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Death Reborn Evolution
Chapter 07: Chapter 5: Setting the Stage

By: Shanami

 
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Chapter 5: Setting the Stage

Disclaimer: Back in the prologue still, and I still own nothing involved in this.

XXOOXX

Ranko woke with the dawn. This was not unusual; Ranko had settled into a routine of waking when the sun's rays landed on her face then buzzing down the hall at high speed to pounce on her mother. The two would then train for an hour in the way of the sword before making breakfast with her Kasumi-neechan and taking a bath. Afterwards, Nodoka usually dropped Ranko off at either Hotaru's or Usa's house while she went to work. Today was special though, it was Ranko's first day of school.

She was literally vibrating with excitement as she flew down the hallway to wake her mom and Kasumi, who had temporarily moved into the apartment since her university was much closer to Juuban than to Nerima. "Morning mom!" Ranko shouted out joyfully as she pounced on Nodoka. "Get up, get up, get up! I wanna go meet Taru-chan before school starts, I hope everyone at school is nice and wants to be friends. C'mon, wake up!"

Nodoka's sleep addled brain struggled to decode Ranko's babbling as she gathered the young girl in a gentle hug. "Morning sweetie," she mumbled as she sat up. "I suppose we should skip training this morning so we can walk to Hotaru's house. Get yourself a bath missy and I'll get breakfast started."

They had begun training when Ranko was large enough to hold a small blade comfortably and had made some progress at the kempo dojo. Ranko was still a very small girl, so she preferred the wakizashi or a kodachi.

XXOOXX

-Flashback-

Ranko had been pestering Nodoka for days to train her with swords. "Please momma, can you teach me today? It looks like fun when you practice and I wanna try," she said with big glistening eyes and a slightly pouted lower lip.

"Honey, look at the size of my sword, it's as tall as you are. I'm sorry but there's no way you can possibly wield it," Nodoka said and scooped up her daughter.

"Awww, but I wanna try. Can you get me a smaller sword?" Ranko asked.

"Well, I suppose I do have a wakizashi," Nodoka thought out loud.

"Lemme use it, please please please. And then you can show me how to use the swords, and it'll be fun and don't you wanna try it with me?" Ranko pleaded. "And I can almost make a sword anyway momma, I've been practicing, wanna see?"

Nodoka set Ranko down and smiled indulgently at her hyperactive daughter. "Alright dear, why don't you show me what you can do," she said. Nodoka had, of course, seen Ranko practicing to form objects with her magic, but Ranko was just too excited for her to say anything.

Ranko's face scrunched up with concentration and her wings reflexively deployed behind her. Twin halogen like, bright blue beams of light emitted from her eyes and moisture started to condense in her grip. Water seemed to rush out of her hand and form up into the shape of a very traditionally designed sword approximately 20 inches (46 cm) long with a razor sharp edge and a snowflake patterned guard just above the hilt.

"Good job sweetie," Nodoka said while clapping enthusiastically. "You're getting much better at using your powers."

Ranko blushed. "Thanks momma, so, will you train me? Please please please!"

"Alright dear, just go get changed into some practice clothing and meet me on the roof. I'll get my practice blades and I will show you a few things," Nodoka said.

Nodoka spent the rest of the morning showing Ranko some basic blade safety and the rest of the equipment they would need to train with swords. After, she had Ranko dismiss her ice blade and pick up a small training bokken to run through a few fundamentals, such as different swing types and different blocks. She also showed her a beginning kata, but warned her not to practice without the supervision of a skilled swordsmistress such as herself or Haruka.

Nearly every day since, excepting sleepovers at Hotaru's or the Tsukino's houses, Ranko and Nodoka would run through some exercises in the morning for about an hour. They began sparring once a week after Ranko had mastered several kata. Her learning curve was impressive, though she did not pick up moves nearly as quickly as the unarmed skills she learned at the kempo dojo. Ranma had been primarily an unarmed fighter, after all, so she had less phantom memories to rely on.

-End Flashback-

XXOOXX

"Okay mom! I'ma go see Kasumi-neechan before I get in the bath though, bye," Ranko said as she shot back into the air. She rocketed into the kitchen and slammed into Kasumi, pulling her slightly into the air before settling down in Kasumi's arms. "Morning 'Neechan!" Ranko smiled brightly.

