Soluna – Volume One
Chapter Two: A Day in Juuban
By Saarth'ir
Based on the "Sailor Ranko" series, started by Duncan Zillman, and continued by Kevin D. Hammel, Arthur Hansen, and Rebecca Heineman. "Sailor Ranko is, in turn based on the series "Sailor Moon" by Naoko Takeuchi and "Ranma 1/2" by Rumiko Takahashi. Therefore, many of these characters are owned and copyrighted by their respective owners. So, with that out of the way, enjoy!
As the sun progressed passed the apex of its journey across the sky, the temperature settled to its daily peak. A pleasant wind could occasionally be felt blowing by the various people outdoors, offering a very much appreciated, if not brief, alleviation from the hot, not-quite-Summer air. Those still indoors either benefited from the wonderful reprieve of air conditioning, or sweltered within the confines of a building which did not offer such luxuries.
While the students and faculty inside Juuban High School fortunately fell under the former group, if one looked close enough through the school's many windows, they would see dozens of pairs of wanting eyes eagerly looking back out, awaiting the bell that would signal their freedom. They would not have to wait long. The final bell of the day finally rang out through the corridors of the large school, and within seconds, hundreds of students evacuated into the halls and towards the school entrance. As many groups of students collected their belongings and hurried out of the school gates, one group of six took their time leaving the property, apparently in no eager hurry.
"It's a good thing the class ended when it did! Mr. Mori was about to ask me to answer a question about that Avocado person." Minako proclaimed as her face took a jubilant tone. "Talk about being saved before the bell!"
"It's Avogadro not Avocado, and I think you mean 'saved by the bell'." responded Ami casually, not taking her eyes off the book she was studying to see her blonde friend's annoyed glance. "Really though, I fully expect you to mess up these phrases, but you really should be paying more attention in class." The genius girl finally withdrew her face from her book to look at her friend, a downcast expression on her face. "Graduation is coming up in the next couple of months, and we all need to be ready. I really don't want anyone to end up failing and us getting split up because of it."
"Bah! I don't get why we need to know about this Avoca- err, Avogadro guy or any of this Chemistry stuff anyways! It's all just a pile of nonsense." Minako scrunched up her face, making it appear as if she was physically trying to push the subject out of her head.
"It's not the specifics that are important. The concepts are, as well as knowing the fundamentals of how our universe works." Ami looked thoughtful for a second. "It's our duty as the future founders of a nation to be able to understand everything that's expected of us as leaders."
Usagi looked down at the mention of her destined future. "You really should try to pay more attention in class. At this point even Ranma is doing better in Chemistry than either you or Usagi," Ami added.
The aforementioned boy suddenly found himself in the spotlight and quickly turned his gaze skyward to avoid the incoming glares from the two blondes. Before either girl could form a rebuke against either Ranma or Ami, Makoto walked up behind the two blondes and placed her arms around their shoulders.
"Now, now, Ami. There's nothing to worry about. None of us are going to fail." the tall brunette said cheerfully, looking at the genius girl. "We'll all see each other in a couple of months at graduation. I just know it!" a goofy grin illuminated her face. At this, nearly all the animosity between friends instantly evaporated.
"How do you know about our grades though, Ami?" asked Usagi, curiously. "I thought they were supposed to be secret."
Ami looked to her dear friend and sometimes-leader and stated matter-of-factly, "I am officially tutoring most of you, did you forget? I get access to your test scores so I can know what subjects you need help with." With that, she allowed a small, yet sincere smile appear on her face. "Don't worry. I'm not planning on sharing them with anyone who doesn't need to see them." While the answer helped alleviate most of her concerns, Usagi couldn't help but worry that her mother fell under the group who did 'need' to see them.
As the group continued their journey, Akane suddenly nudged her husband with her elbow and cleared her throat. Ranma looked at her, bewildered, until finally realization dawned.
"Oh yeah," the pig-tailed boy suddenly said. "Hey guys, we're supposed to have a meeting today, right?" He already knew the answer, but asked ignorantly anyways. Sure enough, he received multiple nods from the girls.
