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Sailor Ranko: The Harder They Fall: Chapter 2, Senshi Training.
by
Rebecca Ann Heineman
Ranma 1/2 and the characters therein are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. Based on "Sailor Ranko" by Duncan Zillman and "Twice in a Millennium" by Kevin D. Hammel.
I don't own these characters. Please don't sue me, kill me or make me work at Disneyland dressed as Goofy. I'm goofy enough as it is.
Setsuna of the 21st century got up from the floor of Usa's bedroom in the 30th century. It was a typical teenager's bedroom with holograms of the current boy bands, a stack of manga crystals and a few stuffed animals on the ornate four-poster bed. A wall had a 3D TV with a stack of the latest holographic novels on data disks. Setsuna saw something she didn't expect in the doorway connected to Chibi Usa's room. It was a full weight room filled with futuristic exercise equipment. She noticed a 21st century style punching bag that had seen better days barely hanging from a hook in the ceiling. All of the training machinery was well worn from years of abuse.
On the dresser drawer were holograms of Mamoru and Usagi in wedding attire. Next to it were hologram disks of several Sailor Senshi. Each disk was a base with a 3d translucent image of the person it represented. Setsuna picked up the one that had her own image on it. It was a likeness of Setsuna in a business dress and the image moved around like it was alive. She saw a little button on the bottom marked 'Action' and pressed it. The image called out, "Pluto Planet Power Make Up!" The holographic Setsuna changed from her normal form into her Senshi form with a complete magical transformation. Setsuna smiled at this little novelty item and put it back on the dresser. She saw holograms of Mercury, Jupiter, Sun, Moon and...
Setsuna spun around to avert her eyes. She didn't want to look anymore. She had seen too much of the future. She transformed into Sailor Pluto. She gave her time staff a wave. She opened a portal and stepped into the time stream.
Pluto went stood before the gates of time. She for a moment remembered all the years she had spent standing at this spot protecting the gates from intruders. She sighed. No one really understood the loneliness that she had suffered across time. She once wanted to take a husband in her life so long ago. She didn't want to watch him grow old and die while she stayed forever young. He was a dim memory now. She tried not to forget him but the years were cruel to her. She couldn't even remember his name anymore. She knew she could just pull up the images of him on the console inside the gates but she didn't want to reopen that old wound. She couldn't go back to the past. History transpired the way it did for a reason.
Pluto waited for a few minutes. She knew she had to be fashionably late for herself. She loved to be the omnipotent knower of everything and loved to rub it in. She had tortured herself so many times, why should this time be any different?
Future Pluto appeared and stood next to Sailor Pluto. Pluto gave a small bow and Future Pluto returned it. Pluto asked, "So, should I be worried?"
Future Pluto laughed. "You? No, not really."
Pluto thought, "I hate it when I do this to myself." Pluto shook her head, "Should I bring Chibi Usa back home?"
Future Pluto gave no hint of emotion. "She will return when the time is right."
"Any last words before I return to my time?"
Future Pluto gave just a hint of sadness. "Things will happen as they were meant to be." She turned and disappeared.
Pluto bowed toward where Future Pluto once stood. She opened a portal to the 21st century and went home.
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Ranma got up and found his bed was empty. Akane had gotten up before him and left him alone. He got up and put on his gi. He felt Akane's presence on the roof and went out to the balcony and jumped to the roof ledge.
Ranma was surprised at what he saw. Akane was wearing a black spandex tank top leotard and running shoes. She was practicing kicks into the air in front of Makoto who was wearing a green tank top leotard and running shoes as well. Ranma approached the girls in amusement, "Uh... That's a new look for you Akane. What gives?"
Akane kept kicking. "Well, we dress like this when we fight."
Ranma blushed just a tiny bit. "At least we wear a skirt."
Makoto giggled at the remark. "Don't worry. It was my idea. I sometimes wore this at karate practice."
Ranma understood, or so he thought. "Is that how you get your boyfriends?"
Both girls stopped their practice. Makoto cast an icy stare at Ranma. "You're a girl too sometimes. You know how much freedom of movement this gives you."
"Hey! I'm only half girl!" SPLASH!
