Okay after a year of revisions, well technically a couple days worth of
revisions that were put off for a year, here is the completed copy of chapter
one of Dew upon an Oak's Leaves. And, not only that, but within a couple of
days, or as soon as I can get my brother to move to finish editing it,
chapter two will be posted as well!
Morning Mists and Oak Buds
-- Attached file included as plaintext by Listar --
-- File: dew-upon-oak1.txt
Dew upon an Oaks Leaves: by the Gemini Siblings, Adrian and Adriana Gemini.
Sailor Moon is not the property, nor will it ever be of either Adrian
or Adriana, nor is Ranma 1/2, hopefully this will be seen as the
tribute to these great shows that it is, since we aren't making any
money off of these. Anyway on with the fanfiction.
-Adrian Gemini
Ami, Usagi and Makoto were sitting in class one day. The teacher
was in the hall talking to the principal about something. <With my
luck,> Usagi thought, <its probably about me and the fact that I'm
always late>. She sighed. <I bet they're going to give me eternal
detention or something.>
On the other side of the room Makoto was staring into space
thinking about the boy she saw in the park the other day. <He was sooo
dreamy, he looked just like my old boyfriend did,> she thought as
throbbing hearts appeared in her eyes, little replicas of which started
dancing around her head.
<I wish the teacher would get back soon,> Ami sighed, sitting in
a corner behind Usagi. <I can't be late to cram school, I was already
late the past three days because of Usagi.> The last thought gained a
giggle as she remembered the event in question.
The door then opened and both the teacher and the principal
entered. <Oh no!,> Usagi's mind screamed, <I was right they are going
to do something horrible to me, and they're going to do it in front of
the whole class!!> The teacher cleared her throat, "Class, the
principal has an announcement." The class transferred their attention
to the principal.
"Everyone, due to a benefactor of the schools concern about young
peoples ability to defend themselves and his generosity, we have a new
program. From now on after school there will be a class offered to
students, free of charge, on self-defense. This class will be taught
by Ranma Saotome, a young martial arts master, and in addition he will
be in your class. I hope everyone treats him with due respect." From
behind him, he pulled a handsome boy between 16 and 17. He had black
hair done in a braided pigtail, smoky blue eyes, and was dressed in a
red shirt and blue pants, both Chinese styles. His mere presence had
most of the girls in the class sitting in a daze drooling. Usagi and
Ami both turned to Makoto expecting her to comment on his resemblance
to her old boyfriend. However much to their surprise she was just
staring at him. At that moment, the lunch bell rang and they all went
to the schoolyard.
Usagi and Ami met Minako in the hall, she had heard about the
self defense classes being offered from her teacher.
"Hey guys, so who's going to take the classes with me?", Minako
asked.
"Not me," Usagi answered quickly, "more school! Yech!" She then
paused to look around and locate Makoto.
"I have to decline as well" Ami added, "I have cram school."
"So take a month off!", Minako argued, "You are already ahead,
besides it'll be good practice for the scouts. And I heard that the
instructors not only cute but he's our age too." She promptly got lost
in a daze thinking about herself dating him.
"Well that part is certainly true," Usagi agreed, while thinking,
<I knew there was a reason for her wanting to take these classes other
then the benefit they'd add to the scouts.>
"You mean you've seen him?!", Minako exclaimed.
"Sure he's in our class, his names Ranma.", Usagi's reply was
rather absentminded, as she had spotted Makoto, and promptly grabbed
Minako and Ami's arms, dragging them towards their friend.
They dropped in beside Makoto and waited for her to return their
greeting, she was still staring into space though. Finally Usagi went
ahead and slapped her on the back jostling her. When she spun around
and focused Usagi smiled innocently and said, "So what did you think of
the new self-defense instructor?"
Makoto looked at them and said, "Actually he......", before she
could finish Usagi and Minako chorused, "...looks just like my old
boyfriend!" They then fell to the ground laughing.
"Actually," she paused a moment, "He is my old boyfriend."
Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at her.
"Really, what happened?" Usagi was the first to reclaim her
voice.
"Didn't I ever tell you guys how I met my old boyfriend?",
queried Makoto.
"No," Ami, Minako and Usagi said quickly, avidly awaiting the
start of the tale.
"It happened about a year before I came here," Makoto started,
"The orphanage directors had decided it'd be a good idea to get me into
a wider environment. To that end, they sent me to a junior high outside
of the orphanage. It was an all girls school but had an all boys
school right next to it, so I didn't go insane." Everyone was hanging
onto her words. "Occasionally we'd even have competitions or other
activities with them. Then one day they decided to have a coed dance,
where they assignned everyone partners so no one was left out."
"Oh, how romantic a fated match made in heaven!!!", Usagi
shouted.
"Not quite, you see, Ranma wasn't my partner.", Makoto answered.
"Really, who was?", Usagi asked.
"A boy named Ryouga Hibiki." After she finished, saying this the
bell rang, as everyone started getting up to go inside Minako yelled
out, "Great so it's decided, we all take the class. Meet you after
school in the gym!", and rushed off to class before anyone could argue.
"Hey! I never agreed!", shouted Usagi indignantly, then she sighed as
she watched Minako disappear around the corner, <oh well, might as well
just give it up.>
After school all the girls met in the gym.
"Okay, we have about 20 minutes till the classes start, so I
suggest Makoto finishes her story." Minako said as they gathered.
"Okay, okay.", Makoto said as all the girls shouted, "Yeah!"
"Well as I said, I ended up with a guy named Ryouga," she
started.
"Was he cute?", Usagi happily,
"Well he had shaggy black hair and cute little fangs," Makoto
said, everyone sweatdropped at the cute fangs but Makoto didn't seem to
notice. "He was as tall as me and pretty much built like Ranma, so I
guess he was okay and I really wouldn't have minded going with him except.."
Here she paused, then fell over as Usagi and Minako said, "Yeah, yeah,
then what!?!?", while moving closer to her face.
"WOULD YOU GUYS JUST LET ME FINISH THE STORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Makoto
screamed.
"Sorry"
"Anyway like I said, I wouldn't have minded going with him except
he never showed up. I had no idea where he went, still don't for that
matter, all I knew was I was sitting alone while everyone else had a
date and was having fun. I was ready to pound someone and Ranma
happened to bump me, I turned around with a kick that would have
knocked him to kingdom come. Only he wasn't there! I felt a tap at my
shoulder and he was behind me! I started laughing and he joined in.
After that we started dating, only we had to keep it a secret,
something about him not wanting his dad to know, he was kinda vaque on
exactly why."
At that point Ranma came in and greeted the class. He started
by telling them that today he was only trying to get an idea of
what they knew. "So how many of you exercise regularly, fight
regularly or just know how to already?" Makoto stood pulling Usagi,
Minako and Ami with her, around twenty others stood as well.
"Okay this is a good start." Ranma commented, looking at the people
standing and trying to decide where to start. He paused a moment upon
seeing the scouts groups, after narrowing his eyes he quickly turned away.
"Okay now how many of you do all three?", around seven people,
not including the Senshi had there hands raised.
Ranma took note of there names then went around to the rest of the
students who were standing. After briefly talking to these students he
adressed the whole class once again. "Alright, tomarrow when we meet again
I want to divide the class up into a couple of different levels, based on
experiance and overall physical condition. Untill then we're done. See
you later." he said dismissing the class. He turned around then faced front
again, "Oh, and if you eleven could stay a little longer?" Ranma requested
of the group who had answered yes to all of his questions. "Since you'd be
in the most advanced group I'd like to have a better understanding of just
how much you all know. That way I can see where to start your group."
Once everyone had left Ranma walked over to the first group of
students, purposely starting on the oppisite side of the gym from Makoto's
group. Once he had finished with everyone else he walked over slowly.
"Mako-chan, is that you?" he asked, with a frown, sounding rather
hesitant about approaching his old friend.
