Slade's Old Fics Archive

by PepperLime

Cleaning up my fic space. "Senshi", "Trapped", "Silent Heart", and more. I might also use this as an Idea Dumping ground later. Crosses are Ranma with Sailor Moon, Gold Digger, Ah My Goddess, and Tenjho Tenge. Not all on the same "Chapter" mind you. If you've read my fics before, And are finding ones missing, they are here.

4. Silent Heart

Dreams.
Sometimes they are nothing more than our brain
Sorting and storing information from the days activities.
And sometimes they have a more prophetic purpose.

Dreams are funny things...

SILENT HEART

A Past yet To Come

Across the whole Earth, a deathly calm was felt. It was as if everyone in the world were sitting on the edge of their seat. A breathe held long in anticipation of an event that would decide the fate of all. Few moments existed through out time that should never be taken lightly. In the city of Tokyo, one such event was about to occur.

Shouts could be heard in the din of battle; some voices yelling curses, others screaming in pain. The sounds of blades clashed, and explosive energy surged. This was not a battle against the simple demon or youma. This was a war between warriors; a group of magic girls facing again a traitor they never knew existed.

It was a long time coming, this battle. Not just days or years, but millennia where put into this one confrontation. Pain, sweat, and blood were just the beginningﾅ and now it would end with a simple choice.

Harsh winds whipped about them, those that gathered on what was left of the observation deck of Tokyo Tower. A great battle was about to come to a close, drawn out and hard fought. In the flash of a moment, it was left to one man.

He stood between them. She-whom-he-once-loved and She-whom-he-loved-still. In his hands he held something of great power, but of greater import was his choice of which one would receive the prize from him. If he gave it to the one he once loved, then all would end. If the one he loved still were to receive it, they both would die at the hand of She-whom-he-once-loved.

After a moment of thought, he firmed in his decision. Turning to the one whom he had chosen, he walked up to her with sure steps, certain that he had made the right choice. When he reached her, he wrapped his arms around her for what he knew would be the last time.

"I love you. I'm sorry," came the hushed tones.

Then all was nothing.

---

To walk a path alone...
That is not how we were made.

Sometimes even in a crowd, we are alone.
It doesn't have to be this way.

Somewhere...
Perhaps far...
Maybe near...
There is another you.

Someone who understands...
Someone who has something you need...
Someone who needs what you have...

Someone who will bring a song to your...

SILENT HEART

Chapter One

A Future Never To Be

01-01

Neo-Queen Serenity sat in her throne, her daughter stood before her. Well, the girl wasn't really her daughter, but the daughter of the Queen a month and a half in the future. Her present day daughter was with Mamoru overseeing an expansion project on the neighboring continent. Regardless; the news she had just received from her future daughter, who had just returned from the past, was definitely disturbing. "So why does it have to be him?"

Usagi's face was set with grim determination. "He is the only one of that time period who has the power needed for this task; who has seen and been a part of enough strange things that this will be almost normal for him. Also, he is the most trust worthy of any of the possible candidates."

As the Queen looked through the report Usagi had given her, even at a glance, this boy proved to be the best choice by far. He was definitely the only one uniquely qualified for the engagement, but Serenity felt there was something more. "Is that all?"

"No. In fact, all that you see there was gathered -AFTER- I had determined he was the one." Usagi stated thoughtfully.

Serenity was definitely curious. For such a boy to have passed the intense scrutiny of her daughter, especially when dealing with her best friend while growing up was nothing short of incredible. "What tipped you off, Usa-chan?"

"His eyes." Usagi's smile held a soft pain.

"His. . . eyes?"

"Exactly like Hotaru-chan's. Lonely, tortured, and longing for acceptance. They are so much alike, and so different. Where he never had any real friends, Hotaru can introduce him to people who will not run when the going gets tough. Where Hotaru has suffered a weak constitution, he has fought against enemies while drained of all his strength. With his ever positive attitude and Hotaru's experience in a loving, family-type environment, their kind hearts will resonate." Usagi smiled softly at the thought of her best friend's greatest wish coming true. "They would finally not only have someone who just accepts and loves them, but someone who will understand what they have gone through. They don't need inexperienced sympathy; but someone who has 'been there', someone who has walked the same path. They are kindred spirits." Usagi's smile was full blown.

At that last statement, Serenity nodded, "Indeed, they are."

01-02

Somewhere between time and space there is a location that few know of and even fewer have entered. Sitting in hazy mists and shadows that shimmer in the dark is an artifact of untold age and power.

The Gate of Time.

Before it stood it's protector, Sailor Pluto. Watching with the utmost care that time flows toward the ultimate divine goal unhindered. Problems may arise and battles fought; but as long as time ran the course down it's everlasting flow, she could care less about the minor skirmishes between mortals. However, there were some problems that were just out of her sight. Disasters that would not appear, yet still happen. These she feared most. That is why her Queen checked in with Sailor Mars from time to time. One was a watcher of the temporal, the other of the spiritual.

Suddenly she felt a gust blow at her back, drawing her out of her thoughts and into the 'present'. Behind her a doorway opened, one that was not there a moment ago and not really 'there' even now; but existed none the less.

"Hey ya, Puu." came a very familiar, sugary voice. Well at least as familiar as a six year change will allow. What was important was that Setsuna recognized the voice. While she didn't need to see her to know who she was, she did turn around to look at the rest of the changes in the daughter of her Queen.

Usagi had grown into such a beautiful young woman. As petite as her mother at that age. In fact, if it had not been for her pink hair and red eyes, the Guardian of Time would have sworn that it was her Queen standing before her. Well that and her hair oddly wasn't in it's usually dual odango style. Instead it was in a tight braid going all the way down her back; and her bangs appeared carefully styled, yet somehow flowed with an unruly air, as if planned that way. Also her choice of outfit appeared odd. It wasn't the stately gown that she was required to wear when doing her duties as Princess of Crystal Tokyo, nor was it her common garb of the twentieth century she liked to prance around in; it was not even her Senshi uniform. Simple, baggy, black, silk pants and a sleeveless red shirt; both of Chinese make. The look hinted to something in the back of her memory, but for the life of her she could not recall what.

"Hello Princess, what brings you here?" she greeted Usagi with a bow.

Usagi smirked, again the image before Setsuna was calling to something from long ago. "Come on Puu, you know better than that. When I'm in my civvies you are supposed to call meﾅ"

Setsuna smiled remembering all the wonderful times they had spent together while she was growing up. Usagi was the one person besides Hotaru who had seen the other side of who Setsuna really was. In fact, Usagi was the only one to ever see her truly cry. Not a few tears, but really weep. In the last few centuries she had done more to bring her out of her shell then anyone else ever had. Setsuna was still very reclusive, but at least she smiled more now a days. "Sorry about that Chibi-Usa. Long hours and all, you know how it is."

Chibi-Usa sighed while maintaining her cheery disposition. "Tell me about it. Anyways, Mom needs to see you right away. While there is still time on our side, she does have a lot to tell you."

Pluto instantly became serious. "Is it an emergency? Has Rei seen something that I haven't?"

"Not a huge one. . . at least not yet. And yes, Rei-chan did see something. I'll explain on the way to the throne room." Chibi-Usa replied as her face became slightly less cheery.

01-03

"Okay, so let me get this straight: Hotaru was killed a week ago on the outskirts of the galaxy by some unknown enemy." Setsuna exasperated.

"Right." Usagi nodded seriously.

The Guardian of Time continued worriedly, "And because of how she died, there is now a tear in time-space, hence why I can't see the event."

Usagi just continued to nod the affirmative. "By Ami's calculations, this tear will engulf the entire galaxy in just over two months."

"So during one of Rei's fire readings, she found the reason that Hotaru had exiled herself wasn't because she felt she was a threat as we had all thought, but because she was lonely. Thus she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. So in order to counteract this, Hotaru has been engaged retroactively by the Queen. I can see the reasoning, but what is it that happened to Hotaru?" The two were walking at a very brisk pace down the main hall of the palace. Setsuna was getting very worried, with the death of one of the Senshi and a tear in time-space things were going from bad to worse in a heartbeat.

"Not sure really. Mom wants to fill you in on the rest." Usa said as they came up to a large door. "And in we go."

