KSM: The Advent

by Ten-Faced Paladin

A crossover between Knigths of the Silver Millenium and Advent Knights of Legend. Watch how the two groups of knights must work togther to face their enemies or face destruction.

7. Chapter 7

I do not own Sailor Moon or Ranma 1/2

I do not own Sailor Moon or Ranma 1/2. They belong to their respective creators and not me. The Advent Knights beling to ZK Chromkedragozoid so if you want to learn more about them then go read his fics. You'll love them.

KSM: The Advent

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 7: Cooking Chaos

Nerima was not a place one would call peaceful. Not by any stretch of the mind. Well when compared to major war zones then it was pretty peaceful most of the time. It was with this kind of mindset that made the people appreciate what peace they got. Usually it was limited to the mornings or late at night, but there was still a 50/50 chance that something destructive was going to happen. Today though, it would pay witness to something that seemed to happen often, but then become something that had never (in some people's minds) happened before.

"Nani?" Leo asked politely as he sat at the breakfast table with his twin sister, the Saotomes, and the Tendos.

"You heard me," Akane replied in her usual forceful tone. "I challenge you."

"Ano...why?" asked Leo.

Everyone had woken up for the day and their morning rituals were taken care of. When Kasumi had called everyone down to breakfast, it didn't take long for the table to fill up. Of course, Akane didn't wait five minutes before she took one look at Leo and challenged him to a match.

Akane's reasoning was pretty simple. She had seen for herself that Leo was a pretty good kendoist. If he was better than Kuno then that would mean that Leo had enough skill to match the Wrecking Crew. With this fact in mind, Akane wanted to see just how good he was and secure her own claims of her own skill. The only way she knew how to do this was challenge Leo to a fight and beat him.

"Does it matter?" Akane frowned. "Are you a martial artist or not?"

"I am," Leo nodded. "But I would like to know why I have to fight someone."

"I'll tell you why," Kat smirked. "You threaten Princess' ego and she wants to take care of that." Akane sent the girl a glare.

"Nani, onee-chan?" Leo asked in confusion. "I didn't think I was threatening anyone."

"Well, Akane wants to fight you," Ranma informed him. "So, what are you going to do?"

"Can I…think about it, please?" Leo requested. "Okaasan always taught me to never hit a lady."

"Does she, in any shape of form, look like a lady?" Kat pointed out. Akane was slowly growing irritated.

"Are we going to fight or not?" Akane nearly yelled.

"After I help clear the table and wash the dishes with Kasumi-san," Leo told her, "meet me in the dojo." He then pointed towards the ceiling with his chopsticks and quoted, "Okaasan said this; never try to catch two birds at once because you might let both escape."

Everyone blinked at that and turned to look at Kat for a translation. She shrugged, "Hell if I know what he's talking about."

--

A little while later, both Leo and Akane were standing opposite from each other. Akane was in her yellow karate Gi and head band and in a battle stance. Leo, on the other hand, was dressed in his usual ensemble of a black jacket, his Chinese shirt and slacks and with his scarf around his neck. He took out his bokken and then pulled his goggles over his eyes. In Akane's point of view, Leo wasn't taking her challenge very seriously and that only served to poke at her temper even more.

Kat stood between them, giving Akane a cold stare and then a worried one to Leo. Raising her hand, she announced, "Begin!" before throwing it down and backing away.

"Hiyah!" Akane shouted, immediately going on the offensive. Leo didn't dodge her punches but instead used his bokken to block and redirect the punches safely away from his body. Kat sat down next to Ranma as the pigtailed martial artist leaned against the wall, hands behind his head.

"Princess doesn't stand a chance," Kat stated. Ranma nodded in agreement. He had seen Leo fight as Draco and when Akane had seen Leo match Kuno at Furinkan and defeat him. Akane thus concluded hastily that he was ONLY good at Kendo. Boy was she going to be surprised. Kat snickered at the thought, imagining the look on her face.

Leo did a twist using his heel and ended up behind Akane as her leg swung out at him in a kick. She growled in agitation and demanded, "Fight me for real!"

"Okaasan said this," he began to quote as he dodged her attacks, "Never, ever, without any reason, to ever strike a lady!"

Akane yelled, "You think I'm weak!?" She then hurled a powerful haymaker and Leo dodged to the side, but the punch hit his hand and forced him to drop his bokken. Akane grinned in victory. Now Leo was just a sitting duck.

"Uh oh," Kat gulped. Ranma looked at her.

"What?" Ranma asked.

"Princess made otouto-chan drop his bokken," Kat said. "That's never a good thing." But it was only the beginning.

Leo was stunned to see his bokken on the floor and Akane took advantage of it by throwing her arm forward and grabbing his scarf. This time Leo's eyes went wide as she tugged him towards her. She was going to win as she prepared a punch to his face. Leo panicked. If it connected then his goggles would be destroyed.

He could not allow that.

As soon as she was close enough he countered with his own attack. First he grabbed the fist going for his face and then with his other hand, curled into a fist he hurled it straight into her gut. Akane doubled over in shock. That was NOT supposed to happen! She was forced to let go of his scarf and Leo slowly walked over to his bokken and picked it up. He dusted it off and then said to Akane, coldly, gripping to his bokken, "Never make me drop this. This was a gift from my okaasan," before pointing to his scarf, "And this was a gift from my ojii-chan! Do not touch it!" He looked and sounded angry now. "And you nearly destroyed the goggles onee-chan gave to me."

"Woah, he looks pissed," Ranma witnessed. "Never seen him so pissed off before." He then recalled, "Wait, I don't think I've ever seen him angry before."

"He tries to keep it under wraps," Kat informed Ranma, "You know his abilities need him to be calm to keep them under control. He has the power of a storm in him, remember?" Kat looked at Akane, "Princess just put a crack into a dam and now it's gonna blow. Otouto-chan thinks of all the gifts people have given to him as precious and when they are threatened…"

"Okaasan said this," Leo growled, his eyes sparking, "To destroy a person's cherished items is like causing pain to them!" He then surged towards Akane and went into a spin before striking Akane in the chest with the back of his fist, knocking her back a few feet, then he thrust out his hand and shouted, "FUUJIN!" The blast of wind sent Akane flying and slamming into the wall. Leo took in a deep breath of air and sighed before putting his bokken back into his jacket.

Akane coughed loudly as she struggled to reclaim the wind which was knocked out of her. She glared back at Leo, who seemed to be trying to rein his own temper back into the centre of control that he usually held at all times during the day,

"Gomen nasai, Akane-san," Leo bowed. "I shouldn't have used that technique on you."

"Oh don't start!" Akane barked, stomping up to Leo in her usual tiff of anger. "I am a martial artist too! I can take anything a boy can! Don't treat me like I'm weak just because I'm a girl!"

"The Fuujin technique is solely reserved for battles with much higher stakes," Leo calmly explained. "It wasn't fair for me to use it in a sparring match when you weren't fighting at the level I usually reserve it for."

Off to the side of the dojo, Ranma and Kat were both looking on at the developing argument. Ranma, while a little concerned about Leo using a move solely meant for Beast Spirits and Star Beasts, he at least could accept Leo's apology if he was in Akane's place.

"He's scary when he loses his temper," Ranma casually spoke.

"Oh this is nothing," Kat snickered. "If Princess had actually threatened to break one of those things, I wouldn't be surprised if otouto-chan used the Raiijin on her."

"Well, he's just lucky this is Nerima," Ranma sighed. "With me and Ryoga and whatever other nuts show up throwing around ki and techniques like that, no one really bats an eye anymore. Anywhere else would have a lot of people asking questions."

"Well, it appears I won, after all," Leo said offhandedly.

"The only reason you won was because you cheated!" Akane accused and this time Leo narrowed his sparking eyes.

"Nani?" Leo glared at her. "I cheated?"

"That's right!" Akane snorted. "How else could you have won!?"

"How? Because I didn't fight like you expected? Because you assumed that I should only use kendo? Because I used a powerful technique against you?" he listed. He stared at her coldly with narrowed emerald eyes, "Remember this, Akane Tendo, the world out there is full of people with bad intentions and they will use any means necessary to win! Don't call it cheating because they possess a skill level higher then yours and do not ever call me a cheat!" Electricity crackled all over his body before he stormed out angrily.

Kat sighed in agitation before she stood up and walked over to Akane. She just stared at the girl with a sense of close resentment before she finally spoke' "Y'know, if you want to be taken seriously as a martial artist, I suggest you actually train and act like one."

"What?!" Akane snapped.

Kat just shrugged and exited the dojo without a further word. Akane's gaze snapped to where Ranma was sitting, but the pigtailed boy was gone. He had enough common sense to recognize when Akane was going to blow her stack. Usually he took it when he considered it his fault in any way, but there was no way he was going to let himself get malleted for something Leo said.

Speaking of the mild-mannered young man, Leo was leaning on the dojo wall, taking some calming breaths as he tried to get his temper back in control. His powers were triggered by emotion in some cases and it wouldn't be good if he electrocuted someone by accident just because he was in a bad mood.

"You okay, otouto-chan?" asked Kat as she joined him.

"I will be," Leo sighed. "You know how I get when someone threatens family gifts."

