Hi, everybody!  Yup, it's a new chapter!  You can stop cheering now! 
Please, now applause *somewhere a cricket chirps*  Just for that, NO
autographs.

************

	Good day, and welcome to Otaku Theater.

	Today's presentation is the nearly universal disclaimer.

	*ahem*

	Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.  Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko
Takeuchi.  No money is being made from this, of course.  (Which is
kind of a pity, as I'm a college student and could use it.)  Please
don't sue me.  I have about 32 cents to my name and it's in Elbonian
currency.

	Find previous chapters @

	My Homepage: http://www.angelfire.com/anime/Slacker

	Tannim's site: http://tannim.anifics.com/index.html

******************
All the Small Things--Chapter 7

A Sailor Moon/Ranma 1/2 Crossover

By: Slacker (rheins@pmt.org)
******************

	Haruka crouched in the undergrowth, her weapon held loosely in her
right hand.  She knew her enemy was close by.  All she had to do was
wait and she'd have her revenge.  She smirked as she flipped her
weapon to full auto.

	She eased a branch of the bush she was hiding behind out of her line
of sight with the tip of her weapon.  She grinned.  Wearing bright red
was NOT a good idea in the woods.  Not that she was going to tell her
enemy that.  Oh, no.  Not a chance.  Not until well AFTER her
vengeance was complete.


*PHUTPHUTPHUTPHUTPHUTPHUTPHUTPHUTPHUTPHUTPHUTPHUTPHUTPHUTPHUTPHUTPHUTPHUTPHUTPHUTPHUTPHUTPHUTPHUTPHUTPHUTPHUT* 
A stream of paintballs shot towards the spot of red and impacted with
a series of splats.  Haruka's grin grew into a smirk as she stood and
walked over.

	"So, Ranko, who's gonna beat who?"  Haruka called.  There was no
reply.  There was no movement from Ranko at all, in fact.  Haruka's
brow furrowed.  "Ranko?"

	Haruka started to move a bit quicker.  "Ranko?  You there?"  <If I
hit her with paintballs while she was hurt, Usagi will never let me
forget it.>

	"Ranko?"  Haruka dropped to the ground beside the still figure, then
dropped her paintball gun to reach out and touch it.  She received no
response.  She slowly rolled the body over.

	And revealed Ranko's shirt, pants, and a red wig tied to a bundle of
sticks and grass.  Behind and to both sides of her, Haruka faintly
heard several somethings hit the ground.

	"Ah...Dammit!"  Haruka managed to utter before the paint grenades
went off.

	Above her in a tree, well out of the grenades splatter range, Ranko
grinned and considered.  

	"Add humiliation to insult?"  Ranko paused.  "Ah, why the hell not." 

	*PHUT* 
	
	Haruka had to fight to keep from screaming in frustration as the
paintball hit her in the facemask.  Ranko chuckled, then went to get
her teammate out of the other tree.  

	Haruka glowered at Ranko as she landed in front of her.  Hotaru
climbed off of Ranko's back and giggled.

	"You never said anything about grenades."  Haruka ground out.

	"Hey, it was Hotaru and me against everyone else.  You think I
wouldn't have given us an edge?"  Ranko smirked.  "At least you didn't
catch one in your chest like Makoto did. Turns out Hotaru's got an arm
on her."

	"You cheated."  Haruka snarled as Ranko started to put her clothes
back on.

	"Losers call it cheating. Winners call it 'effective use of
unconventional tactics.'  Deal with it."  Ranko retorted as she
finished closing her shirt.  "Shall we go?"

	Haruka opened her mouth to retort with a suitably nasty reply, but
stopped when she noticed the look of pure joy on Hotaru's face. 
Haruka had no compunctions about ripping Ranko a new one, but there
was no way that she would destroy Hotaru's fun to do it.

	"Yeah, let's go."  Haruka grumbled.

***********************

	Haruka was fully expecting to see the rest of the group waiting for
them when she stepped out of the woods.  However, she wasn't expecting
to see most of them with the majority of their bodies presented in
Technicolor.  Makoto was the worst, with a red stain the covered the
entirety of her front.  Haruka glanced over at Ranko.

	"Let me guess.  Hotaru had LOTS of grenades."  She commented wryly.

	Ranko just grinned evilly.

	"Thought so."  Haruka shook her head.

	As Haruka got closer, she was met by knowing looks from the rest of
the girls.  Everyone except for Setsuna just looked at her, then at
each other and nodded.  Haruka grinned ruefully.

	"I swear I'll pay you back for this."  She muttered out of the side
of her mouth, still grinning.

	"Bring it on."  Ranko calmly challenged, a small smile playing across
her mouth.

	Haruka just snorted.

	"Ranko? Could I talk to you for a second?"  Setsuna's voice rang out
from where she was leaning against the van.  

	"Yeah! I'm comin'!"  Ranko called as she jogged over.

	"Whadda want?"  Ranma asked as soon as she got close to Setsuna.

	"The Amazon contingent is on its way to Tomobiki.  I presume the rest
of your fiancees and foes are a short ways behind."  Setsuna announced
calmly.  Ranma paled, and then narrowed her eyes.

	"I won't ask how you got that information.  Can I use your cell?" 
Ranma asked.  "I need to make a call."

	Setsuna handed it over wordlessly.  Ranma flipped it open and rapidly
dialed a number.

	"Jun?  Yeah, it's me.  Is Ichiro there?  Damn.  Listen, tell him that
those options we discussed are going to have to be put to good use. 
Yeah, Tomobiki's shot already.  Thanks, Jun.  Give your kids a hug for
me."  Ranma slapped the phone shut and handed it back.  "Well, that's
that."

	"Who was that?"  Setsuna asked, raising an eyebrow as she replaced
her phone in her purse.

	"An old friend who owed me a favor."  Ranma replied.

	"And that's all I'm going to get?"

	"And that's all you're going to get."  

	Setsuna considered for a few seconds, then nodded.  "I can live with
that.  Shall we go play some more paintball?"

	"'We'? Are you getting involved?"  Ranma asked.

	Setsuna simply lifted her paintball gun in response.  Ranma grinned.

