Tranquility Protocols, Chapter 2
OnnaRanma stared at the destruction below. She was standing on a building across the street from a park near the edge of Nerima. A creature made of shadowy clouds was smashing trees and benches aside as it chased several people.
"How the heck am I supposed to fight that?" OnnaRanma demanded.
"The same way you always fight, Ranma," Nike answered in her head. "To win. Look there."
OnnaRanma felt her attention being directed toward the fleeing people. One was carrying a familiar bundle and an armful of groceries. She was being slowed by the extra weight. Even as OnnaRanma watched she tripped. The shadow beast was closing on her rapidly.
"Momma," OnnaRanma whispered.
-----
Nodoka stared up as the Youma bore down on her. With her home on the edge of Juban, she had heard of the attacks, but she had never been involved. Now she was about to die, and she wasn't even in Juban.
"I'm sorry, Ranma," she whispered, her eyes dropping. "I won't see your children."
She rose to her feet and turned to face the monster, letting the wrapping fall away from her sword. She would die as a warrior maiden should. But to her surprise the Youma was otherwise occupied. A girl in a seifuku had hold of one of its arms in a painful looking submission hold.
"A Senshi," she breathed in awe.
-----
OnnaRanma was surprised at her own power. The monster was vaguely human shaped and seemed composed of total darkness. It was hard to grip the thing, but she managed to toss it away from her mother. The thing rose to its feet.
"Senshi. Die."
Nike laughed in OnnaRanma's head. "They always say the same thing. Even in the Silver Millennium, that was their best line."
"Don't think so," OnnaRanma said. "You guys need new speech writers. You've been saying the same thing since the Silver Millennium." She darted forward, slipping under the clumsy punch. She punched it, accelerating to land as many punches as possible. To her surprise, she went far beyond her normal speed and landed several hundred full strength punches. The Darkling flew into a tree. It bounced back, landing on its feet, but OnnaRanma was already starting a spiral, trailing streams of hot and cold chi. She was surprised at how easy it was in her Senshi form.
"Of course, Ranma," Nike laughed. "We are the Senshi of Victory. Winning won't always be easy, and the harder it is to win, the higher the price. Why do think you are driven to be the best?"
OnnaRanma ignored that comment as she reached the center of the spiral. "Hii Ryu Shoten Ha!" She was smiling grimly as the cyclone lifted the thing into the air.
"That won't finish it, Ranma. It will keep getting back up until it's destroyed," Nike informed her.
"But..." OnnaRanma broke off as she noticed the other three Senshi and a plan occurred to her. She nodded to herself. Nike seemed pleased with the plan as well, and showed her an alternative to the Mouko Takabisha.
"Nike Victory Lance!" The spear of energy struck true, holding the creature steady. "Now Sailor Moon!" OnnaRanma just about fell over laughing as the blonde performed a little dance. From her outstretched wand, a giant pink heart appeared and engulfed the Darkling, turning it to shadowy dust.
OnnaRanma grinned and held up her fingers in a victory sign.
"Sorry 'bout this, Ranma," Nike said softly. And Ranma's world went black.
***
The tension was thick in the air around the three women. Two of them glared at each other while the third seemed annoyed and tired. The tired woman had long silvery-blonde hair and was wearing a tiara and the long gown of royalty. Her scepter was laying on the table near her elbow. She was massaging her temples with her fingers.
The woman at her side wore the seifuku and colors of a Senshi. She had long green hair, which was coming out of its normally immaculate bun. Her staff had been taken from her after the first time she had tried to brain the third woman with it. She was reduced to glaring and attempting to act intimidating. Her rival wasn't impressed.
The third woman was little more than half the size of either of the other two. She had bright red hair in a single thick braid trailing to the floor. Her green eyes sparkled with mischief as she smiled wickedly at Sailor Pluto. Her own staff was next to Pluto's under the watchful eye of a guard outside the doors to the room.
"It's not really a question of choice," the redhead said. "The Protocols were established when the Moon Kingdom was founded. The conditions for their activation have come about. They must be activated."
"Conditions that you forced the Queen to agree to. There is no indication in the Time Gates that..."
"Enough, Pluto," Queen Serenity commanded softly. "Mordaé is right."
"But Serenity-sama, the Senshi will be..."
"Out classed, Pu-chan?" Mordaé snickered. "With only seven Senshi, Tranquility will be far more powerful than your Princess. But remember, as Uncle Ben always said, with great power comes great responsibility. Surely you don't think your little bubble brain can handle that much responsibility?"
"Mordaé," Queen Serenity snapped. "You will give my heir the respect she is due. And her Senshi as well."
Mordaé looked up at the Queen, her eyes wide with innocence. "I give them all the respect they have earned, Su-chan. They have to gain my respect just like you did."
Pluto had both fists clenched and seemed ready to leap across the table at the tiny redhead. Only Serenity's hand stopped her from attacking. The Queen was glaring at the diminutive woman across from her as well. The tableau held for a long moment.
