Star Trek: Ranma's Story– By DS Wynne
Disclaimer: "Ranma ½", "Star Trek" and "Sailor Moon" belongs to their respective
owners.
Note: This story is a companion to the "Sailor Moon ST" story found on It is
designed to be read separately if desired.
Special note: To all my critics, I hear your concerns. Know that: a) the Usagi
("Sailor Moon") Tsukino character is, to use a role-playing terminology, an NPC
(non-playing character) that serves as a back-drop to the story, and b) the
pacing concerns are dully noted.
Enjoy!
Part One
August 10, 3004: San Francisco, California ("Star Trek-Earth").
In a non-descript office, looking high over the famed Golden Gate Bridge, a
young man, who wore a distinctive pig-tail, sits in his chair. He is looking at
the pleasant scenery through his office window, wondering what his next actions
should be. When he heard the bell to his door ring, he gives no indication that
he has heard the signal.
"Come," the young man says.
The door to his office opens, revealing a cute, red-head girl. Her hair was made
into twin "dumplings", with silk-like hair streaming from them. Her clothes
consisted of a modest, gray jumpsuit with a cranberry collar and shoulder pads.
Over her left chest was a fancy arrowhead made from the materials gold and
pearls.
"Dad, are you okay?" the girl asks, as she walks over to the young man's desk.
"You haven't been answering your calls all morning."
"That's because I didn't want to be disturbed, Sakura," the young man said, as
he turned his seat around. While his youthful, Japanese appearance made him
handsome, the sadness in his piercing blue eyes spoke volumes. Like the one
named Sakura, the young man wore an identical uniform. Unlike his daughter, the
young man's collar was adorned with four, solid gold "pips". Pips were tiny,
circular disks used to indicate field commissioned "rank" within a military
hierarchy. A hollow pip indicated that the possessor was an "Ensign" or a
"Second Lieutenant", while four solid pips indicated that the possessor was a
"Captain" or "Colonial"; ranks such as Ensign and Captain indicated that the
officer was typically "Navy", who serves on starships, while ranks such 2nd
Lieutenant and Colonial indicated that the officer was typically "Marine", who
serve as the ground forces for that Navy.
At any rate, the one named Sakura Saotome possessed three solid pips, which gave
her the rank of "Commander", while her father had four, which indicated that he
was a Captain. Specifically, he was a trained starship captain, as part of the
military wing, called "Starfleet", of the United Federation of Planets, or
simply, the Federation. Thanks to Starfleet, the Federation has had a relatively
peaceful existence for 800 years; thanks to Sakura's father, an immortal by
unusual means, he has helped to make this fact so. Unfortunately, it is because
of this "fact" that brings Sakura to her father's doorstep out of concern.
"Dad, are you-" Sakura began.
"I'm…fine. Just feeling my age, that's all."
"Dad, you're in the peak of your physical abilities, thanks to
your…'condition'."
"Well, I wouldn't call my aqua-transsexual curse a…'condition'."
Then, with a slight grunt, the young-looking man turned into Sakura's identical
twin, though sporting only a pig-tail.
"It just…IS," the now female parent said with wiry smile. "It's hard to believe
that I was able to find a 'cure' for my Jusenkyo curse in this 'world'."
"Dad, see? My visit is not a wasted effort."
"No, I guess not. It's just that this is the anniversary of my arrival here. The
anniversary since I left…since I left…"
Sakura held her father's hand.
"Dad, I understand that Mom was not your first love. My feelings won't be hurt
because of what you still feel for this…'Akane' person."
The young woman smiled, as she shifted back to her original form.
"I'm glad, Sakura. You would have liked her."
"Well, maybe if you make it back to your homeworld as planned, maybe I can meet
her."
"Not after I am able to talk to her first. Akane has never been known for her
patience-"
"-Only for her passion. I understand. With all those stories you told me about
your former beau, it's a wonder you were able to admit your love for her."
"And it wasn't easy."
Then, the young man looked into his daughter's eyes.
"No matter what happens, I will still love you. The day you were born, you
became a significant part of my life. That will never change."
With that, the young man kissed his daughter on the forehead.
"Thanks…Dad," Sakura said. "Look, I came here to see if you want to have lunch
with me."
"Not today, unless you're able to offer dinner instead…?"
"Sure. I'll call you later to confirm."
