not written for more than amusement. some ideas (such as the
Choose Your Own FanFic idea i'd come up with for my webpage)
that i thought i'd monkey around with that were left over
from Reluctant Bet. If you want Social Commentary and
Meaningful Insight Into The Human Condition, well, good
luck. It sure ain't here. This is a fanfic, any resemblence
to a professional job is purely coincidental (and possibly a
sign of the Apocalypse).
THIRD LABOR: Time for Revolution (Prologue) by Gregg...
Note that this builds on events in "Skysaber's Choice"
and directly follows the events in "Reluctant Bet", is part
of an SI (i'd been accused of it in some other works, so
might as well be hanged as a goat than as a sheep, ne?) As
with RB, there are attempts to come up with new twists on
old stuff.
----------
Grey sat at the edge of Mimir's Well and observed as
the chosen timeline continued now without Divine OR Infernal
Intervention. Some parts were funny, some were sad. All of
which was perfectly normal for such things.
There were the Sailor Scouts, each orbitting their love
interest. There was the perky Ranko, the Reluctant
Hero-Student known as Scarlet, and the hentai disciple of
Happosai - Akane Tendo. The Tendo twins, Nabiki and Kasumi.
A seventeen year old Cologne chatting amiably with her
mother-in-law Nodoka in the Saotome kitchen. Various sundry
other girls all drawn to the eldest child - Jared Saotome.
Queen Serenity and her daughter (multiply removed - sort of)
Serena and granddaughter Rini.
Though they were fated to fight dire foes and have to
deal with numerous problems, it was obvious that the vast
majority of them were content if not happy. Far more were
happy than not. It was a time of exploration and invention,
political turmoil and social upheaval. Just little projects
like terraforming Mars was bringing censure from various
sources around the world. Not to mention all the horrors of
rumor and innuendo that were turned against them.
Nonetheless, they were *mainly* happy.
He saw no indication of any of the not-Senshi from this
last timeline in the Scouts of that timeline.
A sound brought his attention to the arch that marked the
entryway to the Well's area. How long she had been there and
watching him, he had no idea.
"This is unexpected," understated Grey. He indicated a
place nearby. "Have a seat?"
She nodded and moved forward to sit in the indicated
area, remaining silent for her own reasons.
Grey glanced at her out of the corner of his eye,
catching her own look and slight smile. Maybe, just maybe,
they could be friends at least?
That wasn't too much to hope for, was it?
She looked at him speculatively. He somewhat
reminded her of her Ranko-chan. She would miss her, but
this was far better than merging with a pervert.
"Ak-a-ne," was all she said as she curled up beside
him, her tail twitching at the sight of the poke-ball that
had just appeared on his belt. Well, perhaps it would work
out.
Grey pondered this and suddenly saw why. Toltiir had
said that they would all understand. In the world they were
to merge with, Akane would have either merged with Scarlet -
the *very* reluctant geased student of the Pheonix Mage, or
the perverted disciple of Happosai - Akane Tendo. As it was
the disciple of Happosai who was native to that plane, Akane
had seen that she would merge with... a most unpleasant
version of herself.
How she had ended up reverting to the pokemon form,
Grey wasn't sure but suspected it was because Amaterasu's
influence had been temporarily suppressed by the shifting
timelines.
Taking out his laptop, Grey put in a request for a
human/pokemon translator. "Okay, I understand why you didn't
want to merge. How did you get re-merged with your pyrolion
aspect?"
Akane growled under her breath. Having a limited
vocabulary sucked. She was tired, she was upset about losing
her home, and this guy wasn't Ranko (but Ranko was a part of
him as she understood it) and she wanted to go off and sulk.
Grey looked over the pokemon. "Beautiful..."
Akane startled at that, before turning a wary gaze
towards him.
"No, not like that," assured Grey. "Have you seen
yourself?"
Akane shook her head. No, she hadn't merged with this
previous aspect for long.
"Look then," Grey used the properties of the Well to
make it reflective. Simple stuff he could handle.
Akane gasped as she got a good look at herself. Roughly
the size of a mountain lion, and with a similar build. A
long tail ended in a plume of flame that didn't seem to burn
anything. Red fur covered her, except for a pattern of
orange flame-shaped stripes, those luminous golden eyes,
and a slightly darker flattened nose. Her ears went from
flat to extend out to tufted points as she examined her
image.
She'd known at the moment of transformation that she was
powerful, with strong jaws and teeth, powerful claws, and a
tight musculature under that short thick fur. She
instinctively knew that she was now an elemental creature of
fire. She agreed now with Grey's assessment. She *was*
beautiful and deadly, a form that was powerful and graceful
and strong. She grinned experimentally and was rewarded with
the sight of some impressively sharp white teeth though the
back group looked as if they were flattened much like human
teeth. She wasn't exactly human, but then she kind of wished
she could run into Kuno-sempai while looking like this.
Grey took out his pokedex, and let Akane see her entry.
Pyrolion (Akane)
Element: Fire
Type:Unique
Length: 6'3"
Weight: 250 lbs
Techniques: Scratch, Ember
Other Techniques: Roar, Bite, Fire Spin, Flamethrower,
Takedown
Good Against: Grass, Bug, Ice
Bad Against: Water, Rock, Dragon, Psychic
Evolution: Fire Stone
"Pyrolion - fire elemental lion. This pokemon is best
avoided by beginning trainers."
Akane snorted at that. Let ANY trainers avoid HER,
thank you very much. "Aka NE!" Her ears flicked as she
heard others approach. Well, she was tired anyway, so she
nosed the white/red sphere on Grey's belt.
SHOOM!
