Story by SinisterMarmalade.

I apologize for the long wait. As I'm writing this, I don't myself know how long I will be writing this new chapter. I'm approaching with little in the way of ideas since chapter three, and I'm pretty much going on hope for inspiration. Wish me luck. Or don't.

As always, I intend neither infringement, disrespect, nor profit from the original source material and it's authors, unless that profit is in the form of helping me to grow as a writer. On with the show.

SENSHI BEYOND OASIS

Quatre could only stare out the window, mouth agape, as it became clear that his faithful servants, his second family, THE ONES WHO TAUGHT HIM THAT HIS LIFE HAS VALUE, were enthusiastic to throw him into a pit of his base desires and instincts. It didn't help matters that his friends and fellow pilots were gladly assisting them, or worse yet, leading the charge. With a speed born of desperation the blonde pilot wracked his brain.

"I propose that we all enjoy a nice dinner together, and perhaps we will all talk about ourselves to know one another better. Before we start, does anyone have any dietary restrictions?" Inwardly Quatre sweated; he was stalling for time.

"Master Quatre," Rashid said, instantly appearing beside him, "it is only 4:30 in the late afternoon. Do you wish to eat so early?"

"Yes Rashid, with the days strange events I feel myself growing peckish."

"Yeah, and besides, he'll need his energy tonight!" supplied Duo unhelpfully. "After all, maybe he just wants to get an early start on... other activities."

Quatre blushed. The new shouts outside of "MASTER QUATRE'S NOT GAY! MASTER QUATRE WILL GET LAID!" only added to his discomfort. Makoto raised her hand.

"Um, I'm a meatarian," she stated. Rei looked at her quizically.

"Huh, I'd have thought you were a vegetarian," she responded. A shocked expression crossed Makoto's face.

"YOU THOUGHT I WAS A CANNIBAL!?!" the dryad shrieked.

"I see," Quatre said. He turned to Rashid. "Tonight, we will dine on steak tartre, french bread, and cream brulee for dessert."

"Of course. You do not want to offend any of your girlfriends," Rashid laughed. It was the first time Quatre had ever considered murdering a magaunac. At that moment the front door bell rang. Quatre rushed to answer it, seeking not the entity on the other side so much as respite from the current situation. As he flung open the door, his heart alighted that he didn't see another woman. Before him instead was a slender young man only slightly older than himself, with short blonde hair and blue eyes. He wore a coral shirt with tan khakis. Immediately Rashid hurried for the door.

"I am sorry, young sir, but it turns out that Master Quatre isn't really gay. I am afraid you must leave." Haruka regarded the large Arabian with amusement.

"I'm afraid I'm not here to comment on 'Master Quatre's' personal life or to seduce him. I am here to talk to four young women," she said with a smile.

Rashid drew a scimitar from his belt and rushed at this new stranger. "YOU WILL NOT TAKE AWAY MASTER QUATRE'S FUTURE WIVES! I WILL KILL YOU BEFORE I ALLOW IT!" Haruka leaped nimbly over his attack and kicked him in the back of the head without removing her hands from her pockets.

"Listen, I'm sure you mean well, but I think you're confused. For one thing, each of the girls in question had a normal life at some point, and then each met the evil sorceress Michiru who changed their forms into what you now see. As for his 'future wives,' I personally would have a problem taking someone to be my wife who didn't have free will of her own. As for 'Master Quatre,' I'm here to make sure that the girls stay safe, so I guess I have to make sure he can defend them." She stepped into the mansion proper. "That means you and I will fight!" Haruka pulled a sabre from a hidden space, and instantly three automatic pistols were trained on her.

Duo looked at Wu Fei. "Hey, why aren't you helping us defend Q-Bean?" Wu Fei stood with his arms crossed, studying the stranger's form and stance.

"You would dishonor Quatre by denying him the chance to fight her?"

"Huh, what... her!?!" Duo exclaimed, his jaw going slack. "But how can you tell?"

"Look at the waist, for one thing. The proportions are incorrect. And the way she is standing indicates a lower center of gravity. Besides, how can anyone as beautiful as her be a man?"

"So, if that was a man, would you hit that?" Duo asked.

"Don't be ridiculous, Maxwell," Wu Fei snorted.

"You seem to know me, so perhaps it would be fair to have the name of my opponent," inquired Quatre, obtaining a sabre from the wall behind them.

"You can have my name if you beat me. And to beat me, you have to keep up," Haruka laughed, jumping twenty feet up onto a landing. Quatre ran up the stairs and took a traditional fencing stance.

"Whatever my relationship with them may be, I will defend these women with my life," he declared.

"Good. You won't loose anything you didn't bet," exclaimed Haruka, lunging in with a low faint followed by an upward slash. Quatre parried and gave ground.

"They are not slaves! If they wanted to leave, I would not infringe their rights!" Quatre retorted. He drove Haruka back with a series of short thrusts.

Haruka scowled. "It's clear you don't understand. Whether you like it or not, their new status with all the nifty new tricks comes with a price. And that price is servitude!" Haruka slashed high then low, forcing Quatre to step back. Quatre could see that the topic of conversation was upsetting his opponent, so naturally he continued it.

"You speak of slavery with such passion. Is it possible that you have endured such servitude yourself?" As Quatre expected, Haruka pressed the attack. She thrust, slashed and advanced her ground again and again, until Quatre's back was against the wall. With a howl of fury she slashed for the neck, intending to decapitate him. Luckily, Quatre had spent time with the Zero System, and by giving ground he watched her natural fighting style so he could exploit her weaknesses. When she committed herself to the attack, he ducked and rolled, standing up at her side and punching her in the ear with his basket hilt. Haruka fell to the ground, unconscious.

Duo winced as he watched the final blow. "Dude, why the ear man?"

Quatre stood for a moment, catching his breath. "Actually, I thought it was perfect." Instantly Quatre was surrounded by the girls.

"Mister Winner, please take off your shirt so that I may examine you," Ami said with obvious concern.

"Yes," agreed Mina, "take off your shirt!" As the girls led a blushing Quatre off to the med bay, Wu Fei Chang picked up Haruka's limp form and started walking in the same direction.