________________________ / \ | Vengeance And A Half | \________________________/ Thanks to my pre-readers: Ben aevan http://aevan.virtualave.net Kevin D. Hammel http://www.anime.sobhrach.com/~khammel/ Blood Blade http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Towers/5920 Mike Rever Robert MacNab Visit my website at dzillman@ozemail.com.au http://www.ozemail.com.au/~dzillman/fire What has happened: The time travel of Prince Diamond and the Inner Senshi at the end of Sailor Moon R has caused a paradox. Now the Outer Senshi are awake, the Death Busters are active, and the Dark Moon Family are still trying to conquer the world. In a desperate bid to stop a Daimon from gaining her Heart Crystal, the Outer Senshi were responsible for Akane's death. Now Nabiki and Genma are providing support for the growing team seeking to defeat the demons and the Senshi. After weeks of confusion regarding their real identities, the Outer Senshi are together. Michiru and Haruka have found that they are really the reincarnations of the defenders of the Moon Kingdom. Refusing to recognise Sailor Moon as the real Moon Princess due to her actions against them, the Outers have decided that the only course of action is to defeat all their enemies in Tokyo and create a new Moon Kingdom. Unfortunately, this also means removing the "traitorous" Inner Senshi, something the coldly calculating Sailor Uranus has no qualms about. For Ranma, every day his vengeance seems one step closer to being fulfilled. Both Shampoo and Ukyo intend to join him and Ryoga when next they fight. Add to that the assistance of little Tomoe Hotaru, the mysterious magic girl with allegedly unequalled power, and you have a force to make the strongest person quail in fear. Part 5: Souls Of Ice, Hearts Of Stone ===================================== Cologne sat concealed in a shadow on a roof. There should not have been enough room to hide a finch there, but her mastery of her tribe's martial skills was beyond compare, and something as basic as stealth was almost second nature to her. The subject of her gaze flickered across the grounds of the Tendo compound. She could hardly call it the Tendo Dojo anymore, since the dojo itself no longer existed. Suffice it to say, the cause of all of Cologne's pain, suffering and misery for the last year was running around the Tendo's yard, with no idea she was here watching. Oddly enough, this same person she watched was also the prime cause of everything interesting in the last year. By her age, something interesting was worth more than gold. For any ordinary mortal, especially a man, to cause a Matriarch of the Joketsuzoku this level of general disquiet was unheard of. Any man that bothered someone of their importance and power should have been on a short trip to a new home six feet underground. This man was special. This was the man that her great-granddaughter wanted, and Cologne could hardly deny the girl anything. Although Cologne went to pains to be the best possible guardian of the child, there were many things that she let slip. Shampoo's training had been one of them, most obviously. Cologne blamed herself, not Shampoo for the fact that Ranma had beaten the girl so quickly and easily when Ranma had first entered the Joketsuzoku village. An embarrassment to the student was a greater shame upon the teacher, especially when Shampoo had been so greatly lauded to the rest of the village. Once they had reached Japan, Cologne had been more than willing to assist Shampoo in her quest for the boy. Initially, she had not seen what Shampoo had; she had not realised the untapped potential within the boy. When she had first trained him in the Chestnut Fist, she had not truly expected Ranma to learn it, let alone learn it in just a few days. That had been her first mistake. Her second mistake had been in assuming that Ranma was constrained by the same rules that held everyone else. Ranma was someone who could never be constrained by any _normal_ rules. Not that she had any intention of informing Ranma of some of the particular rules that she had been thinking of recently. Like all well written rules or guarantees, the Joketsuzoku marriage laws had a time limit written into them. If the woman had not married the man within six months, the marriage was no longer an obligation. Optional, yes. Mandatory, no. After all, if the man had eluded pursuit, you would hardly wish to lose a valued woman who was eternally off on a quest to find him. In truth, if she or Shampoo wished it, they could have packed up and returned to the village almost a month ago, but they did not want to. Ranma was too great a prize for them to lose. Both Shampoo and the village as a whole would benefit when the boy was brought in. For that matter, Ranma himself might even benefit. Watching the intense, focused way that Ranma went about his training, Cologne wondered whether there was still a chance for her great granddaughter to win the boy's heart. The form flickering lightly through the yard was so... determined. The way he concentrated, the way he only lived for the art and for fighting the demons and Senshi; these things told of a man with only space for one thing in his heart: vengeance. Ranma had always been dedicated to the art and to his friends, but never to this extent. Literally everything that was not necessary to victory had been pushed to the side. School, trips to Ucchan's or the Nekohanten, all fell by the wayside. Cologne had seen enough people to understand that would not have happened if there was still someone truly important in Ranma's life. If the Kuonji girl had died, Ranma would have been sad and angry, but his lust for justice would not have been as strong. All this spoke of one thing to Cologne, and it made her wonder if she was right to stay in Japan and try to help Shampoo. While Akane's death may have made space in Ranma's heart for another, that space would be a long time coming available. For now... For now, Ranma would live with his memories, and Akane would be the next thing to perfect. In the pursuit for justice, he would forget the fights and insults that she levelled against him. Now, Akane would only seem better and better as every day went past. Realising the fact that Ranma was obsessed, any romance could be considered a closed issue for months if not years. Cologne seriously considered hopping off the roof and going home but, once again, Ranma stopped her. Having completed his training in his stronger boy form, Ranma had voluntarily jumped into the Koi pond and changed sex. Now, as a slight looking redhead, Ranma was performing more feats. As she watched Ranma leap from one rock, tumble in the air, perform an Amaguriken punching attack at an imaginary opponent, then land cleanly on the other side of the pool, Cologne sighed. This was why she could not leave. This was why she would not abandon the pursuit of Ranma until his was married to someone. Anyone that could do what she had just seen was more than a prize, they were a legend in the making. Few people attained the ability to perform the Amazon's legendary high speed punching attack. Fewer still could jump and move like Ranma. He (or she) could do both, at the same time. At the moment, Cologne was not sure she could name anyone in her village that could have performed that move, herself included. You lost a lot of power to your blows doing them in mid-air like that, but the move, the coordination, the skill and speed required were quite daunting. You did not come across a gem like Saotome Ranma twice in your life, even if you lived to three hundred. Equally, a gem is not found in such a perfect form. It must be polished, shaped and refined until each facet sparkles. Despite all of Ranma's incredible achievements, he was only sixteen years old. That mean the polishing had only begun, and it beggared the mind to imagine what he could do by the time he was twenty-five if she was his teacher. No... There would be no giving up on this boy. She would stay here as long as it took, and then longer than that perhaps. If Shampoo's interest faded, Cologne would find another from the village. She would find a dozen, if that was what it took. Even if he did not marry Shampoo, she would take it as a personal mission to make him a member of their tribe in some way, or its ally if all else failed. A boy like this would go far, become truly powerful. Perhaps even powerful enough to defeat a nigh-omnipotent god like Saffron, lord of Phoenix Mountain. * * * "Could you please repeat that?" "I SAID..." The words were drowned out by the repeated hammering of a carpenter above them. When that noise ended, Tomoe looked around briefly, opened his mouth to start speaking, and then closed it again when a rip saw started sizing some new floor boards. "Never mind. Come on, I'll tell you outside." Once out of the Tomoe house - such as it was - the noise level dropped considerably. Just down the street, there was space for them to sit and talk in the shade. At least, Tomoe Souichi sat. Mimete declined with a roll of her eyes and a twirl of her staff. "Right... Now where were we?" "You were about to tell me how you had promoted me above those other fools and put me in charge of the Witches 5?" Although Mimete tried to sound innocent and unassuming, she could not quite manage it while trying to subvert the power of her sisters-in-evil. "Oddly enough, you are almost right." Souichi's artificial eye glinted as he smiled. "W-W-What?" "Due to certain... Unforeseen events, I shall be placing you in charge of seeking the Talismans." "I will?!" Earnestly, Mimete clasped her hands beneath her chin and looked at her master with shimmering eyes. This had been her dream since the Witches 5 had been formed. Finally, she would be the one in charge. She would be the one calling the shots. With this opportunity, she would not fail. She would show Kaolinite, Tellu and all the other Witches who was the best now. "Indeed. As of now, it is your mission to secure the three Talismans that Mistress 9 needs. You, and you alone shall be responsible for them." "Of course, Tomoe-sensei. I will not fail you." The leader of the Death Busters - the evil force dedicated to summoning Master Pharaoh 90 and bringing the Silence to the Earth - nodded slowly and locked his eyes with his subordinate. "Succeed, and you shall be rewarded, Mimete. Mistress 9 remembers those who have served her well. But be warned... Her tolerance for failure is far less than mine, and much as you fear my anger, her wrath is a thousand times worse. You alone now bear the responsibility for finding and retrieving the Talismans necessary to create the Holy Grail." Sobered by his tone, but only slightly, Mimete nodded. Her eyes still glowing with excitement, she sought details on where her erstwhile allies had failed. If she could avoid their mistakes, she would have even more advantage over their enemies. "What happened to Kaolinite and Eudial?" "Kaolinite suffered an... accident... in the course of her duties. You will not be hearing from her again." "An accident? Does that have anything to do with why you're rebuilding your home?" Tomoe smiled. "Indeed. It would appear that my errant daughter is one of the Sailor Senshi. She and I had a slight disagreement and look what happened. Children these days. They just have no respect for your property." Looking back over her shoulder, Mimete blinked a couple of times. Tomoe-sensei's daughter did that? The entire upper section of the house was gone. Mimete did not know what sort of attack the girl had, but she did not want to go up against her in combat if that was any indication. Even at its most powerful, Mimete's Charm Buster would not be capable of doing such damage. Worse still, there were none of the signs she would have expected from a major fight. Whatever Tomoe Hotaru had used must have eliminated Kaolinite faster than Mimete could possibly have managed in a direct fight. No matter what else, that girl was dangerous, and that was vital to know. Talismans or no talismans, Mimete knew which direction she would run the next time she saw the pale, unassuming face of Tomoe's daughter: away "That still doesn't explain why you are rebuilding your house." "A lure. Nothing more. Hotaru-chan is still important to my plan, possibly even more so now that she has revealed this power. She is a small, sick little girl, all alone in Tokyo. The school and this house are the only things she knows and will feel safe with. Should she return and find the house restored to its original state she will be off guard, vulnerable. When that happens..." "She will be ours." Mimete finished for him. "Exactly." "And what of Eudial? What happened to her?" "Nothing. Eudial has been given another task." Tomoe could not help but smile as he saw Mimete curse quietly and stamp one foot. "While I expect you to be capable of handling those meddling Sailor Senshi, there is another group to worry about. Stronger and better organised, we must ensure that they do not triumph before Mistress 9 is awakened. Once she is on our side, surely we cannot fail." "So... So Eudial has been given something more important that me?" "Stop snivelling! Your responsibility is the Talismans. First and last, that is all you should be concerned with. Eudial is not your worry, and you are not in some competition with her. All that matters is you both serve Mistress 9 to the fullest of your abilities. Only when we are victorious will you be suitably rewarded for your services." "Yes, sir. I understand." "Good. Now, be about your work. I have to return and supervise this construction. I swear, if those workers have gotten sawdust in my beakers again, I'll have someone's guts for garters!" Mimete stood still for several long moments as her master walked away. When he was back inside the skeleton of