The Return
A Ranma Sailor Moon fic thingy.
By Sunshine Temple
Naturally, I own neither Sailor Moon nor Ranma. So here's the disclaimer
Ranma 1/2 and its characters and settings belong to Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Kitty, and Viz Video. Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Koudansha, TV Asahi, and Toei Douga, and DIC.
Previous chapters and other works can be found at my fanfiction website.
http://jtemple.florestica.com/
Temporary Backup Site.
http://www.fukufics.com/fic/
Other website Temple of Ranma's Senshi Seifuku
http://fukufics.com
C&C is appreciated.
Book 2: Betrayed Consequences
Chapter 5: Broken Bonds
Formerly: Retrograde
and Remade Part 2(i)
"Did you know about Ami
and Naru?" Usagi carefully asked. Her tone was even, but her eyes roiled
with anger and hurt.
"Well, no not as
such," Setsuna demurred, she made sure to keep her eyes on the road. Last
night she had returned from an unproductive interview to find four irate and
shocked Senshi. Setsuna was shocked herself once the situation was explained to
her.
"You didn't find anything
odd about their secret meetings, all the time they spent with each other?"
Usagi stretched in the passenger seat of the Dodge Charger.
"None of you saw anything
too odd about it. You just thought they were sneaking off to study, try to date
boys, and finally date each other." Setsuna glowered. It was a wonderful
cover. A lesbian relationship nicely explained Janet and Ami being secretive
and any nervousness when questioned about their nighttime activities.
"You're supposed to know
better than us. We're just teenagers."
"I was cautious about
Janet, but I cleared her, and she was an exemplary Senshi. You and the rest liked
her, and Ami said she was clean."
"That's because she was
Naru." Usagi sighed, sadly. "Damn Murdock! First he kills my
boyfriend and then he corrupts my friends. Look at what he did to Naru and
Ami."
"We're going to find him.
He will be punished." Setsuna promised. They had all been violated.
Getting Ami was quite the coup.
"Once more, how did you
miss this?" Usagi asked again.
Setsuna hesitated before
speaking. "I watched Janet at the start, checked her out. Reviewed her
when Ami and Janet started to bond. There was nothing. Janet was clean. She
seemed as legitimate as the rest of you." She sighed. "I can't watch
everyone."
"How'd he do this then?
How do we get them back?"
"Murdock is patient,
remember that. He had Naru living as Janet at least as far back as Mamoru's
death, and then think of the months that Naru was among us. Slow and
deliberate."
"Why? Wasn't DarkStar his
first plan?"
"This might have been his
backup, or maybe Sailor DarkStar was just misdirection. Some flash to draw
attention from the real culprit, the hidden, insidious danger."
"How do we get them
back?"
Setsuna smiled weakly.
"That's your department. You're the best at saving and healing
people."
"I just..." Usagi
stared out the window at the passing buildings. "At least with Ami I know
I can reach her. It's not as bad as when the others went bad."
"That's actually
worse," Setsuna corrected.
"But she still cares for
me. She doesn't hate me."
"Do you really want the
affection of a dark Senshi?" Setsuna asked.
Usagi's mind briefly flashed
to Mercury and Ranma with herself in the middle.
"Princess?"
"Huh?" A blush crept
up on Usagi's face as she cleared her head.
"Ami's
dangerous. Naru by her own admission was turned by Murdock, and Naru then got
to Ami. They want you."
"It won't work. Ami won't
be some puppet," Usagi promised.
"I wasn't there last
night, but you were." Setsuna slowed to a stop at a red light. She looked
around with some nervousness. "Were those the actions of the Ami you
know?"
"Well, Ami always
complained about my schoolwork or being late, and recently she'd been harping
about our training." Usagi laughed bitterly.
"It's different now. You
shouldn't be alone, any of you." Setsuna sighed. It was good advice, but
Ami had proven it ineffective last night, though they were surprised. It was
troubling. If they had followed Ami's advice they would have been training and
maybe the girls would be getting more skilled.
All under Ami's guidance of
course. Ami could do research and come up with the best plans, maybe even a few
magical spells to help unlock the next stage of their Senshi powers. Setsuna
shook her head; it was paranoid, but it made sense. If Ami was going to corrupt
and control the Senshi from the inside, the guise of training them, improving
them did the job.
"At least you've warmed
up to Ranma," Usagi allowed.
"I'm approving of this
meeting because you've been too distant from her. Ranma's made her own friends
and alliances and is self-sufficient."
"Is that bad?"
Setsuna shifted gears and
changed lanes before responding. "It shows good initiative. She can be a
powerful ally, but remember last night. You said Ami and her were very
chummy."
"Ranma is a demon, and
they didn't try to fight each other."
"Yes." Setsuna
noticed Usagi's incomprehension. "Take it this way. Do you want Mercury to
get closer to Ranma? What if she convinces Ranma that you are weak and you do
need to be trained?"
Usagi looked down. "She
already thinks we're amateurs."
Setsuna snorted. "Even
though you've been doing this longer, saved the world more times, and faced
hardships she can't even begin to understand."
Usagi slumped further into her
seat. "That's what makes Ami so hard. She was with me since the start. She
knows we've gotten much better but..."
"But nothing. Ami's been
manipulated ever since Janet showed up. You can't trust what she says."
"It's not that
simple." Usagi felt the anxiety from last night return. "Ami's made
sure of that."
***************
"I just think that Nabiki
should make her own decision," Ranma said to her fiancee as the two
window-shopped.
"All I'm saying is that
she can handle high school. Her mind's the same, by treating her like the
youngest you're making her the
youngest," Kasumi explained.
"She is the youngest. Alexia turned her last," Ranma stated, pointedly.
"Yes, but she needs to
recover. Encouraging this juvenile cutesiness, it's not Nabiki."
Ranma raised an eyebrow.
"It's not the Nabiki you remember, but it's who she is now."
"Akane came back."
The redhead stared at
the dark blue leather gown on display. "Her age wasn't reduced and if
anything she's more aggressive."
"And there were lesbian
rumors back when she was human too," Kasumi deadpanned.
"Must run in the
family," Ranma gave Kasumi's butt a playful touch before wrapping her arm
around the taller woman's waist. "And don't think I'm mad, I really like
that you're getting interested in our girls."
Kasumi looked down and mulled
over the demon's last two words. "Yes, I do care about my sisters,"
she clarified.
"I've been working with
Ukyou to find out what her Senshi powers are." Ranma leaned onto the
taller woman.
"Any luck?" Kasumi
asked, surprised at the increased weight Ranma was putting on her.
"It's odd. Something
keeps her from using it in practice. I know it's there. She knows it too, but
she won't cast it."
"How are the others
shaping up?"
Ranma shrugged. "Getting
more accuracy and speed. Nariko's got some control issues."
"I noticed. She's still
burning more than one tree."
Ranma nodded. "And
Nabiki's really tires her out, but it does use a lot to cast."
"Worried about this
Mizuno thing?"
"Nope." Ranma then
nuzzled her head onto Kasumi's side and chest.
Blushing, Kasumi coughed, but
after finding that ineffective at dislodging the demon, she sighed. "Why
not?"
"I don't think she's a
threat to me," Ranma murmured.
"Don't you have a
plan?" Kasumi decided to put a hand around the redhead's shoulder. At
least then they would not be so lopsided.
"Yeah, slowly getting you
used to public displays of affection."
Kasumi sniffed and turned her
head.
"Women," Ranma
muttered.
"Oh don't play that
card." Kasumi taunted. "Who's the one wearing pants instead of a
dress? We won't even discuss hairstyles, makeup or jewelry."
"I wear pants."
"That aren't shiny
sprayed-on leather?"
"I've gotta look
good."
"You're a succubus,"
Kasumi quietly said. "You'd look good in anything."
Ranma laughed. "So, you
think Usagi'll blow me off? Is she even gonna bother coming?"
Kasumi maintained a straight
face and wondered if she was reading too much into what Ranma had just said.
"Observation teams did see Setsuna pick her up not too long ago."
"Mercury could already
have attacked and taken them," Ranma walked over to the next display for
the store and looked at a selection of leather boots.
"Possible, we don't know
what kind of form Miss Mizuno's attacks will take." Kasumi looked at the
shiny glass.
"I'm curious. She has a
lot of options for 'evil schemes'." Ranma's smile increased slightly.
"They're here,"
Kasumi tried to pull herself away.
"Spotted their
reflection?" Ranma released her hold on the officer's waist to slide
herself up against Setsuna, who had just walked up on the pair. "Oh nice,
Usagi," she purred as she eyed the blonde. "You brought a friend."
"Don't you have a
girlfriend now?" Setsuna eyed the short demon inches from her.
"Oh her, she's
cool." Ranma cooed.
"Yeah, got the suit and
dark sunglasses and everything." Kasumi flatly said.