"Well, mom asked Akane and I if we could show up to the dojo tonight," he stated, tapping his index fingers together, "and we were hopin' to head over there now so we could stop at Ucchan's and see her and Konatsu." Ranma stopped walking and looked thoughtful. "'Sides, shouldn't they be joinin' us for the meeting? They can't make it today, so maybe we should reschedule."
The group stopped walking to discuss the request. Ami pointed out that the meeting was Luna and Rei's idea and they had wanted to hold it today because Rei and her grandfather were leaving to Okayama the coming weekend to visit an old priest friend of her grandfather's. If they had to postpone the meeting, they would have to wait nearly a week for Rei to return for a rescheduled meeting. Ranma realized that it was important for Rei, as Usagi's second-in-command, to be able to attend the meeting, but still could not help but look depressed.
"You know," Usagi suddenly piped up and looked at the married couple, "If you two want, you can skip today's meeting and go see Ukyo and Konatsu." She offered the pair a warm smile. "It's not like this meeting will be super important. I'm sure Luna will be fine with you two taking a rain check. Besides, even if we do need you there, it's nothing a quick 'Sun Beam Transport' won't fix!"
Minako, Makoto, and Ami all smiled at Usagi's statement. It was times like these, when the suppressed personality of a leader peeked out from the normally ditzy blonde, that made them proud to be her friends. The Saotome's also smiled and thanked Usagi, and informed her that they would keep their communicators on in case they were needed, before they headed out towards the train station.
Even with the reminder of Sailor Sun's unique transportation magic, the couple preferred not to rely on it too much, else they get lazy. Ranma was finally getting the hang of the power after a lot of practice. As Sailor Sun, he was getting to the point where he could teleport not only himself, but a group of others around the world multiple times in a row. He still had issues when he began a teleport in an area that had succumbed to nightfall, often arriving at the destination dizzy and tired, but the constant practice had made him able to recover much quicker then previously. Even so, the couple agreed that a casual trip across Tokyo was not a worthy excuse for "practicing" a 'Sun Beam Transport'. As they approached the station, the combined thoughts of good food and seeing his best friend and newest team member caused a child-like grin to appear on Ranma's face.
After Ranma and Akane had departed from the group, the remaining girls continued their journey to the Hikawa shrine, casually chatting about school, life, and in Minako and Makoto's case, boys. As they ascended the stairs at the entrance of the shrine, they caught sight of Rei sweeping the grounds. The girls called out their greetings to her, and saw, as she looked at them, the faintest shadow of a frown immediately leave her face only to be replaced by a warm smile.
"Hey girls! I'm glad you all made it," she exclaimed as she approached the arriving group. Her eyebrow raised in a puzzled look when she noticed something, or rather someones were missing. "Where are Ranma and Akane? Shouldn't they be with you?"
Before Usagi could explain, Ami decided to be the scapegoat for her and save her the possibility of being teased by Rei. There was no doubt that Rei deeply respected and cared for Usagi, nearly to the point where they seemed like sisters at times. However, Rei still had a nasty habit of teasing the poor blonde for the smallest of reasons. Again, almost like sisters. Even so, the miko was getting much better at not snapping at Usagi for every little thing.
"They had some prior plans in Nerima, so we decided to excuse them from the meeting." A shy look appeared on Ami's face. "I hope that's okay with you, Rei. If we need them, they're just a teleport away after all."
Rei looked over to glance at Usagi and couldn't help but smile when she saw the blonde nod to her. "Yeah, that's fine. Luna just wanted to hold this meeting to check up on our progress and plan further training. It's just going to be us anyways, the others are all busy with their own business."
As Rei finished her short summary of the meeting's purpose, there was a sudden, loud crash from one of the nearby storage buildings. Her smile quickly died, making way for the frown which adorned her face earlier.
"Ugh, what in the world did he do now? That idiot," Rei sighed as she placed her hand on her forehead. "With us leaving Friday, Grandpa's trying to teach Yuuichirou how to take care of the special stock and artifacts." She glanced over to the building that the crash originated from. "That makes the third crash this hour." Rei couldn't help but let out another sigh as she turned back to her friends. "Come on, lets head inside, those two will be busy in there for easily another hour." As if to reinforce her claim, another loud crash came from the storage building. The five girls walked towards the house, led by a now pouting Rei.
