on the other hand was still twelve. She still had the big, innocent eyes; the open smile, and the childish looks. When she entered she had been a teacher of the children, and a student of the elders. For almost a decade, she had been privy to almost all the tribes secrets, and could hold her own against any three of the best students in the village. She was also watching as everything important in life passed her by. Near a small stream - on a patch of level ground Soap remembered well from a whole generation ago - Cologne stopped them and faced Soap. "Your thinking of leaving, aren’t you?" Soap looked at her feet, then back up at the girl grown into a woman. Cologne had grown into a beautiful young lady, and Ranma envied the boy who would one day be her husband. "Yes. If I stay here much longer, I'll be watching all my old friends die. Again. So many of them are already gone. War, animals, accidents. It's only the lucky and the cautions which are left now. I've already watched as my friends grew old and died once. I don't want to watch it again." Cologne held her hands in front of her and pleaded. "Please stay. We need you here. There is so much you can teach us. We need you... I need you. You're my best friend in the whole village." Soap sighed. "Thank you Cologne-chan. I think you and your Dad are my best friends too. But I don't want to stay here and watch my best friends grow old and die. I'm sorry." "Is there nothing I can say that could convince you to stay?" "No." "Then, Tendo Ranma. I challenge you. If you loose, you shall be my husband, and stay here until one of us dies." Soap almost fell over. It had been almost a year since she had last changed into her Ranma form. She still felt the same inside, she was a guy inside, but not outside. She could have sworn that almost no- one in the village still believed that she was actually a man. For heaven's sake, she consistently had to beat of marriage challenges from the young men. She only ever had to do it once, but it almost seemed to have become a rite of passage for many boys: 'thou shalt be beaten to a pulp by Soap for proposing'. "You can't mean this, Cologne-chan. You've never even seen me as a man, I could be hideously ugly. I couldn't even be a proper father to any children. What sort of a father changes into a twelve year old girl the first time he has a bath? How did you even know?" Cologne shook her head. "I have my ways. And yes, I do mean this. The village needs you. I need you. You need us. I've seen you walking around. This is just a place to live to you, it's not a home. We're your friends, not your family. I want you to be part of a family. Whatever happened, you've suffered enough. It's time to move on. I want you to be part of the future here. You mean too much to all of us." "I can't. I'm sorry Cologne-chan. I've already had a wife, and every day I wish she was still alive. I don't want to be saying the same thing about you in another fifty years. I'm sorry. I have to go. I'm going to talk to Liniment soon. I'll probably leave in another month or two." Cologne chuckled. "You'll only leave if you can win the challenge. Let's boil some water. I want to see this Tendo Ranma who I've just proposed to." Soap laughed at that one too. "Oh, I'll be leaving. You're a hundred years to soon to beat me, Cologne-chan." When they fought, it was as man and woman. It was also as brief as expected. Even without resorting to special attacks which Cologne had no hope of matching, he defeated her quickly. In the end, Ranma held his best friend in a strangle hold, and gently applied a pain hold on her right arm until she capitulated. "What? No beating me black and blue?" "Feh! I don't mind if girls challenge me... I'm a guy. I just try and discourage the guys from trying." After admitting defeat, the two talked for a long time. They talked of the future, their hopes and aspirations. After two hours they headed back to the village. Cologne looked at Ranma in concern. "Are you sure we don't need to find some water? People might be a little... confused... to say the least." Ranma laughed, and to prove her point, it began to rain only minutes from the village. "The Kami hate me, Cologne-chan. They do. In the last fifteen years, the longest I've stayed a man has been five hours straight. Changing into a girl is not something I need to put much effort into." A month and a half later, Ranma did leave. It was an emotional departure, for everybody. The Amazon village had been his home for over thirty years and been a source of comfort, help and happiness when he was at his lowest. For the villagers, Soap was one of them. She was a teacher and a friend, a loyal soldier in battle, and a revered healer when they were sick and injured. The older people in the village remembered Ranma's arrival, and they realised that some day he may wish to leave, but there was not one person in the village which did not wish he would stay. Many of the unmarried young men fancied the cute little Soap Onna Rope... even if she did look rather young. The older men, and most of the women were sad at the loss of a friend. She was strong and sure of herself, a true Amazon. Beyond that, she was also a brilliant teacher and warrior, and a person who could be trusted in any circumstance... especially with the honour of their husbands and sons. The village lined up and watched as she prepared for her pilgrimage. The elders had refused to accept that she would leave them forever. Unless you were cast out, you were an Amazon until the day you died. So rather than Soap leaving to find a new home, she was going in search of knowledge, secure in the knowledge that she would be able to return at any time. On the way down the line of friends and adopted family, Soap stopped and spoke, saying goodbye to each person individually. Thirty years as a warrior, and thirty years of donations for healing, had left Soap very rich. Too rich for her to possibly take all her wealth and the many books she possessed. As she moved down the line, she passed out some of the pretty gold and jewellery to the children she knew. The adults received more practical items, salves or potions, advice, or even just a hug and kiss for those who no gift could express her friendship. Eventually there were only two people left in the line. Soap stepped up to Liniment and held the old woman tightly. Liniment was growing old and it was showing: now when she held Soap, their heights were equal, age having shrunken her once proud frame. For over twenty years Liniment had been Soap's teacher of the healing and martial arts. Holding her close, Soap said the only words which mattered to her. "Thank you. I will try and be worthy of what you have taught me. And you were right in what you said earlier. No matter how long I wander, no matter were I go: this will always be my home, and you will always be my family." Liniment tried to say something - anything - but eventually she just nodded and gave a weak smile. Then she turned away, rubbing her face. Amazon's do not cry... especially the Matriarch. Soap and Cologne held each other also. Cologne was still a girl in the eyes of the village, so she was happy enough to do the crying for both of them. After a moment, Soap brushed a tear from her cheek and looked at her pretty face. "You were almost a daughter to me, and then you were my best friend. I always wanted to be able to teach you everything I knew, but every day I look at you and I'm frightened of what it would be like when you grow up. I don't want to be there the day that they bury you Cologne-chan. That would kill me. Instead, I'm going to find a cure for my curse, and we can grow old together... What do you say?" Cologne sniffed and nodded. Soap took her hands looked up at her face. "You've got great potential, Cologne, almost as much as I did. Don't waste it waiting for me. I want you to have my house. It is a house suitable for the Matriarch you'll be some day. All my books and scrolls are there, the ones I am taking are just copies. Use them well. Live life, and be proud of yourself and your village. Always remember the Joketsuzoku have 2700 years of history backing them up." With that, Soap Onna Rope left the Amazon village. --- End of Chapter The characters contained within this story are owned by Takahashi Rumiko or Takeuchi Naoko. No infringement of copyright is intended. This work to be distributed for free, unchanged, crediting the current author. This is a crossover between Ranma 1/2 and Sailor Moon. To make the two stories fit together the way I wanted, I needed to shuffle the dates at which a few things occur within the main timeline of Sailor Moon. I bow my head in shame: please forgive. We also have guest appearances by Slayers and 3x3 Eyes. Die hard fans of Ranma may also notice a very subtle change to it's story timeline... This story is dedicated to the letters I and M and the number 24.96. Visit my website at dzillman@ozemail.com.au http://www.ozemail.com.au/~dzillman/fire _________________ / \ | Destiny's Child | \_________________/ What has gone before: While on a training trip with his father, Ranma fell into the spring of the drowned young girl. Unfortunately, his curse can only be changed back with _very_ hot water, which means he spends most of the time in his cursed form. Not only that, but since the spring was drowned young girl, he turns into a 12 year old girl who never ages. It is now the mid 1600s, and Ranma must deal with the fact that Akane - his wife of the last 50 years - has died of old age, and he still looks like an 18 year old. After returning to Jusenkyo to find that the Nyanniichuan had dried up, he lived with the Amazons for several decades. However, all good things come to an end, and rather than see another generation of his friends grow old and die, Ranma has left the village. ------------------------------- Welcome To The Big, Wide, World ------------------------------- As the small girl struggled up the mountain side, Tendo Ranma pondered her future. All she owned, she carried on her back. True, she carried a weight heavier than any twelve year old should possibly be able to lift, but it was all her worldly belongings. A century of muscle strengthening and Ki focusing allowed her to move a fairly weighty quantity of possessions. As she walk through the lush forest, Ranma catalogued what she had. A change of clothes, and some cold weather gear. Some knives and a pot for camping. A week of rice and dried meat. A small book filled with meticulous summaries of magic and herbalism. The book of Amazon law. A sealed, waterproof case holding three pictures of Akane. And slightly over a hundred kilos of gold and jewels. Travelling light was no reason to travel poor. Ranma spent almost two years in the vast forests of China. She wandered most days, idly trekking first north, then heading east, having decided to find the ocean. By the time she reached the northern reaches of the Pacific Ocean, Ranma was firmly convinced that the life of isolation and meditation was definitely the wrong way to find a cure. Ranma admitted that he had never been the brightest student around. While he could learn most things fairly well, unless it was fighting, he had few new ideas. At least after two years of trying, no-one could say that he had not tried being a wandering hermit or scholar. Best to leave no stone unturned. There would be a cure to this curse, it was only a matter of finding it. Heading south along the coast of China, Ranma tried the studious life in the cities. While there, she would sometimes convert some of her wealth into investments. Living off the income of a small trading company made life easy, and let her hire the scholars or mages she sought. This passed another six years, washed away in the sea of time. People's faces changed, cities changed, but only three things stayed the same: big business, big taxes, and little Ranma. Eight years from her home wasted, and nothing to show for it. In all her time, no new ideas had occurred, no mystics with an infallible cure, no new hope. All that had happened was that a few careless investments had bloomed, and she had accidentally doubled her money. As if that mattered. Leaving his investments in the care of managers, Ranma again hit the road. He had considered going to Japan, land of his birth, but that felt too much like defeat. To return now, uncured, would be to acknowledge his failure. He would be no better that a wandering Ronin, drifting and worthless, eternally cursed and worthless. He would not, could not, return now. Not until the day he could face his deceased wife with pride, and say that for all eternity he was the man he could not be for her in life. Southwest it was. To India, a land of mystics and meditative wise men. It was an older, wiser and much humbler Tendo Ranma which walked north over a century later. The Indian mystics were vast libraries of spiritual knowledge, and he had learnt all that was available. Ranma's already potent battle aura had soared to level levels, and then shrunk again as she learned to control her aura and hide it from view. When Ranma walked north, strength buoyed by Ki, she radiated no more aura than any normal person. Unless she was truly aroused, Ranma could shield her spiritual strength from even the most observant. Stopping through China on the way to her next destination, Ranma disposed of more of her accumulated gold. Living frugally for so long had dampened her lust for material wealth, even though it had been small to start with. Since the trading companies she had invested with earlier still existed, she turned their control, and most of her assets over to a group of investors. They would hold her money in perpetual trust and investment until she or her descendants chose to withdraw it. Properly prepared for the aesthetic life she expected, Ranma headed north to Tibet. For many years she moved from place to place. A decade here, or a few months there, she sought a cure, and learned all that was available on spiritualism and Martial Arts. Then she found the Tewon Monastery. It was situated at the top of the sharp spire, in the middle of a set of inhospitable, rocky mountains. The first question Ranma had asked when she found out it's existence was 'why there', the answer was simple: no-one would visit there unless they were very serious. Monks hate tourists. The second question which occurred was 'what could they possibly eat there'. Ranma wondered this as she ascended the mountain side. The spire was a difficult climb, even for someone as experienced as her. The rock was almost vertical in most places, and the rough edges were as sharp as glass, ready to cut the hands and feet of the unwary. Carrying a pack and walking staff only made things harder. Eventually Ranma made it to the top and looked around. The top of the spire was almost a perfect circle, and would have been about three hundred meters across. It was not the fact that people lived here which shocked her the most. It was not even the large and ornate stone temples - they may have been carved from the spire before it was levelled. The most impressive aspect of the entire monastery was the symbolic entryway. The entry was comprised of three massive wooden poles, two vertically, and one horizontally at the top. Each pole must have been over half a meter thick, and five meters long, and must have weighted over a ton. There could never have been trees like that up here, and even though she had walked here, Ranma had not seen any suitably sized trees for three days walk. How could the possibly have moved them here? Recovering from her awe, Ranma looked for signs of life, and eventually found a meditating Monk sitting directly below the entry. When she approached, the Monk looked up and offered her a seat on the ground. When Ranma was seated, she bowed and spoke. "Wise One, I have come seeking knowledge and a cure for my curse. May I have you assistance?" The elderly Monk nodded his head. "Yes, young one. Any who are willing may learn all we can teach. I will begin your first lesson when you get me a bucket of water from the well." Ranma looked around, then did a quick search of the village. Returning, she sat in front of the Monk. "Wise One, where is the well so that I might get you the water?" "Down that hill, and two kilometres east." "WHAT? How am I supposed to get a bucket of water up this forsaken mountain?" The Monk smiled and looked her squarely in the eye. "That is your first lesson. All will be explained when you bring the water." It took her two months just to complete that first task. Every time she ascended the mountain, the old Monk was sitting there. After a while, she wondered what he ate and drank. That was lesson five. Over time Ranma learned much. If the Indians had taught her the depth of spirituality, then what the Tibetans taught her was nothing short of magic. The Monks taught her to see the world as it really was, and to see her curse as a blessing, and not something to be countered. As the decades rolled by, Ranma learned the ancient and hidden secrets, known only to those who dedicated their lives to the pursuit of such things. Lesson twelve revealed the meaning of human existence in the greater scheme of things... a lot of the strange events in her life made sense after having that explained. Much time had passed when Ranma felt a presence moving up the side of the mountain. Sitting in the entry way, she rested her Tibetan staff next to her. Ranma waited for the weary seeker of wisdom to approach her, time was something she had ample of. Despite her apparent age, she could hear the respect in the seeker's voice as he asked. "Wise One, I come to the monastery seeking knowledge and understanding. Is there someone here who can teach me?" The Ranma nodded her head. "Yes, young one. Any who are willing may learn all we can teach. I will begin your first lesson when you get me a bucket of water from the well." The seeker looked around, then did a quick search of the village. Returning, he sat in front of Ranma. "Wise One, where is the well so that I might get you the water?" It was when those words were spoken that Ranma came to a revelation. She had failed. She had given in. She had spent decades in this useless place, no closer to a cure than before she arrived. Truly she had gained much knowledge, but she had forsaken who she was. No longer was she the man that Akane had married all those long years ago. Now she was a stranger. A stranger who had relinquished all pretences at searching for a cure. "Wise One? Where is the well?" "Where indeed? I shall show you the well. When you return, another will continue your education. This is no longer my place." Without a backwards glance, without a wave goodbye, Ranma lead the seeker of knowledge to the edge of the cliff and looked at him. "You may come with me, but I fear you will not like the path I travel. The well is two kilometres east." With that, she gripped her staff in one hand, stepped off the edge and plummeted to the ground, hundreds of meters below. Moments before becoming one with the rocky floor of the valley, Ranma called the words 'RAY WING!', and continued to walk, apparently ignoring both the fall and the laws of physics. Perhaps not everything she had learned was useless. Turning east she went home, to the year of 1939. Reaching China, she discovered there was a war. From Ranma's perspective, it was a civil war. When he was born, it was in Japan, and there he had been raised. His wife, the woman he missed every day of his life was there, her spirit a part of that proud nation. China was the land which had become his home. China was the land of the Joketsuzoku. It was the land of Deodorant, Liniment, Brush, Cologne and many other Amazons. It was the land that had taken him in when the pain of loss in Japan was too strong to live with. Ranma turned east. There was no way he could fight in a war between China and Japan. They were both his family, and he owed his loyalties to them both. If he could not go home to find himself, to restore the inner youth which he had sacrificed for wisdom, then he must again travel. The land was cold, and the languages strange when she again stopped travelling. Ranma had found what he sought. His own cause, so close to futility after three centuries of searching, was worn and decayed. When he found the Polish partisans, when he saw the horrors of the German invaders, and the equal horror of their Russian liberators, he found a new cause. Ranma the Rebel. It became a name to fear. Apparently a small girl, this rebel leader had risen through the ranks of the Polish partisans, fighting for the freedom of a country and a people she never knew. The girl was a master of disguise and evasion; despite the best the authorities could do, she could never be caught. Even after a traitor identified the tavern in which she was staying one night, she managed to slip out somehow, to all evidence having escaped with the men released. With the return to his first true love, fighting, Ranma again found his inner child. He found the strength to move on, to fight again. To continue the search, and to succeed where success was needed most. All fights have winners and losers. As much as Ranma hated to admit it, this was one fight which his side had lost. After three decades of resistance, his compatriots were worn out, and no longer willing to continue the fight. That was Ranma's cue to leave: when she was the only person who called for action, who rallied for resistance, then the fight was over. The same night she realised this, she said goodbye to her few surviving friends, and vanished forever from that part of the world. Even as he walked back across Europe and China he thought on what he had learned there. The Indian and Tibetan knowledge was grand, but it was not who he was. War and guns were also not who he was. He was a fighter and a teacher. He was a man who fought fairly and openly with hands and feet, not hiding behind a barrel. Ranma knew that he could have fought differently in Poland. With his knowledge, he could even return to the Joketsuzoku and finally rid them of the Musk - assuming they were still fighting. But that was not how he wanted to be. After searching and excelling so long, he wanted to be normal. He wanted normal problems, and normal answers. Even though he had been raised in violent times, Poland had shown him the futility of killing. Fighting was fine, but to kill another human being... Nothing was accomplished. Friends or family would take up the cause, and you would be back where you started. However, the man you fight with today, may become tomorrow's ally when differences are reconciled. It was time to start again. Time to shed the years of his searching, and regain his lost youth. From there, he would search anew, his quest until the end of time. The very minute that his foot touched Japanese soil - as soon as he left the gang plank - Ranma wondered why he had ever left Japan. When he walked away from the dock and into a park, he literally kneeled down and kissed the ground of the land that he was born in. In the fight to free himself from the curse, he had been knocked down, but he had stood up again. He realised that there could be no defeat, only surrender. Even as he stood in the park and rallied against the Kami, they showed their opinion and sent rain. Changing to a girl, Ranma laughed and danced in the light rain, revelling in the feelings of happiness. It was good to be home. Home for the holiday, home to rest and think. Somewhere to stay and regain her zest for life. Somewhere that she was the local, a person who belonged. It was also time to visit her wife. --- End Of Chapter The characters contained within this story are owned by Takahashi Rumiko or Takeuchi Naoko. No infringement of copyright is intended. This work to be distributed for free, unchanged, crediting the current author. This is a crossover between Ranma 1/2 and Sailor Moon. To make the two stories fit together the way I wanted, I needed to shuffle the dates at which a few things occur within the main timeline of Sailor Moon. I bow my head in shame: please forgive. We also have guest appearances by Slayers and 3x3 Eyes. Die hard fans of Ranma may also notice a very subtle change to it's story timeline... This story is dedicated to the letters B and R and the number 57. Visit my website at dzillman@ozemail.com.au http://www.ozemail.com.au/~dzillman/fire _________________ / \ | Destiny's Child | \_________________/ What has gone before: While on a training trip with his father, Ranma fell into the spring of the drowned young girl. Unfortunately, his curse can only be changed back with _very_ hot water, which means he spends most of the time in his cursed form. Not only that, but since the spring was drowned young girl, he turns into a 12 year old girl who never ages. Through almost four hundred years of history, Ranma has endured. He has been a husband to Akane and a second mother to children in the Joketsuzoku. From monk to revolutionary, Ranma has travelled much of Asia and Europe. At long last he has returned to Japan. -------------------- Ranma Makes A Friend -------------------- Modern technology was a wonderful thing. It took less than a day for Ranma to make her way to the lands where she and Akane had once had their home and dojo. When she reached the hot springs, she was so angered by the public baths that had been erected there that she almost tore the place to the ground. How dare they? This place was a shrine to his wife! Every rock, every blade of grass, every spring was a record of their love, and these people had walked all over it! Filled with anger, little Ranma stalked into the main reception of the hot springs resort. Looking around for the owner, she spread her senses, and searched. In moments, her anger left her: all around, all she could feel were people's happiness. Sounds drifted to her ears: children and adults laughing, happy couples in quiet conversation, lovers walking hand in hand. Looking around, Ranma felt like crying. This was still a business, and it was there for profit; but the customers were there to be happy. When Ranma left his home centuries earlier, he had made a pyre of his home. The ashes of his wife were scattered over the springs which had brought her such joy in her lifetime. Now, everyday, people came from around the country to share that joy. Ranma could not think of a more beautiful tribute to his wife. Even as a tear started to form in the corner of her eye, an attendant came up and smiled nicely. "Hello, little lady. Have you lost your parents?" Ranma pulled herself together. Crying in a public place! Hardly fitting behaviour for a real man, an Amazon, a mystic, a Monk or a rebel. No, it was perfectly acceptable behaviour for him to cry at his wife's grave. "No, Just remembering. There is a particular pool I would like to hire. Who can I see to make a booking?" The attendant smiled indulgently. Such a brave little girl. All alone in a big building, just her pack and caved staff. Even as she looked around, she could not see the girl's parents, but she knew they would be watching from the shadows. The little girl was probably trying to do her best to help mummy and daddy by doing the booking for them. At the reception desk she sat down and pulled out a guide to the springs that they had. Her petite customer studied it for a while, and eventually pointed to a spring on the far side of the compound. "That one please. I want to book it for the whole night." The attendant was rather surprised. Most of the public springs were around thirty to sixty degrees, that one managed to average at least seventy. "Are you sure that's the one your parents want? This one here has a similar name, and it's much nicer to soak in." Ranma sighed. It could be bad in China, but here people treated you like a child, just because you looked like one. Hauling her pack onto her lap, she searched through it and brought out a handful of notes. The exchange rates had been a bit poor, but she had converted quite a large amount of Chinese and Polish funds. Dumping the pile of notes on the table, she covered them with a small hand. "Listen, lady. I might look like a kid, but I'm not, OK? My 'mummy' and 'daddy' have been dead longer than you've been alive. I know how hot the spring is, and I want it for the whole night. Just me. No-one else. Screens up for privacy. Just little old me. Understand?" The attendant clamed up at this. She might be only twenty, but she was quite a bit older then this girl. If she thought she could talk to her in that fashion! Standing up she walked around the desk and took the girl's arm. With a slight pull, she tried to lift the girl off her seat. "Enough of that language, young lady! Come on, we're going to find your parents right now!" Needless to say, this was not the recommended way of securing the co- operation of a Joketsuzoku Amazon, who happened to be the living master of the School of Anything Goes Martial Arts. Focusing her Ki to anchor her position, she replied with a voice as cold as ice. "You will remove your hand now, or I will remove it from your arm." The attendant was too preoccupied with trying to shift the incredibly heavy child to notice what she was saying, or even how she was saying it. She had reached the point where Ranma's temper was almost at an end, and she was visibly yanking and dragging on the girl when her manager arrived. Ranma instant fixed his gaze and let a small fraction of her battle aura appear in her eyes. "I was trying to hire a spring for my personal use when this woman assaulted me. Unless you wish further consequences, I suggest you remove her instantly." After that little display things went much more smoothly. The attendant was whisked off, and the quantities of money easily allowed her to hire the spring of her choice. As soon as she was at the spring, Ranma heated some water and changed to a man. Stepping into the spring, Ranma moaned at the heat, and let the tears trickle down his face. This spring had always been Akane's favourite. While it was painfully hot, it was also warm enough not to trigger his curse. It was a place that they could spend their time together as man and woman, secure that even rain and snow would not interrupt. You couldn't spend too long in the spring before hyperthermia began to set in, but every minute was precious when the Kami conspired against you. Ranma spent almost the whole night either soaking in the pool, or cooling off in the chilly air beside it. By the time the morning came around, he felt more at peace than he had at any time while he was studying relaxation as a Monk. Somehow, after spending this time with the ghosts of his past, he had come to accept them more. With the rising of the sun, Ranma took one last soak then climbed out. A splash of cold water later, and she was ready to take on the world. Buying a map of Japan, Ranma settled in a cafe and looked over her options. She could go south-west, and try to track down where her family had ended up. The last she had heard about Kasumi and Nabiki, they had both moved to Kyushu. It was a big island, but she had plenty of time. Eventually she discarded that idea. No one would know her, and so many generations had passed she would hardly be related to whomever she found. Patting her little bird-type pet, she leaned back and blew out a deep breath. If you cannot re-establish your roots, make new ones. Selecting the largest city on the map, she paid for her drink, put her pet Takuhi on her shoulder and went off to Tokyo. In two weeks she started elementary school. In four weeks she was changing schools. She had been this age for so long she had forgotten what it was like for children. In two weeks she had discovered that her academic standing was far below par. Her general knowledge and specialised knowledge in other fields was tremendous, but her knowledge of recent history, or contemporary authors was terrible. Hardly surprising, she had left Japan long before what was considered either recent or modern history. As for current events... Her other main problem was a little more physical. You average twelve year old is not inclined to jump into fourth story windows, or jog twenty kilometres before breakfast. For that matter, most of the girls in her class would not be able to beat the entire Martial Arts club (instructor included), or be able to do most of the swim training underwater, holding their breath. Most students also tended to have parents who had not been dead for four hundred plus years. In short, two weeks of school made her a freak and an outcast. Backwards mentally, and overdeveloped physically, she was shunned. The Saturday of the second week, she left school and never returned. Selecting another school at random, she plotted her strategy. Before she enrolled, Ranma got herself a foster family. They were a nice couple, and they were thrilled when social workers sent Ranma - or Tendo Ai as she told people. Officially she was now a girl, a surprisingly developed nine and a half, and ready to start school. She had studied some children in a park, and had a fair idea how they played, and what they were capable of physically. School turned out to be a fun and exciting place. She was one the biggest kids in the class for the first year or two, then she was normal, and by the time she was in elementary school, people were talking to her 'parents' about vitamins and grow supplements, she was looking a little small for fourteen. Ai's best friends were the daughter of a local Okonomiyaki chef, and another girl who mother was a sole parent, working in a pharmacy to support the girl. It had started out innocently enough, Ukyo (the budding chef) had invited Ai and Kikyo over for dinner. Kikyo could not make it that first night, so Ukyo had challenged Ai to a Martial Arts tournament to see who could get the first Okonomiyaki her father made. Ukyo's father, a big bearded man, had watched in pride as his little daughter battled with the bigger girl. They were both ten, and enthusiastic fighters. His daughter had put on a good show, and had eventually lost to the other girls strength and development. He chuckled when he handed little Ai the food, and thought how things would change in years to come. The next day Kikyo joined them for dinner, and while three sets of parents watched from near the yatai, the little kids fought with happy abandon. Covered in dust and grinning ear to ear, the three had proudly walked up to the yatai and demanded that he cook three at once: it was a draw. The three were almost inseparable for the next few years. Kikyo lost interest in Martial Arts, and instead became an artist. Ucchan and Aichan continued to fight for their food every time they ate, either at Ukyo's or Ai's. When the girls were all thirteen, it was Kikyo who caught the first glimpse of Ranma's boy form. Over the last couple of years Ranma had noticed that the Kami did not seem to be paying him as much attention, he seemed to be able to spend much more time as a guy, maybe as much as five percent of a week. In the weeks after being spotted, Ukyo and Kikyo took to waking up early and trying to watch the handsome man as he went for his morning walk and workout in the park. Ranma was in the middle of a Kata one morning when he called them from their hiding place and introduced himself. Giving them the name Tendo Ranma, the girls leapt to the conclusion that he was Ai's big brother. He did not try and disillusion them, preferring to have them as friends than scaring them away as some kind of perverted freak. By the time the trio had reached fifteen and entered high school, Ai's age was beginning to show seriously, and Ranma was beginning to think it was time to move on. Ukyo was having other ideas. She had met the man of her dreams, and would soon be old enough to marry him. While Ranma looked a few years older, he was an ideal catch: cute, strong, and friendly. Either as a pair or a trio, the friends had gone out together many times, and Ukyo had decided that it was time she tried to take the next step in their relationship. It was to be Ranma's last night with his foster family. They had been extremely kind to him and he needed to repay that kindness. A few months prior, he had managed to contact a company in Hong Kong. It was the evolution of the investors which had managed his business so long ago. After proving his credentials, he was stunned to discover the wealth which had accumulated over time. Smart management had made him rich, and he had not even tried. Now he transferred a hefty sum to bank account in his foster parent's name, and wrote them a long letter of goodbye. He explained that Ai loved them dearly, but she had found her real family. The explanation in the letter was designed to discourage them, and the sum of money, apparently donated by Ai's parents, was designed to be some compensation. Leaving the letter and bank book in the kitchen after school, Ai took her pack, prized possessions, walking stick and left. She would miss her friends, but she would never forget them. That evening Ukyo and her father arrived at Ai's foster parents. Since they caught the couple as they were arriving home, no-one knew of Ai or Ranma's departure. Ai's parents had met Ranma a number of times, but the explanation they had was the same as Ukyo: she was Ai's brother, and lived separately since he could not support his sister. When Ukyo told them of her long friendship with Ranma, they whole-heartedly gave their blessing for her to be his fiancée. After all, if they were Ai's 'parents' surely they were his too. It was not a formal betrothal, but Ukyo was now officially Ranma's fiancée, at least until she was eighteen, and the decision could be reversed. Ranma seemed like an intelligent young man, so he would come to realise the value of parents helping their children organise their life like this. Neither Ai nor Ranma came home that night. It was not until the next morning that they found Ai and Ranma's letter. Ukyo cried for days at the loss of her friend and fiancée, and vowed that she would find them some day. As for Ranma, he was sitting in a train, idly watching Tokyo roll past. He had not liked leaving friends and family, but it was time to move. If he stayed too long, people would begin to form strong attachments like Brush or Cologne did. He did not want to hurt anyone like that again. Best to make them sad now, than distraught later. Sitting in the train carriage, all alone bar her staff and pack, looking to all the world like a young girl out for a day trip with friends, Ai was surprised when he heard a woman's voice. She had not seen the woman enter the carriage, and she had not been here prior to the last stop. When a light flashed past the train, it shined straight through the woman: she was just a spirit. "Tendo Ranma, I need your help, and I can offer my help to you." Ranma was surprised. Not so much at the appearance of a spirit in a train carriage; she had seen spirits many times before, and even had one as a pet. What surprised her was the fact that the spirit knew her correct name. Most spirits were neither smart nor particularly well informed about happenings on the physical plane. "Greetings, spirit. What is it that you wish?" "Ranma, I have a great story of woe to tell. Will you listen to what I say?" Ranma nodded. Just a glance and a careful probe with his Ki had told him what he expected. The tall, dark haired woman was purely a projection. All she could do was talk, and even speaking and being visible pushed the bounds of her spiritual presence. The only threat she posed was if she surprised him and went 'boo'. "For many years I have worked for a wise and benevolent leader. He dedicated his life to spreading his peace and wisdom to all people that he could. Wherever he went, people obeyed his teachings and acknowledged his greatness. However, a great tragedy had befallen us." The woman moved over and sat on the seat next to him. She gestured to herself and passed an arm through his chair. "As you can see, I have been reduced to this spiritual form. It is my duty to prepare for his arrival, and to help bring him here. Now, this is what I am reduced to." Ranma nodded and mumbled his consolation. Spirits on the whole tended to complain a lot he found. It was usually better to let them get it out of their system, and they would go away of their own free will. "Ranma, I know much about you, and I can see the power of the curse that holds you. Even though I am in this weakened form, my powers are great. To be able to bring my master here, I will need a physical body so that I might perform the tasks which are needed. I have come to you to offer an exchange. "It is within my power to separate your cursed body from your own, and to take that body as mine. If you accept, I will join with you, and work from inside. Over time, I will be able to break the magic which holds these bodies together. You will be free of your curse, and I will be free of mine." Ranma sat in shock. It had been his dream for so long now, and some spirit was actually offering it to him. Ranma leaned back in the chair and tried to evaluate her. It was a strange tableaux which held for several minutes. A mature, beautiful spirit sitting their calmly while a serious looking twelve year old reviewed her. Eventually Ranma asked for more details and the spirit complied. Despite his hope (and fear) the process would not be a quick one, and would take several years to complete. Magic as powerful as this would not be easy, and could not be done alone. The spirit had another ally in Tokyo, and he would be her foster father while they both worked to free Ranma from his curse. At any time she desired, Ranma would be free to leave, and keep his curse forever if she desired. The talked for quite a while till eventually Ranma accepted. Before the spirit joined him in his body, to begin weaving her subtle magic, he had one last question. What should he call her? "My name is Mistress 9, and you shall be known as Tomoe Hotaru." --- End Of Chapter The characters contained within this story are owned by Takahashi Rumiko or Takeuchi Naoko. No infringement of copyright is intended. This work to be distributed for free, unchanged, crediting the current author. This is a crossover between Ranma 1/2 and Sailor Moon. To make the two stories fit together the way I wanted, I needed to shuffle the dates at which a few things occur within the main timeline of Sailor Moon. I bow my head in shame: please forgive. We also have guest appearances by Slayers and 3x3 Eyes. Die hard fans of Ranma may also notice a very subtle change to it's story timeline... This story is dedicated to the letters S, L and R. Visit my website at dzillman@ozemail.com.au http://www.ozemail.com.au/~dzillman/fire _________________ / \ | Destiny's Child | \_________________/ What has gone before: While on a training trip with his father, Ranma fell into the spring of the drowned young girl. Unfortunately, his curse can only be changed back with _very_ hot water, which means he spends most of the time in his cursed form. Not only that, but since the spring was drowned young girl, he turns into a 12 year old girl who never ages. Through almost four hundred years of history, Ranma has endured. He has been a husband to Akane and a second mother to children in the Joketsuzoku. From monk to revolutionary, Ranma has travelled much of Asia and Europe. At long last he has returned to Japan. At the end of last chapter, Ranma encounter a spirit woman called Mistress 9 who said that she could break his curse. ------------------------------ Sailor Senshi Kick Youma Butt! ------------------------------ Tsukino Usagi lay on her bed and buried her face in her pillow. Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought about the horrible things one of her best friends had said to her today. It wasn't fair! How could Ami-chan say such things? She knew that they would make her cry! Rolling onto her back, Usagi looked up at the ceiling and moaned. All she wanted was what any girl would want: grow up, eat lots of ice- cream, marry the best looking boy in the world - Oh, Mamo-chan! - become a princess, rule from the most beautiful city in the world and raise a cute, little, pink haired daughter. What was wrong with wanting just that? It was not really all that much to ask for... was it? Besides, they had all fought so hard for it. They had defeated Queen Beryl, freed Ail and Ann from the Doom Tree, and protected the future from the Black Moon Family, what else could you ask? Even when she had met herself in the future, she seemed to be happy! Usagi heard a scratching on her door and opened it, picking up the cute, black cat. "Oh, Luna! Ami said the most horrible thing today!" So saying, she tightly squeezed the poor cat as she cried her eyes out, tears spraying everywhere. In some ways, Luna was glad she was behind held so tightly, otherwise she would have been soaked in the teary downpour. She had seen a crying Usagi come running into the house, trip over her, then run into her bedroom. While this was not entirely unusual behaviour, things seemed worse than usual today. Even given how emotional she was normally. Eventually Usagi calmed down and stopped crying, and dived back onto the bed again. Just when she was thinking about having a nice, soothing nap, she felt something twitch and move under her breasts. Leaping off the bed, she brought one hand to her locket and screamed "Pervert!" Moments before transforming into Sailor Moon and pounding the sneak who had been lying under her, she realised it was actually a rather squashed looking Luna. Picking up the cat, she patted its head as it recovered from her over-enthusiastic hug and her dive onto the bed. Once she was revived, Luna worked at dragging the full story from her young charge. If there was some sort of rift opening between the Sailor Senshi, then it would be her job to mend it. The Senshi were a team, and needed to fight and work as one. After almost an hour of listening to the girl complain, Luna put her foot down and demanded some hard facts: just what did Ami say that was so bad? "She said that demonic attacks were on the rise, and we might have another big fight on our hands again! I don't wanna have to fight all the time! Why did she say those horrible things? WAH!" * * * At Ami's house, the rest of the Senshi were admiring how well their dauntless leader had taken the news. The girl was an enigma, within a conundrum, within a mystery, within a dizzy blonde. After meeting demons, aliens, refugees from the future, and sources of ancient evil all angling to conquer the world, you would think Usagi would be able to handle a little bit of bad news. Rei had just finished giving another mocking review of Usagi's leadership when Minako spoke up in her defence. "Come on, Rei-chan. You know she's still a bit tense. Remember what happened the last few times we started seeing demons? Not only did we have to fight, but she watched us all get killed, AND she managed to loose Mamoru-san twice. I think she's handling it pretty well given all that." Grumbling the brunette sat on the end of a couch. "I suppose so. But Meatball Head better pull herself together by this week's meeting. I'm sick of hearing her whine." None of the others spoke up at that. Sure, they wanted to defend their leader, but she was just a touch on the emotional side. They might love her and be willing to lay down their lives for her, but that did not necessarily mean that they enjoyed being in her presence when she was crying about some little thing. After a while Makoto retreated to the kitchen to prepare some food for them; Ami's mother was at the hospital, working late. While she was in the kitchen, and Rei and Minako were discussing the boys at school, Ami stared blankly at her homework. 'Am I the only one who noticed?' She wondered. 'Usagi knows how much she would get picked on if she was here... is that why she ran off? Is she really smarter than we give her credit for?' After finishing dinner, Ami activated her computer and brought up a display of demon sightings. There was a definite increase recently, and the Senshi tried to work out some sort of pattern. After an hour's study, nothing had become clearer. Then, while everyone was sitting back, tossing ideas around, the computer's alarm began to warble. The computer had been set to monitor news and radio for any sort of alarming activity, and it had succeeded. Even as they watched, the computer began to display messages being sent to the police and other emergency services. An eight foot tall creature had risen out of a sewer, and was systematically destroying a set of shops. Even as the girls transformed and ran from the room, Rei was trying to contact Usagi. Blast that girl! She was supposed to be their leader, and that meant she was supposed to be available to lead them. Mars was willing to admit that she had shone through when the chips were down, but it was all those other times which she fell down (literally!) which upset her. This was another perfect example. They had busted their buns running across the city to defeat this evil before it could seriously hurt anyone, and where was Sailor Moon? It was a small set of shops in a residential section of town. Houses nearby, and small shops with cheap signs and insufficient parking. For a monster the size of this one, it should have been no problem to destroy the entire block in another half an hour. Only one thing stood between it and victory: a group of four cute little girls in short skirts. The Senshi formed up in a loose phalanx, with Venus and Mars taking the lead. They were all old hands at this job, and knew the drill. Venus was inhaling a big breath to call the challenge when a bright arc of light swooped down and crossed the path in front of the demon. Every eye within range turned to look at the proud girl standing on the roof opposite the demon. Standing tall, the breeze blew her long hair behind her in two long, graceful arcs. Hands on hips, the warrior maiden posed melodramatically waiting for everyone's attention to focus on her. From the red gems in her hair to the tips of her red boots, the girl radiated the presence and power of a saviour, and the bearing of a future Queen. "I am the pretty soldier, Sailor Moon! Shops are there for all to share, in the name of the Moon I shall punish you!" In a flash of glory, and with a cheer from the crowd, Sailor Moon sailed from the building, preparing to defend the rights of love and life for all people in her city. The demon faced her and charged. Voicing their battle cry, the other girls entered the fray. The battle was joined. * * * Life was hard, probably the hardest it had been for over a hundred years. If you've ever tried to conceal something from a group of inquisitive ten, eleven or twelve year olds, you'll realise just how hard it can be. Ranma had Mistress 9's promise that someday he would be freed from his Jusenkyo curse, and he believed her. No-one had ever offered him that level of assurance before, and she had shown him just how much effort she was willing to put in. Every day he could feel the subtle touch of her spirit working on the magic which bound him. When things were at their hardest, when he felt the pressures were too great, he would concentrate; feeling the subtle workings on his body. Mistress 9 was a spirit, and nothing more than that: a projection of herself from elsewhere. Even with the infusions which her 'father' was producing, the process of curing Ranma of his alter ego - Tomoe Hotaru - was a slow and difficult one. Hence the illusion which he wove. Someone as powerful as Tendo Ranma would stand out like a search light to those evil people who would try and prevent Mistress 9's work. Meek, mild and feeble Tomoe Hotaru, on the other hand, would stand out like a piece of coal at midnight. The real Hotaru had died in a lab explosion shortly before Ranma arrived, and before her death she had tended to be a weak and sickly girl. Almost any exertion would make her collapse, and if you tried to have her run even a short race... That was where Ranma had put his (or her) foot down. Mistress 9 had said it would take years of work. There was no way she would give up all exercise for that period of time. Now, little Hotaru had taken up exercising at midnight. A short hour's sprint to the west was a nice little park, just right for some Martial Arts practice. Three hours there, then back, and it was enough time for a short nap before school. Things had been going well for Hotaru at school, from the scholastic point of view, and even better for staying anonymous. Two weeks after Hotaru had started at the new school, one of her ten year old class mates had tripped and scraped her knee. All of her determination to remain inconspicuous could not survive in the face of the screaming and crying of the little boy. Before she could stop herself, Hotaru was there, applying her 'healing hands'. When the crowd gathered in, she feigned exhaustion after her effort. It did not help greatly. The other children were amazed and then scared. Anything strange or different was bad. The nail that sticks up gets hammered down. A girl that could heal minor wounds just by touching was definitely a nail in need of hammering. Two years had passed since that first incident so long ago. Despite her efforts, the cries of injured children was too great to ignore, and Hotaru quickly became a pariah. "Don't go near that Tomoe girl. She's _strange_" * * * Kaiou Michiru gently pulled on the bow of her violin, drawing beautiful music from the wooden instrument. Something so simple and plain as wood could produce such beautiful music, and could be so lovely. Michiru sighed as she started the next phrase in the music. Notes flowed out, filling the large room with their beauty. She enjoyed the violin, there was really nothing like the thrill which she got when she played in front of a large audience. Her audience today was just herself, and still the beauty of the music filled her. She drew strength from it, and used it to stabilise her thoughts. Her best friend was coming over for dinner tonight, and she was going to play this piece for her, so she wanted it to be perfect. Michiru could never understand how she and Haruka had become such good friends, the seemed so different. Michiru was quite, artistic, a musician and a painter. Haruka was outgoing, lively, a racing driver. She breathed a small giggle as she ended the piece, some might even call her a tomboy, the rest though she actually was a boy. Setting the violin down, she placed it carefully in it's case and walked to the kitchen. Her family could have easily afforded the servants to cook dinner, but somehow, it seemed wrong. Besides, Haruka liked her cooking so much more than when they went out. Placing the ingredients around the kitchen in preparation, she thought about all her other friends at school, and what they were doing. 'What _were_ they doing?' She wondered again. It seemed to have been such a long time since she had talked to anyone else aside from Haruka. Tilting her head to one side, she tried to think about the last time she had been out with a group of people which did not include her best friend, and realised she could not. Sliding some food into the oven, she also realised it did not matter. Just as she was lighting the candles on the table, she heard the revving of a powerful engine: the sure sign of Tenou Haruka arriving. In no time, Haruka was in the house, filling it with her life and vitality. Smiling at her friend, she chased the tall blonde upstairs for a bath. As the other girl washed off the sweat and oil from a night at the track, Michiru pulled the food from the oven, and served it up. Her timing was down to a Tee: no sooner was the food on the table than she felt herself held in a tight hug. "Long time no see!" Getting an affectionate but platonic kiss on the cheek, Michiru ushered the girl to a seat. "Long time indeed! I seem to remember watching a certain blonde riding off after final period today." Taking a big, appreciative sniff of the food, Haruka looked at the other person who meant more to her that she wanted to think about. "Lets just say it seemed like a long time." They completed their meal in friendly conversation, mainly talking about the racing circuit. Being with one of the premier racing car drivers of the country had given Michiru a firm appreciation of the sport. It was only after they had finished the meal and rested for a while that they went back to the music room. This time, the music was different. It was the same piece, it was the same artist, it was the same instrument, but somehow there was more life. In the high parts, the piece soared with hope and love. In the low parts, the perfect notes brought a tear to the eye, and moved player and listener alike. When she was finished, Michiru rested the violin in her lap. She lifted her eyes to see her friend staring at her. "Did... Did you like it?" Haruka took her in her arms again. "Oh, that was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard! Tell me your going to be playing it at your big recital in a couple of weeks!" When Michiru nodded, the other girl released her, but continued to hold one hand while they talked. The next few weeks promised to be very exciting for both of them. --- End Of Chapter The characters contained within this story are owned by Takahashi Rumiko or Takeuchi Naoko. No infringement of copyright is intended. This work to be distributed for free, unchanged, crediting the current author. This is a crossover between Ranma 1/2 and Sailor Moon. To make the two stories fit together the way I wanted, I needed to shuffle the dates at which a few things occur within the main timeline of Sailor Moon. I bow my head in shame: please forgive. We also have guest appearances by Slayers and 3x3 Eyes. Die hard fans of Ranma may also notice a very subtle change to it's story timeline... This story is dedicated to the letters L and the numbers 2 and 3. Visit my website at dzillman@ozemail.com.au http://www.ozemail.com.au/~dzillman/fire _________________ / \ | Destiny's Child | \_________________/ What has gone before: While on a training trip with his father, Ranma fell into the spring of the drowned young girl. Unfortunately, his curse can only be changed back with _very_ hot water, which means he spends most of the time in his cursed form. Not only that, but since the spring was drowned young girl, he turns into a 12 year old girl who never ages. Through almost four hundred years of history, Ranma has endured. He has been a husband to Akane and a second mother to children in the Joketsuzoku. From monk to revolutionary, Ranma has travelled much of Asia and Europe. At long last he has returned to Japan. Recently Ranma encountered a spirit woman called Mistress 9 who said that she could break his curse. Simultaneously, the Sailor Senshi are preparing to face a new enemy that threatens Tokyo. ----------------------------- Half A Man And Getting Better ----------------------------- Ranma loved Tokyo, and he wondered how he survived for so long away from Japan. Simply everything about the city made him want to leap with joy, and he felt alive today like no other. All around him, he saw people walking, talking and laughing. Spontaneously he joined them, leaping to the roof of a nearby house to laugh and cry in joy. All around him the city stretched in its sprawling beauty. Even though the morning was still cool, and the dew sparkled off the roofs and trees, he could not recall the last time he had seen a more beautiful day. Leaping down to the street, he bowed to some startled people, waving his stick in a flourish, then ran laughing on his way. Surely today could not get any better. Oh, Akane, if only you could see me now. On a day like today it was so easy for anyone to see why the city was so lovely. The people were nice, polite and, well, they were _his_ people. While cool, the day was remarkably pleasant, and the way the sun was creeping over the horizon - what a sunrise that was - it promised to be perfect and warm without being hot. Standing in a park, Ranma spread his arms wide and closed his eyes. Opening his senses to the magic, he revelled in this other beauty. He had thought that there were potent places in Tibet, but they hardly compared to Tokyo. A focal point for the Ley Lines in the area, Tokyo was awash with energy, giving even the weakest magician the power to impress. And the colours! Blues, reds, greens, all moving and swirling together. Those poor people who could not see it! He laughed again, with all this power, it was no wonder Tokyo seemed to get attacked by giant monsters and demons more often than anywhere else in the world. Oh, sure, Ranma knew about the demons. Who could live in Tokyo and not know about it? Good thing there was at least one effective vigilante group, otherwise he might feel inspired to do something. As it was, he had he spiritual, magical and physical senses wide open, drawing in the peace and glory of a perfect day, and blasting out waves of health and happiness all around him. Anyone coming within a ten meter radius of him were struck by a sudden feeling of relaxation and complete well being. Even as he ran along the streets he came across a small trebling in the spiritual dimensional barriers. Today was not a day for fighting: it was a day for champagne wishes and caviar dreams, a day where they all came true. Ignoring the stares of the people watching, he moved over what would soon be an entrance from one of the nether worlds, and began to dance. Mapping out a warding, he sealed it in place with lines of fire, drawn magically from the buoyant, exuberant feelings he had. Even as he moved on down the street, the glowing symbols faded, powerful motifs etching themselves into the ground. That was his good deed for today, and one demon that the Girl Guides would never need to deal with. Grabbing a lamp post, he swung himself around and almost burst into the chorus of 'Singing In The Rain', hampered only by the fact that there was no rain to be singing in. Hmm, too dark down on the streets, time to hit the roofs again. Laughing in a subtly disturbing manner, he ran and jumped, propelling himself at speed, not caring about the looks, or the comments he attracted. This morning, Mistress 9 had awakened him just before sunrise. Her long work was paying off, and she had finally broken one of the most powerful parts of the spell. No longer was he cursed to change at anything less than boiling water: warm water was sufficient! Oh, Akane, if only this could have happened 400 years sooner! At the same time that Ranma was running around and exhorting just how lovely the day was, others were bemoaning the fact that it was another school day. Children all over the city were rising and getting ready for another day of dull lectures. Had he considered the problem, Ranma probably would not have cared what his friends at school though of Hotaru's absence today. Fortunately, Hotaru did not have any friends, so no-one really noticed her absence. The girls of Juuban High saw it as another day of the same old routine. Strange things were afoot, but traditionally they waited until after the girls had rushed through their morning routines and arrived at school. The school may have felt some sort of lenience if a demon had attacked it's students and that caused them to be late, but since Usagi and Minako were late so often, they got to stand in the hall of a while. Most of the other Sailor Senshi (in their normal guise) were at school, attending some form of learning institute. Only one was not today, and that was Sailor Pluto. She knew they were out there, and she knew that it was almost time to contact them. The Outer Senshi would be needed soon, and she would be there to bring them into the fold and guide them to their future. But now was not the time, and since time was her speciality, she waited and prepared. At the Mugen Gakuen Academy a pair of close friends spent the day in peaceful bliss, ignoring any vicious rumours which may have been circulating. What does it matter what other people say when you only care about the opinion of one other person? Rei's day had been as good as one could expect for a school day. No monsters, no demons, no Usagi wailing at nothing in particular... actually today was quite good. The quality of the day really rested on the perspective that you looked at it from. Walking down the street outside the school, she nodded to passing friends and acquaintances. To these people, the day had probably been fairly dull, maybe even a bit of a trial, depending on the amount of study that they had done. From that perspective, today was wholly unremarkable. Saying a quick 'Hello, Sensei' she passed one of teachers who was picking on several of the rowdier students. Rei flicked her long black hair over her shoulder as the wind brushed it and ignored the stares from the boys. They were so immature. To them, today would be measured by which girls they managed to grope, or which boys they intimidated. Feh! How trivial! Turning down a street, she headed to some stores on the way home, her shoes clicking on the concrete paths. Her religion taught the value of all things, and their place in the world. Her friends in the Senshi also taught her the same things. They might be aggressive or flighty, smart or klutzy, but they all realised the significance of what they fought for. To them, the lives of these simple shop keepers was something worth risking their own lives for. As she took some fruit from the vendor and handed over the coins to him, Rei wondered what his opinion of today was. Did his world revolve around profit and loss? Or did he have a family? Wife and children more valuable than the whole world? Could he even understand what she was thinking? Would he understand the point of view of a girl reincarnated from the defenders of a kingdom which was now rising from thousands of years of slumber? Probably not. Arriving at the Hikawa Shrine which was her home, she removed her shoes and walked inside. Stopping in the kitchen, she deposited the fruit she would be using for desert. She headed to her room and got changed, all the while wondering about her grandfather. She did have to admit his wisdom, but she wondered how much he thought about the serious issues in the world. Or was his view of important actually that different from hers? Perhaps she should ask him. Rei was so wrapped in her thoughts that she hardly registered the sound of voices as she walked through the shrine buildings seeking her grandfather. All her life she had been training to take over the shrine, and he was her teacher. Not only her teacher, she realised, when she walked into a room containing her grandfather and a young man with his black hair held back in a short pony tail. Both the men looked up at her intrusion, and she bowed her head in shame. How could she have been so rude? "My apologies, I shall be sweeping the yard, Grandfather." Before she could back out of the room, her guardian called to her. "Rei-chan, a moment of your time. This young man has come to us seeking some training in Shinto. He says he is not acquainted with our methods, but he has studied some similar work in India. Would you be so kind as to work with him for a while?" As soon as she bobbed her head, he was up and out of the room. Looking at the boy, she realised what her grandfather was up to again. Always match making! From the way the boy was staring at her, she figured that he must have seen her here before and came purely for a chance for a date. "I'm sorry, if you've come to ask me out for a date, I'm not interested." The boy just sat there. It wasn't that she was not interested, he was quite cute in all honesty, she just did not like the idea of someone taking advantage of her religion as a dating service. After a minute he still sat there with an open mouth, gaping at her. Bending down in front of him, she waved a hand in front of his face. Ranma had been stunned. While he was bouncing around the city he had seen the shrine and realised that he had no knowledge of the most popular religion of his native land, so he had dropped in for a chat. They had retired to a small, sunlit room, and Ranma had stacked his small pack and walking staff in one corner. After talking with the old priest for a while, this girl had walked in, and he had almost fallen over. In his mind, he added twenty years and removed about three foot of lustrous, beautiful, black hair. "Akane---?" "No, I'm Rei." "Is... Is it you, Akane?" She stood up and put her hands on her hips. She had heard of boys trying the 'Do I know you?' trick, but she did not believe anyone would really be dumb enough. "No, silly. Rei. One syllable: Rei. Akane, three syllables, Rei: one." The boy shook his head and bowed. "My apologies, Rei-san. I mistook you for a very dear friend. She... She died a long time ago. The Indian mystics... they often told me of reincarnation. I'm afraid I was mistaken for a moment." Rei returned his bow. He was not quite as bad as she though, even if he did admit to trying to us a pick-up line on her... sort of. "That's OK..." "Ranma. Tendo Ranma." "That's OK, Tendo-san. I think I can say with pretty-high confidence that I am not the reincarnation of anyone you might know." Not unless you happen to be thousands of years old, she thought. "Please, call me Ranma. Should I call you Sensei?" Rei let out a chuckle. "No thanks, I don't think I'm quite ready for that title yet. Well, why don't we see what you know." After giving a general overview of the philosophy, Rei went on to show Ranma some of the more applied aspects of Shinto, since that was what she had been planning on studying tonight. Fighting demons gave her a real interest in improving the speed and quality of her wards. After demonstrating a half a dozen of the basic wardings, to ensure pleasant dreams or good cooking, Ranma paused her for a moment and pointed to the last one she had written. "That's a knew one to me. It's got a simple sort of efficiency. I know someone who could have really benefited from a cooking charm... once..." Seeing her guest start to drift off into memories, Rei gave him a brief tap. "Pay attention! Do you mean you know the others?" "Well, not precisely. I'm familiar with the first three, and I know the fertility charm in a few older forms. The dream ward... that one I only know in this form; can I borrow the brush?" Passing him the brush and ink, Rei sat in amazement as Ranma rapidly began to sketch. In fast, flowing strokes he built a ward. At first she was lost, then she saw the form beginning to emerge. It started out as an alarm against possession, then built up, including charms for fortune, happiness, and dreaming, ending with a seal against demonic tampering or intrusion. Rei sat back stunned. She could have constructed it, but it would have taken her five times as long at least. And she would have had to work it out from scratch. What was sitting on the floor was the dreaming equivalent of a reinforced steel door, compared to her fly screen. Catching her breath, she studied it a bit more. Hah! He knows the form but it's not active! No wonder it was so easy. "Nice picture, but it won't do anything. Anyone can draw a pattern, but can you charge it?" Taking the ward she drew in her hand she chanted and threw it at a wall where it stuck. "Rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu, sai, zen. Akuryou taisan!" Ranma raised an eyebrow as the ward glowed with life and then settled back to its waiting form, appearing no more than a decorated piece of paper. Taking his own, larger, ward he simply passed it to Rei. "Most impressive Rei-san. You show a lot of talent. With that sort of power, you might even be able to banish a minor demon." Rei snarled. Make fun of her, would he? Taking his ward she slapped him over the head with it. When it glowed into life and he had to pull it off, she almost fell over. "But... It wasn't... but it is... how... when?" Ranma laughed. "It's a matter of practice. It won't work on me since I wrote it, so there's no need to worry about that." "Gee, you're pretty good. I'd hate to be beaten by a girl, at least I'm still the best at that." Ranma smirked. Don't worry, Rei-san. Mistress 9 tells me it should only be a few more months, and you really won't have to worry. Just a little longer and I'll be a whole man. They stayed and talked for much of the evening. Around seven, as storm clouds gathered, Ranma made a hasty goodbye. Donning his pack and taking his staff in one hand, Ranma stepped into the main courtyard and bowed deeply to Rei. "Thank you so much for your time this evening, Rei-san. I'd really like to come back again, and we can teach each other some more." "Bah! You just got lucky. One ward and you think you know everything. Idiot! See if you can do that again next time." Ranma danced backwards out of her reach. He hadn't had this much fun arguing with anyone since he met that trader in 1641. "Ha! You are so uncute!" Rei snarled and was about to yell at him when he clapped both hands over his mouth, a look of absolute terror coming over his face. Before she could do anything he was outside, and she was ducking under cover to avoid the rains which chose that very moment to start falling. Rei was barely under cover when her grandfather was pushing her back into the downpour. "No, no, no. Can't let a handsome young man walk home in the rain, can we? Quick, quick, go get him, you two can spend the night.... studying! Yes, you need a study partner." Mumbling under her breath and glaring daggers at the old man, she complied, but there was no sign of Ranma. Far down the street - in either direction - all she could see was the one small girl walking miserably in the rain, carrying an oddly familiar staff, and wearing clothes that somehow looked too large. The one small girl was also Ranma, and she could not believe what she had said. 'I'm sorry, Akane! I didn't mean it! It just slipped out! She's really pretty, honestly! You're the only uncute tomboy for me! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!' Neither the rains nor the heavens cared, and Tomoe Hotaru walked home: sniffing, crying and dripping the whole way. --- End Of Chapter The characters contained within this story are owned by Takahashi Rumiko or Takeuchi Naoko. No infringement of copyright is intended. This work to be distributed for free, unchanged, crediting the current author. This is a crossover between Ranma 1/2 and Sailor Moon. To make the two stories fit together the way I wanted, I needed to shuffle the dates at which a few things occur within the main timeline of Sailor Moon. I bow my head in shame: please forgive. We also have guest appearances by Slayers and 3x3 Eyes. Die hard fans of Ranma may also notice a very subtle change to it's story timeline... This story is dedicated to the letter A and the number 1. Visit my website at dzillman@ozemail.com.au http://www.ozemail.com.au/~dzillman/fire _________________ / \ | Destiny's Child | \_________________/ What has gone before: While on a training trip with his father, Ranma fell into the spring of the drowned young girl. Unfortunately, his curse can only be changed back with _very_ hot water, which means he spends most of the time in his cursed form. Not only that, but since the spring was drowned young girl, he turns into a 12 year old girl who never ages. Through almost four hundred years of history, Ranma has endured. He has been a husband to Akane and a second mother to children in the Joketsuzoku. From monk to revolutionary, Ranma has travelled much of Asia and Europe. At long last he has returned to Japan. While Ranma's curse is being cured by the spirit woman called Mistress 9, he attempts to fit into modern society, learning Shinto from a certain temple maiden. -------------------------- Have You Been To Jusenkyo? -------------------------- When lunch came around and her friends woke her up, Usagi started an earnest conversation on her favourite topic: boys. Favourite that is, other than food, ice-cream or food. Best yet was a conversation about eating out with cute boys while you were eating ice-cream. Hey! School was over for today, they weren't going to the concert for a few hours... "Guys, lets go the arcade! We could grab some ice-cream and watch the boys walk by!" Makoto bent down and wave a finger at the short leader. "Now, now. What about poor Mamoru-san? Is he cast aside so easily? Alas, it is only the poor single girls here that should be looking at all those trim, firm bodies." Usagi stuck her tongue "Blargh! Hey, just because I've got the best, doesn't mean I can't check out the rest. Ami-chan! Tell them we have to go so we can get the tickets early." Ami 'blink-blinked', confused at the abrupt change in tactics. "Well, yes, but..." Usagi grabbed Ami and Minako by the hand and started running down the street, leaving Makoto to catch up - an easy task given her long legs and athletic skills. "All right! We got games, we've got guys and we've got ice-cream. What more do we need?" "The tickets?" Usagi tossed her head, sending long hair flying. Sorry Minako, I'll watch that next time. "Ease up, Ami-chan. We'll get them, don't worry. When am I ever late for something important like this?" Before the brunette could answer, Usagi shifted her short attention span back to the other blonde. Sorry Ami, got you with the hair this time, gotta learn to watch it. "Come on, Mina-chan, I challenge you to a game of Sailor V, let's see who's the best!" All the girls laughed at that one. Who would dare to beat the pretty soldier, Sailor V herself, in a game named after her? The afternoon passed in excited bliss. The played games, ate sweet food, laughed and talked. As the sun began to move to the horizon, Ami finally made herself heard, and they went to the ticket office for their passes to tonight's concert. Everyone was looking forward to it, it was starring one of Japan's greatest young talents at the moment, a brilliant violinist called Kaiou Michiru. Anyone who had seen Kaiou-san play all agreed that she was a sight and sound to behold. All of boys who spoke about her said that she looked like a green haired goddess descended to earth, an Avatar with the ability to move people with her music. Even the other girls had agreed that she was worth seeing, not only for the brilliance of her music, but the really cute boyfriend which seemed to attend all her concerts. They were almost at the ticket office when Makoto took Usagi's arm and pointed ahead of her. There was someone getting tickets already, and boy, was he cute! Although they could only see him side on, he looked a few years older than the four girls, and they must have been years well spent. He was trim, taut and terrific. Even his most casual movements oozed with strength and power. Little flowers and blossoms appeared around him as the girls looked, and in their minds, he turned and smiled at them, soft romantic music playing in the background. Then he did turn, and looked right at them. Makoto took Usagi's arm for support, going weak at the knees when those perfect blue eyes brushed across her, and then stopped. Although he was at least ten or twenty meters away, he seemed to hesitate for a moment, then he shook his head, turned and walked off, moving away from them. The girls released a collective sigh as they came back to their senses. "Wow, now that's what I call a _guy_! Hey, Mako-chan, he seemed pretty taken in by you, is that the old boyfriend you keep telling us about?" Shaking her head Makoto sighed again and looked at Minako. "I wish. Can't you just imagine those nice strong arms around you?" Everyone sighed again and drifted off into their private dream world, where a handsome stranger came and swept them off their feet for a romantic evening, just for two. Minako was the first to come back to earth, and looked at her friends. Grabbing hold of one of Usagi's long ponytails, she gave a brief tug. "Give it up, Usagi. You've already got Mamoru-san and Tuxedo Kamen. Leave one of the nice guys for the rest of us!" "Oh, Mamo-chan! How could I think of anyone but you? You're perfect, but he was just so... so... so CUTE. And those big blue eyes..." The other girls pulled Usagi back to earth, and they finally managed to buy their tickets, leaving just enough time to sprint home and get ready. Meeting up at the concert hall, all the Sailor Senshi were in attendance, dressed up in smart looking clothes, watching the performance. The other girls for once were glad that Usagi was holding onto Mamoru so tightly. If he was there, there was no chance she would stray after this new boy which they all had their eyes on. Before the lights went down, the girls spent the time looking around at the well dressed people, pointing out anyone that they recognised. There were celebrities and notables, and the occasional good looking guy. No-one could wear a tuxedo as well as Mamoru; but he did have a lot of practice. Ami eventually spotted the good looking boyfriend of the violinist. He was sitting in the front row, almost close enough to touch his girl. Minako went misty eyed just thinking about how romantic the couple was. Imagine being able to come to a performance for this many people, and know that you were the one person they were playing for. Moments before the lights went down, Ami spotted the short ponytail and strong shoulders of the boy from before. He was sitting just a few rows back from the front, and wouldn't see them, no matter how much they watched him. Pointing him out to her friends, Ami tried to show Rei the hunk they had spotted, but the lights dropped before she could. The hunk in question was sitting admiring the concert. It was such a pleasure to be able to go places and do things as a man. Now that he could carry a thermos of warm water, he could be a man almost any time he wanted. In the darkness Ranma looked around and watched all the people in the concert while the music washed over him. He had almost turned right around when he spotted a small blonde head further back in the seating. It took all his concentration to face the front again. It was that girl from the ticket office. I know I've seen her before... but where? Why do I feel this need to go and speak to her? He focused on the concert and appreciated the music. Kaiou-san was extremely talented, and it was a pleasure to listen to her. Relaxing in his char, Ranma thought of other performances he had seen. As the music drifted to a slower selection, he felt himself moved with the music. In his mind he saw scenes of himself and Akane, and mourned for all the concerts he was never able to see with her. I hope you're out there somewhere, Akane, somewhere that you can see this, so that we really are together. Looking down a couple of rows he could see the short blonde head almost in front of him. The fat woman beside him had identified the boy as the violinist's boyfriend. Ah, young love, he thought. I remember being that young. He just hoped that the two of them got on better that he and Akane did after they first met. Eventually the concert ended and the lights came up. Ranma applauded with everyone else, for it had truly been a remarkable effort. He was also please to note that the only flower the violinist took was the one from her boyfriend. He would have headed for the exit then, but sounds of a disturbance reached his ears. Looking down, he saw that the blonde boy had been splashed by a container of water, wherever it came from. The sight of the water made Ranma initially panic, then he stopped and looked closer at the boy. Tuxedo, yes, and a lean and handsome turn to his face which many girls liked... but there was something... It was only when the boy stood, brushed off the excess water and began to go backstage that Ranma figured it out. The boyfriend was a girl! In a single jump, Ranma was over the rows of seats, and next to the startled boy. Grinning widely, Ranma put out his hand to the surprised girl. "Jusenkyo? Right?" "No, Haruka." She turned to leave, but Ranma kept up with her. "No, I mean: you've been to Jusenkyo, right?" Haruka looked the stranger in the eye and glared. "I may have, but I'm afraid I don't remember you." "No, you wouldn't. Listen, you've got to tell me, when did the Nyanniichuan return?" Haruka was beginning to get flustered. Michiru was waiting, and she needed to talk to her. "I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about." Ranma took her arm in a firm grip and pointed at her breasts. "Listen, you're a girl right? I saw what happened. It was Jusenkyo, wasn't it?" Pulling her arm free, she spun around and began to move to the backstage entrance. She had been working all week to be able to say this to Michiru, and now this guy was trying to pick her up! "Get lost! I don't care where you think we've met. I'm not interested in dating you." Ranma turned and made gagging noises. "That's disgusting! No way would I want to date another guy! Please! I know you're Michiru's boyfriend, I just need to know how this happened to you. You have to tell me, it's really important." Rage seized her. She did not mind if strangers harassed her, but if they started going after Michiru, that was where she drew the line. Grabbing a couple of handfuls of his suit, Haruka pushed the unresisting stranger against the wall. "You stay away from Michiru, understand? If you ever try and hurt her, or even bother her, I'll kill you. Now get lost!" Ranma stood stunned as the guy turned girl walked backstage. Gathering his wits, he charged after her. If she had fallen into the Nyanniichuan like he had, or even a version which did not make you young, he might have found a clue to a cure. He had barely taken three steps when he was stopped by a tall, mature woman, with a cold, serious expression, and dark green hair. "Go away little boy. Stop bothering them." Ranma drew himself up to his full height and looked her in the eye. "I am Tendo Ranma, Master of the Anything Goes School Of Martial Arts. I am not just a 'little boy'. That man knows something extremely important to me. I must talk with him." "Don't even try. Those two are far to important to be bothered by you. Just turn around and walk away. I don't care what you are a master of, you are dealing with powers far in excess of your comprehension. Don't push me." Ranma stared at her for a while. This woman's eyes held a deep serenity, as though she had seen it all. And he could detect a power within her. An aura of restrained magic, of awesome might held in check. Now was not the time or the place to fight. Clenching his fists, Ranma turned to leave. As he departed the hall, he swore to himself. 