Untitled

Disclaimer:  All of these charaters belong to their respective creators.  
The short version. ;)

*thoughts*
<Telepathy>
[Signs]
^emphasis^
SHOUTS
	Ranma Saotome was intently studying the legendary 
training ground of Jusenkyo.  Dozens of pools covered the area, with 
bamboo polls crisscrossing the area.  Also there were all kinds of 
signs posted at the edge of the grounds and by each of the pools.  A 
strange place for a training ground and he just couldn't get rid of the 
feeling that he had been here before, but he was fairly sure he had 
never been to China until this training trip.
	"Hey pop, have we ever been here before." Ranma asked
	"No, why," and with that Genma Saotome's foot lashed out 
in a kick that cought Ranma under the chin and sent him flying for 
one of the pools.
	"No no you must be careful of the pools." Wailed the Guide 
as he ran toward them waving his hands in the air.
	But his warning never register with the two combatants as 
Ranma grabbed one of the polls and deftly flipped up onto it.  Just in 
time to catch his father with a kick between the eyes as Genma 
jumped toward the same bar.
	"Because it feels familiar, thats why," replied Ranma as his 
father splashed into the pool waiting below.
	With an enraged bellow a giant panda jumped out of the 
pool where Genma had just fallen.  Then leaped to Ranma's poll and 
bashed him in the head sending him flying into one of the other 
pools.
	Ranma suddenly realized he was trying to breath water when 
he felt a sensation he just dimly remembered.  A faint tingling in the 
back of his mind seemed to want him to dive deeper in the pool.  
There on the bottom of the pool was a mark that he knew he had seen 
before.
	On the bottom of the pool was a dragon as seen flying from 
above. The symbol was glowing a bright blue-green shot through 
with silver sparks. *OK dragon symbol, wait GLOWING dragon 
symbol.  What is this?*  On an impulse Ranma traced the dragon and 
could feel something running up his arm.  Then he was suddenly and 
violently yanked from the pool.  He looked around and saw his father 
and the guide armed with long hooked polls starring at him.
	"Hey what are you staring at you -" Ranma was cut off as 
the whole place started shaking.
	"EARTHQUAKE !" shrieked the Guide 
	[RUN FOR IT !] was the Panda's response.
	Then just as suddenly as it started it was over.
	"What happened to you," asked the Guide.  "I've never 
heard of the spring of drowned ^glowing^ girl."
	"Huh ," was all Ranma got out before he looked down at 
himself and notice that he was definitely a she and glowing a bright 
blue-green with silver sparkles.  Then she passed out cold.
	"So you see cold water activates it and hot water restores 
you," explained the Guide as the darkness receded. 
	"I had the strangest dream that Pop turned into a panda and I 
turned into a girl and started glowing," said Ranma as he sat up and 
notice that his voice was a little higher than normal.
	The Guide explains everything to Ranma and then they 
depart.  Unnoticed by anyone a three foot winged silver dragon ,with 
emerald eyes, surfaces in the spring of drowned girl.
	"I can't believe he didn't remember!  Some master mage he 
is!" Grumbls the dragon as he flies off in pursuit of a pig-tailed 
young man and his father.

***

	Ranma 1/2 storyline until after the defeat of saffron and the 
destruction of the wedding with the exception that Ranma dreams of 
a dragon and someone named Star.  Sailor Moon until after Hotaru's 
rebirth.  It's been two years of just minor unrelated demon attacks.  
The inner scouts are sixteen and the outers are twenty, but due to the 
destruction of  their school during the end of the Pharaoh Ninety 
affair, and a little planing, Michuru and Haruka are still in the same 
school with the inners. Hotaru is 15.  During this time a certain silver 
dragon has been looking for a certain pig-tailed boy.

	"Ranma no baka!" Akane yelled as she malleted Ranma into 
the early Sunday morning sky after he declined to try her breakfast 
on the basis that it would be hard on his health.
	"There you are!" greeted the silver dragon as Ranma shot by 
and the dragon gave pursuit.
	"Huh," was all Ranma could say as he came down for a 
landing in a grove of trees, suspiciously without water.  This tended 
to mean fate had a worse card to play.
	"I've finally found you!" shouted the dragon on seeing him 
standing in the trees.
	"Who are you and what does it have to do with me?" asked 
Ranma suspiciously.
	"You really don't remember do you?" inquired the dragon.
	"Would I be asking if I did, Star?" responded a Ranma who 
was wandering what he had done to set Akane off this morning.
	"What did you call me?" asked the dragon in a sharp tone.
	"Uh, Star why," said Ranma. *Now why did I call him 
that?* wandered Ranma.
	"Because that's my name!" yelled the dragon
	"Then why are you so upset?" asked a genuinely confused 
Ranma.  He then reflected that a dragon grinding his teeth had a 
peculiar sound.
	"Here let me jog your memory," smirked the dragon and 
before Ranma could react to the tone the dragon stretched out to full 
length and spun on his long axis quickly blurring into a solid line of 
silver.  Then without knowing why Ranma held out his hand and 
grabbed what should have been the dragon's tail but was instead the 
hilt of a finely crafted katana that would make his mother turn green 
with envy.  *That emerald in the hilt seams to be awfully bright* he 
noted.  That was all he registered as a battle aura of blue-green shot 
with silver sparks flared around him and a wave of magic crashed 
over him.

