Disclaimer: There are many kinds of people. I am the kind that writes
free fanfiction about characters I do not own.
Warning: Lime! Lime! Lime! Lime! Lime! Lime! Lime! Lime! Lime! Lime!
Warning: Altaverse (Keichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is
all messed up.)
"words"
'thoughts'
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 7.5
'Scenes from the Life of Athan'
by Jose Argao
Sailor Jupiter looked incredulously at the bouquet of roses
that Athan was holding out towards her. She would have thought he'd at
least wait a few months before trying anything, but there he was. He
wasn't even apologizing, the arrogant bastard.
"How can you expect me to take you back so soon after what you
did, Athan? You lied to me, and I need some time to myself before I can
forgive you, if I ever do."
Athan yawned tiredly, not really listening to what she was
saying. He pushed her aside, walking into her room like he owned it.
He threw the roses towards her dresser, the stems falling neatly into
a decorative vase that she had been keeping on top of it. For the
hundredth time since she had met him, she wondered how he was able to
do that. Athan stretched, the action causing his breasts to pull tight
against his uniform.
"Come on, you've had all night! How much more time do you need?
You should be happy that I'm into you again. We both know you want me,
so why don't we just skip the preliminaries and get to the part where
you admit your love for me."
Electricity cackled and sparked across Sailor Jupiter's skin
as her anger flared in response to Athan's words. Just who did he think
he was? He wasn't even really a _he_ right now! She stood still and
stared as the ranting, stacked red-head ignored her.
"Come on, I haven't got all day. It'd be much easier for both
of us if you just admit your love for me as soon as possible. I have
six more to go so I'm kinda in a hurry."
That was the last straw for the angry senshi. She focused her
energy and let loose with the most powerful blast she had used in a
long while.
"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"
Athan immediately jumped out of the blast's way the moment she
released it, but he was still thrown through several walls by the
shockwave that resulted from it. He lay still for a few seconds, then
groggily shook his head as he recovered.
"What'd ya do _that_ for?"
She smiled at him as he looked up at her, confusion evident in
his eyes. She effortlessly picked him up and carried him back to her
room. He yowled in pain as she unceremoniously dumped him onto her bed.
"I have something to do right now, but I'll be back later.
Until then, I want you to think about what you said and where you went
wrong."
*****
Makoto shifted positions, dreaming about the things she could
do to a helpless Ranma in her bedroom.
*****
"What are _you_ doing here? Didn't you hear the Queen? We're
onto you, Athan. You can't fool me twice."
Sailor Mercury angrily slammed her bedroom window shut,
blocking her former lover from view. She had thought that locking her
doors would keep him away, but she had obviously underestimated his
resolve. How was he able to climb up to her window anyway?
She sighed deeply and walked slowly over to her bed. She
reached for her computer and opened a password protected file. It was
an image file showing herself and Athan during better times. She was
so happy back then. She remembered how Athan had always been quick to
give compliments, always ready to reassure her of her womanhood. He
wasn't at all like the rest of the men she knew, who recoiled in fear
from her power. Sailor Saturn may have had it worse than the rest of
the senshi, but they were all feared for their power to some extent.
It didn't help matters that she was almost as deathly afraid
of them as they were of her. She wondered how they would react if
they ever found out that the great and powerful senshi of Mercury
wasn't even brave enough to make the first move on a relationship.
She laughed bitterly.
She wondered if she would ever be able to find another man
who could look at her without a trace of fear in his heart. She was
distracted from her thoughts when something slammed against her
windows, breaking the glass into a thousand pieces and rolling into
her room before curling up into a fetal position. She shook her head
in disgust before walking over to Athan.
"I thought I made it clear that you weren't welcome here. If
you think that I will be any more merciful than Sailor Jupiter was
last month, you are mistaken."
Athan moved slightly, the minor cuts on his arms trickling
blood. Sailor Mercury reflected silently that she would have to
patch him up first before sending him away. She was retrieving her
first aid kit from a cabinet when Athan mumbled something under his
breath.
"I think I'm dying."
She quickly ran towards Athan, searching his body for signs
of a major injury. She had assumed that any injuries he had received
from the glass shards were minor. She picked up her computer and ran
it over Athan's body. She frowned as she looked at the display. It
indicated that Athan was fine, aside from a few cuts on his arms.
Surely he didn't think he would die from a few minor wounds. He was
a seasoned fighter who had survived worse injuries, after all.
"What are you up to this time, Athan? The computer says that
you're fine."
Athan's eyes opened and he looked up at her with a confused
expression.
"Are you sure that's all? But... I woke up this morning and
there was this incredible pain I've never felt before. I don't
understand what it is, and I'm bleeding too."
"Of course you're bleeding, that's what happens when you get
cut." She looked at Athan closely, trying to determine whether he was
lying or not.
Athan glanced at his arms, seemingly noticing his injuries for
the first time. "No, I'm not talking about these. It's something much,
much worse."
Athan pulled himself into a sitting position and motioned for
her to come closer. She held her head nearer to him, worried about what
was wrong with him. He whispered something in her ear, and she went
slack jawed at his revelation. She looked at him with wonder, not sure
what to say. He took her hands in his and locked eyes with her.
"Am I going to die?"
They sat that way for a while, neither of them moving a muscle.
After a full minute of silence, she couldn't hold back anymore. She
started laughing. Athan's expression changed from worried to annoyed in
the span of a few seconds. He crossed his arms in front of him and
turned his head away in disgust.
"I don't see what's so funny about it. I mean, I'm dying here
and all you can do is laugh it up. I went here because I thought you
were the only person I could count on to help me. I guess I was wrong."
Sailor Mercury forced herself to stop laughing and held his
face in her hands, turning his gaze back to herself. He could be so
adorable sometimes, when he was clueless like this.
"You're not going to die, Athan. You see, every woman goes
through a period of 'special time' every month. This is occasionally
accompanied by cramps..."
*****
Ami giggled lightly, turning over in her bed. It wasn't every
night that she got dreams as amusing as this one.
*****
"What are you doing in here? Get out of my room, Athan. You've
had your chance and you blew it. I want nothing more to do with you, so
why don't you just leave."
Sailor Mars tried to hold back her anger as she stared down
the diminutive red-head in front of her. Athan had a lot of nerve to
come here and try winning her back. After everything he had done, he
should be happy he wasn't executed on the spot.
"Look, I'm really sorry about what happened. I just want to set
things right."
The raven-haired senshi of Mars looked at Athan, who was giving
her a look of intense sadness and remorse. She fell for that look once,
but not anymore.
"You don't want to set things right, Athan, you just want your
old body back. You're using me again, just like you used me before."
She held back her sobs as she looked at him, but she could not hide the
tears that fell across her cheeks.
Athan stepped closer to her, offering his shoulder to cry on.
It would be so easy, just to let go of her anger and lose herself in
the comfort of his embrace. In spite of the feminine curves that he
now possessed, he was still Athan. He was still the same man who had
won her affections. Still the same man who had led her on and played
her like a flute.
She punched him in the gut.
She left him there, doubled over in pain. He obviously hadn't
expected her to do that, and it gave her a measure of comfort to know
that she could still surprise him. She had been afraid that he could
read her like a book. Now she knew it was only because she was leaving
herself open for perusal. The next time they meet, he'd be expecting
more physical abuse.
Then she'd jump his bones.
She smiled to herself as she walked down the hall. She'd show
him just how unpredictable she could be.
*****
Rei smiled as she slept, happy that Ranma had finally received
what was coming to him.
*****
Setsuna looked at Athan with pure rage in her eyes and a bar
of soap in her hands. She blew an annoying bubble off her nose and
contemplated what manner of death was most fitting for such a pervert.
She clenched and unclenched her hands, frustrated that she couldn't
stand up from the tub without fueling his sick, twisted fantasies for
the next few months.
"Explain yourself, Athan. I am warning you, this had better
be good."
Athan covered his eyes with his hands, but the sudden action
caused the towel he had been using as cover to fall to the floor. He
quickly scrambled to cover his privates with his hands, and ended up
tangling the towel in his feet.
"Please don't kill me! I'm so sorry! I just wanted to take a
bath!"
She threw her brush at him, growling angrily when it missed him
completely. This was definitely the most embarrassing situation she had
ever experienced, even counting that time Sailor Uranus caught her
picking her nose.
"This is a private suite available only to royalty and visiting
nobles. What makes you think you are allowed to use its bath? You are
just a guard, after all, regardless of who you may have slept with in
the past. Answer quickly, for your very life depends on your response."
Athan's face paled at her words. "I couldn't take a bath with
the other guards! They kept trying to fondle me!"
She was not convinced. "Why did you not just bathe with the
maids then?"
Athan was shaking by now, and part of her noticed that his
jiggling breasts were larger than her own and stood highly on his chest
with no support at all. He replied quickly when he saw her growing even
angrier.
"They didn't want me bathing with them! They threw me out!
Queen Serenity told me I could use one of the private baths instead. I
didn't know this was your room, honest!"
She fought to calm herself. What he was saying made sense, and
it wasn't exactly her room anyway. She had just been too tired to walk
all the way to her new quarters last night and she decided to sleep in
the first vacant room she came upon instead. She was the keeper of time
after all, and had no need to seek permission to use any of the rooms
in the palace.
"There are over a thousand vacant rooms in this palace, each
with its own bath. You expect me to believe that you entered the one
I was occupying at exactly the middle of my bath totally by accident?"
Athan smiled at her. "Um... I guess. Strange, isn't it?"
She glared at him. "I am not amused. You will leave at once,
and you will make no mention of this to anyone or I shall have your
tongue! Am I making myself clear?"
Athan quickly ran out of the room, leaving her alone once more.
Her chest was heaving, and she was perspiring heavily from her brief
encounter with him. There were few people in the entire solar system
that could get under her skin like this, and one of them had to live
under the same roof. Granted, the roof was quite large and she didn't
have to stay at the palace if she didn't want to, but the fact that
she would need to put up with Athan if she _did_ choose to stay in the
palace frustrated her to no end. She had been hoping to relax in her
bath for a while longer, but he had ruined her mood.
She got up and rinsed herself quickly, putting on a robe after
drying herself. She was just about to leave when Athan's head poked
through the door once more.
"Um... when you said that you'd 'have my tongue'..."
She cut him off before he could finish his sentence. "I did
_not_ mean it that way, Athan. Now leave!"
She pointed towards the hallway to emphasize her command, and
her robe flew open to reveal her naked body to Athan's gaze.
"Um... I don't think you dried your legs properly, Set-chan,
they're still wet."
She hurriedly closed her robe and reached for the Garnet Rod.
The symbol of her power gave out a pale green glow as she held it.
"I swear that if you do not leave this instant..."
Athan closed the door and left, presumably for good this time.
She sighed in exasperation and proceeded to dry her legs again.
*****
Setsuna sat up in her bed as she suddenly awakened from her
slumber. It had taken her ages to get to sleep, and she was annoyed at
having awakened in the middle of the night.
Slowly, the details of her dream came back to her. For the
first time in centuries, she blushed.
*****
"Of course I forgive you, Athan. What you did is in the past,
and I'm not one to hold a grudge."
Sailor Uranus filled two glasses with wine and offered one to
Athan. She smiled affably at him while he sipped his drink. She placed
her own glass on the table beside her.
"Thanks, that's very nice of you. To tell you the truth, I was
kinda nervous about coming here when you invited me."
Athan smiled at her in return, drinking even more of his wine
after doing so. He continued to drink until he had emptied the crystal
glass of its contents. He put it down on the table beside the other
glass, and settled down comfortably in his chair.
"Why would you be nervous, Athan? I don't bite. Not unless you
want me to, anyway. Here, why don't you have some more wine."
She filled Athan's glass with wine again and offered the drink
to him. She watched him as he nervously gulped its contents. She sat
closer to him and leaned against his side.
"Well, the others have been... less forgiving than you."
