Disclaimer: What's mine is mine; what's not is not. Darn! That leaves me with practically
nothing! Ideas just don't have much substance... Sigh
Author's note: Points finger accusingly This is all your fault! On the table lies the
ever-innocent Pink Floyd album "Dark side of the moon" If it weren't for you... If it
weren't... I wouldn't be writing this pointless thing!
Author's note #2: Anyway, this was also inspired by the "Temple of Ranma's seifuku" site.
(It won't be the last time, either.) Frankly, though, I've had this idea floating in my head a
long time before then, and had even written almost three chapters based on it... However,
that was two years ago, and I never posted any of it. (If you think I'm a bad writer now, you
should have seen me then.) But Poly gave me the idea to revise it, and, thanks to her, I have.
I had, at first, intended for this idea to be a mega crossover; but the sheer size was daunting,
and I never finished the third chapter, altogether making it 400Kb of wasted effort. So, now,
it's not a mega crossover, and has a completely different plot. It's just a common Sailor
Moon/Ranma 1/2 crossover, now.
And, so, I give you one of my many planned stories that will make me the worst writer in
existence! Bwahahahahahaaaaaaaaaa!
Dark side of the moon
By: Crescent Pulsar
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One leap, followed by another, and yet another: this was Mars' current occupation as she
rushed toward the source of evil.
It had been an overall peaceful day (as were the prior weeks before it), but the evil that she
felt in the distance prompted her to abandon her sweeping of the temple's grounds and
search it out. Of course, no sooner had she transformed, had she alerted her fellow senshi
and given the general coordinates of the evil's location.
As she leapt from yet another rooftop, she wondered why trouble had to reinsert itself into
their lives so soon. The fight for peace, she knew, would be an ongoing battle until the end
of time. But couldn't it have wait until AFTER summer vacation was over, much less not so
early in the morning?
"This better not be something that'll take up TOO much time to defeat." She groused in
thought. She did have some youth she wished to preserve, after all.
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Chapter one - Part one: The Censure! hits the moon.
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A certain pigtailed martial artist whistled idly as he walked along the top of a fence that
overlooked the canal with his arms folded behind his head, intent on taking his leisurely time
on his way to the empty lot.
As you might have already guessed, he was once again on his way to answer one of
Ryoga's challenges. And, as usual, the date for the dual had long since passed. In fact, this
was Ranma's seventh day of routine inspections to see if Ryoga had arrived yet, which had
started three days after the issued date on the challenge.
Truth to tell, Ranma was beginning to get a little worried. Ryoga may be late all the time, but
never by ten days. Sure, maybe he wasn't being detained by anything life-threatening (at
least that's what he hoped), but he was nonetheless concerned. Despite his "friend's"
vendetta, there was something that Ranma liked about him that, given time, helped to allay
his anger toward him. As to what that was, well, that was anyone's guess: because he didn't
know himself.
His musings were interrupted by faint screams, which were soon followed by explosions and
plumes of smoke not but two blocks away.
"What in the hell's goin' on over there?" He wondered, forgetting about his fight with
Ryoga (should he have been in the designated location) and ran towards the disturbance.
Whatever was happening certainly couldn't be caused by anyone he knew, right?
Unfortunately, he was correct. Skidding to a stop after rounding the last corner to his
destination, he gawked, shocked at the sight before him.
Okay, maybe he'd fought Pantyhose enough times to be confident enough to fight him
without much thought, but THIS thing made him beyond cautious: he was downright
petrified. Two, long, segmented horns protruded from its head, curved much like a ram's. Its
body was monstrous, covered in black fur, and an equally black, leathery hide where such
fur was absent. Muscles bulged to enormous proportions wherever muscle could be found,
and his hands and feet, much like an ape's, seemed larger than normal. On its back, huge,
bat-like wings could be found, adorned with knife-sized nails at the tips of each finger. Its
face, though very much like Pantyhose's, was twisted into an ever-present scowl, with deep
embers for eyes that looked out from the shadowy depths of its eye sockets.
If Ranma were capable of thinking at this point and time, and had decided to make a
comparison between the entity before him and the cursed form of Pantyhose, he'd've gladly
fought a dozen of the latter before even THINKING of fighting the former. If anything, the
demon before him could probably win most of its battles through intimidation alone.
However, despite the apprehension he felt, his resolve to face the demon solidified as he
watched it pick up a man who tried to run out of one of the stores, enveloping him in some
kind of red energy before tossing him aside like a doll. The unfortunate victim met with a
building's facade with a nauseating splat. It was then, as he watched the man crumple to the
ground (having been morbidly transfixed by the gore he had witnessed), that he noticed
others who had met a similar fate.
"ENOUGH!" He yelled, grabbing the demon's attention. He doubted he had a chance of
beating this... thing, but he'd be forever ashamed if he didn't try. One might be surprised if
they knew such doubts, but, then again, whom was there that could read his mind, where
such thoughts were never revealed aloud?
His body tensed as the demon sprinted towards him, its hungry eyes unnerving him greatly.
This was not his everyday, run-of-the-mill demon he fought on occasion. No; this one was
dangerous, if those lifeless bodies littering the ground were any indication.
When the demon was upon him, he jumped directly into its face, avoiding its grasp at the
same time as he prepared to go straight into the use of his special techniques. And why
not? It'd be foolish to test the waters against something so obviously evil and strong.
"Kachu tenshin amaguriken!" He announced, his left fist striking the creature's head
multiple times with all the strength he could muster behind it.
The demon lumbered back against the onslaught, but was otherwise unfazed. In fact, it
thoughtlessly threw its head forward, unconcerned about the impact a whole human body
would make against it. This caught Ranma by complete surprise, who was barely fast
enough to shield himself with his arms before impact.
Sailing through the air, his forearms screaming in pain, Ranma knew he was outmatched
even before he crashed through a window and several aisles of shelves in a movie rental
shop. But that didn't stop him from standing up and running back out into the light of day,
ready to give his all in hopes of defeating his enemy.
The demon awaited him, and licked its chops as it made to grab him again. Ignoring the
former (which was quite disconcerting), he dodged the giant hand (being slightly comforted
at having a speed advantage), gathered his confidence, joined his hands at the base,
extended them towards the target's face, and shouted: "Moko takabisha!"
Ranma took the chance to leap back, distancing himself from his opponent to see the
results, wondering if said opponent's inaction was a good sign.
It wasn't. When the smoke cleared from its face, it was looking down at him with, if it were at
all possible to tell (much less measure), a hunger bordering on lust. And he was startled
when it spoke, its voice bellowing deep, rattling surrounding windows and vibrating his
body ever-so-slightly. "YUMMMM..."
Before he could respond, Ranma found himself crushed within the demon's grasp, who had
taken the opportunity to take advantage of his distraction. Well, you'd be surprised if you
blasted a demon in the face and had gotten such a response as this one had given. You'd
expect them to be annoyed or something at the least.
Not this one, though. And Ranma soon found out why as the red energy surrounded him,
stripping him of his strength no sooner than it had appeared: the demon was absorbing his
energy! He struggled, but the demon's grip was too strong for him to escape, and he was
rapidly losing what energy he had for accomplishing such a feat.
"Shishi hokodan!"
Ranma's body was jarred as a ball of green energy impacted the wrist of the hand that held
him, and, fortunately, the demon relinquished his grip as a result. Falling to his feet, he was
too drained to stand just yet, and fell onto his bottom because of it. However, he was quite
capable of turning his head to regard whom he expected to see a short distance aside from
him: Ryoga.
Ryoga, of course, wielded his umbrella in one hand after sending his energy blast, as well as
a smirk on his face as he challenged the demon. "I won't allow you to kill Ranma: that's my
privilege, and mine alone!" So proclaiming, he charged the demon with a battle cry.
"Oh, my hero..." Ranma muttered, voice dripping with sarcasm. Honestly; you'd think it'd
take an "eye for an eye" to kill someone in revenge. Then again, that wouldn't work unless
it was normal to become zombies, or ghosts, or something like that... It'd probably be best
not to dwell on that, unless he really wanted a headache.
Rising to his feet, having recovered from being drained to some extent, Ranma decided to
attack while Ryoga had the demon's attention. Obviously, someone with more energy (at the
moment) was worth paying more attention to. The question was: what could be done now?
Throwing energy at it was the same as feeding it, and conventional attacks didn't seem to
have much effect. The Hiryu shoten ha wouldn't be possible because of the demon's size
and strength: not because the demon may be too heavy to lift or too strong to be effected,
but because there would be no room to draw it into a spiral, and his shortage of strength
wouldn't allow him to dodge very well, anyway.
No sooner had he come to these conclusions, did the demon snatch Ryoga out of the air
(who hadn't figured out that the demon was absorbing his energy blasts). "Ryoga!" He
shouted, then leapt into the air, making an attempt to free his "friend" by attacking from
behind.
And was it ever an attempt: the demon, as if nonchalantly, spread its wings out and
swatted him away by turning around. It didn't hurt much, the thin membrane of the wing
that hit him being much softer than a skull, but sliding along the pavement, unable to right
himself onto his feet as the friction quickly done away with the back of his shirt, was
anything but pleasant. Going through a stream of water, which was caused by a busted fire
hydrant that an overturned car rested over, wasn't particularly pleasing, either, and
triggered his curse.
Getting to her knees, she raised her head to see that Ryoga was in the process of being
drained in much the same way that she had been. "Damn it!" She cursed, despairing over
the realization that she couldn't do anything.
And, so, she didn't even bother to rise to her feet, watching as Ryoga lost more and more of
his strength to the demon, even as he futilely pounded on the hand that held him. But
almost immediately she bowed her head and cracked the asphalt by slamming her fists
against it, thinking desperately for a solution. Of course, only one thing came to mind: using
what strength she had left to, at least, hope to save Ryoga (even at personal risk).
So deciding, she jumped to her feet and dashed towards the demon, calling out: "Hey!
Ugly!"
"Who're you calling ugly!?" Ryoga retorted from his place within the demon's grasp. Said
demon looked over its shoulder to regard her, and promptly snorted.
"I wasn't talking to you, you idiot!" Ranma responded, exasperated, just before sliding
between the demon's legs. Then, for the first time in all her years as a martial artist, she
decided to implement a secret technique that was only to be used under the most desperate
of circumstances: the Saotome's school of martial arts secret desperation attack: take the
family jewels! "HAI-YA!"
Time seemed to stand still as Ryoga stared at his rival's extended leg, which was currently
embedded in the demon's groin. Ranma's head was turned away, one eye closed and the
other partly so, that small part of her that was curious wanting to know just WHERE her foot
had actually gone.
And then time flowed freely again. Ranma landed on one foot, then proceeded to hop up
and down on it as she clutched at her gallant one, which was smarting. Ryoga was released
from his containment and was unceremoniously dumped onto the ground. The demon let
out an ear-deafening howl of pain as it grasped its groin with both hands, tears pouring out
from its void-like eyes.
"Ranma!" Ryoga gasped, pointing at said person accusingly. "Have you no shame!?"
Ranma glared in Ryoga's direction, hardly amused, and still relieving her offended foot from
the ground. "I just saved you, pork butt!"
Whatever respite they had gained by Ranma's... unscrupulous attack, it was wasted with
words. Not only that, but it allowed the demon to backhand Ranma before she had a chance
to raise a proper defense, and was sent crashing through a wall of a nearby building.
"Mercury aqua rhapsody!" Was called out from above, startling Ryoga, who then
witnessed a jet of water as it smashed into the side of the demon's head. The demon was
knocked off balance and fell onto its side, but soon returned to its feet and turned its gaze to
the figure standing atop a building, forgetting about its former captive as its eyes settled
upon its next victim.
Sailor Mercury, who was the first and only to arrive at the scene as of yet, frowned down at
the boy who remained standing beside the demon, whom she thought would have enough
sense to run to safety. "Run!" She shouted. "While I have it distracted!"
Run? Ryoga? Never!
...
Well, maybe a brief retreat to await a second wind. So, he ran across the street and entered
the building Ranma had been hit through, using the entrance she had involuntarily made. It
wasn't that he was concerned about her, it was just a matter of making sure she was alive so
he could kill her later himself.
As he heard that strange girl yell that attack of hers again, he found his rival lying in what
remained of a toilet and its stall in some restaurant's restroom...
"Where am I?" Ranma wondered, puzzled by her surroundings. All around she found
nothing but whiteness, in the form of feathers, stars, moons, hearts and various styles and
patterns of cloth; and she just knew what fabrics the lattermost were. Also, the background
was opalescent, often casting the colors of the rainbow onto the white objects around her. It
was quite pretty, if she did say so herself.
"What am I THINKING!?" She questioned herself. Guys didn't describe things as... Hold on;
technically, she was a girl at the moment, and no one seemed to be around, so... Nothing to
worry about!
Still, where on earth was she? Was she dead?
"You're in a dream, princess."
"Who's there!?" She exclaimed in alarm, looking about herself for an unknown quarry.
It took a moment for her to register what exactly was said, mostly due to being disoriented
by the constant weightlessness she was experiencing. When she did, though, she
demanded: "And who're you callin' a princess!?"
"Why, you, of course."
