Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Mahou Sensei Negima! Fan Fiction ❯ In the Shadow of the Moon ❯ Chapter 22 Coming Darkness ( Chapter 22 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Sorry for the delay in getting another chapter out. I needed to step back and think about the story for a bit


disclaimer - I don't own Ranma 1/2, Sailor moon, Ruroni Kenshin, or Negima. this work is purely for entertainment and not for profit

single quotes (' ') denote thoughts or telepathy

Chapter 22 - Coming Darkness

Ranma found himself trying to keep from breaking into laughter, yet again, watching Inhoshi bounce around the cabin of the private jet. Not that Inhoshi acting like a demented pinball is unusual. The part that really made Ranma want to laugh was that Inhoshi had a loop of string in her mouth, and a blond haired doll, no larger than his hand, was holding on to the loop, like reins, and cheering the "horsey" on.

Ranma hears his companion loose her own struggle with laughter. "Thank you again for letting Sayo-chan and Inhoshi play together Ranma." Says the girl with reddish brown hair gathered in a spiked bun.

The cheering doll and excited mount made another pass down the Isle between the seats followed by giggles in their wake before Ranma is able to respond. "It is good to see that inhoshi has found a willing playmate. So Kazumi-san the doll is a totem that Sayo is able to inhabit and animate?"

The girl, Asakura Kazumi by name, winks at Ranma. "Ya, you would not believe the trouble I went through to find that, but seeing how much she enjoys being able to travel with me makes it worth it." This statement is followed by her practicing taking action shots of the fast moving targets with her digital camera.

Yue is in another area of the plane trying to strike up a conversation with Akatsu. Offering some of the interesting stock of juice boxes she found in the plane only earned her an odd look. Yue finally finds an opening after Inhoshi and Sayo stopped long enough for Inhoshi to nuzzle Akatsu.

"Play nice now, and don't throw Sayo-chan around too much." Akatsu admonishes her sister.

Yue almost misses her chance, hearing something like that from someone who looks a near twin to the always contentious Evangeline. "You almost seem like an older sister to Inhoshi. Why is it even though you are younger than her you can speak so much more clearly?"

With a smirk that definitely is reminiscent of Eva, Akatsu replies. "With Eva-chan's resort are you sure I am actually younger." The smirk softens into a smile that reflects in the girls golden eyes. "As to why I am more skillful at conversing, I had a more experienced and determined teacher. Besides, Inhoshi is able to express herself well enough as she is." This is finished with a giggle as the duo makes a mad dash across the ceiling of the cabin.

"So why do all three of you act so differently?" Yue asks.

Akatsu shrugs, "Before we were awakened, you could say we were nearly identical. The differences come from how we were awakened and the desires of who we bonded with. In the case of Akiri she was given the soul of her predecessor. Added to that, Kari loves her like a daughter and that filtered into her personality when bond was formed."

Yue breaks back in with another question. "How so?"

The cabbit-girl smiles more broadly now. "When a bond is formed with us, traits that would make the master of the bond feel protective are impressed. This also goes along with the changes in appearance. Akiri had experiences to draw on and a sense of identity. That is why she does not look exactly like Kari. As for Inhoshi, she has the free spiritedness and innocence that Ranma was forced to suppress at a young age. She will mature of her own accord in time."

Sighing wistfully she continues. "I myself really have something of cross purposes. Eva desperately needed a life line to the world outside of Mahora Academy. To that end, I have better control of myself and can act more independently while having a deeper link. Eva can experience everything that I do. The traits that I gained would be best described as all the warmth and compassion Eva possessed as a child. Thats why she asked Noriko-sama to look after me."

"If you will excuse me Yue-chan." Akatsu whispers conspiratorially. "Eva would never admit this to anyone, but she will enjoy this as much as I will." With that the girl walks over to Noriko doing her best pleading eyes look, and is welcomed to happily snuggle in the older woman's lap.

Noriko looks over the girl's shoulder to smile at Nodoka playing chaperone with Kasumi and Tofu. Noriko looks out the window and whispers. "Good luck children and be safe."

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Rei had been working with the elders to improve her divination skills but all the sacred fire could give her was a sense of impending dread. The elders could feel something dangerous but could determine nothing amiss. Michiru had tried using the Deep Aqua Mirror, but it was as if the spirit of the deep oceans wanted nothing more than to hide.

Mu Se had no skills at divination but something made it feel like his skin was crawling, and he was nearly jumping at shadows. Fortunately he was better able to control this when he was able to spend time with Ami.

