Heroes (part 7): One Breath
By Chibi Acky
Disclaimer: No own... no money.. no sue..
"spoken"
thoughts
***********
Author's notes: I know many people don't like this story, but you know, I do try. Even one review for this story is good enough for me. So please, all you readers out there, review stories. Not just necessarily mine, but everyone's. I don't think readers understand how hard it is to actually write a REALLY good fanfiction, because they've never tried. Even if they suck, the authors really do try.
*takes a bow* Thank you very much.
***********
"Who's Seeker?" Hope rose in Ranma's chest.
"HE'S THE ONE THAT KICKED ME!" Ukyou practically shrieked, interesting Dr. Tofu.
Usagi managed to pull herself together, "I should have known..." she whispered, "I should have seen this coming..."
"Who's Seeker?" Ranma repeated, thoroughly annoyed.
Usagi began to pace, and Ukyou and Dr. Tofu remained silent.
"HELLO?!" Ranma cried, throwing his hands up in the air. Everyone stopped to stare at him.
"What?"
"WHO THE HELL IS SEEKER?!" He hollered.
Usagi frowned, "I don't know! Honestly Ran, he came out of *nowhere*... he killed everybody Ranma, he killed the *SENSHI*, he almost killed Ukyou and me!" Her voice was high in emotion.
"Calm down Usagi-chan, you're out of control." Dr. Tofu told her softly, yet very firmly.
"I AM NOT OUTTA CONTROL! *SEEKER* IS OUT OF CONTROL!!! I AM GOING TO KIL-" Usagi fell over into a deep sleep.
"Oh my gosh!" Ukyou cried, hopping down from the examination table.
"It's all right, Ukyou, don't panic... I just pushed one of her sleep pressure points..." Ranma blocked out the rest of Dr. Tofu's conversation, pondering silent to himself.
So, this Seeker creep was the guy he had chased away from Ucchan's... *he* was the one who took Akane, and *he* was the one that had upset Usagi so much.
"Hey Ukyou, Usagi and me have to get home, wanna come?" Ranma, literally, slugged Usagi over his shoulder.
Ukyou looked mildly surprised, "Why?" She asked, "You know I can take care of myself."
Ranma looked rather uncomfortable, "Yeah, I ain't dumb Uc-chan, I just don't want you to be by yourself tonight... not with that weird creepy dude after you..." Ukyou gave him a genuine smile, "Sure, Ran-chan, I don't think I want to be alone in the restaurant either..."
_______________
"Put me down Ran, I can walk myself... oh noohnoohnoohnononononono... nevermind, don't put down!" Wailed Usagi after she had finally awoken from her slumber. Ranma and Ukyou were gliding over the rooftops of Nerima, heading towards the Tendo Dojo.
"I ain't planning on it, chill out Usa!" Ranma laughed, letting his grip ease slightly on her. Usagi was clinging onto him for dear life. Then, a thought occurred to her, and she burst out laughing. Why was she was scared? Honestly! How many times had Tuxedo Kamen carried her across rooftops? How many times had she jumped across them herself?
Soon she was laughing, and even she couldn't figure out why. Ranma stopped, having to set her down on a rooftop, because of her laughter. "Are you okay Usa?" He must have thought she was going crazy. Ukyou was thinking an entirely different thing.
"Maybe Dr. Tofu pressed the wrong pressure point..." she muttered. Usagi shook her head, "No, I can do it myself. I just realized that I can do this myself... I don't need you!"
"She's going crazy, Ran-chan, she's gone loony on us..."
"No, no, watch!" Usagi took a couple of running steps. Ukyou shut her eyes for Usagi's inevitable fall, and Ranma prepared himself to dive towards the ground to break her fall.
"No Usa-!" But instead of falling, Usagi did the very opposite. She pumped her legs as hard as she could, and jumped as hard as she could. She shut her eyes, waiting for the fall which never came. She managed to land on her two feet....
And without killing herself, too, to boot!
"Hahahah! I did it!" She punched in fist in the air in triumph. Ranma's and Ukyou's jaws dropped and Ukyou muttered, "I don't..."
"... believe it..." Ranma finished for her.
"Hey, don't look so surprised! I've been fighting evil for over three years! You gotta learn how to jump from rooftop to rooftop some time!" She looked like she was about ready to give herself a pat on the back.
"So you admit that you are Sailor Moon then?" Ranma called to her from the other roof.
"When did I deny it?"
---------------------------
"WE'RE HOMEEEEEEEEEEE!" Ranma announced as the three teenagers burst through the door, eager for food.
"What took you so long?" Nabiki asked, not even bothering to glance up from her magazine.
"Oh my Lord... Usagi! Ranma! What happened this time?" Ikuko wiped her wet hands on her apron and walked over to them. Usagi, Ranma, and Ukyou exchanged glances.
"It looks like you've all been through World War II!" Kenji exclaimed, coming up behind his wife.
"Thanks Dad..." Usagi mumbled. "Well, to make a long story short, I was at Ucchan's, the restaurant Ukyou owns, and then out of no where Seeker comes crashing through the roof and tries to take Ukyou, and thenIgotsmashedthroughthewall." She tried to her best to slur the last words together, hoping her mother or father wouldn't catch them.
"This is Ukyou. Ukyou, this is my mom and my dad." Usagi pointed between the three. Ukyou nodded politely, "Hello."
