"Backup, we could really use backup!" Ranma thought as he slammed a creature that had once been a Honda Civic into a wall. Nearby Shampoo was fighting a creature that had been a Nisaan Kawasaki and amazingly enough what had once been a VW Bus was chasing down a group of tourists. He ran towards the creature and slammed his fist into its side three hundred times. It roared in pain and tried to backhand him, but he was gone out of the way and around to its other side where he gave it another set of three hundred dents.

He heard something break inside the creature, but it wasn't even close to down and the Honda Civic was pulling itself out of the wall and starting a run down the block. There was no way he could even begin to catch it while the VW Bus creature was in his way and who knew how many people it would drain while he was busy. Desperately he tried pulling on mana reserves, but there was nothing for him in this form. He dodged another punch from the Bus and slammed into its knee breaking it and sending the creature to the ground howling in pain.

Sparing a glance down the street he considered the Honda and was about to move when it was taken down by the Kawasaki creature slamming into it. Behind that a purple blur rocketed into the fray and he smiled with relief even as he dodged another blow from the monster he was fighting. He took out its other knee and it finally crashed to the ground presenting him its head. Moments later the creature was a pile of dust and he was running full speed down the block to help Shampoo.

The purple haired girl was literally wielding the Kawasaki creature like a giant club against the Honda and then it suddenly became dust in her hands and the Honda creature slammed into her with its full weight bringing her to the ground and beginning to crush her. Her fists buckled and dented the metal, but without Ranma's arrival she would have been crushed. As it was the young boy slammed a fist into the creature's head and knocked it off Shampoo. The two martial artists then proceeded to dismantle the creature and turn it to dust.

Panting in the street the two smiled at each other and embraced. Ranma couldn't help but savor the moment as her soft and yet powerful body pushed against his own. Despite the scent of car oil and rubber his nose ignored that and Lilac wafted from her hair teasing his senses. He let go of the hug before it could become embarrassing and pulled out the communicator given to him and said, "This would have worked a lot better if we could have called the Senshi to help us."

Shampoo nodded and said, "I agree. We should tell them the next time we meet."

Ranma looked at her and said, "Oh crap we never established a time to meet or anything. The next time we meet it will be an emergency!"

Shampoo pointed to the area around them along with a few dead bodies and paramedics on the scene taking away the hurt and injured, "Like this one yes?"

Ranma growled and shoved the communicator in his pocket saying, "Yeah like this one."

Taking one last look at the area he walked to his bicycle and slid onto the seat. A voice said, "You did your best Ranma."

He shook his head and looked at a body being zipped into a bag saying, "Tell that to them."

With that he zipped down the street Shampoo right behind him. They rode in silence all the way to the Nekohanten where Cologne sat waiting for them. Once inside Ranma stormed past the older woman even as she said, "Sit and tell me about it."

He didn't hear walking to a belt in the kitchen he came back and slammed it on the table looking at the device with pure anger and ignoring the world around him. A splash of water hit him and he felt his change wash over him. It wasn't that everything was different after that, but suddenly she felt clarity lessons that she easily forgot in her male form suddenly hit the forefront of her mind and she stopped what she was doing and looked to Cologne saying, "Apologies honored elder."

Cologne nodded in acceptance and said, "Now child tell me everything."

Her shield sister by her side Ranma told everything and then Shampoo repeated the details from her own point of view. When they were done Cologne said, "I know you feel you have failed because people have died, but without you there many more would have perished."

The two girls nodded accepting the Ancient Amazon's wisdom. Then Ranma looked up and said, "If you had been able to come it would not have been so. The belt here is exactly as the one I made for myself and Shampoo and yet it does not work for you Grandmother. For that I am sorry."

Cologne shook her head and said, "It is not your fault Ranma. My old body is highly infused with my chi and cannot channel any mana. I will be content that you and your shield sister are there and that my training will be put to good use."

Cologne talked for a time about ancient battles where her sisters had fallen while Ranma and Shampoo listened and learned gaining a perspective on their own fight earlier in the evening. When it was done Ranma stayed for the night waking early in the morning to go to the Tendo house and get his things, assist with breakfast, and spar with his father.