"Yeah," Kat agreed, "That and seeing how Princess got under your skin. Honestly though, it's like she expects things to run her way just because she's a martial artist."

"Well, I'm not sure about that, onee-chan," Leo shrugged. "Akane-san does take great pride in what skills she has, but I'm not sure if some of that pride is actually deserved."

"Well, hearing how she used to plow through those boys Merc calls the Hentai Horde, Princess thinks she's downright invincible," Kat sighed.

"Akane-san seems to believe that punching and kicking in a pattern with enough force to hurt someone makes a martial artist," Leo replied. "She doesn't realize that this is a discipline and not something to just flaunt around so people will notice you."

"Well, compared to her sisters, what else does Princess have?" asked Kat. "I mean, Angel is a wonderful housekeeper and like a saint. Merc is great with numbers and crafty when it comes to cash. Princess only has martial arts and the ability to break stuff. I suppose I can understand why she takes pride in it..."

"But it doesn't excuse abusing her skills and losing her temper whenever something she doesn't like comes up," Leo finished.

Before Kat could make another comment, Leo's cell phone went off. The young man reached to the phone and instantly pulled it out, "Moshi-moshi?"

"It's me. Pluto," was the reply he got on the other end of the line.

"Hello, Pluto-san," Leo spoke, going into all seriousness. Kat stiffened slightly as well. If the tiger was calling, then something serious was happening.

"I want to compare notes with you and Kat on these Star Beast cards we've collected recently," Pluto explained. "Meet me in Juuban. We'll talk more then."

"Hai," Leo replied before the line went dead. He likewise shut his cell phone off before slipping it back into his pocket. He then turned to his sister. "Pluto-san wants to meet us in Juuban about the Star Beasts we have sealed so far."

"Sure," Kat shrugged. "Beats watching Princess throw another temper tantrum anyway,"

"Onee-chan," Leo sighed before his older sister yanked him to where they kept their bikes parked on the Tendo property.

As the twins began mounting their bikes, their cell phones began going off again. They retrieved the devices and looked at them, only to have their faces darkening as they revealed a Beast Spirit going active. Luckily (if one could call it that) it was already in Juuban so Kat and Leo would be able to get to it quickly. Besides, Pluto and the Sailor Senshi were already there. How hard could it be?

--

"Waugh!" Sailor Moon cried as she barely managed to dodge a large white tentacle which had embedded itself into the road.

All the Senshi were in attendance for this battle. From Mercury to Pluto, they were all there. It had started with the Inners since they were close by when their newest foe burst from the sewers and began causing chaos. When the battle went into full swing, the Outers arrived. However, their limited experience with this enemy was proving to be their major fault as they had yet to make any real headway against it.

What was the Sailor Senshi's foe? It was none other than another Beast Spirit. This one had a clammy white body with an angular head which reminded all who looked at it of a squid. Its lower half was black with black legs and boots. It also had black bracelets on its arms. There were four tentacles running down its back, which were keeping it hoisted in the air while attacking at the same time.

"Pluto!" Mars snapped as she dodged another tentacle. "This thing is a Beast Spirit, right?"

"Yes!" Sailor Pluto confirmed, not taking her eyes off this new foe. "Category 9 of Clubs: The Smog Squid! Be careful, it's very high on the category list and much smarter than the others we have faced. It isn't a Royal class, but it comes close."

"How do we beat it?" asked Jupiter, hoping to end this before anyone else got hurt.

"It took a Category Ace to bring this down with its overwhelming power," Sailor Pluto replied. "We have no such power, or anything equal to it on our side at the moment."

"Uranus World Shaking!" the voice of Sailor Uranus cried before her signature attack could be seen hurtling towards the Squid Beast Spirit.

The Squid Beast Spirit reacted quickly and let itself drop to the ground to avoid the attack. Apparently, that was what Sailor Uranus wanted since her partner, Sailor Neptune, was already preparing to fire a close range Deep Submerge. Sadly, the Senshi of Neptune wouldn't get a chance to complete her attack before the Beast Spirit in question began to spew out thick clouds of smoke which hid everything from view.

"Ack!" cried Chibi-Moon

"Where is it?!" shouted Mars

"There! AAHHHHHH!!" cried Sailor Venus.

"Venus! WOAAH!" Jupiter added.

One by one, the screams of the Sailor Senshi could be heard as the Beast Spirit, obviously unhindered by the smoke, attacked them while their guard was down. Even Chibi-Moon and Saturn were attacked despite their smaller size. Soon, only Sailor Moon was left, even if she didn't know it at the time.

"Guys?" she mumbled, her fear piling up like a raging river. "Where are you?!"

"Run, Sailor Moon!" cried Sailor Mercury in the pitch black smoke.

A slithering noise caught the reborn princess' attention. Turning quickly to the source, she saw a white tentacle flying at her with enough force to crush her against whatever solid surface it pinned her against. Sailor Moon wanted to scream, but that was when someone decided to intervene.

"FUUJIN!" a male voice cried.

The smog cloud was suddenly blown away by gale force winds. Sailor Mon blinked to get the sun out of her eyes for a split second before she saw the Squid Beast Spirit standing in front of her. Her friends were tightly coiled up in the tentacles and held a few feet above the ground.

"Take this!" a new female voice cried before arrows made of either fire or ice began soaring through the air.

The attacks found the tentacles holding the Sailor Senshi. The Squid Beast Spirit roared in pain as green blood spilt from its wounds. It also had no choice but to drop the remaining Senshi to the ground. As they scrambled away from the one who had captured them a moment ago, they turned to see who had rescued them.

The Senshi then looked on to two newcomers, both clad in armor. One was a male in silver and blue while the other was female in black and red.

"Okaasan said this; seafood is meant to be eaten, not the other way around," Draco quoted. Mimic just sweatdropped.

"Uh…right?" Mimic responded. She didn't want to say anything to disappoint him.

"Who are those two?" Sailor Mars asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Are they Celestial Knights?" Sailor Jupiter added.

Mercury's eyes widened in recognition, "Draco!" Her yell caused the others to stare at her.

"You know who they are?" Sailor Moon asked.

"Only, the silver and blue one, but not the other one," Mercury replied after shaking her head.

"I am the hero that shall create the path to his future with the slash of his blade!" Draco announced. "I…am Advent Knight Draco!"

"And you can just call me Advent Knight Mimic," Mimic said confidently, "No fancy speeches needed."

"Advent Knights?" Venus gaped. "Like that Pluto guy."

"And they are on our side," Mercury said confidently.

The Beast Spirit lashed out its tentacles at the twin Knights who easily dodged away. Both then leapt up and unleashed their attacks.

"Time to roast some calamari!" Mimic announced, shooting flaming arrows via her Suzaku Arrow.

"RAIJIN!" Draco called, unleashing lightning from his hand. The attacks hit the Beast Spirit, causing it to stagger back in pain. Then, the two Knights charged and then attacked. Draco landed a punch to its face as Mimic got it in the midsection with a powerful front kick. The Beast Spirit grabbed them with its tentacles and attempted to crush them. Big mistake!

"Hey, I don't mind hugs but get to know me first!" Mimic said, "And cool off!" She placed her hand on the tentacle and allowed her frost energy to travel along it.

"This should shock you," Draco said, placing his hand on the tentacle holding him and then sending electricity through it.

Mimic shattered out of her prison as the tentacle holding Draco let go due to the electricity coursing through the Squid Beast Spirit's body. Its body twitched as it stared at the two Knight. Mimic took two cards out of her card holster as Draco took out his weapon and fanned out his cards before drew his from his sword. Mimic had attached her card reader prior to the battle so all they needed to do was activate them.

"SLASH!" Draco's Seiryu Blade announced as the card was swiped through. Its image hovered over him before it was absorbed into his body. Energy surged through his blade. He charged at the Squid Beast Spirit and landed a quick slash to its chest, sending it tumbling to the ground. He then sheathed his sword as electricity crackled through his body.

"CHOP! TORNADO!" Mimic's card reader announce as she slashed through her cards. It then announced the name of her attack, "SPINNING WAVE!" A tornado whipped around her as she charged at the Beast Spirit that was struggling to get up. It lashed out its remaining tentacles but the tornado surrounding Mimic repelled them. Draco then charged along with his sister before leaping into the air and thrusting his right leg out, electricity crackling around the foot.

"RAIJIN KICK!" Draco announced.

Both attacks smashed into the Beast Spirit and sent it flying before smashing into a building with great force, leaving an imprint of the Beast Spirit on it. Its belt buckle snapped open, a tell-tale sign of its defeat.

Mimic took out a Blank card and tossed it at the Beast Spirit, watching as it stuck onto the Beast Spirit's body by its corner before green energy sucked the creature in like a vacuum. When the Beast Spirit had vanished, the card then flew back as it spun back into Mimic's hand.

"9 of Clubs: Smog Squid," Mimic said, sounding disappointed. "Not one of mine."

"At least one less Beast Spirit to worry about," Draco told his sister.

"True," Mimic nodded. She then stretched. "Man, that worked up an appetite."

Draco stared, "But, onee-chan, you just ate."

"So, what's your point?" Mimic asked, tilting her head to the side before she noticed the Senshi staring at them. "Hey, an audience."

