Soluna – Volume One
Chapter Six: Discussion and Revelation
By Saarth'ir
Based on the "Sailor Ranko" series, started by Duncan Zillman, and continued by Kevin D. Hammel, Arthur Hansen, and Rebecca Heineman. "Sailor Ranko" is, in turn based on the series "Sailor Moon" by Naoko Takeuchi and "Ranma 1/2" by Rumiko Takahashi. Therefore, many of these characters are owned and copyrighted by their respective owners. So, with that out of the way, enjoy!
As the day began to make way for dusk, the warm air all around Tokyo began to cool. The glorious, bright sun still shone strongly in the sky, prohibiting the temperature from dropping any lower than it already had. None the less, certain insect inhabitants of the city decided that it was a good time to show themselves. The air was filled with the ensemble of cicadas and crickets chirping, while large groupings of fruit flies, gnats, and even mosquitoes congregated in mid air.
Yes, the insects were having their day. The parks and streets of Juuban belonged to them. Most of the human inhabitants of the city had long since fled to the indoors with the quickly spreading news of a youma attack. However, not everyone remained hidden away in the safe confines of their homes and workplaces.
Less than a kilometer south from the Azabu-Juuban Recreational Park, a certain block was filled with human activity. At least a dozen police vehicles, consisting of cruisers, bikes, and even riot police trucks, littered the streets surrounding the small clearing of trees. The area was being surveyed heavily by no less than thirty officers, spread all around the intersection. Amongst them, a small group of government security and science personnel analyzed what had been a battlefield.
Officer Shigeru Matsubara watched as the hazmat garbed officials poked around the site. He stared, somewhat bored, at the large corpse that lay in front of him. Shigeru was no senior officer, but he had served in the Minato ward long enough to have dealt with situations such as this one previously. In fact, he was on active duty during the invasion the previous year. He scrunched up his face as he remembered the event.
Still, he could not deny that this was different from the usual aftermath of a battle involving youma. It was obvious that the Senshi were involved in this battle, but of course, they were now nowhere to be found. What was strange was the carcass in front of him. Throughout his career as an officer, he had never seen anything quite as large and monstrous as this. Well, okay, there was that one time with the lizards, he reminded himself mentally. Shigeru was brought back to the real world when he heard his name being called out, "Officer Matsubara!"
The policeman in question turned to see Lieutenant Anzai approaching him rapidly. Noboru Anzai served as one of the lieutenants at the local police station. He led a group of junior officers, consisting of Matsubara, as well as some of his colleagues. Anzai was an older fellow compared to Shigeru. He was short and portly, but still somewhat fit. The graying hair on the top of the sergeant's head had long since receded.
Shigeru noticed that his lieutenant was not alone. Walking next to the portly officer was a man dressed in a western-style black business suit, complete with red tie. He carried with him a small metal briefcase. Shigeru blinked twice, Definitely a government higher-up, he thought to himself. He squinted his eyes. He didn't like the look of this g-man. He was too rigid for Shigeru's liking.
The two men approached Shigeru. "Officer Matsubara," Lieutenant Anzai exclaimed, a bright, goofy smile, fitting for his figure, appeared on his face, "Good job keeping these hazmat crews nice and safe. I knew I could count on you for this terribly tough assignment."
Shigeru knew that the lieutenant was joking sarcastically, but none the less, he saluted his officer. "Yes, sir! I'm glad I could be of service, sir!" It was hard for him to keep a straight face through the joke, but Shigeru didn't waver.
Lieutenant Anzai's cheery demeanor remained for a few more seconds before taking on a more serious tone. The portly officer motioned towards his escort, "Officer Matsubara, allow me to introduce Taiki Kurosawa, an advisement councilor for the Bureau of Defense."
Shigeru grimaced internally, Right on the money, he thought to himself, government brass in the flesh. Externally, the junior officer quickly saluted and bowed to the government officer.
"Officer Matsubara here is one of my best men," Lieutenant Anzai informed the suited man, his cheerful expression returning, "He will be able to update you on the situation." The lieutenant turned back to Shigeru, "Matsubara, show Mr. Kurosawa around the site and answer any questions he has."
Shigeru realized that Anzai was dumping the duty of escorting this Ministry lackey onto him. However, there was nothing he could do about it. He saluted to his lieutenant and turned to the suited man, "Please follow me if you would, sir," he offered, trying his hardest to restrain his annoyance.
The government official nodded to his new charge, "Please, lead the way, officer," he responded plainly.
As the two men departed from the scene, Lieutenant Anzai smirked. He knew that Shigeru probably hated his guts at this moment, but it would do the boy some good to get caught up in some government task work. It would show him that the world of a cop was not all sunshine and rainbows. Relieved of his previous duty, the lieutenant walked off in search of his other officers. Perhaps he could find something for them to do as well.
As the officer and Ministry official patrolled the now dormant battlefield, Shigeru kept his sight straight ahead the entire time. He did not want to have to discuss anything with this agent if possible. A discreet frown appeared on his face as he realized that he would not get the quiet he so desired.
"Officer, your lieutenant was awfully vague about the situation here," Mr. Kurosawa said, finally breaking the lingering silence. "Perhaps you could explain to me in more detail what exactly happened here," he paused, both in speech and gait. The agent glanced over at the carcass of some winged monstrosity. "Particularly, what these things are."
Shigeru ceased his walking as well and turned to face the fallen monster. His eyes stared blankly, not really observing the teams of men and women analyzing, testing, and noting the large corpse. "Well, Mr. Kurosawa," he replied, his voice emotionless, "We're not exactly sure ourselves. None of our officers were on the scene at the time of the incident," he turned to face Mr. Kurosawa, a taunting smirk appearing on his face. "But if I had to guess, I'd say a youma attack."
Surprisingly, Kurosawa returned the smirk in a seemingly more sinister variant. "Ah, yes, it would make sense for these to be youma, wouldn't it?" he asked rhetorically, mock surprise drenching his response. "These youma have quite the history here in Azabu-Juuban, don't they?" he asked his charge.
Shigeru nodded, "You could say that, sir," he stroked his chin in a show of thought, "We've definitely seen a good number of them over the years."
Agent Kurosawa continued staring at the corpse several meters in front of him. "Have you ever seen one in person, officer?" he quickly chuckled at a private joke, "Alive, I meant," he corrected.
"I have," Officer Matsubara replied, a tinge of curiosity peeking through his casual tone, "None like this though. The one's I've seen were a lot smaller."
"And yet, still incredibly destructive. At least, from what I've read in the reports," the agent said plainly. "Also, very resilient, I hear. So much so that high-grade firearms have trouble harming even the smallest ones."
