Orchid Queen of Saturn
Chapter 2
I do not own Ranma One Half, Sailor Moon, or any bits and pieces of other original works. I also hope you don't mind a bit of twisted Mary Sue with your coffee.
Ranma and her 'entourage' were standing at the edge of the camp that they had established in a high pass in the Kun Lun Mountains about fifty clicks from the event horizon of her 'bobble'. They had picked up two amazon patrols of eleven warriors each that had been fortunate enough to be beyond the artifact. The women and two male warriors were going about setting up the camp and a defensible perimeter by Cologne's orders.
Cologne shook her head at what was going on at the edge of the mirror surface. It seemed that the people's army was affronted that someone with power was thwarting their intent to conquer the last area independent of Beijing. The thing was so big that the top of the dome-like structure was technically in space. The local weather was severely affected, though the area in which they camped was clear for the time being.
Cologne broke the silence that had reigned for several minutes, "It is humbling to be in the presence of something so vast. It is even more so for those fools in the army that insist on trying to penetrate that thing." This was said as a boom and fireball from a large air fuel bomb with the power of a small tactical nuke went off near the ground several clicks to the northwest of their position. The blast pressure wave arrived at the camp and brought with it the noise, but only ruffled their hair.
Ranma finally spoke in a voice that had a far off quality, "Bobbles are easy, and, surprisingly malleable. I'm glad that the information that was stuffed into my head came with certain cautions." With that she resumed her transformation and took on a look of concentration. The warriors in the camp, as well as her immediate companions, stopped what they were doing and watched Ranma become a silhouette of a void filled with what looked like stars. Her hand seemed to reach out to the bobble and it began to change, becoming lenticular in shape, now only going up about ten thousand feet above the landscape. "When the time is right, Cologne, your people and everyone else in there will be utterly beyond the reach of these people who would harm you. Mom. Take me home."
Ranma's transformation fell away and she collapsed. Nodoka rushed to catch her, but Genma was there first to catch her and cradle her in his arms. Thoughts of learning techniques passed through his head, but he needed to ingratiate himself first. Ranma was laid on a cot with a futon that made a more comfortable bed. Cologne assessed Ranma, but could not detect any reason for the neowoman's exhaustion. She seemed to be in a sleep bordering on a coma and still had the connections going out from her according to her spirit sight. A sob arose from the old woman when she realized that Shampoo's red string was not visible. Her only comfort came from the statement that Genma had made that Shampoo would be returned to them.
Ranma slowly came to awareness finding herself supine on a round bed set in a plain that went forever in all directions. She also became aware that she was naked. Hearing a noise behind her, Ranma stood on the bed and whirled to face a great hole that was widening. She was almost overcome by the power that was approaching. A white mountain covered in whorls began to rise, revealing that it was a head. The head was followed by the rest of a body moving as if it were climbing stairs.
As the giant man stepped out onto the plain, the chasm began to close. His hair was white and curly, as was his full beard, robes covered the rest of him as well. He spoke, surprisingly softly, "Daughter, please be seated. We are here to answer some questions and perform some damage control. Yes." The giant chuckled. "I am aware that you are a 'guy dammit'. You are also 'my' son. Not that stupid weak willed waste of flesh who poses as your father. However, his genes are needed for your other brothers and sisters."
"How can you be my father, being that large?"
"This plane we are on manifests our power of spirit combined with our domains. Since you are a fledgling deity, only great amounts of time will allow you to grow. And. Grow you will. I have returned you to where you would have been had you awakened normally. Your powers could have been fatal to you or your world as you were."
"But what about Shampoo? I wasn't able to save her." Ranma began to tear up. "They didn't even leave a body to resurrect. I-I I loved her. Instantly, I knew that we were meant to be together."
"And you'll be together again, I promise." A clear tone sounded around them. "Hear that? That means that I must bring my promise to pass. And that is to make your own promise come true. Remember?"
Ranma smiled. "So, do I call you Pops?"
"I am called Khronos, but from you, I'll accept anything. Especially if you could someday say it with love in your heart. Know this, if I could have, I would have been with you every minute of your life. I accept any blame for your problems and I won't make any excuses, but I do expect you to understand in the end. Now lie back down and sleep, what I must do now is best done without your full awareness. I beg you to trust."
Ranma's eyes began to get heavy, but for some reason she felt warm and protected despite her nudity. 'Nudity? Oh, well. At least Pops is being up front…' Her consciousness left with no forwarding address.
Khronos walked up to Ranma, now of more human dimensions, and bent down to kiss her forehead. "I'll get to spend time with you some day, beloved child and the same goes for your sisters and soon brothers. For now some things will be forgotten and others limited. Go in Love, daughter son."
The elder, Nodoka and Genma sat at the campfire in front of Ranma's tent. "Nodoka, I wish to speak to you of some things privately. Can you send this male away?"