"You strain my hospitality, Mordaé," Serenity said with a touch of menace in her voice. Pluto grinned triumphantly. Mordaé smiled back nonchalantly. Energy began to flicker around her, streamers of static reaching out to caress the walls and furnishings of the room. Her eyes glowed with blue fire.
"I could certainly summon him if necessary. But I think we can settle this without resorting to threats or violence. The Prophecy will come to pass and if there is not someone to fulfill it's specifications, then the World will end and your precious Kingdom will be obliterated. You are angry with me because I must enforce the Protocols. But if I don't, you won't exist to have feelings. So I can deal with your dislike." She smiled suddenly and struck a pose with one finger to her cheek. "Don't hate me 'cause I'm beautiful."
Serenity snorted. Pluto coughed in surprise. The Queen slumped back into her chair.
"We could hardly threaten you or him. I just wish we didn't have to do this while they're still so young."
Mordaé nodded sympathetically.
"Seven Senshi. Velocity, Aurora, Vulcan, Alexis, Harmony, Nike, and Minerva," Mordaé ticked off the names. "Energy, Light, Creativity, Gravity, Harmony, Victory, and Wisdom. To fulfill the Prophecy, Tranquility must have these Senshi bonded to her. Remember that the Prophecy also tells what will happen if you don't follow the Protocols."
Queen Serenity nodded and Pluto seemed to sag in defeat. "The selection processes will begin tomorrow," Serenity announced. "The Bonding will be completed by next week."
"Good." Mordaé nodded. "Now if you ladies will excuse me, I have business at the baths." And she simply disappeared, her staff fading from the sight of the guard. Pluto made a noise of disgust, and Serenity buried her face in her hands again.
"Pu-chan?" Serenity asked softly. "Who is Uncle Ben?"
Pluto shook her head. "I don't know. A rice farmer perhaps."
-----
Ranma blinked. She was in girl form, sitting in a strange room. Suddenly a wash of memory cam over her. She was waiting for the final round of the Tournament. She was the best in the Moon Kingdom and she was about to prove it. Something was odd about the whole situation, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She shrugged off the sensation as her name was called. Her opponent had been decided.
The arena was packed. Even Her Majesty had arrived in the intermission. Apparently the final match was more important than Ranma had thought. She kicked off her slippers and stepped onto the raised floor with a bow. Her opponent was standing in the opposite corner already. Ranma nodded acknowledgment to her and then blinked.
"Hey," she demanded turning toward the judges. She was interrupted, as the fight referee stepped forward to announce the match rules.
"Due to the abilities of one of the contestants, it has been decided to allow any attacks or abilities up to level four. No lethal attacks. The ring will be surrounded by a class seven energy wall and any attack which damages the wall will result in disqualification." The referee paused. "Do both contestants agree?"
"Yea, no problem," the Senshi trainee said.
"Oh, why not go all the way to level ten?" Ranma demanded sarcastically. "Lets make this exciting. After all she's not likely to be any challenge without all her powers."
The referee glanced at the Senshi, who snarled her agreement. He retreated beyond the energy walls as he announced, "Very well. Anything goes. No lethal attacks. Fight until knock out."
Ranma nodded, smirking at her opponent. The Senshi scowled back.
"Senshi trainee Uranus and Candidate Ranma Saotome. Fight!"
Ranma glided forward smoothly, carefully watching the blonde. She saw the tensing of shoulders and the shifting feet. An energy attack. She would be open briefly on her right. Ranma dodged left as Uranus brought her fist toward the ground.
"World Shaking!"
The energy ball formed and shot forward. Uranus was bent slightly forward, her right arm straight down and her right leg slightly bent. Ranma slid into position at her flank and, with a simple 'Ha', placed several hundred punches into Uranus' kidney and hip. Uranus went stumbling forward, shoved off balance. Ranma followed in a shallow leap kick, but Uranus managed to slip aside, turning to deliver a round house toward Ranma's back. Ranma twisted as she flew past Uranus, and caught the kick, letting momentum carry her around. She dropped her feet and crouched, pulling Uranus' leg forward and down. A quick shove uncoiled her straight up. He shoulder slammed into Uranus' crotch and they both lifted into the air. Ranma twisted kicking toward Uranus' head. Uranus wisely pulled back, and discovered that they were now falling with Ranma on top. Ranma smiled.
They hit the floor hard. Uranus' gasped as Ranma's fist pounded into her solar plexus like a jack hammer. Ranma sprang away, landing lightly, and waited for her opponent to rise. Uranus, gasping for breath, struggled to her feet.
"Having a little trouble, Uranus?" Ranma quipped. "I haven't even started with the energy attacks. At this rate I won't need to." She feinted left, but Uranus didn't react.
"Trouble, little brat?" Uranus gritted. "Not at all. Vacuum Blast!"
Ranma dashed forward, avoiding the actual vacuum, but the rush of air filling the void ripped at her. She feinted left again. Uranus blocked left, but didn't leave any openings to her right. Ranma wasn't worried though.
