Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A New Future 2 - First Blood ❯ The New Sensei ( Chapter 24 )

This was originally published by me under the name Anduril at Anime Addventures, with the only changes being a few corrections in spelling, punctuation and the occasional word choice to make things clearer. If you like the beginning of my story but think I've gone off the rails, or have your own ideas for a great branch-off, or think I'm taking too long to update and want to continue the story yourself, come to Anime Addventures and join in the fun!

I claim no ownership rights to any of the works of Rumiko Takahashi, Naoko Takeuchi, or anything in the GURPS Ogre and GURPS Tales of the Solar Patrol settings published by Steve Jackson Games. Everything else is mine.

* * * * * *

Sergeant Douglas MacKenzie, US Marine Corp, currently on leave, smiled as he strode up the poorly maintained road toward the mountain village of Nikko. The morning had been clear and cool, the previous day's rain had moved on, and the tall, bulky, blond man (at least some of his ancestors had come through Scotland by way of Scandinavia) was thoroughly enjoying his stroll.

He'd been a little surprised when Setsuna had called, and even moreso when she told him why. The captain had been a more than a little surprised when he'd asked to use some of his accumulated leave time, and less than happy to have one of his best men off-base when things were heating up between the United States and Europe. But he'd had to admit that so long as MacKenzie kept in touch he should have plenty of time to get back to base if they were called back to the States, and he was so shocked that MacKenzie had requested any time at all rather than getting shoved out the door, that he'd reluctantly allowed it.

The night train to Nikko had dropped MacKenzie off at the foot of the mountain just before dawn. He'd let Setsuna know what he'd need for the training and she'd promised it would be waiting for him, and since he just had a backpack for personal items for the trip out, the marine had decided to hike the rest of the way rather than call for a car as instructed.

Just as he came around a bend in the road, two men stepped out of a van at the side of the road, spreading out slightly, and MacKenzie's attention abruptly sharpened. These men knew how to move — that, and you didn't find too many men dressed in business suits up in these mountains. “My apologies,” the one nearest to him said in slightly accented English. “I am afraid that the road is closed beyond this point. I know this is some distance from the town, may we offer you a ride back down the mountain?”

“Closed?” MacKenzie repeated in fluent Japanese, acting puzzled. “Isn't Nikko up this road? I'm supposed to meet an old friend there.”

The two strangers exchanged glances, the face of one tightening slightly. Great, MacKenzie thought, another one that's offended when foreigners learn his language. “What is the name of this `old friend'?” the offended man asked, still in English.

“Meioh Setsuna,” Mackenzie replied.

The men froze, then the first bowed deeply. “I am Tsukahara Yuuta,” he said, in Japanese this time. “May I get your name?”

“Oh, of course, my apologies, it's Sergeant MacKenzie ... MacKenzie Douglas.”

“Thank you.” Tsukahara turned and stepped into the van as his partner and MacKenzie waited. A few minutes later he stepped back out, smiling. “There will be a car here to take you the rest of the way shortly,” he said. “Lan-Lan had some choice words to say about someone that deviates from the plan without letting anyone know. Apparently, they've been wondering where you are.”

“I'm sorry, I thought the offer of a ride from the train station was for my convenience, not because of security concerns,” MacKenzie replied, lifting an eyebrow.

But Tsukahara refused to be drawn out. “They will explain everything up at the village,” he simply replied. “Your Japanese is very good, for an American soldier.”

MacKenzie accepted the change of subject, and spent the time waiting for his ride telling the two guards of his how his grandfather had been among the first American soldiers to enter Japan after the end of World War II and had fallen in love with the country and its people, and passed that love on to his descendants.

/\

MacKenzie stepped out of the van and bowed deeply to the emerald-haired woman dressed in a business suit and barely modest skirt waiting for him, then slung his backpack over his shoulder. “Setsuna, it's good to see you again,” he said with a smile.

“Yes, it's been a few years,” Setsuna replied with a gracious welcoming smile, then her smile turned impish for a brief flicker and she added in English, “Since I helped you celebrate the night before you left for boot camp, I believe.”

MacKenzie stared for a moment, then said, also in English, “Yes, I remember it well — it was very ... educational, and certainly beat what my father and brothers had planned. The next day was still a haze of fatigue, but at least I wasn't hung over. Any chance of a sequel?”

Setsuna started to shake her head, then paused. “Perhaps, we'll see,” she said thoughtfully, then switched back to Japanese. “For now, though, I have something I need to get back to in Tokyo, so let me show you to your room, then introduce you to your new students.”

MacKenzie fell in beside her, and the two walked along the street's broken pavement, the sergeant looking around at the buildings and people as he walked. He quickly found himself frowning slightly. “Setsuna, what's going on?” he asked quietly.

“What makes you think something's going on?” she responded just as quietly.

“You mean, besides the fact that you pulled me away from base when we were the next thing to locked down in order to train a couple of teenagers in European-style sword and shield work?”

