Ugh! This isn't what was supposedly planned. 
	But it seemed that I must surrender to Fates' ficklemindedness.  Months of
toiling went down the drain as I find myself unable to meet the deadlines I
imposed upon myself. This one is the largest ever I have made and truth to
tell, this chapter was supposedly to conclude Book One. 
	Alas, it is not so. 
	OK. Enough with the random rants. I've done all I can. I extend my thanks
to Mayhem for letting me use some scenarios in his own "Memories" fanfic
for this one as well. Those familiar with his writings should be able to
spot them all since it's clustered in one area anyway. ^_^ 
	Barry, I finally managed to put in that little idea we've discussed a year
or less ago. 
	My thanks go to those people who've done what they could to help me in
this. The standard issues of copyright and stuff need not be mentioned. I
own some rights to my own characters. 
	I've done improvements on this one already as per instructions of a few
people as well as myself upon re-reading it. 
	Never thought this one owuld have _that_ many mistakes. 
	By now, there should be none. 
	Hopefully. 
	Hah! So there! 
	Please remember that al this would not be possible if not for creative
licenses and from the ..... killer schedules I make myself keep at times. 
	And now, with the blessings of Pervert's EL POLLO DIABLO routine, I now
reveal to you all, Chapter Eighteen of my on-going multi-crossover series,
Angel's Chronicles. ^_^
	Pardon me now as I haven't slept since the Zu party finished the whole
frigging Fushugi Yuugi TV Series.... ^_^ 
	BTW: C&C, MST, etc. would be most welcome in any case. 
	And to everyone, a happy good night and a somewhat belated Happy New Year
to all!!!! 
		

Personal Note: If anyone is interested, here is a current list of those
anime characters now involved in this series. 

Chapter 1 to 17
	Ranma 1/2 all star cast. 
	SailorMoon 
	Tenchi Muyo OVAs 
	El-Hazard OVAs

more to be revealed in this chapter alone. 
Tee-hee...... 
Anyone like to hazard a guess?? ^_-- 
	


Chapter Eighteen: Absolute Mayhem 
Version 2.1 

	Most people would never acknowledge the fact that for each and everyone of
us, there lives a shadow of our true selves. A dark, forbidding shadow that
some of the more enlightened people of this world would consider the most
dangerous of all enemies. What truth is there in this, one could never
truly know unless one encounters their own shadow. 
	For Chibi, this was one of those days. She had already met and became her
shadow back during the time when the Black Moon had attacked the Silver
Millenium. 
	This did not bode well for Chibi for she still carried within her the
memories of that dark time. 
	"What's going on?" Chibi asked, confused and very afraid. 
	"Something that had been planned for since the time you embraced me into
yourself the first time around, my dear." a woman replied seductively. "It
is time for you to fully embrace your destiny, my child. One that has been
set for you since time immemorial. 
	"No!" cried out Chibi as the moon sigil on her forehead flared  to life
once more. This time however, she found herself able to control her powers.
	Chibi faced the woman unafraid. 
	"The little bunny rabbit has finally decided to turn into a wolf?" said
the woman in the shadows mockingly. 
	"I won't give in to you!!" she cried out loudly. "I will never let you win
again!!!! NEVER. EVER!!!" 
	With that, she released her full power. 
	And the sigil blazed like a newborn nova.  
	The woman uttered a foul oath. 
	"#$@#! Today you got lucky, Moon Princess!" she jeered, her voice layered
with so much sarcasm that it hurt. "Till we meet again, Chibi. Remember, I
am your destiny." 
	The woman laughed. A chilling sort of laugh that would have made Kodachi
extremely envious. 
	"Never!!" Chibi shouted defiantly. "Never again!!" 
	"Oh really?" came the amused reply as the woman vanished. 
	Chibi breathed a sigh of relief as the terrible woman left. 
	"I am you. You are me. The sooner you understand that, the better off you
will be." a cold, disembodied voice spoke. 
	The mist swirled around Chibi; billowing around her and slowly obscuring
her vision until blackness covered everything. 
	A voice of pure anguish smashed through the darkness and let be known the
sorrow she felt in her heart. 
	"Okaaaa-saaaaannnnnnnnn!!!!!!" 


* * * * *

	
	Somewhere in the district of Nerima....
	An attractive young blonde calmly ignored the looks she received from not
less than a dozen male as she walked towards her objective. She disliked
having to be ogled at except for Mako-chan who, by the way had done little
more than seethe in frustration ever since her defeats at the young
upstarts who now protected the little brat. 
	She did _not_ particularly like being ignored at. 
	Not by Mako-chan.
	That's one of those little reasons why she was even here. Another reason
was their queen's growing anger at the mounting failures. Another was that
Ami had sufficiently convinced her of the merits of the plan.
	One did not trust Mercury unless one knew of the stakes. 
	Mercury was not one to forgo the needs of sacrificing anyone for her own
machinations.  
	Minako knew all too well how far Mercury would go to get what she wanted.
By far, Mercury was the most dangerous individual to cross next to the queen. 
	Minako sighed. 
	You'd think being a bad guy entitled you to be the ones causing all the
dangers. 
	Still, Mercury's plans seemed the best. 
	To be precise, perhaps the only option left to them. 
	Too many times they've been failing their beloved monarch because they
were so busy fighting amongst themselves that they've fallen into the
proverbial 'bad-guys-always-fight-amongst-themselves' clause.  
	That had been the telling blow that really forced them all  to
temporarily dropped their animosity amongst one another to hatch a plan
that would get rid of the Moon Princess and her troublesome protectors. 
	Not this time though. 
	She would be the first to grudgingly admit that these people that
currently guarded over the little brat was quite skilled and were a whole
_lot_ better fighters than those that Radler had once made use of through
the years. Moreover, they were practitioners of a form of martial arts that
even Mako-chan found a _daunting_ task to equal. 
	Still, that mattered very little today. 
	Not with what they had in store for them. 
	She allowed herself one little smirk as she entered the park. 
	It was so peaceful. So full of life and laughter. All those little
children happily oblivious to what was to befall them all. Minako could
even see some lovers hidden within the shadows of the trees that made its
home in this small park in Nerima. 
	Her smile deepened. 
	This would definitely do well. 
	After a judicious circuit of the whole park area, she had found a likely
place in the form of a small clearing in a small forest situated in a
north-westerly portion of the park. A careful search of said area revealed
no one to disturb her in her task. 
	Lucky break.
	Not that she would have any trouble taking care of anyone who were unlucky
enough to pass by the area. Minako extended her palm and summoned one of
the spheres she had made just for this little event they were staging. She
let it hover in the center of the small clearing for a brief moment before
she touched the opaque sphere. Dark purple flames surged around her hand
and was being absorbed into the small sphere, glowing ever so brilliantly
as Minako imbued it with her power. 
	The sphere suddenly let out a fierce black bolt of pure energy across the
area; dissipating just as fast as it had appeared. She glanced at her
surrounding. Everything was as it should be save for what her mystic senses
told her. 
	She smiled, happy with the results as she left the clearing to take care
of the rest of her preparations.
	"Soon little  Moon Princess. Very soon we will have you in our grasps as
well as those pesky children who protect you." she crooned happily.
	She left the clearing and went about her task.
	It took almost all morning to completely set up her devices across the
large park. Still, from what she could see, this park was well patronized
by the inhabitants of this little town. That made up for the trouble she
had to undergo. Should anyone be unlucky caught when the devices across the
park were fully activated well.... it would certainly be an _interesting_
sight to see. 
	And if anyone of those young upstarts were to show up, so much the better. 
	She needed an outlet for her frustrations. 
	The good guys were _always_ expected to save innocent bystanders from
potential harm. And she wasn't the type to waste such potential ways to
finish off her enemies. She so adored killing off her victims with style. 
	After all, any human could kill. 
	It took an artist to do it with flair. 
	Her eyes narrowed as she felt the presence of one particular woman. She
did not need to turn around to know who it was. She had hated the woman for
having attained what should have been rightfully hers. She did not go to
all that trouble of gaining the Queen's notice to just lose it to the woman. 
	"Setsuna." she spat.  
	The addressed person chose not to respond. Setsuna gave her a small smile
before she raised one hand to slap the woman across the face. 
	HARD. 
	"Bitch!!" she cursed. 
	Setsuna laughed, mirth never reaching her cold eyes. "I see you and others
have decided to band together to take care of our little problem, Minako."
Minako cast a bitter gaze at the woman's tone. It dripped with too much
sarcasm for her liking. "How can it be that such an impertinent group of
younglings have given us so much trouble?" 
	That did it. 
	"You know full well that those 'younglings' are quite skilled considering
they've managed to kill one of our number." she burst out angrily. 
	Rei had been a good friend and better at keeping the bed warm and cozy.
Her loss had hit her badly enough as it was. She did not need Setsuna
making it worse. 
	Setsuna merely nodded. "Make sure that you and the others finish them all
off. Serenity grows ever weary of her daughter's continued resistance to
her destiny." She eyed the glaring at the blonde. "Fail not in this
endeavor. Her majesty considers all of you _expendable _." 
	Minako glared even more. 
	"And you're not?" she asked, her voice full of hatred.
	Setsuna eyed her. "Think what you will, Venus. You know very well what the
answers are anyway."
	"Damn you!!" Minako seethed. "We should have just killed you instead of
letting Serenity break you!"
	Setsuna merely shrugged. "Your loss. My gain. Don't fail her majesty. Or
may all of you will end up just like Radler or Rei for that matter." 
	"Ha! We'll succeed all right! And what Orion did to Radler will pale to
what I and the rest plan to do to finish off those brats, Setsuna!" 
	A deceptively emotionless laugh escaped Setsuna's  lips.
"And do you truly do believe that Radler is dead?" Setsuna demanded acidly.
	"Oh?" Minako asked Setsuna coldly. "Ami's little plan succeeded in killing
him. He IS no more." She sneered at the woman. "Poetic justice to see him
murdered by his own wife."
	"That man had survived arriving at our time and had survived the countless
machinations of our people. He lived through what you and the others have
done to him back when you had captured him! He survived his encounter with
Serenity when she had tried to break him and make him one of us. And now
you have the audacity of thinking that he's truly dead? You must truly be a
fool!!"
	"He's DEAD!!" Minako stated vehemently. 
	"Did you see a body or any evidence of his demise?" Setsuna asked calmly.
	"The way he died would've left little or no evidence." Minako countered.
	Setsuna laughed. 
	"Foolish to even entertain the thought of victory so early." Setsuna spoke
harshly "And doubly foolish to think that Radler is dead!! He cannot be so
easily killed as that. Not him. Most especially not him. Or have you all
been stupid enough not to notice how many times he had escaped your traps.
Radler _is_ alive. "
	This she stated with IRON determination. 
	"What are you saying, Setsuna?" Minako asked tersely.
	"Never consider one like him to have just died like that. Never."
	She whirled around, evading the look that Setsuna turned on her. But the
seed had been planted. Doubt soured her thoughts. Could it be that that
thrice accursed Radler could still be alive?!! 
	"Damn you, Setsuna." she cursed, whirling around to find the hated Time
Mistress gone. "Damn you." she muttered under her breath. 
	She muttered a series of curses before she disappeared. She hated doubts
within herself. Still, the question of Radler had to be shelved for now. 
	She had a plan to put into motion.
	As the woman once known as Sailor Venus left, Setsuna once more appeared. 
	A look of sadness passed through her eyes. 
	"Where are you, Radler?" she asked softly. She covered her face with her
hands, letting the Time Staff fall to the ground with an audible thud.
"Light! What have I done??" 
	The winds moaned in answer.


* * * * * * 

	
	The flare of light died down as Tia found herself engulfed in a rather
formfitting... well.... what looked like battle dress to her. 
	Her battle dress comprised of a soft inner layer body suit of the darkest
hue of blue that hugged her bodily curves snugly, leaving just enough for
the imagination. Over that, she wore a midnight black sleeveless padded
leotard-like clothing with a slightly plunging neckline. It would have
revealed a generous amount of cleavage if not for the dark blue bodysuit
she wore underneath. Flaring shoulder guards graced her shoulders that
shone bright silver with dark blue highlights around the edges. Silver
bracers adorned her wrists. Large sapphires decorated each end of bracer as
well. She also wore midnight black high heeled boots that rode up to her
thighs where it was tied by twin red leather straps. 
	The lower portion of the boots reinforced with overlapping metal plates.
She winced at the thought of someone unlucky enough to get hit with those.
Painful would barely begin to explain it. 
	The one thing that seemed out of place was the white sash around her slim
waist. Along with this accouterment was a black divided skirt [ala- Chun-li
type only longer and narrower]  cut along the sides running up to the hip.
She did not need to look behind her to know that the sash ended up tied in
a nice ribbon with its tails almost touching the ground. 
	Only her hands remained unadorned which suited her just fine. Her getup
certainly looked too much like the sailor fukus the Senshi wore before with
a few major modifications. Of it all, she was thankful that she didn't have
those silly skirts that were too skimpy for use in a battlefield. 
	All that's missing of her getup was some weapons like the blasters she
normally carried. Plus,  she missed the sword Setsuna had given her years
ago. Tia let out a surprised yelp as said sword suddenly appeared in her
hands, its bluish-tinged blade gleaming brightly. 
	"Nice choice of colors there." Washuu observed wryly. She did not miss how
the sword had instantly appeared. *Hmmm... Interesting. She can generate
subspace fields around herself. That would certainly prove most useful in
any given battle. Hmmm.. I wonder...* 
	Washuu, pre-eminent, self-proclaimed genius scientist began to formalize a
plan.
	*Definitely something to think on.* she thought with a smile and a laugh.
	"Not too shabby." came the condensing rebuke from Tia. 
	Washuu activated her scanners and quickly got some very _interesting_
readings. The power flux within Tia had stabilized. This meant that Tia
could use her full potential without fear of losing control. Other readings
were not so easily deciphered. 
	One thing remained the same though. The power readings she was receiving
from Tia's gem had been as it was before. 
	Nothing. 
	Washuu was not fooled. This near to Tia, her astral senses could detect
the pulse of power within the gem. This bothered her greatly. The power she
felt was remarkably different from the ones she had made for Ryoko and
those that Tsunami had exhibited at times.
	Every ounce of the scientist in her screamed in frustration at being
unable to assuage the feelings of curiosity. It was driving her batty not
being able to get what she wanted. 
Definitely frustrating. 
	< You were always so damned cocky, Washuu. > a voice told her rather
amusedly. 
	"Uh... think you could sorta give me a little hint on how to do that?" Tia
asked; breaking through her thoughts. 
	"Huh?? Oh! Errr... well.... just think it to go away. Yeah! That's the
ticket. Tell it to go away."  was Washuu's answer.  Tia looked thoughtful
for a moment. With the way she said it left much to be desired, she hardly
blamed Tia for that  'I-don't-believe-it-could-be-that-simple' look in her
eyes. 
	"Just do it." tsked  a rather irritate Washuu.
	"Hookay...." Tia said doubtfully. 
	"Trust me." 
	"Do I have any other choice?" she asked with once raised eyebrow.
	Washuu's smile was smug. 
	"Nope." 
	Tia concentrated; mentally ordering her clothes to change back. A
brilliant flash of light surrounded her as her clothes 'melted' to be
replaced by the bodysuit with the crab prints on it that she had been
wearing. She was down right thankful she didn't have to do this
transformation thingee like those anime superheroine did on TV.
	Plus the light show covered all of it.
	* Thank God for small miracles. * Tia thought gratefully.
	"Flashy way to get rid of it." commented Washuu dryly. 
	"Ha. Ha. Very funny." Tia retorted flatly. 
	Washuu merely smiled while her computer ran the scan once more - this time
without the gawdawful interference problem - with which she was thankful.
What her computer found out was literally the same readings she had taken
before they had started. 
	Nothing. 
	This perked Washuu's interest even more. 
	If not her irritation.
	Washuu glanced at the gem that glowed faintly on Tia's chest. It normally
was invisible unless it was activated. She still was unsure what to make of
the gem. It had resisted all her attempts of probing its depths for the
power that she felt it possessed. 
	In all her years of research and experimentation that had given birth to
her daughter's power gems, this particular gem Tia possessed was by far the
strangest she had ever encountered. 
	Who had made that gem? Tia said it hadn't been there before. If it had,
she had not been aware of it. Of anyone, Tia was the only one who could see
the gem even when it wasn't being used. Washuu was tempted to ask Tsunami
but decided against it. 
	She'd rather not have another headache trying to figure out Tsunami's
sometimes vague replies. 
	<You were always trying to solve what you could never hope of solving.>
the voice had returned once more to grace her with its infuriating presence.
	<Enough games, Tokimi!>  she sent back angrily. 
	An amused chuckled brought the heat in her face. Washuu hated that laugh.  
	<Tia is your child, isn't she??> Washuu shot back accusingly, not really
bothering to think it through. 
	The shock was not the type she'd thought she'd make by that pronouncement. 
	<Nay, my sister. She is not of my brood. Even with my vast resources, I
cannot find any clues as to who this child belongs to. Whoever he is,
remains clouded in mystery much like his destiny.> Tokimi paused as she
phrased her next sentence. < This child travels a path that not even the
Fates control. He walks his own paths and makes his own destinies. >
	Washuu did not miss the pronoun problem nor the slight fear in her voice. 
	Tokimi was afraid. 
	That was a first. 
 	Washuu was not surprised that Tokimi knew of Tia's curse or her true
nature. Only she knew about Tia's real form. The great scientist Washuu
began to consider why Tokimi had graced her subspace lab with her annoying
presence. 
	< Need anything? > she asked bluntly. 
	Silence. 
	She slowly began to count up to ten knowing full well how her voice could
sometimes irritate her sister so. < Well? > 
	<There are times when I consider why I haven't eliminated you for being
the obnoxious one in the family. I had tons of chances back then when and
it still does not cease to amaze me that I didn't even consider it back
then. > 
	The self-proclaimed universal genius bit back a laugh tinged with irony.
< Regrets always comes later on in life, Tokimi. > 
	<Perhaps. > Tokimi was silent for a moment. < Still, you cannot fault what
I had done then. >
	Washuu's cool evaporated in an instant; her face becoming a mask of rage
that made Tia very afraid. < The High Council had yet to convene when you
blew an entire galaxy cluster apart!!! > 
	<I had my reasons.> Tokimi explained coolly. < Reasons the High Council
accepted. > 
	< How you managed to get away with that, I'll never want to know. > Washuu
sent back with ever bit of spite she could summon into the mind link. <
Countless lives dead all because you wanted to extinguish what you felt was
the awakening of the evil prophesied in the old books. > 
	< It had to be done to ensure the safety of the High Council. > 
	< *#$@%& my ass!!! Even with such a pathetic excuse, a lot of good it
did!! The High Council was destroyed by the fledgling Jurian Empire a few
months later!! >  
	<I did what I did for far deeper reasons than the mere survival of a
governmental institution  that had been corrupt to begin with. You cannot
understand for you have yet to be made to witness to the things I have been
cursed to see. Visions of death and destruction that would in the end,
destroy everything completely. > 
	< You cannot understand. > Tokimi told her again, this time a mere whisper. 
	Washuu felt her sister break contact with her. She could still feel the
sadness... or was it guilt that she sensed in her sister's thoughts. Her
sister had done many more things before that. She had tried to put a blind
eye and a deaf ear to the things Tokimi had done in the name of preserving
the future she saw. 
	But the destruction of an entire galaxy cluster had woken her up to the
evils that Tokimi was doing. Washuu could hardly think of her elder sister
as being evil. Tokimi was merely a woman who held morals unknown to anyone
save for herself. Morals with which Tokimi clung to tenaciously and did not
let anyone else's opinion cloud her judgement. 
	Nope. Tokimi was merely blinded by her self-sworn duty to be the
universe's caretaker. 
	An obviously heavy job for one not as smart as one genius scientist like
herself!! 
	"You okay, Little Washuu?" Tia asked worriedly, using the appellation in
the hopes of getting some response from the woman who had suddenly burst
out cackling for no obvious reason. 
	Washuu shook her head to clear her thoughts before she hopped off her
floating pillow. "We'll finish this one later on, Tia. Please leave me
alone for now." 
	Washuu's voice made it a command that was not to be questioned.
	"Okay." Tia answered wondering what was eating the scientist while she
exited Washuu's subspace lab. * Well, it did get me out of her lab though
so I can't find any reason to complain. * she told herself. 
	*Wonder what's eating her.*
	She took one last look at the retreating for of Washuu before leaving the
lab. 
	Washuu barely paid Tia any heed as she retreated to her little garden to
sort out her thoughts. Arguments with her sister usually made her feel this
way - not to mention bring up unwanted memories of her past. 
	She was by far older than she let anyone know. She had borne witness to a
lot of things and during those times had uncovered a secret no one but her
sisters knew of. And only the dead knew more than all three of them do. 
	There was a reason for her stay on this backwater planet. Plenty of little
reasons really. But the one important thing above all else was that this
world was a nexus for the event that her sister, Tokimi had tried to stop
for close to a twenty or so millennia ago. 
	She and Tsunami had done all they could against the day the seals on this
world would break. And she now knew that it would break. Tia was proof
enough of that. She had seen the haunted look in the young woman's eyes and
shuddered to think what those eyes had been witness to. 
	Washuu felt so tired sometimes. It was probably her age catching up on
her. Best if she got some rest before doing anything else. Moods such as
this was not conducive to the scientific mind. 
She left her lab and headed for the baths.
	