The group entered the main room to find a frustrated Luna sitting on the table in the center of the room, fuming about something, while Artemis did his best impression of a chameleon trying to blend in to the wall. His small computer offered the only protection between him and his currently angry companion. His expression turned to tearful thanks when he saw the girls walk in.
"Oh girls, thank goodness you're here finally! If these two were left to their argument much longer, this room would have become a warzone, covered in fur and fea-" the white moon cat quickly shut his mouth as Luna shot him a very sharp glare.
"Honestly! Do give me some credit, Artemis. I have way more control then that, and am certainly able to hold out on becoming aggressive over such trivial matters," Luna proclaimed as she shot her head up with her eyes closed, a smug look gracing her feline face.
"Please, if you were as good at controlling your aggression as you say, then perhaps you'd find yourself in a relationship with your crush already. Face it, you're worse than Miss Usagi when it comes to hiding your emotions." Luna's calm facade shattered at that remark, a huge blush and angry eyes dominating her features.
All feline and human eyes turned to face the outside, as a rather large avian form dropped down from the roof. The orange-red hawk settled on the ground and turned to face its viewers, its abnormally expressive grey-brown eyes wincing as they saw Usagi. "My apologies, Princess. I did not mean to insult your personality."
The twin-tailed blonde quickly replied dismissively, waving her hand back and forth. "It's alright, Chizuko. No harm done." Usagi couldn't have been upset at the comment even if she wanted to be. Seeing Luna's usually calm and strict demeanor completely broken gave her butterflies in her stomach. The future Moon Queen smiled as she looked at the one who was responsible for this feat.
The red-tailed hawk of the Sun, Chizuko, was the only being capable of easily getting under Luna's skin. Fur and pride included. The avian adviser to the previous Senshi of the Sun, Angwynn, was found frozen in time by Ranma and Akane while they explored Angwynn's ancient solar space station. From her account, Chizuko was apparently tricked by Angwynn and placed in a seemingly permanent stasis before Ranma's predecessor left to sacrifice herself against the Dark Kingdom's invading forces.
Once she was freed from her prison, Chizuko continued where she left off, acting as Sailor Sun's adviser, in the same way Luna and Artemis acted as the Queen's. However, unlike the two moon cats, Chizuko's memories from the Silver Millennium remained nearly completely intact. While she was able to help the Senshi and cats with most historical facts about the past, they could tell that the solar hawk was harboring many secrets. Compared to Luna and Artemis, she was much more austere, solemnly showing any form of humor.
Initially, her entire being was a mystery to them. Not even Artemis, with his more intact memories of the Silver Millennium remembered much of anything about her. Ranma himself, as the supposed reincarnation of Angwynn, only had foggy 'memories' of the bird, belonging to his predecessor. He insisted that Chizuko could be trusted completely though, even if she acted coldly towards the group. Her vast knowledge of the Silver Millennium, and strangely adept expertise in combat practices made her a valuable member of the team when she was willing to be part of it.
After the first few months of her reintroduction into society, Chizuko began to warm up to the team. While she still had a rigid demeanor to her, she lightened up considerably around the Senshi and especially the moon cats. It wasn't long before they discovered that the hawk had a very cheeky yet prideful undertone to her mindset. A mindset that happened to rival Luna's own. The two female advisers very quickly found themselves butting heads with each other, especially over matters regarding the Senshi's training and prowess.
Eventually, Chizuko realized how easy it was to tease Luna, and she transitioned from seriously arguing with the black moon cat, to playfully teasing her. While most of these quips were all fun and games to the bird, Luna was often not so understanding. More often then not, their "arguments" would end with Luna shutting down, degrading into a state of stubborn defenses, a stark contrast to her normal tactical and cool self. Chizuko eventually realized her teasings were causing more harm for the team than good, so she opted to cease teasing Luna quite as much, only messing with the moon cat when she felt she truly deserved it.