Usagi clutched onto her mother's arm, "Mom...? Food....?" Her mouth was drooling, and she looked like she was about ready to pass out. Ikuko sighed and pointed to the already set table, putting a finger to her forehead as Ranma and Usagi tore past her. She looked apologetically at Ukyou, "I don't think there's going to be any left for you or the rest of us, dear , but I'm sure I can find something to make..." She retreated to the kitchen, nearly crashing into an exiting Kasumi. "Oh! Auntie Ikuko! Don't worry about a thing, Uncle Genma and Ranma usually eat enough that I have to make a couple extra servings." Kasumi and Ikuko exchanged knowing smiles.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have you ever felt numb before? It's like your heart stops beating, your brain stops working, and you can't move your body in any direction. I've always wondered why this happens. When you're happy, you're numb. When you're sad, your numb, when you're nervous, you're numb, when you're scared, you're numb. I think that numbness is way to deal with some extreme emotion that has overcome our body. It's almost like a shock or something. You get so worked up, then- POOF! Nothing happens. You're body's numb and your heart's broken.
I never knew that until now.
I can only imagine what the princess must be going through. Only a few hours ago, I bore witness to the death of two more Senshi. The ones that had raised me like their own. I don't even want to think about it anymore, it just hurts too much. I'm hurt mentally, and I'm hurt physically.
I'm hurt all over.
I'm numb.
I'm finally here. Maybe I can rest now...
"Usagi... Serenity... help me..." She began to cry, letting her tears clean the blood off her face.
_______________________________
Eight utterly amazed faces watched as two normally savage eaters began to poke at their food. Almost simultaneously, they poked at the meat, and sighed.
"Usagi-chan?" Her mother asked, giving her a slight nudge, "Do you not like it?"
"Usagi... Serenity... help me..."
Usagi's head snapped up, and her bottom lip began to quiver. Ranma must have heard it too, because he tensed and began to glance around. "What's wrong?" Soun asked, almost panicked.
Am I hearing things? Usagi and Ranma glanced at each other. This feeling... this energy signature... it's so cold... so small... so dark... just like... Usagi choked back a sob and, literally, jumped over the table to the doorway. The stiff and frozen night air bit at her bare arms, and upon arriving at the front gate, she collapsed to her knees in sorrow.
Ranma was quick to follow her outside, as was the rest of the family. Outside, Ranma nearly had a heart attack when he saw what Usagi was clutching onto desperately.
"Hotaru... Hotaru-chan!" She sobbed into the little girl's hair. Ikuko clutched onto her husband's arm, and Genma and Soun could barely hear her whisper, "No... not another one... Usagi... she can't lose another one..."
Even Nabiki was silent.
"Princess..." The little girl managed to choke out, "Princess... Michi-mama... Haruka-papa..." She was crying, and her dark eyes weren't seeing anything. "I'm so sorry... I tried to help them..." Usagi brought the smaller girl up to her chest and clung onto her for dear life.
"Shhh... Saturn, it's all right, I'm sure you did everything you could." She reassured the younger girl.
"No! No! They'd still be here..." Hotaru seemed to be going limp. "I don't want to fight anymore, Usagi-chan, I just want to rest."
"NO!" Usagi shrieked almost insanely, causing Ranma to take a step back. "Don't give up, Hotaru! You still have Setsuna, you still have me, you still have this universe to protect! I won't forgive you if you give up now!" Usagi gathered the girl in her arms, almost dropping her in her fit of hysteria. Ranma made a move to help, but Usagi shook him off.
"No, Ranma, you don't understand how small and fragile she is!" Ranma nodded almost dumbly.
"Usagi-chan, bring her inside!" Kasumi ordered, nudging both her father's and Genma's jaw's up off the ground. Usagi nodded, wisking the smaller girl inside.
As she ran past Ranma, Hotaru visably stirred and moaned. Ranma sweatdropped, "Geeze, is she all right?"
"What does it look like, Ranma?" Nabiki muttered, "Oh, look, she left a present for you!" Ranma, thinking what every human thinks when the word "present" is spoken sarcastically, turned around slowly.
Reflecting the pale moonlight was a long silvery staff with two razor sharp ends. He jumped back, thinking it was going to spring to life at any given moment. "What... is that thing?"
"I think that would be a glaive." Shingo answered.
"Really?" Ranma seemed too excited, he leaned forward eager to get a better look. "Ack! Don't touch it!" Called a voice from on top of the stairs. Ranma, who had been crouching, fell backwards to land on his rear, while the other two people remaining outside whipped their heads around to face the speaker.
And saw nothing.
"Who are you?" Ranma asked. Where are you?
"My name's Diana, what's yours?" He felt a small puff of fur brush up against his leg. Screaming, he jumped back onto Shingo. "Diana? How did you get here?" Shingo dumped Ranma off, and bent down to pick the little kitten up.
"I walked."
Shingo sweatdropped, "Do you know how far.... Ranma? Ranma, what's wrong?" Shingo turned to face his older cousin.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Get it away from me! Please, Nabiki! Hide me!!!!" Ranma shrieked, clutching onto Nabiki. Shingo shot Nabiki a look that read, 'What's his problem?'
"Ranma was traumatized as a kid, he can't even look at cats without having a spazz attack." Nabiki explained, taking Diana from Shingo, "A talking cat, huh? Even Shampoo can't talk when she's a cat." She scratched Diana's soft fur, and Diana let out a long purr.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Ranma covered his head with his arms, "See? SEE!? That's it's hunting call!"
"And I thought Shingo was afraid of cats.... GENMA! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY NEPHEW?!" Ikuko took Ranma's hand, "There, there, dear... we'll just have to work on this fear."
"Tsukino-san?" Ikuko glanced down at the kitten, "Yes dear?"