"The Sailor Senshi," Draco nodded, "I think we should introduce ourselves."

The sounds of a motorcycle caught their attention and they turned to see the third Advent Knight riding toward the scene of the battle. Mimic sighed as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You're late, Tiger-boy," Mimic huffed in annoyance.

"Not my fault you guys finished this one so fast," Pluto retorted calmly. He then gazed at the card in Mimic's hand. "Which one is it?"

"9 of Clubs," Draco answered helpfully, "Smog Squid."

"Well, that's another one for us anyway," Pluto shrugged. He then gazed over to the recovering Sailor Senshi, his gaze hardened on Uranus for a second.

"Shall we introduce ourselves?" asked Draco.

"Might as well," Mimic shrugged. "We're probably going to meet up with them again."

"Agreed," Pluto nodded.

The three Advent Knights turned to the Sailor Senshi and walked towards them, trying not to look threatening. The Sailor Senshi likewise got back up and stepped forward to talk to the Advent Knights. The only Knight the Senshi had experience with was Pluto. Mercury was the only one of them who had met Draco before. Of course, Draco did not know that her civilian identity was Ami Mizuno despite her knowing his.

Sailor Pluto stepped forward to address the three Knights. Judging from the look in her eyes, she was getting almost emotional about something.

"Before we begin anything, there is an important question that I have to ask," she spoke.

"There is?" asked Pluto. "Shoot then."

"I need to know if any of you hold the Category Two of Hearts. The Spirit Human," she explained. "Pluto told me that it was sealed, but I need to know if any of you have it."

"Sure do," Mimic nodded. She reached to the holster where she held her cards and drew the card in question. It depicted a human in a robe with a red heart in the centre of its chest. Several of the Senshi realized that within the card in Mimic's hand was the common ancestor of all humanity.

Sailor Pluto was one of the Senshi who recognized it as she tried to lunge forward and grab it. Mimic reacted quickly as she jerked back. Pluto's hand reflexively went to his gun while Draco looked somewhat confused at what was happening. Even the other Sailor Senshi were confused at what the eldest of their members was doing.

"Woah, lady!" Mimic cried. "What's the deal?"

"I need that card," Sailor Pluto said stiffly. "I need it to ensure the future!"

"Nani?" Draco blinked. "What future?"

"The future of mankind!" Sailor Pluto cried. "That Beast Spirit will ensure mankind's future!"

"The Beast Spirits are a threat to the future of mankind," Pluto replied sternly. "The Human Beast Spirit is no different from the others."

"Anyway," Mimic shrugged, sliding the card back into her holster along with the 9 of Clubs. Sailor Pluto's expression turned slightly more grim. "The future is never written in stone. Even if you had the Spirit card, you wouldn't ensure the future of mankind. No one can."

Sailor Pluto gritted her teeth as she listened to Mimic's words. The other Senshi didn't seem to be completely in the loop on what Sailor Pluto was talking about. Advent Knight Pluto figured they knew what Sailor Pluto wanted to do in the grand scheme, but they didn't know how the Human Beast Spirit played into things.

"Sorry, lady," Mimic sighed as she took a few steps back. "It is our duty as Advent Knights to seal all the Beast Spirits and make sure they can't harm anyone ever again."

"But..." Sailor Pluto tried to argue.

"No," Draco replied firmly. "I am sorry Sailor Pluto-san, but the Beast Spirits are incredibly dangerous and all of them must be sealed, even the Human Beast Spirit."

Advent Knight Pluto and Mimic nodded in agreement with their fellow Knight. Wordlessly, all three made their way back to their bikes to leave. Sailor Pluto tried to get some words out of her mouth, but she couldn't really think of anything to say which would get her any closer to getting her hands on the Category 2. The remaining Senshi let the Knights go, not knowing what the big deal about one Beast Spirit was.

--

The three Knights drove straight into an alley and dismounted from their vehicles. None of them made a move to remove their armors and that was just fine with Pluto. He then asked the two Knights, "Have either of you sealed any new Star Beasts?"

Mimic nodded and pulled Pheora's card out. It still had the image of the Phoenix Star Beast bound in chains and glaring hatefully to those who would gaze upon it. "A phoenix," Pluto admired. "It fits you."

"Thanks," Mimic smirked under her helmet, "So, what did you find out?"

"Well, since we sealed them using our own sealing cards, their properties are not unlike our own Rouge cards," he explained. "However, unlike the Beast Spirits sealed within the cards that still remain hostile, once we activate them they are seemingly purified."

"Purified?" Draco asked, "Nani?"

Pluto turned to Draco and held up both the Rayline and Wyvernator cards. Both of them had changed. Wyvernator's image now had Draco's color scheme since Draco first activated it to defeat Rayline. As for Rayline, his card image had also changed and judging by the color scheme it didn't take a genius to guess who'd activated the card.

"So, you two already used them," Mimic reasoned.

"When we activate the Star Beast cards, their energies seem to fuse with the energy of our own armor and weapons, fusing together to create something new," Pluto continued and then gestured towards Draco, "For Draco, he received a new suit of armor and a pair of wings," before gesturing to himself, "I gained a new weapon, a shield that can also be used as an offensive weapon."

Mimic was getting excited. She looked at the Pheora card and couldn't wait to test it out herself. Draco's account had gotten her excited before but she was waiting for the right time to use the card.

"They also appear to be still sentient within the cards," Pluto added.

"You mean they are still aware?" Draco asked.

"To an extent. I believe they can only communicate with us when we use them."

"Okay, is that all you got to tell us?" Mimic asked impatiently, "Because I can't wait to break this baby in!"

"Hold on, Mimic," Pluto said sternly, "I also want to address on this new enemy the Senshi and Celestial Knights are facing. They call themselves-"

"The Shishin," Draco finished. "Rayline told me about them."

"Well, these Shishin sound to be just as dangerous as the Beast Spirits, maybe even more. We need to assist the Celestial Knights and Sailor Senshi with this new enemy."

Both Draco and Mimic nodded in agreement.

"Ano," Draco spoke up. "Why do you think Sailor Pluto wanted the Human Beast Spirit?"

"Who knows?" Mimic shrugged. "She's not getting it and we can find out later."

--

While the Advent Knights were comparing notes on their experiences with the Star Beasts, the Sailor Senshi had returned to their civilian form and reconvened at Raye's temple as they usually did when they needed to talk. This time, the subject was on the events which had happened just a moment ago.

"What the heck was that, Setsuna?!" Raye demanded irritably. "Why did you have to go and start demanding that card from them? We were trying to make them our allies!"

"I did it because I was trying to ensure mankind's future!" Setsuna snapped back. Seeing her with this emotional was a real rarity.

"How would the Human Beast Spirit do that?" asked Ami in genuine curiosity. She couldn't help but be a little disappointed in what Setsuna had done. She had actually been looking forward to becoming friends with Leo while they battled evil.

"It's a risk of something that may happen if this battle between the Beast Spirits and Advent Knights continues," Setsuna sighed tiredly.

"Now you have our attention," Haruka frowned slightly. "Care to explain?"

"Do you recall when I told you what happened when the Human Beast Spirit won the Battle Game?" Setsuna began.

"How can we forget?" asked Makoto, shivering slightly. "Hearing how humanity began is a little creepy like that."

"The reason I wanted that sealed Beast Spirit is because I wanted to ensure that the Human Beast Spirit was the one who was left after all is said and done," Setsuna continued.

"But the Battle Game is over, isn't it?" asked Usagi.

"The true one perhaps," Setsuna sighed. "However, since all the Beast Spirits are free again, it might be enough to trigger a new one. You can imagine what would happen if one of the other Beast Spirits won in the end."

"Um...wouldn't that mean humanity is done for?" asked Hotaru, feeling a bit of fear creeping in.

"It could very well be, Hotaru," Setsuna nodded sadly. "Of course, I haven't been able to find that stone slab which was part of the first Battle Game yet. Either it is hiding itself or it hasn't activated since this isn't a real Battle Game. I'd rather not risk it though."

"So what would you have done if the Advent Knights did give you the Human Beast Spirit?" asked Chibi-Usa.

"If they did, then I would have tried to find the Tapir Beast Spirit," Setsuna answered.

"Tapir Beast Spirit?" asked Minako. "What does that one do?"

"It is the category 10 of Clubs," Setsuna replied. "Also known as the Remote Tapir, it has the ability to unseal other Beast Spirits. It was part of the reason why the first Battle Game lasted as long as it did."

"So...you would have tried to make that Beast Spirit unseal the Human Beast Spirit," Michiru spoke, piecing it together. "Then what? Would you have made sure that no one would be able to seal it?"

"Exactly," Setsuna nodded. "Of course, there is still the matter of convincing the Knights to let me have that card."

"Well, we can just explain it to them, right?" wondered Usagi innocently.

"Not really," Ami put in, "I mean, they're job is to make sure all the Beast Spirits are sealed. If we were to take that card away from them, it would make us look like we didn't have any confidence in their abilities."

"But we need to make sure the future goes as planned," Haruka retorted. "And if that card is the key, then we have to take it by any means."

