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No Need for Destiny
Chapter 17
No Need for Family Secrets Part 1
Disclaimer: I don’t own this series or any other series. I am just floating an idea. I am making no money, nor plan to, off this venture. If you think of suing me over this, then grow up.
I would like to first personally thank all of those reviewing my stories. I enjoy reading your comments, and try to correct the grammatical errors I miss with my final read-through as well as my spell checkers. The suggestions you all make will help make this story better for everyone to enjoy, as well as allow my to fix some plot holes I may unintentionally leave. If you find any, let me know, and I will correct them and repost the chapters.
But standing … er … sitting before her, was another Mau, the difference aside from coloring was the symbol on its forehead—a silver Chinese dragon instead of the golden crescent moon she wore.
Tethys nodded. “During the reign of attacks by the possessed Sailor Galaxia, many of those doomed worlds fled to the safety of the Silver Regency. Currently, they are working towards the full repair of their worlds before beginning the immigration back to them. However, it is unlikely that they will abandon their new homes completely.”
“Then why didn’t Galaxia attack them?” asked Ami.
“Who said she didn’t?” said the smirking Mau.
The others eyes opened wide.
“They won?” asked Haruka, slightly disbelieving.
“Actually, she and her group only faced Lord Enma,” said Tethys, tilting her head slightly. “Despite the powers the possession granted her, Galaxia was no match for the power of Lord Enma, and her forces were summarily beaten to well, I believe the phrase is ‘within an inch of their lives’.”
“If she was defeated there, why did she attack Earth?” asked Michiru.
“That would be due to Lord Enma’s connection to Pluto,” said Tethys, tilting towards Setsuna. “While he may not have access to artifacts as the Gates of Time, he was in tune enough with that heritage to know that Galaxia’s ultimate defeat was for the reborn Princess Serenity. Otherwise, those fools would never have made it away from that battle … at least alive anyway.”
The others were in a mixture of emotions; from slightly awed by the power needed to do such a feat, to anger that he hadn’t finished her off, saving them from yet another painful ending.
“So because of a feeling, he didn’t stop her then and there?” asked Mamoru, slightly growling.
Tethys looked towards the reborn prince. “I’m sorry, I seem to be unaware of any laws that dictate my Lord was to alter the past to suit your needs, Prince Endymion.”
The Mau’s glare hardened. “Fate and Destiny do exist, and those outside of their powers must take care not interfere too much.
“One need only look at the Great Fall to know that,” the Mau responded. “History recorded every single effort to ensure the Sol System’s survival, and the failures that sprung up from it,” she finished in a sad voice. “But Fate did give one boon, and many who were to have died there survived to live within the Regency.”
“Where is the Silver Regency based at?” asked Ami.
“The Centauri star system,” said Tethys. “It was the closest star system to Sol which contained both the resources needed to form a colony of survivors when the Fall occurred, as well as lacking intelligent life that would become displaced upon our move.”
“So there aren’t any aliens there?” asked Makoto.
“We are all aliens to that system, Lady Jupiter,” corrected Tethys. “There are two planets that may develop intelligent life. However those planets are not used by the Regency, so their development is still uninfluenced. We suspect that one will develop into an intelligent plant-species while the other seems to be heading towards inorganic life forms.”
“Can we get back to the matter at hand?” pleaded Setsuna, not wanting to spend the next half hour discussing the natural evolution of a nearby star system.
The new Mau nodded. “Very well then, I shall begin by saying I am fully aware of who each of you are and were during the Silver Millennium, even if you do not.
“I am Tethys, child of a member of the Senatorial Guard and a member of the Regency Diplomatic Corps. My specific assignment is to the reborn Royalty in order to tutor you in your previous lives, culture, and history of the Silver Regency, and the current events in which you will be expected to attend within the next few months.”
The others could only stare, minus Hotaru who was smiling and Setsuna who was finishing off her spiked tea.
“Wait, what events?” asked Minako. “Is it a Ball?”
“It is possible,” said Tethys. “I am not privy to the full details surrounding the event. For the most part, it is a family event set up by the father of Lord Enma to bring his family together. Some other political forces have been invited, and I have been asked by the main parties to invite you as well.”
“Let me guess,” said Rei. “His father is still alive as well.”
“There are few forces still residing within our plane of existence who could match Lord Enma’s legend,” said Tethys. “His father just happens to be among the top of them currently residing full time within our plane of existence.”
“And what can you tell us about him?” asked Makoto, a small smile on her face, wondering what the guy must look like to have Setsuna put the effort in to pursue him.
“There is only so much I can reveal at this time,” said Tethys with a hint of regret in her voice, something that seemed to also cause a sigh of relief to leave Setsuna.
“How come?” asked Rei, suspicion evident.
“Because the man you are questioning is not only still alive, but has been making efforts to prepare this world to enter the galactic scheme. As such, revealing his true name to you would not only blow that cover, but possibly taint your perceptions of him as well as any actions you may discover in the course of your tutoring at my hands.”
“So what’s he like?” asked Makoto.
“The man in question is a well known political figure in the scheme of galactic politics. He is over twenty thousand years old, as is his second wife.”
“Second wife?” asked Michiru.
“I am not allowed to discuss the matters of his First Wife,” added Tethys quickly. “However, they have reunited.