"Splitting Cat Hairs."
Uranus stared, dumfounded, as she was surrounded by six Ranmas. Which left her wide open.
"Kick of Two Winds."
Uranus blinked. The attack was familiar, but shouldn't it have been 'Four'? She was hit, seemingly from both sides by twin roundhouse kicks. The multiple images of Ranma faded away, leaving only one of her springing away from Uranus.
Uranus snickered. "Stole those from Velocity. Don't you have any unique attacks? Something effective, for instance?"
"Sure I do. But why waste effort on you?"
Uranus snarled and charged. "Vibrating Palm!"
Ranma dodged and batted Uranus' glowing hand toward the ground. "No thanks. I'm not interested in kawaiikune tomboys."
Uranus shifted her feet as she tried to backhand Ranma. Ranma slipped under the wild swing and snapped a punch into Uranus' armpit.
"Besides," she continued. "We are in a public place. You shouldn't be playing with your vibrator in front of all these kids."
Uranus tried a spin kick to Ranma's back as she slid past, but the diminutive red head rolled and came to her feet facing Uranus, who was now trying to get some sensation back into her arm. Ranma gave her flippant grin and put her right arm behind her back. She held out her left hand and waggled her fingers. Uranus flexed her arm and brought her hands together.
"Seven Winds Strike!"
The air in the arena howled. The screens glowed as their power was taxed. The winds slashed at Ranma, leaving bloody strips as the knife edges cut at her tunic and pants. She shrieked in pain and anger.
"Not so tough now, hey?" Uranus asked mockingly. The winds flowed around her then slashed back at Ranma. To her surprise they bounced away from the little redhead who was glowing a bright blue.
"I was playing nice," Ranma snarled. "But if we're going to use lethal attacks, the let me show you something."
She cupped her hands and slashed at Uranus. The peculiar twist of her hands created a vacuum surrounded by a ball of chi. At chi enhanced speeds, Ranma threw balls toward Uranus.
"Imperial Chestnuts Roasting Revised. Vacuum Packed Chestnuts."
Uranus danced and jumped, trying to avoid the balls until one hit her. It burst with a 'pop' and left a welt, but otherwise barely hurt. Uranus turned to glare at Ranma only to come nose to nose with her. Ranma's smile wasn't pleasant.
"Saotome Ranma never loses," she said softly. And she spun around Uranus in a complex spiral step. "Hii Ryu Shoten Haa!"
The ring's defense screens held out for several seconds. Uranus was nearly forty feet up when they failed. The crowd was lashed with hurricane force winds. It seemed only sheer luck prevented anyone from being hurt. Ranma rode the eye of the storm upward, keeping level with Uranus, until they both reached the top. Uranus was looking a little battered but was mostly unhurt.
"You can't beat a Senshi," she mocked. "This time, you lose."
Ranma smiled a feral smile and Uranus went cold. "Saotome Ranma never loses. Not to Demons, not to Phoenix Gods, not to Amazons, not to Senshi." And she cut loose all restraints on the Neko-ken.
-----
The two princesses quickly stood as Senshi Mercury came into the waiting room. She nodded to the Queen and turned to the twins. A smile reassured Serenity, who smiled back in relief. Tranquility didn't change from her serious expression. But since it was the same expression the child always wore, Mercury started to turn away. An insistent tug at her skirt brought her back to meet the somber brown eyes of Tranquility.
"Nike?" She demanded.
Mercury blinked then looked at the Queen. Queen Serenity nodded, her expression resigned.
"The young girl who was brought in with Uranus will be fine, Your Highness."
Tranquility met the older woman's gaze for a long moment, then sighed. "Never play poker, Mercury. You're a lousy liar." She turned and walked purposefully down the hall. Princess Serenity hurried after her sister, trying to calm her. Queen Serenity sighed and followed the young Princesses with Mercury on her heels. They caught up as Tranquility entered the room where the young martial artist was in a deep coma.
Tranquility marched right up to the bed and looked at the older girl. "Nike," she said. "Wake up, Nike."
Mercury noticed the flickering of the girl's eyelids changed, but she didn't wake. "She was nearly dead when they brought her in, Your Majesty," she whispered to the Queen. "She had no protection from the wind and vacuum, like Trainee Uranus did."
Tranquility was gently shaking the girl's arm. "Nike. It's time to wake up."
"Tranquility-hime," Mercury said as she stepped forward. "She may not wake up. She was badly hurt." She tried to direct the Princess away from the comatose girl. Tranquility shrugged off the Senshi's grip with surprising ease. Before Mercury could touch the princess again another hand caught hers. She turned to meet the bright green eyes of a little red haired woman.
"Mordaé!"
Mordaé smiled at Mercury. "Let her be, Mercury. She knows her Senshi." Mordaé directed a glance at the Queen. Queen Serenity flushed slightly but didn't allow the woman any other satisfaction.
Tranquility suddenly said, "Nike never loses. I will pay the cost of her victory this time."
