The Best of Times...
By Ozzallos
A
Fukufics (dotcom) Production
Sorry about all the alerts. FFnet crashed and it didn't look like the chapter was being added.
Part Six
"Meow!"
Ranma froze while Nabiki and Akane paused in their walk into town. They both looked at Nuku Nuku who shrugged. Well if she hadn't meowed… They followed Ranma's gaze to the orange tabby in his path now staring at him. Beads of sweat began to spring forth from his forehead.
"Ranma?"
The martial artist in question ground his teeth together. Runawayrunawayrunaway runaway… Instead, he took a strained step forward. "NO!" he glared at the feline, who cocked its head indignantly. Ranma's breathing began to quicken. "You think you're hot shit, don't you? Well you're NOT! Your ain't nothin', you scrawny little thing! You think you're something? I gotta deal with cat girl FIANCEES! Huh! How about that?"
The cat blinked.
"IS THAT RIGHT?" A contorted expression took over his facial features. "You wanna go? Oh, we'll go alright!" Ranma unclenched his hand and a blue glow rippled along his knuckles. Akane stared at it with wide eyes, unable to believe what it represented. Ranma didn't even look like he noticed "I know what hell is and you ain't no cat-fiancée!"
"Um, Ranma…" Nabiki stepped up to his side with trepidation as Akane watched in horror. "It's just a cat, Ranma. It can't understand you." Ranma's head swiveled over to Nabiki, then back to the cat in question, who apparently got bored and began to walk off.
"Oh, that's right! You BETTER run!" Ranma snarled. "If you want some more, you know where to find me!" He watched his personal personification of evil round the corner out of sight, then began to grumble something about the cat's questionable linage. Nabiki simply shook her head and Akane continued to stare until a nice old lady stepped out onto the sidewalk from her apartment building and promptly drenched him with water.
Somehow, it was enough to bleed away the excess hatred, causing her to grumble about the curse instead. The redhead was so oblivious that she didn't notice the next in a long line of tormentors. Makoto Kashiwagi caught up with the trio and took her place at Ranma's arm without hesitation.
"Hi Ranma…" She said sweetly. It wasn't a patented Amazon glomp, but the circumstances more than made up for that deficiency, in so far that Ranma (a babe) now had Mako-chan (another babe) hanging off her arm. Further exacerbating the matter was the fact that Mako-chan just happened to have the equipment of a guy and girl… So did Ranma, of course, just he did it on time share. She didn't.
"Me too!" The bubbly cat girl, decided to join in the fun that her fiancée was obviously having, and latched onto the other arm. If Amazon glomping were a scored event, Nuku Nuku would have rated an 8.2. By now Ranma was turning into a mass of goo, not so much because of the total hotties hanging off his arm, but by the peril they represented. On one arm, a phobia that made normal cats seem pretty insignificant. On the other, a biological concept she was in no mental condition to deal with.
Not that the passers-by ogling at the three had any perverted fantasies involving a certain lesbian trio, a disco ball and a tub full of warm cheese whiz, no sir.
Akane didn't even have a chance to glow with envy as Ranma's other two fiancées happened across the five girls. Their reactions however, were night and day. Ukyo sized the three up, her eyes instantly locking on to the long haired brunette. "Another fiancée?" She wasn't happy about it, but the fact that it was beginning to happen on a weekly bases helped blunt any searing jealousy she might have felt. Shampoo, however, was a different story.
"Stupid cat-girl stop hanging off Airen husband!" The purple haired Amazon demanded. Nuku Nuku rose to the challenge.
"Nuku-Nuku was here first!" She retorted, sticking her tongue out at Shampoo. The result was predictable.
"Obstacle is for killing! Kachu Tenshin Amagurikan!"
"Nuku Nuku PUNCH!"
Ranma prayed silently and braced for impact.
Across the city in the district of Juuban, a similar scene was being played out, but with a different cast of characters.
"Come my Ethereal Green-haired Beauty! We shall--- urk!" The fist connected with his gut just as Kuno wrapped his arms around his newest obsession. The upperclassman folded as Setsuna drew upon a fraction of her Senshi strength to dissuade the deranged boy.
"DIE ALREADY!"
"I see now why… the vibrant pigtailed goddess… looks to you..." Kuno labored as he struggled upright. "Your energetic manner… Is no doubt… An expression of your love for me!"