“Any animosity you have about this should be negated by the galactic law allowing polygamy. And before Lady Mars can inform us of her obvious displeasure,” she commented, turning slightly to the Senshi in question who had taken a deep breath to begin her rant, “this law does not limit it to one man to many women. I have met one ruler named Lady Rolik of the Hyfaun system, fourteen husbands.”
The others simply looked stunned at that, Usagi also clutched Mamoru a bit closer, not wanting some other hussy to take her love away.
“Ow, Usagi, let go, that hurts!” yelped the Earth Prince, rubbing his sore arm.
“Sorry!” quickly replied Usagi. Privately, she wondered if that was what they meant by the phrase ‘love hurts’.
“Many details of such arrangements depend on the section of the galaxy you are in,” added Tethys. “There are some planets where the gender ratio is skewed towards one side or the other. So please try not to fly off the handle when you learn of some galactic laws that are contrary to your own personal beliefs,” she finished. “As the future rulers of your planets, you will need to learn this fact and apply it.”
“Our planets?” asked Haruka, blinking. “My planet’s a tilted gas giant. How am I supposed to rule that?”
“That’s easy, Haruka-papa,” piped in Hotaru. “We’ll just get them to reactivate the magical umbrae on each planet and moon and restore the biospheres.”
The others could only stare at Hotaru’s revelation.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” said Mamoru, eyes wide. “Magical umbrae on each and every world?”
“Each one was anchored to the ruling line,” commented Tethys. “Despite the hopes that technological backups would support them should the Royal Lines be terminated, they too were destroyed during the Great Fall. With great effort, an ally was able to seal the umbrae, thus preventing their decay in our world, while allowing them to heal within the astral plane. I believe only a few years has passed on them. And the magic innate to those umbrae would have repaired cities and the land.”
“So when these umbrae are restored to our plane…” started Ami.
“It will be at that point each of you—aside from Prince Endymion—will be expected to return to your respective world for the appropriate amount of time to resync the ties and allow the umbrae to be stabilized.”
“And how long with that be?” asked Makoto.
“Unknown,” replied the Mau. “For that, you would need to consult an expert on magical umbrae reintegration.”
Hotaru just smiled. She just happened to be dating such a figure now. There were bound to be plenty of lengthy … discussions in the future about that topic.
She paused a bit, wondering if this was her that was falling hard for the Godling, or if it was the echo of Sailor Saturn that resided in her soul. But since he was such a cutie, she decided to debate that sometime later.
“If that is all for the moment,” said Tethys, lowering her head. Her insignia glowed for a moment, focusing on the tabletop. Within moments, a small crystal array appeared. Despite the fact it looked completely clear, images from the other side refuses to pass through it.
“This is the current model of data storage and playback,” said Tethys.
“Huh?”
“It’s a high-class DVD player, Dumpling Head.”
“WAH! Rei’s so mean!”
“Are you quite done?” asked Tethys, glaring at Usagi. Shaking her head in sadness and knowing that she was likely going to regret taking this ‘esteemed’ job, she raised her head. “This ‘DVD Player’ as Princess Mars put it, is a neuro-interactive display focus.
“In smaller words, it hits you with a light, and you think you are wherever it shows you. You receive full sensory immersion, without any possible damage to your bodies from feedback. We can exit at any time.”
“And the point of this is what exactly?” asked Minako.
“To start you off on the history of the Silver Regency, starting with the crowning of Lord Enma by the Sol Senate.”
Setsuna perked up at that. She was going to see her son crowned. That would be a good thing, assuming it wasn’t something long and tedious. He was meant to take over Pluto one day when she passed. But it seemed Fate had had other things in mind.
Besides, what Mother doesn’t want to see a big day in her child’s life?
“Are you ready?” asked Tethys.
“Should we be sitting or anything?” asked Minako. “Maybe go to the bathroom beforehand?”
Blinking, she looked around at the looks she was getting from the others. “What?”
Ignoring them, Tethys focused on the device. “Access File Alpha-Alpha-Alpha 01 and begin playback for all present.”
“Acknowledged,” came a high computer voice, and light shot out from the crystal.
“Welcome to the main chambers of the Sol Senate,” said Tethys, now in a human form. However unlike when Luna and Artemis shifted to their human forms when they had arrived, hers was clothed in ladies business attire, complete with slacks instead of a skirt.
“Where is everyone?” asked Haruka. “I thought you were going to show us Enma’s coronation.”
“I do intend to,” Tethys said with a smile. “But this place is much easier to take in without the people inside. Look around.”
The girls looked around, gasping as they caught sight of the huge murals that surrounded the room. There were eleven murals in all, each one depicting a Royal Family at the time, the family’s crest adorning the edges of the murals. The images sported seemed almost as if they would leap off the glass at any moment, so much so that the girls began to drift towards them.
“Each one shows the Royal Lines at the time of the Great Fall,” continued Tethys. “The only difference between them is the murals for the Inner Senshi. At their bases are the remains of the talisman weapons each one wielded that were destroyed during the Great Fall.”
“We had weapons to?” asked Rei in shock. “How come ours got trashed and the Outers didn’t?” she replied, a bit of jealousy in her voice.
“The Inner system was highly saturated with the attacking forces rather than the Outer System. Thus you used more energy to repel them, and thus damaged your talismans.”
“Mamo-chan’s mother was black?” asked Usagi, spotting the images of King Endymion and his wife.
