Chapter 22: Full Strength
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
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"Whoa! New Senshi?" Usagi was excited. "Um... Hi! I'm Usagi Tsukino! Pleased to meet you!"
Haruka and Michiru looked at Ranma. "We're all one team," he said. "Better get used to these guys..."
Polite introductions were made. "They don't seem like much. Like little girls, if you ask me," Haruka said.
"You're telling me," Ranma lamented. "I'm in high school. I'm used to girls who are a bit more grown up myself."
"Well, we KIDS can still fight!" Usagi protested.
"We teach them," Shampoo said. "They learn good. Except baka Usagi..."
"Oh, great. Everybody's on my case now!"
"She's not meant to be a front-line fighter," Cologne said. "She's the Princess. I think she was given the powers of a Senshi as formal military training, as monarchies will do for their heirs, but she would not have been expected to lead from the field..."
"So who DOES lead in the field?" Haruka asked.
"Ranma, because he's the one who knows what's going on," Rei said. "But he says our real leader should be Venus."
"She's supposed to come back this week, isn't she?" Makoto asked.
"She arrives from England in a couple of days. Give her a day to move in and unpack and she'll go looking for us. You should meet her here..." He indicated a point on their map.
"Us? What about you?"
"I'll have to be gone that day. There's a magical artifact that can help cure my fear of cats, and help with some other things, but it's only available that day."
"Then Luna will finally be able to meet you!" Ami said. "That's great!"
They eventually got down to business. "So what are they doing next?" Usagi asked.
"Another big battle like this?" Rei wondered.
"It was en effective strategy," Ami noted.
"If they throw a couple dozen at us next time..." Makoto shuddered at the possibilities.
"I think there were actually two generals operating last time," Ranma said. "This time there seems to be only one, though we'll have to deal with the other one later. Name is Kunzite, I think. He'll challenge us to a duel for all the crystals and try to keep a bunch of extra youma in reserve, get us engaged individually, and finish us off himself one by one. But he doesn't know about Uranus and Neptune yet..."
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"A panty thief?" Magnetite mused. He looked at the map and noted the location. He was looking over the notes his spy had taken over the few days since the battle. Somewhere in Nerima ward, seemed to be living in an ordinary residential area house. Overheard conversations seemed to mark him as a garden variety lecher.
"A mere lecher... how could he give the Senshi so much trouble? Is there something he knows?" He looked down into the notes on conversations overheard among the occupants of the house. These stopped him in his tracks.
"So... this 'Ranma' is the true identity of Senshi Pluto... and has the power to see the future. As I guessed." He thought about the implications. "Direct attack against her would not work, but if we can follow her to the others, we can again attack them separately..." Nephrite's notes had indicated they were all schoolgirls; it should be easy enough to infiltrate youma as teachers or other students.
The next page was even more explosive. "A blind spot! This 'Happosai' is immune to Pluto's ability? If this is true..." He smiled, then laughed uncontrollably. "We have her now...!"
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A few hours later, on the streets of Nerima, Happosai was lying in the street, severely beaten after Ranma had intercepted him on his latest panty raid, allowing the women chasing him to catch up. He dusted himself off and limped away to lick his wounds. "That Ranma! One of these days I'll come up with a way to teach him a lesson he won't see coming! Something he'll never get himself out of!"
"Excuse me," a smooth voice said. It seemed to be a handsome dark-haired man with women hanging off of his arms. "You know a certain 'Ranma' who lives in these parts?"
"And what business do you have with him? One of his defeated rivals? Someone out to prove you're better?" He didn't look like a martial artist. Then again, some of Ranma's rivals had not looked much like martial artists. And those women with him... He couldn't resist. "Who are the cuties? Any chance of a cuddle?" He reached a hand forth for a grope.
The man backed away with his women. He produced a business card. "Titus Magnus, man about town. Let's just say I have a few... outstanding issues. I'm sure I can get you some... proper company if you get me something in return. Something I believe this Ranma would have."
"Name it. I can get it from him." *Good luck holding onto it once YOU have it,* he thought.