Now apparently seemed to be one of those times, as Rei and the others took stock of the obvious mental stress Luna was currently exhibiting.
"My apologies, Luna. I did not mean to make such a personal jab." The orange-red hawk bowed her head to her feline counterpart. At the sign of Luna regaining her composure, Chizuko decided to change the subject.
She turned to Usagi and asked, "Excuse me, Princess, but could you tell me where Ranma and Akane are? I was under the impression that they would be arriving with you." The bird angled her head in a show of question.
Before Usagi could respond to the question, Rei stepped forward. "Oh please, Chizuko, stop with the 'Princess' thing. It will only go to her meatball head." As she expected, Rei was delighted to see Usagi react the way she normally did: puffing up her face and looking about ready to release the hounds, if the hounds were made of tears. Rei couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty for teasing her friend though, so she decided to continue before Usagi could get the chance to really start crying.
"Apparently, Ranma and Akane went to Nerima immediately after school, to meet with friends and family." Rei noticed that her plan had worked. Usagi's tears were subdued as she joined Luna in the grumpy girl's corner.
Chizuko didn't miss Rei's insult to Usagi, and remarked internally how similar she and the Senshi of Mars were. "I see," she glanced over towards Luna, "Well perhaps I should go and find them. I figure my being here may not be the best choice anymore."
As the hawk prepared to depart, she was interrupted by Artemis' call. "Wait, Chizuko! You should stay. After all, you and Luna are the ones who came up with this current training regiment for the girls."
A smile appeared on the white cat's face as he looked over at Luna. "Both you and Luna have been working hard on this plan, it's only right that the two of you are here to discuss it. Right, Luna?"
The cat in question couldn't help but drop her cold facade. She sighed, "Yes, yes. I suppose you're right, Artemis. Very well, Chizuko, apology accepted." She looked at Chizuko and allowed a small smile to creep onto her face. Chizuko also smiled back, an impressive feat for a beaked animal to accomplish.
With apologies and forgiveness between the advisers dealt with, the five Senshi smiled and took their seats around the table. As Usagi sat down, she looked over to Rei, who quickly mouthed, "I'm sorry," to the blonde. Usagi's smile grew three sizes, and she nodded to the raven-haired miko her forgiveness.
Artemis cleared his throat, "Alright, let's get this meeting under way." He indicated towards Chizuko and Luna, "Ladies, if you would like to begin."
The twin arcs of the colossal obsidian portal ring hummed and crackled with massive amounts of magical energy. It was almost a wonder that the pure force of the magic did not tear apart the structure right then and there. However, the portal ring remained, gathering the energy it needed to force open a rift in space-time. Near the structure itself, a group of inhuman beings worked at a console, monitoring and discussing the status of the portal device.
In front of the massive object, an even larger force of beings stood in formation. These beings varied in appearance. Some were clothed in only basic uniform, while others stood poised, covered in armor. While a large amount carried visible weapons, others had no such need for external weapons, their sharp claws and teeth, and rippling muscled bodies able to do for them what any weapon could do for another. Even though the beings differed, they all shared one common feature: their demonic, yet feminine appearance. The large battalion of youma awaited with bated breath, their formation not faltering even under the intense heat of the realm's twin suns in mid day.
"Troops at attention!" a heavy voice called out. Immediately, all the youma straightened themselves in a show of discipline. An incredibly large being marched into the middle of the formation, dwarfing most of the youma she passed by. Her sharp, turquoise eyes judged each troop silently.
Tekokowa reached the base of the massive portal arches and turned to face her army. As she scanned over them, she nodded. "Listen up, Forces of the Dark Outerverse, hear me!"
She raised her hand to the air as she continued, pointing towards the twin suns. "The time of our exodus from this cursed plane approaches rapidly!" Immediately, the massive group of youma burst out into thunderous cheer. Guttural battle cries roared throughout the air, echoing despite the flat barren wasteland that surrounded the army.
"As I speak, the final preliminary tests of our great trans-spacial portal are being completed. Within moments, the portal will activate, signaling the beginning of our return to the natural realm!" Tekokowa motioned towards the massive obsidian arches behind her.
