Mamoru was contemplating his laywer's conference in peaceful China away from the busy streets of modern-day Tokyo, when suddenly the train jerked and screeched to a stop. Flashing lights surrounded Mamoru flinging the doors of the train wide open, and shoving him out of the train. He'd travelled to to the past. So Mamoru was in ancient China and was heading towards the spring of the drowned girl totally ignorant of it as he was crashing past bushes and trees getting his new suit dirty. He rolled head over feet all the way down the big hill straight into the spring he was destined for with a big kurplash and even ended up swallowing and choking on the water.
An old woman was cackling in half delight and laughter at him.. no wait... He- no.. she had breasts! The old woman was yelling something about how the spring had magical powers through her laughter.
Mamoru- or whoever or main character is now- got out of the spring. She looked at the slightly disrupted reflection in the pool and saw a blond girl with two buns mounted on top of her head with two ponytails trailing from them.
A voice about 4 octives above Mamoru's shouted, "I'm free!"
Our hero- uhh heroine- spun around in a circle a few times until a pot of boiling water landed on her head. Well, it was now on Mamoru's head- but you get the point, right?
When Mamoru looked at his reflection again he saw himself and an image of the girl he'd just been that faintly seemed familiar. She crossed her arms and was pouting and muttering about something. It occured to him that she was sort of cute when she did that. Mamoru was stunned and looked around for the girl behind him, but didn't see anyone.
The old lady walked until she was next to Mamoru and said, "Idiot, you swallowed the water of the drowned girl on her birthday!"
Mamoru looked at the old woman and asked, "What drowned girl?"
The old woman sighed and replied, "There is a curse on that spring. Whoever lands into the spring turns into a girl when splashed with cold water. When she's splashed with hot water, then she turns back into a boy! But, you, young man, you swallowed the water on her birthday, which means you captured her soul in your body."
The old woman muttered idiot again.
"Her soul?!" Mamoru said jumping back from the side of the spring.
"The curse from that spring is now lifted. I don't have to attend to that spring anymore, but you must fulfill Princess Tsukino Usagi Selenity's dying wish within a 16 days to be lifted of the curse from yourself."
"What was this-"
The old woman interupted Mamoru before he could finish, "She died on her 16th birthday and was going to get married on that day to a prince. She was a clumsy girl and tripped on the edge of the spring. She wasn't a very good swimmer, so she drowned making the wish that she would be reunited with the soul of her Prince and fall in love with him again."
He nodded and said, "I should be able to negotiate something with her. Where's the nearest highway?"
The old woman looked at him and asked, "What's a highway?"
He looked down at his broken watch and then asked, "What time is it?"
"I think it's a little past noon looking at the sun. It's June 30th, in the year of the Emperor Ming."
Mamoru's jaw dropped and said, "Ming?"
It was summer, and the old lady had said that he probably wanted to find the nearest town, which was about 6,000 miles away, or so it seemed now. The Town nearby was still being built and there were no restaurants there. So Mamoru set out on the road, without food, and only a stream to guide him. It was hot and sticky on the road and it wasn't exactly pleasant walking by a stream of cool refressing water and knowing that he couldn't bathe in it or he would turn into that annoying girl with the high voice. It was on the fourth day that he began to feel delirious. Plus he swore he heard the voice of the girl telling him to take a swim. He couldn't refuse. He decided to bathe in some cold water, entirely forgetting about the curse. He took off his clothes and dipped himself in.
Usagi looked around her. Whoever this guy was, he was weird. What kind of man wears such confining and big clothes? She'd seen people with more fashion sense. But there were no other clothes in the area. She put them on and tried her best to form them to her smaller body. She stared into the reflection and saw his ugly face. He actually was pretty handsome looking, but she didn't want to admit that. He seemed to finally realize how this worked. She stuck her tongue out at him and made it to the road.
Mamoru didn't feel hot and sticky anymore in this place of limbo, but he did realize that he was tricked, but was too tired from mental fatigue and from being hungry to care, and fell asleep.