“She was the daughter of the Kingdom of Kush,” added Tethys. “They married approximately five years before the birth of Prince Endymion, and thus united the two kingdoms, leaving only two left on Earth: Atlantis and Morning Star.”
The group turned, eyes wide as the Inners spotted their first enemy in a portrait. Except instead of the pale mockery of a woman they had faced, they instead found a smiling healthy girl, her loving parents behind her.
“T-t-that’s Beryl!” gasped Makoto.
“Princess Beryl of the Morning Star Kingdom,” corrected Tethys.
“But she worked with Metallia!” cried Luna.
Taking a deep breath and releasing it, the newest Mau advisor looked at the group. “Lady Beryl had her mind and body forcefully possessed by the demoness Metallia. She had no interest in Prince Endymion at the time, as I believe she was pursuing a relationship with an alien dignitary.”
The others looked at her, eyes wide. “Wait, you mean Beryl was an innocent?”
She looked towards Usagi. “Yes; it was a regret of Queen Serenity’s that she was unable to expel Metallia from her before she was forced to seal them away. However, I am told that after your defeat of them, her … heart crystal I believe is what it was called, was retrieved and placed within a cloned body.
“Sadly, it is expected to be many decades before her mental faculties have healed from the trauma Metallia’s presence inflicted on her, another casualty of that war.”
It took but a moment for the girls to each look away. It appeared that they too could forget the innocents, and even Queen Serenity had not been able to save that soul.
“Um…” started Minako, raising her hand, trying to get them away from such depressing thoughts. It was still a little hard to think of Beryl as an innocent in any terms.
“Yes?” asked the slightly face-ticking advisor.
“How come I don’t see my Father up there?” she asked.
Blinking, the others turned to look around. Not only was no father image present for the Senshi of Venus, but neither were there ones for Usagi or on Setsuna’s side. In fact, Setsuna’s portrait was the oddest of the group. Hers had who was guessed to be her mother, the Queen of Pluto, on the highest position. Imposed in front of her was Setsuna, in her Sailor Pluto guise, followed by the form of a male teen, smiling. But his open eyes and hair stated with certainty that he was truly Setsuna’s son.
But in all three pictures, no image denoting the fathers of the three were shown.
“You told us about Enma’s father,” commented Michiru, as she tried not to spend all her time focusing on the images of her parents in her past life—a difficult task to have something that added to your connection in the past before you. “The others?”
“I cannot say.”
“Can’t or won’t?” asked Haruka.
“Can’t,” said Tethys. “I am not privy to those details. The only assumption I can offer is that the fathers were either never made public or died before the Great Fall. In which case, they would not have been added to the murals.”
The others nodded, even as Mamoru consoled Usagi about the fact she couldn’t find out who her past-life father was.
“I miss her so much, Father.”
Blinking, the group turned back towards the Pluto mural, spotting a familiar boy standing next to a blurred image.
“I know, my son,” said the distorted voice. “I miss them all. But do not let the pain consume you; they would not have wanted that.”
“Is that…” started Usagi.
“Security restrictions have prevented you from seeing his face or hearing his voice,” said Tethys.
But Setsuna could see and hear his voice. How could she not, when she knew who it really was.
Hotaru wasn’t even looking in that direction. She turned, spotting a much older man standing before the Saturn mural, and his own face and voice very clear to her.
“I miss you so much, Beloved,” whispered Ran, as he placed his hand on the glass. “Please return soon.”
A tear ran down her face as she watched this, her heart reaching out to the man who had loved her so back then. Perhaps it would be best for her to take the time to sort out her motivations for going for him sooner rather than later. The pain in his eyes; she didn’t want to create such again if she dragged it out and found out that Hotaru could never love him like that.
“He’s a cutie!” squeaked Minako, bringing Hotaru back to the present, as she quickly made her way back to the others before they noticed her absence.
Tethys cringed at that. While she didn’t have the full information on the father of Princess Venus, she was told that the fathers of all three ‘had been closely related’. Of course, she severely doubted the girls were ready for such information. “Access File Alpha-Alpha-Alpha 02 and begin playback for all present.”
“Acknowledged,” came the computer again, as the addition figures vanished from the outer ring, and a large crowd appeared.
“Welcome to the coronation,” said Tethys. As she motioned to the stage, she pointed out several people. “The one at the Podium is Lady Kira Nyo, one of the surviving members of the Mercury Parliament, and current elected head of the Senate. To the left of Lord Enma is the delegates from the Jurai Star Empire: Emperor Junpei and his two wives. To the right of Lord Enma is the delegation from the Seniwa Empire.”
“He doesn’t look happy,” commented Makoto, looking at the sad face of Enma.
“Lord Enma did not wish to rule,” said Tethys sadly. “He would only accept the position until such time as the other Royals returned and were able to convince the Senate they were fully prepared: mentally, physically, and psychologically, to return to their roles.”
“So he can release control now?” asked Rei.
Tethys raised her eye at that. “You’ve yet to finish high school, let alone college. I am here to prepare you for that role.”
“We have a right,” growled Rei.
“They had the right,” Tethys replied, pointing her hand towards the murals. “You should remember a phrase Lord Enma said when confronted with the choice by the Senate.
“I don’t want this burden, a burden I am forced to carry because I was lucky and lived. But so help me, I will do what is right, not what is easy, and ensure those under my rule will never suffer as they did before. And I will do my duty and ensure that those who rule after me will never falter under the burden. As guardian of these people, I can and should do no less.”
