Son of Chaos
By Skye Silverwing
Chapter 7: Shattered Hope
Disclaimer: I still don't own any of this.
1000 Years in the Future – Crystal Tokyo's Outermost Defenses
Ranma glared across the field as around fifty armed soldiers from the Crystal Defense Force arrayed themselves against herself and her companions. They were unimportant, though. Behind them, directing them stood three of the five most powerful enemies the Rebellion had: Sailors Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn.
The Fuku-clad Sailor Senshi had no doubt become several times more powerful since the last time Ranma had faced them, and, while she had the numbers on her side, she was also aware that Saturn did not have a pair of Goddesses holding her from acting this time.
She glanced at her companions. "Herb, Saffron, your forces can handle the CDF forces, right?" she asked. It wasn't really in doubt, since the CDF, while well trained, were too used to the Senshi being able to defend themselves and the city.
"Naturally." The Musk and Phoenix leaders said at once, the slight contempt that they felt at the question apparent in their tone.
An explosion rang out from behind the enemy lines. As the enemy spun to find its origin, Ranma pulled her radio. "Pops, Report!"
The Radio quickly sprang to life. "Mission Accomplished, Boy," came Genma's response, "The enemy escape is cut off, and their ship is scrap."
Ranma nodded. "Then this will be the final battle!" She said, "Pops, re-group your forces to flank the CDF. We attack on my signal!"
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
July 20, 2009 – Outside Hong Kong.
Kunma had gone to bed after finishing her explanation of her past, but Usa and Razor had stayed up long into the night, Razor watching for possible dangers while Usa stared into the smoldering embers of the campfire in the post midnight hours.
Usa was trying to digest Kunma's dilemma. She knew the Martial Artist to be a kind and selfless person, and one who cared deeply for her mother. She knew it weighed heavily on her that she could have the chance to save her mother from the worst horror she had ever experienced, but it would mean being erased from history. Usa sympathized deeply with Kunma's fear of this, having been erased once herself.
Something that she had never admitted to anyone was that she could remember it. She could remember the feel of her energy and form slipping away, fading from her mind, even as her mind itself faded. She remembered the void of nothingness and how it felt to feel nothing, to see nothing, to know nothing while seconds passed like eons and there was nothing to be done but wait for an eternity in each moment and wait as hope fades and you cannot be sure if you will ever get back, or even if you were ever there in the first place.
A single tear rolled down the Pinkette's cheek, drawing the attention of her dear Amazon friend. Razor moved quickly to the girl and sat beside her. "Are you alright, Spear-Sister?" she asked, "Your thoughts must pain you so. Will you share them with me, that we may bare the pain together?" Razor had performed the Amazon right of sisterhood for Usa weeks earlier. It meant that she was now, by all rights an Amazon, and the two of them were bonded by a bond of trust that transcended their differences, uniting them as sisters, forged in the fires of battle.
Usa looked into Razors eyes and began to tell he the story of how, the last time she had journeyed to the past, the Dark Queen Nehellenia had used a powerful magic to ensnare her father, and draw him away from her mother. She told of how, as the magic began to cement itself, she had begun to fade, and though she fought against the effect, it gradually consumed her. Then she spoke of how it felt, and how it did not feel, to not exist. The Loneliness that is only possible when one is not there to comfort oneself. The pain or non-pain of nonexistence. By the time she had finished, she dissolved into tears leaning deeply into her sister's comforting embrace.
Razor found herself weeping as well, for her sister, and for all those time travelers who would find themselves in such a fate. "We cannot let such thing happen to Kunma." She said firmly, "Even if we must drag her mother to her father ourselves."
The sun began to crest over the horizon, and the Orange-Tressed Amazon suddenly smiled. "Speaking of Kunma, is this not one month Anniversary of her cursing?" She said, drawing a similar smile from her Spear-Sister, "You remember plan, yes?"
Usa nodded and looked over at Kunma, who began to stir as the light began to strike his tent. The Pinkette knew that this was to be the day when the Curse could be changed, and Kunma would most likely use the water from the Spring of the Drowned Man to restore his manhood. The Princess of Crystal Tokyo got up and began to stir up the fire, so she could begin to make breakfast.
Kunma awakened fully as the sent of cooking venison reached her. She stood and stretched and joined the two young ladies at the fire. "It is a good morning to go sailing," She said companionably, "Don't you agree?"
Usa smiled at her. "That it is." She said, "And a good day to celebrate, as it has been one month since we came to this time. A month since we met."
"A month since we were cursed." Kunma said, ruefully, but then her eyes widened a bit, "Hey, that means I can finally use the water from the Spring of the Drowned Man to change!"
Both girls grinned as Kunma hurried to her pack and produced the appropriate cask. Returning to the fire, the neo-girl held up the cask so both of her companions could see it clearly, and with no further fanfare, dumped the contents over her head.
