The Best of Times...
By Ozzallos
A Fukufics (dotcom) Production

"Hai, they rode in, fifty strong,"
"Nigh, they fought till the last was gone."
"Baseball bats in hand,"
"Hockey Sticks low"
"T'was the brave host"
"Of the Battle of Kuno."

--The Battle of Kuno, March 5th,1989

Part Four

"Sailor Nova?" Michiru arched an eyebrow as she repeated the name skeptically. Usagi, Ami, Minako and Rei nodded in unison.

"Don't tell me you actually believe this claim…?" Haruka rolled her eyes, leaning in closer to woman with wavy sea-green hair sitting next to her. "Or don't you remember Sailor Titanium?"

Usagi's face took on a pout. "How were we supposed to know she was just a fan?"

"Oh, let me see…" The dishwater blonde began to tick the facts of life off on her fingers. "She couldn't transform, she didn't have any magical powers, she didn't have a henshin stick and wait, her magical weapon was a piece of pipe that was spray-painted and sprinkled with glitter!"

"But she was nice…" The girl alternately known as Sailor Moon shuffled, avoiding eye contact.

"GrrrRRR…." Haruka growled in annoyance. Mercury stepped forward to forestall the potential confrontation building.

"While we didn't get to see her transform or unleash a magical attack herself, I can guarantee you that whatever it is she has for a weapon is not a pipe with glitter." This seemed to gain a fraction more of the pair's attention. "The weapon she dispatched five youma with reeked of elemental magic and the girl herself was lightning fast."

"What did she look like?" Makato asked from her seat on the floor.

"Red shoulder length hair, blue eyes and a crimson-white fuku." Rei supplied. "About my height, in fact."

"And the weapon?"

"Eeek!" Usagi squealed with fright from the unexpected voice behind her, leaping halfway across the room in the process. Moon whirled around to confront her tormentor. The woman with long green hair simply favored her with a neutral stare. "DON'T DO THAT!"

Michiru smirked and Setsuna Meiou simply repeated the question as the blonde struggled to keep from hyperventilating "A staff, just over a meter long with a detachable bladed ring on one end and a crescent blade on the other." Ami described the weapon in question and Pluto cocked her head curiously.

"And the elemental magic?"

"Fire and Ice." She replied, wary now that something close to an emotion was playing along the mysterious woman's face.

The crack in Setsuna's armor wasn't lost on her best friend either. "What's wrong, Puu-chan?"

"Just…" She stared at the Chibi Usagi, who stared back with rapt curiosity. She turned back to Ami. "Did you get a picture of it?"

The cobalt blue haired girl smirked. "Better than that." She flipped open the Mercury link and pressed a few keys. Seconds later, a holographic projection of not only the staff, but its wielder sprang to life in mid air. "I was so shocked I didn't get much, but that's her and the weapon." The room's occupants gathered around the hologram, wondering at the image of Sailor Nova frozen in a striking stance with what looked to be one wicked looking staff.

"That's the weapon?" Haruka asked, her previous resentment loosing a bit of its edge.

"I think I'm jealous." Michiru commented. Her envy wasn't necessarily limited to just the staff.

The sharp intake of breath tore their attention away from the image and focused it squarely on Pluto. "Puu-chan?" The tiny pink-haired girl asked tentatively.

Setuna took a moment to collect herself. "If I'm correct, we have just received a substantial boost in firepower." She paused, then in a lower voice, "And I didn't think any of them made it forward…"

"You mean this Nova is for real?" The handsomely dressed blond asked, skepticism returning to her voice in full force.

"Quite possibly." Pluto continued. "While her name doesn't ring any bells, that weapon was used only by the Queen's elite guard."

"I thought we were the Queen's guard?" Hotaru asked, no longer content with simply watching this new event unfold around her.

Setsuna nodded. "Today you are, but back in the Silver Millenium, the Queen was protected by a full security contingent. You functioned as her sword, as it were, while the Alpha Guard was her shield. Of course, we can't afford that sort of luxury at present."

"She's my bodyguard?" Usagi asked with wide eyes, hardly able to believe that she'd rate personal protection.

"And Small Lady's" Setsuna nodded once more. She glanced at Chibi Usagi, who was now uncharacaristically still, staring at the hologram. "Though to be honest, I'm not sure how our situation is going to alter that arrangement. Like I said, we're stretched pretty thin as it is. We can't exactly afford to tie up somebody with that much firepower on strictly guard detail."

