Chaos and crystal Tokyo

Sailor Pluto had a migraine and that migraine's name was Ranma Saotome one of the most powerful chaos avatars ever born. Usually however Ranma didn't give Pluto migraines —just quite a deal of entertainment— but Ranma had just done something that shouldn't be possible ... well for anyone but Ranma that is. What Ranma had done was beet his own destiny —AGAIN— and in doing so he had thrown a huge monkey wrench into the timeline. This however was not the reason Pluto had a migraine considering Ranma had thrown monkey wrenches into the timeline more than once before —giving her bad headaches. However, the monkey wrench he had just thrown into the timeline this time had just completely erased —or something even weirder, which Pluto was voting for— the evil chaos that had corrupted Sailor Galaxia. This of course made Pluto happy until she noticed that Nemesis was gaining power and the ability to support its own Senshi, that crystal Tokyo was slipping in and out of her temporal view in the weirdest —even by her definition of the word— ways, Hotaru was STILL being reborn, and Ranma and Akane were sneaking out of Nerima to visit their cousins in Juuban. Needless to say —well maybe not that needless— the fact Ranma and Akane were coming to Juuban was what had given Pluto her migraine.

Swallowing a few dwarven grade aspirin —the kind dwarven miners used— Pluto shook her head and mumbled, "...and there's not a bloody thing I can do about any of it sense Ranma's not evil and purposefully trying to alter the timeline. Not that I would after all I happen to like the boy," before teleporting herself back to her home. Once there she de-transformed and unceremonially deposited herself on the couch ignoring the look of concern Michiru and Haruka gave her.

"Bad news about the time stream, right?" Haruka asked.

"Yes it's been changed how drastically I don't know yet," Setsuna answered as she nursed her left temple.

"By who," Haruka demanded.

"One ..." Setsuna said before trailing off for a moment as she thought. "The name of this individual is unimportant at a moment," the Senshi of time said rather dryly. "...and there's not a bloody thing I can do about the changes made to the time stream."

"Why you're the Senshi of time right?" Michiru asked nervously.

"I'm only allowed to interfere when the timeline is threatened by something that's blatantly evil and purposefully trying to alter the timeline. This individual doesn't do either but just does as appropriate and is wonderfully kind but yet totally abrasive person who has been through more hell then even I care to imagine, let alone know about. This person is also extremely powerful martial artist. To say nothing of the fact this individual literally radiates enough chaos to sort circuit laws of probability in a 10-mile radius."

"How powerful?" Michiru asked curiously.

"Not as powerful as a Senshi that's for sure," Haruka commented smugly only to receive the most unlikely reply of Setsuna laughing so hard she started crying.

About a minute later Setsuna finally managed to stop laughing and said, "This person can adapt and assimilate tactics, attacks, and style at a near instantaneous speed, can take damage that would put us into the hospital with no trouble and shrug it off an hour or so later. This individual also possesses raw physical strength that can shatter concrete and mangle hardened steel with punches and kicks alone. The speed this individual is capable of is so great bullets move in slow motion from this individual's point of view. This individual's REAL martial arts skills are at a level I have not seen in so long I'M not even sure anyone has been at that level. This person also possesses such spiritual power that this person can use their own life force as a weapon not even one of Usagi's finishing moves can compare to. And to give you an example of exactly how powerful this individual is: 3 weeks ago this person KILLED a PHOENIX DEMIGOD with only the assistance of magic ice staff, a staff that draws all of its power from its user."

"So what's stopping 'this person' from blowing away demons?" Haruka demanded while wondering why Setsuna wasn't even giving a clue to this individual's gender.

"Nothing in fact this individual has already done so on several occasions. In fact the only thing that doesn't make demons, youma, and the like no more than a child like nuisance to this person is the fact this person doesn't know the proper techniques for eliminating them."

"The Senshi powers?"

"Yes and all, this individual has to do to learn any of our attacks is just to see them once, twice at the most," Setsuna replied.

"What would our attacks do to this person?"

"Get this individual pissed very pissed. This person's physical strength and speed would easily bypass the Senshi protective magics and even if this individual didn't use physical abilities, one shot from the signature move would slam any one of us —accept Usagi— through at least one reinforced concrete wall. All I have to say is thank Serenity this person has a pure heart as Usagi."

"Why won't our attacks affect whoever this is?" Haruka practically growled

"The Senshi powers are specifically designed and crafted to do maximum damage to evil and little to no damage to anything else. It's one of the reasons why the Senshi are so effective against evil forces."

"...and sense this individual isn't evil our attacks don't to anything to them," Michiru said thoughtfully.

"To this person no. To any other human being they would still get put hospital," Setsuna replied.

"Oh," Michiru replied.

"So basically this person has enough brute force, skill, and raw energy to make up for lack of demon killing specific powers," Haruka said thoughtfully. "...and until he or she can copy our powers *shutters* whoever you're talking about is putty much on the same level as we are as far as smacking down demons goes."

"Exactly," Setsuna answered.

"So what exactly did this person do to the time stream?"

"Changed destiny all in the name of love. A love that this individual to stubborn to realize is even there," Setsuna answered with a smile as she remembered the last time someone had changed destiny because of love alone.

"So what happened because of this change in destiny?"

"Well for starters it gave me a headache. As to the changes when destiny is changed, its effects ripple back and forth through time changing other destinies that were dependent on it. When this individual denied their destiny by defeating that Phoenix demigod, a lot was affected. First, a great galactic evil chaos has simply vanished from the timeline to where and how I have no clue. Second, a new Senshi is coming as to for which planet the Senshi is for I have to talk to Usagi and the rest of the Senshi before I tell you the complete story. Third Hotaru is still being reborn and should regain her proper age and the power of Saturn soon. Forth but not last Crystal Tokyo has been slipping in and out of sharp focus ever sense the defeat of the Phoenix demigod. Lastly and definitely the absolute most important thing is this individual is coming to Juuban with their one true love —who radiates just as much chaos as this person— are coming to Juuban."

"When?" Michiru asked.

"Tomorrow and contact the other Senshi and tell them to come over later today they need to know about the new Senshi and that we're back in town," Setsuna said before getting up and leaving.

********************

Later at day at the mansion the outer Senshi shared, we find that Setsuna had just dropped the bomb that there was a Senshi for Nemesis.

"There's a Senshi for what planet!!!!!!!!!!" the inner Senshi and lunar cats bellowed causing even Setsuna to wince slightly.

"Nemesis," Setsuna repeated calmly as she sipped her tea.

"Who is it?" Rei demanded while looking suspiciously like Haruka did when she was trying to destroy Sailor Saturn.

"I have no clue but I have caught glimpses of someone with red hair through the time gates," Setsuna answered. '...and considering the way Ranma altars the laws of probability I wouldn't be surprised if it was him although I'm placing no bets on it,' Setsuna mentally added.

"I think Naru's the one," Usagi said softly after a moment of thought.

The reaction that was gained from this statement was apparent when everyone in the room except for Setsuna —who just raised her eyebrow— bellowed, "HOW IN THE WORLD COULD NARU BE THE ONE!!"

"Well if she really does have dark powers that would explain why evil monsters are attracted to her like a bear to honey," Usagi answered before looking up at Satsuma who was staring into her cup of tea.

"Interesting thought," Setsuna finally muttered.

"Interesting nothing she can't be a Senshi she doesn't even have a past in the silver millennium!" Luna bellowed.

"A past in the silver millennium is hardly a requisite to gain planet power Luna especially since Nemesis never had the power to support a Senshi till now. As to Naru having a past in the silver millennium she did," Setsuna answered as she gazed into her teacup while mulling over the idea of Naru being a Senshi. An idea she liked a hell of a lot more than Ranma being one, for reasons other then his gender and curse, which were moot as far as she was concerned. 'Although I always had Naru pegged as more of the Sailor Terra type,' she mentally added moments before she was bombarded by questions about Naru's past. "She was a minor noble in the lunar court and she was Princess Serenity's dearest and oldest friend," Setsuna replied as she took a sip of her tea.

"How can we be sure Naru is actually her reincarnation?" Luna stated defiantly only to receive a raised eyebrow and a glare from Satsuma as a result.

"Luna unlike you I remember everything from the silver millennium," Setsuna said with a great deal of sadness in her voice as she returned her gaze to her cup of tea. "Queen Serenity sent everyone on the moon to earth and most of them have ended up in and around Juuban."

"Wow what a big coincidence," Minako said absently causing everyone else in the room —Setsuna included— to sweat drop.

"So how do we go about making Naru a Senshi if she really is the one?" Rei demanded.

"The ginzuishou will allow Naru to bind with Nemesis's power if she is the one," Setsuna replied before standing, transforming and teleporting away.

Kinzuishou

********************

Late that night in Nerima we find Ranma and Akane sneaking through the streets of Nerima both carrying travel packs. Their destination was the Nerima subway station. An hour later after doubling and tripling back on their paths the two finally got on the subway. However only once they were well away from Nerima did the two dare to even talk to each other even though the subway car they were in was completely empty.

"So far so good," Ranma commented.

"This whole thing about us taking a vacation WAS Kasumi's idea," Akane replied.

"I know and that's probably the only reason it's working," Ranma answered.

Akane's only reply to this was nod as she remembered the plan Kasumi came up with which basically boiled down to getting herself and Ranma out-of-town so they could both have a rest bit from the craziness of Nerima. Kasumi's plan they go to Juuban was flawless after all no one would think to look for Nerima's two most famous denizens in second most chaotic ward of Tokyo and the home of the Sailor Senshi. Leaning back Akane relaxed just knowing Ranma would get in on the action. However, she didn't much care considering Ranma wasn't engaged to any of them... well at least not that they knew off considering Genma's track record.

Looking over at Ranma who was looking out the window of the subway car Akane wondered how in the world she could have missed her love for Ranma for so long. A nanosecond later, her conscience reminded her of the reason. 'You're a stubborn over egoed fool and you fly into a completely blinding jealous rage faster than even your cousin Rei.' Akane's prompt response to this was to tell her conscience to shut up. Akane's conscience replied to this by giving her raspberry and running off dodging mental mallets with the ease of a grasshopper on speed.

Shaking her head at her own mental voices Akane looked up at Ranma and smirked as she decided to make sure Ranma didn't have one of the Sailor Senshi as a fiancée —that he knew about.

"So have you ever met one of the Sailor Senshi?" Akane asked.

"Yeah a long time ago," Ranma answered absently raising Akane's ire slightly. "It was about a month after the Neko-ken. Pop was still trying to train away my weakness by surprising me with c.c..c...cats and one day when I snapped I put him in the hospital," Ranma explained before turning to Akane who had gone from mad to very curious and concerned —for Ranma not Genma. "Then I met her she must use some kind of mind trick on pop —probably not even a strong one— and she took me to her home while pop was in the hospital. She taught me how to read and write. She taught me what honor was really about. She taught me science and math at all kinds of other stuff. She's the only one that ever made any of it make any sense to me. She also told me lots of stories about the Moon Kingdom, Queen Serenity, and of course the Senshi. She was always patient, kind and loving. I guess you could say she was sort of was a surrogate mother."

Akane's response to this was to nervously bite her lip and say, "Ranma how could she have been a Senshi as far as I know they're all around our age."

"She isn't. She's the oldest Senshi of them all: Sailor Pluto," Ranma answered causing Akane eyes to widen considering almost nothing was known of the mysterious outer Senshi. Let alone the even more mysterious sailor Pluto who by the accounts Akane had heard was colder then granite and came and went with more mystery then even Sherlock Holmes could figure out.

Glaring at Ranma as she grabbed him by his shirt Akane practically shouted, "You're telling me the most distant and mysterious Senshi played mother to you?!"

Raising an eyebrow Ranma replied, "Yeah you know how I attract weirdness."

Akane's reply to this was to sweat drop until she heard a mysterious voice say, "I'll take that as a complement Ranma-kun."

Turning around Akane found herself looking at a fuku-clad woman with long dark green hair and piercing garnet red eyes holding a staff shaped like a key topped with a huge jewel that was as red as her eyes. The woman had also just stepped out of a portal of some sort.

"Sailor Pluto?" Akane asked as her grip on Ranma shirt failed leaving the pigtailed boy to succumb to gravity.

"Yes," Pluto answered as she dismissed her staff and sat down next to Ranma looking completely proper much to Akane's amazement. "It's been a long time Ranma-kun you've grown-up quite well," Pluto said with a smile as she patted Ranma on the head. "Although you do need to listen to your father A LOT LESS," Pluto added as she shot the pigtailed boy a bit of a glare.

Blushing Ranma scratched the back at his head and said, "Hmm, well times been treating you well to, Puu."

Akane's response to this was to slap her forehead and wait for the mysterious Senshi to bop Ranma on the head with her staff however all the mysterious Pluto did was chuckle at an obviously private joke before saying, "It always has Ranma-kun. Now down to the business of why I'm here."

"A cure for my curse?" Ranma asked hopefully.

"I have no power over a Jusenkyo curse Ranma but I have been looking into ways to control it. However I have been busy of late —saving world and such— and so haven't found anything."

"Then why are you here?" Akane asked suspiciously.

"This..." the mysterious Pluto replied as she pulled out a very old looking scroll, "... contains the instructions on how to make a potion designed to contain and disperse fear that can literally kill someone."

"So that thing basically holds the cure to the Neko-ken," Ranma said as his eyes lit up in hope.

"Yes and as a bonus I'm fairly certain the techniques you use while you're in the Neko-ken will become available to you to use as you please once the potion removes the fear from you," Pluto said before looking up at Akane who gulped. "...and you young lady, need to learn how to control your jealous rage and your temper which is worse than even Sailor Mars' temper." Sailor Pluto said as she stood up and summoned her staff once again. "Of course you didn't hear that from me," Pluto added with a wink and a smirk before vanishing by the time Ranma and Akane had blinked once.

Akane's response to Pluto's disappearing act was to look at Ranma.

"She does that," Ranma responded with a shrug.

"Oh," Akane answered dryly before the intercom was heard announcing they were approaching Juuban station.

********************

"I wonder why they insisted on coming in the middle of the night," Rei mumbled to herself as she waited for her cousin Akane and her fiancé Ranma Saotome in the shadows of the front entryway of the shrine. Checking her watch absently Rei wondered if the rumors she heard about Nerima were true. "No they're probably just rumors," Rei mumbled to herself a few moments later before sensing a huge raw power that was walking up the steps to the temple. Naturally Rei's response to this was to ready a demon ward and if need be transform. However a few moments later Rei was completely surprised to find her cousin Akane walk into view with a powerfully built pigtailed man about her age who incidentally was the one radiating the power she sensed. 'Who is this guy!?' Rei thought to herself as the man yawned.

"Ahh this place hasn't changed a bit," Akane chuckled just before Rei stepped out of the shadows. "REI," Akane screamed in delight before crushing her cousin in a huge hug.

"AIR!!" Rei finally managed to squeak out.

Akane prompt response to this was to let go of her cousin who glared at Akane for a few moments before introducing herself and showing Ranma and Akane to the room they would be sharing. Needless to say, both Ranma and Akane had to bite their tongues to keep quiet about the sleeping arrangements. After all part of this trip's purpose was for them to get along better.

********************

Later after Ranma and Akane had fallen asleep, we find Rei nervously biting her lip as she wondered about the mysterious Ranma Saotome.

"I'm going to have to get Luna and Artemis here as well as Ami because there's no way he could be putting off that much power by himself."

********************

Meanwhile beyond space and time we find Pluto smirking at Rei's analysis. "What you just sensed is only the tip of the iceberg Rei and all of it is his own power earned through an unimaginable amount of blood, sweat and tears," Pluto commented before putting on a huge lap apron and opening the scroll she had shown to Ranma earlier. Going a bit cross-eyed Setsuna mumbled, "This could take a while," as she wondered why the fates had dealt her the card of being lousy in magical alchemy.

********************

The next morning Rei awoke well rested and feeling quite happy despite the presence of Ranma. As she got dressed and combed her hair, Rei remembered what Akane had done to her on the last morning of her last visit to the shrine and smirked. As she finished combing her hair a while later Rei walked off to find a bucket of ice-cold water to splash on her cousin.

A minute after she had found the bucket of water an ear-piercing shriek echoed throughout Juuban heralding the great and powerful Senshi of Mars fainting and no points on who she hit besides her cousin.

********************

Half an hour later after Rei had stopped apologizing to Ranma and Ranma's curse had been explained Rei finally calmed down enough to think.

"If you want I could try to drive out the curse," Rei suggested.

"The curse isn't really evil Rei so I doubt it will work," Ranma answered.

Blinking Rei asked, "Why do you say that?"

"You're trained to sense the presence of evil right. Well did you sense any when I changed?"

Rei's response to this was to blink a few times before concentrating on what she had seen several times thanks to a demonstration and realized that she didn't sense any evil when Ranma transformed. "Now that you mention it no," Rei said dejectedly before adding, "but I know someone that might know something about it."

"Ok," Ranma replied before stretching and adding, "Well I'm going to get some morning practice then go see my cousin."

"Who is your cousin by the way?" Rei asked.

"Usagi Tsukino AKA the meatball head, know her?" Ranma replied.

"Yep I know meatball head," Rei said with a chuckle before getting up and adding, "I'll go call her and have her come over," and leaving thinking, 'No evil at all from his curse or him and his power is probably related to being related to Usagi. However I still want Ami to get a reading on him and the cats to meet him.'

"Ranma," Akane said dangerously as she crossed her arms, "Remember that you promised on your honor to train me on this trip."

"I'm going to after I watch you for a few days to see where your at," Ranma said seriously before turning to Akane and adding, "I don't want to repeat of what happened three weeks ago EVER AGAIN," in a tone of voice that made cold steel look warm and inviting before walking off to practice.

Akane's reply to Ranma's statement was to smile as a warm feeling made itself known in her heart.

********************

A little while later the peace of the Tsukino household was interrupted when Usagi squealed happily before calling all of her other friends —AKA the inner Senshi— and ran off with Luna to the Hikawa shrine looking especially happy.

********************

Meanwhile back at the Hikawa shrine a rather blasted looking Rei shook her head before putting down the phone and mumbling, "They must be really close," and heading outside to watch Ranma practice. As soon as Rei caught sight of Ranma she boggled at the skill, speed and agility Ranma was demonstrating to say nothing of the control Ranma was displaying over his ki, which had changed from being raw and unfocused to so precise a laser looked haphazard in comparison.

"This is just his warm up exercises," Akane said as she walked up behind Rei wearing a yellow practice gi.

Finding it hard to breathe Rei squeaked out, "Warm up?"

"Yep although I don't think he's going to do anything much beyond this," Akane replied.

"Why?" Rei asked morbidly.

"Too much property damage," Akane responded.

"How much property damage," Rei said while wondering how powerful Ranma was.

"Half meter craters in the ground, reinforced concrete walls shattered like glass, Boulders pummeled into dust," Akane replied dryly after all such damage was quite ordinary around Ranma.

"How," Rei squeaked out while imagining Ranma firing off a huge beam of energy.

"A kick, a punch or a chop," Akane responded as Ranma sped up.

"You can't be serious," Rei stuttered out.

Looking at Rei strangely Akane replied, "I know Juuban isn't as crazy as Nerima but surely the Senshi battles cause quite a bit of property damage."

"Not like what you're describing and the Senshi's attacks don't blow holes in things," Rei answered.

"Weird," Akane remarked before cracking her knuckles as she stretched. "Well if you don't believe me pick a rock you don't like and Ranma will demonstrate."

"Hmm, that one," Rei said while pointing to a boulder that everyone around the shrine did indeed hate. Ranma's prompt response to this was to alter his course and palm strike the boulder causing the top half to crack.

"Hmm, took a little too much off of it," Ranma commented as he picked up the top half of the Boulder to reveal an almost completely level surface.

"You actually controlled how much you blasted it!?" Rei shouted while not believing Ranma one bit.

"Yeah any one with the strength can pound a boulder into dust but it takes real skill to sheer it off like that," Ranma replied before looking at the boulder and his hand and scratching his chin for a moment and smirking before he poked the boulder causing it to explode in a dust cloud. "And it takes even more to do that."

Jaw now almost dislocated Rei squeaked out "How!!"

"The Bakusai Tenketsu which I didn't even knew Ranma could do let alone make it do that," Akane said with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey smashing rocks with a touch of a finger isn't all that useful of a move unless your doing rock gardening," Ranma replied.

"True," Akane answered with a chuckle before closing Rei's jaw for her and turning back to Ranma just in time to see a blond missile impact Ranma with a glom that would put even Shampoo to shame. Seeing this, and the fact Ranma seemed to be happy to see the girl Akane had to clamp down on her anger as hard as she could just to ask, "Ranma who is that!" while sounding only slightly pissed off.

Smiling happily, as he ruffled the blonde's hair Ranma said, "My cousin the meatball head."

"Oh," Akane replied while feeling a bit embarrassed while also mentally cursing herself for jumping to conclusions once again. That is until she noticed two of the three other girls that accompanied Ranma's cousin were literally drooling at Ranma while the third —who looked sort of like a shorter version of herself— was blushing slightly. Also at around that time she noticed the two cats that were accompanying the girls.

Unfortunately, Ranma noticed the cats at the same time. The results of this were predictable as Ranma ran from the cats impacting on the Boulder he had punched moments ago causing it to move about a foot. Usagi seeming to just remember that her cousin had a huge fear of cats shrieked and scooped the cats up and ran off with them causing Ranma to return to normal.

Rolling her eyes at Ranma's behavior Akane mumbled something incomprehensible just before Usagi returned apologizing furiously.

Still looking a bit spooked Ranma replied, "Don't worry about it meatball head."

"Ok," Usagi replied as she still looked apologetic.

"What was that all about?" Rei demanded.

Clenching her jaw and honestly looking angry Usagi said, "It was about the Neko-ken," which an amount of anger in her voice that Rei and her friends had never heard Usagi use.

"...and what's the Neko-ken," the tallest of Usagi's friends asked.

Sitting down on top of the boulder, Ranma mumbled something rather unpleasant about no good pandas before explaining the Neko-ken training. By the time, he finished all of Usagi's friends and Rei had run off to find a convenient place to regurgitate the contents of their stomachs.

Meanwhile in the bushes two lunar cats were plotting creative methods how to kill the man responsible for such an atrocity.

The first method that came into Artemis's mind was an army of cat youma that had been told what the man had done. "Not even Beryl would ever do something like that that depraved and stick as the Neko-ken," Artemis hissed as his fur stood on end.

Luna's only answered to this was to nod her head as she envisioned breaking every bone in that man's body one at a time.

Meanwhile back by the boulder Ranma was sitting at we find Rei and Usagi's friends had returned. The blond with the bow in her hair was carrying a bottle of water, which she had just taken a drink from.

"Gods at least that's..." was all the blonde said to Ranma before she tripped causing her bottle of water to drench Ranma "... the worst thing your father ever did to you?"

The now female Ranma's reply to this was to wipe the water off her face as she muttered something about water magnets while Usagi and her friends stared wide-eyed at Ranma-chan.

"Rei could you go get some hot water," Ranma-chan said dryly.

Rei's only response to this was to nod and run off leaving Ranma-chan to tell the tale of Jusenkyo once again.

Back in the bushes two lunar cats now had their jaws' on the ground.

"He's been to Jusenkyo as well as being put through Neko-ken!" Luna choked out after managing to relocate her jaw.

"...and he's still ALIVE and SANE after BOTH," Artemis added just after Ranma had told everyone what his father changed into.

"One of these days I think the Senshi should go panda hunting," Luna muttered darkly to which Artemis replied by nodding.

********************

A little while later after introductions had been made we find the Senshi gathered at the back of the shrine where they usually had their meetings. The state of those gathered was. Rei was planning on roasting a certain panda with a hail of fire arrows. Ami was running over the analysis of Ranma that the Mercury computer had done while absently composing a special melody to play when she used her aqua rhapsody on a certain panda. Makoto was pondering if she should electrocute or use an oak evolution to kill the panda. Minako was whaling as she wondered how any parent could abuse their child so horribly.

Usagi on the other hand just looked at Luna sadly.

"It's a miracle he's still alive let alone sane," Luna said sadly grabbing everyone's attention.

Usagi's only reply to this was a quiet nod. "He taught me never to give up no matter what the odds no matter if even destiny says you can't win," Usagi said with a sad smile. "He also never gives up hope, or stops caring even about his enemies."

The other Senshi replied to this statement by looking at Usagi for a moment before Rei said, "He's just like you isn't he?"

"In heart yes," Usagi said with a smirk before adding, "However he can be the absolute biggest baka jerk in the world," with a chuckle the Senshi could tell was forced.

"The panda's to blame for that to isn't he?" Makoto said as she cracked her knuckles.

"Yep," Usagi answered just before Rei decided to tell everyone what had happened before they arrived.

"How can that be possible?" Makoto practically shouted.

"He survived the Neko-ken after that I wouldn't put much past him," Luna said dryly.

"Has anyone ever survived the Neko-ken?"

"The last person that ACTUALLY LIVED being put through it had to be put down because of the insanity. It took all of the inner Senshi and Queen Serenity using a measurable amount of the ginzuishou's power to do it and they were all wounded enough that the Royal healers took three days to heal them completely," Artemis explained.

"Whoa it's that powerful!"

"Only if the person being put through it is. Unfortunately, only someone of truly immense mental fortitude can survive the training without their mind being reduced to a soupy potage, which kills them instantly. Those that don't have their minds made into soupy potage have never come back from the insanity."

"Except Ranma?" Minako asked to which Luna only nodded as a reply.

"Wow," Makoto commented while looking awestruck.

"An understatement even coming from Pluto," Artemis said dryly.

"So what happened to the last person that trained someone in the Neko-ken?" Rei asked.

"Queen Serenity personally broke every bone in his body one at a time, over the course of the course of a month while the royal healers kept him alive," Luna responded chilly before looking up at the shocked faces of the Senshi. "Most of the Royals of the solar system —including Beryl— thought the Queen was being far far too merciful when the she finally let him die when she broke his neck."

"That was considered merciful!!"

"Yes and before you ask you don't want to know what the most ruthless punishment was considering it even made Beryl lose her lunch," Luna said calmly to which the Senshi nodded in agreement before Usagi's stomach was heard growling.

Blushing Usagi said, "I haven't had any breakfast," which naturally caused everyone else to sweat drop.

********************

A little earlier back outside we find Ranma watching Akane practice when his stomach rudely interrupted.

Akane's response to this was to stop and glare at Ranma until that is her stomach growled as well. Cursing her stomach Akane grumbled something before Usagi and her friends walked out of the shrine. Usagi announcing that she was going to breakfast with her friends. Akane's reply to this was to shrug her shoulders and follow the energetic and cheerful blonde along with Ranma.

********************

Later at the Crown fruit parlor we find Ranma and Usagi sitting next to each other both eating at velocities that boggled the minds of the Senshi. However, what sent them into a stupor was the fact Ranma and Usagi were stealing food from each other at the same time they were eating at that high velocity.

"Incredible I never thought ANYONE could keep up with meatball head when it came to eating," Rei who was sitting next to Usagi muttered.

"Insane," Makoto commented as chopsticks clashed likes swords.

"Impossible," Ami muttered as she absently calculated how fast the two were moving their chopsticks while the Mercury computer recorded the chopstick duel from its sub space pocket.

"Wow," Minako said as she wondered how in the world the two were keeping their contest going at that speed.

Akane's comment on the food duel was to wonder why Ranma was going so easy on Usagi as she absently ate her breakfast.

"Is it me or are they actually getting faster?" Unazuki asked curiously, as she leaned against a nearby wall entranced at the display along with most everyone else in the fruit parlor.

The only reply Usagi's friends gave to this was to nod rather numbly before Ranma put on a burst of speed and finished his breakfast in less than 5 seconds leaving Usagi in the dust and quite surprised.

Blinking Usagi commented, "Wow you've really gotten fast!" after finishing off her breakfast 10 seconds later.

"Yep after all I have to keep up with the panda," Ranma replied with a smirk causing Usagi to chuckle rather hollowly.

"Panda?" Unazuki asked curiously.

"A long story Unazuki-chan," Rei said angrily.

"Ok," Unazuki replied nervously as she noticed Usagi and her friends were all looking about ready to kill whoever 'the panda' was. Deciding that she didn't want to know she walked off just before the new ice cream machine started rattling and sprouted arms and legs and started laughing maniacally as it drained people of energy. Unazuki having encountered energy stealing monsters before ducked behind a counter as did Akane.

Usagi and the other Senshi naturally darted off to transform.

Ranma however cracked his knuckles and attacked with a pile driver left hook that sent the ice cream machine youma crashing through the wall and several feet into the pavement out side just as the sailor Senshi appeared and started to make a speech. Ranma however didn't notice as he leapt out of the hole he had pounded the youma through. Eyes wide the Senshi gathered around the hole to find Ranma had landed safely on the street 10 feet below. Blinking the Senshi hopped out of the hole as well and surrounded the youma and Ranma.

"Pathetic human I ..." the youma ice cream machine bellowed as it started making its speech. However when it finished the youma noticed Ranma was yawning which caused it to sweat drop.

"Do they always spout off this dribble?" Ranma commented lazily to the Senshi clad in green that was standing right beside him.

Chuckling the Senshi of Jupiter nodded her head as she said, "Basically," which enraged the youma so much it started to charge Ranma who lazily snap kicked it sending it flying into the sky only to come crashing down to kiss the pavement moments later.

"I will not be beaten," the ice cream machine youma said as it stood up leaking ice cream from it's lip.

"Let's see what you got Soft Serve-chan," Ranma said as he craned his neck from side to side causing it to pop loudly.

The youma's only reply to this was to shoot off a jet off ice cream which Ranma dodged by moving only a few inches causing the youma to get so mad it charged Ranma who dodged its strikes with a lazy ease while taunting it about how week, slow, and unskilled it was.

"Do you think he needs any help?" Venus whispered with a smirk to Jupiter who only shook her head as Ranma dodged the ice cream machine youma while taunting it. The taunting however enraged Mars who shouted for Ranma to get out of the way just before she fired off a flame sniper attack, which hit the youma causing it shriek in pain and Mars to grin widely.

"Hmm, that wasn't that powerful," Ranma commented —infuriating Mars to new levels— as the youma picked itself up off the ground. "...but it still did a decent amount of damage. Weird."

"I'd like to see you do better!!" Mars spat angrily.

Shrugging his shoulders the pigtail martial artist said, "Ok," before kicking the youma high into the sky and focusing his ki in the same way he had sensed sailor Mars do causing a fiery bow and arrow to appear just as when sailor Mars used her attack. Smirking Ranma altered the ki flow of the attack so he could transfer the strength of his arms into the arrow's power —just like with a real bow and arrow— and released his modified version of the flame sniper attack. The resulting arrow of youma killing fire struck the ice cream machine youma with so much force it was propelled a hundred feet into the air before exploding in a huge ball of fire leaving a badly charred yet relatively intact ice cream machine to plummet to the ground with a loud crash. Scratching his head Ranma kicked the ice cream machine a few times before saying, "Hmm, weird I expected it to be totally obliterated. Guess your attacks don't do much damage to anything but youma and stuff," before hopping back into the crown fruit parlor using the hole he had come out of earlier.

"He he stole my attack," a shocked Mars stuttered out before being dragged away by her fellow Senshi so they could de-transform.

********************

Meanwhile back inside Akane just paid her and Ranma's bill and handed Unazuki a card.

"The school of martial arts contracting. Will repair any damage caused by superpower martial artist dueling in 24 hours or less or it's free," was Unazuki reading of the card before looking at Akane with a raised eyebrow.

"They're quite serious and they do very good work," Akane answered just as Ranma walked up behind her followed closely by Usagi and her friends.

"Everyone okay in here?" Ranma asked.

"Yeah everyone's energy came back to them once you blasted that thing," Akane replied.

Ranma's only response to this was to nod before leaving with Akane and Usagi and her friends close behind. As well as a pair of very shocked looking cats a moment later.

Blinking Unazuki picked up the phone and called the number on the card. Once someone answered, she descried the damage that had been done and was given a quote that sounded very good to her and after speaking with the owner of the Crown who was incidentally present gave the okay to have them come and do the work on the Crown.

********************

Moments earlier just as Ranma, Akane, Usagi, Rei, Ami, Makoto and Minako left the Crown fruit parlor, they encountered a black haired blue-eyed man that was actually a little taller than Ranma who had recently hit the six-foot mark.

