If emotions were like explosions then the Hikawa shrine would be at ground zero of a nuclear blast. To say that Rei was upset would be like calling the Pacific Ocean a pond. The glare she leveled at Makoto could scorch paint. “I can’t believe you! First your sister and now your parents! Why don’t you just tell the whole world while you’re at it?!”
Usagi, ever the peacemaker, tried to calm down her friend. “Rei-chan, Mako-chan didn’t mean it, I’m sure. Her parents only figured out about her, they don’t know about the rest of us. And it’s not her fault that Siofra managed to figure out who ALL of us were.”
Rei turned her glare towards Usagi. “And if you were a better leader, she wouldn’t have been able to do that either!” Of course, Rei had no real idea how Usagi’s being a better leader would have made a difference, but it obviously would have, wouldn’t it?
Usagi began crying again, wailing about how mean Rei-chan was being. Luna took the opportunity to voice her own opinion. “I must agree with Rei in that Makoto has been acting with poor judgment ever since her supposed parents came back. Now they want to take her to another dimension for training. It sounds more like a kidnapping and brainwashing plot to me.”
Luna would have continued tearing into Makoto, but Artemis piped in. “Oh, shut up you old bat!” Everyone stopped and stared at the white cat. A vein pulsed in Luna’s forehead as she slowly turned towards him.
“What was that?” Luna said with an extremely angry hiss.
Artemis rolled his eyes. “First, you’re being paranoid. Not only have Ranma and Ukyou done nothing to warrant suspicion, but they’ve also been helping the Senshi out. Second, Makoto already feels bad enough about the fact that she revealed her identity without you adding to it. And third, I think training is a great idea. From what I’ve heard of Jade, it could really help the Senshi improve their abilities. If Makoto goes there to train for a while and comes back, we can see how much more effective she is and then see about getting the other Senshi trained.”
Makoto smiled gratefully at the white cat. “Thanks. Not that I’m complaining, but why are you so supportive of my parents?”
Artemis grinned. “Ukyou gives me free food. I’ve never had okonomiyaki before and hers are great! And everyone knows that evil people are lousy cooks!” Everyone facefaulted in response.
Ranma smiled at his daughter as she came in to the house. “So, how’d the meeting with the broad squad go?”
Makoto glared at her father and opened her mouth to let him know what she thought of that comment, but a thrown spatula ricocheted off of his head. Makoto giggled as Ranma turned towards the kitchen and made a comment about cute fiancés and what could be done without them. He was rewarded with another spatula to the head.
Makoto giggled some more before answering her father. “They’re worried about it, but they’re not going to be too mad about my training trip to Jade. Just remember that you are on call twenty-four seven while I’m gone, dad. Here’s my communicator.”
Ranma nodded and smirked as he took the device. “I’ve done the ‘save the world’ bit a few times before, Makoto-chan. I know how it goes. Now, get packed and say goodbye to your sister. The next two-seater express to Jade leaves in an hour.”
Makoto dutifully smiled at her father’s bad joke and went to Siofra’s room. Hoping that she wasn’t about to cause another accident she knocked. “Sis?”
“Come in!”
Makoto stepped in and looked around the bedroom/workshop. An array of gadgets and gizmos littered the area, but there was a strange order to the chaos. “What are you working on?”
Siofra took off her goggles as she turned around. “It’s an improved mage catcher for Sailor Mercury. I’m hoping that she might be able to use it on Tuxedo Mask the next time he shows up.”
Makoto sighed at that thought. “It would be great, wouldn’t it?”
Siofra nodded. “So, are you and mother going to Jade soon?”
Makoto nodded as she gave Siofra a warm hug. “Yes. I’ll miss you, sis. Is there anything you want me to do while I’m there?”
Siofra hugged her back fondly before nodding. “Take this.” She handed Makoto a device that looked very similar to her Sailor Senshi communicator. “I’m hoping it will work across the dimensional barrier.”
Makoto nodded and gave her another hug before heading to her room to pack. A short while later she stood in the living room with her family as her father opened a dimension door. Her mother, she noticed, was dressed in the European outfit that she had arrived in. Makoto took a deep breath and followed her mother through the glowing portal. There was a strange, tingling sensation as she stepped from the living room in her home into a fantasy world. She blinked as bright daylight assaulted her vision. When her sight had cleared she saw two people greeting her mother happily.
One of them grabbed Ukyou by the hand and appeared to be trying to arm-wrestle her with a huge grin on his face. He was a rather handsome European-looking young man with long blonde hair and rugged features. Makoto felt her hormone levels kick into high gear as she took in his muscular build, visible despite the rather unflattering blood-red robes that the man wore. Makoto let her eyes drink in the young man’s features for a bit before her mother’s voice brought her back to reality.
