Title: Chaotic Rebirth

Author name: Trugeta

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as Naoko Takeuchi and many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story.

This story takes place after the failed wedding in the Ranma series and the defeat of Galaxia in the Sailor Moon Series. It's an AU, and reviews are welcome and appreciated.

Chapter 1

Nodoka Saotome wandered through the outskirts of the Nerima ward, Tokyo. The beautiful middle-aged woman was completely oblivious to her surroundings and barely noticed that she entered a local park she tended to visit sometimes. Yet, even in her oblivious state she could have deflected most attackers with ease. The silk-wrapped bundle on her back ensured that, and it also served as a constant reminder of her duties; these duties were the precise reason why she was so lost in thought.

The auburn haired woman's brows furrowed in thought, and she unconsciously gnawed at her lower lip as she walked aimlessly through the park. How in Kami-sama's name should she ensure that her manly son did the honourable thing? He had to marry Akane, their family honour simply demanded it. Nothing less was acceptable, yet, the situation was not entirely that simple. Sadly, the main reason for the situation being far from simple was her dear husband. As much as she loved him, his… thoughtlessness had led to many a problem.

She had already resolved many marriage agreements her husband had set up for their son, most of which had been made because of something as simple as food. Needless to say, she as the enforcer of the Saotome family honour had judged those engagements as cases of misunderstood charity, nothing more, nothing less. And she had silenced the protests that had ensued with the threat to shred the offenders' honour in court, even at the cost of her husband's own honour. Family honour was much more important than personal honour after all.

But one agreement remained, and it was not so easily dissolved: the Kuonji agreement, her husband's greatest folly, and a source of constant headaches for someone like her who tried to find a solution. Granted, another engagement existed which might provide some reason for a migraine, but due to the first impression the Amazon girl Xian-Pu had made she had immediately discarded the girl as the mother of her future grandchildren, as willing as she might be. She was just too… rural.

That aside, her son was just too manly to be forced into the kind of marriage the Amazon Elder and her great-granddaughter had obviously in mind; it was just too bad her son didn't have the heart to make that clear. Her son was just so honourable, it brought tears to her eyes. It couldn't be denied that he had many failures and shortcomings that would be detrimental in the long run, but oh was he manly and honourable!

Her thoughts briefly returned to the Amazons. Feh, should they try to force her son into marriage, and they'd learn of the true might of Clan Saotome! If she wanted to she could have them deported at a moments notice, and she could also have their family honour re-established in the blink of an eye, if, yes, if she would swallow her pride.

But that would mean bowing to her father and admitting that he had been right in regards of Genma. Which was something she'd not even begin to consider, and even if the apocalypse stood in front of the door demanding entry she'd not make it easy on her father. That aside, she'd never dishonour her husband like this, even if he had brought enough dishonour upon himself and the family name to last a life-time.

That thought brought her back to the Kuonjis. Her husband's greatest folly, doubtlessly caused by his greed. She hadn't found a way to dissolve the engagement yet, and Ranma was just too honourable to decide upon Akane and hazard the consequences. Her sweet boy didn't want to hurt the girls' feelings, including Ukyo and Xian-Pu. Kodachi she didn't even consider in her musings, and the folly of her husband to accept a large amount of money from the mentally instable girl (again!) in exchange for Ranma's hand in marriage had luckily been resolved. No, the Tendo claim had to come out on top, she had seen the love for Akane in her son's eyes at the failed wedding attempt.

Yes, the failed wedding… failed because the many suitors and rivals of her son had literally bombed it. The rivals… they were a problem in and on themselves. The Hibiki boy had laid low since the wedding attempt and sightings had been more and more infrequent, but if this Amazon boy wouldn't lay off soon he'd end up in a pot as duck a lá mandarin.

Nodoka didn't even want to think of the Kuno boy, Tatewaki, the self-proclaimed 'honourable' Samurai. The audacity he had possessed to appear at her son's wedding with live steel, the Kuno honour sword to boot, demanding that the wedding be halted because he had said so, almost as if his word was equal to the Emperor's, the impudent brat! And then, when her son's curse had activated he'd latched onto Ranma-chan like a love-sick dog! Disgusting!

