"It's done," Mordaé told her. "I marked her grave. There were no other bodies. And the ginzoshou was missing as well."
"Thank you," Tranquility said evenly. "Any indication of the situation on the other planets?"
"Barren and uninhabitable," Mordaé replied. "I set the Millennial computer on standby. The whole system seems intact, but there isn't any activity. Full shut down would require Your Majesty's authorization."
Tranquility stiffened. "Your Highness, not Majesty."
Mordaé smiled. "The Queen is dead. Your sister is not available. That means you are the Queen. Long live the Queen." She bowed.
Tranquility sighed. "You aren't going to let this pass are you?"
Mordaé's smile turned into a wicked grin. "Of course not, Your Majesty." She ducked as Tranquility tried to smack her. "Incoming." She stepped in front of Tranquility as the purple sphere rushed toward them. She held out her hands and absorbed the blast, calmly waiting for the arrival of their attacker.
"-dead scream-" announced the arrival of another blast of energy. Mordaé brushed it aside with a sigh.
"Why are the Outers always so damn impetuous?" Mordae didn't wait for an answer, leaping to meet the angry Senshi. Garnet Staff met Power Key in a flash of sparks and a ringing bell-tone. The two women clashed back and forth for several moments, until they came to a halt near Tranquility.
"Pluto," Tranquility snapped, the authority in her voice unmistakable. "Stand down."
Sailor Pluto was not accustomed to hearing that tone directed at her. It startled her enough to snap her out of her anger, if for no other reason than to see who dared speak to her like that. What she saw wasn't what she was expecting, or prepared for.
Princess Tranquility was as different from her twin sister, Serenity, as night from day. The shorter of the two, Tranquility had, never the less, always radiated an aura of command. Where her sister was light and willowy, Tranquility was solid and dark. Her hair was black and held back in a single thick braid that reached her ankles. She tended to wear dark blues and purples, in practical pant suits and jumpers. Few had seen her in a gown, let alone white. She rarely put herself forward, working behind the scenes instead. Many had whispered that when Serenity took the throne, it would be Tranquility that ran the Kingdom. When she gave orders, they were carried out, especially since she was usually right in the midst of it all, making sure things ran smoothly.
Tranquility had the Crescent Moon Symbol of the Royal family, but she had been born moments too early to be the heiress. All the signs had pointed to Serenity as the Heir to the throne. Of course Metallia and Beryl had attacked, preventing the normal prophecies from being fulfilled.
Tranquility's constant companion was another enigma. No one knew where the tiny redhead had come from. She had simply appeared on Tranquility's 8th birthday and attached herself to the princess. No one had argued. She was barely as tall as the 14 year old Princess and her hair was braided like Tranquility's, but with a crescent bladed clip at the end. She was slender but busty, with piercing green eyes. She moved like a stalking cat, silently flitting along in Tranquility's shadow. And she carried a pole arm nearly twice her size. Her Power Key Staff, she called it, and she sparred with Saturn and the Silence Glaive.
Pluto bowed to Tranquility. "My apologies, Your Majesty."
Tranquility smiled back sadly. "I understand, Pluto. What happened? Where are my sister and her Senshi?"
"Gone away, gone ahead..." Mordaé muttered.
"As she said, Your Majesty. Your mother sent as many as she could to safety in the future." Pluto glared briefly at Mordaé who smiled impishly back. "Lady Beryl attempted to free Metallia. She and Endymoin's Captains assaulted the Palace while Pygmalion led an army against the Outer Defenses. The Outers went a bit overboard and activated the Doomsday Field. Saturn stopped it, but they all died in the process. All the planets but Earth were laid waste. And without Velocity..."
Tranquility nodded. "Still, we must do our jobs. And hope for the best. Mordaé and I will keep watch on Earth."
"And I shall return to the Gates, Your Majesty. I will not fail my task." Pluto bowed and disappeared into the time-stream.
"It's not the task that's important," Tranquility said softly. "Do not fail yourself. Or Serenity."
Fin Prologue
Tsukino Usagi considered herself brave, in general. She had faced death several times and held on to win the day. Her friends had died for her several times and she thought bravery was the main thing that kept her going when all was lost. Well, bravery and Love. But love didn't matter at the moment. Mamo-chan was in America again on a school project, and wouldn't be there to save her this time. And even Mamo-chan would have been careful not to let himself get caught like this.
