Dear Listmembers,
Here are chapters 10,11 & 12.
They are DRAFT!! I wasn't going to send them yet. However I have had so
many complements (and so many people asking for "the rest") that I am
sending this out prematurely. While there will be no conceptual changes or
large deletions I do have some major additions coming. Specifically I will
be adding more detail on Tokyo and environs (battle damage, etc) , Ryouga,
Ranma and Hotoro, Shan Pu, Kuno, Kodachi, Ukyou, Cu Lon, Mou Shu, The JSDF
and a few others. ^_^
THANK YOU ALL! There has been so much mail that I can't answer all of you
individually (I am trying though). Not and finish this thing. :) So a
Collective THANK YOU!!!
I am looking for comments on creative content (plot, characterization,
etc.).
I am by no means an expert on Asian culture or language so I would also
appreciate suggestions on correcting major faux paux. This three chapter
segment is 98 kb.
Chapter 13 is being sent in two parts
13a 58kb
13b 82 kb
I am not subscribed to the list so please send C&C
to samr@my-dejanews.com (samr was the name of my first Irish Wolfhound.)
Please do NOT send e-mail to janne. I am using this e-mail (temporarily)
until I can get a system that will allow me to
send larger packets at one time.
I AM NOT JANNE@MINDSPRING ^_^
If anyone is interested I have posted two fanfictions on the RAAC.
"Love is a Battlefield" and "Bloodfist" under the name Allyn Yonge.
I would like to thank my three present pre-readers KazamaJun, Thiemo and
Ken Wolfe for their
patience and invaluable assistance. They have made this fanfiction
immeasurably better. Any omissions and mistakes are entirely mine.
(And another big thanks to two NEW pre-readers David Eddy and
H-Packrat.)
BEGIN CHAPTERS 10 11 AND 12
The characters of the Ranma � universe are the creation
and possession of the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi. They belong to Rumiko
Takahashi and her licensees (Shogakukan Inc., Kitty-Fuji TV, Viz
Communications Inc.) No copyright infringement is intended.
The characters of Sailor Moon are the creation and possession of the
brilliant Takeuchi Naoko.
They belong to Takeuchi Naoko, Bandai, Toei Animation, DIC, and all others
associated
with rights. No copyright infringement is intended.
[fanfic][sailormoon/ranma] [dark/waffy]Furies
Chapter 10
"MOUKA TAKABISHA!!"
The chi-blast smashed Sailorpluto to the ground, collapsing the
"Black Dome Close".
Sailorpluto vanished, leaving Akane sobbing in the middle of the
street like an abandoned child. Ranma scooped her up in his arms
and cuddled her tightly against his chest. Even as he held the
weeping girl to his chest his head swivelled back and forth,
searching the darkness.
Blood and madness, so strong now that he could almost taste it.
Old blood and bright madness . . .just standing in the same spot
occupied by that . . .woman made his skin crawl.
"Dammit Tomboy," he whispered fiercely, "What the hell
have you gotten yourself into now?"
*******************************************************
"Class, I would like to introduce Tendou Akane, a new
transfer student . Now who would like to show her. . ."
"AKA-CHAN! AKA-CHAAAN! Hiiiiiiii!" Tsukino
Usagi bounced up and down in her seat in a manner very unlike a
high school student but very like Tsukino Usagi.
"Usagi!" The sensei began sternly
"Thank you sensei" Akane said politely, " I appreciate
you letting Tsukinosan be my guide."
"But . . .I didn't. . ."
Sensei's mouth snapped shut.
"Very well, there is an empty desk in the back of. . ."
Sensei's mouth dropped as Akane lifted the desk in front of
Usagi, student included, and exchanged it for the empty one he
had started to indicate.
"Hrrmmph. Very well. If we can all just settle down class
will start."
*******************************************************
". . .swer the question Tsukino-chan. Tsukino-chan!"
A delicate buzzing snore, like a band-saw cutting through glass,
was sensei's only answer. Sensei's lips tightened and he launched
a piece of chalk at Usagi'd head. Five hundred centimeters from
it's target the chalk vanished. Sensei blinked, then saw the chalk
pinched between Tendou Akane's thumb and forefinger. Her grip
tightened and the chalk vanished in a small explosion of dust.
Sensei paled at the look in her eyes and stumbled back a step.
"Usagi-chan!" Ami shook her friend urgently "Usagi-
chan!"
"Jus' five more min'ts mom, jus fiv. . ."
Minako yanked Usagi 's head up by her braid.
"Look, somebody lost a gallon of 'Rocky Road'."
"WHAT! WHERE? It'smineIsawit first!!"
Everyone ducked as Usagi's braids lashed the air like a flail.
"Usagi" Minako twisted Usagi's head toward the front of
the room. "Tendousan is in Samurai pit-bull mode. Do you think
you can stop her before she bends the sensei?"
"Yeah" Makoto added "we might miss lunch if we're all
in jail."
"LUNCH? "Usagi screamed the word, as a martyr might
have cried a saints name in the flames."Is it lunch time?"
The sensei looked at the clock, which read forty five minutes 'till
the noon recess, then looked at Tendou Akane. Twelve years of
training and education crammed into his cerebral cortex
demanded that he maintain discipline in his class room. Ten
million years of survival instinct imbedded in his pre-brain told
the cerebral cortex to shut-the-hell-up.
"Lunch time! Class dismissed!"
*******************************************************
"Ami can I. . ."
"No.!"
"Minako, are you. . ."
"Yes."
"Makotoooo. Could I have a little. . ."
"You already ate mine during first period, remember?"
"But I'm starvvvvving."
"Here Usagisan." Akane handed Usagi a bentou.
"Thiffgooojewmatii?"
"She says 'This is good. Did you make it?'" Mercury
translated helpfully.
"Any bentou Akane makes is considered a lethal
weapon."
Usagi and her friends were startled when a petite red-head swung
down from the tree.
"RANMA!. . ." Akane screeched in the most normal tone
the senshi had heard that day. " What are you wearing?"
Ranma swung in a circle, skirts flaring cutely.
"It's my new school uniform. Like it."
"You Pervert! What are you doing wearing a dress?"
"Who you calling a pervert, tomboy."
"Tomboy! TOMBOY!! WHY YOU . . ."
"Ummm. Akachan. Whose your friend?"
Akane turned sheepishly to Usagi.
"Ahhh this is. . .ah. . .Ranko. A, uh, friend of mine."
"Ranko? I thought she said Ranma?" Minako wondered
aloud.
"Just call him a pervert." Akane fumed while "Ranko"
grinned at her.
"Him?"
"Akane just called Ranko him?"
"I thought it was Ranma?"
Akane ignored the chattering voices and turned fiercely on
"Ranko".
"What are you DOING here." she hissed "and wearing a
dress!"
"I go to school here now. I'm in your class as a matter of
fact. I would have been here earlier but Nabiki insisted on cash
up front."
"The skirt!"
"You're just jealous 'cause it looks better on me than on
you."
"Ranko" noticed Akane's aura flare and hastily explained.
"I'm wearing a dress 'cause I'm registered as a girl. A
lota' the classes, like Gym, are segregated. An I'm not lettin' you
outta my sight."
Akane's aura flickered out like a match in a typhoon. "Ranko"
gently reached out and pushed her jaw shut.
"Wha. . .what are you talking about."
"I'm talking about you disappearing all the time. I'm
talking about your new 'friends'." "She" swept a hand to indicate
Usagi and the others. "I'm talking" "Ranko" backed Akane
against the tree "about last night" slender arms like silk covered
steel snapped out to either side of Akane's head, pinning her in
place "and the strange woman" "Ranko" stretched up on tip-toe
'till her eyes were level with Akane's "who tried to KILL YOU!"
"What!"
"What happened?"
"You didn't say any. . ."
"Why didn't. . ."
AKA-CHAN!" Usagi nearly bowled Akane and "Ranko"
over as she hurtled herself at her friend. "Are you all right!"
"Aaaaaak! Can't breath!" gasped "Ranko" who found
herself the filling in an Usagi/Akane sandwich.
"I'm fine Usagisan." Akane replied peeling Usagi off her,
thereby saving the Satoume line from extinction. "'Ranko' is
exaggerating as usual."
"What did this woman look like." Ami asked worridly.
"It's nothing to worry. . ."
"She was about this high" "Ranko" held her arm above
her head. "She had long dark hair, an' it may have been the light
but it had a funny 'green' color." "Ranko" didn't miss it as the
girls stiffened suddenly and exchanged looks "An' she carried
this big stick with a big ball on top, sittin' inside this vallentine
heart thingy."
"That's Sail. . ." Usagi blurted.
"Strange. Really Strange" Makoto finished, slamming a
hand over Usagi's mouth. "Did you tell the police. . . or anyone?"
"You're lyin'!" "Ranko" said flatly.
Makoto stiffened at the insult and took a combative step forward.
She stopped suddenly unsure what to do as she realized the
charge was true.
"Ranma!" Akane was furious "How can you say some
thing lik. . ."
"I find you unconscious in an ally, beaten half to death"
Ranko held up a hand and folded down a finger "You disappear
and no one know where you've gone" another finger disappeared
"some strange woman tries to kill you , you transfer to a new
school and suddenly you've got all these new 'friend'." The
fingers had turned into a fist which "Ranko" shook in Akane's
face. "THAT's how I can say something like that."
He glared up at the taller girl shaking with emotion.
"But it don't matter what's goin' on 'cause I"M here and
I ain't leavin'"
"Are you saying I can't take care of myself? That I need
someone to look after me?"
"Listen ya stupid tomboy. . ."
"OH! Now I' m stupid."
"Listen.Ya nearly got killed on Phoenix Mountain. An'
I'm always havin' ta chase after you 'cause some prince or
somethin' has kidnaped you or. . ."
Usagi and her friends in amazement as "Ranko" catalogued the
misadventures of Tendou and Satoume.
". . .ve you from some ridiculously huge animals or . . ."
"Well if I'm so much trouble. . ." Akane tearfully tried to
shove "Ranko" away from her.
"You never LISTEN" "Ranko" shouted in frustration
"You just NEVER listen. If ya would just. . . AH Hell!"
Pietite hands grabbed Akane by the ears and jerked the startled
girl off balance. Akane opened her mouth to protest this rough
treatment and a dainty tongue slipped past her defenses stifling
her protests. Akane counter-attacked immediately but left herself
wide open to an assault on her tender palate. Immediately she
tried to defend against this assault, but once again "Ranko"
superior speed left her bewildered. "Ranko" began a furious
slashing duel that left her exhausted and bewildered. Like a
charging bull Akane tried to batter "Ranko" into submission
with brute strenght, but using the principles of Aikido "Ranko"
offered no resistance but let her slip inside his defense. As soon as
Akane overextended he closed his trap, leaving her caught and
helpless, unable to attack or retreat. He then began a leisurely
assault on her pressure points that rendered her weak and pliant.
"Wooooo! Somebody get a bucket!"
"Bucket! We need the fire hose!."
"Akachan. Doesn't that hurt?"
Akane was distantly aware of an annoying buzzing sound that
gradually resolved itself into voices. She heard someone moan
and wondered who was ill. She heard another, longer moan and
suddenly realized the voice was hers. She opened her eyes to
confront a pair of dazed sky blue orbs peering muzzily back at
her. Startled she tried to pull back only to find her hands had
somehow trapped themselves inside the waistband of "Ranko's"
skirt and were cupping. . ."
