Disclaimer:  Ranma � doesn't belong to me, as you all know.  It 
belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.  Likewise, Sailor Moon belongs to 
Takeuchi Naoko.  Thus, I don't own any of the characters in this 
story.  


Chapter 3: Bad Timing


 Ranma sighed as he looked towards Juuban from the top of an 
overhanging cliff.  It'd been a long journey taken at a quick speed 
where even he had to push himself, but he was finally here.  In a 
few moments he'd be able to see his mother again.  It was hard to 
imagine staying in one place, though.  "Kind of ironic.", he thought.  
"I finally get something I've dreamed about for years and I'm already 
having regrets."

 Xian Pu looked over his shoulder.  "So, that is home?."

 "Yeah, Xian.  Another hour, or so, and we'll be in front of 
my Okaasan's house."

 "Ah, is good news.  Xian Pu need...", Xian Pu started, but 
was off by a poke in the ribs.  "What...I mean is, I need sometime 
to rest.  You have pushed...me very hard."

 "Well, we better get going.  Ma should have received the post 
card I sent.  She won't expect us 'til tomorrow, but I thought I'd 
surprise her.", he said with a smirk on his face.  And with that, 
they set off towards home.



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


 "I can't believe I'll finally be able to see Ranma again.", 
Nodoka Saotome thought to herself while she walked home from the 
grocery store, smiling to herself.  "I'll have to start cooking 
tonight so we can have a proper feast when he arrives.  Kind of funny 
that he sent instead of Genma, though.  Then again, Genma did stop 
sending me mail quite a while ago."  Her face started to darken 
slightly as she pondered that line of thought.

 She unlocked the door to her home and stepped inside.  "It's 
always the same.  So old and empty.  It feels more like a museum then 
a home, but that'll change.", she thought with a with a soft smile.

 She instantly left for the kitchen, dropping off the 
groceries, then headed up to her room.  She changed out of her 
kimono and got into some jeans and a t-shirt.  No sense in getting 
her good clothes dirty with all of the all of the preparations she'll 
be making after all.

 She went back to the kitchen, and put on some classical music, 
from a portable radio she used whenever she needed to spend a lot of 
time in the kitchen. "Tomorrow's feast will be unlike any I've ever 
made before.", she vowed as she put on her apron.  "Nothing is to 
good for my son."

 She had it all planned out.  She would make a combination of 
the best Japanese and Chinese dishes she knew, in honor of his return 
from China.  After all, knowing Genma, he probably didn't get to eat 
very much while he was there.  When Genma was around food seemed to 
magically disappear.

 Lulled into complacency with the combination of the music and 
preparations for Ranma, Saotome Nodoka didn't hear the distant crashes 
that were drawing closer.


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


 Sailor Moon paused in her roof hopping in order to draw out 
her communicator.  She sighed as she noted that a portal was starting 
to open up in southern Juuban.  Why couldn't they allow them to have 
a single day to rest?

 She set off towards the direction of the most recent attack.  
The nearest senshi was at least 10 minutes from the site, and she was 
a good 20 minutes or so.  There was no telling what kind of damage 
could be done in that time.

 Her legs ached as she pushed them to their limits.  Why was 
it that all her powers seemed so useless?  It's help if she could 
find a way to transport more rapidly.  Why couldn't she have the 
ability to fly, or something like that?

 She was able to arrive at the site within 15 minutes, thanks 
to pushing herself, but the monster wasn't there.  'Luckily', it left 
a nice, wide trail for her to follow.

 She followed the demolished houses and cars for a couple 
blocks, and was able to see Sailors Venus and Mercury fighting a 
creature that seemed to come from a bulldozer.  Great, just what she 
needed.

 "Sailors, tri-point formation", she shouted as she joined the 
fight.  It was going to be another long day.


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


 Ranma found himself confronted by a road block and a police 
guard when he was within about a � mile of his mother's house.  He 
tried to go around it, but every street he came to was likewise 
blocked.  After about five min. of this he got a bit fed up.

 "Hey, let me through!  I have to get home."

 "Listen, kid, you're not going anywhere.  I'm not allowed to 
let anyone enter."

 "Whaddya mean, I can't enter this street.  What's going on 
out there?"

 "You have to be kidding me, right?  What do you think it's 
about?  Hmmph.  The city's been under attack for over a month now 
and... Hey!!  You can't enter.  It's too dangerous.", the policeman 
yelled, while trying to grab Ranma's leg as he jumped ten feet above 
the barricade.