Usagi tilted her head.
"That's not a suit. Sure the blouse and pants count, but your jacket is
too casual, and your glasses are on your head."
Kasumi sighed. "Not all
secret agents wear black suits, trench coats and fedoras or slinky
dresses."
"Your girlfriend
does," Setsuna said while staring at Ranma.
Ranma winked. "Come on,
have a taste, you know you want to."
"I think you're more
effective when you're not so blatant," Kasumi commented wryly.
"Yeah, that's how I got
you." Ranma winked at her, and then turned to Usagi. "So what do you
want to talk about? You set this meeting up before the Ami and Janet
stuff."
"Naru," Usagi
forcefully corrected.
"Sorry," Ranma's
eyes flicked to Setsuna's harsh gaze before returning to the blonde. "What
do you want to talk about?"
"Maybe... we should...
private?" Usagi's stumbling sequence of words appeared to end in a
question.
"Uh, let's try the
store," Ranma said.
Usagi's eyes caught the skimpy
black leather gown on display. "Yeah..."
Before entering Ranma turned
to Kasumi. "I'm sure you and Setsy can have some fun."
"Don't worry, I'll be
safe with Ranma," Usagi assured.
"Uh... right,"
Setsuna said to the retreating Senshi. "So, how is it, being mated to
Ranma?" she then asked Kasumi.
"We're not mates,"
Lieutenant Tendo firmly said.
"Oh," Setsuna
coughed and looked ahead. She never could relate to common soldier; they were
too practical. Lords and ladies, especially those with hereditary military
titles, were so much easier to handle.
Kasumi kept watch and made
sure her earpiece was working. Whiz-kids like Meiou were nothing but trouble.
They loved overcomplicated plans that showed how clever they were.
***************
"Well?" Ranma asked
as she tried on a set of gloves.
"I think we need to work
together." Usagi flinched, expecting the demon to laugh her off.
"I'm listening,"
Ranma said in an appreciative tone.
"We should work together.
You've got a team of Senshi, I've got a team of Senshi," Usagi quietly
explained.
"Yours is a few heads
smaller. How do you want to fix that?"
Ranma slipped the gloves off and then looked at another pair.
Usagi's eyes hardened.
"I'm going to free them and punish Murdock." Her tone promised pain
and justice.
"That's a goal, but you
need get from here to there." Ranma picked up another set of gloves and
sighed. "Really, metal studs in gloves. That'll chafe and look really
dumb."
"Yeah, that is
stupid." Usagi frowned. "Anyway, I'm worried, Ami's the one who comes up with a lot of or
plans, and checks all of them. And she's..."
Ranma rubbed the bridge of her
nose. "Yeah... you got hit good. And
you just can't count on stumbling onto the enemy or waiting for them to find
you.."
"It's worked before, and
we've managed to find enemy bases before." Usagi's voice became
despondent. "Of course Ami was a big help on that stuff; we can't count on
her now."
"Sure you can,"
Ranma chuckled. "Ami seemed plenty sharp last night."
"She knew we needed her."
Usagi looked to Ranma.
"At least you still have
Setsuna," Ranma mirthfully offered.
Usagi became quiet and watched
as Ranma tried on some boots. "It's all because of you," the blonde
said.
Ranma looked up from the
shin-high motorcycle boots. "Oh? Ain't my fault. You guys would have
eventually figured it out." She started unbuckling the boots.
"You're wrong,"
Usagi's voice had once again hardened.
Ranma looked up.
"We wouldn't have figured
it out. You saw it. Setsuna's paranoia's no the outside, and the rest of us
rely on Ami."
Ranma shrugged. "Minako
was starting to see through it."
"Ami could have strung us
along on that Mistress Lyra scheme. Rei still thinks Ami's being controlled by
Lyra." Usagi's voice became frantic. "Don't you see? If you hadn't
seen Virgo...."
"Ami would still be your friend,
and you would be spending today figuring out how to fight a nonexistent
enemy," Ranma said making eye contact as she slipped the boots off.
"I'd expect Ami to carefully and steadily draw you girls in. Maybe into an
ambush where you could be neutralized, maybe just corrupted over time, or even
take all of you out while you sleep."
Usagi shivered. "She was
our roommate. She would often sneak in late at night. We were used to it. You
saved us all." Her voice was hardly a whisper.
"I was just following a
lead." Ranma smiled. "Minako was the one that connected Ami to a
super villain."
The redhead
put her own boots back on. "And it was Ami who said 'Hell with this' and
revealed herself."
"Well, thank you
anyway." Usagi hesitated. Overcoming the fear and indecision, she then
gently hugged the startled demon. The blonde expected an apprehensive response,
not an enthused and engaged one.
Adding her arms to the hug,
Ranma eased into Usagi's embrace. She was on the brink of purring when she got
interrupted.
"Awww, that's
adorable," a teasing voice behind Usagi said.
Ranma's eyes widened. "I
didn't expect you here." She then smirked. "And you brought your
friend too."
Usagi froze. The voice did not
sound like Ami or Naru. The blonde turned her head and saw only a Japanese
brunette and a Caucasian blonde with short hair.
"Hi Sam! Hey Naoko!"
Ranma enthusiastically greeted while she still hugged Usagi. "You girls
finally get the courage to shop here?"
Naoko blushed. "Uh, no.
We were just walking past when we noticed your old girlfriend standing next to
Akane's older sister."
"Old girlfriend?"
Usagi asked, before she pulled her arms back and escaped the hug.
Ranma laughed. "There's
this rumor that Setsuna stood me up on a few dates or something."
"Yes, poor Red had her
delicate heart torn from her chest." Sam said with a hint of sarcasm.
"Figuratively of
course," Naoko added.
Sam appraised her pale friend.
"I'd imagine it's the other way when it comes to literally though."
Ranma blushed.
Usagi blinked. "No...
Setsuna never dated Sunshine. She's dating Kasumi."
"Kasumi? Nice
going." Sam gave Ranma a friendly nudge. "I never knew she was into
the lipstick lesbians."
Sam laughed. "Why not?
You've seen Akane and her new girlfriend."
"Yeah, I guess the
Tendo's really like sweet, gentle, and feminine Goth girls."
"I thought I was brooding
and dark," Ranma pouted.
"Oh no, you're cuddly and
sensitive." Sam eyed Ranma's leather skirt. "You just dress like the
main squeeze to a Hell's Angel."
"Oh careful. You don't
want to get Kasumi mad," Naoko teased.
"Now, now, she's very
nice."
"Makes sense that you'd
like strong women," Sam appraised. "She seemed stern and a bit
scary."
"So when are you going
back to school?" Naoko asked.
"You still have those
family issues?" Sam added.
Ranma looked down. "No
my... cousin's... gone."
"I'm sorry, I didn't
know. Did she at least die peacefully."
"Nope." Ranma tried
very hard and managed to conceal her smirk.
"Are you okay, Red?"
Naoko put her hand to Ranma's shoulder, and drew her friend into a hug. Sam
quickly joined.
"Yeah, but it hit some of
the family pretty hard. We're only now... ready."
"Will you be back into
school tomorrow?" Sam asked after the hug finished.
Ranma nodded.
"What about Nabiki? I
know it was a family thing, as she was out too." Sam noticed that Nariko
was out too, but that made some sense. The Kunos were close to both the
Saotomes and Tendos.
"She's transferred.
Different school."
"The same one that
Tatewaki transferred too?" Sam asked with a hint of skepticism.
"Uh, I think so."
Ranma hated lying to her fiends, especially when they were poor lies.
"So how are you
doing?" Naoko asked Usagi, purposefully ignoring Ranma's questionable
statements.
"Well... I..." Usagi
was at a loss. How come a predatory brood mother could relate to these girls,
but someone as straightforward as a magical princess could not?
"One of her friends is
being a real pain." Ranma verbally stepped in. "There's also some
problems with another old friend of Usagi's. She really feels betrayed by the
whole thing."
"Mind if we ask
who?" Sam inquired.
"I can trust you two on
this?"
"Of course," Sam
said, not bothering to hide her hurt.
"Sorry," Ranma
looked to Usagi who gave a vague motion that might have been consent.
"It's Ami. Ami Mizuno."
Naoko thought for a bit while
Sam looked at something that was suspiciously similar to a whip. "It's
about Janet too, isn't it?"
"Naoko, you can't think
every essentially inseparable pair of girls that are friends is a lesbian
couple. That's how rumors start," Sam reprimanded. "I'll admit, if
they were lesbians I wouldn't be shocked at all."
Usagi blinked.
Sam turned her attention back
to Ranma. "We should really hang out more."
"You and all your Gothy
friends," Naoko teased.
"Sure, we could go to a
bar or a club. I'd be fun." Ranma gave a saucy smile. She noticed the
amused blushes on her friends and recalled exactly what she said.. "Oh!
