Disclaimer: I've written disclaimers before. They said that I didn't
own any of the characters used therein and that I make no profit from
writing the following material. Treat this as you would those.
Warning: None of the other warnings made sense, why should this one?
Warning: Altaverse (Keichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is
all messed up.)
"words"
'thoughts'
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 5
by Jose Argao
"Let me see that photo of Ranma again, Ami."
Ami wordlessly placed a glossy printout in front of Luna. It
featured Ranma smiling at them shortly after they encountered him in
Nerima. She didn't normally print pictures using glossy paper, but she
planned to frame this particular picture and keep it in her room.
Luna looked at it closely, and nodded towards Artemis. "So,
what do you think?"
Artemis stopped staring at the printout and raised his head.
His feline features took on a thoughtful look before replying. "That's
him alright."
"What are you talking about? Have you met him before?" Makoto
asked impatiently.
The two cats turned to the confused faces of their companions
and sighed. Luna took a deep breath before answering. "Do you have any
recollection of a man named Athan*?"
The girls looked thoughtful for a few moments before Minako
replied first. "The name sounds familiar, but I don't think I know any
guys named Athan, do you?"
The others all shook their heads in unison and turned back
towards the two cats. "That was Ranma's name, back when he lived in
the Silver Millenium."
Immediately, Minako bounced upright and started dancing giddily
in circles. "Yes! I knew it! He really _was_ my husband back in the
Silver Millenium! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I'd better go find
him, so we can pick up where we left off!"
The other occupants of the room grew large sweat drops as they
watched her dance for a few more seconds before sighing contentedly and
going back to her seat. Luna cleared her throat loudly, turning the
attention back towards herself. "Well... um... not exactly."
The girls' eyes opened wide with the realization of what Luna
had said. She hadn't outright denied Minako's words, and that could
mean any number of things. Makoto picked Luna up with both hands and
shook her violently.
"What do you mean by 'not exactly'? Was he her boyfriend or
something?"
Luna flailed helplessly in her grasp, trying desperately to
inform the excited senshi of Jupiter that she couldn't breath. It was
Artemis who saved her by answering the question.
"Athan used to be Minako's fiance. You were all his fiancees,
actually. Michiru and the others too."
Luna fell to the ground on her feet as Makoto relinquished her
hold on the gasping black cat, her fingers trembling. Rei froze in her
seat, her eyes locked onto Artemis. Minako silently pondered how she
would prove to Ranma that she was the best catch. Ami slowly sat down,
trying hard to keep from hyperventilating. Usagi turned Luna, who had
recovered her breath by now.
"We were _all_ his fiances? What was he, the prince of the
solar system? What about Mamo-chan?"
Luna sighed. "Actually, Athan was just a common palace guard.
As for Endymion, they... didn't get along very well."
The small feline found herself unable to continue as Rei
interrupted her. "How can the senshi all be engaged one man?"
Artemis chose to answer this question himself. "Things were
different back then. It wasn't too unusual for men to take multiple
wives or for women to have more than one husband."
Usagi wasn't done with her questions yet, however. "How can
that happen?"
Artemis breathed deeply. "Well, it all started when..."
*****
Athan crept quietly along the hallways, carefully avoiding the
night guards as they made their rounds. He was in high spirits. After
weeks of effort, Pluto had finally succumbed to his charms. She had
asked him to go to her room tonight at midnight. He smirked to himself
as he remembered that after Pluto, Saturn would be the only senshi left
who hasn't experienced his touch.
When he had first been transferred to the moon, he had feared
that his old lifestyle of breaking young women's hearts would abruptly
end. Fortunately, this was not the case. The women in this castle
proved to be no match for his sugary words and his good looks. In fact,
they were even more receptive to them than any of his old lovers back
on earth had been.
"Halt! Who goes there?"
Athan quickly leapt towards the ceiling and clung to it as the
guard ran over to where he had been. The guard stayed there for a few
seconds before walking away, muttering about seeing things in the dark.
Using his martial arts skills to fall to the floor without a sound, he
ran towards another hallway while cursing himself for his carelessness.
A few minutes later, he had reached his destination.
Carefully opening the doorway to Setsuna's bedroom, he eased
his way into it and softly called out to her. "Set-chan, I've come for
you."
"And we have come for _you_."
Suddenly, the whole room was bathed in light and he found
himself looking at Queen Serenity herself, flanked by her senshi. He
felt beads of sweat forming at the back of his neck. They didn't look
happy to see him at all. Of course, that was understandable given the
circumstances surrounding their meeting. He was especially nervous of
young Sailor Saturn, who's powers were rumored to be strong enough to
destroy a whole planet. He hoped she wasn't _too_ angry with him. He
watched her as she gripped the Silence Glaive in her right hand.
Athan smiled nervously at the Queen of the Moon Kingdom. "I can
explain, it's not what it-"
"Silence! You are not to speak until given permission, am I
understood?"
He immediately fell silent. Queen Serenity continued speaking
in a normal voice.
"You are charged with seducing the senshi of Mercury, Venus,
Mars, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune as well as attempting to seduce the
senshi of Pluto. How do you plead?"
Athan took this to be permission to speak. "With all due
respect, your highness, we do not have laws against seduction."
The Queen smiled at him. "We do _now_, Athan."
Athan didn't like this. She was calling him by his first name.
That meant she'd been onto him for a while. Oh well, no use lying about
it now. "Um... guilty?"
The Queen's smile never left her face. Despite himself, Athan
found himself admiring Queen Serenity's beauty. She remained silent for
a few moments longer before speaking once more.
"I have gone over your case, Athan. Your home planet is earth,
and you were transferred here roughly four months ago. Your performance
record is exemplary, and you have received eighteen commendations for
bravery. You have proven yourself to be honest by answering truthfully
to the charges against you. I have taken these facts into consideration
while deciding on your sentence. Come forward, Athan, and receive your
punishment."
Athan walked forward, hoping that the Queen would be lenient.
Queen Serenity began speaking as soon as he was standing right
in front of her. "I have determined that your problem lies in your lack
of respect for women. You have toyed with their hearts and feelings for
all of your life because you think that they are somewhat beneath you.
I hereby sentence you to live the rest of your life as a female."
Athan's eyes grew wide and a loud scream escaped his mouth as
his body became enveloped in a bright light. He felt his body begin to
change. It felt as if he was being stretched and compressed at the same
time, like he was a lump of clay being molded. Finally, the light began
to dissipate and he fell to his knees, gasping for breath. He had no
need to check himself, for he felt the changes as they happened. He was
now a woman. Hot tears fell one by one from his eyes to the floor.