Grey watched Akane enter the pokeball and was curious.
Why had she done that, anyway? It wasn't often he could have
a conversation with Akane without a fight starting out.
A wood nymph stepped within the arches. "Pardon me,
Candidate Grey, but you're wanted over at Freja's Field."
-----------
Toltiir's tail twitched. As he had reverted to
cat-form (it wasn't his *true* form, but it was familiar and
comfortable) this was not a good sign.
While it *had* been his idea, the arguing girls
were not very amusing at present. Each of those who had made
this choice had excellent reasons (at least in their own
opinions) for being the one to marry Grey, or at least
accompany him on his next Labor.
Then, despite warnings, Son Usagi and Usagi
Tsukino were sufficiently curious that they made physical
contact. And had merged as having both of them bleep out of
existence would not have been funny. Toltiir had some
regrets about influencing things so that they had merged,
especially after the new Son Usagi Tsukino had unleashed an
experimental denki ball attack.
Now everyone was arguing. Not amusing. Toltiir was
bored and beginning to get annoyed.
Edema saw this and walked over to the
currently-feline Elder god before all Chaos broke loose.
"Well now, Puck. Hardly what you had planned, eh?"
"Hardly," agreed Toltiir.
"Grant me three wishes and I'll cut through all
this nonsense," Edema indicated the fight about to break
out.
"Fine, fine. Just don't make it boring will you?"
Edema shrugged, nearly popping out of her top in
the process. She was a dark elf and had spent many years as
a talented sorceress in the evil city of Mezonobarren. No
matter that she had learned other methods or had left that
city to pursue another path, the culture one is raised in
constantly colored one's perceptions.
The drow was a friend of Grey's, or so she
considered herself. They were both outsiders in Asgard, and
though he was often a pale-skinned human and she a
darkskinned elf, there was a certain pleasure in each
other's company. They had dated a couple of times, but the
loveplay of her homeland included things that would make a
Klingon warrior squeamish. She liked it rough while Grey was
the gentle nurturing type. So they remained friends but
would never get past that hurdle.
Edema considered. Being a drow mage and running an
ice cream parlor were both occupations where careful thought
was a handy trait. It was not uncommon in her land of origin
for a woman, particularly of the priestesses, to have many
male slaves whose purpose was to entertain her on her couch.
Marriages were less common, as sacrificing a particularly
loved one was a common practice. Still, the common people
had marriages, though it was usually for safety or
advancement, not love. And Grey was more self-sacrificing
than other-sacrificing.
She was listening to the arguments around her.
Minako claimed that as she had known Grey the longest, and
he had once been her pet cat, that SHE should be the first
to marry him. Rei was arguing that as the psychic girl, she
was the best candidate. Setsuna argued that she had seen her
counterparts and knew them to be nearly the personification
of loneliness, that SHE should be first.
Edema was listening, and didn't hear love
mentioned once. She knew this was important to Grey, though
she wasn't quite sure she knew what love was. Affection,
yes, she had her favorite cloak, her favorite magic wand,
her favorite daggers.
"First wish. I wish that all these girls deeply
loved Grey and were comfortable with the concept of a group
marriage."
Toltiir, already having manifested a rather large
ball of energy, was a little surprised but let it go. The
shimmering field shot out. Judging from Edema's surprised
look, she'd apparently forgotten that she was a girl and
present. As were a few *other* observers present.
Sasami innocently supplied the next wish due to
her dislike of the continuing conflict. "I wish they'd all
kiss and make up... oh my!"
-------------
Grey climbed the stairs to the small park,
wondering why the mysterious summons and why *him* in
particular. He finally reached the top and saw...
"Hades' pointy beard, why me? Well none of THEM
need me, that's for sure." Grey continued to grumble,
walking past the wood nymph messenger. "Tell whoever wanted
me that I got the message. Oh boy, did I get the message. If
anybody wants me i'll be getting the info from Hades about
my next mission. Yeeeeshhh."
"Oh dear," said the wood nymph as she looked out
over the field, wondering exactly how *this* had happened.
---------------
"This Labor is a bit tricky," explained Koenma as
he leaned against a building, "in keeping with the first two
Labors, it is a task that needs doing in a different
timeline. Your first mission, reconciling Queen Serenity and
the Pheonix Mage, was successful even if..."
Aphrodite snorted and waggled a finger. "Even if
she's convinced that he's actually Serena's father from
their Silver Millenium incarnation."
"Not my fault. Most *definitely* not my fault."
Grey was quite certain of this, he certainly couldn't think
of anything that he'd done to encourage that illusion. And
he knew darn well he'd never been some Silver Millenium
consort.
"The second mission, though simple, was
accomplished as well," Joe pointed out. "Though the chaos
level was a bit high."
"So there will be no resets, no divine
interventions or assistance," Koenma glared directly at
Aphrodite on this last point, "except for behind the scenes
in case of a major demonic intervention. Due to the
difficulty of this task, you will be allowed to take your
apprentice and one other non-divine assistant as well as
your usual bag of tricks."
"Apprentice?!"
"Apprentice." Aphrodite gestured and a picture
appeared.
"Sasami? Isn't she back in her homeverse?"
"No. Ryoko and Aeka got into a fight in her kitchen.
She left and is now resuming with the RRO. Per her request."
Koenma shrugged. Juraians, who could figure them?
"Continuing your briefing on the Third Labor,"
said Celeste with a wince. "The problem is in timeline AK-RN
204171, we have two seperate problems. There was an Infernal
Intervention where some Chinese guy named Dong Zhao was
posssessed and unifed China, setting up an infernally
influenced empire that lasted nine hundred years and had
serious repercussions throughout the East.