The Chinese silk shirt, now soaked through by the magically heated water, clung to his restored male form, revealing a tightly-packed musculature that most girls would pant over. His long, black a hair and handsome visage and empowered posture served to complete this look.
Usa and Razor shot each other a quick glance and a nod, and both charged at the restored boy, both flashing into a perfectly synchronized series of punches, kicks and jumps that would have made any Amazon proud. Both of them blurred, striking with speed and precision that would have crushed all but the best martial artists under its force.
But this was Kunma. His eyes widened for a split second as he realized that his students were attacking him, but he almost instantly caught the rhythm of the fight and saw the simultaneous openings in both of their defenses. He performed a standing back flip, driving one foot into each girl's chin, sending both of them flying back several paces to land on their backs.
Bothe girls then performed a perfectly synchronized kip up, but rather then press the attack again, they both completely dropped their defenses, indicating that they were done fighting. Still moving in unison, the two girls swayed their hips slightly as the approached the confused warrior.
Kunma was just beginning to realize that something was up when the two of them reached him and four hands gently cupped his face, and two pairs of lips pressed themselves against his.
"Wo Ai Ni." They said in unison. "Wo Da Airen."
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
1000 Years in the Future – Crystal Tokyo's Outer wall.
The Fifty members of the CDF under the command of the Outer Senshi were caught in a battle between two forces of superior numbers. Their weapons and tactics had proven to be less then adequate to make up for it. In short, they were going to loose. Or at least, that was how it looked until their leaders stepped up.
"WORLD SHACKING!" Called Uranus, sending a huge ball of energy out that cut a huge swath through the enemy line on the city side.
"DEEP SUBMERGE!" Neptune called, unleashing a huge ball of water into the flanking force.
Under the magical fire of the super-powered heroines, the enemy could not stand. The tide of rebels broke, and for a moment, the CDF believed they had a shot at victory. That hope broke when the second volley of spells was met with a counter.
On the rear flank, Neptune's Deep Submerge was countered by a call of "Kijin Raishu Dan!" and a cutting energy split the containment of the water blast, causing it to fall harmlessly to the ground.
On the city side, Uranus's World shaking was met with "Hiryu-shoten Ha, Revised: Repulsing the Moon!" Much to the Defense force's dismay, a large funnel sprang up in the path of Uranus's attack drawing it in and then dispersing its energy throughout it even as it cut through their ranks.
Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn were forced to leap clear in order to avoid being drawn in themselves, leaving dozens of their men to that fate. Separated from their men, the three Senshi found themselves facing the enemy leadership on their own, as their remaining troops were forced into a loosing battle with the Rebels on either side.
Uranus glared coldly at Ranma. "So, you want to catch us alone, Saotome?" she accused.
Ranma smiled at the blonde tomboy. "I only wanted to get all our people out of the way so no more of 'em get killed." She looked up at the sky, and then glanced at Ryoko, "Ryo-Oki is going to catch those that got blown away, right?"
Ryoko smiled. "Relax; there is no ship in the galaxy more maneuverable then my Ryo-Oki." She said, "She will catch them. None of our forces will be killers today."
"Can't say the same about theirs, though." Genma said, pointing to the Senshi. "My troops are a bit worse for wear, because of their magic and live ammo."
Uranus growled. "This is war!" She shouted, "You can't have a war without killing anyone!"
Ranma shrugged. "We are doing pretty good so far." She said, dropping into a serious fighting stance, "Now did you want to fight, or stand there all day?"
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
1000 Years in the Future – On the Streets of Crystal Tokyo.
Akane held her position on the wall, and looked at Ukyo across from her. She was not sure when the Chef had arrived, but she was glad for it. The Insurgents that augmented the CDF forces had added another A-Rank martial-artist to their ranks, and that brought the total up to 3 A-Ranks and 3 B-Ranks against what had been 3 S-Ranks on the Rebel side.
Her father seemed to be calling the shots, supported by the former Kuno Ninja, Sasuke, and now Ryu Kumon. Below them were Azusa Shiratori, Mikado Sanzenin, and Mariko Konjo. The Skating Duo and Martial-Arts Cheerleader did a lot of damage up close to normal troops, but were no challenge to S-Ranked Martial Artists, as they did not fully understand the use of ki. Two Anything Goes trained martial artist and a fully trained Ninja, on the other hand, were nearly S-Rank themselves.
The addition of the Chef turned the tide in their favor. She was a better trained Ninja then Sasuke, so she could counter him directly, freeing Cologne to help with Ryoga, who, if the Crashes and explosions she heard were any indication, was locked in battle with Ryu and the Cheerleader.
The chef nodded, seeing where she was needed, and leapt up, onto a nearby balcony before unleashing a barrage of Spatula Shurikens at an unseen ninja.
