The Lime warning is for some raunchiness, I don't think it's all that bad,
but a warning it is.


Enemies of the Crystal State
by KPJAM

Creators of -
Scryed Yousuke Kuroda(scenario), Yasunari Toda(manga)
Trigun - Yasuhiro Naitoh
Sailor Moon - Naoko Takeuchi
Ranma1/2 -  Rumiko Takahashi

Thanks and great appreciation for their patience go to Fallacy, Corwin,
Brian Randall, Dracos, and MADS.  If I missed someone, blame the stress of
my current life, no slight is intended.

Http://kpjam.anifics.com   Is where you can find this and other stories.


Chapter 4:


Mars flew across the landscape, crossing still decaying trees and the sickly
colored yellow splotches of flora that they covered.  She had gambled,
taking a shortcut over the land in hopes of cutting off Vash and his
abductors.  Scant thought was given to the fact that she would now be saving
the same man she had been hunting, but she owed it to her Queen to subdue
and capture the ruthless outlaw.  The fact that he didn't appear to be
ruthless,  nor like any outlaw she had ever heard of was a source of
speculation that she would save for another time.  Neither did she wonder
about what had come of her companions, trusting that they would be there
when needed;  Hotaru could teleport them to her location when needed.

Tracing the crest of a small hill, she stopped when the road came into view
before her.  She took a moment to consider her position.  Her chase relied
on the question of whether or not she had managed to pass them.  The wrong
answer could mean that they were lost to her, making this endeavor
fruitless.  She stood rigid and still, staring into the distant wasteland,
and straining to hear any sound that might justify her waiting, or spur her
to continue running.  The setting sun hovered over the distant horizon,
making its final descent into obscurity for the evening; her vision was
shielded from its fierce rays by transient wisps of clouds.

As she waited atop the hill, she contemplated her adventure so far.  Vash
had been nothing like she had imagined.  The reports they had received at
the palace spoke of a monster who destroyed everything in his path.  This
chase was born from good will and politics, two commodities they desperately
needed if they were to continue to pursue their dreams of establishing a
kingdom of peace, love, and justice.  They need more manpower and raw
materials, two things that reclaiming the splintered parts of Japan would
provide.  Proving that they could capture such a notorious criminal, would
go a long way in winning the people's trust.  The people currently ruled by
Serenity, the people that she hoped to rule, and most importantly the trust
and the respect of the other people who had established rule in various
city-states throughout Japan.

She was growing impatient and extremely worried as time stretched by.  This
chase had taken way to long as it stood.  Having twice failed to apprehend
Vash was something that she couldn't tolerate.  Partly because of her own
sense of pride, but mostly -- and she would never admit this openly -- she
would rather die then let down Usagi.  Firming her mind and her resolve to
believe she was correct, she banished the thoughts of being wrong, and
thought of what she would do _when_ the jeep came rolling over the hill.
She took a deep breathe to try and slow her beating heart and allow the
adrenalin that was pulsing through her veins and dilute.

A whiff of smoke heralded something coming a few moments after she had
noticed it, a car seemed to burst over the rise in the distance.  A fireball
formed instantly in her hands, as she confirmed it was her target, gauged
the vehicle's speed, and readied to let fly.  Maybe it was the nervousness
that she had failed to properly suppress, maybe it was the adrenaline still
keeping her in a hyper-state, or maybe it was the clouds that had parted and
allowed the sun to distract her, whatever the cause, her aim was off.

She blinked while she released her attack, and watched in horrid fascination
as it streaked through the air, skimming over the ground.  The corona of
flames disturbed the dirt and debris that laid across its path, leaving a
scorched streak in its wake.  It traveled parallel to the ground, not
dipping as it was intended.  She caught her breath as she watched it sail
straight and true towards the oncoming jeep, not the road in front of it.
The last thing she saw before impact was the horrified face of the little
girl riding in the front seat.

She pressed the distress beacon on her communicator before breaking into a
run towards the wreckage; her eyes scanned the area as she looked for signs
of life.  Her heart eased as she saw Vash laying on the ground with the
little girl atop him, both obviously alive as they spoke to each other.

"That's far enough, bitch!"  The shout called her attention to the youth who
had abducted Vash earlier.  He was standing a short distance away,
illuminated by the setting sun and his abnormal right arm was dragging below
him, lending the impression of a primate.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he yelled again, red eyes blazing
and she wondered if it was an affectation of the setting sun or some other
abnormality that marred this young man.

"I'm here to collect Vash," she said imperiously, hoping her tone and manner
would prevent yet another altercation.

"No, you're not.  He's ours!"

Sighing deeply she regarded the man evenly.  Remembering his flashy escape
from earlier, she tried to formulate a plan of actions.  She had no
misconceptions about his abilities, but having no doubt about hers, she was
confident in the outcome.  Taking a few even breaths and getting into a
defensive crouch, she decided to give diplomacy one last try before they got
into the fighting.

"What do you want with him?"  She made a herculean effort to soften her
tone, trying to elicit the preferred conversation.

"The reward, what else?"  He planted his feet and raised his metallic fist.

"Well, what if I can match it?"

"Nice try," he scoffed, as he lowered his arm quickly and pointed it at her,
before balling his fingers up to form a fist, aimed at her heart.  Rupturing
the momentary silence he shouted, "Shock of the First Bullet!"   The first
movement was slow as he began to spin, detritus being sent airborne from the
mini-jet pack on the back of his arm.  When he had made half a revolution
his speed was taxing her eyes and her apprehension became palpable. A blur
is all she saw when he had finished his single revolution and shot himself,
metallic claw first, at her.

