Chapter 9

When Usagi was certain that Luna was asleep at the foot of her bed, she slipped out from beneath her covers as carefully and quietly as she could and sat up on the side that faced her bedroom window. From there she stood up and opened it, once again making a painstaking effort to not disturb the slumbering feline. She was greeted by a mild and warm breeze, which was perfect for an early Autumn night.

After she finished climbing onto the window sill, she took one last look at Luna before she jumped. She activated her transformation in midair, and in a flash of light her pajamas were replaced by her sailor senshi uniform. With her angelic wings spread out wide while she hovered in the air, she took the time to angle her body toward the largest and brightest object in the night sky before taking off like a rocket.

It only took her a few seconds to reach the moon, and what she found there reminded her of how things had changed. Instead of the ruins that she had seen during her first visit (as far as her present life was concerned), the palace and the grounds in the immediate vicinity were completely restored, just like they had been during her second — and last — visit. On the one hand, it was nice to see the home from her past life back in good repair; on the other hand, she was a bit nervous because of what she intended to do once inside.

As soon as she alighted upon the broad path that connected the palace entrance to the long and winding stairway, the lampposts lining the stairway and the path lit up, along with various lights both outside and inside of the palace. She paused to take in the sight, wondering what it meant, before she cautiously approached the palace, not knowing exactly what to expect.

Once she was inside of the palace and navigating her way to her destination, she couldn't help feeling a bit nostalgic. Down one hall she saw herself as a child, being chased by a vexed servant. Down another, she was being dressed down by her four guardian sailor senshi — particularly Mercury — for putting off her studies. When she saw the door to her old room, she remembered all of the time that she had once spent wistfully spying on the prince of the Golden Kingdom.

It wasn't long before she found herself standing outside of the Prayer Room, where she paused momentarily in order to prepare herself for what she expected to find within. Once she thought that she was ready, she opened the double doors and entered the room, which was taller than it was wide so as to accommodate the Crystal Tower that was located at its center. With her ultimate destination within sight, she walked up to it.

When she stood before the Crystal Tower, she reached out with her hand to touch it... then stopped. She pulled her hand back and held it to her chest, as she recalled the amount of importance that her mother (Queen Serenity) had placed upon the object before her, and how many times she had sequestered herself in the Prayer Room to, well, pray to it. Her mother hadn't allowed anyone but herself to enter the room; not even her own daughter. She decided that it would be best to try and get in touch with her mother instead of messing with something that she didn't really understand.

However, before she could call out to her, since she was where she had last seen her, she heard a familiar voice ask, "Does it look familiar?"

She whirled around to face the voice's source and gasped in surprise at what she saw: her mother, Queen Serenity. That in itself wasn't surprising, but the fact that she was life-sized and opaque — however — was. She looked deceptively solid, real, as if she were alive rather than a projection created by a computer. The urge to touch her, to make sure that she wasn't seeing things, began to rise amidst her growing confusion.

She didn't know what to say or do in light of this unexpected development. "What? You..."

Serenity seemed amused by her reaction, and began to walk toward her... then around and beyond. She was so caught up by her approach that, as she turned and watched her walk by, she almost missed the sound of hard-soled footfalls against an equally-hard floor, which no hologram would have been able to do. But she definitely noticed when her mother's hand rested upon the Crystal Tower, where she saw the soft flesh of her hand give under the light pressure that was being applied there.

Serenity regarded her daughter with a patient smile. "You've seen this crystal somewhere else, haven't you?"

Usagi was torn between answering her question and raising a few of her own, as well as trying to touch her to see if she was real; and, if so, to spend time hugging her as if her life depended on it. In the end her confusion and curiosity got the better of her because she wanted to understand the reason for her mother's question, and the best way of doing that was by trying to answer it.

The first example that came to mind was of the time she had seen her future self encased in the same kind of crystal that the Crystal Tower had been made out of. That led her to remembering how Crystal Tokyo — as the name implied — used a lot of the crystal beyond the palace itself. Which — in turn — reminded her of the time when the enemy had made the city a sweltering jungle, and the same kind of crystal had covered the city to counter it. The same crystal had also contained the shrine maidens at the shrine in Elysium, in order to keep them safe from Queen Nephrenia's curse. In fact, hadn't Helios said that she and Mamoru shared the same power in addition to having a common mission?

