Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Crossover Fan Fiction ❯ Reflections of Ruin ❯ Strange Days ( Chapter 3 )

In the dead of night, long after the battle between the Daimon and the Sailor Senshi, there were Things walking the streets of Tokyo.

 

Inhuman things.

 

There were three of them. Their forms suggested anthropoids, but with vaguely fish-like heads with prodigious, bulging eyes that never closed, and palpating gills on the side of its neck, they were clearly only distantly related to humanity, if at all. They had green-gray, shiny and slippery skin, and a scaly ridge down their backs. Somewhere between humanoid fish and frog, they were horrific creatures. Slime dripped from their jaws as they crawled about on all fours, their webbed feet slapping wetly against the pavement as they went, sniffing intently at the place where the Daimon had met its end.

 

After a few moments, one of them rose up on its hind legs and performed a grotesque mockery of human locomotion. “Master,” it croaked in a harsh, wet voice.

 

A man emerged from the shadows. He was clad all in black robes on which were written blasphemous incantations in praise to the Old Ones. Only his face was visible, and it was an ugly one. His eyes were too large, and he rarely blinked. He tended to stare. His head was strangely narrow, and his nose was very nearly flat. “What have you found?” he asked. His own voice contained just a hint of that same harsh wateriness in the creature.

 

“Fragments,” the creature croaked. “Isolated bits of the Fertility principle. The power of the Black Goat in the Woods with a Thousand Young was localized here. Or perhaps, a power similar to Hers.”

 

The man nodded. “The power of Pharaoh 90, perhaps?” he asked.

 

The creature hissed. “It is possible. The stench of the Daimon leaves a stain similar to Hers, and Her young. Difficult to be certain.”

 

“Why?”

 

“The Silver Moon is awake. Active. They were here.”

 

“I see. Then let us not be here, lest we draw their attention.”

 

The other two creatures walked on their hind legs to join the man and the beast. Shadows gathered around four, and they were gone.

 

-------------------

 

Reflections of Ruin

by P.H. Wise

A Ranma/Sailor Moon/Cthulhu Mythos Crossover Fukufic

 

Chapter 3 - Strange Days

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma. I don't own Sailor Moon. Please don't sue me. I'm not doing this for profit.

 

-------------------

 

As Tuesday morning dawned, Ranma found herself flung bodily out of her bed and out the nearby (open, thankfully) window. Coming quickly to wakefulness, she twisted in midair, positioning her body to land easily on the grass in the back yard. “Whaddya think you're doin', oyaji!?” she yelled.

Genma leaped down from the open window in a graceful jump-kick, his foot aimed directly at Ranma's head. “You didn't expect me to let you grow soft, did you, boy?”

 

Ranma crossed her arms in a defensive X and let Genma's foot impact against them. The force of the blow made her slide back several feet, though she did not lose her balance. Then she flung her arms out wide, sending Genma flying bodily away from her, only to have him rocket back her way after leaping off the trunk of a tree.

 

Grinning slightly, Ranma took to the air, the true home of any student of the Saotome School of Indiscriminate Grappling: the Musabetsu Kakuto Ryu.

 

Genma was very quickly punted back to the ground.

 

They went on like that for about five minutes, with Ranma clearly the superior, but Genma still able to make her sweat for her victory. Finally, Ranma ended it with a snap-kick to Genma's jaw, sending him flying up into the air, and then down into the garden, face first.

 

“Breakfast is ready!” Nodoka called.

 

“Catch you later, oyaji,” Ranma said, smiling widely. She went inside in two great leaps, landing on Genma's back between the first and second leap.

 

Genma followed his son inside a moment later, and they quickly polished off the breakfast Nodoka had prepared.

 

Once breakfast was finished and the cleanup was complete, Ranma grimaced. “I guess I'd better go get ready to go,” she said.

 

Nodoka nodded. “We're lucky they were able to get your uniform in so quickly.”

 

“Lucky?” Ranma asked as she headed up the stairs. About ten minutes later, she came walking back down the stairs wearing the truly visually offensive colour scheme of the Mugen Gakuen school uniform. Plaid green on green pants, a deep off-red jacket, a white collared shirt with a plaid green on green tie; looking at it was like being stabbed in the eyeball.