He was nearly lost in his plans for taking Ami on another double date tonight when he felt a enormous shift in reality. Alarms on all levels were going off within Flying Bind's sensors.

'Five large demonic signatures have been spotted in Tokyo bay.' Comes Mas Cre's voice through the link. 'All teams move now.'

'I have contacted the Senshi.' Har Bo relays. 'They need transport as none of them can fly.'

'I will arrange it.' Intones Ku Lon. 'Have them meet me at the Minato docks.'

Several miles into the bay a group of five nearly identical teal skinned females have appeared. The demons have the appearance of beautiful human females with long blue hair and flowing robes.

Mu Se and his team arrive on the scene to witness the demons dancing? Without any objects nearby to give perspective they could be mistaken for normal sized women standing on the water, but are actually over seven feet tall.

'What are these demons doing?' Xian Pu asks when her group arrives moments later.

There is a giant splash as a golden tower erupts from the water. 'They are preparing to summon an even more powerful being.' Ku Lon announces. 'They must not be allowed to finish the ritual'

Ami pulls out her computer and breathes a sigh of relief when the upgraded sensors are finally able to get a read on the creatures. "The reference calls these creatures Marids. They are sea demons and are likely here to gain more energy from the ocean." She informs the elder and the rest of her teams.

'They will not risk interrupting their ritual. Attack them quickly.' Ku Lon announces.

Mu Se and Po Mad quickly distribute the elementally enhanced LAW to the members of their teams and the senshi.

Bu Fer sets down next to Makoto and summons a small tornado with his cyclone dome. "My lady if I might offer you a lift, your attack would offer the most disruption of their activities." In answer Makoto takes his hand and jumps into the winds surprisingly gentle embrace. Bu Fer does his best to keep his eyes away from the wind's interaction with her skirt.

Makoto prepares her attack, but the Marids suddenly turn to face each other with arms outstretched. A pentagram of lighting forms and a beam leaves the center of the formation.

Just as the beam ends Makoto completes her spell and an energy forest of trees erupts from where the beam was binding the creatures in place. This is followed quickly by more than a dozen green glowing projectiles followed by contrails of hot gas streaking into the demons.

The beam from the ritual darkened and curved to land upon Tokyo Tower. A beautiful woman with blond hair and blue eyes appeared from the beam just in time to see the flash from the explosions in the bay.

"You have served well my pets." She cooed into the wind.

Unlike the Marids this being was of a size with a human female, but still taller than most asian women at slightly over five and a half feet tall. The woman's skin and eyes would reflect a southern european or mediterranean ancestry. The loose black dress she wears is tied over one shoulder and leaves the other bare. The skirt ends mid thigh and is tied at the waist with a silver rope tie.

Seemingly smelling the breeze she smiles. "Now to gather energy to summon my lord."

Waiting until evening, she floats gently down from the tower and she follows the techno base beat to the nearest dance club. A smile at the bouncer is all it takes for her to enter.

From the line waiting to enter the club Minako snorts angrily. "How does she get into the club so quickly."

"I would not worry about it to greatly Mina-chan." Bru Xi soothes. "I just gives us more time to prepare for our entrance."

Ami rolls her eyes and Makoto giggles while holding Bu Fer's arm. "It was nice that we were able to get back in time to get ready to go dancing. Don't you think so Mu Se?" Ami asks her distracted escort.

Shaking his head, Mu Se comes back to reality. "I am sorry Ami, I know no demons show on the sensors but I can't shake this uneasy feeling since the battle this afternoon."

The group of six are let into the club in short order. Upon seeing the dance floor they are treated to what looks like an orgy standing up, lead by the blond Minako took a dislike to earlier. All eyes were on the dance floor that were not dancing.

"So much for our hope of making an entrance." She wryly comments to her would be paramour. "Well that's the way the cookie disappears. Let's find some where else to be."

Mu Se has nudge Bru Xi a few times to break him away from looking at the dance floor before the group leaves to find a different club. "What a goddess." the taller boy mumbles. earning him a glare from the Senshi of Venus.

The blond woman discreetly watches them leave from the dance floor. Once they are gone, she returns to drawing more people into the dance and building the energy. Several hours later and with several dozen exhausted dancers around her she holds up a palm sized crystal glowing with energy. "I will need many more of these." she says quietly to herself.

Addressing the group around her, the woman says. "Sit up and kneel before me children." She grins as they comply as hastily as they can. "I am Astarte. You will serve me and help me to bring my lord to this world."