As the great cheer from her subjects continued, a proud smile grew on her granite-colored face. "This initial portal will be small, but do not fret. This shall merely be the first journey in a great exodus! Lands must be tested and scouted before they can be conquered, but conquered they shall be!"
If anyone had thought that the army's massive applause could not get any greater, they would have found themselves sorely mistaken at that moment. The air itself rumbled from the massive cheers and battle cries. Eventually, Tekokowa raised her arm, her fist positioned next to her head. In response, the massive cheer immediately ceased, only quiet murmuring remaining.
"I understand your feelings, all of you. For we are one and the same, a dying breed of warriors." A strangely solemn look appeared on the great warrior's face. "We were created as mere pawns. We were BUILT to serve. To serve a group of so-called scions of Chaos, and serve them and their false queen, we did. Even after the self proclaimed Chaos Queen fell, we still found ourselves imprisoned and forced to fight for her remaining servant. He promised us even more than the master before him, and foolishly, we allowed ourselves to be his weapons."
Tekokowa looked downwards, her eyes scanning the dirt and rocks before her. "Many of us were destroyed in his foolish escapade for power. Not surprisingly, he too met his fate at the hands of the same beings who killed his queen." The massive warrior returned to her stalwart position.
"The beings who killed him, Jadeite, who also killed Beryl before him," Tekokowa stared directly ahead, her eyes losing focus as if seeing something that was not quite there. Her lips moved into a pouting position, not quite a frown, but not quite a scowl either. After a brief pause of silence, she seemed to catch herself, and she quickly regained her steely composure.
She continued to address the mass in front of her, "Those beings are not our allies. They exist to hunt us down, to destroy us indiscriminately. They exist solely to impede our right. No, our destiny!"
Tekokowa once again paused to assess her troops. They all maintained a solid composure, not betraying any of their emotions. The great warrior tensed up suddenly, scowling and drawing her fist in front of her. She proclaimed in a mighty roar, "Do not be fooled! The so-called Guardian Senshi of Earth are our enemies and we will destroy them should they oppose us!"
The air was once again filled with the great cheers of thousands of youma. Profanities and threats against the Senshi could be heard over the overall crescendo of roars. Tekokowa allowed the rabble to persist for some time, a neutral expression on her face. Let them revel in their emotions, she thought. It will do them well for the future, when they will need every fiber of their primal strength to overcome their foes. After a few minutes, she once again raised her arm in an order for silence, and silence she received.
"The Senshi are indeed formidable. They have not only destroyed hundreds of our kin, but have also persevered through many deadly challenges they have faced." Tekokowa's mind drifted to the image of the Senshi who haunted her the most. The petite, yet incredibly fierce red-head, whose unparalleled raw magical power and martial skill had decimated countless numbers of Tekokowa's kind. And yet, the youma warrior secretly desired to come face-to-face with the human incinerator. A look of great concentration appeared on her face. Sailor Sun, she thought. Soon we shall have our rematch. I hope you look forward to it as much as I do.
Tekokowa left her thoughts, and addressed her gathered audience, "As formidable as they may be, however, WE are stronger. Without the interference of petty humans holding us back, we are unstoppable!"
She took a moment to peer up to the grand citadel that stood behind the massive army. Her eyes focused on one of the balconies near the top of the great spire. Sure enough, she caught sight of her target. A silhouetted figure stood alone, cloaked in robes made of an unknown cloth. While the distance was too great to make out the face of the being, it was obvious that the figure was watching and listening to the proceedings intently. Tekokowa turned around to face the large portal device, her back facing her army.
"We no longer have to worry about pleasing some weak human overlord, whose only goal is to themselves. No, now we have a much greater leader." The gargantuan juggernaut turned back towards the crowd, an unreadable expression on her face.
"A leader who understands us as well as we understand ourselves. A leader who is not only unafraid to fight on the battlefield, but has also experienced the great natural realm first-hand. A leader who has faced our dreaded enemies, the Senshi, and survived to return to us. A leader who has great knowledge of our enemies." Tekokowa's expression changed to one of unrelenting pride.