Akane nodded. Cologne would help Ryoga and take care of the suppressive fire on the troops, so that left her to KO the Skaters and deal with her father. She reached deep within, recalling the day her father had informed her that she had a fiancée. As the Rage within her sprang to life, she stepped around the corner and unleashed her power.
"Oushi Mouretsu!"
Akane grinned as her "Bull's Rage" ki blast did exactly what it was meant to. The Skaters cried out in surprise as the resulting explosion hurled them through a nearby wall and put them out of commission. She charged forward, her signature Mallet appearing in her hand as she charged through the mass of CDF and Insurgent forces in a manor reminiscent of her High School morning fights. The thought brought a smile to her face as her hammer came to a sudden stop, striking the flat of her father's Naginata.
Soun locked eyes with his daughter, as the two stood, weapons crossed, not moving for a moment. Then, on an unseen signal, the battle began. The final test, the final proof of if the student had surpassed the master.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
1000 Years in the Future – In the Crystal Tower.
Nabiki looked up from her monitoring of the battles taking place all over the city and smiled as she saw her older sister enter her command post. "Kasumi, it is so good to see you!" She said, favoring her with a big hug. "And you as well, Doctor Tofu, we have needed someone of your expertise for some time."
Dr. Tofu looked around. "Where is Happosai?" he asked, "Akane mentioned that he was here with you."
Nabiki nodded. "He is currently guarding the High-Profile Prisoners in the holding cells just beyond that door." She said, indicating a door behind her. "Mousse and Sailor Mercury are both pretty heavily injured in the infirmary if you want to go help them…"
The touch was faint, but Nabiki recognized it immediately. "K-Kasumi…" she croaked, her eyes bulging in surprise as the pressure point took effect and her body went limp in her sister's arms.
"I am sorry, little sister." The former housewife said, as she lowered her sister to the ground. "But Serenity's Peace is a beautiful thing, and I cannot let you destroy it."
She nodded to Tofu, who opened the door Nabiki had indicated.
Happosai turned and regarded the two that entered the holding cell area. Unlike Nabiki, the old master had not yet been informed of Kasumi's and Tofu's "joining the rebels" and was thus, slightly more on edge about their appearance.
"Kasumi-chan, Ono-san." He stated calmly, "I am surprised to see you here."
Kasumi smiled a disarming smile. "We just joined the Rebellion, Grandfather," she said, "and Ranma wanted us to come here and help you protect the prisoners."
The old man also had Pluto's magic, however, and could tell when someone was not resisting Serenity's control, so when Tofu lunged at him, aiming at his pressure points, the Old Master was easily able to foresee and avoid the attack, striking back at the Doctor with his pipe, sending the man to the ground.
As Happosai grinned at his handiwork, a new voice from the door caused him to turn in surprise.
"You never were, anything but a delinquent, you old fool." Said Hinako Ninomiya, "Happo five-yen shatsu!"
The old master tried to dodge, but was clipped by the draining beam and lost a chunk of his ki. He stumbled back into the holding cell area and hit the escape alarm, closing a heavy blast door designed to prevent escape by powerful prisoners, but in this case, it closed out Hinako, leaving him inside with the Doctor and Kasumi, as well as the Five Senshi that they hoped to free. He cursed to himself as the Martial Artist Doctor and the Eldest Tendo Daughter set themselves and wondered where his reinforcements were.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
1000 Years in the Future – In the Streets of Crystal Tokyo.
Shampoo cursed her luck as she leapt through the air, to a counterpoint from Ryoga, lashing out with her bon-boris while the former pig-boy unleashed blast after blast of depression ki attacks on their opponent. The military Otaku was far more powerful then either of them had expected, and though the cheerleader he had been teamed with was out of the picture, he was still managing to hold both of them at bay with his savage and destructive attacks and vacuum blades.
Shampoo wished she could have avoided the battle between the two insanely destructive warriors, but between them, they had demolished a three block area right in the way of where she needed to go. She had a sinking feeling that Ryu had trained as hard some of the Rebels and was now stronger then any save the Leaders. She had to admit that she was having trouble getting out of the way of his attacks.
Ryoga Flung himself at the ground again, dropping yet another Bakusai Tenketsu, and then using the Amazon Amaguriken to send all of the fragments flying at his opponent, who cut through them with vacuum blades. Ryu was good, but he was taking damage, Ryoga was not. The only problem was that he was slowing down, he would not be able to keep dodging and it was likely that the first attack to hit him would take him out.
A sudden whirling sound, followed by loud crash announced Cologne's arrival. The Amazon Matriarch slammed her staff down on Ryu's head with the force of a bolt of lightning. The Fatigue-clad warrior stumbled and crouched, taking a moment to blink the stars from his eyes.