"Eeeeeeep!!"
The two blushing teens hurriedly disentangled themselves .
"An' let that be a lesson to ya'" "Ranko" panted.
*******************************************************
"Setsuna! Where have you been? There's a new
enemy and . . ."
"Weapon 4 is active. Yes I know." the guardian of time
looked at her companions. "We are facing the strongest enemy
yet. If we loose this battle every living thing on Earth will die."
Kaiou Michiru and Ten'ou Haruka looked at each other then
back at Meiou Setsuna, Sailorpluto.
"What do you want us to do?"
"You must retrieve Weapon 4. Without it we have no
chance of defeating this enemy."
"That should not be a problem." Michiru started "she has
already helped in two battles and . . ."
"That is not enough. Weapon 4 must be FULLY
activated."
Haruka hissed in dismay.
"That. . . may present problems" Michiru said slowly "the
princess will not. . ."
"What the princess does or does not want is irrelevant."
Setsuna said cooly. "Our mandate is to guard the outer reaches of
the solar system against invaders or to repel them by any means
necessary. By any means."she repeated flatly. "Against the loss
of billions of lives and the life of an entire world, the loss of one
individual is a small price."
"What do you want us to do?"
*******************************************************
"Would you quit following me!" Akane hissed.
"Hey, I'm just takin' a walk!" Ranma grinned
infuriatingly down from his perch on the fence top. "Just pretend
I'm not here."
"I wish I could pretend you were in Hakido." Akane
muttered to herself.
"I think it's kind of sweet of her uh I mean him." Even
after an explanation of Ranma's rather unique . . .outlook. . . on
life Usagi was still a little confused. She wasn't the only one.
"There's at least a 35 kilo mass difference in your male
and female forms. How on earth do you balance the mass energy
equation!" Ami asked again. "I mean, if you just converted that
much mass to energy you'd blow up all of Tokyo. I suppose you
could shunt it off using. . ."
"Do you have any idea of what Ami's talking about?"
Makoto whispered .
"I think she's upset about how Ranma loses so much
weight when he changes to Ranko." Minako replied.
Makoto frowned over at her small friend.
". . .blem of acquiring mass for your conversion UP to
your male forreeeeeeeeeeepppppppp!" Ami squawked as she was
snatched into the air by Makoto.
"MAKOTO! What areeeeeee. NO! Don't heheheheheh!"
Ami squirmed and giggled as Makoto poked and prodded her
sides.
"WHAT are you DOING!" Ami gasped after Makoto put
her down, tugging and pulling her clothes back into place.
"You're not at all fat." Makoto said seriously.
"What?"
"In fact you could stand to GAIN some weight." Makoto
frowned. "If some guy said you're too fat, you just let ME talk to
him."
Ami looked at her big friend as if she were crazy.
"Makoto, what in the world are you talking about?"
"I know it's easy to get hung up on your appearance and
all that. But your health is more important. You're smart and
pretty and I think you look just fine like you are and . . ."
"Thank you, I think. But why this sudden interest in my
weight?"
"Well Minako said that you were trying to find out how
Ranma loses all that weight when he changes into Ranko, but if
you try to loose that much it'll make you sick and . . ."
Ami placed a finger against Makoto's lips to stop the flow of
words. She looked up into her giant friends concerned face, then
dropped her gaze to see Minako, Usagi and Rei all looking back
with identical concern on their faces. She glanced up at Ranma
who shrugged with a "don't-ask-me-haven't-understood-a-thing-
you've-said-all-day" look. Finally she looked at Akane who
grinned back with sympathetic understanding. Ami drew in a
deep breath and looked back at her friends.
"Thanks for worrying about me. I promise I won't take
any chances with my health."
"That's great!" Makoto said with relief. "Why don't I
make a bentou for you every day?"
"That's not necess. . ."
"And supper too!" Makoto enthused "That way we can
be sure you're getting proper nutrition."
Ami looked at the circle of faces surrounding her and suddenly
understood the old adage that it's easier to escape from enemies
that from friends.
"All right." she surrendered "That sounds nice."
"Yayyyyy! A party." Usagi was ecstatic.
"Uh, That's not what . . ." Ami began.
"We could have it at my house." Akane added shyly.
"As long as you don't cook. . ."Ranma began.
"There's something evil. . ." Rei's head came up
suddenly. She turned her head like a hound casting for a scent.
She stiffened , then took of at a dead run. Usagi and the others
were a split second behind her.
"HEY! Wait for me." After a startled instant of hesitation
Ranma bounded along behind the group.
Rei's impression of evil was soon confirmed by screams and
explosions in the distance. As they drew closer to the scene the
impression of disaster was magnified by the streams of terrified
people fleeing the scene.
"Uh. . .what about. . ." Makoto jerked her head in the
direction of Ranma who was hovering protectively over Akane
who in turn was hovering over Usagi. Usagi was feeling a bit
mashed since Rei was crowded protectively and possessively on
her other side.
"I'm not sure. . ." Minako flinched as the sky flashed
white and the top of a distant building rose lazily into the air like
a leaf blowing in the wind.
"DOWN!!"
She dove for cover, dragging Ami and Makoto with her.
Moments later the shock wave roared over them in a blast of hot
wind and a rumble that shattered windows and rippled the
roadway like a bowl of jello.
"Is everyone OK."
"OK here."
"Fine."
"What the hell was that?"
"We're all right here."
"I'm getting Muuuuuushed!" Usagi complained from the
bottom of a protective mound of senshi, Blood Guard and
bystander.
"Better than getting your baka head blown off." Rei
snapped.
"Akane! Can we trust. . ." Minako jerked a thumb at
Ranma.
"With your lunch, money or panties, NO!"
Ranma bristled at this and his mouth opened to protest.
"With your life or honor, absolutely."
His mouth snapped closed and he felt his face heat up.
"All right then, Henshin YO!"
"MOON. . ."
"MARS. . ."
"JUPITER. . ."
"MERCURY. . ."
"VENUS. . ."
Ranma looked at Akane who was watching her princess
transform into the pretty sailor soldier for love and justice.
"Hey, tomboy, don't you have a transformation?"
"No, I'm not a senshi."
"MAKE UP!!"
Ranma paused to watch vari-colored energies surround the five
girls.
"That's too bad."
"Huh! Why?" Akane dragged her eyes away from Usagi
to see Ranma watching the five girls. She suddenly realized what
Ranma was seeing, or rather what he WASN'T seeing.
"Why you perv. . ."
"I bet you'd be really cute."
"C. .c. . cute?"
Ranma winked at her and all of Akane's higher brain functions
promptly turned to mush and ran out the soles of her feet. The
five senshi finished their transformations to find Akane staring
with huge dazed eyes at Ranma, who was rocking back and forth
on his heels, a look of complete innocence on his face.
"If you two are quite finished?" Minako politely inquired.
"We have some 'Big Nasty's' to pound."
She turned to the senshi of water. "Mercury, what do we have."
Mercury typed commands into her computer as her visor gathered
data from the surrounding area. She looked up sickly at her
friends.
"A. . akane. Would you please scan the area and give me
a count of the enemy.
"Passive Sensors to maximum sensitivity. Search for
hostile's." Akane commanded the voice.
"Working" the voice whispered. "Multiple targets
found. Energy signatures consistent with previous contacts." the
whisper paused "Active portal detected. Flying vehicles detected.
Listing contacts now." A mental grid map of the area popped up
with a tabular listing of enemy numbers and types in the lower
right corner. As she watched the portal icon flared and another
icon, tentatively identified as a vehicle, crackled into existence.
"I estimate one hundred plus infantry" Akane reported
"in powered armor accompanied by six to eight vehicles. Maybe
twice that many. The vehicles appear to be a lightly armored
flying scout. I'm sorry the count isn't more precise but the
proximity of an active portal interferes with my sensors. In
addition they are using some sort of jammer . I could try to burn
through on Active, but that would give away our position."
"That agrees closely with what I'm finding as well."
Mercury looked at her friends. "I think we may have a little
problem."
*******************************************************
"All right. This is gonna be great!" Ranma enthused
looking at the sight below him. On Akane's advice they had
followed him to the top of the highest building still standing. Now
Usagi and the other senshi looked at him as if he were crazy.
Akane merely shook her head in fond exasperation.
"I know you're salivating at the prospect of fighting your
first alien species. . ."
"Second." he retorted. " What about Taro?"
"He's not an alien, just cursed. Besides, didn't he bounce
you around like a rubber ball?"
"HEY! He just got lucky."
"Yeah, a couple of dozen times. We can't afford any
mistakes here, these 'guys' are playing for keeps."
"Yeah, Yeah." Ranma grumbled "OK, see we got one big
problem and one little one. That" he pointed to the rippling of the
air that indicated a Portal "is our big one. As long as that thing is
working they can keep reinforcing. The little one is those" this
time he indicated a swarm of small craft that were darting in and
around the wrecked buildings. "As long as they got the 'high
ground' we can't move freely, can't attack, can't disengage
without them seein' us. And if you can see the other guy before
he sees you-you win. If HE sees YOU first- you lose."
"And what about the hundred or so soldiers-in powered
armor. You don't consider those a problem?" Rei asked
sarcastically.
"Nah." Ranma waved a hand dismissively. "We cut off
that portal thingy and they run out of gas sooner or later. Then all
that armor and stuff's just so much dead weight. And we get rid
of their 'eyes in the sky' and their infantry is blind, deaf and
dumb."
"Nice tactical analysis" Mercury approved. "But the fact
is they DO have the flying scouts, they DO have the portal and
they CAN reinforce. And I don't see how we can do anything
about any of those things."
"Hey." Makoto objected."Why not do what we always
do. Jump in the middle, blast everything that moves while Usagi
does her stuff." Makoto's eyes gleamed at the idea of mixing it
up with this new enemy. She hadn't forgotten the last time and
she was looking forward to some payback.
"Because as soon as Usagi powers up for her attack
they'll detect it. At best they'll mount an infantry attack, at worst
they'll bomb us from the air."
"Or maybe a combined attack." Ranma added.
"Ok, so if we attack the portal, the infantry and air will
kill us. If we try to take out the infantry, the air will locate and
pin us down while the infantry kills us. And in the meantime
more and more of those things are coming through the portal."
Rei summarized.
"Yeppers." Ranma grinned.
"Quit teasing then Ranma." Akane admonished.
"Bleeeeee!" Ranma stuck his tongue out at Akane, then
turned and grinned at the senshi.
"See, we're going to use their own strength against
them."
*******************************************************
"I don't like this." Ranma said grimly.
"It's your idea Ranma." Akane reminded him.
"It wasn't my idea for you. . ."
Akane put her hand on his shoulder. She could feel his body
shiver with tension.
"Look, someone has to. . ."
"It doesn't have to be YOU!"
"Yes it does." she said patiently.
"Let me do it."
Venus came up behind him and put a sympathetic hand on his
shoulder.
"I sympathize with you Ranmasan. But, like it or not,
you're a soft target compared to the senshi. And all of us put
together can't take as much punishment as Akane-chan. You
came up with a good plan, now let us carry it out."