"Can I have something to eat?"
~~~~~`````~~~~~~
It was dark in the spare room; too dark. Feeling rather remorseful, Usagi remained at the foot of her faithful Senshi of destruction and rebirth. She closed her eyes, tilting her head towards the single moon beam that had managed to drift into the room, "I'm listening, mother, but tonight, why is it that I can't hear anything?" She murmured. Hotaru seemed to slightly stir in her sleep.
I can't hear anything but my own remorseful heart. she thought miserably. Gathering the strength to stand up, she placed her hands on the first story windowsill. It was a half moon that night, and it seemed to reflect Usagi's own personal feelings. My Senshi.. my friends... my loved ones... Mamo-chan... Chibi Usa... They're almost all gone. A sob racked her body, and she kneeled down next to the window, resting her arms on top of it.
"If you really were up there, Mother, wouldn't you have helped me by now? Why can't I transform, why can't I do anything anymore?"
"I think you already know the answer." Came a small voice from the doorway.
Usagi looked up, startled, "Diana? When did you get here?"
"I'm sorry for startling you, Usagi-sama." The kitten came over and crawled in her lap, and Usagi stroked her continuing to stare out the window.
"Diana... do you think that if I didn't exist... there wouldn't be any fighting? Am I truly the reason this war stays alive?"
"No, Princess! Don't ever say such things! The reason the universe is still around, is because you fight for it. Don't ever turn your back on the world, Usagi-sama! We need you as our savior!" Diana yelped.
"Some savior I am," Usagi bit out, "I can't even transform, I'm powerless! Some soldier I am."
"Princess, you know as well as I do that with a little more courage than normal people, anyone can be a soldier." Another voice cut through the darkness. Usagi and Diana both jumped, and Usagi blushed, remembering the day she had spoken those words.
"Hotaru-chan, how are you feeling?" Usagi crawled over, grabbing the younger girl's fragile hand in hers.
"I hurt more in my heart than my body."
"I'm sorry Hota-chan, I'm so sorry..." Usagi let a few tears slid down her cheek.
"Don't be! Never be sorry for who you are. You bless people with hope and the will to live; why else do you think we fought so hard for you? Why else would we die for you? We love you Usagi-chan, for who you are."
This only made Usagi cry even harder, "But *who* am I, Hotaru-chan? Am I Usagi the klutz? Serenity the princess? Or am I Sailor Moon, the champion of love and justice? I can't tell anymore Hotaru-chan, I really can't..."
"Usagi, we're only what we perceive ourselves to be. You need to look inside your heart to find who you are, then you'll know..." Hotaru began to drift back into sleep, "Then you'll know..."
Usagi sat there for a moment, thinking Hotaru's word's over. "Diana, I'm going for a walk..." She stood up and climbed through the open window, dashing into the night.
"Just be careful, Princess."
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
"I don't get it, so the cat talks?" Oh, Genma could think of a thousand ways to make money off of the poor little thing...
"Yes, there are three of them." Ikuko explained over her stitching.
"How can they?" Nabiki inquired.
"Beats the hell out of us." Kenji sighed as his wife whacked him over the head with her needle work., "One day, Usagi just brought one home, and the next thing we knew, we had two and an occasional drop in."
"That still doesn't explain one thing, though." Shingo piped up, "Why is Ranma so afraid of cats?"
Genma began to look VERY uncomfortable, "Uh... well..." It was a shaky start.
"Uh.. well... what, Genma?" Ikuko pursed her lips together tightly as it dawned on her, "Oh.. my... Kami-sama... you DIDN'T!" In a flash, she was across the room, choking her brother. "TELL ME YOU DIDN'T TRY THE CAT FIST ON HIM!!!!"
Kenji and Shingo blinked, taking a step back.
"I'm sorry Imouto! I only wanted what was best for my boy..."
"WHAT WAS BEST?! YOU CALL THROWING A CHILD DOWN IN A PIT OF RAVAGING CATS WHAT WAS BEST FOR HIM?!" She was shaking him now.
"Calm down, honey, you need to explain it to Shingo and I." Kenji suffered extreme difficulty in pulling his wife off of strangling her brother.
It took her a minute, but finally, Ikuko began in a emotionally strained voice, "It was something that our parents told us to never get involved in... but my DEAREST brother," she spat out the words, "Didn't take heed of their warning. Basically, the Cat Fist is a martial arts technique that allows the person to become agile as a cat and cut through rocks and metal with their bare hands." She paused, trying to remember the details, "You would starve fifty or so cats, leaving them in a dark pit for days without food, then you'd go down there, with fish attached to you and the cats would come and shred you. Then, if you survived, it was said the technique would come to you."
Kenji and Shingo looked utterly horrified.
"But don't leave out the best part, Auntie Ikuko!" Genma made a move to muffle Nabiki, but she stood up swiftly, "Mr. Saotome sent him down not once, but MULTIPLE times."
"GENNNNNNMMMMMAAAAAAAA!"
"He got the technique! Don't look at me like that! He's fine, just a little paranoid about cats!"
"I would hardly call clinging on people and screaming, 'Get it away from me!' a little paranoid." Shingo stated dully, earning a dirty look from his uncle.
"What's going on? Auntie Ikuko, why are you strangling Pops? I mean, not that it matters..." Genma's eyes twitched every so slightly as his son came in the room. "Uh... son.." The red head girl turned to face him, "What is it?"
"Ranma... I think you maybe should have looked in the mirror, sugar..." A previously silent Ukyou began.
"Who are you?" Kenji asked, bewildered to the red-head.
