-Chapter 6-

Ranma looked at the assembled Senshi around her and delayed a few moments and considered her options. Running off to think of a better plan was out because it would make the girls more suspicious of her and saying, "I'm Ranma Saotome sorry about this." just wouldn't cut it. So, she spoke gently and with Beryl's encouragement saying, "Well that's hard to explain really."

The girls were silent around her while Shampoo stood at her back ready to inflict damage on anyone who would threaten them. The current Queen of the Moon Kingdom, currently styling herself as Sailor Moon said, "Please Ranma try. We'd like to know."

Ranma nodded and said, "Well I am a martial artist as I said to you before, but there's more to it. You see there is a place in China called Jusenkyo and whatever falls into one of the springs and drowns is what the next creature that falls into it turns into. I fell into the girl spring. Now cold water makes me a girl and hot water makes me a boy."

The girls stood listening with rapt attention as Ranma went from truth to prevarication, "After falling in I kept getting dreams of an ancient Terran kingdom, magical spells, magical items and fighting against youma. In China I ran into some more training and then after running into a youma that nearly killed me I decided to put what I learned in my dreams to use so that my Chi wouldn't be leached out when I fought the creatures."

The girls nodded in understanding and Ranma continued saying, "After coming to Japan I saw a TV news broadcast with you guys fighting Youma and I thought I could help. My first attempt didn't go so well because you guys attacked me."

A few guilty looks pervaded the group and Ranma added, "Even so I felt it was important and when Shampoo here came to Japan from China with her Grandmother we thought that we should definitely defeat the youma and help you, but that it would be best not to do so in my female form."

Mars looked the most suspicious and pointed to Shampoo saying, "What's your story?"

Shampoo turned to the red haired girl and said, "I am Ranma's shield sister. She trained with my grandmother and me in my village until her father took her away."

Mercury looked bemused and said, "You said her, but I thought Ranma's main form was male?"

Shampoo shrugged and said, "Ranma is Ranma, but currently she is a girl so I user her."

Mercury nodded and finished her scan saying, "Well you register as Human with a small mana pool which, while uncommon, isn't unheard of."

Shampoo shrugged and the other Senshi nodded, then Mercury added, "Ranma here registers the same as Beryl does, class M type III, which is nearly the same as we are."

In Ranma's mind Beryl added, "Except that they have powerful magic enhancing outfits and artifacts," Beryl sighed and added, "There is just no way would we be able to replicate that technology, but I'll see what I can think of."

Ranma mentally nodded and added, "Well they aren't our enemies, but whatever you can think of might be useful against whoever that lady is that thinks she's you…"

Beryl mentally nodded as Mars looked at Mercury and said, "So what does that mean exactly and why does she look like Beryl?"

Ranma answered by saying, "Well whatever falls into the spring is what you come out as. I know someone who turns into a pig. At a guess maybe Beryl came into contact with the spring I fell into?"

Ranma heard Beryl snicker in the back of his mind as the girls mulled the idea over and Mercury said, "It seems unlikely that Beryl died in that spring since we know she was sealed a long time ago, but perhaps one of her relatives did or perhaps she fell in, but did not die."

Ranma shrugged and the rest of the girls seemed unsure until finally, Moon said, "Well I think she's been honest with us and she's still interested in helping us even though we attacked her."

Mercury nodded as did Jupiter and Venus. Mars stared at Ranma and Shampoo suspiciously for a few more moments and then said, "Fine…now let me check on my Grandfather."

She walked off obviously angry and after she was out of earshot Ranma said, "So, I don't suppose Mercury here can make our communicators be able to send to you guys?"

The blue haired Senshi nodded and quickly made the fix and Ranma asked one more question despite already knowing the answer, "Who was that guy in the Tuxedo and Mask?"

He was told that it was Tuxedo Kamen and that he had been helping Moon and the rest of the Senshi since she began fighting Youma. After that everyone departed the area. Once he and Shampoo were alone Ranma said, "Well that was a close one."

Shampoo shook her head and said, "No I think the short skirted warriors wanted an ally and we came at just the right time. Despite initial suspicions we have helped them and that is what they need most. So, I think they are willing to overlook any irregularities…"

Ranma nodded and Shampoo continued saying, "What I think hard part is going to be is the last crystal and then fighting the evil queen again. She is not one to accept defeat very well"

Ranma shook her head and said, "No I guess she isn't at that.

