A Ranma crossover fanfic
Started - 1 February 2003 Completed – 12 June 2003
Last revised - 10 May 2004 Reason - typos
Characters are from Ranma ½, Sailor Moon and Ah, My Goddess. They are used without permission or profit. This is a form of literary tribute to the original authors and no copyright infringement is intended.
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Chaotic Future . . . by . . . Cloud Dreamer
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Chapter five - Challenge Dance
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Usagi was getting what she claimed she wanted. She was no longer going to be Queen, she could just be a normal girl instead. Well, most of the time. She still appeared at times as Sailor Moon, whenever some sort of public disturbance seemed to require it. Still, it was different. The public no longer seemed to blindly trust them and that hurt a little bit. She was irritated that the outers were avoiding her. Haruka and Michiru had never provided a very good explanation for their attack on the girl that was fast becoming a friend for the inner scouts.
The bonds between the scouts were changing too. Mamoru had said some mean things to Usagi again but this time she'd done the unthinkable. She'd dumped him. Rei had gleefully caught him on the rebound.
The other four inner scouts had formed into a closer team facilitated perhaps because they all attended the same school. The training that Ranko was providing not only helped improve their skills but it allowed them to watch over her. Ever since the news cast had made public Pluto's declaration that the very existence of the Sailor Scouts was tied to Ranko's very life, the Scouts worried that someone would discover her name and she would become a target.
She was glad that Ranko was still doing the 'candy striper' work even with her life potentially in danger if her identity should ever be found out. It was one less day that they worked out she gratefully thought.
= = = = =
Soun stood proudly as his youngest daughter graduated from high school; not at the top of her class like Nabiki or Kasumi but reasonably close. Close enough that she'd been able to combine her martial arts honors and scholastic skills into several good scholarships.
Kuno strutted proudly toward his future family-in-law. "Behold, I am come among you. Where is she that is destined to be my bride?"
Genma, ever quick to pick up on these types of opportunities, nudged Soun and suggested, "You know, since Ranma is no longer available, we still need to make sure of the future of the school. He does like Akane and he's rich too. Could do a lot worse; at least we would both have a proper retirement after all our hard work. We might have to spend some time training one of the grandkids but we can share the work this time. What do ya think?"
Soun happily nodded. It was the best idea he'd heard in awhile. As Akane walked laughing and giggling with her friends over to where her family stood. Soun quickly confronted Kuno, "Young man, what are your intentions toward my daughter?"
"AND her family and friends," quickly added Genma.
Kuno quickly puffed up, "She is my destined. I would cherish her and her family as I do my own." He paused; something didn't seem right about that.
Before he could continue, Genma shouted, "SOLD! Now what was the normal 'finders-fee' for this sort of arrangement?" Seeing Soun glaring at him, he quickly added, "Oh, yes, some sort of settlement with your future father-in-law is normal in the case involving a noble house, is it not?"
Kuno paused in consternation, he wasn't actually sure but it did sort of seem right considering all his dealings with Nabiki. He shrugged and pulled out his entire monthly allowance, he thought that it would do. He pulled off a few large bills and gave them to Genma who greedily accepted them even as his eyes never left the rest of the money. The remainder Kuno simply handed to Soun, "This should do, should it not?"
Soun was about to take the bills when a slim hand intercepted the bills. Nabiki quickly counted the money a surprised look crossing her face. "And what is this for?" she asked as she fanned the bills toward her father.
Soun grinned and gleefully announced just as Akane finally joined them, "I'm so happy! Congratulations Akane, Kuno is your new fiancée."
Kuno glomped onto Akane for a brief moment of happiness before she decked him. She glared at her father, but before she could say anything Nabiki fanned the money in front of her. "What?" she snarled.
Nabiki stuffed the money in Akane's pocket, "This is what you were sold for this time. I thought that you should get to keep it instead of them; especially since you are now responsible for the household budget instead of me."
"DAD! How could you do this to me? Especially today," Akane screamed.
Genma and Soun nodded to each other, "Another perfect match," Genma observed.
Genma glanced to where Nabiki stood with her hand expectantly outstretched. He sighed and gave her the bills he had just received. She counted them out, surprised at the total. She smirked as she took her ledger, totaled it and gave Genma 150 yen in change and informed him that he was finally 'all paid up' with her. She smiled as he winced at the unfamiliar words.
= = = = =
It was just shortly after starting her junior year that an ole fiancé returned to Ranko's life.