"No," Queen Serenity breathed in horror. But before she could do more than raise a hand, the younger Serenity had joined her sister. Together they laid their hands on the girl in the bed. Light filled the room and the two princesses spoke softly, words no one could quite hear. Then they suddenly collapsed and the light went out. Mercury stared in surprise as, moments later, the three girls sat up together, the one in the bed with a brand new Senshi symbol glowing on her forehead.
***
Tomoe Hotaru was normally very mild tempered. Very few things would set her off, which was probably a good thing considering her power. She had finally begun to develop physically and her health had improved along with her looks. She kept her hair short, but she tended to follow Michiru-mama's dress standards rather than Haruka-papa's. Which was part of her current cause for irritation.
For no apparent reason, Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama had grounded her. She had just bought a dress yesterday that was sure to turn heads, but they wouldn't let her out of the house to try it. She sighed, smoothing the silk across her tummy. It was purple, of course, and had a phoenix appliquéd in silver across the back. It was a Chinese style chengosam, hem at her knees and split at the sides to her waist. She had spent hours finding matching purple silk panties too. And just the right stockings, new shoes, and a special anklet. The top was too snug for a bra, but it was lined. While the collar was high, there was a panel cut out that showed off her developing cleavage. And most of all, it was tight enough to show off her figure. She had practiced in front of the mirror for hours wearing a tee shirt so she knew how to move. And now that she had the proper dress, she couldn't use it.
"Argh," she snarled, and stomped out of her room. She was much too polite to slam the door, but she closed it loudly and pointedly. She smirked at the groan from the next room. Served Setsuna right for telling the others that she might be in danger. As if anything could threaten Sailor Saturn, the Silence Bringer. She stomped loudly down the hall and hopped down the stairs, making sure not to miss any.
No one was downstairs.
Hotaru grinned. Easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission.
She had her shoes on and was shrugging into her jacket when there was a knock on the door.
"Yes?" She yanked the door open and found herself being glomped.
"Saturn-hime!Yoshimihasn'tseenyousincethemillenniumball.Howhaveyoubeen?HasthatprincefromVenus
respondedtoyournotesyet?"
"Huh?"
The girl was taller than Makoto. She was wearing a white halter top and blue biker shorts that left a great deal of bare skin around her midriff. She had on running shoes and half socks. Her hair was done in a long blue braid that trailed to her ankles. Silver bracers adorned her wrists.
She grinned at Hotaru. "Oh. Youprobably don'tremember. I'm Princess Yoshimi of Chronipsis. But Chronipsis doesn'texistanymore. So I guess Yoshimi'snotaprincess really. ButsheisaSenshi. Senshi Velocity. Yoshimi cametovisit you on Saturnonce. WellYoshimivisitedSaturn. TheRoyalFamily wouldn'tletYoshimi meetthe Princess. Theyneversaid why. ButI remember, wesnuckout and metinthegarden."
Hotaru could tell that the girl was having a hard time containing herself and speaking slowly. "You're who?" Hotaru was beginning to feel overwhelmed.
"Yoshimi is Senshi Velocity, Senshi Pluto's sister."
Hotaru gaped and then twitched in surprise as she heard a wailing scream from upstairs. The slam of a door being yanked open followed and the rumble of footsteps thundered across the ceiling and down the stairs. The two girls followed the sound with their eyes and neither was surprised when a haggard and disheveled Setsuna appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
"Where," she gritted out, "are Haruka and Michiru?" She would normally have been very intimidating with her flashing, bloodshot eyes, but the Hello Kitty chemise she was wearing totally ruined her image. Her hair was full of static and one side was plastered at an odd angle to her cheek and shoulder.
Hotaru wasn't sure if the giggles bubbling up were hysterical or hilarity. "Oh," she answered airily, "they told me to stay here and went out looking for something." She was gratified at Setsuna's response. Revenge on her parental figures would be sweet. "And your sister has dropped by." She gestured at the girl in the door.
"Hioneechan," the girl chirped. "Cutetop."
Setsuna sighed, slumping in defeat. "Hello Yoshimi." She focused on Hotaru for a moment. "Please make some tea and crackers. Use the decaffeinated stuff. And no sugar. Break out Michiru's pate. And use the sturdy dishes."
"The stuff Michiru-mama brought back from France for a special occasion?" Hotaru was grinning widely.
"This is a special occasion," Setsuna announced primly. "My sister is visiting after several Ages. It's a chance you only want once in a million years. I'm going to get dressed. If they're not back by then, we'll leave with out them." And she turned and marched up the stairs, her back stiff as she tried not to jar her head too much.
Yoshimi snickered. "She means Uranus and Neptune?"
Hotaru nodded.
"Yournameshave changed. Theyusedtobe called Uriel and Ariel. What'syour namenow, Saturn?"
"Hotaru," she replied. "How do you know I'm Sailor Saturn?" She led the way into the kitchen and began brewing tea. Then she rummaged in the pantry for some crackers and Michiru's French pate.