Shigeru didn't know how to respond to that statement, so instead, he opted to remain quiet, silently hoping that the conversation would end there. Of course, with his luck, it wouldn't.
Kurosawa finally turned to look at Shigeru, "What, or who, do you suppose, could have the power necessary to kill these things, let alone even injure them?" he suddenly asked. The tone of his voice was full of mock ignorance.
The young officer finally understood where this conversation was heading, and he didn't like it. This Ministry lackey was feigning ignorance. It was plainly obvious to Shigeru that Agent Kurosawa was trying to get into a discussion about the Senshi. It wasn't exactly a secret that the Bureau of Defense weren't the biggest fans of the Senshi.
Unfortunately, Shigeru knew he couldn't remain silent. He was forced to walk right into the agent's clutches. "Well," he said sullenly, "I would imagine the Senshi probably had something to do with this particular incident." He indicated towards the gaping wound on the large creature. Shigeru could feel the sinister smirk creeping onto Agent Kurosawa's face.
"Why of course," the official exclaimed in faux surprise, "these so-called 'Senshi' do fight these things don't they?" He pointed to where a nearby shop had a large hole decorating it. The rim of the hole was burned a crispy black. Kurosawa continued, "That would certainly explain the collateral damage, eh?"
Shigeru appraised the damage, his face blank and emotionless. The less he responded to the agent, the better. He had a feeling he knew what the next thing out of Kurosawa's mouth would be. As it turned out, he was quite spot on.
"Tell me, Officer Matsubara, was it?" Kurosawa said as he turned to face his accompanying charge. The agent had an ugly smile plastered on his lips. "What do you think of these so-called 'Guardians'?" he asked.
Shigeru turned to look the official in they eyes, his own eyes stalwart. He had guessed exactly where the conversation would end up. The Ministry official had no real interest in the youma or the danger they posed. He was more interested in getting the Senshi on the bad side of the public's view. Shigeru guessed that the Bureau's whole goal was to convert as many law enforcement officers to their side as possible. He definitely did not agree with them, but none the less, he would have to be as courteous and professional as possible, else he risk his job.
In as professional a tone as he could muster, Shigeru responded, "Mr. Kurosawa, I'm but a humble police officer. A junior one at that. My personal opinion on the Senshi is of no value to the force," he paused for a moment to appraise the agent's reaction before continuing, "But if you must know, I'm very grateful for their help with these monsters."
The smile on Agent Kurosawa's face immediately dropped to a frown, but only momentarily before all emotion completely faded from his expression. "I see," he said aloofly. He quickly turned away from Officer Matsubara, looking at nothing in particular. "Thank you for escorting me, officer. However, I'm afraid I must be going now." Without another word, or waiting for Shigeru's response, Agent Kurosawa departed from the scene in the direction of his waiting car.
Shigeru stood unmoving for a short time. He suddenly smiled brightly. He had beaten the Ministry's lackey. He glanced around happily before heading back to his previous post, a slight skip in his walk. His shift had certainly turned out better than it had started.
The beauteous grounds of the Hikawa Shrine glistened in the approaching dusk. The flowers in the garden swayed happily in the light warm breeze. Various animals wandered around the less traveled areas of the shrine grounds, enjoying the last couple of hours before the sun would finally retreat below the horizon and make way for the darkness of night.
The once rambunctious noise of relics breaking had long since ceased, as Yuuichirou and Rei's grandfather had left the shrine to complete some last minute errands. The occasional visitor still stopped by from time to time to pray, but aside from them, the shrine seemed completely deserted.
Inside the house, seven girls, one boy, and a hawk were seated around the lounging area table. Rei lay propped up on a futon nearby with Luna trying to tend to her wounds. The girls initially wanted to confine Rei to bed so she could rest, but a swift rebuttal from the injured girl that she ought to be a part of the meeting forced them to back down. Instead, they brought the futon from the guest closet for her to lie on. After making sure she was as comfortable as possible, the rest of the group got seated around the table.
While Artemis and Diana were initially seated on the table near the girls, they were quickly, but politely, asked to sit with Luna and Rei on the nearby futon. Within seconds of the meeting beginning, the presence of the two nearby moon cats put Ranma into a light panic. The ailurophobia-stricken boy had made some real progress over the past year in regards to being around Luna and Artemis. After everything that had happened between them, he was able to see the two advisers as friends rather then cats, at least mostly. He could usually stand to be near them, even look at them, albeit temporarily, without entering a panic. However, the presence of this new, unfamiliar cat caused a nearly complete backtrack in Ranma's ability to cope with the animals; and so, after the two cats went to sit with Rei and Luna, and the pig-tailed boy was seated in a spot on the other side of the table from them, the meeting was able to commence.
The air was filled with anxiety, and Neo-Moon, Europa, and Diana were not too surprised that most of it was directed towards them. Europa gulped and took a sip of her tea which Makoto had prepared prior to the meeting. Neo-Moon put on her best impression of a stereotypical smiley face sticker, deciding to divert the anxiety with a huge awkward grin. Diana merely looked timidly between Luna and Artemis, who returned her gazes with disciplined yet warm disappointment and goofy happiness respectively.
"Ahem," Luna cleared her throat, "Before we begin, would you two be willing to revert from your Senshi forms?" she asked, indicating towards Neo-Moon and Europa. "The others have already returned to their civilian forms. We don't want Rei's grandfather to get suspicious."
Neo-Moon quickly nodded. After a quick swirl of golden light engulfed her and disappeared, Usa sat where the future Senshi had just been. On the other hand, Europa intensified her tea staring and sat quietly. Usa nudged Europa with her elbow. "It's alright," she reassured her friend, "It's not going to mess up anything. Besides, they won't know you anyways," she goofed, smiling brightly.
Europa appeared to darken at that comment, though no one could really tell why. She quietly nodded and just like her friend, after a quick emerald light show, a casually dressed girl now sat where the enigmatic Senshi had been just a second before.
The others around the table, as well as Luna, Artemis, and Rei, silently appraised the stranger before them. Her features certainly matched what they had seen before in the future Senshi, but with the magical disguise field now gone, her appearance was fully visible to them. As far as any of them could tell, they had never seen her before. The girl blushed a little but kept staring down towards her cup of tea.
Luna caught herself staring at the new girl and recomposed herself. "Well then," she blurted out, "Thank you both." She looked around the table as the others also gathered their wits and stopped staring at the poor girl.
"Now then," Luna continued, "We certainly have much to discuss, but first," she turned to look directly at Usa, who withered slightly under her stoic gaze, "Perhaps the little princess would like to explain what she's doing here."