"A couple of large gemstones," the man said. "I would expect them to be kept with friends..."
Within minutes, the deal worked out, Happosai was bounding along the street. By this time tomorrow, hopefully, he would have his comforts and Ranma would know what it was like to be robbed of his treasures. Perhaps he wouldn't be so hasty to steal back all those panties.
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The Nekohanten was relatively quiet at night. Happosai found it easy enough to slip into. He had spent the day looking around for the crystals the man had described. There had been no sign of them at the Tendo home, Furinkan High School, or the Hikawa Shrine. This was the next place to check: with Cologne standing guard, he would probably think it secure.
The back storage areas had lots of boxes and crates to hide them in. One thing that did catch his eye immediately, however, was a cage holding a squirrel. It perked up at seeing him in the dark. Happosai noted it began rattling its cage as if a prisoner wanting to be free.
"Awww. A pet squirrel. You want out? You don't want to go out there. It's fall already. There isn't enough time to gather nuts. You're better off here, where they can feed you."
He kept searching through the storeroom until he was satisfied the gems were not there. Kitchen, dining room... most likely Cologne's room, he decided. If they were as valuable as Magnus claimed, she would keep them close. He would have to be extra careful.
He considered waiting until she woke up in the middle of the night for something. No, he would have to make some noise downstairs to distract her. But there was a risk that she would notice him on the way down.
Ah! He had a potential ally in this. He went back down to the squirrel and opened the cage, then the outer door. "Run along, little squirrel. Run along and find your little girly squirrels to play with..."
The squirrel did not go for the outer door just yet. It headed for the kitchen sink and turned on the hot water. This got Cologne and Shampoo up, but the squirrel didn't seem to care. It dunked itself under the stream.
A young man stood up in the sink. "At last, I am free..." he intoned in a dark voice. "And Ranma and that old ghoul will pay!"
Happosai leapt to the ceiling just before the lights came on. "Mousse!" Cologne said. "How did you get free?"
"I'm not about to tell you!" he said as he dashed naked out the door. Cologne and Shampoo gave chase.
Happosai dropped to the floor, giggling. "Now I have the place all to myself! Let's see, where would she keep it..."
A few minutes later, Cologne and Shampoo returned, having lost track of Mousse. "I think that boy must have an easier time in the dark for being nearly blind," Cologne said. "We'll just have to tell Ranma in the morning."
She was just settling down to bed when a cry came from Shampoo's room. "Great grandmother! Crystal gone!"
Cologne darted to the room. Sure enough, the loose floorboard over the hiding spot was out of place. "Stolen!" she exclaimed. Her brow furled. "There can be only one person who could have done that... and set Mousse free."
"We tell Ranma?" Shampoo asked.
"He will know soon enough. But I think our timetable has just been moved up..."
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Happosai was in heaven. At last he had all the girls a man could want! Girls who actually WANTED to be groped! Girls who didn't mind his age! They thought he was actually HANDSOME!
Magnetite smiled at the diminutive man. The taira placed upon his head was, until now, a useless trinket in his collection of artifacts. Now it had become important; it allowed him to contain the one being Sailor Pluto could not predict. It would keep him experiencing visions of whatever pleasures struck his fancy until removed.
The man seemed to be an unusual source of energy. Pity he had to be kept alive. But until the guinzuishou was assembled, he could not guarantee Sailor Pluto would not find some way to recover the Rainbow Crystals from them.
With an aura of triumph, he strode along the corridors to the audience chamber and bowed. "Queen Beryl, I request audience."
"Magnetite. Have you formulated a plan for gaining the Rainbow Crystals from the Senshi?"
"More than formulated, my queen. I have executed it." He produced the case containing the crystals.
Beryl made a gesture, lifting the case out of his hands and floating it to her to examine. "They are! They are the Rainbow Crystals! You are to be commended, Magnetite. Now the Sailor Senshi are doomed! Our victory is assured!"
She sent out a summons to Kunzite, who reported immediately. "You called, my queen?"
