Subject: (no subject)
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1998 19:53:37 -0600
From: "Donny" 
To: chengdo@shaw.wave.ca

Disclaimer:  All characters portrayed in this story are owned by their
respective creators and companies.  I don't own any of them.  Please
don't sue me.

This story draws ideas from both the anime and manga of all the series
involved.

This is another part of Preludes and Interludes, which in turn is part
of my crossover series, Life and Times.

C & C welcomed.  Flames not.

Preludes and Interludes:  Volume 3

By

Donny Cheng

Hotaru

Present day...

        Hotaru gasped for breath.  Her arms and legs ached with exhaustion.
Wearily she looked around at the others and was saddened to see none of
the others had collapsed yet.  Hotaru hated the frailty of her body.
The others in Ranma-sensei's class hardly looked tired as they followed
the intricate motions taught to them.  Her eyes continued to wander
until they finally rested on the male figure ahead of her.  Ranma.

        Ranma moved with the grace of a cat, which no one in their right mind
would say to his face.  His muscles, still having a boyish softness to
them, rippled underneath the thin cotton gi that he wore.  Sweat danced
across his chest as he performed another kata.

        "Hotaru, Hotaru!"

        So entranced was Hotaru she nearly didn't hear her name being called
out.  She smiled weakly at Chibi-Usa, who practiced beside her.  "I'm
alright, just a little winded, that's all."  Hotaru forced herself to
get up and continue.

                        * * * * *

        The class finally came to an end.  Immediately, of course, the entire
student body ran up to Ranma asking for dates.  All of which were met
with glares from Ranma's 'fiancées', who all had decided to preside over
the class to make sure no 'funny' stuff happened.  Seeing that Ranma,
who was in the middle, was getting quite a beating as the girls nearly
erupted into a brawl, the students finally decided to leave.  However,
each made a silent promise to herself that Ranma would be theirs
eventually before they left.

        "Hotaru, wait!"  Ranma called out.

        Hotaru stop and glanced up as Ranma came running up to her.  She had
been too tired and too shy to join her friends in the near fight to get
to him.  Which was why she was shocked to see him telling her to stop.
He wouldn't be asking her for a date, would he?

        "Hotaru, I noticed that you stopped a lot during class.  Is there
something wrong?"  Ranma asked with concern.  To him, Hotaru had looked
like she was at the verge of collapse many times.

        Hiding her disappointment, she answered, "No, my body is naturally
weak.  I can only handle so much exercise a day."

        "That may be a problem then.  The class will become harder as we go
on."

        For a moment, fear arose within Hotaru.  She might have to quit this
class?  "I can try harder, sensei.  I really don't want stop coming to
this class."

        "Wait a second here.  Who said anything about quitting?  I'm just
saying that I might have to teach you something different.  Something
softer.  I do know more than one style you know.  I was thinking that
maybe we could build up your strength slowly with some easier forms."

        A blush was threatening to come to her cheeks when she heard Ranma's
words.  She and Ranma alone?  "You mean you're going to teach something
to only me?"

        "Well, the other's don't really need it and it might set them back.
This training will probably eat up a lot of you spare time, time away
from your school friends."

        Hotaru looked at Ranma with a startled expression.  School friends.
"No, I don't think that will be a problem."

        Ranma could have sworn he saw Hotaru flinch just a moment ago.  Was her
body that weak?  "Then we'll train every other day after school,
including the usual Saturday class, okay?"

        Hotaru gave Ranma a warm smile.  "Okay."

                        * * * * *

        Hotaru followed Chibi-Usa and the other's back home for a short
distance before she noticed that she forgot to bring her gi with her for
cleaning.  She let the rest of the senshi know that she would only be a
minute and walked back to the Tendo's home.

        She slipped back inside and went to the dojo.  Her gi was neatly folded
and laying just outside the door where she had left it when she put on
her shoes.  As she went to get it, she heard shouting through the closed
doors of the dojo.  She stopped when her name was mentioned.

        "Come on, don't you think you girls are over reacting just a little.
You don't really need to be with us when we train.  She's just a little
girl."  That was Ranma's voice.

        "Shampoo not like Ranma spending time with anybody but Shampoo."
Obviously Shampoo's voice.

        "It's bad enough, you agreed to teach the rest of them on Saturdays.
One of only two days free from school that we can go on a date."  That
was Ukyo's.

        "Hohoho!  As if Ranma-sama would ever go on a date with you.  They are
taking up precious moments between my beloved and I."  A loud crash
could be heard after Kodachi spoke.  The three were fighting again.

        "Like age has ever stopped a pervert like you, Ranma.  Does, Ms.
Hinako's little form or even that girl, who claims to be a goddess,
Skuld ring any bells?  If not, let me help you remember."  Akane's voice
rung in Hotaru's ears.

        Hotaru glanced up in time to see Ranma sailing through the sky.  Her
heart had lurched when he referred her to a little girl.  He didn't seem
to share the same romantic feelings that she had for him.

