There are times when I'm glad Pops took me to Jusenkyou. Oh I could've done without getting cursed, but I don't think I would've been able to develop as a person more if I didn't. My memories of the Silver Millennium showed me that there was more to life then fighting. My time with Okaa-san has allowed me to become both scholar and warrior. And then there are my friends. Friends I would never have if I was still the old Ranma or with Pops. He would never have approved of any of them, and would most likely have us move if this were before.
As of yet my only real regret over Jusenkyou is finding that Pops... Genma didn't care for me as a son, or child really. A true parent would not have abandoned their child in his or her time of need like that. Whenever I think about that incident, I'm all the more thankful that Okaa-san was there. I really don't know what would have happened to me otherwise.
Cursed Waters
An alternate beginning
Featuring the Sailor Senshi
Chapter Two
A Past Revealed, A Destiny Found
The sun had only just crossed above the horizon and the residents of Juuban had barely begun to awaken but there was already activity in the district. Night shift personnel were heading home, paper couriers were on their rounds, and, from Juuban Park, the sounds of a single voice shouting.
"Kiya!"
The punch flew straight and true. Before the ringing of his shout died, Ranma spun around into the next part of the kata. Sweat flew from his body after sudden stops as he moved like water from one move to the next.
"Kiya!"
Although he was in the park practicing, Ranma's mind was on something completely different. Paying only enough attention to keep his forms correct, Ranma dwelled on other matters.
"Kiya!"
His dreams over the past six weeks almost always ended up being the memories of Princess Mercury. Those that weren't often instead were nightmares about becoming a pale imitation of her and Ranma, or of his father. The dreams were always the same, Ranma watched the events from Princess Mercury's eyes, feeling every thing she felt, aware that it was a dream and unable to change or do anything. In most cases he didn't mind seeing what life was like back then. It was only Mercury's memories of Malachite or Jupiter that gave him problems. Ranma never could get used to the idea of loving a man that much. He didn't mind the ones with Jupiter as much, but knowing he was a girl with another girl… It kept weirding him out. Last night's, however, was entirely different.
"Kiya!"
It had started with one of the memories he hated to relive, the final battle of the Moon Kingdom against the rebelling armies of Earth. He never could stand how Mercury always refused combat training, especially after the time she was nearly raped by some overzealous dignitaries. If it wasn't for the intervention of 'violent' Jupiter, she would've been. However, the Fall of the Moon was the worst. Ranma knew a trained warrior would've heard Kunzite's approach before he slipped the knife between her ribs. The dream had proceeded as normal, after Kunzite left her to bleed to death, he saw the light spreading out from the Palace. Normally he awakened at this point, but not this time.
"Kiya!"
As the light washed over her, Mercury was lifted up and enclosed in some sort of energy sphere. Dimly, she saw other sphere's rising into the sky. She had one last look at the burning Palace before her own sphere launched toward the Earth. Mercury struggled to get to her knees in the orb, but she had lost too much blood, she was dying and she knew it. The muted world outside the barrier became more clouded as she entered the atmosphere. How long she traveled, Mercury couldn't tell, but she did know when she landed. The sphere dissipated about a foot above ground, which, unfortunately, was two feet below the water line. Already weakened by blood loss, Mercury could only flounder helplessly as the water covered her. Just when as the water began to fill her lungs, Mercury heard the Queen's voice one last time.
"I am sorry I could not save you. Please, protect my daughter in the future."
"KIYA!!"
Ranma had drifted closer to the edge of the grove as he thought, and, as the memory came to an end, accidentally pushed his fist into one of the trees. The sudden pain brought him back to the present and, wincing, he pulled his hand from the jagged hole. Wrapping the wound with his spare towel, Ranma carefully checked around for other eyes. Finding none, he lifted his water bottle above his hand and dumped the contents over the wound. Shaking the water from her hand, Ami wiped the sweat from her body as best she could before placing her things in the bag and leaving the park, her thoughts heavy once more.
)O+ +O(
Ranma was not the only one in the park that morning. On her morning jog, Makoto Kino, also known to a select few as Sailor Jupiter, had her own thoughts on previous battles. Unlike Ranma's however, the battle on her mind happened two days ago at this very park. The Sailor Senshi were responding to Naru's call for help and arrived in time to see the Dark Kingdom general Neflite save Usagi's friend from Zoysite, another Dark Kingdom general. They were unable to save the dark warrior and could only watch helplessly as he dissolved in a cloud of light, leaving only a blood stained cloth and Naru's broken heart.
