And...onto the next one!

Whelp, here we go with some more! Step by step, inch by inch, I'm
getting closer to the end of the chapter. Or, at least, where I
think the "chapter" should end. Actually, even I'm starting to
think of it as an odd thing that I should be calling a currently
seven hundred and fifty kilobyte plain text file a single chapter.

Well, you could start calling them books if you want, and labeling the individual
parts chapters.  That might confuse em a bit more.

It's just that I finished another section, and it's about the
right size for another post, so hey, why not?

Oh well. Gotta keep people off-balance, at least for a while.
Wouldn't be proper otherwise! I'll welcome any comments or
suggestions anyone has to make.

Just remember...you asked for it. ^_^

	Terra Incognito knew intuitively that love, of one variety or
another, is what optimally forms a family. After all, when she'd been
kidnapped by an alien from the planet Vegita, her mother had wasted
no time in calling her friends in to help get her back. And
afterward, her father had volunteered to take care of any problems
that had been left over.

...what sort of problems would have required his rather distinct skill set, I wonder?

	The perky young redhead was sure that everyone in her family
loved her a great deal, but for some reason, she did not particularly
enjoy how her grandmother was looking at her. "Umm, Gramma Jenova?"

Jenova?  Heheheh...that'd be about as bad as having an Uncle Hastur.

	"What is it, child?" Jenova asked in a soft, penetrating,
alien voice. Her speech came from perfect lips from a perfect face,

I always figured Jenova as more telepathic myself...course if she was, and trying to
hide it by 'mouthing' what she was projecting, one can only wonder how she'd cover it
up if she got out of sync? Heh.

which itself was attached to a vaguely human, female body in front of
the huge, bulbous sac that Terra never had the heart to ask about.

God help her if she ever watches Alien 2. ^_^

She levitated a little above one of the big, comfy chairs, unable to
sit due to her obvious lack of physical wherewithal that would be
necessary for such a feat. "Has my dear, sweet, granddaughter grown
tired of those that dare seek to 'pick on' her?" One of her long,

My, it's chilly in here. ^_^

somewhat arm-shaped tentacles reached over to caress the girl's
cheek.

	Terra could understand how someone like her mother could fall
in love with someone like her father. She held the opinion that her
father was quite handsome and strong. He'd never treated her with

Fangirls, do indeed, love their bishounen badguys.  The sheer amount of those type
fangirls is truly awe inspiring.

anything less than love and respect, even though he tended to keep
his distance most of the time. It was anyone's guess as to how her
mother met her father, and she had never asked. She had once idly
fancied them meeting at a dance somewhere and really hitting it off,

%*Whenever sang my songs, on the stage, on my own...*%

but that theory did not mesh well with her experience with them.

It's kinda like Sasami trying to figure out just who her dad and mom really are in
the Pretty Sammy TV series. Heh.

	However, even given her recently-enhanced imagination, she
could not figure out how someone like her daddy had an ancestry that
included someone like Gramma. It was like she was from another planet

Lots and lots genetic engineering...and really cool hallucinagenics with just a pinch
of lime.

or something. On the other hand, Terra didn't watch much television
and rarely, if ever, got introduced to her friends' grandparents. For
all she knew, ancient, gigantic, tentacled cthuloids were fairly
common members of any given family tree.

	Still, she made a mental note never to introduce Serena or
Raye to her beloved grandma.

<Terra>  Why are there blastmarks on the walls?  And where are my friends?
<Jenova>  They had to leave...unexpectedly.
<Serean, Raye>  *pounding on the insided of the bulbous sack* Let us outta here!

	"N-no," Terra replied cautiously as she tried to shake off the
creepy, icky feeling welling up inside of her, "my friends are fine."
She looked over at her mother, pleading. "Aren't they?"

	Kasumi nodded as she placed the phone back on the hook. "Oh,
yes. Your friend Serena has her powers back and they finished off the
last of the youma for now."

	"That's good," Terra breathed a sigh of relief.

	Jenova floated a bit closer and peered with oddly-faceted eyes
at Terra. "We cannot have my granddaughter going around helpless,
though, can we?"

	"I'm not helpless," Terra said quickly. "I have powers!" She
pulled out her transformation brooch. "Look at this."

	Another one of Grandma's tentacles reached over and snatched
the magical piece of jewelry. "Ah, yes. The powers of Sailor Earth,
are they?" She held it up and examined it closely. "Barely worth
batting an eyelash over, especially when you have part of my genetic
background to help you along..."

I dunno...I'd think they'd be almost comparable to a certain extent.  The powers
Jenova had were derived from the very life force of her own world, and I expect
Sailor Earth's as similar...if not to the degree Jenova's was.

	"Unlike you, 'dear mother,'" Sephiroth muttered cynically,
sitting beside Terra and holding her hand, "my child is fully human."

	"Um, right!" Terra added with a faint, forced smile.

	Kasumi looked like she wanted to raise her hand and say
something, but in the end, she closed her mouth and sat back down.
"No, better not mention it yet..."

Yeah...no need to mention the part about being the reiincarnation of the Galaxy
Destroyer.  That'd probably bring bad karma all around. Heh.

	"A pity," the monstrous creature sighed, turning away slightly.
"Perhaps, if I could inject you with my cells, dear, then you would
be able to-"

	Terra frowned at her. "Gramma!"

	Jenova looked like she wanted to shrug. What sufficed as her
shoulders remained immobile while her tentacles were held up in a
gesture mimicking innocence. "Merely a suggestion."

<Terra>  Grandma, you always want to inject me with your cells. What gives?
<Grandma>  They're good, and good for you!  Make you big and strong.
<Sephiroth> She doesn't need to start growing extra arms and legs...or wings for that
matter just to kill off those pesky hero types that come along.
<Grandma> But you never know.

	The redhead reached for her brooch. "Can I, um, have it back
now?"

