Author's Note: Well, I'm feeling much better now, so here's Chapter 5. This means that we're halfway there folks, for those of you out there who are still following this story.

ALL PATHS CROSSING

A Sailor Moon / Street Fighter Crossover Fanfiction

By Kasumi Todoh

Chapter 5

Teaming Up

" . . . And that's the whole story," ended Sailor Moon. She could tell by the looks on Ryu and Ken's faces that they barely believed what she had just told them.

"And we're supposed to believe this, coming from a girl in a sailor suit?" said Ken, skeptically. "Give me a break."

"I'm willing to believe it," replied Ryu. "After all, we did see the comet."

Mercury nodded. "Yes, that's what we were talking about. I think its name is Kakkazan." She glanced at a nearby clock. "Goodness, it's getting late. Senshi, we have to go."

All eyes now turned to Ryu and Ken.

"Hey, we found you, or you found us, one or the other," Jupiter said.

"And you have to help us," added Venus.

The two martial artists exchanged glances.

"Well, I think we should do it," Ryu said, finally.

"As long as my rep doesn't get hurt by hanging out with sailor-suited teenagers," added Ken.

Ryu turned to him and grinned. "What rep? You and your giant ego, Ken. Geez."

"Hey, shut up!" Ken answered back, and shoved Ryu playfully.

"So does that mean you guys will work with us?" Sailor Moon asked.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes," Jupiter and Venus whispered, closing their eyes and crossing their fingers.

"Sure, why not?" Ryu answered, and Ken nodded as well.

"All right!" cheered Sailor Moon. "Okay you two, we're having a meeting tomorrow afternoon, at the shrine on Cherry Hill. You know, the Hikawa temple?"

Ken looked at Ryu. "Yeah, we know where it is. We'll be there."

"Great!" said Sailor Moon.

Mars walked over and pointed her finger at Ryu and Ken. "Don't be late," she said sternly, but there was a hint of a smile on her face.

The Senshi and the two boys walked off in opposite directions. Jupiter and Venus's voices could still be heard in the distance, however.

"They're coming tomorrow?"

"What will I wear?"

"What will I say?"

No one noticed that Kaori had been hiding nearby the whole time, watching the Senshi and the Street Fighters, and listening in on their conversation.

As she turned and walked away, Kakkazan muttered to herself, "These Sailor Senshi are a little too meddlesome. I can see why no one else has ever succeeded in stealing this planet's energy. Oh well, they are but a slight complication in my plan. Once I have everything I need, they will get what's coming to them, as will all humans on this miserable planet."

The next afternoon, as school was finishing for the day, Kaori was closing her locker when she was approached by Sakura.

"Where were you yesterday, Kaori? I tried calling you all afternoon."

Kaori wouldn't look at her. "I . . . was busy."

Sakura shrugged. "Well, I guess it's too late now. So, do you want to come over to my house this afternoon instead? We could study for that English midterm."

"Sorry, I can't."

Sakura wasn't convinced. During the past few days, Kaori had been spending all of her time alone, by herself. It was almost as if she was avoiding Sakura, and everyone else, for that matter.

"Hey, did I do something to make you mad at me?" the teenage martial artist asked.

"No."

Sakura put one hand on Kaori's shoulder. "Then what's wrong? You can tell me."

Kaori shook her off. "Nothing's wrong. Just leave me . . ."

Then her eyes glowed red and her pupils disappeared, and her voice changed to that of Kakkazan's.

". . . ALONE!"

Kaori stuck her hand out, and a blast of hot wind hit Sakura in the stomach, knocking her backwards into a row of lockers. By the time Sakura regained all her senses and looked around, the halls were empty, and Kaori was gone.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Luna asked, as she and Usagi stood outside Sakura's school. Luna had a right to be wary. There had been many times in the past when Usagi had acted like she knew where she was going, when she really didn't.

"Of course, Luna," Usagi replied. "I passed by this place on the way to school this morning. The school fukus are the same as hers. In fact, there she is right now. Sakura, over here!"

Sakura walked over to them. "Hey, you're that girl that crashed into me the other day. Usagi, isn't it?"

Usagi blushed embarrassingly. "Yeah, that's right. And this is my cat, Luna."

"Hello, Luna." Sakura bent down and petted the black cat on the head. Luna purred.

Usagi decided to get right down to business. "Sakura-san, my friends and I need your help."

Usagi went on and told Sakura the whole story, this time leaving out the part about how she and the other girls were the Sailor Senshi. When she had finished, she could see that Sakura looked just as sceptical as Ken and Ryu had.

