Foreign Interest

KNIGHT

GUARD

A Ranma ½/Slayers/Sailor Moon Crossover Fanfiction

By Underlord Backlash

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½, Slayers, Sailor Moon, or any of their characters. They all belong to their respective owners

Part 3

"Arrival"

Usagi Tsuniko was freaked out. This was nothing new since she had a tendency to freak out over everything from not getting the last cookie to monsters invading Tokyo, (which seemed to happen quite a lot in Juuban). Her boyfriend Mamoru, and her visiting cousin TJ, had just passed out in the street by the train station. They were both out cold and barely breathing. She managed to get enough of a grip to get to a payphone and call a doctor, well, almost a doctor. She couldn't remember the hospital's number, so she called Emi, who had been doing an internship in medicine. "Emi-chan, I need you to come to the train station right away, it's an emergency!"

***

Meanwhile, a black kitten was sneaking around the Tsuniko residence. It paused, unsure if it was at the right place. "This is the home of the princess? How…humble." He shook his head, "Well, if that was Ferrov and Endymion starting to awaken, I guess there's no point in hiding it any more." A crescent moon suddenly appeared on the kitten's forehead. "I wonder how Terence is going to handle this, when he finds out that I can talk." The kitten then proceeded to sneak into the house. He searched for a short while until he found what he was looking for, another Lunar cat. "Onee-chan, onee-chan, wake up!" Luna didn't stir. The kitten pursed his lips as a nerve stuck out on his forehead. "Fine, I'll wake you up the way I used to." He bit her tail.

Luna woke up screaming curses not used since the Silver Millenium. She spun around, looking for a person, or at least a piece of furniture to vent her rage on. Instead, she saw her little brother, Bast. "Bast-chan? What are you doing here?"

Bast shook his head. "Same old onee-chan, well as it happens, Sailor Pluto woke me up recently, saying it's time for the Knights to awaken."

"Why, what's threatening the Earth?"

"She doesn't know yet, but it's too powerful for the Senshi to handle by themselves." The human I've been living with, as it happens, is the Knight of Fire. He's come across the Knights of Earth and Wind before, buuuuuut…"

"What is it? Have you not found the Knight of Ice yet?"

"No, it's not that. It's just that he hates Fire's guts. He loves to fight as much as he used to, but he got real upset when he realized he knew nothing about how to use magic. Ralceig never could stand not being the best at anything violent."

"Apparently the Knights have changed less from their reincarnations then the Senshi did."

"It would seem so, but never mind that. The important thing now is to fully awaken them."

"Agreed."

***

At the edge of the solar system, a massive spaceship, roughly twice the size of Tokyo, came out of a warphole. Inside the ship was an entire city, and at the city's center was a palace. Inside the palace's throne room, an ominous voice uttered a command. "Payge, begin the system scan."

A voice dripping with subservience responded, "Yes, my Lord. Computer, initiate analysis. Scan for resources, life force, and defenders.

A screen lit up and a digital voice answered. "Acknowledged. Nine planets in system. Planets third and fifth from star optimal for ore and gas mining, respectively. Third planet abundant in sentient and non-sentient life force. Third planet designated "Earth" by inhabitants.

"Defenders?"

"Scanning…Earth has multiple defenders. Seven with direct magi-force links to a planet in system. One with direct magi-force link to Earth's moon. Five with links to Earth's elements: one active, two trigger-ready, two dormant."

Err, my Lord, the analysis indicates the defenders have the combined capability to wipe out a planet the size of Earth several times over."

"I can see that Payge. Remember your place, and do not presume to warn me of what is powerful…"

Payge felt a flash of pain rip through his mind, sending him into a fetal position, whimpering in anguish. "Y-yes my Lord, of course."

"Summon the Generals….quickly."

"At once my Lord."

With a pop, Payge vanished, returning one by one with the Generals. First Atrocity, the youngest of them, clothed in green robes, his face unblemished and his physique flawless, his expression rich with arrogance and his eyes filled with hatred. Next came Reiz, constantly changing his shape, first a werewolf, then a centaur, then a griffin, until a flash of pain from his Lord told him to cease; he assumed his true form of a withered old man, wasted away by age. After Reiz was Diacoz, their resident mad scientist, his creations, the Strykers, were the pride of the Colony's attack force. Payge shivered as he brought Hexadeth, with his body covering black robes and dead eyes, before the Lord, fearing for his own life force. Finally, came Rykron, the undisputedly most powerful of the Generals, cold and unfeeling with his long white hair and regal red robes, a muscular hand clutching his staff. He narrowed his eyes slightly, and silently glanced at Payge, chilling him to the soul, and sending him to cower next to his Lord's throne. The five Generals came to one knee in unison, and responded to their summons simultaneously, "My Lord."