"Dammit, I'm a better martial artist than Akane, I should.
. ."
"That's why I'm leaving you with Usagi and Ami."
Akane interrupted. "I would never leave them otherwise."
"Why do YOU have to do it!" Ranma repeated
stubbornly.
"Who else is there? Ami is our command and control.
Her sensors are at least as sensitive as mine and she has much
better analytical skills.
Usagi?"
Even Ranma grinned faintly at that. Akane continued.
"Usagi is staying put until we have their air and ground
elements tied down sufficiently to give her time to launch her
attack" She glared sternly at Ranma. "This is all your idea and
it's a good one. Venus, Mars and Jupiter are all used to working
as a team. It doesn't make sense to split them up. That leave you
and me. You're a better martial artist but I"VE got all this nifty
hardware. You don't have armor, you don't even have a
communicator. You're good, but no one's that good unarmed
against that many guns. " Akane sighed and leaned against
Ranma. His arms came around her reflexively and she relaxed in
his embrace. "I'm scared Ranma." He tightened his grip at her
words. "Really sacred. The first two times I did this, I was just
reacting, not thinking. This is the first time I'm going to do it
deliberately. And I'm scared. Scared I'm going to die. More
scared I'm going to klutz out and someone else will die because
of me. I need to know that you're here with Usagi. And Ami. If. .
.if it goes wrong, I know you'll get them out of here alive. Please.
Promise me you'll stay here and look after them?"
Ranma tightened his grip then pushed her to arms length so he
could look directly into her eyes.
"Do it just like we planned. Nothing fancy. Do NOT get
mad. Gettin' mad's the fastest way to loose a fight. Stay centered.
Keep the music in your head. Dance, don't slug Don't let 'em pin
you down."
"Hai, sensei!" Akane grinned impishly.
Ranma shook her lightly. "I mean it. None o' your 'What-the-
hell-let's-pound-the-snot-outta-somethin'-'till-it-breaks' stuff.
You've told me about your weapons and stuff. Snipe at 'em and
KEEP MOVIN'. An' you got good instincts, you just think too
much. I ain't never seen anyone, an' I mean ANYONE you
couldn't land at least one punch on. DON'T think about what
your doin', just do it. And keep doin' it over an' over 'till the bad
guys are done."
"Promise me you'll look after Usagi form me? And
Ami?" She stared intently into his eyes, willing him to understand
, to agree.
Curtly he jerked his head in a short up and down motion.
"Thank you Ranma." She stood quickly on tip-toe and
brushed her lips against his, then disappeared down the side of the
building.
"I think that's our cue to get going. Give us a few
minutes to get into position. We'll give you a single 'click' on the
communicators when we're ready."
"You guys be careful." Usagi was nearly in tears.
"No problem. We beat Beryl, The Black Moon Clan, the
Dead Moon Circus, Galaxia. We'll wax these guys and be back
in time for a late supper." Jupiter gave her princess a quick hug.
"Right!" Venus exclaimed cheerfully "When the going
gets tough, we take a shortcut."
"OK, baka brains. Try not to fall asleep up here." Rei
said gruffly.
Usagi stared intently into her eyes for a moment then threw her
arms around the senshi of fire, squeezing her tightly.
"I love you Rei. You're the best friend I ever had."
Rei stared, silent and stunned for a moment. Then she turned
away quickly and without a word descended down the side of the
building opposite the one Akane had descended. Venus and
Jupiter quickly followed leaving Ami, Usagi and Ranma alone on
top of the building.
*******************************************************
"She's starting now." Mercury whispered pointing at a
display on her computer. Usagi and Ranma looking over her
shoulder could see a moving graph spike suddenly.
"That's her primary weapon activating. We should see
someth . . ."
There was a sudden rumbling buzz, like a jet turbine eating a
bucket of ball bearings and one of the small flying craft fell from
the sky trailing a plume of greasy smoke.
"Target destroyed." the whisper announced with
satisfaction. "Two hostile flying craft approaching on reciprocal
vector. Hostile ground forces converging." Icons bloomed on the
mental grid map. Akane could see two swift moving flyers and at
least fifteen ground troops headed her way.
"Active sensors to maximum power. Bounce a tight beam
off that lead flyer."
The whisper hesitated.
"Warning. Active sensors will reveal position to hostile
flyers."
"Won't it just." Akane murmured.
"Not understoo. . ."
"Warning understood. Go active, maximum power."
"Acknowledged."
A massive surge pulsed from Akane's sensors pinpointing her
location like a giant "Here-I-am-please-come-shoot-me-now"
sign.
Being well mannered murderous alien invaders, the flyers
politely and instantly turned toward this signal and dove toward
Akane's signal. Prudently they maintained a wide separation and
jinked randomly to throw off any defensive fire.
"Select Armor Piercing. Contra-grav to standby."
"Acknowledged."
Akane stepped into the open and watched the two flyers
approach. The lead ship opened up with what seemed to be a
heavy version of the infantries warp-gun while the wing 'man'
ripple fired a particle beam weapon. Both flyers achieved direct
hits on their target. They watched the ground explode into a white
hot vapor of rock and steel. Even had their instruments been able
to penetrate the sensor hash created by their own weapons fire
they would not have believed the results. As the two flyers
zoomed over an obviously destroyed target, a small figure
erupted from the expanding dust cloud behind them. They had
absolutely no warning as super-dense darts moving at 10,000mps
blasted through them like an anvil through wet tissue.
"Targets destroyed. Accumulators at 57%."
"Nuts." Akane muttered to herself as she descended
toward the ground. She'd used too much power killing those
two. She didn't need to vaporize them, just knock them down.
She looked around guiltily, hoping that Ranma hadn't seen her
mistake.
"Input not understood."
"Reduce kinetic weapon acceleration to 5000mps."
That should reduce power consumption and still give her enough
"oomph" to knock down the flyers if she aimed carefully.
"Acknowledged. Enemy flyers on intercept course." Four
icons blinked on her mental map, coming in from widely
divergent courses. "Enemy ground force numbers now estimated
at between40 and 60." More icons crawled across the virtual
ground covering the map like a malignant fungus.
Akane snarled at the oncoming flyers and she swung her kinetic
weapon up and over to target the closest attacker..
*******************************************************
"That's number three down." Mercury tapped commands
into her computer. She examined the changing alpha-numeric
crawl on the screen. "I think she's really made them mad now."
Ranma grunted from his position peering over the edge of a
broken wall.
"Let me see."
Sailormoon tried to wiggle forward to Ranma's side. Mercury
snagged her ankle and dragged her back without raising her head
from the screen. There was a long, wide furrow in the dirty rubble
showing where this action had been repeated many times before.
Sailormoon spat dirt from her mouth and glared at Mercury.
"If you want to see what's going on you can look at the
computer." Mercury said, still without looking up."
"You're just being mean." Sailormoon hissed. "Ranma
gets to look and I. . ."
"Ranma is suffering from testosterone poisoning. It's
common among teenage boys. They grow out of it if they live
long enough."
Sailormoon sniffed at her senshi and settled back down
grumbling under her breath. Mercury decided she really didn't
need to know and turned her attention back to her computer. . .
and Ranma. He hadn't said a word since Akane had left, didn't
even respond to her deliberate gibes. His attention was on the
distant battle as if human eyes could pierce the growing darkness,
rubble filled streets and clouds of dust and plasma thrown up by
weapons fire and exploding vehicles.
"She's all right, Ranma. She shows up on my scanners
like a beacon. They're not even getting close." she lied. Actually
Akane had been hit several times. Mercury knew that only her
ability to exist in zero-space had saved her. And Akane's energy
signature was getting weaker. She was running out of power, fast.
And she still had a long way and eight more flyers to go.
*******************************************************
Akane's breath came in sobbing gasps and her shoulders heaved
with exhaustion. A distant part of her mind reminded her that a
martial-artist always breathed from the belly and noted that
shoulder breathing was the beginning of the end.
"Sys. . .tems St. . .st. .atus."
"Accumulators at 18% Energy Weapon off line,
insufficient power. Kinetic Weapon, magazines empty. Protein
envelope integrity compromised. Blood loss within 12% of
maximum repair capacity. "
Akane twisted and spun like a worm on hot coals frantically
trying to avoid being hit by the weapons massing fire upon her.
She was especially wary of the warp-guns. Even at her best they
could hurt her. With her energy levels so low she was
increasingly vulnerable, even to the particle-beam. And if they
managed to keep a warp-gun on her for more than a second, or if
they could get good hits with two or more. . .
She screamed and tumbled to the ground as a warp-gun
caught her flush on her hip. Only a life times martial training
brought her rolling to her feet running before another beam could
converge and finish her off. She lurched off in a stumbling run,
zig-zagging through the rubble even as more armored figures
closed in from the ground and the last six enemy fliers swooped
down from above.
"MARS. . ."
"JUPITER. . ."
"FIRE BIRD"
"LOVE AND BEAUTY. . ."
"EVOLUTION. . ."
"SHOCK!!!"
>From their hidden position the combined attack of three angry
senshi caught the remaining flyers completely by surprise and
bunched together. The energy of the attack blasted seven pilots
and machines apart like a puff ball in a typhoon. The eight fell
like a stone into the rubble field below.
"YES!" Mercury was ecstatic. "Got them all. Every
enemy flying machine is dead or out of action!" She turned to
Sailormoon. "Get ready. They're going to have to open the
portal, either to retreat or to reinforce. When they do. .. "
"I dust 'em! " Sailormoon responded tensely. "Never
mind that. How is . . ."
"I don't know. There's too much interference from the
blast to see very well. But I'm sure she's all right. Now. . ."
The black armored figure caught Sailormoon and Sailormercury
completely by surprise. Sailormoon frantically backpedaled,
tripped and landed hard on her rear. Sailormercury scrambled
frantically to bring her 'Aqua Rhapsody' to bear on the attacker.
Even as her hands closed around her harp she knew with a sick
certainty she was going to be too late.
"Mouko Takabisha." The ki-blast slammed the armored
figure into the ground.
"Never mind this guy." Ranma yelled as he launched
himself at the prone figure "Get that portal thingy before more of
these guys show up."
Mercury watched, dazed, as Ranma launched an attack so rapid
that, even with her visor, she could barely see the individual
blows. She shook off her stupor and turned to Sailormoon who
was just dragging herself off the ground.
"Sailormoon, the portal" Mercury glanced down at her
computer. "Quickly, the portal is open and something is coming
through!"
Sailormoon looked off in the distance. The slight shimmering in
the air had changed to a pronounced twisting ripple, like water
running down a drain. A dark, armored shape could been seen
nosing it's way through the opening portal.
"SILVER MOON. . ."
Even occupied as he was part of Ranma's attention was on
Sailormoon and her attack. He noted her graceful flowing
movements, so unlike her normal manner. With approval he saw
her center herself with precise flowing motions that irresistibly
reminded him of Aikido.
"CRYSTAL POWER . . ."
Sailormoon was blazing with power now. Ranma's black
armored opponent stumbled slightly as the brilliant light washed
over everything. Ranma took this opportunity to see if his
opponent could fly.
"KISSSSS!!!"
The bolt of energy slammed into the open portal. There was a
micro-seconds hesitation, then the space around the portal erupted
like dynamiting an aquarium.