                        * * * * *

        Ranma couldn't help but notice Hotaru's sadness.  Haruka and Michiru,
the 'parents', claimed that Hotaru was often like that.  But, Ranma
never believed them.  She seemed to be happy whenever he was around.
"Is there something wrong, Hotaru-chan?"

        Hotaru blinked and looked up and Ranma as she stopped midway through
the kata.  Why did he have to be so nice?  It would have been better if
he was like the rest of her classmates.  False hope was definitely not
better than no hope at all.  "Um... No, everything's alright."  She then
continued on with the training as if to prove it.

        Now, Ranma knew something was definitely wrong.  Hotaru always looked
at him when he was talking with her.  She had her head down and looked
depressed.  Haruka and Michiru really hadn't been kidding.  Was it
something to do with school?  Usagi and the other's all treated Hotaru
well, but they couldn't be considered her peers.  Even her best friend,
Chibi-Usa, was of a different age bracket.  She was in a sense the
middle child of that close knit 'family' of friends.  He then realized
that he had never seen Hotaru with anyone from her school unlike
Chibi-Usa who was quite popular.  Ranma decided that maybe he would skip
school tomorrow.  If he found out she was being picked on...

                        * * * * *

        Ranma stared as if the scene would change if he looked at it long
enough.  For one of the few times in his life, he was stumped.  He stood
hidden behind the tree as he looked in on the lunchtime activities of
Hotaru's school.  Boys either just hung out with their buddies talking
or played at some type of sports.  Girls sat together, apparently
gossiping the day away.  Well, nearly every girl.  Hotaru sat by herself
picking at her lunch.  No one was fighting with her.  No one was making
fun of her.  It was worse.  Hotaru was ignored.

        Ranma felt useless.  For all his prowess in the arts, he couldn't do a
thing.  There were no bullies for him to beat.  No wagging tongues for
him to stop.  It was no wonder that Hotaru was sad.  Ranma had first had
knowledge of what if felt like for a child to be alone.  Right now,
Hotaru needed a friend and that was one thing Ranma could be for her.

                        * * * * *

        Hotaru ate alone.  This was usual for her.  She had never been able to
hide her ability to heal.  Her gentle nature always got the better of
her and she would try to ease the pain of some person that got hurt
within her vicinity.  When she did reveal her ability, she was always
considered a freak.  This school was better than most.  Here they didn't
go out of their way to be mean to her.  Here, they simply refused to
acknowledge her existence.  Which was why, her name being called out
surprised her.

        "Hotaru!"  Ranma felt every eye on him as he entered the school
grounds.  Jeez, hasn't anyone ever visited her here before?

        Unbeknownst to Ranma, the entire topic of discussion immediately
changed.
        "Hey, it's that martial artist everyone is talking about.  The new
champion of Nerima, after the defeat of that the Kuno guy."
        "He won all those medals during that Olympics thingie awhile ago."
        "Isn't he just awesome?"
        "Doesn't look like much to me."
        "Isn't that the cross dresser from Furinken?"

        Hotaru hardly heard the gossip around her.  "Ranma!  What are you doing
here?  Don't you have school today?"

        "Uh.. er.. I just came by to tell you that I wanted you to come for
training today too.  Yeah, that's it!  Hehehe!"  Ranma scratched the
back of his head nervously.  That sounded totally lame.

        "You could have just called, Ranma"

        "Oh, yeah!  Silly me.  Oh, what's done is done.  We were going to have
a test today anyway, so I didn't miss learning anything," Ranma grinned.

        Hotaru failed to see the logic in that, but said nothing.  Ranma's grin
was infectious and Hotaru soon smiled also.  They shared the rest of the
lunch hour together just idling about before Ranma finally left.

        Not a second had passed after Ranma had left, when what felt like the
entire school suddenly swarmed her.  All of them wanting to know about
Ranma.  They seemed to have all but forgotten her strangeness.  In fact
most of the school now took Hotaru in stride and figured that she had a
right to be different since she was a friend with Ranma.

        * * * * *

        Hotaru walked beside Ranma as they walked away from the school.  "You
didn't have to wait for me until school finished."

        "Er.. I had nothing better to do,"  Ranma said truthfully.  "I guess,
everything is alright now, hey?  You've been down lately."  A visit from
a friend seemed to make her happier and he had seen the result of his
visit.  He had unwittingly saved Hotaru's social life.

        Hotaru blushed.  She couldn't tell Ranma that the reason she had been
sad was that she thought she didn't stand a chance with him.  "Um.. Yes,
I'm alright now."

        Ranma beamed at her.

        Just a few years, Ranma, Hotaru thought to herself.  Just wait for a
few more years.

                        * * * * *

Third Impact aftermath...

        Hotaru felt a sense of déjà vu as she watched Ranma practice.  He was
as beautiful as she had remembered.  As part of the outer senshi, her
purpose was to protect the solar system from outside forces as a
separate force apart from the inner senshi.  She found herself alone
again most of the time as she didn't want to bud in on Mama Michiru and
Papa Haruka's time together.  Setsuna as always was always absent
watching the flow of time.  Most of her free time was spent watching
over Ranma.  She had been wrong to think that her shyness could be
overcome given time.