"Exactly how much power are we talking, here?" Rei asked the question that was now on everybody's mind.

"To even be considered for the posting, Alpha Guard candidates had to undergo no less than ten years of intensive combat and survival training. After that, a minimum of three years as a protective detail specialist. After that, they had to pass a full battery of loyalty screening reviews." Setsuna outlined. "Even after they have been accepted, the training never stops. Trust me, you do not want to go through even a fraction of that."

"That, I can believe." Usagi stated reverently. "After the five youma…"

"Hmmf." Haruka sniffed. "I've taken out ten in a single attack."

"…Destroying an entire city block in the process." Rei pointed out, earning her a menacing glare.

"You'll have to forgive us if we don't take her qualifications at face value." Michiru stated icely.

"Exactly." Haruka agreed as she cracked her knuckles. "We'll be more than happy to establish her bona fides."

Setsuna's eyes widened as blurry mass suddenly took shape behind the dishwater blonde and her partner, solidifying into a female form that consisted of fiery shoulder length red hair, crystal blue eyes and one mean looking Staff of Ascension.

"Is that right?"

If there was one unwritten rule of villainy Ranma had noticed over the years, it was that bad guys talked entirely too much. Normally those conversations followed along the lines of some self-absorbed tirade, or what Ranma had come to know as the "Why I became a villain" speech. Usually it was Akane's kidnappers that liberally indulged in this past time, though Kuno- while not a villain per se –was the worst offender. How he could go on about "foul sorcerer" this and "enemy of women" that for a whole hour was beyond the pigtailed boy's comprehension, but that wouldn't stop him from using that time constructively. They all seemed to so enjoy so much that Ranma began to wonder if, in fact, they were contractually obligated to prattle on so.

Apparently, The Meddler had a similarly loose tongue, and Ranma smiled as she listened to the group from the safety of stealth.

Sailor Nova's introduction to the small team of Senshi had been a complete success and Ranma was proud in how her training had paid off in spades. It had taken hours upon hours of practice, but the fruits of her labor resulted in three dead little monster in one shot, while the other two fell pathetically in melee combat. Sufficiently impressed, she decided to play the mysterious magical girl role to the hilt and disappear right in front of them, leaving tons of unanswered questions. It also provided her with the perfect opportunity to gather intelligence as they rushed back to inform the others.

Sailor Nova didn't have to wait long.

It wasn't an hour later that the group had gathered at the Temple with the other Senshi, and in their civilian states no less. At that point, Ranma didn't have a plan beyond playing the mysterious and powerful new Senshi, but then the meeting got started and Pluto began to spill her guts. It had taken aquite a bit of restarint not to wring her neck outright, but somehow she had managed to retain her self control. besides, she was massively outgunned. Sailor Nova took a fresh look at her staff. She had known the thing was old, but that old? Granted, it had belonged to a self-proclaimed Phoenix God who had been righteously pissed that he had even touched them, but... Just how long had he had them in his possession? Hell, what the heck was this 'Silver Millennium' crap, anyway?

Nova smiled as Setsuna Meiou literally helped her rewrite the plan. Sailor Nova, an elite reincarnated bodyguard? Sure she was! To the Princess? Of course, of course. Just call me Sailor Bad Ass, thankyouverymuch. Not only that, but it was exactly the opening she needed. Who better to cozy up to this Princess than somebody sworn to protect her at all costs? Sailor Nova cast and evil smile toward Setsuna…And to warn you of all threats, foreign and domestic.

Nabiki would have been proud.

"You'll have to forgive us if we don't take her qualifications at face value."

So not all the Senshi were oblivious after all, Nova realized, remembering how the other three girls had de-transformed right outside their own apartment. Whatever. Can't expect everything to go smooth as glass. That's when she heard her cue.

"Exactly. We'll be more than happy to establish her bona fides."

Sailor Nova took the opportunity to drop the Umi-Sen-Ken cloak directly behind the two girls and watched the entire room's eyeballs widen to the size of dinner plates. Hikaru and Michiru wondered if they had something on their face for a moment until a voice spoke up behind them.

"Is that right?"

"EeeEP!" both Senshi instantly jumped across the room, nearly mowing down the rest of their team in the process. Even through the shock of seeing the new Senshi for the second time that day, Usagi Tsukino knew irony when she saw it and tried to suppress a fit of giggling unsuccessfully.