As they walked in, Setsuna noted the lack of guards and attendants. "I sent them home to be with their families. If you fail in your mission, then I want their last months to be spent with those they cherish most. If you succeed, then their absence will not have mattered." came the voice of the Queen, reading her long time friend and adviser correctly. "I trust my daughter was able to bring you up to speed on what could be your final assignment? "

Setsuna nodded in the affirmative. "She has, Your Highness. I imagine you have a particular boy picked out for Hotaru?"

"I do." The smirk on Neo-Queen Serenity's face threw the Senshi of Pluto a bit off balance.

"So, who is this boy you want me to engage to Hotaru? Is he someone from the Silver Millennium? Because if he is and he remembers his past life, it would spell disaster." Setsuna's face was set in worry over her adopted daughter, long buried maternal instincts rising once more to the surface of her heart.

Serenity giggled lightly behind her hand. "Oh no, the man I chose was living his first incarnation."

"He was a normal human? I still don't think it will work. I am assuming you mean a mortal. Right?" Setsuna knew that her Queen was very wise, but she had some doubts about this plan of her's.

That strange smirk returned, telling Setsuna once again that she was probably not going to like what her Queen had in mind. "What if the name of the 'normal' human in question was Ranma Saotome?"

Serenity was treated to the most comical sight she had ever seen, the very sight she was hoping to see. Setsuna stood there, slack jawed, pail as a ghost, and on the verge of a massive face fault. "P-pardon me for my rudeness, but I'd say you're out of your mind! He was a nexus of chaos!" she all but screamed.

Just as the Guardian of Time was about to go into a long winded rant, Serenity flatly stated "No."

That had the effect of deflating Setsuna's rant before it really got started. In an even voice, with just a touch of ire she replied. "No what?"

Serenity was stern as she answered. "He is not a nexus of chaos." Suddenly she smiled brightly. "He is a nexus of order."

This time Setsuna did face fault. After getting back up, she addressed her Queen as politely as she could. ". . . Again pardon my rudeness. . . But do you even realize just who you are talking about here? Ranma Saotome is the direct cause of several violent ripples in time that I had to correct both before and after Galaxia and Chaos! Hell, if it hadn't been for that fianc? of his getting to him first, I would have had to kill him myself! He lived in the middle of a mess of engagements that could better be described as a harem. He was the head of what people all over Tokyo refereed to as the 'Nerima Wrecking Crew'. Not to mention he killed a minor god! If he isn't a nexus of chaos, then I don't know what is."

'How right you are, my old friend.' Serenity thought to herself sadly. After a moment she sat forward and smirked that little 'I-know-something-you-don't-know' smirk. Pluto was really starting to wonder if this was divine retribution for all the times she had appeared right behind Serenity when she was still just Usagi. "you want to bet?"

Somehow that little dare at a time like this unnerved Setsuna. ". . .um... Well, what proof is there that he isn't?"

"You are right that there was a nexus of chaos in Nerima, Pluto. The only thing you got wrong was the who. Remember, it is one's actions that determine who they are. Also, nexuses of chaos tear down the harmony of order, break down common sense, and cause all other beings no end of trouble. Ranma Saotome had to endure a ten year 'training' trip, a curse placed upon him, multiple fianc?s that wanted him dead or in the sack at one time or another, and he had to defeat a mystical being that was corrupted and suffered from delusions of grandeur; and yet through all that he somehow kept his personal honor intact and remained relatively sane. In short, he is a nexus of order that never was nurtured and was put through more than almost any other being of order before him. Let me put it this way: Judging from the fact that somehow he had a pure heart and by some miracle was able to hold on to his honor beyond even his dying breath. If he had been nurtured and raised in a loving environment, you would have done everything in your power to have him married to me instead of Mamoru, just for the sake of how much greater Crystal Tokyo would be. But as nice as that idea might sound, it is not the change I want you to make."

Pluto was shocked, it made complete sense. She never thought of it that way before. "If he is not the nexus of chaos, then who is it?"

"Don't you mean who are they?" Serenity asked.

"What?" Now Pluto was just straight confused.

The Queen's countenance was once again all business. "Remember that chaos cares not for common sense, honor, peace, love, and especially order. Taking this into account, my greatest scholar has discovered those who were really tainted by chaos. The ones we know of are Happosai, grandmaster of the Anything Goes school of martial arts. . ."

Setsuna felt back on familiar ground. After all, who in Tokyo hadn't heard of the pervert? "That goes without saying."

Serenity sighed exasperatedly. "Indeed. Also the Kuno clan. . ."

Now the time guardian had a noticeable twitch to her left eye. A few years after Ranma's death, she had an unfortunate run in with Tatewaki. Her ears still hurt from listening to the worst imitation of Shakespeare she had ever heard. Being the Guardian of Time, she had heard some pretty bad ones before, but Kuno takes not just the cake, but the ice cream too. "Again not surprising." she said icily.

"Soun Tendo. . ."

Setsuna shrugged. "Well he did hang around the old pervert."

"Akane Tendo. . ." the Queen continued.

"Had a feeling. . ." Pluto was beginning to wonder just how long this list was.

"Nabiki Tendo. . ."

Pluto raised an eyebrow on that one. "I though she had it more together. . . Oh well." she said with a shrug.

"Ryoga Hibiki. . ."

"Well, He did have that ridiculous vendetta against Ranma." she reasoned.

"Ukyo Kuonji. . ."

"That's interesting." It made some sense, but was still unexpected.

"Xian Pu. . ."

"Okay." 'Is there an end to this?'

"Mu Tsu. . ."

"Makes sense." 'Where there is one, the other is sure to follow.'

"Nodoka Saotome. . ."

Setsuna was beginning to wonder how many more times she would be surprised today. "Okay, that I didn't expect."

Serenity sighed remembering what had been in the report she was given. "Remember her view of 'manliness'?"

"Good point." Setsuna relented

"In fact just about everyone in Nerima was a nexus of chaos on one level or another. . . But the greatest source of chaos was. . . Well, I think you can guess this one." Serenity growled. Setsuna was taken back a bit by the sudden change in her Queen. Then after a moment she realized why.

"Genma Saotome." came the my-voice-can-freeze-hell response

"Yep, he was the one truly responsible for Ranma's 'order retardation' if you will. In fact, everything that took place in Ranma's life can be traced back to him. The engagements. The rivals. Everything." Serenity spoke with reserved anger.

"So was Ranma the only one?" asked Setsuna, sensing a need to get back to the point.

Serenity was grateful to her fellow Senshi for changing the subject back to the matter at hand. "No, in fact there were actually four nexuses of order in Nerima: Ranma, Dr. Tofu Ono, Kasumi Tendo, and Kho Lon."

"Cologne?" Setsuna would have put money on her being a nexus of chaos.

Serenity nodded, and upon seeing her advisor's confusion, elaborated. "Though she never did drop the kiss of marriage, all she ever really did was train Ranma. In fact, without her, Ranma would not have survived his three greatest battles: Pantyhose Taro, the Musk Prince Herb, and the Phoenix King Saffron."

Setsuna was very surprised, she thought that she was above prejudice. Was this ever an eye opener. "Well that is the first bet I have ever lost since becoming the Senshi of Pluto. So, what now?"

Serenity sat back in her throne. "Simple really, make sure that sometime after our battle with Galaxia and his with Saffron, that Hotaru and Ranma meet, fall in love, and get married. In this case, their being together is imperative to saving humanity. It has precedence over preserving this future, because this future is exactly what we hope to avoid." Setsuna rarely ever saw such determination in her Queen's eyes. At least not outside of a battle.

After she though for a moment, she came back to one of her earlier points. "But he was mortal."

This time when Serenity smirked, it was more like the one Setsuna was accustomed to. The 'I-know-you-can-do-it' variety. "I am sure you will find a way around that. Oh, and there is a secondary mission."

As if things couldn't get anymore complicated. Setsuna sighed. "What is that?"

Serenity was glad that Setsuna was taking this better then she thought she would. "Gather the other three nexus' of Nerima. Our scholar found that they didn't last long after Ranma was killed, and they might be of some use."

Setsuna bowed. "Yes, Your Highness." Just before she was going to leave, something about the conversation finally hit her. "If I may Your Highness." Serenity nodded. "Since when do you have a scholar besides Ami? After all, if you meant her, you would have said her name. Who is this great scholar to whom you are referring?"

Both Serenity and Usa giggled at that. "Why, she stands right beside you."