With a nod, the young man dismissed his daughter. After she left, he pulled out
a leather-hewn book. The young man felt the embroidered cover that had nine
words stitched on the cover:
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF CAPTAIN RANMA SAOTOME, UFP-SF.
Captain Saotome smirked. He had published his memoirs a few months based upon
his personal journal. Saotome published his text as a way of giving thanks to
the people of whom he had helped to shepherd. If he was to leave his new found
home, then he wanted to leave something behind. He first began to write in his
journal after he first graduated from Starfleet Academy, where he was trained to
become an officer. The journal itself was a gift from his first wife upon
graduation, and it was later that the title was etched into the cover.
With a sigh, Saotome opened up to journal, and began to read what was written
years ago…
Foreword.
Dear Akane,
I'm writing this thing (Can you believe it? Me? Write?) because I don't know if
and when I'll ever see you again. In case something happens to me (Like it
will!), I've made arrangements for this journal to be delivered to you, somehow,
after my death. Though, to be honest, I rather have myself be delivered to you
instead. Just remember that I never meant to hurt you, and that if I could, I
would've found a way home sooner.
Love always,
Ranma.
Chapter One: The Beginning.
I remember the DAY to a "T". I didn't have a care in the world, other than the
usual nonsense started by my so-called rivals. Huh. You know, thinking back now,
it can be safely said that I was a bit of a jerk. Maybe it's because of my Pop,
who insisted that I focus on my martial arts training for ten solid years at the
exclusion of everything else. Whatever the reason, I was a bit of a jerk, the
kind who tended to attract the wrong type of trouble, which was how I got into
it with Herb, the Musk Dynasty chieftain, that first time.
Anyway, the day of my exile started normally enough. I got beaten on the head by
Akane for not being as attentive as I should have, blackmailed by Akane's sister
Nabiki for some perceived offense and generally had to avoid getting "bra-ed" by that pervert Happosai. I may have gotten used to my sex-changing curse, but I still won't wear a bra!
Anyway, I was going to school with Akane, when I was attacked by Ryouga Hibiki,
an eternally lost boy, and blind-eye Mousse, a male Chinese Amazon. I should not have been so cocky that day.
Otherwise, I could have avoided Tatewaki Kuno's trap…
Ranma Saotome, dressed in his Chinese clothes, was fighting both Ryouga the Lost
Boy and Mousse the Amazon.
"I got you now!" Ryouga said, as he sky dived onto to Ranma's head…
At the last second, Ranma ducked, just as Mousse let out a stream of toilets and
chains from his robes.
"Yeargh!" Ryouga said, as he covered his face. The objects knocked Ryouga down.
At the same time, Ryouga's heavy umbrella landed on top of Mousse's head. It was
a good thing that Mousse was conditioned to take a beating.
"Man, you guys suck," Ranma said with a smirk. "Well…maybe just Mousse. At least
Ryouga still gives me a challenge."
With that, Ranma picked up his book bag, and ran after Akane.
Akane merely sighed. After the failed wedding attempt, she was hopping that she
and Ranma would move to the next logical step in their relationship.
Unfortunately, old habits are hard to break, including Ranma's tendency to admit
anything remotely related to "feelings".
"Having fun?" Akane asked.
"Always. Pop is still good to spar with, but the others always push the
envelope. I kinda like that."
"So, what are you going to do about your 'girlfriends'?"
"Well, I already talked to Shampoo and Cologne. We agreed that no matter what
happens, I will pledge myself as an ally to the Joketsu in their time of need.
Of course, Mousse STILL doesn't accept the fact that Shampoo does not love her,
which explains why he's been upping his attacks lately.
"As for Ukyo and Kodachi, well, you know how I feel about Kodachi. And Ukyo
apologized for her actions."
Then, Ranma stopped Akane.
"Look, I know how you feel about what we have. I just want to take things slow.
If we are meant to be together, then things will work themselves out."
Akane looked at Ranma.
"Okay. We'll try it your way."
"Thanks. Let's go before we're late."
And thus, the two took off running for Furinken High School.
When they arrived, standing at the school gates was Upperclassman Tatewaki Kuno.
The Samurai-wannabe faced the couple with his arms crossed.
"Greetings, foul sorcerer," Kuno said. "I challenge you to a duel at lunch
time!"
Ranma looks at Kuno.
"Fine."
And with that, Kuno stalks off.