***

	"What the hell was that!" yelled Sailor Pluto as a wave of 
energy flared out from Tokyo.  The explosion of energy had been 
intense enough to shake her out of a sound sleep in her bedroom in 
castle Chrono, which was orbiting Pluto.  She smiled as she 
recognizing the energy signature.  *So he did survive the destruction 
of the Moon Kingdom, took him long enough to wake up.  But then 
again he never was a morning person,* she thought with a smile as 
she walked to the library and sat staring at a painting of a young man 
with a black pig-tail and blue eyes, who was wearing a silver suit 
with a blue-green cape.  He was standing with an arm around Pluto 
who was in a dark green ball gown.  *I wander if he still remembers 
me?* 

***

	Ranma laughed and cried as memories crash over him like 
Tsunamis.  Years ago he had posed as a minor noble from the Moon 
Kingdom.  Most had thought he was the Queen's lover because he 
spent so much time in the palace that the young princess Serenity had 
stared calling him uncle.  In truth he was a Warrior mage and a high 
ranking lord from Earth, but what few people had ever known was 
that he had been the commander of the Crescent Guard, responsible 
for the safety of the royal family.  Other changes as well, he 
remembers hours learning manners, court graces, and a Ph.D. in 
magic. His stance and tactics were stream lined from decades of 
practicing with some of the greatest masters of the art to ever live.  
His fear of cats was gone replaced by remembering his friend Tiger, 
the creator of the Nekoken.  In an instant he remembered the nekoken 
and dozens of other style, some had been dead for centuries.
	"I remember!" he shouted into the clear Sunday morning air.
	"Well your going to start a forest fire with that ego-err, aura.  
Why don't you put it away." commented Star as the sword wavered 
leaving a silver dragon in its place.
	"Spoilsport," laughed Ranma as the aura was absorbed by 
his skin instead of just dissipating, which left him with most of the 
benefits but without the neon sign.  He then quickly set the long 
forgotten spells that concealed his aura and his magic.  "Where's 
Fire?"
	"She should be on her way to the Tendos' place as we 
speak," said Star while watching Ranma bring up his shields and 
defenses.  *Now I see the commander of the Crescent Guard, instead 
of the kid,* he thought as he studied the shields, a work of art both 
in tactics and because he tended to layer shields to create designs, 
crafted by one of the greatest battle mages ever to grace the solar 
system.
	"Well then I'll race ya, ready, set, go," shouted Ranma as he 
blurred forward at better than sixty miles an hour.
	"Cheater," countered Star as he flapped in pursuit at a like 
speed.
	They shot back toward the Tendo dojo.  Ranma weaving in 
and out of cars and pedestrians alike and Star moving like a silver 
arrow straight at it.  Along the way Ranma almost absent mindedly 
smacked a fleeing purse snatcher into a police car and helped an old 
lady cross the street, at about mach one.  *Good thing her hair was 
already white or that trip would have done the job.* thought Star as 
he watched his old friend at play for the first time since the fall of the 
Silver Millennium.  Small, benevolent spells were fired off almost at 
random.  Heal a tree there, knock that ball out of the street, and 
generally nice guy things.
	< I never realized how much I missed my magic,> Ranma 
said.
	<Well its time for the shirt design routine.>
	They, or rather a pig-tailed martial artist with a silver dragon 
embroidered on his shirt arrived in a fairly short amount of time.  His 
run had settled him down so he was just happy not bouncing off of 
the walls like he had been.
	"Good morning," greeted Kasumi cheerfully.  "You look 
like your in a good mood now."
	"Better than you know," laughed Ranma.
	"Breakfast will be ready in a second," called Kasumi as 
Ranma all but flew up the stairs and into his room.  <You have no 
idea how great it is to see you again Fire.> he said as he pealed 
another silver dragon design off of his pillow.  As he did so it became 
a real three foot long dragon matching the one that pealed itself off of 
his shirt. 
	 <Hello Ranma.> was all Fire had time to say as a creaking 
floor board announced another presence and they quickly faded into 
shirt designs.
	"Morning, son," Genma said cheerfully as he tried to punch 
Ranma out the window.
	"Uh not this morning, dad, I gatta take care of some things," 
Ranma said as he casually tossed his father out the window and into 
the pond.
	"Bye guys I'll see you later," Ranma said as he shot down 
stairs and out the door.
	"Was that Ranma, and did he just skip a meal?" asked 
Akane as she stared after the vanishing figure.

***

	Ranma was sitting on a park bench catching up on old times 
with two of his oldest friends that just happen to look like 
embroidery on his shirt right now.
	<So how have you two been?> asked Ranma.
	<Well, and you?> responded Fire.
	As Ranma told them the tale of his currant life.  He started 
shifting through his memories to see what he could do about his 
curse.  Then it hit him.
	<Star, the fact that Jusenkyo even ^exists^ is my fault isn't 
it?>
	<Huh, where did that come from and how could it be?>
	<The shape changing experiments I was working on just 
before the end.  The lab would have been in about the right area and 
the explosion of power when the Silver Crystal was used add in the 
rest of that mess of magic when all of the battle spells and what was 
left of the Moon Kingdom's magic exploded resulted in a bunch of 
pools that shape change with an unpredictable trigger, it just 
happened to settle on water since the potion was stored as a liquid.>
	<Hmm, I hadn't thought of that possibility but your 
probably right.> replied Fire.
	<Then I really am responsible for Ryoga's curse.  
Fortunately since the shape change was my spell to start with it 
makes it really simple to cure it.>
	<And how would that be?> asked Star.	
	<Well the trigger is the result of ... well a mess of different 
magics, but the shape change spell was one ^I^ designed and now 
that I remember how I did it, all I have to do is change the target.  In 
Ryoga's case I change the target shape from a pig to Ryoga, then 
he'll still transform when splashed but he'll turn into Ryoga.>
	<Effectively curing him.  Your starting to think like an 
engineer.> said Fire.
	<Huh?>
	<The acronym KISS, keep it simple stupid.>
	<Who're you callen stupid, lizard?> laughed Ranma as he 
started considering how to get out of his girl problems and not the 
kind that comes with cold water.

