[Ranma/SM][FanFic] Destiny's Child, Chapter 15

[Fire]

The characters contained within this story are owned by Takahashi
Rumiko or Takeuchi Naoko. No infringement of copyright is intended.
This work to be distributed for free, unchanged, crediting the current
author.

This is a crossover between Ranma 1/2 and Sailor Moon. To make the two
stories fit together the way I wanted, I needed to shuffle the dates at
which a few things occur within the main timeline of Sailor Moon. I bow
my head in shame: please forgive. We also have guest appearances by
Slayers and 3x3 Eyes.

Die hard fans of Ranma may also notice a very subtle change to it's
story timeline...

This story is dedicated to the letters \n and the number 0.

Visit my website at
dzil...@ozemail.com.au
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~dzillman/fire

_________________
/ \
| Destiny's Child |
\_________________/

What has gone before:
While on a training trip with his father, Ranma fell into the spring of
the drowned young girl. Unfortunately, his curse can only be changed
back with _very_ hot water, which means he spends most of the time in
his cursed form. Not only that, but since the spring was drowned young
girl, he turns into a 12 year old girl who never ages. Having finally
returned to Japan after 400 years of travel and experience, Ranma is
trying to make a new life.

Ranma's (or Tomoe Hotaru as his girl half is known) does not seem
capable of having a normal life. He is learning Shinto from Hino Rei,
pursued by the boy starved girls of the Sailor Senshi and simply
pursued by the enraged demon-pig Ryoga. Just when he was worrying that
there were no good martial artists in Tokyo, a certain Amazon arrives
claiming the same thing. Well, one thing led to another and can you say
"Amazon Law"?

------------------------------
There Is A Time For Talking...
------------------------------

Wednesday afternoon seemed destined to be a time for important
conversations. In various parts of the city revealing conversations
were taking place, and would have defining significance to all of the
people involved. For some they were discussions of the future, and
others discussions of the past. Naturally enough, there were also
likely to be misunderstandings...

Haruka looked at her friend and sighed. Michiru had been quiet all day,
and since they returned to her place from school, she had been sitting
at her easel. She was not painting, nor was she reviewing any of her
previous work. For the last two hours, she had just sat there, chin on
hand, and a slight frown creasing her pretty brow.

Finally she could stand it no more. Walking over behind her, Haruka
brushed aside some of the soft green hair and placed a hand on the
girls shoulder. Leaning down, she whispered in her ear and asked her
what was wrong.

Michiru felt the warm air brushing her cheek and blushed slightly. The
touch, the smell, the sound, the whole presence of Haruka so close to
her was almost enough to make her forget about everything. But it was
only almost. Tilting her head, she placed a soft kiss on the hand
holding her shoulder, then she rested her cheek on it.

"Oh, Haruka. I don't know. Sometimes... Sometimes it just seems so
hard. So... cold and clinical. I just wish there was a better way."

"I know what you mean. We've discussed it before: we didn't like it
then, and neither of us like it now. Unless someone comes up with a
better plan, I really don't know what else we can do."

"I don't know either but---"

Haruka forced some iron into her voice. "No 'but's. There's someone out
there trying to find the three talismans, and destroy the world. What
choice do we have?"

"None, I suppose. It just seems so callous. We're supposed to be the
defenders of the Moon Kingdom, and here we are plotting to kill three
of its subjects."

"No, we're not planning on killing them. If it wasn't for the Witches
who are sending the Daimons, we could let them live in peace. But so
long as the Daimons keep attacking, we have to get those talismans
first."

They sighed in unison and stood there for a while. Recently Setsuna had
returned and told them of her discoveries about their enemy. The three
talismans were hidden within the heart crystals of three pure and noble
people. When the three talismans were combined, they would form the
holy grail.

In the right hands, the holy grail could restore life, in the wrong
hands... It could mean the end of the world. When the stakes were this
high, the three Sailor Senshi had vowed that they would let nothing and
no-one stand in the way of their recovering the talismans first. If
they or their Queen possessed the Talismans, then the end would justify
the means. If the enemy possessed the Holy Grail, it could only spell
disaster.

A polite cough brought them back from their thoughts, and they looked
around to see Setsuna standing behind them. Haruka scowled. "How long
have you been there?"