Minako and Makoto had dragged her into this. The fact that they were with her was not as reassuring as she had hoped. Sure, they were the strongest and most experienced of her friends when it came to fighting. And they were the victorious Sailor Venus and the formidable Sailor Jupiter. But if even half of the stories were half true, being a Senshi wasn't going to help them now.
It had all started as another Boy-hunt. Minako had seen a gorgeous hunk of a boy. Makoto had gladly joined in the Chase. Ami had wisely claimed a Juku (in the middle of summer break? Well this was Ami after all) and Rei had Shrine duties for the Midsummer Matsui. Usagi had nothing else interesting to do, so she had agreed to come along. That had been before she had known where they were going.
And now here they were, preparing to disembark into what, Usagi was certain, would become their worst nightmare. She clutched her purse and wished it was the Moon Scepter. For one of the few times in her life, Usagi actually wished she was already transformed into her Eternal Moon form. Her hands became clammy but she wasn't quite trembling as the voice announced their stop as if announcing their arrival in Hell.
"This stop, Nerima. This stop, Nerima."
Tranquility Protocols, Chapter 1
"Oh come on Usagi-chan," Minako said. "You can't really believe that there are martial artists here who can smash walls, or punch craters, or leap from roof to roof."
Usagi nodded. "About as easily as I can believe in talking cats, or Sailor Senshi, or the Negaverse."
"That's Juban, Usagi," Makoto put in. "This is just Nerima-cho. How weird can it get?"
Her question was answered by a boy falling out of the sky, into their midst, with a cry of "Look out."
He was fairly tall, with his black hair braided in a tail. He was wearing loose black pants and a red Chinese style tang, the sleeves rolled up at his elbows. Black slippers completed the combo. He rose from his crouch and rubbed the back of his head nervously.
Minako was gone. Her eyes had glazed over and Usagi could see the hearts. She was drooling slightly as she gazed upon perfection. Makoto had slightly more control, and she had thought to bring bribes.
"I made this to eat you with," she babbled, holding out a bento slightly larger than a shoe box.
Usagi could see that this guy was a hunk. He didn't stand a chance against Mamo-chan of course, as he was obviously too immature. But he seemed nice enough at first glance.
"Er... Saotome Ranma," he said. "Sorry 'bout this."
"I'm Tsu..." Usagi didn't get any further as she was cut off by a cry of "Ranma! Prepare to die."
Ranma was used to this sort of thing and reacted smoothly, scooping up the three girls. He leapt to the balcony of the building across the street and from there kicked off to the roof of a nearby store. Usagi, finding herself half over his shoulder, had a clear view of the other boy, who landed in the spot they had vacated, his umbrella shattering the concrete.
"Ranma, you coward! Come back and fight man to man!" The irate voice faded as Usagi watched its owner run off in another direction.
Usagi became aware that there was a hand holding her in a very inappropriate place, and that it belonged to the boy, Ranma. But even as she opened her mouth to say something the hand withdrew leaving her standing on her feet. Ranma was blushing profusely and had the offending hand behind his back. The other hand was firmly glomped by Makoto, though Minako was making serious attempts to claim it for herself. Usagi decided that he hadn't been trying to grab her backside on purpose, and smiled.
"I'm Tsukino Usagi, and these are my friends, Aino Minako and Kino Makoto." Usagi indicated her friends respectively. "How did you manage to jump up here? And carrying all three of us? Are you some sort of Youma?"
He didn't seem evil, but you could never be sure.
Ranma had finally managed to free his hand from the two girls. He waved off Usagi's questions. "Just martial arts training. I'm the best martial artist in Japan. Nice t'meetcha." He eyed the bento in Makoto's hand, wondering if the food would be worth the pain Akane might inflict. He didn't notice Makoto's triumphant grin at Minako as she held out the bento.
"Dozo," she said. "You must have used a lot of energy to save us. Have some of this."
"Arigatou!" Ranma exclaimed. He took a brief moment to notice the layout before he demolished one of the better bentos he'd had recently. Akane was getting better, but it took Kasumi and his mother to supervise her. Her bentos were actually mostly palatable these days.
The three girls stared. Usagi knew she had a habit of eating rapidly and sometimes messily, but Ranma went beyond her. He ate cleanly, but his hands were nearly invisible as he finished one of Makoto's best in less than half the time it would have taken Usagi.
"Thanks," Ranma said again. "That was almost as good as Momma's. You guys are new to Nerima aren'tcha? What brings you here?"