The slight breeze around her shifted direction, to the west (she could tell somehow), and it
was warm and pleasant. Willing herself to turn about so she could face the movement of the
wind, she yelped in surprise when she found a miniature version of herself directly before
her face. But that couldn't be her! Maybe she had her cobalt blue eyes, vibrant red hair,
creamy white skin, as well as her figure and short stature; but there was no WAY she'd ever
wear that getup!
The getup in question was a black, formfitting body suit with white ribbons tied into bows
over her bosom and at the small of her back (the former bearing a shiny black gem at its
center). There was a white, sunburst-pleated miniskirt, that proudly displayed her thighs in
abundance. Her feet and calves were encased in black, knee-length boots with two-inch
heels, the top of each tipped with a small band of white. Also, her hands were fitted with
black gloves that ended around the wrist, where the cuff extended away and removed itself
from contact with her skin with a small band of white encircling the end. The sailor collar
was white with three black stripes along and near the hem, and the choker around her neck
was black. In her ears were dangling earrings, with black, crescent moons hanging from
pearls. Across her temple was a golden tiara with a small, black gem gleaming in its center.
Finally, her fanny-length hair was tied with a black bow at the base of her braid.
"Wh-who're you?" She managed to stammer out, feeling quite awkward in a situation she
had never experienced, much less having any idea as to how she should respond to it.
"I'm you, silly!" Her mini-self replied, giggling. She hadn't noticed before, but her voice was
very pleasant to hear, a light and sweet soprano if she ever heard one. Did she really sound
like that?
"But... How can that be?" She asked, confused. Wasn't she a man? And what was up with
her attire, not to mention diminutive size?
Ever smiling, her mini-self genially answered: "I am a spiritual representation of your heart,
and what you see before you is a former incarnation that has been awakened in you. The
day you fell into the nyannichuan, was the day you reclaimed the body and memories of
your past self." She leaned forward, a curious look on her face. "Don't tell me you never
noticed?"
Ranma shook her head, hardly comprehending what had just been explained to her. "Notice
what?" She asked. Was she saying that she was a girl in a past life, and the nyannichuan
had made her that girl?
"Concentrate." Was her mini-self's simple reply, remaining patient.
Even more confounded now, Ranma regarded her in puzzlement. "Concentrate on what?"
She wondered in thought. Maybe... She did say something about memories from her past
life... Was that it?
Concentrating on memories she didn't even know she had, closing her eyes and clearing her
mind in the process, she was finally aware of how calm she was in the place she found
herself at and that being nude hadn't even bothered her nor seem important. Also, her
thought processes were working perfectly, everything coming and going freely and clearly.
How strange.
What was even more strange, was the sudden realization of what her mini-self was referring
to. She had thought back to the day she had been cursed, but, for some unknown reason,
she had just now noticed how different she was before taking her fateful plunge. In her
search for the memories that belonged to her past life, she had instead found some from her
current one and, in all honesty, did not like what she found.
She, before the plunge, was very much like her father in almost every way. And, despite not
having any experience with girls, she knew she'd've been confident enough to... get what
she wanted out of her girlfriends. She was so arrogant, so thoughtless and selfish... How
could she have not noticed the changes (the lack of confidence, thoughtlessness and
selfishness) after being cursed? She should have been confident when she first met the
Tendo's, and would have picked Kasumi since she seemed so docile and easy to manipulate.
God! Would she have really done that? Yes... Yes, she would have. But the curse, or rather
the blessing, had seemingly mixed her personality with that of her past incarnation's, and
made such an occurrence impossible. She wasn't sure how she knew, but an unknown
intuition told her that she was absolutely correct.
So, the Ranma that was carried into the Tendo's lives (literally), was more timid and
conscientious, more selfless and open to learning. However, depending on the
circumstances, the better or worse aspects of her personality could be drawn out and be
more dominant.
Opening her eyes to gaze at her mini-self, she was given a bouncy nod and a radiant smile.
"That's right." She was told, answering her unasked question.
"But... Why?" She inquired, then hastily added: "Not that I'm complainin' or nothin'."
And why not complain? From her viewpoint at this point and time, she hated her former self.
Perhaps she wouldn't have such an opinion of herself if no changes to her personality were
made, but how could she have lived with herself treating people even worse than her father?
Moreover, why had she not noticed before: that she was different?
"Beats me!" Came the cheery reply, causing Ranma to look at her oddly. Then, shrugging,
she said: "I'm a part of you that you never used in your past incarnation, so I'm about as
much in the dark as you are. However..."
"However?" Ranma inquired intently, taking the bait.
"However, the reason for us meeting together like this at long last, is because your 'heart'
yearns for the capability to do good, to protect others from evil, much like the monstrosity
that defeated you."
"I wasn't defeated." Ranma grumbled, looking down and blushing. "I'm just taking a
breather, okay?"
"Whatever you say." Her mini-self replied, amused. "Either way, it's your choice to unlock
your heritage and memories. As your guardian, I've come in your time of need, and in
response to the call of destiny. The choice is up to you."
"Waitaminute!" Ranma blurted abruptly. "Heritage? Guardian? Destiny? What're you talking
about?"
With an impish little grin, her "guardian" cryptically said: "Now THAT... is a secret!" She
was waggling her finger at her.
Ranma, for lack of a better word, was not amused. In fact, she was quite miffed, and her
facial expression demonstrated so.
Sighing forlornly, her guardian allowed her limbs to hang languidly, and, with a pout, said:
"You're no fun, at all."
Feeling a little apologetic, though still serious, Ranma softly stated: "I'm sorry. But I don't
understand what's going on, and I've had enough problems caused by jumping into the
unknown before, you know?"
"I do." Her guardian replied, smiling slightly. "I'm you, remember?"
"Yeah, about that..." Ranma spoke, trailing off, hoping to elicit certain information.
"Well..." Her guardian began thoughtfully, tapping an index finger against her chin. "Every
living thing has a star seed: the planets, the animals, you, and every other creature in the
cosmos. That's the part of you that I represent, but I'm no ordinary star seed. You see,
certain star seeds are special, and they are called sailor crystals."
"What's a sailor crystal?" Ranma interjected.
"Don't interrupt!" Her guardian snapped, glaring balefully.
"Okay, okay!" Ranma quickly acquiesced. And she thought Akane was capricious!
Clearing her throat, her guardian continued in a lecturing tone. "Anyway, a sailor crystal
draws power from certain planets or celestial objects, in order to protect them. You, princess,
are one of two who have a moon crystal; or so it was, anyway. Your sister relinquished her
ties with the moon, gradually, by adapting the Silver crystal as her source of power, her
existence. Your destiny lies on a similar path, to allow a new moon crystal to be born."
Ranma didn't understand much of the information at all, but she did manage to catch a few
interesting words as she had done once before. "Princess? Sister?" Her face contorted into
a vision of pure complexity. Since when did she have a sister? And how could she be a
princess? She was particularly surprised at not being disturbed by such feminine titles.
"All sailor crystals are considered royalty." Her guardian explained. "But you were also born
a noble in your past incarnation where you had a twin sister, who has been reincarnated as
you have."
"I... see..." Ranma mumbled slowly, trying to make sense of everything she had learned thus
far and only succeeding marginally.
For reasons she wouldn't share with her charge, the guardian of Ranma's sailor crystal softly
said: "I apologize, but I must go now."
"But... But I have so many things to ask!" Ranma implored, growing worried. "Wh-what do I
do? What do I do with my sailor crystal? What do I do with my sister? How will this effect
my current life?" She was practically pleading as she said: "Please! Tell me!"
Her guardian regarded her with compassion in response to her tearing eyes, and softly
explained: "You must make the decision, princess. Your heart is your key; feel it, follow it,
allow it to guide you in the right direction. You can continue with your old life, or venture
into a new world of learning and growth. Making the transition, should you decide to follow
that path, will not be easy. Choose..." She began to fade away as she retreated into a source
of light that grew ever brighter. "Until, perhaps, we meet again..."
Ranma shielded her eyes with her arms as she was blinded by a flash of light, as it
encompassed everything and yet nothing...
Groaning, her body aching from the blow that had been incurred by the demon, Ranma
opened her eyes and focused on the blurry shadow that stood in front of the portal of light
(which was the hole in the wall).
"Good; I see you've managed to survive, Ranma." Came a condescending voice from the
shadowy figure, that Ranma quickly recognized as Ryoga's.
"Shove it, Ryoga." She replied sourly, wincing at the pain she felt as she sat up, several
shards of porcelain cutting her. "The least you could do is show some gratitude."
Ryoga snorted, turning his head away as he said: "I didn't ask for your help. I almost had
myself free when you butt in."
Ranma was tempted to argue, but decided against it. There was a demon to take care of,
regardless of her physical condition, and she was determined to fight it until the end.
Clambering to her feet, the act quite painstaking, her thoughts focused on that dream she
had. It felt like it had happened to somebody else, as she had acted somewhat differently
(she decided), but she was certain it had been her that had been the recipient of the dream.
And what a dream! If she hardly understood anything whilst she dreamed, she hadn't a clue
as the dream faded from her conscious memory. She could remember key elements that had
caught her immediate attention in the dream, as well as the end of it; but that was about it.
"What're you doing?" Ryoga inquired, watching as his rival leaned against the remaining
partition of the stall for support.
She turned her head to regard the eternally lost boy, a "you've got to be kidding me" look
on her face. "What do you think?" She asked rhetorically. "I'm going back out there to fight
that thing."
"HA!" Ryoga exclaimed, his mocking tone nettling Ranma almost instantly. "You couldn't
do anything before, and now you can barely stand!"
"I didn't see you do any better!" Ranma stated crossly, wishing she had the strength to
pound that arrogant bastard's head in.
But he was right about one thing: she was quite unsteady on her feet. There was no chance
of her fighting now, as she would be just as vulnerable as any other normal person who
crossed the demon's path.
"Jupiter oak revolution!" This was followed by an explosion and an enraged outcry from
none other than the demon.
"What's going on out there?" Ranma wondered aloud, gazing out the hole in the tiled wall.
"You mean... You don't know?" Ryoga queried carefully, signs of disbelief creeping across
his visage.
"Venus love and beauty shock!" And it sounded like the demon was shocked to find that it
wasn't very lovely at all.
Glaring at Ryoga, ill-humored, Ranma pointedly said: "I was unconscious, remember?"
Ryoga blinked a few consecutive times, regarding her silently for a few seconds, before
bursting out at the seams with laughter. How could anyone be ignorant of the senshi?
Ranma was visibly steaming, and wished she could put her foot where the sun didn't shine;
but she wouldn't be able to do that to Ryoga after injuring her one foot doing that groin
attack, and wouldn't be able to stand on it if she lost support by using the other to do the
job.
"I don't need this crap!" Ranma thought, miffed. So thinking, she stumbled towards the exit
she had installed earlier against her will. Maybe she couldn't fight the demon, but she could
certainly leave the company of that annoying jackass.
Grabbing ahold of the wall for support, she stood within the hole and stared wide-eyed at
the sight of color-coded cheerleaders as they wove around the demon, seeming to distract it
with proximity of numbers while another separated from the group undetected.
"Mars flame sniper!" And the lone cheerleader fired an arrow of flame, striking the demon
from behind and knocking it to the ground. Much of its hair was singed.
The other three quickly took the opportunity to unleash their own attacks while the demon
was prostrate.
"Venus love and beauty shock!"
"Mercury aqua rhapsody!"
"Jupiter oak revolution!"
Ranma gaped, amazed at the display of power she was witnessing. Who were they!? And
what were those attacks that they were using, that the demon couldn't absorb? If she had
attacks like those, then she'd have no problem taking out the stupid demon herself.
When the smoke from the attack cleared, the demon picked itself up from the floor of the
crater and shook its head, clearing it of the disorientation the blasts of those attacks had
induced. Then, turning her attention to the cheerleader in red, she found her yelling to
nobody in particular as she pressed an index finger onto the stud of her earring. She was too
far away to understand what she was saying despite her yelling, but it was obvious that she
was quite unhappy.
Again, Ranma wondered who they were. Did they associate with... What was her name...
Mariko something... Well, did they associate with whomever she was thinking of? That
would explain the strange names of their attacks, and why they resembled cheerleaders. But
where were their batons, or pompoms? "Still, they won't be able to defeat the demon by
themselves." She observed privately.
Which was why she had to do something. She had a score to settle with that demon,
anyway; so she thought that she deserved to bring it down herself. But how; knowing full
well her incapability of walking a straight line, much less fight?
"Choose..." Echoed in the background of her thoughts, startling her slightly. Then it
dawned on her! These cheerleaders looked like her guardian! Maybe they weren't
cheerleaders (not that that mattered), then? But they were undoubtedly suited for battling
energy-eating demons, and were powerful to boot. Just what kind of attacks do they use,
anyway? As she watched the orange-colored "cheerleader" use her attack, she noticed that
there was no reaction from her senses, and couldn't find a trace of a ki signature.
Ryoga, by now, had suppressed his laughter and joined his rival's side within the hole;
although his attention was on said rival, and not the girls fighting the demon outside. "You
really don't know who they are?"