'I will get the answers I need, and no witch will keep them from me.' Inside the dressing room of Kaiou Michiru, the pronouncement of love that Haruka had been striving for was interrupted by the arrival of the same tall woman with the dark green hair, and the ancient eyes. As Setsuna explained the reality of the Sailor Senshi, Michiru nodded, and Haruka felt a cold fear growing in her stomach. The Outer Senshi were the defenders of the Moon Kingdom, protectors from external threats, and champions of love and justice. When the explanation was over, Michiru told the other two how she had always believed that she was there for a greater reason, and had been feeling the call to service within herself with increasing strength. Haruka was a different matter. It had been a bad night, she had been running late, she was splashed by water just after the concert, accosted by a stranger, and now she was told that the one person she realised she actually loved was not real, and nor was she. According to Setsuna, it seemed that she and Michiru were both just the shells for their old personalities. She was really Sailor Uranus. She did not want to be Sailor Uranus, and more importantly, she did not want Michiru to be Sailor Neptune. It was not fair. Michiru was the one she loved. Michiru was the one who she would give her life for. She did not want to lose her, either to Sailor Neptune or to whoever would attack this long dead kingdom. Before she knew what was happening, Haruka realised she was running down the street, tears falling from her eyes and being caught in the wind. It was not fair. They had both finally found the person that they needed, and now it was going to be taken away? Never! She would never give up her soul to become someone else, and she would never let Michiru be taken from her. --- End Of Chapter The characters contained within this story are owned by Takahashi Rumiko or Takeuchi Naoko. No infringement of copyright is intended. This work to be distributed for free, unchanged, crediting the current author. This is a crossover between Ranma 1/2 and Sailor Moon. To make the two stories fit together the way I wanted, I needed to shuffle the dates at which a few things occur within the main timeline of Sailor Moon. I bow my head in shame: please forgive. We also have guest appearances by Slayers and 3x3 Eyes. Die hard fans of Ranma may also notice a very subtle change to it's story timeline... This story is dedicated to the letter B and the number 5. Visit my website at dzillman@ozemail.com.au http://www.ozemail.com.au/~dzillman/fire _________________ / \ | Destiny's Child | \_________________/ What has gone before: While on a training trip with his father, Ranma fell into the spring of the drowned young girl. Unfortunately, his curse can only be changed back with _very_ hot water, which means he spends most of the time in his cursed form. Not only that, but since the spring was drowned young girl, he turns into a 12 year old girl who never ages. Through almost four hundred years of history, Ranma has endured. He has been a husband to Akane and a second mother to children in the Joketsuzoku. From monk to revolutionary, Ranma has travelled much of Asia and Europe. At long last he has returned to Japan. While Ranma's curse is being cured by the spirit woman called Mistress 9, he attempts to fit into modern society, learning Shinto from a certain temple maiden. While Ranma faces his own problems, the ranks of the Senshi grow as the Outers are introduced to their powers and destiny. --------------------------------- Ryoga, The Eternally Lost... Pig? --------------------------------- Ranma had been back to see Rei twice in the last week since they had met. It was amazing really, he could not remember anyone he had gotten on so well with in a long time. It seemed that from the moment he stepped through her door to when he left at nightfall, they would be at each other's throats. At least half their conversations degenerated into shouting matches, and mindless name calling. Last time she had even started to throw things at him. It was great fun. Every time he saw her they would compete drawing wards, or showing off their mystical talents. Rei had an edge on him in some of the pure learning associated with Japan and the local regions, but he could always simply outdo her in terms of shear spiritual power and the speed he could deliver it. Today, before she had thrown him out of the shrine, they had held a competition. Each had a small candle, endowed with the power she used in fire readings. Then they set about extinguishing that power, banishing it using wards or holy incantations, while at the same time the other was trying to block using the same means. It was an exciting way to practice, and great for developing speed and power. While they played at it, and Rei knock up ward after ward, Ranma thought back to how he had played this against Mahidmaja in the late 1600s. The wrinkled old man had been a master, truly one of the greatest of the age. He hardly concentrated on Rei, thinking of the good times he had, learning at his master's feet. Ranma simply sat there, smiling calmly, occasionally bothering to make a few marks on the paper in front of him, delivering just enough power to deflect or oppose whatever attack Rei would launch. Rei just kept getting more and more frustrated. 'What am I doing wrong? Is he reading my wards while I'm preparing them? All right, this time for real!' In a blur of motion, she scrawled out a mighty channelling, enough power to seal a demon, and directed the ward at the candle. With something like this, she had freed people who had been possessed by youma, and no upstart boy was going to beat her. To her shock, Ranma held out one palm, and calmly deflected the spiritual energy into a bright flash. What happened next defied her experience. Pointing at her candle, Ranma whispered the words "Moko Takabisha" and a tiny little ball of spiritual energy emerged from his hand. She could feel it's power as it sailed through the air and snuffed her candle. "Wow, you're pretty good." "Sorry about that, Rei-san. A lady called Deodorant taught me how to focus my Ki for Martial Arts a long time ago. If you can knock down a wall, it gives you a little edge in a competition like this." 'Such power! Even though he's lying about knocking down walls.' She had never realised it was even possible for someone to do that, and he had done it so casually. He was not just some student, he must be a fully fledged master! "Oh, so you come here and play with me? Try and make me look bad? You insensitive jerk! Take this!" Throwing her now unlit candle, she bonked him on the head, and started chasing him around the shrine courtyard, yelling insults and trying to catch him. After a while, Ranma jumped straight over her, doing a pirouette on her head with one finger. Before she could turn he was past her, running outside, laughing at her. "Come back here, you jerk!" "Stand still and get what's coming to you." When Rei reached the entrance to the shrine, Ranma turned and stuck his tongue out at her. 'Blargh!' He laughed all the way home. Rei-san was so much fun! "Ohhh, I hate that boy!" Ranma was almost home when a cry rent the air. "Tendo Ranma, prepare to die!!!" Jumping back, he narrowly avoided being made into mincemeat by the crushing impact of an umbrella driven into the ground. Looking down into the three meter wide crater in the road, he saw a boy who looked around his own age. He had wild black hair tied back with a yellow and black bandanna. When he looked up at Ranma, he also looked really mad. "Um, do I know you?" "You dare to mock me? I shall destroy you!" Swiping his umbrella through the air, the boy tried to smash his opponent again, but Ranma leaped back, putting some distance between the two of them. "Listen, pal, I'm sure we can work this out." "Tendo Ranma, because of you I have experienced the worst hell has to offer! I shall destroy your happiness!" Once again the bigger boy closed in for a fight. With lightning strikes, he whipped his umbrella around, attempting to flatten Ranma. Once he got close enough worry the martial artist, but Ranma dodged under the blow, and planted a foot in the boy's face. "Feh! I didn't even know I was happy." The big boy began a dazzling array of strikes, each one lightning fast, and judging by the damage that they were doing to the ground and nearby walls, they were not short on power either. Finally he got close enough to worry Ranma, and Ranma struck back. In the blink of an eye, Ranma had struck the boy almost a dozen times, pounding on his torso and knocking him back through a concrete wall. Shaking his hand in pain, Ranma admired his knuckles. 'What was that guy wearing? A steel plate under his shirt?' Ranma had just started to move off when the pile of rubble stirred and the dust covered boy emerged. "Truly pitiful, Tendo. I'll crush you like a bug!" Barely dodging under the deadly umbrella strike, Ranma back pedalled frantically. This guy was inhuman! Ranma had destroyed concrete buildings with weaker punches, and he got up, looking none the worse. Sighing, Ranma decided he had better take him down quickly. Hmm, nothing too dangerous, just something to persuade him to settle down so we can talk. "DIGGER BOLT!" The magic blast left his palm, striking the boy in the chest, knocking him to the ground, where he slid along until he knocked over yet another wall. Ranma was wandering up to the resting place to dig him out when the debris flew everywhere. Standing there with a faint red glow surrounding him was the boy. Glaring at Ranma, he bared his fangs and brought his hands together: "FIRE BALLLL!" "Wharg!" Ranma jumped aside, but only just, and the fireball smashed into the house behind him, setting it alight, and throwing bits of brick and glass over the street. By the time Ranma was back on his feet, his inhumanly strong opponent was readying another spell. "Ha! I see now I should have expected so little from a second rate sorcerer as you! If you can stuff up a simple summoning, how could you get combat spells right? FIREBALL!" Expecting this one made it easier to dodge. While Ranma was unharmed, the neighbourhood was definitely looking the worse for wear. Suddenly it all clicked into place. The single minded hatred, the fangs, the magic, the fangs, the inhuman strength and endurance, and especially those FANGS. "Ryoga? Hibiki Ryoga? Is that really you?" Giving up on the fireballs for the moment, Ryoga closed in for another attempt to pummel Ranma into a fine paste. "Of course it's me! How many other demons have you tortured this way?" "Hey I only summoned you the once! I held that circle open for you for three days, but no, you were off raiding villages or something." Ryoga had paused momentarily. "I was trying to find my back to the summoning circle! Four days of pure torture it was! If you only waited for me, I could have gone home then! Ranma, I shall destroy you!" Ranma took off, leading Ryoga in a chase around the city. If Ryoga felt a need to break things, perhaps he would go easy if his target was out of reach. Maybe. Or maybe not. "Look, Ryoga, if you want to get home, I can create a portal for you in a minute, just stop attacking me." Running along behind him, Ryoga had started slinging his headbands, breaking parts of roofs and chopping electrical poles and trees down. "I got home, some nice young Mamono Hunter was kind enough to send me back. It's what I found when I got there that made me so mad. Now stand still and die!" Seeing Ryoga was preparing another fireball, Ranma charged in. Locked in close combat, the two slugged it out. In their fight they almost levelled an entire residential block before Ranma could disengage enough to try and talk again. "What's so bad about being home? You belong in the hell of wild boars!" "I know, but you didn't cast a summoning, you cast a binding. While you live, I share your curse!" Ryoga threw a massive punch at him, cracking the pavement. Damn, I think I see those Girl Guides coming. "What?" "That's right, I'm locked in this pitiful form until your death. No more can I be Ryoga, the mighty raging boar, terror of all who dwell in forests. Now I become, Ryoga, the insufferably cute little baby piggy. Blargh!" "Water activated?" "Yes, but..." Moving faster than Ryoga could react, Ranma tackled him, throwing them both through a burst water main. Even as he felt Ryoga's massive arms preparing to crush the life out of him, the change occurred, and cute little Hotaru stood up with her pet pig in hand. Oh, oh, Girl Guides approaching at ten o'clock. Deep in his heart, Ranma felt a sudden urge to speak with them, but to do so would mean the certain death of his friend. Turning his back on the approaching girls, Hotaru sprinted down an alley and ran off into the city. Ryoga was biting her the whole way, but even he was smart enough not to call attention to himself while the Sailor Senshi were around. Some people liked to send you back to the darkest pits of whatever hell spawned you, but the Senshi had a nasty reputation for killing demons first and not bothering to ask questions later. Sailor Mercury held up her computer and turned around in the ruins of the house. "This is definitely the right spot. I have readings of magical residues from those fireballs, and this is the last spot that demon was." Even as Sailor Moon tripped over the one piece of loose brick in the entire street, Sailor Mars was looking like she wanted to throw some fire of her own. "Disappear? How could it just disappear? Demons magically appear, they don't just vanish. Where can it have gone?" Everyone shrugged their shoulders. They picked over the remains of the house for a moment, looking for some indication of a dimensional portal or the Daimon eggs they had been seeing recently. Nothing. Venus eventually spoke up. "Well, if it's not here, it must be hiding somewhere. Lets split up and look for it. Don't look for too long, but we might be able to find it this way. Stay in contact." With that the pretty soldier, Sailor Venus, ran off down a street, searching for a demon she was not destined to find. Somewhere near the Tomoe family home, little Hotaru stopped and looked down at her cute little pet pig. Sitting down on the curb, she placed the pig between her feet and frowned. "Ryoga, since you can't attack me now, I've got to say that it really is just a big mistake. I never wanted to hurt you, I was just practising the spell. Now, I really don't plan on staying cursed like this forever, and I sure don't plan to let you kill me, so you better get used to the curse for a bit longer. "I'm sorry about all the problems I've caused you. I swear on my honour that I will not tell anyone about you being a demon, or about your curse, so just stay calm for a while. OK? "The good news is that I'm getting closer to a cure than I ever was before. In a few months, we should both be free men! How's that sound?" Judging by the way the psychotic black piglet was trying to gnaw off her leg, it still didn't sound too good. Pulling Ryoga off by his bandanna, she looking into his big piggy eyes. "Perhaps I should put that another way. Which would you prefer: you wait patiently till I'm cured, or I have bacon for breakfast?" The frantic struggles ceased. "I knew you'd see it my way. Come on, follow me and we'll get some hot water at home." It was only three blocks to her home, but by the time she reached it and looked for her travelling companion, there was no sign of the pig. Heading inside, she set about getting some dinner. Apparently one of her father's assistants was actually the housekeeper, but these days Kaolinite seemed to be out doing odd jobs more than she was home. Cooking up some stir-fry from the assortment of vegetables in the refrigerator, she headed down to her 'father's' lab. Knocking on the door she opened it with one foot and carried the food in. Souichi was sitting at his workbench, a massive quantity of concoctions bubbling and boiling away in front of him. He was staring intently at one of the containers, watching a particularly nasty looking black mass bubble and boil, and failed to see her come in. She placed a meal beside him, and watched quietly for a moment as he consulted a thermometer and tapped the side of the beaker a few times. The food seemed to catch his attention, and be reached down and placed her on his lap. Mistress 9 had warned Ranma that this sort of thing might occur occasionally. Souichi actually thought that Ranma really was his daughter Hotaru, who had died tragically. Something about a lab explosion... Lots of strange chemicals... bubbling and boiling... Ranma began to get a little nervous. "Just a moment. Any second now... Done!" With that, the elder Tomoe whisked the beaker off with a pair of heat tongs and poured it's disgusting, thick black contents into a pair of smaller beakers. Taking one of them, he lifted it to his nose and inhaled deeply. Taking a sip he smiled and gestured for Hotaru to join him. She looked at the beaker and wondered how she could get out of it. The smell of chemicals in the lab was overpowering, and she hesitated to think what sort of combination could have caused such a disgusting looking mess. After a few gentle nudges, she picked up the warm beaker and closed her eyes. Bringing it to her face, she silently reminded herself of the horrors she had suffered in her life. The medicinal infusions which Tomoe had prepared for her to help Mistress 9's work were far from the worst, but this mess seemed to rival even Akane's capabilities. With one last gasp she put the glass to her lips and took as large a swallow as the temperature would allow. As soon as it his her taste buds, her eyes flew open and she stared at her 'father'. With a wink he touched the side of his nose. "Don't tell Kaolinite. If she knew I was using all this stuff to make the ultimate cup of coffee, she'd have a fit." Relaxing onto his shoulder, Ranma reconsidered her opinion of the man. He might be a bit odd, he might see her as his dead daughter, and he might have vats of distilled evil stored under the floorboards, but anyone who can make coffee this good can't be all bad. As Hotaru lay in her bed that night, the nightmares began again. Ever since the day she had seen those girls at the ticket office, they had been getting worse. Strange dreams, sometimes she could remember them, other times just the feelings of fear, danger and sadness. He was walking through the halls of Akane's home. It was the third time he had come here, and he had yet to see another soul. As he looked around, he admired the paintings on the wall, and wondered what he could fetch for such items. In his dream, Ranma looked down and saw his black clad feet stepping lightly on cold stone floors. 'Stone floors? What stone floors?' As he looked up again, he could feel the anger in him, rising again. What gave them the right? What allowed them to live like this while he was forced to live on the road, and fight for everything that he ever desired? For a time he held his anger in check, but as he walked through the halls of the castle, it just kept rising. 'Castle? Akane didn't live in a castle.' When he reached the main dining hall, it was all too much. There was a feast laid out, on a large oak table. Enough food to feed half a dozen, and just the one small woman eating. How could she? He marched forward, yelling abuse at her, and she kept her head lowered, her short, dark hair falling forward and covering her face. Felling he was being ignored, he yelled again, hurling insults. Evoking no response, he struck the table, shattering the expensive hardwood, and sending the food to the floor. "Do you know how I feel? Can you even imagine? To be hated by your mother? To be nothing more than a pawn to your father? To be looked at with fear and hatred? Do you know?" Finally he had her attention. Slowly her head rose and he looked into her eyes. Bright purple eyes, so deep and perfect that you could fly forever in their depths. And as he looked into those eyes, he saw his own pain mirrored. "Yes, I do." It was all she said. So simple, so quiet. But she may of been the one person in the whole solar system who could have said such a thing and been believed. Looking into her face, he saw his own needs there, saw his own desires. Here was someone who finally understood. She spoke again. "Do you want to be friends?" Ranma awoke bathed in sweat. It wasn't a dream, it was a nightmare. Besides, Akane had brown eyes. Big, beautiful, perfect brown eyes. He didn't know any girls that had purple eyes. Shuddering she lay back on the bed and tried to get some sleep. Please, no more dreams tonight, just let me rest. --- End Of Chapter The characters contained within this story are owned by Takahashi Rumiko or Takeuchi Naoko. No infringement of copyright is intended. This work to be distributed for free, unchanged, crediting the current author. This is a crossover between Ranma 1/2 and Sailor Moon. To make the two stories fit together the way I wanted, I needed to shuffle the dates at which a few things occur within the main timeline of Sailor Moon. I bow my head in shame: please forgive. We also have guest appearances by Slayers and 3x3 Eyes. Die hard fans of Ranma may also notice a very subtle change to it's story timeline... This story is dedicated to the number 668 (the neighbour of the beast). Visit my website at dzillman@ozemail.com.au http://www.ozemail.com.au/~dzillman/fire _________________ / \ | Destiny's Child | \_________________/ What has gone before: While on a training trip with his father, Ranma fell into the spring of the drowned young girl. Unfortunately, his curse can only be changed back with _very_ hot water, which means he spends most of the time in his cursed form. Not only that, but since the spring was drowned young girl, he turns into a 12 year old girl who never ages. Through almost four hundred years of history, Ranma has endured. He has been a husband to Akane and a second mother to children in the Joketsuzoku. From monk to revolutionary, Ranma has travelled much of Asia and Europe. At long last he has returned to Japan. While Ranma's curse is being cured by the spirit woman called Mistress 9, he attempts to fit into modern society, learning Shinto from a certain temple maiden. Unfortunately, he now also has to contend with a roving pig-demon called Ryoga who he seems to have slighted some time in the past... ----------------------------- If We Are Three, Who Is Four? ----------------------------- After avoiding her for days, Haruka had finally summoned up the courage to speak to Michiru again. She knew what she feared, and it was not the fighting which came with being a Sailor Senshi. What she really feared was losing the one person in the world that really mattered. It had taken her a long time to come to the conclusion, but she had realised that the person that she truly cared for was Michiru, and she wanted nothing, her work, her destiny or some long dead kingdom to come between them. It was then that she realised just what she would need to do to ensure that Michiru was safe. Everyone in Tokyo had seen the Sailor Senshi in action, and she knew of the superhuman feats which they performed. The only way that she could possibly help her friend in such a situation was to be with her, to be by her side in battle. To become one of the Sailor Senshi. Even as she had shuddered at the idea, she realised that for one dream to live, another must die. For her to be with Michiru, and to be one of the Sailors, she must give up racing. The career which she had dedicated her life to was too public, and too dangerous to sit well with a long term relationship. Speeding around the track at hundreds of kilometres per hour was exhilarating, but the risks became to high when you considered that it was no longer just yourself the would be hurt in an accident. With firm resolve she had tendered her resignation to head of her pit crew. 'Tendered her resignation', such a neat way of saying it, and it carried so little of the real effort or pain involved. When she first told him, he did not believe her, and why would he? Haruka had dedicated all of her young life to becoming the paramount racer of her age, she had defeated trials and hardship to be where she was, why would she throw it all away? Trying to answer that question was one of the hardest things she had ever done. Here was a friend who had been there for her most of her life, and had given her so many of the opportunities she desired. Now she was casting them aside. Her first tries at explaining the situation had failed, being to obviously fabricated, or too shallow to account for her change in motivation. She had been spared more difficult explanations by the sudden arrivals of a Daimon and Sailor Neptune. The battle had been short enough - and more exhilarating than cornering at 250kph with no brakes - and by the end of it, Sailor Uranus stood beside Sailor Neptune. They had almost saved him too. The Daimon had extracted his heart crystal, and while they had been fighting, the evil witch Kaolinite had taken it. A person's heart crystal was almost a physical manifestation of the link between a person's soul, and their body. When they had the witch surrounded, she had crushed the heart crystal, dropping the shards and powder to the ground. In their panic to save the man, Kaolinite had escaped. That had been two days ago, and now Haruka stood holding Michiru's hand as the looked at the fresh grave. Setsuna was behind them, and waited quietly until the two of them turned away and walked down the hill to Haruka's car. "Have you been able to find out anything more about why the witch wanted the heart crystal?" Setsuna shook her head and let her long dark green hair hide her face. People might think she was cold, possibly callous even, but she felt the suffering of those around her. She understood what it was like to see a friend die, she had seen too many die since the fall of the Moon Kingdom. Forcing iron into her voice, Setsuna answered in an even tone. "No, not yet. There is more I can do, but I will need to be away for a while. Do you two think you can handle yourselves for a week or two?" That might have been a head nodding, or it might have been swaying from inertia. There was no need to take the corner that fast, but Setsuna expected Haruka just wanted to get home quickly. As she watched the street that Michiru lived on whiz past, she wondered if they were stopping there, or just going past. Yes, they were stopping, they were stopping very quickly. My, what good brakes this car has. I must remember to wear a seat belt next time. Michiru was about to step out of the car when Haruka turned around and placed a hand on her arm, looking at the older woman in the back seat. Haruka had been quiet all day, and now it looked like she was ready to talk. "Setsuna. I've got a question for you. Every one knows the Sailor Senshi, right?" "Yes, the Inner Senshi." "And we're the Senshi for planets at the edge of the system." "Yes, the Outer Senshi. The Inner Senshi are there to defend the Kingdom against attack from within, they are also the last line of defence for the Princess or Queen. We on the other hand are the Kingdom's defenders against external threat. If someone wants to hurt our Kingdom or the people we protect, they have to go through us first." "Now my astronomy might be a little rusty, but I seem to remember the planet Saturn sitting somewhere between Jupiter and Uranus. Does it have a Senshi? And when will she awake? Is she an Inner or an Outer? I think were going to need all the help we can get for this." Setsuna bowed her head briefly. It was good to know the girls she would be working with could use their brains as well as their magic. "You're entirely correct. There was a Sailor Saturn. Maybe there will be again. "Sailor Saturn holds a special place in the history of the Sailor Senshi. She is the Senshi of creation and destruction, and she is arguably the most powerful Senshi in existence." Michiru looked confused and furrowed her brow in a cute little frown. "I don't understand." "Sailor Saturn is a special case. All of the other Senshi live and die in service to the Kingdom. They have normal lives and are normal people. Sailor Saturn is special. She only awakens when there is a great need for her. At a time when the Kingdom is in it's darkest hour, Sailor Saturn shall awaken. This tends to give the poor girl a most unfortunate reputation, being associated with all of that danger. "However, it can be a reputation that is deserved. Sailor Saturn is extremely powerful, possibly more powerful than Sailor Moon or Queen Serenity herself." "But if she's so powerful, why would people be afraid of her? Can't she just toss whoever is attacking right back where they came from?" "People are afraid for good reason. Tell me this, who is more powerful: Sailor Moon, who can bring someone back from the dead, or Sailor Saturn, who can destroy the world?" Looking them in the eye, Setsuna continued without giving them a chance to answer. "Sailor Moon might have the power for it, but there is no way she could even think about trying to do something like that. Sailor Saturn not only can do it, she would do it if that is what she thought was needed. "Sailor Saturn is like a sleeping guard dog: she can defeat most intruders if she wakes up, but you have to pray that she never turns on her friends either through intent or ignorance. I suggest you do not wish Sailor Saturn is here to help us. Wishes like that have a nasty tendency to come true." Somewhere, hidden deep inside, Setsuna chuckled. She knew Saturn would awaken, it was her destiny... it was all a matter of time. --- End of Chapter The characters contained within this story are owned by Takahashi Rumiko or Takeuchi Naoko. No infringement of copyright is intended. This work to be distributed for free, unchanged, crediting the current author. This is a crossover between Ranma 1/2 and Sailor Moon. To make the two stories fit together the way I wanted, I needed to shuffle the dates at which a few things occur within the main timeline of Sailor Moon. I bow my head in shame: please forgive. We also have guest appearances by Slayers and 3x3 Eyes. Die hard fans of Ranma may also notice a very subtle change to it's story timeline... This story is dedicated to the letter E and the number e. Visit my website at dzillman@ozemail.com.au http://www.ozemail.com.au/~dzillman/fire _________________ / \ | Destiny's Child | \_________________/ What has gone before: While on a training trip with his father, Ranma fell into the spring of the drowned young girl. Unfortunately, his curse can only be changed back with _very_ hot water, which means he spends most of the time in his cursed form. Not only that, but since the spring was drowned young girl, he turns into a 12 year old girl who never ages. Through almost four hundred years of history, Ranma has endured. He has been a husband to Akane and a second mother to children in the Joketsuzoku. From monk to revolutionary, Ranma has travelled much of Asia and Europe. At long last he has returned to Japan. While Ranma's curse is being cured by the spirit woman called Mistress 9, he attempts to fit into modern society, learning Shinto from a certain temple maiden. The last chapter was really short. Not much happened in it... -------------------------- Here's Looking At You, Kid -------------------------- Little Hotaru walked along, struggling under the weight of a pack of school books, her only friend a wooden staff, and it didn't really contribute much to conversations. It was not really a struggle, it was more the weight of the words which surrounded her which were hardest to bear. Japan is a society which encourages uniformity. People should fit into society, not bend society to fit them. If you can fit, then it is the duty of your peers to help you fit. And no- one can be crueller than small children. Ranma had always liked making friends, and was fairly adapt at talking to kids that looked like her age. When a new boy had turned up at school today, she wandered over to try and meet him at lunch. Perhaps if he had not seen her heal anyone, they could become friends before he decided she was 'strange'. She had barely taken three steps from the tree where she usually ate lunch - alone - when everyone noticed. In no time flat, everyone was talking to the new boy about her, pointing, laughing and telling lies. Before she had crossed the playground, the new boy was taunting her too. Now that school was over, she could rally against the injustice of it all. All right, at four hundred she was just a little bit older than any of the kids, but they did not know that. Quite simply there was no-one in her age group to talk to, and even grown-ups seemed so young some times. The only person who came close to that was Ryoga, the demon. He was a baby by their standards, a mere three hundred or so, but demons specialised in anger and fighting, not conversation. Hotaru had found that out when she bumped into Ryoga yesterday. He was still mad at her, and they destroyed another city block before Ryoga got lost in the dust. All she wanted was to be normal and accepted by everyone. There were lots of nice people in Japan, she had met so many herself. The problem was getting people to see past the facade which was presented, and to know the real person inside. She could tell that the only person she had met so far that seemed smart and caring enough, did not really care. It must have happened two or three times now: he would be having a conversation with Rei-san, and for no reason she would suddenly cut him off and the chase him away. Dropping to the grass in a park, Ranma stared into the waters of a pond. In four hundred years he had made his share of enemies for things he had done, or things people thought he had done. In the past, it had always been a directed hate like Ryoga's. People hated him for a reason. He had even been in enough cities to know the indifference which crowding bred. It was this general animosity that he hated. No-one liked him, and it was beginning to get to him. Takuhi was nice, be he was just a pet. Her face twitched slightly as she held back tears. She missed Ucchan and Kikyo. She missed Cologne and Brush. She missed Akane. She always missed Akane. Ranma could not understand Rei-san. When he had first met Akane, she had been more than happy to tell Ranma when he did something wrong, usually with that awful mallet of hers. Sometimes Rei-san was like that, sometimes she would yell and scream and show her temper. Other times, just the three, she would go all cold and distant. She would not tolerate him around, and ushered him out as quickly as possible. Why? Ranma was so engrossed in her thoughts she never even noticed when the hat blew past her. She just kept staring at nothing. When she heard a young girl's voice cry out, she finally looked around. Little girl: pink hair, sun-dress, quite cute, sixteen meters away, fallen, probably no broken bones, maybe minor scratches. Adults: tall, male, early twenties, forty-seven meters away, short, female, blonde... her again! Hat: matches sun-dress, blowing away in wind. Hotaru sighed. What the hell, she'll end up hating me too, but she might be friends for a while. Getting to her feet, Hotaru took off after the escaping hat. After the first few steps she remembered that she was supposed to be weak and feeble, so she slowed down and started to breath heavily. After a few minutes of running she caught the hat and sat down on the grass, waving to the girl. Eventually the little pink haired girl came up to her and smiled. Silently, Hotaru smiled and handed her the hat, keeping up the heavy breathing for effect. "Thank you!" The little girl plopped down beside her. "My name's Chibi-Usa!" Hotaru bowed her head. "I'm Tomoe Hotaru. It's nice to meet you." "What are you doing out here by yourself?" Hotaru looked down at the ground again. Well, this is going to be a short friendship. "I... I don't have any friends, so I was just..." "Oh, that's so sad! Are you new here?" "No, people don't like me because I'm different." "I don't mind if your different. Almost everyone I know is really different. I'll be your friend." As she spoke, she seemed to almost bounce with energy. The big rabbit ears she had her hair done up in seemed to almost wave when she moved her head, and Hotaru could almost believe her. She seemed to nice, so naive, so innocent, almost the way that you would expect a princess in a fairy-tale to act. Pointing to the scratch on her knee that Chibi-Usa had received running for her hat, Hotaru drew her attention. "Yeah? How many people do you know that could do this?" Hotaru concentrated and her small hands covered Chibi-Usa's knee for a short while. Even as they watched, the scratch healed, and the skin repaired as though it had never been damaged. Even as she healed the girl, Hotaru cursed herself for a fool. Here was someone willing to listen, and she was doing her best to scare her away. All right, maybe not her best, but her best could involve levelling a large portion of the city. A touch excessive for indulging self pity. She could not believe her ears when the little girl beside her cheered and clapped her hands. "That is so wonderful! I wish I could do that!" Hotaru blushed. "No you don’t. Too many people think your strange, and..." Chibi-Usa interrupted. She knew it was rude, but it was better to stop Hotaru-chan from getting all sad again. Changing the topic, the two talked and talked. It was the start of a beautiful friendship. They sat and talked for most of the afternoon, Mamoru and Usagi keeping their distance to allow their daughter to have a decent friend. While Chibi-Usa was their daughter, she had not been born yet. Sent back in time by her mother (Usagi) she was here to learn the proper way to be Sailor Moon, as she would some day inherit the powers and duties that went with the title. While they were (or will be) her parents, at this point they were also her friends. When you are brought up as a princess, and you are also the inheritor of a position responsible for the safety of the entire human race, it's difficult to make friends. When you are repeatedly sent into the distant past, and separated from your family (sort of) it can be a hard time. Although she had friends at school, Chibi-Usa normally found it difficult to become really attached to anyone. Someday, all these people would be dead, and since she came from a time when they were, she had a hard time seeing other kids as life long friends. Chibi-Usa looked at her new friend and sighed. Although she was really quiet, and did not like to talk about herself, Chibi-Usa could see she was a nice person at heart. Looking off to one side, she could see her parents approaching. 'Hmm, I suppose I can't expect her to tell me everything, I'm hiding a few little details..." Seeing where the pink bunny ears were pointing, Hotaru noticed the couple approaching arm in arm. 'Damn, it's that girl again. Who is she? Why do I think I've seen her before?' When Chibi-Usa waved and she saw the couple's eyes light up, she nudged her friend. "Who are they? Is she really a Queen?" Hotaru started. 'Is she really a Queen?' Where did that come from? She doesn't look like a queen. As a matter of fact, she looks more like a school girl. Chibi-Usa was surprised as well. Looking at her hands, she wondered how she could answer something like that without lying. She had no idea if Hotaru was serious, but you can't just lie to people for no reason. "No... Not at the moment, she's not." As the pink haired girl dashed off to be picked up and carried by Mamoru, Hotaru was trying to fight strange feelings in her head. Memories dashed across her mind: of fun times with Akane, of meeting royalty, and of a girl with short black hair, who showed her how to love and how to be a real man, and of a kind and caring Queen. Each step that brought Usagi closer made the memories dash across faster. When she was finally two meters away, she stopped and looked at the now standing Hotaru. When she smiled and held out her hand, it was the last cue she needed. Suddenly all the flashbacks ceased and she called out the one thing that was at the top of her mind. "The Queen is dead! Long live the Queen!" Everyone stopped stunned as Hotaru dropped to one knee and bowed her head. "Your Majesty." When they recovered from the shock, the trio looked down at the kneeling girl. Usagi turned to her daughter and creased her brow. All Small Lady could do was shrug her shoulders and smile cutely, as though saying: 'Don't look at me, Mum. She wasn't crazy until you got here.' Getting no help from that front, she leaned down and touched the little girl on the back. "Are... Are you OK? You can get up now." Hotaru stood and shook her head. What just happened? Why did she do that? She looked at Usagi and offered a shy smile while trying to check her out. 'Nothing special about her really, she seems to have a little magic, but that's it. She's no warrior or sorceress, and she definitely hasn’t had any spiritual training... I don't get it. Two minutes ago I felt this incredible need to speak to her, and now it's gone. I just don't understand.' When the girl started waving a hand in front of her face, Hotaru realised she was beginning to zone out. Smiling again she took the girl's hand, grabbed her staff and led them off, immediately changing the subject. Mamoru and Chibi-Usa looked at each other and shrugged. They had met a lot of strange people recently, and if the worst the girl did was claim Usagi was royalty, they had nothing to worry about. Begging off joining them for dinner, Hotaru eventually went home after a bit more of a walk in the park. As much as she hated her 'father's' medicine, she was willing to get home every day to take it if it meant that she would one day be cured of her curse. That night, she dreamed again. The lightning flashed, and the thunder roared... and the people calling out his name. Or what was now his name. But he walked the halls in silence, for the only person who mattered was with him, and she walked by his side. Taking his hand she calmed the rage and confusion that burned in him. 'How does she do that?' He wondered. Just the lightest touch of her hand and he knew all was right in the world. Outside the storm raged, and buffeted against the walls of the building. Inside, it was just as chaotic, people everywhere, watching them. Always watching. His wife pushed open the great doors and walked inside. In those very instant that her hand left his, he felt the confusion return. The anger, the hatred, the pain and suffering. He was snarling at a guest when she took his hand and led him to the great table. The mood swings were getting worse, and he knew it. One minute he could be calm and pleasant, the next he would be deadly. It almost seemed as if his soul needed the pain and anger, and when he was with his wife, all those moments of happiness would rebound when she left. Ignoring the guests in the room, he took his wife in his arms and whispered he loved her. She held him too, and told him she loved him too. Around them, he could her warriors muttering. "Not fitting." "Improper." "He's wrong for her." "Think where it will lead." Any other day he would have leaped at them, as futile as it may have been. He was a fighter, but there was no way he could beat their magic, his talents lay elsewhere. Lifting his face from where it rested in the sweet black hair, he looked at the lady sitting at the table smiling at them. Most people would have called her beautiful, stunning, definitely regal. However, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and his eyes could behold the beauty of only one person. Everyone else were merely shadows, cardboard cut-outs on the stage of the world. Then again, she was the only one he knew of that approved of their marriage, so perhaps she was beautiful in her own way. The lady spoke. "Everyone, could you leave us. I need to speak with him alone." No-one liked that idea, but they complied. His wife tried to, but he held onto her hand like a drowning man. 