Athan reached for the bottle and refilled his glass, taking a
big sip from it before putting it back down. He loosened his collar and
slid as far away from Sailor Uranus as the sofa in her bedroom allowed.
She giggled at his embarrassment and slid after him, leaning against
his side as she had been doing before.
"Why are you trying to get away from me, Athan? You weren't
like this before. Don't you like me anymore? There's no reason to be
afraid. I won't hurt you like the others."
Athan tried to get up, but she held him fast. She pulled his
face towards her and leaned forward, whispering in his ear.
"Don't you want to have a little fun, Athan? Just like old
times."
Athan was struggling with all of his strength by now. He might
have been able to break free in his old body, but his female body
simply wasn't able to overcome her strength.
"Please, we mustn't! I'm a girl right now, can't you see that?"
She giggled again, amused at his bashfulness. She reflected
that he must not have been used to being in the submissive side of a
relationship. She drew his head towards her again, and whispered her
reply to him with the huskiest voice she could muster.
"I don't care about it if you don't, Athan."
Athan tried one more time to break free. The expression on his
face was growing more and more worried, but his struggles were getting
progressively weaker as time passed.
"I care, Uranus! I really, _really_ care! Please, just let me
go and I won't say anything to anyone about this."
Uranus loosened her hold on him a little. His face was turning
an unhealthy shade of blue, and she didn't want him to choke to death
or anything.
"I don't think you'll be saying anything to anyone either way,
so why should I release you?"
Upon hearing his words, Athan's strength suddenly increased as
he realized what was about to happen. He ran out the door, screaming.
Sailor Uranus chose not to give chase. She simply picked up the wine
bottle and noted that Athan had consumed nearly half of its contents.
He wouldn't get very far.
*****
Sailor Neptune impatiently waited along the hallway near her
bedroom. If everything went as planned, Athan would come running down
the hallway towards his own room. She turned her head towards the
direction he should be coming from impatiently and noted with a little
annoyance that he still hadn't arrived. She grew worried. Perhaps
something had gone wrong.
She was just about to go and check on him when Athan appeared.
He wasn't running, as she expected. He was walking slowly, holding onto
the walls for support. He must have had a little more to drink than
they anticipated. She hurriedly walked towards him and held his arm to
support him.
Athan looked at her and smiled weakly as he held onto her arm.
He allowed himself to be led to her room without complaint. She sat him
down on her own bed before asking questions.
"What happened, Athan?"
Athan took a few deep breaths to calm himself before speaking.
His speech was slurred, and he was obviously having a lot of trouble
staying awake.
"Uranus... her room... have to... get away..."
She lifted him to a standing position by his arms again, and
led him to the far corner of her room. She pushed her left hand against
a nondescript portion of the wall, and it parted to reveal a dark room
hidden within. She led him inside and lay him down on a bed located
in a corner.
"Why don't you rest here for a while. You've had a lot of that
wine Uranus offered you, and you're probably going to be unconscious
for a few hours. Don't worry, she'll never guess that you're in here."
Athan smiled at her and closed his eyes. She walked slowly away
from him towards her own room. She had plenty of things to do before he
awoke, and the earlier she started the earlier she would be done. She
was just about to close the hidden door when she heard him speak again.
"Wait... the wine... I didn't tell you... how..."
She grinned. He had a sharp mind. Somehow, it seemed fitting
that his intelligence was now enclosed in a female body. It had been
very unnerving to her in the past when he exhibited flashes of great
wisdom as a man.
"Don't worry about that, Athan. Just sleep it all off and
everything will be better when you wake up."
*****
Michiru and Haruka woke simultaneously from sleep and stared
at each other. They stared silently at each other for a few seconds,
each trying to figure out what the other was thinking. Finally, Haruka
broke the silence.
"Do you want to go to sleep again?"
Michiru shook her head in response. The silence resumed until
a smile formed in each of their faces. Michiru spoke first.
"Wanna play a game instead?"
Haruka giggled and turned on their bedside lamp. She got up
and made her way towards the closet.
"I'll get the clothes, you get the props."
Neither of them got much sleep that night.
*****
"I must say that I wasn't expecting you to come to me for help.
I am not exactly the person people come to for healing."
Sailor Saturn continued dabbing at Athan's wounds with a wash
cloth and proceeded to bandage them with clean white strips of cloth.
She had been surprised when he came to her quarters requesting
treatment, but she did not refuse him help. He may have been the same
man who had betrayed the rest of the senshi, but she herself bore no
anger for him. She briefly considered using her powers to heal him,
but in the end opted against it. It was rare indeed that anyone would
come to see her, and he was as good company as anyone else in the
kingdom. She intended to keep him visiting her as long as it took to
heal all of his injuries naturally. With any luck, the rest of the
senshi would injure him again shortly after that.
"I know the rumors about you, but I'm not really scared or
anything."
Athan sat still as she tended to his injuries. She could
see him repressing a wince every now and then when she hit a sore spot,
but he otherwise ignored any pain there might be.
"Whatever rumors you have heard of my power, they can never
compare to what I am truly capable of. Do you not fear the fact that
I can obliterate an entire planet by myself if I really wanted to?"
Athan considered her question for a few seconds before giving
his answer.
"Well, the way I figure it, if you wanted to do that you would
have done it already. Besides, if you really wanted my head then there
really isn't much point in running, right?"
Sailor Saturn mulled his response over in her mind. She knew
that his logic was flawed in some fundamental way, but she could not
put her finger on exactly what was wrong with his reasoning. She found
him to be extremely fascinating. She decided that she rather liked
talking with him.
"Well, that's certainly a perspective that few others in our
kingdom share."
She finished bandaging one of his wounds and started cleaning
another one. She was most impressed with the burns Sailor Jupiter had
caused. They were inflicted in such a way as to be extremely painful,
but they left no scars. It was a marked difference from when she was
just starting out and she repeatedly vaporized her targets, along with
anything else that happened to be within a few meters of them. As for
Neptune and Uranus' handiwork, the welts were already starting to
disappear. She wondered how they had learned to handle whips with such
accuracy.
"Well, that's their own problem. The way I see it, there are
worse ways to die than getting killed by a beautiful lady."
She smiled at the compliment, a faint blush developing on
her cheeks. She wasn't used to being the recipient of compliments for
her physical appearance. She had resigned herself to the fact that
no man would ever fancy her. Athan, however, was starting to change
her mind about it.
Of course, he was technically a woman, but you can't have
your cake and eat it too.
"You know I wouldn't kill you, Athan. The Queen would be
terribly upset if you died."
Athan chuckled at her comment. She found herself fascinated
with his laugh. It was unmistakably female because of his new voice,
but it carried none of the restraint the other women of the kingdom
had when laughing. He laughed freely, like a man would. It was really
quite adorable.
"Why don't you tell that to your little senshi friends? They
don't seem to realize it."
She finished with his right arm and gestured for him to turn
around to his other side so she could reach the other one. She talked
to him as she looked over the condition of his left arm.
"Actually, they _do_ realize it. If they didn't, you'd be in
a lot worse shape than you are right now. You may not believe me, but
the Queen likes you a lot."
This time Athan laughed out loud, wincing as his actions caused
her to rub a little too hard on a bruise.
"Likes me? If she likes me, then why do I have these?"
He gestured towards his large, firm breasts. She looked at them
closely for the first time. They were really quite beautiful. She found
herself comparing them to her own chest. She decided not to dwell on
the fact that they were larger than her own, since he wasn't really
part of her competition.
"If she didn't like you, you wouldn't be alive at all. You
should be thankful that you're still breathing."
Athan looked at his freshly bandaged limbs and got up. He
stood up and stretched a few times before answering.
"I guess you're right, Saturn. I should be going now. I'll
see you later, okay? Hopefully the others would have realized that
they're madly in love with me by then and I'd be a man again."
Sailor Saturn looked at him and sighed. He really _did_ believe
all those things he was saying. He'd be back for more treatments before
the week was over for sure.
"Yes, Athan. I believe we will be seeing quite a bit of each
other in the coming months."
*****
Hotaru turned over as she slept, a grin forming on her pretty
face.
*****
Sailor Venus looked herself over in her full length mirror,
looking for signs of imperfection. She found none.
Her long blonde hair was as soft and shiny as ever. Her figure
was still perfect, and her legs were still a sight to behold. Her chest
size was still something to be proud of, though recent events had
revealed that they weren't as unusually large as she had previously
thought. In her own unbiased opinion, she was still one of the most
beautiful creatures the solar system had ever known.
However, in spite of this fact, Athan _still_ hadn't contacted
her in weeks. Everyone in the kingdom knew of his ill-fated visits to
Jupiter and Mars, as well as the bath incident with Pluto, but that
was not all. If the rumors were to be believed, he had also spent a
considerable amount of time in the company of Neptune and Uranus, and
had gone to see Mercury at least once. Normally she wouldn't have paid
any attention to the gossip circulating between the handmaidens, but
why else would Athan blush bright red whenever in their presence?
As if that were not enough, there were also rumors circulating
that he was engaging in secret meetings with Sailor Saturn! Didn't he
know the things she was capable of?
Needless to say, it was getting to be _quite_ embarrassing for
a woman of her beauty. Being passed up for Sailor Saturn was not
something she had ever considered as a possibility. She angrily turned
away from the mirror and sat on her bed, deep in thought.
What was wrong with Athan anyway? Couldn't he recognize a
gorgeous woman when he saw one? What could the others possibly have to
offer that she could not?
Then it dawned upon her.
Although she was definitely more attractive than any of them
on their own, she could never hope to compete with all of them at once.
The other senshi had joined forces to steal Athan from her! It was the
only answer that made sense. She could hardly believe their audacity.
They had probably seduced him in his vulnerable female state right
after he was transformed. In fact, they were probably with him right
now, having a private party that she wasn't invited to.
She paced back and forth across her room, furious that the
others could stoop so low. Athan was also at fault. How could he allow
himself to be seduced so easily? Didn't he know that the senshi of love
had something better to offer?
Then, another idea dawned upon her.
They were probably after her as well! It would explain all the
weird looks she had been getting from Uranus recently. Who could have
guessed that her great beauty would eventually lead to this mess? They
knew she fancied Athan, so they ensnared him to force her to join in
their disgusting sex games. They thought they had it all figured out,
but she'd show them. Sailor Venus was no fool.
She was interrupted from her thoughts by a knock on her door.
Upon opening the door, she found herself face to face with the
object of her affections himself.
"I'm sorry about the things I did, Venus. I hope you can find
it in your heart to forgive me. If there's anything at all I could do
to make it up to you, just tell me."
Sailor Venus seethed as she listened to his lies. He spoke of
asking for forgiveness, but he was attending private parties with the
rest of the senshi. He was probably going to ask her to engage in a
menage a trois or something, the pervert. She decided not to give him
the chance.
"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"
The look of confusion and surprise on his face right before
the large golden heart hit him on his chest gave her a large measure
of satisfaction. It served him right for going to Saturn before her.
*****
Minako clutched her teddy bear tighter against her chest. She
would show Ranma that only with the senshi of love could he hope to
find true happiness. The kind of happiness that not even a room full
of amorous non-venusian senshi could match.
*****
"Tell me about my eyes again, Athan."
Princess Serenity happily stroked Athan's arm as she listened
for more of his lovely compliments. She couldn't understand why her
mother had punished him. He kept saying the nicest things to her, and
he was the most romantic man she had ever known.
Of course, he was a woman at the moment, but that could easily
be fixed. They were in love after all, and love could overcome
anything. Besides, the punishment her mother gave him seemed to have
worked. He never used to pay any attention to her. Lately, however,
he was always by her side, telling her how beautiful and kind she was.
She decided that she really liked Athan.
"They're the color of the clearest blue skies I have seen on
earth, your highness. They have a beauty that the finest gems in the
kingdom could never hope to match. I could look at those eyes and be
lost in them for the rest of eternity."
Athan looked straight at her as he spoke, touching the side
of her face with the back of his hand. She held onto it, marveling at
how soft it was to the touch. She wondered if his hands were like
this even when he was in his old body.