As Ranma began walking to school behind Akane and Ryouga a small figured spoke to the pair asking if one of them was Akane Tendo and when the girl answered in the affirmative the strange creature lodged itself into her bosom. This immediately led to an explosion of violence from Akane and Ryouga, but neither was able to even touch the strange creature.

Ranma watched the goings on with a hint of amusement. Once he was sure that the old shrunken man wasn't out to truly hurt the pair Ranma moved along to school. It may not have been his best idea, but he had finally determined that his best course of action was leaving those two alone and unless they were in real danger that was exactly what he was going to do.

Classes passed and lunch arrived with Ukyou sitting near him with a dreamy expression on her face. She wasn't in his arms, but she was close and she had shared her lunch of Okonomiyaki with him. Somehow she had gone from vengeance to seeking to wanting fulfill the marriage pact their fathers arranged and he wasn't sure how to proceed. It was an additional trouble he didn't want to deal with really. But, she wanted something he couldn't give her and Beryl was insisting that he should make it clear to her now.

He sighed softly and said, "Uk-chan this is nice and all, but we're just friends okay?"

The girl frowned and said, "But Ranchan what about the agreement?"

"It can't be Uk-chan I'm already trying to date the Tendo girls and that's just falling apart."

He didn't mention his feelings for Kasumi and Ukyou butted in saying, "But, that just means it wasn't meant to be. We were great friends Ranchan we can be great together."

"I don't….I mean you're my best friend, but I don't think I love you we haven't even seen each other for years."

"Well then why not give me a chance?" The girl pleaded and Ranma sighed.

He looked at her and thought about it. He hadn't known Shampoo or Kasumi and he felt things for them and this girl was pretty. Still every time he looked at her he saw his good buddy Uk-chan a guy who he used to play with, not a fiancée. Maybe that would change someday and maybe it wouldn't but it wasn't fair for her to tell her anything but the truth. The thoughts were his and Beryl's together but they made sense and finally he swallowed and said, "Look Uk-chan we are friends, why don't we just let it stay with that?"

Tears cascaded down her cheeks and she ran off crying without another word to him. He sighed softly to himself and watched her go, knowing he had done the right thing, but hurting for it nonetheless.

Not far from Ranma Shampoo had been watching the proceedings with a strange look on her face a cross between a smile and annoyance. She followed him into school after lunch sitting nearby looking at him from time to time and he wondered what was wrong.

By the time school was out though the purple haired girl was back to normal and they were racing towards the Nekohanten working to train and work the dinner rush with martial arts and spell slinging.

Part of the training was a point system for being able to spar with Cologne and take the prize amulet she held. As the bowls flew into the air she concentrated on her mana and tossed out three bolts shaping them with her chi and letting it encompass the bowls she had thrown them at. In the meantime she rushed toward Cologne and tried to grab that prize. The two were w whirl of arms and legs as the bowls gently levitated down to where they belonged.

As those bowls touched ground Cologne swept Ranma's feet from under her and tossed more bowls. Again she tossed her mana at them and tried for the prize, but this time was thrown across the establishment for her efforts. She landed on her feet as her bowls touched their spots and Cologne looked at her saying, "It's a good technique, but it takes too much of your concentration."

Ranma nodded at that and then watched as Shampoo came in at her grandmother twisting her hand with an inverted cold chi that the two of them had been working on. The horizontal blast of air seemed to slam into the elderly Amazon, but moments later Shampoo was the one being tossed across the room. The ancient woman smiled and said, "Oh very good try a new angle on the Hiryu Shouten Ha, but not one I had not considered."

The night went on in the same vein as Ranma and Shampoo tried with little success to gain the prize amulet. When they were done Cologne took them out to a small herb garden behind the restaurant. There she said, "The creatures you fight absorb the energy of living things and so we must use our chi for other purposes, speed and strength you have learned. You have begun to learn hot and cold and with that you have also learned the art of bringing forth the dragon."

Ranma and Shampoo nodded and listened as Cologne continued, "The dragon is the wind, sharp and deadly, when you can fully possess it but the manner of bringing it forth has its own power. The Soul of Ice is more than just simple technique. Delving far into it can bring clarity and the most powerful of its users have been able to freeze the blood."

