Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Sailor Moon, they belong to Naoko Takeuchi. As well the character of Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Other characters belong to their respective creators. What is mine is the story; please ask before posting it elsewhere.

The Truth about Makoto by Lioconvoy Chapter Four: A Question for Every Answer

This dark place again. She hadn’t even woken up yet and the creepy voice was bothering her. “Hey Mr. Severus, can’t you at least wake till I wake up?”

The shock of the princess calling him by name forced Severus to take shape within the mental plain he had created to converse with Serenity. How did she know who he was, and now that she did, would she still work with him? “I am impressed you know my name. Do you know who I am and what it is I’ve done?”

Artemis said this was the guy who turned Luna human. He did it for Makoto, didn’t he, so she wouldn’t have to be afraid. Luna made him out to be a bad guy but was he? Sure he looked all thin, pale, and creepy, but was he really evil? He did use to do Setsuna’s job, and Chibi-usa said to trust him. “You’re the one who turned Luna into a little girl right?”

“That is correct, as you know your friend can no longer function around cats. I believe it will take some time before she can again. You must help her to overcome her fear, until then Luna and Artemis will need to be humans.” With the Mau taken care of, he had another task for Usagi to perform. “I have brought you here to ask you to heal Haruka. Setsuna has altered her memories of Makoto, for Makoto to be fully healed Haruka must tell her the truth. Only Haruka can bring Zues's Senshi to her mother.”

“Why did Setsuna do that?” Was Sailor Pluto really the bad guy? Sure she was mean sometimes, but she was a Senshi too. Why was she making people forget things? Would she ever do it to her?

“Hmmm, I do not know if you are ready for that truth just yet. Please Princess, your friend is not who she is meant to be. Setsuna does not want her to be who she was and she will go to great lengths to stop the rebirth of the true Sailor Jupiter.” Disappearing Severus put Usagi’s spirit back into her body. It was time this conversation ended.

“What?” Usagi blinked and noticed she was now awake in Rei’s shrine, the clock on the wall said it was only ten. She wanted to be asleep for another two hours, stupid Severus. Still what did he mean by the true Sailor Jupiter? She was really starting to dislike Severus; he made her think about things.

--

Luna walked with Artemis; going in what she believed was no particular direction. Then again they very well could be going to see Severus. Still even the lair of the former Guardian of Time would be better than the Shrine where Rei and Makoto were treating her like the child she appeared to be. It was fortunate Minako and Usagi were still asleep they might have joined in; Ami on the other hand was looking at a traveling book. “You haven’t said anything since we left.”

“Sorry, I was a bit lost in my thoughts. As Setsuna probably told I went to see Severus yesterday. He told me the truth about Makoto.” He didn’t know what went on last night while Luna and Setsuna left to talk on their own, but it was likely the Guardian of Time suspected him. For now it was probably for the best that he remained in human form; however like Luna he’d have a problem with where to stay. To solve this problem he was visiting another servant of Chaos, one specialized in making people appear out of no where.

“We suspected, we didn’t know. What do you mean the truth about Makoto?” Setsuna just said she sealed some memories for Makoto’s own good? What else had she done to the girl?

“’Zues's Senshi is not who she is meant to be.’ That’s all I’ll say. I don’t want the Setsuna to suspect you of being a traitor too.” Here they were. To everyone else it was a simple book store. To those who knew the better it was the home to a powerful immortal. Opening the door a quiet bell rung and Luna followed him inside.

“Arty, what can I do for you today.”

Luna was amazed; the man behind the register was Rohoml, the identity broker. After all this time he was still alive, but what was he doing on earth? During the Silver Millennium he was a traveler, but now he seemed to have established himself here.

“I can use a civilian identity and a place to stay if you could arrange it.” It always amazed him how the redheaded Erom could do business right out in the open, but it seemed the customers here for books paid no attention whatsoever to the discussions or events that took place at the counter.