"THAT'S IT GENMA SAOTOME! You brought him to Jyousenkyo? YOU BROUGHT HIM TO JYOUSENKYO?!"
Ranma looked down, finally remembering his appearance. "Ohhhhhh.... craaaaaaaaaap."
"Okay, well, this isn't the strangest thing I've ever seen." Kenji began in a strangled voice as his wife chased her brother around the room with a spatula.
"Yes it is."
"What's Jyousenkyo?" Shingo asked as calmly as he could.
"Well, it all started out when Pop's decided to take us for a little training trip in China..." Ranma began.
(Two hours later)
"... and since then, when ever I get cold water dumped on me, I turn into a girl, and when I get hot water dumped on me, I turn back into a boy."
Dead silence.
"Well, that is interesting..." Kenji remarked slowly.
"So there's a girl that turns into a cat..." Shingo began.
"Shampoo the Amazon." Ranma supplied.
"A boy that turns into a little black piglet..."
"Ryouga the eternally lost boy."
"A boy that turns into a mixture of things..."
"Pantyhose Tauro, my self-proclaimed rival."
"And a boy that turns into a goose?"
"That's Mousse, and remember, he's a duck. Don't get them confused or he'll be upset."
"Riiiiiiigggghhhhtttt."
(An hour later)
"So when you scared enough, you go into Neko (cat) mode?"
"Yup." Ranma almost seemed proud.
"And the only way to turn you back is to dump cold water over your head?" Ikuko questioned, pasting things together in her mind.
"Well... Akane used to be able to pull him out too..." Nabiki suddenly felt sorry for the person she loved to torment.
"Oh... I see..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Usagi sat perched on a rock, at least a mile away from the Tendo dojo. Raking a delicate hand through her glimmering hair she just sat there.
And sat, and waited, and sat.
Maybe she had thought that the revelation would just come to her, but her musing didn't seem to be helping matters.
Ami or Mamo-chan would have been able to figure it out.
She took the dull crystal off from around her neck, holding it up to catch some of the moonlight.
"You stupid thing... why won't you ever work when I want you to?" She tried to crush it in her palm, venting her anger on it. But it just sat there, remaining absolutely perfect in it's perfection. Wasn't it supposed to follow her heart? Wasn't it supposed to work?
She let out a frustrated scream, cursing her weakness. "I hate all this fighting, I hate having to live for fighting! I hate it, I hate it, I HATE IT!"
Maybe that's why it didn't work, you fool. Her mind was wheeling. Was it her hate that didn't allow the crystal to work? Was her heart so clouded with emotions and hatred that she couldn't use it.
Oh, it all made sense now.
She had to have a strong heart to use it; but all her worries and her depression had kept her from it because she thought she was worthless.
"Hotaru-chan... you're such a wise little girl." She closed her eyes, lifting her face again to the moonlight.
She was who she was.
She was Serenity the lover, she was Usagi the normal klutz, and she was Sailor Moon the fighter, the one who brought hope.
She was herself.
Sliding off the rock, she began to venture home, the crystal giving off a warm glow in her hand.
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
"Come out, come out, where ever you are..." a voice carried in through the occupied room. Ukyou felt a slight chill of trepidation.
"Seeker..." she whispered, nudging a still Ranma.
"We have trouble outside, everyone stay here." Ranma and Ukyou leapt to their feet, nearly dropping to the floor as everyone followed. "Did I just say...?"
"Ranma, just give it a rest. We're curious about this guy too." Soun informed him, "Now get out their and make us proud." After taking one look at Seeker, he shoved the boy and girl out the door, slamming it shut behind them.
"Nice people." Ukyou muttered, wincing as the memory of Seeker kicking her rose in her mind. She pulled out a spatula, "Ready Ran-chan?"
"Yup."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Ranma sent another set of punches towards Seeker who dodged them easily. Ukyou was out cold from a direct kick to the head, and Ranma was sporting numerous bruises and cuts.
"Getting tired, Priest of Light?" Was the mock.
"Who the hell is the Priest of Light, buddy? It ain't me!" Finally, Ranma sent him flying.
"You, you fool! Soon, you'll be in her highness' grasp, just like your little girlfriend."
Akane...?
Nothing could have made Ranma angrier, "You little Son of a bitch! What the hell did you do to her?"
"Me? Nothing." He picked himself off of the ground, dusting his black slacks off. Damn, that kid can pack a punch.... "She's dying a horrible death, starving, being abused..." He could feel Ranma's battle aura spark, "And the guards seem to like her... a lot..."
That was all it took, Ranma made the foolish charge towards Seeker, flipping over his shoulder and trying to knock him down with one blow.
In the next instant, Seeker had his throat, lifting him off the ground with inhuman-like strength.
"Time to come with me, little boy."
"I'd... rather... die..." Ranma wheezed.
"That *can* be arranged..."
Just then, a disc of light, cut through the night-time sky, and a voice called out clear as a cloudless sky:
"STOP RIGHT THERE!"
+)(+)(+)(+)(+)(+)(+)(+
*yawns* I'm so tired. This is one long-butt chapter... Okay, this is going to make me sound really stupid, but the reason that I didn't post this for like four months is...
*cough* IlostthediskthatIsavediton *cough*
There you have it, the trouble of it all. Thank Fiore-chan, she pestered me into it. =) Just kidding... Now show some Sailor Moon spirit here people, the people over in the Gundam section are MUCH more kind about reviewing, it makes me not want to write SM fics because no one tells me if they like it or not! *pouts*
Luvs and hugs
Chibi Acky
http://kiss.to/gyousei
By Chibi Acky
Disclaimer: No own... no money.. no sue..
