Ranma 1/2 Moon Chapter Four - The Mysterious Shrine Maiden

Author's note: This episode would fit right after the Sailor Moon amusement park episode (episode 11).

Hino Rei finishes sweeping. She looks at Mizuno Ami and sighs. How are we going to help Usagi with studying if she was always late?

Rei looks up. I sense Usagi coming. However ...

"Excuse me. I heard there's a shrine maiden here with psychic powers."

This visitor has seemed to come out of thin air. She's a young female, slightly older than me, with long fire engine red hair tied in a braided ponytail. She dresses in unisex Chinese peasant clothes. They are not very fashionable, but they made her voluptuous figure less noticeable. She looks nothing like Usagi. Why did I think Usagi was coming?

Ranma-ko bows. "Excuse me, let me introduce myself. Saotome Ranma."

Rei smiles. "Nice to meet you, Ranma-san. I am Hino Rei, the girl you've heard about. I should be able to help you, but I will expect a donation to the shrine."

Ranma-ko nods. Good thing I had the plan approved with my informal family and Nabiki had fronted me money for such a donation. "I hope this is appropriate."

Rei looks over the donation. It is more than enough. "I guess you get the full treatment with no restrictions."

"Great. I have a simple question. Recently, a girl I live with started getting tutored in math. Her tutor is a hunky guy, but both of us worry that he might have some dark secrets."

Rei nods. "I can do a fire ceremony to obtain his image, then by meditating I should be able to unearth some information on him." Rei turns to go to the fire ceremony room.

"Good. His name is Chiba Mamoru, if that helps."

This name shocks both Ami and Rei.

Rei turns back around. "Mamoru? Is he really tall? Skinny? Pretty boy face?"

Ranma-ko nods to each of these questions. "Do you know him?"

Rei looks stern. "Ami and I bumped into him the other day. He seems to enjoy teasing a member of our study group."

"Where did you bump into him?"

"At a children's amusement park."

Ranma-ko's eyes grow wider. "Gee, I hope you don't mind asking, but how old are you two, and the girl he enjoys teasing?"

Ami smiles. "We're all fourteen."

"Mamoru likes to tease fourteen-year-olds? I haven't seen that side of him yet."

Rei nods.

"Did he have a reason to be at a children's amusement park? Was he with a small child?"

Rei shakes her head. "He was riding one of the kiddie rides by himself."

Ranma-ko nods her head. "This is very suspicious."

Ami nods. "We thought it was suspicious as well."

"I hope this doesn't mean that Mamoru has Lolita-Complex."

Rei ponders this. "Ranma-san, do you really think that Mamoru is hunky?"

Ranma-ko pushes her index fingers together. "I guess he is."

Ami leans forward towards Ranma-ko. "How old are you, Ranma-san?"

"I'm sixteen."

Ami nods. "Maybe when we're older we'll think Mamoru is hunky?"

Rei looks at Ami with annoyance. "I hope not."

"Can we do the fire ceremony?"

Rei smiles. "Yes, yes, you get no restrictions."

...

Rei, Ranma-ko and Ami sit in front of the fire alter.

Rei makes a dramatic gesture with her hand. "Ready. Rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu, sai, zen." Rei draws these words with her hands, then throws some leaves on the fire in the alter.

The leaves cause a thick smoke. In the smoke, all three see a vision of Mamoru in the shower. Steam in the vision prevents them from seeing all of Mamoru. Mamoru fades away, but the shower is still there. Then the shower fades away.

Ami gulps. "I really must study my anatomy book more if I want to become a doctor."

Rei nods. "As you can see, sometimes these visions can be more than a little suggestive, um, er, I meant to say ambiguous."

Ranma-ko, visibly upset, nods.

"You're probably in a better position than me to interpret this vision."

Ranma-ko, visibly sweating, nods.

"I will also meditate on this tonight." Rei gives Ranma-ko a card and a pen. "Write your number on this card and I will call with a follow up."

Ranma hurriedly writes his number.

"Anything else I can do?"

Ranma-ko jumps up. "Thank you very much for your consideration."

Ranma-ko runs out of the room and out of the temple.

Rei and Ami watch her run.

Ami scratches her head. "She seems very athletic."

Rei nods.

Ranma-ko runs along with disturbing thoughts in his head. If Mamoru had just turned on the cold water in that vision, he could have changed into something small and gotten away that way. Mamoru could be another shape changer from Jusenkyo.

...

Later that night Rei does another fire ceremony, this time for Ranma-san. This time in the smoke she sees a similar looking and similarly dressed dark-haired boy, and the shadow of someone doing the pose that Usagi does when she transforms.

Rei's eyes burn with determination. Could this girl have a brother and could both of them be after Usagi?

Omake

Sailor says!

Cue the happy-go-lucky music.

Picture of an upset Akane running to her room.

Voice over by Serena: "Having problems with math is a common thing. But math is important."

Picture of Nabiki handing out money and winking.

Voice over by Serena: "There's nothing wrong with asking for help."

Picture of Mamoru sitting with Akane.

Voice over by Serena: "You might even get a hunky tutor. Hey, wait a minute, what's my Darien doing there?"