"Long enough."

"Long enough for what?"

She just smiled enigmatically. Setsuna had only arrived moments ago
actually. But since she was the guardian of the Gates Of Time, everyone
assumed that she could pick and choose exactly when she would be
somewhere. She had some hard and fast rules about using her powers, and
one of them expressly forbade unnecessary time travel. She had never
broken them willingly, and she saw no reason to jump all through the
time stream just so she could catch people in embarrassing situations.

Catching people in situations like these was fun however, and her sharp
mind easily picked the most likely topics for the two girls to be
discussing in such a serious manner. Hmm, the Holy Grail or Sailor
Saturn. Sailor Saturn or the Holy Grail. Oh when, take a guess and lets
see. How about another enigmatic smile, that last one was fun.

"So far I can be sure that none of the Talismans have been found. I
realise that all of us are willing to sacrifice ourselves to retrieve
the Talismans, but the question will always stay open: are you willing
to sacrifice someone else?"

Michiru sighed. With an answer like that, she might have been spying on
them for the last hour. "We are. Neither of us like it, but considering
the alternative, I guess it's acceptable for people to die."

"No! No, it is never acceptable to kill other people. It may be
necessary, but it is not acceptable. That is an important difference.
Always remember it, because when the necessary becomes accepted, you
may find yourself becoming what you would oppose."

The pair looked chastised for a moment after her words. After she had
digested their meaning, Michiru changed the topic slightly. "What have
you heard about Sailor Saturn?"

Setsuna winced internally, but outwardly she paused only briefly, as
though weighing what she could tell them. How were you supposed to
maintain an aura of infallibility and omniscience when people asked
loaded questions like that?

"What would you like to know?"

"Well, do you know if she is going to be awakening?"

"Yes."

Time ticked by. After a while, they realised that she was not going to
expand on it. Eventually Michiru asked for some more detail.

"Sailor Saturn will definitely awaken, it is all a question of when."
Now that was the understatement of all time. Sailor Pluto knew that
Saturn was supposed to be awake at some point in Crystal Tokyo, but
that was over a thousand years in the future. She was not sure if
Saturn was going to awaken right now, in a week, or in a thousand
years. If she played her cards right, people might think she knew...
and that was almost as good. She continued to speak.

"I have felt... stirrings. I know that Sailor Saturn is not awake yet,
but I cannot say which girl is destined to be her. When she does awake,
you must realise that she could be the greatest asset or the greatest
threat we can face. It is all a matter of how she see the threat which
the world faces."

There was something more that she wanted to tell them, but she held
back. It would hardly fit her image if she was seen to be asking for
help. Perhaps she could have them beg her to let them help. Deciding
this, she let a small, almost pensive, frown cross her forehead.

The ever observant Michiru was the first to spot it. "There's something
more, isn't there, Setsuna. There's something you are not telling us.
Please, let us help. I know we can help."

After looking like she thought it over, she nodded her head and smiled.
"Very well. While I was at the Gates Of Time, I was watching for signs
of her power, in case she awoke. The magical energy of the Sailor
Senshi is very distinctive. Several times in the past week, I have seen
brief flashes of Silver Millennium energy. Energy distinctive to Sailor
Saturn.
"Someone out there is trying to access her power. Someone is trying to
gain the power of Sailor Saturn without being her. We must be vigilant
against this new threat."

The others just stared at her. Saturn might be Senshi of creation and
destruction, but Pluto seemed to be the Senshi of bad news. What else
could go wrong?

Oddly enough, it was just a few hours earlier that Chiba Mamoru was
asking almost exactly the same thing as he arrived breathlessly at the
front of Small Lady's school. First he had been delayed leaving work,
then the busses were all full, and finally the one he had caught did
not stop where he wanted it to. He had been planning to get here half
an hour early so he could sit in the sun and read. As it was, he only
arrived with a few minutes to spare.

Looking around Mamoru noted that there seemed to be only one other
person waiting at this gate. Fit looking guy, in black pants and a red
shirt. Looked a couple of years younger then he was. Perhaps he was
coming to meet a sister or cousin at the school. Mamoru laughed on the
inside. People would have a fit if they realised the truth about Small
Lady and him. To think he was less than ten years older than her, but
he was actually her father.