Cologne gestured and in her ancient hand ice crystals formed. "Learn this and you will go far." She stood and left the area leaving Ranma and Shampoo to practice delving into the technique she had shown them.

The two worked on that and Ranma helped Shampoo with her ability to form a mana bolt as well. Luckily the two worked together as the Soul of Ice seemed to bring Shampoo well into focus for channeling her mana and sending it out as a small bolt. Even so Ranma frowned lightly and said, "She doesn't have nearly the reserves I do."

"She is human Ranma, while in my body and filled with the curse of Jusenkyo you are something more.

Ranma nodded at that and pulled on her own mana forming it into a thin disk and flinging it in the air. The bolt came down and sliced a blade of grass in twain and Ranma stared a moment then said, "Ryouga of course why didn't I think of it earlier."

Beryl had no answer but Shampoo said, "That's a very good idea. Iron cloth technique should work well against car creatures if we fight them again."

Ranma nodded and the two practiced some more before he finally went back to the Tendo house. There he found a practical war zone with Akane and Ryouga unconscious and that strange old man standing on a pile of panties and bras in the middle of the yard.

The young pigtailed boy looked at the scene and said, "This is exactly why I should spend more time at the Nekohanten."

Beryl mentally agreed with him as the old geezer looked at him and said, "Ranma my boy I've been looking for you."

Ranma just stared at the creature and then said, "Okay I give up why have you lookin for me? No wait…" He looked again the unconscious martial artists and the panties and said, "It has something to do with Genma Saotome doesn't it?"

The old man lit a pipe and took a deep drag. "That's right my boy. I'm Happosai founder of the Anything Goes School of martial arts and you are going to be my student."

The words, "Like hell I will" tumbled through his mind, but were stopped by Beryl's gentle touch and instead he said, "No offense Happosai, but I already have a teacher."

"Don't be an ingrate boy. This is an opportunity of a life time and these two pathetic specimens couldn't even begin to cut it." The old man pointed to Akane and Ryouga's unconscious forms.

Ranma shrugged and without thinking said, "Yeah well they ain't even in my league."

The old man smiled happily and Ranma was afraid for a moment. "Excellent indeed my dear boy lessons will begin first thing in the morning, now why don't you help an old man bring his lacy darlings in the house."

Ranma shook his head and said, "I ain't agreed to anything and I'm not sure why you're a cross dresser, but I think you can carry your own underwear."

The old man seemed to explode with anger and attacked saying, "I liberated these silky darlings from lovely ladies. I don't WEAR them."

Ranma barely avoided the first strikes dodging and blocking as best he could, but it was not quite enough. Somehow the old man slipped past his guard and slammed one of his arms with a pressure point. Ranma disengaged, but things were not looking good so far. Still the geezer was pumping out a whole lot of very angry chi and Ranma had an idea rushing towards him and saying, "So you're just a disgusting pervert then?"

"Ha! Like a young kid like you would understand." Happosai continued to attack Ranma and the younger martial artist guided the fight so that the two went into a spiral pattern. Block, dodge, get hit another time it was a strategy that would have paid off if only the old codger hadn't disappeared at the very final moment.

Ranma looked around for the old man and he was across the yard back on his pile of panties and bras. The coot smiled at him and said, "Amazon training eh boyo, well that's not too shabby, but I wouldn't want my silky darlings to get ruined."

With that he piled the undergarments into a bag and hopped into the window that led to the Tendo attic. By then Akane and Ryouga were getting up and Ranma wanted no part of whatever lingering anger the pair might still possess so he quickly went inside. Inside he found Nabiki at the window putting away a video camera, but he just walked past her and up to his room.

The girl caught up to him and said, "Hey Ranma we got you a gig for this Friday." She handed him a small note card with the details and then walked off adding a final, "Remember to meet me here after lunch in school you'll be skipping the rest of the day."