"We have located a most potent planet, with more life-force than we have encountered in some time. It is vital for the Colony's survival that we take this planet intact, with minimal damage to its resources. No mistakes can be allowed." His sweeping gaze caused an involuntary shudder in Payge and the Generals, except Hexadeth and Rykron. "However, the defenders are the legendary White Moon Senshi." A wave of shock swept through the throne room, even Rykron's usually impassive eyes widened slightly; even several galaxies away, the power of the White Moon Senshi was well known, ever since the invasion of the Dark Kingdom millennia ago. The Lord focused his gaze on Atrocity, "Atrocity, you will lead the first wave. Dispatch a squadron of Strykers to gather more detailed information. I want this handled delicately until the Syphon can be established. Only hunter-class Strykers are to be used, in order to test the defenders' individual capabilities. Understood?"

Atrocity bowed deeply as he responded, "Of course my Lord, my life is at your command." He smiled smugly, "Although I doubt even these warriors will pose a threat to myself or even the weakest fool among us." He regarded Reiz with a sweeping gesture.

Reiz was quick to take offense at the bishonen General's arrogance. "Watch your tone pup, just because you were chosen the youngest…"

"While you had to wait several normal lifetimes before you were finally chosen, old man? Jealous? Or has senility finally set in?"

"I'll teach you some manners whelp!" Reiz's body began to twist and grow, morphing into a twelve foot tall minotaur, ready to charge and flatten Atrocity.

"Bring it on old man." Atrocity's eyes took on a greenish glow, which began to surround his body.

"Enough." Rykron placed his staff between the two. He glanced at them each in turn, his eyes betraying no emotion, and appearing all the more threatening for it. Atrocity turned back to the Lord, while Reiz reverted to his true form and resumed his place in line, both of them after glaring daggers at Rykron.

"Atrocity, Reiz, " the Lord's voice dripped with his displeasure, "I will not tolerate this pointless bickering between my Generals. I will replace both of you if necessary." He focused on Atrocity. "Also, do not underestimate your opponents under any circumstances." His eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Of course my Lord, please forgive me." Arrogant as he was, Atrocity was far from stupid enough to anger the Lord further. He knew his limits. "Your orders shall be carried out as you command." He stood, turned, and walked from the chamber.

After he had left, the Lord addressed the others. "I am well aware of the rivalry that exists between nearly all of you." Rykron silently smiled at the emphasis on the word 'nearly'. "I will not tolerate such childish behavior, not when we are so close to obtaining the energy we need for the Colony's continued survival. I hope, for your sakes, that you all understand the consequences of any failure to comply with this…"

The Generals replied in one voice, "Of course, my Lord."

The Lord smiled, as the lights in the chamber went out, and Payge returned the Generals to their posts. "Now, for my first taste of this, 'Earth's' inhabitants' life essence."

***

Sailor Pluto stood by the gates of time, pondering the recent events. The Knights' reincarnations were easily enough identified, but was Bast mature enough to instruct them? Ferrov's reincarnation complicated the matter further. His ancestors in this life were not even originally from this dimension, yet still, he was undoubtedly the Knight of Fire. He and his ancestors even knew the old magic already, which even in the Silver Millennium was known only by the Knights. She had examined Lina Inverse and Zelgadiss Greywords the day they had arrived almost a hundred years ago, and had determined that they were not an anomaly in the time stream; they were destined to be there. She just hoped that the two of them would stay out of the Senshi and Knights' way, for everyone's sake. Her thoughts were interrupted by a bolt of energy, which struck her in the back of the neck. She fell to the ground, already feeling the energy form chains around her.

"Hmm, you and your little trinket will go nicely in my collection." Sailor Pluto looked towards the voice, but could not make out its owner. All she could make out was her time key being picked up, then vanishing.

"Wh-who are you?" she managed to force out her question.

"You'd like to know wouldn't you?" Everything went dark for her then.