Setsuna was about to commence beat down, stage two on the suited boy when a haunting laugh interrupted her abuse. "OH HOHOHOHOOOHHHOHOO! Now you will suffer, Harlot!"
Without summoning her armor, ninety nine percent of the Senshi's abilities were locked away, awaiting conscious activation so that the user could interact normally with the populace, and not accidentally vaporize of few square blocks of people. But when you had a few thousand years on your hands, you tend to learn a thing or two about your equipment. Setsuna Meiou just happened to have such time on her hands and hacked her fuku armor to the point where she could access ten percent of that power without having to fully transform. It was probably why Kuno hadn't gone down after the first few Dead Screams, but now it contributed to her speed as she removed herself from the path of the ribbon that cut in, which wrapped itself around Prince R's neck and hauled him away into a brick wall.
Setsuna spun around to face her attacker even as Prince R peeled away from the wall, having left a good impression with it. Her newest opponent was a girl in her late teens with long black hair, clad in a black rose embroidered leotard and an insane glint in her eyes. The girl seemed to take the demise of her brother in stride. "I shall enjoy punishing you for defiling my Ranma-sama!"
Setsuna almost missed the next attack as the name hit her like a bludgeon… Which just happened to be what Kodachi Kuno had thrown at her. The Senshi of Time neatly sidestepped each gymnastics pin and pieces began to snap into place. The roaches she could have dismissed as a one-off prank or luck. After all, she had been the Guardian of time now for several millenia and was well practiced in hiding in the shadows of history and world events. Those individuals that were too disruptive to the Crystal Tokyo outcome were removed, and those that couldn't be removed were neutralized. There were very few that fell in the latter category and those that did had to be handled with care.
Ranma Saotome was just sort a person. Anybody she couldn't eliminate outright normally possessed considerable potential to do good or evil, but paranoia was an inherent element in her line of work. Yes, it would be nice to try and turn them to good, but it was normally far more trouble than it was worth and the tactical risk to her and Crystal Tokyo were enormous. Setsuna Meiou couldn't jeopardize actually revealing herself and her mission to these powerful individuals who may or may not decide to like her, so after several centuries of moral dilemma and a few good intentions gone bad, Sailor Pluto decided to take the safer- and easier -of the options.
Only today that was turning out not to be the case.
Another ribbon snapped in front of her and she absently deflected it. It was now the first time in nearly a thousand or so years that one of her projects seemed to have not only acknowledged her existence, but was actively trying to counter her influence! The last had been an Amazon named Tieu Shu some one thousand five hundred years ago, but she had arranged for that one to be eliminated before she could become too troublesome. But Ranma... Ranma was going to be a problem. Setsuna closed the distance and stepped inside the insane girl's guard- Kodachi, if she remembered correctly -and delivered a right cross to the face, sending her sprawling twenty feet.
Ranma was going to be a serious problem. While she hadn't been able to obtain constant surveillance of his life due to the chaos surrounding him and his family, she knew him quite well. Probably better than most of the people he came into contact with, and one thing was for certain... He would not give up. Against somebody possessing his determination and power, she saw the situation getting quite ugly, quite fast. In fact, Setsuna was slightly surprised that this was the extent of it so far.
"Cease your pursuit of my Ranma-sama, Witch!"
"I strike to date thee!"
"AAAHHHHAAAaaaaAAHHH!"
Hotaru fidgeted. This action was strange in itself because Saturn's Senshi was quiet and reserved to the extreme. In other words, the girl with short, midnight blue hair was normally not one to fidget. She, along with the rest of the Senshi, had their eyes on two people. The first was Yumei Ikari, who looked as if she had just finished running a 5k marathon. Obviously the Senshi hadn't had time to 'freshen up' as it were before the meeting now being held at the Outer's home. The second anomaly was Setsuna Meiou, who was in very much the same condition. They look like they'd been run over by a truck, with minor scrapes and bruises accompanying each. It was Setsuna who looked worse for the wear since she hadn't had a chance top change out of her purple business casual dress, which was now looking just this side of tattered.
"Mmm, are you okay?" Usagi asked Yumei-Ranma tentatively. The redhead shrugged.
"Bad hair day."
"How about you?" Michiru put a similar question to Setsuna.
"Very bad hair day."