"There you are, my love! I have found you at last! Long have
I searched the palace grounds for a glimpse of your lovely visage."
Princess Serenity winced upon hearing those words. It was that
silly little prince of Earth again. What was his name? She vaguely
remembered it as starting with an 'I', or was that an 'E'? Something
like 'Indemion'. In any case, he was the latest in a long line of
princes that had come to claim her heart as his own.
He was actually a far cry from the others who came before him.
For one thing, he wasn't grossly overweight. That was the best thing
about him, in her honest opinion. Her other suitors were all members
of noble families whose parents had spoiled them with too much food and
too little exercise. Add to that the fact that he had what Sailor
Venus had referred to as 'the tightest buttocks in the galaxy', and she
found herself eagerly anticipating his arrival. She had even taken the
time to wear her most revealing gown when he arrived. Their first
meeting should have been perfect, if not for one thing...
*****
"Welcome to the Lunar Palace, Prince Endymion. I am Queen
Serenity, and this is my daughter. Introduce yourself, my dear."
Princess Serenity nervously curtsied and sat back on her
throne. She could hardly think straight, he was so handsome! He wasn't
anything at all like the others. Perhaps he was 'the one'.
"I am Princess Serenity. I hope you enjoy your stay here."
She smiled cutely at him, just like Sailor Jupiter had taught
her. Her tutors had all insisted that she remain calm and aloof, but
she wasn't about to take any chances with this one. He was simply too
good a catch to let go. She could go back to being aloof when the
other suitors came calling. She wanted to jump into his arms right
then and there, but smiling at him was as far off procedure as she
dared to venture.
She sighed. Being the kind and beautiful princess of a kingdom
that ruled over the entire solar system wasn't all it was cracked up
to be.
"I am Prince Endymion. I have come to... what's that?"
They all turned towards the side of the room, where Setsuna
was angrily walking towards the throne. She was clad only in a loose
fitting robe, and her hair was dripping wet. She held the Garnet Rod
in one hand and her eyes were twitching erratically. She quickly
brushed the hapless Prince Endymion aside and faced the Queen, talking
even before she finished turning.
"He has done it again, your highness! I _demand_ that he
be punished for this latest affront! It is simply impossible for an
individual to accidentally catch me in the midst of bathing more
than five times in less than two months!"
The nobles gathered in the throne room were all gawking at the
enraged senshi of Pluto. However, one tap of the Garnet Rod against the
marble floor caused all of them to avert their eyes. Setsuna may have
been half naked, but she was still a force to be feared. Perhaps even
more so in this state than normally.
Queen Serenity regarded her with calm eyes. It disappointed her
to see one of her most trusted advisors reduced to this. Still, she had
to admit that the sight of Setsuna in such a state was quite amusing.
"Calm yourself, Setsuna. Do you not see that we have guests?"
Setsuna turned towards Endymion, who felt himself shrinking
under her intense gaze. He nervously shifted his weight from one foot
to another as he avoided locking eyes with her. He sighed thankfully
when she turned back towards the Queen and resumed talking.
"I apologize, your highness. It will not happen again. However,
I must insist that you resolve this matter immediately. Athan cannot be
allowed to continue his lecherous ways. I recommend that he be thrown
into the snake pit."
Queen Serenity arched an eyebrow. Setsuna had been growing more
and more... eccentric since she had refused to execute Athan.
"Setsuna, we do not have a snake pit."
Setsuna waved her comment off. "Then we shall simply have to
construct one. The point is that Athan is a boil on the face of the
Moon Kingdom that must be dealt with as soon as possible."
The Queen closed her eyes and counted to ten before opening
them again. It was an old technique she had learned to hold her
emotions in check. Athan was starting to become more trouble than he
was worth.
"Would you care to enlighten me as to what he has done that
would justify throwing him into a pit of dangerous reptiles, then?"
Setsuna gripped the Garnet Rod harder as she told her tale of
woe. "I had chosen to stay at one of the rooms in the west wing, as you
advised. Because Athan was staying at the east side of the palace, I
was not worried about him walking into my bath as he has done in the
past. I bolted the door to the bath shut anyway just to be sure. Less
than five minutes into my bath, however, he crashed through the window
and fell into the tub."
Queen Serenity frowned. This was starting to confuse her. "How
did he know which room you were staying in?"
Setsuna tapped her staff impatiently as she answered, the glow
of power emanating from it frightening the nobles present into leaving
the throne room.
"I do not know how, and I am not interested in finding out.
The point is that he has committed a crime of the highest order and
must be executed, preferably by being thrown into a snake pit."
Queen Serenity spared a glance at Prince Endymion. He was still
standing a short distance to Setsuna's side. She felt relief that he
hadn't run away. Setsuna's stares had been known to cause that reaction
in some of the men who had experienced them. She turned back towards
the keeper of time, intent upon ending the discussion quickly.
"Where is Athan now?"
Setsuna replied quickly, obviously having anticipated this
question.
"I believe he shall be joining us shortly, your highness."
She nodded towards Endymion and spoke one word.
"Catch."
The moment her lips closed, the glass roof collapsed over a
confused Endymion. He scrambled to avoid the sharp shards of glass as
they fell around him, but was sent to the ground by something heavy
falling on top of him anyway.
Princess Serenity gazed at the unconscious form of Athan as
Prince Endymion held him. She felt annoyed at having her introduction
to her future husband interrupted.
She had never fully forgiven Athan for ignoring her past
attempts to catch his attention. If she got a gold ring for every
handkerchief she had dropped in front of him she would have had
two gold rings by now. He simply ignored her, and that fact frustrated
her to no end. She was the princess! What kind of a man did not want
to be married to a princess? If he had just chosen her over the senshi,
she smugly reflected, he wouldn't have been turned into a woman in the
first place.
Queen Serenity carefully worded her reply before answering. It
took her all of three seconds to come up with an answer that accurately
conveyed her feelings on the matter.
"No."
Setsuna's mouth fell slack as she stared dumbfounded at the
Queen. Surely she wouldn't condone him this time! Greater men have been
executed for more trivial crimes!
"But... but your highness..."
Queen Serenity waved her hand dismissively.
"I have made my decision. Your attack on Athan is punishment
enough for his crime."
Setsuna opened her mouth to speak again, but stopped at the
last minute. Once the Queen had made up her mind, there was little
anyone could do or say to change it. She walked away, muttering about
favoritism and snake pits.
After Setsuna had left, the young princess and her mother
turned back towards the stunned prince of earth, who was still holding
onto Athan while Saturn and Mercury looked over his injuries. Queen
Serenity gestured towards Sailor Saturn, who walked to the front of
the throne and bowed low.
"What is his condition?"
Sailor Saturn stood up before answering her.
"He suffered many minor cuts from the glass as well as a few
burns from Pluto's attack, but he shall be fine after a few weeks. It
would appear that Sailor Pluto was able to exercise some restraint
when she dealt with him."
The Queen stood and walked over to where Endymion was carrying
Athan, followed closely by the princess. It never ceased to amaze her
how much trouble he could get into. In some strange way, it endeared
him to her. She stroked the pretty face she had given him, thankful for
the amazing healing powers she had bestowed upon him as part of the
change. Athan would never have survived the wrath of a vengeful senshi
without them. She turned to Endymion, who had been silent since Setsuna
came into the room.
"I must apologize for this incident, Prince Endymion. I assure
you that it is an isolated occurrence that will not be repeated."
The young price raised his head towards her before answering.
"May I ask who this young maiden is and why you refer to her
in masculine terms?"
Queen Serenity smiled at him. He was so naive. "I am afraid
that the information you are seeking is a secret that I cannot discuss
freely. Why do you ask?"
Endymion held the red haired maiden's face in his eyes as he
answered. "She is beautiful."
The other senshi rushed to aid the princess when she suddenly
fainted.
*****
Princess Serenity shuddered at the memory. Beside her, Athan's
expression changed to a look of annoyance as they waited for him to
arrive.
Despite all of their pleas to the Queen, she had refused to
allow them to explain the situation to the prince. No one outside the
palace was to be told of how a mere earthling had brought such chaos
to the Moon Kingdom's highest circles. Because of this, they had to
pretend that Athan was one of her own handmaidens.
It was hard for all of them, herself most of all. Her mother
had insisted on it, however, since pretending that he was one of the
senshi's servants would have created a new mess just to deal with which
one got him. It was rather amusing how Athan was loved and hated by
the senshi at the same time.
"I left an invitation for you to come to breakfast with me.
Did you not receive it?"
Princess Serenity watched Athan ball his hands into fists as
Indemion approached. He was about to leap into an attack, but she held
him back with her hand. If there was one thing that she had learned
during her years as a princess, it was how to deal with unwanted
suitors.
"I am afraid that we received no such invitation, Prince
Indemion. The messenger must have lost it."
The prince stopped abruptly, confusion evident in his eyes.
To his credit, however, he managed to recover within moments of his
momentary slip and was once again the picture of calm confidence when
he spoke.
"Your highness, I am afraid that you are mistaken. My name is
Endymion, not Indemion."
She nodded briskly, taking Athan by the arm and walking back
towards the palace. he couldn't very well follow them into her private
quarters, could he? What was his name again?
"I apologize for the misunderstanding, Prince Edimion. Rest
assured that I shall remember your name correctly next time."
She quickly whisked Athan away before the prince could reply
and didn't stop walking until they had arrived at her room. She sat
him down on her bed and took the space beside him, leaning into his
side and stroking his arm once more.
"Tell me about my lips this time, Athan."
*****
Luna squirmed in her sleep, pressing her feline body closer to
Usagi. The young blonde had been stroking her fur for quite some time,
and she found the sensation to be very soothing. Whatever it was that
Usagi was dreaming about, Luna hoped she would dream about it often.
She purred contentedly before falling asleep.
*****
"Don't you ever give up?"
Endymion continued running as fast as his feet could take him,
chasing after the lovely young woman that he had decided was to be his
bride. He knew she was special right from the moment he first laid eyes
on her. She fell from the heavens straight into his waiting arms. If
that wasn't a divine sign, he didn't know what was. He stayed
by her side until she awoke, but she ran off the moment she saw him.
It was only much later that he learned from the Queen of her status as
the princess' handmaiden.
He still couldn't understand why everyone referred to her using
masculine terms, however. Surely they could see the evidence to the
contrary. He decided not to think about it too much. It was probably
some obscure custom his tutors had neglected to teach him when he was
still a child. He made a mental note to look up lunar customs in a book
the moment he returned to earth.
He could understand her hesitance to accept him, of course. The
poor little thing was probably just shy. He certainly could not blame
her. It wasn't everyday that a prince expressed interest in a mere
handmaiden. If he could only get her to spend some time with him, he
was sure she would realize that they were meant for each other.
If only she wasn't such a fast runner.
He watched her duck quickly around a corner, and followed her.
The moment he made the turn, however, he was hit by a stiff kick to the
groin. He groaned out loud as he slowly fell to his knees. He forced
his eyes open to find out who his attacker was. He saw the smiling face
of Lady Athan staring back at him. He opened his mouth to speak, but
his voice failed him. He winced in pain as she lifted him to his feet
by his collar.
"I'm only going to say this once, so pay attention. The people
here refer to me in masculine terms because I _am_ a man. It would take
too long to explain why, but I assure you that I am most definitely not
interested in anything you may have to offer. Now leave me alone!"
He leaned on the wall for support as he watched her walk away.
He had assumed that she was merely avoiding him because she was shy. He
was wrong. She wasn't shy at all.
She was confused!
Doubtless, it was exactly like his own rather unique childhood.
His father died when he was very young, and he spent his youthful days
in the castle with his mother listening to her stories of brave knights
in shining armor rescuing beautiful princesses from enchanted castles
and the like. Naive as he was, he spent a sizable chunk of his youth
dreaming of being rescued from the boring castle he called home by a
handsome knight riding a mighty steed.
