Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
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"...With the sudden disappearance of the terrorists, we are left wondering: Where have they gone? When will they strike next? And just who ARE they and what do they want? Joining us in our studio is counterterrorism expert Dr. Ichiro Kanzaki. Welcome, Dr. Kanzaki."
"Thank you."
"Doctor, to begin with, just what do we know about these terrorists so far?"
"Well, we know they began to operate a little over a year ago, and investigations of some of their operations indicate that they were set up all over the world at that time, on every continent. It appears that the first set of activities were begun within a few days. A few early operations in England were disrupted by Interpol, and since last April the operations in Japan have been disrupted by some sort of vigilante element..."
"The so-called 'Sailor Senshi'?"
"Yes. As the Sailor Senshi have demonstrated abilities similar to the terrorists, we theorize that they are a breakaway group, disenchanted by the terrorists' leadership."
"Are there any indications where they came from?"
"There appear to be no solid indications at this time where they were formed. Several operations appear to have been recruitments, inviolving some type of temporary indoctrination, but they have always lost heart when apprehended. As to central bases of operations, we are still investigating leads."
"What of their purpose? Have any messages or demands been received from their leadership?"
"We've had none so far, which is troubling. They have compromised security in almost every major nation, some smaller countries were almost brought to their knees in the recent battles, but their leadership has yet to identify itself or their goals. We think they may simply have been making demonstrations before now, and will be making their demands soon."
"What of reports that they have used weapons of mass destruction? There has been talk of possible chemical, biological, or radiological agents used in some battles."
"We're looking into those. I will say that there has been no residual radiation detected at any former incident site, and that the only symptoms we have seen among victims have been a loss of energy and some dehydration. There have been no signs of any symptoms of radiation poisoning, so we are tentatively ruling out radiological agents. There are no residual chemical traces consistent with any agent known to cause this sort of energy loss, and nothing we know of has such a quick recovery. A biological agent similar to a 24-hour flu is possible, or some chemical or biological agent that produces energy loss in the presence of a certain radio or microwave frequency. We are still investigating this, and it may take some time."
"A strong opinion has emerged in recent days, after the major battle in Tokyo and now all over the world, that these terrorists are more unorthodox than authorities are willing to admit. Dr. Souichi Tomoe of the Mugen Gakuen School has claimed that, quote, "what the world has seen of these beings clearly indicates non-terrestrial origin and technology." He speculates that they are more of a probing force gathering intelligence on our capabilities, that their sudden disappearance was a teleportation to their fleet, and that they can be expected to return in force at some future time."
"Dr. Tomoe's reputation is well known in the scientific community, and these claims sound a bit hyperbolic. I think clearly he is trying to stir up more funding for his own research. At this time, we can categorically rule out any fantastic theories..."
Nabiki found she could not keep from laughing. "i'd love to see the look on his face when he finds out they're MAGIC!"
"But how would he find out?" Kasumi asked innocently. "Will Ranma and the Senshi be doing a press conference?"
"I would be happy just to have them back home," Nodoka said. "They've been gone such a long time..."
"The youma are all dead," Kasumi tried to reassure her. "That has to mean they've won..."
"Maybe no one won..." Nodoka wrung her hands in worry and frustration. "My son... just when I've found you, I've lost you..."
Nabiki was too realistic to be reassured so easily. She found it all too easy to imagine both sides wiping each other out in the final battle between the Sailor Senshi and the Dark Kingdom. She could accept the Senshi and Ranma dying, they were super heroes, they knew the risk. But her little sister was still with them, and now that it was a realistic prospect that she might never see Akane again, Nabiki found that she could not honestly say she wouldn't feel a twinge of sorrow for her.
She would feel the hit to her fortune a bit more acutely soon. They were currently in a cheap motel room near Nagasaki. The family plastic was covering it, for the moment; there would be no vacation this year. A few more days, and Nabiki would start to see her own seed money for future plans start to dwindle.
A series of knocks at the door drew their attention. Three, then two, then four. The men were back with the results of the day's hunt. They hushed up quickly, and Nodoka went to the door and opened it.
No one was there. Nodoka swung her cloth-wrapped sword out the doorway to the left, producing an "Oww!"
It was Soun on that side. Genma was on the right. They both darted in and shut the door. Soun was rubbing his temple.
"You got the wrong side!" he complained.
Nodoka merely sweatdropped. "You men and your games..."
"These are no games!" Genma said defensively. "We might have been ambushed by youma out there!"
"And WE might have been replaced while you were gone," Nabiki said. "It doesn't help to be too paranoid. There isn't going to be a youma under every rock."