"spoken"
thoughts
***********
Author's notes: I know many people don't like this story, but you know, I do try. Even one review for this story is good enough for me. So please, all you readers out there, review stories. Not just necessarily mine, but everyone's. I don't think readers understand how hard it is to actually write a REALLY good fanfiction, because they've never tried. Even if they suck, the authors really do try.
*takes a bow* Thank you very much.
***********
"Who's Seeker?" Hope rose in Ranma's chest.
"HE'S THE ONE THAT KICKED ME!" Ukyou practically shrieked, interesting Dr. Tofu.
Usagi managed to pull herself together, "I should have known..." she whispered, "I should have seen this coming..."
"Who's Seeker?" Ranma repeated, thoroughly annoyed.
Usagi began to pace, and Ukyou and Dr. Tofu remained silent.
"HELLO?!" Ranma cried, throwing his hands up in the air. Everyone stopped to stare at him.
"What?"
"WHO THE HELL IS SEEKER?!" He hollered.
Usagi frowned, "I don't know! Honestly Ran, he came out of *nowhere*... he killed everybody Ranma, he killed the *SENSHI*, he almost killed Ukyou and me!" Her voice was high in emotion.
"Calm down Usagi-chan, you're out of control." Dr. Tofu told her softly, yet very firmly.
"I AM NOT OUTTA CONTROL! *SEEKER* IS OUT OF CONTROL!!! I AM GOING TO KIL-" Usagi fell over into a deep sleep.
"Oh my gosh!" Ukyou cried, hopping down from the examination table.
"It's all right, Ukyou, don't panic... I just pushed one of her sleep pressure points..." Ranma blocked out the rest of Dr. Tofu's conversation, pondering silent to himself.
So, this Seeker creep was the guy he had chased away from Ucchan's... *he* was the one who took Akane, and *he* was the one that had upset Usagi so much.
"Hey Ukyou, Usagi and me have to get home, wanna come?" Ranma, literally, slugged Usagi over his shoulder.
Ukyou looked mildly surprised, "Why?" She asked, "You know I can take care of myself."
Ranma looked rather uncomfortable, "Yeah, I ain't dumb Uc-chan, I just don't want you to be by yourself tonight... not with that weird creepy dude after you..." Ukyou gave him a genuine smile, "Sure, Ran-chan, I don't think I want to be alone in the restaurant either..."
_______________
"Put me down Ran, I can walk myself... oh noohnoohnoohnononononono... nevermind, don't put down!" Wailed Usagi after she had finally awoken from her slumber. Ranma and Ukyou were gliding over the rooftops of Nerima, heading towards the Tendo Dojo.
"I ain't planning on it, chill out Usa!" Ranma laughed, letting his grip ease slightly on her. Usagi was clinging onto him for dear life. Then, a thought occurred to her, and she burst out laughing. Why was she was scared? Honestly! How many times had Tuxedo Kamen carried her across rooftops? How many times had she jumped across them herself?
Soon she was laughing, and even she couldn't figure out why. Ranma stopped, having to set her down on a rooftop, because of her laughter. "Are you okay Usa?" He must have thought she was going crazy. Ukyou was thinking an entirely different thing.
"Maybe Dr. Tofu pressed the wrong pressure point..." she muttered. Usagi shook her head, "No, I can do it myself. I just realized that I can do this myself... I don't need you!"
"She's going crazy, Ran-chan, she's gone loony on us..."
"No, no, watch!" Usagi took a couple of running steps. Ukyou shut her eyes for Usagi's inevitable fall, and Ranma prepared himself to dive towards the ground to break her fall.
"No Usa-!" But instead of falling, Usagi did the very opposite. She pumped her legs as hard as she could, and jumped as hard as she could. She shut her eyes, waiting for the fall which never came. She managed to land on her two feet....
And without killing herself, too, to boot!
"Hahahah! I did it!" She punched in fist in the air in triumph. Ranma's and Ukyou's jaws dropped and Ukyou muttered, "I don't..."
"... believe it..." Ranma finished for her.
"Hey, don't look so surprised! I've been fighting evil for over three years! You gotta learn how to jump from rooftop to rooftop some time!" She looked like she was about ready to give herself a pat on the back.
"So you admit that you are Sailor Moon then?" Ranma called to her from the other roof.
"When did I deny it?"
---------------------------
"WE'RE HOMEEEEEEEEEEE!" Ranma announced as the three teenagers burst through the door, eager for food.
"What took you so long?" Nabiki asked, not even bothering to glance up from her magazine.
"Oh my Lord... Usagi! Ranma! What happened this time?" Ikuko wiped her wet hands on her apron and walked over to them. Usagi, Ranma, and Ukyou exchanged glances.
"It looks like you've all been through World War II!" Kenji exclaimed, coming up behind his wife.
"Thanks Dad..." Usagi mumbled. "Well, to make a long story short, I was at Ucchan's, the restaurant Ukyou owns, and then out of no where Seeker comes crashing through the roof and tries to take Ukyou, and thenIgotsmashedthroughthewall." She tried to her best to slur the last words together, hoping her mother or father wouldn't catch them.
"This is Ukyou. Ukyou, this is my mom and my dad." Usagi pointed between the three. Ukyou nodded politely, "Hello."