"Magnetite has recovered the Rainbow Crystals the Senshi took from us! Quickly! Bring the rest! We must waste no time! The guinzuishou must be found!"
Kunzite gave Magnetite a look of envy and hatred. How had he done it? Now he, Kunzite, was upstaged. His position was precarious. But he dared not make a move directly against his rival yet. He could only obey. "At once, my queen," he said, and teleported to his stronghold to retrieve the five Rainbow Crystals in their possession.
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Ranma-chan woke suddenly. It was dawn, about time to get up anyway, but the dream ... death, darkness, destruction. The Dark Kingdom was about to triumph! How? Who? What?
She calmed herself down and forced herself into meditative trance. Project going to the nearest phone, calling Nerima... Happosai! The crystals stolen? Well, that could still change. Another projection, looking for the right words... yes. That put things back on track.
She lifted her travel pack and set out at a dead run for her destination. There was no time to lose.
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Morning at the Tendo home. The mailman had dropped off an unexpected package.
"For me and Ranma...?" Akane wondered. "Who's it from?"
She opened the box. The contents were wrapped in newspaper. "It's heavy..."
She tore away the newspaper to find a porcelain statue of Kuno, with a tape deck embedded in it. She played it.
"Akane Tendo... Pig-Tailed Girl... I shall be unable to attend school for the next three days due to personal reasons. Heh heh."
"Sometimes I wish bad taste was a crime," Nabiki said.
"You will be lonely, I know. That is why I send you this statue, that you may gaze lovingly upon it until I return to y-" Akane cut the tape off, stomping on the statue.
"Baka," she said. "Probably going after Ranma again."
"Ranma did say he was going to get something that would help him cure his fear of cats," Kasumi said. "If Kuno knows that's what he wants..."
"He'd want Ranma to keep his weakness," Nabiki finished. "Not that he could if he tried..."
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Kunzite bowed before Beryl, handing over the case containing the five Rainbow Crystals Zoicite had gathered. "Our crystals, my queen."
Beryl took the case and levitated it before her. She placed the last two Rainbow Crystals in it. "Now, we shall at last have the guinzuisou! Now we shall have victory!" She began a chant, summoning power. It seemed so long ago now that she had worked out the spell for this, waiting for this day. At last it was to be used.
Her generals and the attendant youma watched silently. There was a palpable sense of anticipation. The day of victory was at hand! No longer need they fear the Sailor Senshi - they would be irrelevant now. The world would belong to the Darkness!
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Tatewaki Kuno surveyed the men standing in line before and behind him. Many were clearly men of great strength, by training or natural ability. Kuno regarded them with his usual contempt. Those of slighter build he had a little more respect for; they understood, as he did, that no mere strength of arm or training of body would pull the sword from its stone. Only strength of destiny would allow one to do that, and only Kuno (so he fancied) had that.
At the appointed hour, the monks opened the gates and the pulling began. Some men pulled mightily, straining muscles or throwing out their backs. Others just gave the handle a good yank, knowing that should be enough, and went on. One by one, they took their turns and the line moved.
Kuno was prepared with his wishes. Not long ago, it seemed, he would not have known what to do with them if he had got them; what could the man who had everything -looks, fame, wealth, popularity - possibly want? But now he knew he did have one want: To break the curse of Jusenkyo that bound the prophetic lady to Saotome. Without that advantage, surely Tatewaki Kuno would be Ranma Saotome's superior in combat.
The sword would grant two more wishes after that; and in recent days he had decided on one. His attempts to assist the fierce tigress of his passion, Akane Tendo, had come up short; he had no weapon suitable for slaying youma. The sword could surely remedy this.
As to the third wish, he could think of no better gift to Akane. Far be it from him to sink to Saotome's level of vile sorcery and wish for Akane to awaken to her love for him. She would be swayed by his kindness and protection, he was sure. Let her have the last wish, and surely her heart would open of itself.
At last, it was his turn. The moment of destiny awaited. The monks keeping track of the pullers were whispering and pointing at him. Yes! They knew he was the one! "C-can this truly be..."