Ranko froze up when Shampoo grabbed her into a tight hug. But then she relaxed a bit and even hugged her back a little when she realized it was actually a genuine hug instead of a glomp. "Hey Shampoo, why are you here? I thought you were all done chasing me."
Shampoo quickly pecked at Ranko's cheek as she stepped back. "We is shield-sisters. Shampoo have duty to Ranma to guard back and help life get ok."
Ranko grimaced at being reminded of the shield sister stuff. She definitely wasn't happy about the bonding gift that went with it. "Shampoo, while I'm locked in girl form, can you call me Ranko instead?"
"Why ask this?" queried the puzzled girl. "Ranm . . . ko no never mind using male name when girl before. Why now?"
"Because I'm embarrassed for anybody to recognize me in my girl form while I'm wearing this annoying gift of yours." She snarled.
"What Ranko mean? Is honorable and very rare gift. Legend say come from one of kami that help found Amazon tribe." Shampoo's eyebrows were crinkled together as she wondered if Ranko was rejecting her again.
Ranko grimaced again as she looked at the ragged cutoff shorts and stained tank top she was wearing. 'Darn but she hated to ruin good clothing, but maybe a demonstration would be the fastest way to explain.'
"Let me show you what I mean," said the redhead. She slowly rubbed her hand down the bracelet and was 'rewarded' with a brief flash of light. Both girls looked at Ranko's new attire. Shampoo was shocked to see that Ranko was now wearing tailored shorts that looked new and very expensive with the delicate nature scenery embroidered on them. The tank top was now a delicate sleeveless blouse that failed to hide the silk bra underneath it.
"How this happen? Legend say bracelet once have this power, but not have it for almost five hundred years. What Ranko do?" Shampoo asked as she stared in awe at the transformation.
"URD!" Yelled Ranko. 'This is her fault after all! I wonder if this is one of her practical jokes?'
"Urd?" asked Shampoo. "How shield-sister know part of secret words to unlock bracelet?"
"You called?" asked a certain platinum haired goddess.
"It's your fault that this damned bracelet keeps ruining my perfectly good clothes," snarled Ranko.
"Who you?" interjected Shampoo.
"Urd" the other two jointly retorted.
"Goddess of the past," Urd added.
"And pain in the butt." Noticing Urd's frown, Ranko relented and finished, "and she's my friend too."
Urd leaned over to hug the shorter girl and with only a moment's hesitation, Ranko returned the hug.
"How Urd fix Aphrodite's bracelet?" asked the Amazon.
Urd looked puzzled but Ranko spoke before she could say anything. "You know, now that I think about it. It wasn't working at all until after Ryouga cornered me in that fountain and Urd drove him off. It was just after that that she used that 'refurbish' spell on me for the first time."
Urd snapped her fingers, "My magic must have recharged it. That's why it wasn't working at first; its original magic charge must have worn out. Coming in contact with my magic all those other times afterwards must have recharged it even more."
"Shampoo, can you tell me how to remove this bracelet?" hopefully asked Ranko.
"Ok, is easy. Amazons not know what magic words mean, but Shampoo show Ranko and sister repeat, Ok?"
Ranko nodded Ok as Urd looked on interestedly.
"Ok. First must hold both middle fingers in air like this." With a blush Ranko joined Shampoo as they flipped the world off together.
"Now must say magic words while dancing in circle, ready?" Seeing Ranko nod, Shampoo began to recite ancient words whose meaning was long lost to mortal folk. "Urd #$%, Urd &= (?&!, Urd )/$&= " Shampoo yelled and Ranko echoed. With the last phrase, the bracelet unlocked and fell loose into Ranko's hands.
Urd had gone pale as she heard the insults. Her aura flared and she screamed, "I'll kill her!" and she then dived headfirst toward the TV. She bounced off the blank screen, snarled, turned the TV on and then left mumbling angry words that Ranko did not understand except for the name 'Aphrodite' occasionally.
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The two martial arts masters wearily sat down to dinner. Between the repairs to the house and the two classes they'd taught, they were eager for a relaxing evening. Their grins appeared as Kasumi gracefully appeared from the kitchen. It had been a long time coming but they'd finally met her conditions for having her cook for them again.
With Akane off at University with Nabiki now, it was just her and the pair of fathers. After dinner, she placed a small bottle of warm sake before the two of them. When they were obviously starting to feel mellow she gave them her good news. "Dad, Uncle; I have good news."
"Oh my daughter is going to be married and take care of us forever! Isn't it wonderful Saotome?" wailed one.
"This calls for another drink!" concluded the other.
