SMST 5B: Journey to Adventure! – By DS Wynne
Disclaimer: SM, R1/2, ST and other genres belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre story.
Part 24
As Usagi trots towards the cemetery, the source of the disturbance, she could see Rokoa lower a gigantic spiked mace on Moka-chan. At the same time, Usagi could see Moka-chan's male friend and classmate Tsukune run between Moka-chan and Rokoa-
"Rokoa, NO-!" Usagi yelled.
THOOM!
"Huh?" said Yukari, as she and the others turn towards their homeroom teacher.
"What's Miss Rantsu doing here?" Kurumu asked.
"Maybe she's a stalker like me?" Mizore said, as she sucked on her lollipop.
"I did it!" Rokoa said, as she jumped for joy. "I destroyed the pretender- oh?"
Rokoa immediately turns towards the source of a major disturbance…
"Rokoa, I tolerated much as your step-mother, but you've crossed the line," Usagi said, as her eyes flashed with anger.
"Gah!" Rokoa said, as she wards off the wave of dark energy that she was feeling at the moment.
"Ah!" Yukari said, as she wards off the energy she was feeling.
"What kind of evil power is this?" Kurumu said with fright.
"Wait, did the teacher say…step-mother?" Mizore said coolly.
"But I only wanted the REAL Moka to come out!" Rokoa cried out in a panic.
Usagi step forward towards Rokoa. With each step forward, the wave of dark energy increases…
"Really, Mother," said a voice underneath the fallen giant mace. "As much as I hate your interference in my life, you should have better faith in your training methods…"
"Huh?" Usagi and the others turn to see the giant spiked mace being lifted off the ground. The familiar wisp of gray hair could be seen…
"Never the less, I never expected my own sister to attack me with such hatred…Rokoa," Moka-sama said, as she burns her red eyes into her younger sister.
"Ah!" Rokoa said.
"Oh, Tsukune must have gotten to Moka-chan in time," Kurumu said.
"Ah, well…no matter the opponent, they should expect to have their fangs broken," Moka-sama said, as she winds up to perform a flip kick. "And on THAT note, there is only one thing to say…"
SWISH!
KICK!
Rokoa goes flying fifty yards towards a series of gravestones, while, with one hand, Moka-sama tosses the giant spiked mace aside with a thunderous roar.
THOOM!
"Ahhh-!"
BOOM!
Moka-sama waits for her younger sister's next move, while Tsukune was about to move up."
"Moka-sama- urk!"
Usagi pulls Tsukune away.
"Leave them alone," Usagi said gently.
"But-" Tsukune said
"This is normal for them.
"But-"
"Trust me, I know my daughters well."
Tsukune looks into Usagi eyes. For some reason, he could trust his substitute homeroom teacher…
"Hey, you're not trying to hypnotize the man I love, are ya?" Kurumu said.
"Kurumu, if I wanted Tsukune for myself, which I do not, I don't a novice succubus could stop me. I bet you haven't even had your first kiss, huh?"
"Oooooh!"
"You're really Moka and Rokoa's mother?" Yukari asked.
"Yes, though only by marriage where Rokoa is concerned," Usagi said. "Still, I consider her my own in spite of her rambunctious nature."
"If all this is true, why won't you stop them from fighting?" Tsukune asked.
"You'll see…"
"I don't need 'family business' to be spilled, Mother," Moka-sama said, as she glances back.
FWOOSH!
The sky lights up, as Rokoa's eyes and aura lights up.
"GRAAAWWW-!" Rokoa roared.
"Huh, she HAS gotten stronger the last time we fought," Moka-sama said.
"Such power-!" Kurumu laments.
"Could this be the beginning of a death match?" Yukari cried.
"I do not think the school can survive such an event," Mizore said.
Tsukune takes a look at this, and turns towards Usagi.
"Please, you got to stop them before-"
"BIG SISTER!" Rokoa said, as she jumped for joy, and she gloms unto Moka-sama. "It's really YOU-!"
"Eh," Moka-sama said. "I thought you wanted to destroy me."
"Only that fake, step-mother had created!" Rokoa said, as she continued to snuggle.
Everyone else was shocked.
"…"
"Told you," Usagi said with a gentle smile.
"Wait, YOU created the nice Moka-chan?" Yukari asked.
"It's a long story…"
"Ugh, you're getting annoying!" Moka-sama said, as kicks Rokoa in the air.
BAM!
"What a kick!" Rokoa said happily.
"Humph!" Moka-sama said, as folds her arms. She then feels a tap on her shoulder.
"Honestly, I don't know what to do with these two at times," Usagi said as she shook her head.