"Yes my queen." The assembled men and women intone with glazed eyes.

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The next day finds Ranma enjoying swimming in the ocean as a man for the first time in more than two years. The jet had landed at Kumejima airport the night before and Noriko had booked an entire floor of the Islands best hotel for their group.

Ranma volunteered to teach Akiri how to swim. His biggest problem, a first, was convincing a child that could fly that there was a reason to learn to swim. Now he was having difficulty convincing her to leave the water behind. Inhoshi splashing around in the water with her, in human form, was not helping. Kari of course is sitting on the beach laughing at the situation while setting out lunch.

Ranma finally resorts to throwing both girls over his shoulders and carrying them back to the beach. "You could have helped." He gripes

Kari hugs both of the giggling girls he plops in front of her. "Oh but Ranma-kun the girls were having such fun."

Ranma stares at his aunt wearing a bikini while handing plates to the other three and is once again reminded that voluptuous and curvy is a trait that runs heavy in his mothers family. Kari really could be seen as his and Inhoshi's older sister. Kari may not be as athletic as Ranko and Inhoshi but is even better endowed.

"I can't understand why you wear such lose and concealing clothing all the time Kari-neesan." He offers after she noticed his inspection.

"Hazard of the trade, but most of the time its nice to not have boys turn to babbling idiots around me." Kari glibly responds.

After eating their lunch, Ranma finally asks a question that had been bothering him. "I really appreciate everything Obaa-san has done for us but how can she afford all of this?"

"Well Obaa-san has been saving and investing money for a long time. To make money originally she just took things that were not worth much and turned them into things people want very badly."

Picking up a length of drift wood about the size of her hand she continues. "This stick of wood for instance is worth pocket change at best." Concentrating on the wood it begins to glow and dissolves into a shrinking sphere in her hand. "For this most of the materials are of no use except for the carbon and nitrogen inherent in the wood."

The sphere solidifies into a rough crystal no larger than a marble most of the mass floating away as dust. "Now we have a rare uncut yellow diamond worth more than two million yen." Ranma is dumbstruck as she puts it in his hand. "A gift for my nephew. I promise to find something with more thought involved for your birthday."

"Can you please teach me that trick sensei?" Says Nabiki walking up to their group with very wide eyes.

"I will think about it Nabiki-chan." Kari replies. "You don't really need to worry about making money for yourself for some time though. I do have something I would like your help with though." This last said with a smile at the approaching Paru and Kazumi.

Kari's plan progressed with Paru cajoling Honya into putting on a blond wig and finding a blue mustang with dual white pinstripes. Kari actually knew the owner of the only one on the island and he owed her a favor.

Nabiki finds herself in front of the camera now. "Gun holsters were not designed with comfort in mind were they." She grouses while trying to adjust an offending strap.

"I think you play the part of Rally Vincent really well Nabiki-sempai" Honya says quietly.

"You make a cute Minnie Hopkins as well Honya, but I can hardly think of a person with a more different personality." Nabiki replies with a smile.

"Okay so where did you come up with these clothes from Kari-sensei?" Nabiki asks trying to get more into the photo shoot.

Ranma grins with Inhoshi back as a cabbit on his head. "I created them. They will disappear after the shoot is over but its convenient for our purposes." Seeing a look of concern on Nabiki's face he finishes. "I would not give anyone a free show. Especially since Honya would be affected as well Nabiki."

The photo shoot finishes and they are joined by Atsuko, Akatsu, and Kaede. Ranma's other aunt had been told that watching a massed loli-goth strike was a sight to behold and Akatsu was just hungry and looking for tips. Ranma was still not sure what Kaede was up to.

Ranko was more than a little surprised to find a ten year old version of Kaede wearing clothes she borrowed from Akatsu. Nodoka failed to escape before getting added to the foraging party. Nabiki and Kazumi gleefully took pictures as the locust storm of cute fell upon unsuspecting vendors.


notes:

Marid - highest level of Djinn in Arabic myth. Associated with oceans and seas

Astarte - goddess of fertility, sexuality, and war from ancient greece. Thought to have been derived from Ishtar of mesopotamia and rumored to be the origin of the myths that later lead to Aphrodite and Venus.

Kume - an Island 100 km west of the okinawa capitol of Naha. said to be one of the most beautiful of the Ryukyu islands.

Sorry if this chapter is a little shorter than most. Updates might be slow for the next few weeks.