Private Bet #10 Chapter III
by Shade

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 and affiliates are the 
property of Rumiko Takahashi, Rifts and 
Phase World are owned by Palladium. Other 
references belong to their respective owners.

constructive C&C always welcome.

If you want previous parts and the other Private Bets 
go here -> http://members.xoom.com/Ranma_Tenchi/main.html

~~~~~~~
1c: The other shoe drops...
~~~~~~~

-Negaverse, T-minus 7 hours

>From the lifeless depths of the dark void came 
the order that they had been dreading.

�It is time. Go, and do not fail me.�

The three generals knelt partly in respect, 
but mostly in fear. Maybe death wouldn�t
be so bad after all compared to having to live in 
terror and suffering for all eternity.

�As you command, Master.�

But it was a millenia too late for them.

They left for the Material Plane with their individual
signaturess of teleportation, smoke, cherry blossom petals, and
 shards of crystal respectively. But they did not go alone.

A number of smoky, featureless wraiths went with them.

Metall�a was through with being subtle and letting 
the Senshi nibble away at her resources, her string 
of defeats spanning back to the Silver Millenium 
had shown her that when it came to death and 
destruction sometimes the old fashioned ways are best. 
Instead of using one youma at a time that would quickly get 
blasted into Moon dust and result in yet another loss of her 
precious psychic energy this time her minions would be prepared
and numerous enough to overwelm even that old Time Witch. It 
would be amusing to watch as the mighty Sailor Pluto was slowly 
broken by a thousand years of degradation at her tendrils. Yes, the
Intelligence had many plans for its hated enemies. 

If the first attack failed then another would soon follow it, and another, 
and another, and so on. It would strain her reserves to the limit but the 
Sailor Senshi would be much worse off. Unlike Metall�a the female 
warriors needed to eat, to rest. For every youma that she lost two 
would be sent in the next attack, but when one of the Sailor Senshi
 eventually fell that would mean they would have one less for the next 
attack. The Senshi were mortal, and therefore weak. 

While the Gaki she had created from her own life essence were not 
as strong as her greatest warriors, the Seven Shadows, they had one
cruical advantage over her lost minions, they knew their opponents. They 
knew their strengths, their tactics, and most importantly of all,
their weaknesses......

It was a foolproof plan.

Too bad nobody bothered to tell a certain Cosmoknight that.
~~~~~~~
-Again that unnamed place

�A bold move, but you�ve left your King wide open.�

The ebony Queen seemed to ooze menace as it slid into
position in front of the opposing ivory ruler.

�Queen takes pawn, Check.�
~~~~~~~

-Furinkan High

�Prepare to face the wrath of the heavens, swine!�

{Doesn�t this guy ever shut up?! What�s his problem anyway?}

Ranma could honestly say that of all the 
people and creatures he�d ever met, Kuno 
was not the most annoying or even the most
thickheaded. He�d run into people back in 
Rifts that made this guy look like a bona fide 
genius. But the loudmouthed kendoist definitely 
was up in the top ten and he had to repeat to himself 
over and over that �A Knight fights only to protect himself 
and others, a Knight. does not beat up a mouthy punk just 
because he�s slandering your honor.....A Knight isn�t supposed
wish for just five minutes alone to kick this moron�s keister to
the next continent......�

�Hah! I see that yon base frame doth tremble at the prospect of
facing such a magnifience as mine own! Your foul hands clench in 
the grip of mortal terror at the sight on my noble blade!�

{Isn�t cruel and unusual punishment illegal
on this world!?}

�Whatever, this is pointless. I�m going to class.�

With that Ranma pointedly turned away and 
started walking.

�You dare to try and flee from the raging 
wrath of Kuno!? Take this fool!!!�

Kuno charged toward from behind with 
his bokken overhead to deliver a deadly slash 
aimed toward this insolent newcomer�s back.

*Hyooo*

�Look out!�

Nabiki looked shocked by her outburst.
She wasn�t the only one.

*Chungggg*

�Eh?!�

Impossible! How had the cur avoided his perfect 
technique?! Instead of the satisfying sensation of his blade
striking flesh he had merely cut a sizable hole in the school 
building�s side.

