Fatal Fury Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Sailor Rifts ❯ Chapter 30: Misused Tempers, Turtles, and Sparrows ( Chapter 30 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Sailor Moon/Rifts Crossover (Revised Edition) By Simon Woodington

Chapter 30: Misused Tempers, Turtles, and Sparrows

She was ready. The entire week and been invested in something which
wouldn't last more than ten minutes, but she was prepared. She
smoothed out the long skirt of her formal dress, smiling at the feel
of the cotton.

:Worth every yen; she thought, quite pleased. :I'll definitely make a
good impression:

Her tail twitched, and feline ears swiveled about the bedroom, having
heard the faint swooshing of unfamiliar movement.

:No one else is up yet; she reminded herself as she exited her bedroom
and stepped out onto the carpeted landing at the base of the stairwell
leading up. :Well, maybe...:

'Sashi! Are you downstairs?'

She strode hesitantly towards the kitchen, her clawed hands falling
into an instinctive position of defense. She plainly heard a drawer
slide open, and then shut, as padded feet slid across the laminate
towards her.

'Xalia!' she cried as her friend appeared suddenly, clasping her hands
to her chest as her heart nearly took leave of her body. 'You scared
me! Why didn't you knock? I've been up since five, I would have heard
you!'

The young brunette smiled, her hands clasped firmly behind her back as
her friend's eyes traveled down the strange uniform. Upon moving
upwards again, she noticed the unusual gleam of a collar which
appeared to have foreign engravings in it. She tore her eyes away from
it with some effort.

'Where did you get those funky clothes from? Did Kei give them to
you?'

'Kei?' she repeated slowly, nearing her. 'No Asa, not from Kei. You
like them?'

She blinked, not sure if she really did.

'Uh, yeah, they're, uh... really weird. Like military or something...
um... What are you doing here so early? Didn't I say we should meet at
seven? At the school?'

'Oh,' she replied, 'right. I remember. Seven. At the school.'

Asa gave her an "what are you on?" look, and took her shoulder,
leading her towards the living room.

'Forget it. I'll make breakfast. You can just take your weirded out
self and get comfortable. The Playstation has Motocross in it.'

'Oh, I'm not hungry, thanks.'

'Then why are you here? Forget your question sheet? I can print out
another copy if you want...' she turned, and headed towards her room.
'That's what you get for dragging your... Uk!'

Xalia regarded her unemotionally as Asa turned around, her face
chalk-white, eyes wide, mouth gaping. She stumbled backwards, reaching
for something at her back, then staggered over to the couch, over
which she fell, motionless, and no longer quite so puzzled. The
shadowling extracted the blade from her back, then plunged it into the
back of the gurgling girl's neck, where it was left.

'Sorry Asa, but you're just in the way,' Xalia began, gesturing
towards Asa's room. Asa's eyes rolled uselessly, something in her mind
clicking just hard enough to realize she was dying. Her brown eyes
caught the movement of the shadow-being tearing through her bedroom,
dimly realizing what it might be searching for.

'Trust can be deceptive, but it's not your fault,' she continued,
gazing at the beast as it turned up empty handed. 'It's just the way
things are.'

The young girl, someone's former bundle of joy, expired with a faint
breath as Xalia turned, muttering:

'One down, three to go...'

---

She straggled into the dojo, ill-prepared, though hardly willing to
admit it. The whole night had been spent in the interest of the debate
to come. She hated them. It was not a matter of inability on her part,
she was certainly intelligent enough to participate in a logical
argument. The toughest part was avoiding anger. It was so much easier
just to use physical demonstration to illustrate her intention.

It just came so naturally.

She could hardly see a problem with it. The method had preserved her
for most of her life. Knowing that she could not, at least, not in
school, not with the Kei-san present (at the very least), made her job
that much more awkward. Stooping to fetch an escapee book from the
column of a dozen in her arms, she startled as someone bumped into
her. With a stark snarl upon her face as the stack tumbled freely to
the floor, she faced her impending opponent. Her ire was pacified as
she noted the presence to be a friend.