"Please, just kill me now."
The Queen placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I cannot
do that, Athan, for it would negate your punishment. You will find that
you will also be unable to take your own life. You may stay in this
bedchamber for the rest of the night. Setsuna has been given another
one."
The Queen started to leave, followed by her senshi. A few of
them stopped to regard him with looks of sympathy or anger. They had
already walked a short distance when they heard rapid footsteps behind
them. They stopped and turned to see Athan running at great speed
towards them. A few of them noticed that his exertions were having
interesting effects on his well developed new body. He quickly caught
up to them and bent down on his knees in front of Queen Serenity.
"Please, your highness, at least give me a chance to regain my
lost manhood!"
She looked at his pretty features for a few moments, then gave
him her decision. "Very well, Athan. If you were to somehow win back
the affections of all the Senshi that you have betrayed, I shall give
you back your former body."
Upon saying so, Queen Serenity and the senshi continued walking
and left him kneeling there. It was almost an hour later that he began
to stand wearily and make his way towards his own room. Setsuna's
bedchambers were nearer, but he did not want to see that room again for
as long as he lived. Upon reaching his room, he looked at his new form
in the mirror. He left this room a handsome, dark haired man and he
came back a stacked redhead. Still, it could have been worse. At least
his new form was gorgeous. Maybe he'd finally get some headway with
that sexy maid assigned to the east wing.
He slammed both fists onto his dresser. He couldn't give up.
There was still hope. All he had to do was get the senshi to fall in
love with him...
*****
"What happened after that?" Rei had never heard of a man who
could make _all_ of the senshi fall in love with him. This was turning
out to be quite an interesting story.
Artemis closed his eyes and thought for a few moments, then
a sweat drop appeared over his head. "I forgot what happened after he
spoke to Queen Serenity. How about you, Luna?"
"I can only remember bits and pieces, but I know that Athan
managed to earn the love of the senshi after many years of trying.
Setsuna was the last, if I remember correctly. The engagements were
never called off, so I guess they still stand."
Ami blushed, trying to hide her face by looking at the glossy
picture in her hands. It would have looked terribly cute to the others
if they had seen it, but they were all busy with their own thoughts.
Minako, in particular, was happier than she had ever been in her whole
life.
"But what does that have to do with me?" Usagi noticed that
Princess Serenity was never mentioned. She should have been relieved,
but she felt oddly jealous of the other senshi.
Luna replied once more. "Well, to make a long story short,
Athan changed. His experiences as a woman taught him to respect them
and treat them as equals. It wasn't too long before he managed to
win the love of most of senshi, and the princess too. He was engaged
to you on the same night Queen Serenity restored his manhood."
"That's so romantic."
Minako was _sure_ Ranma would fall in love with her now. After
all, they were engaged. The fact that the rest of the senshi were also
engaged to him conveniently slipped her mind. She was in the middle of
visualizing herself in a wedding dress when she was rudely interrupted
by the sound of Ami's voice.
"That doesn't make any sense. If we were all engaged to him,
why didn't we get married? Also, why would you remember this _now_ of
all times? Lastly, why do the rest of us have no memory of him?"
The two cats looked helplessly at each other. Luna answered,
since Artemis was too busy being confused to reply. "We're not sure,
Ami. Maybe if you spent more time with him, you'd remember more. I
don't know why we suddenly have these memories. We just have them,
that's it."
"Perhaps _I_ might be able to explain."
The occupants of the room all whirled towards the source of
the newcomer's voice. Makoto spoke first.
"Setsuna."
*****
Ranma slammed against the wall around the vacant lot for the
fifth time, and fell to the ground. He couldn't believe it, he had
lost! He, the great Ranma Saotome, had lost to none other than Ryoga!
He tensed his muscles, willing himself to his feet. However, although
the spirit was willing, the flesh was weak. All he managed was to get
on his hands and knees.
"Ranma not strong anymore, no good for Amazon tribe. Shampoo
go back to China now." Shampoo jumped down from her place on top of
the wall and bounded off into the distance.
"Wait, I'll get better! I'll get strong again, don't go!"
Ranma's pleas fell upon deaf ears, however, and soon Shampoo
could no longer be seen. He hung his head low, and barely heard when
another voice called out to him.
"Look at you, Ranma. You're all washed up! I can't believe
you'd get this way over that purple haired hussy! Our friendship is
finished! I don't want to have anything to do with a weakling like
you."
Ranma looked up and saw that Ukyo was standing over him, a sad
look of pity on her face.
"Please, Ukyo! Don't leave me!"
Ranma felt a sharp new pain on his face as Ukyo slapped him
on his left cheek. "Don't leave you? Don't leave you? You left me
first, you jackass! Well, now it's your turn. Let's see how _you_ like
being left alone in the world."
"You're such a loser, Ranma. Our engagement is _finished_!"
Ranma felt a sharp pain on the pit of his stomach at the sound
of that voice. His eyes hurt from the beating that he had received, but
he opened them anyway. He saw Akane, in the arms of his most hated
rival.
"You'll never be fit to inherit the dojo, Ranma. I might as
well just marry Ryoga here." Ryoga hugged Akane tighter against him,
and laughed at Ranma as he held her. Ranma opened his mouth to plead
with her to take him back, but he coughed up blood instead. Ryoga
grabbed him by his pig-tail and pulled on it painfully, raising his
head to they were face to face.
"You'll never beat me, Ranma. I'm stronger than you now, and
everyone will love _me_ instead of you. I'm ten times the man you are!
Oh, I forgot, you're not a man at all!"
At that, Ranma quickly looked down to confirm that his fears
were true. He was in his female form. He was looking at himself in
shock, wondering how he had transformed, when he was jolted by a splash
of scalding hot water.
"Hot enough for you, Ranma? Nothing can help a girl like you
now. Maybe you should go and marry Kuno!"
Ranma registered from the corner of his eye that Ryoga had
splashed him with hot water from a large kettle. However, his form did
not change. He was still female. He was gasping in shock when he felt
arms roughly lifting him and hands fondling his chest. He struggled
against his captor, but couldn't get away.
"Do not weep, my pig-tailed goddess. Come with me and we shall
live in marital bliss for the rest of our lives!"
Ranma screamed. He closed his eyes and screamed louder and
longer than he ever had in his entire life. He just kept screaming and
screaming as he felt the arms around him growing slack and finally
letting him go. Still, he continued screaming. He never stopped until
he heard the voice.
