Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Reluctant Bet (2nd Labor) ❯ Chapter 21

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Reluctant Bet segment 21: "Reluctant Backup"

Disclaimer: this is one

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Celeste, goddess second class, limited license, woke up slowly and stretched. She glanced sleepily at the clock to discover it was 8:49am, still quite early for her normal shift, and so prepared to turn over and get some more much-needed downtime.

Her eyes shot open after that, followed by her body hitting a quick shower, and dressing frantically. Late! Waitaminute, she'd completely missed the Reset of that timeline, so there was no need to rush. It would have been handled by the person on the backup roster, which would have been...

Celeste's face fell. Kitchiri. If you opened an encyclopedia and looked up Bimbo there would be that face. Kitchiri: dumb luck personified, disaster in pink tennis shoes and cutoffs, the very image of the worst archetypical California blonde.

Celeste RAN all the way to the Goddess Relief Office, Yggdrasil File Maintenence Division. The question was not 'would there be a disaster waiting for her' but 'how much of a mess had been made'. With Kitchiri around...

Well, at least she'd never run out of work.

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

Jared flipped open the computer with a puzzled frown. For some reason, the Reset had deposited him HERE with Sakyo and all of Grey's equipment, in what looked like the Bayankalas... Takahashi's Bayankalas mountain range - which was much more picturesque than the real ones. "What the..."

"What is it?" Sakyo flipped and changed to resemble Shampoo. "Did you figure out why only we appeared?"

"No, it's the time/date caret here," Jared pointed. "It indicates that we're a year and a half back, July 3rd 1990. Ranma arrives at the Tendo dojo March 12, 1992 normally. This doesn't sound right."

"Yes, I see." Sakyo-sh considered briefly then flipped and switched to Ranko. Unfortunately the wings were too small to work without some sort of aid.

Jared made an idle note that Sakyo's ability to duplicate an appearance wasn't exact. Sakyo-ra was the same height as Ukyo though the figure had become slightly chestier. The look was of a slightly more mature Ranko, perhaps how she'd appear at age 20 or so. "I'm going to try a spell."

Jared raised an eyebrow at Sakyo's panic and attempt to put a boulder between her and the Mage. As he'd figured, she was frightened at the possibility of becoming disloyal to her current Master as had happened to Shan.

"'Alihandra's Questing Call' is one of the spells I picked up courtesy of Grey's intervention in his First Labor. It apparently originated on Aramar and spread for its general utility," Jared explained, hoping to calm the cyborg. "There are priestly versions in fact. And then there is the slightly higher variety of the spell that serves as a beacon for seperated members of a party. As there is a cleric version of 'Alihandra's Gathering Call' that's what I'm going to use."

Sakyo-ra's eyes were visible from over the top of her boulder.

"Alihandra questing mage,
Hear my plea to turn the page,
Questing company scattered wide,
Come return here to my side,
Let me know what is their fate,
So I know how long to wait,
Friends I call from distant home,
To gather with me as I roam."

Sakyo-ra relaxed a little as Jared finished the spell without apparent nasty side effects. Just glowing motes of light that swirled briefly around him then sped off into the distance.

Two, Jared felt, hit a mystical barrier and were dissipated without effect. Nearby too.

He felt one strike a target far away, and reflected that once again, the laws of magic were *slightly* different in another universe. Where the Call should have just let him know if they were alive or dead and how far away, instead a scene from the target's past crashed in on him.

This one was nearly as close as the two that had vanished.

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"Ranko! Why did you run away from home? Didn't you know how much I'd worry about you abandoning me too!" Nodoka swept up the little girl.

The eight year old disengaged herself gently. "Mama? You said you not my mommy. You say Poppa do something bad. I sorry, but I hear you cry and thought if I find big brother and Poppa, you be happy again. I just some half-bre..."

Nodoka all but crushed the child in her embrace, mindful of the wings that had erupted a few months ago from the girl's back and had prompted this. "Ranko-chan, I said a lot of things I deeply regret, and I'm *very* sorry."

After a few minutes someone cleared her throat, breaking the mood. Even so, Nodoka was reluctant to loose the hold on her daughter. Born on the wrong side of the sheets or not.

"I take it you have been taking care of my daughter?" Nodoka asked the figure, not much older than Ranko herself.

"Well, yeah. Sorta mutual actually." The young boy nodded. "Yer Mrs Saotome, right? My name's Ukyo Kuonji, and we gots some matters to discuss regarding honor."

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

Jared shook his head. Ranko was close and coincidence would seem to guide the two together, though actually it was the way the spell usually operated.

"Problem?" Sakyo asked, a bit of distrust still showing. Thinking for a moment she flipped in midair again, now coming down as Ukyo with her Baker's Peel held in a guard position. "We got enemies surrounding us or something?"

"No. Grey, or I should say Ranko, will be rejoining us soon. She's within a few hours walk, though the spell didn't give me direction." Jared thought about the scene. "Hang on, let me try an e-mail. It never worked well for Grey, but it's been pointed out my luck factor is significantly different from his."

