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Outside the shrine, Ranma was leaned against the wall as he waited for Setsuna to come out. He had some touble getting a grip on the events that took place. He had come with the sole purpose of inviting the princess for an audience with his mother. When he noticed Uranus was in the room as well, though, he could feel all his repressed anger come forth. When Uranus almost attacked Setsuna, he lost it. It was only due to the fact that Setsuna had calmed him down that she was still alive. Oh yes, he could have killed the senshi of Uranus, but then he would have fallen to the power of the other senshi. His mother had tried to teach him control for the longest time, and had succeeded in the most part, but her teachings didn't prepare him to face his tormentor once again.
Ranma smiled faintly. What a surprise he received when he saw the signs of confusion in Uranuss eyes. She truly didn't know what he was talking about. A tired sigh escaped his lips. "Maybe it's better that way." He said to no one in particular. What happened next was what he least expected. The princess asked for forgiveness in front of her senshi and he believed her. It was something inside that told him, in no uncertain terms, that he could place his trust on the girl, and she wouldn't disappoint him. Was this what Setsuna felt for the young princess? He couldn't tell.
His features hardened, thinking of the faces of the remaining senshi. At best, they didn't trust him. At worst, they were like Mars and Uranus. He held no delusions as to what would happen to him if only they were to decide about his fate instead of the princess. *Fine by me.* He had reacted in pretty much the same way more than once, when people approached his mother. He had even killed because of an offense done to her. Of course, it was never cold-blooded murder. A challenge had been stated, and the other party had agreed to the terms. He wasn't like Serenity's senshi, or at least he hoped he wasn't. Then there was the absence of Serenity's advisors. *I know they were around somewhere.* From the reports Ryoga himself made the moon cats were still around. It seemed unusual to him that the Sailor Senshi would hold a meeting without the advisors. Maybe they were no longer needed. Ranma saw as two cats entered the shrine. *Or maybe they were late.* He thought finally with a shiver. Of all the things Genma had done to him, the Nekoken was the most destructive. His curse had been easily cured by Hinako, since it was of magical nature, but the Nekoken was more a mental trauma, and she could do nothing about it. He could only hope that his enemies never found out about his fear, for both his and their sake.
"Ranma?" A voice asked from the side of the building. Said man turned to see the most powerful of the senshi, excluding the princess. Sailor Saturn stood hesitantly next to him, her hands clasped in front of her with nervousness. She had the power to destroy a planet, but it seemed things hadn't changed from the Silver Millenium, she was still insecure and timid. Her body language spoke of uncertainty if he would remember her at all.
Ranma raised an eyebrow. It seemed like there was another senshi that retained some of her memories from the past besides Setsuna. He bowed deeply to her. "Your powerful highness. What can this lowly man do for you?"
Hotaru smiled widely. Not because of the bow or the greeting, as they were so full of sarcasm and mockery that any other girl would have beat him to a bloody pulp. No, it was because he remembered her. "You could start by kissing my hand, lowly man." And she offered her hand to him. Ranma didn't hesitate in giving a kiss to her knuckles. Hotaru giggled at the scene, which had repeated itself many times throughout the Silver Millenium. Whenever Ranma had been on a mission for his mother that would take him into the Solar System, he would take a few days to visit Saturn. He was Sailor Saturn's friend, one of very the few she had because of her power. "It's good to see you're alive, Ranma." She said sincerely after she recovered from her giggling.
Ranma smiled at her. Not his cocky smile, which infuriated everybody who didn't know him, but the one he reserved for people close to him. "It's good to see you're well, Lady Saturn."
Hotaru pouted. "My name's Hotaru, Lord Ranma."
Ranma chuckled. "Touché. I don't remember a time I could win a teasing match with you."
"You didn't lose either." She said lightly. Of course, Hotaru knew Ranma always had been nice to her, but that didn't mean she would let him escape with his teasing remarks. "I'm glad for Setsuna." Ranma turned a questioning glance to her. "She hadn't smiled like that since before the Silver Millenium ended. I think I know what she needed." She giggled as Ranma blushed hard. It wasn't everyday that she could make him this flustered.
As soon as Ranma recovered, he asked. "What happened to the sweet little girl I used to know?" He didn't mean it, of course, it was just his way of getting back at her.
