Fated Pasts, Chaotic Future

A Ranma ½ and Sailor Senshi crossover Fanfic

Written by: Konsaki

This Fanfic was inspired by and uses source material from 'Lines of Destiny', a dead Fanfic created by Louis-Philippe Giroux.

oOo

Images flashed and streamed... Sounds drifted past in counter explosions... Up became down which became depth... The dreamer fell through the nothingness with feet planted firmly... Light pierced the darkness but the dreamer didn't know if it was to welcome it...

Then, the world broke...

"...Kanma!"

Reacting on pure instinct, Kanma burrowed himself deeper into his pillow to escape the girl's voice while grumbling out in his sleeper's daze, "...away, 'rika... Trying... sleep..."

The other being in the room just watched with anticipation, as she silently counted down in her head. She never reached zero, though, as she watched the form under the covers jerk sitting upright and swivel his head to point directly at her. She could only giggle as his eyes finally focused in and he fully realized the one awakening him, "Rika?!"

"Good morning, big brother", Verika happily replied through her small fit of laughter, caused by the sight of the male with an extremely bad case of bed hair. Her laughter stuttered to a halt, though, to be replaced with a quick flush as she jerked her gaze away a moment later.

As he rose from the bed, feeling the cool stone tile beneath his feet, Kanma couldn't help but quirk his brow in confusion at the swift change in emotions in his sister. Seeing her eyes flicker of their own freewill towards him, but not at his face, he looked downward to be reminded of what he was and wasn't wearing. "Well, what do you expect", Kanma replied in exasperation, shaking his head as he moved towards a nearby chair which he had draped his pants on the night before.

Verika tried to keep her eyes averted while the First Prince of Saturn started dressing himself. "At least you were wearing something...", she muttered out in mild relief, remembering the few times she had woken her brother up without that being true.

"Hey, now", the long haired male called out as he looped his belt, "You're the one who came into my room uninvited, Rika." Shaking his head slightly, Kanma couldn't help but grin as he finished with his pants and moved forward to envelope his younger sister in a hug, "By the Rings, it's been too long, Rika! It's good to see you!"

"And you too", Verika agreed as she actively participated in the embrace, feeling the strength of her brother's arms around her for the first time in months. "It feels good to be back, if only for a little while..."

They stayed that way for a second before Kanma released his sister to move over to grab a shirt that was draped over his desk chair. "You must have just gotten here, since I told Dain to let me know if you showed up", he mused as he stuffed his arms through the sleeves and tied the front closed in its overlapping style.

Nodding, the shorter of the two siblings replied, "We just arrived not long ago." As almost an afterthought, she added, "Oh, and don't get mad at Dain. He was ill and sent to the healer... at least that's what Sover told me when I asked where he was."

"Ah...", Kanma answered as he slid his boots on, stuffing his tan pants legs into the dark burned brown leather. "I'll have to see how he's doing later." Giving them one last quick tap on the stone flooring, the prince stood up while adjusting nonexistent cuffs on his shirt and giving a loud sniff that matched his following faux aristocratic voice, "Well then, Princess Verika, Honored Senshi of Saturn, to what do we owe the great honor of your visit?"

Trying to stifle a giggle at her brother's antics, and failing, Verika curtsied after a moment. "Merely a routine report, Prince Kanma, First Knight of Saturn", she replied in a matching tone, playing in on the usual joke on the noble courtiers. The faux serious air the two were portraying crashed only seconds later, the siblings falling into chuckling laughter which echoed off the interior walls of Kanma's room.

"So, you need to see Mom and Dad, then", Kanma figured as he moved towards the door. Seeing his sister's nod, he asked as he opened the portal, "Mind if I walk you there?"

Smiling widely, the young princess stepped out as she responded, "Do you even need to ask? Of course I would like that."

Chuckling, Kanma stepped out after her. "Yes, I guess it was a foolish question", he admitted as they started their trek. "So, was it just another bout of training with Pluto this past quarter or did anything interesting happen?"

Instead of hearing the expected answer to his question, Kanma noticed his sister tightening her steps and tensing silently. Concerned, he inquired, "What's wrong, 'Rika?"

The violet haired girl seemed to steel herself with a slightly shaky breath, even as she slowed her pace. Kanma waited patiently as the seconds passed, ignoring the random servant who wandered by in the hallway in favor for the reaction Verika was exhibiting. He was rewarded, eventually, when she finally started with, "There was a plague that broke out on Nereid…"

When she went silent, the dark haired male asked, "That's Neptune's moon with the rare mineral mining colony, right?"

"It was", Verika confirmed with a morose voice before she stalled under the emotional undercurrent. "I rushed over when I found out", she started back up once more, her voice cracking even as her sight started to blur, "but… but I couldn't do anything!"

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders in an effort to comfort, the first prince stated solemnly, "I'm sorry… you can't save everyone, though…"

"That's not it", she exclaimed in response, "I never even got the chance to try and heal them!" Pulling back slightly, Verika stared up with her dark eyes into Kanma's brown, "When I ported onto Nereid, they denied my help and sent me away!" Gaining a hurt look, she whispered out, "They said they would rather take their chances fighting off the plague than deal with the 'Senshi of Death and Destruction'…"

Taking a deep breath, Kanma placed a hand atop his sister's head while continuing to look into her eyes. "They were fools", he stated solidly, though with sorrow for the loss in the background. Nodding to himself minutely, he assured his sister, "It's not your fault, 'Rika."

"I know", she replied as she wiped at her eyes, pushing back from her brother to stand on her own. "I just wish people would look beyond that… Like you and Goku...", Verika intoned, gaining a slightly more positive lilt at the end.

"Oh, so he managed to show up again", the taller of the two inquired with a more noticeable change in tone, thankful for the chance to change the subject to one a little more upbeat.

Caught with the slip, Verika felt her cheeks heat slightly even as Kanma shook his head ruefully with a grin on his lips. Really, that's all he could do when he thought about the slight crush his sister had on the young Jovian boy who had a most unusual magical talent; the ability to self teleport around the Sol system. The boy had the powers to easily perform the feat but sorely lacked the control needed to direct the powers he innately wielded; giving Goku the ability but making it almost completely random.

After a chance encounter involving the Jovian youth porting into the Saturn Royal Castle, Kanma and the court mages investigated the issue the boy had. As much as they could, they tried to teach the un-ranked mage some control techniques required for safe teleportation. Of course, they only got so far before he disappeared once more, but after that first encounter, he just kept showing up. More than half of those were attributed to purely accidental occurrences though.

Kanma found the boy to be interesting on the fact that the youth, who couldn't perform any other feats of magic, seemed to perform a near perfect teleportation, if random in destination. Mages of the first circle and the Senshi could perform the same feat, having had years of experience in magic or planetary wells of mana behind them, but Goku had neither. What made the entire thing more interesting to the Saturnian Mages was the fact that none of them could identify exactly how he performed the feat, even though it seemed that the focusing techniques used by mages helped at least somewhat.

Seeing his sister's blushing face and embarrassed body language, Kanma nudged her in the shoulder while grinning slightly, "So, you're boyfriend port in on purpose or accidently?"

"He's not my boyfriend", the shorter royal almost yelled back in a scandalized voice, drawing the attention of the few guards other personnel walking the hallway they had just turned down. Seeing the faces turned towards her, the flush on her cheeks grew hotter as Verika declared, "He's just a friend and it was completely accidental!"

"Okay, okay", her brother said in response, holding his hands up in a defensive gesture, "So, he's just a friend, got it."

Eyeing her brother, and noting that he still held a grin, Verika dropped her voice back to normal levels as she continued, "Anyways, his last visit was accidental…" Looking thoughtful for a moment, she corrected her statement slightly, "Or at least where he teleported in was."

Watching with interest, Kanma heard Verika giggle a bit before explaining, "One night, I heard two screams from the baths, which was odd since it was just Pluto and myself there. I was still transformed and ran there to find Pluto chasing Goku out of the baths, him yelling out apologies as fast as he could while dodging Pluto's staff." Shaking her head ruefully while smiling, she noted, "She might have accepted it a bit better if he wasn't sporting a nosebleed. Of course, she forgave him eventually."