"The second intervention was the result of the
Continuum Knights."
"Wait a minute, i thought they were just
interested in returning errant timelines to mainlines." Grey
couldn't help but interject a comment here.
"That's originally what we thought.
Unfortunately, many of the actions so far don't fit the sort
of pattern you'd expect from that." Celeste rolled her eyes
and shook her head. "Anyway, you're to go to March 13, 1774
where the problem occurred."
"What did they do and what was the effect?"
"Unclear, other than the deaths of George
Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Payne, and a half dozen
other pivotal American revolutionaries within the period of,
" Celeste consulted a display, "March 13 1774 to May 12
1774. Resulting in the American Revolution failing, and the
'uppity colonists' are pretty well suppressed by the British
until WWI. America ends up actually being three seperate
nations that are continually having border disputes. We've
noted that while there were indications of these 'Continuum
Knights' entering this timeframe, they may have stayed in
there for awhile. They're apparently using a 'Boom Tube'
like device for interdimensional transport."
"Hmmm. So basically," Grey interpreted, "my
mission is to keep the assassinations from taking place."
"Essentially," agreed the huge Koenma,
eyeing the clock but he still had an hour before his poker
game with Hades. "What matters is who you'll be taking with
you on the trip. Remember that many of the girls will revert
to an asian appearance in a non-anime timeline, and if you
rely on a translation spell or device then either failing
will mean a major language barrier for the girl you take
with you. Also that as this is Colonial America,
noncaucasians are frequently viewed as being less than a
white counterpart."
"Though frankly with Franklin, Jefferson,
and a number of others, they won't care a whit." Celeste
pointed out. "Not to mention that the attitude is less
hostile in 1774 than it becomes later. These are the current
list of volunteers..." A holographic display showed nine
girls who had gotten the rules ahead of time and had put in
for the duty.
"However, you should note that the 'Senshi'
lost the powers gained in the past timeline." Koenma
grumbled. "As dominant timelines have them as Senshi they've
reverted to similar core abilities. As this universe doesn't
have a Silver Moon Kingdom to draw power from, they're not
able to do some of their Senshi tricks if they accompany
you. Something close might be possible, I hear Sif's gotten
'inspired.'"
"i see. Therefore, i should choose..."
---------------------
There were six water fountains in Freja's
Field. Each was being used. Each had a line waiting to use
it.
"Bleh! Bleagh! Shampoo no can believe she did
that!" Shampoo carefully spat the water out to the side and
rinsed her mouth out again. "Pah!"
Ukyo tapped her on the shoulder. "Come on,
Sham-chan, my turn."
"At least she used the last wish to wish we
were cured of the effects of the second wish, it *could*
have been worse." Ed wasn't *that* unhappy with the way
things had turned out. He'd just been curious, so he and
Kiyone had come by to see what was going on. Serious liplock
had commenced as *everyone* in the area of the field had
started kissing everyone else. What a pity he'd been in his
Pikachu form at the time.
"I noticed Minako just turned herself into her
dragonform and flew off, suppose that the 'Soldier of Love'
and the 'Cupid of Love' are planning something?" Kiyone
looked over at her partner, wondering why Ed was still
grinning like that. How odd.
"Oh look! A karaoke bar!" Ed decided to
deflect a few suspicions. Just in case.
"Don't go there."
Edema shook her head, amused for the most
part. She hadn't been bothered by kissing a woman, though
humans did it a bit different. And at least having this guy
around had gotten people to stop calling *her* Ed.
--------------------
Makoto Kino spat water out and regarded her
fellow victim of Sasami's well-intentioned but not terribly
thought out wish. "That was disgusting."
"I've always suspected Usagi of swinging both
ways," Rei growled. "Not only does she have to pursue almost
any guy in sight, but her reaction when she's meeting cute
girls..."
Makoto winced. "I think she's still hitting on
Cutey-san."
Rei grumbled at that.
"Guys, here's the ones who passed the review
board," Ami said, accessing a data terminal set into a tree.
~At least my computer skills haven't faded upon leaving my
home timeline.~
"WHAT?!" Makoto was quick to determine that
there was a name conspicuous by absence. "Why aren't I on
the list?!"
"Hang on, I'm scrolling down. 'Lack of English
skills, inability to look American.'"
"I'm *half* American! Where do you think my
height and 'talent' came from? And, well, I kind of..."
"You spent most of your life fighting or
defending that you were Japanese so taking English courses
didn't seem too cool, eh?" Rei had pieced the story together
over the past few years. "Until recently..."
Makoto blushed. "Hey, we've been hitting it off
lately. And when he was an angel..."
"When he was an angel he was cute," Ami said, then
almost fainted from the force of her blush when she realized
she had said that out loud.
"Sif took Setsuna to merge with one of her Senshi
aspects," Rei looked up. "She's still playing matchmaker, I
guess."
"Why are *your* names on here?! Ami speaks
English but she and you are pure Japanese!" Makoto looked at
the two nominees. "You couldn't pass for American in...
1774?! Time AND space travel?"
"Admittedly the American Colonies at that time
were primarily of Anglo-Saxon derivation," agreed Ami,
"mainly of English descent but a few others as well. Most
likely we'd be mistaken for some odd tribe of American ainu
there or Chinese from descriptions passed on by traders.
You'll notice that the main reason is listed here in the
sidebar for our inclusion."
"Well," said Makoto, a determined gleam in her eyes,
"I'm going to find a way to get in on this mission one way
or another!"