It! I meant to say "It" would
be fun!"
"I'm sure you would be
fun," Sam teased.
"Maybe we should pick
something out for you girls to wear?" Ranma asked with a blush. "This
is the perfect store for making an impression."
"I bet Ami shops here now
too," Usagi muttered.
Ranma laughed. "This is a
classy place," she said as she looked through the leather bikini tops.
"You could get us into a
bar?" Naoko asked.
"Sure. It's easy."
Ranma held up the bikini. The metal chains connecting the cups and providing
straps seemed far too gaudy.
"Hmm, okay." Sam
assumed that Sunshine got in using her charms and her "mature"
physique.
"Do you wanna come
too?" Naoko asked a dejected looking Usagi.
"I, well, I've got to get
things straightened out with Ami first."
Naoko shrugged.
"Sorry to hear that,
maybe next time," Sam said.
"What about our
thing?" Usagi asked Ranma, irritation entering her depressed voice.
"Oh yeah, I'll help you
with Ami when you want," Ranma said as she picked out a set of leather
pants and handed them to an embarrassed Naoko. "Just remember the kind of
help that I'll give."
"Er, yeah." Usagi
hesitated. "I just, I need to save her." She looked at Ranma's two
friends. "From herself."
Naoko looked at Usagi with an
unreadable expression on her face for a brief moment. "If you say
so."
Sam leaned in close and
whispered into Ranma's ear. "I think you should help her," she looked
at her fellow blonde briefly. "She's in a sorry state, just help her. I'll
find something risque for Naoko to wear while you do it."
Ranma nodded and lead Usagi to
the opposite side of the store.
"They know?" Usagi
asked.
Ranma rolled her eyes.
"They know that you want my advice, and that it's something private. You need a plan, now it's good that you've
realized how bad this could be." She held up her hand, cutting Usagi off.
"How long has Ami been on your team?"
"She was the first,
before her-" Usagi's voice turned maudlin. "- it was just Naru. Then
more Senshi came, and we drifted apart."
"Then Ami knows exactly
how you fight." Ranma looked into Usagi's eyes. "You've got to take
the fight to her, you have to be proactive." The redhead paused to recall
the last word.
"You mean hunt her
down?"
Ranma smiled. "I knew you
could figure it out. Setsuna has her sources and the Company can help some.
Track her down by whatever means you can."
"Maybe Rei can get a
vision on her," Usagi pondered.
Ranma nodded. "And this
time Ami won't be there to interpret it for you."
"What about fights?"
The demon paused. She was not
sure what to make about Usagi's tone. It was still depressed, but seemed
somehow expectant. "Those are chances to beat her, but she knows what you
can do, and she has that book. That said, you've got the edge on her in raw
power and purification, right?"
"Maybe I should take out
Murdock first. Break the control." Usagi's hands clenched.
"Looks like the Princess
has some anger in her after all." Ranma smirked. "And that's a great
idea. Take him out and the rest would be easier."
Usagi looked up and for a few
seconds they were clear and decisive. "You know what he did to me, to you.
He uses people, destroys their lives, warps their minds and bodies, kills them.
He will be Punished," she echoed her words but this time with decisive
conviction.
"Sometimes you really are
your mother's daughter."
Usagi's gaze softened. "I
know. I'm afraid."
"Good," Ranma
stretched. "Things are going to be difficult. Fear keeps you from being
complacent, but don't let it rule you getting consumed with worry will just
waste time, time you can spend doing stuff."
"I know Ami's not wasting
her time." Usagi laughed bitterly. "Not then and not now."
"Then you should make
sure your girls don't waste their time." Ranma then looked to see Naoko
trying to get Sam a bright red PVC cat-suit. "That thing won't fit
her."
"It's also not her color,"
Usagi grumbled.
Ranma turned back to the
blonde. "I like this assertive side you're starting to show."
Usagi nodded slowly.
"Well, I should go. Setsuna wants to talk with the others. I'll tell them
my plan then. Thanks for the help." She gave the demoness a quick hug
before leaving the store and reuniting with Setsuna.
"You're welcome,"
Ranma said as she watched the two Senshi leave. She wagered it would take more
to get Usagi to really learn, but she was starting to come around. Ranma
shrugged and returned to her friends.
***************
"And here's where Silva
explains the parts of the succubus body," Nodoka said to the sleepy
succubae who lounged around her. The succubus reading primer had a cute picture
of Silva succubus pointing to a diagram of another succubus who had various
parts of her body labeled. Nodoka ran through the list of bodyparts: cornu,
caput, mamae, arma, cubitum, secus, femur, crus, and pes.
"Are you sure that's the
right pronunciation?" Nabiki asked as she nuzzled her grandmother's
shoulder.
"I took some Latin in
university and the start of this book has a pretty good pronunciation
guide." Nodoka shrugged. "But you really can't learn to pronounce a
language from books. At least you'll be
able to read and have some understanding if someone speaks it."
"That will let us read
the books Great-grandma gave us," Ukyou said. She then nudged Misako who
had started to doze off.
The green-eyed succubus
mumbled sleepily and tried to put her attention back to the book.
"There will be a quiz
when we're done," Nodoka reminded.
Misako pouted.
"At least it's not
grammar, well today." Akane corrected herself.
Nariko's red eyes perked up.
"But I thought you two
wanted to be proper succubae?" Nabiki innocently asked Akane and Misako.
"Learning our family's language and culture is a big part of that."
"That's right,"
Nodoka beamed as she turned to the next page. She was interrupted before she
could read the text that accompanied Silva standing with a larger and
older-looking demoness.
"Hi Mom!" Nariko
happily greeted.
Ranma froze and studied the
tableau. Her mother was in the middle of a pile of succubae as if it were the
most natural thing in the world. The redhead smirked, stripped, sat down, and
slid in. Moving off Nodoka's side to allow Ranma in, Akane then put her head on
her mother's lap.
"How was the
meeting?" Nodoka asked, as she hugged her daughter hello.
"Pretty good
really." Ranma stretched her arms. "Usagi's taking things seriously,
Ami might not have realized what she's started. Plus Sam and Naoko showed up,
so I got to help them shop."
"They pick out anything
fun?" Akane asked.
"Nothing too wild I'm
afraid, but it should look fun when they go out with us."
"We're going out?"
Misako's eyes twinkled. She had not visited a good club in a while.
"When?"
"Dunno, we can talk to
them at school. Work out the details. Maybe the Red Turtle. Though that place
can be a bit too mellow."
"Not on Wednesdays and
Fridays. They have live music those days. Ayanami says some of the acts are
pretty good." Nodoka said.
"Neat, that could work
then."
"What about me?"
Nabiki asked.
"What? You'll come of
course."
"Uh Mom, look at me. I
don't think I'll pass as nineteen as easily as the rest of you," Nabiki
dryly reminded.
"So? You've done the bar
thing before with Alexia."
"Don't remind me,"
Nabiki frowned.
"Sorry Honey," Ranma
reached over to comfort her. "I was just trying to say it's not something
to worry about."
"Well, what about Naoko
and Sam? They knew me from before, and I'm not like Akane. I can't just be
explained away by becoming a Goth-lesbian-punk-girl."
"Yeah, you're more of a
Gothic-Lolita-pink-lace-lesbian," Akane evaluated.
"Gee, thanks sis."
"Well, you're about half
a foot shorter, have a much more youthful face and a more slender physique,
save for your breasts. There's also how you dress and carry yourself now."
Ranma shrugged as her tail curled about. "People will see a resemblance,
but no one would think you're Nabiki."
"I am Nabiki."
"You know what I
mean," Ranma could tell the hurt in her daughter's voice was feigned.
"You're still Yuki too. Your Senshi name is Sailor Yuki. Your fashion
style is like hers and you're trying to give me the puppy-dog eyes while making
your lower lip quiver."
"Our saccharine succubus
mom is supposed to submit to saturated sweetness," Nabiki remarked.
Ranma crossed her arms in
front of her chest. "You're as bad as Nari-chan, you know?"
"Given that she's the
reason you're the Mom you are today, that's a compliment."
"Cute," Ranma's
resistance crumbled and she scooped Nabiki in close, displacing Akane to her
side.
"We'll figure out
something for Sam and Naoko." Ranma put her arms around Nabiki.
"Though, I think they're pretty on the ball. They knew that Ami and Janet
were together."
"We should really find
them ourselves." Misako proposed as she snuggled onto Ukyou's chest.
"You just want to see her
corset in person," the blonde accused her mate.
"Yup!"
"I'm amazed that a human
Senshi could actually come up with a uniform that wasn't a fashion disaster.
Though all that ice over her crotch and ass can't be fun," Ukyou admitted.
"You mean her secus and
pyga?" Nabiki teased.