Makoto was not really sure that that battle should be put it the 'win' column. Both Usagi and her were of the opinion that they should've done more to save Neflite, or Nephrite as he was calling himself at the end, while Rei, ever the pragmatist, pointed out that there was one less Dark Kingdom General to worry about. Makoto some times wondered if Rei held any compassion for others outside of her circle. The past two days were almost unbearable for the Senshi of Lightning, knowing for certain that there was another general out there, but unable to do anything until he made his move, Makoto found herself hoping Zoysite would attack soon.
A shout drew her attention to the small woods in the park, curious as to who was also up at this hour, Makoto slowed down to try and see past the trees. A flash of white caught her eye, and, after identifying the cloth as a martial arts gi, Makoto changed direction to the tree line. She walked softly, hoping to not disturb the practicing martial artist, well, that and to get a good look if it turned out to be a cute boy. Peeking around a tree, Makoto forgot all about Zoysite and the Dark Kingdom. Before her eyes was the most incredible guy she ever saw! Forget her last sempai, this one was definitely a cut above the rest. Those eyes! That body! That butt! Oh, Kami, that butt!! Makoto had hearts in her eyes as she slipped into numerous daydreams about her newly found perfect guy.
The crack of wood briefly shock her back to reality as she saw him pull his fist from the hole he put in the tree. Suddenly, more depressing thoughts entered her head as she hide behind the tree fully. She knew there was no way a normal or even most skilled martial artists could so bury there fists in solid wood in just one punch. The possibility that he was from the Dark Kingdom just became a lot higher. Still, she needed more definite proof. Her lips quirked, and what better way then to ask him?
"Excuse me...?" She started as she walked from around the tree. "I couldn't help... but... see... you?" Makoto blinked in confusion at the empty glade. A quick look around only turned up a blue-haired girl leaving the park, the boy had vanished. Heaving a sigh of disappointment, Makoto resumed her run, she was going to be late if she didn't hurry.
)O++O(
Within a dark cavern, a woman sat on a cold stone throne. Her fire red hair moving as though in a breeze, Queen Beryl summoned the next of her four generals.
"Zoysite! Appear before me!"
In a swirl of cherry blossoms, the effeminate general appeared, floating in mid-air. "Yes your Majesty? What would you have of me?"
"Zoysite, I want you to find the Nijizushou contained within seven humans. Use this crystal to release the Dark Kingdom warriors contained within each." Beryl summoned a small, black crystal near Zoysite. "Once they are free, bring the Crystals back to me. We shall use them to find the Maboroshi no ginzuishou. No go! I hope you will be more successful then your predecessors." She finished with an evil smirk as she gazed at the general over her crystal ball.
Zoysite landed and knelt before his queen. "I shall not fail you or our great Queen Metallia."
A short time later, Zoysite stood in his personal chambers, gazing at the crystal in his hands. He focused his power into the mystical stone before tossing it from his hand.
"Kurozuishou, show me the first of the Crystal Carriers!"
The crystal stopped an inch from his hand and spun once before casting an image into the air. Zoysite studied the image before snatching the crystal from the air, breaking the spell.
"I see," he told the room, "The first nijizuishou will be the Dark Kingdom's before the day is done!"
In another swirl of cherry blossoms, the Dark general was gone.
)O++O(
Ami Mizuno witnessed the events around her with a sort of detached curiosity. Even after the previous day's trip, the school uniform still didn't look any better. Registration went well she assumed, for most of the interview she read the physics book she bought back in China. The principals' voice droned over head along with her mother's responses. Ami was handed a schedule, and told to show up on time. A glance over the class listing had Ami convinced she would learn little here. When she told her findings to her mother, Yuri just smiled and replied that not everything learned in schools pertained to books. She did, however, also register Ami in a local juku school after Crossroads finished.
Now it was her first day of school as a girl, and Ami was sure everyone was looking at her. Whispers faintly heard behind her had her convinced that the other students knew her secret and were ridiculing her. The first half of school played havoc on her nerves, she tried to bury the feelings by focusing totally on the teacher and lesson and found, to her surprise, that lunch came sooner then she thought. She turned down an offer to join some friends for lunch, made by a blonde girl with her hair rolled up into two buns with tails still almost reaching the floor, Usagi if she remembered right. She ate her lunch in the classroom, keeping the pace down to what her mother called "human speed, if not ladylike."