Usagi panicked for a moment. Her friends were goners again, but they would never forgive her if she announced their real reason for coming here. Suddenly something Ami had said at their last meeting came back to her. Something about Silver Millennium energy sources.
"We heard the Sailor Senshi were moving to Nerima to help take care of the troubles here," Usagi improvised. "We're really big fans and were hoping to see them in action or maybe even get rescued by them."
"Why would any sailors come to Nerima?" Ranma asked. "The ports are all over in Yokohama where the ships and things dock."
"No! No! Not sailors. The Bishoujo Senshi. Sailor Moon, Sailor Venus, Sailor Jupiter."
Ranma shrugged. "Never heard of them. Unless my pop managed to engage me to one of them." A sudden thought occurred. "These Sailors are girls, right?"
Usagi rolled her eyes. His ignorance had even snapped Makoto and Minako out of their dazed fantasies. But Ranma went on without pausing.
"Hey! Kasumi might know. I'd take you to ask Akane, but she and Uchan went to Juban for some reason." Ranma wasn't sure why Akane and Ukyo were getting along so well, but he was glad. Tensions had been running high since the failed wedding. Not having to worry about his friend and his fiancée ripping each other's throats out was one less pressure. "Come on. You'll like Kasumi." He scooped the three of them up again (taking greater care of where his hands landed) and sprinted off across the roofs toward the Tendo Dojo.
-----
Haruka and Michiru stared as Setsuna staggered out of her room. The older woman was clutching her head as she stumbled across the room to her liquor cabinet and yanked it open with a sound of splintering wood. She began searching through the bottles noisily.
"Isn't that normally locked?" Michiru whispered to Haruka. Haruka nodded in return.
Setsuna found the bottle she wanted and held it up triumphantly until a wave of pain slashed across her face. She fumbled briefly with the sealed wrapping and cracked the cap. She quickly poured a tumbler full and slammed it back. Haruka winced. Setsuna poured and downed a second glass full. Michiru began to worry.
"Is something wrong, Setsuna?"
Setsuna wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and stared blearily at the two women. She downed another slug of the liquor, straight from the bottle this time.
"My sister is coming." Setsuna straightened up. "The Tranquility Protocols are active and Hotaru could be in danger." She peered at the bottle. "I hope this is enough." And she upended the bottle, draining it in three long swallows. "Tell my sister I'm indisposed. For the next week. And don't let her near Hotaru." And with that she keeled over, avoiding a smashed nose as Haruka caught her.
"Grab her feet, Michan, and we'll get her to her room."
Michiru grabbed Setsuna around the knees and helped maneuver her up the stairs. "Hello Kitty lingerie?"
Haruka snickered as they dumped the plastered woman onto her bed. "Hotaru found it on-line and ordered it for Setsuna as a Mother's Day gift. I made her tell me what it was before I let her use my credit card."
The two women headed out to secure the house and make sure Hotaru was OK. It wasn't until much later that Setsuna's other remark set in.
"Sailor Pluto has a sister?"
-----
Akane Tendo tried not to stare as she and Ukyo exited the Juban station. Contrary to the stories, there were no Senshi present. In fact the whole place seemed oddly peaceful given the rumors that had been circulating for the past year or so. Akane came back to the present as Ukyo grabbed her arm.
"So how are we supposed to find these Senshi anyway? I doubt we can ask at the nearest Police box."
Akane grinned. "Oh ye of little faith. There's a shrine here that specializes in fire readings to tell the future. I've heard the Shrine Maiden there is surprisingly accurate and clear."
Ukyo nodded. "Sounds like as good a plan as any. You think she can tell us why we're having these weird dreams and urges? I mean, I never really hated you, but to suddenly start having erotic dreams about you..."
"Yeah," Akane agreed with a blush. "Kind of weird out of the blue like that. Maybe our past lives were Amazon lovers or something."
Ukyo joined Akane's laughter as they headed off down the street. Neither of them seemed to notice that they were holding hands.
-----
Hino Rei and her friend Mizuno Ami were relaxing together on the steps of the Shrine office. Rei had brought out some juice and crackers and they were idly snacking and chatting. Rei had mellowed a lot since Galaxia and Ami had lost a lot of her shyness, at least around her friends. Usagi had nearly choked the first time Ami had made an innuendo laden joke about her and Rei. Rei had been laughing so hard that Makoto had to rescue Usagi with a quick slap on the back. After that they had all loosened up and spent more time becoming friends than having meetings about saving the world. Rei and Ami had discovered a mutual liking for sitting outdoors and quietly appreciating nature, something they rarely got to do with Usagi and Minako around. Ami was typing studiously on her computer, pausing occasionally to prompt Rei, who would then read aloud from a book of Haiku.