Usa couldn't help but to chuckle nervously. She had always been very good at hiding things from her friends and family in the past, but even she knew that she was no match for a full frontal assault from Luna. She silently remarked to herself that Luna had just as much of a commanding presence now as she did in the future.
"Well, uh, you see," she stuttered, not quite sure how to respond without giving too much away, "Diana, myself, and, um," she paused, apparently getting brain and tongue tied over something.
"I gotta question," Ranma suddenly interrupted. He leaned his chin on his fist in a bored fashion. His eyes turned to gaze at the raven-haired girl sitting next to Usa. "You gave us your Senshi name," he addressed her, "But now that you're not in Senshi form anymore, what're we supposed to call ya?"
"Maybe," Makoto interjected, "You could tell us your name?" She leaned forward across the table."I'm guessing this time travel nonsense makes it risky to tell us too much, but it's not like we recognize you anyways," she pointed out. She received an ensemble of mumbled agreement from around the table. The mystery girl once again found herself the center of attention.
"Uh, I mean I can't really. I mean, I shouldn't really," she stammered out. She turned to look to her friend for help, but received a nervous shrug in response. It was obvious both future girls were cracking under the pressure of interrogation.
The raven-haired girl stopped and closed her eyes for a second, thinking to herself. Everyone waited patiently for her response. After what seemed like hours, she opened her eyes again. They contained steely resolve within them, and she appeared much calmer and determined.
"Yes, I suppose it would help for allies to know each others' names," she spoke, "After all, I do already know all of yours." A slight grin full of pride appeared on her face. It faded almost as quickly as it appeared. "I'm afraid I can't give you my full name though. I fear it could cause some... issues."
Nearly everyone around the table nodded in acknowledgment and understanding. She nodded back and spoke, "My Senshi name is Europa, of the Galilean moons," she proclaimed. Makoto and Akane both visibly reacted slightly to that. The girl couldn't help but smile. "My actual name though," she paused, "Is Midori."
The group was silent. While normally the revelation of a name would not be so dramatic, each member of the team knew what every other person at the table was thinking. This was a possible new ally. Not only that, but also a true link to their destined future, the first most of them had seen since Usa first showed up years ago. Even though they did not recognize this girl or her name, it weighed heavily on them.
Akane was the first to break the awkward silence which had ensued. "Midori, huh?" she spoke, "I actually really like that name. I think it's cute." She smiled warmly at the future girl, who couldn't help but blush in response. The rest of the table warmed back up from her ice-breaking comment. Various murmurs of acknowledgment, agreement, and wonder came from all around.
"Ahem." All of the table's inhabitants turned to Luna. She continued, "Very well, Midori, thank you for trusting us with your identity." She smiled a very feline smile, "I understand why you would be concerned to divulge any specific information about the future." The black cat nodded to herself.
"Actually," Midori responded, "I already knew that none of you would recognize me," she admitted.
Ami looked confused. "So then why be so cautious about telling us this vague information?" she asked confounded.
Midori blushed slightly and looked at a loss for words. She quickly found them however. "I just, well, just in case, I guess," she stuttered.
"Regardless," Luna interjected, "We do appreciate your trust in us. After all, if you're a friend of Usa's, I see no reason why we can't trust you," she proclaimed. Smiles warmed the faces of most of the people sitting around the table, Luna included.
"Now then," she continued, "Back to my previous question." Her gaze turned towards Usa. "Would you care to explain what you three are doing here?" she questioned accusingly.
Usa looked abashed. She quickly stammered out a response, "Geeze, is that any way to thank Midori and I for saving your butts?" The pink-haired girl huffed and looked away. Under her breath she mumbled, "Psh, always so serious and mean."
"Don't get us wrong," Rei suddenly spoke up from her perch, "We're really grateful for that rescue," she said happily. Her face quickly took on a serious tone. "It's just that whenever you show up, it usually means something big and nasty is about to happen, or it already has." She sighed, "It seems to me like this falls under the latter."
At Usa's silence, Rei continued, "You always either have to keep quiet about whatever task you're trying to complete, or you're in the dark yourself." Rei allowed a warm smile to grace her beat up face. "I have a feeling that neither of those apply this time around," she said non-accusingly, "So why not throw us a little bone, huh?"
Usa sighed but a light smile grew on her lips. "Actually," she responded, "We kind of are in the dark about this one." She looked around the table to gather the reactions of her friends. "The truth is, Midori, Diana, and I were actually sent back this time by you, mom," she admitted.
Usagi looked slightly confused. "I sent you back?" she asked. Her future daughter nodded in response. "For what reason?" Usagi questioned.
Usa shrugged. "You just told us that we had to go back and help you with this new mess." She looked at Luna as if to answer the cat's unspoken question. "When I asked you about the details of this event, you just told me 'not to worry', and that 'everything will work out because it has to'." Usa leaned backwards, supporting herself with her arms.
Midori nodded to acknowledge her friend's explanation. "I'm afraid it's true," she spoke, "We honestly don't know any more than you all do." She looked over at Diana who was seated next to the other cats. "I have a feeling this is part of a test for the three of us. We're still considered juniors, and I've heard them speak about giving us a special test."
"Who's 'they'?" Minako asked quickly.
Diana looked at the blonde. "Well, you all of course," she said, "That is, your future selves."
Minako groaned and held her head in her hands. All this time-travel shenanigans was quickly giving her a headache. Some of the others around the table shared her unspoken feelings. There was a small chorus of groans and gasps.
"Well," Chizuko suddenly spoke up, "It seems that our new allies will unfortunately not be able to help us shed any light on this new threat." She closed her eyes in thought temporarily. "We're completely in the dark about this enemy," she expressed harshly, "We have no ideas of their goals, their strengths, or their intelligence."
"Indeed," Ami agreed, "We're at a bad disadvantage for whenever they're next attack comes." She browsed through some data on her Mercury Computer. Various graphs and charts popped up on the screen. She stroked her chin and then continued, "In particular, we have no idea what those monsters were. The only thing we do know," she indicated to one of the graphs on the screen, "Is that the transformation they underwent drastically increased their dark energy levels, but also put an extreme mental and physical strain on their bodies."
Ami stopped to think for a few seconds, and a deep silence permeated the room. No one wanted to interrupt the genius girl's thoughts. Eventually she spoke, "If I had to guess, I'd assume that these transformations are a newly developed technique for the youma that acts as sort of a last resort for them, sacrificing their sanity and intelligence for a huge increase in power."
No one felt the need to disagree with Ami. All of them except Luna, Artemis, and Chizuko had seen the results of the transformations first hand. They all merely nodded in silent agreement.
