Justice of Time
By AnimeFreak317
Disclaimer-None of these characters are mine. They are the property of their respective owners and are not being used for financial gain.
Author's Notes-I did not expect to bring this story in this direction, but I do like it. There for, I am going to continue doing this. This means that in the next chapter, I will be adding some elements that will throw people off track. But rest assured, there is meaning to it. And if I tell you now, then the surprise will be ruined.
I originally posted this on "Lady Cosmos'" and "Tannim's" sites a couple of years ago. After going through some changes (mostly spelling and grammar), I have reposted it here on Mostly because I wanted more reviews and such.
This fic is also rated "M" for mature audiences for graphic violence, extremely sensual situation that border deep intimacy, cussing, and death. I can't have them going all the way due to the guidelines here, but that doesn't mean that I can't have fun with the 'perverted' situations that arise…does it?
Like before when I started posting my fics, this chapter was inspired by such various fanfics as-"Ranko's Decision, Ranko's Honor, Sailor Sun (The series by Becky Burger and such), Just A Plan, and various others."
(1.3)--I've also made a quick change to a section that a few of my reviewers pointed out to me. The 'aviator/avatar' change was made. Sorry about that. Also, in this fic, the guide to the deceased's name will be spelt as it is. If you read closely, you will understand why. (First one to figure it out might win a prize...well...maybe not.)
One final note-Even after all this time, I still think the government is full of assholes and dumbass'. Enjoy the fic.
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Chapter 1-Gates (Version 1.3).
"My...fire...fly..."
"OH MY...SETSUNA-MAMA, CALL AN AMBULANCE, NOW!" cried Hotaru as she heard the final words coming from the fallen girl. She seemed strangely familiar, with vibrant red hair spread out all over and seemingly growing...no wait, that's blood coming from behind her.
"Already on it, they should be here in a few minutes. How is..." catching the blood flowing from behind her. "DAM IT, HURRY HOTARU! SHE'S BLEEDING OUT THE BACK SIDE."
"I KNOW MAMA, BUT WHAT CAN I DO."
"US YOUR HEALING POWERS ON HER, BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE."
"I CAN'T. REMEMBER, BECAUSE OF GALAXIA, I CAN'T DO MORE THAN MINOR CUTS AND BRUISES. THIS IS TOO MUCH FOR ME."
"YOU GOT TO TRY, OTHERWISE SHE WILL DIE."
Sniff, sob sob cried Hotaru. "I'll try." Slowly and tentatively, she reached over, placed her hands over the nude girl's heart, and started concentrating. Kami, please give me the strength to save her. Onegai, I beg you.
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Up above her fallen body, Ranma sees her form and the other two that were trying to help her. Unaware that she was even nude or even female.
"So, that's how it ends. Dam tomboy, I knew she'd be the death of me one day. How was I to know that this would have happened? What a way to go"
"I've seen worse," said a voice floating above her. Her long blue hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, hanging down to the middle of her back. She was wearing a blue kimono and was sitting on an ore. "Besides, with the life you've lived, I'm more surprised that we haven't met sooner."
"Sooner? What the hell do you mean by that? And what the hell are you?"
Whack
"Mind your manners Ranma," she said as she placed the ore back under her. "By the way, I'm Boton, guide to the recently deceased to show them the way to the gates, where their fate for all eternity shall be decided. As to what I meant by that, with the life you've lived, we should have met as early as the first day you started training. Somehow, you have been able to survive everything your worthless father has put you through. I do have to thank you for winning me all those favors from the other gods and demons."
"Wait a minute, what favors?"
"Eh, never mind. Anyhow, is there anyone you want to see before I take you to your judgment?"
"Wait a minute, what judgment? Does this mean that there is no chance of me..."
"No no no. It only means that you more than likely will not see anyone until they cross over. Even then, only if they are worthy enough will they even be in the same area you would be in."
"Oh, I see. And what's this judgment?"
"Well, like I was saying, your judgment is based on the actions of your life. How you lived will ultimately determine where you stay for all eternity. If you had led a life of poor decisions and delutionalized yourself into thinking your Kami-sama's gift to the world, like that moron with the sword, then you're sent to the underworld where they can be harsh. If you've lead a good life, been helpful and not so selfish in your choices, well, I'll let you imagine that."
He pondered this for a moment. In a way, he was glad he was dead. Surely no one would miss him. However, there was someone who he would miss and wanted the chance to see her again before he went to his final resting place.
"Ok, I've...well, I've decided to see one person before I go. And...err...I was wondering if there was any way to speak to her."
"I'm impressed. Most people don't even realize this soon that they can't talk to the living. How did you know?"
"Well, I did watch that series with this spirit detective and such. I figure that this was the same situation and such so..."
"Ah, I see, and because I look like that Boton in there you figured it was your best bet, am I right?"
"Well, yeah..."
"Ha ha ha. Don't worry about it. The truth about all that is that there is always some level of truth in anything that you see. Take, for instance, well...never mind that now, we don't have much time," she says as she looks down to see Ranma's body and the other girl who tried to save her being carted into the ambulance.
"Yeah, I guess your right. So how do we get there?"
"Simple, just hang on," she says as she grabs his arm and dashes off at a high pace towards Nerima.