Gym class, originally the only class she was looking forward to, turned out to be the class that rattled her the most. She had forgotten that she would have to change in the girl's locker room, with other girls. Ami was so shaken up that her performance was sub-standard by her reasoning. To the others in the class, the new girl was a lot better then they expected for someone that the school rumor monger, Umino, said was a certified genius, not up to the level set by Makoto, but about as good as most students. The only class Ami did truly enjoy was Music, oh, she quickly determined that playing an instrument was not among her skills, but she lost herself in singing.
After school, Ami made a mental note to look into the music and computer clubs, even if she would not likely be able to go because of juku, she still wanted to find out about them. Since the juku class was not starting until next week, she began making her way home.
"Mizuno-san!"
The call was repeated again before Ami found who was calling her. It was the blonde girl from her class, Usagi Tsukino. Ami slowed and waited for the running girl to catch up to her. Just a few steps before she would've reached Ami, Tsukino-san suddenly tripped over something and was sent sprawling on the ground. Ami rushed to the fallen girl to see if she was all right, as she knelt by her, Ami glanced she looked at the spot where Tsukino-san tripped over. Ami sweatdroped after seeing the smooth expanse of concrete the girl tripped over.
"Uh... Are you all right Tsukino-san?" She asked the groaning girl.
"Itai..." The young girl whined as she got to her knees rubbing her forehead.
Ami suppressed a smile and a giggle (she never giggled) and was about to help Tsukino-san to her feet when she caught sight of a demon jumping down by her. The small, black demon arrogantly walked to the two girls, one sitting in pain the other frozen in terror. In some part of her mind, Ami commented that the demon-fear was a lot less then it normally was, that and the demon looked very familiar from Mercury's memories. Grasping that single realization, Ami wrestled with her fear as the demon approached. The demon looked into her eyes and stopped, for a second, Ami was sure she saw confusion in the cat's eyes. Again the black cat advanced, but this time it was slower, almost as though it was giving Ami a chance to get used to its' presence.
"Thanks for helping me Mizuno-san!" A bright voice suddenly broke the silence as Usagi climbed to her feet, blissfully unaware of the tension in her new classmate. She instead spotted the cat approaching them. "Luna! Hi!" She rushed forward and swept the cat in her arms before turning back to the still immobile girl. "This is my cat, Luna. Isn't she neat?" The cat was thrust almost right in front of Ami's face, the almost human expression of exasperation on the cat's face went totally missed by the panicking girl.
"Aaaghhhh!!!" Ami stumbled three steps back, eyes wide in terror of the cat.
"Huh?" Usagi blinked and Ami, blinked at Luna, and back at Ami before realizing. "Are you afraid of cats?" The shaking girl offered no hint that she had heard her. Luna, examining the situation more, quietly offered her charge some advice.
"Usagi, take a few steps back, put me down and comfort the girl. She's not afraid, she's terrified."
"Umm... right Luna." The still confused girl agreed as she set the cat down and slowly walked to Ami. "Uh... Mizuno-san? It's all right, Luna won't harm you. She's a nice kitty."
"P-p-p-please don-n-n-n-n't t-t-t-t-t-treat me like a c-c-c-c-child." The girl haltingly replied as she forced herself to relax. "I-I-I-I can get a h-h-h-hold of myself in j-j-j-just a bit." Ami took a few more shuddering breaths before closing her eyes and relaxing the rest of the way.
"Oh... right, gomen nisei. I didn't mean to insult you." Usagi bowed, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
"It... it is all right," Even with her new memories, Ami still couldn't stand to see a girl cry, "It was not your fault that you didn't know. My fear is not something I like to advertise." She looked at the very slowly approaching cat. "You know," she told Usagi absently, "This is the closest I've been to a c-c-c-c-cat since the incident. I think it's because your Luna reminds me of another cat I knew before it happened." She technically didn't lie, the Luna Mercury knew was centuries before Ranma was born, let alone trained in the Neko-ken.
Usagi worriedly looked between her cat and classmate as Luna came to her. When she was within arms reach, Usagi kneeled down and gathered her in her arms once again. "Umm... anywise, I meant to ask you something..." She trailed off, finger alongside her mouth as she tried to remember. Ami looked at the girl and waited for her to remember. And waited. And waited.
"sigh Come on Tsukino-san, walk with me. Maybe you'll remember on the way." She said, already continuing on her path.
"Huh? Oh! Right." Usagi hurried to catch up. A couple of blocks later, Usagi perked up as she remembered. "Oh yeah! I remember now! I was going to ask you if you wanted to go to the arcade with me."