"You really think you can write a Haiku creator?" Rei was constantly amazed at the things Ami did for recreation.
"Oh yes," Ami exclaimed. "The data base available on the M-comp is incredible. I just need to get the search parameters right and make sure the word filter is set properly."
"Word filter? You mean it could create naughty haiku?"
Ami blushed and giggled at her friend's suggestion. "You should have seen the first limerick it came up with when I did that project last semester."
Rei joined in the giggling. They paused as the ravens suddenly flew up from the shrine gate. Just as suddenly Ami's computer beeped loudly in a familiar code.
"Silver Millennium," Ami whispered. "And very strong. On par with the Eternal Senshi."
Rei nodded and rose to her feet. "Keep an eye out. I'll go see who it is."
As Ami went into the Shrine, Rei headed around the main building to the front. She heard the bell ring twice as the visitors paid their respects and prayed. Not Haruka and Michiru then. And Setsuna wouldn't have bothered with the steps. She came in sight and did a double take.
For the briefest moment the two girls resembled herself and Ami. But then the differences became apparent. The short haired girl was thicker than Ami and seemed to be mostly muscle. Her face was rounder and she was several sizes too large to fit into a seifuku. The other girl was also more muscled than Rei, and her long hair was brown rather than black. She had it tied back with a white ribbon and she carried a large baker's peel attached to a bandoleer of spatulas. Even from several meters away, Rei could feel the Silver Millennium energy radiating from the two.
"Good morning," Rei managed without stuttering.
The two girls turned as one, the blue haired one raising a hand in a defensive gesture. She blushed and dropped her hand, bowing apology. Her friend bopped her lightly on the shoulder before facing Rei and bowing.
"Kuonjii Ukyo and Tendo Akane. We heard that this shrine has a Maiden who can read the future and maybe interpret dreams?"
"Hino Rei. A pleasure to meet you." Rei returned the bows. "I have been known to have some success in foretelling the future, and I can offer some advice on dreams. But you should know that foretelling is very obscure. Meanings of visions are rarely understood until after the fact."
"We understand. Perhaps if we start with the dreams."
"Yes," Akane agreed. "There's something familiar about you. You resemble someone from one of my dreams."
Rei laughed lightly as the two exchanged glances and blushed. "I usually hear that from the boys. But I hardly think you're picking up on me." She glanced down where the two were holding hands. They blushed and let go of each other. Rei smiled to reassure them. "Your private lives are no problem, and anything you tell me about dreams and so forth is confidential. As long as I feel you aren't a threat to yourself or others, you understand."
They stared for a moment as they figured out what she meant. "Oh," Ukyo exclaimed. "It's nothing like that. More like dreams about past lives or something."
Rei nodded and gestured toward the Shrine offices where they had private consulting rooms. Ami was sitting in the entry room, busily typing on her computer. "Our receptionist and assistant, Mizuno Ami." Rei waved at her in passing and Ami nodded with a smile at the other two girls.
They entered a small room with a comfortable couch and several chairs. Akane and Ukyo sat together on the couch. Rei pulled up a chair across from them. She briefly let her eyes unfocused, trying to read their auras, but she saw nothing unusual. They both had very strong life forces.
"Tell me about your dreams. You can leave out the private parts for now."
"OK," Akane said. "I remember one part vividly. We were in a huge ballroom all made of white marble. The dancing area was lined with pillars and an orchestra was playing a haunting waltz. The princess' favorite I recall. She wasn't dancing with her prince though. I recall Ukyo and I were dancing. She was wearing a brilliant, shimmering gown that looked like the sunrise."
"And her gown resembled her forge," Ukyo put in. "Black and red, with diamond sparks rising up the bodice and shining in her hair."
Rei noted the dreamy quality of their voices. They were reliving the dream, if it was just a dream and not a memory. The description sounded familiar.