"She grew up." Hotaru stated standing straight and crossing her arms. The effect would have impressed him, if it wasn't for the fact that it was a twelve-year-old that adopted the position. After a few more laughs, Hotaru got serious and asked. "Are Razt and Hira alive as well?"
Ranma nodded. "They are. Razt is as powerful as ever, while Hira is just as mischievous." His eyes turned to the sky. "In fact, it was Hira who helped me get together with Setsuna again." He pointed a finger at her. "By the way, their names are Ryoga and Hinako now."
Hotaru looked to the floor and asked hesitantly. "Is it true that Sailor Uranus killed children and sentenced you to death?"
Ranma knew this was a loaded question. He could tell by the way her shoulders were shaking that his answer would be very important to her. Sighing at the situation, he decided to be honest. "Yes. In the Silver Millenium, I was sentenced to death by her." He made great emphasis on the Silver Millenium part. "Setsuna says she's different now. I think we should trust her judgement."
Hotaru lifted her gaze to meet his. "I think we should trust her too." Her eyes were filled with hope. "I never knew her when we were in the Silver Millenium. She didn't want to see me, just like the others. Setsuna was the only senshi I got to know. And that was because of you and your family." It still pained her the way she had been alienated from everyone, but she had seen all that change in this new life. "Everyone's been so nice to me, even though I have the power to destroy the planet. If people knew about it, things would return to the way they were."
Ranma held her by the shoulders, forcing her to maintain eye contact with him. "Listen to me. It doesn't matter what you can and cannot do. People should see you for what you are. You do have the power to destroy planets, but you don't abuse it." He made her turn towards the shrine over his shoulder. "There's another person who once thought as you do. Her power was so great everyone feared her, and she let that get to her. She started to hide her emotions, until one day it was like she didn't feel at all. Don't make that mistake, Hotaru."
Hotaru closed her eyes, digesting his every word. "Ranma? What happened to that person?"
Ranma was about to respond when a third voice answered for him. "She became bitter, and avoided any kind of human contact." They both turned to see Setsuna, her eyes were moist. "Then one day, a boy entered her life. She so hated him, and that, at the same time, surprised her. She had thought her emotions gone for good, but there was still one person who could make her feel alive. At first, she was tempted to simply finish his influence on her, but something stopped her." She smiled faintly, a single tear running down her cheek. "The boy continued to grow on her, and that made the woman afraid. Another emotion. He didn't seem to mind her being powerful, neither did he feel insulted by her harsh words." Setsuna didn't continue with the story, fearing she would lose her self-control.
Hotaru asked of her. "What happened to them?" She had a funny suspicion she already knew, but she wanted to hear the full story.
Ranma continued for Setsuna, who seemed to be lost in her own memories. "The boy and the woman didn't admit to their feelings for each other. They were too prideful to admit they could love. It was an emotion they had both sworn off, since all it had done was hurt them both." He stood up and took the green haired woman's hand. "Their pride kept them apart, until one day they finally accepted their love. It was the happiest day in the life of the boy."
Setsuna smiled sweetly at him. "It was the happiest day for both of them."
Hotaru knew the story wasn't over, so she kept silent for them to finish it. Ranma closed his eyes, a pained expression on his features. "A catastrophe happened the day after. The couple was separated, quite possibly for good, and regret was all that was left." Ranma looked directly into Hotaru's eyes and, speaking very slowly so she understood his every word, he said. "Regret for letting stupid things get in the way of something that could have been many things."
Setsuna continued for Ranma. "Never let yourself be consumed. Living without a soul is worse than dying. And you might lose your only chance at happiness. Both the boy and woman made that mistake twice, and they will forever suffer for it."
Hotaru pondered what had been said for a few minutes. As she did so, Ranma and Setsuna stared at each other. All those years of suffering because they had to hide their feelings, they had to be strong. The only thing they did was hide from themselves, fearful of getting hurt again. Hotaru finally broke the silence, and both of them turned to their little friend. "I wish I could find someone like you did."
Setsuna smiled warmly at her, and Hotaru was taken aback by the sight. Never before had she seen the Guardian of the Gates of Time smile like that. "You will. When you least expect it, you will."
They remained silent for a little longer. Each captured by different thoughts. They had lived through difficult times, but they knew they wouldn't get better by themselves. Ranma turned to Setsuna. "Are we finished here? We need to report the results of the meeting to Queen Nova."