        

        The sound of a twig snapping alerted both Hotaru and Ranma to another
presence.  She thought of getting away when his eyes suddenly caught
hers.  He had caught her watching him.  He was now looking at her with
expectant eyes.  Eyes the shone with fondness.  Gathering up her
courage, she went to chat with an old friend.  She briefly wondered
where that noise had came from.

                        * * * * *

Ayanami Rei III

Third Impact aftermath...

        "Misato!  Misato!"

        Misato swatted at the source of the voice blindly in front of her.
"Leave me alone.  Just ten more minutes and then I'll go to work."  She
tried getting back to sleep, but something in the back of her mind told
her something was wrong.  That's right, she remembered.  She was dead.

        Usagi jumped back as the woman in front of her suddenly bolted up from
bed and started to feel herself all over.  Usagi blushed, when the
woman's hands reached certain private areas.  "Yes, you're alive!  Don't
need to pinch yourself."

        "What?  How's this possible?  The explosion, the Evas, the..."

        "I can explain," Usagi cut Misato off.  "I guess I should introduce
myself first, my name is Usagi.  Yes, Misato, you did die.  But, the
soul does not leave a body that it has been attached to for nearly
thirty years so easily.  Your soul, along with the other Nerv
personnel's, just stuck around long enough for the Human Completion
Program to absorb it."

        "Then the Third Impact..."

        "It did happen, but we were able to reverse the process.  Don't ask how
we did it, because I'm not too sure myself.  Anyway, me and my friends
are going around making sure that those that did die just before the
program took affect make an easier adjustment to a new chance at life."

        "..."  Misato was silent as let this all sink in.  She was alive.

        "If you don't have anymore questions, I have go and check on the
other's that haven't awaken yet," Usagi said to Misato.  She tried to
resist the urge to look back and stare at the woman again.  She had a
nagging feeling that she had seen Misato from somewhere.

        Misato stared after the young woman that just left.  She felt this
Usagi reminded her of someone.  She shook off the feeling.  It was
probably nothing.  Her thoughts then turned to her moment of death.  She
touched her lips in remembrance.  DAMN!

                        * * * * *

        "Rei, would you stop following me?"  Usagi turned around and faced
nothing but thin air.  However, that would last for only a moment.  The
third clone of the First Children mysteriously appeared as she walked
into Usagi's view from the shadow of the night.

        "I have a debt and I intend to pay it," Rei's voice was absolute and
offered no chance of rebuttal.

        "You know, it was really Hotaru that did all the work.  She's the one
that saved you.  She probably would have done that anyway even if I
hadn't given the order."  Usagi could have sworn she saw Rei redden in
the face at the mentioning of Sailor Saturn.  Those two weren't...

        "She is... occupied with something at the moment.  I will watch over
you until she is available again."  Ever since Hotaru had saved her, Rei
had kept a vigilant eye on the senshi.  During this time she caught
Hotaru watching Ranma doing a kata from a distance.  Saturn also seemed
to like him and was too shy to actually go up and talk to the First
Knight.  So, Hotaru just silently stood there while Ranma trained
alone.  Rei had chosen at that point to make a little noise that he
would be sure to hear and then promptly disappeared.  Before she faded
out she caught a glimpse of Ranma scanning the area with his eyes at the
sound.  Hotaru would have some explaining to do.

        Rei was not a person that could not share.

                        * * * * *

        Misato found Shinji to be alone within the bare building that was once
part of Nerv HQ.  Their home away from home for the past year.  "Uh,
hi."

        "Hi."  Shinji tried fiercely to forget about his last moment with
Misato.  However, he was fighting a losing battle as blood rushed to his
face and his heart started to pound with maddening rhythm.

        Misato wracked her brain for something to say.  What do you say to
someone that you've all but declared love to?  She looked at Shinji who
had turned away from her.  Boy, he was cute.  Ah, to hell with it, she
thought.  She walked up to Shinji and turned him to face her.  "I
promised that we would do something about 'it' when we got out alive."
Without another word, she pulled him in for a full-blown kiss.  She
guessed that maybe she did like younger men better.

        "Mmmmrph!"  It was hard to say anything with a tongue touching your
tonsils, which Shinji just happened to find out.

        "Misato!  First Ryouji and now Shinji?"  Asuka had apparently reached
the building also.

        Misato let go of Shinji, who had already fainted, and looked at Asuka.
This was her rival?  She, a thirty-year-old woman, was chasing after a
fifteen-year-old boy, who had a fifteen-year-old girlfriend.  Misato
didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

                        * * * * *

        Rei waited patiently to be admitted into the large office while she sat
on one of the plush chairs outside.  She didn't have to wait long as a
beautiful woman opened the doors and stepped out.

        "The Almighty will see you now," Belldandy said to the young angel in
front of her.

        Rei nodded and entered to office.  She was immediately treated to the
most awesome sight she had ever seen in her short life.  How did one
address the Almighty?  God?  Lord?  Master?

        "How about just father?"  The voice was gentle yet firm.