"Yep, hi Ranma", She replied looking slightly nervous, then she
shook herself out of it and gave him a bear hug. "So what are you doing
here I haven't seen you since you left." Ranma stiffened slightly, but
relaxed quickly, he could feel only friendliness coming from her, not
the worship he felt from Shampoo, or the hostility of Akane, in fact it
was kind of like with Ukyo only without the, 'I love you with all my
heart' part.
"Oh, it's basically the old mans doing." Ranma said following
them to the bleachers on the side of the gym. "Who are your friends?"
"Oh,", Makoto said,"Ranma this is Usagi, Ami and Minako." She
pointed to a blue eyed blonde with meatballs and ponytails, then to a
blue haired girl and finished with another blonde who looked just
like the first only without the meatballs. They all nodded and said hi.
"They're my best friends."
"What do you mean, it's all your dads fault?", Ami asked, once they
were properly introduced, unable to supress her natural couriosity.
"Oh, well see this man came to the dojo where I was staying to
try and talk my dad or Mr. Tendo, the owner, into coming to teach one
of four schools, only neither of them wanted to. I thought that would
be the end of it except the man mentioned money and Pops lit up like a
sign. Next thing I know I have a back pack on and Pops is shoving me
out the door, blathering about it being a great training experience and
whispering to the guy to send all checks to the Tendo Dojo care of
Genma Saotome. I decided to go along with it cause of a problem I
was having there. I picked the school farthest away and here I am."
"What kind of problems?", asked Makoto.
"Oh, just some things." Ranma replied evasively, while thinking
<yeah some things. Like three fiancees, one who repeatedly tries to
kill me, one who's my best friend and one who worships me 'cause I can
beat her. Then there's Moose, Ryoga, Kuno and Kodachi, all who want me
dead, although, Kuno and Kodachi also want to marry me.> He slowly
went through all his current problems, mainly people, one by one.
<Then there's Happosai and Cologne; Nabiki, who convinced Kasumi that I
suddenly want to be trained as a bride, and refuses to tell Kasumi the
truth until I come up with enough money for her.> He hung his head in
defeat.
"I don't believe your father sold you for a few paychecks."
Usagi said.
"Better then him selling me for a bowl of rice and a fish." Ranma
muttered. Everyone facefaulted, "WHAT!?!?!?"
Ranma noticed their reactions and got a sweatdrop, and said, "Oh,
nothing, nothing at all, never mind." Usagi, Makoto, Ami and Minako
stared at him for a minute then Usagi said, "Okay, nice to meet you,
me, Ami and Minako need to do something so we'll just leave you two to
catch up."
"We do?" Minako asked, then yelped as Usagi stepped on her foot.
"Yes, we do, remember we were talking about it before school."
Usagi glared at her, silently trying to tell her to shut up and just
leave.
"But Usagi we never get to talk before school, you always arrive to
late to do that." Minako protested.
Usagi discretely kicked her ankle, "No remember, I was early
today, so we were able to _talk_."
Minako shook her head, "No." she paused a moment in thought, "No,
actually I don't remember anythin-" Usagi decided to throw subtality to
the winds and elbowed her in the stomach, while pointing at Makoto then
Ranma.
Minako's eyes widened as she got the point, "Oh, yeah, thats
right, silly me I forgot all about it!" she started to giggle ditzily,
quickly over doing it. Usagi shook her head and for the second time
that day grabbed her friends and dragged them away.
Ranma stared after them with a confused frown, "I wonder what
that was about."
Makoto laughed nervously, she'd quickly realized exactly what had
been going through Usagi's mind but wasn't about to let Ranma know. "Oh
she probably just needed some advice on clothes to wear to her date
tonight." She flitted her eyes around the gym, trying not to look at
Ranma so he wouldn't notice she was lying. "So how are things now,
really? Is your father still.......umm" she trailed off, not wanting
to insult him.
"Oh Pops is the same as ever, after you left we went on a
training trip to China.", his eyes flashed darkly.
"What'd you do there?"
"Oh, nothing much," Ranma said trying to sound casual, "me and
Pop went to the villages and different training grounds, then headed
back here to the Tendo Dojo."
Makoto eyed him, <you're hiding something, Ranma,> she thought.
Ranma noticed the curious glint in her eyes and to distract her
asked, "So what's been happenin' in your life since you came here."
Makoto paused a minute to think about how much to tell him. "Oh,
after I left I bounced to a couple of schools, only everyone knew my
reputation and I ended up getting kicked out of them for fighting. I
ended up here about 3 years ago, got an apartment, met Usagi, who
quickly became my best friend and she introduced me to Ami and Rei.
Along the way we met Minako, Mamoru and Motoki." she said, listing all
the good friends in her life, "You met Ami, Minako and Usagi today, the
rest go to different schools."
"Who are Mamoru and Motoki?" Ranma asked, surprising himself with
the question.
"Oh, Mamoru is Usagi's boyfriend slashfianc�, everyone knows but her
father who doesn't like them dating because Usagi is four years younger
then him. Motoki is a friend who works at the arcade, our hangout. He
just married Rieka, it was a beautiful wedding." Makoto explained
before stopping to think, <why did I supply all that extra information,
did I think he was jealous?>
"Oh" Ranma flushed, <god, I must have sounded so jealous why did
I ask that?>
They had started walking a little bit ago and had now reached the
street that Makoto lived off, which suited her purposes completely
since she was suddenly feeling very nervous around Ranma.
"Um....Ranma, I have........to um..go....there's something I need
to do," Makoto said, backing away quickly.
"Um.....yeah. I---have stuff to do too." Ranma said as he also
started backing away, when a sudden thought struck him. "Hey Makoto,
why do you and those other girls fight regularly?"
Makoto's eyes widened and she looked shocked, "Oh um....just
for...um fun!" and with that her face flamed and she jetted off down
the sidewalk. Ranma frowned. <That was odd, I wonder if she's hiding
something?> Then he shook his head. <Now what would make me think
that just 'cause she ran away,> he thought as he started walking down
the street.
Once Makoto got to her apartment, she found Usagi and Minako
arguing and waiting for her.
"I still don't understand why we had to leave!", Minako said, "It
looked like it was just getting interesting!"
"They need to be alone so their spark can reignite!" Usagi
exclaimed, "Don't you want to see them get together again?"
"Yes, but that's just it, I want to _see_ it happen!" Minako shot
back, "and did you really have to stomp on my foot so hard, back
there?" She glared at Usagi.
"With how dense you were acting, yes! Anyone could have seen
what I meant, even Ami did!" Usagi, glared back at her. "And we all
know how dense Ami is about these sort of things!"
At that Makoto, who had been hiding trying to get an angry face
mustered up, burst out laughing. Usagi and Minako spun around at the
noise, flushing red at the sight of Makoto.
"Oh, um...hi, how did things go with Ranma?" Usagi asked, smiling
brightly once she got over looking guilty.
"Just fine, we talked about what we had been doing since we had
last seen each other." Makoto said, "but Usagi, its over between us,
please don't start trying to set us up." She thought back to some of
the things Usagi had stooped to trying to get Rei and Yuuichiro
together.
"But..but..you two were....." Usagi started to say before Makoto
cut her off.
"No Usagi, promise me you'll give this up!" she demanded.
"But it'd be a real shame...."
Makoto interrupted her again before she could finish. "Promise
me Usagi!" She glared at her.
"Oh all right, all right I promise." Usagi crossed her fingers
behind her back and said to herself silently, <I promise not to rest
until you two are together again. Fates perfect couple, well second
most perfect couple,> Visions of Mamoro danced through her head.
For all of that week Usagi made it her personal mission to get them
to go on a date. Unfortunately she was disappointed to find that despite
all the activities and romantic scenes she set up the most that happened
was them starting to renew their friendship. To that end she figured
out that they hadn't been alone enough, or had enough physical contact with
each other. All of which caused her to recruit the rest of the scouts for
their help in setting up more elaborate plans then dragging them off to an
amusement park. To her delight it worked.
