Chapter 22:
Ranma stared at the cup in front of her.
The annual tradition.
She wasn't sure what she was more scared of: that it would still not work, or that after 20 years it finally would.
20 years.
It was so easy to say, but somehow that phrase utterly failed to capture the actual length of time it represented. Over 10,000,000 minutes could have been a more accurate, if less useful, way to describe the reality of time that had passed since she had last been male. Actually, it had been more like 11,000,000 minutes since that fateful day she, Ami, Minako, and Setsuna had stepped into that portal back in Tokyo.
Ranma's past life in Tokyo felt not unlike a dream in many ways. Concrete towers and speeding cars felt as foreign to her as crystal spires and court intrigue now felt commonplace. Her past life as a boy felt foreign as well. She remembered being male, but not really what it meant. By this point, she had spent more than half of her life as a woman, and that wasn't even counting her time as Akana.
It had been a lifetime since then, back when they had all still been children and hadn't yet learned how harsh life could sometimes be. She had been so sure that everything would turn out alright that she hadn't even bothered to say goodbye to Akane. They had been fighting about something, but Ranma honestly couldn't remember what the argument had been about. Probably some silly childhood misunderstanding over something which had felt much more important than it really was.
Ranma shook herself out of her introspection and picked up the cup. She then put it down again.
It would be so much easier to just forget about it.
Her life wasn't perfect, but it was good enough. She had an important position in society, and enjoyed the work she did. She had three people she was honored to call close friends, and several other more casual ones. She had a daughter, whom she loved dearly and who loved her back just as much.
Nobody was forcing her to do anything. It was her choice. If she wanted to, she could just forget about Jusenkyo, and all of the complications it brought with it.
Ranma shook herself again and picked up the cup a second time. In the end, even if she didn't have anything else, she had her honor. She was Ranma, pledged to be a man among men, and she would do anything reasonable to fulfill that pledge.
The condition of reasonableness was a new addition. Back when she had been an idealistic child, she would have done anything necessary. This was back before she knew exactly how complicated life could be, and before she knew how much "anything necessary" could end up costing. Some things, some people, were just too important to give up.
However, no matter how she looked at it, a simple cup of hot water did not count as being unreasonable, even if turning male would throw her life into utter confusion again. There could even be a bit of a silver lining too, if she did somehow transform this time. Given the general lack of hot water on the moon, being able to transform into a male form might prove to be an incredible asset if she could manage to keep it a secret; and if there was one thing she had learned over the years, it was how to keep a secret.
With that thought firmly in her mind, Ranma made her choice. She upended the cup over her head.
"Oww, it's hot," she exclaimed out of reflex.
"What was that?" Setsuna called out from another room.
Ranma didn't bother answering as she gave out a sigh. She honestly didn't know if it was a sigh of disappointment, a sigh of relief, or a sigh of something else entirely.
She was still toweling her hair dry when Setsuna walked into the room. Her daughter took one look at her, and then asked, "Is everything okay?"
Paradoxically, 20 years not only felt too short to capture the truth of the amount of time which had passed, it felt too long as well. It certainly felt like only a month ago they had been celebrating Setsuna's first birthday, but now she was turning 20. According to Japanese tradition, that would make her an adult. Technically it wouldn't really take effect until the second Monday in January, but nobody knew how the current calendar coincided with the Japanese one Ranma, Ami, and Minako had left behind. Ranma had settled for celebrating on Setsuna's birthday, much like for the Seven-Five-Three Festival. It was a compromise, but a fairly minor one in her opinion.
"What is it?" Setsuna asked in response to Ranma's stare.
"Oh, nothing," Ranma said, shaking herself out of her reverie. The illusory vision of the small Setsuna dissolved away in her mind's eye, replaced by the true image of the woman in front of her. She stood as tall as Ranma did, with long dark hair hanging loose the same way Ranma usually kept her own. However, her innocent, playful exuberance for life hadn't changed in any way as the years had progressed and she had matured.
"Nothing? Then what's with the towel?" Setsuna asked.
"I was just trying out the hot water again," Ranma said.
"Hot water? What hot water?" Setsuna asked.
"You remember. Jusenkyo? Magical curse? That hot water," Ranma answered. She put the towel down and started brushing her hair into the long straight hairstyle she use the majority of the time.
Ranma always tried to present a very visible, specific, identifiable look when acting in public around Serenitatis and in the palace. It made it easier to disguise herself when she needed to. A quick change of clothing to a more common and fashionable outfit, a quick twist of hair into a braid or tight bun, a quick alteration of her speech patterns, and she was almost unrecognizable to everybody who knew her or her reputation. It also helped deflect any casual inquiries trying to associate her with her various personae around the moon.
Circles within circles. Feints within feints. Hiding the unpredictable within the predictable. One of the hallmarks of Musabetsu Kakuto Ryuu.
More specifically, one of the hallmarks of the Ranma School of Musabetsu Kakuto Ryuu. By this point, that distinction was purely academic. The name of the Saotome School of Musabetsu Kakuto Ryuu had long since disappeared from the population at large, much like the names Aino, Mizuno, and Saotome had disappeared in this world without surnames. Still, despite that, Ranma felt it important to draw the distinction between the school of martial arts she now practiced and continued to develop as time went by as compared to the school of martial arts she had begun with 20 years prior, even if nobody else would ever know the difference.
"Oh, right. That story," Setsuna said with a bit of humor in her voice. "It was funny when I was a kid, but you really don't except me to believe that anymore, do you?"
"Why not?" Ranma asked.
"Because, well, you're my mother, and you don't act like any of the boys I know either," Setsuna said.
"If you say so," Ranma said noncommittally. Then, changing the subject, she said, "So, today's the big day you're officially appointed as Sailor Pluto. Are you excited?"
"About that. Are you really sure that Pluto's a planet? I mean, its orbit's weirder than Nemesis's is, and it's a lot smaller than even Mercury," Setsuna said skeptically.