Setsuna began looking around for who her Queen was referring to, but found no one but Usa. "Wait a minute. Since when was she a scholar?"

Serenity's countenance was quite mirthful as she spoke. "Usagi was sent back to study and make a report so that we would be able to have this discussion. If she had not gone back, I wouldn't have ever thought about engaging Hotaru with anyone."

Once again Setsuna felt totally confused. "But I never sent her. I knew nothing of this. I. . ." That was when the realization struck. "I sent her back just before the galaxy is swallowed up, and there was not enough power to make a full round trip. But that worked to our advantage, didn't it?"

"Bingo, got it in one!" Usa bubbled.

Another thing fell into place that had been bugging her since this whole thing started. "And you decided to drop a hint to me by dressing like Ranma."

At that, Usa giggled with a lot of good humor and a dash of mirth. "Oh, you are good at this game Puu."

Setsuna had joined in with a good natured laugh of her own. . . That or the stress was finally getting to her, with her you never know. After a good laugh and a farewell, the Guardian of Time returned to her post. She had much to prepare for. Meanwhile, back in the throne room, Usa looked back to her mom. Worry and joy both warred in her face.

"Mom, why didn't we tell her about Hotaru-chan?"

Serenity began staring off into space. Though not really spacing out, but rather seeming deep in thought. She answered with a slightly quieter tone. "I'm sure she'll figure it out for herself."

01-04

"Okay, so now I understand my future self's reason for sending that message, but I still don't get how Ranma isn't a nexus of chaos." Pluto exasperated.

She had just finished viewing the meeting she would have had in the future with her Queen and the Princess. But the details still didn't mesh right. It was Ranma that had caused the ripples in the timeline, ones that led away from Crystal Tokyo. After a moment, a stray thought got her to thinking. She had never looked at where those threads of time had led, just discarded them in favor of Crystal Tokyo.

As she had done for so many centuries, she turned back to the Gates of Time and began by looking through those discarded threads. As she watched each one, she began to feel a pang of regret. Each new one she looked at, Ranma's presence with the Senshi had made the world a much better place. She had started with the most recent possibility, that being the Senshi joining in his fight against Saffron; which was to take place in three days real-time. As she looked at each possible future, she did find the horrid possibilities she expected to find. But for every one drenched in chaos, there were at least five others where the future looked brighter then she ever hoped. On top of that, the 'bad endings' were not directly Ranma's fault, but that of one or all of his 'family and friends'.

She had enough of looking at the possible futures that will never be. After all, the time that she was chosen to have this knowledge combined with the orders she was given, left her unable to make those changes. Instead she reviewed Ranma's life in a new light. Watching his past with the utmost scrutiny, looking for any evidence that her future self was wrong. She still couldn't believe this boy wasn't what she had deemed him to be. But as she watched each year, each struggle, she saw it. The strength and determination of one who could only be a nexus of order. The Neko-ken, Jusenkyo, the fianc?s, and the rivals. Her future Queen was right. None of it was Ranma's fault ultimately. It wasn't that Ranma could do no wrong, but that the wrong he did do was taught to him by Genma. His rudeness, his lack of proper social skills, and his lack of education were all directly Genma's fault. His sense of honor, as strained as it could be at times, could only be from him being a nexus of order; considering Genma's moral bankruptcy. And the more Setsuna saw that Ranma was a nexus of order, the more she saw Genma as a nexus of chaos.

No, more then that, Setsuna saw a plan. She had seen many plans come into fruition, and many lives lived with out much planning. She knew the difference between the two. A nexus of chaos doesn't just put a nexus of order through this much. There should have been a lot more times that Ranma's being a nexus would have allowed him to have seasons of peace. Instead, he was constantly battling either his fianc?s, his rivals, his enemies, or all the above. All the evidence pointed to a conscious plan. And that could only mean one thing.

"My Queen, you were wrong about Genma being a nexus of chaos." Setsuna was in awe at the realization she had just made. "Genma Saotome is a representative, an avatar of chaos. This changes everything. I see now that Genma saw Ranma's true potential and felt threatened by it."

She was about to leave for home when something caught her attention. It was Ranma sitting on the roof of the Tendo dojo, three days after the failed wedding. About a week after the present day in real-time. What had her interest wasn't the sight of him on the roof, nor was it that he looked totally spent.

It was his eyes. Eyes that she was sure she had seen before. It was not the color or shape, but the emotion she saw. They were so familiar. So lonely.

"Just likeﾅ" she gasped as tears began to fall as the realization hit. "But. . . Does that mean I. . . Oh dear God, forgive me! I didn't know."

"Hotaru, please, forgive me!"

---

Across the great divide,
Two hearts cry out for love.
But their shouts go unheard.

On opposite sides of the city,
Two warriors fight.
But neither receive the prize they sought.

Under the same sky,
They dream of the one
Who will love them for who they are.

Both pray for the day That a song will beat In their...

SILENT HEART

Chapter Two

Exodus

02-01

Ranma bolted upright, drenched in sweat. Quickly he took in his surroundings. Finding that he was still in the guest room of the Tendo dojo, and not the observation deck of the Tokyo Tower, he felt a calming wave of relief. Gathering his thoughts, he began to get worried. It wasn't that he had chosen the one girl over the other girl. It wasn't that he couldn't see their faces clearly. It wasn't even the certain doom he felt with either choice. It was the fact that he had had the dream for three nights in a row, including this one.

Shaking the thoughts out of his mind, he decided to get on with the day rather than worry about strange dreams. After all, it was just a really odd dream, right? Just because it was reoccurring doesn't mean anything, right? Ranma sighed. 'With my luck?' he thought rhetorically.

02-02

Empty, dark, and lonely. The throne room of the late Queen Beryl was a sorry sight. Having been unattended for the better part of three years, it was little more then a grave yard for the remaining essence of dark shadows and evil minions. Silence hung about much like the air was stale. Nothing moved, nothing breathed, nothing lived. It was like it was when a certain princess had brought ruin upon the dark kingdom that was contained within these halls.

It calm was broken by the sudden burst of magic on the floor in front of the throne. Quickly gaining strength, a portal ripped the fabric of space and spit out a giant crystal. Cracked and clouded, it slammed into the Queen's throne, shattering on impact.

As the tear sealed back up, the broken and tired from of a blond man crawled out of the chips and shards. It took all he had to pull himself out of the abyss. But now he was drained and weary. Dull blue eyes surveyed his surroundings, the dreary doom that clung to the room held little hope. Free, but soon to die. His heart raged at the unfairness of it all. He just wanted to serve as he was commanded. He just wanted to make his king happy.

His eye cloud over for a moment. 'That's not right,' he thinks to himself. 'I want to make my QUEEN happy, right?' There was an uncertainty in him, a feeling of betrayed loyalties. However, he was uncertain as to which loyalty he was betraying.

Casting another search about the chamber, he still found nothing of interest. Nothing of any help, that is, until he stumbled on a long shot. The power in the air, though stale and splintered through out the vast hall, was something he could work with. If he was not careful, then he would surely die, but that was already going to happen anyway. It was a gamble that could pay off well.

Bracing himself, he opened pathways within his power using the same arts he employed in gathering life energy from those humans. It was difficult at first, the dark essence did not react the same in the slightest. A few moments later, however, he found his efforts baring fruit. Slowly, a shadowy mist drew toward his ruined form, sinking into every pore. Though only in trickles, he could feel his reserves filling once more.

It felt like an eternity, him just laying there, drinking in the lurid anima to bursting. And just as he felt his capacity top off, something went wrong. He could not stop the inflow of power. He tried to close the pathways, but to no avail. The miasma forced itself into him, spilling into the already full container. Having no where else to go, the arcane dynamism erupted into his physical body. A feeling akin to pain, but somehow pleasurable in equal measure, flooded his senses even as changing were taking place in his corrupted flesh.

The was a loud crack as his bones began to take on a slightly modified configuration, and he groaned as his anatomy was forcefully rearranged inside and out. Hips widened, legs lengthened, his skin felt aflame, and a slight weight formed on his chest. The twisting and churning within his abdomen bought about the final changes. Time had no meaning, and he could not have known if it was but seconds or years. When the last of the left-overs of the Dark Kingdom entered into him, he was no longer the man known as 'Jedite'. Carefully, as if for the first time, he stood to take stock of the new from he had gained.

