Disclaimer: Don't own Ranma or Sailor Moon. All the characters from those series belong to their respective owners.
Thanks to:Kuno-Baby, Ranger5 for prereading my fic. Figured I might as well thank em in each chapter they pre read.
Now, all of you think I'm crazy because I put the Moon Kingdom as 1000 years back. I have an excuse! Really! I've watched up to S, and I don't think I've heard the actual date mentioned. So I... used the "Sailor Moon Role-playing game and resource guide." I probably shouldn't have done that, but bleh :P I'll change it to "many" instead of 1000. Be no less vague than the anime.
CC and reviews are much appreciated :)
Chapter 3 -
Ranma sighed in contentment and snuggled his pillow. It was his body's reaction to sleeping, even if he wasn't aware of it. However, something began to intrude upon his sleeping form.
"Ranma..." A voice seemed to call. Ranma mentally stretched, trying to listen hard. The voice sounded so familiar...
"Ranma..." The voice called again. Ranma began to feel he was on the verge of learning something big. He felt that the voice was about to say something of Earth shattering importance.
"Ranma... if you don't get up, your father is going to eat all your food." Kasumi's voice called out for the third time. In a flash, Ranma's eyes snapped open, and in a burst of pajama shaped blurs he was off, down the stairs like a rocket.
Genma-panda had just opened his huge mouth to take a huge bite out of some of his son's food when he felt two feet planted themselves in his skull. Unable to withstand the impact and hold Ranma's weight, the panda dropped head first onto the table. Ranma leapt off his father's head, landing at the table in a kneeling position, his hands already blurring as he started to eat.
No one paid Ranma, or his father and the sign that said "Ouch!", any mind. They were used to such scenes. Shortly, his food had been devoured and he shot up to his room to change.
Akane checked the time. "We are going to be late if he doesn't hurry up! As much as he likes food, he is almost always the last one to start eating it!"
Kasumi began to pick up the plates. "I imagine it is because he likes sleep more than food, if only a little bit." She said, carrying the plates to the kitchen to be washed.
Ranma had slowed down after he arrived in his room, his brain finally ordering him around. "What the heck am I running for? It's school. I'll just sleep through most of class anyway." He said aloud. Firm in his beliefs, he changed clothes, spiting the school system by doing it at a normal persons pace. Once he was dressed, he grabbed his school bag and walked down the stairs.
Akane was visibly annoyed. "Took you long enough, lets get out of here!" She exclaimed, before leaving the compound at a run.
Ranma sighed and shrugged. 'I guess I might as well try to be on time after all.' Ranma thought, before he too ran out, leaping on to a fence and easily catching up to Akane.
Elsewhere, an event was happening that was just as routine as Ranma's morning. Ryoga Hibiki, the eternally lost boy, was... well... lost.
"Where the hell am I now?" Ryoga asked, rather than yelling like he normally did. Mainly because yelling had scared a lot of people away from him, making it rather difficult to ask for directions. Not that he could have followed them if they had stuck around, of course, but Ryoga didn't pay that any mind.
Too sunk in his depression to notice, Ryoga passed the sign that said, in bright white letters, "Juuban Ward" without even noticing it. The place looked familiar to Ryoga, but then most places did. Even if he knew exactly how to get somewhere, he wouldn't make it.
Ryoga snorted. "Feh, Ranma is probably in school right now with Akane. Why can't that stupid idiot realize how lucky he is? He gets to be near Akane and be in school. I couldn't even make it to school twice a week." Ryoga muttered to himself, starting to glow green.
With an effort, Ryoga stopped the depression ki from leaking from his body. "I guess I'll try what I do when I get lost for a long time. Try to get anywhere besides where I'm really going. With luck, I could be at the dojo by tomorrow!" Ryoga said, cheering himself up. Ryoga's eyes focused as he looked up, noticing the street was strangely absent. "Where did everyone go?" Ryoga asked aloud, before shrugging and continuing to wander.
In the shadows of an alley, a figure that seemed to be shrouded by black energy contemplated its next move.
"So, the gatherer I summoned from that man wasn't strong enough to get any energy." A strange hissing voice said. "Unfortunately, I have not seen what destroyed it. I'm going to have to assume this city has extremely powerful residents."
The strange energy pulsed around the figure, as it held up an appendage one could assume was an arm. The blackness shifted around the figure, and it lowered its arms, as it seemed to float through the shadows of the alley it had been in.
"Spirit of darkness," The hissing voice intoned hollowly. "Find me dark energy worthy of awakening!"
The black energy flickered, before a small ball ripped itself off the main mass. The ball floated high into the air, reforming itself into an arrow shape that spun around, before pointing to the east.
The figure nodded its head, floating into the air and grabbing on to the arrow of energy, which began moving and pulling the blackness along. As the arrow pulled the figure out into the open, the sunlight danced around it, seeming to completely ignore the figure. The black energy bent the light, making the air distort and waver, and almost completely masking the figure.
The being flew through the air rapidly dragged along by the spirit of darkness. Buildings whizzed by, until the figure began to slow.
"Eh? I feel something... strange." Ryoga said, panning his gaze around. Not seeing anything, Ryoga continued on his way, at least until he heard a voice.
"Perceptive, aren't you?" A voice said from behind him. Ryoga spun around. His eyes couldn't see anything, but he could feel a twisting darkness. Ryoga reached behind his back, unhooking his combat umbrella.
"I sense a great power in you, which is fortunate for me." The figure said, with a vocal smirk. The light bending properties of the dark energy ceased, revealing the figure. With the light hitting its form, the figure stood somewhat revealed. A tall, gaunt man wearing clothes and a cape that glowed black, with the energy, seemingly diminished in the sunlight, wafting off of it. He had short, gray hair, and eyes that were utter darkness.
Ryoga snorted. "Make that unfortunate for you. I've had a bad day... for the last month. Leave me alone." He said, holding up his umbrella.
The strange man chuckled. "I think not." He said, holding up his hand. Black energy coiled inside it, before launching itself at Ryoga like a snake. Ryoga simply leapt over the blast, which ripped through the pavement.