A loud crash signaled Happosai being slammed into the concrete wall and out for the count. Ranma smiled and flexed her arm looking at a shiny metallic bracer, "Well score one for the thermo whathcamacallit and the soul of ice."

"Thermodynamic inversion Ranma taking into account your abilities with the soul of Ice we have laced the thermodynamic inversion spell into the bracer to be called up at a moment's notice without draining your mana pool. With that and your Amazon training you were able to call up the 'Dragon' in a mere moment."

Ranma nodded and Beryl added, "We will still need to test some of the other spell triggers and their uses and then if the prototype works we will then give the other bracer we created to Shampoo."

Ranma nodded and then looked over at Nabiki who was saying, "Ranma if you're finished with the old pervert we need to be at that modeling session we scheduled for today."

"Right…" Ranma sighed and proceeded to follow Nabiki into a waiting taxi that drove them to the place where the photo shoot was happening. Once there Ranma was taken into wardrobe put into a jeans and blouse outfit and then directed to pose.

Ranma easily followed the directions given her and when it was over the photographer and director were raving. "You can just see her youth and vibrancy coming out. These pictures for Buena jeans will be excellent in the next Teen Idol Pop magazine."

Ranma just changed back into her normal outfit while Nabiki gathered contacts and schmoozed. When they were done the two walked into a Taxi that began to take them to the Tendo house. "Not bad Ranma, I'm surprised it didn't take more for you to express yourself as a girl."

The now male martial artist shuddered slightly, but tried his best to ignore the feelings provided to him by years on the road with Genma. So he shrugged and said, "It's just following directions. Just like you would for a new Kata."

Nabiki chuckled and said, "Is everything Martial Arts with you Ranma?"

Ranma looked at her a quick answer on his lips, then pondered her question a moment more and said, "Not everything Nabiki, just some of the most important things. Besides thinking of things in terms of Martial Arts helps me figure them out."

The middle Tendo sister gave Ranma an appraising look and said, "Imagine my surprise Ranma."

The boy shrugged and exited the car as it came to a stop. He waited for Nabiki and then walked into the gates of the surrounding wall around the Tendo house. There before him lay a massive ruin of yard destruction and a weeping Soun Tendo. Ranma looked at Nabiki and said, "You ask him…I'm not sure I really want to know."

That was exactly when the elder Saotome came out and said, "Ungrateful boy is this how you treat your fiancée?"

Ranma looked at him with concern and said, "Is Kasumi okay?"

If the elder Saotome had been thinking more clearly a marriage would have been arranged on the spot, but in this case Soun's wailing and his desire to see Ranma with another martial artist prevailed and so he said, "Not Kasumi! Akane boy, now do your duty and go after the creature that kidnapped your fiancée" The older man practically screamed in Ranma's ear.

Ranma breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I'm sure Ryouga can handle it."

Genma stared at him aghast and said, "What are you thinking? The honor of our school the agreement between families is on the line and you sit there like a GIRL and say 'Ryouga can handle it'? No, this will not do. You will march out there and rescue your fiancée from the Bull creature that has stolen her."

Ranma blinked and wondering if it was a youma attack said, "Bull creature? What sort of bull creature?"

Genma, seeing his son's change in demeanor, said, "A terrible demonic creature came and stole her. It was too powerful for even Ryouga. You must save her before it's too late."

Ranma looked to Nabiki who had been speaking with her father. She looked back and said, "Well daddy says it was a Bull with wings and a strange tail. For what it's worth Ranma I think they might actually be telling the truth here."

Ranma nodded and took off running following the path of destruction as he pulled out his communicator and called for Shampoo's assistance. When the purple haired girl picked up Ranma said, "Shampoo, we have an issue at the Tendo place, I'm following the path of destruction out of the city."

He proceeded to give Shampoo directions and kept up a decent amount of speed until he was out of the urban areas and into a small forest. There he heard the crashing of trees and a gigantic splash, then a bwee as a piglet was launched off somewhere. A voice yelled, "Damn it you pig fool. Stop attacking and just bring Happosai to me!"

Ranma walked towards the sound and saw a very bishounen boy with pantyhose tied as a belt around his waist and Akane tied up in the same and on the ground next to him. "You don't look much like a bull monster that my pops and Mr. Tendo were raving about. Still kidnapping women is pretty low."

The black haired boy smirked and said, "You must be the old geezer's trainee right? He said I'd have to defeat you to get my new name. I figured you'd follow if I took your girl."