It had been 6 days since Usagi's soul was trapped in that siff-necked guy's body, and Usagi was hungry. She imagined all the food she missed eating all those years. The first thing she thought of when she cried out "I'm free!" was of tasting food. You didn't get to taste food in that limbo place.
A carriage as if magically calling to her craving pulled up. Unfortunately for her the sound of something besides breathing woke Mamoru up. He could see the carriage through Usagi's eyes. He thought it was odd because the carriage driver seemed familiar. Something about the carriage driver.. his clean shaven face and a bright smile. He had sandy hair and blue eyes. The girl next to the carriage driver also seemed familiar, and had reddish-brown wavy hair.
Usagi, being of curse a very important Princess, stopped them. All the guards pointed spears at her throat. She felt she was going to cry. Her stomach rumbled louder, and a laugh came from the carriage. A man with a box of what smelled like-- it couldn't be.. food! Food! Usagi reveled in that fact-- stepped out.
"Nice to meet you lady, what is your name? I am the Prince of these lands," the man said smiling.
Usagi smiled and looked at the box of food.
"Nice to meet food, I mean you also. I am Princess Tsukino Usagi Selenity of Japan."
The man laughed and then nodded and the guards let her throat go, which Usagi thought she would need for the consumption of the food.
Mamoru watched this man, or rather Usagi watch the Prince, and recoiled in discust. It really wasn't right somehow. He didn't like the guy one bit, even though the black hair and the eyes seemed familiar to him.
The man bowed to Usagi, and said, "I should get you into better clothes, you are far too delicate and beautiful for ugly and strange garments like that. You may eat my lunch if you like, we will be at the Palace shortly."
Mamoru heard every single word of it and felt anger spring up, but for some reason Usagi was going along with the man. Mamoru saw her eying the food in the man's hands and figured out what was happening.
On the carriage rid to the Palace, Usagi managed to eat all of the guard's luches, plus the Prince's and the carriage driver's. The Prince watched in amusement, and Mamoru watched Usagi see the Prince's amusement, and wanted to say something. He wanted to scream to her, "Why are you going with this guy?!"
Usagi winced as she heard yelling in her head and pretended to choke. She thought back at Mamoru, "Because he has food." There was a pause with a slight thought of the different kinds of food she'd missed, "and he's nice and handsome. He's not stiff and uptight like you are." She mentally stuck her tongue at him.
Mamoru tried to think rationally about it, and couldn't. He chose to stay silent. What was a laywer going to do when a Woman had control of his body anyway. Usagi was a spoiled Princess no doubt, and had no idea about what kind of law suit he wanted to draw up against her. Even if she was pretty she really deserved a spanking. And that Prince. That Prince really needed to be knocked out. Mentally Mamoru mocked the Prince and thought, "I am a PRINCE bow before me because I am a Man, Princess, and I'm so gullible to believe anything you say, because I'm an idiot in a cape." Usagi seemed to laugh at that.
Usagi covered her laugh with a cough. She also thought at Mamoru, "I didn't know you'd have any sense of humor being stiff headed like a rock."
The Prince comforted Usagi. Usagi smiled at the Prince. The Prince had such nice eyes, they kind of reminded her of the guy who swallowed her soul. The name came out in a pout in her head. Mamoru. His name was Mamoru. The guy also added something about he looked nothing like that guy. then some strange thought about a contract or something about a deal of some sort. Usagi couldn't make much sense of it, but eventually told this Mamoru to shut up so she could listen to the Prince, who was cute, unlike "Mamoru" was.
At the Palace, much to Usagi's distress she was told to take a hot bath. She felt dirty, and she didn't really want to let that jerk Mamoru free, but she felt she had no choice. Maybe she could presuade him later to splash cold water on himself.
Usagi, being consciencious of exposing a man to a bunch of attendants, requested that she take the bath alone. She undressed and tried hard not o look at herself knowing that Mamoru saw all that she saw, and blindly placed herself into the water.
Mamoru cleaned himself, off and put on the robe that was meant for Usagi, but wanted to check out the Palace first. He found a more formal attire in the closet. These rooms seemed to be meant for a man or a woman.
Usagi objected to Mamoru parading around like that. Mamoru said he didn't care at her. She seemed to pout.