"So, you've got some weird ki technique and you think you can beat me?" Ryoga asked, before leaping at the man and swinging his umbrella. The man simply yawned and stood his ground. As his umbrella neared him, the energy around the man suddenly leapt upwards, tearing into the umbrella and ripping it to shreds.
"My umbrella!" Ryoga exclaimed. The man laughed.
"You are going to have to worry about more than your umbrella!" He exclaimed, still laughing. "You see... huh?" He asked.
Ryoga's body had begun to glow. "That was my umbrella! My dad gave that to me one of the times we were together!" Ryoga said darkly. He growled. "Eat this! Shi Shi Hokodan!" Ryoga cried out, thrusting his palms forward. Green energy gathered swiftly, before a massive ball of power launched itself from his hands, crashing into the surprised man, bowling him over.
He groaned and picked himself up. "Why couldn't we have the ability to absorb energy?" The man mumbled rhetorically. The energy surrounding him focused itself, forming into a ball of energy and launching itself at Ryoga.
"Shi Shi Hokodan!" Ryoga cried again, launching a second ball. The two spheres of energy collided, boiling against each other in a maelstrom of power. Small spheres of energy ripped themselves off from the main mass, flying away, striking holes into the ground. Soon, however, the Shi Shi Hokodan was overwhelmed, the ball of darkness striking Ryoga, knocking him away and onto the ground.
"I was worried for a second, but even though you have great energy, it is aligned with my energies, which gives me the upper hand." He said, chuckling.
Ryoga began to get ever more depressed. "So, not only can Ranma beat me, but any old man off the streets can come up and easily destroy me. I'm a failure as a martial artist. I'm worthless." He said, his eyes downcast.
The man smirked. "Yes you are. Why don't you just give... up?" He said, pausing.
"SHI SHI HOKODAN!" Ryoga cried out, his eyes gazing heavenward as a pillar of green energy surrounded him and flew to the sky. As his head fell, the collected power fell with it, crashing into the area around him. The sheer force of the energy tagging the side of the strange man blew him into a wall.
The man groaned before picking himself up. "Aaargh... can't afford to mess around any more." He mumbled.
The emotion started to recharge itself in Ryoga's body. Ryoga looked up, noticing the man had been hurt pretty badly. "Heh, you should know not to mess with Ryoga Hibiki," Ryoga said, his depression alleviated somewhat. At least until the man pretended to casually brush himself off.
"You've got some power, but not enough to even wound me." The man said, wincing as he felt his broken bones.
Ryoga stared wide-eyed. "How can you withstand my attack?" He asked, becoming depressed again. "I'll just have to use it again!" He exclaimed.
The man shook his head. "None of that now. I'd better do this while I still can." The man murmured. He held up a hand, pointing it at Ryoga. "Awaken, power of the dark. I call forth your inner demons!" He cried, a small spear of blackness launching itself from his hands, impaling Ryoga.
Ryoga screamed as the spear embedded itself in him, causing his ki to warp wildly. It felt like someone else was controlling his ki. Ryoga growled, trying to resist the effects. However, as he had prepared himself for the Perfect Shi Shi Hokodan, he didn't have enough positive energy to resist the effects. Ryoga collapsed to the ground as energy boiled out of him, forming itself into a strange shape, that of a large, pigtailed boar man.
"Well, that's certainly an interesting shape." The man muttered. He walked over and picked up Ryoga's fallen figure, throwing him over his shoulder. He beckoned to the boar man. "Come, we have to collect enough energy to make up for the waste of yesterday." He said, before lifting into the air. The boar man grunted, and began running along the ground, managing to keep up with him.
-
The immense energy generated by the Perfect Shi Shi Hokodan did not go unnoticed. In his class at Furinkan High School, Ranma had almost succumbed to the siren call of sleep when he felt a sense of slight depression pass over him, quickly leaving him. Ranma turned his head and looked out the window. Far off in the distance, he could see a small green ball rise up into the air, and sink back down.
'Wonder what got Ryoga so depressed?' Ranma asked himself. He yawned. 'Ah well, probably sick of getting lost. The moron is in the Juuban district, yet probably won't make it here for a week.' Ranma was about to put his head back on the desk when something occurred to him.
'Wait a minute... that strange... demon thing absorbed the Shi Shi Hokodan I fired at it and got stronger off of it. If one of those things gets a hold of Ryoga...' Ranma thought. While not generally smart in the normal term, he was a genius at fighting and it didn't take much effort to think of one of the strange demons filled with Ryoga's energy. 'Damnit pig boy, why couldn't you have gotten lost somewhere safer?!' Ranma thought vehemently.
"Sensei." Ranma called. The teacher stopped writing things on the board and turned to him.
"Yes, Saotome?" The teacher asked, knowing he wouldn't like this.
"Well, I've got an important martial arts challenge about right now. I was threatened that if I didn't come, he would wreck the school." Ranma said, praying that the teacher would believe it.
The rest of the students looked cheered up, but the teacher looked panicked. "My job!" He exclaimed. The teacher forced on a calm front. "Saotome, I give you permission to attend your martial arts challenge." He said with great formality, only to note that the window was open and Ranma was gone. He sighed and turned back to continue his lecture while the other students mumbled among themselves.
"What is Ranma doing? He never said anything about a martial arts challenge." Akane whispered to herself.
The Senshi had also realized something was wrong. Rei suddenly felt like the world was a dark and terrible place. That feeling passed quickly, but she excused herself from class to gain access to her communicator.
For Ami, it was a beeping of the Mercury Computer. A discrete check of it revealed that the computer had detected an extremely large outpouring of energy, of the class "ki." She too was excused from class. She was such a good student that it wasn't very difficult to be let out of class, since the teacher's knew that she probably already knew the lesson plan for a couple weeks ahead.
One by one, the rest of the Senshi managed to extract themselves from class and find someplace to access their communicators.
"What's going on?" Usagi asked over her communicator. "My teacher isn't very happy with me."