Sakyo nodded and leapt to the top of another boulder to scan the area. "Don't see any sign of the Amazons, Musk Dynasty, Bird warriors, or Mole men."

Jared finished the message and sent it. "You wouldn't. The Musk Dynasty keep to themselves, even Cologne hadn't been sure they were more than a myth until they visited her in Nerima. Phoenix Mountain was even more stand offish."

"And the Mole Men only appear in a series of timelines to the west of this one."

Jared dropped, rolled, and brought up his hands in a gesture that would unleash a quick Fireball. Then apologized with a quick "Sorry. Combat reflexes."

A white haired, dark-skinned, elven woman that could sneak up on HIM might have merited using the Fireball. Except that she was wearing a white lace outfit that matched her hair and contrasted with her skin. That and she had an apron with the logo 'Heart Of Darkest Chocolate' emblazoned on it.

"One of Grey's friends," she explained simply. "Sakyo. I was sorry to see your plan fail. I HAD hopes."

"As did I..." mumbled Sakyo-uk.

"In answer to the questions you e-mailed, Mage," the drow sat back in midair and regarded him with eyes the color of spun gold, "there was a series of problems with the Reset and backup. The normal person to perform the operation overslept and the backup person is... well she's enthusiastic if not entirely competent."

"Murphy's Law seems to invoke where Grey walks," noted Jared.

"The Labor is still going on. However this isn't the right timeline. On the other hand, this timeline originally ended with Japan being destroyed after China decided to do more than rattle its saber with the United States over the issue of Taiwan. Once we stabilize THIS we can reboot the original Second Labor timeline and move you over."

"What exactly happened to Japan?" Sakyo interrupted.

"Nuclear fallout. A lot of people survived in the short term only to die in the long term." Edema frowned. "So by all means, feel free to have some fun here. It isn't likely to be quite as bad."

Jared repressed a gleam of joy. Free reign to meddle as he saw fit, to prevent a great disaster in the making?

"Anyway, I've got to get back to my store soon. Business is SO frantic right now. Skuld just blew in and you wouldn't *believe* how much that kid can pack away." Edema rolled her eyes. "Oh yes, you and your compatriots were scattered through this timeline's near past within their assigned roles. You'll be able to awaken their memories of a prior life with a kiss."

Jared winced. It might be his principle method of recharge, but people could SO get the wrong impression. "So why are YOU helping me?"

"Light elf, I'm Grey's friend. We have our differences of opinion, but we like each other and the old 'slave of duty' is about as reliable a friend you can have." Edema stood up and dusted her hands. "I'm going back to work, and I can't keep THAT close a track on him, but I'll try lending him a hand when I can. Sakyo, you take care!"

Sakyo waved as the dark elf disappeared.

Jared was still thinking about the odd dark elf when the next flashback hit him.

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"Actually, Kuonji-san, my husband had no right to make such an agreement," Nodoka sat back, seemingly entranced by the glowing sparks above the campfire.

"Why doesn't this surprise me?" Ukyo grumbled and watched the Ranko practicing take offs and landings. It was a good thing the girl healed as quickly as she did.

"There is an ancient agreement to bond two families, which must take place in this generation. My marriage to Genma is the result of a similar pledge."

"That REALLY doesn't surprise me," Ukyo continued to grumble. Then winced as one of Ranko's attempted landings caused her faceplant into a pine tree.

"Perhaps I ought to go meet her, in fact. It would be best to ascertain her willingness to meet this tangle." Nodoka sighed and got up to bandage Ranko. "How did you meet my daughter, anyway?"

"I met this scared little girl who was crying, and you gotta admit with that red hair and those wings she looked a sight." Ukyo relaxed slightly as Ranko instead started working on homework- a MUCH less dangerous pastime. "There's also that kinda innocence about her that draws you in."

Nodoka nodded, understanding.

"Anyway she was all upset about Genma," Ukyo paused, still having trouble thinking of Genma as Ranko's dad, "*torturing* Ranma when their paths crossed in Kobe."

"Excuse me, 'torturing'? Surely Ranko misunderstood."

"Nope. Naturally, I was a little anxious to make Genma's acquaintance again after he stole my dowry. I blamed Ranma too, but when I saw that scene, I realized that if Ranma had a clue to ANYTHING he would've been trying to escape." Ukyo paused again, this time because of the vivid memory. "We had snuck up, and I saw him tie Ranma up and try feeding him to a bunch of starving cats. We attacked, but that damn Genma..."

"Kuonji-san!"

"Sorry. He laid out me pretty damn quick. Same with Ranko, who was heading for the pit of cats. I assume to rescue Ranchan. We were coming from his blind side but he still took us out like we was rank amateurs. We coulda waited but... it was the screams from the pit. Like part of his soul was being ripped from him. When I finally woke up, we'd been tossed in some construction pipe and those two were nowhere to be seen."

"My husband, what have you done?" Nodoka addressed the night as if it could relay her question to the errant Saotome.

"Anyway Ranko had apparently gotten into the pit, cause she had a couple of cat bites turn infected after that. While she healed we lost the trail."