The next week during Ranma's class she and Minako teamed up to
send Makoto flying towards Ranma. Ranma caught her and fell down in
the process when Usagi pushed Ami into him as he leaned forward. He
landed on top of her and they stayed their staring at each other
blushing for a minute before Ranma scrambled up and grabbed Makoto's
hand to help her up too. She stammered out a thank you and they stood
there holding hands until the girls in the class started sighing
saying, "awwwwwwwwwwwww!"
Wednesday before anyone had a chance to approach Ranma, Usagi
reached him and pulled him over to a door which she opened and then
shoved him inside, locking it as soon as she had it closed, on the
other side, Minako was doing the same to Makoto. Inside they had set
up candles and a picnic lunch Ami had made. Her being the only one of
the three that could cook other then Makoto. After shouting and
pounding on the door they gave up and looked for some lights, finding
out that they didn't work. In the end they gave up and had a romantic
lunch together.
Thursday, she slipped a drug that would knock someone out into
Makoto's drink. Once it took effect she insisted Ranma carry her to
the nurses office. While Ami distracted the nurse with some long
medical questions, Usagi used the disguise pen to turn into one. Once
Ranma got there she pretended to have run out of supplies and told him
to wait with Makoto until she got back. By the time the real nurse was
done with Ami an hour had passed. The drug had worn off quickly, just
as Umino had said it would, and Ranma and Makoto had been left with 45
minutes to talk before they found out what had happened.
Friday, Usagi invited Ranma to eat lunch with them. Both he and
Mokoto felt like they were getting off easy after all that had
happened, so they agreed and Ranma got to know Usagi, Minako and Ami.
At his class that day, a youma attacked and they ended up getting
out early, so Usagi invited them all to the arcade, where Ranma got to
know Motoki as well.
"Hi, I've heard a lot about you." a blonde haired boy came over
to Ranma after Usagi left and whispered something in his ear. "I'm
Motoki."
"Ranma Saotome." Ranma said bowing slightly.
"So I heard that Usagi is trying to set you and Makoto up?"
Motoki looked at him questioningly.
"Yeah, she's really umm...." Ranma tried to think of a good
adjective, considering this was one of her friends and he didn't think
annoying, little, hyperactive baby would go over well.
"Don't worry," Motoki laughed, "I know how she can be sometimes,
trust me, I've known her since we were kids. She's never tried to set
Makoto up though, you must be really special."
"Oh me and Makoto used to go out when we were younger, I think
she's trying to rekindle the flame or something." Ranma said thinking
of all the stunts Usagi had pulled the past week to try to get them
together. His cheeks flushed slightly as he remembered lying on top of
Makoto, and carrying her to the nurses office, he still didn't
understand how she had pulled that one off. He'd felt something then
that he hadn't felt for any of his fianc�e's, despite the numerous
times they had glomped onto him or he was forced to rescue them.
Motoki smiled at the flush. <Usagi's right, he does like Makoto,
now to find out how much.> Motoki went about talking to Ranma, getting
him to relax and by the time they left, he had revealed quite a bit
about how he was feeling about Makoto, however inadvertant it might
have been.
As Usagi, Makoto, and Ranma were preparing to walk home
together, Usagi said she had to talk to Motoki about something, and ran
back into the arcade, leaving Ranma and Makoto together.
"How does she always manage to get us alone together?" Ranma
asked sitting on a bench nearby.
"It's definitely a talent." Makoto agreed smiling shyly, she had
been mad at Usagi at first but she had gotten over that and was now
merely amused by this. She peered at Ranma, they had gotten to be good
friends in the past two weeka, something Makoto was ecstatic about.
Ranma turned and smiled at her, amused by the dry tone in her voice an
Makoto's stomach dipped nervously, she had noticed it doing that more
and more often as she spent time around him. They sat in silence,
neither knowing what to say. <God what beautiful eyes.> Ranma caught
himself staring at them and starting to lean forward slightly. He
quickly shot upwards, a blush rapidly forming on his cheeks.
"Umm..... I really should be going, I have to call the dojo tonight
and I don't want to do that too late." He backed up slightly, "see you
next Monday." He turned and walked down the street. <I almost kissed
her!> he thought, <I can't though, I already have three fiancees, and
it wouldn't be fair to her. I wonder what it would have been like?>
He reached a corner and went to turn down it, pausing to glance back
really quick, surprised to see Makoto staring at him with a small blush
on her cheeks. She saw him looking and quickly got up and went into
the arcade.
She met Usagi right inside the door.
"Hey, Makoto, want to sleep over my house tonight, we could bake
cookies." Usagi smiled and made puppy dog eyes.
"After what you did this week!?" Makoto asked, "Why would I want
to even talk to you, let alone bake you cookies."
"Oh you're not really mad,.. are you?" Usagi asked her, looking
slightly worried.
"No, but I should be." Makoto said giggling, Usagi smiled and
started giggling too. "Okay, I'd like to stay over, besides cooking
always helps me think, if I'm making you cookies that'll give me plenty
of time to think."
Usagi stuck her tongue out at Makoto, "Oh? Just what are you
going to be think about?" she teased. Makoto glared, grabbed her arm
and pulled her down the street.
"I don't know what's wrong with me." Makoto confided later that
night, after all the cookies were baked and they were sitting in
Usagi's room. "I feel so confused, I don't know, I thought I was over
him years ago." Makoto leaned back on the bed and took a bite of a
cookie. "When I had to leave the orphanage and him I felt such a huge
loss, but I was over that. And later when I wrote him from the first
school I felt so sad and angry when he didn't respond, but then his
letter explaining he had left came and I understood and forgot about
him." Makoto sighed woefully, then looked up with a scowl on her face
as Usagi burst out laughing, "What's so funny?"
"You are," she giggled, "you are so totally in love."
"What do you mean?" Makoto asked, her eyes narrowed.
"This is exactly how I felt when I first met Mamo-chan." Usagi
giggled.
"I thought you hated him, when you first met." Makoto said.
"Well yeah, I hated him calling me names and teasing me about
school, but at the same time my heart was thundering whenever he smiled
at me or looked in my eyes after I'd run into him. I was so confused
all the time, did I like him, or did I hate him, what did he feel.
Trust me it was exactly what you're acting like." Usagi smiled
remembering those first weeks, and being so confused.
"Do I really still like him?" Makoto asked her eyes spread wide,
"After all these years?"
"Oh you do!" Usagi collapsed into giggles again.
"Really.........no, maybe I care about him a little but, but
that's just leftovers." Makoto said, trying to convince herself and
Usagi.
Usagi rolled her eyes, "Whatever", she clicked out the light," I
have to get up early, Mamo-chan is talking me to the amusement park
tomorrow."
"Night." Makoto shook her head at Usagi's silliness before
sliding into sleep as well.
"We really have to do something, they're perfect for each other."
Usagi said to Mamoru the next day at the amusement park.
"If they're so perfect for each other why do we have to get them
together?" Mamoru asked aiming the water gun at the target.
"Pay attention!" Usagi said swatting his shoulder. "They're both
too head strong to admit it."
"Usagi, let them work it out by themselves. Life isn't a movie,
two people don't just instantly get together after a long separation."
Mamoru frowned slightly, thinking about their relationship and
realizing that wasn't the best argument to use. "Just let it..." He
trailed off as Usagi squealed.
"That's it, its perfect, come on Mamo-chan!" Usagi grabbed his
hand as his bell went off.
"Do you want a prize?" asked the attendant as Usagi started
pulling him away. After picking a cat that looked like Luna, she
pulled him away.
"Where are we going?" he asked plaintively, "I don't like that
look in your eye."
"We're going to your apartment, I have a couple of calls to
make." Mamoru sighed <I guess trying to stop her is useless, it never
worked before,> and let her pull him along.
Once back at his apartment Usagi picked up the phone book and
found the number of where Ranma was staying.