He could still remember the look of pure shock in his mother's
eyes the first time he voiced his dreams out to her. Luckily, all the
military training his mother put him through managed to correct his
decidedly lopsided view of the world. Now he knew that it was the women
who stayed in the castle doing whatever it was that women did while
the men went out to do important things like hunt and wage war.
He vowed to enlighten Lady Athan about her place in the world
before he went home. Afterwards, she could change her name to something
more feminine and they would be married and have ten children which she
would take care of while he got the business of waging war over with so
he could spend his later years hunting. Yes, he was lucky indeed that
his mother had taken the necessary steps to correct his self-image.
Now, it was his turn to do Lady Athan the same favor.
*****
Mamoru sat up in bed, his body covered in sweat. He had just
experienced one of those weird dreams again. Just like the others that
came before it, this one made no sense at all. He decided to just
ignore it and go back to sleep. At least he didn't have the one where
Usagi rescued him from Beryl while wearing a suit of medieval armor.
*****
"Mmmmmmmmm..."
Athan awoke from his slumber wearing a huge smile on his face.
After almost a year of hard work, he was finally going to get his old
body back. He chuckled to himself at the memory of how easy it had
been. After today, he would go back home to Earth where he wouldn't
have to take any more abuse from angry senshi, whiny princesses, and
grabby princes. He looked towards his right and stroked the hair of
the beautiful woman that lay by his side. It seemed like an eternity
had passed since he had last admired a conquest, and he relished the
moment. He closed his eyes as he held her silky smooth locks between
his fingers and relived the events that had led up to this moment in
his mind.
He had been devastated to find out that there was nothing
Princess Serenity could do to help him recover his lost body. After his
disastrous attempts at regaining the affections of the senshi, she was
his last hope. When the Queen rejected her request to give him back his
old body, he felt as if his life had already ended. He just couldn't
bear the thought of living out the rest of his days as a woman.
He went through his journal, each entry corresponding to one
of his former lovers. He had completely filled out the regular pages
years ago. All that was left was for him to place entries in the last
ten pages. They were reserved for the eight senshi, the princess, and
finally the Queen. He ran his hand through the empty page where Queen
Serenity's entry would have been. Now he would never be able to fill
it out.
Or could he?
After that fateful evening, he spent the next few months in
close contact with the Queen. His task of gaining the affections of
the Sailor Senshi made it easy to do so. During this time, he used
every trick he knew on her. Finally, after months of effort, she had
succumbed to his charms. He felt his heart swell with pride at the
thought.
Suddenly, he felt another hand holding his own. He looked down
to see the result of all his hard work grinning at him. He smiled at
her.
"Good morning, your highness. I did not think you would awaken
for a few hours yet. We've had a busy night."
He wrapped his arms around her as she sat up on the bed. The
same bed that he had dreamed of sharing with her since he first stepped
into the castle. She raised her right hand and held his arms to
herself.
"I am the Queen, Athan. I rise with the sun regardless of how
tired I may be. It is my duty."
He watched her get up and make her way to the bath. He thought
about bringing up his promised reward, but decided against it. He
remained under the soft sheets as Serenity prepared herself for her
morning duties, savoring the afterglow of a job well done.
A few minutes later, she emerged wrapped in a long silk robe
that covered her body from neck to toe. He marveled at her ability to
appear extremely attractive despite the fact that nearly every part of
her anatomy was left to the imagination. Then again, it might have been
that very fact that made her seem so desirable.
He watched her dress with the same detached interest he felt
for all of his conquests. Now that the chase was over and he had
obtained what he needed from her, he wasn't really interested anymore.
She stopped in the middle of her activities from time to time to flash
him a warm smile, and he thought of how amusing it was that in a few
weeks time she would probably be the farthest thing from his mind. He
waited patiently until she had finished dressing, then cleared his
throat to let her know that he had something to say. She smiled at him
again as she turned, and he suddenly felt himself shudder at her
expression.
It was her smile. A smile that could only belong to someone who
was absolutely sure that everything would go as he planned. The same
smile he used to see on his own face reflected in the mirror every
morning.
He shuddered. He suddenly found himself wanting to get this
over with as quickly as possible.
"About that reward we discussed..."
Serenity gave him another one of those creepy smiles. He felt
an urge to turn and run build inside him, but he stayed put. He had
waited too long and worked too hard to give up now. He repressed a
shudder as she held a hand in front of her and concentrated. A pale
glow started to emanate from the crescent symbol located on her
forehead and bathed the room in its soft glow. He felt her power
course through his body once again. He closed his eyes as the light
she was radiating grew brighter and brighter. A few moments later,
it was over. He opened his eyes and looked at himself.
He was still a she.
His mouth fell open in speechless wonder. Had he been a female
for so long that he had begun to see himself that way? Did something
go wrong? He looked towards Queen Serenity's face for answers, and
found the same smile looking back at him. He tried to speak, but the
words wouldn't come. Finally, she answered his unspoken question
before he had a chance to ask it.
"Yes, Athan, your body is still completely female."
He started to stutter as he slowly regained control of his
speech.
"But... but we agreed... you... you... you said..."
Serenity smiled at him and held his face in her hands. He
found himself without the will to stop her.
"My dear Athan. The agreement was that I would make you into
a man, and I did exactly that. You see, there was no need for me to
modify anything. You have always been a man, in all the ways that
count. Even as you inhabit a female body, your thoughts and actions
remain distinctly male. If you wish to recover your old male body, we
have already discussed the terms needed for me to grant that request.
Now, I suggest you get dressed yourself. I believe my daughter wishes
you to describe her eyes again."
Athan managed to utter a single sentence before she made her
way out of the room.
"You lied to me."
She stopped upon hearing his words, and turned back to him.
She was still wearing that smile that he now loathed.
"Let us get one thing straight, Athan. I did not _lie_ to you.
I may have led you to believe something that was not entirely true,
but I didn't lie to you. I am sure that you are familiar with the
technique, having used it yourself countless times."
A lone tear fell from Athan's right eye, despite his best
efforts to hold it back. Serenity continued talking.
"Why the long face, Athan? You have just spent the night with
the most powerful individual in the Moon Kingdom. Was that not your
goal from the beginning? Last night was what you have been building
up to, was it not?"
Another tear fell from his left eye, and he blinked his eyes
to hold back the rest of them. Serenity did not take notice.
"Let me tell you why you feel sadness, Athan. It is because I
used you. I gave you all the words that you wanted to hear and I let
you believe things that were not true because it was in my best
interest to do so. I gave no thought to how my actions might affect
you, or how you would feel after all was said and done."
She cupped his face in her hands and wiped away his tears.
"I sense a noble spirit within you, Athan. You have the
potential for greatness. Only one who was truly gifted could have
done what you have done or gone as far as you have reached. However,
you can never fully realize your potential on your own. You need
the help of other people. People who care about you. People who
love you. The first step towards earning the love of others consists
of loving them yourself, and the process of loving others begins
with understanding their feelings. I am giving you the rest of the
month off. I want you to think about what I have said."
So saying, she left. Athan remained seated on the bed for a
long while after that, but he managed to get to his feet eventually.
On his way to the door, he passed by a mirror. He frowned at the
pretty face that looked back at him. He formed a fist with his right
hand and struck it with all the power he could muster.
*****
"Wake up, Ranma!"
Ranma awoke suddenly and found himself staring into the eyes
of Kasumi Tendo. She was shaking him vigorously, concern evident in
her eyes. He shook his head a few times to clear his thoughts and
turned to her.
"Kasumi, what happened?"
He was taken aback when Kasumi suddenly engulfed him in a hug.
"Oh Ranma, I was so worried! You were crying in your sleep, and
I couldn't wake you up!"
He stroked her back as she held him, trying to recall what
his dream was about. Try as he would, however, he simply could not
remember. He turned his attention back towards the young woman in
his arms, and froze.
Apparently, Kasumi didn't wear much to sleep. The filmy
fabric of her sleep wear clung to her body like a second skin. He
could feel every curve of her body as she pressed tightly against
him. He reflexively pushed her back with both hands, trying to
think of anything other than how her body felt against his.
"I'm fine now, Kasumi. It was just a bad dream. You can go back
to your room now."
Kasumi reluctantly let him go.
"If you say so, Ranma. Are you sure you don't want to have a
cup of hot chocolate or anything? I could give you a massage to relax
you if you want."
Ranma shivered at the thought of receiving a massage from
Kasumi in his current state. He quickly stood up and pushed her out of
the room.
"I'm really sure, Kasumi. It was just a weird dream. I'm fine,
really."
He closed the door behind her and made his way back to the
futon he slept in. He looked towards his left and saw his father
sleeping soundly. He settled down and went to sleep, all thoughts
of his dream gone from his mind.
*****
"Finally, I can get to sleep!"
Urd yawned as she turned off her Yggdrasil terminal. It had
taken forever to get those dreams just right, and she was looking
forward to getting a good night's sleep. She wearily got up and made
her way back to her room. She needed to get some sleep at least. She
had big plans for tomorrow.
*****
Author's Notes.
I would like to thank Ash, Chester, Vex, Helmut Steeg, and
Seaver for all of the help they gave me with this story.
I would also like to thank Allyn Yonge, Chameleon, JJang13977,
John Boydston, SPM, Matthew Lewis, The Dragonbard, Joel N. Fischoff
and all the other people who helped answer my SM-related questions.
Well, there you have it. The Athan side-story. I hope you
enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Watch for a lot of
Urd action on the next chapter of A Time for Wild Horses!
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters.
Omake*****Omake*****Omake*****Omake*****Omake*****Omake*****Omake***
Sailor Uranus nodded to Sailor Neptune, signaling for the
bucket of water to be dumped over Athan. He coughed violently when
he finally came to, and she chuckled lightly as she watched him. He
looked around the room for a few moments before he noticed the two of
them looking at him. He tried to jump away, but the leather straps
that bound him to the sturdy metal frame held fast. He pulled at
them a few times before giving up in frustration. He glared daggers
at them before yelling at Sailor Neptune.
"You told me she wouldn't find me here!"
Sailor Neptune stood up and walked around him, examining him
as if for the first time.
"No, I said she'd never guess you were here. She didn't, of
course. She didn't have to, since I told her myself."
His facial expression became a mask of anger and pain as he
digested her words.
"You set me up."
Sailor Uranus walked towards him and cradled his head in her
hands. She spoke softly as she stroked his feminine cheeks.
"Yes we did, Athan. Don't worry, we'll make it up to you."
He didn't resist as he had before. All the strength had gone
from his limbs. He silently accepted her touch, as if resigned to his
fate. Sailor Neptune raised his head to face her own, and spoke softly
to him.
"Do you have any idea of what we are going to do to you?"
His reply came out as a whisper, almost too soft to be heard.
Fortunately, the room they were in was shielded from all outside noises
and she was able to understand him. It was only one word, but it spoke
volumes.
"Yes."
She couldn't held but admire his courage. Others who knew of
what was to happen would have been screaming at the top of their lungs
for help by now. No matter, he would be screaming soon enough anyway.
She decided to taunt him with a question.
"Well then, let's begin."
She picked up a whip that was lying on the floor and raised it
over her head. She was just about to deliver the first strike when he
stopped her by raising his hands and moving them around. She put the
whip back down and crossed her arms in front of her.
"What do you want?"
He looked at her with pleading eyes. "Please, I just want to
ask a question before we start."
She raised her eyebrows in surprise. What could he possibly
want to ask at a time like this?
"What is it?"
He looked back and forth between the two of them and took a few
moments to breath before answering.
"Aren't those outfits supposed to be black?"
She looked at Sailor Neptune's sea-green leather outfit and
her own blue version of it. She had been surprised when Queen Serenity
handed them out to the senshi, but they had come in handy despite her
doubts. She supposed it couldn't hurt to answer his question.
"There are some things that not even a senshi can go against,
and color scheme is one of them. Now shut up, you miserable little
worm! You will speak when spoken to and not otherwise. Oh, and you
will refer to me as your mistress for the rest of the evening... or
you shall be punished."