"I don't know, but Ami-chan says it is, and you know how she is," Ranma said, causing Setsuna to nod. "You do know it's not too late, right? You can still back out if you want to."
"I know. I know. Being a Sailor Senshi is difficult, and it can be a hard life. You've told me enough times before," Setsuna complained. "Isn't it enough that I have to promise to Ami-obachan practically every day that yes, if this is her distant past, and yes, if there is some unknown power found in Pluto which we haven't discovered yet, and yes, if I somehow get the power to travel in time, that no, I won't destroy causality and everything we know? Do you really need to keep going on about it as well? I'm not a child anymore. I know what I'm doing."
Ranma winced at the comparison. She hadn't spent nearly as much time with Ami as Setsuna had recently; she only really went to the lab to provide a reference point about how a link to a castle could be made. Despite the fact that Ranma's sigil wasn't actually connected to anything, it was still a third example just as valid as Ami's and Minako's. Setsuna, on the other hand, was actually working with Ami to create such a link to Charon Castle, and thus spent far more time with Ami than Ranma herself did. Still, Ranma's more limited presence was enough to know what her daughter was talking about. She had overheard enough of Ami's lectures that even she was starting to find it a bit annoying. It'd be one thing if there was any chance that Ami's paranoid worries were actually possible, but there wasn't.
"I know you're not a kid anymore, but no matter what, you're still my daughter. I just want you to know still have a choice. I'll support you, no matter what you want to do," Ranma said.
"I know. You always do," Setsuna said, and gave Ranma a quick hug and kiss. "I need to go. Ami-obachan's expecting me in about 15 minutes to do some final tests and verify everything's ready. We're still scheduled to go shopping this afternoon, right?"
"Right. I'll meet you at the dojo after your classes are done for the day," Ranma confirmed.
"Okay, I'm off," Setsuna said.
"Have a nice trip," Ranma said after her.
Once Setsuna had left, Ranma spent a few minutes hanging some birthday decorations around her home for the party planned in the evening. The day was set to be a busy one, like every birthday and anniversary ball day was, and Ranma knew if she didn't do this now then she'd never find the time to do so before the end of the day. Luckily, given her agility and aerial abilities, she was able to arrange everything in short order.
After that, Ranma did a habitual check to make sure she had her small pack of emergency supplies on her person and at the ready. She then made a more unusual check, verifying that she had remembered to pack extra smoke bombs and sticky bombs in preparation for a lesson which was less official but much more important than Setsuna's classes.
On the way out the door, Ranma took one last quick look around the room, making sure everything was just so and ready for the evening.
Ranma took a quick look down the corridor, making sure it was clear. She was using the Umisenken to mask her movements, but she knew from painful experience that that wasn't foolproof. The more careful she was, the fewer complications there would be.
She pushed open the door to the storeroom in front of her and stepped inside. The room itself wasn't that important. It could have just as easily been a classroom, a library, a greenhouse, or one of any number of generic rooms around the palace. The only thing which made the room special was that Aventurine had messaged earlier asking to meet here.
Ranma gave one last look down the corridor, and then pushed the door firmly closed behind her.
"Hey, Aventurine-kun," Ranma said in greeting once the door was shut. "I'm surprised to see you up here. Things too quiet down in Numbium?"
"I wish. The only break we ever get down there is the prelude to a storm," Aventurine said. He had aged well. He was still as spry as he had been when she had first met him years ago, but he now had a worldly wisdom visible in his eyes as well.
"I'll bet," Ranma sympathized. Numbium was rapidly gaining the reputation of being the artistic capital of the moon. It made it a fun place to visit, but also meant there was no dearth of weird cultures, counter-cultures, and counter-counter-cultures in the region. Most of them were just harmless fun. "So, what brings you up here?"
"We had a strange plague two months ago. Pretty bad. Boils, bleeding from the eyes, and in the final stages the skin literally burns itself to a crisp. About 200 dead and another 500 maimed. Strangest thing was it didn't seem to be contagious. I did some investigation and managed to find a common thread," Aventurine said.
"Let me guess. A grain shipment from Crisium?" Ranma asked.
"Right," Aventurine confirmed. "Andalusite-san mentioned that there were a few other outbreaks around the moon, and figured I should report it up the chain."
"Yeah. Thanks for letting me know," Ranma said. "I don't suppose you managed to get a sample, did you?"
"I thought I had, but it disappeared halfway through the trip here," Aventurine said, holding up a small, empty container.
"Well, thanks for trying," Ranma said. "I guess I'd better report this to Serenity-sama. Two incidents might be a fluke, but three is clearly not. I just wish we had more to tell her than there's some unknown person or group poisoning the food supply."
"If Crisium is the common thread, do you think Orthoclase-dono has anything to do with it?" Aventurine asked.
"Maybe, but I suspect he's got his hands full right now with that tariff business. If he tried to do something this big in addition to that then I'm sure Opal-chan would have noticed something, and she hasn't said a word. Besides, it doesn't add up. Why would he do this? For that matter, why would anybody do this?" Ranma asked.
"Got me," Aventurine said. "I'll bet if we knew why they were doing this then we'd know who, and if we knew who was doing this then we'd know why."
"You're probably right. Well, it sounds like a field trip to Crisium might be in order. It's been a while since Sphene-chan, spice trader extraordinaire, has visited her favorite city," Ranma said, adopting a perky voice and striking a dramatic pose. The effect was only slightly spoiled by the fact she still wore her characteristic white shirt and skirt.
Sphene had always been one of Ranma's favorite personae. Always so naive. Always so ignorant. Always asking so many silly questions. Always so trusting. Always so easy to take advantage of. Everybody just loved doing business with Sphene, especially the more unscrupulous members of society.