She had been very tempted to call the authorities to have both Kunos' thrown into the deepest, darkest cell, yet she'd known about the influence of the Kunos' in this ward and the pointlessness of trying to enact justice. However, should the boy come after her son in either form with her nearby he'd witness what a real master of the sword could do. Maybe, just maybe they'd be able to reattach the limbs after she was through with him.

Noticing that her thoughts were straying off-topic Nodoka took a few deep breaths and slowed her steps. The curse… another problem caused by the follies of her husband. The evidence that Genma was as useless as many claimed became crushing.

But alas, she wasn't allowed to think such things of her husband, she was a proper Japanese woman after all, and proper Japanese women didn't condemn their husbands to hell, as good as that would have felt. 'Grr, he better be manly with me soon so I can get rid of these frustrations,' Nodoka thought with a scowl.

Her thoughts returned to Ranma as she slowed her pace even more, and her gaze strayed to the treetops and birds circling in the mild evening air. Hadn't her son proven that he was manly even as a girl she would have had him commit Seppuku, as heart-wrenching as that would have been.

She loved Ranma dearly, but in case he wouldn't have met her expectations she would have forced him to commit ritual suicide and been his second. Honour was everything, and honour demanded that Ranma was a man among men.

Now she just had to ensure that her son acted manly, preferably with Akane, so that she'd get her grandchildren. But how to resolve this mess with keeping their family honour intact eluded her at present.

'Oh husband, what a fine mess you've created there…' she thought with the onset of a migraine.

She was raised out of her musings when a dark-clad figure stepped into her path, effectively blocking it. Nodoka had her katana drawn in a flash, and surveyed her surroundings and her potential opponent. No one was nearby, and her knowledge of the area told her that she was deep in the park, away from the commonly used paths. Nodoka noticed that her opponent was a woman, and quite a young one at that; she was clothed in black from head to toe, and noticeably carried herself like a predator.

Instead of attacking like Nodoka expected the dark-clad woman casually removed her sunglasses and stored them within her cloak, revealing violet eyes that were gazing at her intently. "Nodoka Saotome?" the younger woman then inquired.

Nodoka inclined her head; that much she could give away. "Yes. And you are?"

"Terribly sorry for what I'm going to do, Mistress," was the woman's reply.

While Nodoka puzzled over the mysterious answer with her guard still up, the woman in front of her suddenly blurred out of sight. The Saotome matriarch more felt than saw the woman appear behind her, but she was way too slow to do anything. Her back was touched in several places of which Nodoka knew that they contained important nerve-clusters, and she felt her body lock up.

Before she could fall over Nodoka felt herself being gently lowered to the ground where she came to rest, stiff like a board. Nodoka tried to fight the fear that was rising in her chest, but it was hard. She was effectively helpless, and the fight had been over before it had even begun.

Moments later the woman appeared in Nodoka's field of vision, took the katana from her petrified fingers and leant it against a tree-trunk. "Sorry, Mistress. I had to do it this way or you'd never have listened to me. I know I wouldn't have," she said with an ironic smile. "I'm Ayame Kagote, agent in the service of Clan Saotome. The pressure points I just used will last for five minutes, and your ability to speak will return then too. Now down to business."

Without further ado the woman who had indentified herself as Ayame Kagote reached into her cloak and produced a black, shiny device, her face twisting into a grimace. "This will hurt a bit, but you'll understand soon, Mistress."

Nodoka could do nothing but watch in horror as the dark-clad woman levelled the device to her face. Ayame pushed a button, smiled apologetically, and the next Nodoka saw was a black beam shooting from the device, hitting her right between the eyes. Everything went black, before an explosion of sorts occurred behind her eyes. And suddenly she knew.