***

	"MOON SPIRAL HEART, ATTACK" shouted Sailor Moon as 
she smashed what looked like a six foot tall spider with her giant 
pink heart.  This being the sixth or seventh one for the battle the 
scouts were starting to get worried.
	"Wow, am I glad thats over," said Mars from off to the side 
as no more spiders jumped to the attack.
	"You know what the best part of being super heroes is?" 
asked Jupiter, who was looking around the school yard.
	"What?" asked Mercury, who was using the mercury 
computer to see if there were any more spiders, or if it was over for 
the night.
	"We don't have to explain the mess or pay the damages," 
Jupiter responded as she pointed at what had been the school before 
the fight, now it was a wreck.  The walls had some big holes in them 
and at least one of the sailor attacks had apparently hit a gas main 
because it had exploded taking out the cafeteria.  A couple of 
moderately sized Silence Glaive Surprises had leveled a wing pretty 
thoroughly all by themselves.  Finally there were several holes that 
looked like boulders had smashed into the roof of the gym from 
above, completely destroying the basketball court.
	"Uh, lets get outa here before the fire department gets here," 
said Venus from off to the side.
	The next morning.  
	"Oh no, why me," complained Usagi as the teachers 
explained that do to the destruction of the school everyone had to 
show up thirty minutes earlier so the students could take the buses 
over to Furinkan High school.

***

	Monday morning was starting in the Tendo home and it 
wasn't business as usual.  The morning started funny when Genma 
never got a chance to wake his son up.
	Ranma had woken up early, about six, and headed down 
stairs to start  breakfast.  He had decided yesterday that he was going 
to change the life he had into a life he could live with.  The start was 
that his pop had little or nothing to say about his lifestyle anymore, 
preferably nothing.  The second part was the call to Cologne asking 
her to come over for breakfast.
	"Oh my," said Kasumi as she walked into the kitchen and 
saw Ranma with a spoon in one had stirring batter in a bowl that was 
being held in the air by the spoon in question, with his other had 
Ranma was tossing several oranges into the air and slicing them into 
quarters, while waiting for the skillet to heat up.
	"Morning, Kasumi," said Ranma with out slowing down.
	"Oh my, why are you cooking breakfast, and what are you 
cooking for breakfast?"
	"Well I decided that for all the work you do around here you 
should have a morning or two off.  This is something I've haven't had 
in a long time, its called pancakes."  <Several thousand years counts 
as a long time I should think,> he thought to Star, who was attached 
to his shirt again.  "Could you hand me that pitcher?"
	<Sounds about right to me,> replied Star.
	"Here you go.  Do you need any help?" asked Kasumi as she 
handed him the pitcher.
	"Nah, you just sit back and relax.  Oh and you don't have to 
tell anyone I'm the one who made breakfast."  The batter bowl 
flipped off of the spoon as the spoon sailed toward the sink, but was 
intercepted before it could hit the floor by a foot and sent back up.  
Ranma caught it and poured out four pancakes on the skillet.  With a 
hand, an eye, and a spatula covering the pancakes he started 
squeezing the oranges into the pitcher.  "Do you prefer your juice 
with or without orange bits in it?"
	"Uh, with thank you."  Kasumi still hadn't quit gotten used 
to this new Ranma.
	Soon everyone came down for breakfast to find the table 
ready, the dishes done, and Ranma sitting talking to Kasumi.
	"Is this Mr. Perpetually late waiting breakfast on the rest of 
us?" asked Nabiki in a startled tone.  The rest were equally startled 
but quickly sat down to eat.
	"Yes, actually Ranma helped me with the dishes," said 
Kasumi.  *And breakfast.*
	"So who are the extra places set for?"
	"I'm not sure Ranma just set the place with the rest of the 
dishes."
	"No you don't, pop," said Ranma as his had shot out to fast 
for them to follow and smacked the panda's hand as he tried to grab 
some pancakes.  "Not until the guest arrives."
	"Guest, who's coming?" asked Akane as someone knocked 
on the door.
	"I'll get it," said Kasumi as Ranma headed into the kitchen.  
"Welcome Elder. Hello Shampoo, Moose, " greeted Kasumi as she 
led the three into the kitchen.
	"What are you doing here," demanded Akane, looking at 
Shampoo.
	"Great Grandmother invited and she bring Shampoo and 
Moose along."
	"May I ask who invited you?" asked Soun while directing 
anger at a certain pig-tailed boy in the kitchen.
	"Ranma called me this morning and asked me to come over 
for breakfast and suggested that I might want to bring Shampoo and 
Moose," responded Cologne.
	"RANMA, how could you cheat on you fiancée in her own 
home," roared Soun, in full demon head mode.
	"Would you calm down for a minute," said Ranma-chan as 
she came back in from the kitchen dripping water.  "Cologne, if I 
were to challenge for admission to the tribe as an ally like this and 
won it would entitle me to teach in the village, right."
	"Well I see you have finally decided to admit that 
Shampoo's claim is valid and are preparing to share your skills with 
the Tribe, but my word would be good enough for the others."
	"If you wanted to be with that bimbo that bad why don't you 
just go," yelled an Akane who had started glowing.
	"WAHHH, the schools will never be joined. Saotome you 
have to stop you son so he can fulfill his obligations to our families," 
wailed Soun.
	"I want to be recognized for my own abilities and as a girl is 
the only way thats going to happen," said Ranma, with a bit of 
arrogance, as though Akane and Soun hadn't said anything.
	"Very well, but as an ally this will have no effect on the 
claim Shampoo has on the male Ranma," was the suspicious answer 
from Cologne.
	"Fine by me."
	"Thats it RANMA NO BAKA!" yelled Akane as she pulled her 
mallet, closing her eyes to visualize the perfect strike.
	Akane realized something was wrong when Ranma didn't 
crash through the roof.  Then she noticed that her mallet seamed 
unbalanced this morning.  She opened her eyes to see everyone 
staring at her mallet, or rather the handle in her hands and the pile of 
saw dust on the floor.
	"W-w-what happened?" asked a confused Akane.
	"You were saying," Ranma said to Cologne, ignoring 
Akane.
	"The Nekoken," whispered Nabiki.
	"Yes, well you must defeat the challenger I appoint to the 
fight and since we wouldn't want to tire Shampoo out on her 
wedding day it will be Moose."
	"So be it, shall we go out side before we start."
	Everyone moved out side as Soun kept crying and Genma 
tried to talk Ranma out of his plan.
	"Prepare to die Saotome," yelled Moose as he pulled a large 
sword with something smeared on the edges out of nowhere.
	"Go," was all Cologne said.
	The others never quit saw the move that did it.  As the match 
started Ranma-chan disappeared from in front of Moose and 
reappeared behind him.
	"Huh," was all Akane could think of as Moose toppled over 
clearly unconscious.
	"Does that qualify me?" asked Ranma-chan.
	"Yes, very much so, now tell me just HOW YOU DID THAT," 
demanded Cologne.
	"Well we're not quit done yet."
	"What husband mean?  Girl-type Ranma ally of tribe now, 
what left?" asked a confused Shampoo.
	"Shampoo, as an ally of the tribe I challenge your right to 
Ranma Saotome," was Ranma-chan's only response.
	"HUH," was Cologne's stunned reply as the shear gall of the 
plan hit her like a runaway simi.
	"Huh," was the chorused response of everyone else.
	"As an ally of the tribe I have the right to challenge an 
amazon to any husband that hasn't been officially claimed, as in the 
formal ceremony and consummation.  Should the amazon in question 
not what the husband she usually forfeits, such is the case when 
someone they don't like beats them and someone else wants the 
husband instead.  Then husband has the right to challenge to go back, 
but Ranma will abide by the outcome of this fight," said 
Ranma-chan.
	"Husband is joking, right?" asked Shampoo.
	"Your intended husband isn't here just now, who are you 
talking to?" asked Ranma-chan.
	"Great Grandmother tell Shampoo husband joking now," 
said a desperate Shampoo.
	"I'm afraid not, Ranma-chan is correct in siting the law," 
said Cologne.  "Prepare yourself."  As soon as Shampoo and 
Ranma-chan set themselves she shouted "Go."
	Different opponent same results.  In under a second 
Shampoo was out cold, she just took several seconds to realize that 
she should fall over.
	"Well Elder you got part of what you wanted," said Ranma.
	"Yes I guess I did, but why did you do this.  Shampoo is a 
beautiful girl and would have adored and taken care of you for life, 
all you had to do was say yes, father some children, and do some 
martial arts teaching.  Thats not exactly what I would call a hard 
life," responded Cologne.
	"True in most cases, but your ignoring love and the fact that 
I'm too independent to be forced and lets face it, to arrogant to live as 
a second class citizen and have my skills ignored.  The tactics you 
two employed might as well have been pushing me away."
	"Did you hear that my friend, we should start planing the 
wedding," yelled Soun joyously.
	"Some people just never learn, do they?" Ranma asked 
Cologne.
	"You've changed a great deal in the two days since I've seen 
you last."
	"Well everyone has to grow up sometime."
	"We have to talk about your being an ally of the tribe soon."
	"I'll go over to the Nekohanten after school and we can 
talk," offered Ranma-chan as she pulled out and put on a bracelet 
that had the symbol of Pluto on it and a similar one with Saturn's 
symbol.  They seamed to be made of platinum and etched with a 
garden scene.