"You have to be kidding me", Kanma replied with a disbelieving shake of his head, "He actually walked in on Pluto bathing? And survived?"

"He didn't mean to", the princess replied with a slight heave, "though she did give him a good tongue lashing afterwards and threatened to do something… unpleasant if it ever happened again."

"I can guess", her brother responded, thinking about what the Plutonian princess might consider 'unpleasant'. He then blinked for a moment before asking, "Wait a second, he surprised her? I thought that was impossible…"

"Don't tell anyone", Verika started to reply conspiratorially, leaning in towards her brother, "but she just wants people to think that. She's human, just like you and I." Smiling slightly in a moment of silence, she moved back to a normal pace in her step before saying, "But enough of that, Pluto wouldn't be happy with me if she heard I was telling anyone about that. How have things been here at home?"

"Things haven't really changed since the last time you were here, sister", Kanma replied with a wave of his hand. "There's training with the other warmages, but I mainly work on my projects", he clarified; to which Verika nodded, knowing how Kanma worked in his forge in his free time. She quirked her brow, though, as he let out a sigh and continued, "And Mother has been stepping up her efforts to marry me off…"

"Well, you are getting older", Verika replied with a sly grin.

Frowning down at his sister, Kanma flatly replied, "I'm nineteen, 'Rika… and you're only two years younger."

"Fine, then", the girl shrugged off, "but I still don't know why you haven't found someone yet."

Snorting in annoyance, he waved off into the distance while saying, "It's all the girls she keeps choosing! They're either a stuck up noble or so timid that they'd faint if I so much as frowned at them." Shaking his head, he asked rhetorically, "Is it too much to ask that she leave it alone or at least find a girl who's normal?"

"It can't be that bad", Verika countered half heartedly.

"I've had to… court five different girls in the past month", he evenly replied.

"Oh", was the princess' only response for a moment, until she coughed slightly into her hand and asked, "Well, how have you made anything interesting lately? You were talking about something in the last letter you sent, but I can't remember…"

"Oh, those", he exclaimed slightly, quickly identifying what his sister was talking about, "Yes, I finished those two staves just a few weeks ago. I'm really proud of them, actually. It took me a month on each to complete."

"A month for each staff", Verika questioned in sight disbelief, "Why did it take so long?"

"They were a special request and the mechanics involved with the enchanting were extremely tricky", he explained. "In fact, I was planning on taking a trip to Terra to make sure they are working properly."

"And escaping Mother has nothing to do with it", the shorter of the two siblings intoned with a knowing smile.

"Of course", Kanma replied as if agreeing with someone who said Sol was hot.

"So, who was the last one that mother tried to pair you with?"

Shaking his head while looking skyward, Kanma let out an exasperated sigh. "The last one was actually Father's doing. I think they're both getting desperate, or at least he's tiring of Mother's efforts and just wants to have it done and over with", he clarified.

"And she was…", Verika prodded, knowing Kanma was going to try and edge out of answering her question.

It still took a few seconds before he evenly stated, "Lady Ayellin from Neptune."

Silence held between the two siblings for more than a few steps before the young Senshi of Saturn scrunched her eyebrows, "Wasn't she the one who…"

"Yes", Kanma replied, cutting his sister off while still keeping the flat tone.

"Oh… Well, better you than me, I guess", she admitted with a shrug a moment later.

"I'm glad you care so much…", the dark haired male returned wryly to her responding grin as they arrived at the doors to the Royal Audience Hall.

The Senshi of Saturn's features turned slightly more downtrodden; exhaling a sigh before transforming into her Senshi uniform with a burst of light and color. Following that, she pulled the Silence Glaive out of its dimensional pocket while puting up a weak smile, "Time to give my report… then it's back out-system…"

"Why are you leaving so soon? I thought you would at least stay a few days", Kanma questioned in confusion.

"A meeting with Setsuna which cannot wait", Saturn replied with a roll of her eyes. "Sometimes I wish she would be a little more flexible." Giving a shake of her head, she surrendered, "There isn't much I can do about it, though, and she usually has a reason for it. But let's just get this over with…"

Kanma just nodded as he placed his hand on the door and willed it inward, the innate magic in them heeding his wants to swing silently open. When the portal had fully opened, both brother and sister made their way inside, the doorway silently closing behind them. Seeing as this was the room used for private audiences, the two royals did not have to go very far before coming up to the slightly raised dais which held their parents in the customary thrones.

Their father, King Koruan, sat ever stoically to the right of his wife, Queen Luania. The queen was less than stoic as she looked down on her son and one of her daughters. "Prince Kanma, couldn't you dress in something more befitting your station? It isn't becoming to dress in those ragged leathers like that…", she asked with a frown, as only a royal mother could.

Kanma looked down at his clothing and sighed, deciding to forgo the usual discussion on his choice of clothing. He admitted, if only in his mind, that his work cloths he used in the forge weren't befitting for a royal audience, even if the royalty were your own parents. Nodding in acceptance, he flashed a hand through a quick set of gestures before speaking out, his voice low in volume but resonating out with power, "Mjollnir, to me!"

Only a moment later, a warhamer seemed to materialize out of thin air to hang before the prince. Grasping the weapon firmly in hand, he rapped the base of the handle on the stone tile floor. In that split second, the work cloths he wore morphed and rolled across his form to turn into his warmage armor. A dark-violet breastplate with golden etching provided a regal look yet one of powerful function; matching greaves and vambraces covering his shins and forearms with a flowing cape of matching color on his back completing the look.

King Koruan disregarded the questioning look and following nod of approval between his son and wife, choosing instead to focus in on the youngest of his daughters; the Senshi of Saturn. "Welcome back, Sailor Saturn", he intoned in a regal voice, nodding towards the violet haired youth. "We would hear of your report now."

"Yes, my liege", Saturn responded with a slight bow. "In the past three months, Sailor Pluto and I responded to twenty-three different events ranging from..."

oOo

"So... another 'Thank you for the report. You are dismissed'", Kanma growled out with more than a bit of ire. "Sometimes I just can't believe our parents. Can't they just treat you like you're their daughter, at least while you're here?"

Letting out a soft sigh, Saturn just shook her head at her brother's complaint, "Don't make such a fuss about it, Kanma. I've grown used to it..."

"You shouldn't have to", the older of the two muttered out before placing a hand on her shoulder, "Well, you'll never have to worry about that from me, little sis. I still see you as the same annoying crybaby you always were."

The violet haired girl lightly jabbed her brother in the ribs with an elbow in response, not quite removing the grin on his face. She also couldn't hide her own grin as she replied vocally, "And you'll always be an arrogant jerk, but I wouldn't want it any other way."

Kanma just let out a chuckling laugh as he ruffled his sister's hair in a brotherly gesture, while having her squirm out of his reach to try and put it back into place. The rest of the trek to the gateway chamber was filled with more of the same sibling antics, as they both tried to make up for lost time, along with general conversation. All too soon, though, they arrived to their destination, two portal mages of the first circle standing ready to perform their appointed duty.

"Well, I guess this is it", Kanma noted with a hint of melancholy in his voice. "I'll keep writing to you... You are receiving them, right?"

"Yes, I am", the Senshi responded with a small smile, "It's one of the few things I have to look forward to."

"Good", the Crown Prince muttered before they fell into a moment of silence. A moment later, he moved over to envelope the shorter female in a tight hug, "By the Rings... I'm going to miss you, 'Rika!"

"I will miss you as well", she responded back, joining in the hug, ignoring the two mages who were in turn professionally ignoring the two royal youths. After a few seconds, she pushed back to rub at her eyes, "I'll be back when I can."

Kanma could only nod silently as she moved away from him to stand before the inactive gateway. With nary a word or gesture, the two mages performed the spell which energized the portal, causing it to fill in with a bright deep blue miasma. Sparing only a moment to look into the swirling energy, the youngest princess of Saturn stepped through, never hearing her brother whisper, "Be safe, 'Rika..."