"She probably likes the
cold," Ranma said as she slid more from her mother's side to her front.
"Should we go back to the
book?" Nodoka asked as she patted her daughter on the head, careful to
avoid her horns.
Despite this, Ranma still
purred and nuzzled her head. The motion caused Nodoka's bra to get out of
position.
"Sure, I think we're
ready," Nabiki said.
"Yeah," Nariko
agreed as she slid in behind Nodoka.
"Okay." As Nodoka
reopened the book and flipped to the next page she found herself easing
backwards. She then paused. "Nari-chan dear, can you please move your
tail. The tickling is distracting."
"Sorry," Nariko
blushed and adjusted herself.
"It's fine," Nodoka
tried to adjust her bra but found her daughter's head in the way.
"I can unhook it for
you?" Nariko helpfully offered. "Or give you a nice backrub?"
Nodoka considered. This
morning had been full of stressful hassles. Acquiring the necessary machining
equipment had been a pain. "Yes, that would be nice." She smiled as
Nariko went to work, and then resumed the reading.
***************
"Mistress," Orion
gently interrupted the blue-haired Senshi, with her head bowed.
"Yes?" Mercury said
looking up from the display next to her. She then waved for Orion to rise to
her full height.
"It's about the meeting
between the Princess and DarkStar," Orion said.
"You weren't
spotted."
Orion was not sure whether her
Mistress had asked a question or made a statement. "Not that I know,"
she said, opting for the safe response.
Mercury's eyes darted back to
the display. She then typed in a few commands and leaned back in her, modest,
throne. "You placed the probe before they had arrived."
"Yes," Orion eyed
the comfortable and unadorned high-backed chair. She had expected a more
foreboding structure, but upon reflection Orion reevaluated her view. Mistress
Mercury would never be one to rely on some piece of furniture to prove her
status. Similarly her hair was up in a simple bun, and her jewelry was Spartan
silver with ice gems.
"It's an interesting
challenge," Mercury mused. "How to make devices that are invisible to
Setsuna's meddling and to those human... observers."
"There's also the demons
and their senses," Orion respectfully added. This time it was easy to setup
surveillance. Mercury knew about the meeting and its location ahead of time.
Mercury smiled thinly.
"Yes, we must not forget them. What do you think of their
conversation?"
"The Princess aims to
forge an alliance. She's resolved to take action against us." Orion said
carefully. She had seen what her Mistress was capable of, but knew that a
sycophantic evaluation would not be wise.
Mercury laughed and re-crossed
her legs. She idly adjusted the skirting to her dark blue silk evening dress.
"Interesting. She's making a plan, good. I would be very disappointed in
the Princess if she just sat back and took it."
Orion studied her mistress. She
swore that today's corset was a bit tighter, but more important was the bust
increase. Her eyes slid over to the statuary next to the throne.
Unsurprisingly, the detail was amazing.
Mercury started tapping her
manicured nails with deliberate impatience. "Are you enjoying your
view?"
"Oh yes, Mistress,"
Orion blushed and bowed.
"I appreciate it, but
don't be too servile." Mercury cautioned. "The Princess aims to fight?
Good. I want her to learn from this."
"I would assume you'd
want the Princess to move into her chambers here sooner rather than
later," Orion stated. The townhouse they were currently inhabiting,
generously funded by their backer, had ample room for all the Senshi.
"If things had gone
better last night she would have moved in here within a fortnight."
Mercury glowered. Her original plan was to leverage the Mistress Lyra threat
to get them to move into this newly acquired place.
Convincing Setsuna to make the
purchase would have been the hard part, but Mercury was sure that the others
would find this place irresistible. Once the Senshi were moved in she could
have initiated the next phase. Mercury sighed. Things would not be that easy.
She thanked her foresight in making contingency plans.
"The Princess will be
living here soon enough," Mercury promised.
"She is the most
sympathetic to our cause," Orion laughed.
"Maybe not," Mercury
said as she looked at her display again. "Maybe the Princess's new ally
would be more open to us." She turned to the statue and smiled.
"I think DarkStar would
approve," Orion remarked. Virgo did make a good objet d'art. The icy glaze
that kept the presentation in position added a new layer to the piece.
"Are you sure?"
Mercury frowned. "She prefers more... visceral punishments." She
stood up and walked the short distance, her heels clicking on the floor.
"Visceral?" Orion
asked, puzzling over the term's use. "She does like organs and is a more
emotional and instinctual creature."
Mercury smiled thinly.
"That and her enemies have the pleasure of being eviscerated as they're
being eaten, of course."
"Of course," Orion
agreed.
She caressed the frozen cheek
and smirked at the smoldering eyes. "I am not nearly so exuberant or
emotional in my desires. Physical pain is only part of it, and it would be such
a shame to ruin these nice hardwood floors."
"I think DarkStar would
understand that," Orion ventured as she walked closer to her mistress.
"I suppose," Mercury
looked Virgo up and down, her eyes lingering on Virgo's chest. She smirked.
"Have you learned your lesson?" she asked the purple-haired statue.
Virgo tried with all her will
to escape the icy prison. Physical strength proved ineffective, and her powers
had been controlled by Mercury. Her face could not even change its position.
She was stuck in an alluring pout.
Mercury put a gloved hand to
her lip in thought. "If not, I suppose I can start freezing your limbs.
Would that make things clear enough for you?"
"Would you like to resume
training or have dinner?" Orion asked, turning away from the icy statue.
"Well, Virgo is currently
indisposed, and will be for a while," Mercury frowned. Virgo was a good
trainer and a fair cook too.
"We could train with the
caster. I had just finished testing the room's shielding," Orion offered. Before
she planted the bug she had been working in that basement room. "There
won't be any magical leakage."
"While it was nice of our
benefactor to furnish us with that facility, I am disappointed by the
capabilities it had," Ami said as she smiled inwardly. Just a few short
months ago the caster was nearly impossible, and now...
"We did just finish
upgrading the caster's power," Orion reminded.
"Yes," Mercury
turned to Orion. "Are you sure about the shielding?"
"Planning to go all out
tonight?" Orion asked with a smirk. "And yes, it's checked out and
ready."
"Good, I don't want
anybody to sniff out my efforts," Mercury laughed.
"Would you like dinner
before hand? I could cook if you desire."
Mercury gave a noncommittal
shrug.
"At least the wine cellar
is well stocked," Orion weakly offered.
"And how are your skills
as a sommelier?" Mercury asked.
"A what?" Orion
delicately asked.
Mercury contained her disappointment.
"You should have been able to figure that out via context."
"I'm sorry
Mistress," Orion tried to kneel down but found herself being held up. She
looked to see Mercury's cold features gently thaw.
"Thank you," Orion
said as she fell onto Mercury's cool, but loving, embrace.
Mercury pulled Orion back to
her feet, and kissed her. "I am eternally thankful for the changes you
brought within me. Never forget that."
"I won't," Orion
said with a secret smile.
***************
"Hello, my name's Nabiki
Saotome," the girl dressed in her Saint Helena uniform introduced herself
to her new classmates.
"Maybe you could tell us
more about yourself?" Miss Agnew asked the eager and young student.
"I'm the youngest of five
sisters." Nabiki paused and wondered how exactly to play this. Glancing at
the bored students before her, she made her decision. "My favorite color's
pink. I'm studying my family history now. Many mark my mother as a monster.
Mainly malevolent misfits that must meet their maker."
"Clever wordplay,"
Miss Agnew pleasantly offered. Her new student's transcripts indicated a very
bright and driven student.
Nabiki smiled. Fun was
definitely the better way to go. "Thank you. I think I'll find this
experience informative."
"Uh, that's very
nice." Miss Agnew hesitated. She was reminded by "Village of the
Damned" Those children were pale and gifted too. She pointed an empty seat
for Nabiki to take.
The powder-blue-haired girl
sat down and opened her backpack. She closed her eyes and briefly smiled at the
bare connection. Mother was trying her best and actually managed to connect to
her. Nabiki's thoughts on how long her mom could keep it up were interrupted
however.
"Wow, you're pretty
dolled up," A girl with her hair in a ponytail to the side remarked.
Nabiki looked over her thin,
frameless, and nonfunctional reading glasses. The girl would be pretty, if not
for the overdone eyeliner. "I like pink and am cute. What's your
excuse?"
"Your makeup makes
you look fourteen," the girl shot back.
"I am," Nabiki then
gave an adorable smile. "And I suppose you're really the malodorous corpse
of a prostitute that serviced circus folk."
The overly made-up girl's face
reddened in anger and she prepared a retort, but there was something about the
innocent face that was... upsetting.
Nabiki smirked inwardly and
turned her attention to the teacher. Maybe this could be fun.