Cologne looked at her granddaughter and her companion as the escape alarm began to sound in the Crystal Tower. "Shampoo, get to the Tower!" she said as Ryu regained his feet. "Ryoga, go back Akane up! I will handle this one."
Shampoo and Ryoga nodded and ran off, leaving the Last Matriarch of Joketsuzoku to deal with the Master of Yama Senken.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
July 20, 2009 – On a Ship headed for Japan.
Razor looked out over the waves between them and their destination and sighed. "You know, when I heard of 'Saotome Fast-Break' I not think it actually technique." She said, looking at her companion. "Thought was just running away. Now I think is running away technique."
Usa nodded sadly. "I still don't understand." She said, "Why would he run away like that?"
Razor smiled at her spear sister. "Same reason his mother ran." She said, "Love too much too fast. When was she, tried hard no to think that way. Now, is he, difficult to overcome past problem."
Usa sighed. "What are we going to do?" she asked. "We will never catch him… er, her… when she is swimming as fast as she is."
Razor nodded to her and grinned. "We go to Japan, find Elder Cologne, make intent official." She said, "Then we chase our Airen. We know he will try to make sure events don't change because of Cat. We find him then, and prove we love him."
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
July 23, 2009 – A Shore on the Western Side of Japan.
Kunma dragged herself out of the water and lay panting on the shore. She was not sure herself why she had fled at the thought of marrying those girls. To be honest, she was not sure of a lot of things. It wasn't that she did not love them, but when she realized their intent she knew. Somehow, she knew she had to run, had to flee. She knew they would follow, until she was ready.
But now was not the time. No, it became readily obvious to the time traveling teen that she had only three days in which to reach Tokyo and put her plan into place. History is not set in stone. There had to be a way to make it right. To stop the greatest calamity the world would ever know. Doombringer had to be stopped.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
1000 Years in the Future – In a Clearing Outside Crystal Tokyo.
Ryoko flew a strafing run, Parallel to Herb's as they rained energy blasts down on the hotheaded blonde Senshi of Uranus. To her it was reminiscent of when she and Aieka had fought against Neptune long ago, before Tenchi had chosen the Princess over her. This time, her companion was considerably preferable.
She chuckled as Uranus pulled her Space Sword. She stopped when the Senshi attacked.
"SPACE SWORD BUSTER!" Uranus called, sending blades of energy that could rend most matter in two.
Ryoko dodged, and glanced up when she heard Herb hiss. He was clutching a bloody stump where his arm had once been.
Saffron and Kiima were not doing much better. They held the advantage over the Cerulean-haired Senshi since they could fly, but her artifact proved problematic.
"DEEP SEA REFLECT!" Neptune called her attack, her mirror absorbing and redirecting all of their energy attacks back on them.
Saffron cursed as he shielded Kiima from the reflected flames and realized that his immunity to fire was not as effective as with normal flame. He was able to remain aloft in spite of the smoke coming off of his wings, but he was not going to be able to maneuver as well.
Ranma and Genma moved quickly in and out of close range with the Senshi of Saturn, trying to avoid catching a swing from that wicked polearm of hers. The Senshi of Silence's glaive sang as she swept it around in ark after ark with deadly grace and precision. Only the two warriors' raw skill kept them from being cloven to pieces. They were wearing at her, though.
Ranma caught a glimpse of Herb's wounding and realized that the Dragon Prince and Ryoko were in trouble. She dropped back out of glaive range and bid her father do the same. "Pops; go help them against Uranus." She said, "I have this one."
Genma glanced from the Senshi of Silence to the Senshi of Wind and then looked at his "son" and nodded before leaping over and hitting his new target with a devastating kick.
Ranma smiled at her father and looked at Saturn, who glared back at him, eyes full of contempt. Ranma smiled viciously and pulled out her new toy. The "Ranma" Blade ignited, producing two beams of energy, one red and one blue, off the opposing ends of it.
Saturn willed the Silence into her glaive in response, causing it to glow a dull purple in color. She charged at the pig-tailed girl, lashing out with all of her strength and skill. Ranma expertly parried the strikes and countered, forcing the Senshi to give ground. The brunette then lashed out with a quick series of strikes in combination that forced the Saotome Heir to fall back, defending with both ends of her weapon.
Ranma sidestepped a vertical slash, and countered, and Saturn leapt back, leveling the glaive on her.
"SILENCE GLAIVE SURPRISE!" She called, forcing the Martial Artist to dive to the ground to avoid her attack. Coming back to her feet, she slashed at the senshi's feet, whirling to bring the blade up where she had gone, only to find that, again, the Mistress of the Silence had leapt clear. Both crouched, eyes locked, grinning.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
1000 Years in the Future – In the Streets of Crystal Tokyo.
The Ruins of the once beautiful city stretched out around them. Akane lashed out hard with her Mallet, battering at Soun's defenses. The older Tendo fended his daughter off, while making precision strikes with his Naginata, giving Akane a series of small, bloody gashes along her arms and legs.