"WHAT ARE YOU LAGHING AT, MEATBALL HEAD!" Haruka fumed as she picked herself off the floor, thoroughly embarrassed. She couldn't have set the new Senshi up any better if she tried.

"Excuse me, but did you just insult the Princess?" The wording was polite, but the redhead's tone had the consistency of liquid helium. She took a step past Usagi, bringing her staff to bear.

Usagi's laughter died as if it were cut down with a chainsaw, her eyes returning to their dinner plate diameter. Her new bodyguard was apparently deadly serious. "Um, you know, it's okay…" Sailor Nova paused in her advance. "I mean, it happens all the time."

"All the time?" Nova's tone dropped to absolute zero and Moon instantly realized she had just sentenced Haruka Ten'ou to a painful death.

Uranus was up now, but she was mentally sweating bullets behind that tough-as-nails mask. Not only was Sailor Nova real, but she had just located their meeting site, infiltrated the structure, seen their civilian identities and used goddamn cloaking magic to scare the snot out of her and Neptune. She could even feel the power roll off that staff of hers, which most definitely was not a pipe coated with glitter. It took a bit longer than a moment before she gathered enough wits to speak, desperately trying to match the woman's demeanor.

"You don't honestly think we're going to take your claim at face value, do you?" Behind her, Michiru rested a mental finger on the panic button that would transform her to into Sailor Neptune should her partner need backup.

A slight smile crossed the frosty Senshi's features. It held absolutely no emotion. "The only claim I've made is to break every single bone in your body if you insult the Princess ever again." She paused, her face gaining a thoughtful look. "Do you know how many bones are in the human body?" Usagi paled. It was a reaction mirrored by nearly everybody else in the room, save one person.

"HMMffppht…" Moon and Pluto turned their attention to Chibi, who seemed to be convulsing uncontrollably. "BWAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAH!" The massive eruption of laughter smashed the tension between Nova and Uranus, and all eyes were now on the small, pink haired lady who was cackling madly. "Oh! Oh! It's too.. too.. BWAHAHAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Tears were gushing out of her eyes as she hit the floor rolling. A sweat drop collectively fell from the foreheads of the other room occupants.

"What the…?" Hontaru wondered, leaning down to the girl giggling uncontrollably before them.

Nova stared as well, her opponent completely forgotten. "Um, is she okay?" the pink haired girl's fits of laughter seemed to be subsiding and she opened her eyes. Her gaze fell on Ranma once more and the laughter continued in earnest. "Riiiight." Sensing that she had somehow overstayed her welcome, she turned back to Sailor Uranus. "I'll see you later." Then the Senshi reactivated her cloak and was gone.

Pluto sensed the change and found the spot where the new Senshi once stood empty. "Damn!" The curse seemed to help Chibi rein in her convulsions, though looking at her green haired friend produced the exact same result as if she were looking at Sailor Nova herself.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!"

Setsuna Meiou was thankfully that the bedroom walls were mostly succeeding in drowning out the Small Lady's incessant laughter. In fact, moving to the next room was an absolute necessity since catching sight of the green haired Guardian of Time would repeat the entire process over again; eliminating any chance that something constructive might be accomplished concerning Sailor Nova in Chibi's presence.

Now on the bed before her sat two cats, one white and one black. Each bore the marking of a yellow half moon on their foreheads, and both the only survivors of the long dead Silver Millennium.

"Anything?"

The white cat cast a slight glance over to the black one at its side, who produced the feline equivalent to a shrug. Having deferred, Artemis spoke first. "There is definitely a high level of magic surrounding her, though it's impossible to tell how much of it is due to the staff."

Setsuna nodded in agreement. "The staff is definitely authentic, and from Ami's description, she knows how to use it."

"Even her mannerisms are what I would expect of the Queen's Own." Luna commented. "Had we been back in the royal court, I would have no doubts that she would follow through with that promise."

"She still might." Artemis quipped, to which the black cat nodded her agreement. "Regardless of the magical background noise from the staff, there's no doubt she's very powerful. Have you considered the time gates to learn more about her?"

Setsuna frowned. "If I remember right, that won't be an option." Both cats looked at her curiously now. "Members of the Alpha were magically sealed to be untraceable and untrackable."

"Makes sense." The black cat concurred. "Wouldn't do to have the Queen herself traceable through the Elite guarding her."