She called forth her power, hastily forming another fireball in her hands
and releasing the destructive ball at him as he sped like a bullet at her..
Moments later a huge explosion rocked the area where man met the elements,
forcing her to momentarily shield her eyes.  The loss of focus cost her.
Looking up and expecting to see her attacker felled, she was stunned to see
him almost upon her; his fist taking up her entire field of vision.  Having
no time to think, her instant reaction was to protectively raise her fist.
The impact was huge, her arms were shoved into her chest as she was lifted
off the ground and thrown through the air.  She landed roughly on her rear,
before tumbling across the ground.

Rising quickly, she regarded the boy a little more warily. The encounter she
thought she'd win easily had taken a decidedly unwelcome turn.  She hoped
the others would arrive quickly.  She really didn't want to have to hurt
anyone; but she was beginning to wonder that if help didn't arrive soon, she
would be the one hurting.


-----------------


Kimishima staggered over to where Vash and Kanami had landed, leaving the
fighting to Kazuma, as usual.  He had seen the first exploratory blows, and
was surprised that the woman was still standing.  Having been close enough
to more than one of Kazuma's fights he knew he should keep his distance; the
ground around them already shows signs of the abuse he tended to reap upon
the landscape.  He was just going to collect Kanami and Vash and move them
to a safe spot.   His ruined jeep would have to wait, as he concentrated on
his and Kanami's safety, and waiting for Kazuma to finish up his fight.

Just as he was about to reach the pair, Vash scrambled to his feet and took
off.  "Stop!" he yelled as he watched his bounty flee.  He pulled the gun
from his pocket, preparing to give chase, when he realized that Vash was
running straight at the combatants.

"Are you okay?" he asked Kanami while keeping an eye on the action.

"I'm fine."  He could hear the worry in her voice and noticed that she was
staring unerringly at the fight, face reflecting her the worry that had been
carried in her words, and hands held tightly together below her chin.

"He'll be fine.  He always is."  He didn't wait for her response before he
turned and resumed watching the scene unfold.

The woman was on the defensive, that much was clear.  Her tactics so far
seem to be shoot and dodge, as Kazuma was casually shrugging off her
projectiles and pressing her hard.  Her hair was disheveled, and her
uniform, which she had apparently replaced from the tattered one he had seen
her wearing earlier, was again soiled and ripped.

The combatants had split up for a second, taking a moment to digest the
situation when Vash, a meter or two away from Kazuma jumped high into the
air, aiming straight from his friend.

"Kaza-kun!  Watch out!"  Surprisingly, Kanami had cried out a warning.

The warning wasn't delivered soon enough, as Kazuma turned in response, only
to have Vash land on his shoulders, legs wrapping quickly around Kazuma's
neck.  The two formed a unusual looking rubbery, human totem pole; Kazuma
stumbled around and Vash leaned about haphazardly.

"Damn, get off!"  Kazuma's voice could be clearly heard over the landscape
as the man started banging away at Vash's leg with his unaltered left fist.

"Wee ha!" Vash shouted in reply, a maniacal grin on his face while he rode
the enraged Kazuma, staying seated by the power of his legs alone.

Kazuma regained a semblance of balance and delivered a blow to the unwanted
passenger's back with his right fist.  The sound of the blow traveled all
the way to Kimishima's ear, and the man winced in sympathy as the laughter
from Vash stopped for a moment.

"You can't hang on for long," Kazuma yelled hoarsely.  He looked closer and
noticed his friend's face was draining of color as he watched.  What had
started as a healthy flesh tone had quickly become pasty white, and now was
tinged with blue on the corners.

Vash then began to dodge the blows while staying saddled on the other man.
Failing to suppress a grin and a small chuckle, Kimishima received a blow to
the shin.  He looked down to see the angry frown on the small girl.

"Don't worry.  Kazuma will be fine.  He's fought with worse odds and come
out on top."  The words were said as much to reassure himself as they were
the girl.

The circus-like agility could only avail Vash for so long as he overextended
to one side, easily avoiding the blow, but not gravity.  His arms windmilled
wildly as he seemed to hover sideways, before going down.  Kimishima had
assumed that would be the end of things, but he was wrong.

Mouth agape, Kimishima watched in stunned awe as Vash continued to grip
Kazuma with his legs, while hanging backwards and upside down, back to back
with his friend.  He wondered then if the man had any hip bones.  It was the
only explanation for Vash's ability to maintain that weird position.

Kazuma stopped, apparently trying to catch his breath, when a fireball
slammed into his side and sent both men sprawling across the scorched and
shredded Earth.

The woman who had been forgotten entered the fray again, chasing down the
two men who laid stunned on the ground.  She quickly raced across the broken
ground, reaching Kazuma before he had had a chance to stand, and brandishing
another fireball in front of him.  "Game's over!"

Kazuma growled as he looked up at the red flowing globe in front of him,
rasing his left hand in front of his eyes, before he let out an impressive
yell and lurched to his feet.  The girl's response was instantaneous as she
jumped back, releasing the conflagration.

Kimishima, who had started to move toward the fight, covered his eyes and
planted his feet in reaction to the size of the explosion and the rumble in
the ground that it caused.  He felt the air pressure sweep over him, and
winced as tiny particles pelted his face, and he could feel the heat from
the blast.

When the wave had passed, he looked up to see his friend and Vash both on
the ground unmoving, and the woman rising to survey the area.  He continued
forward as quickly as he could move, training his gun on the woman as he ran
and hoping that she didn't notice him.