...Which was an understatement, since both looked like they just got licked by a drooling cow. Yumei and Setsuna offered one another quizzled glances before both began to chuckle at the other for entirely different reasons. "Okay, enough on our fashion Faux Pas. Ami, I found what you were looking for." All the room now focused on the Guardian of Time. "It wasn't easy. They buried that pocket universe so dimensionally deep that I would have never found it without your readings from the portholes themselves."
"Somebody's going through a lot of trouble to hide this place then..." Haruka almost growled.
"Yes. Not simply hide it, mind you." Setsuna continued. "I can't even teleport in to have a look around. Somebody also went through a lot of trouble to keep people out."
"How so, Puu-chan?" Chibi Usa asked, the ever present smirk that seemed to have been inhabiting her face as of late seemed to fade.
"Not only did they bury it dimensional from sight- my sight -which is notoriously hard to do, but the subspace strata around it has been folded to such a degree that it might as well be an origami swan. If I tried to teleport in, I'd probably end up one too."
"Use the youma gates, then?" Yumei-Ranma's tactical mindset was now hard at work. It was an interesting duality, she observed as her thoughts chewed on the problem. On one hand she was actively infiltrating the Senshi to oppose Setsuna's meddling. On the other, her code as a martial artist wouldn't even come close to letting her stand idly by while the world got invaded by soul stealing beasts.
Ami fielded the question. "It's a thought, but the problem there is we can only react to their presence, not predict when and where." Yumei nodded in understanding. "By the time we arrive, the gate is closed and decaying."
"Then we make out own." The redhead stated evenly and now the whole room stared at her.
"And how in the hell do you propose to do that?" Haruku asked. No hostility in her voice, uh-uh.
"Beats me." Yumei smiled and half the room face planted into the floor. Ami, however, was already hard at work, tapping furiously at the Mercury link.
"It's possible..." She replied, much to everybody's surprise. Even Yumei blinked, surprised that her shot in the dark had produced something tangible. "Not with the information I have now, mind you... but get me a few more solid readings readings and I might be able to coax the Mercury Computer into generate our own."
"I was about to say that." Yumei deadpanned, and have the room snorted with something close to laughter.
"We still need to know what's on the other side." Rei pointed out, to which everybody agreed.
"We need a probe." Ami stated, to which her sisters in arms simply stared. "You know, something expendable thrown into the pocket universe that will send us back data."
Setsuna arched an eyebrow. "Like...?"
"Um," Ami scratched her cobalt blue hair sheepishly. "Do we happen to have another Mercury link?"
The remainder of the meeting outlined the various strategies and such to be employed against further mass youma incursions and all came to the unwelcome conclusion that they would be pulling overtime until they could find out what was causing the things to spew forth from a pocket universe, when the last of their great adversaries was supportively dead. As it turned out, Pluto did have a spare link, though she winced at the thought of using a priceless and near extinct artifact from the Silver Millennium as an expendable probe.
But for now, there was other business to take care of.
"We may have a problem besides the youma." Setsuna informed the girls quietly. Attention was instantly riveted on her person. "It has come to my attention that there is a force swaying the Crystal Tokyo outcome." The room instantly came to high alert. Earth was going to suffer a cataclysmic ice age and now something was threatening humanity's only hope for survival? "There is an individual in Tokyo who is the source of so much chaos that it may be necessary to... Remove him from the picture if Crystal Tokyo is to survive."
"Um, who is this person?" Makoto asked quietly. If it hadn't been her, it would have been somebody else. There was, however, one person in the room who knew exactly who the Guardian was talking about and she fought the urge to tear into her right then and there. Yumei-Ranma could probably take three to four of the girls out before she went down, but she held no illusions as to the fact that she was seriously out gunned. Not enough space to pull 'em all into a Hiryu Shoten Ha either, she noted grimly. That, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to... Her beef was with The Meddler, not these girls who seemed nice enough by themselves. Still, something was going to have to be done to head this off at the pass. Maybe...
"I can kill him now if he's a threat to the Princess." Yumei-Ranma stated in an almost conversational tone, and half the other Sailor's eyeballs practically rolled out of their sockets. Even Setsuna, who had broached the topic was taken back at her directness. Definitely Alpha Guard. She did not want to get on that woman's bad side.
"What?" Usagi stood up suddenly. "We can't just go around killing people!" The Inners nodded in agreement while the Outers simple stared at Setsuna now. "Nobody will be killing anybody until we learn more about him, is that clear?" Nods came from all around because it was one of the few times the Princess actually asserted her will upon those around her. Yumei smiled inwardly. Not so simple when you don't use a sanitary word like 'remove' is it, Set-chan?