Seeing the look of realization that had appeared on her daughter's face, Serenity nodded her head. "That's right: the crystal from the Ginzuishou and the crystal from the Earth are one and the same, and from the same source." She turned her head toward the Crystal Tower. "It was through this Crystal Tower, an extension of Gaea herself, that I was able to communicate with her." She returned her attention to her daughter, with a serious expression on her face. "And with her permission, she entrusted the Ginzuishou — the moon's sailor crystal — to me and my offspring. Do you remember our purpose?"

Usagi didn't know how she could ever forget it. "To safeguard the Ginzuishou, protect the Earth from evil, and to watch over and guide its people on the path of good."

Serenity smiled once more. "Correct. You see, the moon, like most other celestial objects in our solar system, are vulnerable because they are lifeless. This is because those places that don't bear life have no will of their own, so anyone who has the knowledge required to create sailor senshi can do so without resistance, with that sailor senshi essentially becoming the will of whatever they're connected to. The moon, on the other hand, is connected to the Earth, a life-bearing planet that has a very strong will and," she chuckled, "quite a personality. In particular, it takes a lot to gain her trust. That aside, the moon is still an individual in addition to having no life of its own, so any amount of protection isn't guaranteed to prevent outside forces from leeching the Earth's energy through the moon, which I'm sure you've seen happen more than once. While only a little can be drained at a time, with the proper precautions set up, it could still endanger the Earth if it's allowed to go on for too long. That's why I eventually found young orphans on Earth and did what was necessary to ascend them into the role of sailor senshi, in order to provide more protection for the Ginzuishou."

"The reason why I'm telling you this, my daughter," she continued, becoming more somber, "is because it has become time for you to know. Before now, I hid the fact that I was anything more than a memory in a computer because I needed you to grow up, to become more independent and self-reliant, strong, and to be recognized as the leader of the other sailor senshi. You also needed to learn how to use your heart on your own, in order to wield the Ginzuishou's full potential. In truth, I know why you're here, and what you're thinking, because I have become the moon's will. In effect, I am the guardian of the Ginzuishou's power, the sailor crystal that we have sworn to protect."

Usagi didn't know what to say, in part because she was still trying to wrap her mind around — and absorb — everything that she had just been told. She had wondered on more than one occasion why the other sailor senshi had guardians for their sailor senshi powers while she didn't, only to find out — now — that she'd had one all along, and that it was none other than her own mother. The thought made her feel a bit dizzy.

"I know it's a lot to take in," Serenity said, apologetically, "but there's more that I need to tell you, regarding your reason for coming here." Once she saw that her daughter had become more focused, after hearing those words, she continued. "You wonder whether Ranma will be chosen, even though she's not a candidate, and your concern is well-founded: because she will be."

Usagi blinked her eyes confusedly. "But... why?"

"Like I said," Serenity answered, "Gaea has quite a personality. This is due in part to the fact that she's a bit childish, as far as life-bearing planets are concerned. And since she already has it in mind to choose Ranma, she takes it personally whenever she's mistreated. So, not only does she not like the other candidates, she wants them to think that they have a chance in order to dash their dreams and — by doing so — teach them a lesson. And while she thinks that Ranma with Hestia's memories is an improvement on both Ranma and Hestia by themselves, she will make Ranma a sailor senshi against her will because she wishes to teach her something that is intended to improve her further."

Usagi was shocked, as her long-standing image of what a "Mother Earth" should be like made like a battleship and sank. "That's..."

"I know," Serenity sighed. "Gaea and I have become close friends, but she still calls me an old fuddy-duddy for placing so much importance on doing the 'right' thing, despite how much my methods have benefited her." She shook her head before smiling softly. "But don't think too badly of her: we all have our own ways of showing love, teaching lessons and doling out punishments; and she is no different."

"Still..." Usagi voiced, as she bit her bottom lip.

"Just be there for her when the time comes," Serenity suggested, before she raised her arms to waist level and gestured for her daughter to step into her waiting embrace. "Now, I believe that I've been delaying this long enough."

Usagi wasted little time in accepting the invitation, yet her heart wasn't fully in it. She was still worried about Ranma, in no small part due to what Mamoru had told her in regard to what he had picked up from her with his psychoscopic ability, after they had separated from the others. That was why she had decided to seek out her mother in secret, so that the other girls wouldn't have to be burdened by whatever she might have learned, should there have been any reason for concern — and there was.

"You still worry," Serenity murmured. "'Why Ranma,' you ask? 'Why now?'" She leant back far enough so she could look down into her daughter's eyes. "Gaea is very picky, I'm afraid. Not only in regard to character, but in physical appearance, as well. Our dear Ranma not only has what she considers to be the ideal body, but she's not looking for some kind of paragon, or even someone who's interested in being a sailor senshi (and thus whatever kind of agenda they might attach to it). She desires a balance of assets and flaws, someone who will — for the most part — allow nature to take its course."