Ranma had a moment to note that his opponent could NOT fly,
and didn't seem to bounce very well either. As his opponent hit
the ground twenty storied below Ranma had just enough time to
hear a wet crunching sound , like stepping on a large cockroach,
before the shock wave hit.
*******************************************************
"Containment shield shut down safely. Accumulators at
3.23%. Initiating self-repair routines."
"You do that." Akane tried to drag herself out from under
a fallen I-beam without success.
"Input not un. . ."
"Affirmative. Initiate repairs" She thought a minute.
"Establish secure link with Sailormercury."
"Unable to establish link. Jamming still in effect. Systems
remain degraded below. . ."
"Run scan." Akane cut the voice off. "Passive mode only.
Locate hostile targets."
"Unable to scan. Jammer. . ."
Wearily Akane cut off the voice. She was deaf, dumb and blind.
She heaved at the beam pinning her down. Pain erupted through
her body and she fell back in a stupor. She lay on her back, trying
to bring the pain under control before she puked all over herself.
"Initiate medical self-test."
"Listing damage to organic components:
Protein envelope has been pierced in the following
locations." Here a schematic of her body popped up in her
internal window.
"42% of protein envelope has been burned beyond repair
capability. Fabricating tissue replacement." Icons flashed and
changed as the whisper detailed her injuries.
She was going to have to wait for somebody to rescue her. She
hated that. She hated to wait and she especially hated to be
rescued. The thought of Ranma finding her like this galvanized
her into action. She concentrated briefly and a short thick rod
appeared in her hand. The rod lengthened and thinned toward the
end. Akane jammed the rod under the beam where it rested on a
block of masonry. If she could lift the beam, just a little, she
could pull her legs free. Of course if she slipped the beam would
crush her lower body into bean paste. Akane slowly drew air into
her lungs, her lower belly expanding as she inhaled.. She
imagined an ocean of ki beneath the ground and each time she
inhaled she drew a golden thread from that ocean into her belly.
Every time she exhaled she pushed out all weakness and pain.
Slowly the outside world faded and the only thing that existed
was the bar in her hand and the growing golden ball of ki. Finally
the golden orb filled her to bursting. Her hands closed around the
bar and she imagined the golden power surging through her arms,
lifting the steel beam and freeing her legs. She heaved, and the
steel beam moved! The masonry block tilted and tumbled away
out of sight. Now the steel was supported only by her arms. Her
back and shoulder muscles surged as her legs moved slightly,
then stopped. Her right leg was tangled in something deep in the
wreckage that she couldn't see. Akane stared into the deepening
gloom, at she shadow of the steel guillotine that hung over her
lower body. Her arms were trembling uncontrollably now, her
body was drenched in sweat as if she'd fallen in a river. Akane
knew she was going to die now. Her strength would give out, the
beam would crush her, like a tube of toothpaste. Her implants
were too exhausted to repair such major damage. The beam
sagged a little. In a burst of rage Akane heaved again. She was
NOT going to let this stupid, stupid building kill her. That was
the last of her strength and she felt her arms collapse like wet
cardboard. In dream-like slow motion she watched the steel beam
fall, waited for the sudden flare of pain that would signal her last
seconds of life.
"Dammit, tomboy. I thought I told you to . . ."
Akane had time enough to see Ranma's scolding face loom
above her before blackness covered her like a blanket.
As the concerned senshi crowded around Ranma and the
unconscious Akane they did not notice two figures crouched in
the ruins only a few score meters away.
Chapter 11
"WHERE ON EARTH AM I NOW!!"
It wasn't original. And Hibiki Ryouga didn't really expect an
answer. Still, it was a great tension reliever. Not as good as
beating the stuffing out of Ranma of course. He thought of
RAnma, the trouble maker; RANma, the coward; RANMA, the
womanizer . ."
He could almost feel his rivals throat in his hands as he
squeezed the life out of him.
"Excuse me." a soft shy voice said.
He would grab Ranma and twist his lying. . ..
"Excuse me."
"WHAT!!"
"May I have my book bag back please?"
Hibiki Ryouga looked down and saw a torn, twisted mass of
leather a and paper in his hands. His eyes followed a tattered
leather strap that led from the shredded bag to a small, pale hand.
His eyes made a surprisingly brief trip from hand to arm to head.
A raven dark cap of hair topped the head which did not even
reach his shoulders. His eyes dropped to a delicate, painfully
beautiful face dominated by a pair of huge violet eyes.
A GIRL! A really, really TINY girl. A really, really tiny
BEAUTIFUL . . ." Ryouga's slow but precise thought processed
ground to a halt as previously noted details were analyzed and
new conclusions drawn. A YOUNG girl. A REALLY, REALLY
. . ."
"Excuse me." the shy voice came again, like rain
whispering on crystal bells.
"Excuse me, but you're squeezing my hand."
Ryouga looked down at her hand, or rather where her hand
should have been. He could feel her soft warm hand trembling
inside his fist like a frightened bird. He could see her fragile wrist
protruding from his huge hand. He could see how her skin
whitened under the pressure . . .
"AAAAAAAAA!!!" Ryouga snatched his hand away as
if he'd grabbed the hot end of a poker. He dropped on his belly at
the girls feet.
"I'msorrypleaseforgivemeI'mnotapervert-
It'sallRanam'sfault!"
"Oh, you've hurt yourself."
Ryouga flinched in embarrassment as he felt the girl kneel beside
him. He felt a delicate fluttering on his scarred knuckles. He
opened his eyes to see a small pale hand resting on his large
calloused one. A soothing warmth spread through his hand and up
his arm. Soon his entire body tingled with energy and a strange
peace. Startled, he looked down to see the cuts and bruises that
always covered his hands fading like the stars at sunrise.
"My name is Tomoe Hotaru. What's yours?"
Ryouga looked into eyes that had darkened to purple. Deep
mysterious pools . . .
"Hibiki. Hibiki Ryouga."
*********************************************************
"Would you just get back into bed!"
"OH, my son! So manly."
"I give my permission. . ."
"But father, they're too young. . ."
"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!!!!"
Usagi and most of her friends watched in amazement. Forgotten
and almost unnoticed the object of the verbal sparring limped
slowly down the stairs and crossed to the one person standing
alone. .
". . .panda. It's just not possible. I could almost
believe a sex change. That's just a chromosome difference. Except
for the mass discrepancy. But a panda is a different species. The
brains are wired differ. . ." Mercury's muttering trailed off again
as she typed furiously, occasionally raising her visored eyes to
scan Satoumesan who had forgotten he was once again human and
was gesticulating wildly with his signs.
"You probably don't want to know about the cat the duck
and the Minotaur then."
Ami jumped at Akane's teasing whisper.
"Oh, I didn't see you."
"You wouldn't have noticed Pantyhose Taro coming down
the stairs."
"WHO!"
"Uh, he fell in the spring of Yeti riding a Yak while
carrying a crane and an eeeeeeelllll!" Akane yelped as Ranma
scooped her off her feet.
"Don't forget the octopus." Ranma added, then looked
sternly at Akane.
"BAKA. You've got to rest if you wanna get better."
"I'm fine. My. . .ooooww!" Akane rubbed her side where
Ranma had poked her. "Why did you do that?"
"Sure you're fine. Just had a building fall on you is all."
"My implants are fix. . ." Akane trailed off as she noticed
Ami's glazed look.
Usagi walked up behind Ami and gently bopped her on the head.
"OK, Ami-chan. Time to eat." she pulled the computer out
of her hands. "And stop thinking. I can smell brain cells frying
from across the room."
"B. . .b. . .but he said OCTOPUS!" Ami was almost in
tears.
"Why did he say octopus, Usagi?" Ami looked desperate.
"There's a panda too. Did you see the panda?"
"Yes I saw the panda."Usagi said soothingly, "Bad, Bad
Panda for upsetting you. We can have Rei do a Burning Mandella.
You'd like that wouldn't you?"
"That's it. And then I can dissect it. I can find out how it
works." Ami turned pleading eyes to Usagi. "I can find out! I
CAN! If I cut it into pieces, into tiny, tiny pieces I can figure it all
out."
"That's right." Usagi reassured Ami. "Tiny, Tiny pieces.
But first let's get something to eat."
"OK." Ami said in a little girl voice as she meekly let
Usagi lead her away.
"POP'S!! Get outta there!" Ranma glared at his father
who was wrapped tightly around a bush in the garden outside.
"That's right Mr. Satoume. Usagi won't really let Ami
dissect you."
"Yeah, just cut off a few piece. . .owww!"
"Quit teasing, Ranma."
"Yeah, I'd like to get video of the dissection." They turned
to look at Nabiki. "It'd sell better that 'Alien Autopsy' I bet."
"!!!!!!!!!!"
"OK, Nabiki, YOU'RE going to have to get him off the
roof this time." Akane groused.
"Hey guys!" Makoto burst into the garden. "I think
you're gonna want to see this."
". . .ite House has confirmed a nuclear detonation." the
young NEKI news anchor was visibly shaken. "There are
unconfirmed reports from the Peoples Republic of China of three
and possible four detonations of devices in the 20000 kiloton
range. A joint communication from . . ."
"I'm tapping into the satellite system." Ami worked
furiously at her computer. "It looks like the enemy has been
making incursions in other countries." she entered a few more
commands then turned the screen so the others could see.
"These points designate unconfirmed sightings of 'strange
lights', 'monsters' and other unusual phenomenon. A lot of these
sightings were undoubtedly the 'usual 'UFO' type sightings but
many were probably genuine. And there is no way to tell how
many actual alien visitations went unnoticed. In fact it appears
that there may have been several other visitations in Japan at the
same time we were fighting that first group. If we hadn't stumbled
on them by accident they probably would have been in and out
without anyone knowing." Ami paused to collect her thoughts. "I
believe that these were scouting parties, a large number of small
lightly armed groups. They were not here to fight, just to gather
information, make maps, that sort of thing. I think the second
incursions were a recon-in-force, to refine their data from the first
visits." Ami punched a function key and the icons on the world
map shifted yet again. "This last visitation was very visible. I have
CONFIRMED reports of alien invasions in Europe, North and
South America, Russia, the Baltic, China, India and we all know
about the one in Japan. It looks like the Americans killed the
enemies portal by firing a nuclear tipped cruse missile into the
center of it. I suspect that explains the other nuclear detonations
we've heard about."
"What does it mean?" Usagi asked worriedly.
"Invasion. These things have been scouting, now they're
trying to establish a beach-head."
*********************************************************
At that moment five hundred thousand metric tonnes of vitrified
rock and battle-steel passed through the outer fringes of the
asteroid belt at 64kps. Navigation thrusters made a minor course
correction and then engines went to full power. The huge mass
was now headed for a precise point in space that would intersect
the earths orbit exactly above the small island nation of Japan.
*********************************************************
"Would you like to go to a party?"
"P . . .p . . .p. . .arty!" Ryouga was stunned. No girl had
ever asked him to a party before. Well there was that one time, but
he didn't think his mother counted. And it was his own birthday
after all.
"I . . .I. . .I.."
"Please hold this, I'll be right back." Hotaru suddenly
thrust the tattered remains of her book bag into Ryouga's hands
and ran off toward the sound of people screaming. Ryouga stood
frozen in place then pounded after Hotaru. He could see her round
a building in the distance and he sprinted to catch up.