Setsuna smiled at Ranma's way of referring to his mother. He was too formal when serious. "We are, Ranma." Setsuna turned to Hotaru. "We have to leave, Hotaru. Will you be alright?"
Hotaru nodded with determination. "I'll be seeing you two more often, right?" When she received a nod in response, she gave them a quick hug before they departed.
Unbeknownst to them, the other senshi had watched the last exchange. The Moon cats had wisely hidden themselves to avoid meeting with Setsuna or Ranma. Out of the group, Usagi was happy for Hotaru. It seemed like she had two friends who understood what she had gone through, and who cared about her. Her feelings weren't shared by everyone, though. Michiru and Haruka were feeling threatened by their supposed friend and her boyfriend. They had been living with Hotaru for a while, and cared for her greatly. To see her so close to others made them jealous.
Ranma and Setsuna were gone, and Hotaru was looking intently at the gate they used to exit the shrine grounds. She could remember how one day a boy appeared in the Saturn Palace and asked her to dance. She had thought that the boy didn't know who she was. Her assumption was wrong, of course. Ranma knew perfectly well who she was, and in time, they became friends. The pigtailed boy seemed to understand the loneliness the Senshi of Saturn suffered since she was granted her position. Granted not being the correct term to use. It was more like a torture for her. Then, after some time, she met with Ranma's brother and sisters. Beryl was very quiet and reserved, but Hira and Razt were amusing to say the least. They were at a constant war of teasing and, more than once, serious fights. Of the three, none feared her power and they accepted her as a friend. There was also a change in Pluto in those days. Whenever Ranma was mentioned, her emotionless mask would crack to reveal either anger or a small smile.
She smiled, glad to have her friends back. She rarely saw them, but they made her feel like she fit in with them.
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Ryoga and Hinako were walking in the commercial sector. They intended to buy groceries for the week. Actually, they were on their way back home. They were powerful, but they still needed to eat. Ryoga was frowning at his sister. "Why did it take you so long to remove my curse, when you removed Ranma's in a few minutes?" It had taken her days to do it. And in those days, he had turned into a black piglet more times than ever before.
Hinako maintained a straight face as she answered. "Two reasons. Your curse was somehow more ingrained into your being than Ranma's. It was probably because Ranma can't use magic at all. I had to be very careful not to alter your magic flows, or you could have exploded right there."
Ryoga gulped at the thought. He hesitantly turned to Hinako again. "And the second reason?"
Hinako grinned widely. "It was to see you so worked up, of course." She giggled as she saw Ryoga turn bright red in anger.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!!!" He bellowed in rage. The pedestrians, as soon as they heard his yelling and saw his face, made a hasty retreat. They didn't know why, but there was something about the boy that challenged to be messed up with. With terrible results.
Hinako pointed at him with her finger. "The look on your face is worth all your yelling."
If possible, Ryoga became angrier. He clenched and unclenched his fists spasmodically, and his breathing was labored. Then, as quickly as he had gotten angry, he started laughing hard. It was impossible for him to be angry with his sister. Sure, she was a royal pain in the ass, but she did it on purpose to get back at him for his jokes. When he had controlled himself enough to talk, he said. "I'll get you back for this."
Hinako had a wicked gleam in her eyes. "I hope so." And so it had gone for thousands of years. The siblings of the House of Nova would always pick on each other to have fun. It was the law.
Ryoga sobered suddenly, and asked. "Do you think Ranma will turn back to his old self?"
Hinako sighed and matched her brother's expression. "I hope so. It's scary the way he was a walking corpse whenever he wasn't acting or training." She smiled faintly. "But we can hope. When was the last time you saw him blush for real instead of acting?"
Ryoga thought about it for a moment. Even if he had a good memory, it had been a long time ago. "I guess it was when you pulled that one on him, where an image of Pluto walked up to him and said she loved him." He laughed at the memory. "I still can't believe he forgave you for that. It was in front of all of us."
Hinako nodded. "Yes. But you only know half of what I did." Ryoga looked at her questioningly. "I did the same thing to Pluto."
Ryoga grinned. "You mean...?"
Hinako nodded. "Both of them must have taken it as a sign. Because the next time they saw each other, they admitted their feelings."
The bandana-clad fighter lowered his head sadly. "Too bad the Silver Millenium ended the day after that."