Ranma looked askance and, seeing that Ryoga seemed more curious than ready-to-tease,
she answered by giving him a light shake of her head in the negative, before asking: "Who
are they?" And then she continued to watch the mysterious girls fight.
"They're the sailor senshi." Ryoga answered simply, turning his attention to the fight. "I'm
surprised you never heard of them."
"Sailor senshi..." Ranma worded quietly, too low for Ryoga to hear over the din of battle.
There was that "sailor" word, from her dream. And these senshi were no doubt protectors,
as her guardian had said they would be, with their planets being declared with each attack.
Was she to be like them?
Reviewing the remnants of her dream, she realized that this was the choice that she was to
make: whether to be, or not to be, a senshi. She could be a protector, one capable of
defeating the sort of demon that those girls now confronted.
Girls? Yes... All of them were girls; not powerful, musclebound men in spandex with mighty
swords or some other weapon of justice, but innocent, seemingly fragile girls... And they
wielded a power she could only dream of having. Sure, she was good, but even she could
tell that the four senshi had her beat in all but her livelihood: her skill as a martial artist.
But she had a sailor crystal, didn't she? Couldn't she use the same power and defeat that
demon? Well, she didn't know if she would be able to defeat it (seeing as the other four
couldn't accomplish that with all of their power combined), but she hoped that she would be
able to accomplish such a feat. The only question remaining, was: how to go about
becoming a senshi.
She pondered for a few moments, continuing to watch the battle as Ryoga did. Then, after
catching a glimpse of one of the senshi's brooches, she remembered an aspect of her dream
that held the answer she was looking for. She had to use her heart, as her guardian had told
her that her heart was the key; that she should follow it, and allow it to guide her in the right
direction. Well, she knew exactly what she wanted, so now it was only a matter of acquiring
it.
Closing her eyes, blocking out all the outside disturbances, she began to search out her
heart blindly, not knowing how to find it. It seemed obvious that she should concentrate on
the beating organ in her chest, but she knew better, through training and meditation, that
not all things are to be taken literally when told to focus or use something that one couldn't
hope to focus on or use through conventional means.
The search was, to her relief and delight, short. No sooner had she started, had her heart
been drawn to her desire to accept her role as a senshi, her pure intentions a shining beacon
for her heart to use as a guide, so as to find her and make contact. The contact nearly stole
her mental breath away; it was so warm and comforting, suffusing her whole body as it
seemed to breeze right through her from a westerly direction... Just like in her dream, when
her guardian arrived!
Glancing over at Ranma, Ryoga was shocked to find her illuminated in a hazy, white glow,
her hair and clothing being swept about wildly by a nonexistent gale. Also, by the serene
expression on her face, he almost mistook her for someone else. Ranma? That content and
cute? Not a chance!
...
"What in the hell am I thinking!?" Ryoga exclaimed in thought, wanting but unable to turn
away from the sight before him. It was no wonder he so easily became attracted to Ranma
whenever she was in disguise: she was quite lovely when she actually appeared to be a girl.
"R-Ranma...?" He addressed uncomfortably, though still intently, in hopes of getting an
answer for what was happening.
Ranma was too engrossed with the energy that lie dormant behind a never-before-opened
"door" to register Ryoga's voice, delighting in the knowledge that, despite not knowing
what the key to opening the "door" was consciously, she could confidently open it by
using an instinctive withdrawal from her subconscious. And that's exactly what she did.
Clasping both hands over her physical heart, she announced: "Moon prism power, make
up!"
She was instantly consumed with the unfamiliar power when she unleashed it, feeling it
dissolve her clothing and wrap about her body. Her heart raced, as the power swelled into
an accessible reservoir beyond its enclosure; and her injuries were healed, relieving her of
the pain. She soon felt her modesty returned to her, as she could feel some formfitting attire
encase her torso, legs, hands and neck; and something cold and metallic graced her temple.
And the power did more, but she could not readily tell what the finishing touches were: only
that the new power was as much a part of her as her life energy, now.
When her induction into senshihood was through, she was left feeling exhilarated,
pleasantly warm, and refreshed. She felt light on her feet, clear of mind, and confident
enough to conquer anything; and conquer something she would.
Reintroducing her eyes to the light of day again, her curiosity influenced her to glance down
at herself, and she gasped in amazement when she did so: she was wearing the same getup
her guardian wore! Inspecting herself more thoroughly, she found that everything was
exactly as she remembered it in her dream. Well, after pulling her pigtail over her shoulder for
a look, it was easy to tell that it wasn't any longer than usual (not that she was concerned).
Then, remembering about a certain bandanna-clad boy, she looked beside her and found...
empty space. Casting her eyes downward, she found her quarry lying on the ground, a trail
of blood trickling from his nose and a goofy grin plastered on his face. He was, of course,
insensible. Realizing how Ryoga had come to be in that state, she giggled and said: "Serves
ya right, bacon breath."
"I can't believe dumpling head had to be sick today, of all days!" Ranma's right ear perked
up upon catching. Turning aside to see what was happening, she managed to get her first
close-up view of the red-colored senshi as she leapt into the air and away from her close
proximity to her... Showing off her bottom in the process, and making her blush furiously.
Overcoming her embarrassment, she awaited the best opportunity to intrude and have a
rematch with that demon (so she didn't jump right into an attack the other senshi couldn't
rein in). Seeing it, she dashed out into the open and made her intentions known, yelling:
"Hey! Ugly!" She hoped that, by repeating her earlier insult, it would catch the demon off
guard (as well as arrest the attention of the other senshi so they'd cease whatever strategy
they were still in the process of employing).
The demon barely spared her a glance over its shoulder before returning its attention to the
orange-colored senshi, but suddenly spun around in a hurry to face an opponent worthy of
its concern (now that it realized): a senshi making a direct attack. It made the mistake of
classifying the owner of the voice as weak (since it had defeated the owner of said voice
before), so it realized, only too late, that it had allowed the new senshi time to get right into
its face before it could properly react to the threat.
Grinning in triumph, glad that her voice hadn't warranted any attention from the demon (and
had actually worked as a distraction), she gave the demon her knuckle sandwich special
right in the nose. The demon's feet flew right out from under it as its head retreated and
slammed into the asphalt with a window-shattering thud.
The four inner senshi gaped, shocked by the new senshi's display of physical prowess.
Before the demon could recover, Ranma grabbed it by one of its pinkie toes (the others
being too big for her small hands) and began to heave it up into the air, swing it in an arch,
and then slam it down onto the asphalt. She repeated these motions a few dozen times.
The senshi continued to gape.
Brushing off her hands when she was finished, Ranma looked down at her work with
satisfaction. The demon was now lying face down in a hole that was shaped much like itself,
one of its legs twitching every now and again. Not one to leave a job half done, she decided
to use a technique that was only available to her as a senshi, one that came to mind as
naturally as one would expect from someone who had used it many times previous.
"Moon tiara action!" Throwing her tiara like a frisbee, it quickly spun fast enough with the
aid of magic to appear as a solid disk, passing through the demon's neck without apparent
trouble. And so the demon perished, dissolving into nothing, and Ranma was proud of a job
well done. She then glanced up, surprised that her tiara reappeared on her head without
having to retrieve it and do it herself. That, in her opinion, was quite convenient.
At hearing the name and seeing the sight of one of sailor Moon's trademark attacks, the
inner senshi regained their senses and cautiously approached the redheaded senshi as a
group. Ranma allowed this, waiting patiently as she wondered how to respond to them.
Would she become a member of their team, become friends or, at least, become
acquaintances?
The senshi whose dominant color was orange, who had thigh-length blonde hair that was
accessorized in the back by a red bow, stepped ahead of the others and asked: "We
appreciate the help, but that attack you used... Who are you?"
Ranma crossed her arms and frowned, making her displeasure about their offhanded offense
known to them. They seemed inclined to being civil, but she knew they were suspicious
about something... And she's had enough suspicion in her life already. Why do so many
people distrust her? Outside of battle she rarely lied, and it was the movement of her body,
and not her mouth, that was deceptive most of the time even then. If they were going to be
like everyone else, then why care about them, much less be friendly toward them?
"What's it to ya?" She counter-questioned in a defensive tone.
"Sorry," The senshi in blue spoke up in apology, realizing they had to tread more softly with
the, to all appearances, new senshi. "But you must understand that another senshi utilizes
the same title for her attack." As for whom, she remained vague, being precautious about
what information to divulge.
"So?" Ranma argued indifferently. "That's what came to mind, so that's what I said."
The senshi in red opened her mouth in preparation to reply, but was interrupted by a raspy
"Hey guys!" from above. Everyone turned to look up at the new arrival, who stood atop and
on the ledge of a two-story electronic appliances shop. She didn't appear to be feeling well,
if her facial expression and the arm resting over her stomach was any indication.
"What did I miss?" The new arrival questioned, looking about herself and finding the
immediate area (most especially the road) moderately damaged. The motion made her
unsteady on her shaky legs, and she began to lurch forward. Unable to regain her balance
while flailing her arms up and down, she wailed as she toppled toward the ground.
The inner senshi, having much experience with their princess and her clumsy behavior, were
more than ready to catch her. However, they weren't ready for the blur that was the new
senshi, who arrived below their princess before her feet left contact with the roof of the
building and eventually caught her and placed her gently on the ground.
"You okay?" Ranma asked, despite the answer being obvious. She hadn't known what a
senshi was, much less know they exist, but she could tell the girl she knelt before was one.
Even so, she wondered why this one looked so different. What made her that way? Did it
represent her status, strength or capabilities? And those wings; were they even capable of
performing their purpose, or just there for looks or something?
"Oh, I just have a stomach virus..." Usagi replied, then paused when she realized the voice
was unfamiliar to her ears. Looking up, she found the face of a stranger, one with fiery red
hair and... blue eyes? Yes... But there was something about them... Something familiar.
Ranma felt really uncomfortable under her scrutiny, and so avoided eye contact with her.
"You have my, um, sympathy." She answered, uncertain as to what to say.
"Who are you?" Usagi inquired, wondering who the new senshi was. All the senshi of their
solar system were accounted for, weren't they? Other senshi from elsewhere had different
dress codes to represent their systems, but this one was undeniably under theirs. Besides
the sun (which no one knew whether a senshi could be tied to or not), what senshi could the
one before her possibly be?
"That's what we were trying to find out." Came a voice from beside them. Both Usagi and
Ranma looked aside and found the other senshi walking up to them, and soon stopping a
few feet away. Usagi noticed that it was Makoto whom had spoken, who continued, saying:
"She used your 'moon tiara action' attack." Then added: "And I thought that we all had our
own unique attacks for a reason." The others nodded afterward, agreeing with her.
"Isn't that my weakest attack?" Usagi questioned, unable to concentrate too well because
she was more concerned about the watering of her mouth, and the feeling that she was
going to unload her stomach of its contents again. Besides, why should she be worried
about something so trivial? So what if someone else was throwing their tiara around.
Rei, exasperated, said: "Of course it's your attack! Aren't you paying attention?"
"But I'm not feeling good..." Usagi whined in her defense, bringing Ranma to support her,
who said: "Yeah; so stop making her feel worse."
"And who were you, again?" Minako asked sweetly, all smiles, bending over to be at eye
level with the new senshi. Ranma recoiled a bit at the intrusion of her personal space, but
was even more discomforted by the subject of her identity being returned to the spotlight.
Placing her hand behind her head, and smiling nervously, Ranma replied: "Just your
everyday cheerleader... Nobody special... Ha-ha-ha!"
"'Cheerleader?'" Makoto echoed and placing arms akimbo, sounding offended. You wouldn't
catch her wearing a cheerleader's uniform unless it was ASOLUTELY necessary for
infiltration and disposal of an enemy. To insinuate that she was wearing such an outfit was
the same as asking for a broken nose.
In the background, Ami sighed to herself, knowing they'd lost the chance of finding out the
new senshi's name... for now. Oh, well; leaving it up to those with little tact results in such
failures as this. When next they have a meeting, she will be sure to brief them about it.
"Well, yeah." Ranma replied, sounding as if it were common knowledge. "A weird-looking
cheerleader, I admit; but not too weird if I had a baton or some pompoms."
Makoto was visibly mad, now. It was bad enough to say she was wearing a cheerleader
outfit, but a weird one, too? Fortunately, Rei pulled her aside and, looking down at the new
senshi, emphatically stated: "Look, all we want to know, is who you are. It's not going to kill
you to share that much, will it?"
"I s'pose not." Ranma sighed in resignation, then stood up and crossed her arms loosely to
seem more impressive, smirking proudly as she said: "I'm Dark side."
The other senshi blinked, then simultaneously queried: "'Dark side?'"
"Of the moon." Ranma helpfully supplied. Seeing that they were staring at her mutely in
response, she asked: "What?"
"Um..." Usagi began uncertainly as she picked herself up from the ground, placing a hand
over her chest to indicate herself. "I'm Eternal sailor moon." And she really, REALLY wanted
to go back home and spend some time with a porcelain bowl. Not that she wanted to, but
what better place was there to release your vomit in?
"Oh..." Ranma voiced in response, not knowing what else to do. At least she now knew the
reason for them being cautious around her, representing the same celestial object and all.