the house that had been erected, she finally released her control and began hopping around. Dancing from foot to foot, Mimete sung a mindless little tune, gloating in her good fortune and rejoicing in all of the gifts she was already sure she would receive. She was much prettier than the other Witches, there was no way that she could fail. So long as she stayed away from Tomoe-sensei's daughter. She had not met her, but already she frightened the Witch. Turning to begin the search for the Talismans, Mimete's smile grew even fuller. Just because she had been told not to worry about Eudial's job, there was no reason she could not visit her. Mimete knew her job was _much_ more important. So it was really in everyone's best interest if she made sure that Eudial failed somehow. After all, if both Eudial and Mimete succeeded, then they would have to share the rewards. It would be much better for Mistress 9 if she only had to be grateful to Mimete. And Eudial was always so grumpy, too. With a laugh and a spring in her step, Mimete bounded down the Tokyo streets. Soon, victory would be hers, and hers alone! * * * "What are you doing here?" The question could have come from either of them, but this time Ukyo managed to get the drop on her adversary and asked first. "Shampoo here to help Airen. Show Airen the _real_ reason he marry Amazon wife. Why you here?" "_I'm_ Ranchan's fiancee. I didn't try and trap him with some silly laws, he loves _me_!" Tossing her hair back over her shoulder, Ukyo gave Shampoo a sidelong glance. "Besides, I'm just doing what any good fiancee would do, helping him when he needs a hand. Showing him how much a real fiancee cares, not like..." Ukyo trailed off and looked around guiltily. For so many months, she had become ingrained to the idea of comparing herself against Akane, she just slipped into the habit. Now that she was no longer here, it was just her and Shampoo. Although Ukyo always knew who Ranma would pick, she felt bad about what she had almost said about Akane. Akane might have treated Ranma terribly, but there was no reason to keep bringing it up. "Let's just say that I'm acting like Ranchan's cute fiancee should act. Are you here to deliver ramen or something?" "No, Shampoo here fight by Airen's side. Amazon wife not just good cook and great body. She best fighter. Shampoo trained with Great- Grandmother. Great-Grandmother teach Shampoo everything she need know. Shampoo protect Airen in battle." Giving a grudging nod, Ukyo had to acknowledge that. Shampoo might be a bit of a bimbo, but she did have her heart in the right place. Grimacing, she leaned in closer to the purple haired Amazon. "I don't suppose Granny would be interested in coming here and training me? I've got that that idiot Genma training me. If he had half a spine he might be a decent fighter, but, gods, I can't understand how Ranchan had stayed with him so long." "Shampoo understand. Panda-man bad for Airen." She lowered her brows. "Panda-man probably get Airen killed. Airen should be trained with Great-Grandmother. Nothing better than Amazon techniques." "Try telling Ranchan that. I love him, but he can be so thick some times. Why can't he see how bad that father of his is? Maybe... Maybe if we both work on it, we could convince him to move out and leave his father. He could stay at my place, I've got plenty of space." "No. Ranma Shampoo's Airen. He stay with Shampoo and Great-Grandmother. We teach everything he need know." "I'll bet. You'll just brainwash him and run away with him. I'd rather he stays here with his idiot father than let that happen." There was silence for a moment. "Do you think... Do you think you could convince Granny to come here and train us all?" It was a big concession for Ukyo, voluntarily offering a way for her rival to spend even more time with Ranma, but it would be worth it. She was not sure what training Ranma was doing with his father, since he refused to let her see it. Unfortunately, that just worried her more. If Ranma did not want her to know what his father was doing for training, that probably meant that it was something that defined new bounds for the words "unreasonable", "dangerous" and "incredibly stupid". Ukyo did not necessarily trust Shampoo or Cologne with her fiancee, but she did trust them with his general well being. Cologne would no more expose Ranma to a dangerous learning technique than she would Shampoo. Genma, on the other hand, would probably start dropping Ranma out of Tokyo Tower to teach him to fly unless someone kept a reined him in. "Shampoo think that good idea. Shampoo stay here too. Keep Airen warm at night." "I don't think that's such a good idea. Do you think you could just be a little subtle for a while? _I_ know Ranchan is going to chose me eventually, but I don't want to rush him. It's pretty clear he must have at least liked Akane a little, because he seems torn up about it. I just don't want to rush him or anything." Slowly Shampoo nodded and shifted her grip on her bonbori. "Shampoo... Understand. Shampoo no say anything. Shampoo act as warrior. Help defend Airen in battle." In many ways, Ukyo felt sorry for Shampoo. Obviously she cared deeply for Ranma, but Ukyo knew that there was no way Ranma would chose the Chinese girl. She wished that Shampoo would just accept that Ukyo was destined to be with Ranma. It would be much simpler for everyone, and it would save Shampoo the heartache of rejection in the end. Despite the fact that she would have preferred it if Shampoo was not trying to capitalise on her own good idea of staying around Ranma the one time he truly needed them, she would not try and dissuade her. She had never met the Senshi personally, but the thought of anyone capable of taking on Ranma and Ryoga at the same time and winning was something to worry about. In that case, every pair of hands they had was worth gold. Besides, the sooner they defeated the Senshi, the sooner she could settle down with her fiancee and help him to build new happy memories and get past the death of his friend. The girls did not have much longer to wait before the object of their attention came out of the house. Following close behind him was Ryoga, who was glowering at Ranma's back. "Sorry, Ucchan, didn't mean to keep you waiting, but P-... Ryoga here almost got lost on the way out of the bathroom. I had to rescue him." Ryoga fumed for a moment, but he did not seem to have a good counter to the accusation. Seeking a way to divert attention from himself, Ryoga nodded to Shampoo. "Hey. When I didn't see you for a few days, I was worried that Ranma had scared you off." "Shampoo never scared of Airen. Shampoo train with Great Grandmother. Now she fight with Airen. Help defeat evil." Both the boys nodded. There was not much they could say against that. Other than themselves, people seemed to be fairly defenceless against the growing reign of terror that had Tokyo in its grip. "Its good to see you again, Shampoo. The Old Ghoul came over the other day, being annoying like usual, but it was nice to see some familiar faces." "I know what you mean, Ranchan. If it wasn't for my restaurant I would never get to see anyone. Other than running around the city at night, have you even been outside recently? No-one has seen you at school recently." Ranma shook his head in negation. "Nah. It just didn't seem important anymore. Not that it ever was. Besides, if Ryoga can get away with wandering around the country his whole life and never finding school, I figure I can get away with it for a while." "Well, don't leave it too long. You don't want to miss out on an education." Ukyo countered. "Humph. Not like that matters. School ain't gunna help me run a dojo." "Come join Amazons. No need for school. Ranma be what Ranma is." Worried that Shampoo might be able to tempt him away with such an appealing offer, Ukyo quickly put in her own two cents. "Oh, but you wouldn't need to worry about that sort of thing anyway. I could support us both just fine with my restaurant." Ranma's brows lowered. This was not really what he had intended when he had invited the girls with him to fight the demons. "Look. I'll finish school and all, I'll just do it in my time. And I ain't interested in any of that sort of thing at the moment, OK? All I'm thinking about is fighting, and that's all you should think about too. Right, Ryoga?" The lost boy grunted assent. Although he had mixed feelings about letting people as weak as Ukyo and Shampoo fight with them against the demons, he could not find any flaw in the logic that stated that four against five were better odds when fighting the Senshi. It was somehow disturbing to considered that it was Saotome's womanising ways that had caused him so much grief in the past, but it was that same effect that had now netted him two more of Nerima's strongest as allies in the fight against darkness. "Aiya! Shampoo no think Airen have sister! She grow up, make good Amazon, yes?" Looking around, Ranma and Ryoga spotted Hotaru coming out of the front of the house. She was wearing her school uniform still, since she did not possess any other clothes. At least by now Kasumi had cleaned and mended the worst of it. Giving a groan, Ryoga smacked Ranma around the back of his head. "You idiot! We were supposed to head off early so she didn't try to follow us. But noooo, you had to stand around talking with your girlfriends. Now what are you going to do?" "Shut up, Ryoga. I'll just tell her she can't come." Coming to a stop near the group of martial artists, Hotaru looked up at the collection. Could these be real magical girls? Maybe Ranma-san was helping them... Or maybe, since Ranma-san was so good, they were the ones helping _him_. Giving a bow, she smiled up at them. "Hello. I'm Tomoe Hotaru." "Not Airen's sister?" Shampoo asked in puzzlement. Simultaneously, Ukyo turned to Ranma with a dangerous look in her eye and a hand on her battle spatula. "She'd better not be another fiancee, Ranchan." "No, no, no, no. She's just a friend, that's it. Hotaru wants to help fight the demons and stuff. She said her dad was taken over by one. That's why she's staying here." Giving the young girl a sceptical look, Ukyo released her weapon. "Isn't she a little... Young?" Vigorously, Hotaru shook her head. "No, I'm not too young, honestly. I've got to come with you because I'm the most powerful magical girl in the whole world." Giving a slightly nervous look at her idol, she continued in a quieter, slightly embarrassed voice. "I'm even more powerful than Ranma-san." Shampoo squatted down in front of the timid, fragile looking girl and poked a single finger into her forehead. "Little Girl no look strong." Slightly nervous, since the purple haired Amazon was much larger, and quite obviously armed, Hotaru clasped her hands in front and defied the assessment. "Mouu... I _am_ powerful. I just can't use it without hurting people. But that's no reason to poke me and be mean." Leaning over next to Shampoo, Ukyo gave a winning smile. "Sorry, Sugar. We just don't want you to get hurt. I'm Ukyo, and that's Shampoo. I'm not sure about you, but we've both been training since we were really little. Are you sure you're going to keep up?" "Well... Not like this, but if I change I can." "Change?" Giving an earnest nod, Hotaru held up her transformation pen. "See, it's magic. I can use this and get all sorts of really amazing magical powers." Looking sideways, Ukyo asked with doubt in her voice. "Is she serious, Ranchan? Can she really do magic?" To everyone's surprise, it was Shampoo that answered. "Shampoo believe Little Girl. Great Grandmother knows much magic, have many magic things. It make her too too powerful even if she no know martial arts. If Little Girl have magic wand, maybe she have magic too." "How about this, Sugar. Since it's going to be pretty dangerous out there, do you want to let me take it? If you teach me how to use it, I could take your place. That way you could stay here nice and safe and leave the fighting to us bigger girls... And the guys too, of course. I wouldn't forget you, Ranchan." Hotaru shrugged and held out the Henshin stick. "You can try. It won't work for you, but you can try." Taking the blue stick gently as though it might break, Ukyo held her breath. After a few moments when she did not feel any different, she spoke. "Umm... Am I supposed to do something to make it work?" "Hold it up and say: 'Saturn eternal power, make up'. But it won't work for you." Doing as she was told, Ukyo straightened and - feeling rather foolish - said the requisite phrase. For many long seconds, everyone stood there watching her, until she lowered the Henshin stick. Face burning red from embarrassment, she handed the rod back to the girl. "Boy! Do I feel silly after that!" Taking the object, Hotaru immediately felt better. She had thought that Ukyo could not use it, but somehow she felt better once she was sure. She was right, she was special. Just as special as Ranma-san, in her own way. Capitalising on the lull while Ukyo was still standing there feeling silly and looking as red as Ranma's shirt, Hotaru held up the stick. "SATURN ETERNAL POWER! MAKE UP!" Bright, glorious light surrounded her, and Hotaru felt the majesty of her transformation. When she finished, Hotaru struck her special, magical girl pose at the end, feeling everyone's eyes on her. With a slight blush to her face, Hotaru felt so proud. This magic made her their equal. Her magic made her stronger than everyone there, and only she knew it. Besides that, she really liked her magical uniform. The whole dark skirt and boots made her look so grown up, but at the same time, the bows and wings looked so cute. If she was not trying to be serious and impress Ranma-san's friends, she would have giggled with excitement. Squinting her eyes slightly, Shampoo