Forward to FFML:

Hello, here is the complete version of Honor and Love 5. I
have modified the plot somewhat in chapters 2 and 3, but am
unsure whether to post yet again to the list. You can find the
edited chapters at my H and L website...
http://www.geocities.com/~khammel/HandL/

Here's the story
***************************************

Events were unfolding far from those who slept through the night in
Japan. Six thousand million kilometers away, it was always twilight.
The distant glow of the sun provided only limited illumination for a
small planet and its moon. Here, Sol's tiniest child traveled her
lonely arc far from the system's great mother. Right now she was
eighth in line, taking her position before Neptune. Usually, Pluto was
ninth.

There was another companion in orbit around the tiny planet, though
few were gifted with the ability to see it. A perfect garnet crystal
hundreds of meters in height traveled around the worldlet in
opposition to Charon, Pluto's moon. Circling the crystal once in a
lazy helix was a structure that took its name from its dance partner,
Castle Charon.

Within the halls of the castle, a deathly silence reigned in the stead
of its princess. The main room, dominated by a gigantic, darkened,
view screen was empty. Down a corridor and a flight of stairs, a
flickering, cold, black fire guarded the doorway to a small room.
Inside a woman sat, head buried in her hands... waiting... hoping...
knowing... they would come.

Her attire immediately identified her as one of the Sailor Senshi to
anyone who knew them. She appeared older that the rest, though her age
was vastly greater than that which a casual glance would indicate. The
principal color of her Sailor fuku was black... skirt, boots, and trim
on her gloves. The ribbons and bows were so dark a crimson they could
be mistaken for black. Long dark green hair flowed down her back and
around her as she sat in meditation; carefully guarding a link that
she hoped would be a lifeline. The apparently young woman was
connected to one of those who had escaped the notice of her opponent.
After all, Lady Azurite knew of nine Senshi in both past and present,
so the Neo Senshi were her weakness. Sailor Pluto would do all she
could to protect them, even from her prison within her own castle. Her
guidance would be subtle, at least as subtle as she could manage, but
she hoped... no, knew it would be enough.

***

Ranma 1/2 Honor and Love
(Yet Another) Ranma/Sailor Moon Crossover

Episode 05: Weep not for Pluto

By Kevin D. Hammel

Ranma 1/2 is property of Rumiko Takahashi. Publication Rights are held
by Viz in The US and Shogakukan in Japan. Sailor Moon is property of
Naoko Takeuchi. Publication rights held by Kodansha Ltd. in Japan and
Mixx Entertainment in the US. My purpose is to honor these creators
and their works. No infringement intended.

***

Back on earth, in a tiny apartment in Kyoto, Kuonji Ukyou was
dreaming. Though she was a girl at night, she remained a boy in her
dreams.

He was in a forest clearing, a city built from white marble glistening
in the distance. With a sound of laughter, a young man emerged from
behind a tree. Dressed in a simple, but elaborately decorated toga, he
gave Ukyou an outlandish bow then stood straight, a ridiculous smile
on his face. "Welcome, Kuonji Ukyou." His eyes danced as he thought
for a moment then, from thin air, produced an elaborately decorated
cup that he offered to the young man. "For you, consider it my first
gift."

Ukyou took the elaborately decorated chalice and looked into it,
trying to determine if he should partake, then decided not to. Ukyou
gave a stiff bow of appreciation to his host. "Sorry, I'm not
thirsty."

"Ah, a wary one! Caution will serve you well among your enemies." With
a gesture, the cup was gone. He looked thoughtful for a moment, then
continued. "Pardon me, 'sir'," He said with a suppressed laugh, giving
Ukyou a conspiratorial wink before he continued.

Ukyou looked concerned. <He KNOWS!?>

"Where are my manners? I'm Ganymede, cupbearer to Zeus... Let's visit
my world, shall we? It's big and I love to share!" He reached out with
a hand, grabbing for Ukyou.

Anger filled her in an instant. "Just what do you think you're doing?"
Without her weapons, she took a few ineffectual swings at the Moon
Spirit, drawing a bemused smile form Ganymede.