She guessed that it must be more from being an unknown element, or else they would have
expected her to discover her heritage (as her guardian put it) eventually.
The other senshi soon introduced themselves in turn since she had finally revealed herself,
but no personal identifications were given just yet. She didn't know how to greet them, or
even if she should try to get acquainted, so she just nodded as they each identified
themselves by their respective planets: Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury. She absently
wondered where the rest were.
"Well," Ami started, somewhat surprised at finding out the new senshi's identity since she
was sure they had upset her in some fashion in the beginning and had ruined the chance of
learning it. "We all agree that we've never heard of Dark side of the moon?" All present,
except Ami and Ranma, voiced their agreement. Ranma remained silent, wondered what was
happening now. Were they questioning her station? "Then perhaps we should ask Luna
and Artemis. They'd know if she was present during the Silver millennium."
Ranma didn't know what the "Silver millennium" was, but she found herself interested in this
"Artemis" person. Somehow, and for some unknown reason, the name sounded familiar.
"Luna!" Usagi croaked out, wishing she was within the comfort of her home so she could
avoid vomiting in front of her friends and suffering embarrassment. "It's okay to come out
now!"
Searching with her eyes, Ranma didn't find anyone approaching within her line of sight.
Soon, however, she found out why when a new voice spoke up from the ground nearby,
asking: "So, who is this? Another senshi?" Luna was a cat! Beside her was another one, and
they were both scrutinizing her! Wait a minute; did one of them just SPEAK!?
"We were hoping you'd know." Ami answered Luna, who turned to face the senshi of
Mercury with a pensive look on her face. Artemis was the only one to leave his attention on
the new senshi, who began to inch away stealthily, maintaining eye contact with him.
"Um, guys?" Artemis spoke up, interrupting Luna's thoughts.
"What is it, Artemis?" Luna replied as she turned to regard him, sounding and looking
annoyed.
Nodding his head in the direction of the departing redheaded senshi, he said: "Seems our
guest is leaving early."
All turned to discover that Artemis was right. Ranma, who found herself caught, laughed
nervously while rubbing the back of her head in agitation. She wasn't too surprised, though:
that white cat HAD kept an eye on her, after all.
"And where do you think YOU'RE going?" Rei petulantly demanded, hands on hips. Ami
shook her head disapprovingly, wondering why she didn't take charge and handle the
situation as it should have been handled.
"Um..." Ranma voiced, looking about wildly as she tried to conceive a believable excuse for
her need to vacate the area. She didn't want them to know of her acute ailurophobia for
several reasons, so she wasn't about to stick around so they could find out. Becoming
desperate for something to say after a moment without a forthcoming answer, she hastily
resorted to saying: "Oh, look at the time! I've seemed to've forgotten a... previous
engagement! Yeah, that's it! See ya!" And she was off and away!
"Don't just stand there!" Luna chided the others, who had yet to understand the new
senshi's behavior as they stood, unmoving, unprepared to give chase. "After her!"
And, so, they gave chase (though Usagi was quite reluctant even after Luna chomped on
her ankle as an incentive). Usagi had to catch up with the others, so she was the only one
who didn't have visual contact of their quarry. Fortunately, because she could see her
comrades, she was able to follow the progress of the chase without getting lost. Still, all the
jumping around wasn't making her feel any better, and she really wished that demon had
shown itself on another day.
Looking behind her and seeing that the others were giving chase, Ranma wondered why
these sort of things always happened to her. What had she ever done to deserve being
chased? In any case, she had to lose them and get back home, so she could relax and reflect
on what had happened to her this day.
After several minutes of thought, running and jumping in random directions so the senshi
behind her wouldn't know the direction of the residence she lived at, she decided that the
only way to shake them was to literally disappear from their sight. She did wonder how they
managed to find her even after giving them the slip (or so she had thought), because she
was sure her expertly-performed evasive maneuvers would elude all but the old ghoul and
freak.
Little did she know that Ami was leading the group with her visor, which was homing on her
life and magical energies. It had saved them from losing her a dozen times, and they knew
that, without it, they would have surely lost the new senshi. However, they did have it, and
Ami was doing her best to not lose her concentration because the life energy read-out on
the new senshi was very large in supply compared to normal. It was nearly as high as her
magical energy!
Ahead of the inner senshi, who were followed by Usagi, Luna and Artemis, Ranma cursed
when she failed to shake her pursuers; even after using all her umisen-ken training to hide
her life energy (or ki) while dashing from one place to another, as she made sure to keep her
momentum as fast as ever so she could be nigh untraceable to the naked eye. It seemed to
improve her situation a little, but it was evident that her quick pace wasn't quick enough to
not be seen; and to appear invisible she had to constantly move in a zigzag pattern because
staying in one's direct line of sight (which would be caused by running in one direction in
this case) would not give the effect she wanted. So, no matter how fast she moved, she was
making it impossible for herself to increase the distance between her and her followers
(which hadn't made a difference in the first place).
However, as her thoughts turned to other ways of making those chasing her lose sight of
her, something directed her attention to the new energy source enveloping her ki field.
Somehow, she knew she could change it and use it for a different purpose, a purpose she
was more in need of for the time being: literally making herself invisible. She didn't know if it
would work, but she had the feeling that it would; being a senshi seems to instill such
instincts.
"She's disappearing!" Makoto gasped, witnessing the red-haired senshi fade from sight as
the other three did.
"Don't worry!" Ami assured them. The life energy of the senshi they were pursuing might
not be registering on her visor, but she could still detect the magical signature as before,
and could, thus, continue to follow it. "Just listen for..." She ceased her instructions and
abruptly shouted: "Go right!" The others got the hint, and proceeded to follow the senshi of
Mercury as she guided them towards a now-invisible senshi.
"Damn it!" Ranma swore after a few more minutes of being chased, wondering how they (the
senshi behind her) managed to keep track of her. Glancing behind her, she finally noticed
how Mercury (as she introduced herself as) pointed in her direction whenever she changed
course, and that she was the only one wearing a visor of some kind.
Not knowing what else to do, she decided that her only place of sanctuary would be at her
home. So concluding, she ceased being invisible since it was obviously making no
difference, and made a beeline for the Tendo domicile. Hopefully, the senshi following her
would respect her and not invade her place of residence.
Upon landing in the backyard a short time later, she dashed into the veranda and hid herself
behind its outer wall, standing rigid and quiet as she hoped for the withdrawal of her
pursuers.
Outside, standing along the top of the perimeter wall, four senshi took in the sight of the
house that the red-haired senshi had taken into hiding.
"Should we follow?" Minako asked Ami, her breathing labored by exertion just as the
others' were.
"No." Ami responded simply, subdued.
"Why not?" Rei asked, eyeing Ami questioningly.
It was Makoto who spoke next, answering Rei's question with a statement. "It's her home,
isn't it?" She could tell because of several factors: firstly, Ami made it clear not to follow the
new senshi; secondly, the new senshi had tried to hide in random houses before going
DIRECTLY to this particular one; and lastly, the new senshi relinquished her invisibility
before doing so, as if giving up.
"Oh..." Rei and Minako voiced together in understanding. If they breached such a personal
place, what would that make them look like? Actually, it was bad enough chasing her like a
hunted animal, though they hardly knew how else to respond to the new senshi's strange
behavior after Luna issued the pursuit. Currently, though, they found their actions unwise,
and it probably cost them a great deal of trust in regard to the newest senshi.
It was about then that Usagi finally arrived, hobbling towards them on ground level and
looking green in the face. Luna and Artemis ran ahead of her, the former addressing the
senshi. "Where is she?"
"Home." Makoto answered before she and the others left the heights of the wall to join their
princess on the ground.
Luna sighed in disappointment, then said: "All I wanted to do was ask a few questions."
"You mean, you don't know who she is?" Rei inquired intently.
Luna shook her head negatively, while Artemis helpfully inserted: "Nor do I."
Ami pondered, wondering what best course of action to use from their current situation.
Finding only one worth mentioning, she said: "Perhaps Pluto would know? She is the eldest
and has seen many eras, so maybe this new senshi lived before we did in the Silver
millennium, and Pluto knew of her?"
"It's a start." Minako commented with the slightest shrug of her shoulders, not seeing
anything particularly good or bad about the idea.
Usagi found something wrong with it, though, who was currently on her hands and knees
as the need to vomit sapped her strength. "But don't..." She swallowed, her mouth highly
salivated. It was the only time she didn't like having her mouth salivating: when she had to
return her food to the light of day. "Start right now..."
Everyone gathered around their princess, concerned about her health. Luna stepped
beneath her bowed head, looked up and apologetically asked: "I'm sorry for dragging you
out here, but it was necessary at the time. Would you like some assistance back home?"
In reply, Usagi raised her head, opened her mouth... and Luna's eyes widened in alarm as
something much unlike words came spewing forth from her princess' lips.
Just as Ranma finished her detransformation with the help of her new instincts, she was
startled by a woeful cry that came from the other side of the perimeter wall. She was curious
about the source, but she decided not to investigate for several reasons. However, Akane
didn't have any reasons not to, and soon ran past her with nary a glance and entered the
garden to investigate. Still curious, Ranma figured she could find out what happened from
her; so she waited.
A moment later, Akane returned, appearing to be a bit irritated. "What's up?" She asked her,
feigning nonchalance.
"Oh, nothing..." Akane muttered in response, unhappy. "But I know that somebody ate
blueberry pancakes this morning."
"Gross." Ranma commented, though finding it kind of interesting to find out what that other
senshi ate. "I wonder why that is?" She questioned herself in thought.
"I know..." Akane agreed, then blinked when she realized just whom it was she was talking
to. "When did you get back?" She inquired, taking in her fiance's disheveled appearance
and torn clothing.
"Just a minute ago." Ranma answered, seeing that her fiancee was inspecting her.
After giving herself an inspection of her own, she found that, though that new power had
healed her injuries, it didn't mend her clothes or cleanse her body of filth.
"So..." Akane started with slight interest. "Who won?" She hoped that Ryoga finally beat
Ranma, trying as hard as he does.
"I did, of course." Ranma replied with a proud smirk. "I put him out with a smile on his face."
Akane didn't know what she meant by that last comment, but she did know another thing.
"But it seems he really got you good this time." She observed, smiling. Let's see him deny
that!
"Like you wouldn't believe." Ranma complained in admittance, surprising Akane. But only
Ranma knew that it was because of Ryoga's distraction that caused the demon to inflict the
worst of her bygone injuries, so it was, in a way, the truth. Then, not wanting to waste any
more time, she added: "And I'd like nothing more than a nice, long soak."
Akane understood and allowed Ranma to walk away, but something conspicuous made
itself known to her as she regarded her fiance's departing back. "Ranma?"
Turning about to face Akane, ceasing her progress toward the bathroom, Ranma wondered
why she was looking at her so oddly. "Yeah?"
"Your hair..." Akane began uncertainly. "I didn't know you were growing it out."
"Huh?" Ranma responded intelligently, then grasped her pigtail and pulled it over her
shoulder so she could inspect it. Almost immediately, she realized that her hair was indeed
longer, and that her hair was plaited quite loosely at the base of her head and was showing
signs of looseness down the rest of its length. It must have grown six inches!
Doing an excellent job at hiding her surprise (as far as she was concerned), she flipped her
hair back behind her and unconcernedly said: "I didn't, either. Guess I haven't been paying
attention to it lately."
Akane wasn't fooled, and knew that Ranma was hiding something; but she didn't pursue the
issue. There was no way that she wouldn't have noticed that much hair growth "lately",
which would have normally taken four to six months to occur. Something was going on, and
Ranma was withholding information from her again. Well, like always, she'll just have to
keep an eye on the idiot.
So, instead of making her suspicions known, she allowed her fiance to leave with a piece of
advice as a parting gift. "Well, unless you want all the hassle that comes with longer hair,
then I suggest paying more attention to it."
Ranma nodded, let out a mental sigh of relief, and continued on her way to the bathroom.
When she was sure that she was out of Akane's sight, she quickened her pace, wondering:
"What's going on?"
"The senshi are stronger than I remember."
The owner of the voice gripped the armrest of his wheelchair tightly, glaring out the sliding
glass door and past the balcony it led to with bitter hatred. It had taken him two months to
get the required energy to summon his first demon; and it had been his own energy, leaving
him tired and weak the entire time. Fortunately, it wasn't a complete waste since he'd
gathered enough energy to summon a stronger demon in half a fortnight. However, it would
require his own energy to accomplish that.
"But I will destroy them." He vowed gravely. "I will NOT allow the Moon kingdom to
re-establish its matriarchal rule over the earth again."
Turning away from the morning sun, he wheeled himself into his bedroom for another
session of self-draining that would render him weak and tired for the remainder of the day.
"Never again." He muttered before he shut the door behind himself.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter one - Part two: Consequences
Ranma discovers some of the many consequences that result from her choosing to become
a senshi, and then discovers there was someone she knew that she really didn't know.
Ryoga gets up on the wrong side of the stretcher.