* * * * * * 


	Lightning, black lightning, crackled in the darkened skies about the
palace of the Dark Queen. It really didn't have much in the way of utterly
cool names  unlike some of the baddies the Senshi had fought back in the
very old days. Serenity never did mind. She simply did not care what anyone
said. After all, what displeased her, she simply killed outright or sent to
Mercury for experimentation. Mercury had this totally insatiable appetite
of needing more and more guinea pigs for her crazed experiments - not that
Serenity minded anyhow. 
	She did _ love _ hearing those terrified screams of Mercury's victims. 
	Serenity gazed at the tome before her. Lightning lit up the black
crystalline tower where she was now intently studying an old tome Jupiter
had brought back with her during the siege on the former Coalition of
States out in the Mediterranean. 
	She had a grim smile as she leafed through the pages stiff with age of
disuse. Rei, had she been alive, would have _ killed _  to get her hands on
this one particular book. 
	Serenity sighed. She missed Rei. 
She had been such a fun companion. 
	Light suddenly flashed outside as another lightning lit the eternal dark
skies. Light fell on the book rather briefly. Had anyone gazed at the worn
leather-like covering of the book, one would have taken note of those
strange spider-like writings. Had anyone had a universal translator handy,
they'd have turned to stone from the shock of what those writings meant. 
	* Yes..... * she thought gleefully. * .... soon my plans will come to
fruition. And when it does, nothing can _ ever _ stand in my way ever
again!! And not even my no-good daughter and her precious Silver Crystal
could do anything to stop me!!! * 
	A cold, maliciously depraved laugh rang through the halls of the palace. 
	Even the dead would have cringed at that laugh. 


* * * * * * 


	Mercury gazed at the terminal before her. She was having a difficult time
cracking the various codes that protected the main OS. The outer security
of the main OS was quite easy to circumvent; but the one that she was now
tackling was making her very pissed off. 
	The last lock was giving her a most difficult time. Time and again she had
been thwarted. Nothing seemed to break through the final locks. She was not
taking this very well as was evident in the fury present in her face.
Mercury was tempted to actually give up for the first time. 
	But no. 
	She was never a quitter. She'd get this thrice damned lock broken in due
time. After all, she'd given her plans a wide window. She'd told the others
of her plans and had dissuaded the others from mounting further attacks on
those pesky martial artists that protected the little brat. 
	They had been most uncooperative until she revealed this weapon to them. 
	Of course, right now, she was reaching the end of her ropes here. By hook
or by crook, she'd find a way to unlock this weapon. 
	She had time. 
	With a small smile, she shut off the monitor and decided to do some of
those special projects she had been neglecting lately. 
	A few minutes later, the screams began once more.


* * * * * * 


	Sailor Pluto sat alone in the darkness of her room. She had remained here
for the better part of the day after her encounter with Minako at the park.
Pluto knew of Radler's survival. 
	She knew it as fact. 
	Radler was not so easily killed. 
	That she was certain of.
	So why did she tell one of the Sisters?? 
	A part of her gave her the answer she was unwilling to accept even now
that she knew it to be true. 
	She heard another scream from outside her room. A part of her cringed at
the tortured screams that resounded across the vast halls of the palace.
Mercury was at it again.  She sighed as she passed a hand through her dark
green hair. Once this palace had been a grand place; filled with vibrancy
and life. Now, it was merely a cesspool of vileness and corruption. 
	Pluto gazed sadly at the ruby orb she held in her hands. 
	It was a reminder of her past. 
	She had lost so much in the course of the countless millennia she had
lived. Friends that cared about her. A kingdom she had forged through hell
and worse. The lives of so many innocents lost in that cataclysmic event. 
	But most of all was the loss of her two children. Young and full of life
they were. She held no memories of what they looked like. That part hurt
much even after all this time. She knew she had children before but could
never recall anything more about them. 
	Life had never been kind to her. 
	Not even to the Mistress of Time. 
	A valid reason for the cold and aloft exterior she presented to the
universe. A wall she hid behind to cover her eternal sadness. She had
thought it was finished after she had defeated him. 
	How wrong she had been! 
	Darkness now enveloped the Silver Millenium. The very same one that had
nearly spelled the doom of the human race so long ago. And now, this
kingdom she had forged anew to atone for her sins but left for others to
rule was dying. 
	Her Queen having fully embraced the darkness that was the enemy. Setsuna
felt the faint tinge of hopelessness take root within her. 
	Serenity was lost. 
	Even her senshi could not be brought back. Not even with the Silver
Crystal. No power in this universe could ever bring them back save for death. 
	Setsuna felt hot tears slide down her face. 
	* Is there even any hope now? * she asked herself sadly. 
	She heard the laughter in her mind. It was her own. The darker side of her
personality that was slowly overwhelming her. That laugh was a reminder of
how badly she had erred this time. * Could it be that this time there would
be no stopping the darkness from escaping its prison within this world? *
	Pluto laid a gloved hand to her head trying to dislodged her 'other.'
within her mind. She had to fight it as best and as long as she could.
Pluto knew that the darkness within her was slowly consuming her; erasing
all aspects of her true self and twisting what's left into a creature that
served the darkness. 
	She brought her knees close to her feeling very cold all of a sudden at
the thought of serving the entity that had corrupted Serenity. 
	Bitter tears stained her face oncve again. 
	All her sacrifices had not been enough. 
	The bastard was still alive. 
	

* * * * * * 


	 All things considered, Kasumi was a woman who lived in a separate world.
One that protected her from all the harshness of reality. That had been the
Tendo Law. A law unbreakable since the first day it had been ratified. 
	Someone unexpected had just broken the law. 
	Now, understand that in a dojo where the credo was to expected the
unexpected, it was showing quite a poor performance of expecting this to
have happened. Then again, no one ever thought that the one who would break
this act would be....
	Kasumi. 
	Kasumi was holy ground. No one dared lay a violent hand against her. Even
the old leach had some dignity in him that prevents him from laying one
finger on Kasumi. After all, of all the women in the world, only Kasumi
treated him with the same kindness as anyone. 
	To date, no one had laid violence before Kasumi's feet.
	Until now. 
	For many who knew her, to witness such an event as Kasumi stepping out of
her shell was something akin to the end of the world. Then again, a lot of
things had been changing in Nerima. And not many of those changes had been
for the better. 
	Right now, none of those present in the Tendo dojo could decide what to
make of it. 
	Akane sat stiffly in her room. Her sister, Kasumi sat next to her on the
bed wearing a look that expressed her disapproval. Anyone who knew Kasumi
would have sworn this was _ not _ her. 	Kasumi was a young woman who bore
the weigh of responsibility like a crown. She did what she could to help;
sometimes sacrificing too much of her own happiness and individuality - not
to mention her youth - for the sake of the people she loved. 
	And more importantly, Kasumi _ never _ lost her temper so. 
	It was the universal law. 
	Unbreakable. 
	Unbendable. 
	This did not escape Akane. She too wondered what could have done this to
her sister. The immediate thought that entered her mind was this was
Ranma's fault - yet again! 
	Therefore, she needed to apply the proper prescription of malleting to
Ranma. 
	Of course, Kasumi had restrained her. This odd behavior of Kasumi she had
blamed on Ranma as well. 
	* Typical! * Akane fumed. 
	Had she been thinking without the need for anger clouding her rather
one-sided judgement which was to say she attributed everything that went
wrong as being her fianc‚'s fault, she would have withered under the gaze
that Kasumi put to considerable bear on her. 
	Had anyone been unlucky enough to see that _look_ would have repented
their sins right there and then.  Even the old ghoul would have been afraid
of Kasumi right now. 
	That would have been not too hard to imagine. 
	Kasumi was vastly dissatisfied with the way her sister had been treating
Ranma for the past few years. Ranma made mistakes - lots of it - yet more
often than not, too many of those mistakes had been unintentional or more
likely caused by one of Ranma's more understanding fianc‚es. 
	It was time to rectify the situation before it worsened. Akane had to
trust Ranma fully. For she had a bad feeling she would definitely need that
trust in the times to come. 
	"Do you hate Ranma that much, sister?" Kasumi asked, her manner taking the
direct approach. Akane was never good at dealing with that. 
	The surprise on her sister's face was enough to satisfy Kasumi. 
	"You do not, don't you." She prodded. 
	The look of hurt in her eyes answered her well enough. She really hated
doing this but it was necessary. Too long has this unending fights between
Ranma and her sister killed too many a number of chances for them to be
together. 
	Then again, both were such hard headed people. Too much alike and too much
in love to even be willing to admit it. Both of them could actually make a
great story. Too much of it that they'd probably kill off Romeo and Juliet
in a flash. 
	Shakespeare had nothing in his tragic love story that Ranma and Akane
couldn't beat senseless. 
	Perhaps one of these days she could find some time to write it all down...
	"I hate that arrogant pervert!" Akane stated matter-of-factly. 
	Kasumi sighed. She glanced at the clock. "It too late for you to go to
class right now, Akane." She glanced at her sister's stoic demeanor. Too
much pride would destroy what chance there is for love between her sister
and Ranma. "Right now, I don't think going to school would be wise for you." 
	the eldest Tendo smiled once more trying to cheer up her little sister.
"Perhaps another round of cooking lessons might help you better?"  she
suggested. 
	Akane shook her head emphatically. Another first considering Akane never
said no to her eldest sister. "I really don't feel like it right now." She
let out a tired sigh Kasumi did not miss the far away look of sadness in
her eyes. 
	*Thinking about Ranma again, little sister?? You could do a lot more if
you just tell him what you feel.*
	"I think I need to walk some of this anger out of me." Akane told her
sister absently. 
	Without waiting for any answer she left - or stormed out of the room from
the way it looked. 
	Kasumi sighed as she stared at her sister's room. Nothing much had changed
in the years since her mother had died. Too many things had remained
painfully the same. 
	Akane still held too tightly to the past. 
	She closed her eyes for a while; trying to stem the pain she felt.
	All three of them were doing it in vastly different ways. 
	"Perhaps someday...." she said to no one in particular. 
	The room remained silent. 
	Kasumi gazed sadly out the window and into the heavens, wishing her
mother's strength to help her through all of this. 	"Had I been wrong to
let Akane have Ranma all this time? Would it have simplified matters had I
accepted Ranma as my fianc‚e?" Kasumi shook her head. "No. Ranma loves
Akane. That much is obvious." 
	"All it takes now is for one of them to have the courage to tell the other." 
	Like that would ever happen! 	


* * * * * * 


	The light that reflected from the lake bathed the rest of the countryside
with the pale gold color of the sun and the house that rested near its bank
practically glowed with the radiance of the sun. The mountains themselves
were crowned with the glory of the heavens as the ice upon its now frozen
top magnified the intensity of the sun's gentle light. into a halo that lit
the skies. 
	Everything was picture perfect. Something that anyone would love to
appreciate had they found this small piece of Eden so near a city. Just
goes on to say man never bothered to look farther than his eyes let him see. 
	The sound of something making a _ peeeerfect!! _ two-point crash-landing
on the placid lake shattered the peace like brittle glass.
	"Miiiiiiihhhhhhoooooooshiiiiiiii !!!!!!!!" a very wet and pissed off
raven-haired beauty shrieked. Anger clearly marking her face if not her
whole body which was shaking with the intensity she was withholding the
anger back. 
	A wavy-haired blonde, who was suprisingly void of any wetness about her
slim figure was saying what sounded like an extended apology which was
being so graciously ignored.
	FLATLY. 
	"I_AM_GOING_TO_KILL_YOU_S-L-O-W_!!!!!!!!" 
	"But I said I was sorry." Mihoshi whined without sounding or looking like
it. 
	"NO!!! THIS_IS_THE_LAST_STRAW!!!!"  yelled a very irritate Kiyone. 
	She extended her hands like claws ready to shred her victim into small
bits slowly - _real_ slow.  Kiyone was having a bad week - which was to say
worst than usual with her bumbling partner - and this was one of those days
she snapped - badly...
	Lady Luck dutifully shielded her daughter. 

