[Ranma/SM][FanFic] Fate of Love Prologue

[Jason Wong]

Preamble.

Well here we go, the start of a brand new series all up and ready for
your critical perusal. And yes, it is indeed a crossover. And yes, it
is yet another Ranma/Sailormoon one. However, please be patient and
give it a chance.

Here's my attempt to merge two of the most well-used fanfiction genres.

Fate of Love.

A fanfiction by Jason Wong,
inspired by

Rumiko Takahashi's Ranma 1/2,
and
Naoko Takeuchi's Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon.

Prologue.

"KIYAAAAI!!!!!" *Crack*.

And from thereon the Tendo family of Soun, the patriarch, and his three
daughters Kasumi, Nabiki and Akane would be short by exactly four
cinder blocks - or at least until the next time the local Neriman council
workers hauled over their spare building materials.

The youngest Tendo, and theoretical heir to the Tendo School of Anything
Goes Martial Arts, impatiently wiped away the maddeningly itchy sweat
trails that were trickling their way down the side of her forehead. She could
firmly and resolutely state now - breaking inanimate blocks
really.......sucked.

It seemed that she was destined to be limited to the extremities - either spar
with an annoying God of Martial Arts who totally redefined the textbook
meaning of 'fastest', or this - 'sparring' with objects that moved not at all.

Either way she accomplished nothing - but at least by this method she could
humiliate herself in solitude. Cinder stacks didn't taunt you - teasing you
until you went purple in madness - and at least these hefty blocks had a
reasonable excuse for not fighting back.

Actually, Akane was forced to admit, at least to herself, that Ranma hadn't
been that bad in recent times. He still didn't have the gall to properly train
with her, and her cooking was *still* after all these months a definite no-no -
but the insults were toning themselves down considerably.

Ambiently, she considered why the baka was being all so nice and friendly
all of a sudden - relatively speaking of course. A few seconds of mental
backtracking revealed - nothing. No food from Shampoo (ie. no potions),
Kodachi hadn't been seen for the past several weeks (to which she gave
silent thanks to the Kami), and no particularly damaging impacts to the
cranium.

Of course, there was always........nah, that had been more than a month
ago. She smiled fondly in recollection. It *would* be just like the stone-
headed Saotome Ranma, to require an experience that drastic in order to
initiate a personality change.

*Wonder what he would be like if I were to 'almost die' again.* She
visibly shook herself. Bad thoughts. Tendo Akane didn't like bad thoughts.
*By then he'd probably be the nicest, kindest boy in town.* She smirked at
that idea. Considering the standard of the male population in Nerima, that
wasn't so great an achievement.

Idle hands brought her back to the present, with the added realisation that
she had long ago completed the stacking of another block pile. Kneeling
before the target, Tendo Akane once more prepared herself to create
another foot's worth of rubble.

*********

Visions.

Dark visions, brighter visions. Visions of an unnamed place in an unnamed
time - far too perfect for this time.

Saotome Ranma, heir apparent to the Mutsabeto Kakuto Ryu rubbed tired
eyes with weary fingers. Too many visions and not enough sleep to
compensate their drain.

Indeed he might have been sorely irritable these past few weeks, had it not
been for the fact that nowadays it was virtually impossible to be so.

*Why?*

Easily answered. And Ranma truly did enjoy recalling to himself the answer
to that simple question.

*Akane.* A simple word for the grandsire of complications.

But she was alive - that's what counted. In every moment of anger, every
instant of depression, he could always recall that one golden fact - and all
would be well thereon.

It could have so very easily been otherwise, therefore every extra minute
was to be cherished, every sight of her to be treasured. Ranma could never
go back to the way things were before Saffron, before Phoenix Mountain -
which was just as well - for he had no desire to. What he had now was so
much better.

Okay, so maybe he was going a little overboard - all this wishy washy fairy
fluffy thoughts were certainly a strain on the stomach - but that was the
general sentimentality of it.

How would one describe the relationship of Saotome Ranma with Tendo
Akane? Not lovers, though he loved her dearly. The pigtailed boy smiled
absently - the tomboy would probably have socked him a good one had
she heard him say that. But he loved her nonetheless - he could admit it to
himself without fear or hesitation now. Funny how near-death horrors could
affect you like that.