His thoughts were interrupted by Ranma-kun landing on his head. "Sorry, Kuno," he said. "It wouldn't have worked anyway." He grabbed the sword and yanked.
It came free immediately. Fireworks exploded. Streamers came down in celebration. Monks grabbed at Ranma as he ran past, already trying to distance himself from the enraged Kuno.
Back at the rock, Kuno lifed himself off the ground. "Saotome... You have interfered in my life for the last time! Now you would disrupt a destiny decreed by the gods themselves!" He drew his bokken and gave chase. "Prepare to die!"
Ranma leapt over the back wall of the shrine and settled down to make his first wish. "Wishbringer! Cure my fear of cats!"
The blade vibrated, the vibrations modulating to make a voice. "Your wish is my command." A soft bluish glow surrounded him. There was no immediate sensation. He knew, however, that it had worked. Luna and Artemis would present no problems now.
He felt sandals landing on the top of the wall above him. Kuno had caught up. "Stand and fight, coward! You cannot run from justice!"
"Sorry, Kuno. I got things to do." He ran off into the countryside, careful to say nothing more until he had lost Kuno.
A few miles later his next target was in sight. "Ranma! Where did you go?" Ryoga fumed. "You left me behind! I almost didn't find that guy!"
"But you did find him, didn't you?" Ranma said. "So it's all okay."
"What's that you got?" Ryoga motioned to the sword. "Did you steal that from Kuno or someone?"
"He thinks so." He poked the blade into Ryoga's chest lightly. "Wishbringer! I wish you to give this guy's entire family, including him, a normal sense of direction, so they don't get lost!"
"Your wish is my command." Something like a static shock leapt from the sword to Ryoga.
"Ow!" Ryoga cried. "What's that all about? A talking sword...?"
"I'll tell you in a bit." He now held the sword aloft. "Wishbringer! Summon the guinzuishou to Sailor Moon!"
"Your wish is my command."
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In the depths of the Dark Kingdom, Beryl's chant was at its end. The seven Rainbow Crystals lifted into the air and seemed to turn into balls of colored light, circling about the great chamber, then coming together into a single blazing white light. All those present shielded their eyes for a moment, until the light began to fade.
When it was gone, the air was empty.
"The guinzuishou..." Beryl said, suddenly anxious. "Where is it? Where did it go? The spell... it had to work! We must find the guinzuishou!"
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"This is it!" Usagi dove into her two ice cream treats with gusto. "Mmmm! I'm feeling fulfilled! This has got to be the correct way of spending a day off!"
"Usagi-chan, if you eat too much you'll gain weight," Makoto warned.
"But how am I supposed to stop?"
"You shouldn't be stuffing your face at a time like this, odango atama," Rei said. "We have to find Happosai. He's probably going to demand all sorts of ecchi things for those Rainbow Crystals..."
"What if he's given them to the Dark Kingdom?" Ami worried.
"Then we really are shafted," Makoto said. "I don't even want to think about that."
"Oh! There she is!" Ami pointed into the crowd. "Minako!"
Usagi waved. "Hey! Over here! Minako-san!" The Senshi headed for their final member.
Minako looked up from a letter she was reading. Artemis was at her feet. "It's them!" he whispered. "It's really them! Luna!"
"Oh, hi!" Minako said. "So you guys are the...uhm... pen pals?" She fell into step with them as they headed to a park for a more discreet discussion.
"Whatcha reading?" Usagi asked. "Is that from a boyfriend?"
"Some guy named Ranma," Minako said. "Telling me all about you guys, and him. I thought it was really weird, getting a letter the day after moving in from England..."
Rei nodded. "He does that. He basically knows everything before it happens. He told us about you months ago."
"That's kinda creepy," Minako said. "Somebody knowing so much about you before you even meet. And this thing about changing from a boy to a girl - that's just too weird."
"I know!" Usagi said. "It's still wierd to us. You HAVE to see it for yourself."
"What's he like? Is he a hunk?"