[ Food for Thought:  Ever noticed just how darn lucky Mihoshi is?? Even
when she's fighting off people who killed smarter cops with contemptuous
ease and still come out of it no worse from wear....] 
[BTW: Don't take the last one too seriously. Please? ]

	Everyone a mile off the house had heard Kiyone's screech of rage. Those
who recognized that screech had been there in a flash. Anyone else silently
prayed for God's protection for one reason or another.
	Ryoko had appeared right behind the enraged Galaxy Police officer and
tried to pin Kiyone down. Said Galaxy Police officer screeched as she
grabbed the offending person and slammed her to the ground with all her
might. Ryoko found her world tumbling all around her and then enjoying an
unscheduled meeting with hard earth. 
	She really didn't have to restrain Kiyone but she kinda like her. She
didn't want the woman to do something she will definitely regret later.
Killing - trying to at any rate - would certainly be something she would
regret. 
	Not that Kiyone would succeed in that particular endeavor. 
	After all, those who did try killing the rather vapid Mihoshi ended up
with a fate worse than any insane being could think off....
	Tenchi had practically halted when he saw the enraged look on Kiyone's
face. One look told him all too well that the venerable office had
temporarily lost her sanity. Tenchi doubted the his ability to summon the
light hawks would have helped him much. 
	Washuu popped out from one of her subspace gates and glanced at the
ensuing brawl. Washuu smirked as she watched the two chase one another
before leaving once more. 
	Who said curiosity killed anyway? 
	Sasami wasn't around since she was doing some shopping back in the city
with Noboyuki and her sister, Ayeka. 
	That left only a bare handful of people. 
	Not that anyone was _stupid_ enough to get between those two right now. 
	Tenchi wasn't all too worried about Mihoshi.  
	Mihoshi was the ultimate survivor. 
	Kiyone ran after her errant partner across the field and around the
circumference of the lake, yelling imprecations and other things she would
do to Mihoshi once she caught up with her. 
	"Guess Mihoshi never really did need any of our help." Ryoko stated as she
hovered around Tenchi. 
	"Who said she needed it?" Tia asked amusedly as she watched the whole
scenario play itself out. 
	Tia was rather shocked at the way Kiyone was acting. It seemed so far from
the cool, collected Galaxy Police officer Kiyone normally was. Tia chalked
it up to Mihoshi. It had to be the only explanation. 
	Tia watched as Kiyone chased Mihoshi who seemed to be heading straight for
them. She also seemed to be yelling something but none present were able to
get much out of it. Ryoko cursed and grabbed a surprised Tenchi and took
flight. 
	Tia held her ground. 
	She felt it was time to intervene lest something happen to poor Kiyone.
She liked the young Galaxy Police offcier even if Kiyone was a little bit
uptight. 
	Mihoshi let out a yelp as she tripped on her feet, her forward momentum
being what it was, launched her on a collision course with Tia. 
	"AAAAaaaaaaHHH!!!! Owwie!!! That hurt!" 
	Tia lay on the ground, stunned by the force by which Mihoshi tackled her. 
	"I've got you now....." 
	Mihoshi screamed, grabbing the still stunned Tia and squeezing her slim
frame with all her might.Tia almost fainted from near sensory overload if
not for the burning sensation in her guts. 
	"Wait.... Can't ...breathe.... Mi.ho..shi..." 
	"I'm _really_ going to enjoy making you beg for forgiveness." Kiyone told
her partner as she lifted the still wailing Mihoshi who seemed to have
formed a permanent attachment to Tia. "Then I'm going to kill you!!
Bwahahahahahaha!!!"
	Even with Mihoshi squeezing Tia to death, Tia still felt chilled by
Kiyone's unnatural laugh. 
	*Uh-oh." Tia thought.
 	A few meters up...
	"Brrrr... Kiyone sounds _scary." 
	"Aren't you glad I saved you, Tenchi??" Ryoko asked as she puckered up for
a kiss. 
	"Ghaaa!! Ryoko! Stop it! Not now!!" protested Tenchi as he tried to push
the persistent space pirate away while trying not to get dropped. 
	Tia meanwhile was having a most unsuccessful attempt at escaping form
Mihoshi's grip of death. Kiyone took her time as she explained various ways
on how much she was going to make Mihoshi suffer through all that Mihoshi
had done to her. 
	Right now, Tia wanted to be _really_ somewhere else! 
	Forget Mihoshi! 
	She wanted out!!! 
	"Now, what shall I do to you first, Miho-chan??" Kiyone asked, leering
evilly at her partner. 
	"Kiyone!!!" Mihoshi's blue eyes were wide and near tears. 
	Kiyone blinked. 
	Tia was close to passing out due to asphyxiation. 
	Mihoshi decided to turn on the waterworks. 
	"WAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!"


* * * * * * 


	"Does this happen often?" asked Tia who was now struggling to carry the
slight and unconscious Kiyone. 
	Mihoshi shook her head. "Not really. She normally just got angry or
something." Mihoshi eyed her partner. "Well, she _did_ lose it some time
ago. That was a long time ago." 
	"I hope she'll be okay." Tenchi said with concern. 
	No one mentioned that they hoped Kiyone would wake up sane. 
	Tia strained to carry the unconscious woman back to the house. "Ungh!
Ghack! Who'd have thought a woman this slight would be so damn heavy." She
muttered under her breath while she struggled with her load. 
	"Need any help?" Tenchi inquired.
	She shook her head and they continued towards the house. "No thanks."  
	"Sure?" he asked. 
	Tia nodded then grinned. "I'm sure. I think you'll have your hands full
with Ryoko hanging about you like that." 
	Tenchi and Ryoko blushed a cheery red. 
	A few minutes later.... 
	It really wasn't that far. Still with the fact that her strength was
flagging and that the way seemed longer than usually did made a world of a
difference. [Walking with someone unconscious on your back tends to slow
any party down considerably.]  Tia was about to voice her need for some
assistance but found the young Masaki was still being accosted by Ryoko. 
	Tia cursed, wishing she'd had let Tenchi help after all. 
	"Let me help." Mihoshi offered.  
	With deft [yes, the author imagine so.] hands, she transferred part of
the weight of her unconscious partner to herself much to the relief of the
other woman. 
	"Thanks, Mihoshi." Tia told the blonde woman. 
	Like the first time she woke in the Masaki home, Mihoshi was an ever
present enigma. A woman of varying levels of consciousness. Tia could still
not make up her mind about Mihoshi. 
Then, there were times when she could not escape the feeling that things
were just repeating itself. 
	Most of the things happening in the Masaki home felt like her previous
home albeit with a more interstellar cast. 
	It wasn't necessarily bad just that it made her wonder about her life. 
	So many things about who she was could not be fully answered by her
memories of her past. A past she understood little of. She shook her head
from the unwanted reverie. She had all the time in the world to do that
whenever she woke up from her nightmares. 
	She turned her gaze to Mihoshi.  Now, this woman was truly an enigma that
she felt would always remain unsolved no matter what. 
	Much like her past. The more she thought about it, the more muddled it
became. 
	Best to leave it and let it reveal itself in the proper time. 
	It was always the best way. Michiru-san had often told her that whenever
she went around and asked why her friend and constant companion for the
first few years, Hotaru-chan, had suddenly disappeared. 
	Mihoshi certainly fit the bill perfectly.
	Tia idly toyed with the idea that Mihoshi might be the some deity's
daughter. 
	Preferably Lady Luck's. 



* * * * * * 


	
	"Six more beef ramen and four specials coming your way, son-in-law."
warned the store proprietor, cook, and manager as she tossed - all ten -
nanoseconds after her initial warning.  
	A short yet very well-endowed red-haired woman dressed in a waitress
outfit quickly snatched three out of the air then tossing them to the
people who ordered them - a few tables away. The rest she snagged with the
help of a tray and a leg. While she hated the way the old ghoul drove her,
she did not complain about how it was honing her reflexes. Before, she
couldn't do that particular stunt without tossing half the bowl's contents
on someone. 
	While she knew Akane hated her working in the Nekohanten, it was the only
place she could find who would actually take her in without question. Of
course, knowing the one who ran it was some help even if it meant having to
date the old ghoul's bouncy great granddaughter. She didn't actually mind
getting glomped by Shampoo or any other woman for that matter in both her
forms. She just hated the accompanying pounding she was likely to get.
	All this time, Ranma had yet to decide what he truly felt for each of
those who vied for his attention - minus Kodachi. The man turned woman
cringed at the thought. Her body absently caught the next batch of orders
while she sorted through the clutter that had accumulated in her mind. She
half-heard the jubilant comments of those who watched her display her
skills or how many times Shampoo literally hurled herself onto her while
she caught some more bowls from the old ghoul. 
	From out of the corner of her eye, Cologne, Matriarch of the Amazon Tribe
in China, silently gave her approval to the young martial artist who worked
for her. Ranma was learning the advantages of her cursed form. Strength and
endurance may be well and good but so was speed and reflexes. Both
qualities held their respective advantages and each set could easily beat
any opponent so long as you had full knowledge of your strengths and
weaknesses.  
	She knew son-in-law would need it in the times to come. 
	While she still tried to do what she could to get son-in-law to marry her
great granddaughter, times forced her to curtail it - for now. 
	That did not mean she forbade Shampoo her usual past time. 
	Nor did it stop any of son-in-law's other women vying for his attention. 
	So long as business was good, it was fine with her. 
	She gasped as a cold shiver ran across her wizened frame. Her eyes thinned
into slits as she peered out into of the door as she expected something bad
was to happen. 
	A shrunken frame suddenly burst into the Nekohanten, its flight trajectory
was obvious as it aimed for the twin valleys of the red-head's slim frame. 
	"Ranma-darling!!!" the resident lech cried out.
	Suffice to say that Happossai found himself punted into low earth orbit. 
	With the old man quickly disposed off, Shampoo quickly took advantage of
her chosen husband's lapse.
	"Gack!" yelped a surprised Onna-Ranma. 
	She found herself being fiercely glomped by an exuberant purple bundle of
flesh making cooing noises at her. 
	No one paid it any heed. They've seen it dozens of times. Newcomers
blanched but kept quiet. They'd rather keep their disagreement to
themselves rather than voice it out to people who were obviously martial
artists.  Such public displays of sexuality would have killed any
traditional female outright. Then again, this was the 90's. And life was
dictated by emotions more than tradition these days. 
	Life was fun to those who tried not to understand it and simply went along
the flow of things. Madness comes to those who did try - not that anyone
was crazy enough to try. 
	A few more seconds and everything came back on track. With the old pervert
disposed of once more, everyone was suddenly busily finishing their meals
or chatting with one another over trivial things and commenting on women
and their dangers - albeit quietly so as not to be heard. 
	The two women were still attached to one another. Although it could be
observed that the red-head was vainly trying to pry the purple-haired girl
off her with as crowbar. 
	A soft musical chuckle drew the undivided attention of those inside. 
	"If Akane could only see this, ne, Chibi-chan??" Mizuki half-joked to her
companion. 
	Chibiusa laughed as well while she pantomimed a dreadful mallet descending
on her head. 
	 Onna-Ranma <Girl-type Ranma, Ranma-chan or Ranko if you want > cringed
reflexively. Renewed by this fear, she managed to get Shampoo off her
before someone suddenly walked in. 
	By sheer Ranma-borne luck, it was Akane. 

[ Insert favorite theme of doom here. ] 

	Shampoo merely helped herself to Ranma-chan, glomping on her ever so
fiercely. 
	Akane glared balefully at the two, a brilliant red aura suffusing her
entire form. 
	"What pervert-girl do here?? Think she try fight Shampoo for right to
husband?" She asked in a low, seductive voice. It was an irritating voice
but Akane held it her renowned temper in check. Onna-Ranma was getting
rather edgy. Onna-Ranma could almost feel the clock ticking away the
seconds before something _really_ bad would happen. 
	If it wasn't the Shadow Moon brewing trouble, it was them doing what each
of them did best. 
That being pissing each other off so bad it was a wonder how they even
managed to work together. 
	Then again, this was Nerima. 
Home to the strangest group of heroes to have ever been born. 
	New York had nothing compared to Nerima. 
	"Ranma. Looks like you 're enjoying yourself here." Akane observed in a
_flat_ tone. 
	The red-head gulped audibly. While she was undoubtedly the best martial
artist ever, she was destined to be helpless amongst the women of his/her
life. 
	Much to Ranma's unending sorrow. 
	"No.... not that you should care." Onna-Ranma shot back thoughtlessly.  
	Regular patrons could be heard slapping their foreheads, hitting their
heads on anything handy, or just plain groaning. The rest of the gang had
sweatdrops decorating their heads. Even Cologne could not argue
son-in-law's ability to put his foot in his mouth.
	Akane tried to exude the calm Kasumi always managed. 
	She failed and succeeded. 
	Failed in creating calm yet succeeded admirably in generating quiet fear
by her showing some restraint. Patrons who knew Akane were getting edgy.
Something was wrong. Akane should by all rights be pummeling the red head
by now. 
	Without conscious thought, survival instincts kicked in and patrons
suddenly found a pressing desire  need to be somewhere else. If only they
could find some means of getting away.
	Shampoo eyed Akane cattily while Akane simmered in her anger. Two auras
blazed to life. Lightning crackled between the two. Mizuki wore a worried
look while Chibi tried to dissuade Shampoo from baiting Akane so. 
	 "Perhaps it would be wise if the two of you stop this childish prattling
lest it injure any of you unnecessarily." a calm voice suggested to them.
"Our enemies lurk and wait for the ripe time to attack us. Fighting amongst
ourselves will serve as a tool for them to destroy us. They will resort to
anything to be rid of us for good. Anything." 
	Sayoko eyed the martial artists daring them to say something. 
	Everyone froze as they consider the meaning of those words. Each of the
martial artist held serious expressions on their faces before, as if
nothing had truly happened, crew Ranma merely continued on where they left
off.  
	"What the?!!!!" Sayoko practically screamed. She took hold of a megaphone
and shouted. "Hey! I'm talking here?!!"
	Crew Ranma blinked, staring at Sayoko for a moment before proceeding to
bass one another silly. 
	Sayoko gazed disbelievingly at them before collapsing on the floor from
sheer disbelief. 
	"Funny to think these people even manage to help one another, ne?" Ifurita
observed wryly, eyeing Sayoko who had yet to pick herself up from the floor.
	"Mo!! I know!" Sayoko said in an injured tone. "I just witnessed them turn
serious one moment then proceed as if I wasn't even here." Sayoko
complained in a seriously injured tone. 
	A silvery peal of laughter greeted her assessment of the matter. 
	Crew Ranma went on their verbal assaults without pause. 
	"I for one cannot complain by the means by which these people seem to live
their lives. No matter what comes, so long as any of them are in danger
against anything, they will willingly stand together and fight. While they
may treat one another like this most of the times...." Ifurita motioned to
the ongoing argument.  ".... battle calls them together." 
	"Funny how they do that." Sayoko commented dryly on the floor.
	She still refrained from picking herself off the floor. 
	"An unsolved mysteries case would seem more like it." the cool and
collected voice of Nabiki Tendo. 
	The foursome turned to see Nabiki leaning casually on the doorframe. 
	"How long have you been enjoying the show, Nabiki?" Mizuki asked curiously. 
	As far as she could gather, the middle Tendo only showed herself when it
suited her. Mizuki briefly considered if the middle Tendo knew some
discreet form of martial arts. 
	She trashed the idea. 
	It was impossible. 
	A voice in the back of her mind quietly informed her of its disbelief. 
	"I was going to ask the four of you the same question." Mizuki was about
to speak but was interrupted by Nabiki. "No. I haven't been here long
enough to witness this. I came to see where Ranma and the others ran off to." 
	"Why the sudden curiosity?" Sayoko asked as she picked herself off the floor.
	Nabiki glanced at Sayoko for a moment, eyes narrowed. "Dreams are a
gateway to a possible future. Danger lurks in the things we dream. I just
laid eyes on worst." 
	The foursome stared at her with wide, uncomprehending yet fearful eyes. 
	It would have looked good in a picture. Too bad Nabiki wasn't in the mood
to bring her favorite camera. This would have been a great addition to her
photo album which depicted the daily lives of Nerima's martial artists and
visitors from any corner of the globe or out of it. 
	Nabiki sighed as a part of her took note that the patrons were slowly
removing themselves lest they become collateral damage in whatever fight
that was bound to break up. 
	"You're pretty worried, aren't 'cha, Nabiki-chan?" Chibi quietly asked,
hugging the brown-haired girl. 
	Nabiki cast a sad look upon the young princess. "I hate to say it, but
yes, I'm afraid for the lot of you." Nabiki sighed as she ruffled
Chibiusa's pink hair. "No. Scratch that! I _am_ worried about everyone."
Nabiki smiled as she stared at the people gathered around her. 
	People from all walks of life coming together for a purpose. Nabiki stared
at the young princess. Yes. A purpose beyond anything dreamt of. Destiny
has paved the road and it was up to Ranma and those who had gathered
together. 
	Nabiki smiled inwardly. 
	Perhaps there was a chance. 
	It all depended on these people now. 
	Their hopes and wishes. 
	Their courage and wisdom. 
	Nabiki wondered if it were enough. 
	"Be careful and have faith in each other. That will be the chains that
will bind all of you together." 
	"Guess even under all that mercenary exterior, you have a gentle heart you
hide from the rest of the world." commented a smiling Sayoko. 
	"I just might charge you for that piece of info." Nabiki half-joked. 
	They had a good round of laughter which the rest of the group ignored as
they spared verbally against one another. It wasn't all that much of an
intellectual argument considering the constant derogatory remarks one could
comfortably hear at a comfortable distance. 
	"Think they'll grow out of it?" Sayoko asked worriedly. 
With their battles growing ever difficult as their enemies resorted to more
unconventional means of warfare, none of them could afford being divided in
their commitment. 
	Ifurita laughed at that one. "Considering it's them, it wouldn't be the
same if they ever did. I think they're better off like this." 
	Mizuki and Chibiusa nodded as Ifurita said, "That's their trademark,
Sayoko." 
	"UH-hmmm. Don't think I want them to change. They seem to be happy just
the way they are." 
	Four eyes blinked in confusion at Nabiki's statement. 
	Nabiki met their stares levelly. 
	"Trust me." Nabiki said flatly. 
	"Don't you think we should try to at least stop them before they level the
place?" Sayoko asked. 
	"Be my guest." came the off hand reply by Nabiki. "You'd have better luck
trying to melt the Arctic ice." 
	Ifurita merely shook her head in amusement. 
	"This isn't going anywhere." Nabiki told them. "I came here to explain a
few more important things not to be enjoying a few laughs." 
	"Can't complain it helps lighten the mood most of us would be feeling when
doom is merely a few centuries away from killing you outright." Sayoko
countered. 
	Nabiki rewarded her with a small smile. "I know. But the seriousness of it
all makes me want to kill something." 
	She was puzzled by the different reactions of those around her. 
	She took note that Ranma and co. had apparently overhead her words and
were curiously looking at her as if she'd turn back into a monster like
before. 
	"What's wrong?" she asked irritably. 
	"Nothing." they all replied in unison.
	Nabiki let it lie. She knew full well what they thought she had meant by
that. Their eyes practically shouted it out. . 
	Nabiki sighed. "There are some more things I need to talk to you guys
about." She directed her level stare at the assembled martial artists
particularly her future brother-in-law.  "I hope this _time_ around, you
people would at least listen. Your survival just might hinge on what I'm
about to tell you." 