"Whoa now, slow down, what are ya trying to do, rip my arm out."
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"WHAT? NO WAY! HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO...TO DO THAT?"
"Simple, you lost the bet, now you owe me a favor. This is also completely within your limited, mortal power to do."
"But, but, but."
"NO BUTS. Now be a man and take your punishment."
"But, but how can I? How can I do that? I've never even..."
"Even what?"
"Even, well, a...a..."
"Urd," Belldandy said as she saw her boyfriend and sister talking. "What are you talking about?"
Smirking, she told herself that her sister would love her for this. "Quite simple. Remember the bets earlier?" she nods at this. "Remember what Keiichi here bet?" also nodding at this. "Well to put it simply, I'm collecting. I gave him a teensy, tiny, little task to complete."
"Oh," she asked peaking her curiosity. "And what would that be?"
Urd leaned over and whispered into her sister's ear what he had to do.
"You see, nothing that hard," she said as she looked at her sister, who was currently wide-eyed and blushing head to toe in embarrassment. "And I was even nice enough to give him a generous time frame of three days to accomplish this. That's more than fair enough, considering his classes were canceled for that freakish water burst that flooded the tech school."
"And..." she stammered out. "And what happ...happens of he doesn't?"
"Quite simple really. I take his place and he takes yours. And you know how aggressive I can be, ne?"
"URD, what makes you so sure you can do that to my Keiichi-san."
"Simple, we all made bets for favors, unrestricted of course, and he lost. I was even nice enough to make it well within his abilities. Wouldn't you agree imõto-chan?" she asked with a smirk on her face.
She looked at her sister's face. She knew that it has been a long time since she even got any, and she was getting any. Especially after getting kicked out of Asgard for that system crash. To think that her own sister would even be so desperate to go after her own boyfriend. Now she knew that she and Keiichi had to...to...make out...
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"Akane, I'll only say this one more time. Leave now. I'm not going to treat someone who enjoys attacking patients of mine," said Dr. Tofu firmly as he continued to get her to leave. In his opinion, she was more than well enough to go. Moreover, she had no right to attack anyone under his care. He had put it aside numerous times before, but with how badly Ranma was injured, there was no way he could help her. Beside he still had to get to Kasumi who was knocked out on the floor from when she got her head slammed into the counter by Ranma when he saved her from her 'innocent' sister's rampage.
"It's because of him that I'm even in this state," referring to the bruises on her fist, palms, the sprained right ankle, and the small cut on her right cheek. "He was obviously in much better condition than I am. I mean he was standing up hugging my sister in a perverted manner."
"Just go," he said exasperatedly. "I don't have time for this. This is your last warning. If you don't leave then I'll have no choice but to call the police."
Akane looked at him in shock. Never has he, or anyone for that matter, threatened her with the law. After all, daddy's little princess was innocent no matter what. "How DARE you. No body threatens me and gets away with it. NOBODY!" she yelled as she charged her first crush. Pulling out another of her ever-present mallets, she prepared to do just on that which would offend her in any way.
He just knew something like this was bound to happen. No matter how many times he has seen it become a possibility, it has never happened. He could sense that she was always ready to strike at whom ever disagreed with her. Somehow, he was always able to calm her to the point where she would at least turn and leave. But, not today. He was strategically setting himself up for such an attack so that very little damage would be done to the room. As her hammer came down towards him, he ducked and moved around her, striking with a single finger as her hammer struck some of the rubble from the wall she destroyed. He watched as she continued to fall to the ground, unconscious.
He decided to leave Akane where she lay as he went to get the other Tendo who was also out cold. He started out with a quick analysis of her taking extra care not to further injure her. He noted that there was a forehead from when she hit her head on the counter, and a few sharp objects embedded on her chest, side, stomach, and back.
After he determined it was safe enough for her, he carefully moved her to another exam room and laid her on the bed. He quickly removed her clothes as well, doing his best not to go hysterical as he slowly reviled more of her skin and patching them up as he uncovered them.
Finally, he got her down to her panties, hopping that she had no injuries there. As he rolled her over to check her backside, he saw a peace stuck in her cheek. Visibly sweating he proceeded to slide them down and take them off. He had to take a few moments to reorganize himself as he looked at the object sticking out of her rear. Carefully, he removed the glass and covered it. When he was finished, he rolled her back on her backside and started to pull up the covers.
Just then, he got a distinct feeling that he was not alone. He used his sense to detect who it might be. His eyes widened as soon as he recognized one of the spirit floating just above him. "Dam her. I'm sorry," he sobbed. "Ranma, I promise that they won't get away with this. You will have your justice, one way or another."
And so, he left the room to head to his office. He had many calls to make.
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"Hey there Kami-sama. How ya doing today?" asked one of the god who was summoned to his office.
He had to smile at this. Many of the gods and goddess's treated him just as the Supreme Being that he was. It was nice to have someone like Goku, the God of healing and martial arts who treated him more like one of his sensei. "Goku, recent developments on Midgard have come into light. While there are things in this world I can not do, there are some that you can do."
"Really? Man, it's kinda nice to know that, but I know you are still better at anything. By the way, that reminds me. Are we still on for that rematch next month? I got a new technique and I'm dying to try it out."