“Mako-chan, I’d like to introduce Ruval, a war priest of the god Maize and a good friend of your father’s and mine.” Ukyou motioned to the young man that she now had in a headlock.
Makoto stared into the blonde man’s face. “His ears look just like my old boyfriend’s!”
Ukyou and the others blinked at Makoto. Ukyou blinked twice before continuing. “And this is another family friend, Fabrizio Gustavius Tempestus. Call him Breeze for short.” She let Ruval out of the headlock and waved towards the other person present, a middle-aged, fair-skinned elf with platinum hair pulled into a long, braided ponytail that stopped just short of the ground.
Makoto stared into the elf’s face. “His eyebrows look just like my old boyfriend’s!”
Everyone just blinked again. “Mako-chan, is there something I need to know about your old boyfriend?” Ukyou asked in a curious voice.
Makoto got a dreamy look on her face. “His name was Keiichi and he studied a strange form of martial arts called ‘Copycat Fist’. I guess that’s why so many people remind me of him. It’s because he looked like so many different people.” Makoto looked at her mother, whose eyebrows were twitching strangely. “Mom?”
Ukyou put a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “Sugar, let’s not tell your father about that. Remember what happened at the skating rink?” Makoto nodded. “Well, he’s run into a Copycat martial artist before and it wasn’t pretty…”
“Oh.”
Breeze stepped forward and gave Makoto a wink. “If you’ll follow me, gorgeous, we’ll get started on the tests and see what we’ll be able to do for you.”
Makoto blushed and her mother growled lightly as they followed the two locals to a wide field. At one end were archery targets, some of which were made of wood while others were apparently metallic. Pointing towards one of the metal targets, Breeze smiled at Makoto. “Do your thing, pretty lady.”
Makoto nodded and transformed into Sailor Jupiter, though she was a bit nervous about performing for an audience. When she was done, she was surprised to see Ruval with his face in his hands and Breeze staring with an extremely lecherous smile. She watched in confusion as Ruval slowly lifted up his head and rolled his eyes. “Do you realize that when you do that you’re completely naked?”
Jupiter’s eyes went wide and she glanced over at her mother, who had an extremely unhappy look on her face. Faster than the Senshi of Thunder could follow, Ukyou brought out her spatula and flattened Breeze with it. “Don’t get any ideas about my daughter,” she growled in warning. When her mother raised the spatula, Jupiter’s eyes widened even further as she saw the amorphous blob that was left of the elf. Before she could voice her horror, the blob reformed itself into the lecherous elf.
“That hurt, you know,” he grumbled at Ukyou before turning back to Jupiter.
Jupiter blinked. “Can all elves do that?”
Ruval shook his head. “Just this old pervert. He screwed up a polymorph spell and permanently changed himself into an air elemental.” He let out a sigh. “He’s going to be your magic tutor.” Ruval put his hand on Makoto’s shoulder. “And you have my sincerest condolences.” Jupiter just glanced back and forth between the two men as Breeze stuck his tongue out at the priest. “Well, I must attend to some duties. Please call me if you need anything.”
Breeze just grinned as he turned to Makoto. “Shall we begin?”
A while later, Jupiter performed her Supreme Lightning attack for the eighteenth time. She was becoming annoyed with the way Breeze kept having her cast the spell over and over without ever commenting on it. She was about to prep a nineteenth attack when he held up his hand and told her to stop.
“Have your attacks always been that weak, sexy?” He asked simply.
“What?!”
Breeze pointed towards the target that she had been blasting. “A single natural lightning bolt should have partially melted that. Several strikes would have reduced it to a bubbling mass. You’ve hit it eighteen times and it’s just barely scorched. Now, I ask again, hot stuff, have your spells always been that weak?”
Jupiter blinked a few times as she absorbed his words. “No.”
Breeze nodded, mostly to himself. “It looks like your ‘Senshi’ abilities use more than just your own power. Any ideas what else, gorgeous?”
Jupiter shrugged. “My planet, Jupiter, I would guess.”
Breeze eyed her up and down. “Actually, beautiful, from what I’ve seen, I think your power comes from three different sources. Your planet provides the element, your personal power provides the focus, but something else is your actual power source.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I’m seeing two different threads of power every time you cast that spell, gorgeous. I’d have to go to Earth with you in order to verify it, but it looks like the elemental strand is the one coming from your planet. The other appears to bear some similarities to a blood-pact. The thing is, that pact looks real old. For it to be this strong after this length of time would indicate royalty. You’re not a drop-dead gorgeous reincarnated princess, are you?”
