***
Disclaimer: "Sailor Moon", "Star Man" and "The World of Darkness" belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a continuation/crossover story.
***
"Partners"
***
Usagi Tsukino loved working on gadgets and things, especially based upon Dr. Knight's work on the cosmic converter. As a result, she was built her own cosmic rod, modified to channel the power of her Silver Millennium Crystal.
Since then, she has used her "High Science" to help her in her fight against the occasional youma as "Sailor Moon". Unfortunately, the Technocratic "Metal Dragons" have been interfering in her mission of late…
"Freeze!" said Agent Fujuhita, as he and his "Men in Black" trained their weapons on "The Reality Deviant".
Usagi, in her Sailor Moon guise, had just broken up a youma ring when the agents came to her door.
"I don't think so, Mirrorshade," Moon replies, as she took her rod, and aimed…
"NO!" said the lead agent, as he fired his weapon. Using a Weaver spell, Fujuhita made sure his shot rang true.
BLANG!
With the rod shot out of her hand, Moon had to think up of something quick.
If only I didn't go out alone on this job! Moon thought.
Suddenly…
"Tiger BLAST!" yelled a voice.
BLAM!
Moon looked up. There standing on a fence was a pigtail martial artist.
"Come on!"
Quickly, Moon picked up her rod, and leaped over the fence.
Agent Fujuhita then took out his "Tweeter" pistol…
BLAM!
A huge wave of sonic energy came barreling after the boy and Moon.
"Get down!" the boy said.
Moon and the pigtail boy took a dive, as the wave passed over the two.
"You okay?" the boy asked.
"I think so. Say, who are you?"
"Oh, yeah. My name is Ranma Saotome. Sorry about that."
***
The Akashic Brother Ranma Saotome and the Son of Ether Usagi Tsukino quietly crept into the attic of the whorehouse, one of many establishments in the "Red Lantern" district of Tokyo. They got a tip that a cabal of demonic cross dressing magi called "Kuen-Jin" captured their friend Konatsu, an ally of Ranma's friend Ukyo Kuonji. Konatsu came from a clan of female dominated ninjas, which required even the males to appear as females.
"Hey, Nabiki, we're in," Ranma said, as he spoke into his wrist communicator. Nabiki Tendo, the mercenary sister of his fiancé Akane Tendo (also a member of the martial arts magi Akashic Brotherhood), was a member of the computer hacking magi known as "The Virtual Adepts"; she was also an agent posing as a member of "The Syndicate" (a Convention member, along with the Men in Black' "New World Order"), an organization that uses magic to manipulate all things monetary, legal and otherwise. She was able to acquire the tip through a mutual contact within the organization, and passed it off to her potential brother-in-law…for a price, of course.
[Understood,] Nabiki replied, as she spoke through Ranma and Usagi's telepathic plug. [I have my "associates" ready to raid the place. You have thirty minutes to do what you have to do, Saotome.]
"Gee, thanks," Ranma replied sarcastically. "Usagi, how's it going?"
Usagi worked her diagnostic routine, trying to determine the places "nooks and crannies".
"Well?"
"I managed to use Nab's subroutine to determine several points of interests," Usagi replied. "There's definitely a sub-realm here."
"And Konatsu's signs?"
"Undetermined, but I would guess that he is being held in that realm."
"Great. Let's get to work then."
A short time later…
Ranma, now in his cursed form, and Usagi were dressed in sexy Chinese clothing. They casually smiled, as they passed the other patrons and staff.
[This is so embarrassing!] Usagi said, as she smiled vacantly. She would die if her friend Rei saw her now!
[And you think I'm not embarrassed?] Ranma-chan replied, as she smiled vacantly as well.
Then, Ranma felt herself being "goosed".
"Hey, baby!" said a man. "How about some little loving?"
Before Ranma could say anything, Usagi sauntered to her partner.
"Sorry, sir," Usagi replied seductively. "My…friend and I are on our way to a client."
Usagi did her best to convince the man of this, by kissing Ranma full on the lips. Ranma's pigtail went straight as a rod.