Kasumi sighed, reflected that it would have probably have been even worse without the sake. She continued, "Oh the two of you are so silly. No, I'm not engaged, but this last semester I was able to challenge a lot of preliminary classes based on my readings with Dr. Tofu. In fact, I did so well that I was offered a scholarship into a pre-medical program with the possibility of it covering medical school too. Isn't that wonderful?"
Dumbfounded, the two of them didn't know what to say. Neither was exactly sure as to the consequences of what this entailed but both knew without any doubt that irritating Kasumi meant Akane would cook for them on weekends. By default, both sort of smiled and nodded their heads.
"So, it's alright with the two of you if I try and achieve my dream? You'll provide moral support?" she softly asked.
The smiles became more fixed and the nodding frequency increased even as both of them wondered about the 'moral' support thing.
"Great!" she enthused. "I'll start packing tonight and by tomorrow evening I'll be at my new home at the University. I'm so glad the two of you agreed."
Tears streaming down from their eyes, both men dumbly accepted the additional bottles of sake she offered them.
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It had taken several days, but Urd finally found her quarry. She had eventually discovered that Aphrodite was hiding and relaxing in her own rooms, that's when Urd started pounding on her door. When Urd stormed in she noticed that the room her opponent was in had several large screen TVs set up. In one the infamous 'bathroom' scene was showing, the other revealed that Aphrodite had captured Urd's recent discovery of the bracelet unlocking phrase.
Urd stopped as she saw those images.
Before she could continue, Aphrodite snickered; "When my old bracelet started working again, I investigated the matter. It was pretty simple to guess that you'd find out what the Amazons had been saying about you for the last couple of thousand years just as soon as Xian Pu arrived at Ranko's. I invited all your 'friends' to come for the 'live show'. By the gods we are, it was hilarious to see the expression on your face and to watch you hunt for me later. Belldandy and Skuld especially enjoyed the show. I even had it piped to Mara's room for a dual showing in the underworld too."
Urd's face had blanched at those words. She covered her face with her hands as numerous odd events these past few days suddenly made sense to her. All those other kami really were snickering at her behind her back she suddenly realized.
Urd looked up at the two TVs and watched both scenes for a few long moments. She finally began to smile, then broke into a wide grin. She looked over at her best friend and snickered, "Remember the last time we made up? Want to do it again?"
"In this day and age!" the other goddess protested weakly. "Might be kind of fun. It was what, almost six centuries that the two of us and a couple of the younger girls spent the week dancing on the waves in almost nothing. We got a couple of the more musically inclined gods to provide music in unison with the pounding of the waves. As I recall, that's how those rumors of mermaids got started."
Urd thought about it then added, "Yeah, I think you're right. Have to do something different this time."
"How about if we jerk the strings of those Sailor Scouts?" Aphrodite offered.
"Hummm, how many do you think will show up? We'll need to recruit the same number for our side." Urd said as she started planning.
"Well, it turns out that one of them, Minako, is my great, greeeaaat, granddaughter so I've been keeping tabs on her recently. I don't think the outers will show up. They've been really scarce since that incident with 'Skuld's girlfriend'." Aphrodite stopped to giggle about that situation for a few moments. Urd couldn't help but smile a little bit too. Aphrodite continued, "I think that if we cause some sort of unusual disturbance, just the five 'inner' scouts will show up."
Urd nodded, "Ok, that works. Let's see, we need three others who can dance with us then."
The mountain gal suggested, "Maybe your friend Ranko would be up to it. Kami knows 'he' was really good at raising his own brand of chaos despite denying it. Might be kind of fun to show her how real girls strut their stuff. Her Amazon friend would go for it too if she came. Especially if the offer came from one of the kami that helped found the tribe."
The Nordic girl grinned her approval of the idea. There was an idea just on the edge of her mind. 'Nah, that wouldn't work would it?' She shrugged then suggested it anyway. "You know, we need something 'naughty' to make this work. How about if we invite my half sister Mara to join our little venture? That would make it five and if possible I'd really like to reduce the tension between her and I just a bit."
Aphrodite turned a measuring and very surprised eye toward her best friend. "On the top of it I'd say no, in fact, 'hell no'. But it really does have some promise." She thought about it for a moment then grinned mischievously, "You know, if we can get this to work, it might be one for the record books. Let's give her a call and see if she'll buy into it."
Surprisingly, Mara was all for it and immediately offered her binding word of truce as a show of . . . well, 'good faith' doesn't seem to apply, but you get the idea.