	"Excellent."

******************

	"How the HELL does she do that?"  Ranko grumbled, as she plopped down
under a tree next to the rest of the girls.

	"Got you too, eh?"  Haruka asked from her spot by Michiru.

	"Yeah.  Didn't even see her."  Ranko leaned her head against the
tree.  "It was freaky.  She shouldn't be able to do that!"

	"Do what?"  

	"YAAAA!!"  Ranko screamed and whirled to face Setsuna.  "That! How DO
you do that?!?!"

	Setsuna let a ghost of a smile flicker across her lips.  "I have my
ways.  Now, however, it's getting dark.  We should be getting home."

	Ranko blinked, then stared at Setsuna's facemask.  "Setsuna?  Just
how did someone nail you?"

	Setsuna's voice was dry as she answered.  "Usagi tripped."  

	A chorus of understanding rang out, nearly drowning out Usagi's wail
as a branch smacked her in the face.  Setsuna raised an eyebrow and
motioned towards the van.  "Are we going to pack?"

	There wasn't much grumbling as everything was packed and loaded. 
Everyone was tired from the day's activities.

******************

	Setsuna glanced into the rear-view mirror, then to the passenger side
of the van.  "My, I wasn't expecting everyone to be asleep THAT
quickly."

	Ranma didn't even look up as she spoke.  "I'm not.  I'm just REALLY
good at faking it.  Learned in my classes."

	Setsuna shot her a glance.  "You only pretended to sleep through your
classes?  What about your grades? To be quite frank, they suck."

	"Hey, I managed passing grades after being stuck in China for three
years.  Cut me some slack.  Besides, I only slept through classes I
didn't need.  Hell, I KNOW English better than our teacher."  Ranma
retorted.

	"Yes, I suppose being dragged all over the place by that useless
moron you call a father would enable you to learn a great deal." 
Setsuna acknowledged.

	Ranma sat up and looked over at her with a flat look.  "Look, my
pop's is an idiot.  I'll admit that.  But, he's also one of the best
fighters you'll EVER meet.  The techniques he invented are so potent
that not even Happosai wanted to mess with them.  He invented training
methods that, while totally insane, were VERY effective.  So, while he
IS a moron, he's not useless."

	Ranma paused for a few seconds, and then continued.  "Heck, he makes
a GREAT paperweight."

	Setsuna started to chuckle.  "Yes, I'll admit that.  Genma Saotome
WOULD make a great paperweight."

	In the very back of the van, Ami smiled slightly.  She'd been trying
to do some research on Ranko, but had run into several snags.  Namely,
Ranko had NOTHING to trace her by.  Her history was squeaky-clean.  No
fighting in school, no missed classes, no troubles of any kind,
nothing.  Ami just plain didn't believe that from what she knew of
Ranko.  

      Now, she had a name to look for.  Soon, she'd know just who
Ranko REALLY was.  

	Setsuna glanced at the mirror and caught Ami's little smile. 
<Perfect.  That should give her enough to find what she needs to
know.  Now, to deal with her thinking that she could eavesdrop on me.>

	Setsuna smiled as she subtly jerked the van a little.  In the back
seat, Makoto's sleeping form slumped against Ami.  And then proceeded
to wrap an arm around her and snuggle her face into the side of Ami's
neck.  Ami rapidly began to turn several shades of red.

	<Okay, I can deal with this. All I have to do is push her and she'll
lean against Minako.>  Ami glanced at Makoto, than realized just WHERE
she'd have to push to move her.  <No way.  I'd rather she drool on
me.  I am NOT going to push on her...'talent'. Nuh-uh.>

	That resolve was tested when Makoto began to kiss the side of her
neck and mumble, giggling every so often.  

	"Iria-chan...."  Makoto sighed, then fell silent.

      Ami blinked.  <Who in the world is 'Iria?'  And why does it
sound familiar?>

******************
Tendo dojo.

	Nabiki leaned back in her chair and listened to her spine pop.  She
smiled to herself.  Soon, her biggest moneymaker would be back.  It
had been two weeks since Cologne and the assembled fiancees had
departed for Tomobiki.  They should be back at any time.  The sound of
a throat clearing behind her made her smile grow larger.

	She turned and smiled at Cologne.  "So, how pissed was he that you
found him?"

	"We didn't."  Cologne did NOT look pleased.  

	"What?"  Nabiki's smile vanished in a flash.

	"He wasn't there.  Apparently, someone warned him that we were
coming.  So he disappeared."  Cologne started to glare at her.

	Nabiki shrugged.  She hadn't thought he could make an escape with the
time he had, but she was flexible. "I owed it to him.  Suffer."

	"You seem awfully calm about this."  Cologne remarked.

	"I'm your best bet of finding him again.  What are you going to do to
me?"  Nabiki grinned.

	"I could give you explosive flatulence."  

	"What?  You're joking, right?"

	Cologne just smiled and continued.  "Given that your information was
incorrect and Ranma was NOT in Tomobiki upon our arrival, I believe
you owe me your services until he is located."

	Nabiki narrowed her eyes.  "Try again.  I told you his CURRENT
location.  I made no guarantees as to how long he would be there or
where he would go next.  In addition, I was paid to warn him when his
hiding place was discovered.  That means if you want me to discover
where he is currently, you'll need to convince me to find him."  <And
I don't like it when you try to threaten me.>

	Cologne raised an eyebrow, then reached into one of her sleeves.  She
pulled out something and tossed it on Nabiki's desk.  It impacted with
a dull *thunk*.

	Nabiki casually glanced over at it, then did a rapid triple-take. 
Her eyes widened.  "Is that gold?"  She attempted to casually ask. 
The fact that it came out as a squeak kind of ruined her attempt,
however.

	"Yes.  I believe that will be enough to ensure your best efforts at
hunting down Ranma?"  Cologne asked needlessly.

	"If it proves to be real."  Nabiki managed to get out.

	"It is.  Just find him.  Quickly."  Cologne commanded as she hopped
over to the open window and exited silently.