Ami glanced over at her traveling companion, her wide, hopeful eyes, and sighed. "I don't see why not. Okaa-san won't be back from the hospital until this evening and I have nothing important to do. Lead the way Tsukino-san."
"Cool! Oh and please call me Usagi!"
Ami smiled and nodded to her new friend, "I'm Ami, nice to meet you."
Soon, the two girls were inside Crown Arcade, Usagi went straight to the Sailor V game with Ami trailing behind looking at her first arcade parlor. Usagi was already on her second life when the blue-haired girl looked over her shoulder. As she watched Usagi play, Ami was analyzing every move of the girls hands and what the character on the screen did. Soon, Usagi got up, her money spent and her last life gone, the only consolation was the number three spot on the high score list.
"Darn, out of money. Hay Ami, wanna try?"
"Hmmm? Oh sure, I'll give it a shot."
With that, Ami sat down and entered the amount asked for. After a minute familiarizing herself with the controls, Ami proceeded to decimate both Usagi's previous score and the two above her. Usagi's eyes filled her face as she watched a first-time player climb well past her own max level. Murmuring behind her drew Usagi's attention to the crowd that had gathered around to see the young genius play.
"Hello Usagi-san, brought a new friend today?" Usagi looked over her shoulder at Motoki, the young manager of the arcade.
"Yes, she's my new friend Ami. Doing rather well at the game isn't she?" The girl nervously laughed.
The crowd groan as one when Ami's final life was lost and left to return to their own games. The player in question however, merely frowned and entered her initials and claimed the number one position on the game with a margin of over a hundred thousand points. As she was getting up, a cluncking sound had her blinking as the game deposited a pen in the tray below the counsel. Picking the pen up, Ami found herself liking the light blue coloring and the curious cap with an orb surrounded by a ring. The pen kept tickling something in the back of her mind. She almost pinned it down when she heard a voice that totally derailed her entire thought process.
"Hey Usagi-chan, we were staring to wonder what happened to you when you didn't meet us at the Hikawa Shrine." Eyes wide, Ami slowly turned her head, already both dreading and hoping on what she would see.
"I, however, knew you were probably goofing off. Blow your allowance yet odango-atama?" Standing beside Usagi were two girls, one in a dark school uniform Ami recognized as the type worn by TA Academy students, a private school in Juuban that only rich kids could afford to attend. She had long, glossy black hair almost touching the floor and a faintly superior air around her.
"Rrrreeeeiiii... Stop picking on me!" Usagi wildly waved her arms in anger.
"Chill out Rei, let her at least explain why she missed the meeting." It was the second girl that had all of Ami's attention. She was tall, almost as tall as her guy side, brown hair in a ponytail, and green eyes that sparkled with kindness and mischief. Voice, body and mannerisms were a dead ringer for Mercury's old lover from the Silver Millennium, Jupiter.
"I was making friends with the new student in my class, you hear about her Mako-chan? She really is as smart as Umino said." Ami was paralyzed, her heart pounding and breath coming in short gasps. She knew she was shacking like a leaf in a storm, the tall brunette filling her eyes and thoughts.
"Guys, this is Ami Mizuno, Ami these are my friends, Rei Hino and Makoto Kino." The two newcomers turned to the half-raised girl and blinked. She was staring at them as though she had seen a ghost, pale and shacking with a light sheen of sweet on her forehead. Rei had her suspicions raised immediately, she could feel magic practically pouring off her, her reactions had Rei pegging her as a Dark Kingdom agent. Makoto, on the other hand, was concerned. The poor girl looked like she was going to collapse at any moment. "Hey, are you okay?" She reached out and placed a hand on the smaller girls shoulder.
Ami flinched at the contact, several memories of Jupiter touching Mercury there and other places flashing through her head. She finished standing and jerked away from Makoto. "Ah...I'm...I'm fine." She stammered out, "I... uh.... I need to go now I'll see you tomorrow Usagi bye!" She turned and practically ran from the arcade and down the street. The disguised Senshi blinked as one before turning to each other.
"Well that was strange." Makoto commented, "Ran out of here like youma were on her tail."
"Might not be far from the truth," Rei coldly told the other two, "I sensed lots of magic coming off her."
"That doesn't mean anything Rei." Usagi started to defend her new friend.
"She recognized us," Rei bluntly said. "Or at least Makoto and myself. We have to consider the possibility that she may be from the Dark Kingdom."