Trained for years only in the art of unarmed combat, he wondered if normal
people learnt at some stage in their childhood what 'love' was. He wasn't
sure if what he felt with her was love - but he knew very well what the
feeling without her was.

The martial artist shook his head thoroughly, pigtail swishing like a tethered
rope. Enough of that, he was determined to preserve the brightly cheery
mood.

A little training wouldn't hurt - maybe he'd be able to coax the tomboy into
joining in.

*********

It was a rarity that anything could evenly lightly disturb one as reticent and
unshakeable as Meiou Setsuna, as Sailor Pluto or otherwise.

Which is why this particularly light surge in the time stream didn't bother her
in the slightest. For several weeks, she had been feeling those rather familiar
twinges, but without the knowledge to name the identity of the disturbance,
there was nought to do but wait.

But now she could recognise it, and, after recovering from the initial five or
so seconds of surprise, Sailor Pluto did something that would have stunned
her fellow Senshi.

She smiled - properly.

If one knew and trusted the Princess Serenity of old (which she did), it
didn't come as a particular surprise that this particular event would
transpire, indeed given her Queen's soft heartedness in these matters it was
almost expected - Pluto tilted her head wistfully as the flow of associated
memories from the Millennium returned once more.

In a rare moment of theatrics which she would *never* have performed in
front of the others - not even Serenity herself, the Time Senshi stretched
arms high, pulling out the invisible cricks in her back, and accompanying it
with a contented sigh. After all, she had an image to preserve.

Finally a tweak from the past where she didn't have to fuss over, or warn
the Senshi, or anything. Nope, she could just sit back and let the show
carry itself out.

In fact - it would be good to intermingle with the old slob again. Setsuna
awaited patiently as more long buried recollections were restored - yes he
would be good for their world of daemons and droids.

She had to admit she was fond of the boy - one of the few with the almost
miraculous talent to crack a genuine grin on her normally stoical features.

Of course, he didn't have to know that.

**********
**********

Standing rigidly at attention Senschenal Tarian, second company, third
legion of the Imperial guard, turned at the rhythmic clacking of purposeful
steps that echoed down the mostly deserted corridor. He was curiously
surprised to discover that the author of the intrusive noise was a woman,
and more critically, his ruling princess.

At that last realisation, Tarian reflexively jerked into an even tauter stance,
snapping his halberd in salute. So enthralled by the very presence of the
Senshi princess herself, he never even paused to consider why one of her
esteemed rank would be frequenting his area of guardianship, not to
mention that she was doing so unaccompanied by servants nor personal
bodyguard.

Though if his somewhat dazed mind had conceptualised that quirk, he might
have further recalled that she of all people had little need for protection in
her own palace.

*********

Princess Mars never even noticed the errant soldier, as was such for the
twenty or so others she had passed since leaving the inner circle of the royal
grounds. Today had been a bad day, a *very* bad day. For starters that
annoying old fart Proteus had beat her yet *again* in their practice fight, and
to top it off, she had caught Endymion, *her* Endymion gallivanting off with
another lady. And he had the gall to select her own best friend
to....to....gallivant with!

Well, that wasn't exactly true - after all to most others (the gentlemen
himself included), Endymion was not exactly her very own beau. Well, in a
technical sense they weren't actually 'going out' of sorts, or going anywhere
for that matter. But still., it was the *principle* of the matter - after all,
he
wasn't blind - he should have seen where all their friendly talking, quiet
walks, dances......where it was all going to.

*Or maybe*, a quiet voice mentioned cheekily to her, *maybe you're just
sore that guzzling, gluttony, klutzy Miss magical Moon ensnared a
friendly love before you*. In due course, that particular partition of her
mind was cordoned of and promptly annihilated.

So this was the indirect reason Princess Mars was making her haughtily
brusque way down the servant's corridors. It was of little consequence,
since her very name would silence any possible gossip which might have
arisen amongst the palace staff at the peculiar route she was taking to leave
the palace - one reserved more for the servants, petty messengers, and
others whose activities about the grounds went largely unnoticed.