"You might have to work on your hand to hand technique a bit, Ukyou...
Now where were we? Ah yes, would you like to visit my world, please?"

Ukyou swallowed. "Well... I'm really not too sure. You DID just try to
grab me."

Ganymede looked thoughtful for a moment then offered his hand. "Okay,
why don't YOU grab hold of MY hand?" He smiled as the young chef
grasped his hand. The grip was tentative, but at least she didn't
reject it completely.

In a flash, they were in another place, a palace overlooking a great
gray-brown world. In the distance, the giant planet Jupiter dominated
the scene.

"So, what do ya think? It's the largest moon in your Solar System.
Remember that when Sailor Moon, or... Hmmm, where was I?" He grinned
sheepishly before continuing. "Pretty wonderful, isn't it?" He asked,
an eyebrow cocked and an impish smile on his face.

"Yeah, but what the heck does it have to do with me, Hon?" Ukyou
questioned, hovering between animosity and curiosity.

"Well, how about this?" With a gesture, the okonomiyaki-seller's
outfit underwent metamorphosis. A white bodysuit with a royal blue
skirt and collar replaced her purple tunic and leggings. A big green
bow adorned her chest, and long white gloves trimmed in blue were on
each arm. On her feet was a pair of dress shoes in the same blue shade
as the rest.

Suddenly, a mirror materialized in front of the surprised girl, so she
could see everything. On her head was a gold tiara, and her hair was
decorated with a white bow as always. She frowned for a moment...
Something was missing... She almost jumped as a battle spatula
materialized in her hands, glowing for a moment. Ukyou turned from the
mirror to look at Ganymede. "What kind of stunt are you tryin' to
pull, jackass?" she asked, anger growing. "I'm not even a girl
anymore, so why would I dress up like this?"

Ganymede nodded knowingly. "Well, what if I was to tell you that when
you're like this, no one can recognize you? Unless someone sees you
transform, of course."

"Neat trick!" A bit of thought, and Ukyou realized it WAS a neat
trick. She fought a smirk.

"Think about it for a moment, Ukyou. As far as your family, honor, and
the law are concerned, you're a boy. If you accept a role as my
Senshi, you can fight as a beautiful female warrior... be the girl you
never had or have a chance to be. And wait 'til you see some of the
new fighting techniques being Sailor Ganymede, MY Senshi, could add to
your mastery of martial arts okonomiyaki!"

"Okay, punk! Put your power where your mouth is..." She tried to stare
down the young man.

"You'll have to make me!" Ganymede taunted the girl.

Suddenly, words and motions came to Ukyou. Dismissing the spatula, she
swung her arms in a wide arc, starting with both at twelve o'clock and
continuing until one was at nine and the other at three. Suddenly,
both arms came together as the Senshi-candidate pointed at Ganymede.
With a shout of "Ice Storm!" a swarm of sharp, high-speed ice shards
flew at the moon-spirit.

A blinding cloud of icy crystals hid her target from sight. The ice-
curtain lifted revealing Ganymede, undamaged by the powerful attack.
The master of the storm clapped his hands slowly as he nodded his
head. "See! Just think, that's only the beginning of the techniques
you can learn as Sailor Ganymede."

"So how do I get this power, Mr. High and Mighty?" Ukyou taunted.

"All you've gotta do is find Sailor Jupiter." The Moon Spirit replied,
while continuing to nod.

Ukyou looked almost excited. "You mean the one who's a Sailor Senshi?"
<So THAT'S what the baka was talking about earlier!>

Ganymede stopped nodding to point at the youth. "Bingo! You get the
prize... A Henshin pen from Sailor Jupiter, you'll need that to
transform into Sailor Ganymede."

Ukyou folded her arms across her chest, an eyebrow cocked as she
glared at her potential benefactor. "Where exactly is Sailor Jupiter?
I know that..."

"In Tokyo... don't you read the papers?" Ganymede interrupted with a
smirk.

