Spoiled Brats
Disclaimer: Kyon-kun... denwa. (Argh!)
Author's Notes: I cannot thank the folks ad fukufics dot com, and especially grammar and spelling proof reader extraordinaire, J. St. C. Patrick, enough for giving these chapters the once over before I post them. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Chapter Thirty-Eight – Awakening the Past
The Moon Palace was a beautiful structure. Its polished white marble, imported from the Earth, almost glowed from the light from the blue-white sphere that hung in a sea of a million stars. To the five girls who had rarely left a major metropolitan area, it was the stars, far more numerous than the handful that could be seen from home, that really hit home that they weren't in Tokyo anymore.
And then there was their clothing. Of them all, only Kino Makoto was unchanged, in her guise as Sailor Jupiter. The rest were dressed in gowns. Hino Rei's was the most conservative, a red floor length dress with a high neckline and long, loose sleeves. Mizuno Ami's pale blue dress had a lower neckline and tighter sleeves, and silver chains emphasized the bodice of her dress. Aino Minako's light yellow dress was similar to Ami's, though it was sleeveless, and the chains were golden.
Finally, at the top of the dais of the throne room, stood Tsukino Usagi. Her white dress was most similar Rei's, though it was sleeveless like Minako's. The girl's hair was out of her usual twin ponytails, and a golden crescent peeked out from behind her bangs.
Minako was the first to kneel, her head bowing as she placed her hand over her heart. "Princess..." Ami quickly followed her example.
Makoto looked wryly at Rei before kneeling, saying, "We should show our respect."
"I think I remember being more polite in the past," Rei admitted, before joining the others.
The Moon Princess looked down at her guardians, and asked, "Minako-chan? Ami-chan? Rei-chan? Mako-chan? What are you doing?"
The four girls looked at each other in confusion. Finally, Minako asked, "Usagi-chan?"
The Princess nodded.
"You don't remember anything?"
Usagi shook her head.
Minako sighed as she stood up. She slowly climbed up the few steps and placed her hands on her princess' shoulders. "Usagi-chan, it's very important for you to remember. Please, try to remember. We need to know what happened when the Moon Kingdom was destroyed."
"I..."
Minako smiled. "You don't want to remember, do you?"
Usagi once again shook her head, frowning.
"Please try."
Usagi closed her eyes, unconsciously chewing on her lower lip. "I guess it began when I first met Prince Endymion of the Earth Kingdom, and we fell in love. Love between the people of the Earth and the people of the Moon was forbidden, for it was said that such a love would bring calamity to both kingdoms..."
Sailor Jupiter frowned. "I don't understand, how could love bring disaster to both kingdoms?"
Usagi shrugged. "I'm not sure. Maybe because the people of the Earth were jealous of us. It was Beryl, a woman of the Earth, who..."
"Liar," an angry male voice declared.
"Excuse me?"
A tall, regal looking man stormed into the throne room. His long hair was tied into a topknot. His black uniform stood out from the white marble of the palace, though the white cloak he wore softened his outline a bit. The princely man glared at Usagi, and growled, "I said you're a liar, you little bitch! It's..." The man staggered, his eyes going wide. "What... NO! DON'T! Don't make me..."
The man screamed as his body blurred. His hair lightened to auburn, his body shrunk and developed feminine curves, and her clothing changed from a severe military uniform into an attractive green dress with an intricately laced bodice that enhanced the woman's already impressive cleavage. "That is enough of that, Kunzite," Ranma said firmly. "You're not helping the situation any."
Ranma's blue eyes, free of the contacts she normally wore when appearing as Takeda Megumi, locked onto Minako's. Seconds later, she had swept up the girl in a fierce embrace, spinning her around while kissing her deeply. "Sorry about going girl, Minako-chan, but I've found it's the easiest way shut him up. I don't think he knows how to deal with it." She held the girl out at arms length, so Ranma could take a good look at her. "Please don't do that to me again, Minako. I don't think I could stand it."
