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.

Chapter 20 – Assessments

Bishop Shirayanagi Seiichi walked up the stairs of the Franciscan Chapel Center its stark blocky cement color giving it the impression of an old office building rather then a place of worship. In his hand was the letter that had brought him here. The contents were about bringing the word of the Lord to the youma of the Phoenix Republic and the dangers of the Moon Kingdom but it had been the signature that had prompted his personal visit: Father Bozy of the Seve Great Youma Clan.

Inside the center Bishop Shirayanagi stopped his eyes widening slightly. There at the pulpit consulting a bible was a youma. He had a pale gray skin with bright yellow hair his face framed by brown piece of boxing heard gear with a gold symbol in the middle of it. Even at this distance the youma's eyes glowed with a red light his orange angel like wings slightly moving as he studied the bible in front of him.

"Father Boxy?"

The youma looked up and smiled. "Your Most Reverend, I am so glad you came," he said stepping from the pulpit.

Bishop Shirayanagi could see that the youma was dressed more like a boxer then a priest with a pair of blue trunks with a bell where the belt should be and his hands covered with boxing tape.

"You don't seem to be dressed as a priest."

"Yes, uh about that." Boxy reached into the pulpit and pulled out a thermos and poured a cup of steaming water. "It's best to show you then try to explain." Boxy then poured the water over his head and immediately changed into a brown haired man in a traditional priest cassock a golden cross hanging from his neck. "As you can see the clothing itself changes."

Bishop Shirayanagi narrowed his eyes. "You said in your letter that the Moon Kingdom had the ability to control souls."

"Yes, instead of going to my reward Queen Serenity forced me to reincarnate. The Grey Moon Clan helped me regain the part of my soul Sailor Moon had unintentionally...removed." the man said his eyes briefly flashing red. "But as you see the process had some physical side effects but my soul is whole again."

Bishop Shirayanagi nodded for the priest to continue. "Youma respect power that involves great personal sacrifice and the clan I belonged to in my previous life was the most respected clan in youma society. Our views held great weight but even we were not infallible and were swayed into the actions that resulted in the battle that ended the Moon Kingdom and I have learned cost many innocent lives. I want to bring light back to the decedents of the discarded attempts at making the first Sailor Senshi as they have lived for over 12,000 years under the rule of a woman who only thoughts were of power and revenge."

Bishop Shirayanagi smiled and put his hand on the priest's shoulder. "You want to save their souls"

"Yes, your most reverend, but there is a problem. I am not the only one of the Seven Great Youma to be reborn. I think all the others are here too. It was only merging of my old life with my current one was I able to overcome the darkness I fell to in my previous life. The same is true of Jiji."

The priest paused and frowned looking down.

"Before my soul became whole the famous painter Yumemi Yumeno come to me about strange dreams she was having. She couldn't explain why she came to me or why she wanted to tell me things outside the confessional at the time but now I think I may know why. In her dreams she changed into what she assumed was an angel but the description she gave I now know matches my memories of Binah another of the Seven Great Youma. She may know at some level she was Binah and if she awakens on her own as I first did she could go crazy as I did."

The priest looked up a look of loss in his eyes. "I was calling myself the king of kings. I was that messed up thanks to Queen Serenity messing with my soul. I...don't know what to do. Jiji was able to merge his current life and his past but as you see there was a physical price."

"Father," said a female voice. Turning the two men saw a young woman with black hair and glasses standing at the entrance to the room. "Oh, I didn't know you were..." She staggered for a moment her hand going to her head.

"No," whispered Father Boxy, "not now."

The woman fell to her knees whimpering in pain as two wings exploded from her back. "Father, help me."

The priest ran up to the woman. "I'm here, my child," he said kneeling.

"It hurts," whimpered the woman as her braided hair came loose and grew longer.

"Our Lord who is in heaven hear your humble servant and grant me the power to drive out the evil that hurts this woman," said Father Boxy.

Bishop Shirayanagi blinked as the entire chamber started glowing with a pale golden light.

The young woman screamed as a green object resembling a gem emerged from her and clattered to the floor. The woman was now dressed in fine pink colored robes with two white wings out of her back. "Father, what just happened?"

"You have been freed of the greatest evil the Moon Kingdom ever committed."

Suddenly a woman with blondish hair dressed in a bluish military style uniform appeared. "Our ki detectors just when wild and I..." the woman stopped and stared at the kneeling woman "Binah?"