"Give it up, Girl!" Soun said, "You cannot hope to win against me!"
Akane struggled to push herself harder, Striking hard enough to Shatter Carbon Steel, but barely managing to push her Father back.
The Elder Tendo glared contemptuously at his youngest daughter. "Is that any way to treat your father?" He broke through her defenses and delivered a gash to her shoulder. "How ungrateful."
Akane leapt back and tried her Bull's Rage again. Soun slashed through the attack, dispersing the ki with a sneer.
"I thought I taught you better then that, Akane." He said, "Your anger has always been your weakness. You know it. I know it. Ranma knew it. That is why he chose to forever become a girl instead of marrying you."
Akane felt tears coming to her eyes. Ranma becoming locked was always a bad subject for her, as it had, on a very real level, been her fault. Sure, Ranma had forgiven her, but she had yet to forgive herself. She lashed out harder as her rage grew, but it only earned her several more cuts.
Soun grinned evilly. "Kasumi was a much better student then you could ever be." He said, "And she even drew a mighty martial artist into the family."
Akane's eyes widened as she realized that Kasumi, of all people, may have betrayed them. Her anger grew even more.
More battering at her father's defenses. More light injuries that, if taken alone, would have been deemed superficial, but when taken in the quantity that she had, made her head begin to spin and her movements sluggish.
She was beginning to think she could not win. Suddenly, Ranma's voice came to her. "Akane," the voice in her head said, "Your anger can be your greatest asset, but you must forge it into something stronger then rage. You must forge your anger into purpose and control and then you may find that you are far stronger then you believe."
Akane Focused, igniting her rage again, funneling it into her weapon, causing the Mallet to glow and shift. In a moment she held in her hands a Long Halberd, which glowed, laden with her ki. She charged at her father. Who laughed at her final attempt. "Foolish Child! You think a new toy will be enough to best me?" he jeered, "You cannot possibly expect–" he was unable to continue as her attack came.
She struck out with the Halberd, altering its course at the last moment, forcing Soun to put all of his effort into stopping it, only to surprise him by channeling her Ki attack through the weapon, blasting him in the face with a shot of focused Anger Ki.
As he stumbled back, she lashed out with the Halberd again, catching him in the knee, sending him to the ground as the joint shattered. She then spun the bladed end of the halberd around and laid it against his throat.
"I win." She said, as the man stared at her in shock.
Turning, she started toward the Tower, leaving him where he lay.
He wiped a tear from his eyes, and whispered, "I always wanted to see you at this level, Akane. It is too bad you were on the wrong side."
Using all of his remaining strength, Soun Tendo hurled his Naginata at his unaware daughter. It sailed through the air, sure and true, striking with a dull thunk.
Akane turned to see Ryoga standing behind her, the Naginata having pierced him through. "A-Akane…" The former Lost Boy said, as his blood pooled at his feet.
"Ryoga!" Akane dashed to the side of her former pet. "Oh, God, No!"
Ryoga chuckled painfully. "Its ok…" he whispered, "I've had worse… Can't remember when, but I have… Give me a few days, and I'll heal right up…"
Akane nodded, kneeling by his side and began tending his wounds. She would leave her traitorous sister to Happosai and the others in the Tower. Surly they did not need her help.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
1000 Years in the Future – The Crystal Tower.
Happosai realized quickly that the two martial artists he faced were more powerful then he expected. Kasumi must have been undergoing extensive training since the inception of Crystal Tokyo, because her combat level easily matched Ranma's when Happosai returned to Nerima all those Years ago.
The real danger was that doctor, though. The man's extensive knowledge of ki was enough that it was possible he could permanently disable Happosai's ability to drain ki. Such a thing would be a death sentence for the old man, who relied on feminine ki to survive.
Happosai bounced around, trying to avoid even the most light of brushes by the Doctor, while defending against crushing blows coming from the formerly peaceful Eldest Tendo Daughter.
He quickly realized that at half strength, he had no hope of defeating these two. So he began making soft strikes toward the more ki laden areas on Kasumi's body. The groping strikes had several effects, first being to fluster not only Kasumi, but her husband as well. The second being a light recharge as he pulled ki from the girl. It had nothing on a full grope, as it was only a momentary strike, or even a bit of time drawing energy from panties, but it was something.
Tofu began to emit an aura of anger as Happosai ran a hand between his wife's breasts, lunging forward, only to have the old letch vault over his head and kick him in the back of the head, driving him full on into Kasumi.
Taking the Initiative, Happosai produced one of his Bombs. "Happo Daikarin!" He called, hurling the Fire Bomb at the couple.