". . .OWER MAKE UP!!"
The voice reverberated with power and a brilliant light spilled out
into the street. Ryouga came around the corner in time to see
Hotaru swirled up in a vortex of energy. As he watched, her street
clothes burst apart. Dimly through the pulsing light he could see
ribbons of energy run up her legs and become knee-high boots.
Involuntarily his eyes were drawn up her long legs to . . .
"AAAAAAAA!"
Blushing Ryouga spun away, shutting his eyes and pinching his
nose shut.
*********************************************************
"Get dressed."
Startled Michiru looked up from the book she was reading to see
Meiou Setsuna standing at the foot of the couch.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Get dressed. We're going to a party."
Michiru swung her legs down to the floor, jolting Haruka who had
been asleep with her head in Michiru's lap. She shook her lover by
the shoulder. Haruka grumbled under her breath and snuggled
deeper into Michiru's lap.
"Anybody we know?" Michiru asked while thinking of
ways to wake Haruka before the end of the century.
"An old . . .acquaintance." Setsuna replied, dumping a
tumbler of ice water on the sleeping senshi.
*********************************************************
"Usagi, how can you eat at a time like this?" Rei hissed.
"BuifgooondIgotakpemystrenfup."
"She says 'It's good. And she's got to keep her stren. . .:"
"I KNOW what she's saying Ami."
"I was translating for Akane-chan." Ami replied calmly.
"Thank you Ami-chan. But I'm beginning to catch on. It's
not too much different from Ranma. Don't do that, Makoto-chan."
Akane warned the senshi of thunder.
"Wha. . .?" Makoto froze, her hand half way to a bean-jam
bun. "I'm sorry." she blushed contritely. "did you want. . ."
"No." Akane laughed. "I just didn't want you to get hurt."
she jerked her head in the direction of Ranma.
Makoto looked at Ranma. He was focused on the bun with the
quivering intensity of a shark with blood in the water.. A
prickling in her spine brought her head slowly up and to the left
where she saw Usagi, eying the bun as if it were the last lifeboat
leaving the Titanic. Gingerly, as if there were a rabid badger with
a bad attitude asleep in her pants, Makoto edged her chair away
from the table. The tension in the air was so thick you could
bounce a fifty yen coin off it and get change.
"They may be a while. Why don't we go sit in the garden
and talk?" Akane got up from the table. "That was delicious
Kasumi. Thank you."
"Yes, it was wonderful Tendousan." Minako added
politely. "Would you like some help cleaning up?"
"Thank you, but no. Why don't you all go and figure out
how to save the world. I'll bring some tea in a minute."
Rei stared after the eldest Tendou daughter as she disappeared into
her kitchen.
"Is your sister always like this?"
"Normally she's not this agitated" Akane apologized.
"But a lot has happened lately."
*********************************************************
"SILENCE WALL!"
Sailorsaturn staggered as the warp-gun's point-blank fire forced
her back a pace. The enemy could not pierce her shield but neither
could SHE attack. Even if there were no other enemy soldier's
around she would eventually tire. She had to put some distance
between her attacker and herself, disengage long enough to
counter-attack. Even as she thought this the black armored figure
forced her back step by step. He heel caught in some debris and
she went down on one knee. Out of the corner of her eye she could
see another figure approaching. Her only chance was to drop to
the ground as she collapsed the 'Silence Wall', hope she would be
below the warp-gun's effect, hope she was fast. . ."
"SHI SHI HOUKOUDAN!!!!"
Muddy green fire vomited down the alley, slamming the armored
figure against an overturned truck.
"SILENCE GLAIVE SURPRISE"
"Are you all right Tomoesan?" Ryouga crunched through
still twitching bits as he ran up to the ichor-splattered girl.
"I. . .I'm fine Hibikisan. Thank you for. . .for. . ." she
waved vaguely at the ground.
"You're welcome, Tomoesan. Uh, what. . .?" Ryouga
pointed at her fuku and glaive.
Sailorsaturn took a deep breath.
"I'm Sailorsaturn."
"S. . .Sailor. . ." Ryouga stuttered and stepped back.
"I understand." Sailorsaturn said sadly. Not many people
wanted to be friends with the "destroyer of worlds". With dragging
steps she turned to go.
"Uh, does this mean the party is on a boat?"
Startled she looked up to see Ryouga walking beside her.
"Because, uh, I have this little problem with water
and . . ."
*********************************************************
"I don't see the problem." Makoto argued. "We just keep
on doing what we've been doing."
"It's not that simple." Minako replied. "We just barely
stopped this last bunch. And the JSDF is still cleaning up
stragglers that were trapped when we blew up their portal. What
do we do if, or rather when, they open two or three or MORE
portals?"
"It's worse than that Minako-chan." Ami looked up from
her computer. "The government has just officially requested a
United States Carrier Task Force armed with nuclear weapons."
"What! That's crazy. The people. . ."
"It's not crazy Rei-chan." Ami looked grim. "The
government doesn't dare let these aliens get a foot hold in Japan.
It's not just to save Japan either. If the aliens were to establish a
beach-head on the home islands. . .we would be a danger to the
rest of the world. If the Americans don't send atomic weapons. .
.well, I'm sure the Chinese or Russians would be only too happy
to send us a few. In fact they might not wait for a beach-head to be
established."
"Are you all right, Usagi-chan?"
"My head hurts, Akachan. I keep wishing for a normal
life, no more monsters, no more end-of-the-earth." Usagi closed
her eyes and a tear trickled from under the closed lids. "My head
hurts."
Akane lay her princesses head in her lap and began caressing her
temples with gentle fingers.
"It's all right princess. I'm with you now. And your senshi
are here." Akane bent and brushed the half dozing Usagi's cheek
with her lips. "It's going to be all right. . .this time."
Ranma watched in amazement as Akane took Usagi in her arms
with a gentle tenderness that . . . Ranma shook his head angrily.
He was NOT jealous!
"Oh, hello Ryoga."
Heads turned at the sound of Kasumi's voice.
"And you've brought a friend. How nice. Everybody is out
in the garden. You missed dinner so I'll just go make some
snacks."
"I didn't know you knew the Tendou's Hotaru-chan."
"I Ryouga-chan. My friend Usagi told me to meet her
here."
Ranma listened to the voices that drifted out into the garden in
amazement. It sounded like Ryouga . . .but with a girl? Then two
figures appeared in the garden and Ranma's jaw dropped. It was
Ryouga . . .and a girl. A very . . .small. . .girl. A very. . .YOUNG
girl. And they were holding hands in a very. . .friendly manner.
The concept of Ryouga. . .all on his own. . .meeting a girl AND
being to walk three steps without getting lost, blacking out from
blood loss, becoming overly excited and maiming the girl or all of
the above . . . was so removed from anything that Ranma could
conceive that he was frozen in shock. Not so Usagi.
"Hotaru-chan!" Usagi sprang up, the top of her head
catching Akane just under her chin and knocking her flat on her
back.
"Ha, some super-warrior you are." Ranma said
sarcastically, helping Akane up. "A real martial artist would never
be caught. . ."
In horror Ranma watched Usagi throw her self into Tomoe
Hotaru's arms, sending the smaller girl staggering backward.
Automatically Ryouga's arm shot out to steady the two girls, just
as Kasumi stepped through the door; a tray loaded with snacks
and a large pitcher in her hands. Ranma thrust Akane from his
arms and leapt . . .
"Bweeeeee!"
"A Piiiiig!" Ami wailed. "He's a pig now! I saw it."
"Now, now Ami." Makoto scooped the small genius into
her lap and rocked her back and forth. "Now, now. It's not that
bad."
"It's WORSE. How can he be a pig? He can't be a pig. He
just can't!"
"Well," Rei looked on as Ranma poured hot tea on the
pig. "now he's a boy. A naked boy."
"A naked boy with a really . . .nice personality." Minako
added.
Centripetal force slung Ami tumbling as Makoto whipped around
to the front.
"Heh.,heh,heh." Ranma sounded like a starter motor with
a bad bushing. "You know, Akane. There's a really funny story
behind all this. Isn't there a funny story Ryouga?"
"I. . .I'll just get dressed and. . ."
"Leave them."
Ryouga froze. It almost sounded like Akane's voice. If you
stripped out all the warmth, and laughter and humanity and . . .
Ryouga froze as a very sharp blade inserted itself just under his
chin. He slowly straightened up under the gentle urging of the
blade. His eyes almost crossed trying to focus on the steel as it
disappeared under his chin. He recognized it. Kasumi had baked
fresh bread. And of course you needed a sharp knife to slice fresh
bread cleanly. A VERY sharp knife. How thoughtful of Kasumi.
"What are you doing?" the spine of the knife rapped the
knuckles of his cupped hands. "Move them." The point of the
knife moved to lightly trace a line from his belly button to his
Adam's apple. "Or loose them." The knife retraced it's path
downwards. Ryouga took one look at the rage filling Akane's face
and let his arms dangle at his sides.
"Good boy." Everyone shivered at the venom in her voice.
"What a good P-chan you are. Now turn around."
"What are you doing!" Ranma put a hand on Akane's
shoulder and froze as the knife whipped around like a striking
snake to rest just under his heart.
"Why I'm peeking Ranma. Just like HE did to me. Just
like he watched me undress for bed. Did you two get a good laugh
out of that?"
"It wasn't like that Akane-ch. . ." Ryouga's head rocked
as Akane's backhand caught him.
"Don't you call me that. Only my friends can call me that.
You're not my friend. I don't know who you are. I don't
know. . ." A shudder wracked her body. "I thought you were my
friend." she whispered. "I thought I could trust . . .I could talk."
Akane paled and swayed on her feet. "Talk to you. My god. I
talked. . .to P-chan. I told him things. Trusted him. He was my
friend. I told him. . . told him." She started to shake violently.
"Why. . .what did I ever do to you. . .Why would you hate me that
much? I should have known. . .the bandanna. . . but I trusted. . .I
trusted. . ."Akane clutched her belly and fell to her knees sobbing.
"I trusted. . . I trusted . . ."
Ranma dropped to his knees beside her.
"Akane. . .Akane! Please. You're going to make yourself
sick. Please don't cry!!"
"Aka. . .Tendou-sama." Ryouga joined Ranma on the
ground. "Please. It's my fault. I should have told you. But I was
ashamed of my curse. And you were so kind to me. I was afraid.
Afraid that if you found out I would be alone again. Please
Tendou-sama. Please don't cry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
"Akane-chan. You have some more guests."
It was perhaps not an ideal time for Meiou Setsuna to walk
through the door.
Ranma and Ryouga were blasted across the garden as Akane
surged to her feet. Even with a life dedicated to martial training
Ranma was hard put to end up on his feet. Out of the corner of his
eye Ranma could see Ryouga down on one knee. Most of his
attention was focused on . . . Akane. He'd never been this close to
"Weapon 4" when she activated. He watched in disbelief as Akane
seemed to burst into flame, her features melting and reforming. He
could see her body twisting and rippling like a reflection in a tide
pool . He could see every detail of the cannon in her right hand,
every aspect. . . CANNON? Uh oh!
HATE. Her blood boiled with it. Rage. Her muscled clenched 'till
her bones ached.
"Full power to graser." she ordered.