Hinako nodded, also sad. "It seems like fate is intent on messing up Ranma's life." She shook herself out of the sad mood and looked straight ahead. "But now we can hope that..." She looked all around. *Trees? A river? A small rabbit running happily?* She took a deep breath, thinking of how she let herself follow Ryoga. Very calmly, she turned to her brother, who had an innocent look on his face. "WHERE THE HELL ARE WE?!!!" She yelled to the top of her lungs.
Ryoga grinned. "Got you back."
Hinako threw her arms up in frustration.
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Ranma and Setsuna walked into the house. "We're back!" Ranma said.
"I'll be right with you." Nodoka said from the kitchen. The couple sat down, and Ranma's mother came out with some tea. They sat in silence, enjoying the peace. Nodoka noticed Setsuna was studying the house, and said. "Sorry about the darkness before, but the house was a mess."
Setsuna nodded absent-mindedly. She was very interested in the decoration. She had expected for Queen Nova to build some kind of palace, but instead she was living with her family in a traditional Japanese house. It was big by the normal standards, but it was still a house. Her eyes rested on the symbol of the House of Nova, the katana, and she smiled to herself. *And I thought it was a coincidence.* She had been surprised when Japanese blacksmiths started making katanas as the weapons of choice, because it wasn't even a weapon of the Solar System. Now she knew Nodoka had somehow been an influence in the development of swords some thousands of years ago.
Ranma noticed Setsuna was very pensive, and smiled. *You'll figure it all out.* He knew Setsuna was very perceptive, and with her wisdom and intelligence, she could do amazing things. Taking his thoughts to more pressing matters, he turned to his mother, who was wearing a black kimono that Kodachi would kill for. "Mother, Princess Serenity has agreed to have a meeting with you."
Nodoka's expression didn't change in the least, but her thoughts were smiling. She knew her son so well, she could tell what happened just by his tone of voice. *My son. It seems like you already trust the princess.* It was a good sign, as Ranma's trust was something very difficult to obtain. If the princess had managed to get it in only one meeting, then her desire to meet with the daughter of Serenity had just increased. "What are the terms?" She asked.
"Tomorrow afternoon we send an escort to pick her up." Ranma answered.
Nodoka nodded, and said. "I'll send Ryoga and Hinako. You two are too involved with each other to be impartial." Setsuna and Ranma nodded, understanding that this was for the best. Nodoka then smiled and asked. "How has your time together been?"
Setsuna was taken by surprise by the quick mood change. Ranma didn't seem bothered as he answered. "Great. I must thank you again for giving me leave."
Nodoka waved it off. "My son, we are no longer a ruling family. We can be as serious as you want when tending to serious matters, but we are a family. You should learn from your brother and sister."
Ranma snorted. "They've been fighting again?" Setsuna looked curious at the prospect of Hinako and Ryoga fighting.
Nodoka smiled. "Just the usual bantering between brother and sister." As if on cue, an explosion was heard and the house trembled.
Faster than the eye could see, Setsuna had transformed into Sailor Pluto and was in a ready stance. Ranma blinked at the reaction, while Nodoka shook her head. "Don't bother, Pluto. Those are Ryoga and Hinako right now. They arrived half an hour ago yelling at each other and made their way to the dojo."
Two people yelling at each other could be heard approaching the room. "Did you have to use that?" Ryoga's voice asked angrily.
Hinako didn't sound any less ticked off. "You deserved it! To think I actually thought of you as a sensitive guy."
Ryoga laughed mockingly. "You should have known better. Besides, you have no right to talk about sensitivity."
Hinako's voice raised even more. "And just what are you trying to imply, P-CHAN?!"
Ryoga followed suit. "I don't know. Figure it out, PSYCHO SENSEI!"
Pluto was still standing when brother and sister entered the room. Her eyes quickly scanned the newcomers and widened. Ryoga was still smoking from some kind of attack, his clothing completely scorched and his face dirty black. His state didn't seem to bother him, which was even more impressive. He just looked annoyed.
Hinako was no better. Her small dress was ripped pretty good, and it was now only her bra and panties that kept her modesty intact. Or what remained of them. She had several bruises on her arms and shoulders. Setsuna knew quite well what it took to even scratch Hinako. Even getting close enough to physically attack her was more difficult than finding Ryoga when he wanted to get lost.