�Blast!�

His second swing fared no better, a mere tree branch was 
severed instead of the legs he had been aiming for.
This was fast wearing away the few bits of restraint that 
Tatewaki possessed. Was he not the greatest warrior in this school...no, 
on this planet...no, in the entire Universe!? How could this mere flea
continue to elude his righteous blows?!! 

�Hold still! Cease thy infernal movement that spirits 
you away from the Blue Thunder�s strikes!!�

*Slash*
Miss.
*Slash*
Missed again.
*Slash*
Sorry, better luck next time.

�Um...that�s the whole point of dodging.�

�Silence Fiend!�

For just a brief moment he considered 
just ignoring the pompus buffoon and let him 
find out on his own that sticks and stones would 
NOT break Ranma�s bones or even give him a scratch 
for that matter.

�Demon! Honorless dog!! Fight me!!!�

{Ah, the heck with it.}

Throwing any pretense of caution aside, Ranma
ran straight toward Kuno and the school doors behind him.

�I have you!!�

Kuno proclaimed triumphantly as 
he brought his sword to bear.

*Swish*

The running figure�s lines blurred as he zoomed past
the attempt to strike him down.

At that moment the young knight did commit 
an error most grevious that would bring him only more headaches 
in the future. Even as he reached his class right before 
the bell rang the upperclassman remained outside, frozen in 
mid-swing by a small cluster of nerves in his wrist that had 
been hit just right. Unmoving except for a insane fire in his 
burning eyes.

For he had a perfect view of his blade and the desecration 
performed upon it. It had been intended as a lesson of sorts,
to give the young man time to think about the errors of his ways 
as he was forced to see the message left to him by the upstart
newcomer. 

So it was that Tatewaki Kuno age 17, did swear to have his revenge
upon the foul sorcerer, for only the most dark and vile magic could have 
defeated a noble samurai warrior. He looked at his defiled sword and his 
rage burned ever hottter.

Scratched deeply into side of Tatewaki�s noble 
bokken was one simple word.

[Imbecile.]
~~~~~~~

Rook and King exchanged, putting the Dark Queen 
in peril now.

�Ah, I didn�t see that reversal......�
~~~~~~~~

�What the heck is he doing?�

The sounds of lots of big heavy things being 
moved around was quite noticable.

�You know how he is, always a performer at heart.�

Shadow didn�t look up from where he was standing
even as he answered his counterpart.

�Does he really need that many speakers?�

�Well he said he wanted to give the scenes a little more pizazz.�

�More like he�s going to give us a temporary case of deafness at this rate.�

The Guardian really wished he�d gotten a pair of earplugs, the Half-elf�s 
reputation was not without some basis in fact. In that minstrel�s hands music 
was literally a lethal weapon.

�I�m almost ready....�

*SSSRRRRIIIEEEEEEEEEEECCCCCCHHHHH*

The feedback squeal nearly blasted the entire 
gathering into next Tuesday.

�oops.�

�I TOLD YOU IT WAS A BAD IDEA TO LET HIM DO THAT!�

�WHAT DID YOU SAY? I CAN�T HEAR YOU! MAYBE IT 
WAS A BAD IDEA TO LET HIM BE IN CHARGE OF THE BGM.�

~~~~~~~~
Tokyo, T-minus 3 hours

�AAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!�

�Wow! This is so cool!�

�The truck!! The truck!! Watch out for that TRUCK!!!�

Driving with Mihoshi was a unique experience.
The same way skydiving without a parachute is a
unique experience. It wasn�t that she was a bad driver,
rather the detective seemed to have forgotten about a 
few basic concepts like inertia, gravity, and friction.

�It�s just like being in a rollercoaster!�

Needless to say, Sasami was having the time of her life.

�Look out! Wrong lane!! Wrong lane!!!�

Kiyone was well on her way to a nervous breakdown.
For the umpteenth time since buckling her seatbelt at the 
start of this little demolition derby from Heck she swore 
that she was never going to do this again. Kiyone made 
a lot of promises like that, sorta like how she always promised 
herself she would get a transfer and a new partner.

�Oh...umm....now where are those brakes again?�

The Eternally Innocent Blonde was oblivious to her passenger�s 
reactions as it required all of her attention and skill at these speeds to 
keep the car from winding up as a metal and glass stain 
on the road.

Her partner�s skin was starting to turn the 
same color as her hair. Then it headed 
toward polka dot, yellow on blue to be precise.

Kiyone gave serious thought to praying for divine intervention.

*thunk**smash**crunch*

Mihoshi let out a nervous giggle.

�Oops! Umm.....oh well, they didn�t really need that sign anyway.� 

Kiyone then considered fainting.
~~~~~~~

