FIST OF THE MOON
Chapter 10: Summer's End
Nodoka Saotome continued to absent-mindedly straighten up the already spotless family room. Even with her spirit at low ebb and her mind a million miles away, her housekeeping was flawless. Genma has been gone a week now on his "training trip". I'm all alone again and with the money my husband withdrew from our account, I couldn't make ends meet without Kasumi's charity. If only Ranma … The distraught woman slumped to the floor. Gods above, why did you give me back my son only to snatch him away again after a few short months?
Getting up, she dejectedly walked into the bathroom to splash some water on her face. Looking in the mirror, she gazed at her reflection. Nodoka did not like what she saw. It wasn't the slight lapses in grooming or the lack of make-up that upset her. It was the soul she examined that was found lacking. Ranma lost his manhood saving people, saving children. If he had been physically crippled, lost a leg in such service, would I have been so quick to reject him? She brooded for a few minutes, pondering the question. No, probably not, but it's not the same. To become a woman, to embrace femininity, that is a shame that cannot be allowed. He should have done everything to regain his manhood, and if he failed, done the honorable thing.
Nodoka wandered out of the washroom and sat down in the immaculate dining room. I know what's right, what's honorable. What Ranma is doing is neither of those things. I should be angry. She stared at hands. I'm not even fooling myself. I want my son back. Down deep in her mind, she heard herself whisper, And I miss Ranko. She started as the doorbell chimed, sounding like a gong in the silent house.
As she went to answer the door, she smoothed her kimono out of habit. Opening the door, she found, "Akane-chan!" I haven't seen any of the Tendo girls in so long! Even Kasumi just calls and sends money.
"Ah, so sorry, Saotome-san," the girl said politely, bowing. "We get that all the time. I am Ami Mizuno, not Akane-chan. I know we look very similar."
"Oh my, please excuse my mistake." Nodoka was politely flustered. "You girls could pass for twins, almost." The older woman genteelly put a hand to her mouth. "Where are my manners? Please come in. Would you care for tea?"
"Tea would be wonderful, Saotome-san." Ami answered, following Nodoka into the dining room. "I brought two buns from Ginto's Bakery. Akane-chan introduced me to their wares."
As Nodoka served the tea, she smiled. "They are good, aren't they?" She said, taking a discreet bite from the bun. She noticed with approval that Ami waited for the older woman to begin.
"Yes, they are, but considering the fantastic baked goods Kasumi-san creates, I'm surprised Akane-chan ever discovered Ginto's in the first place." Ami replied, taking a bite out of her own pastry.
"I know exactly what you mean, Mizuno-san," Nodoka replied conspiratorially "Don't ever tell anyone, but Kasumi-chan is even a better cook then me." The two women shared a chuckle, before Nodoka continued. "So, Mizuno-san, how do you know the Tendos? Are you a cousin, perhaps?"
Ami mirth disappeared. "Your daughter introduced them to me."
For one moment, the expression on Nodoka's face was one of naked grief and longing. Then it vanished to be replaced by the faintly disapproving but still polite look of a proper Japanese woman about to correct a person. "I am sorry, Mizuno-san, you must have been misinformed. I have no daughter."
Ami sighed. "I am sorry you feel that way. Obviously, your husband disagrees."
"No, he is the reason I have no daughter. Until Ranma does the honorable thing and marries a Tendo, Genma will not recognize him as family. I will respect my husband's wishes." Nodoka echoed Ami's sigh.
"So then, even if the arranged engagements are voided, Ranma is still banned from her family unless she marries a man 27 years her senior?
"Honor is not bound by technicalities." Nodoka said stiffly.
"Then I will just pass on my news, although I cannot go into specifics. Ranma has made another personal sacrifice to help the people of this city and the world. You should be proud of your daughter, for she is a great person." Ami stood. "Other than that, she is doing well. Thank you for the tea. I must be going." She bowed.
The older woman was straight-backed and dry-eyed as she courteously saw Ami out. When the door closed behind her visitor, Nodoka leaned against it. "I am proud of her. My little Ranko," she whispered.
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Usagi toweled off as she left the shower. Ukyo let all the waitresses shower upstairs in her living quarters after their shift at Ucchan's. It was a necessity given the sweat one worked up doing the routines. The blonde grinned. It was fun working here, though, especially with Ranma. She colored slightly at that last thought.
She hurried downstairs and as she strode through the restaurant, she waved to Konatsu. The ninja girl was a blast to work with, even though Usagi couldn't entirely reproduce what she and Ranma were capable of. Flips, jumps and to a certain extent catches she could do, but she couldn't come close to the accurate throws both Konatsu and Ranma could make with menus and chopsticks. So Usagi became the counter waitress and bus girl when she worked, something she was very good at, luckily.
The blonde smiled. She always thought of Ko-chan as a girl even though technically she was a boy. Of the four of them, the ninja girl was certainly the most feminine, Usagi thought wryly. She stopped as Ukyo intercepted her on the way out. The chef passed over an envelope.
"I want to thank you for all your hard work, Usagi-honey. I really appreciate it. I put a little something extra in the envelope by way of a bonus." Ukyo looked at the blonde girl hopefully. "Is there any way you could stay on even a little during the school year?"
"Thanks, boss," Usagi replied, stuffing the fat envelope in her purse. "I would love to help out, but it all depends on my grades. My mom will read me the riot act if I work even a couple of hours if my grades are like last semester's."
The okonomiyaki chef sighed. "I know school has to come first, but it isn't easy getting waitresses who can work here. Since the Cat Café closed, our business has doubled, and I can use anyone who has the skill." Ukyo paused in thought for moment. "Makoto-honey wouldn't be interested in working as a cook, would she? She's really good and I could use the help in the kitchen."
Usagi shrugged. "We could ask her roommate," she said gesturing at the redhead waiting at the door. "Mako-chan loves to cook, and she's even mentioned that she would like to cook professionally, but her grades aren't much better then mine. At least with Red-chan walking me home, my mom isn't worried about late nights."
"Oh ho! So you've brought Ranma-honey home to meet the parents, have you? You blonde minx!" Ukyo teased. She watched with delight as Usagi blushed. Looking over to her childhood friend, her delight grew as the eavesdropping Ranma blushed as well.
"I-it's not like that, Uc-chan. We're just friends!" Usagi blushed even more. Ukyo gave her a knowing look, then moved close and whispered in the blonde's ear.
