The Reborn

Chapter 4

Growing Up Twice

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Nabiki rubbed the bandages around her left arm once again, even though they all itched.

She stood dressed in what was considered modest clothing for Ancient Egypt, the apparent birthplace of the True Nekoken. Her arms, chest, and legs were wrapped in bandages, giving her more an appearance of a mummy than a young child.

They had been here in the past with Setsuna for over three months, and she was quite thankful the Senshi of Pluto was at least kind enough to fetch food from the future, as reptile meat and stone-hard bread was not her diet of choice, no matter how much her Senshi abilities made her feel filled with those staples.

"Don't worry," said Setsuna, "they'll be healed by tomorrow."

She looked towards the green haired Senshi. The only reason their Setsuna had been able to come back with them was that the Setsuna of this time had to stay at the Time Gates. So, they were in a hurry so as not to keep that Setsuna bound too long. "I'm not worried about the wounds."

"Then what troubles you, Demeter?"

Nabiki was about to respond, when a priestess was dragged out before them, before two more were escorted into the chamber.

She sighed. "Three things, I guess. One is the fact that I need to figure out whether what I feel for him is the thoughts of my current self, or just an echo of Demeter. Of course, it doesn't help that you won't call me my name."

"I can't call you your name to protect the time stream. As for your feelings, what you feel is you. Even our past lives effect us somewhat in the present."

Nabiki nodded. Since Setsuna had informed her of Demeter, as well as the few past lives her and Ranma had actually managed to reconnect, she had felt something tugging on her heart to once again embrace the pigtailed boy. Was it really the feelings of Nabiki Tendo, Demeter, or that of some other past life? If it was her, then why had she not embraced Ranma when they had first met?

"And the second thing?" asked Setsuna.

Before Nabiki could answer, a loud childlike scream was heard from the room that had priestesses and priests entering and being dragged out.

"Will...Ramius be okay?"

Setsuna had to smile that Nabiki had remembered to use their past names when in the past. The last thing they needed was some historian digging up a stone that had Nabiki and Ranma's name on it. "I'm not certain. You have to remember the bastard Nekoken has been in his soul for over ten years. To get it out and replaced with the correct spirit will undoubtedly be painful." She stopped as she heard Ranma scream again, and Nabiki's grip on her hand tighten. "But I am confident he will survive."

It did little to calm the now six-year-old Tendo. She was more terrified of what Ranma would be like if he survived.

Nabiki closed her eyes, trying to block the pained screams of a boy she was finding her heart thriving on more and more. "Well then, can you explain why he isn't changing genders? Last time I checked, those mushrooms didn't affect the curse."

Setsuna stared at the wall, trying to hide her own reactions to the pain screams of her friend. "The person responsible for the mushrooms had made several versions of them. The variety you were exposed to was originally meant to return the body to an earlier state where injuries and maimings were not present. They worked, until the subject returned to the age where they had suffered the original injury." Setsuna paled a bit. "Those who originally lost limbs were... Well, it wasn't a pretty sight."

Nabiki only nodded. "So when he turns to the age where he got cursed..."

"He will start changing with water again. I wish I could offer him a cure, but such magics are dangerous to cross, and Jusenkyo does not like to relinquish their victims. If I tried to get curing water for him..."

"Then it is most likely Jusenkyo would alter events to get someone else cursed." Seeing the acknowledgement from Setsuna, she continued. "What about Serenity? Could she cure him?"

Setsuna shook her head. "No. If anything, it might result in a magical backlash, resulting in all Senshi everywhere receiving a gender altering curse. But, we won't know more until after Ramius regains his curse. By then, the Time Gates will have a better lock on him, and we'll be able to know more about those types of reactions."

Time passed, and more priests and priestesses were led into the chamber, and hauled out.

Finally...

A priestess slowly walked out carrying a basket, her eyes showing her tiredness. "It...is...done." She looked at Setsuna, trying to catch her breath, as two attendants came up to her, helping support her and helping her drink a glass of fresh water.

