Ranma 1/2 is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi and Sailor Moon is the creation of Naoko Takeuchi. This fan-fiction isn't intended for commercial use but is rather a tribute to Ranma 1/2 and Sailor Moon.

Ch04 Barsoom Rises

~*~Jubian ward, Hikawa Shrine~*~

Hino Rei woke up gasping. "It felt so real. Too real." Rei was enough of a miko to recognize the different between a dream and the memory of a previous life. Now she knew why she had thought of Saatome Beryl as a Queen; she was the very image of Queen Beryl. But Beryl should...no what had Queen Serenity said? 'you and they will still be unable to die of old age.' But Beryl was in that prison. Unless...

Frowning Rei pulled out the phonebook that sat on the end table the phone sat on. If she was wrong... hopefully it would be written off as a prank call. But she had to know. She quickly found the number and dialed it.

~*~Tegnum Renebris HQ~*~

Kyurene winced as the phone rang. "Hello, Tegnum Renebris Inc. Can I help you?"

"Is Queen Beryl in?" said the voice on the other end of the phone.

Kyurene was suddenly alert. She had been wondering if something like this would happen. Figures that some of the youma sent planetside before Ranma was born would put it together who Saotome Beryl really was and try and get new orders. "State name, clan, and assignment."

"In this life I am Hino Rei but in a previous life...I was Sailor Mars."

Kyurene paled and lost control of her form revering to the bat-like creature she has chosen as her main form when she had come of age.

"How...how much do you remember?"

"Only how I died in that life."

"Where's Luna?" Kyurene asked anger creeping into her voice.

"Who?"

"What? You mean Princess Serenity is right and there is another one of those freaking Mau giving out transformation items?!"

"What are you talking about? I only had a vivid dream memory."

"Hino-sama, this is important. There a Mau running around out there trying to bring back Queen Serenity's Sailor Senshi. Damn thing is even creating new Senshi."

"What?"

"What ever you do don't even touch anything the blasted cat shaped thing offers you. There seems to be an activating phase with what it is handing out but it only works if the blasted thing in your hand." Kyurene pulled out a note pad. "Where are you?"

~*~A hour later~*~

Hino Rei stopped sweeping as Saotome Beryl nervously came up the stairs. "You look exactly as you did in my memory vision, Queen Beryl," said Rei.

Beryl smiled. "Seems you are as blunt and to the point in this life as you were when you were Sailor Mars."

"At the rate those two rogue employees of yours are going they'll have half the ward turned into youma by the end of the month." Rei scowled. "But they aren't employees are they?"

"No," growled Beryl forming a reddish aura around herself. "I am going to shove those two Genma level moronic Generals into full body cast made out of hard thought after I dump a pound of itching power on them."

"Genma?"

"Here are the highlights…"

Several minutes latter Rei was gripping her broom so hard her knuckles were turning white. "Do you have a way I can become Sailor Mars again so I can throw whatever that fire soul thing is into his face?" she growled.

"No. Besides you would likely have to get in line. I am sure I have only found the more blatant examples of him being Baka-sama."

"Saotome Beryl, I am honored that you grace our humble shrine," said the voice of Rei's Grandfather from behind her.

"I'm surprised given what two of my people are currently doing."

"Nonsense. There is only so much control we have over the actions of others, Your Majesty."

"Uh why do you call me Your Majesty?"

Rei's Grandfather frowned. "I don't know. It...seemed the right thing to do."

"Sounds like one of your previous lives is breaking through just as it is with your miko."

The elderly man smiled. "She also happens to be my granddaughter."

Beryl chuckled. "If what I suspect is true then what Mercury found out all those millennia ago will be brought home."

"Youma being the decedents of failed efforts to create the Sailor Senshi," commented Rei. "'...you are wrong. We serve the kingdom not you. If you, Uranus, and Neptune can't see that then you and not Beryl is the enemy.'"

Beryl paled. "You even remember your last words to Queen Serenity," she whispered.

"I also remember Mercury revealing that she had lied to you to save your life and that of the Generals that had sided with you." Rei paused. "But the one thing I don't remember is why Queen Serenity paled when you mentioned a Queen Metaria."