"Yeah, but he's taken. By a bunch of people, he says."
Minako was crestfallen. "Always that way with guys... Why can't I find a good one?"
They arrived at the park. Haruka and Michiru were waiting. "So... this is Sailor V? Or should we call her Venus?"
Minako was about to ask something when it happened. A light blazed forth in the air in front of Usagi. Everyone felt themselves shift into Senshi costumes, Usagi going through a two-stage transformation from civilian to Senshi to a fancy flowing white gown with silver trim.
The light seemed like it should be blinding, but the Senshi gazed on it with open eyes; it was soothing, healing, inspiring feelings of warmth and safety. Usagi held her hand out to it, grasped it; it became solid, a silvery-white crystal, the glow fading.
"What... what just happened?" she asked, looking at the sky, as if the answers might be found there.
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"What was all this about?" Ryoga asked. "Wishes? From that sword?" He bopped Ranma on the head. "Why didn't you tell me!"
Ranma rubbed the bump on his head, then stuck the sword in the ground. He began walking in the direction of Tokyo. "Some medieval legend. Sword in a stone. I think the rule was... 'The one millionth unique person to try to pull it on this date will succeed, and get three wishes.'"
"Three wishes... Do you know what I could have done with three wishes!"
"Other than what I just did for you? I'd guess you want to be invincible again."
"Well, yeah... that... but maybe..."
"Maybe what? Find a girlfriend? Gee... now that you can find your way around maybe there'll be a point to it. I mean, how could you keep up a romance if you're getting lost all the time?"
"MY PARENTS DID IT!" Ryoga moved to bash Ranma again, but this time he dodged.
"Oh, yeah. You might want to say hello to them, now that you can..."
Kuno's voice now came from behind them. "Hold! You shall not escape the justice of the Gods, Saotome! Those wishes were destined for me! Now you have wasted them!"
"Gee, thanks!" Ranma shouted back. "All I did was SAVE THE WORLD!"
"Prepare yourself," Kuno said, adopting a stance.
Ryoga watched as Ranma again casually demolished Kuno. "Keep it up, Kuno," he said as he dusted off his hands. "You actually lasted thirty seconds that time. Maybe next time you'll break a minute."
"Are you just going to leave him with that sword?" Ryoga asked as they started walking again.
"The wishes are gone, but it's still got enough magic to kill youma. That ought to help..."
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Some hours later at the Nekohanten, there was a full meeting of the Senshi, minus Pluto, with Cologne, Shampoo, and Ukyo. Everyone was back in civilian guise. Introductions were made, notes were compared, and love advice given.
Cologne had just gotten off the phone. "That was Ranma," she reported. "He will be back late tonight, so we will have to wait until morning for a full strategy meeting."
"Did you tell him about what happened here?" Usagi asked.
"He said he caused it," Cologne said. "He was going to get a powerful magical item that would solve a few of our problems. It seems he solved more than he bargained for." She explained the Wishbringer to the group, and the wishes Ranma had made.
"Awfully convenient, I'd say," Haruka said. "Having something like that turn up just when we need it most."
"He knew what to do with it," Michiru said. "He only used one wish on himself, and for something that helps him work with someone else."
"Another on Ryoga, so he won't get lost," Rei said. "He kept showing up at our temple. I wonder if we'll ever see him again now..."
"Do you think Ranma is trying to patch things up with Ryoga?" Ami asked. "Make friends with him? He did make sure his Jusenkyo curse was cured before, and now he fixes something else that's wrong with him..."
"Or maybe he's just recruiting," Haruka speculated. "After what you said he did against Zoicite, maybe Ranma thinks he can be a valuable asset."
"He's more than just an 'asset'," Makoto said with a touch of annoyance. "He's one of our friends now!"
"Nevertheless," Cologne said, "there may be some truth to that. He had more than his usual power level against Zoicite, but even at his normal power level he's a formidable fighter. We could use him in our final battle."
"Yeah!" Ukyo said. "So when do we attack?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Haruka said. "Time out. We just got here. We need time to figure this stuff out for ourselves."