Jupiter blinked at the wizard and let out a nervous chuckle. “Uhm, not exactly?”
Breeze sighed and shrugged. “Oh well.”
“You said you could see two different threads, but you said there were three powers…” She let the question hang in the air.
Breeze nodded. “To be honest, the other two threads are so weak right now that I’m surprised you could even cast your spells or transform. That should also mean your control over the spell should be just as horrid. Instead, your accuracy appears to be spot on, so therefore you must have a natural affinity for controlling magic.”
“Oh.”
“Now, can you cast those spells without being transformed?”
Makoto shook her head. “I’ve never actually tried, but I doubt it.”
Breeze smirked at her. “How can you know if you don’t try?”
Makoto shrugged and smiled a little bit. “That’s a good point, I guess. I’ll change back and give it a shot.” At seeing Breeze’s hopeful expression she got a frown on her face. She made a rotating motion with her hand. “Turn around, buster.”
Breeze pouted and did as she asked. She transformed back into her civilian form. Just after she finished, she saw Breeze being pounded repeatedly by her mother’s giant spatula.
“Mom! What are you doing?”
Ukyou stopped beating on the elf and gently took her daughter by both shoulders. “Honey, he doesn’t have a physical body, so he doesn’t see with his eyes. He can see with any part of his body.”
“So?”
“Yes, you’re naked when you transform back to normal as well and turning around didn’t stop him from looking.”
“Oh. Mom?”
“Yes?”
“Can I borrow that spatula?”
“Be my guest, Sugar.”
Ten minutes later, Breeze had recovered enough to continue instructing Makoto. “Okay, try casting the spell now.”
Makoto concentrated for a little while before shaking her head. “I just can’t seem to remember how to do it.”
Breeze frowned for a bit. “I thought so. I think I’ve figured out what that wand of yours does. It lets the memories of a previous life enter into the present. That’s why you can’t remember how to cast the spell any more.”
Makoto was a little disappointed. “Oh.”
Breeze walked over to a pile of items that he had brought with him. Reaching in, he dug around for a moment before pulling out a scroll. He gave it a once-over before tossing it to her. “Read this and then point at the target.”
Makoto blinked at looked at the scroll. To her surprise, she saw Japanese letters superimposed over the actual strange symbols that were written on the paper. “Power of fire, power of water, power of lightning, I call forth the three calamities to strike!” She finished by pointing at the target.
The scroll glowed as three spheres sprang into existence around Makoto’s hand. The spheres spun for a moment before they burst and a dazzling bolt of lightning blasted into the target. The metal bubbled and turned white-hot just as a small stream of fire washed over it, reducing the object to slag. A torrential blast of cold water slammed into the heated mass, cracking the metal.
Ukyou blinked, Makoto blinked twice, and even Breeze blinked a few times. “Wow.” No one was quite sure just who said that.
Makoto slowly turned to Breeze. “What does that mean?”
Breeze gently took back the scroll and rolled it up. “A few things. One, it means that even in your current luscious body you have a natural affinity for nature magic, specifically storms. That’s why the fire was relatively weak. But still, that’s a humdinger of a natural talent there.”
Makoto blinked. “Then why couldn’t I do my Supreme Thunder attack?”
Breeze shook his head. “That’s because it’s a spell, a pattern from a previous life, sexy. You just need to learn some new spells, or if you can find a scroll or something else to teach you how to do the Supreme Thunder when you aren’t transformed, then you will be able to cast it both ways. As is, I’ll probably not be able to teach you too much. You need to find a weather witch or someone like that for your particular talents. I’m an elemental mage myself, with a now-natural affinity for aerial spells. Storms just aren’t my cup of tea, unless you count tornadoes.”
Ukyou frowned. “Why a weather witch and not a weather mage?”
Breeze shook his head. “Because her talent is blood linked. I can tell that from examining the threads of power around her when she uses her magic. Weather witches understand that kind of instinctive link a lot better than the more clinical and stylized mages.”
Ukyou nodded in understanding. “Do you know any that we can trust?”
Breeze shook his head. “Not locally. You’d have to go to the other continent. Naturalists and the Order of Maize don’t get along very well, you know. At least not since that one sect that Ranma hangs with sprang up about twenty years ago. There’s an acquaintance of mine, Gaja, who’s another elementalist. However, he’s a tad more socially accepted by spellcasters of the female persuasion than I am and would more likely know where you can find a good one.”