"Ha, I'll be ready," Kami-sama said with a smirk. "But more importantly, there is someone who needs you. Her name is Hotaru."
"Hotaru...Hotaru..." he said in though. "Ah yeah, the young Sailor Senshi who recently had her healing power's stolen. I like her. She reminds me of Krilin. So what's she need?"
"Well, she needs her powers restored to her, by any means necessary. This means that even if she has to become your avatar, you are to give it to her. Understand?"
"Loud and clear. Alright, I'm off then." And with that, he headed out the door.
"Three, two, one."
"Ah, sorry 'bout this, but, do you know where she is right now?"
Kami smiled at this. Sometimes knowing when something was going to happen still made it funny when it does. "Currently, she's being taken to the local hospital in Juban, Tokyo, Japan, Midgard. Think you can find it?"
"Sure, no problem. Alright, I'm off again."
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The girl looked only slightly better than before when she first landed. Hotaru was able to heal some of the minor wounds, but not the major ones, especially the one in her backside. She was looking paler by the minute as the paramedics frantically tried to revive her. Every now and then, they would get a pulse for a few minutes, but then flat line again.
Hotaru, however, was currently riding shotgun, being cradled in her adoptive mother's lap, only showing signs of exhaustion from exerting herself.
Even with her, I've always been able to see these things coming with the gate, thought Setsuna. She was suppose to be alive when we found her, not dead. Dam it. It must be the chaos that has been following her. It's never been this bad. Something must have happened in her life that made it worse. I've always known that she could help, but if I'm wrong about this, then everything we've all worked so hard for will be nothing but a memory, if that.
The remainder of the ride to the hospital remained the same in constant flux with the girl in the stretcher. They all knew that only time would tell, as to whether she lived, or died.
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"But Doc, I'm right here. Why are you apologizing? It's not your fault."
She was fugally trying to call out as she saw Dr. Tofu leave the room, ignoring the nude elder sister on the table. She showed up with Boton shortly before Akane tried to attack him. Now she hovered over the only other person who seemed to give a dam about her existence. "I thought he could hear me," she said.
"I'm sorry, but that was only his 8th sense kicking in. Something very rare in humans."
"Hu?" she asked intelligently.
"You know of the five senses of the body, right?" she asked. Seeing her nod Boton continued, "Well, your sixth sense is your first external sense that can detect the presence of those around you that are living. Your seventh sense can detect whose presence it is and how they are feeling. Then there is the eighth sense, which can do the same as your seventh sense, but on a spiritual level. In other words, he can sense the presence of beings from beyond the land of the living, you catch my drift?"
"Ah, I guess. But how does that help me speak to Kasumi?"
"Well, that brings up the ninth sense, the actual communication between the two worlds. Very few can speak with the deceased, and even a rarer few can do it while awake, so if you want to, this would be your best chance to."
"Okay, so how do I talk with her? Just walk over to her and speak, or is there some kind of ritual?"
"Oh no. All you have to do is touch your forehead to her's, and you will just fly into her mind. From there, you can calmly talk, but only for a short time."
Blushingly, Ranma responds, "But, but we're both girls. What will people think if they walk in on..."
She looks down and realizes (finally) that she has no clothes on. "AAAAHHHHH! Where are my clothes? How long have I been like this?"
"Relax Ranma, only I can see you. There's no need to panic." Though I won't be the only one to see you when you two talk, thought Boton. "Now then, shall we begin?"
"H-hai," she said rejectively as she continues to try to cover herself with just her hands. "So I just float over there and place my forehead on her, right?"
"Wrong. You go over there, lay on top of her, feet to feet, hand-to-hand, head to head. Then you focus on her, close your eyes, and then you enter her mind. It's just that simple."
"Maybe for you, but...but...she is...and I'm..."
"Oh come off it. It's not like you can be intimate or anything. You're a spirit. No physical contact can be felt by either of you. So just get over there, or you'll never be able to speak to her again," she said as she smacked Ranma on the back shoving her into the comatose girl on the table.
She was fruitlessly tried to stop her decent wailing her arms as if she could fly to stop on a dime. Just as she was about to land, she reactively stuck out her arms as they landed on the table, right through where the gentle Tendo's breasts were.
A slight chill was sent up her spine as she saw what happened. Yanking her arms back up, she yelped in horror. "Oh my god, Kasumi, I'm sorry. I didn't...mean..." she trailed off as she saw that no harm was done to her. "What...the..?"
"I told you. You're just a spirit. You can pass through them without them noticing. So are you gonna do this or what?"
"Yeah, I guess," she said reluctantly. She started by placing her feet down by the other's feet. Okay, easy enough. Next she knelt down, placing their kneecaps together. Tentatively she reached out to grasp the others hands. Now the hardest part, she thought as she started to lay the rest of her body on top of the other. She tried desperately to contain her blush that stretched over her entire body as their pelvises met, followed by their stomachs, then their breast. Then came their heads.
"Ah, her forehead is too far above mine," she said as she looked at the floating grim reaper. What do I do?"
Ah the joys of the innocent. "It's quite simple really, all you have to do is slide up on her a little until your foreheads. Oh yeah, and make sure that you don't break contact with her."