 

Ranma didn't notice, not having much of an eye for colours, but Nodoka's eye twitched a bit, and she made a note to write a complaint to the school board about the uniform colours.

 

“Well,” Ranma said, grabbing her backpack and slinging it over her shoulder. “Here goes.”

 

“Good luck at school, my son,” Nodoka called.

 

Genma remained silent. His opinion on the matter of schooling was already well known.

 

“Thanks, mom,” the pig-tailed girl said as she went out the door.

 

It was a long way to Mugen Gakuen, but Ranma had never minded walking long distances. The sun was shining brightly, and it was already a little warm, though with summer drawing to an end, there would only be a few more hot days left.

 

So she walked, alone, down long, crowded city streets, with cars passing her going either way every few moments. As she walked, a sports car carrying two students dressed in Mugen Gakuen uniforms went racing by, heading for the school.

 

Ranma walked on.

 

Our viewpoint shifts, following the car, and leaving Ranma behind. The two occupants of the sports car were lovely young women, for all that one of them was dressed as a boy. The cross-dressing one, Haruka Tenoh, glanced at her companion - Michiru Kaioh - briefly before returning her attention to the road.

 

“Are you all right, Haruka?” Michiru asked.

 

Haruka shook her head. “The Silence of the world is approaching, and we're no closer to finding the three talismans,” she said, gripping the steering wheel more tightly than was strictly necessary. “It's frustrating.”

 

Michiru nodded. “I know. I felt a spike of Her power last night. If we don't find the Talismans soon...”

 

“Then She will wake up and end everything,” Haruka finished.

 

“Sailor Saturn.”

 

They drove on in silence for a few minutes, and Haruka raced right through several stoplights.

 

Abruptly, Michiru asked, “Did you do the homework for Philosophy class last night?”

 

Haruka sweatdropped. “What?” She looked at Michiru for a long moment, and nearly crashed into another car before she returned her gaze to the road.

 

“It's a simple enough question,” Michiru said teasingly.

 

“The Silence of the world is approaching. Homework doesn't matter.”

 

“Tell that to Arimura-sensei,” Michiru said with a laugh. “But it will matter, and it does. Unless you think we're going to lose?”

 

Haruka spun the car into a parking space, and then looked at Michiru incredulously for a long moment.

 

They both started giggling.

 

-----------------

 

Mamoru knelt on the floor in his apartment, meditating on what he had learned the previous night.

 

A new Senshi. Another new Senshi, that is. For a moment, he wondered what he was going to tell the others about her.

 

As near as he could tell, the primary difficulty here was that they simply didn't have enough information. Nobody had very clear memories from the Silver Millennium to be able to tell whether these new Senshi were friend or foe. That was a difficulty he meant to correct.

 

Chiba Mamoru opened a large jewel case, and withdrew the mineral remains of the four Dark Kingdom generals. He placed them around himself, one on each side. The generals had not always served the Dark Kingdom. Indeed, they had once served his former self as the Shi-tennou: the Four Sky Kings. These men had never lost their memories from the Silver Millennium. Perhaps they would be able to give him the information he needed.

 

The power of the Earth Prince filled the room, and across Tokyo, the gathering of his might was writ large in signs that could be read by those that knew what to look for. The four crystals began to resonate with his power: Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite, Kunzite. A faint glow filled the room, and the uncorrupted spirits of the generals appeared before him; each of them knelt before their Prince.

 

“Sire,” Kunzite said.

 

Mamoru opened his eyes and looked at the four generals. “Hello Kunzite. Nephrite. Zoisite. Jadeite. It's been a while.”

 

Each of the four generals nodded.

 

“Too long, sire,” Zoisite said fondly. Then, more seriously, he asked, “What is your will?”

 

Mamoru considered the men before him for a long moment. Then he spoke. “Three new Senshi have begun to appear in Tokyo. Two of them, calling themselves Uranus and Neptune, have been searching for something called Talismans. We've run into them several times. I saw the other for the first time last night. She didn't tell me her name.”

 

The Generals exchanged glances.

 

“The Outer Senshi have shown themselves?” Jadeite asked.

 

Mamoru looked confused. “Outer Senshi?” he asked.

 

Jadeite nodded. “They are the Sailor Senshi with powers far greater than the others. In the past, their duty was to protect the Silver Millennium from enemies that came from outside the solar system.”

