[Episode 26279] [Episode 26279]"You are *not* welcome here," declared Akane, memories of her failed wedding and subsequent worsening of the relationship with Ranma quite clear in her mind.
"Thank you, dearie, nice day to you too," remarked Cologne. "Is Happi around?"
"He hasn't been seen since he drank that cask of Jusenkyo water." Nabiki remarked as she took a seat. "What's the news?"
*CLUNK!*
Nabiki looked at the small sack and hesitated to pick it up. When she looked inside her eyes momentarily got HUGE.
"The money's yours if you can find Happi. Let everyone you know who can fight - tomorrow at Tokyo Tower, 8:45am." Cologne sighed and momentarily looked feeble. "Not how I would have preferred making my goodbyes."
"Mousse is marrying Shampoo and all of you heading back to China?" Akane said hopefully. "You're being deported as illegal aliens? Shampoo is pregnant by some stray tomcat? Shampoo's been arrested and sent to an all-girl prison?"
Cologne laughed harshly. "Child, that would be a horrible thing to wish on Shampoo, especially that first one, but in comparison I could only wish."
Soun and Genma gave up pretense of ignoring the Amazon Elder to look speculatively towards her.
Nabiki debated asking for a moment then gave in to the curiosity. "Okay. I'll bite. Why would you want to gather all available fighters at the Tokyo Tower tomorrow morning."
"We're going to try and put off the end of the world, actually," replied Cologne.
"Well, if you don't want to say, I don't think I can help you," replied Nabiki.
"No dearie. I was quite serious." Cologne sat down slowly as if feeling her age. "What do you know about the Sailor Senshi?"
"An urban myth like those ghostbuster girls," replied Nabiki slowly. It had dawned on her that Cologne was quite serious and sincere. That didn't mean that this wasn't a scheme of some sort, but that didn't mean she should just scoff and shrug it off. Especially with a small sack of gold coins in her hands.
"I might have thought that myself, until one of them appeared before me this morning. I spent the rest of the morning checking what I could. I Ching. Tarot. More esoteric methods of fortunetelling. Everything agrees. We have one chance to keep from the destruction of the world. It is tomorrow at 8:45am at the Tokyo Tower." Cologne sighed. "I've only lived 300 years you know. There is so much I still haven't done. Yet it is almost certain that even if we win tomorrow - I will not live long enough to see it. I *so* badly wanted to see Shampoo giving birth to a strong daughter."
"Fine. Whatever your plan is, it won't work," declared Akane. "Honestly. I thought you'd learned something in that fight with Saffron."
"I learned many things, Akane Tendo, over many years. It won't matter tomorrow. The images that Sailor Pluto showed me seem to be correct. If that is indeed so, you will never have to worry about Shampoo or myself after tonight."
"What happens tonight?" Akane asked, still suspicious.
"I expect my great-granddaughter will at least try to see Ranma tonight, since she may well die tomorrow as well." Cologne let out another deep breath. "I must get going. There are others to contact. Others to try and recruit. If Happi shows up tell him of this. For if the battle goes against us tomorrow, there won't be any more pretty girls for him."
"Any further details you can give?" Nabiki asked. She'd have to spend this money fast if the old bat was right.
"From what Pluto told me, something caused a paradox in time. The rift of that paradox is allowing something from outside our universe to enter." Cologne frowned. "More detail I was not able to gain from her. The best I could prognosticate myself was that it is extremely powerful and not at all friendly."
"Sounds like half the martial artists who've gone up against Ranma," opined Nabiki. She glanced towards the two fathers. "I don't suppose you're going?"
"Is it dangerous?" Soun asked.
"The End Of The World, let's see, I'd give that a tentative 'yes'," said Cologne quite drily. "If Happosai shows up, will you tell him?"
Nabiki hefted the coins. For this sort of money, she had to take this at least a little bit seriously. "If I see him - yes. What if I don't see him until after tomorrow?"
"Then you might as well keep them, I don't think we'll have further use for the money," said Cologne before leaving with as little fanfare as her arrival.
The clock read "8:30am" and continued to tick away.
Some film crews had gathered. A few words to the police had caused barricades to be erected to keep them at a distance. Police sharpshooters and a few vehicles from the JSSDF had been brought in.
If Armaggedon was about to break out, best to have some backup.
The "weak point" was marked in chalk. It would be there that the menace materialized, though the nature of the menace was still undetermined. Too many possibilities for an accurate reading of the future.
The Sailor Senshi were there, looking grim for once. They knew that if they failed to hold this line - not only would Crystal Tokyo never be, the human race itself might be destroyed by this time tomorrow. That it was a doom that had been brought upon them by a well meaning but paradox prone daughter of Usagi Tsukino and Mamoru Chiba was besides the point. Still, goodbyes had been made. In that future they had visited, there had been no Sailor Pluto visible. Nor Uranus, nor Neptune, nor Saturn. All but Pluto expected that this day would turn out to be their last.
Yoko Mano, 108th Generation Devil Hunter, stood as ready as she could be. Her eyes were puffy and red from long tearful goodbyes. She too knew that this might be her last day alive.
Dozens of others, less well known but contacted anyway. Ghost sweepers and shrine priestesses prepared wards and defenses. Wizards, even ones from a high school magic club, tried to figure out means of defense. A pair of gunmen, one of whom alternated between ogling at the pretty girls and checking his gun.
Some were powerful. Some were not. Some had operated secretly and wondered how the woman with the long green hair had known to contact them. All understood the price of failure.
Cologne checked the time again as it became "8:40am". "It looks like neither Ranma nor Happi made it. Pity."
(Posted Mon, 03 Feb 2003 21:04)
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