"Ohit'sobvious. Butthen I'm the Senshi of Energy, soYoshimican tellwhere youdraw yourenergy from. Plusitwas only lastweek, forme, that Yoshimi sawall ofyou atSerenity-hime's debutanteparty. Ofcourse nobodytold Yoshimi thatitwas for Serenity-hime, soshethought, quitenaturally too, thatitwas for Tranquility-hime. Which meantthat Yoshimi hadthewrong gift. Wellit wasmore that itwasthe wrongcolor, 'causeSerentiy-hime never wearsblack, whichis Tranquility-hime's best color. Atleast I thinkitis. AndsoSerenity-hime endedup withTranquility-hime's pajama's. Andeveryonethought Yoshimi had beentrying to playa joke and theyall agreedit was inbadtaste. But Serenity-hime cameto Yoshimi'sroom laterandthanked her. She saidshe'd beengetting tired of all the whitean'yellowan'pink stuffshe'd beengetting. Ofcourse itfitperfectly too, whichis onlynatural asthe twoof themwear thesamesize clothes."
Hotaru listened with fascination. The girl could talk incredibly fast and was very precise, in spite of her tendency to run words together. And somehow she managed to devour two cans of pate and a whole box of crackers during her story. Fortunately she was interrupted by the tea kettle whistling and Hotaru jumped up to mix the tea. Yoshimi continued blithely talking, apparently not caring if her audience was paying attention or even able to hear her.
Hotaru had just set out the tea when Setsuna entered. The older woman was wearing a business skirt and jacket combo in black over a white blouse. She had her hair back up in it's normal style and she had washed her face and applied some make up. Hotaru noticed that she flinched slightly as she passed close to Yoshimi.
It became readily apparent that they were related when Setsuna sat down. Her mannerisms matched Yoshimi's exactly, though the younger sister tended to move faster. The way Setsuna picked up and held her tea cup, the way she sat, even the tilt of her head seemed to copy the younger girl. But since Setsuna didn't watch Yoshimi, she couldn't be mimicking. And Yoshimi wasn't copying her sister either. She started and completed gestures much faster than Setsuna. Yoshimi kept right on talking, explaining a convoluted story about Mars, Vulcan (Mars' elder sister), and Pygmalion.
Setsuna tasted her tea, nodding thanks to Hotaru. She grimaced at the taste. Hotaru smiled and held out a cup of coffee. Setsuna grabbed and gulped it apparently not caring how hot it might be. Fortunately Hotaru had let it cool some.
"Ahh," Setsuna sighed. "Now then. Yoshimi put on something appropriate. And then we'll head out."
Yoshimi nodded and seemed to blur and by the time Setsuna finished her sentence, Yoshimi was wearing a new outfit. Blue pants and a white sweater fit snugly over Yoshimi's lanky frame. Except for the long blue braid, she could have passed for a teenage boy. Setsuna seemed a bit annoyed but merely nodded.
"Let's go," she said tightly, as if struggling to keep from snapping. To Hotaru's surprise, Setsuna led the way to Michiru's car. Yoshimi was still prattling, now about an incident involving the Venusian Ambassador and Senshi Mercury. Hotaru gave Setsuna a questioning look, which Setsuna waved away. They were shortly under way, Yoshimi in the back, babbling on.
-----
Hotaru was beginning to wonder how many impossible things she was going to witness before the day ended. Setsuna had wisely brought them to an all-you-can-eat buffet. They had been there for less than half an hour and Yoshimi was on her sixth set of plates. The management were giving them dark looks. They had refilled the buffet three times and Yoshimi was still going strong.
Setsuna ignored the management and Yoshimi both as she talked to Hotaru. Hotaru picked at her plate and listened to Setsuna's story.
"Chronipsis was the fifth planet, out past Mars. Its Senshi wasn't counted as an Inner or an Outer. She also had more power than any other Senshi. Senshi Chronipsis was the Senshi of Time and Space. Back then Metallia was still imprisoned and helpless, and the forces of Darkness were more subtle. They carefully and slowly corrupted Chronipsis. She didn't become evil, but she went insane. Our mother was Queen of Chronipsis. She had the power to stop the Senshi, but she waited too long. She and the Queen of the Moon joined forces and split Chronipsis' power. Since I was the oldest, and Yoshimi was only about three, I was given the choice of which part of the power I would receive."
"You chose Time," Hotaru noted when Setsuna paused for a drink.
"Yes. I was given the Guardianship of the Time Gates. I was also sworn never to use my powers and various other things. Being the Guardian isn't as simple as most people think."
"Vast cosmic Powers," Yoshimi interjected, "Teeny, weeny living space." Her speech improved considerably as she took bites between words.
"Well not literally of course," Setsuna said. "But in essence, she's right. Our power comes with a great many rules and restrictions. When Mother went to strip Chronipsis of her power there was a titanic battle. Chronipsis, both the planet and the Senshi, was destroyed. Mother died in the cataclysm. And suddenly Yoshimi and I had incredible powers. There had been some time to train us, so things continued smoothly, but it was a hard time."