"Ranma, I don't think you should accept his challenge," Akane asked.
"Why?"
"You know you can beat him. You don't need to prove anything."
"Maybe, but honor is always at stake, his and mine."
Akane looked at Ranma.
"Just be careful, then."
"Hey, a Saotome never loose!"
At the appointed time, Kuno and Ranma fought. Well, Kuno fought Ranma with his
wooden blade, while Ranma toyed with Kuno.
"Gee, Kuno," Ranma said, as he ducked and weaved. "I thought you were gonna come
up with something new."
"Aw, but I have something new. Behold!"
From a hiding place on his person, the kendoist used his free hand to pull out a
weird object. It was a red jewel encrusted on a flat, gold service, which was
connected to a gold chain.
"Say good-bye, fiend. I'm sending you back to hell. And when that happens, Akane
Tendo and the pig-tailed goddess will be MINE!"
"What-?" Ranma began.
The jewel began to glow. Then, everything went white…
When everyone could see, there wasn't any sign of Ranma's presence.
"Ranma?" Akane yelled. "RANMA!"
With that, Ranma Saotome was gone.
Chapter 2: When Ranma met Usagi
I was angry…at first. I mean, to fall for something as stupid as a typical
Kuno-trap was just stupid. Then again, I was suffering from wounded pride
syndrome without realizing the implication of what Kuno had done to me. They say
that when a warrior is at his darkest time of need, an angel comes to rescue
him. I don't know where that proverb originally came from, but I do know one
thing. An angel DID rescue me.
When Ranma woke up, he found himself on some barren field. He looked up to see
gray skies.
"I swear, the next time I see that-"
"AHHHHHH!"
Ranma immediately stood up, nearly up hearing the scream. Instincts had taken
over.
Where's that scream coming from? Ranma thought to himself.
He ran to a dune, and looked over it.
There was a multi-tentacle creature attacking and devouring people, people who
were dressed in fancy jumpsuits.
While Ranma didn't know what was going on, he was not about to let innocent
people suffer. Getting revenge against Kuno will have to wait.
Ranma leaped over the dune…
"Tiger FIST!"
Ranma let off a twin blast of chi energy at the monster. The monster was knocked
away by the blasts.
"You people are okay?" Ranma asked.
"Uh, yeah," said one of the people. "Where did you come from?"
Before Ranma could answer, the monster was back. It rushed Ranma, overwhelming
his defenses.
Why didn't I sense his attack? Ranma thought. He barely could move, since the
monster's tentacles had bound him good. He could see the creatures maw, as the
creature was about to snack on Ranma's head…
"Moon Tiara MAGIC!" yelled a voice.
A glowing object knocked the creature off of Ranma. Ranma looked up, as the
object flew back to its owner. The object formed into a gold tiara, as it landed
in the hands of Ranma's rescue.
"Are you okay?" the owner of the tiara said, as she placed the tiara back on her
head. Ranma could see that the girl was wearing a stylized Sailor Suit with a
ridiculously short skirt. Ranma could see that the girl had long, blond hair,
which was done in twin meatballs.
"Huh?"
"I asked if you are okay?" the girl asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. No problem."
"Riiight. Look, if you don't mind, I have a monster to hunt."
From nowhere, the girl pulled out a large, battle sickle.
"Just stay out of my way," the girl said, as she ran into the direction of the
monster's location.
"Hey!" Ranma yelled, as he ran after the girl.
Soon, Ranma began to wonder what type of girl he was dealing with. She was fast,
that's for sure.
"I thought I told you to stay put."
"Hey, I can fight that monster too, you know!"
The girl looks at Ranma.
"Fine. Just be careful."
"Right. And your name is…?"
"Well, call me 'Sailor Moon'. And yours?"
"Ranma Saotome."
"Well, Mr. Saotome, I'm pleased to meet you."
Soon, the two came upon the creature, who was tending its wound. They ducked
behind some large rocks, trying to avoid detection.
"I…can't sense it," Ranma said.
"Chi manipulator?" Moon asked.
"Uh, yeah, I guess."
"Figure as much. That thing over there exists only in the fourth dimension."
"Huh?"
"Sigh. It exists only in time."
"I still don't understand."
"Alright. Say the oceans and the sky above it represents time, and everything in
the water represents people, places and things."
"Oh, I get it. I can't sense the creature because it's above the ocean!"