"Give yourself to us, Ranma. We will comfort you. As long as
you are with us, you will never be alone." He recognized the voice. It
belonged to the strange woman from his dream.
He felt two pairs of arms encircling him. Strangely enough,
he felt completely and utterly safe in those arms. One pair was holding
him close to a warm female body while the other was stroking his back
gently. He felt his fears disappear to be replaced by an incredible
sense of calm. It was as if all of his problems had somehow resolved
themselves and he never had to worry again.
He opened his eyes.
In front of him sat a young girl with violet hair. By Ranma's
best estimates, she was about twelve years old. She was the one who
was stroking his back for him. Her clothing was exactly the same as the
type worn by the woman from his previous dream. She had the same wings
from her head and the small of her back. She smiled at him, and he
found himself smiling back. He noticed that he was once again in his
male form.
"Isn't this nice, Ranma? Don't you feel good?"
Ranma could only smile and nod as he felt himself give in to
the soothing voice of the woman holding him. He leaned into her, and
savored the sensation of complete contentment.
"Do you want to feel this way forever, Ranma?"
He turned and looked into the eyes of the woman holding him.
She felt so nice against him. He nodded again.
"Then kiss me, Ranma. Kiss me and we shall be together forever.
You will never be alone, for we will be with you always."
Ranma smiled as he gazed into her eyes. She was always helping
him, and bringing him comfort. How could he refuse her? Slowly, he
tilted his head towards her. She smiled at him, and tilted her own
head towards him. They were so close...
*****
"Ranma, wake up! Please, Ranma, say something!"
Ranma felt himself being shook violently. His head was banging
painfully against the pillow and there was an awful tasting substance
in his mouth. He slowly opened his eyes and beheld the worried face of
Akane Tendo. Upon seeing that he was awake, she hugged him tightly
against herself. This made breathing very difficult.
"Oh Ranma, I thought you were never going to wake up. I'm so
happy to see you!"
Akane continued hugging him for a few more seconds before she
noticed her position and jerked away from him. She turned her face
away from him, blushing furiously. After regaining his breath, Ranma
looked around and saw that he was in his room. Kasumi was also in the
room, and she walked towards him to offer him a drink of water. He
gladly accepted.
Kasumi smiled at him as he gulped the glass of water down in
an attempt to get rid of the awful taste in his mouth. He must have
been out for some time, since they had gone to so much trouble to take
care of him. Akane's cooking had knocked him out before, but he always
recovered quickly. It must have been that weird dream that kept him
sleeping. He didn't recognize either of the strange girls that visited
him, but they felt familiar to him. He decided not to tell anyone about
the dreams, they'd probably just think he was being perverted anyway.
He looked at his alarm clock, and saw that it was already three
in the afternoon. He was late for his meeting with Hotaru! Grabbing the
scroll from his pack, he took off at a run.
"Ranma, where are you going? Come back!"
Akane's pleas went unanswered as Ranma rushed outside. She
tried to follow him, but he was too fast. He was already gone by the
time she got out the door.
"Ranma you jerk!" She shouted angrily and hit the wall beside
her, nearly punching a hole through it. She ran to her room, closing
her eyes as the door slammed shut behind her. A lone tear fell across
her cheek, which she quickly wiped away.
*****
'Huh, what was that?'
Ranma could have sworn he heard someone shouting at him as he
left the Tendos. He was moving too fast to notice what was being said,
however, and he decided to find out when he got back. Right now, he
had to get to Juuban. He left from rooftop to rooftop, using the most
direct route he could think of. Hotaru was one of the few friends he
had, and he hoped she wouldn't get angry with him for being a little
late.
*****
"He's late."
Hotaru sat on the park bench and continued to wait. She was
getting really worried. She began to think that she should never have
kissed Ranma the night before. Ranma was one of the few friends she
had, and she hoped he wouldn't get angry with her for being a little
too forward.
*****
"So basically what you're saying is that Ranma was never in the
Silver Millenium. He was put there by this 'Urd' person you've been
telling us about, who was also responsible for arranging your marriage
to Ranma to begin with."
Setsuna thanked the Gods that Ami was a senshi. She could
always count on the young blue haired girl to grasp her explanations
on the first try.
"That is correct, Ami. Whoever Urd is, she was powerful enough
to change history and put Ranma into the past."
Artemis and Luna glared daggers at Setsuna. It didn't set well
with them to have someone telling them that their memories of the past
were all a lie. "That's impossible, Setsuna. You know as well as I that
Athan existed and that the engagements to him have stood for thousands
of years."
Setsuna shook her head sadly. "That may be true, but Athan
hasn't existed and the engagements haven't stood for thousands of years
until a short while ago."
The inners regarded Setsuna with confused looks. They all
started asking questions at the same time.
Makoto was first. "I don't understand. Did Athan exist or
didn't he?"
Minako came next. "We can still get married, right?"
Usagi managed to go third. "Am I supposed to marry Ranma now?
I thought I was supposed to marry Mamo-chan?"
Ami was last. "What'll happen to Crystal Tokyo?"
Setsuna raised her open hand, silencing Rei. "One at a time,
please. Athan existed, but he wasn't supposed to. I suppose you could
marry him if you still want to after what I'm about to say. Usagi
can marry whoever she chooses now, since Crystal Tokyo no longer seems
dependent on her marrying Endymion. Crystal Tokyo appears in roughly
forty percent of the timelines, and only fifteen percent of those
timelines have Usagi married to Endymion. Any other questions?"
Rei raised her hand.
Setsuna turned to her. "Yes, what is it?"
Rei smiled sheepishly. "You remember Silver Millenium pretty
clearly, right? What was Athan like back then? Tell us about him."
Setsuna's eyes slightly glazed over as she began speaking about
her fiance. "He was quite vain and conceited when I first met him. He
changed after getting his punishment, though. He became a lot easier to
deal with and his words of love became a lot more sincere. Oh, and when
he gazed at you with those beautiful eyes..."
*****
"I don't see why I have to wear this dress. It's the last thing
I'd want to wear." Haruka gestured to the bright yellow sun dress she
was wearing as she complained to Michiru.
"That's why it'd make a good disguise, Haruka. Hotaru would
never recognize us when were dressed like this." Michiru adjusted the
blue baseball cap she was wearing and smiled back at a young man who
couldn't keep his eyes off her as he walked past the bench they were
sitting on. She supposed it was either the halter top she was wearing
or the tight jeans.