"There were others. A boyish blonde girl dancing with a beautiful woman with sea colored hair. And a dainty blue haired girl, like your receptionist, was dancing with a tall brunette. I seem to recall that there was some anger about us dancing. The dance was supposed to be for the princess. In fact that's where I recall you from." Akane paused and stared at Rei intently. "You had on a shimmery red gown. Several of the Mercurians seemed to think it indecent. The front was cut low and there was a split up to one hip. You were gorgeous. And as usual you threw everyone on their ear when you asked the princess to dance. Mother just about had a fit right there, but she could hardly interrupt the princess' dance. Bad enough that I was dancing with Aura, but for you to dance with the princess was almost too much."
Rei blinked as a sudden memory came to her. "I remember the dressing down she gave us later. All teary eyed about never having grandchildren because of our preferences while she reamed us about appropriate public behavior."
They stared at each other for a long moment.
"Oneesan?" Rei whispered. Akane stared, wide-eyed.
"So it seems," Ukyo said. "At least, you were in some past life. You seem to know a lot about this past. You weren't at all surprised by her description."
Rei blinked. "Ah.. er.."
"It's because we have a strong connection to that past life," Ami said quietly as she entered the room. "Some times when your past life was a strong or important person, the memories can awaken if there was some task left unfinished."
"So our task was left unfinished when the Kingdom fell to the darkness?" Akane asked. "But you seem to have had memories of this for some time. Why are we just now remembering them? And what does this mean in our current lives? Are we..." She trailed off and glanced at Ukyo.
Rei shook her head. "You aren't ruled by your past. However if you were similar to us then fighting your destiny could be more painful than going with it. If you'd like, I have a friend who can help you awaken those memories. But that will make it much harder to avoid whatever destiny awaits."
Akane looked at Ukyo. Ukyo stared back.
"I get the feeling that she'll never forgive us if we don't do this," Akane said.
"Good point," Ukyo agreed. "It's likely she'd drag us kicking and screaming by the ears."
Rei looked from one to the other. "Who?"
"Tranquility," a new voice said. "Serenity's twin sister."
The four girls spun to stare at the little black cat with the crescent moon on her forehead.
"Lu-chan!" Ukyo scooped up the surprised moon cat and hugged her, carefully setting her back on her feet after a moment.
"That's Lu-chan?" Akane demanded. "I thought... er... she was... uhm..."
"Oh my," Ukyo breathed softly. "Jealous again, Vul-chan?" She batted her eyelashes seductively at Akane. "Remember what I told you I'd do the next time that happened?"
Akane stared for a moment, then suddenly blushed, with a mumbled, "I'm sorry."
"Really, you two," Luna said, rolling her eyes, "find a bed room if you're going to renew your relationship."
There was silence for a moment until all the girls broke out in questions. Luna endured it for several minutes then opened her mouth to shout for quiet. To her surprise they all fell silent before she could speak.
"Ahem, yes," Luna started. "Serenity has an older twin sister named Tranquility. She wasn't involved in any of the Prophecies, so she was largely forgotten in the histories. She did have her own Senshi though and they had some purpose which we were never told. Something about the Tranquility Protocols. Which means that the Protocols have been activated and Tranquility and her Senshi will be awakening."
"What does that mean for us? And Usa... er Serenity?"
"I don't know," Luna admitted. "They might not even know for sure." She waved a paw at the two girls. "I can try helping them awaken their past memories if they'd like. On the other paw, they might not want to remember being Aura and Vulcan. Those two were worse than Neptune and Uranus most of the time."
Akane and Ukyo exchanged glances and blushed. They turned to the cat and nodded together. Luna nodded in reply, but before she could do anything, Ami's computer beeped. She touched a button and looked up at Rei.
"A Darkling," Ukyo said suddenly. "We must go."
Akane stood with her. "Eternal Vulcan Make Up!" She floated briefly in the air as the transformation took her. She had the familiar body suit and skirt, but there were no ribbons or bows. The skirt and collar were brown and her fuku was gray rather than white. Her gloves were worn, thick leather. And she had a smith's apron, scarred and burned from the forge sparks. In her hand was a large, heavy hammer. "Senshi Vulcan."
Ukyo had gone though much the same. "Eternal Aurora Make Up!" Her skirt had the colors of the rising sun and her bows were bright yellow. A sun stone adorned her breast, glowing brightly in the aftermath of her transformation. "Senshi Aurora."
Before Ami or Rei could react the two had disappeared out the door. They stared at each other then summoned their own transformation wands and hurried after.
