InuYasha Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Crossover ❯ Change of Plans ( Chapter 6 )

Chapter Six

The Liar, the Switch, and the Change of Wardrobe

-----

"Still lazy as ever, are we?" Princess said as she took a bite of her pop-tart.

Unfortunately, there was no reply to her statement, seeing as those it was aimed at were all too busy nursing the minor wounds they seemed to have developed during the night.

Daisetsu watched Kari wearily from where he sat eating his own breakfast of pop-tarts, he still held no real trust in the ninja, especially since she seemed to have kept the fact secret up until it became blatantly obvious.

Kari hummed to herself as she polished one of her kunai in a nice isolated corner of the room.

Everyone's attention was drawn when a certain woman with a certain pageboy haircut cleared her throat loudly as she stood up from her seat. Looking at the assembled mass in her home Nabiki, sighed before beginning. "Well, Tiger and I have school today. Since none of you have any money, nor access to our checkbooks, we'll also be going shopping after classes. I expect those that have chores today to have them completed by the time we get home." Nabiki eyed the group before pulling Dai along as she headed into the kitchen, and then out of the house with their belongings.

As they were about to exit the door Nabiki turned around and commented, "Oh and if any of you leave, there's a key hidden on the top of the door frame." After finishing her last statement, she let the door close behind her and her husband.

The assembled mass seemed to look at each other for a moment before giving off a massive group shrug.

-----

Gin Belmont smiled to herself as she quietly made her way into the bedroom of her hosts, the Tendos. Now that the others all had left for different odd reasons she could find out just what the Tendos were hiding, and no one would be the wiser.

Inside the bedroom, she made a slow, deliberate analysis of the room. From Eryn's thoughts she knew Nabiki was intelligent, almost overly so, and would probably make sure to hide any sensitive information very well.

Satisfied that the room wasn't booby trapped, Gin quickly made her way to the bed in the center of the room. Searching under, in, and beneath it, she found nothing. Well, nothing except the disgustingly sweet picture of some family, all huddled up together for the picture.

The bed having given no information, Princess proceeded to search through, behind, and under their dresser. Once again she found nothing except for a few stray yen and their assembled clothing, and oddly enough a diary with the word's "Black Ronin ideas" written on its front cover.

Chewing on her lip in agitation, Princess noticed the night stands on either side of the bed and was walking towards the closest when she was stopped cold by a cough from behind. Turning around slowly, Princess gulped, that is until she spotted who was at the door.

-----

Seishin Taihei had gone out searching for any more stores that sold his elusive shirt/sweater, he had found himself coming up empty and after the first four stores he decided to call it quits.

Returning to the apartment that had been so kindly provided by Nabiki Tendo and her husband, he had at first thought himself alone and, as such, made himself a nice glass of hot chocolate.

As he was taking his first sip of his drink though he had noticed a slight shuffling sound coming from the back of the house. Arching his brow, he calmly followed the sound to its origins, which happened to be the Tendos' bedroom. Looking through the cracked door he spotted the one person he should've guessed would be up to something, the girl who called herself Princess.

Letting the door drift open further, he leaned against the doorframe, letting out a small cough to alert the girl to his presence. A smirk crossed his face when she spun around and stared at him.

The girl's walk seemed to take on an odd gait as she made her way to where he stood, she actually came a little too close to him for his own personal comfort. A disturbing smile crossed her face as she asked, "So when did you get back, handsome?"

Now it was Sei's turn to gulp as the girl blatantly flirted with him. She was attractive to say the least, but knowing her pretty much took away any kind of attraction any sane person could have for her. In other words, she was a very obvious fox in sheep's clothing.

Not getting an answer from the perturbed boy, Princess let her finger trail down his sweater/shirt as she let another question slip seductively from her lips. "What's wrong, good looking, does the proverbial cat have your tongue?" She smiled almost evilly when she noticed the slight blush creep along his cheeks.

Sei tried desperately to answer, but he was getting more nervous by the second. He didn't like being thrust into this kind of situation and he really didn't want to piss someone like Princess off. After all, she could always sic Kuno on him and that was someone he didn't want to have to deal with. Finally, his nervousness getting the better of his motor controls, his already shaking hand let his glass of hot chocolate slip.

Princess stared in blatant horror as the heated liquid slipped from the boy's hand and covered her dress, and more importantly her.

Eryn Belmont found his consciousness quickly reaching the surface as his body reformed itself to its true uncursed glory. Looking at the man he found himself a little to close to he took a step back putting some distance between himself and said man.

After a few moments of awkwardness had passed Eryn watched as the boy, Seishin, pulled a bottle of chocolate milk out of seemingly nowhere and chugged its contents down in less than ten seconds.