"Good morning, Ranko-chan. Would you like something special for breakfast for your first day of school?" Kasumi asked as she held Ranko.

"Mhmm, can I have an omelet and some juice Oneechan? Mom says I need to take a bath but I'll be out really quick," Ranko said.

"Alright then little one, take your bath and I'll have breakfast waiting," Kasumi said and giggled as Ranko bounced out of her arms, gave her a really big smile, and shot off down the hallway towards the furo.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to how much energy she has, especially first thing in the morning," Nodoka commented wryly as she entered the kitchen. "But I don't think I ever want her to change."

"Oh my, good morning Auntie. Ranko is still such an innocent little girl. I hope she doesn't change either, but it is bound to happen eventually," Kasumi replied as she cracked some eggs into a pan.

"You don't need to cook for us every day you know Kasumi," Nodoka said as she set the table.

"Oh, but I do enjoy it Auntie. I miss cooking for everyone, though I will admit the help is nice." The two women continued to chat amiably as they prepared breakfast.

Ranko returned a few minutes later after having taken a quick bath and getting dressed in her new school uniform. It had a white blouse with a sailor style collar in blue and a blue knee length skirt. Ranko wore a pair of simple black flats with knee high white socks and had her hair up in twin ponytails tied with blue ribbons. She was still rather small for her age at only four feet four inches (132 cm) tall with a very petite frame, though she was already pushing the limits of an A-cup bra. Except for the aquamarine highlights in her crimson hair, she was the spitting image of a younger Nodoka or Ranma's female form. Her wings had developed even more and she currently had them deployed through her clothes, which Nodoka had altered subtly to keep them from soaking through. The shape now resembled a blend between a dragonfly wing slightly angled up from her shoulder blades with a butterfly wing extending downward to just below her knees. At the widest point, her wingspan just exceeded her height.

Ranko came into the kitchen and twirled so that Kasumi and Nodoka could see her outfit.

"You look very pretty dear. Come eat and then I'll help you put on a little makeup before we leave. You'll have to hide your wings at school and on the way there, honey," Nodoka said as she handed Ranko a plate with a large omelet.

"Thanks mom!" Ranko chirped and started to devour her food. Due to constant reminders, her table manners had improved to some semblance of politeness. Ranko still ate larger quantities faster than anyone her age had any right to (though Usa and Usagi could still give her a good run), but she no longer made a mess.

After breakfast, Nodoka took Ranko to the vanity in the master bedroom. Nodoka had decided against installing a second vanity for Ranko in her bedroom because they were planning on moving from the apartment into a proper house. "Sit here and I'll get you made up for the day honey," Nodoka said.

"Moooom, I'm not a little baby anymore, I can handle it myself. Plus, you've been teaching me how to do this for a week. Let me try, please?" Ranko wheedled.

"Well, alright. But you are going to tell me what you plan on doing first and I'll help you fix it up after you are done. Will that be okay at least?" Nodoka asked.

"Fine, what colors to use today, hmm?" Ranko pondered out loud. "The pink is always good, but Usa will probably have enough of that on for the whole class." She giggled a bit. "I know, I'll use the pale pink lip gloss and some blue eye shadow because it brings out my eyes and matches my hair. Is that alright mom?"

"That sounds perfect Ranko-chan. Be careful not to put on too much blush though."

"I know, I know," Ranko whined. Her skin was flawless, so she didn't bother to put on a layer of foundation. She picked up a brush and lightly dabbed it in the blush before applying it to her cheeks. Next, she took the eyelash curler and curled each eyelash before applying some black mascara. Unfortunately, she hadn't quite gotten the hang of it yet and poked herself on the eyelid.

"Be careful honey, that would have really hurt if it got in your eye. Come here," Nodoka pulled Ranko into her lap and gently wiped the excess mascara off. "That's better."

"Thanks mom," Ranko said. She then selected her eye shadow and applied it to each eye. The job was a little heavy and a little sloppy, but it wasn't terrible. She then put on the lip gloss and added a little glitter to her cheeks.

"So, how's it look mom," Ranko presented herself for inspection.

"You did a very good job honey. I just need to touch up your eyes a little bit."

"Aww, I thought I did it right this time," Ranko sulked and pouted a bit.

"You did great dear. It took me a few years before I could do all my makeup on my own, you know." Nodoka took a swab and gently removed the few clumps of eye shadow. "There, that's better, take a look. The boys are going to be all over you."