"Well, my disguise is awful. It makes my breasts look big and
everyone is looking up my skirt." Haruka glared at another young man
who dared to smile at her. She couldn't understand how Michiru could
stand the lecherous looks men gave her.
"Haruka, your breasts _are_ big and no one is looking up your
skirt. Don't worry, I think you look very cute in it." Michiru never
stopped gazing at the general area where Hotaru sat waiting for her
date. It seemed that the guy was going to be late. If that guy had
stood Hotaru up, she would make him pay.
"Really? You think it looks cute on me? Do you suppose I should
wear these kinds of things more- what?" Haruka stopped and craned her
neck towards where an attractive young man wearing chinese clothes and
a pig-tail ran towards Hotaru.
"Hey, it's him!"
*****
Rei never thought she would live to see the day when Setsuna
would swoon at the thought of a guy. However, sure enough, it was
happening right before her very eyes. She had learned to expect the
unexpected from the older senshi, but this caught her completely off
guard.
"Setsuna, are you alright?"
Setsuna stopped and her face showed a confused expression for
a few seconds before she stiffened and went back to her former mask
of aloofness. She cleared her throat loudly and smoothed over a few
imaginary wrinkles in her skirt before speaking again.
"This is another thing that I came to warn you about. The
changes may have been made to our past selves, but they are a part of
us now. I am able to notice the changes because of my time powers,
but I cannot fight them."
"Are you saying that we aren't ourselves anymore?" Makoto
didn't like this. If she couldn't even trust herself, who _could_ she
trust?
Setsuna shook her head. "You are still yourselves, but your
perceptions and emotions regarding everything related to Ranma have
been clouded by your past contact with Athan. You've just discovered
that you are engaged to a man you hardly know, yet you don't feel at
all troubled by it. Does that not strike you as strange?"
Usagi nodded her head slowly. Now that she thought about it,
she _had_ been pretty quick to accept the idea of being married to
Ranma. A few days ago, she would have done everything in her power to
protect her relationship with Mamoru. Now, however, her memories of
him invoked no more emotion. It was as if her relationship with him
had become a mere historical fact. Her thoughts were interrupted when
Setsuna continued speaking.
"This is why I've chosen to speak to _you_ about these matters.
Haruka and Michiru haven't been exposed to Ranma yet, so they are still
unaffected by the change. You, however, have already seen him. You must
find a way to bring things back to the way they once were. First, you
must find Ranma and inform him of what I have told you. His status as
our fiance may attract the attention of a number of powerful beings."
Setsuna was just about to leave when Ami asked her an important
question, one that she'd wanted to avoid answering.
"Can't you help us, Setsuna? I'm sure that you would be able
to find Ranma a lot faster than any of us could."
Setsuna sighed and answered her. "I am afraid that the same
powers that allow me to recognize the changes also make me more
sensitive to them, so I cannot help you with this. I simply cannot
trust myself to do the right thing if I was to come into close
contact with him again."
Even now, it is all I can do to keep myself from teleporting
to his side, abducting him, ripping off his clothes, tying him spread
eagle to my bed, and ravishing him for a few thousand years."
Sweat drops grew on the back of the inners' heads before Minako
found her voice again. "Um... right. Thanks Setsuna. That sure was...
um... detailed."
Suddenly, Ami's computer began beeping loudly. The senshi
all turned their attention to it as Ami pressed a few keys and looked
at the screen. She read the information several times over before
looking at them with an unreadable expression.
"Ranma's here, in Juuban."
They all looked towards where Setsuna was standing a few
moments ago, but she was already gone. Usagi took charge of the
situation by drawing upon her experience as the leader of the group to
find just the right words that would spur her friends into action.
"Maybe we should go find him now."
Within seconds, they were outside and on their way to the park,
where the computer had indicated that Ranma was probably headed.
*****
Mousse finished tucking the last of his personal possessions
into the folds of his robe. The small attic that served as his room
above the Nekohanten was once again empty. It had finally dawned upon
him that while Ranma had constantly been learning new techniques, he
had hardly improved since he arrived in Nerima. He had decided to go
on a training journey, and there was nothing anyone could possibly say
to make him stay. He made his way to the kitchen, and saw that the old
ghoul was there along with his beloved Shampoo. He hated to leave her
like this, but he had no choice. He had to do this for the sake of
their love for each other.
"I'm going on a training journey, and there's nothing you can
possibly say to make me stay!"
Shampoo immediately stopped in her tracks, the orders on her
tray forgotten for the moment. "You is kidding, right?"
"This is no joke, my love. I must train to defeat Ranma and
claim you as my bride. I must become stronger so that when I return,
I shall be invincible!" He adjusted the glasses perched upon his nose,
and took one last look at the curtain he mistook for Shampoo. He was
just about to leave when Shampoo unexpectedly spoke to him.
"Go now, Mousse. Shampoo stay here, praying." So saying, Shampoo
walked past him towards the dining area, where she continued serving
the customers. As he stared dumbfounded at her, he felt a tap on his
right shoulder and turned to see that it was Cologne.
"You heard my great granddaughter. Leave now, Mousse. Do not
come back until you are strong enough to defeat Ranma." After speaking,
Cologne went back to cooking ramen.
Mousse was out of the Nekohanten and racing through the streets
leading out of Nerima in less than a minute. He had never expected them
to be so supportive of him! He had always thought that Cologne and his
beloved Shampoo thought of him as little more than a slave to cater to
their every whim. To find out that they wanted him to train so he could
defeat Ranma...
'I will not let either of you down. I swear, I shall not stop
training until I am absolutely sure that I can defeat Ranma!'
Back at the Nekohanten, Shampoo and Cologne were discussing his
sudden departure.
"Mousse being silly. He never be able to beat Ranma. Mousse not
even half the man Airen is." Shampoo chuckled at the thought of Mousse
challenging Ranma and winning. It seemed so impossible, so wrong.
"Can you imagine that dumb oaf actually training? He'll never
improve. His skills are much too dependent on his weapons, and weapons
can only take you so far. His strength has already peaked a long time
ago. He'll never be back." Cologne joined Shampoo's laughter with her
own.
Shampoo looked spared him one last thought before putting him
out of her mind completely and continuing with her day as if nothing
had happened.
"Shampoo pray that you die a horrible, painful death on a
training accident."
*****
* Athan is a name of Greek origin meaning 'immortal'
*****
Author's notes:
Well, the plot thickens. What'll become of our beloved cast?
Stay tuned to find out! I would like to thank Ash, Seaver, Chester, Vex,
and James Merrit for all of the help they've given me in this chapter.
