Sailor Jupiter II 11 - If the Button Is Pushed, There's No R

[Daniel Jess Gibson]

Sailor Jupiter II 11 - If the Button Is Pushed, There's No Runnin' Away

Disclaimer - I do not own the characters of Ranma 1 / 2, NGE, Tenchi Muyo or BSSM, they belong to Rumiko Takahashi, Gainex, AIC Productions and Naoko Takeuchi, respectively.

The previous chapters and Sasami 1-3 can be found here


. . . Why am I doing this? Rei asked herself while bearding the last lion in its den, These people aren't terribly likable, with one exception. They are all obsessive, and insane by that measure. So why am I doing this? Because I can't leave well enough alone, that's why.

. . . She entered Ryoga's sickroom, and stared at the parchment-like skin and sunken eyes of the once-formidable marital artist. And I guess I like torturing people as much as Jeff does, she mentally added.

. . . "I have a deal to make with you," Rei told him, "One that will heal you and restore you to full strength, but there is a price."

. . . "I'll be able to pound that gaijin faker and repay him for what he's done to me!" the boy pronounced, then twisted and threw up in a conveniently placed bucket.

. . . Cancer is no fun, neither are the treatments for it, Rei thought, sickened at the sights and smells of sickness that pervaded the room, I can end this, and it would be the perfect justice.

. . . "I did mention the price," Rei said more calmly than she felt, "You'll have to give up all this 'It's all Fill In The Blank's fault', 'I'm just a helpless slave to fate and my own drives'. You can't blame me for being vengeful and stupid. It's all got to go."

. . . The boy's frown curled into a grimace. "Because of him, I've - "

. . . "If you'd really seen Hell, you wouldn't be boasting about it, insisting every one know about it. You'd take the memories and bury them in some cold, dark place and pray no one and nothing makes you ever look at them again. You wouldn't build you entire life around it."

. . . "What would you know," Ryoga muttered.

. . . "You're right," Rei said tightly, feeling her blood boiling inside her, "I'm not a self-involved narcissist who cries like a little baby that the world hasn't been nice to me. Well guess what, you lived through all but the last, now you're dying. I offered you a chance to redeem your worthless existence and do something for the real world, something of real worth!. Instead, you're gonna sit here, puking in a bucket until you die, soiling yourself because you're too weak to run, no crawl for the toilet. Wondering when your hair or teeth are going to fall out." She advanced as she shouted at him and he retreated, "And you know what Akane's going to do when she's finally rid of you? She may cry a little for a friend she lost a long time ago, but she's only going to feel relieved, because she won't be forced to deal with a pig anymore." She'd backed him into the corner and was shaking with rage as she hissed at him, "A pig who thought he was a man. But you aren't a man, even before Jusenkyo, you were a pig. Rooting around in garbage, never able to raise your head to see the sun. Never able to tell the difference between a fine meal and carrion." Rei leaned close to the shivering Ryoga. "Why don't you hit me? Watching you shatter you hand on my chin would be hilarious. Your old friend Ranma may have only been a half-man, and Jeff isn't human at all, but they are both more man than you could ever hope to be in your wildest dreams!" Rei turned and left, leaving Ryoga gasping with impotent rage.
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. . . "Commodore," Tatewaki Kuno watched the man leave as he reported on the phone in the Neko-chan, "I've heard you are headed south, and you have another task set for me. A little problem you need my help with. What a coincidence, so do I. I'll explain when you arrive." He hung up the phone and bowed low to Cologne. "I thank you for your hospitality. I find that there is much I should have done in my previous life, and must continually make amends for it."

. . . "If what I've heard is right," the old woman said, "You may have paid your debts and then some."

. . . Tatewaki bowed again. "I will not serve as kitchen staff or a waitress, no matter what my debt is."
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. . . Kasumi had been practically dancing through the house on her restored legs, shocking Mirei by duplicating the dance Jeff had done with a then-crippled Kasumi, substituting her grandmother for her part in the dance. The old woman had squawked, then accepted as Kasumi had. How long ago was it? she wondered, My `friends` abandoned me, and my enemies saved me. It shouldn't be like that.

. . . She still felt a darkness in the house and rushed to trace it down. She spotted a very dour Rei going into the furo, and on impulse, slipped in behind her. The girl had been wearing her miko robes, now she pulled them off as if she hated, yet still respected them. She sat on the bath stool and wetted one of the roughest cloths, the ones Kasumi used to scrub down the furo and the tile, and Rei began scrubbing herself with it.

. . . She's going to take off her skin, if she keeps that up, Kasumi realized as she crept into the furo from the changing room. Rei had put the cloth aside to drench herself with a bucket of ice-cold water. Her skin's already red where she's been scrubbing, and she's already drawn blood, Kasumi thought as she approached with a handful of the softest washcloths they had, I guess I get to share my one indulgence.

. . . When Rei put the cloth in the bucket to rinse it, Kasumi put her arms around Rei, pinning her elbows to her sides, and gently kissed the abraded skin. Rei nearly jumped when she felt the touch, but Kasumi was much stronger and held her firmly.

. . . "You cannot wash that away from the outside," Kasumi explained as she pulled one arm loose to slide Rei's hair aside, and began washing her back. Gentle even strokes seemed to calm the girl. "I know, I've tried."

. . . "You?" Rei asked as the abandoned her struggles.

. . . "Yes, me, the truth this time, not an imp's test of you," Kasumi said and smiled at the miko, "I did this until I realized that Akane just wouldn't listen, and Nabiki didn't care. I thought I'd failed, but I eventually realized that I couldn't `save` them. I couldn't save myself, I couldn't save anyone. The insanity would run its course, and I couldn't change that. Once I realized that, once I realized that against their beliefs and egos, reason had no chance, life became endurable. I quit punishing myself for others continuing to fail the exact same way, time after time, after time."

. . . "But I can help people. I have!" Rei protested weakly, unable to struggle against Kasumi's gentle, yet iron grip, and unable to resist the soothing tone of Kasumi's voice, or the almost ritual cleansing.

. . . "But not everyone, and not everything. I've read the news. Some of Beryl's victims died."

. . . "Yes."

. . . "Soon after we . . . kidnaped them, Jeff arrived, politely requesting that we return them. He hadn't yet learned we literally couldn't. He was as calm and rational as a practiced zaibatsu lawyer. Father was adamant, but refused to tell the truth why he was adamant. Although Davis-san argued well and capably, neither father would let go of the idea that it was now Jeff-san's and Asuka-chan's responsibility that Ranma be returned to them. They angered Davis-san, and me, by throwing in that he could keep Nabiki. I think that broke the dam, because Davis-san apologized, explaining that he'd tried to be civil, but since that didn't work, he'd use force. Both fathers immediately prepared for a physical fight. Instead, Davis-san laid a curse on our and the Saotome family, that there would be no fruitful union of any kind between our houses, while Genma and father were the head of their respective families, and that he'd be taking the matter up with the clan heads in Fukuoka and Kamagawa, to rectify the situation, or throw both entire families out of the clans."

. . . Rei gasped at that.

. . . "Ryoga-san, did not take that well, but Jeff paralyzed him with a look. Then Jeff left, and both fathers took Ryoga and Akane on a training trip, leaving me to defend their actions to Saotome Eijo, and several others of that families. Father was the eldest surviving male Tendo, so he couldn't be displaced, he just didn't want to have to defend his position, or the actions he'd taken." Kasumi hung her head, and loosened her grip enough for Rei to turn around and embrace her. "I couldn't believe all the trouble Genma had stirred up with his family, and Nodoka's, before they were even married. It was not good or pleasant, and father taking himself and his heir away at such a time, looked absolutely terrible to the clan heads' representatives. Eijo told me to my face that he expected Genma and Nodoka to act like that, but they had heard better things about the Tendos."