'No, don’t leave me. I can't stand being without you.' But gently, insistently, she loosened his grip. Giving him one of her gentle smiles, she kissed his cheek and slipped from the room. By the time she left the room, tears were running down his face, the confusion, the anger and the pain were back. Looking at the woman standing there - golden hair and white robes, a gleaming crystal tipped sceptre - he knew she was his only hope. "Please... Your Majesty." --- End Of Chapter The characters contained within this story are owned by Takahashi Rumiko or Takeuchi Naoko. No infringement of copyright is intended. This work to be distributed for free, unchanged, crediting the current author. This is a crossover between Ranma 1/2 and Sailor Moon. To make the two stories fit together the way I wanted, I needed to shuffle the dates at which a few things occur within the main timeline of Sailor Moon. I bow my head in shame: please forgive. We also have guest appearances by Slayers and 3x3 Eyes. Die hard fans of Ranma may also notice a very subtle change to it's story timeline... This story is dedicated to the letter A and the number 1. Visit my website at dzillman@ozemail.com.au http://www.ozemail.com.au/~dzillman/fire _________________ / \ | Destiny's Child | \_________________/ What has gone before: While on a training trip with his father, Ranma fell into the spring of the drowned young girl. Unfortunately, his curse can only be changed back with _very_ hot water, which means he spends most of the time in his cursed form. Not only that, but since the spring was drowned young girl, he turns into a 12 year old girl who never ages. Through almost four hundred years of history, Ranma has endured. He has been a husband to Akane and a second mother to children in the Joketsuzoku. From monk to revolutionary, Ranma has travelled much of Asia and Europe. At long last he has returned to Japan. While Ranma's curse is being cured by the spirit woman called Mistress 9, he attempts to fit into modern society, learning Shinto from a certain temple maiden. Recently Ranma made friends with Chibi-Usa under the guise of his currently assumed name of Tomoe Hotaru. While he tries to sort out his real life, he has been plagued by disturbing dreams of a distant past. -------------------------- Cleaning Up The Opposition -------------------------- When she awoke the next morning, the dreams were nothing more than fleeting memories of pain and confusion that quickly subsided. On the way to school, Hotaru thought on her dreaming problems and realised the solution. When you have a problem you can't deal with, fight! Her father taught her that too many years ago to remember, but it had served her well, and she was willing to stand by it as a philosophy that worked. Some people say that fighting never solves anything, but Ranma believed that they had never fought before. Fighting can defeat enemies, and conquer nations. It can turn enemies into allies, make acquaintances trusted friends, and make friends lovers. Fighting brought out all the best in a person, the struggle, the challenge, and the commitment to the elusive goal of being the best. Fighting was also the best way to clear the mind and free the thinking. She ignored most of her classes, other than history, which was always fun because she could think to herself, 'I was doing this when that happened'. After another rotten lunch and a boring afternoon, Hotaru dashed out of school and found a convenient hiding place. When she was sure no-one was around, she changed clothes, then doused herself with water from her thermos. Walking down the streets of Tokyo, the Master of Anything Goes Martial Arts wondered how good the Martial Artists were around here. It took little more than twenty seconds in a phone book, and a ten minute jog, and he was at a Kempo club. Once Kempo had been the basis for Anything Goes. Since he was the Master, and probably the soul practitioner, he suspected that Amazonian techniques were more likely the real basis now, but why not start with Kempo? Entering the dojo he kicked off his shoes and bowed to the Sensei. Oh, goody, class was just starting. Asking permission to join in, the young teacher, probably in his late thirties, waved him onto the mat, and everyone bowed in. The class was what you would expect for a public offering. The did a few light warm ups, some kicks and punches, and a little semi-contact sparring. After just a couple of hours of light warm-ups, Ranma was ready and eager to start training. Then the Sensei called them back. It was the end of training! Immediately after the class, Ranma stalked up to the Sensei. "What was that, a beginners class? We didn't even do any sparring! And it was so short!" The Sensei puffed out his chest. "Listen pal, two hours is plenty long enough for training. And what gives you the right to complain about my classes? I'm a third dan black belt in Kempo, with a second dan in Akido." Ranma crossed his arms and puffed his chest out too. "I am Tendo Ranma, Master of the Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts." The Sensei lost his composure and started laughing. "Anything Goes? That's the most ridiculous name I've ever heard. Not only that, but you're trying to impress me by being the master in your own style. Feh! I'd like to see how you fair against a real Martial Artist some time." Ranma went from scowl to smile in the course of the speech. Such an insult to the school could not be taken lightly. In any other circumstance, he would have challenged the man to a fight, but there was no need, the fool had just offered to take him on. "Your challenge is accepted. Shall we fight now?" The Sensei smirked and rotated his torso a few times to loosen it up, then did some spring kicks. "Sure. What rules do you want?" "No magic, no Ki attacks, no killing, and no permanent maiming... that should just about do it." Snort. "Yeah, right. No magic. Ha, ha. What about padding?" Ranma looked down at the tatami mats on the floor. "No, leave it there. No sense in ripping it up just so we can fight on wood, unless you'd prefer to go outside?" "Oh, ha, ha, a real comedian." With that they bowed and the fight began. Ranma decided to start slowly and work his way up. It would be the easiest way to gauge his opponents strength. He just hoped the guy was good enough to make it worth the effort. Other than Ryoga, it had been a while since a challenge had come his way. Seeing his opponent was using a defensive stance, Ranma obliged and started the attack. A couple of punches and a kick, then roll away. Not bad, he managed to block them, a bit sloppy trying for that leg brace, but he has potential. Back in again, Ranma did a series of leg sweeps and feinted throws, seeking to drop the man on his backside. At the speed Ranma was moving, the Sensei evaded them, and returned to counter attack. Watching the punch coming in, Ranma was reminded of the times he fought with Akane; trained that should be, since they really did fight when they were younger. Before they realised they loved each other. She was always a strong girl, but compared to him (or her as the he usually was) she was dreadfully slow. That was not saying a great deal, since it was not until he met Liniment that she met someone who really was faster than her. For a while, Ranma reflected on that first time when he had fought Deodorant. He had believed at the time that being defeated by an old woman was a disgrace. It was only living the Amazon village for a time that made him realise how wrong he was. The Matriarch of the Amazons - which is the position Deodorant held - was not just there for her wisdom, she was also the recognised Mistress for fighting in the whole village; they were Amazons after all, and had a reputation to maintain. Whoops, daydreaming too long there. Punch almost got me, better block it. And he's going for a trip too, ambitious fellow. Taking the arm which was still in front of his face, Ranma grabbed it both sides of the elbow. In less time than it took to blink, Ranma lifted the fighter by his arm, and lobbed him across the room. Just to teach him a lesson in finishing a strike quickly, Ranma allowed a little pressure on the elbow joint while he lifted for the throw. Not enough to break it or even permanently damage it, but it should hurt like hell for a few days. The Sensei hit the wall fairly lightly and more or less flowed to the ground. After a few seconds he was staggering to his feet, reeling in confusion, and holding his elbow in obvious pain. Ranma stared in shock. But I only threw him four meters! Surely he can't be injured that badly. Hell, I was doing that to Akane until she was fifty and she would thump me with her mallet if I did it that lightly! Keeping a defensive posture, Ranma watched as the man staggered back to the centre of the dojo. When the Sensei bowed to him, he realised it was over. Damn, I still haven't gotten past the warm up yet! "My apologies to you and your school, Ranma-sensei. I have never seen someone so fast, or so strong before. I beg forgiveness for my rudeness." Still in shock, Ranma bowed, mumbled something polite and left. What was wrong here? Most of the kids he used to teach the Intermediate course to back in the Amazon village would have beaten him. I've got to find a decent dojo! Around that same time, the Sailor Senshi were gathered in an ice- cream parlour in their normal garb. Even as they ordered, Rei scratched her head and wondered why. Why was it always ice-cream they were getting? Was Usagi actually possessed by a demon with an ice- cream fetish? Was there some higher order in the universe which dictated the need to consume large quantities of ice-cream? Rei watched a young girl in a booth. She was wearing bright red clothing and had a large hammer strapped to her back. To judge by the way she was hoeing into her ice-cream, you could almost believe that the was some declaration from heaven proclaiming the divinity of ice- cream. When Rei turned back to her friends, and saw Usagi salivating while she stared at the desserts arrayed before her, she dismissed that idea. Nothing could make Usagi look royal or holy. "Come on, Meatball Head. The rest of us want to order before the shop shuts." "Ohhh, but there's so many to choose from. I could get the Chocolate Ripple, or the Super Fudge, or the Strawberry Surprise, or the..." She trailed off after a moment, frantically searching through her purse for enough money to be able to eat it all. The other girls sighed, then pushed past her and ordered their own. When Usagi saw her friends sitting down, halfway through their food, she finally took the plunge and ordered everything she could afford. She might be missing out on some really yummy stuff, but she knew they wouldn't wait forever. Eventually everyone was seated around the table eating their desserts when Minako nudges Makoto. "Any more luck finding that hunk from the theatre yet?" Makoto blushed and looked sheepish. "No, not yet." "So is he really an old boyfriend of yours?" "No, but I'm hoping to be able to say he's my current boyfriend some day soon." Everyone sniggered, letting Ami speak up. "I only got a brief look at him. Is he really worth all the work that you're putting into it?" "How can you say such a thing? Of course it's worth it. As I looked across at him, our eyes met, and I just knew he was the one for me. Somehow I just knew I was destined to meet him. We'll be the perfect couple, so beautiful and elegant! He's even cuter than Mamoru. Isn't he, Usagi?" "I suppose it depends if you prefer the muscle bound, body like a Greek god look, or the refined face of a man who looks like a king." "Feh! Knowing you, you'd want both of them, just so you won't miss out on anything next time one of them gets brainwashed or kidnapped or something." Usagi blushed and hid behind her ice-cream for a moment. Realising the only way that she could stop them teasing her was to get someone new to tease, she popped up again and levelled her spoon at Rei (practising with the Moon Sceptre helped her immensely, even as a blob of ice-cream flew off the end she maintained her poise). "Come on, Rei-chan. What about this new boyfriend of yours?" "Hey! He's not my boyfriend. He's just a new apprentice at the shrine." "That's not what your grandfather tells us. From what he says your boyfriend is really cute. He says you two make a great couple." Minako tossed in her two cents also: "Yeah, he even told me that the two of you should get married so you can take over the shrine." "WHAT? How can he say that? That old pervert! No, we are not getting married." Sensing victory, they closed in for the kill. "Ah, but she not denying that he's cute." "Well, yeah, he is cute. And he's always so polite. And he's pretty good at working around the shrine. And..." Everyone went 'Oooh!' as she began to recount the details. When Rei glared at them, they burst out laughing. "How far have you gotten?" "Have you kissed him yet?" "Have you met his family?" "When are we going to meet him?" "Is it true your grandfather asked him to sleep over?" "When are you getting engaged?" "Does he have a nice butt?" "QUIET!!" "Better, much better. It's not like that. Ranma's a nice boy. He's... Well, he's not exactly quiet or shy or anything, but... But he's so... Well, he's quiet and shy and everything. "That didn't make any sense, did it?" Everyone shook their heads in perfect unison. "Um, let me see. Ranma's... complex. He's outgoing and lively and always energetic. _Always_ energetic, arg, I don't know how he can be so bright in the mornings. But... At the same time, he's always a bit quiet and distant. I suppose it's because he's such a perfect gentleman. He's always polite to me, and never tries anything, even when we're alone." "Well, you seem to be doing all right with him. You're on a first name basis already, aren’t you?" "Hmm, sort of. Even on the first day I was calling him 'Ranma', it's just so easy. But he's always so polite to me. I don't think he's ever called me anything else aside from 'Rei-san'." Seeing her friend starting to get a little misty eyed about a boy she obviously had one-way feelings for, Ami interjected. "Enough about Rei-chan, how are you going to track down this mystery man of yours, Mako-chan?" Rei smiled her thanks for the help. Her friends meant well, but to be honest, they tended to gossip like a bunch of school girls... There was a good reason for that though. In yet another part of Tokyo, someone was making a name for herself. The tall, good looking dojo destroyer was systematically visiting every dojo, beating the stuffing out of everyone foolish enough to challenge her. Leaving a trail weeks long, a string of dojo from the west coast the heart of Tokyo bore the signs of her passing, broken signs, and unconscious champions. The only reasoning anyone had was her horrific war-cry. Hundreds of people now recognised it as a sound to be feared, and lived in anticipation of the next time they may hear the words: "Shampoo challenge!" Shampoo looked around the suburb as she contemplated her next move. She had been sent to Japan to find a husband, and she would not fail. Fighting strength was everything in the village that she came from. Fighting strength was what made the Amazons great, and fighting strength was what enabled them to live to this day. Coming from a long and proud line of warriors, she knew deep within her soul the power of having a strong husband, and the curse you inflicted on your children by having a weak man. Shampoo's father had been the strongest male in the village in his day. Some people even spread rumours that her mother had lost the fight because she loved him, but her parents had squashed those rumours; literally. He mother was the strongest maiden in the village, as was her mother before her. Shampoo was the strongest of this generation, and her great grandmother was still the Matriarch of the village. It was a job that Shampoo wanted some day, and for that she needed a strong husband, to make her a real woman. As with all of the other hard and important work in the village, it was a woman's job to provide for the strength of the village's future. For that she needed a strong husband. All the men in the village fell before her might. When she had won the Martial Tournament a few months ago, she had systematically defeated every single man in the village. Not only was it their duty to fight when challenged, but Shampoo's beauty and expected political future guaranteed all the suitors gave their all. All tried, and all failed. There was only one thing to do when you can beat the best that are on offer: find some more offers. Everyone knew that they only men worth the effort in the area were the Musk. Neither the Joketsuzoku or the Musk had any fancy for the idea of intermarriage, so a quest was mandated. In the past great warriors had journeyed far and wide in search of suitable material to strengthen their bloodlines. She would do no less. Picking up on rumours, Shampoo had finally come to Japan. A land fabled for it's great warriors, Ninja and Samurai, a land where people were dedicated to the art of fighting. Here she would find the warrior who would defeat her, and she would sweep him off his feet and back to China. Japan seemed like another failure. She had been searching high and low. From one school to another she sought the strongest on offer, and then defeated them. Was she too good? Was she really the pinnacle of Amazon breeding, too strong for ordinary men to defeat? Shampoo sniffed in misery. Some of the men had given her a run for her money, they had challenged her, and pushed her to her limits, but in the end they failed too. Amazon strength, combined with speed and her knowledge of their secret techniques triumphed every time. Perhaps... just perhaps she would need to give a little in one fight. She would ask Great-grandmother. She would know. She knew everything. Before her the door of the next dojo opened. Looking at the class that was assembled, she saw that news of her progress was spreading. By the number of black belts, and the healthy figures on the men, these were the best they had to offer. They would not be enough. "Shampoo challenge!" --- End Of Chapter The characters contained within this story are owned by Takahashi Rumiko or Takeuchi Naoko. No infringement of copyright is intended. This work to be distributed for free, unchanged, crediting the current author. This is a crossover between Ranma 1/2 and Sailor Moon. To make the two stories fit together the way I wanted, I needed to shuffle the dates at which a few things occur within the main timeline of Sailor Moon. I bow my head in shame: please forgive. We also have guest appearances by Slayers and 3x3 Eyes. Die hard fans of Ranma may also notice a very subtle change to it's story timeline... This story is dedicated to the letters J and B and the number 007. Visit my website at dzillman@ozemail.com.au http://www.ozemail.com.au/~dzillman/fire _________________ / \ | Destiny's Child | \_________________/ What has gone before: While on a training trip with his father, Ranma fell into the spring of the drowned young girl. Unfortunately, his curse can only be changed back with _very_ hot water, which means he spends most of the time in his cursed form. Not only that, but since the spring was drowned young girl, he turns into a 12 year old girl who never ages. Having finally returned to Japan after 400 years of travel and experience, Ranma is trying to make a new life. Ranma's (or Tomoe Hotaru as his girl half is known) does not seem capable of having a normal life. He is learning Shinto from Hino Rei, pursued by the boy starved girls of the Sailor Senshi and simply pursued by the enraged demon-pig Ryoga. Just when he was worrying that there were no good martial artists in Tokyo, a certain Amazon arrives claiming the same thing. -------------------------- Another One Bites The Dust -------------------------- The dreams were getting more annoying. In four hundred years of life, Ranma had seen enough nightmares to recognise the signs of tampering and intrusion. When he had trained in India, he had the pleasure of training under a dream walker. A dream walker was someone who could cast their spirit into another person's dreams, and talk to them or influence the dream. What he was seeing did not bear those sorts of signs. His work in Tibet, where the Monks taught him magic and demonology ensured a solid knowledge of those subjects too. When he had first started having these sorts of dreams - around the same time Ryoga showed up - he leapt to the obvious conclusion that it was his demonic friend that was to blame. Ranma had lain his traps well. He had meticulously constructed a layer of demon traps and dream wards. It took him two days to build them, and most of an evening to place them, and when he was finished, he was sure that no demon should be able to pass such defences without at least raising an alarm. While a greater demon, or a force of demons would definitely be able to pound their way through, they would leave definite signs, and he would be aware and able to counter attack. There was simply no way for Ryoga to be able to attack him with his dreams the way they stood. That night, secure and snug in her bed, little Tomoe Hotaru had dreamed again, waking bathed in sweat, and thinking of a Queen of radiant beauty and kindness. All the wards were in place, and no sign of demons. If 100 years as a Monk had taught him nothing else, it was patience (actually, this was one thing that it failed to teach him, but he was better than when he was young). Starting from scratch, he rebuilt all his wards, and again placed them. He included every charm he could think of, and even placed a few of the wards that Rei had created while they were training together. Before he went to bed this evening, he erected the most powerful magical barrier that he could. It would take a mighty spell indeed to break through, and considering it had taken him two hours to cast, he should have some notice when things attacked. About the only thing which could break through without a fight would be the Kami, and even some of them would think twice. That night, Ranma dreamed. It was a simple metal shaft. Nearly eight foot long, and a plain, dull grey in colour. His wife looked down on his work and smiled, and he smiled back. When Queen Serenity had healed him, she did not really change who he was, she just helped to quieten the voices that he heard. She let the calm and love of his wife enter his soul even deeper, and let his love enter his wife. No-one had really expected the results of this however, aside from his wife. Before the healing, she had always said he was talented, and in touch with the magic of the universe. Now everyone would be able to see it. His ability did not lay in casting the great magic which ran the Kingdom. His lay in the ability to feel the subtle changes and effects of the magic around him. The very day that he had been healed, he had walked the halls of their castle, marvelling at how the magic infused everything. Showing a flower to his lovely wife, he looked in her purple eyes and told her of it's beauty. When he described the way the magic touched the flower, melded with it, and was born anew by the life of the flower, she could only sigh in awe. His was a great talent, and if he had the patience for it, he could have been a great scholar, imparting great wisdom to the world. However, he was a fighter, a man who was of short temper and quick, strong feelings. He was more apt to burn a book than read it, and the idea of helping those people who had hurt and tormented him for most of his life held little appeal. Only two people held his loyalty. His wife, and his Queen. As the time had past since his healing, he had travelled the Kingdom, watching as it's magical defenders had wielded their powers to defend and protect. When his Queen had called, he had gone, and he had served, as only he could. Now he had found a way that he could do something for his wife. Ever since he had met her, he had felt like a whole man, and had found peace and love. All he had been able to give her had been a return of that peace and love. It was all she ever asked, but now he could give her more. Looking down at the plain iron shaft, he smiled up at his wife. "With this, I shall craft you a magical item like no other in the system." His wife settled back and picked up her book. Every day for a month he had come down to their cellar to stare at the metal rod. Plain iron, that was all it was, nothing more, nothing less. She loved and trusted her husband, but she also worried about him. One day, while he was out, she called in a powerful mage that worked in her castle. Plain iron, that was all it was, nothing more. After this had been going on for three weeks, she had finally turned to the one person she loved and could trust in the same way she trusted her husband. Stepping into the entry room, she bowed to Queen Serenity. "Arise, please, there is no need for such formality between friends." "Your Majesty. I... I'm worried about my husband. I know you cast a healing on him, but... But recently he had been acting strangely. Could, could I ask you to visit us some time, please. If you could see him... He had become so serious, so obsessed." The Queen smiled and stepped down of her throne. Walking up to the smaller woman, she took her by the hand and strolled around the boundary of the vacant reception hall. "Let me guess. He has become obsessed with a piece of metal. Plain iron if I am not mistaken." She gasped at her Queen. To know such things, she must be one step closer to divinity than anyone ever suspected. The Queen laughed at her subject's amazement. "No, it wasn't a vision, I don't have any special new powers. He's been to see me, you know." "He has?" "He has. Four times in the last month. The first time, he just walked in here, ignoring all of the guards and stood here all day. All he did was watch me and stared at the Moon Sceptre. I can tell you that the King was just a little bit nervous. "He was back two days later. Just walked straight in again and wandered up to the throne. Sailor Jupiter was giving a report at the time. I'm sure you can understand how happy she was. "When Jupiter was finished, the two of us adjourned to a private room, and he showed me the most marvellous painting I have ever seen. There was every colour imaginable, and it was beautiful beyond description. Somehow, he had painted the Moon Sceptre, but he had painted the _magic_ of the Sceptre, not it's outwards appearance. "'Is it right?' He asked me. When I finally realised what it was he was showing me, I studied the Sceptre. All I could see was the strongest currents in the painting, the greatest lines of power. He had drawn them all, detail so minute it must have taken the finest of brushes to paint." Queen Serenity sighed and though of that day. The painting still existed. It was in her private office, where no-one visited. Perhaps some day the painting would allow them to duplicate the powers in the Moon Sceptre if they needed to. "He only came twice more, and then he came to watch me cast, not to ask any more questions. I think he realised that I could not see the magic in the detail that he could. He has no real magic of his own, but his sight! It is truly incredible. "The first time he came was to watch me cast a healing. The second time was to watch me when I destroyed an asteroid which was approaching. Both times he was here before I cast the spells, despite the fact that I had not told anyone of my intentions. He said he could see the magic gathering, as though for a great purpose. "It was that second time that I enquired of his interest. He said that he was making you a staff. A special staff that would stand you true in the test of time, and be with you always. "Plain iron he said. The bane of all magic I told him. He only smiled at me and touched his nose. I don't know what he has planned, but I look forward to seeing the results." Her questions answered, and her fears laid to rest, she let the Queen lead her to the exit. With one hand on the door, Queen Serenity paused and looked at her again. "I asked my advisors about it, not mentioning any names. They said that no magical staff could possibly be constructed from iron. Iron is the antithesis of magic, it is the pure elemental earth, the metal which breaks and dispels. "They also told me that to create a magical item requires great magic yourself. The Moon Sceptre was created long, long ago at the founding of the Moon Kingdom. Legend states that twelve great mages forged it with their life, giving all their power so that it would exist to serve forever more. "I look forward to seeing what he makes. I should be something... special." She looked up with a sudden start. A loud bang of metal on metal brought her back from her memories. After a month of sitting and staring at the rod of iron, he had done something. The sound was the first strike of his hammer as he beat the metal. As she saw him heat the iron and strike again, she realised how long it could take. It did take a long time, almost two years to complete, but it was a labour of love. As time wore on, she could begin to see the shape coming out of what was being produced. Over time he would roll it and fold it, layer upon layer upon layer. At times, he would spend weeks carving intricate channels in the heat softened metal, only to fold the iron again, and bury them within. Every time she would broach the subject he would only smile and say he was creating her a gift of his love. It was to be a reminder of her love for him, and his love for her. When it was complete, all would see the power of their love. It was two days since she had been down to the cellar. The last time she was there, he had cheerfully folded a magnificent sword back onto itself, and beaten it back into a shaft. By the time they had left for bed, he was left with a shaft almost exactly the same as he had started with. She was tending the flowers in her garden, healing the sick ones, and pampering the healthy when she heard footfalls behind her. Surprised when she saw her husband, her jaw almost hit the ground when she saw what he was carrying. It was eight foot tall, an almost completely plain staff, topped with a pair of wicked looking blades. She did not know what it was, but there was no way that he could have created something so... perfect... in two days. He smiled even wider and posed before her, weapon held beside him. "In the last two years, I taught the metal. I forged the metal, and built in all of the tracks by which the magic flows. The metal is not just in the shape of the weapon, it _is_ the weapon. To the very heart of the metal, every gram of it's substance is the weapon. "When I finally brought the weapon to the outside, and gave it exterior form, it was just the same as polishing a gem stone. The work was done, it was only the final gloss that was needed. "This is a weapon like no other in the Kingdom. Every other weapon carries the power inside it. This is a lens. A lens for your spirit. "Others fear your power because they think you have great magic. I say it is not the greatness of the magic, but the purity of your soul. You have the strength of the heart that is needed to do the greatest of tasks. "Using this as a focus, your powers will be magnified enormously. Because it is iron, it is also the ultimate magical shield. When you use this, you will always know it is as unique as our love. I would not, could not, ever create its equal for anyone else." He offered it to her and she took it carefully. It was heavy, a solid weapon, of solid iron, no wood or crystal anywhere. It was simple in appearance, and completely devoid of decoration. Try as she might, she could also not sense any magic in it. The weapon was as dead as any other piece of iron. But he said it was a lens. Gently, carefully, she gave the slightest tracing of soul, her heart, her spirit, her power, into her hand, and channelled it through the weapon. When she felt the massive power which coursed through the staff, she almost dropped it in shock. It was a lens of amazing proportions. She looked at him, and their eyes met, his blue-grey locked with her purple. As ever, she looked into him, and felt the bottomless pit of love which he had. This time he had something new. Pride. "Sailor Saturn," he intoned formally. "May I present the Silence Glaive." Hotaru awoke, looking around the room in wide eyed horror. All the seals were in place. All the wards untampered. Nothing had even tried to disturb his sleep. That fact alone worried her even more that the substance of the dream. Because if the dreams did not come from without... Hotaru was worried again, and the fact that she was worried, worried her even more. Worry was bad, it ate away at the soul, it distracted you, blurred your aura, and slowed you down in a fight. Worry was the enemy of the mind, and life had taught her that you need a clear mind at all times. The only thing to do at a time like this is hit something. Hmm, there was still school to go today, and she was supposed to train with Rei-san tonight... Better have a quick workout in the garage. Heading past the kitchen she waved hello to Kaolinite... No, wait, she was calling herself Kaori now. "I'm going to the garage for a bit... I'll be back in a couple of hours before school." The woman smiled and kept putting together a fancy breakfast for her 'father'. Hotaru shrugged. She had seen love in enough people to know what it looked like. It looked like Kaori had fallen quiet heavily for Tomoe Souichi, and it looked like she was really trying to catch him. If Hotaru had really be his daughter, she might have felt something: jealousy or happiness, but she was really just a boarder in the house, so she was happy to watch the melodrama unfold. He hoped that she would succeed. He too had been in love once, and he knew just how special it was. In the garage little Hotaru ignored the restrictions she imposed to fit into the act that she played, and concentrated on training. After going through a few of the most basic Kata to calm her mind, she closed her eyes and relaxed. Standing dead still in the middle of the garage, she slowly eased all of the constraints she placed on her aura. Her Ki - developed over hundreds of years of intense training - slowly expanded as she relaxed. Normally she showed only the weak spirit of someone feeble and untrained, but this was just because she continually exerted a large force to keep her 'soul' from expanding to it's proper proportions. Part way through the relaxation, she began to glow faintly, nothing more than a faint blue outline to her body. As she continued to relax, the aura grew, becoming fully visible to the naked eye of even the most untrained. When she was finished she stood proud, glowing bright enough to hurt anyone looking directly, a sphere of glowing blue power centred around her naval, and taking up as much space as a small car. She rarely let herself relax like this these days. It was too easy for people to see her, and if a little healing scared them, what would they think of a human firefly? So thinking, she cast a minor levitation spell and slowly began to circle the room. Around and around she went, raising the spell to true flight to allow her some acrobatics. After a time she started casting small fireballs, and shooting them down with Ki blasts. A flagrant waste of mana and Ki, it was beautiful none the less. All around the room, lights flew and burst, like fireworks on the Emperor's birthday. All too soon there was a knock at the door. Killing her spells and quenching her Ki, Hotaru dropped the last couple of feet to the ground. Even as Kaori opened the door, the blue light was fading, and the last sparks were fading into the darkness. Smiling at the confused looking woman, Hotaru slipped past her to go for breakfast. 'I wonder what she thinks she saw? And by the looks of it, hitting things is not the only way to relax.' School was school was school. Suffice it to say that too many hours of mindless suffering were only mitigated by the few classes she enjoyed, and the times when she did not have to think about the other students. Changing after school, Ranma made a phone call. "Hino-sensei, this is Ranma. Can you tell Rei-san that something has come up, and I will be a bit late... Thanks... See you around seven... Yes... Bye" That over and done with, Ranma could afford a little more time for some recreation. He had tried half a dozen dojo by now, and no-one really measured up to the standards that he would require of his own students, let alone their teachers. Tonight would be a little different. Tonight he was just going to try the simple tactic of calling out a challenge to the dojo, and find out how strong they were. He was at his second dojo and had just called out his challenge when the sensei walked up to him. He was an old man, well into his eighties, and looked every year of it. He even walked they way you would expect an eighty year old would. "Sir, I am the last Sensei of this dojo. I only teach self defence for school children, and some exercise classes for the old folk like me in the area. I ask that you may forgive me for declining your challenge." Ranma looked at the old man. He couldn't be more than four and a half foot tall, stooped and withered, but his face held pride. Pride and determination. Ranma bowed. "Sensei, of all the dojo I have fought, yours is the only one I can respect. There is no dishonour in growing old, there is only honour and respect. When I grow too old to challenge others, I can only hope that I may still be respected as you are, to be trusted with the lives and learning of the future of our country, and the lives and wisdom of the past. "I have always been told that true strength comes not from muscle, but from brains and the wisdom to use it. "I would beg of the Master the wisdom to learn at his feet, and to assist his school, teaching what I may." The old man nearly fell over. Too often in the past he had seen these brash young men come in, seeking to prove something. All to often they had shown scorn, not realising that they too would be this way some time in the future. Now he had a fine young man in front of him. A fighter by all indication. A man who wished to learn at his feet and teach at his side. If the man was as good as he implied, the future of the dojo was assured, at least until his grandson was old enough to take over. The man returned Ranma's bow and accepted his offer. Even as he spoke, the doors opened and a stunning young woman with long locks of luscious blue hair stepped in. When the two men faced her, she pointed at Ranma. "Shampoo challenge!" Facing his new teacher, Ranma smiled. "Sensei, if you do not mind, I shall take the lady's offer. Hopefully I shall show you that I am worthy of assisting your school." Turning back to the girl, she glared at him. "Less talk, more fight!" Ranma smiled. As soon as he settled into a defensive stance, the woman leapt at him. Backing up quickly, Ranma dodged a flurry of kicks and punches. Finding himself backed against a wall, Ranma jumped and bounced off the ceiling to land behind her. Even as he moved, she retaliated with surprising speed. Moments before his feet touched the floor, she struck, launching a trio of side kicks at him. He blocked them all, but was stunned. Finally a formidable opponent! A woman of skill, someone to challenge his abilities somewhat. They danced together for a few more moments, closing and retreating. While her offensive skills were superb, her defence left much to be desired. Then again, she seemed fast enough to be able to defeat most opponents before they could strike at her. Finally seeing an opening too good to miss, he snaked out a foot to trip her. Shampoo of course expected this and jumped over it. Knowing that his next move was one of several logical follow-ups, she blocked two and evaded a third. It was the forth attack, a repeat of the initial foot sweep which took her down. Martial Arts at this level was a lot like chess, it was a matter of how many moves ahead you could plan. Actually, it was more like a physical version of chess, with more dimensions, fewer pieces, and lots of pain... but the analogy still holds. Shampoo lifted herself back to her feet and growled at the man. He stood there so calm, hardly even breathing heavily, while she was giving her utmost. Could this be a man to beat her? Never! She would never give in! It was not just a warriors body which allowed her to win, it was her knowledge. Shampoo was backed by 3000 years of Amazon tradition and knowledge. Taking positions again, the two closed and began to play. After just a few moments, Shampoo was close enough, and launched her attack. "KACHUU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!" Instantly, he arms became blurs as she launched over two hundred punches at him. None could stand before the power of Amazon techniques. It was true, even as he moved and blocked to his greatest, Ranma could not stop them all, and almost a dozen blows rained down onto his body, throwing him back, crashing into a wall. "Aiya! Shampoo win!" Then the body moved, and Ranma climbed back to his feet. The side of his face was a bit red where she struck once, but other than that, he looked fine. "No yet. Not by a long shot. I wanted to keep this nice: just straight out fighting. If you want to bring special attacks into it, you're in for a real shock." Again they closed, and Ranma could almost weep at how open Shampoo left herself. All she could see was the power of her own attack, never realising that her opponent may be her equal or superior. After all, someone that could block almost all of her Chestnut Fist without using a special attack... This time when she called out her attack, he called at the same time, and that was the end. In the second that she had, Shampoo threw exactly ninety eight punches; Ranma counted them. He also blocked them. One handed. While punching her, blow for blow. And while holding back from full speed and power. Shampoo gradually awoke, feeling like she had been beaten all over with a baseball bat. Actually, that was not quite right. Not all over, the man - the victor - had somehow been careful with his blows. Not once had he struck her pretty face. Not once had he hit the tender flesh of her breasts. No where else had been spared, but all of the most painful, vulnerable points had been missed. She sighed happily. Not only was her husband incredibly skilled, he was caring and compassionate. Hearing her sigh, her husband and the old man came over to where she lay resting on the floor. Opening her large eyes fully, she took in his handsome face and sighed again. She really was lucky. Latching on to his neck, she said the only words that mattered. "Wo da Airen." Ranma looked at the girl askew. She was holding him around the neck and purring in a most disturbing fashion. Since she spoke in Chinese and seemed to have a heavy accent, he decided to try that language. <"I'm sorry Miss, I'm not your husband. My name is Ranma. Do you have a concussion?"> <"Aiya! You speak Chinese! You defeated me in combat, so you now must marry me. It's the law"> <"What? What sort of law is that?"