"In regards to their intelligence," Ami continued, "That's what worries me the most." On the computer's screen, she pulled up a couple pictures that her visor had automatically taken during the battle, as well as a transcribed audio log from the battle.
She pointed to one of the images in particular. "See here," she proclaimed. "They obviously have a structured formation here, with a clear leader." She squinted her eyes, "The youma have never had such discipline before. Even the most intelligent of the ones we've fought in the past mostly used their brawn to fight, instead of their brains."
"Correct me if I'm wrong," Rei spoke up, "But didn't they also refer to themselves as the 'Tenebrum' or something?"
Ami nodded. "Yes, I do believe I heard them call themselves that multiple times," she said as she glanced through the transcribed audio logs.
"Beings of Darkness," Chizuko suddenly blurted out. The eyes of all those seated at the table immediately turned to her. Chizuko noted that many of those stares were filled with confusion. "Tenebrous is a Latin word, meaning dark or shadowy," she quickly explained.
In response, Chizuko received a multitude of blank nods. She sighed. Clearly Latin was not on many of the Senshi's lists of known languages. Ami, Luna, Artemis, and surprisingly, Minako all looked thoughtful however.
"Wouldn't it be more appropriate for them to call themselves 'Obscuro' or 'Umbra' instead?" Minako proposed. Whereas Chizuko's declaration had only received a handful of stares, the entire room now gaped at Minako in shock.
Ami was the first to find her voice, "You speak Latin, Mina?" she exclaimed completely dumbfounded.
"Of course!" the blonde responded, pride drenching her voice. "After all, it is the language of love, and that's all the reason I need!"
"Uh, actually, I think that's supposed to be French," Akane quickly added.
Minako looked at her friend with perplexed disgust. "That can't be right," she insisted, "French is supposed to be the language of doves."
Makoto put palm to her face. "Ugh," she grunted, "I think you're a little confused Mina."
Minako shrugged in response. "Well, I don't know then. I've just always known how to speak it," she stated. The stares she had been receiving shifted from shock that the blonde knew Latin, to bewilderment that she apparently was born with the knowledge of a rare language.
"That does bring up an interesting point however," Chizuko interjected.
"And what's that?" Luna quickly asked.
Chizuko closed her eyes in thought for a second before answering. "I believe tenebris actually stems from old French," she explained.
"That little history tidbit is nice and all," Rei proclaimed sarcastically, "But I think we have more important things to discuss than language history at the moment."
Chizuko looked at Rei with a hint of annoyance. "If you would perhaps let me finish," she said defensively. Rei quickly shut her mouth and a small blush appeared on her cheeks.
"The reason that 'little history tidbit' could be important," Chizuko began, "Is because many of the Dark Kingdom's leaders originally hailed from France," she explained. "Now, it's entirely possible that these youma have no connection to the original caste of the Dark Kingdom, but I feel there could be a connection."
Most of the room, particularly Luna, stared at Chizuko. "And just how do you know that bit of history about the Dark Kingdom?" Luna asked.
Chizuko looked over at Luna with a disappointed look on her face. She sighed in annoyance. "Did you all forget that my memories of the Silver Millennium are still intact?" she asked plainly. Luna chose not to give the sun hawk's reminder a response, and simply stared at Chizuko, expressionless.
The avian adviser continued, "Back when the Dark Kingdom first started gaining followers, it was common knowledge where their leaders came from," she explained. "You all have lost most, if not all of your memories from those days," she said with a hint of sadness. "Along with a wide array of useful knowledge."
"WAH!" Usagi suddenly cried, "Does that mean that French people are youma?" The blonde leader's eyes looked about ready to tear up. With everything she knew about France being such a wonderfully beautiful and romantic country, full of wonderful food and people; she didn't know if she could stand being told that such a country was their enemy. She received numerous stares from her friends which asked, "Really?"
Chizuko quickly reassured Usagi, "No, no," she sighed, "France has no affiliation with the Dark Kingdom." The bird beamed proudly with knowledge. "In fact, after the initial uprising of the Dark Kingdom, France became one of the Moon Kingdom's greatest supporters in the war," she explained.
Chizuko continued explaining and became lost in her pride as an instructor. She nonchalantly motioned to Ami with her wing. "In particular, we actually gained one of our greatest allies from France: Lady Amhelia's moth-" Chizuko suddenly caught herself and opened her eyes wide in shock. She had been about to reveal a crucial piece of information which she felt the Senshi were not ready to know.
However, her slip did not go unnoticed. Ami looked at the bird with confusion written on her face. "Amelia? Who's that?" she asked, confounded. Slowly, realization penetrated Ami's mind. "Wait a minute," she stuttered, "You- you don't mean me, do you?" she asked rhetorically. She already knew the answer before the question had even left her mouth. "My mother. You were about to mention my mother," tears softly glistened her blue eyes, "My... past mother," she stammered out.
Chizuko gulped and blushed in embarrassment, an impressive feat for a bird covered in orange feathers. She realized she had said too much and Ami had caught on. It was no use trying to hide the information she had mistakenly revealed. Ami was a genius, Chizuko knew this. However, she also knew that the genius girl was somewhat emotionally fickle when it came to her family relations. She understood better than anyone that having Ami distraught over this issue could severely impact their ability to function as a team. She sighed.
"Ami, please forgive me," Chizuko pleaded, "I foolishly let my pride get the better of me and divulged something I should not have." She looked Ami in the eyes, her own eyes filled with deep sorrow. "You are correct," she admitted, "I'm afraid I can't tell you anymore about your mother, however, I can tell you that your name in your past life was Amhelia."
Ami sighed at being told that information. It felt so... familiar, like she should have always known it. A deep warmth filled her up inside. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes to compose herself. She reopened them with her usual smile on her face. "I understand," she told Chizuko. "Thank you for telling me that, Chizuko."
The others could tell that Ami was feeling better. She was back to her calm and centered self. There were smiles around the table from the revelation of Ami's past name.
"Now wait just a minute," Makoto suddenly blurted out. "Are you telling me that we had different names during the Silver Millennium?" She looked like she was in complete disbelief. The other girls also looked confounded, as if they hadn't realized that not only Ami would have had a past name.
"Of course," Chizuko said matter-of-factually, "You don't think you all had Japanese names back before the Moon Kingdom was affiliated with the island nation? Do you?" she asked rhetorically. She was bombarded by the condemning stares of the four remaining Inner Senshi.
"I always thought you girls already knew about it," Artemis said suddenly, "And that you just didn't really care to bring it up." The full onslaught of the four girls' stares, now including Luna's own found a new target in the white cat. Artemis immediately gulped and shrunk himself back into the corner.