-.-

Ayame Kagote, field agent of Clan Saotome, watched how her Mistress assimilated the memories and knowledge that had been so well kept by the Saotome line for so many, many decades. In fact, these memories were their most valuable treasure, passed down only from father to oldest child in a traditional ceremony, after a length of preparations.

However, recent developments had forced their hands, and there was nothing they could do about it. The device had stimulated regions of the brain that had been genetically altered long ago to store and hide memories as well as it had transferred knowledge from an era long since gone.

Nodoka Saotome learned that one of her ancestors had been a member of the Serenity line, the rulers of a golden age called the Silver Millennium. The empire they had ruled had spanned several solar systems and humanity had prospered, but as so often, it hadn't been meant to last.

Beryl, one of Earth's most prominent senators, had – unbeknownst to Queen Serenity and her staff – been envious of what she had and had sold her soul to a demonic entity known only as Metallia in order to gain what she, Serenity had, namely Prince Endymion and her empire. War had erupted, and despite the Queen's and her army's best efforts, world after world had fallen under the onslaught of Beryl's demonic army until just the Earth and the Moon had been left.

The final confrontation between Queen Serenity and Beryl had happened on the moon, and Tenma, brother to Queen Serenity, had been ordered to evacuate by his sister, which he had grudgingly done. Knowing that his older sister would sacrifice herself and feeling like a coward for running he had escaped to Earth where he had managed to survive in cryo-stasis deep under the earth. His capsule had apparently been programmed to wake him up once Earth had reached a certain level of technology, but something had apparently gone wrong and he'd ended up in the 16th century.

Despite everything he'd founded a family and adapted to the time he'd found himself in, but he'd never forgotten his roots. He'd been known as Tenma Saotome, Nodokas' great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather.

The vision also showed a full account of the war, and the recordings proved beyond a doubt that the Queen had known that her utopia had been doomed. Nodoka learned that she'd made plans to ensure that the Moon Kingdom would be rebuilt.

The Queen had not only ordered her brother to evacuate, no, she had also commanded Sailor Pluto to evacuate, had practically ordered her to save herself so that she could commence her all out suicide attack, but her sacrifice had not been so that Pluto could start her own version of the Moon Kingdom. Their Queen had not trusted Sailor Pluto to manage this nearly impossible task by herself, especially taking the probable liabilities due to millennia-long loneliness into account.

Sailor Pluto's primary objective had been to guard the time stream and prevent any more dangers to the solar system to ensure that the final sacrifice of the Queen had not been in vain. Her secondary objective had been to guide the Senshi once their forwarded souls were reincarnated, or so it had been planned.

As they now knew from apparently carefully collected intel, Pluto had obviously failed spectacularly on both accounts. Which was the reason why the Saotomes' had been forced to act. They had found out that Sailor Pluto was willing to sacrifice billions of people so that her vision of the rebuilt Moon Kingdome could come true, and that was completely unacceptable.

The Serenity line had never sacrificed people in such a magnitude, and if it had happened then with the express consent of the people; people, who had been soldiers of the Queen more often than not. Never had civilians been sacrificed without their knowledge or consent, and what Pluto was planning was nothing but a carefully planned genocide, plain and simple.

That the Time Senshi's plans came to fruition had to be averted, or all the ideals of the Moon Kingdom, everything their ancestors had fought and died for, would be for naught. They'd be no better than the enemy they had fought so long ago.

However, it was undeniable that the long-spanning plans of Pluto were short from bearing fruit, and they had to act soon, that Nodoka realised from watching everything.

Ayame continued to watch with regret how Nodoka soaked up the information she had provided, but it had to be done, there just hadn't been another way. Their situation made desperate moves necessary, and she prayed to Kami-sama every day that they wouldn't have to implement what she had dubbed as the 'Last resort'.

Yet it seemed that this exact scenario was becoming more and more likely. The scouts had defeated Galaxia, and in their estimation that had been the last great threat that had prevented Pluto from staging the great ice; if not something completely unexpected occurred nothing stood in the way of the fulfilment of Pluto's dreams, nothing except the Saotome line, the last descendents of Queen Serenity, aside from her reincarnated daughter.