"Don't worry about it. Just be good to him, okay? Ran-chan's had a lot of pain in his life. I think you'll be good for him, Usagi-chan." Ukyo gripped the blonde's shoulder reassuringly and stepped back. In normal tones, she continued, "Even if you could only come in on Saturday night for a few hours that would be a great help. Maybe I should talk to your mom?"
"That might help, but the best solution is for me to do well in school. I think mom would be all right with Saturdays and maybe even Friday nights, if there's no class that Saturday." Usagi was still very red.
Okay, you two," Ukyo laughed. "Go on home. Remember, I'll need you both here by 4:30."
The two girls waved goodbye and stepped into the night. Ranma and Usagi shared a comfortable silence on the way to the train station. While work at Ucchan's was demanding, they were both in good enough shape that, once they caught their breath, they weren't really tired. The silence continued throughout the short train ride and was not broken until they left the station.
They were a few blocks from the Tsukino homestead when Ranma slowed down. Usagi turned to look at her. "I know we have to be at U.C. by 4:30, but I was wondering if maybe you'd, you'd like to go to a movie with me? Ranma was now fascinated by her shoes. "And maybe get lunch before we go?"
Usagi blushed so brightly, you could almost read by her face. I really like Ranma, but — but we're both girls. I don't want to hurt her, but — but mom would never understand. Fortunately, Usagi's mouth had a mind of own. "I'd love to go! What time should we meet?" She clapped her hand to her mouth.
"Um, 11:30, we can go to lunch and the movie starts at 1:05. Ami told me you like science-fiction movies, so it's that American film with the weightlifter guy. Terminator 2. If we have any time before or after the movie, we could do a little shopping."
Usagi hesitated. We're both girls! I like boys — don't I? Ranma cast a worried gaze at her friend as the blonde's eyes seemed to glaze. Both of my moms like her. And she'll become a boy again someday. Usagi smiled in defeat. And I think I'm in love with her anyway. No need to rush. We have all the time in the world.
"Shopping would be fun, but I pay for the ice cream, okay?" Usagi finally offered. They were in front of her house. With great daring, Usagi kissed the redhead lightly on the lips. "See you tomorrow, Red-chan."
Ranma stood there for a very long time with her fingers touching her lips.
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The seven girls knelt in a precise row, the oldest on the left, her bo stick resting before her. The youngest, on the far right, was as calm and collected as her comrades. All of them bore the signs of heavy exercise, but appeared to have cooled down. Ranma entered the dojo, smiling. Kasumi was hard on her heels, carrying a small basket loaded with water bottles.
"Great work, everyone. I think we're at the stage where you can train independently, which is handy. With school starting tomorrow and the situation with Usa still up in the air, I know we're going to have less time to work together." Ranma began. "And probably no chance for any more training trips." There were a lot of resigned looks. "That's really too bad, because Artemis and I have been doing a lot of brainstorming. The big thing we want to try is using Senshi powers without transforming, but that's got to wait."
"So you don't think we can go on another training trip until everything is settled?" Usagi said as much as asked. "You're probably right, Red-chan, but shoot, what we learned sure was useful!"
"Why don't you wash up and start the Senshi meeting?" Luna suggested. "We want to wrap up early, with school starting." The Moon Cat grinned. "Kasumi brought cookies and brownies for the meeting." A mad scramble to the baths started.
After some admittedly sketchy washing the nine girls and two cats assembled in the meeting room, to find plates loaded with cookies and pans of brownies. The group turned to Kasumi, every face filled with questioning wonder. Kasumi stared back.
"What?" the eldest Tendo protested. "Once I got baking, I couldn't stop. Plus I knew both Ranma and Usagi-chan would be here. I just hope there's enough!" Amid good-natured laughter, the group settled in.
"Our first order of business," Luna began with some urgency, "Is the protection of Usa." The younger girl frowned but held her peace when Akane stared at her. "Everyone has school, and the two Senshi who can leave school in the middle of the day if they need to are way over in Nerima. Any ideas?"
Akane raised her hand. "It seems to me that the only times the Dark Moon have found Usa is when she does an energy discharge. The only exception was at the train station. Nabiki thinks if we disguise Usa, maybe dye her hair, she should be all right at school. The Dark Moon minions don't seem to like to attack in populated areas. Nabiki thinks that's because there's too much risk to the time stream, in case of accidental deaths."
"I don't know, Akane-chan. That seems an awful lot like 'hope everything turns out okay'," Rei said dubiously.
"Hey, where is Nabiki-chan, anyway?" inquired Makoto.
"She's got an urgent business meeting for Moon Confederated," answered Akane. "She thinks she can trademark Lesser Mercury and Nightfall's images, since they're not in the public domain. She'll need to talk to you later, Ranma."
"Does anyone else have any ideas?" Usagi asked.
After a short silence, Ranma nodded. "Yeah, I do. I'll take leave from school for a while and watch Usa at her school. No one else could do it anyway. I'll hide under my Veil of Night and stand right in the blasted classroom."
"Red-chan, are you sure? What about school?" Ami cried.
"School has never really been my thing, Ami-chan," The redhead replied with a smile. "I'm making pretty good money at Ucchan's and I think that's only going to grow. I used to think that my goal was to become a martial-arts teacher, but that's changed just like I have. I want to teach you guys, but I also want to be the best Senshi I can. Usa is a lot more important than a few weeks of me sleeping in class."
Minako nodded vigorously. "Of course a mother is going to be concerned about her child! Besides, Sailor Nightfall is the Senshi of Stealth, so it's all for the best!"
"Mother?" asked Ranma in a deceptively mild tone.
The sometimes ditzy blonde continued nodding. "Sure! We all heard Usa-chan call you her mother. Who's the lucky guy, Ranma-chan?"
Ignoring Minako, Ranma looked at Usa intensely. "Mother?"
"Um, ah, hee hee hee." The pink-haired girl rubbed the back of her neck in a gesture exactly like Ranma's. "I, I didn't say mommy, I said dummy. You know, because you're my martial arts teacher and it could mess up the time line if anything happened to you." Usa's eyes begged Ranma to drop the subject.
The redhead opened her mouth to ignore the unspoken plea when a comforting arm went around her shoulders. Usagi looked at Usa with understanding eyes. "I'm sure that's what the Sprout said, Red-chan. Don't worry about it." Usagi leaned her forehead against the back of the smaller girl's head. "Okay?"
The other girls looked at the proto-couple speculatively, then looked at the only two sources of possible info, Makoto and Usa — who looked at each other. Makoto slowly said, "Red went out late yesterday morning, got all spruced up for it. Had me help her with her hair."