***

	"Well here we are the Furinkan high school," announced the 
teacher that was on the bus with Usagi, Ami, Makoto, and Minako.
	They students got off of the bus and headed to class rooms 
as directed.  The classes had been doubled in size and there were two 
teachers per class, one from each school.
	"Who is that dreamy guy over by the window?" asked 
Makoto with hearts in her eyes, pointing to a pig-tailed young man 
that was slouched in his chair with a casual indifference to what was 
going on around him.
	"I don't know but I want to know if he's available," 
responded Minako.
	"All right class as you may have noticed we are having a few 
problems due to the fact that the Sailor scout battled a monster at-.  
What is it?" said the teacher.
	"You mean the Scouts are real?" asked a student.
	"Yes they are and Juuban high school was almost totally 
destroyed, the school board have asked and received permission to 
hold class here for the time being.  That means that we will have two 
classes and teachers per classroom," said the teacher from Furinkan.
	"Shampoo need to get seat, Shampoo is new student in 
class," interrupted Shampoo.
	"Well young lady I suggest you arrive on time from now 
on," said the teacher.
	<Fire, Star do you feel Silver Millennium energy, I mean 
besides what was already here?  Those scout are really noticeable 
aren't they?> asked Ranma.
	<Well now that you mention it, I do feel something getting 
closer,> responded Fire.
	"RANMA!" shouted Ryoga as he crashed threw the wall 
and into an over full classroom.
	"Why me?" asked Ranma as he ducked past a stumbling 
Ryoga and let the lost boy's own momentum carry him out the 
window.  Ranma was out the window and heading for the ground 
when five somethings smashed down on the roof of the gym.  *Now 
what?* 

***

	Setsuna was just settling down to tea with the Furinkan high 
counselor, when a blast rattled the windows.  "What was that?" she 
asked somewhat curious, because the other lady really hadn't reacted 
at all.
	"It's probably just another fight Ranma is involved in," was 
the bored response of the counselor.
	Her watch started beeping and she excused herself.  "What 
is it?" Setsuna asked.
	"Our friends from the other night are back," responded 
Haruka.
	"^Really^, well I'll be right over."