Crescent Pulsar: I know that "he'd've" and "she'd've" aren't words, but they work in informal
speech, so why not in writing? Well, even if someone told me not to use it in writing, I'd've
done it anyway. As you can see. It's my prerogative as a bad writer.
nothing! Ideas just don't have much substance... Sigh
Author's note: Points finger accusingly This is all your fault! On the table lies the
ever-innocent Pink Floyd album "Dark side of the moon" If it weren't for you... If it
weren't... I wouldn't be writing this pointless thing!
Author's note #2: Anyway, this was also inspired by the "Temple of Ranma's seifuku" site.
(It won't be the last time, either.) Frankly, though, I've had this idea floating in my head a
long time before then, and had even written almost three chapters based on it... However,
that was two years ago, and I never posted any of it. (If you think I'm a bad writer now, you
should have seen me then.) But Poly gave me the idea to revise it, and, thanks to her, I have.
I had, at first, intended for this idea to be a mega crossover; but the sheer size was daunting,
and I never finished the third chapter, altogether making it 400Kb of wasted effort. So, now,
it's not a mega crossover, and has a completely different plot. It's just a common Sailor
Moon/Ranma 1/2 crossover, now.
And, so, I give you one of my many planned stories that will make me the worst writer in
existence! Bwahahahahahaaaaaaaaaa!
Dark side of the moon
By: Crescent Pulsar
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One leap, followed by another, and yet another: this was Mars' current occupation as she
rushed toward the source of evil.
It had been an overall peaceful day (as were the prior weeks before it), but the evil that she
felt in the distance prompted her to abandon her sweeping of the temple's grounds and
search it out. Of course, no sooner had she transformed, had she alerted her fellow senshi
and given the general coordinates of the evil's location.
As she leapt from yet another rooftop, she wondered why trouble had to reinsert itself into
their lives so soon. The fight for peace, she knew, would be an ongoing battle until the end
of time. But couldn't it have wait until AFTER summer vacation was over, much less not so
early in the morning?
"This better not be something that'll take up TOO much time to defeat." She groused in
thought. She did have some youth she wished to preserve, after all.
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Chapter one - Part one: The Censure! hits the moon.
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A certain pigtailed martial artist whistled idly as he walked along the top of a fence that
overlooked the canal with his arms folded behind his head, intent on taking his leisurely time
on his way to the empty lot.
As you might have already guessed, he was once again on his way to answer one of
Ryoga's challenges. And, as usual, the date for the dual had long since passed. In fact, this
was Ranma's seventh day of routine inspections to see if Ryoga had arrived yet, which had
started three days after the issued date on the challenge.
Truth to tell, Ranma was beginning to get a little worried. Ryoga may be late all the time, but
never by ten days. Sure, maybe he wasn't being detained by anything life-threatening (at
least that's what he hoped), but he was nonetheless concerned. Despite his "friend's"
vendetta, there was something that Ranma liked about him that, given time, helped to allay
his anger toward him. As to what that was, well, that was anyone's guess: because he didn't
know himself.
His musings were interrupted by faint screams, which were soon followed by explosions and
plumes of smoke not but two blocks away.
"What in the hell's goin' on over there?" He wondered, forgetting about his fight with
Ryoga (should he have been in the designated location) and ran towards the disturbance.
Whatever was happening certainly couldn't be caused by anyone he knew, right?
Unfortunately, he was correct. Skidding to a stop after rounding the last corner to his
destination, he gawked, shocked at the sight before him.
Okay, maybe he'd fought Pantyhose enough times to be confident enough to fight him
without much thought, but THIS thing made him beyond cautious: he was downright
petrified. Two, long, segmented horns protruded from its head, curved much like a ram's. Its
body was monstrous, covered in black fur, and an equally black, leathery hide where such
fur was absent. Muscles bulged to enormous proportions wherever muscle could be found,
and his hands and feet, much like an ape's, seemed larger than normal. On its back, huge,
bat-like wings could be found, adorned with knife-sized nails at the tips of each finger. Its
face, though very much like Pantyhose's, was twisted into an ever-present scowl, with deep
embers for eyes that looked out from the shadowy depths of its eye sockets.
If Ranma were capable of thinking at this point and time, and had decided to make a
comparison between the entity before him and the cursed form of Pantyhose, he'd've gladly
fought a dozen of the latter before even THINKING of fighting the former. If anything, the
demon before him could probably win most of its battles through intimidation alone.
However, despite the apprehension he felt, his resolve to face the demon solidified as he
watched it pick up a man who tried to run out of one of the stores, enveloping him in some
kind of red energy before tossing him aside like a doll. The unfortunate victim met with a
building's facade with a nauseating splat. It was then, as he watched the man crumple to the
ground (having been morbidly transfixed by the gore he had witnessed), that he noticed
others who had met a similar fate.
"ENOUGH!" He yelled, grabbing the demon's attention. He doubted he had a chance of
beating this... thing, but he'd be forever ashamed if he didn't try. One might be surprised if
they knew such doubts, but, then again, whom was there that could read his mind, where
such thoughts were never revealed aloud?
His body tensed as the demon sprinted towards him, its hungry eyes unnerving him greatly.
This was not his everyday, run-of-the-mill demon he fought on occasion. No; this one was
dangerous, if those lifeless bodies littering the ground were any indication.
When the demon was upon him, he jumped directly into its face, avoiding its grasp at the
same time as he prepared to go straight into the use of his special techniques. And why
not? It'd be foolish to test the waters against something so obviously evil and strong.
"Kachu tenshin amaguriken!" He announced, his left fist striking the creature's head
multiple times with all the strength he could muster behind it.
The demon lumbered back against the onslaught, but was otherwise unfazed. In fact, it
thoughtlessly threw its head forward, unconcerned about the impact a whole human body
would make against it. This caught Ranma by complete surprise, who was barely fast
enough to shield himself with his arms before impact.
Sailing through the air, his forearms screaming in pain, Ranma knew he was outmatched
even before he crashed through a window and several aisles of shelves in a movie rental
shop. But that didn't stop him from standing up and running back out into the light of day,
ready to give his all in hopes of defeating his enemy.
The demon awaited him, and licked its chops as it made to grab him again. Ignoring the
former (which was quite disconcerting), he dodged the giant hand (being slightly comforted
at having a speed advantage), gathered his confidence, joined his hands at the base,
extended them towards the target's face, and shouted: "Moko takabisha!"
Ranma took the chance to leap back, distancing himself from his opponent to see the
results, wondering if said opponent's inaction was a good sign.
It wasn't. When the smoke cleared from its face, it was looking down at him with, if it were at
all possible to tell (much less measure), a hunger bordering on lust. And he was startled
when it spoke, its voice bellowing deep, rattling surrounding windows and vibrating his
body ever-so-slightly. "YUMMMM..."
Before he could respond, Ranma found himself crushed within the demon's grasp, who had
taken the opportunity to take advantage of his distraction. Well, you'd be surprised if you
blasted a demon in the face and had gotten such a response as this one had given. You'd
expect them to be annoyed or something at the least.
Not this one, though. And Ranma soon found out why as the red energy surrounded him,
stripping him of his strength no sooner than it had appeared: the demon was absorbing his
energy! He struggled, but the demon's grip was too strong for him to escape, and he was
rapidly losing what energy he had for accomplishing such a feat.
"Shishi hokodan!"
Ranma's body was jarred as a ball of green energy impacted the wrist of the hand that held
him, and, fortunately, the demon relinquished his grip as a result. Falling to his feet, he was
too drained to stand just yet, and fell onto his bottom because of it. However, he was quite
capable of turning his head to regard whom he expected to see a short distance aside from
him: Ryoga.
Ryoga, of course, wielded his umbrella in one hand after sending his energy blast, as well as
a smirk on his face as he challenged the demon. "I won't allow you to kill Ranma: that's my
privilege, and mine alone!" So proclaiming, he charged the demon with a battle cry.
"Oh, my hero..." Ranma muttered, voice dripping with sarcasm. Honestly; you'd think it'd
take an "eye for an eye" to kill someone in revenge. Then again, that wouldn't work unless
it was normal to become zombies, or ghosts, or something like that... It'd probably be best
not to dwell on that, unless he really wanted a headache.
Rising to his feet, having recovered from being drained to some extent, Ranma decided to
attack while Ryoga had the demon's attention. Obviously, someone with more energy (at the
moment) was worth paying more attention to. The question was: what could be done now?
Throwing energy at it was the same as feeding it, and conventional attacks didn't seem to
have much effect. The Hiryu shoten ha wouldn't be possible because of the demon's size
and strength: not because the demon may be too heavy to lift or too strong to be effected,
but because there would be no room to draw it into a spiral, and his shortage of strength
wouldn't allow him to dodge very well, anyway.
No sooner had he come to these conclusions, did the demon snatch Ryoga out of the air
(who hadn't figured out that the demon was absorbing his energy blasts). "Ryoga!" He
shouted, then leapt into the air, making an attempt to free his "friend" by attacking from
behind.
And was it ever an attempt: the demon, as if nonchalantly, spread its wings out and
swatted him away by turning around. It didn't hurt much, the thin membrane of the wing
that hit him being much softer than a skull, but sliding along the pavement, unable to right
himself onto his feet as the friction quickly done away with the back of his shirt, was
anything but pleasant. Going through a stream of water, which was caused by a busted fire
hydrant that an overturned car rested over, wasn't particularly pleasing, either, and
triggered his curse.
Getting to her knees, she raised her head to see that Ryoga was in the process of being
drained in much the same way that she had been. "Damn it!" She cursed, despairing over
the realization that she couldn't do anything.
And, so, she didn't even bother to rise to her feet, watching as Ryoga lost more and more of
his strength to the demon, even as he futilely pounded on the hand that held him. But
almost immediately she bowed her head and cracked the asphalt by slamming her fists
against it, thinking desperately for a solution. Of course, only one thing came to mind: using
what strength she had left to, at least, hope to save Ryoga (even at personal risk).
So deciding, she jumped to her feet and dashed towards the demon, calling out: "Hey!
Ugly!"
"Who're you calling ugly!?" Ryoga retorted from his place within the demon's grasp. Said
demon looked over its shoulder to regard her, and promptly snorted.
"I wasn't talking to you, you idiot!" Ranma responded, exasperated, just before sliding
between the demon's legs. Then, for the first time in all her years as a martial artist, she
decided to implement a secret technique that was only to be used under the most desperate
of circumstances: the Saotome's school of martial arts secret desperation attack: take the
family jewels! "HAI-YA!"
Time seemed to stand still as Ryoga stared at his rival's extended leg, which was currently
embedded in the demon's groin. Ranma's head was turned away, one eye closed and the
other partly so, that small part of her that was curious wanting to know just WHERE her foot
had actually gone.
And then time flowed freely again. Ranma landed on one foot, then proceeded to hop up
and down on it as she clutched at her gallant one, which was smarting. Ryoga was released
from his containment and was unceremoniously dumped onto the ground. The demon let
out an ear-deafening howl of pain as it grasped its groin with both hands, tears pouring out
from its void-like eyes.
"Ranma!" Ryoga gasped, pointing at said person accusingly. "Have you no shame!?"
Ranma glared in Ryoga's direction, hardly amused, and still relieving her offended foot from
the ground. "I just saved you, pork butt!"
Whatever respite they had gained by Ranma's... unscrupulous attack, it was wasted with
words. Not only that, but it allowed the demon to backhand Ranma before she had a chance
to raise a proper defense, and was sent crashing through a wall of a nearby building.
"Mercury aqua rhapsody!" Was called out from above, startling Ryoga, who then
witnessed a jet of water as it smashed into the side of the demon's head. The demon was
knocked off balance and fell onto its side, but soon returned to its feet and turned its gaze to
the figure standing atop a building, forgetting about its former captive as its eyes settled
upon its next victim.
Sailor Mercury, who was the first and only to arrive at the scene as of yet, frowned down at
the boy who remained standing beside the demon, whom she thought would have enough
sense to run to safety. "Run!" She shouted. "While I have it distracted!"
Run? Ryoga? Never!
...
Well, maybe a brief retreat to await a second wind. So, he ran across the street and entered
the building Ranma had been hit through, using the entrance she had involuntarily made. It
wasn't that he was concerned about her, it was just a matter of making sure she was alive so
he could kill her later himself.
As he heard that strange girl yell that attack of hers again, he found his rival lying in what
remained of a toilet and its stall in some restaurant's restroom...
"Where am I?" Ranma wondered, puzzled by her surroundings. All around she found
nothing but whiteness, in the form of feathers, stars, moons, hearts and various styles and
patterns of cloth; and she just knew what fabrics the lattermost were. Also, the background
was opalescent, often casting the colors of the rainbow onto the white objects around her. It
was quite pretty, if she did say so herself.
"What am I THINKING!?" She questioned herself. Guys didn't describe things as... Hold on;
technically, she was a girl at the moment, and no one seemed to be around, so... Nothing to
worry about!
Still, where on earth was she? Was she dead?
"You're in a dream, princess."
"Who's there!?" She exclaimed in alarm, looking about herself for an unknown quarry.
It took a moment for her to register what exactly was said, mostly due to being disoriented
by the constant weightlessness she was experiencing. When she did, though, she
demanded: "And who're you callin' a princess!?"
"Why, you, of course."