With that topic out of the way, the meeting descended into the usual grab for food, gossip and other teenage female activities that Ranma really wanted no part of but was invariably sucked into.
"What do you think about my hair like this?" Makoto asked while maneuvering her hair with her hands to mimic a style.
The other girls around her were evaluating what Makoto was proposing, when Yumei piped up. "I think you would look better if you did it like Hikaru Utada," she said off-handedly. "It would frame your face better."
It was after those words left Ranma's mouth that she realized that she'd been reading way to much of her own teen magazine stash. Gotta focus on business!
"Your Highness, a word if I may?" Yumei beckoned the blond into a more private conversation. Usagi looked at her nervously as she approached, but accepted the invitation. After all, it wasn't often somebody offered to kill for you without a second thought. As unnerving as that fact was, she did like the redhead, especially given the fact that she hadn't heard an insult directed at her person in nearly a week. "I would only take the action if it were a direct threat to you." Yumei assured her.
"I understand, but it's so..."
"Harsh?" Yumei nodded. "It's not something I relish either, Princess. Which brings me to what I wanted to talk about." Moon looked at the redhead curiously now. "As you know, it's my job to protect you against any threat; Both external and... Internal."
"Internal? You mean... But who?" The blond's eyes widened at the implication.
"How well do you know Pluto?" Yumei asked, and Usagi's eyes widened more, if possible.
"Um, well... She's nice... But mysterious." the girl recalled the major aspects of Pluto's personality. "Wish she was around more to help us out instead of appearing and disappearing at random. And she's always scaring me!" Usagi's face took on a mask of annoyance with that last comment.
Yumei nodded with sympathy. "It's your call as to how private you wish this information is to remain, but I am beginning to consider Setsuna Meiou a risk to the throne." Usagi gasped. "And this latest incident doesn't help matters."
"What do you mean?"
Ranma had now been around the Senshi enough to know what Crystal Tokyo was and what Pluto's exact motivations were concerning it. Then everything fell into place with her proclamation that Ranma was a threat to that vision, which gave her more leverage than she could have possibly hoped for. "I believe Setsuna has become too... trigger happy in her quest for Crystal Tokyo."
"But... how?" She was whispering now, becoming an active part of the conspiracy in play.
"Thousands of years with only one single focus would be my guess." The redhead theorized. "How easy would it be to rationalize the lives of a few thousand people who may or may not be disruptive to her plans? Maybe not immediately, but I imagine after a few thousand years..."
It had never been put in that context before and Usagi found herself easily seeing the potential problem. "And to have the power of all time in the hands of one individual..."
Yumei-Ranma nodded. "Now you see my fears, m'lady? What do you suppose she would do if one of your best friends was a threat? Would she even inform you? Has she ever?" In that moment, Usagi realized the cold, hard, truth... No, she'd never know. Pluto's guardianship of time had been her imminent domain, and she felt neither the want or need to explain her actions in many cases. It was all very frightening when put into Yumei's context. "I can't say as to her current behavior, but I find it disconcerting that she would use the Senshi- her Princess -to carry out what amounts to an assassination with nothing more than the promise that he is a threat to Crystal Tokyo."
"So what do you think I should do?" Usagi whispered in a quiet voice, one reserved for the realization that all was not quite right with the world as she knew it.
"Just watch and observe. Awareness is enough, your Effervescentness... For now." Ranma stated, then turned her attention to the next matter at hand-- The covert application of a certain Happosai attractant powder made by a certain Amazonian Elder to be added to a certain meddler's panty drawer.
Setsuna Meiou, heir quinary in line to the throne of Pluto did so love Her Majesty's royal balls. While some of the nobles she mingled with were very much eye candy, most had the personality of a space flotsam. No, it was the dancing she enjoyed most of all, not the social life. This particular ball was a tad different from the others, in the fact that she had not had to cajole her way into it. Being fifth in line for any throne tended to put you at the bottom of the invitation list concerning the Queen's social gatherings, so one had to be creative to even attend even a fraction of them.
Princess Setsuna was very creative.