	Nabiki eyed the rather large nugget of gold resting on her desk. 
<Wait a damn second.  That is a LOT of yen.  Why is she in such a
hurry to find Ranma?>

******************
The Neko-hanten

	"Great-grandmother talk to Mercenary Girl, yes?"  Shampoo asked as
soon as Cologne entered the restaurant.

	"Speak a civilized language, girl.  I'm not up to listening to you
slaughter a language."  Cologne commanded.

	"But you have to admit, it makes the others underestimate me." 
Shampoo remarked in their village's dialect then mumbled under her
breath.  "And it's not like you've ever bothered to tutor me in the
damn language or anything.  Oh, no." 

	"That is true."  Cologne answered in the same tongue.  She decided to
ignore the mumble.  "However, their opinion will no longer matter if
we don't find Son-in-Law in the next few months.  It's almost been a
year since I became involved, remember."

	"I remember.  Don't worry.  With Nabiki on it, we'll find my husband
soon."  Shampoo calmly replied.

	"We'd better."  Cologne declared.  "If we don't, the only other
option will be to offer him full membership in the tribe."

	"But-"

	"Don't 'But' me, child!  I will have him in the tribe!  I will take
whatever steps are necessary, even offering him full Warrior status!" 
Cologne snapped.

	"The Council will never approve that!"  Shampoo protested.

	"Don't be stupid.  I trained you to think.  Try to use that training.
Remember, the Council is fully aware of just WHO killed Saffron and
how.  Given the choice of never getting him in the tribe or offering
him full Warrior status, which do you think the Council will take? 
Hmmm?"  Cologne settled into a chair.  "Face it, blood of my blood. 
They'd drop your claim like it was a pile of donkey manure to get
him."

	Shampoo slumped against the wall, tears wetting her cheeks.  Cologne
moved over and embraced her gently. 

	"There, there, child.  We'll find him.  Besides-"  Whatever Cologne
was about to say was cut off as someone opened the door and stepped
in.  Cologne didn't even bother to look up as she snapped, "We're
closed! Can't you read the sign?"

	"I apologize, Honored Elder.  However, Potion was most explicit about
what would happen to me if I failed to deliver her message as rapidly
as possible."  A melodic voice answered.

	Cologne jerked upright, leaving Shampoo to wipe her cheeks off and
compose herself.

	Cologne regarded her visitor.  She looked like a small girl dressed
in a light green shirt and matching pants.  Her iridescent green hair,
slight body (under two feet tall, in fact), and the way she seemed
unable to stay in one place for more than a few seconds all clearly
spelled out her true nature.

	"You're one of Potion's transformed hummingbirds, aren't you." 
Cologne stated.

	"Yupyupyup!"  The girl paused in her exploration of the underside of
one of the tables long enough to hand Cologne a small gem.

	Cologne regarded it coolly.  "Are you supposed to return to Potion
with an answer?"

	"Nuh-uh!"

	"Then, should YOU be returning?"  Cologne asked pointedly.

	The girl stared at her for a few seconds, then gasped and took off
running.  As she exited the building, a pair of wings emerged from
under her shirt and carried her off.

	Cologne sighed.  Potion's hummingbirds were wonderful messengers, but
their attention span was almost non-existent after they had finished
their tasks.  She turned her attention to the gem in her hand.  A
quick application of chi unlocked the message held in it.

	An image unfolded in the air above it.  A feminine figure, enshrouded
by her robe to the point that it was hard to determine even that much,
bowed towards Cologne. 

	Cologne sighed internally.  Potion and her blasted 'mysterious mage'
impressions.

	"Greetings, Elder.  I hope this finds you in good health."  Cologne
sighed again and settled in for a long wait.  Whenever a message from
Potion began like that, it meant she was about to pontificate.  

	"I am sending this message to you in order to alert you to a vision I
had recently.  As I was exploring the far reaches of the Spirit World,
at a great danger to myself I should add, I happened to meet a
spirit......"

	Cologne set the gem on a table and went to get some tea for herself
and Shampoo.  She decided to brew it the long way.  She'd have the
time before the message got to the point.

	It takes at least two hours to PROPERLY make tea, in Cologne's
opinion.  She decided to take a bit longer.  She carried out two cups
when she had finished, giving one to the busily cleaning Shampoo.  On
the table, the image was saying something about 'facing the Gates of
Perdition and Evil Incarnate.'

	"Why can't she include a fast-forward feature on those things?" 
Shampoo muttered.

	Cologne shook her head. "I don't know.  But it's been a few hours. 
She should be getting to the point soon."

	"....And that was when the TRUE form of the vision made itself
clear!"  The image announced triumphantly.

	"Finally!"  Cologne sighed.

	"The vision was simple:  A stallion changed into a warrior with an
old soul.  He faced a great darkness, ancient and evil.  At his right
side walked a woman of great power and knowledge.  At his left, a
child who could destroy all that is.  Behind him, a group of warriors,
prepared to give their all to defeat the darkness."  Potion's image
paused.  "To be perfectly frank, I don't know the exact meaning of the
vision.  I tried to find out more, but failed.  All I could discern
was the fact that it involved you.  Also...whoever the horse warrior
is, his heart and soul belongs to an Amazon."

	Cologne and Shampoo shared a look and a smile.  Perfect.  For all of
her other faults, Potion NEVER got a vision interpretation wrong. 
Ever.  Ranma was theirs.

******************
Setsuna's house.

	Ranma dropped into bed and sighed.  The last two weeks had been fun. 
He was with people who didn't try to kill him, manipulate him, or
force him into things.  Admittedly, he wasn't enjoying the MASSIVE
load of schoolwork Setsuna was shoveling onto his shoulders, but she
was also tutoring him in the material.  Heck, she made it fun.  She
managed to find a way to relate everything he was learning to martial
arts, in one form or another.  Most evenings were spent closeted in
her office, either going over his lessons or planning what to do next
in the Senshi's training.

      In addition, she was sparring with him on a regular basis,
usually every morning before he woke up Haruka.  And she was good. 
VERY good.  She could probably give Cologne or Happosai a decent
workout.  Of course, he was better.  Even so, he couldn't wait to see
the looks on the Nerima crew next time he fought them.    