"Mamo-chan!!" Usagi squealed happily, as she glommed onto the man ponytails bobbing up-and-down happily.

Smiling the man put Usagi on the ground and said, "It's good to see you to meatball head," before he noticed Ranma looking at him with a look that even Usagi swore made all of the enemies she had faced look like an annoying pink haired little fungus in comparison.

Staring down the man even though he was two inches taller than himself Ranma practically growled, "Who are you Chibi-chan?"

Swallowing a large knot in his throat as he bent over backwards in pure terror the man replied, "Mamoru Chiba."

Still giving Mamoru 'the look' Ranma said, "Don't you think you're a little old for her?" as Mamoru bent even further over.

"He's not to old Ranma!!! and I love him!!!" Usagi protested.

Ranma's reply to this was to look at Usagi for a moment before saying, "Ok meatball head if you say so," after which he turned back to Mamoru and glared at him even harder. "If you EVER hurt her there won't be enough left of you to cremate understood Chibi-chan."

Mamoru's reply to this was to nod very rapidly.

"Good," Ranma replied before he stood up leaving Mamoru to adjust his collar as he stood up.

"Who are you?" Mamoru asked nervously.

"Ranma Saotome, Usagi's cousin," Ranma answered as he resumed his normal friendly personality.

Mamoru's reply to this was to nod and gather what courage he could muster to defend himself in the eyes of Usagi's relative. However before he could open his mouth he saw the rest of the Senshi make a cutting motion across their throats as they pointed to the crater in the street from behind Ranma and Akane and so just stayed quiet.

"So Mamoru were you coming over to the temple to help us with the project early?" Rei asked.

"The project?" Mamoru stated before blinking a few times and getting the drift. "Oh I almost forgot about that. It's a good thing we bumped into each other."

"Yes it is," Ami replied before turning to Ranma and Akane, "I would ask you to help Ranma but the project involves cats and a great deal of water."

"Ok Hmm, when will you be done?" Ranma asked nervously.

"By around noon maybe a little later," Ami replied before she Usagi, Mamoru, Rei, Minako and Makoto left.

"Now what? Akane muttered.

"Maybe another youma will pop up I didn't even break a sweat with that last one," Ranma answered with a smirk.

Akane's only reply to this was to roll her eyes as she walked off.

********************

"So what happened?" Mamoru asked as the Senshi and their guardian cats arrived at the Hadaka shrine.

The answer Mamoru received in response to his query was a play-by-play re-enactment done by Minako and Makoto.

"...and then after Mars dared him to do better he kicked the youma at least 20 feet in the air and fired off a superpowered flame sniper attack. I swear it must have sent that youma at least a hundred feet straight up before it exploded in a ball of fire," was Minako's finishing point to her tale as she pretended to fire an arrow towards the sky while Makoto provided sound effects.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Mamoru stuttered out.

"Hardly Mamoru," Luna said as she watched the Mercury computer processing the data on Ranma.

"How... how in the name of Mars did he copy my attack!!" Rei screamed her anger finally erupting like a volcano.

"Just a moment Rei and we'll have an answer," Ami said calmly as she blushed at the data on Ranma's raw physical abilities.

Grumbling —or perhaps rumbling— Rei nodded while Usagi told Mamoru about how protective Ranma was of her. Mamoru's reply to this was to glare at Usagi and wonder if she was having a blond moment or severely understating how protective Ranma was of her. Remembering 'the look' Ranma had given him Mamoru voted on severe understatement just before the Mercury computer finished its analysis.

"His power is absolutely incredible. He would've incinerated Beryl with hardly a thought if he came up against her and still had enough energy to take on Wiseman by himself and WIN," Luna muttered unconditionally shocking the Senshi.

"I'm not to sure about that Luna," Ami replied as she scanned through the data. "His physical attacks while they are augmented by enough energy to make short work of reinforced concrete didn't seem to have that much effect on the youma."

"You've got to be kidding me he was pounding that youma around like a rag doll," Artemis shouted.

"I know but according to my scans he wasn't bypassing the youma's protective magic in the same way we do ... at least until he copied Mars' attack," Ami replied.

"What are you talking about?" Makoto asked.

"The Senshi powers bypass the natural defenses of evil creatures like youma by infusing us and our attacks with a specific energy they can't defend against. Ranma wasn't using any such energy but penetrating the youma's defense with pure brute force. That is until he copied Mars' attack which caused him to emit the same energy until he released the attack."

"So what would've happened if he had that special energy around him the whole time?"

"Considering the raw power behind his attacks the youma would have exploded on contact with his fist in the parlor," Ami replied.

"Ouch!" Usagi commented.

"HOW DID HE COPY MY ATTACK?" Rei growled viscerally.

"Actually he copied and improved the attack," Ami said before typing a few keys on the Mercury computer. "The instant he went into battle mode I suppose you could call it, a powerful energy field capable of scanning things in absolutely amazing detail surrounded him and the blood levels to the analytical parts of his brain quintupled from their already immensely high levels. Both of those things combined basically allowed him to literally assimilate every last detail of your attack in less than 3 seconds and considering the level his brain operates at he was able to subconsciously calculate the biggest weakness of the flame sniper attack and negate it after another 3 seconds."

"And what's the biggest weakness of my attack?" Rei asked dangerously

"Unlike a real arrow it receives no power from the bow it is fired from," Ami replied.

"Is that why the youma got launched a hundred feet straight up before exploding?" Minako asked curiously.

"Yes," Ami replied before scrolling through her data and adding. "Continuing on I'm sure you all remember Ranma making two comments about our attack power being relatively weak but yet doing more damage then he expected."

"Yeah what about it?" Minako asked curiously.

"If I'm guessing right in both of those cases Ranma was realizing that our powers had bypassed the youma's natural defenses and considering his analytical ability by the next time he fights a youma he will be able to bypass those defenses as easily as we do perhaps even better," Ami replied as she closed the Mercury computer.

"A mimic I've heard the legends but I never actually thought it was possible," Luna said while sounding completely awestruck.

"A mimic?" Usagi asked while sounding completely clueless.

"It's a highly developed ability. However, the secrets to actually teach Mimicry like what Ranma demonstrated have been lost, guarded by the gods, forbidden, and other such things sense before even the time gates were created," Artemis explained while sounding between awestruck and beyond amazed.

"Then how in the world did Ranma learn the secrets?!" Rei demanded.

"I don't think he did especially considering his upbringing and father," Ami replied shocking everyone but Luna and Artemis.

"Then how did he ever get this skill?" Mamoru bellowed.

"Somehow all the things he's learned and his natural abilities have added up to become the lost art of Mimicry," Luna replied her eyes shining with immense respect. Even more respect then she had had for someone that actually had lived through the Neko-ken and maintained his sanity.

"Can we protect ourselves from having our attacks copied again?" Rei asked.

"Not that I know of," Luna replied before adding, "However if he can teach as well as he can learn he will be able to teach you not only his obviously powerful martial art but also any modifications he makes to your attacks."

"He can't teach he's not smart enough," Usagi muttered.

"No he's very intelligent but I'm quite sure that his upbringing has caused him to become severely environmentally retarded," Ami said with more than a hint of ice —ok a glacier's worth of ice— in her voice.

"That sounds bad really bad."

"It is and the fact that Ranma has been able to progress to high school even with the panda probably beating down anything that resembles intelligence is a testament to how much intelligence he really has and considering Ranma's mimicry ability his intelligence hasn't been damaged only suppressed and concentrated on martial arts."

"So is there any way to get rid of environmental retardation?" Usagi asked.

"Yes unlike mental retardation, environmental retardation especially in cases where there is absolutely no brain damage can be reversed with proper treatment very quickly. Considering Ranma's obvious resilience to both, mental and physical damage, I would say that he could probably make a complete recovery in a month at most. Causing his IQ to go up from what I would guess is genius level considering his mimicry ability to off the scale," Ami explained.

"That's a relief and I'm sure he'll be glad to reverse that bit of panda inflicted damage as soon as he can," Makoto replied to which everyone nodded in agreement.

...except for Mamoru who questioned, "Panda?"

"A long story Mamo-chan," Usagi said sadly.

********************

Haruka Ten'ou was not in a good mood. The reason for this was because of the mysterious 'person' that had interfered with the time line and that Setsuna could do nothing about. While Setsuna had assured her that, 'the individual' she spoke of was quite harmless —to anything but youma— Haruka was still wary of someone that had enough power to flatten a Senshi and so decided to look around town for anyone pounding youma that wasn't a Senshi or wearing a tuxedo and throwing roses around like daggers. Currently she was having coffee at one of her favorite coffee houses mulling over the idea of whether or not to go to Juuban Park or a new store opening considering both were equally likely places for a youma to appear out of nowhere. Her musings however were interrupted when two girls one of which was a very good-looking red head walked into the coffee house and ordered a couple of sodas and unusually a cup of hot water.

"What got you so distracted you got splashed Ranma," the dark black haired —or was it indigo— girl muttered as she and her redheaded friend sat down on the other side of the shop not even noticing Haruka.

"Oh just thinking about that flame sniper attack I copied," the red head Ranma answered as she sat back and sipped her soda while waiting for her hot water.

'Flame sniper!!!!' Haruka screamed to herself as her eyebrows rose considerably.

"What about it?" The girl Haruka had decided had indigo colored hair answered.

"Everything about it after all it's the first truly magical attack I've probably ever copied," the girl Ranma answered before popping a few joints and adding. "It was really slick the way it incorporated some kind of special chi to bypass that youma's defenses." The indigo haired girl's reply to this was to raise an eyebrow but say nothing before the red head continued, "I figure I should be able to copy that chi by it's self real easy."

"How easy?" The girl asked while Haruka paled at the fact this Ranma character had already copied one attack and apparently already taken it apart.

"Just a matter of changing my aura slightly," the redhead answered with a yawn as she smirked confidently annoying Haruka to no end.

"Your hot water," a waiter said as he handed the redhead a cup of water before walking off leaving the red headed girl to pour the water cover her head.

Haruka naturally was mystified by this action for about a half a microsecond after which she witnessed the gorgeous redhead change into a powerful black haired man who continued sipping his soda as if nothing unusual had happened. Haruka's reply to this was to use a few choice colorful adjectives as she mentally muttered, 'That Ranma character has to be 'the individual' Setsuna was referring to but now that I found ... hmm... him what am I going do?' Biting her lip Haruka mentally commented, 'It's not like youma conveniently appear when you need to test a potential enemy....' before being interrupted by one of the larger Java making coffee machines sprouting arms and legs as it shouting about draining people. Haruka's reply to this was a 'you have got to be kidding me' look as she jumped out of the chair she was sitting in and into the bathroom where she transformed and ran back out to find the Ranma smirking at the youma.

"First it was an ice cream machine and now an overgrown coffee machine gets possessed. I wonder if the Senshi's newest enemy is an evil alien chef or something," Ranma taunted.

'If it is moon face can eat our way to victory with no trouble,' Uranus thought with a smirk as she noticed the indigo haired girl leading away the civilians. 'Good head on that girl's shoulders,' Uranus thought as she kept to the shadows as the creature and Ranma circled each other. 'Hmm, Mexican stand off,' Uranus commented as she waited for someone to make a move. She didn't have long to wait when the youma attacked with a stream of scolding hot coffee which Ranma evaded without even trying. 'Damn he IS good he barely had to move to dodge that,' Uranus thought to herself just before Ranma attacked, his fist suddenly surrounded in a white energy. When Ranma's fist connected with youma's face, it exploded sending boiling hot Java everywhere.

"Wow that anti-youma chi sure does work, that punch would've only sent it through the wall without it," Ranma commented while balancing the now un-possessed Java machine on one foot before returning it to the counter and walking off.

After De-transforming Haruka stepped out of the shadows, left the coffee shop, and headed home feeling rather numb. Once there she found Michiru playing with Hotaru who was now half the age she was when she took on Pharaoh 90.

Seeing Haruka's mood Michiru told Hotaru to go play in her room and once she had Michiru asked, "What happened?"

Haruka's reply to this was to tell Michiru what had happened which left Michiru beyond surprised.

"One punch and the thing exploded!"

Haruka's reply was to nod. "I didn't believe Setsuna before when she said Ranma was powerful but I sure as hell do now!" Haruka said gravely.

"Do you think he's a threat?"

"I don't know," Haruka admitted as she remembered the fact Ranma had made sure that everyone was out of the coffee house before he started to attack.

********************

Later in Juuban Park, we find Ranma and Akane sitting underneath a tree. Ranma for his part was taking a nap, which left Akane to think about what happened the week after her failed wedding. First, there was the discovery of a certain black piglet's Jusenkyo curse and subsequent massacre. Second Ranma's explanation of it, which made Akane even angrier at Ryouga then before.

'Using an on honor promise like that. Ohh, when I get my hands on that pig next he's bacon,' Akane thought to herself as she started radiating anger.

Third was her re-evaluation of everything that Ranma seemed to get himself into which allowed Akane to discover the obvious point that whatever the panda didn't get Ranma into the chaos surrounding him did. This of course was the reason she was able to notice the fourth and fifth things. Fourth things just 'happen' around Ranma. Colossally weird things actually and when she thought about it Akane realized she had grown used to and expect the chaos that surrounded Ranma. The fifth thing Akane had noticed —after really observing Genma and Ranma one day— was the fact Ranma's constant insults were his only real way of communicating his feelings.

'Damn panda,' Akane mentally grumbled.

The last thing she had noticed was that Ranma tried to make friends out of enemy's and fiancés and had no romantic interest in his other fiancées.

All in all Akane head decided that her behavior over the past year had probably earned her the nickname of 'tomboy no baka' until that is she realized no one but Kasumi realized the reality of Ranma's situation.

'My 'misty' sister always could see everything clearly,' Akane mentally grumbled about the fact Kasumi never told anyone anything about the observations she made unless someone asked her directly.

Shaking her head Akane leaned back to find Ranma looking at her.

"Stop thinking about back home okay," Ranma said.

"Ok, baka," Akane replied before noticing someone spying on them. "You wouldn't happen to know a redhead with light blue eyes would you?" Akane whispered.

"Hmm, Naru Osaka one of Usagi's friends matches that description," Ranma commented before looking around and noticing the redhead and smiling as he waved her over.

"Ranma is that you?" Naru asked nervously.

"Yep how's it been going?" Ranma asked cheerfully as he stood up towering over Naru

"Well I have boyfriend now," Naru replied shyly.

"Who?" Ranma asked dangerously.

"I won't tell you if you're going to be overprotective like that Ranma," Naru said defiantly as she glared at Ranma.

"Ok, ok but I at least hope it's not Gurio Umino," Ranma said with a chuckle before noticing Naru blushing and nodding. "You're joking?!"

"No afraid not but he is very sweet even if he does make spicy shrimp too often," Naru replied with a smile before adding, "He even dressed up like Tuxedo Kamen once and tried to save me from me a youma.

Roaring with laughter Ranma replied, "I hope the real Tuxedo Kamen saved him in time!!!"

Naru's answer to this was a nod.

"So why weren't you with Usagi this morning?" Ranma asked curiously.

"First she didn't even call me second even if she did the 'dream' —if you call it that— I had frightened me so much I wouldn't have been able to come," Naru answered.

Blinking as he scowled slightly Ranma stated, "Why didn't she call you?"

"We've drifted apart ... it's because I attract so much trouble," Naru said with a sigh.

"What kind of trouble?" Akane queried.

"Youma and everything else the Senshi fight. I've even earned the nickname the 'youma magnet' because whenever I go out and do something in a public place inevitably one of the Senshi's enemies attack's and I caught in the line of fire," Naru replied while sounding very annoyed.

"She does know it's not your fault right?" Akane stated.

'Yes although after that dream I had last night I'm wondering if I really at fault in someway,' Naru thought as she looked down at her feet. "Any way I'm going to head over to Rei's temple and talk to Usagi about straightening everything out," Naru said as she started to walk away only to add, "...and I'm going to do it alone Ranma."

"Ok," Ranma said just before Naru left.

"Are we going to follow her?"

"No Naru has always been able to handle meatball head," Ranma said before crossing his arms and looking over at Akane. "What we're going to do is find Pluto and find out why in the hell she's a youma magnet."

"...and how are we going to do that?" Akane asked while looking at Ranma out of corner of her eyes.

"I know where she lives," Ranma answered with a smirk.

********************

Later at the Hikawa shrine, Naru arrives to find Usagi and her friends present all of whom were staring at her nervously.

"Usa I need to talk to you," Naru said flatly.

"Ok Naru-chan," Usagi replied before the two walked off while Usagi felt more nervous then when a horde of youma were chasing her. "So what do you want to talk about?"

"A secret you've been keeping from me. One that I figured out and understood why you've kept ever sense that night when Nephrite died," Naru replied causing Usagi start looking very nervous. Taking a deep breath and steeling herself Naru said, "I know you are Sailor Moon."

Usagi's reply to this was to collapse to the ground shaking and mumbling apologies.

Sitting down next to her friend Naru continued to speak, "It's okay Usa I understand why you distanced your self and I've been keeping myself busy with Gurio."

"Then why now?" Usagi asked curiously.

"I can hear the shadows clearly now," Naru replied causing Usagi to go pale. "Last night I had a dream about him and his allies and their queen. How they were tricked into serving her, corrupted and turned against the ones they loved and served. Then far in the future, a black world corrupted by evil was purified by your power. Then there was a dark creature from far away that was destroyed by a Senshi holding a glaive and reborn because of your power. Then I saw the dark world again this time the evil of the future approaching is fast and it calling out for a warrior to protect the powers of death and darkness from falling into the evil's hands." With that said Naru looked up Usagi who was crying even harder now and continued, "I'm the only one that can hear the call Usa that makes me that dark world's Senshi doesn't it."

"You don't have to..." Usagi said before Naru shook her head.

"I do Usa. I'm tired of just being the youma magnet and I can't turn my back I felt the evil that consumed dark world in the future and I know I have to fight it and stop it," Naru said with a stubborn determination Usagi knew all too well.

Tearfully Usagi replied with a nod before saying, "Come on let's go tell everyone else."

Suddenly nervous Naru asked, "Usa about ... me being able to hear things in the shadows."

"Rei-chan sees things through the sacred fire all the time Naru they won't think much of it," Usagi said as she drug her friend off while making a mental note to call the outer Senshi after all something like this wasn't to be missed.

********************

A little earlier, at the mansion the outer Senshi shared we find Michiru playing her violin while Haruka watched over a sleeping Hotaru.

Noticing the sad melody Michiru was playing Haruka asked, "What's wrong love?"

Putting her violin down next to her, Michiru said, "I knew a young man named Ranma once."

"Really?" Haruka asked while sounding curious.

"It was before I left my families' dojo to pursue my music and before my powers awoke. He was a rough boy that was completely clueless. At the time he had the cutest little pigtail and for some reason I took upon my self to teach him something other than a martial art," Michiru said with a smirk as she tapped her violin. "I managed to convince him to do it after telling him it would annoy his father. He learned quite quickly but when his father finally did find out they left abruptly."

"It's probably just a coincidence," Haruka said dismissively.

Michiru's only reply to this was to nod before the doorbell rang. Blinking a few times Haruka stood up and walked off towards the door leaving Michiru alone.

A few moments later when Haruka opened the door, she found herself staring at Ranma who was accompanied by the indigo haired girl from earlier.

"Hmm, what do you want?" Haruka said while sounding confused and nervous as all hell considering she didn't know whether or not Ranma could see through the Senshi camouflage magic.

"Does a Setsuna Meiou live here? I need to ask her a few questions," Ranma stated in his usual blunt manner.

"Yes Setsuna lives here but she's not currently in," Haruka said while wondering what the hell was up.

Raising an eyebrow Ranma asked, "Is she currently working?"

"As far as I know," Haruka answered truthfully.

"And I suppose you don't have any idea when she'll be back either," Ranma stated.

"No," Haruka answered flatly just as Michiru walked up behind her.

"Well in that ...," Ranma said before trailing off as he noticed Michiru. "Do I know you?"

Moistening her lips Michiru squinted for a moment before saying, "Are you Ranma Saotome of the Saotome school of anything goes martial arts?"

Ranma's reply to this was to nervously nod hoping that the girl wasn't another fiancée.

"Hmm?" was Michiru's only reply before she started to hum a melody, which immediately caused Ranma's eyes to widen.

"Mi-chan is that you?" Ranma asked curiously

"Yes it is please come in," Michiru said with a large smile before she and Ranma walked off.

"Hmm, what's your name?" Haruka asked Ranma's companion who was doing a fairly good imitation of Rei.

"Akane, Akane Tendo," the indigo haired girl replied before she walked in and followed Haruka into the main sitting room.

"Ahh come on Mi-chan its been ages sense I've even seen one," Ranma protested much to Haruka and Akane's shock as Michiru tried to hand Ranma her violin.

"It's just like a bike, Ranma. You never forget how," Michiru replied.

"I don't think I should be using your violin Mi-chan I mean it's one of those strata various thingies isn't it?" Ranma said nervously causing Akane to nearly fall over in shock.

Michiru however just crossed her arms and used the same look Haruka had been on the receiving end of several times causing Ranma to nervously pull on his pigtail before taking the instrument and to Akane's amazement placing it properly in the crook of his neck. Smiling Michiru handed Ranma the bow, which Ranma took rather reluctantly before closing his eyes and starting to play with a power and beauty that was undeniable.

To Michiru's trained ear, Ranma was extremely rusty and making mistakes that he obviously noticed. Haruka however was awestruck that the same individual she had seen put his fist through a youma, a feat not even she could manage, playing her lover's instrument with just as much heart as Michiru.

Akane however just had her jaw on the floor.

A few minutes later Ranma stopped and muttered, "I'm really made it sound horrible," causing Haruka and Akane to facefault and Michiru to shake her head as Ranma handed her violin back to her.

"So how did you two meet Setsuna?" Michiru asked.

"Long story," Ranma replied.

"I'm sure it is," Haruka said with a slight edge to her voice before sitting down.

"Be nice," Michiru replied while giving Haruka a look that promised pain.

"Fine," Haruka said glumly.

"So Ranma what's your life been like since you left my families' dojo?" Michiru asked as she sat down next Haruka and the still sleeping Hotaru.

Stiffening considerably Ranma said, "I'd rather not talk about it ok," as a shadow fell over his eyes.

Haruka however being well Haruka didn't take Ranma's hint and decided to pry into Ranma's past by asking, "Why not."

"I'm on vacation from my REAL life right now," Ranma replied flatly.

Haruka's reply to this was to blink a few times before thinking, 'He considers bashing youma a vacation?' as her left eye twitched.

"Real life?" Michiru asked while sounding concerned.

Ranma's only reply to this was to look over at Akane who had calmed down enough to realize neither of the girls in the room was after Ranma considering the way they were looking at each other. Akane's reply was to remember that while they were taking a vacation from their life that they really did need to find out away to solve the problems of their life and so nodded. Ranma's reply to this was to sigh deeply before relating a short story of his life sense he had left Michiru's family dojo.

By the time Ranma was finished both Haruka and Michiru realized having a destiny as a Sailor Senshi was only a minor inconvenience when it came to having a good deal of one's life planned out for them and was nothing compared to having a panda as father. However, that particular thought was far overshadowed by a desire to make a panda rug and an overwhelming sympathy for Ranma and Akane's lot in life.

"Well thanks for listening but we really need to get back to where we're staying," Ranma said before he and Akane left Michiru telling them they could come by any time and talk.

"Gods, I wouldn't wish that kind life on anyone," Haruka said as she watched Ranma and Akane leaving.

Michiru's only response was a nod.

********************

Meanwhile at the time gates we find Pluto has finished the antidote potion for the Neko-ken. Taking off her lap apron and walking away from the small alchemy lab she had sat up Pluto commented, "Well that was easier then I thought it was going to be," after storing the potion in her subspace pocket. 2 seconds later however the alchemy lab exploded leaving Pluto to sweat drop and mumble, "Ahh well at least it didn't explode until after I got done this time," before waving the time staff at the gates to reveal Ranma's location by replaying the recent events surrounding Ranma. The events naturally raised Pluto's eyebrow slightly before she teleported away.

********************

"Well that went well," Akane commented as she and Ranma left the mansion. "Not the way I thought it would go but it still went well."

"What way did you expect it to go?" An old sounding voice said from behind the two.

Akane's reply to this was to turnaround to see a daringly dressed businesswoman with red eyes and long dark green hair.

"Who are you?" Akane asked.

"Setsuna Meiou," the woman responded with an enigmatic smirk before pulling out a bottle and handing it to Ranma. "It will take several days to take effect so make sure to keep away from them until then and as to Naru being a youma magnet don't worry about it," Setsuna added before turning around and walking into the mansion.

Turning to Ranma while looking absolutely blank Akane opened her mouth to asked a question only to be interrupted when Ranma said, "Disguise magic, it keeps people from making the connection unless they actually see one of them transform."

"Oh," Akane mumbled dryly as Ranma took the potion he had been given.

"Well let's get back to Rei's place," Ranma said as he started to walk off.

********************

Meanwhile back in the mansion the other Senshi shared Setsuna has just found herself on the receiving end of two glares.

"How in the name of the underworld does he know YOU?" Haruka demanded.

"I have watched him sense he was a child and helped when I could. One year when I was on vacation I played parent to him for a few months while his father was in the hospital," Setsuna replied not even fazed by the glares her fellow Senshi were giving her.

"First, why in the universe were you watching him? Second, what do you mean by vacation? Haruka said chillily.

"The reason I have been watching him, as I said before is that he literally radiates chaos, enough chaos to defy even destiny. As to being on a vacation, did you honestly think the one that gives me my powers would confine me forever to the gates? After all such a sentence would drive even ME insane."

"Oh," Haruka mumbled. "...but isn't what you did like interfering with the time line?"

"I was on vacation at the time," was Setsuna's only response before she walked past Michiru and Haruka.

"Huh?" Haruka responded intelligently before the phone rang and Michiru walked off to get it leaving Haruka to walk back into the sitting room where Setsuna was looking over Hotaru and smiling. 'There's more to her then any of us know.'

Shaking her head Haruka leaned against a convenient wall she watched Setsuna with amusement until Michiru walked into the room.

"It's Usagi she said Naru is already aware of her destiny," Michiru said.

"Then all that has to be done is to perform the binding ritual," Setsuna said. "Tell Usagi that until Saturn awakens we will not be able to perform the ritual to bind Naru to Nemesis' power," Setsuna added.

Michiru's reply to this was to nod before running off to do just that.

"Setsuna is anything wrong?" Haruka asked.

"I don't know but it feels like something from the past is returning," Setsuna replied.

"An enemy?" Haruka asked as she prepared herself mentally.

"Yes, no, maybe, and I'm not quite sure yet," Setsuna replied after a moment.

********************

"Ok call when that happens ok," Usagi said she said before hanging up and walking back outside where Rei and Luna were grilling Naru about her ability.

"I know! Why don't you do a reading thing on something," Minako said cheerfully.

"Hmm, on what?" Naru asked nervously.

"Well the creature earlier today at the ice cream parlor was a youma so it would probably be a good idea to do a reading on it," Ami suggested.

"Ok," Naru said nervously before walking into the shadow of a nearby tree and concentrating even as all of the Senshi except for Usagi gasped as a midnight black aura appeared around Naru while a familiar dark sigil appeared on her forehead.

********************

"Ranma?" Akane asked curiously.

"Did you see the look in their eyes? A dead look of having no hope of doing anything thinking that the end always justifies the means," Ranma said as he looked over his shoulder at the mansion he and Akane had just left.

Looking at Ranma with a very surprised look Akane shook her head.

"I did Mi-chan looked almost dead like she had lost all hope of following her dreams," Ranma replied sadly.

"Maybe she's just going through a hard time," Akane suggested.

'Yeah like having her destiny planned out for her by being a Senshi,' Ranma thought bitterly. 'At least Usagi isn't a Senshi,' Ranma added as an afterthought.

********************

"Naru?" Usagi questioned as Naru stepped out from underneath the shadow of the tree.

"Trouble, doubles and old enemies that have become hostages, fragments of long dead enemies merging into one," Naru said in a trance before shaking her head and collapsing to her knees holding her head. Seeing this all of the Senshi immediately gathered around Naru. However, she waived them off as she stood and shook her head to clear it.

"You okay?" Makoto asked while wondering why Naru had collapsed.

"Yeah that was harder than I thought it was going to be," Naru said as she wiped some sweat off her brow.

"So what did you find out?" Minako asked.

"I'm not sure but I think I saw them incased in gemstones while body doubles were gathering energy for some kind of crystal shards. The first shard felt like a youma. The second shard felt like it came from the dark world in the future. The last shard is somehow connected to the creature destroyed by the Senshi with the glaive."

"I'm definitely not liking this," Rei muttered angrily.

"Then you really won't like the fact the three shards are merging into one," Naru said sheepishly.

Death glaring a convenient inanimate object Rei mumbled something about second opinions before starting to walk off only to be interrupted by somebody screaming, "WHERE ON EARTH AM I NOW!!" which was closely followed by "DAMN YOU RANMA THIS IS ALL YOU'RE FAULT!!" Shortly thereafter the angry battle cry of, "Bakusai Tenketsu," was heard just before the sound of the ground being ripped open was heard.

Needless to say, the Senshi transformed and ran off to hopefully help Ranma defeat whatever horrible creature was ripping the ground into shreds. When they arrived at the street just below the shrine they found Ranma had just dodged a blow from a bandanna-clad hunk that literally tore through a reinforced concrete wall like it was nothing but paper-mâché. The bandanna-clad hunk didn't miss a beat before he started attacking Ranma again.

However after a few moments of fighting it was apparent that Ranma was far too fast for them bandanna clad hunk to even hit and so he shouted, "Shishi Hokodan!!" and through a huge ball of energy at Ranma who dogged not knowing the Senshi were behind him. Luckily, the Senshi's enhanced speed and reflexes allowed them to evade the blast. All of the Senshi except for Sailor Moon who took a direct hit and was slammed into another concrete wall hard enough to crack it and knock her silly.

Seeing the injured Sailor Moon, Ranma literally began to glow with rage.

Seeing this Akane who was standing nearby shouted, "Take cover!!" as Ranma's fury intensified 100 fold.

"YOU BASTED!!!!!!" Ranma bellowed before shouting, "PERFECT MOKO GAKIDO!" and launching off a huge red column of energy that sent Ryouga slamming into a concrete retaining wall that was a good 50 ft away with such force a 15 ft deep crater was caused by his impact. The Senshi who were about ready to go on the warpath because of what the boy had done to Sailor Moon just gaped as they watched Ranma still boiling with an enough rage to cause streamers of pure anger to arc away from him. "GET UP RYOUGA!!!" Ranma shouted venomously a moment later.

The Senshi's response to this was to gape when Ryouga did indeed get up battered and bruised but still intact.

A few moments later Ryouga shook the cobwebs out of his head and charged Ranma however this time Ranma didn't dodge but shouted, "Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken to Moko Gakido."

The resulting barrage of energy and punches was so powerful that the ground underneath Ranma buckled as Ryouga was sent back into the crater he had just crawled out of. When Ranma finally stopped, Ryouga was unconscious his arms burned slightly. Ranma for his part was breathing heavily looked like he was about ready to collapse from over exertion.

"Is he dead?" Ranma heard one of the Senshi ask.

"No," Ranma replied as he finally regained his breath and walked across the street where he hulled Ryouga out of the crater he was in before slapping him a few times which awoke him.

Ryouga while not the smartest cookie knew that Ranma was more then just pissed at him considering Ranma had just KO'd him with an emotion Ranma rarely displayed in any great quantity— pure rage.

"Now fights between us are one thing pig boy but never bring anyone ESPECIALLY someone that does as much good as a SENSHI into one of our fights," Ranma growled. "Am I making myself clear?"

Ryouga's reply to the furious Ranma in front of him —something he now considered even scarier then a furious indigo haired tomboy—was to nod rapidly.

"Good..." Ranma said before throwing Ryouga across the street as he added, "Now go apologize!!"

As Ryouga landed, he looked up and immediately fainted with a massive nosebleed considering the view he had.

This left the Senshi to blink and Ranma to bang his head against what was left of the wall Ryouga had been pounded into causing it to collapse on top of him.