> Shampoo pulled out her trusty Amazon law book and opened it to the correct page. It was a well worn page, she had read it many times trying to find a loophole. Fortunately, it did say defeat, not just 'give a decent challenge' otherwise she may have weakened and married some lesser man. She was glad she waited. Ranma read the rule and his eyes went wide. 'I did not want to get in to this sort of thing.' Flipping over to the front, he looked at the cover. 'Joketsuzoku Book Of Law, Third Revision, Published 1802'. <"Revised addition? What is this garbage? Here!"> Pulling out his own copy - 'First Edition, Date Unknown' - he opened it to the relevant page and pointed out the paragraph saying that an Amazon need not marry another Amazon after a challenge unless the fact that it was a marriage challenge was stated clearly before hand. <"Silly husband! You're not an Amazon. See, this page."> <"Are you a Joketsuzoku Amazon, or do you just carry their Book Of Law?"> <"I am a proud Amazon."> <"Then I don't have to marry you. Unless I have been cast out by a full Council of Mistresses, I am still an Amazon."> <"Silly husband! You think you know some of our laws and can confuse me? Never! Only a Mistress requires a full Council to be cast out, and I knew all the Mistresses before I left. You are not a Mistress, you are not an Amazon. So, you a now my husband!"> Ranma mumbled under his breath and checked the time. Damn, almost time to meet Rei-san. I don't have time for this. "Shampoo, I am a Amazon. I am not your husband, and I have to go. Nice fighting you." While Shampoo hesitated, trying to switch back to her faulty Japanese, he stood up and left the hall. Seeing her husband leaving without her, she too rose, fighting off the weakness of being pummelled into unconscious just fifteen minutes prior. Seeing him leap to a roof she followed, and managed to keep up for most of the way. Then he dropped down to the street and vanished. She went to where she last saw him, but there was no longer any sign. After prowling the streets and yards for almost two hours, she could not see him. But she knew where he was, roughly. She knew her man, she knew his description, and there was no way that she would let such a perfect mate pass through her fingers. Time to get some help. --- End Of Chapter The characters contained within this story are owned by Takahashi Rumiko or Takeuchi Naoko. No infringement of copyright is intended. This work to be distributed for free, unchanged, crediting the current author. This is a crossover between Ranma 1/2 and Sailor Moon. To make the two stories fit together the way I wanted, I needed to shuffle the dates at which a few things occur within the main timeline of Sailor Moon. I bow my head in shame: please forgive. We also have guest appearances by Slayers and 3x3 Eyes. Die hard fans of Ranma may also notice a very subtle change to it's story timeline... This story is dedicated to the letters \n and the number 0. Visit my website at dzillman@ozemail.com.au http://www.ozemail.com.au/~dzillman/fire _________________ / \ | Destiny's Child | \_________________/ What has gone before: While on a training trip with his father, Ranma fell into the spring of the drowned young girl. Unfortunately, his curse can only be changed back with _very_ hot water, which means he spends most of the time in his cursed form. Not only that, but since the spring was drowned young girl, he turns into a 12 year old girl who never ages. Having finally returned to Japan after 400 years of travel and experience, Ranma is trying to make a new life. Ranma's (or Tomoe Hotaru as his girl half is known) does not seem capable of having a normal life. He is learning Shinto from Hino Rei, pursued by the boy starved girls of the Sailor Senshi and simply pursued by the enraged demon-pig Ryoga. Just when he was worrying that there were no good martial artists in Tokyo, a certain Amazon arrives claiming the same thing. Well, one thing led to another and can you say "Amazon Law"? ------------------------------ There Is A Time For Talking... ------------------------------ Wednesday afternoon seemed destined to be a time for important conversations. In various parts of the city revealing conversations were taking place, and would have defining significance to all of the people involved. For some they were discussions of the future, and others discussions of the past. Naturally enough, there were also likely to be misunderstandings... Haruka looked at her friend and sighed. Michiru had been quiet all day, and since they returned to her place from school, she had been sitting at her easel. She was not painting, nor was she reviewing any of her previous work. For the last two hours, she had just sat there, chin on hand, and a slight frown creasing her pretty brow. Finally she could stand it no more. Walking over behind her, Haruka brushed aside some of the soft green hair and placed a hand on the girls shoulder. Leaning down, she whispered in her ear and asked her what was wrong. Michiru felt the warm air brushing her cheek and blushed slightly. The touch, the smell, the sound, the whole presence of Haruka so close to her was almost enough to make her forget about everything. But it was only almost. Tilting her head, she placed a soft kiss on the hand holding her shoulder, then she rested her cheek on it. "Oh, Haruka. I don't know. Sometimes... Sometimes it just seems so hard. So... cold and clinical. I just wish there was a better way." "I know what you mean. We've discussed it before: we didn't like it then, and neither of us like it now. Unless someone comes up with a better plan, I really don't know what else we can do." "I don't know either but---" Haruka forced some iron into her voice. "No 'but's. There's someone out there trying to find the three talismans, and destroy the world. What choice do we have?" "None, I suppose. It just seems so callous. We're supposed to be the defenders of the Moon Kingdom, and here we are plotting to kill three of its subjects." "No, we're not planning on killing them. If it wasn't for the Witches who are sending the Daimons, we could let them live in peace. But so long as the Daimons keep attacking, we have to get those talismans first." They sighed in unison and stood there for a while. Recently Setsuna had returned and told them of her discoveries about their enemy. The three talismans were hidden within the heart crystals of three pure and noble people. When the three talismans were combined, they would form the holy grail. In the right hands, the holy grail could restore life, in the wrong hands... It could mean the end of the world. When the stakes were this high, the three Sailor Senshi had vowed that they would let nothing and no-one stand in the way of their recovering the talismans first. If they or their Queen possessed the Talismans, then the end would justify the means. If the enemy possessed the Holy Grail, it could only spell disaster. A polite cough brought them back from their thoughts, and they looked around to see Setsuna standing behind them. Haruka scowled. "How long have you been there?" "Long enough." "Long enough for what?" She just smiled enigmatically. Setsuna had only arrived moments ago actually. But since she was the guardian of the Gates Of Time, everyone assumed that she could pick and choose exactly when she would be somewhere. She had some hard and fast rules about using her powers, and one of them expressly forbade unnecessary time travel. She had never broken them willingly, and she saw no reason to jump all through the time stream just so she could catch people in embarrassing situations. Catching people in situations like these was fun however, and her sharp mind easily picked the most likely topics for the two girls to be discussing in such a serious manner. Hmm, the Holy Grail or Sailor Saturn. Sailor Saturn or the Holy Grail. Oh when, take a guess and lets see. How about another enigmatic smile, that last one was fun. "So far I can be sure that none of the Talismans have been found. I realise that all of us are willing to sacrifice ourselves to retrieve the Talismans, but the question will always stay open: are you willing to sacrifice someone else?" Michiru sighed. With an answer like that, she might have been spying on them for the last hour. "We are. Neither of us like it, but considering the alternative, I guess it's acceptable for people to die." "No! No, it is never acceptable to kill other people. It may be necessary, but it is not acceptable. That is an important difference. Always remember it, because when the necessary becomes accepted, you may find yourself becoming what you would oppose." The pair looked chastised for a moment after her words. After she had digested their meaning, Michiru changed the topic slightly. "What have you heard about Sailor Saturn?" Setsuna winced internally, but outwardly she paused only briefly, as though weighing what she could tell them. How were you supposed to maintain an aura of infallibility and omniscience when people asked loaded questions like that? "What would you like to know?" "Well, do you know if she is going to be awakening?" "Yes." Time ticked by. After a while, they realised that she was not going to expand on it. Eventually Michiru asked for some more detail. "Sailor Saturn will definitely awaken, it is all a question of when." Now that was the understatement of all time. Sailor Pluto knew that Saturn was supposed to be awake at some point in Crystal Tokyo, but that was over a thousand years in the future. She was not sure if Saturn was going to awaken right now, in a week, or in a thousand years. If she played her cards right, people might think she knew... and that was almost as good. She continued to speak. "I have felt... stirrings. I know that Sailor Saturn is not awake yet, but I cannot say which girl is destined to be her. When she does awake, you must realise that she could be the greatest asset or the greatest threat we can face. It is all a matter of how she see the threat which the world faces." There was something more that she wanted to tell them, but she held back. It would hardly fit her image if she was seen to be asking for help. Perhaps she could have them beg her to let them help. Deciding this, she let a small, almost pensive, frown cross her forehead. The ever observant Michiru was the first to spot it. "There's something more, isn't there, Setsuna. There's something you are not telling us. Please, let us help. I know we can help." After looking like she thought it over, she nodded her head and smiled. "Very well. While I was at the Gates Of Time, I was watching for signs of her power, in case she awoke. The magical energy of the Sailor Senshi is very distinctive. Several times in the past week, I have seen brief flashes of Silver Millennium energy. Energy distinctive to Sailor Saturn. "Someone out there is trying to access her power. Someone is trying to gain the power of Sailor Saturn without being her. We must be vigilant against this new threat." The others just stared at her. Saturn might be Senshi of creation and destruction, but Pluto seemed to be the Senshi of bad news. What else could go wrong? Oddly enough, it was just a few hours earlier that Chiba Mamoru was asking almost exactly the same thing as he arrived breathlessly at the front of Small Lady's school. First he had been delayed leaving work, then the busses were all full, and finally the one he had caught did not stop where he wanted it to. He had been planning to get here half an hour early so he could sit in the sun and read. As it was, he only arrived with a few minutes to spare. Looking around Mamoru noted that there seemed to be only one other person waiting at this gate. Fit looking guy, in black pants and a red shirt. Looked a couple of years younger then he was. Perhaps he was coming to meet a sister or cousin at the school. Mamoru laughed on the inside. People would have a fit if they realised the truth about Small Lady and him. To think he was less than ten years older than her, but he was actually her father. The fact that she was actually from the future was not something that could openly be discussed. Better keep that in mind, he thought, because the guy was coming over to him. Now that he was closer, Mamoru could see that he was smiling in a slightly disturbing manner. Not only that, but he seemed to be incredibly fit, moving with all the lithe grace of a gazelle. When they were close enough the two men stood facing each other and sized the other up. After a moment, the stranger placed out his hand and smiled even wider. "I'm Tendo Ranma. You'd be Chiba Mamoru, wouldn't you?" That was surprising. Few people recognised him, and it was something he liked to stay that way. "I'm Afraid you have me at a disadvantage, Tendo-San. You know who I am, but I am afraid I do not recognise your name." Ranma waved it off and leaned against a wall next to Mamoru. "Let's just say I'm a friend of Chibi-Usa and Usagi. I've been wanting to have a bit of a chat with you for a while actually." After that, the two stood silently, looking at the school and waiting for the bell to ring. Unexpectedly, Ranma spoke again. "You're dating Tsukino Usagi, aren’t you." It came out as a statement rather than a question. Despite the tone of voice Ranma used, he felt compelled to answer. "Yes. I am. Usagi's a very close friend. I... We..." Ranma waved aside his attempt to explain how much he loved the girl. There was silence for a few moments again, then Mister Conversation struck again. "So you've been dating her for what? A year, a year and a half?" "Hmm, about a year and a half now." "Not bad. So, she would have been what? Fourteen? When you started going out. And you were twenty?" Mamoru ground his teeth. He had received his share of comments about dating someone Usagi's age. Her age did not change the love that they felt for each other. Besides, its not as though they were actually doing anything physical when she was that young. "Yes, but our love is destined. A few years difference is nothing when you consider that we have the rest of our lives." "Hey, hey. Stay calm. I think Usagi's old enough to make up her own mind. She seems a pretty smart kid." Again there was silence. Mamoru was sure the man was deliberately needling, but for the life of him, he could not figure out why. "She's twelve." "What?" "Chibi-Usa. She's twelve." Mamoru smiled. He loved his daughter. He could not understand how he could bear to part with her in the future, but here and now, he was glad he did. "Yes. She is." Silence once more, and Ranma fidgeted slightly. Finally he decided something and pulled himself off the wall he was leaning on and spun to face Mamoru. "OK, Mamoru. Here's how it is. I've seen you around Chibi-Usa. You know, the hugs, the kisses. The way you're always watching her out of the corner of your eye when you're at the park. I don't care if Usagi's getting a bit too old for your tastes, but I'm asking you nicely. Please away from Chibi-Usa." Mamoru snarled. He didn't know how much Ranma had been watching them, or where he got his information, but there was no way he was going to stay away from his daughter. Mamoru was no slouch at fighting, and there was no way he was going to let some jock talk to him that way. He took a stance. "Listen, you. I love Chibi-Usa dearly. There's nothing you or anyone else can do to keep me away from her. So just get out of here! I don't know who you are, but I don’t want you coming near her again. Do you understand me?" Ranma smiled. It was not the first time he had done something like this, and it probably would not be the last. The children are our future, and there was no way he was going to let a pervert like this guy sink his claws into a sweet kid like Chibi-Usa. "I accept your challenge." Suffice it to say that what followed was short, but not at all sweet. Faster than he believed possible, Mamoru received the beating of his life. He had studied a number of Martial Arts, and was quite capable of defending himself. Ranma worked him over as though he was standing still, and made it look easy. Had he been anyone other than Chibi-Usa's father, being bruised and beaten over most of his body would have scared him off. Since he was her father, all it did was make him mad. Madder than hell. If it wasn't for the fact that Ranma had dumped him into a large garbage bin, he would probably still be out there, taking more lumps, but trying to keep the stranger away from his little girl. As it was, all he could do was lie there and suffer. From inside the metal bin, all he could here was a few strange sounds, then the approach of girlish laughter. 'No, run.' He wanted to cry out, but he was too paralysed from pain to even attempt it. Even in his pain, he sighed in relief when he heard Small Lady saying hello to one of her friends. They chattered for a brief moment, before they decided to leave without him. Just as they set off, Chibi-Usa's friend said she needed to throw out some garbage. As the footfalls approached, he smiled. Here was someone who could rescue him, or get help. Looking up, he saw Tomoe Hotaru, a close friend of Small Lady. She was always so nice, so quiet, so polite. She would help him. But when he looked at those big purple eyes of hers, he shuddered. They were so cold, so full of anger. Looking down on him, she threw her garbage in. Her voice contained nothing but loathing: "Stinking paedophile." Sighing, he collapsed back into the garbage. Somehow, he was relieved. He had been worried about almost the same thing, but with this 'Ranma' fellow as the aggressor. Now it seems he was just a friend of Hotaru's. And she had acted on confusion and mistaken information. Sure, Ranma had gone a bit far, but it was nice to know that Chibi-Usa's friend was so caring and perceptive, even if miss- guided. As Small Lady and Hotaru walked down the street, they had none of these concerns. Hotaru was happy that her friend was safe, and hopefully Usagi's boyfriend would stay with her a bit longer, rather than seeking younger prey. Chatting happily, the two discussed their day at school and their plans for the night. Chibi-Usa was going to visit some of heir friends. They were older than her by a few years, but they always treated her well. When Chibi-Usa mentioned that one of them was an excellent cook, and could well be enticed into doing the Japanese noodles that Hotaru fancied, it was easy to get her friend to join her. They had gone another block towards Chibi-Usa's friend Makoto's place when she posed a question to Hotaru. "Hey, where's that stick you're always caring?" "Huh? It's right... Oh, no! Damn! Where? Where? Calm down... Now where did I see it last? Ah! I know! Rei-san! "Chibi-Usa, Do you know a girl called Hino Rei?" She bobbed cute little pink head. "Sure, she's one of the girls we were going to meet." Hotaru was amazed. Talk about coincidence. "Can we go there first? That staff an be very dangerous if she treats it wrong." Another nod. What a nice kid. "Do you know Rei?" "Well, sort of. Let's just say that the staff got left there by someone taking lessons from her." "Oh, do you know Ranma? Rei's always talking about him these days." Hotaru chuckled. "You could say that I know him pretty well. Come on, we better hurry. Do you want to lead?" Covering ground as fast as 'sick' little Hotaru could manage, the girls arrived at the shrine. Rei was surprised to see them, but when Chibi-Usa explained Hotaru's anxiousness about her staff, Rei was happy enough to call Makoto's and get everyone to come here. Looking out into the grounds of the shrine, Rei was surprised to see Hotaru had gone straight to where Ranma had left his staff the day before. Giving it only the shortest of inspections, she rejoined her friends and showed it to them. "See, found it!" "Hotaru-chan, isn't that Ranma's staff?" Hotaru nodded once. "Yes, Rei-san, but... It's also mine, really. It's a very special staff, and it was given to us many years ago. It shouldn't have been left here. I... Er, Ranma must have been pretty concerned yesterday when he left, otherwise he would have remembered it." Rei immediately felt guilty. Yesterday had been another one of the training sessions with Ranma that she had to cut short. Rushed off by her need to become a Senshi and save the world, she had managed to distress this innocent little girl. Blushing slightly, she resolved to try and give Ranma just that little extra time in the future. "Sorry, Hotaru-chan. That was probably my fault. I... Something came up and I had to rush Ranma out of here quickly." Seeing the distress she was putting Rei-san into, Hotaru searched for a change of topic. Anything... Ah! The staff: "Rei-san, did you know that this staff has a long history? There's a really interesting story about its past if your interested?" Rei and Chibi-Usa both said they were, but asked if she would wait until the rest of their friends arrived. She was sure that the other girls would like to hear about such an interesting staff. Hotaru nodded and they three moved into the kitchen to prepare things. Makoto would be doing the cooking tonight, but they were going to set things up to compensate for the sudden change in venues. Hotaru carried plates and things and felt sad for a moment. Preparing dinner with all these girls (for the other Inner Senshi were slowly filing in) reminded her of the first years after she met Akane. She hoped that Makoto was a good cook. Eating bad cooking was normally bad enough, but in a setting like this, she just knew it would remind her of Akane, and she would spend the whole night mourning her loss. Eventually the girls were all there, an excellent dinner was served, and everyone had eaten. Sitting around the table, drinking tea and chatting, Rei prompted Hotaru to tell the story of her staff. Placing the staff in the middle of the table, she balanced it on the base end. Everyone was surprised enough at this feat, but it did not take long for her words to have a riveting effect. "This staff was given to me in Tibet, long ago. The man who owned it before me was a Monk in a temple. He and his fellows guarded a magical gateway, a gateway which lead to another world. A world which had once been ruled by the very people who made this staff. "Once there was a great and wise race of people called the Sanjian. The Sanjian were just like you and me, but they developed tremendous magical powers. "Using their magical powers, the Sanjian created a new society, a Kingdom based on love, peace and harmony. They called this the Moon Kingdom." There were six simultaneous gasps at that revelation. "The Moon Kingdom was ruled by two people, their handsome and brave King, and their beautiful and kind Queen. Under their guidance, the whole Kingdom prospered, and evil was removed completely. "Eventually this was not enough for their King, Kai-An-Wang. Kai-An- Wang decided that he needed to defeat the evil for all time. Leaving the Kingdom in the care of his wife, Queen Serenity, King Kai-An-Wang opened a portal to another dimension. A dimension full of evil. "Legend has it that he battled the evil so long, that eventually he became the evil. Then he began to crave the power that he once had, but he was no longer the man he used to be. "The Dark Lord Kai-An-Wang found himself locked from the Moon Kingdom by the very dimensional barrier he had helped to create. In fury, he contacted the weak willed, those people in the Moon Kingdom who he could easily sway. "Under the promise of great power, the Dark Lord Kai-An-Wang's evil servants attacked the Queen and her warriors and almost defeated them. Using the last of her power, good Queen Serenity sealed the Dark Lord Kai-An-Wang and his servants away in this dimension, a place of evil called the Negaverse. "And there they stay to this very day." Suddenly everyone seemed to suffer from a coughing and choking fit. Hotaru looked around curiously. Few people believed the tale of magic, evil, sacrifice and good triumphant, but she had never received a reaction like this before. The Senshi on the other hand were trying to contain themselves. They knew the story of the Moon Kingdom because they had been there, or their previous lives anyway. The fact that someone completely unrelated remembered the Kingdom said vast quantities about it, if they could remember the love that Queen had for her subjects even after all this time. The fact that the tale was slightly wrong, and it was the Senshi of this era which had defeated the legions of Negaverse when they broke free of their banishment was something they felt Hotaru would be safer not knowing. The cause of the mysterious demon attacks all those months ago was hardly common knowledge. When everyone calmed down, Hotaru resumed her story. "That explains the origin of the staff, but it's purpose is something else again. While the Queen and her warriors were the most powerful magically, many people in that time were in touch with the powers of the world. "This belonged to a man of no great importance, his name now lost to history. It is a spirit staff, and inside the staff lives my best friend: Takuhi." Rei looked at the staff in greater interest. There were all sorts of strange carvings on it, generally in a language she did not understand. "So what's your friend? A white ant?" "Heh, heh! Rei-san, you're so funny! No, Takuhi is a spirit creature. He's my best friend. Whenever I'm alone, he's there to talk to. He never gets upset with me, and he's always nice." Usagi smiled. Small Lady had told her about how Hotaru was treated at school. It must be nice to have an imaginary friend when everyone picked on you. "Can we see Takuhi?" "Now? I really don't think that would be a good idea..." "I understand. We probably wouldn't be able to see him, right?" "No. It's just that this is a temple. Do you have any idea how the wards on a place like this can hurt a spirit creature?" Usagi shook her head. This kid had an answer to everything. She was going to speak up and say they would see her 'friend' some other time when Hotaru continued. "Rei-san? Can you make a zone of null-warding?" "A what?" "Err, it's sort of a hole in your wards. If you can do that around the table, I can bring out Takuhi!" Rei thought for a moment. Hmm, tricky. But, yes... possible. She eyed up Hotaru. Obviously hanging around with Ranma, the other owner of the staff, had managed to teach her something. Getting some ink and paper, Rei set to work, concentrating on remembering what wards were active, and how she could block or deflect them in a small area. "So, Hotaru-chan. You seem to know Ranma pretty well. Is it your staff or his?" "Err, it belongs to either of us really. Takuhi recognises me easily." "I can see a bit of a family resemblance. Are you his little sister?" Damn! Hotaru hated being asked that question. It was so hard to answer it honestly without telling everything. Since Mistress 9's cure was now only weeks away, she really did not want to tell them about her curse. She also like Rei-san, so there was no way she wanted to lie to her. "Ummm. Well, Ranma and I have the same parents, I'll let you draw your own conclusions." Rei looked at her oddly. A simple 'yes' would have sufficed. A few moments later she was finished and offered Hotaru the space to start her demonstration. Strangely, Hotaru seemed to look at her charms, casting an evaluating eye over them. No... she was too young to know that much; Rei was still in the process of learning how all the wards worked around the shrine. Finishing her exam - satisfied that Takuhi would not be hurt by sloppy work - Hotaru leaned over the table and worked the carved top off the staff. As soon as the wooden bird's head was no longer plugging the hole, intense white light poured out, temporarily blinding everyone in the room. Moments later, 'it' dropped onto the table. Seeing 'it', six pairs of hands came out of pockets, releasing the henshin sticks they had grabbed as soon as the stick started to flare. 'It', no, Takuhi, was obviously no threat, and was now treating itself to a piece of left over fried egg. Takuhi was strange, and they all had to agree, it bore a distinct resemblance to some of the youma that they had fought. Takuhi was about the size of a budgie, maybe slightly larger. It was a deep rust-brown colour, and almost looked like a bird. It was feathered, and had three big gripping toes on it's foot, but that was where the similarity ended. Rather than two feet, Takuhi had but one, and this leg grew from the middle of it's body, looking perfect natural. His face was the main thing that differed from normal animals. His face was almost human. Large, expressive eyes looked out from a feathered brow, and if the teeth were not quite so long and pointy, he would have had quite a smile. Not everyone reacted the same way. Rei sat there stunned, while Makoto and Usagi seemed to on the wary edge of acceptance. Chibi-Usa was trying to pat him, but Takuhi seemed shy and preferred to be touched by Hotaru only. Ami watched with silent awe, and you could almost see her brain working overtime trying to fit this new piece of puzzle into her picture of the world. Minako on the other hand... Minako crawled backwards with fear and revulsion. It was hideous, a parody of bird and man. It scared, horrified and fascinated her all at the same time. "It's a monster!" Immediately Hotaru glared at her. "He is not a monster. I told you, he's a spirit creature. Sure, he might not be as pretty as you are, but he's my best friend. He's caring and sensitive. He's protective, and he listens without judging. Whenever I've been alone he always listens to what I say. Anyone can be a monster, man or beast, it's all about their actions. Takuhi is NOT a monster!" Everyone was shocked at Hotaru's outburst. She was normally such a quiet girl, it was hard to believe she could be so aggressive. But then, if someone insulted one of their friends, they would get protective too. Takuhi hopped around the table, and eventually everyone came to look at him. If they reached in slowly, he allowed people to pat him, and his feathers were soft and beautiful to the touch. After playing with the spirit creature for a while - and being thankful that Luna was not in the area - Chibi-Usa remembered what Hotaru had said earlier. "You told me before that it could be really dangerous if someone opened the staff. Did you mean Takuhi would get hurt by the wards? Or attacked by a cat or something?" Hotaru jumped during that last sentence for some reason, probably just worried about Takuhi, then she started laughing. "No, I was more worried about what would happen if Takuhi came out and I wasn't here. Err, Takuhi's a bit protective of me, you know. If I'm not around, he's liable to come out full sized and go looking for me." Rei turned an eye towards her. "Just how big is 'full sized'?" Hotaru blushed and looked down. "About... thirty meters wing span." Everyone went quite at that. The image of a thirty meter bird terrorising downtown Tokyo, searching for a little girl was a little too much to digest immediately. While the girls considered the implications of big-bird (and I don't mean the tall, yellow and stupid variety), Mamoru soaked in a hot bath, trying to ease the pain which covered every inch of his body. At the same time, Setsuna was delivering her information on Sailor Saturn. Not far away, a wizened old woman struck her apprentice on the head with her cane and said the words. 'How could you let your husband escape, Shampoo?' Shampoo was bopped on her head with the gnarled wooden cane. Exactly how this was managed is a good question. Shampoo stood on the high side of five foot. Her Mistress stood an imposing two foot nothing. The staff was only around two foot also... Once again, physics took a back seat to the application of violence. "How could you let your husband escape, Shampoo?" <"Great Grandmother, he beat me in the challenge! I could hardly just drag him off, could I?"> Bop! "Speak Japanese! You need the practice." "Yes, Great Grandmother. Husband beat Shampoo in fight. Shampoo no can just take husband." "Better." Bop! As Shampoo rubbed her sore head, she looked at her mentor seeking an answer to this hit. "Don't be so impertinent next time. Now, tell me of this fight. How is it that a mere boy managed to defeat the best Amazon warrior of her generation?" "Shampoo sorry. Shampoo not good enough. Perhaps if Great Grandmother teach new special attack..." "Of course you are good enough. I'm beginning to suspect that you are getting sloppy deliberately. I've watched some of your recent fights. Three times I watched and you did not employ the Roasting Chestnuts Over An Open Fire. Three times I watched you prolong a difficult fight. Admit to me that this is what happened today. You lost because of your overconfidence." "Shampoo use. Husband use too. Husband much faster. Husband block me and punch at same time... Shampoo defeated fairly." She hung her head. Defeat was nothing to take lightly. That news caused the crone to being pacing back and forwards in their small room. It was a most disturbing sight watching a withered old woman bouncing on a solid stick. Not only that, but despite the fact that her long pale grey hair reached floor level (while she was on the stick), she managed to avoid ever landing on her hair. The first few times she had ever tried to bounce while the stick rested on her hair were enough to teach her quickly. "So you say that son-in-law knows the Chestnut Fist? Interesting. Most interesting. There should be no-one outside of our tribe that knows our secret attacks. It is actually good that he defeated you. This way his marriage will bring his strength into the tribe, and we will be able to prevent the spread of the knowledge." "What we do if husband no marry Shampoo?" "We will have to kill him. But do not fear, there is no reason why he will not marry you. You are strong, a great fighter, and beautiful. The boy will be made to see sense." The two women set about packing their belongings. Shampoo had two locations which they could watch for the arrival of her husband. Soon enough he would either arrive at the dojo where he was first seen, or he would again go through the area that Shampoo lost him. With the pair of them staking out the locations, he was certain to be seen. They were heading out of the small hotel room when Shampoo stopped and remembered something. Something worth mentioning even: "Great Grandmother... Husband know Amazon Law. Husband even have Book Of Amazon Law." That was a surprise. "Very strange. I spoke with the Council of Elders before we left the village. There have only been three cast outs from the village in the last forty years, and all of them were women. Naturally, none of them kept their Book Of Law. Very interesting." As they walked to their destination they both pondered the situation. A male that knew Amazon secret moves, that knew Amazon Law, and had Book Of Law? Any male that knew their laws would be well aware that he should not be alone outside the village unless escorted by a woman. For that matter, anyone possessing a Book Of Law would realise the dangers of using the Chestnut Fist against an Amazon. Amazons had a firm but fair justice system. It was also a justice system that considered the death penalty to be a mid-range punishment. Amazons could be very creative. --- End Of Chapter The characters contained within this story are owned by Takahashi Rumiko or Takeuchi Naoko. No infringement of copyright is intended. This work to be distributed for free, unchanged, crediting the current author. This is a crossover between Ranma 1/2 and Sailor Moon. To make the two stories fit together the way I wanted, I needed to shuffle the dates at which a few things occur within the main timeline of Sailor Moon. I bow my head in shame: please forgive. We also have guest appearances by Slayers and 3x3 Eyes. Die hard fans of Ranma may also notice a very subtle change to it's story timeline... This story is dedicated to the letters N and T and the number 6/10. Visit my website at dzillman@ozemail.com.au http://www.ozemail.com.au/~dzillman/fire _________________ / \ | Destiny's Child | \_________________/ What has gone before: While on a training trip with his father, Ranma fell into the spring of the drowned young girl. Unfortunately, his curse can only be changed back with _very_ hot water, which means he spends most of the time in his cursed form. Not only that, but since the spring was drowned young girl, he turns into a 12 year old girl who never ages. Having finally returned to Japan after 400 years of travel and experience, Ranma is trying to make a new life. Ranma's (or Tomoe Hotaru as his girl half is known) does not seem capable of having a normal life. He is learning Shinto from Hino Rei, pursued by the boy starved girls of the Sailor Senshi and simply pursued by the enraged demon-pig Ryoga. Just when he was worrying that there were no good martial artists in Tokyo, a certain Amazon arrives claiming the same thing. Well, one thing led to another and can you say "Amazon Law"? The Outers are plotting, the Inners are confused, and every woman, man and beast on the planet seems to be after Ranma for one reason or another. But Shampoo's great grandmother has a plan to make Ranma theirs... -------------------- A Time For Action... -------------------- If Wednesday was a time for talking, then Thursday was the calm before the storm. Friday was the day of action. Unknown to the participants, it was to be a day of pivotal importance. A day when cultures would collide, and issues once thought settled would be torn open like a new wound. It all started so innocently. Ranma had come to the Hikawa shrine that afternoon for a quick lesson. Rei-san was expecting to go out with some of her friends, so he would only be visiting for a short while. When he walked through the entrance, he was surprised to see Rei walking towards him, holding something to her chest. As they walked together to the room where they would be studying, he looked over her burden and was studied in return. Nestled in her arms, snuggled against her breasts was a small black piglet. It big, soulful eyes, a yellow and black bandanna, and looked enormously contented and snug. Staring at it intently, he could have sworn that it was Ryoga's cursed form. But Ryoga hated that form, so there was no way that he would voluntarily use it like this. Not only that, but the shrine's wards should cause him all manner of pain. Not to say the least, Ranma (and Rei) should have felt his demonic influence easily. Rei noticed Ranma's rapt attention, and held up the little pig so he could see better. "I found him wandering around earlier today. Isn't he just unbelievably cute?" Rei gave a smile so happy and warm, it could have heated a football stadium. Ranma's heart thudded in his chest. For an angry, uptight, aggressive, uncute, tomboy like her, she really was very beautiful. After a moment, Ranma shook his mind free of the thoughts in it. It was disgusting. She must have been fifteen, he was over four hundred. More importantly, he was married. How could he be thinking these unfaithful thoughts about Rei-san? Yes! Yes, he would not be unfaithful to his beloved wife. Rei-san was not an uncute tomboy. She was just a beautiful girl. That was all. Just plain old beautiful. Nothing uncute about her at all. Ranma noticed that in his concentration he had stopped walking, and was still starring at where the pig had been. Only Rei-san had lifted the pig up to give it a kiss. Which meant he had been staring intently at her breasts for several seconds. Slowly he lifted his eyes and, with his face burning in shame, looked in her face. Her very angry face. "Ranma you pervert!" The words were like music to his ears. He had first heard those words the day he met his wife. But somehow, the sheer pleasure of hearing those words was torture in his soul. They were words never again to be uttered by Akane, and that hurt more than the insult could possibly have intended. He looked at the ground and studied his feet for a moment before he could find his voice again. "S-Sorry, Rei-san. I... I just thought I recognised the pig. It looks a lot like Hotaru's pet pig, Ryoga." Ranma bent down and studied the pig at close range when she held it out to him. Looking into it's eyes, he pointed his finger at it and asked. "Is that you in there, Ryoga?" Chomp! "Judging by the way that he gnawing on my finger, I'd say that it is Ryoga." He barely heard Rei's offer to let him take the pig home, because while he was touching the pig, he was straining to sense the demon inside. Finally he found it, and was amazed at how well the demonic powers were hidden. Being in his piglet form seemed to have stripped Ryoga of almost all of his powers. Since Ryoga was also consciously hiding his heritage as much as possible, it was no wonder neither Rei nor the wards had been able to see the evil influence that permeated his being. The only reason Ranma could see it was he knew exactly what to look for. The lesson was a fairly short one. Shorter still since the pig got more attention than Ranma did. Rei spent most of the time hugging the little porker to her, and cooing with little baby noises. As time went by, Ranma became more and more aggrieved, watching how the demon was taking advantage of his form. As Ranma was leaving, one of Rei's friends walked in the gate. It was the girl with the short black hair he had met the other night. Whereas most people would not deny Rei qualified as beautiful, this girl more ranked as 'cute'. She was nice, but nothing to write home about, really. She seemed a fairly quite girl, and if he could remember her name, he might be able to say hello and brighten her day. Just as the newcomer was captivated by the little pig in his hands, he remembered. "Hello, Ami-chan. Rei-san was just telling me you were going out tonight. I hope you have a good time." Ami blushed under the scrutiny of the good looking man. It was sad in so many ways, really. She could not even remember being introduced to him, but he was immediately calling her 'Ami-chan', and acting friendly. Even after knowing Rei for a few months, he still called her 'Rei-san'. She knew that distant formality hurt Rei, it was easy enough for the Senshi to see how she felt about the man that she was teaching. In the day following every training session with Ranma, Rei would tell her friends about what they had done. Ranma was always a perfect gentlemen. He was smart, a good student, and so wise and powerful in other ways. Not only that, but he refused to act in the same way that every other boy in school seemed to. While some of the boys thought Rei was an 'Ice Queen', cold and distant, most of them showed how their brains were suffering from hormone overload. Ranma never acted like that. Ami noticed the way that Rei had flinched slightly when Ranma spoke to her. So forward with her, but so withdrawn from Rei. To hear her talk, he could be joking, friendly and comfortable one minute, and seconds later he would withdraw, seeming to hold a certain distance between the two of them. Waving goodbye to Ranma and his pig, she watched the two of them wander down the road that joined the shrine. Looking at her friend, she wondered whether Rei had summoned the courage to ask Ranma to join them when the girls went to dinner. Looking at the dejected expression, she guessed she had not. Ranma did not carry the pig for too long before he stepped into a cafe and bought some tea. Taking the disposable cup with him, he headed into a small alley between some houses and dropped the pig on the ground. Ryoga looked up at him with those big, mournful, piggy eyes of his, and Ranma forced himself to remember that this form was just an aberration. Normally Ryoga would change into a giant rampaging wild boar, almost a ton of muscle, hooves and tusks. A splash of tea, and Ryoga was human in appearance once more. Snarling at Ranma, he summoned clothes and attired himself in his normal travelling wear. After a while, the two men stood there in the alley. Nose to nose, and both tense with emotions only just held in check, the stalemate held for numerous seconds. Finally Ranma spoke. "So, Ryoga. Mind telling me what you were up to?" Ryoga leaned back against the wall and looked away. His posture was deliberately insulting. Almost as insulting as the tone he used. "I really don't see how it's any of your problem Ranma. You made me like this, so I'm just keeping myself entertained." Stepping in front of the demon boy, Ranma clenched his fists in anger. "Seeing as you're here to bother me, and she's a friend of mine, then 'yes', it is my problem. What are you up to?" "Hey, I'm a demon. Use your imagination." "You're not a demon at the moment, Ryoga. Try acting like a man for a change." Ryoga grabbed fistfuls of Ranma's shirt and lifted him off the ground. "It's you're fault that I'm not a demon at the moment. I said I'm going to destroy your happiness, and I mean it. Besides, I don't want to go without food forever." Ranma freed himself and stood his ground in the face of the bigger boy's anger. "Huh? Food? What food?" "Oh, come on, Ranma. You know what demons eat. Souls. Preferably the souls and bodies of ripe young virgins. You're toy still is one you know. I can smell it. Her friends too. I can just see myself corrupting their souls." "Idiot. She lives in a temple. With that many wards you'd fry before you ate any of her soul." "Oh, but a little piggy can just walk around at night. And those wards aren’t too hard to damage. A little bite, a little tear, and hey presto. No more ward. "You know, I almost started to possess her last night. All alone. Just her and I. You know, she took her precious pet P-Chan to bed last night. There was I crawling all over ---" He was cut off mid-sentence as Ranma's temper went ballistic. In the space of three words, Ranma lost his control and gave into his anger. Burning like a magnesium flare, his aura surrounded him. It flickered slightly as he brought his hands together and screamed "MOKO TAKABISHA!" Weak compared to what he could have done, the focused beam of Ki burned it's way straight into Ryoga's sternum, through his spine, then through seven brick walls behind him. Still wearing an expression that was caught changing between gloating and surprise, Ryoga toppled over lifelessly. 