Or rather, SHE had gained. Though taller then 'he' once was, none the less, she was now a beautiful woman. Her hair had remain short, but everything else about her screamed of femininity. Legs that went on forever that connected to mature hips, that connected to a trim waist, that connected to a thin chest that bore two modest, yet dazzling breasts. Slim arms beguiled great strength, and with in her was power like she had never felt. While she would have preferred to remain a man, giving up said masculinity is a small price to pay for the intoxicating potential that she felt boiling beneath the surface of her skin.

"Perhaps," the woman once known as Jedite gasped at the sound of her own voice. Soft, mature, and alluring. It was the epitome of what she was now it seemed. She continued with her thought, if for no other reason then to hear her new voice again, "Perhaps, some of Metallia's power was left behind too. And a great many of the youma we had commanded previously were of female bent. That could explain my new form." Her face held a thoughtful look as she moved to the next logical step, "Now, what to do."

An vile smirk adorned her face, an appearance that would have even caused her previous Queen to cringe from. She remembered her fall from Beryl's graces. She remembered well those that had cause her down fall. Though she could use the knowledge she had gained back then to torture and break the Senshi slowly, she decided against the notion. Firstly, because, in a way, she owed the Senshi for this power she would have never gained otherwise. But more importantly, because she had learned from her mistakes. No grand plans. No long speeches. No playing with her prey.

Today, the Senshi would die.

The shadows in the room seemed to move just so that she was subtly covered by them. Than they moved away showing the room to be a lonely tomb once more.

Well, not entirely empty.

Stepping out of nothingness, a large man with glasses, a bandana covering his baldness, and a crest shimmering on his forehead walks into the throne room. Surveying the site before him told him all he needed to know. Genma smirked to himself, "So, another pawn moves into place." Taking a step back, the nothingness from before enveloped him. A dark smirk of his own fix into place as he vanished, leaving one last thought.

"It's all going according to plan."

02-03

Ranma found that he could not take his mind of the dream, or any of the other troubling parts of his life. So, once more he sat on the roof, quiet and seemingly alone in his thoughts. Apart from the dream, he also felt like he was being watched; but then, that wasn't so different. For as long as he could remember he had always felt this way. Of course this didn't mean that he liked it, he was just used to it. The funny thing about it is that if he wasn't mistaken, it was the same person that had been watching him this entire time. He never really knew where the person was hiding, and it wasn't till recently that his skills with manipulating his ki had become such that he could tell one person from another; but somehow he had always known this particular sensation meant that -she- was watching. He was just guessing, but somehow it felt right. It was probably the only female presence that didn't put him on edge; thought he still didn't like being watched so closely. After a moment the feeling once again faded, and he was truly alone to his thoughts; those, of course, being about his life up to current. The training, the curse, the fianc?s, the rivals, the enemies... Saffron.

That was what this was really about in the end. It was simple. It was undeniable. It was a fact.

Ranma Saotome had killed.

He wasn't a martial artist any more. Well, that wasn't true; he would always be a martial artist. But now he was also a warrior. That one fact changed so much inside him, but no one seemed to notice. A sad smile adorned his lips for a moment as he chuckled darkly at the irony. To think, his rivals and enemies had always yelled about killing him all the time, and the one time he faces someone which will do just that...

It was already almost breakfast time when he noticed that -she- was looking at him again. Ranma's eyes widened in realization. -She- wasn't just looking at him... -She- was looking AT him. From a direction; the front gate if he wasn't mistaken. Turning himself slightly, he locked eyes with the one. Steel gray met deep crimson. "It's -her-" he said in surprise. He wasn't sure why -she- was here or whether he should be happy or angry about it; but he was going to find out.

02-04

Setsuna, she stepped up to the gate and rung the bell. Waiting for the door to open, she let her mind wonder over the various things she had discovered since receiving her new orders. The most shocking was the cause of the Great Ice that was supposed to happen before Crystal Tokyo was established. To think that one man could cause that big of a change in the climate of the world. Just getting Ranma out of Nerima would completely change that event forever. If he had stayed, Shampoo would soon succeed in drugging him and drag him back to her village with a sad Cologne in tow. But while the drug did give the Amazon girl control over her 'husband', he remained aware of all the things that were happening to him. Finally, after two years of torment, his skill with the Soul of Ice allowed him to break the spell for a moment; but that was all he needed to exact his revenge. Sadly, he had underestimated the force of the power he had been collecting over that time. When he died from his own attack on the village, his power dispersed over the whole world. It was a quiet scream that no one, even Setsuna, noticed. But the affects became obvious. She still wasn't sure how it worked, just that whatever he would have done would have sent the world into a second ice age. If she had known this when she still thought of Ranma as a nexus of chaos, she wouldn't have cared. But her orders coupled with her recent revelations, she had to do whatever she could to get him out of this hell hole. After a moment the gate opened and she was greeted by one of her secondary 'targets', Kasumi Tendo. She already had a plan in the works to get her out of her slavery, but that would come later. Sadly, she was only here for Ranma at the moment.

Kasumi noticed the momentary look of regret that flashed acrossed the dark emerald tressed woman, but left it alone for now. Still wearing her ever-present smile, she greeted the lady standing before her, "Good morning, may I help you?"

Setsuna bowed formally while answering, "Yes, my name is Setsuna Meioh. I called yesterday about a business proposition for your dojo."

"Oh. Yes, my father is waiting inside."

The eldest Tendo daughter motioned Setsuna in and shut the gate once more. As Setsuna passed through the threshold she realized that today was three days after Saffron. The same day that she saw his...

Looking up at the roof, she saw him in the same position from when she looked at him through the gate. At that moment, deep crimson met steel gray. The myriad of emotions she saw play acrossed Ranma's face made her wonder as to what he was thinking. But she had little time for that. She was on a mission.

Following Kasumi's lead, she moved into the Tendo homestead, and into a form of battle that she never really wanted to deal with; negotiations with the terrible trio. She had spent the better half of the last week figuring out the best course of action that would get Ranma out of Nerima, but with out the usual tag-a-longs... Or at least as few as she could cut it down to. The number one challenge was how to get it so that Akane specifically would not be tacked on to the deal. After all, how would any sort of relationship going to start with that... 'girl' breathing down Ranma's throat the whole time? Once there was some beginning root work taking hold, she could care less who would come, but for now it had to be just him.

Once she had the basic idea of what she wanted to 'offer', she then had to plan for each of the main obstacles when dealing with Ranma in any way: Soun, Genma, and Nodoka. Genma would be fairly easy by himself; while he was an Avatar of Chaos, he was not much for integrity. Soun could crumple like a house of cards if she gets Genma to agree first. Neither were really a threat in and of themselves; however, with Nodoka in the mix things didn't look promising.

Unless, of course, Setsuna were to use her twisted views on manliness against her. But in order to do that, Akane couldn't be anywhere near by, as the conversation would naturally degrade into a 'Ranma is a pervert' beat-a-thon all too quickly. That is why she choose today of all days. Akane was sulking at a friend's house, Nabiki was dealing with the repair men while trying to get the most out of her father's money, Happosai was in Osaka chasing skirts, and the rest of the usual cast were still recuperating the events of last night. This was really her only window of opportunity, and she was going to cash in on her gamble.

02-05

Ranma landed lightly on the ground even as he remained in deep thought. 'Who is she, and what does she want with me?' he wondered to himself. Some might think the question very narcissistic, after all there was little direct, hard evidence of such a notion; but, then again, if one knew even a fraction of what went on in this ward of Tokyo, there would be no question that even if this woman wanted nothing to do with Ranma directly, something about her appearance would definitely involve him at some point.

But before he could set foot in the house, he felt a familiar aura behind him. Turning, he saw the elder, Cologne, sitting on her staff. "What do you want old ghoul?" he asked tersely.

For a few moments, Cologne stood, as if sizing him up, judging him for something. He had always hated when she did that; but then again, she was wise... a pain in the neck, but wise. He knew that she would have something to say about this woman, who ever she was, and he had a feeling that he should listen. After all, as long as it didn't involve the Amazon laws, it was usually a good idea to listen to the elder. When she appeared done, she looked past him at the house. "So, she's here," she stated in a soft tone.

"Who?" So, the old ghoul really did know something. But what? Before Ranma could ask anything else, she answered.

"Why, the one who has been watching you all this time," she replied with a smile. "It seems she has decided what to do with you." At this she seemed thoughtful again.