The fact that she was actually from the future was not something that
could openly be discussed. Better keep that in mind, he thought,
because the guy was coming over to him. Now that he was closer, Mamoru
could see that he was smiling in a slightly disturbing manner. Not only
that, but he seemed to be incredibly fit, moving with all the lithe
grace of a gazelle.

When they were close enough the two men stood facing each other and
sized the other up. After a moment, the stranger placed out his hand
and smiled even wider. "I'm Tendo Ranma. You'd be Chiba Mamoru,
wouldn't you?"

That was surprising. Few people recognised him, and it was something he
liked to stay that way. "I'm Afraid you have me at a disadvantage,
Tendo-San. You know who I am, but I am afraid I do not recognise your
name."

Ranma waved it off and leaned against a wall next to Mamoru. "Let's
just say I'm a friend of Chibi-Usa and Usagi. I've been wanting to have
a bit of a chat with you for a while actually."

After that, the two stood silently, looking at the school and waiting
for the bell to ring. Unexpectedly, Ranma spoke again. "You're dating
Tsukino Usagi, aren?t you."

It came out as a statement rather than a question. Despite the tone of
voice Ranma used, he felt compelled to answer. "Yes. I am. Usagi's a
very close friend. I... We..."

Ranma waved aside his attempt to explain how much he loved the girl.
There was silence for a few moments again, then Mister Conversation
struck again. "So you've been dating her for what? A year, a year and a
half?"

"Hmm, about a year and a half now."

"Not bad. So, she would have been what? Fourteen? When you started
going out. And you were twenty?"

Mamoru ground his teeth. He had received his share of comments about
dating someone Usagi's age. Her age did not change the love that they
felt for each other. Besides, its not as though they were actually
doing anything physical when she was that young. "Yes, but our love is
destined. A few years difference is nothing when you consider that we
have the rest of our lives."

"Hey, hey. Stay calm. I think Usagi's old enough to make up her own
mind. She seems a pretty smart kid."

Again there was silence. Mamoru was sure the man was deliberately
needling, but for the life of him, he could not figure out why.

"She's twelve."

"What?"

"Chibi-Usa. She's twelve."

Mamoru smiled. He loved his daughter. He could not understand how he
could bear to part with her in the future, but here and now, he was
glad he did. "Yes. She is."

Silence once more, and Ranma fidgeted slightly. Finally he decided
something and pulled himself off the wall he was leaning on and spun to
face Mamoru.

"OK, Mamoru. Here's how it is. I've seen you around Chibi-Usa. You
know, the hugs, the kisses. The way you're always watching her out of
the corner of your eye when you're at the park. I don't care if Usagi's
getting a bit too old for your tastes, but I'm asking you nicely.
Please away from Chibi-Usa."

Mamoru snarled. He didn't know how much Ranma had been watching them,
or where he got his information, but there was no way he was going to
stay away from his daughter. Mamoru was no slouch at fighting, and
there was no way he was going to let some jock talk to him that way. He
took a stance.

"Listen, you. I love Chibi-Usa dearly. There's nothing you or anyone
else can do to keep me away from her. So just get out of here! I don't
know who you are, but I don?t want you coming near her again. Do you
understand me?"

Ranma smiled. It was not the first time he had done something like
this, and it probably would not be the last. The children are our
future, and there was no way he was going to let a pervert like this
guy sink his claws into a sweet kid like Chibi-Usa. "I accept your
challenge."

Suffice it to say that what followed was short, but not at all sweet.
Faster than he believed possible, Mamoru received the beating of his
life. He had studied a number of Martial Arts, and was quite capable of
defending himself. Ranma worked him over as though he was standing
still, and made it look easy.

Had he been anyone other than Chibi-Usa's father, being bruised and
beaten over most of his body would have scared him off. Since he was
her father, all it did was make him mad. Madder than hell. If it wasn't
for the fact that Ranma had dumped him into a large garbage bin, he
would probably still be out there, taking more lumps, but trying to
keep the stranger away from his little girl.

As it was, all he could do was lie there and suffer. From inside the
metal bin, all he could here was a few strange sounds, then the
approach of girlish laughter. 'No, run.' He wanted to cry out, but he
was too paralysed from pain to even attempt it.