 

“Threats from outside the solar system?”

 

Nephrite spoke up next. “They were the vanguard. The first line of defense between the Solar System and the Things that dwell in the darkness beyond.”

 

“How much do you remember, Endymion-sama?” Zoisite asked.

 

Mamoru shook his head. “Flashes. Impressions. Feelings. Not much more.”

 

Zoisite nodded. “I see,” he said, and considered his response for a moment before he began to speak. “The Senshi have always been the guardians of the solar system, Endymion-sama, for as long as our recorded history measures. Tens of thousands of years. They stand guard against the spawn of Chaos.” He met Mamoru's gaze. “The universe is not a friendly place for life as we know it. Only those solar systems watched over by a court of Senshi have been made safe for us. The Old Ones resent us. They hate our light and our warmth. The battles between the Outer Senshi and invading Things from Beyond... are legendary.”

 

Mamoru looked thoughtful. “If the Outer Senshi are awake now, has the Earth been infiltrated by these `spawn of Chaos?'”

 

Nephrite laughed, and Mamoru looked at him inquiringly. He explained: “Earth was left unguarded for ten thousand years, Endymion-sama. It is not merely likely. It is certain.”

 

Mamoru let out a long, slow breath, feeling the cold weight of fear settle over him. Things were worse than he thought. “I see. And what of the third senshi?”

 

“Describe her for us,” Jadeite said.

 

“She had dark red hair,” Mamoru began. “It was unbound, and it went down to about her shoulders. Her tiara had a white gem. Her senshi uniform had a dark purple skirt, boots the same shade, and a dark red bow.”

 

“Did she hold a weapon?”

 

Mamoru nodded. “A glaive.”

 

The generals looked fearful now, though they hadn't before - not even when discussing the potential infestation of the Earth by the spawn of Chaos.

 

“Who is she?” Mamoru asked.

 

“Sailor Saturn,” Kunzite breathed.

 

“Who is she?” Mamoru asked a second time.

 

“The bringer of Silence. If she's awake...” Kunzite shook his head. “She was a kind of emergency measure. The heavy artillery of the Senshi. For her to awaken, it means that the world will soon be facing a choice between destruction at her hands, and something far, far worse.”

 

“Masaka!”

 

“The last time such a thing occurred... the asteroid belt was the result.”

 

Mamoru's eyes are wide now. He rose to his feet. “I have to warn Usako and the others,” he said.

 

“We hope that Sailor Moon can find a way to stop the Silence of the world, my Prince,” Kunzite said, “For your sake. But you may find that Silence is preferable to the alternative.”

 

The generals bowed as one, and then faded away.

 

Mamoru rushed out the door.

 

------------------

 

Ranma's first day at Mugen Gakuen went surprisingly well from the perspective of a former Furinkan student. She arrived at the school on time, and went first to the office to get her new schedule. A quick printout later, she was sent to her home room.

 

The class was full of students, all wearing the same eye-stabbing colour scheme of the Mugen Gakuen school uniform. “Class,” the teacher was saying as Ranma walks in. “We have a new student, today. Please give a warm welcome to Ranma Saotome.”

 

Everyone looked up. Rumor had it, Ranma was a transfer from one of the worst schools in Japan: Furinkan High School. Still, even if she was from a bad school, she was gorgeous. Although she wore a male school uniform, it simply didn't conceal her femininity at all; unlike Haruka, Ranma just didn't have the build that would allow her to pass for a boy, for all that her body language all but screamed `masculine.'

 

“Ranma, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?”

 

Ranma glances at the board, and then sweatdropped, seeing her name written with the Kanji, `Orchid Room.' She went to the board, erased her name, and rewrote it as `Wild Horse.' “I'm Ranma Saotome,” she said. “My name is spelled *this* way.” She gestured at the board. “I like martial arts.”

 

The class looked at her strangely. Did she have no interests other than martial arts?

 

“Ranma comes to us from Nerima,” the teacher said by way of explanation. The tension level in the class room raised slightly. Everyone had heard stories of crazy Neriman martial artists. “Ranma, why don't you take the empty seat over by Tenoh-kun.”

 

Ranma nodded, and sat down in the indicated seat. As the teacher began her lesson, Ranma glanced at `Tenoh-kun.'