"Actually, no." Ukyou responded with a slightly apologetic expression,
with arms drawn in and both palms raised. "But I have heard on the
news, that the Sailor Senshi are probably based in Juuban."

Ganymede nodded once. "Good! Consider moving there, I know you have
your reasons."

"Ranma's mother lives in Juuban..." A look that promised pain came
across her face. "Maybe I can have my revenge AND become a Sailor
Senshi. I can show that boy and his jerk of a father the power of a
REAL woman!"

Ganymede puckered up as if he had just eaten a lemon whole. "Uhhh...
right. Just listen to what Ranma's got say before you kill him,
please?"

Anger flared on Ukyou's face. "Why would I do that? Saotome Genma
destroyed my life! He must pay, and his son with him!" A bit of
thought mixed with anger on her face for a moment; then the Senshi
candidate narrowed her eyes in accusation. "What do you care about
Ranma anyway?"

"Sorry, that's for me to know... and you WILL find out. If you chose
to become a Sailor Senshi, you must follow your heart, Ukyou... It
won't steer you wrong. Just don't forget to listen to what it tells
you."

"That's what I'm doing..." A dead serious Ukyou replied. "My heart was
broken ten years ago; it tells me I must avenge myself."

The Moon Spirit swallowed and big-sweated. Wondering if, perhaps, that
demented gymnast might have been a better choice. Finished musing, he
quickly slapped a quick smile on his face... hoping his potential
protege didn't notice. It was definitely time to change the subject,
and cement the deal. The youth clapped his hands together loudly, and
then stretched out an arm toward the girl he was convinced would be
his Senshi. "So, may I be the first to greet the new Sailor Ganymede?"

Ukyou tentatively took his hand and... <What do girls do anyway? >
made an attempt at a curtsy as she shook it. "Yeah, it looks like you
can, sugar."

Ganymede faded from view. "Thanks, Ukyou. I knew you had it in you..."

Ukyou continued to sleep soundly.

***

Closer to Tokyo another teenaged girl, her long hair shining in the
moonlight, slept at a campsite with her great-grandmother. The two
women were Chinese Amazons from Joketsuzoku, and they were after the
girl's husband. As was often the case, the girl twisted and turned
through dreams she could not quite grasp the meaning of. Tonight, she
would finally find some answers.

In her dreams the teenager, Shan Pu, was sometimes a cat and other
times a human. The dreams were of a time long vanished; ruins and
buildings of legend were sparkling and new. Tonight, there was another
dream, unlike any that she had ever experienced...

Shan Pu looked around; she was standing on a beautiful, deserted
beach. A shadowy woman appeared before her, features concealed by
motes of darkness. Somehow Shan Pu knew the woman was offering a proud
smile. "Shanna, my most faithful courtier... Thank you. You served me
well in the past as a trusted servant; now I can finally reward you
for all you offered me."

The shadows re-formed to create the image of a bearded man holding a
trident. He smiled at the young Amazon warrior. "Greetings Shanna, or
should I say Shan Pu? In the past, you served at the side of the
Sailor Senshi, though behind them... doing the dirty work, truly an
unsung heroine. Now you can finally join them as an equal." Somehow,
happiness filled Shampoo's heart at the offer. This was a long
cherished dream of hers... But it had NEVER entered her mind before!

The girl's face showed an unstable mixture of happiness and
puzzlement. "I'm so confused. I want to be a Sailor Senshi, but I've
never wanted to before... What's going on, mister?"

The man laughed, as the waves seemed to add to the sound of his
merriment. "I am known as Triton, Shanna. I am the spirit of Neptune's
largest moon... How would like you to be MY Sailor Senshi?"

Suddenly her clothing began to shift. Her Amazon pantsuit became a
white bodysuit ringed with a short magenta skirt. Long white gloves
with rimmed with magenta piping materialized on her hands and
forearms. In the center of her chest was a dark blue bow with an
amethyst brooch at its center. A mirror appeared before her, and she
saw a tiara on her head, as well as a dark blue ribbon tied to the
back of her uniform. A little frown at something missing and two
bonbori appeared, one in each hand.