At this, Genma began to sputter and puff up, his ingrained misogynistic tendencies reasserting themselves. "What do you mean? As the sole remaining martial artist and Saotome man, I'll have to lead and decide what is best for us. Weak women don't have a place except to support…"
His rant was cut off as Cologne casually hit his sleep point. "That will be enough of that. You will sleep until we are done. Male."
Nodoka had jumped up at the start of the tirade, but sat back down when she saw that her husband had been taken care of. "That man! Genetics and martial arts are all that he has to commend him. Aside from the promise that his brother Souichi is showing, Oh. And he has the most amazing staying power in the sack. Though, sex aside, if it weren't for the need for his seed, I'm just as tempted to make his next lesson severing his head instead of another toe."
Cologne examined Genma, going as far as to lift his gi and pull out the waist band to look at his testimonials. Her eyebrow rose in appreciation. "Yes, it would be a shame to lose a treasure such as that, but have you thought about using a sperm bank to store his seed?"
"That is a good idea, but certain qualities are lost in cryogenic storage. Qualities that can only be passed on when both parents are alive and intent on the act."
Cologne came over to settle across from her. The old woman reached into her robes and pulled out a small, midnight blue kitten from her robes and handed it across to Nodoka. The auburn haired woman examined it to notice that it was female and had the same symbol that had been on Ranma's forehead and crown. "That cat sprang from young Ranma's head. I sense no evil in it and Ranma may want it when she wakes up. Tell me! Have you heard of the nekoken?"
"No. What is it?" The kitten settled into Nodoka's lap and purred as it looked attentively up at the woman who began to pet it and the elder across from them.
"It's a terrible and flawed technique that some idiotic martial artist came up with to capture a cat's ferocity and natural abilities within a student. I think that cat is representative, or the symbol of that technique in Ranma."
"What's so bad about a fighting technique, elder?"
Cologne made to answer when a voice interrupted from Nodoka's lap, "It is a ritual, intended to invite demonic possession into an innocent sacrificial human child of no more than eight years of age." The women goggled at a talking cat in their midst. "The original intent was to create an unstoppable berserk warrior deep in the territory of an enemy. Several children would be prepared, so that at least one would be ready at any time. It was understood that the trainer, usually a parent was also a part of the sacrifice as they were the first victim. It was an early version of weapons of mass destruction. Entire cities were destroyed with few survivors. After a while, the child's body deteriorated to a point that it died, normally in less than a lunar cycle."
Hearing this, Nodoka's eyes widened, 'Cologne sensed no evil in the kitten.' "If that is true, then why are my son and husband even alive?"
"That would be because of me. And, my god, and lover Khronos. It was I who watched your sixth great grandmother, Shampoo, and her future husband Lucy in the shadows as the traitor Lo Fat destroyed my prophecy, all those years ago. I went by the name Phenol Phthalein back then. Now that I am mau, just call me Kitty."
Cologne asked in a shaky voice, "Then could you tell me, please. What of my great grandchild?"
"She will be returned in the fullness of time, but I will not say more. Let me say that I enjoy happy surprises. Anyway, now that I'm corporeal again, its time to fill you two in on about fifty thousand years of history."
…Hani Pa Ti Let the valley be narrow… (Meaningless quote?)
About fifty thousand years ago, the first queen Serenity was born on the Earth's moon. She was the result of the first technomagic experiments binding a human's spirit to the mana of a planetary body. Unknown at the time, the affinity required for the bond was due to the person being a descendant, however remote, of the deity associated with that world. With her unconscious aid, the first magic powered terrasphere was created. The moon was given earth gravity, a breathable atmosphere, and life forms brought from the earth. Her link manifested as a palace, computer and control complex. It was fully self maintaining as long as one of the royal line for that world was alive.
Over time, ships of crystal carried colonists to virtually every planetary body capable of supporting the world-human symbiosis. Earth, having a natural biosphere was not bonded and remained independent and fragmented.
Through it all, the moon kingdom retained leadership as the current Serenity would always place a secondary bond, or geas of fealty when a new world's binding was performed. This bond also had a side effect of limiting the intensity of the bond in male descendants of the royal lines, effectively predicating a matriarchy. Fortunately the Serenity line was benign to a fault, though several of the elder gods disliked having their descendants bound to the moon kingdom, no matter how lightly the reins were held.
To maintain control, Serenity IV had warrior mantles created for the worlds of her kingdom. She used the newly created Ginzuisho to do this. These senshi were the queens, or their daughters, of their respective worlds. The mantles carried a third bond, one of greater fealty, and could be revoked along with all ties to the planet. The gods were further irritated, but chose not to intervene as long as the Serenity line stayed in line.
The first senshi of Saturn invoked nervousness in the moon queen and the other senshi and was not allowed to pass on her mantle. It was modified such that the youngest heir to the throne would receive it in time of threat to the entire kingdom and assurance was provided that the senshi of destruction would not live past her usefulness. Khronos was pissed and set about a very long term plan to correct this travesty. He was also plenty upset that his Gates of Time were removed to Pluto and given to the most loyal senshi of the queen.