##Graser at full power## the Whisper acknowledged.
"Target selected." she dropped the targeting pip in the
center of Setsuna's chest.
##Invalid target. Identification files list designated target
as senshi. Invalid target. Iden. . ##
"OVERRIDE!" she snarled.
##Invalid tar. . ##
"OVERI. . .:" Weapon 4 screamed and jack-knifed
forward as fail-safe protocols activated.
##WARNING. Senshi are not valid targets. WARNING.
Sen. . .##
Weapon 4 ignored the Whisper. She focused through the pain.
She'd had good teachers.
"Run diagnostics. Initiate primary sensor suite test
protocol."
She felt a brief hesitation as the system diagnostics started. There
was a faint buzzing as the primary sensor's went off line and the
secondary's kicked in. She'd been waiting for that infinitesimal
window.
"Load digital re-mapping sub-set Initial point set to zero,
zero, zero."
Digital re-mapping was intended to provide improved long-range
scans. To enhance contrast, remove sensors ghosts and defeat
enemy stealth systems. By setting the initial point to zero, zero,
zero the software increased the resolution to the point that the
details obscured the identity. Suddenly the senshi disappeared
from the sensors to be replaced by an unrecognizable blur. With a
howl of triumph Weapon 4 raised her weapon back into battery
and . . .
"USAGI! NO!" Rei screamed and lunged for Usagi as she
darted to put herself between Akane and the Outer senshi.
"Akachan, Akachan. Please listen to me."there was no
sense of recognition in the twisting flowing features. Suddenly a
dreamscape seemed to flash before Usagi's eyes. Of a young girl,
with grey eyes the color of . . .
"Misty? Misty! It's me, Stormy. Please Misty. Don't do
this. It's all right. I won't let anyone hurt you. Please . . ."
With a tearing shuddering cry the figure in front of Usagi slammed
back down into normal space. Usagi reached out and caught Misty
in her arms as she fell. Ranma was a fraction of a second behind,
steadying Usagi as she staggered under Akane's weight. The three
of them sank to the floor, Ranma and Usagi holding the weeping
girl protectively between them.
"What are you doing here." Makoto snapped, stepping
forward aggressively to confront Setsuna and the two figures
behind her.
"I asked them to come." Usagi said from her place on the
floor.
"HEY!" Ranma's eye's focused squarely on Setsuna.
"That's the woman from the other day, the one that tried to do
something to Akane!" He started to his feet, but was tangled up
with Usagi and Akane.
"What did you do to Ak. . . to Tendou-sama!" Ryouga
placed himself in front of the outer senshi. Heavy ki boiled from
him like pus from a old wound. Even if she hated him, if he'd lost
even her friendship. . . he would defend her to the death.
"Please!" Usagi's gentle voice stilled Ryouga's heavy ki,
even if it couldn't dissipate it completely. "Please. I invited them
here to try to solve our problems, not start a fight."
Slowly, grudgingly Ryouga backed away.
"I wanna know what SHE was up to!" Ranma looked
pointedly at Setsuna.
"There is a new enemy." Setsuna began. "You have all
seen it. An alien race who wishes to take the Earth, the Solar
System and all it's riches. After they have eliminated the human
race." She paused and looked down at Akane, Usagi and Ranma.
"I am. . .sorry. I acted precipitously. I needed to talk to. . .Akane.
We will need her power if we are to win this battle. I needed to
talk to her" Setsuna laughed mirthlessly "but I had little reason to
believe she had any interest in talking to me. So, in my arrogance,
I tried to force her to listen. I have been too much alone, too used
to acting without consulting others." She pretended not to see all
of the inner senshi nodding their heads. "My
need. . .OUR need is great. The enemy is very powerful and I was
afraid." This statement got everyone's attention. "I lost my home
once before, and people that I loved." There was no doubting the
genuine anguish in Setsuna's voice. "I was afraid to take a chance,
afraid of losing Akanesan's help, and thereby the lives of billions
of people, my home and people I have come to . . .care for.
"Setsunasan." Usagi looked up at the older woman, her
eyes filled with tears. "How could you doubt that we would help
you. We are senshi, we should always fight together."
"You have a generous heart princess. Other's are not so
generous. And. . .I have no right to ask for generosity or
forgiveness in this case."
"I will talk to Akane-chan when she is feeling better. I am
sure she will help you if she can."
"Thank you princess. But please tell her she will be
helping everyone, her own family as well, not just me or the
senshi."
*********************************************************
"Are you sure it's OK to leave you Akachan?" Usagi
stared worriedly at the pale listless girl laying in the bed.
"I'm fine Usagi." Akane replied hoarsely. "Just feeling a
little tired, and a lot foolish."
"Akane, talk to them."
Akane's lips tightened mulishly and she tried to turn away from
Usagi.
"Don't close yourself off from your friends over. . ."
"FRIENDS! What kind of friend . . ."
"The kind who make mistakes, who do foolish
things."Usagi laughed "Believe me I'm an expert when it comes
from doing foolish things. But friends are the most important thing
in the world. Just as important as someone who loves you. And if
you're very, very lucky you can find someone who loves you
AND is your friend."
"It's just so confusing. I don't know what to think. And
there's you and the senshi. I know you and I don't know you.
You're the most important person in my life and a total stranger."
Akane let her head droop tiredly. "Sometimes I feel like I'm back
in the Imperium, sometimes I feel closer to people and places that
no one's seen in a hundred thousand years and then it all
disappears like a puff of smoke."
Usagi put a sympathetic hand on Akane's shoulder.
"I know. How do you think I felt when a cat told me that I
was a sailor-suited soldier for love and justice. I's just gotten used
to that when I found out I was a PRINCESS. And things just got
crazier from there." Usagi sighed. "But it was worth it for all the
wonderful friends I made, or re-discovered." She grinned at
Akane. "Anyway remember what I said about talking to people.
Besides, think about how guilty you can make him feel by
forgiving him." Akane watched Usagi leave then lay back on the
bed staring at the ceiling. She was not really surprised when she
heard a tapping at the window. She thought about ignoring him,
but remembered what Usagi had said.
"Hey Akanesan. I'm sorry about. . .about everything."
"I'm sorry too Ranma. But I need to know. . ." Akanesan?
The incongruity just had time to register as she collapsed to the
floor like a puppet whose strings were cut. A door that did not
existed opened into a place with no name. Akane and a tall figure
with long dark hair disappeared through the door.
Chapter 12
"Who was that Rei?" Makoto asked poking her head out of
the kitchen.
"That was Satoume Ranmasan." Rei said hanging up the
phone. "He wanted to know if Akane-chan was with us."
"What?"
"Akane-chan disappeared sometime last night."
"Oh no! What are we going to tell Usagi?"
Rei and Makoto turned at the sound of a door opening to see Usagi
still wearing her bunny pajamas and knuckling the sleep out of her
eyes.
"Tell me what, Makoto-chan?"
**********************************************************
"I do wish you would be quiet." Sailorpluto looked down at
the battered and bound figure making wet bubbling sounds as her
head moved weakly back and forth.
"I put a charge through your speech centers at the same
time I destroyed your motor-control." Sailorpluto looked down at a
bank of instruments and made a small satisfied sound at what she
saw. "You are entirely too clever at finding ways around your
inhibitory and control programming. I would have much preferred
killing you but that might have triggered your anti-capture-suicide
protocols. And since the 'Facility' no longer exists I have no way to
directly override your implants."
With two quick slashing motions Sailorpluto made a Y-incision
that opened Akane up from neck to crotch. She inserted a short
transparent rod into the chest cavity and with a sudden move
separated the ribs with an explosive CRACK. She thrust what
appeared to be a metallic sea-urchin into the hole and frowned as
Akane's body convulsed slightly at this invasion. She looked back
down at her monitors.
"Director Ras should be here to help me with this. I don't
know what's keeping him. And it really should be easier to access
the systems for maintenance. I'll just make a note of changes to
make in the production models and send it to his . . ." Sailorpluto's
muttered self-talk trailed off and she stared silently into space for a
long moment. There was a loud beeping noise from the monitors
and Sailorpluto came to herself with a start.
'Ah, that's more like it." She looked up from her
instruments and smiled benignly. "It's all your fault you know. If
you hadn't been so much trouble. If you'd done what you were
told." Sailorpluto took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"But that's all in the past now." she giggled suddenly, like
a very small girl who's been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
"It's all in the past. I made a funny!" She giggled again.
"Would you like to see her? I would. I like to look at her. I look at
her all the time." Sailorpluto passed a hand in a quick sharp pattern
and a scene formed in the air. "Don't tell any one."she whispered
conspiratorially. "I'm not supposed to do this."
A small girl, about nine or ten years old could be seen peeping
through some bushes. She appeared to be waiting for someone.
Suddenly a tall figure, dressed in costly robes and carrying a tall
staff appeared on the path. Around the figure scurried men and
women in clothing no less costly but diminished by the wearers
obvious fright and submissiveness. As the regal figure passed by
the small girl popped out of the bushes and lobbed a large ball. The
ball turned out to be a thin water filled bladder which burst on
contact. The tiny girl-child fell to the ground laughing at the figure
which now closely resembled a drowned peacock.
"She wasn't afraid of me." Sailorpluto informed the air.
"Out of all the thousands of years. The infinite lifetimes. She was
the only one who was never afraid."
The scene changed, to a sumptuous room, filled with delicate
porcelains, silken wall hangings, and finely woven rugs. IN the
center of the room stood a large canopied bed with a tiny figure lost
in it's immensity. Armed guards stood along the walls and in every
corner of the room but none of them seemed to notice when a door
that could not exist opened from a place with no name and a tall
figure stepped into the room. She glided past the strangely blind
and deaf guards till she stood looking down at the sleeping child.
She watched, seemingly fascinated by the slow even breathing then
trailed a hand delicately down a bare flank. The child giggled and
opened sleepy eyes to see the hooded figure looming over her.
"They forbad me to see her." Sailorpluto spat. "They said I
was a bad influence, it was unnatural. . .that I would HURT her."
Suppressed fury shuddered the time guardians body.
"Hurt her?" she whispered "Hurt Serenity? Can the
reflection hurt the body, the slave harm the master. Can you pluck
out your own heart and still live?"
***********************************************************
"Where is she?"
Kaiou Michiru looked blankly at the murderously angry young man
in the red Chinese style shirt.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about."
"Akane. Where is Akane."
"I have no idea. I haven't seen her since . . ."
"Liar."
Michiru flushed at the single cold syllable.
"I don't have to stand here and listen to a rude unmannered
ronnin. I told you I haven't seen her." Michiru slammed and locked
the door.
"Who was that?" Ten'ou Haruka walked in toweling her
hair.
Lips pursed angrily Michiru whirled on her lover.
"It was . . ."
"MOUKO TAKABISHA!!"
The door slammed into Michiru like a freight train crushing her
against the wall. Haruka picked herself up from where the fringes of
the blast had thrown her to see Satoume Ranma step through the
ruined wall.
***********************************************************
". . .gree we need to look for Akane-chan. But we have to
stick together. With this new enemy it's too dangerous to. . ."
"I'm not going anywhere by myself Minako-chan." Ami
patiently told her communicator. "But it only makes sense to stop by
their apartment on my way to the shrine. It's on the way and . . ."