"What do you mean, Setsuna-mama? What could have happened to prevent things from going 'smoothly'?"
"It has to do with the nature of our powers, Hotaru-chan. Yoshimi in particular. Let's see if I can explain it."
"Explain," Yoshimi put in. "Yoshimi gains power from all the kinetic energy in the universe. Yoshimi uses that energy to maintain the balance of the Planets to keep them from drifting around randomly, and to ensure they're habitable. But Yoshimi has been asleep for a long time."
Hotaru stared at the hyper girl. Her gaze snapped to Setsuna, and her eyes widened further as Setsuna nodded.
"It's a bit more complex than that, but Sailor Saturn isn't the only Senshi capable of destroying planets. And to make things even worse, Yoshimi was made part of the Tranquility Protocols. 'Twins of Light and Dark will come, Serene and Tranquil. The Princess Heir to Nine, the Princess Dark to Seven.' Tranquility-hime has Seven Senshi who have the sole purpose of enforcing the Tranquility Protocols."
"What are the Tranquility Protocols? And why do they seem to worry you so much?" Hotaru could tell Setsuna-mama was becoming uncomfortable.
Yoshimi answered again. "Tranquility's oaths are twofold. The first cannot be told. The second makes her the Guardian of Silence, bound to prevent the Silence Bringer from ever choosing the Dark. Even if she must be killed."
Hotaru was stunned.
"But we can still be friends," Yoshimi noted.
***
OnnaRanma opened her eyes. "Where?"
"We're in your mind, Ranma."
She turned and found a purple haired woman watching her expectantly. The woman was dressed casually in sweater and pants and radiated an air of superiority that set OnnaRanma's teeth on edge. She suddenly relaxed.
"How does it feel to be on that end?"
"Huh?" OnnaRanma stared at the strange woman. "Who're you?"
"Senshi Nike. We've met already, though you weren't ready to see me as I am. Now that you've shared a memory with me, you know what I really look like. Or what I used to look like."
"Memory?" OnnaRanma was feeling a bit out of the loop.
The other woman had short hair, styled similar to Nabiki. It was dark purple and matched her eyes. She was slender and slightly taller than Ranma's female form. But not nearly as busty.
"Yes, Ranma-chan," she said. "The fight against Senshi Uranus was my memory. Because we are joined, you shared that memory with me."
"Shared? But how did..." Ranma trailed off, thoroughly confused.
"That was just your perception of things. I didn't really use a Hii Ryu Shoten Haa or the Amiguriken. Your knowledge and memory affected how you perceived the event."
"But aren't you my past life? I thought that was the deal."
Nike smiled. "In a way, we are the past lives of you and your friends. But not the way Usagi is the reincarnation of Serenity-hime. If not for events in the past, she would never exist in this time. You would have been born regardless of my presence. However, your drive to be the best is what drew me to you, and the others followed and found suitable hosts."
"Host? Like in that movie about the thing that puts an egg in your chest?"
She laughed. "No chest bursters here. We're not going to eat your soul or anything. We're here for a reason, and when that task is finished..."
"What happens then?" Ranma asked when she trailed off.
She shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe we'll just fade away."
She gazed at something only she remembered. Ranma wasn't sure what to say so he stayed quiet and tried to sort out how he felt.
"At any rate," Nike went on suddenly. "We have to free Athena and then find Tranquility-hime. That's going to take some effort, even after the others awaken."
Ranma blinked. "Others. Wait a minute. My friends have these past lives too?"
"There were seven of us in the past. I imagine that several of your friends are also experiencing awakening past lives. I sensed Senshi Aura and Senshi Vulcan. Senshi Harmony is close by as well. I'm not sure about Senshi Alexis; I never could keep track of her. Senshi Velocity is likely to arrive suddenly and almost late. She enjoys annoying me by barely showing up on time." Nike sighed.
"This is all too weird."
"Don't worry Ranma," Nike reassured him. "When you wake up, you'll have a lot more of my memories and knowledge. You'll know how to see the others in their non powered forms, and you'll be able to find Senshi Minerva. She can lead you to Tranquility-hime."
"What then?"
"Then we fight the Darkness for the fate of Humanity. But it's time to wake up." She vanished.
Ranma opened his eyes and met the concerned gaze of Senshi Harmony from behind Kasumi's calm demeanor.
-----
Ranma stared at the stars. Somewhere out there were six other Senshi. A Sisterhood. Of course, he only had to find four more of them. It didn't seem too odd that Kasumi was the reincarnation of Senshi Harmony. He had awoken and found Kasumi leaning over him. One look had revealed her past life. And Nike had informed him that it was his job to find the others and lead them to Senshi Minerva so they could awaken the Princess. He hadn't said anything to Kasumi, but she had known. She told him that she would be ready when the others were, then settled back into her quiet, innocent facade.