----------------------
Timeline SM-301417:
Sailor Pluto took a deep breath. The future
ended in fifteen minutes. Beyond that she could not see and
the Gate Of Time would be forever closed. The timelines
would merge and she would cease to exist. She would become
part of another her that was so close that there were no
differences at all. Which was why they were merging, of
course. It happened all the time and was nothing to be
worried about.
Except that when the timelines merged she would
go irrevocably, stark raving, insane from the memories of
TWO lifetimes of isolation. She'd only have to deal with it
for thirty seconds while the merger built up around her
place of guardianship. By the time the wave crested, she'd
be giggling and imagining herself back at the Silver Moon
Palace with her Queen and flirting with that handsome young
Nebula Knight.
"Excuse me?"
Sailor Pluto, the dignified guardian of the
time gate, nearly wet herself. Nobody sneaked up on her. She
had been alone a very, very, long time.
"Who dares....?!" Sailor Pluto looked at a
version of herself who was not a Senshi, who was dressed in
a fairly cute green turtleneck and a pair of tight jeans.
Her skin was more tanned too, and she had a healthy look
about her. "Me?!"
"So, in this timeline, my Queen failed to send
anyone forward in time, and so you have been guarding this
timeline alone since then?" Setsuna looked around at the
place, noting hundreds of sweaters, quilts, blankets, stacks
of trashy romance novels, a few sculptures, a Navajo flute,
and a guitar.
Sailor Pluto leaned on her staff and stared.
"It's finally happened. I've gone mad." She knew she had
come close on several occasions. She'd learned hundreds of
skills such as knitting and playing every variant of
solitaire that she could conceive. If you could do it while
you were alone, and get the supplies by fishing in the
timestream, she'd done it. A million years was a VERY long
time. But loneliness was a poison and boredom a constant
companion.
Setsuna shook her head. "I'm one of your
Analogues, the other you from a timeline where I was one of
those sent forward by the Queen, though I am not a Sailor
Scout." She held a slender hand out. "I offer... an
alternative."
"An alternative?" Sailor Pluto wasn't born
yesterday. "What's the catch?"
"Your aspect merges with me." Setsuna blushed a
little. "There is a good chance, if we play our cards right,
of ending up with someone special. Of loving and being loved
in turn. There are jobs to be done, important ones as well
as those not so important. But you needn't go mad, and you
needn't go lonely."
There was a blur as the two aspects met, and
Sailor Pluto blinked as the memories of this other life
flowed through her. He made her feel... special.
Appreciated. She had sworn an oath and would serve him as a
samurai served her daimyo, as a knight did her lord, and if
she could manage it - as a lover served the one they loved.
Sailor Pluto blushed and vanished from the room.
--------
Eyecatch #1:
A framed picture of Rei Hino in her priestess hakima. With a
click, it flips over, revealing a picture of Rei in a
plugsuit. Click/flip: Rei in Jedi Knight robes. Click/flip:
Sailor Mars. Click/flip: Rei as a Rifts SAMAS Samurai pilot.
Click/flip: Rae Hino in a yellow gi, leaping towards a Dojo
Destroyer. Rei as an angel.
Eyecatch #2:
A framed picture of Sasami in her Juraian princess clothes.
With a click, the picture turns over to reveal Tsunami
wearing Dragonball Z style fighting clothes. Click/flip:
Magical Princess Pretty Sammy. Click/flip: wearing jeans and
a "Nuku Nuku" t-shirt. Click/flip: Tsunami with the forehead
and cheek markings of an OMG style goddess. Click/flip:
Sasami as an angel with Tsunami standing right behind her.
--------
Everyone copes with events beyond their control
in different ways. Setsuna Meiou moved to secure her
position and increase her usefulness, and even if she still
failed to capture someone's heart, then she'd have a job
waiting for her guarding a gate.
Ami Mizuno gathered information. Makoto Kino
aggressively sought action. Rei Hino tried to analyze the
data and get a feel for the situation. Usagi found a buffet
and was not heard from for several hours. Michiru and Haruka
weren't particularly bothered by kissing other women and
wondered what all the fuss was about. Likewise, Cutey Honey
didn't see the problem, though she'd have much preferred to
have kissed a guy. Edema wasn't bothered about kissing a
woman, but human women were slightly different.
Minako Aino had flown around until she spotted a
Karaoke Bar near the valkyries. Shortly thereafter, the
underage girl was being escorted *back* to the Park, but not
(alas) in time. She'd watched too many Westerns, had gone up
to the bar, and asked for the strongest thing they had.
Then, perfectly in keeping with the source material, had
knocked it back in a single swallow.
"I've got it! Yeah baby I've got it! I'm his
Venus, I'm his fire, I'm pure desire!" Then, as she had done
the past three times she had broken into song, Minako Aino
passed out.
"She can still move after drinking that stuff,"
the valkyrie holding Minako's right arm noted aloud, "that's
fairly impressive."
"Y'know, Tendo-chan, you've got something there.
Though she's got a dragonseed, so maybe she's not the frail
little girl she appears." The valkyrie holding Minako's left
arm looked over the girl whose heels were dragging in the
dirt.
"Call me Kimiko, Helga-chan, we're off-duty. I
would *count* on them being more than they appear, otherwise
they wouldn't be heroes."
Minako's eyes opened, though still crossed,
"Yeah baby...."
-------------------
Grey looked over the candidates again.
"Ami, i suppose i could use the 'world
explorer' guise and her English skills are going to be
pretty good. She's physically quite Japanese, being all of
5'3" or so, but probably knows a lot about world and US
history."
"Ami Mizuno it is," noted Celeste, scribbling
it down. Not who *she* would have chosen, but then she had
access to information Grey did not.
---------------------
"Oh my," said a currently-normal-if-genius
Japanese schoolgirl, turning red and sweating profusely as
she stared at the display. "It looks like..."
