When the Senshi defeated a “final boss,” as Minako sometimes put it, they did not necessarily eliminate all of the associated monsters of the week and other cannon fodder. There were times when such was the case, such as exhausting all of Ail and Ann’s Cardians or destroying the means by which Professor Tomoe created daimon eggs. Still, there were, at times, a few loose threads that were left on Earth, ones that tried to lay low in the hope of continued survival.
A fine example would be the VG Girls. While their older sisters, the DD Girls, had been an elite team of hunter-killer youma who eliminated four of five Senshi during the assault on D-Point, the VG Girls were… not. Indeed, during said assault, the younger quintuplets were still in the youma equivalent of internships. These were quite similar to human internships, consisting of busy work, fetching the equivalent of coffee, and generally being the low man on the totem pole. There was a higher chance of getting killed and eaten, but that held for most activities in the Dark Kingdom.
However, after the death of Metallia and resealing of the dimensions, the VG Girls found themselves ejected from their hostile home and in a most alien environment: Earth. Oh sure, they had some basic combat training and could absorb energy just fine, but no one told them about those bright lights in the sky, among other things.
Fortunately, they were extruded near something they did know. Video games. Just as other Sailor Moon antagonists followed a certain “theme,” so to did the VG Girls, and their affinity for things electronic and beeping meant they quickly sought refuge in the Crown Arcade and Karaoke Parlor. If they knew the place was a popular Senshi hangout, they gave no indication. Besides, they had a strict, self-enforced policy of not draining anyone while on the clock.
In any case, they were quite surprised when a cloud of negative energy appeared in the arcade one day, drained Motoki into a coma, and demanded their submission and fealty.
Ephpiyes was first to reply, unholstering the Zapper Light Gun she kept in her jacket and firing a few energy bolts at the cloud. “Get out of here!” she shouted, half-panicking.
Didiyar was next, tossing a flurry of psychedelically colored arrows. Not the sort one would fire with a bow, mind you. He kind found in her namesake dancing game franchise. Verbally, she added, “We’ve got a good gig here!”
Arpiji added “We refuse to risk our lives for some dead and forgotten god!” She followed this with a few blasts of fire, ice, and lightning.
Artiyes, her summons of a few aggressive minor youma completed, continued her sisters’ sentiment as her slavering soldiers sallied forth. “So leave us be!”
The last VG Girl, Emjiyes, suddenly appeared behind Dominus. Using an energy-infused garrote to hold the amorphous entity in place while her sister’s grunts laid some downsmack, she finished the ultimatum. “And don’t even think about coming back.”
As the minor youma evaporated, their summoning time elapsed, the stealthiest VG girl performed a suplex that, with the aid of the empowered choke-wire, sent Dominus sprawling out of the arcade.
While the others made sure the cloud wasn’t coming back any time soon, Arpiji infused Motoki with a bit of her own energy. As he stirred, she asled Are you OK, Motoki-san?”
“Ugh… I’ll be fine, Pi-chan.” The man held his head. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with your previous employer, would it?” He didn’t know the girls’ whole story, he’d guessed they weren’t exactly human when they kept calling the Sun “Evil Daystar.” Fortunately for them, he believed they were a modern evolution of the yuki-onna: otaku-onna, female spirits of nerdiness.
The VG Girl of side quests and level grinding gave a sheepish look. Sort of. Sorry, sir…”
Emjiyes cracked her shoulders, stretched, and ached for a cigarette. “Don’t worry, Motoki-san. You'll have plenty of time to recover.”
Artiyes frowned. “Yeah, that damn cloud scared away all the customers.”
The VG Girl of stealth, infiltration, and fourth-wall gags shrugged. “Well, that, and the scene’s going to change soon.”
The others just ignored her. No one knew what Em-chan was talking about when she said stuff like that.
“You do,” she noted, encouraging the others to ignore her further.
Well, most of them. “Em-chan, stop talking to yourself and help us clean up!” called Didiyar.
“Right, right.” She turned back to looking… somewhere. “We’ll finish this later.”
Akane lay on her bed, staring into space. Between meeting a past life, nearly losing all that she was, and Ranma’s confession of l…lo… and Ranma’s confession, she had a great deal to think about. Therefore, it made sense that she missed the first few knocks on her door. It wasn’t until a familiar voice called her name that sh was roused from her introspection. “Come in,” she said distractedly.
The door opened, revealing her fiancé. “Um, hi,” he said uncertainly.
“Hi.” The two were still feeling out this new development in their relationship, especially how it would affect the rest of Ranma’s suitors.
“Akane, I was thinkin’…”
“Yes?”
The pigtailed boy fidgeted a bit. “Well, I know it may be kinda early fer this, since yer still recoverin’ from the whole Leo thing…”
The girl’s eyes widened. Was he trying to…? “We can always arrange something for later.”