Still.
The kingdom (or queendom) prospered.
The Silver Millennium commenced when the last rock that could had a terrasphere. The seeds of destruction were also sown at that time by malevolent entities filled with hunger for the worlds teeming with life. These beings fed upon life energy and fed until a world was dry with no effort at preserving their food source in their gluttony. They doomed themselves to die, eventually, but not until all life everywhere was dead first.
These evil creatures used pawns to slowly gather power in preparation for the destruction of all life in the solar system in a cosmic feeding frenzy. Thus, the Silver Millennium would come to an end in the time of Serenity IX.
The Queen and her senshi were concerned when Queen Saturn's daughter suddenly ascended to senshihood. Effort was expended to integrate her into the team as quickly as possible. As it was, the Inner Senshi had all received their mantles only in the last two years due to unexplainable illnesses and deaths of their predecessors. With Sailor Saturn's awakening, attention was paid to the suspicious happenstances. Though there was a competent standing army, Serenity and her senshi had the real firepower. To offset the weakness of the inner senshi, the queen prepared a mantle for her daughter to take over Venus's normal lead.
The Moon Kingdom prepared as best it could for its greatest challenge, even with the relatively weak and inexperienced core of the senshi.
The assault, when it came was totally unexpected. The queen of Atlantis, Beryl, had corrupted the majority of earth's population as she had been corrupted. Her desire to have Prince Endymion of Mu and rule Earth had been thwarted by the fact that he had fallen in love with the Moon Princess. The thought of not possessing the prince drove her to madness and led her to attack before her generals had recommended.
Still all life off earth perished and the planets and other bodies, not having a link to their royal lines lost their atmospheres and fell into decay, while the demon hordes were forced into a locked, mini universe by the Queen's last sacrificial act. At the same time, she gathered the spirits of as many of her senshi as possible and sent them into the future to be reborn, hopefully to recover the kingdom and prepare for a war against the bound evil.
Thus, ended the Silver Millenium.
There was one exception, Queen Saturn and several children of her sisters and cousins had followed a vision given by Khronos to the queen. They were visiting some friends in a remote province of Mu under the pretext of looking for marriageable males for the cadre of giggling girls.
Their mountain fastness survived the demon attacks, but Queen Saturn's powers became much reduced due to the damage to her home world. Castle Saturn began to Restore itself and its world with the help of the links to the Saturn royalty on earth. Queen Saturn died before her world had recovered enough to open the "downlink" to her daughter by one of Earth's former nobility. However, small "uplinks" remained for all descendants of the royal line and Saturn continued to recover.
Meanwhile, Khronos began a breeding program for his descendants and took up a hobby of feeding Sailor Pluto, who is stuck at the Gates of Time, wild misinformation for entertainment. It is rumored that she believes that she can bring about a crystal utopia. It is also rumored that Khronos laughed for years about it.
The original Amazons were also part of the breeding program. They were a dilute line of descendants of the goddess Artemis. She and Khronos were the two gods most dissatisfied with the way things were going, early on, and collaborated to bring about the next step in human evolution. They knew an evil would arise, though its chaotic elements hid it from clear view. To combat chaos, they instilled a pure form of chaos into their children.
End of historical briefing. 38-22-34
Nodoka and Cologne were at a loss for words at this revelation.
After a few minutes of silence, Nodoka found words. With incipient anger, she spoke. "We were just breeding stock, like cattle, Mao-chan?"
Cologne said, "Makes sense to me, we have practiced it for millennia upon ourselves."
Kitty replied, "Khronos and Artemis loved their children and wanted them to become stronger. Ranma is the pinnacle of Khronos' efforts, and one of a kind, but Shampoo or a sibling will be required to 'fix' the powers in his or her descendants to establish the 'downlink' without the requirement of another empowered royal to be present or be on Saturn's soil."
"Shampoo's double first cousin Rinse would be able to fill in, but Shampoo has been lost as a vector, though." said Cologne.
Kitty just smirked in a feline manner. "Wellll-l-l ah maybe not lost but…how that is, is a secret."
Two face faults were followed by mumbled remarks on the advantages of catgut for violins as opposed to modern materials.
Ranma had not awakened in the morning. Cologne was encouraged by the cat's lack of concern, but decided that action was required. "Nodoka. Your daughter mentioned going home. Does that mean you have a home to go to?"
"Yes elder. If we can get to Tokyo, there is a modest estate around a shrine that has been in my family far longer than we have written records. You and all of your tribe's people that have escaped being caught up in that thing can find haven there. We just need to get there and my family will help."