Ranma sighed and rubbed his forehead. Two days until the photo shoot, a crazy old man in the Tendo house, his father, Soun Tendo, Sailor girls that didn't trust him enough to let him call them when he found trouble, learning magic, not knowing how he really felt for Shampoo or Kasumi, and a dark and ominous threat to the city and maybe even the world. He lay in his bed and wondered how many other kids his age came close to dealing with any of that.

As he lay there Beryl said, "You need to talk with them Ranma, tell them how you feel."

The young boy shook his head, "What can I say to them?"

"You love them each Ranma and you need to tell at least one before they are gone. Don't lose your chance like I did." The spirit sighed in his mind.

"He's still out there…"

Ranma could feel her shaking her head as she said, "No, Ranma he's not. That boy in the mask is no more my Endymion than that little girl is the Princess I hated so much. They are different people now changed by the reincarnation. I don't. . ."

Beryl stopped herself, but Ranma knew she had been about to say something along the lines of not deserving any chance after what she had once planned. She had stopped herself this time and Ranma was happy about that hopeful that with time his friend would find a way to forgive herself.

While Beryl hadn't forgiven herself the next morning Ranma was still able to gain a new perspective on his question about other children his age who were dealing with many similar issues to his own. The answer to his question came that morning when he was on his way to school. His communicator went off and when he opened the device he saw Sailor Mars fighting at a Shinto Shrine. The girl was obviously upset and was yelling, "It's my grandfather. He has the Indigo crystal and Jadeite did something to him. Somehow those two are fighting each other and I'm taking on Nephrite and Zoicite along with about 10 youma. I need backup now!"

Ranma jumped onto his bike and zipped down the roadways, onto fence rails, and even up to the rooftops. He pushed chi into his legs and became a dervish of speed with a reckless abandon for life and limb. He arrived at the scene with Shampoo a few seconds' behinds him. The two of them surveyed the scene and together determined the best places in the battle that they could make a difference.

Moving quickly Ranma sped his bike directly into Jadeite even as the general slammed the strange, nearly oni looking Shinto priest into the ground. The general tried to grab the young martial artist, but missed entirely and wound up with a few hundred punches in his gut for the trouble. "Little worm! Who are you that dare to challenge Jadeite?"

Ranma just smiled and attacked again wishing that he could throw even one spell in his male form, but made due with a small chi bolt instead. Unfortunately for him in this case the dark General simply smiled and absorbed the energy saying, "How nice, you came to provide mistress Beryl with life energy."

The general suddenly moved behind him, or possibly teleported there, and Ranma missed a dodge to end up flying towards a wall. The young boy tumbled perfectly hitting the wall with his legs and rocketing back towards Jadeite. The blow landed across the man's face, but didn't even move him. Another teleport later and he was at Ranma's back again, but this time the young martial artist was ready and the general received a few hundred super fast punches directly into his gut. With those punches the breath whooshed out of Jadeite's body and he fell to the ground. Ranma didn't leave him to stand or even make the attempt rushing in to slam the man in the face again and again shattering some type of magical shield as the man slowly moved away and into the air.

With a bloody lip the General sneered at Ranma and sent a blast of magical energy straight towards him. The young boy easily dodged it and jumped into the air to confront Jadeite there. The general smirked again saying, "Fool boy I can fly with my magic how can you possibly think to win here."

Ranma's first punch was blocked, but the force directed him farther into the air where the boy just smiled and came down onto another block only to flip himself directly behind Jadeite and send a twisting pulse of super cooled air directly into the man's back sending him towards the ground.

Ranma followed Jadeite's descent to the ground and was about to send hundreds of punches into the man's back when the general teleported again. Quick reflexes on Ranma's part allowed him to drop to the ground and tumble out of the way as a magical bolt whizzed past.

Then Ranma was up again and once more and this time he used pressure points to disable one of Jadeite's legs. The general fell to the ground sending yet another blast of magical energy past Ranma's form and then Ranma was fully upon him. The battle was over seconds later and Jadeite was unconscious and bleeding on the ground.