"You knew about this?!" Minako exclaimed to her so-called trusted friend and adviser. "I thought we trusted each other to share our fragmented memories of the past," she spoke angrily, "and you kept this from me?" If the others didn't know Minako so well, they'd probably think she was about to kill the white moon cat right then and there.
Artemis pleaded with Minako through his eyes. "I knew that you had different names in the past, but not what they actually were," he exclaimed hurtfully, "Honest! I thought you all knew the same and didn't care to find out. Let the past remain the past, and all that!"
Minako sighed and found she couldn't stay mad at Artemis. It was obvious he was telling the truth. The two of them had a strong connection, and a misunderstanding couldn't break that. The other girls also seemed sad but satisfied. Instead, they turned their attention back to the one who could answer their unspoken questions. Chizuko quickly noticed that all the attention was focused back at her, and gulped. She knew the savage verbal beating she was about to receive and prepared herself mentally for it.
"Ahem!" The sound of someone clearing their throat caused all the room's denizens to refocus their attention on the source of the voice. Usa looked at her friends with aggravation etched on her face. "It's great and all that you're learning about your pasts," she stated, "But in case you forgot, you have an issue in your present that needs addressing."
Chizuko breathed a sigh of thankful relief for the distraction. "Indeed," she said quickly, eager to help shift the topic of discussion away from past lives. "We have gotten distracted. These new youma are truly dangerous, and we must figure out how we plan on dealing with their inevitable second assault."
The others murmured agreement, disappointingly burying their desires to learn about their pasts. At least for now. Luna hopped over next to Ami and glanced at her computer. She pressed a couple keys and brought up the data logs for the battle.
"We know that this new threat is much stronger and more intelligent than their predecessors," the black cat stated. She grew thoughtful as she glanced over the information about the particular youma each Senshi had to fight. "It also seems that the enemy knows much about us as well."
Rei sat up, grimacing slightly as she held her bruised side. "What do you mean, Luna?" she asked.
"Look at this," Luna said, pointing at the various blurry images the Mercury Computer had automatically taken during the battle. "With the exception of Mercury and Moon, each of you were forced into a one-on-one battle," the cat explained. "It seems that you were each paired against a certain youma on purpose."
Luna looked over the data from various points during the battle. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but none of you were able to even harm your opponents until Sun and Io arrived to help," she pointed out.
Rei looked thoughtful before nodding. "It's true," she said sadly. "The youma I fought was far too fast for me to hit with any of my attacks." She looked down at her hands. "It's like it knew exactly how to dodge each strike from my Burning Mandala."
"It was the same for me, more or less," Makoto agreed. "The thing was easy to hit, but since it was made out of rock, my attacks couldn't harm it." She reclined back, supporting herself with her arms. "All of my attacks are electrical in nature. A creature made of rock is a pretty large weakness now that I think about it." The brunette sat back up and balled up her fists. "Too hard to punch too," she sighed.
Minako also had to agree with Luna. "Yeah, the one I fought seemed to know exactly how I like to fight," she recollected. "She easily deflected my attempts to disarm her or knock her lights out," she sighed.
"Ami and I beat one," Usagi exclaimed suddenly. She didn't even attempt to hide the pride on her face.
Ami looked at Usagi sadly. "We did through teamwork," she explained, "But I think Luna's on to something. The two of us ended up together completely on happenstance." She gazed at the data points on her computer. "I don't think they planned for that to happen."
"Exactly," Luna proclaimed. "If I had to guess, the youma purposely tried to use each of your weaknesses to defeat you."
Chizuko looked thoughtful. She nodded as realization dawned. "It certainly does make sense," she stated. "You each have a cardinal flaw as Senshi," Before she could receive any rebuttal, she decided to explain each in detail.
The sun hawk looked over to Rei. "Rei, as Sailor Mars, your attacks are strong and can engulf nearly any dark-energy based adversary with purifying fire," she explained. "However, they are also very slow to prepare and unleash, making them easy to dodge and counter if the enemy knows your attack patterns." Rei nodded in agreement.
Chizuko then turned her attention to Makoto. The brunette postured herself, ready to receive her criticism from the solar adviser. "Makoto, as Sailor Jupiter, you have an extremely potent array of attacks for dealing with organic foes," the hawk pointed out. "However, you're quite rash and reckless in combat. I fear that any opponent who can withstand your electrical onslaught can easily turn that recklessness against you." Makoto grimaced, but had to nod in agreement.
Minako guessed her turn was next. Sure enough, Chizuko turned to face her. "Minako, you have had more battle experience in this lifetime due to your time as Sailor V," she told the blonde. Minako smiled, Perhaps this won't be as bad as I thought, she thought to herself. "However," Chizuko continued, "As Sailor Venus, you've grown lax in your combat methods. Just like Makoto, you use the same tactics repeatedly. Disarming your opponents and finishing them off with a quick Crescent Beam is a great plan," she complimented, "But your enemy will quickly learn to counter it if you rely on those attacks too frequently." Minako sighed, and here she thought she was doing so well. The blonde sadly nodded.
Chizuko then turned to Ami. The blue-haired girl looked at the sun hawk eagerly, waiting to hear her wise assessment. "Ami, your genius both on and off the battlefield make you an invaluable ally to all of your teammates," Chizuko stated with pride. "Your quick assessments and decisions of battlefield tactics, alongside your beguiling and deceiving attacks have led this team to victory many times." The avian adviser suddenly looked saddened. "I'm afraid, your weakness is one of the simplest, yet hardest to correct," she sighed solemnly. "As Sailor Mercury, your attacks work great in conjunction with the others' own, however on your own, you severely lack any way to defeat your foes." Ami smiled sadly and nodded. She had already known this for some time, but Chizuko's explanation certainly reaffirmed the severity of it.
The four Inner Senshi had been assessed and criticized, but Chizuko wasn't done yet. She turned to face Usagi. The twin-tailed blonde already looked about ready to burst into tears before Chizuko even began her explanation. "Usagi, as our leader, you hold this team together," the bird stated warmly, "And while sometimes, we question your credibility to do just that, we are often awed at your resolve and determination."
Usagi's composition began solidifying. Chizuko was praising her instead of chastising her! She was about to break out into a full fledged smile when Chizuko continued, "As Sailor Moon, your powers of purification are our greatest weapon against the forces of the Dark Kingdom," she explained. "But you have the same weaknesses as Rei. Your attacks are far too slow to hit anyone who is still mobile." She looked at Usagi with steely resolve in her eyes. "On top of that, your presence on the battlefield is inhibited by the fact that you sometimes lose faith in yourself," she stated sadly. "Case in point: In today's battle, you were unable to defeat these transformed youma due to both of these flaws."