Usa looked at her tall friend with wide eyes. "Usagi was primping for hours. She tried on every piece of clothing she owned." The younger girl locked eyes with Makoto. Ignoring the others, they peered at the two entwined girls.
"Usagi, Red, where were you yesterday afternoon?" Makoto asked tentatively. The Senshi Queen and her deadly warrior started turning red.
With a nonchalant innocence, Minako said, "Oooooh, your first date! So how was it, where did you go?" Ranma looked like she was about to catch on fire, but Usagi seemed to calm down.
"Red-chan took me to lunch and then we saw Teminator 2. It was great. We did a little shopping too." Usagi reported calmly. "You don't know how wonderful it is when your boyfriend is a girl and likes shopping as much as you do." There was a stunned silence.
All eyes turned to Usa. The pink-haired girl shrugged, commenting, "That's nice, I hope you guys had a good time. Please excuse me, I have to go to the bathroom." With great dignity, Usa left the room and walked to the shrine's restroom. Once safely inside, she could no longer contain herself. Doing a little jig, she hopped about the small room pumping her fist and whispering "Yes!"
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Petz, Calaveras and Berthier Phantos toiled away around the Tendo dining table. The two younger sisters were reading pamphlets, while Petz was going over handwritten notes. The door opened and Nabiki strode in, closely followed by Koan.
"Thank you ladies, for meeting on a Sunday," Nabiki began. "I want to get things rolling so that we have some cash flow as soon as possible. So Petz, let's start with you." The green-haired women nodded.
"I spoke to a senior associate at the Mikan Group law offices. He waived his fee once he found out our particulars with the stipulation that we keep them in mind for our legal needs," Petz reported. "He agreed with your estimate that it was too late to claim exclusive rights on the five original Senshi. Worse, we can't even go after companies for image violations. Since the disguise fields hide what they look like, no one is actually using their likenesses."
"Okay," Nabiki interrupted, "That was pretty clear. Now what about Lesser Mercury and Nightfall?"
Flipping a couple of pages, Petz continued. "We have a good shot at trademarking them if they appear before a magistrate. The disguise field is pretty good proof of identity, oddly enough. Tanaka-sensei thinks it would hold up in court. But they have to appear, and Tanaka says the sooner the better."
"Very good. Koan, got all that?"
"No problems Chief," Koan said, adjusting her glasses. She was sure they made her look more professional.
So, Cal-chan, what have you got for us?" Nabiki queried her finance officer.
Clearing her throat and shuffling a few papers, Calaveras said, "Chief, there are several banks willing to spot us loans on decent terms, if we can show up with a Senshi or three in tow. Produce the Senshi and do our banking at one of several places, and we can float a non-collateral commercial loan." Nabiki smiled.
"Okay, let's see if Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter can accompany you on your next visit. They're the most impressive and even a little scary." Nabiki mused. "I bet the two of them are worth fifty basis points." Calaveras nodded. Berthier fidgeted and smiled when Nabiki turned to her.
"I think I have a decent presentation for our first news release, Chief. Can I run it by you?" Nabiki nodded and sat back to watch Ber-chan's dog and pony show. It wasn't bad. Just as she had thought, Berthier had a talent for this.
Things were coming together, but she was anxious to start making a profit. Right now, the sisters were working for room, board and stock in Moon Confed. Nabiki wanted to pay them a real wage and get them out on their own. Still, she realized she was happy. Doing well by doing good.
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Rubeus stared out the observation port, watching the sheep go about their business. One of the screens was silent and black. He had seen no reason to repair the damage caused by his tantrum when he was the only person aboard. He snorted as he observed the small district. Small, yes, but it still contained tens of thousands of humans. Finding the Rabbit was like finding the quintessential needle in a haystack.
Suddenly, all of the observation screens, save for the one he was using, flared with a green light. As the light petered out, a handsome woman in a dark-green mini-dress and long gloves appeared. She carried a red feather fan and her hair was a light yellow-green. She smiled derisively at the scowling redhead. Rubeus exclaimed "Esmeraude!"
The green-clad woman smiled and moved to join Rubeus at the view screen. "It has been a long time, Rubeus darling." She scanned the scene in front of her. "What a dreadfully primitive locale. I wonder how I shall get on."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well darling, it seems you haven't heard," Esmeraude purred with throaty malice. "Due to your innumerable failures to kill the Rabbit, seize the Silver Crystal or even secure a Crystal Point, our beloved Prince Dimande has decided to replace you. I will assume my duties tomorrow."
"That's ridiculous!" cried Rubeus. "Prince Dimande would never give up on me!"
"Let's face facts, darling. Your most impressive achievement to date is losing the four Phantom Sisters, letting them turn traitor. Even our gentle Prince has been forced to acknowledge your complete incompetence. It's quite beyond me how you've lasted this long." The observation screen once again gleamed with emerald energies. "Well, ta ta for now, darling! Do try to avoid setting yourself on fire while I'm away." She vanished.
Rubeus trembled with rage and not a little fear. He muttered to himself, "I must destroy the Rabbit and capture the Silver Crystal if I am to appease Dimande's anger. At least I know where the Crystal is. Now to find the Rabbit … somehow."
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Usa was bored. Bored, bored, bored. Her folks always said how important school was, but she knew for a fact that neither one had been much of a student, and the nut had not fallen far from the tree. The only thing keeping her conscious was trying to guess where Sailor Nightfall was. She was a martial artist, but it still gave her a warm feeling to know the new Senshi was watching out for her.
After several eons passed, the last bell rang, freeing Usa and her fellow tormentees from the durance vile that was second grade. As she filed out, Usa grinned, wondering how Nightfall was going to beat her to the gate. Exiting the school, there stood a nonchalant Ranma, waiting, as she expected.
"So how was school today, kiddo?" asked the redhead with a smirk.
"You know perfectly well how it was," Usa tartly replied. The two girls looked at each other grinning as they chorused, "Boooorinnnnng!"
"So is there any reason why Ayumi Nakamo had so many problems today?" queried an innocent-looking and sounding Usa. "I mean the poor girl was stumbling around and tripping over everything after she made fun of my hair."
"Who can say?" pondered Ranma. "Probably she got bad karma for teasing the cutest girl in her class." Usa colored slightly.
Both martial artists turned to face back the way they had come, as they heard something running very quickly towards them. Usagi tackled both girls, grinning like a maniac. "How're my two favorite girls?"