Ranma really didn't like where this might go, "You know her or something?"

"Or somethingﾅ Either way, you'll find out on your own soon enough." She looked dead serious as she continued, "Since we actually have a moment alone, I thought I might talk to you about something that has been weighing on my heart for sometimeﾅ Ranma, as of this moment I dissolve the Kiss of Death, and the Kiss of Marriage."

Ranma stood, completely shocked. Floored would perhaps be a better term. Over the last year, the amazons had caused him no end of trouble, pushing their laws on him and making his life a small slice of hell. And now, out of no where, the wrinkled prune had just given up. There had to be some kind of catch. "What brought this on?"

Once again, the elder had a look of deep thought before speaking, "Ranma, first of all, you have proven yourself to be far to 'wild' to be tamedﾅ Not that Xian Pu ever had much of a chance in the first place. She is stuck deeper in the old ways then I am, and you know that's saying a lot. Second, you defeated the Phoenix King, Saffron. That immediately grants you at least status as an honorary Amazon, which would exempt you form the kisses.

"However, there is more. I had under estimated you from the beginning, thinking you to be nothing more then another foolish outsider male. But even now, you have so much untapped potential; you could really be anything you wanted to be.

"Ranma, you have been a joy to teach, and an amusing distraction from the dull life I led in the village." The aged one took a deep breath before going on, "Ranma, what I'm trying to say is 'thank you'. For everything. The laughs, the adventures, and most of all, the privilege to teach a student as talented as you. I look forward to any time we might spend on lessons in the future." Cologne bowed deeply to Ranma while he was still stunned.

"Umﾅ You're welcome, I guess," he replied uncertainly, bowing back.

Straightening from her bow, looked at the boy one last time, "I hope to see you again. For know, though, you have a new friend to meet," Cologne chuckled as she left.

02-06

While The Wise talked with The Young outside, The Eternal was just sitting down to talk with Sloth, Gluttony, and Lust incarnate.

Kasumi had just finished showing Setsuna into the family room, where she met with Soun, Genma, and Nodoka. Naturally, as Kasumi left for the kitchen to grab tea and snacks, they exchanged the common pleasantries that came with visiting anyone's home. "Welcome to my home, Meioh-san. I trust your trip here didn't trouble you too much," Soun began calmly.

"None at all. The weather has been quite forgiving lately," Setsuna spoke with grace and control. Knowing what this three are responsible for made it hard to not just lash out and have done with it. But it would not due to alert any one as to her true identity; especially if what she believes about Genma is true.

Nodoka and Genma remain quite as Soun continued proper social protocol, "Indeed, it has been a bit cooler lately, despite summer starting."

Setsuna nodded, still a polite smile on her face, "Perhaps it might rain soon. We are due for some after all."

"Possibly, it has been a bit drier then normal lately," Soun casts a glance to his left. Outside in the yard, he could see Ranma talking with Cologne. He hoped they wouldn't start fighting, or at least take it somewhere else. The woman before him held a possible proposition that was rare for the Dojo these days. "The summer storms usually begin sooner in the month."

"Yes, a nice rain would do us well, I'd think," the deep, emerald hair woman returned civilly.

Smiling, Soun continued, more to get his mind of his worries then anything else, "So, are you fond of the season? The fall is a good time of year I think."

"The fall is nice. What with the turning of the leaves and such," she agreed. Without missing a beat, she decided to indulge a bit, "Spring is quite lovely too. The cherry blossoms are particularly lovely in Minato."

"Ah, We'll have to see about visiting that ward next spring then," he answered back.

At that, Kasumi reentered the room with Tea and a plate of onigiri. Setting out the cups, she poured the tea in turn. First her father, Setsuna, then the Saotomes, and finally herself. Rather then continuing the safe banter, Setsuna reached for her cup and sipped quietly and with a refined air. Even after learning of the woman's skill in all things domestic, it was still a wholly different thing to experience. With the first truly pleasant smile of the day, Setsuna addressed the homemaker, "This is a good tea, a mix of White and Black, right?"

Surprised that someone would pick up on her choice in teas, she blushed slightly at the rare compliment. "It was nothing. I thought it would go well with the onigiri."

At the younger womans mention, Setsuna decided to partake of said rice balls. Or rather, tried to. Looking up, she saw that Nodoka appeared to be quite embarrassed, and Genma a bit fuller in the cheeks. But rather then bring attention to the faux pa, she just looked back to the resident chief, and spoke kindly, "They were wonderful as well, Tendo-san" Turning back to Soun, she moved forward with her plan. "I appreciate the welcome. I've come here today to speak to you about a proposition for your Dojo."

Mr. Tendo looked thoughtful, "Yes, you said something about needing someone as an instructor."

Setsuna nodded resolutely, "My daughter is in need of some training, as well as someone to protect her."

Noticing the apparent age of the lady in front of her, Nodoka was a bit confused, "Pardon me for asking, but I would think that your daughter would be a might young to take up the arts. Considering that you look almost fresh out of high school, I can't imagine that she would be much over two or three."

The concern heard in the Saotome matriarch's voice grated on Setsuna's ears. "Concern" indeed. But then, even if twisted by chaos, she was still a mother. And, if Setsuna recalled, Nodoka did put up a fight when the beast she calls a husband took Ranma on the road. Putting on a some what embarrassed look fitting a proper response to the aforementioned observation, Setsuna replied, "Oh, you flatter me. Sadly, she is not mine by blood. We adopted her after an accident robber her of her father. She had already been close to my house mates as I, as well as having lost her mother earlier in life. So we stepped in to be her guardians."

The story touches a deep cord in both Soun and Kasumi. In understanding, Soun responded, "Family is important." With a sad look in his eyes, he continued, "We will do what we can to help."

Seeing the man before her, Setsuna had to reassess her opinion of him. It was true that the head of the Tendo clan was a spineless patsy and a pathetic follower, but he was still a father. Perhaps he wasn't as "drawn into the spiral" as she first thought. None the less, she could not let her guard down. He was still a pawn of Genma.

Firming her resolve once more, she laid out her proposal, "She is a bit weaker then most girls her age, and she had been dealing with confidence issues for awhile now. Also, we live in Minato ward, an area of the city that is known for it's 'demon attacks'. What we are asking of you is that we would be provide with someone that can handle the rigors of our peculiar ward, while still maintaining a fairly rigorous training schedule."

Before Genma could speak, Nodoka leveled a piercing glare at him, "Don't even think it, Genma-dear," she spoke with a polite tone that hid the bite of her scowl. "I just got you and Ranma back, and there is no way you are going to take someone else's child. Let alone a daughter."

As Genma cringed, more from the position his wife's hands were in relation to a certain family sword, Soun spoke up, "Indeed, old friend. You've had your fun." Becoming thoughtful again, he ran through the possibilities, "The master is out too. He is unreliable at best, and far too dangerous at worst to unleash on a poor girl."

Setsuna chose this moment to speak up, "What of the Saotome heir? Saotome-san, I have heard a great deal of the goings on in this ward. In fact, that is what brought me to this dojo in the first place. I think your son maybe perfect for the job" She had finished it with a slight lit to her voice to insure she instill the right train of thought in the Saotome matriarch. Seeing the look of pride on her face, Setsuna had to guess that she succeeded.

Genma made a show of thinking on it, "Well, he does need to learn how to teach a class after all." Looking to his partner in crime, he suggested, "And we could send Akane along. They could learn to teach together."

Kasumi saw the look on her father's face, and knew that the freeloader was once again pulling the strings. While she didn't like ranma per se, being a freeloader himself, she didn't hate him either. And after seeing the mess that came of the failed wedding not three days ago, she knew that neither Ranma or her sister were going to make any head way at the rate things were going. This was sounding suspiciously like a 'get them married by the end of the day' type of plan. Not that it was said outright, but the signs were as big as Fuji-san. As she spoke, her voice was polite and gentle, and her face was a perfect mask of joy, "That would be such a good idea. And I'm sure Shampoo-chan and Ukyo-chan would love to help." So innocent. So devious.

Just as the ideas were forming in his head, the dreams came crashing down as fast as the Dojo in the wake of the horror that visited his memory. The morning after the event rose to the surface, and Soun hung his head, "No. No, it wouldn't do for the person we send to be distracted. After all, Ranma and Akane still have to sort out the other engagements."