 "Xian Pu sorry about this.", Xian Pu replied, bowing to the 
policeman.  "Have to find Revered One's mother.  Have no time."  Xian 
Pu followed Ranma's lead by leaping over the policeman.  Why did it 
seem like she was always trailing so far behind Ranma?

 Ranma ended up stopping fairly quickly.  It seemed like the 
logical thing to do, with the scene in front of him.  There were four 
girls in rather sailor outfits that seemed to be fighting 
a...bulldozer?  Not only that, but they were doing it right in front 
of his mother's house.  This was not the homecoming he was expecting.

 "Hey, ugly.  Need someone to fight?  Try me on for size.", 
Ranma said, getting into a ready stance.

 The bulldozer ignored him, in favor of continuing to attack 
the girls, who kept hurling something at it?  "Could that be ki?", 
Ranma thought to himself.  Aww, he'd have time to check that out 
later.  He got ready to attack the monster, when he caught a movement 
out of the corner of his eye.  

 Ranma turned around to see what had to be his mother in the 
doorway.  What were the police thinking?  Why didn't they clear 
everyone out?!  Ranma started to run towards his mother, when he was 
passed up by a figure flying backwards at an incredible rate.  With 
horror Ranma watched as the figure in red plunged into the side of 
the house, collapsing part of the roof on his mother.

 "Noooo!!", Ranma screamed, running towards his mother as fast 
as he could.  Why?!  Why the hell did these things keep happening to 
him.

 Ranma used his kachu tenchin amagurikan to clear away the 
rubble as fast as he could.  However, her figure just lay there, 
still and pale.  He ignored the background noises of the fight as he 
checked for breathing and a pulse.  Tears started to stream down his 
face as he performed CPR.

 In, in, out.  In, in, out.  In, in, out.  Why wasn't it 
working?  In, in, out.  He was doing it just like he was shown.  In, 
in, out.  If his mother didn't survive...  In, in, out.  No, he 
wouldn't go there.  She WOULD survive.

 A golden aura started to surround him as he continued his 
administrations.  It started quite softly, first surrounding him, 
then slowly creeping over to surround Nodoka as well.  As the aura 
gained intensity, the Nodoka's complexion grew better.  After a 
couple more minutes Nodoka Saotome coughed weakly and started to 
breathe on her own.

 Ranma cried as hugged his mother to him.  Unnoticed to him, 
the battle had stopped.  All that mattered was his mother.  She was 
alive!!!

 Ranma felt a weight on his shoulder and turned around to see 
one of the girls, one in blue, had a hand on his shoulder.  "Get your 
hand offa me!", he exclaimed, batting the girls hand to the side.  
"This is your fault.  You shouldn't participate in fights you can't 
handle.  Thanks to you my Mom almost got killed!!".

 Sailor Moon's face fell, looking as if he had struck her.   
"I'm sorry, I...".

 "Just where do you get off, talking to us like that?!", 
Sailor Mars self-righteously exclaimed.  "Here we are, sacrificing 
everything we have in order to protect this city, and this is what 
we get?"

 "Hmmph.  Some protection.  You couldn't even protect the ONE 
innocent that was left in the area!"

 "Listen, you ungratefully little..."

 "That's enough, Sailor Mars.", Sailor Moon said.

 "But..."

 "No, this is not the time or the place.", Sailor Moon stated, 
turning back to Ranma.  "I'm sorry about what happened to your 
mother.", she said while a tear rolled down her cheek.  "More sorry 
than you'll ever know...".  She jerked around and fled at a speed 
Ranma would find awfully hard pressed to keep up with.

 The rest of the senshi gave him one last look, then ran off 
after their leader.  Why was it that Ranma feel so bad about what he 
said?   It was all true.  Oh well, he didn't have time to think about 
that right now.  He needed to get his mother to a hospital ASAP.

 With that, Ranma gently lifted his mother up and started 
walking in the direction of a hospital he'd passed while coming here.  
Scratch his earlier statement.  It might've been a long day, but he 
had a feeling it would be an even longer night.


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

*10 hours later*

 Ranma  sat bolt upright as the doctor gently shook him awake.

 "Mr. Saotome, you're mother just woke up.  She insists on 
talking with you right away."

 "Thanks, Doc.  I appreciate all that you've done."