"Ah, eh, alright." And so, she slid up, trying not to feel like the hentai she was told she always was. Soon enough, though not as quickly as she had hoped for, her forehead was over the beauty as she was sleeping her untimely slumber. Slowly she lowered her forehead down, closing her eyes as she focused on Kasumi, like she was told to do. Then their heads met. For a moment, nothing happened.
Ranma opened her eyes and saw...that she was in the same place that she was when the first laid down, in the same room, with the same dam company. "Okay, why didn't that work. What didn't you tell me?"
"Muwa, now what could I have forgotten to tell you now. Let me see here," she said as she pulled out a book called, 'Communication, spiritual guide for the recently departed.' Lets see here, did that, that, oh yeah, that too. Hmmm, let's see. Ah here it is. It says if the foreheads don't work, then the next step is through the lips, which means that you have to kiss her."
"Me...and...her...kissing..." she stammered. "Well, I've already come this far." Gulp "What's a little kiss anyway?"
Slowly, she lowered her head back down, leaning in as she closed her eyes, praying that she would not chicken out and turn like she has done before. Finally, contact was made. It made her feel warm on the inside as a light engulfed her and carried her mind into the mind of the one who she truly kissed, of her own free will.
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What do I do now? It's been too long that I've been had to deal with anything like this. Where can I go for advice? How will the others react when I tell them? Such were the thoughts flying through Sailor Pluto's mind as she thought upon the outcome that was showing itself to be more true every moment that she waited for word on the girl's condition or for when her daughter awoke.
When they arrived at the hospital, the girl was brought into the emergency room and was being operated on. The police took her statement as to what she saw while she was 'in' the park that day, and if she knew the victim at all. She gave an honest answer, all but telling them how her daughter 'fainted' from the sight. They could barely tell that she was hiding something from how her exterior was showing slight signs of tension, but wrote it off as being stressed from the sight of someone so badly injured.
Presently, she knew what she had to do. She walked into the ladies room, to make sure there was no one present. She hit the all call emergency alert button on communicator as she contacted all the scouts to round them up as quickly as possible at the hospital. She knew that in such situations, though however long it may have been, she could always trust the judgment of the silver moon family, no matter what.
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Ranma opened her eyes as she looked around. She saw that she was somewhere in space, but she was standing on solid ground. She looked around for a moment to see which way to go. Looking up she saw a single shooting star going off in one direction. Having nothing else to go on, she followed the path of the star. After a moment of running, she saw a light shining down from one of the stars, showing what looked like, the Tendo Dojo. Running like there was no tomorrow, she hurried over and leapt over the wall.
"Kasumi, are you here?" she called out. Not hearing anything, she went inside. When she got there, she looked around, noting how clean the place looked. It looked even better than when she first arrived at their front steps all that time ago. Not a speck of dust could be seen, and the walls themselves even took on a glossy look.
Shaking her head at this, she refocused on finding the aforementioned girl. She ran through, checking all the rooms. Finally came the last room. Her room. She slowly opened the door and looked in, quickly closing it. She saw her in their, in the same state she was on the exam table. Naked as the day she was born, except that she didn't have the bandages covering her.
"No, I don't know how much time I have here. I gotta hurry." With that, she opened the door, walking over to the angel, who seemingly glowed while in her sleep. As she got close enough, she gently reached over and shook her shoulder trying to arouse her.
"Kasumi, wake up. It's Ranma."
Hearing a voice, she slowly opened her eyes. "Ran...ma?" As soon as the blurry vision cleared out of her eyes, she shot them wide open. Without a second though, she leapt out of bed and lunged for the girl. "RANMA. I'm so glad you're ok. What happened to you? Are you alright?"
"No, Kasumi. I'm not. That's why I'm here," she said in a sad voice.
"Here," she said taking a step back to look around. "But why are we home?"
"We're not in your home, per say. This is your mind. You were knocked out because of me when I shoved you out of the way." Taking a deep bow, "I'm sorry Kasumi, can you ever forgive me?"
She looked over at the girl who was bowing to her. She then noted that the girl was naked. She blushed a little and looked down, also noting her state of dress, thus blushing harder.
"It...it's ok...Ranma. If it wasn't for you, I'm sure that she would have hit me as well. But how are you in my mind now. It can't be because you're...," she said, afraid to finish the sentence.
"Sorry, but I'm afraid so. That last hit did me in. But I'm okay now, see," she said as she struck a pose, turning around to show that there were no scars, anywhere. Like they were never there to begin with.
Kasumi collapsed to her knees when she heard him confirm her worse fears "Ranma, I...I..." she cried as she buried her face in her hands as she let out almost a life time of pain and torment. "I'm so sorry Ranma. I prayed that this would never happen. I never wanted this to happen to you. You never deserved the abuse you were put through, but I was too weak to stop it. Can you ever forgive me?"
Ranma knelt down in front of the girl and pulled her in to a tight embrace as she tried to sooth away the tears. "It's not your fault, Kasumi-chan. Because of you, I had hope in this world. It's what kept me going for so long. If it wasn't for you, I couldn't have accepted even half of what I've become. You're strong, stronger than me. I mean, you've held your home together for so long."
"For all the good it's done me," she commented as the tears still rolled down her face.