"But the cloaking magic is definitely something I don't recall." the Senshi added. "But then, my memories aren't exactly one hundred percent after I…" her voice trailed off as she remembered the incident in which she did the one thing she was absolutely forbidden to do on pain of death: Bring time to a complete stand still. She had done so and the resulting reincarnation had done wonders for her memory. "Could have been a secret project for all I know." Luna nodded knowingly, as did Aretemis. Both had massive holes in their own memories, a side effect from the stasis and trip forward through time. Likewise, the remained of the Senshi who had been killed during the holocaust itself were still struggling to regain theirs.

Luna looked over at Artemis. "So, does the name Sailor Nova ring any bells?"

"Not a one." He replied, stretching on the bed. "Not that the Alphas were exactly sociable to begin with."

"Looks like we're stuck playing the waiting game then." Setsuna sighed. Like the future sister in-law of a certain pigtailed martial artist, Sailor Pluto was a creature that thrived on information. Depriving her of that sustenance for prolonged periods of time was not only stressful, but akin to psychological torture. Still, that wouldn't stop her from asking Ami to take a crack at it with the Mercury Computer.

"Indeed." Luna agreed. "Speaking of which… What in the world did you do to Small Lady?"

Dusk was claiming the suburb of Nerima when Ranma Saotome, heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts and not somebody who had anything to do with the Sailor Senshi stepped through the gates of the Tendo Dojo. The precautions he had taken getting back to this point were enormous, doubling back on himself no less than five times under cloak before finding a vacant alley to change and return to the dojo as a guy. Ranma double-checked himself one more time to ensure that no magical girl gear remained on his person before turning the door handle and stepping back into his old life.

As he walked into the core of the house, Ranma reflected on his day and considered it nearly a complete success. Well, almost. Except for that last part with the insane pink haired girl. Other than that, her appearance at the temple had gone better than she possibly could have hoped. Not only had Sailor Nova made a lasting first impression, but she'd also found a wedge to use against Setsuna. Just how big of a wedge remained to be seen, but it was better than what she had first started with.

Ranma walked into the living room with a spring in his step, expecting to find Kasumi fixing dinner. What he found instead was three girls gathered around the TV, staring at it intently. There was a forth girl, but she was occupied with a ball of yarn. It was also really bad luck that she was a cat girl and just happened to be the first to notice him. "Ranma husband home! Reow!"

Try as he might, Ranma found it impossible to produce a saving throw versus robotic cat girls and the glomp landed with ease. Ranma stiffened, but otherwise remained rooted in place, eyes clenched shut. "NotacatgirlNotacatgirlNotacatgirlNotacatgirlNotacatgirl…" he repeated the litany as if it were a life preserver. The martial artist was now operating solidly under the premise that if he said it enough times, maybe it would actually come true. The litany continued until interrupted by Kasumi.

"Now Nuku-chan, what did we say about Ranma?"

Nuku Nuku slowly untangled herself from Ranma's arm. "Mmmmm… No glomp on Ranma husband?"

"Very good." Kasumi smiled, and the cat girl returned an even brighter one. "What else?"

The smile vanished in favor of a look of intense concentration. "Ranma husband… Is not a cat?"

"Excellent." The smile returned to its previous intensity. "Now come back over here so that Ranma can relax." Nuku Nuku favored the martial artist with one last look of adoration before bouncing back over to Kasumi and the neglected ball of yarn. The pigtailed martial artist cracked an eye open to find the cat girl safely occupied by the yellow sphere of thread. Incredible. Simply in-freaking-credible.

"Uh, thanks Kasumi…" Ranma managed to push past his near brush with insanity and Kasumi smiled warmly.

"Did you hear, Ranma-kun?" She asked and Ranma gave her a blank look.

"Hear what?"

The eldest sister pointed at the TV, which now showed some sort of firefight in progress. "There's a new Sailor Senshi…" Kasumi's eyes sparkled as she turned back to the TV while Ranma's mind raced furiously.

Another Senshi? He thought as he stepped over to the gathering of sisters. I missed one! Letsee, there's all the planets, The Meddler, the fool in the Tuxedo… How many could there possibly be—

"And that's when the new Senshi, Sailor Nova arrived on scene to dispatch the Youma ravaging Juubon with ease. As you can see here from Channel Seven's exclusive footage, this beautiful Guardian wastes no time dispensing justice…"

"Erk!" The trio turned around to find Ranma white as a ghost.