"Are you sure you can do that?" Michiru questioned, "That Mimic girl didn't seem like she was willing to part with it anytime soon."

"Then we'll just take it by force!" Haruka said sternly and Michiru sighed.

"But…I don't think that will be easy, Haruka-papa," Hotaru spoke up. "I mean, we may have them outnumbered, but they are able to defeat a Beast Spirit when all of us couldn't."

"They just sealed it," Haruka huffed.

"But they were still able to weaken it before that," Hotaru added. "I don't think we should be fighting them, not just because we want them as allies, but also because we may not win if we try." She remembered how powerful Pluto was an added with his elemental abilities he was a force to be reckoned with.

"Don't forget, they also have Star Beast enhancements too," Ami added in logically.

"Anyway…" Minako began, "Didn't that Draco guy looked hunky? I mean that armor just made him look so good…" Minako grinned as she imagined Draco in her mind.

Makoto, on the other hand, was thinking about how Draco and Mimic fought. They were so in synch with each other. Her mind drifted towards Draco and her thoughts turned towards having him as a possible boyfriend. She blushed while she shook her head.

Chibi-Usa was thinking how cool the Knights were, "And they looked so cool in that armor! Never thought to see a girl Knight, she was so cool!" She may have found a new idol in Mimic.

"Anyway, like I said, can't we just explain it to them?" Usagi asked.

"We have to find them first and I doubt they're listed in the phonebook," Raye quipped.

"Then we will wait when we see them again," Setsuna said. 'And maybe I can snatch that card off her.'

--

It had been a day since the fateful trip to Juuban in which the Advent Knights almost picked a fight with Sailor Pluto. They really didn't think much of it afterwards and Ranma congratulated then on their newest acquisition.

Today was another school day in which Furinkan kept up its record for stupid upperclassmen and hijinks as the day went on. Kuno challenged Ranma right off the bat for 'his fierce tigress', 'pigtailed girl' and 'fiery kitten'. After such declarations, Kat was about ready to give Kuno the ultimate hotfoot. Leo had to hold her back while Ranma gave Kuno his daily pounding. They managed to end it before the late bell rung. Of course, Kuno was out cold by the time it rang so he was obviously late. Of course, he blamed it all on Ranma's 'foul sorcery'.

Lunch rolled around and many students eagerly went for their lunches. Ranma ate in his usual spot and Leo decided to accompany him. Not much conversation was made since the second Leo sat down to eat several girls came out of nowhere and planted themselves around him with hopeful looks in their eyes.

"Leo-kun, would you like to share my lunch with me?"

"Leo-kun, I made these myself! Please try them."

"He's trying my lunch!"

"No! He's trying mine!"

Ranma knew exactly where this was going. His own experiences were enough for him. The girls were going to get rowdy and Leo would try to calm them down, but they would just ignore him while they fought over who got to share lunch with him. The pigtailed martial artists was really beginning to appreciate sitting up in a tree while Leo was on the ground. He absently wondered if his fiancées were going to try another attempt at him with bribes of food.

"Ano," Leo frowned slightly. "It is very nice that you all wish to share lunch with me, but I have more than enough."

"Awwww," the girls sighed collectively.

"You're more than welcome to stay if you like," Leo added. "I wouldn't mind the company." He smiled.

"Oh, Leo-kun!" the girls gushed.

Ranma blinked in shock at what he had just seen. They weren't going to fight over Leo like a pack of animals in heat? It must be because they weren't martial artists. There was no way Ranma could try what Leo did. The fiancées would just claim that he was talking to them before fighting again. He turned back down to see the girls eating happily by Leo and decided to ask a question.

"Hey, Leo," Ranma spoke up. "Where's Kat?"

"I'm not sure," Leo replied after a moment of pondering. "I think she's still in the classroom."

"Okay," Ranma nodded as he stood up on the branch. "Later."

Ranma took a single leap and landed on a third floor window before slipping inside.

--

Ukyo was in class eating her lunch but was all alone, that was until someone planted herself in a seat across from her.

"Want some company?" Kat asked as she took out her own bento. "You looked kinda lonely here."

"Thanks, sugar, but I'm fine," Ukyo put on a fake smile but Kat knew that the Spatula Girl was obviously depressed. Ranma had pretty much ignored and avoided her and Ukyo didn't make any more attempts for Ranma's heart. It was clear to her that she'd lost since the wedding fiasco.

"No, you're not," Kat said to her. "I can see it in your eyes." She offered, "You need someone to talk to?"

Ukyo was not sure, but then she relented, "Okay."

"Good, now, is there anything you want to talk with me about?"

"I guess I'm still thinking about how to apologize to Ranchan…I mean Ranma," Ukyo sighed.

"He does still care about you, you know," Kat informed her.

"He does?" Ukyo blinked.

"But he wants an apology from you so he can't talk to you yet."

"I…just…I don't know if I can."

"Just go up to him and apologize," Kat told her.

"It's not that easy. I can't just say 'I'm sorry' and hope everything goes back to normal," Ukyo replied, "Too much has happened between us, mostly bad experiences."

"I think I can understand you," Kat said sympathetically, "But if you let this go on, you might end up hurting yourself."

"I'm already hurting," Ukyo frowned.

Kat sighed. If her brother was here, he'd know what to say. She decided to try her hand at giving advice, "Okay, I'm not as good at this as my otouto-chan, but what I wanna say is that you should try to confront him, face to face and alone and resolve this quickly, because, in the end, your friendship is worth saving."

Ukyo smiled, "Thanks, Kat."

"Hey, what are friends for?" Kat shrugged.

"Friends…I'd like that." Ukyo then realized, "Oh, here's something for you." She handed Kat a flyer.

"What is it?" Kat asked as she took it and read it.

"There's going to be a cooking contest and I think your brother might be interested in entering. He's a pretty good cook from what I heard."

"Thanks," Kat grinned before standing up, "Now, I need to find my brother before he gets mauled by girls. See ya!"

Kat then exited the classroom and waved at Ukyo who waved back at her. She turned to go down the hall, but instead found herself looking right at Ranma who was standing against the window with a slight frown on his face.

"I take it you heard?" Kat asked while closing the door. No point in getting Ukyo all bent out of shape at the moment.

"I got the gist of it," Ranam shrugged. "Ucchan's hurting pretty bad, isn't she?"

"Bad enough," Kat sighed. "You sure you don't want to talk to her?"

"Not unless the first words coming out of her mouth are 'I'm sorry'," Ranma replied. "You didn't see her at the wedding. She was hurling explosive food everywhere. It is one thing to try a stunt on just me. I'm able to take it, but she and the others risked everyone there. Explosive food everywhere and that moron Kuno actually drew live steel."

"Yeesh!" Kat grimaced. "That doesn't sound like fun."

"It was the usual to a point," Ranma sighed. "It then turned into a free for all with Nannichuan at the tip. That's actually how they got me to the altar at the first place. My old man actually tried to steal it for himself when all hell broke loose. Too bad the old freak Happosai drank it thinking it was wedding sake."

"Further proof that your old man doesn't give a flying fig save for anything that he wants," Kat frowned.

"You don't need to tell me," Ranma sighed. "Anyhow, I gave pops a piece of my mind so I'm over it. None of the other fiancées seemed to have the concept of apologizing. Shampoo sure doesn't. She acts like nothing even happened. At least Ucchan admits that she was in the wrong."

"AHEM!"

Further conversation was halted when Akane seemed to pop up out of almost nowhere. Ranma resisted the urge to flinch. No doubt Akane was going to try and pin something on him. Akane opened her mouth to say something, but she was cut off when she noticed the flyer in Kat's hands. She stepped closer to get a good look on it. Her face instantly brightened.

"A cooking contest?" she asked. "Hey! That sounds like fun!"

"I'll bet," Ranma muttered. His stomach started rebelling as he thought about the toxic disasters that Akane had whipped up in the past.

"Hey come on!" Akane frowned. "I'll knock those judges flat!"

"With food poisoning," Ranma quipped.

Akane frowned deeply at Ranma and glared at him with her patented evil eye. Kat instantly recognized the signs of Akane about to lose her temper yet again. She walked right past Akane and grabbed Ranma's arm before dragging him down the hall.

"Come on, Horsie-boy," she sighed. "Otouto-chan is probably getting stripped by now."

Akane watched the two go with a glare before heaving a sigh and walking to find her friends. After a few moments, the door to the classroom slowly slid open. On the other side was Ukyo. Her eyes were shimmering with tears that trailed down her face. She had heard Ranma's words and the hurt behind them. She felt her shame multiply and the pain knowing how upset she made Ranma as well.

"Ranchan," she sobbed quietly. "I'm sorry."

--

"A cooking contest?" Leo asked after Kat and Ranma sat down with him. The girls had all left, giggling and happy after spending some time with Leo.

"Yup!" Kat showed him the flyer, "You should sign up for it!"

Leo inspected the flyer and frowned, shaking his head, "Gomen, onee-chan, but I would have to decline."

"Why?" Ranma asked. He couldn't understand why someone would decline the chance to prove how good they were.

"I cook not to prove I am the best at something, but because I enjoy it and I wish for everyone to enjoy it," Leo explained, absently touching his scarf. "Cooking competitions are not really my thing."