"The Mercury Computer has detected a large explosion of ki energy." Ami said. "Rei said she felt it. Also, it seems to be the same kind of energy that was powering that strange monster we fought. I believe that there is another one around." Ami continued.
The rest could hear the crack of Makoto's knuckles over the communicator. "I'm always up for a fight! We have better transform now. If it's a false alarm, we can just leave, but if we have to transform onsite we might be in trouble." Makoto mentioned.
"It's a good idea. A lot of our fights we wait to transform even when we know something is wrong. Its better to be sorry than safe!" Minako's voice rang out.
Ami assumed the others were sweat dropping as she was. "Minako, that's better safe than sorry."
Minako sounded sheepish. "Well, I guess that works too. C'mon, lets go!" She exclaimed.
-
The shadowed figure stared down at the pigtailed boar man in thought. "What to do with you? Your primary emotion is depression, but that's difficult to deal with. I guess I'll just have you incite anger. It burns a lot hotter and makes it easier to collect energy." The man said to himself. He looked down at the unconscious Ryoga. "Even if he fails, you are quite a prize. We could get enough energy from you to keep us active for several days."
"The streets are extremely populous. It will certainly call out the enemy that destroyed the last gatherer, but I need to see who that is anyways. Gatherer, go and collect their energy!" He exclaimed, pointing. The boar man snorted and galloped away, heading to where his master had pointed.
The gatherer roared as it leapt out among the people who, unsurprisingly, screamed and started to run. With a snort, the boar man held up his hand, pointing to the sky. A red ball of energy flew up into the air, before exploding into many small fragments of energy that rained down among the people. Their eyes grew blank, and they turned to each other. With a cry of rage from each of them that echoed around the buildings, they fell onto each other in a grand melee. Small trickles of red energy began to pour forth from them and into the boar man's hand as the combat continued.
While the Senshi were on their way to the fighting, following the Mercury Computer, Ranma had ran at nearly top speed and arrived where he had seen the blast land.
"Nothing here but a crater... and a man shaped hole in the wall." Ranma said aloud. "So he was fighting somethin', but where is he now?" Ranma asked, before leaping on top of a building to get a better vantage point.
-
The man tilted his head, his eyes not really watching the fighting down below. "I feel several strange powers approaching, but I can't quite get a handle on them. And one other power source is approaching as well, but seems overflowed with mostly positive emotion." He muttered.
The Senshi ran up, and stared, appalled. Only a few citizens were still standing. Most had either run out of energy or been beaten into submission.
"This is horrible!" Sailor Moon exclaimed. The others nodded.
"So, are you the ones who destroyed my last Gatherer?" The dark man said from on the roof of a building.
"So you are the cause of this?! For hurting all these people, I won't forgive you! I'm the pretty soldier of love and justice, Sailor Moon! And in the name of the moon, I will punish you!" Sailor Moon exclaimed.
"You're going to punish me? That sounds awfully juvenile. I suppose it is to be expected." The man said. "Never mind. Gatherer, destroy them!" He exclaimed.
The people dropped to the street as the manipulations of their energy ceased. The gatherer grunted, his body swollen with stolen energy. He growled, and charged forward, his head lowered.
The Senshi scattered. "How's he supposed to hit us with his head lowered like that? I've seen stupid monsters, but this takes the cake." Jupiter said.
"Venus Love-me Chain!" Venus yelled out, as a chain of linked hearts circled the Gatherer's feet and wrapped itself around them, dropping the Gatherer on the ground.
"Well that was easy." Venus said. That was when the Gatherer flexed its legs, blowing the chain apart. Venus' jaw dropped. "Yikes!" She yelled out as the Gatherer brought itself back to its feet.
The pigtailed boar held its hands forward. Spinning green and red energies coalesced in a ball of power. With a thrust of its arms, the ball was launched at Jupiter and Mars.
"Burning Mandala!" Mars cried, launching small rings of flame at the assault.
"Sparkling Wide Pressure!" Jupiter yelled, adding the strength of her lightning to the attack. The two attacks struck the ball of energy, forcing it to stall for a few seconds. However, the attacks were soon overpowered as the spinning ball of destruction crashed near the two Senshi's feet, knocking them both onto their backs.
The gatherer began to charge more energy. However, it seemed to sense something, and spun around just as an azure ball of power slammed into it, knocking it several feet back.
"Looks like I was right." Ranma muttered as he leapt off the building he had fired the Moko Takabisha from. "Hey, its those Sailor Senshi from before."
"Ranma," Jupiter whispered as she climbed to her feet. Mars stood up as well.
The Gatherer, however, had a strange reaction as it saw the new arrival. "Saotome...." It said in an incredibly deep voice that resonated all throughout the area. "DIE!" It cried, before leaping at Ranma at speeds that something that size shouldn't have been able to move.
"Whoa!" Ranma cried, barely managing to dodge. "How do you know who I am?" Ranma asked it. The boar only snarled, and hurled a small ball of energy at Ranma, who was again forced to dodge.
"How curious. Someone you know?" The Dark Man asked the unconscious figure of Ryoga.
The Gatherer stopped moving and stood still. Its eyes bulged as green and red energies began to travel along its body. Both Ranma and Mars began to sense an immense gathering of energy.
"Aagghh, the power!" Mars exclaimed, holding her hands on her head. She began to take steps backwards in fear.
Ranma, however, could guess what was coming. "How does it know the perfect Shi Shi Hokodan?" Ranma asked. That was when he realized something. "Oh hell! If it uses it here, a lot of people are going to be killed!" No time was given for action, however.
"SHI SHI HOKODAN!" The gatherer's incredibly deep voice echoed out, before a twisting spiral of hellish red and green energies erupted around it, towering into the air. At the apex of the column of power, a gigantic ball of energy formed together.
"Stop that ball, any way you can!" Ranma yelled out. "If it falls, a lot of people will die!"
Moon nodded. "Lets do it!"