***************
"You guys like being back
in school?" Naoko asked Ranma and her... friends
"Things feel a bit more
normal," Nariko admitted as she picked at her lunch.
"I can see that," Sam
stated. Their table had suddenly gotten much fuller. She turned to the new
addition to the group. She was apparently another cousin or something to
Sunshine. Though she was awfully familiar with Ranma's other cousin Ukyou.
"What do you think Misako?"
"The uniforms aren't bad,
I guess." Misako frowned. At least they were not jumpers.
"I still think we should
all wear ones like... Red's old uniform," Akane grumbled.
"I don't know about
that," Ranma shrugged.
"There's enough of us now
to make a good set."
"You know that old
uniform of mine still has a skirt," Ranma reminded.
"Better than this
one," Akane said fingering the hem of hers.
Naoko looked over to the table
where her redhead friend's other other acquaintances sat at. The decreased
number was not unexpected. She and Sam did learn about the falling out
yesterday, but it did remind her. "Huh, so anyone know what happen to Ami
and Janet? They're not in school today."
"Nope." Ranma then
went back to her food. She concentrated to sense Nabiki. Despite the distance
the connection remained strong.
"Must be related to their
fight with Usagi," Sam guessed.
"Yeah, probably
that."
"So... uniforms
then?" Misako asked.
"We could vote on
it," Nariko offered.
"What about you
guys?" Ukyou asked Naoko and Sam. "You want darker uniforms with
fishnets? I'm sure we can make something in your size."
Naoko blushed while Sam was
contemplative.
Ranma looked at the others.
"I don't even think we need a vote. I mean do any of you want the normal
uniform?"
Naoko sipped her juice.
"Well, maybe not every day."
"Oh that's not part of
the fun," Sam pouted.
"I er... I guess,"
Naoko pulled back from the others slightly. "So any idea on us going
out?"
"There's the Red Turtle;
they'll have some live music on Wednesday," Ranma offered.
"You've been there?"
Sam asked.
"What's it like?"
Naoko inquired.
"Nice, mellow. I've never
been there when they have music, but if it's bad we can do something
else." Ranma went back to her lunch.
"And don't worry about
the age thing," Ukyou added.
"Especially if you wear
anything Sunny helped you buy," Nariko reminded.
"That reminds me,"
Ranma pushed around some of her lunch. "Someone else will be coming with
us."
"Another cousin of
yours?" Sam asked.
"Uh yeah," Ranma
coughed.
"You'll like
Yuki-chan," Misako assured.
"I'm sure she'll be
great; she's a part of your family," Sam said as she looked at each of the
pale girls in turn.
"Thanks," Ranma said
blushing with pride.
Naoko nodded in agreement. She
vaguely wondered why this new friend of Ranma's was not in school, but she let
it slide. There were plenty of reasons: Yuki doesn't live around here, she goes
to a different school, or the like. Regardless, she trusted the redhead.
***************
Nabiki frowned as she walked
down the hall. This was not fun. "Yes, I am developed," she said to a
boy. "You know, if you want to be lewd you might as well give a good shot
at it."
"What?" the
short-haired boy asked. "You're just a big bimbo."
Nabiki sighed. "You
impotent little moron. That doesn't make any sense. I'm clearly smarter than
all of you and I'm not big; I'm short."
"Girly little
brain," he sniffed and walked off.
"That's actually better,
though not an insult," Nabiki yelled to his retreating back. She growled
and resumed walking down the hallway.
"Are you alright?"
Miss Agnew asked after approaching the pale girl. She felt apprehensive, but it
was part of the job.
Nabiki looked up to the
teacher. "Yes."
"Are you sure? I've seen
your performance today."
"Performance?"
Nabiki idly played with the pair of the bows in her hair.
Miss Agnew felt that something
was amiss. She remained silent as her student moved from her hair to checking
her too cute makeup.
"Yes, your performance.
You're a brilliant student, but you're not good at making friends." Miss
Agnew explained.
Nabiki put away her compact.
"I'm not that interested in making friends with children like this."
"Aren't you younger than
the other students?"
"Disappointing isn't
it," Nabiki sighed.
Miss Agnew shivered slightly.
"Yes, that is bad, but the class work will get better."
"I doubt it." Nabiki
then noticed the hurt on her teacher's face. "You're a fine teacher,
but...." She shrugged.
"You've been advanced a
year already," Miss Agnew cautioned. "Maybe you need to grow your
social skills some, keep a bit of pace with your academic ones."
"That would make the
fools around me even more insufferable," Nabiki replied.
Miss Agnew frowned. "Are
you sure? That's awfully cynical of an attitude. You sound almost like a
teacher."
Nabiki laughed. She was sure Yuki would have been happy here. Accommodatingly
cute was a great way to make friends, but Mother had to be supportive and
nurture her dreams. "I guess we just have to make the most of our
situation."
"You'll try to be less
brash with your classmates?" Miss Agnew asked as they neared the front
doors.
"Not exactly,"
Nabiki opened the doors and noticed her ride.
Miss Agnew frowned at the pair
of people leaning on an idling van that Nabiki ran to. The male one was
casually nondescript. He had short black hair and wore clothes that made him
look like any white collar drone. The dark sunglasses and stance added a bit
too much "forced coolness" for Agnew's tastes.
The other person waiting was
something else. She looked like a biker babe that had settled down enough to
have kids and a permanent address. The woman's sinfully teased crimson tresses
induced pangs of envy in the teacher. The way the leather pants, coat, and silk
blouse hung from the woman's body caused another pang.
Agnew then watched the redhead
happily scoop up Nabiki and pull the younger girl off her feet. After the warm
embrace, Nabiki and her mother, it had to be a mother, went into the van. The
relation was obvious, both had the same complexion, and Agnew could see where
Nabiki got her assets from.
The nondescript man lingered
just long enough to give Miss Agnew a funny salute with his thumb and pointer
finger connected, held over his eye, and then tipped foreword and out.
It was only after he had
slipped into the front passenger seat of the van and it had driven off that
Agnew realized something. The redhead who had easily lifted Nabiki off her feet
was almost the exact same height as her daughter.
***************
"Now, you're not so sure
about that school?" Ranma asked her daughter. She and Nabiki were at the
kitchen table. On the ride home, Nabiki had explained her day.
"Well maybe," Nabiki
looked down at her Saint Helena uniform. "I don't know if high school
would be that much better."
"Oh?"
"Well, I'm not sure
things will be better if I'm a freshmen. Then the ages will be even more
apparent, but they will be older."
"And high schoolers are
supposed to be tragically jaded and sarcastic," Ranma sweetly reminded.
"Thanks Mom," Nabiki
laughed. "It was a bit of a shock, I didn't think it would be so..."
She shook her head. "I'm just too damn cute."
Misako had entered the room
and poured herself some juice. "Sure you don't want to go to high school
just because the stock's a bit more mature?"
Ranma turned to Misako.
"What did I say about draining horny teenage boys?"
"That it's way too easy
and none of those pathetic meat-bags are worthy to touch the glorious flesh of
someone from this family?"
"Close enough.
Interesting choice of words too." She said with deliberate delicateness.
Misako stood very still.
"Yes, Mother." She said slowly as she replaced the juice bottle.
Nabiki saw her sister falter
and stepped in. "It's not like she's calling all humans meat-bags. Just
those ones at school."
Misako coughed. "Yes, the
humans we work with are great people." She stepped from her mother.
"Yes, they are,"
Ranma continued, seemingly ignoring her daughter's fear. "But those boys
at school, they're just teenagers. It's their nature."
"Yes, you're right."
Misako said before quickly leaving the room.
"That was mean,"
Nabiki quietly and told her mother.
"Was it?" Ranma
shrugged. "You'll be changing the type of fools you have to deal
with." She shook her head. There was a slight buzzing in the back of her
head. It faded and she dismissed it.
"But I'll be with my big
sisters, and you."
"I know." Ranma knew
that it would be more secure too. Nabiki would not be alone. The surveillance
teams would also be consolidated. "It's your choice." She frowned the
sensation had returned.
Nabiki looked down. "I
think I'll know by tomorrow. I mean, I kind of want to fit in more, and what if
moving doesn't help?"
"That sounds fine,
Honey," Ranma reassured as she activated her phone.
"Yes, Maya?" Ranma
asked, recognizing the voice. "Is there anything going on?"
Maya blinked, she was just about to call her. "Yes, we
just detected a body in the dojo. We're not picking up an NH pattern, looks
like a short man, just standing there. Were you expecting a visitor?"
Agent Maya Iverson asked.
"No," Ranma said her
voice growing cold. Akane and Ukyou were going to train in a few minutes but
there was nothing now. "No Pattern?"
"No, nothing. Maybe
human."
Ranma stood up. "Nabiki
bring the others down. It looks like we have another trespasser." She then
put her head back to the phone. "Maya any idea how this happened?"
