SMSTSS 7: A Bright, Heroic Age! – By DS Wynne
Disclaimer: R1/2, SM, ST, DC/Marvel Comics and the other genres belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre story.
Part 4: "Starting Over" (Final)
Meanwhile…
"It appears that Minako has a few screw loose," said the entity of Mars, as she and the other planetary "Exemplars", who were formerly known as the Sailor Scouts. The entity of Mars appeared as a column of fire…
"I don't think that's a fair assessment, Rei," said the entity of Mercury. She appeared to be a crystalline, ice-like figure that seemed to glow a light blue.
"Out of all of us, Minako loved Ranma the most."
"But is our love for Ranma any less…significant?" said the entity of Jupiter. She appeared to be a column of leaves that whirled about in a funnel, with a signal light bolt down the center of the funnel.
"He was my sempai, after all."
"I…I just miss home," said the entity of Saturn, which appeared as a thick, yellow glob that didn't hold shape. "And I miss Rini."
"We all do," said the entity of Neptune. She appeared as a water spout…
"I think it's time for us to return home."
"But that would mean I would have to marry that jerk!" said the entity of Uranus said. She appeared as a shower of tiny stars.
"There is no way that I am going to submit to him!"
"Dear, we've been over this before," the entity of Neptune said. "There is Ranma's female to consider."
"Yeah, but SHE would want to wear the pants in the relationship."
Pause.
"And why the hell are we stuck out here is space, while Usagi makes fakes AND doppelgangers to replace us anyway?"
"That is because you all needed to time to adjust to your new status as Exemplars," said Sailor Pluto, as she materializes from her natural form of a mist. "Ever since the War of Light, you all went through a chrysalis that merged the avatars of the Light with each and every one of you."
"Then, how come you didn't become like us, Setsuna?" Makoto asked.
"I did," Sailor Pluto said. "I have the advantage of accessing the Time Spheres to complete my own evolution quickly."
"Oh."
"Nevertheless, I think it's time for the true Sailor Scouts to return to Earth."
"Okay, but what about Minako?" Rei said. "She sort of jumped the gun there."
"Not to worry," Sailor Pluto said. "The Princess is dealing with her even as we speak…"
Meanwhile, back on Earth…
"Venus Love Me Flash!" Minako said, as she discharged energy at Usagi.
FLASH!
"Urgh!" Usagi said, as she held back the beam with the sheer force of the power of the Light, as evident by her bright shield (shaped like a, well, war shield).
"You lied to me, Usagi!" Minako said. "You just want Ranma all to yourself!"
"If I wanted that, he wouldn't have married you in the first place, Mina," Usagi said. She then used her Serenity Corps Power Ring to create a giant anvil.
POP!
"Watch out," Usagi said, as she sung her warnings.
"Huh?" Minako said, as she looked up, as a giant anvil fell upon her…
"No!" Minako said, as she used her Star Sapphire Power Ring to create a pink/violet buzz saw to cut the anvil in half.
SLICE!
THOOM! THOOM!
"Ha!" Minako said. "Like that is going to stop me from being with my love-"
FFT!
A net made from the Light swarms all over Minako, entangling her in the process.
"Not unless you continue to yap, Mina," Usagi said, as she lowered her net gun that was made from the White Light.
Meanwhile, Ranma and the Tsukinos were watching this from a nearby park bench.
"I always enjoy a good fight, you know," Ranma said, as he munched on a bowl of beef noodles.
Kenji turns towards his son-in-law.
"How can you be so…nonchalant about this?" Kenji yelled. "Putting aside the fact that you have multiple wives, you mind having two of them…fighting?"
"Mr. Tsukino, I am a fighter who like to watch fights," Ranma said. "But Minako was the one who started this whole thing first."
"Really, Ranma," Ikuko said with disappointment. "Is that the best you can do?"
"Well, it's better than me saying 'eh'," Ranma said with a shrug. "I'm not saying that out of any disrespect or anything, but I learned to just ride any ridiculous situation that I might come across. And, for the record, this is all on Usagi."
"Gee, thanks for the moral support, husband!" Usagi yelled.
"No problem!" Ranma said, as he raised his tub of popcorn.
"Grrrrr!"
Kenji and Ikuko could only look at their son-in-law with stunned disbelief.
"…"
Meanwhile, Usagi was fuming at Ranma's nonchalant mannerism, when she found herself wrapped in Minako's Love Me Chain.
KLANG!
"Oh?" Usagi wondered, before she was yanked into the air. "Ulp-!"
"Now, let's see how you feel being jerked around," Minako said, as she used a giant, violet facsimile of herself to turn Usagi into a personal yo-yo.
FLICK!
"Ah!" Usagi said, as she
FLICK!
"Ah!"
FLICK!
"Ah!"
FLICK!
"Ah-!"
"Aren't you going to do something NOW?" Kenji asked. "Usagi is going to hurt if this keeps up."
"Sir, Usagi can take a thermonuclear explosion at point blank range," Ranma said, as he picks his teeth with a toothpick.
"Really?" Ikuko asked.
"Yep. In fact, her true form is that of pure energy, having merged with the Light."
"I see. Then why-?"
"Because Usagi likes to goof around when she gets into fights she knows she can win, that's why," Ranma said, as he gets up while flicking away his toothpick. "Besides, she doesn't want to fight her one of her closest friends anyway."