"Well just leave that to me child." Cologne called her people to her. About sixty warriors and men had been beyond the bobble and a few more would likely show up, in answer to her silent signal. Some rapidfire mandarin resulted in the encampment being totally dismantled with none of the equipment visible as packs or other gear. Ranma was placed on a stretcher and carried gently by two men. Four warrior women took the lead and two followed behind. The remaining tribespeople simply vanished, though Nodoka felt that they were near enough to provide aid.
Cologne bounced up to seat herself in a small litter on the shoulders of an amazon warrior who just seemed to appear from the woods around them. With a call from the matriarch the band began to march to the southeast.
Three days later, as they camped in a gorge, protected from the sky by an overhang of rock, Ranma finally awakened as the last of the day's light faded from the canyon's rim.
Ranma saw his mother's face peering at him, full of concern. She realized that her hand was being held by her mother's two. "Mom? Is someone cooking? I'm starved."
Nodoka began to laugh while tears streamed down her face, "Yes, Ranma, you'll be able to eat soon. And I'll bring it to you soon as its ready."
"Okay Momma, just don't let Pops get it all."
"Don't worry, he's too busy bandaging his other pinky toe stub. He needed another lesson in politeness a little earlier."
"Momma, I had a dream that Pops died and you were hurt bad. Where's Shampoo?"
"Nodoka, let me tell her," Cologne interjected. "Ranma, you may be feeling some symptoms of combat fatigue. Much of what may seem to be dreams likely happened."
"Sh-Shampoo's dead?"
"Yes child, she died a true warrior defending her home."
"No."
"Ranma, it really happened, I don't know what to say, but she's gone, baby." Nodoka wrapped Ranma into her arms as she began to wail her grief.
Cologne softly spoke, "Ranma, Shampoo was as precious to me as life itself, but she died as befit an Amazon, as she would have desired. She was protecting her family and her people." A tear made itself evident in the old woman's eye. "However," she straightened, "Know this, your father died, but you brought him back to life. He saw Shampoo and was told that she would be returned to us. We also had…other confirmation that she would be returned to us."
"You said I brought Pops back from the dead? I don't really remember."
Nodoka spoke with a quavering voice, "I saw it myself. You healed my wounds with just your touch."
Cologne spoke, "If it will make you feel useful, we have a few people whose injuries are very painful, if not life threatening. If you could find it in yourself to help them, I would appreciate it. After you eat." A man entered the tent with enough food for everyone. Nodoka took a plate and handed it to Ranma, who started slowly, but sped up as she started feeling better.
Once she was refreshed, Ranma left the tent and healed everyone, down to the tiniest scratch and hidden tumor. Afterward, Ranma began to perform some katas of the Saotome school between the fire and the river. Before long she had an audience of about a dozen warriors held in thrall by the spectacular grace of her deadly dance. A few began to attempt to mimic the motions of the kata. Ranma noticed and began to flit around, correcting the more obvious faults, smiling all the while.
Ranma then moved to the advanced katas of her school, moving through all of the most recently acquired techniques without applying the ki that made them so deadly. None watching was able to follow these moves, except for Cologne, who was awestruck. 'No one that young should have the power and control that child has. I pity any who would cross her.'
After her workout was done, Ranma went to the river to bathe in an eddy that had attracted the 'off duty' amazon men and women. Stripping out of her clothes, she marched somewhat self-consciously to the water's edge. A beautiful green haired woman offered Ranma her bathing supplies, to which she nodded thanks and began to perform her ablutions. She felt the stares of men and women alike, but there was no lust associated with it, at least not much. What overwhelmed her ki senses was the feeling of being worshipped. In a way it felt kind of good and energizing, but she felt a little unworthy.
"And who says you're unworthy of worship, mistress?" came a voice from a nearby rock. "Yes. The cat is speaking. Their worship helps to restore your strength, quickly." Spoke the small kitten with the symbol on its forehead.
'Was that cat reading my thoughts? Why don't I feel afraid?'
"Yes, I am reading your uppermost thoughts. Your father. Your real father didn't want you to have such an easily exploited weakness, so here I am, your cat advisor and guardian. You no longer have access to your chi claws, but admit it. You have much better weapons at your disposal now."
"So. Do you have the nekoken…"
"Of course, I'm a cat. Duh! You can call me Mau-chan like your mother does, but I have a fondness for Kitty."
Ranma moved to the edge of the stream and sat on a flat rock and proceeded to dry her hair out. The green haired amazon approached her, "Would you like for me to comb the tangles out of your hair? My name is Rinse." Ranma nodded, still a little nervous around other women.
"Thanks. And I appreciate your good Japanese. Do you think that you could help me learn to speak Mandarin?" Ranma said.
"Sure. We'll work on it on our way to your home in Japan."
As Rinse took care of Ranma's hair, Kitty jumped into her lap and began to sniff every part of the auburn haired girl's anatomy that she could. "What ARE you doing?" Ranma squeaked out. She was feeling ticklish, especially in the private spots that the kitten had poked her damp nose.
"Well excuse me if I don't have my Mau senses fully running, but I just wanted to make sure that you were alright. You 'smell' very pregnant and smell very nice otherwise."
"What? Do I stink because I'm pregnant?"
The kitten sat up on her haunches and waved her paws around while sweat dropping. "No no no. No! I think you smell nice. Its just a nice pregnant smell. I'm sorry. Okay?"
Rinse snickered and continued to comb out Ranma's hair, finally braiding it and tying the end with a small bow. The green haired girl took on a look of sadness. "I. I. You know. Shampoo and I were as close as sisters. Well, as close as you can get without having the same parents. We were double first cousins. I offered to take Shampoo's place as your husband in the hospital, but great grandmother Cologne said it was Shampoo's destiny. I miss her."
"Elder Cologne was right. Shampoo and I had an instant connection. It was like I had fallen in love with her long before and just had to remember it. It made it a lot easier to accept that I had become a woman." Ranma began to turn bright red. Changing the subject, "Uh, what're double first cousins?"
"My mother and Shampoo's mother were siblings. The same holds true for my father and Shampoo's father. Our hair color is like our mother's, but otherwise we're as similar as sisters can be, though my talents tend to be toward science as opposed to Shampoo's warrior skills. My battle skills are only average."
"Well, Rinse, can I call you sister?"
"I'd love that, sister-brother." The girl hugged the auburn haired woman.
Ranma and Rinse got up and walked to their clothing with Kitty following. Except for the guards everyone went to sleep as best they were able.
A week later, a large group of disguised Amazons climbed from a train and seemed to scatter with the normal passengers. Hours later still, the group boarded a tramp freighter headed for Tokyo by ones and twos.
Six more days found the group vanishing into the crowds of Tokyo dressed as tourists. A chartered bus carried them to a point in the northern part of Nerima district at the outskirts of the city. The group stood at the edge of what appeared to be a deep ravine. Some of the warriors looked nervously over the edge and at the strangely quiet other side, seemingly only feet away. Spooked would only begin to cover the chills that went down several spines.
Nodoka took that moment to speak, after ensuring that no strangers were within hearing range. "You are now going to see why my family line has survived to this day without being buffeted by wars or politics, though we have delved into both. Cologne, it's also why I sent Genma to visit his friend before we came here. You must all swear fealty to the Saotome clan. The valley will know if your allegiance is true."
Cologne spoke up, "The Amazons will not bow down to any foreign power, but if we swore to follow your daughter (or son) and her (or his) heirs, would that suffice? And, why isn't Genma here?"
"I think that the valley will recognize your distinction. As for Genma, he married into the clan and has no say or trust among us."
Cologne shouted out in some words of a language unique to the Amazons and the entire troupe dropped to one knee and bowed their heads to Ranma. The elder declared, "Our allegiance and our lives are in your hands, Ranma. Please accept our fealty and we pray to you for your and your heirs compassion and guidance. This goes for the entire tribe by my authority which now is submitted to you, our deity."
Nodoka then called out, "Oh narrow valley, open up to these, my child's subjects who shall faithfully dedicate themselves to the cause of our clan. Hani Pa Ti a Go Weh!"
The edges of the ravine began to spread apart to the perceptions of the amazons until a large and lush valley was spread out before them.
Cologne whispered, "If only we had had this spell, we would need never have feared invasion by any of our enemies."
"But would you have become complacent in your isolation?" said Kitty from her perch on Cologne's head. "Could you have had the influx of strong genes from the husbands that the tribe absorbed over the millennia? The royal house of Saturn went out and interacted as much as they could with the world. My lord Khronos seldom had to intervene in matings as he did with the Orchid Child's mother. I have seen her other form at the springs and the Chaos Horse will be valuable as well. He has the Skagganuk Abyss hidden deep within, complimentary abilities in one person thanks to his and her dual nature. When female, the Abyss cannot fully manifest, but you have seen precursors of it when she appears to have the void of the black night sky showing through her at times. That is just the barest bleed through of the Abyss."
"What is this Skagganuk Abyss? I've never heard of it."
"Cologne-chan, it is the most wonderful thing only theorized by the gods. It is a window, controlled by the will of its possessor, into the other side of all black holes. The 'stars' you see in it are actually white holes where energy comes into existence. This energy can be tapped—for things. Wonderful things. But what, ultimately…must remain a secret. Anyway, enough cosmology and heredity, lets go meet the rest of our new family."
Cologne hopped up to her waiting litter and they followed the rest of the tribespeople down the road into the Tanima Semai.
By the time Cologne and Kitty had caught up with Ranma and Nodoka, they were entering the gates of a truly ancient shrine as a priest and priestess came running up to greet Nodoka. The priestess enveloped Nodoka in a hug. "Granddaughter! We have wonderful news. The console came to life and the power crystals seem to be fully charged! Hello! Who is this?" She looked over Ranma carefully. "She would be your identical twin, except that my daughter, may she be at peace, never had twins."
"Grandmother Kasumi, I would like to reintroduce Ranma."
"But. But, Ranma was a boy the last I saw him?"
"Are-Are you really my great grandmother." Spoke Ranma.
"Yes, if your mother says that you are my great grandchild, I suppose I must be."
"Ranma looks like me because of a magic spring in a place called Jusenkyo. In saving my life, he was changed as you see. She cannot change back into his birth form for some months yet, because, like me, she is pregnant. Which has locked her in her present gender until she gives birth. We can go over the whole story over the evening meal. We do have enough for my daughter's entourage, don't we."
"Don't worry, we've sent some of your younger cousins out to buy out the contents of a catering store. Housing and long term arrangements will be made before everyone sleeps tonight. Now, as I was trying to tell you, the Ouza no Sata-n came to life a few days ago. Our family can finally return home."
Nodoka took this in and added it to the knowledge imparted by kitty a couple of weeks before and said, "Grandmother, could you have someone show Ranma and her guardians to the onsen. They can all use some restoration after their long journey to get here." Getting a nod, she addressed Ranma, "Please go with your friends as I have some catching up to do between now and supper. There may not be many children in the valley, but those we have will be dying to meet you and our new clan members. Our onsen is big enough to accommodate everyone."
Ranma hadn't known her mother all that long, but she recognized a dismissal because of 'business' when she saw it. "Sure Momma, I'll see you at supper then." Ranma and all of the Amazons followed a small group of young teenagers off to use the facilities. Cologne stayed behind after a meaningful look from Nodoka.
"Cologne. You are about to be introduced to some of the Saotome secrets. Being a part of the clan through marriage and head of my 'daughter's' new guard, you have this right."
Nodoka looked to her priestess grandmother and said, "I suppose that you are finally getting what you wished for. Kami-sama knows you've been after me for the last fifty years to become head of the clan."
Cologne wore a surprised look, "I don't want to seem impertinent, but I was under the impression that you weren't over forty. May I ask…"
"You may ask." Nodoka smiled, with maybe a little bit of an evil smirk. "I am older than my teeth and younger than my mother." Kasumi and the priest both grinned at the dodge so often used by their clan when referring to their age. "Barring war and accident, the women of our line carry our youthful appearances into our third century. You are older than I, but not by as much as you think. We wouldn't have retained as much knowledge of our past as we have without having the longevity to assimilate it. The emperors of Japan are a somewhat shorter lived cadet line of our family, we all claim descent from the immigrant queen, Amaterasu. Ironic, isn't it that the sun goddess was actually the Saturn goddess. Of course the emperors serve for a time, using tricks to look older until retirement, when they 'pass away'. Some come here and others go out into the world to pass the time, doing what interests them. We aren't immortal, except for Ranma and our children, maybe. "
"Well, aside from envying your girlish figure, I am burning with curiosity about this Throne of Saturn you are talking of," said Cologne.
Again surprising those present, a voice piped up at their feet, "Now cologne-chan you know that you could be looking just as young as Nodoka here if you wanted to."
Kasumi spoke up excitedly, "A mau! This IS auspicious!"
"Well do I know this," Cologne said to Kitty, "but we eschew using anything but our chi to lengthen our lives. We have to eventually bow out for the next generations and going to the next life is the honorable way…"
Kitty interrupted, "Not necessary any more! I passed on after over six hundred years. The reason was that more genetic manipulation was needed for our people and we would not have had enough generations to get where we are if normal life spans were too great. It won't be needed now, we just have to protect the young Rinse and ensure that she mates with some of Ranma or Nodoka's offspring by Khronos. With the traitors out of the way, you can decree equality for our men and allow access to the human springs of choice for those that desire it."
Cologne sat down on the ground, her staff clattering to one side. "You are bringing revolutionary thoughts too fast for this old woman to grasp. Yes. I've had thoughts about some of those things, but only to myself, late at night."
"But you can handle it Cologne-chan." said Kitty, as the others watched.
"I have no choice but to 'handle it'. We still have to work out how we will reopen the village though and protect those who are still alive inside that 'bobble'. If it goes away, there are still enough enemies to wipe us out in there."
Nodoka said, "We can cross that hurdle when it comes, Elder Cologne. Lets go and see this miracle that My grandfather Ichigo and grandmother Kasumi are speaking of."
The five people and one cat crossed the Temple grounds and entered the impressive structure that sat on a low mound to one side of a babbling stream. It appeared to be in a typical style of a Buddhist temple with the exception of an oddly shaped silvery crystal spire sticking up from the center of the roof. The now familiar symbol of Saturn was visible on the nearest side of the construct.
On entering the temple Cologne noticed that paper screens hid whatever was in the center of the building and as they passed through a labyrinth style entrance she saw what was basically a continuation of what was above the temple. The surface of the spire looked like flawless crystal but with smooth edges rather than sharp. At the nearest part of the gleaming construct a ramp led down to what appeared to be a door of some type. It was hard to say, because the edges seemed to be drawn into the surface by some exquisitely precise brush. Other designs were on both sides of the door.
Kasumi moved up and took Nodoka's hands in hers and said, "You are my daughter, since your mother is no longer with us. Lets get the transfer of authority over." She took Nodoka into a brief hug and released her to step up to the center of the door. The woman then placed both hands into a square design in the center of the door outline.
A vaguely male voice spoke softly all around the group, "The Throne recognizes the queen mother and regent for Saturn. Is it your wish to take command, as is your right?"
Nodoka answered with a slight quaver, "It-It is."
"Please state your name as you wish to be addressed."
"Nodoka."
"Nodoka?"
"Yes."
"Name confirmed. Do you wish access Regent Nodoka?"
"Yes and for those accompanying me."
"That was understood." Nodoka got the feeling that the voice was a tiny bit miffed at her assumption that it needed micromanaging directions.
"I'm sorry. No offense was intended. If you… What is your name anyway?"
"I am the Throne of Saturn, but my personality was based on that of general Maximus. He was the best tactician in the time of Serenity VII and went by Max."
"Very well, Max, if you would, please prompt me at the most egregious errors of protocol and judgement. However, you do understand that my say is final, though?"
"That will always be true while you are regent, Regent Nodoka."
At that the door outline became a seam and the door moved inward and upward allowing entrance to a bright interior room with a clear crystal doorway on the other side which opened as soon as they were all inside. The outer hatch began to close as the inner opened.
"Please enter the elevator to your right and I will transport you to the command deck. I must apologize for its barrenness but all organics had to be purged when power and lighting began to fail during the war. I determined that camouflage and hiding was needed to protect my queen and she concurred. The covering of earth had made sustainable bioculture impossible inside of the ship without power. With my queen's link established, I am now ready to re-enter active duty. Here is the command deck."
The crystal door of the elevator opened up to a room the size of an American football field. The roof looked like the inside of a shallow boat hull the color of dirt, which proved to be the case, as it was earth outside of a clear glass-like hull of the ship. The floor was a very dark gray that looked like barely rippling water from their end to a dais that had what seemed to be a command chair facing some truly huge screens. Then the floor began to dimple, shifting to rounded basins in a geometric pattern, leaving a wide aisle directly to the command chair.
Max spoke in his everywhere voice, "If you could, bring in sufficient earth to fill the 'planters', plants and whatever wildlife needed to sustain them, I can carry on the maintenance after that. It would be so nice to feel that I am always carrying life within. My namesake had a strong maternal streak, even if he was a man, and cared so much for those he chose to protect."
Nodoka nodded, "Grandmother Kasumi, can we grant Max's wish? It would boost our morale as well as max's."
Ichigo answered with a grin, "Consider it done dear. Two days should be enough time to completely transform this place." He left their presence to attend his self assigned task.
Cologne had kept very quiet for some time, but chose now to speak. "You know, this is all so awe inspiring that I begin to despair of being even a guard, much less a captain of the Queen's guard. How will my people be able to grasp this much technology to do a creditable job?"
Kasumi chose to answer, "For all your appearance, you are still relatively young, do you feel any less able to learn than you did a hundred years ago? Nodoka has three degrees and two doctorates in her chosen field and is one of the top five sword users in the world. Though I never bothered with paper degrees, I've done the monastic path of study for a hundred years at a time and I still feel that I have only just begun. You will do just fine. Also, your warriors have potent abilities that will blossom with time, study and support."
"Thank you, I find some small comfort in what you say." Cologne looked up toward the command area. "What is happening with that screen?"
They all looked up as they climbed the steps to the command center, to see odd runic characters scrolling down one of the screens. Max calmly announced, "I have just been able to bring up one of the lunar sensory arrays with an energy packet recharge. I used the Queen's authority as the highest ranked surviving member of Moon Kingdom royalty to overcome the security protocols. I have them observing the bobble in the Kun Lun Range in China. Thanks to my link to the Queen I can impact the bobble for relocation. Estimated time to integration is one month, ten days and three hours with minimum disruption at embarkation or arrival at Saturn Elysian region. Regent Nodoka, do I have authorization to proceed."
"Nodoka, what is Max talking about?" asked Cologne.
"I believe he is talking about moving your whole region of China within that bobble to Saturn."
"Oh. Goddess! That includes Jusenkyo, the Phoenix and virtually all of the Musk territories. Saffron and Herb may be difficult to deal with."
"Then we'll just have to convince them that we will be benign rulers and THEY will have to deal with US. I think that everyone in that bobble will be wondering where the rings came from." Said Nodoka with a smirk. Max, you have my authorization, as I believe that that was my daughter's intent at the time, though she may not remember it very well."