* * * * * *


	"But, M_O_M!!!!" a red haired girl with a waist long pigtail loudly
protested. "I don't want to train in martial arts! I'm good enough with
kendo that no one would actually lay a hand on me!!" 
	"I'm afraid I have to defer to your father's decision, child." her mother
said in a mildly scolding tone. "You can't go around hacking men with a
bokken every time they make a pass at you."  
	"Couldn't it wait until I'm ready?" she asked. "Say when I'm old and half
dead?" 
	Her much beloved brothers laughed but promptly stowed it for later as
their little sister whirled around to face them. The trio noted she was
somewhat pissed. They didn't mind it much since they knew all too well just
how emotional their little sister could be. And besides, she was fun to be
with when she's happy. 
	That more or less counters her bad side. 
	More or less. 	Deciding that mere anger and loud words would not help her
plead her case, she decided using the tried and tested old, helpless cute
girl technique all little girls are required to learn from their mothers.
	"But, I was planning to go on a trip with my friends this coming summer."
she explained in the best demure voice she could conjure up. 
	Her father had been expecting this and allowed himself a momentary inward
smile at how well her daughter acted out the part of a traditional lady.
Not that he even considered her _that_ proper. Besides, he liked his
daughter the way she always was. 
	Loud.
	Demanding. 
	And too cute for her own good. 
	Maybe it was time to find her a good husband.... He eyed his daughter who
gave him a sickly sweet smile directed at him. He paled a bit before
smiling back weakly. 
Then again, maybe not. 
	He still valued his life too much to risk that. 
	Maybe later....
	His wife merely shook her wealth of pale red hair muttering something
about boys and men. 
	The pillar of the family contented himself with reading the Tokyo Daily. 


* * * * * * 


	The night sky practically glowed with the light of the heavens. The sky
was clear as crystal. Luna still shone brightly as it did whenever it
reached the height of its rotational period. It hated being outdone by its
distant cousins. 
	Everything seemed so right with the world around. The skies themselves
proclaimed it with the full glory of the heavens. It was a spectacular
sight for astronomers and would be space experts. 
	The general populace cared very little if the heavens wept gold. 
	Especially for one person. 
	Kodachi Kuno has finally returned. 
	The steady whine of jet engines, while muted under the immense
soundproofing of the Tokyo Airport, was loud to ears that had been honed in
the heat of battles. Like her brother, she was an accomplished martial
artist in her own unique way. 
	She gave a nervous tug at the braid that kept her long black hair in order
as she and her entourage of ten expensively dressed men in black suits
complete with matching shades and stuff. walked towards the exit. No one in
the airport minded them much. It wasn't that this was a normal occurrence.
It was just that it was safer not knowing anything or prying at anything
for that matter. 
	It was rule one of staying alive in a world that jealously protected its
secrets. 
	Kodachi adjusted the blouse of her black business suit. Unlike before, she
was rather stable thanks to her brother's insistence she be confined to an
institute out in the States for a while. A small smile played across her
pouty lips as she briefly considered how to extend her thanks to her brother. 
	Yes. That would certainly do. 
	A round of poisoned foodstuffs would suffice. 
	Her lips curled in anger at the thought of the months she had spent in
that horrid institute. Still, she could not fault her brother that much
since the institute had helped her control what's left of herself in a way.
The doctors there called her terminally insane. 
She snorted. 
	What did doctors know how she truly felt? 
	Love was the cure to any illness. 
	She looked thoughtful for a moment. 
	At least she got out of the place in record time by how well she acted as
a sane patient. She idly wondered if that act of hers warranted an Oscar. 
	She smiled inwardly at how surprised her doctors were at her remarkable
recovery.  
	Kodachi's eyes narrowed into thin slits as she thought of her beloved and
those filthy low-class hussies that hung around him like flies. Her
Ranma-sama was probably in the clutches of those wicked harridans. She
needed them out of the way if she was to pave the way for her and
Ranma-sama's wedding. 
	She smiled, controlling the urge to laugh out loud like she always did. 
	It wouldn't do for her new image of complete sanity. 
	Her eyes narrowed once more as she felt the presence of a person behind
her. She stopped but did not turn around. 
	"Who are you to present yourself before me?" she addressed the person who
stood a few meters away from her entourage. 
	The woman stepped forward, her dark green eyes casting a cold glance at
any of Kodachi's bodyguards daring any of them to come near her. 
	The men all flinched as they caught the gleam of madness underneath that
icy stare. 
	"I have something that merits your interest, Ms. Kuno." 


* * * * * * 

	
	"You sure about this, Chibi-chan?" asked Sayoko softly. Her eyes looked
worried though. 
	Chibiusa, Princess and heir to the throne of the Silver Millenium, nodded
solemnly. She needed to see her mother for just a few moments. Even if it
had to be from afar and with her past self to boot. She really didn't mind
save that irritating her mother in the past normally got her a round of
scoldings and groundings in the future when Usagi became Neo-Queen
Serenity. Funny how fate works sometimes. Her mother had always been the
pinnacle of grace and beauty unsurpassed. 
	Quite unlike her former self. 
	Chibi sighed. She loved her mother so and never stopped caring for her
even when she had become a slave to darkness. Her guardian had once tried
to explain why it had all happened. She remembered how much Radler had
bungled it. Still, what he told her remained unforgotten by her. Whatever
happened, she would always love her mother. 
	No matter what. That had been what Radler had taught her to never forget. 
	Ever. 
	Chibiusa felt her chest constrict with sorrow. She tried to control her
emotions but failed. A single tear trailed down to the earth. 
	"Princess?" 
	Sayoko saw the tears that slid down her princess's face. Her muted sobs a
testament to how much this visit would probably hurt her. Sayoko knew just
how much this young woman loved her mother. While Radler had done an
incredible job of raising the princess, a mother's love for her child was
something Radler had been ill equipped to provide. She knew Radler had
tried his very best to be that person for the young woman he had once
loathed but found to love as a little sister he never had. 
	Funny how things work out sometimes. 
	Sayoko drew the young princess close and let her release her pent up
emotions. She knew how such things could poison one's being if kept too
much within. 
	"Let it all go, Chibi-chan." she crooned. "Let it all go away." 
	Chibi reflexively drew her arms around Sayoko's waist, hugging her _
tightly _ every time she sobbed. Sayoko was kind enough not to faint from
apparent lack of air until Chibiusa had gotten over her sorrows. 


* * * * * * 


	"You sure you wanna do this??" Mizuki asked. 
	Ranma looked back at his sister as they journeyed across the rooftops of
Nerima towards the train station. "I just can't sit around all say waiting
for something to happen." Ranma paused as he launched himself into the
pre-dawn sky; easily climbing up to an unbelievable height and landing at
the height of his ascension on top of a five story edifice. "You know
Chibi's planning on visiting someone with Sayoko as her only bodyguard." 
	A few more leaps and bounds later. 
	"Of course!" She sounded miffed. "Even Kasumi-oneechan disagreed with her
on that one, Ranma!!" This time she sounded shocked. It seemed no one was
safe from the changes the wrought around Nerima these days. Even Kasumi had
been affected. She still did not know what to make of that. "DO you really
think that you have to go around and tail them obtrusively?" 
	Ranma, for a lack of better words, decided not to say anything.
	Today was the start of their summer vacation. Mizuki was planning to go
out with some of her newly acquired friends on a jaunt to the public
swimming pools and do some shopping and the occasional boy hunting. Even
the Nekohanten and Ucchan's were closed for the day. 
	For all intents and purposes, everyone in Nerima needed a break from all
that's happened last week when almost every female in the neighborhood went
on a showdown against the old pervert.  
	It was a red letter day especially for insurance firms who had decided to
suck up every ounce of profit from these people of Japan who had gone to
all trouble of securing all those crazy insurance clauses for their policies. 
	Right now, they were bemoaning their stupidity.  
	The incident of last week had been one of those that would never be
forgotten in all the annals of madness that so seized Nerima once every so
often. 
	It was also the first one to see world coverage. 
	Women were seen giving a relentless chase to an old man incorrectly named
as Ranma Saotome but was later cleared up as a pervert named Happossai. It
was a sight to see as an angry mob of women gave chase to their shrunken
nemesis howling for blood if not the return of their private belongings.
Zoo animals having their own sweet way with Nerima's food centers. 
	A few citizens had even lost their spleens which people chalked up to some
ultra-secret special martial arts technique. Eyewitness reports even
claimed that a crazy girl on rollerblades had been seen towing a large
assortment of flora and fauna as well as a few other things of doubtful
value to the regular people of Nerima. 
	If there were any left anyway.
	Of course, to add more to this seething cauldron of madness, some military
people had been found unconscious by various means including the well-known
figure of Admiral Henry J. Gloval. 
Added to this, speculations arose amongst the modeling industry as to who
that gorgeous female in the tight yellow one-piece wielding a 5-yen piece
in her hands chasing the crowd of enraged females was in the photograph of
Japan's leading newspapers.
	A fruitless search for the woman had been conducted after the madness had
died down before sundown where everyone went back to what's left of their
homes and had dinner. It was rumored that a pre-eminent fashion designer in
Paris had been heard vowing to visit Nerima to find the elusive female.
	Consequently, this chain of events left the Nerima district all but
leveled completely. A few houses had somehow survived with minimal damage.
Furinkan High was left relatively unscathed much to the consternation of
its students. The rest of Nerima Ward looked something out of an invasion
film. 
	It should be noted no one was hurt. 
	People around the world had dubbed the incident as the word case of civil
riot in the history of man. It should also be noted that most of those who
participated were all female or feline. 
Suprising most of all, Nerima showed its resilience to damage by being
reborn in just under a week. A true miracle of engineering.  People around
the world called it more than that. New York authorities were now rumored
to be hiring Neriman engineers to help fix up their own beleaguered city. 
	This, however, did not concern Mizuki in any way. 
	She wanted some well-deserved R&R not follow her brother around. 
	But no! 
	She just had to go around and tag along with her brother. When she found
out what he intended to do, she had been rather adamant about it. Her
conscience just couldn't let her leave her brother alone. With his track
record, trouble was bound to find him where ever he went. 
	"This is stupid, Ranma," protested his sister from behind as she followed
her brother around what the people of Nerima called Martial Artist's
Highway. "Sayoko already told us she can handle any situation that might
pose a danger to them. Besides Sayoko's given us those rings to allow us to
reach Chibiusa any time she's in trouble." 
	"I know. But I just can't help following Chibi. I guess you could say I'm
worried over her badly. Something just tells me this is just what the
Shadow Moon were waiting for." 
	Mizuki could hardly fault her brother's sense of honor which normally what
got him into too much trouble in the first place. She sighed sorrowfully as
her own sense of honor forced her to follow her brother to their destination. 
	* There goes my plan for spending the day in the public pools or finding
Ryouga and getting a date with him. * she thought glumly. 
	Another reason why she was sour this morning. She'd been intent on asking
Ryouga out for a date but found out he'd somehow gotten himself lost in the
middle of the night. It had been quite a sight to see Sayoko swearing. Most
of those had even made her blush. 
	This, from someone who'd lived on the road one time or another.
	Mizuki sighed.
	Sometimes, she really hated herself. 


* * * * * * 


	Unbeknownst to them both, a small, shadowy figure lurking - or dangling -
under the roof of a small house heard their plans while on his usual route
of panty raids. A wide smile spread across its face at the though of having
the boy out of his hair for once. Last weeks destruction derby of Nerima
had made him loose all his hard-earned loot as well as that cute bra he
managed to foist off that pilot. 
	That made him angry enough to destroy Ranma had it not been for the
problem of those beautiful women chasing him around town and those animals
trampling him in that  corner he turned into. Those animals had been his
downfall a the women caught up with his trodden figure still twitching this
way and that. He could have escaped but Hell's fury of women's scorn fell
down on him with a vengeance that would have made Die Hard 3's producers
green with envy. 
	Suffice to say he took a long time to get back up again. 
	And it was all Ranma's fault!!! 
	And now, the moment he had been waiting for!! 
	At last! A way had been paved for him to gather up all those silken
pretties for his collection. No panty or bra would be safe from him now
that Ranma was gone!!! 
	"Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!" 
	His gloating was soon  interrupted by a well placed hit by a broom. He
sailed over Nerima, still laughing like there was no tomorrow. 
	"Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


* * * * * * 


	"Are you sure you want to do this, Tia??" Washuu asked her companion in
her subspace lab. "You have only begun to recover and straining yourself
would not be well advised."
	Tia brushed a lock of hair out of the way. With everything that had
happened in Nerima last week, she'd been more than worried sick about her
charge's welfare. While she'd been kept up to date by Kiyone to the going
ons in the Tendo Dojo, she still wanted to be close by and help out should
she need to. 
	"I really need to learn more about harnessing the powers inherent with
this body, Washuu." she told her feeling it was the thousandth time she
said that. "With my male body somewhat unavailable right now, I have little
choice but to master this side of myself." 
	The great genius scientist in the universe nodded. 
	Washuu was still rather mystified by the Jusenkyo curses. Extensive scans
revealed puzzling anomalies that would have been easy for the greatest
scientific mind in the universe to solve if not for the one thing that
stopped her from doing just that. 
	She should have known better to let Mihoshi handle something so obviously
in need of someone with some brains. Of course, the inherent dangers of
Jusenkyo was something she would not dare risk of anyone - well almost
anyone anyway -- after learning that the curses would affect _ anyone _
unlucky enough to take an unexpected plunge into its waters.
	That's why she sent Mihoshi out there rather than risk Kiyone.  If Washuu
was lucky enough, Mihoshi might just give her the data she needed before
anything bad would happen to her. One thing you tend to expect from Mihoshi
was that she'd always come through with what was needed of her, in her own
fashion. 
	She was most disappointed by what had happened. 
Mihoshi had apparently slipped and fell into one of those springs she'd
been tasked to scan. Washuu had been all but set to celebrate when Mihoshi
came up to the surface moments later ..... unchanged but wet. 
	The look of pure and unadulterated disbelief decorating her face. 
	It was not fair. 
	Life, she knew had never been one to play fair. 
Right now, she knew by just how much it cheated. 
	*It just wasn't fair!!* Washuu cursed to herself in silent despair. 
	All she ever wanted was to get even with Mihoshi for all those sleepless
nights she had to pull to fix up her lab every time Mihoshi trashed it with
her incompetence. 
	Washuu sighed and buried those painful thoughts away.   	She'll deal with
Mihoshi some other time. It was obvious Jusenkyo did not have the power to
harm Mihoshi. And from what Washuu could gather from the guide that talked
to Mihoshi, the spring she fell in was empty - tough luck! -- and that by
falling in did she curse it. 
	Thus, if someone _else_ just happened to fall in that _particular_
spring....... 
	Washuu shuddered at the thought.

[Spring of Drowned Mihoshi???? Ye Gods!!! HIDE!!!! ^_^ ]

	"Okay, Tia." Washuu relented. "I guess my research on those Jusenkyo
Springs could wait for a while." She sighed. "I wished to hell those
springs did their job on Mihoshi like they were supposed to!!!" Washuu
thought sourly. 
	Washuu failed to notice the red tinged aura she was emitting. 
	Tia gulped, nervous at being so near the supreme genius of the universe
while said genius was seething in despair. Of course, Tia summed it all up
with one name. 
	Mihoshi. 
	* Best not speak her name to her. * she thought. * God knows what she
might just do right now. * 
	Washuu led Tia through a series of complex subspace tunnels before ending
up in one _ HUGE _ testing area the size of ten football fields. Tia stood
in front of the entrance, jaw hanging from its hinges as she stared in
disbelief at the size of the room. 
	"W..... O...... W...." 
	Washuu did her best mad scientist laugh. "Ha!HA!HA!! 	Impressed???" she
snickered.
	Tia nodded absently as she took in the size of the place she had just been
brought to. Washuu grinned like mad. She just _SO_ loved to do this to
people. 
	"Okay!" she spoke with a more positive kinda childish glee type attitude.
"Time to test you out, Tia." 
	Tia, having regained her composure, smiled. 