Ranma automatically thought through some possible cover stories for Aventurine as well. Having reliable backup on hand was always a good thing, especially for the initial visit to Crisium before she could make contact with Opal. Maybe an assistant Sphene's doting rich uncle, who always ended up having to bail her out whenever she got into trouble, hired to accompany her? Possibly he would nominally be there to protect her, but he had actually been hired to observe and mentor her in her fumbling business? It'd explain why this stranger was traveling around with the young girl. Later, he could get annoyed at her inability to make any progress and quit his position, which would explain why he was never seen again after this trip.
She looked up at Aventurine, curiosity written all over her face, and asked in a bright voice, "Are you that man my uncle paid to watch over me, mister? I know he cares about me, but really, he worries too much."
"Sorry. Not this time. I doubt I could explain to the wife why I ran off with another woman for a few months. She barely understands what I do already," Aventurine said. "Besides, I have my hands full in Numbium right now. I'm just up here to report the grain issue."
Well, so much for that idea. Verdite would be too busy showing Melanite around in the near future to do anything too involved for any substantial period of time, and if Ranma herself left then it would be utterly irresponsible to bring Tourmaline along with her. He was the closest thing she had to a deputy, and if both of them left Serenitatis at the same time it would wreck havoc on organizational cohesion. It looked like unless something came up in the next few days, it might need to be a solo operation this time.
"Really? You could have just sent a report then, you know. It'd have been a lot faster and more convenient for you," Ranma said, back to her normal voice.
"Yeah, but my sister's getting married later this week in the area. I figured since I'd be up here anyway, I might as well combine the trip, what with that sample I thought I had," Aventurine said. "Also, tonight's the night of the ball, after all."
"Of course. Well, so long as you're up here, care to join? We've got a new person joining the group, and it might be good to make your introductions. Who knows? If you sell it well, maybe in few months you'll have somebody else to help you out with your artists and anarchists," Ranma said.
"Brand new?" Aventurine asked. "Sure. I got a couple of hours before I'm supposed to meet up with the wife."
Ranma waited patiently for Melanite's coughing to come to an end. To assist this process, she used a Psi-Tech to generate a light wind which helped disperse the cloud of smoke her bombs had made earlier. It took a substantial effort on her part to make even the light breeze she was currently generating, but it had a considerable effect in clearing the much more mundanely created smoke cloud. It was also good practice for multi-tasking her psionics. She could now go for whole minutes before the inevitable headaches started.
Once the cloud had mostly dissipated, it revealed the scene of Ranma standing over a prone Melanite, Ranma's summoned Psi-Blade held ominously above his chest. She held it there for a few seconds longer before raising the sword high and slashing down quickly.
Melanite froze with a look of panic clear on his face as the blade neatly severed his head from his body; or rather, the blade would have if the weapon hadn't disappeared halfway through the stroke.
Ranma's long practice allowed her to mask the feeling of relief she got as the mental burden of maintaining both the weapon and the breeze disappeared.
No longer visibly armed, Ranma offered her hand to Melanite to help him to his feet.
Melanite stared at the hand in panic for a second, hyperventilating. It took a few seconds for him to calm down and catch his breath, at which point he stared at the hand in suspicion.
Ranma just gave a questioning tilt of her head in response.
After several more seconds, Melanite took hold of Ranma's hand. Despite clearly outweighing her, Ranma easily pulled the massive man to his feet.
"Whoa, what happened?" Melanite asked, once he had managed to get his bearings about him.
"You got beat," Verdite said, while Aventurine added, "Welcome to the club."
"Don't worry, you did pretty good. Far from the worst I've seen at any rate," Ranma reassured the man. Far from the best as well, but she didn't add that. It wouldn't do anybody any good to demoralize him.
"What'd I do wrong?" Melanite asked, his eyes still visibly spinning.
"That's a good question," Ranma said. "Verdite-chan?"
"Right when the smoke bombs hit you, you should've already been moving. Your opponent's got a visibility edge on you, knows where you are, and probably's got a plan too. If you can get somewhere clear, you can help even the odds. Nothing you can do about the plan, but the less predictable you are, the better chance you got of messing it up. You can think about going to a wall. It'll limit the ways you can get attacked from, but the loss of movement might not be worth it. Later, when you hit the ground, you should've been moving to try to regain your feet, or at least to take down Ranma-san too. She called out her attack and you just sat there. You also didn't move when Ranma-san gave you a couple of seconds break. You didn't even do anything when the killing blow came," Verdite said, answering the literal question.
Ranma nodded in agreement with Verdite's analysis before asking, "Aventurine-kun?"
"You should have held your breath once you realized there was smoke. Grab a deep breath first if you can, but don't risk it if you think you'll get anything in your lungs. Your opponent has a plan, so most likely the fight will be over or you'll be in the clear before air becomes an issue. Close your eyes too. You can't see anything anyway, and if you do get in the clear it'll help to not be tearing up. Hopefully your blind fighting is up to scratch. You might as well take advantage of the cover of the smoke to change your position. I would have crouched down. It lowers your target size and gives you better options for reacting to an attack. The key point is to listen. You should have been able to hear the rustle of Ranma's skirt before any major attack, so you can react to that. Besides that, once you were on the ground, I agree with Verdite-san," Aventurine said.
Ranma nodded in agreement to his analysis as well.
"What?" Melanite asked, confused. "You both said exactly opposite things."
"What'd you expect? They're different people after all. Verdite-chan's more of a high-agility high-mobility person, while Aventurine-kun is more of a defensive counter-attacker," Ranma said, causing both to nod.
"So what am I?" Melanite asked.
"You'll figure it out eventually," Ranma said. She was pretty sure she knew what Melanite's style was, but it wouldn't do anybody any good to just outright tell and take his choice away. Fighting styles were more descriptive than prescriptive, after all. "It's not that important either. That wasn't even the point of the exercise."
"It wasn't? Then what was it?" Melanite asked.