"So what do you think, Ranma-kun? A new Senshi!" Kasumi gushed. "It looks like I'll have to update my collection soon. How about you?"

The martial artist twitched, staring at a close-up of the redhead on TV. "Er… Just another stupid magical girl?"

"Are you kidding?" Akane blurted practically in his face now. "Have you seen the way she moves? She's the Ultimate Magical Pretty Youma Killing Guardian of Love and Justice!" Ranma's cheek had now developed a nervous tick as he looked from Akane to Kasumi to Nabiki, then back to Akane. "I've GOT to get me one of those staves!"

"It is quite imposing." Kasumi commented. "Still, I think Sailor Moon is the best one of the team. After all, this Sailor Nova might have the same problem Tuxedo Kamen had."

"HA!" Akane was now fully engaged in the debate, allowing Ranma to inch away. Slowly. So very, very slowly as not to attract attention. "That was because he is a man and all men are perverts. Like those Starlights. Anyone can see that Sailor Nova is nothing like them."

A very large sweat drop rolled off Ranma's forehead.

"Come on, Akane," Nabiki tilted her head. "Even you have to admit Tux is kinda cute. Dark and mysterious… Probably rich too."

Kasumi looked at her sister. "How do you know?"

"The tuxedo." She replied. "You don't get that quality at rental stores."

"No way." Akane stated flatout. "Believe me, I know perverts when I see them. I mean, what kind of guy throws roses at his opponents?" Nabiki and Kasumi looked at one another with realization.

"Kuno."

Akane folded her arms in smug self-satisfaction. Both sisters shrugged and Ranma took that as his cue to exit before things got any weirder. He looked at the continuing news update on the TV. Or worse.

Sailor Pluto was getting worried. She adjusted the gates to another timeframe and frowned. Where was that boy! She flicked the staff horizontally and the view from the gates showed Crystal Tokyo in all its glory… Which now stood a thirty eight point three chance of becoming a reality.

Ranma Saotome.

The name left a bitter taste in her mouth, and she returned to her searching. He really wasn't deserving of it, but it had to be done. She knew why he was the way he was. Intimately, in fact, but the fact was that it was either him or Crystal Tokyo. It's either kill you, nullify you or doom humanity. And where was he now? Fiancee number one? No. Two? No. Three? No. The cat girl? Negative. The Lost Boy? Damn it. The Amazons? Nope. Setsuna was getting frustrated. Maybe the insane girl? Not there either. Her brother? Talking to some tomboy pigtailed girl. Damn, damn, damn! Where was the chaos ridden upstart?

Setsuna Meiou paused, calming herself. It didn't matter. He'd return to the dojo eventually. And when he did, she'd be waiting. The Guardian of Time made preparations to unleash her version of a tactical nuclear weapon and focused the gates on one Makoto Kashiwagi.

"Well maybe they have some in this place." Akane theorized, pulling the redhead into a different a different store.

Ranma sighed. "Come on, Akane. They only found out about her yesterday. They ain't gonna have nothin' out yet."

"And how would you know?" Akane ask sharply.

"Because even the merchandizing around Sailor Titanium didn't hit the stores until at least two weeks…" Ranma noticed Akane taking an unusual interest in his explanation. "Um… Not that I follow that stuff or nothin'"

"Right." Akane snorted. "Pervert."

Ranma shook her head and was about to follow her in when her progress was interrupted by a certain insane kendoist. "Pigtailed girl!"

Ranma froze. Dammit, I just can't catch a break today, can I? "Alright, what is it, Kuno?"

"I just wanted to offer my enthusiastic congratulation on your new posting." Kuno elaborated in his usual flower manner. "It is surely one befitting of a woman as vibrant and energetic a yourself."

Akane rejoined the pair. "New posting?"

"But of course!" He exclaimed. "Could it be that the radiant Tigress Akane douth not know that the Pigtailed Goddess has been accepted by thy beautiful guardians of Love and Justice to become Sailor Nova?"

Ranma's face totally drained of blood as he looked at Kuno in disbelief, then Akane, who stared at Kuno with a quizzled expression on her face. It took her a moment to get the words out. "Ranma? A Sailor Senshi?"

"Indeed it is the truth! It could be none other."

Akane looked at him a moment longer. "AH HAHAHAHAHAHHA!" It was the second time in so many days Ranma watched a girl erupt into uncontrollable laughter. "Ranma…! A-A-A Sailor Senshi! WAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Well its not THAT unbelievable." Ranma grumbled under her breath while Kuno was more than slightly taken back.

