~ New Moon ~
Chapter Three: Lost friendships and interesting associates

Hey minna! THanx to all who answered the poll! The vote was really close between
 Ranma and Ryouga and so I just decided to let the lost boy have his chance at
 happiness. Hope too many peeps donÕt mind! Some of you asked about the scouts. IÕm
 starting to lean more towards the Sailor Moon parts of the story now so here
 comes Puu! Minor reference to the other scouts and maybe a little talking but they
 arenÕt going to be making any ÔrealÕ appearances in the fic yet. Well, on with the
 show! R&R to tell me if itÕs even worth continuing! Just have to say that I donÕt
 own Sailor Moon or Ranma 1/2 and IÕm just borrowing 
these characters for this fic. Please donÕt sue me. Thanks!
 =^-^=

 Note: *      * indicate thought.

 	  ------ indicate a short passage of time

	As the two Tendo sisters and the 'pervert' Ranma were holding water buckets
 in a hallway at Furinkan High, (AN: *LOL*) a solitary figure was making his way
 past the Cherry Hill temple. He had a wrinkled map clutched in one hand and was
 staring at his surroundings with a dazed look on his sun tanned face. "Now where am
 I?" He was speaking mostly to himself and so was quite surprised when he got an
 answer. "Your at the Cherry Hill temple." 

	He spun around, reaching for the handle of his red bamboo umbrella out of
 reflex. His attack was cut short however when he saw who it was who had spoken.
 The green haired woman chuckled slightly. "Is this how you greet all old friends
 Ryouga Hibiki?" Ryouga smirked. "No. Just the ones that tend to leave me off worse
 every time we meet. What do you want now Setsuna?"

	The lost boy had first come into contact with the mysterious woman while
 'training' in china. After his little accident at Jusenkyo he had needed to restock
 on supplies. Namely, canteens, thermoses, and propane. While walking through the
 next town he came to there she was. Selling everything he needed, as well as a few
 choice accessories. That is where he had first gotten his trademark yellow and
 black bandanas.

	Ryouga had of course bought the bandanas/weapons but wasn't counting on the
 slight magical quality of the bandanas to attract the attention of an immortal
 visiting this dimension. He helped her banish the strange monster and found out
 about her alternate identity in the process. Sailor Pluto, guardian of time. She told
 him that the reason she had let him find out was because it was his destiny or
 something like that, which he didn't believe for a second. After that, she had asked
 for his help on many occasions. All he knew was that whenever she turned up, he had
 some fighting to do. 

	The ageless warrior sighed. *It would make everything just a little bit easier
 if he could just. . . * "I'm actually here to help you find your way to Nermia. In
 return, I'll need your help with something here." Ryouga was curious in spite of
 himself. "Why would you help me get to Nermia? You know all I want to do is kill
 Saotome." Setsuna smiled "I do care about some things Ryouga Hibiki, and that
 includes repaying you for your help. Yes, I'll get you to Nermia. What you do when
 you get there is your own business. Now, to the business at hand." Ryouga sighed.
 "Tell me as we walk okay? I have a feeling that this will take awhile and I hate
 sitting still." Setsuna nodded as they started towards the center of town.

-------

	"So you see, " the senshi of time concluded, "I will need your help distracting
 the enemy while I awaken the other senshi here." Ryouga grimaced. "Distract the
 enemy? Is this like how I 'distracted' that little Garlic guy so you could open that
 dimensional portal?" He absentmindedly rubbed his arm where it had been broken
 after a blow from the immortal. "I don't know if I can live through distracting
 someone again." 

	Setsuna shook her head, smiling slightly. "Don't worry. These 'cardians' as
 they are called are really quite weak. It will not take me long to activate the
 scouts here either." 

	"Sailor Pluto, what were you saying earlier about the leader of the senshi?"
 The duo was now walking towards a distant movie studio. The scene of an audition
 that would soon turn disastrous for those involved. 

	"Please Mr. Hibiki, call me Setsuna. Now, not too long ago the scouts had
 their final battle with an old enemy. Sailor Moon, our leader, died in the process of
 defeating it. The other scouts died as well but were reincarnated as if nothing had
 happened. I. . . I still haven't been able to locate Sailor Moon. She should have been
 reborn yet it seems almost as if. . . " The solitary senshi turned her head away but
 not quick enough to hide her tears from Ryouga. *I've never seen her cry before.*
 "You miss her don't you?" 

	Setsuna smiled ruefully as she quickly reined in her emotions. "Yes. Believe it
 or not we had once been good friends." "Can't you just use some of your time magic
 to find her or something?" The lost boy had come to think of Setsuna as a friend
 even though she did bring him all kinds of trouble. As a friend, he felt obligated to
 help her.