Meanwhile, later that evening, Ranma begins to dream…
"Hey, Yosho!" Ranma said, as he gripped the handle of his lightsword "Kenshin". He was suppose to meet with the son of his host for a sparring practice that afternoon, after class on the grounds of the Science Academy on Jurai. For the past year, he and his traveling companions, to say the least, had been acclimating themselves to this familiar, yet alien world. He even took up the 'lightsword' as a hobby, even though he didn't like the use of weapons as a primary tool of combat.
"Man, where the heck is that guy-?"
And then he hears crying.
"Hmmm?" Ranma said, as he begins to go to the source of the sound…
As he turns to corner, he could see a little girl crying while sitting on a large tree limb from one of the sacred Juraian trees.
As the girl continues to cry, Ranma looks up.
"Yo, kid," Ranma said, as he looks up. "Are you stuck or something?"
The little cry nods her head in reply.
"Well, if you want, I can catch you."
The little girl looks down skeptically.
"It's easy," Ranma said with a gentle smile. "All you have to do is pretend you are like a feather. I'll be here to catch you. You understand?"
The little girl sniffs, while wiping away her tears, nods her head in reply.
"Okay, now," Ranma said, as he places his lightsword into he waist sash before spreading his arms wide. "Ready when you are…"
The little girl swallows hard, before jumping off the tree limb.
"Yah-!" the girl said, as she fell into Ranma's arms.
CLUMP!
"There," Ranma said with a smile, as he held the girl. "That wasn't so bad, no, was it?"
The little girl smiled at Ranma.
"So, what's your name?" Ranma asked.
"Ku…Kusano," the girl replied.
"Hmmm…Kuu-chan, then," Ranma said with a smile. "That is a cute name."
The girl smiles happily…
"So, what's a cute kid doing out here by herself?" Ranma asked.
Kusano looks away…
"Kuu-chan…?"
"Kuu was being selfish for wanting to be outside," Kusano replied.
Suddenly, the wind seemingly picks up, and carries off Kusano.
"Please…help me-!"
"Kusano-!" Ranma said, as he reaches out to grab the girl to no avail…
Ranma snaps his eyes open, only to see Musabi staring down at him.
"Mianto, are you okay?" Musabi asked anxiously. "You were talking in your sleep…"
"I guess I am," Ranma said, as he rubs his forehead. "It must be something that I ate last night…"
Ranma then turns towards Musabi and smiles.
"But don't worry about me, Musabi," Ranma replied. "I'll be fine."
However, Ranma knew that he had more than a dream, considering the fact that he saw the same girl awake. But he still wasn't sure how Jurai factored in all this. Unfortunately, with Washu back in outer space with the others, he'll have to figure things out for on his own…
The next morning, Ranma was up bright and early, performing his morning kata forms.
"Hu-wah!" Ranma said, as he moved with a steady cadence. With each follow through, Ranma's movements approached the sound barrier. Of course, he could faster, but a true martial artist's competency is based upon control, not necessarily speed or power…though that can help.
Once Ranma completes the last of his advanced katas…
"Ya-TAH!" Ranma called out, as he performs a flying uppercut, flips, rolls and lands on the spot where he began his exercise.
And then, he heard a small clapping sound from behind. Ranma turns around to see-
"Miss Miya?" Ranma said.
"Please, call me 'Miya-chan'," Miya said, as she walks out onto the yard carrying a simple katana with a wooden scabbard. "I didn't know you practiced martial arts."
"Yeah, a little," Ranma said, as he tried to dismiss the matter as a "goof". He then glances at Miya's sword.
"I didn't know you practiced the sword technique."
"Well…only a little," Miya said with a gentle smile.
"Well, I'll get out of your way," Ranma said. "By the way, what sword technique do you practice?"
"I do not know if you know this, but I practice the Masaki Kendo."
"Huh," Ranma said. "What a coincidence…"
"Pardon?"
"Nothing. But…can I hang out a bit and watch?" Ranma asked.
Miya smiles.
"Sure! But stand back…"
And with that, Miya began to perform a classic kata form that Ranma was sure was Juraian in nature…
"Minato!" Musabi yells from upstairs.
Ranma looks up.
"Oy!" Ranma said with a smile. "Good morning!"
"Good morning-!"
All of a sudden, Musabi is transfixed on Miya's kata.
"Ah!" Musabi said happily, as she leaps unto the ground from the second floor. "Landlady-!"
"Oh?" Miya said, as she stepped back.
"That looked neat! Can we be sparring partners?"
"Well…why not?" Miya said with a gentle smile.