      In addition, his first students had been getting better at a
nearly unbelievable rate.  In fact, if Setsuna hadn't explained just
WHY they were learning so fast, he'd have been slightly worried.  She
said that his teaching was making them remember what they had learned
in their past lives.

	Hell, he hadn't even known that they HAD past lives.  You learn
something new everyday.

	And every night, for that matter.  For the last two weeks, he had
experienced intensely vivid dreams every SINGLE *NIGHT*.  It wouldn't
be so bad if it weren't for the fact that the same guy kept showing up
in every last one.  And he was really annoying.  What kind of a person
named himself 'Nemesis', anyways?

	Ranma blinked.  He was standing in an empty courtyard.  Looking up,
he could see the Earth hanging in the sky.  He sighed, then dropped to
the ground by the simple method of doing the splits.  He ignored the
leg that shot over his head and snapped his right fist back as hard as
he could.

	A deeply satisfying *crunch*, a labored in-drawing of breath, and a
pained squeak resulted. 

	Ranma got to his feet, adjusted his pants and turned around.  Nemesis
was standing in a slightly hunched over stance, trying not to wince.

	"Damn, that felt like it must have REALLY hurt."  Ranma happily
noted.

	"Where-"  Nemesis coughed, then started again.  "Where the hell did
you get brass knuckles?"

	"It's MY dream, buddy.  You do the math."  Ranma lifted his right
hand and adjusted the brass knuckles.  "And you almost ALWAYS open
with that kick from behind me."

	"Right.  Mind if I lay down and try to remember how to breathe?"

	"Not until I get some answers."  Ranma firmly answered.

	"Ah, forget it."  Nemesis shook his head and straightened out.  "Nice
punch."

	"Thanks.  I suppose you're going to attack me now?"

	"Am I getting that predictable?" 

	"Yes."  Ranma answered flatly.

	Nemesis shrugged.  "Oh my.  That's a bad thing."

	Ranma blinked, and Nemesis vanished.  Ranma immediately wrapped
himself in the Umisen-ken and reached out with his chi, but found
nothing.  Ranma smiled slightly.  This was going to be...fun.

	To anyone watching, the fight would have been extremely dull.  A
shimmer in the air here, a flicker of shadow there, and a variety of
attacks shooting out at apparently random moments.

	Ranma was having the time of his life.  Nemesis was faster than he
was and a nastier fighter.  Ranma was quicker at devising new tactics
and had almost a decade fighting against one of the dirtiest fighters
on the planet.  And fighting against Happosai and Cologne had taught
him a few tricks, too.  He almost never used them, but what the hell. 
It was a dream.  Might as well have some fun.

	"Happodaikarin!"  *BA-BA-BOOM*

	"CHAOS LANCE!"  *KA-ZAKT*

	"AURA BLAST!"  *THOOM*

	"CHAOS FLARE!"  *FWOOSH*

	"You know, this really isn't doing it for me.  What do you say we
forget about the projectile attacks and go hand to hand?"  Nemesis
called from a shadow.

	"Works for me."  Ranma said, dropping the Umisen-ken.  Nemesis smiled
and stepped out of the shadows.  Both of them grinned.

	"Let's rock this place."  Nemesis stated.

	Ranma let his body do the talking for him.  He rushed towards Nemesis
and arced into his near-trademarked leap kick.  Nemesis slapped his
kick to the side and responded with a punch to Ranma's back as he
passed by.  Ranma hit the ground rolling and came out of it in a ready
stance facing Nemesis.

	Nemesis left him no time to attack again as he charged in, leading
with a flurry of kicks and punches.  Ranma deflected a left jab,
blocked the follow-up right cross, and used the roundhouse kick that
followed as an opportunity trap his leg and nail him with a quick shot
to the side of the knee.  Nemesis responded by ignoring the leg-hold
and took advantage Ranma's immobilized left arm with a nasty jab to
the face.  Ranma gritted his teeth as he felt his nose reduce itself
to several pieces from the blow.

	Ranma dropped the leg-hold and jumped back.  Nemesis fell back a bit
as well, favoring his hurt leg a little.  Ranma reached up and shifted
the position of his nose back into something close to what it should
be.  Nemesis winced.

	"Doesn't that hurt?"

	"Only the first three or four times."  Ranma replied lightly.

	"Well, that's true."  Nemesis allowed, before running at Ranma.

	Ranma faded back, and let Nemesis throw his punch.  Then he dropped
to the ground, slammed his left leg into the back of Nemesis' calves
and whipped his right leg around and into the front of his thighs. 
Nemesis dropped back, rolled with the impact, untangled his legs while
rolling, and flipped to his feet just in time to have Ranma perform
discount dentistry via a spinning back kick. 

	Nemesis hit the ground, then quickly rolled to the side to avoid
letting Ranma rearrange his face with a knee drop.  He continued the
roll to gain distance, then regained his feet.  He turned his head to
the side and spit a few small, white objects into his hand.  He raised
an eyebrow, then tossed the teeth over his shoulder.

	"Okay, now I'm angry."

	Ranma simply smirked and charged.  His quick punch combo was easily
deflected, the follow-up kick and knee strike was as well, but the
punch to the side of the head landed nicely.  Ranma slipped his head
to the side to avoid a fast jab, and responded with a palm strike to
the sternum.  That earned him a snap kick to the knee.  He slid back
to get out of range, then dashed in.  He wove to the outside of a left
punch, slapped the elbow up with his left hand, and unloaded an
Amaguriken-level set of punches to the ribs.  A series of loud snaps
resulted.

	Nemesis responded to the assault with a side kick to Ranma's
sternum.  The force of the blow sent Ranma skidding across the
courtyard.  Ranma clutched at his chest as he stood and tried to
ignore the fact that he could FEEL several ribs shift as he moved.  A
quick inspection with his fingers revealed the damages: Cracked
sternum, eight broken ribs.  