        Rei smiled.  That sounded right to her ears.  "Father."

                        * * * * *

        Asuka looked apprehensively at the floating angel in front of her.
Angel.  The word brought back bad memories.  "What do you want Rei?"

        Rei looked around at hastily rebuilt apartment Asuka shared with Misato
and Shinji.  It looked lived in.  Probably due in no small part to
Misato's habits than anything else.  "I came to speak with her."

        "Who?"  Asuka tried playing innocent, but she eventually came to the
conclusion that Rei did not fall for it at all.  Asuka sighed and put
fingers to each side of her temples.  "Hey, Rei!  Someone's looking for
you."

        Rei III waited for a moment as Asuka's body started shuddering.  Asuka
soon regained her composure and looked at Rei III with the same
dispassionate gaze.  "Hello, Rei."

        Asuka/Rei continued staring for a moment before replying.  "Hello,
Rei.  How did you know?"

        "Our father told me.  No, not Gendo.  Our real father."

        Asuka/Rei did not even blink.  "What did you want?"

        "I'm going to be going a way for awhile... for training.  I don't know
when I will be back.  Other than father, you are the closest thing I
have to family.  Your thoughts are always on my mind despite my best
efforts rid myself of them.  They will not let me have a moments rest
until I know for sure.  Are you happy?"

        Asuka/Rei thought for a moment.  She then smiled a rare and beautiful
smile.  "Yes, I believe I am.  Asuka doesn't seem to mind me anymore and
I get to be with Shinji-kun."

        "I'm glad."  Rei III smiled as the voices in her head quieted down.

        Asuka blinked a few times.  "Finished talking?"

        "Yes, she told me she was happy.  How about you Asuka?"

        Asuka frowned.  Other than Misato, life was perfect.  But she knew that
Rei wanted to know about what she felt about her sister.  "I should have
guessed that Shinji would waffle on me.  Don't get me wrong.  I think
this just proves he likes me more.  Sure he chose the both of us, but it
was my body and my mind he wanted first.  It feels nice being wanted.
And if Rei being a part of me made that happen, I don't mind one bit.

        "Thank you, Asuka."  Rei III wished her predecessor and sister the best
of luck.  Now to find Moiraine.

                        * * * * *

Setsuna

1000 years ago...

        Queen Serenity took note of the shimmering air in front her.  "Welcome,
Pluto.  But wouldn't the front door have been easier?"

        "I am sorry for my abrupt appearance your majesty," Pluto whispered,
her voice clearly breaking with emotion, as she dropped to one knee and
bowed low.  She was surprised to feel her cheeks becoming wet with
tears.  She thought a millenium of crying had already dried them.

        Serenity trembled and grasped the arms of her throne to steady herself
when the looked upon the emotional senshi.  Pluto should not have needed
to use the time gate with her being already in the palace performing
errands.  She at once knew the implications of this arrival.  This was
not the Sailor Pluto of her own time.  "I thought I told you never to
cross time."

        "I'm sorry, your majesty.  This was not the only rule that I have
broken and will probably not be the last.  However, my experience has
told me what must be done.  I have come tell you that SHE must be saved
from an event that will effect the Moon Kingdom."

        "I.. I understand.  How long do I have?"  Serenity knew better than
tamper with time.  It was the main reason she had set up certain rules
for she that carried the mantle of Sailor Pluto.

        "A week's time.  You will have to find a mission that will occupy her
time.  If you do not she will not survive."

        Serenity choked back her own tears.  "No, she will not.  She is very
loyal and I know she will be among the first to try and aid me."

        "Thank-you your majesty," Pluto murmured gratefully.  "It means a lot
to me to hear that.  I can not tell you what you have to do, but I'm
sure something will drop in her lap to help you make your decision."

        If Serenity did not know any better, she would say that Setsuna had
made a joke and had the faintest wisp of a smile on her lips.  "Can you
just answer one question for me?"

        "You already know that answer to that my queen.  I cannot disclose any
more information than I have to or I will risk changing history.  But...
I think that anyone your majesty cares about will be around for a long
time."  This would be her final act of kindness to her former liege.

        Serenity smiled.  Her daughter will survive.  She did not look up as
Pluto materialized out of the castle.  She could only feel sorrow for
her loneliest senshi.  The years will be most harsh on her for what was
to come.

                        * * * * *

        Pluto craned her neck a little bit more her right side.  She strained
to get a better glance at the procession of men leaving for Earth.
Endymion was just so very handsome.  Too bad he was already taken.

        "Pluto?  Are you paying attention?"  Queen Serenity sighed as she took
note of where Pluto's eyes strayed to.  It seemed the Royal Ball Pluto
and Endymion attended together left a deep impression on the Guardian of
Time.  Duty had forced Serenity to have one of her senshi escort him
when her daughter had been too sick to attend.  Little would she know
that this would come from it.

        Pluto blushed.  "Yes?  Sorry, my mind seemed to have wandered.  If
there is nothing more to be needed of me, I will tidy up some loose ends
and return to the Gate."

