After seeing the liberated girls off, the Senshi climbed the shrine stairs. Mercury had suggested they have an impromptu meeting so they could fill Mars in on events thus far and work out what they could expect from the future. Mars was still a little distracted, so it was understandable that it hadn't occurred to her to wonder what happened to Ranma.
As they reached the top of the stairs, the sound of someone clapping brought them up short. Standing in the middle of the courtyard was the man Mars knew as Jed.
"Well done, Sailor Moon," Jed greeted. "You have managed to destroy yet another of my plans. I had hoped that the youma would finish you, but I guess I'll have to take matters into my own hands now."
"You're behind these monster attacks?" Mars demanded. "Just who do you think you are?"
"Why, I'm Jedite, General of Queen Baryl's armies," the blond man announced before snapping his fingers. The simple garb of a laborer vanished in a flash of light to be replaced be a sharply tailored military uniform. "And you foolish girls have interfered in my plans for the last time!"
Dark energy began to collect around Jedite's hands. The Senshi gasped as they felt the evil power radiating from him.
"You seriously don't want to do that," a new voice said calmly.
The Senshi looked behind them and upwards before spotting a dark clad figure standing on top of the shrine torii. The hearts immediately appeared in the girls' eyes as they surveyed the dashing, well-built, figure. He wore black, knee-high leather boots with floppy cuffs turned down at the tops. Tailored black pants were tucked into the tops of the boots. A bright red, long-sleeved shirt covered his upper torso and over it, was a black leather, hip-length vest with bright, one inch silver rings covering it. Silver bracers and black leather gloves covered his hands. His face was obscured by a black, Zorro-style mask that covered the top of his head to just below the eyes and left the bottom of his face bare.
Crossed in front of his chest were a pair of polished silver hybrid tonfa blades. The short ends terminated in blunt round knobs while the long ends featured razor sharp edges that ended in wicked points. The blades were horizontal to the handle so that the flats laid against his forearms and could be spun forward in a vicious arcing slash.
"P-p-prince Ramius?!" Jedite squeaked, the energy he was gathering abruptly dissipating. The Dark General well-remembered the most feared warrior in the Moon Kingdom. Two whole armies of demons were sent for the explicit task of killing him and his Martian Elite Guard. They succeeded, but only a handful survived the battle. Jedite was arrogant. Jedite had a vast amount of power at his command. Rationally, he knew that Sailor Saturn wielded greater power and should probably be considered a greater threat. However, Sailor Saturn wasn't here and the idea of facing Prince Ramius in single combat was enough to threaten his control of his bladder. Saturn would just Silence you. The First Warrior of the War planet would make you Hurt before you were allowed the privilege of dying.
"I suggest you run back to your bitch-queen and inform her that her little invasion is over," Ramius said coolly. "Unless, of course, you'd like a little taste of what's in store for her if she presses the issue."
"We killed you once, Ramius," Jedite blustered. "We can do it again."
Ramius' lips curled into a confident smirk.
"If you feel froggy, Jedite, then by all means, start hopping," Ramius taunted.
Jedite gulped and began gathering his energy once more. The ball of seething black energy swelled to the size of a beach ball. The Senshi blanched as they felt the oppressive intensity of the enormous power washing over them. The blond Dark General launched the blast which comprised centuries of carefully husbanded energy. Immediately afterward, he activated a teleportation spell that returned him to his chambers in the Negaverse.
Jedite was fortunate that he didn't wait around, or he would have seen his blast go sailing harmlessly off into the sky as Ramius leapt high into the air, flipping over the blast to drive the bladed ends of his weapons deeply into the stone where the Dark General had been standing mere heartbeats before. The First Warrior of Mars stood from his crouch, the blades of his hybrid tonfa easily sliding out of the stone they had been driven into, and with a flourish, returned the weapons to stuff-space.
"Ladies," the man in red and black that the Dark General had called Prince Ramius sketched a princely bow, one foot in front of the other, right hand on his chest with the other behind his back. "I believe you're safe for now."
"Wait!" Moon called out as the young warrior turned to leave. "Who are you?"
The warrior paused to look over his shoulder.
"A friend," he answered.
"Will we see you again?" Moon asked.
"Count on it," the young man smiled before leaping to the top of the torii and then from there to the top of a light pole before he vanished over the roof tops.
Mars had stood stunned since the young man's arrival. While her memory of her dream had faded in the chaos that took place after she woke up, she couldn't shake the feeling that she should know the young warrior. Her mind spun as she felt strangely drawn to him, but that wasn't right; she loved Ranma...Ranma! Suddenly she remembered. Ranma was coming here! He should be here by now!
"Ranma?" Mars attempted to call him over their link. She felt a moment of panic when he didn't answer, but she quickly reasoned that her Senshi transformation must be interfering. Looking at Moon and Mercury, she noted the cat.
"Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, you have to leave now," Mars declared urgently.
"Huh?" Moon blinked looking hurt.
"I'm sorry. I'm not trying to be rude, but I just remembered, I have someone important coming to meet me any minute now," Mars explained. "It would be best if he didn't see you here, especially the cat. He has a serious problem with cats. So please, you have to leave before he gets here."
"But we have to explain things to you, Mars," Luna protested. "And we have to talk about this Prince Ramius."
"Just go!" Mars snapped. "I can't ignore this. I've been waiting to meet this person for years and it cost him a lot to come here today!"
"But—" Luna started to protest only to be cut off by Moon.
"I understand, Rei-chan," Moon smiled cheerfully. "We'll come by tomorrow and see about setting a place and time to meet, okay?"
"That's fine. Just don't bring the cat," Mars said. "Ranma can't be around them at all."
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(Posted Wed, 21 May 2008 05:27)
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