* * * * * * 


	A beautiful young woman dressed in a red blouse worn under a fashionable
jet black  jacket and matching black mini-skirt and high-heeled leather
boots sat down in one of Tokyo's more luxurious coffee shops that catered
to the needs of the modern Japanese city folk. She carefully sipped her
coffee carefully, making the whole process look like a lesson on royal
etiquette. 
 	She reached behind her and snagged one of the two ponytails she'd decided
to grow to complement her usual short, blue hair.  She toyed with it as she
looked outside the coffee shop. A small smile parted her lips but the mirth
did not reach her eyes. 
The trap had been set and the bait made ready. 
	It had been harder than first planned but she had finally completed all
preparations. The weapon she had stolen was now in working order and the
two princesses she had arranged to be taken to her were now enroute to her
flat in Tokyo. 
	She folded the paper she'd been reading. The front page story had covered
the Nerima incident a week ago. She'd been lucky enough not to be near the
place and wondered just by how much her sisters' plans had been jeopardized
by the unannounced riot. 
	Like everyone else, she'd been most concerned by the outbreak in the
little district of Nerima. Unlike the rest, she was worried over the
disruptions it had wrought to her meticulously laid plans. The reports
every newspaper reporter sent there had been filled with tales of martial
artists and perverts and other assortments of incidents that would have
made a sane man doubt the sanity of the world around him. 
	While the reports may sound rather too much to truly believe in, she'd
witnessed it often enough to know that Nerima seemed to be a nexus for
powerful martial artists. 
	The reports her spies had sent back had disturb her _ greatly _.  
	The people who now protected the Moon Princess were most resilient to
their frontal assaults. Psychological assaults had been tried a few times
but failed to generate the desired results. These kids just might become a
problem if not dealt with promptly. 
	Much like when she dealt with Radler. 
	She laughed a bit at that remembering the fate Radler had suffered in
China forcing him to become a her half the time. How ironic it had been
that the woman Radler had loved so was the cause of his -- rather her - own
downfall. Too bad Reimi didn't remind her 'husband' about their child..... 
	The woman's eyes twinkled with sadistic glee. 
	Too bad really. 
	She'd have _loved_ to see the look on Radler's face if he heard about
_that_ one. 
	She allowed herself a small smile as she imagined Radler's reaction. 
	*Yes, it would have been definitely worth it if she'd told Orion to tell
Radler about _ that _.*
	Back to her current problem, the dream she'd managed to implant in
Chibiusa should do the trick. If she played it out right, little
troublesome brat would definitely come here to see her mother in this
timeline. 
	The others had agreed to help her out in this since they noticed the
growing anger of the queen at their continued failure to dispatch the Moon
Princess. The devices Venus and Jupiter had placed all across Nerima would
certainly divert a fair portion of those blasted martial artists. And if
those diversions were able to even kill or seriously injure one or more of
them, that was just fine with her. 
	It would allow her to finish them off without problems at all. 
	She sipped her coffee once more, not minding that it was already cold. She
idly toyed with the idea of getting some pictures of their younger selves
so she and the others could look at for amusement. How ironic that after
all this time fighting against evil only to have embraced the darkness in
the end
	A cascade of silent laughter left her lips. 
	Villainy was truly a most enjoyable job. 
	Those near her table could not help but feel uneasy. 
	She drank the last of her coffee and pulled out her laptop from the bag
beside her. She called up the files she'd been reviewing last night.
Everything had to be just set right. 
	Timing on this one was of the essence if she were to finally get rid of
Chibiusa and those meddlesome kids who protected her. 


* * * * * * 


	Back in good old Nerima district...... 
	The small town was still relatively trying to normalize itself after the
disaster last week. Everybody were fixing this and that or improving on
various things. Like that would last long! Each and everyone of those who
lived here had a nifty little trick that allowed them to accurately guess
when the next big one would happen.  
	All in all, peace had relatively - if not reluctantly - returned to Nerima. 
	Everybody knew it would only be for a short while. 
	So why were they fixing up their houses and places of business?? Answer:
They just needed to do something to pass the time and because rains in
Nerima tended to be rather frequent. Most people would rather have a
temporary roof over their heads while the going was still good. 
	Back to an awfully quite Tendo Dojo, Ifurita was casually enjoying the
peace and quiet she normally craved for after her beloved Makoto had freed
her from her slavery. Said woman wore a light brown turtleneck T-shirt and
jeans. Her light blue hair tied in a braid hung that limply over one
shoulder much like Kasumi's. 
	Today was a fine day to relax and loosen up.  
	Mr. Tendo and Mr. Saotome had decided to visit a few old comrades in a
sake shop downtown. Akane had decided to sleep in late. Ranma and Mizuki
were mysteriously not around. She had her suspicions where they may be but
decided to let them be. Sayoko and Chibiusa had gone on a trip to Tokyo to
visit someone.
	It helped if they had some company nearby.
	She leaned back, propped by her arms behind her; letting the wind cool her
face. 
	Even world-destroying constructs as her needed a break now and then. 
	"You seem rather relaxed today, Ifurita-san." Kasumi told her as she sat
beside her on the patio. 
	Ifurita was trying her best not to let her surprise show too much. This
was the second time Kasumi got near her without her even noticing. For
someone like her, that was bad. Well, at least not _that_ bad considering
it was just Kasumi. 
	A part of her tried to tell her that _was_ the reason for it being not so
good. 
	Ifurita beamed at the eldest Tendo daughter. She had come to like this
quiet, unassuming young woman who held together the Tendo household through
anything. It was rather unnerving how cheerful this woman was no matter
what was happening in the world around her. She had a ready smile and a
confronting presence to any who needed to seek shelter from the harshness
of the world around them. 
	You could almost think she was a goddess of some sort protecting over this
dojo and its family.
	"Gods, Kasumi! You work too much." countered Ifurita as she snatched the
pitcher of lemon juice from Kasumi and poured some for the young woman. 
	"Domo arigato!" Kasumi thanked cheerfully. 
	Ifurita smiled warmly. "You really should take a break also, Kasumi. You
of all people need it with all the work you do around the house." 
	Kasumi merely shook her head. "No. I've had some help now and then when
some of the others could spare the time from their training, Ifurita-san." 
	Ifurita held up a hand. 
	"Please, Kasumi," she asked of her. "we are all friends. We don't need to
use titles and such around friends, ne?" 
	Kasumi smiled. "Hai."
	Both stared out the yard watching at a myriad of things perceived
differently by one another for quite some time. A few minutes went by when
the two merely soaked in the scenery. It's really surprising how profoundly
unnoticed some things were when things were as hectic as it had been in the
lives of those who lived in Nerima, particularly in the Tendo Dojo. Ifurita
could now, for the first time, appreciate the delicate balance of the
garden spread out in front of her. 
	"I never really took the time to notice how beautiful this garden is."
Ifurita commented. 
	"My mother tended the gardens with us when she was still alive." Kasumi
said quietly. 
	A little too quietly. 
	Ifurita felt ashamed for bring up some bad memories. 
	"Gomen, Kasumi." she apologized profusely. "I didn't intend to - " 
	Kasumi shook her head. "It's nothing really. Our mother died before her
time. We understood that after a fashion." She motioned with one hand
across the full length of the garden. "This garden is all we have left of
mother's. She loved this garden with her life and imbued it with part of
herself in it. Every time I stare at this garden, I could feel our mother's
presence." She stared at Ifurita with that sad-eyed look she'd seen Kasumi
make at times. "I'm sure my sisters feel that as well."  
	Ifurita sighed. "Hmm... I guess I can understand why you and your sisters
take great care with this garden. Or at least try to with everyone entering
_through_ the garden instead of the door." 
Kasumi laughed. Ifurita was surprised since she had never heard the elder
Tendo sister to have laughed out loud as she merely smiled at anything. It
bore a musical quality to it as well as a something she could not identify
that let itself be felt to others.
	Kasumi was definitely a woman to watch out for should she ever choose to
step out of her current role as the tender of the Tendo family. The heavens
only knew what changes she could make to the world around her if she did so.
 	Ifurita stood up; stretching her arms to relieve the soreness in them.
	"So, Kasumi, anything to do around here to pass the time? I feel the need
for something to do with my time."  
	"Well....there are a few things that need --"
	"Great." Ifurita cut her off cheerfully as she helped Kasumi up. "Lead the
way, Kasumi." 


* * * * * * 


	A few hours later....
	Ifurita was not at all pleased. 
	She had helped the young housekeeper with her current chores and even made
Kasumi relax a bit while she did the cleaning by herself. The one thing
about being an artificial construct specifically designed for battle was
that she had more than enough endurance for her work. Who would have
thought it would take some mighty endurance to clean a house as large as
this. 
	Still, she rather enjoyed it. 
	And Kasumi was getting some well deserved rest. 
	However, whilst entering her room, she found, to her intense displeasure
that someone had the audacity to steal all of her underwear. [Hey! Even
battle constructs like her have to wear something underneath you know.
^_^.] She really did not need to find out who the culprit was since there
was but one underwear thief in all of Nerima. 
	And said person usually lived in this house.
	She was most displeased for having her rest ruined. A pale arm reached
into her closet and retrieved a cloth wrapped staff..
She knelt and unwrapped it.. then stood, and smiled.  Sparks.. more
specifically ball lightning gathered around her hands and the power key
staff.  It was only a small smile, but it had seen the death of cities.
	Ifurita felt her systems coming on line. It had been a while, 20 000 years
without maintenance, but she had been built to last.  
	To be able to keep fighting.. and fighting and fighting... 	Always
fighting.. 
	That has been the reason for her construction. 

<Unit IFR Power On Self Test - Combat Mode Initialization>
<Neural Net at 87% baseline>
<Power system at 36% baseline>
<Power system run up.. nominal>
<Shields at 23% baseline>
<Activate shields.. shields nominal>
<Weapons systems at 14% baseline>
<Begin Weapon Preheats>
<Sensors at 44% baseline>
<Battle Reflex : Standby>
<Unit IFR operational at 36% weighted baseline capacity>
<Recommendation : Maintenance required>

	There was a grim satisfaction in her expression... This was what she was
built for.  She had made her decision. The first one that required her to
fully synchronize with herself. There were no regrets save for one.
	She hoped Makoto wouldn't be too angry with her, but this she wasn't going
to let this pass.  Not for revenge, or out of a concept of justice she was
only beginning to understand, but simply so that the culprit would _not_
want to do it again.  Quite logical she thought, no one could criticize her
for that..
Even if she knew it was useless considering what the thief had undergone
last week. 
	Still, there was a certain satisfaction in doing what she did best, in
being the best.  Even if she would no longer carry it through to it's
conclusion.. no more killing.  She would not kill again.. not unless other
lives were at stake, and she did not anticipate that here.  
	Here, in this world she would  find  that peace.   
	Peace with Makoto.  
	Her smile softened.

<Prepare for D-Fold  : co-ordinates set>
<Battle Reflex : Engaged>
<Weapon preheats complete>
<Weapon safety interlocks : off >
<Set Weapon power levels : Hurt-Real-Bad>
<Target Parameters : Human. Male. Approx. 1 meter height. Balding. Old.
Mustache. Hentai.>

	She blinked for a moment. 
	Confused.

<Invalid Target Parameter : Hentai >

	Ifurita blinked. 
	A small smile spread across her face.
	Well, it couldn't be _too_ difficult to find Happossai. Just follow the
area of least resistance. 

<D-Fold execute>

	There was a flash in the one of the rooms in the Tendo household, but
there was no one there to see it...  High above Nerima, there was another
flash... then a glowing contrail, beginning a search pattern. 
	The hunt was on.


* * * * * * 


	Neriman residents who were atop their respective rooftops repairing leaks
in their roof tilling gazed up to see the glowing contrail of fierce blue
light. 
	Not one of those who witnessed this were soon present in said roofs as
they were quickly and efficiently removing themselves from danger with
practiced ease.  
	One of those on the ground swore he saw what appeared to be a blue-haired
female within the light. No one reputed his words. If it _was_ a female,
then it was wiser to just pack up and leave for the time being. 
	Things were about to get hotter. And one extremely powerful martial arts
pervert would probably be on the receiving end of it. 
In proof, an old man with a large carry sack many times his size slung on
his back was happily taunting his pursuers. The ground rumbled at the
approach of enraged females demanding blood or simply just their stuff
back. They just can't go on buying underwear whenever the old pervert stole
them. 
	Everyone sighed and headed for the relative safety of the park or any
other place safe enough.
	Royal Rumble part two was about to commence. 
	"Times like this I wonder why I even wanted to live here. " replied a
neighbor who stared out his open window. 
	"Better here than in Tokyo. I heard there were monsters there who drain
you of your energy or something worse." was another's rebuke from the door
of the next apartment.
	"Think we should warn that girl in apartment 6-B about this, professor?" a
young bespectacled teen-ager asked.
	"It would be a good idea since the woman had been only here for a while.
Best if we warned her of what to expect in this little town." 
	"Lead the way then, Stingray." 
	Katsuhito Stingray smiled at the somewhat unkempt professor, Mr. Kyuusaku
Natsume, of the nearby high school. The professor was a strange man but
likable. The young Stingray even fancied that daughter of Mr. Natsume's. He
sighed wistfully, wishing he'd find some nice girl to fall in love with soon. 
	Almost everyone in his home room had one already and if rumors were true,
none of the women in his class were virgins anymore. 
	"Well, Stingray?" queried the professor who was staring at him, puzzled at
the strange expression in the young Stingray's face. 
	"Huh?! Oh! Gyah! Gomen! Let's go." 
	Both males ran towards their goal, hoping that they'd have enough time to
evacuate. 
	A few minutes passed by as a series of locks, chains, and bolts were
removed from the door which to the practiced eye of two engineers were
reinforced with steel probably from the inside. When the door opened, a
small handgun of unknown make were pointed at them by a young woman with
jet black hair that looked blue in the sunlight. Said woman had a fierce
expression set in her face. 
	Seeing that those who sought entry into her adobe was not the old man
returning to get those underwear he'd missed a few minutes ago, she lowered
her Galaxy Police issue pulse mini-pistol. It wasn't too powerful but good
enough to punch through ten feet of reinforced steel on this planet.
	"Hello, Kiyone-san." greeted the two, eyeing the pistol nervously. 
	Kiyone blinked as she realized who her unscheduled guests were. Had it
been Mihoshi, she might have just blown the woman out of her misery. 
	M_I_G_H_T.
	"Hello." she greeted, bowing ever so slightly as was the custom in this
country. 
	Both bowed in turn and quickly advised the young woman of the situation. 
	".... best if you leave the area from some time. The park's usually one of
the safer places to hide out until this blows over." 
	Kiyone groaned. 


* * * * * * 


	"Where the heck am I now?" wondered the ever directionless Ryouga Hibiki. 
	As always, he looked around, trying to place the area he was right now to
the dozens of places he'd been before. A small smile decorated his face. He
was in Nerima. Somewhere in the market area. That meant he wasn't too far
away from the Tendo Dojo to.... 
Ryouga felt the ground tremble. Knowing his geography well, he knew
earthquakes seldom visited Nerima. 
	*So what could possibly be.... uh-oh* 
	Ryouga Hibiki stared in horror at the rapidly approaching mob. 
	*This can't be happening to me.* 
	Lots of things crossed Ryouga's mind. Such as his budding love for Ukyou.
His declining interest in Akane not to mention avoiding her even in pig
form. All those fights he had with Ranma. The things that had happened
since meeting up with Chibiusa. But most of all was why did he have to pop
up somewhere else.
	*Oh, freak!* he cursed inwardly as the mob bulldozed over him as they
chased the old lecher through Nerima once more. 
Ryouga Hibiki slowly stood up, his body a mass of footprints and bruises.
He used his depleted uranium umbrella as a crutch while his body began the
healing process. All martial artists were required to have a more than
phenomenal rate of healing. 
	He was one of those. After all, one has to have such abilities to still be
standing after a mob trampled him through and through. Then again, Cologne
did train him in the Bakusaitenketsu technique so that might have been the
reason. A few precious minutes was all it took for his body to heal itself
and when he did, he launched himself into the air to get his vengeance on
the old man.  
	Ryouga Hibiki landed on a nearby rooftop, surveying the area for any trace
of the mob for sure as the sun rose, Happossai would be in the lead while
he gathered more of his favorite stuff. His keen eyes immediately spotted
the dust cloud that billowed behind the mob. 
	He smiled a cute, fanged smile. 
	No more than a few hundred meters away, if he stayed by the rooftops, he
should be okay. 
	Hopefully not get lost too.
	Ryouga Hibiki hefted his umbrella and began the chase. Had he been looking
behind and above him, he would have noticed a glowing contrail of blue
light heading the old man's way as well. 


* * * * * * 


	Ifurita felt her heart sing with elation at finding her quarry with ease.
The dust cloud being kicked up by the womenfolk of Nerima was enough of a
signal for her. She angled her flight path towards the ever growing dust
cloud. Her eyes homed in on the wizened old lecher hopping happily in front
of them and taunting those behind him. 
	Happossai was having fun but not for long.... 

<Target ID Confirmed: Happossai>
<Weapons Standby>
<Select Light arrow>
<Select Minimal Power> 
<Target Locked>
<Firing>

	From half a kilometer up, a delicate tracery of light joined a glowing
figure to the earth for but a moment..
	Happossai's finely tuned senses warning him of imminent doom, the aged
master leaped to one side.. just as the pavement where he had been standing
exploded, shards of concrete covering him.  

<Miss>
<Target agility higher than anticipated>
<Target Motion Analysis Predictors offline>
<Tac Assessment : Saturation >
<Select rapid fire mode>

	Pulses of killing light began to rain down on Happossai...	


* * * * * * 

	
	Mizuki was _not_ feeling good. Sure, she had decided to go venture forth
with her brother into Tokyo but to actually go there on top of a frigging
train was not one of the things a young woman like herself should be seen
doing. She wanted to throttle her brother so bad she'd decided on just
_impressing_ the importance of manners whilst in the company of females.
	Ranma hopefully had gotten the point of it. 
	Mizuki could only hope. 
	This was her brother she was talking about. 
	Those who witnessed her driving her brother's poor misbegotten head over
and over the tarmac of the train station was doing a good job of staying
away from her. 
	*Hmp!! Stupid jerk!* she fumed. *Why the hell do I even  _listen_ to my
conscience I'll never know.*
	With a last icy stare at the crowd, she left the station, head held high
as she dragged her unconscious brother by the scruff of his collar.  