Ranma asked as she unfolded her senses.
"There was some
electrical interference. We're getting more information," Maya apologized.
"Do you want support?"
"Have them on
standby," Ranma focused on the dojo and picked out its occupant. It was
human, but... She was reminded of the Senshi or Assemblymen. Both were modified
human, but this person was... different, and he was staying in the same spot.
Ranma shrugged and casually
walked over to the outbuilding. She slid the door open and prepared herself.
What she found was a diminutive old man standing in front of the shrine. His
hands were clasped behind his back and he looked like he was in an art gallery.
"You wouldn't happen to
be a relative of mine?" Ranma asked in jest as shadows started to build
and pool around her.
"I was really worried. I
was afraid my lousy students would be lousy teachers, but here's their dojo and
it's full of such... fascinating smells. You girls have been very busy in
here." The man slowly turned to face her. He studied her with an amazed
look as if the redhead had exceeded his expectations.
"You taught my father?
Soun too? Oh dear," Ranma sighed. Even if this coot were telling the truth
things could be a pain.
"I see Nodoka's
influence," the old man noted, appraisingly.
"And the horns?"
Ranma asked walking over to him. "You have no idea how dumb you've
been."
"Oh?" He looked the
woman over. "Well, you only live once," he blurred and pounced at
Ranma. He made contact with the demoness and just before he could get a grope
in felt a hand slide between him and her chest. There was a flash of pain and
he released and bounded away.
His robe had a series of
horizontal slashes that had blood oozing through in a few spots. "Still
worth it."
Ranma blinked. "You...
you tried to drain me? What?"
"I like pretty
ladies," the old man shrugged.
"Succubae drain human
males, not the other way around," Ranma lectured, watching him carefully.
"You're not going to keep
an old man from having his fun." He then sobbed.
"Fun?" Ranma asked.
"You want us to bring in
the old guys?" Ukyou shouted from the back door to the house.
"Uh, sure," Ranma
said rubbing her chest with one hand.
"Oh good, so they are
home," the old man laughed. He then watched as five smirking women in a
box formation led his two students into the dojo. He felt that he had died and
gone to... well someplace that had very nice women who were no doubt amenable
to an old man's simple wishes.
"Explain," Ranma
ordered her father, pointing to the old man.
"You're looking well,
Master," Genma said as he used a move Ranma immediately recognized: The
Crouch of the Wild Tiger.
"Yes, it's good to see
you Master Happosai," Soun said, entering a similarly submissive position.
"Um.... he really is your
teacher?" Ranma asked.
"He is the founder and
grandmaster of our School," Genma said.
"At least the new
generation seems better," Happosai noted.
"Was he always... into
breasts?" Ranma asked
"The Master is a virile
man and enjoys the pleasures of the flesh," Soun said, hedging his words.
"Meaning?" Ranma
asked impatiently as she looked at her father's teacher.
"He likes to grope women
and take their underwear. He had an impressive collection," Genma
admitted.
"That's no doubt
moth-ridden, thanks to you," Happosai grumbled.
"Right, he's diminutive,
grizzled martial arts master, that likes a quick fondle and a souvenir?"
"Don't you try to ruin my
fun."
"Uh, I've got a grandma
who invaded Earth with a demonic army. If you get your kicks by having some
hardly even dirty fun. I ain't gonna care."
"Oh, you've made me so
happy!" Happosai beamed.
"Course if you touch my
kids, there won't even be any bones left." Ranma smiled warmly.
"Kids?" Happosai
asked.
"Yes, they're mine.
What's it too you?"
The old man pulled out a pipe.
"That explains the scents and ki in here. It's all related and so very
strong."
"So, what? You just
dropping in?"
"Well, I had to escape
that little cave-in that those two -" the old man pointed to Genma and Soun.
"- setup. It took a few years, but I managed."
Ranma smirked. "You
actually tried to kill your master, Pops?" She laughed. "Figures you
wouldn't make sure the body was good and dead."
"Pitiful isn't it?"
Happosai agreed. "They got me drunk enough to pass out. They could have
ended me then, but they didn't have the stone to do it themselves."
"And they just left you
to die in a cave," Misako surmised.
Happosai looked forlornly at
the green-eyed demonesses. "You sure they're your kids?"
"Yes, their age from
birth is... I mean I turned them, well turned them to my brood." Ranma
coughed. "They're mine."
Happosai waved it off. "I
know about succubae. It's only natural given my hobby." He grinned
lecherously. "I remember that Genma had a son for one."
"Yeah, well, things
changed."
"And now you're a sexy
succubus."
"This must be some kinda
dream for you right?" Ranma snorted.
Happosai paused. "Well,
you don't mind the bras. You're not weak like your father. Killer body that's
oh so snuggly. Kids that at least seem competent. It's getting there."
He then walked over to the
corner of the dojo and tugged at a large sack. After nearly a minute of
rummaging he then bounded to Ranma. "Here," he said handing a violet
object over.
The redhead held the bra up.
It was silk and was a bit overwrought in its lace detailing. "Not bad,
it's the right cup and band size. Good eye on that."
Happosai looked contemplative.
"You're a demon, and you do martial arts."
"Yeah, had to modify the
school." Ranma said with pride. "New balance, extra limbs, flying,
and that stuff."
"I'd like to see that.
Now, are you going to try it on?" Happosai asked leeringly.
Ranma shrugged and slipped out
of her shirt and pulled off her bra. She smirked at the old man's reaction and
quickly pulled on the new one. "Geeze, they're just boobs. Chill
out."
"Oh you've made an old
man so very happy," he sobbed. Noticing Ranma's old bra, Happosai ran up
to it. "Such silky bliss," he said, rubbing the undergarment to his
face.
"Wow, you really are a
dirty old man," Ranma said fascinated it was like watching some type of
reptile at work. The old man was
aesthetically extremely unappealing, but... the draining was interesting; it
was like he learned some demonic biology. She then smirked when the
summoned clothing started to disintegrate.
"No!" Happosai cried
as the bra started to dissolve. He tried to hold onto it, but the garment
decayed, eventually becoming insubstantial wisps. "Why did you do
that?" he asked pitifully.
"It's just how things
work." Clothing summoned by a succubus tended to fade when separated from
its creator. Though the rate of decay could be controlled.
"Does it happen with all
your clothes?"
Ranma smiled evilly.
"Oh that's not fair. Not fair at all," Happosai pouted.
"I hope your girls aren't as plainly dressed as you."
Misako smiled. "Finally,
someone who agrees with me."
"I'm not that fond of
frilly stuff," Ranma said crossing her arms over he chest.
"Yes, you're more of a
sexy functional," Happosai said appraisingly. "So what's are these
modified moves like?"
"That a challenge?"
Ranma asked, shifting into her violet Lycra unitard.
"Oh, I like spunk,"
Happosai smirked.
***************
The first thing Major Saotome
noticed was the jagged hole in the dojo's roof. It was above the front entrance
and quite large. Nodoka then caught a glimpse of the sparring. The visuals from
base did not do it justice.
She silently watched as two
figures danced around each other. Fast, predatory grace defined her daughter's
powerful moves, but her diminutive opponent was even nimbler and difficult to
track with the naked eye. Nodoka could telll that it was, surprisingly, an
older man her daughter was facing. THe
officer then noticed four of her granddaughters itently observing the match.
The man noticed Nodoka's
presence and bounded over to her. "Hi No-chan. Long time no see."
Ranma used the opportunity and
tried to grapple him to the ground, but the old master wormed out of her grip.
"Attacking while my back
was turned," Happosai shook his head.
Ranma smirked, and wiped her
brow.
"Nice touch that."
Happosai turned back to Nodoka. "You've got a good kid. Spirited, but
she's not too respectful of her elders."
"Groping old goat,"
Ranma grumbled as she caught her breath. "You still kept goin' after my
boobs."
"You were free to stop
me," Happosai smirked.
"I see you haven't
changed much," Nodoka remarked. Of course her husband's lecherous teacher
had retured. Of course.
Happosai smiled broadly.
"What's with the soldier getup? You with these other guys?"
"Yes, I wanted to find my
daughter and they offered to help," Nodoka explained. There was also the
pride of her work, knowing how it helped agents, but there was no need to tell
him that.
"Ranma was a girl that
long ago?"
"Nope." Ranma
adjusted her unitard.
"Ah so, Genma did take
you on that training trip," Happosai remarked. He looked the sweaty
succubus over. "Didn't do to badly with that at least."
Ranma beamed. "You're not
to shabby yourself. Been a long time since I sparred like that."
"You were holding back,
though," Happosai remarked.
"Yeah, I didn't use my
claws, tail spines, or fireballs. Would be a shame to shorten the fun,"
Ranma smiled toothily.
"Fun? You call me hitting
you mercilessly as you lumbered around fun?"