"Oh, come on!" Kat exclaimed, but she wasn't ready to give up. "You are a good cook and you need to prove that! I mean, this could earn you some recognition. Isn't it your dream to become a famous chef one day and then open your own restaurant?"

"I wish to be a GREAT chef, not a famous one," Leo told her. "I don't care much for fame."

"But it would be fun," Kat added.

"She has a point, Leo," Ranma said. "I mean, this might be something you might enjoy doing."

Leo pondered for a second. He looked at Kat's eager look and Ranma who wanted to encourage him. Sighing, he accepted, "Alright, I'll enter."

"Great!" Kat cheered. "Now that trophy and prize money will be all ours!" she laughed.

Leo shook his head and chuckled. As long as his sister was happy, he would enter this contest. What was the worst that could happen?

Then, the bell rang and they all returned to class, but not before Kat shoveled all of the stuff in her bento down her throat and nearly choked.

Also, Kat was going to discuss with Merc about a business proposition.

--

Within their darkened prison, the Shishin watched the world where the sun shone brightly. They watched patiently as they waited for an opportunity to find another Star Beast in which they might possibly achieve their goals.

"The Advent Knights are growing wise to the powers of Star Beasts," Byakko observed calmly.

"I think that is obvious by now!" snapped Genbu.

"Regardless," Seiryuu sighed. "We cannot waver from our goals. We must find the Saint Beasts."

"We know, Seiryuu," Suzaku sighed while examining the back of her hand. "The question is; how?"

The four warriors turned silent for a moment. Things remained quiet until Byakko spied on the crystal and one of the images it was showing, "Hold. I believe I may have found something."

"Did you now?" asked Suzaku. Her interest was now sufficiently captured. "Do tell."

Byakko waved his clawed gauntlet to activate the energies of the crystal. The images swirled for a moment before it revealed images of the cooking contest and the preparations being made for it. The other three members of the Shishin peered at the images in deep thought.

"This holds...possibilities," Genbu smirked underneath his armor.

--

Leo was reading the rules of the contest in his and his sister's shared room within the Tendo's house. Kat and Ranma were in the dojo, sparring.

"Alright, I need to create a full course meal in one hour," Leo read it. "The contest is this weekend so I have plenty of time to prepare." He took out his notebook and flipped through the pages, "Now, which recipe should I use, or do I need to go to the library and read up on newer recipes to use?" He sighed as he lay down on the tatami floor and stared at the ceiling. He untied his scarf and gazed at it in his hands. "Ojii-chan…I'm going to make you proud, just wait and see."

"Leo-kun?" Kasumi called from outside the room and Leo jumped back to his feet and opened the door.

"Hai, Kasumi-san?" Leo asked.

"Would you mind going to the market to get something for dinner tonight?" Kasumi requested. "I would go myself, but I still have other chores to do."

"Sure thing, Kasumi-san," Leo smiled. Kasumi handed him the list.

"Hurry back, alright," Kasumi said.

"Hai, I will," he nodded but then, "Ano…may I help you prepare dinner?"

"Yes, you may, Leo-kun," Kasumi smiled at him.

"Arigato!" He then ran out the room and towards the front door. "I'll be back soon!"

Kasumi smiled, "Such a nice boy."

--

Leo had bought all the items on the list and carrying them while riding on his bike. He had placed them into a special compartment under his seat. As he was riding back home, he sensed a commotion in a nearby alley. He stopped his bike and dismounted from it, making sure he had his card and buckle on him. He removed his helmet and entered the alley.

"Hello?" he asked. The alley was dark and there was garbage but then he saw movement near some garbage bags. He then walked closer and was shocked when something jumped out in front of him.

It was a humanoid cockroach, grey all over and with menacing green eyes. It clicked its mandibles. Each of its limbs looked somewhat stick-like, but Leo sincerely doubted that the muscle in those arms weren't able to crush him.

"A Star Beast!" Leo gasped as the monster lunged at him. Leo avoided the attack and slid the Category Ace into his buckle before the belt wrapped around his waist. The Cockroach Star Beast lunged at him again. "Henshin!" Leo cried before snapping his belt buckle open.

"CHANGE SEIRYU!"

The blue energy field shot out and shielded Leo. It also smashed the Cockroaches Star Beast away. Leo walked through it and came out as Advent Knight Draco. He drew his sword and wordlessly charged. He swung his blade at the Star Beast, slashing it across the chest before it countered by slashing at his armor with its claws. Draco staggered back but then drew his card and swiped it through his sword.

"TACKLE!"

The image on the card hovered above him for a second before being absorbed. His eyes flashed and he charged. He shoulder tackled the Star Beast into the wall, leaving an imprint of it. Draco then drew and slashed through another card.

"SLASH!"

Absorbing the image of the card, his sword hummed with energy as he swung it at the Star Beast. Draco slashed at his opponent, but he missed as the Star Beast leaped straight up into the air. Its back carapace opened wide as two wings which looked almost like stained glass without the color spread out. Giving off a loud buzz, the Cockroach Star Beast flew off into the distance.

Draco cursed under his breath before snapping his belt buckle close, allowing the energy field to strip off his armor. Taking in deep and calming breaths, he exited the alley and got back onto his bike. He gave the alley one last look before revving up his engine and racing towards the Tendo Dojo.

--

Within the kitchen, Leo was washing and chopping vegetables as Kasumi looked over the pots that had their meal cooking. Kasumi then offhandedly decided to ask Leo, just for the sake of conversation, "Leo, why did you get angry at Akane for touching your scarf?"

Kasumi had heard the fight easily when her little sister got upset again before going off to break cinderblocks and training dummies. Later, Akane decided to explain how the fight went down. Of course, she had told everyone how Leo had beaten her, though she still insisted he somehow cheated. Leo just sighed before he answered, "It was a gift from my ojii-chan."

"What kind of man is he?" Kasumi asked, interested. Leo sighed sadly.

"He died."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Leo smiled slightly at her, "Don't be. It was a very long time ago. This is all I have of him to remember him by."

"So, what kind of man was he?" Kasumi asked again.

"He was my grandfather, and the man who got me interested in cooking. He was a great chef and owned his own restaurant. Sometimes he would let me come into the kitchen to watch him cook."

--

"Ojii-chan," a 5 year old Leo asked as he watched his grandfather cooking. "What are you making?"

"A work of art," said the kindly old man. He was large, but not over weight. He wore the standard chef's uniform, including the apron and chef's hat. He was using a spoon to mix up the stew he had cooking on the stove. He had graying hair and a beard as well as kind green eyes and some wrinkles.

"Art?" little Leo asked, confused, as he tilted his head. "But I thought you were cooking."

Leo's grandfather kneeled down to meet his son's eyes and then said to him, "Cooking is art, my boy. It takes inspiration and diligence to create something out of small bits of other things. Do you understand?" Leo nodded.

"Hai, ojii-chan!" Leo smiled and then a scarf wrapped around his neck. "Huh?"

"A gift for you," Leo's grandfather smiled before ruffling the little boy's hair.

"Arigato!"

--

"He always wore this scarf when he worked," Leo said, smiling fondly at the length of cloth wrapped around his neck.

"Forgive me for asking, but how did he die?" Kasumi inquired.

Leo closed his eyes, "It was a fire. I was only 6 years old when it happened."

--

"Ojii-chan!" little Leo shouted. He was trapped in the fire. "Ojii-chan! Where are you?" He felt a pair of strong arms grab him and then carry him out of the burning building. It was his grandfather. He put Leo down. "Ojii-chan!" little Leo cheered, "You saved me!"

Leo's grandfather smiled one last time at him before he fell to his knees and collapsed.

"Ojii-chan?" little Leo questioned, trying to rouse his grandfather, "Wake up! Ojii-chan!" His young mind could comprehend what was happening, but he didn't want to believe it. "Open your eyes! Ojii-chan!" Leo then cried out, "OJII-CHAN!!"

--

"He had breathed in too much smoke when he rescued me. He died right there," Leo finished.

"Oh, my," Kasumi gasped. "Leo-kun, I'm so sorry…"

"It's why I try my best when I cook. It's because him that I learn and study and practice my cooking. I put my heart and soul into it, all for him."

Kasumi sympathized with the young man in front of her. His life had been traumatic.

"Come on, Kasumi-san," Leo told her, shaking her out of her stupor. "We have to finish making dinner!" He smiled at her.

Akane had heard the whole thing and leaned against the wall outside the kitchen. No wonder Leo had been so upset when she grabbed his scarf and forced him to drop his bokken. She remembered how much it hurt to lose her mother and how little reminders she had of her. All three of the Tendo daughters kept their own little keepsakes of their mother. Nothing that their father would find since he would just start crying again.

--

The day for the contest finally rolled around as several tables were being set up for the participants. It wasn't very surprising to see Shampoo and Ukyo with their own stalls which had their restaurants' respective names plastered on them.

"Got everything, otouto-chan?" Kat grinned as she placed a plastic container of ingredients on the table her brother would be using. She wasn't sure what her little brother would be making today, but she couldn't wait to see what he had in mind.

"Got enough stuff here, Leo?" Ranma grinned as he saw all the food.