"Moooom!" Ranko blushed.

"Well it is true dear. You are very pretty," Nodoka said.

Ranko looked back into the vanity and gasped. She looked perfect. The eye makeup really brought out her eyes. "I love it, thanks mom." She gave Nodoka a hug. "I'm gonna go show off to Oneechan."

"Alright dear, but don't take too long. We still have to walk to Hotaru's house," Nodoka called after her.

Kasumi saw Ranko float down the stairs with her wings lightly fluttering. "Oh my, you look darling Ranko. Just like a little pixie," she said and grabbed a camera to take a few pictures.

Ranko blushed. "Thanks 'neechan."

"Here's lunch. Have a fun today." Kasumi handed Ranko her bento.

"I will, bye oneechan!" Ranko said as she and Nodoka left.

XXOOXX

Hotaru and her parents had just finished preparing for school when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Hotaru yelled as she shot off to answer the door. "Hiya Ko-chan!" She scooped her friend into a tight embrace. "Wow, you look really pretty."

"Thanks, you look cute too," Ranko said as they walked into the living room where she twirled a little. She had a Hello Kitty backpack and a bento box wrapped in a Pretty Sammy handkerchief. "C'mon let's go!"

Ranko and Hotaru dragged their parents to Haruka's car. Haruka and Michiru were planning on dropping them off at the middle school before driving to their own classes at Juuban High School with the rest of the senshi (minus Rei of course, who still attended her private Catholic school). Hotaru was wearing the same uniform as Ranko and wore her dark purple hair loose at her shoulders. She also wore flats with high socks and had a purple backpack. Her bento box had a floral print wrapping. Like Ranko, she had grown significantly over the past months, though Hotaru was closer to average height at just under 5 feet tall. Hotaru was even more svelte than Ranko and her chest was slightly less developed, fitting very comfortably into her A-cup bra.

They piled into the convertible and sped off with Ranko and Hotaru cheerfully waving goodbye to Nodoka and Setsuna. "Bye mom!" they sang out in unison and dissolved into giggles.

Haruka dropped them off at the front gate of Juuban Middle School where they met Usa. "Hi Sa-chan!" they said in unison which caused all three girls to start giggling again. Unlike the other two, Usa had developed relatively normally since her trip to the past started. She had grown slightly over the past few months, an inch or two at most, and was just slightly shorter than Hotaru. While Ranko favored blues, she had a fairly diverse fashion sense. Hotaru tended towards dark colors and had an affinity for purples and violets but her clothing still maintained some breadth. Usa, on the other hand, was literally infatuated with the color pink. Her pink hair was done up in its traditional odango'd style and her crimson eyes were highlighted with a light pink eyeliner. As expected, Usa had a bright pink backpack, her bento was tied with a pink handkerchief featuring rabbits and her shoes were pink. She had even gone so far as to paint both her fingers and her toes with a pink, glittery nail polish.

"Hiya Taru-chan, Ko-chan," Usa replied and hugged each of them quickly. "Wow, you both look really cute today!" she said as they started to walk towards the school doors.

"Thanks, you look really good today too Sa-chan," Ranko replied while Hotaru nodded her assent. "Who do you have for homeroom? Taru-chan and I are in Ms. Haruna's class."

"Wow, me too. This is gonna be great!" Usa squealed.

They walked in to the school together and found their lockers where they stored some of their books and changed their shoes for the required indoor slippers. They then went to find their homeroom. They picked out a row of seats together and chatted away until Ms. Haruna entered the room and called for attention.

"Good morning class," Ms. Haruna said as she strode in to take up the roll sheet. "Though it is the first day back after the summer, we have two new students joining the class today. Ranko Tanaka and Hotaru Tomoe, please come and introduce yourselves to the class."

The girls got up to introduce themselves, both having fabricated stories well in advance with the help of Setsuna. Ranko was bouncing cheerfully and waved to the class but Hotaru was acting strangely sedate. "Hi, my name's Ranko Tanaka. I moved here from Nerima last year and momma had me homeschooled so I could start at the beginning of a new school year. I like martial arts and Taru-chan and Sa-chan are my best friends!"