Without a sound, the portal closed with the will of the two mages, removing all trace that it was ever open there save for the lingering magic hanging in the air, though even that was quickly dissipating. Knowing the mechanics behind powering the gateway, though not having enough power to do so himself; Kanma leaned against one of the walls as he silently let the two mages recover their strength. After more than enough time had passed, his voice broke the two mages out of the idle chatter they were engaged in, "Could I bother you to open a portal to Earth?"

"Yes, please do that", an easily recognizable female voice added, to which the two mages snapped to sharp attention.

Turning his head, Kanma saw his mother at the entryway to the chamber, though she wasn't dressed in her fine regal clothing that he saw her in during his sister's report. No, Queen Luania was dressed in one of the formal dresses she usually wore when traveling to another's royal domain. Scrunching his brow slightly, the prince asked his mother, "What is this about, Mother?"

"Oh, nothing much, my son", Luania responded with a slightly dismissive wave. "I am just meeting with King Endymion and Queen Layla to discuss a few diplomatic issues that have come up recently." Nodding to herself, she continued by commenting, "I find it a pleasant occasion that you would be able to accompany me."

The Prince might not have known exactly what his mother was up to, but he knew two things; he didn't like the glimmer he saw in her eye and he 'knew' that her last statement was nothing more than a veiled command. "Of course, Mother", he answered with a slight bow, moving away from the wall to stand before the portal as the mages started reaching the end of their spell.

oOo

Feeling the magic wash over him as he stepped through the portal, Prince Kanma of Saturn blinked a few times, not due to the magic but because of the shift in lighting. Taking a few paces forward, unconsciously following his mother's steps, he couldn't help but note the differences in the Terran Palace's architecture compared to his own royal abode. Before he got too far into his examinations, Luania's voice called out, "Come, my son, you should at least greet the King and Queen while you are here. After that, you may pursue whatever it was you had planned."

"I will, Mother, but I need to see something first", he stated, looking into her eyes. "It will only take a moment..."

After a second to scrutinize her son, Luania nodded in acceptance with a small smile, "It is good you wish to explore, but do not tarry, my son. I will be speaking with the King and Queen in the meanwhile."

"Yes, Mother", the First Prince responded, bowing respectfully before breaking away down a hallway at random. He let out a relieved breath when his mother started off in another direction from the way he was going. 'Wow, it's been a while since I walked these hallways', he thought to himself as he recognized an intersection and turned down the desired path. 'I wonder what Mother is up to... I'm sure she has something planned, but what it might be', he pondered as he moved along at a good pace.

Soon enough, his ponderings were thrown away as he stopped before an entire wall of clear glass to look at the scene outside. "Amazing...", he unconsciously let out in awe as he observed the bright blue skies which shown clearly through the barrier. Comparing the azure sky to his home planet's dim purplish glow, Kanma was stunned. Of course, the differences didn't stop there; the vegetation being more lush and bountiful in the fertile soils of the Sol system's home world.

Through his entire life, he had seen pictures, paintings and videos of Terra. Kanma had even visited in person twice before and, same as then, he found himself stunned at the amazing contrast of the greens of the trees and plants which contrasted beautifully with the crystal spires of the Atlantian spires which rose out of the ground. Flicking his eyes from one spire to the other, he blinked as he noticed Terra's moon hanging clearly in the sky, even though it was only drawing towards midday on the planet.

'A lot has changed here', he mused as he noted the changes to the garden outside; both to the vegetation and sculptures. Shaking his head ruefully, he chided himself, "Of course things have changed... It's been almost five years since I was last here."

'Five years...', he repeated mentally, taking a breath as memories surfaced of his last time on Terra. He and his mother were visiting the Terran royal family and to Kanma, it was almost as if meeting Prince Endymion and Princess Akana for the first time. The first time had been when he was only six years old and only for a few hours, which didn't lend well to remembering the Terran children clearly. At fourteen though, Kanma was more than able to remember the two youths, as well as their parents, though that experience was also only a few hours long.

Before he could dive too deeply into his own memories a crystalline chiming tolled the hour, bringing the Saturnian prince back to the real world. "Well", the dark haired male sighed, "Guess I should get this over with..."

With that, he started walking the halls, pondering on his way to the Terran throne room. It didn't take him too long to find or reach his destination, the royal guards standing outside the overly large doorway being a clear indication. It was easily seen that the guards were expecting him too, silently swinging open the well maintained doors without preamble. Of course, the silently opening doors only seemed to amplify a young woman's indignant cry of, "What!?"

'Please don't be what I think this is', Kanma mentally pleaded as he stepped into the large hall with a slight frown on his lips. Almost immediately, he noticed the small gathering ahead, his mother easily seen standing near the seated King and Queen of Terra. His gaze didn't linger long on the three adults at the fore, instead it was drawn towards the obviously agitated Senshi who was flanked by a male in dark armor on one side and an older woman who shared the younger's red hair, if only to a darker shading.

Identifying the figure in armor to be Endymion, Kanma quickly recognized the Senshi next to him as his sister, Akana. Blinking in shock, the Saturnian prince could only think in wonder, 'Wow... she's grown up since I last saw her...' Almost immediately, realizing exactly where his eyes were realizing how Akana had grown, he mentally slapped himself, 'Eye's above the neck, idiot! Keep at least some formal decorum!'

The events playing out continued on, the King's voice rolling out in a deep commanding tone, "This is not debatable, Sailor Terra. It has already been decided upon."

Endymion followed his father's words by placing a hand on his sister's shoulder while lowly saying, "It isn't as horrible as you make it out to be, sister. Princess Serenity and I..."

"Knew each other long before the decision was made for you", Terra interrupted in a clearly annoyed manner. "I don't even get the same courtesy!"

"Terra! You are a Senshi", the woman beside her broke in, her displeasure palatable, "remember to act like one; especially during a royal audience!"

Wincing at the chastisement, Terra responded in a slightly meeker voice, "Understood, Aunt Freya."

Relating easily to how the Terran princess was feeling, Kanma let out a minute breath just before the sound of his mother's voice called out t him, "Ah, my son, you have finally arrived. I trust you have finished your sightseeing?"

"Yes, Mother", he replied back with a nod, closing the distance towards the gathered royalty. Coming to a halt at a respectable distance from all involved, Kanma bowed respectably towards the planet's ruler, "Greetings, King Endymion, Queen Layla. I, Prince Kanma, First Knight and Warmage of Saturn, am at your service."

"Greetings to you as well, Prince Kanma", King Endymion intoned back, following standard court protocol though his voice showed true interest, "Queen Luania has informed me that you plan on visiting King Saffron's kingdom during your time on Planet Terra."

Flicking his gaze over toward his mother for a moment, Kanma wondered how much she had been spying in on his activities, "That is correct, sir. I plan on checking on how a pair of staves I created, at his request, are operating. Why do you ask?"

"I am in need of a diplomatic mission to ensure King Saffron's aid in culling the demon and youma threat, should it rise to that point", the aging king responded. "Since you are headed there in your own business, I was hoping that, as the First Knight of Saturn, you would escort my envoy for safe travel."

"I would be honored to assist", the young prince responded, knowing there was some intrigue going on but still wondering exactly what it might be. "Just inform me of where the diplomat is and we will prepare for departure."

Waving his hand dismissively, King Endymion stated, "There is no need for that, young prince, for she is already here." Hearing that, Kanma could only blink before the final piece of the puzzle was set in place, "I wish for you to accompany my daughter, Sailor Terra, as she completes the diplomatic mission in my stead."

Before he even had a chance to respond, Sailor Terra's voice broke out once more, "Father, I do not need an escort for such a journey! I have already proven myself capable of performing that trip many times over and that was before I gained Senshi status!"

Furrowing his brow, Kanma looked over to the agitated princess in the Senshi uniform. He could easily empathize with the female, having finally put together the fact that his mother and her own parents were trying to make them 'get to know one another', but the hostility still tweaked something inside him. Kanma chose to take the better part of valor and stayed silent while the Terran princess was vocally disciplined by her father, "As I already have said, I have decided on the matter and Prince Kanma here has accepted. The matter is closed; do you understand me, Akana?"