The boy spat and batted a small pig that shot at him from the woods slamming it into a tree and knocking it out. "I wasn't expecting the pig boy though I'll admit that. He's persistent, but not in my league."

Ranma sighed and decided not to explain his rather complicated relationship with Akane and just went with simplicity, "Okay, so the old freak says you beat me and you get a new name. How about when I beat you, then you go home and forget all this crap."

The boshounen boy grinned and said, "Deal."

"Hey by the way I'm Ranma Saotome who are you?"

"Taro….Awesome Taro." The boy said as he rushed in to attack Ranma.

Ranma easily avoided the blows and sent punches directly into openings in the other boy's defenses. After a few moments Taro was on the ground and Ranma was saying, "If I had known I wouldn't have asked Shampoo for backup sorry Shampoo."

The purple haired girl peeked up from some bushes she had been hiding in and said, "No worries Ranma it's a good idea to call for backup even if you are sure you won't need it."

Ranma chuckled having known she was there already, then nodded and walked closer to Taro, "Look man you know you can't win so why not just give up before I have to knock you out?"

The boy stood and backed up towards a pond with a grin. "Can't win? I haven't even begun this match."

With that he stepped into the small pond and transformed into a strange mixture of bull, crane, eel, and hairy humanoid. Ranma gawked a moment as the transformation occurred, but was moving as the thing's giant fist impacted the ground where he had been standing.

This time the battle was much harder for Ranma. Despite being able to dodge the creature's blows with near impunity all of Ranma's punches weren't even making a dent. He hopped to the side as another blow smashed through a tree and looked at the terrain realizing it was not good for summoning the dragon unless he was female and had access to his magic in that form.

He dodged some more attacks and pondered turning on his belt to see if it had enough to juice up his bracer and give him at least one thermodynamic inversion spell, but decided against it. The massive bull creature was obviously enraged as he dodged another strike and then another. Finally he realized a plan and jumped at the creature allowing it to hit his feet in a block and send him flying towards a small pine.

Quickly reversing his position Ranma hit the pine feet first and felt the tree pull way back hoping that it would not snap. He mentally sighed with relief as the tree stopped its reverse motion and then snapped him right back at Taro. The large minotaur like creature was utterly unprepared as Ranma slammed into it with a full force kick to the head.

Its giant head snapped back, but not quite far enough to drop the creature and he moved to attack Ranma again. The boy was away from his strike and up in the air again leaping from tree to tree and then finding another branch to spring him back at Taro. The giant creature blocked the blow this time, but was utterly surprised as instead of hitting him Ranma grabbed its arm and used the momentum of his jump and the readied block to throw the creature into a tree. Moments after Ranma slammed hundreds of punched directly into the creature's solar plexus sending the creature's breath out in a great whoosh.

Taro coughed and tried to stand and attack, but he was dazed and unprepared at the pig tailed martial artist slammed into him again and this time his head snapped back and he was unconscious. Ranma stood over its form as Shampoo walked closer and dumped a pot of steaming hot water on the large creature transforming it back into a young bishounen boy. Ranma looked at her and said, "Where did you get that?"

Shampoo smiled and said, "I put it on the fire when he transformed and used chi to help with the heating. It was ready after a minute of the fight."

"But we were fighting for at least five…." Ranma looked at her and frowned as the purple haired girl laughed. He realized that she was teasing him, but he took it in stride and walked over to Akane.

He untied her bonds and said, "Are you alright?"

The girl looked up at him anger warring with thankfulness and then finally settled for changing the subject instead of a thank you. "Ryouga he kept trying to save me. Is he okay?"

Ranma said, "Most likely. You know nothing can keep him down long."

Akane nodded and stood up. She looked for Ryouga while Ranma and Shampoo sat with Taro. The young bishounen boy woke up and said, "Well it looks like I lose Ranma. I guess I'll go."

Taro started to stand and Ranma said, "Wait what did Happosai do to you?"

Taro looked back and said, "When I was born he baptized me in Jusenkyo."

"So you want revenge for your curse then?"

"Feh! This so called curse is the best thing that has ever happened to me. No I was hoping to get Happosai to change my name."

Ranma shrugged and said, "I don't know Awesome Taro's not so bad…"

The other boy frowned and explained that Awesome wasn't actually his real name, but refused to say what his real name was. Ranma in a moment of simple insight said, "Knowing the old pervert it was Bra, Panties, or Pantyhose."