'Hmm. For such a strong demon, he really wasn't that powerful.' Ranma bent down and pressed his fingers to the side of the demon's neck, searching for a pulse. There was none. Standing up to leave the scene of the crime, Ranma was taken completely off guard when a grip of iron caught his neck. Scrabbling at the fingers ineffectually, Ranma began to turn blue as he watched Ryoga stand. Ryoga rose to his feet, and held his struggling victim a foot off the ground. "Demons don't have a pulse. Did you honestly think a little hole like that would slow me down? Me? A full demon?" Mentally, Ranma cursed himself. It had been over a century since he had first summoned Ryoga. Of course someone like him had grown more powerful. Even as he watched, the hole in Ryoga's chest filled with flesh and bone, sealing over. In under ten seconds he may never have been injured at all. Laughing with glee (and a generous touch of megalomania), Ryoga threw the smaller man down the alley, and through the chain link fence that ended it. As garbage flew everywhere, Ryoga began to advance on Ranma. He would make this slow and painful. Initially he had wanted to make Ranma suffer as he had suffered. Now the anger was upon him. Rational thought fled his brain, and only the bloodlust mattered now. Kicking boxes aside, Ryoga searched for his prey. As soon as he was close enough, Ranma threw off his cover and delivered a pair of powerful kicks to the demon's midsection. Punches followed, then a throw that packed enough force to crater the wall behind him. Demons and humans fundamentally used the same source of magic. And that source - or more precisely: a person's ability to drain that source - was definitely limited. Every time Ryoga healed himself, he drained his magic. When Ryoga used up all his magic, he would no longer be able to heal. When he could no longer heal, he could be killed. Fine in theory, but a demon of Ryoga's calibre had a hell of a lot of magic, and healing took very little of it. Even as this bare skeleton of a plan flashed through his brain, Ranma was up and moving. Scaling the sheer brick side of the building, he dodged the first two fireballs that Ryoga sent, then deflected the third off his magical shield. Moving in to close quarters, Ranma's aura began to shrink as he pulled in the power, focusing it, and using it for productive means. His senses sharpened, his speed increased, and his strength multiplied beyond any credible limit. For a short time - say a minute or two - Ranma was entirely capable of slugging it out with pig-boy at close quarters. So he did. At the end of two minutes their alley had widened to the size of a city block because of the collateral damage they were doing. Missed blows shattered brick and concrete, while a successful hit would send the recipient through a wall. Dimly, at the edge of his senses, Ranma could feel the people running from their battle. Any normal person that was caught in their next stage would be crisped like yesterdays toast. By the end of two minutes, Ranma had accomplished very little against Ryoga, but he had achieved the effect that he desired. In order to prevent himself being reduced to a messy puddle by the enhanced Ranma, Ryoga had been forced to call on his own inner powers. Now Ryoga revealed his heritage for all to see. Unable to convert to his most powerful battle form - the raging wild boar - Ryoga was now only one step away from unleashing his own private hell on earth. His fangs had grown to the point where they could no longer be fully contained in his mouth, and the massive fangs protruded out where they could do the most damage if he manage to bite someone. His skin, once smooth like any man's, was now covered in short, coarse, dark hairs. His skin was halfway between it's normal pink and the black of his pig form. While his hands and feet had not reached the cloven form of a pig's trotters, they were hardened and reinforced with extra bone and cartilage. As Ranma withdrew breathing heavily, he eyed his opponent. Ranma's attack had weakened himself severely, but it had hardly phased his enemy. Before they started fighting, Ranma wondered if he would have been able to defeat Ryoga. It would have been close, too close. Now that he had wasted so much of his Ki on an ineffectual attack, there was no way that he would be able to outlast Ryoga in the extended battle that this was sure to become. But now Ryoga looked like the demon he was. And the stench of demon would fill the air for miles, even more so when they began to hurl some serious magic. One thing he had learned from watching the news was that where there were demons, there were demon killers. With the amount of damage he was sure they were going to do, those girls in skirts would be here in a flash. Fighting demons was not about fighting fair. It was about fighting to win, and winning was what Anything Goes specialised in. If winning meant roping in professional demon killers, he had no objection to that. All this thinking had taken too long, however. While Ranma was still gathering himself, Ryoga was recharged and ready for more. Launching a series of fireballs, he began to track the running Ranma, each one closer than the last. Eventually Ranma was hit, and the magical energies impacted on his shield, throwing the boy backwards into the wall of flames created by eight missed attacks. Although the magical strike failed to hurt him (only depleting his own reserves further), the perfectly natural flames on the ground eagerly attacked his shirt when he landed on a flaming support beam. Although he had started the day in one his favourite outfits - black silk pants and a red silk Chinese shirt - he had to quickly doff his shirt. Running along half naked, Ranma looked for more clothes. Luck was with him, since Ryoga decided to change from the energy inefficient fireballs to the more focused Digger Bolt. A Digger Bolt would basically cause a small explosion at the point of contact for the spell. It was nowhere near as good for an area effect weapon, but against a single target like Ranma, it could be fired with abandon. Changing course, Ranma jumped and leaped, avoiding several strikes. Two of those that missed opened up a house, and he saw his chance. Racing through what had once been a bedroom, he grabbed the first pieces of clothing he came to. Looking down into his hands, he grunted his disapproval. He needed the clothes in case he changed into a girl, and having two layers was useful against fire attacks, but was a white shirt and formal jacket really what he needed? After dressing himself while on the run, it was time to take the fight back to Ryoga. Launching a pair of his own fireballs, he bracketed his foe. While Ryoga was locked in position with the flames, Ranma dropped to one knee and fired another Moko Takabisha. He was low on Ki, but spiritual attacks could be harder to deflect than mere magic. Luck was with him, and the blast went exactly where he wanted. Shattering one knee, he briefly gained the manoeuvring advantage. Circling his opponent, Ranma almost cried out in dismay, Exchanging Digger Bolts shot for shot, Ryoga regained his feet, and regrew the damaged knee. Both warriors were beginning to tire now. They were surrounded by shattered buildings, flame, and a modern vision of hell. Still they fought on, because the first one to try to retreat would be hunted down and killed in his weakness. To lose was to die. Ranma circled him again, throwing magic. Suddenly Ryoga fell to one knee. Looking closely, Ranma could see the blazing pyre that engulfed half his body. Both fighters hesitated briefly and looked at the source of the new attack. Perhaps, this was the help Ranma had been hoping for. Before he could see anyone, he head the words "MERCURY BUBBLE BLAST!" and the world was shrouded in impenetrable white fog. Damn! They must be short of some of the team members and need time for the others to arrive. Don’t they realise that he's at his weakest now? If they give him time, he'll just recover again! Deciding that he needed to watch this fight in action, Ranma looked around. Several of the houses were still standing in the immediate vicinity. Dashing into one, he looked around for a disguise. The last thing he needed was for every demon hunter in the city to be looking for a certain Tendo Ranma. In the first house he visited he found exactly what he needed. A black silk scarf with holes for eyes wrapped around his head. It was much the same way that his father used to wear it, but this style would cover his hair and eyes, giving him the anonymity that he needed. Grabbing a pitch black cloak on impulse he leaped to the top of a brick chimney and looked down on the thinning fog. Good. In moments the fight would be rejoined. Sailor Mercury was the first to see the demon as the fog thinned. It was different from most of the ones she had fought in recent times. For one thing, it was an out and out demon: risen from the very pits of hell. Most of their recent opponents had been Daimons, a strange fusion of animate evil with inanimate objects. Looking closely at the demon, she wondered exactly what sort it was. To all appearances it was a cross breed, a half man - half demon thing. All the other true demons she had known had the ability to convert to some true monstrous form. The forms they chose seemed to largely be composed of things with too many tentacles, too many teeth, too many mouths, and lots of dripping slime. This guy had the tooth size down pat, but the rest of him could almost pass for some hideously deformed man. Almost. If it was not for the aura of pure, distilled evil that fell form every pore of his skin, she may have been fooled. Now that the fog had thinned, the demon regained it's feet from where it had been kneeling. It looked around and spotted the two pretty soldiers. Then it smiled. Sailor Mars had not concentrated on the demon initially because she was searching for it's enemy. Whatever it had been fighting, it was not a Senshi, and anything else capable of doing this much damage was worthy of grave consideration. After she looked for a while she could spot no-one aside from Tuxedo Kamen, mounting his vigil from on high. Hmm, that's odd. He's not wearing his usual mask and top hat. Must be in the wash today... For that matter, he usually doesn't show himself until Sailor Moon is in trouble. She had almost reached the conclusion that this was not Tuxedo Kamen when the demon started to move. Whoever was on the chimney could wait: they presented nowhere near the threat of an angry demon. Flashing a glance at her comrade in arms, they leapt in unison. At the peak of their arcs, both pretty soldiers sent their attacks streaming in. On one side, the demon was caught in the freezing blast of water, and on the other it was roasted alive with the cleansing fire of Mars' attack. Each of them landed and struck a triumphant pose. The demon's skin was charred and blackened; looking and smelling like it was the guest of honour for pig-on-a-spit. Moments after they landed, their confidence began to waver as the blackened skin simply fell off, revealing healthy skin underneath. The demon smiled most unnervingly and pulled a bandanna off it's head. Watching carefully, Sailor Mercury was astounded to see that the demon was actually pulling several bandannas off. By the time it had six in it's hand, both Sailor's were quite nonplussed. Things became even stranger when the demon began to swing them around and throw them at the Senshi. Each of the girls took off in a different direction, circling the demon, trying to reduce the number of projectiles he could target on either one. Their plan almost worked. They both managed to evade the bulk of the razor edged bandannas, but were caught by one or two each. Sailor Mars took a small cut to her upper arm, but both girls had their skirts ripped by the weapons. Normally this would have resulted in large expanses of firm legs being exposed indecently to the public, but the Senshi's clothes were designed with this in mind: their skirts were already so short, that even a massive tear hardly showed anything new. The torn skirts did have a profound psychological effect however. An age of combat against Ranma, followed by the magic blasts by the Senshi had failed to do any permanent harm to Ryoga. At the thought of lovely bodies - with their scant clothing torn in strategically positioned ways - Ryoga's face went bright red, and a stream of blood began to pour from his nose. High up on the chimney, Ranma shook his head in sorrow at the pathetic sight ahead of him. How Ryoga ever expected to be a demon and devour virgins he never knew. The fool would collapse from blood loss before he did anything. Ranma watched the girls and studied their style as they carried the fight to the demon. They were fast and strong, that much was obvious. They also seemed to place a greater emphasis on strength over skill. He knew that if he wielded the level of power that they did, he was confident that he could do better. Then again, whenever he really cut loose, there tended to be a loss of accuracy. He could not really fault their style, since even though there was only two of them, they were fighting an even battle against Ryoga. It was only recently Ranma realised just how much of a challenge that would be. Looking carefully at the girls, he tried to memorise their faces, so that he would recognise them next time. As he studied them, he realised that there was a glamour field surrounding each of them. A glamour was a spell which confused the viewer. When he looked at them, he might see a face, but it would not be their real face, even cameras would be fooled. The only way to break a glamour this powerful would be to watch it being cast; even a moments distraction at a critical time and he would not be able to see them. He would just have to hope of catching these girls some time when they were powering-up. While the two girls changed tactics and tried to attack Ryoga physically - each one coming in from a different side - he tried studying them in another manner. He was already impressed with their beauty, especially that of girl with the long black hair and short red skirt. The only thing that upset him was that anyone that beautiful must surely be the result of the glamour spell they were using. This girl was even better looking than Rei-san, and that was certainly saying something. Concentrating, he shifted his vision and tried to look at their spirits, the manifestation of their Ki. Although the glamour prevented him from positively identifying them in this manner, he could still see their overriding emotions. Both of them showed fear, worry and confusion; what else could you expect when you were fighting something the power of Ryoga? What startled him and drew him like a moth to the flame was the emotions of the girl in the red skirt again. Truly, she was even more beautiful spiritually than physically. She fairly boiled over with anger, aggression, and a fierce will. He had not seen anyone quite like that since he married Akane! Suddenly a spike of pain surged through her aura, and he realised just how close hers was to Ryoga's. Shifting back to mundane vision, he was horrified to see the girl was behind held by the throat by one of Ryoga's powerful hands. Fortunately his other hand was being kept busy throwing small fireballs at the girl in the blue uniform, but that situation could not last. As soon as he realised that he could ignore one for a while, the Girl Guides would be looking for a new member. His time watching had allowed him to rest for a while, so he gathered his Ki for another exhausting attack. Even as the girl was turning a similar shade, a large blue ball formed in his hands and he fired it out to the call of "MOKO TAKABISHA!" The blast burned straight through Ryoga's fore-arm. There was no way it could be a lethal wound, but it would buy the girl the time she needed. When she sprawled at Ryoga's feet - luxurious black hair everywhere, and magnificent chest heaving in a most disturbing manner as she sucked in deep breaths - he realised he needed to distract Ryoga long enough for her to escape. "Pretty soldier, hear my words. Never fear the darkness of evil, for you are the light that shines in the dark. Yours is the strength of a pure heart, and you shall have the strength of ten men - ten BIG men - because of it." He felt like an idiot spouting poetic garbage like that, but it worked. The girl got to her feet while Ryoga was building for a magic attack against him. As soon as she started to run, the other warrior for love, justice and tight clothing cast her Mercury Bubble Blast again. Ranma groaned in resignation as the battlefield was covered in a fog so thick and impenetrable that he could no longer see anyone. A bright flash in the clouds showed the path of Ryoga's fireball, but it blew up against a building in the distance. After this much fighting, and with three opponents still up and playing, Ryoga could not afford to cast spells wildly in the hope of getting a hit. Within the fog, Ryoga looked around, desperately seeking his foes. He almost had one! He could feel her pulse weakening as he squeezed. He had almost killed one of the dreaded Sailor Senshi! Everyone in hell would celebrate if he returned with the news of that victory. Few demons bore them personal grudges but no one actually liked them; too many of their friends had failed to return over the years. The was a lot of bad blood between the demons and the Senshi. Hearing faint foot steps off to one side, he started to run at them. Turning to keep track of them, he ran smack into a wall. The concrete shattered easily when subject to his strength, but he could still not find them. As he held still for a moment, he listened. 'There! To the left! Voices, it sounds like a whole crowd!' He ran at them again, but once more they eluded him. This time he found a set of chain link fencing blocking off a drainage ditch. Cursing his luck, he turned to the right and tried to run parallel to the drainage ditch. With his rotten curse, he could hardly risk falling into the ditch and turning into a harmless piglet. His vision was still clouded when he noticed the bitumen had changed in the soft loam of a forest. Moments later he ran face first into a sturdy tree. Lost again? "Damn you, Tendo Ranma! I shall make you pay for this!" The forest just echoed. Back in Tokyo, Japan, Sailor Mercury was trying to track the demon using her computer. She normally cast the fog so that the Senshi could get some breathing space. Their enemies were unable to see through it, and it let them gather themselves for a few moments. After being half strangled, Sailor Mars had needed that time - this was even more true since Sailor Moon had just called saying that the remainder of the girls would be with them in one more minute. Now the demon had managed to do something she had never heard of before. Without the slightest trace of magical power, the demon seemed to have teleported across half of Tokyo. Even as she watched, the computer tracked the demon as it teleported again. The forth time he did it, the computer lost every trace. "My God! This thing is incredible! If it had tried teleporting during the fight, it would have had us for breakfast! But why did it run away now? Did it know that Sailor Moon was coming? And who was that hunk on the building?" Realising that she was speaking out loud and no-one was likely to answer her questions, Sailor Mercury went to help her friend. As soon as she reassured her that the demon was gone, Sailor Mars collapsed to the ground and began to massage her sore throat. When the fog cleared and the other Senshi gathered around, the discussed the best way to fight the demon, and tried to think of what they knew. The facts were few and far between. A demon - name unknown, type unknown, powers unknown and summoner unknown - had been fighting an unknown enemy, for an unknown period, for reasons unknown. When they arrived, the unknown demon turned on them for more unknown reasons, and the unknown adversary had failed to be seen. They had spotted an unknown observer with unknown powers and unknown motivations. Said observer had also assisted the Senshi for more unknown reasons. Last - but not least - both the observer and the demon used means unknown to vanish to places unknown. All in all, there were just a few too many unknowns here. The only bright spot was that while the demon was powerful, he was certainly within the ability of the Senshi to deal with. They all knew that they would have a major battle, but if they had the whole team, they were confident of success. While the girls milled around, Ranma had wandered off. As soon as the fog had fallen, he realised that Ryoga would get lost. He had no idea how it was possible, but the boy could get lost walking down a one way tunnel. By now he could be almost anywhere. Briefly he considered dropping by and speaking to the girls, but if they had glamour spells on, there was not much point. Besides, he had no real interest in being identified by the vigilante demon hunters, even if they were pretty soldiers. Ranma had had a bad end to the week, and he was sure that the weekend could not get much worse. He was almost right, it could not get much worse, but it could easily stay at the same high level on the 'Sucks- to-be-you' scale. Saturday was school in the morning. That was awful. After that, every attempt he made to stay a guy was foiled. That really irked him. In the evening, his 'father' and Mistress 9 needed him to use some special treatments to prepare his body. They were painful, tasted bad and smelled worse. Sunday he woke up late after an all night session in the lab with Souichi. That meant he missed his usually early morning training session. Not only that, but the workings in the lab had drained him dangerously low on both magic and Ki. Under Mistress 9's guidance, he had cast some of the spells that she needed, and he could feel the changes continuing apace. Eventually, he set off, needing to work some of the frustration out of his system. He was four steps out of the door when he realised that today was a day he had agreed to teach a children's course at the dojo he had visited last week. He struggled to decided whether he was happy to be teaching again (especially kids, he always liked teaching them) or whether he should be mad since he would not be able to train again till Monday morning. Even something as simple as crossing a small section of city could turn into a nightmare for a Jusenkyo cursed victim. As a plaything to the Kami, he was dodging cold water at every turn. The detours he needed to take lead him many blocks off his course, and into one of the more affluent sections of town. He was just starting to turn back in the direction of the dojo when something caught his eye. He looked around again, searching the crowd for what he had subconsciously picked up on. There it was again. Green. Green. Ah! Green hair! Not that green hair was uncommon. He had seen lots of people with green hair. Few of them had green hair like this girl. She was tall, elegant, and walked with a refined manner. The main thing that set him off was the fact that he recognised her face. It was Miko, or Mina, or Miyabi, well, it was Mi-something, and her name did not matter. What mattered was that she was the girlfriend of the tall boy with the Nyanniichuan curse. Just thinking about him must have summoned him, because the next thing he knew, the tall blonde boy was walking out of a store and linking arms with the girl. Nice looking couple those two. The boy was a bit too pretty for what Ranma considered a 'real man', but lots of the girls seemed to like that pretty-boy, idol singer look these days. Ranma checked his watch. He could watch the couple for ten minutes, then hurry and still make the class. Hmm, it was worth it. He wanted to get there early, but if there was the opportunity to find out where another Jusenkyo victim was living, there was no way he was going to pass it up. After watching for twelve minutes (cursing constantly as the seconds ticked by) he was ready to leave. The pair had been walking quietly through the nice looking streets, obviously enjoying a morning together. He had concluded that they must like looking at expensive houses when they turned and entered one of them. These guys must be loaded! Turning his back and running to the dojo, Ranma's mind was whirling with the implications. He had an address. A little bit of elementary detective work and he would have names to attach to those faces. Ho, ho, ho! Now it didn't matter that the witch with the dark green hair had prevented him speaking to them at the concert. Soon. Soon he would find them, and then he could start to take some more steps to fixing his curse. He trusted Mistress 9, she had kept her part of the bargain well so far: he just liked to pursue every avenue that opened. Ranma arrived at the dojo with only a minute or two to spare. Already most of the kids were there, and there were a fair few parents sitting around the outside of the dojo. Bowing to the elderly sensei, he hurriedly changed into a Gi and joined him at the front of the class. "Sorry about being late, Sensei. Some personal business came up, and it took me a while to be able to postpone it." The old man smiled. He had been worried that the talented young fighter had no intention of showing up and helping with the class. The fact that he remembered his commitments was a good sign. "Don't worry, lad. The main thing is that you are here now." The class bowed in, and the two Sensei led them through a series of warm ups. Most of the kids were between seven and ten, so their attention span was short. Keeping the exercises to a simple and easy level, Ranma and the old master gave them a bit of exercise. While the children may have had short attention spans, the mothers watching did not. When he had first arrived, they expected that the handsome young man must have been a father of one of the students. Now that he was training them - and since he was not wearing a wedding ring - it was a different matter. In front of their eyes, this firm, healthy, HANDSOME, perfect specimen of manhood was moving with the grace of a dancer. Dozens of eyes watched and mentally undressed him. Ranma did not notice any of the parents, they were not his concern, and they were obviously no danger. What was his concern was seeing these children properly trained. Trained so that they would have the interest in coming back in the future, and trained so that they would do their school proud. A lifetime spent running the Tendo dojo, three decades of teaching Amazon students, and centuries studying under some of the best (and worst) teachers in the world had taught Ranma lots of tricks of the trade. He was on his knees teaching a trio of little girls the fundamentals of punching when a movement caught his eye. Even as he continued teaching, he split his attention and focused on the commotion at the entrance to the dojo. Shampoo was currently struggling with her great-grandmother, attempting to get past her cane. After a few fruitless tries, she gave up at glared down at the shrunken old woman. "Why you stop Shampoo? Shampoo see groom: Shampoo go get groom." Bonk! "Show some respect, Great-Granddaughter. Son-in-law is teaching. To be a great fighter is one thing, to have the skill to teach is another. You have indeed found a most suitable husband, Shampoo." As the two of them sat at the entrance and watched, the old crone continued to lecture her student and protégé. "Handsome, strong, smart: son-in-law will be an ideal match for you. Ha! Look at that! That little girl would make a fine Amazon!" Noticing that the guests understood the importance of teaching children, Ranma again devoted his full, attention to the class. Time passed quickly, too quickly for his tastes. In no time, the class was winding to a close, and the sensei were up the front, bowing and saying goodbye to their students. More than one single mother was in the audience, and started towards the handsome new teacher. None of them could match the sheer speed and enthusiasm of an elite Amazon warrior when confronted with her ideal mate. In less time than it took to blink, Shampoo had moved from the back of the hall, past all the mothers gathering children, to an 'affectionate' position on Ranma. Considering the length of her dress, and the way she moulded herself to him, Shampoo and Ranma could almost get arrested for that sort of behaviour if she had done it in a public place. An audible sigh of disappointment went around the room. Of course someone so handsome would have a girlfriend. Actually, judging by the way that she was holding him and trying to suck his tonsils out, perhaps she was more then just his girlfriend. Sighing again, the mothers gathered their children and tried to avoid looking at them. There was no way any of them could compete with such a young, healthy and amazingly cute girl. Finally Ranma managed to free himself slightly when Shampoo came up for air. "Shampoo! Cut that out! I'm married!" Shampoo released him and backed away as though he had just grown an extra head. "You have wife? Aiyaa! Why you no tell Shampoo you have wife?" Glad that she was off him, Ranma kept backing away. In all honesty, it really felt very nice when she was all over him. The big problem with it was that she was bringing up desires that he had been repressing for a long time. A very, very long time. Three hundred years without sex is enough to make anyone feel a little tense the first time you get a bundle of fun like Shampoo climbing all over you. Fortunately, twelve year old girls tend to have very little sex drive. Ranma really wanted a cold shower, right about now. "Well... Actually, she died a while ago. But I still love her." Shampoo smiled happily and tried to resume her former position. "Wo da airen! If Ranma wife dead, Shampoo wife now. Come back to village. Shampoo make you forget wife." Ranma dodged her oncoming hug and flushed red in anger. "I've told you twice already, Shampoo! Your marriage challenge did not apply to me since I'm an Amazon, and you did not declare your intention first." The purple haired beauty pointed at the two foot tall withered old crone. "Great-Grandmother! You tell husband. He no Amazon. He Shampoo husband!" Nodding sagely from her perch on the stick, the woman croaked. "Shampoo is right, Son-in-law. I know all of the strongest warriors in the village, and you are not one of them. Since I do not know you, you are obviously not an Amazon." "Feh! I don't care who you are Granny. Even if your the Matriarch herself, you couldn't cast me out. I was an Amazon. I am an Amazon. I will be an Amazon." "Son-in-law, I do not know why you persist in this fallacy, but I am the Matriarch. If you want me to, I will cast you out, and then Shampoo can fight you again. If you defeat her, she will be your bride." "Are you hard of hearing? I just said, 'even if your the Matriarch herself, you couldn't cast me out'. Only a full council of Mistresses can cast me out. I deny you the right to exile me. Now, please leave. I have to get ready to see some friends." As Shampoo stood watching them - head moving back and forth as though watching a tennis match - her mentor laughed. "Son-in-law, you just dig yourself in deeper. Even if you pretend to know our laws, you should also realise the crimes you have committed. When you fought my great-granddaughter you used the Chestnut Fist. If you were an Amazon, you should realise the penalties for a man wandering the country-side unescorted holding such information in his head. Come, marry Shampoo, return to the village with us and you will be forgiven." "Grrr, stop trying to blame me for everything! I already have permission to use and teach these techniques here. And before you ask, I was one of the Matriarchs which gave me permission." The woman burst out laughing. "Trapped by your own cleverness! Ha, Ha! I have been Matriarch of the Joketsuzoku for over one hundred years. There is no way that you are older then I, and I have never give permission to any MALE to teach anything. Come. Time is wasting. Join us and leave." Ranma just turned his back and began to pack a bag with his sweaty Gi and get changed into his normal clothes. "I really don't care what the two of you intend to do, but I'm not going with you. As far as I'm concerned, you can stay here for the rest of the day. See ya." Ranma started to walk past them, but Shampoo put out an arm to stop him. "Husband... Ranma. If you say you Amazon, then I challenge you for marriage. We fight again. You win, you marry. OK?" Silently, Shampoo cheered. There was no way to lose now. She was sure that a fighter like her husband would never turn down a challenge. Anyone with pride would take it, and then he would be hers. She did not really care if she had to throw the fight to make him win. He had already won once before, and that was good enough for her. She waited smiling while she watched his face contort in anguish. For any real Amazon, there can be one answer to a challenge. "No, I refuse." "YOU WHAT? How can you call yourself an Amazon and still turn down a challenge when it is offered?" "Hey, Granny. No one has to be forced into marriage. An Amazon has the right to refuse a marriage challenge without loss of face. Shampoo, if you want to fight, I will fight you, but I will not fight you for a marriage challenge. Besides, marriage challenges are different between Amazons. It's the winner that gets to choose if they marry. I'd win, and I'd still refuse to marry you." Shampoo cursed. Even if he was not an Amazon, he seemed to know their laws backwards and inside out. What was worse: he was right too. There was only one thing to do, go back to persuasion. If that failed, then Great-Grandmother would help her devise a new plan soon. "Why Husband no want Shampoo? Shampoo pretty. Shampoo smart. Shampoo good fighter. Shampoo better than all Japanese girl. So Shampoo better than dead wife. Shampoo prettier than everyone too. Shampoo much prettier than dead wife! Come marry Shampoo. She make you forget about dead wife." Quite simply, Ranma saw red. How dare she? How dare she say anything against his Akane? Without conscious thought, Ranma struck out, slapping her in the face, and knocking her to the ground. He then spat on the floor near her face. "You dare too much, Shampoo! I challenge you! I challenge you to a duel of honour! You who would insult my dead wife, flesh of my flesh, joined with me, body and soul! I, her champion, defend her honour! "Rise, coward! Rise and defend yourself against one who can fight back. Never will I accept the way you insult the honoured dead! "Defeat me, and I am yours to command. Lose, and you shall do penance for this insult. Further, you and yours will never again slander nor act against my wife or her memory. "Rise coward! Rise and be defeated!" Shampoo cowered under the fierce gaze. This man, who seemed so handsome, had eyes filled with nothing but pain and anger. Glancing at her great-grandmother she realised she was on her own for this one. She had overstepped the bounds of decency. In Japan or China, insulting the dead like she had was perfect cause for this sort of duel. Even as she nodded to him and started to rise, another thought struck her. This was actually what she was after... almost. If she could win this fight, she would have her husband. If she lost, she would apologise, learn her lesson, and be no worse off. Standing up, she took a defensive stance and waited for him to make the first move. As soon as Shampoo acknowledged his challenge, Ranma realised that once again his mouth had gotten the better of his brain. Any other day, he would have wiped the floor with her without even breaking a sweat. Today... Today he had been without sleep, and was almost completely drained of both Ki and magic. Not only that but the horrid concoctions he had drunk last night had weakened him enormously. As he took his stance the old woman hopped between them. "Wait! We are in a public place and a dojo at that! The last thing we want if for Amazon secret techniques to become public knowledge. For the duration of this challenge, I, Matriarch of the Joketsuzoku, restrict the battle to normal means only." So subtly that neither opponent noticed, both of the combatants let out a breath of relief. Shampoo knew from the last time that she fought him, he could beat her with the Chestnut Fist. She only knew one other secret technique, so he may well have had an edge there. Ranma was equally relieved. Compared to his normal levels, his Ki was almost non-existent. Same with his magic. He hardly expected Shampoo to be proficient at spell casting so that would be a small loss, but it would mean he could save his Ki for basic defence and attack. Moving forward warily, he loosened up with a couple of punches and a high, arcing kick to her head. Shampoo responded identically. There was no need to rush things yet. They both had time, and neither wanted to pull a muscle unnecessarily. For two minutes, they flowed back and forwards like this. A mid-pace ballet of feet and hands, neither quite trying to defeat their opponent yet... just gauging and preparing. The dojo's sensei - Ranma's friend - was watching the second fight between his partner and this purple haired dojo destroyer. He had not quiet followed everything in the conversation, but he had understood most of it. The fight itself was another matter. Already both of them were moving at speeds that he would not have been able to attain even in his prime. Both of them moved with silken grace, mixed with animal ferocity. Then it got faster and harder. Shampoo was the first to up the ante. She moved from the easy going fight to an all out assault. In an instant she was moving powerfully, nothing but strikes and kicks. Her defence dropped as she spent more and more effort on attacking, but it was worth it. She had her opponent on the ropes. No matter what he tried, he was restricted to blocking and dodging her attacks. Ranma fought to hold back a moan as a third punch got through his defences. In his condition it was like trying to fight in a pool of molasses. Every move he made sent small signals of pain trough his body, and his limbs were so slow and heavy. To make matters worse, he was so fatigued that even his brain refused to work as it should. Rather than looking six or seven moves ahead, he could only just match her. Half her blows he deflected on pure reflex, and that scared him. As Shampoo closed in again, he continued to give ground. Working on reflex was fine, it did wonderful things for your reaction speed. Even better, it allowed the mind to work on strategy, and leave the actual implementation to the body. This was all well and good if you had the right reflexes wired in. That was what scared Ranma. Ranma had spent the last four hundred years mastering the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. While Anything Goes had plenty of punches, kicks, throws and hold which you could use to incapacitate an opponent, they were more the icing on the cake. Anything Goes specialised in just one thing: winning. Winning at the expense of the enemy. If you have the luxury of mercy, more power to you. Your first priority was to win. Winning meant killing in the final count. If someone was attacking you, they were probably trying to kill you, or beat you to the point where you could no longer defend yourself. The fastest and most effective way to stop them was to either kill them, or do them such massive damage that the could no longer fight. Ranma knew that on any other day, he could have incapacitated Shampoo without harming a hair on her pretty head. Today... he could not. Today he was struggling to keep even. Today he was deliberately hampering his own reflexes, and consciously refusing to take almost every attack he saw. The reason was easy. If he attacked, he would almost certainly fight largely on reflex. If that happened, Shampoo's best option would be being smashed into a bloodied, crippled heap on the floor. Anything else he did would end up being even worse for her. When Shampoo swept his feet out, she forced him to do a series of rolls and back flips until he could gain the time and distance to be able to resume his stance. Finally he had endured enough. There was only one option left other than Shampoo's death, or his defeat. Releasing the tight hold he had on his Ki, he let his battle aura bloom. Freed from the massive constraints and techniques he used to hide his Ki, he would briefly have the strength and speed to defeat her without lethal or crippling force. Everyone in the dojo (other then Ranma) gasped in awe. The defender had just summoned a battle aura that was frightening in its size and intensity. A swirling blue glow surrounded his body, extending out by at least three inches. Both Amazons were stunned. The had witnessed the battle auras of some of the most powerful