"Right!" The other Senshi said, Mars included as she managed to shake off her fear. The Senshi faced the Gatherer, calling out their attack phrases.
All the Senshi's attacks were focused on the falling ball of energy. Lightning, Fire, Ice, Energy, and a Big Heart all slammed into the ball, holding it aloft. The combined power quickly began ripping away at the energy, before the ball was disrupted and ripped apart.
"With no falling ball of energy to worry about... you are horribly open!" Ranma cried, laying into the Gatherer with a yell of, "Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!" Hundreds of brutal punches rained down on the Gatherer, which found itself unable to act as effectively as it would like because of the time needed for the recovery from its emotionless state.
After several seconds of being pummeled without being able to defend itself, the Gatherer collapsed to the ground. Unlike a person, it was unable to recover spent energy by normal means. The Perfect Shi Shi Hokodan had really been a big waste of energy.
"Sailor Moon, you have to finish it!" Sailor Mars exclaimed.
Moon nodded. "Moon Spiral Heart Attack!" She yelled, sending the Pink Heart of Doom (TM) toward the fallen Gatherer. The attack crashed through it, and without even a, "Lovely!" the monster exploded, red energy flying everywhere, most of it being returned to the people who were lying beat up unconscious on the ground. A small red and green stream flew up and entered Ryoga's body. He twitched, but did not awaken.
The Senshi and Ranma turned towards the man who had orchestrated the entire event. He looked slightly annoyed.
"Well, I see that my opponents are certainly not weaklings." He said.
"Who are you!?" Venus yelled at him.
The man tilted his head and considered the question. "Well, I've never actually thought of a real name for myself. I guess you could call me... Elion. Not that it really matters of course." Elion said. He bent down and picked up Ryoga. "Even without the energy collected from the people I've come away with quite a prize. This guy is like a battery for energy." He said.
"Ryoga!" Ranma yelled out. He prepared to leap up to attack Elion, when something else interrupted. Namely, it was an Earth Powered rose ripping itself along Elion's arm. Elion yelled out in pain as Ryoga slipped out of his arms on off of the roof.
"Gotcha!" Ranma said, grabbing Ryoga as he fell.
Elion turned to face the newcomer. His eyes twitched as he saw a man wearing a tuxedo and top hat. He stared down at the rose that had embedded itself in the roof. "I don't know whether to be embarrassed for you or for me." Elion muttered to himself. "What do you think you are doing!?" He yelled at Tuxedo Kamen.
Tuxedo Kamen tipped his hat. "I'm a bit late to do any help fighting, but I figured that as long as I was here, I could save at least one person."
"Tuxedo Kamen!" Sailor Moon said, hearts in her eyes.
Elion growled, truly annoyed this time. "Master will be extremely angry, but I'll make it up to him next time." Elion hissed, before black energy ripped along his body as he vanished.
The Senshi turned to face Ranma, with Mercury activating her visor.
"Thanks a lot for your help." Sailor Moon said. "But do you think you can tell me... how you were able to do all these neat things?"
Ranma shrugged. "Lots and lots of training. I'm the best!" He exclaimed, puffing out his chest. However, Ryoga groaned, causing Ranma to drop his pose. "Look, I gotta get him to the hospital. Be seeing you, maybe." Ranma said, before hopping onto a building. He paused, and turned his head. "Errrrr... what way is the hospital?" He asked sheepishly. Mercury wordlessly pointed in a direction. "Thanks!" Ranma said, before roof hopping off.
The Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen stared at him as he left. Venus turned to Mercury. "Is he really human?" She asked.
Mercury nodded. "The computer's scans indicate that Ranma is human, and lacking any kind of dark energy we are aware of. The scans I've done on his energy class it as, "Ki," like Mars suggested."
Jupiter still stared at where Ranma had been standing. "So you really can achieve such strength through training?" She asked in awe. "I knew he trained hard, but to be able to do such things... he must have gone through some pretty horrific training. I can't even do close to the things he does." Jupiter said.
Tuxedo Kamen shook his head. "That's pretty amazing. Well, I've got a class that I need to head to. See you later." He said with a wave, before leaping off the building.
Mercury turned to Jupiter. "By the way, my computer has managed to lock on to his energy signature. I should be able to track him relatively easy."
Jupiter smiled. "Great! All I gotta do is find out where he lives, and I can finally talk to him, without him escaping!" She said.
"Wait, wait!" Mars interjected. "You mean that computer can track auras?"
Mercury was puzzled. "I don't know what you mean. But so far as I can tell, every being has a unique energy signature. If it is strong enough, I can track it over distances." Mercury said.
Mars slapped her hand over her face. "So all these things I can do with training she can do with a computer? Arrgh!" Mars muttered.
Mercury looked shocked. "Oh no, I didn't think of it that way!" She exclaimed. Mercury thought for a second. "Don't worry! I have to use a machine; you can just use your mind! And besides, I have to scan them for a while before I manage to map out their energy signature. You can just sense it immediately, right?" Mercury said.
Mars looked slightly better. "You're right." Mars agreed.
Meanwhile, Ranma had carried Ryoga to the Juuban hospital. After dropping him off, Ranma took to the rooftops and began to head home.
'Why do they need ki?' Ranma wondered to himself as he leapt from building to building. 'Hopefully, I don't have to worry about Ryoga. He should get lost and be out of the city in no time.'
'Those Sailor Senshi are certainly powerful. But can they really handle the enemy alone? I know the old ghoul said that they have been doing this for a few years, but another monster of that class would cause them problems.' Ranma thought. 'I don't want to avoid a fight if I can help it. Finally, something worthwhile to use my martial arts on. The only problem is... Mako-chan lives here. If I frequent the area, she might be able to find me.'
Ranma leapt off the building, landing on the street of the Nerima ward. "Even if Mako-chan is there, Ranma Saotome will not be left out when it comes to fighting!" Ranma exclaimed, thrusting his fist to the heavens. Realizing how stupid it looked, he quickly dropped it and leapt onto one of the ever-present fences, running along it. Soon, he was back at the Tendo dojo, the place that he called home.
