Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is the property of Naoko Takeuchi, Koudansha,
TV Asahi, Toei Douga and DIC.
Ranma 1/2 is the property of Rumiko Takahashi, and Viz video.
Oh! My Goddess (A.K.A. Ah! Megami-sama) is the property of Fujishima
Kosuke.
The above disclaimer is dedicated to Mr. Brian Randall.
Warning: If you find yourself with both legs broken, don't try walking
it off.
Warning: Altaverse (Keichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is
all messed up.)
"words"
'thoughts'
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 7
by Jose Argao
Silence ruled the park exit for half a minute in the wake of
Hotaru's declaration. Ranma found himself speechless, his mouth hanging
open as he wondered if he had heard her correctly. His expression was
mirrored in the faces of the inners, who were trying to make sense of
the situation.
Hotaru blushed bright red, realizing what it was that she had
just said. She couldn't figure out why she had said it, and now she
was frantically thinking of a way out of the embarrassing situation she
had put herself in.
"You know, he's a boy and he's my friend!"
The group collectively heaved a sigh of relief, each for a
different reason. Hotaru finally allowed herself to relax, thankful for
her quick thinking. That was close!
"That's wonderful, Hotaru-chan. What were you two doing here
anyway?"
As she asked her question, Usagi sidled over to Ranma's free
arm and grabbed hold of it, much to Minako's irritation. She had been
surreptitiously moving closer to that position since Hotaru cleared
things up about her statement and she didn't particularly relish being
beaten to it. She decided to just stand in front of Ranma and try her
best to look sexy.
Ranma could not understand what was going on. He had been
trying to get Hotaru to let go of him for some time, but she was
latched onto him like a barnacle. Now Usagi was holding the other
arm in a similarly unbreakable grip. They were starting to feel
numb.
He looked over to the rest of the girls, and found the other
blonde winking at him. She licked her lips suggestively, sending
shivers up his spine. The tall girl who wore her hair in a ponytail was
smiling at him, and the raven-haired one looked like she was about
to bite his head off. As for the blue haired girl, he was starting to
wonder if she had been born with that blush. She still held her hands
behind her, which he thought was strange. He decided not to mention it.
After all, her position was doing wonders for her chest.
"Well... I was just showing Hotaru this scroll."
"That's great, I love scrolls!" Minako smiled at him after
saying this, and fluttered her eyelids as cutely as she could.
"Um... right."
Ranma racked his brain for an excuse to go home. He couldn't
understand what was going on and he wanted to ask Hotaru what she knew
about Usagi and her friends. He was particularly worried about the
blonde wearing a bow, who seemed to have caught something in her eye.
"Well, I was just about to take Hotaru home so-"
Before he could complete his sentence, Ranma found himself
interrupted by the tall brown haired girl.
"Leaving so soon? But we haven't even introduced ourselves yet.
My name's Makoto Kino, by the way."
Ranma was about to reply to her but the blonde wearing a bow
shoved her aside before he could say anything.
"I'm Minako Aino. It's such a pleasure to meet you, Ranma.
I hope we can get to know each other real soon. That's Rei Hino over
there with the dark hair, and that's Ami Mizuno beside her. That's
Usagi Tsukino beside you, in case you didn't hear Hotaru-chan."
"I thought you said you already knew each other." They all
turned to Hotaru, who was eyeing the other girls suspiciously.
"Sure we do, we just never got the chance to introduce
ourselves properly." After saying this, Usagi dreamily resumed stroking
Ranma's arm. It was nicely toned, and she delighted in feeling the
muscles flex whenever he moved it.
"Well, Ranma and I are going home now. The park was attacked
by a monster and Ranma had to fight it off. I'm sure he must be very
tired."
Hotaru did not like the way the inners were looking at Ranma.
They _wanted_ him. They were practically throwing themselves at him.
She had to get him away from them. For his own good, of course. She
tried pulling him towards the exit, but Makoto blocked her path and
began talking again.
"We'll come with you, Hotaru. I want to hear how Ranma beat a
youma all by himself."
Hotaru groaned as they left the park. It was going to be a
_long_ way home.
*****
'Perhaps I should go check up on them.'
Setsuna wearily entered her room in the house she shared with
Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru. She was worried about the inners. She
wasn't sure they could be trusted to do the right thing, especially
now that the changes in the past were beginning to affect them. She
contemplated looking through the Time Gate to find out how they were
doing. They had most likely found Ranma by now.
'Then again, perhaps not.'
Setsuna went directly to her room and closed the door behind
her. Doubtless, her concern for the senshi was only a manifestation of
the artificially induced love she felt for Ranma. By observing them,
she would be observing him as well. She cursed herself for the feelings
welling up inside her. Collapsing onto her bed, she decided to sleep
for a while. She was getting awfully tired, anyway.
*****
A small rodent scampered along the forest floor as it searched
for food. It had been along this way many times in the past, and the
little creature knew the terrain by heart. Suddenly, it stopped. There
was something amiss. It stood on its hind legs for a few seconds,
sniffing the air. Its ears perked up, and the animal quickly left as
fast as its small legs could go.
A few moments later, the forest was rocked by an explosion
that could be heard from miles away. Trees that had been standing for
centuries fell over under the tremendous strain they were forced to
endure. Then, everything became calm once more.
Mousse stood quietly in the middle of the forest clearing he
had chosen to train in. The area around him was filled with rubble, a
testament to the rigorous training he had put himself through. He took
a deep breath, calming himself. His clothes were in tatters, and his
body was exhausted, but he wore a smile on his face. His new technique
worked! Now, he was invincible! Now he could finally return to his
beloved Shampoo and claim her as his bride!
He started laughing giddily, imagining the look on Shampoo's
face when she saw that he was truly a better man than Ranma.
*****
Mousse looked sadly at his fallen opponent, and sighed deeply.
Ranma had hardly put up a decent fight, and defeating him had proved to
be an easy task. It was truly a one-sided fight.
"Ranma, your days of breaking women's hearts done with. The war
is over, and you have lost. I'll be taking Shampoo now.
"Oh Mousse, you truly a better man than Ranma! Let us get
married right away!" Shampoo glanced at the unconscious form of Ranma,
and kicked it in disdain.
"Come Shampoo, do not bother yourself with such trash. Come
with me you shall have the privilege of calling yourself my wife."