Usagi clutched onto her mother's arm, "Mom...? Food....?" Her mouth was drooling, and she looked like she was about ready to pass out. Ikuko sighed and pointed to the already set table, putting a finger to her forehead as Ranma and Usagi tore past her. She looked apologetically at Ukyou, "I don't think there's going to be any left for you or the rest of us, dear , but I'm sure I can find something to make..." She retreated to the kitchen, nearly crashing into an exiting Kasumi. "Oh! Auntie Ikuko! Don't worry about a thing, Uncle Genma and Ranma usually eat enough that I have to make a couple extra servings." Kasumi and Ikuko exchanged knowing smiles.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have you ever felt numb before? It's like your heart stops beating, your brain stops working, and you can't move your body in any direction. I've always wondered why this happens. When you're happy, you're numb. When you're sad, your numb, when you're nervous, you're numb, when you're scared, you're numb. I think that numbness is way to deal with some extreme emotion that has overcome our body. It's almost like a shock or something. You get so worked up, then- POOF! Nothing happens. You're body's numb and your heart's broken.
I never knew that until now.
I can only imagine what the princess must be going through. Only a few hours ago, I bore witness to the death of two more Senshi. The ones that had raised me like their own. I don't even want to think about it anymore, it just hurts too much. I'm hurt mentally, and I'm hurt physically.
I'm hurt all over.
I'm numb.
I'm finally here. Maybe I can rest now...
"Usagi... Serenity... help me..." She began to cry, letting her tears clean the blood off her face.
_______________________________
Eight utterly amazed faces watched as two normally savage eaters began to poke at their food. Almost simultaneously, they poked at the meat, and sighed.
"Usagi-chan?" Her mother asked, giving her a slight nudge, "Do you not like it?"
"Usagi... Serenity... help me..."
Usagi's head snapped up, and her bottom lip began to quiver. Ranma must have heard it too, because he tensed and began to glance around. "What's wrong?" Soun asked, almost panicked.
Am I hearing things? Usagi and Ranma glanced at each other. This feeling... this energy signature... it's so cold... so small... so dark... just like... Usagi choked back a sob and, literally, jumped over the table to the doorway. The stiff and frozen night air bit at her bare arms, and upon arriving at the front gate, she collapsed to her knees in sorrow.
Ranma was quick to follow her outside, as was the rest of the family. Outside, Ranma nearly had a heart attack when he saw what Usagi was clutching onto desperately.
"Hotaru... Hotaru-chan!" She sobbed into the little girl's hair. Ikuko clutched onto her husband's arm, and Genma and Soun could barely hear her whisper, "No... not another one... Usagi... she can't lose another one..."
Even Nabiki was silent.
"Princess..." The little girl managed to choke out, "Princess... Michi-mama... Haruka-papa..." She was crying, and her dark eyes weren't seeing anything. "I'm so sorry... I tried to help them..." Usagi brought the smaller girl up to her chest and clung onto her for dear life.
"Shhh... Saturn, it's all right, I'm sure you did everything you could." She reassured the younger girl.
"No! No! They'd still be here..." Hotaru seemed to be going limp. "I don't want to fight anymore, Usagi-chan, I just want to rest."
"NO!" Usagi shrieked almost insanely, causing Ranma to take a step back. "Don't give up, Hotaru! You still have Setsuna, you still have me, you still have this universe to protect! I won't forgive you if you give up now!" Usagi gathered the girl in her arms, almost dropping her in her fit of hysteria. Ranma made a move to help, but Usagi shook him off.
"No, Ranma, you don't understand how small and fragile she is!" Ranma nodded almost dumbly.
"Usagi-chan, bring her inside!" Kasumi ordered, nudging both her father's and Genma's jaw's up off the ground. Usagi nodded, wisking the smaller girl inside.
As she ran past Ranma, Hotaru visably stirred and moaned. Ranma sweatdropped, "Geeze, is she all right?"
"What does it look like, Ranma?" Nabiki muttered, "Oh, look, she left a present for you!" Ranma, thinking what every human thinks when the word "present" is spoken sarcastically, turned around slowly.
Reflecting the pale moonlight was a long silvery staff with two razor sharp ends. He jumped back, thinking it was going to spring to life at any given moment. "What... is that thing?"
"I think that would be a glaive." Shingo answered.
"Really?" Ranma seemed too excited, he leaned forward eager to get a better look. "Ack! Don't touch it!" Called a voice from on top of the stairs. Ranma, who had been crouching, fell backwards to land on his rear, while the other two people remaining outside whipped their heads around to face the speaker.
And saw nothing.
"Who are you?" Ranma asked. Where are you?
"My name's Diana, what's yours?" He felt a small puff of fur brush up against his leg. Screaming, he jumped back onto Shingo. "Diana? How did you get here?" Shingo dumped Ranma off, and bent down to pick the little kitten up.
"I walked."
Shingo sweatdropped, "Do you know how far.... Ranma? Ranma, what's wrong?" Shingo turned to face his older cousin.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Get it away from me! Please, Nabiki! Hide me!!!!" Ranma shrieked, clutching onto Nabiki. Shingo shot Nabiki a look that read, 'What's his problem?'
"Ranma was traumatized as a kid, he can't even look at cats without having a spazz attack." Nabiki explained, taking Diana from Shingo, "A talking cat, huh? Even Shampoo can't talk when she's a cat." She scratched Diana's soft fur, and Diana let out a long purr.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Ranma covered his head with his arms, "See? SEE!? That's it's hunting call!"
"And I thought Shingo was afraid of cats.... GENMA! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY NEPHEW?!" Ikuko took Ranma's hand, "There, there, dear... we'll just have to work on this fear."
"Tsukino-san?" Ikuko glanced down at the kitten, "Yes dear?"