And with that, Miya and Musabi began to spar. Musabi, a weaponless combatant, tries to deliver her punches in a direct manner, only to have Miya easily dodge, side step or parry Musabi's attacks easily.
"Why can't I connect?" Musabi moaned in frustration.
KLONK!
"Owie!" Musabi said, as Miya tapped her on the head with her sword's handle.
"You leave yourself wide open, dear," Miya said. "It appears that you are putting too much strength in your shoulders."
"Ohhhhhh…I see…"
"Quite a sight, huh?" Uzume said, as she stands next to Ranma.
"Yeah, it is," Ranma replied, thinking that he still has more questions than answers…
Meanwhile…
"Wait, so THIS is YOUR sarcophagus, Usagi?" Gina asked, as she, her sisters, Ranma and Usagi were going through various Ancient Egyptian artifacts that were in the vault underneath the Rantsu Foundation, a non-profit organization that funds projects that are of a scientific, technological, educational or humanitarian nature. Essentially, Ranma and Usagi, after amassing a fortune over the years, decided that the best way to spend their money is to promote the betterment of humankind. This was a part of their strategy to create the future that is the United Federation of Planets, and so far, with the creation of UN Spacy, a peacekeeping armada dedicated to defend Earth from invaders, their goals have been met. Still, Ranma and Usagi do like doing mundane stuff, like donating their various trinkets to the Metropolitan Museum of Tokyo for public viewing. Thus, with the help of the Digger sisters, Ranma and Usagi were going through their things to see what they can donate, as well as make sure that they do not accidentally donate something dangerous…
Usagi looks up from her note taking.
"Oh, that?" Usagi said, as she takes off her glasses. "Well, yes. After all, I am the mother of the gods of Heliosopolis."
"Yeah, right!" Brittany said with a smirk, as she moved some boxes about. "As if you can be THE mother of the gods of Egypt or something."
"Ah, come on, Brit," Brianna said, as she wrapped some artifacts, so that they could be shipped to the museum. "After all this time, I would think you would be a bit more open minded."
"Oh, I am, but there are levels of acceptability that are different from person to person."
Brianna turns towards Usagi.
"So, what happened to warrant your own sarcophagus?" Brianna asked.
"Well, asked Ranma," Usagi said.
Ranma looks up from watching the Giants game.
"What?"
"Usagi said that the sarcophagus had something to do with you, Ranma," Brianna said.
"Oh, really?"
"Yes, really," Usagi replied. "Had you not goaded Imhotep into renewing his feud with you, I wouldn't have needed to use the damn thing…"
FLASHBACK!
1926 CE: Cairo, Egypt.
Thanks to a trap laid by an ancient priest turned living Mummy, Usagi was rapidly decaying, due to the priest having used an incantation from the Book of Dead. Luckily, her husband Ranma knew the whereabouts of an ancient sect of priests known as Cult of Sobek, or the Hem-Ka Sobk. Sobek was an alligator god of times past. And although he pops up to devour the occasional human sacrifice, he has protected this cult from the children of the Abrahamic Covenant with his knowledge of the mystic arts. In spite of them being weird to Ranma, he took his dying wife to these people on her request.
"It's okay, Usagi," Ranma said, as he stepped deeper into the recesses of the city with his wife in his arms. "We'll be done as soon as-"
TING!
Ranma realized that bald men with facial marks and Mokole (were-crocodiles) him and Usagi surrounded with spears.
"State your business," said the leader, in ancient Egyptian.
"My wife Usagi said that you could undo the curse that was inflicted upon her," Ranma replied likewise. "In the old days, she would have been known as 'Iussaset'."
"Then the visions are true," said a middle-aged woman (dressed in ceremonial robes), as she and her handmaidens emerged from the shadows. "We are honored to meet the mother goddess…"
As if to make the point, one of the handmaidens used a torch to display ancient glyphs on the walls. However, one particular pictograph almost got Ranma mad.
"What?" Ranma exclaimed. He then turns towards his weakened wife.
"Usagi, you didn't tell me that you and Sobek were intimate!"
Usagi opened her eyes, or what was left of them. Already, they were liquefied.
"Ranma, that was long before you and I became lovers," Usagi said weakly. "Sobket was the father of the Mokole, and the son of Lilith. He became a god shortly after the Genesis Wave, the wave that made gods across the Universe from the destruction if Urgrund, hit him…and US. But…I do keep in touch from time to time…"
"Come," the woman said. "We should begin are work to help the Mother before it is too late."
The woman gestured towards the inner sanctum the underground dwelling. Reluctantly, Ranma agreed, hoping that these strange people can truly help Usagi.
Tbc.