Even in his pain, he sighed in relief when he heard Small Lady saying
hello to one of her friends. They chattered for a brief moment, before
they decided to leave without him. Just as they set off, Chibi-Usa's
friend said she needed to throw out some garbage. As the footfalls
approached, he smiled. Here was someone who could rescue him, or get
help.

Looking up, he saw Tomoe Hotaru, a close friend of Small Lady. She was
always so nice, so quiet, so polite. She would help him. But when he
looked at those big purple eyes of hers, he shuddered. They were so
cold, so full of anger. Looking down on him, she threw her garbage in.
Her voice contained nothing but loathing:

"Stinking paedophile."

Sighing, he collapsed back into the garbage. Somehow, he was relieved.
He had been worried about almost the same thing, but with this 'Ranma'
fellow as the aggressor. Now it seems he was just a friend of Hotaru's.
And she had acted on confusion and mistaken information. Sure, Ranma
had gone a bit far, but it was nice to know that Chibi-Usa's friend was
so caring and perceptive, even if miss-guided.

As Small Lady and Hotaru walked down the street, they had none of these
concerns. Hotaru was happy that her friend was safe, and hopefully
Usagi's boyfriend would stay with her a bit longer, rather than seeking
younger prey. Chatting happily, the two discussed their day at school
and their plans for the night.

Chibi-Usa was going to visit some of heir friends. They were older than
her by a few years, but they always treated her well. When Chibi-Usa
mentioned that one of them was an excellent cook, and could well be
enticed into doing the Japanese noodles that Hotaru fancied, it was
easy to get her friend to join her.

They had gone another block towards Chibi-Usa's friend Makoto's place
when she posed a question to Hotaru. "Hey, where's that stick you're
always caring?"

"Huh? It's right... Oh, no! Damn! Where? Where? Calm down... Now where
did I see it last? Ah! I know! Rei-san!
"Chibi-Usa, Do you know a girl called Hino Rei?"

She bobbed cute little pink head. "Sure, she's one of the girls we were
going to meet."

Hotaru was amazed. Talk about coincidence. "Can we go there first? That
staff an be very dangerous if she treats it wrong."

Another nod. What a nice kid. "Do you know Rei?"

"Well, sort of. Let's just say that the staff got left there by someone
taking lessons from her."

"Oh, do you know Ranma? Rei's always talking about him these days."

Hotaru chuckled. "You could say that I know him pretty well. Come on,
we better hurry. Do you want to lead?"

Covering ground as fast as 'sick' little Hotaru could manage, the girls
arrived at the shrine. Rei was surprised to see them, but when Chibi-
Usa explained Hotaru's anxiousness about her staff, Rei was happy
enough to call Makoto's and get everyone to come here.

Looking out into the grounds of the shrine, Rei was surprised to see
Hotaru had gone straight to where Ranma had left his staff the day
before. Giving it only the shortest of inspections, she rejoined her
friends and showed it to them.

"See, found it!"

"Hotaru-chan, isn't that Ranma's staff?"

Hotaru nodded once. "Yes, Rei-san, but... It's also mine, really. It's
a very special staff, and it was given to us many years ago. It
shouldn't have been left here. I... Er, Ranma must have been pretty
concerned yesterday when he left, otherwise he would have remembered
it."

Rei immediately felt guilty. Yesterday had been another one of the
training sessions with Ranma that she had to cut short. Rushed off by
her need to become a Senshi and save the world, she had managed to
distress this innocent little girl. Blushing slightly, she resolved to
try and give Ranma just that little extra time in the future.

"Sorry, Hotaru-chan. That was probably my fault. I... Something came up
and I had to rush Ranma out of here quickly."

Seeing the distress she was putting Rei-san into, Hotaru searched for a
change of topic. Anything... Ah! The staff: "Rei-san, did you know that
this staff has a long history? There's a really interesting story about
its past if your interested?"

Rei and Chibi-Usa both said they were, but asked if she would wait
until the rest of their friends arrived. She was sure that the other
girls would like to hear about such an interesting staff. Hotaru nodded
and they three moved into the kitchen to prepare things. Makoto would
be doing the cooking tonight, but they were going to set things up to
compensate for the sudden change in venues.