The blonde leader completely lost her smile and looked about ready to cry. How could Chizuko be so mean? She asked herself. However, she slowly realized that the sun hawk was right. She recalled many times where she had almost lost the will to fight completely. If not for her friends and Mamoru, she probably would have lost long ago. Deep in her heart she knew that she had to change, especially if she was going to become the Moon Queen.
Usagi took a deep breath and calmed herself. She looked back up at Chizuko. The orange bird commented to herself on how Usagi's eyes had so suddenly shifted to the steely, determined form they held now. She felt warm by the future queen's sudden change of demeanor. Usagi smiled warmly and nodded to Chizuko, in thanks for the criticism.
Chizuko looked around the room at each girl she had just assessed. While they all appeared somewhat sullen or grumpy about their respective call-outs, she knew that inside they were thankful for her appraisals, and would surely grow from this. The questions were, how and when?
"I feel as though all of these flaws are correctable," she stated. "The issue is that they need to be corrected sooner instead of later." Chizuko strained to think of a way to quickly work on each of the girl's respective flaws. The issue of time, specifically the unknown amount of time before another youma invasion would occur prohibited any sort of major training regiment from being utilized. If all of the girls wound up exhausted and worn from an intense workout, it would harm their abilities in combat more so than help them.
Chizuko couldn't think of any solution. She glanced over to Luna and Artemis to see whether they had any ideas or input. Instead, the two moon cats shrugged in response. It seemed they were no better off on ideas either.
"How about a set of training journeys?" All the eyes in the room immediately turned to look at the only guy other than Artemis. Ranma had remained silent nearly all of the meeting, so his sudden input had surprised most of the girls.
"What do you mean by training journeys, Ranma?" Chizuko asked. The truth was, she knew through ear that Ranma and his father were notorious for going on short intense trips through the wilderness to hone their martial arts skills. She was curious to see how he could relate these adventures to help his teammates.
He looked at his adviser with a plain expression on his face. "I mean a trip outta the city to strengthen ourselves both physically and mentally," he explained. "My pops and I used to go on them all the time. They're really good for gettin' and stayin' in shape." He looked over to his wife seated next to him. "Akane and I have gone on a few recently. She can tell ya personally how effective they are."
Akane smiled and nodded. "It's true," she admitted, "It's a hard couple of days, but you come back feeling stronger than ever." She looked over at Ranma. "It has been a while since our last trip though."
Ranma nodded in agreement. "It's been a while," he said. "That's why I think it's a good idea. It'll help us keep in shape."
The others around the room all contemplated the idea. Some of them had trained with Ranma and Akane in the past and knew how difficult it could be to keep up with the martial artist couple. However, none of them had ever gone with the two on a training journey out of town. They had only heard the 'horror' stories from the two.
Makoto was the first to pipe up. "Sounds great to me!" she exclaimed happily. "I've always wanted to go on a training trip into the mountains." She looked at Ranma with an incredibly wide grin. "But you gotta keep your promise to teach me the Bakusai Tenketsu!"
Ranma chuckled at the brunettes enthusiasm. "O'course," he assured her, "I'll do my best to teach it to ya."
The other girls around the table, including Rei, smiled at their friend's jubilation. Unlike the brunette, however, they still had some doubts regarding the training journey. Makoto was easily the most physically fit and active amongst them. Even Minako, who loved playing sports, knew she would have trouble keeping up with a martial arts style training regiment.
"Do you really think one of those training journeys could help us?" Usagi asked. Ranma noticed the warring emotions within her eyes. He could tell that on one hand, Usagi hated the idea of such a physically taxing mission, but on the other hand, she had steely resolve to try to fix her flaws.
Ranma smiled at his friend and teammate. "I really do, Usagi. I know it'll be really hard for y'all to deal with the high amounts of physical work, seeing as most of ya don't come from a martial arts background," he admitted. "But I really do believe that each of ya has the potential to grow a lot from it."
Usagi smiled brightly. "Well then count me in!" she called out excitedly. She quickly retreated to a more modest demeanor and looked pleadingly at Ranma. "Just go easy on me, okay?"
Ranma shook his head but smiled. "Sorry, no can do. It's gonna be all or nothing." Usagi whimpered but nodded her head in understanding.
With Usagi's acceptance of the proposed idea, the others found themselves a lot more comfortable with the thought. If their bubbly leader was willing to push herself to the limit, they had to be too. Ami, however, had one major, at least in her mind, issue with the idea.
"What about school?" she asked with concern. "We're reaching the end of our senior year, and we can't afford to miss full days of classes.," she frowned. "I know that becoming stronger to fight the youma is important, but so is our educational future!"
"On top of that," Chizuko suddenly added, "I have another concern." She glanced at Ranma before continuing. "I considered the idea of a training regiment for the girls, however, I'm worried that subjecting them to such a strenuous trip could inhibit their ability to fight if the youma decide to invade during the regiment." The sun hawk looked sadly towards the floor. "We can't afford to have all the Senshi be vulnerable until we know how often the enemy forces will attack."
Everyone around the room looked disappointed and sad. Both Ami and Chizuko had very valid points. There was certainly a very hefty risk to both the city, themselves, and their educational status if they chose to go on this journey.
Ranma straightened himself up. "I think I can solve both of those problems," he stated proudly. "We can split everyone up into two or maybe even three groups," he explained, then grew thoughtful. "I would have to go on each trip since I'll be the one training them." He glanced over at his wife. "And I think Akane should go on each one too. I'll need her help to train them."
Akane swelled with pride at the mention of being an instructor alongside Ranma. She returned her husband's glance and added an increasingly warm smile. Ranma, in turn, returned that smile, a blush appearing on his cheeks. He shook his mind of cob webs and turned back to Chizuko and Ami.
"If we split the rest of the group, a small force can stay here in case of an attack," he pointed out. "As for school, we can do a condensed training trip, only three days in length." He glanced over each member of the team, silently assessing them in his mind. "I know for a fact all of you can make a lot of progress with just a few days of training."
Ranma looked at Ami. "We can take each trip over the weekend so we don't miss too much school," he offered, "Each trip will have'ta miss one day though, either Friday or Monday."
Chizuko and Ami looked at each other. Ami considered Ranma's proposition before hesitantly nodding. "I suppose one missed day of class shouldn't have too much of a negative effect." She paused as something crossed her mind. "But that means you and Akane will be missing two days each with this plan," she pointed out. "I'll expect you both to willing to have an extra tutoring session with me to make up for it."