"How do you know that?" Mamoru asked.
"Oh I have my ways" Usagi said mysteriously, silently thinking,
<thank god for Umino.> After she had dialed his number and he had
picked up she said, "hi, Ranma, listen this is Usagi, Makoto's friend."
At his sound of sound of recognition Usagi rushed on, "I have a favor
to ask of you, me, my boyfriend, Makoto and another friend I had set
her up with were going to go to the movies tonight, but he had to
cancel because of an emergency, so I was wondering since you and her
are friends and all... maybe you could take his place?" As she
listened to his answer she smiled and said, "Mmmhmm, yeah, okay the
movie starts at five and the theater is on Hakawa street, thanks, see
you later." Usagi hung up and dialed Makoto's number. "Hi, Mako-chan,
this is Usagi. Ranma is waiting for you at the theater on Hakawa
Street for the five o'clock movie. Bye" and she hung up before Makoto
could start yelling at her. She turned around and flashed Mamoru a
victory sign; he had a huge sweatdrop.
"Come on lets go rent a movie to watch tonight." She said to
Mamoru, dragging him out of the apartment.
"But I thought we were going to the movies!?" Mamoru questioned.
"Don't be silly, they need to be alone." Usagi smiled blithely
and giggled. Mamoru rubbed the bridge of his nose, wincing slightly.
<Where's an Aspirin when you need it?> he wondered.
Makoto rushed around her apartment, brushing her hair, pulling
out outfits, and trying to get ready in time. <I don't believe Usagi
did this to me, I could kill her...I get to watch a movie with
Ranma...oh what am I thinking! > she sank onto her bed to catch her
breath and gather her thoughts. <Calm down, you're not accomplishing
anything rushing around like a chicken with its head cut off. > She
took a deep, soothing breath. <Okay mirror, keys, purse, and money
check; ok let's go. > and she started out the door.
Ranma paced in front of the Movie Theater running his hand
through his bangs then checking them in the window to make sure they
hadn't been messed up. <What am I so worked up about? What is going on
with me, its just Makoto. > He sighed remembering the first time they
met.
*He bumped into something as he moved back to avoid being stepped
on by his partners feet, he turned to apologize and saw a foot speeding
towards him, he quickly jumped off it and behind the person. He looked
up to see his partner storm off. <Oh well, she was boring anyway.> he
thought <all she did was say how cute I was and pat her hair.> He then
turned his attention to the person who had tried to kick him. <Wow,
she's cute!> he thought, her hair had still been in a ponytail and she
had had on a light green dress with metallic darker green strands woven
in to make it sparkle, it had a loose top and a tight skirt with a slit
up one side. She looked angry then all of a sudden she started to
laugh and Ranma for a reason he couldn't figure out laughed as well.
Without a word they had started to dance and had stayed together the
whole night. He sighed as he remembered walking her home, never very
comfortable with most girls being around this one felt natural. They
had held hands the entire way, as they stood in front of the orphanage
Ranma had slowly leaned in while staring at her eyes. All of a sudden,
she had been propelled forward by some guys pushing her and their lips
had met. They had both broke apart quickly, blushing and Makoto had
run in, Ranma had smiled all night. *
Ranma smiled slightly thinking about it now. He remembered his
and Akane's first, okay second kiss; the first had been while he was a
cat. It had been nice, as had kissing Shampoo, although that was really
just on a physical level, kissing Makoto though had always been like
finding a piece of himself over and over again. He abruptly shook his
head <stop this Ranma > he told himself <it's in the past. Besides,
she probably has a boyfriend. Although...she didn't mention any and
Usagi wouldn't be setting her up if she already had a boyfriend, would
she? > Ranma shook his head again as he resumed his pacing, then
stopped abruptly as he heard Makoto call out his name.
"Ranma, hi!" she tried to smile but it felt shaky. "Let's go in!"
"What about Usagi?" he asked trying to think straight, her
perfume was intoxicating.
"What?" Makoto asked, then she realized Usagi must have said she
was coming too. " Oh don't worry about them," she said quickly, "she's
always a little late, they'll find us."
<I don't believe we're at the movies.> Makoto thought, trying to
keep her mind on the plot, she remembered their first real date.
** She'd never been more nervous in her life, she had sat trying
to follow the movie plot and not succeeding, all she knew was that it
was an action movie. His arm had wrapped around her halfway through
and was warm and comforting for someone who had been alone as long as
Makoto had. He had kissed her around the end of the movie, Makoto had
felt so lightheaded and happy she hadn't been sure she could walk home.
After that day for some reason, Makoto had always felt like she could
tell him anything, and she did. She told him about her parents, the
orphanage, and how lonely she had been and he had held her and
comforted her. **
Makoto sighed then leaned back in the seat, comfortable for some
reason. Ranma glanced over at her <wow she's even cuter then she was
before.> He shyly eased his arm around her and when she snuggled
against him, smiled and actually figured out what was happening on
screen. Before the movie could end though a Youma attacked, spraying
gouts of water from the end of its tentacles.
Ranma gulped as he felt a drop of it on his hands <oh no! I get
that on me and she finds out about my secret, then she'll never like
me.>
<Uh oh, if I don't get out of here and transform we're done for,
but I can't let Ranma see I'm a scout.>
"Hurry out the door!" Ranma shouted in her ear. <Don't have any
where else to go,> she thought, <might as well. > Once outside she hid
behind some trees and shouted her transformation phrase. "Jupiter
Crystal Power Make-up!" Once transformed she ran into the theater,
Ranma had done the same, once certain that Makoto was out of the
building and safe. He looked up from his crouched position on the
floor just in time for a spring of cold water in the face.
Sailor Jupiter ran over to the girl crouching behind the chairs,
"Are you okay?" she asked the petite redhead.
The girl nodded and whispered, "Who are you?"
"Sailor Jupiter, pretty suited fighter for justice!" <I don't
know how Usagi manages those corny speeches,> she thought, <I'd be
totally embarrassed.> Then she said, "get out, it's dangerous here."
"All he's doing is shooting water." Ranma-chan answered.
"Die, impudent boy!" the monster shouted and shot out
electrocuted water at the two.
"YAHHH!!!!!!" they both shouted, leaping out of the way.
"Jupiter Oak Leaves Evolution!" the attack hit the monster,
forcing him backwards.
"Moko Takabisha" Ranma shouted as he attacked, damaging the
monster even more.
"Jeez, its not working where's Sailor Moon when you need her?"
Jupiter said.
"Honeymoon Therapy Shock Kiss!" a beam of light hit the monster,
causing it to turn to dust. Ranma-chan turned to see a girl with
blonde meatballs in a blue, red, and pink sailor fuku, much like
Jupiter's green one, except she had wings and pink sleeves.
"About time you got here!" Jupiter shouted, she looked annoyed
with the girl, who put her hand behind her head and laughed nervously.
"Well, it all worked out in the end didn't it?" she asked.
"Yeah, no thanks to you" Jupiter said.
"Well at least I did something instead of just sitting around"
the girl defended herself. Ranma-chan got the idea that they weren't
talking about the monster. He saw a man in a tuxedo whisper to the
girl and they both left.
"Interfering, lying..." Jupiter was muttering.
"Um...excuse me." Ranma-chan broke in, "who was that and why did
that thing attack?"
"Oh, um that was Sailor Moon, leader of the Sailor Scouts, and
the monster was a monster, we don't know why it attacked." With that
she leapt out a window and detransformed behind some bushes. Then she
looked for Ranma, when she found him he seemed slightly damp but she
ignored that. He walked her home and kissed her cheek when they got
there, both were much more comfortable with each other now. < Guess I
do have to thank Usagi. > Makoto thought, before drifting off to sleep.
"So how's it going with Ranma," Rei asked Makoto at a scout
meeting three weeks later. The only one not to have met him yet she
was immensely curious.
"Yeah, it's been three weeks, how close are you two to marriage?"