	<Well, breathing's gonna be fun.>  Ranma thought ruefully.  <Knew I
shouldn't have gone for those last few punches.  And opening with the
Umisen-ken was stupid.>

	Nemesis charged in.  Ranma quickly shunted his pain to the back of
his mind and tossed a quick right jab, then a left.  Nemesis caught
both and held them under his arms, immobilizing them.  Nemesis drew
his head back slightly in preparation for a head-butt, but was beaten
to the punch as Ranma slammed his forehead against his face several
times, then followed up with a savage knee to the groin.  That earned
Ranma a quick head-butt to his already broken nose and freedom.

	Ranma and Nemesis drew back and studied each other.  

	"Hey, your nose is broken again."  Nemesis taunted.

	"So is yours."  Ranma called back.

	"What?"  Nemesis reached up to his face and gingerly felt his nose. 
"Well, damn.  You know, you aren't USUALLY this nasty in a fight."

	Ranma shrugged.  "Usually, I don't need to be.  Kuno, Mousse, Ryoga,
none of them are actually dangerous enough that I NEED to get mean. 
Besides, you can take it.  They can't."

	"What makes you think I can take it?"  Nemesis asked calmly.

	"The fact that you're not coughing up blood.  The punches to your
ribs should have punctured your lung.  Considering the fact that I
FELT them do just that, I'd say you can take some serious
punishment."  Ranma coldly stated.

	"Good call."  Nemesis acknowledged, then dashed towards Ranma again. 
Ranma simply smiled and sank into a ready stance, favoring his ribs.

******************

	Hotaru snapped awake in an instant, then shot a glance around her
room.  Something was happening.  She could feel it.  Something weird. 
She could feel some kind of familiar energy, but couldn't remember
where she had felt it before.

	She was about to get out of bed when the feeling abruptly faded.  She
sat up, slightly alarmed by the sudden cessation of the sensation.

	"What was that?  Maybe I should tell Setsuna-mama?"  Hotaru wondered,
then realized what time it was.  "Two in the morning?  It can wait."

	If Hotaru had actually managed to follow the emanations to their
source, she would have been surprised at how close the source was. 
About twenty feet from her, in fact.  Ranko's room, to be precise.

	If she had actually entered Ranko's room, she would have been VERY
surprised.  You don't usually see someone twitching and jerking as a
corona of black energy cocooned them, after all.

******************

	Ranma snarled to himself as Nemesis charged in.  The fight was about
to get really nasty.  With his ribs more or less reduced to
free-floating lung puncture devices, he had five minutes left, tops. 
He narrowed his eyes.  <Alright, let's see how you handle some
Yamasen-ken.>

	Nemesis started with a nice, simple left jab.  Ranma responded with a
move that was anything but nice and simple.

	"FIERCE TIGER OPENING GATES BLOW!"  Ranma slapped both of Nemesis'
arms out wide and slammed a foot to his sternum.  Taking advantage of
the opening, Ranma stepped in and drove his stiffened hand into
Nemesis' stomach.

	"WELCOME GATE IRON FAN FINGERS!"  Ranma was careful not to use full
power behind his blow.  He just wanted to win the fight, not kill.  As
Nemesis staggered back from the fierce assault, Ranma finished with
the third move in his combo.

	"ASSAULT OF THE ENRAGED BEAR!"  Ranma slammed two ponderous overhand
strikes into Nemesis' collarbones, resulting in distinct cracking
noises, followed by a hard strike to each side of the face, and
culminating in a hammer fist to the forehead. The front kick to
Nemesis' right hip wasn't supposed to be in the technique, but Ranma
never could leave a technique unmodified.  Nemesis flew back and hit
the ground limply.

	Ranma sank to the ground.  "Heh.  Said it once, said it a thousand
times.  'Ranma Saotome-"

	"'-Doesn't lose.'  Yeah, so I've heard."  Nemesis' voice
interjected.  Ranma snapped his gaze to where Nemesis SHOULD have been
contemplating all the pretty stars.  He was getting up, seemingly
unharmed.

	"H-how?"  Ranma stammered out.

	"Think about it.  You said it yourself."  Nemesis smirked, than
continued.  "All of this is just.... Come on, work with me!"

	"A dream."  Ranma breathed.  <Of course.  How the HELL could I have
forgotten that?!>

	"Finally remembered that, did you?"  Nemesis sarcastically drawled. 
Ranma glared at him as he stood, pain forgotten and removed in a
heartbeat.  

      "You haven't figured it out, have you."  Nemesis stated. 

	"Figured out what?"  Ranma demanded.

	"Why I'm here.  In your dreams, that is.  Why I keep pestering you. 
Think about it.  Yeah, I know it's a difficult task.  Do it anyways." 
Nemesis commanded.

	Ranma glared at him.  "What the hell are you talking about?"

	Nemesis began to walk around Ranma, talking all the while.  "It's
really fairly obvious, if you bother to put together all the facts. 
All those dreams you have of fighting youma.  Your blackouts.  Why
your life is such a chaotic hellhole.  Who am I.  Think.  REMEMBER." 
The last word was spoken with intense command.

	Nemesis stalked towards Ranma until he was standing face-to-face with
him.  "Why do I know you?  THINK, Ranma.  Why do I remember how Genma
tied you to the back of a train to teach you to run faster?  Why do I
know what it felt like when you broke your arm the first time you
tried to roof-hop?"  

      Nemesis dropped his voice to a harsh whisper.  "More
importantly, why do you remember what Venus looked like at night?  Why
can you remember the way Queen Serenity looked when she let her hair
down?  Why do you remember Beryl?  Prince Endymion?  Kunzite?  Arik? 
Ella?  Rianna?  Ice?  Why can you remember the passcodes to bypass the
Royal Palace's security system?"

	As Nemesis spoke, images ripped through Ranma's mind like jagged saw
blades.  People, places, things, occasions, none of them his, yet he
knew all of them.  He reached up and grasped the sides of his head. 
Nemesis continued even as Ranma started to shake his head in an
attempt to make sense of the images.  Finally, Nemesis reached out,
grabbed Ranma's head, and forced him to meet his gaze.

	"THINK, damn it!  REMEMBER!!  Our Queen is in danger!  How do you
know me?!  How do you know my fighting style?!  WHO AM I?!"  Nemesis
finished in a scream.

	Ranma stared into his eyes like a deer facing headlights.  He
couldn't blink, couldn't turn away as those eyes gazed into his soul
and ripped out memories of another soul, another being to lay them out
where all could see.

