SMST: The Mythic Age! – By DS Wynne
Disclaimer: "Ranma ½", "Sailor Moon", "Star Trek" and other properties belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre story.
Special note: This story will serve as a series of "vignettes" that, while connected to the "Sailor Moon ST" series, cover key points in the life of Usagi ("Sailor Moon") Tsukino, as she travels the space-time continuum with her companion and lover, Ranma Saotome (of "Ranma 1/2 " fame). I'm NOT going to get into it real deep, but people have been asking me more details of this period in Usagi's life. Enjoy!
Part 1: "Age of Gold".
In the days of yore, there came four fundamental forces from the shadowy reaches of Time and Space. These "elements" came upon the Earth when both Man and the Gods walked upon its fruited planes. However, it was a "fifth element" that would help the first four in shaping the planet's destiny. Still, although they will become legends in their own right, not one of them lost what was important to them: the desire to return home.
It's been some time since Usagi Tsukino and company (Ranma Saotome, Hoshi Sato and T'Pol of Vulcan) arrived on Earth from the distant world of Arrakis…of 100,000 years into the future. T'Pol had originally calculated that the Spacing Guild method of space traveling could be modified to replicate the same conditions that originally took them to Arrakis in the first place. Unfortunately, although the spatial coordinates, the temporal coordinates were off. So, they ended up in the distant past on Earth…during the time of the Mythic Age. Still, upon discovering the thriving Kingdom of Atlantis of that era, the group were able to adjust to their new environment well enough to cope with their situation...
"I miss my children," Usagi says, as she looks out from the hut that she shared with her companions. The Atlanteans were nice enough to provide them a place for them to stay on one of their colonies in the Mediterranean region, near Greece.
"I know, so do I," Ranma says, as he sets down the firewood on the front porch. For the most part, everything outside of Atlantean sphere of influence was still in the primitive state. In fact, Atlantis itself was a colony of a race of ancient beings known as the Alterans, or simply "The Ancients". Since establishing their colony, they have done gathered together the most worthy humans—called "Tauri" by the Ancients—from around the world to form the basis of a new group of humans to serve as their intermediaries (dubbed "Atlanteans"), some of which would taken to distant worlds across the cosmos. This was NOT the first time "extraterrestrials" have visited the Earth, but they were all viewed as "gods" to the mindset of primitive humans. On the part of the crew of the SSIcarus (a modified shuttle that originally belonged to the NX-01 Enterprise), they have interacted with the Ancients extensively; they even so far as to visit other worlds of that era, so that they could search for clues that could help them find a way home.
"There are…a few people I miss besides my kids Mamoru, Endymion and Erie."
Usagi looks at Ranma with a quizzical eye.
"What are you talking about? At least you have Hoshi with you."
"Yeah, I know," says Ranma, as he sits down on the porch. "But I was referring to Irulan."
"Oh."
And then, Hoshi sticks her head out of the house.
"Guys, dinner is almost ready," Hoshi says. She then looked at her companions, who apparently were having a private conversation. "What's going on?"
"We were talking about how we miss…everyone back on Arrakis," Usagi says.
"Oh?"
"It's…nothing," Ranma says, as he gets up to go inside.
After Ranma leaves the scene, Hoshi turns to Usagi.
"Okay, spill it."
"It's Irulan, Hoshi," Usagi says. "Ranma misses her."
Silence.
"I believe it," Hoshi replies.
"And you're fine with it?"
"Considering the fact that Irulan was lonely during her marriage to Paul, it was Ranma's kindness that attracted to her to him. And besides, our 'Great General' and his marriage to the wife of the late emperor of the so-called 'Known Universe' is what held the Empire together, especially after the situation with Alia…"
Upon hearing the name of "The Saint-of-the-Knife", Usagi turns away in sad disappointment.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Usagi," Hoshi says, as she places a hand on Usagi's shoulders. "I had forgotten about that-"
"It's okay, Hoshi," Usagi says, as she turns her head back at her friend. "It's just that had I known now what I should have known back then, many lives could have been saved…especially Duncan's."
"Yea, I agree. And even if T'Pol doesn't show it, I can tell she misses her husband."
"How? She's always stoic."
"You can tell things by the way she becomes less emotional."
"Huh. I'll have to remember to know such cues."
Just then, T'Pol sticks her head out from within the house.
"You two can have your conversation LATER," T'Pol says. "Ranma is on the verge of consuming ALL of our respective meals."
"Figures," Usagi says, as she gets up to go back inside the house. "At least Minako doesn't have to deal with any of this, since she returned home-"
And then-
ZZZAAAAAPPP!
"What the-?" Hoshi says, as she and the other women cover her eyes, just as Ranma steps unto the front porch.
"The sensors from the ship are detecting a spatial distortion," Ranma says, as he "Tricorder", a holdover from his days as a Starfleet officer (Marine Corp Division), when he served under the leadership of Admiral Jonathon Archer.
"Let me have that," T'Pol says, as she takes the recorder. "I might be able to use these readings of this phenomenon for our endeavors."
"So you won't screw up like last time?"
