A looooong time ago: "FASTER! FASTER!" Luthien shouted. She stood in the prow of the landboat, her arms spread out wide, her long blonde hair whipping about in the wind, her yellow dress flapping about as if it had demons in it. "Rhea or Indra will pass us! C'mon, Beren! We have to beat them for the honor of the Moon Kingdom!" A casual onlooker would have assumed she was joyriding with her boyfriend; but the man with her was just a friend; her fiancee, Guardian Kunzite, was back on Earth, busy with...something. He had been somewhat vague about it. "Really, I'm more worried about Sif. She might lightning bolt us if she loses." Beren was tall and thin, wiry rather than muscular, handsome with long black hair. He wore a simple blue tunic with a yellow lightning bolt on the chest, and black trousers. He was steering the landboat, which looked rather like a flying canoe with a rudder; it was zooming (using magic, of course) over the landscape of Ganymede. Jupiter hung large in the sky. "Her father makes these things. Yeah, I know Rhea is obsessed with speed, but Sif grew up flying these things. If she wasn't busy pouting because Nephrite couldn't come..." "Less talk, more speed!" Rhea shouted. She was tall and blonde, a muscular woman with short hair and a taste for men's clothing. To Beren's amazement, Rhea's boat somehow pulled past him. There had to be a trick; these things didn't get any faster. Then he saw it. A trail of water from behind the boat. Somehow Tethys was using her powers to cheat. Although how that would make a LANDboat go faster.... "Well, if they can cheat, so can we!" He glanced over at Freya and Indra's boat. It had swerved a ways to the left, and fallen back a bit as a result. He had a bad feeling about this. Freya was giving him the 'I know something you don't look'. Her strongest power was that she had a knack for spotting other people's mistakes and knowing how to either avoid them, exploit them, or both. She wasn't Prudence, one of the Seven Thunders, for nothing. Well, if everyone else is going to use THEIR powers, he thought, so will I. He could find things and hear the truth when it was spoken, and lies as well, for he was Justice, another one of the Seven Thunders. While the later power wasn't so useful right now, this wasn't a trial, after all, the former power would be. He extended his senses, trying to feel the terrain, to know why she had swerved...a huge patch of sand ahead. The boats would stir up a massive storm at these speeds; Freya was going to avoid it. Glancing back, he could see Sif swerving as well. So did he. What else was out there. Dirt. Rocks. Scrubby Bushes. Pluto. Damnation, he thought. Hopefully, she's just here to lecture us on racing. A sandstorm erupted off to his right as those who didn't know the terrain, namely Tethys and Rhea, charged over the sandbank, one of the flaws in the terraforming of Ganymede. They all zoomed right past Pluto; they couldn't help it. All except Beren, who had started slowing down in time. Maybe they should make me Prudence instead of Justice, he thought, grinning. "Hiya, Pluto." She turned to Luthien. "Venus. You must return home at once. The time for play is over. Justice. You must go to your King at once. The Red Death has been loosed." Justice's jaw dropped. "It WHAT?" "The First Scourge. The First Trumpet has been blown. This is what you must do." ************ Children of Fire A SM/Ranma Thingamabob. Chapter 2: Damn the Engagement, Full Speed Ahead. by John Biles ***************** Michiru Kaiou stretched in front of the window, shaking the sleep out of her system. It was Saturday; time to catch up on her homework. A glorious day to laze about. The door to her bedroom flew open, shaking her out of her reverie. "Michi-chan." It was her uncle Shige, her sort of guardian. With her parents gone 9 out of every ten days, he effectively watched over her as a surrogate parent, not that she needed one. Shige was tall and geeky, with short black hair and thick glasses. While normally he wore fairly casual clothing, he was dressed up in a suit. On a Saturday? "Umm...what's the occasion?" "Your parents called; they can't make it back from Europe for another week, so we're going to go ahead and formalize your engagement to the Kunou boy before his parents get too antsy." "..." He paused. "I did tell you about this, right?" Michiru never yelled, but for this she would make an exception. "NO!!!!!!!!!" "Oh, well, your parents got concerned because you hadn't had any boyfriends yet, so they decided to go ahead and arrange a marriage for you. It'll be a two year engagement, but that's a good way to get to know your future husband, right?" His cheerful voice was taking on the tone he always got right before something disastrous happened, like the time he tried to fix his car and it spewed oil all over Michiru's newest dress when she came out to tell him dinner was ready. I haven't had any