"Oh there is a good reason for that," smirked Beryl. "That is the name of the first Queen of the Moon Kingdom who had lived over 40,000 years previously." Beryl then frowned. "But from what I know of reincarnation your memories of your past life shouldn't be this vivid. It's like what happened to Ranma who thanks to the blasted Neko-ken is assessing the Princess Morganite's memory crystal."

Beryl got introspective. "That would explain how the Sailor Senshi were able to pass on the ability to use their power without knowing how they used them. But for that to be happening every Sailor Senshi must have a memory crystal with the raw knowledge passed from generation to generation." Beryl then turned her attention to Rei. "I think it is time you, Mercury, and Moon got together so we can form a plan to deal with my two out of control Generals. The ten youma I set up as maids and high position workers have their hands full dealing with the aftermath of those two Baka and with Jadeite and Nephrite both in healing comas I am not only trapped here but can't bring any more youma from the Dark Kingdom here to try and actually stop those two loose cannons."

"Queen...Beryl?" asked a voice.

The three figures turned. "I...remember," said the figure with pale skin dressed as a ninja slowly approaching. "I'm Oniwabandana of the Hagakure warrior clan working under the guise of tabloid photographer Asahina Nana. But...I also remember being assigned to protect Will Adams by Tokugawa Ieyasu himself." Oniwabandana put her hand to her head. "But that is impossible; Tokugawa Ieyasu died over three centuries before I was even born."

"Not born. Reborn. You are remembering your previous life," said Beryl concerned. "Seems their crazy plan to bring back the Seven Great youma isn't so crazy."

"Who?"

"The strongest and most powerful youma known. They were born and died long before you came of age and got your memory crystal." Beryl smiled. "Though your current identity may help with the current awkward situation I am in right now."

~*~Next Day, lunchtime, Furinkan High School~*~

"You hear Kuno rambling on about that tabloid article?" asked Yuka.

"Figures he would believe it," commented Sayuri.

"Do not not fear Akane I, the Blue Thunder, will…" WHAM "Shut the freaking hell up."

"Seems to have made him even more aggressive in trying to 'save' Akane," said Yuka shaking her head.

"Seems Ranma is not happy with him either. Wonder how long before his aunt steps in."

"I'd say it is only matter of time before the moron finds out there are people more powerful in terms of money then he is. Of course there is that rumor…"

"Come on? Saotome Beryl a member of the Yamaguchi-gumi? That is just as crazy as her being the immortal Queen of a long dead world kingdom with a million subjects who are one person armies. I wonder what they are smoking at that tabloid's publisher. Sure can't be legal."

"I imaging Beryl-sama is taking measures as we speak."

~*~Elsewhere~*~

Watanabe Yoshinori quietly hung up the phone pale as a ghost. "I take it she told you," commented Ramua. Yoshinori looked at his guard-time manager-accountant. "Yes. I am kumicho of the Yamaguchi-gumi and yet compared to the power Beryl wields…" Yoshinori looked at Ramua. "That pale skin disguise. It's your true form isn't it?"

"Yes. Our coming of age forms are our tattoos. It formally identifies the clan we belong to. Though… permission to speak frankly."

"Permission granted."

"In the old days when we were sent to Earth our only duty to our clan and our Queen was to send ki energy back to the Dark Kingdom. In all other respects our duties were to what ever human identity we assumed or were assigned...unless it endangered our clan in some way. You heard what the result of that can be."

"Yes. When Beryl said she could take care of the problem I never dreamed…"

"That was due to Balm 'adopting' the humans she was healing to raise into her clan. Threatening a clan without the power to back it up it akin to saying 'I'm tired of living. Kill me now. In the most brutal way possible.' Though as powerful as Queen Beryl is Queen Serenity was even greater in terms of raw power."

"A solar system spanning Kingdom," said Yoshinori shaking his head. "It sounds like the ravings of a madman but then what is going on in Tokyo…"

"I wouldn't want to be those two generals when Beryl gets close enough to use Hard Thought on them. She might be pissed enough to leave them in there for months."

"I thought that Hard Thought was just a story she used to keep her kobun under control but you are saying it is real?"

"Oh yes it is real. Beryl often consulted her own memory crystal regarding her first lethal use of Hard Thought. Youma that made the mistake of touching her or using their ki to attract the attention when she was doing that got to see that memory from Beryl's POW first hand. Gave me nightmares for months. Even more then the stories of Sailor Saturn."