        Serenity did not want to lie to Pluto, but the need was too great.
What mission could she send her on that will not seem suspicious?

        As if in answer to her prayers, a figure suddenly appeared right over
top of Pluto and fell on top of her.

        "What the heck happened?  Geez, my head hurts," the boy in question
complained as he clutched his head, trying to stop the ringing.

        Serenity hid her smile.  It seemed Pluto would develop a sense of humor
later in life.  "What have we here?"

        Pluto glared indignantly at the boy sprawled over her.  "If you don't
mind, can I get up, whoever you are?"

        Ranma noticed that he didn't seem to be in Nerima anymore.  Looking
around, he couldn't help but notice the earth in the sky from one of the
windows of what appeared to be a palace.  "Uh.. I'm Ranma," he mumbled
intelligently.

        He didn't have to scramble that fast off of me, Pluto thought darkly of
the boy.  He acted as if she were some disease.  Endymion didn't seem to
mind her company.  Endymion.  The thought of him brought shivers down
her spine.  She really had to get over him.  He was a suitor of the
princess.

        "Pluto, I believe that this is your area of expertise."  Serenity
studied the boy carefully.  He seemed to be staring at her.  Not the
lustful stare of a lecher nor the stare of a one looking at one's idol.
It was recognition.  The boy knew her.

        "Yes, your majesty.  I will take care of it right away."  Pluto looked
disdainfully at the boy.

        Ranma grimaced at how they referred him as a problem.  He didn't like
being talked about as if he wasn't even there.  Maybe he should start
the conversation.  "Usagi, that you?  Can't be.  You're too old to be
her.  And you.  You look like that nice lady that gave me chocolates a
week ago."

        Serenity froze.  She briefly considered letting the boy keep spouting
off, but he was already giving away too much information.  Usagi, that
seemed like a nice name.  "I'm sure it is a case of mistaken
identification."

        **You are in the past in the Moon Kingdom.  Please refrain from
speaking further.**

        Ranma jerked his head and stared at the woman that looked like his
cousin.  It was her voice, he heard in his head.  He was in the past?
The woman did make sense though.  It would be a good idea to not say
anything anymore.  "You're right.  You don't look anything like my
friends."

        "He will wait here until you take care of the rest of your duties.
When you are ready, take him with you to your castle and find out how it
is that he came here."

        Pluto raised an eyebrow at that, but did not say anything.  Serenity's
tone of voice was quite firm.  Still, Pluto was not sure if was safe to
leave the boy in the queen's custody.  He did show up from out of
nowhere.  "Yes, your majesty.  Shall I send in the inner senshi to help
detain him?"

        That should still allow her a few moments to talk with the boy alone,
Serenity thought and she did not want Pluto to become anymore
suspicious.  "That will be fine.  Send them in."

        Ranma had enough sense to wait until the Pluto had left before he asked
his questions.  "Where am I?"

        "You are in the past as I have told you.  It seems a friend of mine
sent you here to help me with an errand.  How far, I can not tell you
since I know not how far in the future you come from.  And please do not
give me any ideas.  Do so and you risk changing your own history."

        "Friend?"  Who could have done it?  Happosai, Cologne, Urd, and Washu
all certainly could do it.  But why would they?

        "The future self of that woman that I just sent away.  The one you
commented had given you chocolates the week before your time."

        "Oh.  She was a nice to me.  I guess I can do this favor for her,
whatever it is.  Just one question.  Why is she dressed up like Sailor
Pluto?"

        "That's because she is Sailor Pluto."  It was inadvertent, but Serenity
was still glad with the knowledge that the Sailor Senshi would accompany
her daughter in Ranma's time.

        "Oh."  Ranma stood stunned.  Now that he thought about it, the woman
had looked a lot like the Sailor Pluto that sometimes appeared in the
newspapers.

        Serenity heard the doors to the throne room open and the four inner
senshi enter.  She acknowledged their bows with a nod of her head.

        Ranma bit his tongue to stop from speaking out.  Ami, Makoto, Minako,
and Rei were the senshi also?  His cousin had a lot of explaining to do.

        "Is that the boy we are to hold in custody for Pluto?"  Venus looked
over at Ranma.

        Ranma shuddered.  They didn't resemble his friends from his time very
much despite their looks.  They seemed cold and distant.

        "No, not custody.  Pluto always uses harsher words than needed.  I
merely need this fine young man entertained until she is ready to
leave.  Show him around the castle or anything that he may want."

        Venus passed a surprised glance to her fellow senshi.  Entertain?  A
human by the looks of it, no less.  "But, we do not have time for such
matters.  Beryl will attack at any moment.  We have to prepare."

        "Everything has been prepared for many months now.  There is nothing
else that can be done.  Take some time off and enjoy what little time of
peace we still have."  Serenity tried hard to keep herself calm and
collected.  She loved all of the inners as if they were her own
children.  If she was correct in her assumption, one week will be all
the time they will have to enjoy life as they knew it.

                        * * * * *

        "Listen, if you guys don't mind.  Just point me in the direction of
where you guys practice fighting."  Ranma felt slightly sore at the way
the girls tried to pawn him off on one another.  They liked him well
enough in his time.