To his surprise, Tofu suddenly whirled and kicked the bomb, driving it half way into a nearby control panel. The resultant explosion destroyed the control panel and flung the Doctor and his wife hard against the wall, rendering them unconscious. Happosai chuckled at the defeat of his foes.
As he moved to inspect their downed couple, he got a sudden bad feeling. He turned slowly to look at the control panel that had been destroyed. On one of the shattered pieces, it said "Magic Disa-" Happosai's eyes widened as he heard it.
"SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!"
Jupiter's blast blew the ancient marital artist up against the wall, causing his entire collection of Senshi panties to pop out of his gi.
"BURNING MANDALA!"
Happosai watched in horror as his magic silky darlings turned to ash. He turned toward Pluto just in time to catch her boot hard in his face, slamming him hard against the wall again. He was about to sit up when the Mistress of Time planted her foot hard on his chest, and stuck the business end of the Staff of Time in his mouth.
"Pluto, Stop!" The Queen's command left no room at all for argument. "We are not Killers!"
Pluto looked at the woman who had been Sailor Moon and sighed. "Fine, but I am taking him along to make sure he stays out of trouble."
Serenity nodded, and looked around. "Where is Mercury?" she asked.
Kasumi raised her head a little. "Mercury… Injured..." she whispered, "In… The Infirmary…" She lost consciousness again.
Serenity looked at the blast doors, "Well, we are certainly not going out that way." She said. "Can we blast through the floor?"
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
1000 Years in the Future – In the Streets of Crystal Tokyo.
Cologne leapt about atop her staff through the flying vortex, striking at Ryu with all her might. The Ancient Amazon struck at the Yama Senken Master with the fruit of hundreds of years of Amazon martial history, as well as a few tricks she had learned from Ranma and his Son, before vanishing back into the chaos.
The Air was filled with whirling winds, vacuum blades, rubble and debris, flying in a chaotic pattern, such that loosing focus for more then a few moments would mean certain doom.
The Ninjas had played a dangerous game of tag amongst the whirling chaos, but neither had proven skilled enough to avoid its rage completely. Sasuke had fallen first, the ninja servant of the extinct Kuno clan had taken a leap at the wrong moment and been buffeted by a blast of wind that altered his course such that he was easily bisected by one of Ryu's vacuum blades.
Ukyo, having witnessed Sasuke's demise, had taken a moment to rejoice, and the chaotic winds had seen fit to guide a large chunk of shattered masonry hard against the side of her head. Cologne hoped the girl was still alive, but could not take the time to dwell on it, lest a similar fate befall her.
Using her Ki senses, the aged woman located her foe through the harsh turmoil of dust and debris. She selected a particularly large chunk of rock, shattered it, and used the Amaguriken to send its pieces at him. Seeing the chunks of rock coming, Ryu countered, as she had anticipated, with his vacuum blades. Cologne, took advantage of the Military Otaku's temporary distraction to bounce at high speed along the rocks and strike at him from behind.
Ryu sensed the organized movement amongst the chaos, and spun to face the threat, releasing a vacuum blade as he did.
Cologne lashed out with her staff, using a technique that she would never teach to anyone. The point of her staff touched Ryu's forehead in dead center as she lanced her ki into it. It was a version of the Bakusai Tenketsu designed to work on the mind. To break someone's body was one thing. To break their mind, however, was something entirely different. Even as Cologne felt Ryu's last vacuum blade pass through her, She watched the comprehension fade from Ryu's eyes as his mind reverted to that of an infant.
Both of them tumbled limply as the chaos began to fade, and the rocks that had been airborne crashed around them. Cologne died, glad that she had kept the non-lethality pact, even when her opponent had not.
Before she faded completely, Cologne thought to herself. "Children, I leave this world to you."
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
1000 Years in the Future – In the Crystal Tower.
Shampoo charged into Nabiki's Base of Operations, flanked by a small entourage of Rebels that had also heard the alarm and decided to see if they could help. The first thing She saw was Nabiki lying crumpled on the floor. Kneeling quickly, Shampoo raised her ally's body, relieved to discover that she was merely paralyzed, and was in fact quite conscious.
It was Nabiki's eyes that warned the young Amazon of the Danger. Seeing them widen while looking over her shoulder, Shampoo moved quickly.
Without dropping the former mercenary, Shampoo hurled herself to the side, Barely avoiding Hinako's energy draining attack. Unfortunately, the rebel allies that had joined her were not so lucky. Activating the counter point to Nabiki's Paralysis, the young Amazon lunged at her opponent, bringing her bon-boris to bear.
Two dodged strikes proved that someone had taught the English Teacher the basics of Anything Goes. Hinako dodged and countered with the level of skill that Shampoo had seen in Ranma many years earlier.
Fortunately, Shampoo had gotten better since then. She performed a combination of swings and slams, throwing a little Amaguriken speed in while using the girl's attempts to drain her to pump the girl with hot ki. She led her into a spiral, cooling her own ki and then slammed the girl with a cold blast up the center. "Hiryu-Shoten Ha!"