"Are they going to be okay?" Sailor Jupiter asked as she looked at the unconscious Ryouga and Ranma who was fishing himself out from underneath several tons of rubble.

"Yeah," Akane said as she walked up.

"So why did he faint like that?" Sailor Venus asked.

Ranma who by this time had managed to free himself from underneath the rubble that had fallen on him said, "Pork for brains saw little a too much," as he walked up while dusting himself off.

The Senshi's reply to this was to sweat drop considering where Ryouga had landed was nowhere near close enough to get any kind of show.

"Are you ok?" Ranma asked as he walked over to Sailor Moon who was still a little shell shocked.

"Yeah but I'll probably be bruised for a while ... but nothing I haven't gotten over before," Sailor Moon replied with a nervous laugh.

"Good," Ranma said before walking over to Ryouga, picking him up again, and waking him up by shouting, "Apologize now," in his ear.

Ryouga's reply to this was to start apologizing furiously before running off.

"Hmm, well I guess we better get going to," Sailor Moon said before she and the other Senshi ran off.

Shrugging his shoulders Ranma started walking up the steps to the Hadaka shrine Akane following alongside him.

"Did she ever teach you a way to see through the disguise magic?" Akane asked.

"I respect the identity of the Senshi so I'm not going to," Ranma replied.

'...but I am,' Akane mentally stated.

********************

As Ranma and Akane walked into the courtyard of the Hadaka shrine they found Usagi and her friends talking away. Seeing this Ranma smiled to himself before deciding to tease his favorite cousin.

Seeing the antics that ensued because of this Akane sighed deeply as she saw that Ranma's teasing was his way of showing love and when they teasing was not met with anger Ranma displayed an odd gentle kindness and actually had fun something that Akane knew —all too well— that Ranma didn't have enough of. A few moments later Akane began to smirk as her mischievous side got the better off her as she decided to join in the fun.

Watching from nearby Mamoru who had watched the fight Ranma had with Ryouga from a tree just stared and said, "How in the world can somebody wield that kind of power without magic without being corrupted by it?"

"He has stared into the depths of the abyss and laughed. He has walked through hell and considered it nothing but a casual stroll," Luna muttered from Mamoru's shoulder.

The only response Mamoru and Artemis gave to Luna's statement was a quiet nod.

********************

Meanwhile at the mansion the outer Senshi shared we find Haruka pacing around while muttering about interesting ways to 'deal with' a certain panda.

Watching her from her chair Michiru made notes while Setsuna wondered how someone so young could come up with such inventive ways to deal with a panda.

********************

Late that afternoon the Senshi had gathered in out of the way part of Juuban Park to discuss Ranma's early battle with Ryouga.

"So how did they do all of that damage?" Makoto asked.

"Well the Bakusai Tenketsu that Ryouga used creates a very powerful energy that acts like a harmonic resonance. That 'harmonic energy' then causes nonliving matter to lose molecular cohesion with explosive force."

"Translation Ami," Makoto deadpanned.

"He can make things blow up with his finger," Ami replied.

"What about that Shishi Hokodan thing that walloped me?" Usagi queried.

"Depression," Ami answered causing everyone to blink at her repeatedly. "According to the Mercury computer's analysis and databanks he focused his life energy —what Rei calls ki— into a ball of energy by using the emotion of depression."

"That can't be healthy I don't care what kind of power it gives you," Luna commented.

"What about that blast thing Ranma did?" Artemis asked rather nervously.

"I'm guessing pure rage," Makoto commented as she remembered the look on Ranma's face. A look that made a lot of the things she had seen as a Senshi, look rather tame in comparison.

Ami's reply to this was a nod before adding, "The 'Amaguriken' however was a separate technique that caused Ranma's hands to move so fast that most bullets move in slow motion in comparison."

"He punches faster than a machine gun!!" Usagi bellowed.

"Yes," Ami answered. "A lot faster then a machine gun," Ami added as she put away the mercury computer.

"We need to get more information about his life," Rei commented.

"...but how?" Makoto responded.

"I know I know!!" Usagi squealed happily, as she smiled and rubbed her hands together while looking decidedly evil.

"What?" Ami asked.

"A sleep over," Usagi said with a very broad and toothy grin.

"but..." Minako objected until Usagi interrupted.

"Trust me Ranma is a total girl at times," Usagi said as she shook her water bottle. Taking a sip of her water Usagi then commented, "Now what are we going to get my cousin to wear tonight?" as her grin broadened.

"This calls for a shopping trip," Minako called enthusiastically.

********************

Meanwhile back at the Hadaka shrine Ranma was watching Akane practice when he suddenly went completely rigid.

"Ranma?" Akane asked curiously as she noticed Ranma was looking around for something truly unspeakable — youma not included.

"A chill a very bad chill," Ranma muttered while trying to relax. "Last time I had one this bad was just before Usagi ..." Ranma added before going rigid again and muttering, "No no damn no she's going to ... I just know it," as he started to pace around mumbling something about the 'Kawaii-ken'.

"Ranma whatever you think she's going to do it can't be that bad," Akane said interrupting Ranma's rantings.

"Akane you don't know my cousin. The last time I got a chill this bad was three hours before she dressed me up like a Princess and that was WAY before I even went to that all boys' school," Ranma responded as he looked at Akane out of the corners of his eyes.

"Oh," Akane replied rather weekly.

********************

Meanwhile at one of Juuban's larger clothing stores we find Usagi pacing around mumbling about the outfit she was going to get Ranma as the rest of the other Senshi sat nearby ready to give advice.

"Ok suggestions," Usagi stated as she continued to pace.

"Slacks," Makoto suggested to which Usagi and Minako replied by glaring at her. Makoto's response to this was a nervous chuckle as she made a few warding gestures.

"I say a miniskirt a Sailor Senshi sized miniskirt," Minako said enthusiastically.

Usagi's response to this was an enthusiastic nod and a grin. However moment later Ami added, "... with pockets," causing everyone to look at her. "What? Ranma has to have a place to put his wallet doesn't he," Ami questioned as she looked back at everyone.

"Good point," Minako answered before turning back to Usagi who had started to pace around again as she started to think about Ranma's new outfit again.

"Leggings: skin tight and jet black," Usagi finally said after a moment of pacing.

"Why?" Minako asked.

"Ranma is fond of really high kicks and has next to no modesty in battle," Usagi replied causing everyone chuckle.

"The same could be said about you meatball head," Rei commented.

"Yeah but at least I know what effect it has on boys," Usagi said with a smirk before adding, "Ranma however well sometimes he is a total baka," Usagi replied with a deep sigh.

Rei's reply to this was to slap her head in frustration for more than one reason.

"Ok what next?" Minako said enthusiastically.

"Something unusual, something daring, something that shows a lot of skin," Usagi said with evil smirk after a moment of thought.

"Ohhh what what what," Minako said as she developed a similar grin.

"I'm not sure, either a really skimpy tank top or a really tight and skimpy tube top," Usagi answered uncertainly. "...but either way the outfit is missing something," Usagi added before looking to her fellow Senshi for suggestions. A moment later Usagi squealed happily and ran off thanking Ami. This of course left Ami to blink repeatedly and everyone else to shrug and wait for their blond leader to return.

When Usagi finally returned she was carrying an outfit that consisted of a black sailor Senshi sized miniskirt with pockets, a pair of skintight black leggings, a white tube top that was only about six or seven inches from top to bottom and lastly a open red vest that was styled similarly to a Chinese shirt.

"It's perfect!!" Minako squealed.

"I know," Usagi said with a smirk.

"Now let's talk about accessories!" Minako cheered enthusiastically.

"No that we do tomorrow when we drag Ranma out in this," Usagi said evilly.

"Meatball head, what makes you think Ranma and Akane will go along with this?" Rei questioned and her usual rough manner.

"Ranma's no problem," Usagi said with a chuckle and a mischievous glint in her eye before adding, "Akane however I don't know about." Rei's response to this was start saying something. However, she was quickly interrupted when Usagi added, "...but if we get her an outfit of her own everything will be okay!!" before running off.

Rei's natural response to this was to sweat drop and wish she had a convenient wall to bash her head against.

********************

A few hours later at the Hadaka shrine, we find Ranma-chan and Akane wearing the outfits Usagi had put together for them as the blond duo of Usagi and Minako zoomed around the room preparing for the slumber party that was to formally begin as soon as they got done.

"I told you so," Ranma-chan muttered.

A slightly green looking Akane only replied by muttering, "I think I went into diabetic shock at that look Usagi gave us."

Ranma-chan's response to this was to nod solemnly considering Akane being totally unprepared for 'the look' had been completely defenseless against it.

"Ok It's time to begin!!!" Usagi squealed happily.

"With what?" Akane asked as she looked at the glass of soda that was in front of her while wondering if drinking it would help settle her stomach.

"How about you tell us everything that's happened sense the day you two met," Rei suggested while thinking a few kami that what ever Usagi had used on her cousin and Ranma had never been used on her.

Ranma-chan and Akane's only reply to this was to look at each other for a moment before shrugging after which Ranma-chan began to relate the previous year's events starting with her arrival at the Tendo dojo.

********************

A little while later back in Nerima we find Nabiki Tendo setting in her room looking at a report from the school of martial arts contracting. The report simply stated that low level Ranma type damage had been dealt to the crown fruit parlor during a youma battle in Juuban.

"Why in the name of the kami would Ranma and Akane go to Juuban," Nabiki commented to herself before her cell phone rang. Nabiki's response to this was to answer the phone, which was another report. This time however it involved exceptionally heavy Ranma type damage and the usual Ryouga type damage. Hanging up her phone Nabiki commented, "What is Ranma up to? It doesn't matter the entire wrecking crew will be there by tomorrow morning."

********************

Setsuna Meiou stood in the back yard of the mansion she shared with her fellow Senshi absently thinking of Ranma, his phenomenal power and the lonely heart that Ranma hid underneath everything. Turning her gaze upward and instinctively towards Pluto, Setsuna sighed deeply before she started humming a lullaby she remembered her mother singing to her. By the time, she had finished the lullaby Haruka had walked up beside her.

"Suna-chan?" Haruka said tentatively.

Raising an eyebrow at Haruka's new pet name Setsuna turned her gaze away from Pluto and said, "He has become part of our destiny something that I never foresaw but definitely should've considering the chaos he creates and is surrounded by."

"What does that mean?"

"That things are going to get interesting ... and in fact they already have."

"Naru?"

Setsuna's only reply to this was to nod as a few tears slipped from her eyes. "He's been through so very much he doesn't deserve being drafted by destiny to help us. Especially after the number of times he has defied and rewritten his destiny."

"I know Ranma deserves a loving family and more than an abusive panda for a father," Haruka replied angrily.

"Genma despite all of his faults and all of the crazy training he has put Ranma through has never abused Ranma —at least from Ranma's point of view," Setsuna said in an odd tone of voice.

"How in the..." Haruka demanded before Setsuna cut her off with a wave of her hand.

"Believe it or not every training method —even the Neko-ken— was done out of love. Genma loves his son with all of his idiotic heart and he loves martial arts with the same ferocity. Unfortunately, because of Genma's own life and childhood, the only way he had to show his love for Ranma was by teaching him martial arts. Unfortunately outside of anything relating to martial arts and stealing Genma is worse then a baka in Osaka," Setsuna explained sadly.

"To us he's abusive but to Ranma his father is just well the 'damn panda'," Haruka said thoughtfully.

"...and if you ask Ranma he'll only say that his father's training methods are crazy but then most good martial arts training methods are. Just ask the monks that invented kung fu."

"Oh," Haruka replied rather numbly. "His life is more screwed up then me and Michiru's but yet he's still a decent and honorable person; how?"

"I wish I knew but there are things in the universe not even I understand," Setsuna responded before letting out a deep sigh that sounded like it came from the depths of the underworld she guarded. "There is something about Ranma's very soul that refuses to be broken no matter how many times it is."

********************

The next morning the first comment —actually it was more like a wail— that was made was, "I'll never been able to watch another soap opera again in my life!"

"Why would you ever want to watch something so unrealistic any how," Akane queried in genuine confusion causing Minako and the rest of her friends to sweat drop well except for Usagi who was out like a light along with Ranma-chan.

"Right, unrealistic," Minako commented with a nervous chuckle as she backed away from Akane who didn't notice mainly because she was watching Ranma-chan who was snoring slightly and rather cutely considering the sound the buxom redhead was making was quite hilarious.

"They might not look any thing like each other but considering the way they act they're definitely related," Makoto said with a smirk as she watched Usagi who was also snoring cutely and in perfect tune with Ranma-chan.

'Yeah and I've never seen Ranma have so much fun in my life,' Akane thought to herself as she nodded. 'I wonder how long it will last,' Akane wondered before shrugging and grabbing Ranma-chan who protested in her sleep about waking up so early as Akane left with the buxom redhead.

Chuckling Makoto commented, "Usagi sure was right about Ranma being a girl."

Everyone's reply to this except Rei was a chuckle and a nod.

'Something isn't right I sensed Ranma's ki becoming more feminine overnight. It doesn't make sense no one can have such a dramatic shift in their ki and such a short amount of time without it ... well in most people kill them but even taking into account Ranma's insane mental strength something still should've happened,' Rei thought to herself.

********************

"Come on Usagi you can't expect to win against someone like Ranma all the time," Minako said with a giggle later that day as she and the other inner Senshi walked along the streets of Juuban.

Usagi's reply to this was to continue fuming indignantly as she muttered something rather unpleasant under her breath about no good cousins weaseling out of her plans. This of course elicited another bout of giggling from Minako, which was abruptly cut short when she ran into Rei who had stopped in front of a hair salon.

"Something is wrong," Rei said as she shifted into her classic priestess mode of operation as she stared at the hair salon. "This place has been almost perfectly grounded the past two years but now it's covered in evil," Rei added.

A moment later, everyone nodded once and ran off to transform. After doing so, they snuck into the hair salon where they found a female cat youma being held against a wall.

"You have what you what Yami-Jadeite leave me in peace," the cat youma said calmly as her tail twitched in annoyance.

"I want the blueprints for this bracelet and ambient life force collector!!!" The Senshi heard someone shout as a small bracelet and sphere flew across the room hitting the cat youma squarely in the head.

"I don't have any and even if I did they would do you no good," the youma replied before adding, "Especially against the Senshi."

Jadeite's reply to this was to roar angrily before shouting, "I will be back," and teleporting away with a flash leaving the youma to fall to the ground where she clutched her right leg, which was bent at an odd angle.

"It's broken," the youma said absently before picking up the bracelet and sphere Jadeite had thrown at her and propping herself up and sitting down on one of the styling chairs where she absorbed a large amount of energy from the sphere which healed her leg. "You can come out I know your there Senshi," the cat youma said.

Expecting a trap the Senshi reluctantly came out from their hiding spot.

"I'm quite harmless I assure you," the cat youma said calmly as the Senshi gathered around her.

"Where is Himitsu-san!!" Sailor Mars demanded.

The reply the cat youma gave to this was to put on the bracelet she held which changed her appearance to that of a young woman who said, "Right here."

Sailor Mars's reply to this look at the woman for a moment before crossing her arms angrily. "HOW!"

"This bracelet grounds out evil ki, though Yami-Jadeite thinks it just camouflages it," Himitsu replied.

"...and the ambient life force collector?" Sailor Mars demanded angrily.

"It gathers the life force that bleeds off of every living thing and then it either purifies it and stores that life force or grounds it," Himitsu replied simply. "It's very slow but it's enough to keep me alive."

"Then why would Jadeite want it?" Mars demanded.

"Yami-Jadeite," Himitsu corrected before starting to think.

"Yami? Why did you keep saying that?"

Himitsu's reply to this was to blink a few times before slapping herself on the forehead. "The four guardians of the Prince of the earth were captured and possessed by yami youma; nasty creatures even in the dark kingdom. They steel their victim's bodies, memories, and identity."

"So if that's the case what happened to the real Jadeite, Kunzite, Zoisite and Nephrite," Venus asked.

"Prisoners in their own bodies. Although for some inexplicable reason, just now yami-Jadeite was clearly not in Jadeite's body. As to him wanting the collector; Yami when left to their own devices are perfectly happy doing things at a snail's pace and in away that attracts no attention," Himitsu explained before she stood up and placed the sphere she was holding on a nearby shelf. "Now if you'll excuse me I have to get ready to open my shop," Himitsu added as she started to cleanup the mess yami-Jadeite had made.

The Senshi's reply to this was to reluctantly leave.

********************

Haruka was in a lousy mood that was caused by a certain pigtailed martial artist. Unusually however Haruka's mood was lousy not because of Ranma's phenomenal power or any the other reasons that Ranma's mere presence in someone's life caused but because she was totally incapable of doing anything to help the charmingly naïve, ultra powerful, inexplicably kind, pigtailed martial artist that could walk through hell and not lose any kindness or lose hope.

"What in hell can I do for him?" Haruka mumbled irritability.

"Be a friend," Setsuna replied from behind Haruka causing her to jump a bit.

"Come on how can that ever be enough someone that powerful!" Haruka bellowed.

"Those with the most power often have the fewest friends," Setsuna replied as Hotaru walked into the room behind her.

Looking between Hotaru and Setsuna, Haruka nodded before getting up and leaving as she called for Michiru.

'Why has he become part of our destiny? He is also a keystone in the coming battles but in what way I cannot foresee,' Setsuna thought to herself before sitting down as Hotaru started playing. 'He processes more raw power and Usagi and Hotaru put together and could completely vaporize an entire planet if he possessed the proper technique,' Setsuna thought as she looked over at Hotaru. 'Techniques it all comes back to techniques with Ranma. With the proper technique, he can do nearly anything.'

********************

"Yami youma that explains a few things," Artemis commented after he and Luna had been told about the encounter with Himitsu.

"If that Youma Himitsu was telling the truth," Luna replied rather testily.

"Still it goes along with what Naru predicted. '...doubles and old enemies that have become hostages...'," Ami said in her usual analytical manner.

"True," Rei said as she looked out at the park they were sitting in.

"So what are we going to do?" Makoto asked curiously. "Especially sense our 'newest' enemy seems perfectly happy operating from the shadows."

"Watch Himitsu, Yami-Jadeite said he would be back," Minako replied rather casually.

"A trap and one set by us for a change," Usagi said with something reminiscent of the dark chuckle.

"A good plan but what about the real Jadeite once the Yami version of him is destroyed the other Yami will most likely kill him," Artemis said.

"Then we have to find out where he is and quickly," Luna replied while sounding like she didn't like the idea one bit.

"Rei you okay?" Usagi asked as she noticed Rei was still looking quite distant.

"It doesn't make sense why would he be after something that can only collect ambient life force," Rei muttered in reply.

"Well maybe he's going to put it somewhere like a big stadium where there are lots of people," Minako said thoughtfully.

"No the thing doesn't have that kind of range," Rei replied.

"What about Ranma he's got to put off enough energy to light up a few city blocks just by sitting there," Makoto suggested.

Hearing this Rei went deftly pale. "Crap their planning on putting one of those things next to everyone to the Nerima wrecking crew and considering how much energy they use they'll be able to gather in almost unlimited amount life force without anyone knowing about it."

"Not if we stop them," Usagi said with a rather icy tone to her voice. "...and sense there after the Nerima wrecking crew that's probably where they are," Usagi added in one of her rare moments of brilliance.

"...but where? Nerima is a huge ward and finding someone there would be like searching for a haystack in a needle," Minako commented.

"That’s needle in a haystack Minako," Rei replied as she shook her head.

"Whatever," Minako answered.

"The Mercury computer should be able to find anything unusual. However considering what we have heard of Nerima everything in the ward would probably register as a potential threat," Ami said as she typed away at the Mercury computer.

"So how do we filter out all of Nerima's normal weirdness?" Minako asked.

"I don't think it's possible at least by ourselves," Makoto commented. "...but if we ask Ranma we might be able to find them."

"A valid point," Luna replied before looking to Ami.

"It does seem like the only way to filter through the ambient chaos of Nerima with any degree of efficiency," Ami replied after a moment of thought.

"The only problem is if you spend any amount of time with Ranma in your Senshi forms he's likely to see through the disguise magic," Luna mumbled rather distractedly.

"Luna there are worse people —a lot worse people— that could learn the girls' secret identities," Artemis replied while sounding rather annoyed.

"Your quite wrong Artemis," Luna informed the white cat. "Considering Ranma's overprotective nature and his power he'll try to interfere with girls being Senshi."

"I'm not so sure," Usagi said surprising Luna greatly.

"What are you talking about Usagi?" Luna demanded.

Crossing her arms Usagi replied, "For some reason he respects the Senshi."

"What's that got to do with anything?" Makoto asked.

"Everything," Usagi said as she looked off into the distance. "If Ranma didn't respect the Senshi he would have blabbed something along lines of 'Get out of here ya dumb girls before you get yourself killed!!'," Usagi replied before her brow wrinkled thought. "In fact now that I think about it makes me wonder if Ranma doesn't already know about us."

"I find doubtful he knows about us considering how protective he is if you," Ami said before scratching her chin thoughtfully. "He may respect us simply because we protect the innocent," Ami added a moment later.

"Now that make sense Ranma's always been chivalrous —a little too chivalrous actually," Usagi said as she nodded her head repeatedly.

"LEAVE ME ALONE WILL YA I'M TRYING TO TAKE A VACATION!!" Ranma was heard shouting as he ran from several girls, Ryouga, a kendoist, and someone wearing white robes all while holding Akane.

Blinking rather owlishly the inner Senshi wondered if they should follow. A moment later, they decided against it.

"Considering 'the wrecking crew' is here we might be able to get a good scan of Nerima right now," Ami said thoughtfully as Ranma ran by again still being chased and expertly avoiding the shrapnel from Ryouga's attacks.

The others Senshi replied to this by nodding rather numbly considering the fact of seeing Ranma chased around town was quite a bit more shocking then hearing about it in a story —mainly because Ranma and Akane had toned their stories down quite a bit.

"I wonder if I should just tell him," Usagi whispered to herself before the familiar battle cries of sailors Uranus and Neptune were heard. Hearing this Usagi of course jumped to her feet and immediately saw the target of the two others Senshi's attacks were the members of the Nerima wrecking crew that were chasing Ranma and doing a great deal of property damage in the process.

The Nerima wrecking crew having never seen the Senshi firsthand let alone staring down the barrel at two of their most powerful attacks froze and were hit full force by them. Fortunately, Uranus and Neptune had held back their attack power so that they wouldn't 'hurt' any of the wrecking crew. Unfortunately Neptune's deep submerge activated everyone's Jusenkyo curse except for Ranma's who was far enough away and Uranus' attack sent the cursed Jusenkyo victims flying and of course shampoo-neko landed right on Ranma's face.

"Run!!!!!!!" Usagi screamed.

********************

"Huh??" Neptune questioned in response to Usagi's scream before noticing Ranma running around screaming in absolute terror.

"He was joking about the Neko-ken thing right?" Uranus questioned as Akane ran towards them.

Akane's only response was to grab both of the Sailor Senshi and keep running moments before Ranma was heard yowling.

A few moments later, Neptune and Uranus both stared on in terror as they saw Ranma rip though a tree like it was paper as he chased around a certain kendoist who was looking at Ranma rather nervously.

"Stay here!" Akane growled at the two Senshi as she unceremonially dropped them on the ground before turning around and running towards Ranma who had just batted a certain kendoist over the horizon.

Seeing this, the two of course tried to follow. However before they could get even a few feet a certain staff came out of nowhere and blocked their path.

"Watch all of you," Pluto said calmly as the inner Senshi ran up.

********************

Meanwhile a few hundred meters away Neko-Ranma was circling Kodachi who was looking very nervous considering he was looking like a lion ready to kill its prey. A moment later Kodachi decided to run and comeback when Ranma was acting more human and was not under the vile influence of a certain commoners evil magic.

Neko-Ranma's reply to this was to start looking around for more threats and immediately noticed one in the brown haired female that was holding a large metal weapon and threatening his mate. Hissing Neko-Ranma immediately attacked slicing the large metal weapon into useless ribbons of metal as he also got in between his mate and the brown haired female that had been attacking his mate.

"Ran..." Ukyou said as she took a step forward only to be swiped at causing the handle of her now useless weapon to be shredded as well. Seeing this Ukyou glared at Akane for a moment before running off.

"Come here Ranma," Akane said soothingly causing Neko-Ranma to start purring loudly. However, a moment later Neko-Ranma noticed a certain pig, which he quickly retrieved and started playing with like a mouse. "Ranma be a good kitty and give the pervert to me," Akane said causing Ranma to do just that after which he sat down and curled up and started purring again. "I feel like a little American-style football," Akane said with a Nabiki like smirk.

The only reply the black piglet gave to Akane's statement was to gulp before Akane demonstrated the proper way to punt the old pigskin over the horizon.

Smirking Akane turned her attention back to Neko-Ranma and pulled out a squirt gun to squirt Ranma with. However before she could do so a howl was heard as a huge demon like dog appeared out of some sort of portal.

Immediately sensing danger and evil Neko-Ranma charged.

********************

"Prepare to witness the true horror of the Neko-ken," Pluto said in a nearly dead tone of voice just before Neko-Ranma slashed at the dog demon.

A few moments later, all of the Senshi except Pluto looked on in absolute horror as demon blood was sprayed and spilled. Then they covered their ears as the demon howled in pain as it was torn apart bit by bit. Then with a sickening thud right in front of the Senshi, it was over. Seeing the carnage was too much even for the battle hardened Neptune and Uranus as was apparent when they and all of the inner Senshi threw up.

Pluto unfazed by what had happened pointed her staff downward and vaporized what had caused her fellow Senshi to throw up. This also had the effect of causing the rest of the demon and the blood that had been spilled and sprayed over everything in 100-yard radius of Neko-Ranma to vanish.

"What now?"

"Watch," Pluto said in nothing more than a whisper.

So, the Senshi did and amazingly, Ranma was brought back from the Neko-ken simply by transforming into his alternate form.

********************

"What happened?" Ranma-chan asked curiously.

Looking rather shaken and a bit green Akane said, "The usual you went into the Neko-ken and pounded everything you saw as a threat to me."

"Did I hurt anyone?"

"Only the dog demon that appeared out of nowhere," Akane answered.

"What dog demon?" Ranma-chan asked curiously.

"Let's go I need a bath ... a long bath," Akane said before walking off followed by Ranma-chan.

********************

'Note to self kill any bipedal pandas that use signs,' Uranus thought to herself as she tried to stop herself from throwing up again as her mind replayed what had happened moments earlier.

'Ok no using water based attacks on that group of people,' Neptune thought to herself as she tried to get the images of neko-Ranma using the dog demon as a scratching post out of her mind.

"You go on I'm going to go talk to Ranma," Sailor Moon said before dashing off.

"Well I'm going to do a scan of Nerima now," Mercury said in her usual calm manner.

"Why?" Uranus asked curiously.

"Long story," Mars replied before everyone walked off together.

********************

"Please stop!" Sailor Moon called as she chased after Ranma-chan and Akane.

Hearing the cry from the blond Senshi Ranma-chan and Akane stopped and turned around.

"I need to talk to you," Sailor Moon said rather nervously.

"About what?" Ranma-chan asked curiously.

"Hmm, it's not the kind of thing we should talk about in public," Sailor Moon replied rather nervously.

"Oh ok," Ranma-chan said before turning to Akane who mumbled something incomprehensible before walking off leaving Ranma-chan to shake her head before walking off.

********************

"Himitsu you say!" Setsuna shouted with a chuckle before adding, "I swear that cat youma has more than 900 lives."

"You know about her?"

"She's something of legend actually and a complete pacifist unless she's defending family," Setsuna replied.

"A pacifist youma?" Rei asked while looking like she didn't believe a word of what Setsuna had just said.

"Yes although she wasn't always one," Setsuna said. "She's also very old and was born long before Metallia took over the dark kingdom."

"What did she do back then?" Minako asked curiously.

"That you will have to ask her," Setsuna said in a sad tone of voice was as cold and distant as her planet.

"She must have been something more important than a hairdresser back then considering those two devices she made," Haruka said in her usual rough manner.

"Well in any case we have to make sure yami-Jadeite doesn't get her," Makoto replied.

"True," Setsuna replied before the Mercury computer was heard beeping signaling it had finished it's scan of Nerima.

"Done," Ami said as she hit a few keys on the Mercury computer.

"So how many possible locations are there?" Makoto asked.

"Well over 300," Ami replied with a sigh.

"Whoa," Artemis commented.

"Are there any locations that seem weird?" Minako asked.

Ami's reply to this was to raise eyebrow and look at Minako as if she had lost her mind. "Minako there is only one location in the entire ward of Nerima that looks anywhere near normal."

"Well that's weird by itself after all what's a normal looking place doing giving off all kinds of magic and supernatural stuff," Minako said as she scratched her head.

Ami's reply to this was to blink a few times before muttering something rather UnAmi like under her breath before performing a detailed scan of a nondescript warehouse, which she found was radiating a very familiar energy signature. "Got it," Ami said as she closed the Mercury computer.

"Good I'll to talk to Himitsu the rest of you except for Mamoru and Ami should wait for me near Himitsu's shop," Setsuna said as she started to walk off.

"...and what exactly are me and Ami suppose to do?" Mamoru queried.

"Find Ranma and Usagi and then go to the warehouse and stake it out," Setsuna answered before leaving.

********************

"YOU'RE WHO!" Ranma growled.

Sailor Moon's rather sheepish reply to this was to nervously drop her transformation.

Ranma's reply to this was to start glowing with rage as he cursed, "I'm going to go kill her! With our own staff and her own blasted time key!! She went to far forcing you into this!!"

Looking out for her hiding spot behind a large boulder Usagi blinked a few times before saying, "Ranma Pluto didn't force me into anything ... and how do you even know about her?"

His rage popping like soap bubble Ranma looked over at Usagi and asked, "If it wasn't Pluto who did?"

"Hmm, my cat, Luna," Usagi said rather sheepishly before adding, "...and no once forcing me to do anything now."

"What about at the beginning?" Ranma asked while wondering if Akane would help him kill a certain cat.

"I was drafted into it," Usagi replied rather indignantly before she came out from behind the rock she was hiding behind. "I really hated it at first but after a while it grew on me and now I wouldn't give it up," Usagi added as she sat down beside Ranma who had slowed down to a slow boiling rage. "As for my cat well I annoy her every chance I get —especially when she acts like an old bitty!" Usagi said with a surprisingly evil sounding chuckle, which raised Ranma's eyebrow.

Shaking his head Ranma wondered if anything could ever effect Usagi's perpetually good mood before asking, "So what did you want talk to me about?"

Her face hardening as Ranma never thought it could Usagi took a deep breath before starting to explain the situation.

"Damn what a mess!" Ranma said after Usagi had finished.

"Well at least this time around we actually know something about our enemy," Usagi replied with a shrug causing Ranma to sweat drop until she asked, "So do you know anywhere in Nerima the yami-youma could be hiding?"

"Hmm," was all Ranma said before he drifted off into what most people would classify as a brainless stupor. However, Usagi knew that Ranma had gone into one of his 'analysis modes'. "There's a nondescript warehouse near the edge of the usual range of the wrecking crew that's probably where they are."

Usagi's reply to this was to blink a few times before asking why Ranma thought that location was the one.

"It's normal looking and in Nerima something normal looking can't be just normal," Ranma replied.

"Oh," Usagi replied rather flatly before Ami and Mamoru walked up.

********************

"A stakeout," Himitsu said with a raised eyebrow as she fussed over Setsuna's hair.

"Yes after all having a yami after you is not a good thing," Setsuna replied.

"You of all of them know I can defend myself," Himitsu replied.

"Yes I know but we have to make sure we get the real Jadeite away from the other yami the moment yami-Jadeite attacks here."

"You mean they actually have a plan," Himitsu said with a chuckle.

"Yes and a new ally," Setsuna replied.

"I certainly hope this new ally has more power then the reincarnation of Prince Endymion," Himitsu commented.

"Considerably more, our new ally sent Lord Saffron back to an egg around 3 weeks ago," Setsuna replied.

"WHAT!" Himitsu shouted.

"You obviously heard me," Setsuna answered.

"How?"

"A ki adapt well on his way to becoming one of the most powerful ki masters ever," Setsuna said.

"So what will he be doing?" Himitsu asked curiously.