The moment Mousse said those words, Shampoo ran over to him and
put her arms around him. She closed her eyes, basking in the glow of
his presence as she imagined the happy days to come. She looked up at
him and saw that he was looking down on her, an expression of pure love
on his handsome face. A tear fell from her eye, rolling slowly down her
beautiful face before he wiped it away with a finger. Their faces moved
closer, preparing for the inevitable kiss that would seal their pact of
undying love for each other.
*****
"Target spotted. Subject: Mousse has been confirmed."
Mousse whirled around to face the source of the unknown voice.
He held his glasses closer to his eyes to get a better look, but was
unable to recognize the cloaked figure who had snapped him out of his
daydream. Her voice was feminine, but he couldn't tell anything else
about her.
"Who are you? What do you want with me?"
Mousse waited for a reply, but the stranger said nothing.
Seeing that the newcomer was not going to answer any of his questions,
he fell into a defensive stance and prepared for the worst. If the
stranger wanted to fight, he would only be too happy to oblige. The
clearing was quiet for a few moments, then the stranger spoke again.
"Initiating sampling. Level one combat status activated."
Suddenly, the figure was gone. Mousse quickly scanned the area
around him for the unwelcome intruder, but was unable to find a single
trace of her. He craned his neck from side to side as quickly as he
could, never dropping his guard. There was no sign of the intruder. It
was as if she had vanished into thin air. Suddenly, he felt himself
being lifted high into the air. Strong hands gripped him as he spun
around repeatedly before slamming into the ground. He heard a crunching
sound upon impact, and hoped that he hadn't broken anything important.
He stood up shakily, checking himself for injuries. He couldn't feel
any pain, but he was sure he heard something break when he fell. He
opened his eyes, and saw everything around him as a blur. He cursed as
he took off his broken glasses and threw them away.
This was not good.
*****
Hotaru frowned at the inners as they made their way towards her
house. They had been monopolizing Ranma's attention all the way from
the park, and she had hardly been able to join the conversation. She
was especially annoyed with Minako, who had been flirting with Ranma
from the start.
She felt like the odd man out, and it just wasn't fair. After
all, it was _her_ that Ranma came to see in the first place. Her mood
remained the same until they reached the front gates of her house. She
tugged on Ranma's arm until he turned to her.
"We're here, Ranma."
The group made their way towards the front door, where Hotaru
reluctantly released Ranma from her grip. She hesitated for a moment,
then chastely kissed him on his cheek. She saw Minako and Makoto frown
at this, and she smiled in spite of herself. If they thought that she
was just going to stand idly by while they stole her boyfriend from
her, they were sadly mistaken.
*****
"Kiyaa!"
The boulder in front of Ryoga shook violently with the force of
his attack. Without pausing, he continued to rain blows upon the large
piece of rock. Before long, it was reduced to dust as he finished it
off with a touch of his pointing finger. He had been training for a
while, and he was gasping for breath from the effort. He allowed
himself a moment of rest before starting on yet another large boulder.
He would have preferred to fight against a wild animal or another
martial artist, but the barren desert he found himself in was utterly
devoid of anything that could possibly serve as a threat to him. There
were plenty of boulders lying around, however, and he used those to
enhance his endurance.
He had to improve and he had to do it as soon as possible.
Makoto was a good person, and she deserved someone better than Ranma.
Someone who could appreciate her talents. Someone who would love her
unconditionally forever. Someone who would protect her from harm.
Someone who would never leave her for another woman.
Someone more like himself.
He was just about to start his training anew when he saw
something move from the corner of his eye. He quickly turned to face
it, and found a mysterious cloaked figure standing less than ten feet
in front of him. He jumped back reflexively, putting a little more
space between them. He looked over to his pack, where his umbrella was
strapped to. Unfortunately, the stranger stood between him and his
weapon. If things got ugly, he would have to fight hand to hand. He
felt no fear. He had fought against strangers before, and emerged
victorious.
"Target in view. One hundred percent similarity between object
and sample data."
The figure did not move. Although it was covered from head to
toe in a dark cloak, he could still make out the feminine curves of the
mysterious stranger. He could not understand what she was saying,
however, so he decided to try talking to her.
"What are you trying to say? I can't understand!"
The stranger ignored him, standing quietly for a few more
seconds before speaking once more.
"Initiating sampling. Commencing attack."
This time, Ryoga understood her completely. He prepared to
meet her attack, dropping into a ready stance. She started running
towards him, and he smiled to himself. Finally, a moving target.
*****
"You don't have to walk us home if you don't want to, Ranma.
You'll be late going home."
Ami flinched as she saw her friends all glaring at her. They
were all being so mean. After all, she was only trying to be nice to
Ranma. Guys liked nice girls, didn't they?
Ranma smiled at her. "Naw, that's okay. I like being with you
guys."
The smiles that appeared simultaneously on the faces of the
inners could have brightened a black hole.
"I mean, it's such a relief to be able to hang out with girls
who don't want to marry me."
The girls immediately stopped walking and proceeded to crowd
around Ranma, worried looks on their faces.
"What's the matter, Ranma? Don't you want to get married?"
Usagi looked at Ranma and hoped that he hadn't meant what he
said. Now that the past had been changed, she couldn't imagine herself
with anyone other than him.
Ranma immediately replied in the negative. "Of course I want
to get married."
"But what did you mean?" Minako fought to hold back the tears
in her eyes. She couldn't believe that Ranma didn't want to marry her.
He was her fiance!
Ranma sighed exasperatedly before answering. "Well, it's a long
story and you girls should be getting back-"
Rei immediately cut him off. "That's okay, we can all go to my
place to hear it. If you have time, that is."
"Are you sure it's okay? Won't your parents get worried? It's
getting dark already." Ranma backed away from them, trying to get out
of telling the story of his life. He wasn't particularly comfortable
discussing his fiancee troubles.
"Don't worry about it. We stay at Rei's all the time. We'll
just get our parents to pick us up later."
Ranma thought for a few seconds, then gave his reply. "Okay,
but you have to promise that you'll believe what I'm about to tell you
no matter how strange it might sound."
Makoto just smiled at him as she answered. "Don't worry, Ranma.
We're used to hearing strange stories about the past."
*****
Mousse lashed out randomly at the space around him as he tried
to figure out which one of the blurs in front of him was his opponent.
