Despite the length this is only half done and is very open to massive scene by scene removal, and addition. Some of it I am happy with and some not. Please check the Nanoha notes as well since it could be usable. Just looking for over all opinions on the idea of the scenes here not Spelling and Grammar yet. The second and third scene's are on the list of possible axe.
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Chapter 4 – Ghosts of the past? Or the future?
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“Prepare to Die!” Was heard loud and clear as people stared at the scene.
Ranma watched with wide eyes as a wall across from the Ice Cream shop exploded and the familiar war cry from her rival descended upon her newly young ears. She watched and waited for Ryoga to charge out of the dust cloud but something seemed odd. Ryoga didn’t charge out as fast as he should have, and his voice sounded rougher than it did before, almost as if it were coming from someone else, like his father. Then when Ryoga did clear out of the dust field, or rather the dust settled Ranma’s eyes nearly popped out of her head and her mouth hung open, then before she could say anything Ryoga, an 80 year old Ryoga bolted down the street getting odd looks by everyone in his way before turning a corner, and disappearing out of sight.
Makoto had an odd look on her face as she tried to figure out what she just saw, “That was…”
Sighing Ranma cut her off, “That was Ryoga.”
“The same Ryoga who?”
Ranma nodded
Minako sank in her seat, “Your mothers are going to love this.”
Looking at the shopping bags Ranma added, “Good thing we got all this crap, because if pork butt got that problem then I doubt he will have any mushrooms himself right now.”
Chibi-usa sighed, “Which means we also have to wait until he cures himself.”
Hotaru shrugged, “Or we could just grow up again normally, it’s not the first time my age has been messed with.”
“I am so not saying that to your mothers,” stated Minako flatly before pausing. She sighed briefly before she continued, “Unfortunately you might have to do just that, grow up the normal way I mean.”
Snorting the redhead asked, “Normal? Us?”
Makoto hid her grin behind her Ice cream, Ranma got Minako good with that one.
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Setsuna sat in her home office writing up a draft of her requirements for the needed power-ups for the three neo-seven year olds. She had checked Ranma’s mana levels and had confirmed that he did have a level as would be expected of a Sailor Senshi. The only problem was, as expected, it was unfocused. Had he been born a she, Ranma would have been Sailor Charon. But as it was it was not probable.
Though there was also the fact that since there was at one time a male Sailor Charon, who had only one heir with the Pluto before he died, her line technically carried both Sailor Crystals, or rather it mutated so that each generation would give the opposite of the last. Internally she smirked. She remembered that she implied to Ami that she was her own reincarnation out of Ranma’s line but that was a lie.
In truth Neo Queen Serenity had resurrected her at the moment of death. It was a necessary lie or Usagi might do something rash. Given the coming doom for the world it was important that she not think she can do that just yet. Granted she had brought people back in the past but their death was hours old at most, not from this time to Crystal Tokyo. She could very well kill herself if she was not mature enough to know her limits. Crystal Tokyo will need her more than anything else; and while it may be possible for Hotaru or Mamoru to bring her back it left the problem that all the evolution in her powers could be undone, and that was not acceptable.
She looked at her tea with a neutral look, to the others she was the Senshi of secrets since she always seemed to know what they needed to know. But if they ever looked closely enough, she was usually only a little more informed then they were.
Still, she smiled, it was nice to feel needed, especially if it frustrates the others trying to figure out what everything means.
Looking over the documents in front of her she nodded once more. It was always easier to put thoughts into form when they were written down. She gathered up her papers and left the room, she just hoped that this would work. Ranma would not be happy with a henshin wand but if her plan worked he would not need it for some time.
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It was now hours later and Setsuna sighed and looked before her. She had a small table , upon it were three pendents, for all intended purposes these were the 'training wheels' that Senshi used. Ironically the others had not let go of their own 'Rod and Phrase' method. Even if they knew or should know that they do not need them.
Holding up the pendant that held a blue gem in it she studied its appearance. It held a tear drop shape with a ring of gold around it holding it in place with the top gold twisting until it formed a small loop. From there a thin but very strong string came up from it, one that could be worn around the neck.
She returned it to the table next to the others and furrowed her eyebrows they were not actually keyed to anything. Unlike the henshin wands, or in Usagi's example broach, they were more reactive and restrictive. They would allow some of the power that was their birthright but not all of it, nor most of it.
Shaking her head she whispered to herself, “No helping this, they would just fight anyway.”
It was a truth she full well knew. She could make adjustments to them, they were made as training tools and were intended for such use. She pulled out an old device not unlike Mercury's own computer, only far, far less useful, and started modifying the devices. As training tools all they really did was allow raw potential to be used, even a non-Sailor Senshi could technically use one, provided they had the magical potential of course.
The first change she made was, there was a feature added to affect the air around them to slightly distort their appearance and voices. It was cosmetic at best, but given the fact that as it was people were doing things like 'No way could Usagi be Sailor Moon.' rather then having an actual defence against it.... ironically.
Well she felt a tad over protective right now.
Next was focuses, or rather weapons. Even Ranma with his training would lack strength enough to fight even the, 'canon fodder' monsters they usually face. It amused her in a way that all villains in history always were the same. They would have a large group of low strength warriors and a small select group of elites. Then send all of it few at a time. Certainly if Berryl had done an all out offensive when Sailor V showed up initially and again with Sailor Moon she could have just won right then and there. Not that she preferred that but Jadeite did come dangerously close to killing the princess with that plane. Now that she thought of it she was certain she felt him teleport out. But he never was seen after that.
She debated first about Saturn's weapon, then modified the transformation on the pendant to alter the size of it. It would work, barely. Senshi weapons were hard to predict at times in terms of how some powers interacted. Usually it was for the better, but how Ranma's Transformation would affect things... well even she was at a loss about that.