"Sorry, Ucchan..." pouted Ranko from where she was writing a letter.

"Who are you writing, Ranko?"

"My bestest friend, next to Ucchan!" Ranko chirped happily. "Aka-chan!"

"Apparently shortly after she left home, she saved some girl's life up in a place named Ryugenzawa. She even stayed with their family briefly until they tried to keep her there and contact you. Ranko left because she still hadn't found her big brother. The girl gave Ranko her address and the two have been writing back-and-forth since then. You should have seen the size of the letter she wrote while she was recovering from the bites."

"What's your friend's name, Ranko-chan?" Nodoka inquired sweetly of her daughter.

"I like Kasumi-oneechan and Nabiki-oneechan, but Aka-chan say we be bestest of friends forever! Akane Tendo." Ranko made a show of peering into shadows before confiding to her other bestest friend and stepmom, "but I just write Aka-chan 'cause she get jealous if I write Kasumi-oneechan and Nabiki-oneechan. So I write Aka-chan and put in stuff for big sisters."

Ukyo smirked. "Apparently Akane, after the daring rescue and being carried back to the Tendo's camp, declared that as Ranko was her 'knight in shining armor' that she would marry Ranko someday."

"Oh, how sweet," commented Nodoka, attributing it to an innocent childish blunder.

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

Jared shook his head to clear it. That memory had centered on Ukyo where the previous had been centered Ranko. Yet it was as if he were watching it from the outside. "Ukyo is also nearby. Both flashbacks have also had Nodoka Saotome, and they were all travelling together in the last one."

"There's some kind of distortion effect 127 feet ahead." Sakyo pointed. The two had continued walking while Jared was in his distracted state. "Can't get a precise reading on composition."

"Well, let's wait till we cross it." Jared pointed out a somewhat larger than birdsized dot making a spiral search pattern.

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

The shrine maiden finished sweeping the steps as a small crowd appeared. She bowed to the group, expecting them to move past her and visit the temple.

"Excuse me," said a woman in kimono, "are you Belldandy?"

"A blonde shrine maiden?" A young man about Belldandy's own age said, shaking his head. Very bishonen, noted Bell.

"That I am, may I help you?" Belldandy bowed again.

"I am Nodoka Saotome, this is my daughter Ranko, and this is her friend Ukyo Kuonji."

"Akuryo TAISAN!"

"Miss Belldandy? Why did you slap a spirit ward against my daughter's forehead?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I saw the wings..."

"..."

"How about that, she's paralyzed." Ukyo said as he waved a hand in front of the girl's face.

Belldandy frowned ever so slightly and corrected herself. Ukyo was a girl. The aura had strong masculine elements but was completely female at the core. A tomboy of sorts, then.

Nodoka spoke up. "I was just wondering if I could get a couple of those wards. There were times when getting Ranko to slow down or stop squirming would be handy."

"..."

"She's your daughter?" Belldandy asked, examining Ranko a little closer.

"She's the daughter of my husband, Genma, who apparently had an 'affair with issue' and brought the baby home after one of his training trips." Nodoka paused, then reached out and pulled the ward away from Ranko's face. "However, I consider her as my own daughter."

"Ah, an alu-fiend." Belldandy nodded. "Something like my sister Urd, which would make her and your daughter sisters. How interesting."

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

Jared blinked as the flashback faded. Belldandy was the "True Fiancee" in this timeline? He could live with that. He tried to picture Belldandy chasing him around with a mallet yelling "Die Jared!" but couldn't quite do it.

That would be on the order of...

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"In this corner, in blue, representing Kyoki Kyoku Junior High, the undefeated champion, KODACHI KUNO!" The announcer made a gesture as the rest of the Saint Hebereke team carried in a palanquin on which their champion rode. As the palanquin reached the ring, Kodachi leapt off to land in place on the mat.

"In this corner, in pink, representing Gateway Junior High School, the challenger, Urd Kino!"

Urd casually flipped into place. "Actually, I'm responding to a challenge from the champion, so the usual terms of this match are not quite the same. Shall we dance?"

"Improper harlot, you defeated me at the chemistry club finals, but today the Black Rose is in her element!"

"Yeah, yeah, bring it on, you inbred bimbo."

"'INBRED'?! I'll have you know that the Kuno line is pure and unsullied, unlike your own. Oh, that's right, you probably don't even know who your parents are, do you? Oh-hohohohohoho!"

"Geez, you got the 'crazed noblewoman laugh' down pat, don't ya?" Urd shook her head. "I carry entirely too much of my mom's influence in me, as you'll find out if you keep up with the challenges and crap."

"CRUSH HER LIKE A BUG, URD!"

Urd spared a moment to smirk, though her eyes never left the opponent. "No sweat, Makoto. Belldandy, you might not want to watch this. It could get... messy."

"No, let your family of illwashed flotsam witness your defeat at the hands of the magnificent Black Rose."

"You two cut it out," the announcer glared at the contestants. "Shake hands, go to your corner, and TRY to cut down on the number of high explosives this time!"

