Title: Love For All Time Part 18

Author: Jade Hunter

A.N: Whew! Finally! Geez.

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer is on parts 1, 4, 8, 12, and 16.

"talking"
**thoughts**
_emphasis_
<<telepathy>>
////memories////

#############################################################################

"A Circuit?" Amara repeated in confusion. "What's that?"

Smirking a bit, Ryuujin reached into his sub-space pocket and pulled out
a white board, about three feet in length and two feet in width. Scribbled on it was
a list of what seemed to be duties of some kind. On closer inspection, they all had
something to do with exercise.

"Now, although I am very displeased about your behavior," Ryuujin began.
"I have decided to be lenient on you. This is a Circuit. You must to everything on the
board's list, as fast as possible."

The Senshi's eyes grew two times their normal size as they read the 
activities on the list.

"We're dead," Mina managed to gulp out.

The others were speechless.

A shrill whistle pierced the air. "Well, you don't have all day!" Ryuujin sing
songed, sickeningly cheerful. 

The Senshi groaned.

*****

"I'll kill him, I'll kill him, I'll kill him, I'll kill him, I'll kill him," Erika ground
out as she ran her tenth lap. Between each of those laps, she, along with the others,
had done twenty sit-ups and fifteen push-ups. Her legs were mush, her arms were
mush, and her brain was getting there.

"I'll help you, I'll help you, I'll help you, I'll help you," next to Erika, ran her
ever faithful partner Michelle, who, even when her brain had ceased all thoughts but
those of comfort, home, and her bed, supported the Uranus Princess.

Each of the Senshi found it easier to do their exercises if they pushed the
thoughts of pain from their minds. They found it easier to push the pain from their
minds by concentrating on one line, and so, each one was chanting a mantra 
underneath their breaths.

Coincedentally, each mantra had something to do with their new trainer,
a dark room, torture equipment, and ten minutes.

Of course, what none of them knew was that even if his hands and feet 
were bound to the chair, Ryuujin still would have beaten them down within five
seconds in thousands of different ways.

They finally finished this lap, and staggered to a stop next to the board.
Cries of pain, whimpers of tiredness, and pants of breaths were heard, and still,
through it all, each chanted their mantra, but this time, quietly, inwardly, so that
their Sensei woudn't hear.

What they didn't know, was that through their link with him, he heard
every single word.

**Man,** he thought, a little amused. **I thought they were Princesses.
More like barbarians to me. Especially that Mercurian Princess. Note to self: never
let her near me with a butterknife.**

"Well," he started. "Now that your punishment is over - " all sagged at the
good news " - we will go on with the original lesson that I planned."

A major facefault was in good order.

But they were too tired, so they all settled for slumping to the ground.

Out of what seemed like no where, Ryuujin suddenly pulled out sixteen
bricks, tied together in pairs. He pulled up one pair by the cloth that attatched
them, and said, "Strength training first." He walked down the row they sat in, and
handed everyone a pair of bricks. "Wrap the cloth around your neck, and hold the
bricks with both hands. It's easier that way. Each brick weighs about fifty pounds,
so you will just try and get used to carrying them."

////end flashback////

Mamoru and the cats stared at Ryuujin in disbelief.

"I can't believe you made them do that," Luna shook her head.

"That was nothin'," Ryuujin drawled. Setsuna started. "When I was with
Pops, I had it tougher."

////flashback////

Nine-year-old Ranma gritted his teeth and let out a tired cry. His arms
trembled, and so did his legs. His gi was turning gray from the dirt, and months
of traveling.

"Pop," he whined. "I wanna stop~! I'm hungry!"

Genma whirled around, flecks of food on his face, and his hand holding a
pair of chopsticks that had only moments before been digging into the Instant Ramen
he held.

"Boy," he boomed, adopting his somber stance. "A martial artist's life is
full of peril. You do as your told!"

"But it's heavy~!" Ranma whimpered, and looked up.

He was holding up a large board. On the board, there were many large 
boulders becoming smalller and smaller as they were stacked up. Every once in a
while, the board would wobble, a testiment to how tired the young boy was.

Genma growled, "Suck it up, boy! You want to be the best martial artist 
there is, don't you?"

"But it's cold~!" Ranma cried out, looking down.

His feet were knee deep in the raging river, and he was miraculously
keeping himself from being wept away by the current. Once in a while, salmon
would jump high in the air and smack into him, making him wobbly. And he
dared not drop the board, or his father would 'toughen him up' some more.

////end flashback////

This time, the Senshi joined Mamoru and the cats in gawking at Ryuujin.