"Hey, Usagi," Usa said mildly, "no detention today, huh?"
"Ever since I developed some control over my Ki, I've been getting up better in the morning and not getting sleepy in class. You know that, Usa." Usagi explained.
"This makes a whole week without detention for the Rabbit," Ranma said. "I think that deserves a treat. What do you guys say to some ice cream before I head off to work?"
The two younger girls exchanged glances and then smiled at Ranma. "You talked us into it," they chorused.
After an appropriate sweets shop was found and its relative merits quickly discussed, the three entered. Usagi and Usa watched with amusement as Ranma flirted extra portions for the three of them. Usagi shook her head. "You're too good at that." Usa smacked the blonde.
"Don't kill the goose that lays the golden ice cream," she admonished.
Discussing their respective days and plans, three mighty appetites made severe inroads on the shop's ice cream supplies. When they reached a lull in the conversation, Usage fixed Usa with bright eyes. "How do you travel in time, Usa? Is it a martial-arts technique?"
Looking to the left and the right and then behind her, Usa said in low tones, "Nah, I have the Key of Time."
Usagi squirmed with curiosity. "Can we see it?" Usa looked uncertain. The blonde pouted. "Come on, just a peek?" she wheedled.
"Well, I suppose it can't hurt." Usa reluctantly pulled an ornate gold and silver key fastened on a thin chain from beneath her blouse. Usagi's fingertips brushed the key as she bent down for a closer look.
"Impressive, Sprout. Thanks for showing us." Usagi chirped. Usa nodded and quickly put the key back under cover.
No one noticed the faint silver glow the key was now emitting.
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Rubeus sat slumped against one of the supporting pillars, staring at the observation screen. Theoretically, he was still scanning Juuban's teeming masses, looking for the Rabbit. However, hope had almost left him. Without some sort of lucky break, there was little chance of spotting the Rabbit in a random search.
A faint chime finally attracted his attention. Moving over to the holographic display, Rubeus realized the tracking system was picking up a time signature. With mounting excitement, he refined the scan. In this primitive era there was only one entity that could produce a time line flux other than himself. The Rabbit!
Instantly, his confidence soared. This was fate! It could not be coincidence that in his hour of need, something had somehow partially activated his quarry's means of time travel, allowing him to pinpoint her location. Getting an accurate fix on the Rabbit's whereabouts, Rubeus began steering the vessel to intercept his target.
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Minako savored the gentle breeze on this warm late-summer night. She and Usa had been shopping for materials for a school project since Usagi had met up with her to transfer bodyguard duty. None of them would dare to refer to the task as babysitting. Usa had earned too much respect for that to sit well with anyone. As had become standard procedure, the second bodyguard, in this case Rei, was following at a distance, ready to transform if any danger appeared.
Sighing, the perky blonde was uncharacteristically pensive. It had been fun, clowning around with Usa as they shopped, but she missed Usagi. Ever since Ranma had become a full Senshi, Usagi had been acting differently. Oh, she was still bubbly and friendly, but she was beginning to act … responsibly. Case in point. Rather than come shopping with them, Usagi had elected to go home and do her homework. She was being diligent so that she could continue to work at Ucchan's, so she was being even more responsible.
All of the Senshi sensed a fundamental change in their relationship with Usagi. The blonde was still one of them, a Senshi, but now she was their Queen and they were Usagi's knights. Each of them had responded to the much more mature relationship they now had. They still had fun and would even act goofy from time to time, but underlying it all was the sense of duty owed both ways.
Tonight was a prime example. Usagi had gone home to study, Ranma was working after spending all day in a second-grade classroom, while she and Rei were guarding Usa without complaint. Minako shook her head while smiling at Usa. If she, Minako, was being more responsible, Ami, Rei and Akane were being downright adult. Sighing, the perky blonde looked down at her charge with a smile. "So, is that everything, Usa-chan?"
"I think so, Mina-chan. Who'd of thought the teacher would assign a major project so early in the semester?" Usa swung her bags in disgust. "Anyway, thanks for coming with me. I couldn't ask Usagi, not when she's getting all serious about school and Ranma had to work."
"No problem, Sprout. It's been fun. I just wish we didn't have to guard you so closely. It can't be much fun."
Usa shook her head. In a low voice she murmured, "After seeing Usagi and Akane get hurt in the last fight, I know when I'm outmatched." The younger girl started to sniffle. "They got hurt fighting for me!" A tear slid down her cheek. "I never want to see anyone look the way Ami did when Akane went down."
"Shhh. It's all right," Minako comforted Usa. Kneeling down, she hugged the smaller girl. "We're Senshi, that's what we do. That's what you're going to do someday." The blonde giggled slightly. "Like mother, like daughter."
The two hugged for a long minute, until Minako stood. "I think this calls for a treat. Not some insipid store-bought treat, but something special." She steered Usa to a bench in the warm evening breeze. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out a sealed plastic bag. "These are the last four of Kasumi-chan's cookies from the meeting." Minako passed two chocolate chip cookies over to Usa.
The pink-haired girl looked at her companion with wide eyes. "Are you sure Mina-chan? I know how much you love auntie's cookies."
With a pang, Minako managed to sustain her generosity. "It's fine, I need to cut back, anyway. I'm not a Ki user like Usagi, so I have to watch my weight."
After rendering the necessary respect for any product of Kasumi's kitchen, the two girls resumed their travels. As they walked down a quiet side street, Minako was overcome with a sense of foreboding. Better safe as sorry houses. She gave the signal for Rei to transform.
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Ranma had felt antsy all evening, ever since leaving Usa and Usagi. It was a quiet night at Ucchan's for a change, so the redhead didn't even have work to take her mind off her apprehension. After Ranma had checked the street for the tenth time, Ukyo had had enough.
"Okay, Ran-chan, what's your problem? You've been jumpier than Akane in a massage parlor."
"I'm sorry Uc-chan. I've had a bad feeling all evening." Ranma replied distractedly.
Ukyo immediately got serious. "Can you pinpoint it?"
The smaller girl shook her head. "I can't pin it down, but maybe I can trace it?"
"Then go, try and find out what's wrong," Ukyo decided. "It's never a good idea to ignore your instincts, especially yours, Ran-chan."
"Thank Uc-chan, you're the best!" Not even bothering to change out of her waitress uniform, Ranma left the restaurant at a run.
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Rei Hino felt content, an unusual state of affairs, but becoming more common since Ranma became Sailor Nightfall. Although she appeared to be a take-charge kind of person, Rei had always craved a cause and a leader worth following. The Senshi cause had always been of the highest, but now Usagi was becoming the kind of leader Rei had always dreamed of.