	"Suit yourself," Jenova replied in a somewhat displeased voice,
handing back the magical transformation item in question. She turned
toward Sephiroth. "The next thing you know, she'll be dating boys
with spiky blond hair with glowing eyes that like to carry large
swords around."

	Terra thought about that. "That's a very specific description,"
she noted. "What made you think of that?"

Heheheh.

	Jenova shrugged again. "Oh, well, you know..."

	Sephiroth cleared his throat. "There's nothing wrong with
carrying large swords around," the black-clad man insisted,
indicating his own sheathed blade.

<Kasumi> And I can vouch that he's not trying to compensate for something, either!

	"No, I don't know," Terra replied to her grandmother, her voice
and expression completely devoid of guile. "Could you explain it to
me?"

	Jenova patted the girl on the shoulder with one of her large
tentacles. "Later, dear. Later. Perhaps when you are feeling better."

	"All right," Terra replied with a slight nod. She took a deep
breath. "Well, I'm feeling better already..."

*snicker*

	"That's good!" Kasumi said, smiling.

	"Well, look at the time!" Jenova levitated slightly higher, as
if to make the impression that she just stood up. "I must be going
now."

	Terra brightened, perhaps a little more than she should have.
"Really? That's wonderful--I mean, I'm so sorry you couldn't stay
longer... Um." She blushed, uncertain as to where some of her
thoughs processes were originating.

thoughs = thought

	"I am truly sorry as well, dear," Jenova replied. Her strange
body tensed and a smile formed on her etherially beautiful lips.
"But before I go, how about a kiss for your dear old granny?"

	Most of the blood in Terra's face chose that moment to flee
for deeper, safer locales within her body. "Umm! Of course..."

^_^

	Atop Tokyo Tower, the Atomic Starlight Knight winced.

	<Ewwww, icky Grandma kisses!>

Heh, while this is a universal statement, I expect Terra has a legitimate complaint
in this case.

	<Where?!>

	<Our core being feels...>

	<Wow! She feels creeped out!>

	<Amazing...>

	<We can sense it too! That must mean the link's steadying!>

	<Finally...>

Wonder what ASK is going to do when he figures out he has the wrong girl? Heh.

	ASK had come to this particular locale to drink in the
surroundings and blow off some more steam. He felt the underground
base was too crowded, even though there were only three people
there. The restaurant was too crowded, even though it had been
closed for renovations, as had every other place within a three-
block radius.

Mostly due to the fact they weren't there anymore, but hey...

	<Can't we learn to control our temper?>

	<No!>

	*WHAM!*

	<What!?>

	<Don't say what we think you're going to say!>

	<What's that?>

	<I don't know!>

<Can't we all just get along?>

*All* <KILL THE HEATHEN!>

	He didn't frequent bars, since his mentally-projected body
had zero chemical tolerance and the brawls were far too boring.

Surprising alcohol had any effect at all.

<snip!>

	ASK breathed a long sigh and took out a small palmtop computer,
and pulled up an enemy review program he'd devised a few days back.
"I know!" he whispered. He leaned on the railing of the observation
deck and watched the screen closely.

	<I can review species in the galaxy and how to kill them!>

But why stop with only one galaxy....there are thousands if not millions out
there...all begging for a good killin'. ^_^

	<MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!>

Indeed.

	"Subject," ASK said in a clear, eloquent voice, "Dark Kingdom
youma. Death is inevitable with slight bodily harm. Energy attacks
are most effective, but terminating with physical blows is much more
enjoyable. Average time: one-point-five seconds."

<Youma> ....I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting my righteous donkey outta
here.  All those that second the motion?
<other Youma> Aye!
<Youma> And those against?  ...guys...where'd you go?  Guys?  Guys?

Heh, I remember when the Borg did this one.  ^_^

	Upon hearing this, those visiting Tokyo Tower that night
decided to shuffle off to the other side of the observation platform.
Some of the smarter ones wisely decided that it was time to head
home.

	ASK continued. "Subject: Borg Drone. Transphasic blasts or
severe physical blows. Time: two seconds."

Heh.  Karma.

	"Juraian Royalty, Elite. Modified energy-breaking point to
shatter Light Hawk Wings combined with any sword or critical blow.
Target head or heart with projectile or blade. Five minutes."

Well, keep in mind that only Tenchi had the power to generate his own.  Everyone else
has to use their Tree, who in turn draws power from their Goddess, Tsunami.  They
don't exactly have their own power.  What I'm trying to get at is that fighting them
is the equivalent to fighting a (very) mini Tsunami...then again, you did mention in
one of your chapters he sort of bitch slapped her back to being just a tree. Heh.

	<Didn't take that long the first time we met one...>

	<We had our power source and weren't split up into core being
and avatar, remember?>

	<Oh yeah...>

	"Class Eight Chemical/Energy Vampire. Dodge claws and teeth.
Watch the energy-blasting, it's heavy-duty. Some have mind-control,
so don't bring any friends. Shatter hard palate, death is instant.
Twenty minutes, fifteen seconds, clocked."

I don't recognize this one.  Where's it from?

	A smile finally came to ASK's lips. <Yeah, this is more like
it...>

	<THAT was a tough one. She didn't like the Thor impression
one bit.>

	<Not that it matters, not now.>

	<A trip down memory lane! I wonder if D's still around...>

Vampire Hunter D?  Don't recall anything like that from the movies...this from the
novels?

	"Subject: Advanced Juraian Reaver (Albino). Point singularity
weapons and other gravity-based attacks. Preferred: Weapons of Mass
Destruction. Hmm, I don't know... Didn't take me long in the
simulation. Ummm, two minutes, unless you want the planet intact.
A couple hours if you do."

Reaver?  Hmm...Reaver...Reaver...oh, yeah.  Brian Randall's Ranma fic.