He had been beaten down badly, and it was only through sheer will that
he was still standing. The stranger had taken her time with him,
circling him repeatedly to distract him and then striking quickly from
odd angles. He stretched out his arms, and produced a sharp sword from
each of the sleeves of his robe. He gripped the weapons tightly in his
hands, and strained to make out his surroundings. Everything was a big
blur to him, no matter how hard he looked. He felt movement coming
from behind him, and turned around quickly, his swords striking at the
air behind him. He grit his teeth in frustration as he again found
himself striking at thin air. Before he could recover from his attack,
he felt a powerful kick connect with the small of his back. He fell
to the ground, exhausted from the pain and exertion. He tried to get
back up, but failed.
"Mission complete. Subject: Mousse classified as non-threat.
Returning to base to submit sample data."
Those were the last words Mousse heard before he fell into
unconsciousness.
*****
Ryoga blocked another flurry of kicks and punches from the
strange cloaked woman and retaliated with a strong kick aimed at the
woman's midsection. The woman leapt backwards, barely avoiding it.
Ryoga stood his ground, waiting for the woman to come to him. She was
still wearing her cloak, though it was in tatters by now. Small holes
in the fabric revealed that she wore a tight, body-hugging outfit
underneath. Her face was still hidden in shadows, however, and she
had been completely quiet the whole time they were fighting.
Ryoga wondered who she was and where she came from. Her
fighting style was completely unlike anything he had ever encountered
before. It was a quick, offensive style that relied heavily on kicks
and aerial attacks like Anything Goes, but the resemblance ended there.
While Ranma's style focused on distracting the opponent with a flurry
of seemingly random moves, her strategy consisted almost completely of
calm, measured attacks. He found himself admiring the way she kept her
focus, even when the tide of battle was against her. She was a very
good fighter. He had to end this _now_.
He started to focus on his depression, reliving the many times
that life had acted unjustly towards him. He remembered every time
Akane ignored him in favor of Ranma. He recalled the look on Makoto's
face as she gazed longingly at his hated enemy. He felt the power of
depression take hold of him, and he embraced it. He saw the unknown
woman charging quickly at him, and he held up his arms towards her.
"Shi Shi Hokodan!"
He watched with soulless eyes as she ran straight into the
huge ball of ki released from his hands. He flinched a bit when she
met it head-on. She would never be able to withstand it. He closed
his eyes, not wishing to watch a female decimated by his attack.
A few seconds later, he felt a powerful kick hit him solidly
on his groin. He cried out in pain, and fell into a fetal position as
he clutched his injured organs. He opened his eyes, and saw the woman
standing over him, seemingly unharmed by his attack. What happened?
He had seen her run straight into his attack.
"Sample data erroneous. Subject: Ryoga classified as unfit
for assimilation. Returning to base for further orders. Updating
sample data to reflect new information."
Ryoga watched her turn and run away, confusion mixing with
the pain he felt in his brain. Who was she? What was she talking about?
Somehow, he knew in his gut that Ranma was to blame for all
this. He felt his eyelids getting heavy, and cursed Ranma one last
time before succumbing to the call of unconsciousness.
*****
"Three fiancees and a crazy girl who _thinks_ she's your
fiancee? You've got to be kidding!" Rei stared incredulously at Ranma,
looking for evidence that he was joking.
"I thought you said that you'd believe what I had to say, no
matter how strange." Ranma tried to inch away from Rei, but was unable
to move further due to the lack of space in the chair they were sitting
on. He wished he had sat beside Ami instead. She seemed much nicer than
the raven-haired girl beside him.
"We believe you, Ranma. It's just... well... we weren't
expecting that."
Usagi stared in wonder at the handsome young boy in front of
her and tried to imagine what it would be like to be in his shoes. No
wonder he didn't take to the idea of marriage very well! She sighed
loudly, thankful that they had waited before telling him of his past
relationships with them.
"Do you love them?" Minako fidgeted in her seat, nervous that
Ranma might already love another girl and unhappy that she was seated
farthest from him.
Ranma did not even pause to think before answering. "Love
them? Of course not! It's all my stupid dad's fault. He arranged those
engagements for me. I never asked for any of them!"
"We were just asking, Ranma. You don't have to yell at us."
Ranma looked towards Usagi and bowed his head in shame. "Sorry
about that, I guess I got a little carried away back there."
Usagi's smile was quick to return after Ranma's apology, and
she quickly regained her cheery demeanor.
"That's okay, Ranma. We understand."
Ranma couldn't help but smile back at the bubbly blonde. It was
a welcome change of pace to talk to people who listened to you, and
believed what you said. He stood up and stretched, then looked at the
clock.
"I should get going now, guys. It's getting pretty late."
*****
Michiru quietly read a book in the living room of her house,
recovering from her earlier activities with Haruka. She couldn't even
remember the last time they had gone at it with such... vigor. Haruka
was still sleeping upstairs. She was still engrossed in her reading
when she heard the front door open and close. A few seconds later,
Hotaru stepped into the room and sat down beside her. She decided to
tease the little girl a little.
"How was your date, Hotaru? Did you have fun with your
boyfriend?"
Hotaru tiredly closed her eyes before replying. "Well, it was
okay I guess. I mean, it was fun while it was just Ranma and me, but
we met up with Usagi and her friends before going home."
Michiru raised an eyebrow at the response. She had expected
Hotaru to deny that Ranma was her boyfriend or that they had gone on
an actual date.
"What's the matter, Hotaru-chan? I thought you liked Usagi and
her friends."
Hotaru sighed dejectedly before replying. "I do like them, but
they kept flirting with him and they even came with us when Ranma was
taking me home."
Michiru gave her a knowing grin. "You don't like sharing him,
do you? I understand, I used to have the same problems."
Hotaru's eyes opened wide. "You mean there were other girls
spending time with a guy you liked?"
Michiru recalled all the men who had hit on Haruka in the
past. "Yes, something like that. Don't worry about it. Just use your
womanly charms to keep him in line."
Hotaru thought about Michiru's words for a few moments. She
gathered her thoughts before speaking again.
"Michiru-mama..."
Michiru put down her book on the coffee table in front of her
and turned to Hotaru, a warm smile on her face.
"Yes, Hotaru-chan?"
Hotaru blushed bright red before answering, her eyes looking
down on the floor to hide her embarrassment.
"Can you... teach me?"
Michiru feigned ignorance of what the girl was trying to say,
putting on a puzzled face as she goaded Hotaru into saying the magic
words.
"Teach you what, Hotaru-chan?"
Hotaru turned an even brighter shade of red as she finished
asking her question.
"Can you teach me to... use my womanly charms?"
The last word barely came out as a whisper, but Michiru heard
it nonetheless. She smiled as she patted Hotaru on the head.