concentrated on the transformed girl in front of her. "I no feel strong Ki. She still just little girl. How you strong?" "Well... I've got two really strong attacks, and I can sense evil, and I can fly, and I can---" "Hotaru..." Ranma spoke softly. Stopping in mid stream, the small black haired girl turned and looked up at her idol. "Hotaru, I... I'm worried about you. What if we can't protect you? What if we need to run to help someone, or even run away. I don't want to, but... But just in case..." "But... But, Ranma-san! I'm supposed to help you. That's why I'm a magical girl, I'm sure of it. Honestly. I won't be a burden to you. I'm much fitter like this. I could run all the way down the street if I needed to." Hearing that stabbed into Ranma's heart more than anything else Hotaru had said to him. He knew she was sick, she had told him as much before, but he never realised just how badly off she was. When a young girl her age thought it was a big deal to be able to run a few hundred metres, you knew there was trouble. Getting down on his knees in front of her, Ranma looked up at the sad little face. "Hotaru... Please... Remember when Ucchan first came here? I said she needed training before she could come with me. I guess... I guess what I'm saying is that I think you need some training too. Please, Hotaru... None of us want you to get hurt..." Looking thoroughly downcast, Hotaru turned away slightly. "I understand, Ranma-san. You don't want me around." "No! No, Hotaru, that's not it. I'm just... I'm just worried about you, is all. Come on, I promise I'll help you get better so that you can help us in the future." Hotaru put away the Silence Glaive that had been summoned to her as part of her transformation. Locking her hands together in front of her, she turned back and looked into Ranma's blue eyes. Searching them for any sign of deceit, she thought about what he had said. What he meant was when he thought she was strong enough, well enough, he would take her with them. He had said it, and she believed him. Her Ranma-san would never try and deceive her. Throwing her arms around Ranma's neck, Hotaru gave him a big hug. "OK, Ranma-san. I'll be good. Once you think I'm ready, then I'll come with you." Feeling the tension in the air behind and beside him, Ranma quickly detached himself from the little magical girl. Getting cuddles from a girl in a skin tight suit and short skirt was a quick way to a lot of pain if done in the presence of Ukyo or Shampoo. At least they were willing to wait and let the anger grow, unlike certain tomboys. With that thought in mind, Ranma stood and looked around, face serious and intent. "Come on. The evening is getting away, and neither the Senshi, the demons nor the witches are going to wait for us." "Ranma-san!" Dramatic and determined exit broken, Ranma looked back. "Yes, Hotaru?" Holding up a small container of water, she looked at him. "Kasumi- neechan told me you were planning on changing before you left. That was why I brought this out in the first place." Smacking his own head in disgust at his lack of memory, Ranma nodded and then splashed himself with cold water. "Right! Let's do it this time!" The short, intense, redhead pushed her damp bangs back and stalked out the front gate of the Tendo compound. Her pants and shirt were too loose and too large, but they always were after a transformation. With speed born of habit, she had them almost adjusted by the time everyone in the party followed her. Outside the gate, another voice brought the redhead to a halt. Feeling frustrated and irritated, Ranma slowly turned and looked up at the tall Chinese boy leaning nonchalantly against a utility pole. "What do you want Mousse?" Looking down at the short buxom girl that led the team of four, Mousse let the evening sunlight reflect dramatically of his glasses for an instant. "I am here for my darling Shampoo." "Shampoo busy, Stupid Mousse. You go home." "No! I would never abandon you, Shampoo. Saotome... You know me. I never hated Akane. I would never have let something like this happen if I could have stopped it. Personally, I would rather be back in China with Shampoo by my side, but if she is here, then that is my place too. Please, Saotome. Let me fight beside you so that I can keep my darling Shampoo safe." "Amazon woman no need protecting by stupid male. Go home to Great Grandmother, Mousse." Before Shampoo could brain Mousse with her bonbori and take him out of the fight, Ranma held up a small hand and stopped her. She could feel his sincerity, and she could understand his need. If Ranma had been around when that demon and the Senshi had attacked Nabiki and Akane, Akane might still be alive today. He may be dead, but that did not matter. He would have done anything to save them, and he knew that Mousse felt the same way about Shampoo. Unlike Hotaru, Mousse would not listen to reason. Also, Mousse was a damn good fighter - again unlike Hotaru. Mousse could take care of himself, and if Shampoo was hurt and they needed to escape from the Senshi, Ranma knew he could count on the half blind boy to do that perfectly. The only risk of taking Mousse was his bad eyesight, but he had already guessed that would be Ranma's price of admission to the growing team. When Mousse was waiting, he had been wearing his glasses, and Ranma knew without asking that Mousse would continue to wear them. "All right, Mousse, you're hired. Now we've got five, and they've got five. But this time, they know we're coming." The stern, sombre group of teenagers began a jog down the street. As with all battles, there was a chance they might not return, but they were doing what was right, and that made a difference. Not only that, but they were all friends, and loyal to each other. If there was a way to fight through a problem, there would be someone in the team that could do it. With eyes shimmering, Hotaru watched the team of heroes go. Ahh... Ranma-san. Now there was a real hero. So handsome and strong as a boy, he was everything her manga said a real man should be. But as a girl... Hotaru sighed, and wished she could be half as cool as Ranma-san was. Even when she was using her magic, Hotaru knew that Ranma-san was much faster and tougher than she was. She was pretty, and smart and strong and... and... and Hotaru was sure that Ranma-san was everything a real magical girl should be. That was why Hotaru could not disappoint her. That was why she needed to prove to Ranma-san that she was good enough to be a magical girl and help defend Tokyo with her. She knew that she would never be a fit and strong as Ranma-san. If she needed to train and wait for that to happen, she would never get a chance to help. The only way to prove to Ranma- san that she should join them was to act like a real magical girl. Turning away from the front gate, Hotaru ran to the side of the Tendo's yard. She might not be able to jump like Ranma-san, but a low wall like this one was no obstacle at all... If you could fly. With just a few flaps of the white, fragile looking wings on her back, Hotaru was over the wall and on the street beyond it. Looking around to make sure that Ranma-san did not spot her and ask her to stay home, she smiled. Bringing out the Silence Glaive once more, Hotaru set off down a street at random. Tomoe Hotaru, magical girl supreme, was about to prove to Ranma-san, her friends, and all the baddies in Tokyo just how ready she was. * * * Makoto could never say what made her look up just at that moment. Fate? Destiny? Bad luck? Any or all of these perhaps. But with a slight turn of her neck, the fate of the world shifted. She had been having a bad day. More accurately, the last couple of weeks had been pretty bad. Everyone she knew aside from the Senshi turned away from her as a pariah, making her world seem small and lonely. Even Makoti at the Crown arcade did not want to speak to her; she gathered there had been some sort of 'incident' in then store between her, Usagi and Ami. The girls were working on patching things up whenever they found problems like this, but there was only so much that they could do immediately. Not having a school to go to, and not having friends to hang out with made each day long and boring. In an attempt to cure her boredom and keep up to date with what her friends were doing, Makoto had resorted to borrowing a text book from Ami and reading it in the park. Naturally enough, since it was a current text for school, Ami did not need it, she had already moved onto the next book in the series so she could stay ahead. Reading had been dull, and at this time of the evening, most of the office workers had gone home, making the street quiet as she sat there. Had she kept her head buried for just a few moments longer, she would have missed the girl walking down the street. Ten more seconds, and she would have been blocked from view by the large weeping cherry tree near the entrance to the park. As it was, Kino Makoto had plenty of time to appreciate just who she was seeing, and to recognise the danger that Luna had described to them. Blue skirt, knee high blue boots, and deep, dark, blood red bows. There could be only one person dressed like that; the infamous Senshi of Destruction: Sailor Saturn. A single touch brought her communicator alive, and a few short sentences guaranteed that she would soon have reinforcements. Makoto was not sure what they would do once they go here, but she knew that she did not fancy facing Sailor Saturn by herself. If Luna's description was even half right, the girl was dangerous to be around, and just having her in the city was a risk to everyone. Transformed and shadowing the small girl, Sailor Jupiter was struck by both how young she was, and how carefree she seemed. She looked more mature than Chibi-Usa normally did, but not by a great deal. Certainly she was younger than any of the Inner Senshi, which made her much younger than the other Outer Senshi. Jupiter wondered if there was any reasoning behind that. The most powerful Senshi was also the youngest, but other than that, it seemed that the older the Senshi was, the more powerful she became. As the other Senshi arrived in quick succession, Jupiter felt more confident. No matter what happened now, they would do it as a team; and as a team they almost never lost. True, there was the occasional time where they had suffered a setback, but together they were at their best. "Well, Sailor Moon, what do you think?" "Umm...." Luna was quick to jump into the void created by Moon's indecisiveness. "Your Majesty, I hate to suggest something like this, but you have to think of the betterment of everyone. Sailor Saturn is too dangerous. Even if she doesn't deliberately hurt someone, her attacks are just to... arbitrary. Imagine what would happen if she cast her Death Reborn Revolution! Can you risk it? Can you honestly?" Looking stricken, Sailor Moon gnawed on a gloved finger for a moment. "N-No... I can't do it! She's supposed to be one of my Senshi. I can't just attack her because she's too strong." "But Your Majesty... It's not just that. Can't you remember what it was like back in the Moon Kingdom? She was just a child then, and she still is now. All she wants to do is play with that power. She's like a child with a shot gun. For the sake of people in the city, if nothing else, you have to do something." Sailors Mars and Jupiter looked like they were ready to follow the cat's advice. If one of them were in charge, no doubt the Senshi would be confronting that poor girl at the moment. To protect Tokyo and everyone in it, would they really need to attack Sailor Saturn? Wouldn't that make them the same as the Outers? Wouldn't that make them as bad as the people they were trying to stop? "Luna... I'm sorry... I can't do it. I have to try and help her first. I have to try and make her better, try to remove this disregard for human life." Gripping the Moon Wand in her hand, Sailor Moon stepped out into the street, followed by a phalanx of Senshi. Sailor Saturn was a short distance away from them, but still entirely close enough for what she had planned. Bringing up the Wand, sunlight glittered off the Silver Imperium Crystal that was located at the base of the crescent moon adorning the top of the Wand. Calling out to get the girl's attention, Sailor Moon prepared to being their evening's work. "Sailor Saturn!" The subject of the call did not respond until Mars yelled hotly. "Hey, you! Turn around when Sailor Moon talks to you!" Starting guiltily, the young girl turned back and looked at them with guileless eyes. Perhaps out of fear, perhaps out of instinct, or maybe as a preparation to attack, the girl suddenly revealed a massive weapon. Fearing the worst, Sailor Moon reacted before Luna's dire warnings could become true. "MOON... HEALING... ESCALATION!" As shining white motes of light floated out towards Sailor Saturn, a glowing crescent moon shape also left the Moon Wand. Designed to free people from evil and cure them of their ills, Sailor Moon valued this, her second attack, as her favourite. Her other attacks might be better at destroying demons and the forces of evil, but that could not compare to the feeling of helping someone. If things went well, soon Sailor Saturn would be cured of her uncaring and deadly ways. With Sailor Moon's help, the girl might be able to join them as a proper Senshi, fighting evil by moonlight. That was, if everything went well. Holding the Silence Glaive already, Hotaru's reaction was rapidly becoming instinctive. Whenever she met a group of magical girls, they would immediately begin attacking her. After her experience with the big girls, Hotaru was able to bring up the Silence Wall before the healing magic of the Moon Healing Escalation covered her. In a shower of golden sparkles, Sailor Moon's magic wasted itself