Ayame watched her mistress with a lonely tear trickling down her cheek, sadness welling up inside of her because they would more than likely have to misuse a fine individual for their own ends. Suddenly a red-coloured point appeared behind her eyes, and she stopped to read the message she had just received.

Scratch probable, she thought dejectedly as she added several important bits to what Mistress Nodoka was seeing. The test-results she had just received were overwhelming and confirmed her fears. Their worst case scenario had just been deemed the ideal candidate. Her name: Ranma Saotome.

-.-

Nodoka Saotome came slowly to her senses, and noticed that she was leaning against a tree, her katana lying to her right. After what she had just learned she gladly remained seated. And now she understood what the other woman had meant minutes before. Had she used any other way she'd never have believed her.

But despite what she had seen, what she 'remembered', despite everything, it could still be a trick. She had to be cautious. "If this is the truth as you and this ride on the memory lane claim then show me proof that my family is involved. I want definite and irrefutable proof."

Ayame, having expected this, just nodded calmly and reached into her cloak. "Of course, Mistress," she demurred, and handed Nodoka a wooden box bearing the Saotome Clan emblem.

This alone almost convinced Nodoka of the truth of the unbelievable story she had just witnessed, but she had to eliminate the last doubts. With trembling hands she reached to open the box, and hesitated only for a second. Taking her courage in both hands Nodoka pushed open the lid, and a gasp escaped her.

It was her father's hanko! Even if she hadn't seen it in eighteen years, she knew that no one could forge it, and no thief would ever succeed in stealing it, regardless of how skilled he or she was. That made it definite. Everything she had seen was the ugly truth, hard, cold fact that left Nodoka nearly ready to faint, and just her ingrained stubbornness kept her from giving in to the dizziness she was feeling.

She was the descendent of a Queen who had ruled the Solar System, no, the galaxy! And her daughter – Nodoka's instincts lurched at that, but were forcefully pushed aside by what she had just learned – was destined to be the mother of the Queen's reincarnation!

Her Ranma was so strong! Even as a woman she was so heroic and manly! 'Stop!' Nodoka chided herself, 'Ranma is to be mother to the reborn Queen Serenity, founder of our line and ruler of the Moon Kingdom. This is sure as hell not manly. But why… Why my Ranma?'

Turning to Ayame she voiced the question. "Why Ranma? Why my son?"

Ayame sat down in front of her, cross-legged. "Because your daughter is the only one who can ensure that our Queen will be reborn stronger than ever. She's also the only one who can protect her in her womb should an attack commence. The risk is minimal in my opinion, but Pluto might learn of what is going on. She is an experienced and dangerous woman who has planned the Great Freeze for a long time. She's as determined as one can get, and an adversary we should never underestimate."

"The Gates of Time…" Nodoka muttered, opening her eyes in shock.

"I see the memory retrieval is working. Quite an ingenious bit of work Tenma Saotome created there. Yes, the Gates of Time. We wanted to initiate the plan for a long time now, but it took Tenma and later his descendants until fifty years ago to ensure that it was possible. We had to protect ourselves from Pluto and her Timegates, and we had to wait for a likely candidate," Ayame said with a sad smile.

Nodoka shook her head to clear it. "But why Ranma? Why he? What makes Ranma so special?"

Ayame schooled her features and became serious. "We have watched her, Mistress. Her physical attributes alone are impressive. She's incredibly strong, tough, durable, adaptable and so much more. Her psyche is likewise impressive, for just about anyone else would have snapped from the Neko-ken and gone permanently insane. Hmm, let me rephrase that, everyone else did go insane. Ranma did not. It's a heavens send that Ranma turns into a girl. Your family had high hopes that you would be able to fulfil fate at that time, but your aptitude for all things magical was too low."

"Kami-sama…" Nodoka breathed. "Did Ranma receive the curse because of that? Because of his high magical aptitude?"

