Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Pearl ❯ Part 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Pearl

A fanfic by

Dianna Tsuki

Celsia weaved with surprising agility around the bladed tentacle weapons of the evil fish. It groaned with gutteral grunts as it tried desperately to ensnare its prey. The sword-weilding Atlantean refused to be caught. She leapt, dodged and parried the waving weapons. Sure she was safe, but if she couldn't get close enough...

Kora was fairing a little better, she had managed to pin one of the tentacles under the prongs of her trident and was now trying to tear it from the monster's body.

"AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH" the large bestial fish roared angrily the spat a blast of purple light from its mouth. Kora and Pearl managed to leap clear, but Celsia was a little slower. The blast caught her in the stomach and tossed her like a China doll in a hurricane.

"CELSIA!" Pearl screamed. The brunette lay unmoving on the ground, blood pooling beneath her gaping wound. After a moment, her constume faded, leaving a bare, helpless and dying Tendo Nabiki on the beach.

"Oh my God, Nabiki-chan!" Pearl shrieked

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"Huh, it killed one already?" the female inquired in annoyance, "They're not even worth playing with."

"Perhaps." the male agreed, "Or maybe the trauma of seeing one of her friends killed will provide us with more amusing entertainment." the male suggested. The female shrugged.

"Perhaps, but somehow I doubt it."

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The Sailor Senshi arrived sleepily at the beach, then froze in shock at what they saw. A hysterical looking red-head dressed in armor was kneeling over the body of a young girl brunette. A third girl with trident was stabbing at a giant three-eyed fish and screaming angrily.

"Looks like we were too late." Ami whispered. The rest of the Senshi nodded sadly, except for, surprisingly, Sailor Moon.

"How dare they," the blonde-haired girl whispered, her voice trembling with rage.

"I'll kill them, I'll destroy them."

The other Senshi looked at their leader in uncertainty, this wasn't the clumbsy, whiny 'Odango-atama' which they had grown to love, but someone...scarrier. A warrior in all aspects of the word.

"Sailor Moon?" Rei inquired hesitantly. Where had the girl she loved to torment gone? But Sailor Moon, wasn't paying attention, she was too far gone in her grief stricken rage to hear anything. Her blue eyes were focused on the beached Fish-youma and her knuckles were tightening around her scepter.

"She must remember them." Luna said, but it didn't make sense to her.

"But, how? Up until now only familiar people and events have jogged their memory, but Usagi seems to remember more than any of them at all!" Artemis tried to reason.

"What are you talking about?" Makoto demanded. Luna collected her thoughts and nodded to where Sailor Moon was getting ready to enter the battle.

"Those three girls are from the Moon. They came to earth in secret and lived under the ocean, they were...kind of like our spies if you will. But we lost contact with them just before Queen Beryl attacked," the black cat gazed back out over the tragic scene,

"They must've been reborn. They are kind of like the Sailor Scouts of the earth, but what happened?"

Minako frowned,

"Okay, so that explains the three girls, but what about Usa-chan?" Artemis answered this one.

"Back on the Moon, Princess Serenity and yourselves were very close friends with the Atlanteans but we won't know for sure until after we ask Usagi."

"Right, let's go." and the Senshi went to join the battle.

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The Senshi and the two remaining Atlanteans were too busy fighting or grieving to notice another figure, another high roller if you will, observing from the highway above the beach. It was dressed in dark armor, with a dark purple mask over it's eyes that was flanged like the rest of it's armor. Gripped tightly in it's hand was the outline of a giant scythe.

"Nabiki-chan," it whispered in a sorrow filled female voice.

"You can't die, not yet. Please, not yet." Then it felt, rather than saw the spell of ancient times being invoked. She managed a small smile, this spell, though forbidden, would bring the fallen Guardian back to life.

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Pearl was beyond sane thought. All that mattered was revenge. She stood, tears flowing freely down her face and she turned towards the giant fish, her spear giving off an audible hum as she did so.

"You killed her," she whispered, only vaguely aware of another girl, one dressed in a sailor fuku coming down. They both were burning with a raging silver inferno.

The aqua haired girl and the blonde both raised their weapons.

At times of great stress sometimes people remember things, even things thought lost to time. The Senshi proved this many times, remembering old spells from a time long past just when they needed it most. But this time, the spell was a frightening forbidden one, created by the sorrow and rage of a lover and friend lost.

"Phoenix Suicide!" they shouted together. The explosion of energy was amazing. Out of the two girls, errupted the myseterious bird of legend. But instead of blazing with gold and crimson, it was letting off flares of purple, dark blue, black and silver. It's face was featureless as well, but the part that passed for a beak kept opening and closing, making inarticulate screaming noises as it flew towards the startled fish-youma.