End Omake
free fanfiction about characters I do not own.
Warning: Lime! Lime! Lime! Lime! Lime! Lime! Lime! Lime! Lime! Lime!
Warning: Altaverse (Keichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is
all messed up.)
"words"
'thoughts'
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 7.5
'Scenes from the Life of Athan'
by Jose Argao
Sailor Jupiter looked incredulously at the bouquet of roses
that Athan was holding out towards her. She would have thought he'd at
least wait a few months before trying anything, but there he was. He
wasn't even apologizing, the arrogant bastard.
"How can you expect me to take you back so soon after what you
did, Athan? You lied to me, and I need some time to myself before I can
forgive you, if I ever do."
Athan yawned tiredly, not really listening to what she was
saying. He pushed her aside, walking into her room like he owned it.
He threw the roses towards her dresser, the stems falling neatly into
a decorative vase that she had been keeping on top of it. For the
hundredth time since she had met him, she wondered how he was able to
do that. Athan stretched, the action causing his breasts to pull tight
against his uniform.
"Come on, you've had all night! How much more time do you need?
You should be happy that I'm into you again. We both know you want me,
so why don't we just skip the preliminaries and get to the part where
you admit your love for me."
Electricity cackled and sparked across Sailor Jupiter's skin
as her anger flared in response to Athan's words. Just who did he think
he was? He wasn't even really a _he_ right now! She stood still and
stared as the ranting, stacked red-head ignored her.
"Come on, I haven't got all day. It'd be much easier for both
of us if you just admit your love for me as soon as possible. I have
six more to go so I'm kinda in a hurry."
That was the last straw for the angry senshi. She focused her
energy and let loose with the most powerful blast she had used in a
long while.
"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"
Athan immediately jumped out of the blast's way the moment she
released it, but he was still thrown through several walls by the
shockwave that resulted from it. He lay still for a few seconds, then
groggily shook his head as he recovered.
"What'd ya do _that_ for?"
She smiled at him as he looked up at her, confusion evident in
his eyes. She effortlessly picked him up and carried him back to her
room. He yowled in pain as she unceremoniously dumped him onto her bed.
"I have something to do right now, but I'll be back later.
Until then, I want you to think about what you said and where you went
wrong."
*****
Makoto shifted positions, dreaming about the things she could
do to a helpless Ranma in her bedroom.
*****
"What are _you_ doing here? Didn't you hear the Queen? We're
onto you, Athan. You can't fool me twice."
Sailor Mercury angrily slammed her bedroom window shut,
blocking her former lover from view. She had thought that locking her
doors would keep him away, but she had obviously underestimated his
resolve. How was he able to climb up to her window anyway?
She sighed deeply and walked slowly over to her bed. She
reached for her computer and opened a password protected file. It was
an image file showing herself and Athan during better times. She was
so happy back then. She remembered how Athan had always been quick to
give compliments, always ready to reassure her of her womanhood. He
wasn't at all like the rest of the men she knew, who recoiled in fear
from her power. Sailor Saturn may have had it worse than the rest of
the senshi, but they were all feared for their power to some extent.
It didn't help matters that she was almost as deathly afraid
of them as they were of her. She wondered how they would react if
they ever found out that the great and powerful senshi of Mercury
wasn't even brave enough to make the first move on a relationship.
She laughed bitterly.
She wondered if she would ever be able to find another man
who could look at her without a trace of fear in his heart. She was
distracted from her thoughts when something slammed against her
windows, breaking the glass into a thousand pieces and rolling into
her room before curling up into a fetal position. She shook her head
in disgust before walking over to Athan.
"I thought I made it clear that you weren't welcome here. If
you think that I will be any more merciful than Sailor Jupiter was
last month, you are mistaken."
Athan moved slightly, the minor cuts on his arms trickling
blood. Sailor Mercury reflected silently that she would have to
patch him up first before sending him away. She was retrieving her
first aid kit from a cabinet when Athan mumbled something under his
breath.
"I think I'm dying."
She quickly ran towards Athan, searching his body for signs
of a major injury. She had assumed that any injuries he had received
from the glass shards were minor. She picked up her computer and ran
it over Athan's body. She frowned as she looked at the display. It
indicated that Athan was fine, aside from a few cuts on his arms.
Surely he didn't think he would die from a few minor wounds. He was
a seasoned fighter who had survived worse injuries, after all.
"What are you up to this time, Athan? The computer says that
you're fine."
Athan's eyes opened and he looked up at her with a confused
expression.
"Are you sure that's all? But... I woke up this morning and
there was this incredible pain I've never felt before. I don't
understand what it is, and I'm bleeding too."
"Of course you're bleeding, that's what happens when you get
cut." She looked at Athan closely, trying to determine whether he was
lying or not.
Athan glanced at his arms, seemingly noticing his injuries for
the first time. "No, I'm not talking about these. It's something much,
much worse."
Athan pulled himself into a sitting position and motioned for
her to come closer. She held her head nearer to him, worried about what
was wrong with him. He whispered something in her ear, and she went
slack jawed at his revelation. She looked at him with wonder, not sure
what to say. He took her hands in his and locked eyes with her.
"Am I going to die?"
They sat that way for a while, neither of them moving a muscle.
After a full minute of silence, she couldn't hold back anymore. She
started laughing. Athan's expression changed from worried to annoyed in
the span of a few seconds. He crossed his arms in front of him and
turned his head away in disgust.
"I don't see what's so funny about it. I mean, I'm dying here
and all you can do is laugh it up. I went here because I thought you
were the only person I could count on to help me. I guess I was wrong."
Sailor Mercury forced herself to stop laughing and held his
face in her hands, turning his gaze back to herself. He could be so
adorable sometimes, when he was clueless like this.
"You're not going to die, Athan. You see, every woman goes
through a period of 'special time' every month. This is occasionally
accompanied by cramps..."
*****
Ami giggled lightly, turning over in her bed. It wasn't every
night that she got dreams as amusing as this one.
*****
"What are you doing in here? Get out of my room, Athan. You've
had your chance and you blew it. I want nothing more to do with you, so
why don't you just leave."
Sailor Mars tried to hold back her anger as she stared down
the diminutive red-head in front of her. Athan had a lot of nerve to
come here and try winning her back. After everything he had done, he
should be happy he wasn't executed on the spot.
"Look, I'm really sorry about what happened. I just want to set
things right."
The raven-haired senshi of Mars looked at Athan, who was giving
her a look of intense sadness and remorse. She fell for that look once,
but not anymore.
"You don't want to set things right, Athan, you just want your
old body back. You're using me again, just like you used me before."
She held back her sobs as she looked at him, but she could not hide the
tears that fell across her cheeks.
Athan stepped closer to her, offering his shoulder to cry on.
It would be so easy, just to let go of her anger and lose herself in
the comfort of his embrace. In spite of the feminine curves that he
now possessed, he was still Athan. He was still the same man who had
won her affections. Still the same man who had led her on and played
her like a flute.
She punched him in the gut.
She left him there, doubled over in pain. He obviously hadn't
expected her to do that, and it gave her a measure of comfort to know
that she could still surprise him. She had been afraid that he could
read her like a book. Now she knew it was only because she was leaving
herself open for perusal. The next time they meet, he'd be expecting
more physical abuse.
Then she'd jump his bones.
She smiled to herself as she walked down the hall. She'd show
him just how unpredictable she could be.
*****
Rei smiled as she slept, happy that Ranma had finally received
what was coming to him.
*****
Setsuna looked at Athan with pure rage in her eyes and a bar
of soap in her hands. She blew an annoying bubble off her nose and
contemplated what manner of death was most fitting for such a pervert.
She clenched and unclenched her hands, frustrated that she couldn't
stand up from the tub without fueling his sick, twisted fantasies for
the next few months.
"Explain yourself, Athan. I am warning you, this had better
be good."
Athan covered his eyes with his hands, but the sudden action
caused the towel he had been using as cover to fall to the floor. He
quickly scrambled to cover his privates with his hands, and ended up
tangling the towel in his feet.
"Please don't kill me! I'm so sorry! I just wanted to take a
bath!"
She threw her brush at him, growling angrily when it missed him
completely. This was definitely the most embarrassing situation she had
ever experienced, even counting that time Sailor Uranus caught her
picking her nose.
"This is a private suite available only to royalty and visiting
nobles. What makes you think you are allowed to use its bath? You are
just a guard, after all, regardless of who you may have slept with in
the past. Answer quickly, for your very life depends on your response."
Athan's face paled at her words. "I couldn't take a bath with
the other guards! They kept trying to fondle me!"
She was not convinced. "Why did you not just bathe with the
maids then?"
Athan was shaking by now, and part of her noticed that his
jiggling breasts were larger than her own and stood highly on his chest
with no support at all. He replied quickly when he saw her growing even
angrier.
"They didn't want me bathing with them! They threw me out!
Queen Serenity told me I could use one of the private baths instead. I
didn't know this was your room, honest!"
She fought to calm herself. What he was saying made sense, and
it wasn't exactly her room anyway. She had just been too tired to walk
all the way to her new quarters last night and she decided to sleep in
the first vacant room she came upon instead. She was the keeper of time
after all, and had no need to seek permission to use any of the rooms
in the palace.
"There are over a thousand vacant rooms in this palace, each
with its own bath. You expect me to believe that you entered the one
I was occupying at exactly the middle of my bath totally by accident?"
Athan smiled at her. "Um... I guess. Strange, isn't it?"
She glared at him. "I am not amused. You will leave at once,
and you will make no mention of this to anyone or I shall have your
tongue! Am I making myself clear?"
Athan quickly ran out of the room, leaving her alone once more.
Her chest was heaving, and she was perspiring heavily from her brief
encounter with him. There were few people in the entire solar system
that could get under her skin like this, and one of them had to live
under the same roof. Granted, the roof was quite large and she didn't
have to stay at the palace if she didn't want to, but the fact that
she would need to put up with Athan if she _did_ choose to stay in the
palace frustrated her to no end. She had been hoping to relax in her
bath for a while longer, but he had ruined her mood.
She got up and rinsed herself quickly, putting on a robe after
drying herself. She was just about to leave when Athan's head poked
through the door once more.
"Um... when you said that you'd 'have my tongue'..."
She cut him off before he could finish his sentence. "I did
_not_ mean it that way, Athan. Now leave!"
She pointed towards the hallway to emphasize her command, and
her robe flew open to reveal her naked body to Athan's gaze.
"Um... I don't think you dried your legs properly, Set-chan,
they're still wet."
She hurriedly closed her robe and reached for the Garnet Rod.
The symbol of her power gave out a pale green glow as she held it.
"I swear that if you do not leave this instant..."
Athan closed the door and left, presumably for good this time.
She sighed in exasperation and proceeded to dry her legs again.
*****
Setsuna sat up in her bed as she suddenly awakened from her
slumber. It had taken her ages to get to sleep, and she was annoyed at
having awakened in the middle of the night.
Slowly, the details of her dream came back to her. For the
first time in centuries, she blushed.
*****
"Of course I forgive you, Athan. What you did is in the past,
and I'm not one to hold a grudge."
Sailor Uranus filled two glasses with wine and offered one to
Athan. She smiled affably at him while he sipped his drink. She placed
her own glass on the table beside her.
"Thanks, that's very nice of you. To tell you the truth, I was
kinda nervous about coming here when you invited me."
Athan smiled at her in return, drinking even more of his wine
after doing so. He continued to drink until he had emptied the crystal
glass of its contents. He put it down on the table beside the other
glass, and settled down comfortably in his chair.
"Why would you be nervous, Athan? I don't bite. Not unless you
want me to, anyway. Here, why don't you have some more wine."
She filled Athan's glass with wine again and offered the drink
to him. She watched him as he nervously gulped its contents. She sat
closer to him and leaned against his side.
"Well, the others have been... less forgiving than you."
Athan reached for the bottle and refilled his glass, taking a
big sip from it before putting it back down. He loosened his collar and
slid as far away from Sailor Uranus as the sofa in her bedroom allowed.