"Binah? My name is Yumemi Yumeno," said the woman as she staggered to her feet. "My clothes!" she exclaimed as her hands went up to "My face." The woman looked around. "A mirror. I need a mirror." The woman then blinked as a feather flew out from her wings and drew the image of a full length mirror that turned into the real thing.

"Definitely Binah," said the female soldier.

"What just happened?" asked Yumeno.

"The power of our Lord Jesus made manifest," said Bishop Shirayanagi is awe.

The female soldier cocked her head to one side. "I hope this isn't a particularly stupid question but who is Lord Jesus?"

~*~*SRW*~*~

"Wiseman Ranma, I have been thinking about the various clans and am worried regarding any efforts at retribution," commented Kuno as he and Ranma walked to the Tenjo dojo from school.

Ranma smiled slightly. Kuno was using 'Wiseman' as if it was a title which suited Ranma just fine as despite what he learned and the skills he had gained he didn't feel if he really should be calling himself 'Grandmaster' especially as long as his older self was here. "Nabiki asked about that. Plaything Verda explained that Jadeite wasn't as arrogant as he appeared. After the failure of his Midnight Zero project he was using Terms to gather energy."

"Term? Is that some sort of lower...rank of youma."

"Not exactly. Some youma are born with a degenerative condition that manifests once they come of age. The early sign is a development of joint pain progressing, within half a human generation, to something Thoth equated to advanced arthritis. The condition goes one of two ways: either the youma overcomes the pain and becomes a prime example of strength through adversity or the youma asks for their clan head to drain them dry of life energy for the good of the clam. The second is very rare as even the clanless will not simply roll over and die; they want to prove that they are of value; to admit that you can't overcome the pain is to in essence to say that alive you are of no value to the clan."

Ranma sighed. "That is part of the reason Roda was so willing to die; she was a Term, spending every waking moment in constant pain. Instead of simply attacking Beryl and being killed she pushed Beryl's emotional buttons so that no matter what happened to her afterword she had shown she had value in that of all the youma she had been the first willing to directly challenge Beryl."

Ranma gave a humorless chuckle. "In my typical jump right in and let my mouth go before my brain has figured things out method of dealing with things I goaded her by saying she was afraid to live and Jusenkyo did the rest. I can't help feel that Jusenkyo felt her pain and that was why she fell into the pool she did."

"But what of the youma used before and during this Midnight Zero project?"

"Beryl may have been a reckless military moron but the youma clans as near as I can tell aren't. Vengeance that doesn't have a gain outside of the vengeance itself just isn't their way." Ranma sighed as she shook his head. "As Sun Tzu says 'If it is not advantageous, do not move; if there is no gain, do not use troops; if there is no danger, do not do battle. The ruler may not move his army out of anger; the general may not do battle out of wrath. If it is advantageous, move; if it is not advantageous, stop. Those angry will be happy again, and those wrathful will be cheerful again, but a destroyed nation cannot exist again, the dead cannot be brought back to life.' The youma understand that as well as Sun Tzu did."

"I see," commented Kuno who then slightly frowned.

"That isn't the only thing on your mind."

"No Wiseman, it isn't. I am troubled by the power that Tendo Nabiki seems to have over Verda."

"Sadly, there is no 'seems' there," said Ranma his tone showing he wasn't happy with what was going on. "Verda committed a major social blunder and so was made a plaything of the Grey Moon Clan until 'the Three of that clan have shown that they understand most of their requirements.' The faster Eclipse, myself, and Chronos Aeon can show we actual know what being Clan head, Advisor, and Guardian the sooner Verda returns to her former full status."

"Your tone shows you don't approve."

"That is putting it mildly. Being declared a plaything is saying you have value not as a person but as a thing. What really angers me is I failed in my duty as an advisor and didn't warn Eclipse to be careful about what she did or said around the youma as we don't fully understand their culture."

"Someone once said 'heavy on the head is the crown.' From what I am hearing its burden is as great for those who Advise and Guard as it is for those who are the Head."

Ranma nodded. "I must say Eclipse's ability to recover from her mistake and turn it into an asset impressed me. I imagine that in the last two weeks there has been a marked decline in Nabiki's old hobbies."

"Now you mention it I haven't seen her taking bets or collecting on debts as much as in the past."

"Nabiki is aware the Grey Moon Clan is not entirely thrilled with her money making activity but she never gave a real thought to the consequences of her actions. Verda serves as a constant example of what fate could await Nabiki if she goes too far. Besides being the head of Chapter 13 won't give Nabiki much time for her old hobbies once we formally get up and running. So, Nabiki is closing down her activities piecemeal."