As the siblings noticed who was here, their expressions changed from anger to smiles. "So, you're back." Ryoga stated the obvious. And the Senshi of Time couldn't tell if his words had a second meaning to them. Razt was the most easy to read person in the family, and he was still like a closed book to everyone.
Hinako smiled mischievously. "Had fun, lovebirds?"
Pluto controlled her blush, this time, as did Ranma. They expected that kind of comment from Hinako, so it didn't come as a surprise. The Guardian of the Gates of Time detransformed in the blink of an eye and sat next to Ranma. Nodoka turned to her two children and frowned. "You should go take a bath and get a change of clothes." Ryoga and Hinako looked at themselves for the first time, and looked sheepish.
"Oops." Came their reply as they left the room.
Ranma shook his head. "Will they ever learn?"
Nodoka didn't lose the chance to point out. "You aren't any different from them. I remember you fought Ryoga last week."
Ranma groaned and replied. "You know it's not the same. What we do is sparring to keep on improving our skills. The attacks they use against each other are too powerful." Setsuna's ears perked up at this. Was Ranma serious? She knew Razt was an extremely powerful fighter, capable of taking out any senshi in hand to hand. Did he fight that monster for training?
Her thoughts were interrupted as Nodoka changed the subject. She turned towards the green haired woman and asked. "Could you help me with dinner, dear? Hinako isn't much of a cook." A mischievous smile adorned her features.
"I HEARD THAT!" Came the female cry from upstairs. Ranma smiled. Even their mother liked to tease them. Now he could enjoy it again.
Setsuna was taken aback by the question, but pondered it for a while. If Nodoka wanted her to help with dinner, that was an invitation. She smiled as she deduced that Nodoka had already accepted her into the family. Of course, it was an assumption, but an assumption she could live with. Wishful thinking sometimes clouded judgement, even when you're right. "I would love to." She said as she stood up and disappeared into the kitchen with the once feared Queen Nova.
Ranma was left alone in the dining room, and frowned. He was happy about all the things that had happened in the last couple of days, but it seemed like fate hated him. He turned outside, looking directly to the sky, and wondered. *What will happen now?* He knew, deep inside, that there would be a price to pay for his current happiness.
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The senshi had arrived from school a couple of minutes ago, and they were all in the shrine discussing what they would do today. They were out in the yard. Haruka insisted that they be very careful, since all the survivors from the Silver Millenium had been their enemies so far. To her exasperation, Usagi told her to calm down. The princess had decided to have the meeting with Queen Nova, and she would try to make peace with her. She argued that Pluto already backed this course of action.
"Setsuna hasn't been herself these days. She might have been brainwashed." Haruka protested. In this discussion, the only ones that were being extra careful were Uranus and Mars. They were the most protective of the princess, and the most aggressive.
Rei nodded. "You don't know what they are capable of. I smell a trap here." As for the others, they had long ago given up breaking the argument. Even the Moon cats trusted Pluto's judgement, if not Ranma's. Mamoru had declared that he would accompany Usagi to her meeting. He was, after all, the future King. Hotaru refrained from speaking, but it was obvious that she trusted Ranma.
Any further argument was interrupted by the arrival of two people. Both wore black clothing, though different. The woman made the senshi green with envy. She was in every aspect possible, beautiful. Her small black dress hugged her figure, adding to the effect. Mamoru had trouble closing his mouth before Usagi turned and saw his expression. The man was wearing a black bandana on his forehead, while the rest of his clothes covered most of his body. There seemed to be an air of power emanating from the couple.
Artemis' hair stood on end at the sight of the man. "RAZT!" He hissed in a mix of fear and anger. The senshi noticed this, and though most of them didn't know who the boy was, readied their henshin pens.
Ryoga, who looked at the cat and then at the senshi, said. "I assume we got the address right?" This caused several of them to face fault.
Hinako smiled inwardly at Ryoga's joke. He had said that intentionally to see their reaction. She looked at the figure in the center, who didn't seem threatened by their presence. "The princess, I presume?"
Usagi nodded, but before she could say anything, Mars beat her to it. "How do you know?" Her question came out from between clenched teeth. Usagi looked disapprovingly at this, a fact that didn't escape Hinako's perception.