"It's about learning to think on your feet, and learning how to deal with unexpected situations," Ranma said. She threw a smoke bomb at Verdite's feet, who dealt with the problem by casually kicking the thing away before it managed to erupt into a cloud of smoke. "Like that."
Melanite shook his head, and dejectedly asked, "Why'd you even invite me? I'm not the best fighter in my class. I'm nothing."
"If I wanted a fighter then there are at least a dozen other people who are better than you, but that doesn't matter. Tourmaline-kun is one of the best people we have, and do you know what he does? He's a farmer. He barely knows the blade of a sword from the hilt, and if he tried to punch somebody I bet he'd break his thumb. I don't care about your fighting ability. Much more important is your character, and yours is a good one. You'll see a lot of the darker parts of the world in this job, and there won't be time to check back with the others about what to do when you're out in the field. We've got to trust your judgment. That's why you were selected based on your personality, rather than your fighting potential. Use your knowledge, your judgment, and always do what you know is right. Lives will be saved or lost based on your actions," Ranma explained.
She'd given the same speech, more or less, a couple of dozen times to the various people she'd recruited to the unnamed collection of operatives she led. Melanite's wide-eyed expression was hardly unique.
"Have you had to do anything you regretted?" Melanite finally asked.
It was a fairly common question, and one Ranma hated. It always made her reflect on her past. Did she have any regrets? There were several situations she regretting getting into. Did she regret any of the things she had chosen to do in those situations?
"No," Ranma said.
Melanite nodded solemnly, as if the wisdom of the world could be found in her words.
"If it's too much for you, you can still walk away. It's your choice, and nobody will think any less of you for it," Ranma said.
"No, you can count me in," Melanite insisted.
"Okay. Then let's try that again and see what you've learned," Ranma said.
She quickly removed her shirt and skirt, revealing both the small containers of emergency equipment she normally kept hidden up her long sleeves as well as the dark bodysuit she always wore underneath her white clothing in case some impromptu sneaking about was ever called for. She also subtly palmed some sticky bombs in addition to the smoke bombs she had used earlier as she placed her shirt and skirt off to the side. She turned to face Melanite again, and mentally preparing herself for the cognitive dissonance she would need to call out a Psi-Tech while actually performing a ki attack. It would have been easier to just do a silent attack of some sort, but she wanted to give Melanite some warning. This time.
Ranma, back in her characteristic white shirt and skirt, walked into the dojo as Setsuna's lessons were coming to an end. She entered just in time to hear one of the older students saying, "It's better than being beaten up by a nine-year-old half your size."
It always brought a warm glow to Ranma's heart to hear the indirect praise of Setsuna.
Minako was sitting off to the side, chatting with the resting students and occasionally offering up some general commentary to whichever person was coming off the floor. It was nothing that contradicted or distracted them from their official teacher. Minako was just offering some friendly advice that the recipients would be foolish to ignore.
Ami was nowhere to be seen.
"Hey, Ranma-chan," Minako said in a low voice, despite having her vision directed towards the sparring Setsuna rather than the doorway. "Ami-chan said she was running a bit late and was going to meet up with us at Aquamarine-chan's."
Ranma still did a quick check around the room, especially the ceiling corners. She'd pulled that trick enough times that she didn't put it past one of her more advanced students, especially somebody with the intelligence that Ami had, to try a similar sneak attack. She hoped one of them would actually try it at some point.
A quick twist, and Setsuna was being thrown over the hip of her student. She could have broken out, but it defeated the purpose of the exercise and it would have discouraged the student. He had done everything right, and had earned the victory. He would be ready to start something new the next lesson.
"Good job, Clinohumite-kun," Setsuna said from the floor before climbing back to her feet, none the worse for the fall.
Minako turned to Ranma and asked, "Think we have time for a quick round?"
Ranma hesitated. She would have loved to have a quick spar with Minako, if nothing else to see if the blonde had picked up any new moves, but there were other things to take into account as well.
"Sorry, better not. It'd just distract from Setsuna-chan's session, and it wouldn't be fair to her or the students," Ranma said.
"That's probably true," Minako admitted.
In fact, just by being here, Ranma was being a slight distraction. Most of the students in the room were looking at her, giving her the respect and attention befitting the master of the school, rather than watching what Setsuna was teaching. Ranma was sure the audience would gain far more from listening to Setsuna, and thus indirectly learn new concepts from her, than they would gain by gawking at herself. In the past this attention might have given her a thrill, but now she found that rush of pride to be outweighed by the nuisance it caused for Setsuna and for the students' learning. It was the main reason she didn't come to the dojo very often during Setsuna's classes if she could help it.
"So what's this I hear about your date for the ball actually being in one piece this late in the day?" Ranma asked casually.
"Yes, Sugilite-kun is still walking. He'd better make it to the evening or I'm going to need to have some serious words with Peridot-chan and Topaz-kun," Minako said, naming the two guards she had assigned to watch over Sugilite until the ball started. "Really, is everybody talking about that?"
"Yes," Ranma said with a straight face. "I told Ami-chan not to worry because there are still a few hours left before the ball and anything can still happen. There's no reason to panic. Yet."
Minako growled in protest at Ranma's declaration.
Ranma was joking, but the more superstitious in the palace really were worried that if Minako actually did manage to successfully bring a date to the ball that it would be a sign of bad luck and would foretell some disaster of some kind. The guards currently watching over Sugilite had certainly been assigned due to Minako's paranoia, but they were probably good to have around in case one of the less stable members of the population actually tried to do something.
Ranma held her straight face as long as she could before she broke out in laughter at her friend's plight. She said, "Maybe this year will finally be the year. After 20 years you deserve it."
"Thanks. I think my date actually might make it this time," Minako said. She took a quick glance at Setsuna, who was busy giving some last minute pointers to Clinohumite, and then said, "Speaking of dates, I heard Setsuna-chan has starting dating a charming young man. A certain Goshenite-kun?"