By the time the three of them had made preliminary plans, it was midmorning Saturday down on earth. Skuld was visiting his friend Ranko and had been introduced to the recently arrived Amazon warrior. Skuld was now performing a kata as Ranko and Shampoo watched and evaluated him prior to the pair of them beginning to team teach him and share with each other as well.
Shampoo was both amused and a bit skittish at the idea that Skuld was once a goddess. The idea that his return to the female gender depended on Ranko naming or potentially bearing his child sent chills up her spine. Fortunately for her peace of mine and vague future hopes, neither of them seemed even remotely inclined to pursue the idea. She was not particularly surprised at the reason Skuld refused to allow Ranko's curse to be unlocked. There was a reason that she called Akane, 'violent girl'.
Urd, Aphrodite and Mara watched the three of them from the shadows of the doorway for a few moments before being noticed by Ranko. Her immediate defensive stance with slightly flared battle aura alerted all that she was aware of her visitors and that she considered one of them to be dangerous.
Urd stepped in front of Mara and held out her hands in a placating gesture. "Take it easy Ranko. My sister Mara is here under truce bond. Me and Aphrodite have an idea for some fun mischief that she wants to help out with. We thought that maybe you two gals might like a chance to join in. Ok?"
Ranko hesitated then decided she could trust the elder Norn's opinion. She took a loose stance only to belatedly notice that Shampoo was kneeling on one knee with both hands supplicating outstretched to the strange goddess that Urd had named as (her nemesis and friend) Aphrodite.
Her position resulted in the eyes of all present being fixed on her. Shampoo shakily asked, "Goddess of the Amazons, what has this humble one to do. Have I failed you? Are you here for retribution on me or my people?"
Aphrodite was not unprepared for this situation since she had been studying Shampoo and her circumstances while waiting to setup Urd. "Xain Pu of the Amazons, I am aware of your circumstances. Your honor will be restored fully to you should you join my companions and I in battle. I will journey to your home to let them know of this."
Shampoo blazed with eagerness. Her bon-bori appeared in her hands and she was almost eagerly bouncing on her feet and elsewhere too. "Yes, yes, Shampoo go and fight now."
Ranko smiled at her friend, "Way to go girl. I'll be glad to help too."
Then Urd began to explain, Ranko was tempted to back out but she really didn't want to leave Urd with Mara and there was no way she'd spoil Shampoo's chance to restore her honor. Not five minutes later, choreography and dance class began. Being the quick studies that they all were, they were ready to hit the town by 4 pm, and they did.
Unnoticed by any of them, Skuld had left shortly after the training and rehearsing had started. He joined them shortly before they left; he had a very sophisticated video camera in hand. Also, but unknown to them at the time, he'd passed the word to heaven and there was a crowd of kami gathered to watch.
On the other hand, Urd and Aphrodite hadn't mentioned the 'musical' section they'd put together. Thor started it off when they posed themselves in a line along the railing of the Tokyo tower. The lighting rumbled from cloud to cloud in a driving bass. The wind whispered a melody predominately in minors and a few other kami helped as well. Skuld actually used his technology skill to give his big sister a small controller that acted like an automatic DJ for her. It provided selectable music that literally resonated from the very structures of the nearby building frames themselves.
They had the demon in the center of the line flanked by both mortals and the kami on ends of the line. They swayed and strutted left, skipped right, thrust upward, slunk right, moon-walked left, jumped up and then to a nearby building in syncopated rhythm with the music and each other.
Mara wore the least, a transparent chemise over a brief black thong-bikini that accented her blond curls. Both Shampoo and Ranko wore golden green bikinis of moderate modesty. They both wore matching bracers and calf warmers. Bikini, bracers and warmers all had long fringes that danced as they did. The fringe and headband Ranko wore was lavender while Shampoo's fringe and headband was scarlet. Urd and Aphrodite wore short sleeveless half-open tunics of gold that seemed to flash everything underneath them periodically yet no one could be sure.
They strutted and danced. Thor's dominating driving bass with the disco strobe effects of the almost continuous inner-cloud lightning gave a surreal feeling to those watching the dancers. Everything in Tokyo shut down; the images began to be sent worldwide. Aphrodite had sent out the word, and soon everybody knew who was dancing, who was on drumming on clouds and everything else she felt anybody needed to know about the performance.
Everything came to a stop in the Amazon village as everybody was gathered together to watch a village champion dancing with the kami. Ku Lon was nearly bursting with pride as she watched her heir strut.