"Exactly. You see, this place represents 'the sky'. Whenever one time travels-"
"Time travel? You mean, I'm in the future?"
"Um, I don't know what you mean by that. This place represents the gaps between
different points in time. I don't know where you're originally from, but I
crossed over to the place in the mid 23rd century, Earth time."
"Well, I'm from…the 20th, I guess."
"Really? Where at?"
"Tokyo, Japan."
"You don't seem Japanese."
"Oh yeah? How would YOU know?"
"Because I'm originally from the 21st century, Tokyo, Japan."
"Come again?"
Before Moon could answer, the creature was making noises, indicating that it was
about to make a move.
"Look, if we make it out of this, we can chat some more about this subject.
Right now, we got to take care of this thing. By the way, I noticed that you can
project energy discharges, correct?"
"Among other things."
"Good. As long as you have some type of weapon at hand, you can avoid getting
caught by that thing. Now, let's make sure that this creature doesn't hurt
anyone else."
And with that, the two charged forward.
Later, with the creature destroyed, Moon sat down on a nearby rock.
"What a mess," Moon said, as she wiped the blood and goo from her brow.
"Hey, I had worse experiences," Ranma said.
"Tell me about it," Usagi replied. Then, she took out some sort of communicator.
"Moon to Kirk, come in."
"This is Kirk, Moon," the communicator relayed. "Has the creature been
neutralized?"
"Affirmative, Captain. By the way, we have…company."
"Duly noted. Kirk out."
When Moon puts away her device, her clothes changed. Now, she wore a one-piece
mini-skirt (gold-yellow, with a small arrowhead sewn over the upper left side of
her chest) with ankle-high black boots. Two solid strips, and one "broken"
strip, were present on both sleeves of her "costume".
"Oh, and my name is Lt. Commander Usagi Tsukino, Ship's Operations Specialist,
and crewmember of the United Federation of Planets starship 'Enterprise', Mr.
Saotome."
"Just call me 'Ranma'. I'm not old, you know."
Usagi smiled.
"Ranma it is, then."
Chapter 2: Meeting the Crew.
To say that I was surprise at what happened to me next is an understatement.
There I was: one minute I was in some weird time zone, the next I was in some
futuristic setting. Even though I was already used to the weird and strange,
having lived in Nerima, I was still floored by all the non-human life-forms I
first came across. Then again, if some Odango-headed girl from the home nation
could get used to "the future", then I could. At least, I was going to try.
As Ranma walked with Usagi towards their destination, he could help but notice
how attractive the girl was, how young she was and how strong she was. At one
point in the battle with the "time creature", Ranma could see how confidant she
was. Usagi appeared to have no problem reaching into the maw of the creature,
and pull out some kind of organ rather forcefully. Usagi would go on to tell
Ranma that most octopods have nerve centers in the same area of the body, no
matter how diverse the species was.
"Were you…afraid of getting killed?" Ranma asked. "That was quite the risk you
took."
"I was terrified of getting killed, Ranma," Usagi replied. "But that thing has
been killing people for years, time travelers mostly. When you showed up, it had
murdered half of a research team."
"Say, about that, what's up with that?"
"You'll see. There!" Usagi replied, as she pointed to what appeared to be some
kind of hole in front of them, which was appearing out of thin air. Both Ranma
and Usagi could see a throng of people on the other side of that hole.
"Now, hold my hand," Usagi said, as reach for Ranma's.
"Why, what for?"
"Because, Ranma, you'll need an anchor to take you to the normal space-time
continuum."
"But I need to get back home."
"Well, then you can stay here. I'm sure that there is a gateway somewhere around
here, since this 'place' is a 'nexus' of sorts. I'm sure the Captain can allow
you to have rations while you search for a way home on your own. Or, you can
come with me, and at least be around people while we find the right way home. No
promises though, but we can most certainly try. The choice is yours."
Ranma thought for a moment.
"Okay," Ranma said.
"Excellent! Now, hang on."
The two, with hands held, jump through the makeshift gateway, just as it closed
behind them. When Ranma got his barring straightened, he realized that he jumped
through a large, misshapen "donut".
"ALL AS IT WAS, IS," said a booming voice.
"What was that?!" Ranma said, as he looked around wildly.
"It's the Guardian to this…place," Usagi replied. Then, she turned to a group of
people, who were approaching them. They wore uniforms similar to Usagi's, except
that the men wore pants.