"But Tendo!" Genma blubbered ineffectually, "the schools-"

"Will be joined," the head of the Tendo family spoke with resolve. "But until the mess that Ranma is dealing with is cleaned up, a mess you created for the most part, there is no way I'm going to allow my daughter to come so close to harm if I can help it."

"And even so, my house mates and I have only enough room to house one more person. And while our resources are adequate enough to handle expenses and salary, we would prefer to keep the costs low as to not incur too much of a tax difference. After all, if we were to higher your son, I understand that he is not actually licensed at this time. If there were too much of a difference in under the table funds, that might call attention that we would rather avoid," the Guardian of Time spoke in a business-like tone.

No one noticed it yet, but a certain pigtailed martial artist had been standing in the hall between the yard and the family room. He chose to watch carefully, as this woman was someone that he knew he should be wary of. That, and he wanted to see if and for how much his family was going to sell him for.

Soun nodded in understanding at the quandary. "I would do it myself, but the job I work is more then just a pay-check. Working with the ward's council does not allow for absentces longer then a week or two at a time. And to be honest, the commute would be a tiresome thing after a while," he spoke soberly. It was then that an idea suddenly occurred to him, "What if we just send Akane? She could learn how to train others while Ranma is working to sort things out here." He was quite proud that he had thought that one up.

"The tomboy wouldn't last that long, and didn't you say that you didn't want Akane in danger? Even if half the rumors are true about that ward, there is no way she would last," Ranma let a sardonic grin grace his lips, "Hell, she would probably get kidnapped by one of those demon things, and I'd have to run over there. And you know the rest of the gang would just love to help."

While Soun wanted to yell and beat the crap out of the boy for saying such things about his little girl, he had to admit that it was quite true. "A bit harsh, but you are right, Ranma."

Seeing the concern behind his eyes, Kasumi figured that he deserved this chance. At worse, it would be one less mouth to feed for a while. At best... Well, he might at least learn to be a might bit more tactful. In one of her rare moments of forthrightness, she spoke in a voice that held a gentle and calm solidarity that was lacking in the vapid obliviousness it commonly held, "Akane could use the break from the fights. Ranma you should go. It would at least allow you two to think on what you want from this engagement and how to deal with the others."

Everyone was surprised at the direct approach the Kitchen Queen used, none more so then Setsuna. If she held as much sway as she appeared to, there maybe a chance that this could work out better then she had hoped. Noticing Ranma's agreement, she made her move, "Then it is agreed then?"

Soun sighed, and he looked to Genma, who, in turn, spoke, "How much are we talking?"

Setsuna smiled, "He will be paid a monthly salary of 800,000 yen. Half of that will go into a savings account, and a percentage will go to the dojo. Say, 20 percent?"

"160,000 yen?" While not the biggest paycheck in the world, it was still almost 1,500 u.s. that was going to be going to helping with all around expenses. Soun and Genma tried to stay calm. Genma most of all. Once the boy was in, he could figure out how to get the other 80 out of him. Being the boy's father, it was ultimately his decision, "You have yourself a deal, Meioh-san."

Worried that she would not see her son again for another undetermined time, Nodoka spoke with a hint of fear in her voice, "Just how long are you planning his employment to last?"

Looking to the obviously worried mother, Setsuna did feel a sense of pity for her, "Till my daughter is trained to fully protect herself in Minato, or till the youma attacks stop altogether. Which ever comes first." Seeing the fear mount in the auburn haired woman's eyes, she continued, "If seeing him is what you are worried about, don't worry. You can visit anytime. However, for the first three months, I require that he be left to drill her in the basics and get up to speed himself on some teaching ethics. Once a rhythm is found in their training, others can show up, provided that they do not disturb said rhythm."

Hearing that had calmed Nodoka's nerves. Turning toward her son, she addressed him with a smile full of maternal pride, "In that case, I wish you luck, Ranma." Looking back to Setsuna, she bowed, "Please take good care of my son. I leave him in your hands."

Smiling at the deal that had been made and the promise of a brighter future, Soun brought the meeting to a close, "In that case, Meioh-san, you have yourself a deal. Ranma, get packed, you're going to Minato!"

02-07

Setsuna was waiting for her new employee outside the gate. Inside could be heard the last of the farewells and well wishes of the parents. As she stood, she marveled at how smooth that went. "It was almost too easy," she worried. "If it was anyone beside's Kasumi that suggested the course of action, I might even be tempted to think it a trap." Nodding to herself as a decision was made, she finished her thoughts, "I'll have to keep a closer eye on things for a while is all I guess. That and prepare for when the nuts show up. With Nodoka keep a leash on the others and the fathers counting their cash, I have bought us a three month window at best. Though I can't quite count on that."

Ranma had finally exited the Tendo compound, and joined her on the sidewalk. "So, where to, exactly? We need to talk a train right?" he asked while looking at the sky worriedly.

Guessing at the martial artist's thoughts, Setsuna thought it best to reveal at least a card or two that she was holding, "If you are worried about your curse, I am already aware of it."

Ranma turned to stare at his new boss, "You do?"

"Yes," Setsuna smiled, friendly and relaxed, "Being a girl must be hard for you. Don't worry though. It's up to you who gets to know about your curse. I won't tell if you don't want me to. Though I would suggest that you tell my housemates and my daughter as soon as you can gather the courage to. It will simplify things."

"I'd prefer not to, if it's all the same," Ranma sighed, "but knowing my luck, it won't be much of a secret for long."

Setsuna nodded in understanding.

"But, well, I want to at least wait a week if possible. Let them get to know me first or something. Last time I met someone knew and they found out the first day, it wasn't pretty."

Before Setsuna could chuckle at the rememberance of that bit of history, Ranma had interrupted with something that surprised her greatly.

"But you would know that already, wouldn't you. You have been watching me all my life after all. Not sure how, but I know you are -HER-"

He knew. He knew that she had been using the Gate of Time to watch him. But that shouldn't be possible. Not at all. To say this made her plans take a nose dive was very much an understatement. And worse yet, being away from the Gate, she could not look in on this current thread that had made itself known. Everything that happened in the next few moments could make or brake everything she had set up for.

She knew it was too good to be true.

Deciding to face the music, she tried to spin the story as best she could with out outright lying. "It's true, I have been watching you. I possess an artifact that enables me to look through time. Though it is not that reliable with the future."

"I know what you mean. Had to deal with the Nanban Mirror myself once," Ranma had just excepted the explanation at face value, much to Setsuna's relief.

'Wait,' she thought to herself. Out loud she continued her thought as they approached the train terminal, "You've seen the Nanban Mirror!"

"Yeah. It's broke now though," Ranma looked a bit glad at that. "Good riddance I say. Magic has been nothing but a bother in my life."

As they stepped up to the ticket machine, the Time Guardian paid for their fares. Moving to the track that would take them in the right direction, she spoke, "Not all magic is bad. But I see what you mean. Time travel especially can get quite sticky."

Ranma sighed with a half smirk, "No kidding."

A moment later, as punctual as all Japanese transit tends to be, the train to Minato pulled to a stop in front of them. After boarding, they sat down and enjoyed a friendly silence as the rain began to fall outside. Ranma took one last glance at the ward that he had know as home for almost a year, committing to memory the site before him.

He had this funny feeling this was the last he would see of the ward for a good long time to come.

---

Pain is a song,

Each strain plays across a nerve.

Blood is a prayer,
Rising to God, her anguished cry.

Tears are the words,
Desperately reaching to the...

Silent Heart

Chapter 03

Glaive

03-01

A hard rain was falling as an evil presence approached the Tsukino homestead. Jade had dressed before teleporting near by and walking the rest of the way here. It didnﾒt take much to create such with her newly gained power. Black jeans and a green t-shirt under a blue rain coat she didnﾒt mind, but it felt odd to have the proper ladies undergarments. A pair of boots, both stylish and waterproof, kept her feet safe from the elements, or at least that was the appearance she wanted to give to the random passer-by. She didnﾒt really care about clothes one way or the other, as her power was such that she could be naked in Antarctic and not shiver. However, it would not do to draw attention to her quite yet.