As Rei followed Minako and Usa through the shopping district, she recalled her feelings of shame at how she had treated Usagi. Without the other Senshi's past-life training and a horrible handicap caused by her incomplete Ki control, only luck and Mamoru had kept Usagi alive. Even so, she had still done everything required of her.
Now Mamoru was gone, replaced by Ranma and Akane. Rei heartily approved of Ranma and Usagi as a couple. Sooner or later, Ranma would regain her ability to change. In the meantime, the two seemed to have a more equal relationship than Mamoru and Usagi had had. Ranma was more fun, too.
As she entered the quiet side street, Rei immediately spotted Minako's signal. She saw no threat, but a feeling of danger removed all hesitation. Sliding between two houses, Rei transformed into Sailor Mars.
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Minako scanned her surroundings, while Usa peeked from behind her. While she could see nothing, her dread continued to grow. She was about to transform when the air above the two girls rippled.
In a cascade of white sparks, the enormous crystalline ship came out of cloak. Minako and Usa were caught in a bright spotlight as a triumphant, mocking voice echoed in the street. "Are you prepared to meet your fate, Rabbit? You have been betrayed, one of your 'protectors' activated your time mechanism, allowing me to track you. No matter where you go, this ship can follow you!" Rubeus gloated, hovering over his prey.
Usa partially withdrew the Time Key from her blouse. In the shadow of her hand, she could see a faint silver glow. What happened? I must have accidentally activated it, when I was showing Usagi and Ranma the key. If anyone gets hurt, it'll be all my fault!
Minako screamed at the red-haired warrior. "Leave her alone! You can't have her!" Without turning her head, the intrepid blonde ordered, "Quick, Usa call every one on your communicator." Usa desperately hit the all call button.
Rubeus seemed to notice the blonde for the first time. "Weak little girls should mind their own business. All you have accomplished is your own death!" The Dark Moon warrior paused to savor the kill.
The early night sky was lit up as a set of brightly burning rings arced towards Rubeus. They burst around the erstwhile leader, leaving him startled but unharmed. From the shadows, Sailor Mars leapt forward. "You haven't won yet," the black-haired Senshi assured her foe.
Taking advantage of his distraction, Minako dragged Usa away, trying to buy time. From the young girls' communicator she could hear Ami's voice. "We're in the shopping district, we'll be there immediately!"
There comes a time in every fighter's life when she has to separate the essentials from the luxuries. Now was Minako's time and she correctly realized that a secret identity was a luxury she could not afford. As Mars and Rubeus traded attacks, Minako transformed. As she finished, Mars was blown off her feet. Rubeus' attacks were quicker and more powerful now that he could draw on his ship's generators.
The Senshi of Fire scrambled to stand with her comrade, defending Usa. Rubeus sneered at his opponents and once again he was caught off-guard as ball lightning and a column of water struck his shield. Once his sight cleared, he saw he was now confronted by five Sailor Senshi. Both Mercuries and Sailor Jupiter had arrived.
"You're not doing anything to Usa," Mars cried. Lesser Mercury grabbed Usa as the other four Senshi attacked their hovering foe. But as the steam cleared, Rubeus continued to hover, unscathed.
"Very well, I shall destroy all of you as well as the Rabbit!" With a flip of his hand, Rubeus produced a concussive wave that threw the Senshi back several meters. Lesser Mercury rolled with the blow, protecting her small charge.
"This is your chance, Usa. Run!" Mars ordered. Usa looked appalled.
Wagging his finger in mockery of Sailor Moon, Rubeus commanded, "None of that, Rabbit!" A purple beam of coruscating energy stabbed down from the ship, pinning the five Senshi and Usa. They could barely move in the gravity ray.
"There's only one way to repel this. We have to combine our powers, like we did with the wand!" Mars ordered.
"We can't!" protested Mercury. "Without Sailor Moon, we don't have the power!"
"Even if we can't save ourselves, we can free Usa!" Mar replied. The five Senshi struggled to their feet, joining hands. Calling upon each of their titular planets, they invoked their combined attacked with a cry of "Sailor Planet Attack!"
It lessened the gravity beam's effect, but the Senshi were immobilized by the need to continue the Planet Attack. Rubeus' evil smile widened. "Fools," he muttered, and increased the power of his beam.
In a strained voice, Mars ordered, "Now, Usa, run!" The girl seemed frozen and she gaped at her defenders. "Damn it, you fool, RUN!" There was a hint of a figure, shadows moving where they shouldn't, and Usa disappeared.
Rubeus screamed, rage and panic filling his voice. "Where did she go?" Even the signal from the time distortion was gone. "Very well. Pay the price for your interference!" The gravity wave's power redoubled, smashing all five Senshi to the ground and into unconsciousness. The beam flickered and began levitating the fallen girls into the ship. In frustration, Rubeus scanned the area, but his target had vanished as if she were never there.
With a snarl, the red-headed warrior ground out, "You were wise not to confront me, Sailor Moon. Now I have captured your five warriors. I will exchange them for the Rabbit and the Silver Crystal. You have three hours to decide before I return to this spot and eliminate your cohorts." Rubeus vanished and the ship winked out of sight.
Usa watched the villain go, still in shock. Finally looking up at her savior, she saw swirling shadow and two glowing blue eyes. Strong arms cradled her, trying to soothe her hurt.
Suddenly they were in motion, roof hopping at a pace only Sailor Moon could match. After several blocks, her rescuer stopped and then faded into view. A worried Sailor Nightfall asked "Are you okay, kiddo? You took some hits tonight."
Usa could only shake her head as the tears streamed down her cheeks. Still hugging the weeping child, Nightfall took out her communicator. "Moon? He got them, all of them. I have Usa with me. Rubeus says we have three hours to hand over Usa and the Silver Crystal or he'll kill the Senshi." Saffron would have recognized the expression on Ranma's face. After all, it had been the last thing he had ever seen.
Moon closed her eyes, looking like she had just received a fatal wound. Dry-eyed, she spoke for the first time. "Stay where you are, I'll rendezvous with you. Keep Usa safe, Nightfall."
The redheaded Senshi set her still-active communicator on top of a convenient roof fan and once again wrapped the shadows around herself and her small ward. After a short wait that seemed to take years, Sailor Moon, with a distraught Luna on her shoulder, landed on the roof.