"Ami won?!" Makoto blinked. "*I* look more
American than she does!"
"Minako's really going to be upset about this,"
Rei noted.
"Oh my," repeated Ami. "I've got to get some
supplies and equipment. And review American History..."
"That's the one subject in the world you're
*not* conversant on, isn't it?" Makoto smirked, sensing a
weakness.
Ami acknowledged the hit, cocking her head to
the side and wincing. "Well... it's not like that is a
subject that is normally taught in Japanese schools. I think
I ought to get some supplies."
-----------------
Makoto knew just who to contact. What surprised
her was some of the others accompanying her. "Why are *you
guys* all here?"
"I could ask you the same question, but it's kind
of obvious." Rei straightened the white top of her hakima.
"This mission could take several years, right? Ami having
all that time alone with him gives her an unfair advantage!
So we need a way to stake our claim now or else accompany
the 'happy couple', don't we?"
Makoto frowned. "So you figured it out too."
Rei rolled her eyes. "EVERYONE figured it out.
The people who aren't here are over at Urd's getting
potions, or Hephaestus' place, or laying traps."
"Except for Minako-chan, who's currently passed
out," noted Setsuna as she leaned against the wall.
Rei blinked. She had been *sure* that Setsuna
hadn't been there a moment ago. "So, uhm, how did it go?"
"Well enough," said Setsuna, looking off into the
distance.
"What's it like, errr, merging with your other
self..." Makoto wasn't sure how to put this.
"It's like becoming slightly more complete. It's
confusing and odd and...." Setsuna shook her head, sending
her long green hair swaying. "If it were normal, though
fusion of timelines, there wouldn't have been any knowledge
of things being different. In this case, though, the
differences between were quite high. As it is: I remember
being alive and knowing most of you in an ancient Silver
Millenium. I remember my rivalry with Sailor Jupiter over
the Knight Of Duty. I... remember watching you all die, and
the Queen trying to send you forward in time to reincarnate
when she died of her wounds. I remember a million years of
watching humanity struggle back, only to capture only a tiny
portion of the glory of the Silver Millenium. I remember
learning all sorts of skills as I guarded the Gate Of Time,
the last duty given me by the Queen.
"I also remember being reborn as Setsuna Meiou
and growing up in Juuban in the '70s. My graduation from
Crossroads in 1989 and then meeting all of you and your 'pet
cat' Orion. I remember learning that Orion was also Minako's
'boyfriend' Grey and accompanying you all to China. I
remember all the things that happened, including that time
we were all turned into babies and Grey had to take care of
us. When the cure was found and we grew up, a year a day, I
remember that as well. He certainly had his hands full with
you, didn't he, Makoto-chan?"
Makoto looked extremely embarassed at Setsuna's
reminder.
"WHAT?!" Edema practically screeched, which was
enough to get everyone's attention. "What do you mean 'the
Binding is with *Ranko* now?!'"
"I mean the Binding got confused. There are
currently three of him after all. Ginseng, Grey, and Ranko."
Hephaestus shrugged and tapped his cane on the ground. "Why
are you so upset, Edema?"
"Errr.." Edema started fidgeting. This had the
effect of drawing further attention towards the pair walking
by the crowd. "Well... I sort of gave him selfalis root."
"WHAT?!" Hephaestus now looked shocked. "Bridal
Root! Edema, how could you do something so foolish! You know
he won't do any of that until after a marriage..."
"I know but those girls are *so* damn shy! I
figured it would get them moving!"
Rei turned to the proprietor of Rajin's Potion
Emporium as Edema and Hephaestus turned the corner. "What is
'selfalis root' anyway?"
"Ahhh, young one, that is a drow poison,
difficult to prepare. If the husband does not manage to
fulfill his husbandly duties within 24 hours..." Rajin drew
his finger across his throat.
Much blinking. "Why the..." "How..." "That's
INSANE!" Everyone naturally started talking at once. Setsuna
put two fingers in her mouth and gave a piercing whistle
that caused silence to follow.
"Anyone who knows him, knows DARN well that he
won't do anything until he's married," Setsuna said calmly
after everyone had silenced. "Otherwise, when that Lust
daimon had possessed Ami and she spread it out... frankly
Makoto would have children by now."
Makoto blushed and fidgeted at further
embarassing memories.
"Not that she would have minded," added Setsuna,
"nor would have any of the rest of us that Ami managed to
tag with that particular enchantment."
"He was twitching quite a bit by the time it
wore off, I think another day and he'd have flown off and
never come back. Or he'd have saved us all a lot of
problems." Rei frowned prettily.
"We never *did* finish that little contest, did
we?" Cutey realized.
Rajin rubbed his hands together. This sounded...
profitable.
------------
Grey looked up from his packing, something felt
wrong. Kind of like that time that Ami...
"Something wrong?" Ami finished putting her
purchases away. The RRO "Bag O Tricks" stored all of them
away fairly nicely. She had all the books and other supplies
that she could afford the time to get. Now she had other
things that needed done, such as planning the mission.
"Pssst! Ami-chan, can I see you a moment?"
Makoto's voice came from the other side of the door. "It's
REALLY important."
"Hai, Mako-chan," Ami smiled at her fiance, then
let herself out. Hmmm. Maybe she ought to get some sex
manuals, after all they *were* engaged and they *were* going
to be camping, and they *were* going to be alone together a
lot of the time.
Grey frowned, the odd feeling of danger
intensifying as the door closed behind Ami.
A face appeared at the window, slender fingers
sliding the glass open quietly.
Outside, in the hallway, Ami stared at her friend.