Kuno nodded. "It is for the best. She could have tried to get money from the wrong person. Still, the Blue Thunder cannot shake the feeling that events here have been manipulated by unseen and unknown puppet masters and the arrival of the Black Moon Clan messed up the puppet masters."

~*~*SRW*~*~

Bishop Shirayanagi frowned. If what this Zoisite was saying was true then four of the inhabitants of the Phoenix Republic were 12,000 years old and for nearly all that time this Queen Beryl had had an intellectual and spiritual stranglehold on its people.

"No one in all that time tried to challenge…that boosted piece of food," growled Father Boxy.

"There are legends of one youma who did challenge Beryl's rule," commented Zoicite. "Beryl selected her as the first youma to collect energy on Earth as a way of removing her from the playing field. Her name was Teki and she was the head of the Daimōn clan."

Bishop Shirayanagi and Father Boxy both paled. "It can't be," Father Boxy whispered.

"Can't be what?"

"Teki is the Japanese word for adversary which in Hebrew is saw-yawn more commonly pronounced Satan," replied Father Boxy.

"Moreover daimōn is the word from which demon comes from," commented Bishop Shirayanagi.

"Ok but I don't…"

"Satan is the ruler of Hell. The tempter of humanity," commented Yumemi Yumeno who shivered. "Does that mean…"

"No," replied Father Boxy. "While it is within reason that Teki sold people on the idea that she was taking their soul when she was really draining their life energy she was a being of flesh and blood not a fallen angel. Besides she died millennia ago."

"Uh…maybe not."

Father Boxy frowned. "Maybe not?"

"Teki's memory crystal still glows which normally would suggest she is still alive."

"Youma don't live for thousands of years," retorted Father Boxy.

"Neither do humans and yet Beryl, Jadeite, Kunzite, Nephrite, and myself have lived that long," responded Zoisite, "The only reason Nephrite died was one of members of the Plant Sisters clan mortally wounded him." Zoisite then frowned. "But you are right, there is no record of any other youma not dying of old age. Beryl always assumed that Teki had someway somehow passed on her connection to her memory crystal to her children even though we have gotten energy from the decedents of youma that were sent to Earth but their memory crystals went dark ages ago." Zoisite's eyes widened. "Happosai..."

"Who?" asked Bishop Shirayanagi.

"The Grandmaster of Wiseman's former Ryu. He has claimed that he has used his learned ability of draining ki to extend his lifespan."

Father Boxy frowned. "There were rumors, never proven, that there were youma who lived longer then normal due to how they drained life ki. But we are talking a few decades not hundreds much less thousands of years."

"There is another option," commented Zoisite. "She, like Sailor Pluto, could have been put in suspended animation with youma loyal to her using her as a relay."

Father Boxy nodded. "Possible but not likely. Life energy transfer like that is notoriously inefficient. I can see this Teki wanting to 'stick it' to Beryl but she would also be punishing her fellow youma."

"In many ways Teki was like Beryl. The only difference was Teki was a Term and very clan focused but had her own ideas regarding the worthiness of a clan."

"What is a Term?" asked Bishop Shirayanagi.

"It what a youma who is born with what Thoth has equated to be a combination of cancer and advanced arthritis is called. Because youma society holds that great achievement requires great sacrifice they are highly regarded. They tend towards being relentless fighters. If they win they bring prestige to the clan. If they die their pain ends. Think of an old style samurai with a death wish. That is what a Term is like."

"But given the announcement by Queen Eclipse wouldn't they reveal themselves?" asked Yumemi Yumeno. "Well at least those that know what they are."

"And there in lies the problem," commented Zoisite. "Do they know? We are talking thousands of years. They may believe themselves to be whatever their ancestors passed themselves off as. Then there are those worried about the potential loss of what prestige they have gotten or the political fallout from such a reveal."

~*~*SRW*~*~

Neo-Queen Serenity looked at the Stargate still in her Sailor Moon form. "I wish…"

"We all have wishes but those about changing what was are useless," commented Purple Wiseman.

"I was wishing about not what was but what is. As in the Time Space door of my time."

"Ah so you have the same misgivings I have."

"Bluntly, we can't trust it to take us home or not to interfere. I can't even trust it to tell me what is really going on as it has been effectively lying to me for 900 plus years."

"What do you know there is actually brain in that head of yours," hissed the Doom Phantom.

"Was wondering when you would wake back up," commented Jakoku.