An attendant spotted him in the hall and said, "My Prince Aren't you supposed to be in attendance at the hall? What have you done to your hair. It will be a disgrace if they find out that you've cut your top knot! Here, take my hat, sire, please."
Mamoru groaned inwardly as he realized he was being mistaken for the Prince. Usagi said something about him deserving that. He wanted to punch out that Prince at the moment, even if he was a man of class an caliber (afterall he was a rich lawyer). Usagi had decided to fall asleep claiming that she was tired, though she was still mad at him.
He had time to ponder why he hated his look-alike so much. He made an accuse to the attendant, after accepting the gift of the hat, and decided to take a walk outside of the palace. It was dark, but the streets were still open, and the wares merchants were still out. The night was brisk, but not really cold, and though there were a lot of candle lights still in the windows. He could see the stars in the sky, he really never had time before to notice them. He never felt this kind of peace before. He never thought he would enjoy such quiet.
He looked at the Moon and thought about Usagi falling in love with that idiotic Prince. The Prince that looked like him, the Prince that claimed he would take care of Usagi. The dashing, dark loveable Prince. The Prince who all the Ladies of the court had eyes on. (He noticed that all the ladies of the court were looking at him when he was leaving, but then that's the same thing, isn't it?)
He paused, and looked at a booth. He noticed a wares merchant selling mirrors. It was sort of strange since the wares merchant had thick, thick glasses, and spiky hair around his smooth top knot.
He saw a beautiful mirror reflect in the moonlight. It was silver. There were stars and Moons on the face. The moons were made out of moonstone with beautiful filligree, and the stars were made out of the rare white jade. They were set in a pattern that framed the mirror glass beautifully. He touched it, and picked it up. He looked into it and saw Usagi sleeping peacefully in his reflection.
He flipped the mirror. On the back of the mirror in etching and intricite filligree, was a picture of a maiden in front of a big moon clasping her hands together in hopefully. It reminded him of the story he had heard from his mother as a child about A princess that was reborn on Earth for being Micheivious... The story of Kayuga-hime. The hair style faintly reminded him of Usagi's. He smiled, and realized that it had been a week, and in those days he never got her a birthday present or said Happy Birthday to her.
She'd been very tolerant of the situation so far. She hadn't abused his body much besides making him gain a few pounds he didn't want. She was beautiful, energetic and all the things he wished he had remembered to have in life. Her bright face in the spring haunted him. The things she thought were a light he had gotten to know, even if she got mad at him and yelled at her reflection. He at least owed her a present for being so nice.
He found that he had money in his pockets and bought it for her. He would have to figure out how to pay back the Prince later. He hated the Prince and knew how much Usagi liked the Prince, which made him hate the Prince even more. Even if it was for no good reason.
The merchant smiled at Mamoru and sai, "Good choice, I expect it is for a lady friend? Perhaps I could wrap it for you."
Mamoru nodded, and also asked for a scroll, and paid the man a tip. In beautiful calligraphy, in Japanese, Mamoru wrotte, "Happy Birthday Usagi". He paused and then worte at the end of the scroll, "I love you, Chiba Mamoru."
He went back to the Palace and doused himself with cold water. Since Usagi was still asleep, she collapsed on the floor. An attendant with the help of some ofther servants put her into bed.
In the morning Usagi woke up and found a present on the table next to her. She opened it and found a beautiful mirror. She realized that Mamoru was still sleeping, so she opened the note. She thought about the message and pondered Mamoru versus the Prince. She really liked both of them. The Prince was kid, cute, dshing, and fun to be around, but in the last week she couldn't have imagined her life to this point without the help of Mamoru, and his calm voice, as well as his dry sense of humor that he had.
She carefully wrote to him, "I love you too."
It had been two weeks now, the court noticed that the prince could sometimes be found in weird places kissing a mirror, and acting very much in love, and other times being serious in another set of clothes entirely, also in love, but far more rational. As for Usagi, she was forever running into things trying to decide if she marry the Prince, or go with Mamoru to the spring to find the old lady to find out how to break the spell.
