Sailor Cancer examined her handiwork in reassembling the dojo and nodded to herself. “This will do for now.” She put a hand to her heart and changed back, thankful that she felt no eyes on her during the brief requisite period of nudity.
As her clothing rematerialized, Kasumi gave a happy sigh. It just felt so nice to be a Senshi. It wasn’t the power, but the sense of sureness, of confidence in the rightness of one’s actions. It was an exhilarating feeling, probably not too far from how Daddy and Mr. Saotome felt when they talked of uniting the schools, but not as…well, obnoxious.
Speaking of uniting the schools… “Ranma-kun? How is— Oh. Oh, my.”
Nabiki sighed. Great, a destiny as a Sailor Senshi. She’d honestly been expecting this to happen to Ranma. Heck, she’d been planning a betting pool on it. Akane hadn’t come as that great a surprise. Given her numerous kidnappings by magical princes, she must’ve been mystic royalty in some past life. Kasumi? OK, the middle Tendo was willing to admit that that one had thrown her for a loop. Kasumi got even less involved in the usual madness than Nabiki herself! Really, once it was established that her own number was up, she should’ve anticipated Kasumi coming along for the ride.
In any case, fighting evil was likely to crimp on Nabiki’s profit margin. Probably best to start grooming her friends into the lieutenants everyone seemed think they already were. Good thing the girls liked that image.
Hmm. She should probably introduce them to Ranma. Goodness knew they asked her often to enough. He definitely wouldn’t take kindly to getting swindled by complete strangers. “Hey, Ranma-ba—!”
“Shh!” Before Nabiki could even finish her pet name for the pigtailed boy, Kasumi had a hand over her mouth.
Nabiki was silenced as much by surprise as by the hand. Moving the extremity, she asked, “What was that about?”
“Ranma-kun and Akane-chan are having a moment,” her sister explained tersely. “I do not wish them to be interrupted.”
Nabiki paused. Her sister had just exercised her authority as lady of the house to disarm a potentially disruptive action that could have cascaded into a full-fledged misadventure. “What’s gotten into you, Kasumi?”
The older girl gave a distant look. All she said was, “When good does nothing, evil triumphs.” Her usual placidity returned. “Not to say you’re evil, Nabiki. I just felt I should do something. Their shyness can be cute, but now is not the time.”
“Uh…right.” If this was how Kasumi turned out after donning the fuku, Nabiki dreaded seeing how she’d change.
Rei came into the room. This was as expected by the other Senshi. Less so were the other three girls and elderly man in tow.
Usagi gasped in shock. “Rei?”
The miko gave a guilty look. “Usagi.”
The future queen recognized one of the girls. “Naru-chan!?”
Naru smiled, her suspiscions confirmed. “Usagi.”
Haruka was not pleased. “Rei.”
Michiru put a hand on her lover’s shoulder. “Haruka…”
Naru looked about and expressed her surprise at who was a Senshi. “Makoto?”
“Naru.”
“Ami?”
“Naru.”
“Minako!?”
“Hey!”
Not wanting to be left out, Osaka turned to her tall friend. “Sakaki.”
“Osaka?”
With a huff, Haruka rose. “Michiru?”
Her lover nodded, then turned to their child. “Hotaru.”
As the adorable superweapon gave an apologetic look to the others, the Outers left the shrine.
Makoto sighed. “First Luna, now Rei…”
“What does Usagi’s cat have to do with this?” Naru muttered to herself.
Ami shook her head. “It’s as though the universe doesn’t want us to keep our identities secret anymore.”
Usagi glared at the priestess. “Did you do something to anger the kami?”
Rei responded shouting, “Of course not! She was speaking figuratively!” This was followed by sticking her tongue out at the future Queen of Earth.
“Be that as it may, Rei,” pontificated her grandfather, “it remains a possibility. None can truly fathom the ways of the gods.”
“Why are you still here, Grandpa?” sighed the Senshi of Fire.
“I’ve known you were Sailor Mars almost as long as you have, young lady, and I made a promise to myself to aid you once you knew that I knew.”
“We’ve had to fight you,” Rei rejoindered. “We may have healed you, but you’ve still got that Jiji monster sealed within you.”
The man harrumphed. “The beast has lain dormant since your cute friends restored my body. Nothing to worry about.”
“One of our enemies exploits inner darkness, Grandpa. If you fight him it’ll be like extinguishing a fire by throwing gas on it.”
The elderly man deflated at this. “I suppose. In any case, I still have decades more experience than you in spiritual matters. At the very least, I could supply you with more potent charms and talismans.” He nodded at the other Inners. “I can even empower them to the point where you girls could use them without Rei’s years of training.” Eager expressions spread. “Only weeks.” Less eager expressions spread.
Minako turned to the unfamiliar faces. “Who are you, anyway?”
Osaka replied, “I’m Kasuga Ayumu, but a lotta my friends call me Osaka.”
Naru smiled. “Me an’ Yumu-chan go back a ways.” She gestured at Sakaki. “This is ‘er friend Sakaki. She says she ain’t a youma.”
Makoto frowned. “Being tall doesn’t make someone a youma.”
Sakaki decided that she liked this girl. “We’re here because we’re Senshi.”
Usagi burst into a face-splitting grin. “Even you, Naru-chan?”
The redhead shook her head. “Still just monster bait,” she said sardonically.
Naru (Narusegawa, not Osaka,) sighed as she parked the van. “Wow, Keitaro. I never thought I’d say this, but this Ranma guy seems to have it worse than you.”
The landlord nodded. “At least I don’t have spatula-wielding assassins kidnapping me.” He figured from experience that there was were 50/50 odds of the utensil-wielding assailant trying to kill or seduce the aquatranssexual, and wished Ranma luck in either scenario.
“And you don’t change gender,” added his fiancée. “Though you might actually get smacked around less often. Certainly in the women’s bath.” Naru’s expression turned thoughtful.
Desperate for a change of subject, Keitaro blurted, “Well, we’re here! Why don’t I take your bags up to your room?”
“Oh, thanks. You’re a sweety.” She moved to give him a thank-you peck on the cheek.
This turned into a sideways headbutt when Motoko’s voice erupted from the dorm. “As the ronin impaled her katana through the bride’s chest, she stared lustfully at the groom and screamed, ‘Take me now!’ Instantly, his lips met hers…”
“Well,” said the dazed Keitaro, “Motoko’s feeling better…”
Ryoga had stamina that could put a team of well-bred oxen to shame, but even the Lost Boy got tired. “Can we stop for the night?” he asked the Mikuru.
It responded in polite feminine tones that had surprised Ryoga when he’d first heard them. “Certainly, Hibiki-san. There is a house 150 feet west of here.”
“I can just camp out. Besides, I can’t see anything to the west.” Well, all he could see was trees, which made it difficult to see anything of the forest in which he was.
“You are presently looking to the southeast.”
“Oh.” Ryoga turned until he saw the house, though mansion was a far more suitable term. The house, along with the thick wood, seemed more suited to a European fairy tale than Japanese urbia. “Where are we?” checked the boy.
“Level of detail desired?”
“Country’s fine.”
“We are presently in Japan.”
“If you say so…” Ryoga had to admit, the Mikuru might be taking the scenic route, but since leaving the Harukyon, he had yet to leave his nation of birth. Granted, he frequently moved between dimensions, but they all seemed to have Japans in them.
With the house in sight, it didn’t take Ryoga long to get there, though he did manage to reach the front door by approaching from the rear.
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(Posted Sun, 03 Aug 2008 23:14)
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