Nabiki just sat quietly. She knew that she could understand ancient Egyptian, but didn't trust the magic of her Senshi powers to allow her to speak it in return without alerting the priestess to her true intelligence.

"How is he?" asked Setsuna.

The priestess sighed. "We have done all we can for him. The true Nekoken now flows through him, but he will need to make it his. I have never seen a bastard version cling so tightly to a soul of one so young."

Setsuna nodded. She wasn't about to tell an Ancient Egyptian Priestess the truth.

The priestess smiled, handing Setsuna the basket. "We did discover how he was grounded from going insane. These two kittens gave up their lives for him, anchoring his soul. Now that he is free...they have life once again." She bowed and left. Calling back, she finished what her tiredness had made her forget. "You may leave with him at any time. But I fear he will be confused for the next few days."

Setsuna nodded as the members cleared the chamber, tired or nearly exhausted as the priestess had been. She opened the thin blanket covering the cats and gasped.

Nabiki blinked, before allowing her curiosity to make her look as well. "Moon cats?"

Setsuna nodded, seeing the red and purple kittens, which barely looked a month old. "Well, I guess we now know why you and Ramius were not awakened when you hit fourteen."

"Do you know them?" asked Nabiki.

Setsuna nodded. "Queen Serenity had ordered them to be your advisors. They are Circes and Diogenes. It appears they died as you did."

Nabiki could only nod, that memory not back with her yet.

But she could feel her own Nekoken inside her, demanding she protect the defenseless kittens.

Setsuna thought nothing of it when Nabiki began to purr. She knew enough of how the initial trainees of the Nekoken acted until they grew strong enough to fight such small urges. "Come; let us go grab your husband and head home. I really don't want to take the chance of him going feral in the past here and changing history."

Nabiki spooned behind Ranma, the child still near catatonic since their return to the present, now inside his bedroom at the house Setsuna had acquired for them. In front of him were the two infant Moon Cats, still young, and still confused as Ranma. Setsuna said they would regain their memories soon, since Moon Cats had a higher ability to recall past life memories than humans.

It didn't hurt that they would have a good portion of Ranma's memories, so at least they would be able to defend themselves when they learned to take human form.

Do I love Ranma? Or are these feelings from Demeter for Ramius? If I do, why didn't I before?

Setsuna had no answers for her on that. All she could tell her was that even Serenity and Endymion—soul mates themselves—had hardly experienced love at first sight.

That did little to help her.

When viewing her old life, she had actually seen the love in her eyes for the rogue that she had married. Even his eyes showed the depth of emotion and love that had matched her own.

Could something like that really happen?

She recalled how excited she had been when Ranma was to arrive, even going as far as to dress in a formal kimono. Was that a sign? Was that a hint that her soul knew her mate was arriving?

She shook her head, tightening her hold on the boy next to her. No, those thoughts could be placed for later, when—not if—Ranma returned.

"Nabiki?" came a weak response.

She blinked. Is he awake? "Yeah, Ranma?"

"Can't breath, you're holding too tight."

Nabiki felt the only emotion she was sure was her own at the moment: happiness that Ranma was still with her.

Happiness was soon turned to utter hatred. "No...more...practicing...Ranma."

Nabiki was out of breath. Sure, the mushroom had allowed her to retain much of her old levels: her mind was still sharp, and she was still as flexible as she had been at seventeen and practicing yoga everyday.

Sadly, the same had stayed for Ranma, who had just dragged her through a four hour practice.

And to her burning rage, he wasn't even sweating.

"You know, Biki, at this rate, Kuno would be getting a clue before you get in shape."

"Saotome, some of us can't run around Tokyo in an hour. For heaven's sake, I was not raised like you!"

Ranma scratched his head. "Hell, excuse me for assuming you would have mastered the Umisenken to help your spying efforts."

Nabiki didn't let it show that she was also pissed at herself for not doing that, or even for not considering that option. If she had, she could only imagine the sort of money she would have been raking in.