"I take it that was one of the one-person armies of the Moon Kingdom the tabloid was on about. It was a little vague."

"With good reason. Saturn was the second or third most powerful of the Moon Kingdomdepending on how much of the wild stories you believed. Silence Wall was a barrier nothing could penetrate. But it was nothing compared to Death Reborn Revolution."

"What did that do?"

"According to the legend at full power it could destroy a planet. It's supposedly why there is an asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter."

"You said second or third," whispered Yoshinori his mouth suddenly dry.

"The first was Queen Serenity herself. The other possibly for second most powerful was Sailor Pluto. She supposedly had a time machine with which she saw the most likely future. Even youma who have been allowed to see the final day of the Moon kingdom via Beryl's own memory crystal think Pluto was all show and no substance and therefore didn't really exist." Ramua paused. "If there is one good thing in this fiasco is it will pull government attention from the Yakuza in general."

"I'd rather have that then the insanity going on in Tokyo."

"Oh, don't mistake me. I'd prefer that too but these are the cards we are dealt. Though there is the reincarnation of Princess Morganite to help put a lid on things. Barring those two maniacs doing something really stupid and getting the Princess' classmates involved in this mess."

~*~Furinkan High School, final class~*~

"Hello, students," said an unfamiliar voice from the school's speakers. "I am Kunzite and no doubt you have heard of me. You should be honored to be the first to be the test subjects of my latest idea." The fire alarm went off followed by the sprinklers drenching everyone in the classroom. Ranma watched in horror he and everyone else changed into youma.

"KUNZITE NO BAKA," roared Akane her skin a light shade of green her hair pure white as she bolted up from her desk.

"Where...where is it?" muttered one of the formally male students who now looked like a life sized wooden puppet. Well if you ignored the fact where was literally nothing viable where the joints should be.

The male population quickly realized that the key part of their anatomy that made them male was missing and just as quickly freaked out. Then the female part of the population realized that most of them looked like refuges from a horror film and they freaked out.

"Calm down," yelled Ranma over the pandemonium. "Look, this can temporally be reversed…" was all he got out before several of the students quickly moved closer. Now this wouldn't be a problem if one of them didn't have what was effectively a cat's head on a girl's body. Ranma's face went from abject terror to confusion. "Now what the blazes is going on?" said Ranma in a lower more mature voice.

"Princess Morganite?" asked Akane.

"Yes," Princess Morganite said as she turned and faced Akane. "Name and Clan." she said in an authoritative voice.

"Akane of the Tendo clan."

Morganite cocked her head to one side. "I was told the Tendos where humans raised in the way of the youma."

"We are. This is thanks to two of the generals going nuts with Jusenkyo water." Akane closed her eyes and she slowly changed back to her human form. "This is a lot harder then it looks," she muttered opening her eyes. "Ranma was going to tell them that hot water temporarily reverses the effect but I think using our now native shapeshifting ability is a better idea."

Princess Morganite nodded. "Yes. it would be given this body is in youma form again I assume that things tend toward the curse being active." Princess Morganite looked over at the students in the classroom. "Time to learn how to control your new forms."

~*~An hour later~*~

"What is my sister doing about these two baka generals?" asked Morganite as she, Akane, and Nabiki walked back to the Tendo home.

"Mostly damage control. You saw what people do when they are changed. Now imagine that a thousand fold. Beryl is left reacting to events. Being temporarily cut off from the Dark Kingdom thanks to the two loyal generals being in healing comas means she only has 10 'real' youma to help her do damage control." Nabiki sighed. "I know I am going to need to practice but holding my human form is like continually tensing a muscle." Nabiki then changed to her youma form. Now a black haired half human half spider fresh out of a nightmare Nabiki smiled. "That feels so much better."

"It strange we view ourselves so differently."

"Halt villains," proclaimed a voice. Turning they saw a young man in formal dress a mask on his face. "I, Tuxedo Mask, know not what deviltry you have planned…"

"Is this rambling idiot for real?" asked Morganite dodging Tuxedo Mask's cane attack.

"You think he's bad you should access some of Ranma's memories regarding Kuno," quipped Akane.

"I'll pass thank you. I think this guy is enough for my daily dose of stupid."

Morganite smiled as red energy form in her right hand and blue in her left. "Why don't you go for a spin? Ki tornado!"

"Aggghhh!" screamed Tuxedo Mask as the ki vortex took him aloft.

"That should keep him busy for a while. This attack is designed to feed on the target's own ki to power it."

"So the more he fights the longer it lasts," grinned Akane.

"Exactly."

"Well now that Kuno Jr. is out of the picture, let's get home so we can call Beryl and tell her of the latest bit of insanity those two crazies has done."

~*~An hour more later~*~

"Those idiots!" Beryl roared as she crunched the Hard Thought phone glowing like a red hot poker. "As if one school wasn't enough." Beryl looked at the now broken phone and sighed. "At least I can make what looks and works like a cell phone." Focusing her energy she fixed the phone and dialed a number. "Franciscan Chapel Center? This is Saotome Beryl. I need the help of that priest the people have been transformed have been asking for. Our two least favorite loose cannons just hit a private Catholic school and I need someone who can provide religious support. Name? Oh yes I'm so angry I nearly forgot. It's called the T·A Academy for Girls. And while you are at it I think a rename in order. You have any idea what T and A implies in English?"

Several minutes later Beryl arrived. "Crap, they really did a number on this place. I...Rei?!"

Rei decked out in the garb of Sailor Mars turned her now claw like hands flexing. Her skin was a reddish orange color but her features were still recognizable. "I thought you said only one of those freaking Mau could do this!"

"It never occurred to me the Pool of Drowned Youma could work like this. Though something like this happened with Sailor Mercury – what looks like a youma decked out in Sailor Senshi garb."

"More then decked out in Sailor Senshi garb. I think I got her powers."

"What?" asked Beryl rapidly paling.

"Fire Soul, Fire Soul Bird, Burning Mandala, Mars Flame Sniper, and Mars Snake Fire."

"Ah shit," said Beryl who now scowled. "Great. So not only who knows how many freaking Mau out there that can awaken/create Sailor Senshi but the freaking Pool of Drowned Youma can do the same blasted thing." Beryl then frowned. 'Rei...Does Sailor Saturn mean anything to you?"

"Other then what I saw in my past life dream and producing an instinctive fear reaction no. But why should it do that?"

"Given the dirty little secret the Moon Kingdom had it could be another way of control. If you want your ultimate enforcer under your control have a built-in fear response so outside the Royal family she has no chance of friends."

"I remember her threatening to use a Death Reborn Revolution but other then it clearly being a bad thing I don't know what it does."

"Based on the legends it returns things to their original state and then reshapes them if Saturn so wished."

"Sounds like...God," said a voice behind Beryl.

Turning Beryl smiled at the priest now before her giving a slight bow. "The Moon and Earth Kingdoms were insanely technological advanced so in some respects they were like god with a little 'g'. Though in Queen Serenity's case I think that power went to her head and it became God with a big 'G'."

The priest ran his hand through his brown hair. "From your tone it is clear you didn't approve."

"There is only one God and it is not a bunch of people passing their power down from one generation to the next without truly earning it." Beryl then gave a humorous-less laugh. "It wasn't until I started learning martial arts that youma of the Dark Kingdom actually respected me and for the same reason. I think they only reason they tolerated me as their 'Queen' was I was their main source of ki and held their well being in my hands."

The priest frowned. "That sounds like that totally insane story in that tabloid."

"Who do you think gave them that story?" smirked Beryl. "My identity was unraveling among those closest to me and I decided that doing a tell all as a 'source close to Beryl' to a tabloid was the best way to nip the whole thing in the bud and do what amounted to a thumbnail 'tell all' to the one source that reasonably intelligent people don't trust – a tabloid."

"You mean that insane story that you were Queen of Earth, are 12,000 years old, and the youma are your subjects…"

"True. All of it," said Beryl grinning. "If you look closely enough you will see that before about 16 years ago it is like I don't exist as all the records that show my existence before that time are fakes. Jadeite has gotten very good at altering memories and public records for my youma over the centuries. When either he or Nephrite wake up out of their healing comas I can actually show you the Dark Kingdom. But right now we need to do emotional and spiritual damage control on this...fiasco."

~*~Author Note~*~

Barsoom is the name for Mars in a book series by Edgar Rice Burroughs. For better visualization Akane looks like Yasha and Nabiki looks like Widow (Yes, that is the English name of the Youma in the anime.) If you are familiar with the 1990s anime you know who the priest is.