"The Eternal Lost Lurker" The Eternal Lost Lurker (squn29a@prodigy.com) Another fun crossover! Although it gets a little dark along the way... Ranma 1/2 property of Takahashi Rumiko, Weekly Shonen, Shogakukan, VIZ. Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon property of Takeuchi Naoko, Kondansha, Toei Animation. This story takes place at the end of the Ranma 1/2 anime series, and between Sailormoon R and Sailormoon S. Nibun no Senshi Sailor Moon Episode 1: NEW MOON At the Hikawa Shrine, the five Sailor Senshi were having a meeting, and a small celebration party. It had been a week since the defeat of the Black Moon Family, and the return of Chibi Usa to her own time. Things were peaceful, and everyone was happy. However, this was not to last. In the heart of Juuban, a horrible creature, ten feet tall, seemingly made of solid mud, stalked through the streets, demolishing everything in sight. People ran screaming in terror. The creature picked up cars and tossed them at stores. At Hikawa Shrine, Rei, Luna, and Artemis simultaneously sensed an evil force, and informed the others. "Oh nooooo, not agaaaaaain!" whined Usagi. "I thought we were through with all thiiiiiis!" Makoto smirked. "We will be, as soon as we deal with whatever it is. We handled the Dark Kingdom, Ail and Ann, and the Black Moon Family. Whatever this is, we'll kick its butt." "You shouldn't be so overconfident, Mako-chan," Ami said. "This thing looks far more powerful than any monster the Black Moon family conjured up." "We'd better go, you guys," Minako suggested. Luna nodded. "Minna, henshin yo!" The five girls grunted an affirmative. "MERCURY STAR POWER, MAKE-UP!" "MARS STAR POWER, MAKE-UP!" "JUPITER STAR POWER, MAKE-UP!" "VENUS STAR POWER, MAKE-UP!" "MOON CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE-UP!" A few moments later, the Sailor Senshi arrived at the disaster site. "Eeeew," Venus commented. "That thing's butt-ugly," Jupiter remarked. "And evil," Mars added. "We'd better stop it," Mercury advised. "Alright, let's dust this monster!" Moon cried. Leaping in its path, they began their speeches. "Evil creature! How dare you disrupt the peace of this city!" Mars shouted. "Senseless destruction is a waste," Mercury chimed in. "You better stop, or you're gonna regret it!" Jupiter added. The monster ignored them. Venus scowled. "Hey! We're talkin' to you, stupid monster!" "Ai to seigi no, sailor-fuku bishoujo senshi..." Moon began. "SAILOR TEAM!" all five shouted. "Mercury ni kawatte..." "Mars ni kawatte..." "Jupiter ni kawatte..." "Venus ni kawatte..." "Tsuki ni kawatte..." And as one, "OSHIOKI YO!" The monster continued to ignore them. Jupiter scowled. "Alright then...Sparkling Wide Pressure!" She hurled a disc of concentrated thunder at the beast. It struck, but had no effect on the thing. Jupiter blinked. Mercury scanned it. "It's skin is like a very thick armor. I doubt our individual attacks will have any effect on it." Mars frowned, and began her attack. "Burning Mandala!" The rings of flame struck the monster. It turned its head in Mars' direction, pulled a lamppost out of the ground, and hurled it at her. She barely dived out of the way in time. "My turn," Venus said. "Venus Love-Me Chain!" Venus's glowing chain wrapped itself around the monster. It looked down at it, gave a rumbling chuckle, and untangled itself from the chain. Then, to everyone's astonishment, it lassoed a mailbox with the chain, and hurled it at Venus. She managed to dodge the mailbox, but the chain caught her ankle on the return flight. She tripped, and winced. "Owww...." She rubbed her twisted ankle. Mercury scanned Venus, and breathed a sigh of relief. "It's twisted, but that's all." Venus grimaced. "That's plenty, believe me." Mercury put away her computer, and attacked the creature. "Shine Aqua Illusion!" A wave of ice flowed over the monster. For a second, it was frozen solid. Then, the ice shattered, and the thing threw a stop sign at Mercury. She yelped and rolled to the side. Moon glared at the beast. "Alright you, that's enough!" Her scepter emerged from hyperspace, and she grasped it firmly. "Moon....Princess...Halation!" Sailor Moon's attack slammed into the monster...and knocked it back about two meters. Moon blinked at it. The monster shook its head, and seemed to GLARE at her. She laughed nervously and backed away. "Guys...I think it's mad..." Mercury gave a shriek of alarm as the creature picked up a bus. "Look out, everyone!" The monster threw the bus at the Senshi. They all shrieked and dived wildly to the sides. Venus, Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter managed to get out of the way just in time. Moon, however, was not as lucky. The Senshi gasped, as Sailor Moon's scream ripped through the air. The bus struck the pavement, and bounced up, landing a few meters away. And a few meters more ahead of it, Sailor Moon struck the side of a building with a sick thud. She crumpled to the ground, unconscious. A smear of blood marked her passage, and her arms and legs were bent at unnatural angles. "NOOOOOO!!!" the other Senshi cried. The brooch containing the Ginzuishou ripped free of her uniform, and skittered across the sidewalk, and into the gutter. "Oh no...the Ginzuishou..." Mercury gasped. Before any of them could react, the brooch tumbled into an uncovered drainage vent in the gutter, and vanished from sight. And Tsukino Usagi lay motionless on the sidewalk. Somewhere nearby, Chiba Mamoru fell to the ground in agony. //We interrupt this program for a special news bulletin. We now take you live to Juuban, where the latest monster attack has taken a drastic turn.// The Tendou family, Genma, and Ranma crowded around the living room television. Akane gasped. Kasumi said, "Ara..." Ranma stared at the scene. "Wow. That's horrible." //The monster, which has been destroying property along a three kilometer stretch of the business district all afternoon, was confronted by the Sailor Senshi. However, the Senshi were incapable of destroying the monster, and...this just in. According to eyewitnesses, the monster has killed Sailor Moon. Repeat, Sailor Moon, the leader of the Sailor Senshi, has fallen. The other Senshi have vanished, and the rampage continues.// Everyone gasped. "I don't believe it," Nabiki said. The Sailor Senshi were very well known throughout most of Japan. Their battles were often televised in Tokyo, and everyone at the Tendou residence had enormous respect for the female warriors. "This is terrible," Akane said. "I'll say," Ranma agreed. "Sailor Moon, dead...it just don't seem like it could happen." "And without the Sailor Senshi, there is nobody to stand up to that monster," Soun commented. Ranma scowled. "Like hell there ain't," he said. Akane gasped. "Ranma! You're not thinking of going to Juuban and fighting that thing, are you?" Ranma smirked. "Somebody's gotta do it, Akane." "That's my boy!" Genma said proudly. Soun bawled. "Don't do it, son! You'll be killed! Just like poor Sailor Moon!" "Ranma-kun...please be careful..." Kasumi offered. "Ranma...I'm going..." "No you're not, Akane." Ranma crossed his arms and stared flatly at his iinazuke. Akane scowled. "Ranma...you'd better not be saying that because you think I can't take care of myself." Ranma sighed. "That thing killed Sailor Moon. There's a good chance it could even kill me. I don't...I don't want nothin' to happen to you," he finished softly. Akane's eyes shimmered. "Ranma..." She impulsively grasped his hand. "Please...if you're going to do this...promise me you'll be careful." Ranma grinned. "Hey, don't you worry. I'll find a way to beat that thing, and I'll come home without a scratch." Just then, the door opened, and a young man clad in yellow and black, with a similarly colored bandana, burst into the house. "Where...is..." he began. Ranma turned, and smiled. "Ryouga! I was kinda hopin' you'd show up." Hibiki Ryouga looked up, confused. "Huh? Wha?" Ranma filled Ryouga in on the news. Ryouga gasped. "Surely not!" Ranma nodded. "Yeah." Then, grasping Ryouga's shoulder, he said, "And that's why you and me are goin' up there, and we're gonna kick that thing's ass back to wherever it came from." Ryouga paled. "You want...you want to fight something that took out one of the Sailor Senshi? Are you insane?" Ranma shook his head. "Maybe so. But think about it. How many people in Japan would even have a chance of finishing off that thing? The Senshi couldn't do it. I have a feeling the defense force wouldn't even scratch it. Face it, man. If anybody's gonna take that thing down, it's gotta be us." Ryouga blanched at the concept, but then nodded grimly. "You're right, Ranma. Okay, let's go." "Be careful, you two," Akane said gently. Ranma and Ryouga nodded gravely, and left the dojo. Rei, Ami, Minako, and Makoto were all pacing nervously in the hospital emergency waiting room. "This sucks," Makoto said. Minako nodded. "I can't believe this happened." "And the Ginzuishou is gone..." Rei said, frowning. Ami sighed. "I doubt that the Ginzuishou would be able to heal her, even if we had it," she said. "It's powerful, definitely, but even if we knew how to use it, I'm not sure it would work in this situation." Makoto scowled. "It ought to. I mean, it brings people back from the dead!" Just then, the operating room doors opened. The girls waited with bated breath as Mizuno-sensei emerged, scanning a clipboard. "Okaa-san? Is she..." Mizuno-sensei smiled gently at her daughter. "Usagi-chan is alive. She's unconscious, and isn't expected to awaken any time soon. And to be honest...her condition is precarious, at best. But, we are optimistic. She will live, and that's the most important thing to hope for." The girls all heaved a thankful sigh. "Arigatou, Okaa-san," Ami said. "Thank the Sailor Senshi, not me," Mizuno-sensei said. "If they hadn't managed to get her here, I don't think we could have gotten an ambulance past that thing out there." Ami nodded. "Yes, we should be grateful to them." "Well, daughter," Mizuno-sensei said, "I need to get back in there and see to Usagi-chan. I'll keep you all updated on her condition." "Arigatou, Okaa-san!" Ami hugged her mother, and then plopped heavily into one of the waiting room chairs. On the way back into the operating room, Mizuno-sensei smiled to herself. She sighed. One of her colleagues, Ono Tofuu, approached her. "So how are they holding up?" he asked, indicating the direction of the waiting room. "As well as can be expected," Mizuno-sensei replied. "Usagi is very lucky that she wasn't killed by that thing," she commented. Tofuu nodded. "Yes...I just hope the other four don't decide to take the creature on again, for revenge." Mizuno-sensei looked worried. "I don't think Ami would let that happen, but the others are a bit hotheaded..." The two doctors, who had long since realized who the Sailor Senshi really were, shared a moment of heavy silence. A dripping wet Ranma grumbled, and Ryouga snickered at her. "It ain't fair, I tellya," Ranma groused as she glared at Ryouga. "How come I managed to get splashed and you didn't?" Ryouga shrugged. "I wouldn't know, Ranma." The two were in Juuban, headed for the part of town the monster was trashing. A moment earlier, they had passed a fire hydrant which had been damaged by the monster's rampage, and it had picked a choice moment to burst, thoroughly drenching Ranma. "So, what's our plan?" Ryouga asked. Ranma sighed. "I wish I knew," she admitted. Ryouga stared. "You mean you don't have a plan?" Ranma shook her head. "Nope. I'm sure we'll think of something though." The two approached the remains of a wrecked bus, and Ranma shuddered. Ryouga looked at the wall a few meters from the bus, which was smeared with blood. "Is this..." he began. Ranma nodded. "This is where Sailor Moon was killed." Ryouga blanched. There was a roar, and both martial artists looked up. "The thing's close," Ranma observed, jamming her hands in her pockets. Then she paused. "What the--?" "What is it Ranma?" Ryouga asked. Ranma withdrew her hand from her pocket, holding a brooch of some kind. "How'd this get in there?" she wondered, observing the piece of jewelry. "What's that?" Ryouga asked. Ranma shrugged. "I dunno." She opened it up, and gasped. There was an incredibly beautiful silver crystal inside the brooch. It seemed to pulse with a light of its own. "That's beautiful," Ryouga commented. Ranma nodded. "I'll figure out where it came from and who it belongs to later," she said, shoving it back into her pocket. "Right now, we have a monster to stop." The two martial artists jumped as the thing lumbered into view before them. Usagi had been moved into the ICU ward. Against hospital policy, her friends had been allowed inside to see her. Luna and Artemis emerged from Ami's and Minako's handbags. They stared gravely at Usagi's shattered, sleeping form. "Poor Usagi..." Luna said. Artemis sighed. "Whatever did this, is more powerful than even Beryl." Everyone shuddered with that thought. Luna then frowned. "What happened to the Ginzuishou?" Ami sighed. "It was lost when she was hit. It tore loose from her Senshi uniform, and we couldn't catch it before it fell down a gutter." Artemis frowned. "We've gotta find that crystal. If we don't, we've got no chance of stopping that monster." Mamoru chose this moment to arrive, and was filled in on the situation. He knelt beside Usagi's bed, clutched her hand, and wept openly. "Usako...forgive me...I failed you..." Rei placed a hand on his shoulder. "There was nothing you could have done," she said softly. "KYAAAAAAAA!!!!" Ranma shouted as she launched herself at the monster. "Ranma! Don't be a fool!" Ryouga shouted, leaping high into the air and coming down on its head, umbrella first. The monster swatted at Ranma. It ignored Ryouga as he bounced off its head, umbrella acting like a pogo stick. Ryouga tumbled to the ground, making a small impact crater. He rolled to his feet, and eyed the monster warily. Ranma, meanwhile, flew through the air, trying to gain control of her fall. She bounced off the same wall where Sailor Moon had fallen, and hit the ground fairly hard. As she sprung up, a white light flared before her vision. She gasped in pain and surprise. In the ICU ward of the hospital, the Senshi gasped as Usagi's crescent moon sigil flared brilliantly to life. Looking at each other, they saw that their own sigils were flaring as well. "Luna...what does this mean?" Minako asked. Luna stared in disbelief, then gasped in awe. "I think...it means..." she glanced meaningfully at Artemis. "It means...another has been chosen." Princess Serenity's strong crescent moon sigil continued to flare. Prince Endymion felt a surge of power emanate from his love, and understood immediately. "Do not be afraid, Saotome Ranma." "Huh? Who's there?" A vision of a young woman in a pristine white dress flickered across Ranma's mind. The woman had long golden hair, tied in two odango atop her head, and spilling to her feet in two long ponytails. A brilliant crescent moon flared on her forehead. "I am Serenity, princess of the Moon Kingdom. I am also the one who fights for love and justice in the name of the Moon." Ranma gasped. "But...that would mean you're..." Serenity's image nodded. "I am Sailor Moon." "Then...I'm talkin' to a ghost?" Serenity laughed softly, then her expression turned somewhat grave. "Ranma, I have not been killed as you believe. I live still. However, my body has been damaged, and I must be allowed to heal normally, as any human, or my true identity would be revealed to all, which would be a disaster. "Saotome Ranma, I would ask a favor of you. It is not neccessary for you to do this, but you are the only one who has the strength of spirit, and the power, to carry out a wish for me." Ranma looked confused. "What wish?" she asked. Serenity sighed. "Ranma, a grave evil has descended upon the world. This monster, I fear, is only the beginning. The other Sailor Senshi are not powerful enough to deal with this. Even I was not ready. "Now, I can fight no longer. I need an avatar. A warrior to carry on in my place, until such time as I can once again become Sailor Moon." Ranma was catching on. "Wait a second...you ain't askin' me to..." Serenity nodded solemnly. "I know of the nature of your curse, and that your true form is male. Nevertheless, I would ask this of you, Saotome Ranma. I know it will be difficult for you to accept, and if you choose not to, I will understand. But I fear if you do not accept, then this world is doomed." Ranma swallowed. "I dunno...are you sure there's no other way?" Serenity looked down. "I'm fairly certain of it." Ranma sighed. "Alright, what do I do?" "Take the brooch you found in your pocket. And say..." Usagi's sigil emitted a blinding light, then disappeared, as did those of the other Senshi. They all looked around, confused. "Moon....Crystal....Power....Make-Up!" Ranma felt energy engulf her, as her clothes dissolved, to be replaced by an unfamiliar, and rather embarrassing, uniform. She felt her own power increase, and her energy rise. She felt like she could take on anything now. The transformation completed, and Ranma looked down at herself. "Aw man, does this skirt have to be so short?" Ryouga was not faring well. He had tried the Bakusai Tenketsu against the monster, but the thing had knocked him away. It didn't hurt terribly, but he had a feeling he'd be awfully stiff tomorrow. "Alright you..." he growled. The monster picked up a Toyota and hurled it at him. Ryouga barely leapt out of the way in time. The monster prepared to hurl another vehicle. Suddenly... "MACHINASAI!" Ryouga and the monster both turned to the direction of the shout. Ryouga's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "What the HELL!?" Standing there, glaring defiantly at the creature, was a girl with red hair in a pigtail, wearing a sailor-fuku with a red bow, a blue skirt, and red knee-length boots. White gloves covered her arms to the elbow, and a golden tiara graced her forehead. The end of her pigtail was adorned with a round, ruby ornament. Performing silly poses, she said, "You've done enough damage to this town aleady. It's time for it to stop. You managed to defeat the rest, now see if you can stop the best!" The monster stared at her incredulously. Ryouga just stared. "Ai to seigi no, sailor-fuku bishoujo senshi...Shin Sailor Moon! Tsuki ni kawatte, oshioki yo!" Under her breath, Shin Sailor Moon mumbled, "Boy, do I feel silly doing this." Ryouga fainted. "Alright you big ugly monster, let's see whatcha got!" The monster was less than amused. It picked up a sport utility vehicle and hurled it at Shin Sailor Moon. She leapt over it, and landed gracefully. "HA! Is that all you got?" Growling, the thing picked up another vehicle and hurled it. Shin Sailor Moon rolled to the side, easily dodging it. She felt the new power burning within her, fueling her already vast energy. Grinning, she cupped her gloved hands together, and began summoning her ki. A ball of bright yellow energy appeared in her hands. One section of it, shaped like a crescent moon, glowed white. The monster paused as it saw this. After a moment of buildup, Shin Sailor Moon released the energy with a cry of "MOUKOU TSUKITAKABISHA!!!" The crescent-shaped blast flared brilliantly as it tore into the monster. The thing had a chance to roar one more time before it crumbled to dust. Shin Sailor Moon leaped into the air and shouted, "YATTA!" Changing back to her normal form, she went to revive the lost boy. In the ICU ward of the hospital, the Senshi, the cats, and Mamoru all felt the energy, and rushed to the waiting room, where a breaking news report was blaring over the television. //This just in! The monster which claimed the life of superheroine Sailor Moon has been destroyed!// "Masaka...how?" Makoto wondered. "Shh...we'll find out," Ami said. //Our intrepid reporters witnessed the battle, and this is the video:// On the screen, a redheaded girl in a uniform matching that of Sailor Moon was facing off against the monster. //"MOUKOU TSUKITAKABISHA!"// The Senshi gasped as they watched the new girl blast the monster. //This is all we were able to pick up clearly with the camera. However, according to eyewitnesses to the exciting battle, the new warrior calls herself Shin Sailor Moon.// The Senshi all looked at each other. "Shin Sailor Moon?" Rei wondered. "So that's what that was all about," Luna commented. Artemis grinned. "Guys, looks like we've got a new teammate," he said. Ryouga and Ranma returned to Nerima, to find excitement at the Tendou dojo. "Did you guys hear? There's a new Sailor Moon!" Akane enthused. "She destroyed the monster!" Ranma nodded. "Yeah, we saw it. Well, I saw it. P-chan here was out cold." "Who you callin' P-chan," Ryouga said distractedly. He was still trying to figure out what had happened. That Sailor Senshi had seemed so familiar... TO BE CONTINUED The Eternal Lost Lurker (squn29a@prodigy.com) Here we go again... Ranma 1/2 property of Takahashi Rumiko, Weekly Shonen, Shoakukan, Kitty Animation, VIZ Communications. Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon property of Takeuchi Naoko, Kodansha Comics, Toei Animation, and is mangled horribly by DIC and MixxZine. Nibun no Senshi Sailormoon (What has gone before: After the final battle with the Black Moon Family, the peace was interrupted by a powerful new monster. The Senshi were not able to defeat it, and Sailor Moon was critically injured. Unable to continue to fight, she passes the Ginzuishou on to a new avatar: Saotome Ranma, who somewhat hesitantly becomes Shin Sailormoon and destroys the monster.) Episode 2: The search for Shin Sailormoon! Nerima in danger? Ranma sighed as he relaxed in the bath. "Aww man, how am I gonna keep *this* a secret?" he wondered aloud. A black piglet trotted into the bathroom, and hopped into the furo, changing into Hibiki Ryouga. "Hiya Ryouga," Ranma said. Ryouga fixed Ranma with a serious gaze. "Ranma. That...that wasn't you, was it?" he asked shakily. Ranma blinked. "What're you talkin' about, P-chan?" Ryouga's eyes widened. "It...it WAS you, wasn't it?" Ranma sighed, and nodded. "Yeah." Ryouga paled. "How? Why?" "I was chosen," Ranma said, shrugging. "By Sailor Moon." "Sailor Moon's dead. No...YOU're Sailor Moon," Ryouga offered. Ranma shook his head. "She's alive. She used that crystal to talk to me, and give me the powers. She's hurt bad, but she ain't dead." Ranma sighed, and looked Ryouga in the eyes. "Ryouga. You gotta promise me, you won't let anyone know about any of this. I'm trustin' you, man." There was a silence, then Ryouga asked, "Alright, I promise. So what're you gonna do now?" Ranma shrugged. "I dunno. I think I gotta find the other Senshi. I mean, I'm sure they all know each other, or somethin'." Swirling violet mists permeated the boundless plain. A tall woman, with long, flowing green-black hair, observed something through a portal which only she could see, and frowned. "That one will need guidance, if this threat is to be countered," she observed. She pointed her staff at one area of her misty domain. A pale crescent began to glow in the damp air. "Mistress," said a ghostly voice. "You are needed. The Princess has been injured, and has chosen a powerful avatar to fight in her place. But, her avatar needs much guidance." A sigh. "You are aware I have no body." A faint smile creased the dark woman's lips. "I know. But I've found a suitable host for you already. Now, go!" The crescent oozed through the portal, and floated eerily towards Nerima. "How is Usagi-chan doing?" Minako asked as the four Senshi took their seats around the table at Hikawa Shrine. Ami sighed. "Not too well. She's stable, but she's also unconscious most of the time. And even when she is awake, the painkillers make her incoherent." Minako sighed. "I was afraid of that." Rei frowned. "Poor Usagi." Then, clearing her throat, she said, "But, we have another matter to discuss." Makoto nodded. "Yeah. We gotta find that new Sailor Moon, and fast!" Luna spoke up. "It's imperative that we locate her as quickly as possible, before another attack." Rei sighed. "And we don't even know where to begin to look." "Not exactly," Ami said. She opened her computer and began typing rapidly. "I can trace the energy signature of the Ginzuishou. It will at least give us an idea of where to look." "Can you tell us who is carrying it?" Minako asked. Ami frowned. "I might be able to get a reading. It's not likely." After a moment, her computer beeped an affirmative. "Alright...the Ginzuishou's energy signature is coming from Nerima." Everyone blinked. "NERIMA!?" "Maybe she's just shopping or something there," Makoto suggested. "Or else she lives there, and that means we have to look for someone we don't know in a part of the city we're totally unfamiliar with," Minako grimaced. "Calm down, girls," Artemis said. "We can use the computer to guide us to the Ginzuishou, like a homing beacon." Ami nodded. "Yes--" Suddenly, she frowned. "What's this?" She began punching keys rapidly, brow furrowed. "What is it Ami?" Rei asked. "I've set the scan to detect four things: Silver Millenium energy signatures such as the Ginzuishou, high concentrations of non-manufactured energy sources, unusual magical signatures, and negative energy flow." She frowned as she double-checked her readings. "This...this can't be right." "What is it, Ami-chan?" Minako asked. "Well, according to this, there are two energy signatures traceable to the Silver Millenium. One is very intense and quite probably the Ginzuishou. The other is...loosely concentrated, unstable, and in motion. I can't get a physical lock on it." "Aside from those, I'm picking up two intense energy readings, several less intense but still abnormally high ones, and three energy blocking screens, all extending two meters around objects which are in motion. "I'm also detecting no less than five magic signatures. "I'm picking up two negative energy patterns, not conforming to anything displayed by any of our enemies, including the new threat. One is very weak, and fluctuates rapidly. The other is intense, but seems to be dormant." "And proximity scans..." Everyone looked a bit blank. Ami cleared her throat, and began again. "There are a lot of unusual energy readings coming out of Nerima. I've got the Ginzuishou, something else related to the Moon Kingdom, a lot of energy which seems to be coming from human beings, but is abnormally high, and three of those readings are blocked out by some kind of energy cloaking, then there are a number of small pockets of magic moving around, as well as two sources of negative energy. "And the placement of these fields is strange as well. The two largest concentrations of human energy are in close proximity to the Ginzuishou, one directly on top of it. Also, two of the magical signatures overlap those energy readings. The other Moon Kingdom energy signature is moving towards the energy pattern which isn't directly in contact with the crystal. Also, that same energy pattern is laced with traces of negative energy, which flare and relax at irregular intervals." "What about the other negative reading, Ami?" Luna asked. "It's evil," she said. "But it's not something we've encountered, and it doesn't seem to be doing anything. It's in direct proximity to one of the masked energy signatures." "Okay," Makoto said, "So what you're saying is, you've got the crystal, two really powerful people near it, something from the Moon Kingdom heading for the one that doesn't have the crystal, and a sleeping demon?" "Basically," Ami said. Rei looked pensive. "Okay, so what do we do now?" They looked around at each other. "We take the train to Nerima," Minako said. The girls and cats left for the train station. {This is going to be a problem.} {No, my lord. I assure you. We can dispatch the new threat.} {Fool! If the other Senshi locate that new brat, they will gain new powers--or had you forgotten?} {I had not forgotten, my lord.} {See to it you do not.} {If I may, my lord...we believe we can neutralize the Sailor Senshi before they are able to reach the new Sailor Moon.} {See to it that you do, Apollo.} "Hi Ranchan!" Ukyou called as Ranma entered Ucchan's. "The usual?" Ranma nodded, smiling at the cheerful okonomiyaki chef. "Sure thing Ucchan." "Comin' right up!" Ranma and Ukyou chatted idly for a while as Ranma ate. His thoughts, however, were not on the conversation. Ukyou picked up on this after a while. "Ranchan? What's bothering you?" "Hmm? Oh...it's nothing. I just...got some stuff to think about." "Talk," Ukyou said, leaning on the counter. Ranma sighed. "I can't, really, Ucchan. I wish I could, but...well, hell, I don't even understand it myself. It's just something I can't explain." Ukyou looked hurt, but said, "It's okay Ranchan. I understand." Brightening, she said, "Hey, if you ever feel like talking about it, let me know, okay?" Ranma smiled. "I sure will." Suddenly, Ukyou gasped. "Oh no..." "What's wrong, Ucchan?" Ranma asked. Ukyou raised a trembling hand to point outside. On the street, in view of the restaurant, something that looked like a cross between a kobold and a squid, but three meters tall, was sending people into a panic. "KUSO!" Ranma shouted. "Ucchan, I gotta run." "You're not gonna fight it are you, Ranchan?" Ranma grinned. "Trust me, I know what I'm doing." More seriously, he said, "You'd best stay in here, where it's safe." With that, he rushed out of Ucchan's, stopping to snag a glass of ice water off a table on the way. Ukyou stared after him, worried, and slightly puzzled by his behavior. "Guys, heads up. I've spotted a monster." Ami stared at her computer readout. "Yeah? Well a monster spotted us!" Makoto said, pointing. Ami looked up, and gasped. "Man, that thing's even uglier than the last one," Minako commented. The monster swung a tentacle at them, and they all dived for cover in an alley across the street from an okonomiyaki-ya. "Minna, henshin yo!" Minako said. They all raised their henshin sticks. "Mercury Star Power, Make-Up!" "Mars Star Power, Make-Up!" "Jupiter Star Power, Make-Up!" "Venus Star Power, Make-Up!" Ranma blinked. They were in the same alley as she was! She hadn't gotten a good look at them before they transformed though...but it didn't much matter anymore. Grinning, Ranma took the brooch in hand. "Moon...Crystal...Power..." "Make-Up!" The four Senshi whirled, in surprise, as the voice called out the familiar transformation phrase behind them. They gasped in surprise. The redheaded Sailor Senshi grinned at them. "Hi," she said. Just then, Luna and Artemis ducked into the alley. "Senshi! Get out there quickly!" Shin Sailormoon shrieked. "C--c---c----cats!" "Yes, we know, seeing talking cats is a surprise," Venus said drolly. "Uhh...you guys...what's wrong with her?" "C---c---c---c--c-----c----CATS!" Shin Sailormoon trembled in absolute terror. "Luna! Artemis! HIDE!" Mars hissed. The cats made themselves scarce, and Shin Sailormoon calmed down. "What's with you?" Jupiter asked sharply. "Nevermind that now! We gotta stop that monster!" the calm Shin Sailormoon said. The five Senshi darted out of the alley. "So what's the plan?" Mars asked. "Good question. Let's ask the new girl," Jupiter suggested. They all turned to look at Shin Sailormoon. She looked at the monster, and grimaced. "Ugh...that thing's ugly enough to make shit look pretty." "Yeah, it's ugly, and it's evil. So what do we do about it?" "Hmm...Aha! Venus," she said, "You do that chain thing, right?" Venus nodded. "Okay...I'm gonna run out there. When I get close enough to it, use your chain." Venus looked doubtful. "You sure about that?" Shin Sailormoon grinned. "Trust me." And with that, she ran straight at the monster, shouting "Hey you big ugly asshole! Look at me!" "She's insane," Mars commented. "I dunno...I kinda like her attitude," Jupiter said. "Well...we should trust her. She seems to know what she's doing," Mercury said. "Okay...VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!" As Venus's glowing chain approached, Shin Sailormoon ducked a tentacle, and grabbed it out of the air. "Okay, let's see how you like this," she said. "Tenshin Amaguriken Entangle!" Her hands blurred into motion, weilding the glowing chain. Within seconds, the monster's tentacles were hopelessly tangled up in Venus' heart chain. Shin Sailormoon leapt nimbly to the side as it kicked at her, and fell flat on its back. The other Senshi gasped. "Wow," Jupiter commented. Shin Sailormoon charged her chi, with the glowing crescent moon forming in the center of her blast. "MOUKOU TSUKITAKABISHA!" The crescent-shaped energy blast obliterated the monster, and Shin Sailormoon struck a triumphant pose. The other Senshi gathered around her, applauding. "Great work, Shin Sailormoon!" Jupiter said. "Hell, I couldn't have done it without Venus' chain," she said. "I figured if I didn't take out those tentacles there'd be no way I'd have gotten a chance to blast it." After a moment of celebration, Mercury became serious. "Shin Sailormoon, there are a lot of questions we need answered." The others nodded, and Mars piped in, "Beginning with who you are." Shin Sailormoon hesitated, then sighed. "Okay, you got a right to know. C'mon, follow me." She leapt to a nearby rooftop and waited. The others shrugged, and, thankful for their Senshi abilities, leapt after her. To be continued... The Eternal Lost Lurker (squn29a@prodigy.com) Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 property of Takahashi Rumiko, Kitty Animation, Shogakukan, VIZ Communications. Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon property of Takeuchi Naoko, Kodansha, Toei Animation, and is horribly mangled by DIC and MixxZine. Nibun no Senshi Sailormoon Episode 3 Who is this girl? Why is she afraid of cats? The Senshi followed Shin Sailormoon to a secluded park. Once Shin Sailormoon felt like they were alone, she reverted to her normal self--well, normal being a relative term. The other Senshi did the same. "Okay," Minako said, "Why don't you start with your name." She sighed. "My name is Saotome Ranko."