Luck was shining down on him.  The woman moved quickly after she had
steadied herself to check on Kazuma first.  He worried slightly when neither
man rose, but placed that aside as he prepared to take action -- something
he detested doing.

He came up behind the woman, placing the barrel of the gun at the base of
her neck and quickly grasping her shoulder while she was still kneeling.
"Game's over," he mocked her.

She lurched and he quickly aiming the gun above her shoulder, firing into
the ground in front of her, a safe distance away.  He felt satisfaction when
she flinched and stopped dead still.

"Okay," she said.  He was surprised and impressed that her voice didn't
waver when she spoke.

"How's Kazuma?" he asked, since she had just been examining him.

"He should be fine."

"Good.  Raise your hands and get up slowly."

He watched as she complied.  Raising her slender arms high into the air with
the rest of her body following.  He turned her slightly, towards the remains
of his prized possession.  The brilliant plan he had of subduing her rested
on the hope that he could find his pack, and the wires that were contained
within.

"This way," he mumbled, as he was mulling over his options if the wire was
lost to him.  He followed her, paying attention to her arms as he kept pace
with her shambling.

As they walked, she started talking to him.  "You know, you won't get away
with this.  My friends will be here soon, and you will be arrested, along
with Vash."

"For what?"  He couldn't help the amused hint that laced his words.

"Obstruction of Justice.  Attacking a servant of Neo-Queen Serenity.  If you
let me go and give up Vash... I'm sure we can overlook this little
transgression."

He just chuckled as he pressed the gun into her back, indicating that he
wanted the pace quickened.

"I suggest you let the lady go," a deep haughty voice intoned.

He spun her around quickly, keeping the gun in her back and placing her
between him and Vash.  He didn't know when the other man had awakened, only
thankful that he spoke instead of attacking his unguarded flank.

"Listen.  There's been enough violence already.  You let the woman go and I'
ll come with you.  No questions asked."

"What do you think I am, a fool?  Of course I'm not going to let the girl
go."  Kimishima then turned Mars again, so she was facing sideways from
Vash, and pushed her slightly away from his body.  "Now be a good boy and I
get rich and nobody gets hurt."

"Put the gun down," Vash said softly, like he was explaining the simplest
details to an unruly child.  "Guns are dangerous and accidents happen.  I
promise.  I'll go willingly."

"That and a yen will buy me nothing.  Now move around towards the jeep and
no one will get hurt."  He waved his gun at the other man, indicating the
direction he wanted Vash to take.

Vash sighed and slumped his shoulders, turning slightly and complying with
his orders.  Kimishima let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding as
his gun followed the man around.

"Is there anything I can say to convince you of my sincerity?" he asked in a
whiney, high-pitched voice.

"Just be quiet and keep walking."

He watched as the other man sighed again, before moving.  Kimishima
reflexively fired.  Vash moved again, seemingly contorting his stomach to
the side with minimal movement to his feet or head, appearing almost as if
his torso were separate from the rest of his body.

Then, all of a sudden, Vash was upon him, moving almost too fast for
Kimishima to see.  Parts of Vash appeared to blur as the other man was
quickly upon Kimishima.  Frightened, Kimishima fired at Vash, only to have
the man dodge, and a  blur impacted upon his arm, causing his limb to erupt
in instantaneous pain.   The gun hit the ground with a dull thud before
Kimishima realized he had lost it.

Fighting back the still tremendous pain, he turned in place, frantically
searching the ground for the gun when a flash of red and white streaked by
the periphery of his vision.  He turned to watch the gun sliding along the
ground towards Vash, and the woman face down in the ground.  Apprehension
transfixed him as he watched the gun skid along the ground, until it reached
Vash. The largest bounty in Japan calmly bent down and picked up his gun.
He examined it quickly, before doing the most miraculous thing.  He unloaded
it, removing the bullets and letting them scatter at his feet.  Kimishima
watched slack-jawed as Vash happily grinned during this quick exercise and
looked at the two of them -- Kimishima and the sailor woman -- and
innocently asked, "Who's coming with me to Kyoto?"


--------


Bean Bandit trotted slowly across the broken land, roughly bouncing his two
passengers, neither of which had ridden any type of live animal for years,
and their thighs were explaining to them why, in painful detail.

"Mars, come in!" Minako yelled at her static filled screen.

"Does she have it off?" Hotaru inquired.  She was riding behind her friend,
leaning against the other girl's back, with her arms around Minako's waist
and resting her chin on the other girl's shoulder.

"She's never this irresponsible!"

"Maybe..." the words died on her lips.

"Maybe what?"  Minako voice sounded strained, high and shrill.

"I don't know?"

"I hope she calls soon," Minako sighed.

"I should have gone with her.  At least then I could have teleported,"
Hotaru said as she mentally berated herself for not following right away.

"Maybe."  Minako took a deep breath before continuing.  "Actually, I should
have gone with her.  You could've teleported with our stuff after you had
retrieved it.  Well, no cleaning up after spilt cream."

Hotaru suppressed a giggle from her friend's mistake and didn't move to
correct it, having long ago giving up on trying to correct Minako-isms.
"Yeah, but it's dusk already.  How much longer are we going to look?"

"Maybe we should look for a place to camp?"

Just then, the jostling of branches was heard off to the side of the road, a
small calico cat scampering across the road right in front of them.
Suddenly Bean Bandit reared his head up and let out a screeching whiney
while shaking his head up and down.  Both girls were startled as Hotaru
instinctually grasped Minako's waist harder.  Minako leaned back in
response, smacking her head into Hotaru's forehead, eliciting a sudden yelp
of pain, and dazing the taller girl.