Nike hadn't spoken to him since then. He had no idea where to look for hidden Senshi and she hadn't been forthcoming with clues. Maybe he would head over to Juban and ask Serenity for help. There seemed to be a lot of Senshi over there. Maybe Serenity had a few extras.
"Usagi," he muttered out loud. "She's named Usagi in this life."
"So," said a new voice. "I go away for a day and you're already picking up new women."
Ranma tilted his head back to look up at Akane. "Ah, what would you know..." He trailed off as he got a better look at her. He wasn't sure which was more of a surprise, her outfit or the fact that she was a Senshi.
Akane was standing on the peak of the roof wearing an unusual set of clothing, for her. A short black skirt was topped with a red blouse. The blouse was unbuttoned and tied under her breasts. She was wearing a white halter top underneath and a black bra. Her stockings were held up at her thighs by a garter belt. Ranma could just see that it was black, probably matching her bra and panties. Akane raised an eyebrow. Ranma quickly looked away.
"See anything interesting, Ranma?" Akane was nearly purring. Ranma flinched and slid a few feet down the roof, shaking his head frantically. Akane giggled. She wanted to pound him, but Ukyo had pointed out certain things about Ranma's reactions. This was turning out to be fun too. "I guess I should have spread my legs a little more," she pouted. "Or are you saying you don't find my panties interesting?" She began to glare, but was reduced to helpless giggles as Ranma frantically shook his head, then tried to correct himself by nodding. As his head bobbed and twisted, Ranma slowly slid to the edge of the roof, avoiding the short fall by gripping the gutter with his feet. Akane strutted slowly to the edge and leaned forward from the waist. Ranma 'acked' and snapped his eyes shut. Akane giggled.
"Need a hand Ranma? It's not like you haven't seen it all before."
Ranma blushed. "But not like that," he muttered.
Akane heard him, but asked, "What was that Ranma?"
He clamped both hands over his mouth and refused to look at her. She sighed and grabbed him to pull him onto the roof. Ranma stared at her in surprise.
"Are you OK?" Ranma asked. "What happened in Juban? And why are you dressed like that?"
"Uchan and I went shopping on the way back," Akane said with a blush. She looked away as Ranma sat down on the peak again. She joined him.
"Uchan?"
"Er, well, we, uhm, talked," she stammered. "Ukyo and I sort of..." She trailed off.
Ranma glanced at her. "Turned into Senshi who in some past life were lovers."
"How did you..." Akane blurted. She clamped a hand over her mouth and stared at Ranma.
Ranma, for his part, was grinning. "Let me guess. Senshi Vulcan. And Ukyo is Senshi Aura."
Akane's eyes got even rounder.
Ranma nodded. "Two down. Two to go." He looked at Akane. "I suppose this means you and Ukyo won't be chasing me anymore?"
Akane was suddenly mad. "Oh now you're looking to get rid of all of us?" She was on her feet. "I bet those three girls who brought you in are replacing us. Usagi huh. Some strumpet from your past again?"
Akane never saw Ranma move, but she felt the slap. She stared at Ranma as she held a hand to her stinging cheek. "Never refer to Princess Serenity like that."
She gaped at him. "Serenity. You remember Serenity-hime? And Tranquility-hime? You're one of us?"
"No, I'm really Princess Beryl, and now that you've revealed yourself, I have to seduce you to Darkness."
Akane choked and tried to jump back, reaching for her henshin wand.
"Oh come on, Akane," Ranma snapped. "You never believe me when I tell the truth. Why do you believe me when I make things up?"
"But..."
Ranma stood. "Eternal Victory Make Up."
Akane stared as Ranma transformed. The light and noise was somewhat subdued, as if to prevent others from seeing. Then Senshi Nike stood before her in her purple and white seifuku.
"Oh my," a new voice said. "I do hope you haven't become a servant of Darkness, Akane-chan."
Akane spun to stare at Kasumi.
"Nothing like that, Kasumi-chan," Nike said. "Sorry to have bothered you, but she was being stubborn."
"It's no bother, Nike-dono," Kasumi said with a bow. "Let me help. Eternal Harmony Make Up!"
The last part of her speech became a song and the notes from her voice seemed to swirl around her, becoming visible. Her seifuku was black with a white skirt and bows. Music staffs decorated her skirt and bows with unknown notes. Unlike any of the other Senshi Akane had seen, Harmony wore slippers with ties wrapping around her calves to the knee. Her waist length hair was shining white.
Before Akane could react, a pair of gloved arms wrapped around her from behind and held her gently.
"Having a meeting?" Senshi Aurora breathed. Her voice caressed Akane's ear making her shiver and sending goose bumps down her arms. Akane disengaged and stepped forward, finding herself in-between the others.
"Eternal Vulcan Make Up!"
