AN: Thank you to TheCentauress for agreeing to Beta this story. And Thanks to the people at the Temple of Ranma's Senshi Seifuku, for putting up with me and helping me make this story better.
RANMA DARK MOON
CHAPTER ONE
PAIN
In another reality: on the moon: in a Queen Serenity's castle:
in Pluto's and Mercury's laboratory
"Why are we researching this pitiful reality and the past of it's Senshi, when our time could much better be spent actively searching for the Princess instead of waiting for her to come to us?" Setsuna, the Senshi of Pluto whined to Ami, the Senshi of Mercury.
""You just can't wait to see your lover again." Mercury said slyly. "You know if the Queen ever found out about the two of you, you'd be lucky to live."
"Fifteen Hundred years is a long time to be without your lover." Pluto said with a sigh. "She is such a good mistress. So strong, so forceful, so…" Pluto went on saying without seeing the look of distain on Mercury's face.
"Stop! That's enough! I tire of hearing of yours and the Princesses sick love games!" Mercury said interrupting Pluto's thoughts.
"Fine. Killjoy." Pluto said going back to her data. She was absorbed in her thoughts of how to be one of the Senshi sent to serve under the Princess. 'Oh, I'll serve under her alright. And any problems that the Princess has picked up in her stay will be removed quickly, as well as these wimpy counterparts of ours, so I can serve under her more.' Pluto thought to her self licking her lips.
"Stop fantasizing and get back to work Pluto!" Mercury screamed. "You're the only one who can work ninety percent of the stuff in this lab! And that's the only reason I've never reported you! Now get to work before I change my mind about that!" She yelled, coming close to losing her temper.
"Yes Mercury." She sighed, thinking, 'Who does she think she is? I only have one mistress.'
Tendo house and dojo: Nerima Japan: a few days after Ranma got home
Ranma hurt. A lot. It wasn't from a fight, Akane malleting him for no good reason, or even from being forced to eat Akane's Bio Hazarded Lv1 cooking. No the source of his unending pain was much more frightening then even Akane's cooking, it was because he was a he at the moment.
Ranma was silently debating whether or not to turn into his girl form to relive the unending pain. The he was racked with a wave of pain so great that he fell to the floor screaming.
'To hell with this! I can't even move, damn it! I'm changing into a girl!' Ranma thought, pitifully reaching for the glass of cold water that was on the table. As he knocked it over onto him, becoming a her, she felt so much better. Then she felt something on her forehead, like a pleasant itch, if such a thing was possible. Going to the bathroom, to see if it was a rash or something, she was shocked to see a black glowing crescent moon with the points of the moon pointing down.
"Damn! What is this?" Ranma asked herself. "Gotta hide it, whatever it is." She said. Looking around, she found a huge bandage, which she then put on.
Ranma sat in her room hiding for a long, long time, just thinking. A hard thing for her to do, seeing as Ranma was a very action oriented person, and not given to long periods of thought. Finally she sighed and said aloud
"I've really gotta talk to somebody about this. I don't have a clue on what to do about it. Well Kasumi's the only one home. The others went off to the beach, and they just left me here when they saw how much pain I was in. Why'd they just leave me like that? Kasumi stayed though, she was worried about me. I'll go talk to her." Ranma decided aloud. "I just hope she has a good idea." Ranma muttered as she went down the stairs.
Ranma found Kasumi in the living room on the couch watching the news. It had those Sailor Senshi that live a few wards over fighting some Youma. And they were not doing too well this time. As Ranma Watched the fight from over the couch, she snorted. 'They need some serous work. On everything.' Ranma thought.
As the story closed, Ranma sighed with relief. Now he could talk to Kasumi. Those girls were her heroines. Talking to her when they were on the news was not an option. As Ranma came around and sat on the couch, she started with, "Kasumi, can we talk?"
Kasumi looked over at Ranma. 'She looks much better then he did this morning.' She thought, then thought 'Gender identification really is a fickle thing with Ranma.' Out loud she said "Sure Ranma, and I must say you look much better then you did this morning."
"I know, and that's the problem." Ranma said.
"What do you mean by that, Ranma? How would feeling better be a problem?" Kasumi asked puzzled.
"It's because I'm a girl that I feel better. If I was still a guy, I'd be in a lot of pain." Ranma said looking down.
"Oh my, I can see why that would be a problem for you. How long has this been going on?" Kasumi asked.
"Since right after I beat Saffron. I started right then, to feel stronger then ever as a girl, and when ever I changed into a boy, I felt pain. And the feeling in both forms is increasing daily. I'm afraid Kasumi. I'm afraid that soon it's going to hurt me too much be a boy, and I'll have to stay a girl. At the moment, I was in so much pain I had to be a girl just to move." Ranma said, never looking up.
"That sounds horrible Ranma." Kasumi said shocked. "Is there any thing else?" She asked.
"Uh, yeah. Now that I think of it. As soon as I turned into a girl this last time, a bright glowing black crescent moon appeared on my forehead." Ranma told Kasumi.