. . . "You didn't do anything wrong," Rei told her, but Kasumi wasn't listening.

. . . "Unfortunately, that news only drove the fathers closer together. I still haven't told them about the clan's opinion of the art we all practice, or practiced, and why, despite Ranma's and Akane's prowess and admirers, we don't have students pounding down the door demanding to be taught. It seems that despite technically being the union of our families' schools, Jeff and Asuka-chan are the only `honorable` practitioners of our families' arts, and are thus outcasts from a band of outcasts." Kasumi chuckled slightly at that, then focused on the girl she had in her arms, who had her arms around her.

. . . "Jeff is a martial artist?" Rei asked, "Is there anything he can't do?" she added disgustingly.

. . . "You saw in the Dojo one thing he can't do," Kasumi told her and chuckled as Rei blushed all over. "Yes, Ranma and Nabiki trained him. He's not in the class of the martial artists of Nerima, neither is Asuka, but that still puts both of them orders of magnitude beyond most other people." Kasumi kissed Rei's forehead, and hugged her tightly, "But why were you in here, trying to flay yourself alive?"

. . . Rei put her head on Kasumi's shoulder and hugged her tightly.

. . . "I can comfort a friend. That I can do," Kasumi whispered in Rei's ear.

. . . "I hurt you, and when I went to try to make some recompense, I attacked Ryoga. I already know I hurt Jeff-san, and whoever among the Senshi was his sweetheart. I try to be good, but I only wind up being abrasive."

. . . "So you abrade yourself. You aren't a full priestess, and you aren't an adult, despite your powers and responsibilities. You are a junior high student, and no one, not me, not Jeff, not the kami themselves expect you to be right all the time, every time. Watch Jeff, he avoids things he knows he'll fail at, or that make him uncomfortable, like the plague. Asuka-chan sweeps into the room demanding to be the center of attention, so woe is you if you ignore her, but don't get close, or she'll drive you away any way she can. I don't even want to think what would happen to someone who continued to ignore her, what she'd do to get her, or his attention. While they are geniuses and seem to turn everything they touch to gold, like Midas, they are not happy people." Rei nodded and Kasumi continued, "Genma and father blame others, Akane denies all responsibility, but the one who tries, and fails at new things, is Hino Rei, and you have to love her for that." Kasumi hugged her, and felt her tense up. "Not that way you hentai," Kasumi whispered, then smirked at Rei's growl.

. . . "You are lonely," Rei told her, now Kasumi tensed, "When did you last hug your sister, or tell her you loved her, for fear of her reaction?"

. . . Kasumi smiled sadly. "Too long. I . . . "

. . . Should I tell her? Kasumi wondered, If we are going to be teammates, I should.

. . . "I don't think I love her. I don't think I even like her anymore. I care for her, and I don't want anything bad to happen to her . . . but I don't care about her. She's almost a stranger to me, and I fear I am to her. When she learns that I am a Senshi and she isn't, I believe . . . " Kasumi paused as she minutely examined Rei's expressionless face. "I believe you planned that! And you call me an imp!!"

. . . "She lacks the qualifications," Rei said primly, "And you have them." She wilted a bit under Kasumi's placid gaze. "Okay, after I saw how Akane treated you, I had to do something about it. I thought Jeff was lying or telling tales about it all."

. . . "And you wanted a big sister?" Kasumi asked, letting Rei relax a bit, "Someone to braid your hair and give you hugs and tell you that the world isn't as terrible as you're afraid it is?"

. . . "Yes," Rei admitted.

. . . "Okay, deal." Kasumi kissed Rei's forehead. "But I expect you to at least listen to me."

. . . "Yes, onee-chan," Rei teased.

. . . But Kasumi didn't smile, she looked wistful. "It didn't hurt as much as the wounding hurt. Especially because you, and Mirei, and Jeff stayed with me. Having the demon rip me open that way, didn't hurt as much as watching my father, my dear, brave sister, and the other valiant martial artists running without so much as a backward glance, despite my screaming for their help." She picked Rei up easily, and sat on the edge of the furo, putting Rei in her lap. "To be able to walk and move as I once could, to know a larger world calls me, is that not worth a few moments of pain that even now I barely remember. Don't trouble yourself for inflicting pain on others, when they need the ripped open and the infection revealed. I was not, nor will I ever be my mother. She was married by my age, and my father was the one with ambition and vision. Unfortunately, now his visions are all he has, and they no longer include me. I want more, I have always wanted more, but I could never have it. My revenge was to not force Akane to accept the training to be the housewife she'll need to be. Passive-aggressive, I let her win those arguments, and thus made her incapable of achieving the goals she truly needed. That wasn't right either. I also failed to discipline Akane and Nabiki as mother would have. Making them even less attractive, and ultimately dooming both of them to lives alone and unloved. Nabiki would have been a trophy, while her looks lasted, but she never had the discipline to carry through any grand schemes to make her wealthy, and Akane became convinced that tired karate tricks made her a good martial artist. That was my evil, and all the time I basked in the praise of being gentle and loving, while I sabotaged and hated those who praised me."

. . . "Now I know you're fooling me. Nobody would fall for those tricks, not forever," Rei replied, "I've heard of Nabiki a little, she's a good skilled warrior."

. . . "Now," Kasumi corrected, "Before, she was the heartless mercenary, making everyone dance on a string, never seeing she was dancing to my tune."

. . . "So, if this is not your place anymore?" Rei asked cautiously, "Is the new place I've provided, any better? We died out there, and I have no idea why we returned. I . . . I led us to our deaths, and I have no idea why the men I hurt that way didn't simply beat me half to death and throw me naked and bleeding out in the street."

. . . "Because of their character. Men, who would catch and hold a Senshi's heart, would never do such a thing, even to a true enemy," Kasumi counseled, "I know the two involved. They might kill instantly and without remorse, but torture . . . not without a very good and entirely non-personal reason. The fate of the nation perhaps. I know a good deal more about the Senshi's operations than you, but I'll keep those to myself, for a little while. You need to accept that everyone makes mistakes. Not everyone learns from them."

. . . "Thank you."

. . . "You have such pretty skin." Kasumi ran her finger down Rei's side, eliciting giggles. "And so sensitive."

. . . "Stop that! I'm ticklish," Rei demanded as she jumped out of Kasumi's lap.

. . . "And you tried to ruin it," Kasumi said darkly as she stood and drew her henshin pen.

. . . Rei dove for her robes and pulled out her pen, Kasumi let Rei see her `angry` expression slip for a moment. "Destroying such a thing of beauty is an offense against men and the gods! For home and hearth, in the name of Vesta! Vesta Asteroid Power Make-up! You will be punished!"

. . . Rei had also transformed, but couldn't dodge the questing fingers of the newest Senshi. "Wait a second! You're a Senshi too!" Rei shouted with a gleam in her eye, "Which means- !" Rei launched her own counterattack.
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. . . The bag was yanked off the man's head. There is a cheapness to the man that goes beyond the slightly out of date suit and tie, but a cheapness of the soul.

. . . "I told Tsukino-san what would happen if he called in the cops."

. . . Tatewaki stepped into the light so the blackmailer could see him: his blade resting on his shoulder and the glare of righteous indignation on his face. The combination made the cheap man squirm, despite the ropes binding him to the chair.

. . . "He believed you," Kuno said, placing the wooden blade under the man's chin and lifting it, "Which is why he called me."

. . . "Some cosplayer? Or are you a private detective? The Tokyo cops eat gumshoes like you for breakfast," he sneered, and pulled his head off the bokken, "Go ahead, beat me up. I've got the stuff stashed with a couple of shysters. Two-bit crooks with fancy educations, but they stay bought. Anything happens to me, poor Tsukino's baby gets hauled off by the military for the bounty. I didn't think 5000 yen an week was asking too much."