	"I have tried all of that already. Maybe she doesn't want to be found."
 Setsuna cringed at the thought. *Oh Princess. Why did you leave now of all times?
 I never got the chance to meet you in this time.* Ryouga let his thoughts wander in
 the silence. *Why is she letting me see this side of her? She's usually so quite and
 to the point. Is it because of Sailor Moon? I wish I could help.* 

	They both came to a top as they heard a scream from the building in front of
 them. "I guess that's my cue right?" Setsuna nodded at the lost boy, her 'mask'
 back on. "This way." She led him through a side door and down the hallway to a large
 room set to look like a space-scape. A group of four girls was cringing away from a
 monster that resembled a bull of some sorts as it held aloft a fifth girl from its
 horns. "This is where we part ways." Setsuna pushed Ryouga in the right direction
 and hid behind a pillar as she transformed. 

	The bandana clad 'hero' stumbled a little but righted him self before he fell.
 *Great entrance there Ryouga!* He chided himself. *You'll really strike fear into
 it's heart now!* He stood tall and took a deep breath. "Hey you! Leave these girls
 alone!" The monster, as well as the conscious girls, turned towards him. He let out a
 yell then charged straight at the monster, swinging his umbrella like mad. The
 cardian let out a chuckle but threw the girl in it's grasp to the ground as it dodged. 
 Ryouga quickly spun on his heel and let out a yell as his umbrella connected with the
 cardians leg. It screeched in pain and Ryouga too advantage of it's distraction to
 attack again. He pulled a small handful of bandanas from his head and started
 twirling them in his hands. He smirked slightly as he let them fly.*Setsuna was
 right. This thing is a snap.*

	Meanwhile, Sailor Pluto had finished her transformation and was making her
 way to the four girls huddled on the floor by the unconscious girl. *Well, I hope
 that this all turns out alright without Luna.* "Excuse me." The four girls looked up
 at the senshi of time. "Who are you?", asked the tall brunette. Pluto smiled. "My
 name is Sailor Pluto and I have come to help you." The blond spoke this time. "Help
 us? How are you--" Her statement was cut short as four beams of light shot out
 from Pluto's time staff. The beams connected with each girls foreheads and it
 seemed almost an instant latter that they were free from the connection. They all
 had tears streaming down their cheeks. "Pluto, " The scout of time turned towards
 the speaker with a sad frown on her face. "Yes Sailor Mercury?" "Where's Usagi?
 Why isn't she here too?" The time warrior sighed. *We don't have time for all of
 this right now.* "I'll have to answer your questions later. I think now you need to
 dispatch of this cardian." The four girls nodded and stood up. "Mars star
 power!""Mercury star power!" "Venus star power!" "Jupiter star power!" While the
 inners were transforming, Pluto decided it was time to leave. *Before I actually
 HAVE to answer their questions. I'll have to call Luna back from her search to
 help them again. Maybe Artemis too.* 

	"Ryouga! Lets go. The inner senshi can finish it off." Ryouga sighed but
 nodded. "Are we on our way to Nermia now?" Sailor Pluto nodded. "I think we'll take
 a shortcut though. I don't feel much like walking all the way there." She closed her
 eyes and spun her staff in a large circle in front of her. What appeared was a large
 black portal, spinning slowly. "Through here Mr. Hibiki." Ryouga smirked. "After you
 Sailor Pluto." As they stepped through Ryouga felt momentarily dizzy. *Figures she
 wouldn't warn me about that.* As he was clearing his head he realized his
 surroundings were different. They were in front of a large school and once his eyes
 focused he was able to read the sign. "Furinkan High." He turned to the still
 transformed Setsuna. "So this is Nermia?" She nodded. "I guess I'll be seeing you
 then right?" Setsuna smiled. "Of course Mr. Hibiki. Here. Whenever you see
 something interesting just call me." She flicked her wrist and pulled a small cell
 phone out of her sub space pocket. 

	Ryouga stared at the phone for a bit then started laughing. "Just a normal
 phone? I thought it would be something magical or at least more advanced." Setsuna
 let out a soft chuckle as well. "I'm going to be living in Juban until we find Sailor
 Moon. I thought I might as well make it something that was as inconspicuous as
 possible. Good bye for now . . . " She smiled at him and disappeared back through the
 portal.

+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+

So what do you think ? To corny? Just plain stupid? Let me know! Don't be shy! *LOL* I'll have the next chapter out as soon as I can. Sort of going slow because of school. *shudder* Ja ne!
stonekid@etv.net
Tsukino Neko
=^-^=