"That cannot be true," Rei shook her head slightly.

Ami agreed, "It is impossible. No child could take that."

"I did," Ryuujin boasted, and there was a certain arrogant tone to his
voice that had Setsuna staring at him in confusion. "An' that was the easiest one.
Mosta the time, he tied me to a boulder an' beat me up witha two-by-four."

Silence reigned as they tried to take in their Sensei's hard second life.

"Still," Haruka shrugged. "Remember the speed training only an hour after
that?"

"Yes," Makoto groused.

////flashback////

"This is a speed exercise," Ryuujin stated as he finished tying Amy to the
large tree. "It will help you gain speed in your arms."

"How?" Setsuna asked, tugging at her end of the rope, tied around her waist.

Ryuujin grinned, and then backed away. He stood at least fifty feet away from
them, and concentrated. He glowed briefly and the Senshi were oblivious to what he
had done.

"YOU HAVE TO KNOCK THE BEES AWAY BEFORE THEY STING YOU!!" he called
out in a laughing tone.

The Senshi froze.

"Bees?" Mina squeaked.

Raye glanced around, semi-freaked, "Where? Where?"

"I believe it's up there," Holly's timid voice answered them.

They all looked at her, and saw her trying to run away, pulling against her rope
in a jerking manner, all the while staring high up in the branches. They followed her gaze,
and immediatly spotted the hive. They all began to try and run away, forgetting about the
ropes.

Amy, when she realized that the bees were not chasing her though she was
close to them, calmed slightly and shouted, "They won't attack unless their hive is
attacked!"

"Well," Michelle sighed, stopping to catch her breath, "we'll be safe then,
won't we?"

"Think again," Erika whimpered.

"What?" Lita asked, her eyes darting around.

"_Look_," there was a panicked edge in the tomboyish Princesses voice, and
they followed her hand only to see their Sensei throwing something in the vague direction
of the tree.

Only a split second before the rock reached it's target did Amy realize what he
had done, "HE AIMED FOR THE HIVE!!!!!!!!!!"

No one responded as the hive dropped to the ground, and the bees began to
fly out in angry clouds.

Well, actually, they _did_ respond. Just not very coherently.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

////end flashback////

"Brutal," Mamoru shook his head and offered up a glance of sympathy to
the girls that were all trembling with fright. Some were even rubbing the places they 
had gotten stung, so long ago. "Brutal."

"Ppphhtttt," Ryuujin snorted carelessly. The arrogant tone was still there as
he announced, "I went easy on ya. My speed trainin' was tough."

No one noticed Setsuna frown slightly at Ryuujin.

////flashback////

"Uh, Pops?" Ranma asked. "What's this?"

This, was refering to the rope tied around his waist. Eleven-year-old Ranma
Saotome of the Mutsabetusu Kakuto Ryu, roughly translated as the Saotome School
of Anything Goes Martial Arts, tugged at his end of the rope and looked up in confusion
at his father.

"I thought we were gonna take the train to Kyoto," he said.

Genma finished tying the other end of the rope, and then double knotted to
make sure it was secure.

"Well, son," he said cheerfully. "We are going to Kyoto."

"Shouldn't I get on the train, then?" Ranma asked, frowning.

"No," came the answer. Genma opened the door leading into the car of the
train as the conductor blew the whistle one last time. "This is you speed training, boy!
Take it like a man!"

As the train started, and Ranma realized what was happening, panic began
to set in. The train moved, and, unable to get to the rope to untie it, Ranma was forced
to run behind the train. In a few hours, however, he was being half-dragged, and his
gi was covered with dirt.

Ranma bore it with a lot of cursing with words he wasn't supposed to know,
directed all at his father. He did not call for help, however, because how far could
Kyoto be?

It was when he saw a sign that all hell broke loose.

Kyoto - 250 miles ahead.

He almost collapsed, and let out a roar of anger and fear.

"AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

////end flashback////

"Now that I think 'bout it," Ryuujin mumbled. "I becha the old coot jus'
didn't wanna buy 'nother ticket."

Again, Setsuna frowned, shooting him astrange look, which normally he
would have noticed in an instant.

Ami was growing slightly angry again. How could a father do that to a child? 
Especially his own child?

The others were all on the same line of thought. Haruka had to admit that 
compared to the training 'Ranma' had recieved, the training back in the Silver Millenium
was a joy ride.

"An' ya didn't have ta mix the two like I did," Ryuujin grinned faintly. "Speed
and strength trainin'."

"When did you do that?" Ami asked distractedly. Something was bothering her
about him, and when she looked aorund, she saw that Setsuna was looking a bit
concerned also.