 

That's odd. He seemed awfully pretty for a boy. Focusing her vision a bit, she looked more closely at this `Tenoh-kun,' observing the student's aura. Huh. Despite appearances (and despite the male uniform), it seemed that Tenoh was a girl. Ranma might have been fooled had she not just moved from cross-dresser central.

 

Just behind Tenoh sat another girl, this one incredibly lovely, with aquamarine hair and an air of elegance. Tenoh glanced at Ranma and nodded her recognition, and Ranma nodded back. It felt like an acknowledgement between men.

 

The day dragged on, and soon, Ranma was bored.

 

Bored bored bored.

 

Dangerously bored.

 

Still, she forced herself to pay attention. Every time she started to drift off to sleep, she remembered her mother's challenge. Ain't no way Ranma Saotome was going to lose. If she could beat a Phoenix, she could beat school. Though she really, *really* didn't like the uniform. It felt... constricting. She wished she had something that was easier to fight in. It did not occur to Ranma that it would be odd to get into fights at school: where she'd come from, it wasn't.

 

Two teachers filtered through as the class moved from period to period, and the class remained in the same room. Instead of listening to one teacher go on about history, she was listening to another teacher, some red-headed chick by the name of Yuko Arimura, go on and on about Philosophy, which she kept bringing back to the subject of the purity of a person's heart for some reason. Eventually, blessedly, the lunch bell rang, and Ranma breathed a sigh of relief. Bento in hand, she hopped smoothly out the classroom window and into the courtyard below.

 

The whole class surged to the window, expecting to see the new girl dead in the courtyard five stories below: instead, she was perfectly fine, and walking casually over to a tree in the courtyard. The class exchanged shocked looks. All but the teacher, Arimura-Sensei, who wrote down Ranma's name in her notebook with a comment next to it: `possible Mistress 9 host.'

 

In the courtyard below, Ranma took a seat at the base of the tree, opened her bento and prepared to eat her lunch. She had finished off two rice balls before she was interrupted by a shadow passing over her. She looked up.

 

Tenoh was standing over her, with that other girl at her side.

 

“Whaddya want?” Ranma asked.

 

Tenoh leaned down with a playful smile. “Hey, ojou, pretty girls shouldn't be jumping out windows, don't you think? The stairs are much better.”

 

Ranma blinked. “I ain't a princess. An' besides, it's no big deal. I've been training since I could walk.”

 

“You gave the class quite a scare, Saotome-san,” the girl with aquamarine hair said.

 

While the first approach had inspired only defensiveness, this second approach actually did work. Ranma puts a hand to the base of her pigtail and blushes. “Gomen,” she said.

 

Michiru laughed lightheartedly at Ranma's reaction. “I'm Michiru. This is Haruka.” She glanced at Haruka, and then stage-whispered to Ranma, “Don't be fooled. She'll break your heart before you can blink if you aren't careful.”

 

“Are you jealous?” Haruka asked.

 

Michiru glanced at Haruka coyly. “Maybe.”

 

Ranma looked from Haruka, to Michiru, and back, and then shrugged, clearly not understanding what was going on between the two girls.

 

“Do you mind if we sit with you, Saotome-san?” Michiru asked.

 

Ranma blinked. “Why?”

 

Haruka smiled winsomely. “You seem like an interesting person,” she said, pouring on the charm.

 

Ranma's blush came back in full force, and she shook her head. “Go ahead.” She looked at Michiru, and fought back another blush. “And call me Ranma.”

 

Haruka and Michiru sat down next to Ranma and pulled out their own bentos.

 

--------------------

 

It was lunchtime at Azabu Juuban Junior High, but much to Usagi's horror, she and the other girls were not eating. No, instead, they were gathered in an empty classroom (minus Rei, who went to another school), talking to Mamoru, who had only just finished telling them what he'd learned in his information gathering.

 

His announcement was greeted with shock and horror. Somewhere out there, right now, was a Senshi with the power to destroy the world.

 

“We should track her down,” Makoto said, cracking her knuckles, “and get rid of her before she can destroy the world.”

 

Minako nodded in agreement. “Senshi or no, she has no right to destroy my beautiful world. Is there any way to track her?”