She giggled at his embarrassment and slid after him, leaning against
his side as she had been doing before.
"Why are you trying to get away from me, Athan? You weren't
like this before. Don't you like me anymore? There's no reason to be
afraid. I won't hurt you like the others."
Athan tried to get up, but she held him fast. She pulled his
face towards her and leaned forward, whispering in his ear.
"Don't you want to have a little fun, Athan? Just like old
times."
Athan was struggling with all of his strength by now. He might
have been able to break free in his old body, but his female body
simply wasn't able to overcome her strength.
"Please, we mustn't! I'm a girl right now, can't you see that?"
She giggled again, amused at his bashfulness. She reflected
that he must not have been used to being in the submissive side of a
relationship. She drew his head towards her again, and whispered her
reply to him with the huskiest voice she could muster.
"I don't care about it if you don't, Athan."
Athan tried one more time to break free. The expression on his
face was growing more and more worried, but his struggles were getting
progressively weaker as time passed.
"I care, Uranus! I really, _really_ care! Please, just let me
go and I won't say anything to anyone about this."
Uranus loosened her hold on him a little. His face was turning
an unhealthy shade of blue, and she didn't want him to choke to death
or anything.
"I don't think you'll be saying anything to anyone either way,
so why should I release you?"
Upon hearing his words, Athan's strength suddenly increased as
he realized what was about to happen. He ran out the door, screaming.
Sailor Uranus chose not to give chase. She simply picked up the wine
bottle and noted that Athan had consumed nearly half of its contents.
He wouldn't get very far.
*****
Sailor Neptune impatiently waited along the hallway near her
bedroom. If everything went as planned, Athan would come running down
the hallway towards his own room. She turned her head towards the
direction he should be coming from impatiently and noted with a little
annoyance that he still hadn't arrived. She grew worried. Perhaps
something had gone wrong.
She was just about to go and check on him when Athan appeared.
He wasn't running, as she expected. He was walking slowly, holding onto
the walls for support. He must have had a little more to drink than
they anticipated. She hurriedly walked towards him and held his arm to
support him.
Athan looked at her and smiled weakly as he held onto her arm.
He allowed himself to be led to her room without complaint. She sat him
down on her own bed before asking questions.
"What happened, Athan?"
Athan took a few deep breaths to calm himself before speaking.
His speech was slurred, and he was obviously having a lot of trouble
staying awake.
"Uranus... her room... have to... get away..."
She lifted him to a standing position by his arms again, and
led him to the far corner of her room. She pushed her left hand against
a nondescript portion of the wall, and it parted to reveal a dark room
hidden within. She led him inside and lay him down on a bed located
in a corner.
"Why don't you rest here for a while. You've had a lot of that
wine Uranus offered you, and you're probably going to be unconscious
for a few hours. Don't worry, she'll never guess that you're in here."
Athan smiled at her and closed his eyes. She walked slowly away
from him towards her own room. She had plenty of things to do before he
awoke, and the earlier she started the earlier she would be done. She
was just about to close the hidden door when she heard him speak again.
"Wait... the wine... I didn't tell you... how..."
She grinned. He had a sharp mind. Somehow, it seemed fitting
that his intelligence was now enclosed in a female body. It had been
very unnerving to her in the past when he exhibited flashes of great
wisdom as a man.
"Don't worry about that, Athan. Just sleep it all off and
everything will be better when you wake up."
*****
Michiru and Haruka woke simultaneously from sleep and stared
at each other. They stared silently at each other for a few seconds,
each trying to figure out what the other was thinking. Finally, Haruka
broke the silence.
"Do you want to go to sleep again?"
Michiru shook her head in response. The silence resumed until
a smile formed in each of their faces. Michiru spoke first.
"Wanna play a game instead?"
Haruka giggled and turned on their bedside lamp. She got up
and made her way towards the closet.
"I'll get the clothes, you get the props."
Neither of them got much sleep that night.
*****
"I must say that I wasn't expecting you to come to me for help.
I am not exactly the person people come to for healing."
Sailor Saturn continued dabbing at Athan's wounds with a wash
cloth and proceeded to bandage them with clean white strips of cloth.
She had been surprised when he came to her quarters requesting
treatment, but she did not refuse him help. He may have been the same
man who had betrayed the rest of the senshi, but she herself bore no
anger for him. She briefly considered using her powers to heal him,
but in the end opted against it. It was rare indeed that anyone would
come to see her, and he was as good company as anyone else in the
kingdom. She intended to keep him visiting her as long as it took to
heal all of his injuries naturally. With any luck, the rest of the
senshi would injure him again shortly after that.
"I know the rumors about you, but I'm not really scared or
anything."
Athan sat still as she tended to his injuries. She could
see him repressing a wince every now and then when she hit a sore spot,
but he otherwise ignored any pain there might be.
"Whatever rumors you have heard of my power, they can never
compare to what I am truly capable of. Do you not fear the fact that
I can obliterate an entire planet by myself if I really wanted to?"
Athan considered her question for a few seconds before giving
his answer.
"Well, the way I figure it, if you wanted to do that you would
have done it already. Besides, if you really wanted my head then there
really isn't much point in running, right?"
Sailor Saturn mulled his response over in her mind. She knew
that his logic was flawed in some fundamental way, but she could not
put her finger on exactly what was wrong with his reasoning. She found
him to be extremely fascinating. She decided that she rather liked
talking with him.
"Well, that's certainly a perspective that few others in our
kingdom share."
She finished bandaging one of his wounds and started cleaning
another one. She was most impressed with the burns Sailor Jupiter had
caused. They were inflicted in such a way as to be extremely painful,
but they left no scars. It was a marked difference from when she was
just starting out and she repeatedly vaporized her targets, along with
anything else that happened to be within a few meters of them. As for
Neptune and Uranus' handiwork, the welts were already starting to
disappear. She wondered how they had learned to handle whips with such
accuracy.
"Well, that's their own problem. The way I see it, there are
worse ways to die than getting killed by a beautiful lady."
She smiled at the compliment, a faint blush developing on
her cheeks. She wasn't used to being the recipient of compliments for
her physical appearance. She had resigned herself to the fact that
no man would ever fancy her. Athan, however, was starting to change
her mind about it.
Of course, he was technically a woman, but you can't have
your cake and eat it too.
"You know I wouldn't kill you, Athan. The Queen would be
terribly upset if you died."
Athan chuckled at her comment. She found herself fascinated
with his laugh. It was unmistakably female because of his new voice,
but it carried none of the restraint the other women of the kingdom
had when laughing. He laughed freely, like a man would. It was really
quite adorable.
"Why don't you tell that to your little senshi friends? They
don't seem to realize it."
She finished with his right arm and gestured for him to turn
around to his other side so she could reach the other one. She talked
to him as she looked over the condition of his left arm.
"Actually, they _do_ realize it. If they didn't, you'd be in
a lot worse shape than you are right now. You may not believe me, but
the Queen likes you a lot."
This time Athan laughed out loud, wincing as his actions caused
her to rub a little too hard on a bruise.
"Likes me? If she likes me, then why do I have these?"
He gestured towards his large, firm breasts. She looked at them
closely for the first time. They were really quite beautiful. She found
herself comparing them to her own chest. She decided not to dwell on
the fact that they were larger than her own, since he wasn't really
part of her competition.
"If she didn't like you, you wouldn't be alive at all. You
should be thankful that you're still breathing."
Athan looked at his freshly bandaged limbs and got up. He
stood up and stretched a few times before answering.
"I guess you're right, Saturn. I should be going now. I'll
see you later, okay? Hopefully the others would have realized that
they're madly in love with me by then and I'd be a man again."
Sailor Saturn looked at him and sighed. He really _did_ believe
all those things he was saying. He'd be back for more treatments before
the week was over for sure.
"Yes, Athan. I believe we will be seeing quite a bit of each
other in the coming months."
*****
Hotaru turned over as she slept, a grin forming on her pretty
face.
*****
Sailor Venus looked herself over in her full length mirror,
looking for signs of imperfection. She found none.
Her long blonde hair was as soft and shiny as ever. Her figure
was still perfect, and her legs were still a sight to behold. Her chest
size was still something to be proud of, though recent events had
revealed that they weren't as unusually large as she had previously
thought. In her own unbiased opinion, she was still one of the most
beautiful creatures the solar system had ever known.
However, in spite of this fact, Athan _still_ hadn't contacted
her in weeks. Everyone in the kingdom knew of his ill-fated visits to
Jupiter and Mars, as well as the bath incident with Pluto, but that
was not all. If the rumors were to be believed, he had also spent a
considerable amount of time in the company of Neptune and Uranus, and
had gone to see Mercury at least once. Normally she wouldn't have paid
any attention to the gossip circulating between the handmaidens, but
why else would Athan blush bright red whenever in their presence?
As if that were not enough, there were also rumors circulating
that he was engaging in secret meetings with Sailor Saturn! Didn't he
know the things she was capable of?
Needless to say, it was getting to be _quite_ embarrassing for
a woman of her beauty. Being passed up for Sailor Saturn was not
something she had ever considered as a possibility. She angrily turned
away from the mirror and sat on her bed, deep in thought.
What was wrong with Athan anyway? Couldn't he recognize a
gorgeous woman when he saw one? What could the others possibly have to
offer that she could not?
Then it dawned upon her.
Although she was definitely more attractive than any of them
on their own, she could never hope to compete with all of them at once.
The other senshi had joined forces to steal Athan from her! It was the
only answer that made sense. She could hardly believe their audacity.
They had probably seduced him in his vulnerable female state right
after he was transformed. In fact, they were probably with him right
now, having a private party that she wasn't invited to.
She paced back and forth across her room, furious that the
others could stoop so low. Athan was also at fault. How could he allow
himself to be seduced so easily? Didn't he know that the senshi of love
had something better to offer?
Then, another idea dawned upon her.
They were probably after her as well! It would explain all the
weird looks she had been getting from Uranus recently. Who could have
guessed that her great beauty would eventually lead to this mess? They
knew she fancied Athan, so they ensnared him to force her to join in
their disgusting sex games. They thought they had it all figured out,
but she'd show them. Sailor Venus was no fool.
She was interrupted from her thoughts by a knock on her door.
Upon opening the door, she found herself face to face with the
object of her affections himself.
"I'm sorry about the things I did, Venus. I hope you can find
it in your heart to forgive me. If there's anything at all I could do
to make it up to you, just tell me."
Sailor Venus seethed as she listened to his lies. He spoke of
asking for forgiveness, but he was attending private parties with the
rest of the senshi. He was probably going to ask her to engage in a
menage a trois or something, the pervert. She decided not to give him
the chance.
"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"
The look of confusion and surprise on his face right before
the large golden heart hit him on his chest gave her a large measure
of satisfaction. It served him right for going to Saturn before her.
*****
Minako clutched her teddy bear tighter against her chest. She
would show Ranma that only with the senshi of love could he hope to
find true happiness. The kind of happiness that not even a room full
of amorous non-venusian senshi could match.
*****
"Tell me about my eyes again, Athan."
Princess Serenity happily stroked Athan's arm as she listened
for more of his lovely compliments. She couldn't understand why her
mother had punished him. He kept saying the nicest things to her, and
he was the most romantic man she had ever known.
Of course, he was a woman at the moment, but that could easily
be fixed. They were in love after all, and love could overcome
anything. Besides, the punishment her mother gave him seemed to have
worked. He never used to pay any attention to her. Lately, however,
he was always by her side, telling her how beautiful and kind she was.
She decided that she really liked Athan.
"They're the color of the clearest blue skies I have seen on
earth, your highness. They have a beauty that the finest gems in the
kingdom could never hope to match. I could look at those eyes and be
lost in them for the rest of eternity."
Athan looked straight at her as he spoke, touching the side
of her face with the back of his hand. She held onto it, marveling at
how soft it was to the touch. She wondered if his hands were like
this even when he was in his old body.