"You're kidding!"
Makoto Kino held her hand up. "I swear, that Rajin
guy confirmed it. A horrible death if he doesn't consummate
the marriage within 24 hours. That's why I got *this*!"
Ami looked skeptically at the little bottle,
noticing that it resembled one of those "energy drinks" that
were popular around exam time. "What is *that*?"
"Rajin sold a bunch of these." Makoto held up a
similar vial. "Some sort of extreme courage potion,
guaranteed to make you a 'warrior of love' or your money
back."
Ami blushed, fidgeted, then got a peculiar
determined look in her eyes. "All right then!" She popped
the top, swigged it down, and hit the floor as stiff as if
she'd just turned to wood. Makoto hit with a similar thunk
at the same time, having mimicked her friend's actions.
Inside the room, Grey had tried to fit this into his
worldview. He wasn't that attractive to women, except as a
target for practical jokes. Therefore, Setsuna Meiou had
dressed as Sailor Pluto and appeared from under his bed
because of some jest she was playing on him. Cutey Honey
slipping in the window and attempting to rip his clothes
off was obviously some other weird sort of joke, but as he
didn't think Cutey was this mean or vindictive (the two
often conversing about loneliness and trying to do the right
thing in a society that rarely rewarded such conduct) this
meant that Urd or some OTHER mischievous being was trying to
hit him in an admittedly sore area.
Dodging, ducking and otherwise avoiding the various
attacks, Grey made his way towards the door, especially
noting with alarm that Rei and Minako had joined the crowd.
(Though Minako looked puzzled and Rei looked tired from the
strain of teleporting with someone.) Having lately gotten
practice at this sort of thing, Grey opened the door in
midleap, closing it behind him as he landed in the hallway.
"Ouch!" Ami said, having had someone land on her.
"Ami, we've got to get out of here! One of the love
goddesses is playing kick me again, and I don't know how..."
Grey's voice ran out as he realized that Ami and Makoto were
both on the floor. Which meant... "Uh oh."
Ami and Makoto both looked up at Grey simultaneously,
and there was a moment of near silence. Then came several
things at once: Ami and Makoto pouncing, the door opening,
and Grey... well, he screamed. He knew darn well that this
would end in disaster. How else could it end?
---------------
Edema smirked at the girls confronting her. "Of
*course* it was all a joke. Did you honestly think I would
pull such a crude trick on a friend of mine? No, it might be
a perfectly normal prank among the drow, but Grey is the
'gentle cuddlesome' type and would never go along with such
a thing. Not prior to a marriage, at least. Having the vows
and such, he might well relax enough to begin trusting
again. Not that such a thing..."
Edema's discourse was interrupted by a small group of
girls in wedding dresses jogging by, carrying a figure so
tied up that he resembled a mummy, while singing "Going to a
chapel, and we're...gonna get marriiiied, going to the
Chapel Of Lovvvvve..."
Haruka and Michiru looked at each other, then at
Hotaru, then Belle, at the odd procession now down the
street, and finally at Edema.
Edema stared down the street with a puzzled expression.
"I think they're heading for the wedding chapel a block
over, the one run by Hestia. My word. Was I too subtle in my
humor?"
"AAAAAaaaa!" Haruka, Michiru, Hotaru, Belle, Usagi,
Nabiki, Sash, Fumika, Queen Serenity, Shampoo, and Ucchan
all summed up their assessment of the situation. Kasumi
merely looked moderately alarmed. Then, of course, they took
off in pursuit.
----------------------
"Mmmmfff! Mmmmmffff!"
Minako bid her time (and also waited for the ground
to stabilize under her feet) while watching the others. She
had no idea what was going on, but only one thing made
sense! Ami had had a relapse of that Lust demon seed!
Her stomach hurt, she felt unsteady, it felt as if
someone had stuffed a whole box of cotton balls in between
her ears, and her vision kept going blurry among other
things, but at heart Minako Aino was a hero and knew what
she had to do!
Rescue Ran... Orion... Grey... oh whatever her pet
cat/boyfriend was calling himself lately. She'd been his
Owner, then his confidante, then his friend, then his
girlfriend, then his comrade-in-arms, then his fiancee.
She'd been informed since Rei's psychic powers awoke that
Ranma/Orion's "real" name was actually Grey. And, after
years of associating with him, even if she knew that most of
the memories were just a computer backtracking, she knew him
about as well as it was humanly possible to know another
person. The only person who *really* came as close was
Makoto- the two being kindred spirits of a sort.
He'd slept on her bed (as a cat) for over a year. He
was safe and protective and many other things that she
valued. So, while still under the effects of a rather potent
alcoholic beverage, the hero saw that the fair dragon was in
danger. In danger of what, Minako couldn't quite be sure of,
but in danger of *something.* Therefore she had to save him!
She wasn't really in shape for figuring out what was
going on, and she was quite unsteady on both a physical and
mental basis. As a woman of action, she decided to do what
came natural, and *act*.
Finally she saw her chance as a crowd of other
fiancees confronted the group around her. Shifting Grey's
weight fully onto her, Minako shifted to Angelform and
quickly became airborne, though carrying his weight she
wouldn't be able to maintain it for long.
Especially as she was going from Drunk to Hangover
stage, though she didn't know it. Yet.
Minako faltered, her wings fading as she glided to a
roof. "Ohhhh. I don't feel so good."
The mummified Grey started struggling to be free,
especially on seeing the far edge of the roof approaching.
Especially as Minako seemed to be getting rather ill.
Finally, as Grey struggled to get free, it looked
as if he hadn't escaped after all.