Minako teased.
"Stop it you guys." Makoto ordered, "We are doing just fine,
especially since a certain meatball head stopped interfering." She
glared at Usagi.
"Why whatever do you mean?" Usagi asked blinking innocently, then
she ruined it by giggling and adding," I never stopped I just took a
vacation." All the scouts started laughing. When they finished,
Makoto said hesitantly.
"Everything's great, he's a terrific boyfriend it's just...." she
trailed off then resumed, "I think he's hiding something from me."
"Really, like what?" Ami asked, after a month of no cram school,
she was feeling undernourished in terms of challenges.
"Well for one thing he won't tell me anything about his training
trip to China or anything about where he was staying before coming
here."
"Really, but you said he's been there for a little over a year.
That is odd." Ami agreed.
"Hey, maybe he had a girlfriend back there and they had a huge
fight before he left but aren't exactly broken up and he doesn't want
you to know until they are." Minako suggested.
"I suppose that could be it," Makoto agreed slowly, "but that
still doesn't explain why he won't tell me anything about his training
trip." The girls were all quiet while thinking.
Then Usagi said, "Oh well, we can think about this later, we need
to discuss scout business now." All the girls sweatdropped while
looking at her in amazement.
"I'm so glad to see you are finally taking scout business
seriously Usagi, I can't tell you how proud I am." Luna exclaimed.
"Yes, we have to get serious, otherwise I'm going to be late for
my date with Mamo-chan." Usagi said nodding her head gravely.
"Knew you were to childish to be responsible." Rei teased,
sticking her tongue out at Usagi, who promptly responded in kind.
Luna looked at Usagi's face and muttered sarcastically, "All hail our
ever refined Queen."
Everyone burst out laughing at that, well all except Usagi who
picked Luna up and threw her at the wall.
"Oh well, I guess there's not much point in staying until we know
more about the enemy" Luna said, once she recovered." Let's just break
for the day."
"Yeah, okay see everyone later." Usagi said skipping out.
"So---do you and Ranma have plans?" Minako asked slyly.
"No, we don't spend twenty four hours a day together you know!"
Makoto said.
"No only twenty-three." Rei muttered under her breath. Hearing
her muttering Makoto turned and glared at her.
"Hey, what'd I say!" Rei protested.
"I have no idea, but if it came from you I have a feeling I need
to get angry." Minako and Ami both snickered then tuned serious.
"I wonder what he's hiding from you." Ami wondered.
"Oh, I got it!" Minako exclaimed. "How about if we go to Nerima
and check out the dojo?"
"I don't know about that," Makoto said, "I'd feel real funny
about going behind his back."
"Desperate measures call for desperate situations," Minako said,
then frowned," or something like that.
"I guess." Makoto said, still sounding very uncertain.
"Was there anything else strange about Ranma that you noticed?"
Ami asked as they left the temple, they were meeting back there in two
hours to leave.
"No...except" Makoto frowned thoughtfully, "the other day I
suggested going to a water park and he practically bit my head off."
"So he doesn't like water, why is that strange?" Minako asked.
"Well before at junior high we used to go to them all the time."
she explained.
Minako shrugged, "Oh well, see you later."
Later after calling Usagi and being joined by her over Mamoru's
protests of "leave it be" they left for Nerima.
"So, Usagi, what'd you tell your parents?" asked Makoto.
"That I'm staying with you." Usagi told her, "I figured it'd be
the easiest considering you don't have any parents."
"Yeah, that's what I told my grandfather too." Rei added, Makoto
looked at her, "So nice of you to consult me. I suppose you did the
same Mina-chan?" she joked, when she looked up though, she groaned,
"Oh jeez." Minako was blushing.
They sat on the subway looking through a telephone book on
Nerima, Japan. "What was the name of the dojo, he was staying at?"
asked Ami.
"The Tendo dojo." Makoto told her then ventured hesitantly, "Guys
I'm still not really comfortable with this."
"Don't worry about it," Minako said blithely, "Once you learn all
of Ranma's deep, dark secrets you'll feel much better."
Makoto groaned and slid down in her seat.
"Nerima, Japan." The conductor called.
"Lets go!" Usagi jumped up and hopped out the door.
"Whahhhhhhhhhhh!" The Senshi jumped up as they heard that scream.
When they got to the door, they saw Usagi with her foot stuck between
the track and the platform. Makoto pulled her out and helped her limp
to a bench, the rest of the girls, except Ami surrounded her asking if
she was all right.
"Yeah," Usagi said wincing, "I'm okay, it just hurts a little."
Ami appeared beside them with a bag of ice.
"I asked the ticket person and she said there's a good doctor
about a block away." She told them, "With the way Usagi's ankle is
swelling, I think we should take her."
"Well, there's good news" the doctor said. He had answered the
bell promptly about thirty minutes ago and had introduced himself as
Dr. Tofu. "It would appear some of the ligaments are having pressure
put on them, I should be able to take care of this in a second." He
gripped Usagi's foot and started twisting slightly when the door opened
and a girl with long brown hair walked in.
"Good afternoon, Dr. Tofu." she said, with a gentle smile.
"Ka-ka-sumi," Dr. Tofu stuttered, "What an amazing coincidence to
meet you here of all places." His glasses fogged up and he got a goofy
smile on his face. The girl stepped further forward and the Senshi
watched Dr. Tofu get even more dazed, then jerked their heads to Usagi
as she burst out in an eardrum breaking wail. They looked at her foot
to see it twisted almost all the way around. Dr. Tofu's glasses
cleared up at the sound of her screaming and he looked down horrified
to see what he had done. He moved to correct it and Usagi backed up
against the wall yelling, "GET AWAY!!! YOU'RE A YOUMA AREN'T YOU!"
Makoto supported Usagi as she walked down the street. Makoto
sighed, "It's sweet that the doctor likes that girl so much but it is
way to dangerous for her to be in that office."
"No kidding!" Usagi agreed wincing, as she looked at her ankle,
still red and painful but the swelling down.
"Let's just find a place to stay," Ami asked, "Usagi, really
shouldn't be on that ankle tonight anyway. We'll find the dojo
tomorrow, with our healing powers your ankle should be fine by
then." The rest quickly agreed.
"Tendo dojo, this is it!" Minako said to Makoto, "Ready to face
your boyfriends darkest secrets?" Makoto groaned and they all walked
up to the door. They gasped when they saw who opened the door.
"Ka-ka-sumi!" they stuttered.
"Why hello, how nice to see you again, how's your ankle?" she
greeted politely
Usagi smiled weakly, "Oh, just fine, good as new in fact." From
behind Kasumi they heard the sound of crashing, then they saw two girls
entering the hallway.
"Ranma, my husband, where you hide him?!?" A buxom Chinese girl
with purple hair demanded, while wielding a bonbori at a girl with
blackish-blue hair cut short.
"I don't know what you're talking about, I didn't do anything to
him, and HE'S NOT YOUR FIANCE!" she shouted.
"I'm so glad you're taking credit and protecting your fianc�
Akane, you make me so proud." This came from a wailing, angular man
with long black hair, who had tears streaming out of his eyes. Behind
him was a panda holding a sign that said, "My ingrate son Ranma is indeed
lucky to have such a loyal fianc�e!"
"Dad, Mr. Saotome, we are not engaged you guys decided we were!"
"You got that right Akane, Ranchan's my fianc�e, and I want to
know where he is, I know you know!" a third girl, this one brown haired
promptly threw a bunch of spatulas at the girl.
"STOP IT! Neither of you are his fianc�e's, if you were he would
have told you where he is. You don't know, and that's that!" The black
haired girl spun around to march out.
"Gee, Makoto by that reasoning, you'd be Ranma's fianc�e." Usagi
whispered, shutting up as Akane noticed them standing there. "Umm...hi"
Usagi said to her.
"Jeez, Ranma's engaged to three people" muttered Rei, after
having escaped the dojo.