She reflected on this anomaly as she waited for the next dance to begin, absently hoping she didn't get stuck with yet another insufferable noble with too many pedigrees to count. Unlike the previous dances she had gone to, Setsuna had actually been invited to this one. It came as somewhat of a shock to have the written invitation in her hands, signed by the queen herself.
"Excuse me, Princess?" Setsuna looked up to find a smartly dressed blond with the hint of a smile on his face. Not bad, she thought as she rose to politely take his hand. Almond completion, sharp features and easy on the eyes. She smoothed out her lavender ballroom gown in preperation for the next dance.
"I'd be delighted to." She answered the unspoken question, only to watch the slight smile turn into a frown.
"I'm sorry, Princess, there appears to be a misunderstanding." Setsuna blinked. Well if he wasn't here to dance... "The Queen requests your presence in her chambers." The Princess studied the room carefully now, noting for the first time that Queen Serenity was indeed not present as courtesy normally dictated. Seeing comprehension in her eyes, the blond's minute smile returned. "If you will follow me, m'lady?"
Part of the Princess was disappointed she'd be missing out on one of the most treasured things in her life... Dancing. The other part- fortunately the majority -was secretly thrilled that she was actually going to sit down with the Queen herself! What would they talk about? The affairs of the kingdom? Over tea and moon cakes? Gossip about the latest happenings? Truth be told, Setsuna didn't have a clue, so she simply followed her escort out of the ballroom down a long hallway and into a lavishly appointed room where the blond Princess, flanked by two of her elite guard, sat on what possibly looked to be the most comfortable plush chair she had ever seen. Serenity nodded to the escort and he bowed out, taking his leave of the the pair. Princess Meiou walked up and concentrated on accomplishing the graceful bow of her entire life.
A mischievous smile crept along Queen Serenity's face. "I won't stand on formalities back here if you won't, Set-chan."
Setsuna blinked several times before recovering from the bow and some of her composure. "Y-Yes, your Majesty!" The Queen her admonished with a disappointed look. "I mean Serenity... chan?"
"Better." The look disappeared, replaced by a content smile. A white cat hopped up onto the chair and stretched itself across the Queen's lap, looking upon the Princess with it's deep blue eyes. "You're undoubtedly curious as to why you, fifth in line to the throne of Pluto, have been called into a personal audience with me..."
"The thought had crossed my mind, your Hi--" The look crossed the Queen's face once more and Setsuna quickly corrected herself. "I mean, Serenity-chan."
Queen Serenity nodded. "Very good. To answer your as yet unspoken question, the Silver Millennium and I have need of you."
"Y-You do?" The Princess couldn't fit any more incredulity into her words if she tried.
"Indeed." Serenity confirmed the fact that she had not misspoken. "What we are about to discuss shall not leave this room, such is the gravity of the subject matter." Setsuna nodded in agreement, her initial fluster forgotten. "As many know, relations between Earth and the Moon kingdom are... Delicate at the moment. Perhapse too delicate. As such, a number of contingencies have been drawn up... Just in case." The phrase 'just in case' hung there like a foreboding omen as each women clearly understood the meaning behind it.
"As you know, it is normally up to the ruler of each world to protect the kingdom. The mantle of the Senshi carries with it not only a responsibility to ones people, but to the defense of the realm as well." Setsuna sat in silence, but wondered why the Queen was elaborating on what amounted to a well known lesson in Silver Millennium history. "Our contingency requires another Senshi to come forth. You."
"ME?" Setsuna blurted, totally forgetting who she was in the presence of. "But Pluto already has a Queen! Auntie won't be happy to hear that I stole the crown from her!"
Queen Serenity chuckled. "Of course not, child. I would never dream of putting you in such an awkward position... The position I intend to put you in is by far more ambitious."
"And what... Position is that?"
"The Guardian of Time itself." She state in a near reverent tone.
Setsuna Meiou twitched. "The Guardian of... But... Why ME? Surely Auntie..."
"First, we need Queen Aiko right where she is... On the throne of Pluto and at my side should conditions become less than favorable." Serenity explained to the awestruck princess. "Second, we've reviewed your complete psychological profile, and it indicates not only a high degree of stability, but an inherent logic that is absolutely necessary for the task."
"And third?"
"And third, you're expendable." Setsuna's mouth hung open, causing the Queen to chuckle further. "The cold, hard reality is that if events fall to where you are actually in a position to take the throne, then the situation has gone beyond dire. At the moment you're far more useful in your capacity as the future Guardian of Time than your hereditary position to the throne of Pluto."