The change washed over her bringing strange sensations and unfamiliar emotions with it. She stepped back and joined Aura, their hands twining together. Aura squeezed gently in understanding. Nike simply nodded. For a long time they simply stood, glad to be together again. Harmony's ever present melody washed over and around them, relaxing them and bringing acceptance without fear or loss. They were who they were and they would do what they had been woken for.
"Only the four of us?" Aura asked.
Nike nodded. "Alexis is near by. And Velocity will no doubt turn up at the last moment."
"As she always does," Harmony said with a giggle. Vulcan and Aura chuckled softly as well, remembering that Velocity's habit of being in the nick of time annoyed Nike to no end.
"I really hope Shampoo isn't Alexis," Vulcan said. The thought barely roused any anger though. She recalled that it was difficult to get angry in Harmony's presence.
"Yeah," Nike quipped. "We have enough trouble understanding her as it is."
Giggles ran through the group again. For some reason Alexis, the Senshi of Gravity, spoke only in mathematical equations. Harmony could translate and Velocity seemed to understand, but the rest of them found it hard to communicate with the enigmatic Senshi. Even her name was a rough phonetic shorting of her full name and title. Alexis was strangely formal, and it had taken months for her to refer to any of them by anything other than their official titles.
"Well, that leaves Minerva. Is she likely to turn up at all?"
"Once the others awaken," Nike said. "I will be able to lead us to Minerva."
Aura and Vulcan sighed. Harmony smiled serenely as usual. Nabiki glared at them all, her annoyance visible in spite of Harmony.
"What's all this then?" Nabiki demanded irritably. "Who called a Senshi meeting in Nerima? Shouldn't you people be over in Juban? At least have the curtesy to go bother someone else. The Neko-hanten has a nice large roof. You'd fit right in over there."
Nike slapped a palm to her forehead, while Aura and Vulcan laughed. Harmony turned her smile on the hapless Tendo girl.
"Why Nabiki-chan. How nice of you to join us. But you really shouldn't be standing on the roof in your 'sleep wear.' You might catch a chill." Nabiki stared. The others took that moment to notice that Nabiki was wearing only a thin tank top and thong panties. Nike took pity on her and produced a short wand and held it out.
"Better change quick, Alexis, before Aura and Vulcan decide to start taking pictures."
Nabiki's eyes widened and she reached out as if in a dream. Her hand touched the wand and she suddenly shouted something. The transformation was fantastic. Her bows were the same bright purple as Nike's but her skirt and collar were black. She had low pumps rather than boots and her gloves were only half length, ending just past her wrists. Like all of them her hair color and style had changed dramatically, in this case turning purple and growing out. It was held up and back in a pony tail.
There was a moment of silence.
"What the hell just happened?" Harmony translated for Alexis. She frowned slightly at the explicative.
Nike smiled wickedly. "Welcome to Tranquility's Seven, 'Biki. You're now Senshi Alexis, the Senshi of Gravity. You'll remember everything eventually. Akane and Ukyo are Vulcan and Aurora, Kasumi is Harmony, and I, Nike, am Ranma."
Alexis sighed and spoke again.
"Figures. Kasumi has a fantasy about Sailor Moon and now I'm having weird Senshi dreams." Harmony translated, managing to keep a straight face.
"Yup," Nike agreed. "No more pepperoni pizza for you right before bed. C'mon. I'll put you back to sleep."
"What next?" Aura asked as Nike led the dazed Alexis toward the edge of the roof.
"We wait for Velocity. And hope Miss Black Hole here accepts her new status."
"And we fight evil and the Dark," Harmony added. "When ever and wherever it appears."
"Right," Vulcan said. "We've seen how well Serenity-hime's Senshi fight." Aura nodded, rolling her eyes. Nike snickered.
"Serenity-hime has a cute attack, involving a giant pink heart." She reached the edge of the roof and waved. "G'night all. C'mon Al." And the two disappeared down the ladder Nabiki had climbed up. Harmony glanced at the other two.
"Please don't make too much noise." The two had the grace to blush. Harmony dropped off the roof with a wave.
"Dawn isn't too far off," Aura said, turning to face the East. Vulcan sat next to her and they watched in silence until the sun came fully over the horizon.
***
Author's note and disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 and Sailor Moon characters belong to their creators and others. I use them without permission or recompense. All original characters are mine and should not be used without permission (or at least credit). This fic is written for entertainment purposes only and not profit.
First thing- Yoshimi's speech patterns. They're meant to be odd and erratic. In later chapters I may simply note a punctuation form for her but for now it's best shown the way I have.
Second thing- Thanks to those who read and offered suggestions. I figure one chapter a month is doing good for updates. It's a matter of speed versus quality, and I prefer the latter. On the other hand I don't want to spend so much time making it quality, that I never update.
Third- I mentioned in an earlier note that I don't intend to match Ranma up with any one in particular. I'm beginning to see that he might actually hook up with someone. Likely candidates include Makoto or Hotaru. There will be some individual chapters where Ranma develops relationships with each of the Scouts. Each of Tranquility's Senshi will get their own focus chapters too (though there might be overlap.)
Mordaé