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

Jared came out of the flashback. Urd, Belldandy, and MAKOTO were sisters? Adopted from the sound of it, but still awfully odd.

And Urd had a longstanding rivalry with Kodachi Kuno from the sound of it.

Why could he picture this? Though Urd wearing a "mainly mesh" leotard seemed a bit much. Half the male audience could've passed out from nosebleed. Hmmm. Probably had.

As the flier began circling their position, Jared felt the expected next flashback hit him.

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"YOU! How dare a half-breed enter this sacred place!"

Makoto looked over the boy and decided that he was a *bit* good looking so she would answer with something besides a chi blast. "My class is here to see Tokyo Tower. Be a good fellow and step out of our way."

"Tokyo Tower is sacred?" Belldandy looked the area over but couldn't detect any sign of it.

"Nay! You shall not enter! I, Tatewaki Kuno, the noble Red Wind of Kyoki Kyoku Junior High shall bar you cheap gaijin trash from entering."

Makoto frowned. Urd reached into a sleeve and withdrew a small vial of something blue.

"Please don't fight, aren't school field trips supposed to be fun events? Isn't it important to be able to get along?" Belldandy tried being nice and reasonable.

"HAH! Then turn and flee like the cowardly foreign whores you are!" Kuno wasn't too sure about the meaning of the term but noted that it DID seem to score a hit.

Makoto's fists were clenched and she was trembling. Her teeth were gritted and her bangs hid her eyes.

Urd interpreted this correctly. "Mako-chan, you said you'd try to avoid getting into fights..."

Tatewaki reached a different interpretation. "Look how she shakes in fear, this illbred and ungainly wench doth at least know her betters."

"aaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH" Makoto's feet left the ground and an aura visible to non martial artists surrounded her. Her hair turned blonde and her eyes blazed a brilliant blue.

"A monster!" Kuno's bokken sped forward to impale the beast.

Makoto stopped it, one handed, without apparent effort. Catching the tip on her palm.

Kuno struggled for a moment to free his bokken, going so far as to put a foot up against the monster for leverage. It wasn't budging. Makoto slowly lifted her arm.

"THUNDERBOLT!"

Urd sighed as Makoto turned to normal. "Well HE doesn't have to wait in line OR use the elevator."

Belldandy shaded her eyes so she could spot the figure. "Oh, there he is! How do you suppose he'll get down?"

"Who knows? Who cares? I am *so* tired of these Japanese racial purists though." Makoto walked past the entrance to find that her own classmates were the only ones in line, the other schools seemed to have found other things of interest. How curious.

Gateway Junior High students, on the other hand, merely shook their heads at ANYONE daring to insult Belldandy Kino with her two sisters present. One went so far as to congratulate Makoto on the restraint she'd shown in not blowing large craters in the landscape.

Urd merely put the vial back in her sleeve pocket. There would be other times to use it, she was sure.

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

Jared blinked himself back to the present as a redhaired torpedo blurred forward to tackle him.

"ONIICHAN!" *GLOMP!*

"Master?" Sakyo watched the girl and again tried to find a trace of her Master in there.

"Son, is that you?" Nodoka was still carrying her katana, plus what looked like a fair amount of trail dust.

"So this is the 'wayward son' whom we have been chasing? I wonder where the Dad is?" Urd looked Jared over, decided she liked what she saw and settled against a boulder to wait for the reunion to settle down some.

Belldandy just smiled and watched the family reunion from the side. Makoto settled to the ground, as there were no candidates for immediate destruction in sight.

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Another Timeline:

"Bell, I *told* you to be careful." The Norn of the past tsked and finished a containment spell. "NOW look at what's happened."

"I'm sorry, Urd." Belldandy looked at the floor. "But when I spotted Senbei..."

"Well, better you than him." Urd shrugged. "As if the last time wasn't bad enough."

Keiichi kept his hands over his eyes. He would NOT look. "What were you doing here anyway?"

"Look, a spell that summoned forth retrograde objects at the moment of merging? INCREDIBLY useful. The universes merge without any problem, but one of the objects that would have seamlessly merged with its duplicate is instead HERE. Mind you, I think the Yggdrasil Admins will cut off this little fluke, but still..."

The clothed Belldandy hiccupped. Another naked Belldandy appeared with a startled squeak.

Keiichi tried not to imagine the sight, but the voices from the hallway as the other Belldandies got dressed in a variety of clothing borrowed from all sorts of sources eventually got to him. He got the "mother of all nosebleeds" and passed out.

Marller attempted to find out what had happened to Senbei and observed a long line of somewhat miffed Belldandies stating that harming her Keiichi was NOT aloud.

Marller noted that a number of these Belldandy had failed to procure clothing. Marller went down with the second greatest nosebleed-faint seen in Tokyo.

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Target Timeline:

Magical sight and empathy made a change in things quite apparent to Jared.

"Ranko, I need to talk to Grey."

The little girl nodded. "Okay, I'll get him."