Stepping into an alcove, the Senshi hesitated briefly as she channelled her
concentration into the almost second-nature task of erecting her disguise
field. Simple though the spell was to conceptualise, it employed what most
mages would have considered to be a massive amount of energy - and
nobody short of the royal family would be able to discern the user behind it.
Tying back her cascading ebony hair into a more manageable ponytail (with
the field established 'actual' appearances were of little matter), Mars
purposefully doffed the crimson heeled shoes of her office, replacing them
with the soft soled slip-ins she so very much would have preferred to wear
on a daily basis - if not for the fact that the decidedly rugged and coarse
footwear would clash bizarrely with the fine silken clothing and jewellery
she also loved to adorn herself with. Indeed, the princess would have been
distinctly mortified if any of her fellow Senshi caught sight of her now, given
that this was her current mode of apparel.

To the outsider's perspective however, the disguise field merely created the
image of a simple village girl, clothed in a plain canvas and russet
housedress, overlain with a patchy, and somewhat threadbare travelling
cloak and hood. Which was why the palace guardians holding post in the
outer palisade never gave the village girl passing out into the open market a
second glance - their concern being more with those who went in rather
than out of their ruler's domain.

**********

Equoris. Just a name, nothing more. The name attached to an insignificant
courier for an insignificant member of the minor nobility in a gallingly
insignificant partition of this very grand city.

His was a continuance of a proud heritage of couriers, Equoris bore
messages for his master just as his father before him had, and his father's
father - oh my, how........insignificant.

Gods, how much Equoris *hated* his life. Correction - he had no life.

And the current owner of this name could be found making his way down
the cobbled lane towards his home. It required no great force of
observation to observe that this particular citizen of Mars was severely put
off.

Grumbling incoherent phrases, which would probably have been best left
incoherent, Equoris angrily barged his way through a chattering clutch of
hagglers, unheeding of their waspish complaints at his utter lack of
propriety. An unfortunate individual who had taken the rather rash decision
to stoop to retrieve a fallen coin, in the path of the incensed messenger, was
forcibly ejected face first to the hard grounds - his waggling behind proving
too great an obstacle for Equoris to circumvent.

Further complaint from the grievously insulted man was terminated when he
noted with startled eyes, as the insulter angrily drop kicked a discarded
plywood board, shattering it into useless splinters.

Ignorant of the stares washing over his back, Equoris pulled open the door
to his own home, slamming it furiously behind as he passed.

"Equoris." A gentle, but sternly commanding voice spoke from behind a
large reclining chair facing away from the doorway. "Get out, and enter like
a gentlemen, not some uneducated, uncouth thug." For a few tense
seconds, the boy's angry glare looked to challenge the order, but as the
narrowed face appeared from around the high back chair to stare daringly
at him, he sagged remorsefully, and turned to exit the room.

After a few seconds, the door re-opened again, this time revealing a
somewhat changed teenager, shoulders straight and high as he gently shut
the door with the near inaudibility that was a trademark of his skills. "I'm
sorry mother, that was.....rude."

Nodding once, the benign woman gestured to the comfy seat opposite hers.
"Sit, and tell me of your day son."

Equoris wearily pulled the chair closer, staring despondently at his twiddling
hands.

"You weren't accepted were you son?"

The boy shook his head once. "It is rather obvious isn't it?" He smiled thinly
at her. "That fat, stupid, bastardly examp....."

"Equoris, your language......" The stern frown was back once more.

Apologetic, he amended himself. "That.......miserable excuse for a legion
administrator rejected my application again. Even after I knocked down
one of the regional guards in the combat examinations, and blasted my way
through the examiner himself, jumped higher and further than their highest
local record, utterly zonked the swimming race, and still, Mr 'Legion Sub-
Commander Fatman' hands me another one of these. Here he held forth a
small slip of parchment, the heavily stained red *Fail* stamp highlighting it's
worn surface.

"Perhaps, he might have been better inclined to take you in had you not
overcome their trials so *successfully*." Which was the rather more prudent
way of suggesting that it was for politics that her son had been rejected,
again. For the fourth time.

In a rather unsympathetic sense, she could understand why those in the
minor ranks might see Equoris's presence as a threat. Men and women in
power were always uncannily protective of their status - the higher the
position the greater the possessiveness. And thus to take on a trainee
soldier who could, before training had even commenced, give a thorough
walloping to yourself and any other so-called 'seasoned veteran' would be
considered, well, bad politics. Besides all this, there was however a legally
legitimate reason why her son could be held back from the ranks - the same
reason which had probably been officially stated for his current refusal.