End of Chapter 3
Thanks to:Kuno-Baby, Ranger5 for prereading my fic. Figured I might as well thank em in each chapter they pre read.
Now, all of you think I'm crazy because I put the Moon Kingdom as 1000 years back. I have an excuse! Really! I've watched up to S, and I don't think I've heard the actual date mentioned. So I... used the "Sailor Moon Role-playing game and resource guide." I probably shouldn't have done that, but bleh :P I'll change it to "many" instead of 1000. Be no less vague than the anime.
CC and reviews are much appreciated :)
Chapter 3 -
Ranma sighed in contentment and snuggled his pillow. It was his body's reaction to sleeping, even if he wasn't aware of it. However, something began to intrude upon his sleeping form.
"Ranma..." A voice seemed to call. Ranma mentally stretched, trying to listen hard. The voice sounded so familiar...
"Ranma..." The voice called again. Ranma began to feel he was on the verge of learning something big. He felt that the voice was about to say something of Earth shattering importance.
"Ranma... if you don't get up, your father is going to eat all your food." Kasumi's voice called out for the third time. In a flash, Ranma's eyes snapped open, and in a burst of pajama shaped blurs he was off, down the stairs like a rocket.
Genma-panda had just opened his huge mouth to take a huge bite out of some of his son's food when he felt two feet planted themselves in his skull. Unable to withstand the impact and hold Ranma's weight, the panda dropped head first onto the table. Ranma leapt off his father's head, landing at the table in a kneeling position, his hands already blurring as he started to eat.
No one paid Ranma, or his father and the sign that said "Ouch!", any mind. They were used to such scenes. Shortly, his food had been devoured and he shot up to his room to change.
Akane checked the time. "We are going to be late if he doesn't hurry up! As much as he likes food, he is almost always the last one to start eating it!"
Kasumi began to pick up the plates. "I imagine it is because he likes sleep more than food, if only a little bit." She said, carrying the plates to the kitchen to be washed.
Ranma had slowed down after he arrived in his room, his brain finally ordering him around. "What the heck am I running for? It's school. I'll just sleep through most of class anyway." He said aloud. Firm in his beliefs, he changed clothes, spiting the school system by doing it at a normal persons pace. Once he was dressed, he grabbed his school bag and walked down the stairs.
Akane was visibly annoyed. "Took you long enough, lets get out of here!" She exclaimed, before leaving the compound at a run.
Ranma sighed and shrugged. 'I guess I might as well try to be on time after all.' Ranma thought, before he too ran out, leaping on to a fence and easily catching up to Akane.
Elsewhere, an event was happening that was just as routine as Ranma's morning. Ryoga Hibiki, the eternally lost boy, was... well... lost.
"Where the hell am I now?" Ryoga asked, rather than yelling like he normally did. Mainly because yelling had scared a lot of people away from him, making it rather difficult to ask for directions. Not that he could have followed them if they had stuck around, of course, but Ryoga didn't pay that any mind.
Too sunk in his depression to notice, Ryoga passed the sign that said, in bright white letters, "Juuban Ward" without even noticing it. The place looked familiar to Ryoga, but then most places did. Even if he knew exactly how to get somewhere, he wouldn't make it.
Ryoga snorted. "Feh, Ranma is probably in school right now with Akane. Why can't that stupid idiot realize how lucky he is? He gets to be near Akane and be in school. I couldn't even make it to school twice a week." Ryoga muttered to himself, starting to glow green.
With an effort, Ryoga stopped the depression ki from leaking from his body. "I guess I'll try what I do when I get lost for a long time. Try to get anywhere besides where I'm really going. With luck, I could be at the dojo by tomorrow!" Ryoga said, cheering himself up. Ryoga's eyes focused as he looked up, noticing the street was strangely absent. "Where did everyone go?" Ryoga asked aloud, before shrugging and continuing to wander.
In the shadows of an alley, a figure that seemed to be shrouded by black energy contemplated its next move.
"So, the gatherer I summoned from that man wasn't strong enough to get any energy." A strange hissing voice said. "Unfortunately, I have not seen what destroyed it. I'm going to have to assume this city has extremely powerful residents."
The strange energy pulsed around the figure, as it held up an appendage one could assume was an arm. The blackness shifted around the figure, and it lowered its arms, as it seemed to float through the shadows of the alley it had been in.
"Spirit of darkness," The hissing voice intoned hollowly. "Find me dark energy worthy of awakening!"
The black energy flickered, before a small ball ripped itself off the main mass. The ball floated high into the air, reforming itself into an arrow shape that spun around, before pointing to the east.
The figure nodded its head, floating into the air and grabbing on to the arrow of energy, which began moving and pulling the blackness along. As the arrow pulled the figure out into the open, the sunlight danced around it, seeming to completely ignore the figure. The black energy bent the light, making the air distort and waver, and almost completely masking the figure.
The being flew through the air rapidly dragged along by the spirit of darkness. Buildings whizzed by, until the figure began to slow.
"Eh? I feel something... strange." Ryoga said, panning his gaze around. Not seeing anything, Ryoga continued on his way, at least until he heard a voice.
"Perceptive, aren't you?" A voice said from behind him. Ryoga spun around. His eyes couldn't see anything, but he could feel a twisting darkness. Ryoga reached behind his back, unhooking his combat umbrella.
"I sense a great power in you, which is fortunate for me." The figure said, with a vocal smirk. The light bending properties of the dark energy ceased, revealing the figure. With the light hitting its form, the figure stood somewhat revealed. A tall, gaunt man wearing clothes and a cape that glowed black, with the energy, seemingly diminished in the sunlight, wafting off of it. He had short, gray hair, and eyes that were utter darkness.
Ryoga snorted. "Make that unfortunate for you. I've had a bad day... for the last month. Leave me alone." He said, holding up his umbrella.
The strange man chuckled. "I think not." He said, holding up his hand. Black energy coiled inside it, before launching itself at Ryoga like a snake. Ryoga simply leapt over the blast, which ripped through the pavement.