Now Kasumi, being a Sailor Senshi fangirl, thought back to seeing a bright glowing white crescent moon appear on the Senshi's foreheads at times in the news feeds. 'I wonder if, nah, Ranma couldn't, then again this is Ranma…' Kasumi thoughts warred in her mind. Then she finally asked "Ranma, can I see this mark?"
Ranma, who thought Kasumi asked a little strangely, agreed. As Ranma showed her mark to Kasumi, Kasumi gasped.
"What is it? What's wrong Kasumi?" Ranma asked worried.
"Ranma, I think we should call Cologne and see what she knows about this." Was all Kasumi said in a shaky voice.
"No! Not until you tell me why you acted like you did when you saw the mark!" Ranma told Kasumi.
Kasumi sighed and said "Ranma, you know how I like to watch the Senshi when they're on the news?"
"Yeah?" Ranma replied questionitivly.
"Well at times they have a similar mark, one that looks to be a mirror image of yours, that appears on them." Kasumi told Ranma.
Ranma sat there stunned. "What does this mean?" Ranma asked softly.
"I don't know. I'm hopping Cologne will." Kasumi said.
"Call her. She knows a lot. Hopefully she's got the answer to this too." Ranma said to Kasumi.
"I'll call now." Kasumi said, going to the phone.
After a short conversation Kasumi said, "She said for you to stay a female, and she'd see us after she closes tonight."
Ranma sighed and said "Fine."
The Gates of Time in the present reality
Sailor Pluto was having a hard time tracking down the home reality of this new enemy. Her problem was the Gates of Time was just not meant to do this. It was designed to see the time line that it was in, and all other possible time lines connected to this time line upstream. Seeing another reality, a time line that went different far down stream, wasn't what it was designed for. Oh, it could do it, it just wasn't a very easy thing to do with it.
After a few years searching, time IS relative, especially at the Gates of Time, she found it. The enemy's reality. As she looked at it, she swore, a lot, in many different languages, moving on from one to another as she ran out of cusses in the current language. After she finally calmed down enough, she said "They're really not going to like this one."
She then called a meeting, and then popped over to the temple when all the girls were there.
Tendo house: later that day.
It had been a few hours, and Ranma was board out of her skull. "Kasumi, I'm going out. I'll be back by dark to see Cologne." Ranma finally called out.
"Ok, Ranma, but be careful!" Kasumi called back to Ranma.
"Ok!" Ranma called back to Kasumi.
Ranma went roof hopping for awhile, then her stomach growled. Seeing an ice cream parlor across the street from the roof she was on, she smiled a wicked smile, and decided to cage some free ice cream.
After her little act, Ranma had a huge bowl of double chocolate ice cream, with hot fudge, whip cream, sprinkles, a cherry on top, and three offers for a date. Ranma took the ice cream, promising to think about the dates, while silently gagging.
After demolishing the ice cream, Ranma decided to walk home, rather then roof hop there. As she walked along the street, a bucket of warm bath water was dumped out a window, drenching Ranma, turning her back into a him.
As the pain racked his body, he fell to the ground, unable to even scream. A little over fifteen minutes of this torture later, Tatewaki Kuno came walking down the street.
"What is this? The foul sorcerer Saotome has been laid low by one of his own spells? Surly the heavens are rewarding my faithfulness, and are helping me with my quest! I will end the foul sorcerer's schemes now!" And with that proclamation, Kuno proceeded to severely beat Ranma with his bodokin.
After a few minutes of this beating, Ryoga came walking down the street. He stopped cold at seeing the beating Kuno was giving Ranma. 'How did Ranma lose to Kuno?" Was his first thought. Then he looked closer and saw the truth. 'Something's wrong with Ranma. He's in to much pain form something else to fight back.' Ryoga griped his battle umbrella tightly. He was at war with him self. On one hand, he so wanted to join in on the beating of Ranma, but on the other 'It wouldn't be fair. Ranma for some reason can't fight back. I'll beat the shit out of him, when he's able to fight. Any other way would mean nothing in the end.' Ryoga finally decided.
He stepped up to Kuno, and blocked his bodokin with his battle umbrella. Kuno looked up and said "Hark! The foul sorcerer has enslaved you too! I shall free you along with Akane and the pig tailed girl!" He cried.
"Shut up Kuno." Ryoga growled, then uppercutted him with his battle umbrella, sending him far, far away. Putting his umbrella on his back, he looked down at Ranma and said "Let's get you home and find out what's wrong with you." He said picking him up. "Only hope I can find the place." He sighed.
Miracle of miracles, it only took Ryoga three hours and six continents to find the Tendo's place. As he entered the door to the house he called "Hello? I found Ranma getting his ass handed to him by Kuno! There's something really wrong with him too! He needs some help!" He cried out, causing Kasumi and Cologne to come to the doorway.
"What happened to him?" Kasumi said as she led them to the couch. Cologne came in from the kitchen with a glass of cold water and proceeded to splash Ranma with it.
"Ranma, I thought I told you to stay female?" Cologne asked.