The others looked at her with awe, even Rei.
“To this day, not one instance of impropriety could be found in Lord Enma’s rule, and The Centauri System has thrived, and the Silver Regency became a power of good in this part of the galaxy.
“Now then,” she paused, trying to relax and return to her prim-and-proper appearance and mindset, “let us watch the coronation.”
And that was the best part of her day. That tournament had finished shortly after noon, which meant she had the rest of the day to spend with Yugi. They could go on a …date!
The people on the street all stopped to look at the screaming girl. But upon seeing the smile on her face and the nervous giggling, they resumed their walk, some complaining about strange tourists being allowed inside the country.
Taking a deep breath, she reached for the door, preparing to enter the game shop, and find her true love once more … before that tramp friend of his tried to dig her claws any further into sweet innocent Yugi’s soul.
“Yugi-puu, I’ve come to see—EEP!”
“GET BACK HERE AND TAKE YOUR PUNISHMENT LIKE A MAN, FATHER!” yelled Yuki Mutou, as she chased after her father-in-law, knives in hand, as he dodged around Rebecca. He didn’t flee outside. No, the last thing he wanted to do was give her room to maneuver.
“Let me explain!” the elderly man, as he jumped to the second floor balcony, twisting to the side to avoid a thrown knife.
“You sold my precious son like a car!” Yuki screamed. “Don’t worry, I’ll tell my husband you went in your sleep!”
“Um…” started Rebecca, standing back up after being knocked to the ground by Yugi’s family. “What’s going on?”
“Oh Rebecca,” said her grandfather, as he helped her to her feet, “how did the tournament go?”
“STAND STILL!”
“NO WAY! AND STOP THROWING KNIVES AT ME!”
“FINE THEN; HOW ABOUT THIS!”
“NOOOOO! NOT MY DVDS!”
“What’s going on?” she asked, the tournament and her love interest temporarily forgotten after seeing what was happening before her.
“Oh, Solomon mentioned a plan of his, and apparently Yugi’s mother doesn’t like it,” Professor Hopkins said, watching with a smile as his old friend continued to stave off death by angry mother, and kept his precious DVD collection from being embedded into the walls.
“Um … what did he say?” Rebecca asked fearfully.
“Oh, he said he was an alien and that to protect Yugi from a devil princess, he’s engaging him to young Téa and yourself,” he said with a smile.
“He … what?” she asked. Sure, she liked the idea of being engaged to Yugi—she’d do something about Téa later, maybe duel her for the spot she was supposed to have and the winner be Yugi’s sole bride—but it sounded like Yugi’s grandfather had finally gone senile.
Oh, Yugi-puu’s going to need someone to help comfort him.
No ulterior motives here.
“Any last words, Old Man,” growled Yuki, now holding a katana, prepared to remove Solomon’s head.
Gulping, Solomon waved his hands frantically. “I can prove I did it all for Yugi’s sake, not for a perverted reason! Lady Seto really is a threat to him if he’s not engaged to two girls!”
“And how exactly can Yugi be engaged to two girls?” asked Tristan. “I mean, isn’t that illegal or something?”
“Yeah Gramps,” said Joey, slightly green at the thought of seeing someone lose their head … literally. “Though I think you might want to try and prove the alien-thing first. Might be a bit easier.”
“Or I can try an alien autopsy,” said Yuki, her smirk radiating pure evil.
Gulping, Solomon quickly deactivated his cloak. Way too much like my dear wife! Damn my son for marrying a girl just like his mother!
The group all stared with wide eyes as the elderly shrunken form that had been begging for his life only moments before quickly morphed into a man many recognized from old photos that hung around the shop.
“G-grandpa?” gasped Yugi, looking at the younger version of the perverted Old Man he had known for so long.
“Hello Yugi,” said Solomon, his voice almost a double for when Atem was in control of Yugi. “Not exactly how I planned to tell you about your heritage.”
“And just how did you plan to tell him?” asked Yuki with a glare. “You haven’t told me yet! And if I find out my dear husband doesn’t know either…” she paused, letting the threat hang in the air.
“He knows!” quickly yelled Solomon, trying to ensure he still had his head attached to his neck for the rest of the foreseeable future.
“And I don’t because…”
“He had to leave with my wife quickly for medical reasons and he insisted he be the one to tell you the truth when he got back!”
“He’s been gone for over a year now with Mother,” growled Yuki.
“Um … would you believe some very complex medical reason?”
“Do you even know?” she asked out, eyes wide with fury.
“Thousand yen says he doesn’t know.”
“Joey!” cried Téa.
“You’re on.”
“Grandpa!”
“Well?” growled Yuki.
“Um … Mom?”
“Yes Yugi?” she said, still glaring at her father-in-law, her hand now twirling the sword, but being careful that it wasn’t spinning in a direction where it could hurt someone … other than Solomon.
“Could you sort of hold off punishing Grandpa until after he explains things.”
“Yeah, like why Rich-boy is a Lady?” yelled Joey.
“Lady Seto, not Seto Kaiba you ingrate!” yelled Solomon. “She’s known as the Devil Princess of Jurai!”
The group shuddered, thinking of a hideous demon wearing a princess gown.