 

Ami produced the Mercury computer and checked a few figures before speaking. “I've cross-referenced the computer's passive scans with the time Mamoru-kun said that he encountered the new Senshi, and I was able to pick up a power spike of Silver Millennium energy, but before and after that, there's nothing. I don't think we'll be able to track her by her energy signature. We'll have to find her some other way.”

 

Usagi shook her head. “Minna, we can't kill her. She's one of us!”

 

“You heard Mamoru-san,” Makoto said coldly. “The last time Sailor Saturn was awake, an entire planet was destroyed! Do you want that to happen to Earth?”

 

“I know, and of course I don't want that to happen!” Usagi exclaimed. “But I'm sure that if we all get together, we'll find another way. We can convince her not to destroy the world. There's no need to sacrifice anyone.” She spoke passionately, and compassion burned fiercely in her eyes.

 

Makoto's expression softened. “Usagi-chan,” she said fondly, “Don't ever change.”

 

“Even if all we want to do is talk to her,” Mamoru said, “We still need to find her.”

 

“Mamoru-kun, you said you saw her watching one of our battles against the Daimons, right?” Ami asked.

 

Mamoru nodded. “Hai.”

 

“Then it's possible that she'll show up if there are more attacks.” Ami looked up at the clock. “But for now, we should really get back to class.”

 

The bell rang a moment later.

 

Usagi blinked, and then grew distressed. “I still haven't eaten my lunch!” she wailed.

 

---------------

 

Sailor Saturn did not show herself that night, nor the next, nor even the next, though there were Daimon attacks on two of those nights. By Friday morning, the Inner Senshi were growing downright antsy at the total lack of contact. The idea that somewhere out there was a girl with the power to destroy the world was a frightening one, and even if they weren't going to attack her, the fact that she was out there doing who knows what instead of in here with them made them afraid: afraid of what might be happening.

 

For Ranma's part, she spent those three days in peace, struggling through her first three days of school, struggling with her homework, and hanging out with the two new friends she had made at school: Haruka and Michiru. Although it was hard, she was reasonably happy, and it seemed as though she had finally escaped the chaos that had been her life in Nerima. She thought it could go on like that forever.

 

She was wrong.

 

It started on the way home from school on Friday. Ranma had gotten a ride from Haruka and Michiru. She was sitting in the back seat, and her dark red hair streamed out behind her in the wind of their passage.

 

The car pulled to a stop at a stop light.

 

That was when the screams began. Feminine screams of outrage.

 

“SWEETO!” a familiar voice cried.

 

Oh no. Oh, hell no. She hadn't just heard that. He wasn't here. It was an optica... audito... hearing illusion. Her ears were playing tricks on her.

 

“Aaah, panties!” the voice cried again, followed by a number of outraged feminine shrieks. Traffic stopped, and people were craning their heads to see what was coming. It was no illusion. Happosai, a sack full of panties slung over his shoulder, bounded ahead of a mob of outraged women.

 

“GET BACK HERE YOU PERVERT!” one of them yelled. “Give us back our underwear!” Another shrieked.

 

Ranma put her head in her hands.

 

Haruka pulled her car over to the side of the road. “What do you think, Michiru? Shall we teach this panty thief a lesson?”

 

“SWEETO!” Happosai cried again, glomping on to Ranma's chest.

 

Haruka stared in shock. She hadn't even seen the old man move. How had he crossed the distance between them so quickly.

 

“Ranma, here you are! And... can it be?” he held up a black cotton bra and panties, and immediately went starry-eyed. “Ranma-chan, you shouldn't have!” he cried, hugging the underwear.

 

Ranma flung the old pervert off of her chest. “Get away from me, you old freak!” she yelled.

 

Happosai landed easily on the top of a lamp-post. The mob of angry women quickly surrounded it. He continued to rub Ranma's underwear against his cheek. “Aw, Ranma-my-boy, you know better than that. You can't beat me so easily. I have to admit, I'm surprised to see you here.” He dodged a bowling ball that was flung by an angry woman. “When you vanished from Nerima, everyone thought you had gone on another training trip. At least, that's what Nabiki sold us.” He produced a pipe and began to parry the assorted bowling pins, rhythmic gymnastic ribbons, daggers, and silverware that the women were throwing at him.

 

Haruka and Michiru were out of the car, then, scooping up discarded items to pelt the old letch with.