Hotaru took a step forward and looked nervously out at the class. "I am Hotaru Tomoe. I needed some time to recover from injuries and the loss of my father after the incident at Mugen Academy. I plan to be a nurse some day and I am pleased to be joining the class." She bowed and gracefully returned to her seat with Ranko bouncing behind. 'I wonder how long it will take for them to reject me this time. At least I have Usa and Ranko,' she thought.

On the way back to their seats Ranko noticed all of the boys in the class looking at them. If her wings had been present, they would have been fluttering nervously under all the attention. At the same time thrilled her to know that people thought she was attractive.

Ms. Haruna began a beginner's lesson in the conjugation and usage of common English verbs. Any of Ranma's former classmates would have been utterly shocked to see Ranko awake during class. They might have taken it to be the first sign of the apocalypse that she was actually following along with the lesson. What would have driven them into complete panic, however, was the fact that when called to come translate the sentence on the board, Ranko got it right on the first try. 'I better thank Ami-chan for teaching us how to do this. She really was a brilliant tutor,' she thought back on their sessions as she sat back down.

XXOOXX

-Flashback-

*DINGDONG*

Nodoka and Setsuna had arranged for the girls to start their studies shortly after they turned six. At the rate they were growing (and thanks to some advanced notice from the Gates) Setsuna guessed that the girls would be able to join Chibi-usa in eighth grade for the fall semester. They needed to get a jump start on past material though, since high school entrance exams would be looming around the corner for the pair. Naturally, Setsuna thought Ami might be the best option to help catch them up. After all, she managed to get both Usagi and Minako to pass the exam.

"Thank you for coming over, Ami," Setsuna said as she answered the door.

"It's not a problem, Setsuna," Ami said as she stepped inside, only to get tackled by two enthusiastic little six year olds.

"Hiya Ami-sempai!" the girls chirped as they hugged her prone form. Ranko said, "Whatchya doin here? Are you here to play with us?" They started to bounce on Ami's stomach.

Setsuna smiled indulgently while trying to hide her laughter, it's not every day you see Ami Mizuno completely bewildered. "Girls, let her up. Ami might play with you a little bit later," she continued.

"Yay!" the little girls interrupted.

"But first she's going to teach you for a few hours," Setsuna finished.

"Aww, but I wanna play. Don't you wanna play with us, Ami-sempai?" Ranko pouted.

"If you get through all your work for the afternoon, I'll take the three of you out for some food and games at the Crown," Setsuna wheedled.

"Okay, let's go study now!" Ranko dragged Ami and Hotaru off to the living room while Setsuna collapsed in helpless laughter.

"Alright, first things first, we'll start doing some arithmetic. If you can finish these problem sheets in the next half an hour, we can go outside and play a game for 15 minutes," Ami said.

"Okay Ami-sempai," Hotaru said softly and grabbed a couple pencils. The two sat down and started poring over the relatively easy addition and the extremely difficult long-division problems (well, at least the girls thought so) Ami had selected. Ranko was having a bit of trouble and started to get frustrated, the air around her beginning to congeal.

"Let me take a look at that, Ranko," Ami interrupted her gently. "Why don't you show me what you are doing?"

They continued working like this for the afternoon. Ami teaching them and helping them work through a standard first grade curriculum at an extremely fast pace. Whenever it seemed that their attentions were starting to flag, Ami would come up with a reward or turn the studying into a game. For dinner, Setsuna treated all three girls to a night at the Crown Arcade where a couple of the other senshi met up to play with the little girls.

These studies continued over the course of the next few months until the girls were all caught up to the eighth grade class. Ranko still had Ranma's lackadaisical attitude towards school work and was very hard to motivate. But by using a reward system, Ami eventually managed to get them to even enjoy learning. Well, she had more success with them than with Usagi anyway. After the first month, even Ranko had stopped whining when told she needed to study, and by the time the girls were to enter school properly, they were slightly ahead of grade level in all of their courses.

-End Flashback-

XXOOXX

'We must have driven Ami crazy, though it always seemed like she had fun with us. It really paid off though. I'm sure that her lessons are the only reason I have any idea what's going on in class. Sorry I gave you so much trouble Ami-sempai,' Ranko thought. 'I think she should consider a career in teaching as opposed to medicine.'

After Ms. Haruna finished the English lesson, the girls had a short break in which they talked with a few people sitting near them. Math started shortly after, followed by another break and then a history class. These were followed by Ranko's favorite period of the day, lunch.

Ranko and Hotaru joined Chibi-usa with her friend Momoko and a couple other girls. Fortunately, everyone was used to seeing Usa eat, otherwise Ranko might have attracted attention with her display of casual, but polite gluttony. Ranko and Hotaru introduced themselves and started to get caught up on the staple of teenaged life: gossip.

They heard more about the various boys and girls in the school than they could possibly hope to remember. But, they started to get the general picture of their classmates. Plus, they did learn one extremely juicy bit of gossip when the girls were filling them in on the 'cute' boys.

"Well, how about you Ranko-chan, interested in anyone?" one of the girls asked.

"Naw, I mean, I've only been here for the morning so it's not like I've gotten the chance to get to know people yet. And we just moved into town a little while ago. I really only know Sa-chan and Taru-chan, no boys," Ranko said.

"Your turn Momo-chan! I already told you who I like, c'mon it's your turn!" Usa wheedled.

Momoko flushed. "No, I can't, you'll make fun of me," she said.

"No, I'd never do that Momo-chan. Tell me. Pleeeeeaaase," Usa turned on the best puppy-eyes she could manage.

"Oh, alright. But remember, you promised!" Momoko said. "I think Sh-shingo is kinda cute," she stuttered out and flushed.

"Oh-ho! You're crushing on my cousin, that's great," Usa said, then muttered, "don't know what you'd see in him. He's kinda annoying really… but if you like him…" Then she continued with a wicked gleam in her eyes, "Well, we'll just have to set you up with him then."

"No! You better not tell anyone Usa!" Momoko shouted.

"Aww, why not? You like him right?" Usa said.

This continued for the rest of lunch until they had to return to class. Ranko really liked spending time with some of the girls. In addition to discussing the boys, which she was only passingly interested in, they had discussed clothing choices and make-up. And a couple of the girls had even invited her and Hotaru to join them on a shopping trip into Shinjuku the next weekend!

Hotaru, on the other hand, was stunned that people seemed to be accepting her. After her previous experiences, she was very bitter towards other kids her age. 'Hopefully it'll last, but I'm sure they'll turn on me just like everyone else except for the scouts and Ranko,' she thought. 'Well, at least it'll be fun while it lasts, and who knows, I might get lucky. Yeah right.'

Eventually, the bell chimed and they had to return to afternoon classes.

XXOOXX

A few blocks away, the Inner Senshi were sitting down to lunch outside at a large table. They waved Haruka and Michiru over to join them. Across the street, Sailor Iron Mouse, in her alias Chuuko Nezo, confronted the star football player Yuji Kayama.

"A moment of your time, Mr. Kayama, for an interview with Ginga TV?" Chuuko said while bouncing excitedly.

"Naw, I'm busy. Maybe some other time," he replied.

"Aww, please, it'll only take a few minutes," she said with starry eyes.

"Nope, I'm sorry but I really have to get going." He started to walk off.

"No one gets away from Sailor Iron Mouse that easily," she yelled as she transformed. "I'll have your star seed!" She shot him with a bolt of power from her bracers. "Damn, just a dud." She hopped into her telephone booth and phased out.

Yuji screamed as his body warped and deformed. His skin turned pink and his ears elongated slightly. He gained over two feet in height and his muscles bulked up to a physically impossible level of definition. His clothes disappeared in a burst of light and small wings forced their way out of his back while a small sailor collar and hot pants appeared on his overly defined form in a sick parody of a sailor senshi. "GUTS!" the phage yelled.

The students that saw the transformation started to run away in panic, while the senshi disappeared to the rooftop to transform.

"Halt, foul creature. Schools are for learning and falling asleep in class, not for terrorizing students. In the name of the Moon, I, Sailor Moon, shall punish you!"

"Geez odango-atama, schools are for falling asleep in class, no wonder your grades suck," Sailor Uranus commented, causing everyone to sweatdrop. Neptune smacked her lover on the back of her head. "Ouch." She pouted at Neptune who just smirked back.

"Youth's Perspiration Attack!" Sailor Guts screamed and started lobbing balls of sweat at the gathered senshi.

"Eww, gross," Venus squeaked as she dodged away from the rather smelly attack. "Venus Love and Beauty, eeek!" She was blasted back into the wall of the school by a ball of sweat.

"VENUS!" Sailor Mars ran to try to pull her fellow senshi from the rubble.

"Eww, gross! I need a bath," Venus complained.