"Yes, but not exclusively," Ayame said. "Fool that your husband is, at least he passed on some good genes. Luckily."

Nodoka bristled. "I will not stand for you insulting my husband, Ayame." 'No one aside from me has that right, although Ayame is right. Genma is foolish.'

"I'm sorry, Mistress," Ayame replied, but didn't sound sorry in the least, "But the truth is the truth, and you won't make it less true by ignoring it. Your husband can't be trusted not to do something foolish, or need I remind you of the many marriage agreements, the most recent being that to the Kuno girl, and that for the third time now? And this 'Joining of the school' idiocy he so favours is a danger to Ranma and our plans," Ayame said, looking both intent and annoyed. "Ranma should be removed from the Tendo Dojo, for she and our plans will be in constant danger there."

"What do you mean, 'danger'? From Pluto?" a worried Nodoka asked.

Ayame shook her head. "No, Pluto can't get a lock on Ranma. The magic within her protects Ranma, both the Jusenkyo and her own inert magic."

"Why do you keep on calling Ranma 'her'? He's my son!" Nodoka protested, crossing her arms under her chest.

"Mistress, I need to call Ranma 'her' or I won't be able to focus onto what has to be done. You'd do well to do the same." Ayame retorted, calming herself with a few deep breaths. "What I referred to as a danger, Mistress, is what you call her fiancée."

"Akane?" Nodoka asked incredulously. "That sweet girl is no danger."

"No, Mistress?" the younger woman asked sarcastically. "She might mean no harm, but how many more hits to the head with either a fist or a blunt weapon will be necessary until Ranma suffers brain damage? I've seen the X-rays Dr. Tofu has made in the two years that Ranma has been a guest at the Tendo Dojo. If this carries on not even Ranma's toughness will be enough to prevent permanent damage. Or do you think hard hits to the head are healthy?"

"But…"

"Ranma deserves it? That's what Akane always says, isn't it? Ranma deserves this, Ranma deserves that. Do her claims make it the truth? Of course not! No one deserves to be clobbered with that blunt weapon. Not for spitting out that inedible food, not for acting immature and not for speaking her mind."

"How do you…" Nodoka began.

"What, Mistress? How do I know?" Ayame asked with a raised brow, and Nodoka nodded. "We've watched Ranma since she and Genma came to Nerima. Too bad that we had orders to watch and only watch, or I'd have handed out some justly deserved punishment," she said, cracking her knuckles.

"Watched? Who ordered you? My parents?" Nodoka wanted to know.

Ayame inclined her head in affirmation. "Yes. Imagine their shock when they learned that their grandson had also become their granddaughter. Believe me, they turned over every damn stone from here to Jusenkyo twice to learn what had happened. They had Genma's every move watched for a long time of course, but your husband always managed to stay one step ahead of our agents. The trail Genma had left to Jusenkyo was overly clear, though, and to our luck there's the archive in which every single Jusenkyo victim is listed. Believe me, we learned a lot."

"What? What did you learn?" Nodoka asked intently, having the distinct feeling that she was on the verge of discovering something important.

"We discovered that everyone that comes to Jusenkyo is drawn to one specific spring that matches his or her karma. Ranma had been raised into someone who looked down upon women, who thought that women always needed strong men to protect them. In short, women were nothing more than sweetie pies to her. Good looking, there for kitchen-duties and child-birth, and unfit to fight," Ayame listed, but her face lost the annoyed expression and twisted into a smile. "Genma will probably never know how much of a favour he did us with the way he raised Ranma. Jusenkyo determined the Spring of drowned girl as appropriate punishment for Ranma, as a way to balance her karma. Appropriate that Genma was turned into a lazy animal, isn't it?"

Nodoka ignored the new slight to her husband in favour of pressing on. "Jusenkyo determined it? Or Fate?" she mused half to herself.

Ayame looked thoughtful. "Mistress, you know what they say about Fate. It will always find a way to make things the way it wants them to be."