***

	"Hey Ranma take it easy I just want to talk," said Ryoga as 
Ranma hit the ground and settled into a stance.
	"Since when?"
	"Well I've been thinking, actually I had some help thinking.  
I got hit in the head by a really big rock and started hearing voices."
	"Uhh, thats usually not a good sign."
	"Well it turns out this was.  The voice belongs to a sword 
that I landed on."
	"Ryoga, just be easy and I'll take you to the doctor where 
they can explain talking swords.
	"I'm not crazy, at least not anymore.  This sword said it was 
called Longclaw and it was from something called the 'Silver 
Millennium'."
	"Thats ni- did you say Longclaw?"
	"Yes, I-."  Ryoga was interrupted as five giant spiders 
crashed out of the gym.
	The sailors that had been watching from the third floor room 
Ranma and Ryoga had crashed out of noticed the spiders and 
sneaked out of the classroom to change and call Pluto.
	"What in the name the stars are those things?" asked 
Ranma.
	"I don't have a clue," was the prompt reply from Ryoga who 
had pulled a bastard sword out of his backpack.
	"We fight for love and justice and in the name of the Moon 
we'll punish you," called Sailor Moon, who had arrived with all of 
the scouts except Saturn and Mars.  They were standing on top of the 
school building in a line.
	*Figures he'd find a fight even before the scouts would,* 
thought Pluto.  *He looks younger, I hope that won't be a problem.*
	"Schools are a place to teach our children, you should be 
ashamed to attack one," called Tuxedo Kamen.  He was standing on 
the building with the scouts.
	The scouts were spreading out and jumping to the ground to 
attack, when Ranma shouted "Hey ugly, did you forget about us."  He 
and Ryoga had split apart to stand on either side of the wedge of 
spiders coming out of the gym.
	"You guys should get out of the way before you get hurt," 
said Sailor Neptune.
	"Ha, we can take care of ourselves," responded Ryoga.
	The spiders had moved into an inverted wedge to protect the 
one on the back point which was lager and had runes cut into his 
exoskeleton.  That one raised his top legs and threw a bolt of force 
right at Sailor Moon.
	"Look out!" cried Ranma as he pushed Sailor Moon out of 
the way and got hit instead.  The bolt smashed him into the wall and 
caved the wall in on top of him.
	"NO!" yelled Sailor Moon.  Pluto and Ryoga didn't seam to 
show any concern at all.
	The spider took this opportunity as everyone stared at the 
pile of ruble to start gathering another bolt, this one started forming 
in its claws and was already twice as bright as the first one.
	"Serenity!" called a voice from under the ruble and the ruble 
that had buried Ranma surged up and was reduced to dust by the 
blue-green battle aura that was flaring underneath.  "^Nobody^ tries 
to kill Princess Serenity and gets away with it while I'm around! 
MOUKO TAKABISHI"  With that Ranma unleashed a blast that 
smashed the big bug out the other side of the gym and sent the others 
bouncing off of the other building.  Ranma wasn't noticeably 
damaged.
	"Say that was a pretty good shot," laughed Ryoga.
	"Just who are you and what was that?" demanded Uranus as 
her and the others ran over to Ranma.
	"Can we discuss this later, the bugs are getting away," 
Ranma replied  in an irritated voice as the bugs hopped up and took 
off.
	Everyone, including Ryoga took off after the bugs.  The 
chase quickly lead them to a construction site with a fair sized steel 
frame in it.  The reason for the location was apparent when a strand 
of spider webbing stretched tight and with a screech of metal the 
building toppled over.
	"TEMPRAL PAUSE," yelled Ranma as everything but the 
scouts, he and Ryoga were temporally frozen in time.  "What are you 
waiting for, move it!"
	Everyone scattered as time resumed.  Ranma, dodging the 
building ran right into the rune covered spider, a mage if nobody's 
noticed by now.
	"Owee," Ranma said calmly as he was punched backward 
with a magic covered claw hard enough to bend a steel beam when he 
hit it.  "Thats gonna leave a mark."
	"Draco are you okay," asked Pluto running to his side.
	"Careful he may have internal injuries with a hit like that.  
This is Ranma, not Draco," cautioned Cologne as she pogoed  in 
from the side entrance of the construction yard.  Shampoo, Moose 
and three other amazons followed her in and started to attack one of 
the spiders.
	"I'm fine lets get these thing." Ranma said getting up, with 
both Pluto and Cologne protesting, but they moved to the attack 
when he did.
	"JUPITER THUNDER CLAP ZAP!" yelled Jupiter as she let fly 
with a ball of electricity at one of the smaller spiders.  "It can't do 
that!" she protested as the spider snapped out with a whip made of 
webbing and snapped the attack out of the air.
	The spider then snapped its whip toward Jupiter and 
wrapped it around her.  With her arms pinned she was being reeled in 
easily and the other scouts were busy.
	"Baksai Tenketsu" yelled Ryoga as he charged up behind 
the spider.  The spider, along with a yard radius or so of concrete, 
and Ryoga went flying into the air.
	" MOUKO TAKA-," was all Ranma got out as another 
spider struck him from behind smashing him to the ground.  From 
laying on his back just below the spider that hit him, he said "Thats it 
no more Mr. Nice guy.  SUN TALON CRUSHER!"  He threw a small ball 
of light into the middle of the spider that had struck him and the rest 
could only stare as the spider was crushed into a ball the size of a 