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"What!?" the female demanded, she hadn't seen this spell since the seizing of Atlantis!

"Hmm, they may be more powerful then we originally thought." the male noted.

"Shut up!" hissed the female.

<><><><><>

The phoenix struck the youma engulfing it in greedy flames, the fish had enough to time to let out a pain filled groan before vanishing completely into the phoenix. The bird didn't stop there, but circled continued to fly out over the ocean, circling around the two girls and then descended into the fallen Atlantean.

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Nabiki walked up the centre of the aisle her eye focused on the white-clad person at the end. Upon hearing that Ranma/Ranko loved Nabiki, there father's had somehow managed to get the two on the litteral 'red carpet'. But Ranko had insisted on wearing the wedding dress which infuriated her father, but what could he do? Where Nabiki had no qualms about wearing the tuxedo, as she moved by her sister, Akane looked at her and frowned, and gripped her trident threateningly.

"Nabiki" the girl in question halted her steps towards the figure in the wedding dress.

"Nabiki!" where was that voice coming from?

"Nabiki, wake up!" abruptly, Nabiki's vision swam, and Ranko vanished to be replaced by her Queen, Pearl and another blonde haired girl.

"P...Pearl?" she asked blearily. The white masked Queen began to cry tears of delight and relief.

"Nab-chan." she whispered.

"Hey," she said back then nodded weakly to the girl beside, "Who's your friend?," then her voice took on mock accusation, "You're not cheating on me already are you?" The blonde looked at her with a weird expression and Pearl laughed happily.

"No, I'm not. This is my sister, Queen Serenity."

"What!?" demanded a chorus of voices behind her two speakers, "Sister!?"

Later on...

The Senshi and the Atlanteans met at the Senshi's camp to discuss the connection they all shared with the Moon Kingdom.

"Okay Luna," Rei demanded, "Spill it."

Luna frowned at the fire senshi and shook her head.

"Don't look at me Rei, I'm as much in the dark about this as you are. Ask Usagi." all heads turned in tandem towards the aqua haired girl and the odango girl.

"Well," Usagi began, "I didn't understand what you were saying about big fish when you came to woke us up. Transforming helped a little, but when I saw Ranko-chan crying over the body of Nabiki-chan jogged my memory. I can only remember bits and pieces and they're not too complete. But I do remember how close I was to Ranko-chan and Nabiki-chan. We were always having fun, Akane-chan too. She was in love with..." then she stopped and she screwed her face up in frustration as she tried to remember who it was. It was someone close she trusted an awful lot. They were always together talking of a future that never came. She closed her eyes and a tear slipped out.

"Who? Who was I in love with?" Akane asked. Five years ago, she wouldn't laughed in Usagi-chan's, or anyones face if they had even suggested something like what the blonde was saying, but after what she had seen and heard since Ranma/Ranko moved in...

"I can't remember." Usagi finally said.

Ranko the entire time had been looking at Nabiki replaying the events over and over in her head. Luck. That's the only reason why Nabiki-chan was still alive, not because she was able to protect her, but because someone else had brought her back to life.

"I'm...so weak." she whispered. The arguemenet that was currently raging about the table drowned out her words, but not her anguish. It was her weakness that had killed her lover the first time, but what if a second time rolled around? She gripped her fist. She didn't want to see either of her friends die, she would sooner kill herself before she let them perish.

"I...don't want to be weak. What is holding me back?" she reviewed her life. It was pretty grim. Training, 'girls are weak' training, 'girls are silly' training, 'girls are stupid', training, 'be a man', Jusenkyo.
"Is it because...I was born a guy? Is it...because I should be a girl?" this possibility sent a shudder through her spine, but of what?

"Excuse me." she murmered and vanished from the tent unnoticed by anyone. Except Artemis.

Outside...

Ranko gazed at the stars, they had come out shortly after the battle ended, though she was surprised that nobody had awoken. She snorted slightly, Pop and Tendo-san she could understand, but she was pretty sure Kasumi was a light sleeper. So why didn't all their explosions, screaming and lightshow wake her up? She shrugged and passed it off as a 'Kasumi thing'. Then she froze.

'I'm thinking of myself as a girl,' she realized, 'am I already comfortable with the idea?'

"Ranko?" a male voice inquired Ranko turned her head and stared at the moon cat.

"Why am I not afraid of you?" she inquired herself quietly. Artemis was silent for a moment.

"Because the Neko-ken is becoming part of you." that startled Ranko.