"Well............."

////flashback////

"Pop," a twelve-year-old Ranma panted as he ran through the jungle like
a gazelle. "How long do I have ta carry ya?"

Genma, from his position sitting on the large pack Ranma was carrying,
scolded, "A true martial artist never complains about anything, especially not 
training!"

"I guess you're nota 'true martial artist', then, huh?" Ranma sniggered.

::WHAP::

"Owww!" Scowling, Ranma rubbed the tender part of his head where his
father had just hit him.

"Show some respect to your elders, boy!" Genma roared. He then turned
around, and got very excited. "Now, your speed part of thsi training will begin."

"What do I hafta do?" Ranma asked as he leaped over a log.

Genma pointed behind him and said, "Avoid that while carrying me."

Ranma whipped his head around, and immediatly wished he hadn't when
he saw the large jungle cat. It snarled, and bared it's humongous teeth at him,
slobbering all ovet the place. Crouching, it tensed it's muscles. From ten yards
away, Ranma did the same. When he saw the slight flicker of fur move, Ranma
bolted, the large predator not far behind. Although he knew he shouldn't waste
any precious breath, he took a moment to yell out one phrase that would be a 
constant during his remaining years.

"STUUUUUUPPPIIIID POOOOOOOOPPPPPSSSSSS!"

////end flashback////

Ryuujin finished his story admist a group of disgusted people - and cats.
They had all been mad at Genma before, enough to seriously consider maiming him,
but now, it was a cold, indifferent sort of anger, where you thought the person was
obviously not worth getting mad about.

"What an idiot," Haruka finally muttered, settling against Michieru.

Ryuujin barked out harsh laugher, "Heh, I betcha everyone that met him
called him that at least once."

"Uh, Sen.....Ry.....," Usagi frowned. She scratched the back of her head
and looked at him. "I don't know what to call you," she told him frankly.

::Bam::

The sound of eight Senshi, one Tuxedo Mask, and two Mao hitting the 
floor resounded through the temple, startling some birds into flight.

"Usagi~," Minako moaned in exasperation.

"What?" she shrugged. "I _don't_. He never told us. I can't call him Sensei
cause he wasn't mine. And only Setsuna calles him Ryuu-chan."

Makoto was about to put in her two cent's worth when Ryuujin interupted
with an easy grin, "Hey, don't worry about it. Back then, it was Elemental Knight this,
Elemental Knight that. It was protocal. But, I think you should know my name. Times
have changed after all."

"You name?" Even Setsuna and Hotaru were stunned. Sensei had never
told them his name before, why would he now?

"Yes, my name," Ryuujin mimicked. He assumed a stern air and added, "That
doesn't mean you can call me by that. Just Princess Serenity and Endymon."

Setsuna shrugged nonchalantly admist slumped shoulders of her fellow Senshi
and remarked, "I'm more used to what I call you anyways."

"Mee too," chimed in Hotaru.

"I guess," sighed Rei, disappointed.

Ryuujin smiled and said, "Alright. My name, that which I was born with eons ago,
is Ryuujin Noametsuchi."

"Dragon King of the Universe?" Makoto translated in surprise.

"Cool," Minako grinned.

Usagi was awed, "Wow."

"So," Ryuujin turned to her. "What were you going to ask me?"

Usagi thought for a moment and then smiled, "I remember! I was going to ask
you why you were talking so weird."

"What are you talking about?" Ryuujin asked, confused.

"You didn't notice?" Ami wondered. "I thought it was strange that your speech
pattern changed so dramatically."

"Whatever she said, I know it's true," Minako nodded, jerking her thumb at
Ami.

Rei mused, "Yes, you did use some very bad grammer."

Ryuujin frowned slightly. "I did?"

"Yes," Haruka nodded. "Definately."

"I thought I was the only one who noticed," Michieru smiled with relief.

Hotaru shook her head, "I noticed it too. You talked funny. Like a teenager,
or someone very......"

"Uncultured?" volunteered Luna.

At Ryuujin's startled look, Artemis put in, "I noticed it too. Not at all like you
used to talk."

A shadow seemed to creep up on Ryuujin's face, "What words did I use?" he
asked distractedly.

Setsuna thought back and then replied, "You used slang. Uncooth, might I
add. Hafta, and an', and betcha, and nothin'. You also assumed a _very_ arrogant
tone, very unlike you."

"Damn," Ryuujin breathed out, much to their shock. It surprised them even
more when his face grew pale. "I think the sh*t just hit the fan."

#############################################################################

To be continued in Part 19.

~~~~~Jade Hunter~~~~~