Ukyou’s frown deepened. “Can he be trusted?”
Breeze nodded. “Oh, definitely. He’s respected by the Edge Guard of the Retreat, and you know they don’t hand out their loyalties to just anybody. It’s a good thing your husband isn’t here, though. He’s a werecat.” Breeze glanced over at Makoto. “I hope she doesn’t have that problem?”
Makoto shook her head. “He’s a real werecat?”
Breeze nodded and smiled. “He’ll probably be the first were you’ve ever met. Just remember not to stare. They’re a little more tolerant of Earthers over there, but don’t push your luck.”
Ukyou nodded slowly. “Great, now we have to get to the other continent as quickly as possible. We’ve only got a week before we have to be back home.” Ukyou sighed. “I just don’t see how we’re going to make it without Ranchan.”
Breeze smirked a little. “I’ll just give Gaja a call and see if he can talk one of his friends into opening a dimension door for you.”
Ukyou froze and the temperature seemed to drop ten degrees. In an extremely chilly voice she spoke as she closed her eyes. “You know someone who can open a dimension door?”
Breeze, not noticing the temperature change, nodded. “Sure. Gaja’s got a friend, an Earther archmage by the name of *HURK!*”
“I. Am. Considering. Hurting. You. Right. Now.” Ukyou growled as she lifted Breeze’s ethereal form with one hand clamped tightly over his throat.
“MOM!”
Breeze was grateful that he didn’t actually require vocal cords or even air to breathe. “Wha’d I do?”
Ukyou screamed in his face. “You knew an Earther mage who could open dimension doors and you DIDN’T TELL US?”
Breeze vanished from between Ukyous hands and reappeared a short distance away, a scowl on his face. “Hey, Gaja never mentioned his friend until a month ago and it never occurred to me to ask him about it, okay? You guys had already managed to return home by then, so why would I bother mentioning it?”
Ukyou’s instantly went from near-berserk rage to looking like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. “Sorry.”
Breeze shrugged. “No problem. It’s not like you could have really killed me anyways. There are some advantages to being an elemental, even if I’ll never enjoy the company of a woman again.”
Ukyou smirked. “Being an elemental isn’t what’s keeping you from that, you old pervert. Would you please call Gaja and see if his friend can pick us up?”
Breeze nodded. “Sure. And I think you’ll get along real well.” Ukyou raised an eyebrow and he continued. “As it turns out, his friend’s wife is none other than Julia Brigand.”
Ukyou’s other eyebrow shot up. “One of the Ten?”
“Yup. His name’s Dr. Theodore Diggers. He’s an aura magician, just like Ranma.”
Back in Juuban, Ranma was practicing some of his techniques in his back yard when the communicator Makoto had given him beeped. He pulled it out of his mage-suit and turned it on. “What’s up, girls?” Two seconds later, Ranma screamed and dropped the communicator.
Her father’s terrified cry brought Siofra running at just under light-speed. Seeing the communicator on the ground and her father backing away from it quickly, she put two and two together. Picking up the device, she spoke without bothering to look at whose face it showed. “Hello, Luna. Is there a problem?”
Luna’s face blinked back at her from the communicator. “Just what is his problem?”
Siofra, not realizing that the other Senshi were listening in, sighed sadly. “Try having your father throw your fish-covered body into a pit of starving cats when you were only a child and see how well you react.” The redhead would normally have never been so blunt, but Luna’s attitude was really starting to wear thin with her. Siofra was startled as a chorus of ‘WHAT?’ echoed from the communicator. “It doesn’t matter. Is there a problem, Luna?”
For the first time that Siofra could remember, Luna actually looked apologetic. “Well, yes, actually. Usagi has gone off with her family to a secluded hot springs resort.”
“Well, that’s good,” Siofra started to say but Luna cut her off.
“That’s bad! What if there’s a youma attack here? Or what if one attacks her while she’s alone? Without Sailor Moon, we won’t be able to transform people back from being youma.”
“We can handle any attack the Dark Kingdom throws at us here,” Ranma answered her with his eyes shut to block out the image of the cat. “And… Usagi is Sailor Moon? Guess that makes sense in a weird way. I suppose Ami, Rei, and Minako are the other Senshi, then.”
Luna felt absolutely sick. She had accidentally used Usagi’s name instead of Sailor Moon’s. “Oh, just shoot me now,” Luna grumbled. A snickering sound over the link let her know what Artemis thought of the situation. “Shut up, you!”
“Well, there’s only one thing to do, girls,” Minako commented.