In a small home in Juuban, Nodoka watched in shocked awe as her child showed the world that she could dance with the kami.
Somebody (they all claimed innocence later) sent the emergency call to the inner Sailor Scouts. Sailor Moon confronted the dance team on a wall of the Imperial Palace.
Let's say it went downhill after she said, "and in the name of the moon we shall punish you for looking prettier than us and dancing better and having nicer costumes and getting to visit the Imperial Palace and . . ."
Noticing that the 'enemy' were all presently rolling on the ground hysterically laughing while her four friends were blushing, moving away from her and trying very hard to give the impression that they did not know her; Sailor Moon paused for a moment of thought (hey, better late than not at all, right?), not that it mattered as she didn't get a chance to say anything. On the other hand this event did go a long way toward reestablishing their innocent image.
Mara vanished in a cloud of sulfurous smoke only to reappear in front of the flustered girl. "Sailor Moon, my name is Mara. I am a demon, my dance companions are a couple of kami named Urd and Aphrodite and two of their mortal friends Xian Pu and Ranko. We collectively challenge you five to a dance contest. So little girl who would be queen, think you and your princesses can handle something like that?" Pausing just a moment so she could interrupt Moon just as she started to reply, Mara added, "or are you children too young, untrained and klutzy . . . humm, not to mention the lack of talent, good looks or grace."
This hit Minako where she lived; she'd always had dreams of being an idol star. "We accept!" she yelled.
Mara smirked; Aphrodite's advice concerning her descendant had worked like a charm. "Great, we'll give you twenty minutes to prepare while we take a short break." She added just before she left, "we'll start first to give you amateurs a chance to get some pointers."
The dance contest was varied. Sometimes it was one on one from each team, other times the entire teams danced and strutted. Several times it was pairs versus pairs. The demoness and the kami brought millennia of experience and supernatural powers to the contest while Ranko and Shampoo used the opportunity to express the sheer joy of being martial artist. They gave a whole new meaning to the term 'break dance'. The princesses were surprisingly good but the other team was dancing from the simple joy of dance in their heart and shut them down. The contest also shut down Tokyo as they danced on the roofs, across the cars tied up in traffic, on the railings of bridges and elsewhere. Most of Japan and a significant portion of the world also watched as well. The contest ended an hour before midnight when the team from the three planes strutted to the line of weary and faltering Sailor Scout team and banished them from the roof top they were all presently on using simultaneous hip thrusts.
After falling from the low roof into the garden below, the Scouts lay there exhausted as the other team simply vanished into the night as far as the rest of the world knew. In actuality, they appeared moments later in the dojo that Ranko built. They had some serious partying to do.
Some friends shortly joined them and the party finally broke up just at dawn when Nodoka chivied the kami and Mara homeward.
Just before Aphrodite left, she turned to Shampoo and said, "Xian Pu, warrior champion of the Amazons, I bless you and lift your curse as a sign of that approval."
Ranko started to ask to be cured as well but the visual image of Akane in a padded cell stopped her and she backed away instead.
Seeing the puzzled expression on her friend's face, Urd whispered, "'Dite, I'll fill you in later, promise, but for now let it go, please."
Aphrodite nodded and the two left together, they still had a few centuries of gossip to catch up on anyway.
= = = = =
The BIG boss of the Japanese Yakuza grinned to himself. He'd spent thirty-five million yen to try and find the girl and failed. Then she'd revealed her name to the entire world. 'Ah, yes things were about to go lot better for his interests in Tokyo, just as soon as those pesky Sailor Scouts were done away with,' he thought to himself.
As he uttered those words, Pluto noticed a drastic change in all the time lines. She shuddered as she noticed that in almost half the time lines, the human race had become extinct on a permanently frozen planet. In most of the remaining time lines, many if not most of the Sailor Scouts had been assassinated. Desperately she began to probe for the cause. She was stunned to realize that the proximate cause in each dead time line was Ranko's murder.
She hit the 'all call,' emergency button on the communicator just as she exited the portal from the time gate into Rei's bedroom.
She snarled at Mamoru, "get your pants on and get out of here. Get to the kitchen and make yourself useful."
Less than an hour later, Pluto paced nervously before all the assembled scouts. She sighed as she noticed the fatigue still evident on the faces of the inner scouts.
Hotaru gushed, "Wow, it was so neat the way all of you danced like that."
"That's the problem," sighed an obviously frightened Pluto. Seeing that she had their attention, she somberly added, "Ranko's identity was broadcast to the world last night. Because of that, almost half the time lines now show the human race going extinct some time in the next millennia."