Ranma, Kat, and Leo were actually being left alone for change. When Akane announced that she was entering the contest, Soun and Genma were behind her all the way. So long as they didn't have to eat her cooking. They tried to strong-arm Ranma into helping cheer for her but the pigtailed boy managed to slip away. Nabiki decided to stay at home while Kasumi kept the home fires burning for now. All the collected chefs were just finishing their final preparations when a familiar voice came cutting through the air.

"Oh ho ho ho ho ho!" a voice laughed as black rose petals began to fall from the air. "So these are the fools who believe that their cooking outshines mine? A foolish dream!"

"Oh no," Ranma groaned as he tried to keep himself from standing out. Leo was looking around in all directions, trying to find out where this new voice was coming from. Kat already knew from the things Ukyo and Ranma had told her about.

"Hey, Ranma," she called out. "Is this that Kodachi girl I've been hearing about?"

"Yeah, and she's completely nuts," Ranma replied.

Apparently, Kodachi had tuned her senses for anything that sounded like Ranma. When he started talking, she heard him and was already on her way over to greet him. That is, until she saw Kat standing nearby and talking to him.

"And who is this harlot who dares to converse with my beloved Ranma-sama?" Kodachi sneered as she walked over to where Ranma, Kat and Leo were.

Kat immediately took a dislike to the girl. Leo, of course, was being polite. He stepped forward and bowed like any person with manners would.

"I'm Leo, and this is my sister, Kat," Leo introduced.

"I am the Black Rose of St. Bacchus, Kodachi Kuno!" Kodachi laughed. She twirled her ribbon and let more petals fly just for effect. "Don't think you can defeat me! I will win this battle hands down!"

Kat did not like the way Kodachi was talking. It was becoming painfully obvious that Kodachi was Kuno's sister. Both of them seemed to live in their own little dream worlds and thought that they were the best while ignoring anything they didn't like. "Hey, Black Rose, don't you ever say that about my otouto-chan! He'll cook circles around you!"

"I like to see him try!" Kodachi laughed before she skipped away.

"Wow, she is nuts," Kat commented as she watched Kodachi head over to a booth which was elegantly designed. No doubt the Kuno fortune at work again. "Shouldn't she be locked up or anything?"

"Should be, but isn't," Ranma grumbled. "She's a certifiable psycho and I can't tell you how crazy she can get when she gets going. Usually it involves trying to get me."

"Let me guess," Kat smirked. "No one has done anything because they are either too afraid of her or someone connected to her family makes it go away?"

"No," Ranma sighed as he shook his head. "Everyone is just afraid of Kodachi while everyone ignores Kuno. Might explain how their nut job of a father keeps his job though."

"Moving on," Kat sighed as she turned her attention back to her brother. Leo was already getting his utensils out as he waited for the competition to begin. "So, otouto-chan, what's on the menu?"

"Well," Leo began as he looked over his ingredients. "I think a chicken and vegetable stir-fry and mango flavored beef served with Chinese styled fried rice would be a good choice,"

"Yum!" Kat smiled brightly. "Haven't had that in a while. Maybe if there's some left we can save Angel some cooking time."

Leo nodded as he reached to his back pocket and pulled out a book that he kept on him. It was filled with the recipes that he preferred or made in the past. Kat looked on in anticipation until a stray thought came to her mind.

"Hey, Ranma," she spoke. "Where's your little lizard friend go anyway?"

Ranma pondered the question for a moment before he turned to answer her. His face took on a look of surprise before an amused grin appeared. Kat was confused for a moment before she felt some weight sliding onto her shoulders. She felt scales touch her cheek as whatever it was that landed on her got itself situated comfortably.

"I've been doing research," Draco the dragon commented.

"On the Shishin?" asked Leo.

"Yeah," Draco nodded. "Only there's too much information at the moment to find anything useful. You know how much the Shishin go into mythology."

"Terrific," Ranma sighed. "By the way, should you be out in the open like this? Even if this is Nerima, we tend to notice weird animals."

"Yeah, yeah," Draco shrugged. "Just thought I'd report in."

Draco slithered around Kat's neck and glowed briefly before changing into a jade choker which wrapped comfortable around her neck. Several different gemstones were embedded along Draco's body.

"Sugoi!" Leo gasped. "Onee-chan! That looks so nice on you!"

"Really?" Kat blinked while touching her new accessory. "Too bad I can't see it."

"Wow, never knew he could turn into jewelry. He's just full of surprises," Ranma commented.

"I'm not complaining," Kat snickered.

"WILL ALL CONTESTANTS PLEASE REPORT TO THEIR WORK STATIONS AT THIS TIME!" someone with a loudspeaker. "THE CONTEST WILL BEGIN SHORTLY!"

"That's you cue, Leo," Ranma grinned. "Good luck."

"Yep," Kat nodded. "Let's go, Horsie-boy, we need good seats. Gambatte."

Kat then grabbed Ranma by the arm and dragged him over to where the audience was supposed to sit. It was an innocent enough gesture, but some of the people who witnessed it saw it as something else. Shampoo had caught it and growled while accidentally crushing a pepper in her hands. Kodachi had also seen it and mentally put a target on the young Hasuma's back. Ukyo caught a glimpse too but was reserving judgment. Jumping to conclusions hurt the last friendship she had and she didn't want to ruin a second one. Akane's view of it was obvious.

'That pervert,' she growled inwardly as she saw Kat drag him away. She resolved to get a few words in with Kat about her connection to Ranma.

"ALL RIGHT, CHEFS!" the announcer cheered as he caught everyone's attention. "THESE CULINARY KINGS AND QUEENS HAVE COME TOGETHER TO SEE WHO IS THE BEST OF THE BEST! WHEN ALL THESE CHEFS ARE FINISHED THEIR CHOSEN DISHES, OUR JUDGES WILL TEST THE MEAL AND THE BEST ONE WINS! CHEFS, ARE YOU READY?"

A unanimous cheer came from a number of the contestants. It was all the announcer needed.

"THEN...BEGIN!"

The contestants immediately went at it with their own styles. Shampoo was tossing ingredients up and about while chopping them up with grace and precision. Ukyo went straight for the grill as she went for the tried and true okonomiyaki which her family's school was based off of. Leo remained calm as he worked through his recipe.

"Remember what ojii-chan taught you," Leo reminded himself. "Food must not only taste good, but it also must be appealing to all the senses."

Akane was going with her usual stance. She attacked the food without mercy and used the power she could muster. She chopped the ingredients up into blocks and tossed them into the pot with other stuff without even checking to see if she was using the right stuff.

In the audience, the people were watching in anticipation. Two of the people there were none other that Cologne and Mousse. The Amazon matriarch was of course rooting for her great-granddaughter, but her eye was also trained on Leo. The boy's aura was as strange as ever, but she also noted another like him, most likely a relative or such. Her aura was more on temperature than force of nature. It was constantly in flux between hot and cold. The old Amazon could also feel very strange aura within her. Nothing threatening, just odd.

Mousse had come to help his beloved Shampoo, but he was forced to sit in the sidelines. It was one of the rare times he used his head since he knew his eyesight wasn't going to help anyone. A small consolation in his mind was the fact that Ranma couldn't interfere. In that case then Shampoo was definitely going to win. Everyone knew that Akane was a horrible cook. It was just that no one would tell the girl for some reason.

Soun and Genma were having their own conversation.

"Tendo," Genma whispered. "I think this might be a good opportunity for the boy to see what a good bride Akane will be!"

"Do you really think so, Saotome?" asked Soun eagerly.

"I do!" Genma nodded. "All we have to do is make sure that Akane's food is the best here."

"You know what that means," Soun sighed.

"I do," Genma nodded.

Both men left their conclusion unspoken. They knew that Akane's cooking wasn't really that good so they would have to get rid of all the other contestants dishes so that Akane's would be the winner. If she was the only one left, then she would win by default. It was a perfect plan. As long as the other contestants had some accidents, Ranma could see Akane as a good cook compared to some people out there.

Kat's hearing had picked up the two men's conversation and she growled, crossing her arms. Ranma noticed this and asked, "You okay?"

"The fathers are trying to sabotage the contest and make Princess look good," Kat replied, eyes trained on the contest at hand.

"How do you know?" Ranma blinked.

"I got sharp ears," Kat said.

"Can't say I'm surprised," Ranma sighed. "Okay, let's go."

--

Leo had already skinned the chicken and began cutting them into pieces. Afterwards he also chopped up the vegetables. The oil was boiling. He would fry the chicken first before adding in the vegetables. He checked to see if the oil was hot enough. Satisfied, he used a pair of tongs to pick up the sliced pieces of chicken and put them into the oil.

He then began peeling the mangos and chopping them into smaller pieces. He went back to the chicken and flipped them over so that the other side could cook. He then poured in the rest of the vegetables and stirred. He added in the soy sauce and spices and when he was satisfied with the taste and smell, put the finished dish into a plate before moving onto his next task. The beef was properly washed and tenderized so all he had to do now was slice it into thin, but not too thin, strips. He also had fresh mangoes to cook them with. As he was working, he started hearing the other contestants beginning to shout about something. Taking a moment to listen, he heard that things were beginning to go dreadfully wrong for the other chefs. Well, a few of them anyway.