"Of course I can, dear. We'll start tomorrow."
Hotaru squealed with excitement when she heard Michiru's
answer, and wrapped her arms around Michiru in a tight hug.
"Oh thank you, mama. You're the best!"
Michiru returned the hug and kissed Hotaru on her forehead.
Her smile never left her face as Hotaru broke the hug and headed
upstairs to her bedroom to change. She had been meaning to have a talk
with Hotaru about the things she needed to learn as a woman, and this
was the perfect chance to do it. She picked up her book shortly after
hearing the door to Hotaru's door click shut and resumed reading.
*****
"Alright, where is he?"
Nabiki stopped scribbling on her notebook and turned her head
towards her sister. She was slightly irritated at being interrupted in
the middle of recording her earnings, but it made her feel better about
herself to think that she always made time for family. She closed her
notebook, using her pen to mark her place, and turned towards Akane.
"Why are you looking for him?"
Akane did not like that answer. Whenever Nabiki gave evasive
answers it usually meant one of two things; either it was something you
weren't supposed to know or she was trying to separate you from your
money.
"He collapsed after eating the breakfast I made for him, then
he just ran off the second he woke up. Why shouldn't I be looking for
him?"
Nabiki looked her sister over for a few moments, wondering if
she should share what she knew. Ignorance was bliss, after all.
"What makes you think I know where he is anyway?"
Nabiki's expression didn't change. She simply looked at Akane
while twirling a pencil that she picked up from her table on her
fingers. Akane was beginning to get irritated. She wanted answers, and
she wanted them _now_.
"You knew where he was yesterday, why not now?"
Nabiki shook her head slowly, putting the pencil back on her
table. Akane was being even more childish than usual.
"I never told you where Ranma was yesterday. I just told you he
went to another district. I saw him on a rooftop and followed him on my
bike. He lost me when he left Nerima."
Akane was just about to leave when she noticed that Nabiki
hadn't really answered her question yet.
"Do you know where Ranma is or not? Stop giving me these weird
answers and tell me the truth, Nabiki."
Nabiki stood up and walked closer to her, invading her space
and making her feel trapped. Akane unconsciously stepped back a little.
Her sister could be so imposing when she wanted to be. Finally, Nabiki
gave her the answer she'd been waiting for.
"How much is it worth to you?"
Usually, Akane was pretty shrewd in the way that she managed
her money. She took pride in the fact that she didn't spend nearly as
much as most of her friends. When it came to Ranma, however, her
judgment became severely compromised. She quickly emptied the contents
of her pockets onto the table.
"Um... I only have a few thousand yen on me right now. I could
come up with more next week though!"
Nabiki stared at the assorted coins and bills in front of her.
It gave her great satisfaction to know that she had this much control
over her sister. However, it hurt her to see that Akane was obsessing
so much over Ranma. She felt guilty taking advantage of Akane like
this. She decided to be nice for now. Akane didn't have much yen on
her anyway.
"Never mind, I won't charge you. Ranma has been seen in Juuban
associating with the Sailor Senshi. You've heard of them, right?"
Akane had heard of the famed Sailor Senshi. They were sort of
like superheroes and they defended Juuban from demons or something like
that. Sailor V, who was one of her favorite heroes, was one of them.
"How did you find out? Are you sure?"
Nabiki smiled at her and went back to her seat. She picked up
her pencil and started twirling it again as she replied.
"It was on the news a few minutes ago. Ranma was seen fighting
and defeating a youma in Juuban shortly before the Senshi arrived and
spoke with him.
The guy who took the pictures was using a telescopic lens, so
no one knows what they were talking about, but people are speculating
that he might be involved with Sailor Moon, Sailor Venus, or Sailor
Jupiter. Venus and Jupiter were winking at him on some of the photos
and Sailor Moon was doing most of the talking."
Akane was dumbstruck. Ranma had never shown any interest in the
Senshi before. He'd always dismissed them as fakes who couldn't fight
their way out of a box if their lives depended on it. Why was he
suddenly hanging out with them? Could he really be involved with Sailor
V? She had to find out for sure.
Nabiki was about to tell Akane to pack up her money and leave,
but her sister had already left. She frowned at the change scattered
all over her desk before picking up her notebook and resuming where
she had left off.
*****
"Well girls, I guess its clear to everyone what we have to
do about Ranma and his other fiances."
Usagi looked around the room and smiled as the rest of the
inners nodded in agreement. Ranma had already left a few minutes ago,
and they were free to discuss their own engagements with him freely.
"Um... we should give up on him because he's already engaged
to too many other women and trying to force ourselves on him will only
aggravate an already serious situation?"
Makoto, Minako, Usagi and Rei looked at Ami like she had just
swallowed a cow and declared that it tasted like chicken. She blushed
under their combined stares, and turned to Usagi for help.
"That was what you meant, right? I mean, he's already got his
hands full with his other fiancees and we shouldn't complicate his life
needlessly, right?"
Usagi shook her head, disappointed that Ami of all people would
miss the point so completely. She sat Ami down beside her, and gently
explained things as slowly as she could.
"Ami, we're defenders of _love_ and justice. Ranma doesn't love
those women. We can't just stand here and do nothing while a gorgeous,
innocent hunk of a guy is forced to marry a woman he doesn't love. We
have to _save_ Ranma from those other fiancees of his so he can find
true happiness."
Usagi stood up, striking a heroic pose along with Rei, Makoto
and Minako. Ami sat quietly and watched them plan Ranma's rescue. She
decided not to mention that Ranma didn't exactly love them either.
*****
Cologne turned off the television and made her way back towards
the couch. She sat for a few moments, deeply in thought, before getting
onto her cane and hopping downstairs to the Nekohanten. She made her
way to the kitchen, where Shampoo was busy cooking ramen.
"Shampoo, let me finish that for you. I have an errand for you
to run."
Shampoo turned towards Cologne and smiled as she took off her
apron. "Okay, great-grandmother. What you want Shampoo to do?"
Cologne looked around before answering, making sure that there
was no one around to hear what she was about to say.
"I want you to go to Juuban and find out everything you can
about the Sailor Senshi."
*****
Author's notes:
More to come about the mysterious cloaked figures later, as
well as on the bat girls! I would like to thank Ash, Vex, Chester, and
Seaver for all of the help they gave me with this chapter.
I've become busy with school work lately, so new chapters may
take a bit longer to come out from this point on. Sorry, but I have no
control over my workload.