martial artists in their village. Even at their best, they would only just equal the magnitude of Ranma's. Ranma sighed and hoped he had enough power for what he wanted. By the looks of it, it would be a close call. The Chestnut Fist, the dreaded speed punching attack of the Joketsuzoku, relied upon using Ki to give the arms an explosive speed that could hardly be matched. Now Ranma used his Ki in a similar manner. Filling every part of his body with energy, Ranma was faster, stronger, and tougher than normal by many times. Shampoo seemed to move in slow motion as she brought her arm around for a back handed fist to his temple. Dropping his guard, Ranma immediately stepped inside her arm. His first hit - done with the knife edge of his left hand - caught her striking arm at the elbow, stunning and paralysing it. Not to be overconfident, he brought both arms in for another strike under her armpits. It was not a nice thing to do, but it would work. Rather than limiting her motion by a nerve block, this attack was designed to temporarily cripple both her arms by sending mind blowing pain signals at her slightest movement. To finish her off, he whipped his left leg past her and swept her feet into the air. As her body moved to horizontal, he finished her off with a palm strike under her chin. The blow slammed her jaw closed, and jerked her head on her spine. All in all, the effect was calculated to deliver a relieving unconsciousness. If he had judged his blow correctly, the armpit nerve strike should wear off just before she regained consciousness. The entire attack cycle took under a second, so no-one else really saw what was happening. One moment, Ranma had burned bright blue, standing still as Shampoo closed in for the kill. Next, he had moved forward a couple of meters, and an unconscious Shampoo was flying through the air to land like a rag doll. Ranma sank to one knee and looked up at the Matriarch. He had his Ki under control again, but it felt so low, he hardly needed to conceal it anymore. Actually, his Ki was so low, it would not even manifest visibly unless he forced it. Ranma shuddered. His Ki had not been this low for over three hundred years, and suddenly he could feel every day of it. "Well, Granny. It would seem I have won the challenge. Tell young Shampoo that her only penance is to learn some respect for the dead. I must bid you good day." To say that the old woman was surprised was an understatement. When Shampoo had told her of the warrior who had defeated her, she had scarcely believed her. Now she had just seen the near impossible. This man, no more than a boy really, had managed to generate a battle aura that most masters of the art would aspire to. Not only that, but he had managed to channel his Ki to an amazing degree. This one was a prize she would not let escape. The old woman watched as the boy walked to the exit of the dojo. She had not moved to tend Shampoo yet. She had seen the care he had used when fighting her: Shampoo would survive that final attack without her help. At the door, young Ranma turned and looked back over his shoulder. "Somehow, Matriarch, I suspect that my real competitor now will be you, not Shampoo. May I have the honour of knowing your name?" "Of course Son-in-law. I am Cologne, Matriarch of the Joketsuzoku." "Hmm. I suspected as much. Farewell. We shall meet again. I am sure of it." --- End Of Chapter The characters contained within this story are owned by Takahashi Rumiko or Takeuchi Naoko. No infringement of copyright is intended. This work to be distributed for free, unchanged, crediting the current author. This is a crossover between Ranma 1/2 and Sailor Moon. To make the two stories fit together the way I wanted, I needed to shuffle the dates at which a few things occur within the main timeline of Sailor Moon. I bow my head in shame: please forgive. We also have guest appearances by Slayers and 3x3 Eyes. Die hard fans of Ranma may also notice a very subtle change to it's story timeline... This story is dedicated to the letters N and T and the number 6/10. Visit my website at dzillman@ozemail.com.au http://www.ozemail.com.au/~dzillman/fire _________________ / \ | Destiny's Child | \_________________/ What has gone before: While on a training trip with his father, Ranma fell into the spring of the drowned young girl. Unfortunately, his curse can only be changed back with _very_ hot water, which means he spends most of the time in his cursed form. Not only that, but since the spring was drowned young girl, he turns into a 12 year old girl who never ages. Having finally returned to Japan after 400 years of travel and experience, Ranma is trying to make a new life. Ranma's (or Tomoe Hotaru as his girl half is known) does not seem capable of having a normal life. He is learning Shinto from Hino Rei, pursued by the boy starved girls of the Sailor Senshi and simply pursued by the enraged demon-pig Ryoga. Just when he was worrying that there were no good martial artists in Tokyo, a certain Amazon arrives claiming the same thing. Well, one thing led to another and can you say "Amazon Law"? The Outers are plotting, the Inners are confused, and every woman, man and beast on the planet seems to be after Ranma for one reason or another. But Shampoo's great grandmother has a plan to make Ranma theirs. The only problem: That woman is Cologne, a child Ranma was midwife for while in the Amazon tribe, a woman almost a daughter to him. ---------------------- Letting Go Of The Past ---------------------- The hours turned into days, and the days began to tick by. It would have made an interesting game of cat and mouse, if only they could decide who was the cat, and who was the mouse. Completely unknown to each other, the Outer Senshi pursued Tomoe Hotaru; and Tendo Ranma pursued the two green haired witches and the Jusenkyo cursed boyfriend. Given the fact that Ranma knew they were evil witches, he was surprised at just how easy it was to dig up information on them. Actually, he would guess that they had only come into their powers recently. If they had been as powerful as they are now, when they were young, surely some indication would have slipped and made it into the popular media or public records. He had carefully studied the magical fields surrounding them from a distance and knew that they possessed some level of magic beyond the norm. In much the same way that he constantly subdued his aura and camouflaged his magical influence, he could see that they were doing the same. Only someone truly gifted - or with vast experience - could possibly have detected their deception. He was gifted, experienced and knew to look at them, but still the only reason he had spotted their magic was a small magical item each of them carried. The item itself was a mystery, especially since it's main purpose seemed to be a disguise tool. Without a decent examination he could not be sure, but Ranma suspected that the devices they carried would account for the cloaking that he could see. If they turned them off, then their full powers would be revealed. All he needed to do was be there when they deactivated them. Information about their powers had been hard to obtain, and the few details he had discovered was of little value. Since leaving the library and the city records over a week ago, he had concentrated on trailing them. All that he had discovered was the definite fact that they were hiding something, and hiding it well. The library and the publicly available records had been much more useful. After spending almost four hundred years reading, researching and learning, Ranma had study down to a fine art. He did not enjoy study, actually, there were few things he detested more than reading a book that was not directly related to Martial Arts, but he was very good at processing large quantities of paper, and digging out facts. Armed only with his skills, a pencil, and a writing pad, he had descended on the microfiche newspaper archives of the local library. He already had identified the owners of the house that he had seen the witch and her boyfriend enter: it belonged to the parents of a Miss Kaiou Michiru, a girl about the right age. Armed with this simple fact, he put two and two together to get a close approximation of four, which shortly revealed a 'Kaiou Michiru's Triumphant Concert' article. What a lovely surprise he had when he saw the picture of his target! Imagine that, he now had a name, a face and an address. From there everything else fell into place just as easily. Reading a few articles in the newspaper finally revealed her boyfriend: Tenou Haruka. This young lad, obviously the sorcerer component of their little coven had apparently been a high profile racing driver for the last few years... until, only a few months ago, he had suddenly dropped out of the circuit and vanished from the public eye. That made things more definite on the age of their powers. He could not find anything suspicious about Michiru lately, but a small lead was better than none. What was most interesting was the details he could dig up on Haruka and her early years. Yes, _her_ early years. It would seem that Haruka was not actually the boy that most people (including Ranma) had thought. She had a female birth certificate, and he had even tracked down a few photos of her in junior school. Then, suddenly, she seemed to change. From what could be seen in the newspapers and school records, Haruka went through a lifestyle change just a few years ago. Short haircut, wore a boy's uniform, took up professional motor racing and other little things. Little things like having a girlfriend. Ranma had seen her in her cursed form, and he could attest the fact that she passed for a boy. There was only one conclusion that any person experience with Jusenkyo could reach: Tenou Haruka had fallen into the Spring of the Drowned Man. Worse still, she was deliberately hiding the information from him. Ranma wondered how poor Michiru would feel when she discovered that her boyfriend was really a girl. Not only that, but she actually thought she was a man now. Despite how much he needed to know about Jusenkyo, he rejected the idea of threatening to expose Haruka's secret to her friend. Ranma know what it was like to love someone and lose them. He would never cause that pain to someone knowingly. Ranma swore silently to himself that he would never be the one to reveal that Haruka was actually a girl. After compiling all of this information - including general statistics like age, school and other facts - Ranma had hardly discovered anything on Meiou Setsuna. She seemed to be the enigma of the group. Her general history was as accessible as anybody's, but it was completely dull. Too dull. No one could possibly have an aura of power like she did without having something happening in her life. After much thought, Ranma concluded that she was the leader of the pack. Since Setsuna was probably the most dangerous, and probably the most experienced, he decided to follow the other two. That was why he was now sitting in a cafe across the street from the two women. Or, woman and man as they seemed to believe. They seemed to love these long evenings of doing nothing, but it was driving Ranma nuts. Surveillance work sucked. Across the street, in the cafe in question, the two girls sipped coffee and listened to the gentle music that played. In a completely unconscious gesture, their hands rested on each other. Michiru held her cup in her left hand and sipped, enjoying the warmth. Haruka always seemed to have such warm hands. She could just sit there all night and hold her hand, talking and listening, watching her friend, and watching the world pass them by. So they did sit all evening. Just holding hands and talking about life and love. No matter how beautiful the evening, or how lovely the company, various pressing issues managed to raise their ugly head in the course of the evening. Not the least of these was the Talismans and the search for the Holy Grail. Their only clue remained the fact that it would be found in the pure Heart Crystal of someone. A pure heart, but pure what? Their elusive enemy was still out there, and still searching for the right Heart Crystals in the same manner the Outer Senshi were. It was the highly scientific method of randomly selecting someone and ripping their Heart Crystal out for a look. The best detail that their as-yet-undefined-adversary had let slip was their criteria for judging purity of heart. So far the Daimons and the witches had been going after the people that stood out as dedicated. It was the artists, the sportsmen, the kind and noble. These were the people that the witches had attacked. Michiru smothered a small chuckle as she thought about just who some of the 'kind and talented' victims had actually been. Haruka looked at her across the table, her own mouth curling into a slight smile as she appreciated the sound of Michiru's musical laughter. "Care to share it with someone, or are you going to sit there chuckling all night?" "I was just thinking, the Witches have so far managed to attack all of the Inner Senshi, and take their Heart Crystals. How do you think they'd feel if they knew?" "Ha! They've had almost all of them at their mercy and they got away. If they knew who they were after, they could be even more of a threat than they already are!" As soon as she said the words, they both realised just how true they were. Whenever the Inner Senshi had fought the Daimons or Witches, it had been almost even. When the Outers had fought a Daimon or Witch, they did not fare much better. Their mirth died a bit then and they sat in silence once more. Eventually it was Haruka which spoke, voicing a concern they both felt. "Michiru, I'm worried about Chibi-Usa's little friend." "Who, the Tomoe girl?" A nod. "You've felt it too, haven't you. There is something wrong with her. I know we have not spent much time with her, but... I don't know, something just feels... wrong." "Setsuna said the same thing yesterday. She's been doing a bit of checking too, you know. She came up with a few rather interesting facts." Tomoe Souichi was the principle at their school. Actually, he was one of the reasons that they went to that school. Even before they had become Senshi, something drew them together, and drew them to Souichi. The man had a certain, intangible feeling to him. Something which had called to their nascent senses and said 'there is something wrong here!' "Do you remember how Tomoe-sensei had a lab explosion at his house... several people killed, he and his daughter were injured... that sort of thing? Well, Setsuna-san did a bit of checking on Hotaru at the same time. "It would seem that this little girl is just as interesting as her father. After the explosion, his injuries were listed as near fatal, but after just a short while in the hospital, he was well enough to get up and take himself and his daughter home." Haruka was puzzled. "OK, so Tomoe-sensei is strange, but what does that have to do with Hotaru?" "Well, her injuries were listed as 'fatal'. The doctors did not expect to be able to save her, and that, combined with the fact that he had a live in nurse for her, were the only reasons she was allowed to be released from the hospital. "Three months after the lab explosion, little Hotaru is back up and about, back at school. No-one had seen her for the last two months, but now she's perfectly well." Things began to make a little more sense. "So if we add in the fact that she now seems to be able to heal people with a touch, and her father has a constant unreadable aura of some sort..." Michiru smiled. It was not her normal smile, but a more predatory smile. "Exactly. What price would a father pay to save his daughter? And what price will she be paying?" Shaking her head again, Haruka worried on that thought. "The only thing I can think of is that we need to keep watching them. And we warn Chibi-Usa and the Inners. They deserve to know this sort of thing. More importantly, if Hotaru has been... corrupted... we need to protect Chibi-Usa if we can." They continued to discuss what they could do, and what they knew. In the whole time, they still just sat there, holding hands and sipping coffee. Occasionally, one or both of them would turn their head so that they could watch the people passing by, but they felt no desperate need to be anywhere yet. Michiru's danger sense would alert them to the impending activation of a Daimon in time for them to arrive. For poor old Ranma, all of this sitting and talking was getting very boring, very quickly. He had been watching these two for several days, and they seemed to do basically the same thing every time. The first night he had been here, he had worked on lip reading, but all they talked about was boring stuff like racing cars or music. Even though he watched them and made sure that they did not do anything without his knowledge, he had quickly stopped bothering to find out what they were saying. It was a shame really. He had been trying to find out if these witches had any links to the recent crop of demons that he been plaguing the city. If only he had been reading their lips as they spoke tonight... if only he had learned where their true loyalties lay. Instead he had been sitting there, and slipping into a revive, reliving old memories of a witch (no, a sorceress) that he had learned to respect above all others. It was a place called the Tewon Monastery. Hidden deep in Tibet, and built by magical means on top of a isolated mountain. When he had been only half his current age, he had gone there, seeking knowledge and wisdom. What he had found had changed his life forever. In the monastery there were senior and junior Monks. The senior Monks were those that had achieved true enlightenment, and spent most of the day contemplating their navels. Ranma had actually reached this level after spending almost 150 years as a junior Monk. Junior Monks were charged with the investigation of the universe; the senior Monks figured that once they finished that task, they could think up something else for them to investigate. Both through design and circumstances, this had lead to the development of a Monastery for the research of magic. Most people did not believe in magic these days, or were only familiar with the most limited and weakest varieties. Back in the Amazon village, the practised what they considered 'high' magic. To the Tewon Monks, this was nothing more than beginners warm- ups. Amazon magic worked almost entirely _with_ nature, and was designed to do only the most limited of spells. Although some Amazons (like the occasional Matriarch) could do a decent healing spell, it was hardly above the level of parlour tricks. The Monks took time to explain to Ranma about the cycles of the world. Currently, we had entered the Fourth World. A time known to the ancient Mayan (yes, the Monks ancestors had been in contact with people half a world away) as a low period in magic. While the magic was still in existence, people had moved away from it. Over time, the knowledge and ability to wield magic had faded from men's minds, reducing them to the mundane level they now had. It was only through the greatest of natural talents, massive study or some form of magical trigger device that allowed people to access magic now. Most of the Monks at the Monastery had the ability to do a few spells, and most of them required spell books and mountains of ingredients. For a long time, Ranma had been the same. Ranma did have one advantage though. Anyone else that spent fifty years studying reached the end of their life span. Just as they were beginning to make some real progress, they would roll over and die. Hardly the way to further the march of magical research. When Ranma had been there for almost a century and knew the history of the Moon Kingdom - as passed through over a hundred generations of people - he was at a level that would have made a novice mage of the Kingdom proud. It was around this time that Ranma managed to - almost - correctly summon the demon Ryoga. Not long after Ryoga had vanished and he had closed the summoning circle, Ranma spent a week casting a scrying spell. Scrying is art of true seeing, either penetrating illusions or detecting things or people on another continent. By any reasonable standards, the spell was weak and ineffectual, however, it did penetrate the first of the guards that protected the greatest resource of the Tewon Monastery. The Sorceress in the crystal. Now that he knew that she existed, Ranma was able to discuss the old, frail looking woman with the senior Monks. According to legend, she had appeared on day during the founding of the Monastery. Cryptically, she had said that she needed a Champion. Someone who could carry on her work. She knew that magic was fading (or from her view point: had faded), but she encased herself in the crystal, and begged the Monks: "Try to free me, the first that can will be worthy to learn all that I can teach." None of the Monks of that era (almost a thousand years prior) had been able to, nor had any since. Never able to withstand a challenge, and with the prospect of learning magic from a great Sorceress, Ranma bent himself to the task. The woman - no-one knew her name - was protected from all mundane attacks, and his Ki blasts seemed to go straight through the crystal. It took him almost two decades to develop the magic that he needed. The spell alone took him almost a month to cast, but eventually he succeeded. The crystal broke, and an old, frail woman fell to the floor, coughing and spluttering. While every nerve in his body called out for him to help her, Ranma was in an equally bad condition. Since he was unable to stay a man for extended periods, his casting had all been done as a small girl. With the inherent inexperience with magic, casting even a mid-level spell like that had left her hopelessly drained. So they lay there together, puffing panting, and sizing each other up, in the same way that a pair of quadriplegics would evaluate each other before a boxing match. The old woman only needed a short while to study Ranma before she realised that she had been freed by a quirk, a bump in the otherwise steady graph of history. The child before her should not have the power to free her. But she had, and for reasons of her own, Lina needed to keep her pledge. When they both recovered, Lina and Ranma sat down and talked. Lina explained who she was, and why she was there. Ranma explained his curse, and how he was able to free her, when she was expecting to sleep from almost another ten thousand years. Her name was Lina Inverse, and quite simply, she was there to help someone else save the world. Lina came from a time, long, long ago. By her rough estimate, it would have been tens - if not hundreds - of thousands of years ago that she was born. When she was young, she had been a wild and reckless Sorceress in a time when magic was easy, and people were in touch with it. Ranma spent many nights listening to the ageing Lina describe the halcyon days of her youth, where she and her companions had battled bandits, mages, demons and worse. They were heady tales of glory and excitement, and Ranma felt drawn to that era of noble knights and powerful magicians. Lina would never have been described as noble - her interests leaned more towards stealing from bandits - but she was certainly powerful. In her youth she had battled a fragment of a creature called Shabranigdo. Shabranigdo was a Mazoku. What was a Mazoku, he had asked. A Mazoku was, in essence, the distillation of evil. The Mazoku were the very definition of bad. They were the embodiment of every thing nasty. They... you get the idea. Shabranigdo was the second most powerful of the Mazoku. He was the sort of guy that had simple goals like the destruction of the world, and the enslavement, torture or annihilation of humanity. Basically he was after the establishment of hell on earth, except just a little bit nastier for all involved. When she was young, she and her friends had fought one of the shattered fragments of Shabranigdo that had been awoken. So powerful was he, that when he had been defeated (and this was by beings of light that could really be considered gods, and it was done in a time that even she considered a legend...) he could not even be killed. Instead he was shattered, and each of his fragments was hidden on the earth, to let him sleep away eternity. Fine in theory, but it was a little weak in practice. Other, lesser, Mazoku were still out there, and they were quite capable of influencing the weak willed. Most of the Mazoku wanted to return to the power and glory, and sought to restore their superiors. When Lina was mature, responsible and venerated (read, she had gotten too well known and it was more profitable to be a good guy than blasting bandits), there had been another uprising. This was led by the lower echelon Mazoku, but the goal was the same, and the results were worse. In a battle that lasted years and scarred continents, the greatest mages from across the world fought the Mazoku and their allies. In the end, humanity had won out. With a final victory came the resolve to use the massive accumulation of magical talent for something useful. They would bind the Mazoku once again. Although their powers were small compared to the gods, this many high mages would be able to block an lesser group of mages. The strength of the spells they cast would last for over a hundred thousand years before they fully decayed. They would decay eventually, for the Mazoku were their source of power for black magic. What? You don't know about sources of magic? In a nut shell, you have white magic: that's purely internal. There's elemental magic: magic in rocks and wind and stuff. Shamanistic magic: trees, plants, animals, all that growing type of stuff. Then there was black magic. Black magic sourced it's power directly from the Mazoku. The Mazoku had power to spare, and any black magician could use this power to drive their spells. But back to the sealing spells that the council of mages cast. They should last for one or two hundred thousand years. Plenty of time, right? Wrong. Almost ten years after the Mazoku had been bound to their entrapments, a scholar had discovered the cycles of magic in the world. According to his calculations, the power of magic would be just starting on the rise from the lowest point it would ever reach. In short, the first time that the Mazoku might start to break free, the world would be as weak as it could be. It would be defenceless in the face of magic of their calibre. Sure, demons, and all sorts of nasty creatures would retain their magic and would continue to harass humans, but the power of a strong demon would be about the same as that of the weakest Mazoku. Humanity needed a way to defend itself. This is where Lina came in. The cycles of magic did not preclude humans from using it, it simply made it hard for people to see it. A mental block as it were. If you had the right sort of magical item, it would open your eyes to the power of magic, and you would be able to cast spells as you needed. The other way you could do things was to be trained by a master Sorcerer. Or a talented, beautiful, and not in the least flat chested Sorceress like Lina Inverse! When she had volunteered (by the time all of her friends had died of old age and things were getting monumentally boring), a massive assembly of mages again arose. Together they had cast a time warp spell. The conclave had created the Gates Of Time. A place where people could move through time. A place where Lina could move forward to an era where she could lie in wait for someone to train. When they were finished, the mages concealed the Gates Of Time. They hid them from the world, fearing their power. Once again, with this much magic, none should ever find them, or if they did, the world could be in most serious trouble. So Lina had arrived in this era, and she had encased herself in the crystal to suspend herself until she was freed. Anyone capable of freeing her would be capable of learning what she had to teach. That some was now a certain Tendo Ranma. Why teach someone new? Why not just send a powerful mage through to battle the Mazoku as they awoke? First and foremost, no-one who would be capable of doing it, could be trusted to. The sort of power that someone like Lina could wield in this magically weak age was beyond comprehension. The only reason they sent Lina was the fact that she never really cared for power over others, and she was getting so old, she would hardly be able to appreciate any sort of empire she chose to create. So it happened that Lina taught Ranma. Much to Ranma's dismay, Lina's speciality was black magic. Curing something as simple as his curse would have been easy for any talented white mage of her time... unfortunately, Lina only knew basic white magic, so all she could teach him were a few tricks, and some of the most devastating attack spells you could possibly imagine. Over the course of a decade, Lina poured all her knowledge into her overburdened pupil. Given his inherent disability, there was no way he could quite have her familiarity, but the fact that he would be able to practice for as many life times as he needed should give Ranma all of the ease and speed that he would ever need. In the course of her teachings, Lina instructed him on everything from the humble flight spell Ray Wing up to but not including her most powerful attack. Lina's most powerful spell was the almost completely unknown Giga Slave. Unknown because there were ever only one or two people that knew how to cast it, and since Lina refused to teach him, he doubted that anyone knew it today. Besides, even if he knew, she doubted he would be able to survive the casting long enough to be able to use it. The Giga Slave channelled too much power, it would burn out almost any sorcerer. Even in her prime it was a grave challenge to her, and Lina had the advantage of having a 'special' relationship with the Lord Of Nightmares, the most powerful Mazoku, and the sole source of power for the Giga Slave. There were lots of spells less powerful than the Giga Slave, and most of them were much more useful. The Giga Slave would be useless against the Lord Of Nightmares, and overkill against anything less than Shabranigdo. Since there was nothing between those two, it limited the selection of targets to one. Since there was also the minor problem that a miscast would pull the Lord Of Nightmares into this world, and guarantee the destruction of the world, Lina decided to take it's secrets to the grave. Now, the Dragon Slave, on the other hand... So, over time, Ranma had learned to become a Sorcerer. He doubted he would ever be a match for Lina, but since she had died over a decade before he left the Monastery, it was a moot point. Now he was possibly the most skilled magician alive. From what he had seen on the news, Sailor Moon would be able to outdo him in sheer power, and on average, the other girls could also. As far as skill was concerned, he was almost certain he bested them there. Their strength against his speed and skill, it would be an interesting battle. However, one on one, he figured he could give any of them a hiding... especially since magic was not the core of his abilities. All this thinking had kept him occupied for hours. So engrossed in his memories, Ranma had almost failed to notice his subjects moving. Both Michiru and Haruka were out of the cafe and moving down the street before he fully woke up. Tossing a handful of coins to the waitress, Ranma left his own cafe and hit the street. The street was quiet at this time of the evening. Most people had gone home, so it was easy to spot the two girls and they ran into an alley. Thankful of the fact that he was Ranma (almost unknown to them) and not Hotaru (who was possibly too well known) he ran down the street and stuck his head into the alley way. In those next ten seconds, all his work paid off. As he watched, both girls pulled short, ornate sticks from their pockets and held them aloft, chanting something he was just too far away to understand. As he watched, their clothes vanished and the alley was bathed in a brilliant white light. Like a pair of exotic dancers, the two girls cavorted on the spot, summoning new clothes and engaging their glamour spell. This time things were different. This time he had seen the glamour come up from start to finish. As the girls finished their transformation and again ran off, he marvelled at his luck and thanked his perseverance. Since he had witnessed the glamour being activated, he could penetrate it anytime. Now he not only knew that these two were definitely two witches he was interested in, he could also positively identify them any time he saw them. As he ran off down the alley to follow them, he silently wished that he could watch the pretty soldier in the red skirt do her transformation. Not only would he get a great show but he would find out who the captivating vigilante really was. More importantly, it would make her as angry as Akane had ever gotten, and that would be something to really savour. Not far away, Mizuno Ami was leading a slightly bored Hino Rei through an exhibition of modern sculptures. Ami had won some free passes from one of the magazines that she subscribed to. Since she had the passes, and none of the other Senshi were particularly interested, she had dragooned Rei into going with her. Rei had been planning on spending an evening teaching and learning with Ranma, but he had cancelled all of their sessions for this week. While the sculptor responsible for the exhibition talked to several guests, Ami was pointing out some of the interesting details in the sculpture. She had just finished describing the artistic significance of the use of marble as distinct from sandstone for this piece when she noticed Rei's eyes glazing over slightly. Ami tried hard to feel upset at the other girl. She knew the other girl did not share her interest in art and science, but they had only been here for two and a half hours so far. There was so much more that she could learn! Eventually Ami's frustration at Rei's inattention got the better of her and she pointed at a man sized sculpture. "Say, Rei-chan, isn't that Ranma?" Rei's head immediately whipped around to look for the boy, but there was no-one even remotely like him in the area. Most of the people she saw were much older and tended to be either grossly overweight or looked like they had not eaten in the last six months. Certainly none that looked like the handsome and fit Ranma. Rei turned back to Ami and watched as the quite girl smothered a giggle behind her hand. "I'm sorry, Rei. It just looked like you were falling asleep so I thought that if I mentioned your boyfriend you might wake up." "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you _Ami-chan_, but I don't think that idiot thinks anything at all of his teacher _Rei-san_." Rei's voice dripped with sarcasm, and Ami immediately realised her mistake. She had seen Ranma several times recently, as had all of the other Senshi. Each and every one of the girls he met he was nice and friendly to. He would laugh and joke with them, and it was always 'Ami-chan' or 'Usagi-chan'. The one person who wanted to have his interest (well, all of them wanted it, but not quite in the same way) he was always teasing and making fun of when the girls were around. Rei had told them that when they were alone, Ranma would be nice to her... some of the time. Some of the time he would caring and nice, he was a patient teacher, and a great student. But he always called her 'Rei-san'. No matter what she tried, he held onto that level of formality between the two of them. "I'm sorry, Rei. I shouldn't have said that. I... I was hoping to cheer you up, but it sort of back fired." As her scowl eased, Rei opened her mouth to accept the apology when people started screaming. Both the girls looked to the disturbance and saw a woman in a revealing red midriff top and short black skirt holding a massive gun in one hand and holding a heart crystal triumphantly in the other. As she laughed, one of the statues was rapidly changing into a Daimon. With a shared glance the girls turned on the heels and ran for a service corridor. The door leading to it was marked 'Employees Only', but they were sure that the curators of the art gallery would be willing to make an exception in the cast of Pretty Soldiers needing to save one of their talented artists. Pulling out their henshin sticks, the girls held them aloft and called out their transformation phrase. "Mars Star Power, Make Up!" "Mercury Star Power, Make Up!" The corridor was bathed in flashing lights and fortunately no-one was around to see the girls' clothes vanish as they gave a brief strip show, only to be clad in barely concealing skirts and tight body suits. Bursting from the corridor, the two girls sprinted through the artwork and came to a skidding halt in front of the witch and her Daimon. "Art is there for the edification and entertainment of all people. To attack and harm a great sculptor is an evil act. We are the beautiful sailor suited defenders of love and justice. In the name of the Moon, we shall punish you!" Unknown to the key parties yet involved, there were three pairs of extra eyes watching as the excitement started. Firstly was the two Outer Senshi lurking in the shadows. The Witch was not in the right position for them to take the heart crystal off her without putting it at risk, so they were happy to wait. The third set of eyes belonged to none other than Tendo Ranma, still in his male form and glad of it. He had followed the two witches here, and now he could watch what happened when their deception was faced with the real thing. Although details on the pretty magical girl vigilantes was fairly thin, it was quite definite on things like numbers and style of dress. In all of the news there had only been five and a half Sailors. The half being some pint sized trainee Sailor with pink hair. As soon as he had seen the costumes his two witches had chosen he had known that they were up to no good. They might be able to convince the run of the mill people that they were some of the pretty Sailor girls, but there was no way they could convince him. Now that they were faced with the prospect of being in the same place at the same time, they were obviously cowering and hiding in fear. Ranma was torn with indecision. Should he stay here, and watch the witches, or should he watch the beautiful, fiery sailor with the short red skirt? A few days ago he realised that he could magically summon the same sort of disguise that he had used that first time he had watched the Sailors in action. It went against his grain to hide behind a mask, but considering the risk he would be taking, he did not think it would be a good idea to rush into these things. Either the Sailor girls or their enemies might take a dislike to someone who consistently watched their activities. While Ranma had no fears for himself, he was spending a large amount of time at Rei-San's place. If she got hurt... Wielding his magic, Ranma cloaked himself in a close approximation of formal attire. His suit was not quite right, and the mask (Just like the Dread Pirate Robert in 'The Princess Bride'!) was definitely off, but he was beginning to feel that it had the necessary panache and style for hanging around with good looking girls. This time as his suit magically appeared, he noticed something different. His ever present staff changed. Rather than the spirit staff that housed Takuhi, he was holding some long, ridiculous weapon. He almost considered throwing it away; but he liked it. It almost felt like it was made for him. Looking around he noticed that if he stood on one of the balconies, he could watch both the witches and the fight. Perfect. As Ranma jumped up to the next level of the art gallery, the Senshi's reinforcements were starting to arrive. While Sailors Mercury and Mars were keeping the bad guys at bay, all of the other girls (and their assorted associates) were slowly arriving. First to arrive was the Pretty Soldier, Sailor Venus and her cat Artemis. Artemis was fundamentally useless in battle, but he was an excellent observer. Even as his charge waded into the fight, he noticed Tuxedo Kamen arrive and lurk in the upper stories of the gallery. Tuxedo Kamen was not normally a front line fighter like the girls. He relied more on surprise, skill and bolstering the flagging courage of their leader. As with most battles, Tuxedo Kamen was waiting, preparing a rose for the arrival of his love, Sailor Moon. When - not if - Sailor Moon got into trouble, he would be there to save the day, placing his accurate strike where it would do the most good. Artemis was quite stunned when a second dark shape stepped out of the darkness and stood by Tuxedo Kamen. Ranma glanced at the man beside him. "Nice outfit. I guess it must be the fashion for groupies, ne?" Tuxedo Kamen jumped a foot into the air. How had he managed to appear next to him, completely unannounced? Who was he? What did he want? What the hell was that monstrous weapon he was carrying? It must have been over seven foot long! While he was feeling startled, the stranger reached out with his free hand and took the rose from between Tuxedo Kamen's unprotesting fingers. "Do you mind if I borrow this? I know just the person who needs it." With nary a word and just a touch to the forehead in salute, Ranma flipped over the balcony railing and landed not two feet from the startled Outer Senshi in their hiding place. Flashing them a smile, he walked out into the battlefield. All around him, the Senshi were in full swing, even the Outers decided it was time to join the fun. As he walked across a floor covered in broken sculptures, he deftly avoided Daimon attacks and Senshi attacks with complete aplomb and apparent unconcern. Since their leader had not arrived yet, the girls seemed to be too weak to defeat the witch and her Daimon. That did not stop them from trying, and the good guys seemed to have inadvertently given the new witches the opening they needed. Screwing up his courage, Ranma clenched the rose in one hand tried to draw a reassuring strength from the weapon he carried. As lightning flashed around him, Venus Crescent Beams smashed things, Mars Fire ignited them, and they were blasted by the Mercury Bubbles. Finally he reached his target and stood beside the pretty sailor in the red skirt. Sailor Mars was stunned to say the least. In the middle if a battle, this lunatic had walked straight into the path of the fire. What was even more amazing was fact he was never hit, despite the fact that neither side gave an inch in their attacks. All too soon he was next to her. Next to her and offering her a rose by all appearances. Taking her eyes off the Daimon for a few precious moments, Sailor Mars looked up into the deep blue eyes of the man in the mask. With a trebling hand, she took the rose, it's fresh green stem and bright red petals in stark relief against the perfect whiteness of her glove. Her heart beat faster and her stomach fluttered. It was the first time anyone had given her a rose, and the man was so... imposing and mysterious in that suit and mask. The tall, dark, handsome stranger took a step forward, holding her gloved hand gently in his, and planed a kiss upon her knuckle. A massive Daimon tentacle whizzed by his head, only missing him by centimetres, but he paid it no mind. Even as he released her unresisting hand and stepped beside her, another strike