. . . "Except it wouldn't be enough, eventually," Kuno said haughtily, "With fools such as you, it never is. The Westerners talk of 'Killing the Goose That Lays The Golden Eggs', such is the way of greedy fools," Kuno lectured, then stared closely at the man, "The military you say. What would the defenders of our nation and its honor have to do with a mere salaryman? 'Bounty on Tsukino's baby'? Perhaps he thought you mad, and afeared for his family."

. . . "Don't play stupid. She's Sailor Moon. General Horai was offering big cash for info. I figure he might be willing to pay more for the real thing. All I wanted was a little."

. . . "Then you should procure a more trustworthy countenance. Even Tsukino knew you could not be trusted, even if you have convinced yourself you could."

. . . The man frowned. "What gives a dog-licker like you the right to stick your nose in my business? She's nothing to you, now you've got her in real trouble. General Horai will pay big money for a live Sailor Senshi, BIG money." The man smiled at Kuno, who kept a stoic expression.

. . . "General Horai retired," Kuno told the man, and smiled, "Rear Admiral Lower Half Takarada commands the unit now."

. . . "So I'll sell her to Takarada."

. . . "What makes you think he doesn't already know?" another voice asked. Before the crook could answer, he was whirled to face a very angry man in a Japanese Naval Self-Defense uniform. The man's eyes went wide as he read 'Takarada' on the nameplate. "Why would I pay to have you mess up my assets?" Takarada asked, his eyes practically burning holes in the terrified blackmailer. "Get how he found out, and who he told. I don't care how. I don't care if he lives through it, now get that information." Takarada never took his eyes off the man, even to glance at the stain spreading across the man's slacks.

. . . "The shaman might find him more cooperative and tractable," Tatewaki said, "After he has died. We might start there."

. . . "No, start while he's alive. If he gives you any trouble, he can have a 'dreadful accident' later."

. . . "Bury him where no one will ever find him?" Kuno asked for clarification.

. . . "We have exorcists, do whatever it takes." Takarada stood and straightened his uniform, before marching out of the room.

. . . Kodachi Kuno's laugh chilled him even knowing he wasn't the focus or intended recipient.

. . . "In deference to the Admiral's silly wishes," Kodachi offered, then laughed again, "I'll let you tell us everything, and then I can have my fun verifying it. Ho ho ho!" The sound of a dental drill nearly drown out her laughter, and nearly brought the Admiral to flight.
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. . . Vesta and Mars stepped over the unconscious Soun and Akane Tendo, who lay at the door to the bathroom. Soun's nosebleed from seeing the two Senshi locked in `combat`, had been mostly blotted up. In opposite corners of the main room, sat Nodoka and Genma Saotome. Nodoka was shivering because she was wearing a panda skin rug, Genma was shivering because he was not, sitting as a human and wearing his gi as if he feared nakedness somehow. Sitting in the middle of the room, sipping tea, were Jeff and Mirei. Jeff seemed to be showing Mirei how to properly sharpen a series of knives.

. . . "He heals from minor injuries when he transforms. Ranma did that all the time," Vesta told Mars, who put two and two together and shuddered at the conclusion.

. . . "Just a way that he can pay back for all the costs he's brought to the household," Jeff suggested.

. . . Kasumi and Rei detransformed, Kasumi nodded, then she sniffed at Rei's traveling clothes. "You should have those cleaned, before you go on the train with them."

. . . "I think we'd better hurry," Rei suggested, "I don't know how long they'll stay quiet."

. . . "Then you can leave those here for me to wash, and borrow some of mine."

. . . Rei leaned over Akane. "I'd better borrow some of Akane's," she said loud enough to penetrate Akane's stupor, "After all, I'm only built like a junior high school student."

. . . "Wait a minute!" Akane protested and sat up, to discover that Rei actually wore Sailor Moon panties.

. . . "Hentai!" Rei screamed and pulled her skirt off Akane's head, "Pervert!" She slapped Akane across the face. "Lecher!" Slap. "Peeping Thomasina!" Slap. "Pupil and follower of Happosai!" Rei slapped her once more, and shook out her bruised and battered hand. "Now you're going to steal a poor miko's only underwear and make me walk the streets of Tokyo without! You're heartless, and cruel, and perverted," Rei wailed as Akane slowly fractured and crumbled to dust.

. . . "I thought William Shatner was Canadian," Jeff commented as Kasumi led a tearful Rei up to Akane's room to pick out an outfit.
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. . . Takarada looked at his fellow officers, the cabinet ministers and other VIPs, who all now offered respectful bows. One in particular ended his bow a bit more swiftly, because he had another honor to bestow.

. . . "Businessman Horai, I see you have adjusted well to civilian life," Takarada said, and bowed to his old superior.

. . . "If you would so honor me." The former General humbly offered a small box, as a junior would offer his business card to a superior, in the open box were a pair of twin five-pointed stars. "I never lost a man in training, or in combat. If they have any luck in them, I'm afraid you may need it."

. . . "I would be honored," Takarada said reverently, taking the box and bowing.

. . . Horai and Rear Admiral Takarada's flag captain removed the single stars from his collar, and replaced them with the twin stars. A moment later, he let another well-wisher remove his coat, and replace it with one with the correct shoulder boards and sleeve stripes.

. . . "I almost think you're girding me for single-combat," he joked with his old superior.

. . . "Let your old-friend provide you with a good warhorse," Horai assured him, "We'd heard about your new designs, and I think I have just the vehicle for the test bed. At least the first that can be ready quickly, say within a week."

. . . "A week," Takarada whispered, "Asuka hasn't completed the full power tests."

. . . "From all I've heard, the Babylon Gun barrel sections the U.S. captured can be modified and I have a team of eager young engineers who have already done the work. It won't be properly military, but we may not have time for that." Horai left him to take a seat closer to the MITI minister, while Takarada took the seat offered by an undersecretary in the Self-Defense group.

. . . What news do they have, and why do I think I'm going to be right in the middle of it? he wondered.
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. . . With a goodbye bento in hand, Jeff and Rei dissolved the wards which had surrounded the house, and moved out.

. . . "I still think it's a bad idea," Jeff commented when he was sure Kasumi couldn't hear him.

. . . "Then why didn't you stop me?" Rei asked, then was tackled to the ground.

. . . "Sorry," Sailor Vesta shouted back as she flew just barely overhead, carrying Mirei and her chair to the market.

. . . "Great, there goes our secret identities," Rei complained as she stood up.

. . . "That wasn't why I was objecting," Jeff pointed out, "This is Nerima. No one will notice. They didn't notice when the Americans nuked the place back in '45."

. . . "The Americans - wait, I've heard that joke before. From you!"

. . . "Ah, your old memories are returning."

. . . An old woman on stilts jumped out of the alley behind them. "I've got you now!"

. . . The pair ducked into a different alley before she could turn around.

. . . "Who or what are we running from?" Rei asked as they sprinted away, "If you couldn't take her, I certainly could have."

. . . "Not running from, running to. We need a few things before we meet her again."

. . . "Like what?" Rei asked as she realized they were headed toward the Nerima Canal.

. . . "Was it eye of newt and tongue of frog, or toe of frong?" Jeff asked, "Never mind, we'll use the whole frong."

. . . "Frog." Rei just rolled her eyes as she ran alongside him.
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. . . Asuka fussed and busied herself with the last minute checks. "Now I wish Koda-chan were here," she mumbled as she made sure everything was perfect.

. . . The assembly of pipes and fittings didn't look much like a weapon of war, except the overall cannon-like shape. Asuka glanced at the deep freeze unit and sighed. "One test, and it's with this lash-up. Raccoon would laugh himself sick."