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters.
TV Asahi, Toei Douga and DIC.
Ranma 1/2 is the property of Rumiko Takahashi, and Viz video.
Oh! My Goddess (A.K.A. Ah! Megami-sama) is the property of Fujishima
Kosuke.
The above disclaimer is dedicated to Mr. Brian Randall.
Warning: If you find yourself with both legs broken, don't try walking
it off.
Warning: Altaverse (Keichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is
all messed up.)
"words"
'thoughts'
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 7
by Jose Argao
Silence ruled the park exit for half a minute in the wake of
Hotaru's declaration. Ranma found himself speechless, his mouth hanging
open as he wondered if he had heard her correctly. His expression was
mirrored in the faces of the inners, who were trying to make sense of
the situation.
Hotaru blushed bright red, realizing what it was that she had
just said. She couldn't figure out why she had said it, and now she
was frantically thinking of a way out of the embarrassing situation she
had put herself in.
"You know, he's a boy and he's my friend!"
The group collectively heaved a sigh of relief, each for a
different reason. Hotaru finally allowed herself to relax, thankful for
her quick thinking. That was close!
"That's wonderful, Hotaru-chan. What were you two doing here
anyway?"
As she asked her question, Usagi sidled over to Ranma's free
arm and grabbed hold of it, much to Minako's irritation. She had been
surreptitiously moving closer to that position since Hotaru cleared
things up about her statement and she didn't particularly relish being
beaten to it. She decided to just stand in front of Ranma and try her
best to look sexy.
Ranma could not understand what was going on. He had been
trying to get Hotaru to let go of him for some time, but she was
latched onto him like a barnacle. Now Usagi was holding the other
arm in a similarly unbreakable grip. They were starting to feel
numb.
He looked over to the rest of the girls, and found the other
blonde winking at him. She licked her lips suggestively, sending
shivers up his spine. The tall girl who wore her hair in a ponytail was
smiling at him, and the raven-haired one looked like she was about
to bite his head off. As for the blue haired girl, he was starting to
wonder if she had been born with that blush. She still held her hands
behind her, which he thought was strange. He decided not to mention it.
After all, her position was doing wonders for her chest.
"Well... I was just showing Hotaru this scroll."
"That's great, I love scrolls!" Minako smiled at him after
saying this, and fluttered her eyelids as cutely as she could.
"Um... right."
Ranma racked his brain for an excuse to go home. He couldn't
understand what was going on and he wanted to ask Hotaru what she knew
about Usagi and her friends. He was particularly worried about the
blonde wearing a bow, who seemed to have caught something in her eye.
"Well, I was just about to take Hotaru home so-"
Before he could complete his sentence, Ranma found himself
interrupted by the tall brown haired girl.
"Leaving so soon? But we haven't even introduced ourselves yet.
My name's Makoto Kino, by the way."
Ranma was about to reply to her but the blonde wearing a bow
shoved her aside before he could say anything.
"I'm Minako Aino. It's such a pleasure to meet you, Ranma.
I hope we can get to know each other real soon. That's Rei Hino over
there with the dark hair, and that's Ami Mizuno beside her. That's
Usagi Tsukino beside you, in case you didn't hear Hotaru-chan."
"I thought you said you already knew each other." They all
turned to Hotaru, who was eyeing the other girls suspiciously.
"Sure we do, we just never got the chance to introduce
ourselves properly." After saying this, Usagi dreamily resumed stroking
Ranma's arm. It was nicely toned, and she delighted in feeling the
muscles flex whenever he moved it.
"Well, Ranma and I are going home now. The park was attacked
by a monster and Ranma had to fight it off. I'm sure he must be very
tired."
Hotaru did not like the way the inners were looking at Ranma.
They _wanted_ him. They were practically throwing themselves at him.
She had to get him away from them. For his own good, of course. She
tried pulling him towards the exit, but Makoto blocked her path and
began talking again.
"We'll come with you, Hotaru. I want to hear how Ranma beat a
youma all by himself."
Hotaru groaned as they left the park. It was going to be a
_long_ way home.
*****
'Perhaps I should go check up on them.'
Setsuna wearily entered her room in the house she shared with
Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru. She was worried about the inners. She
wasn't sure they could be trusted to do the right thing, especially
now that the changes in the past were beginning to affect them. She
contemplated looking through the Time Gate to find out how they were
doing. They had most likely found Ranma by now.
'Then again, perhaps not.'
Setsuna went directly to her room and closed the door behind
her. Doubtless, her concern for the senshi was only a manifestation of
the artificially induced love she felt for Ranma. By observing them,
she would be observing him as well. She cursed herself for the feelings
welling up inside her. Collapsing onto her bed, she decided to sleep
for a while. She was getting awfully tired, anyway.
*****
A small rodent scampered along the forest floor as it searched
for food. It had been along this way many times in the past, and the
little creature knew the terrain by heart. Suddenly, it stopped. There
was something amiss. It stood on its hind legs for a few seconds,
sniffing the air. Its ears perked up, and the animal quickly left as
fast as its small legs could go.
A few moments later, the forest was rocked by an explosion
that could be heard from miles away. Trees that had been standing for
centuries fell over under the tremendous strain they were forced to
endure. Then, everything became calm once more.
Mousse stood quietly in the middle of the forest clearing he
had chosen to train in. The area around him was filled with rubble, a
testament to the rigorous training he had put himself through. He took
a deep breath, calming himself. His clothes were in tatters, and his
body was exhausted, but he wore a smile on his face. His new technique
worked! Now, he was invincible! Now he could finally return to his
beloved Shampoo and claim her as his bride!
He started laughing giddily, imagining the look on Shampoo's
face when she saw that he was truly a better man than Ranma.
*****
Mousse looked sadly at his fallen opponent, and sighed deeply.
Ranma had hardly put up a decent fight, and defeating him had proved to
be an easy task. It was truly a one-sided fight.
"Ranma, your days of breaking women's hearts done with. The war
is over, and you have lost. I'll be taking Shampoo now.
"Oh Mousse, you truly a better man than Ranma! Let us get
married right away!" Shampoo glanced at the unconscious form of Ranma,
and kicked it in disdain.
"Come Shampoo, do not bother yourself with such trash. Come
with me you shall have the privilege of calling yourself my wife."