"Yes, father", the young woman growled out, her continuing displeasure apparent. Sending a glare that scanned from her father around to her brother, she hissed, "I hope you have fun at the ball, brother." Not bothering to wait for a reply, she stalked towards the doors to the audience hall, opening them with a wave of her hand while calling back to the visiting prince, "I will be in the portal chambers. Don't keep me waiting."

After the fuku clad female left the chambers, King Endymion gave a slight sigh, "My apologies for my daughter's rebellious attitude. She is upset for the fact that she wished to attend Princess Serenity's ball tonight, but as Prince Endymion must attend as her betrothed, I am unable to send him to Mount Phoenix as I normally would."

"I take no offense, your majesty", Prince Kanma lied. Of course he took offense, but only mild annoyance from the princess, who he could relate to. No, he took offense from his mother's meddling in his personal life, though he couldn't show it due to proper protocol that needed to followed. The most he could do was hastening his departure, "Now, by your leave, we shall depart to Mount Phoenix." With a nod from the King, the Saturnian prince bowed and exited the audience chambers, debating in his mind just how this trip was going to go.

oOo

"Ah, you're here", Sailor Terra noted as Prince Kanma stepped through the doorway to the portal room. With a wave of her hand, the two Terran portal mages started up their incantations in the background even as she continued, "Have you been to Mount Phoenix before?"

"No, actually", the dark haired male responded, wary of just what mood the princess might be in. "What about yourself?"

Stepping up to the portal gate as it flashed online, Terra echoed, "This will be my first time as well", just before stepping through. Kanma just shook his head as he followed her, only a few steps behind.

The next instant, he was stepping out onto fallow ground in the middle of a small clearing. Taking a quick glance around, he noticed Terra standing nearby even as the portal behind him faded into nothingness. Before he could say anything, Terra's voice spoke out, "In case you were wondering, our treaty with the Phoenix Kingdom prohibits teleporting directly into Mount Phoenix. We'll have to walk the rest of the way there on foot."

"Ah", Kanma simply replied while he kept surveying the area around him. A moment later, he locked onto something in the distance and nodded while saying, "Well, at least we can see which direction we need to go in." Pointing towards one of the mountains in the vast range, he stated, "There is Mount Phoenix. Should be a half hours walk at most."

Raising an eyebrow, Terra asked, "I thought you said you've never been here before."

"I haven't", Kanma agreed with a slight grin, "but I've examined Mount Phoenix in maps and blueprints enough to identify it easily. I had to if I was to complete the contract for the staves I made for them."

"Staves", Terra questioned as she started walking towards the destination, Kanma in tow, "So you're a weaponsmith then?"

"Not quite... I prefer to think of myself a blacksmith who creates magical items", he responded with a wave of his hand. "I could make weapons, but I don't really... feel the process if that's all I make." Hopping over a small downed tree Kanma continued on easily, "I usually make accessories... you know, pendants, rings and the like. Then imbue them with some form of magic or another." There was a slight change of tone as he stated, "Of course, there is one weapon I'd like to get my hands on, purely to analyze it, but it's never going to happen."

"Oh? And what might that be", Terra asked as she strolled along, weaving through the few vines hanging from the trees.

"My sister's Silence Glaive."

Those words gave Terra pause, as she turned her gaze towards the armored figure trekking with her. A moment later she started up her pace once more, saying, "Oh yeah... Saturn would be your sister."

"Yes, she is", Kanma responded in a guarded tone, "Do you have a problem with that?"

The red haired Senshi frowned at the tone, "No, I don't. I haven't had any reason to, since she never comes to Princess Serenity's balls and since she's one of the Outer Guard, we've never trained together. Why, should I?"

"No, you shouldn't, but... nevermind. It's not important", the armored prince responded with a shake of his head. "Speaking of Princess Serenity's ball, I'm sorry you had to miss it because of this."

"Don't worry about it", she replied dismissively, "I don't really like going to the balls. It's usually just a lot of gossip and brown nosing."

"Really", Kanma asked in disbelief, "You sure seemed angry about it back at the palace."

"Oh, that", she said with distaste. Flipping her hand slightly, Terra explained, "I was angrier about the fact that Father made me do this more than anything. In all truth, I would like to go to the ball, if just to meet with Serenity and Lita."

"Lita", the male questioned, not being familiar with the name.

"Sailor Jupiter", the transformed Akane responded before letting silence over take them. The sound of wildlife permeated the area, flowing over the pair up until a few minutes later, when she started up with a question, "You do know why my father asked you to escort me, right?"

"Probably another 'get to know the girl' schemes", Kanma replied with a hint of bitterness. "No offense, but you're the sixth girl in almost two months that my mother has tried to set me up with."

"So you don't know...", Terra lowly muttered back.

Hearing that, the crown prince of Saturn quirked his brow in confusion, "What do you mean? This is a classic set up that my mother tries to pull."

"They aren't trying to 'set us up'", the fuku clad redhead dispassionately replied as they cleared the last of the treeline and saw the entrance to Mount Phoenix closing quickly.

"So why did I hear you yell when I was walking in", Kanma asked, intrigued at how he might have incorrectly interpreted the situation.

"I yelled because they had just told me that you were my Fiancé..."

Once those words hit the air, two different things happened to the pair; Kanma jerked to a dead halt, while Terra increased her pace to a quick jog, burning up the distance between her and the gates to their shared destination. It took a few moments before his brain kicked over, causing him to blink while muttering, "Fiancé?" Then, he saw the quickly retreating form of the girl he was supposed to be escorting, causing him to repeat the word again, only louder as he himself broke into a run to catch up, "Fiancé!?"

By the time he reached the young woman, she had already notified the guards at the entranceway of who they were and what business they had, starting the process of gaining access. Stopping next to her and taking a breath, he demanded, "What did you mean by that?"

Giving him an annoyed look, Terra answered back with a little ire, "Exactly what it sounded like. Your mother and my father set us up to be married. I'm not too happy about it, either."

"Nor am I", Kanma agreed quickly, before amending with, "Nothing against you, I'm just not looking to have a girl in my life right now."

"Don't worry about it", Terra replied back dismissively just as the gates opened up, giving admittance to the royal pair.

oOo

Soon after entering the phoenix stronghold, the two of them shied away from further conversation in favor of examining the construction while being led by one of the guards. Eventually, after transversing through many confusing passageways, they arrived at the Phoenix's royal audience hall. Kanma was growing tired of finding himself in said halls, as this was the third one he had entered this day, but all thoughts of such were washed away when he laid eyes on the ruler of the Phoenix kingdom.

There, in a royal throne of rare metals atop a raised dais, sat King Saffron; a amalgamation of human and avian qualities topped off with a liberal dosage of flame. With a regal air, akin to his father's and King Endymion, though different just the same, he addressed the two visiting humans, "Ah, an Atlantian Princess Senshi along with a Saturnian Prince Knight. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"King Saffron", Sailor Terra started to answer with a bow, "I bring greetings from my father, King Endymion. I was sent here this day to discuss the arms alliance due to the increased frequency of demon and youma incursions."

Narrowing his eyes slightly, looking as a hawk might to a mouse, he answered slowly, "Hmm... directly to the point... I am pleased by that." Nodding in approval the avian of fire stated, "We will discuss this today", before looking at the knight at her side a moment later. "And what of you", he inquired, "I belived our business concluded at delivery." Quirking a brow he finished with, "Surely you did not come here on Atlantian business..."

"No, King Saffron", Prince Kanma responded with his own bow, "I am here to see if you have had any problems with the Kinjakan or Gekkaja. As their creator, I have a stake in knowing they are operating properly."

"Hmm", the phoenix lord replied with a nod, "To my knowledge, we haven't had any issues with your creations. Indeed, they seem to be very finely made; hence why we contact you, as you have a certain... gift." Cocking his head slightly to the side in thought, "If you wish, you are welcome to inspect your work while the princess and I discuss the terms of this alliance."