The slight breeze around her shifted direction, to the west (she could tell somehow), and it
was warm and pleasant. Willing herself to turn about so she could face the movement of the
wind, she yelped in surprise when she found a miniature version of herself directly before
her face. But that couldn't be her! Maybe she had her cobalt blue eyes, vibrant red hair,
creamy white skin, as well as her figure and short stature; but there was no WAY she'd ever
wear that getup!
The getup in question was a black, formfitting body suit with white ribbons tied into bows
over her bosom and at the small of her back (the former bearing a shiny black gem at its
center). There was a white, sunburst-pleated miniskirt, that proudly displayed her thighs in
abundance. Her feet and calves were encased in black, knee-length boots with two-inch
heels, the top of each tipped with a small band of white. Also, her hands were fitted with
black gloves that ended around the wrist, where the cuff extended away and removed itself
from contact with her skin with a small band of white encircling the end. The sailor collar
was white with three black stripes along and near the hem, and the choker around her neck
was black. In her ears were dangling earrings, with black, crescent moons hanging from
pearls. Across her temple was a golden tiara with a small, black gem gleaming in its center.
Finally, her fanny-length hair was tied with a black bow at the base of her braid.
"Wh-who're you?" She managed to stammer out, feeling quite awkward in a situation she
had never experienced, much less having any idea as to how she should respond to it.
"I'm you, silly!" Her mini-self replied, giggling. She hadn't noticed before, but her voice was
very pleasant to hear, a light and sweet soprano if she ever heard one. Did she really sound
like that?
"But... How can that be?" She asked, confused. Wasn't she a man? And what was up with
her attire, not to mention diminutive size?
Ever smiling, her mini-self genially answered: "I am a spiritual representation of your heart,
and what you see before you is a former incarnation that has been awakened in you. The
day you fell into the nyannichuan, was the day you reclaimed the body and memories of
your past self." She leaned forward, a curious look on her face. "Don't tell me you never
noticed?"
Ranma shook her head, hardly comprehending what had just been explained to her. "Notice
what?" She asked. Was she saying that she was a girl in a past life, and the nyannichuan
had made her that girl?
"Concentrate." Was her mini-self's simple reply, remaining patient.
Even more confounded now, Ranma regarded her in puzzlement. "Concentrate on what?"
She wondered in thought. Maybe... She did say something about memories from her past
life... Was that it?
Concentrating on memories she didn't even know she had, closing her eyes and clearing her
mind in the process, she was finally aware of how calm she was in the place she found
herself at and that being nude hadn't even bothered her nor seem important. Also, her
thought processes were working perfectly, everything coming and going freely and clearly.
How strange.
What was even more strange, was the sudden realization of what her mini-self was referring
to. She had thought back to the day she had been cursed, but, for some unknown reason,
she had just now noticed how different she was before taking her fateful plunge. In her
search for the memories that belonged to her past life, she had instead found some from her
current one and, in all honesty, did not like what she found.
She, before the plunge, was very much like her father in almost every way. And, despite not
having any experience with girls, she knew she'd've been confident enough to... get what
she wanted out of her girlfriends. She was so arrogant, so thoughtless and selfish... How
could she have not noticed the changes (the lack of confidence, thoughtlessness and
selfishness) after being cursed? She should have been confident when she first met the
Tendo's, and would have picked Kasumi since she seemed so docile and easy to manipulate.
God! Would she have really done that? Yes... Yes, she would have. But the curse, or rather
the blessing, had seemingly mixed her personality with that of her past incarnation's, and
made such an occurrence impossible. She wasn't sure how she knew, but an unknown
intuition told her that she was absolutely correct.
So, the Ranma that was carried into the Tendo's lives (literally), was more timid and
conscientious, more selfless and open to learning. However, depending on the
circumstances, the better or worse aspects of her personality could be drawn out and be
more dominant.
Opening her eyes to gaze at her mini-self, she was given a bouncy nod and a radiant smile.
"That's right." She was told, answering her unasked question.
"But... Why?" She inquired, then hastily added: "Not that I'm complainin' or nothin'."
And why not complain? From her viewpoint at this point and time, she hated her former self.
Perhaps she wouldn't have such an opinion of herself if no changes to her personality were
made, but how could she have lived with herself treating people even worse than her father?
Moreover, why had she not noticed before: that she was different?
"Beats me!" Came the cheery reply, causing Ranma to look at her oddly. Then, shrugging,
she said: "I'm a part of you that you never used in your past incarnation, so I'm about as
much in the dark as you are. However..."
"However?" Ranma inquired intently, taking the bait.
"However, the reason for us meeting together like this at long last, is because your 'heart'
yearns for the capability to do good, to protect others from evil, much like the monstrosity
that defeated you."
"I wasn't defeated." Ranma grumbled, looking down and blushing. "I'm just taking a
breather, okay?"
"Whatever you say." Her mini-self replied, amused. "Either way, it's your choice to unlock
your heritage and memories. As your guardian, I've come in your time of need, and in
response to the call of destiny. The choice is up to you."
"Waitaminute!" Ranma blurted abruptly. "Heritage? Guardian? Destiny? What're you talking
about?"
With an impish little grin, her "guardian" cryptically said: "Now THAT... is a secret!" She
was waggling her finger at her.
Ranma, for lack of a better word, was not amused. In fact, she was quite miffed, and her
facial expression demonstrated so.
Sighing forlornly, her guardian allowed her limbs to hang languidly, and, with a pout, said:
"You're no fun, at all."
Feeling a little apologetic, though still serious, Ranma softly stated: "I'm sorry. But I don't
understand what's going on, and I've had enough problems caused by jumping into the
unknown before, you know?"
"I do." Her guardian replied, smiling slightly. "I'm you, remember?"
"Yeah, about that..." Ranma spoke, trailing off, hoping to elicit certain information.
"Well..." Her guardian began thoughtfully, tapping an index finger against her chin. "Every
living thing has a star seed: the planets, the animals, you, and every other creature in the
cosmos. That's the part of you that I represent, but I'm no ordinary star seed. You see,
certain star seeds are special, and they are called sailor crystals."
"What's a sailor crystal?" Ranma interjected.
"Don't interrupt!" Her guardian snapped, glaring balefully.
"Okay, okay!" Ranma quickly acquiesced. And she thought Akane was capricious!
Clearing her throat, her guardian continued in a lecturing tone. "Anyway, a sailor crystal
draws power from certain planets or celestial objects, in order to protect them. You, princess,
are one of two who have a moon crystal; or so it was, anyway. Your sister relinquished her
ties with the moon, gradually, by adapting the Silver crystal as her source of power, her
existence. Your destiny lies on a similar path, to allow a new moon crystal to be born."
Ranma didn't understand much of the information at all, but she did manage to catch a few
interesting words as she had done once before. "Princess? Sister?" Her face contorted into
a vision of pure complexity. Since when did she have a sister? And how could she be a
princess? She was particularly surprised at not being disturbed by such feminine titles.
"All sailor crystals are considered royalty." Her guardian explained. "But you were also born
a noble in your past incarnation where you had a twin sister, who has been reincarnated as
you have."
"I... see..." Ranma mumbled slowly, trying to make sense of everything she had learned thus
far and only succeeding marginally.
For reasons she wouldn't share with her charge, the guardian of Ranma's sailor crystal softly
said: "I apologize, but I must go now."
"But... But I have so many things to ask!" Ranma implored, growing worried. "Wh-what do I
do? What do I do with my sailor crystal? What do I do with my sister? How will this effect
my current life?" She was practically pleading as she said: "Please! Tell me!"
Her guardian regarded her with compassion in response to her tearing eyes, and softly
explained: "You must make the decision, princess. Your heart is your key; feel it, follow it,
allow it to guide you in the right direction. You can continue with your old life, or venture
into a new world of learning and growth. Making the transition, should you decide to follow
that path, will not be easy. Choose..." She began to fade away as she retreated into a source
of light that grew ever brighter. "Until, perhaps, we meet again..."
Ranma shielded her eyes with her arms as she was blinded by a flash of light, as it
encompassed everything and yet nothing...
Groaning, her body aching from the blow that had been incurred by the demon, Ranma
opened her eyes and focused on the blurry shadow that stood in front of the portal of light
(which was the hole in the wall).
"Good; I see you've managed to survive, Ranma." Came a condescending voice from the
shadowy figure, that Ranma quickly recognized as Ryoga's.
"Shove it, Ryoga." She replied sourly, wincing at the pain she felt as she sat up, several
shards of porcelain cutting her. "The least you could do is show some gratitude."
Ryoga snorted, turning his head away as he said: "I didn't ask for your help. I almost had
myself free when you butt in."
Ranma was tempted to argue, but decided against it. There was a demon to take care of,
regardless of her physical condition, and she was determined to fight it until the end.
Clambering to her feet, the act quite painstaking, her thoughts focused on that dream she
had. It felt like it had happened to somebody else, as she had acted somewhat differently
(she decided), but she was certain it had been her that had been the recipient of the dream.
And what a dream! If she hardly understood anything whilst she dreamed, she hadn't a clue
as the dream faded from her conscious memory. She could remember key elements that had
caught her immediate attention in the dream, as well as the end of it; but that was about it.
"What're you doing?" Ryoga inquired, watching as his rival leaned against the remaining
partition of the stall for support.
She turned her head to regard the eternally lost boy, a "you've got to be kidding me" look
on her face. "What do you think?" She asked rhetorically. "I'm going back out there to fight
that thing."
"HA!" Ryoga exclaimed, his mocking tone nettling Ranma almost instantly. "You couldn't
do anything before, and now you can barely stand!"
"I didn't see you do any better!" Ranma stated crossly, wishing she had the strength to
pound that arrogant bastard's head in.
But he was right about one thing: she was quite unsteady on her feet. There was no chance
of her fighting now, as she would be just as vulnerable as any other normal person who
crossed the demon's path.
"Jupiter oak revolution!" This was followed by an explosion and an enraged outcry from
none other than the demon.
"What's going on out there?" Ranma wondered aloud, gazing out the hole in the tiled wall.
"You mean... You don't know?" Ryoga queried carefully, signs of disbelief creeping across
his visage.
"Venus love and beauty shock!" And it sounded like the demon was shocked to find that it
wasn't very lovely at all.
Glaring at Ryoga, ill-humored, Ranma pointedly said: "I was unconscious, remember?"
Ryoga blinked a few consecutive times, regarding her silently for a few seconds, before
bursting out at the seams with laughter. How could anyone be ignorant of the senshi?
Ranma was visibly steaming, and wished she could put her foot where the sun didn't shine;
but she wouldn't be able to do that to Ryoga after injuring her one foot doing that groin
attack, and wouldn't be able to stand on it if she lost support by using the other to do the
job.
"I don't need this crap!" Ranma thought, miffed. So thinking, she stumbled towards the exit
she had installed earlier against her will. Maybe she couldn't fight the demon, but she could
certainly leave the company of that annoying jackass.
Grabbing ahold of the wall for support, she stood within the hole and stared wide-eyed at
the sight of color-coded cheerleaders as they wove around the demon, seeming to distract it
with proximity of numbers while another separated from the group undetected.
"Mars flame sniper!" And the lone cheerleader fired an arrow of flame, striking the demon
from behind and knocking it to the ground. Much of its hair was singed.
The other three quickly took the opportunity to unleash their own attacks while the demon
was prostrate.
"Venus love and beauty shock!"
"Mercury aqua rhapsody!"
"Jupiter oak revolution!"
Ranma gaped, amazed at the display of power she was witnessing. Who were they!? And
what were those attacks that they were using, that the demon couldn't absorb? If she had
attacks like those, then she'd have no problem taking out the stupid demon herself.
When the smoke from the attack cleared, the demon picked itself up from the floor of the
crater and shook its head, clearing it of the disorientation the blasts of those attacks had
induced. Then, turning her attention to the cheerleader in red, she found her yelling to
nobody in particular as she pressed an index finger onto the stud of her earring. She was too
far away to understand what she was saying despite her yelling, but it was obvious that she
was quite unhappy.
Again, Ranma wondered who they were. Did they associate with... What was her name...
Mariko something... Well, did they associate with whomever she was thinking of? That
would explain the strange names of their attacks, and why they resembled cheerleaders. But
where were their batons, or pompoms? "Still, they won't be able to defeat the demon by
themselves." She observed privately.
Which was why she had to do something. She had a score to settle with that demon,
anyway; so she thought that she deserved to bring it down herself. But how; knowing full
well her incapability of walking a straight line, much less fight?
"Choose..." Echoed in the background of her thoughts, startling her slightly. Then it
dawned on her! These cheerleaders looked like her guardian! Maybe they weren't
cheerleaders (not that that mattered), then? But they were undoubtedly suited for battling
energy-eating demons, and were powerful to boot. Just what kind of attacks do they use,
anyway? As she watched the orange-colored "cheerleader" use her attack, she noticed that
there was no reaction from her senses, and couldn't find a trace of a ki signature.
Ryoga, by now, had suppressed his laughter and joined his rival's side within the hole;
although his attention was on said rival, and not the girls fighting the demon outside. "You
really don't know who they are?"