marble.  <Star, Fire its time to go to work.>
	<Ready,> they called back.  Ranma jumped back to his feet 
and the dragons formed twin silver katanas with a dragon engraved 
on each, one had an emerald and the other a sapphire in the hilts.
	In the mean time Ryoga had talked to Uranus and Neptune 
after he landed.  They were using their attacks to herding another 
spider in front of  a glowing green Ryoga.  "Shi Shi Houkdan!" and 
another one bits the dust.
	"Sailor Moon use you scepter!" called Tuxedo Kamen from 
a nearby street light.
	"Huh, oh yeah," said Moon as she quit staring at Ranma's 
bug marble and pulled out the spiral heart scepter.  "MOON SPIRAL HEART 
ATTACK!"  she called as a giant pink heart smashed the rune covered 
spider into oblivion.
	Venus and Mercury were blasting the fourth one from two 
sides, sending it reeling one way and then the other.  Until Pluto and 
Cologne arrive to help finish it.  Pluto knocked it off its feet with a 
deadly scream, and Cologne used her staff to crack open its 
exoskeleton like a walnut.
	The amazons were not making any headway against the fifth 
spider, its six armored legs were doing a good job of holding back 
sword, bonbori, ax, spear, and the kitchen sink, swung by Moose, at 
bay.  Until Ranma hit it at a run and engaged all six arms at once 
with his twin katanas, his Katchu Tenken Amagaruken attack letting 
him defend against six and still attack.
	The amazons stood back and watched as this mere male 
spun, sliced, wove, and darted, while his hands seamed to talk to 
each other, keeping the six arms from him and replying with his own 
cuts.
	"Don't you think its time to end this son-in-law?" asked 
Cologne.
	"I thought we agreed that I wasn't your son-in-law 
anymore," was Ranma's quick reply.
	"What ever, just get moving."
	"Okay."  With that the two katanas slammed out hard and 
fast banging all six arms out wide and before the spider could 
recover, slashed in a blur of silver into its chest area.  It was dead 
before it hit the ground, the younger amazons stood stunned, along 
with most of the scouts, Tuxedo Kamen, and Ryoga.
	"Nice artwork," commented Pluto.  It was only after that 
remark that the rest noticed that the cuts that had killed the spider 
had formed a flying dragon seen from above, ten inches deep.
	"Wow, husband good with sword," commented Shampoo.
	"I'm not your husband," countered Ranma.
	"I'll settle for knowing who you are," Uranus put in.  She 
was holding her space sword and looking at the tailor neat cuts 
engraved in the spider.  Then she eyed Ranma like a strange tiger, 
with respect and plenty of distance between him and the princess.
	"Ranma Saotome, why?" he responded.  <Hay you two, you 
might wanna loosen up a little,> he shot at the dragons with a mental 
grin.  <Well Pluto, long time no see.>
	"Well ^that's^ nice, now how did you defeat these thing so 
easily?" snapped Uranus.  She had moved over right in front of 
Ranma and the other scouts moved around him.
	<How have you been, Ranma, Star, Fire?> responded Pluto.
	<Tolerable, normally I would just tell them but Mrs. 
Personality is starting to get on my nerves,>  thought Ranma.  The 
dragons had shifted back from swords to shirt decorations with out 
anyone really noticing where they went.
	<Good, you?> chorused the dragons.
	<I've been behaving myself, and given the fact that she is 
really nervous you should cut her some slack.> was Pluto's prompt 
response.
	"Excuse me, but would you please tell us who you are and 
how you did this?" asked Mercury, trying the polite approach.
	"Normally I would love to, but I never could stand it when 
someone else buts into my fights.  So, your highness," he said with a 
bow.  "And good day to you ladies."  Ranma bounded up out of the 
ring and up the fallen beams of the building. From there he bounded 
to a nearby roof and disappeared at high speed.
	"Hey, come back here!" shouted Uranus after the retreating 
figure.
	"Uh, excuse me but did you call him son-in-law?" Jupiter 
asked Cologne.
	"Why yes I did."
	"Then he's already married?"
	"Of course not!  He has held every suitor at arms length for 
quit some time now."
	"They why do you call him son-in-law?" asked a confused 
Moon.
	"Because I had hoped he would marry my 
great-granddaughter, but it looks like it will never happen now."
	The scouts were starting to get restless, all except for Pluto.  
Who was looking at the spider and then seamed to be far, far away.
	"Hahaha, you had your chance and blew it!  Now it's our 
turn" crowed another Elder that had just arrived.
	"I wouldn't say that Deodorant," responded Cologne with a 
level tone.
	"Sorry to interrupt but could someone tell me who that boy 
was!" shouted an exasperated Uranus.
	"He didn't seam to want you to know, so it wouldn't be 
right for me to tell you," commented Cologne, who was enjoying the 
look on Uranus's face.
	"I'll tell you if you agree to help me catch him," offered the 
other Elder.
	"What do you mean catch him?"
	"He is a fugitive from our laws."
	"Really, is he dangerous?"
	"Very."
	"We'll see about it.  Do you have a number we can contact."
	"Yes here you go," said the Elder as she handed Uranus a 
piece of paper with a number on it.
	Everyone escaped long before the authorities arrived of 
course.  The scouts, Ryoga and Shampoo went back to school, the 
new amazons started searching for Ranma, and Cologne and Moose 
went back to the Nekohanten.  Ryoga being Ryoga never made it 
back to the school, of course.

