Ranma Half Moon chapter 102 "Idol Challenge" part 2.
Author's note: This episode happens during the Sailor Moon episode 40 "The Legendary Lake Monster, Usagi's Family Ties".
Endymion arrives at the lake where the energy readings had originated. He looks from side to side to make sure that he is alone.
Endymion observes the calm water of the lake. For a moment he remembers ice skating with Sailor Moon. He shakes off the thought. I must find the energy source, either by opening my mind and concentrating or by going swimming. And, I don't feel like swimming.
Endymion opens his mind, but before he can locate the energy source, a melody that plays on an old-fashioned music box breaks concentration.
Endymion opens his eyes and realizes that a human family has wondered by. I can not be bothered to get into a confrontation with a bunch of insignificant lower creatures. Endymion teleports to the other side of the lake to restart his search there.
Tsukino Usagi and her family walk to the edge of the lake. Usagi takes the music box out of her kimono. Why would start playing by itself?
After around fifteen minutes, Endymion convinces himself that the energy source is not close to the shore of the opposite side of the lake. He teleports back to his original location. "Good, the humans have already moved on."
Let's see Queen Beryl's star warrior in action. Kunzite smirks, his presence hidden from view in a portal twenty feet in the air.
What is this? Endymion notices the old statue by the edge of the lake. The writing on the statue says "The Legendary Lovers". Endymion looks unsettled. Have I seen this before?
Suddenly, the music from the music box shatters Endymion's contemplation of the statue. This time, instead of teleporting away, he hides in the woods so he can see the owner of this annoying music box.
However, the music has a strange effect on Endymion and he subconsciously creeps forward towards the owner.
Snap. Endymion inadvertently steps on a twig. Oh well, the lower creature knows I am here. Endymion walks out of the woods and confronts the human. "Where did you get that music box? What song is it playing?"
Unexpectedly, the girl nearly swoons. "Mamoru. You're okay. You've come back."
Kunzite raises an eyebrow. Well, Queen Beryl, let's see if Endymion's memories have truly been perfectly erased. This is an ideal test.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Mamoru, don't you recognize me? It's Usagi."
"Mamoru? Usagi? Those names have nothing to do with me."
"Usagi!"
Another lower creature? Mamoru notices that Usagi turns her head towards the other creature. He uses this opportunity to teleport behind a tree.
"Usagi, you made everyone worry."
"I'm sorry, mother."
"Usagi, do you see that statue?"
Usagi nods.
"There is an old story about that statue that has been passed down from generation to generation."
Endymion's ears prick up.
"In the story, a maiden from the heavens came down to earth and fell in love with a man. However, an earth girl who was in love with the man turned into a monster with the power of her jealousy. This monster killed many people in the village until the man and the maiden from the heavens sacrificed themselves to seal the monster in the lake. After sealing the monster, they ascended into the heavens."
Something about the story stabs Endymion through his heart. But why? How could that story affect me?
Kunzite notices the confusion on Endymion's face. But why would a story like that affect him? That wasn't the story of Mamoru.
Endymion watches the two lower beings walk off and join up with two more lower beings.
Endymion walks to the edge of the lake. So that was it. The energy is from an ancient monster sealed in this lake. "Ancient Monster, filled with a desire for vengeance, sealed so long ago. Rise from the water, I command you!"
A one hundred foot geyser of water erupts from the quiet surface of the lake, its spray producing mini-rainbows of light as it falls through the bright sunlight.
From the geyser emerges a huge monster, stretching nearly fifteen feet long and looking like a cross between a sea serpent and a woman.
"Give him back!" The serpent flies directly at Endymion.
For a second Kunzite feels a need to protect Endymion. Kunzite wipes his brow. Must be an aftereffect of the dream.
Endymion teleports to avoid the monster, but the monster follows him and confronts him again.
"Give him back!"
Kunzite smirks. "Okay, golden boy. You found your monster, now what will you do with it?"
...
"Turn and kick, turn and kick." Mio stops to catch her breath. Why do I have to waste a school holiday on this crap? With two days to go before the idol challenge, I am regaining some of my Dark Kingdom power, but this competition is a total waste of time. So what if I am a better idol that Haruka? What would that really prove?
Mio restarted the music and sighed. Here I am, a powerful ancient demon and yet I have no control over my host body when it comes to idol singing practice.
"Turn and kick, turn and kick."
...
Ranma-kun and Haruka arrive at a hospital.
"Are you sure you are ready for this?"
Ranma-kun nods. "They both got hurt by my using Moon Healing Escalation. I should do something for them."
"I'm not sure that they did. After all, I put quite a bruising on Kuno during the melee. Maybe I beat him up so bad as a monster that he got hurt as a human?"
"You're just trying to cheer me up. However, I now know that what I did wasn't wrong. Kuno, for all of his annoying properties, is really a person with a sense of right and wrong. Even if I had killed him with my inability to use Moon Healing Escalation properly, I think he would have preferred death to being an immoral Yoma Monster."
Haruka smiles. "A sense of right and wrong? Wow. Maybe. Maybe one based on some really twisted premises."
Ranma-kun giggles. "Yeah, that some female might be interested in an egotistical jerk."
Ranma-kun and Haruka enter Kuno's hospital room. Kuno is still in traction, heavily bandaged.
"So, Saotome Ranma has come to finish me off while I am not able to defend myself?"
"Don't flatter yourself. I just came to see if you were okay."
"I will return Ranma, and when I do, I will show no mercy on moral reprobates such as yourself who hold multiple fiances under your evil spell."
"Why? So that they can then simultaneously become your finances?"
"That's different. My love is so pure and refined that I would not possibly be able to withhold it from all of them."
Ranma-kun laughs. "I'm looking forward to you coming back. Don't change for anything, Kuno."
Ranma-kun and Haruka leave the room.
"Feeling better?"
"No."
"Why's that?"
"Because Moon Healing Escalation didn't kill him."
To be continued