Usagi, Makoto and Minako were stunned. The place Ranma had brought them was absolutely overflowing with Silver Millennium energy. It was a place of peace and harmony and they felt calmness overtake them as Ranma ushered them through the gates.
"Ranma."
Ranma flinched at the voice and looked toward the house. "Yes Momma?"
The three girls examined the woman that was approaching. She was tall, as tall as Setsuna, probably, and had an imposing presence. She was wearing a formal kimono and obi and even had traditional tabi. She was lightly cradling a long, silk wrapped bundle in one arm as she held out the other to her son. He stepped forward, obviously uncomfortable with the display, but willing to do anything to please his mother. He kissed her lightly on the cheek and turned toward the three waiting girls.
"Momma, this is Tsukino Usagi, Aino Minako, and Kino Makoto. Makoto is almost as good a cook as you an' Kasumi." He faced the girls. "This is my mother, Saotome Nodoka."
Nodoka had seen the looks the girls were giving her son and the blush of the Kino girl at his offhand compliment had not passed unnoticed either.
"Call me Aunty Nodoka," she gushed girlishly. "All of my son's girlfriends and fiancees do."
"Mom!"
"Now, now dear," Nodoka admonished. "It isn't manly to deceive your young lady friends. They should all know about the compition. After all, some of them may end up as your mistresses, and it's better that there be no bad feelings..."
"MOM!!"
Nodoka laughed lightly at her son. She noted the expressions of the two girls (the Tsukino girl obviously had her eye set elsewhere) and patted Ranma's shoulder. "I'm sorry dear." She bowed to the girls. "I do tend to carry on though. Feel free to come to me, girls, when you need help seducing him." Her wink went unnoticed by Ranma who was reduced to making strangled noises of denial and embarrassment.
Makoto couldn't help but join in. "I think I've figured out the way to his heart, Aunty, but I might need to know some of his favorite foods." She held up the empty bento.
Nodoka's smile grew broader. "Have you told them about your... condition, son?" She had no sooner spoken than she heard a splash and her son's shoulder dropped half a meter.
"Ya had to bring it up, didn'tcha, Momma," OnnaRanma said wryly as she adjusted her pants at the waist and loosened the frogs on her tang.
Nodoka appeared to ignore the stares of the three girls as she kissed her, currently female, offspring on the forehead. "I'm sure they'll understand, dear. Kasumi has a kettle warming and some snacks. I'll just be out shopping for a bit." She smiled warmly at the three girls as she passed them and disappeared out the front gate.
Kasumi was standing in the doorway. "I'm sorry Ranma-chan. I really didn't look when I emptied the wash water."
"It's OK, Kasumi-chan. This is Usagi, Makoto, and Minako. They were wondering about the Basinji Shoujo or something. I'll get the kettle and the snacks, you sit and talk with them." OnnaRanma pushed Kasumi toward the table after the girls. She disappeared into the kitchen.
Kasumi smiled and waited as the girls seated themselves. "I'm guessing you meant the Bishoujo Senshi? Or did you come for a different reason?" She watched intently and realized the truth of the second statement. "You should know that Ranma has enough trouble with girls. He has two fiancees already and several other women chasing him. And his curse is something of a problem too."
"Curse?" Usagi asked.
"Yes, curse," OnnaRanma said as she entered from the kitchen. She held a plate of cookies in one hand and a picture of juice in the other. Five glasses were balanced on top of a steaming kettle on her head. She slid the plate and juice onto the table and caught the falling glasses, depositing one in front of each girl. Finally she caught the kettle and poured a bit of the steaming water over her own head. The girls actually saw the whole transformation as Ranma grew and filled out his tang and trousers. He loosened the tie of his pants and reset the frogs of his shirt. "Cold water makes me a girl and hot water returns me to normal."
Makoto was the first to react. "So even when you have girl's body, you're still a guy?"
Ranma nodded. Finally someone who wasn't shocked or repulsed or amused by his curse. Even Minako and Usagi seemed oddly accepting of it. He shrugged it away. "So have you heard of these Bishonen Sensei, Kasumi-chan?"
The four girls sweat dropped.
"That's Bishoujo Senshi," Usagi exclaimed. "The seifuku suited defenders of Love and Justice. The nine of them are the only thing between the forces of Darkness and the world. They fight for right and rescue people from Evil."
"They fight wearing seifuku?" Ranma was incredulous. "For Love.. heh and .. haha.. Justice?" He couldn't contain his laughter. Usagi began to twitch as she resisted the sudden urge to pull out a mallet and pound Ranma flat. Minako was gripping the edge of the table as if she wanted to use it as a weapon. Only Makoto seemed calm.