"Captain!" Usagi said.
"Welcome back, Tsukino," the man who Usagi referred as "captain' said. "Glad
that you could make it. I take it that the creature has been dealt with?"
"Yes, sir. And I found someone who helped."
"'Helped'?" Ranma interjected. "Feh, I did most of the work!"
"Did not!"
"Did, too!"
"Excuse me," the Captain began. "Who are you?"
"Me? The name's Ranma Saotome, and I am the heir of 'Anything Goes' Martial
Arts."
"'Anything Goes', huh? Sounds like an interesting methodology."
"Huh?"
"Never mind that, Mr. Saotome. I'm James Kirk, captain of the Federation
starship 'Enterprise', and these are my officers Mr. Spock-"
"Greetings," said the man with the arched eyebrows and pointy ears.
"Are you a demon?" Ranma asked nervously.
"No," Spock replied dryly.
"This is Dr. McCoy, my Chief Medical Officer-"
"Ah need to run a full medical examine on ya," McCoy replied. "You never know
what you could get in weird places."
Ranma nodded.
"This is my Communications Officer Lt. Uhura-"
"Greetings," the pretty black woman said.
"Hi," Ranma replied.
"And this is my Chief Engineer Montgomery Scotty-"
"Ye can call me 'Scotty', lad," the Scotsman replied.
"Okay," Ranma replied.
"With the introductions out of the way, you can tell me how you ended up
in…there," Kirk said, as he pointed to the Guardian.
"I don't know," Ranma said. "I was on…Earth, fighting a guy at my school, when
he pulled out something. The next thing I knew, I was flat on my back. And then
I met 'meatball head' over there-"
"Hey!" Usagi said.
"-And the rest is history."
"I see. Spock?"
"I theorize that Mr. Saotome was attacked by a device that uses 'time' as a
trap. In fact, I would not be surprise if Mr. Saotome has been trapped in the
null zone for years."
"YEARS?!" Ranma exclaimed. "But…it doesn't feel like it."
"It is all relative. One second living in the null zone is the equivalent of
living one year in the 'real world', or even 100 years living in the real world.
As I have stated before, time can be relative."
"But, I can go home, right?"
"I don't see why not," Kirk said. Then, he turned to the Guardian. "Guardian, is
it possible to return…Ranma Saotome to his own time and place?"
"ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE," the Guardian said. "HOWEVER, GRAVE CONSEQUENCES COULD
OCCUR IF THE ONE CALLED 'RANMA SAOTOME' IS RETURNED HOME BEFORE HIS TIME."
"Can you explain?" Kirk asked.
"BEHOLD."
The Guardian showed single image. It showed a slightly older Ranma in a uniform
similar, yet different, from that of Kirk and crew. He appeared to be seated in
a Captain's chair, giving orders of some kind. Unfortunately, no sound was
coming out.
"Do you know what 'year' this image pertain to, Guardian?" Spock asked.
"AS ALWAYS, I CAN ONLY SHOW THE IMAGES AS IS."
"No…no!" Ranma shouted. "Why does this always happen to me?"
"What do you mean, Ranma?" Usagi asked.
"Every time I try to do something for myself, something always get into the way.
It's like I'm some sort of 'chaos' magnet, or something."
"Well, like I always say, we hold our own destiny in our OWN hands. If there is
trouble, I think Starfleet can handle things."
Ranma continued to look at the image. How could he return home, if other
people's lives are at stake?
"Is it possible to…think about it?"
"About what?" Kirk asked.
"About staying here. I don't want to rush anything."
"Sure. I still have to get an 'after-action' report together, so the Enterprise
will remain in orbit."
"Thank you. By the way, I didn't know you and your crew could speak Japanese
real well."
Kirk smiled.
"We're not."
"Huh?"
"All questions will be answered, Ranma," Usagi said. "I bet you're hungry."
"I'm starving!"
"Good! Captain?"
"Sure," Kirk replied, as he flipped open a communicator. "Kirk to Enterprise."
"Enterprise here," the communicator responded. "Sulu speaking."
"Seven to beam up. And get a support team down here. I want the lab secured."
"Affirmative."
Usagi looked at Ranma.
"Just stand very still. The first time 'beaming' can be a weird experience."
"What do you mean-"
Ranma could hear a humming sound, as he was enveloped by a shower of light.
"-By that, Usagi?"
