New addition before the Ranma/Ami section, at the cut it'll switch over to Usagi's point of view. Includes general error correction and revisions.-------
Mikami Ryuuko slowed to a stop after passing through the turnstile, seeing that her train was already departing without her on it. “Not again.” She groaned and with a tired sigh flipped up the top of her purse to place her pass back inside. On the far platform, most of the passengers were rushing up the steps to the outside but a handful still lingered at the food shops clearly in a rush to get home as well.
“Can’t believe I was late again.” Ryuuko dropped her backpack and purse down on a bench before taking a seat. “Least it was on the way home this time.” Missing another class was not going to do her GPA any favors.
Pulling out her laptop, it came alive with a happy chime, and she was able to get a wireless signal. ‘No clue why I’m in a rush to get home, not like anyone is there.’ She thought morosely. Mindlessly browsing to kill some time was better than doing her database design homework. Everyday was frustrating due to being in such a male dominated field like network administration, that she had to have some time not thinking about it.
Five minutes later she was just starting to feel the urge to use the restroom when she noticed that someone was watching her. Looking up from the soft glow of her laptop screen, she glanced down one side of the deserted platform then to the other. Leaning against the wall next to the turnstiles was a pretty girl around her age with long purple hair. She wore a loose lavender dress that went down to mid thigh and underneath that were black stretch pants to her calves. Simple black slippers completed her understated outfit as she casually waited for something.
Nervously chewing on her lower lip, Ryuuko went back to her browsing briefly before her eyes ended up going back to the girl. Something felt oddly wrong about her and she gulped when she made eye contact with luminescent orange globes.
Deciding to answer nature’s incessant call, she calmly put away her laptop, and left her seat for the short hallway to the lavatory. It was strangely quiet as she entered the women’s room to hurry into a stall. She hadn’t even placed her bags on the door hook when the entrance to the room opened. The feeling of wrongness followed even stronger and she couldn’t place exactly what it was but it caused her to freeze up.
Listening as soft soled shoes stepped across the tiled floor, she found that she couldn’t breath. ‘Is it her again? What does she want?’ Trying to be as quiet as possible, the footsteps briefly made their way past her stall before doubling back to pause briefly right outside. A couple taps and then the footsteps retreated away before the door opened then closed.
Breathing out in relief, Ryuuko found that she had no trouble emptying her bladder. ‘Never had a creepy stalker before.’ She assumed that it had been that weird girl with the bright orange eyes. Exiting the stall, she went to wash her hands, feeling foolish for being so frightened. Nervously laughing to try and clear her nerves, Ryuuko had just turned the water on when her eyes caught a figure with bright orange glowing eyes behind her in the mirror.
zx
Later that night
“Thanks for the hot water, Ami.” Ranma rushed through drying his hair with a towel, dropping down lazily on a chair next to the other Senshi. He hadn’t had the chance to come over to her home for nearly a month so this was a welcome change from the recent drama at home.
“You don’t have to always thank me for that. You know our water heater has always gone up to scalding.” Ami replied, fingers dancing over the keyboard of the Mercury Computer.
From Artemis’ place sitting on the bed with a cell phone propped up in front of him, he asked. “Ranma, Mina wants to know why I’m now ‘your mascot.’”
“How should I know?” Ranma answered with a dismissive shrug.
“What about me?” Diana asked drowsily, having been curled up next to her father trying to sleep.
“You haven’t been-- assigned to a Senshi yet.” The white cat answered before having to duck his head back to the phone when Minako continued talking on the other end. “Apparently the official forum is close to crashing because of the buzz we created.”
“It seems like Hotaru had an exciting first day.” Ami smiled to herself as she finished pulling something up on her computer.
“Apparently a picture of me in my tux is so popular that I made the local news.” Artemis boasted.
‘This seems vaguely familiar.’ Ranma had a fleeting memory that was too brief to really latch onto and it was gone just as quickly.
“I’m always impressed by our individual pages. Someone went through and tried to fill in a timeline of my appearances. It’s surprisingly accurate.” Ami added in amusement.
“So what have you been up to today, Mina? I was expecting you to show up.” He wrapped the towel around his neck and leaned towards the cellphone.
“Did you hear that Mina?” Artemis asked into the phone. “I should just put this on speaker.” He backed away enough to look for the button.
“It’s all hush hush, can’t really talk about it yet.” Minako’s voice came over the speaker. “But you and me are going to have a long talk mister about using that tux, that I bought you, to introduce Ranma instead of me.”
“He also introduced Hotaru before you.” Ranma playfully taunted his friend.