The cat jumped high into the air, turning to face the animal that dwarfed it
in size, and seemed to look at it with wide astonished eyes. Bean froze
then, scrutinizing the other animal as everything went still in that moment
while beast stared down beast.

And then, as soon as it had happened, the moment was over and the cat had
landed, bolting over the landscape.  Bean Bandit lowered his head and gave
chase, again startling the girls.  The sudden movement, along with the
ringing on her head, unseated Hotaru.  She tumbled backwards, doing a tight
flip as she landed on her rear and watched as the animal took off with her
friend.  She quickly scrambled to her feet and began running.


----------


Minako was holding on for all she was worth and desperately tried to stay
attached to the fleeting animal.  The world was a blur as they passed over
the hilltops and through scattered brush with amazing speed.

She heard a low whirling sound, that signified the alarm on her
communicator.  Bravely, she removed her arm from tightly hugging the runaway
donkey and glanced at it, swearing as she saw Rei's distress signal.

Turning around, she saw Hotaru losing ground on them and grimaced.   She
wondered what to do.  Was Rei in serious trouble or could she handle it for
a little while?  Could she get this animal to stop?  Should she just let go,
ditching her abductor and their gear in order to go to Rei?  She hated
decisions like these.  Tears began to well up in her eyes, as she gripped
Bean's neck tightly.  She wanted a bad guy in front of her that she could
attack.  She continued to hold on, her body pressed low on the animal's back
as he continued the unwanted chase of the scampering cat.  Could Rei hold
out?  Could she?

She glanced back and noticed Hotaru was almost out of sight.  "Fuck!" she
swore aloud, "Stupid Beast!" she screeched at.  She had to decide now, their
things or her friend.  She froze as that last thought passed through her
mind and berated herself for ever posing a question like that.  Closing her
eyes, she released her hold upon Bean Bandit.  There was a moment of
weightlessness, and she felt like she was suspended in the air.  The moment
ended all too suddenly as she began her fall.  Attempting to turn in the
air, she wasn't used to the in air-acrobatics need to land safely after a
fall of this kind.  The hard ground didn't give way, or cushion her fall in
any way, as she tumbled upon it, and felt the dirt and debris dig into her
arms and legs.

When she finally stopped, she got up as quickly as she could, and turned to
return to Hotaru, glancing at her communicator as she ran.  She stopped
suddenly when she noticed the alarm was silent and stared aghast at the
analogue display that masked the device.

"Rei, come in!" she said loudly and firmly.  Her shoulders and hands were
tense as waited a moment for an explanation, a response.

The soft patter of Hotaru's steps approached, but she ignored them as she
called into her communicator again.  And again, was met with nothing.

"Did you see the alarm?"  Minako posed the question, even though she knew it
no longer mattered.

"Yes," was the sullen reply.


-----------------


"Do you have any idea where we're going?"  Michiru asked.

Haruka dropped her duffel bag onto the bed and shook her head slightly.  She
had no idea where they were being sent, only that she assumed it was east.
West would mean that they were headed back towards Tokyo, and she couldn't
imagine being sent there.  There were no reports of any alters in that
direction, one of the peculiarities of the phenomenon they had been sent out
to study.  But how far east were they headed, she wondered.

She began placing her uniforms in the bag, stopping a second as she examined
the impeccable blue slacks and blazer.  They were identical to the apparel
she wore, had been wearing for the last few weeks as she and Michiru
trained, and vastly different from the sailor girl outfit she had grown
accustomed to.

Placing her socks on top of the underwear she had quickly packed, she turned
to her lover and asked, "You ready?"

"All set."  Michiru patted the top of her bag and hefted it onto her
shoulder.  "Let's go.  They said to be at the front of the compound in five
minutes."

A moment later they were both outside, looking into the setting sun as they
crossed the small compound.  It _looked_ much smaller than it was.  Built on
top of an old fallout shelter, the usable space was many times what appeared
possible from outside.

A minute was all it took to find themselves boarding the bus in front of the
administrator's building.  The bus was actually quite spacious, it was one
of three that would set out together.  One, the one they had boarded, was
for sleeping purposes and they found pull-down cots near the rear that had
their names placed above them, tacked up in masking tape and hastily
scrawled with a black marker.

The area was designed for efficiency.  A small alcove for storing their
belongings was under each cot and  next to a small cushion that was used for
sitting.   The cots were retractable and all of them were currently
retracted, giving them more space to move around in.  Michiru took a seat on
her cushion and Haruka quickly checked her cot, frowning at the obviously
ill-padded bed.  She missed the nice comfortable mattress she had back in
Tokyo almost as much as she missed her bed partner.  Both of which were lost
to her during this mission.

She took a seat on her cushion, looking towards Michiru, who had been
scrutinizing her.  She felt a momentary longing for the girl sitting across
from her, showing no outward emotions and quickly suppressed it.  They had
denied being anything but friends up to this point and would continue the
illusion in a hope to not draw anymore addition attention to themselves.

They were waiting for their teammates on their first assignment.  They had
been assigned to a squad of alter hunters.  They were part of a group of
people with this special ability who were tracking down and hunting others
who had the same ability, being the only ones capable of subduing the
meta-humans.  It was supposed to be done as a public service, protect the
people from the alters who had been abusing their powers.  Capture them and
return them here to be trained and reformed so they wouldn't become a public
threat.