Usagi sighed and rested her head against her mother's chest once more. "That sounds so... strange, I guess. I have two mothers that have wanted me to be good in whatever I did, and I don't know any other parents that aren't like that, too. To think that someone like Gaea would be interested in something that's average..."

Serenity smiled with amusement, which touched upon her voice. "It all depends on one's needs, my child. You, after all, are fairly specialized: doing well in some things yet not so well in others. Even — or especially — because of that, Gaea likes you, and is very grateful for all of your hard work and sacrifice; and at such a young age, too. In fact, she eagerly anticipates the time when you are ready to become queen and make Crystal Tokyo a reality."

Usagi held her mother just a bit tighter. "Will I ever get to meet Gaea?"

"Soon," Serenity replied. She raised her head and appeared to be listening to something that only she could hear. "Very soon."

Sweat dripped from Ranma's brow as he continued to practice his forms. He had his eyes closed, though that didn't hinder the graceful and sure movements of his limbs and torso. On some level he knew that he was tiring out, but the time for thinking about his problems had passed; now he only desired to empty his mind, to forget about the world around him for a time.

However, as with most things, it wouldn't last long enough. The knocking on the door — though gentle — might as well have been machine gun fire compared to the rhythmic thumping of his bare feet upon the floor, which he had long ago gotten used to and filtered out. So he stopped, wiped the sleeve of his white dōgi across his brow, and began to catch his breath.

"Come in," he finally said, as he opened his eyes and glanced at the door.

The door opened to reveal Kasumi, who stepped inside before she closed the door behind herself with a deliberate motion. Then she stood there, studying him with a worried look on her face, and fidgeted a bit with uncertainty. He found that troubling because he was almost certain that he hadn't given anything away when he had last seen her, just prior to leaving for the dojo.

He couldn't take the waiting any longer, so he tried to play innocent. "What? Is something on my face?"

"Oh, Ranma," Kasumi sighed, her concern being fully expressed. "It's... Well, you remember how Hippolyta's tribe worshipped the—"

"Earth Mother?" Ranma interjected, before he took his own turn to sigh. "Yeah. I ran into Cologne on my way home..." He tried to act nonchalant as he looked off to the side and asked, "Were you about to suggest that I might be the one to become the Earth's sailor senshi?"

Kasumi answered with a reluctant nod.

Ranma shook his head with some disbelief and got ready to practice more of his forms. He was hoping to tire himself out enough so he would fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, thus denying him any time to think while awaiting slumber. If he didn't get a break from his current troubles, he felt that he might just explode — or, perhaps, implode; he wasn't quite sure what the difference would be.

He was about to start practicing again when he paused and recalled something related to what Kasumi had brought up. "Oh, right, I almost forgot. The old ghoul's interested in seeing you, as the former princess of their tribe; although she doesn't know that it's you. She's interested in learning your fighting style and techniques, probably in the hope of bringing something from a lost art back into her tribe. Since it's you, she'll probably ask you to return to the village with her, too."

"I see," Kasumi softly replied.

She probably would have put some thought into Ranma's message right then and there, but she was still worried about him. And when she saw an opportunity to help him, by joining in with what he was doing to take his mind off of what was bothering him (just as Hippolyta had done with Hestia), she found herself moving toward him before she was consciously aware of it.

When Ranma saw her begin to practice one of Hippolyta's own forms beside him, as he practiced his own, he managed to smile. "Is this the first time you've 'danced' in a dress?"

Kasumi's cheeks colored. "It couldn't be helped." Then she looked over at him and grinned. "Besides, it has been a while, hasn't it?"

"Depends on how you look at it, I guess," Ranma replied, as he adjusted to match her movements, which Hestia had known well enough. "The last time we did this could be measured in the days since we awoke, the years since we've been reborn, or the millennia since we died."

"Do you still consider this to be dancing?" Kasumi suddenly asked.

Ranma's face clouded over as he considered the loaded question. Hestia had been against violence because she had strongly believed that it accomplished nothing; and if not nothing, then whatever it did accomplish would likely not be an improvement. He believed that she was right, considering his own experiences with violent people, but only to a point. After all, how can one properly ward against violence without at least being familiar with it? She had believed in self-defense, but without knowing how to use force to counter another force...