ﾑShe still lives here. I can practically taste the senshi magic.' After having awakened, Jade found that she had absorbed more then just power. Memories, ages of memories. Most where from Beryl herself, with some from the varied youma and other beings under the control of Metallia. There were even a few from said dark entity, but those were strange and incomprehensible. The neo-woman was quite pleased that some those memories where not as muddled as others; especially one or two of the fragments from Metaria herself. The Dark Queen that had Beryl tied around her finger had not only been connected to her, but that fool Tuxedo Kamen as well. And for that brief time, she extracted knowledge that would have been used against senshi had it not taken so long to do so. 'To think, Metaria would have been able to do this herself if they had not shown when they did,' Jade thought as some flashes of memory revealed to her aspects of the fall of her masters. She had to quirk a vicious smile at what crossed her mind next; 'Let alone what Beryl could have done had she at least let me finish my report. Just when she could have the first real step in taking out those damned senshi.'

"But that was the past, now for the present," she spoke as she luxuriated in the sound of her new voice. Something about it really made her feel powerful; the honeyed velvet of the octaves told her that she could command respect from any warm blooded male if she so desired. It was only the fact that she was once one of those males that made it the slightest bit disconcerting, oddly adding to the feeling of power. She would probably have to try it out later, perhaps as a new way to steal energy.

For now, business of a different sort. Standing in front of the gate to her destination, She could sense one, no two magical presences. Two out of five wasnﾒt bad, especially if she could take out the Princess first.

A princess. That damned sailor moon was the princess that they had feared the return of. How absurd. She remembered the time she, rather he, spent at the shrine and had watched the interplay between the Senshi of Mars and that girl. Jade could not fathom how that little twit was the enemy of her memories. But she was, and therefore the main target. Even if Jade fell in the first battle, as long as she dragged that brat with her to the depths, it would be worth it.

And so, she opened the gate to move in on her targets.

03-02

The slight rocking and quite clicks of the tracks made for a calm ride. Looking across the grayed, rain soaked expanse of city they were passing through, he couldn't help but wonder about his mysterious benefactor. Many questions floated through his mind before he settled on the most important one. Turning to his new employer, he sought to answer some of those questions, "Meioh-san," seeing that he caught her attention, he continued, "why me exactly?"

For a moment, a secretive look passed over Setsuna's face before settling in on a curious one, "Didn't I detail the reasons earlier?"

"Yeah, something about needing to handle the weirdness of your home or something. But I mean 'why me', I'm not the only tough guy around. True, I'm the best, but I'm not the only-"

"Actually, you are," Setsuna interupted. She turned her eyes to the storm outside, thinking on exactly what to reveal. Speaking quietly so as not to let her voice carry, she continued, "That artifact I used to watch you, I used it to confirm the best candidate for this job."

"Seems a bit much just to find a sensei for your little girl."

The skeptical tone in the teen's voice did nothing to dissuade her from trying to keep the biggest secret from being laid out. "True, but there has been... a history between many that i've known. I can't just grab the first fighter that comes along. Like i said before, Minato is not a safe ward, nor is it a normal one. You are the only one that I've found that fits the requirements for this job, plain and simple. Personally, I would have loved to been able to just walk up and ask you; however, the situation you were in would have made a straightforward requests far more dangerous to both you and my friends, thus all the posturing." Setsuna threw that last tit-bit homing he would pick up on it and forget the main point that she had yet to fully answer his question. She had a feeling that he might still suspect something more; given his history dealing with people, especially those having access to knowledge like she and that amazon elder did, she couldn't blame him.

"So, that large amount of money you offered?"

She would have smile to herself if she thought she could get away with it. "Just a stalling tactic. Your parents will do anything it takes to keep the girls away while you start Hotaru's training. If Genma can't, then I'm sure Nodoka will." Setsuna, secure in the idea that she was successfully distracting the martial artist from entertaining the idea that there is something deeper, was understandibly frustrated by the next line.

"So, seriously, what do you have planned for me?"

03-03

ﾓSeriously!ﾔ a teen aged girl with pink hair tied in twin buns in a shape reminiscent of carrot shouted. ﾓPuu was balling her eyes out?ﾔ

Her friend nodded, still perplexed by the whole event. ﾓShe just walked into my room this morning, hugged me, and said that she was going to ﾑmake things rightﾒ. The whole time, tears were streaming down her face.ﾔ Hotaru scrunched her face a bit at the odd image the remembrance caused to appear before her mindﾒs eye, ﾓIt was weird. Not in a bad way, just... not really like her.ﾔ Looking at her long time friend and confidant, Hotaru decided to brooch a subject that had been bothering her for a while. Something about the way Setsuna was acting told her that perhaps now should be the time to ask. ﾓUsa, I donﾒt mean to sound ungrateful for you being here in the past for the last two years, but just why are you here?ﾔ

The once ﾑchibiﾒ Usa quieted for a moment in contemplation. It was an odd picture for Hotaru to take in. Here they were, sitting on Usa's bed in the attic of her 'aunt and uncle's' house, but gone was the little girl that she had once known. the last time she came back, she was as old as Hotaru herself had been at the time, and so they had been growing up together that way ever since. They were even finishing up at Juuban Junior High together. Sitting here, like they were was something they had not done in all that time though, so it was difficult to picture this teenager that looked none too dissimilar to their princess sitting on her childhood friend's bed. Such a vision really brought home the importance of her inquiry.

"Well, to be honest," the future princess began, "I was sent here on an important mission to find someone." The huge smile that wanted to break out on her face was difficult to suppress, but she managed.

Hotaru, worried for her friend and her team's future, naturally had to know, "Who? Should we have our guard up? And... Why didn't you say anything sooner? Why hide it till now?"

"Mmm. Well, let's see. In reverse order; Because that person has been found, it was a secret mission, no, and the 'who'..." She couldn't help the mischievous grin bloom on her face this time, "is a secret."

Hanging on every word, Hotaru was totally caught of guard by her friend's game, "Ooooh, you! You know you can tell me. I'll keep it secret."

Looking at her friend, still smiling and a mirthful twinkle in her eyes, Usa couldn't help but answer, "Actually, you are the one I most have to keep the answer secret from." Seeing the exasperated look on Hotaru's face, she conceded a little bit of info, "But don't worry. This is more like a present then a threat."

Wide eyed, Hotaru tried to dig for more information, "Really? What kind of 'present' would this 'who' be?"

"I dare not say more for now." Usa recived a pillow applied directly to the forehead for her troubles.

03-04

"Meioh-san, I'm not an idiot. Been around Nabiki, Happosai, and Cologne far too long not to know when someone is playing an angle. What's yours?" The car they were traveling in was empty, thanks to the last of the patrons disembarking for their workplaces. Thus it was with no trouble that Setsuna heard Ranma's words.

Setsuna was having trouble not sweating. This boy was tenacious. It was bad enough she was still felt terrible about her revelations earlier that morning, but now he being more difficult than she thought he was going to be. She had already exhaused every angle save the direct one and there was no way she was going to straight up tell him that he was engaged to yet another girl. Such an action would certainly end things before they even got a chance to start. In the end, she really had only one choice, "Can you... keep a secret, Saotome-san?"

Ranma looked at his new employer, wondering what the secrecy was about. But then that was why he was not taking this at face value in the first place; this was his life after all, and there was always another shoe to drop. Rather then his usual casual attitude, he turned to her at gave a solemn nod, indicating his agreement.

Having watched this young man and the way he went about his life in the Gate, Setsuna knew that this was a definite sign of his promise. Usually, he'd just shrug or or smirk like it was a given, or in cases where he was trying to get what he wanted, he would nod vigorously while saying all sorts of 'promise' type wording. But this was a Ranma after Saffron. She could already tell he was changed by having taken a life, reborn or no.

She took a deep breath to keep her nerves. Having played the 'Mysterious Senshi' for so long, she at least had enough control to keep her poker face on. "This does not go beyond you and me," the dead serious tone she used, coupled with aged look in her eyes, made sure the point got across. 'This is it. He was going to find out sooner or later, but I have no choice.' So thinking, she realized the irony of her inner-monologue, 'Funny, of all the people to reveal our secret, it would have to be me.' Seeing him nod again, she continued out loud, "Do you know of the 'Sailor Senshi'?"

Ranma thought for a moment. It had been a while since the rumors had been about, but he was sure he remembered something about them. "Mmm... Yeah, I think i remember something about that. Girls in skirts fighting demons or some such." Rather then press forward, Setsuna let him wrestle with his memory for the moment. "Yeah, now that I really think about it, I remember the reports and the old specials on t.v. Weren't there something like eight of them?"