"Oh, by the way, Biki?"

She cursed a few words that many six year olds should not know. "Yes?"

His smile took on an evil appearance, nearly making her Nekoken side start to seek out a crevice to hide in. "You won't be raised like I was, but you'll wish you had been when we're finished."

When Setsuna arrived with lunch, she had no clue how Nabiki had gotten under the couch, let alone why she was hiding.

Ami looked at her adopted sister as well as Nabiki's intended, both studying books for the same grade level she was in. It hurt the sixth grader that with all her studying, she was not the smartest around.

But still, her sister and fiancé did keep her from being bored and lonely. "So, what are we doing after we get this chapter finished?"

The two looked at her smiling. "We're going over to Ranma's and swim, of course."

Ami smiled. Even without the pool, she would gladly have been Ranma's friend.

However, that is not to say the pool didn't keep them friends when Ranma occasionally stuck his leg down his throat.

Hey, a pool is a pool, and Ami did so love to swim.

Nabiki Mizuno looked down at the face planted figure of her fiancé; Ranma Meioh, now with four footprints on his back. "Damn, didn't know Usagi had that much speed."

Ranma, now in Seventh grade with most of the Inners, sighed. Every damn time...

He still couldn't figure out how Usagi remained hidden from his senses and still managed to run him down.

And they had been roof-hopping today!

Haruka cringed as she felt the pain of her hangover hitting her. Losing last night to Usagi after the defeat of Pharaoh 90 had been a low point in her short career as Sailor Uranus. True, Setsuna had agreed to watch little Hotaru last night, but her and Michiru were finding themselves not yet prepared for parenthood.

So, they went over to their friend Ranma's house, and proceeded to get blitzed to forget.

As her sense came back online through the hangover haze, she noticed two things.

The first was that she was facedown on a body in a bed.

The second was that this body was male.

SHIT!

Haruka slowly opened her eyes, seeing the sleeping face of her best male friend sleeping. To her left, she saw his fiancée cuddling into his side. To the right, she saw her lover cuddling into his other side.

Looking down, she came to the conclusion that yes; they were naked, and the pain in her nether regions signified that she had slept with him.

Oh, what a perfect end to this week.

As Haruka and Michiru made a speedy retreat from the home, Nabiki cuddled into her fiancé a little more. "So, how long do you think it'll be before Pluto tells them that they can't get pregnant as Senshi unless they want to?"

Ranma smiled. "Probably won't until their periods hit." He chuckled a little, showing deviousness his former life when fourteen had lacked. "That should teach them to go around acting like they are judge, jury, and executioner."

Truly, they hated doing that to their friends—not that the sex had been planned. They were drunk, questions were asked, and things developed.

Not that either planned to continue doing such things, though Ranma found what had occurred funnier when taken in context of how well Ramius and Uranus had gotten along.

"You better not expect a repeat performance, Mister," teased Nabiki in a serious tone. "I would prefer not to have to share my husband."

Ranma smirked. "Oh, I don't know. Between me and Endymion, which do you think the lonely Senshi of Crystal Tokyo will go after?"

Nabiki slid her hand along his chest and proceeded to give him a Purple Nurple: twisting on the nipple and surrounding tissue. "As I said before, you had better not be the reason Chibi-Usa has pink hair!"

As when they had been Demeter and Ramius, passion soon erupted from their argument.

But never let it be said that Nabiki was going to let go of that card. Even Setsuna was at a loss to explain Usa's unique hair color.

Circes and Diogenes looked towards the ceiling. When the Outers had left, they had come out of their hiding place, apparently in time to hear the couple resuming the activities they had performed last night.

Circes shook her head. "And they say we act like animals."

Diogenes shook his head, turning on the television. "Let them, I for one enjoy having the run of the house." He turned to his mate. "At least they know that pink fur runs in your family, otherwise they might doubt Artemis is really Diana's father."