The Saotome matriarch nodded her assent, an equally thoughtful expression prevalent on her face. "My mother always said something similar. 'If the Fates themselves did not will it to happen, then it never would have occurred,'" she recited.

The raven-haired woman in front of her nodded. "This was the only thing that consoled your mother after you had decided to marry Genma. It was also the reason why she kept your father from disowning you."

Nodoka nodded in understanding and bowed her head. "I see. I always wondered," she said almost to herself and stared off into space. Then she visibly collected herself and looked Ayame in the eyes. "So you say that it was Fate that my son also became my daughter."

"You said that," a smiling Ayame said. "Is it so? Can you let go of your views of manliness in face of what you have learned? Of what is necessary? Can you, Mistress?"

"Counter-question: are you sure that my Ranma is the most likely candidate?" Nodoka asked, her gaze piercing Ayame who calmly met the gaze.

"Yes, Mistress, absolutely," she said softly, a sad smile on her face, "If Ranma's genes are added to the material we have of the Queen, and Ranma carries her to term, she'll be stronger than ever. We'll have a real chance against Pluto and the other Scouts. We will at least have the chance to stop Pluto from encasing this world in a cage of Ice, making it a frozen prison of Death for several billion people."

"I see. But what about Ranma? He'll never agree to do… that," Nodoka said, her voice sounding like she was being dragged through stinging nettles.

"Yes, your views on manliness and how Ranma sees herself make that a given, Mistress," Ayame admitted cooly, making Nodoka flinch.

"So what will we do?" the Saotome matriarch finally asked.

"'We'?" Ayame repeated, a raven brow raised. "Does that mean you are with us? You'll support your family in this?"

"Yes," Nodoka answered without hesitation. "I have always strived to do the honourable thing, and there's nothing more honourable than saving the world. Or die trying."

"Agreed," Ayame nodded with a smile that reached her eyes. "Well, you asked what we'll do. If we had the time we would prepare Ranma slowly, explain to her what we have in mind and how we want to accomplish it. We would ask for her cooperation and appeal to her sense of honour. She already killed a demi-god to save Akane, but more to that later," she said at Nodoka's incredulous look, "Thus it is just a small step to outright saving the world. But sadly we don't have the time."

Nodoka's face scrunched up. "You want to force her through whatever you've planned?" she asked worriedly.

At Ayame's nod she voiced her worries. "Is there no other way? Ranma sees herself as a man regardless of the form, and to force a pregnancy on her would be worse than rape."

The dark-clad woman in front of her expelled a long-suffering sigh. "Believe me, Mistress, I'd do it myself if I could. In a heartbeat. I'd gladly carry the Queen to term, but there are certain requirements that only Ranma can match. We had hoped that we would have enough time to wait for a daughter to be born to the Saotome line who'd hopefully match the criteria, but it's too late. We cannot wait. Ranma is the strongest Saotome woman up till now, both physically and magically. I repeat, we can't wait. Even the time until the birth is nearly too long."

Tears had begun to stream down Nodoka's cheeks throughout Ayame's speech, and the Saotome matriarch cursed Fate that it had not allowed her to be the one. "Why must the Fates be so cruel? Why can't my son have a normal life?"

Ayame grasped Nodoka's right hand, giving it a strong squeeze. "Because Fate has destined Ranma for great things. Never doubt that, as little consolation as it may be."

Nodoka nodded in acceptance, wiping the tears away with her sleeve. "But for my son-turned-daughter to become pregnant so that the human race can be saved… unbelievable," she muttered with a shake of her head. "Please note my objection to not informing Ranma and leaving the choice to him. It is bound to backfire spectacularly, of that I'm certain, but I'll agree with your plans for now. For the greater good, for the human race. But mark my words, Sailor Pluto, you will pay for forcing me to put my child through this so that you can be stopped," she promised in a voice that sent shivers down Ayames' spine.

Sailor Pluto's future didn't look bright, all things considered. But that was the plan in the first place, wasn't it?

to be continued…