Hotaru carried plates and things and felt sad for a moment. Preparing
dinner with all these girls (for the other Inner Senshi were slowly
filing in) reminded her of the first years after she met Akane. She
hoped that Makoto was a good cook. Eating bad cooking was normally bad
enough, but in a setting like this, she just knew it would remind her
of Akane, and she would spend the whole night mourning her loss.

Eventually the girls were all there, an excellent dinner was served,
and everyone had eaten. Sitting around the table, drinking tea and
chatting, Rei prompted Hotaru to tell the story of her staff.

Placing the staff in the middle of the table, she balanced it on the
base end. Everyone was surprised enough at this feat, but it did not
take long for her words to have a riveting effect.

"This staff was given to me in Tibet, long ago. The man who owned it
before me was a Monk in a temple. He and his fellows guarded a magical
gateway, a gateway which lead to another world. A world which had once
been ruled by the very people who made this staff.
"Once there was a great and wise race of people called the Sanjian. The
Sanjian were just like you and me, but they developed tremendous
magical powers.
"Using their magical powers, the Sanjian created a new society, a
Kingdom based on love, peace and harmony. They called this the Moon
Kingdom."

There were six simultaneous gasps at that revelation.

"The Moon Kingdom was ruled by two people, their handsome and brave
King, and their beautiful and kind Queen. Under their guidance, the
whole Kingdom prospered, and evil was removed completely.
"Eventually this was not enough for their King, Kai-An-Wang. Kai-An-
Wang decided that he needed to defeat the evil for all time. Leaving
the Kingdom in the care of his wife, Queen Serenity, King Kai-An-Wang
opened a portal to another dimension. A dimension full of evil.
"Legend has it that he battled the evil so long, that eventually he
became the evil. Then he began to crave the power that he once had, but
he was no longer the man he used to be.
"The Dark Lord Kai-An-Wang found himself locked from the Moon Kingdom
by the very dimensional barrier he had helped to create. In fury, he
contacted the weak willed, those people in the Moon Kingdom who he
could easily sway.
"Under the promise of great power, the Dark Lord Kai-An-Wang's evil
servants attacked the Queen and her warriors and almost defeated them.
Using the last of her power, good Queen Serenity sealed the Dark Lord
Kai-An-Wang and his servants away in this dimension, a place of evil
called the Negaverse.
"And there they stay to this very day."

Suddenly everyone seemed to suffer from a coughing and choking fit.
Hotaru looked around curiously. Few people believed the tale of magic,
evil, sacrifice and good triumphant, but she had never received a
reaction like this before.

The Senshi on the other hand were trying to contain themselves. They
knew the story of the Moon Kingdom because they had been there, or
their previous lives anyway. The fact that someone completely unrelated
remembered the Kingdom said vast quantities about it, if they could
remember the love that Queen had for her subjects even after all this
time.

The fact that the tale was slightly wrong, and it was the Senshi of
this era which had defeated the legions of Negaverse when they broke
free of their banishment was something they felt Hotaru would be safer
not knowing. The cause of the mysterious demon attacks all those months
ago was hardly common knowledge.

When everyone calmed down, Hotaru resumed her story.

"That explains the origin of the staff, but it's purpose is something
else again. While the Queen and her warriors were the most powerful
magically, many people in that time were in touch with the powers of
the world.
"This belonged to a man of no great importance, his name now lost to
history. It is a spirit staff, and inside the staff lives my best
friend: Takuhi."

Rei looked at the staff in greater interest. There were all sorts of
strange carvings on it, generally in a language she did not understand.
"So what's your friend? A white ant?"

"Heh, heh! Rei-san, you're so funny! No, Takuhi is a spirit creature.
He's my best friend. Whenever I'm alone, he's there to talk to. He
never gets upset with me, and he's always nice."

Usagi smiled. Small Lady had told her about how Hotaru was treated at
school. It must be nice to have an imaginary friend when everyone
picked on you. "Can we see Takuhi?"

"Now? I really don't think that would be a good idea..."

"I understand. We probably wouldn't be able to see him, right?"

"No. It's just that this is a temple. Do you have any idea how the
wards on a place like this can hurt a spirit creature?"

Usagi shook her head. This kid had an answer to everything. She was
going to speak up and say they would see her 'friend' some other time
when Hotaru continued.