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters.
own any of the characters used therein and that I make no profit from
writing the following material. Treat this as you would those.
Warning: None of the other warnings made sense, why should this one?
Warning: Altaverse (Keichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is
all messed up.)
"words"
'thoughts'
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 5
by Jose Argao
"Let me see that photo of Ranma again, Ami."
Ami wordlessly placed a glossy printout in front of Luna. It
featured Ranma smiling at them shortly after they encountered him in
Nerima. She didn't normally print pictures using glossy paper, but she
planned to frame this particular picture and keep it in her room.
Luna looked at it closely, and nodded towards Artemis. "So,
what do you think?"
Artemis stopped staring at the printout and raised his head.
His feline features took on a thoughtful look before replying. "That's
him alright."
"What are you talking about? Have you met him before?" Makoto
asked impatiently.
The two cats turned to the confused faces of their companions
and sighed. Luna took a deep breath before answering. "Do you have any
recollection of a man named Athan*?"
The girls looked thoughtful for a few moments before Minako
replied first. "The name sounds familiar, but I don't think I know any
guys named Athan, do you?"
The others all shook their heads in unison and turned back
towards the two cats. "That was Ranma's name, back when he lived in
the Silver Millenium."
Immediately, Minako bounced upright and started dancing giddily
in circles. "Yes! I knew it! He really _was_ my husband back in the
Silver Millenium! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I'd better go find
him, so we can pick up where we left off!"
The other occupants of the room grew large sweat drops as they
watched her dance for a few more seconds before sighing contentedly and
going back to her seat. Luna cleared her throat loudly, turning the
attention back towards herself. "Well... um... not exactly."
The girls' eyes opened wide with the realization of what Luna
had said. She hadn't outright denied Minako's words, and that could
mean any number of things. Makoto picked Luna up with both hands and
shook her violently.
"What do you mean by 'not exactly'? Was he her boyfriend or
something?"
Luna flailed helplessly in her grasp, trying desperately to
inform the excited senshi of Jupiter that she couldn't breath. It was
Artemis who saved her by answering the question.
"Athan used to be Minako's fiance. You were all his fiancees,
actually. Michiru and the others too."
Luna fell to the ground on her feet as Makoto relinquished her
hold on the gasping black cat, her fingers trembling. Rei froze in her
seat, her eyes locked onto Artemis. Minako silently pondered how she
would prove to Ranma that she was the best catch. Ami slowly sat down,
trying hard to keep from hyperventilating. Usagi turned Luna, who had
recovered her breath by now.
"We were _all_ his fiances? What was he, the prince of the
solar system? What about Mamo-chan?"
Luna sighed. "Actually, Athan was just a common palace guard.
As for Endymion, they... didn't get along very well."
The small feline found herself unable to continue as Rei
interrupted her. "How can the senshi all be engaged one man?"
Artemis chose to answer this question himself. "Things were
different back then. It wasn't too unusual for men to take multiple
wives or for women to have more than one husband."
Usagi wasn't done with her questions yet, however. "How can
that happen?"
Artemis breathed deeply. "Well, it all started when..."
*****
Athan crept quietly along the hallways, carefully avoiding the
night guards as they made their rounds. He was in high spirits. After
weeks of effort, Pluto had finally succumbed to his charms. She had
asked him to go to her room tonight at midnight. He smirked to himself
as he remembered that after Pluto, Saturn would be the only senshi left
who hasn't experienced his touch.
When he had first been transferred to the moon, he had feared
that his old lifestyle of breaking young women's hearts would abruptly
end. Fortunately, this was not the case. The women in this castle
proved to be no match for his sugary words and his good looks. In fact,
they were even more receptive to them than any of his old lovers back
on earth had been.
"Halt! Who goes there?"
Athan quickly leapt towards the ceiling and clung to it as the
guard ran over to where he had been. The guard stayed there for a few
seconds before walking away, muttering about seeing things in the dark.
Using his martial arts skills to fall to the floor without a sound, he
ran towards another hallway while cursing himself for his carelessness.
A few minutes later, he had reached his destination.
Carefully opening the doorway to Setsuna's bedroom, he eased
his way into it and softly called out to her. "Set-chan, I've come for
you."
"And we have come for _you_."
Suddenly, the whole room was bathed in light and he found
himself looking at Queen Serenity herself, flanked by her senshi. He
felt beads of sweat forming at the back of his neck. They didn't look
happy to see him at all. Of course, that was understandable given the
circumstances surrounding their meeting. He was especially nervous of
young Sailor Saturn, who's powers were rumored to be strong enough to
destroy a whole planet. He hoped she wasn't _too_ angry with him. He
watched her as she gripped the Silence Glaive in her right hand.
Athan smiled nervously at the Queen of the Moon Kingdom. "I can
explain, it's not what it-"
"Silence! You are not to speak until given permission, am I
understood?"
He immediately fell silent. Queen Serenity continued speaking
in a normal voice.
"You are charged with seducing the senshi of Mercury, Venus,
Mars, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune as well as attempting to seduce the
senshi of Pluto. How do you plead?"
Athan took this to be permission to speak. "With all due
respect, your highness, we do not have laws against seduction."
The Queen smiled at him. "We do _now_, Athan."
Athan didn't like this. She was calling him by his first name.
That meant she'd been onto him for a while. Oh well, no use lying about
it now. "Um... guilty?"
The Queen's smile never left her face. Despite himself, Athan
found himself admiring Queen Serenity's beauty. She remained silent for
a few moments longer before speaking once more.
"I have gone over your case, Athan. Your home planet is earth,
and you were transferred here roughly four months ago. Your performance
record is exemplary, and you have received eighteen commendations for
bravery. You have proven yourself to be honest by answering truthfully
to the charges against you. I have taken these facts into consideration
while deciding on your sentence. Come forward, Athan, and receive your
punishment."
Athan walked forward, hoping that the Queen would be lenient.
Queen Serenity began speaking as soon as he was standing right
in front of her. "I have determined that your problem lies in your lack
of respect for women. You have toyed with their hearts and feelings for
all of your life because you think that they are somewhat beneath you.
I hereby sentence you to live the rest of your life as a female."
Athan's eyes grew wide and a loud scream escaped his mouth as
his body became enveloped in a bright light. He felt his body begin to
change. It felt as if he was being stretched and compressed at the same
time, like he was a lump of clay being molded. Finally, the light began
to dissipate and he fell to his knees, gasping for breath. He had no
need to check himself, for he felt the changes as they happened. He was
now a woman. Hot tears fell one by one from his eyes to the floor.