* * * * * * 

	
	Sayoko led the young princess through the thick crowds prevalent during
Tokyo's usual rush hours. It had been a short trip and had arrived in Tokyo
nearly the hour of noon. Sayoko did not mind the crowds since she was more
intent on trying to make sure no one snuck up on them. While she knew Ranma
and his sister had decided to tail them earlier, she was still worried that
their little band would be enough to fight off attacks should the Shadow
Moon chose. 
	She was still most apprehensive over the lack of any form of response from
their enemies. They had the luxury of time yet seemed reluctant to even use
it. She could never understand why they did it. Still, she was quite
thankful. 
	But this prolonged ceasefire did little to assuage the gnawing sense of
dread in her. Something was not right. The Shadow Moon were planning
something. 
	This she would stake her life to. 	
	And all they could ever do was wait and hope for the best. 
	She glanced at the princess. Chibiusa, whilst still looking much like a
twelve year old girl with pink hair and red eyes, was a young woman who was
nearing her second millennium of life. The Chibiusa she now escorted was
quite unlike the younger Chibiusa which had been a constant source of
irritation from her mother of both the past and the future. 
	Now, a young princess in her own right; hardened by the trials she had
been forced to endure. A grown woman in a twelve year old child's body.
When the time came, she would be the Queen she was meant to be. Sayoko had
to admit Radler had done a fine job raising this once petulant little
princess. 
	Chibiusa would make a very good Queen - provided they live long enough to
win the throne back. 
	Sayoko sighed inwardly as they continued their walk towards Juuban High.
They had decided it better not to get too close since it wouldn't do for
the Senshi to know their future in the villainy business. 
	"I hope you understand why you are doing this, Princess." Sayoko whispered
softly. 
	Chibiusa nodded solemnly. "I know how bad this will hurt me, Sayoko. But I
just need to see them as they were before... " Chibiusa shook her head,
droplets of tears flung away from the force of that negation. 
	Sayoko nodded gravely as she laid a gentle hand on the Chibiusa's
quivering shoulder. 
	"Chibi..." 
	Chibiusa wiped away her tears. "I know." she said in a soft, pained voice.
"I know how much this will hurt me, Sayoko. But I have to see them one more
time as they were before." 
	"As you wish, Princess." Sayoko acquiesced albeit reluctantly. "You have
me and the others to talk to should you have need of us, Princess.
Remember, that's what friends are for." She knelt down and dried Chibi's
tears. "Listen to me, little one, I am not only someone who was sworn to
protect you. I, like you have lost plenty of people we love in this
accursed war. My sister most of all." Sayoko sighed as she stood up once
more. "I do not pretend to know what you feel inside is akin to my own but
know that all of us have pledged our lives to see to it you attain your
heritage." 
	Chibiusa nodded.
	Sayoko was about to say something else when her mind whispered to her of
coming danger. 
	"Chibi, go to your mother. Stay close to them and more importantly, don't
let them know about the future. To do so would create a paradox that would
destroy us all." 
	"But, why??" she asked, confused by the sudden urgency of Sayoko's voice.
"I thought - "
	"Stay with them, Chibi. It is the only safe place for you to go to right
now." she glanced up the tranquil sky. "Danger comes. It would be wise for
you not to be present when it hits." 
	Chibiusa shook her head. "No! I won't leave you!! I don't want to lose
another friend!!" 
	Chibiusa hugged the last surviving Senshi fiercely. 
	"Whoa!! Easy, Chibiusa!" exclaimed a surprised Sayoko who was most
overwhelmed by the vehemence in the young princess's voice. "I won't let
anything happen to me, Chibi. After all," she beamed at her while she tried
to breath normally as possible, "Ranma and Mizuki are with me. Between the
three of us, we'll be able to beat back whatever the Shadow Moon throws at
us." 
	Two shadowed forms landed silently behind Chibiusa. 
	"Go to your mother, Chibi." advised Ranma. "It's safer for you." His stern
demeanor disappeared for a brief second and rewarded her with a smile. "Go.
Hurry."
	"Don't worry about anything, Chibi!" assured her friend, Mizuki. 
	She was about to say something else encouraging when her brother
interrupted her. "You'd better go with her, Mizuki." His voice was soft yet
firm in its tone. She looked into her brother's eyes and saw his iron
resolve. 
	Mizuki shot her brother a worried looked before she left with Chibiusa. 
	*Be safe.* Chibiusa prayed. 
	*Be safe, Ranma.* Mizuki thought angrily. *You die, and I promise I'll
kill you again.* 
	Deep within her, a part of her knew just how she was to do it. 
	After all, she had the power even if she was afraid to use it. 


* * * * * *

 
	She smiled fiercely like a tiger finally finding its prey after a long
hunt. She licked her lips in anticipation. Her plans were working as
expected save for the addition of two other variables which had chosen to
accompany the princess and the woman who wielded magic. 
	Mercury had anticipated it anyway. She had learned that early on after
studying her enemies at length not to mention the studies she had done
based on her other sisters' confrontation with this group. 
	She immediately dispatched three droids to capture the princess. She hated
it since she had planned on killing the brat as soon as possible. The Queen
had been most adamant about it. She wanted her daughter on their side. And
killing her would not help in any way. 
	*Oh, well. Can't get everything you want everyday.* She cast her senses to
the three who waited by the park. *then again, she never said anything
about those three....* 
	She carefully stowed away her palmtop and leapt over the railing of the
building she was on. 
	*Time to have some fun.* she thought gleefully as she plunged down.


* * * * * *


	Back in Nerima.....
	Ryouga quickly jumped out of the way as the first pulses of energy began
to rain down on the old man. He watched in awed fascination as the old
geezer actually display a lot of skill at evading the rain of death that
thirsted for his blood. 
	The towering mob of feminine wrath watched in joy and rapture as they
gazed at the plight of the pervert. They cheered the woman who floated
meters up the earth's atmosphere. They didn't care who the woman was and
even if they did, they'd have quickly forgotten about it anyways. After
all, they were getting a kick out of watching the old man  getting his just
desserts. 
	Ryouga smiled. 	
	Ifurita's blasts weren't fast enough to get Happossai. Perhaps a little
assistance would help. He began to unload his bandannas....


* * * * * * 

	
	Somewhere at the other end of Tokyo.....
	"You really think your dad will actually force you into training martial
arts?" asked her blue-haired companion curiously. 
	Hikaru Shidou nodded glumly. 
	"Uh-huh. I tried my best but my father's not buying my act this time." 
	Both her companions giggled. They knew how deadly Hikaru's cute act could
be. And for her father to have actually manage to resist.... perish the
thought! 
	"So I guess you'll be going to this dojo in Nerima?" Fuu asked in her
usual calm voice.
	Hikaru sighed, running a hand through her red hair. 
	"I guess we'll just have to accompany you then!" Umi said matter-of-factly. 
	"Huh?" 
	"Umi's right, Hikaru-chan." Fuu interjected. "We can't go back to Cefiro
without the princess coming back with us." 
	The reminder of her royal stature made Hikaru blush a bit. While it _did_
bring a few bad memories; it also gave Hikaru a sense of accomplishment for
saving the lives of everyone in Cefiro. While she had told Cefiro's people
to use their own will to keep their beautiful world together, she was
_still_ their princess.  
	"So, I guess there's but one recourse." sighed a trying hard to be sad Umi. 
	"Indeed." agreed her partner-in-crime. 
	Hikaru did not _want_ to know where they were leading to. 
She just did not _want_ to know. 
	"Guess that means we have to go accompany Her Esteemed Highness to train
in martial arts." chorused her two friends. 
	Hikaru rolled her eyes heavenward. There were times when Umi and Fuu could
be _so_ very infuriating. 
	"But didn't cha all hear about the weird incident last week?" asked Hikaru
in a pleading tone to support her plight. 
	"But you said your father had already decided?" Umi asked. 
	"Yes." Hikaru replied a bit subdued. "My mother already arranged it with
my aunt." 
	This piqued both her friends' interest more than the incident of Nerima
last week which most of them had heard all about in the news. Hikaru was
not one to hide things from them. Well, not all the time anyway. 
	"Relatives?" both asked in a mildly shocked tone. 
	Hikaru shot both a look demanding to know what that was about. The look
she was receiving from the both of them told everything. 
	"WHAT?" she nearly yelled at them. "You think I don't have relatives or
something." 
	"Well, from the way your brothers act around you, you'd have thought they
were the only ones in your life." answered an amused Umi. 
	Hikaru grimaced at the thought. She loved her brothers so but they could
be such _pains_ sometimes. Mothering her like there was no tomorrow. She
had enough of that from her mom and aunt already. 
	"So, who is this mysterious aunt of yours?" Fuu asked curiously. 
	"She's my mother's older sister. Her name's Nodoka Saotome." 


* * * * * * 


	Back in the Tendo Dojo... 
	Kasumi Tendo opened the door to find their somewhat adopted sisters,
Natsume and Kurumi Tendo greeting her enthusiastically.  Kurumi quickly
hugged her step-sister, cooing with delight at being able to finally taste
something other than their usual travel rations or what they could scavenge
off the forests they normally traveled in.
	Both weren't really Soun's daughters but everyone treated them like they
were. Soun had went as far as adopting them into the family. 
	"Kasumi-chan!!" Kurumi  cried out happily. 
	"Ara! Kurumi! I did not expect that the both of you would be visiting. I
wished you'd have sent a letter telling us you were coming." Kasumi
admonished. 
	Natsume gave her step-sister a sheepish smile. "I - we were not planning
on visiting so soon but my sister here pestered me once too often that I
was forced to come here. I hope we wouldn't be of any inconvenience." 
	Kasumi smiled. "Nonsense!! The two of you are our sisters and have been
most inconsiderate by not visiting us sooner." 
	Both blushed sheepishly at the reprimand. Natsume and Kurumi had been all
but immersed themselves in their art as they tried to perfect their skills
to make their foster father proud of them. Kasumi quickly marched them
inside the Tendo home and getting them settled in their new rooms on the
third floor. 
	"When did you add a third floor, Kasumi-oneechan??" Kurumi inquired
curiously. 
	"Just a few months back.  The house finally gave up the ghost after a
particularly nasty challenge by one of Ranma's enemies." Kasumi answered,
managing to hide the truth partially behind the lie. 
She had no wish to visit their trouble over them. 
	Natsume was obviously not buying it but kept her peace. Her mind was
awhirl with questions. First and foremost was why was Kasumi lying. 
	"Do you need any help, Kasumi?" Natsume suddenly asked. 
	Kasumi turned her way and shook her head. "No. Thank you for the offer,
Natsume. I've got everything well in hand." Kasumi eyed them critically
noting the travel dust that encrusted their clothes. "Hmmm... if any of you
would like to freshen up, there's a bath in this floor as well as the old
one on the first floor. The baths on this floor is the one at the end of
the hall." 
	Natsume sighed wistfully; eager to scrape the dust out of her body.
"Arigato, Kasumi-chan. That would be most welcome."
	

* * * * * *
	

	KABOOM!!!
	The crowds shrieked in panic as they ran away from another attack. Trained
in the art of running like hell by past experience, they immediately fled
to safety, leaving the entire place for the battle that was already under way.
	Ranma jumped out of the way as another projectile sailed towards him. The
ground below him exploded into shards of concrete and dirt. Sayoko leapt
backwards  as she pulled out her longsword from nowhere.  Sayoko landed,
holding ground and  letting their unseen enemy know that she was _not_ to
be caught unawares a second time. 
	Ranma just could not believe the things women could pull out of nowhere. 
	Mercury, hidden in the all concealing darkness of the alleyway called out
an old attack. 
	"Shabon Spray Illusion!" 
	Ranma jerked his head around as he tried to pinpoint where that voice
originated from. His keen sense of hearing allowed his eyes to track the
voice to an alley nearby.
	That was until Mercury's ice fog blanketed everything.
	Ranma felt his skin tingle at the cold caress of the fog that hid
everything under a blanket of fog that silenced everything around him. He
tried to use his senses but failed in determining anything. He couldn't
even find Sayoko. 
	And she was _SUPPOSED_ to be just beside him. 
	This was not GOOD. 
	Ranma quietly trod across the frost covered ground carefully so as not to
make any undue noise to attract attention. Ranma felt an all too familiar
tingle of electricity running across his spine. Hard-wired nerves
immediately relayed prepared commands onto his body which reacted with
blinding speed. 
	He jumped straight up; using every ounce of strength in his legs to propel
him up and out of the ice fog. 
	The ground below exploded in a fiery display of light and heat. 
	*That was close!* Ranma thought. 
	 Ranma gaped in astonishment as two energy globes shot out from the cloud
on a direct course for him. 
	"This just isn't my day!* he thought angrily. 
	Ranma cupped his hands and quickly released a quick burst chi. "Mouko
Takabisha!" he cried out loudly. 
	Sayoko heard Ranma's chi-attack from high above. It had been loud enough
to penetrate the dampening effect of Mercury's old ice attack. It was
terribly effective then, and it still was. She needed to get to Ranma and
help him. 
Mercury wanted Ranma out first. 
She gave a small smile and wished Ami luck. Ranma had improved remarkably
and was no easy meat.  
	Sayoko jumped out of the way as two sharp objects struck the ground. She
did not have time to do anything else but dodge as more of those
projectiles lashed out at her from within the ice fog. She danced out of
harm's way again and again as she slowly ascertained her enemies' position. 
	*There!*
	Sayoko closed her eyes and called forth her power. Arcane winds swirled
around her as she began her chant. The projectiles she had been previously
evading pinged harmlessly across the surface of the wall of wind. Lightning
rode across the swirling mass of air as it slowly grew in size and power.
	She opened her eyes and let the contained power within to be set loose.
Power flowed out of her as she let loose a powerful surge of magical
energy. A reddish-purple bar of energy ripped across the intervening space
and smashed into her attackers with relative ease.
	Another consolation was it also helped to get rid of Mercury's annoying
ice fog.  
	When it did, she was amazed at the scene before her. Ranma was going head
to head against Mercury. And it seemed that Ranma was holding out better
than to be expected. It seemed Mercury's cunning had met its match with
Ranma's near perfect instincts for battle.
	Ranma quickly closed the distance between him and Mercury and began
unloading a furious barrage of Amaguriken speed punches. Mercury for all
her skill could not have succeeded in blocking all of it. 
	Mercury felt a dozen punches passing through her defense. Each one causing
more pain than should have been possible. Not even Radler's advanced styles
could have hurt her _this_ much. She stared murderously at the young man
who had dared to hurt her. 
	She was through playing fair.
	"Droids!" she commanded. "Kill him." 
	Ranma smirked; feeling intensely confident about the fight. A part of him
called for caution. Ranma complied almost immediately knowing that this was
not going to be one of those usual fights he got into with Ryouga or anyone
else for that matter. 
	For this woman in front of him was more than capable of killing him for
real. 
	Heavily modified figures swathed in armor and sporting different sorts of
wicked objects of pain and death appeared around and above Ranma. While
these things resembled the droids he'd fought before, these were imbued
with  feeling of malevolence that the others lacked.
	Sayoko knew she was needed now. 
	She'd heard about these types before. 
	"Time for me to help out." she said to herself. 
	She pulled out her transformation pen and said the usual Senshi words of
transformation. Sayoko hated it to bits but..... 
	"Andromeda Power Make Up!" 
	For Ranma, the things that blue haired b$%*h called forth were giving him
the chills. While he knew he could take them all out if he had to, he could
not risk being drained too much lest it become an invitation for the woman
to take a hand in this. 
	*Time to get serious.* he thought. 