T'Pol shoots Ranma a dirty look, which was uncharacteristically non-Vulcan.
"Guys, LOOK!" Hoshi says.
FLOOP!
"Ah!" says a girl, as she falls down from the hole. She was dressed in a khaki colored (with green trimming) school uniform.
"I got her," Ranma says, as he runs to catch the girl. "Oof!"
"Wait, I think I know her," Usagi says.
"Really?" Hoshi says.
"How is she?" T'Pol asks, as she goes up to Ranma and the girl.
"I'm going to find out," Ranma says, as he focuses on the girl. "Hey, miss, you okay?"
Makoto Kino looks up at Ranma.
"My old sempai…"
"Huh?"
"Ranma, dear," Hoshi says with a forced smile. "Care to explain?"
"How the heck should I know?"
"Oh, I know!" Usagi says. "I remember Mina telling me to expect another 'replacement' for her."
"And this person is…?" T'Pol began.
"This is my friend Makoto Kino," Usagi says. "She's 'Sailor Jupiter'!"
A year later…
"So, it's agreed, then," T'Pol says, as she and the other sat around the table.
"But do we have to break up?" Makoto asks. It took a while to get used to that era's fashion sense—not that she didn't mind being nearly naked around her old sempai—but she didn't want to be left alone.
"It's not a break-up, Makoto," Hoshi says with assurance. "There have been rumblings amongst the Alterians of a civil war, and I for one do not want us caught in the middle of such a mess."
"Agreed," T'Pol says. "And on another front, thanks to that unusual wave of energy that went through this star system, something is…happening to us. Already, some of us have been affected by this energy...like Usagi, for example."
"Huh?" Usagi says, as she turns around while lifting a stone statue of herself…with one hand, which was given to her as a birthday present from an Atlantean named Atlan, the founder of the city named after him. When she gets upset about, Usagi tends to do a lot of cleaning.
"Usagi, put that thing down," Ranma says. "This is serious. I mean…look at this blue rash we got on our foreheads!"
"I don't know…mine looks kind of cute," Usagi says, as she sets the life-size statue back on the floor. "I can almost make out some characters..."
"From my readings, each of us will continually become stronger, most likely due the residue of the melange in our system."
"Well, that explains THAT," Hoshi says, as she points to the mutating worms, originally from Arrakis, that were in a large, glass case. All of them were beginning to show signs of sentience.
"We could just give them the Alterians for them to put on some planet," Ranma says. "I hear that the Trill Star System is a good place for them."
"You mean system P3X-888," Hoshi says.
"Yeah, that's the one. It's aquatic, and the way these guys are mutating, you can bet that there will be a variety of species that could come about."
"Perhaps, but I am concerned about their ability to link with other species," Hoshi says. "That one over there tried to do so."
"Ah, it just loves ya."
"I don't think trying to get inside of me if a form of love. And Ranma, DON'T say it."
"Drat!"
Makoto blushed at the frank discussion of sex between Ranma and his wife, much to her own personal surprise. In fact, since arriving in this era, she was surprised that all four of her new companions had no problem expressing both emotional and physical love if the desire arises. What Makoto did not understand was that our four were trained in the art of lovemaking during their Bene Gesserit training, so sex was not a big deal. Then again, Makoto's arrival was rather recent, so her reluctance to participate in her companions' recreational activities was understandable.
"With all seriousness, we can ask the Atlanteans to take care of these worms, while we explore the rest of this planet," T'Pol says. "Should the civil war break out amongst the Ancients, we need to be prepared for this eventuality."
"So, where do we go?" Makoto says.
"Hoshi and I can go eastward through all of Asia," Ranma says, as he holds Hoshi's hand. "And besides, we're curious as to what Japan's like in this era."
"And I will go to Africa…and then to the Americas, I guess," Usagi says. "But at least Makoto will keep me company."
"You bet!" Makoto says. "I'm just glad that my Sailor Senshi powers will keep me young."
"And I will hold things down in Europa," T'Pol says. "A friend of Lord Atlan invited me to travel to the Northern lands of Celts as a part of his sabbatical, so I will use the trip to explore the rest of the continent."
"Personally, I think Lord Arion wants to get into T'Pol's knickers," Usagi whispered.
"I very much doubt it."
"Then, what if your…condition flares up?"
T'Pol's "condition" was the Vulcan mating ritual known as "pon farr". Every seven years, T'Pol has to mate with a member of the male species. Thankfully, contraceptive measures were in place in dealing with unwanted pregnancies...at least for now.
"I will deal with it THEN."
Months later…
"We're…here," Ranma says, as he helps Hoshi to the highest peak that over looks what will one day be the city of Tokyo. Already, the cherry blossoms were coming into full bloom. "Man, this view looks great."
"I know," Hoshi says, as she scans the area. "And we'll make it work, Ranma."
And thus, the future "Izanagi" and his wife, the future "Izanami", the father and mother of the gods of Japan, begin their life anew. It will be a long time before they will see their friends again, but they have faith that they will see them nevertheless.
Tbc.
Next time: "The Age of Silver".