"Please, just kill me now."
The Queen placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I cannot
do that, Athan, for it would negate your punishment. You will find that
you will also be unable to take your own life. You may stay in this
bedchamber for the rest of the night. Setsuna has been given another
one."
The Queen started to leave, followed by her senshi. A few of
them stopped to regard him with looks of sympathy or anger. They had
already walked a short distance when they heard rapid footsteps behind
them. They stopped and turned to see Athan running at great speed
towards them. A few of them noticed that his exertions were having
interesting effects on his well developed new body. He quickly caught
up to them and bent down on his knees in front of Queen Serenity.
"Please, your highness, at least give me a chance to regain my
lost manhood!"
She looked at his pretty features for a few moments, then gave
him her decision. "Very well, Athan. If you were to somehow win back
the affections of all the Senshi that you have betrayed, I shall give
you back your former body."
Upon saying so, Queen Serenity and the senshi continued walking
and left him kneeling there. It was almost an hour later that he began
to stand wearily and make his way towards his own room. Setsuna's
bedchambers were nearer, but he did not want to see that room again for
as long as he lived. Upon reaching his room, he looked at his new form
in the mirror. He left this room a handsome, dark haired man and he
came back a stacked redhead. Still, it could have been worse. At least
his new form was gorgeous. Maybe he'd finally get some headway with
that sexy maid assigned to the east wing.
He slammed both fists onto his dresser. He couldn't give up.
There was still hope. All he had to do was get the senshi to fall in
love with him...
*****
"What happened after that?" Rei had never heard of a man who
could make _all_ of the senshi fall in love with him. This was turning
out to be quite an interesting story.
Artemis closed his eyes and thought for a few moments, then
a sweat drop appeared over his head. "I forgot what happened after he
spoke to Queen Serenity. How about you, Luna?"
"I can only remember bits and pieces, but I know that Athan
managed to earn the love of the senshi after many years of trying.
Setsuna was the last, if I remember correctly. The engagements were
never called off, so I guess they still stand."
Ami blushed, trying to hide her face by looking at the glossy
picture in her hands. It would have looked terribly cute to the others
if they had seen it, but they were all busy with their own thoughts.
Minako, in particular, was happier than she had ever been in her whole
life.
"But what does that have to do with me?" Usagi noticed that
Princess Serenity was never mentioned. She should have been relieved,
but she felt oddly jealous of the other senshi.
Luna replied once more. "Well, to make a long story short,
Athan changed. His experiences as a woman taught him to respect them
and treat them as equals. It wasn't too long before he managed to
win the love of most of senshi, and the princess too. He was engaged
to you on the same night Queen Serenity restored his manhood."
"That's so romantic."
Minako was _sure_ Ranma would fall in love with her now. After
all, they were engaged. The fact that the rest of the senshi were also
engaged to him conveniently slipped her mind. She was in the middle of
visualizing herself in a wedding dress when she was rudely interrupted
by the sound of Ami's voice.
"That doesn't make any sense. If we were all engaged to him,
why didn't we get married? Also, why would you remember this _now_ of
all times? Lastly, why do the rest of us have no memory of him?"
The two cats looked helplessly at each other. Luna answered,
since Artemis was too busy being confused to reply. "We're not sure,
Ami. Maybe if you spent more time with him, you'd remember more. I
don't know why we suddenly have these memories. We just have them,
that's it."
"Perhaps _I_ might be able to explain."
The occupants of the room all whirled towards the source of
the newcomer's voice. Makoto spoke first.
"Setsuna."
*****
Ranma slammed against the wall around the vacant lot for the
fifth time, and fell to the ground. He couldn't believe it, he had
lost! He, the great Ranma Saotome, had lost to none other than Ryoga!
He tensed his muscles, willing himself to his feet. However, although
the spirit was willing, the flesh was weak. All he managed was to get
on his hands and knees.
"Ranma not strong anymore, no good for Amazon tribe. Shampoo
go back to China now." Shampoo jumped down from her place on top of
the wall and bounded off into the distance.
"Wait, I'll get better! I'll get strong again, don't go!"
Ranma's pleas fell upon deaf ears, however, and soon Shampoo
could no longer be seen. He hung his head low, and barely heard when
another voice called out to him.
"Look at you, Ranma. You're all washed up! I can't believe
you'd get this way over that purple haired hussy! Our friendship is
finished! I don't want to have anything to do with a weakling like
you."
Ranma looked up and saw that Ukyo was standing over him, a sad
look of pity on her face.
"Please, Ukyo! Don't leave me!"
Ranma felt a sharp new pain on his face as Ukyo slapped him
on his left cheek. "Don't leave you? Don't leave you? You left me
first, you jackass! Well, now it's your turn. Let's see how _you_ like
being left alone in the world."
"You're such a loser, Ranma. Our engagement is _finished_!"
Ranma felt a sharp pain on the pit of his stomach at the sound
of that voice. His eyes hurt from the beating that he had received, but
he opened them anyway. He saw Akane, in the arms of his most hated
rival.
"You'll never be fit to inherit the dojo, Ranma. I might as
well just marry Ryoga here." Ryoga hugged Akane tighter against him,
and laughed at Ranma as he held her. Ranma opened his mouth to plead
with her to take him back, but he coughed up blood instead. Ryoga
grabbed him by his pig-tail and pulled on it painfully, raising his
head to they were face to face.
"You'll never beat me, Ranma. I'm stronger than you now, and
everyone will love _me_ instead of you. I'm ten times the man you are!
Oh, I forgot, you're not a man at all!"
At that, Ranma quickly looked down to confirm that his fears
were true. He was in his female form. He was looking at himself in
shock, wondering how he had transformed, when he was jolted by a splash
of scalding hot water.
"Hot enough for you, Ranma? Nothing can help a girl like you
now. Maybe you should go and marry Kuno!"
Ranma registered from the corner of his eye that Ryoga had
splashed him with hot water from a large kettle. However, his form did
not change. He was still female. He was gasping in shock when he felt
arms roughly lifting him and hands fondling his chest. He struggled
against his captor, but couldn't get away.
"Do not weep, my pig-tailed goddess. Come with me and we shall
live in marital bliss for the rest of our lives!"
Ranma screamed. He closed his eyes and screamed louder and
longer than he ever had in his entire life. He just kept screaming and
screaming as he felt the arms around him growing slack and finally
letting him go. Still, he continued screaming. He never stopped until
he heard the voice.