"That's right, it's done you a lot of good. It's even made you stronger. Now that you know that you can remain cheery in spite of the bad that comes at you, you can make it on your own. I couldn't because I was trapped by my honor. The only honor I knew. Now I'm free of those obligations. Please be happy for me, because of that. Know that I died with my honor intact and that in the end, the saying stayed true. 'Ranma Saotome does not lose.'"
That brought out the desired chuckle as she leaned back and looked deep into the eyes of the other. "That's true. In the end, you won. In a way, I'm so happy for you, but...I'm sorry we never..."
Gulp "Never what?"
"Never even...kissed."
Ranma hesitated for a moment. Forgetting her usual remarks about how it was wrong for two girls to be kissing, or intimate in any way. Slowly she reached out her hand, stroking Kasumi's hair back a few times. She grasped the stroking hand and leaned her head into it. Tentatively, she reached out with her own hand, mimicking the motions of the redhead. As they gazed into each other's eyes, they moved their heads closer...and closer. About a millimeter away, they stopped. In an unspoken signal, they closed their eyes, connecting with each other as they have never done before, kissing as they knew they would never see each other again. Falling into each other's embrace, feeling the forbidden love that never had the chance to surface. Drowning in the warmth of each other's heart.
All too soon, they broke the embrace as Ranma felt a tug from this plane. "I'm sorry, but it seems like it's time for me to go. I love you, Kasumi-chan," she said as she faded away from sight, never to be seen in this lifetime, again.
Kasumi cried as she saw her disappear collapsing completely on the floor. "I love you too, Ranma...kun."
"There's no need to cry. Because of her, you were able to feel life again. Now is the time for you to decide where you go in life."
"Who said that? Where are you?" she asked as the mysterious voice continued to float around seemingly...everywhere. She stood up looking about, but could find no one.
"Your first step to find that out is to walk out the gates of your home. Do you have the courage to?"
She could not help but feel that the voice was so familiar, yet was not. In so many ways, the voice was challenging her to overcome...herself. Now the question was...did she have he courage to? It was so simple. All she had to do was leave her home. The only place she knew to be. It was here that she felt safest. It was the unknown she feared. The same fear she felt when she first saw Ranma when he reviled himself to be male, with a curse. Over time, she got use to it and found that she had more in common with the aquatranssexual. She realized that there were some things to be afraid of, but now, she knew the same fears had to be faced some time.
With that, she took the first steps towards the gate. Hoping that she could take whatever was beyond the unknown.
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Ranma opened her eyes to see that once again, she had her lips pressed against Kasumi's. She also saw the tears running down her face and noted that her own tears were mingling. Almost reluctantly, she rose up from the position.
"I see you've had a nice talk with her."
"Yeah, I did."
"So, are you ready to go?"
"Yeah, come on. Let's get out of here."
With that, she sat down on Boton's ore as they sailed off to the next world.
Just as soon as they left, Dr. Tofu came in to check on Kasumi. He checked to see if Ranma was still there, but he could feel him fading further and further away. "I'm sorry," he said again. Then he looked over at Kasumi as she laid there in all her bandaged glory. He reached down and pulled up the covers for her so she would not get sick on top of being so injured. As he brought them up to her shoulders, he noted that there were tears in her eyes. He heard her mumbling something and leaned down closer to hear her. "Good...bye...Ranma...kun."
Now, he had no doubts as to what happened to his favorite patient, his student, his friend. By what he heard from Kasumi's lips, he could tell, beyond any shadow of doubt, that Ranma, had passed on to the next world. He broke down and cried for all he, and the world, had lost.
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Somewhere, deep inside the recesses of her mind, Hotaru laid, crying for not saving that girl. She cried at the loss of her only redeeming quality in life. The one thing that made her more than just a simple weapon of destruction. No matter how hard she tried, she was not able to save that girl. She could not gain enough power to destroy the barrier that was erected to prevent her from tapping into her life saving abilities. Now, she laid there. A broken girl who could not even save the life of that girl.
That girl, who seemed so familiar, yet, couldn't be. She couldn't be her. She couldn't be...
"Hello, anyone home?" a voice cried out. "Hey, if there is a Hotaru Tomoe, otherwise known as the Sailor Senshi of Saturn here, please respond."
Curious as to whom this stranger was, she stood up and walked towards it.
"Hello. Hell..."
"Yes, can I help you?" she asked with some hesitation in her voice. After all, it was not everyday you see someone in your mind. Especially with spiked hair, and orange uniform, and...a tail?
"Ah yes. My name is Goku. I'm here to help you."
"Help me? But why? Who sent you?" she asked trying to summon her glaive.
"Why yeah. The big man upstairs heard ya and asked me, the god of healing and martial arts, to come down here," he says as he walks over. "So why don't I...YEOW. Ow ow ow ow." he cried as his foot connected with a rock that was in his path. "Ow owowowowowowowowow."
Hotaru tried to fight it, but she could not help it. A small chuckle erupted from her, slowly erupting into a hysterical laugh. Here was someone, sent down from Kami-sama himself, stronger than any body builder was, from the way his physic looked, and he was crying and dancing around like a child who got a paper cut.
A few minutes later, the pain in his foot subsided, and she caught her second wind. "Thank you. I haven't laughed like that in a long time"
"Thank you? But that really hurt. How could you be so mean to me?" he said, face pouting like a kid who could not get his cake before dinner.