When Taro grimaced at the last name Ranma was tempted to tease the boy, but Beryl's whispers helped him decide that tormenting the young boy due to his name was probably just adding insult to injury since Ranma had already physically defeated him.

While Ranma was having his internal dialogue Shampoo looked at Taro and said, "I think you're very silly to try getting your name back this way. Why you not just get Happosai and make him change it?"

Taro shrugged and said, "I'll admit the old pervert is just too good. I was hoping his apprentice, Ranma here, was less skilled."

Shampoo smiled a devious little smile and said, "How about a caveat to the deal Ranma made to you. We give you Happosai to take away and then you don't come back?"

"You can do that?"

Ranma grinned at Shampoo and said, "Yes, we can."

Some hours later Taro was flying off with Happosai while everyone else watched with glee in their hearts. Unfortunately the moment was broken as Ranma and Shampoo's communicators started signaling.

The two opened them to see Sailor Moon injured and in an alleyway, "Emergency, I was following Tuxedo Kamen and he was ambushed. We need back up now. Please, I don't think we have much time."

The signal cut out as the image of Moon turned to fire her tiara into a group of advancing youma. Ranma grabbed his bike and Shampoo vaulted on behind him, then they were off at speeds that would rival some motorcycles.

Even so, by the time they arrived the rest of the Senshi were involved in a massive firefight with numerous Youma commanded by Zoicite who had apparently knocked out Tuxedo Kamen and was almost on top of an unconscious Sailor Moon. They immediately waded in to battle and began dismantling youma through sheer physical ability and pushing them back from Moon's comatose location.

With their help the Senshi were able to get Sailor Moon to safety, but the group was not able to make a push towards Kamen's position where Zoicite was apparently gloating to him about how he would kill him. Ranma silently thanked the kami that Zoicite was an utter idiot and used some youma to springboard himself to the position of the general. He was just in time to deflect a sword strike with his gauntlet.

The general growled, "You think you are something boy, but I have seen you fight and you are nothing compared to the Senshi," with those words he sent a massive jolt of magic through his sword and at Ranma. The boy's shield collapsed and he was sent hurtling into a nearby youma.

In the microseconds of his flight away from the general Ranma twisted in air and barely avoided sharp claws and razor sharp teeth. Even so he could feel his chi being drained by the creature and he desperately tried to bring his shield back up, but the general's blast had disrupted some magical connection between his normal form and that of his Jusenkyo cursed form.

Time slowly stretched out for him as he dodged a strike and his mind went through his options. He knew that he was avoiding that form, knew that there were still unresolved issues of sexual identity and his form especially after that modeling job. In fact those issues had been exactly why he had fought Taro as a male, why he hadn't changed despite the fact that being in his female form would have ended that fight much quicker.

A claw passed by his face and he dodged it with mere centimeters of clearance. He had to end this fight and just like his last fight with Beryl he knew it had to be in his other form. Decision made his hand moved to his waist and he pulled out a small canteen of water placing it directly into the way of the next claw strike. Water exploded from the container and drenched him and then he became.

A brilliant shield of protection snapped into place around the redhead and a single blast from her bracer along with a bit of cold chi drove a spike of super condensed air through the Youma's torso and ripped it apart. She turned back towards Zoicite to see her tribe sister using a Jian to block his strikes and keep Tuxedo Kamen safe. A quick glance at the other Senshi, minus the still comatose Moon, showed that they were slowly clearing through the youma and getting closer to the general's position, but it seemed that Shampoo needed the most help since she was hampered by protecting the unconscious man in a tuxedo and mask.

Ranma touched her bracer and muttered single word pulling on her mana pool and the stored spell to send her high into the air and then back down to the ground exactly behind Zoicite. Once she was behind the General Ranma proceeded to slam a fist directly through his force field and into his kidney. As the general grimaced with the pain and flinched Ranma was able to grab his sword arm and hyper extend it behind his back. The sword dropped from his nerveless fingers and Shampoo's Jian strike finished the job by lopping off the general's head.

Ranma let go of the man as the blood sprayed everywhere. In that moment she looked to Shampoo with the clear realization that they the two of them had just worked to kill a man. Not a youma or demonic creature, but a man. He didn't disintegrate into dust, but simply flopped to the ground dead with blood pouring from his neck while his head rolled slowly across the street.