Ranma turned to check Setsuna. Once she confirmed her daughter was too far away and too preoccupied to notice the gossip, she said, "I'm disappointed, Minako-chan. They started dating weeks ago. You're normally a lot more up to date than this."
"What can I say? I've been busy trying to mediate that trade dispute between Fecundatatis and Crisium. It took forever, but I think we finally got an agreement in place that both sides can live with. In fact, I only just got back this week from the official acceptance ceremony," Minako said.
"So that's all resolved, then?" Ranma asked.
"Yes, assuming Orthoclase-dono and Calcite-dono keep their promises," Minako said.
That was interesting. If a deal had been finalized, all of a sudden Orthoclase was looking noticeably more interesting to investigate. On the surface, it still didn't make any sense for him to be involved with the poisonings, but nothing about the situation made any sense either. It paid to keep an open mind in this early stage of the investigation.
Minako continued, "But you're changing the subject. What do you think of Goshenite-kun? Does he pass your muster?"
"I can't see it lasting, but if it does, he seems like a good kid. She could do worse," Ranma said. She didn't just guess that or base it on a brief meeting with the boy; she had done the painstaking research necessary to make sure. It had been annoying to do, but it had been child's play compared to the time she had infiltrated that group of death magic cultists in Imbrium.
"That he is, that he is," Minako agreed, nodding.
Ranma suspected Minako had done a very different check on the same boy than she had. Minako was almost as fond of Setsuna as she was, and it would have been easy for somebody as networked as Minako was to do a basic check of informal opinion on Setsuna's new boyfriend. It was good to know that Minako's opinion of Goshenite matched her own, more or less.
"I hope becoming Sailor Pluto won't cause any problems for Setsuna-chan's love life," Ranma said.
"They say the masquerade will kill your love life, but it's not like it'll be a big secret after Serenity-sama announces it today. I'm pretty sure she'll be fine, if not with Goshenite-kun then with somebody else who can accept her," Minako said. "To tell you the truth, I'm still surprised you didn't try to take on the mantle of Sailor Pluto yourself."
"I'm not sure I could. I mean, could you imagine being Sailor Pluto, after all your time as Sailor Venus?" Ranma asked.
"No, I don't suppose I could. It's too bad we can't make a castle on Terra," Minako said.
The idea of creating a castle for Terra had been tossed around for years, but ultimately it was all wishful thinking. It would simply be too risky, seeing how it could potentially be considered an act of aggression.
"Agreed. Maybe in a generation or two when the memories of the fighting fades away, but I doubt I'll ever be Sailor Terra again," Ranma said.
"Right. You'll just have to settle for just being the master of Musabetsu Kakuto Ryuu, and the only known wielder of Psi-Techs," Minako said.
Ranma held her tongue at that.
Setsuna practically skipped into Aquamarine's shop, followed by Minako, and then Ranma.
"Welcome back," Aquamarine said as they entered. "Ami-san's not joining you today?"
"Nah, she's just running a bit late. I was actually hoping she had beaten us here," Minako said.
"Good. I need to talk to her about something, but that can wait. You dresses are all ready for your final fitting," Aquamarine said.
"Aww, can't you take up the hem just a bit more?" Setsuna asked, standing in front of the cheerful lilac dress that Aquamarine had created for her.
"I cut it as short as I dare," Aquamarine said. "Why don't you try it out first?"
"Fine," Setsuna half-protested. She carefully picked the dress up and walked to an out-of-the-way corner to change.
"You're going in that, Ranma-chan? It's so conservative. Why don't you let me pick out your dresses anymore?" Minako asked, catching sight of the green dress Ranma had designed for herself. It may not have been the most fancy dress ever, but it was very practical. It provided a great deal of mobility despite the amount of cloth it had, it would drape well no matter what strange positions Ami got her into, it hid her bodysuit and the small assortment of emergency equipment she kept on her, it was easy to put on, and it could be thrown off even more easily in an emergency.
Ranma answered, "You've seen the things I go through on the dance floor. It's impractical to wear what passes for fashion with you, Minako-chan."
Minako's idea of fashion was more than just impractical. Insofar as the dresses Minako tried to get Ranma into all the time, it was more like insane. It was interesting that Minako herself never wore anything nearly as extreme. Ranma had finally had enough of the madness nine years ago when Minako designed something which looked more like a glorified collection of knotted handkerchiefs than a dress. That was the point that Ranma had started working with Aquamarine to design her own dresses, and it had been one of the best choices she'd ever made in her life. She'd never looked back since then.
Ranma picked up the modest green dress that Minako had been teasing her about, a matching pair of shoes, and a pair of earrings. Much like Setsuna earlier, she likewise walked to an out-of-the-way corner to change.
With an ease borne of years of practice, Ranma pulled off her skirt and top and donned the dress. The long sleeves and the long hem had been designed to cover the bodysuit that she left on underneath. She could never be sure when duty would call. Certainly it would need to be something on the order of an imminent assassination attempt on Serenity to get Ranma to forsake Setsuna's birthday, but such situations weren't exactly impossible.
The dress went on with barely a hitch, its smooth, elegant lines falling in a flattering way all around her. After the dress was on, Ranma placed the earrings next to her ears and twisted them until she felt the familiar resistance which signaled that they were correctly oriented. They then obediently hovered next to her ears, looking for all the world like they were attached. She put on the matching pair of high-heel shoes, and then returned to the main area of the shop.
"How's it look?" Aquamarine asked as Ranma walked back.
"Not quite up to your usual standard. The waist needs to be taken in a bit," Ranma said, pinching the cloth to demonstrate, "and the sleeves are so plain. Think you can add a ruffle or something around here?"
Aquamarine stared closely at where Ranma was pinching, and then her arms. She slowly said, "I see what you mean. I'll see what I can do."
"See, it's fine. You can take it up a bit more, right?" Setsuna announced, giving a quick spin to show off. Possibly show off a bit too much. While Ranma didn't see anything inappropriate, the risk was definitely there, especially if Setsuna's date got inspired by her own stunts with Ami.