“And she likes nothing better than setting up matches that she sees as perfect fits,” Solomon explained, shivering a bit. “I hid for thousands of years, but she kept trying to find me. ‘I have the perfect girl for you’, ‘I know this one woman who you’ll love’, she never stops. I heard she even set up a Prince of Jurai up with a third fiancée. If I didn’t move quickly, she’d learn of Yugi’s unattached nature and line up girls for him!”
“Somehow, I ain’t seeing how this would make Yug suffer,” said Joey, scratching his head.
“And you have proof of this?” asked Yuki, eyes narrowed. “And you better have a damned good reason why I should even allow this.”
“You think I’d risk your anger if I thought there was another way?” asked Solomon
“He’s right you know.”
The group paused everything they were doing, even Yuki stopped twirling the sword, to focus on the corner of the damaged shop, revealing a tall dark-skinned woman, her face almost … cat-like.
“And you would be?” asked the simmering mother.
“Bastet,” said the woman, bowing slightly out of the corner, her face fully exposed.
Solomon’s eyes went wide, spotting the blue marks on her face. “Your one of the New Gods!”
“New Gods?” asked Tristan.
“Ah, I see you learned your local lore well,” spoke the Cat Goddess.
“I wouldn’t exactly call your lore local for Japan, but I did learn of the New Gods and their Pantheons on this world,” Solomon said. “But I have to ask why an Egyptian Goddess is here in my shop in Japan.”
“You know her, Father?” asked Yuki, sword in hand.
Solomon nodded. “The New Gods are gods and goddesses that developed on Earth, and only have power on Earth. These include any empowered deity from the beginning of human history to the present, minus some random ones that only existed for a small tribe; minimal requirements were around at least twenty thousand believers at one time.”
Bastet just smiled. “Your father taught you well,” she commented.
“But it doesn’t explain why you’re here,” he said, focused and serious.
“Here’s a hint,” Bastet said with a smirk, as she reached into her loose robes, and pulled out … the Millennium Puzzle.
“I carry a boon for your grandson, a boon born from his grand efforts to protect this world.”
“Wait a minute,” said Joey, finally recovering from his beating. “Let me get this straight. Gods are real, aliens are real, Yug is engaged to two girls to keep some evil matchmaker from making him her next victim, and now you’re giving him back the Puzzle?”
“In the manner asked: yes, you’re best friends with one so yes, I wouldn’t call Lady Seto evil but I wouldn’t want to hang around her too long, and I’m giving him a bit more than just this Puzzle,” she finished with a purr.
“I do have one very important question,” said Arthur.
“Yes?” asked the Goddess.
“Solomon, what is the medical reason?” he yelled.
“You interrupted this important discussion for a thousand yen?” asked Bastet, slightly disbelieving.
“Actually, I felt Solomon was sliding out of the spotlight, and wanted to see him squirm some more.”
“WHAT?” yelled the man in question.
“Consider it payback for what you did to me in that bar in northern Cairo.”
“That was over forty years ago!”
“What did he do, Grandpa?” asked Rebecca.
“Something I’ll explain when you’re older or married, whatever happens first,” waved off Arthur.
Bastet wanted to be upset that she was interrupted, but there was always time for juicy gossip. “Purrr, you have my attention.”
It wasn’t that her store was doing poorly. In Zephillia, it was pretty much the main shop, and since the prices were always fair, kept business booming.
It wasn’t the newest case of unbridled teens looking for excitement and wanting to be adventurers. Most listened to her advise on what to get and what they should know beforehand. And the ones that didn’t … well, it wasn’t her that killed them. So they could be said to have committed a form of suicide. Not her problem after they left her shop.
It wasn’t her daughters. No, despite the little prank Lina pulled, both daughters were still near and dear to her heart—despite the fact the youngest seemed unable to pick up a piece of paper and write to her dear sweet mother. And Luna was doing so well—despite the fact she adopted a half-troll, half-beastman and named him Spot, as well as yet to show any romantic prospects for the future.
No, what was bothering her was the fact her husband had yet to call … again. You would think someone as busy as he was could at least send an aid or something to let her know when he’d get here.
“HEY YOU!”
Great; probably another relative of another unsatisfied customer. “Yes?”
“You bitch!” cried the large man as he barged closer to her, knocking over several displays. “You’re crappy gear got my little brother killed!”
She looked at him, trying to place any customers she might have sold to who resembled him.
Then it hit her. She couldn’t recall the name, but she recalled the fool it belonged to. The brat had been a rich spoiled idiot, wanting the best gear, but none of the foresight she offered. He kept proclaiming he was going to slay a foul beast in the Valley about three days north of Zephillia as proof of his greatness.
Obviously, he didn’t do to well. And she was pretty sure that the only thing in that area had been a few forest dragons. From what she recalled, she couldn’t exactly see those as too much of a threat to anyone … aside from small animals and the occasional logger. “And how did my … crappy gear,” she paused with a hint of irritation, “get him killed?”
“Your crappy gear broke down when he needed it most! That dragon ripped him to pieces!”
“Ah,” said Lona, as she began to reset the displays the man had knocked over. “You mean he went after a magical creature with no real training, using gear he refused to learn the proper uses and abilities of, to face a creature about as threatening as a tavern drunkard, and the fact he died because of his own arrogance and stupidity is my fault, you say?”
“Why you—”
“You weren’t about to strike my wife, were you?”