"No." Usagi firmly replied, "I will not accept that. If we think that all are our enemy, we will soon forget what we are fighting for. I'm going to check on her." Usagi left her two fellow Senshi and tried to follow Ami's trail, Luna cradled in her arms.
)O++O(
Coward!
Ami continued to insult herself even as she ran. She had thought that she had managed to place the feelings and memories of Mercury behind her. They were thousands of years old, they had now place in her modern life. The encounter at the arcade proved otherwise.
Coward!
She ran into the park without noticing it. The pain in her heart still causing her to be short of breath, as tears, tears, slipped from her eyes. Seeing her love and having her not recognize her was a dagger sharper then the one Kunzite killed her with. With the new knowledge that a look-alike was alive, Ami found her imagination going off into fantasies where she got back together with her or where this 'Makoto' already had some one she cared for and Ami, poor Ami, would be left out in the cold.
Coward!
But instead of facing her, Ami ran. The feelings and thoughts overwhelmed her completely, and instead of facing the problem, she proved that she was her father's child by running.
CowardcowardcowardcowardCOWARD!!
Her legs gave out, sending Ami to the ground. Sobs wracked her slender frame as she pounded the ground in a futile attempt to silence her own thoughts.
"Hey, are you okay?" A kind voice broke into her self-ridiculing. She looked up into the kind brown eyes of a man in a dark gi, the glasses on his face giving him a wise look. The skeleton on his back was the thing that jarred her fully back into reality. Ami blinked at the skull poking over his shoulder, sure that she was hallucinating. The man followed her gaze over his shoulder and at the skeleton. "Oh. This is my skeleton, Betty. Lovely complexion don't you think?" He told the girl with a winning smile. "I'm Ono Tofu. I run a small clinic in a nearby ward, Nerima."
"If you run a clinic in another ward, then what are you doing here?" The confused part-time girl asked.
Tofu laughed nervously and sat back on his heels, "Well, um, I was, uh, visiting a, uh, relative! Yes, a relative here in Tomobiki."
"This is Juuban." Ami told him.
He blinked a few times at her before a sheepish smile crept on his features. "Oh, right. Okay to tell the truth, I kind of black out in certain conditions back in Nerima. After they leave me, I always find myself somewhere else with Betty here."
Ami folded her legs under her and sat back while examining Tofu, her recent flight suppressed in her mind. "Well, maybe you should see someone about it. If it happens when you're looking at a patient, you might injure them."
"Well, it's not as bad as it first sounds. All my patients know in advance when one is coming. Besides, I know what causes them, and I am determined to get over them and ask her out." Tofu declared.
Ami blinked, "Her? Your attacks are caused by a girl?" She really didn't think that was a medically sound theory.
"Well, their not really 'attacks' per say. More like I totally panic when she's around. You know," He cocked his head at the overly serious blue-haired girl before him, "You looked like you might know a bit about that. Care to talk about it with an impartial third party?"
Ami found herself remembering her problem and sighed dejectedly, "I doubt it would help but it can't make it worse. I saw someone today who could've passed as the twin for my old lover. When I saw her, I totally panicked."
Tofu nodded, seemingly unfazed by the thought that the girl was talking about another girl. "Could she be your previous companion?"
Ami shot that down with a shake of her head. "No, she died a while back. There is no way it could've been her."
"I see," He nodded, "What about the possibility that this girl you just saw was her reincarnation?" He said, trying to cheer her up.
"Re.. incarnation?" Ami's eyes widened as the one thing she hadn't considered slapped her in the face. Her hopes started rising again before an earlier idea reasserted itself. "Even if she was, there is nothing that says she'll recall what we once shared. Besides," she finished up, feeling down again, "Someone as beautiful as her has to have someone already."
Tofu frowned, "But their is nothing that says she won't recall is there? If even the slightest chance exists, you should explore it to the fullest. If you don't, you cheapen your feelings for her." He had the satisfaction of seeing the girl turn wide, hopeful eyes on him again. This time, the hope didn't die. "You can't let things bring down your dreams, fight for what you want. If your heart is good, your wish pure and your dreams true, what you hope for will be yours."
"Sure good advice." Both heads jerked to look at the new speaker. Tofu narrowed his eyes, this stranger's ki felt, twisted somehow. Ami thought her heart stopped yet again. Unlike with Makoto, there was no denying who the figure floating before her was. "Zoasite." She whispered.