 "Don't mention it.", he responded with a smile on his face.  
"She wasn't that badly hurt in the first place.  A little rest and 
she'll be fine."

 Ranma hopped to his feet and bowed to the Doctor, who bowed 
in return, and left for what he could only assume was another needy 
patient.

 Ranma looked at the girl that had been sleeping by his side.  
He contemplated waking her up, but thought better of it.  She looked 
so peaceful, smiling while she had her head placed on the back of her 
arm.  He knew that she really needed the rest, and he wanted to have 
some time alone with his mother anyway.

 He proceeded towards his mother's room, knowing the route by 
heart thanks to sitting by her side for several hours before he 
retired to the waiting room.  It was a small walk, and the destination 
met his wildest aspirations. 

 "Ranma!", Nodoka croaked out, with unshed tears rolling down 
her eyes.

 "Mom.", Ranma said, rushing to his mothers side, and gently 
hugging her.  It felt so good this time, not having to worry about 
her health.  This was exactly how he'd envisioned it feeling.  So 
peaceful.  So comfortable.

 "Shhh...it's alright.  I'm fine.  That monster didn't hurt 
me."

 This caused an Ranma to instantly bolt upright.  "Monster, 
nothing.  Those girls caused this.  It's thanks to them you're here."

 Ranma gazed at him with sadness showing in her eyes.  "I'm 
disappointed in you Ranma.  What would make you think that?".

 "Well, it was that red skirted girls' fault, wasn't it?  
She's the one that crashed into the house, and caused this."

 "Oh, yes.  I almost forgot.  After all, I'm sure she enjoyed 
hitting the building with her back."

 "You don't understand, Ma.  If  you can't control a fight 
you shouldn't be fightin'.  I almost lost ya because of them!  I 
almost lost you as soon as I found ya."

 "I appreciate the sentiment, son, but you're wrong.  Who do 
you expect to fight those monsters?   After all, did you get a good 
look at it?".

 "Well, yeah, it did look tough, but I'm sure there are better 
people than them."

 "Name one!  Bullets don't have any effect at all, and 
explosives barely scratch those things."

 "Well, me for starters.", Ranma mumbled.

 "You will stop that at once.", Nodoka stated with some iron 
in her voice.  "It's thanks to those girls that this city hasn't been 
taken over as of yet.  Did you know that they patrol this city both 
day and night looking for the newest monsters to come up?  Do you 
have any idea how much they sacrifice?"

 Ranma gazed at his mother steadily.  He was quite 
knowledgeable in the area of sacrifice, but decided it might be 
better left unsaid.  He didn't want to ruin things any more than he 
already had.

 "Okay, Ma.  I still can't say that I approve of the whole 
situation, but I'll forgive them if it means so much to ya."

 "Thanks, Ran-chan."

 "Ah, man, not you too."

 "Eh?  What's this?  Someone else calling you Ran-chan?"

 Ranma coughed and turned his head to the side.  He'd almost 
let the secret about the curse out.  Time for some quick thinking.  
"Ummm...yeah.  There's a girl named Xian Pu that came with me that 
sometimes calls me that."

 Nodoka's eye's lit up at this statement.  "I see.  Well, 
since I have to spend the night we have quite a bit of time for you 
to tell me all about your trip."

 A smile lit Ranma's face as he sat back down in the chair 
beside his mothers' bed.


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


 Usagi woke up bleary eyed and even more groggily than usual.  
She wasn't able to get a good night's sleep after her last fight.  
She could still see that boy's haunting eyes.  Blue and accusing, and 
he was right.  They had hurt an innocent with their ineptitude.

 She just laid there in bed, her head pressed against her 
pillow, as tears overtook her once again.  Maybe he was right.  Maybe 
they weren't good enough to be Protectors of Love, Warriors of 
Justice.

 "What's wrong, Usagi?", Luna asked, hopping onto the bed.  
She was rather worried about her charge.  She acted differently than 
normal as of late.  For some reason, Luna wished that she would start 
acting a little bit more like the Usagi she knew, and a little bit 
less like the princess she was.

 "That boy...di..did you see that boy's eyes?  Did yo...you 
see...e the pain?  And it was all...it was all our fault."

 Luna nuzzled face, trying to comfort her.  "It's not your 
fault, Usagi.  You can't do everything.  Despite your powers, you're 
still only human.  You've protected thousands of lives!!! You should 
be proud of yourself for what you've done."