Minako smiled nervously. "Hai."
Ranma turned to Usagi, who began to tremble. The older woman gently held the girl's shoulders, and said, "Kunzite was right about one thing, Usagi-chan. The Princess is lying to us." As the rest of the girls frowned at her, Ranma added, "You don't have to take that from her, Usagi-chan. She ruined her life and countless others. Don't let her ruin yours as well."
When Usagi looked uncertainly at Ranma, she said, "You are not the Princess, Usagi-chan. I am not Kunzite. We are the reincarnations of those who failed the people of the Earth and the Moon so utterly. We are burdened with their memories, their powers, and the mess they made, and I'll be damned if we surrender our lives to those people as well. You are one of the most wonderful people I know, Usagi-chan, and I don't want to see you sacrifice your life so that spoiled little girl can get a second chance at screwing up her life, and the lives of everyone on this planet.
"We need to know the secret of the Ginzuishou, Usagi-chan. The Princess knows what it is. Make her tell us what it is. I know you can do it."
- + - + -
Ranma watched the subtle play of expression across Usagi's face, as the girl wrestled with the remnants of that brat from the past life, confident that Usagi was strong enough to wring the truth from the spoiled Princess Serenity. Ranma knew now that Metaria was able to draw energy from the Ginzuishou, and could do so no matter where it was on the surface of the planet. What Ranma needed to know was why.
"It started thousands of years before the fall of the Silver Millennium," Usagi said slowly, her eyes closed, in a voice that was not quite her own. "The Earth wasn't at peace then. Humanity warred with ourselves far more frequently than the demons and monsters that preyed upon us. To gain any advantage we could get, whether it was enemies from without or within, wizards and scientists created artifacts, weapons, and even beings of awesome power. Frequently, we would try to tame the wilderness, to spread the presence of human beings to the furthest reach of the planet, even in the most inhospitable reaches of our world.
"Each of those attempts ended in failure. It is said that Nature abhors a vacuum, but what it really desires is equilibrium. If you create a powerful weapon of fire, somewhere else in the world a being of ice, of equal power, would emerge. Which meant that every time we created powerful magics to bring life to lifeless regions, to nurture and preserve life where it is threatened, we created monsters that devastated life with equal vigor.
"In time, we realized that we had to balance things out. Most things are easy to balance. If we created a weapon of fire, we had to balance it out with a weapon of ice. But how do you balance out life with death?
"It was the ancestor of the Serenity that came up with the solution. She created a pair of artifacts, each the equal yet opposite of the other: one to preserve life, and one to destroy it; One for good, the other for evil. But rather than create powerful artifacts, these were practically powerless, but would gain power over time as they were fed the life-force of others. The first Serenity kept the first for herself, allowing the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou to feed off her, so that its power would grow. She also created four guardians to protect her and the Crystal, for the custodian of the Ginzuishou would be powerless as it drained away most of her life-force.
"She entrusted the custodian of the Ginzuishou's opposite, Metaria, to the only one she could trust not to use the power, or feed Metaria: her lover. To prevent Metaria from leeching power from the Ginzuishou, the two separated from each other for the rest of their lives, knowing that if they were ever reunited, Metaria would awaken and bring calamity against all those near her.
"For hundreds of years, the Serenity nurtured the Ginzuishou, and the Crystal's power grew. As the generations passed, the Ginzuishou was given to the heir to wield, so that Queen Serenity would have the power necessary to run her growing kingdom. Defended and preserved by the Crystal's power, Serenity's kingdom became a paragon of peace and prosperity. But as the Ginzuishou's power grew, so did Metaria's ability to leech power from it. Eventually, to separate the two, Serenity left the Earth behind, and the Moon Kingdom was born.
"On the Earth, the descendants of the first Serenity's lover eventually became the Endymion, whose sworn duty was to keep the Ginzuishou and Metaria apart. In time, the people of the Earth were united under the Endymion, and the Earth Kingdom was born. It was a time of prosperity and peace for both kingdoms. Queen Serenity and King Endymion only met once a year, at a space station midway between the Moon Kingdom and the Earth Kingdom, to discuss issues common to all of Humanity."