Minako had climbed up the fire escape and squirted her water bottle at Ranma. "Now you're all girl!" Minako was wearing her high school gym uniform. She gave an approving look to Akane and Makoto's outfits.
Ranko felt the back of her gi and turned around. "Minako, what have you got against me being a guy? You have me join the girl's volleyball team and you undo my pig tail at every opportunity."
Minako just smiled. "Well, you do make a cute girl."
"Don't remind me." Ranko went to edge of the roof.
Minako got worried. "Uh... Ranko?" Ranko jumped off. Minako ran to the edge and looked down expecting to see Ranko hit the ground with a splat.
She saw Ranko on her balcony sticking her tongue out at her. "Fooled you!"
Minako twitched her eyebrows and threw her water bottle at Ranko. "YOU!"
Ranko caught the bottle and threw it back. She ran inside laughing all the way. "Ha ha ha!"
Akane breathed deeply. "Minako, you know she can jump to the ground safely from here."
Minako stared in shock. Sailor Venus would probably break her leg if she jumped from this height. "Don't tell me you can jump from here?"
Akane gestured to Makoto to follow her to the roof edge. She stood on the short wall surrounding the roof and made a pose as if she was going to make a swan dive. "Now kids, don't try this at home." She casually dove off the ledge and fell twelve stories. She about to hit the ground when she shouted, "Thunder Hammer Strike!" The blast was controlled to give a current of air to slow down Akane so that she landed on the ground without injury. She ran away from the building and waved to her friends to let them know she was all right.
Makoto and Minako were completely impressed. "WOW!" The two girls waved back.
Akane ran a few steps back to the apartment building and ki jumped up three floors. She landed on a lower balcony and bounced like a pachinko ball from balcony to balcony until she reached the roof. She flipped over the roof wall and landed gracefully. She lifted her arms to the sky like a gymnast. "See, nothing to it."
Makoto stood a few steps away from the edge. "That's easy for you to say."
"Once you master your ki manipulations, you can do it too!" Akane smiled and trotted back to the center of the roof. She gestured to the two girls to step away from the edge and approach her to begin practicing again.
Ranko reappeared at the edge of the roof. She was wearing a different well-worn gi and running shoes. "Here let me show you how it's done." Ranko took a neutral stance and practiced a simple sideways kick. "C'mon you two. Let's go!"
Makoto easily duplicated the kick. Minako did the motion with a little difficulty but got it down in a few minutes of practice. Akane noticed the difference in footwear that Ranko wore. "Ok Ranko, off with the gi."
Ranko smirked. She shed her gi showing the she was wearing a sexy black thong tank top leotard with a very low back. Akane couldn't win. Ranko always had to be the show off.
Minako stopped her kicks. "Oh, that is SO cute!"
Makoto turned to Akane. "Is Ranko always like this?"
Akane whispered back. "Don't encourage her. It only makes it worse."
The practice went on for the better part of an hour. Makoto sparred with Ranko while Akane was pummeling Minako. Makoto spent most of her time trying to hit Ranko who dodged almost every punch. The only punches that connected were ones Ranko allowed her too so that Ranko could counter attack to show the flaws in Makoto's defense. Akane concentrated on lightly striking Minako so she could learn to dodge since her dodging skill was almost non-existent.
The four girls went to the apartment via the roof access stairs and cleaned up. Minako begged, "C'mon Ranko, put on your High School Sailor fuku."
Ranko had logged enough hours as a female in her mind. She wanted to change back. "No."
"Please."
"Who are you? My Mother?" Ranko grabbed her male clothes and went the bathroom to shower and change. She shut and locked the bathroom door for a little privacy.
Minako knocked on the door. "I've got some cold water for you."
"Gimme a break will ya!"
Akane decided to join in the fun. "Yeah Ranko, why not?"
The voice from the bathroom cried. "Not you too!"
The shower came on. The girls backed off for a moment. Minutes later, Ranma in his trademark red shirt and black pants came out of the bathroom. Makoto went into the restroom next. "Ranma, don't you wear anything else?"
"Uh... Yeah I've got..." Ranma jumped to the side to avoid Minako's water blast from a plastic squeeze bottle. "Cut that out!"
Minako was surprised at how Ranma dodged the water. She squirted again. Ranma did a flip over Minako. It was difficult maneuver since the apartment ceiling was only a little over three meters high. "I'm not going to school as a girl!"