Giving a deep bow, Kanma told the ruler of this realm, "I am honored by your words, King Saffron, and thank you for your offer. I believe I will take you up on it, by your leave." Seeing the easy nod from the Avian King, the male turned towards the doorway even as he heard the Atlantian Princess... his betrothed apparently, starting up the planned discussion.

'I'm going to give my mother half my mind when we return', he decided as he let out a sigh with a hand placed to his forehead. The guard who opened the door for Kanma and led him towards the twin staves professionally disregarded the ponderings of the visiting royal. Thankfully, it was only a short route until they reached the chamber that the magical staves were set out in.

Stepping up to the table with held the two completely oppositely aligned weapons, Kanma could only look proudly on his work. It had taken almost two weeks to craft just one staff and then another two to enchant it with its elemental properties. Add to that, that the enchanting required two additional mages, both of First Circle rank, to complete made these staves completely original to any of his other works and almost any other as well.

"And all this just to keep the mountain at a comfortable temperature...", Kanma muttered out as he gazed at the fire-red Kinjakan and ice-blue Gekkaja.

"A kingdom operates better when comfortable, does it not", a familiar voice commented behind the smith, causing the human to turn towards it.

Smiling at the sight, Kanma exclaimed, "Soy! It's good to see you! How have you been?"

Standing the same height as the human, Soy was still considered small by Phoenix standards. He made up for his physical deficiency, though, by focusing his proficiencies on the intellectual side. In fact, even lacking the ability to use magic himself, Soy was instrumental in developing the theories used in the Kinjakan and Gekkaja. Even so, he still stoically kept a humble keel, offering a small bow while replying, "I have been well, Prince Kanma. I do wonder what brings you here, though."

"Drop the titles, Soy. I don't feel right when you use them, being a fellow inventor", Kanma replied with a wry shake of his head. Following that, he gestured towards the staves on the table, "Really, I'm here to check on these two and make sure they aren't causing any problems."

With a knowing grin, Soy crossed his arms and stated, "I find that hard to be the only reason, but to answer your question, they have been working exactly as intended. In fact, our power gain readings are going exactly as the equations factored." Cocking his head slightly, while gesturing towards the human before him, Soy stated, "Now, why don't you tell me why you're really here, Kanma, and I know it isn't to see me either."

Rolling his eyes skyward with a sigh, Kanma replied, "Alright, fine. I'm just trying to get out from under my mother and her 'plans' for me." Kanma could only shake his head at his avian friend's antics. Ever since Soy found out about the situations Queen Launia kept putting her son into, he took it upon himself to inquire about the latest girl and outcome any time they talked over the communication grid.

Smiling widely, Soy tapped his temple with a finger, "So you escape your mother but show up with a Senshi in tow; at least that's the going rumor around the mountain." Rising his brow, he inquired, "So, which one is she, Kanma?"

Letting out a defeated sigh, the human prince replied, "Sailor Terra."

"Ah, the Atlantian Senshi", the avian muttered with a nod of his head, "I don't think she's ever been here before..."

"She hasn't", Kanma agreed, "Her brother has though."

"Ah, that's right, Prince Endymion, correct", Soy solicited, to receive a nod in reply. "So... I hear that all the Senshi are beautiful, at least by human standards. Is that true?"

"Soy... don't try to disguise your inquisition, you've never been good at it", the armor clad human responded with another roll of his eyes.

"All right, all right", the grey clothed avian gave back, raising his hands in a defensive gesture. His position didn't last that long, as he went back to his knowing grin while saying, "But you're not getting out of answering the question."

With a shake of his head, Kanma answered, "Fine, Soy. Yes, she's beautiful and before you even ask; yes, she's the latest scheme my mother has cooked up. It might just be the last, too."

"Oh, how so", the avian asked with a quirked brow and baited breath.

"It seems, though Mother decided not to tell me yet, that we have been betrothed to one another by our parents", Kanma replied in a defeated tone.

Placing his talon-tipped hand on the young prince's shoulder, Soy stated, "You say that like it's the end of the world."

"It's not, I know", Kanma agreed, "I'm probably being childish about it all, but she's been trying to match me up with some noble girl or another for years. I've told you enough about it, Soy."

"That you have", the avian granted with a nod. "But just think of it this way, she can do so no longer."

"That's one way to look at it, my friend", Kanma replied with a chuckle. "Oh well, I guess I'll figure it out soon enough", he admitted with a wry shake of his head. "Anyways, while I'm here, let's go test out the current power level of the staves", he stated, picking up the Gekkaja off the table.

"That sounds good to me", Soy said back with a nod, picking up the opposing staff from the table and heading towards the exit to the room. "We have a special room built just for this purpose", he informed the visiting prince, urging him to follow with a wave of his hand.

oOo

An indeterminate amount of time passed, the two intellectually bent males concentrating more on their discussion on power gain theory than the flow of the sand. It wasn't until the magical alarm on the door chimed out that the pair looked up from the latest readings they had just gained.

Looking towards the disturbance, Soy locked himself straight only to bow hastily, "Lord Saffron! How may I serve?"

"Be at ease, Loyal Soy", the great bird king replied back patting the air with a hand. "I am merely here to inform the visiting Prince Kanma that the alliance discussions are completed and to inquire about his findings on the staves as their creator."

"From what I can see, King Saffron, the staves are performing just as expected", said prince related, gesturing towards the blue staff in his hand, "Used properly; they should continue gaining strength until peaking out sometime in the far future." Giving his head a quick shake, he lamented, "Though I would like to examine them at such a time, I will be long dead by then."

"Such is the way of mortal life", Saffron sagely stated, reminding the visiting human of his immortal like status in the same words.

"Hmm... that's true", Kanma responded while holding the staff out towards Soy, who held its companion. "On that note, though, I believe I should head out, then. I don't think Akana would be very pleased if I made her wait for me."

"Oh, Akana is it", Soy inquired with a grin in his voice as he joked said, "You're moving quickly there calling Sailor Terra by her real name, Prince Kanma."

"Get off it, Soy", the visiting human came back with a roll of his eyes. "Though it might not have been my choice, at least I am engaged to wed. Last I heard, you were still looking around, yourself, fearing that you would never find a mate."

Hearing that, Soy's grin burst wide, nearly splitting his face as he pointed to a small chain around his neck, "Ah, but that is no longer the case! I have been bonded with my mate since just after our last conversation when the staves were delivered."

Blinking as he looked from the small chain of precious metals to the one wearing it, Kanma burst out, "Why didn't you tell me, Soy!? Congratulations, my friend!" He impacted his statement by patting the avian on the shoulder, just as an amused chuckle caused both to look in the originating direction.

"Lord Saffron! My apologies", Soy cried out, ashamed for his antics before his liege.

"Think nothing of it", Saffron deferred with a talon tipped hand and a smile, "Your byplay amuses me, though I do agree that the prince shouldn't keep the princess waiting too much longer." Nodding at his own words, he added in, "But, let me thank you one last time for your assistance, Prince Kanma. If you ever are in need of a favor, feel free to ask. The Phoenix will assist in any way possible... you have my word on that."

Waving off the required, even if heartfelt, words of honor that were on the younger royal's lips, the avian king continued on, "But enough of this. I do believe you have a more pressing encounter to attend to."

With that said, farewells were shared between the human and two avian, before the Saturnian prince exited the chamber to quickly make his way towards the entrance of the mountain colony where Sailor Terra awaited.

oOo

Stepping out into the direct sunlight once more, Kanma winced and put a hand up to shield himself from the afternoon sun. Once his eyes adjusted themselves, gave a quick look around before finding his target sitting on a weathered stone nearby in the sunlight.

Walking over towards the Senshi, Kanma gave out a casual, "Hey... I hope you haven't waited long."

Looking over her shoulder at the approaching male, Terra shrugged, "I've been waiting for a little while... but since I like sitting in the sun; I'll let it slide, this time."

Kanma just let out an amused snort, while she stood up and brushed off the back of her blue and yellow skirt. Seeing the motion, his eyes were directed to that spot. 'That thing doesn't cover much, does it', he mused as he watched.

He was started out of his thoughts a moment later, when an annoyed Terra asked, "Are you going to stare at my rear all day or are we going to get moving?"