Ranma felt a weird sensation. Then, he noticed that scenery had changed.
"Wha-"
"Welcome aboard the Enterprise, Ranma," Usagi said with a smile.
"Uhhhhhh…"
For the first time in a long while, Ranma feinted.
Over the next few days, Ranma had explored "the future" aboard the Enterprise.
One of the first things he learned about was the device known as the "Universal
Translator", which enabled people to understand different spoken languages. The
second thing he learned about was the existence of the United Federation of
Planets, an intergalactic organization dedicated towards peaceful exploration
and mutual defense of member planets. Ranma was amazed that human beings were
able to move beyond its barbaric nature, which allowed Earth to be part of the
Federation.
As Ranma was given the tour of the ship, his mind went back to the image that
the Guardian had showed him. And then he remembered what Kirk said about being
in charge of one's own destiny. He really wished that Akane was there to help
him make the right decision.
And then there was Usagi Tsukino. While rooming with Hikaru Sulu, (a Japanese
native of San Francisco, California and ship's helm officer), he told Ranma
stories about Usagi. Ranma was told that Usagi has served aboard the Enterprise
for years, longer than everyone, with the exception of Spock. In fact, according
to Sulu, Usagi stays on the Enterprise in hopes of finding a way home. She tried
using the Guardian's services, but learned that if SHE returns home too soon,
dire consequences could occur. Not that she would try at this point, since she
is a single mother with a child.
"Really?" Ranma said, as he and Sulu stepped into the ship's lounge. Various
crew-members were either eating meals or doing some recreational activity.
"Yeah, really," Sulu replied, as they went to the food dispensers. "Computer,
two 'miso'-"
"Make that six," Ranma replied.
"Correction, Computer. Make that SIX 'miso' soups."
"WORKING." The ship's computer responded.
From the wall paneling, a small door opened to reveal six bowls of hot soup.
"Here. Honestly, I don't know you could eat so much. Then again, Usagi's the
same way."
"Hey, a martial artist needs lots of fuel."
A moment later, Ranma noticed Usagi's presence. She was sitting next Mr. Spock
on the other side of the lounge. They were playing some weird-looking chess
game.
"They seem awfully close," Ranma mused.
"Humph! They should, since Spock is the father of Usagi's daughter T'Sara."
"What?! I didn't know they were married."
"That's it though. They're not. Apparently, there's something going on that's
preventing them from being together as spouses. I suppose it's because of some
family politics on Mr. Spock's home planet of Vulcan. But hey, it's none of my
business. Come! Let's eat…"
Ranma took one last look at Usagi before sitting down with Sulu to eat. Could he
end up like her, if he stayed in this time? What if…what if he forgets about
Akane? What if he forgets his love for her? But isn't the role of the martial
artist is to protect the weak and innocent, and be willing to sacrifice one's
self for others?
Later that night, Ranma made the one decision that will effect his destiny for
years to come…
"So, you decided to enlist into Starfleet, Mr. Saotome?" asked Captain Kirk.
"Yeah…I mean, yes," replied Ranma. It still felt strange being called "Mr.
Saotome", since that was what everyone referred to his "Pop". "I want to do
something with myself, at least until I find a way home." Ranma was referring to
the incident involving the so-called "Guardian", which thrust him into a
different time and dimension. "I just wanna do something."
"I see. Well, I don't see a problem with that. Mr. Spock, thoughts?"
"Mr. Saotome does not have a place to call home, and we have yet to determine
the best course of action to help him find his place of origins. But as to Mr.
Saotome's immediate future- I can see him as a member of Starfleet."
"Thank you, Mr. Spock-san."
"Well, it's settled then. Mr. Saotome, welcome to Starfleet. I'll have our
Operations Specialist get your processing started."
A short time later…
"So…you want to join Starfleet?" asked Lt. Commander Usagi Tsukino, the
Enterprise's Operations Specialist. As such, she is familiar with virtually
every function on board, is rated as being skilled in several different
occupations. At the moment, they were heading to Sickbay to give Ranma a full
medical. "That's a laugh."
"What? Why'd you say that?"
"Well, you're not exactly a refined individual, you know."
"Hey, I heard stories about you, you know. If you do okay in a place like this,
so can I…meatball head!"
"Heh. If I was a little less mature, I'd take offense to that remark," Usagi
said, which was followed by the sticking out of her tongue.