"Youth's Perspiration Attack!" Sailor Guts started launching more sweat balls at the frantically dodging senshi.

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!" Jupiter called out her attack and started deflecting the sweat balls while the senshi regrouped behind her.

"Damn, he's too fast," Uranus said as she jumped behind the group, all her attacks getting interrupted by the continuous barrage of sweat.

"Star Gentle Uterus!" a voice called out and a swarm of balls of light rushed in at the phage, reversing the direction of its sweat attack.

"Who is that?" "Where did that attack come from?" "Look, it is working, hit it now Sailor Moon!"

"Alright! Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!" Eternal Sailor Moon launched her attack and a pink light engulfed the phage.

"Beautiful," Guts said as it was engulfed with a swarm of feathers and Yuji Kayama's passed out body replaced it on the ground.

"Wow, that enemy was strong. We'd better inform Rei about this and call a meeting," Mercury said.

"Right," the other senshi chorused before they split up to detransform and return to class.

Across the street, on top of a building, Yaten turned to Taiki and Seiya and said, "I still can't believe they have the ability to cure the phage."

"True, but it won't be enough. We have to find our princess before it is too late," Taiki said.

XXOOXX

A few days later, Ranko skipped home from school. Hotaru and the Outers were dropping Usa off at home. but Ranko felt like being outside. She was really excited for the evening. They were finally moving into her new house! Nodoka had sold the Saotome house in Nerima a few weeks ago and Setsuna had helped her find a house to purchase in Juuban near the Outers' home. They were going to move into the new place over the course of the week. Kasumi had decided to join them too, which delighted Ranko. She didn't want to be separated from her Oneechan.

"Hello, anyone home?" Ranko called out as she entered the apartment.

"Welcome home, Ranko-chan," Kasumi greeted her from the kitchen where she was packing up some of the cooking supplies. "Your mother is getting the keys to the house and should be back shortly. Tofu is coming over in a bit to help us move some of the larger items." Kasumi blushed lightly.

"Oneechan and Dr. Tofu sitting in a tree," Ranko sing-songed and danced around the kitchen.

"Ranko-chan," Kasumi said, mortified.

"Hee hee, you like him a lot, huh?" Ranko teased.

Kasumi just ducked her head and blushed before nodding.

"Good for you Oneechan, he's kinda cute for an old guy," Ranko continued.

"Ranko!" Kasumi chastised.

"Sorry oneechan," Ranko said flippantly. "I'm gonna go pack up my room a bit. I'm glad you and Dr. Tofu are happy together, though Hotaru still thinks he's funny."

"Well, you girls did meet him when he was still working on his little problem," Kasumi rationalized.

"Little?" Ranko snorted.

"Alright, so he used to get a little silly around me," Kasumi blushed.

"He was funny alright," Ranko giggled and thought back to first meeting Tofu.

XXOOXX

-Flashback-

Ranko and Hotaru were about seven years old and Kasumi was watching them as they played in the park on the swings. Nodoka was going to meet them after she got off work to take them for ice cream. The girls were each wearing sundresses with swimsuits underneath in case they decided to go swimming. Naturally, Hotaru's dress was purple, though the one she chose for the day had butterfly patterns on it. Her hair was loose and she was wearing simple black sandals. Ranko had been dressed in a red dress that day, and like nearly all of her clothing it was completely backless in case her wings deployed. Her control was getting better, but if nervous or excited she still couldn't hide them very well. Her hair was done up in double high ponytails for the day and she was wearing a pair of blue sandals.

Kasumi, on the other hand, was dressed quite differently from her old norm. She was wearing a skirt that only fell to mid thigh in sky blue and a tight, sleeveless white blouse that left nothing to the imagination. Her hair was up as she still favored ponytails and she had done an expert job in applying some light makeup to accentuate her features without drawing attention to its presence. Compared to her nun-like Nerima standard garb, Kasumi looked racy. In truth, she finally looked like the beautiful young woman she was.

Tofu Ono got off the train at the nearest station and walked to the park. Kasumi had invited him to come meet Ranko and her friend that day. He was very curious to meet Ranma's new incarnation, especially since Kasumi had informed him of *her* rather unique nature.

Tofu reached the playground, and saw Kasumi from behind along with two little girls. "Hello, K-k-Kasumi, mind introducing me to these fine young ladies," he said as his glasses started to fog slightly.