Ryoga snorted. "Maybe for the fact that you are all trying to protect her from us. I can't believe such ineptitude in protecting her. Make it less obvious, please." He said sarcastically. His comment had the effect of angering the senshi in general. All except one. They would have attacked, had it not been for the fact that one of the advisors called their attention.
Artemis was shaking still, and that made the senshi even more nervous. "It's good to see you guys again." They all turned to see Saturn smiling at the newcomers. Haruka looked incredulous at her charge. Ranma was bad enough, but she also knew this pair?!
Ryoga let out a smirk, while Hinako's face softened. "Good to see you again, squirt of destruction." Ryoga said mockingly.
Hotaru frowned. "You know I don't like that nickname."
Ryoga laughed. "You know what it takes to shut me up, squirt. Are you willing to do it." He assumed a fake-fighting stance. The senshi thought he was gonna attack the little girl and tightened their grips on their transformation pens.
Hotaru smiled sarcastically. "As if I could." She then ran to him, and gave him a quick hug. She then hugged Hinako. "I'm so glad you're both alive."
Hinako returned the hug warmly. "We're glad you're alive as well." She smiled mischievously. "Have you found a boyfriend yet?" Hotaru blushed a little.
Usagi noticed that around Ranma and these two, Hotaru acted differently. She was more mature and sure of herself. *Could it be that she kept all her memories like Pluto did?* It was a possibility. One that explained why the Senshi of Saturn seemed to know the new arrivals so well. *I gotta ask her about what she remembers.* Getting information out of Pluto was simply impossible. But Hotaru was more open and would probably talk about it.
Back to the senshi, two particular girls didn't like the exchange. Haruka and Michiru saw with jealousy that other two people were very close to their charge. The fact that those two had insulted them was even more wood to the fire. Michiru took a step forward. "Are you two here to guide us to Nova?" She asked with ice in her voice.
Ryoga smiled demeaningly. "Guide you all? Don't make me laugh. We're here to escort the princess to Queen Nova." And he emphasized the Queen part. He noticed her reaction was mostly because of jealously, so he didn't beat the crap out of her. *No need to kill her for such a stupid reason.* A small part of his mind wanted for some of the senshi to attack him. It would be fun to fight one of Serenity's minions.
The senshi looked at each other, eyes full of uncertainty. Ranma had been unfriendly towards them, until he spoke to Usagi. And he was only respectful to the princess before leaving. But this guy was openly hostile. The woman seemed to be laughing at them with her eyes. The only fact that appeased some of them was that Hotaru seemed to trust the pair. And make that some of them.
Hinako got tired of the silence, and asked the princess. "Shall we go? Our mother awaits."
Usagi finally spoke, taken by surprise by the implication of what the woman said. "You're brother and sister?"
Ryoga laughed and said. "Of course. Queen Nova doesn't use guards to protect herself."
Usagi turned to all the senshi, and noticed in their expressions that they didn't like the idea of leaving her with those two. Mamoru seemed determined to stick with her. She turned her attention to Hinako and Ryoga. "Can my friends come with us?"
Hinako smiled inwardly. *Perceptive girl.* "Of course they can. However, we are 'your' escort. We won't take responsibility if anything happens to 'them.'" Her eyes sparkled in amusement at the red faces of the senshi. She then looked down and remembered something. "Everybody but the cats, though. It seems like the white one isn't too fond of coming with us, anyway." She said as Artemis ran inside the shrine. Luna looked apologetically at Usagi and followed him.
Hotaru heard the back and forth bantering and shook her head. *Hinako and Ryoga haven't changed.* She herself had been angry at them for their attitude many times. But she started to realize, after a while, that that's the way they were. She even learned a few things from the young woman.
Usagi smiled at the acceptance of her request. "Let's go." She said as she started walking. Hinako and Ryoga nodded as they led the way to their house.
The senshi in general, save for Hotaru and Usagi, were fuming at the siblings. Even Ami was angry with the ridiculing tone Ryoga used to refer to them. Minako and Makoto had thought he was kind of cute, until me made fun of their protection of the princess. Hinako hadn't been that direct, but her eyes spoke for her. She was openly laughing at the way her brother spoke to the senshi. Mamoru was worried about Usagi, as she seemed different from her usual self. This only happened when she was facing serious situations, and her memories of the Silver Millenium were clearer. It seemed like she considered this of importance, and that in itself was enough to get him on edge. He couldn't help but notice that as they walked through the streets of Juuban, people looked for a way to avoid coming in contact with the group. He almost laughed aloud as he thought about what they must look like. Ryoga and Hinako led the way, with Usagi close behind and the rest of the group covering the rear. It was as if Usagi was being protected by a war escort. *It very well may be.* He thought sobering. The way of the way to the Saotome house was covered by an awkward silence.