"You know about the ghost? Even Belldandy didn't know until that pirate had us drugged." Nodoka was slightly surprised. But why shouldn't a brother know his sister?

The change in Ranko wasn't physical, but posture wasn't the only change. "Yo, Ranma. Nice to see you again."

"Uhm, Sakyo, you and me and the 'ghost' need to have a private talk, I think." Jared led the two to the side. "Okay, Grey what's happening, I noticed the odd duality of spirit."

"Ranko, it turns out is my innocence and joy of life as a seperate individual. Things i thought LONG dead. i remain seperate and buried most of the time. If we merge, i essentially kill an innocent. Not the sort of thing i want to do, but if there's a solution it'll be after this test has run its course." Ranko's shoulders shrugged. "What's up? i can't keep her under for very long without her getting uncomfortable with the dark."

"Sakyo, you talk to Grey. I think a solution to Ranko's problem lies with you, but also tell him of your feelings. Don't wait for a later that might not come." Jared left the two alone to join the others, watching out of the corner of his eyes as Sakyo explained something to Grey with a great intensity.

"So, son, where IS your father?" Nodoka unconsciously fingered the hilt of her katana.

"Don't know, I suspect he's around here somewhere." Jared FELT it. "That boundary over there is the valley of the Nichieju. I'm not sure if he went to Jusenkyo or is over in THAT."

"Jusenkyo?" Nodoka puzzled over the term.

"Terrible tragic story. 'Go not to Jusenkyo or forever it will dominate your destiny.' Not a pleasant thing."

Sakyo's voice lifted to reach them all, raised in song. The song didn't make any sense to the girls but Jared recognized it and its appropriateness.
"To protect you, I'm here
To meet you, I was born,
A moment when I awakened,
The prism started running around.

To love you, I'm here,
To hold you, I was born.
The lie and the truth,
Both are inside me.

Against dreary daily life,
I won't lose.
Sweetness and kindness,
Let's get it back.

Live like a marionette every day,
Just back in force between zero and infinite,
The power to break these strangling strings,
That's still sleeping inside you."

Jared smiled slightly and started trying to explain "the ghost" to his travelling companions. As they were all familiar (being Japanese raised if not bred) with Buddhist and Shinto leanings, Jared used references to a past life knowing they'd interpret that as reincarnation. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sakyo's arguments taking hold and, just maybe, Grey was allowing himself a thin bit of hope.

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

Another Ranmaverse:

The former god of war, formerly known as Ares The Conquerer, currently a cute pink plush toy elephant known as Jean-Paul was aware of his environment. He was able to think and plan and see and feel and hear.

Thankfully his jailor was not around. Therefore he could plot revenge. With any luck his plot regarding the dimensional trap that was to be the Third Labor would not be determined until it was too late and Grey would never cross his path again.

Hephaestus was not clever enough to have done this, therefore it was Athena's doing. Many uncomplimentary terms followed. One thing was certainly correct though. A lesson hard learned.

One should NEVER underestimate the power of a Japanese housewife.

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

Oddly enough, in the same timeline that one of Azusa's plushtoys in her shrine to cute was plotting revenge, large seagoing vessel was being raided by a smaller but much more heavily armed vessel.

When the sky opened up and several forms came zipping out.

One with ridiculous looking long twin ponytails looked around. "Wrong timeline?"

A short haired girl on a jetbike took readings. "Wrong timeline," she confirmed.

"There's a fair amount of chi down there," noted Haruka. "Maybe we could stop and get directions."

"It's not like stopping at a gas station..." Ami stopped as various S Warriors made their way down to the two vessels. "Waitaminute. How odd." Noting that the barely heard music had some sort of compulsive effect, Ami quickly determined the frequency and set up a counter.

Unfortunately, it looked as if her companions were already being hustled onto the smaller ship. Then the larger ship, some sort of cruise liner, was quickly and efficiently sunk.

Ami frowned and engaged full Stealth mode and passive defenses, before following the smaller vessel. She had noticed that the vast majority of the male passengers had been lying about on the big ship, apparently dead. No females had been present.

Which meant that this was possibly another hentai like that Princess Diamond.

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

Haruka awoke to see a blue haired dominatrix type, as well as female figures that seemed to be composed of water, and came to a similar conclusion. "Another Princess Diamond type, eh?"

"I know not of whom you speak, but you would do well to curb your tongue before Madame Yowl. You may call me Queen, or Mistress, but you must always address me with the greatest respect."

"Where's Michiru?" Haruka looked around her. Spreader bar between her ankles, check. Hanging from chains from the ceiling, check. Stripped naked, check. Surgical tray of various gels, rings, clamps, and various hentai paraphenalia- check. Yup, just like that Princess Diamond weirdo.

"Concerned for only one of your companions. Don't worry. They will all be taught the joys of submission, as shall you." The pirate held up a rod and began slathering a gel on it.

Haruka chuckled. "NOBODY but me treats Michiru like that. aaaaaaaaAAAAAAH HAH!"

Steel popped and flew across the room with enough force to imbed itself in the walls.

"Undines! Put down this insolent wench!"