Hinako met the ceiling. Her body was buffeted by the winds for several seconds before she crumpled limply to the floor.
Shampoo turned to see Nabiki was standing unsteadily and moving to the nearby computer terminal. And at that moment, both of them felt Cologne's passing. Shampoo stifled a sob, while Nabiki checked what sensors there were.
Nabiki cursed as she read the readout.
Senshi: Escaped. Cologne: Dead. Ukyo: Disabled. Ryoga: Disabled. Happosai: Captured. Akane: Injured but working as a medic. Herb: Seriously Injured but still in combat. Saffron: Injured but still in combat. Ranma, Genma, Ryoko and Kiima: Uninjured, but very busy. She ignored the lesser troops. They were scattered through the city and were mostly out of commission or busy.
"Looks like it is up to you and me to defeat the Senshi, Sham-chan." She said, looking at the Amazon. "If we can save Happosai, we might have a chance. Looks like they are cutting through the floor of the holding cell area in order to get to the infirmary, three floors down. Let's get there." She picked up a Blaster Rifle and headed for the door.
Shampoo shook her head, "You is needed here. Shampoo handle it alone." She turned on her heal and charged out the door, trading her Bon-Boris for a pair of Chinese Swords. They would pay for her Great Grandmother. They would pay.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
1000 Years in the Future – Crystal Tower Infirmary.
Mousse lay on one of the beds, his ki being focused on the effort of healing. The wounds he had sustained in the battle to capture the Senshi were requiring his entire focus to heal, but he was vaguely aware of the Senshi of Mercury lying in the other bed.
Her injuries, taken in her mad attempt to attack him, were gradually proving to be too much for her Magical healing to handle. Broken bones, internal bleeding, burns, stab wounds, and other injuries were gradually exceeding her body's ability to handle them. In short, Mercury was dying. She would be the first and only one to die at the hand of the Rebel forces, unless something had gone horribly wrong elsewhere in the battle.
A crash brought Mousse out of his Reverie, so he extended his awareness to find out what was going on. He realized that the Senshi had escaped and had come to retrieve their friend. It was a nice thought, but Mousse could feel the girl's essence slipping away, even as her friends entered the room.
"Mercury!" Venus exclaimed as she saw her friend. "Oh, my God!"
Serenity entered the room and moved quickly to the blue-haired girl's side, taking hold of her hand.
Mercury stirred, looking up at her Queen. "Usagi-chan… I… I'm so happy you escaped…" she whispered, "I don't think… I can help you… anymore…"
Tears were rolling down Serenity's face as she tried to be strong. "Its ok, Ami-chan," She said, "You just focus on getting better, ok?"
Mercury looked at her friend. "I… don't think I can…" she said, her voice now a horse whisper. "Usagi-chan… You have to be strong… You know you can win… Remember… I… will always be… your friend… I will always… be… with… you…"
Mercury's hand squeezed Serenity's hand and then her body went limp.
Serenity stared down at the still form of her friend, not believing. "Ami-chan…" She whispered between sobs, "Ami-chan!" It became more urgent, "AMI-CHAN!!!" Finally a shriek. Grief swept over the Senshi as they realized the cost of this war was already greater then any war they had faced so far.
It took but a moment for Serenity's grief to turn to anger.
Mousse steeled himself for the retribution that he knew would come to him, as the one who had inflicted the wounds that had killed Mercury. It would be but a few moments before the Queen, who was now ranting and raving, would notice him, lying there, defenseless, and would turn her rage on him.
Then he heard something. The door. "You no escape again!"
Shampoo's voice.
Neo Queen Serenity whirled on the girl, glowing with rage and magic. "Escape?" She whispered. "I am not going to ESCAPE… I am not going anywhere… I am Sailor Moon. I AM SAILOR MOON AND IN THE NAME OF THE MOON, I AM NOT GOING TO STOP UNTIL ALL OF YOU MURDEROUS REBELS ARE DEAD!"
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
1000 Years in the Future – Everywhere in or Around Crystal Tokyo
All the warriors currently capable looked at the sky. A dark cloud appeared and began to swirl around the Crystal Tower.
The Allies of the Senshi felt the passing of Mercury and felt great sorrow, and greater still apprehension. The Queen's rage wafted over the city.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
1000 Years in the Future – Crystal Tower Infirmary.
The Queen's Dress shifted into a dead-white fuku, reminiscent of the fuku she once wore, years before. She held in her hand a Silver Sword. A sword called Death.
The other Senshi stared in undisguised horror. Their queen's face had never been contorted with such rage. They could do nothing but bare witness to the terrible effect of Moon's Wrath.