Ranma grimaced at the thought of having to do extra tutoring work. He glanced over to Akane, who smiled and nodded back at him. Ranma turned back to Ami and sighed, "Fine, fine. We'll take the lesson."
"In that case," Ami said, smiling wryly at Ranma, "I think the proposed plan is acceptable." She looked over to Chizuko.
The orange bird nodded after some deliberation. "While I'm not the most optimistic about splitting the team up during such a crucial moment, I have to admit I'm curious to see how such a condensed training regiment could impact the girl's performance." Chizuko smiled in acceptance. "So, I'm on board. However," she continued, "I will be going on each journey to advise and criticize. Is that acceptable?"
Ranma nodded immediately in response. "O'course, Chizuko. You do seem to know yer stuff when it comes to tactics and training," he happily admitted, "So I'd love to get your opinions, and I'm sure the girls will too." Chizuko looked away from the pig-tailed boy in embarrassment from the compliment.
Luna jumped up onto the table and walked towards the center, causing Ranma to flinch. "It sounds like a plan then," she stated. "Ranma, I'll leave the planning up to you and Akane." She glanced at the couple. "Please do let Artemis, Chizuko, and myself know when you have formulated a tentative schedule. We'll need to figure out who will be going on which trips." Ranma nervously nodded in acknowledgment.
"Um," Midori suddenly piped up, "I was wondering if perhaps we could go too," she shyly asked. "That is, Usa and I."
The pink haired future girl nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we'd both love to train with you guys out in the field," she declared. "If you'll have us."
While Ranma looked immediately ready to accept, Chizuko had some reserves. She looked at the two after a small time of thought. "Very well," she said, "After all, you two saved the team. It's only fair to consider you part of it as well." She received two very bright smiles in response.
"However," the sun hawk continued. She pointed at the gray-pink moon cat seated on the futon next to Artemis. "I'm afraid I have some issues with her joining on an intense training regiment. The wilderness is no place for a kitten, moon cat or not."
Diana blushed brightly and was about to retort when Luna interjected for her. "That won't be an issue," she affirmed, "Diana will be staying with Artemis and I." She received a silent 'thank you' from her future daughter.
Luna smiled back at the future cat before addressing the rest of the team. "With that out of the way," she began, "We have a few more issues we need to discuss before we end the meeting."
Minako sat up and looked at the black cat, "And those are?" she asked.
"Firstly," Luna said. She glanced over at Rei, who now properly sat up against the wall. "You, young lady, need to get some rest," she declared. "As of now, you are not to engage in any battles with the youma, should they arise."
Rei quickly retorted, "But that's not fair! I have to be with the others in case Meatball Head-" she cut herself off, both from the mental pain of realizing she had just insulted Usagi again, as well as the physical pain from leaning forward and aggravating one of her wounds. Usagi frowned momentarily from the implied insult, but her sadness was quickly replaced with concern for her friend's pain.
"That's exactly why I'm prohibiting you from battling, Rei," Luna pointed out. "Besides, your trip with your grandfather is at the end of the week." The cat's face showed heartfelt concern for the ebony-haired miko. "You need to rest up and heal as quickly as possible so your grandfather won't be suspicious. Because of both of those reasons, I'll be scheduling you to go on the latter training mission."
Rei still looked adamant about her position but was forced to back down when Ranma acknowledged Luna's point. "She's right, Rei," he stated, "You'll need to be at your peak to handle the training I have in mind." He smiled at his friend, "Just relax for a bit. Enjoy the time off." The miko sighed, but had to accept it.
"That takes care of the first issue," Luna continued. "My second concern is regarding the others who aren't here," she stated disappointingly. "I've gotten used to Pluto's... attendance, and I'm even against placing Saturn on the battlefield, but the others' willingness to cooperate with us has diminished significantly over the past months."
Artemis nodded sadly in agreement. "With a possible inter-dimensional war beginning, we really need each and every Senshi we can get," he proclaimed as he grew thoughtful. "We need someone to talk to them and see if we can convince them to be more of a presence on the team." He added, "That goes for Ganymede and Callisto as well."
Usa suddenly shot up. "Ganymede and Callisto are awakened now?" she nearly shouted. She received a multitude of nods from the startled girls around her. Usa relaxed slightly. "I guess that makes sense," she considered. The pink-haired girl began giggling in giddiness, "I definitely want to see them!" she declared.
Midori smiled and nodded, "Same here," she laughed, "I'm curious to see how different they are."
"Ahem," Luna cleared her throat. The two future girls immediately ceased their laughing. Luna had a serious look on her face. "I'm sure you'll have a chance to see them. IF we can get them to show up to a battle, let alone a meeting."
"Why don't I go talk to Michiru and Haruka?" Usagi offered. "I feel like maybe I can convince them to join us more." The blonde looked over to her future daughter. "Usa, why don't you join me?" she asked and smiled, "You, Setsuna, and Hotaru have always had a very good relationship."
Usa looked dejected for a slight moment, but quickly nodded to her mother. "Yeah, sure," she said. "I was kinda hoping to go see Ganymede and Callisto, but you're right. Perhaps I should talk to Hotaru and Setsuna."
"As for Ukyo and Konatsu," Akane interjected, "They told Ranma and I that they'd arrive as soon as they could close the shop." She looked down at the table. "It has to be hard for them to be available constantly with them having to run their business." She glanced in her husband's direction and smiled sadly. "Ranma and I will go talk to them. Maybe we can figure something out so that they can help out more often."
Ranma and Luna nodded simultaneously. "That sounds good to me," the black cat said. "That just leaves us with one remaining issue." She looked directly at Midori and Usa. "Where will you two be staying during your presence here?"
Usa and Midori looked at each other, silently contemplating Luna's question. Usa was about to open her mouth when her mother interrupted.
"Uh-uh, no way your brainwashing my family to believe that you're BOTH my cousins," she proclaimed. "One of you is plenty enough, and I don't want you breaking my parent's minds." Midori looked away shyly, while Usa tried her hardest to restrain a chuckle.
"How about Midori stays with us?" Akane offered. Ranma nearly screamed out, "What?", while Midori suddenly began choking on the tea she had just taken a sip of.
Akane looked at Ranma annoyed. "I don't see why it would be an issue," she proclaimed, "We have plenty of space at the house, and your mother already knows about our identities. We won't even have to make up some story for her," Akane said, indicating to Midori with her thumb.
"Maybe not for mom," Ranma replied hastily, "But if any of your family other then Kasumi come over, we'll have to come up with something."
Akane shook her head. "If that does become an issue, we can think of something then," she stated.
With Midori's esophagus now freed from her choking torment, she quickly interjected. "Now, now, really, don't worry about it," she stammered out. "I can find somewhere else to stay."