against the impenetrable barrier that faced it. Behind the barrier erected by the big weapon, the little girl had changed. Gone was the innocent, smiling, happy face they had seen initially. Now, she was frowning. In other circumstances, and preferably on someone less dangerous, the face would have been comical. Hotaru's big eyes were narrowed, and her eyebrows were drawn together in a frown that did not sit well with her normally happy expression. "Mouuuu... I've done it again. Ranma-san is going to be really mad at me when we get home. Maybe that was why she didn't want me coming. I can't even scare them all away without hurting lots of people. Maybe... Maybe I can make a run for it..." The Sailors were shocked at what they had seen. A number of people had resisted Sailor Moon's Healing before, but no-one had simply blocked it like that. When they saw her face go from smiling to angry, and saw her grumbling to herself, the girls knew real fear. That was not the face of a person willing to forgive them, and they had just roused the sleeping beast that was the Senshi Of Destruction. "Um... Guys? Can you keep her busy? I need to try again! We can't just give up and try to kill her without at least giving it our best go." Nodding their heads, the other Sailors agreed and readied their attacks. Shortly, multicoloured magic was streaking at the girls sheltering behind the magical shield, ensuring she would not get the time she needed to attack them. None of the attacks were aimed directly at her - just in case they somehow got through - but they were all close enough that she would not be able to risk moving. As it happened, Hotaru was too scared by the horrible girls attacking her to even consider running any more. The instant that she moved, she would be cut down by their attacks, because she would not be able to keep up her Silence Wall. "OK, everyone... One more go... MOON... HEALING... ESCALATION!" This time, Sailor Moon concentrated and kept up the stream of healing magic. Time and again, the intense healing magic battered into the Silence Wall, seeking to overcome, to penetrate, to reach the vulnerable girl behind the magic. To bring her the cure that Sailor Moon so desperately wanted to give. Still sending out wave after wave of crescent shaped light, Sailor Moon spoke through clenched teeth. "Guys... I can't... get through... We've got to try... and weaken the barrier... together..." Nodding as one, the four remaining Inner Senshi changed their attacks, and dedicated their efforts to battering down the shield. Once it was down, they could stop, and Sailor Moon would be able to help the girl. What they did not expect was a group of very, very angry martial artists to descend out of thin air, landing around them with kicks, punches and righteous fury. Almost instantly, the attacks against Sailor Saturn let up, as the Senshi scrambled to protect their leader. While they were on equal numbers now - even outnumbered if you included Sailor Saturn - the Senshi were soldiers, and they reacted like that. Instantly ceasing their attacks and backing up to protect their leader, the girls stared with hate filled eyes at the boy and girl that had attacked them before. This time, those two were boosted by another three, two women and a man. To the Senshi's eyes, their attackers wore a mottled assortment of worn or ill fitting clothes. Rather than generals or senior minions they were used to fighting, this group looked like one of the dark forces had selected a group of teenagers off the street and corrupted them, filling them with their dark powers. That explanation certainly seemed to be true when they attacked. Although the original two were the strongest, the others were far too fast to be normal humans. Only possession could account for the speed, strength and ferocity with which they attacked. That speed and strength was not enough against the Senshi this time, because the girls knew what they were expecting, and they were better organised. Rather than allowing themselves to be split off completely, they paired up and protected their princess as she continued to try to save Sailor Saturn. Venus and Mercury, the two weaker fighters, took on the new comers while Mars and Jupiter took on the leaders of the dark forces. Fighting a holding action against the two girls, Mercury took a moment to think that for a change, her side did not have the shortest skirts in the battle. The Chinese girl - although her red dress was very nice - actually showed more leg than the Senshi. Equally, the other girl with the funny looking weapon, whatever it was, at least wore leggings, since her dress was more of a long jacket than a real dress. While Mercury distracted the other two, Venus watched as the Chinese boy with the coke bottle glasses brought up the arms of his massive white robe and threw them forwards. Although she was shocked by the sheer weight of metal that came out of them, Venus did not let one of the chains come in contact with her as she nimbly cart-wheeled away. "You think that was good, China Boy? Try this! VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!" Placing a hand to her lips, Venus winked and drew a string of golden, glowing hearts forth. Waving the hand around her hips, she drew out a long string of the hearts, then threw them at the boy in white. With almost a mind of their own, the magical chain snaked out and around. Although he dodged on the first pass, the boy was obviously expecting her magic to act like a normal weapon, and was not expecting it when it came back, quickly and efficiently bundling him into a golden mummy. "Shampoo!" He cried, but no-one paid him any attention, since things were getting lively everywhere. Mercury - never the best at combat - had found herself on the retreat very rapidly. Although she was magically faster than her opponents, they seemed to have incredible skill and that made up the difference very quickly. Although Mercury could act quicker, both of the girls were armed, and seemed to know what they were going to do well in advance of Mercury. This led to the unfortunate Senshi receiving a nasty knock to the head by the big blunt weapon the brunette was carrying. Going down on one knee, Sailor Mercury looked up through pain blurred eyes. The purple haired girl with the refined, exotic features was bringing her large, mace-like weapons around for a telling blow. Despite the fact Mercury begged her legs to move, the ringing in her head made it all the harder, and she could tell that there was no way the bigger girl was going to miss this opening. No way she could miss, that was, until someone shouted "Mercury!" and a bolt of golden magic sailed over the blue haired girl's head and knocked the Chinese girl across the street with smoke coming off her. With anger in her eyes that made them sparkle like a clear blue ocean on a windy day, Sailor Moon strode forward towards the last standing person in the group. "That's my friend you hurt, you rotten person. For that, I'm going to turn you into moon dust!" Ukyo could only watch with a knowing dread as both the girls facing her brought up their arms for an attack. Braced to move, and with her battle spatula ready as a shield, Ukyo felt a sickening certainty that she would not only be unable to dodge, but the heavy sheet metal of her weapon would barely slow their attacks. "VENUS CRESCENT BEAM!" "MOON SCEPTRE ELIMINATION!" Wincing, Ukyo braced herself, wishing that she had been brave enough to get the kiss from Ranma that she had always wanted. For now, surely this was the end. The end, however, did not come. Timidly peeling open one of her tightly closed eyes, Ukyo looked at the flare of light as two magical attacks continued to burst almost a foot from her body. Blinking in confusion, she looked around, to spot a very determined little girl standing a few metres away. "H-Hotaru-chan? Is that you doing... whatever it is?" "Uyko-san..." Her voice was strained. "Get Shampoo-san. Hurry! I can't hold them forever." She was tempted to argue, tempted to say they would keep fighting, but the sight of the Sailor in blue regaining her feet and throwing even more magic their direction was enough to convince her. "RANCHAN! We've got to get out of here!" With that, she turned and ran back to where Shampoo lay half buried in a shop wall. Her breathing was shallow, but it was there, and that was the main thing. Picking the Amazon up in her arms, Ukyo was in time to see Ranma and Ryoga execute a manoeuvre they had obviously practiced together. Although they were significantly better fighters than their friends, Ranma and Ryoga had not been able to get the upper hand that they had been expecting. Last time they fought the Senshi, the girls had been hampered by the expectation that they would comply with normal human capabilities and behaviours. Now that Mars and Jupiter knew that was not true, they took their opponents much more seriously. Also, without the aid of complete surprise, they were not able to get the balance of the fight going in their direction. Although Ryoga was tough, he was not quite as fast as either of the Senshi. Every time he tried to close with one of the girls, either of them would try and fry him in some way. He knew that electroshock therapy had long been considered the best cure for depression, but he had no interest in receiving their sort of medicine. Ever since he had begun changing into P-Chan, he had suffered a very real fear of being barbequed alive, and the black haired Senshi wanted to do that to him with a vengeance. Burnt and singed, Ryoga was almost as far from a decent victory as he had been at the start of the fight. His two decent blows had staggered their targets, but the girls had recovered easily enough. True to form, Ranma had not been hit, showing that her speed training had worked, but she had done even less damage than Ryoga. The best that Ranma had managed to do was distract and beat the girls slightly, preventing her slower ally from taking worse damage. When the call from Ukyo came, they realised it was time to put their escape plan into action. Without waiting for Ranma to confirm her readiness, Ryoga stuck his finger into the ground, calling "Bakusai Tenketsu!" as he destroyed a section of pavement. Not close enough to seriously hurt the girls, it briefly forced them to cover their faces, and that was all Ranma needed. Aided by the blast, she flew forwards, ending with a forward roll right between the two Senshi. Without looking up, Ranma caught herself on her hands, and promptly lashed out first with her right leg, then her left. She knew the blows would be too soft to hurt their foes, but they were perfectly positioned to make them fall. While a red and a green Sailor fell to the ground in a flurry of arms and legs, Ranma sprang backwards into the expanding cloud of debris. For a brief instant, numbers were evened again, and the Senshi reacted on their instincts and training again. Rather than press the assault on their outnumbered foes that were outside Sailor Saturn's shield, Moon, Venus and Mercury quickly ran to their fallen friends, unaware that the massive explosion had not hurt them. In the second their backs were turned and the attacks stopped, Ranma and Ryoga were moving again. "Ucchan! Run! Hotaru!" No-one need to be told twice. Carrying the unconscious Shampoo, Ukyo ran off down the street, and Hotaru dropped the Silence Wall, allowing the most victorious of the martial artists through. Skidding to a stop in front of the black haired girl, Ranma looked down at her. "Hotaru, do those wings work?" She asked hurriedly. "Unn." "Good! Fly up to the top of this building and start running. Don't stop until you get home. Understand? Ryoga! Grab Mousse and follow her. Don't let her out of your sight, I need you to protect them both." "R-Ranma-san! What are you going to do?" "I'm going to keep them busy for a while, and let you guys escape. Don't worry, I'll be right behind you. Go!" Watching only long enough to marvel at the light looking way Hotaru floated free of the ground and turned towards the building, Ranma turned back to the battle. Ryoga would watch over Hotaru, she knew that. Ranma was also as sure that Hotaru would not be able to run off like she did sometimes and let Ryoga get lost. With Ucchan taking care of Shampoo, that meant all she needed to do was buy them some time. With a grin on her face, the fiery redhead struck a combat pose with a low guard and legs spaced for easy running and looked at the aligned Senshi. Behind her, she could already feel Ryoga disappearing and felt relieved. 'Not long', she thought. 