"He, Mercury, Moon and Kamen are already on their way to wear both Mercury and our ally suspect the yami are," Setsuna answered.

"Well if I was you I'd let that new ally of yours have that rose throwing weenie reincarnation of Prince Endymion for a few days," Himitsu said with a smirk.

Setsuna's only response to this was to smirk.

********************

Tuxedo Kamen was nervous. Not because he was racing towards a warehouse, that probably was the secret hideout of the 4 dark generals but because of the way, one Ranma Saotome was glaring at him. It was not a glare to be ignored and absently he wondered if he could ever win Ranma's trust.

A few minutes later the 4 arrived on a rooftop near the warehouse Ranma and Mercury had identified as the hiding place of the 4 dark Generals.

"I can only sense two people in their and one of them is extremely weak as if he's being drained or something," Ranma muttered as he extended his senses.

"Both of the people in there are registering as Jadeite but the one that's being drained isn't registering as a youma," Mercury said as she used the Mercury computer and her visor to scan the warehouse.

"So much for getting them all in one place," Kamen commented.

"One less evil general is always good," Ranma muttered moments before the Senshi communicators started beeping.

~"We're in position,"~ Mars said from the communicator after Mercury had opened it.

"Same here," Mercury replied before the stakeout began.

********************

Meanwhile back in Juuban or more specifically the park we find Naru walking along with Hotaru who was now only slightly younger than she was when she first awakened.

'I can't believe they actually trust me to watch her,' Naru thought to herself as she watched Hotaru cheerfully playing. 'I'm up to the responsibility but they more then even the others don't know anything about me,' Naru mentally added as she sat in the shade of a sakura tree while Hotaru continued to play.

Some distance away from Naru and Hotaru, we find Akane spying. 'That girl was living with Setsuna but the last time I saw her she was a lot younger,' Akane thought to herself as she watched Hotaru before turning to Naru. '...but why is Usagi's friend watching her?' Akane added mentally as she turned her attention to Naru. 'Could she be a Senshi? No but if Naru knows Setsuna that probably means she knows who they are. So if I follow her I should find out who the other Senshi are.'

********************

"What do you mean by the demon was ripped to shreds the Senshi powers can't do things like that!" Yami-Jadeite bellowed into a heavily modified phone.

~"I mean what I said Jadeite and it wasn't the Senshi that destroyed the demon it was that ki adapt Ranma and I'm absolutely sure he was using the Neko-ken!"~

"T-T-THATS not possible!!!" Yami-Jadeite stuttered out in fear.

~"I know what I saw! and as of right now I want you to get out of Nerima!"~

"What about Himitsu's devices?"

~"Get them and I don't care about blueprints then call me and I'll open a portal."~

"Immediately," Yami-Jadeite said before teleporting off.

********************

"It's time let's go!" Mercury said before everyone charged warehouse.

********************

"Remember we must delay him long enough for the others to free the real Jadeite," Pluto said before everyone nodded and they charged.

********************

"So how do we get him out of there?" Kamen asked as they stared at Jadeite who was encased in a pure white crystal which was intern surrounded by a dark crystal.

"The internal crystal seems to be destroying the dark crystal," Mercury said as she scanned the crystal.

"...but where is the internal crystal coming from?"

"Jadeite himself," Mercury said before adding, "It seems to be some kind of protective barrier that's also healing him."

"So how do we get him out of there without destroying that crystal that's healing him," Ranma asked as he looked at Jadeite who had extensive injuries.

Mercury's response to this was to start scanning the crystal again and after a few moments she responded, "Ranma you should be able to destroy the external crystal by hitting it with the same energy we use to bypass a youma's defenses along with the technique Ryouga uses to destroy rocks if you hit right here."

Ranma's response to this was to nod before striking the crystal, which caused the dark outer crystal to shatter into dust and the inner crystal to start growing until everything was engulfed in a flash of light. After that light faded, everyone saw Jadeite who was kneeling.

"I thank you milord Saotome for freeing me from my sleepless prison," Jadeite said before turning to Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon "My lieges I humbly beg for your forgiveness."

"Don't beg just prove your self again," Ranma muttered annoyingly.

Hearing this statement Tuxedo Kamen nodded.

"Then I will destroyed my evil twin immediately," Jadeite said before teleporting everyone away.

********************

'Damn Pluto and her powers over teleportation,' Yami-Jadeite swore as he ran from the Senshi as fast as he could.

"Halt vile youma!!!" Yami-Jadeite heard a familiar voice bellow.

Skidding to a halt Yami-Jadeite turned to face Jadeite who was holding a sword and being flanked by Tuxedo Kamen, Ranma, Moon and Mercury.

"Not good," Yami-Jadeite muttered as the Senshi caught up to him from behind. "Crap," Yami-Jadeite muttered under his breath before pulling out a sword of his own.

"This is between you and me yami-youma!" Jadeite shouted before charging Yami-Jadeite.

********************

"Wha..." Naru managed to stutter out at the site of Hotaru simultaneously aging a few years before she vanished. "Oh gods I'm in deep deep trouble!" Naru practically screamed before mentally forcing herself to calm down and concentrating on the whispers in the shadows.

~[Saturn is reborn. The Princess is in trouble. The dark warrior of death an darkness shall soon appear.]~

Shaking her head Naru mumbled something about useless whispers before running off in the direction she thought she sensed Usagi.

Shortly thereafter Akane followed with enough stealth she wouldn't be noticed.

********************

Meanwhile back with the Senshi we find Jadeite and Yami-Jadeite fighting fiercely when sailor Saturn appeared.

"Saturn!!" Yami-Jadeite said as he backed away in fear only to be run through by Jadeite because of the distraction of the Senshi of destruction appearing out of nowhere.

"Good riddance," Jadeite said simply as Yami-Jadeite's body disintegrated before turning to Saturn along with the rest of the Senshi.

Saturn's only reply was to raise her glaive causing a massive outflow of power to wash over the Senshi. When the power ceased all of the Senshi's powers had been enhanced and Sailor Moon had gained a new form.

Blinking away the stars in his eyes Jadeite shook his head and mumbled something under his breath before walking up to Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon and kneeling. "My lieges I will come to aid when ever you need it but for now I'll shall remove my self from your presence," Jadeite said before standing and teleporting away.

"We have got to figure out how they do that," Moon muttered before turning to Saturn who smiled sadly for moment before everyone noticed Naru running towards them.

"Ranma we have Senshi business to take care of now ok," Moon said before Ranma nodded and ran off passing Naru on the way.

"It's time," Pluto said before raising her staff and teleporting all of the Senshi and Naru away.

********************

"Akane you can come out I know your there," Ranma said after the Senshi vanished.

Looking slightly miffed Akane walked out of her hiding place and up behind Ranma.

"So what now?" Akane asked.

"Something to eat," Ranma answered simply before walking off never noticing Akane glaring.

********************

"Where are we?" Moon queried as she looked around at the huge open room they were in.

"We are in the binding room," Pluto said before dismissing her staff and walking to the center of the room.

"What now?" Naru asked nervously.

"We use the ginzuishou bind Naru to Nemesis's power."

"That won't be necessary Setsuna," a powerful female voice said before a woman stepped into the room.

The woman wore a bright red tube top, a pair of orange slacks, and a full cape, which was a beautiful forest green on the outside and a deep royal purple on the inside. Her distinguishing features were her height which was six feet even, long sky blue hair which reached her ankles, and a set of piercing Emerald green eyes which showed even to the most inexperienced that she was far far older than she looked. The woman was also was quite a muscular. Strangely, the fact she looked buff only seemed to add to her already ample feminine beauty. In her left hand, she held a staff topped with a gem that was easily giving off a 100 times the power of ginzuishou but even Sailor Moon could feel the woman's true power had nothing to do with the staff.

"Who are you," Moon asked.

"She is the creator of the Senshi powers, the ginzuishou, and kinzuishou," Pluto responded causing the rest of the Senshi to pale.

Walking with a grace and beauty even Setsuna could not match the woman approached Naru and studied her.

"You're elements are death and darkness and if you become a Senshi you will come to possess a horrendously horrific power. One that is arguably even worse then the power Saturn holds."

"What kind of power?" Naru asked nervously.

The woman's reply to this was to whisper something into Naru's ear, which caused her to back away in utter terror. The only reply the woman gave to this was to walk over to Naru and say, "That will your power of last resort, Naru. A power that you will know when to use and when you do it can bring someone a final peace that they could never find otherwise or it can truly destroy an evil that refuses to die."

"How can anyone find peace after that?!"

The woman's reply to this was to whisper into Naru's ear once again after which she looked away to face Usagi who as usual was looking supportive.

Standing up Naru asked, "Why?"

"Such is the nature of your destiny," the woman replied.

"What kind of power will she have?!" Mars demanded.

"You will see and know only when and if she agrees," the woman said as she glared at Mars who immediately backed away in fear.

"Naru you don't have to you know..." Moon said nervously.

"No I do Usagi even after learning what my ultimate power will be," Naru said before getting up and walking to the center of the room.

"Are you absolutely sure?" The creator of the Senshi powers asked seriously.

"Yes," Naru answered.

"Then I call for a vote of confidence from the other Senshi of the sol system," the creator of the Senshi powers commanded.

"I Princess Setsuna Meiou of Pluto, guardian of the gates of time and Senshi of Pluto vote yes," Pluto stated as she stepped forward and stood on a large circular platform.

The mysterious creator of the Senshi powers responded to this by raising her staff and saying. "You are not lying and not being coerced in any way your vote is accepted."

After this, the platform Pluto was on sunk into the floor and started to glow with Pluto's sigil.

"I Princess Serenity of the moon kingdom, Usagi Tsukino, guardian of the ginzuishou, and Senshi of the Moon vote yes," Sailor Moon said as she stepped onto another platform.

Thus, the voting began and after all of the Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen had voted the mysterious creator of the Senshi powers said, "...and now to summon an avatar of each of you're elements." With that said the woman floated into the air and started chanting a few moments later she stated, "I summon Himitsu Black last true Queen of the Dark Kingdom!"

Hearing this all of the Senshi except for Pluto gasped fractions of a second before Himitsu appeared in front of Naru.

"What say you to her becoming the Senshi of darkness Queen of secrets, stealth and darkness," the creator of the Senshi powers stated.

Himitsu's reply to this was to study Naru closely as her tail twitched. A moment later she said, "I say yea."

"Do you have any gifts to bestow upon the new Senshi?"

"Yes I give her the power of stealth for her Senshi form and to her spirit I give her the power to completely and clearly know the secrets of darkness," Himitsu stated as she summoned two spheres of energy.

"Do you wish to bestow a weapon upon the new Senshi?"

"No," Himitsu replied.

"Then you may go," the mysterious creator of the Senshi said before Himitsu nodded and vanished. After this, the mysterious creator of the Senshi started to chant again. This time however the chanting sent chills through the Senshi as if death it self was being summoned and a few moments later with the words, "I summon the reaper of souls," it was.

Seeing the horrific embodiment and personification of death horrified all of the Senshi, except for Pluto, so much they tried to move, tried to run but they were anchored to the spot and unable to even scream.

Naru however stared unflinchingly at the Grim Reaper eye to glowing pinpricks of dark light as the reaper of souls circled her scythe glinting in the light of the binding chamber.

"What say you to her becoming the Senshi of death, ancient reaper of souls?" The creator of the Senshi powers stated.

In a voice that chilled even Setsuna's soul the reaper of souls spoke, "I say yea."

"Do you have any gifts to bestow upon the new Senshi?"

"Yes," the reaper said as it produced a sphere of absolutely black energy.

"Do you wish to bestow a weapon upon the new Senshi?"

"Yes," the reaper said before slashing it's scythe in the air causing a black rift to appear which the reaper pointed to.

Seeing this Naru nodded and reached into a black rift and pulled out a scythe identical to the one the reaper of souls was holding.

The reaper's only reply to this was to vanish leaving Naru to hold the scythe as she was surrounded by the three spheres of energy that represented the gifts she had been given.

Floating down and in front of Naru the mysterious creator of the Senshi said, "and here is my gift," as she held out a henshin rod.

Letting go of the scythe, which floated into the air and changed into another sphere of energy, Naru took the henshin rod. Looking at the henshin rod silently for a moment before Naru nodded after which the spheres of energy slammed and merged into her.

Then she heard the words in her mind and spoke them.

"Nemesis crystal power!!!"

Thus, the power of Nemesis was unleashed. The power quickly enveloped Naru binding her to the gifts she was given and summoning the scythe of the reaper of souls and after grabbing the scythe Naru was clothed in a fuku. The skirt of which was as black as midnight while the ribbons, trim and knee-high boots were blood red and then with a final burst of power the transformation was over and Sailor Nemesis stood amongst the other Senshi scythe glinting and at the ready.

"It is done," the mysterious creator of the Senshi powers said simply as she stepped aside and let the other Senshi approach Nemesis.

"Naru?" Moon questioned.

Sailor Nemesis's reply to this was to nod before looking to the other Senshi one by one.

Pluto looked at her with sad eyes as if she knew the weight that had been placed upon her.

Uranus looked at her and her weapon nervously.

Neptune looked at her in the same way as Uranus.

Saturn looked at her in a way she knew she held a similar horrific power. Nemesis also felt that Saturn would be her closest Senshi friend next to Sailor Moon.

Jupiter looked at her weapon nervously with a look in her eyes that clearly communicated confusion and concern.

Mars glared at her weapon with a look of pure disgust.

Tuxedo Kamen looked at her with a concerned eye as did Sailor Moon.

Venus looked at her curiously.

Mercury however stepped forward and asked, "What are your powers?"

"Stealth," Nemesis said simply as she vanished from site. "Secrets," Nemesis added as she reappeared in a shadow her sigil glowing with a black light. Stepping out into the light as she raised her scythe nemesis said, "... and the power of the reaper of souls; the power to destroy a soul and banish its energies back to well of souls."

Hearing this, the Senshi's eyes widened in fear and concern however, Nemesis shook her head and said, "My power has its uses both good and bad."

"HOW CAN SOMETHING LIKE THAT BE USED FOR GOOD?!" Mars bellowed.

"It is one of the few things in existence that can free our souls from being Senshi and give any of us eternal rest," Pluto said quietly.

Hearing this the rest of the Senshi grew quiet before turning to creator of the Senshi powers who said, "All of you may leave except for Setsuna," before teleporting everyone but Setsuna away.

"Why haven't done anything for him?" Pluto demanded with more than a touch of anger in her voice.

"The time is not right but when it is I shall reveal myself," the mysterious woman said.

Clenching her jaw Pluto nodded before relaxing somewhat and asking, "How has Ranma become part of the destiny of the Senshi?"

"As Ranma is shrouded in chaos so is his final involvement in the Senshi's destiny. However his mere presence will cause the Senshi will face a new challenge, one that they have never dreamed of facing," the creator of the Senshi powers said before smirking like Nabiki Tendo and adding, "Soon they will have to face their parents," and vanishing.

Blinking rather owlishly the great and powerful Sailor Pluto said, "Oh my," in a tone of voice that was a near perfect match for Kasumi Tendo's before teleporting away.

********************

"We have our own problems without poking into their business, Akane," Ranma stated as he and Akane walked back to the Hadaka shrine.

Akane's immediate response was to start to object however before she could Kodachi attacked and Ranma led her away. 'He's right we've got too much to deal with ourselves to be worrying about the Senshi,' Akane thought to herself as she walked up the stairs to the Hadaka shrine and after she had walked into the courtyard of the shrine, she began practicing. However, she was interrupted a few minutes later when an auburn haired man walked into the courtyard.

"Excuse me ma'am would you know if a girl by the name of Usagi Tsukino is here?" The man asked.

Looking the man over Akane felt there was something odd about him however she still said, "No she's off with her friends."

"Ahh," the man said as he nodded before scratching his chin and adding, "Would you please tell her that Sanjouin Masato needs to talk to her at the park."

"Ok," Akane said warily as the man left before noticing Luna and Artemis glaring at him from the bushes with a look of hatred that made Akane blink a few times. Raising an eyebrow Akane decided to stealthily follow the two cats when they ran down the steps of the shrine.

"Damn he's gone," Artemis grumbled after reaching the bottom of the steps to the shrine.

"He must have teleported away," Luna mumbled before adding, "So what do you think he wanted?"

"Nothing good that's for..." Artemis managed to get out before he and Luna were grabbed by the tuffs of their necks and hulled up to the eye level of Akane.

"What do know a couple of talking cats," Akane said with a smirk usually used by her sister before adding, "....and something tells me you two have a lot to do with Sailor Senshi."

Luna and Artemis's response to being caught was to look mortified, as they were drug off.

********************

"Don't bother running off," Akane said as she put Luna and Artemis down.

The two lunar cats replied to this by glaring.

"...and why should we stay?" Luna demanded irritably.

"Because if you don't I'm going to tell Ranma about you and I'm sure you know how over protective he is of Usagi," Akane said dangerously causing Luna to feel a bit faint after all she did not want to end up like a certain dog demon.

"What do you want?" Luna asked while trying to sound at least half way civil.

"What do you want with Ranma?" Akane asked with tone in her voice that was more frigid then one of Mercury's ice attacks.

Backing away in terror the likes of which she hadn't felt sense the fall of the silver millennium Luna responded by saying, "Nothing."

"Then why did Pluto look after him?"

"I don't know!" Luna said while looking shocked. "...but if Pluto is involved then she may have an agenda of her own."

"...and what about Sailor Moon?" Akane questioned frigidity.

Temper flaring Luna responded by hissing out, "Usagi isn't that kind of person!!"

Blinking Akane questioned, "Usagi is Sailor Moon?"

Blushing bright red despite her jet-black fur Luna nodded moments before Artemis started belly laughing. Luna's answer to this was to hiss something that Akane guessed probably translated as, "Artemis no baka," as she started pounding the white cat.

Sweat dropping for more than one reason as the two ran off Akane mumbled something under breath before deciding to resume her practice.

********************

A while later we find the Senshi walking through the park.

"So what now?" Minako asked moments before Ranma ran by being chased by the Nerima wrecking crew.

"Find a Sailor Terra candidate!!" Makoto chuckled.

"...and where would you start looking?" Mamoru asked.

"Your family," Haruka stated.

"I don't know who they are," Mamoru stated.

"Huh??? Are you serious considering the way Ranma looks, Chibi-usa's hair, and the fact you and Ranma both have blue eyes I would've guessed Ranma could be at minimum a cousin to you?" Haruka stated while blinking.

Mamoru's reply to this was to blink a few times before turning to Usagi who said, "Don't look at me the only way Ranma and I are related is because my aunt married into his family."

'So that's why they don't look anything alike,' Rei thought to herself.

"Do you know anything about his family?" Mamoru asked.

"Other then the panda marrying into the Saotome clan no," Usagi replied.

"What about your aunt?" Naru queried.

"My dad hasn't heard from her sense she got married," Usagi replied with a shrug.

"Why?"

"She was disowned because grandfather didn't think her husband had a manly career," Usagi replied while looking annoyed.

"What kind of career did he have?" Makoto asked.

"Mathematician," Usagi replied causing all of the Senshi to sweat drop.

"I'm to going talk to Ranma," Mamoru said before walking off followed quickly by Usagi who was worried about his safety.

"...and we really should get going," Haruka added before she, Michiru and Hotaru left.

"I'm going to go talk to Himitsu," Rei practically growled before storming off.

"I'm going to talk to Ranma as well," Ami said before leaving.

"So what now?" Naru asked curiously.

"I want to know how you stared down the grim reaper without even flinching," Makoto said as she drug Naru off.

"...and after that shopping!!" Minako said enthusiastically. "You need lots of black and red!!"

Naru's response to this was to shake her head and giggle. 'A crazy crew,' Naru thought to herself as she was dragged off by Makoto and Minako.

********************

"So much for a vacation," Ranma muttered to himself as he sat down on the steps to the Hadaka shrine nursing his shoulder, which had an encounter with a streetlight that was now and desperate need of repair. "Kunou no baka," muttered as he mentally muttered something about an ice pack.

"You ok," Akane asked as she walked up behind Ranma.

"No worse than usual," Ranma said while sounding more annoyed anything else. "No matter what we just can't get rid of them."

"I know," Akane said while looking annoyed.

"What can we do?" Ranma said with a sigh that sounded as it came from the depths of the underworld.

"At the moment not much it seems," Akane answered just before Usagi, Mamoru and Ami walked up.

"I wonder what they want," Ranma stated while looking rather annoyed.

********************

"So why are you hear Hino-san?" Himitsu stated as Rei walked into her shop, which was currently empty.

"Answers," Rei stated.

"From the Queen of secrets and darkness not likely," Himitsu replied before stretching and adding, "Unless you ask the right questions but sense you've never been able to get much out of me your probably going to leave empty-handed as usual."

Rei's only reply to this was glare and say, "What are you talking about?"

Looking at Rei with a lopsided grin Himitsu replied by saying, "I see you do not remember your past lives yet," and continuing after standing up, "Ever sense you took up the powers of Senshi of Mars you had been trying to learn my secrets. The first time we met was shortly after you gained your powers in your binding ceremony and long before my people were corrupted and mutated by Metalia into what you have fought," in a rather sad tone of voice before picking up the ambient life force collector for a moment.

"What did she do?" Rei asked.

"Her corruption was so horrific it twisted all of my people's minds and even though I was strong enough to resist the mind altering effects but it still affected me. I tried to get help but by the time I was able to contact Serenity it was far to late. The secrets my people possessed were taken by Metalia given to Beryl and used to destroy the silver millennium in a matter of a month," Himitsu said as she looked at Rei with a sadness that made Rei's temper cool somewhat.

"What do you want?"

"My greatest desire is to have my people back. However, that will not happen unless someone very powerful intervenes. Unfortunately people of such power rarely help in these matters the creator of the Senshi powers included."

"Why?"

Smiling in a usual manner Himitsu replied by saying, "Because invoking her kind of power is always a last resort."

"So there are other ways to help your people?"

"Yes and a free secret and one that I have already given you in the past," Himitsu said with a lazy smirk, "There is always more than one way to reach a destination."

Raising an eyebrow Rei glared at Himitsu before leaving.

"Same old Martian," Himitsu chuckled to herself.

********************

"So you think you're related to me?" Ranma stated while glaring at Mamoru.

"I don't really know but Haruka seems to think it's a possibility and when it comes to finding out about my family I look into any possibility no matter how remote," Mamoru answered.

"Well I don't know anything about my family so you'd have to ask my mom about anything like this," Ranma replied as Usagi was heard laughing outside about blabbermouth cats.

"Ok," Mamoru answered before noticing Ranma's distant look. "Is there anything wrong?"

"Only the usual," Ranma muttered as he glared at a convenient wall.

"If there's anything I can..." Mamoru said before being interrupted by Ranma's bitter laugh.

"The problems I have can't be wiped away by speeches or waving a cutesy magic wand," Ranma replied rather sharply before adding, "In fact they usually make things worse," while sounding annoyed.

"You can at least tell me what your problems are," Mamoru said after a moment of thought.

Shrugging Ranma began to tell Mamoru about the problems he had in Nerima.

By the time Ranma had finished Mamoru was fingering a rose like a dagger and had already thrown several others at a drawing of a panda. Ranma for his part was absently studying one of Mamoru's roses with his ki senses.

"So do you have any suggestions?"

"Blame everything on the panda and let everyone else kill him," Mamoru said as he threw the rose at the drawing of the panda before producing another.

"Naa even if I was to do that death is to easy for Pop," Ranma said with a smirk.

"True eternal torment would be better," Mamoru responded before he went back to thinking about Ranma's problems. A moment later he said, "Shampoo gave you the kiss of marriage at the dojo right?"

"Yea what about it?"

"Well sense she wasn't in her village her laws mean nothing," Mamoru replied reasonably.

"I wish it was that simple but as far as I know they don't care about other peoples laws," Ranma said before adding, "...but I'll give it a try."

Mamoru's response to this was to nod before saying, "If your engagement to Akane was really the first one your father ever made then all of the others were made in bad faith and sense your father is still alive I would say all dishonor falls on him."

"True in every case but Ukyou's where Pop actually did ask me," Ranma answered.

"Only after he had already made the engagement. An engagement you could not have possibly understood at the age you were at," Mamoru responded.

"You've got a point but Ukyou isn't going give up just because of pop's thieving ways even if the engagement is invalid because of it."

"Then what will?" Mamoru asked.

"I don't really know and if I did I'd already have done it," Ranma replied causing Mamoru to sweat drop.

"Well I'll keep thinking about it but right now I'd better get going," Mamoru said a moment later before getting up and leaving only to be replaced by Ami who sat down nervously.

"So what do you want?" Ranma asked.

Straightening up Ami summoned all of her courage and began to tell Ranma about environmental retardation and how Genma's training methods had probably caused such damage and limited him to only using the genius he possessed for martial arts.

Ranma's response to Ami's information including the fact that any environmental retardation could be reversed in full sense Ranma's brain had not suffered any actual physical damage was surprisingly subdued considering he only nodded as he began to think.

"How can it be reversed?"

"Learning everything you can from wherever you can would be logical place to start," Ami replied simply.

"How?"

"Well aside from learning things from books your powers of observation are great enough to gleam a tremendous amount of information by just watching things around you as you do combat," Ami replied.

Raising an eyebrow Ranma replied by saying, "Translation."

Blushing Ami provided one after which she started making suggestions on where Ranma could go to observe and learn.

After Ami was done explaining things, Ranma nodded and thanked her after which the two of them walked outside where Usagi was telling Rei who had just arrived about a certain blabbermouth cat.

Rei's reply to this was to raise an eyebrow before asking Akane, "How in the world did you get them to talk."

Akane's reply to this say, "Some guy called Sanjouin Masato was by looking for Usagi and from the way they were talking about him and they obviously didn't like him."

Rei, Ami and Usagi's reply to this was to instantly develop a battle hardened look.

"What did he want," Usagi demanded all traces of mirth gone from her voice and stance.

"He just said he needs to talk to you at the park," Akane answered while wondering why Usagi and her friends were so furious.

"Get Naru, Rei," Usagi stated in a no nonsense tone of voice. Rei however still objected to Usagi's request until that is Usagi said, "That is an order Sailor Mars."

Rei's reply to this was to nervously nod before running off.

"Come on Ami let's go," Usagi said before running off a very shocked Ami following close behind.

********************

Sometime later Sailors Moon, Mars, and Mercury walked into a very familiar location in Juuban park where they found a very familiar man waiting.

"Good evening to you princesses," Nephrite said with a bow.

"He's registering as human," Mercury said as she examined Nephrite through her visor.

"If you're the real Nephrite where's your Yami counterpart," Mars demanded.

"He is at the moment at the mansion that was his base of operations," Nephrite responded.

"I want to see him now," Nemesis said as she walked out of the shadows.

"Who are ..." Nephrite stuttered out before his eyes widened and he stuttered out, "Lady Molly?"

Raising an eyebrow slightly Nemesis summoned her power of secrets for a moment before saying, "It's Naru now Nephrite."

"How is it that wear that uniform and for what planet?" Nephrite queried shakily.

"I am the Senshi of Nemesis," Nemesis replied calmly as she stood beside Sailor Moon.

"You are the dark moon's Senshi?" Nephrite said while shaking his head in confusion and disbelief for a moment before he stood up and declared, "Come I will show you all to my counterpart."

********************

Yami-Nephrite was nervous to say the least as he heard the Senshi arrive and that nervousness increased 10 fold when Sailor Nemesis walked into the room.

"Who are you?" Yami-Nephrite queried nervously. Sailor Nemesis's reply was to wordlessly drop her transformation "By the ancients how did this happen?" Yami-Nephrite stuttered out as he took in the dark aura that was surrounding Naru.

Shrugging Naru responded by saying, "My affinity for darkness and death is as strong as Usagi's affinity for light and life," as she sat down.

Yami-Nephrite's answer to this statement was to boggle at Naru's gravely calm attitude towards her Senshi position.

A moment later Naru sank deeply into the chair she had sat down in and said, "Why did you call?"

"I didn't. I have no taste for conflict anymore and all I do is run the businesses I created while working for Beryl now."

"So you are in essence you are truly Sanjouin Masato now," Naru said calmly.

Yami-Nephrite's reply to this was a rather reluctant nod.

Naru's response to this was to calmly stand up and say, "Death is now one of my elements and you were the first to show me what it is that closely," before starting to leave pausing only briefly to add, " ...but just because I have stared into the eyes of death doesn't mean I don't know how to live."

Yami-Nephrite replied to this by shivering violently as he wondered how the innocent girl Naru had become the Senshi of death and darkness and couldn't help but feel wholly responsible.

********************

As Naru walked into the main room of the mansion Nephrite was sharing with his counterpart, she found Nephrite speaking with the Senshi about the other two generals and their counterparts.

"...if my companions are not imprisoned their Yami counterparts would already been dead," Nephrite said.

"No," Naru said as she looked out a window.

"What do you mean Lady Naru?" Nephrite asked seriously.

"Your counterpart has the same radiance to his soul as you, the Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen have," Naru said calmly.

"What kind of radiance?" Rei asked while quirking an eyebrow.

"The radiance of immortality," Naru answered flatly as she continued to stare out the window.

"Naru are you ok?" Sailor Moon asked as she placed a hand on Naru's shoulder.

"It's just the weight of my power and position settling in," Naru answered as she wiped her brow of a thin line of sweat. "It's a little much to take in."

"As always Lady Naru you are a master of understatement," Nephrite commented rather sarcastically.

Naru's response to this was to chuckle before turning away from the window and saying, "I really should be getting home."

Sailor Moon's reply to this was to nod before she agreed.

********************

~Mamoru Chiba, you say?~ Nodoka said thoughtfully from the other end of the line. ~My cousin married a Chiba and he did die in an accident reportedly with his wife and child but mix-ups can happen. I'll do some checking but if you're coming back to Nerima anytime soon you can bring him as well as your cousin Usagi.~

"Ok mom," Ranma replied before hanging up.

"So?" Akane asked curiously.

"Mom seems to think it's a possibility," Ranma replied with a shrug before adding, "...and considering the physical similarities we have I figure it's a least a remote possibility."

"True there aren't many people your height, that have cobalt blue eyes, and red hair in their blood to boot," Akane replied rather sarcastically before chuckling for a moment before adding, "I wonder, if you're really related to him that you can gain any Senshi powers?"

Looking at Akane with a glare Ranma said, "Don't even joke about something like that."

Akane's reply to this was a chuckle.

"Actually Ranma if you do have a relation to Mamoru it very likely means that the Saotome clan is actually descended from the royal family of Earth," Setsuna said as she walked in.

"How's that possible you said that they were completely destroyed," Ranma queried while looking somewhat annoyed.

"Princess Ranko A.K.A. Sailor Terra," Setsuna said as she sat down while pulling out a gem, which displayed the image of a woman that if not for her ruby red eyes could be mistaken for Ranma-chan any day. "She went missing several years before the fall near a certain area in what is now China and because of that area's innate chaos not even I could find out what happened to her."

"She would've had to fall into the spring of the drowned girl and like I did she didn't drown but it was still enough to curse the spring. Then because of complete and convenient absolute amnesia she didn't remember she was and so didn't return but instead made her way to Japan where she became the first Saotome," Akane said with heavy sarcasm.

"It is a nearly completely impossible chain of events but Terra like Ranma had an affinity for doing such things," Setsuna said as she looked at the mischievous looking red-eyed red head the gem was displaying.

"So more than likely that's what happened ... that is if I'm really related to Mamoru," Ranma commented rapidly lazily.

"Yep," Setsuna replied before getting up and leaving.

Ranma's reply to this was to look at Akane and say, "I'm going to bed," before getting up and walking off swearing about the chaos being worse than normal.

Akane's answer to Ranma's swearing was to agree wholeheartedly before following.

********************

Meanwhile back in Nerima at the warehouse where Jadeite was freed the remains of the dark crystal that contained him started glowing.

********************

The next morning at the Osa-P or more specifically the apartment/home above it, we find Naru lying on her bed quietly.