'Uh, good morning Masurani-chan,' the red-headed Asian girl stated
softly in Japanese, smiling weakly and stooping to assist her. 'Gomen
nasai!'

'That's okay,' she sighed, her voice heavy with the tension
aforementioned. She collected a few books, then accepted the remainder
the young woman handed her.

'You look tired,' she said, rocking slightly on the balls of her feet.

'Hai Ayla-chan,' she replied caustically. 'I was training late. My
sensei insisted I finish the new technique...'

'What? I thought you...' she gasped. 'Isn't black belt enough?'

Masurani glanced about, her sky blue shoulder length hair shifting
with the motion, noting immediately that they were the only students
unseated. She headed off towards the nearest pair of empty spots.
Easily done, since the rotunda was sparsely populated. Once the
situation was remedied, she sternly replied:

'No.'

Ayla blinked at her.

'Come on. I know you want to make it in, but don't you think it's a
little much?'

'No way.'

Ayla's eyebrow arched at that. Leaving her thoughts unspoken, she
turned to the task at hand.

'My sensei says self improvement is always worthwhile,' the blue
haired girl continued. 'There's still so much to learn!'

'Yeah, like he put it that way. Probably said something like: "Never
stop training, 'cause you won't know who might come along to whip your
butt." Right?'

She laughed. 'Close.'

'So anyway, who are you paired with?' Ayla asked gently, seeming to
ignore that statement, skimming over her notes.

'Naritha Hylaow, some little Chinese mouse,' Masurani stated with a
derisive snort. Ayla gave a half frown at that.

'She's quiet, but she's smart, so don't underestimate her,' she
suggested. 'Remember the first time you tried to out talk me?'

Masurani smiled and nodded, 'Hai. I finally got you in the sparring
match afterwards. What about you? Who are you with?'

'Haisha Walynn,' she glanced up at the stage, half listening to the
already sparring voices.

'I'm not sure if I like her, she gets so angry so easily,' was the
terse observation.

'Remind you of someone you know?' Ayla parried simply, gazing at her
friend to drive her point.

'Oh thanks,' she groaned. 'I'm way calmer than she is. Why? What do
you think of her?'

She considered the next combination of words over the course of an
inwardly drawn breath, then set them free.

'I think she's way too loud to be very tough...' Ayla replied, a
distant look wandering into her eyes. "...I guess."

Masurani looked nonplused for a moment.

'Um, it doesn't matter. There's something else I need to talk to you
about,' she began, her face drawn tightly by some unseen stress.
'Nasura-san may not honor our kinship.'

'What! But that's not her choice! ...is it?' she glanced nervously up
at the short redhead in matching business suit of sports coat and
skirt. 'I mean... um... what does it mean?'

'It means they won't take any special considerations concerning
missions, or tactics. It also means they won't provide the traditional
armor and training.'

Masurani groaned loudly. 'Great. Not only do I have to argue on stage
today, but I learn that I'm hooped for kinship rites. Bloody frickin'
wonderful.'

'Gen Asa!' was the name abruptly issued.

Masurani blinked at the false start, sitting back down. She glanced
around at the lack of responsive movement.

'Gen Asa!'

Ayla looked nonplused at her friend, shrugging her slender shoulders.

'It's not like her to skip,' Masurani noted seriously.

'I always kind of thought she was a flake,' Ayla replied with a
chuckle. 'I mean, she's part cat. I don't know very many cats that
care about punctuality.'

'Last call for Gen Asa!'

The blue haired girl gave her a serious look.

'This is important to her.'

'How do you know? Oh,' she smirked. 'Sparring partner.'

'Among others,' she replied, lacking a usually appropriate grin.

'What will happen?'

'What?'

'To her debate partner?'