"Verily, I can see where such a prestigious title would invoke considerable jealousy." Kuno commented and Akane's laughter abated slightly.

"Jealous?" Akane asked. It was a rhetorical question. "Of Sailor Ranma? BWAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Both redhead and Kendoist stared after the cackling girl as she waded deeper into the mall, now oblivious to them both. Kuno broke the moment first. "Perhapse it is for the best that only one shall date my magnificence at a time."

Ranma tried her best to hide the urge to dispose of his body in a most gruesome manner, since there was still work to be done. After that, then she could dispose of his body. The pigtailed girl activated "pretty-please-Ranma-with-extra-cute-don't-you-just-love-me-with-sprinkles-on-top" mode and smiled brightly at the upperclassman.

It was time for the Ranma Saotome Anything Goes School of Payback, Step Two.

"Oh, Sempai I would love to date with you!" Kuno's eyes lit up upon hearing this most magnificent piece of news. "But for now, I cannot!"

"And why is this? Is it not the foul Saotome that keeps your heart enslaved so?" His voice burned with resentment.

"Oh no, that's not it at all!" Ranma countered sweetly. So sweetly that honeybees would have wretched. "But since I have become a Guardian of Love and Justice, my superior insists that any man that would take my hand must measure up to her standards."

"Truly? Who is this woman that I must date in order to prove my worth?" Kuno pressed, heedless of the troubled waters he was sailing into.

"I don't know if I should tell." Ranma played coyly. "She has very high standards and demands her suitors to wear a suit and dark sunglasses at all time!"

"Hmmf!" he dismissed the minor detail. "It is a fashion I shall adapt to easily in order to win your hand. What is this maiden's name?" Ranma never stopped smiling throughout the entire exchange, but Tatewake failed to notice the feral turn it had developed.

"Would you like her address too?"

Sailor Mercury tapped furiously at the clamshell Mercury Computer link. Furiously, because she was standing right smack dab in the middle of a all out youma incursion. "I think I've got a lock on the gate they used this time!"

Venus went on the offensive, her Love Me Chain slicing a youma clean in two. "That's great, really great!" she fumed indignantly. "Now put that thing away and give us a hand!"

"Shabon spray!" A glittering misted blew past the complaining blond, shredding the youma creeping along her flank back twenty feet and into a nearby building.

"Show off."

The situation wasn't like their last engagement; the one where Sailor Nova had arrived to boister their numbers. No, this situation was much worse. The hideous grayish-pink youma had poured out of the flickering porthole en mass and now the Senshi were outnumbered twenty to five. No, make that eighteen to five, Sailor Venus amended, giving the two dispatched monsters a final look before wading back into the target rich environment.

A golden yellow arc streaked past her head and into a wayward youma, and her first thought was of the Senshi they could so desperately use help from right about now. No, that wasn't a burning disk of death, Minako realized. Sailor Moon jumped in beside her to recover the tiara that had all but gutted another wayward demon. They were all making good headway, but they knew this attack was different, evidenced by the fact of a very large youma standing in the center of the mob. Rei had taken a pot shot at it earlier with a Soul Fire attack, earning her one irritated super-youma, who in turn directed more of the lesser youma at her specifically. After that, the Senshi's tactics were altered by Ami—Don't attack the big one until the fodder was cleared out first.

Another Youma fell as the frail looking Senshi with midnight blue hair ran it through with perhapse the only weapon that would match Sailor Nova's staff in terms of sheer exoticness. Saturn pulled the Silence Glave from its newest victim, panting. She had lost count of how many more there were to go. Not that she had much time to count as another one clawed its way toward her…

Ranma Saotome watched the battle rage from a nearby rooftop. Yep, the Guardians of Love and Justice were up to the necks in it once again, simply ripe to be bailed out. Of course, they were probably hoping Sailor Nova would show up and lend her own brand butt kicking to their little war down there, but not this time. This time somebody else would be paying them a visit.

The martial artist unbound his pigtail and a mane of black hair flow wildly in the windy night. From the breast pocket of his black business jacket, he withdrew a pair of intimidating black sunglasses. Ranma slid them on and straitened the matching black tie that contrasted against the white shirt before pulling a bokken from weapons space.

There was no doubt... He made this look good.