As he finished and wiped his lips of the excess milk, Sei asked simply, "Jusenkyo?"

Eryn simply nodded in response.

Sei looked at the boy for a minute before asking, "So what's your curse? Is it like the curse of the drowned girl? Or the Drowned Ashura? Or what, the uber-witch?"

Eryn shook his head, sighing he replied, "No, I fell into the, apparently, three day old pool of the drowned Princess. According to the guide, it's the only personality and body changing pool at Jusenkyo. Cold water gives you Princess, hot water equals me. My name's Eryn, by the way." Looking around the room, he asked a simple question. "Oh, and by any chance, do you know where I can get my hands on a gun?"

The archer reluctantly replied, "Ummmm, why exactly do you need a gun, Eryn?"

Eryn shrugged before answering. "Well, to shoot myself, of course."

Sei, more than a little shocked at the request, replied speedily, "Why in the world would you want to do something like that?!"

The silver-haired man let out another sigh before replying. "I had, in the reality I came from, the unfortunate blessing of immortality, which apparently bled over to princess as well, making it impossible for me to kill myself in either form. I want to see if it works here. I mean, I doubt it will, I do happen to have the world's worst luck in this sort of thing."

Sei nodded absently before replying, "Umm, okay, I'm going to go take a walk to think about what you just revealed to me, and to get some chocolate, I'm definitely in need of chocolate. We'll talk about this when I get back…" He quickly turned around and made his way towards the door.

-----

Kari and Ryoga sat at their table, waiting for their order. They had entered the Golden Ice Cream Kingdom with the intent of spending the rest of their shopping money on some well-deserved desserts. But after placing their order with the short ponytailed girl behind the counter, they had been sitting for ten minutes, waiting for the waiter to bring them their food.

He, however, seemed to have other ideas. He was over at another table, chatting with two girls as they ate their ice cream. He ran a hand through his short brown hair, obviously trying to woo the girls.

"Sheesh," Kari intoned, "how long is this guy going to take?"

Ryoga stood, his chair sliding backwards as he did so. "Just wait a moment," he instructed. Before his friend could respond, the fanged boy had walked over to the suave waiter.

The brown-haired boy patiently ignored Ryoga's cough as he related the story of one of his exploits. He even ignored the tap on his shoulder. He could not, however, ignore it when Ryoga grabbed him by the collar and pulled him closer. "Eh?" the boy asked, as if noticing Ryoga for the first time. "Is there something you want?"

"Our food," the bandanna-clad boy replied, waving his hand toward his table.

"In a moment," was the waiter's reply. When Ryoga let go, the boy straightened his collar. Giving a confident grin, the boy turned to the two girls, both of whom gave girlish giggles. He leaned over each of them, giving them a kiss each.

"What a player," Kari muttered as Ryoga sat down. "Can't stand guys like that."

Ryoga shrugged. "Well, all he'll be doing here is giving us food, so it's not like you have to put up with him."

The young girl sighed. "I suppose you're right." It's not like he was doing anything to her, and if the girls accepted it then she didn't have any reason to be mad at the guy. It's not like he'd be as bad as Itachi, or even Mikado Sanzenin.

Their waiter made his appearance, carrying a small bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream and an ice cream sundae. He sat the bowl of ice cream in front of Ryoga, then placed the sundae in front of the young girl.

"Wrong," Kari said, simply, switching the places of the two frozen treats.

"Well, excuse me," the waiter said snidely. "It's an acceptable mistake, to think the little boy wanted the sundae."

"I can't stand them," the young ninja replied. "And I'm a girl, not a boy." She rolled her eyes, obviously used to that particular mistake.

As the two friends began to eat their ice cream, the waiter looked over Kari. To himself, he muttered, "Well, I guess I can see it." An internal war went on inside the man, each fight shown clearly on his face. "And... I suppose I do need another girl. I'm only on 1322, after all. It'll take quite a bit to get to two thousand."

"Eh?" Kari looked at the man, wondering why the waiter was still standing there. That's also when she noticed him staring at her. "Is there something on my face?" She grabbed a napkin and began wiping her chin.

The waiter gave a suave grin. "Oh no, my dear, nothing like that." He leaned in closer. "But, tell me, are your lips still chaste?"

Ryoga was about to get out of his seat and start pounding this guy.

The blue-haired girl scooted backwards in her seat. That's when it all clicked. The guy's attitude, his face, it all matched. He was Mikado Sanzenin, just older than she remembered. It was because of that she didn't recognize him immediately, but when she thought of it, even the girl behind the counter resembled Azusa.

"There is no reason to fear," Mikado suavely said, "for I am nothing if not gentle."

"Back off," Kari said eloquently, getting out of her seat. She stood not even to the bottom of Mikado's chest, but she nonetheless tried to appear imposing. She'd give him one chance to stop his antics.