Haruka found herself englobed in water for a moment. Then she went to Super Sailorjin mode and burst the globe.

"You have an impressive amount of chi," admitted Madame Yowl, "but I have ways of dealing with chi attacks."

"Kiyaahhhhh!" Haruka didn't want to bother with this and so decided to do without the whole beating on someone and gradual escalation. Michiru could survive any single burst, so...

Haruka's hair became living flame as she went from Super Sailorjin to Super Sailorjin III mode in rapid order. She stretched her arms out, palms pointed flat in opposite directions. "World DEVASTATION!"

"But... I've got hostages," Madame Yowl managed as an epitaph.

"Your point being?" Haruka asked, but shooting first and asking questions later has never gathered much information. It was rhetorical anyway.

----

Ami Mercury watched as the small magical ship exploded for no apparent reason. Well, that wasn't quite true. "Haruka... one of these days that temper is gonna get you in trouble."

----------

Meanwhile, back at the ranch (er, Morisato residence):

"Hic!"

"Urd, don't you have that hiccup cure ready yet! Some of them found the bottles of cola and are..."

"Keiichi! Only OUR original Bell is hiccupping and producing clones. The others can get as drunk off of Pepsi as they want."

"Keiichi-san!"

"AAAA!"

Megumi wondered if HER twin was OK and otherwise ignored the brother trying to hide in her closet.

A quick glance out the window left her with an odd scene, though expected. There were a couple of Belldandies hanging wash, another couple of Belldandies had located a grill and were barbequing fish steaks, there were six Belldandies altering clothing to fit other Belldandies, there was a Belldandy looking about her in confusion in the center of the yard, there were...

Megumi turned back to her technical manual, automatically taking another Tylenol. What was making it VERY odd was that all of the Belldandies were a little different. Some were goddesses, some were human, some were angels, some were espers, some were white sorceresses, some were aliens. They all basically looked the same, or at least most of them did. Then you came to ones like the Goddess of Time (who was all three sisters rolled into one) that looked slightly different. And the DRAGON Belldandy who fortunately was able to shapechange into a near human appearance. And then there was the HINDU version of Belldandy who had six arms...

Megumi spared a glance at the closet. No WONDER her brother was a quivering wreck.

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

Olympus, The Great Forge:

"I understand your concerns, but ALL of you is a bit much." Hephaestus was in a good mood, though this wouldn't be immediately apparent to the casual observer.

"We MUST find Jared-sama," the girl on the vidscreen argued. "He's out there, in danger, without any of us to help him. And with what he's facing, we can't possibly hold our own!"

"True, you're nearly as powerful as Sakyo could make you. Only the three units she has concealed are potentially more powerful." Realizing he'd let a certain feline out of its enclosure, Hephaestus covered. "Okay, I'll make upgrades in FOUR of you. With two conditions. NONE of you make programming alterations in those three prototypes. Second, it'll be JARED who chooses the units. I'll e-mail him and tell him that you've found a way offplane, but that it'll only work for four and that you're throwing the decision up to him. When he chooses the units, I'll decide what upgrades to make and handle the transport."

The Sabre Marionette K (for Kasumi) conferred briefly offscreen. "Deal."

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

Target Timeline:

Jared led the others through the Mirage spell that gave the illusion that this was an empty valley. Just in case, because he certainly didn't remember the Mirage being this strong or OLD, not because the field was particularly powerful or dangerous of itself.

The sight of the village of Nichieju drew a few gasps from his companions. It sparkled, it gleamed, but it still carried the weight of years somehow. A few areas had been patched over from the original construction and one of his towers had vanished, but it was mainly intact.

"A ghost village," murmurred Urd speculatively.

"Not quite," replied a worried Jared. He could do this with a spell, but knew some of his companions were itching for something to do. "Sakyo, would you mind running a sweep of the area?"

The others smiled indulgently, accepting the tale that the "ghost" was actually Ranko in a previous life and that Sakyo was the ghost's lover from that time, cruelly seperated before she could confess that love. And it was all true in a sense.

Sakyo took point and rotated, still in her "base" configuration of Ukyo's twin. Her eyes glowed an aquamarine color as she activated full scanning functions. "Buildings near the outer walls are empty and have been empty for a considerable length of time. Two hundred years in some cases, slightly less in others. Signs of irregular maintenence. There are two males, lifesigns irregular in a manner consistent with heavy intoxication, located in a building 250 feet NNE of current location."

Jared made a face of distaste. Two males who'd gone off to hide from their women and get drunk without anyone to interfere. Information might be accessible, though the last time he'd tried 'Bugman's Truthspeak' on an intoxicated individual he'd thought it should have been named 'Bugman's Babble' instead. "Anything else."

"Large concentration of human lifesigns, numbering 254, near the Easternmost Gate area. Center of town also appears abandoned though there are signs of more recent use. Multiple energy signatures of type classed magic." The blue glow left Sakyo's eyes. "If there's something particular I should be looking for, let me know, otherwise I'm not sure what specifically is the problem."