"I wonder if they bought Makoto's story, about wanting to visit
Ranma, after being gone for a long time?" Minako said.
"I don't see why not, I mean Mr. Saotome recognized her, after
all that added weight."
"Wow three fiancees," Usagi said dazed, "no wonder Ranma came to
Jubaan, I'd try and escape too." Makoto glared at them.
"So don't you feel better for knowing this?" Minako asked Makoto
with a smile.
Makoto glowered at her," Ignorance was bliss." They continued
walking down the street.
"I knew following them would get us answers." Ukyo said.
"Hai, for once you right." Shampoo agreed. "Now I can find
Ranma."
"Hold up sugar, I'm the one who's going to find my Ranchan."
Ukyo protested.
"Damn." Akane swore from behind a tree, "I knew those two were up
to something." <I'm sorry Ranma. You ask one thing of me, don't let
those two find you, and I can't even do that.>
Back in Jubaan, the scouts split up, Usagi going to Mamoru's,
Minako and Ami went home, Rei went to a club that Yuuichiro had miraculously
gotten a gig at, and Makoto went to Ranma's, to confront him.
"Mako-chan, hi." Ranma said, smiling as he answered the door, "I
thought you were going to be gone till Sunday night."
"I got finished early." She said, frowning, as she stepped
inside.
"So is anything wrong, Makoto? You seem upset." Ranma was
becoming uneasy under her stare. "Are you mad at me?"
"Oh, why should I be mad at you, Ranma?" Makoto asked.
"Oh I dunno girls are always getting upset over something." Ranma said
carelessly, then gulped as he saw how angry she was getting.
"Oh and I suppose you know a lot about this?" Makoto practically
screamed, "now don't you! I mean you must have gotten plenty of
experience after all! WHAT WITH THREE FIANCEES!?!?!?!"
"What!?!" Ranma exclaimed," How'd you find out about that?"
"You're not even going to deny it?!?" Makoto said her eyes
getting wider, "You really are a jerk!" With that she spun around and
ran off. Ranma stared after her, before sliding down his door, <oh man
this is bad.>
Makoto sat crying on Usagi's bed, "He didn't even deny or defend
himself. How can I be in love with such a jerk?" she asked.
Usagi's normally happy, friendly eyes glittered with an angry
violent tint that only Beryl or the dark moon family would recognize.
<Makoto is one of my best friends, I won't let anyone get away with
hurting her.>
The next Monday Usagi was up early and confronted Ranma on his
way to school. When Ranma saw her he ran up to her.
"Usagi, man you got to help me, Makoto will never talk to me again
if you don't! " he pleaded.
"Oh and why would you want to talk to her?", she asked," So you
can break her heart again?" her face was a cold mask.
"No, I'd never intentionally do that!" Ranma protested, Usagi laughed
in his face. "Please, trust me, its a big mistake, that's all." He
argued. Usagi looked in his eyes, "If you hurt her again, I will
personally hunt you down, and that's only after the rest of her friends
get through with you."
"Thanks." Ranma said sincerely.
"Usagi, I don't want to go talk to your teacher, I just want to
go home and cook." Usagi winced, after a Sunday full of stuffing
herself with all the food Makoto had cooked to distract herself even
she couldn't eat anymore.
"We'll go to your apartment right after, I promise." Usagi said,
pushing Makoto into a room annd locking the door after her
"Usagi what's going on, come on, open the door" she shouted while
pounding it.
"She promised not to open it until I was done explaining." Makoto
spun around at Ranma's voice.
"You! Haven't you done enough?", she screamed at him, "just
leave me alone." Ranma winced.
"Please, just listen." He begged, "I can explain."
"You can explain why you deliberately led me on, why you let me
fall in love with you, when you already had THREE fiancees!?!?" Makoto
demanded, "I don't think anything you could say could explain that."
"Please, listen to me, I need to explain to you!"
"Fine, give me your excuse and then let me out." Makoto said
coldly.
"Okay," Ranma took a deep breath, "first off, I don't have any
fiancees." He started.
Makoto laughed disbelievingly, "Oh and I suppose the girls I saw
at the Tendo dojo were my imagination?" she asked.
Ranma, who had heard the story from Usagi, winced. "No, its
just.....", this was going to take some explaining. "I'll start with
Akane," Makoto recognized the black haired girls name. "When me and
pops got back from China, he took me to the Tendo dojo, where his best
friend Soun lived, unfortunately I didn't know till then that he and
Mr. Tendo had agreed to an arranged marriage between our families. I
was given a choice of any of his daughters. Akane's sisters decided it
would be her. We aren't in love or anything though, we're just friends
until we can convince our fathers we shouldn't get married." Ranma's
eyes pleaded with Makoto to believe him.
"Okay that explains one of them, what about the other two?" she
asked skeptically.
"Okay, the next was Shampoo, the Chinese girl." he clarified at
Makoto's confused frown. "She came from China to Nerima and she and her
great-grandmother own a restaurant, she attacked Akane one day so I
stepped in and stopped her, only her Amazon village has a weird law
about if a guy beats you, you have to get married, so now she won't
leave me alone. I've tried telling her nothings going to happen
between us but she won't listen." Makoto found this easy to believe
when she thought back to the Chinese girl.
"What about the spatula one?" Makoto asked.
"Ukyo was a friend from when I was a kid," he explained. "I
always thought she was a boy. I had to leave her when I was seven.
Only last year did I find out she was a girl, not only that but my old
man engaged me to her in exchange for her families okinomiyaki cart."
Ranma watched Makoto anxiously to see if she forgave him. "I was going
to tell you about them eventually." Makoto watched Ranma, seeing how
concerned he was she ran and hugged him.
"I'm sorry, I should have trusted you, instead of going behind
your back." They shared a long emotion filled kiss, both scared at how
close they had come to losing so much.
The kiss was quickly terminated however by the wall with the door
exploding. Shampoo stood there holding her bonbori behind her was Ukyo
and behind those two and the rubble in the air was Usagi.
"Sorry guys, I tried to keep them out!" she then ran and hid,
muttering, "kami-sama those two scare me."
"And well they should, they're both obsessed maniacs." a voice
answered.
"AH!!!! Who are you, why are you here, don't hurt me!" Usagi
screamed, before opening her eyes and uncurling from the fetal position
she'd gone into. "Oh, Akane, hello, what are you doing here?" she
asked.
"Well if you listen to my father, I'm being a loyal, loving
fianc�e," she said, then she grinned, "but actually I'm here to see how
Ranma handles this, it should be good for a few laughs."
"Don't you even care that those girls want to murder your
fianc�!?" Usagi shouted after righting herself from a face fault.
"Oh Ranma doesn't have anything to worry about, they want to kill
your friend not him." Akane said, trying to be reassuring.
"NANI!?!?!" Usagi screamed.
"Oh don't worry, Ranma won't let that happen, trust me if he
cares about someone he protects them." Akane said, "trust me, I have
experience in this kind of thing."
"Don't you find this at all strange?" Usagi asked.
"After living with someone who has Mr. Saotome for a father, I
don't really find much weird." Usagi sweatdropped.
While this was going on, Ranma and Makoto were busy with Shampoo
and Ukyo.
"Girl, let go of Ranma, Ranma my husband!" Shampoo demanded.
"I don't know who you are but you have two seconds to get away
from my Ranma honey!" Ukyo threatened.
"What do you mean, your Ranma honey?" Makoto asked, however
instead of an answer she go spatulas and one of Shampoos bonbori flying
at her.
"AHHHHH!!!!!" Makoto tripped out of the way. "Just what do you
think you guys are doing." she screamed.
"Girl is bothering Ranma, girl must be destroyed." Shampoo said.
"Just who exactly is bothering who here?" demanded Makoto.
"What are you guys doing here." demanded Ranma.
At the sound of his voice, Shampoo, who until that point hadn't
actually focused on him, did and she threw herself at him. "Hiya,
Ranma! You happy to see Shampoo?"