“Yes, besides that,” she agreed, the impish smile again flickering across her face.

“There's hardly a Japanese in sight, they're all Chinese,” he said. “What's a village full of Chinese, and backwoods Chinese at that from the way they're dressed, doing in up-country Japan?”

“Good eye,” Setsuna congratulated him. “One of the village matriarchs, Ku Lon, will explain. Oh, one word of warning — don't spar with any woman other than the two I'm going to introduce you to until you've been told by a matriarch that the Kiss of Marriage doesn't apply. In fact, ask Ku Lon about it first thing when you see her. If you don't, you're apt to find yourself leaving Nikko with an Amazon bride.”

MacKenzie slammed to a stop. “You're kidding, right?” he asked incredulously.

“Not even a little,” Setsuna assured him.

In spite of the fact that the smile was back he decided to take her absolutely seriously. “I'll remember that,” he said weakly.

“Good, now come on, there are a couple of teenagers eagerly waiting for you.”

/\

MacKenzie stared, the faint sense of unreality he'd felt since first seeing the mini-palace growing, as he watched the two teenagers bound around the dojo. He was so shocked by what he was watching that he was barely aware of the two teens flanking the door that were obviously bodyguards. He'd realized within seconds that the redhead was clearly better than her raven-haired opponent and was guiding the action, shifting the rhythm of the combat to bring out different blocks and attacks, along with a running mocking commentary. But there wasn't a person he knew, in the military or out, that would have been able to touch either of them on a dojo floor.

“These are the two I'm going to be training?” he murmured to Setsuna, standing in the dojo entrance beside him.

The old friend of his family nodded. “Yes,” she agreed, “special circumstances. As good as they are, do you think your team could take either in the field?”

“Break!” the redhead called out, and the two girls came to a stop and bowed to each other, then the redhead turned to the two adults. “Yeah, could ya?” she asked.

MacKenzie shrugged, impressed that the girl had noticed he and Setsuna were there at all, much less heard their exchange, while sparring as energetically as she had been — excellent situational awareness. “Depends on what kind of field experience you have,” he said. “Have either of you had much experience with hunting down someone or having someone trying to hunt you down?” When the two teens shook their heads, he continued, “Then yes, my team could probably take you down. Sure, once either of you knew we were there you'd take us apart, if you're close enough, but all the combat skill in the world won't help if you don't see the first blow coming.”

The raven-haired girl started to bristle, only to settle when her companion touched her arm and spoke up. “Yeah, kinda like why the best swordsman in the world has ta fear the worst, not the second best — it's the blow ya don't see comin' that gets ya,” the redhead agreed, then stuck out a hand. “I'm Ra —” She broke off, rolling her eyes, when Setsuna cleared her throat. “Okay, I'm Yasuko — Princess Yasuko ta everyone else around here but the Tomboy, otherwise known as Akane,” she added, grinning at the other girl.

“And this is MacKenzie Douglas, the sergeant in the US Marine Corp I told you about,” Setsuna said, smoothly inserting herself into the conversation. “Feel free to tell him everything about the situation facing us, he'll need to know in order to give the best advice he can.”

Yasuko nodded, but Akane shot the older woman a concerned look. “Are you sure, Pu —” She broke off, blushing. “Sorry, I meant Setsuna,” she added.

“Don't worry about it,” Setsuna reassured her. “In fact, feel free to call me Puu. Considering how much you're around Yasuko, it's probably inevitable.” Smiling at Akane's happy thanks, the emerald-haired woman continued, “And yes, I'm sure. Doug-kun isn't just the best trainer available in sword and shield, he's an amateur scholar in the ancient military arts. You'll find his advice invaluable when it comes to refining our plans for the final fight.”

The sound of people coming down the hallway behind them interrupted the conversation, and the two adults turned to see who was coming. MacKenzie's eyes widened at the sight of the tiny ancient wrinkled old crone bouncing toward them on a staff, followed by several much younger men carrying the training gear he had requested. His faint sense of unreality suddenly intensified, until he felt slightly lightheaded.

“Ah, Ku Lon's here,” Setsuna said brightly. “Good, I'll introduce you to her then be on my way, that business I mentioned in Tokyo. Don't forget to ask her about the Kiss of Marriage,” she added, glancing slyly at the suddenly blushing redhead. “Yasuko, here, can tell you how much trouble not knowing about them can get you into.”

That feeling of being disconnected from reality didn't fade during the introduction and only grew stronger after Setsuna left and a very ancient woman and a teenager that turned out, in a way, to be even older explained the situation and what was at stake.

* * * * * *

Yep, like Ozzallos and others have suggested, this version of Setsuna hasn't exactly been celibate over the millennia, though she avoids romantic entanglements like the plague. Leaving aside the impact it could have on her objectivity, it would have to seriously hurt to watch one lover after another die, from old age if nothing else. But that wouldn't prevent the occasional one night stand.