"Same as before Mother, no magic, no spell craft, no badge." His face
tightened in semi-checked fury. "They know I can fight better than any of
them, even with their fancy prancy wizardry. So what if I can't light a candle
with my finger, or pick my nose without using hands? I can *fight* Dammit!"

"Equoris!!"

The riling teenager caught himself short. "I'm...sorry...unless there's any
errands for me to do, I think I'll take a few hours worth of practicing." He
glanced at his mother briefly for any sign of command, and seeing none,
headed off to the rear gardens.

With the sigh patented to all frustrated mothers who dearly loved their
oftime frustrating sons, Leanor rose heavily from her favourite chair, and
patiently made her way to the rear podium, where one could enjoy the
grandsire of views of the family gardens. And as she expected, the training
post would tonight be receiving the brunt of her son's useless rage.

She paused a moment to enjoy the landscape. After the boy's father had
passed the sprightly age - no longer fit enough to carry out his courier
work, he had taken up a small trading place, selling a very mixed array of
goods from flowers to clothing ware. Although the work of the messenger
was handsomely paid, especially if the posted items were valuable, it was
no match for a solid honest business.

So while the naturally pleased Tyrol had prospered comfortably in his new
work, he had left the family duty of service to the nobility to his son.

Who unfortunately had been nowhere near as satisfied with the
arrangement.

And it was understandable. Boyhood dreams of joining the army, defending
their home, and the wild fantasies of some day fighting for the Queen herself
were hardly comparable with the daily chore of running petty errands for
over indulged and spoilt nobles with too much time and too little brains to
manage it.

She chuckled in mild exasperation at the resounding crack which broke
through her reverie - signalling that once more, her beloved son had utterly
mutilated the innocent training post. His father would be rather put out
tonight - Tyrol had deliberately taken the effort to procure a full scale oaken
stump from his work, the same used by the Imperial lancers for their own
practice - in the mild hope that it would last a little longer than the
standard hour span of the conventional kits.

Well, at least the equipment had set a new record - two days of Equoris's
frustrated ministrations was no mean feat.

"Oh my son......." she sighed beatifically as the addressed boy vaulted over
the ornamental hedge fence. She silently offered condolences to any who
would dare cross his path tonight.

********

Trying not too appear too flamboyant as she skipped down the narrow
street, a certain young princess breathed in the fresh smell of outdoor air.
Technically, it was the same air that she normally breathed indoors as well,
but there was an essence here you could never get within the pretty walls of
the Royal palace - freedom. Too often now she felt the strains of duty as
gradually more and more responsibility was offset from her mother's
shoulders to her own.

Arianne sighed plaintively - she didn't need Proteus's carping criticism to
realise she was wallowing in useless self-pity. Destined well before birth to
carry the powers of a Senshi, she had no right to complain about
responsibility. Power and duty always worked hand in hand.

However, now was certainly not the time for philosophy. Her advisers
would have been livid had they known of her unescorted, and thus
unprotected sojourn through her own city. Not that one of the Sailor
princesses were in that great a need for protection - but it was the
standards of rank and Royalty that applied here - even if the vast majority
of this world's population had never even seen their ruler in person before.

Members of the Royal Moon Family did NOT attire themselves in
commoner's wear.

But Arianne loved it nonetheless, and protocol be damned at that. Out here
were real people - not snivellers who bickered and plotted their useless
strategies to rise microns higher in the social farce that was commonly
called the Royal Court. Gone was the hollow respect, the 'your Majesty'
this, or 'your Royal Highness' that - petty honorifics which drove her up the
wall.

Her mother (and everyone else for that matter) were always up in arms by
their princess's love of blunt speech and unadulterated truth. It had all begun
years back when at the age of six, the young Senshi to be had found herself
knee deep in an argument with an erstwhile playmate - and loudly declared
to all within a fifty metre radius that the Princess of the Moon Kingdom ate
so much that by the time she grew up she'd be too fat to fit in her sailor
uniform. The said Moon Princess had run off wailing, later bursting in on
Queen Serenity's court and throwing herself into her mother's lap, begging
for somebody, anybody to, "zap the evil meanie Martian girl".

Well, here at least Sailor Mars could be herself with impunity. It was a
great burden removed from her psyche - and one she might have presently
appreciated more had it not been for the fact that she was currently heading
face first towards the pavement.

"Huh?"