'I don't have to keep them here long for the others to be safe.' "All right you chickens. Which one of you wants to be first?" Four girls growled back at her, and the central one with the two long pony tails looked really mad as she pointed a finger at her. "My name is Sailor Moon. For attacking us without reason, and for serving the dark powers, I shall punish you in the name of the Moon!" With a flick of her arms and a shuffle of her feet, Ranma changed into the 'Soft Tiger' stance. For use against stronger opponents, or when outnumbered, it focused on speed and throws rather than doing damage through blows. It also put the emphasis on movement and staying unhurt. The odds were bad, her enemies outnumbered her, each was almost as fast, and all of them were stronger and tougher than her girl form. Grinning with a song in her heart and lightning singing in her veins, Ranma gave a brief beckoning motion with her hand. "Come punish this, Sailor Girl!" With that, she ran forwards and tried to see just how long she could keep them occupied. This was what she lived for. This was what she had trained all her life for. Suddenly, the years on the road all seemed worthwhile. She was here, protecting her friends, saving countless people from these killers, and it all came down to her skill and her training. Ranma had never felt more alive in her life. Running forwards, Ranma caught them flat footed, but they recovered quickly. A pair of quick grapples and a leg sweep saw Sailor Mercury on the ground, but Ranma was forced to retreat before a series of high, crescent kicks almost took her head off. The Senshi in orange was not very skilled, but with speed like hers, she did not need to be. Her speed advantage was nothing like what she usually maintained over Ryoga, but it was enough for her to be able to circle the orange Senshi and begin grappling with the tall one in green, Sailor Jupiter. To her dismay, Ranma discovered that this girl did have some skill in the art. Nowhere near her own, of course, but with the magical boosting the Senshi received, it put Ranma at a disadvantage. The pair cycled through eight competing arm bars and throw grips before Ranma bounded away, leaving Mars cursing as her fire sailed underneath the redhead to impact on a completely innocent wall. Jupiter made the mistake of trying to follow her into the air, and was quickly put down. She might have speed and some skill, but unless you could fly, you should assume you were outclassed by Ranma in the air. Anything Goes made a special exercise of mid-air combat, and few people could match them for the size and duration of their jumps, let alone the acrobatics and combat they were capable of during flight. Doing a barrel roll to avoid a stream of frozen blue ice, Ranma let her foot reach out and clip the back of one girl's head. It would not have hurt much, but it was enough to allow Ranma to alter her flight and avoid the next magical attack coming at her. Bringing her legs together, the small martial artist let herself drop like a stone behind the leader of the attackers, the vaunted Sailor Moon. A series of short rabbit punches to the girl's kidneys from behind brought the leader to her knees, but again Ranma was forced to retreat as Mars and Jupiter tried to corner her. She was tempted to continue and try to fight, but the sudden pain as a golden beam laid a line of flesh raw across her back changed her mind. She was doing well, no doubt at all, but she was not winning. Her attacks were insufficiently strong, and against those numbers, she would wear down much sooner than they would... Assuming magical girls could tire, that is. A pair of back flips put Ranma on top of a café. Pulling down an eyelid, she looked at the Senshi. "Biiii-da! Can't even catch little old me? How are you expecting to take over Tokyo? Ha ha ha--- Urk!" Carried backwards by the impact of the Shine Aqua Illusion, Ranma realised she should have paid more attention to fighting than to mocking. When she landed, she shook her head and listened carefully. The Senshi were coming, she could hear them running around on the street below. Grateful she was already in her girl form and not unexpectedly changed by the cold water attack, Ranma rolled to her feet and sprinted across to the next roof. For three blocks she continued like this, only to suddenly stop and reverse course. With just a little luck, she used one mighty jump to cross a street full of Senshi and elude them. While her assailants thought they were still following her on the ground, she had really gotten behind them. Briefly she was tempted with the idea of launching a Shi Shi Hokodan into their backs, but from her last fight, she was aware of how little that would accomplish. Better to leave now and return to the Tendos. What she really needed was more training. Just a few months, and she knew she would be able to defeat them. The only problem was, she did not have months. * * * A low chorus of moans and groans filled the Tendo yard. Ranma and Shampoo sat on the back porch, while Ukyo, Mousse and Ryoga sparred in the back yard. Shampoo and Ranma had been the most seriously hurt, but even then it was nothing life threatening. Kasumi had just finished bandaging Shampoo's ribs, and confidently told them that the Amazon would be fine, with just some nasty bruising. Ranma, unfortunately, had a straight line burn across the top of her back, cross almost at the base of her shoulder blades. A reminder of the fight from Sailor Venus' Crescent Beam, it was liable to leave a scar for the rest of her life. With her shirt off and her back turned so that Kasumi could sit on the edge of the porch behind her, Ranma waited with firmly pressed lips for the cold sting of the burn medicine. "Oh dear, Ranma-kun. This looks quite nasty. Are you sure you don't want to see a doctor?" "Nah, Kasumi. Nabiki said she needs all the money she can get to look for Akane's killers. I don't need to go spending it on something silly like this." "I'm sure she wouldn't mind. This is the sort of thing that she had in mind." "Yeah, but it ain't the sort of thing I wanted for it. Besides, a little pain will help remind me to be faster next time." Standing beside the kitchen door Tomoe Hotaru, still in her Sailor suit, wept silent tears. It was all her fault. If she had not gone out, Ranma-san and Shampoo-san would not have been hurt. If she had not tried to be a real magical girl, her friends would still be all right. It was all her fault. Looking down at her hands, Hotaru thought of all the humiliation and embarrassment that her power had caused her in the past. From the first time she had healed the skinned knee of a boy at school, everyone had laughed at her. She did not want that to happen here, but what else could she do? Ranma-san had been hurt because of her, and she was saying they could not even afford a doctor. Blinking back more tears and clearing her big purple eyes slightly, Hotaru looked at her hands once more and set her mouth. She would do it. She would help Ranma-san, even if it meant that they laughed at her like all of the kids at her school. She owed Ranma-san that much and more for all she had done. "K-Kasumi-neechan... Can I help?" She had been going to decline, intending to put the expensive burn cream on herself, but the sight of Hotaru's distressed face softened her already kind heart more. Holding up the tube of cream, she invited Hotaru to sit in front of her. "Now, you only need to put this on fairly thinly." When Kasumi gave her permission, Hotaru moved forwards and put her palms out, hovering just centimetres from Ranma's burnt skin. Closing her eyes to concentrate, Hotaru could feel Ranma's pain, could feel the damage to her skin. 'Get better,' she thought. 'Heal.' Just about to correct the girl, Kasumi stopped with an open mouth when she saw the soft white glow emanating from her palms and sinking into Ranma's skin. From someone else, that might have been cause for alarm, but Kasumi knew how much Hotaru doted on Ranma. When Ranma gave an unconscious moan of pleasure, Kasumi gave a gasp of amazement. The burnt skin all along Ranma's back was moving, changing colour from an angry red and black back to a normal soft pink. Blisters were deflating and vanishing. Soon, the foot long burn was no more, the skin just slightly red. "Hotaru-chan... How did you do that?" "I... I'm glad I was a magical girl at the time..." Said Hotaru in a very small voice, before soundlessly collapsing to one side. Kasumi grabbed for her, to prevent her head from hitting the hard ground off the porch, but again it was Ranma's incredible speed that reached her first. Holding the little girl in her arms, Ranma gave the half unconscious Hotaru a smile of thanks. "Whatever that was, Hotaru... Thanks." "It's... My special power. Even before I became a magical girl, I could heal things. I'm sorry, Ranma-san. I shouldn't have gone out there today. Please don't hate me." "Oh, Hotaru, I don't hate you. We went out there to fight them, it's not your fault. Besides, see that girl over there with the big bad spatula?" "Ukyo-san?" "Yeah. Ucchan's my oldest buddy in the world. If it weren't for you being there, and doing that magic shield thingy, Ucchan might not be here now. How could I be mad at you? 'Specially after what you just did for me." "But... You wanted me to wait until I had more training." "Aww... Hotaru, that's just because I was worried about you. Come on, cheer up. You saved Ucchan, you even brought Ryoga home, and that's no mean feat. Besides, I think we all need more training. Give us a smile, and don't look so down, OK?" Giving a small smile, Hotaru was still troubled. She had not been running long after they left the fight before she needed to stop. If it had just been her, she might have been captured again. Luckily, Mousse's magical chains had vanished about then, and Ryoga had been able to carry her on his shoulders. That was the real reason that she had been able to bring everyone home. Not through her skill or bravery like Ranma-san had shown when she had kept them safe, but through having other better than her helping. It made her feel so sad and useless. Any further considerations were abruptly put aside as the cry of "Saotome!" rent the air. Spinning around, Ranma was suddenly very glad that she had caught Hotaru earlier and was still holding her. While Ranma did not have a sense of feminine modesty, having her shirt off around Kuno was a recipe for disaster. "Ahh! Pig-Tailed Girl! Please, tell me it is not true. Say to the mighty Blue Thunder that what he has heard is a lie." Hearing the Kendoist rant and rave was quite normal, but somehow his voice was different. It was distraught, filled with emotion other than the normal egotism. Taking a step back in case she needed to put Hotaru down and deal with the boy, Ranma asked cautiously. "Say what ain't true, Kuno?" "I have heard such terrible, terrible news, it haunts the ears of even one so great as myself. Pig-Tailed Girl, I beg of you. Please, put an end to the rumours that torment me so!" "What rumours, you idiot?! You ain't even told me yet." "Although I had missed the fiery Tendo Akane at our distinguished centre of education, I had believed that she had simply been spirited away by the evil Saotome Ranma. Soon, I thought, soon she would free herself of his nefarious clutches as she has always done in the past. It was a torment to my soul that I could not aid her, since even her mercenary sister was not there to direct me to her location, but I was behove to bestow the benefits of my wisdom and greatness upon the people of our institution." There was silence as everyone tried to understand what was said. Leaning closer to her friend, Hotaru whispered in Ranma's ear. "Does he need medication? I could go and get some." "Nah. All he needs is a couple of quick kicks to the head. Ain't nothing wrong with him unconsciousness wouldn't fix." "As I, in my greatness, walked through the streets of our fair city, I came upon a common peasant, hawking their wares. Naturally, the person - a Miko I suspect - begged me to favour her with my custom, but I deferred. Ahh, it was at that time that I, Kuno Tatewaki, scion of the mighty House Kuno, heir to our family's legacy of wealth, power, intelligence and good looks, it was then that I heard the following:" Kuno paused and fixed Ranma with a stare. Giving a slight giggle, Ranma shifted Hotaru to ensure nothing was showing. After suffering though the tale this long, she did not want Kuno to get distracted and have to start again. "Tendo Akane is dead." There was silence. Crickets chirped. After a time, even the crickets went quiet. "Pig-Tailed Girl... You have not denied it." Growing weary - of both Kuno and Hotaru's weight - Ranma set the small girl in the blue and white fuku on the ground. Standing behind her charge for modesty, Ranma kept a hand on each of Hotaru's shoulders and looked at Kuno. She knew she could do it. She could lie to Kuno, tell him Akane had just gone away for a while. Kuno would believe her. Heck, Kuno would believe her if she said that the sun had not come up today. She _could_ get rid of him if she wanted to. But she did not. She did not get rid of him because he deserved to know. He might be annoying. He might be one of the most irritating people in the entire world, but in his own perverted and strange way, he too had cared for Akane. That alone was enough to make Ranma forgive him of many sins. Since Akane had gone, Ranma had discovered that she would tolerate a great many things that she would not have done while Akane was alive. "She's gone, Kuno. Akane is dead. The rumour is true." Kuno let forth a scream of rage and suffering that could be heard throughout the district and clutched his head in pain. "Oh Akane! Oh, you sweet, sweet beauty! To be struck down in life so young! To never know the true depths of my love for you!" He continued on in this vein for some time, ignoring the way that so many of the people in front of him looked like they were becoming increasingly tense and angry. Part way though his triad, he suddenly stopped and looked at Ranma with his eyes narrowed to slits. With a slow, careful movement, Kuno drew his bokken and held it before him. Wind ruffled his hair, and his dark hakama eddied slightly in the breeze. "Tell me, Pig-Tailed Girl. Tell me who it is that has done this thing? Who is it that would deprive the world of one so perfect? How would dare face the wrath of Kuno by taking from him the woman that would one day be his bride? Speak, Pig-Tailed Girl, and I shall go and deliver the only justice they deserve." Again, Ranma studied the older boy. If she did not tell him, he would find out by himself somehow and if he did that, he would surely be slain in combat alone, without the support of his schoolmates. Alternatively, Ranma could tell him. She could tell Kuno about the team that they had gathered for the purpose of bringing the Senshi, the Witches and the demons to justice. Kuno was weaker than her, there