"So, you've got some weird ki technique and you think you can beat me?" Ryoga asked, before leaping at the man and swinging his umbrella. The man simply yawned and stood his ground. As his umbrella neared him, the energy around the man suddenly leapt upwards, tearing into the umbrella and ripping it to shreds.
"My umbrella!" Ryoga exclaimed. The man laughed.
"You are going to have to worry about more than your umbrella!" He exclaimed, still laughing. "You see... huh?" He asked.
Ryoga's body had begun to glow. "That was my umbrella! My dad gave that to me one of the times we were together!" Ryoga said darkly. He growled. "Eat this! Shi Shi Hokodan!" Ryoga cried out, thrusting his palms forward. Green energy gathered swiftly, before a massive ball of power launched itself from his hands, crashing into the surprised man, bowling him over.
He groaned and picked himself up. "Why couldn't we have the ability to absorb energy?" The man mumbled rhetorically. The energy surrounding him focused itself, forming into a ball of energy and launching itself at Ryoga.
"Shi Shi Hokodan!" Ryoga cried again, launching a second ball. The two spheres of energy collided, boiling against each other in a maelstrom of power. Small spheres of energy ripped themselves off from the main mass, flying away, striking holes into the ground. Soon, however, the Shi Shi Hokodan was overwhelmed, the ball of darkness striking Ryoga, knocking him away and onto the ground.
"I was worried for a second, but even though you have great energy, it is aligned with my energies, which gives me the upper hand." He said, chuckling.
Ryoga began to get ever more depressed. "So, not only can Ranma beat me, but any old man off the streets can come up and easily destroy me. I'm a failure as a martial artist. I'm worthless." He said, his eyes downcast.
The man smirked. "Yes you are. Why don't you just give... up?" He said, pausing.
"SHI SHI HOKODAN!" Ryoga cried out, his eyes gazing heavenward as a pillar of green energy surrounded him and flew to the sky. As his head fell, the collected power fell with it, crashing into the area around him. The sheer force of the energy tagging the side of the strange man blew him into a wall.
The man groaned before picking himself up. "Aaargh... can't afford to mess around any more." He mumbled.
The emotion started to recharge itself in Ryoga's body. Ryoga looked up, noticing the man had been hurt pretty badly. "Heh, you should know not to mess with Ryoga Hibiki," Ryoga said, his depression alleviated somewhat. At least until the man pretended to casually brush himself off.
"You've got some power, but not enough to even wound me." The man said, wincing as he felt his broken bones.
Ryoga stared wide-eyed. "How can you withstand my attack?" He asked, becoming depressed again. "I'll just have to use it again!" He exclaimed.
The man shook his head. "None of that now. I'd better do this while I still can." The man murmured. He held up a hand, pointing it at Ryoga. "Awaken, power of the dark. I call forth your inner demons!" He cried, a small spear of blackness launching itself from his hands, impaling Ryoga.
Ryoga screamed as the spear embedded itself in him, causing his ki to warp wildly. It felt like someone else was controlling his ki. Ryoga growled, trying to resist the effects. However, as he had prepared himself for the Perfect Shi Shi Hokodan, he didn't have enough positive energy to resist the effects. Ryoga collapsed to the ground as energy boiled out of him, forming itself into a strange shape, that of a large, pigtailed boar man.
"Well, that's certainly an interesting shape." The man muttered. He walked over and picked up Ryoga's fallen figure, throwing him over his shoulder. He beckoned to the boar man. "Come, we have to collect enough energy to make up for the waste of yesterday." He said, before lifting into the air. The boar man grunted, and began running along the ground, managing to keep up with him.
-
The immense energy generated by the Perfect Shi Shi Hokodan did not go unnoticed. In his class at Furinkan High School, Ranma had almost succumbed to the siren call of sleep when he felt a sense of slight depression pass over him, quickly leaving him. Ranma turned his head and looked out the window. Far off in the distance, he could see a small green ball rise up into the air, and sink back down.
'Wonder what got Ryoga so depressed?' Ranma asked himself. He yawned. 'Ah well, probably sick of getting lost. The moron is in the Juuban district, yet probably won't make it here for a week.' Ranma was about to put his head back on the desk when something occurred to him.
'Wait a minute... that strange... demon thing absorbed the Shi Shi Hokodan I fired at it and got stronger off of it. If one of those things gets a hold of Ryoga...' Ranma thought. While not generally smart in the normal term, he was a genius at fighting and it didn't take much effort to think of one of the strange demons filled with Ryoga's energy. 'Damnit pig boy, why couldn't you have gotten lost somewhere safer?!' Ranma thought vehemently.
"Sensei." Ranma called. The teacher stopped writing things on the board and turned to him.
"Yes, Saotome?" The teacher asked, knowing he wouldn't like this.
"Well, I've got an important martial arts challenge about right now. I was threatened that if I didn't come, he would wreck the school." Ranma said, praying that the teacher would believe it.
The rest of the students looked cheered up, but the teacher looked panicked. "My job!" He exclaimed. The teacher forced on a calm front. "Saotome, I give you permission to attend your martial arts challenge." He said with great formality, only to note that the window was open and Ranma was gone. He sighed and turned back to continue his lecture while the other students mumbled among themselves.
"What is Ranma doing? He never said anything about a martial arts challenge." Akane whispered to herself.
The Senshi had also realized something was wrong. Rei suddenly felt like the world was a dark and terrible place. That feeling passed quickly, but she excused herself from class to gain access to her communicator.
For Ami, it was a beeping of the Mercury Computer. A discrete check of it revealed that the computer had detected an extremely large outpouring of energy, of the class "ki." She too was excused from class. She was such a good student that it wasn't very difficult to be let out of class, since the teacher's knew that she probably already knew the lesson plan for a couple weeks ahead.
One by one, the rest of the Senshi managed to extract themselves from class and find someplace to access their communicators.
"What's going on?" Usagi asked over her communicator. "My teacher isn't very happy with me."