*********

Acting on reflex, Equoris pivoted about to catch the irritating nitwit that had
bashed into his shoulder. A millisecond's worth of hindsight told him that it
that it would have been better to just let the guy drop - a punishment per se.
However since he had already taken the effort to catch the twerp - it would
be poor form to stop now.

Equoris was wrong on at least one thought. Using his right hand, he gently
halted the person's descent, palm flat against the guy's posterior to keep
him from buckling. As his other closed on the assailant's shoulder, he
realised something - they were remarkably slender for a guy.

In fact........

Gently tilting the voluminous cloak hood back, the courier searched for the
face hidden within.

**********

Reflexively, Arianne closed her eyes and braced herself for the cold stone's
hard embrace. Only to find that time seemed to have paused for a moment.
Mystified she continue to hang in space, staring quizzically at the sky laid
out like a map before her eyes, the rest of her form defying the commonest
laws of Physics. Through her shock, the girl wondered innately if this was
some natural yet undiscovered Senshi ability.

Thus, it took her several seconds longer to detect the warm pressure pulling
at the shoulders. Blinking, Arianne looked about for the source of support,
and found herself........herself........looking into a pair of the bluest eyes
she
had ever seen.

**********

*A Girl!* Well duh of course it was a girl - a...a *remarkably* pretty one at
that. Equoris was sure he was supposed to be doing something - but for the
life of him he could think of anything better.

So the pair continued to stare transfixed at each other - that is until
Arianne's whirling mind finally re-established control. Then she realised she
was being cradled in a most awkward position - and to make matters
worse one of his hands was groping.....her.......

Equoris stiffened as the unnamed girl's features appeared to blur for a
moment - before settling into a most decisive frown. *Uh oh.* He knew that
look very well. *Better batten down the hatches.*

"Get your filthy hands off me this minute!" She hotly demanded,
embarrassment and anger flaring her cheeks red.

A surly smirk crossed the pervert's visage at the order.

*Uh ohhh.* Now *that* was an expression she knew very well.

With no further aplomb, Equoris followed her 'request' to the word.
Yanking his hands clear, he let gravity take over once more.

"Aaahhhhh......" But barely an instant later, she was captured again in his
pseudo-embrace.

"Now do you really want me to let go again?" Equoris gifted her with the
mischievous grin that had drawn more than one amorous stare back in his
village. "The ground *is* rather dirty, and we wouldn't want it to mar the
beauty of such a pretty girl as yourself."

Arianne could only sputter in righteous feminine indignation, lying nearly
horizontal with limbs akimbo, and humiliated that she was for the moment at
this peasant's mercy.

Fortunately for her temperance, the annoying pervert boy deftly cradled her
into a standing position. As quickly as humanly possible she shook herself
free of his grasp, her cloak hood folding back as she did so.

Equoris's jaw dropped noticeably as a cloud of luscious raven hair tumbled
free from its confines, cascading freely down well past her slender waist.
The silver clasp that had held her ponytail fell to the stones unnoticed.

"And what are you staring at?"

The boy continued unheeding, several thoughts running through his brain.
'Common folk' didn't wear their hair that long - it was simply too much
trouble to maintain and clean.

And this girl's hair was *very* clean - almost glowing in the dim haze of the
lamplight. Mystified, he was almost unhearing of his own whispered
question. "Who are you?"

"Like I would tell a lecher like you - thank you but I will just be on my
way." Arianne was practically snarling in humiliation, face still flushed red
from being made so free with.

The open hostility abruptly broke the spell of her almost ethereal
appearance. Tearing his face away from her angry (but admittedly very
nice) visage, Equoris swept his hands in an exaggerated flourish. "Fie it to
me, oh my Royal Highness forgive me for my impertinence." A
devastatingly smooth bow completed the ensemble.

And for a single horrible instant, Arianne feared that her disguise field had
somehow failed - which could only mean one of two things, both totally
unacceptable. Either her skills had dimmed to a point where such a simple
magic was randomly fluctuating, or there was a very powerful mage
disguised as a perverted teenage boy before her.

It was only at that last consideration that she realised belatedly that
although the bow was perfect for one of her station, he was facing the opposite
direction. In fact if she didn't know better she could have sworn he was
waving his.........

Equoris was fairly shaking with suppressed laughter as he wiggled his
buttocks suggestively.