The answer soon appeared when an old lady appeared at the gates and asked for attendance with the Prince and Usagi.
The old lady immediately poured hot water over Usagi. Mamoru yelped when he felt boiling water all over his body. The woman smiled and before his eyes turned into a tall woman with two buns, much like Usagi's only with white hair. She smiled gently at Mamoru and said, "I am Princess Selenity's mother. I know the answer to your questions."
Mamoru, who was still yelling and running in a circle, wasn't helping at the moment. The Queen sweat dropped and then threw a towel over him. He stopped and then bowed to the queen.
"Usagi and I were going to go to the spring for you. We have questions."
A higher voice above Mamoru's said, "We do!"
Mamoru sweatdropped and took out the mirror that he'd bought for Usagi--himself-- well mainly for Usagi and looked into the reflection. Usagi was there, he was here, but she was talking.
The queen sighed. "You found the prince, right?"
Usagi and Mamoru nodded.
"Princess Selenity, dear, you fell in love with him?"
Usagi through Mamoru said, "Yes!"
Mamoru was about to object.
"But you also fell in love with Mamoru?"
Usagi also nodded.
Mamoru smiled.
The queen frowned. "This is no good, I didn't count on Usagi and you falling in love with each other. Normally when someone falls into the spring and swalls the water they have sucess, the person who fell in disappears back from where they came, and then the other person who originally fell into the spring and drowned takes over the body, slowly."
Mamoru frowned.
The queen continued, "Then you and my daughter will merge into one body."
Usagi's and Mamoru's jaws dropped.
Mamoru, who self-conciously felt his body to make sure that he hadn't grown anything he was not aware of, asked, "Then why did we fall in love with each other if there is only one person she is supposed to fall in love with."
The queen smiled and replied, "You are an reincarnation of the Prince."
Mamoru rubbed his head feeling a headache coming on.
"Not am I only falling in love with myself.. but I'm jealous of myself too?" he grumbled. The more he thought about it, the more his head ached.
Usagi yelled at him to stop that.
"The only solution is for Usagi to choose the Prince over you!" the queen said.
"If you knew this all along then why didn't you tell me back at the spring?" Mamoru asked.
The queen grinned and said, "That wouldn't be much fun, would it?"
Usagi and Mamoru sighed. The Queen composed herself again and said, "You have 2 days to complete Usagi's dying wish, or you'll merge."
Usagi squeaked out from Mamoru's mouth, "But mother!"
"It was your dying wish!" The queen said turning her back.
Usagi sighed, and then nodded.
The queen left the next morning, but not without looking at her future son-in-law. She stated that he was not really that bad. She also dropped at hint at Mamoru that another girl from the village had drowned.
With only two days to fall in love with the Prince, Mamoru had to do a lot of scheming. He let Usagi take over his body. He kept silent for the time he was in the limbo place, and he tried his best not to exist at all.
Usagi felt forced into deciding, but when Mamoru refused to speak to her, she knew she had to fall in love with the Prince. Besides the Prince was a younger version of Mamoru-- technically speaking. (though in years of age the Prince was older than Mamoru by one year)
Mamoru panicked several times about Usagi being with that Prince, but then remebered it was himself, which only brought on a slight headache trying to figure it out. He did not want to merge with Usagi forever, that was not his plan to succeed.
By the second day Usagi forgot about Mamoru. He felt himself fade, and get weak, but let it happen. He eventually disappeared from what was now her body.
Mamoru came to conciousness and thought tht maybe he would be back at the Lawyer's confrence. Not that he wanted to go anymore.
A high pitched squeal greeted him when he opened his eyes, "Hi, Mamo-chan!"
Mamoru blinked. In front of him was Usagi, a vision of beauty, and she was smiling brightly. Her hair was tied up in buns with the two pigtails drifting down to the floor. He liked the feeling he got from her. He must be dreaming now.
Mamoru felt his head and said, "bandages?"
Usagi blushed and said, "When I told you you fell and hit your head. It's not too bad. It's only a concusion."
"How did I fall?" Mamoru asked thinking that this dream was sweat.
Usagi blushed and said, "I told you something..."