	"Who am I?"  Nemesis whispered softly.  Ranma slowly opened his
mouth.  Slowly, he spoke in a thin, faint voice.

	"You are Nemesis.  The Senshi of Chaos.  Bodyguard to the Royal
Family.  Protector of Queen Serenity.  Son of Arik.  You are...." 
Ranma's voice trailed off.  

	Nemesis nodded.  "I am...."

	Ranma swallowed, then hesitantly continued.  "You're...me."

	Nemesis smiled widely as he released Ranma's head and stepped back. 
"Finally."

	Nemesis began to laugh loudly, throwing his head back and letting
loose with a series of deep, full-body guffaws.  He abruptly broke
them off and stared at Ranma with glee in his eyes.  "Do you know what
this means?"

	Ranma just stared at him in confusion.

	"It means that soon we're going to have some REAL fun."  Nemesis
resumed laughing.  Ranma's eyes widened as Nemesis began to fade
away.  Nemesis strode towards Ranma, continuing to become more and
more transparent every second.  He finally stopped less than a foot
from Ranma.  He smiled widely.  "Time to wake up.  Too bad you won't
remember most of this, isn't it."

******************

	Ranma's eyes shot open and she snapped into a sitting position in her
bed.   The black energy that was rapidly fading away never even
registered on her mind.  Her dream had already faded from her memory,
but something important had happened in it.  She could feel it.  She
could also feel that she wasn't going to get back to sleep tonight.

	Ranma shot a glance at the clock as she climbed out of bed.  <Huh. 
Three A.M.  Weird, just two hours of sleep and I feel fine.>

	Ranma walked over to the dresser and pulled out a shirt and pants. 
As she pulled them on, she began to plan what to do for the rest of
the night.  <Hmmm, start with a quick run.  Fifteen miles should do
it.  Then, well...I guess I'll hit a pit fight or two.  Never hurts to
keep in practice and my ready cash could use the boost.  And I'd
better snag some clothes.  These ones are getting too small.>  

	She shrugged on her shirt and was ready to exit via the window as
usual when a thought hit her.  <Wait. 'Too small'?  I'm in my cursed
form.  These things should be swimming on me!>

	She shot over to the mirror and stared at her reflection. 
<Oh...holy...kamis.  I'm huge.>

	Ranma had to pinch herself repeatedly before she realized that she
was indeed awake.  She slowly started to take stock of the changes. 
She was taller.  Much taller.  She could probably look down on her
un-cursed form, in fact.  A rough estimate put her at about 5'8".  Her
hair had lengthened to midway down her back and was still in the
pigtail, which was kind of puzzling, as it should have grown out of it
as the hair grew.  Muscle tone was a bit better, flexibility seemed to
be a little higher, and sense of balance was still exactly right. 
Muscle mass had increased, but she still somehow managed to convey a
look of fragility.  Her breasts seemed to be the same size, but on the
larger frame they didn't seem quite so unusual.  Added to the slimmer
face, slightly thinner frame, and overall leaner look provided by the
last vestiges of baby fat disappearing, and it was likely that anyone
from Nerima would have to take a second look to be sure it was her.

	In short, she had gone from "very cute" to "stunningly beautiful."

	"Oh, man.  Kuno'll NEVER leave me alone now!"  Ranma groaned, then
froze.  Her voice wasn't the same either.  It had deepened.  Judging
from her (rather limited) knowledge on the subject, she put it at
somewhere between her former soprano and a mezzo-soprano.  

	A sudden fear gripped her and she ran for the kitchen.  It seemed to
take forever for the water to warm up in the kettle, but it finally
did.  She grabbed the kettle and rapidly returned to her room.  She
stared at the kettle for a few seconds, then steeled herself and
dumped it over her head.

	A familiar tingling washed over her and he sighed in relief.  Or he
would have, if a sudden pain hadn't made him double over.  Apparently,
his un-cursed form had gained some size too.  And shifting into
too-small boxers REALLY hurt.  Faintly, he could hear a series of rips
as his clothing decided that it didn't want to hold together anymore. 
As his boxers finally gave away, Ranma dragged in a deep breath and
whimpered slightly.  

	<Okay, note to self: Never leave boxers that are a bit snug on my
female form on when changing!>  Ranma groaned as he slowly and
painfully rose to his feet, shedding the rags of his clothes as he
went.

	This time, it was easier to see the changes that had occurred.  The
most obvious was his height.  Rough estimate put him at 6'2", which
was a good two inches over Kuno and Mr. Tendo.  His musculature was a
bit more defined, but wasn't insanely bulging.  His face was thinner,
which gave it a more chiseled look and made it look more refined.  He
had the obvious increases in reach, stride, and center of balance, but
no need to adjust his balance, which was downright weird.  It was like
he'd put on a massive growth spurt, with no advanced notice, no sudden
hunger, and no need to get used to it.

	Bluntly, he'd gone from "handsome" to "grade A prime beefcake" in the
space of two hours.

	"This...is weird."  Ranma murmured in a baritone.  <Damn it!  My real
voice changed too!  It's like puberty, only quicker!>

	Ranma grabbed a blanket from the bed and wrapped it around himself,
and then wrapped himself in the Umisen-ken just for good measure.  He
carefully walked out of the room, across the hall, and into the
bathroom to get a glass of cold water.

	Ranma reached for the cup and was about to fill it when the door
opened.  He immediately leapt to the ceiling and re-cloaked himself
with the Umisen-ken.  He started to silently swear as Setsuna walked
in.  Then he had to fight off a nosebleed as he realized what she was
wearing.  It was lacey.  And small.  And sheer in a great many
places.  And he was in just the right place to remove what few
concealing properties it might have had.

	Ranma screwed his eyes shut and tried to erase what he had just seen
from his mind.  He did not need another woman pissed at him.  He did
not need another person wanting to kill him.  He did not need to know
that Setsuna's hair color was natural.  He REALLY didn't need the last
one especially.

	Below him, he heard Setsuna fill a glass and drink it, then fill it
again.  She silently stood there for a few seconds, then began to
mumble to herself.