"There you are, my love! I have found you at last! Long have
I searched the palace grounds for a glimpse of your lovely visage."
Princess Serenity winced upon hearing those words. It was that
silly little prince of Earth again. What was his name? She vaguely
remembered it as starting with an 'I', or was that an 'E'? Something
like 'Indemion'. In any case, he was the latest in a long line of
princes that had come to claim her heart as his own.
He was actually a far cry from the others who came before him.
For one thing, he wasn't grossly overweight. That was the best thing
about him, in her honest opinion. Her other suitors were all members
of noble families whose parents had spoiled them with too much food and
too little exercise. Add to that the fact that he had what Sailor
Venus had referred to as 'the tightest buttocks in the galaxy', and she
found herself eagerly anticipating his arrival. She had even taken the
time to wear her most revealing gown when he arrived. Their first
meeting should have been perfect, if not for one thing...
*****
"Welcome to the Lunar Palace, Prince Endymion. I am Queen
Serenity, and this is my daughter. Introduce yourself, my dear."
Princess Serenity nervously curtsied and sat back on her
throne. She could hardly think straight, he was so handsome! He wasn't
anything at all like the others. Perhaps he was 'the one'.
"I am Princess Serenity. I hope you enjoy your stay here."
She smiled cutely at him, just like Sailor Jupiter had taught
her. Her tutors had all insisted that she remain calm and aloof, but
she wasn't about to take any chances with this one. He was simply too
good a catch to let go. She could go back to being aloof when the
other suitors came calling. She wanted to jump into his arms right
then and there, but smiling at him was as far off procedure as she
dared to venture.
She sighed. Being the kind and beautiful princess of a kingdom
that ruled over the entire solar system wasn't all it was cracked up
to be.
"I am Prince Endymion. I have come to... what's that?"
They all turned towards the side of the room, where Setsuna
was angrily walking towards the throne. She was clad only in a loose
fitting robe, and her hair was dripping wet. She held the Garnet Rod
in one hand and her eyes were twitching erratically. She quickly
brushed the hapless Prince Endymion aside and faced the Queen, talking
even before she finished turning.
"He has done it again, your highness! I _demand_ that he
be punished for this latest affront! It is simply impossible for an
individual to accidentally catch me in the midst of bathing more
than five times in less than two months!"
The nobles gathered in the throne room were all gawking at the
enraged senshi of Pluto. However, one tap of the Garnet Rod against the
marble floor caused all of them to avert their eyes. Setsuna may have
been half naked, but she was still a force to be feared. Perhaps even
more so in this state than normally.
Queen Serenity regarded her with calm eyes. It disappointed her
to see one of her most trusted advisors reduced to this. Still, she had
to admit that the sight of Setsuna in such a state was quite amusing.
"Calm yourself, Setsuna. Do you not see that we have guests?"
Setsuna turned towards Endymion, who felt himself shrinking
under her intense gaze. He nervously shifted his weight from one foot
to another as he avoided locking eyes with her. He sighed thankfully
when she turned back towards the Queen and resumed talking.
"I apologize, your highness. It will not happen again. However,
I must insist that you resolve this matter immediately. Athan cannot be
allowed to continue his lecherous ways. I recommend that he be thrown
into the snake pit."
Queen Serenity arched an eyebrow. Setsuna had been growing more
and more... eccentric since she had refused to execute Athan.
"Setsuna, we do not have a snake pit."
Setsuna waved her comment off. "Then we shall simply have to
construct one. The point is that Athan is a boil on the face of the
Moon Kingdom that must be dealt with as soon as possible."
The Queen closed her eyes and counted to ten before opening
them again. It was an old technique she had learned to hold her
emotions in check. Athan was starting to become more trouble than he
was worth.
"Would you care to enlighten me as to what he has done that
would justify throwing him into a pit of dangerous reptiles, then?"
Setsuna gripped the Garnet Rod harder as she told her tale of
woe. "I had chosen to stay at one of the rooms in the west wing, as you
advised. Because Athan was staying at the east side of the palace, I
was not worried about him walking into my bath as he has done in the
past. I bolted the door to the bath shut anyway just to be sure. Less
than five minutes into my bath, however, he crashed through the window
and fell into the tub."
Queen Serenity frowned. This was starting to confuse her. "How
did he know which room you were staying in?"
Setsuna tapped her staff impatiently as she answered, the glow
of power emanating from it frightening the nobles present into leaving
the throne room.
"I do not know how, and I am not interested in finding out.
The point is that he has committed a crime of the highest order and
must be executed, preferably by being thrown into a snake pit."
Queen Serenity spared a glance at Prince Endymion. He was still
standing a short distance to Setsuna's side. She felt relief that he
hadn't run away. Setsuna's stares had been known to cause that reaction
in some of the men who had experienced them. She turned back towards
the keeper of time, intent upon ending the discussion quickly.
"Where is Athan now?"
Setsuna replied quickly, obviously having anticipated this
question.
"I believe he shall be joining us shortly, your highness."
She nodded towards Endymion and spoke one word.
"Catch."
The moment her lips closed, the glass roof collapsed over a
confused Endymion. He scrambled to avoid the sharp shards of glass as
they fell around him, but was sent to the ground by something heavy
falling on top of him anyway.
Princess Serenity gazed at the unconscious form of Athan as
Prince Endymion held him. She felt annoyed at having her introduction
to her future husband interrupted.
She had never fully forgiven Athan for ignoring her past
attempts to catch his attention. If she got a gold ring for every
handkerchief she had dropped in front of him she would have had
two gold rings by now. He simply ignored her, and that fact frustrated
her to no end. She was the princess! What kind of a man did not want
to be married to a princess? If he had just chosen her over the senshi,
she smugly reflected, he wouldn't have been turned into a woman in the
first place.
Queen Serenity carefully worded her reply before answering. It
took her all of three seconds to come up with an answer that accurately
conveyed her feelings on the matter.
"No."
Setsuna's mouth fell slack as she stared dumbfounded at the
Queen. Surely she wouldn't condone him this time! Greater men have been
executed for more trivial crimes!
"But... but your highness..."
Queen Serenity waved her hand dismissively.
"I have made my decision. Your attack on Athan is punishment
enough for his crime."
Setsuna opened her mouth to speak again, but stopped at the
last minute. Once the Queen had made up her mind, there was little
anyone could do or say to change it. She walked away, muttering about
favoritism and snake pits.
After Setsuna had left, the young princess and her mother
turned back towards the stunned prince of earth, who was still holding
onto Athan while Saturn and Mercury looked over his injuries. Queen
Serenity gestured towards Sailor Saturn, who walked to the front of
the throne and bowed low.
"What is his condition?"
Sailor Saturn stood up before answering her.
"He suffered many minor cuts from the glass as well as a few
burns from Pluto's attack, but he shall be fine after a few weeks. It
would appear that Sailor Pluto was able to exercise some restraint
when she dealt with him."
The Queen stood and walked over to where Endymion was carrying
Athan, followed closely by the princess. It never ceased to amaze her
how much trouble he could get into. In some strange way, it endeared
him to her. She stroked the pretty face she had given him, thankful for
the amazing healing powers she had bestowed upon him as part of the
change. Athan would never have survived the wrath of a vengeful senshi
without them. She turned to Endymion, who had been silent since Setsuna
came into the room.
"I must apologize for this incident, Prince Endymion. I assure
you that it is an isolated occurrence that will not be repeated."
The young price raised his head towards her before answering.
"May I ask who this young maiden is and why you refer to her
in masculine terms?"
Queen Serenity smiled at him. He was so naive. "I am afraid
that the information you are seeking is a secret that I cannot discuss
freely. Why do you ask?"
Endymion held the red haired maiden's face in his eyes as he
answered. "She is beautiful."
The other senshi rushed to aid the princess when she suddenly
fainted.
*****
Princess Serenity shuddered at the memory. Beside her, Athan's
expression changed to a look of annoyance as they waited for him to
arrive.
Despite all of their pleas to the Queen, she had refused to
allow them to explain the situation to the prince. No one outside the
palace was to be told of how a mere earthling had brought such chaos
to the Moon Kingdom's highest circles. Because of this, they had to
pretend that Athan was one of her own handmaidens.
It was hard for all of them, herself most of all. Her mother
had insisted on it, however, since pretending that he was one of the
senshi's servants would have created a new mess just to deal with which
one got him. It was rather amusing how Athan was loved and hated by
the senshi at the same time.
"I left an invitation for you to come to breakfast with me.
Did you not receive it?"
Princess Serenity watched Athan ball his hands into fists as
Indemion approached. He was about to leap into an attack, but she held
him back with her hand. If there was one thing that she had learned
during her years as a princess, it was how to deal with unwanted
suitors.
"I am afraid that we received no such invitation, Prince
Indemion. The messenger must have lost it."
The prince stopped abruptly, confusion evident in his eyes.
To his credit, however, he managed to recover within moments of his
momentary slip and was once again the picture of calm confidence when
he spoke.
"Your highness, I am afraid that you are mistaken. My name is
Endymion, not Indemion."
She nodded briskly, taking Athan by the arm and walking back
towards the palace. he couldn't very well follow them into her private
quarters, could he? What was his name again?
"I apologize for the misunderstanding, Prince Edimion. Rest
assured that I shall remember your name correctly next time."
She quickly whisked Athan away before the prince could reply
and didn't stop walking until they had arrived at her room. She sat
him down on her bed and took the space beside him, leaning into his
side and stroking his arm once more.
"Tell me about my lips this time, Athan."
*****
Luna squirmed in her sleep, pressing her feline body closer to
Usagi. The young blonde had been stroking her fur for quite some time,
and she found the sensation to be very soothing. Whatever it was that
Usagi was dreaming about, Luna hoped she would dream about it often.
She purred contentedly before falling asleep.
*****
"Don't you ever give up?"
Endymion continued running as fast as his feet could take him,
chasing after the lovely young woman that he had decided was to be his
bride. He knew she was special right from the moment he first laid eyes
on her. She fell from the heavens straight into his waiting arms. If
that wasn't a divine sign, he didn't know what was. He stayed
by her side until she awoke, but she ran off the moment she saw him.
It was only much later that he learned from the Queen of her status as
the princess' handmaiden.
He still couldn't understand why everyone referred to her using
masculine terms, however. Surely they could see the evidence to the
contrary. He decided not to think about it too much. It was probably
some obscure custom his tutors had neglected to teach him when he was
still a child. He made a mental note to look up lunar customs in a book
the moment he returned to earth.
He could understand her hesitance to accept him, of course. The
poor little thing was probably just shy. He certainly could not blame
her. It wasn't everyday that a prince expressed interest in a mere
handmaiden. If he could only get her to spend some time with him, he
was sure she would realize that they were meant for each other.
If only she wasn't such a fast runner.
He watched her duck quickly around a corner, and followed her.
The moment he made the turn, however, he was hit by a stiff kick to the
groin. He groaned out loud as he slowly fell to his knees. He forced
his eyes open to find out who his attacker was. He saw the smiling face
of Lady Athan staring back at him. He opened his mouth to speak, but
his voice failed him. He winced in pain as she lifted him to his feet
by his collar.
"I'm only going to say this once, so pay attention. The people
here refer to me in masculine terms because I _am_ a man. It would take
too long to explain why, but I assure you that I am most definitely not
interested in anything you may have to offer. Now leave me alone!"
He leaned on the wall for support as he watched her walk away.
He had assumed that she was merely avoiding him because she was shy. He
was wrong. She wasn't shy at all.
She was confused!
Doubtless, it was exactly like his own rather unique childhood.
His father died when he was very young, and he spent his youthful days
in the castle with his mother listening to her stories of brave knights
in shining armor rescuing beautiful princesses from enchanted castles
and the like. Naive as he was, he spent a sizable chunk of his youth
dreaming of being rescued from the boring castle he called home by a
handsome knight riding a mighty steed.