"More like Luna's paranoia is getting to her," commented Sailor Pluto.

"Great, both of you maniacs are awake. I could do with some stress release," growled Neo-Queen Serenity turning.

"Ok. What is going on?" asked Sailor Pluto. "You aren't supposed be violence happy."

The Doom Phantom shook his head chuckling. "You haven't put it together yet? If anything I am surprised the ki imbalance didn't start effecting her personality sooner."

"What? But unlike my scouts I am still alive."

"The Ginzuishou…"

"But I don't have it."

"And there in lies the problem," growled Purple Wiseman. "You are use to all that yang energy being in your possession."

"Meaning my yin ki is …"

"Effectively in orbit," finished Purple Wiseman.

"That is why she starting using them as punching bags," commented Mars.

"Very good, Mars," said the Doom Phantom.

"It's going to get worse isn't it?"

The Doom Phantom gave a dark chuckle. "Took you long enough to figure that out."

"It already effecting us," commented Purple Wiseman. "Once things stabilized we should have returned home but he have found reasons to remain here…to remain passive."

"Not just you of the Black Moon Clan, either," commented Pluto frowning.

"Black Wiseman's crystal is intact, while the Ginzuishou of this time isn't," commented Neo-Queen Serenity. "We've got to tell them.'

"They already know my dear," sighed Purple Wiseman. "This is the same problem as emotional ki…you know in the head that something is wrong but the heart overrules that."

Unnoticed by any of the people involved a youma had listened in and mulled around what to do with the knowledge and then it hit her. There was one person who was active if only in improving herself. Certainly she could at least suggest some ideas.

~*~*SRW*~*~

Beryl frowned at the youma before her. "Find Eclipse and Wiseman and if you can Chronos Aeron. I want their involvement in anything addressing this issue."

Some thirty minutes later, Ranam was rubbing his head. "Great. Just freaking great. We have to prepare for Sailor Galaxia and-or the world destroying force that is involved with her and we are effectively sitting on our hands and not even realizing it."

Zoisite still in female form appeared. "Ah Eclipse, I was told you were here. Father Boxy drove out the green gem part of Ginzuishou," she said pulling out a wooden box. "Oh and Bishop Shirayanagi Seiichi would like to send missionaries here."

"We need to get those other gams and have you assemble the Ginzuishou of this time. We need balance," growled Beryl.

"Even if we get the thing It's not like I know to properly use it."

"You have access to the Mercury computer which is a lot more then I am working with. Besides it wouldn't do me any good, not any more. The Stargate has punched a hole in the barrier and I know that your Earth isn't the one I ruled all those millennia ago."

"You won't use it for personal reasons as well," commented Ranma.

"Damn right. It's a quick power boost and look what the last one got me. Twelve thousand years of nothing but disgust and loathing by the youma here. We've been learning more about the United States to better emulate it…including its Declaration of Independence. There was no concent of the governed here, Ranma. Rather it was a boosted egoistical love sick idiot pining for lost glory and a man she couldn't have bullying her 'subjects' into obeying her."

Eclipse sighed. "How can I use it? Sure it is in theory my birth right but it is still an unearned power boost. There is no real sacrifice for me to put the blasted thing together and start using it."

Beryl chuckled. "You may at times talk like a youma but you don't really think like one. Yes, youma value sacrifice for power but they are not above taking advantage of power that they happen to come in contact with if it lends prestige to the clan and they can improve despite that quick power up. That is why your clan is respected even though you continue to use and access your Sailor Sensei powers and abilities. You keep pushing yourselves." Beryl then frowned. "But that isn't the only reason is it?"

"No. That thing killed 70 billion people because my mother didn't know how to use it correctly. Neo Queen Serenity gave everybody a emotional lobotomy in who knows how many possible futures. Then we have such joys as the Doom Phantom, the Time Space Door's construct, and that Pharaoh 90 thing the Moon Kingdom produced. And that is side stepping the nasty dirty secret that connected the Sailor Sensei and youma or what Metalia really was."

"I could give some speech about believing in yourself but I imaging you have heard that prattle from Tuxedo Mask enough as it is."

"Got that right."

"You can't let fear govern your decisions but you can't be reckless either. The Ginzuishou, like the Jakokusuishou, is when you get right down to it a tool. Both like any tool can be used or abused."

Beryl then frowned. Yin and yang, light and darkness, good and evil, order and chaos," she said aloud her eye widening with realization. "Pluto," she hissed. "If the Doom Phantom is Chaos then Pluto is Order, what is Crystal Tokyo at is most basic level?"