"Give yourself to us, Ranma. We will comfort you. As long as
you are with us, you will never be alone." He recognized the voice. It
belonged to the strange woman from his dream.
He felt two pairs of arms encircling him. Strangely enough,
he felt completely and utterly safe in those arms. One pair was holding
him close to a warm female body while the other was stroking his back
gently. He felt his fears disappear to be replaced by an incredible
sense of calm. It was as if all of his problems had somehow resolved
themselves and he never had to worry again.
He opened his eyes.
In front of him sat a young girl with violet hair. By Ranma's
best estimates, she was about twelve years old. She was the one who
was stroking his back for him. Her clothing was exactly the same as the
type worn by the woman from his previous dream. She had the same wings
from her head and the small of her back. She smiled at him, and he
found himself smiling back. He noticed that he was once again in his
male form.
"Isn't this nice, Ranma? Don't you feel good?"
Ranma could only smile and nod as he felt himself give in to
the soothing voice of the woman holding him. He leaned into her, and
savored the sensation of complete contentment.
"Do you want to feel this way forever, Ranma?"
He turned and looked into the eyes of the woman holding him.
She felt so nice against him. He nodded again.
"Then kiss me, Ranma. Kiss me and we shall be together forever.
You will never be alone, for we will be with you always."
Ranma smiled as he gazed into her eyes. She was always helping
him, and bringing him comfort. How could he refuse her? Slowly, he
tilted his head towards her. She smiled at him, and tilted her own
head towards him. They were so close...
*****
"Ranma, wake up! Please, Ranma, say something!"
Ranma felt himself being shook violently. His head was banging
painfully against the pillow and there was an awful tasting substance
in his mouth. He slowly opened his eyes and beheld the worried face of
Akane Tendo. Upon seeing that he was awake, she hugged him tightly
against herself. This made breathing very difficult.
"Oh Ranma, I thought you were never going to wake up. I'm so
happy to see you!"
Akane continued hugging him for a few more seconds before she
noticed her position and jerked away from him. She turned her face
away from him, blushing furiously. After regaining his breath, Ranma
looked around and saw that he was in his room. Kasumi was also in the
room, and she walked towards him to offer him a drink of water. He
gladly accepted.
Kasumi smiled at him as he gulped the glass of water down in
an attempt to get rid of the awful taste in his mouth. He must have
been out for some time, since they had gone to so much trouble to take
care of him. Akane's cooking had knocked him out before, but he always
recovered quickly. It must have been that weird dream that kept him
sleeping. He didn't recognize either of the strange girls that visited
him, but they felt familiar to him. He decided not to tell anyone about
the dreams, they'd probably just think he was being perverted anyway.
He looked at his alarm clock, and saw that it was already three
in the afternoon. He was late for his meeting with Hotaru! Grabbing the
scroll from his pack, he took off at a run.
"Ranma, where are you going? Come back!"
Akane's pleas went unanswered as Ranma rushed outside. She
tried to follow him, but he was too fast. He was already gone by the
time she got out the door.
"Ranma you jerk!" She shouted angrily and hit the wall beside
her, nearly punching a hole through it. She ran to her room, closing
her eyes as the door slammed shut behind her. A lone tear fell across
her cheek, which she quickly wiped away.
*****
'Huh, what was that?'
Ranma could have sworn he heard someone shouting at him as he
left the Tendos. He was moving too fast to notice what was being said,
however, and he decided to find out when he got back. Right now, he
had to get to Juuban. He left from rooftop to rooftop, using the most
direct route he could think of. Hotaru was one of the few friends he
had, and he hoped she wouldn't get angry with him for being a little
late.
*****
"He's late."
Hotaru sat on the park bench and continued to wait. She was
getting really worried. She began to think that she should never have
kissed Ranma the night before. Ranma was one of the few friends she
had, and she hoped he wouldn't get angry with her for being a little
too forward.
*****
"So basically what you're saying is that Ranma was never in the
Silver Millenium. He was put there by this 'Urd' person you've been
telling us about, who was also responsible for arranging your marriage
to Ranma to begin with."
Setsuna thanked the Gods that Ami was a senshi. She could
always count on the young blue haired girl to grasp her explanations
on the first try.
"That is correct, Ami. Whoever Urd is, she was powerful enough
to change history and put Ranma into the past."
Artemis and Luna glared daggers at Setsuna. It didn't set well
with them to have someone telling them that their memories of the past
were all a lie. "That's impossible, Setsuna. You know as well as I that
Athan existed and that the engagements to him have stood for thousands
of years."
Setsuna shook her head sadly. "That may be true, but Athan
hasn't existed and the engagements haven't stood for thousands of years
until a short while ago."
The inners regarded Setsuna with confused looks. They all
started asking questions at the same time.
Makoto was first. "I don't understand. Did Athan exist or
didn't he?"
Minako came next. "We can still get married, right?"
Usagi managed to go third. "Am I supposed to marry Ranma now?
I thought I was supposed to marry Mamo-chan?"
Ami was last. "What'll happen to Crystal Tokyo?"
Setsuna raised her open hand, silencing Rei. "One at a time,
please. Athan existed, but he wasn't supposed to. I suppose you could
marry him if you still want to after what I'm about to say. Usagi
can marry whoever she chooses now, since Crystal Tokyo no longer seems
dependent on her marrying Endymion. Crystal Tokyo appears in roughly
forty percent of the timelines, and only fifteen percent of those
timelines have Usagi married to Endymion. Any other questions?"
Rei raised her hand.
Setsuna turned to her. "Yes, what is it?"
Rei smiled sheepishly. "You remember Silver Millenium pretty
clearly, right? What was Athan like back then? Tell us about him."
Setsuna's eyes slightly glazed over as she began speaking about
her fiance. "He was quite vain and conceited when I first met him. He
changed after getting his punishment, though. He became a lot easier to
deal with and his words of love became a lot more sincere. Oh, and when
he gazed at you with those beautiful eyes..."
*****
"I don't see why I have to wear this dress. It's the last thing
I'd want to wear." Haruka gestured to the bright yellow sun dress she
was wearing as she complained to Michiru.
"That's why it'd make a good disguise, Haruka. Hotaru would
never recognize us when were dressed like this." Michiru adjusted the
blue baseball cap she was wearing and smiled back at a young man who
couldn't keep his eyes off her as he walked past the bench they were
sitting on. She supposed it was either the halter top she was wearing
or the tight jeans.