 

Ranma hopped out of the car. “Listen, ya old goat,” she said angrily, “You leave me alone, got it? I just got my life under control again, and I don't need you coming in to mess it up!” She saw a flash of red out of the corner of her eye. A woman was there who hadn't been there before. Not someone familiar. A redhead. Pretty, too. She wore a very sexy red dress with a scooping V neckline, and she was very, very pale. Ranma returned her attention to Happosai, who had relieved Haruka and Michiru of their underwear.

 

The two Outer Senshi shrieked angrily, throwing everything they could find at the perverted old martial arts master.

 

The red-head, meanwhile, observing the scene, did the most sensible thing she could think of: she allowed the Daimon egg to merge with her own panties. Damn that Professor. He had better appreciate the sacrifices she made for her work.

 

A moment later, Happosai was holding Kaolinite's panties in hand, rubbing them against his cheek with great joy. “Pretty lady!” he said.

 

The panties began to glow.

 

“What?” he asked, shocked, and dropped the glowing panties.

 

They floated there in the air for a long moment. Then there was a flash of light, and the Daimon appeared in their place. “PANSUTO!” she cried.

 

It is necessary to move in slow steps to describe Pansuto. Imagine Mai Shiranui. Now imagine Miss Shiranui with light purple skin. Now imagine a purple skinned Mai Shiranui with her hair in pigtails, with bunny ears on the top of her head, and clad only in incredibly skimpy red lingerie.

 

For what may have been the first time in her life, Ranma got a nosebleed.

 

Silence hung over the street for a long moment as everyone stared at the monster, totally, utterly nonplused at the sight.

 

“GET HIS HEART CRYSTAL, PANSUTO!” the red-headed woman cried, floating up into the air.

 

Oh. A monster attack. This was a bit more familiar to the populace of Juuban. People immediately ran screaming.

 

Ranma lost sight of Haruka and Michiru in the press of bodies, but Happosai remained where he was, staring at the Daimon with starry eyes. “For me?” he asked, on the verge of tears of happiness.

 

“PANSUTO!” Pansuto cried, and pulled down her bra. Instead of what would ordinarily be beneath a human's bra, beneath Pansuto's were twin black stars that emanated a dark power that surely would have seemed more intimidating has it not been coming from her breasts.

 

“PRETTY LADY!” Happosai cried, and leaped to glomp the ample bosom so freely presented to him.

 

“Damnit, y'old freak!” Ranma cried, trying to jump kick Happosai out of the way.

 

The red-haired woman's hair shot out, growing to incredible length, and wrapping around Ranma's arm before flinging her across the street and through a window on the far side. “No interference,” she said, glaring at the pig-tailed girl.

 

A black beam of energy shot out from Pansuto's black stars, piercing Happosai's chest. He screamed in agony, and then slumped down to the ground as a glowing crystal floated up into the air above him. The light given off by the crystal was nearly blinding, so strong was the purity of the perversion it had absorbed.

 

“Surely this is a Talisman!” the red-head - Kaolinite - exclaimed, moving to grab the floating crystal.

 

“WORLD SHAKING!” a woman's voice cried, and a ball of brilliant yellow energy came flying from behind Kaolinite. It smashed into her and she went skidding across the pavement.

 

Uranus and Neptune had arrived.

 

“We won't let you have your way,” Uranus announced. “Invited by a new age, I am Sailor Uranus, appearing beautifully!”

 

“Also invited by a new age,” Neptune jumped in immediately, “I am Sailor Neptune, appearing gracefully!”

 

“Pansuto! Get them!” Kaolinite called, clambering back to her feet. She teleported next to the heart crystal, but she was too late: Neptune had already seized it and leaped away.

 

Neptune raised an eyebrow. “This is... not a talisman!” she announced.

 

Kaolinite ground her teeth. So much trouble, and not even a talisman?

 

“PANSUTO!” Pansuto cried, tearing off her bra and flinging it at Uranus. Almost instantly, a new bra appeared, covering what dubiously little amount of dignity the Daimon had.

 

“You can't be serious,” Uranus said, and moved to kick the bra aside. The bra wrapped around her legs like a weighted bola, and down she went.

 

“Uranus!” Neptune cried, almost giggling at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation.

 

Kaolinite teleported in front of Neptune and blasted her with her hair. Propelled by the force of Kaolinite's magical hair growth, Neptune went flying into a nearby car, denting the door visibly.