"Gomen nasai, but I think its funny how someone as strong as you, could cry about something as small as a rock."
"Yeah, I guess that is funny. So, ya gonna let me look around and see what the problem is? Or would you like to show me?"
"Well, I..." she stammered as she blushed. "I really don't know much about my mind, so maybe you could help."
"Got ya, one scan coming up." With that, he shut his eyes and stretched out his aura, looking for any abnormalities within her.
A few minutes later, he opened his eyes and smiled. "I see three things holding you back, including why your powers were sealed off."
"R...really? What are they? Can you tell me how to fix them? I'd really appreciate it."
"Well," he started not knowing that this little bundle could be full of energy. She reminded him of his grand daughter, when she saw something she really wanted. "The first is this black strand that seems to be blocking your ki. Looks like it's been there for a long time. This is why you're so weak. Second is this scar inside your brain. It seems to be keeping you from remembering certain events. The third is this shiatsu point that was embedded on your backside. This seems to be preventing your powers from coming forth."
"Okay, so how can you help me?" she asked inquisitively.
"Let's see. I know that my power alone could cure you completely. However there is a cost involved."
"And...ah...what would that be?"
"Well, nothing too strenuous, just a little something that makes it so that we are bonded till you die. Nothing really if you think about it."
Gasp "You...you mean I would have to...sleep...with you?" she asked fearfully.
"NONONONO. Nothing like that. It would only mean that you would become my avatar down here on Earth. You would not only be healed, but you would also be learning new abilities. It would also be one major power up, even in your civilian form. I wouldn't want to subject you to that power if you don't want to."
Hotaru breathed a sigh of relief. She actually thought she would have to give up her virginity, and to become his love slave for something like that. At least, that was how certain deal were made, right.
"And if you don't want to, I could only loosen the thread and heal your scar a little. Sorry, but I don't have the power myself to make it so you don't have to. After all, my license is only a second class limited one."
"But it wouldn't release my powers, would it?"
"Well, I really can't say. Sorry, but I haven't been in contact with Skuld lately to find out."
"Who's that?"
"One of the local Norse' that's living here on Earth. A real nice girl. Sort of like you. You two would get along great. So what do you say?"
She thought on this for a few moments. On one hand, she would be stronger than ever. She would not have to worry about being bullied again. She would also have the power to heal even better than she originally would be able to. On the other hand, she would still be a freak in their eyes. She wanted to live as normal a life as she could. Not have to worry about her powers going awry. She could continue being the little friend to the Senshi from the future. But was that all she wanted. Was that all she desired. Or was there something more.
She made her decision, and went to tell Goku, what it was.
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Akane awoke to an unpleasant sight. She could not believe what she saw. To her it was the worse thing in the universe. How could something like this be happening to her? How could she have a zit on a bruise, on her face?
As she continued to stare at the mirror in front of her, she saw her mallet lying on the ground. She knew that she had to get it fixed as soon as possible. But something worse had happened. She looked up to stare at the abomination in front of her. Without hesitation, she got up and started running at a high speed out the nearest path outside. Namely, the hole in the wall she made.
"OH NO. I'M LATE FOR CLASS!"
And in short, our little Miss Princess was able to over look her blemish on her oh so perfect cough 'fucked up' cough cough face, just to keep appearances up for her classes. After all, with this mark, she could use it to add more fuel to the fire, the next time she saw Ranma.
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"Dr. Tofu?" asked the voice on the other end of the phone line.
"Yes, this is he."
"This is Sgt. Yamada. You called earlier to report an attempted murder?"
"Yes, any word on the victim?"
"Yes and no. We were able to find the female you were asking for, but not the male."
"That's ok, like I said before, they are the same person. It just has to do with the water temperature."
"Ah yeah, it was stated here in the report. I didn't quite understand it. Anyhow, we were able to locate her. Apparently, she was found in the park located in Juban. I must say, that's quite a bit away for someone like her to be found."
"You haven't lived around Nerima long, have you?"
"Well, no. I've only been here for a week. Just got transferred from Juban. I thought this town would be a nice break from the monsters that attack there. Paperwork was a nightmare."
"So I've heard. Any word on her?"
"Yes, I'm sorry to report that she was found. At the scene, she appeared to have passed on. Doctors in the ER at Juban Memorial Hospital have been working on her. Every now and then, she seems to get a pulse. It stays for a little while, and then stops again. Is there any reason why she was so battered up in the first place?"
"Yes, she was attacked by many of her fellow martial artist. More than likely for the same reason as always. That being no good reason what so ever. When she first came into my office, she was male. I proceeded to patch him up and mend his wounds. He lost a lot of blood and even I was surprised to see him still alive after all the injuries he sustained."
"Okay, that explains why she was there. Could you explain why she ended up in Juban?"
"Yes. As I was coming back to check up on her, after patching him up, he was attacked by one of his fiancées with a mallet. In doing so, she knocked him through my wall and sent him into the distance. From there, I don't know what happened."
"Ah yes, that would explain the huge bruise on the side of her head. Not to mention the skull fracture. Is there anything else you wish to talk about?"
"Yeah, when are your guys going to be here? It's been over an hour since I called. Someone should have been here to take Akane away."
"Is she there now?"