But Mikado, ignoring the warning signs, simply placed a hand to one of Kari's cheeks. "Ignore not your feelings." He leaned closer, and found himself lying on his back.

Kari stood up from her quick sweep. "Lay off."

The male half of the Golden Pair stood, brushing off his clothes as he did so. "You have spunk. That's respectable. But it won't deter me."

"Maybe a beating will, then." The ninja made good to her word, slamming an elbow into Mikado's gut. As he leaned forward from the blow, Kari leapt back and spun into a crescent kick that caught the side of the skater-turned-waiter's head, sending him sprawling.

"Mikado!" was a cry that came from over the counter.

Patiently ignoring Azusa, the young ninja waited for Mikado to stand. Once he was standing, she let off a few more blows. Her form blurred as she went faster, closer to her top speed. After a dozen hits, she finished the boy off with a powerful spinning kick that sent him flying into the back, over the counter.

A water pipe in the back broke as Mikado hit it, spraying almost the entire store with water. Kari, feeling much better, became soaking wet. The two other girls had left earlier, so that meant the only other people to get wet were the Golden Pair and Ryoga.

When Ryoga got wet, however, his form shifted. His Jusenkyo curse was activated. However, instead of turning into a small black piglet, as this world's Ryoga did, his form shifted into that of a medium-sized black dog with shaggy fur and his trademark bandanna around the neck.

"Mikado!" Azusa cried, again, rushing to her partner's side. After seeing that he was as all right as can be expected, she turned toward Kari to scold the girl when her eyes found an adorable black dog in her restaurant. "Frederick!"

"Frederick?" Kari asked, cocking her head to the side. She turned and saw her best friend, Ryoga, was now a dog. Azusa was there as well, her arms around Ryoga's neck like a vice. That Azusa must've been pretty fast...

"You're a good boy, Frederick," Azusa cooed. "Now come on, come home with mommy." She tried pulling the dog toward the back, but the animal held his ground.

"Sorry," Kari said, walking up and prying the girl's arms off her friend. "That's my dog, Snuffles." She almost laughed when the dog cringed from that name; she didn't know why Ryoga disliked it, she thought it was cute. "Snuffles doesn't like strangers, you see."

"That's my Frederick!" Azusa cried. The taller girl had an accusing finger pointed at Kari. "You're trying to steal him from me!" Her hand quivered as she pointed. "You let my Frederick go!" She kneeled down. "C'mere, Frederick. Leave the scary lady and come to momma."

"I can't steal what's mine," the ninja replied casually. "And he's not leaving with you." She scooped up Ryoga's clothes, then began to walk off, Ryoga tailing her.

"Wait!" the older girl cried, raising an arm toward Kari. "I challenge you to a fight! If I win, you'll give me my Frederick!"

The blue-haired girl growled, spinning around. The water was still spraying into the restaurant, and it began to come together at Kari's feet. The water began spinning wildly around Kari, like some sort of battle aura. "If you want to fight, then fine. I'll kick you around and then you'll leave us alone."

If the other girl caught sight of tricks Kari was pulling with the water, she didn't show it. Instead, she simply scoffed. "A fight here? What are you, some kind of uncivilized pig? If we fight, we do it on ice."

"Ah," the ninja replied, understanding. "In that case, no." The water began to fall back to floor as she calmed herself. "Come on Snuffles, we're leaving."

"Leave my Frederick!" Azusa cried.

At the door, Kari turned around. "I would if I could." She smiled. "But there isn't anyone or anything here that goes by that name." She left, Ryoga trailing behind her.

Azusa sobbed as the water flooded her restaurant.

Mikado gurgled, face down in the water.

-----

"I can't believe that guy," Ryoga said for, perhaps, the fifth time. He had changed back with a cup of ramen noodles Kari had bought on the way back to the apartment and, in fact, still had a few noodles stuck in his hair.

"He's the same one I beat up a few weeks back," the ninja said, kicking a small rock off the sidewalk and into the busy street. "Back in, you know, our world."

"Older but no wiser, eh?" the bandanna-clad boy asked with a grin.

Kari gave a small smile. "Something like that, yeah."

The two quickly found themselves in front of Daisetsu's apartment once more. As they entered, however, they noticed something amiss. A person in a silver dress was rummaging through Princess's pack. However, that person was not Gin Belmont.

"Why is there a guy in a dress?" Ryoga asked. The fanged boy appeared frightened of the possible answers.

Kari growled. She was not having a good day so far. That Mikado jerk, and then Azusa trying to get Ryoga. No, not a good day at all. So when she saw some cross-dresser trying to steal Gin's stuff, she did what any pissed-off fourteen year-old ninja would do. "Prepare to die, you perverted thief!"