"What did you expect young girls to fight for, Ranma? Bread sandwiches? Or maybe who gets to be the best martial artist in Japan? The Senshi have saved the world from evil beings several times. Some of them even died for their troubles. You may be a good martial artist, but what have you done for the world? Is your focus on helping others? Or solely on proving that you're the best?"
Ranma opened his mouth to answer when his brain kicked in and reminded him what all of his major battles had been about. Getting a cure for himself. Proving that he was the best. Even his usual excuse of rescuing Akane was rather thin, as he was usually doing it because it was the manly thing and would keep his mother happy.
Makoto was sympathetic. "Not that the Senshi are all purity and clear motives. Everyone has a bit of selfishness, Ranma. Just don't let it control you and you're fine."
"I..." Ranma paused.
"She's right, Ranma," a female voice said. From the looks of the others, Ranma knew he was the only one who heard it. There was a flash of disorientation, and Ranma found himself in nothingness staring at his female side.
"You!"
She sighed. "I'm not what you think, Ranma. I am your past life. The time has come for us to awaken and serve our Princess."
"I'm a GUY!" Ranma yelled.
"You're a moron," she replied calmly. "Everyone has yin and yang, male and female. Because of your curse and your Chi, you have a lot of yin and a lot of yang. But you're not any more male than female. And if you'd let yourself achieve a balance, you could be whichever you choose."
Ranma stared.
"Not a cure," she said, before he could speak. "I am Nike. The Senshi of Victory. I am your past and future. We must rejoin, Ranma, and serve our Princess. You must accept and understand me. But for now, we must do what Senshi always do."
"What?" Ranma was confused.
"Fight creatures of Darkness."
The girls stared as Ranma blanked out for a moment, his eyes glazed. His sudden movement startled them, as he stood. He glanced across the four of them and nodded, before bowing to Usagi.
"Princess. The time has come for your sister to fulfill her destiny. Her Senshi are awakening as Darkness encroaches. Even now we must fight them." He held out his hand, two fingers up and thumb tucked under. Minako blinked. "Eternal Victory Make Up."
Ranma floated briefly in the air as light engulfed her. Somehow the transformation had triggered the curse too, but that was lost in the rush of power and energy. Her seifuku was white, but the bows were black. Her collar and skirt were purple and a fist sized amethyst brooch held her bow at her breast. A faint afterimage of wings faded behind her as she dropped lightly to the floor. "Senshi Nike, the Winged Victory. Come Sailor Moon, we must fight." And she turned and sprang out the door. The three girls sat for a moment before grabbing their own henshin wands. Without a thought for Kasumi's presence, they changed and followed the strange new Senshi.
-----
When Nabiki came home twenty minutes later, she found Kasumi sitting at the table, a strange smile on her face, her hands clasped in her lap. Nabiki sighed. "Ranma come through naked again, sis?"
"Senshi," Kasumi murmured. "Naked. Sailor Moon." A bit of drool escaped the corner of her mouth. Nabiki sighed.
"You still have that Sailor Moon fetish, Sis? And at your age."
-----
Sailor Uranus watched as the flowing cloud of shadow engulfed a second victim. Sailor Neptune shifted uncomfortably. The shadow's first victim reappeared as the cloud moved on. The young girl was laying very still. Uranus dashed out of hiding to the girl and lifted her. Neptune was waiting when Uranus returned to the trees at the edge of the park.
"She's almost dead," Neptune said softly. "Do we have to go through this again?"
Uranus exhaled in relief. "I can't think of another way to find these other Senshi. We need to make sure Saturn is safe."
"The end always justifies the means with you two, doesn't it," a new voice remarked. The two Outers looked up into the piercing golden eyes of a glowing Senshi. She set down the person she was holding, and laid her hand on the chest of the unmoving girl. For a moment her glow seemed to dim and the girl seemed to shine. When the glow faded, the girl coughed and started breathing heavily. "Watch these two. And try not to let them die. That should be within your abilities." And she sprang away toward the shadowy cloud.
Uranus glanced at Neptune. "Why is that my plans always seem to cause more harm than good?"
Neptune patted her partner's shoulder, but didn't have an answer for her.