"Not really," he decided. "Strength and skill has its uses, so this is practice. I can't think of this as being exercise for the sake of exercise and spending time with a friend, though I won't complain if that's a part of it."

They continued in companionable silence, practicing the forms that Hestia had learned from Hippolyta since Kasumi didn't know any of Ranma's. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before they were interrupted by the sound of the door sliding open and the appearance of Nabiki, who seemed far too casual about her entrance as she leaned back against the doorjamb. While Ranma pretended that nothing was amiss, and carried on with his current activity, Kasumi had to stop and collect herself.

"Nabiki," Kasumi said as innocently as she could, as she smoothed out the front of her dress. "I thought you went to bed."

Nabiki waved aside what her sister had said with a gesture of her hand. "You can cut out the act: I have a pretty good idea of what's going on."

Ranma ceased practicing his forms and sighed. "I thought I told you to not look into what was going on?"

"Correction," Nabiki answered with a smirk, "you only suggested that I don't, not that I shouldn't."

"It was implied," Ranma stated, as he frowned at her.

Nabiki gazed at him impassively. "And I had every intention of listening to your advice. But it's not like I chose for Cologne to arrive and talk to you while I was following you, much less have any control over what she said."

Kasumi looked worried. "Oh, Nabiki, tell me you're not going to do what I think you're going to do."

Nabiki shrugged her shoulders. "Okay. I'm not going to do that."

Ranma and Kasumi stared at her blankly, in light of the unexpected answer.

"Actually," Nabiki continued, "I had something else in mind."

It had taken her the better part of an hour to concoct the idea, too. Considering what she had overheard from Cologne, and Ranma's track record, he had the greatest chance of becoming the sailor senshi of the Earth, and thus required special attention. Whether or not the Ranma of today was a different person from the Ranma of a few days ago, there were certain things based in reality that she could work with, that hadn't changed. And all that she had to do was to be brutally honest... for the most part.

Ranma looked at her suspiciously. "And what's that?"

"Well, as surprising as this might sound, I feel sorry for you." Nabiki ignored the derisive snort that came from the person in question. "So, I've decided to give you the chance to become my friend." Before either Ranma or Kasumi could properly absorb or reply to that statement, she added, "But, while I don't charge my friends money, or otherwise take advantage of them, not just anyone can be my friend."

Ranma regarded her with a queer look on his face, which came with a healthy measure of skepticism. "I don't know what you're after, but it can't be good."

"You say that as if I'm incapable of being nice," Nabiki playfully observed.

Ranma cocked an eyebrow. "Am I wrong?"

"I did help you make up with Akane, when you tried to take me out on a date. You know, back when the engagement had been switched over to me," Nabiki pointed out. "And without charging you a single yen, I might add."

Ranma crossed his arms and stared at her contemptuously. "Probably because you thought you'd made enough money off of me."

Nabiki affected a pleasant smile. "So, you realize that I do have reservations, and that I don't always look out for myself. Why not this time, then?"

"Er..." Came Ranma's eloquent reply.

Kasumi sighed and shook her head. "Nabiki, I'd like to believe that you came here for a good reason, but even I doubt your sincerity."

Nabiki shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not surprised. That just means that I have to do what I had expected would be necessary." She ignored Ranma's and Kasumi's questioning looks as she pushed away from the doorjamb and gazed pointedly at the former. "Ranma, not just anyone can say that they're a friend to a princess, much less a sailor senshi. Now, while I've always profited off of you in the past, I'm willing to make an honest trade with you: I become a friend to a princess, and possibly a sailor senshi; you gain a new friend, which you have so few of."

Seeing the look on Ranma's face, that bespoke of a rising argument, Nabiki coolly interjected. "Don't even try to deny it. Even I don't think that you're that dense."

When Kasumi saw how dispirited Ranma had become, who now had his head bowed and his face cast in shadow, she turned to her sister and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said," Nabiki replied, as she turned her attention to her sister. "Nobody at school respects him, or cares about him. Well, they care when one of the sports clubs needs his help, or when the principal gets one of his bright ideas, but that's about it. The guys are mostly interested in seeing his female body, and the girls could care less about him after some of the stunts that he's pulled."

Worriedly, Kasumi glanced over at Ranma, who still looked out of it, before returning her attention to her sister. "But... what about those two boys that I've seen him with? Aren't they his friends?"

Nabiki crossed her arms and snorted. "I doubt it. They may have been, at first, but I think they're more interested in being around a girl who doesn't have any feminine modesty. If I remember correctly, they showed a lot of interest with female Ranma before they found out about his curse, and they still buy pictures of her from me."