There was a long paused before Minako curtly responded. “We’ll talk about this later.” The call cut off with an audible click. Ranma fell off his chair laughing while Ami struggled to contain her own mirth.
“Mina! Hey Mina!” Artemis pawed at the phone. “Honestly, what is wrong with her?” He asked in a huff.
“I don’t know, father. But there’s no need to yell.” Diana picked her head up long enough to berate her father.
“You want to try tracking her down tomorrow to surprise her?” Ranma offered, curious as well over what Minako was doing after learning from Ami that she hadn’t been in school.
“Yes--.” Artemis chuckled darkly. “A surprise.”
Diana groaned at her father and sat up fully. “Ami-sama, I hate to intrude upon your studies, but would you happen to have anything to drink?”
“I should have some milk in the fridge. Why don’t you go ask my mom? I think she’s preparing her lunch for tomorrow.” Ami suggested.
“I’ll do that.” The grey kitten nodded and bounded off the bed to skip out of the room.
“I’d like some too!” Artemis started to follow after his daughter. “Ya know-- just to make sure it’s good for her.” He added defensively, quickly speeding up.
“Everything’s good with your mom?” Ranma asked, watching as the white cat’s tail vanished behind the door frame.
“Yes.” Ami answered and cast her eyes downwards. “I can tell that she’s worried I’ll get hurt. Occasionally she’ll come and just sit with me to talk. It’s nice but-- awkward.”
“That’s good-- I’d be happy to have just awkward at the moment.” Things around his own home were getting quite complicated.
“I’m sure everything will work out.” Ami smiled reassuringly at him before leveling a suggestive gaze at him. “And how was Hotaru’s first day at Furinkan?” She asked and began to type on the Mercury computer.
Glad for the quick change in subject, he wheeled his rolling chair over to watch the computers display. “She’ll fit right in.” He answered vaguely.
“I can’t imagine her screaming about some slight and causing property damage.” Ami joked, rhythmically tapping her fingers.
‘Could be easier than you think.’ Ranma knew to never underestimate Hotaru. “How are the simulations going? It’s been going for a while hasn’t it?” He tried to change the subject away from his other friend or personal life.
“All clean, here take a look.” She pushed the Mercury Computer closer so that he could see the screen better. “It only took five million, six hundred thirty six thousand, and forty two passes to isolate all the enslavement spells.”
“Wow.” As much of a genius as Euryphaessa had been when creating magical constructs, it would have taken Ranma centuries to figure out the complex and layered creation contained within the gold bracelet with the help of the Mercury Computer. “If she could make something like this-- Galaxia could have done so much good.” He remarked sadly.
“Absolute power is said to corrupt absolutely.” Ami nodded slowly in agreement.
He leaned back heavily in his chair as two months of work had finally come to fruition. Shortly after becoming a Senshi again, he had tried to develop new spells and abilities but hit a barrier that seemed hard wired into them. Eury had done research on the process in the past but had been unable to do more than influence an already defined ability set.
As Ranma regained more of Eury’s memories and reconnected with the other Senshi, he found out everything that had happened to them in his absence. Including their deaths and reincarnations by Galaxia to fight against Sailor Moon. His hands tightened into fists, furious over how he had missed out on so much. As Sailor Theia he was strong enough that he could have protected them. Kept them from being killed one by one until only Usagi was left. (1)
As soon as he had heard of where the climactic battle had occurred, he had to see it for himself. The place where all life originated. Where Usagi, a girl incapable of even getting to school on time, had decided the fate of the universe.
Ranma had been so enthusiastic to go, to witness where stars were born, but when she got there she had shied away from the great precipice. Incapable of handling the enormity of seeing all of creation in front of her eyes. For a week, she had wandered amongst the ruins of Galaxia’s castle before she had found it. A flash of gold hiding in the rubble, covered in brightly colored jewels twinkling in the light from a billion billion stars shining overhead. There had been an innocent temptation to put it on, but she had seen the cruel magic lingering on it, and realized that it was one of the horrific bracers that enslaved anyone made to wear it.
“Ranma?” Ami asked, breaking him out of his memory.
“Huh?” He asked in a daze, noticing that he had pulled the last bracelet from Galaxia from it’s hiding place under Ami’s desk. Contained in a wood case, neither of them had wanted to handle it more than absolutely necessary. “Sorry-- was just thinking.” He apologized and placed the box near the Mercury Computer, letting his hand trail over the surface.
“I don’t like it either.” Ami stared down at her hands in her lap. “We really should destroy it.”
“We can now.” Ranma knew that Ami had found this far more difficult, having been a victim of Galaxia. “And we can make sure it’ll never happen again.” He added, and grabbed her hands to squeeze reassuringly.