SPLASH!
Minako was drenched. Akane threw the water at Ranma but he dodged it. He grabbed his schoolbooks and ran out the door. "I'm a guy today and that's that!"
Akane shrugged. "We tried. You know, maybe his mom should ask him instead of us to have him go once a week as a girl to school."
Minako moaned, "I'm soaked!"
Makoto came out of the bathroom in her school uniform. "Then go shower and get dressed." She went back to the bathroom to dry her hair.
Makoto and Minako waited for Akane to get ready and all three girls started on the trek to Juuban High School. They arrived at the front gates minutes later to find a very female and very wet Ranko standing in front waiting for them.
Akane burst out laughing and pulled out Ranko's school uniform out of her bag. Akane had a feeling that fate would step in today.
Ranko swiped the clothes from Akane with a look of utter defeat. "I swear! That old lady with the ladle is on every street corner." She went to the ladies room to change.
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The South China Sea was home to some of the deepest waters in all of the Pacific Ocean. Here, a giant oil tanker was making its way to southern Japan with a load of crude oil. Captain Takashi was very bored. He was a weathered 45-year-old man who looked a lot older than he was. He devoted his entire life to the sea. He was proud to be in charge of his magnificent vessel, but the private sector was nowhere near as exciting as his stint in the Japanese Navy. At least in the navy, he got to shoot some guns.
The first mate was playing his one hundredth game of solitaire. The pilot was watching a movie on his laptop computer. The other crewmembers were either watching the collection of DVD's in the mess hall again or sleeping or surfing the Internet with the ship's satellite connection. The captain was happy that the chances of the crew getting cabin fever was almost zero with all these modern distractions.
A buzzer went off on the proximity alarm. The captain shifted in his chair. "Andy, what's going on?"
Andrew Marshall was an American who had been piloting tankers for years. He went to the radar system and checked on the alarm. "Odd. The water here is over three thousand meters deep. There are no ships on surface radar."
"Undersea mountain perhaps?" The captain seriously doubted that was the case. He had sailed this route dozens of times and he knew exactly what was under his vessel. It was kilometers of pure ocean water.
The pilot checked the consoles. "There must be a malfunction. These readings can't be right."
"Malfunction? This doesn't sound like a malfunction." The alarm started beeping at a rapid pace. It was a sign that the object was getting closer.
"Sonar is picking up a large object approaching from the starboard side. It's too big to be a whale."
"Submarine perhaps?" The captain grabbed his binoculars and went to the starboard side window. The ocean was calm and the morning sun lit everything clearly. The morning fog had already lifted so the view was clear to the horizon. "I don't see anything. What's the range?"
"Two hundred meters and closing."
"What?" The captain looked again. He saw nothing but clear seas for kilometers. "Give me the direction."
"It's directly starboard. It should be right outside the window. One hundred fifty meters and closing."
The captain turned his attention to the water itself. He was convinced it was a submarine. He saw a dark splotch in the water and it was moving closer. "Damn! Sound the alert!"
The first officer jumped from his game and pulled the alarm. He got on the P.A. system. "All hands, general alert! All hands, general alert!"
All around the ship, alarms went off and the crew was more startled by the sound than anything else. Most of the crew thought it was a drill.
"Sir, it's one hundred meters. It's diving."
The captain shot a glare to the pilot. "Diving?" He ran to the radio. He adjusted the dial to contact their home base. "Nihon Oil. This is vessel fifteen."
The radio replied, "This is Nihon Oil. We read you."
The pilot was sweating. "Sir. Fifty meters."
The captain was scared. "We have a contact. Range fifty meters and closing. It's possibly a submarine. Please be advised that we may need a crude oil spill team. What the hell?"
The vessel started to sway and if something underneath was gently lifting it from the water. The motion was slight and smooth but the entire crew felt it.
"It's directly underneath us sir!" The pilot never lifted his eyes from the sonar console. "It's passing us by."
The first mate and the captain ran to the port side window. They saw a giant shadow pass underneath the ship and then shrink away. The shadow disappeared.
"It's diving sir." He watched it on sonar for another minute. "It's gone."
The captain was angry beyond words. "What submarine type was that? Whom did it belong to?"