Haruka guessed the problem immediately, "someone kills Ranko and it snowballs from there; right?"
Pluto nodded tiredly. "Yeah, and the damn time gate can't give me a good fix on 'who' is behind this just yet; so in the mean time we will just have to concentrate on protecting Ranko." She sighed, "There are eight 'possible' attacks in the next several weeks beginning three days from now." She turned to Haruka and Michiru; "I'll need the two of you to watch over Ranko's home. They may try to attack Ranko's mother, that's a weak point for her. Use the mirror to scan for trouble while the rest of us concentrate on Ranko."
The two outer scouts nodded, silently understanding why they weren't going to be directly involved in protecting Ranko.
= = = = =
Reacting quicker than conscious thought, Ranko pushed both Shampoo and Skuld to the sides as she dove for the floor. Five bullets hit the wall outlining the locations where her head, spine and heart had been milliseconds before. Before she could react further, a soft 'dead scream' was heard and moments later pieces of two different bodies began to rain down in the space between them and where the shots had originated.
Pluto came out of the shadows, more shaken she'd been in a long time. Not because she'd killed the two thugs; no killing was not new to her; but she had almost been too late. Rather she could have been just in time to get the blame.
Ranko adopted a loose stance, waiting but not attacking, yet.
Skuld waved her down even as she gestured the oldest Scout over to them.
Pluto sighed for the necessity and moved over towards a nearby park bench, the other three meeting her half way. "I suppose you want to know what this is all about?" She asked rhetorically.
With Skuld there, Pluto had opted not to play the role of 'wise and cryptic advisor' and instead had just laid it all out.
"I don't believe it," whispered Ranko to herself. Seeing the stressed expressions on the faces of the other three, she clarified, "According to Urd, I was originally fated to die next year . . . and it was no big deal, I mean just my family noticed and it didn't affect the rest of the world. Now you're saying that if I die, then one thing leads to another and the end result is that 'everybody' dies." She huffed, "That just don't make no sense no how no way."
Pluto shook her head and quietly observed, "That was before Kami-sama took an interest in you." She paused and then added regretfully, "It was also before Sailors Uranus and Neptune took pot shots at you."
Not making the connection the other three just glared back at her.
"It linked your life, no . . . that's not right; it linked your 'death' to the Scouts; not only here on earth but in the heavens as well. If you die now, it will automatically be linked in the public mind to the Sailor Scouts even if we had absolutely nothing to do with it. That perception poisons the future to an extent that the Sailor Scouts are prevented from helping when the extinction of the race is imminent. It also makes us targets for all the various radicals and most of the Scouts are assassinated long before it becomes an issue. Normally our unblemished reputation and anonymity would have shielded us enough that that wouldn't have happened without the stain caused by the attack and then your 'death'. Also the time gates were working a lot better for me prior to all this starting as well. I could avoid most of these problems then, but now I can't see them in time or accurately enough to make much difference."
= = = = =
Shampoo was watching her shield sister fuming as she worked out. Makoto was there as 'bodyguard' for the day and it was really getting on Ranko's nerves; especially since the Scouts had actually saved her life three times this past month. The news media was once again turning very favorable toward the Scouts as a result of these efforts and it had the side effect of significantly damaging the Yakuza operations in Tokyo as well.
Finally coming to a decision, Shampoo reached into her personal storage space and pulled out a scroll. She studied it for a few moments to make sure which one it was before she called, "Hey 'Lil Red', would you like to learn a new technique?"
Pausing in her kata, Ranko relaxed and walked over to the Amazon. "Huh?"
Makoto snickered and asked, "Just where did Ranko pick up than nickname anyway? I mean, is does sort of suit her."
Shampoo giggled and said, "One of reporters read it somewhere and decided it fit so she used it and everybody else copy. Shampoo think it fit too."
Ranko on the other hand just grunted and frowned. She thought to herself; 'If 'she' was into dance, then it would be a cool name, but she . . . 'he' was a guy damn it.'
The Amazon maiden explained her idea, "Shampoo have a few special scrolls that Shampoo have permission to teach shield sister if needed. Shampoo think that Ranko need to know this technique." Shampoo paused a moment and then drew out a small knife, almost a pen knife. She focused on the technique and then drew the blade of the knife down the inner length of her forearm. The blade was obviously depressing the skin deeply but there was no cut.