"Two hundred fifty four?" Jared frowned. When he'd rebuilt the three villages, they'd been home to six hundred. The sprawling outer city could hold over a thousand comfortably. Add another seven hundred for the inner city, not including parks and the enclosed farmland, greenhouses, and other little 'extras' he'd put in. "Something is seriously wrong. How old is the village?"

"One thousand years for some of the repairs. Not getting an accurate readings on the original structures due to magical energies present in the material."

Jared thought about it. So the village had been here and occupied for at least a thousand years, mainly isolated from the rest of the world. That meant... "inbreeding. Probably not a lot of the answer but that's likely a part of it."

"I would have thought that the spells would have faded if they're that old. Certainly all of my potions fade over time." Urd picked up a coin imbedded into the street, then broke it in half as the metal had corroded completely through.

"That's alchemy. This is entirely different. It's possible to build enchanted items so that they start out relatively weak but accumulate strength as they get older. Such was the case here."

A beep from Grey's computer caused Jared to check his e-mail. "Uh oh. Well, that's only four of them. At least the others haven't found a way to get here."

On another plane, a small group of marionettes continued to try to decipher the riddle.

Amy was all for reading the dictionary to the statue.

--------

Hephestus heard the beep and set down his micro laz-e-welder to check email, picking up a mug of nectar in the process. ~Hmm, a message from that Mage fellow, let's see...~

What he saw nearly caused the smith to spray liquid all over the inner workings of his latest hardware upgrade to the Yggdrasil system (fortunately not on line). It *did* cause him to spit-take for the first time in over eleven thousand years.

"Dear Hephestus,

Could you please upgrade and send me the following?

Lina Inverse
Naga the White Serpent
Kodachi the Black Rose
and the Dirty Pair

Sincerely, the Pheonix Mage.

P.S. If the dynamic Lovely Angels can't slip by on one ticket send me an alternate from among the remainder, okay? I don't want to break up the set. Violent tendencies a must, crazed noblewoman laughs are preferred."

The smith did a search and router check to see if this mail was for real. Then he sent a note asking for confirmation.

*****

Jared finished jotting off a confirmation message to Hephestus and closed the cover on his Warlock Field Computer.

A second message came back, informing him that delivery would occur in three hours. Accompanied with hopes that everything was insured.

--------

Elsewhere:

A small incomprehensible alien device out past the orbit of Pluto continued to do something completely incomprehensible. At least to normal humans. It didn't have anything to do with this story either.

----------

Asgard:

There were a lot of worlds, a lot of different ways things could have turned out. There were truly evil Nabiki Tendos, manipulative soap opera Nabikis, somewhat mercenary Nabikis, a few where Nabiki channelled her intellectual energies into truly different paths such as magic or mechanical engineering or Amazon Lore, a few Nabikis who didn't even have a vaguely materialistic worldview...

And one Nabiki Tendo had passed her own Initiation to become a goddess.

"You mean it?" Fleece, formerly the mortal named Nabiki, questioned the goddess. "No fooling?"

"I am a Goddess First Class, we don't lie." ~Mislead, exaggerate, and talk around the issue but not directly lie.~ Amaterasu smiled at the new kid on the block. One of her countrywomen made good, after all, so she was inclined to look kindly upon her.

"A VACATION!" Fleece's eyes glimmered with barely suppressed joy. Since gaining her goddess qualification last month she'd worked harder than she ever had in her life. It wasn't fair. Though the visit she'd done as a courier into one of the outlying villages of Hell.

Working for Heaven had MUCH more appeal after that.

"In fact, you've been working so hard lately that a little downtime seemed in order." Amaterasu smiled at the relief coming off the demigoddess. "Besides, you'll need to be fresh for this assignment."

"What's the assignment?" Fleece's old alarm bells were ringing. This was sounding too good.

"A simple one, well suited to your talents." Amaterasu made a grand gesture. "Observe."

Fleece looked over the image of a crowd of people walking along a street. "Grey's Second Labor isn't it? I hear it's gone all kinds of wrong so far, the usual 'Chaos Multiplied' effect."

"Correct." Amaterasu then made another gesture. "And you know how various gods and goddesses attempted to get Grey a romantic subplot and that it has been more challenging than was originally expected?"

"I hear everyone who has tried has failed abyssmally, with the exception of Hephaestus."

Amaterasu twitched but let it pass. "Indeed. So we come to the task I've contracted with the GRO for you to accomplish."

Fleece frowned for a moment, then her eyes shot wide. "You want ME to... ?!"

"Take over MY part in this, yes." Amaterasu noted the sudden relief on Fleece's face. "Was there something wrong?"

"Yeah, I thought you wanted ME to take up with the loser." Fleece shook her head. "I mean, with a clueless little twerp like him? Yeeesh. Even that Keiichi guy is less of a wimp. Shinji Ikari has more of a spine. Ranma had more of a clue. He's so VERY not my type."

Amaterasu twitched a few times but managed to sound pleasant. "Now run along, I know your current task is taking a lot of your time. The official orders from the GRO will be coming soon."