"This conversation doesn't concern you stranger," Tofu him, moving in front of the girl, he hadn't practiced the combat aspect of his art for a long time, but if this man even tried to threaten the girl, he would find out just how painful shiatsu could be.
"Oh I quite agree. However I was getting tired of waiting for it to end. I have business with you Dr. Tofu." Zoysite lifted his right hand and pointed the tip of the kurozuishou at the chiropractor, "I've been sent to bring you back to Queen Beryl."
Ami's eyes couldn't have gotten any bigger, Beryl was the name of the Earth noble who raised the armies against the Moon. First Zoysite and now Beryl? She thought Queen Serenity defeated them.
"I know of no Queen named Beryl," Tofu told the dark general, "And I have no intention of going with you anywhere."
Zoysite smiled and replied, "Suit yourself. Zoi!" He flicked his palm at Tofu and sent the crystal spinning. After two turns, it stopped and fired a yellow beam at Tofu's chest. Tofu screamed as a subspace pocket opened, revealing a blue crystal inside. Zoysite laughed demurely as Tofu fell to his knees and raised a hand to lazily catch the crystal as it flew out. He spared the young girl behind the good doctor and smirked, "I would suggest that you leave, but I actually hope Tofu here takes care of you. All that nonsense about dreams and pure hearts. Ha! If you don't have the power to take what you want and keep it, you don't deserve it." Zoysite floated up and, as the cherry blossom petals swirled about his form as he faded, shot off a final, sarcastic comment to the girl, "I do hope you remember that next life time. HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Ami had backed away from Tofu when the beam hit him and could only watch in horror at the scene. Zoysite's comments brought a frown directed at the fleeing general. A low guttural growl came from Tofu as a white column of energy enveloped him. Senses recently acquired but unused for centuries suddenly informed Ami of the presence of a youma.
"Kuso!" Ami bit out as she settled in a lose combat stance, frantically trying to remember how to summon Mercury's power and praying that it still existed. The column faded, leaving a hulking monster where Tofu once was. Ami guessed it was about seven feet tall, and dressed, outrageously enough, in hospital scrubs. The things arms, however, were far from funny. Grotesquely bulging with muscle, they had various surgical and other medical tools coating them. In place of a left hand, he had an enormous pair of forceps spinning and clashing against itself. The beast looked at Ami with solid yellow eyes over a surgical mask that seamed fused with the gray skin of his face.
"Doctor Terror!" It screamed.
Oh man, Ami thought, how do I get myself into these situations? She sighed and braced her feet again as she prepared to attack.
)O++O(
Author: Well I could just cut it there and leave the rest for next chapter. (Looks out window and sees a peasant mob with torches, pitchforks and other farming tools.) Ummm... or not. -_-U
)O++O(
Huffing, Usagi stopped and leaned against a wall. She had been searching for Ami for the past five minutes with no luck. Luna calmly walked up to her and, after gazing at her for a second or two, offered more sage advice.
"You need to cut back on the sweets Usagi. You don't want to end up fat do you?"
"Luuunnnnaaa..." The pigtailed blonde whined. Before she could continue, a scream echoed from the park. "Wha?" Usagi blinked at the park entrance where some people were already running out. "What's going on?" She asked a teen she snagged coming out of the park.
"There's some monster in the park attacking some blue-haired chick!" The boy told her while twisting his arm around, trying to break Usagi grip.
"Blue-haired?" Usagi whispered, letting the boy go. "Luna, a youma's attacking Ami! I've got to help her! MOON PRISIM POWER, MAKE UP!"
One transformation sequence later, Sailor Moon was running toward the park. On the street corner, Luna followed her charge's progress before heaving a long-suffering sigh. "Why can't she be this brave all the time? Oh well, better go after her and see how long this burst of courage lasts."
)O++O(
Ami flipped to the side, avoiding another blade launched at her. The things speed was incredible. She was just barely staying ahead of it's attacks. She had yet to get a chance to study it's fighting style, strengths and weaknesses or even mount an effective counter-strike. A series of backflips took her out of it's immediate rang and gave her some much needed breathing space. Taking large gulps of air, Ami engaged the one thing her father gave her that worked. She began to examine 'Doc Terror' in a tactical light. Good reach and excellent speed, and if the gouges on the ground around them were any indication, quite strong. It had already proved that the tools on its arms were more then decoration and was not showing any signs of being tired at all. The way its body was structured made what little she knew about pressure points and shiatsu unreliable. Final analysis: she was screwed.