Stunned, Ranko watched as Shampoo then used the knife to start whittling on a broken bokken in the trash. It was definitely sharp. Shampoo explained, "Technique is called 'iron-skin'. If one has lots of ki, one can focus it into the tiny layer of dead skin that covers everybody. That skin layer becomes like metal, is bullet proof." She added, "Shampoo can only do it for short time, but shield sister should be able to hold for many hours."
Ranko took the scroll, and then sighed as she handed it back to Shampoo to translate for her. Shampoo giggled and then began to read it. She ignored Makoto since the girl didn't have the perquisite skills and training to even understand the terminology let alone master it.
It took Ranko two days to master the technique and she found that she could hold it for no more than three hours at any one time. On the other hand, she did discover that she could 'raise' the technique in less than a tenth of a second. She practiced both aspects of it, both the prolonged holding of it as a method to increase her ki potential, and raising it rapidly to increase her ki mastery.
= = = = =
It bugged Ranko that the Scouts were actively defending her. But then came the day that her home was attacked. Fortunately Cologne had just arrived that day with good news.
"Great-grandmother?" Shampoo gasped, "What you do here?"
"Relax granddaughter," chuckled the old crone. "I come with news that not only has all your honor been restored but the council has voted to make you an 'Apprentice Elder' as well."
Ranko grinned and hugged the giddy girl. "That's great Shamps, umm, what does that mean though?"
Shampoo grinned, "It mean that Shampoo is released from lots of rules that apply to rest of village but not to elders. No kiss of marriage and no kiss of death plus Shampoo can teach techniques to anyone Shampoo think might be asset to tribe."
Than night a group of five darkly dressed assassins met Cologne as they quietly entered the home through her window; a room they believed to be empty. She laid them out unconscious in seconds. Ranko scowled as she looked them over. She knew that she should just call the police, but experience told her that they would probably be back at their own homes before she finished filling out all paperwork against them.
On the other hand, she couldn't execute them. Cold blooded murder just wasn't her way; in fact she probably wouldn't kill them even in combat unless it was necessary or an accident. In this respect she did vaguely envy the Scouts, their experiences with non-human attackers had enabled them to kill the earlier Yakuza thugs with only a few qualms.
Cologne understood the redhead's dilemma and had another solution. She pulled out a package of instant Jusenkyo cursed spring water. Motioning for the girls to bring the other four, she carried one of the thugs into the bathroom. Taking the cover off the cooled furo water, she poured the power into the tub. Understanding immediately, Ranko and Shampoo each gently placed their pairs of captives in the water as Cologne rolled her captive in as well.
Cologne grinned as she used her cane to fish out the five white laboratory rats. The creatures were stunned as they looked about themselves in confusion. A few moments later Cologne carefully set a metal canister on the floor that she had fetched from her room. Seeing the questions in the eyes of Nodoka as well as Ranko and Shampoo she said, "This is 'permanence water'. It's water recently taken from the 'locking ladle' that the Musk have." She was not surprised to notice that both Shampoo and Ranko had plastered themselves against the wall that was the furtherest from the fluid. Shampoo had apparently forgotten she was no longer cursed.
Using a kitchen ladle, she carefully dipped out enough water to lock the cursed forms of each of the rats. "Now what shall we do with you?" she chuckled in a voice that made all the listeners shiver.
Unseen in the background, both Sailors Uranus and Neptune, shuddered and decided that there really were fates worse than death. They closed up the mirror they were using to watch with and quietly left.
The following day, Shampoo came into the house with a broad smile. "Shampoo talk with mercenary girl; she sell rats to University psychology people. Mercenary girl say it be big joke on them when put rats in maze."
= = = = =
Ranko sighed as she looked out the hospital wing and spotted four girls that she knew were Sailor Scouts in 'normal' disguise waiting to escort her home. She turned her head to the ring of children clustered about her; she gently smiled and resumed reading to them. She really didn't understand why they just seemed to gravitate to her when she was here. Anyway it did make it easier on the rest of the staff. She entertained them while her partner Ami and the normal staff worked with some of other the kids one on one. She had never told anyone before, but this was stuff she really did like to do even before she had gotten cursed.
Afterwards she and Ami moved towards the change room to remove their striped aprons and freshen up a bit before going home. Ami was detained talking with her mother and Ranko had a mischievous idea. When she was alone, she carefully invoked her father's cloaking technique and walked out of the hospital and home alone.
She finally released the technique only after changing into some workout clothes and beginning a kata in the dojo.