"A bit more? A bit more where?" Aquamarine asked incredulously.
"See? Just here at the thigh. We can sneak it up just a bit more, right?" Setsuna suggested.
"Seriously? I doubt you'll even be able to bend over without flashing somebody as it is," Aquamarine said.
"Oh, fine. Everything looks good then, thanks," Setsuna gushed out, and then went to change back to some more casual clothing.
"What about the shoes? How are they?" Aquamarine asked.
"One second. Let me check," Ranma said, and then began to move around the room.
It was almost like a kata, but Ranma's movements were less flashy while somehow managing to be more showy. She did a couple of twists, several spins, and even a flip or two over some dressmaker's dolls in the room. Aquamarine barely batted an eye despite Ranma having several close calls to smashing her windows and almost landing on a table full of works in progress. She had seen it all before.
"The shoes seem fine," Ranma said.
"Is all of that really necessary?" Minako asked from the back of the room. She was now wearing a bright orange spaghetti strap gown.
"You know Ami-chan," Ranma answered.
"You know you wouldn't have it any other way either," Ami added from the entrance of the store. A look of satisfaction covered her face.
"Oh, Ami-san, I didn't see you come in. I have your dress over there," Aquamarine said, gesturing towards a dark blue halter dress, "and I need to talk to you about those thingies you wanted me to try out, too."
Aquamarine pointed at a dressmaker's doll in a back corner of the room. Around the doll was what appeared to be a lovely black dress which had been sent through a mill and then dipped into a vat of bleach for good measure.
Ami slowly took in a breath through her teeth and shook her head. She said, "Well, that's not turned out well at all. Do you think I can drop by next week so you can show me what you did? I don't have time to look at it now, and I'll be in no shape to do anything tomorrow."
"Are you okay, Ami-chan?" Minako asked, concerned.
"Yeah. I just had to use a stimager to finish some things up last night," Ami said.
"I'm sure Jadeite-kun will just love that. He's the one who's going to have to clean up the mess, right?" Ranma said.
"I already told him a few days ago that things were getting bad at work. He understands, and he's ready to deal with it," Ami said.
"I swear, your husband spoils you," Minako said.
"I know," Ami said with a smile.
The marriage between the handsome shopkeeper and Ami had been long in coming. Minako had been the first to predict it, but by the end, it had been so obvious that even Setsuna had been asking Ami when she was going to finally marry Jadeite. Their seven-year anniversary was coming up in two months. They made it all seem so effortless. Ranma really felt happy for her friend, although she may have felt the smallest bit of envy as well.
Ranma had dabbled with the idea of finding a husband herself when Ami had announced her engagement to Jadeite, and again when Ami had actually married him. However, the pragmatic realities of the unpredictable schedule, the subterfuge, and the danger of her work ensured she didn't pursue that idea any further than an idle thought. Maybe at some point in the future she might reconsider, but until then she had made her choice. Besides, unlike Minako, she had Setsuna to help drive away the pangs of loneliness.
"Still, bedridden for a day, sleeping. Did you really need to do something that extreme?" Minako asked.
"What else was I supposed to do? Tell Serenity-sama, 'Some problems with the terraforming of Venus pushed everything else back, so, even though you're making the big announcement, I don't have the henshin rod ready, sorry?'" Ami asked in response. "That reminds me. Setsuna-chan?"
"Yes, I still remember my promise," Setsuna said in an exasperated voice. "You don't have to ask me every time we meet."
"Relax, Ami-chan. The way you keep going on about it, you make it sound like she's Sailor Saturn about to bring the Silence," Minako said.
"If we are in a temporal causal loop, it could be more dangerous than any Silence," Ami said. "I just don't want to take any chances."
"Okay, but really, how many times have you had Setsuna-chan make that exact same promise?" Minako asked.
"Only twice today. So far," Setsuna supplied.
"Do you really think that having her promise one more time will make that big a difference? For that matter, it's not like we're even in a temporary whatever circle thingy. See? Watch this." She turned to Setsuna and said, "Setsuna-chan, in the future Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus get attacked by Sailor Pluto the first time they meet when both of them jump to the future of Crystal Tokyo. Promise me you'll make all of your successors promise to not do that, okay?"
Ami took a sharp breath, but before she could say anything, Setsuna said, "Okay, Minako-obachan."
"No, I really mean it, Setsuna-chan," Minako said.
"I know. I promise," Setsuna said.
Minako paused a couple of dramatic seconds, and then said, "See? The world hasn't ended."
"Okay, fine, you made your point," Ami said. "Just... be careful, Setsuna-chan."
"I will," Setsuna said with a sigh.
Ami picked up her dress and walked to the back of the shop. As she did so, Ranma could hear her mutter to herself, "I bet Cassandra never had to deal with anybody like Minako-chan."
"Thanks, Minako-obachan," Setsuna said.
"What was that all about? Is your daughter in some kind of trouble?" Aquamarine asked Ranma as she approached, a crystal sphere held in her hand.
Ranma shook her head, and said, "It's nothing important. Just some ancient history that doesn't really matter. Don't worry about it."
"I see," Aquamarine said. "Anyway, let me take a look at your waist and see what I can do about your sleeves."
Ranma held still while Aquamarine pinched the cloth around her waist while occasionally poking the dress with her crystal orb.
Martial arts ballroom dancing.
If it didn't formally exist, it really should have.
It might have been the least practiced school of martial arts ever created, with only two known practitioners who both only used their skills once a year.
Despite that, it was also one of the most spectated ones.
A crowd had gathered around Ranma and Ami, but neither partner paid it any attention. A crowd gathered around every year, albeit at a healthy distance back ever since that one time Ranma had used one of the spectators as a makeshift springboard. The momentary look of surprise on Ami's face had been worth it. Fast tempo, slow tempo, experimental variable, it didn't matter. Ranma and Ami always provided quite the show for the onlookers.