was no question of that in Ranma's mind. However, when he went all out, he might even be able to beat Shampoo or Ucchan. No guarantees, but it would be close enough to not be a foregone conclusion. Even if he could not beat the girls, he was a talented Kendoist, and every person they had with them when the faced the Senshi would be a boon. He had seen how Mousse, Shampoo and Ukyo had been beaten earlier. If they had Kuno with them... So Ranma spoke. Gently, calmly, and without much of the anger and passion she truly felt. Most days of the year, she would have gone to any length to avoid Kuno, but today she needed him. Today, tomorrow, and until the evil was cleaned from Tokyo. For that, she would be polite. She would speak to him as you would an ordinary human. It did not take long for Kuno to agree to join them. Indeed, it took more effort to convince him to go home for the night. Whereas they had just been beaten by the Senshi, he was filled with invective and a desire for battle. Finally he did leave, vowing to return to them tomorrow and fight together, to punish the people that would do such things to those he loved. * * * As the new day broke, the denizens of the Tendo household came awake and began to stir. At least, two of them did. Tendo Kasumi and Soun awoke as the day began and commenced their work. Kasumi's work was long standing, the preparation of meals and the house for her family. It was something that brought her great pleasure, but associated with some small pain. It was difficult to prepare a meal without thinking of that extra serving that someone would not be eating. In time, the pain would ease, but for now, she lived with it, trying to remember how much Akane would have loved to see her friends all working together as well as they had yesterday. Soun's daily routine had begun only recently. Until his baby girl had been attacked, he had been content to sleep in, to enjoy the smells of breakfast that his eldest daughter prepared. Now, sleep was an enemy, filled with regrets and dreams of a wife and a child he would never see again. Work was the only cure for those dreams, the only way he knew to fight off the thoughts of what would happen to the rest of his family now that demons roamed the city that even Ranma and his friends could not defeat. Tilling the soil in the garden once more, Soun carefully avoided looking at the remains of the dojo in his yard. He could have cleaned it up - it was his house and dojo - but he did not. That dojo and the remains in the yard were an inspiration to Ranma and his friends. He would not take that away from them. Although it had only been there for a short time, weeds were already beginning to grow up between the boards that lay on the ground. No weeds were permitted elsewhere in the garden, and the relentless hunt for them was one thing Soun could count on to help to while away the day. "That's some funny training you're doing there, Tendo-kun. Something like 'The Crouch Of The Fierce Tiger', I assume?" "Saotome-kun..." The big man stood behind him and beckoned him to get up. "Time to get you back in shape. Come on, it's time for a jog. Get some of those soft muscles back into condition." Although he resisted the idea, Soun found himself obeying his old training partner. Before he knew what had happened, they had both been for a twenty minute run through the suburbs, and we back at the house, gasping and wheezing but in time for some of Kasumi's breakfast. Rather than spoil the meal for everyone else, they sat their sweaty, rank bodies at the back on the house and dug into a special "training breakfast" of rice and omelette. "Saotome-kun... I can honestly say I cannot ever remember feeling worse than I do." Giving a big belly laugh, Genma slapped him on the back. "That's the idea Tendo-kun. Always strive for something better than before." "Ohhh... I don't think I'm built for martial arts anymore." "Nonsense. You're just a little out of condition. Come, a bit of sparring, a few Kata, we'll have you feeling on top of the world again in no time." So it was when the weary teenagers rose from their rest, they were greeted with the sight of two old men in the back yard. Although Kasumi had heard their plans, even she was struck by the vision of her father again taking up the art he had once abandoned. After a short breakfast, Ranma punched Ryoga in the shoulder and gestured to the back yard. "What's it gunna be? We going to let them have all the fun?" "You're not much, Ranma, but I'll get a better workout fighting you than I will training Ukyo-san." With that, Ryoga grabbed his eating partner and threw him through the open door and into the Koi pond. "Ryoga you idiot!" "Hey! This way you can go all out with those weak girlie punches of yours. Just think about me, I've got to keep holding back so I don't break you!" With a growl, Ranma raced from the still turbulent pond, grabbed Ryoga and threw him across the yard and into the compound wall. "Let's just see who needs to hold back!" "With pleasure!" By the time Hotaru came down - still wearing one of Kasumi's oversize T-shirts - Shampoo and Ukyo were also out in the yard, turning the Tendo compound into a series of small running battles. Blinking several times in the bright morning sunlight, Hotaru looked around for something closer to what she considered a normal morning. When she spotted Kasumi humming in the kitchen, Hotaru's face lit up with a genuine smile. Walking up to the girl, Hotaru linked her hands in front and gave a sunny, "Good morning, Kasumi-neechan!" "Good morning to _you_, Hotaru-chan. How are you today?" "Very well, thank you, Neechan. I know it's late, but do you have any breakfast left?" "Of course I do, Little Firefly. You go and sit down at the table, and I'll bring something out in a moment." Nodding once, Hotaru left. Seated at the table, she thought how much better she felt at the moment than she usually did. Smiling as she watched people jump around the yard in ways she would not have believed possible just a week ago, she knew why she felt so good. All around her, she had friends. Real friends. People that liked her, talked to her and made her feel good just to be with them. That was even better that the other reason she felt so good. Last night, she had been a heroine. A genuine, honest-to-goodness, one hundred percent magical girl. She had gone out into Tokyo and done her best to make it a safer, better place for everyone. That was why she was here, that was why she had these powers, and she had finally done it. After all the days that had passed since she had first gained her powers, she had finally done the right thing, and it felt good! She had gone out with her friends, and she had made a difference, for once, people had really wanted her there, had honestly needed her. It felt good. A slight rattle announced a steaming bowl of miso and the arrival of some rice, eggs and vegetables. Although not a big eater, the sight and smell of such lovely food made Hotaru's mouth water like a fire hydrant. "Mmm. That smells so good, Kasumi-neechan." "You're welcome." Taking a sip from some tea she had brought for herself, Kasumi smiled beatifically at Hotaru and kept her company at breakfast. "You must have had an exciting night yesterday, Hotaru-chan. It's already past nine." A little sheepishly, Hotaru slurped down some of the leaves in her miso and put the bowl down. "I was up late with Ranma-san and Ryoga-san. We all stayed up late talking." "Well, so long as you didn't tire yourself out with all that running around. You still look a little pale. We wouldn't want you to get sick again, would we?" Hotaru shook her head and gobbled up a little more of the rice. Although to her it felt as though she was bolting her food and being very rude in front of her new big sister, Kasumi saw it differently. To Kasumi eyes, used to hungry martial artists, Hotaru calmly and delicately ate her food, with better manners than she could remember seeing in this house for years. When the little girl gave a small, polite burp and hid her mouth with her hand as her face turned rosy, Kasumi smiled. "It looks like you needed that. Are you going to be training with them today? If you are, please be careful. You have to remember that you're not as big and strong as Ranma-kun." "Nnn. Ranma-san is really good... But I'm not going to be doing that sort of thing for a while. He says he wants me to get all better before he starts to teach me martial arts." "Ranma is going to teach you martial arts?" "Yes. He said that everyone should know how to defend themselves." "You should be very proud. Ranma-kun is very good. I'm sure he'll make a fine teacher." "Ranma-san is the best." Kasumi giggled. "Don't let him hear that. He'll believe you." Looking up at her new big sister, Hotaru's eyes shimmered. "But he is! I know he must be the best. He can even turn into a girl so we can fight evil together!" Outside the door, the martial artist in question was completing a complex summersault over Ryoga as he fended off both Genma and Soun. "Well, I certainly don't know anyone who is better than he is. Except possibly Cologne-san. Granny is very good." "I'm glad you think so." An old voice came from Kasumi's left elbow. When both girls had gotten over their shock of seeing the ancient matriarch seated at the table with them, Hotaru continued the conversation with the sublime confidence of a true believer. "Ranma-san is better." Giving Hotaru an amused look, Cologne heaped up a bowl with some of the left over rice and helped herself. "Not yet, Child. Not yet. Son-In-Law has some distance to go yet." Shaking her head with complete faith, Hotaru responded. "You just don't know him well enough. Nobody can beat Ranma-san. Maybe not even me." That caused Cologne to laugh loudly. The girl has less fighting power than Kasumi, but yet she thought she was more powerful than herself or her Son-In-Law. That was very amusing. "Hey, Old Ghoul. Nice to see you finally got here." When Cologne finished laughing she saw that Ranma had been joined by Ryoga, Mousse, Ukyo and Shampoo. A veritable army of martial artists, Cologne could only pity anyone that decided to take them all on. While they might not all be as powerful as Son-In-Law, they were each a force to be reckoned with. Even that fool Mousse. After moving out to the yard, everyone was tense and slightly nervous. Aside from Hotaru. She was standing next to Ranma, so she knew she was safe from anything and anyone. For everyone else, it was a chance to try and find out what had gone wrong yesterday. They had more people on their side, but they had still been beaten by the Senshi. What could possibly have happened? Shampoo had volunteered the services of her Great-Grandmother in trying to analyse the battle and work up some new strategies for them. Nabiki was sitting to one side listening, but she did not expect to be able to contribute much to this. Her analytical mind might be second to none, but she would not think of trying to match wits with Cologne when it came to planning and fighting battles. Working with her was definitely on the cards though. For the martial artists gathered, it was a time they had been looking forwards to with dread. Now their skills would come into question, their capabilities scrutinised, and their actions taken apart in detail. It was no-one's pleasure to pick on their fellows or to be shown up, but they needed to do this. Unless they knew why they had lost last time, they would be doomed to repeat it. Asking the fighters to join her outside, Cologne was surprised when the little girl she had been talking to joined them. Assuming that she was just watching like Nabiki, Cologne did not address her, but concentrated on Ranma and his allies. "Son-In-Law, perhaps you can start by telling me what you main problem was." Ranma smacked his fist into his palm. "The big thing I don't get is why we did so bad this time. First time Ryoga and I fought them, well, we didn't do much better, but at least I nailed one of them pretty good. This time we had Ucchan, Shampoo and Mousse, but they still beat us just as easy." Cologne nodded wisely. "Surprise. A man with a bow and arrow can defeat a man with a tank if he has surprise. The same is true here." "But Granny," Ukyo began. "Could it really be that much? I mean, we still managed to get the drop on them this time." "Yes, but this time they knew what you could do. Last time, they would not have expected Son-In-Law to be that good. Few people are up to your standard. From what Shampoo has told me about your enemies, they would not be used to attacking trained fighters, people who could resist. Last time, they probably just expected you to roll over and die. This time, they knew they had to take you seriously." Nabiki nodded beside her. "She's right. I've spent some time doing searches on some of their victims. None of them seem to be martial artists. There's the occasional sportsman, but no-one that you guys would call either fast or strong." For a time it looked like Ukyo would protest some more, but support from both Shampoo and Ranma for what Cologne had told them caused her to back down. If this was what had happened to them when they surprised the Senshi, what would happen if the Senshi ever surprised _them_? When they got on to the analysis of what their enemies were capable of, Cologne was surprised when everyone looked at the little girl sitting quietly beside Ranma. Quickly a blush spread over her cheeks and she looked at the ground, obviously embarrassed. Cologne found that quite amusing considering the egos of everyone else around. "And why would everyone be so interested in you, Child?" "..." "I beg your pardon?" "I'm a magical girl, too. I'm the most powerful magical girl in the whole wide world." "Really? Well, perhaps you could show me some of your attacks then. It would be nice to see just what our enemies are capable of." "I can't." The girl went even more red. "Why? We're all friends here. I'm sure Ryoga would be kind enough to act as a volunteer if we needed one." Ryoga looked nervous, but not half as nervous as Hotaru. "No! I can't! It... It would kill poor Ryoga-san. That's... That's why I can't use my attacks. They just do too much. If... If I fired it that way..." Hotaru gestured off towards the front gate. "It would destroy everything all the way down the street. _That's_ why I could never stop any of those girls that attacked me." When everyone sat silently digesting that, Hotaru looked more nervous. When her eyes began to shimmer and her lower lip tremble slightly, Ranma put a hand on her head and exclaimed happily. "I've got it! You can do that shield thing! That was pretty good yesterday. If the Senshi couldn't get through it when they tried, maybe we should. It might show the Old Ghoul some easy way to defeat their magic." Hotaru brightened immediately and started immediately. When she transformed, Cologne's eyes narrowed to small slits. 