"The Mercury Computer has detected a large explosion of ki energy." Ami said. "Rei said she felt it. Also, it seems to be the same kind of energy that was powering that strange monster we fought. I believe that there is another one around." Ami continued.
The rest could hear the crack of Makoto's knuckles over the communicator. "I'm always up for a fight! We have better transform now. If it's a false alarm, we can just leave, but if we have to transform onsite we might be in trouble." Makoto mentioned.
"It's a good idea. A lot of our fights we wait to transform even when we know something is wrong. Its better to be sorry than safe!" Minako's voice rang out.
Ami assumed the others were sweat dropping as she was. "Minako, that's better safe than sorry."
Minako sounded sheepish. "Well, I guess that works too. C'mon, lets go!" She exclaimed.
-
The shadowed figure stared down at the pigtailed boar man in thought. "What to do with you? Your primary emotion is depression, but that's difficult to deal with. I guess I'll just have you incite anger. It burns a lot hotter and makes it easier to collect energy." The man said to himself. He looked down at the unconscious Ryoga. "Even if he fails, you are quite a prize. We could get enough energy from you to keep us active for several days."
"The streets are extremely populous. It will certainly call out the enemy that destroyed the last gatherer, but I need to see who that is anyways. Gatherer, go and collect their energy!" He exclaimed, pointing. The boar man snorted and galloped away, heading to where his master had pointed.
The gatherer roared as it leapt out among the people who, unsurprisingly, screamed and started to run. With a snort, the boar man held up his hand, pointing to the sky. A red ball of energy flew up into the air, before exploding into many small fragments of energy that rained down among the people. Their eyes grew blank, and they turned to each other. With a cry of rage from each of them that echoed around the buildings, they fell onto each other in a grand melee. Small trickles of red energy began to pour forth from them and into the boar man's hand as the combat continued.
While the Senshi were on their way to the fighting, following the Mercury Computer, Ranma had ran at nearly top speed and arrived where he had seen the blast land.
"Nothing here but a crater... and a man shaped hole in the wall." Ranma said aloud. "So he was fighting somethin', but where is he now?" Ranma asked, before leaping on top of a building to get a better vantage point.
-
The man tilted his head, his eyes not really watching the fighting down below. "I feel several strange powers approaching, but I can't quite get a handle on them. And one other power source is approaching as well, but seems overflowed with mostly positive emotion." He muttered.
The Senshi ran up, and stared, appalled. Only a few citizens were still standing. Most had either run out of energy or been beaten into submission.
"This is horrible!" Sailor Moon exclaimed. The others nodded.
"So, are you the ones who destroyed my last Gatherer?" The dark man said from on the roof of a building.
"So you are the cause of this?! For hurting all these people, I won't forgive you! I'm the pretty soldier of love and justice, Sailor Moon! And in the name of the moon, I will punish you!" Sailor Moon exclaimed.
"You're going to punish me? That sounds awfully juvenile. I suppose it is to be expected." The man said. "Never mind. Gatherer, destroy them!" He exclaimed.
The people dropped to the street as the manipulations of their energy ceased. The gatherer grunted, his body swollen with stolen energy. He growled, and charged forward, his head lowered.
The Senshi scattered. "How's he supposed to hit us with his head lowered like that? I've seen stupid monsters, but this takes the cake." Jupiter said.
"Venus Love-me Chain!" Venus yelled out, as a chain of linked hearts circled the Gatherer's feet and wrapped itself around them, dropping the Gatherer on the ground.
"Well that was easy." Venus said. That was when the Gatherer flexed its legs, blowing the chain apart. Venus' jaw dropped. "Yikes!" She yelled out as the Gatherer brought itself back to its feet.
The pigtailed boar held its hands forward. Spinning green and red energies coalesced in a ball of power. With a thrust of its arms, the ball was launched at Jupiter and Mars.
"Burning Mandala!" Mars cried, launching small rings of flame at the assault.
"Sparkling Wide Pressure!" Jupiter yelled, adding the strength of her lightning to the attack. The two attacks struck the ball of energy, forcing it to stall for a few seconds. However, the attacks were soon overpowered as the spinning ball of destruction crashed near the two Senshi's feet, knocking them both onto their backs.
The gatherer began to charge more energy. However, it seemed to sense something, and spun around just as an azure ball of power slammed into it, knocking it several feet back.
"Looks like I was right." Ranma muttered as he leapt off the building he had fired the Moko Takabisha from. "Hey, its those Sailor Senshi from before."
"Ranma," Jupiter whispered as she climbed to her feet. Mars stood up as well.
The Gatherer, however, had a strange reaction as it saw the new arrival. "Saotome...." It said in an incredibly deep voice that resonated all throughout the area. "DIE!" It cried, before leaping at Ranma at speeds that something that size shouldn't have been able to move.
"Whoa!" Ranma cried, barely managing to dodge. "How do you know who I am?" Ranma asked it. The boar only snarled, and hurled a small ball of energy at Ranma, who was again forced to dodge.
"How curious. Someone you know?" The Dark Man asked the unconscious figure of Ryoga.
The Gatherer stopped moving and stood still. Its eyes bulged as green and red energies began to travel along its body. Both Ranma and Mars began to sense an immense gathering of energy.
"Aagghh, the power!" Mars exclaimed, holding her hands on her head. She began to take steps backwards in fear.
Ranma, however, could guess what was coming. "How does it know the perfect Shi Shi Hokodan?" Ranma asked. That was when he realized something. "Oh hell! If it uses it here, a lot of people are going to be killed!" No time was given for action, however.
"SHI SHI HOKODAN!" The gatherer's incredibly deep voice echoed out, before a twisting spiral of hellish red and green energies erupted around it, towering into the air. At the apex of the column of power, a gigantic ball of energy formed together.
"Stop that ball, any way you can!" Ranma yelled out. "If it falls, a lot of people will die!"
Moon nodded. "Lets do it!"
"Right!" The other Senshi said, Mars included as she managed to shake off her fear. The Senshi faced the Gatherer, calling out their attack phrases.