. . . The officers from the headquarters in Tokyo and the local technical officers were not mixing. Nor were the curious combat or support officers. Asuka grimaced as 'Plasma Boy' whispered to his supporters from the capital. Asuka marked each one of those faces into her mind. We'll see how they deal with something that actually works, she thought, And at less cost that the half-effective plasma weapons. Especially considering Tomoe-sensei's tank shells let them use their existing weapons as support. But we need something much heavier.

. . . "Gentlemen, and ladies, safety glasses," she told them in her best charming tone. She gestured at the target, a massive, 1.75 meter thick slab of the very best armor plate that Japan could produce. "While the main test is the penetration of metaphysical protections. The Admiral decided a practical test against a more typical defense would be more appropriate," she told them, "That thickness of armor would stop penetration by the American TOW, the new 120 mm Rheinmetall gun using DM-33 sabot rounds, the 9M119 Svir or 9M119M Refleks, called AT-11 Sniper by NATO, or any known weapon in the ex-Soviet arsenal."

. . . She put her gloves on and carefully extracted the exomer firing cavity from the deep freeze, and hastily fitted it into the gun tube. Sealing the breach, she put the flashtube `igniter` in place. "Visors, don't look at the flash!" she told them, lowering her flash visor, waiting three seconds, before firing the weapon.

. . . The frame absorbed the remarkably light recoil, and the beam crashed into the target. Asuka removed her goggles and looked at her handiwork. Even Plasma Boy is stunned, Asuka thought as the visitors stared at the 100mm hole burned clear through the massive block of composite armor.

. . . "As you can see, the effect is quite impressive," she said as she gestured then stepped away from the sagging `gun tube`, "And why we wanted specially designed systems to fire it. Professor Tomoe's shells would allow a regular tank to fire five or six such rounds, but beyond that, a gun tube would have to be replaced or the droop would make the weapon unusable, and even dangerous for the crew and surrounding troops, or civilians."

. . . "But what effect would that have on mystically protected items?" Plasma Boy demanded.

. . . "The same effect it had on UFO6389, as the creature I encountered and defeated near Sapporo, and the same creature that appeared just north of here, is called. A test firing of a larger-scale, but less refined weapon utterly destroyed not only the target, but it immolated two others that were in close support. That has been recorded by Combat Cameramen of the Self-Defense Forces. As was read in the briefing, this was meant as a test against conventional targets. While hardly suitable as a one-shot weapon, due to the need to keep the firing cavities at -56 C, or 217K until used. It does show the reliability of the basic concept, and shouldn't require an graduate-degreed engineer to keep the weapon functioning in the field."

. . . Take that Plasma Boy! Asuka let her dazzling smile say for her.

. . . "Properly trained, any tech sergeant or specialist could deploy and maintain the weapon, and any common soldier could fire it," Asuka said, smiling all the while.

. . . Okay, maybe the Russians did teach me something, she admitted to herself.

. . . She watched as the functionaries swarmed over both the ruined weapon and the destroyed target. She kept up the charm offensive and answered the inane questions with the utmost politeness.

. . . Poor, poor Plasma Boy, if even a doofus elected-official can understand the basic principles, then they know anyone can, she thought and smiled as she demonstrated the load and fire procedure for the fourth time, But there's still enough mystery they respect it.

. . . "The exomer binds free radicals and pseudo-virtual particles in an excited state. Keeping the exomer frozen denies it the initiation energy to de-excite, and release the tremendous stored energy."

. . . "Like a . . . spring?" the Dietman asked.

. . . "More like a brick frozen to the side of Tokyo Tower in the middle of winter. It won't come loose on its own, but turn on a heat lamp, the ice melts and down comes the brick. Smash." She clapped her hands and made the men jump.

. . . Keep smiling, every second you keep smiling and treating their stupidity as common ignorance, you win more chance that this thing will get built as you want it, she reminded herself as she prepared the standard explanation of the effect of a laser, or a searchlight of the same wattage.

. . . "But how is a laser, or Maser in this case, more powerful than a searchlight or microwave oven?" one of the aides asked.

. . . He's as dumb as his boss and more telegenic, must be destined for greatness, she thought as she forced herself to keep smiling.

. . . "If you can tell us how to get them to walk into a microwave oven, I'd be glad to adopt that weapon system," she said sweetly, and laughed with the others, "But until that happy event occurs, we'll have to be able to hit them at a time and place of our convenience."
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. . . "Hello girls," Professor Tomoe hailed his daughters as he entered the house, "I hope you are all packed, because it looks like they're going to offer me the position full-time."

. . . He watched Kiima and Hotaru come down the stairs, but couldn't see or hear Makoto.

. . . "Is your sister fixing a lunch for the rest of us? Maybe they'll give her a job in the canteen," he said and smiled, then watched his daughter's grins freeze on their faces. "What happened?"

. . . "Oh, Makoto's fine," Kiima said quickly. Too quickly. "She's just - "

. . . "Out," Hotaru cut in.

. . . He raised an eyebrow and stared at them, a clear signal he knew they weren't telling him the whole truth.

. . . The girls looked guiltier by the second as he let the silence do all his work for him.
------------------------------

. . . Rei stared at the wrinkled old woman who'd leapt out behind them. That's the third time, she thought, We're behind you, you daft old bat! Why don't I just scream at her? Because a proper miko doesn't do that sort of thing.

. . . "Why village elder, what are you doing in Tokyo?" she asked of the woman instead.

. . . Jeff said something in Chinese. Rei only got something about strangling frogs. She unzipped her satchel and waited to play her part.

. . . "AH! Thought you could sneak up on a defenseless old woman? Did you?" the prune on stilts accused.

. . . "I told you she didn't have any real powers, that she was defenseless," Jeff whispered to Rei, although the old woman heard, in a louder tone, "If you're so defenseless, maybe the council should let you retire."

. . . "Don't get smart, sonny."

. . . "Too late," Rei murmured, but kept her terrified expression firmly plastered on her face.

. . . "She isn't going to hurt us? Is she?" Rei squeaked and nearly gagged.

. . . "Ha!" The old woman brandished a bedraggled pink and purple cat at them. The displeased feline gave Jeff and Rei a desperate look, before bowing its head. "I have Shampoo and have her trapped in her cursed form. You will get Elder Cologne to meet at the place specified in my challenge, or her great granddaughter's life is forfeit!" the woman cackled, before falling into a coughing fit. The cat tried to make a break for it, but the old woman latched on with both hands. "Ha! Still got some fight, but you're too young to fool the likes of me!"

. . . But Jeff and I are even younger, Rei ached to shout at her. She and Jeff exchanged frowns, then resumed their roles.

. . . "Oh noes!" Rei exclaimed, "What ever shall we do?!" She put her hands on her cheeks to accent her helpless feeling.

. . . Jeff approached the old woman, while Rei kept him between her and the Elder. Rei gave an occasional shiver. If I keep looking at her, I'll laugh and give the game away, she thought.

. . . "That's a very good likeness," Jeff said as he peered at the cat, "But it clearly isn't Shampoo."

. . . That woke the cat up. I can almost believe it's trying to plead with us, to beg us for help, Rei thought of the cat's frantic, almost human-like movements, But whoever heard of a talking cat?

. . . "This -" Jeff pulled an almost identical cat from Rei's satchel. "- is Shampoo."

. . . The cat in the Elder's hand went limp and stared in stunned shock as the cat sitting on Jeff's hands bowed to the old woman. The old woman looked nearly as shocked as Shampoo-neko. "It's the tufts of fur that give it away. The tufts in Shampoo's ears are white at the center and pink around the edges, the tufts between the pads are a darker purple than the rest, but it is a hard thing to check for."

