[AMG/Ranma/SM][FanFic] A Closer Distance - Sidestory: Lost and Found
Rob Kelk
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Author's Notes:
I've got some "writer's block" regarding writing Chiba Mamoru in
"A Closer Distance", so it's time for a sidestory.
Very little is being said about Crystal Tokyo in "A Certain Distance"
and "A Closer Distance", except that some of the Nerima Wrecking Crew
and all of the Goddesses are against it as described in the anime,
while only a very few of the Senshi are actively in favour of trying
to bring it back. Most of the senshi's opinions are shown in "A
Closer Distance", but there's very little room in the main story for
Sailor Pluto's feelings on the matter ...
Disclaimers:
"Aah! Megami-sama" (or "Ah My Goddess!" or "Oh My Goddess!") was
created by Fujishima Kosuke, and is licenced to Kodansha, AnimEigo,
and Pioneer Entertainment.
"Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon" (or "Sailor Moon") was created by
Takeuchi Naoko, and is licenced to Kodansha, TV Asahi, Toei Douga,
DIC Entertainment, Optimum Productions, ADV Films, and Pioneer
Entertainment.
"Ranma 1/2" was created by Takahashi Rumiko, and is licenced to
Shogakukan Inc., Kitty, Fuji TV, and Viz Communications.
No challenge is intended to any of these intellectual properties.
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Lost and Found
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Setsuna tried again to find what she wanted - no, needed - to see in
the Time Gate, but to no avail. Then she tried once again. And
again. But each time, the result was the same.
Crystal Tokyo was gone.
She was finally distracted from her search by hunger. It wouldn't do
anyone any good to starve, so she left the Time Gate for a moment to
get a sandwich.
She didn't expect to have company when she returned. Preparing to
unleash a Dead Scream attack, she challenged the intruder. "Who are
you, and how did you get here?"
"Allow me to introduce myself," replied the stranger in an unconcerned
tone as she held out a business card. "My name is Peorth."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"... and that's why my colleagues acted against your plans to bring
peace to the Earth. Really, ma cherie, did you honestly think that
removing the aggressive nature from humanity was a good thing?"
Setsuna had the grace to blush. "Actually, I did." Seeing Peorth
about to respond, she quickly continued, "but you've convinced me that
I was wrong. These invaders that are likely to cross our paths in the
future, though - are they *really* called Zentradi?"
Peorth laughed. "No, of course not! That's just a convenient name
for them taken from your culture's fiction. I could just as easily
have called them the Cthuwulf, or the Invid. What's important is that
you now understand that there are races like those three in the
universe, and that they'll eventually find mankind."
"I'm well aware of beings like the Cthuwulf," Setsuna replied. "We
*did* defeat Pharoah 90."
"Of course you did. How silly of me to have forgotten how Sailor Moon
protected the Earth from its encroachment. May I have another cup of
tea?"
After refilling both of their cups, Setsuna spoke again. "I know that
it had to be done to protect the human race. But I can't help but
feel sad about it."
"Oh? And why would that be, ma cherie?" After a moment's silence,
Peorth spoke again. "Pluto, if you don't want to talk to me about it,
it's all right, but I think you should talk to someone about what's
troubling you ..."
"And what would *you* know about it?" Setsuna was suddenly,
uncharacteristically, angry with her smug, know-it-all, *prying*
guest. "You've got all of your friends to talk to! All I have is
this lonely guard duty, with *nobody* to talk to! Nobody who bothers
to ask how I'm feeling, or to bring me some homemade cookies, or to
tell me how her day in school went, or to ask whether -" Suddenly
realizing what she was saying, Setsuna quickly stopped talking.
Peorth smiled, a small, sad smile. "There was somebody like that in
Crystal Tokyo, wasn't there? Someone very close to you, who treated
you as a person instead of a senshi. C'est vrai, n'est pas?"
After a moment, Setsuna replied. "I'm really getting annoyed by you
switching languages all the time, Peorth."
"Pardonnez-moi, Setsuna. It's the way I talk. But I'll stay with one
language if you answer my question."
The Senshi of Time sighed. "You're right. There was someone in
Crystal Tokyo who was my friend. She even had a nickname for me - she
called me 'Plu'. And, because of you goddesses and those Neriman
martial artists, I'll never see her again."
Neither of them said anything for a long moment. Finally, Peorth
broke the silence. "I truly am sorry, Setsuna. None of us realized
how close the young Usagi was to you."
"That wouldn't have changed things, would it? You still would have
gone ahead with your plans, and I'd still never see Small Lady again."
"Ah, she wasn't the only one to give a nickname, I see." Peorth
smiled again, this time without the melancholy. "She must have been
very special to you."
Setsuna nodded her head. "She was Usagi and Mamoru's daughter, but it
was almost as if I was her mother. Maybe it was because I always had
time for her ..."
"Always? Your duties here didn't take you away from her at all?"
"Well, almost always, then. But her parents had to rule the world,
the Sailor Team had their own duties, Uranus and Neptune were almost
always away from Earth, and Saturn ... Well, I don't want to talk
about Sailor Saturn." Peorth noticed the shiver that ran down Pluto's
spine, but chose not to pry. Setsuna continued talking. "But I
almost always had time to spend with her. We became very close
friends, despite the difference in our ages."
There was another pause as Setsuna refilled her teacup. "I miss her
already, Peorth. I wish she could be here."
Peorth's smile grew wider as an aura formed around her body. "Thank
you, Setsuna. You never did ask why I came here, did you?"
"What are you talking about? And what are you doing?"
"I came here to grant you a wish, Setsuna." The aura around Peorth
subsided. "And the wish you spoke has been approved."
Setsuna's eyes grew wide, then narrowed. "Don't play with my
emotions, Peorth, or you'll regret ..."
Just then, the Time Gate came to life on its own, and a pink-haired
girl stepped through it. "Plu!"
Setsuna fainted.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"You'll have to stay here, I'm afraid. There's no place for the young
lady in the world until after Saotome Ranma is finally married, and
the Time Gate needs to be watched carefully until after his first
child is born."
"That's fine, Peorth" replied Setsuna as she hugged Chibi-Usa. "My
best friend is back - I can live with her company for a while."
Chibi-Usa turned to look at the goddess. "Thank you for saving me
from oblivion. I like spending time with Plu, but how long will it be
until I can see my mother and father?"
"I'm not the Goddess of the Future, child. But even Skuld doesn't
know when Ranma's wedding day will be, because she's one of his
fiancees."
Chibi-Usa's eyes widened as she turned to the goddess. "Really? How
did *that* happen?"
Peorth made herself comfortable, and Setsuna handed her a fresh cup of
tea. "It all started a couple of years ago ..."
--
Rob Kelk <http://robkelk.tripod.com> robkelk -at- jksrv -dot- com
"I'm *not* a kid! Nyyyeaaah!" - Skuld (in "Oh My Goddess!" OAV #3)
"When I became a man, I put away childish things, including the fear of
childishness and the desire to be very grown-up." - C.S. Lewis, 1947