"I don't want you anywhere near them by yourself!"
Minako snapped. "I don't believe in coincidence, especially where
they're concerned. We need to be all together. . ."
"Uh, sorry. . .you're signal's breaking up. I'll see you
there." Blushing at her fib, Ami cut off her communicator and
hurried on. There wasn't time to wait. She didn't know why, she just
knew that something bad was going to happen.
***********************************************************
"She wouldn't remove the wards from the gate." Sailorpluto
said conversationally as she worked.
"The Imperium was afraid of the time gate, afraid of
tampering with time. So they warded it, placed restrictions on it's
use." She frowned at past remembrances as she absently
manipulated a probe inserted into Akane's abdominal cavity.
"Manipulating the time stream is subject to the conservation
of mass and energy." Sailorpluto pontificated as she inserted a thin
silvery needle into a mass of circuitry wrapped around Akane's
spleen. " Take energy from a typhoon to feed an earthquake. Save a
fishing village, kill a mountain village. As long as the equation
balances the Universe doesn't ask for individual names. Serenity
wouldn't agree. 'I won't bleed my children's children so the
Imperium can feast on the corpse of their future.'" Sailorpluto
quoted "She was always so passionate about her kingdom and about
the Imperium. She was always so concerned about the future and the
welfare of her subjects. Just" Sailorpluto said wonderingly "as if the
filthy vermin had some value."
***********************************************************
"WORLD SHAKING!!"
The blast passed harmlessly under Ranma as he soared effortlessly
above it to land lightly behind Sailoruranus.
"Look. I'm sorry about the door."
Sailoruranus growled and charged at Ranma.
"And I'm sorry about hitting your friend."
Ranma sidestepped the bull like rush and Sailoruranus went
sprawling.
" It was an accident." Ranma added contritely. " I don't
fight girls. I just want to know where Akane is."
"DEEP SUB. . ." Sailorneptune's attack halted abruptly as
Ranma scooped her up in his arms and flipped over the charging
Sailoruranus with negligent grace.
"Jeeezz. Would you just SIT down outta the way. You're
gonna get hurt." Ranma poked her lightly in the side and
Sailorneptune collapsed with a slight gasp as her legs gave way.
"OH JEEZ!. Did I hurt you?" Ranma asked worriedly as he
caught Sailorneptune and lowered her gently to the ground.
"I don't practice pressure points the way I should. It'll wear
off in a little bit an you'll be good as new." As he talked Ranma
blushingly arranged Sailorneptune's paralyzed legs to preserve her
modesty and make her more comfortable.
"Now you just sit here outta th' way where it's safe. An
don't worry, I ain't gonna hurt your boyfri. . .your girl. . .I ain't
gonna hurt Haruka. Well not too bad anyway. I just wanna know
where Akane is. That's all." As he finished talking Ranma spun and
caught Sailoruranus fist in his cupped hand and slipped behind her
locking her arm in the small of her own back.
"Now look, this ain't gett'n us nowhere! All I want is
Akane back. You shouldna taken her anyway." Ranma oooffed
lightly as Sailoruranus elbow hit him in the stomach. He let her go,
more to keep her from hurting herself in her struggles to get loose
than from any damage resulting from her blow.
"SPACE SWO . . ."
Ahhh NUTS!!" Ranma muttered disgustedly. "A Kuno
wannabe!" He slid forward, under her thrust catching her right wrist
in his left hand. He pulled forward while twisting her wrist,
overextending and locking the joint. He lightly popped her elbow
with his open palm. Sailoruranus arm went numb from shoulder to
fingertips and the sword went flying. Sailoruranus glared furiously
at Ranma her left arm raised in defense, her right arm dangling
uselessly.
"Man, this is pathetic." Ranma looked disgusted. "You're
strong and fast but you ain't got no discipline. You get mad and
loose your center. Kasumi is better'n this. An Akane" Ranma's face
took on an ugly cast as he remembered why he was fighting "Akane
woulda wiped the floor with ya even without that gun. 'Cept
Usagisan stopped her. You were lying 'bout bein' sorry. I knew it
then. I just didn't think . . . I didn't think you'd . . ."
"You have no idea what's at stake here." Sailoruranus broke
her silence. "There are millions, BILLIONS of lives at stake. A
single. . ."
"Save it!" Ranma snapped. "It sounds real good, real noble.
But if you were tellin' the truth why'd ya kidnap Akane?
Why'd ya lie to Usagi?"
Ranma saw a brief look that might have been pain flash across the
blond senshi's face.
" No, you're not tellin' the truth 'bout something, but I
really don't care what. I don't care about the whole world, an' I
don't care about you." Ranma fixed Sailoruranus with a glare. "I
only care about one thing. You give me Akane and I'm outta here."
"I don't know wh. . ."
WHAP!
A backhanded slap spu. Sailoruranus around.
"Where's Akane?"
"I don't kn . . "
CRACK!
"Where's Akane?"
"I don't . . ."
A short jab to the solar plexus sent Sailoruranus to her knees.
Ranma stepped back and watched Sailoruranus struggle back to her
feet.
"We could do this all day. But I ain't got time to fool
around."Ranma's hand flashed out and closed around Sailoruranus
throat. "Tell me where Akane is or I'm gonna turn you over to a
Chinese Amazon I know. You won't like what she does. . . but you
will tell me where Akane is."
With a sudden surge of strength Sailoruranus broke free .
"WORLD."
"Ah maaan! Not again."
'SHAAAAKIIING!"
Ranma suddenly realized that the still paralyzed Sailorneptune lay
directly behind him in the line of fire.
"Nooooo!" Ranma leapt towards Sailoruranus, snatching
her out of the way of the "World Shaking' attack.
'Ah man!" Ranma panted with stress. "Are you OK? I'm
sorry about . . ."
Ranma's body folded around the sword as Sailorneptune slammed it
home. She twisted the blade and pulled it up and out. With
expressionless eyes she watched Ranma fall off the blade with a wet
sucking sound.
"It took you long enough."
"He was so fast." Sailoruranus gasped. "I couldn't get him
in position to try and save you any soo. . ."
"What have you done!"
Sailoruranus whirled to see Ami staring white faced.
"This is none of your business." Sailorneptune said sternly.
"Go away."
Ami brushed past Sailoruranus and went directly to where Ranma
lay in a rapidly expanding pool of blood.
"Go away or . . ."
"Or what!" Ami snapped "You'll stab me in the back?"
Sailorneptune flinched at Ami's harsh tone.
"You don't understand what has to be done. There are
billions of lives at stake. You can't let just one . . ."
***********************************************************
Sailorpluto hummed a little tune as she entered commands into a
computer. Occasionally she would jot notes onto what looked like a
pad made of translucent crystal.
"I think I miss the gardens most of all." she said suddenly.
"Serenity had the most beautiful gardens. Would you like to see
them?" Taking the wet bubbling noise that issued from the ruin of
Akane's throat as an assent Sailorpluto scrambled to her feet and
moved to sit at Akane's side.
"You'll love the gardens. What would you like to see? Oh!"
she giggled. "I forgot you can't talk. Especially with that neural
inhibitor in your throat." Sailorpluto leaned over to whisper
confidentially. "I had to add another inhibitor you know. Your
implants were adapting so quickly ,repairing all your damage and
trying to throw me out of the system that I was having trouble
getting any work done." abruptly she sat back up. "But enough shop
talk. We're going to see the gardens." The air shimmered as if
someone had thrown a pebble into a pool of water and an image
formed.
"This is my favorite. See how neat and organized everything
is? Serenity made it just for me." The image shifted to an
ornamental pond surrounded by a rock-garden with a low wall of
geometrically clipped hedges enclosing the whole. "I loved this part.
It was so peaceful. And it was always the same, every time I came it
was always the same. The water was just water, the roses staid roses
and the rocks didn't talk." She leaned over and grasped Akane's
chin in her hand pulling their heads together 'till they were nose-to-
nose. "That's the most important thing. I don't like it when the rocks
talk. It always gets so confusing. I can never quite understand what.
. ." she broke off as the scene changed. This time it showed a small
girl all alone in a vast featureless landscape.
"MAMA!"
Sailorpluto shuddered at the sound.
"MAMA! Where are you? MAMA! MAMA!" the little girl
was running now as she called for her mother. But as fast and as far
as she ran, she seemed frozen in a vast grey landscape. Exhausted
she fell sobbing to her knees.
"MAMA! I want to go home. I don't like it here. Please,
Please. I want to go home."
"Stupid girl." Sailorpluto shot to her feet. "STUPID,
STUPID, S T-U-P-I-D girl." Pluto gestured and the scene returned
to the gardens. She smiled and leaned back in her chair.
" It's very difficult to understand the stones when they
speak. They're so slow, you see, that it can take centuries for them
to say a single word. But they're all talking at once so it seems very
loud and. . . and I don't like it." She pouted a little then brightened.
"But none of the rocks in MY garden ever talk, not even the
smallest pebble. Serenity said she wouldn't let them and she never
did. And it was always bright. Even at night there was always a light
burning, lots of lights." She smiled down at Akane, her eyes wide
with wonder.
"Isn't that amazing! Even at night, there was always light.
And Serenity gave me m own room in the Royal Apartments and IT
ALWAYS had a light burning. Always!"
The image shuddered and changed from the garden to vast grey
expanse. The small girl was a little older seeming and she huddled
around a small staff topped by a glowing orb. Her entire world
consisted of the bare meter of space illuminated by the orb. Beyond
it's feeble light lay a terrifying emptiness.
"I don't like the dark." Pluto said in a small voice. "I don't
LIKE the dark. I don't , I DON"T, I DON'T, I
DON'TIDON'TIDON"T!"
The image of the small huddled girl vanished and all was silent
except for the faint hum of machines and Sailorpluto's short gasping
breath counterpointed by Akane's wet frothy attempts to get air into
her lungs.
***********************************************************
"Stop."
Reaching for Ami, Sailoruranus froze at the quiet command. With
dread she looked around and saw Sailormars, Sailorvenus,
Sailormoon, and Sailorjupiter. Behind them were Hotaru and a
strange boy that Sailoruranus had never seen before. The boy was
glaring savagely at her and Hotaru's gentle hand on his arm seemed
to be the only thing restraining him.
"What have you done?" Sailormoon whispered in horror
looking from the Outer senshi to Ranma's body on the ground and
back again.
"We've done what was necessary. Sometimes sac. . ."
"Don't!" Sailormoon thrust her hand out in a warding
gesture. "Don't tell me that sacrifices have to be made. Don't tell me
that I don't understand. Don't tell me. . . just don't."
She looked to Ami who knelt beside Ranma's body, blood soaking
her dress up past her knees..
"How. . .how is he?"
Ami turned a white tear stained face to Sailormoon and mutely
shook her head.
***********************************************************
". . .don't understand how HARD it is to . . ." Sailorpluto
looked at a bank of monitors and made a small satisfied noise.
"Almost ready now." She turned back to Akane. " They think I just
open the time gate, walk down the corridor, and 'POOF!' I change
the past, alter the future. No one understands. It takes a lot of power
to travel in time, and the further you travel the more power it takes.