. . . Even the cat is checking itself out, Rei thought as she watched the Elder's captive look at its own feet and tried to look in it's ears. The Elder merely stared dumbfounded.

. . . "Besides, Shampoo was thrown out of the tribe. If Elder Cologne admits she's there to save a non-existent great-granddaughter, she loses face, if she lets the girl be killed, she gains face, but loses her favorite once-descendant. I think Shampoo wouldn't like that." Jeff tossed the cat, which instantly went from a preening bookend, to several kilos of fangs and fury. The other cat immediately freed itself and savaged the old woman, enveloping all three of them in a cloud of dust.

. . . Rei barely noticed Jeff zipping her satchel shut. Jeff pulled on two heavy leather gauntlets that had been in the satchel, and reached into the cloud. He extracted one cat, and the old woman. He tossed the old woman back into the cloud from which feline fury still rang.

. . . He waited, tapping his foot, while Rei tried to stifle her laughter and her thoughts. He reached in again, got the old woman, and tossed her back in. "It's the details that get you every time," he told Rei, he reached in again, got the furious cat which still wanted a piece of the battered Elder."

. . . "As I can see it." He gingerly handed the quiescent cat back to the Elder. "I can deliver Shampoo, and the message, and let Elder Cologne do as she sees fit. Or leave you to discuss it with Shampoo, your choice."

. . . "The Elder wiped the blood from her face, and smiled at Jeff. "What makes you think you have Shampoo?" the old woman asked then cackled, "Young whipper-sniper."

. . . "That's whipper-snapper to you, you broken-down, old fraud!"

. . . "Whipper-sniper is correct," Rei offered.

. . . The old woman wasn't listening. "Old fraud!?" she snarled, "Then why do I have your precious Shampoo?" She held up he cat. "Thought you could out fox me? I realized what you were doing, and switched cats on you! Ha hahahaha!"

. . . "And that's why I switched cats on you!" Jeff crowed.

. . . "That's why I switched cats again!"

. . . "I don't believe you."

. . . "Jeffery please!"

. . . I want to get out of here sometime before the last train, she thought, So I'm jumping ahead to the next scene.

. . . Rei bowed at his feet. "She'll kill that poor man. He was just a bum, but he doesn't deserve that fate. Please. I'll beg Elder Cologne to save my friend."

. . . I can practically hear the old woman sneering, Rei thought as she looked up at Jeff, tears streaming down her face, Maidenly tears melt all but the hardest hearts.

. . . "Very, well," Jeff said in a defeated tone, "Let's -"

. . . "No!" the old woman insisted, "I keep both cats!"

. . . "No!" Rei shouted.

. . . "Thought you could trick me girly? Soft heads like his may fall for that, but I've used that trick a time or two myself."

. . . Rei tried to picture that, then tried to keep from vomiting on the street.

. . . "Both cats." Jeff gingerly handed over the cat he held, glowering at the old woman the whole time. "There will be a reckoning for this!" he thundered, and even the Heavens grew still at his pronouncement.

. . . How does he do that?! Rei wondered as the woman cackled and walked away.

. . . Rei and Jeff marched swiftly out of the area. They were silent for several blocks. Rei waited.

. . . "That trick with the sky?" Rei asked.

. . . "Kuno taught me. He usually gets a thunder clap, I get a profound silence, and it only works for me in Nerima. I 'have much to learn about the deeper secrets.'"

. . . "So there is something you can't do right," Rei teased as she unzipped her satchel to let Shampoo-neko out so she could breathe. The cat immediately launched into a scolding of both her rescuers.

. . . Better we don't know, Rei thought as the cat growled, yowled, and shook its paws at them.

. . . Jeff took the cat out of the bag, ignoring the grumbling and complaining, and draped Rei's miko robes over her. Shampoo began to fill and in the shirt's case, overfill the costume.

. . . Shampoo's attempt to go from indecency to mere decolletage should be embarrassing, only I'm a little jealous too, Rei thought as some tape solved the problem.

. . . "Now crazy Hairdo try something else," Shampoo complained, "Why not you and Fire Skirt blow her up or something?!"

. . . FIRE SKIRT! Rei nearly screamed aloud.

. . . "Because what I had in mind was much more fun," Jeff said eagerly.

. . . "Give her an allergy to cats?" Rei asked.

. . . "Ha!" Shampoo replied, "She only afraid of one thing. Raccoon knows, she afraid of - "

. . . "Frogs," Rei said staring at Jeff as if contemplating setting him on fire, for the good of all Japan.

. . . Shampoo stared at Rei in amazement, "Racoon tell you?"

. . . "No," Rei said as she approached a conclusion, "Circumstances informed me. Now I understand why we spent an hour collecting - "

. . . "Three, two - " the scream in the distance cut off Jeff's count down. "I think it went off early." He frowned.

. . . Shampoo looked at Rei. "Is Raccoon always crazy, or just around Shampoo?"

. . . "This is one of his good moments, dear," Rei said and patted the girl's shoulder, and looked away as the tape came loose. She felt Shampoo press up against her.

. . . "You not like Pervert Girl?" the Amazon purred.

. . . Rei felt the vibrations through the contact.

. . . "So certain everybody getting wild nookie, while she not. But all want her?"

. . . Rei stepped back suddenly, blushing furiously. "Yes, I've met the Virgin Goddess, and I am not similar to her, nor do I enjoy her company," Rei explained quickly, "And no, it's not -"

. . . "Shampoo very beautiful," the girl purred as she approached Rei again, "And bubbly not just refer to Shampoo's - "

. . . "Personality."

. . . "Yes."

. . . Rei stammered denials, and Shampoo broke down in laughter. "Shampoo - turn - into - cat, 'Want - boyfriend' - skirt - fighters - turn into - noisy - statues," Shampoo managed in her gales of laughter.

. . . Rei sighed and hung her head, It's almost worse they are my friends doing this. I can imagine an enemy doing this, and how I'd come apart. She glanced over and noted, He's hiding a smile, not well, but he is trying.

. . . Shampoo calmed down, "Temple clear, Lightning Lass, Shampoo and old pervert clear out all bad men." She sidled up to Jeff and purred, "Lightning Lass is Lightning Lass again, very excited and excitable."

. . . Jeff said something, presumably in Chinese, then repeated in Japanese, "Passionate?"

. . . "Yes, very passionate . . . and still crazy. She take Happosai as teacher."

. . . "He fainted," Rei said as she stared down at the prone figure.

. . . Shampoo waved her hand. "Is easy to understand, once you know Happosai. Bad mens gone from temple, safe for Fire Skirt to go home, to grabby priest, so maybe Happosai you used to."

. . . "Lightning Lass and Fire Skirt?" Rei said to divert the conversation away from her grandfather being similar to anyone who could make Jeff faint.

. . . "Fire Hair - Asuka Langley - say it first," Shampoo explained as she hauled Jeff to his feet and slung him easily over her shoulder, "Fire Skirt, should have made Fire Skirt take coat. Sailor Mars, powers of fire, wears really short skirt, Fire Skirt."

. . . I'm glad I didn't point out it implies something else, but that would make me sound too much like the Virgin Goddess, Rei thought and kept silent on that subject, So there are more Senshi, and this Happosai is overly, friendly, like grandfather. Somehow I don't think things can get much worse.

. . . "I did make Kasumi a Senshi," Rei threw in, and smirked as Shampoo nearly dropped Jeff on his head, "She was off terrorizing the market with her new powers and - "

. . . "Costume," Jeff said as he slid off Shampoo's shoulder.

. . . "Very funny! You want to break Shampoo's brain, you nearly do it. Happosai teach Senshi, Kasumi is Senshi, next is wedding of stupid Mousse and Spatula Girl, then Shampoo shave her head and become a Christian monk." Then she brightened. "Maybe airen no afraid of cats!?"