The moment Mousse said those words, Shampoo ran over to him and
put her arms around him. She closed her eyes, basking in the glow of
his presence as she imagined the happy days to come. She looked up at
him and saw that he was looking down on her, an expression of pure love
on his handsome face. A tear fell from her eye, rolling slowly down her
beautiful face before he wiped it away with a finger. Their faces moved
closer, preparing for the inevitable kiss that would seal their pact of
undying love for each other.
*****
"Target spotted. Subject: Mousse has been confirmed."
Mousse whirled around to face the source of the unknown voice.
He held his glasses closer to his eyes to get a better look, but was
unable to recognize the cloaked figure who had snapped him out of his
daydream. Her voice was feminine, but he couldn't tell anything else
about her.
"Who are you? What do you want with me?"
Mousse waited for a reply, but the stranger said nothing.
Seeing that the newcomer was not going to answer any of his questions,
he fell into a defensive stance and prepared for the worst. If the
stranger wanted to fight, he would only be too happy to oblige. The
clearing was quiet for a few moments, then the stranger spoke again.
"Initiating sampling. Level one combat status activated."
Suddenly, the figure was gone. Mousse quickly scanned the area
around him for the unwelcome intruder, but was unable to find a single
trace of her. He craned his neck from side to side as quickly as he
could, never dropping his guard. There was no sign of the intruder. It
was as if she had vanished into thin air. Suddenly, he felt himself
being lifted high into the air. Strong hands gripped him as he spun
around repeatedly before slamming into the ground. He heard a crunching
sound upon impact, and hoped that he hadn't broken anything important.
He stood up shakily, checking himself for injuries. He couldn't feel
any pain, but he was sure he heard something break when he fell. He
opened his eyes, and saw everything around him as a blur. He cursed as
he took off his broken glasses and threw them away.
This was not good.
*****
Hotaru frowned at the inners as they made their way towards her
house. They had been monopolizing Ranma's attention all the way from
the park, and she had hardly been able to join the conversation. She
was especially annoyed with Minako, who had been flirting with Ranma
from the start.
She felt like the odd man out, and it just wasn't fair. After
all, it was _her_ that Ranma came to see in the first place. Her mood
remained the same until they reached the front gates of her house. She
tugged on Ranma's arm until he turned to her.
"We're here, Ranma."
The group made their way towards the front door, where Hotaru
reluctantly released Ranma from her grip. She hesitated for a moment,
then chastely kissed him on his cheek. She saw Minako and Makoto frown
at this, and she smiled in spite of herself. If they thought that she
was just going to stand idly by while they stole her boyfriend from
her, they were sadly mistaken.
*****
"Kiyaa!"
The boulder in front of Ryoga shook violently with the force of
his attack. Without pausing, he continued to rain blows upon the large
piece of rock. Before long, it was reduced to dust as he finished it
off with a touch of his pointing finger. He had been training for a
while, and he was gasping for breath from the effort. He allowed
himself a moment of rest before starting on yet another large boulder.
He would have preferred to fight against a wild animal or another
martial artist, but the barren desert he found himself in was utterly
devoid of anything that could possibly serve as a threat to him. There
were plenty of boulders lying around, however, and he used those to
enhance his endurance.
He had to improve and he had to do it as soon as possible.
Makoto was a good person, and she deserved someone better than Ranma.
Someone who could appreciate her talents. Someone who would love her
unconditionally forever. Someone who would protect her from harm.
Someone who would never leave her for another woman.
Someone more like himself.
He was just about to start his training anew when he saw
something move from the corner of his eye. He quickly turned to face
it, and found a mysterious cloaked figure standing less than ten feet
in front of him. He jumped back reflexively, putting a little more
space between them. He looked over to his pack, where his umbrella was
strapped to. Unfortunately, the stranger stood between him and his
weapon. If things got ugly, he would have to fight hand to hand. He
felt no fear. He had fought against strangers before, and emerged
victorious.
"Target in view. One hundred percent similarity between object
and sample data."
The figure did not move. Although it was covered from head to
toe in a dark cloak, he could still make out the feminine curves of the
mysterious stranger. He could not understand what she was saying,
however, so he decided to try talking to her.
"What are you trying to say? I can't understand!"
The stranger ignored him, standing quietly for a few more
seconds before speaking once more.
"Initiating sampling. Commencing attack."
This time, Ryoga understood her completely. He prepared to
meet her attack, dropping into a ready stance. She started running
towards him, and he smiled to himself. Finally, a moving target.
*****
"You don't have to walk us home if you don't want to, Ranma.
You'll be late going home."
Ami flinched as she saw her friends all glaring at her. They
were all being so mean. After all, she was only trying to be nice to
Ranma. Guys liked nice girls, didn't they?
Ranma smiled at her. "Naw, that's okay. I like being with you
guys."
The smiles that appeared simultaneously on the faces of the
inners could have brightened a black hole.
"I mean, it's such a relief to be able to hang out with girls
who don't want to marry me."
The girls immediately stopped walking and proceeded to crowd
around Ranma, worried looks on their faces.
"What's the matter, Ranma? Don't you want to get married?"
Usagi looked at Ranma and hoped that he hadn't meant what he
said. Now that the past had been changed, she couldn't imagine herself
with anyone other than him.
Ranma immediately replied in the negative. "Of course I want
to get married."
"But what did you mean?" Minako fought to hold back the tears
in her eyes. She couldn't believe that Ranma didn't want to marry her.
He was her fiance!
Ranma sighed exasperatedly before answering. "Well, it's a long
story and you girls should be getting back-"
Rei immediately cut him off. "That's okay, we can all go to my
place to hear it. If you have time, that is."
"Are you sure it's okay? Won't your parents get worried? It's
getting dark already." Ranma backed away from them, trying to get out
of telling the story of his life. He wasn't particularly comfortable
discussing his fiancee troubles.
"Don't worry about it. We stay at Rei's all the time. We'll
just get our parents to pick us up later."
Ranma thought for a few seconds, then gave his reply. "Okay,
but you have to promise that you'll believe what I'm about to tell you
no matter how strange it might sound."
Makoto just smiled at him as she answered. "Don't worry, Ranma.
We're used to hearing strange stories about the past."
*****
Mousse lashed out randomly at the space around him as he tried
to figure out which one of the blurs in front of him was his opponent.