"I've gone completely white," Naru muttered to herself as she looked at her hand, which had turned a deadly shade of white overnight. A moment later Naru took a deep breath, got up, and opened the curtains to her room before sitting down on a chair next to the window. "Much better," Naru said with a smile as she let the sun wash over her before looking at her hand again. "...but apparently not good enough," Naru added before summoning her power of secrets for a moment. "Good it'll only last a few days," Naru grumbled in a rather sarcastic voice before she heard her mother announcing breakfast was ready. Naru's reply to this was to sigh deeply before getting dressed and heading downstairs where, as she suspected her mother screamed once before she started babbling on about evil creatures draining her daughter again. Sitting down Naru explained her skin discoloration was only temporary which relieved Naru's mother greatly. However much to Naru's annoyance, her mother went back to babbling about evil creatures again.

********************

Sometime later we find Ranma observing Akane practicing while Rei sat nearby looking somewhere between thoughtfully and miffed.

"What are you going to do about them?" Rei finally asked Ranma

"I don't really know. If I did I would've done it a long time ago," Ranma replied before pausing for moment to watch Akane before he added, "What happened yesterday at the park should keep them away for a least a week and when they do come back hopefully they'll have a bit more restraint sense they know the Senshi will attack them."

Rei's response to this was a smirk as she popped her knuckles. "Believe me not even meatball head will have qualms about blasting them let alone Michiru and Haruka."

"Just make sure you don't kill them," Ranma replied.

Raising an eyebrow Rei asked, "What about laying them up in the hospital for a few weeks?"

"No problem," Ranma answered as Akane started to push her self, attracting all of Ranma's attention.

'Good,' Rei thought to herself with a nasty looking grin.

********************

"So what are we going to today?" Usagi asked Luna.

"Unfortunately nothing, unless of course we count the inevitable chaos Ranma creates," Luna replied before flexing her claws.

"Want a piece of the panda right?" Usagi asked.

"Monsters like that make most of the things we have faced look tame," Luna replied before sighing deeply. "Ranma is an immensely incredible individual."

"I know believe me I know," Usagi said with a smile.

"Very true," Luna said with a smile that was by default very cat like.

Usagi's reply to this was a giggle that was cut short when her mother was heard announcing that Naru was visiting. Usagi's answer to this was of course to smile while Luna straightened herself up for her first real meeting with Naru.

However when Naru entered she was wearing a large hat and a pair of white gloves and before Usagi could ask her what was going on Naru removed her hat. The site of Naru's now porcelain white skin caused Usagi to stifle a screen.

"I'm okay Usagi," Naru replied as she took of the gloves she was wearing.

"What's happened to you?"

"A side effect of the binding," Naru stated as she flopped down on Usagi's bed.

"I certainly hope it's temporary," Luna said before thinking, only to realize she had just spoken to someone that didn't know about her ability to do so.

Naru's response was worthy of a born and bread resident of Nerima. She blinked and stated in a calm voice, "I knew you were special but I wasn't expecting a talking cat."

Usagi on the other hand was laughing about blabbermouth cats.

Luna's response was somewhere in between looking very embarrassed and furious at Usagi. Nonetheless, Luna recovered quickly and introduced herself in her usual prim and proper manner.

Naru response to this was the reply, "You and Usagi must drive each other crazy."

Luna's prompt response to this was to facefault and sweat drop.

After recovering from her quite literal facefault Luna mumbled, "You have no idea."

...just as Usagi's mother Ikuko walked into the room unannounced.

Luna's response to this was to freeze in absolute panic. Ikuko however just blinked and turned her attention to Usagi and said, "We'll talk about your magic cat later dear but right now Luna should find a good place to hide sense Ranma is here."

"Ok," Usagi he said rather stiffly before her mother retreated.

Luna recovering from her shock muttered something about chaos and Ranma before running off.

"I am so dead," Usagi mumbled.

Quirking and eyebrow Naru said, "No you aren't, believe me I would know if you were."

Her head drooping, Usagi muttered, "Gee that makes me feels sooooo much better," as Shingo was heard talking to Ranma from downstairs.

Naru's reply to this was a chuckle before Ranma entered.

"I'm glad to see Shingo hasn't changed," Ranma said with a chuckle before noticing Naru.

"Don't worry Ranma," Naru said dismissively.

"Ok if you say so," Ranma said while glaring at Usagi.

"I didn't do anything honest," Usagi said as she made frantic warding gestures while ducking behind her bed.

"Then why does Naru look like the grin reaper came to visit her," Ranma demanded causing Usagi to start squirming and stuttering.

Naru however sat up and commented, "While the Reaper did come to visit me last night my current state has nothing to do with its visit."

Predictably, Ranma and Usagi only heard the first part of Naru's statement and began questioning her about it.

'Me and my big mouth,' Naru thought to herself with a grown.

********************

Downstairs in the kitchen a certain magic cat had the exact same thought as she heard Ikuko sending Shingo out to do some chores. A few moments later with an amount of calm, that was rather disturbing to Luna, Ikuko walked into the kitchen and began to make tea occasionally giving Luna appraising looks that made the black cat feel exceptionally small.

A few moments after she had finished making tea, Ikuko poured herself a cup of tea and saucer for Luna. Sitting down a moment later Ikuko stated, "From that mark on your head I'm guessing my daughter is one of the Sailor Senshi. Though I can't seem to make the connection," before pausing and continuing, "Some kind of disguise magic, correct?"

Luna's response to this was to nervously nod as she wondered how in the world Ikuko was guessing everything. After a moment of gaping Luna managed to squeak out, "How?"

"I have a secret or two as well," Ikuko said as she created a small bit of mage fire. "I am an Amazon sorceress and tender."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Luna asked as her curiosity was peaked.

"I had no reason to," Ikuko replied as she ran a hand through her lavender hair. "...and my powers are those of a tender so I have no real way to defend myself," Ikuko added rather sadly as she remembered her run in with one of the Senshi's enemies.

"What kind of Amazon are you exactly?" Luna asked as she wondered if Ikuko had a relation to the Chinese Amazons Ranma was having to deal with.

"Chinese Amazons," Ikuko responded.

"Tell me more," Luna said as her tail started to twitch mischievously.

********************

Cologne was quite pleased. Ranma had managed to quickly —not that it surprised her— ally himself with the Sailor Senshi, which meant Shampoo and the rest of the wrecking crew would have to change their tactics if they wanted to fight and/or woo the pigtailed avatar of chaos.

Cologne's musings —and cackles about Shampoo's grumblings— were interrupted when the phone rang. Wondering who could be calling before the Cafe before it even opened Cologne answered the phone and was surprised to hear the voice of her granddaughter.

~Hello grandmother I have to talk to you about my niece's pursuit a certain young man.~

"I assume your talking about Ranma," Cologne said as her curiosity rose.

~Yes he is my nephew ... not by any blood but my niece only needs to know that she and Ranma are cousins.~

Cackling Cologne responded by saying, "I'm glad to see you still have a mischievous streak, dear," before hanging up and pogoing over to Shampoo was still cursing under her breath about losing to a group of little magic girls. "I just received an interesting phone call concerning Ranma's lineage," Cologne said in her usual calm manner.

Shampoo's reply to this was to eagerly look up at her great-grandmother who smirked rather devilishly before dropping the bomb.

The following scream rivaled the power of a dead scream attack. However due to its unfocused and non-magical nature it blew out all the windows of the cat café.

Cologne's —who had magically shielded her ears— response to this was to use a pressure point to KO Shampoo before she said, "She took that better than I thought she would," before returning to her usual spot and calling the school of martial arts contracting.

********************

"Let's not tell Ranma about this," Ikuko said as she hung up the phone. Luna's only reply was a rather mischievous sounding meow, which made Ikuko giggle for a moment before she said, "This is going to be a long and interesting day."

"With Ranma about I am inclined to believe that is understatement," Luna said flatly.

A full-blown bout of laughter was Ikuko's reply to this statement.

********************

Rei was concerned. Shortly before Ranma had left, he had given Akane a training regimen to go through. A training regimen focused on flexibility. Rei thought the training regiment was insane and that Akane should stop immediately. Akane however was proceeding on with her usual determination and Rei knew there was nothing she could do stop her.

'I'm going to call Hotaru she'll be to heal any damage she does to herself,' Rei thought to herself before walking off.

'She doesn't get martial arts training,' Akane thought to herself as she continued to stretch. 'Although, I will be soar in the morning if I don't learn how to do the ki healing technique Ranma's going to teach me this afternoon,' Akane mentally added with some annoyance.

********************

As Ranma and Naru left the Tsukino household around noon Usagi wondered what kind of trouble she was in.

'No sense in putting it off,' Usagi thought to herself before walking into the kitchen to face her mother as she mentally hoped Naru wasn't joking about her not being dead.

To say Usagi was shocked when she found her mother and Luna calmly chatting like old friends when she entered the kitchen was an understatement akin to saying Pluto was a BIT mysterious.

Somewhat needless to say, that shock caused Usagi to faint dead away.

Ikuko's response to this was to shake her head before zapping Usagi with a small bolt of electricity, which awoke her immediately.

"Youch!!!!!!" Usagi screamed as she rubbed her butt before turning around to face her mother whose finger was still crackling electricity. "Mom!!??"

"You aren't the only one with secrets," Ikuko replied simply before pouring another cup of tea by telekinesis. "Although my secret isn't anything compared to yours and my magic isn't even enough to protect myself from the weakest of demons," Ikuko added as the cup of tea she poured using her magic floated over to Usagi who took it.

"So you're still in danger. Now more than ever," Usagi said softly. "Along with everyone else's parents," Usagi added a moment later surprising Luna.

"What are you talking about?" Luna asked.

"More then one of the Yami-Youma know our identities," Usagi replied causing Luna to pale.

"She does have a point," Ikuko said before adding, "What's needed is a safe house unfortunately setting one up would mean telling everyone the truth."

Luna's reply to this was to nod. Usagi however said, "Call Minako, Haruka, and Setsuna and have them come over," before walking off a thoughtful look plastered on her features.

********************

As Usagi walked into her room she closed and locked the door before lying down on her bed as she remembered what Ranma had told her.

True Power is earned never given.

A martial artist defends those that can't defend themselves.

Never give up.

Never lose hope.

Never stop caring.

There is always a way.

Fight with honor and heart.

"I've done every thing you taught me except for the first Ranma starting now I going to earn the power I have been given," Usagi said as her eyes look on a look of power worthy of a princess if not a Queen.

********************

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WON'T LET HOTARU HEAL YOU?" Rei bellowed angrily.

"Just that," Akane said calmly while Hotaru and Michiru wondered what was going on.

"WHY?" Rei bellowed.

"Because Ranma's going to teach me a technique to heal myself," Akane replied.

Rei's response to this was to raise an eyebrow moments before Naru and Ranma arrived. Rei's response to Ranma's arrival was to glare and demand to know what Akane meant by a healing technique.

Ranma's response was to shrug before explaining.

********************

Ami Mizuno was relaxing on her bed ... by which is meant she was analyzing some very interesting data from the Mercury computer. The data was a comparison of Ranma's ki based powers and the Senshis planetary mana based powers. It was to say the least a very complex analysis. However, it all came down to the simple fact that the two were independent power sources and therefore sense the Senshi powers were completely based on planetary mana they couldn't use their own ki to amplify their powers.

Continuing on with her analysis Ami postulated sense it was possible for Ranma to learn —to say nothing of modifying and improving— a Senshi attack that it might be possible to adapt the Senshi powers to copy a ki based technique. After all energy no matter what the source was still energy.

Lastly and perhaps most disturbingly Ami found that it was completely plausible for someone to create a technique, Device or other some such thing that could theoretically convert one form of energy to the other or even use both of them as a power source.

"Both," Ami said aloud as she thought of Queen Serenity and Usagi. "That's what the ginzuishou does when its used at full power," Ami mumbled as she looked out side. "It was always meant to be used by someone with immense spiritual and magical power but no one, not even someone like Queen Serenity or Usagi, has enough spiritual power to fuel the crystal alone and survive it," Ami continued in a whisper.

A moment later Ami started running a simulation of the ginzuishou's energy requirements at full power while cross-referencing that simulation with the signature of raw ki she had gained from Ranma.

The results were conclusive. In order to sustain the crystal at full power without it shattering or killing it's user required the power of all of the Senshi — which was no surprise — and a source of ki at least as large.

"Interesting," Ami muttered to herself before closing the Mercury computer and thinking about how Ranma had copied the flame sniper attack. "He just used his ki," Ami mumbled absently before adding, "I wonder if that means we could learn and perform our own attacks without having to use the Senshi powers."

********************

"She called you as well," Haruka stated as she pulled up to the Tsukino household with Setsuna.

"Yeah," Minako replied before the 4 —Artemis as usual was with Minako— walked up to the Tsukino household where they knocked and were promptly greeted by Ikuko.

"She's waiting upstairs in her room," Ikuko responded simply.

Nodding the two walked upstairs and into Usagi's room where they found Usagi looking out the window, Luna nervously watching her.

"Close the door," Usagi said simply as she turned around.

"So what's up, Usagi?" Minako asked cheerfully.

Usagi's response to this was to tell her friends what had happened.

********************

Rei was not a happy Senshi to say the least. She couldn't believe what she was seeing Ranma had not only taught Akane — a miracle in itself — how to focus her ki in a way that would heal even severe injuries like broken bones but was now helping Hotaru refine her gift so it didn't drain her.

"You see sense you're not controlling it is so it uses up all of your ki reserves really fast," Ranma had explained.

"...and that's why it drains me so quick!" Hotaru added excitedly.

"Well that and the fact your ki reserves are already lower than even an average person," Ranma said in response before continuing, "...but I know all kinds of techniques for building up ki reserves so if you're willing I can teach them to you."

Hotaru's reply was an emphatic nod to which Ranma responded by starting to teach her the basics of ki manipulation while Akane worked on healing herself.

That was around two hours ago and Hotaru was a quick study learning the basics in one hour and then practicing a breathing technique that increased ki flow in the body for another hour. The results were near miraculous and Hotaru already looked healthier. So much so that Naru suggested everyone should learn the basics of ki manipulation from Ranma as well as how to heal themselves using their own ki.

This suggestion along with the fact she had a roped into doing it by her fellow Senshi was the source of Rei's anger. She after all was a Miko and knew how to manipulate ki.

Ranma almost immediately saw this and dragged Rei aside to talk to her.

"I know you're a Miko, Rei but what I do with ki is a different than what you do it," Ranma said cooling Rei's temperature somewhat. Seeing this Ranma tried to think of an example that would cool Rei down to room temperature and after a moment and a stay thought involving Michiru's violin he did. "It's like the difference between to musicians that to use the same kind of instrument. The basics are the same but everything above that is up to the individual."

Rei's response to this was to suddenly become thoughtful before she very reluctantly said, "I see you're point."

Ranma's response to this was a smile before the two returned to continue the lessons on basic ki manipulation.

********************

"You have got to be kidding!" Artemis bellowed.

"No I'm not," Usagi said in a stern manner that surprised the white cat. "They know who we are already and its only a matter of time now that they know we know they're back that they'll start taking hostages," Usagi continued with a tone of voice that was calm and even somewhat serene. "...and that means we have to set up a safe house."

Artemis's answered to this — after he managed to recover from a case of severe shock— was to nod and say, "...but where?"

"Behind the time gates," Haruka said jokingly.

Surprisingly Setsuna's reply to this was to blush rather brightly, which of course caused Haruka to smirk devilishly.

"Mhh so what do you hide behind the gates?" Haruka queried with a sly smile.

Recovering from her blush Setsuna calmly replied, "My husband Chiron."

"WHAT!!!!!" was scream from everyone else that Setsuna expected.

"You quite obviously heard me," Setsuna said calmly as a slight blush returned to her face. "As to having a safe house at my home, it is the most logical place and the front doors of my home are already enchanted to make sure no one without the correct power can pass into the corridors of time."

"What about getting their?" Minako asked.

"I can open a portal directly to my home and I can create keys to open directly to my home," Setsuna answered before looking out the window.

"What's wrong Setsuna?" Usagi asked in a calm and caring tone of voice.

"With me nothing however Chiron will be a different story," Setsuna responded with a rather odd tone in her voice before standing up and pulling out a key ring and saying, "I will see to my husband and..."

"I will come along," Usagi interrupted.

Actually looking surprised Setsuna blinked before saying, "very well," and taking hold of Usagi's hand and teleporting them both away.

********************

"It's huge!" Usagi said in awe as she stared at the huge mansion that was in behind the time gates.

"It is far too large for just two," Setsuna said rather distantly. "...and I don't give him anywhere near enough attention," Setsuna added in a whisper as she looked at the house in front of her.

"What's he like?"

"A househusband," Setsuna replied causing Usagi to facefault quite literally. Setsuna's reply to Usagi's antics was simply, to start walking towards her home Usagi close behind.

********************

As Setsuna walked into entry way of her home she looked around and almost immediately saw Chiron walking towards her and Usagi.

Usagi being as curious as she was observed Chiron was a lithe petite man with a complexion as dark as Setsuna's, deep emerald green eyes and garnet red hair that was so long it reached his ankles. Around his neck hung a key a time key made of what appeared to be tarnished copper. Looking between Setsuna and Usagi, Chiron absently brushed off his clothes, which looked eerily like Sailor Pluto's fuku.

"My liege, may I ask why Princess Serena is here?" Chiron asked in a soft and very light tone of voice.

"You had best prepare some tea, Chiron, because it will take a while," Setsuna answered as she lightly brushed a hand across Chiron's cheek.

"As you wish, my liege," Chiron responded with a bow before leaving.

"Is he always like that?" Usagi asked.

"No he's usually far more submissive," Setsuna replied with something reminiscent of annoyance in her voice.

"Why?" Usagi he asked as the two walked into a room with several large couches in it.

As she unceremonially sat down on a recliner, Setsuna shrugged her shoulders and said, "I have no idea after all isn't it every guys dream to have a beautiful woman and all the time the universe to have fun to themselves," with a mirthful twinkle in her eyes that faded as the two heard Chiron approaching. "I know I wouldn't have any objections to it," Setsuna added rather darkly a few moments before Chiron entered and started serving tea.

Masking her giggles with a cough Usagi accepted a cup of tea from Chiron before she started to explain her plan.

********************

"So who do we reveal ourselves to first?" Minako asked.

"Ami's mother," Luna said after a moment of thought.

"Because she's a doctor right?" Haruka queried.

"Yes and like Ami she will probably be the most levelheaded about receiving the news," Luna answered before contacting Ami.

********************

"You have got to be kidding Luna!" Ami practically shouted in shock.

~No Usagi has already made her decision,~ Luna responded through the communicator.

"Fine I'll bring my mother over as soon as I tell her," Ami said while thinking a few Kami that her mother actually had the day off. "Now how am I going to tell her?" Ami muttered while looking honestly annoyed. A moment later, however Ami shook off that annoyance and walked into the main room of her home where her mother was reading the paper.

"I wonder who they really are," Ami's mother questioned as she looked at a photograph of the sailor Senshi fighting a monster.

"Mom, I have something to say," Ami said as she pulled out her henshin rod.

"What dear?" Ami's mother questioned as she wondered what her daughter was holding.

Ami's only reply was to call out her transformation phrase, "Mercury crystal power, make up!"

The site of her daughter engulfed in a radiant blue light was astonishing.

However, as the radiance faded revealing Sailor Mercury, Ami's mother immediately felt like she had been hit with such force that if it were physical it would have sent her to the trauma ward.

"Ami??" Ami's mother finally managed to choke out.

Sailor Mercury's reply was to nod and begin explaining herself.

********************

Setsuna was annoyed this in and of itself was a rare occurrence as far as Usagi was concerned but Usagi understood considering Chiron acted like a B movie robot servant.

"I will begin preparing the rooms immediately my liege," Chiron said as he left.

"Has he always been like that?" Usagi asked.

Setsuna who looked about ready to strangle Chiron responded to this by shaking her head, "He was a great man even though he was simply my personal guard before I became a Senshi."

"What happened?"

"I made the mistake of asking him to marry me first," Setsuna said with an unusual annoyed tone to her voice as she stood up.

"Huh??!!" Usagi replied while looking completely confused.

"I'll explain another time but for now let's get just get back," Setsuna replied while actually looking inpatient and somewhat miffed.

"Ok," Usagi replied nervously.

********************

Meanwhile in Nerima we find Nodoka talking to someone on the phone.

"Yes I see and I'll be over to get the family archive as soon as possible," Nodoka said before hanging up.

"Is everything ok?" Kasumi asked.

"Yes dear," Nodoka said before walking off as she called to Genma while telling him they were going to visit her family.

********************

'Why is my life so damn complicated?' Ranma thought to himself this walked through an isolated section of Juuban Park. 'Curses, fiancés, enemies, the wrecking crew, and now Senshi and youma. Well at least the Senshi are nice and make good friends,' Ranma mentally added as he encountered Mamoru who was sitting on a park bench. "You ok Chibi-chan."

Mamoru's only reply was to shake his head and say, "I feel completely useless more so then usual."

Sitting down Ranma commented, "So why in the world do you get the short end of it anyhow after all from what Setsuna has told me your power comes literally from the ground underneath your feet?"

"No clue," Mamoru answered. "All of the girls have steadily gained power while I'm still stuck throwing around roses and twirling a cane around and don't tell Usagi this but I feel like a complete weenie because of it," Mamoru added mirthlessly.

Chuckling Ranma shook his head before asking, "So do you know why you've never gotten a power up?"

"No not a clue," Mamoru responded.

Leaning back Ranma looked up at the sky before saying, "Maybe it's because your powers are different then theirs."

"What do you know of it?" Mamoru queried somewhere between annoyance and curiosity.

Shrugging Ranma responded, "Nothing really but if your power was like theirs it would only be natural that you would have already powered up."

"You do have a point," Mamoru answered thoughtfully.

"Why a tux?" Ranma queried after a few minutes of silence.

"Even less of a clue," was Mamoru's response. "...but considering what the girls wear is it that much of a surprise?"

Chuckling Ranma shook his head before adding, "Still seems a bit out of place considering how colorful the girls outfits are."

"True."

********************

As Usagi reappeared in her home with Setsuna, they both heard a knock at the door.

"I'll get it," Usagi bellowed before running off to answer the door. When she did, she found Ami and her mother there. Usagi's reply to this was to greet them politely as she ushered them inside. After closing the door, Usagi bowed and ran off to the kitchen to get something for everyone to drink.

Ami's reply to this was to guide her mother in to the main room of the Tsukino household where Ikuko, Luna, Minako, Artemis, Haruka and Setsuna were sitting.

Sitting down herself Ami's mother looked around at the gathered faces before settling on the two moon cats. "Do you really talk?" Ms. Mizuno.

"Yes," Luna replied simply.

Ami's mother replied to this by taking a few deep breaths as she tried to compose herself. Once she had done so and Usagi had entered with drinks for everyone Usagi sat down and nervously tried to think of something to say.

"I've already told her about what's happened and the current situation Usagi," Ami said calmly.

"Good Hmm..." Usagi stuttered before trailing off nervously again.

"I believe the next course of action should be informing everyone else," Ikuko said calmly causing Usagi to nod rapidly in agreement.

"By tomorrow evening Chiron should be ready," Setsuna said simply.

"Then tomorrow we tell everyone else but for now I think Ami, Usagi and Minako need to have a long talk with Ami's mother," Ikuko responded.

Haruka and Setsuna's response to this was to nod and leave.

This left Usagi to sheepishly ask, "So what do you want to talk about?"

The response Ami's mother gave to this was to rub her right temple before starting to ask questions.

********************

Meanwhile back at the nondescript warehouse in Nerima we find shards of the dark crystal had merged into one and were now growing.

********************

Late that night, at the Tendo dojo we find Nodoka sitting alone looking at the Saotome family registry.

"Mhh here it is Chiba. Both died in a car accident but their son's body was never found but he was still assumed dead considering the severity of the accident," Nodoka said before taking a small picture out of the Saotome family registry and adding, "Well let's just see if he did survive."

********************

"So are you going to tell them tonight?" Artemis asked Minako as they walked home.

"Yeah," Minako answered before looking up at the sky and unconsciously towards her planet. "What do you think about what's been happening?"

"Ask me in a week. By that time I'll be over the shock of Usagi actually acting like a leader," Artemis replied.

Minako's response to this was to laugh and nod in agreement before the two headed home.

Once there they found Minako parent's both talking to each other about something non-consequential.

"Mom dad I have something to tell you," Minako said rather nervously.

Minako's parents both responded to this by immediately assuming that their daughter had gotten herself pregnant.

The reply Minako —and an unnoticed Artemis— gave to this was to facefault quite hard before recovering and shouting, "NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Minako's parents replied to this by blinking and rattling off every other horrible thing that was a parents worst nightmare for their child to get into all of which Minako replied no to as she gained a ever increasing number of sweat drops on the back of her head.

Finally in frustration Minako's father screamed, "Well then what trouble are you into?"

Minako's only reply was to transform to which her parents replied by gasping for air for a few moments before fainting dead away.

"Well they took that well," Venus commented before sitting down next to Artemis who had started to laugh his head off the moment Minako's parents had fainted.

A few minutes later Minako's parents will awoke to find Sailor Venus sitting on the couch petting Artemis.

"How?!" Minako's mother stuttered out.

"That I can explain," Artemis said calmly causing the Ainos to nearly faint again.

"A talking CAT!!??"

"After finding out that Minako is Sailor Venus am I really THAT much of a surprise?" Artemis questioned.

The reply the Ainos gave was to nod their heads rapidly to which Artemis answered by letting out a huge sigh. A few moments later after collecting his thoughts Artemis started to tell the Senshi's back-story and current situation, which left the Ainos with a mixture of feelings about their daughter's extracurricular activities.

Minako herself however had fallen asleep causing Artemis to sigh exasperatedly when he noticed the blond.

Seeing the cat's exasperated look Minako's father chuckled and said, "I'll take her to bed," before he picked up Minako and took her to bed.

"Out of curiosity was she as exasperating a thousand years ago?" Minako's mother asked with more than a touch of mirth in her voice.

"Yes and then some from what I can remember," Artemis replied flatly.

"I'm concerned as to why you and everyone else can't remember everything," Minako's father said as he reentered and sat down.

"The girls can't remember because they were reborn and reincarnation knocks out all but the few memories and even the memories that do come through are fragmentary and incomplete."

"Like cases of people remembering past lives?" Minako's mother asked curiously

"Exactly like that actually," Artemis replied.

"What about the fact you and Luna can't remember everything?" Minako's father asked.

Artemis's reply to this was to nervously to twitch his tail and say, "It's like most of it is being blocked to hide something about me and Luna."

"Hmm," Minako's father —who happened to be a psychologist— said thoughtfully. "Can magic be used to seal and block memories?"

"Yes," Artemis replied as he wondered what Minako's father was thinking off.

"Who could seal your memories and for what reason?" Minako's mother asked curiously.

"Only Queen Serenity and I can't really think about reason why she would have unless it had something to do with the girls."

"Can memories of the past be recovered?" Minako's father asked seriously.

"Yes an awakening ritual allows someone to remember all of their previous lives and a seal breaker —usually just a single word— will break a memory seal completely," Artemis answered after thinking for a few moments. "...but both require rare force gems and sense such gems are made of crystallized magical energy I doubt they could easily be found in this day and age."

"I see," Minako's father replied as he sat down. "I say you look into a way to either find or make one."

Artemis's reply to this was to nod in agreement.

********************

The next morning as Rei swept the stairs of the shrine she wondered why in the world Usagi had suddenly started to become a responsible leader. "It can't simply be because of Ranma," Rei thought to herself as she looked over at Ranma and Akane who were practicing out of earshot.

"It can and is," Setsuna said as she walked up behind Rei.

"How and why?"

"Ranma is one of the most influential people in her life," Setsuna replied as she sat down and relaxed much to Rei's surprise. "As the time stream was before Ranma defined his destiny he would have died three weeks ago."

"What's that got to do with Usagi?" Rei demanded.

"As things were Usagi learned of Ranma's death —but not the circumstances of it— a day after she married Mamoru. The knowledge of his death reminded her of Ranma and what he told her and because of that she started to evolve into Neo Queen Serenity. However, her sadness and feelings of helplessness at Ranma's death bread anger that ultimately led to The Cleansing and banishings to Nemesis after the great freeze. Ranma's spirit was so angered by The Cleansing that he attacked her and he shattered her Senshi powers completely before repeating what he told her so long ago and vanishing again into the Ethereal mists. She was never the same afterwards she lost her youthful happiness and simply became the Queen who ruled by how she believed in people when she was Sailor Moon. The loss of her Senshi powers was also the reason the dark moon was able to successfully attack Crystal Tokyo even though everyone knew they were coming."

"All because of him?!" Rei squeaked out.

"NEVER underestimate the power of 1," Setsuna replied.

"What's going to happen because of Ranma defying his destiny?"

"Usagi has already started to evolve into Neo Queen Serenity and because he is not dead their will be no feelings of helplessness that lead to the cleansing or the banishings to Nemesis and that means Usagi will never lose her Senshi powers. Beyond that things are still unclear even to me."

"Why?"

"Because the lines of fate and destiny are still being rewritten and the only thing I know for certain is that Crystal Tokyo is still there," Setsuna replied before walking off and vanishing.

Rei's response to this was to continue her work until she was interrupted by the appearance of a nervous looking Jadeite.

"Good morning Princess Raye," Jadeite said nervously as he bowed.

Glaring Rei asked, "What are you doing here!?" in a tone of voice that did nothing to contain her anger.

Standing his ground Jadeite replied, "I need some place to stay Princess Raye," while shifting nervously.

"Why don't you go live with Nephrite?" Rei said while wondering why Jadeite was calling her Raye.

"He and his counterpart have already said no," Jadeite replied.

"Really," Rei said with a raised eyebrow as she noticed Nephrite hiding in the bushes wearing an expression usually worn by Makoto and Minako: unholy matchmaking glee. "Did he know you would come here?"

The only response Jadeite gave to this was to whip around and once he saw Nephrite he screamed angrily before starting to chase after him. However, before he could reach Nephrite shot him a raspberry and teleported away leaving Jadeite boiling with rage as he muttered about unholy matchmaking glee.

'Nephrite must be the matchmaker of that group,' Rei thought to herself as Jadeite —who was still fuming— walked back up to her.

"At least Kunzite isn't helping him as usual," Jadeite mumbled causing Rei to stare at Jadeite unbelievingly. "He is as bad as Princess Mina ... if not worse," Jadeite elaborated.

Raising an eyebrow slightly Rei handed Jadeite the broom she was using and walked off saying only to sweep the stairs.

Jadeite replied to this by starting to work silently.

********************

"Ok mom I'll get him and meatball head and we'll be their as soon as possible," Ranma said before hanging up Rei's phone.

"Did she find something?" Rei questioned.

"She thinks so. So I'm going to go get Mamoru and Usagi then go," Ranma replied before walking off to call Usagi and Mamoru.

"Will you be coming back?" Rei asked Akane who was absently staring at a window.

"I don't know Rei since the wrecking crew knows we're here our vacation is ruined," Akane answered rather annoyedly.

Rei's response to this was a nod and a glare. "I wish you both luck and your welcome back any time."

"The same goes for you and the girls. You're also welcome to come to the dojo any time," Akane said with a genuine smile as she left.

Smirking Rei replied by saying, "You can count on us coming over Akane," as she envisioned creative ways to barbecue a panda.

********************

In hour or so later Ranma, Akane, Usagi and Mamoru arrived at the Tendo dojo where they were greeted by Nodoka who after studying Mamoru for a moment said, "You're spitting image of my cousin except for your eyes."

Nervously scratching the back his head Mamoru asked, "What color were his eyes?"

"Red," Nodoka replied simply before adding, "The family will require a few tests to make sure of things but I'm confident you are my cousin's son." Mamoru's reply to this was to nod rather nervously before Nodoka said "... and even if you are not you are still family," Nodoka said while looking over at Usagi who blushed brightly before noticing a long brown hair girl that radiated a sense of peace that was palatable.

Blinking as she ran over to Kasumi, Usagi asked, "Do I know you?"

The reply that was given to this was a broad smile as the ginzuishou exploded with light that struck a still smiling Kasumi squarely. Once the light had faded and the ginzuishou and returned to Usagi's transformation brooch everyone saw the ghostly outline of a silver-blond blue-eyed woman with a very familiar hairstyle around Kasumi.

Backing away as a few tears flowed down her face Usagi squeaked out, "Queen Serenity?!"

"Yes," was the reply the ghostly outline of Queen Serenity gave before Kasumi added, "... and no."

"How?!" Ranma demanded.