--------------
Minako clutched her head as a million dwarves with
icepicks started in on it. Nausea, weakness, and a whole lot
of pain seemed to have reduced her ability to notice
anything outside herself. "Nnnngggg!"
When she began to feel herself again, there was a
cool cloth lying across her brow and she was lying in bed.
"Huh? Wha..." Who'd put all this cotton in her mouth anyway?
And lying next to her was...
Grey. From the look of it, he had been there for
awhile. Minako's blue eyes blinked in confusion. The last
*clear* memory she had was of going into that bar and asking
for the strongest thing they had. She got the distinct
impression it hadn't gone well after that.
"Mmmmph," came a sound from the figure near her, and
Minako felt some of the haze recede as she noticed the
injuries. Not hers. His. Something had ripped him up in
straight little lines. *She* wasn't hurt, but he'd
apparently been taking care of her while *he* had bloodied
and torn clothes and the skin inside didn't look that good.
Knowing him as well as she did, that meant only one thing.
"Idiot," pronounced Minako, tears forming. "You
always pull this stuff!"She traced a line down the boy's
cheek with a finger. "What did you do that..." A detail was
noticed. A slender ring gracing her hand, on THAT finger.
"Shhhh!" Rei let herself quietly in. "He was
tied up in his own clothes when he transformed to dragon to
save you. The clothes eventually broke but they didn't give
as quickly as skin and bone."
"EEh?" Minako held her hand in front of her
mouth, regretting the outburst immediately.
"Urd used a healing sleep spell, as long as you
don't yell or hit him or something, he'll keep sleeping."
Rei sat down on the edge of the bed. "Not much chance of
that, is there?"
"Then why..."
"We bought potions from 'Rajin's Potion
Emporium' which turned out to be not terribly wise." Rei
shrugged. "Unless you know what you're buying, that is."
"Oh." Minako considered that, yes, she had heard
stories about drinking the *wrong* magic potion. "but what
about...?!"
"What about? Oh. The ring. Congratulations." Rei
had the grace to look embarassed.
Hair was toinging. "Congratulations?!" Grey
stirred but Minako wasn't noticing at the moment.
"Well..." Rei hemmed and hawwed but finally got
to the point. "When we caught up to him, he agreed to our
terms providing we got you to a healer. I guess he didn't
know what was wrong with you. He was holding you, or trying
to, you were curled up in lap moaning and looking just
absolutely horrible..."
"Thank you," mumbled Minako, staring now at the
matching ring on Grey's finger.
"So, right now, he's married to you, me, Setsuna,
Cutey, Ami, and Makoto. And no, he hasn't been in any
condition to consummate anything." Rei shook her head. "You
were apparently together enough to say 'I do' in all the
right places, though you kept throwing up and complaining
about pain."
Minako found herself picturing the scene and was
appropriately mortified. What had happened?! She still felt
nauseous and there was the twinge of a headache... but...
her wedding had apparently gone from a dream to a nightmare
and that moment was now past her.
Minako clutched her sleeping husband and cried
as her "most special moment" had apparently been interrupted
by some really horrible incidents.
Rei considered mentioning that anyone who wanted
out of it could do so, apparently it wasn't binding when
done under the influence of potions. Acceptance of the
marriage, however, would mean that one essentially accepted
the whole thing as binding. As Minako was apparently asleep
again, she decided not to bring this up yet.
----------------
Some time had gone by and the explanations made. Son
Usagi and a few others had *insisted* on getting their own
inclusion in the wedding but had been put off as now he had
to get to the Labor.
Ami sat down on the bench of the wagon next to Grey
and Sasami. "Our cover identity is that we're spice
merchants. The wagon in back is our stock. There's also some
silk and other trade goods appropriate to the cover. I've
also got some synthetic gems to use as funds should
something happen where we lose the wagon. I'm the expert on
the spices, a girl you married overseas, Sasami is my
younger sister. We're married, and have been so just under a
year."
Grey nodded and handed two weapons out. "In 1774, the
main weapons are flintlocks, knives, swords. There are still
a number of people who practice the Code Duello, and
arguments are settled usually in fisticuffs. Small weapons
are usually all right in these cultures, as long as you
don't make a habit of using them or threatening people with
them. Sasami, yours is a simple Swiss Army knife. It also
contains a distress beacon hidden in the panel, leave the
corkscrew out for five seconds to activate. It's made of
high grade steel, a bit better than what the locals will
have but not outrageously so. Ami, as a merchant you're
expected to carry a weapon. The design is of a simple
Amerind knife, buckskin for the handle, watered steel for
the blade. At least that's what it looks like. It was copied
off a prize knife given by a Chesapeake tribe to an
Outsider."
Ami looked at the knife, simple but elegant.
"Cerametal?"
"Yeah, next best thing to diamond. Also this..."
Grey held up a fairly plain looking ring with a single
ornamental stone. "The gemstone is *your* beacon. If you
break the stone the alarm goes off. If either of you finds
yourself in trouble, set off your alarm and you'll be yanked
back to Asgard."
Sasami looked behind them into the wagon's
interior, wishing that she could contribute something. "Oh
my! There's a lot of books there."
"Well, uhm," Ami blushed and fidgeted a little. "I
wouldn't want to get behind in my studies..."
Sasami picked a book off the stack. "Huh?
'Dragontaming for Beginners.' Are we going to run into any
dragons?"
"i don't think so," said Grey, puzzled.
The gate swirled with mists. Grey directed the two
horses pulling the wagon forward.
"Warning," the computer said in a feminine voice.
"Expected values exceeded."
"Oh heck," said Celeste as the adventurers rode
forward into the mists. "Someone must have stowed away."