'I dunno. Maybe they'll just stick her with someone else who skipped,
but this bothers me,' she muttered worriedly. 'Isanu didn't show up to
class this morning either.'

'Really? Wow, maybe she slept in!' Ayla laughed.

Masurani regarded her with a stern glare.

'Come on Ayla! It's not like being a KnightsMage is important or
anything!' she retorted, seeming quite upset by the entire matter.

'Gomen. You're right, but I think we should just focus on making the
team. It won't hurt us really if they blow it by not showing up.
Especially since we can't help it.'

She looked further ill at ease, then bowed her head and sighed.

'I suppose.'

'Sarle Masurani and Hylaow Naritha!'

'Oh shoot!' she blinked, recalling something abruptly. 'Masu-chan,
this will determine our placement and rank. So try not to lose your
temper.'

'Oh great! Arigoto!' she huffed, tossing her arms up. 'You could have
told me afterwards.'

She muttered tersely under her breath as she took a dozen palm sized
cards from the top of her seated books as she left to face grim vocal
combat.

---

Only further unsettled, fingers tightly curled about the fragile edges
of the podium, Masurani growled at her debate opponent mere moments
past the point of no return.

'Bloody hell he doesn't! The child is his flippin' fault, he can't
shirk on his responsibility!'

Naritha, a young woman just on the edge on childhood, long blue and
silver streaked hair adorning her gentle and forgivingly attractive
features, held a barely confident expression, to match that of her
donned apparel: A loose khaki blouse and matching skirt of deep brown.

'To disband such relationship not a crime... um, punishable in law.
Were she underage...' she stated clearly, her voice laden with a thick
Chinese accent.

'Disband?! It's not a military establishment! It's his bloody fault!'

Ayla shook her head with an embarrased laugh, watching her drowning
companion on stage.

'There are, um... laws to protect mother... and to determine his...'
she cursed faintly in her native tongue, searching for a word she
could not find. 'Uhnm, ahh... oh! Accountability.'

Masurani's fingers clutched the podium with such force that the edges
cracked, bringing an uncomfortable look to her face, and a shocked one
to her opponent.

'I... oh mercy Goddess,' she whispered faintly, fear briefly flashing
behind her eyes. 'I forfeit!'

'Hai! Enough!' the presiding Kei barked, glaring starkly at Masurani.
'Return to your seats.'

Trembling vaguely as she departed, she replied a fearful 'what did I
do wrong?' glance to Masurani, who winced, and plunked herself down
heavily beside Ayla in the bleachers.

'That was wrong! You scared her into forfeit!' Ayla stated, gazing
sharply at her friend. 'She didn't deserve that!'

'I don't... I didn't mean...' she gathered her apologetic feelings and
held them aside. 'I don't usually fly off the handle like that. You
know me.'

'Hai,' she sighed, falling into silence and watching the next pair of
verbal warriors. A moment later, she faced her friend with knitted
brows, and declared: 'That's no good to me. Tell her that. Apologize.'

Masurani glared at her knees, after which her softening eyes met
Ayla's.

'She probably thinks I'm going to pound her,' she smirked selflessly.

'Not funny.' Ayla frowned pointedly, 'Your reputation precedes you,
neh?'

'Uh, yeah...' she responded uncomfortably, gaze fallen. 'I'll be back
in a couple minutes, okay?'

Masurani had to wonder why Naritha stood rather than fled when she
approached. Perhaps she had more guts than she had first determined.
Or, perhaps she was just open to peaceful relations.

'Hi,' Masurani half growled unconsciously in Japanese. Guilt overtook
her an instant later. 'Oh damn! Gomen nasai Naritha-chan! I didn't
mean to freak out on you on stage there I was panicked I'm really bad
at debates and I just...'

Naritha nodded expectantly.

She blinked, somewhat stunned, then took a deep breath as she placed
her hands together palm to palm and bowed dramatically at the waist.
'...I got angry. It's been such a rough week with all the training...
Twenty-four-seven regiments since Nasura-san called alarm. I was mean.
Really mean. Gomen.'

