"Nah, if you extend like that you'll hit harder but it leaves you more vulnerable to a joint lock like SO," demonstrated Ranma."Hmph," said Haruka, trying to twist free.
Ranma held it briefly, then released and leapt back. "Now, let's try that combo again."
Sailor Pluto watched as Haruka's natural skills in fighting were improved by sparring with her brother. Haruka's natural talents in racing and fighting were related to her own intuitive abilities. Not quite as "mystic" at it as Michiru's talents normally were, Haruka's strength was in her ability to foresee a second or two into the future. In a fight, she would naturally be dodging or blocking before the opponent usually knew where they were striking themselves. In a race, it was an edge on her opponents that her natural reflexes and response time could take and run with.
The problem with sparring with Ranma was that there was no set strategy or favored set of moves, and Ranma adapted in mid-motion. As Haruka adapted to Ranma's attack, Ranma adapted to Haruka's moves and didn't give Haruka the time to further change.
However, Ranma wasn't the only one to give Haruka Saotome a run for her money by negating her special talents. One of her big rivals was ANOTHER Haruka. Haruka Hibiki, aka the Lost Girl.
"HARUKA SAOTOME! BECAUSE OF YOU I'VE SEEN HELL!""Hell?" asked an aqua-tressed girl before blowing a big bubble with her bubble gum.
"Well, maybe not 'hell' per se," admitted Haruka Hibiki. "But saying 'I've seen heck' doesn't quite have the same dramatic ring to it."
Michiru Kuno shrugged and continued trying to radiate 'bad girl', but she wasn't really that good at it.
Sailor Pluto, guardian of the Gate Of Time, oldest Senshi, considered going to a nice bar and having a cup of their strongest. She settled for tea though.
Michiru... Kuno. This did not bode well. A quick check into the sanest of the Kuno family turned out that she went through various phases. This month appeared to be 'bad girl' or 'girl gone wrong' while the month before she'd been into rhythmic gymnastics and certain recreational pharmaceuticals. THAT combination hadn't worked well at all.
Sitting back and letting the butler pour her tea, Sailor Pluto considered the timeline as a feeling of wrongness began to penetrate her calm. Still, she had to focus on what she was watching - she had to determine what had happened to the other originals.
"Cheese, ma'am?" asked Smithers. "I found some Wensleydale on sale."
"That'll be fine," mumbled Sailor Pluto, concentrating on her current problem.
"As madam wishes," said Smithers, leaving the tea set and crackers and slices of cheese on the tray and bowing as he left.
Sailor Pluto scowled as she looked into the timestream, only pausing to sip at her tea and munch idly on a cracker. It looked like Michiru had a brother. NOT named Tatewaki though. No, this particular Kuno was named MAMORU and he was age 18 to Michiru's 17.
There was also another Kuno sibling, and as typically "eccentric" as any of them. Unexpectedly, at least to the watching Pluto, this turned out to be:
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(Posted Fri, 28 Apr 2006 09:27)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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