boyfriends because I don't find men attractive, Michiru thought. I should have known those morons would do something like this, though. Michiru had concluded long ago that her parents were completely insane. Not that Uncle Shige was much better, but he did his best to be the father that her father should have been. "Arranged marriages are archaic!" "Hey, if my bride to be hadn't decided to marry that cabana boy, I would have had one myself," Shige said. "It's not so bad. I understand he's very cultured. And he plays the piano and writes poetry." That was a tiny comfort. Michiru loved music above all things. So did her parents; unfortunately, that meant loving it above her as well, in their case. I'll bring my violin, she decided. "How soon do we have to be there?" "Thirty minutes." She would apologize for trampling him later. ********** "So how do I beat someone who uses Aikido?" Rei asked Ranma. She and Naru and Ranma were in the courtyard of the temple; it was time for the daily lesson. "Don't attack them," Ranma said. "Aikido relies on you attacking them. Fight defensively and taunt them until they attack you. Then you might have a chance." "But what if they ignore your taunts?" "Go home and have a sandwich and find someone else to fight," Ranma said. "Or learn Aikido yourself so you know how to counter the moves. That's what I did." He turned to Naru. "Work on the basic kata I taught you; I'm going to work with Rei some." Naru nodded and started moving slowly and jerkily through the kata of punches and kicks. Ranma turned to Rei. "Okay, attack me." She dropped into a fighting stance, studied Ranma for a moment, then charged forward, unleashing several rapid punches with both fists in a steady rhythm. Ranma dodged back, avoiding the first four blows, then grabbing her right fist near the end of a jab and falling backwards. With his weight pulling her, she went flying over him, across the courtyard when he let go of her wrist. "Don't fall into a pattern. Did you see how I did that?" "I felt it," she said, rolling to her feet. "Now, you attack me." He nodded and charged forward, unleashing punches; he held back because he didn't think she could handle him going full speed. He was pleased when she grabbed his wrist, and not so pleased when she tripped while trying to do the throw. He tripped on her feet as well and reminded himself to not anticipate her succeeding the next time. They ended up on the ground with him on top of her, their lips almost touching. They stared at each other for a moment; he could feel her breath on his face, could feel the contours of her form pressed to his. He jumped back, way back; the last few times this had happened to him, he'd gotten slapped. "What are you DOING?" she shouted. "Don't DO that!" Rei got up and brushed herself off. She was mildly flushed. "You pulled me down on top of you! You were supposed to flip me, not trip me!" "I'll show you flipping!" She charged him angrily, and he instinctively sidestepped and tripped her. Wham. Not the best tactic. She managed to sit up, grab his feet and throw him. She's strong, he thought, as the wall closed in on his face. ************ Michiru sat quietly and hoped that the man her parents wanted her to marry didn't look like his butler, who was incredibly short and twice as ugly. Not that she cared about how men looked too much, but even she had limits. Her uncle Shige sat nearby, looking nervous as well. "He's very handsome. I've seen pictures." Michiru suspected he was lying; he'd said this earlier, but wouldn't show them to her. The man, her future fiancee (against her wishes), walked into the room. He was indeed handsome, with short slightly curly black hair, dressed well in a nice navy blue suit, well muscled with serious blue eyes. If she HAD to marry a man, he at least looked the part. A woman entered with him, clearly a relative, with long black hair and big bangs, gathered back in a pony-tail. She wore a black dress decorated with red and white roses with poufy sleeves and a skirt down to her ankles. Delicate red slippers covered her feet, with white stockings. But her face... she was lovely, but there was something crazed about her strangely intense violet eyes. Just looking at her made Michiru nervous. The man looked around the room, then stared at Michiru. Their eyes met, and his took on a dangerous intensity, almost glowing. He had looked serious, but now he smiled. "Are you Kaiou Michiru?" She nodded. "Yes." He was handsome, but she could tell her beauty affected him far more than his affected her. She had almost hoped he would be gay, so they could get married but have affairs on the side and not have to worry about hurt feelings. But clearly, he was smitten. It was flattering, for what that was worth. "And you are Kunou Tatewaki?" He pulled out a bouquet of roses from...somewhere. She couldn't imagine where he could have been hiding it, but it was nice. In a