"NO!" shouted Ranma, not even trying to be nice, " I came here
without you knowing so I didn't have to see you!"
"What Ranma talking bout?" demanded Shampoo, still glomped onto his
arm, "Ranma came here to avoid violent tomboy, not Shampoo!"
Ukyo, who had been trying to nail Makoto onto the wall with her
spatulas, swung around to look at them, "Hey, what do you think you're
doing to my Ran-chan!" she demanded, leaping at them and wielding her
giant spatula at Shampoos head. "Let go of him!!!"
Shampoo let go of Ranma and attacked Ukyo shouting, "You have
gotten in Shampoos way for to many time!, Shampoo get rid of you once
and for all!" Makoto stood staring until Ranma grabbed her and pulled
her out of the room and down the hall, grabbing Akane and Usagi along
the way. The four of them ran to the park and hid behind some bushes.
Ranma turned to Akane, "I thought I asked you to keep them from finding
me?"
Usagi tugged on his arm, "Don't blame her, she told me they
followed us into the street and listened to us. I was the one who said
you were in Jubaan, it's my fault."
Ranma sighed, "Man, and I was enjoying the quiet so much. Oh
well," he turned to Akane, "so how's it going with P-chan?" he asked.
"Why do you always call him that!?" Akane shouted, trying without
much luck to kick his head, "his name is Ryoga, he's not my pet pig!!"
Akane was getting madder and madder as he dodged her kicks, "you jerk,
you pervert!!" she shouted finally landing a kick and launching him in
the air. Makoto and Usagi righted themselves from face faults.
"What'd you do that for?!?", yelled Makoto.
Akane, oblivious to them till that moment turned, "Oh its just" she
gestured, "he makes me so mad!!" Noticing that Makoto still looked
ready to deck her Usagi grabbed her arm. "okay, umm we'll be going, if
Ranma comes back tell him we left." Usagi started dragging Makoto in
the direction that Ranma had flew in, coincidentally towards the lake.
As they exited the park they noticed a short red-headed girl Makoto
recognized. "Hey you, you're the girl from last week!" the girl turned
and noticed them and ran in the opposite direction, disappearing behind
some bushes. By the time Makoto ran over there she was already gone.
"Did you know her?" asked Usagi.
"Kinda," Makoto said," she's been at a couple of the youma
fights, she helped me hold them off, till you got there to destroy
them." Then she glanced at her watch. "Oh my god speaking of fights,
Rei is going to kill us we were supposed to be at the temple twenty
minutes ago!"
"AHHH!!!!!" Usagi screamed grabbing Makoto's arm and started
sprinting down the street.
"Okay these attacks have been happening for the past month," Rei
said, "we have to find out who's behind them."
"So what do we know about the youmas?" Ami asked.
"Next to nothing," Luna said, "its frustrating, they don't even seem to
want to gather energy or do anything other then make a mess."
"Okay so when did the first attack happen?" Usagi asked.
"Umm.... I think the first attack was when I was on my first date
with Ranma about four weeks ago." Makoto replied.
"Wait I want to type this up on my computer so we can compare
them." Ami started typing," Okay so what was that monster attack like?"
Ami asked.
"Well, when it first came," Makoto paused to think, "It shot cold
water out of its hands, later once the theater was clear of everyone
but me and the red-headed girl it started shooting electrified water."
"Wait, was that the same red-head from the park?" Usagi asked.
"Yeah," Makoto answered.
"What redhead?" asked Rei.
"She's a small red-head in Chinese clothes, she helped battle the
youma until Usagi came."
"Was she at any other battles?" asked Luna.
"Well actually, now that I think about it I saw her at most of
the early fights." Makoto said with a thoughtful look.
"Hmmm...maybe she's a general." Ami suggested.
"If she was, why would she fight them?" Makoto asked, "plus she
didn't know what they were, she asked me."
"Its possible that that was an act to gain your trust so she
could later approach you and be accepted into the group." Luna said,
causing Usagi to frown in confusion.
"I don't think so," Makoto said, chewing on her lip, "at each
fight, she ran off without trying to talk to me, and she hasn't been at
any recently."
"Strange," Ami nodded thoughtfully, then said "lets work on the second
attack for now, maybe that'llprovide more information. When did it
happen?" Ami asked, focusing the groups' attention back on the
original problem.
"That one happened a few days after. Usagi had tried to set us up
again telling us to meet her in the park, because of something
important." Then she paused, "Well that's how she got me there, she
sent Ranma a challenge, which is the only reason he came." Ami cleared
her throat. "Right okay, anyway this youma's attack was wind, it blew
it towards us and it picked both of us up and deposited us into the
lake. When I surfaced the red-head girl was already there battling it,
we held it off till Mars joined us and burned it."
Ami turned to Usagi, "Where were you?"
"I was out at a family dinner with my parents, I couldn't have
left without making my parents suspicious.", she explained, Ami
nodding, she'd had that happen to herself a few times.
"What I want to know is what happened to Ranma while you and this
pigtailed girl were fighting the youma." Usagi finished.
"I asked him the next day and he told me that he looked around
the park for me, but when he didn't find me he figured I'd run away.
Then he left for home to call and make sure I was okay." Makoto explaind,
"Lets see, the next week me and Ranma were on a date to the aquarium.
Usagi had convinced the biology teacher that observing, and
identifying, different kinds of fish would be a great extra credit
assignment, then she mentioned that since we were both going we should
go together." Again Makoto got lost in complaining about Usagi's
matchmaking schemes; Ami quickly brought her back on track. "The
monster shot stones at us, and one of them broke a fish tank behind us.
We were covered in seaweed and fish, I snuck away, transformed and came
back and started fighting him. After a couple of minutes, the girl
showed up too and we got the monster cornered right as Usagi showed up
and finished it off." Makoto wrinkled her nose, "Both me and Ranma had
to go home right after that because of the fish smell, it took me
forever to get it out of my hair."
"Does anyone else notice that these attacks always seem to happen
around Ranma? Usagi asked, at their confused looks she elaborated, with
hand gestures, "Well there was the forth attack that happened in his
class after school, that monster made it storm inside." Usagi added for
Ami's benefit since she was still typing the different attacks on her
computer.
"Hey, I remember that, come to think of it," Ami said snapping
her fingers, "I actually saw Makoto's red-head there, only she didn't
do anything."
"And then me, Mamo-chan, Makoto, Ranma, Motoki and Reika were on
triple date to that concert that Michiru was playing at. That monster
shot out knives, they were so sharp they sliced through the cold water
pipes, it was freezing!" Usagi paused to shiver just remembering.
"I still don't believe that Michiru and Haruka met Ranma when I
haven't even gotten to yet." Rei broke in to complain.
"Then there was the sixth attack at the amusement park, during
another double date, by the water gun game. That monster made all those
kids turn the water on us, only eventually the water turned into acid.
Luckily we didn't get shot, we were able to hide behind some tables
until it ran out, we managed to not even get wet that time." Usagi
finished.
"Hmm..." Ami typed away furiously," was there any other attacks
around Ranma?"
"No after that, they were just in random places around the city."
Makoto replied, "That was when the girl stopped showing up." Usagi
frowned at those words, as a thought struck her.
"No other connecting features at all?" Ami asked.
"Well actually, I don't know if anyone else noticed it, but the
youmas usually seem to try and tear our clothes, in..." Rei paused,
flushing, "some really revealing places."
"That's true!" Minako exclaimed, "Last time it tore off my bow and
top and shot cold water at me. I didn't mention it cause I thought it
was probably just a random attack."
"Do you think they're ecchi?" Makoto asked.
"I don't know but I suggest we all try and stay out of reach when
fighting it." Ami replied. Everyone nodded silent as they considered
this.
"Hey! I got it!" Usagi suddenly shouted, making the other girls
jump in surprise.
Rei turned to her, "What do you mean?" she asked.