***

	Ranma-chan was happily running down fences after school, 
headed for the Nekohanten.  She stopped short when she felt a new 
chi signature, a strong one.  *Hmm unusual, better go around.*  
Taking a detour she shortly arrived at the Nekohanten.
	"Hay Cologne do you know anybody new in town that has a 
high chi signature?"
	"Actually yes I do, thats why I wasn't expecting you yet.  
That signature and the others like it are hunting you."
	"Well well well, me he or me she?"
	"Both, they know about you."
	"Water under the bridge, what did you want to talk to me 
about?" asked Ranma-chan as she pulled up a chair and straddled it 
with her arms across the back.
	"For starters why did you change all of a sudden?"  Cologne 
also took a chair.
	"Well I got a whole new perspective on life, and decided to 
put it to good use."
	"Well here is my old perspective.  You have now joined the 
tribe as an ally which means that you are technically an amazon, 
though a different tribe.  Why didn't you just pension for admission 
to the tribe?"
	"Well, I didn't want to end up having to hold to your laws."
	"I see.  Well from what I saw at that construction site today 
you could have beaten me and taken my spot on the council."
	"I don't want your spot, and I don't particularly want 
anything to do with the tribe, but it was the only way out I could 
think of."
	"Why do you want to avoid the tribe?"
	"Because so far they've caused me nothing but trouble.  One 
Shampoo tried to kill me, two Shampoo tried to marry me, three you 
guy tried nearly everything to ^force^ me to marry her, including 
threatening my friends and family.  Is that enough?"
	"Well I still don't see your problem with Shampoo, but yes I 
admit we did somethings we shouldn't have because I was desperate.  
You see until your actions this morning it would have been 
impossible to go back to China, without facing banishment.  If we 
pledge to not to interfere in your life would you become a member of 
the tribe to learn the secret techniques?"
	"I already know all of the amazon techniques, and others 
besides.  Before you ask their part of the new perspective."
	"What would it take to make you part of the tribe?"

***

	"Ok, Who was that guy?" demanded Haruka as soon as she 
and Michuru were in the temple.  Everyone had gather at the cherry 
hill temple right after school, except Setsuna which was about par.
	"What guy?" asked Rai, she had been attending a different 
school.
	"There was this really cute guy who showed up and helped 
us beat up five more of those giant spiders," replied Minako.
	"Yeah he got two by himself, one while he was flat on his 
back and the other with a sword, after some old lady told him to stop 
playing with it," added Makoto, who was obviously impressed.
	"Ami, are these two serious?"
	"Very serious,"
	"What do you know about this guy?" asked Michuru.
	"I'll go last, lets see what everyone else got first."
	"Wait what does this guy look like?" asked Rai.
	"Well he's a gorgeous young man with blue eyes and longer 
black hair tied back in a pig-tail," answered Mina.
	"Is that it?" at everyone's nod she continued, "Well I bought 
some information from a girl named Nabiki Tendo, it seams that this 
guy has three official fiancées and several other girls chasing him.  
He lives at the Tendo dojo and practices martial arts.  It also appears 
that he has a curse," said Ami.
	"A curse really?" asked an suddenly interested Usagi.
	"Yes apparently it causes him to turn into a girl when 
splashed with cold water, warm water turns him back and other than 
that he is really powerful, as in he could give Saturn a run for her 
money in raw power, thats all I know.