Setsuna was still reeling as her life turned upside down. "Do I have a choice?"
The Queen's features softened and Setsuna was sure she saw sorrow in her eyes. "Yes, Set-chan, you do. I could not order anyone to this duty, for it will literally span ages. You may become cut off from your family and loved ones. The choices you make may will be hellishly difficult at times. The temptation will be staggering. THAT is why I can only request you do it. Not for the Queen, but for the people of the Silver Millennium."
The Princess sitting before her dissected the situation carefully. "Have things really become that bad between the Moon Kingdom and Earth?"
Queen Serenity frowned. "Not as of yet, but the signs of a massive storm brew on the horizon. If it is nothing, then you may never find yourself activated. I would prefer that be the case."
"But if it is..." Setsuna's voice trailed off into a whisper.
"Then may God watch over us all."
Ranma Saotome's eyes snapped open, yet this time he managed to suppress the urge to bolt upright in his futon. Instead, he opted to stare at the darkened ceiling as the images played through his mind. There was definitely a cat in that one, but it just didn't have the nightmare quality he was used to. Whatever he had been dreaming as of late, it sure as hell didn't feel like dreams...
More like memories.
But whose? No way they could be his. He didn't know no cats, or a Queen or a young Princess Setsuna. And he sure as hell didn't know what the Silver Millennium was prior to these dreams. What ever had happened, he knew it was a long time ago, and the age of the his staff came to mind. But if they weren't his memories... The only question now was why in the heck was he remembering her stuff? And for that matter, WHY was he remembering? Ranma Saotome, closed his eyes at three AM in the morning, desperately hoping that Setsuna Meiou wouldn't pay his dreams yet another visit.
Somehow, he didn't think he was going to get off quite so easily.
"So this is it?" Arisa asked as the pair of women and an engineer walked through a Mishima Heavy Industries hanger, their steps echoing across its expanse. It was empty save one one aircraft, still gleaming with its fresh-off-the-assembly line finish. the long trim fuselage bore the lines of a predator, broken only by the stubby over-slung wings and two variable angle fan jets.
"Ladies, I'd like to introduce you to Poison Nine," The engineer stated with flourish, gesturing to the shining vehicle. "Mishima's newest state-of-the-art Close Air support Gunship."
Kyouko ran a finger across the the unpainted primer gray chassis. "Reactive composite armor?"
"Yep." The engineer smiled as the two women admired his team's masterpiece. "We figured that since you were going to be dealing with anti-aircraft energy fire in addition to the 1124's pounding, you wouldn't mind the extra weight." The blond nodded and Arisa was already looking at the weapons pylons. "We also decided to roll with the experimental AX15 b's for the missile package. Instead of throwing out just fragments, they'll throw out plasma fragments." Arisa grinned ferally as she inspected the dummy warheads currently in place. "If those don't slow down your damn android, nothing will short of an AX20 Death Hand."
"Death Hand?" Her ears perked up at the mention of a new, insanely powerful weapon.
The engineer suddenly began to regret its mention. "Um, yeah. We developed a fuel-air explosive missile for wide area suppression. It doesn't pack quite the punch of a full gravity deployed device, but it'll leave a mark."
"We'll take it!"
Both Kyouko and the engineer did a double take. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me." The brunette was positively glowing with anticipation. "I want Poison Nine prepped and ready with a full strike package before Friday."
"But the avionics haven't even passed phase two cert yet!" He protested and Kyouko joined him.
"Ris-chan, the main gun isn't even installed on the nose!"
"And I want a Death Hand." Arisa paid them no mind, her eyes shining now. "make sure you have two suits of Elemental power Armor in the hold as well."
"But...!"
"I want the paint job dark red!"
"YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" The engineer finally exploded. "It's a prototype! It hasn't even passed air worthiness certifications!"
"Mister... Nanako. Is it?" Arisa addressed the engineer for the first time, her eyes narrowing dangerously on him. He nodded. "You do know that the Boss has given the capture of the NK-1124 an 'A' priority, correct?"
The engineer began to shuffle nervously. "Eh, yes?"
"And as such, gives me full authority to requisition whatever materials I deem necessary to complete the mission, right?" She took a threatening step toward the poor man. A large sweat drop rolled off the side of Kyouko's head.