"Either way, we're getting a bit off track," she continued, before she walked over to Ranma and stood in front of him. "When I asked you who you were, you said that you didn't know. Has that changed?"

Ranma raised his head, tried and failed to read Nabiki's face, then shook it.

"Then allow me to make a suggestion," Nabiki said, with an air of solemnity. "Without respect, you can't expect to make many friends; especially with me. You don't have respect among your peers, who think you're an arrogant jerk and a pervert. They, nor I, want to be friends with someone who tries to sneak into the girls' locker room instead of explaining themselves and asking for permission, and going so far as to oppose them instead of simply waiting for the girls to leave. I even heard that you had included Happosai in one of your plans. And, in the end, all that you accomplished was a ruined locker room and making all of the girls upset with you."

Ranma looked away, ashamed.

"Haven't you ever wondered why the only girls that are interested in you were either obligated, starved for love and attention, weird, and often a combination thereof?" Nabiki went on. "Because the average girl has enough common sense to pass up an idiot."

"Nabiki..." Kasumi warned with a glare.

"It's okay, Kasumi," Ranma spoke up, who sounded tired. He returned his gaze to the person who was reminding him of how much of an idiot he could be. "I got the point. So, where are you going with this?"

Nabiki's expression softened a bit. "I've noticed a marked improvement in your behavior since the other day, even though I'm sure that you were trying to act like your usual self a few times. So, I suggest being more like this princess that you once were. Just think about it for a moment: not only could you become my friend, and never have to worry about me taking advantage of you like I usually do ever again, but others might be willing to forget how you've been in the past and become your friend, too."

Ranma looked down at the floor and thought about it. It sure sounded like he had a lot to benefit from Nabiki's offer, even if he wasn't sure how she would capitalize on it; and he was sure that she would. However, even if he wanted to accept it, changing his normal behavior to be more like Hestia's — that is, more than it was already — would likely draw unwanted attention from his mother, who might find it unmanly. It would also push his luck in regard to keeping his awakening a secret from the other girls. But, when he got right down to it, it was just too tempting an offer to refuse outright. After all, with his new perspective on things, he could only count Kasumi as being a friend... which may not have been the case if Kasumi hadn't awakened her memories of being Hippolyta.

"Well?" Nabiki prompted. "Will you at least think about it?"

Ranma released a sigh and looked back up at Nabiki. "Alright. I'll think about it."

"Good," Nabiki replied, both looking and sounding satisfied. Then she made a big production out of being tired before she said, "Well, I think I've stayed up long enough. Good night."

Ranma and Kasumi watched her go, unaware of the victorious smile that was on her face. They continued to stand where they were in silence after her departure, he lost in thought and she glancing at him with concern. When he noticed her attention, he smiled wanly before he turned a somewhat thoughtful yet anguished expression toward the ceiling.

"She's right, you know," he finally said, in a soft tone. "I've done a lot of stupid things. And even if I could continue to act that way, to keep up appearances, I can't stand the thought of being like that anymore. It's just so..."

Kasumi gave him a sympathetic look, but didn't approach him to give him comfort even though she wanted to. She just couldn't find it in herself to give Ranma the same physical attention that she would have been able to offer to him had he been a girl. "Ranma..."

Ranma shook his head before he lowered it with a sigh. "I want to change, but I can't change too much or too fast unless I want to find out if it's more trouble than it's worth. Why does it always seem like I have no choice but to act as others expect me to?"

Much to Kasumi's surprise, she found herself asking, "What's stopping you from being yourself?"

Ranma turned to answer her, with an expression on his face that said how obvious the answer would be, when his thoughts were derailed by the surprised and confused look that was on her face. "Kasumi?"

"Sorry," Kasumi replied, as she shook her head. "I don't know why I asked that. Though, now that I think about it..."

Ranma sighed, but couldn't help chuckling afterward. "People have a lot of reasons for why they don't express what they really feel... Me? I just want less things to worry about, and more peace and quiet. That isn't so bad a compromise, is it?"

"I suppose not..." Came Kasumi's reply, with a hint of uncertainty in her voice. She wondered if it could really be considered a compromise, rather than a sacrifice.

Ranma nodded his head in response to her answer, as he tried to convince himself of what he had said. Then he remembered why he had been practicing in the dojo in the first place, and returned to doing just that so he could put any and all questions out of his mind. Kasumi joined him soon after, and they spent another hour practicing their forms before they decided to turn in for the night.