The orchestra struck up another song and Ranma waited patiently for Ami to get the beat. In both martial arts as well as in dancing, Ranma was perfectly content to let the other person make the first move and rely on her superior skills to handle whatever her opponent tried to pull.
And move Ami did.
They moved with a speed and a comfort of two sparring opponents more familiar with each other's quirks and idiosyncrasies than the closest of lovers. While no longer daily, Ranma still sparred with Ami frequently enough, and she had partnered with her on the dance floor since the beginning of their time on the moon.
They flowed forwards and backwards, almost following the pattern of a kata, if such a term could be applied to their partnered activity which was being performed in such an ad hoc manner. Once again, Ranma found herself lost in the simple joy of responding to a partner she trusted without having to think about anything in particular. She simply allowed herself to become lost in the moment, naturally following Ami's lead.
Regardless of the name used to describe what they were doing, Ranma flowed into the patterns Ami led her through almost on auto-pilot, leaving more than enough spare attention to ask, "I'm surprised I don't see Jadeite-kun anywhere. You still haven't managed to convince him to come to one of these balls yet?"
"He never was one for dancing. Besides, I'd hate to disappoint the crowd," Ami said, gesturing in a motion around her which turned into a wide sweep which showed off Ranma's now twirling body. "It's just one night, and we have the rest of the year together anyway. It's probably safer this way, too. Husband or not, if he got to be the first man to dance with one of us at one of these balls, I expect a throng of envious men would find a way to put him in the hospital."
"So have you two decided on when you'll be having children yet?" Ranma asked casually.
A slight stumble, which Ranma only noticed due to her physical contact and because she was looking for it, showed that she had hit a mark.
"Maybe. We're just taking thing one day at a time," Ami said, a light blush adorning her face. "Kind of like how Setsuna-chan and Goshenite-kun are, I imagine."
If she wanted to distract Ranma she'd have to do better. Without batting an eye, Ranma repeated what she had told Minako earlier, saying, "They only really started dating a few weeks ago, and I doubt anything will come of it, but he's a good kid and she could do far worse."
Ranma took a quick glance at Setsuna with her date. She was currently talking animatedly while Goshenite was quickly shaking his head in response.
While Ranma's head was turned, Ami grabbed her waist and tossed her spinning through the air.
Ranma had expected this, or possibly a high lean which would have theoretically pushed Ranma off-balance, but as she spun through the air, a quick spotting of Ami's face told her that there was more planned than the not-quite-surprise not-quite-attack.
She thought she was prepared for anything her partner might try as she flew up and then down towards Ami, who wasn't preparing to catch her. Which made sense because Ranma wasn't falling. She hung, suspended in the air, upside down.
Confusion reigned for a fraction of a second while she got her bearings. Ami's look of challenge suggested that she was the source of it, whatever it was, but what was it? Magic? Despite the fact that Ami wasn't in her Sailor Senshi uniform?
Ranma seized as much initiative as she could, grabbing the hem of her dress which was gently drifting down and twisting it around her. This helped preserve her modesty and nicely set her up for what she planned to do next.
She focused her mind to create an Aura Shield while simultaneously spinning her arms around. The Aura Shield hit something, as the shock of the backlash gave her a major headache. More obvious to the spectators, and more impressively, there was a spectacular flash of light and Ranma felt herself flying up through the air again.
Compensating for her established twisting, Ranma flipped as best she could, falling in Ami's general direction and challenging her partner to catch her.
Years of these unchoreographed presentations left no doubt in her mind that Ami would be able to catch her, despite the almost out-of-control approach vector she was on, but she spotted the ground and kept her orientation just in case she had to check her fall on her own.
It proved unnecessary as Ami deftly caught Ranma in the crook of her arm and guided Ranma back to her feet. Despite the pounding in her head, Ranma was sure that the maniacal grin on Ami's face was mirrored on her own.
Not letting Ami see how much her counter had taken out of her, Ranma asked as casually as she could, "So what's this I hear about Minako-chan not singing this year?"
"It shocked me too, given how much she always wanted to be a pop idol, but yes, she's not taking the stage this year. She said she didn't care anymore," Ami said.
"That's a bit disappointing. Her voice's gotten really good," Ranma said.
"Agreed. Seeing how she actually managed to get a date to come with her for once I guess she's more interested in spending as much time as possible with him," Ami said. "I'll just be glad when the day's over. People keep asking me if I'm sure there's no asteroid about to hit us or something."
"As if it really worked that way. If bad luck's meant to happen then it happens. It doesn't have anything to do with some sign like Minako-chan finally managing to get a date to the ball," Ranma said. She spoke from experience. She'd long since lost count of the number of ridiculous incidents of misfortune which had befallen her over the years.
"I know that, and you know that, but that doesn't stop all the questions," Ami agreed. "Still, I will admit to being more than a bit surprised that Sugilite-san actually managed to make it here in one piece. I wonder how he did it."
"It was easy. Minako-chan just had some guards posted around him all day for the past week," Ranma explained.
"Seriously?" Ami asked.
"Seriously," Ranma answered.
"We joked about it all these years. I guess she really ended up needing to do it," Ami said. "Ready for the big finale?"
Without waiting for Ranma to answer she threw Ranma into the air, which Ranma turned into a somersault. Ranma felt herself being suspended in midair again, but, unlike the first time, she recognized the feeling and knew how to deal with it. She generated an Aura Shield around her, which bounced her up in the air with a brilliant flash. This was the big finale?
The unasked question was answered as she was re-suspended at the same level again on the descent. She knew she would regret this, but based on the music, Ami wouldn't have time to juggle her too many times before she would be allowed to land. Ranma performed a flashy cartwheel-like maneuver as she bounced herself up a second time, not incidentally compounding her headache dramatically.