He had been beaten down badly, and it was only through sheer will that
he was still standing. The stranger had taken her time with him,
circling him repeatedly to distract him and then striking quickly from
odd angles. He stretched out his arms, and produced a sharp sword from
each of the sleeves of his robe. He gripped the weapons tightly in his
hands, and strained to make out his surroundings. Everything was a big
blur to him, no matter how hard he looked. He felt movement coming
from behind him, and turned around quickly, his swords striking at the
air behind him. He grit his teeth in frustration as he again found
himself striking at thin air. Before he could recover from his attack,
he felt a powerful kick connect with the small of his back. He fell
to the ground, exhausted from the pain and exertion. He tried to get
back up, but failed.
"Mission complete. Subject: Mousse classified as non-threat.
Returning to base to submit sample data."
Those were the last words Mousse heard before he fell into
unconsciousness.
*****
Ryoga blocked another flurry of kicks and punches from the
strange cloaked woman and retaliated with a strong kick aimed at the
woman's midsection. The woman leapt backwards, barely avoiding it.
Ryoga stood his ground, waiting for the woman to come to him. She was
still wearing her cloak, though it was in tatters by now. Small holes
in the fabric revealed that she wore a tight, body-hugging outfit
underneath. Her face was still hidden in shadows, however, and she
had been completely quiet the whole time they were fighting.
Ryoga wondered who she was and where she came from. Her
fighting style was completely unlike anything he had ever encountered
before. It was a quick, offensive style that relied heavily on kicks
and aerial attacks like Anything Goes, but the resemblance ended there.
While Ranma's style focused on distracting the opponent with a flurry
of seemingly random moves, her strategy consisted almost completely of
calm, measured attacks. He found himself admiring the way she kept her
focus, even when the tide of battle was against her. She was a very
good fighter. He had to end this _now_.
He started to focus on his depression, reliving the many times
that life had acted unjustly towards him. He remembered every time
Akane ignored him in favor of Ranma. He recalled the look on Makoto's
face as she gazed longingly at his hated enemy. He felt the power of
depression take hold of him, and he embraced it. He saw the unknown
woman charging quickly at him, and he held up his arms towards her.
"Shi Shi Hokodan!"
He watched with soulless eyes as she ran straight into the
huge ball of ki released from his hands. He flinched a bit when she
met it head-on. She would never be able to withstand it. He closed
his eyes, not wishing to watch a female decimated by his attack.
A few seconds later, he felt a powerful kick hit him solidly
on his groin. He cried out in pain, and fell into a fetal position as
he clutched his injured organs. He opened his eyes, and saw the woman
standing over him, seemingly unharmed by his attack. What happened?
He had seen her run straight into his attack.
"Sample data erroneous. Subject: Ryoga classified as unfit
for assimilation. Returning to base for further orders. Updating
sample data to reflect new information."
Ryoga watched her turn and run away, confusion mixing with
the pain he felt in his brain. Who was she? What was she talking about?
Somehow, he knew in his gut that Ranma was to blame for all
this. He felt his eyelids getting heavy, and cursed Ranma one last
time before succumbing to the call of unconsciousness.
*****
"Three fiancees and a crazy girl who _thinks_ she's your
fiancee? You've got to be kidding!" Rei stared incredulously at Ranma,
looking for evidence that he was joking.
"I thought you said that you'd believe what I had to say, no
matter how strange." Ranma tried to inch away from Rei, but was unable
to move further due to the lack of space in the chair they were sitting
on. He wished he had sat beside Ami instead. She seemed much nicer than
the raven-haired girl beside him.
"We believe you, Ranma. It's just... well... we weren't
expecting that."
Usagi stared in wonder at the handsome young boy in front of
her and tried to imagine what it would be like to be in his shoes. No
wonder he didn't take to the idea of marriage very well! She sighed
loudly, thankful that they had waited before telling him of his past
relationships with them.
"Do you love them?" Minako fidgeted in her seat, nervous that
Ranma might already love another girl and unhappy that she was seated
farthest from him.
Ranma did not even pause to think before answering. "Love
them? Of course not! It's all my stupid dad's fault. He arranged those
engagements for me. I never asked for any of them!"
"We were just asking, Ranma. You don't have to yell at us."
Ranma looked towards Usagi and bowed his head in shame. "Sorry
about that, I guess I got a little carried away back there."
Usagi's smile was quick to return after Ranma's apology, and
she quickly regained her cheery demeanor.
"That's okay, Ranma. We understand."
Ranma couldn't help but smile back at the bubbly blonde. It was
a welcome change of pace to talk to people who listened to you, and
believed what you said. He stood up and stretched, then looked at the
clock.
"I should get going now, guys. It's getting pretty late."
*****
Michiru quietly read a book in the living room of her house,
recovering from her earlier activities with Haruka. She couldn't even
remember the last time they had gone at it with such... vigor. Haruka
was still sleeping upstairs. She was still engrossed in her reading
when she heard the front door open and close. A few seconds later,
Hotaru stepped into the room and sat down beside her. She decided to
tease the little girl a little.
"How was your date, Hotaru? Did you have fun with your
boyfriend?"
Hotaru tiredly closed her eyes before replying. "Well, it was
okay I guess. I mean, it was fun while it was just Ranma and me, but
we met up with Usagi and her friends before going home."
Michiru raised an eyebrow at the response. She had expected
Hotaru to deny that Ranma was her boyfriend or that they had gone on
an actual date.
"What's the matter, Hotaru-chan? I thought you liked Usagi and
her friends."
Hotaru sighed dejectedly before replying. "I do like them, but
they kept flirting with him and they even came with us when Ranma was
taking me home."
Michiru gave her a knowing grin. "You don't like sharing him,
do you? I understand, I used to have the same problems."
Hotaru's eyes opened wide. "You mean there were other girls
spending time with a guy you liked?"
Michiru recalled all the men who had hit on Haruka in the
past. "Yes, something like that. Don't worry about it. Just use your
womanly charms to keep him in line."
Hotaru thought about Michiru's words for a few moments. She
gathered her thoughts before speaking again.
"Michiru-mama..."
Michiru put down her book on the coffee table in front of her
and turned to Hotaru, a warm smile on her face.
"Yes, Hotaru-chan?"
Hotaru blushed bright red before answering, her eyes looking
down on the floor to hide her embarrassment.
"Can you... teach me?"
Michiru feigned ignorance of what the girl was trying to say,
putting on a puzzled face as she goaded Hotaru into saying the magic
words.
"Teach you what, Hotaru-chan?"
Hotaru turned an even brighter shade of red as she finished
asking her question.
"Can you teach me to... use my womanly charms?"
The last word barely came out as a whisper, but Michiru heard
it nonetheless. She smiled as she patted Hotaru on the head.