"Rei-san? Can you make a zone of null-warding?"

"A what?"

"Err, it's sort of a hole in your wards. If you can do that around the
table, I can bring out Takuhi!"

Rei thought for a moment. Hmm, tricky. But, yes... possible. She eyed
up Hotaru. Obviously hanging around with Ranma, the other owner of the
staff, had managed to teach her something. Getting some ink and paper,
Rei set to work, concentrating on remembering what wards were active,
and how she could block or deflect them in a small area.

"So, Hotaru-chan. You seem to know Ranma pretty well. Is it your staff
or his?"

"Err, it belongs to either of us really. Takuhi recognises me easily."

"I can see a bit of a family resemblance. Are you his little sister?"

Damn! Hotaru hated being asked that question. It was so hard to answer
it honestly without telling everything. Since Mistress 9's cure was now
only weeks away, she really did not want to tell them about her curse.
She also like Rei-san, so there was no way she wanted to lie to her.
"Ummm. Well, Ranma and I have the same parents, I'll let you draw your
own conclusions."

Rei looked at her oddly. A simple 'yes' would have sufficed. A few
moments later she was finished and offered Hotaru the space to start
her demonstration. Strangely, Hotaru seemed to look at her charms,
casting an evaluating eye over them. No... she was too young to know
that much; Rei was still in the process of learning how all the wards
worked around the shrine.

Finishing her exam - satisfied that Takuhi would not be hurt by sloppy
work - Hotaru leaned over the table and worked the carved top off the
staff. As soon as the wooden bird's head was no longer plugging the
hole, intense white light poured out, temporarily blinding everyone in
the room. Moments later, 'it' dropped onto the table.

Seeing 'it', six pairs of hands came out of pockets, releasing the
henshin sticks they had grabbed as soon as the stick started to flare.
'It', no, Takuhi, was obviously no threat, and was now treating itself
to a piece of left over fried egg.

Takuhi was strange, and they all had to agree, it bore a distinct
resemblance to some of the youma that they had fought. Takuhi was about
the size of a budgie, maybe slightly larger. It was a deep rust-brown
colour, and almost looked like a bird. It was feathered, and had three
big gripping toes on it's foot, but that was where the similarity
ended.

Rather than two feet, Takuhi had but one, and this leg grew from the
middle of it's body, looking perfect natural. His face was the main
thing that differed from normal animals. His face was almost human.
Large, expressive eyes looked out from a feathered brow, and if the
teeth were not quite so long and pointy, he would have had quite a
smile.

Not everyone reacted the same way. Rei sat there stunned, while Makoto
and Usagi seemed to on the wary edge of acceptance. Chibi-Usa was
trying to pat him, but Takuhi seemed shy and preferred to be touched by
Hotaru only. Ami watched with silent awe, and you could almost see her
brain working overtime trying to fit this new piece of puzzle into her
picture of the world. Minako on the other hand...

Minako crawled backwards with fear and revulsion. It was hideous, a
parody of bird and man. It scared, horrified and fascinated her all at
the same time. "It's a monster!"

Immediately Hotaru glared at her. "He is not a monster. I told you,
he's a spirit creature. Sure, he might not be as pretty as you are, but
he's my best friend. He's caring and sensitive. He's protective, and he
listens without judging. Whenever I've been alone he always listens to
what I say. Anyone can be a monster, man or beast, it's all about their
actions. Takuhi is NOT a monster!"

Everyone was shocked at Hotaru's outburst. She was normally such a
quiet girl, it was hard to believe she could be so aggressive. But
then, if someone insulted one of their friends, they would get
protective too.

Takuhi hopped around the table, and eventually everyone came to look at
him. If they reached in slowly, he allowed people to pat him, and his
feathers were soft and beautiful to the touch. After playing with the
spirit creature for a while - and being thankful that Luna was not in
the area - Chibi-Usa remembered what Hotaru had said earlier.

"You told me before that it could be really dangerous if someone opened
the staff. Did you mean Takuhi would get hurt by the wards? Or attacked
by a cat or something?"

Hotaru jumped during that last sentence for some reason, probably just
worried about Takuhi, then she started laughing.