Mamoru, who was trying to put together in his head how much he would have to pay for all of this, was taken by surprise.
"I'm pregnant with Chibiusa!" She beamed.
"WHAT!?" he said.
Usagi nodded, and then said, "Yup! You fainted at the wedding reception when it finally hit you that we were going to have her. Mamo-chan, I don't understand why..."
It was about 5 minutes later when Dr. Mizuno came in with a clip board and examined Mamoru.
"..so it's not due to the concusion as so much to shock."
"But Ami-chan, I don't understand, he knows about Chibiusa. Afterall she's a sailor soldier like us."
"Usagi, not so loud, and would you please call me Mizuno-sensei?"
Mamoru opened his eyes one at a time and then still saw Usagi. It wasn't a dream. He felt like his was going to faint when a woman with blue hair came in and said hi. She slapped his face a little and then smiled gently.
"I take it my son-in-law will be fine."
For a second he thought he saw the queen in her eyes.
A girl with a brown school uniform and two braided buns asked, "Is Tamahome OK? I think he's in shock from finding out he's really in Japan and not ancient China."
Usagi looked at the girl and then shook her head. "This is not Tamahome it's MAMO-chan!"
The girl replied, "Do you know where he is? We came all the way to Tokyo for special treatment."
Mizuno pointed down the hall and gave the girl directions. The girl beamed a large smile, went in that direction, but soon doubled back mumbling something about being really hungry.
Usagi muttered something about Miaka's voice sounding so familiar. Usagi got up and glanced down the hall. She even stole her hair style! When Usagi was finally queen she'd have to talk to that girl.
A girl in a really, really short skirt, and white stretch fabric ran into the room and said, "The enemy is attacking the hospital."
Usagi nodded once, and then said, "I'll transform in a minute Jupiter..."
Usagi turned to Mamoru and said, "I'll protect you, just stay here, OK?"
She raised her hand in the air and said, "Silver Crystal Power! Make up!"
Mamoru couldn't believe what he saw. She turned into a sailor-suited girl too.
"Mamo-chan stay here, don't transform into Tuxedo Mask and everything should be OK," she said.
He nodded flabergasted by the whole thing.
Usagi's mother smiled and said, "She wanted to give you this mirror, it's been in our family for generations. I also have a picture book for the little one. I thought you would like to see it before I gave it to my grandaughter."
The book read "The Universe of the Four Gods."
"I also took out this book at the library," she said.
She left and Mamoru was trying to process it all, but then decided to read the book from the library. The brown-haired girl glanced in and saw the book, she was going to stop him, but it was already too late...
So how was that? I know it's bit rough, I think I put in a bit too much plot, but it worked out OK. I originally did this on assignment. I had to put in the line, "So Mamoru was in ancient China and was heading towards the spring of the drowned girl.." I tried to artistically integrate it and play with the meaning a bit.
Though it was Ranma 1/2 clearly, I played with what the curse meant, etc to try a new approach. I don't like being conventional, so I wasn't.
Some notes:
- Miaka was the brown-haired girl at the end of the fan fiction. If you don't know who she is, she's from Fushigi Yuugi.
- The mangaka of Fushigi Yuugi, Watase Yuu-sensei, is good friends with the mangaka of Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon, Takeuchi Naoko-sensei. They often share drawings with each other. So I have a feeling that they know what they are doing when they chose the same basic hair style for their leads..
- The voice of Queen Serenity in the dub, is the same voice that did Serena's mother. (well one of them at least)
- The voice for Miaka is the same voice for Chibiusa, the incredible Araki Kae! Araki-san is a really good seiyuu.
- I used some plot elements from "Me Two", which is a book, which had a movie made out of it called "All of Me". That's where the reflection idea came in, and also taking over the body... I thought it was a good oppurtunity. (that's a weird cross over though)
- Other cameos include Umino, Reika, and Motoki. I did stretch the ending of the manga a little, and equated the, "a new starseed is being born" with Mamoru not understanding it and then registering it at the wedding reception. Sorry for all those who noticed and minded (though it probably be only me who would mind...)
Hate it or like it be specific with your comments.