second, he was by her side, pressing the roses into her hands. She could smell his lemon scented cologne, and the soft smell of the roses. "A rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet. But it would not be so lovely as you, fair maiden. I am Kunou Tatewaki, and though I am but the humble son of a madman, I would gladly marry you." She flushed slightly. What a way to talk about one's parents, though it was likely true in her own case, she was sure. "And I am but the humble daughter of...a madman and madwoman as well," she said, laughing slightly. "My brother is NOT crazy!" Shige said. "Where is your father, Tatewaki?" "We finally had him committed, although we expected him to escape by now," the woman said. "I am Kunou Kodachi, younger sister of Tatewaki. While he has a very tiny brain, I've seen the effects of a larger one on my father and have concluded it is perhaps better he be an idiot than a lunatic." Kunou rounded on her. "I, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, will not stand for such a thing!" Kodachi swept his feet with one leg, sending him sprawling on the floor. "Then sit." A sibling brawl was soon in progress, while Michiru and Shige simply watched and prayed this was a bad dream. ************ Naru walked close to Ranma as he escorted her home. Very close. Ranma was incredibly nervous because he knew what she was planning; his other self had helped her make the plan. Pretty soon, they'd reach the Crown Cafe, and then she would casually ask him if he wanted to grab something to eat. Then while they ate, she would ask him if he wanted to go see 'Three Word Movie', the new Segal flick. Basically, it was a plan to very surreptitiously maneuver him into a first date without calling it such. Ranma was pretty proud of the plan, especially since it would get him a free meal and a free movie. Then it struck him. The man was generally expected to pay in this sort of thing. But he didn't have any money...and if he did, it wouldn't be free, now would it. Busted, he thought. Naru was rambling on about homework or something. He had zoned out. "Hmm. Maybe we should take a shortcut." "Hmm? Naah, I'm in no hurry to do my homework. I AM kinda hungry, though," she said, glancing over at the Crown Cafe, perhaps to be sure it was still there. "You hungry?" "Who me? I..." RUMBLE. His stomach sounded loud enough to destroy the Earth. "Uh, yeah." "My treat." She said. "As payment for today's lesson." She took him by the hand and dragged him up the stairs to the cafe, which was over an arcade. "You sound ready to eat a bear." "Yeah." They went past a moustached father and his young daughter in the booth nearest the stairs to the second booth and sat down. "WAITRESS!!!" The food was good, and he ate more than usual. I can't believe I'm so hungry, he thought. He also started to feel sleepy. He looked over and saw Naru had passed out, snoring faintly onto her plate. He almost took a nap himself, except that he noticed someone was peeping over the dividing booth wall behind Naru. Someone wearing a samurai helmet. Diamond. Quickly, Ranma made a tactical plan. First, distract Diamond. Second, pick up Naru. Third, leap out the window. Fourth, get to the temple where Grandpa and Rei can take care of Naru. Fifth, find Diamond and kick his stupid ass. He faked passing out, allowing himself to slowly slump over, and grabbing a handful of fries as he did so. Diamond, accompanied by a tall, well built woman in a long yellow dress, came into view. The woman began to reach for Naru, while Diamond slowly began to reach for Ranma. He grinned. The handful of fries went flying into Diamond's face. The woman got half a glass of Dr. Pepper in her face, courtesy of Ranma's free hand. Then he flipped over the table, grabbed Naru, and leaped through the plate glass window, which shattered nicely. For just a moment, it could have been mistaken for an event in a cyberpunk story. Diamond shouted imprecations through the window, then Ranma heard someone shout "FIRE SOUL!" and Diamond was limned in flame. The flames soon went out and now a cloud of soapy bubbles erupted through the window. Ranma blinked. Had the two people started fighting each other? Naru, cradled in Ranma's arms, woke up. "Ranma-sensei?" "There's youma up there, Naru. I'm getting you to safety." The sprint back to the temple took only two minutes where walking the distance had taken ten. Ranma was fast. Naru clung to Ranma, looking back over his shoulder and listening to the fading explosions. "My house is the other way, Ranma-sensei." "I'm taking you to the temple. I think the Sacred Fire and Grandpa can protect you while I go kick some monster butt." "I...I've got a..." She fell silent. Eiko might get mad if I tell someone, she thought. "Are you sure you can handle fighting monsters?" "It's my duty as a martial artist." He sprinted into the temple, where Grandpa was sweeping up. "Where's Rei?" he