Her expression turned from shock to a smile as, somehow, she KNEW this
was the uniform she dreamed of wearing. It marked her as one of the
beautiful warriors she had somehow forgotten, but now recalled with an
appreciation resembling awe.

"Me, a Sailor Senshi? How?" The flabbergasted, excited girl asked the
Moon Spirit.

Triton replied after a thundering laugh. "Of course, Shan Pu. A new
team is being gathered, and I thought they might need a Silver
Millennium soul to help guide them. In your past life, you were one of
the advisors..."

Shampoo looked happy, then puzzled as dream fragments coalesced to
form a name. "Shanna." Shampoo smiled as pieces of her fragmented
dreams came together, the picture they created already clearing. "But
how do I become your Senshi, Triton?"

"Well, you'll need to find Sailor Neptune, she has the Henshin pen
which will transform you to Senshi guise, so you can fulfil a destiny
denied for over a millennium."

"How do I find Sailor Neptune?" Shampoo asked, her brow furrowed in
puzzlement.

Triton smiled at the girl he hoped would be his new Sailor Senshi.
"Think for a moment. Think of the friends you have in Japan."

"But I have no Japanese friends..."

"You do, Shan Pu. Just remember."

And Shan Pu thought of the recent past, and of a girl who she had
befriended when her father had tragically died in a training accident.
She did have a Japanese friend after all, but how could Ranma help
her? Then there were her fellow advisors, other 'cats' whose names
escaped her right now. She wondered how kind the millennium had been
to them... And whether they could help awaken her memories of the
past, to prepare for the future. A flash of insight lit her face for a
moment. "Is Ranma Sailor Neptune, Triton?" she asked.

He gave a cryptic reply. "No, not quite. But Shanna, Shan Pu, will you
serve as my Sailor Senshi?"

Shampoo keeled before the moon spirit. "It would be my honor to serve
you, and..." A memory returned and re-lit a flame of what had been.
"My Queen as Sailor Triton."

Triton faded as he replied. "I am glad I'm the one to help you fulfil
your destiny, Shanna. Thanks."

Shampoo would have to find Ranma, and her... fellow advisors. Perhaps
the 'cats' would have the answer she sought, memories she had lost.
They had been advisors to the Court and Sailor Senshi in the past, and
they must be so now, as well. And why was Ranma 'not quite' Sailor
Neptune? Of course there still remained the matter of her husband...

In a campsite not far away, a young man woke from a fitful sleep,
Ranma AND Shampoo looming large on his mind.

The boy rubbed his eyes and sat up. There was enough moonlight to see
his two most distinctive features... a pair of teeth that were almost
fangs and a yellow bandanna with black spots. <Curse you, Ranma! If
you hadn't left that lot while I was seeking it to defeat you, I never
would've followed you to China. Ever since that training ground, my
life has been a living hell! Not only do those Amazons think I'm
married to Shampoo, but I also got cursed trying to escape them! Damn
those Amazons and their stupid laws! Because of them my life is hell!

After a while, the boy mentally ranted himself back to sleep. He was

not alone in dreams of Shan Pu, or was it Shanna?

In Juuban, a black cat shared the fitful dreams of the teenaged girl
sleeping nearby. Luna was able to make some sense of them, however.
Another of the cat-advisors from the Silver Millennium had been found.
Somehow, through some incredible miracle, Shanna's soul had survived.
Not only that, but she had been rewarded for her service, given a
position among the new Sailor Senshi. Luna knew she must help Shan Pu
remember all she had been, so she could become what she must be. The
earliest hints of dawn interrupted the advisor's dreams. With a bit of
luck, there would be a reunion today, a renewal of friendship after a
millennium apart.

The first rays of sunlight gently roused Shan Pu from her slumber; it
was the dawn of a new day. Perhaps today husband would accept his
place at Shan Pu's side. Even more exciting was the possibility of
finally becoming a Sailor Senshi. It had been over a thousand years in
coming after all, and she could hardly wait.