"Eh.. eheh..he.. Right?"
"Which means you will have my Poison Nine Close Air Support Gunship equipped with a nose cannon, full spread of AX15 b's, an AX20, two Elemental power armors and a shiny red paint job by Friday, RIGHT?" She menaced and the engineer shivered.
"Uh, Sure! Right!"
Arisa nodded. "Thought so. Come on, Kyo-chan. We've got two cat-androids to find in the meantime."
"Open gate, Deisu Mall!" Usagi's miniature comm device crackled, causing her to find a deserted ally and power up into the form known as Sailor Moon. Five minutes later found the mall a virtual war zone with youma still flooding through the open porthole. It was an all out free-for-all and everybody was invited.
Moon jumped in beside Sailor Mercury, cutting her closest attacker down with a Moon Spiral Heart attack "This doesn't look good!"
"Not on your life!" Mercury replied as she commenced to freezing two more youma advancing on the pair.Sailor Moon obliged her by shattering their frozen forms. "It's looking like a full scale assault... Big youma, small youma... We're looking at close to a hundred."
A fireball erupted in the youma ranks as Rei cut lose and joined them. "Dammit, this has got to stop! They're ruining my social life!"
"We have to keep them contained in the mall!" Ami stated as the tide of monsters tired to advance along the Scout line, getting torn apart in the process. "Neptune, how about that link?"
"Deep submerge!" Another mob was washed away under a bolt of water. "Chucked the link in before they had a chance to dog pile me. Uranus and I had a hellva time extracting ourselves." As if to underscore the point Haruka cut loose with the space sword.
"They're still coming through." Hotaru observed with a slight edge of fear as she withdrew the Silence Glave from her latest victim. Pluto nodded.
"I'm going to have to get in close to collapse the gate." Pluto stated coolly, analyzing the monumental task and hordes of youma in front of her. It wasn't looking to be a fun task as another platoon of youma pressed the assault. She knew that regardless of how good they were, the attrition alone would eventually kill them.
Two roses arced in and ripped the advancing youma apart. All the Sailors turned to find a familiar atop a convenience store roof. "It would appear as if the beautiful defenders of love and justice could use some assistance."
"Tuxedo Mas--!" Usagi's glee was cut short as a new figure hopped into view, balancing lightly on a telephone pole. Black glasses, black tie, black jacket. "Prince R!"
"Oh God, it's the pervert!" Setsuna growled and the Inners looked at her with sympathy, shaking their heads.
Tuxedo Mask stared at this newcomer, first wondering who exactly he was, then wondering how the other Sailors already knew him. "Prince R?" He asked with no small amount of skepticism.
He ignored the top-hatted Senshi. "Verily, my Princess. What manner protector to ones as radiant and beautiful as thy selves throwith mere roses from a distance?" Tux's eyes buldged as the insult took shape. "Indeed, should not a real man stand with such ethereal beauty in their times of need?"
"Now listen here--"
"Foul creatures! I strike!" Tuxedo Mask's words no sooner left his mouth than Prince R's form blurred into the mass of youma, cutting several down with his glowing wooden blade. "Nay, you shall not not touch such pristine beauty!"
Body parts began flying while Sailor Pluto stared in awe. Horrified awe. What the hell was going on here? There was no WAY this could be the same Prince R if only because this one was actually... Skilled! Tuxedo Mask continued to throw roses into the horde, but they only served as a reminder to just how pathetic his efforts were compared to Prince R's rising body count.
Then it hit Usagi, "Maybe Prince R can get you close enough to the gates to--"
"WHAT!" Pluto fumed and Usagi took a step back. "No WAY am I going into THAT," she motioned wildly at the mob, "with the PERVERT!" Moon looked at the Guardian of Time as if she had gone insane. Prince R? A pervert? Impossible! Before the pair could blink, Prince R and his glowing sword had separated from the melee and appeared by their sides.
"Fear not young maidens, for I shall clear a path through such monstrosities!" He produced a roguish grin and jumped back into the fray, both Senshi watching as he seemingly danced around his numerous foes.
"If the pervert keeps showing off like that he's gonna get—WHOA!" The sentence fell off Pluto's lips as a massive energy spike rippled through her brain.
"JUSTICE WHIRLWIND!"