Their shock at what they had just done kept them from noticing as another man with white blonde hair rushed toward them screaming with anger and hatred. A blast of magic from him sent the two flying and into unconsciousness. Their last vision a red haired woman taking Tuxedo Kamen, grabbing the white cloaked, white haired man that had blasted them and departing the scene as the Senshi finished off the last youma.

Ranma slowly opened her eyes and looked around her. Shampoo was lying next to her and they were both in a small alley. Moon was close by apparently having just cast some healing spell on them and the other Senshi were behind her. All of them were looking at Ranma and Shampoo with some trepidation and even a bit of awe.

While she began to gain her bearings Ranma's mind was a whirl of emotions and facets of what she had just done. Luckily for her she had been trained by Amazons for a day like this and her mentor and mental passenger had killed as well. Slowly she calmed and found her center taking the knowledge of her act and reconciling it with the people Zoicite would have killed if he had not been stopped. Once the young girl was feeling up to it she stood and walked to Shampoo, who was also stirring.

Next to the purple haired girl Ranma held her hand out and Shampoo clapped her own in it then used the extra leverage to rise to her feet and stand next to Ranma. After that the young Amazons walked over to Shampoo's sword and the purple haired girl picked up her blood covered Jian. Both, she and Ranma stared at the weapon a moment and then she pulled out a cloth. With slow and measured reverence Shampoo slowly wiped the weapon clean.

Afterwards Shampoo sheathed the Jian and both she and Ranma sighed as it slid home giving each other a look that communicated a thousand things about how they had gone from Martial Artists to Blooded Amazon warriors that day.

Ranma simply nodded to Shampoo in silent recognition and then realized they had both had an audience for the entire ritual. Looking at her audience Ranma said "So, what happened?"

Mercury spoke first saying, "From what I can tell Zoicite challenged Kamen to a duel for the rainbow crystals and he accepted. Sailor Moon found out and arrived at the site of the duel where Zoicite was clearly cheating and so she tried to save Kamen. That's when Zoicite called his youma and then she called us."

Ranma nodded and said, "Okay and after we killed Zoicite?"

The sailors blanched at his direct statement and it took a moment before Mercury could continue. "Well I played the footage back using the Mercury computer and it looks like Kunzite appeared from a gate along with Beryl. Kunzite attacked you and Shampoo while Beryl picked up Kamen, then she grabbed Kunzite and the two of them departed through some type of gate."

Ranma nodded and said, "So did he have the rainbow crystals on him then?"

Mercury shook her head and smiled saying, "No, in fact Moon has ours and Zoicite had two of Beryl's. That means we have the Indigo, Green, Blue, and Yellow crystals while Beryl is left with only the Orange while the Purple crystal still needs to be found."

Sailor Moon added, "Don't forget that Kamen and I learned who we are. I am the princess of the Moon and he was Prince Endymion of the Earth kingdom."

A voice from the side alley added, "Well it is a very tragic story and Luna and I remember it now. We can share if you like? But, perhaps in cleaner conditions?"

After a quick debate on revealing their civilian identities the group finally agreed to meet up elsewhere. Soon after that the Senshi were in their civilian guises at the Crown Arcade and in a small meeting/party room without windows. It was there that Ranma truly saw the moon cat advisors and utterly balked at walking into the room.

Shampoo physically moved him while Beryl mentally helped to prepare him, but it still took a few minutes before he was finally shoved into the room. Even after that he took a sear as far away from the talking cats as possible.

Once everyone was seated the Moon cats provided a summary of the history of the Moon Kingdom's rise and fall as well as the tragic history of Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion. While the cats spoke of their version of ancient history Beryl mentally scoffed to Ranma at some of their descriptions of a utopian society happy to be ruled over by the wonderful and perfect Queen Serenity. Ranma herself agreed with Beryl's assessment that the history given by the cats was probably inaccurate.

Even with that inaccurate depiction and the unlikelihood that the Moon Kingdom/Empire was a utopian ideal Beryl did not dispute that her assistance and her doppelgangers actions towards said Kingdom and its people were utterly amoral. Ranma agreed that the actions were amoral, but once again had to soothe Beryl's mental fretting about how evil she had once been and again reminded her that she had specifically decided to turn away from that path when she was killed.

Finally the Cats finished what they remembered and the group dispersed. Ranma waited until she was sure the cats were gone and then departed on her bike with Shampoo holding on behind her. She dropped the young Amazon off at her house with some reluctance to end the impromptu hug she was given.