"Why you!......" the princess of Mars drew her righteous foot back to
deliver a very righteous kick on a certain deserving derriere.

The fighter trainee sensed more than saw the incoming high velocity shoe,
jerking his body well out of harm's way. His cheerful playful smile never
once leaving his face, Equoris seemed to melt his way to the indignant girl's
side. "A little too slow, your ultimate Majesty - the pretty princess needs a
little more oomph to dispense her royal justice." And before she could form
a stinging retort, he so very gently took her hand into his, and with ideal
decorum brushed his lips to her knuckles. "It has been my greatest pleasure
to bask in your greatness and unsurpassed beauty, your Highness." And
with that he turned and leapt away.

It had all happened so swiftly, Arianne could have blinked from the moment
he had sidled up to her to the instant of his departure. Shocked (once
more), she stood frozen for precious seconds. *He kissed my hand. He...he
KISSED my hand!!*

Swirling around her eyes chased after the impertinent degenerate - but she
was aeons to late. The girl stood, stiffly frustrated, delicate palms currently
clutched into most unladylike fists.

"That......that......ooooh." The princess ground her teeth in rage. "Lecher,
swine, playboy, idiot, pervert........I should have Flame Snipered his
arrogant bottom."

*Although it 'was' a nice butt.* "QUIET!" She yelled instinctively, before
realising to whom that parting thought belonged to. Of course that particular
idea was short lived thereafter.

There were several curious glances from the market residents of Mars's
capital city, at the strange girl muttering to herself as she stormed her way
back to the palace.

Ten minutes of 'outdoor freedom' and the night was already thoroughly
ruined.

*********

Equoris stumbled clumsily as his requirement to breathe warred persistently
with the ever-present need to laugh. Gods he hadn't had so much fun in
ages - it was enough to make him forget about the rejection.

Oh Damn. Well it was *almost* enough to take his mind of it anyway.

Even so, the boy was grinning again in due course. That girl had played
right into his hands (literally in a sense). The fact that she was startlingly
attractive, and an obvious snob used to getting her own way only made the
dressing down he'd given her sooo much more enjoyable.

Hesitating for a moment, the teenager sidled out of the pedestrian
thoroughfare to glance down at the trinket he had pocketed during the
confrontation. A tiny silver hair clasp - and sterling if he knew his weights.
Not particularly significant value wise - but it was the embossed symbol of
an arrow extending from a circle's edge that drew his close attention.

The symbol of the Royal House of Mars. *So she was a palace girl eh?
Most curious.*

"Back so early Equoris?"

That brought his attention to present surroundings, and the realisation that
he was already at home. "Yeah, I decided to cut the walk short. I think I'll
be heading off to bed now. Squire Orian wants me up early tomorrow to
deliver this week's tallies." He shrugged nonchalantly, adding, "Well,
goodnight then."

His dash up the stairs was delayed by her next comment. "You seem
unusually cheerful tonight."

He smiled, half to himself. "Yeah........it was a good walk."

Leanor was left perplexed at that last statement. Children these days could
be so temperamental."

********

"Where have you been princess? I have been worried sick! And where are
your personal guards, or your servants, how did..........." Diamon, first
adviser to the fledgling Senshi realised that he was addressing the mere air
space formerly occupied by his Princess.

*********

"Daughter, you can stop right there." Despite her severely huffed state,
Arianne could never disregard that tone of voice. Turning hesitantly, she
valiantly reigned in her seething temper.

"Yes what is it mother?"

"What ails you?" The former ruler of Mars's genial smile hid a multitude of
overtones, a court-bred mind well prepared to subtly test the authenticity of
whatever her daughter chose to answer with.

"I was - 'talking' with a boy." Her fair brow knitted in recollection.

Assuming this to mean a resident male of the palace, the stately woman
replied mildly, "Should I be having your mystery friend beaten for insolence
or dressed for a wedding? From your tone it is a little difficult to tell."

Arianne blanched visibly at the consideration of the latter. *Ewwww.*

"Disregard that question my dear - I can already see the answer." She
mused on how best to approach this. "Is he a servant or one of the
nobility?"

The Sailor Senshi was on the verge of correcting the assumption, before
she remembered the imprudence of revealing her unescorted forays.
Thinking quickly she half-mumbled, "I'm not really sure who he was.
But....but definitely of higher birth." No sense in getting some innocent
member of the palace staff hunted down for a severe reprimand.

"So then, what is it our palace friend of 'higher birth' said to distress you
so?"

Mildly irked at the decidedly condescending tone her mother was currently
employing, she surged boldly into the explanation - determined to disperse
the air of triviality that the matriarch seemed determined to emulate.

Well, at least she *started* strong.

"Well, first off he claimed the desire to avoid marring my beaut........err."
She fumbled for a moment, searching for another example. "Hah! He called
me 'your Royal Highness'....." at her mother's curiously raised eyebrows,
she realised that probably didn't sound as damnable as it had in her mind.
"No don't look at me like that Mother - it wasn't *what* he said. it was
how....."

"And how did our insolent higher birthed palace member call you 'your
Royal Highness'?" The stately lady knew it was decidedly evil (and
certainly not befitting of a representative of love or justice), but she did so
love to tease her fiery daughter.

"His tone.....his tone was like," here she did her best imitation of a sneer.
"your *Royal* Highness." The Mars Princess had to admit to herself that
wasn't quite fair - his tone had been perfunctory and suitably smooth, just in
the context of her dress and their environment - well.......

And she wasn't about to disclose the exact details of either of the last two.

In the meantime, her mother had adopted a wide eyed appearance of
enlightenment. "I see now my daughter - now then was there anything else
of untoward nature?"

Arianne paused to consider the other elements of their exchange,
recognising that mentioning 'pretty princess' or 'ultimate majesty' would be
entirely detrimental to her explanation. On the other hand, stating that he
had......had shaken his 'ahem' behind at her would most likely result in a
greater furore than she cared to experience.

*Nice butt though.* Gritting her teeth she quashed that.

"Daughter, I'm awaiting an answer if you would be so kind."

"Ahh.....," she stumbled uncomfortably, ill-used to being at a loss for words.
"He said more - but.....but it was of a similar nature, and tone,
and....and...." She ended abruptly. *Gods what a lame reply.* Five minutes
with that irritating twit, and he was already starting to intrude into her life
a
great deal more than she cared to enjoy.

Again was that gratingly patronising smile. "Now then, as the future
representative of this entire planet - I'd feel it within your means to ignore
such petty occurrences. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes mother." She muttered reluctantly. "If it pleases you may I go now?"

"Of course - Arianne, think no more of it. A Sailor Senshi has
considerations of much greater import to occupy her mind." Without
another word she dismissed the fledgling warrior, watching as the girl
stalked off towards her own suite of rooms.

For several minutes, there was complete silence in the anteroom, now
empty save for the mother of the Sailor princess. Settling back into the
softly comfortable chair, she mused on the contained ball of fiery temper
most people would refer to as her daughter.

Headstrong, bold, and a little foolish at times - just like she had been at her
age. It seemed to be a Royal Mars genetic trait that all its Senshi were a
little - blunt? Ah well, she'd mellow with experience and responsibility.

Well - at least they could all hope.

*********

Pushing open the ornate silver etched door leading to her chambers,
Arianne whirled in with all the imperiousness and dignity of.....well a
princess - a performance rather tainted when she flopped bodily onto the
quilt covered bed.

Despite all her teasing, mother was right on one account - she, the Sailor
Senshi of Mars was taking this very petty grievance well over the top of the
bounds of normal disapproval - even for her.

How in hell could some stupid peasant bother her so?

Snarling in annoyance, the girl banished the bothersome thoughts - she was
due in five minutes with the astrology tutor.

*********
*********
*********

Author's Notes.

Therein begins the start of another series - this Prologue serves to set the
scene of my story more than anything else. As you may have noticed, there
are actually two storylines running here at the same time. I'll be
experimenting further with this to see if it works.

Fate of Love won't be as long as Way of the Ninjitsu - but still pretty
extensive. Hope all you readers out there look upon it with favour.

As always, questions, queries and anything else can be emailed to
do...@ihug.com.au

Although, this is only the Prologue so there's no need to send 'opinions' on
what you predict is going to happen next. No need to jump to conclusions
just yet.

In case you found this page elsewhere, take a look at my webpage at:
http://members.xoom.com/dojohouse/

And now I must be off to finish Chapter 7 of my other story, to which
everyone is waiting impatiently for.