The team of Senshi watched in amazement as vapor suddenly condensed around the man in black, twisting around his person until the air pressure finally reached critical mass, resulting in a supercharged high energy tornado that chewed the front lines of the youma apart and proceeded to rip a path into the already battered mall and heir ranks. Prince R walked out of the devestation with a smirk on his face. "I believe that is the opening you are looking for, my fairness?" Setsuna twitched barely suppressing the urge to strike him down right then and there. But there were other matters to consider, and she was off following the tornado to the gate like a shot. He now turned to Sailor Uranus. "Not a very personable lady, is she?" Uranus simply stared. "But, you on the other hand... Your beauty eclipses the sun by several magnitudes." Between the awing display of power she had just witnessed and Prince R's roguish charm, Haruka was powerless to stop him from taking her hand and planting a gentle kiss on it. The blushing that followed was quite fierce. Michiru stared incredulously while the inners gaped. She was actually letting a MAN do that! Likewise Michiru was far from happy herself. The gaping quickly turned into smoldering resentment. She wasn't even supposed to LIKE guys and there she was taking the first hottie they'd stumbled across since Tuxedo!
Speaking of which...
"Hold!" Tuxedo Mask hopped down from his rooftop sniping position. "I, Tuxedo Mask shall not let a complete stranger paw the guardians of love and justice!"
Prince R paused in his attentions over Sailor Uranus to size his counterpart up. "This coming from the boy who throws roses at his opponents? Surely thou doth jest."
"What?"
Usagi stared back and forth between the well dressed duo as they stepped up to one another in challenging. On one hand was her long time boyfriend and future husband. On the other was the mysterious, handsome and chivalrous Prince R. "Indeed, what man will stand aside while such perfection fights before him? Only cowards stay in the back while weaklings throw roses... Therefore..." The punch cut in sharply with an angle that would take it straight into Prince R's cheek... If it were ever given the opportunity to reach. The Prince's hand materialized in front of the fist and stopped without play. Prince R's grip tightened to painful levels. "And only a dishonorable fool will attack without formal challenge." He growled and the eyes beneath Tux's Mask widened as they stared into these dark, unflinching sunglasses. There was no doubt as to what was going to come next. Everybody knew it. Tuxedo Mask had lost his temper and thrown down, only to meet this man of unflinching resolve and power.
Tuxedo was about to get his ass beat.
Actually, what happened next was quite a shock to everybody. Sailor Pluto materialized by the remaining girls. "Ok, it looks like the gate is sealed and the tornado took care..." That was when she heard a sound that would haunt her to her dying days...
"What a haul!"
Pluto stood before the Gates cursing in four different languages, three from the past and one yet to be invented. Her uniform had seen better days and she was down to her very last set of bra and panties - one's she had hoped to save for a special occasion. But that was not to be. Her eyes narrow as she manipulated the Gates.
Ranma had gone too far this time. He had sicced a daemonic, panty-thieving little troll on her; one that evaded her every effort at defense. She had barely escaped with her last set of under-things to the Gates of Time and she was fully intent on paying Ranma back - with very painful interest. Searching the time stream for her prey, she soon was most annoyed that he was nowhere near friends or acquaintances.
"Where is that bastard," she muttered with great venom. "When I find him, I'm going to-"
"Sweeto!"
Pluto spun on her heel in time for Happi to latch onto her chest like a baby that hadn't eaten in three days.
"So round, so soft and firm," the troll-like man said while nuzzling between her breasts. He then looked up with puppy-dog eyes, glistening with happiness. "You've made me the happiest man in the world!" He declared.
Pluto proceeded to beat the troll off her. She didn't even wonder how the little pervert got to the Gates, she just focused on one thought, and one thought only: "Ranma, you are so dead."
Author's Notes; Hope you don't mind it getting a tad serious, but I've had it planned since the beginning. Sorry, but I can't help but to add a little plot to my stories. Still hope you're enjoying it, however:D
Hikaru Utada; Japanese female pop idol, famous for a number of works, including the song "Hikari" on the PS2-SquareSoft game "Kingdom Hearts"
Misc; Just want to make it absolutely clear that Mako-chan (Makoto Kashiwagi) is not Sailor Jupiter (Makoto Kino). Please refer to part five's Author's Notes for details. Silly people.
Special Thanks to: The Fukufics Crew as usual and TriMatter, who provided me with with a few excellent scenes, including the final one. They were so good, I couldn't help but to include them. God help us all if we ever collaborate on a fic together.