Andrew shook his head. "Sir that would have been the biggest submarine I've ever seen. Unless the Russians or the Americans have something top secret, it doesn't belong to them."
"How about China?"
"I've never heard of the Chinese having a sub like that."
The captain turned to the first mate. "Enter the event into the ship's log. When we get into port, I'm going to have somebody's ass in my briefcase for this." He picked up the radio mike. "Nihon Oil, cancel the alert."
The men stood in the bridge for the remainder of the journey. They didn't want let their guard down in case their visitor decided to return.
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BEEP! Usagi's alarm clock went off. SLAM! Usagi hit the snooze button.
Ten minutes later. BEEP! Usagi's alarm clock went off. SLAM! Usagi hit the snooze button.
Ten minutes later. BEEP! Usagi's alarm clock went off. SLAM! Usagi hit the snooze button.
Ten minutes later. BEEP! Usagi's alarm clock went off. WHACK! Usagi was pulled out of her bed by her leg. THUD! Usagi was on the floor. "Hey! Can't I get any sleep?"
Usa stood over her mother. She was already dressed for High School. "Get up. It's time to go to school." She turned on her heels. "Catch you later! I've got to enroll."
Usagi sat up. "Did I dream that?" She looked around the room. Everything seemed to be normal and the pink haired vision was gone from her view. Usagi got up and took a look at the clock. It was 7:45 in the morning. She had fifteen minutes to get ready for school. "Yikes!" She ran, got ready and flew down to the kitchen to grab breakfast.
Shingo was there eating cereal. "Hey there sleepy head. Our cousin left without you."
Usagi held the box of cereal above her bowl. She was pouring the frosted flakes when she became a statue. "C-C-cousin?" Usagi wanted to curl up and die. It appeared that Usa had already had gotten to her family and brainwashed them again to believe that Usagi had a cousin that lived with them. Usagi shot a glance to the umbrella stand for the hypnotic parasol that Usa used in the past to hypnotize her family. She didn't see it. Usa had hidden it or used something else to create her excuse for being allowed to live here.
Shingo filled in his older sister on the fake history that Shingo believed was the truth. "You know, Usa, She's here for the rest of the school year."
"Rest of the s-s-school y-y-year?" Her bowl was overflowing with frosted flakes of corn and she kept pouring it from the box.
Ikuko Tsukino patted Usagi on the shoulder. "Isn't that enough cereal dear?"
Usagi flashed back to the real world and moved upright the now empty cereal box. "Sorry!" She lifted the overflowing bowl and dumped the cereal back in the box. "Mom? When did our 'cousin' get here?"
"Huh? She's been here for two months. Don't you remember?" Usagi's mom started to clean up the excess cereal Usagi had spilled.
Usagi wanted to find the little pink haired spawn and throttle her. "Yeah... I just am still a little sleepy I guess. Heh heh."
Shingo made a funny face at Usagi. "A little sleepy? Sleep is your only state of mind."
"At least I have a mind! Unlike some people in this family."
Shingo gave Usagi the raspberry. Usagi returned the favor.
Usagi saw the time. "MOM! Why didn't you tell me I was late?" She ran upstairs to her room to grab her schoolbooks. She ran back down, grabbed her lunch from her mother's hand and ran out the door to school.
Usagi ran at top speed to school. She nearly tripped and fell several times but luck was with her this day. She didn't fall.
She ran into her classroom where a detention slip awaited her on the desk. The teacher addressed Usagi. "Miss Tsukino, please be punctual again. You were doing so well until recently."
Usagi sank at her desk. "I know." She looked up front of the class and sank some more at the sight before her.
"Now class, we have a new student at Juuban High School. Her name is Usa Tsukino and I'd like to have you give her a big welcome."
Usa stood in front of the white board and took a bow.
"HELLO!" Came from the class. Usagi wanted to put a bucket over her head and pretend that this was not real. Ranko and Akane saw Usagi's odd behavior and took a good look at the new student. Akane whispered, "You know her?"
Usagi nodded. She buried her head on her desk. Usa sat near the back of the class and shot a glance at Ranko. Ranko studied the girl and couldn't figure out who she was. Ranko felt like she knew her for some reason.