. . . "His reaction to cats is . . . different, but it's the shoggoth Shampoo-neko will have to worry about," Jeff said.

. . . "Elders still not give up. If not get Shampoo today, maybe tomorrow," Shampoo said sadly.

. . . "They will go after someone else next," Jeff counseled, "Someone they think is easier. It would be best if they `accidentally` went after one of the new enemies. That way, their ferocity and brute hard-headedness can work to our advantage."

. . . "Is always Raccoon, sneaky plans always," Shampoo whispered to Rei, "Raccoon sneaks up on eggs to fry them." She giggled at Rei almost believing her.

. . . " 'Let's you and him fight'?" Rei asked, "That sounds like your strategy."

. . . "Let you and him fight, while I sight in many, many, too too many cannons, then we talk nice," Shampoo corrected, "That his strategy, all guns set to TOT, all shells arrive as one."

. . . "Yes, that does sound like the strategy he would employ."

. . . " 'Cannon to right of them, cannon to left of them, cannon in front of them volley'd & thunder'd'" Shampoo recited in superb English.

. . . "And you're the target," Rei replied.
------------------------------

. . . "Where's Makoto?" Dr. Tomoe asked, after he'd ordered his two daughters to the family room and sat them down, he remained standing, "Is she playing Sailor Senshi out there? No lies, either of you, I can tell."

. . . "She's . . . practicing," Kiima explained, "We . . . "

. . . "Before she died, she had a boyfriend, a nice boy," Hotaru blurted out.

. . . The Professor stared at Hotaru, but caught the look of despair on Kiima's face. Okay, that's a genie that can't go back in the bottle, he thought, What else is there?

. . . "We thought we'd set her on a collision course with him, and see what happened."

. . . "That was yesterday, I'm guessing, you mean she's been out all night?" he asked neutrally, watching his daughters' resistance crumble.

. . . "That kinda worried us too," Kiima admitted, "She called last night, from Nerima, where she had a safe room for the night, but we didn't hear from her this morning."

. . . "But you assumed she ran into her old boyfriend and they . . . what?"

. . . Hotaru blushed at that.

. . . "How intimate did those two get?" the professor demanded, "And how is it I never met or even heard of him before?!" He kept his tone level, but Hotaru and Kiima cringed at that.

. . . Shouting won't help at this point, he thought, They played a juvenile trick, now it may mean something more. I've got to get the information out of them, so we can go help Makoto.

. . . Hotaru broke down and threw herself at his feet, hugging his knees. "Please poppa, forgive me! They were so lonely, and I didn't want you hurt again. So I - when they all died, I wished . . . "

. . . "Wished what?" the professor asked, looking from Hotaru's to Kiima's terrified expressions.

. . . "Maybe you should sit down, dad, this . . . this is going to require some explanations you aren't going to believe," Kiima explained.

. . . Professor Tomoe sat, and braced for the worst.
------------------------------

. . . Rei walked alongside Jeff, the train station was nearly in sight, and Rei was hoping to escape again with her life. "Who was that guy who folded himself up and disappeared?" Rei asked, "He seemed to think it was a grudge match or something."

. . . "The Origami King, he's the only guy to have ever beaten me. I can't fold myself the way he can, and folding is their art."

. . . "It was cruel making him fold himself in half 64 times. My grandfather pulled that trick on me when I was little. It can't be done."

. . . "That's why he disappeared," Jeff replied, "The last time I told him not to come back, after threatening him with my lighter. He didn't listen, so I sent him away again."

. . . "Are you sure it's safe to go back now?"

. . . "Shampoo and Lightning Lass have taken care of the problem. Besides, if Happosai does have one redeeming characteristic, he does try to protect children, and you still qualify."

. . . Rei frowned at that. I guess I can take solace in that, she thought, After all, to a 300-year old man, a 14-year old is a kid.

. . . "I think we have a problem," Jeff said as he watched a young woman in a far too small yukata running towards them with murder in her eye. While she'd managed to belt it partially closed, it still displayed the short shorts and improvised halter top she wore beneath it. She stopped scarcely a meter and a half from them, breathing hard from her run and anger. Rei noted that Jeff seemed to be enjoying the show.

. . . Something seriously worried Rei. "She's . . . big." Rei took a step back from the intimidating display.

. . . "She certainly is," Jeff said admiringly. The girl blushed immediately and somehow her expression grew more murderous.

. . . Rei turned her own anger on Jeff. "I didn't mean that!"

. . . Jeff looked at Rei so innocently. "You don't think she's tall?" he asked, practically in tears.

. . . Rei wasn't buying it. She glared at him.

. . . Jeff looked back. "Oh! I see. Yes she is, big soft, handfuls," Jeff said cheerily.

. . . The girl went from bright red to sheet white, and tried to cover herself more with her inadequate clothing.

. . . "The natural, soft brown is such a nice color, and the ponytail is such a nice touch, although I understand you have to wear yours in a more traditional style, and with your very traditional blue-black color, it's very attractive on you," he added, mystifying both girls, "Do girls usually cut their hair short after they're married, as a signal they aren't in the market anymore, or because they figure they don't have to be as physically attractive to their husbands? I know the comment is it's easier to take care of, but they tolerate the length before they're married for some reason, don't they? I mean your hair practically screams 'I'm traditional and proper', her's 'I'm a tomboy, but I'm fun', Akane's says 'I can't be bothered'."

. . . "I'm not sure I understand," Rei admitted, seeing equal confusion on the girl's face.

. . . "You don't? Weren't you . . . " Jeff said, then gasped, "You naughty girl! Just because her yukata is too small and her halter is too tight, it's probably all she could find. That's no reason to insult her on how much she's got and how much she's showing off!" He stepped over and combed through Rei's hair, while she blushed deep red. "No Oni horns, so it must be Happosai's influence."

. . . My face must be the same color as her's, Rei thought as she stepped away from a grinning Jeff, giving the other girl a clear path to attack. The other girl was looking at them aghast, one to the other.

. . . The girl's screaming charge was pure Nerima. But instead of confronting the girl, as he had Akane, he sidestepped, and pulled Rei's much abused miko outfit from her satchel.

. . . "I need to borrow this," he said as he continued to duck, bob and weave, and sidestep the girl's furious kicks and punches.

. . . "Why not?" Rei shouted and shrugged.

. . . It's only been covered in frongs - frogs! - served as a bed for cats, was worn by another cat. I was going to have to burn it anyway, Rei thought, It might as well serve as a bull fighter's cape.

. . . While Jeff did hold it up, he didn't taunt the girl with it, as he would have Akane. He awaited a wild punch and draped the cloth over the girl. Instead of yanking it off to spin her around or confuse her, somehow he morphed it into an elegant dress with evening gloves and a choker. White as the shirt had been, the dress seemed even whiter, with a large deep red rose pattern on the skirt. The fight, if it could be called that, took a bizarre turn. The girl punched, and Jeff caught her wrist and put his other arm around her waist. He sidestepped the knee to the groin and spun the girl around, letting her drop until her ponytail almost touched the street, then pulled her back up until she rested against him, then stepped smartly out of reach of her punch.

. . . She's trying to kill him, and he's turning it into a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers impersonation, Rei realized, That's her! That's the girl he was taken with! She's trying to kill him, and he won't even let her get hurt! What do I do? He's in control, despite all she's doing. If I distract them - Rei's decision was made as Jeff tossed the girl three meters in the air. I do nothing, she thought, It's too delicately balanced. He only looks to be in total control, but its a hair's breadth from disaster.

. . . Jeff whirled the girl around, tossing her from his left arm to his right, leaving her too dizzy and frightened to continue the attack. The battle ended with a dip out of the most passionate tango, and the looming promise of a kiss.

. . . JUST KISS, YOU IDIOT! Rei wanted to shout at both of them, as she watched terror and expectation war on the girl's face as her tormentor held her helpless above the pavement, Don't chicken out! We can explain things, make it right!

. . . He set her carefully back on her feet.

. . . "Why didn't you kiss her!" Rei screamed at both of the blushing couple, "Why didn't you kiss him? You don't hate each other! Not really!"

. . . The girl pushed Jeff away, the conflict written all over her face. "I don't care if I have to marry you and have your babies to save you! I hate you!" She turned, lifted the hem of her dress and ran away.

. . . Rei considered running after her. Even in a dress, she's faster than I am, she realized, then she glared at Jeff, who was also watching her leave.

. . . "Why didn't you do something!? Why didn't you say something?! Anything? At least give her a peck on the cheek!"

. . . Jeff looked at her and she recoiled. He looks old, and tired, she thought.

. . . "Why?" she asked quietly.

. . . "Because it wouldn't change anything. What happened before, would happen again, and again."

. . . "I won't lead them to their deaths," Rei promised, "We could still catch her."

. . . "Not her, all of them. Over and over, again and agin. I'm tired of it. Everyone," he said equally quietly, "You know it's weird."

. . . "How so?" Rei asked, "How could this possibly get any weirder? Even for Nerima?"

. . . It's not weird, it's pathetic, she wanted to tell him, Kasumi was right - wait a second! Kasumi! Yes, this will work.

. . . "Because first, that was Sailor Jupiter, your comrade in arms, and ally in battle."

. . . "I guessed part of that," Rei replied sardonically as the plan took shape in her mind, "What else?"

. . . "That last part, why do you assume she was talking to me?" Jeff asked.

. . . The screaming charge was pure Nerima.

[Ahye]

I always greatly enjoy any new chapters to this story. I've almost completly lost track of whats happening due to confusion, at least in the Nerima parts, but its still enjoyable. I've decided to just go with the flow and wait until it all ends and hope it'll make sense then.

That aside, nothing obvious jumped out at me that needed fixing.

[J. St.C. Patrick]

I seem to have missed chapter 10. I'll have to look for it later.

In the meantime...

. . "Commodore," Tatewaki Kuno watched the man leave as he reported on the phone in the Neko-chan, "I've heard you are headed south, and you have another task set for me.

It's been a while - in which chapter did the restaurant have it's name changed? or is this a different one?

. . . Kasumi had been practically dancing through the house on he restored legs, shocking Mirei by duplicating the dance Jeff had done with a then-crippled Kasumi, substituting her grandmother for her part in the dance.

her

She sat on the bath stool and wetted one of the roughest clothes, the ones Kasumi used to scrub down the furo and the tile, and Rei began scrubbing herself with it.

While Kasumi is often described as saintly, I doubt she wears a hairshirt while cleaning the washroom.

cloths

Rei dove for her robes and pulled out her pen, Kasumi let Rei see her `angry` expression slip for a moment. "Destroying such a thing of beauty is an offense against men and the gods! For home and hearth, in the name of Vesta! Vesta Asteroid Power Make-up! You will be punished!"

. . . Rei had also transformed, but couldn't dodge the questing fingers of the newest Senshi. "Wait a second! You're a Senshi too!" Rei shouted with a gleam in her eye, "Which means- !" Rei launched her own counterattack.

ha!

. . . "In deference to the Admiral's silly wishes," Kodachi offered, then laughed again, "I'll let you tell us everything, and then I can have my fun verifying it. Ho ho ho!" The sound of a dental drill nearly drown out her laughter, and nearly brought the Admiral to flight.

heh.

Nodoka was shivering because she was wearing a panda skin rug, Genma was shivering because he was not, sitting as a human and wearing his gi as if he feared nakedness somehow.

a wonderful image.

. . . "Hentai!" Rei screamed and pulled her skirt off Akane's head, "Pervert!" She slapped Akane across the face. "Lecher!" Slap. "Peeping Thomasina!" Slap. "Pupil and follower of Happosai!" Rei slapped her once more, and shook out her bruised and battered hand. "Now you're going to steal a poor miko's only underwear and make me walk the streets of Tokyo without! You're heartless, and cruel, and perverted," Rei wailed as Akane slowly fractured and crumbled to dust.

. . . "I thought William Shatner was Canadian," Jeff commented as Kasumi led a tearful Rei up to Akane's room to pick out an outfit.

Heh. ( the Shatner School of Martial Arts Acting - a... fear... some... thing... indeed.)

It won't come loose on it's own, but turn on a heat lamp, the ice melts and down comes the brick.

its

. . . "I told you she didn't have any real powers, that she was defenseless," Jeff whispered to Rei, although the old woman heard, in a louder tone, "It you're so defenseless, maybe the council should let you retire."

If

. . . " 'Let's you and him fight'?" Rei asked, "That sounds like your strategy."

J.W.W. referee. mind you, he was more in to conning than cannoning.

. . . "That last part, why do you assume she was talking to me?" Jeff asked.

. . . The screaming charge was pure Nerima.

Heh! good ending.

[Daniel Jess Gibson]

I always greatly enjoy any new chapters to this story. I've almost completly lost track of whats happening due to confusion, at least in the Nerima parts, but its still enjoyable. I've decided to just go with the flow and wait until it all ends and hope it'll make sense then.

That aside, nothing obvious jumped out at me that needed fixing.

Thank you. The confusion is due to the many threads which will culminate in the Redacted for Spoiler-proofing purposes. And trust me, it's going to simply things, once all the threads are together. If Asuka would get a German Imperial Battle Flag, and Jeff would get a 48-star American flag, what flag would they drape on the Scholarly Dragon's coffin? A very big one or a very small one, I know that much.

What's going on. Okay, Ryoga got zapped by a radiation demon (the second to last of the ones summoned) and is either dying or convalescing in the Tendo home. The Psychic Rumble Soldiers (PRS) are in the north camp being trained by Asuka and Kodachi, as well as the military.

The Outers made a try for Hotaru, only to have Makoto, Kiima and Ami beat the crap out of them. Asuka has learned from the Princesses about the Outers and takes Hotaru and Sasami to confront them, she uses her powers over time to destroy the Time Gates.

The Senshi from the future (a.k.a. the Northern Group) were confronted by Asuka and the Commodore, and a number of mythos beasties crashed that party, and the Northern Group proved helpless against them. With that knowledge, Asuka, Kuno and a team of commandoes rescued the Northern Group's hostages. Asuka did not enjoy getting proof she was so superior to them, she had a bit of a breakdown. Later, they took her back and she taunted them, until they killed her, it was a ruse to discover who was running the Northern Group, and it wasn't NeoSerenity.

Rei summoned Asuka (a fire-aspected Great Old One) who sent her to Jeff, who took her on a vision quest to the Halls of the Dead, the `White Room` where the Great Old Ones prune the universes, to the place of all Japan's childhood dreams (and nightmares). Upon returning to the real world Yig drafted her, Jeff, the Kunos, the military doctor and Keiko Takarada to save the spirit of Japan from Celestine's followers (see the AMG! Movie for more about that gentleman). Rei killed the leader and Jeff tricked the others into committing suicide. On a side note, I'm following Canon, Belldandy has no memory of the Celestine events, so has no idea why Jeff would love to see her boiling to death in her own blood.

The Scholarly Dragon has enlisted Hotaru and Sasami to quicken the Dragon eggs, and has served as their advisor and transport.

A pack of Flying Jellyfish Monsters attacked the Northern Group and were only driven off by Asuka and Kodachi's MASEBER weapon (Microwave Amplification by Stabilized Exomer Boosted Emission of Radiation. The Northern Group suffers catastrophic casualties. Ami's mom and Prof Tomoe examine the `corpses`, oddly-damaged crystals.

Asuka's dreamshade and her dreamself the Meliorist watch Asuka dreaming of Jeff's revelation that soon the Stars Will Be Right, and they can either embrace what they have become, or be destroyed by others. Asuka is reluctant, until she hears Jeff has a plan to save them from staying full Great Old Ones, until she hears that Usagi is the key to their salvation.

The Commodore offers the Northern Group help and suggest if they drop their agenda of conquest, he can get them the help they really need. GrandMaster Saturn (nee Setsuna) rejects the offer. Later, the real leader of the Northern group attacks the Commodore in dreams, only to be driven off by one of Jeff's spirit allies.

Assemblyman Hino makes a deal for 'the Princesses' for advanced Jurain technology, with Kagato.

Rather than return to the temple, Jeff takes Rei to Nerima, where he plans to bring Mirei to the Tendos to help Kasumi. Only Kasumi has been possessed by the last demon, and restored to health. So new plans are formed.

Pretty Sammi recruits Makoto as Sailor Jupiter, and with Kiima and Hotaru's assistance, send her after Jeff. Commodore Takarada's other daughter (a news reporter) arrives and is allowed on base by her older sister Keiko (an imposter).

The Scholarly Dragon uses the Outers to reinforce Sailor V when the Northern Group make an attempt on Mamoru's life. Realizing he needed the Outers for later, and he could control them, he used an illusion to cover healing them of their injuries. Why did he need them? Someone has been sending Sasami nightmares, then someone else runs from a nightmare, Rini. The Scholarly Dragon arranges for Rini to mark the location with her terror to draw them in, and leave Stirogli to meet the Black Moon vanguard, while he takes Rini to where she can materialize in the appropriate present. The Black Moon vanguard are annihilated to the last man and machine (burp), good eating though.

Kasumi-Possessed continues to play with Rei, Jeff, and Mirei, and they begin to play back, both Rei and Kasumi enjoying but intimidated by the physical affection. Makoto, Shampoo and Happosai clear the Hino family temple, and Makoto both takes him as a hand-to-hand instructor and partially heals Happosai, making his connection to silky darlings much weaker.

The Psychic Rumble Soldiers' treasures are taken by the military and revealed to be some kind of mythos artifact, they even worry the Scholarly Dragon.

Kuno is met by a shade of a historical sorceress, who has help to offer and a boon to ask. Later he counsels Mamoru on his place in the universe, and while it is at the side of Sailor Moon, is does not have to be as Tuxedo Mask.

Kasumi is healed, and Rei considers offering a Senshi position to Ryoga, who will not pay the requested price: release his quest(s) for vengeance. Rei verbally attacks him and retreats to the furo to punish herself, Kasumi intervenes.

A con man has been threatening Usagi's father with revealing his daughter's secret identity to the military. Somehow Mr. Tsukino got the idea to find Jeff, instead he found Tatewaki, who called in the Commodore. During the blackmailer's interrogation, Takarada heads to the Capitol Building and is promoted to Rear Admiral from Rear Admiral Lower Half. Once-General, now-businessman Horai has a vehicle in fast development to carry and power the MASEBER guns. Which Asuka is testing up north as they speak.

On the way to the train station Rei and Jeff encounter Har Du, who want revenge on Jeff and Cologne. She has captured Shampoo, using a triplecross against Har Du's doublecross, the pair leave with Shampoo, and leave Har Du a crowd of frogs. Later, they encounter Makoto, who is out for Jeff's blood, but can't defeat him. She runs off in tears, and Rei decides Jeff will die without having kissed Makoto.

Professor Tomoe returns to Tokyo to start moving himself and his family, to the northern camp. He finds Makoto missing, and then discovers that his past life may have been very different than he remembers it.

See, simple isn't it?

I seem to have missed chapter 10. I'll have to look for it later.

It's a little ways down the page.

In the meantime...

. . "Commodore," Tatewaki Kuno watched the man leave as he reported on the phone in the Neko-chan, "I've heard you are headed south, and you have another task set for me.

It's been a while - in which chapter did the restaurant have it's name changed? or is this a different one?

Oops. This is a different restaurant. I changed my mind about some of the 'off-camera' story, and moved the Nekohanten and Uc-chan's place being burned down and almost burned down earlier in the story (before Sailor Jupiter opens). So I have to decide if I go back and change it in all the previous chapters, or wait for the full text of 'Pilots in Nerima'.

. . . Kasumi had been practically dancing through the house on he restored legs, shocking Mirei by duplicating the dance Jeff had done with a then-crippled Kasumi, substituting her grandmother for her part in the dance.

her

Thanks, fixed.

She sat on the bath stool and wetted one of the roughest clothes, the ones Kasumi used to scrub down the furo and the tile, and Rei began scrubbing herself with it.

While Kasumi is often described as saintly, I doubt she wears a hairshirt while cleaning the washroom.

cloths

You never know about Kasumi, I always thought her more polite, rather than saintly, like a proper English butler. Fixed, now I have to tell the auto correct to leave it alone.

Rei dove for her robes and pulled out her pen, Kasumi let Rei see her `angry` expression slip for a moment. "Destroying such a thing of beauty is an offense against men and the gods! For home and hearth, in the name of Vesta! Vesta Asteroid Power Make-up! You will be punished!"

. . . Rei had also transformed, but couldn't dodge the questing fingers of the newest Senshi. "Wait a second! You're a Senshi too!" Rei shouted with a gleam in her eye, "Which means- !" Rei launched her own counterattack.

ha!

I think Kasumi likes her shiny new toys.

. . . "In deference to the Admiral's silly wishes," Kodachi offered, then laughed again, "I'll let you tell us everything, and then I can have my fun verifying it. Ho ho ho!" The sound of a dental drill nearly drown out her laughter, and nearly brought the Admiral to flight.

heh.

Tate and Koda-chan are such, effective interrogators.

Nodoka was shivering because she was wearing a panda skin rug, Genma was shivering because he was not, sitting as a human and wearing his gi as if he feared nakedness somehow.

a wonderful image.

Now who actually skinned him, Jeff or Mirei?

. . . "Hentai!" Rei screamed and pulled her skirt off Akane's head, "Pervert!" She slapped Akane across the face. "Lecher!" Slap. "Peeping Thomasina!" Slap. "Pupil and follower of Happosai!" Rei slapped her once more, and shook out her bruised and battered hand. "Now you're going to steal a poor miko's only underwear and make me walk the streets of Tokyo without! You're heartless, and cruel, and perverted," Rei wailed as Akane slowly fractured and crumbled to dust.

. . . "I thought William Shatner was Canadian," Jeff commented as Kasumi led a tearful Rei up to Akane's room to pick out an outfit.

Heh. ( the Shatner School of Martial Arts Acting - a... fear... some... thing... indeed.)

Only Adam West's Batman can defeat it.

It won't come loose on it's own, but turn on a heat lamp, the ice melts and down comes the brick.

its

Fixed.

. . . "I told you she didn't have any real powers, that she was defenseless," Jeff whispered to Rei, although the old woman heard, in a louder tone, "It you're so defenseless, maybe the council should let you retire."

If

Sorry, I don't believe in if anymore, if is for children. Fixed.

. . . " 'Let's you and him fight'?" Rei asked, "That sounds like your strategy."

J.W.W. referee. mind you, he was more in to conning than cannoning.

I'll gladly pay you Tuesday, for a bowl of ramen today.

. . . "That last part, why do you assume she was talking to me?" Jeff asked.

. . . The screaming charge was pure Nerima.

Heh! good ending.

Thank you. I think Jeff just lost most of the respect Rei might have had for him. But it's also the way of the clown, he has to make a joke of the pain. As a point of explanation, yes she wanted to kiss him, and he her, but they both chickened out for their own reasons.