Usagi's expression returned to normal. She opened her eyes and looked at the others. "It was the during one of those meetings that Prince Endymion met Princess Serenity, and they fell instantly in love. They tried to deny their feelings, but it didn't take long before Princess Serenity was sneaking down to the Earth to visit her love, intoxicated by his presence, and visiting a world forbidden over many generations. And each time she came to the Earth..."
"Metaria gained more power," Mizuno Ami finished.
"Hai," Ranma said. "And on the Earth, the situation pretty much mirrored the Moon. King Endymion was responsible for running the kingdom, so the responsibility of isolating Metaria fell to Prince Endymion and his guardians. And with the prince distracted by the princess, and their guardians distracted trying to keep the two apart, a woman named Beryl, who had a crush on Prince Endymion, gained access to Metaria, which tempted her with the power to crush her perceived rival. Monsters once again plagued the Earth, and Beryl planted rumors that the Moon Kingdom was to blame.
"Eventually, the people of the Earth, under the influence of Beryl and Metaria, attacked the Moon Kingdom. Prince Endymion sided with the Moon Kingdom, and when the Earth invaded, he was killed..."
"When the Princess saw her lover cut down before her eyes," Usagi said quietly, "She wanted revenge. Revenge against the people of the Earth. And because Metaria was as tied as closely to the Serenity as the Ginzuishou is, Metaria granted her her heart's desire." Usagi looked down, a tear running down her cheek.
"And because it was Beryl blamed Serenity for Endymion's death," Ranma added in disgust, "she wanted revenge against the people of the Moon, and Metaria granted her her desire as well. And the human race was reduced to a handful of survivors on the Earth, and the splendor and might of the Silver Millennium passed into myth."
- + - + -
"So... what do we do now?" Sailor Jupiter asked quietly.
"I think the first thing we should do is stop doing this," Mizuno Ami said quietly.
Usagi's head snapped up. "What do you mean, Ami-chan?"
"This isn't real, right? It's a construct of the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou, right?"
"I guess..."
"Then doesn't it mean that the Crystal is active, which means that Metaria is getting power from it?"
"Oh, no! You're right..." Usagi looked around at the replica of the Moon Palace. "Ano... how do I turn it off?"
- + - + -
Dr. Ono Toufuu sighed in relief when the light died, and with it the earthquake that had badly shaken the hospital. 'That had to have been a five at least. If I'd known that would happen...' He glanced at Minako's heart monitor, which displayed the strong heartbeat of a healthy young girl. 'At least it worked.' Around him, Ranma and his girls looked around in confusion.
"Minako-chan!" Both Ranma and Usagi cried out in unison, Ranma sweeping up the girl into his embrace. Usagi took the first opportunity she could find to squeeze in and hug Minako as well, including the older man in her embrace.
"Thank you, Usagi-chan!" Minako said, before the girl blinked and reached up to her throat. "Hey, it's gone!" She smiled impishly at Ranma, took a deep breath, and sang, "o/` I love you, baby baby, switch off the light. Baby baby, kiss me. o/`" Her eyes went wide when she was interrupted by Ranma's kiss, which caused the other girls to giggle.
Ami turned from the commotion on the bed, to Osaka Naru, who still held the side rail of the other bed firmly. "Naru-chan? Are you alright?" Naru shook her head. "What's wrong?" The sole ordinary human being in the room gave the young genius a confused look.
"Hey! My ribs are alright!" Sailor Jupiter said, poking at her torso with increasing force. She transformed back into Kino Makoto. Soon, the girls became aware of similar cries of joy coming from adjoining rooms. It sounded as if the entire hospital was celebrating a miracle.