Frowning, Ami ignored her conclusion and began taking furtive glances around the park. If she couldn't take it head-on, then she'd use the environment to beat it. There, that jungle gym set should at least slow it down. Coiling her muscles, Ami crouched and prepared to take off toward the bars as she locked eyes with the youma. It was very confident of it's win, she saw. It was just walking toward her, taking its time. She was not, apparently, considered a significant threat, she'd show it soon how much a threat she could....be?! She whipped her head around, feeling a surge of Silver Millennial power. This, unfortunately, left her unguarded for half a second, more then enough time for Doc Terror to brake into a run and close the distance between the two to less then half a foot. Realizing her mistake, Ami tried to turn back around and backpedal away, but cold metal locked around her neck as the youma grabbed her with its left arm.
"I think we should explore acupuncture as a solution." The thing told her, chuckling behind its mask. The right hand wove around itself, forming a cylinder with multiple needlepoints at the end and waves of heat rising. Still laughing, it brought the barrel an inch from her face and was about to fire when...
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!"
Annoyed at the interruption, Doc Terror turned his head at saw it's next patient. Standing on the very jungle gym Ami was trying for, was another girl. This one was had a white bodysuit with a short blue skirt, a blue with white piping flap in back and, red boots with white trim, white gloves with red trim, a blue collar, two large blue bows, one on her chest, the other behind her, and a golden tiara on her forehead and two red hair ornaments over her unusual hair style. Seeing that she had its attention, Sailor Moon began her introductory speech.
"Parks are to enjoy the afternoon day in with good friends and loved ones. I will not let you destroy it. I am Sailor Moon, and in the name of the Moon, I'LL PUNISH YOU!"
"Wait your turn!" Doc Terror yelled, swinging its arm to point at the sailor-suited champion of justice. The needles shot out like a machine gun at the now shrieking and panicking Sailor Moon.
"Owie. Hay watch it! Whoa! Yipes! HHEELLPPP!!" Sailor Moon cried as she frantically jumped and weaved about, somehow dodging every needle. Ami used the distraction to ineffectively rain blows on the device holding her and kick at the beast's main body. Growling in frustration, Doc Terror slammed the girl into the ground.
"Stay there!" It commanded, "I'll be right back." No longer encumbered, the youma morphed its other arm into a copy of the right, and with both barrels, fired hundreds of needles at now greatly panicking Sailor Moon. Coughing, Ami rolled over to her knees rubbing her neck. She struggled to her feet and glared at the thing.
"No way I'm going to just lay here. I've got to help her!"
In the nearby bushes, Luna saw a blue sigal appear on Ami's forehead, the sigal of... "Mercury!"
Looking at the new voice, Ami saw Usagi's cat run out at her. She felt a flare or terror as she neared but then she heard the impossible. "Ami! You must transform and help Sailor Moon!"
"Luna? It is you! How...? Transform?" Suddenly, she knew. Reaching into her pocket, Ami withdrew the pen she got from the Sailor V game earlier, the sense of familiarity solidifying into knowledge. Stand tall, Ami held the pen above her and called a phrase not heard in thousands of years.
"MERCURY POWER, MAKE UP!!"
Inside the orb, the symbol of Mercury appeared and started to spin. Ami brought the pen, water tailing behind it, down in a circle, stopping at her chest and turning around in the process. The water flowed about her form and, in a ripple, changed into her Senshi uniform, identical to Sailor Moon's except that it was entirely blue and white. In a final burst of power, Sailor Mercury was back once more.
Sensing something behind it, Doc Terror turned in time to see a white gloved fist slam into its face. Staggering back, it shook it's head and focused on the new target, roaring, it thrust an arm, morphed in to a long blade, at her.
Deftly, Mercury slipped to the left, letting the blade cut by her face with an inch to spare. Smiling, she grabbed the arm and swung herself over, planting both feet in its face and grinding them as she twisted over the arm. She landed on her right knee, right arm by her waist and left held in front of her, just below waist-level on the youma. With a cry, Sailor Mercury threw an enhanced punch to the things groin, proving that was still a guy. As it was falling, she back rolled and sprang to her feet, smirking at her groaning opponent.
From the time she heard the words, Sailor Moon had been watching Sailor Mercury's debut fight with her jaw on the ground. Seeing the youma down she picked her jaw up and started over to the new Senshi. As she past Doc Terror, though, one of its arms lashed out, grasping her ankle. With a startled squawk, Sailor Moon fell over and was lifted as the thing regained its feet, swinging her in a circle.