'So,' she thought. 'This is a magical girl. I can feel her power, but it is nothing like what I expected.' "Very well, Child. Please, show me this shield." Walking away from the group, Hotaru planted the end of the Silence Glaive and concentrated. "SILENCE WALL!" Everyone waited. "Are we supposed to see something, Sugar?" "No... I don't think so. I can see where it is, but I don't think anyone else can. Just come to the front of my Glaive. You should be able to feel it then." Slowly the group approached until they were within arms reach of the invisible barrier. With looks of wonder on their face, people ran their hands over the Silence Wall, marvelling at the smooth strength they were not able to see. Other than Ryoga, that is. He had accidentally walked into it, and his sore nose was testament enough to the Silence Wall's solidity. "Will you be safe if we try to break it?" Cologne asked. When the small, fuku clad girl nodded, Cologne gestured them forwards and everyone laid into the barrier with their weapons, feet or fists. After a minute of this, Cologne ordered them to stop and again addressed the girl. "How did that feel? How did it compare with what you felt yesterday?" "Actually... It wasn't too bad. I think I could stop that sort of thing for quite a while..." As Hotaru trailed off, they understood her worry. If two or three Senshi were more of a threat to her than their whole group, they had real problems. "Son-In-Law, Ryoga. If you please, now would be a good time to demonstrate this new move I have been told about." Again when Hotaru nodded, everyone moved back and Ranma and Ryoga took position. Cupping their hands together, they focused on what was needed for the depression blast. Akane, the Senshi, their own inadequacy in battle. All this and more poured into the green balls growing in their hands. Without any signal, the two boys launched simultaneously. "SHI SHI HOKODAN!" Green energy impacted the screen and splashed harmlessly. Harmlessly to Hotaru, but the rest felt the backlash, and the ground was scored heavily. "Better... But those two big girls were much stronger..." Now Hotaru looked very apologetic. "How about the Bakusai Tenketsu, Old Ghoul. You wanna try that?" "No, Son-In-Law. I can see it from here. Or rather, I cannot see it. There are no breaking points in that wall. It is not an object like we know. It is not flawed in the same way a rock or boulder is. The breaking point will not work." Heaving a sigh, Cologne waved her hand at Hotaru. "Relax yourself, Child. We shall not continue this." When Hotaru joined back with the group, transformed back into her normal self and looking none the worse for wear, Cologne sighed. "I would be interested in trying you in combat, to see if that is the same as those other girls. Unfortunately, I can see you are not well. Perhaps in the future, but for now, I see little we can gain from it." With everyone watching her for the wisdom that she was so renowned for, Cologne paused for thought. "Until we know more, I do not know any secret techniques that would be quite suitable to you. For now, I would recommend we concentrating on improving each of your specialties. You must be faster, better, stronger... Being the best martial artist is no longer enough. You must find it within yourself to become more, for without that, surely you shall fail." "I ain't gunna fail, Old Ghoul. And I ain't stopping until we've won this war." Ranma's grin was confident, but inside he felt worry. They seemed to be a long way behind the enemy if even little Hotaru could defeat them that easily. But then, they were not fighting Hotaru, and they had already seen that their enemy could be hurt. * * * Tomoe Souichi sat in his basement laboratory and brooded. If only he had known a week ago that his daughter was Sailor Saturn, all this inconvenience could have been avoided. A compulsion spell, brainwashing, magical seals on her power, even simply locking her in her room... Almost anything could have been done to stop her escaping, if he had but known in time. Now... Now it was too late. The bird had flown the coop in an all too literal manner. One lapse in the tight supervision that he kept Hotaru under, and she had been able to manifest the powers of a Senshi. In just a few short steps, she had freed herself from his grasp, and now he was at a loss as to how to retrieve her. Souichi had to salute Mistress 9 for her choice of hosts, if she indeed knew that Hotaru was going to be Sailor Saturn. Eliminating an enemy while at the same time gaining them the powers inherent to the pretty soldier was a brilliant plan. On the other hand, if she knew but had not told him, it was one of the greatest bungles in their entire history. Rather than try to place blame and look backwards at what had happened, Tomoe decided to accept that the whole situation was a coincidence. Unlikely, but it meant that he did not have to be in the unenviable position of having a mistress that had jeopardised their whole mission, nor did he have to admit to any fault of his own. Anticipating that the host for their possession was a Senshi was obviously more than anyone would have expected of him. First and foremost he needed his daughter back. The possession would not proceed to schedule unless he had frequent contact. Worse, Mistress 9 was at constant risk if Hotaru was associating with the other Sailor Senshi. It would not take long before one of the other young girl warriors spotted the blemishes in Hotaru's spirit. Souichi shuddered thinking what would happen to the unfortunate Mistress 9 if Sailor Moon was able to direct her Moon Healing Activation against her. When Mistress 9 was in full control, there would be no risk, but for now, she was vulnerable. Simply finding his daughter was enough of a challenge. Tokyo was a massive city, one of the largest in the world, and it was not as though he could simply search the local phonebook under 'S' for "Senshi, Saturn". The girls tended to be just a little more discrete with their identities than that. He had braced his underlings to look out for the girl, but even then, he was not sure what they could achieve. If Sailor Saturn had her powers - and it appeared as though she did - it would not be easy to capture her. Be that as it may, they would try... At least he could look forwards to punishing them when they failed... That thought brought a smile to his face; one totally unlike anything his daughter might have seen in the past. Using purely mundane means was out too. The police would be the simplest route, but what could he say to them? He could picture how the conversation would go: "Hello, my daughter ran away from home, I need your help finding her." "Oh, yes, Sir? And why would she do that?" He would laugh. "She thought I was possessed by evil and trying to kill her." "And why would she think that?" Time to sweat. "Umm... No idea! Honestly! And if she offers to turn into Sailor Saturn and prove it, don't believe her!" He snorted. No, he could not go to the police. They might find his daughter, but one short explanation to the social workers later, and she would be free or under ridiculously close examination every day by a society that just would not accept that he knew what was best for them. Resting his head in the palms of his hand, Souichi looked solemnly at a notebook that lay open on his workbench. Just assuming he did find her... How was he supposed to get her back and keep her? The Witches 5 were good; there was no doubt about it. With their cunning, they could almost certainly trap her, but could they really expect to trap her and carry her off when the rest of the Senshi were protecting her? Even if they did succeed in abducting her could they overcome her Senshi powers and control her while she was actively resisting? For the thousandth time, Souichi wished that he had known about this small complication _before_ his daughter flew away. No, the only thing he could really hope for was his current plan. A trap. Nice, simple, and elegant. With the house rebuilt to look like it always had, and most of their research and work moved somewhere else, it should be hard for Sailor Saturn to recognise the evil that had once dwelt here. She would come in, naive, innocent and stupid, and he would pounce. When she saw the house as she was used to it, and when he said that she had just had another one of her fainting spells and imagined everything... Souichi smiled. With her vulnerable and trusting, they would strike. She would be in their power and under their control faster than she could resist. Best of all, by making things look peaceful and normal, none of her Senshi friends would get involved. Truly, it was the best plan. If only the girl would hurry up and fall into the trap! * * * Afternoon was again beginning to fall. Throughout the Tendo compound, martial artists were finishing their fights and preparing for a few hours of rest. A day of hard training could only go so far, and they would need all the energy they could muster when they fought the good fight again that evening. Relaxing in the living room was a group of people who nobody every expected to truly be able to relax together. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say 'gathered in the living room was a group of people pretending to relax together'. Nabiki - in a role more demanding than any of the conflicts she had ever started - was playing the peace keeper. In the last fifteen minutes, she had managed to stop not less that two fights between Shampoo and Ukyo, another three between Ranma and Ryoga or Ranma and Kuno, not to mention at least three attempts of Mousse to attack either a pot plant or her sister while claiming that they were Ranma. It seemed that the only people in the room not brewing for a fight with someone was herself, Kasumi and Hotaru. Somehow it was distressing that she could not make some sexist remark about how it was the hormone drenched boys causing all the trouble, since Shampoo and Ukyo was causing just as much trouble as any of the others. No matter how much the two remaining fiancees tried to hide it, Nabiki saw as plain as day that they still wanted Ranma, and in some way they were willing to profit by Akane's demise. She wanted to hate them for that, but she could not. They were here, and they were fighting to avenge her sister, and that was what really mattered. Perhaps if Ranma reciprocated their attentions she might have been upset - actually, upset would hardly have been a hundredth as strong a word as would be needed. As it was, he was even more obtuse and thick headed than usual. To him, there was only the fight; all else could wait. Kasumi was bringing out a tray of snacks when Hotaru asked a question so obvious, it made people wonder why no-one had asked it before. "Kasumi-neechan, does your mother help you with all the cooking you do? It's very good, but I never get to see her and say thank you." Kasumi's face fell slightly. "Thank you, Little One, but I do all of the cooking these days. Our mother... Is no longer with us anymore." An assortment of nods came from around the table, understanding on all of the people's faces. "Daddy always told me that my mother was in a beautiful place beyond the sky. Where everything is always pretty and she would always be happy. I'm sure your mother is there with her too, Kasumi-neechan." As Kasumi and Nabiki nodded, Ukyo gave a brave smile and made her own contribution. "My mum died just before I met Ranma. I guess that's why I got on so well with him, Ranma being on his own with his idiot father and all. When Ranchan and his father... Ummm... Well, I left my father not too much after that, so I guess he never really told me what happened. I was only a little kid at the time." "I was like that. I actually inherited my good direction sense from my father. He usually only takes a few days to get to the chemist down the street. According to the doctors at the hospital, my mother got up one night to go to the bathroom a couple of days after I was born, and I haven't seen her since. I see Dad occasionally, and my mother leaves letters at the house every now and again... I might have seen her once a couple of years ago, but I'm not sure." Going around the circle, everyone's eyes stopped on Kuno. With a look of sternness, possibly disdain, the scion of House Kuno looked away. "My story is not fit to tell in the presence of young and innocent ears. A child such as this one should not be a party to the horror of what happened to my mother before she..." He cleared his throat. "In this I shall defer to Saotome for his story. My sister did not take well to the news when she was told, and I would be most disinclined to see