***

	"My boy I'm so proud that you've finally accepted you duty 
to wed my daughter," shouted Soun enthusiastically as Ranma-chan 
walked in to the Tendo house.
	Ranma-chan and Cologne had debated what to do for some 
time until Cologne had agreed to leave off bothering Ranma ^and^ 
Ranma-chan about joining the tribe and would teach Ranma 
something about the tribe so he could make a decision.  In exchange 
Ranma would agree to up hold his agreement as ally of the tribe 
against trouble.  *I better head this off before it gets out of hand.*
	"Well my son you should get some hot water so we can 
prepare for the wedding," said an enthusiastic Nodoka.
	"Time out," called Ranma-chan.  She looked around until 
she saw Akane coming down the stairs.  "Akane, do you want to get 
married?"
	"Who would want to get married to a baka like you!" she 
yelled back.  She ran back up the stairs.
	"There you have it, she doesn't want to marry me so we 
don't have a wedding," said Ranma-chan as she maneuvered herself 
so that all three parents were in front of her.
	"Nonsense, she's ecstatic to uphold the pledge our families 
made," countered Soun.
	"Its a matter of family honor that you marry a Tendo and 
you and Akane would be such a good couple," said Nodoka, in a 
bouncy tone.
	"What about the pledge to the Kounjis?" asked 
Ranma-chan, hopping to confuse the issue.
	"Well we will have to deal with that later, this pledge comes 
first," insisted Nodoka. 
	"But you heard Akane, she doesn't want to marry me."  
*And boy is that a good thing.*  <Do either one of you see a way out 
of this?>
	<Nope your on your own,> replied the two dragons.
	"Would you prefer to try and get the engagement transferred 
to one of the other two?" asked Soun.  Nodoka looked at Soun a 
little funny.
	"Everyone come out here a second we have to take care of 
the pledge between our families."
	The two fathers were dancing and chanting that the schools 
would be united at last.  Kasumi, who had heard Nodoka and Ranma, 
was wandering if everything was about to crash onto her head as the 
eldest.  *Good bye, dear Dr. Tofu.*
	"Well this is it.  Akane you said you wouldn't marry me, did 
you mean it."
	"Of caurse I won't marry a baka like you, your rude, 
arrogant , and a pervert.  I wish I'd never met you," Akane yelled 
while thinking.  *Well this time maybe you can be pushed into it and 
I won't have to admit I really love you.*
	"Very well, Nabiki tell me the truth do you want to marry 
me?"
 	"Don't take this wrong but as amusing as the chaos of your 
life is from here, I won't be part of it," was the firm reply.
	"And I don't think I need to ask, but Kasumi would you 
rather marry me or Dr. Tofu?"
	"Well I think I love Dr. Tofu, but the family honor is at 
stak-," started Kasumi.
	"Thank you.  Well everyone that settles it two won't have 
me and one is in love with someone else.  I guess there's no one to 
marry."
	"Wait, you have to marry one of my girls!" demanded Soun.  
"Kasumi has agreed to up hold the family honor."
	"Son we promised and the future of our art depends on it," 
insisted Genma.
	"Ranma, my son, this is a matter of your future-," Nodoka 
began.
	"No, I will not marry a girl who loves someone else against 
her will just to satisfy a promise Pop made so he could live off of me 
and her for the rest of his life."  With that he got up and started to 
head up stairs.
	"Ranchan, I love only you," yelled Ukyo as she charged in 
the door.
	"You stay out of this!" responded Soun.
	"No, I win, Ranma is mine."
	"Thats it!" yelled Ranma-chan.  With a twist of magic she 
turned back into Ranma.  "This ends here and now."  His battle aura 
flared around him in a blue-green tornado of fire.  "I am not some 
prize to be won, something to be sold to get a meal, nor am I an 
investment in your futures.  As of now I am no longer Ranma 
Saotome.  I'm Ranma Atlantis and have no fiancées."
	  "Trust us, you'll thank us later for this," said his father.  
Genma and Soun had gotten up and were coming at him.  His mother 
had pulled the girls to the side and was discussing the matter with 
them.
	"I don't want to do this but your leaving me no choice," 
warned Ranma.
	"You are going to up hold that pledge, son," responded his 
father.
	Ranma waited until they were right on top of him and then 
he moved.  A punch delivered at almost mach one smashed his father 
out of the way and a snap kick to the face dropped Soun.  It was over 
in under a second.
	"H-how did you do that?" asked a startled Akane.
	"He has had a lot of practice," responded Ryoga from the 
door.
	"Ryoga what are you doing here?" asked Ranma.
	"Well we never got to finish that discussion that was 
interrupted by those spiders."
	"Well this really isn't the best place for a discussion either."
	"Hey you two, stop ignoring me," yelled Akane.
	"You wanted out of my life remember," reminded Ranma as 
he turned to walk away from her.
	Akane grabbed her mallet and swung over hand to stop him 
from leaving.  With a flash of light on steel Ryoga was holding a 
bastard sword that had sliced completely through the head of her 
mallet, several times, and was stopped from doing the same to her 
neck by Ranma's hand which was holding the swing back.
	"Longclaw stop it now!" demanded Ranma.
	"But she tried to harm you," responded Ryoga in a deeper 
voice than normal.
	"It doesn't matter I leaving and I'll have your word that 
you'll not try to harm anyone here."
	"You have it mi'lord."  Ryoga shook his head and stared at 
the sight of him trying to kill Akane.
	"Ranma what just happened?" asked a very confused Ryoga.
	"It's a long story but remember that sword you found that 
could talk, well it tends to take threats to me personally."
	"You mean you have a talking sword as a bodyguard?"
	"I'll explain in just a minute.  Kasumi, you have been like a 
big sister to me, don't let anything keep you from that doctor of 
yours.  Nabiki, it'll be nice not to have to worry about your camera 
anymore.  Good bye."  With that Ranma gathered Ryoga by eye and 
walked out.
	<Hey you two, do you object to visiting with Ryoga?> 
asked Ranma addressing the two dragons.
	<No, not at all,> said Star.
	<Of course not and getting to know Longclaw again would 
be nice,> added Fire.
	Ranma lead Ryoga, watching him carefully, to one of the 
nicer hotels in Tokyo.  There Ranma-chan, who had changed with an 
act of will, rented a room for herself and Ryoga.  Ryoga blushed as 
he looked at the room.
	"Uh Ranma there's only one bed."
	"Whats wrong big boy, you nervous?" asked Ranma-chan 
with a sultry look.
	"Ahhh, don't do that Ranma, your starting to freak me out."
	"Sorry, if your really worried we do have three chaperones.  
Was there a question or two I could answer for you?"
	"Number one who are you for real?"
	"Well I'm actually the reincarnation of a warrior from the 
time known as the Silver Millennium."
	"Well that would explain how Longclaw knows you."
	"You mean you already talked to Longclaw about this?"
	"Yeah but hearing you say the same things without having 
talked to each other means its real.  Number two who or what is 
Longclaw?"
	"Well let me turn back and pitch camp and I'll tell you." 
Ranma-chan turned back into Ranma, and whispered a few words 
and created a another bed off to the side of the original.
	"Longclaw was the enchanted sword of the man who 
developed the Nekoken.  Few ever knew his real name, everyone just 
called him Tiger.  Shortly before his death he made arrangements so 
that when he died his soul would enter the sword, and serve his 
queen even after death.  Four months later he died protecting a small 
village, buying the scouts time to arrive.  The sword was brought 
back, but insisted on being called Longclaw and wouldn't let just 
anyone wield him.  He declined the whole of the courts of all twelve 
kingdoms and their armies in favor of a young boy that had just lost 
his parents.  The boy became a master of the Nekoken at the age of 
fourteen and was just about unstoppable.  He single handedly hunted 
down the creatures that had killed his parents and brought them in 
alive to stand trial.  From that day on those who prayed on people 
from the shadows learned that some of those shadows held justice 
with claws.  Did I get all that right?" Ranma asked the sword.
	"Yeah, the part about justice with claws is new, but I like 
it!"

***

	"What about me?" demanded Akane as Ranma walked out 
the door.
	"Off hand I'd say your last chance with Ranma just walked 
out the door," commented Nabiki.
	"But he can't be gone!  He has to marry me!"
	"Well he asked you plain and simple if you would marry 
him and you turned him down with insults.  Not only that but he just 
broke with his parents and you wished him out of your life, so I don't 
think he'll be back anytime soon."
	"Oh my, why did he do that?" asked Kasumi.
	"But why did he leave me?" asked Ukyo as she walked over 
to the door and noticed that the fathers were out cold.
	Nabiki held out her hand.

***