"Well, my disguise is awful. It makes my breasts look big and
everyone is looking up my skirt." Haruka glared at another young man
who dared to smile at her. She couldn't understand how Michiru could
stand the lecherous looks men gave her.
"Haruka, your breasts _are_ big and no one is looking up your
skirt. Don't worry, I think you look very cute in it." Michiru never
stopped gazing at the general area where Hotaru sat waiting for her
date. It seemed that the guy was going to be late. If that guy had
stood Hotaru up, she would make him pay.
"Really? You think it looks cute on me? Do you suppose I should
wear these kinds of things more- what?" Haruka stopped and craned her
neck towards where an attractive young man wearing chinese clothes and
a pig-tail ran towards Hotaru.
"Hey, it's him!"
*****
Rei never thought she would live to see the day when Setsuna
would swoon at the thought of a guy. However, sure enough, it was
happening right before her very eyes. She had learned to expect the
unexpected from the older senshi, but this caught her completely off
guard.
"Setsuna, are you alright?"
Setsuna stopped and her face showed a confused expression for
a few seconds before she stiffened and went back to her former mask
of aloofness. She cleared her throat loudly and smoothed over a few
imaginary wrinkles in her skirt before speaking again.
"This is another thing that I came to warn you about. The
changes may have been made to our past selves, but they are a part of
us now. I am able to notice the changes because of my time powers,
but I cannot fight them."
"Are you saying that we aren't ourselves anymore?" Makoto
didn't like this. If she couldn't even trust herself, who _could_ she
trust?
Setsuna shook her head. "You are still yourselves, but your
perceptions and emotions regarding everything related to Ranma have
been clouded by your past contact with Athan. You've just discovered
that you are engaged to a man you hardly know, yet you don't feel at
all troubled by it. Does that not strike you as strange?"
Usagi nodded her head slowly. Now that she thought about it,
she _had_ been pretty quick to accept the idea of being married to
Ranma. A few days ago, she would have done everything in her power to
protect her relationship with Mamoru. Now, however, her memories of
him invoked no more emotion. It was as if her relationship with him
had become a mere historical fact. Her thoughts were interrupted when
Setsuna continued speaking.
"This is why I've chosen to speak to _you_ about these matters.
Haruka and Michiru haven't been exposed to Ranma yet, so they are still
unaffected by the change. You, however, have already seen him. You must
find a way to bring things back to the way they once were. First, you
must find Ranma and inform him of what I have told you. His status as
our fiance may attract the attention of a number of powerful beings."
Setsuna was just about to leave when Ami asked her an important
question, one that she'd wanted to avoid answering.
"Can't you help us, Setsuna? I'm sure that you would be able
to find Ranma a lot faster than any of us could."
Setsuna sighed and answered her. "I am afraid that the same
powers that allow me to recognize the changes also make me more
sensitive to them, so I cannot help you with this. I simply cannot
trust myself to do the right thing if I was to come into close
contact with him again."
Even now, it is all I can do to keep myself from teleporting
to his side, abducting him, ripping off his clothes, tying him spread
eagle to my bed, and ravishing him for a few thousand years."
Sweat drops grew on the back of the inners' heads before Minako
found her voice again. "Um... right. Thanks Setsuna. That sure was...
um... detailed."
Suddenly, Ami's computer began beeping loudly. The senshi
all turned their attention to it as Ami pressed a few keys and looked
at the screen. She read the information several times over before
looking at them with an unreadable expression.
"Ranma's here, in Juuban."
They all looked towards where Setsuna was standing a few
moments ago, but she was already gone. Usagi took charge of the
situation by drawing upon her experience as the leader of the group to
find just the right words that would spur her friends into action.
"Maybe we should go find him now."
Within seconds, they were outside and on their way to the park,
where the computer had indicated that Ranma was probably headed.
*****
Mousse finished tucking the last of his personal possessions
into the folds of his robe. The small attic that served as his room
above the Nekohanten was once again empty. It had finally dawned upon
him that while Ranma had constantly been learning new techniques, he
had hardly improved since he arrived in Nerima. He had decided to go
on a training journey, and there was nothing anyone could possibly say
to make him stay. He made his way to the kitchen, and saw that the old
ghoul was there along with his beloved Shampoo. He hated to leave her
like this, but he had no choice. He had to do this for the sake of
their love for each other.
"I'm going on a training journey, and there's nothing you can
possibly say to make me stay!"
Shampoo immediately stopped in her tracks, the orders on her
tray forgotten for the moment. "You is kidding, right?"
"This is no joke, my love. I must train to defeat Ranma and
claim you as my bride. I must become stronger so that when I return,
I shall be invincible!" He adjusted the glasses perched upon his nose,
and took one last look at the curtain he mistook for Shampoo. He was
just about to leave when Shampoo unexpectedly spoke to him.
"Go now, Mousse. Shampoo stay here, praying." So saying, Shampoo
walked past him towards the dining area, where she continued serving
the customers. As he stared dumbfounded at her, he felt a tap on his
right shoulder and turned to see that it was Cologne.
"You heard my great granddaughter. Leave now, Mousse. Do not
come back until you are strong enough to defeat Ranma." After speaking,
Cologne went back to cooking ramen.
Mousse was out of the Nekohanten and racing through the streets
leading out of Nerima in less than a minute. He had never expected them
to be so supportive of him! He had always thought that Cologne and his
beloved Shampoo thought of him as little more than a slave to cater to
their every whim. To find out that they wanted him to train so he could
defeat Ranma...
'I will not let either of you down. I swear, I shall not stop
training until I am absolutely sure that I can defeat Ranma!'
Back at the Nekohanten, Shampoo and Cologne were discussing his
sudden departure.
"Mousse being silly. He never be able to beat Ranma. Mousse not
even half the man Airen is." Shampoo chuckled at the thought of Mousse
challenging Ranma and winning. It seemed so impossible, so wrong.
"Can you imagine that dumb oaf actually training? He'll never
improve. His skills are much too dependent on his weapons, and weapons
can only take you so far. His strength has already peaked a long time
ago. He'll never be back." Cologne joined Shampoo's laughter with her
own.
Shampoo looked spared him one last thought before putting him
out of her mind completely and continuing with her day as if nothing
had happened.
"Shampoo pray that you die a horrible, painful death on a
training accident."
*****
* Athan is a name of Greek origin meaning 'immortal'
*****
Author's notes:
Well, the plot thickens. What'll become of our beloved cast?
Stay tuned to find out! I would like to thank Ash, Seaver, Chester, Vex,
and James Merrit for all of the help they've given me in this chapter.
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters.