Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the series that this fanfiction is based around. We have now reached the last chapter to be re-edited. As you have notice, chapter 4 onwards has mostly just been minor grammar corrections. I will have chapter 10 out soon, but finals are this week so it may be ahwile or I may get it done at a regular pace. Rest assured that Chapter ten of Prince of the Planets will be out before the next chapter of Mother Moon. Enough of that, on with the story!
Ranma and Usagi were both calmly walking up the steeps in order to get to the Scout's usual meeting spot in Rei's temple. Actually, Usagi was calmly walking and Ranma was quite nervous. Luckily for Ranma, Usagi was right there with her arm around his own giving him the particular kind of courage that he needed. It was one thing in Ranma's mind to fight against daemons; it was a completely different thing to meet your past life's mother. Usagi and Ranma reached the top of the steeps and then Usagi opened the sliding door to reveal the surprised inner Scouts.
Each of the inners was looking at Ranma and Usagi with surprise and shock showing in their eyes. Their surprise was understandable do to the fact that Usagi forgotten to mention that she was bringing over the Jovian Paladin a.k.a Ranma for the meeting today. Rei was the first to get over her surprise and said with a glare towards Usagi, "What is he doing here? No offense Usagi, but this is a private study group. You should have asked if he could come over first." At this Usagi smiled and said, "Well Rei, This is my boyfriend Ranma also known as the Jovian Paladin."
At that announcement of Usagi's, all of the inner's minds got a blue screen of death. On seeing the frozen shocked faces of Ami, Rei, Minako, and Makoto, Ranma turned to Usagi and said, "I think you broke them." At this comment Usagi blushed before giving a nervous giggle. Usagi then spotted the empty loveseat and decided that she and Ranma should move into a comfortable position while her friends sort themselves out. Usagi closed the sliding door and then lead Ranma to the loveseat. After Ranma was sitting down, Usagi took the seat next to him and laid her head on his shoulder.
Makoto, thanks to the earlier shocks revolving around Ranma/Prince Nephelite, had been preparing for such an event as this to happen and was able to recover the fastest. She shook her head and then looked at the two new, still unsure of how to act in public, lovebirds before she started questioning the two. "So Ranma is Prince Nephelite's reincarnation? Why didn't you tell all of us sooner about who you are Ranma? How long have you known Usagi? When did you and Ranma hook up Usagi?!" By the last question all the other inners were able to start understanding the world around them and became interested in Makoto's questions.
Ranma was getting very nervous over the questions being directed at him due to his nature to keep quiet on his personal life. However, Ranma also saw that Usagi didn't want to have to answer those questions herself. Unfortunately, the royal couple and unconsciously realized that this meeting wasn't going anywhere until some curious people were satisfied. Ranma decided to spare Usagi the trouble of deciding what to tell and not tell about his and their private lives by speaking up. "Yes I am Prince Nephelite's reincarnation just like Makoto here is the reincarnation of princess Hippolyta or Lita as she was known among her close friends. Usagi has known that I am the Jovian Paladin since we killed that witch a few days ago. We've been together only recently." Ranma then sent a look that told the Scouts that no more questions should be asked right then.
The thoughts of the Scouts to this new news varied. Makoto was glad to finally meet her son's reincarnation and was proud to see that he had turned out into such a fine young man. However, the jury was still out on whether Makoto wanted Ranma to be dating any of her friends. Ami thought that it was interesting that Usagi had fallen in love with two different people who had been princes in their past lives. Ami just hoped that Ranma wouldn't break Usagi's heart like Mamoru did. Minako was embarrassed that she had been going gaga over HER GODSON and vowed to no longer go after every cute boy she saw. Rei was happy for Usagi, and was hoping that the third time would be the charm in her own love interest.
Usagi looked around at her friends and, although it pained her to think of them in such a manner, soldiers. Usagi then coughed politely to get everyone's attention and then she started to speak. "I've been thinking about how our battles have been going lately and I have noticed something. We, that is, the Scouts seem to have stopped improving in terms of our ability to fight the daemons. I don't like how we stand against the daemons in terms of power. Currently only Ranma and I can take out a daemon one-on-one, and I need the stupid monster-of-the-week to be distracted in order to kill it. The rest of you need 3 preferably 4 of you to team up in order to take out a daemon."
"Our teamwork is great, but it's reaching a peak in what it alone helps us to accomplish. We can't count on miraculous sudden power-ups or a new previously unknown fighter to save us when the battles get too difficult for us. I've talked to Luna and Artemis; both of them claim that each of the inner scouts could in the Silver Millennium single handedly kill an Arch-daemon level foe. Also, you girls could single handedly fight a Yokai level foe to a standstill. We all need to get up to those levels again. If it wasn't for the fact that Beryl allowed her forces to degrade into just youma, Earth would now be under her rule."
"I've spent the last couple of days thinking about what to do and I've found a solution. We're all going to have Ranma and some of his friends train us Scouts in martial arts. Ranma and I each draw about the same amount of power in our senshi forms. However Ranma can keep fighting long after I've dropped out the fight. His training is what makes this difference. Now I know that we can't train as hard as and as completely as Ranma has done; he's been training his whole life after all and still devotes a large portion of his free time to refining those skills. Still, any training we get will greatly help us."
"What I want is for each of us to spend at least 2 hours three times a week training with Ranma; one hour in our civilian forms and the other hour in our senshi forms. If we do this plus practice a bit on our own we should start to increase our powers up to, if not beyond, the levels we used to have in the Silver Millennium. Ranma and some of his friends are strong enough through marital arts training to each slay a daemon. If you don't believe me then you should listen to what I have to say. I talked with Sailor Pluto the other day and she explained to me that back in the Silver Millennium era, Earth had veteran soldiers capable of slaying daemon level threats and a little higher. She told me that Ranma and his friends have managed to reach those levels."
The room was quite for a moment before Ami spoke up and said, "It's true. The other day I witnessed Ryoga, who's a friend of Ranma, and a boy named Mousse kill a daemon before I could transform and fight the monster. From what that boy Mouse told me after I rejoined him and Ryoga in my civilian form, Ranma is slightly better then they are in martial arts. I may not be much of a fighter, but I'll join the training" Ranma was proud that Mouse recognized his superiority in martial arts. However he didn't want to step on anybodies' toes and so resisted the urge to boast.
Makoto, Minako, and Rei thought about what had just been told to them. Slowly, one by one, each of the remaining Scouts agreed to join Usagi's new training routine. After that was all said and done Ami, who was in charge of the Scouts' technological supplies, tried to give Ranma a compact communicator. Tried being the operative word, Ranma flatly declared that such a device would never be on his person. Also, Ranma pointed out that a compact wasn't something that was normally carried by boys. Usagi felt the urge to pour a glass of cold water on Ranma's head and say that he could carry one that way. However, due to the knowledge of her boyfriend's discomfort with his curse plus the fact that none of the Scouts there but her knew of Ranma's curse, Usagi resisted her awaken trickster impulse.
The last thing that was talked about at the meeting was the fact that Nodoka Saotome knew about Ranma and Usagi's Scout activities. It was decided, after some heated debate from Minako of all people, that the Saotome home would be another 'safe' area to hold Scout meetings. Once that was settled to everyone's satisfaction, Usagi declared the meeting over. Ranma and Usagi then left Rei's shrine to go get some books on military history at a used bookstore for Usagi. The other Scouts soon left as well leaving Rei alone at the shine except for her grandfather.
It had been a little more than a month since 'The Incident' and Genma was making his way back to the Tendo home from his job at Doctor Tofu. The once proud and boisterous, if very annoying, senior Saotome was walking with his head hung and a slight frown on his face. The last month had really taken its toll on Genma and left him almost a broken man inside. 'The Incident' had ripped Genma's lifelong dream away from him and left him forever barred from his wife should he want to live.
However Genma did not, as many people expected, blame his misfortune on Ranma. Even before the ill fated training at Jusenkyo, Genma had been immensely proud of his son. Genma knew, as he admitted privately to Soun one night when the Saotomes first came to the Tendo household, that he was a pathetic father to Ranma. Looking back on his trip with Ranma, Genma admitted that he had been more focused on being a sensei to Ranma instead of being a father. As proud as Genma was for how, relatively, well Ranma grew up; he felt hollow inside because he had contributed so little to shaping Ranma as a person.
As Genma was pondering his mistakes the sky opened up in a drizzle activating his curse. The Panda raised it's head to the sky and let out a gruff before turning a Panda sign towards the sky that said, "I know, I know, I really messed up-" flip "-don't you kami think that you could-" flip "-send my punishment in slightly more manageable portions?" A lighting bolt striking Genma appeared to be the answer.
A short while latter Kasumi watched as a wet and slightly cooked panda waked into the house. Kasumi handed Genma a glass of hot water which he gratefully accepted. The now human Genma made his way over to the shogi board were Soun was sitting. The two old friends calmly plaid a game of shogi without trying to cheat; it just didn't seem worth it to them to try and cheat anymore.
Midway through the game Soun started to talk. "Saotome old friend, it seems that the kami must be punishing us for the sins of our youth. Everything we've ever dreamed of has been taken away from us one piece at a time. It seems that we are still brothers in almost every way, except that we are now sharing our equal misfortune."
Genma shook his head and said, "While you are correct about the kami punishing us, you fail to see your fortune old friend. I am the one who is the worse off between the two of us old friend, and I accept my punishment for my greater amount of sins. There's only so long that a man can run from his mistakes before he has to accept his punishment. I've made so many foolish mistakes, and compounded them by foolishly trying to avoid the punishment due to me. I've been left a broken man not even able to repay your kindness of providing me with a roof over my head. I have no material wealth, I am estranged from my wife, out of contact with my only son who justly only barely recognizes me as his father, and you are my only friend left."
"You Tendo, my old friend, still have many things to be thankful for. You have your house and dojo, your job on the city council, two beautiful and honorable daughters, the respect of many of your neighbors, you even are in contact with Akane although I will admit that things between the two of you is still quite strained. True, we have both lost our lifelong dream of seeing our families' and our schools' united as one in marriage. However I would rather be in your shoes than mine."
Soun was forced to concede that Genma was correct. However there was one thing that Soun considered himself to be the poorer in. "Saotome my old friend, your correct. However you have the joy of knowing that your martial arts school will last another generation. Mine it seems will die with me." Genma then replied, "Don't be so down Tendo, you're only in your mid forties! We can both train one of your grandchildren when Kasumi or Nabiki decide to have a family. And when we do train any of your future grandchildren, we'll make sure not to make the same mistakes as we did with our own children." The rest of the day went along very quietly at the Tendo home.
Nodoka Saotome and Ikuko Tsukino were both sitting around the Tsukino dinning table drinking some tea. Ikuko had invited Nodoka over to just chit-chat and Nodoka had readily agreed. Currently Ikuko had her head in the pantry as she was looking for some snacks that the two old friends could snack on. Spotting a box of wheat wafers, Ikuko grabbed the box and brought it to the table.
Ikuko then set the box of wafers down on the table and started to talk. "Nodoka, have you noticed anything different going on with Usagi? I would ask about Ranma but I don't know a whole lot about how he normally acts." Nodoka had to stop herself from choking on her tea due to Ikuko's question. Nodoka set her tea cup down and locked her eyes with Ikuko's.
Nodoka was hoping that Ikuko wasn't asking about Ranma and Usagi's nights out on the town as Jovan Paladin and Sailor Moon. Nodoka really didn't want to betray Ranma and Usagi's trust even if it was to her oldest friend and Usagi's mother. Luckily for Nodoka, she didn't jump the gun but simply and politely asked Ikuko a question. "Oh? What do you mean Usagi's been acting strangely lately? When I seen the little dear she's been just as wonderful and cheerful as always."
Ikuko cracked a small smile on hearing Nodoka's praise for Usagi. Ikuko then started to explain what she meant. "It's just that Usagi has been doing some odd things lately. Like yesterday I saw Usagi bringing home 5 books on military history. Usagi has never shown the lightest interest in something like that. And she's been gone for several hours in the afternoon saying that she was with friends; however Ami and one or two of her regular friends have been hanging over here. I'm just worried that Usagi's getting into trouble. I know that she would never do such a thing but I'm still very worried."
After listening to her friend, Nodoka saw a way to calm Ikuko's fears and still keep Ranma and Usagi's major secret. Sure, Nodoka would have to reveal a small secret about the duo; however it was nothing that anyone with eyes couldn't figure out. Nodoka just smiled and said, "Well Ikuko, with the occasional monster attack around here, it's not too hard to see that Usagi may just be getting interested in the armed forces. After all, aren't the Sailor Scouts troops who are defending us even thought they are so young? She's probably just curious and trying to understand what's going on in these attacks better. And for Usagi not being with her usual friends, don't worry Ikuko; I think I know what's going on. You see, the other day I saw Ranma and Usagi kissing in my kitchen."
On hearing that last bit of news Ikuko put her hand to her mouth and started to blush. She then leaned in and started talking like a schoolgirl who has just heard the latest gossip. "You're sure you saw the two of them kissing. Why hasn't Usagi told me about this? I thought I told her to tell me when she started to look at boys again." Ikuko was asking Nodoka for more details about what she saw regarding their children.
Ikuko was so into trying to get answers from her old friend that she didn't notice Luna hop onto the table. Luna, who had heard the entire conversation, gave Nodoka a wink in thanks. Usagi's feline advisor was now quite thankful that Nodoka had found out about the Scouts. Nokoka was easily and completely removing Ikuko's worry. Nodoka, who had been told about Luna yesterday after Ranma and Usagi came over from their Scout meeting, slightly nodded her head to acknowledge the advisor.
Nodoka then was able to get a word in edgewise with Ikuko so she started to speak. "I wouldn't know too much about Ranma and Usagi's relationship. I don't doubt that it's a real relationship and not just some rebound thing. Usagi probably hasn't told you about it simply because of her last boyfriend. I'm sure that it's because of his failed engagement that Ranma hasn't told me yet. They probably don't want us to worry about them getting hurt again. They'll tell us when their ready; and I don't think that we shouldn't worry about it in the mean time."
Nodoka's words completely calmed down Ikuko's worried nerves. After getting over it all Ikuko got a conspiring grin on her face. She then said "You have to admit Nodoka that Ranma and Usagi do make a cute couple." Luna then left the two mothers who were now lost in a discussion about how cute their children were together and what gorgeous grandchildren the two could have. Luna hoped that neither Ranma nor Usagi ever heard the conversation that was now going on. Frankly those two mothers going like that were scarier in Luna's opinion than Metallica.
Hotaru found herself backed in a corner surrounded by some of the meanest of the girls at her school. Ever since the death of Miss Eudial two weeks ago, things seemed to be going down hill for her. Her father spent more and more time away from home; and when he was home he seemed angrier and more distant from her. At the same time, a new bully named Kekio had enrolled in Infinity academy. Kekio had quickly picked up on the local game of 'annoy the freakish girl' and started to gather up some of the meanest girls she could to pick on Hotaru.
Kekio was in the lead of seven girls with a grin on her face as she cracked her knuckles. Kekio was just about to hit Hotaru when she felt something hit her back hard. Kekio and her friends turned around to see Ranma standing by a poll juggling two pebbles lazy in his hand. Ranma then glared at the bullies and said in a very hostile voice. "Leave now or I'll send you into shock trauma." Kekio then started to run away calling out to her followers, "Get out of there! My big brother told me about this guy, he's too strong for us!" All of the bullies quickly scrambled away not wanting to suffer Ranma's anger.
Once all the bullies had disappeared Usagi walked into Hotaru's view and then scolded Ranma. "Ranma, was it really necessary to scare them like that? You could have just told them to leave." At this Ranma started scratching his head as he defended himself, "Well, er-, you see Usagi, ah." Usagi gave a small smile at seeing Ranma get completely tongue tied trying to explain his actions to her. She then just walked up and gave him a peck on the cheek before she said, "Relax Ranma. I know why you did what you did; I just wanted to get a good opening for a kiss."
Hotaru started to giggle on seeing her two friends interact. Those two were always able to brighten up her day in Hotaru's opinion. Neither of her friends thought that she was odd or weird at all with her healing abilities. Usagi and Ranma just accepted her for who she was and Hotaru was eternally thankful for that. A few days ago when Hotaru learned that Ranma and Usagi had started dating, even though they hadn't gone on an actual 'date', Hotaru was ecstatic. Not only were the two nicest people her age, in Hotaru's opinion, go out with each other; but they were still willing to spend time with her.
Since she first met the duo, Usagi and Ranma had showed up every other day to play with her. Usagi, on seeing that Hotaru's frailty would prevent her from playing most outdoor games, had been insisting that the three of them play board games. Each time Usagi and Ranma showed up to play they had a different game to play. The trio headed into a nearby park and sat at a picnic table. Ranma then pulled the game out of his only hidden weapons pocket, which he had developed thanks to Mousse, and started setting the game up.
The game of choice for today happened to be Risk. Ranma started off with North America, Venezuela, Iceland, England, and Scandinavia. Hotaru got the rest of South America, all of Africa, The Middle East, Western Europe, and India. Usagi had the rest of the territories. Hotaru was quite happy that she won the dice roll to go first. She was even happier when her armies on the starting turn managed to steamroll Usagi out of Europe. When Usagi tried to reclaim her territories from Hotaru, her invasion failed completely.
Unfortunately for the girls, it was then Ranma's turn. He completely drove Hotaru out of South America and managed to claim the one Asian territory that bordered on Alaska. As the turns progressed Ranma was relentless in his assault on the girls' combined territory. At the end of his next turn Ranma unified Europe causing Usagi and Hotaru to forge a temporary alliance against him. Sadly for the girls, Ranma was able to defeat their combined assault and still kept expanding.
After she saw Ranma win the game in only seven turns for him, Usagi lowered her head in embarrassment. In the back of her mind Usagi was saying over and over again, "At least his on my side when we face the daemons." Hotaru had a slight blush on her face due to being embarrassed at losing so quickly.
Ranma, on seeing the embarrassed looks on his girlfriend and also on someone he was starting to consider a little sister, just started scratching the back of his head. He then chuckled out, "Now this is unusual. Normally I'm the one who has the bad luck at these kinds of games. In fact, my luck has almost never been as good as it's been the past few days."
As soon as the words left Ranma mouth, his face started to drain of color. Usagi grew concerned and asked, "What's the matter Ranma?" Ranma then got very serious and said, "Usually when my turns good, that means that something big and crazy is about to happen. I'm hopping that with the craziness of Juban acting as a backdrop whatever is about to happen won't cause too much trouble or be too insane." On seeing the odd looks Hotaru and, to a far lesser extent, Usagi were giving him Ranma shook his head. "I'm not kidding here about the insanity I've had to deal with here. One time my school was invaded by a small herd of German speaking, polka dancing pigs! Apparently the pigs were protesting the new roast pork on the school's menu."
Hotaru sweat dropped upon hearing Ranma say this story with full conviction in his voice. Usagi just slightly shook her head at this latest tale that she heard about Ranma's life. Usagi knew that Ranma was telling them the complete and honest truth. She had been able to get Ranma to slowly open up about his past misadventures in Nerima and so knew that something like that was bound to happen in Ranma's life. Usagi hoped that whatever new chaos that was probably coming wouldn't hurt any civilian lives. Also she hoped that it wasn't something in the likes of yet another fiancée out for her boyfriend. Usagi just didn't want to go through that kind of a headache, not when she was worried about what to do when Uyko or that Shampoo girl would eventually locate Ranma.
Hotaru, who was looking up at the sky, tilted her head a bit and said, "Uh, is it me or is that a giant pigeon in the sky. Why is there a giant pigeon carrying a scroll in its feet flying towards us?" At this Ranma and Usagi followed Hotaru's gaze to see that there was in fact a giant pigeon carrying a rolled up scroll in its feet. The pigeon started to fly in circles as if it was looking for something. It then banked sharply to the inside of the circle it was flying in and started descending down to the ground. The pigeon landed on the table facing Ranma and started bobbing its head up and down.
Ranma pulled a cracker out from his hidden weapons pocket and gave it to the bird saying, "Okay, okay here's a treat. Now can I have that scroll you've got in your feet?" The pigeon greedily took the cracker before it hopped in Hotaru's lap and made itself comfortable. Ranma picked up the scroll and, noticing the seal on the scroll, opened it with a slight bit of curiosity.
Usagi noticed that Ranma's face went from showing slight happiness, to nervousness, then to relief, followed by shock, and then to amusement. Usagi wanted to know what was going on and so spoke up. "Ah Ranma, what's going on?" Ranma put the scroll down on the table in order to look Usagi square in the eye. He then sat silently for a second before he spoke up. "Usagi, do you remember the special announcement that our principle stated yesterday?"
Usagi thought back to the announcement that the principal made, apparently their high school was going to be holding a few exchange students from several neighboring countries. Usagi then nodded her head and said, "Yes I remember. Rei was talking about how she and her grandfather are going to be hosting one of the exchange students for the time that they are in Japan." Usagi's eyes widened as she figured that the strangely delivered letter in Ranma's hands probably had something to do with one of the exchange students. Ranma saw the look of understanding cross Usagi's face and he just nodded his head. Ranma then said, "Let me read you the letter Usagi. Ahem,"
"Dear Ranma Saotome,
I am sure that you remember my clan's seal after our little 'encounter' on Mt. Horai. Even though we did not meet or depart on the best of terms, I do owe you my life and for that you have my thanks. In light of this turnaround, and to prevent further misunderstandings between the two of us, I feel compelled to inform you of certain events that have taken place after we departed.
As you know, our whole confrontation happened because of some ill-advised actions of mine in regards to my upcoming betrothal ceremony. Due some of the lasting effects of my actions, plus the blundering of Mint and Lime, my betrothal ceremony was a complete disaster; resulting in my prospective betrothed to break off the engagement. My father has decided that I need 'to expand my understanding of the world' and has enrolled me into a transfer program with a school in the district of Juuban, Tokyo.
My father, who received the complete school roster for the school I am to attend, has informed me that you are attending the same school that I shall shortly be attending. Due to the situation that I currently am in, I am in need of help regarding certain things that only people who have visited certain regions of China are familiar with. I know that I have done nothing to endear myself to you and that it is I who am in your debt, but I find myself without any other options to turn to.
This letter is a formal apology in regards to all the ill that I have committed against your person and those that were in your company at the time. Even though I wasn't in my right mind due to stress at the time, my actions were unacceptable to a person of my rank. If you are willing to put the troubles between us in the past, we can talk more about things in person. I am to be staying with an old priest and his granddaughter at a place called the Hikawa Shrine.
Signed,
Prince Herb of the Musk Dynasty."