"Of course I can, dear. We'll start tomorrow."
Hotaru squealed with excitement when she heard Michiru's
answer, and wrapped her arms around Michiru in a tight hug.
"Oh thank you, mama. You're the best!"
Michiru returned the hug and kissed Hotaru on her forehead.
Her smile never left her face as Hotaru broke the hug and headed
upstairs to her bedroom to change. She had been meaning to have a talk
with Hotaru about the things she needed to learn as a woman, and this
was the perfect chance to do it. She picked up her book shortly after
hearing the door to Hotaru's door click shut and resumed reading.
*****
"Alright, where is he?"
Nabiki stopped scribbling on her notebook and turned her head
towards her sister. She was slightly irritated at being interrupted in
the middle of recording her earnings, but it made her feel better about
herself to think that she always made time for family. She closed her
notebook, using her pen to mark her place, and turned towards Akane.
"Why are you looking for him?"
Akane did not like that answer. Whenever Nabiki gave evasive
answers it usually meant one of two things; either it was something you
weren't supposed to know or she was trying to separate you from your
money.
"He collapsed after eating the breakfast I made for him, then
he just ran off the second he woke up. Why shouldn't I be looking for
him?"
Nabiki looked her sister over for a few moments, wondering if
she should share what she knew. Ignorance was bliss, after all.
"What makes you think I know where he is anyway?"
Nabiki's expression didn't change. She simply looked at Akane
while twirling a pencil that she picked up from her table on her
fingers. Akane was beginning to get irritated. She wanted answers, and
she wanted them _now_.
"You knew where he was yesterday, why not now?"
Nabiki shook her head slowly, putting the pencil back on her
table. Akane was being even more childish than usual.
"I never told you where Ranma was yesterday. I just told you he
went to another district. I saw him on a rooftop and followed him on my
bike. He lost me when he left Nerima."
Akane was just about to leave when she noticed that Nabiki
hadn't really answered her question yet.
"Do you know where Ranma is or not? Stop giving me these weird
answers and tell me the truth, Nabiki."
Nabiki stood up and walked closer to her, invading her space
and making her feel trapped. Akane unconsciously stepped back a little.
Her sister could be so imposing when she wanted to be. Finally, Nabiki
gave her the answer she'd been waiting for.
"How much is it worth to you?"
Usually, Akane was pretty shrewd in the way that she managed
her money. She took pride in the fact that she didn't spend nearly as
much as most of her friends. When it came to Ranma, however, her
judgment became severely compromised. She quickly emptied the contents
of her pockets onto the table.
"Um... I only have a few thousand yen on me right now. I could
come up with more next week though!"
Nabiki stared at the assorted coins and bills in front of her.
It gave her great satisfaction to know that she had this much control
over her sister. However, it hurt her to see that Akane was obsessing
so much over Ranma. She felt guilty taking advantage of Akane like
this. She decided to be nice for now. Akane didn't have much yen on
her anyway.
"Never mind, I won't charge you. Ranma has been seen in Juuban
associating with the Sailor Senshi. You've heard of them, right?"
Akane had heard of the famed Sailor Senshi. They were sort of
like superheroes and they defended Juuban from demons or something like
that. Sailor V, who was one of her favorite heroes, was one of them.
"How did you find out? Are you sure?"
Nabiki smiled at her and went back to her seat. She picked up
her pencil and started twirling it again as she replied.
"It was on the news a few minutes ago. Ranma was seen fighting
and defeating a youma in Juuban shortly before the Senshi arrived and
spoke with him.
The guy who took the pictures was using a telescopic lens, so
no one knows what they were talking about, but people are speculating
that he might be involved with Sailor Moon, Sailor Venus, or Sailor
Jupiter. Venus and Jupiter were winking at him on some of the photos
and Sailor Moon was doing most of the talking."
Akane was dumbstruck. Ranma had never shown any interest in the
Senshi before. He'd always dismissed them as fakes who couldn't fight
their way out of a box if their lives depended on it. Why was he
suddenly hanging out with them? Could he really be involved with Sailor
V? She had to find out for sure.
Nabiki was about to tell Akane to pack up her money and leave,
but her sister had already left. She frowned at the change scattered
all over her desk before picking up her notebook and resuming where
she had left off.
*****
"Well girls, I guess its clear to everyone what we have to
do about Ranma and his other fiances."
Usagi looked around the room and smiled as the rest of the
inners nodded in agreement. Ranma had already left a few minutes ago,
and they were free to discuss their own engagements with him freely.
"Um... we should give up on him because he's already engaged
to too many other women and trying to force ourselves on him will only
aggravate an already serious situation?"
Makoto, Minako, Usagi and Rei looked at Ami like she had just
swallowed a cow and declared that it tasted like chicken. She blushed
under their combined stares, and turned to Usagi for help.
"That was what you meant, right? I mean, he's already got his
hands full with his other fiancees and we shouldn't complicate his life
needlessly, right?"
Usagi shook her head, disappointed that Ami of all people would
miss the point so completely. She sat Ami down beside her, and gently
explained things as slowly as she could.
"Ami, we're defenders of _love_ and justice. Ranma doesn't love
those women. We can't just stand here and do nothing while a gorgeous,
innocent hunk of a guy is forced to marry a woman he doesn't love. We
have to _save_ Ranma from those other fiancees of his so he can find
true happiness."
Usagi stood up, striking a heroic pose along with Rei, Makoto
and Minako. Ami sat quietly and watched them plan Ranma's rescue. She
decided not to mention that Ranma didn't exactly love them either.
*****
Cologne turned off the television and made her way back towards
the couch. She sat for a few moments, deeply in thought, before getting
onto her cane and hopping downstairs to the Nekohanten. She made her
way to the kitchen, where Shampoo was busy cooking ramen.
"Shampoo, let me finish that for you. I have an errand for you
to run."
Shampoo turned towards Cologne and smiled as she took off her
apron. "Okay, great-grandmother. What you want Shampoo to do?"
Cologne looked around before answering, making sure that there
was no one around to hear what she was about to say.
"I want you to go to Juuban and find out everything you can
about the Sailor Senshi."
*****
Author's notes:
More to come about the mysterious cloaked figures later, as
well as on the bat girls! I would like to thank Ash, Vex, Chester, and
Seaver for all of the help they gave me with this chapter.
I've become busy with school work lately, so new chapters may
take a bit longer to come out from this point on. Sorry, but I have no
control over my workload.
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters.