Souls of Fire #12: Ragnarok Ranma 1/2 VS Sailor Moon Written by Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NYChotmail.com) http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/sm/index.html Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi. Ranma 1/2 and characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Proper licenses belong to respective properties and characters. The manga has precedence over material in the anime. This file can be freely distributed so long as it appears in its complete form and proper credit. No part may be reproduced for monetary gain without permission from the author. ---------------------------------------------------- Interview 7 "A soul... it's something that defines us for who and what we are. It's an intangible wisp of essence. The ancient cultures described it as the breath of life, and perhaps they aren't so far from the truth. These days it's what some people would call 'character,' I suppose. Well, whatever term you use... a soul is what makes you... you." "In my travels I've come to learn what others would consider the supreme being, and the most interesting one I've heard yet was this: God is the culmination of each and every soul that existed, before, now, and that have yet to be. That we are all a small, yet significant part, of a greater whole, of something grand and special. A world where all is one, unified, and whole." "I don't necessarily agree with this guy, and it's only natural that everyone decide to define their own beliefs. Yet, somehow, when you over-analyze the wording like Kanna does, you see a certain truth in the matter. But that's neither here nor there." "I'm telling you I got to experience the idea first- hand, and let me tell you, it wasn't in a pleasant way." --- Sky Deck, Night Hammer Floating in a nearly-airless sea of space, the wedge- shaped Mishima-made airship maintained high orbit over Nemesis, directly above the capitol city of Darkhold. The entire deck, made up of black energy collectors, crackled with electrical pulses, converting its newly- acquired power and charging the Dead End Buster in moments. Cinder mentally cursed the timing, standing over the fallen Ryoga Hibiki, having to abort his attack from the sudden lack of oxygen in the air. His cavernous breaths sucked in air like a vacuum, unable to find enough to satisfy the void within his breathers. Using his mind Cinder concentrated on the two oxygen tanks strapped to his back beneath his traveling cloak, turning the valves open with psychokinetic power. It was this momentary pause that allowed Ryoga to escape his punishment for betrayal, and the moment the oxygen started filling him again the salamander was tackled from behind by an energy burst from one of the Sailor Senshi. He was fortunate that, despite his rather openness, the attacker was also disoriented by the atmospheric change as well, and the blast was not as strong as it could have been. Cinder spun quickly, and his mechanical eye tracked Sailor Mars as the offender. The eye rotated outward to focus, and he noted that she was also having trouble breathing, but not as bad as the salamander; the humans required a lot less oxygen than Cinder did. "A little less toast than usual, eh?" he snorted. Before Mars could fire off a response, Cinder spread his arms out to the sides, and jetted gales of flame to Uranus and Mercury, who were attempting side attacks. He then lowered his steel-pronged tail behind him under the bottom of his robe, and threw a fireball behind him at Ryoga with its forked end. "Blast it, girl," he cursed, wondering where the priestess went, "what happened to the artificial atmosphere?" For that matter, it was likely he was under the affects of the Nemesis gravity, too, which was a bit lighter than Earth's. Not that it gave him a huge advantage; all Cinder cared for was a constant source of high-concentration oxygen, and the Night Hammer's atmospheric envelope wasn't turned on. It also meant the ship could not break into space. "NOW would be a good time, Lady Sypha," he hissed to himself, charging his mechanical eye's blaster and aiming for Sailor Mars. --- Despite the light show, Taro's hand never left Shizuka's neck, and she remained dangling over the deck, her arms hanging loosely to her sides. All signs of struggle seemed to have ended long ago, but the girl was still laughing. "Cheap trick," he muttered. "Let her go!" he heard Sailor Moon shout from behind. He turned to face her, and saw that Ranma was with her. "Ah, Femme-boy. You sided with the Queen of Broken Hearts, eh?" "Tough luck, I don't change into a girl anymore," Ranma informed him. "Even then, you're still the same hermaphrodite as before," Taro replied sharply. "Have you come to witness my ascension? This girl holds the key to that, and I will become a true god." "You can't be serious," Ranma said in disbelief. "Her?" "Oh, thanks for the vote of confidence," Shizuka muttered. "But why her?" asked Sailor Moon, her fingers tight on the shaft of her wand. "I did a bit of studying since we last met, oh Queen," Pantyhose Taro said, spitting out the last word in contempt. "I prepared, and engineered the deaths of all my rivals to godhood when I learned that Deathclaw needs to take on a host in order to interact with the living. Consequently the beast absorbs the souls of those who become his host." "And since Shizuka currently hosts Deathclaw you're going to sponge the heart crystals out of him, huh?" realized Ranma. "That's crazy." "With enough heart crystals perhaps you could rival a god," Sailor Moon granted, "but your heart will never know joy." Taro's gloved arm crackled with black lightning. "I define joy!" The dark energy lanced through Shizuka's chest, but the girl would concede no pain. Taro granted that it was admirable that she refused to show weakness even now, but he promised to make his threat very real to her nevertheless. He could already feel her heart crystal emerge despite its strong protests. "Shizuka, fight it!" encouraged Sailor Moon. "Shoot him!" Ranma ordered. "C'mon!" "I might hit her," she said, making up excuses. It sounded very weak to Taro's ears; she was definitely going to get pancaked second. "I might hit the heart crystals!" "Goddamnit, shoot me!" Shizuka cried, obviously growing impatient. "You can't die yet," Taro replied softly, sadistically. "We can't let him win like this!" Femme-boy yelled anxiously. He turned his attention completely on Shizuka, and saw that her heart crystal was halfway out. Taro chuckled in delight when he saw that another heart crystal was emerging from within the girl's, likely one of the absorbed crystals. It raced to join the orbit of Taro's remaining three heart crystals, and soon more heart crystals appeared. And then they started flying out loosely. "Yes," he roared. "YES!! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-hah!!" "You neglected one thing," he heard a voice say, but the source could not be heard through his ears. Taro could not put a finger on the voice, as it seemed to be a strange amalgam of a man and a woman. Yet, only the female voice seemed familiar... and it hit him. "Get out of my head," he muttered lowly, drawing heart crystals out at a faster rate until no more would emerge. He struggled to pry out Shizuka's crystal, which was still resisting with unimaginable force. "Ironic, that in your bid for power you failed to consider your own parasite is engineering your demise," Shizuka/Deathclaw informed him. "How ironic, that you neglected to consider the curse of the ghost dragon in your hasty desire!" "What?!" he gasped, realizing that he did neglect something. "Fool," Taro heard a third voice say, this one in the sound of his own voice, but not his voice. "Thanks to you, my revival is complete." "You!" he screamed frantically. "What are you doing?!" "Taking over," the unwelcome one said simply. "No, stop!" Taro cried, releasing his hold on Shizuka, dropping her on the ground like a rag doll. He turned away, clutching at his chest in pain as the numerous heart crystals spinning around him caved-in over him. "Taro!" Sailor Moon cried. Pantyhose Taro screamed in terror, the parasite that guided him this far consuming his body as the curse of Deathclaw enraptured his soul. --- His weakness was becoming very apparent to the enemy, Cinder noted, as he consumed too much of his precious oxygen reserves just to keep the Sailor Senshi and Ryoga at bay. It never seemed to end; Uranus would attack, then Ryoga, then Mars, then Neptune, then Mercury, all taking turns to get a shot in, and sometimes they did it at the same time. No man could endure such odds, but then, Cinder was no man. He vowed to lay his life down for his lord, and that was exactly what he intended to do, even if he had to join him in death. The circle formed by his opponents spread wider when the help arrived, forming a circle around the exhausted Cinder. Each of the remaining Fenril Knights appeared in a shifting dark shadow, materializing with the power of their black crystal shards. "More of them!" Uranus shouted. "Sorry we took so long," Ukyo said, holding her giant combat spatula ready in her hands. "How typical," Mousse snorted, the crippled warrior equipped with arm-mounted blades that did not require the use of his hands, "that these guys gang up like this." "The odds are still in our favor," Kanna added, spinning her scythe once in readiness. Sypha raised her claws from the ground. "Even if I hold back, this is still unfair to them." "Hah, now this is more like it!" Ryoga shouted. "The traitor's mine," Cinder decided, quickly gathering his breath. "But Shizuka needs to turn on the atmospheric envelope before we all get exhausted. Vizier is tying her up." "We'll work on it," assured Ukyo. "Just keep your guy to yourself, and we'll do the same!" Each of the five Fenril Knights charged, spreading out from their circle to their five opponents. --- Myriad of heart crystals buried Pantyhose Taro like iron filings to a magnet, and the warrior remained prone on the ground, unmoving, without making a sound. Sailor Moon took careful steps toward the fallen one, her eyes momentarily glancing toward Shizuka, who seemed to be coming around on her own despite being thrown around and gutted. "Careful," warned Ranma. "He's a tricky guy." "I need to find Sailor Venus," she replied, holding her wand out. "This may be the last chance." "And what about the others?" the martial artist asked. "Don't they all deserve another chance at life?" "It's not that simple," she replied. "Cinder was right; it's inhuman to keep resurrecting people, but it is wrong to take away a life in this manner. I only know that Sailor Venus understands this." "Yeah, well, it's just I'm not so eager to get Kodachi back," Ranma admitted reluctantly. Using the head of the wand like a magnet, a single heart crystal, shining much brighter than the rest of the mass, emerged from the pile and flitted toward her. The crystal vanished into the head, and Sailor Moon knew she found her lost friend. And yet, pulling that single crystal away seemed to jar Pantyhose Taro into action, as the mass began to quake. A blackened, bony claw tore from beneath the pile, with nails that extended outward sharply. All at once the heart crystals reacted, producing a light that hurt Sailor Moon's eyes. "Give back what you have taken," Taro rumbled, the light increasing in intensity. "What the hell...?!" Ranma gasped. The voice indeed belonged to the martial artist, but at the same time, it sounded nothing like him. --- Crimson light illuminated the sky over Darkhold, silhouetting the wedge-shaped Night Hammer over the heads of the Crystal Tokyo populace. Where battles raged in the heavens above the eyes of the people gazed upward to the sign of an apocalypse. Emerging from Ukyo's restaurant, Cologne's old and weary eyes peered into the illuminated sky. It was now common knowledge that the owner, Ukyo, was the resident Fenril administrator watching over the people of Crystal Tokyo, ever since she disappeared and Cologne took over the restaurant. It was not a hard puzzle for the people to figure out, and Ukyo knew it would happen eventually, but she decided she had to exert her authority over the other two Fenril lords and quit dodging her responsibility. "So the battle has finally come?" she said to herself. --- Battles raging over the sky deck ceased completely as the heart crystals blinded them. Ukyo held Sailor Mars pinned down by the length of her spatula. Kanna lowered her scythe in her engagement against Uranus, who lowered her own sword. Ryoga dared not release his parry on Cinder's slashing arms, as they continued to waver against his brute strength. Sypha merely stared bored toward Taro's direction, having tied up Mercury with magical bonds from her crystal ball. Neptune and Mousse backed off from each other as they faced the crimson light. Ranma could barely see anything in the blinding light, but if he had to make a guess he'd say that Taro was getting larger by the moment. "He's merging with the heart crystals," Sailor Moon warned, as Taro's back burst into many flailing strips of skin. And then the martial artist realized what was happening. "He's transforming... without cold water?" Pantyhose Taro roared in pain as the transformation consumed him, his voice tortured by unimaginable suffering. His voice was joined by those heart crystals he consumed in his mad bid for power, having sucked them from Shizuka's soul. Whatever it was that was going on in his body, Ranma wished no one would experience it. "I live," the monster rumbled. "I live!" "Shut the hell up, that's so cheesy," Shizuka cried, sounding more annoyed than anything. The light faded from the monster's body, and Ranma saw the nightmarish Pantyhose Taro towering over him, not unlike any previous encounter. The brown-furred behemoth stood on hooved feet, with a long tail thrashing about behind it, its tip ending in the head of an eel. His arms were huge and muscular, and could manipulate objects as easily as any man. Large white wings spread from the behemoth's back, along with many rows of octopus tentacles, thrashing about individually with a mind of their own. The head was unmistakably that of a bull, with horns locked forward and as sharp as ever. The monster's blood-shot eyes stared down at him and Sailor Moon, and he growled in anger. The only difference between this encounter and any previous was the fact that another set of eyes and mouths opened up in the creature's chest, creating a second, more twisted, demonic face. "Vizier," Sailor Moon whispered, awed. "What happened to Pantyhose Taro?!" demanded Ranma, unusually worried. "He is a slave to his body," Shizuka revealed. "The parasite within him is too strong for him, and it consumed him. Such is the fate of those weaklings who attempt to become one with a god; Taro's thirst for power ended in his own undoing, the same as the undoing of those before who tried to tame Deathclaw's power." "Look at this magnificent body," Vizier proclaimed, the voice emerging from the face in the chest. "I must thank you, Sailor Moon, for helping me to get this far into my ultimate plans." "You planned to do this all along?" Sailor Moon realized. "You wanted us to destroy your previous body, just so you could take the time to find another, more powerful one." "Exactly," admitted the monster. "When you thought me destroyed, just like my brethren, you wouldn't pay me any mind while I worked in the shadows of the Silver Crystal's light. The plan was set back, however, when another interfered... but ironically it ensured my own survival." "Death Phantom." "It was my dark brother that opposed me, and he carried the victims of my essence forward to this time from that last battle," continued Vizier. "He saw it fit to use me while I continued to dwell in my dormant stage. He did not count on my awakening, not at this critical juncture in his own bid for ascension." "What's this all about?" demanded Ranma. "It's about the reason you exist in this time," Vizier answered. "Death Phantom conquered Sailor Pluto and traveled back in time, to the point before the Great Sleep, and attempted to destroy Crystal Tokyo by making sure it never existed. In the process, he ended up creating it. So in order to ensure his own future back in his time he brought you and your allies forward in time to fight this war for him... to buy him time to power his Black Crystal and attain his ascension. All of you are nothing but pawns to Death Phantom's ambition." "Is that supposed to change anything?" asked Shizuka, getting up to her feet to join Sailor Moon and Ranma. "Removing us from the timeline... preventing us from stopping what might have been...." "It was because all of it already happened," Cinder interrupted. Ranma turned, and saw the others had joined them. Side-by-side the Fenril Knights and Sailor Senshi stood facing the monster, each knowing where the bigger threat lay. It transcended beyond their differences, and although the hasty alliance was yet uneasy, it looked good to Ranma. "Who's to say that?" Vizier sneered. "Because of Death Phantom, your benefactor," he held the last word in scorn, "all of you lost everything, because you weren't there to prevent the tragedies." "Then you must know as well as I that I was the Guardian of the Seal to the Shrine of the Four Gods," the salamander revealed. "The reason they could not thwart the Mekani attack by sealing the gate was due to my absence, and the absence of each and every individual who had the potential to learn the sealing rite." He gestured to the remaining Fenril Knights, but pointed no fingers. "I should've known this was his fault," Sailor Mars shot angrily. "Millions died because of that old freak!" "But yet it was still our hand that carried it out," Sailor Moon added. "We are as much to blame as he is." "If the point of origin was from this time," Sypha reasoned, "then the past may as well be set in stone. Our world was lost before we knew it; it was written out before we could live it." The sorcerer shook her head. "It's no use to dwell on what might have been!" "Even if all of that's true," said Ukyo, sounding quite unnerved about the revelation, "I still see a monster in front of me. Whoever you are, Vizier, what right does it give you to kill everyone for your own selfish ambition?" "Ask the same of your benefactor," countered Vizier. Kanna merely laughed. "But still, Mr. Vizier... why don't you tell us all about your little prophecy." All eyes turned toward the Crystal Spider. "The Children of Chaos emerge from the defeat of their father, that much I'm sure you all know," Kanna explained. "But what the prophecy is fuzzy on is how it can be fulfilled. That's never explained, and the exact prophecy's wording has been lost in time. The answer is the reason you five fight each other." "An interesting observation," Vizier granted. "It's not enough that Chaos be avenged, but that one of you take his place as well. It's a rite of succession." "So all of this is one glorified power struggle," Ranma noted. "And the last one left wins by default," Ryoga knew. "But now there's only just Death Phantom and Vizier," Sailor Uranus pointed out. "We destroyed the other three a long time ago." "So you were planning to wait-out Death Phantom's destruction so you could claim Chaos' throne," Mercury concluded. "The reason for the virus was to ensure your survival and eventual revival at the right moment, not any desire to Silence Earth. It's only consequential." "I care nothing for this planet," the Chaos Child admitted. "Nor do I care for your Silver Crystal, yet it is ever a threat to my power. Both that and the Black Crystal rely on the hearts of the people in order to function, but if I eliminate the people, I eliminate the threat." He gazed toward the heavens above. "When the advance Mekani fleet arrives, they will slaughter the people of Earth and Nemesis with impunity! With the coming of Silence, all my enemies will be defeated, and I, Vizier, will reign supreme!" "Kiss it!" Shizuka shouted, revealing the master control of the Night Hammer. She pressed a green button on the top row. Ranma felt the air dense up as the atmospheric envelope initiated, filling the air around the sky deck with more free air than Earth's polluted atmosphere; Cinder described it as the air the Kami Plane's Earth was graced with. The cleanliness did not hold his attention long, however, as the martial artist realized that said salamander was powering-up his fire ability, now that he was revitalized with the ever- precious oxygen content. He also felt the tug of gravity pull down against his body, but Ranma got used to it immediately as the gravity level adjusted to Earth standard. The ground rumbled beneath his feet as the main engines of the airship roared to life, so now it was noticeable that the Night Hammer was ascending beyond the atmosphere. "Alright," decided Ranma, "so it basically boils down to which one of 'em we'd rather live with." "Why's that?" asked Ukyo, blinking. "If we take the time to stop one of them," Sypha explained, "that will leave the other to ascend to the mantle of Chaos. A perfect plan, a perfect dilemma!" "Why can't we just take both of them down at once?" wondered Sailor Mars, obviously itching for Death Phantom's head. "Time for debate is over!" Cinder declared, transforming furiously into a great fireball. Those standing near him backed away as the fireball rocketed to tackle Vizier in the chest, but the Chaos creature barely seemed to feel it. With a butt back using only his chest Cinder was sent flying backward, and disappeared from view. "It's as Vizier said," Mercury said. "If we let Vizier go the Mekani will arrive and wipe out the people of Earth. Death Phantom perfectly engineered his plan such that we have to take out Vizier no matter what we think about him." "Then Vizier's merely a pawn, too," Kanna snorted in amusement. "And the fool doesn't know it." No sooner had Cinder rocketed back into view Sypha fireballed as well, and both kami launched themselves head-on into Vizier's chest. Both seemed to bounce off the monster, being pushed back a long way, but the two, ever so stubborn, wheeled around for another pass. "Well, are you just going to stand there?!" Mousse cried impatiently, raising an arm blade. "Let's get him!" "It's folly to oppose a god!" Vizier declared, raising a hand in Mousse's direction. From each of his fingers ink blots flew outward, and scattered the front his enemies were making on him. --- The corridors seemed dark and cold. Footsteps echoed in the decks below the sky deck, unnoticed by any who battled above. The only question on this one's mind was, "What's going on?" There was no one around to answer, but the latecomer to the conflict resolved to find out. --- Ink as black as night jetted from Vizier's fingertips, launching at a spread that forced his arrayed opponents to scatter. The bestial, bull head rumbled a low chuckle, one which Ranma was all too familiar with in his previous encounters. What was more eerie, however, was that the twisted, demonic face in Taro's chest was laughing along with it. Blood-red eyes gazed separately from the true head, folding hide in sickening directions that made Ranma feel like vomiting. The beast that was now Vizier was unworldly, more so than Pantyhose Taro, the twisted chimera, had ever been. More so than the kami salamander Cinder, the obsidian-scaled lizard maimed by his experiences on Earth, and even more twisted with the perverted steel grafts. More so than Sypha, beautiful and regal in her human guise, magnificent and terrifying in her true form. Even more than Deathclaw, the disgusting spectral dragon skeleton, and the normal-appearing girl he possessed. No, Vizier was a far greater perversion, that of life itself. And Ranma was partly responsible for his awakening. He never shared his experiences under the influence of the Chaos cells to anyone, not even Akane. The black crystal jewel the martial artist assembled was but a mere tool to trigger Vizier's revival from his dormant stage. It was the cells that fed him the idea, and Ranma knew that, out of the remaining Fenril Knights, Vizier was trying to decide whether to take him or Taro as his host. If it wasn't for Sailor Moon, Ranma would be the one with that twisted face in his chest. He dodged a flailing tentacle as Vizier divided his attention on his numerous attackers. Although outnumbered the revived Chaos Child was not allowing anyone to get a good hit in, and whatever spatula, knife, or fireball that did get past the defense none of those hardly seemed to faze him. "I traded Pantyhose Taro's life for my own," he realized suddenly. "I made Vizier choose him instead of me... this is my fault!" "What?" he heard Sailor Moon cry. "That's not true!" He felt the warmness of his own ki around him. "I was this close to becoming Vizier's host... he wanted me... until I rejected the crystal." Ranma clenched his fists in anger. "This guy's gonna pay!" "Aw, shit!" he heard Ukyo curse. Ranma risked tearing his eyes away from Vizier and glanced toward his old friend. She stared up and beyond the bow of the Night Hammer, and Ranma did the same. He felt the eyes of all combatants, including that of Vizier, forget the battle and focus on the anomaly in the space beyond Nemesis, off the port of the airship. A ripple emerged, highlighted by azure energy, from a point of light in the midst of nothing. The point expanded, spreading in a pattern from the center in what resembled a spider web. The point at the center grew larger, and four probe- like appendages emerged. Each spread outward from the center, spreading across and forming the shape of an insectoid in Ranma's mind. As the hole grew larger the body connecting the four leg appendages emerged, in a large, spherical shape. At the forefront of the sphere was what appeared to be a large, ruby diamond shape, ringed by gold. From this distance the giant spheroid creature appeared to be as large as Sailor Moon's head, from a quick size comparison, but Ranma knew it was only because the beast was far off. The martial artist could not tell the distance without any point of reference beyond the port. "That," he heard Kanna say, "is one big spider...." "Ah, they've finally arrived!" Vizier proclaimed, obviously pleased. "You fools, you're too late to stop them now." "I hope they aren't just sending just one of those big things," muttered Ukyo. "That beast isn't just one Mekani," Uranus warned. "It's a lot of smaller Mekani put together." "You're kidding," the okonomiyaki chef replied in disbelief. "I wish I were," she admitted. "These Mekani are far more advanced than the ones we fought before. The giant you see there is an optical illusion; up close all the spheroids are visible and link up like a cell lattice." "I feel chemistry lessons coming on," Kanna recognized. "They move like one mass, and when they're ready to deploy they break off from the whole. How interesting." "And there's nothing you can do to stop them!" the Chaos Child declared, drawing all attention back to himself as the Mekani cluster continued to emerge from the center of the web. "Wanna bet?" Shizuka shouted, holding out the remote control box. "You idiot," Ranma muttered, noting in a split second that Vizier's palm was aiming toward the priestess of Genbu. His body moving automatically, he tried to tackle the girl before the black energy lancing from Vizier's palm could reach her. And yet, the darkness somehow traveled faster than he, or anyone else that realized how much in danger Shizuka was in. Ranma was certain Shizuka didn't have the time to realize she was in trouble as she screamed, the dark energy engulfing her. The martial artist was thrown back and away from the impact point centered on the girl, as were anyone within five meters. "Shizuka!" everyone seemed to shout at once, a dark void sphere inhabiting the area where the priestess once stood. "Pity," Vizier said, his bull head laughing, "there goes your only chance to fire the Dead End Buster." Flame encircled Cinder's robed form, and Sypha, too, appeared ready to continue the melee. Vizier was only too happy to oblige, and the three resumed the fight, with the others following suit. Ranma stood there, torn between continuing the fight and the fallen priestess. The dark sphere cracked, then shattered like glass, but without a sound. Black smoke billowed from its entrapped area, and Ranma waved the foul odor from his nostrils. As it cleared he made out a human shape, and knew it was Shizuka, kneeling on the ground. Sailor Moon and Kanna rushed to her side immediately, and when the smoke dissipated completely Ranma understood. Shizuka collapsed face-first onto the deck, revealing that which she was hiding close to her chest. The very arm holding the control box slowly edged its way out from under her body, and where there should have been her left hand was a smoking stump. Kanna bent her knees, and reached down to feel the girl's pulse. "She's still breathing." Reaching down to the priestess' sleeve the Crystal Spider found Shizuka's black crystal prism, dangling from the end on a chord, and pulled it free. She held it out to Sailor Moon. "Here." "What's this for?" she asked, staring at the dark prism apprehensively. "She's not going to need it," Kanna explained. "And without one I can't take you to see Wiseman." "What about Vizier?" Moon asked, obviously torn. "They can take care of Vizier," the tactician insisted. "If you want to stop the both of them, you need me to take you to Wiseman." "Sailor Moon, just go," Ranma chipped in, stepping in closer to the girls. "We can deal with Vizier." "What about the Mekani?" The martial artist shrugged. "We'll deal with that when we come to it, I guess." Sailor Moon smiled. "Do your best." She turned back toward Kanna, and placed her hand on the prism. "It's now or never." "See you on the flip side," Kanna said to Ranma, nodding. In the blink of an eye, the air shifted around both Sailor Moon and Kanna, vanishing into thin air. Ranma stared down at Shizuka, her fingers twitching. He caught sight of a spectral force emerging from the stump, and Ranma knew Deathclaw was taking the opportunity to assert control over the unconscious girl's body. "It's now or never," he decided, deciding to gauge his remaining time on Deathclaw's awakening. Ranma leaped over a thrashing tentacle threatening to bring him off his feet, and tried to edge in closer to Vizier's body. The beast's back was turned, his full attention on the attacks the Sailor Senshi and Sypha and Cinder were giving him, as they were the ones getting in apparent hits with their magic and energy attacks. More tentacles, seemingly having a mind of their own, diverted their attention onto Ranma as he was getting closer. He raised his arms high to block a bludgeon overhead attack. "Ryoga! Mousse! Ukyo!" he shouted, calling off names he could trust. "Get these things off of me!" Ducking under another tentacle the martial artist barely noticed that a spatula bit into the cartilage skin, and to his right another one was severed by Mousse's arm blades. Another tentacle wrapped itself around Ranma's feet, and he fell onto his back. Ryoga rushed to his aid, kicking another tentacle away hard, and began to pry at the one at Ranma's feet. "We can't put up with this much longer," Ryoga muttered, overpowering the tentacle's grip. Ranma scrambled backward, retreating from the tentacle mass. "And I'm almost out," reported Ukyo, indicating she was running out of throwing spatulas. Mousse took another quick swing, severing a stray tentacle heading his way. "This is ridiculous! There's more of us fighting Pantyhose Taro this time around and we still can't get a hit in!" "Don't look at me!" Ukyo replied. "But it ISN'T any different from the other times!" Ranma said, coming up with a bright idea. His eyes scanned around the stretch of the sky deck, and an idea hit him. Turning his attention back to his friends, he instructed, "Tell Cinder to set up his sealing spell, and Sypha a dark grid. I need the Sailor Senshi to concentrate their attacks on Vizier when I give the signal." "And what're you doing?" wondered Ryoga. "Never mind, just do it!" Ukyo interrupted before Ranma could explain. She gave him a concerned look. "I hope you know what you're doing, Ranchan...." "Trust me, I'm makin' it up as I go along," he offered with a smile. Mousse gave a quick warrior's salute with his arm blade. "Good luck, you'll need it!" Ranma saw it in their eyes; both Ukyo and Mousse, even with the reflection off his glasses, caught on to what he was up to, but Ryoga hadn't yet. It didn't matter; he'll find out soon enough, too. He had no time to consider if the two kami would be uncooperative; Ranma just needed to get Vizier's attention, and then worry about his own hide. Ranma held his palms out, and great bolts of ki leaped forth. Both bolts slammed past the tentacles, and impacted on Vizier himself. The Chaos beast's bull head craned his direction in anger, and more tentacles lashed out in Ranma's direction. So far, so good, he thought, breaking into a sprint with the tentacles trailing after. Ranma directed himself toward the Dead End Buster's barrel, and he knew Vizier was going out of his way to ignore the others to keep the tentacles in range. He leaped up and stood at the edge of the barrel of the Dead End Buster, the tentacles slowing in their chase. Ranma glanced down at Sypha's direction, and she had just finished weaving her black magic. In a translucent screen before him a black chain-link grid appeared before the martial artist, and the tentacles tried to run through them, just as expected. "Yes!" Ranma cried, satisfied the ruse he used on Taro long before worked even now. It was in the nature of the octopus tentacles to seek shelter in cramped spaces, after all. Unfortunately, Ranma's luck chose to run out, and the tentacles pushed him further into the barrel. This was not part of the plan, he kept telling himself. Should've gotten out of the way sooner! Ranma turned around, staring back down toward the end of the barrel. Vizier's body completely blocked the exit, and his glowing eyes offered the only source of illumination. His face was twisted in pain, and Ranma knew that Cinder had succeeded in paralyzing him with the sealing magic. The spell effectively used Vizier's body to completely seal the 'opening' offered by the cannon barrel, putting him in a good position for firing the Buster. He realized he never thought that far ahead, either; the control box went up with Shizuka. "Thank you," he heard in his head, knowing the voice belonged to Pantyhose Taro. Ranma, for his part, wished he thought through the plan a lot more. "Sorry, Akane...." Vizier's mouth began to glow with dark energy, and Ranma knew he was going to get it. "No, it's not your time yet," he heard a voice say in his head. "I gladly trade my life for your happiness...." "What the...?!" He was far too late to stop her. Ranma felt the ground disappear beneath his feet, and the cold embrace of darkness engulfed him. --- "He's in position," noted Ukyo, her eyes on the sealed barrel, "but it won't do any good unless we can fire the cannon." "Ah, it feels good to be needed," they heard a voice say, projected over unseen speakers on the sky deck. "That voice...!" Mercury recognized. --- Shion leaned forward over the control console, quite satisfied that he was able to recover and decrypt his own code in time. It was a miracle, but then, he prided himself on being a miracle worker. He wondered if his dominating satellite feed of the battle, sent back to Earth over all other signals, was getting a good following. It didn't matter, really, as the turret was already directed toward the Mekani cluster. Two birds with one stone was a reasonably good deal. Holding his thumb over the firing button, Shion said, "Give my regards to Orochi!" --- Hokuto refused to release the hold her shadow hands had on Vizier's final energy attack, slowly pushing her backward with immense force. She felt Ranma leave the shadow stream, feeling relieved that he would be safe. The Shadow Weaver felt more energy gathering behind her. "Farewell, my love," she whispered. "I can never repay for my misdeeds, and the suffering I caused... straying from the middle path. My only regret...." Darkness enveloped her from behind, welcoming Hokuto back into the night whence she came. --- Everyone on the sky deck shielded their eyes as the Dead End Buster's violet lance vaporized Vizier completely, and continued on as if he were never there. The blast extended outward quickly, driving dead center into the ruby eye of the Mekani cluster beast. When the light show was over, alarms blared all around the fighters, each warnings of the power drain coming just after a successful blast. Deck elevators lowered below the deck to retrieve deployable defenses for the inevitable attack from the Mekani survivors. Ranma, surprised he was lying on the sky deck, looked outward toward the Mekani web gate, and saw that the bulk of the spheroid was gone, but some of it, and all four legs, remained intact, and they were growing ever larger in his eyes. "Why... Hokuto...?" he muttered. Ranma forced his eyes shut, trying to contain himself. "Why did you have to go and die?!" "Here," one of the Sailor Senshi said, offering a gloved hand. Ranma stared upward in surprise. "It's you?" Sailor Jupiter nodded. "We're not out of the woods yet, you know, so we can use your help." "Sailor Jupiter!" Mars and Mercury exclaimed at once, both surprised. "Mind if I join in?" she asked. "Oh great, you're still walking," Mousse groaned. "Stuff it for later, Mousse," Ukyo suggested, putting a hand on his shoulder to stop him. She jabbed a thumb backward. "The Mekani are waiting." Almost forgotten by all, the battered form of Shizuka rose, supporting her stump arm with a ghostly, skeletal claw. "I... awaken," Deathclaw rumbled, eyes flaring white with malevolence. --- Wiseman's Citadel, Nemesis "Ah, I see you finally arrived," the cloaked man greeted as Sailor Moon and Kanna materialized on the ground below him. He kept one shimmering hand held over the crystal ball in his lap, with the image of the battle on the Night Hammer's sky deck raging within. Sailor Moon looked up toward her nemesis, and handed Shizuka's prism over to Kanna. "Death Phantom... how can I allow you to ascend the Throne of Chaos?" Wiseman merely laughed. "You no longer have it within your power to stop me, not with your attentions divided between me and Vizier." "We got that part already," Kanna snapped impatiently. "Did you ever think to consider what might happen to Earth because of your ambition?" "I would ask you the same," the old man replied, raising his shimmering hands to his dark hood. Grasping the sides with both hands, he threw it back. Sailor Moon gasped. "That's... Dr. Taydome...?" "In appearance alone, I assure you," replied Wiseman, his voice emerging from the preserved body's lips. "Earth no longer concerns me." "How can you say that?" demanded the Crystal Spider. "We thought you wanted us to change the world." "I do," he confirmed. "But, as you know, you proved to be an interesting diversion to any attention that could've been placed on me. In silence I've slowly gathered the residual energies released from your little war, all the while fueling the Black Crystal and allowing it to grow in the darkness from which it was born. Carefully I concealed my true intentions from all of you, allowing each of you to believe what you wished most convenient. I merely pointed you in the general direction; each of you made your choices on your own." "You've won already, Death Phantom," Sailor Moon said finally. "You've achieved your grand ascension... so what are you going to do with your Black Crystal now?" "If he wanted to destroy us he would've done that a long time ago," Kanna noted. "Your uses to me have not come to an end just yet," he admitted. "The sampling your comrades fight now is only that, and I intend to reaffirm the seat of power in Tau Ceti by taking this moon with me home." "You saved up all your black energy to move Nemesis back to Tau Ceti," Moon realized. "And in that way you restore the world belonging to the disciples of Chaos. It's how you intend to complete the prophecy... but the Mekani are also there. You still need us to fight them for you, because all the energy you've saved is going to be used in moving this world." "Consider this, Sailor Moon," the puppeteer said grimly, throwing his hood back over his head. "The Mekani need a strong foothold in this galaxy in order to continue their expansion. They will ensure their survival in these fringe worlds before continuing, and they will return even when you defeat their advanced party. They have been in Tau Ceti for quite some time, and it is their closest staging ground to attack your world. The Mekani Hive Masters know of your new Earth, a world ripe for their harvest, and its untapped planets, filled to the brim with rich resources. They will not rest until they know they can safely hold their empire in this galaxy, and we must join the myriad others who oppose their ruthless expansion across the universe." "The war is far from over," he finished. "This is only the beginning." --- Sky Deck, Night Hammer Silence fell in the artificial atmosphere surrounding the Night Hammer, and each of its defenders stood or lay on the deck, exhausted, amidst the torn, steel piles of broken Mekani warriors that made it through the defense lines. Slowly, one-by-one, each of the defenders rose back to their feet. Ranma could barely lift himself, and he paused momentarily to kick away one of a warrior's steel, insectile legs. "It's over," he declared. However, a presence loomed behind him, overshadowing him with an oppressive, unliving force. A chill ran up the martial artist's spine. The possessed Shizuka landed a good hit in the back, sending Ranma sprawling across the deck. "For you, traitor, it most certainly is," Deathclaw finished. "Hey!" cried Sailor Uranus. "What do you think you're doing?" "We haven't settled our previous business," Cinder answered, gathering his cloak around himself, walking to join the priestess. "The Mekani threat may be over for now...." His mechanical eye whirred, focusing on a possible target. "You guys are crazy," Ukyo muttered, leaning on her spatula. "We surrendered." "I will never surrender," Deathclaw proclaimed, clenching his ghostly fist tightly, white wisps trailing from his fingers. "Too many have died for this miserable world called Earth, and for nothing." "Shizuka," Sailor Mars said, "the war's over." "It's never over!" Mousse cried defiantly, standing next to the possessed priestess. "Don't you think you did a good enough job already?" asked Sailor Jupiter. "The more you guys push for revenge, the more people die! More good people like Hokuto would die; is that what you want?" "What I want is immaterial," Cinder growled. He clenched a fist. "What you humans should be considering is the fact that the Mekani will not give up. Nor shall we." "They're too caught-up with the dead to think about the living," Neptune saw. "You've been fighting so long that you lost sight of what really matters." "Look, you guys," Ukyo said, "I'm just tired. Can't we just leave it at that?" "Not until their grievances are settled," Ryoga noted. "It can't, as long as they keep hating." "This stupid hating has to end," Ranma said bluntly. But Sypha shook her head. The black sorcerer stood up tall, but did not move to join her fellows. "Cinder, Mousse, Shizuka... we can't go on anymore." "Why not?" demanded Deathclaw, snarling. "The Sailor Senshi must pay for their misdeeds!" "And yet," the black sorcerer pointed out, "there's a ring of truth in their words. How many more of us have to die until we're satisfied? How many of the Sailor Senshi have we actually killed? None; all this war is doing is dwindling our own numbers, and if we all die, no one will remember. I can't allow that." Cinder lowered his arm, hanging it in defeat. "The memory of my lord and Miranda will not be served their due if I perish now." "And Shampoo," agreed Mousse. "Bah," scoffed the ghost dragon. "Hokuto and Mizuki knew the consequences of their actions, and you expect me to live for them? How foolish do you think I am?" Everyone shielded their eyes as a brief flash of light burst over the possessed girl's position, and in the time it took for everyone's eyes to adjust Shizuka was being held fast at her arms. In a strong grip the boa constrictor Thanatos, recently teleported in, bound the girl. "Release me!" Deathclaw demanded furiously. "Sorry, Shizuka," they heard Shion say, "but the snake wants you to stop, too." "You, too?" "Shizuka, think about it," the mercenary continued. "I almost lost you once before. You almost lost me. Now tell me, do you really want to go through all that all over again?" The girl's eyes flared more brilliantly as Deathclaw gazed down at Thanatos' small head. The snake flicked his forked tongue quickly, and he stared straight into his partner's eyes. Shizuka lowered her head, defeated. "Very well," she said, resuming control over her body, "you win." --- She felt light as a feather even as she descended from the skies. Sailor Venus immersed herself in her surreal surroundings, of an endless blue sky, the fluffy, white clouds passing as she descended toward the unseen Earth below. Sparkles of light trailed as she descended, and warmness enveloped her; a warmness she had not felt since her heart crystal was forcibly taken from her body. It was almost time to wake up, she knew. Two translucent wisps appeared suddenly, matching her descent path. Although they were of shapeless form Venus recognized the spirits of the departed. Brother and sister exchanged serene smiles between each other, then faced the Sailor Senshi. Kodachi Kuno mouthed a word, but no voice could be heard. "Go on," she told the Kuno siblings. "You guys earned a well-deserved rest." No sooner had she spoken those words Venus felt the warmness envelop her completely, and the weight of the world tugged at her. She opened her eyes, realizing that she was lying down, likely on a bed, judging from the soft texture. Her vision blurred, as her eyes had not functioned for quite a while, but it took only a few moments to recognize the face of Neo Queen Serenity and the other Sailor Senshi. "Welcome home," the queen greeted warmly. --- World Parliament, Geneva With full confidence Ayame could say that she would never stand alone. "The charges are as follows," a voice echoed in the great hall. "High treason against the planet Earth and its peoples. Disturbance of the peace. The willful destruction of property, of a monetary value in excess of...." As the arbiters read off the list of charges against her and the Fenril Knights Ayame glanced to each side, to the others who stood by her in the great hall, awaiting judgement by the people who ruled the world. The trial was meant to be swift, but in the light of the thwarted Mekani attack Neo Queen Serenity intervened, wishing to preside over the hearing herself. Although she unofficially supported her former enemy the queen made it clear that the ruling would be decided by the panel of judges, and not her own personal whim. In other words, whatever the five appointees decided, she would endorse their ruling. Ayame and the others had to accept that despite their machinations to manipulate the outcome. The regional governors appointed the judges, who came from all walks of life and represented different peoples from around the world. Although they were supposed to be impartial in matters presented before them, there was no avoiding the fact that each and every one of them was affected by the Black Moon War that came before, and they would likely come down hard on their successors. "The number of casualties is staggering," one judge said, in response to one listed charge. "On the other hand, how many of them actually died?" countered Kanna, and there was an uproar from the audience. "Order!" demanded the head judge. Directing attention to the floor he said, "I will have you remain silent at this time, do you understand?" "Perfectly," she answered. Ayame glanced toward the tactician standing at her right out of the corner of her eye, offering a slight smirk. Every word from her mouth was calculated precisely, and while it appeared to work against them on the surface the trial wasn't over yet; the poison has plenty of time to do its magic. She waited patiently as the list of charges was completed, and Ayame tallied them all up in her mind. If the bloodthirsty got their way the Fenril Knights would die at least thirteen times over... if only there were such a thing as a death penalty. No, the worst they could get was an eternal sentence of exile, which would land them back on Nemesis anyway. Either way, Ayame didn't care; one sentence was as severe as the other. It was the inevitable guilty sentence that urged Ayame to a 'no contest' on the charges; she had no wish to drag out a criminal trial for years on end, only to prove that she and her people were guilty of all charges. Each of them knew what they did, and they all accepted it; it came with losing a war. "Have you anything to say for yourselves before we rend sentence?" asked the head judge. Ayame's head glanced down to her left, then to the right, to the faces of those who stood as the remaining definite Fenril Knights. At the far left stood Ranma and Ryoga, the last-minute deserter and the early deserter, both who decided on their own to stand with the others despite their personal pardons from Neo Queen Serenity. Next was Ukyo, who appeared resigned to another period of exile, and lacked whatever cheer she usually possessed as a seller. Mousse stood with his head up and proud, with his recently-treated hands down at his side, as he refused to allow Neo Queen Serenity to heal them with her magic. They remained bandaged, but at least they would recover. Immediately to the left was Shion, who should have stayed in the hospital for observation, but he adamantly desired to stand with the others. To the right her comrades started with Kanna, who appeared extremely confident despite the odds stacked against her. Next was Higure, and the old man stared up and straight impassively, appearing quite bored with protocol of the judicial system. Beside him, the remaining three Fenril Knights, Sypha, Shizuka, and Cinder, were the only ones visibly bound. Each stood with glowing, green energy braces that kept their arms bound, and while Shizuka, despite having many bandages wound around her head, looked ready to explode, and Sypha looked cold and impassive, Cinder's expression could not be read at all. His mechanical eye was the only feature visible under his heavy hood, and while protocol would usually demand the removal of such his reptilian appearance startled more than one person. Ayame's eye caught sight of Shizuka's bandaged hand, the very hand that was destroyed in the previous battle. She was not privy to how it got restored, but whispers said Deathclaw regenerated it for her. It was more likely she let Neo Queen Serenity restore it. "You say," the salamander hissed, "that the casualties to your people are high?" "Would you like me to repeat the number?" asked the arbiter. "Three-billion lives!" "And how many of them perished during the course of this war?" he pressed. "I'll let you know, because surely, you don't have the answer. You count seven... all on our side. I count somewhere well beyond three- billion... humans and kami, slain by your defenders, the Sailor Senshi." "Oh yes," another judge said. "Your vaunted spirit people... who could not possibly exist." "And besides," added another, "the Sailor Senshi are not awaiting sentence, you are." "Human laws govern none who are not human," Sypha replied calmly. Her body wavered in a snake-like motion in place. "Yet since the kami are not people it is not murder. To humans murder is committed against fellow humans, no other." "Enough!" the head judge decided. "Your race may be indeterminate, but while you're in my courtroom you are governed by our laws." Ayame gave the two kami a stern look, and was pleased to see that they stood down. "Answer me this, though," Mousse said in a low tone, and it was definitely not a request. "You think this world doesn't need weapons-- or soldiers, for that matter-- to live. You think, just because world peace was handed to you on a silver platter that you can forget about the people who fight for it." "The era of war has been placed behind us," one of the panel replied. "In order to maintain peace and harmony we must prevent war from occurring again. We do commemorate those who worked hard to build this peace, but we have not forgotten them. Surely there must be more to life than fighting." "Yet," interrupted Ranma, "the whole point was that you couldn't defend yourselves from an attack as insignificant and controlled as ours." "And that's what your ineffectual Peacekeeper Corps is for," Kanna pointed out. She shook her head. "I witnessed them first-hand, and by golly they didn't have the means to stop something as simple as a seventeen-man uprising." "The methods of the Peacekeepers will undergo review," one judge assured her. "However, it does not excuse your actions for bringing this to light." "Maybe not," Shion replied, "but you must realize that attack comes in many different forms. True, disease and ecological disasters are a thing of the past, but there are some things that aren't. I hacked your world's highest-security computers in five minutes; what does that tell you about security? I'll tell you: it's a complacency problem." "And then there's the Mekani," added Ukyo. "Your laws and edicts work fine here, maybe... but they don't protect you from outsiders like them. You saw the battle with your own eyes; if it wasn't for us you guys would be running from those locusts." "If it wasn't for you people the invasion never would have happened!" shouted someone from the audience. "The Silver Crystal protects us all!" another cried. "That same crystal didn't protect you from the Mekani!" Ryoga shouted. "WE DID!!" Another wave passed through the crowd, and order was demanded yet again. "Bickering fools," Shizuka muttered, shaking her head. "You know nothing of hate and suffering, nor of peace and harmony." She attempted to raise her bandaged hand for all to see, but the bonds prevented her from doing so. "Watch your tongue, girl!" warned a judge. "All I see in this court is hate," the priestess of Genbu said, raising her voice for all to hear this time. "Hate directed at the world, and at a handful of people." She glanced upward toward Neo Queen Serenity. "Is this the world of purity you strove to create?" "It's likely that the radiating dark energy of the Black Crystal is encouraging their rage," Kanna noted. "Only this time, on a much larger scale and scope." "But you still can't lay blame on a stupid crystal," Shizuka insisted. "No bauble can change human nature; that's why we're standing trial now." "You're right, though," conceded Ayame. "The people of the world have forgotten what it means to have peace and happiness... and in this utopia called Earth, all have taken peace for granted." "Peace has prevailed for so long, and conflicts have disappeared so much... that it's expected. It's the norm. There are no wars, violence, or battles. There is no disease, famine, flood, or earthquake. The status quo is maintained, day in and day out, and no one need worry of these threats." "The problem is, peace is not a right. It's not something that is handed to you; you have to work for it. The existence of the Sailor Senshi is proof of this; without them this world would've been destroyed... whether it be by the Black Moon, us, or the Mekani. Three trials by fire are more than enough prompting, isn't it?" "I'm not saying we were right," Ayame continued, finally feeling weary of the entire mess, "and I'm not saying you're wrong. We don't expect to be let go easily, and we'll accept whatever sentence the court rends with pleasure. Just know this, people of the world: you are not the center of the universe. In the scheme of the cosmos you are but a speck of dust to the sea of stars. Out there, beyond the darkness of the void, lies many others who think just as you do, and those who would conquer, like the Black Moon and the Mekani. So long as you continue to punish those who recognize this fact, and so long as you allow yourselves to be shepherded blindly by the Sailor Senshi, the worse it'll get when the bigger kids enter the playground. I can't stand to watch my fellow people destroy themselves." A curtain of silence fell upon the great hall, and Ayame was satisfied that no one vocally objected to what was likely her final speech. Her eyes passed down the panel of five judges, watching their expressions tear at a thought they never considered. Or, if they did, they were moved... one way or another. She closed her eyes, and lowered her head slightly while the judges passed eyes to one another, and the head judge finally spoke. "You, the Fenril Knights-- Ayame Mishima, Shion Kagami, Kanna Rajura, Ranma Saotome, Ryoga Hibiki, Ukyo Kuonji, Mousse, Higure Furui, Shizuka Minazuki, Sypha Blade, Cinder-- plead 'no contest' to all charges presented to this court. The sentences will be as follows." "Ranma Saotome," the head judge began, "in light of your actions in the defense of this world, and the support of its defenders, you are hereby pardoned of all charges against you. This pardon is extended also to Ryoga Hibiki, clearing both of you of any punishment due to your comrades." "Congratulations," Ukyo whispered to the two, although neither Ranma nor Ryoga looked particularly happy about the news. "It's only circumstance," Ryoga muttered. "Yeah, you guys're going to get hit big time," Ranma knew. "Cinder is to be exiled from the Earth immediately, pending process of justice. This sentence is extended also to Sypha Blade. The two of you have expressed complete belligerence toward the people of Earth, and its safety is in jeopardy so long as you continue to live on this world." "Bastards," hissed Shizuka. "You, Shizuka," the judge said, immediately singling-out the outburst, "are to be taken from these chambers pending process of justice, and exorcised of your inner demon, Deathclaw. Furthermore, pending the expected positive results of exorcism, you are to be exiled from the Earth for your crimes against humanity." The priestess's eyes narrowed. "You know even less than I thought," she said to herself, finding she has to contain her laughter. "As for the rest of you," he said, "the sentence is as follows: it is the recommendation of this court and Neo Queen Serenity to extend to each and every one of you to serve a term of community service of no less than twenty years. Failure to do so will result in prison time for an equal amount of time." "That's it?" Mousse said, blinking. "Although I never raised my hand to action," the old man Higure said, "I serve punishment of equal severity as my fellows." "The remaining Fenril allies and associates are to serve a term of community service of no less than ten years, under the same conditions as before." The head judge stared down at Ayame. "This court is adjourned." "About time," Sypha muttered, her ruby lips curving into a smile. She writhed in place, moving with the grace of a serpent as the energy bond surrounding her collapsed and clattered on the ground at her feet, much to the silenced surprise of the gathered people. Following suit, Cinder flexed his arms, and the bonds quickly burst into atoms, further silencing the hall. An invisible force merely cut the bond around Shizuka in two, allowing two halves of energy to clatter uselessly and dissipate on the floor, now that their circle is broken. She and Deathclaw chuckled in a low tone, and it sounded quite eerie to Ayame. "Know this, people of Earth," the black sorcerer said, raising her voice to echo all across the chamber. "You may dispose of us now, but it serves you no purpose to brush your fears under a rug. There are more of us out there, living among you, and someday they will rise up and challenge you, just as we did. When that time comes, you will either be prepared for change, or suffer the consequences." "Civilizations rise and fall," Shizuka/Deathclaw added. "I've witnessed thousands in this manner. Pray you don't repeat the same mistakes." "No matter what fate befalls us, I retain my honor and dignity," the robed salamander said. "It is a far cry to say that you could claim the same." "We bid you, the court, well," Sypha finished with a bow, and proceeded to exit the hall unhindered, followed by Cinder, then Shizuka. One after another the Fenril Knights filed out of the courtroom, escorted by Peacekeeper officers, leaving a very strong impression on the minds of the people. Ayame allowed herself to smile, knowing that this calculated maneuver would serve to bolster their already-legendary status. The last the public eye would see the Fenril Knights marching out of the courtroom, victorious even in defeat, as the finest warriors in history. --- Ayame was pleased that the kangaroo court was dispensed with as the PKs lead the remaining Fenril Knights to another room, a small meeting room compared to the great hall they exited. Each one of them took a seat at the table, with each of the Sailor Senshi opposing them on the other side. Ayame took her seat at the head of the table, and waited patiently as Neo Queen Serenity entered the chamber, and took her own seat at the opposing head. "The sentences stand," the world monarch declared, setting the base on the table. "Some of you suffer a harsh punishment," she nodded toward the kami, "and some of you may have come off easy," she nodded toward Ranma and Ryoga, the deserters. "What I am about to tell you does not leave this room. All present are entrusted to this information which you many not share with anyone other than yourselves. Any information that falls into public hands will be denied outright." "It's the PKs," Kanna knew, looking around and noting all the Peacekeeper officers were still present. The queen nodded. "What has to be determined yet is how each of you serve out your sentences. On the one hand, you can live on Nemesis. This will make you part of an expedition headed out to Tau Ceti to ascertain the threat of the Mekani in that system. Since Nemesis is on its retreating orbit it will serve as a sort of base of operations and launch point against the Mekani enemy, and any of Pharaoh 90's spawn, if they yet live." "Or you could remain here on Earth. After much consideration we have decided that the Peacekeeper Corps, under its current management, needs to be reworked into a more effective force. To that end all officers have been relieved of their duties, and we are forming a more efficient, invisible group." "So what you're doing is removing the PKs from the public eye, while at the same time continuing the program and making it stronger," Kanna interpreted. "I'll bet it means they'll have greater freedoms from now on?" "Precisely," answered Sailor Mercury. "There's no point to Peacekeepers if they can't keep the peace." "On the other hand, in a world like this, why would we need Peacekeepers in the first place?" Mars said, posing the question rather than asking for an answer. "We created them after the Black Moon War, but it has proven unnecessary." "But the threat of outsiders still looms over the Earth," continued Uranus. "The purpose of the expedition is to stop the enemy from invading again, but while we're away someone needs to defend Earth." "And that's where the new Peacekeepers come in," Jupiter finished. Ayame brooded over the revelation quietly, then spoke after careful consideration. "If I understand what you're saying you're forming a team armed with illegal accessories. Likely including hardware with power on the magnitude of the Dead End Buster." "How would you go about it?" asked Neo Queen Serenity. "Well, I... wait a minute. You've got to be joking." "How come you get all the good jobs, huh?" Shion said, jabbing ribs even if he was nowhere near Ayame's chair. "Look at it this way," suggested Sailor Venus. "Whichever way you go you'll disappear from the public eye, and at the same time continue working toward the betterment of Earth. It's not enough that there be defenders of the planet, but that they are prepared for any situation possible. You guys are very capable of doing this." "It's a bit much, don't you think?" said Ukyo, appearing skeptical. "I'm just a cook." "Retirement sounds enticing," Higure agreed. "I hardly see a choice in the matter," Cinder observed. "The only logical course would be the Nemesis expedition." "I agree," Sypha said. She looked directly across the table. "I have no wish to live on a world where I am not welcome, or to be reminded of the atrocities again. Our fellow kami will rise up on their own when they feel it's the time. I'll just have to direct my wrath elsewhere in the meantime." "We two are going along as well," Neptune voiced, indicating herself and Uranus, who nodded. "It's our duty to defend this system from outside invaders like the Mekani." "Yeah, so who else wants to go?" asked Ranma. "I sure ain't." "Neither am I," agreed Ryoga. "Still, I don't think I'll be much help to the Peacekeepers, either. I just want to live the rest of my life quietly." "Huh, if only you could remain complacent in all that peace and quiet," Mousse snorted, folding his arms. "I know I couldn't." "I need some time to think about it," Kanna said, seemingly lost in thought. "It's all a bit sudden, you know." "This sucks," Shizuka muttered. "Just when everybody was back together again, everyone's splitting up again, too." Her head turned in the direction of Neo Queen Serenity. "What's the big idea, breaking us all up?" "Shizu... no one's going anywhere," Shion tried to convince her, but his words fell on deaf ears. "I've lost a family coming into this war," she explained. "I'm not about to lose another one coming out of it, too. Unlike the rest of you I've lost more coming out than going in. Mizuki's gone forever, and now even Hokuto's gone." "C'mon, Shizuka," Ranma said, "we've got our own families to go back to, too, y'know. And don't you have one, too?" Ayame cast the martial artist a glance. "Let her take her time," she suggested. "She's still plenty of time to figure out what to do, considering nobody's going to wrench Deathclaw out anytime soon." "Shizuka," Neo Queen Serenity said patiently, "there are those back home who would like to see you." "Oh yeah?" the priestess of Genbu asked. "Who?" --- Interview 8 "Geez, we've talked this long? How long has it been since I first came here? It seemed like ages ago, but in fact it's only been a few hours." "But still, I think Neo Queen Serenity was right; I do have a family to go back to, and the thing is, I never realized it. I was so caught-up in losing my old family that I was blinded to what was happening. In that battle, that war... the Fenril Knights was my family. They were my friends, my brothers, my sisters, my mothers, my fathers... bound by common goal and purpose, and divided in thought." "That family is now gone, replaced by a new one... the one I discarded long ago. You know it sounds cheesy, and I think it is, too, but still... seeing you after all these years, little brother... I've not seen you since the first year of your life, when I was taken away. I so wish I was part of your life." "You think it was hard to realize you had a long-lost sister... how bad do you think it was for me? I knew of you, and the other two girls, and I watched all three of you grow up from a distance, unable to talk or feel anything. Yet you say you had vague memories of me, in dreams or something, of an older sister that once was. Childhood memories are strange like that." "It's not crying, you dork, it's these onions. Ah, screw it, I don't care anymore. I'm strong." "I missed you." "You have no idea how I longed to touch these hands, to hear you speak to me. It's something that's been eating my heart ever since I became a priestess. I really wish you could've met Mizuki; you would've found her sweet. She is always with me, and she's the big sister I never had. Maybe I could do that for you." "Well, you know there's still plenty of time to talk things over and all... I still haven't made up my mind about Nemesis. Master Cinder and Lady Sypha accepted almost immediately to join the expedition, seeing how they have little desire to live on this Earth. And then guys like Ranma, Ryoga, Ukyo, Higure, and Akane immediately decided they wanted to stay on Earth. For the others, though... they still have to make up their minds." "Well, they're my friends; I do care. Love and appreciate them dearly, before you miss them." "Kanna has a tough choice for herself; she's gotten various offers from many institutions to become things ranging from a college instructor to a high-ranking official in the newly-revamped Peacekeeper Corps. On the other hand she's also got the side of her that's begging for the challenge of beating the Mekani, so she may go with the expedition." "Mousse really has no reason to stay, and her mentor Cologne isn't going to force him either way. His way is to fight, and he wants to take Shampoo with him always, wherever he goes. Thing is, he doesn't know which way the road will take him yet, whether its to the PKs or the expedition." "And Ayame... she was offered by Neo Queen Serenity herself to become the new director of the PKs, judging from her ability in the last war... and to rectify the general ineffectiveness of the current director and his administration. If our side is any indication it would be something she's well-suited for. I really doubt she'd be willing to go on the expedition, so the question is whether or not she wants to take the job." "Shion was also offered a high position on the PKs, but he turned it down, citing he prefers to retain his freelancer status. He also added that he was quite willing to join the expedition with Dumas and the other weapons technicians, provided on my own decision... god I hate him. Does he really have to be so blatant about it? Oh well, at least there's still time to change HIS mind...." "I'm not sure what to do yet, actually. Master Higure says I should follow my heart, and decide where I want to spend my life, now that my wings are free to fly. Thing is, I don't have to take responsibility for what I was trained for anymore, and I don't have anything left to do here, so I might go just for that. On the other hand, I want to stay with you for a while, and help out... or something. And on the next hand, Master Cinder and Lady Sypha could use the company; they'd get in trouble without me. Deathclaw says it's up to me, but he'd prefer to go where the action is." "Still, I've got time for you guys... and maybe I can forgive Mom and Dad while I'm at it. Sure is funny how all this works out, doesn't it?" --- Crystal Palace, Crystal Tokyo Neo Queen Serenity gazed out at the stars from the high balcony of the reconstructed Crystal Palace, and saw no shooting stars in the sky. The lights in the city below marked its usual activity, now that the scar of war was obliterated from view. Life could be considered 'back to normal,' but the monarch preferred to think of it as 'better.' "What kind of ruler would I be if I did not listen to the voice of my subjects?" she asked herself, her question unheard by other ears. "Perhaps that was the reason the war needed to be fought." "Or perhaps it was because we are fulfilling our destinies?" asked another voice. She was no longer surprised by the sudden appearances and disappearances of the last Child of Chaos. "Is it time?" she asked. "I would deign not to see you again," admitted Wiseman, his reflection in the crystal wall behind the queen. "Our goals and ideals are too different to reconcile. Now that the Black Crystal is whole and ready we can speed its return to Tau Ceti and return it to the orbit of its parent world. The tenth planet of this system will be no more... and the throne world of Chaos will be reborn." "This is how it must be, then," Neo Queen Serenity concluded. "One world cast in the light of the Silver Crystal, the other forged in the darkness of the Black Crystal. Yet, there can be harmony of light and darkness." "That harmony is in a world apart," Wiseman agreed. "Both cannot exist together, but must exist nonetheless even if apart. If destiny would have it we will never meet again, and let it be known that I prefer it as such." "Strange," the queen said, "because I have come to understand the darkness the more I speak of it with you." "Tread not the border in balance," warned the old man. "I have no more desire to learn of the light than you of darkness." "Then let us part enlightened, Death Phantom," Neo Queen Serenity declared, turning around to face the hooded figure in the crystal for the first time. "In understanding we usher another era of peace and harmony... that in the eternal struggle our ancestors fought. Farewell." Wiseman nodded silently, his image vanishing from view. "Perhaps," he said cryptically, before vanishing completely. --- It took a great deal of effort, but the cycle of destruction finally drew to a close. The engineer of the design stood back away from the globe depicting this parting between mortal enemies, for what they believed to be the last time. That, as Death Phantom said, was an uncertainty. The prophecy of the Chaos Children has been fulfilled; if not literally, as the last succeeded his father by process of elimination. It was likely a simple matter at that point to remove the remaining spawn of Pharaoh 90 as potential threats to authority, then oust the Mekani invaders from their foothold in Tau Ceti and any other invaded system. Five would emerge from the fall of Chaos, and the father shall be avenged. Yes, it definitely wasn't a literal fulfillment. It was something only the Chaos Children understood; the prophecy referred to a rite of succession to the father's power rather than revenge. Revenge was only an incidental motivation that all five of them shared. It was only natural that the successor chose to return to the ancestral home. It was exactly as Death Phantom said it would happen, as the co-conspirator to his rise to power had to admit. The predictable age of the prophecy has drawn into a close, opening up for uncertainty and endless possibility by all players. It was an age which she welcomed. "There's a lot of work ahead," Sailor Pluto said to herself, walking amongst the mists surrounding the Gate of Time, alone in solitude. It was hard enough that she had to discard her previous incarnation to get this far, but it was necessary in order to understand the true meaning of the prophecy. Her time spent captured by Death Phantom did not go wasted at all, and without her guidance he would never have found out how to use the Fenril Knights to his advantage; it was something only an observer of time would have noticed. "And I will always be there, watching," she vowed. Pluto vanished into the mists, deciding it was time to resume her duties as guardian of the Gate of Time. ---------------------------------------------------- Author's Notes Thank you for reading! --Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NOhotmailSPAM.com) http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/index.html