“Sure, as a matter of fact, an apartment in Rany’s building just opened up I can put you in there. Want me to fix Luny and register the two of you as a couple? Or is she going to play your daughter?” Luny looked cute as a child, but Arty deserved a wife. What was Sevy thinking, turning her into a child? If only he could read minds, it would make his job so much easier.

“Who is Rany? And could you fix me?” It was obvious now her transformation into a human was the Scepter of Antha’s doing, did Rohoml have the power to undo the Scepter?

“Please I wouldn’t be much of an Identity Broker if I couldn’t transform a human child into a Mau adult now would I. I can undo any transformation magic known to man, and a few that aren’t. Then again my services aren’t free, most afflicted with transformation curses can’t afford my prices. However I happen to owe Arty a bit so your fee is covered. As for Rany, Ranma Saotome, he’s the poor sap Sety killed. Well mostly killed there’s a bit of him still in there but it would take quite an effort to bring him back. You know him as Makoto Kino, an identity I didn’t provide the kid with, that’s why it’s such a sloppy job.” Raising his hand in the air and snapping his finger Rohoml transformed Luna clothes and all into adult Mau in human shape. Then he started typing away at his register computer. “Now you two don’t look all that Japanese so I’ll give you some gaijin names. How about Arthur and Lucy Hunter? Do those names suit your fancy, too bad if they don’t, I’m done with the paperwork, you’re stuck with em. While I’m at Arty I got you a job at the High School, they needed a History teacher, and you’re it. Luny would you like a job as well, or do you just want to be a homemaker.”

“Um, a home…”

“Got it. Done.” Pressing a button on the keyboard the cash draw opened and the broker grabbed all the papers Arty and Luny would need as well as a key to the apartment he fixed them up with. “Thanks for the visit Arty sorry I don’t have time for small talk, as you can see I have other customers.”

Taking the paperwork, Artemis and Luna left as another person stepped up the counter. “Arthur Hunter? In all these years he hasn’t gotten any better at creating names.”

“He still mutilates the names people already have when he talks to them too; I almost forgot his fixation with the letter y. Makoto is really a boy?” Artemis said Makoto wasn’t who she was meant to be, but she was meant to be a he? How was that possible? Then a scary thought occurred to her, was Makoto the boy in Rei’s vision, the miko had said the boy looked like the Senshi of Jupiter. “Artemis…the threat will soon be facing, it isn’t Severus’s doing is it? It’s Setsuna’s?

“Yes.” With that Artemis went silent as they headed towards their temporary home.

--

It wasn’t long after Artemis and Luna left that Usagi finally woke up, she was prepared to make the princess something to eat, but she said she had to go see the Outers. Makoto couldn’t help but wonder what was up, sure their relations with the Outers were better than it use to be, but they rarely spent time with them outside of the meetings.

Ami left after Usagi, she decided to leave herself, only Minako was still asleep when she left. How many days of peace did they have left. Setsuna and Rei made it seem like the trouble would be brewing soon.

Knowing she’d have to be focused on defending the people of Tokyo soon, she couldn’t help but worry about her current state of mind. New memories were popping up daily and what would happen if one of the monsters was cat shaped.

There was another scary thought that was slowly creeping in the back of her head since this morning. What if the life she was currently leading…what if it wasn’t her own?

--

Michiru frowned. She did not sleep well last night. For some reason she woke up abruptly finding Setsuna standing above her lover. After that she was unable to fully fall asleep afraid Setsuna might do something to her. Whatever it was Setsuna did to Haruka, it kept her from remembering what she mentioned was important last night, it had to be something involving Makoto though.

Another reason for her frown was that fact that her lover was once again practicing with Nodoka-san, the older Saotome had asked them to call her by her first name. They originally had plans for this afternoon, but the looming threat made Haruka decided to get in some more training.

“Michiru-mama, is something wrong?” First Setsuna-mama seemed mad for no reason, and now Michiru-mama was sad for no reason. She was pretty sure it wasn’t “that” time, when all three of the older women went into unpredictable moods, so what was causing it? Was the chaotic evil Setsuna-mama mentioned already affecting them?

Hotaru was already fourteen, but she still retained her childlike innocence. It was refreshing to have the youngest Senshi around; it was a shame though that Hatoru didn’t have any friends of her own. “I’m just jealous of the time Haruka is spending with her sensei that’s all.”

--

Sure she had planned on going right to the Outers home, but passing by the park she smelled freshly cooked okonomiyaki and couldn’t help herself. Usagi sat on one of the stools in front of the small cart waiting for her order to finish. The chef was a girl her age with long brown hair worn down.

“Here you go darling.”

“Thank you!” Digging in she could hardly believe how good the okonomiyaki was. This girl had to be a master chef. Still though, the cook seemed sad for some reason. Quickly finishing her snack she decided to stick her nose where it didn’t belong. It was one of the things she was best at. “Are you okay?”

“Not really, my father died recently and while I watched him be buried it got me thinking a friend who may be dead, but he’ll never be buried.” Ukyo looked up at the sky. Was Ranma watching down on her from above?

“Why not?”

“They never found his body. They found his father’s body. The two were swimming from China to Japan and drowned. Why only the tub of lard washed ashore I don’t know. I doubt anyone would care if he had disappeared or not.” She needed to calm down. Her customer looked a little afraid when she started to get angry. Still it was no fair, why did Genma wash ashore, why not Ranma. Couldn’t Ranma at least have eternal peace?

“If they never found his body, doesn’t that mean there’s a chance he’s still alive?” When Mamoru was fighting Jadeite he disappeared. Jadeite said he had killed him, but once they defeated the evil general, Tuxedo Kaman reappeared. Maybe it was just taking longer for her friend to show up.

“I really wish that were true. I wish it was just that he forgot about me, and he was alive somewhere.” Ukyo smiled at her customer. “If you ever see a boy named Ranma Saotome, tell him Ucchan misses him.”

“Sure.” Usagi smiled back at the cook. Somehow she was sure the cook would meet her Ranma again.

--

After a bit of thinking Makoto finally returned to her apartment. Her dreams, her new memories, they were all making her question who she was. Opening the door, she found her cousin in the middle of the floor standing on her head. “Megumi? What are you doing?”

“Practicing my balance.” There was a frown on Makoto’s face when she entered the apartment, but now she was smiling. Megumi flipped herself upright and hugged her ‘cousin’. “What’s wrong?”

“I’ve been having some weird dreams lately. Megumi, do you remember my parents?” Before coming to Juban, Makoto had lived with Megumi and her mother, she and Megumi were as close as sisters, so maybe talking with her about her dreams would help her understand them.

“Weird dreams, huh. I never actually met your parents. I’ve seen pictures of them though; your mom looks a lot like you, she’s just a little shorter, and your dad, he was pretty fat and bald.” There was someone else who was responsible for restoring the memories of Ranma Saotome, her task was to make her ‘cousin’ question the memories of Makoto Kino, and as well to train her.

The Senshi of Jupiter stood silently for a second as her cousins words sunk in. She said looks, not looked…that woman at the mall…no it couldn’t be, could it…but why did she think… “Megumi, what brings you here?”

“Training, you’re old enough to start learning some of my family’s higher arts. I had a feeling you could really use them.” Actually, the slightly taller girl was old enough before she left to live on her own, but her employer told her to wait till now. Still wearing a smile on the outside, inside Megumi frowned. Neither Ranma nor Makoto were Amazons, if the council of elders ever found out she’d get in an ungodly amount of trouble. Still, she knew some of what was to come. Ranma would need what she had to teach.

--

Usagi finally arrived at the outers home, as she walked up to the door, she was surprised who was walking away. “Mako-chan? How did you get old?”

“Excuse me?” Nodoka thought about the way she was dressed, blue jeans, a t-shirt, and sneakers, if anything she probably looked younger than she was. Even the pony tail she let Michiru put her hair in made her look younger, in her mind she could easily pass for a woman of twenty-five instead of one of thirty-seven.