"Think about it, six times the youmas attacked around Ranma, and
five times out of those six the red-head girl shows up. What if she's
like the starlights? You know transforms into a girl to fight." The
others stared at her amazed. "What I didn't think it was that bad of
an idea!" Usagi protested.
"Actually that makes a lot of sense, Usagi." Luna said, only to
be interrupted by Rei.
"Yeah, the only reason we looked so amazed is because it came
from you." Usagi stuck her tongue out at Rei, who was laughing.
"And," Luna said, raising her voice over their tongue war, "if
the monsters followed him, like Galaxia followed the starlight's it
would explain why the first attacks centered around him."
"Okay do we know anything else?" Artimis asked, since none of the
other Senshi except Ami seemed to be paying any attention.
"Only that about a third of the attacks use water in some way."
Ami said.
"Okay I guess, that's it, there'll be another Senshi meeting next
Saturday, be here at noon." Rei said. The Senshi saluted and stood up
to walk out of the temple.
"So do you and Ranma have any plans?" Usagi asked Makoto.
"Not so far, considering we just got back together two hours
ago." Makoto pointed out.
"Good, then you two can join me and Mamo-chan tomorrow!" Usagi
said, "we have to go to a charity dinner for the hospital, he works at.
It'll be really boring if you don't come, and Mamoru has two extra
seats!" Usagi made a puppy dog face while she begged, and Makoto felt
herself giving in.
"Okay," she agreed reluctantly, "When is it."
"Thursday, bye!" and Usagi ran off, leaving Makoto to finish the
walk to her house alone, muttering about no good friends taking
advantage of her sweet nature.
"God you weren't kidding about this being boring." Makoto
whispered to Usagi three nights later, "I'm about to fall asleep, and
Ranma looks like he already did." Just then, a youma attacked, causing
both to cheer about the speeches finally ending. The monster quickly got
busy shooting little knives at people and everyone stampeeded for the doors.
As soon as they got outside, Makoto, Mamoru and Usagi, snuck
away to transform and call the others for help. Once back in the building,
the monster started shooting at Jupiter and Sailor Moon, completely ignoring
Tuxedo Kaman. Their clothes were just starting to shred when they got
pinned to the back wall by knives in their shoulder pads, boots, gloves and
hair. Tuxedo Kaman was just starting to attack the monster more fiercely,
when he saw a blur and a thin voice yell, "Pretty Ladies!"
Another blur crashed into it, yelling, "So it is you, you old
lech!" Both shapes jumped through a hole in the ceiling.
At that moment Sailor Venus, Sailor Mars, and Sailor Mercury
arrived. Sailor Mercury trapped the monster in ice and Mars and Venus
combined their attacks to destroy it. Then Mars and Kamen helped
Jupiter and Sailor Moon down. They all detransformed and Rei, Minako and
Ami headed home, while Mamoru, Usagi and Makoto headed out to find
Ranma. They spotted him panting under a tree, and ran over to him.
"Ranma, hey, what happened you look really tired." Makoto said.
"Umm..." Ranma said trying to think of an excuse," Shampoo and Ukyo
showed up," this was technically true only Happosai had quickly chased
them off before they could glomp onto him. "I was running away trying
to hide from them." Makoto started glowering when he said their names.
"Oh well, I think the dinners pretty much ruined," Mamoru said,
"Lets head home." He and Usagi walked to his car and drove off after
making sure neither Ranma or Makoto wanted a ride. Makoto and Ranma
started walking towards their apartments.
"Ranma why don't you just tell those two to leave you alone?
There's got to be a way to get them to listen." Makoto asked.
Ranma sighed, "It's not that easy, first off I hate hurting
either of them, they can be nice people. Plus Ukyo was my best friend;
I didn't want to lose that. I never told you what happened between me
and Akane did I?" He asked.
Makoto shook her head, "I thought you guys were always just
friends."
"Well, when I first met Akane, there were a lot of mix-ups, so we
got off to a really bad start, I eventually thought we got past that,
we started to really like other to. We later realized we were actually
projecting feelings we didn't have to try and please our families,
however at the time we didn't have a clue that that's what it was. We
got really close and went through a lot, I eventually realized that I
didn't love her though when our dads tried to get us to marry. To do
this they gave Akane, who usually would have been as against it as I
was a drug to make her really love me. Well now I had our dads and
Akane wanting to get married. I ended up blowing up at them; I said
some horrible things to Akane to make sure she wouldn't want to marry
me. She was hurt, even after the drug wore off. We're best friends
again, now, but for a while she wouldn't even look at me. She
eventually, with the help of Ryoga, her boyfriend, forgave me, but I
don't ever want to do that or go through that again with anyone else.
Plus if I did that to Ukyo she wouldn't have anyone to fall back on
like Akane did, not that she couldn't get someone eventually."
"What about Shampoo?" Makoto asked, touched and slightly jealous
of Akane.
"I've gotten her to accept it occasionally, but every time I do
she attacks Akane and I jump in to save her. This ends up with me
beating her again so the idea gets stuck in her head, once more," he
explained.
"Can't Akane beat her?" asked Makoto, "she seemed to be a good
fighter when we went to her house."
"If she trained she might have a chance, however there's a flip
side to the marriage law. If a girl beats an Amazon, you have to give
them the kiss of death and set out to kill them with no rest until you
do. I know Akane couldn't live through that" Ranma explained, Makoto
shook her head.
"Messed up, completely totally messed up." She muttered. They
reached her apartment so Ranma leaned down and kissed her, Makoto shivered
as she felt his lips lightly carress her own. She basked in the sense of
warmth it gave her. After a minute he drew back and said, "See you
tomorrow." Makoto smiled dreamily and went inside, sliding down as soon
as the door closed, sighing.
The next Saturdays Senshi meeting had ended quickly after
discussing the last attack, and the scouts were now sitting on the
temples porch. "Its so hot out!" complained Usagi.
"Stop whining," Rei said, sticking her tongue out,"we all know
how hot it is, complaining won't help."
"There's got to be something we can do to cool off." Makoto
commented.
"What, going to the pool won't help, it's so crowded its probably
hotter then the air." Minako answered, defeated she fell back onto the porch
floor.
Everyone sat thinking, trying to come up with an idea. Suddenly
Ami said, "I have an idea!" everyone turned to her, except Minako who
complained it was too hot to even move.
"What?" asked Usagi.
"Well..." Ami seemed distant, "we could have a water balloon
fight. If that's not too childish." The last was added in a nervous rush.
"Hey, neat, I haven't done that in years!" Usagi shouted hopping
up form her seat.
"There's a reason we call you the genius of the group!" Minako
exclaimed standing up excitedly. "This'll be so much fun."
"I have a couple of packages of balloons left over from our last
birthday party." Rei added, everyone quickly rushed to fell up the
balloons.
Once done they split into teams, Rei and Minako against Makoto,
Usagi and Ami. They were soon throwing and trying, though not very
hard, to dodge the balloons. Usagi and Makoto were hiding behind some
bushes, waiting for Minako and Rei to come so they could ambush them
when Usagi spotted Ranma and Akane.
"Hey, look there's Ranma." Usagi said pointing to the far end of
the street. Makoto started to wave her hand and yell to get his
attention; but Usagi stopped her as an idea came to her.
"Wait, let's hide and throw some balloons at him when he gets
here." She said, they both moved to the other side of the bushes,
grabbing Minako, Ami and Rei and explaining. Once they all knew the plan
they stocked up a pile of missiles and hid.
"So when are you going to ask him about transforming?" Ami asked
Makoto.
"I don't know, I have approach it delicately, it could be
embarrassing for him." She said.
"Yeah, the starlight's seemed really shy about it." Usagi added,
then she stood up and threw a balloon at Ranma who had crossed in front
of them, more balloons quickly followed hers, hitting him with a
splash.
"Well, there's one way to delicately approach the problem." Rei
said, staring at the newly transformed Ranma.