Coming out of invisibility, Nightfall made for her liege. "I'm sorry, Moon. I got there too late, all I could do was save Usa." The little girl looked up at the Moon Queen, eyes filled with grief and guilt.
"It's all my fault! That bad guy managed to track the Time Key, that's how he found me! I must have activated it somehow." The pink-haired girl began crying in earnest as she hauled out the now quenched Time Key.
Moon touched it, to examine the Key more closely when it began glowing again. Luna yelled, "Quickly, Sailor Moon! Absorb the Silver Energy!" With a gasp, Moon concentrated, and the Key dimmed.
Moon knelt to hug Usa. "It's not your fault, sweetie. If anyone's to blame it's me. How could we know that my touch would activate your Key?"
"Perhaps only Sailor Moon can activate your Time Key, Usa, " Luna said wisely. "So that you can only return with the Moon Queen's blessing."
"Well, why didn't Puu say so? That would have saved a lot of trouble," Usa said crossly. "Anyway, who cares about the stupid Time Key — what are we gonna do about the Senshi?" Everyone looked at Usa and then each other. The rooftop was silent for a long time.
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Rubeus paced impatiently around the observation deck, occasionally looking out at the view of Earth from high orbit or at his prisoners. This is a risk. It would be best for the Dark Moon family if I just killed Moon's warriors right now. It would not be in my best interest, though. It's slay the Rabbit and destroy the Crystal or doom. Nothing less than that will save me now.
The hair-raising laughter behind him announced Esmeraude's presence. "Why my dear Rubeus, you actually did something right! Of course, it drained most of your ship's power, but you actually defeated five of the downtime warriors. That is good. They are still alive. That is not so good. Why, darling? Mercy isn't even one of you're failings."
Rubeus didn't even turn around. "I have my reasons, and they are none of your concern."
"Really? Then I wish whatever half-addled plan you have concocted every success, darling. But just in case, please don't be cross if I refrain from unpacking my bags just yet. Farewell, darling." Esmeraude again disappeared.
"As long as I have the warriors, Moon must confront me alone. Soon I will snatch victory from the jaws of ruin," Rubeus whispered.
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The sadly depleted ranks of the Moon Queen had retreated to Makoto's and Ranma's apartment, where Artemis had joined them. Usagi sat staring at her hands, with Usa next to her, cuddling for comfort. Ranma stood, arms folded, deep in thought while the two cats watched their Queen.
"First off, no way are we letting Rubeus have the time of day, let alone the Silver Crystal or Usa-chan." Ranma said evenly. Usagi's head came up sharply, fire in her eyes.
"Damn straight!" she half-yelled. Settling down, the blonde continued. "We need a plan. We have one genius girl left. Where's Nabiki?"
"She's on her way, along with Kasumi. They should be here in about 20 minutes." Ranma answered. "That will leave us just over two hours. Why don't we get a little rest. Whatever plan we could come up with ain't gonna come close to what Nabiki can do." The others nodded, settling to try and catch a quick nap. Usagi just shook her head and continued brooding.
Once Nabiki and Kasumi arrived, the former began interrogating the two remaining Senshi about the events of the evening. After nearly an hour, Nabiki sat back, sipping at her tea and nibbling on the rice balls Kasumi had fixed for high-energy snacks. "I think I have an idea. It's high risk, but high reward. I believe it's our best chance to get all the Senshi back alive."
"What do you have in mind, Nabiki-chan?" inquired Luna.
"From what this Rubeus character was spouting, he thinks he's captured all of the Senshi except for Moon. I don't think he knows about Nightfall. I propose that Moon and Usa go to the rendezvous, like they're making the exchange. The only thing is, Nightfall will attend while cloaked. After that, well, I don't need to remind a mistress of tactics like Ranma that the best surprise is an unexpected one — with claws."
Usagi looked trouble. "That sounds awfully dangerous. Isn't there some way we could keep Usa safe?"
Usa sprang to her feet. "No, Usagi! I want to help. You guys have been protecting me and getting hurt to save me, even after I was so mean when we met. It's a martial artist's duty to help. Please, I really want to help." Usagi and Ranma looked very proud of the younger girl.
"I'm glad you're eager to help, Usa-chan," Nabiki drawled, "Because it's almost a moot point. We need you there to lull Rubeus, and there really isn't time to whip up a decoy. Unless one of the cats …"
Everyone had a vision of Luna in a fuku with a pink wig, then shuddered.
Usagi stood up, resolution showing in her face. "All right then. I guess we should be about it, people."
Kasumi hugged each of them and sent them off with her blessings. With tears in her eyes, the eldest Tendo commanded, "Come home safe." Smiling through her tears, she continued, "May the Force be with you."
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Mamoru Chiba had been feeling uneasy all evening. He had put it down to the prospects of a difficult Developmental Biology exam scheduled for the next afternoon. After supper and a quick review, he settled down to listen to Mozart while reading.
In the early hours of the morning, Mamoru woke in a cold sweat. He felt a faint pull, a feeling he not experienced in many months. Sailor Moon needed her knight in black. The call was so weak, though. He couldn't even tell what direction it was coming from. Shrugging, he reached over for the rose on his nightstand.
Shocked, Mamoru realized the rose was dying, its petals brown and withered. Reaching into himself, he attempted the transformation to Tuxedo Kamen anyway. For a strained minute, nothing happened. Then the pull faded altogether, and the rose crumbled to dust. Mamoru stared at it. It's gone. The connection to Usagi is gone. He closed his eyes and took stock of his inner strength.
I can still feel the link to the Earth. I can still feel the power within me, I just can't transform. A thought occurred to him. I can't transform into Tuxedo Kamen, but maybe Prince Endymion? He moved over to the small shrine he had setup for the stones of the four generals. Taking the European-style straight sword off its stand, he drew the blade from the scabbard.
He felt the power wash through his body as he underwent a rapid transformation. When it was finished, he examined himself. He was dressed in a severely tailored set of trousers and a stiff shirt reminiscent of a fencer's tabard. The outfit was all in midnight blue, and a black cape fell behind him. The outfit was something like the uniform that Beryl's generals had worn.
Mamoru, now Endymion, had never felt so strong. If this is my true transformation, where the heck did Tuxedo Kamen come from? Putting that thought aside for later contemplation, the Prince of the Earth strode onto his balcony and leapt into the night.
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Endymion had been searching the Juuban area for what he thought was the better part of an hour. So far, he had found nothing out of the ordinary, but Senshi trouble was frequently like that. A mask of normality suddenly dropped to reveal a deadly threat.