“I’m sorry; you look kind of like my friend.” This lady wasn’t Makoto, she looked like her, a little shorter maybe, but she was probably too young to be her mother, older sister maybe? What was she doing here though? Was Setsuna wiping her memories too?”

“Michiru mentioned that too, after she did my hair in this pony tail. She was trying to help Haruka remember something and used me as a model.” Unfortunately she didn’t get to find out what Michiru was trying to get Haruka to remember, they actually shooed her away. It made her feel as young as she looked at least. Maybe it wasn’t too late for her to get married again. There was a doctor who had been showing interest in her. “By the way, how old do you think I am?”

Usagi looked at the lady then tilted her head. “23, maybe 24?”

“Actually I’m thirty seven.” Nodoka smiled. She was definitely feeling as young as she looked. For some reason she was just feeling so much better today. Before she let the death of her husband and the disappearance of her son bring her down, but today for some reason she felt as if she could finally move on.

“YOU ARE MOKOTO’S MOTHER!” Severus said only Haruka could bring Mako-chan to her mother, but here, she had just ran into her mother on her own.

“What??” Nodoka looked at the blonde dumpling haired girl. She didn’t know anything about this Makoto girl aside from her name and that she looked like her. Still the only child she gave birth to was her son.

Michiru opened the door after hearing the princess shout. Did she mean Nodoka-san was Makoto mother? They did look alike… last night Haruka discovered she had a shared past with Makoto, and now she forgot something related to Makoto…could it be, but Ranma was a guy? Turning around she saw her lover clutching her head in pain. “Haruka!”

Nodoka turned around and looked at her pupil through the open door. “What’s wrong with her?”

“Sailor Pluto altered her memory, that’s why I’m here. Kino-san, please go back inside the house.” She couldn’t use the Silver Crystal in public, but she could in the privacy of a Senshi’s home.

Kino-san? Nodoka assumed the blonde meant her. She followed the younger girl inside and closed the door. Michiru was already at Haruka’s side. What did these three have to do with the Sailor Senshi, why had the blonde mentioned Sailor Pluto? What was going one here?

Usagi pulled out her compact and opened it up. “Michiru please step away from Haruka.”

“Usagi are you sure you should do this in front of Nodoka-san?” Although the Senshi of Neptune did as she was told, she couldn’t help but question what the Princess was doing.

“Setsuna has been Sailor Pluto too long; Kino-san will be her replacement.” Usagi would really rather not make such a harsh decision, but it had to be made. Setsuna was just as evil as Beryl in her mind and was unfit to be a Senshi anymore. Something told her the Makoto’s mother could replace her. “Moon Healing Escalation!”

As the healing energies washed over her Haruka remembered what she had figured out last night, what Michiru was trying to remind her when she did Nodoka-sensei’s hair in a ponytail. She still didn’t understand how, but Usagi was right, Nodoka-sensei was Makoto’s mother. Taking her hands from her head she did something that she hadn‘t done in a long time. She started to cry. “Makoto is Ranma.”

“Ranma is who?” Nodoka looked at the girls around her. What were they talking about?

--

Severus sat alone in his warehouse home. Things were moving faster than even he expected. It was now too late for Setsuna to save herself, therefore he would die as well. “I know I am not immortal, but death always seemed so far away. Well then Setsuna, our feud is at its end. Death is all that is left for us.”

--
Lio’s Corner:

-Once again I thank Fukufics(dot)com, for pre-reading this chapter and special thanks to Wray Loflin for catching the stupidest of my mistakes.

-Genma wasn’t cursed at Jusenkyo, only Ranma. Not that it matters too much since he’s dead.

-Like my stories, but wish I updated them more often? Well then I suggest you check out “Twin Trouble“, which for now will be updating on a weekly basis. (Unless Military stuff crops up to eat my time.)