�Black Bishop moves to block.�

The named piece slid into place to defend the 
stronger piece from danger.

In response a white pawn knocked off one of the opposing knights.

�Cute, but that won�t work a second time.�
~~~~~~
-A certain temple, T-minus 1 hour 37 minutes 25 seconds

�Keiichi, have you seen Skuld?�

�No, I haven�t seen her all day now that you 
mention it.�

�She must have gone out for ice cream again.�

�I�m sure she�ll be fine Belldandy, Skuld�s a big 
goddess now. Plus Banpei�s not here either, she 
proably took him along too.�

�I hope you�re right, I�m just worried that something 
bad is about to happen....�

Once again Keiichi Morisato faced that age old dilemma.

How do you reassure a goddess that is both smarter and 
more powerful then you could ever hope to be?

Well.....hot tea helps.

~~~~~~
Furinkan High

�Class, I�d like you to welcome a new student recently 
arrived from China, Mr Ranma Saotome.�

Hushed whispering broke out.

{�He�s only a sophmore?!�}

{�Wow! I thought for sure he was a senior...�}

{�Looks so mature for his age...�}

{�Sayuri! You already have a boyfriend!�}

{�You can have Daisuke, good thing I brought an extra lunch with me.�}

{�No fair! Who wants that Akane chasing loser?!�}

�Uh..hi.�

Ranma knew he was forgetting something important. But all the stares
he was getting since he�d entered the room were making it hard to 
concentrate on remembering the customs of this time period.

�Hello Ranma!� The all female chorus replied, their voices 
dripping with suger and spice. The boys that were supposed to 
be in here had all mysteriously come down with some ailment just
minutes earlier (a sudden need  for spine transplants, perhaps).
 The predatory undertone to their greeting were completely missed by 
the uncomfortable target, though not by a glowering Akane. Just her luck 
that she wound up in the same class as that....that....

{How dare he act like he�s innocent! That womanizer!}

Now he remembered! He was supposed to bow 
as a sign of respect to the class. 

Instead of the traditional polite gesture that the class 
was expecting, they were treated to a bow more 
fitting for a royal palace then a simple school classroom.

�Ranma Saotome, at your service.�

{�Wow! It�s so romantic.....�}

{�Like a prince out of a fairytale...�}

{�....We must not rest until one of us dates with him!�}
~~~~~~~~
Juuban District, T-minus 45 minutes

Trouble was brewing.....

Skuld looked a little guilty as she exited 
from the ice cream parlor, she knew she 
was supposed to tell one of the others or 
leave a note behind so that Belldandy, Keiichi,
and Urd (yes, even her) wouldn�t worry about where
she was. But there had been a sale! A real honest to 
goodness half-price on all three hundred twenty seven 
flavors of that cold sweet ambrosia! Once she�d seen the
advertisement in today�s paper the next thing Skuld knew 
she was riding on Bampei and telling him to get the lead out. 

And it had been worth it, oh had it ever been worth it!
The sugar rush alone was enough to have the petite 
techno-goddess floating a few centimeters off the ground. 
Banpei, her trusty robot sidekick, was currently in scooter 
mode and parked a little further down the street. 

Skuld wasn�t worried, Banpei�s scanners would pick up
any trouble way in advance and give her plenty of time to deal with it.
 Her patented super duper weapon system would easily wipe out any 
possible threats if they dared to show their faces here.

She would not have been so confident had she known that 
Sailor Mercury�s visor was just as high tech and the Sailor Senshi�s 
attacks had grown over the years to such an extent as to match even 
divine craftsmanship. But Metall�a�s minions had come prepared with 
just such an eventuality in mind. So quietly had they crossed over that 
even the Guardian of Time herself was unable to detect them......at first.
So it was that while the guardian robot�s screens remained clear, evil 
had already penerated into the heart of the city and prepared to strike 
the first blows of their mistress�s revenge.

Skuld�s morale would have plummeted even further had
she noticed the watching darkness lurking above, where 
no shadows should be. A darkness that paid very close 
attention to the unnoticing Goddess....

Black Rook takes remaining Bishop.
~~~~~