As he rested on a roof top he noticed a section of the city suddenly lose power. Nodding to himself, he made his best speed towards the area. He was still some blocks away when he saw a spiked crystalline spaceship appear, hovering close to ground level. As he neared the ship, he heard jubilant laughter.
Reaching the darkened street Endymion looked down to see Sailor Moon with her arm around Usa, in a comforting hug. A beam of light illuminated the two girls and they began to levitate towards the ship. In a matter of seconds, they were drawn in and disappeared from sight.
Jumping down to the street, the Earth Prince could only watch as the ship faded from view. A voice behind him asked, "Mamoru, is that you?" He turned to see the two Moon Cats watching him. He nodded.
"What's going on?" Endymion demanded.
Luna shook her head. "It looks like we have some time. I'll explain."
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Sailor Moon shook her head, trying to get herself oriented. Seeing Usa a meter away from her, she noticed the girl was unconscious. Remembering what was going on, she kipped to her feet. Usa began to stir.
Rubeus stood in front of the two girls, the picture of casual ease. Behind him were the five Senshi, crucified on crosses of black crystal. Usa gasped in horror behind Moon. Rubeus laughed. "Welcome, Sailor Moon. Thank you for bringing the Rabbit with you. It's so nice when a guest brings a gift!" He laughed at his own wit.
"Well, stud-boy, that would be true if this were the Rabbit instead of my cousin Miko! Nice of you to fall for it, especially as we only had a few hours to set it up." She took a deceptively loose stance between the Dark Moon minion and Usa.
The redheaded warrior chuckled. "That may or may not be the case, but I will have plenty of time to discover the truth of the matter after I have disposed of you."
Without turning her head, Moon softly told the younger girl, "Okay, 'Miko'. Find some cover. Get ready to dodge."
Rubeus gestured and a concussive wave smashed into Moon, knocking her back several meters. Rolling to her feet, she got out "Moon L-" before another concussion blast hit her. Wagging a finger at her, he shook his head. "None of that, stud-girl." A third concussion struck, but Moon avoided it, jumping high in the air.
Back-flipping rapidly towards the startled warrior, Moon executed a spin kick, knocking Rubeus to the ground. Back-flipping away, she began her slow attack. As Rubeus recovered his bearings and his feet, the Senshi Queen finished her incantation. In a shower of pink sparks, a golden crescent arced towards the smirking man.
The large black crystal behind which Usa had taken cover flared as the crescent found its mark. After an impressive light show, the crescent faded, leaving Rubeus unharmed. Moon gaped. Rubeus laughed exultantly. "Yes, this was your last mistake, Sailor Moon. The ship feeds me power, increasing my abilities, including," He gestured, "the ability to control gravity."
Sailor Moon fell to her knees, as her weight tripled and more. "I can also reverse it!" Moon fell upwards, hitting the ceiling with stunning force. She gasped as she saw the Earth through a arched window. "Ah, I see you realize where we are, thousands of kilometers above the Earth. There is nowhere to escape!"
Seeing her hunter occupied with Sailor Moon, Usa made a dash towards the trapped Senshi. When she was only a few meters away from them, an energy field activated and she was enmeshed in black lightning. Her own Silver Energy responded and she flared.
Looking over his shoulder, Rubeus grinned delightedly. "I thought she was the Rabbit! Give it up, little girl. There's no way you can breach the barrier." Turning his attention back to Moon, he considered. "Well, about time to get rid of you." Reversing the gravity field again, Moon fell hard to the floor. "I think this will be pleasant for me," Rubeus crowed, increasing the gravity field.
A silver nimbus formed around the Senshi Queen, as Moon called upon her newly found reservoirs of power and her considerable Ki. She slowly climbed to feet, as Rubeus stared in disbelief. "I'm. Not. Done. Yet."
"Impossible! How can you stand in that gravity field?" Rubeus studied his opponent. "It seems I underestimated you a little. Now face my full power!" A powerful stream of pure Dark Energy met Moon's shimmering attack. As Rubeus drew more from his ship, the central crystal began to pulsate. Usa immediately noticed and sprinted for the crystal, delivering a solid roundhouse kick that merely set the crystal to humming.
With a surge of power, the Dark Moon warrior overwhelmed Moon's attack, striking the Senshi Queen and inflicting considerable damage. Turning to Usa, he shook his head. "So you've discovered the main crystal, but it will do you no good. You were doomed to die, anyway."
From behind came a low chuckle. Amazed, Rubeus turned back to Sailor Moon. "What do you have to laugh about, girl?"
Wiping the blood from her face, Moon continued to chuckle. "Because I know something you don't, stud-boy."
"Oh?"
"There are seven Senshi."
Rubeus looked puzzled for a moment, looking at his captives. His knees nearly buckled as a wave of cold pain lanced through his abdomen. Looking down, he saw four blue needles protruding from his stomach. A velvet soprano whispered in his ear, "You shouldn't have hurt the Queen. I don't like people who hurt the Queen." As Nightfall pulled out her claws, Rubeus collapsed to his knees.
Holding her ribs and burning Ki to stay upright, the Senshi leader cried "Moon Queen Elimination!" and a golden double crescent raced towards Rubeus. The wounded warrior still had the strength to raise a barrier.
Nightfall leapt towards the crystal array and Usa. In mid-flight, she cried, "Usa! Can you do the Breaking Point?" The pink-haired girl shook her head, but obviously knew what it was as she dove for cover. As Ranma landed beside the crystal she shouted, "Breaking Point!" touched the stone and covered her face as it shattered into a million pieces.
With a scream of despair, Rubeus' power dimmed and Moon's attack slammed into his body, destroying the miniature black crystal around his neck. The ship immediately began to shake and more energy shields failed, including the crystals binding the captured Senshi.
Usa helped a cut and bleeding Nightfall to her comrades. The Senshi gathered around the two girls, hugging them. An injured Sailor Moor staggered to her Senshi. "I'm so glad you're all okay." She looked at Nightfall." What took you so long?"
"Sorry, Moon. His shields were too tough for me to penetrate until you bled enough power from him. Once I sensed his levels were low enough, I struck." Moon nodded.
"I thought it was something like that. Good timing, sweetie." The Senshi leader gently caressed the redhead's cheek. A gurgling laugh interrupted them.
Holding his freely bleeding stomach, a bruised and battered Rubeus dragged himself towards the Senshi. "Do you think you've won? We're still in Earth orbit and this ship will soon go out of control and explode. You all will be reduced to space dust!"