missed him. No one could be missed that often or that closely by accident, but how could anyone make it look so easy? Awe-struck, Sailor Mars swam in his deep eyes, and dimly heard him speaking to her. Concentrating on the words, she finally managed to make them out the haze of her bedazzlement. "My beautiful lady, may I have the honour of knowing your name?" Forcing life back into her body, Sailor Mars reclaimed her hand and tried to bring a semblance of order into her thoughts. She might have succeeded if not for another tentacle that come to attack the couple standing there. Since they were no longer moving and dodging like all of the other Senshi, the Daimon saw them as easy marks. It realised differently when the massive pole arm descended with a blue glowing blade. Effortlessly it sliced through the tentacle before it could reach her, and the severed limb fell to the ground, returning to the sandstone sculpture it had once been. That attack brought Sailor Mars back to herself. It might not have hit her, but it made her realise that she was abandoning her friends to do all of the fighting. Striking a pose, she announced to the stranger: "I am the pretty soldier, Sailor Mars. I am one of the sailor suited defenders of love and justice, now I must go and punish this creature in the name of the Moon." However reluctant she was to leave, Sailor Mars had her duty. Clenching the rose in her teeth, she brought her hands together and called forth the Mars Fire Soul. As the flames once again engulfed the Daimon, she took stock of the situation. The sculptor was slowly recovering, his crystal apparently returned to him. Witch Eudial had escaped again, and Sailor Moon was only now arriving on the scene. The full strength of the Inner Senshi managed to put an end to the Daimon in a short time. As she helped finish the monster, Rei had looked around for the Outer Senshi and the mysterious stranger. Both were missing, and she fervently hoped that he was not one of them... something about him just seemed to reach out and grab hold of her heart. For her there really could be only one thing said at a time like this: "Who was that masked man?" As soon as Sailor Mars - he knew her name now - finished speaking to him, Ranma had jumped for the balcony and an exit. A pretty soldier indeed! Dispelling his weapon and clothes, Ranma left the building and walked home. He had lost track of the all the witches as they made good on their assorted escapes, but he knew everything he needed to. Despite the battle, he had managed to hear most of what the two he had followed were discussing. He now knew that there were three factions: the Sailor Girls, the Witch with the Daimon, and the impostor witches that were pretending to be Sailors. The Sailors were definitely the good guys. He refused to believe that the lovely Sailor Mars could possibly be on the wrong side. Not only that, but they had a history of fighting for love and justice, and blah, blah, blah... The Witch was equally obvious. She was the one who had stolen the heart crystal (a definite no-no), she had created a Daimon (a bit of a no-no) and she had attacked Sailor Mars and her friends (big time no-no). The fakes were a slightly different matter. They were not quite as bad as the Witch, but they were close. They were definitely opposed to the Sailors, and from the snippets of conversation he had heard, they were just as happy to take the poor man's heart crystal. Their words showed them to be cruel and callous. They were unfeeling, and evil, soulless drones in search of some elusive item contained in pure heart crystals. As far as Ranma was concerned, these sort of people were exactly the opposite of those that he liked to associate with. He knew he was a killer. He had killed before, and could kill again if he needed to defend those he loved. But their callous disregard for human life had turned his stomach. A man would die without his heart crystal, and those two had stood there, measuring his up like a car at auction. Only when he failed to meet their elusive standards did they even consider sparing his life. Killing in self defence is one thing. Premeditated murder is another. He did not care if the blonde boy had a Jusenkyo curse now. Ranma had survived this long without their help, he could happily wait longer if it meant that he did not need to meet that couple again. Cheering himself up, he thought of the other great success of the night. He had found out who the perfect girl was in the short red skirt. She was the pretty soldier Sailor Mars. Pretty was hardly the word he would choose - it was far to mild - but he could applaud her modesty. It would hardly do to announce herself as the stunningly attractive and unbelievably sexy Sailor Mars. As he worked his way home, Ranma chided himself for his weakness. Now that he was getting closer to breaking his Jusenkyo curse, his loyalty and dedication to Akane seemed to be weakening. First he spends almost every spare minute with Rei-san, now he's out checking out the sailor suited defenders of love and justice. Ranma went home and took a long, cold bath. It helped to relax him immensely. Twelve year old girls were not drenched in the same massive doses of hormones that twenty year old guys received. --- End Of Chapter The characters contained within this story are owned by Takahashi Rumiko or Takeuchi Naoko. No infringement of copyright is intended. This work to be distributed for free, unchanged, crediting the current author. This is a crossover between Ranma 1/2 and Sailor Moon. To make the two stories fit together the way I wanted, I needed to shuffle the dates at which a few things occur within the main timeline of Sailor Moon. I bow my head in shame: please forgive. We also have guest appearances by Slayers and 3x3 Eyes. Die hard fans of Ranma may also notice a very subtle change to it's story timeline... This story is dedicated to the letter T and the number 2. Visit my website at dzillman@ozemail.com.au http://www.ozemail.com.au/~dzillman/fire _________________ / \ | Destiny's Child | \_________________/ What has gone before: While on a training trip with his father, Ranma fell into the spring of the drowned young girl. Unfortunately, his curse can only be changed back with _very_ hot water, which means he spends most of the time in his cursed form. Not only that, but since the spring was drowned young girl, he turns into a 12 year old girl who never ages. Having finally returned to Japan after 400 years of travel and experience, Ranma is trying to make a new life. Ranma's (or Tomoe Hotaru as his girl half is known) does not seem capable of having a normal life. He is learning Shinto from Hino Rei, pursued by the boy starved girls of the Sailor Senshi and simply pursued by the enraged demon-pig Ryoga. Just when he was worrying that there were no good martial artists in Tokyo, a certain Amazon arrives claiming the same thing. Well, one thing led to another and can you say "Amazon Law"? The Outers are plotting, the Inners are confused, and every woman, man and beast on the planet seems to be after Ranma for one reason or another. Now Ranma's troubles have increased further as he has manifested the powers of Saturn Knight, a masked defender not entirely unlike Tuxedo Kamen. And then there is Sailor Mars... ------------------------- Fight! Setting An Example ------------------------- After the excitement of the last few days, things seemed to settle into a fairly mundane routine. A mundane routine that included Daimon attacks, run-ins with cursed pig demons, magical girl warriors, quasi-immortal super-powered martial artists and time travelling Senshi-in-training. Both 'mundane' and 'routine' all depend on your definitions, really. This particular Friday looked like it was going to throw a spanner into the works. Nothing exciting had happened all day, and by the evening everything still seemed to be in place for a quiet girls' night out. Usagi and her friends had headed into one of the many shopping areas that they preferred. Having come straight from school, all the girls were still wearing their cute little sailor style school uniforms, and it was only the absence of the glamour spell that they normally wore that prevented people from saying "Hey, there's the Sailor Senshi, but their all wearing the same colour!" Two of the regular crowd had not showed up yet. They were Chibi-Usa and her friend Hotaru. Although Sailor Pluto had warned the Senshi that there was something suspicious about he girl, Usagi and her daughter had put their foot down: until they had hard evidence, they were not going to ostracise an already friendless girl. The pair of Junior School girls were late because Hotaru needed to stop off at her father's place after school to pick up some medicine. While Chibi-Usa waited just inside, Hotaru dashed downstairs and returned moments later having already drunk her medicine. Her face was a nasty green sort of colour for a while, but walking in the fading sunshine of the early evening seemed to clear that up fairly quickly. Chibi-Usa had no idea what sort of medicine her friend was on, she was just glad that she did not need it. It seemed to make Hotaru sicker than whatever illness it was supposed to treat. They had almost completed their walk to the arcade where they would meet the others when Fate struck again. They had been walking calmly, talking about nothing when a tall girl sprinted in and grabbed Hotaru, spinning her around in the air. For the first few moments, Hotaru was at a complete loss. Normally her impeccable danger sense warned her of any attack, how could it fail now? Then the woman's words finally penetrated: "Ai-chan! Ai- chan! It's been so long! How are you? I can't believe it! You haven't changed a bit! What are you doing? Where are your parents? Who's this? Why didn't you write?" Hotaru eventually managed to push herself away from the woman long enough to get a decent look at her face. Instantly cold fear settled into her stomach. 'No! How could she have found me? Just a few more months and I would have been cured!' "U... Ucchan?" As Ukyo nodded her head, Tomoe Hotaru (aka Tendo Ai, aka Tendo Ranma) was simultaneously engulfed in another hug. Looking at this woman, Hotaru sighed in defeat and decided to give in to the inevitable reunion. "Ki-chan! I don't believe it! What are you two doing here?" After a while, the girls put Hotaru down and looked at her sternly. Both of them were quite normally developed eighteen year olds, and towered over her by at least a foot and a half. Kikyo put on her sternest face (which is almost as stern as Kasumi ever got) and waved a finger at her. "Look here young lady. Do you think you can just run away from your best friends and never write to them? We've been worried sick about you and Ranma." Before she could begin to defend herself - or even think of a good explanation - Chibi-Usa stepped in and again saved the day. Placing herself between the taller and older girls she looked up at them then back at her friend. "Hotaru, do you know these ladies?" Ukyo looked dumb struck. "Of course she knows us. We went to school with Ai... Hang on... Hotaru? Are... Are you Ai's little sister? I'm mean you look just like her. I guess... well..." Slightly ashamed at how she had deceived her friends, and then later ran off without more than a note, Hotaru nodded her head. "It's me. But my name's Hotaru. Tomoe Hotaru. When I moved in to live with my father, I took the name. It was his daughter's name, and since I'm officially his daughter now..." Chibi-Usa was stunned. She knew that Hotaru and Ranma had gotten around a bit, but she never realised that Hotaru would have lead an entirely separate life. These must be friends of Ranma who did not mind if she was informal with them. After all, they must be almost six years older than she or Hotaru. Then again, the ladies had also said that they went to school with Hotaru; it must have been one of those really big schools that goes all the way from start to finish, how else would they have met across such an age difference? Before her friend could get started on a lengthy reunion, Chibi-Usa gave a slight cough and tried to look as innocent as possible. She did not want to be rude, but she wanted to be introduced before her best friend forgot all about her. "Sorry, Chibi-Usa. Guys, this is Chibi-Usa, she's one of my best friends now. Chibi-Usa, this is Ukyo and Kikyo." Chibi-Usa bowed to the ladies and gave her brightest smile. "I'm pleased to meet you Ukyo-san, Kikyo-san." Ukyo was a tall, glamorous looking girl, who was filling out well. She had long brown hair that she had tied back in a white bow. Her face was also very nice, with long smooth planes, and would have been called cute before she was old enough to have matured into her current beauty. While her face and body were good, it was her clothing that caught the most attention. The black leggings and blue jacket that she wore were tight enough to leave little to the imagination. The thing that garnered the most attention was the bandoleer of small, sharp spatulas that she wore, and the huge - try five foot long - spatula that was strapped to her back. Her companion - Kikyo - was much more understated. She did not have the fit, lean, energetic look that Ukyo had, despite the fact that she still seemed fit. She was also a much plainer looking girl. Her clothing was less complementary, since she wore a normal looking skirt and blouse. It was a pale blue skirt, and a yellow blouse, decorated with small paint brushes on the collar. Over her back she seemed to have a large tube... maybe it was a drinking straw, just to keep in fashion with her friend. Both the ladies cringed at being called 'san' by the childhood friend's new best friend. Kikyo bowed back. "Pleased to meet you also, Chibi-Usa-san." Chibi-Usa made a face like she had just been handed a wet and slimy frog and everyone laughed. Carefully avoiding the rabbit ears, Kikyo patted Chibi-Usa on the head. "Tell you what: I'll call you Chibi-Usa if you call me Ki-chan and her Ucchan. Deal?" She bobbed her head and smiled in that cute way she has. "Mmmm." Kikyo turned back to Hotaru and looked her in the eye, well, she looked down at her and stared into her eyes. "Come on, Ai... I mean, Hotaru. Spill the beans. Tell us everything. Where have you been for the last three years?" "Um, well I've been here for the last three years... I've been living with Tomoe Souichi. He's... He's taking very good care of me." Ukyo picked off one of her mini-spatula and waved it in a vaguely threatening manner at her. "So... you still training, or can I kick your butt?" Immediately Chibi-Usa took a couple of steps forward and tried to impose herself between Ukyo and her best friend. She knew how sick Hotaru was. She didn't know what how these girls might have picked on her when she was younger, but there was no way she would let them do it now. "Grrr, just you stay away! I'm not letting you or anyone else pick on Hotaru-chan!" For a moment Ukyo looked confused, then she broke out into a massive smile. Beside her, Kikyo had literally fallen onto her backside she was laughing so hard. For so many years Ucchan and Ai-chan had fought at every meal, training and pushing each other to be better. Kikyo had eventually moved on to become a painter, but she still trained with Ukyo occasionally. Back in their youth, Ukyo and Ai had been the best fighters in the whole school. Although she was smaller than Ukyo was when the departed (and was even smaller now), Ai would still win almost every time that they fought. The very idea that this small girl would need to defend Ai was ludicrous. Seeing Ukyo collapse to the ground laughing as well when an angry Chibi-Usa brought up her tiny fists, Hotaru decided it was time to step in. If this continued much longer, someone would get hurt: most likely Kikyo would pass out from lack of oxygen, she was laughing so hard. Placing a hand on Chibi-Usa's shoulder she thought of an explanation that would keep everyone satisfied without answering too many of the real questions. "Hey, calm down. It's OK. They really are friends of mine. Don't worry, Chibi-Usa. When we were younger Ucchan and I used to train Martial Arts together every day." "You... you used to fight with them? But their so much bigger than you are! And you're always so sick!" That killed the laughter off immediately. "You're sick?" Hotaru struggled to phrase what she wanted to say correctly. One word out of place could leave everyone with the correct idea of the way things were, and that just would not do. "I was an early bloomer. I was this big a while ago, and then I stopped growing. "I never told any of you this, but I've seen lots of doctors, and they all agreed that I would never really grow up any more. I would be stuck this size forever. Can you imagine never knowing that you would never be as tall as your friends?" Everyone nodded their heads. Chibi-Usa thought Hotaru was about the right height, but doctors could tell all sorts of things these days. Perhaps... actually, she had no idea why Hotaru would stop growing. Maybe she should ask Ami-chan, she was really smart. Ukyo and Kikyo were nodding because it offered the answer to why she looked the same age she did when they last saw her three years ago. "Don't worry to much, you see, the man I'm living with, my father, he and his friend actually have a means of curing me. It's taking a while, and the medicine is terrible, but in a couple of months we should see some results." Chibi-Usa was the first to respond. "So... It's actually the medicine that makes you sick?" "Yes. But, I need to take it every day as part of the treatment. They've known about my problem for three years, so they've been trying to treat it for a long time. I just keep telling myself it's worth it. "Three years of vile medicine, weakness and all that sort of thing, in exchange for that, I'll have the rest of my life to be me, fully grown, and never having to worry about only being a little girl. "I just have to believe that it's worth what I'm going through, and worth the reward in the end." "So that's why you never tried to get in contact with us." Hotaru looked up at Kikyo then dropped her head. "I... I had hoped that in a few month's time I would be cured. Then I could spend some time finding old friends and showing them. Just a little longer, and you would never have seen me like this again." After giving Hotaru a brief hug, Ukyo started leading them down the street. The reunion had made them late, no need to make them later just by staying here. "On the subject of people that just don’t write, how's my fiancée?" ""Wow! You're engaged? That's great, Ucchan! Congratulations. Is it anyone that I know?" "I think you know him, it's your brother." "Huh?" "Ranma honey. You know I'm engaged to Ran-chan, don't you?" In silence, Chibi-Usa felt a tear slide down the side of her face. No wonder Ranma was always so nice but distant to Rei. He must be pining away for his fiancée the whole time that he is with her. Poor Rei, this will crush her when she finds out. While Chibi-Usa was digesting the fact that Rei's would-be boyfriend was engaged, Hotaru was struggling to breath again, choking and coughing in startlement. After a few swift pats on the back, from her friend, and concerned glances by everyone, Hotaru grabbed Ukyo's lapels and pulled the taller girl down so that their faces were the same height. In a cold steely voice she said, "What do you mean you're engaged to Ranma?" "Ai... Hotaru, calm down. I arranged it with your parents. Since we loved each other, I asked them if we could get married. Hotaru, I don't blame you for this, but is your sickness the reason Ranma never contacted me? Is he just waiting for you to get better so he can come back to me and get married?" Hotaru let go of Ukyo and walked away for a moment. It was hard to believe his life could become such a mess in such a short time. For three centuries, the most excitement consisted of learning a new spell or new attack. Now, in the space of a couple of months, she had met two girls she liked - Sailor Mars and Rei-san - gotten engaged, sort of, to two - Shampoo and Ucchan - been attacked by a pig demon, and somehow gotten embroiled in a three way battle for the pure hearts of people in Tokyo. How could life get much more confusing or strange? After a minute of walking in silence, she slowed enough for the other girls to catch up. They could have caught her before, after all, she was suppose to be pretty sick all the time but they knew that she needed some time to think. It could be a surprise to find out that your brother was engaged for the last three years and never told you. "Ucchan, I think you need to know something. Ranma... He doesn’t know. No one ever told him he was engaged to you. When I left my foster parents, he left at the same time. No-one ever told him. I'm sorry." Ukyo hung her head. "I'm sorry too, Hotaru. I've been searching all over for him for the last three years. I... I really love him. Is... is there anyone else? Does he have another girl?" Silently she asked herself, 'Do I still have a chance?' "As far as I know, there's only one girl that likes him, and that's Shampoo. She's a Chinese Amazon, and want's to marry him because she lost to him in a fight. That's what she says, but I suspect she likes him too." It was an emotional roller-coaster for everyone there. Ukyo and Hotaru for the obvious reasons, Kikyo because her caring soul cried out in sympathy for her friends, and Chibi-Usa because of her friendship to both Hotaru and Rei. When Hotaru was starting her last sentence she had been sure that Hotaru was going to say the only girl that liked Ranma was Rei. But instead, it seems that some completely different girl has caught his eye. Poor Rei. Chibi-Usa realised how close Ranma and Hotaru were, they seemed to tell each other everything. If Hotaru did not think Rei liked Ranma, it was likely Ranma felt the same way. For a few moments Ukyo looked like she was about to either attack Hotaru, or start a screaming debate with her. Love was always a touchy subject and considering the size of the cooking utensil on her back, it would be even more one sided that normal. Valiantly seeking any distraction she could, Chibi-Usa noted that large drinking straw on Ki-chan's back. Hmmm. "Ki-chan? You said you were a painter, didn't you? Do you have anything we could see?" Kikyo smiled and the blushed. She was proud of her work, but sometimes it was hard to be proud without simply boasting. She knew she was good and she had won an art scholarship to a university nearby, but it was still hard taking praise from her friends. "Well, yes, I've got a couple of things, if your really interested..." Everyone else immediately began to pester her, and in moments, she had the storage tube (not really another giant utensil!) off her back and was carefully removing one for the poster sized paintings she had done. It was a slightly surreal picture, showing a girl with a massive spatula making Okonomiyaki on a miniature griddle in a world entirely made up of toppings and ingredients. By the time Kikyo had shown them two more of her samples - a portrait of her mother and a stunning landscape - they were almost at Chibi- Usa's and Hotaru's destination. Both of older girls had been invited to join them for dinner, and while there was a bit of concern about how Rei would take to Ukyo, Hotaru would not dream of abandoning her friends now that she had found them again. Despite all the fun that they were having now that they were safely away from the topic of fiancées, Hotaru was ever alert for something wrong, and her vigilance paid itself in full. No more than twenty meters away she spotted a tall, well dressed couple sipping coffee. Green hair and blonde, it was the impostors. Wherever they were, trouble was sure to follow. No-one could say exactly what clue gave it away, but less than two minutes after spotting the witches, Hotaru tackled Chibi-Usa, while Ukyo pushed Kikyo out of the way. Instantly, Hotaru was rolling back to her feet and taking stock. Chibi-Usa was on the ground with a nasty scratch on her knee and was complaining about being tackled on a concrete pavement. The two witches in their impostor sailor suits were sprinting through a rapidly thinning crowd. The evil Witch from the art exhibition was also there; using her large gun to push a heavy set man out of the way. Not only that, but she had also thrown a Daimon egg at a fruit cart, which was rapidly coming to life. Looking a few meters away at her friends, Hotaru could see why the Witch was cursing, Kikyo was screaming and crying, holding a limp Ukyo in her lap. Ukyo on the other hand was completely unconscious, with her heart crystal spinning on the ground, forced from her body by Witch Eudial's Heart Buster gun. No matter how much her own heart called to her to go to Ukyo, she knew she only had one chance with this Daimon. In moments it would be fully formed, and invulnerable to most magic that could be cast in this populated area. Ignoring Chibi-Usa, ignoring the Witch lining up for a second shot, ignoring everything else, Hotaru crouched and placed on hand firmly on the ground, fingers splayed and channelling magical power. "In the name of Tendo Ranma, I summon TOCHOU!" First three, then six short blue flares burst from the ground. Like a foot tall blow-torch, these fires were the only visible manifestation of the Tochou. Tochou were spirit creatures, somewhat akin to Takuhi. Where Takuhi was a bird / human cross, these were more of a cross between crabs and cockroaches. Their big advantage was that they could move fast, and their magic fires ripped through almost anything they touched. Hotaru grinned evilly as the Tochou lived up to their reputation. Moving like chained lightning, the two Tochou tore groves in street, and finally burst upon the forming Daimon. With a horrible squelching noise, bits and pieces of fruit, Daimon, and wooden cart flew everywhere. Another ten seconds and the Daimon would have completed it's growth, and would have been almost invulnerable to anything less than a full scale attack, but now it was gone before it even came. No matter how well that had worked, things were going to pieces quickly. People were running in all directions, and he was sure he could see the Witch pulling another Daimon egg out. There was no time to worry about her, because bigger things were afoot. The green haired Sailor impostor had just picked up Ukyo's Heart Crystal, and was looking at it like she was buying tomatoes at the store. Time to act again. Sailor Neptune's fingers had barely closed around the Heart Crystal when she felt a weight land on her back. Even as she jerked upright in an attempt to dislodge it, she was captured. Hotaru's small, nimble arms went around her head. With one arm across her throat and the heel of the other pressing against her head, she could feel the girl's hot breath as she whispered in her ear. "I don't know why you want it and I don't care. Return Ukyo's Heart Crystal now if you want to live." When they had first seen Hotaru walking along with Chibi-Usa and the other two girls, the Outer Senshi had been concerned. Their concerns had been realised when Eudial had attacked and released Ukyo's Crystal. What they had not expected was how Hotaru had reacted. They had both seen it with their bare eyes. All it took was some words and a touch and Hotaru had summoned a demon. A demon to defeat the Daimon: it was almost fitting and now they knew her for the evil that she represented. No-one on the side of love and justice would possibly traffic in spirits and demons like she did. "Wait, I just--" Bending her head closer, Hotaru whispered so that only her captive could hear. "I said I don't care what you want it for, and I mean it. Return Ucchan's Heart Crystal now, Kaiou Michiru. If anything happens to Ukyo because of you, I shall hunt you to the ends of the earth. Are you clear?" Sailor Neptune went white. One of the greatest assets the Senshi possessed was their anonymity. She actually believed it was almost impossible for people to see through their disguises. If Hotaru knew who they were and considered them a threat, there was no underestimating the danger she presented. Slowly she brought her hands into position to cast her Deep Submerge. Sometimes you need to defend yourself against people like her. Before her hand made it half way to the casting position, her head was forced over to one side. All down the right side of her neck, the tendons stood out, and the joints in her spine began to protest. Gasping in pain, she heard the girls speaking again. "No warnings, put it back or I break your neck now." Slowly she bent down and placed the Crystal back into the girl's chest. Her only consolation was the fact that as she returned it, she had enough time to make sure that the Crystal did not contain one of the Talismen. With Ukyo rescued, Hotaru spared the time to check the battle again. Impostor number two was attacking Witch Eudial, and she could see the sailor girls arriving in the distance. Ukyo was recovering, but during their distraction a second Daimon had formed, and taken Kikyo's Heart Crystal. "You bitch! This is your fault!" As she leapt off Sailor Neptune's back, she delivered a palm heel to the side of her temple. Dazed by the impressively strong blow, Neptune fell to the ground, banging her head yet again as she struggled to regain full consciousness. Trusting that she could leave the witches and her friends to be taken care of be the incoming sailors, Hotaru ran for the Daimon. Witch Eudial had initially intended to take the Heart Crystal of the painter, but then this girl had appeared. Even as the battle had started, Eudial had realised the inner strength that the girl possessed. She had still extracted the Heart of the painter, but while the Daimon's examination showed it was not what they were after, the unexpected girl was another matter. Now that the Daimon had the girl's attention, it was time to lure her away. With a little breathing space between her Daimon and the Senshi, they could harvest her at will. The Daimon, built around a powerful motorcycle was quite happy to lure away the girl. It had no fear of dying, but it valued success for its creator, and the imminent arrival of the Senshi cast a cloud over any expected success. Turning and running, the Daimon gave a toothy, leering smile and ran away. It almost seemed that the strange girl would not follow, but when it waved the Heart Crystal, she followed like a shot from a gun. The Sailor Senshi arrived at the scene of the battle and tried to find something useful to do. Even as they arrived, Witch Eudial vanished into the crowds, and the Daimon had already run off. Even as they watched, the two Outer Senshi also began to run in the same direction the Daimon had taken. For a moment the Senshi split up, Sailors Mercury and Venus checking on the comatose Kikyo, Mars and Jupiter went to the slowly recovering Ukyo, and Sailor Moon frantically covered Chibi-Usa in a bear hug, holding the sobbing girl close to her. "I... I'm so sorry, Usagi. I tried. I wanted to help. But... but I couldn't transform... and... and I just felt so _useless_!" Chibi-Usa continued to sob onto Sailor Moon's shoulder and the kneeling Senshi held the small girl to her. All the while she muttered soothing words, trying to calm her. Usagi had know what it was like to feel useless. In previous battles she had been rendered totally useless and had seen everyone else fight for her. It was not something she enjoyed. "It's OK, we're here now. Shh. Shh. Calm down. That's it. Don’t worry, we'll make sure everyone's safe. It'll be all right. The Outers have already gone after the Daimon. They'll get the Heart Crystal back." Chibi-Usa looked around. All the girls were there and by the looks of it, Ucchan was being to recover. Kikyo was still lying on the ground, but Mercury had made her comfortable. She just hoped that the Outers managed to get the Crystal back to her soon enough. If the Heart Crystal was destroyed, or even just kept out of her for long enough, the girl would die. Chibi-Usa did not want her to die, Hotaru's friend had seemed so nice and she had done such lovely paintings. Hotaru! Hotaru was nowhere to be seen! Grabbing her mother's arm, her mind in a spin, she pulled her down. "Hotaru's gone! She not here! The Daimon must have her! I didn't see what happened, but somehow she managed to stop the first Daimon from forming, and now the second on has her! Save her, Sailor Moon! Please, save her!" Righteous anger formed Sailor Moon's face into a mask of hard steel. Immediately she let go of Chibi-Usa and gently moved her to Ukyo. "Take care of them. We'll get her back. Senshi! The Daimon's kidnapped Hotaru! Sailor Mercury, get a trace on it and let's get going!" With a speed borne of practice, Sailor Mercury pulled down her visor and brought out her computer. In twenty seconds she had a lock on the evil magic that was powering the Daimon, and started to lead them in the right direction. As they ran at full speed through the city, Sailor Mercury continued to refine her scan. After a short while, she had additional monitors on her visor showing where the Outer Senshi were. Their magic was easy to track, and they had a lead of a couple of kilometres on the Inner Senshi. Unfortunately that put them three kilometres away from the Daimon, and they could not track it as well as she could. As the chase continued for over twenty minutes, the Inner Senshi managed to cut down the distance between them and the Outers. After another ten minutes running, the Outer Senshi were only 800 meters in front, and the terrain was beginning to change. For a long while they had been sprinting through the suburbs as only the magically enhanced could. Now the suburbs were beginning to thin out and break apart as the many small hills and mountains that spotted Japan made building harder. The only consolation that could be taken was that although they were now travelling slower over the rising terrain, so was the Daimon. At the lead of the chase, the Daimon was starting to worry. Somehow, the little girl behind it had managed to keep up this chase for three quarters of an hour. They had left civilisation a while ago, and were now running through forests. It should not be possible for a human to do what she was doing, but it was happening. Surely someone as powerful as her would have a Heart Crystal with a Talisman in it! Just up ahead the Daimon saw exactly what it was after. A small clearing, just right for fighting in and not a soul for kilometres. There would be no escape. Skidding to a stop, the Daimon leered at the little girl who was panting like a chain smoker. Then again, she should be even worse off than that. An Olympic sprinter could almost manage their speed, but a sprinter could only do it for twenty seconds, not an hour. Standing on top of the small hill, fifteen meters from it's target, the Daimon raised the Heart Crystal it had used as a decoy in one hand. Long ago it had realised that there was no Talisman in this Crystal. The only purpose it could serve was to make it's target angry, because an angry fighter is a sloppy fighter, and the Daimon needed this fight to be over before the Senshi arrived, as they surely would. Even as Hotaru watched, the Daimon raised it's hand and crushed the Heart Crystal. Small pink fragments fell from it's fingers and evaporated on the ground. Hotaru's heart broke as she watched. That action had surely condemned Kikyo to death. Boiling over, she felt the anger take hold. There would be no losing this fight, vengeance would be hers! Before the Daimon could do anything, she spoke the same words that must have been running through it's mind. "Perfect. All alone, just the two of us. No-one around to interfere. No-one around to save you. I'm going to make an example out of you no-one will forget." That surprised the Daimon. Usually it was the bad guys that got to make threatening speeches like that. Before the Daimon could really respond, Hotaru brought her hands together in front of her, containing the power, and began to chant. "Darkness beyond twilight," "Crimson beyond blood that flows," "Buried in the flow of time." Sailor Mercury gave a start. Power, evil power, and it was growing right next to the Daimon. Over the course of two seconds, the power levels rose enormously. "In thy great name," "I pledge myself to darkness." Her mouth went dry. So much power. Even as she watched her visor, it kept changing scales. This was like nothing she had ever seen before. No spell should be like this. "Let all the fools," "Who stand in our way," Mercury's steps began to falter, and the other Senshi looked at her in surprise. Not even Queen Beryl had possessed such evil as this showed. Pure, unadulterated evil. She had never even heard of something so evil. "Be destroyed" "By the power you and I possess." The power spiked. This is bad. This is really bad. Screaming into her communicator, Mercury offered the only advice she could: "Everyone hit the ground!" She followed her own advice, and the other Senshi were only moments behind her. "DRAGON SLAVE!" Then the world went white. Every Japanese child visits Hiroshima as part of their upbringing. With the education everyone receives on nuclear weapons, it was easy enough to identify this as non-nuclear, there was almost no blast, just a region of destruction. But that was about the only difference. In a massive pick explosion, the entire top of the hill, over a kilometre in radius was simply destroyed. Gone... completely. There was little or no damage outside the spell area, just a short, fierce wind blowing the trees, but the Senshi were all glad that they had hit the ground. If they had continued just a little bit further, they would have been inside the blast, and there was little question of how they would fare. The Outer Senshi were covered in a cold sweat at this point, they were less than eighty meters from the edge of the blast, seconds of running at the speed they had been doing. As two groups, the Senshi approached the edge of the crater. Where once there was a small hill, now there was a depression. In a perfectly smooth sphere, centred on the Daimon, eleven hundred meters of landscape was simply missing. Whoever or whatever had cast the spell had made good their escape while the mists covering the detonation cleared. In time, the Senshi returned to Tokyo. Sailor Moon was silent and slowly crying at the same time. When she returned she would have to be the one who told Chibi-Usa that her best friend had been killed and that Kikyo was also going to die from the loss of her Heart Crystal. As they walked back, the Senshi quietly discussed what they had seen and felt. That much power was inconceivable. Sure, in the past they had fought people who wanted to conquer the world but they had never fought anyone that could throw nuclear blasts. Had their mysterious enemy actually found one of the Heart Crystals that they were searching for? Was this the result of using a Talisman? What would happen if they decided to do that in Tokyo next time? As they began to enter the city proper, Sailor Mars walked up to her leader and put her arm on her shoulder. Moon looked over at her, trying to understand this sudden display of affection. "I'm sorry Moon. I know this is going to be hard for you, but we need you. You're the only one that can stop this evil. I know you are." Sailor Moon returned the hug, crying on her friend's shoulder. She knew life was hard, and she knew that the good guys did not always win but in the past they always had a chance. What could you do against this? How could you win? What allies could you turn to? Who you gunna call? "Thanks, Sailor Mars." She wiped the tears from her eyes and inhaled a few times. "All right, we know they have a powerful attack. We know they can blow things up. But they never did it before. Maybe they can't do it again. At least, not soon." Sailor Moon could tell that Mars believed her words as much as she did. She raised her voice so all of the girls could hear. "Listen to this. They might have some all powerful spell. They might be able to blow up an awful section of the forest just by casting it, but it doesn't change anything. "We are the Sailor Senshi! We fight for love and justice. We fight for what is right. We fight for the values you cannot destroy with any spell, no matter how powerful. What we stand for cannot be beaten. It cannot be destroyed. "We cannot be defeated. The only way we can lose is if we give in. "We are the defenders of the Moon Kingdom. The Kingdom may have been lost for thousands of years, but it shall rise again. We stand for what is right and as long as we stand together, we shine like a light in the darkness. "We are the light that will guide people to the future they deserve. Never forget that. It is only when you look and see the darkness of your enemies, and forget your own light, it is only then that they can defeat us. "Stand by me, and we shall be victorious. The Moon Kingdom shall rise again. The people of the Earth shall again know peace, prosperity and happiness!" When they finally reached the city, they saw a weeping Chibi-Usa, Ukyo and Hotaru all weeping over the body that was once Kikyo. All of Sailor Moon's words felt like ashes in her mouth. Elsewhere, the Outer Senshi had changed back to their normal clothes, and they too discussed their fears. When they reached their home, they were more concerned than they had ever been. This sort of magic was beyond their experience. The only source of hope they had was Setsuna. She was waiting in Michiru's home, sitting on a couch reading a magazine. Joining her, they relayed all that they had seen and heard that morning. None of them could shed any light on Hotaru or her involvement in all of this and they were unsure what they should be most worried about. The fact that Hotaru could summon the Tochou, be they demons or spirit creatures; or the fact that she knew who Sailor Neptune really was. Worse still was their uncertainty in Hotaru's role in the later events. At the end of the fight, she seemed to vanish, and no-one had seen her as they left to pursue the Daimon. Was she captured, was she hiding, or was she playing a voluntary role in what happened? Naturally it was Setsuna that finally cut to the chase. "What you really need to ask yourself is this. Which would you prefer... That our foe can cast such magic, or that Sailor Saturn, who may be our ally is now awake?" What Setsuna definitely did not do was reveal all that she knew; there was no way that the shaken girls could cope with her information now, they needed all the support they could muster. She knew that the magic she felt was not Sailor Saturn's. The power of Saturn's attacks was distinctly different. It was unlike that of any of the other Senshi, and Pluto could have felt it no matter where she was. What was worse, was Sailor Saturn was still asleep. She would have felt it immediately the girl awoke to her power. Who ever had done today's deed was not Sailor Saturn, no matter what she might imply to the others. Somehow that scared her, and scared her deeply. Even as Ranma cried over the loss of his friend, some small hidden part of him smiled. In a world that had even forgotten the name of Shabranigdo, let alone his power, what he had cast today would be fair warning. Notice had been given: do not oppose the sailor girls and their allies, for the consequences are dire indeed. --- End Of Chapter --- End of this block of chapters