"I did, till somebody through out some warm bath water out the window." Ranma said, then she turned to Ryoga and said "Thanks man, I owe you one. I know it couldn't have been easy for you to find this place." Ranma told Ryoga in gratitude.
"Yeah, well, you can start paying me back by telling me what's going on. You were in so much pain that you were barely conscious, and now you're fine? What's going on?" Ryoga asked.
"Why don't you tell him Ranma, while I do an examination of you. I already saw enough from your male side. I'll do an in-depth look at this side. I'm pretty sure the problem lies here." Cologne said, getting some stuff, that nobody could recognize out of her bag.
Ryoga asked "Well?"
"It started right after I beat Saffron. My girl side started to feel stronger then ever, while my guy side started to hurt to be in. and both sides feelings are increasing daily." Ranma told Ryoga.
"Well, shit man. I thought something was wrong when Kuno was whuping you, but this? I'm sorry man." Ryoga said in shock.
"Thanks." Was all Ranma said in reply.
After a long examination by Cologne, Ranma got her answers. "Ranma, Something magical's going on." Cologne started.
"NOOO, Really?" Ranma said sarcastically. Cologne bopped Ranma's head in reply.
"Be quite and listen for once Ranma!" Cologne yelled at Ranma.
"Ok, ok." Ranma muttered, rubbing her head.
"Now I don't know WHY, but your girl form is being infused with magical energy the likes of which I've never seen. I don't know if Miss Tendo's observation regarding the similarities between your mark and those girls in Juban have any credit. I'd have to observe them in person to find out, and we just don't have the time at the moment, maybe later." Cologne said.
"What do you mean by 'we just don't the time'?" Kasumi asked worried.
"The magical power up that the female side is getting, is killing the male side, and quite painfully at that. Ranma we are going to have to lock you in your female form, quickly, before your male side finally dies. I don't know what would happen if you were in your male form when it finally does die. You could just switch over to your female form, or you could die. I don't know which." Cologne told a shocked Ranma.
"My guy sides going to die? Can't you do something? Anything?" Ranma cried out.
"Not a damn thing Ranma." Ranma went white. "I'm sorry, but if you're to live, I'm going to have to lock you." Cologne told Ranma, who was still white as a ghost.
"Um, how?" Ryoga asked. "How are you going to lock Ranma?"
"I have a recipe for a potion that will lock Jusenkyö curses. It will take a day to finish, so it will be ready tomorrow night. Ranma will you take it? You're continued survival may depend on it." Cologne asked.
Seeing the look on Ranma's face, Kasumi said "Ranma, you don't have much of a choice. Your male side will die, and it may take you with it. This is better then dieing, isn't it?" Kasumi asked Ranma.
Ranma looked at Kasumi, then nodded, saying in a tone barely above a whisper, "I'll take it."
"Good. Ryoga," cologne said, turning to him, "I want to ask you to try to stick around and watch Ranma till tomorrow. If Ranma becomes male again, he would be defenseless." Cologne told Ryoga.
"So, you want me to play body guard to Ranma? After all I've done to him?" Ryoga asked shocked.
"You showed today that you're honor would not let you hurt a defenseless Ranma, unlike some others. You may be growing up. Will you do this?" Cologne asked.
"Sure. I'll stick around as long as I can. I'll try real hard not to get lost." Ryoga told Cologne.
"That's all I can ask. See you tomorrow." She said heading for the door, whispering, "How am I going to explain this to Shampoo and the other elders?"
Rei's Grandfather's temple: about the same time
"So these Attacks are coming from another reality's Moon Kingdom?" Ami asked stunned.
"Yes," Setsuna replied. "This Moon Kingdom went evil, and it never fell. I'll refer to it as the Dark Moon Kingdom from now on. Well this Dark Moon Kingdom's Princess, which would be your counterpart in it Usagi, had an accident in a lab, and was sent out of their dimension fifteen hundred years ago. She wound up in ours, and to stall your questions I don't know what she's been doing for the past fifteen hundred years, or even what she's doing now. As a being from outside this timeline, she's immune to my scrying her in the Time Gates. The Dark Moon Kingdom must be having similar trouble, for these attacks on us, are, and I hate to say this, just probing attacks, to test our strength and to draw their princess here. When she finally shows up, better soldiers and some of that realities Senshi will be sent here, to serve under this princess and start the real attacks." Setsuna said, dropping the bomb on them.
"You mean, these are not serious attacks? We're having the toughest fights ever, and they're not being serious?" Rei yelled out.
"No. No they're not serious, yet." Setsuna told them.
"Well shit." Was all Rei said.
"And you can't find this Dark Usagi?" Ami asked Setsuna.
"No. She's from another reality. The Gate's won't lock on to her. I'm sorry, but we'll just have to wait till she gets here, just like they are." Setsuna said.
"Well Princess, I think it's time that we actually started training, like I've been suggesting all along." Haruka said to Usagi.
Usagi drew herself straight and said "You're right. We'll spend all the free time we can training. We can not lose to these dark versions of ourselves."
"Finally." Was the only reply from Haruka.