Flushing in embarrassment, and needing to shake his head to clear the mental image, the elder teen apologized quickly, "Er... Sorry about that..." Gathering his composure, he nodded a second later, "Yes, I'm ready to go."

"Good", Terra responded with her own nod before pointing off into the distance, "Han Shu is in that direction, around two hours travel if the guard was right. He said that's the closest place with a portal mage." Nodding once more, she commented, "If we hurry, we can be home before the evening meal."

"Sounds good to me", the dark haired teen replied as he started to walk alongside the redhead towards the tree line. The pair walked in silence for a good while before it became unbearable to the First Knight of Saturn. Giving out a slight cough, he asked, "So... I assume the meeting with King Saffron went well?"

Running a hand across the smooth bark of a tree as she passed it, the redhead said, "It worked out. He agreed to ally with my father if the need arose, but he didn't believe it would ever get to that point."

"Ah...", was the simple reaction before another bout of silence, which was once more broken by the prince's words, "So, how do you like being one of the Senshi?"

Shrugging her shoulders at the question, she responded, "It's alright I guess."

Taking a moment to torque his brow after Terra stayed silent for a few seconds, Kanma continued the conversation by asking, "That's it? I thought every girl dreamed about being one of the Senshi."

"Every girl", Terra questioned back, "So you're sister dreamed about becoming Saturn?"

"That's a little uncalled for", the prince retorted with a downward twitch of his lips.

"Maybe", the redhead admitted with a quirk of her head. "The point still stands." Shaking her head, causing her unbound hair to sway in the lances of light through the treetops, Terra confided, "I'm not 'every girl', so don't just lump me into that pile. I knew I had a high probability of becoming Terra since I was fourteen."

"Hmm... that's about the time I last visited this planet", Kanma mused out loud, ducking under a low hanging branch.

"That's right, it was not long after that", the Atlantian princess agreed before smirking over towards the man traveling with her, "and don't think I've forgotten what happened..."

Groaning, Kanma shook his head regretfully, "I was hoping you did." A moment following that admission, Kanma tried to change the subject away from that embarrassing incident, "Ah... you never really answered my question... The one about how you feel about being a Senshi."

Still keeping her smirk for a few moments of silence, Terra decided to let it drop, "It was a change in my life; though not too big of one, really. Basically, there was more training and responsibility, along with the powers I gained with the transformation." Looking over towards the traveling male, she added, "No offense, but I'm thankful there wasn't a huge change that I heard your sister experienced. That had to be tough for her."

"Yes, it was", Saturn's elder brother agreed, "Void, it still is, though she tries not to show it." Letting out a sigh, he pushed another small branch out of his way and held it as Terra passed by, "It seems like I'm one of the few who still treat her like a real person..."

"Instead of the 'Bringer of Silence", Terra finished for him. Looking back with an appraising gaze, she noted, "You and she must be pretty close as brother and sister."

Nodding, Kanma stated, "Yeah, I'm closer to her than I am with our other sisters; always have been." Glancing over to the Terran royal, he added, "Sort of like you and Endymion, if things are still the same as the last time I was here."

Rocking her head side to side slightly, she drawled out, "...Sort of. It's different though, in the fact that Endymion and I are linked psychically, like our father and aunt are."

"Ah, okay", Kanma responded with a tap of fingers to his forehead, "Now I remember Endymion saying something about that last time. He said it was something like two-way empathetic magic."

"That's a good analogy for it, though it's only part of the entire link", she explained, "Right now, I can tell that he's on the moon, but at this range we can't share any real feelings or thoughts with one another." Holding out a hand before her, seeing something that Kanma couldn't, she continued with, "Then, there are the psi-techs we've created between the two of us. We were able to get ideas from our father and aunt, but some just didn't work properly."

"So they aren't like spells then", the armored figure asked, elaborating when he received a mute look of question in return, "I mean, they can't be taught like spells can. If someone has the ability, they can cast the same spell someone else can after being taught the theory behind it."

"That's right", Terra affirmed, "They can't be taught, even to other people who have psionic powers. Even with linked psionics, such as Endymion and myself, have to develop our own techniques separately. Something that will work for me won't work the same way for my brother."

"That's one staggering limitation", Kanma noted as he altered his course around a gnarled mess of bushes.

"Unfortunately, it's not the only one, either", Terra lamented. "As linked psionics, the strength of our powers are dependent on how close we are to one another. Of course, it will never dwindle to nothing, but the effect is noticeable." Waving a hand towards the trees around them, she explained, "For example, if my brother was with us, we would be flying towards Han Shu instead of going by foot." Gesturing towards the prince wandering with her, she stated in a slightly sarcastic tone, "But of enough of me. What about you, dear Prince? Care to tell your fiancée about yourself?"

Frowning at the tone the young woman used, the mage replied, "As you wish. You already know about my being a blacksmith, but I am a Warmage of the Third Circle as well. Being a Warmage, I am adept at physical combat, as well as magical, but specialize in enhancing my physical strikes with a magical boost. My focus is also my weapon, if you haven't guessed by now." He finished his statement by thumbing towards the war-hammer strapped to his back.

"Third Circle, huh", the Senshi parroted, "since there are five Circles, I guess that means you're pretty average, right?"

Hearing that, Kanma couldn't help but bristle and respond a little tightly, "Not quite. Most ranked mages fall between the Fourth and Fifth Circles. A vast majority of magically capable people don't even rank in the system, their powers being so minute." Trying to save some face before the girl, he squared his shoulders some more, "I could gain Second Circle status, but I just don't feel inclined to do so. Even at Third Circle, I rank higher than seventy percent of the other ranked mages."

"Ah...", the female gave as her only indication of being corrected, "So if you're powerful enough to be a Second Circle mage, that means you should be able to fly us to Han Shu, right?"

Grimacing, he knew his reply wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear, "I would, if I was at full power right now. Unfortunately, I'm still drained from my experimentations with... the... sta..." Kanma's voice trailed off into stunned silence as he turned his gaze over to where his traveling partner should have been and wasn't. Looking behind him, his forward movement also stalled out when he noticed Terra standing stalk still with a golden aura replacing her eyes. When she finally resumed animation, blinking away the aura, he asked with concern lacing his voice, "You okay?"

Placing a hand to her head, Terra gave it a quick shake, responding unsteadily, "I... I don't know. I just felt my brother... Something about the Guardians, but too weak to make out."

"The Guardians", Kanma repeated in thought, "Aren't they his and your bodyguards?"

"Pretty much, but I haven't seen them in the past week", Terra stated with a nod as she moved the hand from her head to her chin. Looking at the visiting prince in the eyes, she stated, "I think we need to hurry."

"Right, let's get going then!"

"Leaving so soon, Princess", a third voice boomed around them, causing the pair to spin towards it.

Reacting first to the sight before them; Terra cried out, "Kunzite! What are you doing here?"

'Kunzite? Kunzite', Kanma quickly repeated in his head, trying to place the name before it flashed in his mind. Looking upon the white haired man in grey uniform that stood atop a rocky outcropping, Kanma made the connection, 'Wait a second, he's of the Guardians!'

Receiving nothing but a strange smirk for an answer, the Terran princess repeated her question with more force, "What are you doing here?! You and the rest of the Guardians were supposed to be attending the ball with my brother!"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about it too much, Princess", a fourth voice spoke out, soon revealing the owner to be a man sporting a long, blonde ponytail. Seeing the second Guardian silently step out from behind some trees they had just passed, the Saturnian Knight took a slight step closer to Sailor Terra as his instincts started to scream at him. Something felt off about the entire situation and he didn't like it one bit.

Terra seemed to be more confused than anything, looking from the snowy haired man to the blond, "Zoisite? You're here too?"

"Of course we are here, Princess Akana", yet another male voice answered, revealing himself to be a third Guardian. The positioning of the three caused Kanma to reach back slowly towards his weapon while warily watching the newcomers. His worries kicked another notch when the third Guardian finished with, "Because we've been looking for you, Princess."

"Looking for me? Why", Terra warily asked, finally seeming to take note of the odd overtones her friends were using.