	<When was the last time I saw a real one?>

	<Been a while...>

	<Maybe they'd be more fun to take out by now...>

	<Some mighty-fine take-out, I'd say!>

So come right on down to Vegita's house of Good Eats!  Here we serve up Pikachu's,
Mokona's, the occasional cabbit, and don't forget to try the daily special!  Today
it's Juraian Reaver!  A bit soggy, and highly toxic, but sure to satisfy even the
most encentric gormet connoisseur!  You'll love our tasty grub!

Disclaimer:  Good Eats is not responsible for any maiming, poisoning, accidental
deaths or dismemberments due to the questionable content of our food.

	"Galaxia-class Sailor Senshi. Disable weapon arm and target
vital organs. Pummel senseless and laugh mockingly. Do not kill.
She's one of a kind, heh heh heh! Eight hours."

They don't have others for other galaxies?  Not that it matters...I like that laugh
mockingly bit. ^_^

	"Subject: Black Magic Advanced Sorceress. Catch on the right
day of the month, no contest. Any other day, surprise attacks or
overpowering. Three minutes, unless... Nah, that'd never happen."

	<Lina wasn't that hard.>

	<We never did last long against Luna, though.>

I'm scared to ask what she had that all the others didn't. ^_^

	"Subject: Xenomorph. Oh, that's easy. Projectile weapons and
flamethrowers, give or take a tac-nuke. Five seconds."

	<Get a whole bunch of 'em in a line and shroomsyeruncle!>

	<Still, that infestation was pretty rough to take care of when
we got back to the Jupiter base...>

	<Well, the queens are pretty tough. Not too bad, though.>

	<Pummeled one to death once.>

<And the Acid blood made that Predator we found there slide down the ol' gullet nice
and easy.>

	"Subject: Fashion-based Sailor Senshi. Electrical attacks to
stun, followed by eight sword-slashes to the midsection and finish
off with a grenade or concussive missile. Energy disruption should
speed up the process. Total time, seven seconds."

Damn...that's one helluva spanking.

	<Any news on Sailor Stylin'?>

	<Not unless she's that weird Lynne-kid that keeps sending
me those illustrated letters and signing them with that name.>

	<Sheesh. I don't know what she's thinking, but I'm nobody's
'daddy!'>

	<Whose yo-daddy?>

<Supa Fly>  You wanna know who yer daddy is huh?  It's meeee!  Uh huh!  I'm yer
daddy!  Uh huh!  I'm yer daddy!  How come I'm yer daddy? ^_-

	<?!?!?!>

	<Well, write her back and->

	<No.>

	<Anyway, she's in England. We'll investigate later. We have
more pressing needs now.>

Damn.  Wonder what he's going to do when he finds out about her.

	"Ruler-class Demon Lord, Horrid Chaos Dimension From Whence
There Is No Return. Hmm... That's a tough one. Target vital organs?
Decapitate?"

	*BEEP!* The computer beeped mockingly.

<ASK> WHAT?!  Damnit!  This isn't fair!  I've never killed one of those before!
Stupid pop quizes...

	"No, don't tell me... A Jusenkyou Curse. Drowned slug, then
squish it."

Or pour salt over him in the hot sun.  Heheheheheheh.

<snip>

	<Say, Jade looks a lot like Jadeite...>

	<Duh! She IS Jadeite.>

Hell has just frozen over.  Someone figured something simple out. ^_^

	ASK froze. "Really?" he asked himself. "I didn't notice. How
do I figure that?"

*snicker*  "How do I figure that?"  Heheheh, good one.

	<Oh, let's see... All the bioscans indicated a precise match
to Jadeite's, other than the obvious lack of a certain key
chromosome.>

	<Some of the genes responsible for appearance were affected
as well, consistent with the effects of a locked 'Spring of Drowned
*CUTE* Girl' specialized Jusenkyo curse.>

So uhhh...what other types of girl curses are there?

	<Plus the fact that Jadeite looked exactly like her after the
bucket of water appeared and fell on his head.>

	<Wait, wait, wait, didn't Jadeite die?>

	<No, the wreckage from the space-battle indicated no sign of
his remains.>

	<But that was a big explosion! He'd have been vaporized!>

	<Still, there would have been a molecule or something left.>

	"Wait, wait. Stop right there." The tall, dark-haired, green-
armored man waved his hand in the air. "Am I saying that 'Jade Cyte'
is really Jadeite in disguise?"

	<That's about the size of it.>

It took the brainpower of about 50 personalities to figure this out though.  That's
just sad. ^_^

	ASK processed that for a second. Then he shrugged and whipped
out his gunblade, resting it on his shoulder. "Whelp," he beamed, "I
guess that means I get to kill 'er."

	<YEAAAAAAAAAAAH, BABY!!!>

Ah!  Nothing relieves stress like a good killin'.  Just ask Illpalazo...he wastes
Excel on a regular basis, and all things considered, he's a pretty mild mannered for
a despotic tyrant with delusions of grandeur.

	Armored plates on his back slid away, revealing a rudementary

rudementary = rudimentary

sort of jetpack. Dual flames burned under his long, useless cape, and
he blasted off toward the wreckage of his restaurant. He started
reciting Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries and firing off missiles into
a nearby vacant demolition site. "DAH-DAHN-DA-DA-DAAA-DAAAH!"

They used to do that in Vietnam...scared the shit out of people from what I'm told.
^_^

	After Grandma departed, Terra found herself feeling dazed and
vaguely sick to her stomach. It was not so much the act of kissing
her beloved 'Gramma' that left her feeling that way. It was more

The funny thing is, she hasn't yet asked where "Grampa" is.

	"They're becoming more dangerous," Terra's father said. "You've
made me proud so far--you're very strong, but if this continues, not
even you will be safe."

Well, it's not like she'll be safe if she just sits by and lets the Dark Kingdom
invade either.  Or do they have some sort of escape plan should that eventuality come
to pass?

	"Can you help them, then?" Terra asked.

	Sephiroth shook his head. "I'm not around long enough to do
much. I barely have time to visit you and your mother."