The pink moon cat lowered her head. That was one conversation she was not looking forward to when the new Senshi were introduced. She was just glad their presence hadn't changed the time stream too much.

Originally, the Black Moon family had been descendants of people banished to Nemesis.

Now, they were guards of a prison complex there that Wiseman had brainwashed. According to what Usa had informed Pluto after being sworn not to reveal anything about Sol or Nemesis, including how Ranma's curse would effect the Senshi magic, she had informed them that the Outers except for Pluto had been on a mission at the edge of the galaxy, and that Ranma had went with them as backup.

Life was now apparently restored to most of the planets, which served as evacuation points when the Great Freeze fell upon Earth. Wiseman had sought to gain control over the Crystal Federation after attacking the government headquarters of Crystal Tokyo.

Suffice to say, Pluto found this future much more promising than the previous one before Ranma and Nabiki had awoken.

"It feels...healthier...somehow. Like a great weight is no longer there."

He had to agree. The old version that Setsuna had told them about reminded him too much of a fascist state for his liking. Well, at least this paradise seems to be worth the cost.

He ignored the simple fact that the natural chaos of Ranma had caused most of the events from the last timeline to happen sooner in this one. Sure, Beryl returned at the same time, but everyone else came earlier.

Oh well, can't expect perfection with the Chaos Horse as your partner.

Oooooo, Jerry's on! JERRY! JERRY! JERRY!

Solaris Knight and Sailor Nemesis watched as the Senshi battled a Shadow warrior. "Well, if not for the training we've given them, I'd say they would be out by now."

Nemesis nodded. "Yes, but Mercury still has not sensed the warrior behind her."

Solaris nodded. "Well, you take the sneaky fellow, and I'll handle the distraction before the Princess manages to vaporize herself."

As he leapt to deal with the Shadow Assassin trying to detain the Senshi, Nemesis pulled her bow out; aiming at a spot she knew the Assassin would have to be to kill Mercury.

Mercury, however, was not even aware of this. Currently, she was tapping away at the Mercury Computer, trying to locate a weakness with their new enemy. She paused however, as a drop of blue liquid fell onto her screen. As she arched her head up, she caught sight of an arrowhead, which dripped the liquid again.

Turning around, she fought hard not to scream. Posed to strike her in the back with a sword was a creature much like the one the other Senshi were facing, locked in the last position it had been in before the arrow had pierced its skull.

As it fell to dust, a new figure stepped from the shadows, wearing a dark sailor fuku, and placing a bow behind her back. "Must you and your fellow Senshi stand like lambs prepared for slaughter?"

"Who...what...how?" Mercury's mind was locked, trying to come to terms not with how easily the creature had just been destroyed, but the fact that it was a new Senshi who had helped her.

After Sailor Galaxia, new sailor suited defenders of Love and Justice were not very pleasant sights for the group to behold. Even Uranus and Neptune were still on probation for their little stunt to get close to Galaxia.

Shaking her head, Nemesis knew that Mercury was currently rebooting her mental hard drive. Man, you think she would be a bit better prepared. What the hell was she doing all this time while we practiced: staring at Ranma's ass?

Sadly, that is exactly what Ami had been doing during the times she practiced with Nabiki and Ranma.

As Mercury was escorted out of the alley by Nemesis, they came upon a strange sight: a Shadow warrior was about to strike Sailor Moon, except he remained frozen in his spot, a glowing blade emerging from his back.

Soon, the blade parted, severing the creature in two and turning it to dust. "Too easy."

As the two newly arrived girls met him, he bowed. "Lady Mercury, you should have known better than assume it would be a lone enemy."

"Who are you?" asked Mars, her tone tired but still threatening.

The man in the golden armor bowed. "I am Solaris Knight. My companion and partner here is Sailor Nemesis."

Nemesis bowed. "Originally, we were to be guards of the Princess when she first donned the Mantel of Sailor Moon."

"You're kinda late," said Venus. "Where have you been?"