"Gotcha, Ami!" Fleece threw a sloppy salute and sauntered out of the office, plans already coming together.

A midair shimmer marked three goddesses and a god stepping forth from concealment.

"Hubris," said Apollo.

"So many faults, which to choose," debated Aphrodite.

"Maybe she's just like major stressed out," suggested Kitchiri.

"She called me 'Ami' and she's benefitted from Grey's assistance, but refers to him in that manner." Amaterasu's benevolence had been exceded. "Perhaps she has not been worked hard ENOUGH."

"Nah," countered Brunhilde. "Give her to me for a few months. That's all she'll need. After being treated like an einherjar for four months, she'll be either worthy of being transferred to Valkyrie or she'll be begging for housewife status."

"Tempting, but I think she deserves a chance before such strong measures are used." Amaterasu pondered for a moment.

"Uhm, I've got an idea!" Kitchiri volunteered. "Let me try something."

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

Target Timeline:

The annual Festival was going full swing with the Tournament Of Champions concluding and the Feast the next event.

Cologne pushed an errant strand of black hair away and considered the crowd. Fewer than last year, which had been fewer the year before that. For three hundred years, the Amazons that held to the prophesy were fewer and fewer. Most left the Village, never to return. Outside the valley, one could grow old. Outside the village, there was the comfort of that rare male who could court and keep an Amazon's heart.

Here were the few remaining warriors, the artisans, the healers and the lorekeepers. Here was what remained of the Nichieju.

In her mind's eye, Cologne pictured the scene 450 years ago. Her own mother leading young Cologne around and pointing out the colorful banners and pennants. The gaily decorated main square. The Warriors Of Love & Beauty.

Now there were few warriors worthy of the title. Six, to Cologne's eyes, though more called themselves warriors and tried to hold on to a fading legacy. The small crop of children in the village, testament to the dwindling numbers of males.

Mousse, the nearly blind girl whose hatred of Shampoo was a local legend. Her family practiced the ancient Hidden Weapons style and from her robes could be found more items than the average corner market.

Shampoo, her own Great Granddaughter, was of the bloodline fated to marry the Sacred One when he returned. As with the most of the others, she practiced Amazonian Kung Fu, though she knew the Sacred Fist techniques as well.

Azure, strong but clumsy, the young practitioner of Boar style Bando. A warrior by skill if not by heart.

Sugar, practitioner of the Lightning Sword Techniques. Strong and agile. Nearly a match for Shampoo. Nearly.

Willow, staff user who practiced a style of martial arts known as Hwarang Do. Like her name, long and thin, flexible and agile. Quickly defeated, but still a considerable warrior.

There was the pessimistic but tricky Lavender, utilizing her powerful Wolf style. As with Willow, she had been quickly eliminated.

Finally came the swift Ke Yen. A fiery redhead who promised to become a truly powerful warrior when she reached maturity.

Cologne allowed herself a smile as Shampoo finally defeated her next to last opponent. Now would come a brief period of rest before the match, inevitable as the dawn, between Mousse and Shampoo.

A prayer rippled the crowd. Up next would be the final match. Would this be the one? Would the Champion be declared and the Sacred One appear? Would a thousand years of waiting at last be over?

Cologne joined the prayer that the wait would be ended and the Sacred One would lead them on to a new age of glory.

"In the final hour comes the Sacred One,
Amazon's waiting at last be done,
Before the light is crushed at last,
He'll come again as in ages past.
To those who follow his banner bright,
Live or die in glorious fight,
Sacred One, return we pray,
Let this be Destiny's Day."

Not far away, Jared sneezed. "This means something."

======================

weird ideas:

yes, as a matter of fact, "Alihandra's Questing Call" *was* one of mine. Your basic fellowship gathering spell.

For SKJAM or certain others, being engaged to Akane would be wonderful. My views differ.

Kyoki Kyoku Junior High. Lunacy Melody or Looney Tunes Junior High. It was irresistable.

Urd having a rivalry with Kodachi. Kodachi completely overmatched by even a mortal Urd.

Racial purists are frequent in Japan, particularly among the traditionally minded. You can argue the stats as much as you like, try wandering around Kobe with a cute native and see what comments you draw. If *anyone* in the canon cast were likely to be of this bent, I would suspect Soun and the Kunos. This is one vice I wouldn't expect of Genma. I *could* see Akane or Kasumi with it. Nabiki in the canon is merely contemptuous of everyone.

There's a mortal Belldandy, a junior goddess Belldandy, a mortal agent of the RRO Belldandy, and a marionette Belldandy running around. Now with a lot of Belldandies running around, what does one do with them? Well, that's what caused Keiichi's nosebleed.

Nabiki/Fleece appeared in various stories, mainly "Rune With A View"
NAME: Fleece
OTHER ALIASES: Nabiki Tendo, Goddess of the Quick Yen, Hey You
OCCUPATION: Gopher, Goddess Relief Office
CLASSIFICATION: Fourth Class, Probationary Status, Limited License
METHOD OF TRAVEL: Yen
RECHARGE: Rice cakes