Genma would not be swayed. "It's always the rock you don't check that hides your enemy!"
They settled down to their meal, such as it was. They had gotten a selection of snacks and chilled meals from the motel vending machines. The tap water from the sink wasn't particularly hot, especially in winter, so instant ramen or rice was out. They had some, saved for lunch, when they would be on the road and able to gather firewood. For now they made do with tacos, crackers, and energy bars, with bottles of tea to drink.
Soun laid out a map, and they began to look at their options. "We can make it to Okinawa today if we set out early..."
"Are you insane!" Genma exploded. "Trapped for most of the day on a ferry? If there were a youma in board, there would be nowhere to run! And on an island at the end of the trip! We need room to be able to get away! We must stay on Honshu!"
"I'm getting tired of these campgrounds and training areas," Nabiki said. "It IS winter, you know. Being outside all day in the chill is not doing anything good for my health."
"We have to stay on the move," Genma insisted. "I know dozens of remote places in the mountains where there should be no one. If any youma show up we would see them coming easily." He walked his fingers over the map. "Just don't repeat any place before going to at least three or four different ones first. And no consistent pattern..."
"I'm sure we can go home now, husband," Nodoka pleaded. "The news is full of reports that the youma are gone..."
Genma glared at his wife. "Trust me. I'm an expert in survival."
"You're an expert at running away..." Nabiki said.
"That's true," Kasumi confirmed. It was, indeed, a well-known fact.
They were interrupted by another knock at the door. They quieted immediately; Genma motioned the women to the bathroom, while he and Soun moved to check at the blinds.
When they saw who it was, Soun could not contain himself. He rushed toward the door. "AKANEE!"
Genma stopped his old friend in his tracks, knocking him to the floor. "NO, fool! They could be youma! As we practiced!"
Soun placed himself next to the door, hand on the doorknob, ready to open quickly. Genma braced himself at the back of the room, one foot on the wall. He charged at the door, jumping just as Soun opened it. He flew out the door at chest height - and landed hard on the pavement outside. There had been nothing in his way.
"What did I tell you?" Ranma's voice said. "Don't need future sight. Pop's just too easy to guess."
Genma got up and dusted himself off. "Dammit, boy, if you knew what was coming you should have met with a counter -"
He turned to face his son - and stopped in shock.
"Sorry, Pop," Ranma-kun said. "I couldn't resist watching you fall flat on your face."
Genma barely registered his words. He looked from one side of the door to the other. From Ranma-kun to Ukyo to - Ranma-chan?
"Could we get inside?" Ukyo said. "It's kind of chilly out here."
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
There was a strange tension in the air as everyone sat in the motel room. Ranma, Ukyo, and Sailor Pluto sat on one bed, eyes scanning politely across Soun, Nabiki, Kasumi, Genma, and Nodoka. The latter were shifting, unbelieving, between Ranma and Pluto.
Soun pressed for his concerns first. "Akane - where is she? Is she all right? Please tell me she's not dead..."
"She's with the Amazons," Pluto said. "She should be coming back with the Kunos in a few days."
"Worse than dead," Nabiki said.
Soun didn't agree. "YES!" Rising Sun fans appeared in his hands. Confetti balls exploded. Fireworks went off somewhere.
The women kept switching their gaze from Ranma to Pluto. "Ano..." Nodoka said, "I'm sorry... this is a bit... confusing to us. Are you two really -?"
"Allow me to explain," Sailor Pluto said. "For the past year, Ranma-kun has been my host. He has commanded my powers and taken my form, but my spirit has not been in control. During the battle in the Dark Kingdom, I was finally freed from him by exposure to the light of the guinzuishou. I am pleased to truly meet all of you at last. I am Sailor Pluto." She bowed deeply at the waist.
"You are... the one who was used to create the pool?" Kasumi asked.
"I was trapped there, unable to be reincarnated as the other Senshi were," Pluto said. "I could only live through my hosts." She bowed again, to the Tendos and to Ranma. "I must thank you for bearing up under the imposition."
"Oh, no problem," Kasumi said.
"No problem!" Nabiki exclaimed. "Because of HER, we got drawn into a magical WAR! We almost got KiLLED!"
"It was the Master who almost got us killed," Genma said angrily. "He's always doing that. That's why we tried to get rid of him." He leaned forward toward Pluto and lowered his voice. "So, when will he be...?"
"Never," Pluto said. "He is dead. As is Elder Cologne."
Genma and Soun both put their hands together in prayer and began to wail to the heavens. "Great Kami, let it be so! Free at last!"