Naritha's eyes whirled for a moment, after which point she smiled, and
proffered her hand.

'[Nihao!] I'm Waylnn Naritha,' she smiled.

Dumbfounded, Masurani gazed puzzled at the girl for a moment, before
returning her smile, and shaking her hand.

'Uh, [nihao], I guess... um, I'm Sarle Masurani,' she replied, taking
this as a truce.

'Can be...' her face locked in dubious consideration, '...friends?'
Her pleasant expression instantly darkening in expectation of refusal.

:Is she manipulating me?!; Masurani thought, strangely mollified by
the idea. :So what if she is? I think I like her. She's... nice:

'Um, I guess. Why don't we go correct the result of our debate. You
were way more clear headed, and I can just drop it if you want. You
deserve it.'

Naritha glanced at the raised oak stage, and Masurani's gazed followed
immediately.

'Your friend already doing.'

Masurani sighed, exasperated. Though, even as she watched, her
torrential feelings washed away, and she felt herself turn and slip
into conversation with Naritha, who it turned out, stumbled less
frequently in speech when comfortable.

'Aren't many people here today,' Masurani remarked softly.

Naritha nodded curtly.

'Hai, I see this. Nasura Kei-san said only final girls here. None
other.'

'Oh. You mean the finalists? You mean we're it?'

'Hai,' she said with a blink. 'If you are chose, what will do?'

'I want to be the senshi of strength,' rolling her eyes with a warm
smile. 'Obviously, it's what I'm good at.'

'Hai. Yet, there are two. What will be other?'

'I dunno, I never really thought about it. I guess it would have to be
stamina, I'm fast, but not fast enough to qualifiy for speed. What
about you?'

'I will be heart and soul. I not fight like you.'

'Like me? You do fight?' Masurani quested, interested.

'Violence hurt many. I wish not cause pain. Fighting necessary, but
very unfortunate,' she replied, avoiding Masurani's direct gaze.

'What style? I was taught a combination... it's a little much to get
into.'

'Te. I trained from very young to master.'

'Very. I understand it's a very unique form. Uhm,' she hesitated, the
question forthcoming awkward, 'when we argued up there, your Japanese
was better...'

Her eyes rolled prettily in consideration, and she reached into a
pocket and pulled out her prompt cards.

'My writing much... as you say... better than my speech. I speak
English too, but very worse,' she replied softly, watching the
movement of Masurani's hands. 'I see you fight. I see you with friend.
You spar, you win.'

'I fight hard, and train harder. Becoming a KnightsMage is very
important to me,' Masurani stated seriously, dropping her clenched
hands.

'What style you train?' she inquired, leaning forward slightly as she
toyed with a rallied length of hair at her shoulder.

'Many things. I've been training under Nakio, and a friend of my
Mama's. Mostly it's Silver Light stuff, though I have received some
tutoring from the Shirinaui School,' she stated, her eyes casting over
Naritha, shifting occasionally to the stage, where some of the elders
had started to gather. 'Mostly energy channeling, you know.'

'You train Silver clan when not together?' she queried gently.

'I've been training long before the Silver clan dissolved. And since.'

The young woman - nigh girl, in appearance - nodded with a serious
look.

'What other...' she blushed suddenly. 'Pardon my inquisi... um,
inquisitivity.'

Masurani smiled, respite.

'Don't worry about it. It's nice to have someone to talk to about the
martial arts. Ayla... my other friend... she's not a passionate about
it as I am.'

'Hai... I see. Your friend have much natural grace. She... star on
foot?'

Masurani looked befuddled for a moment, after which the statement
clicked.

'You mean "light on her feet," right?'

Naritha bowed her head with a giggle.

'Hai. She seem faster than you.'

'She is, when I go normal... uh, um... Power is my thing.'

'As humble Master of Te, I learn never be hit, and not strike until
last cause.'