The Amazon before her swung her own weapons at the Fuku-clad Queen, only to find that upon contact with the Death Sword, her own blades were hacked off to the hilt. She attempted to strike in hand-to-hand hoping to disarm her opponent, only to receive a vicious kick that sent her to the ground. For a moment, Shampoo stared into the queen's face as she raised the sword over her head to finish her off.
The room went silent and still for a split second, then was dominated by the sound of hardened steel splitting the air as it flashed toward its target, and then the sound of the blade sinking into the flesh of its target.
Serenity's Eyes widened as she stared at the barbed blade protruding from her chest.
Shampoo looked past the Insane Senshi to see Mousse, on his feet before his bed, holding the end of the chain connected to the sword buried in Moon's back.
Serenity shivered as her transformation dropped. "I…" she stammered, "I only wanted… to make… the world… happy."
She collapsed, dead. As she fell, Endymion leaped to her side, catching her and letting her down slowly, even as Mousse fell, and Shampoo rushed to his side.
"No one… can hurt Shampoo." Mousse said. "Wo Ai Ni…"
The Senshi felt like their hearts were cut out. The Queen was dead. With no Princess to replace her. Somehow, they all knew what came next.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
1000 Years in the Future – Ground Zero.
All of those fighting outside the city stopped when Mercury died. At the sudden wellspring of rage they sensed, the Rebels broke off to go and help as they could. When it ended, moments later, the world seemed to quiver. Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune knew what had happened and embraced each other as Saturn rose into the air, with her eyes glazing over.
"THE QUEEN IS DEAD!" The Senshi of Silence declared in a dead voice that could be heard the entire city over. "THE EMPIRE IS ENDED!" Then she raised her glaive.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
The End of the World – In the streets of Crystal Tokyo
"DEATH"
Akane wrapped her arms around Ryoga and shivered in terror.
Ukyo pulled herself from the rubble and looked at the sky.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
The End of the World – In the Crystal Tower
"REBORN"
Nabiki ran into the holding cells and wrapped her arms around her sister.
In the Infirmary, the grief-stricken Senshi bowed their heads, waiting for the inevitable.
Shampoo cradled Mousse, rocking him gently.
Happosai said "Screw it." and leapt to Pluto's chest.
Pluto looked down at the Letch curiously.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
The End of the World – Ground Zero.
"REVOLUTION!"
Uranus and Neptune held each other as death descended upon them.
Genma cowered.
Kiima and Saffron wrapped each other in their wings.
Herb Stared at the descending doom.
Ryoko flew straight up, calling Ryo-Oki as she fled, hoping to escape the blast radius.
Ranma was having none of this.
The red-haired marital artist leapt up at Saturn, calling her light-hawk wings as she ascended. The Wings became Jurrian battle armor, and her sword became two swords. The Mistress of the Silence looked on in shock as her foe flew up with no lesser intent then to halt the Silence itself. The Energy Blades struck the Glaive with the force of an asteroid, only her Powerful Magic allowed Saturn to Maintain her grip on the weapon. The Silence was coming, but this last bastion of Sound and Light stood in its way.
Spinning through the air, the Warrior lashed out against the being that would destroy all she knew and loved. The Silence or no, the fate of the world was on the line, and "Ranma Saotome DOES NOT LOOSE!"
The two forces of Nature raged against each other in the Skies over Crystal Tokyo. Hope began to stir in those cowering below.
Ranma delivered a punishing series of blows to Sailor Saturn, knocking the glaive from her hand. The weapon plunged downward as Ranma gave chase. It became a race to determine if Ranma would catch the weapon before it struck the ground.
Saturn suddenly struck the Hero from above, slamming her hard into the ground. The glaive fell, like an arrow, impaling her and piercing the ground below.
A wave of deep red energy engulfed the martial artist, freezing her in her tracks, silencing her forever.
The Silence Spread, whirling through the city like a cold, red maelstrom, stopping everyone who remained. It spun its way around the world, engulfing all life. It froze them all like statues, and for one, long moment, the entire planet was absolutely still. Then that moment ended, as in a massive wave of purple power, the entire planet was swept away.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
AN: And that takes care of the World of the Future. Sure, it might have happened differently if Kunma was still there, but since the magic of Usa's Time Key causes the two time periods to be linked, there is no way he can return and fix it.
For those of you wondering how I am going to solve assorted temporal problems inherent with the few options that Kunma has, I will tell you that the Usa's key and the Nanban Mirror work on two drastically different versions of Time Travel magic. (Mixing magic can have… Odd… effects).
Oh, and I fully expect to get yelled at for letting Ranma loose at that last moment. Fact is, it is a testament to Ranma's power and will that she managed to not only be able to move in the face of the Silence, but actually stand up against it. While everyone else cowered and huddled with their loved ones in the face of the inevitable, Ranma faced it down to the very end, and died as a proud Samurai Warrior, and that is no loss.