Juuban District, T-minus 30 minutes

Amazingly despite Kiyone�s worst fears they 
had all arrived alive and in one piece. After taking a 
moment to kiss the sweet ground and then another one to 
verbally chastise her partner(i.e. screaming and ranting only to find 
that Mihoshi wasn�t paying attention again) the three finally walked 
into the supermarket. 

For the youngest princess of Jurai, it was like stepping into her own 
little world, all these yummy ingredients to cook lots of delicious meals for
everyone were stacked from floor to ceiling all around her. The smell of 
fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices mixed with that of beef, fowl,
fish, and cheese to become a heady perfume that tickled and teased the palate.
Sasami loved the supermarket with a child�s innocent glee, for it 
was here as in the kitchen that she wielded ultimate power. Washu
knew science, Ayeka had manners and rituals, Kiyone carried the 
GP manual in her heart, Ryoko could party like no one else, and Mihoshi
....Mihoshi.....could.....could...karaoke and knew the story of every soap 
opera in known Universe. But when it came to cooking, it was Sasami who
they all bowed down to. 

Kiyone and Mihoshi quickly became loaded down by the little 
sprite�s shopping list. Surprisingly there weren�t many people 
shopping that day which left the usually bustling building rather 
quiet.

In the silence a certain stomach growled.

�Mihoshi!�

�Waa! I�m sorry, but I�m just so hungry Kiyone!�

�You just ate a few hours ago!�

�But that was just breakfast!�

�Well just wait till we get back to the house!�

�I...I...I can�t!�

�Mi...ho...shi!�

�Waa!�

*Boom**Crash**

�Oh no!�

�This is all your fault Mihoshi!�

�I�m sorry!�

�Why me?! If I�ve offended some unknown deity and am 
being punished for it by this...this...then I�m sorry already!!�

�Kiyone!!�

�*Ack*...can�t......breathe...let go..Mihoshi......�

�Kiyone!!�

A flood of tears worthy of the Anything Goes School 
poured onto the rapidly turning blue officer�s new skirt.

�....*gasp*...*everything going dark*.....*must escape 
from hug of death*......�

Somewhere in the excitement the third 
member of their party had vanished.
~~~~

The White Queen took the other rook.

Now both sides had totally lost an advantage in the field.

Yet Black still held the upper hand.

{What are you planning old friend? This stratagem is only 
delaying the inevitable. You can�t hope to win by staying on the 
defensive, not against me at any rate.....what are you up to?}

(To be continued)
*$*$*$*$*$*

Author's note: Despite a horrible case of food poisoning
and last minute scrambles to pack everything away for the 
summer I finally got the next part of this out. This is going to
be my last post for awhile, the computer's getting packed up after 
this. Proably won't be able to reply to C&C and other stuff until 
the 14th at best. However the Private Bets *will* be continued over
the summer, albeit with a slight delay for each post as I won't have
as much access as I'm used to (i.e. work till I drop)

Have a nice summer everyone!

Ja ne
-Shade

Holy Knight of Mihoshi
Ranger of the Crossover Fiancees
Bearer of the Ridiculous Giant Sight Gag Pen
*$*$*$*$*

To bid you adiu, Let's hear it for Murphy and his wacky laws!

Juicers suck, no matter how good you are or which 
type you pick you're a walking dead man.

If the pay is low 'cause the mission is supposed 
to be simple, hold out for more pay.

Never let the psionic hold the magic artifact.

Five second fuzes always burn three seconds fast

One enemy soldier is never enough, 
but two is entirely too many.

____________________________________________________________________
Get free e-mail and a permanent address at http://www.netaddress.com/?N=1