A half hour later she was mobbed by five Sailor Scouts in full battle mode. They were angry and relieved all at the same time. They were torn between hugging her and testing her resilience to some of their milder attacks.
She hesitantly explained the technique and pointed out that it made their efforts to guard her unnecessary as what the Yakuza couldn't find, they couldn't attack.
Ami thought about it, "I hear what you're saying, and it's true but only if you consistently use it. Are you going to do that?"
Ranko thought about it, then sighed, "Yeah, it would be safer for all of us in the long run wouldn't it?"
= = = = =
Pluto stared at the time gate wondering why it was suddenly able to focus so clearly on Ranko. It was almost as if the kami were . . . oh, yeah, that would make sense, wouldn't it.
Aphrodite, invisible to Pluto, stood next to the time gate and added her powers to it as Pluto searched for a solution.
Pluto nodded in hopeful understanding of the change and proceeded to ferret out the source of all these problems. It really didn't take too long. She scanned a few future divergent time lines looking for the solutions that would give the best results for both Ranko and the Scouts.
= = = = =
Ranko was relaxed leaning back in a bench placed against the park wall. She had just sent some kids off to a nearby street vendor to get some ice cream after taking them from the hospital for a short outing. Unknown to her several different parties had identified her. One was the reporter and cameraman that had initially caught her confrontation with Sailors Neptune and Uranus almost a year ago.
The second group was a 'kill-group' that had been given some rather desperate orders by their boss. He'd said, 'Some one was going to die, either their boss was going to kill them or they had better succeed.' Needless to say, this latter group was very motivated and started firing as soon as they saw the girl.
The reporter watched in disbelief as the redheaded girl was knocked down by the hail of machine gun bullets that turned the wall behind Ranko into a cloud of dust.
Before anybody else could react, three Sailor Scouts were attacking. No posing, no speeches, just blasting. In moments the group of five Yakuza were dead.
Just as the reporter was about to berate the Scouts for letting the redhead die, said redhead stormed out of the dust cloud. "Where the hell are those idiots?" she snarled.
"Ah, Ranko," interrupted Sailor Jupiter.
"What?" she steamed.
"Do you realize what happened to your clothes?" Jupiter asked.
Ranko looked down at herself, noticing for the first time that her dress and 'candy-striped' apron were barely hanging onto her. She shrugged and pulled her coat out of stuff space and put it on. Somewhat quietly she said, "That's not important Jupiter. This has got to stop. Those idiots might have killed those kids if they had spotted me just a few minutes earlier.
That evening the news caster had made another history changing report even though he didn't realize it again. "Today I had the displeasure of seeing just how depraved the Yakuza have recently become. Please watch this footage of an attempted assassination that happened earlier today. Notice that the girl was volunteering at a children's hospital luckily just sending them for ice-cream prior to the attack. This girl is famed in Tokyo as 'Lil' Red' to her fans as one of the Challenge Dancers that beat the Sailor Scouts; apparently there were no hard feelings for it was the Sailor Scouts that somehow rescued her and killed the goons that were trying to kill her. Please watch the following footage." He paused until Ranko finished storming. Then he began again, "I think . . ." (Well, let's just say he not only beat the horse to death but continued pounding on it long enough to tan the hide as well.)
But it did have some results. Things began to go bad, very bad for the Yakuza from that day forward. Seems they were now more despised than feared. Not good for business, especially the bottom line.
= = = = =
"Boss, this hunt for this redhead's scalp is really going badly," said one minion.
Another shuddered, "She ain't human; she's bulletproof and nobody but nobody ever comes back from a mission to her home. No bodies, no nothing, it's scary."
He turned a withering glare towards them, "Screw what you or the public thinks. We take her out, then the Scouts, next is Tokyo and then all of Japan." He began to chuckle only to cough suddenly.
A lieutenant opened the door and started to roll in a new executive chair as the old one was rolled out with its unmoving cargo of former boss.
The new big boss sat down and said, "Well, first order of business is to recall everyone assigned to any part of operation 'Ranko'." Seeing the approving nods he then added, "Go easy on operations in Tokyo until we can reestablish control."
"Gotcha boss."
Pluto smiled from the time gates. 'That would put an end to that. It was also a benny that the Scouts were finally seen in a good light with respect to Ranko.'
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Author's note: Additional Ranma fan-fiction can be found on my Web Pages.
C & C to cloud (underscore) dreamer2000 (at) yahoo.com
Web-page - www.geocities.com (slash) cloud (underscore) dreamer2000
And - mysite.verizon.net (slash) cloud-dreamer/index.html
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