Ranma looked askance and, seeing that Ryoga seemed more curious than ready-to-tease,
she answered by giving him a light shake of her head in the negative, before asking: "Who
are they?" And then she continued to watch the mysterious girls fight.
"They're the sailor senshi." Ryoga answered simply, turning his attention to the fight. "I'm
surprised you never heard of them."
"Sailor senshi..." Ranma worded quietly, too low for Ryoga to hear over the din of battle.
There was that "sailor" word, from her dream. And these senshi were no doubt protectors,
as her guardian had said they would be, with their planets being declared with each attack.
Was she to be like them?
Reviewing the remnants of her dream, she realized that this was the choice that she was to
make: whether to be, or not to be, a senshi. She could be a protector, one capable of
defeating the sort of demon that those girls now confronted.
Girls? Yes... All of them were girls; not powerful, musclebound men in spandex with mighty
swords or some other weapon of justice, but innocent, seemingly fragile girls... And they
wielded a power she could only dream of having. Sure, she was good, but even she could
tell that the four senshi had her beat in all but her livelihood: her skill as a martial artist.
But she had a sailor crystal, didn't she? Couldn't she use the same power and defeat that
demon? Well, she didn't know if she would be able to defeat it (seeing as the other four
couldn't accomplish that with all of their power combined), but she hoped that she would be
able to accomplish such a feat. The only question remaining, was: how to go about
becoming a senshi.
She pondered for a few moments, continuing to watch the battle as Ryoga did. Then, after
catching a glimpse of one of the senshi's brooches, she remembered an aspect of her dream
that held the answer she was looking for. She had to use her heart, as her guardian had told
her that her heart was the key; that she should follow it, and allow it to guide her in the right
direction. Well, she knew exactly what she wanted, so now it was only a matter of acquiring
it.
Closing her eyes, blocking out all the outside disturbances, she began to search out her
heart blindly, not knowing how to find it. It seemed obvious that she should concentrate on
the beating organ in her chest, but she knew better, through training and meditation, that
not all things are to be taken literally when told to focus or use something that one couldn't
hope to focus on or use through conventional means.
The search was, to her relief and delight, short. No sooner had she started, had her heart
been drawn to her desire to accept her role as a senshi, her pure intentions a shining beacon
for her heart to use as a guide, so as to find her and make contact. The contact nearly stole
her mental breath away; it was so warm and comforting, suffusing her whole body as it
seemed to breeze right through her from a westerly direction... Just like in her dream, when
her guardian arrived!
Glancing over at Ranma, Ryoga was shocked to find her illuminated in a hazy, white glow,
her hair and clothing being swept about wildly by a nonexistent gale. Also, by the serene
expression on her face, he almost mistook her for someone else. Ranma? That content and
cute? Not a chance!
...
"What in the hell am I thinking!?" Ryoga exclaimed in thought, wanting but unable to turn
away from the sight before him. It was no wonder he so easily became attracted to Ranma
whenever she was in disguise: she was quite lovely when she actually appeared to be a girl.
"R-Ranma...?" He addressed uncomfortably, though still intently, in hopes of getting an
answer for what was happening.
Ranma was too engrossed with the energy that lie dormant behind a never-before-opened
"door" to register Ryoga's voice, delighting in the knowledge that, despite not knowing
what the key to opening the "door" was consciously, she could confidently open it by
using an instinctive withdrawal from her subconscious. And that's exactly what she did.
Clasping both hands over her physical heart, she announced: "Moon prism power, make
up!"
She was instantly consumed with the unfamiliar power when she unleashed it, feeling it
dissolve her clothing and wrap about her body. Her heart raced, as the power swelled into
an accessible reservoir beyond its enclosure; and her injuries were healed, relieving her of
the pain. She soon felt her modesty returned to her, as she could feel some formfitting attire
encase her torso, legs, hands and neck; and something cold and metallic graced her temple.
And the power did more, but she could not readily tell what the finishing touches were: only
that the new power was as much a part of her as her life energy, now.
When her induction into senshihood was through, she was left feeling exhilarated,
pleasantly warm, and refreshed. She felt light on her feet, clear of mind, and confident
enough to conquer anything; and conquer something she would.
Reintroducing her eyes to the light of day again, her curiosity influenced her to glance down
at herself, and she gasped in amazement when she did so: she was wearing the same getup
her guardian wore! Inspecting herself more thoroughly, she found that everything was
exactly as she remembered it in her dream. Well, after pulling her pigtail over her shoulder for
a look, it was easy to tell that it wasn't any longer than usual (not that she was concerned).
Then, remembering about a certain bandanna-clad boy, she looked beside her and found...
empty space. Casting her eyes downward, she found her quarry lying on the ground, a trail
of blood trickling from his nose and a goofy grin plastered on his face. He was, of course,
insensible. Realizing how Ryoga had come to be in that state, she giggled and said: "Serves
ya right, bacon breath."
"I can't believe dumpling head had to be sick today, of all days!" Ranma's right ear perked
up upon catching. Turning aside to see what was happening, she managed to get her first
close-up view of the red-colored senshi as she leapt into the air and away from her close
proximity to her... Showing off her bottom in the process, and making her blush furiously.
Overcoming her embarrassment, she awaited the best opportunity to intrude and have a
rematch with that demon (so she didn't jump right into an attack the other senshi couldn't
rein in). Seeing it, she dashed out into the open and made her intentions known, yelling:
"Hey! Ugly!" She hoped that, by repeating her earlier insult, it would catch the demon off
guard (as well as arrest the attention of the other senshi so they'd cease whatever strategy
they were still in the process of employing).
The demon barely spared her a glance over its shoulder before returning its attention to the
orange-colored senshi, but suddenly spun around in a hurry to face an opponent worthy of
its concern (now that it realized): a senshi making a direct attack. It made the mistake of
classifying the owner of the voice as weak (since it had defeated the owner of said voice
before), so it realized, only too late, that it had allowed the new senshi time to get right into
its face before it could properly react to the threat.
Grinning in triumph, glad that her voice hadn't warranted any attention from the demon (and
had actually worked as a distraction), she gave the demon her knuckle sandwich special
right in the nose. The demon's feet flew right out from under it as its head retreated and
slammed into the asphalt with a window-shattering thud.
The four inner senshi gaped, shocked by the new senshi's display of physical prowess.
Before the demon could recover, Ranma grabbed it by one of its pinkie toes (the others
being too big for her small hands) and began to heave it up into the air, swing it in an arch,
and then slam it down onto the asphalt. She repeated these motions a few dozen times.
The senshi continued to gape.
Brushing off her hands when she was finished, Ranma looked down at her work with
satisfaction. The demon was now lying face down in a hole that was shaped much like itself,
one of its legs twitching every now and again. Not one to leave a job half done, she decided
to use a technique that was only available to her as a senshi, one that came to mind as
naturally as one would expect from someone who had used it many times previous.
"Moon tiara action!" Throwing her tiara like a frisbee, it quickly spun fast enough with the
aid of magic to appear as a solid disk, passing through the demon's neck without apparent
trouble. And so the demon perished, dissolving into nothing, and Ranma was proud of a job
well done. She then glanced up, surprised that her tiara reappeared on her head without
having to retrieve it and do it herself. That, in her opinion, was quite convenient.
At hearing the name and seeing the sight of one of sailor Moon's trademark attacks, the
inner senshi regained their senses and cautiously approached the redheaded senshi as a
group. Ranma allowed this, waiting patiently as she wondered how to respond to them.
Would she become a member of their team, become friends or, at least, become
acquaintances?
The senshi whose dominant color was orange, who had thigh-length blonde hair that was
accessorized in the back by a red bow, stepped ahead of the others and asked: "We
appreciate the help, but that attack you used... Who are you?"
Ranma crossed her arms and frowned, making her displeasure about their offhanded offense
known to them. They seemed inclined to being civil, but she knew they were suspicious
about something... And she's had enough suspicion in her life already. Why do so many
people distrust her? Outside of battle she rarely lied, and it was the movement of her body,
and not her mouth, that was deceptive most of the time even then. If they were going to be
like everyone else, then why care about them, much less be friendly toward them?
"What's it to ya?" She counter-questioned in a defensive tone.
"Sorry," The senshi in blue spoke up in apology, realizing they had to tread more softly with
the, to all appearances, new senshi. "But you must understand that another senshi utilizes
the same title for her attack." As for whom, she remained vague, being precautious about
what information to divulge.
"So?" Ranma argued indifferently. "That's what came to mind, so that's what I said."
The senshi in red opened her mouth in preparation to reply, but was interrupted by a raspy
"Hey guys!" from above. Everyone turned to look up at the new arrival, who stood atop and
on the ledge of a two-story electronic appliances shop. She didn't appear to be feeling well,
if her facial expression and the arm resting over her stomach was any indication.
"What did I miss?" The new arrival questioned, looking about herself and finding the
immediate area (most especially the road) moderately damaged. The motion made her
unsteady on her shaky legs, and she began to lurch forward. Unable to regain her balance
while flailing her arms up and down, she wailed as she toppled toward the ground.
The inner senshi, having much experience with their princess and her clumsy behavior, were
more than ready to catch her. However, they weren't ready for the blur that was the new
senshi, who arrived below their princess before her feet left contact with the roof of the
building and eventually caught her and placed her gently on the ground.
"You okay?" Ranma asked, despite the answer being obvious. She hadn't known what a
senshi was, much less know they exist, but she could tell the girl she knelt before was one.
Even so, she wondered why this one looked so different. What made her that way? Did it
represent her status, strength or capabilities? And those wings; were they even capable of
performing their purpose, or just there for looks or something?
"Oh, I just have a stomach virus..." Usagi replied, then paused when she realized the voice
was unfamiliar to her ears. Looking up, she found the face of a stranger, one with fiery red
hair and... blue eyes? Yes... But there was something about them... Something familiar.
Ranma felt really uncomfortable under her scrutiny, and so avoided eye contact with her.
"You have my, um, sympathy." She answered, uncertain as to what to say.
"Who are you?" Usagi inquired, wondering who the new senshi was. All the senshi of their
solar system were accounted for, weren't they? Other senshi from elsewhere had different
dress codes to represent their systems, but this one was undeniably under theirs. Besides
the sun (which no one knew whether a senshi could be tied to or not), what senshi could the
one before her possibly be?
"That's what we were trying to find out." Came a voice from beside them. Both Usagi and
Ranma looked aside and found the other senshi walking up to them, and soon stopping a
few feet away. Usagi noticed that it was Makoto whom had spoken, who continued, saying:
"She used your 'moon tiara action' attack." Then added: "And I thought that we all had our
own unique attacks for a reason." The others nodded afterward, agreeing with her.
"Isn't that my weakest attack?" Usagi questioned, unable to concentrate too well because
she was more concerned about the watering of her mouth, and the feeling that she was
going to unload her stomach of its contents again. Besides, why should she be worried
about something so trivial? So what if someone else was throwing their tiara around.
Rei, exasperated, said: "Of course it's your attack! Aren't you paying attention?"
"But I'm not feeling good..." Usagi whined in her defense, bringing Ranma to support her,
who said: "Yeah; so stop making her feel worse."
"And who were you, again?" Minako asked sweetly, all smiles, bending over to be at eye
level with the new senshi. Ranma recoiled a bit at the intrusion of her personal space, but
was even more discomforted by the subject of her identity being returned to the spotlight.
Placing her hand behind her head, and smiling nervously, Ranma replied: "Just your
everyday cheerleader... Nobody special... Ha-ha-ha!"
"'Cheerleader?'" Makoto echoed and placing arms akimbo, sounding offended. You wouldn't
catch her wearing a cheerleader's uniform unless it was ASOLUTELY necessary for
infiltration and disposal of an enemy. To insinuate that she was wearing such an outfit was
the same as asking for a broken nose.
In the background, Ami sighed to herself, knowing they'd lost the chance of finding out the
new senshi's name... for now. Oh, well; leaving it up to those with little tact results in such
failures as this. When next they have a meeting, she will be sure to brief them about it.
"Well, yeah." Ranma replied, sounding as if it were common knowledge. "A weird-looking
cheerleader, I admit; but not too weird if I had a baton or some pompoms."
Makoto was visibly mad, now. It was bad enough to say she was wearing a cheerleader
outfit, but a weird one, too? Fortunately, Rei pulled her aside and, looking down at the new
senshi, emphatically stated: "Look, all we want to know, is who you are. It's not going to kill
you to share that much, will it?"
"I s'pose not." Ranma sighed in resignation, then stood up and crossed her arms loosely to
seem more impressive, smirking proudly as she said: "I'm Dark side."
The other senshi blinked, then simultaneously queried: "'Dark side?'"
"Of the moon." Ranma helpfully supplied. Seeing that they were staring at her mutely in
response, she asked: "What?"
"Um..." Usagi began uncertainly as she picked herself up from the ground, placing a hand
over her chest to indicate herself. "I'm Eternal sailor moon." And she really, REALLY wanted
to go back home and spend some time with a porcelain bowl. Not that she wanted to, but
what better place was there to release your vomit in?
"Oh..." Ranma voiced in response, not knowing what else to do. At least she now knew the
reason for them being cautious around her, representing the same celestial object and all.