 

“Now,” Kaolinite said, “Finish them off, Daimon.”

 

Pansuto turned loomed over Uranus, grinning widely.

 

“HEY UGLY!” Saturn shouted as she leaped off of a nearby roof.

 

The Daimon had just enough time to look up before it was neatly bisected from the top of its head down to the crotch by the Silence Glaive. “Urk!” it managed, and then split it half, and dissolved into a puddle of pinkish slime.

 

Sailor Saturn hit the ground with a crack, spider webbing the street beneath her point of impact. She gave the remains of the Daimon a disgusted look. “Ah, what the hell?” she asked, hopping back from the spreading pool of pink goo.

 

Kaolinite glared down at the new arrival, but she knew when to retreat. She was down a Daimon. It was time to leave. With a flash, she vanished into thin air.

 

As the Daimon's power faded, the bra-bola binding Uranus's legs dissolved, and she rose to her feet. She was quickly joined by Neptune.

 

“Hey, you two OK?” Saturn asked.

 

But the friendly words were lost on the two Outer Senshi. Confronted by the realization of all their fears, they stared in shock at the new Senshi.

 

“Sailor... Saturn...” Neptune mouthed in horror.

 

Saturn seized Happosai's heart crystal and gave it a long look. “I suppose I really can't not put it back,” she grumbled after a moment, and pushed it back into the shrunken old pervert's chest.

 

“WORLD SHAKING!”
“DEEP SUBMERGE!”

 

Alerted by her danger sense, Saturn immediately leaped up into the air and over the attacks, which slammed heavily into the car that Happosai had been resting against, sending it spinning across the street.

 

Saturn came down in a defensive stance, brandishing the Silence Glaive against the other two Senshi. “OK,” she said, “What gives?”

 

“We won't let you end this world, Saturn,” Uranus said coldly. She and Neptune charged, taking the fight to hand to hand.

 

They were good, and Ranma didn't really want to hurt them. Ranma dodged and weaved, barely avoiding their attacks, and occasionally having to block instead of dodge. “What!? End the world?”

 

At that moment, a red bolt flashed across her vision, and a loud crack echoed across the now deserted street.

 

A rose was embedded in the concrete between Saturn and the Outer Duo. All three looked up in surprise. “Tuxedo-Kamen?” Neptune asked.

 

He and all the Inner Senshi stood across the way, ready for combat.

 

“Those who attack innocent Senshi shall not be forgiven!” Sailor Moon announced. “Agent of love and justice, I am Sailor Moon! In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!”

 

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Saturn tried very hard not to laugh. This day was going from weird to weirder. At least the old freak hadn't woken up yet.

 

“Stay out of this, Sailor Moon!” Uranus shouted. “You don't know what you're dealing with. We have to stop her before she...”

 

“Ends the world?” Sailor Moon asked. “We know. We're not going to let that happen, but we're not going to kill her just because of what she might do!”

 

“You don't have the right to make that decision!” Neptune cried. “The fate of the world is at stake!”

 

Sailor Moon glanced to Sailor Mercury. “Mercury! Now!”

 

Mercury nodded. “SHABON SPRAY!” she cried, sending forth a *wave* of nearly impenetrable fog.

 

Under cover of fog, the Inner Senshi dared over to Saturn.

 

“Come on, we'll get you to safety,” Mars said, putting her hand on Saturn's shoulder.

 

Saturn shook her head incredulously, and for a moment, the Inners thought she would refuse their offer. Then she sighed heavily and said, “OK.”

 

They escaped under cover of fog, leaving a very frustrated Uranus and Neptune in their wake.

 

-----------------

 

They roof-hopped for a while, darting from city block to city block, until they were sure they weren't being followed. Then the whole group changed course, flitting from shadow to shadow, and heading for the Hikawa Shrine.

 

They came to a stop at last in the courtyard. The shrine was empty, and the lights were off: Rei's grandfather and Yuichiro were away for the week.

 

“It should be safe here,” Sailor Mars said.

 

Saturn nodded bemusedly. “If you say so. So can one of ya tell me why those other two Senshi attacked me?”

 

Suddenly, Saturn was glomped from behind by an emotionally distraught Sailor Moon. “WE DON'T WANT YOU TO DESTROY THE WORLD!” Sailor Moon cried aloud.