"Yes, I personally knocked her out to subdue her when she attacked me. In fact she should still be...here," he trailed off as he looked inside the room she was suppose to be. "Dam it, she's gone."
"Okay, calm down. I'll need a description of her, and any possible location she may be at."
He quickly gave Akane's description, along with the description of the others who attacked Ranma, along with where they might be.
"Thank you for your time. I'll have some of my best men on it right away."
"Right, and remember, most carry weapons on them. So consider them all armed and extremely dangerous."
"Got ya. Take care."
"You too."
Click
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"OPEN UP. THIS IS BOTON. I'M HERE WITH RANMA SATOME," she yelled outside of a large gate. Suddenly, the gate swung open, reveling a bright light. As they stepped through it, they saw...demons. Hundreds of demons. There were even a few running towards them.
Without a second thought, Ranma jumped in front of Boton, protecting an innocent from a potentially brutal attack. But at the last minute, he broke left.
"I'm out of ink for the printer. I'll never be able to get these file copied in time for the meeting."
Ranma face-faulted at after hearing that. She could not believe that there were hundreds of demons in one room, and they were acting like it was just another day at the office. She looked around some more, only to notice…it was.
Then one stopped in front of her, dead in his tracks. Slowly he looked up and down her naked body.
"PERVERT." she cried as she knocked him across the floor to the opposite wall. This got the distraction of most of the other 'office workers' as they looked to see what the commotion was all about.
"No time for this, Ranma. Follow me and we'll get you something to ware," said Boton as she dragged a reluctant Ranma into the woman's dressing room.
A few minutes later, Boton dragged out a blushing redhead, who was now wearing a green kimono with a red sash tied around her waist.
"Oh come on Ranma. I think the bra and panties look good on you. Besides, you want to make a good impression on Kami-sama when you see him, right?"
Sigh "I guess."
"Good. Besides, be thankful that you are wearing my best pink silk set. Besides, who will see you with it on?"
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Meanwhile, at the local Asgard pub, where Thor held his usual parties...
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"And that's the full story. So, my queen, what should we do?"
To say that Usagi was stunned, would like saying that the moon orbits the earth. For the longest time, they thought that they could live in peace. Ever since Galaxia was vanquished, they were told now that a new enemy was approaching, and the only way to stop it, was with this new girl. The one who was holding on to life by a thread. Not only that, she was told that unless somehow, this girl dies, than not only life on earth be extinguished, all of existence.
Who was this girl? Who was she and why did it have to be her shoulders that future of the universe existed upon? From what Setsuna told them, she has already lead a harsh life. This was evident by the condition she was in at this time. What struck her the most, besides the multiple dowry promises, the explicit training, and the horrid family life she had, was how lonely she was. No one to count on. No true friends to turn to. Not even the hope of a stranger passing by wishing her a happy birthday, even by mistake. To be that alone and miserable, made Usagi do something she never thought possible.
"Maybe, we should...just let her pass on." Hearing this, the other scouts, who were crowded around an unconscious Hotaru, were stunned.
"I know that all life is precious, and some suffering can be overcome," she sobbed, "but no one deserves to be treated this way."
"Usagi..." started Rei, the fire Senshi from Mars.
"No, think about it. Never having a moment's rest. Being torn by honor. Manipulated by the ones she was supposed to call family. Betrayed by so-called friends, and worse of all...practically slaughtered by the one she loved. Would you want to live after that? Would you want to come back to a life of hardships, misery, never being able to trust anyone? No, I say let her die, with the one thing she help above all else. The only thing she had, her honor."
No one in the room could think of anything they could say or do. In so many ways, their princess was right. How could anyone want to come back to something like that? Even if the fate of the world was left on their shoulders. They cannot leave that up to one person. That would be selfish of them.
"I understand, and I will obey. We will do nothing to help her. But.." started Pluto
"But what about the future of the world, of the universe for that matter? How can we stop something that powerful? What can we do?" asked Neptune.
No one spoke for a long time.
"We...train. And we overcome," one answered in a whispered voice.
They all looked to each other wondering who said that. Suddenly, there was a light glowing.
They looked towards the source, and saw Saturn, in full uniform. She was starting to rise, glowing with a bright light, soothing those within range of her new aura. Then she opened her eyes, shining with a new softness, bearing confidence. Something that was never there before.
"And..." she whispered "we believe."
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"YOU MAY ENTER!" said a loud, booming voice.
Ranma gulped as she entered the doorway to whom she was told was Kami-sama. She was nervous as hell, never knowing what he had in store for her. Boton's face remained neutral as they approached. She did not want to spoil the surprise that waited in store for her.
Finally, they reached his desk. Ranma, whose eyes never left the ground, bowed deeply towards the being in front of her. "It is a tremendous honor to meet you, Kami-sama."
Kami smiled at this. He could not remember the last time someone new came into his office and showed him this much respect. "Please, rise so I can look into your eyes, Ranma Saotome."
She did, and looking at him, she saw...perfection in its purest form. Words could not describe the softness, yet experience in his eyes. She could tell just from looking in them, that he knew everything. He was...the ultimate creator. She just didn't know how to act around him.
Therefore, she did whatever she did in situations like these, acted like herself. "So...ah...nice place you got here. Did my idiot father make a deal with you to sell me off again?"