	"Damn it, Setsuna! Get a hold of yourself!  She's your student!  No
matter how much you want to go in there, rip off her clothes, and have
mad, passionate sex, you can't give in!"  Setsuna began to thump
something against the wall.  Her head, if Ranma was any judge.  And he
was.  However, her next words nearly made him lose his grip on the
ceiling.

	"I must not seduce Ranko.  I must not seduce Ranko.  I must not
seduce Ranko.  I must not cover her in honey, chocolate sauce, and
whipped cream just so I can lick it off.  I must be good.  I must be
in control.  I will not seduce Ranko."  Setsuna drew in a deep breath,
then let it out.  "Okay, I can do this."

	Ranma breathed a silent sigh of relief as Setsuna opened the door and
left.  He opened his eyes and started to climb down from the ceiling. 
Luckily, he didn't let go of the Umisen-ken.  Setsuna walked back in,
this time wearing a robe.  Ranma froze.  Setsuna pulled a compact
umbrella out of her pocket, opened it, then reached outside the door
and grabbed something.  Ranma had just enough time to wonder what was
going on when the bucketful of cold water hit him.

	"Next time you hide, remember to hold your breath."  Setsuna said
with a smile.  She tossed him a thermos then turned and walked out.

	<How long did she know I was there?>  Ranma wondered as she climbed
to her feet and chased after Setsuna.  She dumped a portion of the hot
water in the thermos over her head, and adjusted the blanket.  Setsuna
calmly strode down the hallway and into her room.  When Ranma walked
through her doorway, he caught several articles of clothing.  In his
face, to be precise.

	"Those should fit you."  Setsuna informed him.

	"Ah...right."  Ranma said, trying to juggle the clothes without
losing the blanket around his waist.  "Could you...you know...turn
around or somethin'?"

	Setsuna raised an eyebrow.  "Whatever for?  After all, I changed in
front of you.  Turnabout seems fair to me."

	Ranma just narrowed his eyes slightly.  "Just do it!  Please?"

	"Oh, all right.  But you REALLY need to loosen up."  Setsuna
commented as she turned.  Ranma sighed in relief and quickly dropped
the blanket and got dressed.  The clothes fit him nearly perfectly. 
Not his usually colors, but that was okay.  Why did it seem right to
wear a black shirt and pants?  And the silver scrollwork on the shirt
and pants seemed to fit him, too.

	"Okay, I'm done."  

	"So I noticed."  Setsuna remarked.  Ranma looked over towards her. 
She still had her back turned and was staring at...a mirror.  A mirror
that he could see her in.  And if he could see her, then she could....

	"Nice butt."  Setsuna casually complimented.  Ranma started to blush.

	"You seem to be taking this pretty well."  Ranma commented in a
desperate attempt to change the subject.

	"I've seen almost everything over the years, Ranma.  Besides, you're
not the first person to suddenly go through a massive growth spurt in
this house."  Setsuna calmly answered.  Ranma snapped his head around.

	"Then you know what happened to me?"  Ranma asked, a bit
desperately.  

	"Yes, I do."  Setsuna replied, as she walked over to a
blanket-covered freestanding mirror.  "Brace yourself."

	"Wha-?"  But Ranma didn't managed to utter anymore, as Setsuna
uncovered the mirror and he saw himself.  Black pants, black shirt,
silver scrollwork up the sides of both the pants and shirt, and on his
forehead....

	A sigil etched itself in ebon flames.  An upside-down crescent moon. 
Ranma stared at it.  He slowly walked forward and touched his hand to
the mirror.  He traced the sigil's image.  The memory hit him like a
freight train.

	Flash.

	Jump to the left.  Avoid the lightning from the Chaos storm
overhead.  Jump over the Cat, fist to the spine as I go over.  I smile
at the sound of bone shattering under my fist.  Roll under its
death-strike.  Kick off the rock spire to my left, avoid the creeper
plant vines.  I laugh as the vines snag the body of the Cat.  

	I climb the wall to my home.  I slip in the entrance.  He's there. 
My father.  He greets me with a smile and a hug.

	"Hello, Arin.  How was your day?"

	I am four years old.

	Flash.

	I place the last rock on the grave of my father.  As I ponder the
grave for a few moments, I ponder the lapse in the omni-present Chaos
storms.  It's as though Nemesis itself mourns with me.  I turn and
walk away.  I never look back.  In my brain, I can hear his voice.

	"One day, son, I will die.  On that day, I want you to grieve.  Then
move on.  Don't worry about what might have been, only what will be. 
You can't change the past.  Bury me and move forward.  Never look
back.  Ever."

	I pick up my pack and put it on as I walk.  I already know my goal. 
My father's ship.  With it, I can get off-planet.  I have a mission. 
I can feel the pull.  My Princess has been born.  She needs me.  I
will go to her.  Nothing will stop me.

	I am seven years old.

	Flash.

	I kick the panel in rage.  It is totally destroyed.  I cannot repair
it.  Very well.  I will launch without it.  After all, I don't need
artificial gravity.

	I walk down the hall to the cargo bay.  Once there, I prepare my meal
from the small amount of supplies left.

	I will be ready to take off tomorrow.  Hopefully, the ship won't
break up upon exit.  It holds everything I have left of my father.

	Flash. 

	I can feel it.  A shining beacon to my senses.  The Ginzuisho.  I
weave the spell to teleport to it.  

	As my vision clears, I see her.  My Queen.  Father was right about
her hair.  It was a ridiculous sight.  I open my eyes to her aura and
am humbled.  Father was right about that, too.

	I kneel and present myself.

	I am eight years old.

	Flash.

	I close my eyes and center myself.  I must focus.  The Elders aren't
to be taken likely.  I can feel my Queen arrive overhead.  There are
others with her.  Very well.  I can deal with that.

	I walk up the tunnel and into the Coliseum.  Uranus and the rest of
the Elders are waiting for me.  In my memory, I hear my father's
words.

	"At times, you will face opponents stronger than you.  Tougher than
you.  Faster than you.  Smarter than you.  In order to beat them, you
must have a greater drive to live than them.  You must be willing to
go farther, fight longer, and endure more.  You must never even
CONSIDER losing."