"I see."
Ranma then turns towards the action.
"Yo, Usagi," Ranma said.
"Huh?" Usagi replied.
"Wrap this up so we can begin cleaning up this park."
"Okay," Usagi said, as she suddenly the Love Me Chain while securing her position a few yard over the surface.
YANK!
"What?" Minako said, as she suddenly felt a tremendous force coming from Usagi.
"Mina, you do know that the power of the Star Sapphire is an aspect of the White Light, right?" Usagi said. "And that it is through my House that you have your powers, correct?"
"No-!" Minako said as she felt her power being removed.
Hummmmm…
"Ohhhhh," Minako said, as she fell down to Earth.
KTCH!
"I got you," Ranma said, as he caught the now human in his arms.
"Ranma, is Minako okay?" Usagi said, as she held the power of the Predator in one hand, and the power of Venus in another. "I'm worried that I might have caused a physiological strain in her."
"She appears to be okay," Ranma said, as he checked Minako's vital signs. "She's resting…"
Suddenly, the skies opened up, as a multi-colored light fell to Earth.
FWOOSH!
"Ah!" Ikuko said. "Invasion!"
"Stay with me, hon," Kenji said, as he held his wife.
FLASH!
"Well, well, well," Sailor Mars said with a smirk. "And here we thought you WEREN'T goofing off while we were gone."
"Nice to see you too, Rei," Usagi replied.
Ranma sensed that the Sailor Scouts were now cosmic entities, the equivalent of gods…
"Princess, we have much to talk," Sailor Pluto said.
Usagi looks around the destroyed area of Juuban Park.
"I suppose you're right…"
A few days later, at Tokyo General Hospital…
Minako was in her hospital room for observation. Having her mind influenced by the Predator had took a toll on the Senshi of Venus, which is why she was in a private room at the hospital.
Minako sighed, as she stared out the window. She knew that the other Sailors were on a proverbial mission to get their lives back in order. On the more positive note, Usagi's LMDs had did a marvelous job at impersonating the lives of the Sailor Scouts to such a degree, that no one would notice the arrival of the genuine articles. As for the doppelgangers, who were the more "superheroic" versions of the magical girl contingent, they were "born" as a fail-safe measure to insure that there would always Sailor Scouts (although they were called "Saiban Scouts"). Go figure.
"At least I don't have to worry about not having any money from lack of record sales," Minako mused.
CHUNK!
"Knock, knock?" Ranma said, as he opened the door to the hospital room.
"Ranma?" Minako said in surprise.
Ranma shows a gift and some flowers from his bag, after setting down the bag down on a nearby chair.
"Peace offering?" Ranma asked.
"Oh, Ranma," Minako said with a half smile. "Just come in…"
"Cool," Ranma said, as he closes the door behind him with his foot.
THUMP!
CHUNK!
"Usagi would have been here with me, but she felt that I should spend some time with you," Ranma said, as he gave Minako some flowers. "And…I wanted to personally apologize to you."
"A-apologize?" Minako asked.
"Yeah. For one, I should have taken the time to spend more time with you."
"But…you were busy saving the Universe…on a variety of fronts."
"No excuse. I should MAKE the time, even if it means being your traveling companion while you are on the road being an entertainer."
"Okay…"
"And, secondly, I should've been more proactive in our relationship," Ranma said. "In fact, I should be more proactive in many of my relationships, so I should have gone to you to discuss our future together."
"But…you don't like getting in the way of anyone's goals and stuff."
"Maybe I should, or, at the very least, help you make a decision that is beneficial to the both of us…"
Pause.
"And that is why I bought a local theater nearby, so that you can have your shows, if that's what you want…"
Ranma presents the deed to the historical Kabuki-za Theater in Ginza District, Tokyo.
"This is for you, dear," Ranma said, as he hands the deed to the historical theater house to Minako. "Happy Belated Birthday, Merry Christmas…and Happy Anniversary…"
"Awww," Minako said. "How sweet…"
"Yes, and my retainer 'Blacky' Tanaka has a sister who can help you set up your shows."
Minako raises an eyebrow.
"Trust me, Blacky's sister is legit, and has a background in television production."
"Okay, but I have final say on my shows."
"Fine with me. Oh, and Usagi wants me to give you this gift."
"What is it?"
"Open and see."
Shrugging her shoulders, Minako opens the gift…
"It's the Star Sapphire and my Venus Henshin rod," Minako said.
"Yep, they are yours, if you want them," Ranma said.
"But…what about the Predator?"
"That is the thing. In order to tame the beast of love, the recipient must perform an act of love to tame the beast. The Predator had been influencing you, due to your disgust with the way I was treating you. And for that…I'm sorry."
There was a moment of silence between the two…
"Well, you take care of yourself, and call me," Ranma said, as he gave Minako a kiss on the forehead.
And with that, Ranma turns to leave-
"Hold it," Minako said, as she grabs Ranma's arm, before she pulls Ranma in for a deep kiss…
"Whoa," Ranma said, as he came up for air.
"I didn't go through all this for nothing Ranma," Minako said with a knowing grin.
"Okay," Ranma said meekily.
And that is that, as the pink-violet light shown throughout all to see…
Fin.
Next Time: Usagi, Ranma and the young genius Amadeus Cho pay tribute to the memory of a fallen hero in "The 13th Labor of Herakles!" See you then!