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Inside the shrine, Artemis was sitting under a chair, and still shaking. Luna approached him, and hesitantly asked. "Artemis? What's wrong?"
Artemis didn't turn to her. He was usually cheerful, but this was a side to him Luna had never seen. He had his eyes closed, and was taking deep breaths to control himself. He failed miserably. "Sorry, Luna. But I can't face him. I just can't." His voice was full of fear. Luna, knowing he wouldn't say anything else, sighed and tried to comfort her companion. Her thoughts turned to the member of the House of Nova. She couldn't remember much about him. Why would Artemis be so afraid of him?
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They arrived at big house. The senshi looked all around, studying the terrain. They were impressed by such a big space here in Japan. It must have cost a fortune. Just as they entered, Ryoga and Hinako motioned for Usagi to enter the living room. They were being quite formal with her, if not with anyone else. The journey here had been long for most of the senshi since the Nova siblings had been teasing them.
Uranus was, in particular, the target for the cruelest jokes. Even Hotaru was amazed at the teasing, and she was used to it. The shorthaired senshi was completely red with anger when they arrived. *One more snide remark and I'll kill them.* Her fists clenched and unclenched spasmodically, her knuckles white from the pressure. What made her even more enraged was the fact that Ryoga and Hinako didn't seem to be bothered by her glare. It was as if they didn't consider her to be a threat, but a toy to be played with.
Ryoga and Hinako didn't waste any time in crossing the yard and stopping in front of the door. Ryoga turned to her as the woman looked around for something. "Our mother awaits inside." He said with a straight face.
Usagi took no more than two steps before Haruka stopped her. "She's not leaving our sight." She didn't like the way things were going. Not one bit. "Who knows what could happen inside." Michiru and Rei stood next to her, backing her words with silent support.
Before Ryoga could retort to that, which he would enjoy, a calm voice was heard. "Let go of me, Uranus." Said senshi's eyes widened at the tone of voice. It was commanding and strong, not what her friend Usagi usually sounded like. So shocked was she, that she did as she was told. Usagi turned to her with a smile. "I'll be back, so please wait here." With that she entered the house, leaving a very shocked group of people behind. All except for the Nova siblings and Hotaru, who had seen this side of her before.
Hinako turned to Ryoga. "Seems like she's recovering some of her memories."
Ryoga shrugged. "Doesn't make much of a difference. She was inexperienced in the Silver Millenium, as she is now."
"Hey!" Haruka protested.
Ryoga ignored her presence as he asked of his sister. "Where do you think Ranma is?"
Hinako tilted her head to the side. "Beats me. I suppose that since he isn't with Setsuna, he must be training in the back yard."
Ryoga smiled proudly. "Obsessed, isn't he?" He said as he started to walk in that direction.
Hinako followed. "Look who's talking, Mr. Brawler. I believe you only like to fight him to beat someone up."
Ryoga laughed. "Can't say it isn't true."
The senshi were left alone as their guides turned around the house. They turned to each other with questioning glances. "Now what?" More than one asked. Hotaru didn't say anything and followed after Hinako and Ryoga.
The remainder of them looked at each other, wondering what had they gotten themselves into for coming. Mamoru looked at the door Usagi had entered, and felt compelled to follow her. Only one thing stopped him. *Usako, I'll wait for you.* He had to trust her. Sighing, he followed the Senshi of Saturn.
The others looked at each other and shrugged. They followed as well.
END PART 3
Author's notes: Man, finally got it posted! Sorry for the delay, things happen. Anyway, what do you think? If you want something to happen you'll have to wait till part 5. I already finished part 4 and it's with my prereaders. Sorry for no real action, but I'm preparing the field for it.
Also, thanks to my prereaders for their comments and support:
Mamonochibi
Randy
Long Ngo
Well, I guess that's it. Good or bad comments are welcome. (Though the bad comments will make me become violent with certain characters I don't really like.) <Drakuzz' eyes turn black and an evil smile darkens the room.>
See you in part 4. |