that happen to a soldier of the way of light at such a young age." For a moment, the great Kuno Tatewaki, Blue Thunder Of Furinkan High, looked into the distance, seeing scenes that only he could. A time when the Kuno family was complete, whole and undamaged. And another time, a time less savoury, a time when the world came apart for all of them. They were all touched in their own way that day; mother, daughter, father and son. Three survived, but Kuno had wondered whether his mother may have been the lucky one on that day of horror. She alone had not needed to deal with the effects left in the wake of the events. Blinking gormlessly, Ranma scratched his head. "Umm... I dunno... I guess I never really asked. I can remember her a bit from when I was young, but I've been on the road with Pop since I was six, so I don't really know. I guess I assumed she... I dunno..." Looking around, Ranma spotted his father sparring lightly with the Tendo patriarch. "Hey! Old Man!" When then burly martial artist entered the room, everyone looked up at him. "Pops, what happened to Mum?" "What do you mean what happened to her?" "I mean did she die or kick your lazy butt out or something? What happened?" Genma scratched the scarf covering his head. "Nothing, Boy. What did you think happened?" "What!? What do you mean 'nothin''? What the heck have we been wandering around all this time for if Mum's still alive?!" "Are you insane, Boy? Do you realise what she would do if she---" Genma cut off in mid-sentence. Slowly he backed away. "No, Boy, your training is not over yet. No, until you are ready to be the master of the School, we cannot return to your mother. Practice, Boy. That is what is needed, right Tendo-kun?" Scratching his moustache, Soun looked wistfully into the distance. As Genma took him by the elbow and led him away, they could still hear him talk for a while. "Ahh, Nodoka. Such a lovely woman. Good cook too. Say, Saotome-kun, I seem to remember you telling me about a fetish she had... What was it? Bondage? No... Ah! That's right! She was always obsessed with cutting things. You were always saying it was a shaving cut or something silly like that!... Say, didn't she used to like carrying a katana around? Lovely woman besides that of course, just lovely, and as sweet as anything..." Sweating nervously, everyone faced back to the centre of the table and was silent. They knew Ranma was strange, but they assumed he had gotten that from his father. Maybe that was not the only source of his problems. In an effort to steer the conversation away from Ranma's parents, people looked at Shampoo who was on his right. She in turn regaled them with stories of her mother. Naturally, the fierce Amazon warrior had been both incredibly skilled and beautiful, like all her line. Regrettably, when outnumber vastly by the inferior fighters of the Musk, she had been brought low. Now however, she was in a place much like the one Hotaru had described, except this was the Amazon version of heaven. Continuous battle broken only by feasting, celebration and other fighting. In many ways it was reminiscent of the stories of the Norse gods, and their visions of Asgerd... but slightly more violent and female dominated. Shampoo's stories of glory and battle led them to talking about their own exploits and the great battles they had fought in the past. In no time, each of the martial artists was strutting around the room, boasting to the skies about how powerful they were and how no foe could defeat them. Looking out the sliding door to where her father and his guest still practiced gentle Kata, Nabiki took in the gathering darkness of evening and smiled. "If everyone is feeling so confident, perhaps now would be a good time to head off?" There was a slight hesitation, but only slight. In no time, a chorus of cheers and determination rang out, and the group announced their commitment. Standing as one, the valiant martial artists rose and left the room. After a moment, Ranma returned and looked down at one of the girls left sitting behind in the room. "So, you coming, Hotaru?" With amazement in her eyes, the girl looked up and blinked at her idol, once again female as she prepared for a night of work. "You... You want me to come with you?" "I said you could come when you were ready." Ranma gave a cocky grin. "I figure what you showed us yesterday says you're ready. What do you think?" When the transformed Hotaru walked out to join the other fighters gathered in the front yard, she could not remember the last time she had been so proud. All her life, she had been 'Hotaru, the weak, sickly little strange girl'. Now she wasn't. Standing among all of these strong fighters, she was a valued member of their team. Finally, after all those years, she was a member of that most important group in the world... She was a part of a group of friends, she was one of 'us', not a stranger on the outside looking in. Feeling ten feet tall and strong enough to take on the entire team of Sailor Senshi at once, she walked proudly in the middle of the group. Her massive polearm and shock white costume made her stand out against the softer colours the others wore, but she would not have traded it in an instant. Her magic made her worthwhile. Walking along, Hotaru did not notice the way the others placed themselves around her in a way that they could protect her. For all that she had proven her ability to form an impregnable shield, she was the weakest of them all. For all intents and purposes, she was also incapable of attacking their enemies; no matter what powers she might claim. The fact that she weighed less that Ryoga's umbrella had nothing to do with their protective instinct, but something in the girl inspired their protective instincts. An hour into the patrol, Hotaru was riding on top of Ryoga's backpack. She was not yet too tired to walk, but her weight was negligible to him, and that let the group run and jump, covering vastly more ground in a night than they could hope to while walking. Resting most of the time also let Hotaru ad a new dimension to their scouting that they had never had before: flight. For short periods, Hotaru would soar aloft on her gossamer wings, looking for the trouble that they sought, taking advantage of her magical powers for more than just fleeing. Naturally, it was one of the times that she was resting comfortably - or as comfortably as one can while sitting sideways on the top a hard backpack that was currently moving down the street at high speed - that they found their enemy for the night. Emerald, one of the evil sorceresses in the employ of a group calling themselves the Dark Moon Family. They had not fought her head on before, but this time it looked like they would. The woman was laughing villainously behind her fan watching a building full of people not far from them. With a yell and a wave, Ranma urged the team forwards. If she was alone, this could be their big chance. They would be able to take her down and make Tokyo safer by one villain. Not waiting for the others, Ranma sprinted forwards, planning on getting the surprise on her and making her regret her inattention. Behind her Hotaru nimbly landed as she jumped off Ryoga's pack, and the rest of the martial artists drew weapons and ran forwards. Feeling her blood surge, Ranma leapt, covering the last ten metres to Emerald with her left leg extended for a devastating kick. Less than half a metre from her target, Ranma was suddenly propelled sideways, knocked aside by a bolt of black lightning. Smoking slightly, Ranma rolled to her feet and shook her head. Emerald, now facing them laughed again as their faces dropped when they realised the truth. The truth that they had not caught her unawares, but had again underestimated their foes. "Prince Diamond told me to be careful of others out here tonight, not just the Senshi. I thought he meant the Death Busters, someone dangerous, not just a group of children like you! Droid! Destroy them! Drain their energy and use it to power of Crystal!" The Droid, the source of the dark energy that had hit Ranma walked from the building. Even Ranma and Ryoga - fortified by anger and hatred - backed up a step in awe of the figure they saw. Still somehow female in appearance, the Droid was a parody on the toys from the store that it came from. Large, plastic looking fins protruded from her upper arms, and she was covered in interlocking plates of metal or plastic armour. Most of her face was covered by a mask reminiscent of a dozen anime of giant mecha. The fact that Droid was a healthy two and half metres tall and heavy enough to crack the pavement when it walked made lie to the thought that it was just a feeble toy. "I deal with this thing. You guys take care of the old woman!" With that Ranma again charged, but this time she was sure in her target, seeking to occupy the Droid while they accomplished their real mission. "'Old Woman'?" Emerald screamed. "I'll have you know I am the most beautiful person in all of Prince Diamond's court." "Shampoo think court must no have other woman." Snarling, Emerald snapped her fan closed and pointed at them. "Destroy them! Destroy them all! Do not stop until they are dead!" Looking away she muttered. "Not even the Senshi are this insulting..." Slow to respond initially, the Droid failed to stop Ranma as the small red-head launched in and delivered a series of side kicks to its head before dropping top the ground in front of it and sweeping out both legs. There was a massive crunch as concrete shattered when the plastic monstrosity landed. Standing up, Ranma flicked her pig-tail back over her shoulder with a negligent thumb. "Feh! That weren't so tough." "Ran-chan!" "Airen!" "Ranma-san!" "You idiot!" "Saotome!" A chorus of voices rang out, but it was too late. Not even phased by the kicks and the rough landing, the toy / mecha / girl / Droid / thing lashed out with its own kick. It had none of Ranma's finesse, but it had ten times the power, more than enough to catch Ranma in the middle of the back and send her slamming into the front wall of the store. As everyone rushed it, the Droid followed up its victory and grabbed the briefly stunned Ranma out of the concrete she had been embedded in. Holding the front of the red shirt, the Droid accepted a bonbori strike to its side for the pleasure of drawing back its massive fist and sending it rocketing into the unprotected jaw in front of it. Tearing a great section of shirt off the front of the red-head, the Droid's blow sent her flying high into they sky, flailing limply like a rag doll. Ranma's landing would have been rather nasty, but a small form that had been reluctant to enter the fight suddenly took to the air and caught her. Hotaru might not have been strong enough to carry someone larger like Mousse or Ryoga, but Ranma's female form was not much larger than she was, the martial artist's rock hard strength hidden within an apparently fragile shell. Sweating under the strain, Hotaru could not fly off with her friend, but she could ensure a safe, soft landing. When they touched down, she briefly took in the fight and concentrated. She had to be able to do something to help as she held the unconscious form of Ranma in her arms. Infuriated by the sight of their fiancee being treated that way, Shampoo and Ukyo moved in to demolish the plastic horror. A brace of throwing spatulas simply bounce off harmlessly, but the combined attacks of the girls managed to send plastic chips flying as the Droid was forced to block and protect its face. The momentum did not last long, for as the boys manoeuvred into position to join the fight, Shampoo was sent sailing backwards with a blow strong enough to make her ribs creak. Caught by the flying Shampoo, Mousse was sent sprawling one way, while his glasses flew in the other direction with an ominous tinkling sound. By the time he had clambered to his feet, the world had devolved into an almost uniform blur. Only the massive quantities of bright, primary colours identified their adversary, but until he could don a new pair of glasses, he would be the same liability that Ranma had initially feared. At least, he might be a liability to most of the team. He could not tell where most of their crew were, but Ryoga was easy to spot. At least, Mousse assumed that it was Ryoga. He hoped it was Ryoga. Anyone else capable of glowing a swirling, sickly green that cut through even his impaired vision was someone he hoped would only exist once in this world. Ryoga's depression was obvious. Kuno had been felled by Emerald as soon as he had tried to attack her with his bokken. Ranma was down. Hotaru was hiding. Shampoo and Mousse were lying on the ground. And Ukyo... Ukyo was hanging by her throat as the Droid slowly crushed the air out of her. Channelling Ki into his hands, Ryoga let his Shi Shi Hokodan build. He could not hit Emerald because she was behind the Droid, and he could not hit the Droid without frying Ukyo. Uselessness, failure, despair; these things only fuelled his attack even more. Burning with anger, Ryoga swore that this would not be another battle that they lost. "Droid! Kill her! Do not hesitate! We will take their energy and rise, more powerful than ever!" Slowly, the Droid closed its chunky fingers around Ukyo's pale, slender throat until... --- End Of Chapter Well... Can you say "cliff-hanger"? Well done! I know you could. What is going to happen to Ukyo? Will Shampoo finally be in the clear as the last surviving fiancee of Ranma? Will Ukyo suddenly realise that she is the improbably named Sailor Oort Cloud, cross dressing half- sister of Sailor Pluto? Will she suddenly gain amazing powers and save all of Tokyo in one fell swoop? Will someone put some sense into this rant? All this and more, next, on Vengeance And A Half 06! --- End Of Author's Rant