"You don't know when to quit do you?" Mercury grumbled, "Fine, let's see how you like this. SHABBON..." She brought both hands in front of her, a sphere of energy forming between her palms as she turned in a circle ending with her arms crossed, the sphere holding position where her arms met. "SPRAY!!" She threw her arms up, disrupting the sphere and causing the super-cold energy to spread though out the area, forming a thick mist. Just as the mist covered it, Doc Terror launched Sailor Moon at Sailor Mercury. Narrowing her eyes, Mercury jumped and grabbed Moon as she was tumbling through the air. Landing, she looked Sailor Moon over, she was fine but very dizzy. Luna neared the two Senshi, unaffected by the mist, and coughed to get Mercury's attention.
"Excellent work Sailor Mercury! Now we just need to destroy this youma and..."
"No!" Mercury rounded on the confused cat, "There is a person inside it. Zoysite did something to him that changed him into that thing. No what other abilities do I have to trap him? I can't remember too clearly."
"Zoysite? How do you know...? Later. As for your other question. You don't have anything else at the moment. I know each Senshi has more power, but that will only happen when you've matured into your powerrrraackk..!!"
Mercury grabbed the cat and was shacking her violently as she exclaimed, "What do you mean that's my only power?!"
"He.. hey Luna? What's going on?" Sailor Moon asked a hand to her head as she tried to stop the world from spinning.
"Sailor Moon, use the Moon Wand I gave you this morning, with it you can seal the shadow in that young man away."
"Huh? Shadow? Man? What are you taking about?" Sailor Moon was very confused and her headache was not helping any. Luna would've pulled her hair if she was human, instead, she leapt from Mercury's not-so-gentle arms and landed on Sailor Moon's stomach. "No time to explain. Just take your Wand out, point it at the youma and say: 'Moon Healing Escalation.' Got it?"
"Um.. right." Sailor Moon stood up and seeing the youma blindly fail about in the fog, reached into her subspace pocket for the Moon Wand. "MOON..." White power gathered as she drew the Wand in a large circle around her. "HEALING..." She held the Wand aloft as the power lanced out at the youma. "ESCALATION!!" The power ripped into Doc Terror as it cried out before fading away, leaving a tired doctor Ono Tofu to collapse on the park ground. "Yes!" Sailor Moon cried happily, "Moondusted!"
Mercury smiled at her companions' antics before walking toward the fallen doctor, powering down as she went. Ami reached his side as he recovered consciousness. "Hey doc, you okay?" Ami asked him.
Tofu blinked a bit before smiling ruefully, "We seam to have reversed positions my dear."
Ami smiled and nodded, "It looks that way. You had best go back to Nerima now. I wish you luck on overcoming your... condition. And I'll think about what you said."
Tofu nodded and got to his feet. "I think I shall do just that. I was a pleasure meeting you... I don't believe I caught your name."
"Ami, Ami Mizuno."
"Mizuno? Any relation to a Dr. Yuri Mizuno? She was one of my teachers back in med. school."
Ami blinked in surprise, "Yes, she's my mother."
"Ah, and a joy you must be. Give her my regards. I hope to see you again Mizuno-san." Tofu bowed and left the park. Ami watched him go, feeling very proud of herself and her actions that day. Usagi, Luna held close, walked up behind her friend and newfound Senshi and began talking a mile a minute.
"Wow your Sailor Mercury that's soo coooll what 'til you meet the others although you kinda already did by the way what's with you and that cute guy and what about earlier why did you run out so suddenly...."
Both Luna and Ami sighed as Usagi continued to pelt Ami with question after question as they left the park.
From a nearby tree, a single figure watched the two with a satisfied smile. Tuxedo Kamen nodded once before leaving in another direction. The Dark Kingdom beat him to the first Rainbow Crystal, but Sailor Moon had another ally now. A very competent ally it seamed. Things were going to get even more interesting now.
End Chapter 2
Next time on Cursed Waters: Personality clash! Makoto tells the others about her new crush! And: "Hey Jupiter, who's the moron in the tux?"
Author's Notes:
Wow! This is my largest chapter ever! I have a new standard to live up to. The astute reader will have caught the changed scene at the arcade. I decide to base this series mainly on the anime but with influences from the manga. I know Dr. Tofu wasn't the first Crystal Carrier but hey, can't have a crossover with out playing with others from the series. Expect to see more of the Nerima Crew as the story progresses. Well, until next time!