"Hey! Where'd my pot go?"

"My vegetables are ruined!"

"Ack! Fire!"

"Oh ho ho ho!"

"Who ate my batter!?"

Now dreadfully curious, Leo dared to glance up and see what was happening. He saw several of the contestants, food was vanishing from where they were preparing it. Others had sudden accidents. Near Kodachi's station, the female Kuno was tossing smoke bombs at the other contestants, knocking them out. She was also timing them so the judges were looking the other way and wouldn't notice her. Leo could instantly tell that someone was actively making sure that a number of people couldn't win the competition. Leo also noticed that whoever was doing all this had completely avoided Akane, Ukyo, and Shampoo's stalls. Obviously they either wanted one of those girls to win or were going to hit them last because they were formidable opponents. For all he knew it may have been both.

Meanwhile, Ranma and Kat were sneaking around behind the scenes to try and catch Soun and Genma in the process. Since it was an open-air event, Genma might be hiding with the Umisenken or be moving pretty darn fast like Soun would no doubt be.

"So where do you think they're going to hit next?" asked Kat.

"Well, Pop will go after whoever has the most stuff to eat," Ranma replied. "Mr. Tendo will probably try to get the best cooks out of the way first so Akane has a better chance."

"Start at the top and work down to the bottom," Kat nodded.

"Yeah," Ranma nodded. "I'll deal with Pop. You take Mr. Tendo."

"Gotcha, Horsie-boy," Kat smiled before she went to catch one of the two fathers.

Ranma shook his head as his nickname before he headed in the direction he was sure that his father was heading. It wasn't that hard. A number of the contestants were screaming about their food suddenly vanishing. It was definitely as good as any place to start.

Genma Saotome knew he had to act quickly. This was a prime example to get his son to see Akane was a wonderful choice for a wife. When he saw that Akane was getting better, then he and Akane would get closer until their marriage was unavoidable. In gratitude to his hardworking father, Ranma would let him live at the dojo for the rest f his life. It was flawless.

To make sure that he wasn't going to get caught, Genma was using the Umisenken to keep himself hidden from sight. Whenever he stopped at a stall that was going against Akane, he would look at what they were making and steal it while they weren't looking. He would then eat it while heading for the next booth over. He was making a good pace and was eliminating several of the contestants before he was suddenly interrupted.

"Ow," Genma groaned as he got his senses back. He looked up and saw Ranma walking towards him. The elder Saotome's anger rose as he saw his son interfering with something he was trying to do for his own good. "Boy! What are you doing?!"

"I dunno, Pop," Ranma frowned, "Trying to stop you from ruining this contest."

"This is for your own good!" Genma frowned. "Your fiancée is in this contest! You owe her your support!"

"Which one?" Ranma frowned. "I also have a friend competing out there. I'd rather let them all have a fair chance. I'm not going to let you cheat in another stupid stunt to force me and Akane together."

"I am only helping you and Akane with your relationship!" Genma growled.

"What relationship?!" Ranma demanded. 'Thanks to all the pressure, kidnappings, suitors, fiancées, and everything else, any relationship Akane and I might have had is been pretty much ruined. Don't even get me started on the stuff you and Mr. Tendo tried to pull to get us together."

"We are only helping nature along, just like now!" Genma insisted. "Now get out of my way, Boy!"

"Bring it on, Pop!" Ranma smirked, looking forward to the fight.

--

Kat watched the stalls for a moment as she tried to pick out where Mr. Tendo was. It was easy since he was just bashing ovens or overturning pots filled with half-cooked items. The people who were running those stalls were getting pretty ticked whenever they tried to make something, someone would tip over their pot and they had to start again. Still, the attacks hadn't come anywhere near Ranma's fiancée brigade and her little brother. Mr. Tendo was probably afraid of getting near them unless he had to. They were all pretty strong fighters so they would be able to see the attacks coming and be able to do something about it.

She caught some movement near a stall in which the oven just turned off again, leaving a frustrated chef having to turn it back on again. Kat immediately went to that stand while staying out of sight. The contestant in question just managed to get the flames turned back on and was heading to get some more of the ingredients prepared. Kat didn't have to wait long before she saw Mr. Tendo come dashing for the stand while the chef was not looking.

"Don't think so, Waterfall," Kat snickered as she called up her Category Ace's abilities.

The ground underneath Soun's feet suddenly turned to ice and the elder Tendo suddenly slipped and crashed on the ground with something akin to a splat. He wasn't moving either so it was safe to assume that he was out cold for the time being.

"Now all Horsie-boy has to get the panda out of the way and we can have things back to normal," Kat nodded.

As she started heading back to the seats, she heard Kodachi's voice growl in anger about something. No doubt she was having a tough time playing fair for a change.

--

Leo was diligently preparing his entry into the competition. He was hearing the commotion and figured that someone was trying to stack the competition in their favor. It usually always happened in Nerima if Ranma's stories were to be believed. Almost everything was turned into a martial arts competition in some way or another. Usually it was a fiancée or some new challenger for Ranma, but it was always someone. Today wasn't any different. When he had seen Kodachi throwing smoke bombs behind the judges' backs and the contestants losing their ingredients so fast no one could catch them, he figured that he would have to fight.

His guess proved correct as Kodachi turned her gaze to him and threw another one of her bombs right at him. Apparently Kodachi assumed that he was another regular person who had entered the competition. Accessing his power over wind, Leo sent a strong gust right at the bomb and sent it flying right back at Kodachi. The spoiled Kuno girl blanched in shock before rapidly pulling out a ribbon and swatting the bomb away.

"Curses," Kodachi hissed as she recovered. "Apparently this commoner isn't as lowly as the others. I will just have to use more practical means to ensure my victory."

'I need to concentrate on my cooking,' Leo was thinking, wiping his brow. 'But with these people trying to cheat, it's hard.' His hand reached up to his scarf and he smiled, 'But ojii-chan is with me. Are you watching me, ojii-chan? I am going to win!'

Gripping her ribbon tightly, the female Kuno waited for the judges to be looking away again. When she saw her opportunity, she launched the ribbon towards her male opponent. She smirked as she anticipated the look of absolute defeat he would have on his commoner face. As if anyone could defeat the Black Rose!

The black fabric flew through the air with the intention of snapping at Leo and ruining his work. Her eyes widened in shock as she witnessed Leo grab the item in question. Leo turned his gaze to Kodachi, looking someone annoyed at her obvious cheating. Kodachi was unable to do anything before an electric jolt ran through her body, knocking her to the ground. She looked a little crispy, but alive and well. With that particular problem out of the way, Leo returned his attention to the food he was preparing.

--

High above the ordeal, the Cockroach Star Beasts was hovering. It was high enough so its wings couldn't be heard, but low enough so it could see what was going on. It seemed that everyone was thoroughly distracted, making its job much easier. Concentrating, the Cockroach Star Beast started revealing some small pods underneath its wings. They were a sick green which pulsed like a heartbeat. The pods pulsed suddenly and broke wide open, revealing clouds of what looked like spores of some kind. The Cockroach Star Beast then began spinning around the competition area, letting the spores fall.

Soon, there would be a harvest of Star Beasts.

--

Kat kept her eyes on Soun when she started feeling a little drowsy. Looking around, she noticed a green fog of some kind was falling from the sky. A number of the audience members were quickly falling asleep. Kat knew that she would be next unless she did something. She tapped into her Ace powers again, heating up the air around her until it looked like there was fire swirling around her. The spores were burned into nothing as they got close to her. Soon enough, her senses returned and she could get a proper look at what was going on.

The people around were falling asleep at a rapid pace and the green spores were everywhere. She turned to her little brother and found that a vortex of wind was blowing the spores away, making sure that he didn't fall victim to the spores. She caught Leo's eye and both twins silently agreed on what was happening. It was either a Star Beast or a Beast Spirit who was doing this.

Kat tapped the choker around her neck and asked, "Hey, lizard, do you know what's doing this?"

'Definitely a Star Beast,' Draco replied quickly. 'This one looks like it's going for a target. Hopefully you guys can find it before it causes some real damage.'

"Right," Kat nodded as she reached into her pocket. She brought out her buckle and Category Ace. Leo was just as quick as he brought his own buckle and Category Ace out. Both of them slipped the cards inside before attaching their buckles to their waists with the belt part wrapping around them.

"Henshin!" they cried before opening the buckles.

"CHANGE SEIRYUU!"

"CHANGE SUZAKU!"

Kat and Leo ran at the fields which were in front of them. As they were running, Draco the dragon returned to normal and leaped from Kat's neck. Both brother and sister dashed through the field and came out in their Advent Knight armor.

"Okay, so where is it?" Mimic asked impatiently.

"It must be hiding," Advent Knight Draco reasoned.

"Then let's go hunting, otouto-chan," Mimic snickered as she drew her Suzaku Arrow.

--

"What the heck?" Ranma blinked as he stood over the unconscious form of his father. The pigtailed martial artist could see a weird cloud of green stuff hovering over the area where the contest was being held. When he took the time to take a closer look, he could see some kind of gray form buzzing around above the cloud. What was worse, it was diving down towards the ground.