"Can I have something to eat?"
~~~~~`````~~~~~~
It was dark in the spare room; too dark. Feeling rather remorseful, Usagi remained at the foot of her faithful Senshi of destruction and rebirth. She closed her eyes, tilting her head towards the single moon beam that had managed to drift into the room, "I'm listening, mother, but tonight, why is it that I can't hear anything?" She murmured. Hotaru seemed to slightly stir in her sleep.
I can't hear anything but my own remorseful heart. she thought miserably. Gathering the strength to stand up, she placed her hands on the first story windowsill. It was a half moon that night, and it seemed to reflect Usagi's own personal feelings. My Senshi.. my friends... my loved ones... Mamo-chan... Chibi Usa... They're almost all gone. A sob racked her body, and she kneeled down next to the window, resting her arms on top of it.
"If you really were up there, Mother, wouldn't you have helped me by now? Why can't I transform, why can't I do anything anymore?"
"I think you already know the answer." Came a small voice from the doorway.
Usagi looked up, startled, "Diana? When did you get here?"
"I'm sorry for startling you, Usagi-sama." The kitten came over and crawled in her lap, and Usagi stroked her continuing to stare out the window.
"Diana... do you think that if I didn't exist... there wouldn't be any fighting? Am I truly the reason this war stays alive?"
"No, Princess! Don't ever say such things! The reason the universe is still around, is because you fight for it. Don't ever turn your back on the world, Usagi-sama! We need you as our savior!" Diana yelped.
"Some savior I am," Usagi bit out, "I can't even transform, I'm powerless! Some soldier I am."
"Princess, you know as well as I do that with a little more courage than normal people, anyone can be a soldier." Another voice cut through the darkness. Usagi and Diana both jumped, and Usagi blushed, remembering the day she had spoken those words.
"Hotaru-chan, how are you feeling?" Usagi crawled over, grabbing the younger girl's fragile hand in hers.
"I hurt more in my heart than my body."
"I'm sorry Hota-chan, I'm so sorry..." Usagi let a few tears slid down her cheek.
"Don't be! Never be sorry for who you are. You bless people with hope and the will to live; why else do you think we fought so hard for you? Why else would we die for you? We love you Usagi-chan, for who you are."
This only made Usagi cry even harder, "But *who* am I, Hotaru-chan? Am I Usagi the klutz? Serenity the princess? Or am I Sailor Moon, the champion of love and justice? I can't tell anymore Hotaru-chan, I really can't..."
"Usagi, we're only what we perceive ourselves to be. You need to look inside your heart to find who you are, then you'll know..." Hotaru began to drift back into sleep, "Then you'll know..."
Usagi sat there for a moment, thinking Hotaru's word's over. "Diana, I'm going for a walk..." She stood up and climbed through the open window, dashing into the night.
"Just be careful, Princess."
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
"I don't get it, so the cat talks?" Oh, Genma could think of a thousand ways to make money off of the poor little thing...
"Yes, there are three of them." Ikuko explained over her stitching.
"How can they?" Nabiki inquired.
"Beats the hell out of us." Kenji sighed as his wife whacked him over the head with her needle work., "One day, Usagi just brought one home, and the next thing we knew, we had two and an occasional drop in."
"That still doesn't explain one thing, though." Shingo piped up, "Why is Ranma so afraid of cats?"
Genma began to look VERY uncomfortable, "Uh... well..." It was a shaky start.
"Uh.. well... what, Genma?" Ikuko pursed her lips together tightly as it dawned on her, "Oh.. my... Kami-sama... you DIDN'T!" In a flash, she was across the room, choking her brother. "TELL ME YOU DIDN'T TRY THE CAT FIST ON HIM!!!!"
Kenji and Shingo blinked, taking a step back.
"I'm sorry Imouto! I only wanted what was best for my boy..."
"WHAT WAS BEST?! YOU CALL THROWING A CHILD DOWN IN A PIT OF RAVAGING CATS WHAT WAS BEST FOR HIM?!" She was shaking him now.
"Calm down, honey, you need to explain it to Shingo and I." Kenji suffered extreme difficulty in pulling his wife off of strangling her brother.
It took her a minute, but finally, Ikuko began in a emotionally strained voice, "It was something that our parents told us to never get involved in... but my DEAREST brother," she spat out the words, "Didn't take heed of their warning. Basically, the Cat Fist is a martial arts technique that allows the person to become agile as a cat and cut through rocks and metal with their bare hands." She paused, trying to remember the details, "You would starve fifty or so cats, leaving them in a dark pit for days without food, then you'd go down there, with fish attached to you and the cats would come and shred you. Then, if you survived, it was said the technique would come to you."
Kenji and Shingo looked utterly horrified.
"But don't leave out the best part, Auntie Ikuko!" Genma made a move to muffle Nabiki, but she stood up swiftly, "Mr. Saotome sent him down not once, but MULTIPLE times."
"GENNNNNNMMMMMAAAAAAAA!"
"He got the technique! Don't look at me like that! He's fine, just a little paranoid about cats!"
"I would hardly call clinging on people and screaming, 'Get it away from me!' a little paranoid." Shingo stated dully, earning a dirty look from his uncle.
"What's going on? Auntie Ikuko, why are you strangling Pops? I mean, not that it matters..." Genma's eyes twitched every so slightly as his son came in the room. "Uh... son.." The red head girl turned to face him, "What is it?"
"Ranma... I think you maybe should have looked in the mirror, sugar..." A previously silent Ukyou began.
"Who are you?" Kenji asked, bewildered to the red-head.