"Gate's malfunctioned." Amaterasu noted. "Wagon's
intact but the people are getting seperated from the
vehicle. Expect they'll be scattered when they land. Looks
like they'll crash in..."
=========================
The Choose Your Own Fanfic idea, as the voting/feedback has
gone so far:
Who does Grey end up married to?
1. Usagi Son, the Sailorjin princess, unsteadily stepped
out of the shadows.
2. Queen Serenity (from Skysaber's Choice) regally glided
forward, her silver hair shining in the odd light.
3. One of the non-Senshi from the last timeline: Ami ,
Haruka & Michiru, Hotaru, Makoto, Minako, Rei, Setsuna,
Usagi
4. One of the Chinese Amazons from the last timeline
(further choices) stepped forward warily, wearing a Western
style wedding gown?! Azure, Fumika, Sash, Shampoo, Sugar and
Spice,Wing
5. A number of girls egged each other on, gawking at their
surroundings, a black cat seeming to herd them forward.
6. Three elite marionettes built by Sakyo stepped forward,
looking around for threats before joining Grey near the
Well.
7. As a small army of assorted girls started wending their
way forward, Grey distinctly heard a feline laugh and
reminder of his promise.
8. Edema stepped out, holding up the scroll that was to be
his next assignment. (Alone Again, naturally...)
9. Sasami steps forward and Grey thinks someone must REALLY
hate him. Well, at least it isn't Pretty Sammy.
10. Kasumi the djinn and Nabiki the dao, with a glance
towards the Armlet still on Grey's forearm.
11. Akane Tendo stepped out, causing Grey to develop a
sudden migraine.
12. Ukyo is still pursuing 'Ranma', sort of.
13.All four of the elementally inclined girls are still
linked to the Armlet. (Shampoo, Ukyo, Kasumi, Nabiki)
Usagi Son - 7, Ukyo - 1, Small Group - 5, The 3 Elite
Marionettes - 3, Setsuna - 5, Sasami - 7, Rei Hino - 2,
Queen Serenity - 2, All the Senshi - 2, Minako- 3, Large
Group -8, Kasumi and Nabiki -4, Haruka & Michiru - 1, Four
Genies - 7, Alone Again -2, Ami - 6, Akane -3, All the
Amazons -1. Rei & Minako -1
Cao Cao's China, or 1774 America?
China - 7, America-14
who goes with him on the Labor?
1. Minako Aino, after all she's blonde and speaks
English.
2. Nobody, it's dangerous and i should go alone.
3. Setsuna Meiou, she can pass for European most likely.
4. Usagi Son is blonde, she might not speak English but i
could pass her off as some Nordic country.
5. Why's Nabiki up there? Doh! i didn't mean! (On the
other hand, Nabiki having an effect on the Constitution...)
6. i thought i'd gotten away from Queen Serenity... no, i
didn't mean to choose her! (This is the mother of Princess
Serenity from Skysaber's Choice)
7. Ami Mizuno, she can speak English and likely knows
more about American history than i do...
8. Shampoo ought to be able to handle the HTH stuff for
me, and primitive conditions wouldn't be a problem for her.
9. Ukyo selling okonomiyaki to the Founding Fathers?
10. You specify.
Shampoo -2, Setsuna Meiou/Sailor Pluto - 8, Queen
Serenity - 3, Ami Mizuno- 9, Edema - 2, Nabiki - 5, by
himself -1, Minako Aino - 2, Son Usagi -2, Cutey Honey -1.
What would Ami (a non-Senshi Japanese cram student) be
likely to shop for when going back to 1774 for a prolonged
stay with her fiancee?
1. Camping supplies, it's fairly primitive in 1774
2. Weapons, it's fairly dangerous in 1774
3. Ami follows Sailor Pluto's lead to gain a Senshi
merger
4. See what sort of odds & ends she can get at the Rival
Relief Office
Camping Gear- 3, Odds & Ends - 8, Senshi ID -8, Ami gets
weapons -3
Where does Grey end up?
1. That Sailor Marionette World... (a Sailor Moon +
Sabre Marionette fusion world)
2. That world of the Knight Senshi fighting the Dark
Corporation and their Boomers (Sailor Moon + Bubblegum
Crisis fusion)
3. oh heck, Grey's Shinji Ikari?! (In a Sailor Moon +
Evangelion fusion world)
4. Right timeline, wrong time- they're in feudal Japan!
5. Right timeline, wrong time- they're somewhere in the
Age Of Dinosaurs
6. Tropical Island, hmmm. This is where Jared wanted them
to go anyay... let's leave 'em there for awhile
7. That world where the pokemon and human roles are
reversed and even further polarized...
8. It's the right place and time? It's a miracle!
9. They're seperating! Looks like the stress was too much
for the wagon. They'll all be thrown into different
timelines!
10. Into Jared Saotome's timeline
11. A dimensional Nexus point, identity: Aramar.
12. RIFTS Earth
13. That world where Senshi and Yoma are all types of
Pokemon. (SM+Pokemon fusion)
14. A timeline where Serena didn't survive her battle with
Metal'la. (SM Darkline)
12. Grey's world of origin
13. An Eva+SM Fusion, as #3 but Grey is Usagi Ikari?
Real World - 5, World where Serena died -4, Aramar -3,
Gilligan's Island -5, PokeSlave world -2, Sailor
Marionettes -4, Jared's world -1, Right World -3, SM+EVA
fusion -15, Senshi as Knight Sabers -4
-------------------------------
"If at first you don't succeed, upgrade your
weapon."
-Grey, Reluctant Bet
metroanime@mindspring.com
http://metroanime.home.mindspring.com/