All the Senshi's attacks were focused on the falling ball of energy. Lightning, Fire, Ice, Energy, and a Big Heart all slammed into the ball, holding it aloft. The combined power quickly began ripping away at the energy, before the ball was disrupted and ripped apart.
"With no falling ball of energy to worry about... you are horribly open!" Ranma cried, laying into the Gatherer with a yell of, "Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!" Hundreds of brutal punches rained down on the Gatherer, which found itself unable to act as effectively as it would like because of the time needed for the recovery from its emotionless state.
After several seconds of being pummeled without being able to defend itself, the Gatherer collapsed to the ground. Unlike a person, it was unable to recover spent energy by normal means. The Perfect Shi Shi Hokodan had really been a big waste of energy.
"Sailor Moon, you have to finish it!" Sailor Mars exclaimed.
Moon nodded. "Moon Spiral Heart Attack!" She yelled, sending the Pink Heart of Doom (TM) toward the fallen Gatherer. The attack crashed through it, and without even a, "Lovely!" the monster exploded, red energy flying everywhere, most of it being returned to the people who were lying beat up unconscious on the ground. A small red and green stream flew up and entered Ryoga's body. He twitched, but did not awaken.
The Senshi and Ranma turned towards the man who had orchestrated the entire event. He looked slightly annoyed.
"Well, I see that my opponents are certainly not weaklings." He said.
"Who are you!?" Venus yelled at him.
The man tilted his head and considered the question. "Well, I've never actually thought of a real name for myself. I guess you could call me... Elion. Not that it really matters of course." Elion said. He bent down and picked up Ryoga. "Even without the energy collected from the people I've come away with quite a prize. This guy is like a battery for energy." He said.
"Ryoga!" Ranma yelled out. He prepared to leap up to attack Elion, when something else interrupted. Namely, it was an Earth Powered rose ripping itself along Elion's arm. Elion yelled out in pain as Ryoga slipped out of his arms on off of the roof.
"Gotcha!" Ranma said, grabbing Ryoga as he fell.
Elion turned to face the newcomer. His eyes twitched as he saw a man wearing a tuxedo and top hat. He stared down at the rose that had embedded itself in the roof. "I don't know whether to be embarrassed for you or for me." Elion muttered to himself. "What do you think you are doing!?" He yelled at Tuxedo Kamen.
Tuxedo Kamen tipped his hat. "I'm a bit late to do any help fighting, but I figured that as long as I was here, I could save at least one person."
"Tuxedo Kamen!" Sailor Moon said, hearts in her eyes.
Elion growled, truly annoyed this time. "Master will be extremely angry, but I'll make it up to him next time." Elion hissed, before black energy ripped along his body as he vanished.
The Senshi turned to face Ranma, with Mercury activating her visor.
"Thanks a lot for your help." Sailor Moon said. "But do you think you can tell me... how you were able to do all these neat things?"
Ranma shrugged. "Lots and lots of training. I'm the best!" He exclaimed, puffing out his chest. However, Ryoga groaned, causing Ranma to drop his pose. "Look, I gotta get him to the hospital. Be seeing you, maybe." Ranma said, before hopping onto a building. He paused, and turned his head. "Errrrr... what way is the hospital?" He asked sheepishly. Mercury wordlessly pointed in a direction. "Thanks!" Ranma said, before roof hopping off.
The Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen stared at him as he left. Venus turned to Mercury. "Is he really human?" She asked.
Mercury nodded. "The computer's scans indicate that Ranma is human, and lacking any kind of dark energy we are aware of. The scans I've done on his energy class it as, "Ki," like Mars suggested."
Jupiter still stared at where Ranma had been standing. "So you really can achieve such strength through training?" She asked in awe. "I knew he trained hard, but to be able to do such things... he must have gone through some pretty horrific training. I can't even do close to the things he does." Jupiter said.
Tuxedo Kamen shook his head. "That's pretty amazing. Well, I've got a class that I need to head to. See you later." He said with a wave, before leaping off the building.
Mercury turned to Jupiter. "By the way, my computer has managed to lock on to his energy signature. I should be able to track him relatively easy."
Jupiter smiled. "Great! All I gotta do is find out where he lives, and I can finally talk to him, without him escaping!" She said.
"Wait, wait!" Mars interjected. "You mean that computer can track auras?"
Mercury was puzzled. "I don't know what you mean. But so far as I can tell, every being has a unique energy signature. If it is strong enough, I can track it over distances." Mercury said.
Mars slapped her hand over her face. "So all these things I can do with training she can do with a computer? Arrgh!" Mars muttered.
Mercury looked shocked. "Oh no, I didn't think of it that way!" She exclaimed. Mercury thought for a second. "Don't worry! I have to use a machine; you can just use your mind! And besides, I have to scan them for a while before I manage to map out their energy signature. You can just sense it immediately, right?" Mercury said.
Mars looked slightly better. "You're right." Mars agreed.
Meanwhile, Ranma had carried Ryoga to the Juuban hospital. After dropping him off, Ranma took to the rooftops and began to head home.
'Why do they need ki?' Ranma wondered to himself as he leapt from building to building. 'Hopefully, I don't have to worry about Ryoga. He should get lost and be out of the city in no time.'
'Those Sailor Senshi are certainly powerful. But can they really handle the enemy alone? I know the old ghoul said that they have been doing this for a few years, but another monster of that class would cause them problems.' Ranma thought. 'I don't want to avoid a fight if I can help it. Finally, something worthwhile to use my martial arts on. The only problem is... Mako-chan lives here. If I frequent the area, she might be able to find me.'
Ranma leapt off the building, landing on the street of the Nerima ward. "Even if Mako-chan is there, Ranma Saotome will not be left out when it comes to fighting!" Ranma exclaimed, thrusting his fist to the heavens. Realizing how stupid it looked, he quickly dropped it and leapt onto one of the ever-present fences, running along it. Soon, he was back at the Tendo dojo, the place that he called home.
End of Chapter 3