"Oh come now Ranma is it that much of a surprise," Queen Serenity and Kasumi said same time with a broad smile.

"Not really, I want to know how this happened," Ranma replied flatly causing both Usagi and Mamoru to facefault.

"Simply put I am Queen Serenity's reincarnation I have all of her knowledge and experience but none of her power," Kasumi answered. "...and the only reason I can appear as I am now is because of my close proximity to the ginzuishou," Queen Serenity added.

"How do you remember everything?" Akane asked while mentally commenting about her sister's tendency to keep secrets. 'She knew exactly what we were going into.'

The duel reply that was given was, "Mother," before Kasumi walked off, Queen Serenity's ghostly image fading as she did.

This naturally confused everyone however considering the way Kasumi and the ghostly outline of Queen Serenity were smiling everyone knew that was all the information they were going to get.

Ranma and Akane's reply to this was to shake their heads before following Kasumi.

"Hmm, now what?" Usagi asked while feeling a little lost.

"Breakfast!" Kasumi was heard calling.

********************

Meanwhile back in Juuban we find that Ikuko and Luna had just finished telling Kenji and Shingo about the Senshi. The two thought they took things quite well. Kenji was currently ranting and looking for his collection of firearms while Shingo had simply gone into shock when he learned his sister was his favorite superheroine.

"I think they took the news quite well don't you," Ikuko said as she poured a cup of tea for herself.

"Yes quite well," Luna answered simply as Kenji cursed in the background.

********************

"So where are Oyaji, Nabiki, and your dad?" Ranma asked after breakfast had been finished.

"Out," Kasumi responded simply.

"Yes we both thought it best that they were not present," Nodoka said before looking directly at the ghostly outline of Queen Serenity around Kasumi and adding, "Although some of the reasons weren't revealed to me at the time."

The reply Kasumi and Queen Serenity gave to this was to smile.

"So what now?" Ranma asked.

"Find Terra," Setsuna said as she walked in.

"...and how do you plan on doing that?" Queen Serenity asked simply.

"The soul blade The Elemental Matrix has the power to find any soul and restore it to life," Setsuna said simply.

"...and I am assuming you think the blade should have Ranma as its wielder?" Queen Serenity asked as Kasumi looked directly at Ranma.

"He IS a chaos avatar," Setsuna replied calmly.

"Very true," Queen Serenity and Kasumi said with a smile and a smirk.

"Did She give you the power to summon the sword?" Setsuna asked.

"Of course I AM after all an order avatar," Kasumi responded before walking out side and onto the surface of the koi pond surprising everyone.

"The lady of the lake," Mamoru whispered softly to Usagi as Kasumi began to sing a song that was in fact a spell.

A few moments later, a beautifully crafted katana that shimmered with energy magically appeared from the depths of the koi pond.

Smiling Kasumi said, "As is my right I give you the soul blade The Elemental Matrix. It has the power of all of the elemental forces including positive energy because of this it has the power to find souls and return them to life."

Ranma's reply to this was to nervously take the blade, which immediately started glowing with elemental power as soon as he did so.

~You are one of the ancient house of Terra, have been touched by Jusenkyo's magic to give your soul true balance, and have truly and horribly great power in your own right and I will be pleased to be your blade,~ Ranma heard a old sounding voice say.

'Who are you?' Ranma questioned as world around him slowed to a halt.

~I am the soul blade the Elemental Matrix but you may call me Em,~ the voice responded calmly.

'Can you find Sailor Terra?' Ranma asked seriously.

~Hmm, just a moment,~ Em said before making a sound that sound like blinking, ~Well I'll be a bastard sword you're also the reincarnation vessel for Terra.~

'What's that?' Ranma queried.

~Terra will reincarnated through you,~ Em replied.

'How?' Ranma asked.

~Under normal circumstances 9 months if you know I mean boy. However I can simply revive Terra without even reincarnating her,~ Em replied.

'Then get on with it,' Ranma practically growled.

~Ahh don't get your panties in a bunch girl,~ Em laughed before it glowed with power and a moment later Ranma saw a beautiful yet familiar red haired woman appeared wearing a green Chinese shirt and white pants.

Blinking as she opened her bright red eyes she said, "So we finally meat in person."

"So you're my..."

"No I'm Ranko Saotome the first Saotome AKA Sailor Terra," Ranko answered before smiling and adding, "You are quite a guy and a girl."

"Right," Ranma said sarcastically as Em started to glow with power again and the world began its normal flow.

"It's good to be back," Ranko commented as she stretched before looking over at Setsuna and smiling, "Long time no see sis."

"Yes it has been a long time," Setsuna said evenly her ruby red eyes sparkling with unusual mischief.

Ranko's answer to this was to look round at those gathered her gaze finally settling on Mamoru and Usagi. "So you two are finally together about damn time to. Just don't take another millennium to get around to the honeymoon," Ranko said with a smirk causing the two to blush. Ranko's only response to this was to smirk even wider before looking to Nodoka and scowling with such force Nodoka felt like the ground beneath her feet was going to open up and swallow her. Thankfully, the glare lasted only a second before Ranko turned her attention to Kasumi. "I REALLY should have seen that you were Selene's reincarnation," Ranko said with a smile.

Kasumi's response was to actually smirk a bit.

"You can't get away with that sweet innocent oblivious routine with me, got that Ka-chan," Ranko said as she pointed a finger at Kasumi who only smiled more. "Bah you can fool me you minx," Ranko said before turning her attention to Akane and glaring at her as she stalked over to blue haired tomboy. "If she doesn't have something planned already I will make sure she does something to you and your relation to her will do nothing to save you."

"WHAT are you talking about?" Akane squeaked out as she backed away.

"You'll find out in time," Setsuna answered before asking, "Will you be returning to the island?"

"Yeah and I'll probably have to kick that king of all self-important assholes Oberon off the island again," Ranko said before vanishing with a wave and a laugh.

Shaking her head as she laughed Setsuna left in her usual manner.

"Hmm, do things like this always happen around you?" Mamoru asked nervously.

Ranma's only reply was to shrug and walk off with Akane and Nodoka leaving Usagi and Mamoru looking extremely frayed and in complete shock.

A few moments later, the two finally regained their wits when they each felt a calming hand on their shoulder. Turning around the two found Kasumi/Queen Serenity who smiled as she handed Usagi two crystals shaped like crescent moons that shined with their own light.

"Give these to Luna and Artemis and tell them both to stop pussy footing around each other," Queen Serenity said with a smile and a laugh before her ghostly outlined vanished in a flash of silver light after which Kasumi gave both of them a hug and said, "Any of you can come by any time."

Usagi's reply to this was to smile before saying, "Come on Mamo-chan let's go," as Kasumi walked back into the tearoom.

Mamoru's reply to this as he watched Ranma and Nodoka interacting was to nod before the two left quietly.

********************

As Usagi arrived home that afternoon she found her father cursing as he ran around screaming about not being able to find his guns. Usagi's answer to this was to smirk considering she had Luna store all of them in a hyperspace pocket and she wasn't about to give them back. After all, her father couldn't shoot straight if his life depended on it.

As she walked into the kitchen and sat down, she accepted a soda from her mother who asked, "So how did it go?"

"Damn Nerima is WEIRD!!! I don't know how Naru EVER stood living there off and on with her father when he was still alive..." Usagi finally said before muttering. "...although it does explain why she's been so calm about everything that's happened."

"How so?" Luna asked with a raised eyebrow.

Usagi's reply was to smirk in a rather Amazon like way before telling Luna and her mother what had happened.

By the time Usagi had finished Luna looked like a cross between a puffball and a porcupine and was sputtering out nonsense.

Ikuko's response to the sputtering cat was to dump a glass of cold water over her. The results as one would expect were effective and Luna —despite her small size—screeched loudly before glaring at Ikuko who only smirked.

Glaring and looking rather indignant Luna turned back to Usagi who was giggling under her breath.

"Is their anything else Queen Serenity told you?" Luna finally asked as she glared harder at Usagi.

Now somewhere between giggling and laughing Usagi nodded before composing herself, placing the crystals she had received on the table, and quoting what Queen Serenity had said.

"So what are they?" Ikuko questioned as she picked up one of the crystals.

"I'm not sure but I think they're memory seal breaking crystals," Luna answered after a moment of study.

"Memory seal?" Ikuko questioned thoughtfully 'l wonder if it's anything like formula 411 shampoo.'

"Yes a memory seal it completely blocks certain memories. There are several ways of breaking a memory seal. The first is having a seal breaking force gem and a codeword. The second lesser-known method is being reminded of memories behind the seal enough times that the seal breaks."

"Oh so it's like a magic version of that weird shampoo, Shampoo used on Akane," Usagi said with a smile.

"Weird shampoo," Luna queried curiously while looking at Ikuko out of the corner of her eye.

"Yeah it sounds unbelievable but after this morning I don't think I should put ANYTHING past possible," Usagi answered.

"A wise position to take," Ikuko responded.

"It is?" Usagi asked in her usual clueless manner causing both Ikuko and Luna to sweat drop.

"Anyhow back to the crystals," Luna said before swishing her tail thoughtfully. "They are obviously for me and Artemis but what would the keyword be?"

"Something like our transformation phrases," Usagi stated.

"I doubt it's anything like what you say when you transform Usa..." Luna stated only to be interrupted by one of the crystals erupting in a beam of light that sent Luna flying while blinding everyone else in the room. Moments later, when the light faded Ikuko and Usagi immediately saw a long black haired woman wearing a yellow sundress with a long tail unconscious in the corner of the kitchen.

"Luna??" Usagi questioned as she ran over her and shook the woman who didn't awake.

"Stop Usagi," Ikuko said sternly before she knelt down beside the woman and read her aura. "I've never seen this kind of transformation magic before but ..."

"...but what?" Usagi asked in her usual panicky way.

"Nothing just thinking about something form my childhood. As for Luna she's going to have a very bad headache when she wakes up," Ikuko said before picking Luna up and sitting her on a chair after which she walked off presumably to get some aspirin.

This left Usagi to sit back down and run her hand through her hair. "Things certainly have gotten complicated," Usagi mumbled before hearing something behind her. Turning around Usagi found Shingo standing just outside the kitchen.

"Oneesan," Shingo said nervously and unusually respectfully.

"I'm still me ok," Usagi said as she smiled at her little brother who nervously nodded before running off. Usagi responded to this by shaking her head and looking to Luna who had just started to wake up.

"What happened?"

"It appears transform was the magic word," Ikuko said as she reentered with a cup of water and some aspirin.

"What are..." Luna said before trailing off as she realized her current state. "What!! How??" Luna stuttered out before her eyes widened considerably. "I remember everything," Luna finally said before she clutched her head in pain and quickly accepted the aspirin Ikuko was offering her.

"Where are they!!" Kenji shouted as he ran into the kitchen completely missing Luna.

"I hid then," Usagi said calmly bringing down Kenji's wrath on her. Unusually however, Usagi stood up to her father and all but shouted, "Do you remember what happened last time you 'went for your guns'?"

Blinking and backing away, Kenji went red with anger for a second before completely deflating and mumbling an apology to everyone.

"Don'..." Usagi began to say only to be interrupted by her communicator.

Activating it immediately Usagi found Mercury staring at her. "Demon in the park everyone get down here now!!"

Screaming in frustration Usagi ran off as she shouted, "MOON ETERNAL, MAKE UP!!" Transforming into her newest Senshi form, which had iridescent magical wings that enabled her to fly away.

Blinking Kenji said nothing before noticing Luna, which caused him to become even more confused.

"Drink this, dear," Ikuko said as she handed her husband a cup of very strong saki that he gladly drank as Ikuko and Luna started to explain things.

********************

It was bad, none of the inner Senshi's attacks were doing anything and the outer Senshi attacks were hardly doing anything. Saturn was too busy defending herself and healing everyone else to get off an attack and Sailor Moon had yet to arrive and to top things off Pluto was missing.

"Damn this is bad," Uranus cursed as she launched off another world shaking attack.

"Yeah where's a superpowered martial artist when you need one?" Jupiter joked as she tried to electrocute the beast once again.

"I don't think he would be very helpful right now it is a cat demon we're dealing with," Mercury said as she continued to scan the creature for a weakness.

"Anything yet," Venus demanded as she tried to the creature chained up so the other Senshi could get clear shots.

"No," Mercury replied just before a familiar tiara came out of nowhere slicing at the demon and actually hurting it.

Moments later Sailor Moon landed and asked everyone was okay.

"More or less," Mars cursed just before the demon successfully hit Saturn, Neptune and, Uranus sending them flying and effectively disabling them for the moment. "Ok it's less," Mars muttered as the beast charged them.

"DARK MISSILES!!!" Everyone heard being shouted in a dark tone just before the demon was hit and sent flying by thousands of tiny razor-sharp dark energy missiles.

"Who are you," the demon demanded.

"I am the Senshi of darkness," Sailor Nemesis said as she appeared behind the demon who swung at her only to find nothing there. "...and death," Nemesis added from the shadows as her scythe glinted in the sun. "I am the one that haunts your dreams. I am the incorruptible good in the darkness, I am Sailor Nemesis," Nemesis said as she appeared out of the shadows.

"I do not fear you mortal!!" The demon bellowed as it motioned Nemesis to bring it on.

"Then you are a fool," Pluto said simply as she joined the other Senshi.

A moment later Sailor Nemesis shouted, "Let the harvest began!!" as her deadly weapon began to glow with dark power. "SHADOW HARVESTER!!!" Nemesis screamed as she released a wave of razor sharp dark energy that cut through the demon, bringing it to its knees.

"I will not be defeated so easily by one!!" The demon cursed as it stood up again.

Sailor Nemesis's response to this was to step beside Sailor Moon as her dark aura flared, "Then together we will defeat you!"

Nodding emphatically as her bright white aura flared just as powerfully as Sailor Nemesis's, Sailor Moon said, "Together light and darkness!"

"Eclipsing moons!!!!!!!" The two lunar Senshi screamed as they sent their energies hurdling at the demon who saw two moons eclipsing each other behind the Senshi. First the moon of light and life. Second the moon of darkness and death.

As pure light and darkness streaked towards the demon, they wove together in a beautiful but deadly mix of light and darkness, shadow and illumination, corona and eclipse.

It was also at that moment —the moment of the eclipse— the demon knew what true fear was.

By the time, the moment of realization past the demon was simply gone.

To the Senshi watching it seemed like the demon was split into two silhouettes one of pure light and the other of total darkness. It was a mesmerizing site and when the two silhouettes slammed back into each other causing a huge annihilating flash of darkness and light everyone was truly amazed.

"That even I must say was amazing," Pluto said first.

"Amazing?" Mars questioned while looking completely frazzled. "I've never felt ANYTHING ANYWHERE close to that!!"

"Yes an attack of blended opposites is always a site to behold," Pluto said with a smile before walking off and vanishing as she did so.

*******************

Back Nerima we find Ranma sitting by the koi pond Em sitting next to him when he heard a drunken Soun and Genma arrive home. Ranma's answer to this was to roll his eyes and continue to think about what had happened in the past few days. 'A new chapter in the chaos of my life but I'm getting the feeling that things are going to get even weirder than they are now and they're going to do it soon.'

********************

At the cat café, we find Shampoo packing while looking defeated.

Elsewhere in the Café, Mousse was dancing around happily.

While at Kunou the manner, Kunou was recovering from his injuries and muttering about evil sorcerers.

Kodachi was brewing up a batch of various poisons.

Ryouga of course was lost somewhere.

Ukyou was as usual running her restaurant.

********************

However, in the nondescript warehouse, the crystal shards had merged into one and with a flash of evil darkness, Yami-Jadeite was once more amongst the living.

"Being immortal has its advantages," Yami-Jadeite said before picking up his phone and dialing a number.

~Good to see that you've regenerated now get back here.~

"Understood I'll be right there after I set the dark energy bomb," Yami-Jadeite said as a dark portal appeared nearby.

~Good sense we can't get the life force collector plans it'll have to do.~

Pocketing the phone yami-Jadeite walked over to a nearby metal container, which he opened to reveal a pulsing sphere of dark energy. Smirking evilly Yami-Jadeite activated the device before walking through the portal.

********************

Moments later, at the Tendo dojo a huge explosion of black energy was seen in the distance. Standing up Ranma focused his senses on the black energy. "Akane call them I'm going to go see what happened over there!" Ranma bellowed before running off sword in hand.

Akane who had been the tearoom replied to this by running off to call Rei after which she ran off after Ranma.

********************

As Ranma arrived at the ruins of the nondescript warehouse, he found everything in the area twisted by the evil dark energies that had been released.

~A dark energy bomb. It's sucks light and energy out of everything in the surrounding area,~ Em stated.

"How do we get rid of it?"

"We don't," Sailor Terra said as she appeared in full Senshi garb, the skirt of which was bright sunflower yellow while the ribbons, trim and knee-high boots were a rich earthen brown. In addition, the knee-high boots were clad with metal and obviously meant for both kicking and travel. Unusually they were also still very sexy looking.

"Why not?"

"It's beyond the power of the Senshi to do anything about it. Only the Planetary Guardians can remove this cyst and they don't exist," Terra said before the other Senshi appeared. Her response to this was to look at Pluto for a moment before teleporting away.

"So after all this time the Planetary Guardians have to be revived," Pluto said simply attracting everyone's attention to her.

"Who are these planetary guardians?"

"Come this is not the place to discuss such things," Pluto said before teleporting everyone away including Akane who had just arrived.

Moments later Terra reappeared with a large crystal sphere and threw it at the dark energy cyst where it exploded creating a dome of energy that incased the dark energy cyst.

"That'll keep everyone out of that thing," Terra mumbled before throwing another magic sphere. The results of the second sphere where that the entire area became disguised. "...and finally this will keep everyone away," Terra added before throwing another sphere, which would create an extremely strong magical induced aversion to the entire area.

With her work done Terra thought, 'It'll be good to have guardians back again,' before teleporting away.

********************

"What In the ...." Akane screamed only to cut herself off as she noticed she was standing in a black void in front of a huge gate.

"Welcome to the end of time, tomboy," Ranma said with a chuckle as he walked over to Akane who glared for a moment before noticing all of the Senshi.

However before she could say anything Pluto said, "This way," as she walked off behind the gate.

Ranma's response to this was to follow Akane and the Senshi close behind. A few moments later, everyone found themselves in front of Pluto's home.

"Whoa this is incredible," Uranus shouted.

Pluto's response was to shrug and continue into her home where she dropped her transformation. A few moments later Chiron appeared and looked around before noticing Ranma. "It is good to see you again Ranma-san."

"Same here Chiron," Ranma said in reply surprising all of the Senshi.

Smirking to herself Setsuna said, "Chiron get the information on the planetary guardians from the library."

"Yes milady," Chiron responded with a deep bow before walking off.

"I see he still acts like a Butler/servant," Ranma commented.

Actually glaring Setsuna mumbled, "Don't even get me started, Ranma," before she walked off motioning everyone to follow and ignoring Ranma's chuckles.

********************

A few moments later, everyone entered a huge dining hall where they all sat down at a huge table and were quickly joined by Chiron who gave a single and relatively small book to Setsuna before leaving once more.

"This single book contains everything there is know about the planetary guardians," Setsuna said simply as she tossed the book on the table.

This of course caused mixed reactions amongst the Senshi. They're bickering however was interrupted by the appearance of Ranko who sat down and put her feet up before nodding at Setsuna.

"Good very good at least no one will stumble into the thing now," Setsuna said with a nod before noticing everyone looking between her and Ranko dubiously.

"Telepathy right?" Haruka queried.

"Naa where just sisters," Ranko replied with a chuckle.

Rolling her eyes Setsuna ignored the blank look the Senshi and Ranma were giving her as well as large smirk Akane was hiding before clearing her throat and saying, "The planetary guardians were to be counterparts to Sailor Senshi who much earlier in their history called planetary warriors. However before their magics could be completed the head wizards were mortally wounded and all of spells and magic —including magic to remove a dark energy cyst— was stolen."

"So what can we do to retrieve the spells and magic?" Ami asked as she reviewed the book in front of her.

"Find out who Melvyn Necro was reincarnated as," Setsuna stated as she turned to Naru.

"Melvyn ... ok I'll try," Naru said before her sigil flared with the power of secrets. "A powerful necromancer specializing in deathless and enchanter that created the royal amulets of protection and made significant improvements to the Senshi battle armor. During the final battle, he used his necromancy to raise the entire royal guard as powerful deathless guardians sacrificing most of his power and killing him in the process because of his already significant wounds."

"Yes Melvyn was a truly amazing man ... even though he was a complete and utter nerd and wore atrocious looking glasses," Setsuna replied before blinking as Naru and Usagi groaned.

"It really can't be him can it?" Usagi asked while looking at Naru helplessly.

Naru's response to this was to rub her forehead as she used her power of secrets to make sure of her hunch. A moment later, she pounded her head on the table a few times before saying, "His reincarnation is none other than Gurio Umino."

"By the way what are deathless? Some kind of weird zombie?" Minako interrupted.

"Deathless are kinda like the opposite of undead," was Ranma's surprising answer. "Instead of evil dark energy the dead are animated by light energy."

Everyone's reply —including Setsuna— to this was to look at Ranma with a disbelieving stare.

"What? I met a really powerful deathless elf one time when I got separated from pop for awhile," Ranma said with a shrug causing even Setsuna to sweat drop.

"You're capacity to attract weirdness is truly mind-boggling," Ami commented.

Ranma's answer to this was to shrug and lean back his chair.

"Anyhow now on to the bigger problem of getting the force gems to proceed with an awakening ritual," Setsuna said before turning to Ranma.

Glaring and a convenient wall Ranma muttered, "Ok what ridiculously powerful nut job do I have to go after."

Ignoring Ranko's boisterous laughter —and the huge mallet that Akane used on her sister— Setsuna said, "Hopefully no one but..." as she motioned to the void of the 'end of time', "...there is always a chance of meeting someone insanely powerful out there."

"Wonderful a field trip into the infinite depths of the end of time searching for magic jewelry and no one knows what can jump out the nowhere out there," Ranma commented rather cheerfully raising Akane's ire. "Hey Nerima is worse," Ranma said off handedly.

"True," Akane grumbled as she retrieved her mallet ignoring Ranko's glaring as she put a blunt object on the table where a curious Haruka picked it up only to find it weighed at least 50 pounds.

Rolling her eyes for more than one reason Setsuna mentally muttered something to herself before saying, "Haruka, Michiru you should accompany Ranma, Akane and Ranko."

"What about you?" Michiru asked.

"I'll be busy setting up what's necessary for the awakening ritual," Setsuna replied before walking off leaving the Senshi to watch Akane and Ranko fighting while Ranma just smirked.

"You're enjoying that way too much," Usagi whispered to Ranma who only smirked wider as a reply.

********************

10 or so minutes later, we find Ranma, Akane, Terra, Uranus and Neptune walking through the infinite nothing of the end of time Ranma leading and holding a strange device.

"Why does he get to lead?" Uranus grumbled.

"He's Usagi's cousin, technically a prince —and occasional princess— of the royal house of earth, a superpowered martial artist that uses demons as scratching posts and finally Pluto and Moon put him in charge," Neptune replied rather mischievously.

Uranus's reply to this was to glare out into the nothingness.

********************

Earlier in Juuban shortly after Usagi had run off we find Luna and Ikuko had finished explaining things to Kenji. Kenji's reply to this was to shake his head and walk off.

"So what now?" Ikuko asked.

"I have to get the other seal breaker gem to Artemis," Luna responded.

"Then I'll go call him while you recover," Ikuko answered before walking off.

********************

"You have a seal breaker!!!?? How in the solar system did you get that!!!!!!??" Artemis shouted in complete shock as Minako's father wondered about the physiological differences between a normal cat and Artemis. Especially in the face considering the range of expressions Artemis was displaying. "Queen Serenity's reincarnation!!!!!!!" Artemis bellowed while looking bug-eyed. "LUNA IS WHAT!!!!!!" Artemis bellowed before running off.

"I wonder if magic cats can develop stress related problems," Mrs. Aino stated as she walked in smirking.

Chuckling Mr. Aino said, "I'll make sure to keep them under close observation for just that."

Smiling Mrs. Aino picked up the phone and after a few moments smiled rather devilishly before saying, "I'll call later and we can discuss how to get them over pussy footing stage," before hanging up with a look Mr. Aino recognized immediately; unholy matchmaking glee. Seeing this Mr. Aino shook his head and hoped a few kami were looking out for the two magic cats.

********************

"He should be over shortly," Ikuko said simply as she reentered the kitchen where Luna was sitting.

"Good," Luna responded as she absently sipped some herbal tea that was calming her nerves.

"You all right?" Ikuko asked.

"Things have been happening very quickly and it is difficult to cope with it all," Luna answered.

"True very true," Ikuko responded.

********************

Later back out of the depths of nothingness of the end of time we find the Ranma and company homing in on a signal from a force gem that Pluto could use.

"So how much longer?"

"We should see something any minute now," Ranma answered.

Hearing this Uranus and Neptune readied themselves for a fight as a building could be seen in the distance. About a minute later, the building was close enough to see hundreds of glowing sigils etched in the building's façade. Most were unrecognizable but the 11 directly above the door were very familiar and recognizable as the sigils' of the Senshi.

"That is the great binding chamber every Senshi that has ever been originally gained their powers there," Terra said simply breaking the silence. "The planetary guardians binding chamber is that small structure off to the side."

"It only has one binding and it looks like it's cracked," Ranma said as Uranus and Neptune actually noticed the smaller binding chamber.

"The first binding was never completed," Terra answered.

Looking at the partially bound sigil Ranma mentally commented, 'So that's why that wienie tux boy doesn't have any real power.'

"So is the force gem thing in either binding chamber?" Akane asked.

"No it's still a bit further on," Ranma said after a moment.

"What else could be out here?" Uranus grumbled.

'Don't worry you'll find out in a few moments,' Terra thought to herself as everyone started to walk beyond the binding chambers.

About a minute later, everyone saw them aqueous springs of water above which stood semi transparent people and animals. The springs and people were easily recognizable to Ranma and Akane as those from Jusenkyo.

"WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON!!!" Ranma bellowed angrily.

"A bit of truth the creator of the Senshi is also responsible for cursed Springs of Jusenkyo," Terra said sadly before she reached out with her powers causing the scene of the springs to shift to that of two combatants one a beautiful Cyan haired woman holding a powerful sword and staff facing off against the Goddess Azura. A moment later, the combatants began to fight with such power the ground was cratered thousands of times over before the Cyan haired woman delivered the deathblow with a powerful magic that changed the goddess into stone. A few moments later, the now stone goddess shattered releasing wave after wave powerful magic that twisted the land as powerful magic healing waters flowed into the craters that had been created by the battle. As the waves of Magic faded, the shattered pieces of the goddess were seen at the bottom of one of the pools of water.

"So that's how it happened," Ranma muttered as his anger faded.

"Yep," Terra replied.

"I need some time alone," Ranma muttered before throwing the tracker to Uranus and walking off followed shortly by Akane.

"Come on we have to find those gems," Terra said in a commanding voice before she, Uranus and Neptune began to follow the signal from the tracker.

********************

"Ranma you alright?" Akane asked as she caught up with Ranma.

"I suppose," Ranma muttered rather irritably as he looked at the ghostly representation of the springs. "It's a shock but at least it was an accident," Ranma added a little later.

"Do you think we can find her out here?" Akane asked a few moments later.

Shrugging Ranma replied, "If she's anything like Setsuna she only shows up when she wants to."

"Oh,' Akane said in an uncharacteristically passive tone of voice.

"You ok," Ranma asked while wondering why Akane was looking so uncomfortable.

"Yeah it's just shocking that the same person is responsible," Akane replied.

"That's an understatement," Ranma said with a week laugh before shaking his head and adding, "Come on let's get going."

********************

"This is way too convenient," Uranus commented as she and her fellow Senshi looked at a simple pedestal on which sat a simple box containing numerous gems that were sparkling with magical light.

"Who thinks we should let my cute little descendent take the fall?" Terra asked mischievously.

The only reply Neptune and Uranus gave to this was to glare at the redheaded Senshi. A moment later however there glares turned into mischievous smirks.

Chuckling nervously Terra mentally mumbled, 'Me and my big fat mouth.'

********************

"I wonder if they found the magic jewelry yet," Ranma questioned before a huge explosion was seen in the distance. This was followed by somebody flying towards Ranma and Akane. Seconds later the somebody —who had been identified as Sailor Terra halfway through her flight— landed face first and upside down in front of Ranma and Akane.

"Ow," an extra crispy Terra muttered rather dully as at her fuku fell down over her face.

Looking at the spine twisting position Terra had landed in Ranma and Akane winced as they wondered what happened.

Terra however stood up and after realigning her spine and dusting her fuku off muttered, "I'm going to get back at those two later," before turning to Ranma and Akane.

"You ok?" Ranma asked.

"Yeah," Terra replied before realigning her neck with several large pops. "I've had worse happen to me," Terra added while sounding strangely like Ranma.

"How often?" Akane queried.

"Oh, at least as often as Ranma," Terra answered with an absent shrug before Uranus and Neptune ran up. Glaring Terra said nothing before pulling a simple case out of nowhere and handing it to Ranma. "I'm mad at you two," Terra said dangerously as she glared at Uranus and Neptune before vanishing in a flash.

Raising an eyebrow Ranma said nothing to the two remaining Senshi before turning and saying, "Lets get back."

********************

Meanwhile back in Juuban we find Luna waiting for Artemis to arrive when she heard something behind her. Turning around Luna found Shingo spying on her.

Shingo's reply to being found was to glare at Luna before starting to run off. However before he got very far he ran into his mother.

"Shingo, why don't you stop spying," Ikuko said gently as she dragged Shingo into the kitchen where she sat Shingo down in a chair.

"The neko-ken is the real reason you hate cats isn't it," Luna said calmly as she sipped her tea.

Glaring Shingo nodded.

"I have seen what the Neko-ken can do," Luna said sadly. "It is a truly horrible thing and if I ever get my claws on Genma Saotome he will not have a good day," Luna added as her fingernails suddenly changed into razor-sharp 2-inch-long claws.

"What about the Senshi?"

Smiling mischievously as her tail twitched Luna replied, "If they ever see the panda he will not have a good day."

"Panda?" Shingo and Ikuko questioned

Glaring at a convenient wall on a muttered something under her breath before she said, "I see Usagi hasn't told you anything about Ranma's trip to Jusenkyo."

"JUSENKYO!! THAT SOB TOOK RANMA TO JUSENKYO!!" Ikuko bellowed as she started to glow with a bright red aura. "WNEN I GET MY HANDS ON HIM!!"

"What's Jusenkyo?" Shingo asked nervously from where he was now hiding behind Luna.

After calming down and dismissing her aura Ikuko said, "It is a valley of cursed springs near the village in China was born in. Whoever falls into a cursed spring is cursed to change into what ever drowned in that spring every time they are splashed with cold water."

"...and uncle Genma took Ranma to this place?" Shingo asked while mentally adding another reason he hated Genma.

"Yes," Luna answered.

"So what curses do they have?" Ikuko asked as she sat down.

"Ranma girl and Genma panda," Luna responded.

"Ranma girl??" Shingo squeaked out while looking completely shaken.

"Yes," Luna replied.

"Of all the curses he could have gotten that has to be the worst," Ikuko said sadly before leaving.

"Why? Hasn't he been through enough?!!" Shingo shouted angrily.

"Great people must endure great things," Luna said sadly.

"Like Oneesan," Shingo mumbled.

"Yes like Usagi," Luna answered moments before Artemis ran into the room looking like he had run the mile in a minute. Shaking her head at the white cat who had just passed out due to overexertion Luna said, "Shingo some water please."

********************

"So how long is it going to take?" Ranma asked as he handed Setsuna the case containing the force gems.

"A few days," Setsuna answered.

"So what are we supposed to do until then?" Haruka asked.

"Wait as I perform the ritual Gurio will start to remember," Setsuna answered before walking off.

"Then I guess that's it for today," Usagi said rather uncertainly.

"Then let's all go home and get some rest," Ami suggested in her usual calm tone.

"That's the best idea I've heard all day," Makoto said with a smile as everyone started to leave Setsuna's home.

********************

That night somewhere in Japan, we find Ryouga walking along silently cursing Ranma when he heard a lustful feminine giggle. Ryouga's response to this was to stop and look around looking rather paranoid.