Nemesis spoke. "Under orders to leave her be until she grew powerful and mindful enough to be the Queen she would one day be. If we saved her all the time, would she have learned anything?"

Before they could speak, Solaris shoved forward, pushing the girls out of the way as a long sword swept to the ground.

"Another one!" screamed Nemesis, preparing another arrow.

Solaris smiled, his appearance daring the Shadow Assassin to strike.

It did, sending him towards the lake, which opened the creature up to receive a Shadow Arrow in the throat, killing it.

"Just so you know," she said, "he did that just to get a prime shot opportunity for me."

Nemesis smiled. "If you want more information, ask Pluto or Chibi-Moon. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go meet my partner. Later." Nemesis stepped back into the shadow of a building, fading from sight.

The Senshi turned towards the women mentioned. Pluto gulped, promising to get Nabiki back for that, she grabbed Usa and teleported.

"I hate it when she does that," mumbled Moon.

Nemesis reappeared from a tree's shadow on the other side of the lake in the park. "Solaris, you okay?"

"Damned Kami, damned Powers, damned Diet, damned... Well, damn them all!" came a female voice as she trudged out of the lake.

Nemesis blinked as she caught sight of the girl. Her hair was flaming red; she wore a sailor fuku with blood red undertones with a golden bow, and carried herself like... "I take it I should call you Sailor Sol in this form?"

Sailor Sol; formerly Solaris Knight, stared coldly at Nemesis. "I told you it was just a damn excuse for the Kami to get me in a fucking fuku."

The curse of Jusenkyo had awakened.

The Sailor information:

Sailor Sol (Ranma female form)
Weapons: Katana and shield. The shield carries small dagger blades which can be separated either to allow the shield to be offensive (think Captain America except when that thing hits you, you won't be getting up), or for individual combat for when the katana is no longer available. The shield is capable of producing a sphere of plasma, based on an offensive/defensive Silence Wall, but requires the user hold the shield with both hands.

Solaris Knight (Ranma male form)
Weapons: Twin Katana, which have rope daggers that can be released from their ends, and stay attached via an energy chain (think the Love-Me Chain of Sailor Venus). The buckle on his belt can be used to project the Solar Shield like the Shield for Sailor Sol, but allows the user to be outside. This does cost the user power and speed, as well as pulls concentration to maintain the shield and cover the weakened compatriot.

If the first cut of the katana doesn't get you, the rope dagger behind it will.

Sailor Nemesis:
Weapons: Primary is the Shadow Bow, which can be used for long range sniping, and releases arrows of varying effects, from stunning, immobilization, or fatal and explosive. Also can be used for close combat (think the item used in Blade Trinity). Back up is a series of daggers spaced around the outfit. One is between the breast plate, two on each glove, one along the lower back, and three around each boot. Each glove is also capable of generating a shrouding darkness, much like Mercury's Bubble Mist. It is said no light can penetrate the mist, and only the shadows can see you. Nemesis, being the Senshi of Shadow, can use the mist to isolate you, and remove you, before the person holding your hand even knows you're dead.

Omake by Trugeta:

Sailor Nemesis watched her dripping wet lover exiting the lake. "You know, I should really make some pictures of you. You look so cute in a fuku, practically edible. Especially all wet like that." she teased with a suggestive smirk.

Sailor Sol blushed and grumbled incoherently.

Sailor Nemesis smirked; she just loved embarrassing her love. Must be a leftover from their time in Nerima. "What was that, luv? I couldn't hear you."

Sailor Sol had gathered her bearings fast, and was now smirking too. "I said, I always knew that you wanted to see me in a skirt."

With that she twirled around, and flashed Nemesis her panties. In this case it was just perfect that the Senshi magic had given her the full packet of clothing. The redhead twirled around once more so that her hair moved in counter to the motion, making her look incredible sexy. "Like what you see?"

Sailor Nemesis suspiciously held her nose. "Dabbid, dads oddly subpoze to happed to guyz!"