The black haired boy spared a glance to ensure that Shampoo was doing well with a group of youma and then went to check on the oni creature. By this time the creature was in the form of an elderly Shinto priest, but seemed to be mostly healthy. Ranma stood next to him as the area around his shrine was blasted by ancient magical forces and Amazonian martial arts. Just as Ranma was about to join the battle and help Shampoo a red haired woman literally stepped out of thin air. Ranma gasped at the woman's appearance recognizing it for the same one he wore while in female form. She grabbed the priest by the neck and began to squeeze his throat while her hand quested towards his chest.

Ranma immediately attacked the woman, but slammed into a cylinder of pure force. The red haired woman smiled at him and said, "Pitiful boy, did you think your paltry physical attacks would stand any chance against the might of Queen Beryl?"

"Yeah, I kinda did!" He shouted rushing the barrier again desperately looking for its breaking point or anything else. His fists slammed uselessly against the barrier even as he had to dodge out of the way as a blast of flame licked at the false Beryl's feet. "Tsk, Mars you'll burn this poor man to a cinder is that what you want?"

The fiery Senshi landed next to Ranma and said, "Let him go!"

Beryl gave a sickeningly evil sort of smirk and shoved her hand into his chest where she retrieved a green gem. After that she dropped the man to the ground and said, "There you are I let him go."

The young Senshi of Mars fell to her knees at the sight while Ranma simply channeled his anger into trying to break through the shield and tear the false Beryl limb from limb. None of his attacks worked and he realized that he would need magic to combat magic and so called Shampoo's name.

The other girl departed from her battle with Nephrite leaving him for the Senshi to finish off and rushed to Ranma's side. There she nodded at Ranma's hasty orders and send a number of mana bolts into the red haired queen's barrier.

"Pitiful really, your magic is not quite even half of what these pitiful other girls can send against me."

The red haired woman smiled from behind her barrier and slowly walked towards the unconscious form of Jadeite. While she did so Shampoo, Mars, Moon, and Venus sent their attacks directly at her, but all of them seemed to reflect away.

In the meantime Nephrite and Zoicite were departing the field of battle and Mercury and Jupiter were now standing with the group confronting the red haired woman. She smiled at them as she picked up Jadeite and said, "The only person to ever defeat this shield was Queen Serenity herself and none of you are in her league. Now pack up and go home girls I have the gem and you won't win. Metallia will be freed and she will help me usher in the Silence."

As the other queen had been talking Ranma had been having a discussion with his Beryl who was explaining exactly how she thought the shield might work and how they might possibly bring it down. The only problem would be changing into his female form. Ranma glanced at the girls, looked at the dying form of the elderly Shinto priest and said, "Let's do this."

Quickly he said to Shampoo, "Shampoo I need you to be ready with a horizontal Hiryu Shouten Ha directed at her hand holding that gem. Mercury when I say now I want you to hit me with a direct blast of water."

The boy ran directly at the red haired woman's shield. She watched him moving with a smirk of confidence on her face and then he shouted, "Now Mercury!"

The blast of water hit him full force and the change washed over him. In her female body Ranma fully tapped into her mana reserves and combined them with her chi reserves. A single finger touched Beryl's shield muttering to herself, "Baksai Tenket's revised Mana exploding point" and the shield exploded sending Ranma flying into the air. While the false Beryl and the Senshi gaped in surprise at the additional form of Beryl on the scene Shampoo was perfectly prepared and sent a blast of wind directly at Beryl's hand.

The freezing winds ripped the green gem from her hand even as the red haired woman pulled it away from the searing pain with a scream. Even as the evil woman started to recover Ranma was behind her in female form saying, "I don't know who you are lady, but it's time for you to stop degrading and poisoning the name and honor of the real Queen of Terra!"

With that she rushed in fists flying, but the other Beryl had apparently had enough and teleported away taking Jadeite with her. Ranma scowled at the spot she had been in while Shampoo walked over to the form of the elderly Shinto priest with the green gem in hand.

Mars snapped out of her confusion first and stepped to Shampoo taking the gem and holding it to the man's chest. He healed, but the gem stayed in Mars' hand. Even as Mars was healing the priest Ranma was walking towards the group. No one attacked her this time and Mercury said, "Who are you?"

The rest of the scouts looked on and waited for Ranma to answer.