Eryn looked up in time to see a foot connect with his face.

-----

Later that night, the entire group sat, their dinners untouched. Eryn had just gotten done explaining his story and the group were all looking at him in shock. The entire time, it had been the man's cursed form that they had spent time with, lived with for the last few days.

Kari also felt slightly abashed. She had truly beaten the living daylights out of the man, and it turns out he had a good reason for being in a dress while looking through Princess's stuff. At least he had recovered quickly enough.

Ryoga, too, felt bad. Not about beating up Eryn, because he hadn't done that, and also not because his friend had done that. No, he felt bad because he had prepared a nice dinner and nobody was eating it.

The two Kunos, of course, patiently ignored the existence of Jusenkyo curses. The elder Kuno simply sat, staring at Eryn like one might stare at an unwelcome bug that was about to meet a rolled-up newspaper. The younger sibling was simply latched onto Eryn's arm.

"It is not becoming of a Kuno to act as you do, dear sister," Kuno said simply.

Kodachi, in a childish manner, stuck her tongue out at her older brother.

"I hope this guy's a better housemate then Gin was," Nabiki said to herself. She tapped her chopsticks on the table idly. She also hoped that Eryn wouldn't be needing to go clothes shopping for himself. She hated spending more money than necessary.

"Ah," Eryn said, remembering something. "I just remembered." He looked over to Daisetsu. "You wouldn't happen to know where I could get a gun, do you?"

Daisetsu fidgeted. He actually owned a few firearms, though he didn't want to let that fact on. "Why do you want to know?" he asked the silver-haired man.

"So I can try to kill myself," Eryn replied simply, taking a swig of his beverage. Setting it down on the table and ignoring the stares, he continued. "I doubt it'll work. If my immortality wore off, I wouldn't have healed from the little girl's beating."

Kari whapped the young man over the head.

-----

"I'm back!" Keiko called as she entered the cave that was home to herself and her parents, as well as her sister.

"Welcome back, sister," Reiko said, greeting her twin. The two were obviously twins, looking almost exactly identical. If it weren't for their hairstyles they would, in fact, be unable to be told apart. Reiko had a braid framing the left side of her face as well as a ponytail. Keiko had a braid as well, hers on the right side of her face. She too had a ponytail. They appeared to be in their late teens, but were in fact far older.

"Anything important happen while I was gone," the chaotic one, Keiko, asked.

Reiko nodded. "Something has. Come, our parents wish to discuss this with us."

The two made their way deeper into the cave, where they could see their parents curled against the wall.

Ryo opened an eye as his children approached. "I see you're back, Keiko." He left the side of his wife and stretched out, a few extremely loud cracks being heard as his stiffened joints popped. "Ah, that feel better."

Rei looked over at her children. "Now that you're both here, I suppose we can begin."

"What is it?" Keiko asked, curious. Reiko was shushing her, but she didn't pay attention to that. "I just got back and you're sending me away?"

"Just listen to them," Reiko instructed.

Ryo cleared his throat. "Yes, erm, well, where to begin...?"

Rei took over for her husband. "You remember our Avatar, do you not?"

"Of course," Keiko said with a nod. How could she forget Daisetsu? That man was incorrigible. She looked over to her sister, but she didn't say anything, having heard all of this before.

Ryo smiled. "Well, our little game is back on, it seems. Some new people have been introduced and it seems as if this, more than any time before, will throw our Avatar into the game."

"Six new people, to be precise," his wife continued. "We'll be needing you two to test them."

"Test?" Keiko was liking where this conversation was going.

Ryo nodded. "Indeed. Very soon their lives will all be thrown into chaos, and we need to be sure they can handle it."

Rei waved her hand, an image of Sei, Eryn, and Kari appearing. "These three are the only ones who need to be tested. I'd recommend taking the archer and the girl one-on-one, but double-teaming the silver haired man. He's Clay's little project, and we don't quite know his capabilities."

Keiko always spoke what was on her mind. "What girl? I only see three guys."

Reiko coughed politely. "I believe the blue-haired one is a girl."

"Ooooh." Keiko paused, looking at the image. "I still don't see it."

Once Rei was done laughing, she continued. "Take my advice or leave it. In any case, I wish you two to be off as quickly as possible."

"Of course, mother," Reiko said with a bow.

Keiko grinned. "Got it." She gave a mock salute.

"Once you're done with this, feel free to stick around the group," Ryo said. "Play around with them a bit. Have some fun. You've earned it."

"You're recommending us to cause chaos?" Keiko asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm only recommending that you two each do what you do so well. And only to see how our Avatar reacts," Ryo replied. "Now hurry up, off with you!"

And so the two dragon hatchlings were off to "test" the poor souls.