'I don't think I could ever do that... just stand there and let some
guy swing at me, even if he wasn't making contact...'

'What mean, when say 'go normal'?'

Masurani averted her eyes.

'It's hard to explain. When I fight, I have two modes, mostly, normal
is when I fight ordinary people. I can increase my speed by focusing
chi. Problem is I burn off some major enegy when I do that. It's kinda
dangerous, but a real trip.'

'Ah, I see...' she muttered distantly, somewhat set aside verbally by
her near ramble. 'Do what must do. If not, no say what might lose.
Home, planet, life. To choose, is not our cho.. um, choice, hm? But
what you say is not so strange. I learn to work with water and chi.'
She adjusted her skirt absently. 'Mostly, I sense evil, heal, and
protect.'

Masurani nodded, an unelaborated thought restless in her mind.

'There is more?'

A pleasant smile warmed her face. 'I wasn't going to get into it
unless you asked...'

---

'Looks like you've got yourself a new friend,' Ayla smiled warmly as
Masurani accompanied her out of the hall.

'Yeah. She's much tougher than she looks! Can you believe she's a
master of Te?' Masurani gushed, still quite impressed.

'What's Te?'

The short turquoise haired young woman prepared an astounded look,
which she tossed quickly at her friend.

'The Chinese developed it decades ago during the war, when they were
banned from using weapons. It's a deadly hands only martial art. I'd
have a bloody hard time trying to beat her in combat. In slow mode,
anyway.'

'She looked so hurt though! If she knew...'

'Naritha's a pacifist. One of the big things about Te is avoiding
fighting. That's the first focus of the style. Defense,' Masurani
stated, facing her locker, applying her hands to the bound storage
unit. 'She's such a sweetheart. What are your plans?'

'I know,' Ayla acknowledged, opening her locker with a clink. 'Well,
actually, I was going to invite you to Aunt Mai's.'

Masurani smiled plainly. 'Would you mind if I invited Naritha?'

Ayla looked surprised.

'Okay, where's Masurani? What've you done with her!' she mock snapped.

Masurani could only laugh.

'Well, she shouldn't mind. I mean, the dojo is open to the public...'

'Not to mention she's a KnightsSquire...' Ayla laughed. 'Of course.
Don't worry about it.'

Slipping a knapsack over her shoulder, Masurani commented:

'Turns out she's also half Japanese.'

'So?' Ayla replied dryly.

'She's got some Japanese blood in her family, and...'

'That's not what I asked. What does it matter that she's any part
Japanese?' she snarled vaguely.

'I...'

A sigh akin to a hiss escaped Ayla's lips.

'I don't believe this! You know my Mama-san taught me not to
disrespect others because of their family background!'

'Hai, but she's Canadian.'

Ayla growled angrily at that.

'Masurani!'

Masurani looked abruptly apologetic.

'Um, I... Ayla-chan, your Mama-san is an honorable and kind woman.
I...' her eyes fell. 'I just meant that she's used to all the
different cultures and I'm not.'

'That's no excuse. There are just as many prejudices here as anywhere
else. It just happens that our cultural focus is the Chinese. Not that
we have to follow that.'

Masurani's eyes trailed along the floor as they proceeded from the
verbal blast site.

'Masurani the Master of Morality strikes again,' she chided herself.
'I guess we'll be eating separately?'

'Um,' Ayla looked astonished. 'Well, we need to discuss our senshi
outfit designs. Unless you're going to refuse Mama's invitation?' she
grinned.

'No Ayla-chan...' she half whispered. 'So sorry! I like her... I
just...'

'Just what?'

'They're just so...'

'"Just" nothing! How many Japanese people have you known are the same
as the next?' Her red eyebrows curled downward tersely.

'Well, none, really...' her eyes flailed to the doors leading to the
outside world, embarrassed and disgraced, as they passed through them.

'Why do you think another culture should be any different?'

There were several turnings of a glossy black feminine silhouette
before Masurani spoke again.