Yet another person appeared when he answered, "We are here to deliver a special message to you."

Silently, Kanma was thankful of exactly where the forth man had appeared, as there was just enough gap created for an escape route if his guesses were correct. Mentally releasing the magical catch which held his war-hammer on his back, Kanma prepared for what his instincts told him would be a very messy fight to come. He felt Terra brush up next to him an instant later as she nervously asked, "What are you talking about, Jadeite? What message?"

Grinning eerily, bright white teeth shining in the afternoon light, he replied ominously, "The Queen mourns your death."

"Queen!? Dead", Terra cried out, "What the hell are you talking about!?"

"Let me elaborate, Princess", Nephrite calmly stated with a slight bow, "What dear Jadeite means is that Queen Beryl wants you dead. She considers you a threat to her plans."

Laughing nervously, Terra's voice matched her mood, "This is a joke… A really bad joke, right?"

"I'm afraid it is no joke, Sailor Terra", Kunzite answered for the Guardians, an easy smile on his face. "Queen Beryl truly wants you out of the way."

Frowning at the entire scene, Terra exclaimed, "Beryl wants us all dead! She's had it out for us since the youma raids started!" Shaking her head in slight disbelief, she commented, "She raves so much that even my brother has stopped listening to her. I truly doubt that she sent you four of all people."

"Oh, but she did… and you know how we are when we receive orders...", Zoisite responded with a smirk, just before flashed his eyes wide maniacally and shot his arm forward, throwing a lance of energy toward the Senshi princess.

The energy lance caught Terra completely off guard, knocking the girl off her feet with a pained and startled cry. Just as Zoisite was about to take advantage of his initiative, indinding on quickly finishing the surprised girl off, Kanma swung his weapon around in a wide arc, catching the Guardian completely unprepared in the chest. Taking simple physics into account, the impact flung the grey clad victim rebounding into a tree before falling to the ground.

Taking advantage of the slight shift in the situation, Kanma shifted his momentum into a forward run even as he reached down to grab the quickly recovering Terra. Even as the two started sprinting out of the small clearing they were caught in, using the only avenue of escape open to them, they heard Kunzite's mocking voice call out to them, "You can't escape from us. You'll only die tired!"

The Saturnian Knight ignored the words yelled at him, choosing instead to weave through the trees even as the Senshi with him completely regained her senses. When she finally started running at full speed herself, she waveringly asked, "What the hell just happened?!"

"That bastard just shot you, that's what happened", Kanma testily replied just before he threw a hand out with a cry of, "Flash Wave!" Before them, the underbrush blew apart, leaving a clear path for the two of them to run through. When Terra started down that direction, she let out a surprised squawk when Kanma grabbed her arm and yanked her in another direction entirely.

"Why'd you blow the path open to just run away from it", she angrily demanded, a step behind the fleeing prince.

Ducking under a tree branch, he hissed back, "Diversion! They might think we ran that way, buying us some time."

Silently, Terra's estimation of the knight went up a notch as she wondered out loud, "Why are they doing this? It makes no sense!"

"I don't know, but I'm not going to stick around to ask them", Kanma sarcastically stated, "I really don't think they'd sit down to talk it over… you know, with the trying to kill you and all."

Terra was just about to retort when her senses started going haywire with alarm. Grabbing Kanma's arm, she jerked him off-balanced into some bushes. When they landed, she threw a hand over his mouth before clamping her eyes closed in concentration. To Kanma's eyes, the world seemed to waver, as if it had become as a mirage, just before one of the four Guardians ported just where the two of them would have been moments later had she not acted.

From inside the bushes, Kanma could easily hear Zoisite's voice tauntingly call, "Come out, come out, wherever you are! I know you are nearby, Princess. Make it easy on all of us and just give up."

Seeing the soft glow of gold filtering through Terra's closed eyes, Kanma realized she was using her psiconic powers somehow. When he heard her whimper, "Can't… hold…", he decided to take advantage of a possible surprise attack. Quickly flashing his hands silently through one of the more complicated attack spells, he threw his arms out towards the Guardian while crying, "Nitro Bomb!"

Zoisite never knew what hit him as the ground beneath his feet exploded upward, throwing him into the air to fall a dozen meters away.

Knowing their cover had just been blown, Kanma and Terra bolted from the bush to continue their hasty retreat. "These guys are First Circle", Kanma cried out in frustration.

"I don't know", Terra yelled in response, "I guess. All I know is that Endymion and I trusted them with our lives! Why would they be trying to kill me!?"

"I have no idea", Kanma replied through gasps of air, continuing his sprint, "but we can't slow down now!" As soon as he said those words, they broke through the tree line once more to find themselves entering a large clearing. Feeling a wave of magic wash over him, Kanma dug in his heals to come to a stop, jerking his head around wildly.

"What are you doing?! You just said not to stop", Terra franticly demanded; looking around as well, though for an entirely different reason.

"There's magic nearby, chaos magic!"

"So", the female irritably replied in frustration.

"We're too close! We need to get away from here", he cried as he shifted directions and started to run.

Just as he placed his first foot down, Nephrite and Kunzite ported in ahead of him, yelling, "No more running, boy!"

Grabbing hold of the cape Kanma wore; Terra yanked his inertia back to the direction they were initially headed, "This way!"

"No! Not that way", the male yelled back. A moment later, he was thanking his lucky stars for the girl pulling on his cape as a blade of energy flashed by where his neck would have been. Quickly regaining his full balance, the warmage swung his hammer overhead, smashing it into the ground between the two guardians and himself while yelling out, "Thunder Step!"

The resulting localized earthquake wasn't enough to damage the two Guardians but it did throw them to the dirt, buying the fleeing royals yet more precious time. Terra took the most of it, sprinting off with Kanma in tow. Behind her, she heard him yell, "I can't keep doing this! I'm was low on mana at the start!"

She was just about to tell him to quit whining when the ground beneath her ran out, the redhead skidding to a halt at the edge of a wide cliff. Hearing the dark haired prince do the same behind her, she stared out at the sight before her while asking in amazement, "What is this place?"

Instead of answering, Kanma broke out in a quick cursing fit, "Shit! Shit! Shit! We need to get back to Mount Phoenix! Saffron will help us!" Seeing the uncountable number of springs below them, appearing as far as the eye can see, the male immediately figured out where they were. The warnings and stories Soy had told him during the creation of the staves rang through his head loud and clear, 'If you find yourself near Jusenkyo, run as fast as you can!'

Glancing back behind them at the quickly rising grey clad men, Terra yelled, "There's no time! Come on!" Grabbing his arm, she pulled him over the ledge with her, forcing him to bound off the jutting rocks down the cliff side or fall to an unpleasant end. "You're insane", he yelled forward to her as he kept pace.

"Shut up and keep running", the Atlantian princess commanded back to her fiancé, slightly out of breath after the long run.

Their efforts seemed to be for naught, fore as soon as they touched down at the bottom, all four guardians shifted in from another local teleport. Cursing under his breath, Kanma whipped himself around to stand back to back with the girl his mother had just betrothed him to earlier that day. "Great, surrounded", he muttered as he held his hammer defensively; mentally flying through his spell list and how many he could cast before running dry.

Unlike before, however, the four Guardians had a distinct lack of any mirth or pleasure on their faces. In fact, each one of them sported some form of scowl or frown as they looked upon the two defensive royal teens. Growling out, Kunzite declared, "This has taken far too long. We end this now!"

"Why are you doing this", Terra fearfully cried out, "What about your oath to your king!? To my brother and me!?"

Her plea went unheard as the four aggressors took it as a note to attack, forcing the two royals to separate and maintain mobility. Flying into a dodging roll that had her grow ever closer to one of the springs, Terra sprang to her feet in time to block a lightning fast thrust with a glowing blade of psionic energy. Pushing off from the stronger fighter, she slid back enough to see Zoisite with enough time to raise a hasty shield. The shards of crystalline spike slammed against the golden glowing bubble, failing to penetrate but still draining the girl of precious strength.