        "Actually, we were going there ourselves..."  Mercury said before she
quickly clamped her mouth shut.  She avoided the other senshis' glares.

        Jupiter growled.  Mercury was too honest for her own good.  "We may as
well take him with us."

        Ranma grumbled along with the rest of them as they went towards the
soldiers training grounds.  Everyone seemed to be hostile to him here.
What'd he do to them?  Enough was enough.  They can't really be all that
different from their future counterparts.  "Thank you Mercury-san.  That
was most kind of you.  You are a very nice person."

        "You're welcome."  Mercury smiled brightly.  It wasn't really that much
of a chore to baby sit this human.  She looked him over once again.
Definitely not a baby.

        Ranma and Mercury soon fell behind talking animatedly much to the
chagrin of the others.

                        * * * * *

        Ranma grinned as he looked around at the bodies of various soldiers
littered around him.  They used the same martial arts style Ami had used
on him back in the future.  It had all started innocently enough.  He
watched the senshi moving along and helping the training of the soldiers
at various intervals.  A few of them had heard him snort derisively.
The hot heads among them called him out and he jumped at the chance.

        "You're pretty good human.  How about you go up against me?"  Jupiter
took an offensive stance a few feet in front of Ranma.

        Ranma was about to answer that he didn't fight girls but quickly
squashed that notion.  Makoto, he knew, did not like being thought of as
weak.  He tried to think of a way out.  "Hmm... I'd like to.  But I'm
getting kind of hungry.  You wouldn't have a snack I could munch on
first do you?"

        "I have some cookies in that basket I brought with me.  Will that be
enough?"  Jupiter was eager to show Ranma, people from the Moon Kingdom
were not to be taken lightly.

        "Hey, thanks."  He grabbed basket a soldier brought to him.

        "Are you ready now?  Hey, why do you have that look on your face?  You
don't like them?"  Jupiter did not like that look of seeming horror on
Ranma's face.

        "Wow!  Don't get me wrong.  These are great.  The best I've ever
eaten.  Who made these?"  Ranma already knew that answer to that,
however.  He was surprised to find that he did not have to lie very
much.  It seemed that Makoto had always been a good cook.

        "Um... I did."  Jupiter found herself glowing at Ranma's compliment.
She blinked.  The basket was empty.  He must have been telling the truth
about liking them.

        "Sorry.  I don't know what came over me.  They just tasted so good.
I'm kind of full.  My prowess might not be very good in this fight."

        Jupiter didn't feel very comfortable about the upcoming fight.  "Maybe
we can just do some light sparring.  Nothing too strenuous."

        "That sounds fine."  With that said, the fight began in earnest.

                        * * * * *

        Mars and Venus did their best to ignore the laughing Jupiter.  Jupiter
was actually giggling as she and Ranma played TAG!?

        Mercury couldn't help but feel a little jealous at the attention
Jupiter was getting.  Would they mind if she joined?

        Venus fought the urge to look over at the now laughing trio.  Even
though she was the leader, she couldn't help but feel the need for Mars
approval.  What would the spiritualist of the group think if the leader
actually joined them?

        Mars brow twitched as she heard Mercury's musical laughter join those
of Ranma and Jupiter.  Didn't they have any sense of propriety?  Dozens
of the palace guards were here.  Well most of them had left for the
infirmary, but that wasn't the point.  At least Venus was showing proper
form.

        "That looks like fun... cough cough.  Why don't you join them?"
Princess Serentiy asked.

        "Princess, what are you doing out here?  You are not well."  Mars was
at once at Serenity's side.  Venus had joined the trio at the sound of
the princess's voice.

        "Mars, please.  The nurses have babied me enough.  I'm fine and I think
I might join them.  He is quite a handsome boy.  Not of Endymion's
caliber, but I think I could stand to be in the boy's company."

        Mars gave up.  She would join the idiots, if only to be at her
princess's side.  She fervently held onto that as being her only reason.

                        * * * * *

        "We're staying another day?" Ranma asked as he stepped into the
spacious room the queen had been kind enough to provide for him.

        "Yes, we are.  I am staying until I am sure no temporal activities are
occurring in the area.  As you may have heard, we are in a midst of a
war.  Beryl may have the ability to affect time with her power.  We have
to be prepared for all possibilities.  Thanks to your appearance, the
temporal structure of the area had been thrown askew."

        Could this cold lady be the same woman that listened to him patiently
was nice to him on Valentine's Day?  Did she just pretend to be kind to
him so that he would do her a favor?  Ranma couldn't and wouldn't
believe that of the woman.  This was her past self.  Maybe she was just
like the others and was more cool and distant to strangers than the her
of his time.  "Sorry, if I inconvenienced you.  I'm not in all that much
hurry to get home anyway."

        "I noticed.  You seem to have tied the inner senshi and the princess
around your little finger.  I assume that you are from the future, so I
am prohibited from asking you questions other than what time frame you
are from.  No doubt you know them from your time and you are using that
knowledge to gain favor with them."