The man paused, fist in the air, as he slowly turned, spying a rather large figure making his way towards them. “Who the hell are you, Old Man?”
“Me?” The man stopped, revealing his green hair and red eyes. “Why I’m the gentle one. My wife on the other hand, well, she’s going to make you very sorry you blamed the wrong person.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” growled the guy, all but certain he could take the big man down.
Sadly, that meant his attention wasn’t on Lona, a former wandering sorceress.
“SOUL SHOCKER!”
Enma just watched as his wife performed the magical equivalent of a tazer on the guy. Ah, he remembered that spell. She didn’t even need chaos words to call upon it anymore.
Thinking back, it probably wasn’t his best idea to help her work that little trick out. She tended to use it when she was upset at him, and he was pretty sure she was trying to teach Aratakira that spell as well. Well, Father always said we were cursed to find … exciting women.
WHAM!
He ducked quickly as the slightly charred body of the man flew over his head and out the doors, no doubt where whatever friends he had bought would assist him … when they woke up as well. The local townsfolk had made quick work of his buddies.
No one threatened one of their own, and money didn’t mean squat. But he did wonder why she had ended it so quickly; she usually liked to play with fools like that.
WHAM!
Well, that hadn’t been expected, he mused, as he too flew out into the street.
“JUST WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?” she screamed, as she stormed out of the store.
Enma barely had time to note that the villagers had moved the man away from the spot, before he was punched into the street. She’s been working out. Must have been Aratakira’s suggestion and training.
“Well?”
“But I—”
“But what?” she yelled punching him in the head again. “You go this long without writing me, letting me know you’re okay, and you think you can just show up without any consequences?”
“But—”
WHAM!
“And you think that makes it all better?” she bellowed. “Do you know how worried I was when you didn’t write me?”
“MESSAGE!”
Blinking, she stopped her angry tirade to look at the message sprite, holding what looked like a slightly damaged letter.
“I definitely need to speak to some people,” grumbled Enma, looking at the letter he had sent … last week.
Luna Inverse looked out the window when the tremors stopped for longer than a minute, before she turned towards her fellow waitress. “Gwen, I might need a place to crash for the night. It looks like Mom will need some alone time with Dad.”
Gwen just giggled. “I swear Luna; you need to talk to your Dad. He should know by now that ex-mercenary means he can stop wandering around. Besides, how good can a guy that old be in a fight nowadays?”
Luna just shook her head. “You have no idea,” she said, before she turned back towards the inside of the restaurant.
“No! Spot! Put that platter down! No meat for you unless you eat those veggies!”
“But then,” mused Xellos, “when Lina fights, very little if anything is ever left,” he finished with a smile.
Waving his hand, the ground began to rumble as a makeshift coffin began to rise from it. He had to admit it had been very considerate of Lina to at least give his sister something to be buried in aside from plain dirt, even if her form was nothing more than a stone statue, the final form all Mazoku turned to when they died on this plane.
He had to shake his head at that. Sure, Zellas might have been the weakest of the Mazoku Lords, but at least she would have retrieved his body, if for nothing else than to retrieve her power or restore him.
Then again, the fool probably thought no body would be left behind. “I did warn her about wiping her own memories,” he said with amusement, as the casket opened.
But his attention was quickly drawn to the sword by her side. He had no clue as to its history, whether formed by Sherra before she wiped her mind to become a general of Dynast Grausherra, or whether the Mazoku Lord had given it to her.
“I suppose if it was the latter, the filth would have stolen it back,” he mused openly, before blinking. Family concern? Honest family concern?
“It would appear my human side is beginning to reassert itself again,” he said with a heavy sigh. It wasn’t that he hated the part of him that came from his father—especially that part which put him in line for so many scenes of chaos—but at times it really made being a demon a difficult job.
“Oh well,” he said with a quick smile, “I do believe I should wake my sister up.”
Reaching into his robes, he removed the second box his mother had sent to him, a second pishogue crystal meant to restore his sister to full power. “To think if your former coworkers could see you now,” he mused, sitting the box beside her, as her form began to take on a more living appearance.
“Hmm,” she murmured, as her form lost the stone appearance.
“Welcome back to the Land of the Living, dear sister,” mused Xellos.
Sherra’s eyes opened quickly, before focusing on the Mazoku looking down upon her. “No matter what you Mistress wishes; I shall not betray my Lord, Dynast Grausherra!”
Chuckling lightly, Xellos continued to smile. Apparently the restoration of her demonic energies had not yet restored her memory. “I guess I will have to remind you through the family style of fixing such problems.”
WHAM!
“OWIE!” Sherra yelled, rubbing her head. “You piece of shit, why’d you go and do that?” she bellowed.
“Are you all there, sister dear, or do you need another dose of medicine?” he asked.
Sherra just glared at him. “I swear you’re worse than Mother.”
“No I’m not,” he said. “She would have used a blast of energy.”
“Whatever,” she snorted, as she pulled herself out of the casket. “Now, I assume there is a reason you woke me up besides to assault me.”
Nodding, he handed her an envelop with her name on it. “It looks like Mother wants us to come home.
“So, do you want to tell her a normal human with a Class 4 artifact took you out, or shall I?”
Sherra paled. This was one family reunion she wished she could miss.
“Why is it filled with cookie crumbs?” she asked no one in particular.
Shaking her head, she stood back up, looking around her old room and taking stock of what she saw. It truly was a testimony to Nabiki Tendo: old computer, closet full of clothes ‘borrowed’ from her sisters, hidden compartments filled with blackmail files and pictures of Ranma-chan and Akane that were often sold for profit, the negatives of said photos, undergarments and spares in case Happosai decided she was fair game, journals on the comings and goings of people in Nerima and their contact numbers.
But there was one box she took deep care of, hidden in a compartment between two support beams. Little mementoes from her mother, happier days as a carefree girl; it contained the joyful times of her childhood. There had been times before they ‘rejoined’ their lives that she had wanted to view that box, to recall and relive her past joys as a small girl. But she always stopped herself, never fully knowing why.
“Maybe because it was still Tendo’s,” she mused, as she gently unveiled the box, and removed it from its hiding hole. Part of her didn’t feel right getting even close to them before history had played out, almost as if she would take something away from her younger self. In that sense, those items didn’t become hers until Nabiki Tendo was sent into the past. Only then did it feel right to even think of these tokens.
She fought hard not to break down in tears seeing some of the items, items she had wanted to hold for a long time. For her, it was a sign of a true homecoming, a reuniting with who she once was, and reclaiming her role as ‘Nabiki Tendo’.
“I miss you, Mom,” she said, running her finger over an old photograph, taken at her fifth birthday party.
“Nice to see you didn’t freeze up over the ages.”
Eyes wide, Nabiki turned towards the voice, energy forming in her hand, before she caught sight of her visitor.
“Damn it, Washu,” she growled, as the energy dissipated. Casting her senses outward, she was surprised to find not only that no one nearby who could observe them or listen in, but a field was around them preventing such as well.
“Did you really think I would pop in like this without making sure we were secure?” asked Washu with a smirk.
“May I remind you that it wasn’t me or Ranma-kun who kept forgetting the security code for the house back in college?” asked Nabiki with a glare.
Washu just waved it off as she walked over to Nabiki’s old computer. “Want me to upgrade it?”
“I’d rather try myself,” she said quickly, recalling some of Yosho’s reports on Washu’s upgrades. She wasn’t about to take a chance that the reawakened Elder Goddess might still have some gremlins running around her workshop, and not just the blond and tanned Kuramitsu kind.
Shrugging, Washu took a seat in the chair by the desk. “How are you holding up?” she asked, her voice filled with concern.
“I should be asking you that,” Nabiki replied back. “I’ve had ten thousand years to prepare for this. You’ve just become reacquainted with your true memories a few weeks at most, and only a few days since you found out how much of your past was rewritten for you.”
“I was a little off-center from that,” Washu admitted, looking at some of the photos on the wall. “It took some getting used to.”
“Before or after you laid Ranma out with one punch?” Nabiki asked with a mischievous smirk.
Washu could only giggle at that. “Ah, just like old times.
“But to be honest, I did sort of expand my day with him to a month, thanks to being the Number One Scientific Genius in the Universe!” she finished in her usual display of pride.
Nabiki just shook her head, laughing at her co-wife’s display. “Please tell me that that is a recent bit of drama.”
“Hey, I worked hard on that!” complained Washu.
“But we didn’t start discussing my pride in my status,” said Washu, her voice a bit more serious. “I asked how you were doing.”
Nabiki nodded, as she sat down on her bed, looking at the photos once more. “Kind of weird to see them and interact with them as Nabiki Tendo,” she mused, looking at an early family photo. “I know who they are, I’m just not certain if I can still relate to them anymore.”
“And that scares you?”
“Damn right,” she growled. “For half my life, I mourned them, wondering what had happened to them. And I spent the last half worried about them, wanting them to exist, to be reunited with them all. And now that I am, I’m afraid that in the end, being back will only hurt the both of us.”
Washu just nodded. “Ranma has the same fears, you know.”
Nabiki nodded. “I guess you talked some as well during that Second Honeymoon?”
“Oh, that was just a refresher course,” smirked Washu. “I would like to get our vows renewed sometime soon. But I’ll take it easy on you, and try to compress a year into a few days so you won’t miss us too much.”
Nabiki could only arch her eyebrow in a Vulcan-like maneuver. “He will be alive and able to move on his own afterwards, right?”
“Who can say?” Washu waved off, before she broke into a fit of giggles.
Nabiki just snorted, shaking her head. “Back to the giggling school-girl I see.”
“One should always stay young at heart.”
“Says the eternal Goddess.”
“To the woman who has aged better and lived longer than any person from Jurai or any other civilization on record.”
Nabiki just shrugged. “What can I say, ate right, exercised, and had one hell of a checkup.”
Washu just continued to smile. “I missed this Nabiki. I missed us just talking.”
“So did I,” smiled Nabiki, fondly remembering some of their discussions. “Believe it or not, it took me a while, but I finally made a good conversationalist out of Ranma-kun.”
“How many months ago did you finish?”
Nabiki just shook her head, laughing as well.
Taking a deep breath, she faced Washu once more. “If you want, I’ll bow out of tonight. I know you’re still enjoying that new-Ranma smell.”
“Tempting,” said Washu. “Very tempting, but I’m married to you as well. And I think you need some comfort tonight as well. This hasn’t been an easy day on either of you.”