- + - + -
"I'm going to KILL HER!" Tendo Akane screamed as she struggled with the shackles that held her to the bed. "I'm going to rip off her wings, and BEAT HER TO DEATH WITH THEM. Damn you, Kiima! Because of you, I've seen HELL!" She blinked before adding meekly, "No offense, anata."
Tendo Ken smiled in relief. "None taken, dear."
"Oh my," Ono Kasumi said, equally relieved. "I guess my little sister is back to normal."
- + - + -
"Okay, thank you for the information," Col. Richard Anderson said into the phone. "As soon as you learn anything more, let me know." He hung up.
"So, Colonel," the parolee Claudia Black said. "Do you know what the hell that was?"
"And how wide spread the damage was?" The mage Christian Judge added.
"Believe it or not, that wasn't Ms. Takeda reacting to the death of Ms. Aino." The colonel informed the rest of his staff. "There was some kind of bizarre phenomenon at the hospital. While the accompanying earthquake did a bit of minor damage, there are no reports of serious injury so far, and from all reports, everyone at the hospital was miraculously cured, including the kid and Mrs. Tendo. According to the guards posted at her room, Mrs. Tendo's threats against Kiima sound quite painful."
Captain Amanda Tapping looked up from her laptop. "Colonel, I just got the preliminary seismic data. That earthquake was a 5.2, and the estimated epicenter easily includes Juuban General Hospital." She frowned. "Sir, that much power is enough to power a small city for a year, and it was just a byproduct of whatever happened."
The colonel looked at his executive officer. "And whatever it was, it was probably just to heal one person. The fact that others were healed was probably also an unintended byproduct. I really think it's time to get that girl-scout troupe and their den mother to come in so we can see exactly what they can do." Seeing the captain opening her mouth, he added. "And yes, I know 'den mother' is the wrong term."
- + - + -
"I can't thank you enough, Mizuno-sensei, for giving Minako a place to stay until the apartment is repaired," Ranma said as they walked home from the hospital, his arm around Minako's shoulder. "No matter how tempting it might be, I think it's better for all involved if my sister stays with me." Minako stuck her tongue out at him.
"Minako-chan's more than welcome to stay with us, Takeda-san," Mizuno Saeko said. "Um..."
Ranma looked at the older woman. "Is there something wrong?"
"I'm not sure how to say this..."
"If you want to know why Megumi-sensei didn't show up, mother, she said she'd take our patrols. She didn't trust herself around fragile things like hospital buildings." Ami said.
"That wasn't it, and we're going to have a long talk about that, young lady. Takeda-san, please don't take this the wrong way, isn't she a little young?"
"I'm willing to wait a few years for her body to finish growing up." He grinned at the girl under his arm, who rolled her eyes. "She's the impatient one, and until two hours ago, she had good reason to be. She's got the reigns in this relationship. I reserve the right to keep my feet on the brakes, though."
He saw that they were approaching the apartment complex. "Well, ladies, this is where I'll have to bid you good night." He kissed Minako. "Sleep tight, Minako-chan," he called as he walked off.
"Fat chance of that," he heard her grumble right before he rounded the side of the building, out of sight. He transformed into Megumi, and teleported up to the hallway outside of their apartment.
She was surprised to see that the police tape had been taken down, and had been replaced by a sign and an envelope with her name written on it. She opened the envelope and read the note inside:
"Ms. Takeda,
"Given the events of this morning, I figured you didn't need the problem of being homeless, no matter how temporary, on top of everything else. So I took the liberty of arranging for the repair of your apartment.
"Sincerely,
"Colonel Richard Anderson, USAF."
Ranma smiled at the familiar sign: "This residence has been proudly repaired by the Nerima Repair Crew. When they knock it down, we'll put it back up again."
Ranma was still grinning when Mizuno Saeko and the girls reached their floor.
- + - + -
Beryl frowned as she made her way down the stairs to the dungeon. The appearance of the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou had been brief, and as a result, Metaria hadn't gained nearly as much power as Beryl had hoped. But it still represented a massive acceleration of her time schedule, and she couldn't resist the temptation to gloat.