The teacher took roll. He checked the boxes marked Ranko and Ranma Saotome as always. He never knew what to expect from that student.
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"She's CHIBI USA!" Came the shout from the Inner Senshi at lunchtime.
Usagi had a look of doom. Chibi Usa's arrival usually meant that some new twisted adventure was coming. Usagi didn't want to know nor participate in the fun that was sure to be awaiting her. "She arrived last night."
Ami put down her textbook. "Did she say why she's here?"
"Oh yeah." Usagi felt gloom.
Makoto leaned over and nudged Usagi. "Well? Why is she here?"
Usagi glanced at Ranko. Ranko was arriving after threatening a boy for asking her measurements. Ranko sat down. "You'd think they'd stop asking after I tell them that I'm really a guy."
Minako giggled, "But you are such a cute guy." She edged over to Ranko.
Ranko grabbed her pigtail and pulled it away from Minako. "Stay away from my hair! I like it the way it is."
"C'mon Ranko! A ponytail is so much better." Minako produced a comb and a green bow.
Makoto raised her voice, "Usagi has something to say." She lowered her voice to normal. "Why is Chibi Usa here?"
Usagi cracked a tiny smile and quickly dropped it. She took a deep breath. "She's here to study martial arts."
Makoto and Ranko blinked for different reasons. Makoto looked at Ranko, "What kind of martial arts?"
Usagi pointed at Ranko. "Her kind."
"My kind? Who wants to study martial arts?" Ranko got excited that they were talking about her favorite subject. She wanted to meet this girl.
Usa jumped in the center of the girls in a neutral stance. "I'm a student of Anything Goes Martial Arts!"
Ranko recognized the style of leap as from her school. She stood up to size up the newcomer. "Don't I know you?"
"You used to call me Chibi Usa."
Ranko remembered meeting her in something that felt like a dream. "You were shorter weren't you? How did you learn Anything Goes? Only the Tendos and Saotomes study that art."
"I've been studying for over two years." Usa threw a few punches in the air. Ranko saw she was holding back her skills.
"Two years eh? Ok, show me your stuff." Ranko took a defensive stance away from the girls.
"Here I come!" Usa leapt toward Ranko and did a forward flip over her. Ranko ducked down and rolled out of range. She wanted to avoid contact and simply judge Usa's skill level. Usa landed and did a spin kick at Ranko's heel. Ranko easily hopped over the kick and had to quickly dodge a sudden overhead strike that Usa managed to throw in.
Ranko nodded in approval. "Pretty good." She gave ground as Usa began a combination of punches and kicks that left no opening for a counter attack. Ranko deflected two blows and dodged the rest. Akane saw that Ranko was holding her own but had to exert some effort to avoid impacts.
A teacher approached the sparring match. "Stop fighting!"
Ranko gave a time out signal to Usa. She immediately dropped her stance and made a bow. Ranko bowed back. Ranko faced the teacher. "We're just sparring."
The teacher looked at the two with suspicion. "Uh... Don't spar anymore. Spar at home." She noticed that neither girl was injured nor they looked like they were angry in any way. The teacher looked again at both girls and left.
Usa couldn't hold her glee. She grabbed Ranko around the waist, "It's so nice to see you!"
"Uh. I guess. Still, how did you learn Anything Goes?" Ranko gently pried Usa off of her.
"From you silly!" Usa was breathing a little hard but that was to be expected from a light workout.
"From me? I never taught you." Ranko was worrying and for good reason, Akane was reaching into mallet space for a suitable weapon.
Usa patted her forehead. "I forgot." She leaned over to Ranko's ear and whispered, "I'm from the future. You taught me in the 30th century."
Ranko's eyes glazed over. "Uh..."
Akane stood up. "What did she say?"
Ranko's knees went weak and she sat Indian style on the grass. Usa went over to Akane and glomped her. "Oh It's so nice to see you too Io."
Akane's eyes glazed over. How did she know her alter ego? "Uh... Who's Io?"
Usagi sat close to the two nearly comatose girls. "Sailor Sun, Sailor Io, meet Neo-Sailor Moon."
Ranko and Akane fell over.
Author's Notes: Please review my story. It makes me feel oh so happy and prevents me from bombing Pearl Harbor.
Last edited on January 25th, 2007