She guessed that it must be more from being an unknown element, or else they would have
expected her to discover her heritage (as her guardian put it) eventually.
The other senshi soon introduced themselves in turn since she had finally revealed herself,
but no personal identifications were given just yet. She didn't know how to greet them, or
even if she should try to get acquainted, so she just nodded as they each identified
themselves by their respective planets: Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury. She absently
wondered where the rest were.
"Well," Ami started, somewhat surprised at finding out the new senshi's identity since she
was sure they had upset her in some fashion in the beginning and had ruined the chance of
learning it. "We all agree that we've never heard of Dark side of the moon?" All present,
except Ami and Ranma, voiced their agreement. Ranma remained silent, wondered what was
happening now. Were they questioning her station? "Then perhaps we should ask Luna
and Artemis. They'd know if she was present during the Silver millennium."
Ranma didn't know what the "Silver millennium" was, but she found herself interested in this
"Artemis" person. Somehow, and for some unknown reason, the name sounded familiar.
"Luna!" Usagi croaked out, wishing she was within the comfort of her home so she could
avoid vomiting in front of her friends and suffering embarrassment. "It's okay to come out
now!"
Searching with her eyes, Ranma didn't find anyone approaching within her line of sight.
Soon, however, she found out why when a new voice spoke up from the ground nearby,
asking: "So, who is this? Another senshi?" Luna was a cat! Beside her was another one, and
they were both scrutinizing her! Wait a minute; did one of them just SPEAK!?
"We were hoping you'd know." Ami answered Luna, who turned to face the senshi of
Mercury with a pensive look on her face. Artemis was the only one to leave his attention on
the new senshi, who began to inch away stealthily, maintaining eye contact with him.
"Um, guys?" Artemis spoke up, interrupting Luna's thoughts.
"What is it, Artemis?" Luna replied as she turned to regard him, sounding and looking
annoyed.
Nodding his head in the direction of the departing redheaded senshi, he said: "Seems our
guest is leaving early."
All turned to discover that Artemis was right. Ranma, who found herself caught, laughed
nervously while rubbing the back of her head in agitation. She wasn't too surprised, though:
that white cat HAD kept an eye on her, after all.
"And where do you think YOU'RE going?" Rei petulantly demanded, hands on hips. Ami
shook her head disapprovingly, wondering why she didn't take charge and handle the
situation as it should have been handled.
"Um..." Ranma voiced, looking about wildly as she tried to conceive a believable excuse for
her need to vacate the area. She didn't want them to know of her acute ailurophobia for
several reasons, so she wasn't about to stick around so they could find out. Becoming
desperate for something to say after a moment without a forthcoming answer, she hastily
resorted to saying: "Oh, look at the time! I've seemed to've forgotten a... previous
engagement! Yeah, that's it! See ya!" And she was off and away!
"Don't just stand there!" Luna chided the others, who had yet to understand the new
senshi's behavior as they stood, unmoving, unprepared to give chase. "After her!"
And, so, they gave chase (though Usagi was quite reluctant even after Luna chomped on
her ankle as an incentive). Usagi had to catch up with the others, so she was the only one
who didn't have visual contact of their quarry. Fortunately, because she could see her
comrades, she was able to follow the progress of the chase without getting lost. Still, all the
jumping around wasn't making her feel any better, and she really wished that demon had
shown itself on another day.
Looking behind her and seeing that the others were giving chase, Ranma wondered why
these sort of things always happened to her. What had she ever done to deserve being
chased? In any case, she had to lose them and get back home, so she could relax and reflect
on what had happened to her this day.
After several minutes of thought, running and jumping in random directions so the senshi
behind her wouldn't know the direction of the residence she lived at, she decided that the
only way to shake them was to literally disappear from their sight. She did wonder how they
managed to find her even after giving them the slip (or so she had thought), because she
was sure her expertly-performed evasive maneuvers would elude all but the old ghoul and
freak.
Little did she know that Ami was leading the group with her visor, which was homing on her
life and magical energies. It had saved them from losing her a dozen times, and they knew
that, without it, they would have surely lost the new senshi. However, they did have it, and
Ami was doing her best to not lose her concentration because the life energy read-out on
the new senshi was very large in supply compared to normal. It was nearly as high as her
magical energy!
Ahead of the inner senshi, who were followed by Usagi, Luna and Artemis, Ranma cursed
when she failed to shake her pursuers; even after using all her umisen-ken training to hide
her life energy (or ki) while dashing from one place to another, as she made sure to keep her
momentum as fast as ever so she could be nigh untraceable to the naked eye. It seemed to
improve her situation a little, but it was evident that her quick pace wasn't quick enough to
not be seen; and to appear invisible she had to constantly move in a zigzag pattern because
staying in one's direct line of sight (which would be caused by running in one direction in
this case) would not give the effect she wanted. So, no matter how fast she moved, she was
making it impossible for herself to increase the distance between her and her followers
(which hadn't made a difference in the first place).
However, as her thoughts turned to other ways of making those chasing her lose sight of
her, something directed her attention to the new energy source enveloping her ki field.
Somehow, she knew she could change it and use it for a different purpose, a purpose she
was more in need of for the time being: literally making herself invisible. She didn't know if it
would work, but she had the feeling that it would; being a senshi seems to instill such
instincts.
"She's disappearing!" Makoto gasped, witnessing the red-haired senshi fade from sight as
the other three did.
"Don't worry!" Ami assured them. The life energy of the senshi they were pursuing might
not be registering on her visor, but she could still detect the magical signature as before,
and could, thus, continue to follow it. "Just listen for..." She ceased her instructions and
abruptly shouted: "Go right!" The others got the hint, and proceeded to follow the senshi of
Mercury as she guided them towards a now-invisible senshi.
"Damn it!" Ranma swore after a few more minutes of being chased, wondering how they (the
senshi behind her) managed to keep track of her. Glancing behind her, she finally noticed
how Mercury (as she introduced herself as) pointed in her direction whenever she changed
course, and that she was the only one wearing a visor of some kind.
Not knowing what else to do, she decided that her only place of sanctuary would be at her
home. So concluding, she ceased being invisible since it was obviously making no
difference, and made a beeline for the Tendo domicile. Hopefully, the senshi following her
would respect her and not invade her place of residence.
Upon landing in the backyard a short time later, she dashed into the veranda and hid herself
behind its outer wall, standing rigid and quiet as she hoped for the withdrawal of her
pursuers.
Outside, standing along the top of the perimeter wall, four senshi took in the sight of the
house that the red-haired senshi had taken into hiding.
"Should we follow?" Minako asked Ami, her breathing labored by exertion just as the
others' were.
"No." Ami responded simply, subdued.
"Why not?" Rei asked, eyeing Ami questioningly.
It was Makoto who spoke next, answering Rei's question with a statement. "It's her home,
isn't it?" She could tell because of several factors: firstly, Ami made it clear not to follow the
new senshi; secondly, the new senshi had tried to hide in random houses before going
DIRECTLY to this particular one; and lastly, the new senshi relinquished her invisibility
before doing so, as if giving up.
"Oh..." Rei and Minako voiced together in understanding. If they breached such a personal
place, what would that make them look like? Actually, it was bad enough chasing her like a
hunted animal, though they hardly knew how else to respond to the new senshi's strange
behavior after Luna issued the pursuit. Currently, though, they found their actions unwise,
and it probably cost them a great deal of trust in regard to the newest senshi.
It was about then that Usagi finally arrived, hobbling towards them on ground level and
looking green in the face. Luna and Artemis ran ahead of her, the former addressing the
senshi. "Where is she?"
"Home." Makoto answered before she and the others left the heights of the wall to join their
princess on the ground.
Luna sighed in disappointment, then said: "All I wanted to do was ask a few questions."
"You mean, you don't know who she is?" Rei inquired intently.
Luna shook her head negatively, while Artemis helpfully inserted: "Nor do I."
Ami pondered, wondering what best course of action to use from their current situation.
Finding only one worth mentioning, she said: "Perhaps Pluto would know? She is the eldest
and has seen many eras, so maybe this new senshi lived before we did in the Silver
millennium, and Pluto knew of her?"
"It's a start." Minako commented with the slightest shrug of her shoulders, not seeing
anything particularly good or bad about the idea.
Usagi found something wrong with it, though, who was currently on her hands and knees
as the need to vomit sapped her strength. "But don't..." She swallowed, her mouth highly
salivated. It was the only time she didn't like having her mouth salivating: when she had to
return her food to the light of day. "Start right now..."
Everyone gathered around their princess, concerned about her health. Luna stepped
beneath her bowed head, looked up and apologetically asked: "I'm sorry for dragging you
out here, but it was necessary at the time. Would you like some assistance back home?"
In reply, Usagi raised her head, opened her mouth... and Luna's eyes widened in alarm as
something much unlike words came spewing forth from her princess' lips.
Just as Ranma finished her detransformation with the help of her new instincts, she was
startled by a woeful cry that came from the other side of the perimeter wall. She was curious
about the source, but she decided not to investigate for several reasons. However, Akane
didn't have any reasons not to, and soon ran past her with nary a glance and entered the
garden to investigate. Still curious, Ranma figured she could find out what happened from
her; so she waited.
A moment later, Akane returned, appearing to be a bit irritated. "What's up?" She asked her,
feigning nonchalance.
"Oh, nothing..." Akane muttered in response, unhappy. "But I know that somebody ate
blueberry pancakes this morning."
"Gross." Ranma commented, though finding it kind of interesting to find out what that other
senshi ate. "I wonder why that is?" She questioned herself in thought.
"I know..." Akane agreed, then blinked when she realized just whom it was she was talking
to. "When did you get back?" She inquired, taking in her fiance's disheveled appearance
and torn clothing.
"Just a minute ago." Ranma answered, seeing that her fiancee was inspecting her.
After giving herself an inspection of her own, she found that, though that new power had
healed her injuries, it didn't mend her clothes or cleanse her body of filth.
"So..." Akane started with slight interest. "Who won?" She hoped that Ryoga finally beat
Ranma, trying as hard as he does.
"I did, of course." Ranma replied with a proud smirk. "I put him out with a smile on his face."
Akane didn't know what she meant by that last comment, but she did know another thing.
"But it seems he really got you good this time." She observed, smiling. Let's see him deny
that!
"Like you wouldn't believe." Ranma complained in admittance, surprising Akane. But only
Ranma knew that it was because of Ryoga's distraction that caused the demon to inflict the
worst of her bygone injuries, so it was, in a way, the truth. Then, not wanting to waste any
more time, she added: "And I'd like nothing more than a nice, long soak."
Akane understood and allowed Ranma to walk away, but something conspicuous made
itself known to her as she regarded her fiance's departing back. "Ranma?"
Turning about to face Akane, ceasing her progress toward the bathroom, Ranma wondered
why she was looking at her so oddly. "Yeah?"
"Your hair..." Akane began uncertainly. "I didn't know you were growing it out."
"Huh?" Ranma responded intelligently, then grasped her pigtail and pulled it over her
shoulder so she could inspect it. Almost immediately, she realized that her hair was indeed
longer, and that her hair was plaited quite loosely at the base of her head and was showing
signs of looseness down the rest of its length. It must have grown six inches!
Doing an excellent job at hiding her surprise (as far as she was concerned), she flipped her
hair back behind her and unconcernedly said: "I didn't, either. Guess I haven't been paying
attention to it lately."
Akane wasn't fooled, and knew that Ranma was hiding something; but she didn't pursue the
issue. There was no way that she wouldn't have noticed that much hair growth "lately",
which would have normally taken four to six months to occur. Something was going on, and
Ranma was withholding information from her again. Well, like always, she'll just have to
keep an eye on the idiot.
So, instead of making her suspicions known, she allowed her fiance to leave with a piece of
advice as a parting gift. "Well, unless you want all the hassle that comes with longer hair,
then I suggest paying more attention to it."
Ranma nodded, let out a mental sigh of relief, and continued on her way to the bathroom.
When she was sure that she was out of Akane's sight, she quickened her pace, wondering:
"What's going on?"
"The senshi are stronger than I remember."
The owner of the voice gripped the armrest of his wheelchair tightly, glaring out the sliding
glass door and past the balcony it led to with bitter hatred. It had taken him two months to
get the required energy to summon his first demon; and it had been his own energy, leaving
him tired and weak the entire time. Fortunately, it wasn't a complete waste since he'd
gathered enough energy to summon a stronger demon in half a fortnight. However, it would
require his own energy to accomplish that.
"But I will destroy them." He vowed gravely. "I will NOT allow the Moon kingdom to
re-establish its matriarchal rule over the earth again."
Turning away from the morning sun, he wheeled himself into his bedroom for another
session of self-draining that would render him weak and tired for the remainder of the day.
"Never again." He muttered before he shut the door behind himself.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter one - Part two: Consequences
Ranma discovers some of the many consequences that result from her choosing to become
a senshi, and then discovers there was someone she knew that she really didn't know.
Ryoga gets up on the wrong side of the stretcher.
Crescent Pulsar: I know that "he'd've" and "she'd've" aren't words, but they work in informal
speech, so why not in writing? Well, even if someone told me not to use it in writing, I'd've
done it anyway. As you can see. It's my prerogative as a bad writer.