"That's so sad," Kasumi said, eyes tearing up. "Grandmother Cologne... now Shampoo will have to go back alone!"
"She was a hundred years old," Nabiki pointed out. "She couldn't have lasted much longer anyhow. Did she leave anything for Ranma?"
"Nabiki!" Kasumi chided.
"Hey., it's worth a shot," Nabiki said.
"The village will show its gratitude," Pluto said. "But it will not be anything you can sell." This left Nabiki crestfallen.
"What about the monsters?" Nodoka asked. "The news is reporting they have disappeared all over the world. Will they be back?"
"We beat them!" Ranma puffed out his chest, looking proud of himself.
"The Senshi beat them," Ukyo said.
"They killed Beryl," Ranma said. "They wouldn't have gotten that far if it hadn't been for me!"
"Not entirely true," Pluto said. "Had I taken an Amazon host, she would not have left the village. The Senshi would have faced Beryl without my powers, or Uranus or Neptune. The Inner Senshi would have died alone. Not that the Amazons would care. They would appreciate a warrior's death, but if that warrior were not a formal member of the village, they would not send reinforcements."
"Wait a minute..." Ranma said. "You make it sound as if you had a choice. What about MY choice?"
"Isn't choice an illusion of those who don't know the larger picture?" Nabiki asked. "Or something like that?"
"What choice did you want?" Pluto asked Ranma. "It's perfectly simple, actually. You have been raised to tread a path, and you accepted that path long ago. You want only enough freedom to walk it properly. I was a diversion, a threat to derail your Destiny. If there had been any other choice, for either of us, I would have taken it."
"So what did your choice get us?" There was bitterness in Ranma's voice.
"No more monsters," Ukyo said, trying to look on the bright side.
"Unless you want some," Pluto said, standing up. "There are still things around to test a hero's strength. But you will be free to pursue your obligations as yourself."
"No way," Ranma said. "I've had it with the weird stuff."
"As you wish." Pluto strode to the closet and opened the door.
"Wait," Ukyo said. "If we do need you... how will we find you?"
"You don't. If you wish to work with the Senshi again, and they are willing, you can always go to the Hikawa Shrine. But if all goes well, hopefully, you should never see me again." She entered the closet and closed the door after her.
Everyone stared at the door for a minute. Nodoka finally got up and opened the closet again. It was, of course, empty.
"O-kay!" Nabiki clapped her hands together. "I guess it's time to go home! I've missed enough school already..."
"There is something that should be settled first," Soun said gravely.
"Ohhhhh no..." Ukyo said.
"The Anything-Goes School must still be united!" Genma said fiercely. "Ranma, you have had all year to get to know your fiancees! So, which do you choose? Kasumi, Nabiki, or Akane?"
"Not that again!" Nabiki gasped.
"Have you no loyalty to your family?" Soun pleaded.
"The joining of the schools is hereby put off for another generation," Ukyo said, in her best impression of a civil official.
"You WILL agree to marry your children to my grandchildren?" Soun's mercurial expressions were now ranging to the threatening again.
"We'll consider it," Ranma and Ukyo said together.
"Kasumi? Nabiki?" Soun was losing his spine again, as he often did with his daughters.
"Um... if it's not too big of a burden, I suppose..." Kasumi said vaguely.
"Only if you get it in writing," Nabiki said. "I don't want the same thing happening to my kids as happened to me. If something happens to me, I don't want to rely on absent-minded men to tell them they're spoken for THE DAY OF THE ENGAGEMENT." She glared meaningfully at her father. "And you know what Kuno will say if you include Akane."
Discussion of the terms of the contract, and failsafe measures, took up much of their trip home. Nominally, the fathers would accept a deferred engagement. The rest accepted that they would try something on their own.
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
All over the Tokyo area, indeed many parts of the world, the disappearance of the youma was met with sighs of relief. And, among a good many schoolchildren, cries of disappointment. Some of the loudest came from a middle school in Juuban.
"It's sooooo unFAAAAIIIIRRRR!" Usagi yelled as she, Ami, and Makoto walked out of school after their first day back. "We save the whole world and we don't get so much as a 'thank you'! No one knows we did it! We ought to get a parade!"
"You know we can't, Usagi-chan," Makoto said. "Pluto said we still need our secret identities. We've got to keep training..."
"She's right, Usagi-chan," Ami said. "There's still monsters out there. She said there were all kinds of spirits that the Senshi had to keep in check in ancient times. And there are still some old enemies from those times that may still be lurking about."
"And who knows what new stuff that's been growing since we've been out of the loop," Makoto added.