"I don't blame you if you don't believe me," she added. "Heck, if I were you, I wouldn't believe me, either. But it's the truth, every word of it."

"Well, your story does seem pretty out there," Sakura agreed. "But then again, after everything that I've seen while street fighting, I've come to believe in a lot of things."

"So you'll help us, then?"

The brown-haired girl nodded. "Sure. What is it that you want me to do?"

"We're having a meeting at the Hikawa shrine on Cherry Hill," Usagi replied. "Ryu and Ken are going to be there, too. Why don't you join us?"

"I'd love to," Sakura answered. "Oh boy, I can't wait to see Ryu again. He is the best martial artist on the planet. I'm studying to become just like him. And he's majorly cute, too."

Usagi laughed. "You're starting to sound like my friends, Minako and Makoto. Now, it's a good thing I know a shortcut to the temple, because we're getting short on time."

With Usagi leading the way, she and Sakura headed for Rei's temple.

On the way there, they passed by a hotel. Coming out of the hotel was a woman in a blue-and-yellow outfit, with white boots and spiked bracelets. Her brown hair was tied up in two braided buns.

Usagi stopped so suddenly that Sakura nearly ran into her.

"I don't believe it!" Usagi cried when she spotted the woman. "That's her! The other person that we need to find!" She looked at Luna and added, "It's the woman from Ami's computer!"

Sakura was too busy following her gaze to notice that Usagi was speaking directly to a cat. Her face lit up when she saw the woman that Usagi was pointing to. "Hey, I know her!" she exclaimed. "That's Chun Li! She's a friend of mine and Ryu's! I didn't know she was in Japan."

"Well c'mon, before we lose her," Usagi said, and ran toward the hotel, shouting, "Wait! Stop!"

Sakura and Luna just looked at each other, and then ran after Usagi.

When Chun Li emerged from the hotel after her latest briefing, the last thing she expected to find was Usagi, Luna and Sakura, running up to her from out of nowhere.

"Miss . . . Chun Li?" Usagi panted.

"That's right, but who are you?" Chun Li answered. "And more importantly, how did you know where to find me?"

"My name is Tsukino Usagi." Usagi bowed. "It's nice to meet you. As for how we found you, well, that's part of a long story that I wish to explain to you."

"And you remember me, right?" Sakura asked.

"Of course," Chun Li replied. "Nice to see you again, Sakura. How's your martial arts training going?"

"We came here to ask for your help," Usagi cut in.

"My help?" asked Chun Li in confusion.

Once again, the story came out, this time told by both Usagi and Sakura, and without mentioning the identities of the Sailor Senshi.

"Will you please help us?" Usagi asked, when they were finished.

"You have to," Sakura added. "You're involved in this too, somehow. It's like we're

destined to fight alongside the Sailor Senshi. I think we should help them."

Chun Li hesitated. She couldn't afford any distractions from the assignment at this point in time, but these two girls seemed to genuinely need her help. And she did have a foreboding feeling when she witnessed that strange comet.

"Well," Chun Li replied at last, "I am currently working on another assignment, but I suppose I could take some time off to help you. But only a couple of days. As long as you're sure that this isn't going to be a big waste of time."

"We're sure," said Usagi and Sakura together.

"Now we have to get over to Rei's temple, pronto," Usagi said. "We're already late as it is, and I just know that she's going to go ballistic on me again."

Ami, Rei, Artemis, Ryu, and Ken were already gathered in Rei's bedroom, when the three arrived.

"Late again," Rei muttered. "Can't you . . . "

She stopped short when she realized whom Usagi was with. "You're . . . "

Introductions were exchanged all around (even though the Street Fighters already knew each other, which came as some surprise to the other girls), and then Usagi, Sakura, Chun Li and Luna sat down with the others.

Usagi looked around. "Hey, where are Minako and Makoto?"

"Makoto said she had something important to do first, and that she'd meet us here later," Ami replied.

"Funny, Minako told me the exact same thing," Rei said.

Just then, the two girls walked in. Makoto was wearing a sparkly black dress, and matching high-heeled shoes. Minako had on a long red dress which matched the ribbon that she always wore in her long blond hair, high-heeled tan sandals, and a cheap gold necklace. Both girls were wearing lipstick and eyeshadow, and smelled heavily of perfume.

For a couple minutes everyone just stared at them, but they quickly got over their shock and started the meeting.

No sooner had the meeting started, than Ami announced that she had some important news. "Great news, everyone. I believe that I've discovered Kakkazan's human identity."