"Huh? How'd you know 'bout the Neko-ken?'

"I was there. I was one of the cats that was thrown in. I placed a spell on you, but a more molevolent magic corralled my spell."

Ranko's frown deepened and she furrowed her brow.
"What did the spell do?"

"It would make you become one with the neko-ken. Make it apart of you." Ranko found it ironic and maybe even a little cliche, God she hated cliche.

"Sorta reminds me of a song I heard once." Artemis raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"
"Yep," she began,"It goes like this: I took what I hated and made it a part of me." she quoted. Artemis considered this for a moment before grimacing.

"That's a little too..."

"Accurate?"

"Yeah." he finished. He shook his head,

"Ranko...Ranma. Are you a boy or a girl?" now that surprised her.

"I'm a boy!" he raised an eyebrow.

"Really? So you're saying that if I offered you a cure right now that you would take it?" Ranko desperately tried to tell herself that the sudden burst of fear that she felt flow through her didn't really happen. She tried to imagine herself without the curse. No more Kuno, No fearing water, no more name calling at school...no more Nabiki. She shook her head and thought about what it would be like as a girl full time. No more fiance's, no more fearing water, no more boys changing her in the middle of a shower, no more bizzarre challanges, no more...anything. But what was the downside?...Kuno for starters, how would her mother take it? Then she remembered the pride she felt when Nodoka had said: "You'll make a great wife someday" never knowing that it was her son whe was speaking to.

"Ranma?" Ranko didn't respond.

"Ranko?" Artemis tried again. The girl turned her blue eyes to the cat.

"I...I'm a girl aren't I?" Artemis nodded heavily.
"Yes Ranko, you are. You are both Pearl and Ranko, it was inevitable really. But there still are some lessons for you to learn." Ranko did not like the sounds of that.

"Like what?"

"You'll cross that bridge when you get to it. But never forget, you can come to me or Nabiki or Akane for help." she was silent for a momet, then she dropped the other shoe.

"Can you freeze my curse?"

"Yes."

"How?"
"How what?" Ranko thought about that for a second, then answered carefully.

"How come you knew I was cursed? How can you freeze my curse? How come you are so caring to me despite of just having met me?...How did you know I would become a girl?" Artemis nodded.

"In order: I could sense the magic within you, it's like an aura and yours is very distinct.

I can freeze your curse by absorbing it. It won't affect me.
I am caring because it's my nature. I am a lot like Minako in that way.

I knew because...I was your pet cat and sometimes 'older brother'. Another reason why I am so caring and the reason I knew you were a girl."

Ranko nodded quietly then hugged the cat.

"Thankyou for being honest. Now about the absorbing" Artemis nodded smoothly.

"It's rather simple." he explained and looked her in the eyes.

"Eye of truth." he murmered and his body lit up. They remained like that for a moment, gazing into eachother's eyes until Artemis's irises turned gold. Ranko felt like a boulder was being lifted from her shoulders, the feeling of freedom was surprising. Within a moment, it was over. She blinked then smiled at Artemis.

"You and your friends should probably head back to your camp." she agreed and followed him back.

"Don't tell them." she made him promise, "I want it to be a surprise." he promised he wouldn't and they entered the tent were the shouting match was still taking place.

"Ahem" she cleared her throat. The girls stopped and all turned in tandem to look at the petite aqua haired girl. She yawned slightly.

"We should probably be getting back to our tent before Tendo-san and Pop wake up." she decided. Akane and Nabiki nodded reluctantly and stood.

"This 'aint over, odango-atama." she growled at Usagi. Usagi blew a raspberry.

"Goodbye Usagi-neechan."

"Goodbye Ranko-chan, sweet dreams." Ranko smiled and excited the tent, a chorus of 'goodbyes' and 'see you later's trailing her.

"But most of all," she began without looking back. She knew the silver haired cat was behind her, "I want to thank you...Artemis-niisan." then she ran down the sand dune and caught up with her friends, leaving a pleasantly stunned and beaming cat behind her.

End of part 2

Who was the dark figure? What connection does she have with Pearl? What is taking me so long to write these chapters and why am I giving serious consideration to pairing Akane up with Konatsu of all people? You'll find out later.

Authors Notes:

Tee hee, finally done this chapter. Oh my gawd, I can't believe you people are actually reading this thing, but for those of you hoping for some tentacled sex from the kraken, no there won't be ANY of that so too bad. If anyone is trying to email my old address, don't bother. It won't work, but cherryblossomelf@yahoo.com will. (Hint hint) I'm not sure where I'm going with this, but it's sure to be fun!

Until next time!

-Dianna