"Can't we at least take a breather!" Usagi complained. "I want to sleep for a week! I've NEVER had this much homework before! And they say the school year will be extended to make up for the lost days! Come OOOOONNN! Everyone else got three days off!"
"You should be glad that's all we've got!" Makoto said. "We really dodged a bullet! At least they accepted our story about being captured by youma..."
"They should! It was TRUE!"
"We weren't the only ones," Ami pointed out. "A lot of people went missing during the attacks. Some of the people listed as missing were youma cover identities, but dozens of human bodies have been found. My mom is grateful I came back at all."
"Yeah," Makoto said, "aren't your parents glad to have you back?"
Usagi couldn't honestly say they weren't. "But now I'm grounded for life! They're not letting me out of the house except for school! I won't get to go anywhere with you guys!"
"That could be a problem," Ami mused. "If something does come up, we need to be able to get you out of the house..."
This did nothing to lift Usagi's spirits. Life in Juuban was on its way back to normal. Which, for some people, seemed not to be a blessing.
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
That day in Nerima was better for the Tendos. Nabiki had fretted about being behind on gossip and profit-making opportunities, and was glad to find she hadn't missed anything due to the school shutdown. Akane had just returned from the airport, having shared a flight with the Kunos. She and Kodachi had agreed to keep Tatewaki between them - unconscious.
With Akane home, peace finally settled in. It lasted until Genma Saotome showed up.
"He's gone!" the stocky martial artist said.
"Gone?" Soun asked.
"I got up for training this morning and Ranma was already gone. He's never just gone. I know he's trying to get away from us!"
Soun's anger flared. "Children today... no respect for their parents..."
"Awwwww," Akane drawled. "He got away before you could trick him into marrying one of us."
Soun glared at his daughter in annoyance, then turned back to his old friend. "He'd go to Kuonji first -"
"First place I checked," Genma said. "Her shop is vacant, she's moved out. She left an okonomiyaki..."
He handed Soun a piece of crumpled wrapping paper. It still had particles of bread and sauce on it, and a message in marker.
WE'RE ELOPING
"How far did you chase them?"
"I haven't begun," Genma said evenly. "The okonomiyaki that was wrapped in that..."
"It was drugged, wasn't it," Soun stated. And Genma was not known for refusing free food...
"She's never done that before!" Genma said defensively.
"Must have learned from the Amazons," Nabiki said idly.
"So you've been out most of the day," Soun guessed. "There's no time to lose!"
The two fathers rushed out the front door.
"Do they have any idea where to start looking?" Akane asked.
"Would it matter to them?" Nabiki said in reply.
"Oh my," Kasumi said. "I suppose we will only need dinner for three..."
Soun would return after almost two weeks, not feeling like engaging in a global chase. Let Genma follow the boy. The Tendo dojo wouldn't run itself.
Within days, his duaghters would come home from school with a Picolet Chardin II in tow. The master of Anything-Goes Martial Arts would find new impetus to search for his other prospective son-in-law.
It seemed that the situation in Nerima had returned to normal... all too normal.
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
There are many people enjoying the Okinawa sun. Ranma does so in his own way, doing katas on the beach. It has been two weeks since leaving Nerima, and he is feeling carefree for the first time in a year. He was back on the road, travelling to improve his skills. It has been some years since his father took him to Okinawa to test the local dojos and training halls. He would like to see how much better he can do now.
Nearby, Ukyo is plying her trade again. She has been saving her money, and gambling under Ranma's direction whilst he had the Sight. Nabiki may never be satisfied, but Ukyo was happy enough to have been able to afford a new yattai. Call it a wedding gift, a replacement for the lost dowry.
"Here you go, Mr. Otonashi," she says, serving to a blond American. A lot of her customers today are attached to the military base: servicemen, contractors, family members. It does seem a bit out of place for a blond man to have a Japanese name. Did he actually immigrate? It feels like a fish trying to live on land.
Ranma does not worry about such things. He worries about what he sees in the trees. He stops his practice and gently sidles up to his fiancee for a whisper. "Looks like we have a panda in the trees."
Ukyo glances at the forest across the road. Mr. Saotome no longer transforms into a panda, not that either form could hide in trees particularly well. "Ugh. I thought we'd be able to stay ahead of him longer."
They pack up and get ready for a chase. They have no problem knocking him out again and gaining more time. The following week, they will be in America, where Genma will not think to search for months. And then...
Who knows? Who cares? Not they. They are where they should be, where they have always been, living in the moment. The future had better leave them alone.
It won't, of course. It always handles itself.