"THAT'S IT GENMA SAOTOME! You brought him to Jyousenkyo? YOU BROUGHT HIM TO JYOUSENKYO?!"
Ranma looked down, finally remembering his appearance. "Ohhhhhh.... craaaaaaaaaap."
"Okay, well, this isn't the strangest thing I've ever seen." Kenji began in a strangled voice as his wife chased her brother around the room with a spatula.
"Yes it is."
"What's Jyousenkyo?" Shingo asked as calmly as he could.
"Well, it all started out when Pop's decided to take us for a little training trip in China..." Ranma began.
(Two hours later)
"... and since then, when ever I get cold water dumped on me, I turn into a girl, and when I get hot water dumped on me, I turn back into a boy."
Dead silence.
"Well, that is interesting..." Kenji remarked slowly.
"So there's a girl that turns into a cat..." Shingo began.
"Shampoo the Amazon." Ranma supplied.
"A boy that turns into a little black piglet..."
"Ryouga the eternally lost boy."
"A boy that turns into a mixture of things..."
"Pantyhose Tauro, my self-proclaimed rival."
"And a boy that turns into a goose?"
"That's Mousse, and remember, he's a duck. Don't get them confused or he'll be upset."
"Riiiiiiigggghhhhtttt."
(An hour later)
"So when you scared enough, you go into Neko (cat) mode?"
"Yup." Ranma almost seemed proud.
"And the only way to turn you back is to dump cold water over your head?" Ikuko questioned, pasting things together in her mind.
"Well... Akane used to be able to pull him out too..." Nabiki suddenly felt sorry for the person she loved to torment.
"Oh... I see..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Usagi sat perched on a rock, at least a mile away from the Tendo dojo. Raking a delicate hand through her glimmering hair she just sat there.
And sat, and waited, and sat.
Maybe she had thought that the revelation would just come to her, but her musing didn't seem to be helping matters.
Ami or Mamo-chan would have been able to figure it out.
She took the dull crystal off from around her neck, holding it up to catch some of the moonlight.
"You stupid thing... why won't you ever work when I want you to?" She tried to crush it in her palm, venting her anger on it. But it just sat there, remaining absolutely perfect in it's perfection. Wasn't it supposed to follow her heart? Wasn't it supposed to work?
She let out a frustrated scream, cursing her weakness. "I hate all this fighting, I hate having to live for fighting! I hate it, I hate it, I HATE IT!"
Maybe that's why it didn't work, you fool. Her mind was wheeling. Was it her hate that didn't allow the crystal to work? Was her heart so clouded with emotions and hatred that she couldn't use it.
Oh, it all made sense now.
She had to have a strong heart to use it; but all her worries and her depression had kept her from it because she thought she was worthless.
"Hotaru-chan... you're such a wise little girl." She closed her eyes, lifting her face again to the moonlight.
She was who she was.
She was Serenity the lover, she was Usagi the normal klutz, and she was Sailor Moon the fighter, the one who brought hope.
She was herself.
Sliding off the rock, she began to venture home, the crystal giving off a warm glow in her hand.
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
"Come out, come out, where ever you are..." a voice carried in through the occupied room. Ukyou felt a slight chill of trepidation.
"Seeker..." she whispered, nudging a still Ranma.
"We have trouble outside, everyone stay here." Ranma and Ukyou leapt to their feet, nearly dropping to the floor as everyone followed. "Did I just say...?"
"Ranma, just give it a rest. We're curious about this guy too." Soun informed him, "Now get out their and make us proud." After taking one look at Seeker, he shoved the boy and girl out the door, slamming it shut behind them.
"Nice people." Ukyou muttered, wincing as the memory of Seeker kicking her rose in her mind. She pulled out a spatula, "Ready Ran-chan?"
"Yup."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Ranma sent another set of punches towards Seeker who dodged them easily. Ukyou was out cold from a direct kick to the head, and Ranma was sporting numerous bruises and cuts.
"Getting tired, Priest of Light?" Was the mock.
"Who the hell is the Priest of Light, buddy? It ain't me!" Finally, Ranma sent him flying.
"You, you fool! Soon, you'll be in her highness' grasp, just like your little girlfriend."
Akane...?
Nothing could have made Ranma angrier, "You little Son of a bitch! What the hell did you do to her?"
"Me? Nothing." He picked himself off of the ground, dusting his black slacks off. Damn, that kid can pack a punch.... "She's dying a horrible death, starving, being abused..." He could feel Ranma's battle aura spark, "And the guards seem to like her... a lot..."
That was all it took, Ranma made the foolish charge towards Seeker, flipping over his shoulder and trying to knock him down with one blow.
In the next instant, Seeker had his throat, lifting him off the ground with inhuman-like strength.
"Time to come with me, little boy."
"I'd... rather... die..." Ranma wheezed.
"That *can* be arranged..."
Just then, a disc of light, cut through the night-time sky, and a voice called out clear as a cloudless sky:
"STOP RIGHT THERE!"
+)(+)(+)(+)(+)(+)(+)(+
*yawns* I'm so tired. This is one long-butt chapter... Okay, this is going to make me sound really stupid, but the reason that I didn't post this for like four months is...
*cough* IlostthediskthatIsavediton *cough*
There you have it, the trouble of it all. Thank Fiore-chan, she pestered me into it. =) Just kidding... Now show some Sailor Moon spirit here people, the people over in the Gundam section are MUCH more kind about reviewing, it makes me not want to write SM fics because no one tells me if they like it or not! *pouts*
Luvs and hugs
Chibi Acky
http://kiss.to/gyousei