Glad that she had something to work with, Setsuna picked up from there, "Nine actually. Well, really more, but of the ones stationed here on Earth, there are just nine."

"Ah, thought so. But what would..." Maybe it was the stress of trying to put this delicate plan together and keep it working, or perhaps it was just finally being recognized for her work outside of her team (after all, she was the 'mysterious senshi' for a reason). Either way, Setsuna couldn't help but be amused by the look of sudden realisation on his face, "You're one of them, aren't you?"

Hook. Now the next step. If it were not for her iron-clad control of her body, she would be sweating buckets right now. So close to the truth he was, but she had to keep him just shy of it. If she could just line and sink him, she wouldn't have to worry about giving away the real reason he was called in for this 'job'. "That's correct, Saotome-san. I am the senshi of Pluto. My friends and roommates, as well as the ward that I have hired you to teach are senshi too. Hotaru, that is Sailor Saturn, has been weak most of her life due to some great ordeals." She prayed that he wouldn't ask what her ward's powers where. True, she could probably weave Hotaru into a good light in his eyes; however, right now she didn't have it in her. It was enough playing this out with out any of her usually forthsight.

"Why can't any of the others train her? Not that I want to argue myself out of a job mind you," he rationalized, but internally he amended, 'anything to get out of the craziness that is my life, even if for just a bit that is.'

Setsuna stepped carefully; here it was, the crucial point. Right now she would love for a battle to just erupt and break Ranma from his thoughts and save this whole ordeal for when she was better prepared. Alas, no such luck. She prayed to any god that would listen that this would give him the all the answers he would need for now. "True, especially with it being a sort of, I guess you'd call it a 'quite time' due to the lack of battles." She sighed, looking past Ranma, as if seeing something that wasn't there, "Saotome-san, before I searched for you, I was warned that a great danger is going to befall Hotaru sometime in the future. Sadly, for some reason, we other senshi aren't enough to save her." Setsuna pause and hoped that he would pick up on that line of thinking and take it to the right place. For the good of her nerves, she was not disappointed.

"Hence the bodyguard angle. So why train her?"

Well, mostly. While the boy was following the right track, the Senshi of Pluto wanted to scream. At face value, this should be easy, but he just kept digging. She didn't think Ranma was dumb in anyway, he was just a lot sharper then she had taken him for initially. Still, she was a master of her craft, that being the ability to give solid, truthful information without actually giving away the truth. She thought about him a moment, a spilt second really, and suddenly remembered just the kind of life she pulled him out of. All of his fiancees could fight on their own, and so he could trust their abilities when the chips where down. Even more so, when it was something that he knew they could handle, he would act even cockier and less worried about them. In that moment, she realised just how much respect he did give the girls, despite how much he did indeed not give them. With a slight hint of a smile, she answered, "Is it not easier to guard someone who can at least defend themselves from the minor threats?"

Ranma got a thoughtful look on his face on that point, "That actually makes a lot of sense. I suppose this is a threat the sort that takes more of a hands on approach rather then the hearts and stars you girls throw, right?"

'So close and yet so far,' Setsuna missed the insult, still being too off balance to think about much else than keeping Ranma on the right track without scaring him off. Well, she had nothing left at the moment other then to stroke his ego and hope for the best. "Like I said, after much searching, you were found to be the only one with the experience and strength that would qualify for the position."

Little did she know that Ranma was a lot more observant then she gave him credit for. He didn't always throw out insults just because he was uncaring or mean spirited, though he had to admit that he had been just that a great many times in the past. Much like taking a few jabs at an opponent in a fight, sometimes how someone reacts to a remark that blows off their skills can tell a lot.

03-05

A knocking at the door brought Kenji out of his zoning on the t.v. With With Ikuko at the store, Usagi about with her friends, and Usa up in the attic with Hotaru, it was left up to him to find out what the disturbance was. He did have to wonder, what kind of person would be out in this sort of weather? Most certainly not a sales person and it was too soon for Ikuko or Usagi to be back. Well, nothing left but to open the door and find out.

The door was opened, and in front of Kenji stood a woman, though he saw none of that. It was her eyes that had held him. Sadly, he had little in the way of a sixth sense. Kinda surprising when you think about it; after all the magical and terrible events that seem to happen around his family and friends, you'd think it would have developed at least a little bit of one. If he had, he would have sensed the dark power wafting of this strange creature before him. Well, that and she had glowing eyes of blueish-green. Of course, being that that was the source of the spell that held him, there wasn't much he could do if he sensed or saw anything anyway.

Jade smirked. It was so easy to put simple, weak minded humans under her spell. Time indeed pasted since last she was free, but nothing had changed when it came to these silly mortals. With a slight mental push, she had the man welcoming her in and leading her to her targets. She could sense them, the ambient magic of the senshi. This whole house stunk of the sent. Jade wondered to herself at how she could have missed such obvious markers of her enemies, but then perhaps back then she was far less of a being then she realized.

The plaything she had collected lead her up the stairs and to the door to the attic, but stopped him short of opening the door for her. While she did not care for the life of the mortal persay, she didn't just want to throw away a possibly useful hostage or a possible lead her to the other senshi. With another mental command, Kenji stepped to the side while she primed her powers.

The phrase "Lets make this flashy." was spoken through a manic grin just before word followed form and the doorway was lit up like the fourth of July.

03-06

Still on the train, Ranma wondered about this strange new turn in his life. Especially in connection with this woman that had admitted that she was one of the infamous 'senshi'. The fact that she was willing to inform him of that fact told him two things. First, that she despritely needed him. The second...

'She is still hiding something, but it looks like this is all I'm going to get out of her. I was serious about not arguing myself out of a job and if I poke any closer, she might just decide I'm more trouble then I'm worth. I'm no Nabiki, and definitely no where near as sneaky as Colonge in this sort of situation. That and I really need to get a way and sort out my feelings... That is, as long as Minato doesn't turn out to be as big a mad house as Nerima is.' As he chuckle a bit at the last though while considering how well his luck would hold, he decided to let her off the hook for now. The was still another shoe to fall, and as long as he knew that, he felt that he could take what was coming. Puffing up his chest, he gave into the praise, "True, I am the best after all."

He watched as some of the tension left her eyes. True, they were the only indication of anything wrong with her; however Ranma figured that if he could see that, then she must have been really on edge. As such, he decided to change the subject for the moment. "So, what is Hotaru like?"

The woman beside him softly transformed before his eyes. True, it was subtle, but he was still in the right mind set to pick out these things. She moved from being a woman of business to a mother. He didn't really know what all the signs were specifically, just that that was what the sum total of them portrayed.

Having anticipated the shower, Setsuna had brought an extra umbrella. As such, Employer and employee remained relatively dry while continuing their walk from the train station.

03-07

(jade gets to the attic/usa's room and begins her attack)

03-08

(setsuna arrives at the tsukino home and hear sounds of battle)

chapter 03 floating scene:

So how do you know that Iﾒm not a nexus of chaos? I mean, Iﾒve done things toﾅ

ﾑwhen in romeﾒ would be the phrase Iﾒd use in this case. You had to find a way to release the stress before you broke, so you would do what seemed to be excepted by your peers as excusable actions.

Then what about them? Couldnﾒt they be doing things for the same reason?

True, some of them could be. Like with mousse and ryoga. I have no doubt that they are at least somewhat tied to chaos, but it could be mostly in their blindness and lack of direction perspectively. But they arenﾒt like you. You have actually sacrificed for friends and even an enemy or two. Youﾒve been a jerk to them, but youﾒve also, in your own way, been thoughtful of them. Truth be told, we may never know for sure if any of them are actually capable of being allies of order, but as it stands right now, itﾒs too dangerous to bring them with us.

---

This one is facing a major overhaul. While in this set up I actually -meant- to use Fanon-Pluto, the fact remains that the whole "Chaos vs. Order" thing ends up clunky. I've always had a problem with how the concept of chaos was used in a lot of fiction, most especially in Ranma/Sailor Moon crosses. It's usually forced and seriously contrived. I had meant to turn the concept on it's ear here, but ended up with the same clunkiness in a new package.

When I finally get around to a rewrite of this one, that whole aspect will be tossed out.

And yes, that last part is the unfinished, never posted chapter that folks have been waiting years to see. I did post it once on the Fukufic forums, but still never finished it.

Not much to say beyond that.