"Nonsense!" Akane exclaimed. "I insist you stay with us. Mother's been staying with my family at the dojo more and more often these days, so it'll be nice to have another girl in the house."
"It sounds like everything's worked out then," Luna announced before Midori or Ranma could raise any more arguments. "Well then," she said, "I believe we've covered everything that needs mentioning at the current time." The black cat thought carefully, and then looked over to Artemis and Chizuko. The other two advisers both nodded back to Luna.
The moon cat stood up and began her conclusion of the meeting. "Very well, then I suppose that just about covers it all," she announced. She glanced over to Usagi. "Please don't forget to go talk to the Outers, Usagi. The same goes for you two with Ganymede and Callisto," she said, indicating to Akane and Ranma.
Akane and Usa both nodded back to Luna. "Don't worry," Usa cheerily replied, "I'll make sure mom gets there!" Her smile brightened even further at her mother's groan.
"Ranma and I will probably head to Ucchan's on our way back to the dojo tonight," Akane announced. "We're still supposed to be there for dinner." She looked over to Midori. "It looks like we may need to make up a story for you after all," she smiled. "I hope you don't mind being dragged across the city to meet my family." Midori hesitantly shook her head.
Luna smiled and then turned her attention to the pig-tailed martial artist. "Ranma, please don't forget to come up with a detailed schedule for these training journeys," she reminded him. "And also, please make sure you account for Rei being on the latter trip." Ranma skittishly nodded in reply.
"And as for you, young lady," Luna continued, now looking directly at the aforementioned miko, "I'm serious. No more fighting, or exercise of any sort," she commanded, "You need your rest. Enjoy your vacation with your grandfather to its fullest."
Rei looked dejectedly at Luna. "Fine, I get it," she sighed. "I'll just lie in bed bored for the next few days."
"Don't worry, Rei. I'll come visit you every day until you leave on your trip," Minako cheerily said.
Makoto began rising from her seat at the table. "Yeah, I'll bake you something extra delicious in school just to help you get back on the right track," she smiled proudly.
"I'll make sure to stop by your school and collect your missed assignments," Ami happily offered. "In case you don't feel well enough to attend, that is." At this, Rei tried her hardest to put on her best fake smile. She definitely wasn't as excited by Ami's offer as she was with the others', but she didn't want to offend her.
"Don't worry about Usagi," Usa proclaimed. "I'll make sure she stays out of trouble while you're recovering."
The blonde twin-tailed girl huffed up from her daughter's statement. "Come on, brat! Knock it off! I'm more then capable of speaking for myself," she whined. The mother-daughter pair both stuck their tongues out at each other in a raspberry. Rei couldn't help but laugh at their antics.
As everyone packed up their belongings and readied themselves to depart, Luna quickly reminded the group, "Remember, this could be the start of something big. Always be ready and have your communicators active at all times." She received a mumbled ovation of acknowledgment.
With the meeting finally adjourned, everyone said their temporary goodbyes to each other, wished Rei a fast recovery, and departed the shrine, traveling their separate ways. Usagi, Usa, and Diana headed towards the blonde's house to get the two future visitors set up. Minako and Makoto both left together in the direction of their respective domiciles. Luna, Artemis, Chizuko, Ami, and Rei remained at the shrine to wrap up the post-meeting and discuss further plans. The advisers would catch up with their respective partners after they finished, while Ami would head back to her mother's place. Of course, they would make sure that Rei was well taken care of and condemned to bed until her grandfather and Yuuichirou returned. Finally, Ranma, Akane, and a somewhat reluctant Midori went behind the nearby shack on the shrine grounds in order to leave in a less traditional way.
"Ugh, my legs are killing me," Ranma said as he stretched his limbs out. "That meeting was way too long."
Akane knowingly smiled at him. "Agreed, but I guess it was necessary in order for us to discuss everything." She glanced behind her to look at their guest. "So, Midori. I heard you say you knew Ukyo and Konatsu, or at least their Senshi forms," she smiled goofily. "Are you excited to meet them here in the present?"
Midori smiled timidly. "Yeah, I am. They're a load of fun in my time, but Ukyo always tells me how much different she was back in... well, now." She scrunched up her face in confusion at the end of her statement.
"Oh, really?" Akane asked curiously. "Now I'm intrigued." She smiled wryly at Midori.
"Sorry," the future girl chuckled. "I really can't tell you anything about the future. Time laws and all that nonsense." She rolled her eyes at some private thought.
The trio arrived behind the shed. There was no one left at the shrine other than their teammates who stayed behind with Rei, but 'better safe than sorry' was the policy that the Saotome's followed in regards to teleportation.
Akane poked her husband, both verbally and physically. "Alright, taxi-cab," she taunted. "One trip to Nerima please!"
Ranma looked at his wife with very obvious annoyance in his eyes. It was a sight that satisfied Akane. "Yeah, yeah," the pig-tailed boy sighed. "All aboard the Sun express." He pulled out his transformation wand from subspace and, in the most dreary tone he could possibly speak in, called out his transformation phrase.
After the quick trademarked light show, a very bored Sailor Sun held out her gloved hands. "Alright, link up," she stated.
Akane, still very giddy from teasing her husband, quickly grabbed one of the Solar Senshi's hands. She looked over at Midori. "You may want to consider transforming," she offered. "Sun's transport has been known to be one bumpy ride for normal humans."
Midori shook her head and smiled, simultaneously grabbing Sun's other hand. "Nah, I'm actually really used to the Sun Beam Transport," she proclaimed. "It really doesn't bother me anymore, in either form."
Akane raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so Sun still makes a great taxi in the future, eh?" she said teasingly. Sun merely groaned in response.
"Yeah," Midori laughed, "You could say that."
Akane burst out laughing. "Wonderful," she gasped between her laughing fits, "I'm sure she's got quite the phenomenal record of satisfied customers after all those years." The short-haired girl turned to her now female husband. "Alright then, take up to Nerima, Jeeves. Chop chop!"
"Ha. Ha. Ha," Sun said sarcastically, "Now if you're both done, Sun Beam Transport!" she called out, and the trio immediately disappeared in a flash.
Author's Notes:
Almost five whole weeks since the last chapter. I'm so sorry! I really have no good excuse, but I hope this extra-long chapter will appease your burning wrath. Hopefully the next chapter won't have quite so long of a hiatus, there's still such a long way to go. I'll try to get these chapters up as quick as I can, and I apologize in advance if you find yourselves waiting again.
Next chapter, we'll see a glimpse of some of the Senshi's everyday lives, and maybe learn a little more about the mysterious Midori.