 Usagi knew that she was right, but couldn't get past those 
eyes.  Those blue eyes.

 Luna sighed, noticing that her administrations weren't doing 
that much good.  "If you feel that bad, you can use some of your time 
constructively before you go out for your patrol."

 This brought Usagi up short, and she turned to her guardian.  
"What do you mean?  What can I do?".

 "If I recall correctly, that boy's house wasn't looking to 
good after the fight.  You might not know anything about construction, 
but you could clear away the debris for them.  Plus, you should be 
able to pick up the larger pieces while you're in your Senshi form."

 Usagi's face brightened as realization dawned on her.  She 
hugged Luna to her as she thought more and more about it.  "Thanks, 
Luna.  That's a wonderful idea.".

 Luna proved, once again, that cat's can blush when properly 
inspired.  "Well, let's get going.  We have a full night ahead of us.", 
she said, crawling into her bag/ carrying case.

 "Just one sec., Luna.  I have to make a call before we leave.", 
she said, running for the phone.  A quick push of the speed dial and 
she got just who she was looking for.

 "Hello?", a weary voice answered.

 "Hey, Ami.  Do you still have a list of businesses that are 
willing to help out the Senshi?"

 "Well, yes.  Why?"

 "Okay, here's what I need..."


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


 Ranma smiled as he walked next to his mother, while Xian Pu 
pushed her wheel chair towards the exit of the Hospital.  She still 
had quite a few bruises & cuts here and there, but looked quite a bit 
better than yesterday.

 "So, Ma.  How 'bout I whip up something for ya when we get 
back?"

 Nodoka smirked to herself as she answered her son.  She 
wasn't able to finish her preparations, but was able to get most of 
the cooking done.  "Oh, really?  That's all right, Ran-chan, I'm sure 
I'll manage.  I would appreciate it if you could help out with the 
patio, though.  I'm afraid we don't have enough money to get someone 
else to do it."

 Ranma's face darkened at this.  He knew it wasn't the 
Senshi's fault, especially after talking to his mom, but that still 
didn't change what happened.  Someone was going to pay.

 His thoughts were interrupted as they came to the front gate, 
where a taxi was waiting for them.

 A short ride later and they found themselves confronted by 
an astonishing site.  In front of their house was a news crew and a 
small crowd.  On top of that, it seemed like somebody was working on 
the front of the house.

 Getting out from the taxi, Ranma went to the other side to 
open the door for Xian Pu and his mother, a move she made sure he 
would understand was necessary last night.  As they got out most of 
the crowds gaze turned towards them.

 The crowd opened up a path for them as they moved towards 
the house, but the reporter made a grab for Ranma.  "So, young man, 
what are your thoughts about what the Senshi have done for you?"

 "Huhhh?"

 The reporters left eye started to twitch slightly as she dove 
into an explanation.  "The Sailor Senshi are the one's that are 
responsible for the reconstruction of you home.  I was wondering what 
you thought of that?"

 "Oh.", Ranma said while scratching the back of his head.  
"Well, I think it...umm...great.  Would you let me say somethin' 
to 'em?"

 "Yes. Go ahead."

 "I just wanted to apologize for some things I said to them, 
especially that blue skirted one.  I know it wasn't your fault, and 
I'll do everythin' I can to help ya."

 "And there you have it, folks.  The Sailor Senshi are able 
to do more than just conquer against the visible foe.  This is Sakura 
Shimazu signing out."


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


 Usagi smiled to herself as she went to sleep that night.  
She hadn't defeated any youma that day, but she felt she'd won a much 
more important battle.  Little did she know how right she was.


End of Chapter 3


Authors Notes:  I finally have a web site up.  Yay!!!  If you want 
any previous chapters you can go to 
http://www.geocities.com/asgeras@prodigy.net/index.html  
It's only a temporary setup, but will suffice for now.

I hope you enjoyed it.  There wasn't too much fighting in it, since I 
suck at fight scenes.  Please tell me if you think it was better or 
worse for their lack.  Also, since I'll have a pretty big fight scene 
coming up in 2-3 chapters, I was wondering if anybody could lead me 
to a site that could help me out with them.  If so, I would greatly 
appreciate it.

As always, feel free to email me about likes, dislikes, or any 
questions you might have.

Asgeras
asgeras@prodigy.net
http://www.geocities.com/asgeras@prodigy.net/index.html




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