"Feh, it wasn't that
bad."
"You were sent flying
through the roof," Happosai remarked.
"So? I came right
back."
Happosai nodded. "It is
handy having a student that won't get worn down, not like that pair of
idiots."
"I have tea," Nariko
said as she walked up to the dojo carrying a tray.
"Ranma's a very serious
student," Nodoka said.
"Yes it shows. She's a
lot like you," Happosai blurred and then latched onto her chest. "Oh
I've missed this, such-" He was cut off as a tail raked over his body,;
the old master released avoiding the razor fillaments.
"I know you're happy to
see grandma, but it's impolite to be grabby," Nariko gently chastised as
she put down the tea set. She idly swished her tail.
"Thank you
Nari-chan," Nodoka complimented.
"That's great,
Honey," Ranma said hugging her daughter.
Happosai shook his head and
pulled himself back to his feet. "Ouch... why didn't you use that on
me?" he asked Ranma as he patted the burn marks on his clothes.
"Because my tail would
dice you apart."
"Fine, ruin all my
fun," Happosai pouted.
Ranma rolled her eyes.
"Oh please, we're not a bunch of prudes."
"I wouldn't want to be
touched by a wrinkled old man," Akane commented. The elderly master disturbed her in unnatural
ways.
Ranma tilted her head.
"You know Happi, I think Akane volunteered for the next sparring
match."
Happosai smirked. "I like
the way you think, Red."
"Training shouldn't be a
cakewalk. You decided to track Genma down? What'd you do, find out where Drake
was living?"
"Not exactly,"
Happosai said as he sized up Akane.
"Mom?" Akane asked.
She did not want to be touched by this... unnatural thing. Succubae were
supposed to be the dominant ones not humans.
"You'll be fine,"
Ranma waved a hand. "So how did you find us?"
"It was weird. I was
enjoying the generous donations of some very lovely ladies when a gaijin priest
sat down next to me." Happosai smiled fondly.
"Priest?" Nodoka
asked.
Ranma coughed.
"We got to talking and it
turns out he was a friend of The Drake: the crazy third wheel to my idiot
students."
"And of course he knew
where to find the Drake," Ranma sighed. How predictable.
"And where Soun lived
too, funny guy. Was really loose for a priest." Happosai shrugged.
"Pardon?" Nodoka
then exchanged a glance with Ranma.
"Describe him,"
Ranma asked.
"Average enough guy. Grey
eyes I guess. Fidgeted a bit. You know, just a guy." Happosai paused.
"Nothing more
specific?"
"I don't pay attention to
guys. Not my thing," Happosai shrugged.
"He give a name?"
Ranma asked guessing who it was.
"Minister
Prembrose."
"First name Murdock by
any chance?"
"He didn't give it, but
maybe."
"We have some pictures of
Murdock you can look at," Nodoka offered.
"It's probably him,"
Ranma sighed. "Okay, why would he do that?"
Happosai gave a measured look.
"He wanted me here. That's obvious. So you know this guy? What's his
deal?"
"He's just some mook that
likes causin' trouble," Ranma explained.
The old master eyed the redhead. At least she was a fair lair.
"We believe he is trying
to orchestrate events," Nodoka said.
"Take over the world,
dark conspiracies, back room dealings," Ranma's tone was disdainful and
bored.
"Aren't you a demon
that's working with some sort of secret military thing?" Happosai asked.
"I've got a good thing
with them."
"Now who to train,"
Happosai pondered. "My lousy students or your kids?"
"You never did properly
greet them," Ranma smirked.
"And they haven't left yet,"
Nodoka helpfully added. "They're still in the den drinking."
***************
"I can't believe there
wasn't anything in Ami's room," Makoto said as she looked at the cold
beverages.
"What, you expect her to
have an 'I heart Mistress Lyra' poster in her room?" Rei asked as she
looked around the convenience store. She saw the two blondes over by the frozen
foods aisle looking morose.
"There could have been
some notes or plans," Makoto defended.
"Why? She kept everything
on her computer," Rei pulled a bottle of pop out. "I'm disappointed
that Janet's mom didn't have any info."
"What? Setsuna talked to
her. Doctor Fraiser thinks her daughter is at space camp or something out in
Colorado," Makoto frowned.
"Clearly, they got to
her, messed with her mind," Rei scowled.
"Her mind was already
messed with. Janet couldn't have been around for what, couple of years?"
"But Doc Fraiser thought
she adopted Janet a long time ago," Rei smirked. "We still have to
watch her. Janet's mom is either a patsy or another minion."
"That's not a nice thing
to say about my mom," Orion lazily remarked as she entered from the back
hallway that led to the bathrooms. She held her double-bladed staff with one
end resting on her shoulder.
"Traitor!" Rei
shouted as she immediately transformed.
Makoto turned to the front and
was dismayed and unsurprised to see Virgo and Mercury walk in through the front
door.
"Don't give me a reason
to punish you again," Mercury icily said to Virgo. The former Amazon
angrily nodded and turned towards the blondes.
"What's this a costume
contest?" the half-stoned clerk asked. The flashy lights were a shock.
"Something like
that," Mercury smirked as she stood in front of him.
He smiled vaguely.
"You're sure to win dressed like that."
"Thank you," Mercury
said and snapped her fingers in front of his face.
"Huh?" the clerk
mumbled as he collapsed to the ground.
"You monster!" Mars
accused.
Mercury sighed and turned to
the Senshi. "Only one of you had the sense to transform?"
"This is Virgo?"
Minako asked. She looked between Virgo's ample chest and Mercury's corseted
bosom contemplatively.
Mercury raised an eyebrow.
"I'm going to save
you," Usagi's face as stern and she grabbed for her broach.
"We shall see,"
Mercury smirked as she sauntered over to the blondes.
There was a pair of flashes
and Venus stepped in between Mercury and her Princess. The blue-haired girl
smiled thinly as she rapped a folded tessen against Venus' head. The blonde
dodged but was then attacked by Virgo.
"Should have summoned
your sword," Mercury laughed
"No!" Jupiter
shouted as tried to jump over to Moon.
Orion slipped her staff
between Jupiter's legs and then twisted it. The brunette tumbled to the ground
and her left leg was sliced when Orion pulled her staff out.
"Don't kill her,"
Mercury ordered Virgo. "I have plans for Venus."
"Yes Mistress,"
Virgo sighed.
"You can stop this,"
Mercury stepped closer to her princess.
Moon narrowed her eyes.
"Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss." The brilliant flash bloomed
enveloped Mercury and then died down.
"Tingly," Mercury
laughed and adjusted her corset. "I'm not some phage or some poor
possessed human."
"You save the Princess,
I'll take care of Naru," Jupiter said as she stood back up. The bleeding
from her cut had slowed down.
Mars nodded and took aim.
"Mars Flame Sniper!" She then ran down the aisle.
Mercury twisted and flipped
open a fan and intercepted the burning arrow. The other tessen she pointed
towards the floor at the head of the aisle.
Mars' attack missed; she put
her heel down... and lost her footing. The patch of ice was thin but large
enough. Slamming into the counter at the front of the store Mars groaned in
pain.
"Girls who wear high
heels to a fight should watch where they walk," Mercury sermonized. She
turned to see Virgo dodging around Venus' chain.
"Quit playing with her,
and just knock her out." Mercury ordered.
Virgo nodded and caught the
end of the Love Me chain with one sword and then used the flat of the other to sweep
Venus's left foot out from under her. Pulling the chain, Virgo toppled the
unbalanced Senshi and proceeded to chain her up.
"This is all a game to
you, you sick traitor," Mars growled as she stood back up, careful to
avoid the ice patch.
"No, this is deadly
serious to me." For the first time Mercury sounded genuinely insulted.
Mars snarled and tried to
shoot another arrow. Blocking with her tessen, Mercury closed in. She flipped
her fans over and launched a barrage of icicles at Mars. The black-haired
Senshi shrieked as thin icicles punctured her arms.
"Rei!" Jupiter and
Moon cried. Jupiter then yelped when Orion trusted forward with her staff.
Orion's smirk died when
Jupiter fired a blast at her. Orion dodged on the inside and spun the staff
around and hit Jupiter on the head just under the blades. She leaned over
Jupiter with a slight smirk. "Learn to fight in close."
Jupiter's left hand shot up
and grabbed Orion's neck while her right held the staff away. "Same for
you," she said as she squeezed Orion's neck.
Orion struggled and pulled her
neck out of the grip, but Jupiter responded by holding her staff with two
hands. Orion kept her face neutral as the two struggled over the long, bladed
weapon.
Jupiter leveraged the staff
over the shorter girl and pressed her against the wall. Orion growled and tried
to kick the brunette but Jupiter easily evaded. "Forgot that I'm actually
a martial artist."