A third bounce, and it felt like her head had literally exploded. Ranma sincerely hoped it was the last one because she didn't think she could summon her Aura Shield a fourth time. She took a gamble and did a pirouette in the air, allowing herself to fall vertically. She was too blinded by the pain to really do anything else and just trusted that Ami would be able to handle her. Despite everything, she was sure she presented a graceful figure in control of herself, and appearances were half the battle in a fight. More than half the battle in a dance like this one.
The next thing she knew, Ami's arms had caught her at the waist and she was gently being lowered to the ground. A picture perfect ending as the final notes faded into the distance.
A fierce round of applause surrounded the pair.
The bright splotches in Ranma's eyes had mostly dimmed, and color was already starting to come back into her vision when Ami let her go. The light-headed dizziness had mostly faded as well, allowing Ranma to regain her footing without assistance. The blinding headache from over-usage of psionics was also disappearing, albeit at a much slower rate than the first time she had countered Ami's trick just that single time.
Ranma knew the audience had been fooled by her acting, but wondered if Ami had been taken in as well. She couldn't just ask, as that would undoubtedly tip her hand. Looking at Ami revealed nothing of her thought processes, hidden as they were behind the gleeful grin on her face.
Regardless, Ranma thought she would need to figure out some better counter to that trick. She could brute force her way out of it if she needed to, but there had to be a better way that didn't leave her feeling like her brain was suddenly two sizes too big for her skull.
Ami's grin was interrupted by a yawn which she valiantly tried to suppress. "Sorry, but I think I'd better end it here," Ami apologized.
"The stimager?" Ranma asked.
"I think so," Ami yawned again. "I think I'm going to crash soon, and I'd hate for it to end with you in the middle of the air."
"That's a shame. I guess we can give the dance floor back to everybody else then," Ranma said. She walked with Ami back to the side of the room. The crowd parted to let the two stars of the evening through.
"That's disappointing. I was hoping to have another hour or two. I wanted to at least give my regards to Setsuna-chan at the party before having to go," Ami said.
"I'm sure she'll understand. She knows the work you've been putting in for the terraforming of Venus and the Sailor Pluto project," Ranma said.
Behind them, rather than the floor filling with numerous new couples, the center of the room stayed empty and the orchestra stayed silent. Instead Serenity, in her long flowing elegant white gown, walked to the front of the room. Apparently it was time for the big announcement.
With a voice that could be heard across the entire room, Serenity announced, "Thank you all for coming. As you know, this ball celebrates the 20th anniversary of the migration to the moon and the founding of the Moon Kingdom."
There was a smattering of applause at the declaration of fact, but it was only sporadic. It was very unusual for Serenity to make a statement at the ball itself, and people weren't quite sure how to react.
"We have accomplished much in these past 20 years, but this kingdom is still young and fragile. Dangers still abound, both abroad and within. The guards, under the skilled leadership of Minako-dono," Serenity gave a subtle gesture towards the blonde, who nodded back at the compliment, "do much to protect us, as do many lesser-known agents."
Ranma didn't expect, nor did she receive, any commendation here. It was much easier for her to work in the shadows than under the spotlight of fame and recognition.
"However, there are times when even they are not enough, when the kingdom needs a representative abroad or a champion at home. Thus far we have two such people. Ami-dono, who bears the mantle of Sailor Mercury, and Minako-dono, who bears the mantle of Sailor Venus. Today, I am adding to their ranks," Serenity announced.
A loud gasp went up through the audience. The creation of a new Sailor Senshi was certainly noteworthy, and outside of a select few, the creation of a third one had been kept a secret until now. The effect was only slightly spoiled by Ami's yawning again.
"I know you're bored, Ami-chan, but please, try to be respectful," Minako jokingly whispered from beside her.
Ranma felt sorry for Ami. It seemed Minako would have something new to tease her friend about in the coming years. That Ami really did have a valid excuse to be falling asleep at such a momentous time in both the Moon Kingdom's history as well as in Setsuna's life would only make the teasing that much worse.
"Setsuna-dono, please come forward," Serenity said.
Setsuna stepped forward from the crowd and into the large open space in front of Serenity. She was the only thing moving in the entire room, and the focus of the whole crowd was on the young woman as she approached Serenity.
"Wow, I'm fading fast. I might need your help to even get home," Ami quietly whispered to Ranma.
"Sure thing," Ranma whispered back. "I'll make sure Jadeite-kun gets you in one piece."
"Setsuna-dono. Your skill, your compassion, your loyalty, and your character are all beyond question and reproach. Will you accept the mantle of Sailor Pluto; to be our shield and our sword; to be our guide and our guardian; to act as an inspiration for us to strive towards in our brightest times and to act as a beacon of hope in our darkest?"
Setsuna opened her mouth and said in a voice which managed to fill the silent room despite its modest volume, "I accept."
"Kneel, Setsuna-dono," Serenity said.
As her daughter knelt, Ranma idly thought to herself that it was a good thing she had decided against trimming any more off the hem of her dress. It was a close enough call as it was.
"Then let all here bear witness. I hereby declare you Sailor Pluto, protector of the realm and all within it," Serenity declared.
The eyes of the entire room watched as Serenity handed Setsuna the small purple rod which served as the newly-created mechanism to link her to Charon Castle. As she took the rod, the bright sigil of Pluto appeared on Setsuna's forehead, marking the link she now had to the source of power on the Pluto so far away.
"Call on your powers, so we might see our new champion," Serenity said.
Setsuna nodded, stood, raised her henshin rod high, and shouted, "Pluto Crystal Power, Make-up!"
Her figure disappeared in a bright, whirlwind of illumination. The light encircled Setsuna, growing from the ground upward in a pillar of luminescence. When beam faded, the figure of Sailor Pluto appeared, with its black skirt, black ribbon, and long black boots.
Everybody present burst into wild applause at the display.
Not a single person noticed that Ranma, Ami, and Minako had vanished.
Last Updated: December 24, 2012