Not far away, Kanma fared little better as he fended off the well coordinated attacks of the remaining two Guardians. Kunzite and Jadeite pressed their conjoined offensive, taking jabs and quick strikes which forced the Saturnian Knight to continually move or be impaled on the energy blades. Eventually, though, they stalled their thrusts for a moment to fire off synchronized blasts of magic towards Kanma. Flashing his eyes wide, Kanma summoned a desperate amount of mana and channeled it into his weapon before slamming the base of the shaft into the dirt, "Mirror Shield!"

Recognizing the spell, Kunzite was able to dodge the rebounding blast but Jadeite was caught fully flatfooted, taking his own attack to the chest to fall to the dirt. Incited by the princes' reaction, Kunzite rushed forward with an energy blade in each hand. Trying to outmaneuver the warmage with a flurry of strikes, Kanma surprised him by desperately and successfully defending himself up until the point Kunzite overextended on a slash. Taking advantage of the slip, Kanma slashed the handle of his hammer into the side of the Guardian's head, rocking him backwards a few steps.

Giving himself a quick pat on the back, Kanma was completely unprepared for what followed, when Kunzite's eyes flashed darkly and a wave of force bowled over the Knight Prince. Landing painfully on his arm, he rolled to his feet just in time to hear Terra plead once more to her one time protectors, "Nephrite! Zoisite! Please, don't do this! Endy…"

Kanma could only stand there in shock before yelling out in horror, watching Zoisite's glowing blade slip through her sluggish defense and slide into her ribs. "NO", he cried out in desperate agony, rushing to assist the redhead, even as she looked dumbly at the weapon impaling her.

The armored knight went no more than two steps when an energy blast blindsided him from the rear, forcing him once more to the dirt. This time, he could smell the stench of burnt cloth and feel the scorched flesh on his back. It mattered little as he lifted his gaze up, impotent to any action other than to watch as the girl he was to marry coughed up a wad of blood. Scowling at the blood on his arm, Zoisite reached up with a leg to unceremoniously kick the Senshi off his blade and into the pool behind her.

Somewhere in the background, he heard Jadeite state, "That was for the hammer…" A moment later, the foot driving into his gut, painfully flipping him over, drove home the other half of his words, "and this is for hitting me with my own blast!" The next instant, Kanma was sandwiched with pain, a fresh searing washing over his chest to match his back as Jadeite shot another blast into the incapacitated prince.

"It's over, Jadeite", one of the other three stated, Kanma not caring which one through the pain, "He's as good as dead now, so stop playing with him."

"We are late. Queen Beryl is waiting for us as it is", another informed.

The last of the group let out malicious laughter while saying, "This is going to be a riot!" A moment later, four flashes of light could be seen out of the corner of Kanma's blurred vision as they ported out to locations unknown. This was the last thing he witnessed before darkness embraced him into unconsciousness.

oOo

The next thing Kanma could consciously remember was pain… so much pain.

Letting out a groan, he managed to roll himself over to his stomach, eliciting a sharp cry. Panting with the effort, he looked skyward to note the sun hanging there, 'How long was I out?' Shaking the encroaching dizziness from his mind, the injured male gritted his teeth as he pushed himself up to his knees.

Taking a deep breath and wincing at the pain his ribs gave him in protest, Kanma raised his gaze to the still pool of water before him. A snarl of rage escaped him as he looked out at the blood red waters and knowledge that Terra lay within. 'Damn, damn, damn", he cursed violently in his mind, 'I couldn't save her! Damn it!'

Unbidden, the last few moments replayed themselves in his mind; the knife entering her chest, the surprised look on her face, the pain that came twice to his own body and the final indignity of her own protector kicking the dying girl into the pool to drown most likely. 'By the rings, she deserves better…'

After thinking that, the final words of the turned Guardians rang in his ears once more. 'Shit! They are going to attack the Moon! I have to warn them', he realized with a widening of his eyes. 'Damnit… I promised I would never use this unless it was a life or death situation… Well, I'm a dead man anyways.' he confessed even as he started gathering the last bit of mana he could muster.

Whispering three words, casting a spell he thought he'd never cast, Kanma felt a wave of renewed strength roll over his body, "Valor's Last Stand!"

Feeling the strength, Kanma rose to stand on his own two feet once more; pitying himself for the fifteen year loss to his life he incurred every minute he sustained the spell. He had little choice, though, being stuck between dying due to his injuries and dying due to the drain on his life due to the suicide spell. At least the spell gave him the power required to hopefully warn the Moon Palace of the imminent attack.

Before porting, however, he gave the dead Terra one last moment of dignity as he wandered into the crimson colored liquid. Dipping down and reaching in with his arms, Kanma finished out the limp redhead, the Senshi uniform gone to reveal the stunning civilian clothes the transformation had covered. "If only we could have had more time together…", he lamented softly, "Even in this short time, I think you've stolen my heart, Akana."

With a sorrowful sigh, he set her on solid ground as if peacefully resting. A morbid thought ran through his mind as he took the moment to look at the fallen princess. "I'll be seeing you, Akana, one way or another", he told her body before he took a few steps back to charge up for one last spell.

Having learned the incantation for the portal ritual during his studies, just in the off chance he rose to Second Circle status, he started casting out the important spell words. Even with the suicide enchantment giving his body strength and endurance far beyond what he would normally be able to endure, the portal spell was still two full Circles higher than he should cast and the drain dropped the prince to his knees once more.

Gritting his teeth in concentration, Prince Kanma of Saturn powered through the pain and weakness to stagger through the portal. Only one step through it, he fell to his knees one last time in his life.

As far as the eye could see, death and destruction ruled. The palace in the distance was in flames, figures of evil intent massacring the living and butchering the dead while oily black clouds filled the darkening skies. With tears flowing down his cheeks unabated at the sight before him, Kanma could only whisper, "I'm too late…"

Somewhere in the background of his mind Kanma felt the last threads of his sacrifice spell unweaving from his body, its function complete at the cost most would balk at. As the strength quickly abandoned him, the Saturnian prince closed his eyes as he awaited the sweet oblivion, never seeing the silvery wave of power which rolled over him and through the still open portal behind him to wash over the body which had once been Terra, along with the pool she had drowned in.

Prince Kanma's life fled his mortal coil long before his body impacted the magically created grasslands of the lunar landscape…

oOo

Jerking upright, Akane awoke with a start, heaving breaths permeating the darkened room. Twitching her head left and right, she took in her surroundings; half expecting to see someone leaping at her with glowing blade in hand. After a moment's search, she found Ranma as her only companion in the twilight lit room and he was sleeping soundly on the futon next to her.

Closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths, Akane tried to reassure herself, 'It was only a dream, get a grip, girl.'

As the moments passed however, instead of going away as most dreams would; her past visions seemed to cement themselves in her mind. To her confusion, she found she could easily remember the fine details of the 'dream'; something she knew wasn't usually possible once someone woke up.

Scrunching up her brow, she muttered a question to herself, 'What if it wasn't a dream? It felt so real…' Opening her eyes to the darkness once more, she shook her head, dismissing the thought, 'No, that can't be right… I was a guy in it; it has to be a dream!' Looking towards her sleeping husband, she revised that stance slightly… she really didn't know what to think anymore.

It was many minutes later that she finally decided not to wake her husband, not wanting to hear his grumblings if she was worrying over nothing but a dream. It had to be just that too, considering all the parts added together; Ranma's cursed form, Saffron, Jusenkyo… they were just her subconscious playing tricks on her.

As she lay back down, breathing a tension relieving sigh, Akane snuggled back down to finish sleeping the night through. It was only a minute later that the realization hit her; she felt just a bit of phantom pain in her chest and back. The exact places Jadeite struck her… him… with the energy blasts. Then she had fainted…

Only to reawaken… while still in the dream!

Feeling her nerves start to tingle, Akane forced herself to take a deep breath. 'Come on, Akane... nothing to get worked up about', she repeated in her mind, 'It's just a really... realistic dream.' It took a few more seconds of steady breathing and reiterating that it was just a dream before the dark haired woman closed her eyes once more, wrapping her blanked around her protectively. In short order, sleep once again filled the night air...

End of Chapter 9