        Ranma hated the insinuation in Pluto's voice.  So what if it were
true.  "I just wanted to get along with them.  What was wrong with
that?  It's not like I took advantage of them.  And how would you know
what I was doing with them.  You were spying on me weren't you?"

        "I am not like the queen.  I find it suspicious that you would appear
in the midst of our war with Beryl."

        "Just what are you saying?  You think I'm in league with them?"  Ranma
couldn't believe someone other than Kuno, Ryoga, and those other jerks
could think of him that way.  "That's not fair.  You hardly even know
me."

        "I know enough to be wary of you.  You are vulgar and rude.  Already,
you admit to using your knowledge to have your way.  It goes against
every belief of mine."

        "W.. Well, you aren't all that special either," Ranma lamely fought
back.  "Man, I can't believe I actually thought you were a wonderful
woman.  To think I actually liked you."

        "Wonderful woman..?"  Pluto was momentarily caught off guard by those
words.  Did he know her from the future also?  Was she actually a friend
with him?

        "I hate break up this lovers' spat, but you're needed Pluto.  We can't
afford to become lax in our patrol of the outer planets.  We would be at
a disadvantage if we were be to attacked by an outside force while we're
dealing with Beryl."  Uranus commented as she past the doorway where the
bickering pair stood.

        "L.. Lovers' spat?  You got it all wrong.  It's nothing like that at
all."  Ranma blushed furiously at the implied suggestion.  Trust Haruka
to be remain blunt even in the past.

        Pluto frowned at the quickness of Ranma's denial of their
relationship.  True, they didn't have one, but did he have to react so
strongly?  Wonderful woman.  Did he mean that?  Or was he using his
knowledge to his advantage again.  Maybe he was such a bad person after
all.

                        * * * * *

        "You don't have to follow me.  I'm sure the others would be happy to
entertain you again today," Pluto said to the boy walking along side of
her.

        "They're all busy.  I didn't want to bother them."

        "Oh?  And I suppose it's all right to bother me?"

        "Geez!  Why do you always twist what I say?  You're my ticket home.  I
might as well stick by you until I leave."  The truth of the matter was
that Ranma was feeling a little guilty about the argument the other
day.  For all he knew he was here as a favor to Pluto's future self and
he might have messed everything up with his bungling.  She may not be
the same person, but apparently she changed later on and Ranma didn't
want to disappoint her faith in him.

        "Whatever."  Pluto took back her thought from before.  He wasn't all
that good a person either.  Wonderful woman.  Her mind went back to
those words again.  He must have been lying about what he really thought
of her, but it wasn't like she cared.

        Ranma saw the frown on Pluto's face.  She really didn't like him
hanging around?  His words weren't in the least bit as harsh as hers
that night.  She called him all sorts of things.  He just said that she
wasn't that special.  She probably didn't even care for his opinion.
Still... It nagged him to no end.  "Hey, sorry about the other night.  I
didn't mean what I said."

        He didn't mean what he said about it not being a lovers' spat?  What?
Where did that thought come from?  He meant about her not being special
and a wonderful woman.  That didn't seem right either.  "So, you like
me?"

        "What?  No, I mean, yes."  A year of guarding his words around the
girls in his life, really hurt the sincerity of his voice, Ranma found
out.

        Pluto didn't notice.  She couldn't believe she voiced out that question
out loud.  "Er, thank you, I guess."  She decided that she really needed
to get out more.  First Endymion and now this boy's babbling words were
starting a affect her.

        Ranma walked in relative silence with Pluto after that.  That wasn't so
bad, Ranma thought.  Maybe she really just was like the others at
first.  The war was just making them all edgy.

        Endymion.  The image popped up in her mind again as she thought of his
name.  His handsome face.  His dark hair.  His pigtail.  Pigtail!?

                        * * * * *

        "Another day?  I'll have to spend another day with you?"

        If he shudders, Pluto was going to smack him.  "I have one more meeting
with Uranus and Neptune before we can go.  It will take only a few
hours."

        Ranma grinned.  "Oh, okay.  It isn't that bad here.  Yesterday was
nice."

        He didn't do anything yesterday.  He was with her all day.  Pluto
grudgingly accepted that it had been nice being with him.  They didn't
do or talk much with each other.  It just felt nice knowing someone was
beside her.  She was beginning to find out just how much her post as
Sailor Pluto had affected her need for companionship.  It helped that he
didn't stick his foot in his mouth the rest of the day.  "Okay.  Any
plans for today?"

        "Not really.  I'll just follow you around again.  Can't lose sight of
my ride back home."

        "If you don't mind me boring you, you're welcome to come along."

        Wait a minute.  That sounded civil.  Ranma knew he was right in the
first place.  The woman that gave him he met was somewhere in this
seeming aloof senshi.  "Thanks, for taking me."

        Pluto was starting to regret the prospect of finding a way to send him
home after today.  His company was much better than the solitude she
faced everyday as the Guardian of Time.  She was discovering just how
much better it was.

                        * * * * *

        Pluto tried not to glare too much as the each of the inner senshi gave
Ranma their farewells.  It really wasn't her business.  She really
should cut the farewells short though.  It WAS getting pretty late.  She
ignored Venus and the rest of the inners glowering when she walked up
and pulled him away from them.

        "Are you going to be back in time for the ball, Pluto?"  Mercury, who
was the only one that seemed able to find her voice, asked Pluto.  "Some
humans are said to be attending."

        "No, I don't think so.  I could be gone anywhere from a few seconds to
a day.  Temporal mechanics is not an exact science."  It was funny.  The
thought of Endymion being there didn't give her the jitters anymore.

        "Time to go?  What do I have to do?" Ranma asked.  It had been nice
meeting the past lives of his close friends.  He was starting to miss
them already.

        Just hold on to me and let me do the rest."  She nodded as Ranma
wrapped his arms around her waist.  Invoking the power of her staff, the
both of them vanished.

        Mercury looked questioningly at her friends.  "Since when did you need
to hold on to Pluto when she traveled?"

                        * * * * *

        "Where are we?"  Ranma stared out into the empty space around him.
There didn't seem to be much of anything around here.

        "This is the gateway of time.  This is where I stand guard under normal
circumstances."

        "Yeah, they told me about that.  Must get kind of lonely in here.  I
don't envy your job one bit."

        "I suppose."  Pluto looked sadly around her.  She knew this was what
she would face when she took up the mantle of Sailor Pluto.

        "Hey, cheer up.  It's not that bad.  You know where to find me.  Maybe
I could visit from time to time?"  Ranma cursed himself.  His luck with
keeping his foot out of his mouth seemed to have ended.  Why'd he have
to go and remind her of what a bad job she has.

        For some reason, Pluto could not tell Ranma that his idea was
impossible.  Humans lived a very short time.  To visit her throughout
the timeline would probably cause a paradox in time with the constant
large jumps in time.  It would only work if he live as long as she could
and thus visit her without time travel.  "Yes, I would like that,
Ranma.  Are you ready to go?"

        "I guess so."  Ranma held on to Pluto again and their surroundings
slowly changed to those of the dojo.  He was home again.  Strangely, he
wasn't as happy as he thought he would be.

        Pluto resisted the urge to look around her.  The less she knew about
this future the better.  Only extreme need allowed her the freedom to
view the future.  "Bye, Ranma.  Have a wonderful life."

        Ranma waved to the fading image of Pluto until she was entirely gone.
It was time to call a cousin of his.  Usagi explanation better be good.

                        * * * * *

        Pluto looked around her at the devastation of the once proud Moon
Kingdom.  She had only been gone a day.  How could this have happened?
She must go back and change it.

        "STOP!"

        Pluto turned at once as looked into the face of a very tired looking
Queen Serenity.  "Your majesty, you're still alive."

        "Yes, but I will not survive long.  It took the last of my power to
last this long.  I waited specifically for you.  The Moon Kingdom was
doomed and your presence would not have helped.  Do not go back and
change a thing.  Listen carefully.  What I ask of you right now is very
important."

        "Ask, your majesty, and I will obey."  Pluto felt her eyes well up with
tears.

        "I have used the power of the silver crystal to send my daughter and
the rest of the kingdom to earth to be reincarnated at a later date.  My
daughter will have need of you when she reawakens.  I ask you not as a
ruler, but as a friend, that you stay at your post and help her when she
needs it.  It may take many centuries before this will happen.  I know
this is too much too ask for, but will you do it?"

        "On my honor as a senshi, I shall do this my queen, my friend."

        "At some future time you will perform an act of kindness for me,
despite the complications that may arise.  Allow me to do the same.  I
do believe that you will find happiness once again.  Wait for him."
Serenity now knew that the look in the future Pluto's eyes when she
mentioned 'something' dropping by was that of affection.

        Him?  Ranma, it had to be him.  How did Serenity know?  "Thank you my
queen."

        Serenity smiled one last time before her eyes finally closed.  Her body
shimmered and turned into sparkling little stars.  They twinkled as the
floated off, presumably to join other such stars.

        Pluto wiped her face of the grief.  She held out her staff in front
her.  She had promised she wouldn't change history, but she did not say
she would not look.  She will share the pain her fellow senshi endured.

                        * * * * *

Way into the future...

        "C'mon, It's embarrassing.  Do you have to watch my birth again?  How
many times does that make it?"

        Setsuna blushed.  It was almost two hundred times since she watched
Nodoka give birth to one Saotome Ranma.  "You're welcome to watch my
birth."

        Ranma was quick to hold onto his stomach.  "No thank you!"

        "What's that supposed to mean."  She watched as Ranma became flustered
and started to apologize profusely.  It was fun to do this to him.
Especially when it came to punishing him.

                        * * * * *

Present day...

        Ranma waited patiently at the bridge with a box of chocolates in his
hands.  This was his second week in a row.  It was only fair he
figured.  One thousand years to two weeks didn't seem like very much.

        Setsuna appeared two days later.

                        * * * * *

The End. (maybe)

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