“I think you’re right,” Rei responded.
“I am in full agreement,” came Ami’s reply.
“What’s that?” Asked a bewildered Ranma.
The girls answered in unison. “We can’t let her have all the fun! We’ll go join her!”
Ranma laughed out loud. “Well, you girls go ahead. I’ll stay here in case there’s any trouble. Hey, Luna… what resort did they go to.” Ranma’s laughter died a horrible, agonizing death at the answer. “Of course. Naturally. Right. I couldn’t expect ONE WEEK TO GO BY SAFELY, COULD I?!” The last was shouted into the heavens. Ranma shook his head at the confused questions emerging over the link. “Okay, we all need to get down there. That place could be dangerous, trust me on this one. Siofra will stay here with this communicator in case there’s trouble. I’ll meet you guys at the bus station in an hour.”
Ranma and the girls arrived at the spa just in time to see Tuxedo Mask get thrown by a naga-like spirit. Ranma’s senses immediately told him that this was not a Dark Kingdom youma but something older. Ranma glanced to one side and saw Usagi and her family trying to get away from the monster. He looked back at the three girls with him just as they started transforming. He started to look away, but he froze as their transformation revealed the rather disturbing fact that they were naked for a short time. ‘Makoto-chan, we are going to have a looong talk when you get back.’
As the Senshi jumped the distance from where they were hiding to intercept the serpentine creature as it swooped towards Usagi, Ranma decided to help the blonde girl get away from her family. With a well-timed leap, he landed next to her, tossed her over a shoulder, and bounced away. Usagi’s surprised yelp covered his whisper to her. “Transform once I set you down. I’ll get your family out of trouble.”
Usagi was surprised that Ranma knew her secret but she didn’t let it bother her. “Thank you.”
Ranma smiled at her as he set her on the ground and turned to leave. “No problem.” Ranma ran at full tilt back to the fight and arrived just as Mars’ attack fried the creature to dust. Considering the fact that he could still sense its presence, he knew that it was still alive. Ignoring the fight for the moment, he ran towards the Tsukinos and, in much the same fashion as he had grabbed Usagi, he lifted them over his shoulders and took off.
Usagi’s father was less than happy at the manhandling, but when he saw that his family was being carried swiftly away from the fight he kept his anger down.
Ranma gently placed the Tsukinos on the ground. “Don’t worry, I got Usagi to safety too.”
Usagi’s parents let out a relieved sigh. Shingo, however, bounced up and down excitedly. “Cool! That was so cool! Can we go for a ride again? How did you do that? You must be really strong!” Ranma chuckled at the boy’s exuberance.
Usagi’s father finally collected his wits. “Who are you?”
Ranma bowed to him with a smile. “I’m Ranma Kino. I’m Makoto’s father.” A loud crash came from off in the distance. “I’d love ta chat, but I think the Senshi could use some help. I’ll see you later.” Without giving them a chance to respond Ranma took off for the fight, leaving a surprised family behind.
When he got to the fight he started to power up a spell, but he stopped when he noticed that the girls were handling the creature adequately. Instead he took the opportunity to watch them fight. A smile appeared on his face as he saw the excellent teamwork that they used. “They just need some more training and experience,” he noted to himself. He applauded when Sailor Moon finally used her Moon Healing Escalation to release the spirit from its hate-filled bonds and allow it to head for whatever lays beyond life. Unfortunately, once again Tuxedo Mask left before the Senshi could do anything.
The Senshi all blushed as Ranma stepped towards them. “Good work, girls. You’ve got the teamwork down pretty good. You just need to learn a bit better focus and get some more experience in and you’ll make a pretty good team.”
Sailor Moon blushed harder and kicked at a rock in embarrassment for a moment before something occurred to her. “My family!”
Ranma held up a hand. “They’re fine. I got them back to the resort before coming here. You girls change back and I’ll make sure everything’s clear here. I’ll join ya in a while.” Usagi bolted towards the resort, leaving her friends behind.
Ranma remembered why he felt he had to come. “Oh, girls? There’s one thing you need to be careful about here. Don’t touch the doll. Trust me on this one.” Ranma winced as he heard a crashing sound.
A short distance away, Usagi was picking herself up from where she had collided with a table in the reception area. Glancing around she realized that no one had seen her bump into the table and knock the doll onto the ground. With a relieved sigh she tried to straighten up the mess. She did a less than spectacular job. As she dashed away she failed to notice the angry look that came over the dolls features, nor did she sense the malevolent aura that sprang into existence for just a moment.
Back with the girls, Ranma did notice. “Oh boy.”