Ranma was determined to get under Usagi's skin.
"And you have dumpy legs in that short skirt of yours too."
That did it.
"You know, where I come from, what you just said could be construed as 'fighting
words'."
"So, you're going to cry or something? But don't feel bad about being girl and
all."
"That's it. You remember the gymnasium? Meet me there in a half-hour. You and I
are going to have a little sparring match."
"Naw, I don't fight girls."
"So, you're a chicken, or some thing? AFRAID that a GIRL is going to whoop Mr.
Macho's buttocks?"
"I ain't afraid. We'll have our match! But first…do you know where I can get
some cold water?"
A little bit later, in the gymnasium…
"You ready?" asked Ranma-chan confidently.
"Just a sec, Mr. Saotome," Usagi said, as she continued her stretches. Near the
edges of the main mat area stood Kirk, Spock, McCoy (who wanted to monitor the
situation) and Usagi's friend Uhura.
"Why are they doing this again?" asked Kirk.
"Apparently, Mr. Saotome challenged Tsukino to a sparring session," Spock
replied.
"How can you just be so casual about this, Spock?" asked McCoy. "First, Mr.
Saotome just turned into a girl, and he's fighting your old beau!"
"I trust her judgment in this matter. Besides, I am fascinated as to the full
extent of Mr. Saotome's prowess in combat."
"Go get 'em, Usagi!" yelled Uhura, who was there for moral support.
"Well? Are you going to bore me to death or something?" said Ranma-chan.
"Okay, okay," replied Usagi. Then, she smiled ever so sweetly.
Ranma-chan observed this for a moment, before realizing something,
She was VASTLY underestimating Usagi. During the battle against the time
monster, she never really paid attention to Usagi fighting style.
When Usagi suddenly shifting into an unusual fighting stance, Ranma-chan quickly
revised her initial appraisal of her.
"Let's play," Usagi winked.
The match began easily enough. You know, basically dodging and weaving. However,
the tempo increased geometrically, much to Ranma's surprise. Hmm, Ranma thought.
I better try something…
"Chestnut-on-an-Open-Fire!" Ranma said, as she delivered over 100 punches per
second.
Amazingly, Ranma-chans's fists were being slapped away with ease. Unknown to
Ranma-chan, Usagi followed the philosophy of Jeet Kune Do, a discipline that her
former sensei, the late Bruce Lee, had founded. Using those techniques that
worked, gathered from Jun Fan Kung Fu, Shaolin Kung Fu, Themiscyrian Pankration
(Amazonian version of the Greek martial arts), Mosh-Te (a martial arts that
involve "beta-wave" manipulation, which changes the perception of the user), the
assassin arts of the Bene Gesserit (an order of nuns who believe in the
perfection of the mind and body), the Jedi (an order of warriors dedicated to
the path of peace and harmony) and a host of others, Usagi was more ready to
intercept Ranma-chan's fists.
Originally, Usagi ("Sailor Moon") Tsukino, through some sort of cosmic event,
literally fell into a multi-dimensional plane of existence, while she was on her
way to a meeting with some friends. And since then, Usagi tried repeatedly to
find her way home, one dimension at a time, one time zone at a time. Mostly,
Usagi's experiences were "mundane", while others were extraordinary. It is
during those extraordinary circumstances that Usagi felt comfortable in using
her identity of "Sailor Moon", the Warrior of Love and Justice. Still, in each
case, Usagi picked up a trick or two, and hoped that each trick will lead her to
a way back home. Unfortunately, her so-called "sojourn" has taken her away from
her friends and family for the past 100 years, and there was no apparent end at
sight.
At the moment, Usagi has been living in her present temporal locus for the past
twenty years now. Before James Kirk took command of the Enterprise three years
before, Usagi had served under the helm of Christopher Pike. Back then, Spock
was more of a free-spirit than he was now. It was this Vulcan whom Usagi finally
gave her heart to, after deciding that if she could not, as the old song went,
be with the one she loved, love the one she's with. Sadly, due to the culture of
the planet Vulcan, the home of Spock's people, Usagi could not wed her beau,
even after Spock gave up his claim to his fiancé T'Pring. Still, the one thing
that came out of all this was the birth of her daughter T'Sara. T'Sara, who's
been living with Spock's parents on Vulcan, was being groomed to be the
planetary protector of Vulcan, though the Elders on the Science Council feel
that the girl is too "human" to adequately represent the concerns of the Vulcan
people. Only time will tell how this will pan out.