"Ranma?" Ryouga queried nervously after seeing a flash of red out of the corner of his eye.

The only response was another lustful giggle and the appearance of a koi fishing rod at Ryouga's feet.

"Ranma this isn't funny!" Ryouga screamed as he saw several someone with red hair zooming around the treetops of the forest he was in so fast he couldn't really make a clear identification. A few moments later Ryouga backed up a few feet before starting to run. However, moments later he ran into a very ample chest face first. Stumbling back Ryouga found himself staring at a voluptuous red haired woman that was at least 6 feet tall who could have been mistaken for Ranma-chan any day if it wasn't for her ruby red eyes and lustful smile.

"I wonder what pork meat tastes like," the mysterious red head queried in a seductively heavy tone of voice as she got an inch from Ryouga's face.

Ryouga's response to this was to back away quickly as he stuttered out, "Who are you?"

"I'm Princess Ranko of the earth kingdom. I drowned in a certain spring in China 1000 years ago and was reincarnated inside Ranma's head and I have definite taste for pork," Ranko explained as she advanced on Ryouga looking at him like he was a side of ribs.

The response the sometimes piggish Ryouga gave to this was to run for the hills as fast as he could leaving Ranko to smirk.

"It's going to be so much fun playing with him," Ranko said with a laugh before teleporting away.

********************

The next morning we find Ranma practicing outside next to the koi pond with his father unusually Ranma was taking the practice very seriously and Genma was suffering numerous bumps and bruises because of it.

"What has gotten into you boy!!" Genma bellowed.

"I'm preparing," Ranma replied simply as he renewed his attack.

"For what boy you didn't tick off the weakling Senshi," Genma taunted.

Ranma's answer to Genma's taunt was to shout, "Flame sniper!!!" as he gave Genma the closest thing to first-hand experience on how 'weak' the Senshi were that he could.

The results were conclusive the arrow of elemental flame roasted Genma in an instant.

"That was half the power Sailor Mars puts into her attack pop," Ranma said with a smug smile as he walked off ignoring his father who was now twitching occasionally.

********************

"So what are you preparing for?" Nabiki queried as Ranma walked into the tearoom.

"Don't know that's why I'm going to learn everything I can," Ranma replied before walking off to get his morning bath.

"What has he gotten himself in to," Nabiki mumbled before returning to her ledgers.

'The fate and the future of the entire world,' Kasumi thought to herself with a wry smile.

********************

Meanwhile in Juuban we find Usagi practicing what little martial arts she had learned from Ranma in the small yard of her house when Shingo walked outside and nervously joined her.

Usagi's answer to this was to ask, "Why are you practicing?"

"We both need to get better," Shingo responded. "...and it's going to take a lot of practice to get anywhere near where Ranma is."

Chuckling Usagi nodded before they went back to practicing.

********************

Inside the Tsukino household, we find Luna, Ikuko and Kenji having breakfast.

"I try to get her to practice for three years," Luna mumbled irritably. "...and after five days with her cousin around she does it by herself with no prompting at all."

Chuckling Kenji said, "Ranma always was a good influence on her."

"That I won't argue with in the least," Luna replied simply as she smiled.

********************

Meanwhile across town we find Gurio nursing a large headache as he walked to the Osa-P jewelry shop. 'That's the last time I have spicy shrimp before bed,' Gurio thought to himself as he thought about the dream he had had.

"Hey you ok, Gurio?" A familiar voice asked from behind Gurio.

Turning around Gurio found himself looking at Makoto and Minako.

"Yeah just a really bad headache," Gurio mumbled before glaring at the two. "...and why are you even concerned?"

"Hey you're a friend of course were concerned!" Makoto shouted.

"Some friends you are you won't let Usagi near Naru," Gurio said angrily.

"Gurio!" Naru shouted as she walked up.

"What it's true they won't let you anywhere near Usagi just because of the trouble you attract!" Gurio bellowed.

Shaking her head Naru said, "Nothing could be further from the truth and that doesn't matter anymore anyhow. I've made up with Usagi."

"Ok," Gurio said dejectedly.

"So what crazy thing are you going to take me out to today?" Naru asked as she wrapped her arms around Gurio.

"Hmm, well I got tickets to the food dispenser convention and I calculate only a 60% probability they'll be a monster there," Gurio said as he blushed madly.

"Only 60 ...did you hear what happened at the fruit parlor the other day?" Naru queried.

"Hmm, no," Gurio said as he shook his head.

"The soft serve ice cream machine turned into a youma," Makoto responded.

"Then the probability of monster attacked must be closer to 85%," Gurio mumbled while looking dejected.

"If not 100%," Naru added.

"Then I guess we won't be ..."

"Don’t be silly Gurio, of course we'll go and if something goes wrong the Senshi will save the day as usual," Naru said with a mischievous smile directed at her fellow Senshi.

"...but."

"No buts and just to prove we really are friends we'll all come along," Makoto said enthusiastically.

"Ok, but if a monster attacks don't blame me," Gurio mumbled.

"Don’t worry about monsters Gurio," Naru said with a smile before adding, "Hey Gurio do you have your new contacts yet?"

"Yes," Gurio answered.

"Then go home and put them on," Naru said mischievously before running off adding only, "I'll be waiting for you at Rei's Temple," as she grabbed Makoto and Minako.

********************

Later at the Temple, we find Ami, Rei and Naru talking about where they were going once Gurio showed up.

"How accurate are his predictions?" Ami asked in her usual analytical tone.

"Usually about 20 to 15% on the low side," Naru answered calmly.

"So it really is more than likely that they'll be a youma there," Rei mumbled angrily.

Shrugging Naru nodded.

"Why are you so calm about this?" Ami queried.

Raising an eyebrow Naru said, "I AM the youma magnet I've been attacked over 20 times."

"Oh," Ami replied simply before Minako and Makoto were heard drooling over some boy.

Rolling her eyes Rei got up and walked outside to rescue the poor sap that Minako and Makoto where after. Who she found being pestered by the two was a very handsome brown-haired, green-eyed teen who was backing away from Minako and Makoto.

"Stop it you two you're scaring him," Rei demanded.

Pouting Minako and Makoto stopped just as Naru and Ami walked out side. Seeing Naru the mysterious teen immediately ran behind her.

Remembering what had happened after the Princess D incident. Specifically what she thought Gurio would look like without his glasses Ami queried, "Is that you Gurio??" as she studied the mysterious teen.

"Yes," Gurio replied as he cowered behind Naru.

Hearing this and seeing the smirk on Naru's face Minako and Makoto turned green.

"You did this on purpose didn't you?" Minako asked with a glare a moment later.

Naru's only response was an evil smile as she hugged Gurio who was now blushing quite brightly.

"You ...you really..." Makoto stuttered out before throwing her hands up in defeat as Naru continued to smirk evilly.

"What can I say the dark side is too much to resist," Naru said mischievously.

Hearing this, the other Senshi shook their heads and groaned.

Laughing and smiling Naru said, "You are good friends, I'm sorry I didn't join you earlier."

"I'm quite sure you had your reasons Lady Naru," Jadeite said with a smile from where he had been watching everything silently.

"Yes I did," Naru said with a smile as she hugged Gurio a little closer to her.

The other Senshi however all glared at Jadeite who nervously adjusted his collar.

"Why did you call Naru lady?" Gurio demanded jealously as he death glared Jadeite.

"Don't worry about it he even calls Rei lady," Usagi said with a laugh causing Rei to glare at Usagi angrily.

"Oh," Gurio grumbled.

"Come on let's get going," Naru said with a smirk.

********************

Meanwhile beyond time, we find Setsuna sitting cross-legged by the koi pond that was situated in the center of the garden of her home. Curiously, she was wearing an outfit Ranma was commonly seen in. The outfit was also clinging to every curve of her body giving her an extremely disheveled look, which was compounded by the exasperated look plastered across her usual stoic and mysterious face.

Throwing a rock into the pond Setsuna mumbled something about bakas under her breath before scratching her right breast through her shirt causing her it to stick to the space between her breasts. Absently Setsuna looked at her reflection as the surface of the koi pond stilled. She knew she was sexy and in her current disheveled state, most men would find her erotic.

Unfortunately, Chiron wasn't most men and she knew from experience she —or any other woman— could walk up to him totally naked and he wouldn't bat an eye. In short, he was un-seducible. This trait was one of the things Setsuna both respected and hated in her statue like husband.

The other thing she hated about Chiron was the fact he was a traditional plutonium man. This was a problem since the majority of Pluto had a matriarchal society that was more oppressive than even the Greek Amazons. This combined with the fact plutonium marriage customs were odd meant societal positions were downright strange. Men in a traditional plutonium marriage were expected to act as nothing but servants that were not allowed to even address their spouses as such let alone have any kind of intimate relationship and since she had proposed in the traditional plutonium manner Chiron acted in the traditional manner even though Setsuna herself was anything but a traditional plutonium Princess.

In short Chiron's traditional plutonium ways drove her absolutely nutty which was why she was sitting by the koi pond trying to figure —for the nth time— out some way to break her baka husband out of his traditional mold and seduce her into bed.

Unfortunately, her husband was as mysterious to her as most men found women and after a thousand years of marriage, she was no closer to understanding him then most men were to understanding women.

"My liege it is time for the next part of the ritual," Setsuna heard Chiron say from behind her.

'I wonder if a mallet would work on him,' Setsuna mentally muttered after she turned around to find Chiron kneeling on the ground. 'It's about the only thing I haven't tried in our millennium of marriage.'

********************

"Woah!!" was the only comment Usagi could think of giving as she saw the huge variety of food dispensing machines. There was everything from automatic food fryers to vending machines of such colossal portions that they could dispense a mini marts worth of food, beverages, and miscellaneous items.

"Ok I'll admit this more than I expected; A LOT more," Rei said in a stunned voice.

"I'll say," Minako said with a whistle.

"This is sort of cool in a weird geeky way," Makoto said as she scratched the back of her head.

Laughing Naru said, "Gurio has a way of doing that."

Gurio's only comment to this was to blush as everyone made their way through the convention.

Ami as usual had thought ahead and had the Mercury computer scanning for anything unusual. So far, it had found nothing. That however didn't mean there was nothing to find.

As the group walked through the convention they absently took note of the machines some of which were very interesting, others cool (both literally and figuratively), while still others were completely crazy (such as the candy dispensing videogame Rei had to drag Usagi away from).

Through all of this, the Mercury computer did its programmed task and finally as the Senshi neared the back of the convention it detected something and transmitted a signal to the microphone earring Ami was wearing.

Slipping away with everyone but Naru, Gurio and Jadeite, Ami pulled out the Mercury computer, which revealed all of the machines in the dark delights booth were in fact possessed with youma.

...it also revealed Naru, Gurio and Jadeite had just walked into the dark delights booth.

"You know, she's REALLY starting to creep me out," Makoto commented moments before every vending machine in the booth came to live in tried to drain Naru and Gurio. Fortunately for them Jadeite heroically threw himself in front of the two and took the full brunt of the energy drain.

"JADEITE NO BAKA," Rei muttered before everyone transformed and ran towards the attacking youma.

While this was happening Naru grabbed Gurio and ran thanking Jadeite over her shoulder. Jadeite's only reply was to mumble he was welcome before collapsing. Fortunately, before he hit the ground Sailor Mars grabbed him and got him out of the line of fire.

Meanwhile a few meters away Naru and Gurio had found a safe place to retreat to; the bathroom.

"Stay here and get some kind of first aid ready. I'm going to try and get Jadeite out of there with the help of one of the Senshi," Naru said before leaving before Gurio could give any objection. After exiting the bathroom and making sure no one was watching Naru added, 'and that Senshi is me,' before transforming and running off.

A moment later Gurio ran out of the bathroom and after Naru. However before he got very far Sailor Mars and an unknown redheaded Senshi with a black fuku carried Jadeite towards him.

"Take care of him," Mars ordered before running off the other Senshi pausing only briefly to materialize a wicked looking scythe as she blew him a kiss.

Gurio's response to this was to adjust his suddenly tight collar as he blushed brightly enough to make a ripe tomato look green. A moment later, he shook off his embarrassment and began dragging Jadeite into the bathroom and away from the battle. By the time he had finished the battle was over, and Gurio felt like he had been drained by a youma.

"Perhaps you should consider going to the gym sometime Lord Gurio," Jadeite said after his energy had returned to him. "After all, one must have a sound body as well as a sound mind."

The only reply Gurio could give was a reluctant nod before Jadeite stood up and helped Gurio out of the bathroom.

"You ok, Gurio?" Usagi asked nervously as she noticed how tired Gurio was.

"Yeah I'm just worn out from dragging Jadeite into the bathroom," Gurio said with his usual —and quite obnoxious— nervous laugh.

"You've really got to work on that laugh," Minako stated flatly.

"Yeah it really ruins your roguishly hidden good looks," Makoto said with a smirk as she waved a finger at Gurio who blushed brightly in response causing Makoto to laugh.

********************

"Wow I can't believe the parlor is already completely fixed up after a few days," Minako said as she examined the wall of the fruit parlor that had been repaired.

"Days nothing!!! They fixed everything up in hours!" Unazuki shouted with a laugh.

"You're joking!!" Makoto exclaimed in shock.

"No it was almost as incredible as that guy that wasted the youma," Unazuki said as she sat down with Usagi and her friends.

"Wow a civilian wasted a youma!!" Gurio explained.

"Yep he even copied Mars's attack," Unazuki responded excitedly before she launched into an explanation of what had happened.

********************

"Ranma you want to go out?" Akane asked nervously as she entered the training hall where Ranma was practicing.

Stopping Ranma muttered, "...and get attacked by the wrecking crew? No thanks."

After glaring at the horizon outside Akane closed the door and sat down next Ranma, "so what are you worried about?"

"What part do I play if any?" Ranma questioned as he sat down.

"I don't know but what part would you play in the fate of the world?" Akane queried both seriously and jokingly.

Smiling faintly Ranma replied, "What can I do?"

"You have more raw power then Saturn, Ranma," Kasumi said her voice sounding like Queen Serenity. "With knowledge drive and the power of your heart almost nothing you can not do."

Hearing this Ranma went deathly pale. "More then Saturn, but but..."

"Yes," Queen Serenity said through Kasumi before leaning down and kissing Ranma on his cheek. "I trust you Ranma-kun I know such power in your hands can only be a good thing," Queen Serenity and Kasumi added.

Feeling more off base then he had ever felt in his life Ranma couldn't even think coherently for a minute. When the minute abated however, he said, "I have some serious thinking and talking to do about the future," before pulling out a key and vanishing.

"Oneechan?"

"Yes," Kasumi questioned.

"What's going to happen?"

Smiling brightly Kasumi winked and said, "Not even Pluto knows for sure?" before walking off.

About a minute later Akane registered the small fact her older sister had kissed Ranma.

********************

"Puu?? You look ... Hmm," Ranma said nervously as he sat down next to Pluto.

"...like shit? Yeah I feel like it to," She responded. "I hate long ritual spells. So what brings you here today?"

"I want to know what part to play in the future," Ranma stated flatly causing Setsuna to give him a piercing death glare that usually could make kings cower like frightened children. Ranma however —as usual— was immune to this stare.

Actually looking frustrated Setsuna muttered something under her breath before saying, "Listen even IF I knew what part you were to play you know I couldn't tell you."

"Well since you don't really know then there's no harm in guessing," Ranma responded as he sat down.

Setsuna's only reply to this was to sweat drop. She REALLY hated speculating on the future.

********************

"I'll get little Ms. Queeney and my sister to," Akane muttered to herself as she walked along the streets of Nerima hunting for Kasumi/Queen Serenity.

Her quarry however was back at the dojo preparing a snack and smirking to herself, much like Setsuna usually did. The reason for this was simple Kasumi like Queen Serenity had been granted the gift of visions and she knew that Akane was about to run into Ryouga: literally.

Two seconds later Ryouga ran into Akane and started babbling, "She's going to get me!!" over and over again.

Glaring at nothing in particular Akane questioned, "Who is going to get you?"

Ryouga's answer was to start babbling incoherently about redheaded water spirits as he hid behind Akane. His babbling was interrupted however when a shadow passed overhead followed shortly thereafter by a sultry voice, "Hello p-chan."

Ryouga's answer to this was to scream and run.

Looking up at the now laughing Senshi of earth Akane demanded, "What are you doing?"

Turning her gaze on Akane as her gaze hardened Terra said, "That child is my business," in a tone of voice that was describable only as ancient before vanishing.

'I don't like her. Not one bit,' Akane thought with a shiver before starting to walk back home her sister's 'indiscretion' forgotten.

********************

"So what exactly do you need my lady Rei?" Jadeite asked as he, Rei, Makoto and Naru entered a mini-mart near the Hadaka shrine.

Glaring at Jadeite on general principle Rei handed him a list to which he responded to by bowing and walking off.

"Why do I always attract the crazy ones?" Rei questioned no one in particular.

"Moths to a flame," was Naru's rather sarcastic reply as she walked off.

Rei's response to this was a few twitches of her eyebrow.

"Speaking of crazy ones where have your grandfather and Yuuichirou been?" Makoto asked curiously.

"Off on some kind of training at some hot springs," Rei grumbled. 'Meaning that Grandpa's peeking at anything female and Yuuichirou stuck doing something stupid.'

"So when are they due back?" Makoto queried curiously just before a handsome auburn haired man walked into the mini mart. Naturally, Makoto immediately started to drool.

"In another five days or so," Rei responded before noticing Makoto was drooling over someone. A second later, she noticed that someone was Nephrite.

However before she could say anything the all-too-familiar scream of Naru being attacked by a youma was heard.

"Ok now she's starting to creep ME out," Rei cursed as she and Makoto —followed shortly by Naru who had actually managed to avoid being drained— ran off to transform. After transforming they ran back, to find Jadeite and Nephrite facing off against a soda machine youma which had sent Nephrite flying and due to a certain pigtailed avatar of chaos's influence he landed with a perfect view ... up Sailor Jupiter's fuku.

Jupiter took about three seconds to register this before screaming and beginning a game of pound the pervert. Fortunately, for Nephrite he was agile enough to get out of the way and run for his life.

This unfortunately for the youma brought the Senshi's attention back to it. Needless to say, it didn't last too long after that.

********************

A little later after Rei had gotten the things she needed from the mini mart everyone headed off towards the shrine Jadeite chuckling to himself all the way.

"What's so funny?" Rei demanded.

"That was almost the exact same way they met in the Silver millennium," Jadeite said with a chuckle.

'Why don't I like the sound of that,' Rei thought to herself while unbeknownst to her Naru smiled.

Moments later Nephrite ran by being chased by Jupiter who had extremely good aim.

"Please Lady Jupiter it was an accident!!!" the astrologically minded general screamed.

Jupiter's response was to electrocute him once again.

"Ahh it's good to see some things never change," Jadeite commented rather cheerfully.

"Right..." Rei grumbled.

********************

About an hour or so later Nephrite had finely managed to evade Jupiter for long enough to catch his breath. "I wonder if this is what Sir Ranma feels like?" Nephrite questioned before hearing somebody crack their knuckles. 'Oh crap,' Nephrite muttered to himself before running only to stop as he realized one small fact: he could teleport and so he did.

This left Jupiter cursing like ... well like a sailor.

********************

"Ami you ok?" Ms. Mizuno asked her daughter who was biting her lip as she looked outside thoughtfully.

"Just thinking about a problem?" Ami replied as she looked up at her mother.

"What kind of problem?"

Pulling out the Mercury computer from its dimensional cubbyhole and activating a series of holograms Ami explained that the scanning range and power of the Mercury computer had varied widely over the past few days.

"Can you think of any reason why?"

"Only the presence of Ranma he gives off more energy than a lot of small power plants just sitting there," Ami answered after pulling up an energy readout on Ranma.

"By the kami ..."

"Yes a mind-boggling amount of power and that's just his ambient level."

"How much does he eat?" Dr. Mizuno asked rather nervously.

"You really don't want to know, mom," Ami answered. "It's actually scary to see somebody eat more than Usagi."

"MORE!?"

"Yes more," Ami replied. "Anyhow do you have any idea why his presence amplified the signal so much?"

Scrambling over what little she knew of radio technology Dr. Mizuno guessed, "Some sort of magical version of a carrier signal."

"I thought that to but his energy field falls off to quickly."

"Maybe it's as simple as your computer needing a bigger energy source. After all it may be magical but its size must limit its power source," Dr. Mizuno hypothesized.

Nodding Ami began to query the Mercury computer for power source limitations.

The list was longer than either could have imagined.

"We HAVE GOT TO find a bigger battery," Dr. Mizuno said in awe. If even half the things the computer listed it could do were possible she had to see them.

Ami's reply was to nod rather dumbly before she did a query on power sources they could build. The first one that appeared was a micro-cold-fusion generator that used magical cold energy as a catalyst and water as a fuel source.

If the Mizinos had been wearing glasses, they would have fogged over in an evil manner that could have scared Dr. Tomoe —as it was the glint in their eyes was terrifying enough.

********************

'I really shouldn't have expected any help from her,' Ranma thought to himself as he walked through Setsuna's house. 'It must suck not being able to talk about the future at all.'

Looking around Ranma found he was near the time reflection pool. 'Why is my life so screwed up?' Ranma thought to himself before looking into the pool and watching his past unfold. 'Maybe just maybe this will help,' Ranma thought before starting to concentrate on his past as he gazed into the pool.

'Careful that pool can be dangerous,' Setsuna thought before sighing, '...but danger is your element so you can't avoid it any more than I can avoid time.'

An agonizing 10 minutes later, Ranma closed his eyes for a moment before saying, "It's all tied to him."

"Except for your curse which as far as I can see was fate," Setsuna said calmly.

"You mean somebody made me go there!!" Ranma bellowed.

"Yes as to who I don't know," Setsuna answered.

"So I don't even know if I fated myself into them," Ranma said as he slumped down. "Why?"

"People are always toyed with by each other. That is fate," Setsuna answered.

Shaking his head Ranma stood up and said, "I have business to attend to; the business of taking my destiny into my own hands," as he left.

Setsuna's reply to this was to smile until that is she noticed her staff was following Ranma. However before she could grab the staff Ranma and it vanished. "Damn staff what is it up to this TIME?!" Setsuna demanded angrily.

However before she could look into the time reflection pool Chiron announced it was time for the next part of the awakening ritual.

********************

"Hmm, Ranma why do you have a key shaped magic staff following you?" Nabiki questioned with a raised eyebrow as Ranma walked into the tearoom.

Whipping around Ranma saw the time staff make a clumsy attempt to hide its self behind a wall.

"Not this again," Ranma muttered as the staff hopped over to him.

"Again?" Nabiki questioned just before Kasumi stepped into the tearoom from outside.

"Hello Staff-chan what are you doing here?" Kasumi questioned as it hopped up to her.

The staff's reply was to bounce up and down and pulse with magical energy for a moment.

"Oh how nice of you to help Ranma, Staff-chan!" Kasumi exclaimed with a smile before walking off towards the kitchen.

Ranma's answer to this was to bang his head on a nearby support pillar a few times before walking off, time staff following closely behind.

A moment later Nabiki finally decided, "For once I don't want to know," before returning to her ledgers.

********************

'I suppose I should start with Ukyou,' Ranma thought to himself as he walked towards Ucchan's the time staff following him cheerfully.

As he walked into Ucchan's a few minutes later, Ranma found Ukyou sitting alone at the grill looking distant. Sitting down Ranma cleared his throat loudly. Ukyou's reply to this was to look at Ranma who was giving her a stony gaze. This naturally shocked Ukyou.

"Hmm, what do you want ran-chan?" Ukyou asked nervously as a sudden feeling of dread fell over her.

"I'm calling of our engagement," Ranma said flatly and in a tone of voice that brokered no argument.

Ukyou however did argue she screamed and attacked Ranma with her combat spatula. The time staff having other ideas chose this time to leap in front of Ranma and use its power causing it and Ukyou to vanish.

Ranma's response to this was to mutter something under his breath.

About a minute later Ukyou reappeared with the staff and upon seeing Ranma screamed, "WHAT is that thing!!"

"Sailor Pluto's time staff..." Ranma answered as he glared at the cheerful looking staff, "...which has an annoying habit of following me around."

"Then what I saw was something that really could happen," Ukyou muttered as her eyes widened.

"Yep," Ranma answered.

"The insanity will never end," Ukyou muttered while actually looking frightened.

"Story of my life," Ranma answered nonchalantly.

'I can't handle it no way can I handle what I saw. I can barely handle the chaos as it is,' Ukyou thought to herself as she felt a headache coming on. "If your life is going to constantly be like what I saw you're right and engagement won't work. So I agree to call it off," Ukyou said even though it was agonizingly painful to do so.

"Thanks, Ukyou," Ranma responded before leaving.

"Not a day ... neither one of them just like Senshi; timeless," Ukyou said as a few tears escaped her eyes.

********************

As Naru walked home from Rei's shrine that evening, she absently watched people. Because of her newfound powers as the Senshi of death and darkness, Naru could see their secrets. The radiance of life was as plain as day as was the shadow of death. In children, the radiance was as bright as the sun and the shadows could hardly be seen. In adults, the radiance and shadows were about equal. In the elderly and those at death's door for other reasons, the shadows were greater than the radiance.

In the Senshi, however the shadows and the radiance were perfectly in balance. This she knew was the sign of an immortal.

********************

At around 3 a.m. Happosai was found wandering through Nerima's warehouse district trailing a source of magical energy.

'I wonder what it could be. I've never sensed energy quite like this,' Happosai thought to himself as he came to a nondescript warehouse that was radiating aversion magic. After shielding his mind completely from the aversion magic Happosai stepped into the warehouse only to find it was an illusion disguising the fallout from some kind of magical explosion. "This doesn't look good," Happosai commented to himself before a blond haired woman surrounded by at least a hundred youma appeared in a flourish of sakura petals. 'Not good at all, I don't care if they all are hot looking,' Happosai thought as he released his power and prepared to fight.

"Foolish man your perverted energies are so close to our own that you can't harm us," the woman said with an evil smile as the youma surrounded and began to drain Happosai. "However your energies and perhaps even you can be twisted to our purposes," the woman added with a laugh before she pulled out a sphere of pulsing black energy. "You are coming with us," the woman said with an evil laugh as she threw the energy sphere at Happosai.

********************

"So exactly how long is this staff going to follow you around?" Nabiki queried as Ranma sat down at the tea table for breakfast.

"Until Pluto can come and get it," Ranma grumbled while making it a point to ignore the cheerful time staff that was following him around.

"What good is a weapon like that anyway!?" Genma laughed only to find the now glowing time staff inches away from him.

"Dead scream," Ranma said calmly and clearly, as he fully extended his ki senses so he could copy the attack.

The time staff instantly reacted to these words by blasting Genma with as much power as it could without its master.

...and for the second time in so many days Genma found out how very stupid it was to bad mouth a Senshi.

"THAT ... he had coming," Soun said calmly as he continued eating breakfast.

********************

"So what are you going to do today?" Akane asked as she and Ranma left the dojo.

"Try and to find out some way to get Kunou to stop chasing me around," Ranma responded while sounding less than thrilled.

"There's a 10 on the impossibility scale," Akane muttered.

Ranma's only response was a nod as he headed off towards the Kunou manner, time staff of course following.

********************

Earlier in Juuban, we find Naru sitting alone in her room the only light coming from a tiny crack in her window.

'To know death,' Naru thought to herself. 'I can feel why such power can change people. Drive them to madness and evil. The darkness would be so very oppressive if I didn't understand it. Shadows, secrets and dark power are all a part of me now. What can I do with the darkness? It's power is unique but can I make with it?' Naru thought to herself as she let the energy of darkness in her room swirl around her.

Naru's musings however were interrupted when she heard her mother announcing breakfast was ready.

Getting up, Naru absently stretched before turning to a shadow that was as black as midnight and saying, "Yes I know I have to tell her," and walking off.

********************

"Mom, I have something to tell you," Naru said with a calm that was unnerving to her mother.

Immediately assuming the worst Naru's mother began spouting off about evil monster is draining her daughter again. Rolling her eyes as she rubbed her temples Naru waited for her mother to wind down somewhat.

5 minutes later after Naru had finished her breakfast her mother finally ran out of breath allowing Naru to say, "No but I now know why I've been attacked by every evil monster that comes by."

After blinking repeatedly Naru's mother questioned, "You do?"

Subduing the urge to pound her head on the table a few times Naru responded, "Yes."

"Then what is it? Why do all of those horrible creatures keep attacking you?"

"Because I'm Senshi of darkness and death," Naru responded while already knowing her mother wouldn't believe her.

As Naru predicted her mother didn't believe her as was readily apparent when she crossed her arms and said, "That isn't funny Naru."

Naru's only response was to wipe the corners of her mouth off with a napkin, stand and then transform.

Once the transformation finished Naru's mother got a clear look at Sailor Nemesis and shortly thereafter, her legs gave out causing her to start falling towards the ground.

Before she got there however, she was caught by someone behind her. Looking up Naru's mother found herself staring into the eyes of the death which already had one bonny arm wrapped firmly around her.

Her response to this was to squeak before passing out.

Shrugging the Reaper put Naru's mother on the ground before sitting down at the table.

...and by this time Naru was banging her head on the table.

********************

"I wonder how Naru's mom is taking things?" Usagi asked curiously as she and Luna walked down the street.

Luna who is in her human form —tail of course hidden—responded to this by saying, "We should go find out after all Osaka-san must stress quite a deal about Naru being attacked."

"Yeah you're right," Usagi replied with a nod before they both saw Makoto looking like she was about to electrocute someone. "Are you okay Makoto?" Usagi asked as her brown haired friend as she stormed up.

"I'm going to kill that pervert!" Makoto swore.

"Hmm, who are you talking about?" Usagi asked curiously and nervously.

"Nephrite ... that ...that ... he looked up my fuku," Makoto thundered.

"Hmm, I'm sure it's a misunderstanding. In fact we can clear it up right after we go see, Naru," Usagi said nervously as she tried to calm Makoto down.

Nodding as she rumbled Makoto began to calm down a little bit as Usagi led her away.

Luna who had been watching this responded only by sweat dropping as she thought, 'History seems to be repeating itself.'

About 15 minutes later, the three arrived at the Osa-p jewelry store where Usagi led them to the rear of the building and up a staircase to the second-story of the building where Naru lived. While Luna and Makoto absently looked around Usagi knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer. A moment later Naru opened the door and motioned everyone in before walking off. Following Naru, no one said anything until that is they walked into the tearoom. What they found therein nearly caused them to die of fright, surprise, shock, and absurdity.

The grim reaper was having tea ... and it was even holding its pinkie out.

As one could expect Naru's mother was shaking almost uncontrollably and was paler than most ghosts. Naru on the other hand was completely calm.

"WHAT is THAT doing here?" Luna demanded.

The reaper's reply to this was to pull out its scythe and flip it around causing black flames to spell out, [I'm advising Naru-chan on her powers...] *flip* [...and enjoying some good tea.]

After laughing nervously, Usagi & Co. grabbed Naru and ran leaving Naru's mother alone with the Grim Reaper.

Shrugging at the departure of the Senshi the Grim Reaper flipped around its scythe so the writing in the air read, [More tea please.]

"Sure," Naru's mother squeaked out.

*Flip* [Thank you.]

********************

A little later Naru, Usagi, Makoto and Luna arrived at the mansion Nephrite lived at. Makoto's still being angry at Nephrite transformed and ran off to throw a few thunderbolts.

Shaking her head Naru transformed and ran off after Jupiter.

When Nemesis next found Jupiter she was looking around the grand entrance hall of the mansion trying to make some decision on which way to go. Jupiter's decision however was made for her when Nephrite apparently walked in. Laughing like a maniac Jupiter released a lightning attack.

The attack would have hit if it were not for Nemesis intervening with her scythe, which deflected the lightning right back at Jupiter. Looking at the now crispy Senshi of lightning Nemesis said, "This is Nephrite's counterpart," in a slightly cool voice.

Laughing nervously Jupiter said, "Sorry about that," before running off in the opposite direction.

After rolling her eyes Nemesis asked, "Would you take us to your counterpart, Sanjouin."

"Ok," Yami-Nephrite answered a little nervously.

********************

"He's barricaded himself in his room?" Moon asked while sounding as if she didn't believe it.