"Oh hello Tofu!" Kasumi chirped and hugged him. "This is Ranko and Hotaru, girls, meet Dr. Tofu Ono."

"Hiya Dr. Tofu!" Ranko said as she hopped of the swing, her wings deploying in excitement. Kasumi had told her so many stories about the good doctor so she was happy to meet him. She fluttered over to near the embracing pair.

"Hello, nice to meet you," Hotaru said and got off the swing to join the group.

Tofu had been working very hard at getting over his problem with Kasumi since he had left Nerima nearly a year ago. Every day, he would look at a picture of her until he went nuts, and he had waited until he could hold off for over an hour before agreeing to meet with her again. Unfortunately, a picture is a far cry from the real thing. The effect of Kasumi's actual presence had tested Tofu's limits the few other times they had met up recently. He was completely unprepared, however, to see her in such revealing (by comparison) clothing, and the hug completely short circuited his brain.

"Ohoho, Betty-chan, what are you doing in the park today?" Tofu's glasses had completely fogged up and he released Kasumi. He scooped up Ranko and started waltzing around the park with her. Ranko of course thought this was a delightful activity and started giggling madly. Hotaru thought it was incredibly funny and started giggling too. Kasumi fell to the ground in helpless laughter.

Tofu released Ranko near the slide, fortunately she could fly or she would have fallen rather painfully on her backside. He started mangling the jungle gym, literally bending the steel into an origami swan.

"Oh my, I better stop him. Tofu always gets so silly," Kasumi commented.

*SLAP*

"Wha-what happened?" Tofu said as he came to his senses.

"You lost control again Tofu," Kasumi said and pointed to the remains of the structure in his hands.

"Whups," Tofu said sheepishly. "I didn't hurt anyone, did I?"

"No, but I believe the little ones think you are a good dancer," Kasumi laughed.

"Sorry about that," Tofu apologized to the group. "Now let me see, you must be Ranko and Hotaru. I've heard a lot about you girls. What pretty wings, Ranko."

Ranko blushed fiercely and said, "Thank you Dr. Tofu." She ducked her head under his direct gaze, for some reason feeling nervous under the intense scrunity.

Tofu joined Kasumi in playing with the girls until Nodoka showed up. He only lost control twice more over the course of the day, dancing one time with a giggling Hotaru, and the next with a delighted Kasumi. They all went to get ice cream before Tofu had to leave and the girls to return to their studies with Ami for the evening. Before he left, he asked Kasumi on a date for the following weekend. She agreed, of course. They had been dating ever since and Tofu hadn't caused a scene since their first kiss, where he managed to destroy three fire hydrants and bend a light pole down to block an intersection.

-End Flashback-

XXOOXX

"Well, I'm glad he makes you happy 'neechan, but don't get all mushy and kissy in front of me when he shows up!" Ranko said. She went up to her room to start packing her belongings.

Nodoka arrived at the apartment shortly thereafter and joined Kasumi in packing up the kitchen. Since this was an apartment, they didn't own any of the furniture, and Nodoka had arranged for delivery of beds and some basic amenities to the new house for later that afternoon. They would have to shop over the course of the next few weeks to fully outfit the place, but the essentials were being taken care of that day.

"All ready to go Kasumi?" Nodoka asked as they put the last of the kitchen supplies in suitcases to move. Nodoka had packed all of her belongings over the course of the past week and was looking forward to having a proper amount of space again. The apartment was cozy, but a house would be much more comfortable.

"Yes auntie, and Ranko is upstairs putting the last of her things away," Kasumi said. "Tofu should be here shortly as well."

"Good, I hope we can get started soon. I want to get this over with tonight so we don't interrupt Ranko's or your school schedules too much. After the first few loads, I expect the both of you to stay there and do your work while we move the rest of the stuff."

"I can't do that Auntie, I want to help," Kasumi argued.

"None of that young lady. Tofu and I will be fine, and you need to keep up on your work," Nodoka said. "Especially since I'll need your help shopping for the remaining things we need over the course of the week."

"Oh alright, you win auntie," Kasumi relented.

*Ding Dong*

"Oh my, I'll get it," Kasumi bolted for the door.

"Of course you will," Nodoka shouted after her. "Say hello to lover-boy for me," she teased, knowing Kasumi flushed even if she couldn't see it herself.

