Where had his father gotten the idea that the Catfist was invincible or that booklet? Where had his father gotten the guidebook in Chinese that showed Jusenkyo? Who had suggested that it was so important to unite the Tendo and Saotome Schools, making it a goal for the two idiots to fixate upon?
Yup. Never mind Life, Time could be a real bitch too.
For Crystal Tokyo, sacrifices had to be made. Ranma Saotome would never cross the path of any Senshi, because a genuinely nice girl in distress running into him before he'd fixated on Akane - that might have led to mutual infatuation. Especially where something like teenage hormones were involved.
Normally, Sailor Pluto would be aghast at the possibility of fixing up Ranma Saotome with ANY Senshi. Because the Crystal Tokyo she was charged with the protection of had only three real relationships in it.
Sailor Moon's harem: Ami + Minako + Mamoru + Rei + Makoto.
Sailor Neptune + Sailor Uranus.
Chibi-usa + Sailor Saturn.
That was it. Period. No other relationships. The only stable monogamous relationships were purely lesbian ones. Though there were rumors about Chibi-usa swinging more than one way when she became a teenager.
When she was younger she herself had had a crush on Prince Endymion, but then had come being shunted off to the Gates and the whole 'lonely sentinel' thing.
Sailor Pluto paused, wondering if that was it. Had Neo-Serenity decided that the Sentinel was planning on going after the Prince again? A possibility.
She knew Ranma though, and knew where to find him. Some blamed his father for the way he developed - a loud mouthed braggart who was apt to steal things and was driven to win at all cost. Only she knew the truth. If he wasn't a martial arts monomaniac...
No sign of Ranma at the Tendo house? Or that he'd ever been there for that matter?
How could this have been?
Sailor Pluto grumbled as she went outside the Gates Of Time. Clearly something had happened in Ranma's past, but trying to look at it directly by scanning that past had brought her no closer to the truth. Ranma had rifted out of Jusenkyo and past her influence, and after that any attempt to scry further brought up this little SD figure of some old guy in robes and a peaked hat telling her that this channel was unavailable in her viewing area.
Seeing a cafe she hadn't visited before, Setsuna Meiou sat down at a table and mused over the oddity.
"Your usual, Meiou-sama?"
Setsuna blinked at the unfamiliar waitress with the pink hair and frilly uniform. "Eh?"
"Green tea with a sprig of mint, coming right up," said the waitress with a smile and nod.
Setsuna was still puzzling over that when the obvious answer occurred to her. Time had been shuffled, and her paradox and temporal protections had left her out of the loop.
Thus clued in, Setsuna began observing around her more carefully. Was that a new tower there? Were the streets more crowded? Was that trash discarded at a curbside?!
"Where the hell am I now?!"
"Crystal Tokyo," answered a passerby. "Corner of Rosemary and Thyme, about two blocks from the Faire."
"Oh. Which way to Wizard's Street?" asked the young girl with the bandana.
"Turn around and go straight two blocks," said the helpful passerby.
"Right," said the girl, turning and heading off.
Setsuna was still frowning thoughtfully as her tea was set down with a small packet of honey beside it.
"Anything else, Meiou-sama?"
"Yes, what is that tower there?" asked Setsuna.
The waitress looked along the outstretched finger. "That tower, Meiou-sama?"
"Yes, the tall one with the pennant, that very one." Setsuna took a sip of her tea and her eyes widened. Very nice. Apparently she came here regularly.
The waitress shrugged, clearly not fathoming the whims of royalty. "That be the High Tower Of Wizardry, Meiou-sama. I've never been within, not having any business with the various spell hurlers myself."
"Ah, I see," said Setsuna, her hand shaking slightly as she set the cup back down. "A 'High Tower Of Wizardry' - very nice."
"Magic is one of those things, milady," said the waitress. "Either you've got the Talent or you don't. I can't even do a Pen Dance nor am I talented in the other Arts save Martial Arts Waitressing."
"Martial Arts... Waitressing," repeated Setsuna, her finely trained deductive abilities detecting a hint of Ranma's influence.
"Yes, milady," said the waitress. "That said, I have other work to do. If you need something or when you're done, just ring the bell there."
Setsuna nodded and held up a hand. Hmmmm. Martial Arts Waitressing. Clearly Ranma had met one of the Senshi and influenced things. "One thing before you go. Do you know the name Ranma Saotome? How his path might have crossed that of the Senshi?"
"Yes, milady," said the puzzled waitress. "He was a teacher at Saint Bishomon's High School when he became involved with the Senshi as I recall."
Setsuna lifted her cup of tea, her hand back to shaking again. "A teacher? Saint Bishamon's, you say? Ah. Well. I don't want to keep you."
Setsuna sipped at the tea, not noticing it this time. A TEACHER?! How could that - ah. Physical education or martial arts sensei. Of course. One of the Senshi crosses his path, young schoolgirl meets with exceptionally fit teacher of similar age, etcetera etcetera. There were certainly enough shojo manga with plotlines like that.
While having an uncouth barely-civilized loudmouth fiance might work for some, it was clearly not up to her own standards. Not, admitted Setsuna privately, like she had any other prospects. Well, at least she could run damage control. Clearly she had to arrange someone else for Ranma to be engaged to.
That said, the choice was clear. Minako's curse would sabotage the relationship, so it was just a matter of some minor event in her parents' past to end up with an Aino-Saotome engagement. Another heartbreak for Minako, and she'd still end up in the Queen's harem by not having any other options and needing a relationship to cling to. No problem.
That said, it was a matter of a few moments work at the Gates Of Time.
"...because I was tardy a few times?!" Minako wailed in dismay.
"Define 'a few'," responded her mother.
"Let's see, your homeroom sensei is a Ranma Saotome. I wonder?" mused her father.
"What?" Mrs Aino brightened. "SAOTOME? Ah, the arrangement."
"Arrangement?" asked Minako.
"Your engagement to the son of Genma Saotome, when I lost track of my old school buddy," said the reporter/father.
toing! went Minako's hair.
"If he's a young teacher, then he has an income and tenure," said Mrs Aino. "An engagement to a government worker. I've been so worried about you, especially with these grades, and now there's a chance we can palm you off make sure that you're taken care of."
"An engagement?" Minako asked, feeling mixed hope and dread at the possibility.
Sailor Pluto nodded happily. It was all set up, fate would run its course, and once Minako sighted on that target everything would fall into place.
Really it was a pity, but one couldn't build a utopia without breaking a few eggs.
Ranma was about to go down and confront those two elves he now knew to be down there, when he felt the ripple.
Curious, he looked at the name now added to his list of homeroom students.
Minako Aino - excessive tardiness, tendency to go off into daydreams, sleeping in class, excessive talk, failure to turn in homework.
Not exactly normal for a reform school, but things happened.
Still, for the past to have altered regarding this girl made him curious.
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(Posted Thu, 24 Jun 2004 10:43)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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