She moved on to Chibi-Moon's. At least now the girl wouldn't need her future mother to transform with her/first most of the time anymore. Since she came back with no wands she just had Luna cough up one of Usagi's old ones, The crescent wand.
Setsuna sighed and made Ranma's weapon gauntlets, he probably could use anything, but given Chibi was range, Saturn was mid, Ranma probably should go short range. Just to have a trinity if nothing else.
Stretching her back she went to deliver them.
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“I see you finished shopping.” came from Setsuna
Artemis glared baefully at the two teenage girls who nodded and quickly went to help the three age reduced 'Children' put their clothes away.
“So just why are you upset with them?” she asked knowing the answer was not going to be good.
The white cat sighed, “We found Ryoga, or rather he ran through a wall, sounding like someone angered him.”
The woman sipping tea raised her eyebrow, realizing that he was 'elected' to be the sacrificial messenger.
“He appeared older and seemed to not have the mushrooms.” he explained tiredly.
Furrowing her eyebrows she enquired, “Did he attack?”
Shaking his head Artemis answered plainly, “I doubt he even noticed anyone.”
Leaning back some and sighing, Setsuna shook her head. “Wonderful.” After a moment she added, “At least I managed to complete the temporary transformation replacements. They are not perfect, but will cover the worst of it.”
“So where are they?” He asked curiously.
“In their room,” came after a pause.
Artemis was about to ask further when a yelp carried through the house followed by laughter.
Both ran to the room and saw a male Ranma in a seifuku. It only lasted a moment before he managed to drop the transformation and give the pendant back to her.
Glancing it with an enquiring eye, I guess its not finished yet.
The other females all laughed at that. Ranma wanted to be mad, but he was the idiot that used it before asking about it. Magic always found a way to make things worse for him.
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Later that day she gave the pendant back to him, this time it had two crystals. She shook her head. Ami, Usa (They decided to just go with this since she was getting irritated with being called Chibi all the time) and Hotaru were in the room.
“The male activation phrase is Charon Star Power Henshin, and the female transformation phrase is Charon Crystal Power Henshin.” An obviously tired Sailor Pluto stated. For some reason they could not explain she was transformed, and Ami never saw Sailor Pluto as Pluto and tired.
Ranma was female at the time and tried it, nodding at the results she was about to drop the transformation when Usagi senior walked in, tripped and fell. The tray of tea and cookies she was carrying flew out of her hands and hot tea landed on Ranma. Once again a male Ranma in a seifuku was before them.
Ranma dropped the transformation and handed the pendant to her mother. At this point a sound that none could identify was coming out of her throat. With the disaster in her hand she stormed off muttering about water precautions.
Everyone looked at Ami. She sighed and answered the unasked question, “Its not that we cannot get wet we just can not drown. With our powers we initially thought we could thus it affected us that way. But....”
Ranma looked down, "Magic hates me and is out to get me."
After a moment Setsuna walked back in and tossed the questionable device back at her daughter. “Let see if fail this time. I have removed the female part of it entirely.”
Ranma nodded and tried again, neither transformation worked.
Ami sighed this time and took it following a fuming Sailor Pluto out of the room again. To be fair Jusenkyo was not in consideration when the device was made.
Finally after an hour, just when everyone was thinking bed was a good idea, the two reentered. This time it worked, sort of. In both forms Ranma had a set of armor that made him look like Chibi-Endymon. Dropping her transformation Setsuna said “Good enough for now.”
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Author's Note:
The best way to describe Setsuna's plans with the pendents is if you think devices from the Nanoha universe. Not intelligent ones but devices still. They are focuses and act the same way but are otherwise not really different then Senshi pens. That said this is not a Nanoha cross. I was sorely tempted to use it but after painful thought I opted against. That is why the big scene about Setsuna going over the pendants. It replaces a scene with Fate giving them to her and the weapons being different, yes even the silence glaive.
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This note is not being appended to the in chapter post on ff.net but I am including it here for feedback in case any of it might be usable. (This is about the cut out Nanoha tie in, this is poorly thought out just fyi)
Usa gets twin guns one black and one white, in "Overdrive mode" the two guns merge one in front of the other. White in front to cast a high power heal, Black yields something closer to a low powered glaive surprise;
Ranma gets a Revolver Knuckle, while active it has a passive speed and strength boost, and its overdrive causes twin blades to arc out of the top of the wrists (they are suppose to look like mini silence glaive blades), which unlock his 'normal senshi attacks,' meaning the a
Hotaru has a Bardiche with a Cross Mirage invisibility cloak, movable with it when he is moving alone, but not with others. She has the Sword Mode as well normally, Her Overdrive is Sonic Move, loses all stealth and blade is stuck in scythe mode, also her sonic move is faster than Fate's was at that age, but more exhausting as she cannot keep it up and needs to drop out of Overdrive sooner than the others who have more passive Overdrive. At top speed she leaves after images but this burns her out quicker.
Usa and Hotaru get to keep their old uniforms but get the added measure of a white vest and the extra leg armour that shows up in StrikerS
Ranma gets the same uniform but with baggy shorts (and no bow in the small of his back) when male and his color is a Dark Grey (Yes he is fukued as a girl and that bow comes back) the one on the chest shrinks and becomes less pronounced in male form as well, the same size relative to tuxedo kamen’s one.
Fate was the primary designer of the devices and since she had to clone her Intelligent Device she placed a hidden command to have the device refer to Ranma as Master when male and Mistress when he is a girl. Also the Voice is gender neutral enough that nobody can tell which it is suppose to be.