	I speak.  "Uranus!"

	Flash.

	My ribs hurt.  I can't see out of my left eye.  I can feel internal
bleeding.  It's hard to breathe.  

	I reach over and rip the top off of a bench.  Uranus takes an
astonishing amount of damage before she goes down.  Mars does too.  I
hope neither of them are seriously hurt.

 	I walk over to my Queen and bend over her hand.  I have to force
back the blackness when I straighten.  After she dismisses me, I take
Pluto's hand.  A shock runs through me at the contact.  To cover for
my surprise, I state something trite about her hair.

	I barely make it to my room before I pass out.

	I am eleven years old.

	Flash.

	I watch my Princess fall to her knees.  I force myself to wait. 
After a few seconds, I go and comfort her.  As she runs off, I turn to
address my Queen.

	I am thirteen years old.

	Flash.

	I land on the dusty soil of Mimas and ensure nothing has revealed my
presence.  I can feel Sailor Jupiter.  I slowly unwind the chain from
my left arm.

	By the time I find Jupiter, the chain is more red than silver.

	I am sixteen years old.

	Flash.

	I wave goodbye to my mother from my position on my father's
shoulder.  We're going to go train. 

	Flash.

	I laugh with my charges as Mercury cuts through the brawler's guard
like one of her knives goes through steel.  Three seconds later, the
man is, appropriately enough, out cold.

	I gather our winnings and lead the way out of the town and into the
Jovian wilds.  

	Flash.

	I laugh with my friend as I win another okonomiyaki.

	Flash.

	I see the surprise on my Queen's face when I present her daughter and
her bodyguards.
	
	Flash.

	I scream as my father throws me to the cats again.

	Flash.

	I stare down at the black-haired bundle in my hands.  Briefly, the
sigil of Saturn flares on her brow.

	Flash.

	I feel my body changing as I surface from the spring.  A single
glance is all I need.  My scream fills the air.

	Flash.

	I stare at the sun from the balcony of my room.  Something is wrong. 
Something has disturbed the prison.

	Flash.

	I prepare myself for Herb's attack.

	Flash.

	I glare at the red-head across the table from me.  There's something
behind her green eyes that I don't like, don't trust.  Serenity won't
listen to me, however.

	Flash.

	I balance on the blade and hold my mother to my chest.  Below me, I
hear the sea, around me whispers the wind.  I am at peace.

	Flash.

	I stand on the surface of my planet and scream in rage and pain as my
own power rips it to pieces.

	Flash.

	I hover in the air and scream in rage and pain as my attack freezes
and shatters Saffron.

	Flash.

	I stare up at the sky.  I can no longer see the Earth.  The entire
sky is black.  Mettalia is free.  I can feel my Princess' life drain
away.  I can feel my Queen prepare to cast a final spell with the last
of her life energy.

	I have failed.  

      I have failed.  

	I have failed.

	Flash.  I am the heir to the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial
Arts.  I am Sailor Nemesis. I have many fiancees.I have one who
completes my soul. I have many enemiesI have many
enemiesIamRanmaIamArinFLASH 

	*STOP*

	I am...myself.

	I am...whole.

	Darkness. 

******************

	Setsuna dashed forward and grabbed Ranma just before he impacted the
mirror.  She slowly lowered him to the floor, where he curled in a
fetal ball and clutched at his head.  

	After what seemed like hours, Ranma relaxed and slowly uncurled.  His
eyes blinked open.  Setsuna smiled down at him.  He glanced around,
then lifted his head out of her lap.

	"How do you feel, Arin?"

	"My name is no longer Arin.  Just as your name is no longer Xaria.  I
am Ranma Saotome."  Ranma slowly stood.  "And I am Sailor Nemesis."

	Setsuna rose gracefully to her feet.  "It's good to have you back."

	Ranma smiled faintly.  "It's good to be back.  Where is she?  Wait,
never mind.  I'll find her."

	Ranma whirled and strode towards the door.  As he walked, a visible
change came over him.  It was Nemesis who walked out the door.  He
stalked down the hallway and stopped at a door.  He tried the knob. 
Finding it locked, he opened it by the simple method of ripping the
doorknob off.

	Inside the room, Haruka and Michiru were rudely awakened by the sound
of the door being more or less ripped open.

	"Nope.  This isn't the right room."  Nemesis calmly remarked.  "I see
Uranus still has that birthmark on her shoulder blade."

	Haruka and Michiru quickly grabbed robes.  They got to the hallway
just in time to see Nemesis enter Hotaru's room.  They rushed to the
doorway, only to be stopped wordlessly by Setsuna's outstretched hand.

	Inside, Nemesis was standing over Hotaru as she lay sleeping.  She
had kicked off her covers and was shivering slightly.  He smiled, and
gently drew the blankets up to her shoulders and tucked them under
her.  He leaned over, brushed the hair away from her face, and
tenderly kissed her forehead.  The sigil of Saturn glowed briefly on
her forehead as he drew back.

	"What is he doing here?"  Haruka whispered to Setsuna.  She turned to
them and softly answered.

	"Can't you tell?  Is it not obvious?  He's tucking his daughter in
for the night."


End Chapter 7
TBC.....
******************
Author's notes

	I had a LOT of fun with this chapter.  I particularly enjoyed the
"stream of consciousness" flashback sections.  I've always enjoyed
writing in that style.  

	Cliffhanger?  Sure, why not!  Hey, I LOVE those too!

	As always, ANY C&C is appreciated!  Heck, I even read flames! 

Ja Ne!
Slacker 
(rheins@pmt.org)

Alpha draft: 06/15/01
-- 

***********************************************

STUDENT: Master, what is the secret of a popular fanfic?
MASTER: Child, the secret is simply this: You must serve the fans.
STUDENT: So the secret is fanservice?
MASTER: You begin to learn, grasshopper.


After finishing a story: 
If you liked the story, drink a bottle to celebrate. 
If you disliked the story, drink two bottles to cheer you up. 
If you're apathetic, then drink till you care, dammit!
(From a Slayers drinking game.)
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