A hopeless shrug was the only reply the ex-dark general could give before Jupiter came storming down the hall looking for her quarry.

"He's in there isn't he," Jupiter thundered before attacking the door. When the dust and debris settled, it revealed a nervous looking auburn haired general.

"Now can't we talk about this like civilized people Lady Jupiter?" Nephrite asked nervously as he backed away from Jupiter.

Hurling a few lightning bolts at Nephrite —who had warded himself against lightning—Jupiter shouted, "You looked up my fuku. You die!!! Discussion over."

Dodging lightning bolts as his wards failed Nephrite started to beg Jupiter to stop. It was quite hilarious however Nemesis quickly grew tired if it and said, "If you like him so much why don't you just kiss him."

"WHAT!!!" Jupiter screamed her attention drawn away from Nephrite. "You... you... You really like dancing with..." Jupiter sputtered out before screaming in frustration and storming off.

This left Nemesis who's eyes were glowing with dark power to smirk and chuckle, "I am IT," before walking off.

"She's creepier now then she was in the Silver millennium," Nephrite commented to Luna.

********************

While back in Nerima, we find Ranma sitting in a tree near the Kunou manor silently contemplating how to stop Kunou from chasing him around.

~Perhaps a sword fight,~ Ranma heard Em say.

'You really think that would work,' Ranma queried mentally.

~It is a place to start at the very least,~ Em responded. ~...but if I knew more about this guy I'd be able to help more.~

'Can't you just read my mind?' Ranma queried.

~Yes,~ Em responded before doing as Ranma suggested. About halfway through the mental scan however Em stopped and said, ~I have a plan,~ with a mental smirk.

'I'm listening,' Ranma replied.

~Well for starters, I once belonged to this British king by the name of Arthur.~

'You're joking you're THAT sword!!'

~Yep now here's my idea it's a little dramatic but hey if you're going to hang around the Senshi dramatic isn't bad.~

********************

'Damn that foul sorcerer,' Kunou cursed to himself as he practiced by a small koi pond.

Moments later, however his practice was interrupted when the foul sorcerer walked up calmly stopping on the opposite side of the koi pond as Kunou was practicing on.

"It stops today Kunou. I've had enough of you're dishonorable actions," Ranma said as his aura began to flare with the energy of good shaking Kunou considerably. "Either you stop soiling my name and chasing Akane of your own free will..." Ranma added as Kunou saw Ranma's aura take on the shape of a noble Dragon. "... or I will make you stop," Ranma continued as his dragon aura flared with almost unbearable brightness.

"...and how do you plan on doing that you have no honor, no blade!" Kunou bellowed.

Ranma's Dragon shaped aura replied to this by roaring at Kunou while Ranma himself glared at him.

"I have a blade Kunou but most times I have no need of it," Ranma said calmly before holding his arm out and over the koi pond. "...but I see now you will only listen to someone with a blade so I summon mine."

With that said, the koi pond started to glow with the light that held the radiance of good. Slowly but surely the sword of the one true king rose from the water into Ranma's hand where it transformed into a beautiful katana worthy of kami-sama. Also at the moment Ranma took hold of the sword, his aura became infused with the elemental energies of fire, water, earth and air.

Stepping away from the master of elemental and spiritual power Kunou dropped to his knees and said, "Forgive me for being a fool, Saotome-sama; I did not know the gods blessed you personally."

"I'll forgive you if you do a few things Kunou," Ranma replied as his aura vanished from site.

********************

"Imouto what exactly happened while you two were in Juuban?" Nabiki asked sweetly as Akane returned to the dojo.

Akane's only response to this was to shake her head.

'Hmm, ok this warrants investigation, and I'll start with Rei and any friends she might have,' Nabiki thought to herself before walking off to her room.

********************

'Am I really as powerful as Saturn?' Ranma thought to himself as he walked along the fences of Nerima —time staff of course following.

~Yes and no,~ Ranma heard the time staff say in a light, airy, and mysterious voice.

Turning around and actually facing the staff Ranma queried, 'You want to explain that.'

~You have the raw power but it'll take even you years to be able to access all of it freely,~ The staff replied cheerfully.

Nodding Ranma looked up at the sky and thought, 'I hope I never have to use that much power.'

~Agreed. The power of the gods is frightening even to most gods,~ Em said seriously.

'WHAT!!!' Ranma mentally screamed as he nearly fell off the fence.

~Come on Ranma don't tell me you didn't realize you were that powerful,~ Ranma heard Ranko say. "Especially after you wasted Saffron," Ranko added after she appeared next to Ranma.

"I never thought about it like that," Ranma admitted as he shivered from a sudden wave of fear. He really never did think about what it meant to defeat a kami. He knew the staff he had used in the battle with Saffron drew all of its power from him and now he knew ... no he had been made to know the level of power he had used was on the level of kami.

It to be quite frank terrified him. He was a Martial Artist NOT some human version of an energy spewing giant ape with all the fighting talent and skill of a common street fighter.

Laughing Ranko bellowed, "No I don't suppose you would think about it like that since you always conserve as much of your power as you can but honestly you do need to let loose and blow up mountain or two," causing Ranma to look at her strangely. "Come on it's fun trust me my cute little descendent," Ranko added as she grabbed Ranma and teleported away with him.

********************

'Why have things become so serious?' Akane questioned as she sat by the koi pond feeding the fish. "How did we get caught up in having a part in saving the world?"

"People of great power are drawn to great things," Kasumi quoted as she walked up beside Akane.

Nodding ruefully Akane replied, "Mother was right when she said that."

Nodding as she sat down Kasumi began to sing. Hearing this Akane began to sing as well. Surprisingly a few moments later Nabiki joined in as well.

When the song finely ended Nabiki commented, "Its been a longtime since we sang," with a genuine but faraway smile.

"Far too long," Akane commented sadly.

"Are we finely drifting apart?" Nabiki asked while actually feeling scared. After all family was the only thing more important to her then money.

"No but ever since Ranma came we have kept to ourselves," Kasumi said calmly. "He has created new stresses for all of us and disrupted the flow of our lives."

"That's an understatement," Nabiki said with a rueful chuckle.

"For good and for ill," Akane mumbled.

"Also an understatement," Nabiki said with cheerful sarcasm.

********************

Artemis was starting to get stir-crazy waiting for Minako and her mother to return with some clothing for him to wear.

His Silver millennium clothes were too exotic for walking around Juuban, to say nothing of the fact they did nothing to hide his tail and to compound things the previous day's shopping trip had been preempted by the incident at the convention center.

Furthering Artemis's stir-craziness was the fact he was alone with no one to talk to. There was also nothing on TV and no good places to take a nap because of the current weather and time of day.

Artemis was in fact so bored he had started doing household chores.

...he had also already finished all of them yesterday.

All of this was why the currently humanoid cat was playing with his own tail out of sheer and total boredom.

"I have got to find something to do," Artemis mumbled as he absently played with his tail.

Thinking back to the Silver millennium for inspiration Artemis decided to see if he could cobble together enough to do some magical alchemy.

********************

The ritual was finely complete and after a long soak in the furo and a good nap, Pluto was back to her usual mysterious self.

Walking through the corridors of her home Setsuna stopped and entered Chiron's room. It was decorated with things that reminded her of pluto and her life there and how Chiron had been one of her only friends. Thinking back, she remembered the day her destiny had called to her. The day she remembered her first lifetime and her sisters Selene and Gaia, the day she met her.

Chiron was with her that day and had been with her every day since.

Shaking her head Setsuna decided to stop brooding and get on with awakening Gurio's memories fully by reminding him of his past life.

********************

"What is this place?" Ranma questioned as he looked around the vast open field that was littered by numerous craters.

"This is the ancient Senshi training ground," Ranko said with a flourish before smiling and wordlessly transforming.

"So what are your powers?" Ranma asked curiously.

Smiling Terra turned towards the open field and shouted, "Graviton crusher," as she launched off a translucent ball of energy that Ranma could feel and see distorting gravity. When the magical attack detonated everything within the area of effect imploded with enough force to crush hardened concrete and then exploded with just as much force.

"That was nowhere near what the other Senshi do," Ranma muttered as he tried to shake off the feeling of gravity being distorted in front of him.

"Now it's your turn," Terra offered as she produced another Graviton crusher ball.

Nodding rather nervously Ranma extended his ki senses and immediately, his jaw dropped.

"Amazing isn't it," Terra said with a smile as Ranma shook himself out of his stupor.

"I've never felt anything like this," Ranma said in awe.

"The power of energy and mass, it is essence of earth. It is the power that fuels the stars in the heavens, creates the ground under your feet, the air you breathe and even the food you eat," Terra said as she floated into the air using her power over gravity a few small rocks floating aloft with her. "The ultimate power of the earth is what science calls the atom. They have no idea what they are trying to play with," Terra explained as matter and energy collapsed into the palms of her hands under such gravitational force that they were fused together into the impossible.

...an atom that was a foot across.

Raising her hands to the sky Terra whispered, "Supernova," as she released the atom towards the heavens.

The silence that followed was absolute.

Then it happened unimaginable destruction and creation unfurled in the heavens above and finally when everything had settled Ranma realized what he had just seen was quite literally a miniature supernova.

"THAT is the power of earth equal parts creation and destruction," Terra said as she looked up with a smile.

"Why? Why do you need that much power?" Ranma all but demanded.

"Because there are times when the only thing that can get the job done is a really big bang," Terra said with a hopeless shrug.

"What times?!" Ranma screamed.

"How bout dealing with a feather brained kami, or an asinine dragon prince turned girl," Terra said rather sarcastically.

Ranma's reply to this was to glare at the red-haired Senshi for a moment before he started to focus his power as he had sensed Terra doing when she had performed her Graviton crusher attack.

********************

Gurio had a migraine the kind of migraine that made one feel as if death was hovering over them.

"Are you all right, Gurio?" Gurio heard a mysterious voice say. Looking up and adjusting his glasses he found himself looking at the mysterious Setsuna Meiou. The one 'acquaintance' of Usagi he could find absolutely nothing on.

"I'm fine Meiou-san, just a headache," Gurio answered with a slight bow.

Smiling enigmatically Setsuna handed Gurio a small bottle and said, "These are strong enough to get rid of the nastiest migraines in all of time."

"Ok," Gurio answered while wondering why he thought the mysterious emerald haired woman was being completely serious and literal. After taking one of the painkillers Gurio asked, "So what do you want?"

"Tell me; what do you know of necromancy?" Setsuna said with her trademark smirk.

Jerking back not only at the blatant oddness of the question but because of the dreams he had been having about being a necromancer Gurio stuttered out, "What?! Why are you asking me?"

"Naru told me you know a good deal about the occult," Setsuna responded.

"Oh ok," Gurio said in response before he walked off with Setsuna.

********************

Rei was worried, the more she thought about how Ranma's ki had shifted during the slumber party the more concerned she became with it.

After a great deal of thought Rei had surmised that Ranma's ki hadn't really shifted as she had originally thought. However if her current assumptions were right then things were most likely more serious and had grave implications for Ranma's spiritual health and well-being. In simplest terms, Ranma had no balance between his male and female ki. This imbalance plus the idiocy of the panda was likely to cause of Ranma's more eccentric behavior as a man. The imbalance was also probably the exclusive reason Ranma's behavior was so eccentric as a girl. Additionally the imbalance was also likely reason for Ranma's unusual capability to attract members of the opposite sex like flies to honey. Ranma's overly masculine aura was simply put a siren's call no ordinary woman and quite a few extraordinary woman could ignore. It also was the reason Ranma had trouble with other men because his aura would put any man on guard at minimum and at maximum other men would be highly combative. To compound things when Ranma changed forms his aura became overly feminine and everyone's reactions to him would reverse.

'Damn panda,' Rei muttered angrily before deciding to go talk to Usagi about Ranma.

********************

Gurio's headache had increased tenfold and if that wasn't bad enough memories of an entire lifetime were flashing before his mind's eye. Neither of those things were the absolute worst thing that was currently happening. No the worst thing would have to be the way Princess Trista a.k.a. Setsuna was smirking at him.

Scowling at Setsuna through crystal clear glasses Gurio said, "You have NO finesse with magical rituals, Trista."

Looking downright angry Setsuna glared. "Never call me that, Melvyn," Setsuna growled as her eyes glowed with the power of her planet.

Chuckling lightheartedly as he leaned back and pulled a fist sized Crystal out of nowhere Gurio commented, "Still hate that name I see. Not that I can blame you it doesn't suit you at all." A moment later Gurio's glasses mysteriously fogged over as he added, "It sounds like the name from a bad American anime dub."

Still scowling Setsuna sat back, had a sip of her tea, and stated, "An experience Crystal." all while being thankful that the other outer Senshi were not present.

"Of course, computer nerds and wizards both keep backup copies," Gurio commented with a horrible sounding chuckle that came to an abrupt end as his glasses once again became crystal clear. "Princess Mina is right you do need help with that laugh," Gurio said to himself before shrugging his shoulders and activating the Crystal, which glowed for a minute before stopping. After blinking a few times to shake off the aftereffects of the Crystal Gurio stood and said, "I need to reconstruct as much of my magic as I can," before his tone of voice changed back to the nerd the inner Senshi knew, "As well getting used to another lifetime of memories."

Nodding Setsuna said nothing as Gurio walked off the air of a 200-year-old wizard vanishing as if it was never there.

********************

As Rei entered the tearoom of the Tsukino household —having been shown in by Ikuko who told her Usagi was out with Luna at the moment— she found Shingo moping.

"What's wrong?" Rei asked curiously, as she sat down next to Usagi's younger brother who was looking at an old picture of himself, Usagi and Ranma practicing a kata.

After sniffling Shingo asked, "Why?"

"I don't know, I really don't," Rei answered sadly before adding, "...but if there can be one thing said about him it's that he has a truly indomitable spirit."

"That is an understatement," Ikuko said as she entered with some tea.

"Words simply can't convey," Rei said distantly as she remembered the force of Ranma's spirit. "He uses his Ki in ways I didn't think were possible; Jumping 30 feet into the air with ease, punching things with enough brute force to shatter concrete and mangle metal, if that wasn't enough he can project his ki into huge blasts of energy, shape it to copy even the Senshi magic and he can use it to heal."

"He can do all..." Shingo stuttered out before trailing off in a state of conflicting emotions.

Nodding Rei continued, "I saw him punch a youma through a wall and then jump down from the second story of the fruit parlor to the middle of the street. Then he started beating the living daylights out of the youma like it was a punching bag."

Chuckling Ikuko said, "Now that, I would have liked to see," as Shingo started to laugh himself silly.

Nodding in reluctant agreement Rei thought, 'It is funny now that I think about it,' just before Luna and Usagi entered.

********************

Meanwhile somewhere in the Dark Kingdom we find the woman that had kidnapped Happosai standing in front of a liquid filled chamber that contained the unconscious Happosai. Next to the chamber that contained the old letch was another liquid filled chamber that contained an amalgam of different evils that were slowly merging into one.

"So now that you have the old letch what are you going to do with him?" The woman queried as a man that was easily identified as Yami-Kunzite stepped out of the shadows.

"Simple my dear Yami-Zoisite we drain him dry and then use him as a vessel for the great evil we're creating," Yami-Kunzite answered as he walked over to a display counsel which displayed information on how long it would take to drain the Happosai.

Laughing insanely Yami-Zoisite walked off saying, "What a lusciously evil plan and speaking of plans now that I'm done capturing the old letch I've got my own plan to execute."

"I wonder what plan she's talking about," Yami-Jadeite mumbled as he stepped out of the shadows.

"Something to do with that Kodachi girl," Yami-Kunzite answered.

Raising an eyebrow Yami-Jadeite said nothing more on that subject before walking off.

********************

The three Tendo sisters were lounging by the Koi pond laughing, telling stories and generally bonding when a flash of light deposited Sailors Moon, Mars, and Venus, along with Luna, and Artemis and Jadeite.

Raising an eyebrow at the Senshis appearance of the Senshi Nabiki queried, "To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Luna's response to this was to leap off of Sailor Moon's shoulder and transform into her human form as she said, "Various reasons none of which you need to know," before turning to Kasumi and adding, "Serenity it is good to see you."

Smiling Kasumi nodded and stood just as Soun, Genma and Nodoka ran outside. "Ranma isn't here at the moment."

"Do you know when he'll be back?" Mars queried.

"No last track I had of him was just before he went over to the Kunou manner to try and stop Kunou from chasing him around," Akane answered before adding, "He's probably still at it," rather humorlessly.

"So what exactly did you want to see Ranma about?" Nodoka queried.

Glaring at Nodoka and Genma angrily Mars turned away and strode off followed shortly by Jadeite. She refused to talk to monsters.

Sailor Moon's reply to this was to bite her lip nervous before running off after Mars. Venus replied to this by nervously chuckling before running off as well. Artemis however leapt off of her shoulder and transformed into his human form. Thanks to Minako's shopping efforts, the white-haired cat was now wearing a white dress shirt and pants along with a white trenchcoat.

Luna thought it made him look rather dashing but the negaverse was going to have to become a paradise before she told the white cat that. Turning away from Artemis and towards Serenity Luna stated, "Serenity Artemis and I would like to speak to you in private."

"Very well," Kasumi replied before she and the two neko-jin walked off.

'Why did they call her Serenity?' Nabiki mentally questioned before walking off to her room.

********************

Mars was still fuming mad when Moon and Venus found her.

"Are you ok?" Moon asked Mars.

"I just needed to get away from those monsters," Mars spat acidicly before taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down.

"So now what?" Moon queried as she looked around.

"This is the weirdest ward in all of Tokyo I'm sure something will come up," Venus replied cheekily.

********************

Meanwhile back in Juuban we find Ami and her mother surrounded by various piles of circuitry, machines, pipes and miscellaneous things. The two were also covered in grease, oil and various other things that were unidentifiable. However, the two blue haired scientists didn't care about such things as they had just finished constructing the micro-cold-fusion generator the mercury computer had given them the plans to. Despite its name, the generator was as big as a refrigerator.

Wiping off her brow Ami picked up her computer had it scan the generator for any defects. When it found none Ami and her mother breathed a sigh of relief. Building the device had been hard.

"Ok time to go through startup procedures," Ami said as she brought up the startup procedures for the generator. "First have the mercury computer interface and create the internal electronics for the generator," Ami read before telling her computer to do just that. It's response was immediate and the pocket sized supercomputer shot off a blue beam of energy that enveloped the generator for a few minutes. Once the beam abated, Ami ran a few scans before saying, "second charge all cold batteries and initiate primary system start up."

"Cold batteries?" Ami's mother questioned.

Smiling Ami said, "You might want to grab a coat for this one, mom," before setting the Mercury computer aside and transforming.

Stepping back Ami's mother wondered what her daughter was going to do.

Summoning the full power of her planet Sailor Mercury shouted, "MERCURY POWER!" as her tiara vanished revealing the sigil of Mercury, which was glowing with power on her brow.

The results were immediate and definite Sailor Mercury was surrounded in by the power of her planet. Absently Ami's mother noticed the smell of what could only be called elementally pure water had covered the room. She also noticed that the temperature in the room was dropping rapidly. After what seemed like an eternity, the power her daughter was gathering peeked. The look on her daughter's face at that moment was beautiful and Dr. Mizuno knew that the power that was surrounding and flowing through Ami was somehow part of her daughter.

A moment later Mercury walked over to the generator and focused all of the power she had collected into it. As she did so, the generator came online and automatically ran through its primary system startup.

"That was amazing," Dr. Mizuno said with no small degree of pride as she gave Sailor Mercury a hug.

The only reply the now blushing Senshi of Mercury gave was to get back of the business and say, "Third fill main chamber with water and initiate secondary system start up," before using her powers to do just that. "...and finally initiate cold fusion reaction," Mercury added before doing just that with a few keystrokes.

The generator's response was immediate and a minute later, it started producing power. Biting her lip nervously sailor Mercury ran the last few diagnostic tests before smiling and creating a dimensional pocket around the generator causing it to vanish from site.

"Dimensional pocket test successful," Mercury said with a smile before putting her computer in passive scanning mode. Thanks to the generator that had just been finished the passive scanning range of the Mercury computer was now 4000 miles or all of Japan, parts of China and the Pacific.

"What next?" Ami's mother questioned.

"Teleportation Crystals," Mercury said definitively before telling the Mercury computer to create 8 teleportation crystals. The response was near instantaneous and eight floating crystals appeared out of thin air.

Picking one of the crystals out of the air Ami's mother asked "So do these little things actually teleport you?

"No they create a small but powerful conduit between each Senshi that allows us to use our innate teleportation abilities at a limited range without having to do the teleport ritual," Mercury explained.

"Why only 8 crystals?"

"Because the others have stronger teleportation abilities," Mercury answered as she stored the crystals in her dimensional pocket.

"So what kind of range do you get with those crystals?"

"Anywhere within the active scanning range of my computer," Mercury answered as she started a detailed scan of both Nerima and Juuban.

"So..." Ami's mother started to ask only to be interrupted by the Mercury computer's priority one alarm.

"Somebody from the Dark Kingdom just teleported into Nerima," Mercury said gravely as she stood.

"Go," Ami's mother said flatly.

Nodding sailor Mercury vanished in a flash of blue light.

********************

About five minutes later in Nerima Mercury, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, Pluto, Nemesis, Nephrite and Tuxedo Kamen appeared in front of Moon, Mars, Venus and Jadeite.

"Come on there's trouble on the other side of Nerima," Mercury said before teleporting everyone to the location of the dark Kingdom teleport.

When everyone reappeared at their destination, they found themselves looking at large manor house.

"The Kunou manner," Nephrite commented. "What could they possibly want here?"

"Maybe some of that poison stuff Kodachi is always making," Jupiter suggested only to be proved partially wrong when a horribly familiar laugh rang out followed shortly thereafter by a familiar dark general's appearance.

"Yami-Zoisite," Jadeite and Nephrite spat as 5 horrific locking creatures appeared out of nowhere.

"I have what I came for Senshi," Yami-Zoisite laughed as she appeared with Kodachi who was in some sort of trancelike state. "So ta-ta," Yami-Zoisite laughed evilly as she vanished in a flurry of sakura pedals along with Kodachi.

"Sense when has that bitch been well stacked?" Jupiter queried as the Senshi and generals and formed a loose circle.

"Hum, actually it's more like since when has Yami-Zoisite actually been a bitch," Nephrite answered as the creatures started circling.

"Hun? What are you talking about?" Mars demanded.

"Zoisite, despite HIS feminine appearance is quite male," Jadeite answered while wondering while wondering why the creatures weren't attacking. "Although obviously the yami that possessed him was not," Jadeite added.

"Talk later," Kamen bellowed as the creatures closed in.

"On three we attack," Moon commanded as she readied her tiara to which everyone replied to by nodding.

Three seconds later, everyone attacked with their most powerful attacks. Pluto not having her staff however had to use an alternate attack called Sonic Blades which sent hundreds of small purple black blades of sound screaming at one of the creatures. The attack was actually stronger than her Dead Screen attack but as the dust cleared, everyone saw none of the attacks done anything.

"What the hell!" Uranus cursed.

"Constructs, we won't be able to do anything to the damn things," Pluto actually cursed.

"Then what do we do?" Mars screamed as Saturn surrounded everyone in a silence wall.

"I call my sister," Pluto said before telepathically calling out to her sister.

"She better get here quick," Neptune screamed as she tried to support Saturn who was having trouble maintaining the silence wall under the assault of the five constructs.

Neptune was answered a second later by duel cries of Graviton Crusher which were of course followed by two spheres of concentrated gravity slamming into two of the constructs. They were each instantly reduced to a small sphere, which exploded a second later scrapping two other constructs with a hailstorm of shrapnel. This of course left one construct standing. A second later, it had been pounded into scrap by a fast-moving blur that resolved into Ranma.

Chuckling Terra said, "You girls certainly know how to throw a party," as she walked into view. "...but why you would want to have it here is beyond me."

"Yami-Zoisite kidnapped Kodachi," Mars answered.

"Why would ANYONE want to kidnap Kodachi? She's psycho, makes all kinds of poisons and stuff and has a maniacal laugh that can drive you up the wall in an instant."

The inner Senshi, Generals and Sailor Moon however responded to this by going deafly pale. Now that they thought about it, Yami-Zoisite and Kodachi were almost completely a like.

"Hmm, I think we know why Yami-Zoisite kidnapped Kodachi," Sailor Moon said while looking a little green.

"Why?" Terra queried.

"Hmm, well you see..." Jupiter said before recounting how Yami-Zoisite behaved.

By the time she finished everyone looked a bit green. The image of an evil Kodachi and Yami-Zoisite laughing maniacally as their twisted creations advanced on the senshi was not a pleasant thought.

After shaking the image off, Pluto looked around and queried, "Where's the time staff, Ranma?"

Shrugging as the rest of the Senshi blinked owlishly —well except Terra who was quietly sneaking off— Ranma said, "I don't know last time I saw the annoying thing was when I was talking to Em."

"Em," Pluto said dangerously before glaring at her sister. "You left Em and the Time Staff alone!!!" Pluto bellowed a she unleashed a huge demon head —complete with multiple throbbing veins— on Terra.

Nervously pulling her pigtail Terra said, "Come on sis what possible trouble could they get into in NERIMA," with a nervous laugh as she inched away from the demon headed senshi of time.

After roaring with anger Pluto bellowed, "SONIC HAMMER!!" which created a car sized purple black mallet that pounded Terra over the horizon. A few moments after that Pluto regained most of her usual composure and walked off muttering something about no good mischievous staffs and swords.

This left Ranma who was now apparently alone to comment, "Bad power on the swing and even worse follow through."

This caused 9 Senshi, 1 masked man, and 2 generals to facefault out of their hiding spot behind Ranma.

"She'll only get as far as Ucchan's," Ranma commented dryly before adding —with no small amount of pride—, "Now if Akane had a mallet that big, Terra would be half way to the moon right now," as he walked off leaving the defenders of love and justice to gape. Once they finally recovered the generals teleported away saying that they had worn out their welcome.

********************

It was a scene that in Juuban would most likely cause mass panic; the Sailor Senshi were walking down the street casually. In Nerima, the only reaction they received was an occasional glance and hello.

The defenders of love and justice didn't quite know how to react to this although they were vaguely insulted that they didn't rate any kind of reaction the denizens of Nerima. That of course was when the kamis of Nerima decided to deliver a reaction.

Naturally, that reaction came in the form of the thing that every magic girl feared: A tentacle demon.

The mere appearance of the feared abomination had the Senshi hiding behind either Ranma or Tuxedo Kamen. All the Senshi except Nemesis —she had lived in Nerima in her childhood after all—, who calmly snapped a few photos as the demon ran by screaming, "Leave me alone you perverts!!" as it was chased by several leather clad whip wilding dominatrixes.

After owlishly gawking the Senshi turned to Ranma and Uranus asked, "Does shit like this happen often?"

Shrugging Ranma answered, "Today's been slow," before starting to walk off. It was getting late and he wanted to get home before dinner was served.

********************

Earlier back at the Tendo dojo we find that Kasumi had put Luna and Artemis to work helping her prepare dinner.

"I still say that you should..." Luna muttered before being interrupted by Kasumi.

"The mantel of destiny has already been passed on Luna and my place has pasted along with it," Kasumi answered simply as Artemis calmly sliced vegetables in the background. He was smart enough never to question his liege's orders or motives. If Serenity said she wasn't going to do something then he accepted that fact. Despite the fact, it meant Usagi was going to become queen.

"BUT YOU ARE SELENE, GODDESS OF THE MOON, RULER OF THE MOON KINGDOM AND THE FIRST SENSHI, YOU...!!"

"Have to get dinner ready for my family," Kasumi interrupted calmly causing Luna to facefault and whimper something in an ancient language. "Luna I have my own life to live."

"As what a goody goody house wife!!" Nabiki bellowed as she glared at Kasumi from where she, Akane, Soun, Genma-panda and Nodoka had been spying. She simply couldn't believe that her sister would throw away the powers of a goddess and queen to be a housewife.

"...and doctor," Kasumi answered simply as she perfectly seasoned the vegetables Artemis had just given her.

"WHY with what..." Nabiki bellowed only to be cut off by Kasumi actually glaring as a strong light flared from underneath her bangs.

Brushing her bangs away from her forehead to reveal megami marks Kasumi explained, "I have been many things in my previous lifetimes Nabiki but almost none of them have been by MY choosing. In this lifetime, everything is by MY choosing. Destiny has no hold on me in this lifetime unless I ALLOW it to," her voice powerful, wise, and mysterious. "Now unless you plan on helping like Luna and Artemis get out of MY kitchen," Kasumi added before she turned back to the food she was cooking.

The response the spies gave was an instantaneous retreat.

********************

As Ranma arrived home the Senshi of course following he found Terra, Pluto, Akane, Nabiki, Nodoka and Soun watching Em and the Time Staff playing a game of pound the panda as they sat at a long table that had been set up near the koi pond.

"So how did things go with Kunou?" Akane questioned flatly as Ranma retrieved Em.

"Well I got him to stop chasing me but he'll probably start doing something even crazier," Ranma answered that he sat down next to Akane.

Sighing deeply Akane grumbled, "That sounds about right. So what else happened?"

"Kodachi got kidnapped by an evil general," Ranma said with a completely straight race as the Senshi nervously sat down around the table.

"For the old brainwashing routine most likely," Nabiki commented analytically before turning her attention to the Senshi. However before she could start extracting information from them, Kasumi arrived with dinner. 'My oneechan the megami strikes again,' Nabiki thought to herself as Kasumi served dinner.

After dinner had been served, Kasumi raised her glass and said, "I propose a toast: To the past, present and future and the ties that bind us together through the countless ages."

"I will second that toast," Soun said first. "... and I will add to love and to those that cannot be here with us today."

"To good food and an even better meal and the camaraderie both bring," Genma boisterously and with a huge uncharacteristic smile.

"To family and the joy and sorrow it brings," Nodoka said with a sad smile.

"To always learning more," Ranma said with a small smile. 'Even if it means learning you have the power of a kami,' Ranma mentally added with a sense of both sadness and grave responsibility.

"To the truth and seeing it," Akane said with one of her megawatt smiles.

"To light and love," Moon said with one of her usual smiles.

"To friends," Tuxedo Kamen said simply.

"To water and ice for their power to move even the mightiest of mountains and to knowledge," Mercury said with a smile.

"To fire for its passion and the power of the spirit," Mars said.

"To a good fight no matter what the size," Jupiter said with a smirk.

"To love!!" Venus bellowed cheerfully.

"To finding that running from destiny is no way to escape from it," Uranus said after a long moment of thought.

"To the unphantomable depths and power they contain to overcome even the impossible," Neptune said immediately after Uranus.

"To time itself and whatever it brings," Pluto said calmly.

"To the eternal cycle of distraction and creation," Saturn said.

"To death for without it life would not be precious and to darkness for what it conceals, hides and protects," Nemesis said with a grave calm.

"To the balance of nature," Terra said with a smile.

"To the never ending chaos; may our lives always be interesting," Nabiki finished with a wide and true smirk before everyone began eating.

********************

"So tell me again why we're not out there eating with everyone else?" Artemis asked.

"We have to make plans to convince Serenity to take up the role of Queen again," Luna answered.

Artemis's only answer to this was to grumble. He knew better then to argue with Luna once she was convinced of something. 'I'd have better luck convincing a demon to become a paragon of virtue,' Artemis mentally mused as he absently listened to Luna's rantings.

********************

A little bit later, dinner concluded and Genma immediately started to stealthily leave —the whispers, stares and finally smirks that the Senshi had been giving him were disconcerting. however before the rotund martial artist got very far he fell into a large pit that had suddenly appeared. Rubbing his injured rear, he looked up to find Ranma smirking at him.

"Hey Oyaji, the girls have a technique to show you," Ranma said as his smirk broadened into smile.

Genma not being any ware close to the sharpest knife in the drawer asked, "What kind of technique, boy?"

"It's called the 'magic girl'-ken," Ranma answered with a malevolent smile.

Genma's answer to this was to look puzzled until the Senshi jumped into the pit. This was followed shortly thereafter by the pit sealing itself up. This of course let Genma completely in the dark until that is each one of the Senshi's eyes lit up.

At this point Genma's rather underused gray matter realized that he was about to experience a huge amount of pain. His response was predictable; he screamed for his mommy.