It's an inverse cube ratio." Pluto added confidentially. "I think it
is . . " her brow wrinkled in thought. "I'm almost sure. . . And then
there's the mass/energy balance. You can't get something for
nothing. Well you can but it costs more that way. And it's not like
you can just run down to the corner store and pick up an
entropy . . ."she made a small adjustment to the monitors. "So many
possibilities. That's what scared the Imperium the most. It's easy to
see the possibilities for changes that cover a day or even a week. But
if you try to predict what will happen after you introduce a change
for one year or ten years or . . . They said it couldn't be done. That I
could never control. . .So they warded the gate. . .to prevent
accidents they said. But I could see. . . I could see . . .I knew what
to do. . .I told them. . . I TOLD. . .but I wouldn't listen . . . I never. .
why. . .why. . ."
***********************************************************
"USAGI! DON'T"
Sailormars made a desperate grab for Sailormoon as she brought her
hands up to her chest and the silver-crystal began to glow.
"Don't do it Usagi. If you use the silver-crystal you'll die"
"I have to Minna-P. I am responsible for the actions of the
senshi, ALL the senshi. I have to try . . ."
"He's dead, Usagi!" Ami said tearfully. "He's dead. There's
nothing you can do."
"I have to try." Sailormoon closed her eyes in concentration
and the crystal's glow began to increase.
"Let me try."
Sailormoon's eyes flew open to see Hotaru standing before her.
"Let me try." she repeated.
"Hotaru, you don't have to do this."
"I do have to do this." Hotaru contradicted ."I NEED to do
this. I don't want to be just the 'Senshi of Silence'. I don't want to
only destroy. Please Usagisan. Let me try."
***********************************************************
"It has started." Sailorpluto whispered. "At last." With the
ecstatic look of a true believer seeing the second coming she
watched a dirty-white crystal begin to glow. She turned a manic
smile on Akane.
" They thought they were building a weapon to fight Beryl."
she giggled again. "Beryl! Bah. I could have crushed Beryl like a
bug if not for these dammed wards on the Gate. Even at the last I
could have broken some of the seals, enough at least to. . .But - you
- RAN - OFF!" Pluto whirled and backhanded the helpless Akane
with a force that lifted her several centimeters off the table. "To try
and save that worthless piece of . . ." spittle flew from Sailorpluto's
mouth in her fury. "YOU! RAN! OFF! And then . . .then SHE
used the crystal . . .she used the crystal. . .to SAVE her
'children'. . .to send them to the future." A shudder ran through
Sailorpluto's body. "The crystal . . .that damned crystal. SHE DIED
to save filthy crawling. . ." Sailorpluto fell to her knees retching. "I
couldn't get to her. I couldn't. I tried. But the crystal sealed the gate.
I couldn't get out. I couldn't get out. I could see her. . .see her. . .
die. See her die. . . Over and over. . ." Sailorpluto scrubbed her eyes
with the back of her hand and got slowly to her feet.. "NOW you are
going to serve your purpose." A bolt of energy leapt from
Sailorpluto's hand to Akane's body. The primary weapon activated
and Akane's body arched backwards on the table as her body was
twisted into zero-space. "The Silver Imperium will live again. SHE
will live again. Forever. If I have to loot a million futures . . ."
***********************************************************
"Something's wrong! "Sailormercury called to her friend.
"You mean besides that?" Sailorvenus jumped down beside
her friend and pointed up at a large armored flying vehicle carving
up large chunks of the city. In the center of the newly cleared ground
a large structure was being erected.
"That's what I'm talking about." Sailormercury and
Sailorvenus were huddled in a crater in the lee of a bombed out
building.
"Look here." Mercury brought up a world map on her computer.
"These show the last two incursions." A yellow rash spread over the
map. " Now the enemy sent in simultaneous mass transits to either
take out military command and communication or to divert forces
from their second strike." A red rash, smaller but more concentrated
centered over six areas of the map. "THIS is what's wrong. . .They
managed a text-book feint and attack Every major world power was
completely out of position to counter this second attack. They got in
almost completely un-opposed."
Sailorvenus quirked an interrogative eyebrow.
"It doesn't make any sense." Mercury looked at the display
in frustration. " They just stopped. They stopped advancing and
started building. . .these things." She waved an arm in the direction
of the mysterious structure hidden by the lip of the crater."
"Well, I'm sure it makes sense to THEM."
Sailormercury gave a little mew of frustration.
" Not any military sense! They could OWN Europe by now.
And most of Africa, and Asia. The United States was only holding
on by a thin margin. It doesn't make any sense to let us and the rest
of the world to recover and reorganize." She toggled the display and
a detailed map of the Japanese home islands appeared.
"This is the most senseless of all!" She pressed a key and a
red tide crawled over the islands.
"Japan is not a world military power. Yet we have more
enemy portals and bases. . . more of THESE things." She waved
again in the direction of the alien construction. "than all of the rest
of the world combined!"
Sailorvenus gave a depressed sigh.
"Well, it's our own fault I guess."
Sailormercury gave her friend a confused look.
"Karaoke. I always knew we'd have to pay the price some
day."
***********************************************************
". . .can't go in there!"
Usagi woke up at the sound of voices outside the tent the JGSDF
had lent her and her friends. She swung her feet over the edge of the
cot, knuckling the sleep out of her eyes. She felt like she'd just
dropped off but her watch told her that she'd been asleep for at least
ten hours.
"It's OK Rei, I'm awake."
There was a momentary silence, then a very miffed voice came
back.
"Hino Rei went back to the shrine to check on her
grandfather. This is Sailormars."
Usagi giggled to herself.
"It's OK REI" Usagi stressed the name. "I really don't think
secret identities matter much anymore."
There was a growling sound of frustration, like a wolverine mating
with a gas turbine. The tent flap 'slammed' back under the force of
her displeasure as Sailormars entered the tent followed by an
American Naval officer.
"Good morning. . .Ah . . . Sailormoon?"
Usagi nodded assent.
"I'm Captain Thompson, United States Navy. I'm sorry to
bother you. I know how tired you and your . . .senshi?"
Usagi nodded again.
"How tired you must be but we. . . Japan and the United
States , that is, have a . . . situation."
***********************************************************
"How big?" Sailormercury asked faintly.
"Mmmmm. Captain Thompson said they estimate it masses
between four hundred and six hundred thousand metric tonnes."
Sailorjupiter looked down at her notepad. "It's accelerating
at . . .here you read it." Jupiter flipped the pad to Sailormercury. "I
just took notes, I don't understand it."
Sailormercury caught the pad. She glanced at the figures written
there and paled. She started tapping commands into her computer.
"What is it Ami?"
"If these observations are correct, we no longer have to
worry about this new enemy."
"What do you mean?"
The Inner Senshi looked up at the sharp tone to see Sailoruranus and
Sailorneptune standing at the entrance to the tent.
"Within forty eight hours the enemy will no longer exist and
neither will we."
***********************************************************
". . .oon Circus. And then there was Galaxia. I was sure that
she would need you to defeat Galaxia." Sailorpluto made a sound of
disgust. "No, I finally had to resort to THEM." she waved a
negligent hand toward an image of alien construction in the middle
of Tokyo. "THEY were finally enough of a threat to the 'princess'"
Pluto spat the title as if it were poison. "that you were 'called' and I
could find you. THEY are clairvoyant you know. It's a limited
ability but enough to tell them what was going to happen to them
once I broke the wards; enough to get them to come here to try and
stop me and enough to have the princess call you." she gave a little
chuckle. "And the best part is that 'nullifier' they are building. It's
really an idea I planted in their minds. Instead of sealing my power
it will actually amplify my abilities by several orders of magnitude."
So fixated was Sailorpluto on the scene of the alien conquest of
Tokyo that she didn't notice Akane's left hand twitch
spasmodically.
***********************************************************
"Where are you going?"
"To get Sailorsaturn."
"Why?"
"WHY!"
"Yes, why? HOTARU " Usagi stressed the name. "and
Ryouga-chan are busy helping with the injured. She doesn't need to
be bothered right now."
Sailoruranus lips tightened.
"This is no time to be playing games. Japan, the entire Earth,
is about to be destroyed by an asteroid. We need Sailorsaturn. . ."
"To destroy it with the 'death reborn revolution?'"
"That's right."
"Which will kill her."
Sailoruranus took a step toward Usagi and was immediately blocked
by Sailormars and Sailorjupiter. Usagi waved them away and took a
step toward Sailoruranus herself.
"So you think that we should have Sailorsaturn destroy this
asteroid even though the effort will kill her?"
"There's no other choice." Sailorneptune interjected. "The
fate of the entire world is at stake. Sometimes . . ."
"If you say 'sacrifices have to be made' I am going to get
very upset."
Sailorneptune's mouth shut with a snap. Sailoruranus started to
speak but Usagi interrupted.
"And what do we do about the next asteroid?"
Everyone just stared. Finally Sailoruranus spoke.
"What do you mean, 'next asteroid'?"
"Well, assuming this asteroid is a weapon, if they can send
one, they can send another. Then what do we do? Or" she went on,
overriding Sailorneptune. "what if this is just a ploy. . .to get us to
USE Sailorsaturn so we won't have her available for their REAL
attack."
"Usagi, that's amazing." Sailormercury sounded amazed.
The other senshi looked as if their bentou had just jumped up to do a
boun-dance.
"How on earth did you ever come up with such an insightful
tactical analysis."
Usagi looked embarrassed.
"Ummm. Well, actually I got the idea from Robert
Heinlein's 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.'"
"This isn't a science fiction novel." Sailoruranus sounded
frustrated. "This is real life, with real consequences."
"Yes, and Hotaru is a real girl, with a real life."
"Which is a fair trade for the entire world." Sailoruranus
snapped and turned to go.
"Where is Tendou Akane?"
Sailoruranus stopped at the question.
"Where is Setsuna?"
"They are busy. . .fighting the new enemy."
Chapter 10.
"I asked you 'where are they'. I asked that same question
earlier. I will ask once more. Where are Tendou Akane and
Sailorpluto?"
"They are . . .doing their duty. They understand what is
involved even if you . . ."
The silver crystal blazed and Sailoruranus and Sailorneptune were
driven back by the rush of power. When they could see again Usagi
was gone and the Eternal Moon Angel stood in her place.
"Sailoruranus, Sailorneptune you are deaf to the question of
a friend. How will you answer the command of your sovereign?"
Neptune and Uranus remained mute.
"Where are Tendou Akane and Sailorpluto?"
Silence was her only answer.
"Ten times ten thousand years before this time you stood
before Our mother, Serenity Peace Maker also know as the Sword
Breaker. You were condemned for the crimes of Treason, murder,
kidnaping and torture. Your sentence of death was set aside for the
good of the Imperium and in the hope that you would reflect upon
your crimes and repent of your actions. Now, in a different time,
upon a new world you again stand before your sovereign. Again you
are condemned for crimes, not only against your liege but against
people that you are sworn to protect."
Sailoruranus and Sailorneptune stared, frozen, at the inhumanly
beautiful cold face, listened to the ringing iron tones.
"Oath breaker and Outlaw We name you. As you have cut
yourself off from the community of man, so We cast you out from
the family of senshi. As you reject friendship and mercy so do We
deny you peace and pardon. As hungry ghosts you are condemned to
wander the Earth, pain your drink, anguish your meat. You are dead
to Us."
END CHAPTERS 10,11 AND 12