After dropping Shampoo off Ranma rode home and walked in the door only to be greeted by her father and yet another rant about her responsibilities as a Man. Suffice it to say said conversation was ended with an unconscious panda. Even so Ranma took a bath and sat in his room and stared at his meager possessions. He took note of how few there were and how he had been brought up and trained over the years. He marked in his father's favor that when he had arrived as a girl in the Amazon village the combat with the best warrior of his generation had gone to his favor despite the fact that he had been in his cursed form at the time. Even so, it had been a close match and even now he and Shampoo were not far from each other in skill levels.

Of course the simple fact of the matter was that the Amazons were just as hard on their trainees as Genma had been with Ranma except, of course, for some of the man's stupid blunders. That set the older Saotome apart. Ranma pulled off his shirt and looked at himself noting scars that were familiar to him and Beryl's soft voice said, "You don't ask even yourself the important question Ranma."

Ranma sighed and did not speak as Beryl continued saying, "Cologne treats you like you are her granddaughter and Shampoo as a sister. Each is concerned for your well being and what YOU want Ranma, but can the same be said for Genma Saotome?"

Ranma argued that at some point Genma was concerned for his health and well being. The only problem was that he and Beryl knew that while Genma may have had been concerned for Ranma alone at some point in the past somewhere along the line that concern disappeared. Over time and through Ranma's memories it became more obvious that Genma's actions and concern for Ranma was only to provide for the older man's own needs into the future.

Ranma sighed at his own and Beryl's harsh condemnation of Genma Saotome, but realized it for the truth that it was. As he pondered that truth he looked to the situation at the Tendo house. At the end of his stay there would only be one result, a marriage. With that in mind he added his own truths about Akane and Nabiki in that he would never pick either girl.

In the quiet of the night with only Beryl's thoughts to share with he still felt alone. Abandoned by his father's quest to create a perfect legacy to himself and provide for his old age. His mother's face was lost in the faded past. Although there was solace for him in Shampoo and Cologne and possibly even acceptance of his curse it seemed that for full acceptance into the rest of that tribe he would have to lose his masculinity.

Somehow, even after accepting his female half earlier in the day his life still seemed to balance on so many edges. Could he somehow be male and female, was there any way to balance the honor and dishonor of the engagements, could Shampoo or Kasumi feel about him the way he was feeling for them, who would live and who would die in the next fight against Beryl's apparent doppelganger.

Suffice it to say it was a long and mostly restless night for Ranma Saotome

The following few days were no better, but at least there was some progress on crafting a bracer for Shampoo. Ranma handed it to the other girl at lunch one day quietly saying, "I put three spells into this one and it has a mana store to help power them, but you'll still need your own Mana to activate the spells."

Shampoo nodded and said, "The enhanced spell to make the Hiryu Shouten Ha faster, the jump spell, and what?"

"An enhancement for your Jian or Chui the spell will increase their damage output."

Shampoo nodded and then looked up to see Ukyou sitting not too far away with a sad expression on her face. Ranma noticed it as well and was unclear as to why Shampoo noticed the girl and asked her to come closer and eat with them. Ukyou approached hesitantly as if Ranma would scrape her away at a moment's notice, but finally sat. After a few moments of eating in silence Shampoo said, "You are Ranma's friend from when he was younger yes?"

Ukyou nodded and the purple haired girl said, "Genma Saotome was the one who hurt you from what I hear. Ranma did not mean any harm to his long time ago friend."

The emphasis in Shampoo's words was on friendship and Ukyou nodded at that while Ranma was oblivious of any potential subtext. After nodding Ukyou said sadly, "Well at least we can be friends and have lunch like this. It may not be what I wanted, but at least it's something right Ranchan?"

Ranma nodded and said, "Yeah Uk-chan, just like in the old days."

School that day ended with Ranma happier than he had been before if not fully on an even mental keel. Then, after school Ranma was practicing with Shampoo at the Nekohanten when a group of strange men came by. The two ceased practice as the listened to the leader of the men talking with Cologne about some type of magical tea kettle when their communicators went off.

Minako and Usagi had been at a hairdresser and were now transformed and in the middle of a fire fight. Ranma looked at Shampoo and said, "Well we'll have to ask Grandmother about this Herb guy and the magical pot at a later date. Let's go!"

With that the two of them were off and cycling towards the next danger arrayed against the Sailor Senshi.

AN: Just want to take a moment of silence and hope for the good people of Japan, without them and people like Rumiko Takahashi and Naoko Takeuchi this fic would not exist.

Q