'I don't know. I guess... Dad never really... he didn't like the
Chinese very much.'

Ayla only nodded, noting the darkening of the sky as a flow of
harrowing clouds drew over them.

'It's simply a matter of respect. "Eye for an eye, tooth for a
tooth."' Ayla elaborated plainly, 'Just think about it, neh?'

'Uh, yeah,' she sighed, betwixt feelings of guilt and honor.

---

'There isn't much to mine,' she noted, pulling the dark blue weighted
armlets over her wrists. Her orange gi traveled loosely over her
distinctly curvaceous form, belted at the waist, laden with heavy,
thick dark blue boots, and where the neckline plunged, a dark grey
weighted tunic covered any discounting view.

'"School of the turtle sect,"' Osaka read. 'Is he collaborating with
Mai at all?'

'No. He said he doesn't want to confuse my training,' she replied with
an indifferent shrug. 'I don't know if I want to take on any more than
this. It's hard enough as is.'

'"School of the Sparrow,"' Ayla grunted. 'Nakio never suggested the
use of weighted clothing like you've got! Though... I'm not much of a
fighter.'

'I dunno about that,' Masurani replied. 'You may not be as tough as
me, but you're pretty frickin' fast. But then, you're a brain. Helluva
lot smarter'n me. It's what we're good at. Doesn't have to be the same
thing.'

'Hai. It's just that I don't, well... you enjoy it! I do it because
there's no other way.'

'I buy that,' Masurani replied, 'and you can go ahead and call me
stupid! Whatever, Ayla-chan. You might not go for it like I do, but
you wouldn't at all if you didn't get a kick out of it a bit.'

'Oh, really punny. I don't though! I mean, sure, I like the idea of
actually being able to defend myself, but I'd rather not fight,' she
elaborated, practicing several streamlined motions of ken, the
smoothness betraying the grace of a dance. 'I'm no white rabbit. On
the other hand, wild cats spend most of their lives sleeping. I would
love to be that relaxed that much of the time!'

'I never enjoyed violence much either baby,' Osaka admonished
wistfully. 'Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Why don't you two
wash up.'

'Sure, me too,' Masurani smirked. 'Though mine hardly recommended the
use of books.'

The Apollo house spoke calmly, though pointedly, and plainly. As did
those who dwelled in it. Ayla knew that Masurani was not one for
words, and wondered exactly how intelligent this young half-Japanese
girl was. Another intellectual sparring partner would hardly hurt her.
Of course, the hope of finding a new friend struck her as well. As
Ayla's thoughts nearly simultaneously carved this path of thoughts,
the rapid, dull beating of a miniscule bell battled for her attention.

'Ayla! Phone!'

She sat forward on her bed and grasped the top of a deep black cat
shaped phone, and drew the receiver to her ear.

'Hai - Ayla. Oh, hai... No, Masurani's kinda busy... And no, that's
tonight... it's my Aunt, Naritha,' a pause. 'We'll have the whole
weekend.' Another. 'Yeah. I don't know if you'll want to show them
up!' she laughed. Instantly, her face darkened. 'No, um, that's not
what I... no, that's fine. Forget it.' Yet another drawling silence.
'You know where the "Yarrow Temple" is? Right. Just at the end of the
street. Big white building, can't miss it. We're being picked up at
six.' She glanced at Masurani with a bemused smile. 'We've been
friends for years... since... what?' A further gaping quiet. 'No
problem. Sure. I'll see you then. Bye.'

The click of the receiver drew Masurani's idle question forth.

'What?'

'She's talkative for a mouse!' she replied, sitting back.

'It's just a matter of finding the right people to talk to...' Osaka
pointed out, poking her head inside the door. 'Dinner's ready. Why
don't you to come down and eat before Naritha gets here.'

'We should have time to spar before we go, right?' Masurani asked
hopefully.

Ayla grinned. 'Hai. I'm looking forward to it.'