"Oh, I didn't,"
Orion smirked. "I was just stalling."
Jupiter frowned and then
twisted away and jumped when Virgo charged her with a pair of swords.
"Damn your goons,"
Mars said as she pulled some of the icicles out of her arms.
"At least mine can act
like a team," Mercury smirked as she iced more ground under Mars' feet.
Mars jumped up and landed on
the counter. "Nice try." The weakened surface creaked and broke apart
in a cloud of ice and frost. Mars fell into a heap with the passed out clerk.
"I thought so,"
Mercury smirked. It was satisfying to see a plan come together.
Mars swore and clawed her way
over the broken counter. She landed on the iced tile carefully and took a step
forward, or tried to. She looked down to see the ice creeping over her heels.
Swearing again she slipped out of her shoes and landed on some clear tile.
Mercury frowned at the bare
feet. "Why didn't you just flash your power? You control fire."
Rage contorting her face, Mars
glared. Flames sprung up around her gloves and she charged forward.
"Excellent," Mercury
said as she blocked the flaming fists with her tessen. Behind her smirk she worried.
The fans should hold up; they were designed to take much more than this.
"Damn you!" Mars
punched down and connected with Mercury's ice skirt, shattering some of the
frozen pleats. Mars could have sworn she saw fear in the traitor's eyes, but it
was quickly replaced by bored disdain.
"Dirty," Mercury
noted, inwardly relieved that the armor of her skirt absorbed the blow.
"Feels good doesn't it?" she smarmily asked. Getting Mars mad was
easy, and it negated her advantages. Mars' attacks were accurate and quick, at
range. Close quarters was another issue.
"Shut up," Mars
hissed, as she blindly dove forward.
Unsummoning her tessen,
Mercury reached out and grabbed Mars' hands and for a few seconds ice and fire
battled. Steam started to billow through the room. The ice crystal on Mercury's
tiara flared, and the steam died down, as did the flames. Mars tried to pull
out when the crystalline water started to creep up her arms.
Mars' eyes and arms flared and
the ice shattered. "I won't go down that easily."
"Good," Mercury
smirked unpleasantly. Inwardly her mind raced, Mars was putting up more of a
fight than she predicted. Her smirk grew into an evil grin as she recalled
Virgo's lessons.
Mars grinned as the flames
strengthened, she then nearly stumbled as Mercury suddenly pulled her down and
closer. Mars' confusion was short lived as Mercury suddenly rammed her knee
into Mars' chin.
Mars fell to the ground in a
groaning heap. Still laughing, Mercury looked down at her broken skirt.
"Easily enough fixed," she said as her skirt grew back to its full
size. She also stepped back discretely.
"You bitch," Mars
swore as she pulled herself back up and her flames sprung back.
Mercury smiled as she recalled
her tessen. She spread the fans and flicked two arcs of icicles at Mars.
"It's just a few puncture wounds," Mercury remarked to the fallen
Mars.
Mars got up, and felt the
shards of ice start to melt. Several large splashes of watery blood fell to the
ground. After shouting out, she clasped her hands and a lance of fire burst
out.
Mercury twisted her tessen in
front of her; the sheets of ice composing them expanding to shield her from the
blast. Immediately after it died down she lunged forward.
Mars was knocked full to the
ground and found the edge of a spread fan pushed to her neck. Mars gasped and
tried to rip the tessen away.
"Naughty Mars,"
Mercury mocked as she used the other tessen as a bludgeon. She shook some blood
off the end of the fan. "Least your thick head was good enough for
something."
"What did you do?"
Moon demanded as she marched forward. She had regained enough strength to
confront Ami again.
Mercury looked down at the
unconscious woman. "Don't worry, it's not that bad. I know what I'm
doing." She smiled coldly.
Moon looked around. Minako was
tied up. Rei was knocked out and Makoto was down with multiple sharp implements
pressing into her chest and neck. "You think you've won?" she asked,
her voice depressed and angered.
"I'd hardly call
defeating you like this a victory." Mercury sighed.
"You haven't beaten me
yet," Moon stepped forward.
Mercury laughed. "That's
not how it works. No, the villain takes out all the Princess's guards and then
when it's darkest she wins." She leaned in close and whispered. "And
I'm sorry Princess, but this isn't even close to darkest."
Moon pulled back and gasped.
"This isn't you, you're not a monster."
"Monster?" Mercury
smiled widely. "Do you want that? It'll speed things up. One word and
Orion and Virgo will plunge their blades into Makoto."
"No..."
"And don't think you
could bring her back. You couldn't bring Mamoru back. You couldn't bring the
woman and child the Will killed. You won't bring Makoto back."
"What's wrong with you!
You have to fight this! This isn't you!" Usagi pleaded.
"You're right. That isn't
me." Mercury paced over to Mars. "I could kill her too. Be so easy,
too easy."
The corseted Senshi chuckled
and then walked to Venus. "Bondage does suit her," she said kneeling
down.
"Gonna threaten to kill
her too?" Moon asked.
"Oh no, I have plans for
Minako." Mercury laughed. "You've all forgotten her potential.
Shame."
"No."
"What?" Mercury
asked.
"No." Moon's eyes
focused on Mercury's. "You won't take her. This ends now."
Mercury clenched her teeth.
"I want my friend
back," Moon stated. "And I won't let you hurt them."
"Really now?"
Mercury's smirk was short lived as a kick caught the crouching girl in the
chin.
"Moon Kick!" Moon
shouted as Mercury flew back and crashed into a few shelves of bread.
Mercury shook he head and
looked at the vengeful blonde. "You hit me," she said wiping some
blood off her lips. "Wonderful."
"Even though I've ended
up fighting enemies alone, it's the love of my friends that keeps me
going," Moon said as she confidently strode forward.
"You don't have to be
alone," Mercury said as she stood up. Her eyes briefly darted around to
make sure that Virgo and Orion were covering Makoto and that Rei and Minako
were still out of action.
"Stop." Moon
ordered.
Mercury's eyes immediately
returned to the princess.
"You're going to stop
your madness. I'm your Princess and you will not defy me." Moon balled her
hands.
"That's how you're gonna
play it?" Mercury asked through her teeth.
Moon glared at the spilled
blood and hurt friends. "Yes. I'll do whatever it takes."
"Just like me,"
Mercury laughed. "So do you want me to leave?"
"You're not going to let
me try and purify you?" Usagi inquired.
"Like it'll work the second
time," Mercury rolled her eyes. "I've got things to do, Virgo, grab
Minako when we leave. Orion destroy the security tapes from the back
room."
"You're not taking
Minako." Moon's voice was forceful and her body hummed with power.
Mercury narrowed her eyes.
"Fine be that way." She wandered towards the back of the store.
While Orion covered, Virgo
forcefully rolled Makoto over and stepped back so Mercury could hogtie her with
ice. "Orion, I still want you to take care of those tapes now."
Orion nodded and broke into
the back room.
"I'm going to defeat
you," Moon promised as Mercury returned to the front of the store.
"Of course you
will." Mercury stepped over Mars, careful not to get any blood on her
heels. "I wouldn't expect any less from you."
"You're not a monster,
I'm gonna save you," Moon pulled her hands up and after saying the magic
words a beam of purifying magic flared out and hit Mercury square in the chest.
Mercury cleared her throat.
"Are you done?"
Moon's arms fell to her sides.
It was easier when Mercury was being violent, egotistical, and prideful. When
she showed pity, it was hard. She
reached for her tiara, there was a
physical component to that attack, she could try to literally knock some sense
into Ami.
Mercury stepped in and hugged
the depressed Princess. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you have people
worthy of you." Her hand slipped just inside Moon's skirt and caressed the
area where thigh became butt.
"Huh?" Moon asked as
her body blushed at the physical contact.
"Come with me,"
Mercury whispered. "I promise you'll like it."
Moon's eye widened. She gasped
and tried to squirm away. "Let go of me," she asked her voice hardly
a whisper.
Mercury kept holding her.
"Are you sure?"
"Got the tapes,
Mistress," Orion said as she and Virgo came to the front of the store.
"Last chance."
Mercury offered as she largely succeeded at smiling warmly.
Despite her blush, Usagi
looked serious. "No."
Mercury ended the embrace.
"Maybe later then." She smirked at Venus' fearful expression.
"Let's go girls."
As the trio made their way to
the door, Moon took half a step forward. She hesitated and then stepped
backwards. The last she heard from Mercury was her thanking Virgo for her work.
The blonde then fell to the floor and with twitching fingers managed to call
Setsuna on her communicator.
End chapter 5
Revision notes: And here we see a bit more of how Ami is taking to her "Mistress Mercury gig.
As with the last
chapter I've been splitting the original chapters into more manageable pieces
that flow better. I'd like to thank
everyone for their interest in this revision project of mine