-----
Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury arrived in time to see Senshi Aurora fire a beam of light into the shadow. Beside her, Senshi Vulcan had assembled what appeared to be a giant flashlight, which she was carefully aiming, like a rifle. Aurora bounded around the thing, visible only in afterimages as she moved with the speed of light. Her lasers flashed, cutting deeply into the darkness until Vulcan called out her readiness. Aurora came to a stop directly between the angry shadow and her companion. Vulcan flipped a switch on the device she was holding and then pulled the trigger.
It was like someone had suddenly turned on the sun in their midst. Aurora was struck by the beam. Mars and Mercury cried out before realizing that Aurora was actually absorbing the intense flare and focusing it even further. She held her hands out letting the light flow through her to gather between them, until she held a sphere the size of a basket ball. Vulcan switched off her gun.
The shadow had paused at this display, but seeing little threat, it surged forward. "Senshi die!"
Vulcan laughed. Aurora had closed her hands together, and now she brought one to her chin, her finger touching the dimple on her cheek, as if in thought. "Um. No." She held up her other hand and opened it. "Aurora Photon Flare." The golf ball sized ball of light seemed to leap from her hand to disappear into the Shadow.
"Senshi power. Immune to elements. Senshi power useless. Die Senshi." The shadow surged forward again.
"I thought we'd already discussed that," Aurora said. "And for your information, my power is not based on the elemental scheme. That's Serenity's Senshi. Aurora Photon Explode."
The flash of light that followed eradicated every scrap of shadow within a hundred meters. The monster screamed as it's cloud if shadows was destroyed leaving it's emaciated body to burn in the intense light. Neptune and Uranus were blinded, and even Mars and Mercury were forced to cover their eyes. When the light faded, the shadow, and the two Senshi were gone. Uranus swore softly and she and Neptune sprinted away, headed to their home to check on Saturn. Mercury checked her computer, shook her head at Mars and they took off themselves, eventually returning to the Shrine.
Half a city away, at the edge of Nerima, two figures dropped into a dark alley. They embraced briefly.
"We have to change back, Aura," Vulcan whispered.
"I know. Will they remember, do you think?"
"Some, probably. I imagine that their dreams tonight will be vivid." Vulcan chuckled.
"Considering what you were doing earlier, I'll be surprised if they manage to sleep at all." Aurora shot her companion a lusty look as she stepped forward and embraced her. Their kiss was becoming more than just passionate when they suddenly reverted to their mundane forms.
Ukyo and Akane found themselves tightly embraced, arms, legs, and tongues entwined. It took several moments for them to realize the reality of their situation and several more for them to untangle themselves after trying to jerk violently away.
"Do you remember anything?" Ukyo asked as they were walking toward the Dojo a short while later.
Akane paused to think. "A bright light. A rush of energy. Not much else."
Ukyo nodded. "Same here. And a strange urge to watch the sun rise with you."
"I'll drop by Uchan's, tomorrow."
They stared at each other for a moment. "We're gonna have weird dreams again tonight," they wailed in unison.
-----
Sailor Moon sprinted after the figure in the distance. Venus and Jupiter were hot on her heels, but they were falling behind Senshi Nike as if they were crawling. They saw her pause, then drop out of sight. Sailor Moon screamed in fear and grabbed Jupiter and Venus. Without warning they teleported, appearing on the building Nike had been on seconds before. The purple skirted Senshi of Victory was in an open park facing off against a strange shadowy thing.
"Senshi. Die."
"Don't think so," Nike said. "You guys really need new speech writers. You've been using the same lines since the Silver Millennium." She dodged casually and planted a few hundred punches into its side. The impacts threw the creature into a tree. The thing rebounded to land on its feet, but Nike was rapidly circling it. Sailor Moon realized that Nike was getting too close to the thing and was running to help when the tornado struck. She grabbed hold of Jupiter as she was swept past the larger girl. Jupiter had Venus tucked under her arm and was clinging to a lamp pole. The rushing wind lasted for several long seconds then stopped suddenly.
"Nike Victory Lance."
The cry caught their attention and they saw the shadow creature (much reduced in size) impaled on a beam of light originating from Nike's upraised hands.
"Sailor Moon!"
She shook herself out of her stupor and began her attack. The giant pink heart slammed the creature off of the spear of light and blasted it out of existence. Senshi Nike sighed and shook her head. Sailor Moon blushed and shrugged, the 'eeped' in surprise as Nike keeled over becoming Ranma again.
Fin Chapter One