* * * * * * 
	 
	
	"You sure this is the place?" Umi asked. 
	Hikaru nodded. While having never visited her aunts home in practically
five or so years, she still remembered where it was. The old ice cream
parlor where Nodoka sometimes took her and Mizuki was still around the
corner. But that was not the only thing that substantiated the proof that
she was indeed facing the entrance to the ancestral home of her mother. 
	The place felt just right. It was that uncanny feeling of peace which
permeated this very site was proof enough. She glanced around her friends
to see that they too noticed this. 
	Hikaru Shidou rang the doorbell. 
	A minute went by before they heard the sound of someone opening the large
wooden gates. The gates opened to reveal a middle-aged woman with long
brown hair with streaks of copper through them. Brilliant blue eyes filled
with warmth and a sense of eternal compassion and understanding stood
before them. 
	"Ohayo, Hikaru-san." greeted the woman. 
	Umi and Fuu were amazed at the remarkable resemblance. Well, Hikaru did
look a bit like Nodoka but it was something more than that. Both could not
give ample enough words to explain it but somehow it felt right to say that
Hikaru carried Nodoka's essence. 
	"Ohayo, Aunt Nodoka." Hikaru replied with equal enthusiasm. 
	After all, Nodoka was her favorite aunt in the whole wide world. 
	Nodoka smiled, a definite mirror-image of the one Hikaru gave her. "Who
are these friends of yours, Hikaru-san?" 
	Hikaru blinked a bit before remembering her friends she had unwittingly
brought along. 
	"Umm.... These are my best of friends, Umi Ryuuzaki and Fuu Houji." she
answered quickly.
	Both her friends greeted their hostess warmly.
	"Please, please come in." invited Nodoka, making way for them to enter.
	In the living room, all three gaped at the simple beauty of the room with
one side completely open to the stunning view of the garden outside.
Perfection was hardly a word good enough to describe it. Even Hikaru who
had seen it all many times could not shake off that awed feeling. 
	Nodoka returned carrying a small ornate tray that held a plate full of
homemade cookies and some hot lemon tea. 
	"I understand that your parents wants you to learn about martial arts?"
she asked, setting the tray before them on the table as she seated herself.
"I'm curious as to why you actually agreed, Hikaru." 
	Hikaru, who was at the moment displaying some of her more not so good
eating habits stopped in mid bite. "Uh.... Mom and dad had been so adamant
about it and.... well... I tried to.... but they.... uh.... it didn't work." 
	Umi and Fuu successfully contained their giggles. 
	Nodoka Saotome smiled. "Your kawaii act didn't work as you usually
planned?" the Saotome matriarch helpfully added with a straight face.
	That did it. 
	Umi and Fuu burst out laughing. 
	"UMI!!!! FUU!!!!" Hikaru loudly protested. 
	"Hahahahaha!!! That... was.... gasp... funny." Umi told her friend as she
tried to control herself. She failed. "Bwahahahaha!!!" 
	Fuu managed it somewhat more successfully. "Nodoka-san knows you very
well, Hikaru-chan." she managed to say with an almost perfectly straight
face. Too bad it was ruined by the sickly sweet smile she had plastered on
her face. 
	Hikaru burned red with embarrassment.
	"Auntie!!!" she finally managed to blurt out. 
	"Gomen, Hikaru-chan." Nodoka apologized. "But you have to admit that it
_was_ funny. I still remember the times your mother pulled the very same
thing on me and on our parents." She sighed. "Still, it is a good idea for
you to train in martial arts. Women nowadays have to be prepared for
anything." 
	Hikaru nodded. "I know. But I still think I could take anyone on if I have
to particularly because I -" Hikaru quickly shut her mouth. She had been
about to say something that she had kept secret all this time. 
	"What is it, dear?" Nodoka asked, sipping her tea while she stared at her
niece. 
	" - um... it's because I've been training real hard and all.. and well...." 
	"That is good." Nodoka complimented her niece. "While your mother have
often told me how well you've learned to handle a sword, she is right to
insist that you also learn to defend yourself without need of weapons meant
to kill." She smiled. "I understand your hesitancy, my dear. Still, I
promise the martial arts you'll be learning will be most peculiar if not
the strangest." 
	That managed to increase Hikaru's interest. 
	"How is that?" she asked.
	Umi and Fuu leaned forwards to hear more about it. After all it also
intrigued the two of them. 
	"What school is it, Mrs. Saotome?" Fuu asked.
	"It is called the Musabetsu Kakuto Ryuu." 
	The three blinked. 
	Most understandably anyways. 
	"The Anything Goes School of Indiscriminate Grappling?" the trio chorused,
bewildered by the name of the school. 
	"Well, yes. But most of the school's practitioners normally call it the
Anything Goes School of Martial Arts." 
	"An interesting name." commented Fuu. 
	"So what's so special about it?" Umi asked, her interest levels going
waaay down. 
	"Why _is_ this school so special, Auntie?" Hikaru asked. 
	"It is what my son has been trained in." she replied. "He is a master in
his own right and has learned even more things that rivals any of the
techniques of the original school." 
	"Has Mizuki been training in it as well?" Hikaru asked. 
	Nodoka shook her head. "No. Mizuki had no one to teach her save herself or
those whom she found during those training trips she made. Still, from what
I have heard, she had undergone intensive training for the past few
months." Nodoka did not mention the fact that her children were embroiled
in a bitter struggle for a future gone awry. 
	"Why?" Hikaru inquired. "From the things she could do back in school, she
was even beat that cranky old sensei we had for PE after he insulted her
once too often. And he held a 4th dan black belt in taekwondo."
	Nodoka nodded gravely. While she allowed her daughter to train in the Art
as much as she loved studying, she did not approve of those fights she got
in or out of school every so often. She _did_ raise her daughter to act
lady-like to an extent.
	"She'll be needing it in the times to come." Nodoka answered mysteriously.
"Still, if you really do not desire to train in martial arts, I'm sure I
can persuade your parents to withdraw their decision." She stared hard into
the eyes of her niece. "After all, you will need dedication if you wish to
actually even learn anything. From the way you've acted, it would seem you
have little inclination to actually even give it a try." 
	Hikaru sighed. 
	Aunt Nodoka knew her all too well. *Well,* she thought, "*maybe it
wouldn't be so bad if I actually gave it a try.*
	"Maybe I'll give it a little try first, Auntie. Wouldn't hurt to try
something new." 
	Nodoka beamed proudly at her nice. "Would the two of you like to go with
Hikaru-chan and me to the Tendo Dojo? After all, I'm sure Hikaru wouldn't
mind the company for the trip." 
	Both readily agreed. 
	Nodoka smiled at the trio. "Very well, finish up your tea and we'll get
going." 
	But before any of them could answer, a brilliant flash of light engulfed
the whole room....


* * * * * * 


	 "Death Bolt!!" 
	A bolt of black lightning impacted on the ground before the two, flinging
them both away like rag dolls. Mizuki found her breath leaving her all of a
sudden as she impacted against a structure. She hung there for a few
moments before gravity pulled her down. a faint outline of her body could
be seen on the structure now along with some cracks that grew outwards from
the depression. 
	Mizuki felt the pain lance through her body like wildfire. She bit back
cry as she slowly stood up. She could faintly hear the screams of panic
through the haze of pain that fogged her mind. Mizuki forced her eyes open,
never mind the pain that sheared through her iris. She needed to get to
Chibiusa before ---
	"eeeyyYYYYYYAAAAIIIIIHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" 
	Mizuki cursed out loud. 
	Too late.
	Mizuki scanned the area, trying to forget the pain that her body
broadcasted to her on a wide band scale. She briefly reminded herself to
thank Ifurita and the old ghoul for training her HARD. Back then, she
would've normally blacked out after getting hurled into a brick wall like
that. 
	Thank God for small favors. 
	She forced the pain away from her mind. She'd take care of it later when
things settled down. For now, she had a princess to protect. 
	"Don't even think about it, bitch!" she shouted as she caught sight of the
tall woman who held the princess by the throat. 
	Said woman turned to face her. Mizuki merely stared back, unafraid or
unwilling to let the fear within her win. Ranma and Sayoko had placed the
princess' wellbeing in her hands. She would not fail them both. 
	Even if it meant using her real power. 
	"So, the little girl thinks she could take _ME_ without any aid from her
friends?" the woman asked in a mocking tone. "Think you're ready for the
big league, little girl." 
	Mizuki practically bristled with anger at being insulted so. She quickly
put her temper in check, telling herself that it was not worth getting
angry at. Not with what's at stake. If the Guardian Sister wanted to think
she was of little concern, let her! 
	"Big deal." she retorted. "I don't need anyone else to fight against
someone like you!" 
	Harsh laugh greeted her words. 
Sea-green eyes regarded her coolly but it was obvious she was pissed off
seriously. 
	"Kill her." 
	Ten deceptively large and bulky metallic droids stepped out from out of
nowhere and converged on her position. Mizuki got ready and pulled her
sword out from nowhere and brandished it before her foes. 
	She had trained hard with her mother to earn the right to keep one of her
family's twin swords. The katana she held dated way back into the 16th
century. Wielded by no less than a female who had refused to conform to the
relative norm of that century. She had apparently been disowned by her
family and had been forced to live on her own. She still remembered the
legend of the first progenitor of their clan. From then on, only the
females of their family would ever touch the twin swords. 	
	She smiled, reveling in this alien feeling she now felt. 
	Time to do the dance. 
	Mizuki acted with blinding speeds. Moving to and fro so fast that none of
her foes could hope to lay a hand on her. Of course, that did not mean the
surrounding were safe. The ground was pockmarked with detonations from
lasers and other more physical means of causing damage. She was glad the
people had thoughtfully decided to leave the area. With all the things
flying around, too many people would have been killed had anyone been
present. 
	She quickly dispatched one of the metallic beasts with a swift,
chi-enhanced slash across what could be termed as an abdomen. The
chi-enhanced blade slid effortlessly across the length of it, cleaving it
cleanly in half when she found herself hurtling onto another wall by an
explosion behind her. 
	Mizuki quickly - if a bit painfully - twisted about so she struck the wall
on her hands and feet. Having finished making a good impression of a
spider, she jumped off before something blew it into kingdom come. 
	She flew across the intervening space to slice two others into tiny pieces
using a slower form of her brother's amaguriken punches. Mizuki dodged past
another hail of lasers as she pounced on another group. Mizuki risked a
quick glance to where the tall woman was watching them with amusement while
she held Chibi with one hand around the throat.
	She had to finish this fast. 
	No telling what the woman would do to Chibiusa. 
	Mizuki moved swiftly back into the cluster of metal beasts that had
decided to gang up on her. 
She smiled savagely. 


* * * * * * 


	Minako looked ready to burst from laughing at the irony of the situation.
She had spent an entire morning slaving to finish setting up and here she
was, watching the whole district of Nerima go up in flames all on its own. 
	She was clearly not enjoying it since all her well made plans went up in
smoke. Still, she had to admit, that old lech she had to ditch a second ago
was doing a helluva better job at causing the desired amount of mayhem to
entertain the resident martial artists while the others dealt with the real
target back in Tokyo. 
	She teleported on a nearby building to get a better view of the 'crowd'
that was chasing the shrunken pervert - albeit at a distance. The reason
behind that was the steady rain of killing azure light that fell from the
heavens; delivered by one very angry blue-haired beauty. Minako let out a
sudden yelp when someone smashed into her in the midst of laughing. 
	A very handsome someone from the looks of it. 
	"Sorry, ma'am!" the strange bandanna clad young man apologized quickly
before leaping away with extreme haste. 
	"Ooooooooohhhhh!!!" she cooed acting very much like her former self.
"Definitely someone Mako-chan and I would definitely like to play with!!" 
	For Ryouga, that chance encounter with the blonde woman sent chills to his
bones. He'd stared right into her brilliant blue eyes. He shuddered at what
he had seen within her eyes. 
	Madness. 
	An all consuming madness that had driven the woman into insanity of a
different kind. That woman would have made Kodachi a saint. And that was
putting it lightly. 
	Way too lightly. 
	Pulling his back to his current problem, he sped up his movements to catch
up with the old man. He was most surprised by the ability shown by the old
lech when he had thrown all those bandannas and even threw in a few of that
multiple chi-balls he had been able to make with much practice for good
measure. 
	He did little more than merely step aside and let that rain of death pass
him by like a train. Ryouga knew the lech was good but never thought he'd
be this fast. Upon introspection, the mere fact that there was a horde of
raging females may have offered some form of incentive for him to get away
with his haul of silky stuff. 
	He craned his neck to check on Ifurita who followed the Happossai while
trying to get in a hit now and then. The crowd was too close for a more
powerful shot other than the close proximity bombardment she was currently
trying to use to nail him with. 
Instincts suddenly screamed warning of danger from behind him. Ryouga acted
without further prodding. He leapt as far and as high as his normally
encumbered body was capable of, twisting around as well to get a real good
view of what lay behind him. 
	What he saw made his jaw drop in disbelief. 
	Ten. No twenty. Not that either. Perhaps fifty. They were moving at a
quick pace through the path of destruction the horde of rampaging females
made as they gave chase to the resident pervert. They were one to many for
even Ryouga to handle. He needed help and Ifurita was possibly the closest
one around. 
Knowing that little more than a direct orbital attack from that thing she
was searching for would break her from her concentration on nailing
Happossai, he acted the only way he knew he could attract her attention. 
	Ifurita, Demon Goddess of El-Hazard, was shooting out pulse after pulse of
her most favored attack trying to shoot the pest that had stolen all her
stuff. Happossai was proving to be a most uncooperative subject as he's
evaded every shot she'd lobbed at him for over the span of almost an hour
or so. Her chrono piece had been on the fritz ever since she woke up.
Another evidence of how badly in need of maintenance she was. 
	Her aiming had improved much and only missed the old pervert by a hairs
breadth every time. 
	It still missed though.
	She was aiming another set of light arrow saturation when she heard
multiple explosions behind her. She looked behind her to see Ryouga
hurtling more of those chi-enhanced bandannas of his towards the large
cluster of droids that dotted the area. Ifurita wore a slight smile.
Someone was nice enough to give her some target practice. 

<Primary Target: Queued > 
<Secondary Targets: droids > 
<Range: 50 meters> 
<Weapons Systems: 30% Online > 
<Weapon Select: Red Thunder> 
<Power Generation: 30%>

	Time to fry. 
	She powered up, blue energy rippling across her form as her staff
practically  crackled with leashed lightning. Ifurita powerdived for the
nearest cluster, swinging her staff in a wide arc. It missed hitting
anything but it never needed to anyway. Bluish energy washed over the
unfortunate group Ifurita had swung her staff around. 
	They were instantly turned into so much atomic particles. 
Ifurita sighed disdainfully about finding good help these days. With her
opponents gone, she sought out more of her enemies. She knew this group was
merely a little diversion. But to let this group pass unmolested would be
signing their death warrants. Even for one such as her.  She may have been
a weapon of pure destructiveness but after close to ten millennia without
the luxury of maintenance. She was pleased and proud that Ryouga was
handling them without too much trouble. Plus, he seemed to be putting his
brains to good use for once instead of overly relying on his brawns - not
that it didn't help him. 
	Both of them found themselves back to back with each other. Ryouga,
grasping his depleted uranium umbrella while Ifurita clutched her power key
staff close to her. Needless to say, it crackled with barely restrained
power. 
	Around them were a bits and pieces of those droids they've dispatched.
While they were plenty, that did little to help since there were a lot more
of them still. 
	"This is not helping any!!" Ryouga yelled at Ifurita as he smashed another
droid through and through  with his chi-powered fists. "They just keep on
coming!" 
	"Indeed." was Ifurita's calm reply. "We need to make them follow us
somewhere where we can deal with them without any risks to anyone." 
	"The park's out of the question. Most of the people usually flock there
whenever trouble this size comes along in Nerima." 
Ifurita made a face. She'd been around long enough to know most of the open
places around Nerima. The park was one of those places. Large and having
quite a bit of clear ground that did little to hinder battles like these.
Of course, she could just pick up Ryouga and detonate a full power light
arrow blast at them but that would take out most of the surrounding area
and leave a smoking crater behind. 
	No. 
	That would not be advisable. She did not wish to disappoint Makoto nor did
she wish to visit more problems to the people of this place. 
	"We'd better think of a way to beat these tin cans and get back to the
dojo!" Ryouga shouted over the din of battle while he hacked through
another droid using his umbrella. 
	This was getting really ridiculous. These droids stood little chance in
doing anything to him but inconvenience him a little. He doubted Ifurita
even took notice of them. Of course, there were plenty enough that it was
becoming more of a nuisance. They were worse than Kuno in that their
attacks were even  more obvious and more open to even the simplest of his
techniques. Ifurita merely dusted them away with her staff. 
	That was Ryouga's thought until THEY arrived. 
	The fighting suddenly stopped all around them. Ryouga and Ifurita were in
the midst of happily blowing them away when they all just... disappeared.
One moment there were enough of them to cause them inconvenience. The next,
gone. 
	That did not bode all too well. 
	"Oh, boy." Ryouga thought. "This is not looking good." 
	As if to reiterate the meaning of the word trouble, five very large
figures emerged from nowhere. They were huge. Looming over them both by a
good two feet and sporting huge spikes on both shoulder blades and running
along the spine. Their eyes were orbs of blazing rubies filled with a
malevolence the droids lacked. 
Ryouga and Ifurita waited. Each settling in their defensive stances, body
relaxed and ready to react at a moments notice. They both felt that a
mother load of caution be exercised. These were a new type of enemy.
Artificial they may be but something in them made them so much more. 
	"Nice to see you've finally met our new types." someone said to them from
above.
	Both turned heavenward to see a blonde woman in  black leather that hugged
her body like a second skin. Her hair whipped to one side by the wind. Her
blue eyes stared haughtily at them. Cold, merciless blue eyes that shone
forth with the same madness - or was it evil in its purest form -- that had
afflicted the rest of the Guardian Sisters. 
	Ryouga shuddered, remembering his slight encounter with the woman. 
	"Trouble seems to have a habit of multiplying in unwanted magnitudes."
Ifurita commented coolly. 
	"I don't like the looks of this one bit." Ryouga muttered to his partner. 
	

* * * * * * 


	Today was not a good day for the residents of Nerima. 
	Everybody was screaming and shouting and generally causing too much panic
for anyone to actually find out what was happening. Not that it was needed
really. The particularly nasty vortex of black energy hanging at the center
of the park itself was enough reason to run screaming. This was a first
since most residents normally did not have time to scream since it was
deemed unnecessary since Nerima's resident martial artists tended to follow
their strict warrior code that allowed most normal people - if there was
such in Nerima - to live normally - if there was such a word in Nerima. 
	NukuNuku or Natsume Atsuko was most curious as any cat would be at the
brilliant light show being shown for her entertainment or so she thought it
was. She was currently the only one left to actually even care about it.
Most of the others were running away. That was until they met the barrier
that captured their souls and twisted it.....
	The cries of those caught in the web was one to forever remember for it
was the souls that cried that time. 
	NK-1124 was about to meet some nasty company. 
	Kiyone watched, trying to contain the feeling of fear that welled up in
her. She was a Galaxy Police officer. She had fought and lived through
everything thrown her way - that included being stuck with Mihoshi. She had
always faced death a million times a day and more. She laughed at death.
But this one was something else. 
	It struck her to the very core. Fear colder than the void of space. 
	Kiyone was horrified at what she was seeing. It all felt like something
out of that movie Mihoshi was so taken in to a week or so back. Kiyone tore
her gaze away from the scene and left at a run. Others followed suit seeing
very little to make them stay any longer. A few stayed, rooted to the
ground at what they saw. Kiyone could not blame them. She had even seen a
child stuck in the web. 
	A beautiful, innocent child. 
	Kiyone halted in her tracks as she whipped her head around to stare once
more at the energy web that trapped them in the park. 
	Fear died instantly within her as she saw the child slowly change. Anger
replaced the void of her emotions. Pure anger like nothing she had ever
felt before - and that included the feeling she had sometimes whenever she
contemplated killing Mihoshi one way or another. 
	She quickly brought her own power cube to her face and activated its comm.
She needed assistance. As much as was possible. 
	Then she would take care of this god forsaken energy web. 
	And pay back who was responsible for this act. 
	She was _not_ in the mood to be forgiving. 
	