"Yeah! I've just made a bunch of new friends!" Minako said. "We need to go shopping together!" Luna and Artemis both sweatdropped at that.
"There may not be time," Cologne said. "Ranma's original plan was to have you all take a few weeks to get to know each other before invading. The way things sound, not all that much may have changed, but we will have to wait for Ranma to check out the near future thoroughly before we know for sure."
"When will he be back, then?" Usagi asked.
"Not until tomorrow," Cologne conceded. "Perhaps we should all -"
"GO SHOPPING!" Usagi said. "Minako-chan has the right idea! Let's hit it!"
Cologne sighed. "Children..."
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"Oh, Ranma! Welcome home!" Kasumi said as she prepared breakfast. He had to have come back very late at night. "How was your trip? Did you get what you were looking for?"
"Morning, Kasumi," Ranma yawned. "Yep. Get everything I needed. Not afraid of cats anymore."
"Then you wouldn't mind if we adopted a kitten?"
Was she actually... TEASING him? Didn't matter. "Go right ahead. Anyone seen the old freak?"
"Probably out on a raid," Akane said.
"A little more than that, maybe..." Ranma shook his head. "I'll probably run into him soon anyway."
He knew, however, it would be in the wrong place.
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Beryl was looking... concerned. That worried her surviving youma and generals. When she was concerned about something, she tended to take it out on her subordinates.
"Kunzite, Magnetite, report. Have you found the guinzuishou?"
"The humans have noted a disturbance at a park in the Sailor Senshis' territory," Kunzite said. "Humans for nearly a mile around were affected. They reported a euphoric effect, and some sick and injured humans are reported healing or recovering at an accelerated rate."
"That will be the effect we would expect," Beryl mused. "So... in Sailor Senshi territory, you say? Does that mean they have it?"
"It would make sense," Magnetite said. "I expect it was attuned to one of them, likely Sailor Moon."
Beryl gritted her teeth. "She must not have learned to use it yet, or we would all be destroyed! We must find her and defeat her!"
"Your majesty," Kunzite said, "I recommend we lure them to a location of our choosing. With proper preparations, we can have a power advantage over them."
Beryl nodded, but then turned to Magnetite. Divide and rule had its uses, but now she could not risk losing the guinzuishou to petty rivalries, not when they were so close. "Magnetite, how would you get the guinzuishou from the Senshi?"
"The idea is sound," Magnetite allowed, "but the Senshi have been known to keep members and allies in reserve. I would continue to gather information, perhaps use only one youma at a time to see if any new Senshi show up, until we are sure their numbers are complete."
"You would dither while the Senshi learn to use the power of the guinzuishou!" Kunzite barked. "Wars are won with speed and strength. I will send as many youma as necessary to defeat them when they and their human allies appear."
"Very well, Kunzite. Proceed with your plan," Beryl ordered.
Kunzite saluted and teleported away to start his operation. Magnetite returned to his own command center to supervise his prisoner.
He adjusted the tiara slightly on Happosai's head. The diminutive lecher immediately felt the effect. "Oh! No! Don't go! Don't leave me! My pretties... come back..."
"We wish to go somewhere," he said, knowing his voice would be heard as a plausible female voice from one of his fantasy women. "To where Ranma goes when he meets with his friends. Do you know where they meet?"
"Oh... of course... there are a couple of restaraunts he goes to... did you want that Amazon place, or the one his fiancee owns...?"
Magnetite smiled. It should not take long to find out where the people important to Sailor Pluto, or 'Ranma' as this small man seemed to know him, could be found when he was not protecting them. And then they were sure to get at least one.
"To set the perfect trap, you need the right bait..."
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AN: I should have started writing this years ago, when I first had the idea. As it is, it's going to be a bit rushed in spots. I wish I could add sections with random character interaction, and give Shampoo more lines. But with so many characters to work with, it seems like someone always gets squeezed out...
Next chapter may take a while, I have some real life issues to sort out. Meawhile, suggestions for brushing up earlier chapters are welcome.