Ranma scowled, "Order via stagnation. But… wait a minute. Queen Serenity upset the yin-yang balance between the crystals by forcing the Ginzuishou to produce a ki aspect totally opposite to its very nature. Creating a festering wound that likely has not healed even after 12,000 years."

"We have to get them home now but how?" said Eclipse, "Any effort will be blocked by Pluto."

"Not if she is distracted," said Beryl a sinister smile forming on her face. Ranma noticed that the nearby youma took a reflective step back.

"You have a plan. Mind sharing?" asked Eclipse.

Beryl chuckled. "It will only work if you don't know it. Besides it is kind of borderline crazy."

"What around here isn't," sighed Ranma.

"Go back to the dojo and tell them," said Beryl putting her hand on Ranma's shoulder. "Zoisite, get the three future scouts who haven't woken up to the Dojo."

~*~*Tendo Dojo, a few minutes later*~*~

"Well everyone's here," sighed Purple Wiseman.

"They were supposed to have more time," growled Neo Queen Serenity

"Now or never, isn't that right, Pluto?" snapped Eclipse.

"So you figured out that I was helping strengthen the yin in the in area." Pluto laughed. "The Royal protocols will only work on the Time Space Door of this world this timeline even if the people of my history invoke them."

Actually the plan was to distract you," commented Ranma.

Pluto exploded in laughter, "Distract me? Distract me?! I have watched all of you for weeks. I knew enough to make any efforts you may try useless."

"That is why I set up a way to come back in time, Pluto," chuckled a soft voice.

Everyone turned. "Sailor Nemesis?!" half of them said in amazement.

Pluto laughed again looking at Ranma. "You think this pathetic ki construct is going to work? You've bee having around your father too long."

"Wisemen, can your ki constructs throw ki attacks?" asked Sailor Nemesis as she shifted the Time Staff she held in her hand.

"No," said both Purple Wieman and Ranma.

Pluto chucked. "Of course they can't. They can't generated their own ki. Heck, I have to give this construct ki so it can do Death Screams."

"Purple Wiseman, Dark Lady, get your crystals ready. Odds are you have only one shot at this."

"Oh please," said Pluto rolling her eyes. "I figured when Black Wiseman and Eclipse went to the Phoenix Republic this time period's Beryl would get the idea of going back in time when she became skilled enough. So blocked all of those futures."

Sailor Nemesis laughed "All of those futures? You forget that are differences so small they don't matter. A different electron changes its energy state but in all other aspect those different futures are identical. You are powerful but there is no way you can account for every electron in the universe!"

Pluto backed up as an expression of horror forming on her face.

"I just needed an anchor."

"That's why you touched me. Not to reassure me but to drain part of my ki."

"No," hissed Pluto. "It's a lie. Death Scream!"

"Silence Wall," said Sailor Nemesis. Everyone watched as the blast stopped about a foot from its target.

Pluto stared in disbelief. "Impossible!"

"You really are dense. So much that I don't need this to defeat you," said ailor Nemesis tossing the Time Staff on to the grass.

"Why didn't it..." was all Pluto got out before Sailor Nemesis grabbed her.

"Pay attention to your opponent, baka. Fist of thousand blows."

Pluto staggered as Nabiki walked up and picked up the Time Staff from the ground.

"Time for the fat lady to sing as they say," snarled Sailor Nemesis. "Death Scream."

"Now," said Purple Wiseman as he and Dark Lady lifted their cysrtals.

"What? Noooo." yelled Pluto before she and everyone else of now impossible future returned home.

Sailor Nemesis fell to her knees panting heavily. "It's a wonder I am still conscious after all that."

"Same costume shop Ranma got his robe from?" asked Nabiki.

"Along with the skin tight leotard, black wig, and mask," chuckled Sailor Nemesis as she removed her wig. "Wouldn't want to fight too long in this without using some ki technique to keep my head from sweating more then Soun cries."

"You had Jadiete use his teleport ability to bypass the Stargate," commented Nabiki.

"Well this piece of insanity actually worked," said Jadiete as the walked into the compound.

"Better get me back home as given my past behavior there are more then a few youma that think I have abandoned them."

Jadiete nodded.

Several minutes later Beryl was sitting on her throne looking at her mask. "Soon, with enough training, you won't be a deseption." Beryl then stood. "Alright who's up for going though some black belt sparring?"

~*~*SRW~*~*