 

Saturn blinked, twisting out of Moon's grip, thoroughly confused. “What?”

 

The other Senshi looked embarrassed by Moon's behavior, but jumped in nonetheless. “It may seem like you have to,” Mercury said, “But please, let us find another way. You don't have to do it.”

 

Thoroughly nonplused, Saturn looked from one senshi to the next. “I, uh, I don't wanna destroy the world.”

 

“Nobody wants to destroy the world,” Usagi said, trying her best to sound convincing, “But you have to promise me you won't... what?”

 

“I'm not going to destroy the world,” Saturn said again, and from the tone of her voice, she found the very idea to be ridiculous.

 

The Senshi looked at each other, then back at Saturn.

 

“We were told you were going to end the world,” Mamoru said, somewhat sheepishly.

 

“Where did ya get that crazy idea?” Saturn asked. “I ain't out to destroy anything. I don't even know if I could if I wanted to.” Even as she voiced her doubt, she knew it was a lie. That power was there. Waiting. Ready to be unsealed at a moment's notice.

 

“Senshi huddle!” Moon announced, and all the Senshi plus Tuxedo Kamen gathered around her. Quick, fierce whispers were exchanged back and forth between them, with several of them looking up at Saturn suspiciously at various points in the group whisper-fest. Then, after about a minute, they walked back over to Sailor Saturn.

 

“I'm Sailor Moon,” Moon announced cheerfully.

 

“Sailor Mercury,” Mercury said.

 

“Sailor Jupiter.”

 

“Sailor Venus.”

 

“Sailor Mars.”

 

Saturn nodded, still a bit nonplused, but better able to respond now. “Uh, hi,” she said, holding up a hand in an approximation of a wave. “I'm Ra...” She trailed off, and then started again. “I'm Saturn. I already know the Tux-boy.” She indicated Tuxedo Kamen.

 

An awkward silence passed between them. Then Saturn asked, “So, uh, was there anything else ya wanted?”

 

The Senshi shook their heads, clearly embarrassed.

 

“Right. See ya around.” Saturn turned to leave.

 

“Wait!” Moon called.

 

“What now?”

 

“Uranus and Neptune. You should explain things to them, too, otherwise they'll still think you're evil!”

 

Saturn looked doubtful. “They don't really seem like the type ta let me explain much,” she said, “But I'll see what I can do.” She turned to go once more.

 

“Wait!” Venus called.

 

Saturn turned around again, now slightly irritated. “What?”

 

“Will you help us against the Daimons? We saw how you handled that one today. You were incredible!”

 

“Only answer I got for ya is the same answer I gave Tux-boy the other night,” Saturn said, and leaped off out of the temple grounds before they had a chance to interrupt her again.

 

The Senshi looked to Tuxedo Kamen expectantly.

 

“What answer did she give you the other night, Mamoru-kun?” Mercury asked.

 

Tuxedo Kamen smiled faintly and put an arm around Sailor Moon. “She's thinking about it,” he said.

 

Moon smiled hopefully.

 

-----------------

 

It's pretty rare for anything to go right in the life of Ranma Saotome. It's the Chaos principle in action, you see. A butterfly flaps its wings in Chicago, and a Chinese Prince comes looking for a bride in Nerima instead of in his local villages.

 

Tonight, not much had gone right for Ranma. What was one more thing to go wrong? Not too far away from the Hikawa shrine, a shrunken old pervert was roof-hopping his way back to Nerima, lost in thought. Not over the near loss of a pure heart crystal formed from the purity of his perversion, though that did bother him a bit. No, Happosai was thinking of something else entirely.

 

So Ranma was living in Azabu Juuban now, was she? Things had gotten pretty boring in Nerima since the boy had left. Maybe it was time to stir up some trouble. Yes... trouble was exactly what needed stirring up.

 

He knew just the way.

 

END CHAPTER 03

 

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Author's notes:

 

I'm very, very sorry. Once the thought of extracting Happosai's heart crystal entered into my mind, everything snowballed from there. :D

 

In other news, I'm going for a slightly longer chapter format now. It will take a little longer to write, but I'm liking the way the fifteen page chapters flow much better than ten pagers. I might experiment with longer ones as well, I guess we'll see.