"Oh, okay, but I'll be looking for you two later," replied the man with a wink.
After leaving the main foyer…
"Don't get any ideas," Usagi said. "I just didn't want you to break the façade."
"…"
"Ranma?"
"Oh! Nothing. Let's just get this thing done."
When the two got to the basement, Usagi took out her tool kit from underneath her skirt.
"Where did you keep that thing?" Ranma asked.
"Don't ASK. Okay?"
They came to a large oaken door.
"Well, we could just simply knock it down…"
"No need. Let me see…"
Usagi examined the symbols, and fed the data to her Trinary computer.
"Well?"
"Hold on a second. How's your 'Forces' rating?"
"Forces" was one of the nine aspects of Reality; "Prime", "Mind", "Matter", "Life", "Entropy", "Spirit", "Correspondence", and "Time" were the other eight aspects.
"Well, it's pretty high…"
"Good, 'cuz I need for you to charge the locking mechanism."
Usagi placed relays on key points on the lock. She then took her cosmic converter and placed in Ranma's hand.
"Wha-?"
"When I give the word, channel your chi into the converter."
"Why can't you do it?"
"Because as each tumbler is disabled, I have to make sure that the wards won't 'trip"."
Usagi then did one final calculation.
"Okay…NOW."
ZAP!
CLICK! CLICK! CLICK! CLICK! CLICK-!
"Well?" Ranma asked.
"All the wards are still good. Let's go."
After going down a long passageway, they noticed a body being suspended by fibrous wires.
"It's Knonatsu," Ranma said, as he went over to the ninja. "Usagi, what's this?"
Usagi took a look at the connections. She then noticed subtle alterations being made on the unconscious ninja.
"The Kuen-Jin are trying to change him into a full female," Usagi said, as she examined the elaborate Urn. The wires were actually living tubes, not unlike arteries, that were used as a transport mechanism for the elixir that was within the Urn. Usagi realized that Konatsu was being change on a bio-chemical basis. "Already, his secondary characteristics are being changed."
"Is there a way to change him back?"
"I'm not sure. This is very potent demon magic."
Gently, Usagi cut the connection, while Ranma held the ninja, severing the process. She then took a nearby blanket and covered Konatsu's body.
"Can't we teleport out of here?" Ranma asked.
"No, the wards are still in effect. We better-"
"Do nothing," said a voice.
Ranma and Usagi turned to see three "women" standing in the doorway.
"You are NOT going anywhere, magi," said the leader.
"You kidnapped a friend of mine, and you think that you can stop me?" Ranma yelled.
"Ranma! Look, you better let us go, 'girl'."
"If you think you can get past us…"
Youma began to appear all over the place.
"Oh, I will. Moon Prism MAKE UP!"
FLASH!
Sailor Moon appeared ready.
CHUNK-CLICK!
Now, with her Cosmic staff in hand, she was even MORE ready!
"Ranma, protect Konatsu. I'll deal with these creeps."
Usagi put on her aviator goggles, took aim, and fired.
BLAST!
***
Over in the High Realm, Ranma and Usagi were visiting the Jade Emperor.
"Sir, can you-"
"No, young Ranma. Your curse is part of who you are," the Emperor replied.
As the two left the Court, Usagi tried to cheer her friend up.
"Don't worry, Ranchan. I'm sure we will find a way. The Umbra is a big place."
"I guess so. Say, you're going to go to school overseas?"
"Yeah. I wanted to wait until I got the scholarship together before taking the offer to attend the university in Montreal."
At the University of Montreal, the Royal Ethernautical Society holds a program to train members of the Sons of Ether to be "Ethernauts" (i.e. space adventurers).
"Well, it's been a pleasure being your partner, Usagi."
"Me, too, Ranma."
As the two teleported out of the realm, they didn't notice a swarthy Indian man in robes.
"Finally, I have found my foe," said the Heckler of Skulls.
Then he, too, teleported; he did not notice that the Senshi of Time was observing the man.
"And I will make sure that the Moon Princess will be ready."
Tbc.