Their reason for being here was to infiltrate this place and find out as
much as possible about this group and their motives.  They were also
supposed to find out as much as they could about these alters, people with
the ability to manipulate metal.  They had arrived at the compound a month
ago, professing to have the ability, and planning on passing of their
magical attacks as such.  Shocking was the only term she could use to
describe the feelings after their initial interview.   They were both still
a little unprepared for their current mission; chasing down alters, as
alters.


--------------------------



They had wondered, they had discussed, now they trailed.  Trailed after a
runaway donkey, without a map, or any real knowledge of where they were
heading.  And to make matters worse, they had no idea on how to trail
anything that wasn't in sight.   After careful consideration of all these
things, Minako had come to the conclusion that they were....

"Fuck!"  Hotaru shouted out the same word Minako had been searching for to
describe their situation.

Minako looked over at her companion, who blushed, and looked slightly
abashed at her own outburst.  A few seconds past as they looked at each
other before Hotaru started chuckling, a soft, high-pitched giggle that
seemed to instantly lighten the mood and force a short burst from Minako.
The abortive laugh, a small snort really, seemed to set off a full-fledged
chuckle from the purple-haired girl.  Minako looked at the other girl, whose
face was flushed and eyes sparkled with mirth, and laughed.   A heartwarming
chuckle that brightened her spirits as the day was quickly coming to its
conclusion.

"Dammit!  You stupid donkey!"  The sudden shout from the distance cut
through the laughter with the precision of a parent ruining a child's fun.

Both girls looked at each other, silently mouthing the same thing: "Donkey?"
A string of curses followed, and both girls took off to find the source of
the shouts.

They ran forward, toward a pronounced grouping of hills.  When the
expletives stopped, they both unconsciously picked up their pace, racing to
the crest of the hills, and over.  Down below was Ranma, hunched over, and
picking up something.  Strewn around the area was what appeared to be the
clothing, cooking utensils, food, and other various items they imagined had
been in his backpack. In the apparent epicenter of the destructive force
that had hit his belongings was Bean Bandit, laying on his side, unconscious
in front of a can of beans that looked to have been opened by an anvil.

"Ranma!" Minako called out without thought.

Ranma looked up, obviously upset and annoyed, before his features softened
slightly and he waved in response.

"So.  What did you do to Bean?" Hotaru called out as they pair started
descending the hill, curiosity and concern were evident in her voice.

Looking up sharply, Ranma eyed the two girls intently for a moment before
shaking his head and snorting under his breath, "Should have figured."

"What happened?"  Minako was genuinely curious about the destruction she
saw.  She also wondered what had become of the cat; Bean Bandit had seemed
particularly intent on catching it for some reason, causing her to fret over
its well-being.

"A c..c... feline came running up to me, chased by this large animal while I
was cooking," he indicated the small fire-pit that was evident there before
he continued, "I went... to check it.  And when I came back, your dumb ass
had done this."

"Donkey," Hotaru corrected him.  "So you knocked him out?"  The question was
delivered mockingly.

Having the good grace to look a little ashamed, Ranma ducked his head
slightly under the scrutinizing gaze of the lovely young woman.  "You saw
what he did to my things, he wouldn't stop," he said sheepishly, after a few
moments of contemplation.  Suddenly he looked up, glancing at them both of
them and furrowing his brow.   "Where's the other one of you... Rei?"

Freezing, both women instantly frowned.  "She's lost," Minako said lightly.

Obviously startled, Ranma looked sharply at Minako.  "Lost?  Where?  How?"

"She chased after Vash and the guy that took him.  We went back to get our
stuff and the Donkey.  But we lost contact with her," she said the last
softly, morosely.

"Is she an idiot?  He's an alter and Vash is no wimp himself.  She could be
seriously hurt, or--" he abruptly stopped himself, looking into Minako's
face.  "Sorry.  I guess that doesn't help."

"I'm sure she can take care of herself.  We just need to find her."  Her
voice was cheerful, but she could detect the note of worry that it covered
up.

"Sure," he replied quickly, loudly.  "I need to collect this stuff then make
dinner.  We can go after her first thing in the morning."

"Morning!"  Ranma cringed slightly when the shriek reached his ears.

His left hand raised and pointed towards the horizon and the sun that had
dipped below it.  "Listen.  We need to track that jeep they were in.  And to
do that, we need good light, which we won't have in another five minutes.
Don't ya think I wanna catch them as quickly as possible?"  His voice was
strained but level; his attempt not to shout was obvious.  Silence followed
in the wake of his mini-outburst, both parties staring at each other,
looking more and more uncomfortable as the moments passed by.

"We'll help you collect your things and then strike out in the morning,
'kay?"  Hotaru had broken the stalemate, as they both mumbled their assent,
and all three began picking up the scattered belongings.

They had made good progress cleaning-up and were almost finished when Minako
picked up a pair of pants and a couple small objects fell out, twirling
quickly to the ground.  Her hand froze in mid-reach as she recognized the
items, and felt a sharp pang in her heart.  The realizations and
implications of the small, square foil objects, with little circle
protrusions on either side, led her mind to a series of images of the
potential uses for said objects.  A part of her, a huge part of her,
realized she was being irrational and that she should be indifferent to the
contents of his belongings; but, a huge part of her still wished for a
prince on a white horse.

She had hopes, and she felt ashamed of herself for placing Ranma before she
had any idea if he fit it or not.  Hope and desire were a powerful and
strange combination and she wondered if she was overreacting to the fact
that he was more normal than she had hoped.

"It's only natural for a guy to have these."  She comforted herself with
that thought momentarily, before she began to wonder if he had occasion in
the past to use the small objects so carefully wrapped in the packaging
before, and if he had used them, how often.  Was he some playboy with a girl
in every town?  Or did he have a steady girlfriend he was faithful to?
Neither answer was appealing, and she wondered if her recent fantasies were
all for naught.  She also wondered if she had any basis for those fantasies,
other than she had them and he was here?

"What do you have these for?" she asked after taking a minute to bolster her
courage and stave off the feeling of embarrassment.

At the same moment, he stood up straight and swore, holding up a water skin.
"Stupid Donkey.  This was my last one, too."  He glared at the fallen animal
before turning to Minako.  "Did you say something?"

"Ahh... no," she answered while fighting of the blush that threatened to
return.  She noticed him peering at her hand, and looked down to see the
condoms.

"Cool.  You have them!" he said brightly.  A look of confusion sprang to her
face while her eyes widened in surprise.

He walked briskly over, stopping in front of her and taking a couple of the
small packets.  "Great.  I can use these now," he said cheerily.  Her body
tensed and she froze as she tried to comprehend what he meant. Did he think
she was so easy that she would sleep with him?  Here?  Now?  In front of
Hotaru, no less?  Had she misjudged him so badly?

"Ah..." she started to say, but the words came out as a slow whine that was
apparently inaudible to him.

"I'll be back in a few.  I need to fill these up."   He turned and started
walking off, leaving Minako stunned.  "You think you can start dinner?  I'm
kind of hungry.  All this exertion all day and all," he called out to Hotaru
as he passed her.  Minako was left completely bemused, flustered, and
staring vacantly into space while she wondered what was going on.

Hotaru nodded, without talking and went to their packs, still attached to
the fallen donkey.  Hotaru looked over up at Minako when she had finished
removing some things from the pack and asked the still dazed Minako, "You
okay?"

"He needs condoms now?" she whispered under her breath.

Hotaru looked at her strangely before walking over and pressing a hand to
the other girl's forehead.  "You don't have a fever.  Sit down and let me
get you some water."  Hotaru gently set the other girl down and moved back
towards the donkey.  After a moment or two searching through their packs she
found what she was looking for and returned to her friend carrying a flask
of water.

"Open up," Hotaru laughed as Minako complied without comment and emptied the
contents of the container into her mouth.  Minako swallowed the bland water
automatically and then blinked.

"Thanks."  The reply was a little more lucid than her earlier babbling.

"You okay?" Hotaru asked while reapplying her hand to Minako's forehead.

"Fine."  Minako lightly batted the hand away.  "I'm fine," she reiterated
more forcefully, deciding she didn't want to share her fantasies with her
friend.

"Good.  I'm going to start dinner, you sit here."

Not waiting for a reply, Hotaru went over to the small pit Ranma had already
prepared for cooking and started a small fire.  Minako watched reflexively
while she was still wondering what Ranma had been talking about and why he
had seemed so cheerful when he spotted her holding the condoms.

Ranma's return broke her reverie.  She stared at him wide-eyed as he
approached Hotaru carrying two condoms filled and bloated past their
expected carrying capacity.  She watched as he walked up to Hotaru and spoke
to her.  Hotaru's reaction had been surprised at first, but then she smiled
brightly and took one of the condoms and drank from it!  Minako's head began
to spin as she watched her friends gulp away at the contents like it was the
best thing she had ever drank.  When she finally came up for air, she
returned her attention to the fire she had started, grabbed a pan, and
poured the rest of the contents into the pot.

She stood quickly at the bizarre sight, raising a shaking hand at the pot,
and cried out, "You're cooking his cum!"

They both turned quickly to her, with eyes that appeared as if they believe
Minako had gone mad, not them.  Then, Hotaru said sweetly, "Cum?  It's
water."

"Yeah.  Since my flask broke, I had to use these condoms.  They can hold
like a liter of water each."

"Water?" she mumbled softly.

"Yes.  Water.  You thought...." he trailed off and smiled broadly.  The
laughing lasted for twenty minutes.


---------------------


Standing alone atop one of the galleries that overlooked the throne room,
Setsuna watched, away from prying eyes of the gallery.  Usagi... No
Neo-Queen Serenity was presiding over the businessmen and courtiers who came
to pay their respects, and ask for favors twice a week.  Even as young as
she was, the Queen looked ever inch the regal woman she had slowly grown to
become.  These sessions had been started as a means to showcase the Queen
and for her to be accessible to questions and requests.  People were led by
a person, a person that they believed in, and that was Usagi's greatest
gift.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sagimoto, We can't clear out those people in order to build
you an extension on your factory, nor can we grant you the funds for that
extension."  Usagi had become adept at speaking firmly and authoritatively
when the situation warranted.

The man she was speaking to now, Akira Sagimoto, was the owner of a fabrics
factory in Tokyo.  A prosperous enterprise, as all clothing ventures had
become.  Setsuna knew that he wanted the expansion to increase the range of
his product line or even start manufacturing other apparel. Already one of
the wealthier men in the city, his request was extravagant and selfish.  The
increase would come by moving out people who were still living in makeshift
houses in one of the city centers, or with the annexation of one of the
buildings currently next to his.  Whichever choice was chosen, he wanted the
palace to pay for moving the people, or demolishing one of the ruined
buildings that surrounded him.

"Your majesty, with all due respect, the expansion of my business will
provide jobs and subsequently housing for the citizens."  Setsuna sighed to
herself.  The presumption of the petitioners was getting worse as they had
started bickering with the queen.  When Neo-Queen Serenity had complied with
their request, in part or total, they had dickered with her for more.  All
this was done politely, or as politely as the education of the person
addressing the Throne warranted, but it was a far cry from the unblinking
compliance given a few months ago.  Setsuna was worried.

"I am sorry."  Her reply was softer, an affectation she still had when
delivering bad news.  Setsuna and Mamoru had labored to break her of this
habit. Compassion was a wonderful thing, but it was a weakness in a ruler.

"I would ask then, that her Majesty would allow an increase in our prices.
Say an increase of ten percent per bolt?"  Setsuna almost gasped.  She
caught herself at the last minute as her temper flared.

It was with no small amount of pride that Setsuna watched Usagi simply but
firmly reply,  "No."  The queen's visage had become harder as she continued
to stare at the man, waiting for his reply.

Free-market economy was the official designation of the economic model that
had been instituted in the city.  It was a fiction.  One established to make
the citizens feel better.  The major principles were free-market, but the
prices of all goods were fixed, and many of the businesses were subsidized
by the government through raw materials and gold and other valuable minerals
for trade.

After a long pause, where he appeared a few times to be on the verge of
speaking again, he finally bowed his head and said, "Thank you for hearing
me, Your Majesty."

Setsuna eyed him critically, not so much from interested in the man, but
from wondering, desperately almost, what he had held back from saying.  He
had already questioned more than any person to come before Usagi before (or
at least as much as she was aware of).

"You are most welcome.  You came in peace and health, leave with peace and
health," she intoned the formal words that ended each individual audience,
and then rose.

Not waiting for the formal ending, Setsuna quickly turned and exited through
the door she had stationed herself by.  She had an inquiry to make before
she met with her Queen.


--------------


Entering the room after knocking and being told to enter, Setsuna found
herself in the lavish room, devoid of anyone else.

"I'm glad you're here," a call from the dressing came and Setsuna followed
it to the Queen's dressing room, were Usagi stood in bra and panties, going
through an oversized armoire. "Any word?"

Rei was missing.  It was the only real thing that would be on Usagi's mind
right now, when unfortunately, it should be one of the last.

"I'm sure she's fine."  Setsuna had no time to worry, and neither did Usagi.
Rei would turn-up, Hotaru and Minako were in the area, were on her trail,
and would find her.

Unfortunately, Usagi apparently felt the need to worry.  Casting a glance at
her, she leveled a worried, sad smile.  "It's dangerous out there."  She
looked as if to say more, but turned back to her searching.

"Where are your maids?"  The two attendants that were supposed to assist her
Royal Majesty in the simple endeavor of getting dressed for dinner were
absent.

"I sent them to find Mamoru and make sure he was on his way for dinner."

Setsuna grimaced, Mamoru was generally very good at being prompt and
punctual.  He had a lot less to learn about the appearances and nuances of
ruling than the blonde girl standing before her, but he still had much to
learn.  Tonight's dinner was important, maybe imperative for their survival,
and Mamoru was _late_.

Letting out annoyed tsk, she walked briskly over to the armoire, and placed
a hand on Usagi.  "Let me," she said and examined the clothing.  Fingering
through, she considered the options, before she drew forth a cream-colored
dress.  It was elegant, with long sleeves, a modest bodice, and flowed down
to the Queen's heels.  She handed the garment to the other woman and moved
to fetch a pair of shoes, as Usagi moved to begin dressing.

"What if none of them like him?"  Usagi asked another question out of the
blue, as she stepped into her dress.  Setsuna frowned as she considered, but
not before silently saying a prayer of thanks that the girl was at least
thinking about her duties now, instead of others.

"He is reputed to be a very charming and generous man.  I fell one of them
will find his charms appealing."  She didn't say that she had hoped none of
them would like him, regardless of his charms.

"You didn't answer the question."  She stopped dressing and looked intently
at Setsuna.  A look that had always pulled at Setsuna in a weird way that
was undescribable.  It was a look that demanded answers, and honest ones.
It was the same look that had first forced Setsuna to acknowledge that Usagi
_could_ one day become a true leader.

"I have no real answer," she answered truthfully.  That simple fact worried
her more than anything right now.

Usagi frowned in response, but remained quiet as she returned to her
dressing. The silence stretched on as Usagi finished putting on her gown.
When finished, she moved over to her advisor and turned and presented her
back.  Setsuna absently pulled up the zipper, and fastened the small
delicate clasp that lay hidden on the inside.

 "Do you have anything useful to tell me?" Usagi snapped as she turned and
faced Setsuna.

Lowering her head, she thought for a moment. "Haruka and Michiru are going
out on their first assignment today."

"Are we all capable of becoming alters?"  The question had been asked
before, ever since the duo had made their first, startling report.

"It's hard to tell.  Until they come back and train us, we don't know.  Ami
still has yet to determine any relation between our magic and this
phenomenon nor has she determined any reference to it in her logs.  The
computers in Castle Cronus are equally silent on the subject."

"So again, nothing."

Setsuna nodded.

"The time-gate?"

Setsuna didn't even bother to answer that question, having been covered in
many discussions.  No one knew how to access the gates.  They might as well
not even exist.

"Was today an isolated incident, or can I expect more people openly
questioning me?"  There was uncertainty and disappointment in the Queen's
voice now.

"I hope that it was an aberration.  The disquiet in the city is growing,
though.  It is foolish to think that it won't be voiced in public this way."
It was foolish, and they both knew it, but they had also hoped that
Neo-Queen Serenities presence would put a damper on it.  The memories of
people were short, and the mutual struggle to survive, for all intents and
purposes, was over.  There were those who were poor, and mal-fed, but their
were also those who weren't.  They had survived, and were now prospering.
With all things, they still wanted more yet there was little that could be
given.  Construction was still going on, there were still people that needed
housing and other basic supplies.  How could they in good conscious, allow
some to get fat, when so many were so thin?

"Well, if we can finally establish more trade with Japan, we might be
allowed to continue growing."  This was what they were desperately in need
of.  If they could grow their trade, they could allow for more profits for
some, without taking out of the mouths of others, or so Ami had said, and
the others had agreed.  It was with those hopes, that tonight's dinner had
been arranged, as they finally had talked Osaka into negotiated with them.
Osaka and Kyoto to be more precise, both were currently ruled by the same
man, having come to power less than a year ago in Osaka, and bringing Kyoto
quickly under his rule as well.

"The gates?"  Usagi asked quietly, before continuing, "I may as well get
everything out of the way."  A discontent sigh followed the short addendum.

"Nothing.  Even if it did exist, we could not, should not use it."  She
believed that.  It was one of the reasons she had never considered going to
the gates. The future should not be known to any.  Her resolve had failed
under the gaze of her Queen, that breaking had led to her failure to call
them forth.  Ami, of course, had a few possible theories that were benign,
but unfortunately, many more that spoke of failure in regards to all that
the held dear, and were trying to accomplish.

"Do we fail?"  Usagi looked frail and uncertain, scared.  Setsuna was
looking at the little girl, forced to grow up quickly.  She was no longer
afforded the opportunity to be anything less than the Queen she had been
elected to as leader of the Senshi, the savers of humanity.  The good that
they had done, the building they had started was unraveling.  Setsuna could
see the first threads on the tapestry fray, begin to loosen.  How far had
the degradation of their dreams advanced?  Was it reversible?



"The future may be better, or worse.  The only thing we know is it is our
future," she finally responded.

They were hollow words that hinted at both hope or despair; although her
Queen, her hope, needed the truth if they were to prevail.  The stood there
for a moment, eyes meeting, lost in their individual thoughts when the door
to the sitting room burst open.

"I'll be ready," Mamoru shouted from the entrance.

"I'll go prepare myself and meet you for dinner," Setsuna said with a small
bow before adding, "Rei will be fine."  She turned and left to prepare
herself, all the unanswered questions from this meeting weighing heavily on
her mind.


----------------


Usagi walked along the corridor towards the main dining hall.  Her mind was
empty fo all things serious, tonight was important, but it was also a
dinner-party.  She had people to meet, and subvert to her cause.  She knew
her strengths, and diplomacy in its most common form was not on the list.
She was someone who won hearts, and through their hearts, their minds.  To
do that, she had to quit thinking of Rei!  The mere thought of her friend,
her confidant, her nemesis in fun caused her heart to wrench.

Mamoru was at her side, the dashing King.  He had helped her finish
dressing, going over a few pointers for the dinner.  Reminding her of
personal tidbits about their guest and going over possible questions that
might be posed to them, and conversations that might arise.

The approached the double doors that led to the main dining hall.  Usagi
paid scant attention to the proceedings that surrounded her.  Fighting off
the anxiety of the day.  Without thought she stopped at the doors, formality
already entrenched in her subconscious.

She didn't hear the door open, or the herald's announcement.  She moved when
Mamoru took her elbow gently and began to move.  Blinking as realization set
in, she forced a regal smile to her face, one that she had been forced to
practice for hours.  They were the last to arrive as the table was full, the
guests all standing.

Her eyes sought out the strangers, the guests she was here to win over and
found them sitting in places of honor, next to her own seat.  He stood tall
and lean, much more handsome than his picture.  If she hadn't had Mamoru at
her side, she might have been tempted.  Even now, she was appreciative of
his looks.  She looked at the other newcomer, surprised that a woman was
present.  He was said to have been brining a male aid, one whose name she
had already forgotten.

The approached the guest and he curtsied to her.  "You do me great honor by
inviting me here, Neo-Queen Serenity."  His words were formal, but they had
undertones of sincerely she had almost forgotten among the powerful.

"You are the one who brings honor to me, Knives," she replied softly, as
sincerely as she could.  He rose and smiled in response before turning to
his companion.

"I would like to introduce you to my chief advisor.  She wasn't supposed to
attend," he said with a hint of amusement or annoyance, she wasn't sure.
"Kasumi Tendo."


----------------


Ranma looked at the sleeping girls, before slowly creeping away.  He needed
privacy, not wanting his secret out.  A short trip around the hill they had
camped beside, found him alone in the moon light.  He ignored nature and
took a breath, mentally preparing himself.  He hoped she was awake, but
awake or asleep, she would be annoyed at the hour, and at the fact he hadn't
checked in for days.

He concentrated, calling forth a shimmering nimbus he had grown to hate.
Gloves formed on his hands, goggles slipped over his eyes, and two small
antennae formed on his head, all metallic pink in appearance. He
concentrated again, and a small screen formed in front of him, paper thin,
and translucent.  He sent out his thoughts, his call, and waited.

It wasn't long as a face appeared on the screen, a short haired girl,
wearing a night-gown and scowling.

"Well, you aren't dead," she said, easing the creases in her face and
smiling.  It was a far better greeting than he had hoped for.

"Hiya, Nabiki."


------------------


Fin
Chapt 4


Author's notes: Not much to say, except work sucks so writing is slow.
Comments are always welcome and the non-obnoxious ones are answered.
 Noirchloe@nyc.rr.com



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