Cologne had read some science fiction and had watched a couple episodes of Star Trek in the late sixties on a trip to America and noticed something. "Max-san, may this one inquire—do you have any weapons?"
"No. Lady Cologne. I have nothing other than some advanced shielding and stealth abilities. Saturn's queens and senshi have been more than sufficient for offense and defense. There are special decks around the ship that serve a purpose other than observation. The silence glaive is a symbol and focus for the power to destroy worlds. Regent Nodoka, this brings up another subject. I recommend that you have Ranma perform the ritual of ascension for yourself and other trustworthy family members, to allow the most efficient protection of myself and through me, the Queen."
In Nerima, Genma Saotome, his old friend Soun Tendo and his three daughters had their eyes glued to the screen of the older model color television in their family room.
Soun looked at his friend. "Genma, is that happening because of your son's actions?"
"Oh! That worthless, careless son of mine! Soun let me use your phone to call Nodoka. We'll take your daughters there and make her and Ranma do what is honorable. The schools must be joined! This is our only chance as Nodoka is expecting twin girls."
Nabiki shouted, "Its still going up and its going to pass right over Tokyo!"
Kasumi quietly said, "Oh my." To herself as she followed her sisters Nabiki and Akane out of the house to look at the sky, which had darkened with some stars visible because the late afternoon sun was completely blocked by the unbelievably enormous thing moving their way. They were surprised when the wind suddenly became gale force, making them go back into the house for shelter.
Nabiki spoke loudly, to be heard over the howling winds outside, "THAT was the milder winds that they said would hit Tokyo? Supposedly Beijing was flattened by the wind, coming and going. Thankfully the volcanic activity in the basin left by that thing's exit is only minor. Once it goes over the Pacific, who knows what kind of storms will develop."
Genma shouted, "Kuso! The phone line is dead."
Nabiki held a cell phone in one hand and the other hand palm up, "Ten thousand yen, maybe service isn't out where Auntie Nodoka is."
Genma dug out the money and handed it over to a smirking Nabiki, who relinquished the phone.
Genma feverishly dialed as he left the room to gain some privacy. Nabiki glanced at the TV and looked at her father speaking, "Daddy. Do we really want to become involved with this Ranma?"
"Daughters, it is a matter of family honor that one of you should marry the boy. I won't hear any more of this."
"But Daddy, what if he's a pervert like the boys at school?" said the dark haired daughter.
Genma came running into the room. "Old friend, they'll see us! It's in the bag! A van will be over to pick us all up in the morning." Nabiki grabbed the phone from Genma's hand and walked off.
Kasumi, the oldest sister, thoughtfully picked up the family photo that Genma had been waving around that showed uncle Genma, Ranma and his mother standing in a bamboo grove. 'He looks like a gentle person, the way he is hugging his mother. Her smile says that she loves her son as well. If it is to be, it would be nice to have a mother figure in my life again.'
Nabiki sat down in her room at her desk. She proceeded to check the last few numbers called on her cell phone. Genma had apparently dialed two numbers. She pressed the call button with the first number highlighted. The ringing eventually got a woman's voice on an answering machine. Nabiki left a message, just in case. She then pressed the second number, which was picked up.
"Moshi moshi, this is the Saotome estate, Saotome Kasumi speaking." 'Saotome estate, huh? Must be some real money talking here.'
Couching her voice in the most respectful tone, "Hello. This is Tendo Nabiki, Uncle Genma just made a call to this number and I just wanted to verify some things for my family…"
"Yes. That 'man' did call my granddaughter Nodoka making claims upon the Saotome family honor. It was decided that your family would be given the benefit of the doubt and allowed to meet with Ranma, supervised by Nodoka. You see, we are verifying things from our end as well. It seems that Genma made some promises that he had no authority to make and the clan council will be meeting regarding his punishment. Don't worry, though, we won't blame you for that foolish man's faults. Now I must go attend business. We'll see you tomorrow."
Nabiki put away her phone after hearing the click of dismissal. "I think that I'd better check out our prospective family, quick." She booted up the laptop at her desk and connected to the Internet. A few queries brought her to an ftp site that listed top corporations and their CEOs. A dbase download brought up a spreadsheet listing data on the top twenty corporations in Japan. It appeared that Saotome Kasumi and Saotome Ichigo were on the boards of half of them and were co-CEOs of Saotome Diversified Industries. It was the fourth largest company in Japan and specialized in making components rather than finished products. She shuddered in both fear and anticipation. They were RICH, but if her family were to become awkward for the Saotomes, they could disappear without a trace. These people were beyond yakusa, if her eyes weren't lying, they had ties to the emperor.
Nabiki fought to control her fear and greed, in favor of some sleep and figuring what to say to her family to warn them to be on their best behavior, particularly Akane. Her dreams that night were not pleasant.
End Chapter 2
Thanks go to the people at Fukufics and their helpfulness.