In the meantime, Usagi is serving aboard the Enterprise as it's Operation
Specialist, and has done so with distinction.
Anyway, Usagi's own martial arts experience is more than a match to deal with
Ranma's parlor tricks.
Presently…
"Hey, Ranma. I thought you wanted to get serious."
"Grrr. Okay then. Moko Takibasha!" Ranma yelled with confidence, but making sure
he didn't overdo it.
"Unbelievable!" commented McCoy, who was still recording the fight.
"Not really," replied Spock. "There are many species who can 'discharge' energy
fields."
"Still," began Kirk, "to think that human beings can learn to harness their own
bio-energy is truly spectacular."
As the energy field went toward Usagi, Usagi raised her right hand…and caught
it. Ranma-chan only opened her mouth in shock as Usagi casually observed the
sphere.
"Ooh…pretty ball," Usagi mocked.
Got to take advantage of her distraction, Ranma-chan thought, as she rushed
Usagi. Usagi, without even looking, flicked her left wrist, sending Ranma-chan
up in the air. Quickly, after dissipating the energy sphere, Usagi leaped into
the air with a flying kick. Unfortunately, she didn't realize that Ranma was the
heir to the School of Indiscriminating Grappling, which focused on aerial
combat. Smiling at this change in development, Ranma-chan was able to intercept
Usagi, redirect her flow. To a novice, it would be panic time. However, Usagi
knew how to drop and roll from a fall of that magnitude. When she recovered,
Usagi got into her half-moon stance. Ranma-chan landed to a stance of her own.
"Care to try again?" said a smug Ranma.
"Heh. Only if you can MAKE me," said an equally smug Usagi.
"I think I've seen enough," said Kirk. "Let's say we call this match a draw,
okay?"
"I will if Mr. Saotome agrees," said Usagi.
"I'll agree to the draw. And please, you can still call me Ranma."
"Alright. Ranma, thank you for a wonderful experience," Usagi said with a bow.
"You're welcome."
Later, after Ranma received a final evaluation, Ranma and Usagi went to the
lounge to eat (which was an interesting sight for the people around them) and to
"talk shop". While Ranma was amazed at Usagi's energy manipulation ability,
Usagi was amazed at Ranma's energy generating ability. They also talked about
their respective homes back on their own Earth.
"So you're from Tokyo, too?" asked Usagi.
"Yeah. I live in the Nerima district with my fiancée."
"Oh. I bet she's a lucky person."
"Yeah, I guess. So, what about your situation? I'm sure there's someone special
in your life."
"I…I'm not sure anymore. For me, it's been over a hundred years since I last saw
my…'prince'," Usagi sadly.
"I'm sorry for asking."
"Oh, it's okay. It's just that I miss Momaru. We were suppose to be married
sometime in the future, when I…left home unexpectantly."
"I see. But what about Mr. Spock? He's seems very close to you."
"It's a bit complicated. You see, years ago, we had a child together."
"Wow, I heard."
"Hey, don't look at me like that! In spite of my appearance, I am an adult, you
know. Besides, I don't have any regrets giving birth to my child. So don't you
forget that mister!"
"Okay, okay! Sheesh…"
"Anyway, I'm taking care of, so don't you worry about a thing."
For the next few days, Ranma and Usagi were inseparable. The two traded stories,
and were amazed by them. Like Usagi, Ranma hoped to find a way home soon. But in
the meantime, he wanted to make himself useful. Hence, his desire was to join
Starfleet.
Finally, after spending so much time with Ranma, Usagi felt saddened to see him
go. Hopefully, after he completes his Starfleet Enlistment training, he'll be
assigned to serve aboard the Enterprise.
"And you stay out of trouble, Ranma!" Usagi said with a smile and a hug.
"Hey, trouble seems to follow me," Ranma replied.
As Ranma's shuttle disappeared from view, Usagi couldn't help be saddened by his
sudden absence.
"Thoughts, Usako?" asked Spock, who was observing the interaction from afar.
"Just thinking how thankful I am for meeting Ranma. It's not everyday you meet
someone from your old home."
"Indeed. Would you care for a game of chess?"
"Why Spock-kun…you're trying to seduce me?"
"Humph," Spock replied with a raised eyebrow.
Tbc.