The very flushed and pleased looking pair of Tofu and Kasumi reappeared in the kitchen a few minutes later.

"Hello Tofu, enjoying yourself," Nodoka teased, causing them both to blush once more. "Sorry, it's just too easy to tease you two. Let me get Ranko and we can get on our way."

Ranko flew into the room at high speeds. "Hiya doc! How are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm doing fine Ranko-chan. My, you look like you've grown a lot," he said as he took in her appearance. He hadn't been able to get enough time off to visit in just over a month and Ranko had grown a few inches and matured significantly since then. Last he saw her, she was just starting to wear training bras and her wing shape was starting to change. "Your wings are beautiful, just like the rest of you."

Ranko blushed and flew out of the room with a mumbled, "thanks." She reappeared a few minutes later with some of her things, but avoided looking at Dr. Tofu.

The group set off for the new house with the first load of goods. As they got closer Ranko got visibly more and more excited until phantom outlines of her wings were almost visible. The house was modest sized but much larger than their apartment. It was three stories tall and had very classic, but elegant architecture. The grounds were well maintained, there was a small pond in a large (for Tokyo) yard with a few flower beds and space for a small garden. Ranko burst into the house, put her things down and started exploring at high speed.

The main floor had a large sitting room with space for entertainment center on the far wall and two comfortable looking sofas which had been delivered earlier that day. It was in dire need of a bit more seating and some peripherals—Ranko had requested a gaming system for the television—but the room was very comfortable looking. A dining room, kitchen and the entrance room were also present on the ground floor, along with space for a study or office, though that room was completely empty. Nodoka planned on putting a desk and a computer in that room. There was also a small half-bathroom.

The second floor had three of the four bedrooms and the furo along with a full bathroom. One room was clearly the master bedroom, having a king sized bed, dresser, night stand and a vanity already placed in it. The next had identical furniture, except the king was replaced by a queen bed. The third room was clearly the guest room, having a pair of futons and some basic furniture.

The third floor was much smaller, consisting of a storage space and one large, airy bedroom containing a small vanity and table, a night stand, a pair of drawers and a beautiful queen sized bed with drapes surrounding it. It had big windows on two of the walls. Ranko flew downstairs and slammed into Nodoka, knocking her over.

"This is great mom, I can't believe we have a house! It's wonderful, can I have the top room? Please?" she babbled, causing the rest of them to laugh.

"Of course, when I saw it I knew you would want that room, honey. It's all yours," Nodoka said.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" Ranko squeezed her and gave her a few kisses before grabbing her things and flying back upstairs to start putting her stuff away.

Nodoka and Kasumi unpacked the kitchen and bath supplies and went upstairs to check on Ranko. All of her clothes were hung in the closet or placed in the dresser, a lamp that Hotaru had given her had been placed on the nightstand and a few stuffed animals were arranged around the room. Ranko was laying on the bed with a content look on her face.

"We're heading back to the apartment to get more things but I want you to stay here and finish your homework young lady," Nodoka said.

"Awww, alright mom." Ranko pouted but diligently got out her school supplies and set to work.

They continued to move for the rest of the day. Ranko eventually finished her homework and helped with the unpacking process. By the time everything was finished, it was quite late so Nodoka ordered some ramen for dinner as no one felt like cooking. At the end of the night, Ranko lay in bed with a content smile on her face in her new bed thinking, 'I can't wait to show Sa-chan and Taru-chan my new house. I need more stuff to decorate the room, maybe I can get some posters in Shinjuku. Oh, I know, maybe they can sleep over after the shopping trip.' She eventually drifted off.

XXOOXX

AN: I've decided that Chibi-usa will be the equivalent age as the other two, with her having been closer to 13 the entire time rather than her canon age of ~9 years old (in appearance/demeanor since according to the manga she is over 900 years old). Ms. Haruna will be staying in the middle school since I'm going to focus on it, and I didn't want to have to make up an OC for their homeroom teacher.

This is more of a transition chapter than anything else, just to catch up to the new situation a little bit. Ranko will be sorting through more memories, Hotaru will deal with elements of her past as well, and the Sailor Moon part of the plot will start in earnest.

As a note, Mamoru didn't go to America, and Chibi-usa didn't return to the future. I will add in the note that the Nehellenia stuff is completely finished and the Sailors have their final forms even without Saturn's involvement.

 
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