"Just my luck," Ranma frowned as he drew out his white card case. As he did, the metal belt which assisted him in transforming appeared around his waist. "Lunar Knight Power! Henshin!"

He snapped the case into place and was engulfed in white light. When it died down, Celestial Knight Lunar was standing in Ranma's place. Drawing his sword, he ran in the direction of the Star Beast. Hopefully he would be able to stop it before it stole anyone's Star Beast.

"Why can't my life be simple?" Lunar wondered to himself.

--

Mousse had acted immediately when he felt the spores affecting him. Using his Hidden Weapons techniques, he pulled out a gas mask and slapped it on his face. He turned to see what Cologne was doing and discovered that the old ghoul was already gone. Personally, Mousse couldn't care less. He didn't like Cologne in the first place and only did what she said because she was a matriarch.

Returning to the present, Mousse eyed those twins that Ranma had become friends with. He held a suspicion that the girl might be another fiancée for Ranma, but she sure didn't act like one. She didn't try to fight for him or sabotage the other fiancées at all. She acted more like a friend. He didn't envy the girl's chances of survival if Shampoo decided that she was an obstacle.

Of course, that quickly changed when he witnessed both her and her brother change into suits of armor that seemed to protect them from the spores. That and look pretty darn cool.

"Well, if they changed, so can I," Mousse reasoned to himself as he pulled out his deck. The metal belt that went with it appeared around his waist. "Zeus Knight Power! Henshin!"

He snapped the case into the belt and soon green energy engulfed the myopic boy. The light died down to reveal Celestial Knight Zeus standing in his place.

"Another day, another fight," Zeus sighed to himself.

--

Both Draco and Mimic turned to the sources of light which had appeared in the audience and over to the sidelines. When it died down, they could see Lunar and a Celestial Knight they hadn't met before coming closer to the stage. As they were coming closer, a loud buzzing noise began to echo through the air. Both of them looked up to see a gray blur coming down upon them.

"Look out!" Lunar cried as he continued to run towards his friends.

Both Advent Knights leaped to the sides as the gray blur hit the ground where they were standing a moment ago.

"Just what are we dealing with this time?" Zeus demanded of Lunar as he took a fighting stance. "Who are these two anyway?"

"Friends of mine," Lunar replied as he never let his gaze leave what had hit the ground. "I'll explain later."

"Here will be no 'later', a hissing voice spoke up from the crater, "The four of you will be dead."

The four Knights kept their attention turned to what had hit the ground a moment ago. What came crawling out of the ground was the Cockroach Star Beast. It looked as vile as ever, which Draco could attest to.

"You again," Draco frowned behind his armor.

"Me again," The Cockroach Star Beast clicked. "I was hoping to find you again. I owe you for that little skirmish in the alley!"

"Huh?" Mimic blinked before turning to Draco. "Otouto-chan, you fought this guy and didn't tell anyone?"

"Gomen," Draco bowed slightly. "I didn't think it was important since he ran away so fast."

"I had more important things to do," the Star Beast cackled. "Now you are really in my way so I can pay you back. Be proud, Advent Knight, your tombstone will say you were killed by Roachus."

"Right," Lunar grumbled. "I smash bugs like you all the time,"

"I bet you do," Roachus laughed. "Then let's see you four try!"

Lunar and Draco were the first to attack, drawing their swords before swinging them at the Cockroach Star Beast. Roachus' wings erupted from his shell before buzzing with enough noise to break windows. All four of the Knights stumbled back as the noise assaulted their eardrums. Lunar thought he could feel his visor was on the verge of cracking.

"Kuso!" Mimic screamed. Her enhanced hearing was now a bane to her as it was causing her intense pain. She narrowed her eyes at the Star Beast in question. "Need…to get…a shot!" She slowly raised up her bow and aimed but couldn't keep a grip on it because of the noise. "Urgh!"

"Swing Vent!" was the words barely heard.

"HYYRRAAAAGGHHHH!!" Zeus' voice roared which caught everyone's attention. Roachus turned to see what was happening and let out a click of fear before he leaped straight up. As he was in the air, a large green and bronze spear which had intricate designs on it came crashing down to the ground.

"You missed!" Lunar cried as he tried to get his bearings back.

"Then you try to do better!" Zeus snapped angrily.

"Nani?" Draco cried, trying to hear.

"Ow!" Mimic grumbled as she tried to recover from the attack. She looked up at the Cockroach Star Beast which was flying above them. He had a stupid grin on his face which really got her ticked off. "If you're not going to come down, then I'm going up after you!"

"Nani?" Draco cried. He couldn't be sure, but it seemed that his sister had said something.

Mimic pulled out her newest card. This one depicted the Star Beast Pheora chained in the image. The Phoenix Star Beast that she had sealed a bit after her first appearance in Nerima. She had been hoping that her Star Beast card would be as helpful as Rayline and Wyvernator were to Pluto and her little brother. Grabbing the scanner she usually kept on the back of her belt, she attached it to the front. She then brought the card to it and slashed in through.

"PHOENIX!" the scanner called as the card was pulled through.

The scanner reacted to the card as bright points lights projected from it formed a constellation that resembled a phoenix in front of her. The points of light then attached themselves to her suit, turning it all grey with a green visor and heart emblem. Fire then began to engulf Mimic's body. The gathered Knights and single Star Beast watched as Mimic began to change. Her armor began to shift and transform as the enhancement from Pheora began to take place.

The flames appeared to reshape themselves onto her body. A magnificent pair of golden wings covered with flames spread out on her back and then the flames dispersed from her body, revealing her new form.

Her suit was still the same as her usual black and red one except that the silver parts had been replaced by gold. Her red bodysuit now sported golden tribal tattoos which seemed unrecognizable and she had talons on her gauntlets. Finally, a pair of flaming Phoenix wings was attached to her back. The flames of the wings extinguished to reveal golden metallic wings which actually reflected the light of the sun.

"Sugoi," Draco breathed out.

"What the-?!" Roachus cried in shock.

"Time to burn, Buggy!" Mimic cried as she spread her wing and took flight into the air.

Roachus clicked in shock as he took flight to try and avoid Mimic's attacks. The enhanced Advent Knight slashed wildly as she tried to bring down her insectoid opponent. Her talons only managed to leave scratches on his carapace, and those were only glancing blows. There was little doubt that the talons were sharp enough to shred him on contact. Acting quickly, Roachus spun around and started flapping his wings at an even faster rate. The result was sonic blasts which were hurled at Mimic at amazing speed.

"Woah!" Mimic cried as she swerved to avoid the blasts. She reached to her belt and plucked two cards out of the side. She also summoned her Suzaku Arrow and planted her scanner on it. "If that's how you want to play then I'm all for it!"

"TORNADO! CHOP!" the scanner cried, summoning the images on the cards. The pictures then changed into images of the Beast Spirits sealed inside of them before being absorbed into Mimic. "SPINNING WAVE!"

Mimic drew back her arm which held her weapon as the wind began to pick up around her. The power seemed more concentrated then her usual Spinning Wave attack. With a single movement, she dove forward as she was engulfed in an upper class tornado. Roachus tried to shoot her down with more sonic blasts, but the blows were shrugged off. Mimic continued on and crashed right into Roachus.

"GYYYAAAAHHHH!" The Cockroach Star Beast bellowed as he began to fall. He didn't even make it to the ground before his body exploded, leaving only the glowing core behind.

"Mine!" Mimic cheered as she hurled a blank card at the floating mass of energy. The sphere was absorbed quickly before returning to Mimic's waiting hand. The image on the card was as expected. It was a picture of Roachus being held in chains and looking royally ticked off at the world. "Oh, yeah!" she grinned under her helmet.

"Yatta, onee-chan!" Draco cheered for his sister as she floated back to the ground.

"Pretty good," Lunar nodded. "The flying battle was pretty cool too."

"It was okay, I suppose," Zeus shrugged. He didn't want to admit that it was a fairly impressive fight.

"I know," Mimic snickered smugly. She looked at the surrounding people who were still unconscious. "What are we going to do about these people though?"

Silence reigned.

--

The contest was, unfortunately, cancelled. Everyone was asleep for so long the food they were making either went bad or was overcooked. Luckily, what Leo had been making was perfect and he managed to bring it all home so everyone could enjoy. The only one who seemed glum about it was Akane. She kept muttering about how what she was going to make would be a prize winner for sure.

"Oh, my!" Kasumi gasped as she tasted Leo's creation. "Oh you must teach me the recipe."

"I don't know, Kasumi-san," Leo smiled. "We chefs have to keep a few secrets after all."

Genma would have made some chauvinistic/sexist remark, but he was too busy stuffing his face and trying to steal Ranma's portion for himself to say much about anything. The added headache was also a contributor to his silence.

"Why so glum, Kat?" asked Nabiki with some curiosity. She had noticed that the female half of the siblings in their house seemed a little glum.

"Ahh," Kat sighed as she picked at her meal. "Just disappointed about losing that trophy and the prize I guess. It would have been pretty cool to see otouto-chan's name on it."

"The money would have been nice too," Nabiki nodded.

"Onee-chan, Nabiki-san," Leo sighed in exasperation.

To Be Continued…

A/N: Here's the newest chapter. Hope you all enjoy.