"No, I was more worried about what would happen if Takuhi came out and
I wasn't here. Err, Takuhi's a bit protective of me, you know. If I'm
not around, he's liable to come out full sized and go looking for me."

Rei turned an eye towards her. "Just how big is 'full sized'?"

Hotaru blushed and looked down. "About... thirty meters wing span."

Everyone went quite at that. The image of a thirty meter bird
terrorising downtown Tokyo, searching for a little girl was a little
too much to digest immediately.

While the girls considered the implications of big-bird (and I don't
mean the tall, yellow and stupid variety), Mamoru soaked in a hot bath,
trying to ease the pain which covered every inch of his body. At the
same time, Setsuna was delivering her information on Sailor Saturn. Not
far away, a wizened old woman struck her apprentice on the head with
her cane and said the words. 'How could you let your husband escape,
Shampoo?'

Shampoo was bopped on her head with the gnarled wooden cane. Exactly
how this was managed is a good question. Shampoo stood on the high side
of five foot. Her Mistress stood an imposing two foot nothing. The
staff was only around two foot also... Once again, physics took a back
seat to the application of violence. "How could you let your husband
escape, Shampoo?"

<"Great Grandmother, he beat me in the challenge! I could hardly just
drag him off, could I?">

Bop! "Speak Japanese! You need the practice."

"Yes, Great Grandmother. Husband beat Shampoo in fight. Shampoo no can
just take husband."

"Better." Bop! As Shampoo rubbed her sore head, she looked at her
mentor seeking an answer to this hit.

"Don't be so impertinent next time. Now, tell me of this fight. How is
it that a mere boy managed to defeat the best Amazon warrior of her
generation?"

"Shampoo sorry. Shampoo not good enough. Perhaps if Great Grandmother
teach new special attack..."

"Of course you are good enough. I'm beginning to suspect that you are
getting sloppy deliberately. I've watched some of your recent fights.
Three times I watched and you did not employ the Roasting Chestnuts
Over An Open Fire. Three times I watched you prolong a difficult fight.
Admit to me that this is what happened today. You lost because of your
overconfidence."

"Shampoo use. Husband use too. Husband much faster. Husband block me
and punch at same time... Shampoo defeated fairly." She hung her head.
Defeat was nothing to take lightly.

That news caused the crone to being pacing back and forwards in their
small room. It was a most disturbing sight watching a withered old
woman bouncing on a solid stick. Not only that, but despite the fact
that her long pale grey hair reached floor level (while she was on the
stick), she managed to avoid ever landing on her hair. The first few
times she had ever tried to bounce while the stick rested on her hair
were enough to teach her quickly.

"So you say that son-in-law knows the Chestnut Fist? Interesting. Most
interesting. There should be no-one outside of our tribe that knows our
secret attacks. It is actually good that he defeated you. This way his
marriage will bring his strength into the tribe, and we will be able to
prevent the spread of the knowledge."

"What we do if husband no marry Shampoo?"

"We will have to kill him. But do not fear, there is no reason why he
will not marry you. You are strong, a great fighter, and beautiful. The
boy will be made to see sense."

The two women set about packing their belongings. Shampoo had two
locations which they could watch for the arrival of her husband. Soon
enough he would either arrive at the dojo where he was first seen, or
he would again go through the area that Shampoo lost him. With the pair
of them staking out the locations, he was certain to be seen.

They were heading out of the small hotel room when Shampoo stopped and
remembered something. Something worth mentioning even: "Great
Grandmother... Husband know Amazon Law. Husband even have Book Of
Amazon Law."

That was a surprise. "Very strange. I spoke with the Council of Elders
before we left the village. There have only been three cast outs from
the village in the last forty years, and all of them were women.
Naturally, none of them kept their Book Of Law. Very interesting."

As they walked to their destination they both pondered the situation. A
male that knew Amazon secret moves, that knew Amazon Law, and had Book
Of Law? Any male that knew their laws would be well aware that he
should not be alone outside the village unless escorted by a woman. For
that matter, anyone possessing a Book Of Law would realise the dangers
of using the Chestnut Fist against an Amazon.

Amazons had a firm but fair justice system. It was also a justice
system that considered the death penalty to be a mid-range punishment.
Amazons could be very creative.

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End Of Chapter