"Our great Mistress shall deliver us where no ruler has been able to before. Her great will shall be the blade that carves our path to victory!" Her eyes fell upon the grand mass of youma before her.
"And we shall be the great arm that thrusts that blade through the bones of our enemies! We shall be the ones who at the end, shall stand together, at our rightful place of power. We will be the shadow that devours the dying light of the human race. Our darkness will blot out all who stand against us, and cover the Earth with everlasting night. So join me, sisters! Our glorious time shall come soon. We shall not falter again. We will overcome anything and everything in our way!" Tekokowa drew herself up to the highest she could go, her calm emotion breaking away to be replaced by pure pride, as she addressed the awaiting masses in front of her.
"FOR WE ARE TENEBRUM!"
The horde of youma erupted into screams, roars, cries, and cheers so loud, it felt as if the ground itself was quaking in acknowledgment of their jubilation. Order made way for constructed chaos as the clamor continued. No order, even from Tekokowa could quell the great cheer from the masses. Instead, Tekokowa looked up once again to the figure standing atop the obsidian citadel. She thought she could vaguely make out a smile on the shrouded face before the cloaked being turned and walked into the structure, disappearing among the shadows. Tekokowa's prideful smile left her face. Instead, a look of questioning displeasure took its spot.
The massive arches of the portal device behind her suddenly emitted a thunderous blast, overbearing and silencing the cries of the army. The magical energy which crackled around the obsidian structure pulsed towards the center of the device and concentrated there. A luminous pale-blue light exploded from the singularity, blinding all those looking at it. Tekokowa's form was reduced to a silhouette, only the strongest features of her body were still visible to observers. Suddenly, just as quickly as the event occurred, it ended. The great light subsided, and the thunderous noise was reduced to a stable, low humming. Tekokowa looked behind her to see that within the center of the arches, now existed a small circular vortex. A trans-spacial portal had come into existence. A quick gaze to the tech crew stationed behind the portal console was acknowledged with a nod, and Tekokowa returned her attention to the army.
"This is it, sisters! The first portal has finally been opened." She regained her stoic posture. "Forward Shock Troop, at attention!"
The massive army immediately shuffled around, and a smaller group quickly separated themselves from the crowd. They condensed among themselves, each member wearing a matching set of armor. While their attire was similar, their bodies were not. None the less, they approached their commanding officer and upon reaching her, organized themselves into a sorted formation. They numbered eight, and the stark difference between their forms was pleasantly accentuated by their arrangement. They all stood at attention, awaiting their leader's orders.
Tekokowa gazed upon the assembled shock troopers. She was pleased by their quick and concise reply to her call. "You eight shall be the first to enter the natural realm after this long time. You shall be our eyes and ears to how the it has changed." She paced between each member of the squad, assessing each one closely.
"You all know your objectives. Discover what has changed in Tokyo. Find the Senshi. Test their strength, but return alive. Your knowledge is more important than any injury to the Senshi. At least, for now." Tekokowa returned to her previous position, standing in front of the assembled squad. She indicated towards the portal. "Now go! Go and be the key to our victory! Do not fail us!"
The eight shock troopers immediately departed towards the portal, leaving Tekokowa standing behind them. She gazed upon their backs longingly. As the last member passed the threshold of the portal and disappeared from sight, a solemn look appeared on Tekokowa's face, betraying her emotion to anyone who saw her. Fortunately, no one did. I pray I do not fail you.
Author's Notes:
Chizuko is another OC from 'Sailor Ranko' that I really wanted to expand upon. With the unfortunate hiatus of the series, her back story was never really explored. That actually gives me a lot of potential to work with. Expect to see a bunch more of the Solar Hawk. I definitely plan to do some in depth character development with her either in Volume One, or in a side-story after its conclusion.
As for chapter three: I'll probably get around to uploading it sometime this weekend. I'm still working on future chapters, and want to buffer chapter uploads so that you all aren't sitting here waiting for weeks for a new chapter. Hopefully that plan works out. Either way, the first big action scene is coming soon, and I hope you'll enjoy it!