Boton was stunned. No one should talk to her boss like that. Without hesitation, she whacked her upside the head. "NO ONE TALKS TO KAMI-SAMA LIKE THAT, AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!" she yelled.
"Relax, Boton. He meant no ill will with that. Have you forgotten how he was raised?" Kami asked.
She thought on this for a moment and blushed furiously. "Gomen nasai, Ranma-san. I forgot."
"It's quite alright. That was lighter than most of what I usually take, so no harm was done," she replied. "So, did he?"
HAHAHA "No my child. He made no such deal. If he did, then your life would have been a lot more peaceful than the torment he laid upon you. You have nothing to fear from me, for I will not judge you by your actions."
"So your saying that if for some reason, say...Ryoga came in here and
started attacking me, you wouldn't hold it against me?"
"You mean the one with the poor sense of direction thanks a type 4 transportation family curse, who popped through here cursing your existence for his seeing of hell, why yes, but I can assure you, he's never seen hell."
"Why's that?"
"Because it's kind of nice to visit. They get tourist every so often, so they have to keep up appearances. They even have guided tours and everything. Only those who truly deserve it get locked in solitary confinement, where they can only see black, hear no sound, feel…nothing. It is like being in suspended animation while their minds continue to work. The rest of them work different parts of the tour. You should stop by some time if you get the chance."
"I...see, well maybe I will sometime. So what can I do for ya today?"
Kami sat back in his chair for a moment and thought on this. "First off, I'd like to ask you a few questions. And I ask that you be completely honest with me, no matter how embarrassing they may be. Can you do that?"
"Ha...hai, Kami-sama."
"Good. First question. Did you find your life...fulfilling?"
"Hu?" she answered intelligently.
"What I mean is, 'did you enjoy your life on Earth?'"
She thought about this for a few moments. "There was some good points down there. But...overall, no."
"Thank you for your honesty. Next, how do you feel about the form your in now? How does it make you feel?"
Blushingly, she answered, "Well I...I feel like it's more, me than anything. I gave up listening to most of what my old man said about women being weak a long time ago, but I don't know how to actually be a woman I've never had a chance to actually learn anything, so I can't answer you on that. I'm sorry."
He smiled at that. "Thank you for your answer. Like yourself, I do appreciate an honest answer above all else. So, if you were given the chance, would you like to learn how to be one, and then decide?"
"Yes, sir, I think I would. But how do you propose that?"
"I'll get to that later, but for now, I would like for you to answer the rest of these for me..."
This 'q' and 'a' session went on for a while. All pleasing Kami-sama while helping Ranma to feel more confidence in herself. Then came the final question.
"Ranma, in these two vials are the past lives of special warriors," he said indicating the bottles on the front edge of his desk. One had a silver moon on it. The other had a white pearl. "One is from the Silver Millennium, where you were a great female warrior. You had special magical powers that came from one of the celestial bodies within your galaxy. The other is from what you know as Fugal Japan. There you were a half demon male, who sought after becoming completely one or the other. You were also gifted with special skills and some animal instincts. Each one was special in their own way. What was suppose to happen in your life, if you had lived long enough, was that both would awaken within you, making you one of the, if not the best warrior, the earth had seen, in a long time. Since you were not so lucky, I am only able to return only one of these lives to you. The cost would also be returning you to the land of the living, should you chose to. I have kept a small pulse in your body so you would have a chance to be reborn, if you decided to. By all rights, you have died, so no mortal obligation made by those you associated with will have any affect on your life. Your honor is now, and forever, your own, you with me so far?"
"Eh, well, a little, but what do these past lives have to do with me?"
"It's quite simple really. You are the reincarnation of these fallen warriors, from one form, or another. What I am offering you is a choice. I am offering you a chance to be reborn. Also, I am giving you, if you decide to be reborn, the awakening of another power within you. Along with the memories and experiences you have had before. If you decide to rest and spend eternity here, you could search wherever you wanted until you decided where you would like to stay. So here is my question. What would you, Ranma Saotome, what would you like to do? Do you want to stay here and rest, or would you like to return with some extra power, to help your fellow human beings? This is a burden I am giving you the choice to bare. You could, however, look at it this way. It could give you a chance to seek...justice."
Ranma did the only thing he could, and rarely ever did. He thought it over for a long time...
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A.N.-Well, this ends another thrilling chapter of this series. I have to say, I have not worked this hard on a story in a long time. Even I have to comment on how hard it was keeping to my own script, but its still going where I want to. It may be awhile before I get my next chapter posted out there (mostly because I will be working behind the wheel of a semi driving across the country). Nevertheless, please, do not panic, I am actually a good driver. I even try to avoid those morons that decide to cut so close in front of me. I even ignore the urges to run those assholes off the roads, so you do not have to worry about me.
Finally, I know that in the last chapter there were no breaks in the sections. As soon as I can, I'll fix that. Please bear with it for now.
Preview Of Next Chapter-Ranma makes his decision, Kasumi meets the mysterious voice that has been calling to her, the police raid the Tendo Dojo and find...hey, this could be very promising. Guess some things should never be brought to light. Plus, Hotaru reveals what her choice was. Till next time, smoke some, drink some, puke some.