"Well, Maaro," she said with a smile. "I cannot thank you enough for the excellent service your people have given me. You should be proud that they are so obedient."
Silence greeted her pronouncement.
Beryl stared at the door of the dark cell. "Maaro? Are you sulking now?" She laughed.
"Maaro?" She asked, taking an unconscious step forward. "Maaro?" She took several more steps.
She didn't get a chance to scream when a clawed hand darted out of the cell at her throat.
- + - + -
Ono Toufuu and Kasumi returned home and found Tendo Soun waiting for them. "Sorry we're so late, Father," Kasumi said, "But things were so chaotic at the hospital. How are the children?"
"They were a bit shook up by the earthquake, but they went right back to sleep." The man frowned. "Ryouga-kun is here, Doctor. He brought someone you should look at. The man didn't look well at all. He's in examining room number one."
"Thank you, Father. You'll be glad to know that Akane is fine, and while it was a very close thing, Ranma-kun's fiancee lives." Toufuu shook his head when Soun scowled at the mention of Ranma's name. 'Is he ever going to get past what happened? It's been over ten years now.'
"Father," Kasumi scolded. "Please don't blame Ranma for what happened..."
"That man is pure poison..."
"Father, it's late, and I'm well aware of your opinion of Ranma-kun. Needless to say, we don't agree..."
While Kasumi dealt with his father-in-law, Toufuu entered the examining room. "Hello, Ryouga-kun. So who do you have for me?"
"I don't know, Doc. I found him chained up in some cave somewhere. There's something seriously wrong with him..."
Toufuu frowned. "I can see that. Let's see if I can figure out..." Toufuu trailed off when something about his patient's appearance sent a chill up his spine.
"Doc? Are you just going to stand there?"
Toufuu crept cautiously towards one of the room's lights, turning it on and directing it towards the man on the examine table. The man's appearance didn't change, as if he was part of a poorly doctored photograph.
"Doc?"
"Ryouga, come with me." Toufuu walked back into his reception area, and shouted, "Kasumi!"
Kasumi opened the door to the stairs to their apartment above the clinic. "Dear, be quiet, you'll wake the children."
"Kasumi, get the children, and go to your sister's place. Code red."
The woman paled, and ran up the stairs.
"Doc, what's going on?"
"Not until Kasumi and the kids are out of here, Ryouga-kun." Toufuu waited until Kasumi and their children were out of the clinic before he made a quick call on his cellphone. "Come on... pick up! Ranma! Code red, the clinic... Ranma?" The doctor looked at his cell phone in confusion.
Ryouga frowned at Ranma's name. "That coward's back?"
"Ryouga, shut up. This isn't the time..."
With a loud crack, female-type Ranma appeared in the clinic, the Gekkaja in her hands. Brown eyes beneath auburn bangs bore into Ryouga's, and the eternally lost man swallowed nervously. Despite her altered appearance, Ryouga recognized Ranma's distinctive battle aura anywhere.
"Doc?" She asked, her eyes never leaving Ryouga's.
"Examine room number one." Ryouga sighed in relief when those eyes moved on, and the scarily intense woman left the room.
"That was Ranma?"
"Yes..." The doctor trailed off when a scantily dressed young blonde, wearing a white leotard, orange skirt, and a blue bow on her chest, burst through a door that hadn't been there before. The girl's right hand blazed with a strange power.
The girl looked around the clinic before locking eyes with Ryouga. "Doctor?" For the second time in as many minutes, Ryouga felt a sense of dread.
"It's not him," Doctor Toufuu reassured the girl.
Moments later, a confused Ranma exited the examination room. "Um, Doc? Why do you have a vampire in your clinic?"
- + - + -
Author's Notes: Whew... an extra long chapter today, since real life was kind to me, and didn't interrupt for a change. A lot of exposition in this chapter, but the nature of the Ginzuishou in Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, and that of the Sailor Senshi, is very different from the anime and manga, pretty much required it at some point in the story. This was that point. ^_^;