Jupiter looked at the badly wounded warrior as if he were insane. "If we go, so will you."
Slumping to the deck, Rubeus nodded. "That's right. I can't return to the future anyway. I might as well make Esmeraude a gift before she arrives. It's not so bad dying, as long as I take you with me." The deck beneath him cracked and a gout of flame engulfed the man. The Senshi turned away from the sight.
"Unless we want to die and save this Esmeraude the trouble, we have to get out here," Mars warned.
"How are we going to do that?" asked a frantic Lesser Mercury.
"Easy, cousin, we'll use the Sailor Teleport." Mercury explained.
"Is that going to work? Moon has used most of her energy," Mars warned.
"I'm okay," Moon assured them. "Besides, I don't think Nightfall will ever be stronger." She said, gesturing at the archway window. As they looked up, they saw the saw the sun rising.
"The terminator line," Mercury whispered.
Moon nodded. Looking down at Usa, she asked playfully, "You're with us, right Usa?"
With a determined nod, the younger girl answered, "Yes, always."
"Good girl. I'll get you something nice when we get home."
Usa beamed up at Moon, "Pancakes, please!" The whole group smiled at their leader.
Joining hands, the Senshi again invoked their namesakes. When Nightfall cried "Terminator Power!" she glowed like the sun they could see through the window. With a joint cry of "Sailor Teleport!" the eight girls vanished.
A few seconds after the Senshis' escape, the critically wounded Rubeus rolled out of the flames. Lying facedown, he tried to gather his strength. He became aware of a pair of dark green boots beside his head. He looked up. "Esmeraude! You're a life saver. Please, take me back to the future."
Her wild laugh echoed throughout the doomed ship. "I think not, darling. The Prince has had quite enough of your bumbling for one lifetime, I think. Besides, didn't I specifically tell you not to catch fire before I returned? I'm afraid I will not aid anyone who cannot follow such a simple request. Ta ta, darling." Esmeraude faded from sight.
Rubeus spent his last two minutes of life screaming at his betrayer.
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The seven Senshi and their charge appeared on the quiet residential street that had seen their capture. Moon went to one knee, while Lesser Mercury was only half-conscious. Mercury moved to support her heir. The other Senshi were jubilant at their escape. Dawn was half an hour away.
Usa turned to Moon, pointing an imperious finger. "Don't forget, Sailor Moon. You said you'd make pancakes! And I want a new recipe!"
The other Senshi nodded, even Lesser Mercury. Mars began to lecture her Queen. "It's very important for royalty to keep their promises." In a much smaller voice, she continued, "And can we have some, too?"
Laughing and crying a little, Moon hugged her Second. "We'll need to pick up some supplies, including whip cream and some brandy. I'm making Bananas Foster pancakes today!"
"Your pancakes always were the best, Moon," a quiet baritone commented from the shadows. The girls spun toward the voice, Moon staggering a little in fatigue. Nightfall slipped a muscled arm around her waist in support. Endymion and the two Moon cats slipped into the arc of the streetlight. "How have you been?"
"Doing this and that," the Senshi leader replied in a neutral voice. "Got a job as a waitress, fought off an attack from the future, dated a little. You know, the same old, same old." She unconsciously snuggled against Nightfall.
Endymion's eyes narrowed slightly as he noticed the display. "Is she treating you well, Sailor Moon?"
"Better than my last boyfriend, I'd say." The other Senshi all nodded at that, giving the Earth Prince hostile glares. Nightfall was turning rather red.
"Then all is well," he replied quietly. "I will aid you where I can and if you will allow. But you must remember that I no longer have a connection to the Moon. I will do what is best for the Earth. Farewell."
"Wait!" cried Mercury. "What happened to you? Why are you in your Endymion form rather than Tuxedo Kamen?"
Endymion smiled sadly. "I have been talking with Artemis and Luna. Artemis thinks that just as Sailor Moon was Luna's creation, Tuxedo Kamen was Moon's creation. She influenced me through our link, turning me into a 'romantic' hero. I don't mean to insult you, Moon, but you must admit a tuxedo-clad hero who throws roses to aid his heroine is something out a girl's romance comic."
Mercury put it together. With regret in her voice, she surmised, "So now you're no longer connected to Moon, you're no longer Tuxedo Kamen." He nodded. "Not surprising, since Moon has chosen her Senshi and is now Queen. Sailor Nightfall is Sailor Moon's Senshi." Endymion nodded again.
Moon shook herself. "We should be getting back to the apartment. Nabiki-chan and Kasumi-chan must be worried, and I have pancakes to cook." She began leading the group off. "We'll be in touch."
Endymion watched them go. He felt both sad and relieved. Well Chiba, old man, it looks like your future is your own. Never mind, I wish the Kid well. Never knew Usagi swung that way. He pondered for a bit. Nightfall has to be Ranma. Hmmm, I wonder. Maybe she really was a boy? As he prepared to roof hop home, his last thought was, I wonder how much I'm going to regret losing her.
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Usagi's pancakes were a godsend. They gave all of them enough energy to stagger through the day, although Sailor Nightfall fell asleep several times in Usa's class. Luckily, the only fallout was to reinforce Usa's classmates' belief that the room was haunted and start to make a believer out of their teacher.
The naps helped, as Ranma pulled a full shift at Ucchan's. The traffic was still lighter than they were used to, but was starting to recover. The evening was uneventful until closing, when a frantic knocking shattered the calm.
Konatsu gingerly opened the door and a Chinese girl staggered in, her pantsuit torn and stained. She may have been beautiful, but dirt, fatigue and fresh wounds were an effective disguise. Konatsu noticed she was missing the last two joints from the pinkie on her left hand. The tattered girl looked around wildly, until she saw Ranma. Staggering to the redheaded girl, she fell to her knees, grabbing the startled waitress around the hips.
Studying the worn girl and the remains of her clothing, Ranma blanched. "Ling-Ling?"
With tears in her eyes, the Amazon looked up. "Yes, yes. Ranma too too smart to remember Ling-Ling. Come ask god-slayer for help."
Kneeling down, Ranma hugged the younger girl. "What happened?"
"Elder Cologne in jail. Council going to lock big sister. You come, free Elder, save big sister. Please? Elder ask boon from student. No let big sister turn cat." Ling-Ling looked down at her maimed hand. "Big fight in village. Some stand with Elder. Many go with Council. Elder say, only Ranma save. You come? Please?"
Grim-faced, Ranma nodded.