“Yeah,” Ranma replied uneasily, “but then the others might find out, then everythin’ would go nuts.”
“True.” She sighed. “So, where were thinking of taking me?”
“Huh?” He blinked in confusion. “Jus’ th’ dojo. Where’d ya think?”
“The dojo?” Akane frowned. “I was hoping you’d at least take me to a movie.”
“What does a movie hafta do with trainin’?”
Akane was incredulous. “Training!?”
“Sure, trainin’ with yer Sensghi powers. All the other girls had t’ figger out theirs’ in th’ middle of a fight. I know you’ve got some trainin’ in Anything Goes, but it’s still good to know what y’ can do before y’ start fightin’.”
Akane was silent for a moment, considering she thought they’d been talking about, what her fiancé thought they’d been talking about, and the latter’s pose, arms crossed and head nodding in a manner eerily similar to that of his father. Her consideration drew to a conclusion, and she exploded into a fit of laughter.
After she calmed down a bit, she choked out an apology. Shoulders shaking, she gasped, “It’s just… this all seems so ridiculous.”
Ranma frowned. “I know the outfit’s kinda silly, Akane, but this is serious combat.”
Akane held back a second wave of laughs. “Not the training, just… life in general. The ridiculous plots, the comic misunderstandings, even our interaction. It’s like a manga or something.”
Ranma shrugged. “I guess. I just got used t’ the craziness. What brought this on?”
Akane’s mirth seemed to exhaust itself. “The void. All that time experiencing nothing really puts everything in perspective. It’s pretty humbling.”
An uncomfortable silence settled in. Ranma managed to break it. “So, what movie didja wanna see?”
“Eh?”
“Yer my fiancée, Akane, an’ I l…lo…”
Akane smiled, recalling earlier thoughts. “I know Ranma. I… I love you too.” They hugged. It wasn’t entirely clear who started it.
As they broke from the embrace, Ranma bore a blush and a small smile. “Right. Whether the others like it or not, yer my choice.” He sighed. “And boy are they not gonna like it. Still, when’s th’ last time I took ya on a date? Y’know, a real date, not ‘cause of some crazy plot? Y’ deserve a lot more ‘n just a movie, but that’s what I can give ya. Blame yer sister fer that.” Both laughed at this.
“You know, you could fight me for real,” Akane noted. Ranma frowned at this. Akane frowned back. “What? All I want is to be treated as a real martial artist.”
“Akane…” It came out more petulant than the pigtailed boy intended.
“At least tell me why you won’t.”
Ranma sighed. “I don’t like hittin' girls…”
“That’s bull and we both know it. You’ve fought plenty of girls, and not just when you were one.”
He winced. So much for that excuse. “All right, all right.” He sighed. “Yer jus’ not ready f’r me, Akane. Y’ve hardly improved since I first got here, and frankly y’ may never get good enough to actually challenge me without some cheap power-up.” He braced himself for the inevitable feminine retribution.
It never came. Akane’s perspective shift had drastically increased the evitability of her rage. She was angry, yes, but she expressed it with words. “How long has it been since you first decided this?”
The boy swallowed. That voice was a trap. The calm, even tone was smooth ground concealing a minefield. “Y’ got potential, Akane. Never said y’ didn’t. Yer just stuck at yer current level. Stag baitin’.”
“Stagnating.”
“Yeah, that.”
She harrumphed. “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier!?”
“Zah?”
“If I’m stuck in a rut, then tell me! Heck, help me out of it!”
“Er, that’s really more th’ duty of yer sensei…”
“You know my dad, Ranma! He hasn’t taught me anything in years.” She switched gears. “What is the duty of a martial artist?”
Ranma answered automatically. “T’ protect th’ weak.”
“Well, compared to you, I am weak! You should be protecting me by making me stronger, and the best way to do that is training me and fighting me with more strength, speed, and skill than I can handle. I’d have to improve just to… touch… you.” She buried her face in her hands before laughing a bit. “You’ve been trying to show me this every time we’ve sparred, haven’t you.”
He nodded shyly. Akane shook her head. “Just tell me, Ranma. We can’t all read a battlefield like a book.”
He seemed uneasy with this. “Promise not t’ whack me fer criticisin’ you?”
“Hey, you’re the better martial artist. You’re the one who’s defeated dragons. If there’s anyone who I should be listening to when it comes to the martial arts, it’s you.”
Ranma looked at her for some time. “What?” she asked finally.
“Akane, pleas don’t take this th’ wrong way. But I kinda wish y’d been plopped in a void fer a li’l while sooner.”
She bopped him on the head playfully and stuck out her tongue. “Baka. When should we start my Senshi training?”
"After our date. Tomorrow night?"
Akane simply blushed and nodded.
As the train pulled into the station, Minako winced. Maybe Ami was right about cutting down on sweets. Never before had her teeth felt this bad.
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(Posted Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:03)
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