* * * * * * 
	

	Washuu and Tia wore surprised looks at the alarm that suddenly sounded in
the room. They been testing Tia's powers out for a while now when the
alarms all across the lab suddenly went into overtime. Tia wiped the sweat
from her brows and looked at Washuu with a fearful expression on her face.
She did not need to actually even say anything since she practically
radiated with it. 
	The number one genius scientist raised an inquisitive eyebrow. 
	"You worry too much." she chided. 
	"With good reasons." Tia retorted. 
	Washuu sighed. "You take too many things too seriously, Tia. Learn to ease
up! Live a life as it should be sometimes. You can't always be expected to
act that every shadow holds enemies." 
	Tia smirked. "That from someone who spends more than two thirds of her
time in the lab working." 
	Washuu rewarded her with a laugh as she summoned her computer to her. A
large view screen formed in front of them showing them the carnage that was
about to begin. Tia glared daggers at what she saw. It was an all too
familiar scene for her. 
One that was forever etched within her scarred soul. 
	"A Soul Web." Tia gnashed out. She knew all too well what that particular
web was capable of. She'd lost a lot of good friends when the Shadow moon
had first employed it. "I need to help Kiyone." this she stated flatly. 
	Washuu whirled around to face her so fast that Tia had little time to back
away.
	"Are you crazy???!!!" exclaimed Washuu. "You, while you may _seem_ fine
are NOT ready to take anyone one. Much less people who would kill you on
sight." Tia averted her eyes from Washuu's gaze. "I didn't go to all the
trouble of fixing you up just to let you get killed again." 
	"So who are we sending?" 
	Washuu _immediately_ summoned for her daughter. 
	Ryoko was having a great time doing some fishing with Ryo-ohki when Washuu
had yanked her into her lab with one of her subspace holes which she highly
suspected to have been inspired by that little American kiddie cartoon she
normally watched with Mihoshi and Sasami in the mornings. 
	"Wha.. what the?? " Ryoko spluttered, hating being interrupted when she
finally caught a fish with Ryo-ohki. 
	Further words were impossible as Washuu spoke. "Listen, Ryoko! We've got a
situation back in Nerima. Tia's friends are suspiciously absent which
brings to mind that something may be holding them up. If so, its up to you
to assist Kiyone to get those people free." Washuu pointed to the view
screen which Ryoko eyed with horror. 
	"What the hell?!!" 
	Washuu nodded gravely. "Try not to kill anyone of them, Ryoko. I'll see
what I can cobble up here to reverse the effects of that Soul Web.
Understood?" 
	Ryoko gave a curt nod before she teleported herself to the battlefield. 
	"Where's Mihoshi?" Washuu suddenly asked. 
	Tia gave her a puzzled look. "What's that supposed to mean?" 
	Washuu quickly grabbed Tia by her blouse. "DON'T LET THAT WALKING DISASTER
AREA IN HERE!!!" 
	"Uh... Sure!!" Tia replied. "But what about -"
	"Don't worry about it. I know what I'm going to be doing here. Just go
look for that blonde and don't let her in here at any cost!!" Washuu
assured Tia as she pushed the woman out  via a subspace doorway and sent
her off her merry way. 
	

* * * * * * 


	"Puuu!! Pupupupuuuu!!!" Makona said excitedly at the three magic knights
while she tried to convey her meaning to them. 
	All three magic knights eyed Makona puzzled as to what would have brought
their enigmatic travel companion during their stay in Cefiro be doing her
in Tokyo. Her words, while unintelligible expect for Hikaru for some
strange reason, conveyed an urgency they've heard countless times. 
	This did not bode well for the three of them. 
	Nodoka Saotome calmly took the scene before her with stoic demeanor. After
all, she'd seen worse things in life than this. 
	Not that she'd ever tell anyone about it. 
	Hikaru stood rigid as a plank as she tried to make heads and tails out of
what Makona was telling her. Umi and Fuu watched, dreading that something
may have happened back in Cefiro. Nodoka sat awed by the white, if rather
rotund, rabbit-like creature that spoke to her niece by some strange means
she could not fathom. It felt like talking except where words should be,
pictures were present. She had never encountered such a creature in all her
life and she'd seen some mighty strange ones. 
	Nodoka sat quietly waiting for the discussion between Hikaru and the
rabbit finish. Umi and Fuu wore worried looks. Both for the secret they
shared and the fear of something happening to a world they've fallen in
love with. 
	"You can't be serious!!" exclaimed a shocked Hikaru. 
	"Is there anything the matter, Hikaru-chan?" Nodoka asked quietly from her
seat. 
	Hikaru, Umi, Fuu, and one magical rabbit turned to face a faintly smiling
Nodoka. 
	"You're taking this rather calmly, Auntie Nodoka." Hikaru said softly. 
	Nodoka smiled. 
	I've seen my worse than that cute pet of yours Hikaru. Much worse." she
answered cryptically. 
	Umm... well..." Hikaru began, unsure as to what to tell her aunt.
	"I think we should tell her." Fuu advised. 
	Umi nodded. 
	Hikaru sighed, glaring a bit at the now smiling Makona. She knew her
friends were right but something about what her aunt told her made her
slightly puzzled if not down right suspicious. From what she could
understand from what Makona showed her, Tokyo was under attack. 
	"It's a long story, Auntie." 
	Nodoka shook her head. "No. You needn't explain, Hikaru-chan. Go. Do what
you think is best." 
	All three stared uncomprehending what she had just said. 
Nodoka smiled as she held her niece close. "Don't worry about me, Hikaru.
This one is asking for your help. Go with her now with my blessings. Safe
journey." 
	With that, all three magic knights were engulfed in a sphere of light and
disappeared. 
	Nodoka sighed as she stared at her now empty home wondering if any of her
family was ever free from the call of battle. 
	

* * * * * * 


	A huge explosion ripped through the entrance of the Tendo Dojo, startling
those within. Natsume and Kurumi exited through the window, landing lightly
on the ground below. Smoke billowed from the entrance, too thick to see
through. 
	Kasumi was thankfully absent. 
	So were Soun and Genma. 
	Not surprising really. 
	Natsume and Kurumi waited, wondering who would attack their adopted family
so. 
	Their musings did not last long as they saw a huge figure easily towering
seven feet approach with earth moving steps. Both of them tensed, holding
their respective weapons in readiness as they waited for the inevitable
battle. 
	Both glared at the thing that now stood not ten feet away. 	This creature
could never be mistaken for anything _but_ human or anything else for that
matter. The creature was larger than huge. Bulky too but somehow this
didn't mean this thing was slow. Far from it, both decided. Said
monstrosity was covered in green scales that gleamed under the light of the
sun. Its eyes held a predatory gleam as it stared the two that impeded his
path to this house. 
	It smiled, revealing its two-inch long curved teeth most suitable for
shredding its dinner or its opponent depending which came first. 
	"It would be wise if you just step aside ladies." it suggested in a very
male and human voice. "while I would most certainly welcome this diversion,
my mistress has bade me to a task which sadly does not include the two of
you." The creature sighed with false conviction. 
	Natsume frowned. "Like hell."  She gripped her staff tightly in front of
her. "You are not taking another step into this house except over my dead
body!" 
	The monster let out a harsh, guttural laugh as he fixed the two slight
women with a mocking glare. "You two mere slips of a girl would dare to
challenge I who am the best fighter of my clan? I am  Gokaru Khan. I am the
Death Wind." 
	Both sisters looked terribly unimpressed. 
	The 'Death Wind' did not appear to be taking this well. 
	"Prepare to meet your ancestors, fools! For today is the day you die!!" 
	"But we don't know who our parents are. Much less our ancestors."
complained Kurumi.
	Gokaru Khan, otherwise known to those who actually knew him as the 'Death
Wind,' was in the midst of making his move when he heard that remark. He
blinked, momentarily forgetting what he was doing. When he did, all he
managed to scavenge from his actions was a near imitation facefault that
caused the grounds to shake. 
	"Great job, Kurumi." Natsume congratulated her sister as both watched the
twitching form of Gokaru Khan.
	Kurumi stared wide-eyed at her sister. "But what I said was true, you
know." she insisted. 
	A large sweat drop formed at the side of her head. "Uh.. okay. Fine! Can
we get on with this now, Kurumi??" 
	Gokaru Khan stood up and moved with startling swiftness that his image
blurred as if his shadow was momentarily left behind. Gokaru lunged,
unsheathing his claws that had spilled the lives of countless beings. It
struck only the ground, raking the earth where the two females had once
stood. He looked up to see the two somersaulting above and over him;
landing behind him. He turned to face them but not fast enough as he met
with Natsume's Hurricane Ice technique, a revised technique from the one
she had utilized in the fight long ago for possession of the dojo. 
	Gokaru staggered back, feeling the biting cold of the attack even through
its thick hide. He smiled. This was fast becoming one of those fights he'd
all but missed in his world. 
	"You have piqued my interests, little girls." He wiped the drool off his
muzzle. "I like." 
	Kurumi blinked, wondering what he'd meant by that. Natsume merely snorted.
"You've got a strange taste for a mutant reptile." 
	"Very well then, my dear. I'll make sure you die one horribly slow death." 
	"I'll be sure to thank you for it." Natsume countered, not bothering with
the death threats. 
	This severely tested Gokaru's patience. 
	"You will rue the day you have chosen to fight me, whelp!" 
	"You can try but I seriously doubt it." 
	Gokaru's eyes narrowed, anger burned within its depths. 
	"Insolence will get you nowhere, brat!" he grated. 
	Gokaru lashed out with his tail, gouging a deep trench across the front
entrance of the Tendo Dojo. Kurumi, landing lightly, whirled around and
whipped her ribbons about herself as she removed a handful of silver
spheres from her skirt pocket and flung them with the use of her ribbons.
Silver orbs lashed out hitting with barely noticeable effect. 
	Gokaru laughed as he plucked them out of his skin. He held one up for him
to examine before he returned all of them to its owner. Kurumi calmly
deflected them all with her ribbon before she struck out with it once more. 
	But this time, with a little added twist as she channeled what little chi
she could generate and lanced her ribbon with it.
The ribbon struck with _better_ results. 
	Gokaru roared, grasping the arm that had attempted to block the ribbon. It
felt like it was on fire. He cast the child with a baleful glare before he
launched himself at her. He swung his arms, claws ready to rip what it
caught. A slender triple-looped staff blocked his forearms, the slender
girl's strength a match for his considerable own. 
	He saw a grim Natsume smiling coldly at him. 
	"I don't think so." she told him.
	 Gokaru knocked the staff aside and lunged at her, claws outstretched to
rend her body into pieces. A bright red ribbon entangled itself around his
arm as the business end of a staff struck him _hard_ in the face. The
ground underneath him suddenly gave way, causing him to fall heavily. He
crashed down onto the pavement like a fallen log. Cracks appeared on the
pavement as he stood up and regarded the two with renewed interest. 
	"Interesting. You two actually know _how_ to fight." Gokaru 'The Death
Wind' Khan smiled fiercely. "I think its time we take this little
engagement on another level." He cast them both an amused stare as he said,
"What do you think?" 
	"Shampoo think someone here need to check local pet doctor for missing
jackass." a voice suggested from behind the ruined gate. 
	Everyone who were within hearing distance turned to look disbelievingly at
the purple haired Amazon temptress. 
	"Shampoo!!" exclaimed a shocked Mousse at a broken off stone post he
thought was Shampoo. "Where in the name of the Amazon ancestors did you
learn _that_ from??" 
	Shampoo glanced at her blind as a bat companion, shrugging in that
unconsciously flirtatious way that made men pant after her. 
	"Shampoo heard it from cable TV." 
	Everyone blinked, muttering an 'oh' of understanding before resuming the
fight where it was left off. 
	Mousse jumped, arms and legs spread wide as chains launched out of them
only to be contemptuously swatted away by Gokaru. Mousse, still airborne,
air dived, metal shod feet splayed out for maximum damage. Gokaru simply
side-stepped the clumsy assault but was most surprised as the bespectacled
youth  agilely landed in front of him as if not fearing what possible pain
the person in front of him was about to do to him.  He was equally
surprised by the speed the man dove in between his legs as he struck down
with his claws. Gokaru, whirled about, intent on slicing the impertinent
pup in twain. Mousse, however, had no intention of ending up on Death's
list. He braced his hands on the ground, feet outstretched wide in the air
as he spun like a top on steroids. 
	This attack struck Gokaru squarely on the chest and lifted him into the
air, struck continuously by the legs that bore him aloft. Gokaru crashed
heavily into the reinforced front door, splintering it into so much
kindling. Gokaru stood up, smiling like he somehow derived entertainment
form getting hurt. 
 Natsume and Kurumi attacked at the same time, choreographing their moves
perfectly. Kurumi's ribbon entwined itself across the large monster's upper
torso while Natsume surged ahead, staff whirling by her side, glowing
slightly golden red. Shampoo pulled out her favorite bonboris, hefting them
both as she tested their balance. Without another thought, she hurled them
forwards just as Natsume slammed her staff across Gokaru's scaled chest.
Ice immediately formed, scattering outwards across his whole frame. Twin
bonboris struck him full on the chest, shattering ice and hide. 
	Gokaru roared in pain as green-blue blood gushed out from the wound. 
	Then, he smiled. 
	A sense of dread washed over the foursome. 
	Looks like more trouble. 
	"I don't like this." Natsume muttered worriedly. 
	"Shampoo not like feeling cold. Not good." 
	Gokaru laughed. "Fools! Do you think you could actually _KILL_ me with
your puny skills? I killed demons for the fun of it and immortals for their
power. I am a warrior unparalleled across the ages!" 
	"Then stupid reptile have yet chance to meet Airen." Shampoo stated. The
Amazon looked at him with one raised eyebrow. "Airen much better than you.
Better looking too." she hastened to add. 
	Everyone gazed at her as if she had suddenly gone insane. 
	A thousand horrid images went through Mousse's rather frail mentality.
Could it be that cable TV had done something to his precious bride-to-be??
A part of him wondered if it was Ranma's fault. It always seemed to be his
anyway. 
	Not that he didn't attribute _anything_ happening to Shampoo as Ranma's
fault. 
	"I extremely suggest the four of you make your peace with whatever gods
you worship." Gokaru grinned as his body fixed itself up. "For today will
be the day I take you to them!!" 
	No one said anything. 
	No one needed to. 
	It had already been decided. 


* * * * * * 


	"Come on, Mihoshi!" Tia said as she dragged her companion to the shuttle
parked on the lake. 
	"What's the problem?" Mihoshi asked, yawning as she tried to brush away
the fog in her head. "Is anything the matter?" 
	Tia said nothing as she practically pushed Mihoshi into the ship the
blonde normally crash-parked on the lake. She was taking Mihoshi _far_ away
from this place so Washuu could be left all alone in the lab. Of course,
that didn't mean Tia planned to stay away from what was happening in Nerima
and Tokyo. She needed to get to Chibi fast!! 
	With or without Washuu's consent in this. 
	Deep within her heart, she felt that strange sensation she normally felt
every time Death went out for a walk. 
	"OK! Come one! Time to get this bucket of bolts moving, Mihoshi!" No one
answered. Tia glanced at the sprawled form of Mihoshi on the deck, sleeping
like there would be no tomorrow. "Oh, great! How much sleep does she need
anyway?!!" 
	She glanced at the bridge consoles, trying to figure out which buttons to
press. 
	Tia made a mental note to herself to ask Kiyone for some piloting lessons
when she's got time. 
	"Anything I could do for you, Miss?" asked an artificial voice above her. 
	"Huh?!" Tia looked up to see a small hat-shaped robot dangling from the
ceiling. "Uh... well, could you tell me how to get this ship to where I
want it?" she asked in a small voice. 
	The robot stared at her as it tried to ascertain what to do. The seconds
ticked by almost audibly as it decided. "Where do you want to go?" it
asked, finally! 
	Tia opened here mouth to speak but could not find the voice to answer. She
was torn between helping those who were besieged in Nerima or getting
Chibiusa out of harm's way from the battle that was raging across parts of
Tokyo proper. 
	Washuu had been adamant about straining herself. She hadn't had the power
to adequately protect herself much less slug it out with any of the
Guardian Sisters right now. 
	Her resolve hardened. 
	Death was much preferable than letting Chibiusa fall into their hands. 
	"Tokyo." 


* * * * * * 


	The itself boiled from the battle that raged across Tokyo. The citizens of
this usually beleaguered city watched at the battle between light and
darkness. These people were used to this spectacle that befell their fair
city once every so often. The people treated it a normal occurrence. After
all, what could they do with the Sailor Senshi being the only group around
capable of handling them - even if they took the form of 14 year olds in
stylized sailor fukus.
	Every news agency covered the cataclysmic battle. 
	It was, after all, the first one Tokyo was to witness first hand. 
	Tokyo watched as the fight of the millennia unfold. 
	
 

to be continued..... 

See you then. 
Chapter 19: Final Sacrifice 
Watch out for it!! 




Nikholas F. Toledo Zu @ http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Flats/3145/mezza9.html
Vector, Switch, Yebah, Rain Man, goo, Pervert, Scruples, Hollie, NomaD,
Blitz, Gee, Datzo, Jewel, Elf, Radler, Pinball, Mayhem

Fanfiction @ http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Flats/3145/fanfics.html
Warp Zone @ http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Flats/3145/thirteen.html

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Member of the Zu, known to them as Tripper Joe, and all around anime fan
My Homepage in the Zu at http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Flats/3145/radler.html

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Do we not carry angels and demons in ourselves all the time?? 
						
						Radler 

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The logo of the Church of All Worlds is nine concentric circles.
Word from the Laity:  Wipe yer feet!  Bloody 'ell...
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Gallery/3145/index.html
Currently under construction... confessional at the links.
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