Nabiki just nodded. “I don’t think Ranma’s going to get away from his Mother until bedtime. And even then, I doubt she’ll leave the room for a moment afterwards.”
Washu nodded. “A mother’s love and fear for her child; I know it well,” she mused.
“So, on that note, any luck on traumatizing your dear child?” Nabiki asked with a smirk.
“Mikumo, not a chance; you’ve already ruined that for me,” she said with a slight growl. “But Mihoshi is having so much fun hanging out with her great-grandaunt Ryoko,” she said with a large smirk. “I almost cried at that reunion.”
The fact those tears had been from trying to hold in her laughter was left unsaid.
“I’ve still missed so much,” she said, smile fading. “He tells such wonderful stories, but it isn’t really the same.”
“Never is,” said Nabiki. Her attention turned back to her own memories and the items on her bed. “But we have to live in the now.
“Well, I do now. But living in the past is such a pain in the ass.”
Washu could only chuckle at that. “Want some help setting things up here? I promise no massive upgrades without you knowing beforehand.”
“Sure,” said Nabiki, as she began to put her precious items away. Don’t worry Mom; soon I’ll have more memories to add to this of you.
And I owe Ranma-kun for solving the ‘how’ for me.
Taking a deep puff of her pipe, she stared off into space. Something about the reunion had felt … off. It wasn’t the actions of Nodoka. No, as a mother herself, she could fully understand and appreciate the woman’s actions that day. It was why she had taken the time to explain to Shampoo on what not to do that day. Not that the girl understood, a sure sign that the great-grandmother needed to spend a bit more time in her heir’s education about things not related to fighting.
No, the oddity seemed once more to be centered on young Saotome himself. Despite the way he had reacted that day, she knew something had happened on that trip, something he wasn’t about to tell. And for once, the boy was hiding it very well.
That troubled her as well. As much as she trusted her six-sense about the issue, the fact that Ranma might be able to not only hold, but hide a secret was troubling. If he was wising up, then she would have to rush Shampoo’s education. Son-in-law was growing as a person, and Shampoo would have to as well, lest she be left behind in both his heart and his life.
“At least Nodoka isn’t upset about the wedding fiasco anymore,” she muttered thankfully. It was going to be hard enough to help her heir without that Damocles Sword hanging over them.
“Hey, Old Mummy!”
WHACK!
“Welcome back, Part-timer,” said Cologne, as she checked her staff for any cracks.
Mousse just ignored her remark, choosing instead to glare at her. “Anyway, where is my precious Shampoo? I heard Saotome’s gone, so I need to strike while the iron’s hot!”
“That’s old news, Boy,” said Cologne, focusing her attention on him. The sooner she got him out of her hair, the sooner she could focus on the possible issue at hand. “Son-in-law returned this morning.”
“What?” asked Mousse in shock, dropping his bags.
Cologne noticed something sticking out from his bags. But it was the fact that the Hidden Weapons Master had bags at all that really drew her attention. “The other Elders sent me some things I requested, I see.”
“Yeah, yeah,” snorted Mousse. “They left you some message or something for you in there.”
“And you didn’t read it?” she asked menacingly.
“Of course not, you sadistic old witch!”
WHACK!
“Then I guess those burns on your hands are from playing with matches,” she said, as she reached into the first bag, finding the scroll.
Her eyes narrowed, not due to the scroll itself, but the seal placed upon it.
“You try sneaking out documents from China,” he muttered, fixing his glasses. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go see Shampoo; no doubt she’s been waiting for me to return.”
Cologne just ignored him, focused more on the scroll than the fact he was most likely going to be sent through some random wall in a minute.
The seal … it was the highest level seal known to the Council. For them to use it and then trust it to Mousse of all people… “Either someone is about to die or the blind fool’s grandmother finally went senile,” she muttered. Then again, to go to this level to get it to her, there had to be quite a few senile members on the Council now.
But what could it be? By now, she knew full well the Council knew of Son-in-Law’s exploits, everything from the Musk Prince to Saffron and even the Seven Lucky Gods. Hell, she had even sent a possible treaty from Prince Toma to them. Despite their Musk-like background, it was a good idea to further communications between the groups. You never knew when you might need help against the Chinese or help to get out of their lands.
Perhaps some members of the Council were planning to open Shampoo’s claim and send other Amazons to try and ‘woo’ Ranma. Of course, if that were the case, the old biddies wouldn’t have kept that quiet from their own family. And Mousse would have been told to escort them here. So unless Lin-Lin and Ran-Ran were hiding in the other bag, she severely doubted that.
Taking a deep breath, she cracked open the seal using her chi. If she hadn’t, then like Mr. Part-timer, she would have been shocked and burned, if not killed by the seal.
Unrolling it, she found only a short message, one which chilled her to her bones.
“The Goddess comes soon. First she meets us, then she meets you.”
Cologne paled. The Amazon Goddess, the heavenly entity that had existed for all of their three thousand years of history, who had led her ancestors to their current home, who forged the first peace between the three magical groups of the Valley, was coming to see them once more.
Shaking off her shock and fear, Cologne hopped onto her staff, even as the building shook from what she could only assumed was her great-granddaughter’s latest rejection to Mousse’s pursuit. “I better tell them this. Last thing I need is that blind fool assaulting the Goddess when she arrives.”
Suddenly, her problems with Ranma took on a whole new light, one she knew was going to cast shadows that would cause her no end of pain.