One moment, Sailor Mars was ass deep in youma and the next, a dark blur accompanied by a flowing blue line erupted around her, decimating the ranks of monsters in front of her. Body parts flew as the quasi-female demons were dismembered before her very eyes, shocking both groups into breaking contacts by mutual consent. Left in the center of the neutral zone was one of the most handsome men the Senshi had ever laid eyes on, clad in in black business suit, white shirt, tie and pitch black shades. Even Usagi, who was hung up on Tuxedo Kamen had to agree that he looked positively scrumptious.

He flipped the glowing blue blade around on reflex and turned back toward the enraptured Senshi, flashing warm smile. If it weren't for the youma behind him, the girls would have melted right there on the spot.

"My apologize fair maidens if I hath startled you." The suit clad avenger apologized in smooth, modulated tones. "However I cannot abidith by such wicked magics any longer, especially when used against such visions of beauty as yourselves." The Senshi's eyes sparkled collectively. So romantic! The suit now turned to the remaining youma, numbering thirteen strong. "The vengeance of heaven is slow, but sure. Unfortunately for you, I'm not. Prepared to have thy ass kicked!"

The elder youma frowned, its semi-feminine voice grating through the night air. "And just who the hell are you, exactly?"

The person in question raised his glowing sword high. "I am the Terror that cuts through the night! I am the defender of Love and virtue! I… am Prince R!"

The girls jaws dropped in unison. "Sugoi!"

The larger youma ground its fangs down. "Then that's what they'll place on you tombstone… Assuming there's enough left of you! ATTACK!" The lesser youma responded to the command instantly, all twelve attacking simultaneously. Instead of leaping out of the way or dodging the attacks, Prince R simply stood their oozing confidence. The girls weren't even worried. Their claws raked in and at the last possible second, 'R' whipped the bokken through a spiraling frenzy that decimated the attacking force. More body parts were forcibly separated from their bodies in a most violent manner and the glowing shaft of power sliced through the last one twenty seconds later. The elder youma took a step back, it's bony mane quivering with trepidation.

Prince R inspected the remains before turning the point of the glowing wooden sword on the last survivor. "I would have a word with you foul creature. Thou thinkth thy can dispoil such ethereal beauty and live? Nay, I cannot allow such!"

Unlike the other youma, this particular beast had actually been genetically engineered to think, albeit in a limited manner. Still, it was a virtual genius compared to its smaller brethren. That small intelligence provided the youma with two options. Fight or escape. It's limited bandwidth brain considered the two and decided it had virtually no chance to escape. When coupled with its natural predatory instict, the correct path became crystal clear.

"ROOOWWWWRrrroOOOLLL!"

As before, the Prince remained perfectly calm until the elder youma was virtually on top of him. In that moment, he planted the blade into the earth and flipped skyward on the handle. From there, physics did the rest as the charging beast flew headlong into the blade's glowing blue edge with enough momentum to run it all the way through. Ranma landed behind the creature and pulled the blade from the ground. The monster took its last breath and split cleanly in half along its entire length before disintegrating into ether.

Prince R took the measure of his decomposing opponent before rewarding the awestruck Senshi with another melting smile. "While I have enjoyed thy company immensely, I must depart for the night. Fairwell maidens of Love and Justice!" With a final bow, the new Prince departed at bluring speeds, leaving five smitten Sailor Senshi in his wake.

…While somewhere else in Juuban, another bokken wielding Prince clad in a similar black suit and glasses began to stalk Setsuna Meiou for the right to date one pigtailed goddess.

Author's Notes; For those of you who have been asking (and none of you have), I think the theme song for this entire series should be "Hang On" by Smash Mouth. Give it a listen and you'll quickly realize why :D

Makoto Kashiwagi; I ain't tellin.

Special Thanks: To DCG, Yarrow, TriMatter as well as the rest of the Fukufics crew. Props also go out to Delta-Theta. These people provided me with inspiraration and even the occasional scene as i wade through this maddness ;p Thanx!

Artwork; B Connolly was kind enough to illustarate a depiction of the Staff of Ascension, Sailor Nova's weapon of choice. You can find it on my main FFnet page. A pretty accurate piece of art, I think.

Hope you continue to enjoy the series, cuz we still have a ways to go! Next up, Kuno, Happosai and Mako-chan!

Changes; v2- Credit for artwork, Minor change to Prince R's intro. v3- Shabon spray is a mist attack, not water spout.