Shampoo let out a sigh as she blinked sleep away, and stretched her...
small... body out, purring contentedly. Her bedroll seemed much larger
than normal, or was she smaller? She looked at her hands in front of
her, only to see pale purple paws at the end of white, furred legs.
The cat-self of her dreams was now... herself. Now how was it she took
human form?

***

Back in the prison within her castle, Pluto wore a guarded smile.
Finally the new group was complete, or would be when the last two, now
three Neo Senshi got their Henshin pens. Her apprentice was already in
place as one of the new warriors. Soon, very soon, it would begin. The
Neo Senshi faced a task as formidable as any the Planetary Senshi,
both inner and outer, had ever taken on.

Her thoughts drifted back to when she was first captured, and  'Lady'
Azurite had, in her arrogance, described her plans for vengeance on
Earth and its defenders. She had wanted to rub her captive's face in
the horror she planned, but had instead not only increased Pluto's
resolve to fight, but helped her formulate a plan of attack as well...
Azurite had thought Pluto effectively neutralized and not any threat
to her plans. She was wrong.

Weep not for me, past and future Queen of earth.
If you must weep for me, then weep for your world, and
all our system... in my place.

Weep for Time, and its violation, the result of a moment of
arrogant inattention.

Instead, stand ready with all the Senshi sworn to you,
though it will be difficult as Azurite's scheme unfolds
and her horrible weapon is unleashed, guarded by time
itself.

My peers, Senshi of the outer worlds save one, hold fast
and be ready to strike when the time comes, but you will
not escape Azurite's wrath in the interim.

And you Neo Senshi, with my... apprentice among you,
must stand ready as well to take your place or all is lost...

Half a solar system away, visions entered the dreams of a sleeping
young woman. She saw a woman with deep blue hair, and sparkling,
almost glowing blue eyes. The dream-woman wore a gown of metallic
silver blue, and a shining crown and jewelry of copper. Feelings of
dread were brought on for some unknown reason by this... this Azurite.

The vision of the woman faded, and was replaced by a new one. A
spherical object standing deathly still against a background of stars
and absolute black. A dried shell, dead, dusty, and devoid of life.
Its surface showing only vaguely through a funeral shroud of dust. The
pall parted for a moment, revealing a familiar shape beneath. An
archipelago she knew well, now lifeless rocky mounts rising above a
desert impossibly far below... Japan in a world with no water... a
world with no life. The dead world must be Earth.

The dreamer bolted upright in her bed, and tried to figure out what
her dreams had just told her. A single, unaccustomed tear glistened in
the dim light of the room as it made its way down her face. Without a
thought, she brushed it away, abruptly ending its journey.

In the past, dreams had been something that happened with no
particular meaning other than indigestion, a movie she might have been
better off not watching, or perhaps a memory of... Mother. Since she
and her sisters had their dreams on consecutive nights, dreams had
taken on a whole new aspect. What exactly did this dream mean, anyway?
Who was this Azurite? And was that REALLY Earth, barren and devoid of
life? Was the vision what would be or could be?

Even as she attempted to regain her shaken composure, the young woman
reached a decision. Earth would not end up a dry husk as long as she
was around to defend it. Plans already began to take shape as she
considered her next move... their next move. She had been given power
beyond anything she had ever dreamed; now she finally saw the price of
that power, responsibility to her world and its people.

>From her castle through a carefully hidden link, Pluto watched and
felt and knew what her avatar did. Things were progressing, the
Guardian of Time had chosen well.

(END)

***

First, my sincere thanks for reading!

Thanks also go to my pre-readers: Mike Koos, Chad Walker, Fire, Bryan
Neef, and Andrew Norris.


Here's a tidbit for all the budding Mineralogists out there...
Azurite, Cu (CO ) (OH) is a azure-blue copper carbonate. It is
           3   3 2    2
sometimes found associated with copper ores. The mineral is
closely related to the bright green copper carbonate
Malachite...

Please let me know what YOU think!



Kevin D. Hammel
May 15, 1999
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khammel@mail.geocities.com
kevinsff@pacbell.net
http://www.geocities.com/~khammel/ff/
========================================