He could still remember the look of pure shock in his mother's
eyes the first time he voiced his dreams out to her. Luckily, all the
military training his mother put him through managed to correct his
decidedly lopsided view of the world. Now he knew that it was the women
who stayed in the castle doing whatever it was that women did while
the men went out to do important things like hunt and wage war.
He vowed to enlighten Lady Athan about her place in the world
before he went home. Afterwards, she could change her name to something
more feminine and they would be married and have ten children which she
would take care of while he got the business of waging war over with so
he could spend his later years hunting. Yes, he was lucky indeed that
his mother had taken the necessary steps to correct his self-image.
Now, it was his turn to do Lady Athan the same favor.
*****
Mamoru sat up in bed, his body covered in sweat. He had just
experienced one of those weird dreams again. Just like the others that
came before it, this one made no sense at all. He decided to just
ignore it and go back to sleep. At least he didn't have the one where
Usagi rescued him from Beryl while wearing a suit of medieval armor.
*****
"Mmmmmmmmm..."
Athan awoke from his slumber wearing a huge smile on his face.
After almost a year of hard work, he was finally going to get his old
body back. He chuckled to himself at the memory of how easy it had
been. After today, he would go back home to Earth where he wouldn't
have to take any more abuse from angry senshi, whiny princesses, and
grabby princes. He looked towards his right and stroked the hair of
the beautiful woman that lay by his side. It seemed like an eternity
had passed since he had last admired a conquest, and he relished the
moment. He closed his eyes as he held her silky smooth locks between
his fingers and relived the events that had led up to this moment in
his mind.
He had been devastated to find out that there was nothing
Princess Serenity could do to help him recover his lost body. After his
disastrous attempts at regaining the affections of the senshi, she was
his last hope. When the Queen rejected her request to give him back his
old body, he felt as if his life had already ended. He just couldn't
bear the thought of living out the rest of his days as a woman.
He went through his journal, each entry corresponding to one
of his former lovers. He had completely filled out the regular pages
years ago. All that was left was for him to place entries in the last
ten pages. They were reserved for the eight senshi, the princess, and
finally the Queen. He ran his hand through the empty page where Queen
Serenity's entry would have been. Now he would never be able to fill
it out.
Or could he?
After that fateful evening, he spent the next few months in
close contact with the Queen. His task of gaining the affections of
the Sailor Senshi made it easy to do so. During this time, he used
every trick he knew on her. Finally, after months of effort, she had
succumbed to his charms. He felt his heart swell with pride at the
thought.
Suddenly, he felt another hand holding his own. He looked down
to see the result of all his hard work grinning at him. He smiled at
her.
"Good morning, your highness. I did not think you would awaken
for a few hours yet. We've had a busy night."
He wrapped his arms around her as she sat up on the bed. The
same bed that he had dreamed of sharing with her since he first stepped
into the castle. She raised her right hand and held his arms to
herself.
"I am the Queen, Athan. I rise with the sun regardless of how
tired I may be. It is my duty."
He watched her get up and make her way to the bath. He thought
about bringing up his promised reward, but decided against it. He
remained under the soft sheets as Serenity prepared herself for her
morning duties, savoring the afterglow of a job well done.
A few minutes later, she emerged wrapped in a long silk robe
that covered her body from neck to toe. He marveled at her ability to
appear extremely attractive despite the fact that nearly every part of
her anatomy was left to the imagination. Then again, it might have been
that very fact that made her seem so desirable.
He watched her dress with the same detached interest he felt
for all of his conquests. Now that the chase was over and he had
obtained what he needed from her, he wasn't really interested anymore.
She stopped in the middle of her activities from time to time to flash
him a warm smile, and he thought of how amusing it was that in a few
weeks time she would probably be the farthest thing from his mind. He
waited patiently until she had finished dressing, then cleared his
throat to let her know that he had something to say. She smiled at him
again as she turned, and he suddenly felt himself shudder at her
expression.
It was her smile. A smile that could only belong to someone who
was absolutely sure that everything would go as he planned. The same
smile he used to see on his own face reflected in the mirror every
morning.
He shuddered. He suddenly found himself wanting to get this
over with as quickly as possible.
"About that reward we discussed..."
Serenity gave him another one of those creepy smiles. He felt
an urge to turn and run build inside him, but he stayed put. He had
waited too long and worked too hard to give up now. He repressed a
shudder as she held a hand in front of her and concentrated. A pale
glow started to emanate from the crescent symbol located on her
forehead and bathed the room in its soft glow. He felt her power
course through his body once again. He closed his eyes as the light
she was radiating grew brighter and brighter. A few moments later,
it was over. He opened his eyes and looked at himself.
He was still a she.
His mouth fell open in speechless wonder. Had he been a female
for so long that he had begun to see himself that way? Did something
go wrong? He looked towards Queen Serenity's face for answers, and
found the same smile looking back at him. He tried to speak, but the
words wouldn't come. Finally, she answered his unspoken question
before he had a chance to ask it.
"Yes, Athan, your body is still completely female."
He started to stutter as he slowly regained control of his
speech.
"But... but we agreed... you... you... you said..."
Serenity smiled at him and held his face in her hands. He
found himself without the will to stop her.
"My dear Athan. The agreement was that I would make you into
a man, and I did exactly that. You see, there was no need for me to
modify anything. You have always been a man, in all the ways that
count. Even as you inhabit a female body, your thoughts and actions
remain distinctly male. If you wish to recover your old male body, we
have already discussed the terms needed for me to grant that request.
Now, I suggest you get dressed yourself. I believe my daughter wishes
you to describe her eyes again."
Athan managed to utter a single sentence before she made her
way out of the room.
"You lied to me."
She stopped upon hearing his words, and turned back to him.
She was still wearing that smile that he now loathed.
"Let us get one thing straight, Athan. I did not _lie_ to you.
I may have led you to believe something that was not entirely true,
but I didn't lie to you. I am sure that you are familiar with the
technique, having used it yourself countless times."
A lone tear fell from Athan's right eye, despite his best
efforts to hold it back. Serenity continued talking.
"Why the long face, Athan? You have just spent the night with
the most powerful individual in the Moon Kingdom. Was that not your
goal from the beginning? Last night was what you have been building
up to, was it not?"
Another tear fell from his left eye, and he blinked his eyes
to hold back the rest of them. Serenity did not take notice.
"Let me tell you why you feel sadness, Athan. It is because I
used you. I gave you all the words that you wanted to hear and I let
you believe things that were not true because it was in my best
interest to do so. I gave no thought to how my actions might affect
you, or how you would feel after all was said and done."
She cupped his face in her hands and wiped away his tears.
"I sense a noble spirit within you, Athan. You have the
potential for greatness. Only one who was truly gifted could have
done what you have done or gone as far as you have reached. However,
you can never fully realize your potential on your own. You need
the help of other people. People who care about you. People who
love you. The first step towards earning the love of others consists
of loving them yourself, and the process of loving others begins
with understanding their feelings. I am giving you the rest of the
month off. I want you to think about what I have said."
So saying, she left. Athan remained seated on the bed for a
long while after that, but he managed to get to his feet eventually.
On his way to the door, he passed by a mirror. He frowned at the
pretty face that looked back at him. He formed a fist with his right
hand and struck it with all the power he could muster.
*****
"Wake up, Ranma!"
Ranma awoke suddenly and found himself staring into the eyes
of Kasumi Tendo. She was shaking him vigorously, concern evident in
her eyes. He shook his head a few times to clear his thoughts and
turned to her.
"Kasumi, what happened?"
He was taken aback when Kasumi suddenly engulfed him in a hug.
"Oh Ranma, I was so worried! You were crying in your sleep, and
I couldn't wake you up!"
He stroked her back as she held him, trying to recall what
his dream was about. Try as he would, however, he simply could not
remember. He turned his attention back towards the young woman in
his arms, and froze.
Apparently, Kasumi didn't wear much to sleep. The filmy
fabric of her sleep wear clung to her body like a second skin. He
could feel every curve of her body as she pressed tightly against
him. He reflexively pushed her back with both hands, trying to
think of anything other than how her body felt against his.
"I'm fine now, Kasumi. It was just a bad dream. You can go back
to your room now."
Kasumi reluctantly let him go.
"If you say so, Ranma. Are you sure you don't want to have a
cup of hot chocolate or anything? I could give you a massage to relax
you if you want."
Ranma shivered at the thought of receiving a massage from
Kasumi in his current state. He quickly stood up and pushed her out of
the room.
"I'm really sure, Kasumi. It was just a weird dream. I'm fine,
really."
He closed the door behind her and made his way back to the
futon he slept in. He looked towards his left and saw his father
sleeping soundly. He settled down and went to sleep, all thoughts
of his dream gone from his mind.
*****
"Finally, I can get to sleep!"
Urd yawned as she turned off her Yggdrasil terminal. It had
taken forever to get those dreams just right, and she was looking
forward to getting a good night's sleep. She wearily got up and made
her way back to her room. She needed to get some sleep at least. She
had big plans for tomorrow.
*****
Author's Notes.
I would like to thank Ash, Chester, Vex, Helmut Steeg, and
Seaver for all of the help they gave me with this story.
I would also like to thank Allyn Yonge, Chameleon, JJang13977,
John Boydston, SPM, Matthew Lewis, The Dragonbard, Joel N. Fischoff
and all the other people who helped answer my SM-related questions.
Well, there you have it. The Athan side-story. I hope you
enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Watch for a lot of
Urd action on the next chapter of A Time for Wild Horses!
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters.
Omake*****Omake*****Omake*****Omake*****Omake*****Omake*****Omake***
Sailor Uranus nodded to Sailor Neptune, signaling for the
bucket of water to be dumped over Athan. He coughed violently when
he finally came to, and she chuckled lightly as she watched him. He
looked around the room for a few moments before he noticed the two of
them looking at him. He tried to jump away, but the leather straps
that bound him to the sturdy metal frame held fast. He pulled at
them a few times before giving up in frustration. He glared daggers
at them before yelling at Sailor Neptune.
"You told me she wouldn't find me here!"
Sailor Neptune stood up and walked around him, examining him
as if for the first time.
"No, I said she'd never guess you were here. She didn't, of
course. She didn't have to, since I told her myself."
His facial expression became a mask of anger and pain as he
digested her words.
"You set me up."
Sailor Uranus walked towards him and cradled his head in her
hands. She spoke softly as she stroked his feminine cheeks.
"Yes we did, Athan. Don't worry, we'll make it up to you."
He didn't resist as he had before. All the strength had gone
from his limbs. He silently accepted her touch, as if resigned to his
fate. Sailor Neptune raised his head to face her own, and spoke softly
to him.
"Do you have any idea of what we are going to do to you?"
His reply came out as a whisper, almost too soft to be heard.
Fortunately, the room they were in was shielded from all outside noises
and she was able to understand him. It was only one word, but it spoke
volumes.
"Yes."
She couldn't held but admire his courage. Others who knew of
what was to happen would have been screaming at the top of their lungs
for help by now. No matter, he would be screaming soon enough anyway.
She decided to taunt him with a question.
"Well then, let's begin."
She picked up a whip that was lying on the floor and raised it
over her head. She was just about to deliver the first strike when he
stopped her by raising his hands and moving them around. She put the
whip back down and crossed her arms in front of her.
"What do you want?"
He looked at her with pleading eyes. "Please, I just want to
ask a question before we start."
She raised her eyebrows in surprise. What could he possibly
want to ask at a time like this?
"What is it?"
He looked back and forth between the two of them and took a few
moments to breath before answering.
"Aren't those outfits supposed to be black?"
She looked at Sailor Neptune's sea-green leather outfit and
her own blue version of it. She had been surprised when Queen Serenity
handed them out to the senshi, but they had come in handy despite her
doubts. She supposed it couldn't hurt to answer his question.
"There are some things that not even a senshi can go against,
and color scheme is one of them. Now shut up, you miserable little
worm! You will speak when spoken to and not otherwise. Oh, and you
will refer to me as your mistress for the rest of the evening... or
you shall be punished."
End Omake