<Sephiroth> *looking at Tux's axe as he tries desperately to lift it*  ....Mine's
bigger. ^_^

	"They're doing well enough on their own," Kasumi said brightly.
"Sailor Moon should be strong enough to stop anyone that comes along
for a while..." She sounded more hopeful than sure of herself.
"Mercury's doing well. Mars should be able to master her new magic
soon..."

	"I _want_ to help them, Mother!" Terra protested.

	"You could get hurt," Kasumi said. "I don't want you to get
hurt..."

	"Neither do I," Sephiroth added, folding his arms, turning his
back toward them and facing the window. He was not seated like his
wife.

	"We can't let you go," Kasumi added. "We're very sorry, but
it's for your own good."

Though even if she didn't go, she'd still be in much danger from the Youma, and even
more so if the others failed.  This bit of parental logic seems to contrast a bit
with what happens later when Sephiroth tests her.  More when that happens.

	"Promise me," Sephiroth said, not looking at her, "that you
will not go to fight with them again."

	Terra looked down, closed her eyes, and pursed her lips.
Subtly, an unfamiliar feeling rose inside her. "I will go," she
said in a determined voice that she knew was hers but couldn't
recognize the tone, "whether you say I can or not." The girl gasped
when she recognized the emotion in question as the ancient force
known as 'rebellion.' "I mean," she amended quickly and in a softer
voice, "they might need me some day." She trembled and looked short
of breath, surprised at herself.

So very different from being the old Galaxy Destroyer.

	Kasumi held a hand to her cheek, deep in thought. She picked
up the phone and went into another room.

	"Father," Terra said, "Daddy. I can't promise that. I know I
can be a big help--I can feel it!" She held a hand to her heart.
"I _can_ be strong enough to help them out, maybe even stronger
than Serena's become!"

Now THAT's the spirit!  Now if only the rest of the Scouts could pick up this
attitude, as well as Serena.

	"I see..." Sephiroth paused in thought. Then he whirled around
and unsheathed his sword in a flash.

	"DADDY!" The sword went in an arc close to Terra's face. Her
head blurred as she moved it out of the way of the blade's path.
Dodging backwards to what she considered a safe distance, she
discovered that the ribbon that held her ponytail bound had been
split in two. "W...why?"

	"Do you intend to disobey me?" the white-haired man asked
sternly, brandishing his weapon.

	Terra took a couple of breaths to get her bearings. "Oh, I
see. You knew I'd be able to dodge that."

	"Perhaps," Sephiroth replied. "Shall I continue?"

	The again-perky girl shook her head. "Oh, no. I know you,
Father. You wouldn't kill me."

	"If I were to do so," Sephiroth continued, "or to allow you
to fight alongside the others, the net effect would be the same."
He pointed the tip of his exceptionally long blade at the girl's
neck. "It would only be a question of time."

This right here is incredibly logical, if a bit fatalistic.  After all, the risk is
great, but by no means a guarantee she'll wind up dead.  DAMN good chance though.
The thing here I find weird, is that he's willing to do this, which is again, highly
logical, and yet wouldn't let her go out and fight the invading force.  However,
they'd let her go outside and continue living in this place, which exposes her to
their dangers anyway...without the means of protecting herself.  I dunno...the logic
just seems to break down somewhere to me.

	Terra tilted her head quizzically at her father. "Wait, is
this where I'm supposed to defeat you in a fair battle so that I
can prove I won't get hurt out there?"

	"Something like that."

	Terra scrunched down her face and considered her options.
Finally, her expression lit up and she smiled broadly. "All right."

	"I will not go easy on you."

Why do they always say something like this?  Don't get me wrong; I'm all for fair
warning, but it's almost always this phrase.  One wonders about that sometimes (kinda
like "I will never forgive you!")

	"That's all right, Father."

	"It will be difficult."

	"I understand."

	"Are you ready?"

	Terra nodded. "Umm-hmm!" She looked around. "So, where's my
sword?"

	Sephiroth meaningfully adjusted his grip on the handle of his
extended katana. "You don't get a sword."

	"What?!" Terra frowned, then swiftly ducked under a slash.

	"Begin!"

Bit late isn't it? ^_^

	The next few minutes were a blur in her mind. Using reflexes
she somehow knew were hers but couldn't figure out where she had
acquired them, Terra avoided everything her father could dish out.
This included the sword, the lightning bolts, the flames, and the
multiple assaults by strange spirits from another dimension. If
asked, she would say that she had no idea how she managed to avoid
it all, but some distant part of her seemed to know exactly what was
going on, and guided her actions. Plus, at the corner of her eye,
sometimes she could see the edge of some weird spherical barrier
deflecting some of the more deadly-looking forces away.

Weird spherical barrier?

	However, she would be hard-pressed to explain how she, in the
tiny, cagelike space of her living room, managed to knock her father
down, wrench the sword from his unyielding fingers, and point it at
his neck.

I'd like to know how she even picked that monster weapon up. ^_^

	Terra gasped, took a step back, and covered her mouth, dropping
the sword in shock. For the first time, she noticed the tattered mess
that had become of her pajamas. Beneath, her flesh had been left
completely unscathed. "Oh my! Excuse me, Father, I must interrupt our
battle to clean up and put something proper on." Holding the remains
of her clothes together to retain her modesty, she fled for her room.
"I'll be right back!"

Uhh...yeah....

	Kasumi walked back in. "I think I found a way to make everything
work out--oh my!" She covered her mouth in shock when she saw the
wreck that had once been the living room. "This could take hours to
clean!" She immediately set about setting the broken chairs back up,
resetting plastic vases, and sweeping the broken glass. "I heard the
noise. Did you challenge Terra to a duel again, dear?"

And she takes this all so cheerfully.

	Every part of Sephiroth's body burned with pain. With eyes
wedged shut, he replied, "Possibly. Aaaarrrgghhh..." In his family,
hitting like a girl had become rather the opposite of the traditional
meaning. "I think she gets it from you."

I can't wait 'til you explain just what and/or who Kasumi really is. ^_^

	Kasumi only smiled, humming to herself while she started
vacuuming, missing only the sections underneath her fallen husband.

Somehow I imagine her just picking him up, vacuuming under him, then dropping him
back on the floor in a tangled heap of pain. Heh.

A few moments later, she put her apron on and started pleasantly
reapplying plaster on the walls.

	Soon, Terra came back out. In just a few minutes, she had
managed to bathe, wash and brush her hair, and put on a darling white
blouse with orange loose-fitting casual slacks. She also had on thin,
short white socks with casual shoes. "I'm ready!" she announced,
assuming a ready fighting stance.

<Kasumi> Take your father outside to beat him up this time, dear.

<snippage!>

	They opened the door, and on the other side fluttered a small,
green and white patterned seal. "G'day," it said, presenting a large
tray of tiny, squeaking things. It saluted and added, "Door ta door
ArbyFish salesman!"

	"Arby?" Terra asked, suddenly brightening. "You're alive?"

	The ArbyFish shook its head. "No, no, ya'z gots it awl wrong.
Oye'z Flanburger, the Second One!"

	"You're not Arby?" Terra pressed.

	"Nope!" the creature replied. "Oye'z ya door-ta-door ArbyFish
salesman." It held its tray higher. "Care for an ArbyFish? Tastes
GREAT on a cracker!" It held up an orange thing, vaguely ArbyFish-

If an Arbyfish sells it's young to be eaten, how do they....you know something, I
just won't ask.  I won't even ask. ^_^

shaped, which squeaked. "Try an Orange one. They prevent scurvy.
Ya can juice 'em or put 'em on a stick and lick 'em!" He tied the
little spit to a stick and held it up for them to see.

I suppose you had to do something to get the sugar of Sailor Stylin out of your
system before you died of saccarine overload.  But you know, this is kinda sick. ^_^
Good job.

	"You're selling your young?" Kasumi asked, holding her ponytail
and trying not to look too taken aback.

	"A'course!" Flanburger replied. "Roight propa' business, it
is! Gotta sell ya young. Ow'd ya get 'em ta grow up roight if ya
didn't? Eh? Eh?"

But then...no, I wasn't going to ask that. ^_^

	"When's Arby coming back?" Terra asked. "You know him, right?"

	"Ev'ryone knows th' First One," Flanburger replied. "E's roight
congealed, 'e iz. 'Ad a ceremony n' a statue on 'Shroom Day, too.
It's a Tradition(tm)." He cleared his throat. "So, 'ow 'bout n'

...how...oh yeah, Blue Arbyfish buy it a lot, don't they?

ArbyFish? One fer a nickel er two fer a quar'er? A few more n' yew'd
'ave a bushel. N' if ya make it double, Oye'll throw in sum fungus,
tew!"

	Kasumi simply began to close the door. "No, I think we're fine."

	"'Ey!" the ArbyFish said in protest.

	"I'm only interested in Pink ones," Kasumi added.

Assuming any are still around. ^^

	Kasumi nodded, just as there was another knock at the door.
This time, when she opened it, a girl in her late teens in a
sensible dress with blue-green hair stood before them. "Oh! Please
come in."

	The woman half-led, half-dragged the new girl into the
kitchen and sat everyone down around the table.

	"Terra, I'd like you to meet Michiru Kaioh," Kasumi said,

If this is the semi dubb universe, wouldn't she be named Michelle?  I mean, I
wouldn't hold it against you if you didn't want to go with the Cloverway dubb (*looks
over my shoulder at the fusion cannons aiming powering up for a strategic strike on
cloverway...heheheheh), but it is something to note.

"also known as Sailor Neptune, warrior for the New Age and Soldier
of the Outer Solar System."

	Michiru's jaw dropped. "Ah, I..." She was obviously at a
loss for words. She appeared to be thinking that she ought to be
offended on some level, but in the end, her expression showed more
confusion than anything else. "How did you know about that?"

I wasn't even aware she was even a Senshi at this point...not that it actually
matters, but I can't remember if she was or was not here.

	"A little green fish told me," Kasumi replied. "Anyway,
Michiru, this is my daughter Terra. On the side, she's an honorary
Sailor Scout, Sailor Earth."

	"Honorary?" Terra whispered with a slightly raised eyebrow.

>From what I recall of the panel with Naoko Takeuchi (sp?) at Comic-con 97, she
actually clarified that Tux boy was the 'senshi' of the Earth (nearly shouted out
loud "Have more respect for yourself!" when she said Tux was her ideal man.  She's a
bit too cute and nice for that sort of self-depreciation ^^) Funny thing about her
definition of senshi.  If you want to take that definition to another anime, you'd
find that the Kami-sama of the world of Dragon Ball Z is actually a Senshi.  Can't
imagine the old green guy in a skirt though. ^^;;;;

	Michiru stared at the redhead. If she were the sort to have
her eyes routinely bug out, they would have done so at this point.
"_You're_ Terra?"

	"That's right," Terra said, wondering about the cause of
the other young woman's distress.

	"You're the one I'm supposed to babysit?" Michiru asked
incredulously.

	Terra looked puzzled. "Babysit? Mother, you said she'd be my
chaperone for when I go out to fight..."

	"It's the same thing," Kasumi replied with an encouraging
shrug, as if she had been hoping all along that the terminology
wouldn't matter.

	"When she goes out to fight?" Michiru asked. "All I said I
wanted was a part-time job to help me purchase a new violin..."

	Kasumi looked at her with mild distress. "So, you won't help
a fellow Sailor Soldier to fulfil her duties?"

fulfil = fulfill

	"I didn't say that," Michiru replied, slowly waving a hand.
"It's just that this is hitting me a little too quickly. Could you
please give me a minute to think about all this?"

<Michiru> And do I still get paid?

	Kasumi nodded and smiled as she stood. "Of course! Why don't
you two talk and get to know each other. I need to go take care of
something."

Seems like you're missing something here.  Like an explanation that Kasumi knew that
something needed done, but had forgotten what...or something of that nature.

	"The living room's still a mess," Terra explained.

	"Ah, yes, the living room," Kasumi whispered. "Yes, yes. That's
it!" She walked out of the room.

	Terra tilted her head and sent a strong, closed-eyed smile
directly at Michiru. She wrongly decided that a direct, penetrating
question would work best to help break the ice. "You look like you're
a nice and mature sort of girl. What kind of boys do you like
dating?"

	Michiru scooted back as if hit in the sternum with a three-
pound shot put. "Ahhhh," she began, gasping for breath, "I prefer a
strong _companion_ who isn't afraid to voice their opinion."

It's a terrible shame you know.  Michiru is quite pretty, but no man will ever be
able to attract her interest...unless he did something drastic and dunked himself in
the spring of cute drowned girl..........I'm not writing that one.  You can't make
me!  Nooo!  Bad thoughts!  Bad thoughts!

	"Oh, that's nice," Terra beamed.

^_~;;

	Jadeite was dreaming--he knew he had to be dreaming. He was a
he, for example, and the sparkling bubbles floating in the distance
were a dead giveaway. So was the slightly brighter-than-normal edge
to his vision. Either that, or he had died, but the Terran Guardian
felt sure that someone would take a moment and inform him if such an
event had taken place. Or so he liked to think.

<Death> HEH HEH HEH HEH!

	His current surroundings were quite familiar. They consisted
of the stone architecture found in the Lunar Palace on the Moon. He
felt as if only a few scant days had passed since he had gazed upon
it last. Yet, at the same time, he knew that the structure had lain
in ruins for thousands upon thousands of years and the inhabitants
thereof had been slain.

Actually, by this point, wouldn't they be little more than lunar rocks, considering
the heavy bombardment of meteors they'd have been under for the last few thousand
years or so?

<smallage snippage>

	Serenity reached down and ran her hair through the child's
short hair. "Isn't she pretty?" She looked across the bed at Jadeite

ran her hair = ran her hand

and said, "I trust you will be able to explain how this happened?"
It wasn't so much a question as a suggestion--a rather motherly
suggestion that promised a spanking whatever the response might be.

Odd.  Why would she be even the remotest angry about this.  Puzzled, yes, but angry?

	Jadeite grimly recognized the girl. The image had been burned
into his mind from the first moment he had gazed into the mirror and
seen a face that wasn't his own. Actually, she looked a lot like one
of his granddaughters. "Ah, yes... Er." He soundlessly watched her
sleep for a moment before looking into the Queen's eyes. "I'm a
little unclear as to how it happened myself."

	"Doesn't it bother you at all?"

	"I always woke up to the same, unwavering appearance for
centuries. I'd say a little change was in order by now, wouldn't you
agree?" There was more than a hint of irony in Jadeite's voice.

Heh, a lot of agreement going on here.

	Serenity let out a long sigh. "You're all right with it, then?"

	"It sure beats being dead or possessed," Jadeite replied.
"Unless, of course, you know the way to change me back..."

	The Queen shook her head. "Your bid for freedom did terrible
things to the enchantment placed upon you. Before, it was such a
simple and straightforward thing. Now, it's so bent and battered
beyond recognition that it would take considerable effort with
the Ginzuishou to get rid of it, and I do not have that Crystal
with me right now."

Is she dead or something else?  I recall seeing her pop up and give Usagi different
power ups from time to time in the initial series, but I know she died on the moon
thousands of years ago...and that seems a bit too...I dunno, PHYSICAL for her to be
giving out the occasional power up here and there.  So, the question becomes, if she
did die, what did she become after the fact?

	"I'm sure I'll get used to it," Jadeite replied sullenly.
After all, he had gone into this believing that it was a permanent
thing. Simply hearing that there was a way--ANY way--to eliminate
the curse was definitely a breath of fresh air. "I take it that
my body right now is simply a sort of spiritual projection?"

	"Yes," Serenity said. "You are still you, despite whatever
might happen to," she meaningfully placed a hand on the girl's head,
"you. Take comfort in this."

	Jadeite considered that. Oddly enough, it did make him feel
a bit better.

	"Are you ready for the challenges ahead of you?"

	"There happen to be several sets I'm worried about. Which
challenge might you be referring to?"

	"Good question. Where _can_ I begin?"

	"How about: is this just a dream, or are you really sending
me a message this way?"

	"Yes. However, I think we should ask the most immediate
question."

Heh, I like how she didn't answer his questions.

	"What's that?"

	"As such a small child, you have no muscle to speak of and
recently drained most of what remained of your powers. How do you
intend to rescue Zoicite and Kunzite or even be able to serve your
prince when you find him?"

	That gave Jadeite pause to think. "That's right, I am sort
of weak, outnumbered, outpowered, outgunned..."

How can he lose? ^_^

(itty bitty snippy)

	Jadeite closed his eyes, but only to prevent the woman from
seeing that he was rolling them. Breathing out a sigh, he said, "Not
a transformation pen..."

	"Oh, come on," Serenity urged brightly and mischievously,
"you'll look good in a sailor suit! We'll call you Sailor Chibi-Chibi
Jadeite!"

BWAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!

	"Ah," Jadeite said, looking frantically around for an exit,
"on the other hand, maybe the Dead Moon Circus is still has an
opening..."

	"Don't be such a baby," Serenity prodded, grinning like a
maniac. "It'll do you good. Just to make sure you still want to
change back when the Sailor Senshi find the Ginzuishou, of course."

	"Imperium Silver Crystal," Jadeite corrected.

	"Whatever."

	"Isn't there anything _else_ you could lend me?"

	Queen Serenity sat down beside the young girl. "Well," she
said slowly, "there _is_ a slightly less pretty, but more convenient
option." She held out her hand, above which a large golden, jewel-
encrusted bracelet appeared, shimmering in the soft light. "The
Cutie Moon Rock Bracelet. On loan from a friend."

<Jadeite> Where do you get these wonderful toys?

She's like an ethereal arms dealer. ^_^

	Jadeite also sat down in order to examine the object closer.
"What does it do?"

	"It can work as a temporary source for your powers."

	"Why is it more convenient?"

	"Because it lets you use your own skills instead of making you
learn new ones."

	"Why is it less pretty?"

	"Because you _might_ not end up in a sailor fuku when using
it," Serenity explained.

	"I'm willing to take that risk," Jadeite replied smoothly. "Do
you want anything in return?"

	"Do what you can to protect the Sailor Senshi," Serenity said,
just as the room took on a brighter hue. "Unless something is done,
one of them will shortly perish."

	"Wait!" Jadeite leaned toward her urgently, taking the hint that
the dream would shortly end. "Which one? Which one should I keep an
eye on? And how do I use the bracelet?!"

	"You'll figure it out."

	The brightness went the other direction, fading into shadow.

	"How can I know that?!" Jadeite called into the nothingness.

	"Because if you do not, _you_ will shortly perish."

	"WHAT?!"

This conversation was just beautiful man.  I was smiling with my tongue in my cheek
the whole way through it. ^_^

	Guardian Jadeite's eyes shot open. She rolled aside and fell to
the floor, just in time to avoid a massive energy blast that
obliterated whatever she had just been lying on.

	"Oooh, nice move, General!" an overconfident, mocking voice
shouted through the grey smoke. "Glad to hear you've decided to make
this a bit more interesting. I'd hate for you to have a _boring_
death."

<Jadeite> Yeah...that'd be a terrible shame.  It'd be almost as bad if I were to get
sealed up in a crystal, exorcised of Metallia's control, so I might howl out the rest
of eternity in pity and self loathing, and quite unfairly I might add.

<ASK> Hey....that sounds like a damn fine plan!  ....ehh, I'm not in the mood.
*zap!*

	"Stop it, 'Tim!" a woman cried. "She's just a little girl,
not a general!"

	"Hah! That's just what he wants you to think!"

	"Computer," a third, calm voice said, "activate all sickbay
forcefields. Maximum power."

	Jadeite blinked several times, seeing a slight flash a few
feet away. She could feel that her wounds were gone, but she
nevertheless remained sore all over. Hanging loosely about her
wrist she could feel the bracelet Queen Serenity had given her.
She slid it higher up in order to avoid losing it. It fit snugly
around her arm. "Good, not just a dream, but what's going on?!"

	*BLAM-BLAM-BLAM!*KSSH-KSSH-KSSH!* Three large explosions
bounced off the nearby invisible barrier.

	Some of the dust cleared, allowing Guardian Jadeite to identify
a balding man in a blue and black uniform, a woman wearing tights and
a tunic along with a big bow in her hair and a big spatula on her
back, and then there was the other guy.

	He was six-foot-six, wore green and black chamouflage armor,

chamouflage = camouflage

had a really mean, obsessive look in his eye, and he carried a very
large particle beam cannon that looked like it ought to be mounted on
a battle cruiser.

	"Computer," the Atomic Starlight Knight said in an overly
cheerful voice, "deactivate the EMH and the forcefields."

	"But!" His mouth agape, the doctor vanished and the barrier
blinked off.

*evil laugh*

	"The only buts around here are going to be kicked ones." ASK
rook a step closer and waved his gun inches from the child's face.
"I know I shouldn't do this, but for old time's sake, what do you
say I count to ten and THEN fire? One... Two..."

	Jadeite's lower jaw literally hit the floor. "GWAAAH!"

	*BLAM!!!* "TEN!!!" The Knight in Shining Armor absorbed the
massive recoil, his boots digging an inch into the metal deck.

Portrait of a man who really really REALLY wants to kill someone.

<snip...oh the snip!>

	Ukkyo put her hands on her hips. "This is what we were talking
about! You've gone insane again."

	"No, I haven't," ASK affirmed, idly pointing toward the cute
young blonde girl with his gunblade. "Sorry, but this is business."
He leaned down and kissed Ukkyo on the forehead and pulled the
trigger.

Why not just go for the full on kiss on the mouth?  It totally immobilizes anime
girls. ^_^

	*BLAAAM!*

	"WAAAAH!" Jadeite cried in fright, crossing her small arms in
front of her chest. A flickering green barrier appeared. It was just
_barely_ enough to block the shot. She panted hard, looking around
for an escape route.

	"If you kill her, I'm breaking up with you!" Ukkyo warned.

	ASK frowned. He clicked on the safety and put away the sword.
Looking quizzically at her, he said, "Why would you go and do a
crazy thing like that?" He looked aside, as though someone else
was speaking to him.

Well, all things considered he is kinda two-timing the poor Youma lady.  ^^

	*WHACK!* The six-foot-six one man legion brought his fist
down heavily on his head. "Quiet," he whispered.

	"Because that's just plain wrong!" Ukkyo shouted.

	"No it isn't," ASK said. "This is war--sublime war! There must
be no retreat! Mwa-hah!" He seemed to _really_ be enjoying this.

<ASK> And surrender is not an option.  Especially not when I'm klling them! ^_^

	Jadeite ran past them in order to reach the door. Not looking
at her, ASK snagged the back of her dress and held her up while
speaking to Ukkyo.

	"AAAH!" screamed Jadeite, her legs dangling in the air. She
gripped the bracelet on her arm and tried to think happy thoughts
or whatever it took to activate it.

	"Okay, let's get this settled," ASK said. "Right here, I have
a General of the Negaverse in my grasp, and you want me not to kill
it?"

	"Don't hurt her," Ukkyo insisted, "she's just a child!"

	"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease don't hurt meeeeeeeeeeee!" the girl
pleaded, tears flowing from her eyes and her hands held together in
deep supplication.

<ASK> You, who are without mercy, now plead for it?!  Eehh...*blam* Request denied!

	ASK glanced at her. "Don't think being cute will help. _I_
know that method better than you possibly could." At Ukkyo, he said,
"There you go again. You don't seriously think that this is General
Jadeite, do you?"

	"Jadeite is a lot older, a _lot_ taller, a LOT more powerful,
AND AN AWFUL LOT MORE MALE THAN SHE IS!" Ukkyo added sternly.

	"Listen to her! Listen to her!" Jadeite urged.

Ack!  Too much cute girly pleading! Ack! ^_^

	"Shh!" ASK shushed her.

	"At least put her down so we can talk about this," Ukkyo
suggested.

	"All right," ASK agreed. He looked at the little girl. "You're
too overconfident, too unintelligent, and you have a terrible
disguise."

	"Look who's talking," Ukkyo muttered.

Heheheh

	"Okay, FINE," ASK compromised. He placed Jadeite on the floor,
thrust a finger at her face and commanded in a voice that left no
room for doubt or argument, "Don't move."

	Jadeite shakily nodded.

	ASK pulled up chairs for the three of them. Ukkyo helped the
girl into one before she and the knight also sat down. "Computer!
Activate the EMH!"

	"Please state the nature of the--what the--?! Not again!!" The
hologram gasped at the horrible damage done to sick bay.

	"Doctor," ASK said in a calm voice while glaring daggers at
Jadeite, "get us some drinks. Orange cream strawberry juice, all
around."

	"I'm a doctor!" the EMH complained loudly, "not a replicator!"

.....BWAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHH!!!  DeForest Kelly...we'll miss you always. ^_^

	"So? Check the 'girl' out for more injuries when you give her
the drink if it makes you feel better." ASK turned toward Ukkyo.
"You like orange cream soda, right?"

	The doctor choked a bit, but he complied.

	And so it was that the dark knight, the cook, and the ex-
general got together and had a nice, calm pre-mortem conference.
Each party in question was allowed to argue their point without
interference from the other party. As the plaintiff, ASK went first,
insisting that the girl was really General Jadeite in disguise and
must therefore die in the most messy and excrutiating fashion. Ukkyo

excrutiating = excruciating

One gets the impression, he's really not happy with Jadeite.  Just an impression
though...not too terribly blatant. ^_-

went next, arguing that it was completely insane to think that such a
cute, adorable girl could really be a Dark Kingdom general in
disguise--the very idea was ludicrous.

	Then came the girl's chance to defend herself.

	"First of all," she said, "my name _is_ Jadeite."

	ASK nodded. "There, see?"

	"SHH!" Ukkyo smacked the man's hands away from his firearm.

^_^

<'nother of them snips>

	ASK smiled broadly. "Sure!" He grabbed the blonde's free hand
and started shaking it roughly. "Any friend of Serenity's is a
sure-fire friend of mine!" Then he frowned. "Does this mean I don't
get to kill you?"

Now that's a serious one-track mind. ^_^

	Jadeite relaxed. "I guess not..."

	Then the sickbay doors opened and Paracite ran in, his clothes
as rumpled as ever. "Cousin Jadeite! Cousin Jadeite!" Short of breath,
he ran toward the young girl and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Ack!  Where'd I put that insulin?

"I'm SO glad you're okay! Hey, wait a second." He patted her back and
shoulders a little. "You're a little smaller than when I last saw
you."

*fondle, fondle*  And what's with these weird soft things on your chest?

	Jadeite frowned. "Er, excuse me, could you remind me who you
are...?"

^_^;;;

To be continued...

There, that wasn't so bad, now, was it?

I think I'm still alive, so it's all good. ^_^

I only have a few more loose ends to tie up and then I'll be able to
advance the story along. I just _had_ to dump so many different
plotlines into it, didn't I?

Awwwe...you're just like the rest of us fanfic writers.  We're all just a bit
masochistic on the inside...and some of us on the outside. Heheheheheh.

Besides, I've gotta get to the Ranma/Pluto stuff soon. Wouldn't
be proper otherwise! Plus, there's the four other series I need
to work on as well...

<Dr. Arby> An' in dis room of da roight lovely Sanitarium, oui'll see we 'ave a
rather good looking gal by the name o' Sailor Pluto.  Don't ya get too close ta da
bars, she's been known ta bite people's arms off, roight nicely.  Told ya so.
Anywoay, 'ers is a terribly tragic story of 'ow 'er various fianc�s drove 'er
absolutely, toys 'n de attic, truly gone fishin', bugfuck, psycho 'nsane.  Might
wanna put some pepament bubblegum 'shrooms on dat der bloody stump, or yer likely ta
start feelin' da effects of da venom she's a got.  T'all started a long long time ago
'n a Moon Kingdom far far aw'y with 'n Admiral Tim, 't did...^_^

If anybody noticed anything amiss, I would like to hear about it,
so that I may take the proper actions and cover it up before anyone
else notices, etc. ^_^

Well, not really amiss, but for the most part, this chapter didn't have quite the
amount of slapstick, kill 'em all, Evil Dead type humor that was in most of the other
chapters.  I mean, the conversations between Terra and her parents (and grandparent)
as well as the conversation between Serenity and Jadeite, while humorous (especially
when you consider just WHO is having these conversations, heh), were almost...serious
at points.  The humor involved was more subtle, tongue in cheek, snicker all the way
through it humor, vice the evil laughter one gets while watching Tux get vaporized by
Kakkarot (Pure magic that one. ^_^).  This is not a bad thing mind you, (Sailor Chibi
Chibi...hehehehe) but it is a bit different than the other chapters for the most part
and is worth saying I did notice this.

There were only a few misspellings and odd word placements here or there that I could
detect.

Not much else I can think of to comment on.  This seemed to be a more...sedate (if
that word even applies ^^) chapter than most of your others, but still quite a fun
read.

Until later, then!

Later.  Hope this helped a bit.

K'thardin
"One shall stand, one shall fall."
	-Optimus Prime


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