asked. "I think she and Ami went to the mall." He looked at Ranma and Naru and smiled. "I hadn't realized you'd gotten so close." Ranma almost dropped Naru, but he put her down instead. "I was just trying to get her here quickly so she'd be safe. Take care of her, Grandpa! I have to go stomp some monsters!" "Have fun storming the castle!" he shouted after Ranma as Ranma sped off. "Storming the castle?" Naru asked. He looked at her assessingly. "I'm starting to think I made a mistake waiting for us to raise enough money to get his father out of hock." "..." Grandpa shook his head. "Let me get you a broom. And a proper outfit for sweeping. I'll be right back." ************ The brawl had died down, eventually. Shige had gone with Kodachi to visit the Kunou patriarch at the loony bin, while Michiru walked about the mansion with Kunou, trying to keep him from touching her. He kept trying to embrace her, kiss her, fondle her, etc. She was used to fending off men with wandering hands; too many past musical partners had gotten the wrong idea. It was starting to wear on her nerves. Putting up with him until her parents got back, and she beat them to death wasn't going to be easy, she was sure. They finally ended up in the music room, which had three harps, a set of silver flutes of fine craftsmanship, twelve brightly painted ukuleles, four violins, and a piano. There was a shelf of books of sheet music for various instruments, one of which was set up at the piano. He sat down at the piano. "I feel inspired to play something for you." She wandered over to the violins. One was new, most of them looked quite old. "How old are these?" As he paged through the music at the piano, he said, "I have no idea. Mother played the violin and the flute. Kodachi prefers the harp. Father likes ukuleles, and I do the piano. I think Mother once said some fellow named Stratford made one of the violins." Raising an eyebrow, she turned. "Not Stradivarius?" "It could have been Susanoo for all I know, but that does sound right." She picked up the oldest one and checked it. It needed a little tuning, which she went to work on. He was still rustling through music, then ran over to the shelf and began to frantically go through the papers. "Blast it. To find a piece of music to match your loveliness, that is a true challenge for this samurai." As she tuned the violin, she asked, "How long have you been taking piano lessons?" "Mother started me at age three," he said, going through the books at what was probably too quick a speed to really find anything. "Same for me and the violin," she said, finishing, then beginning to play a piece she had been practicing. The music was soothing, and she ignored the frantic paper shuffling in the background. Soon, she didn't have to. The rustling stopped, and seconds later, she heard him playing the same tune. It took him a little while to catch up, but soon, they played in unison, the room full of music, carrying her away from thoughts of her lunatic engagement. She was sorry when it came to an end; he was a good musician, though she had already learned he had a brain the size of a pea. An idiot savant, perhaps. I'll just have to play constantly when he's around, like the Pied Piper, she thought. When they finished, three people applauded from the doorway. Shige was there with Kodachi and an older man who had to be Kunou's father. The man was dressed in a Hawaiian shirt, blue shorts, and shades and...had a palm tree growing from his forehead. "..." "Ahh, what a lovely wahine!" Kunou, sr. said. "But her hair be being too long. Easily fixed!" He whipped out a pair of shears and charged. Michiru now understood why the man had been sent to the asylum and why he would soon have to be sent to the hospital. ************ Things were not going well at the Crown center. Mars and Mercury had never fought two monsters at the same time; Jadeite never actually fought, he just ran off once his monster got spanked. And these two were tougher than the average monster. One of them sucked out people's life force and fired it; she'd drained most of the people in the cafe and had a LOT of life force to fire. And the other one was well armored and a deadly combatant as well; his sword cut through just about anything. Mars fought him while Mercury fought the woman. If only I could get close enough to punch her, Mercury thought. But she fires those blasts too...wait, there's something in her hands... Her visor clicked down and her targeting computer activated. A hundred yen coin. That's what it was. She seemed to need it to fire her blasts. But how to get it out of her hands? Then an idea struck her. She ran into the kitchen with the woman, who Diamond called 'Turquoise', in hot pursuit. The kitchen was full of interesting foodstuffs, simmering pots and pans, and lots of hanging utensils. All of which Mercury started grabbing and throwing at Turquoise, who was soon screaming loudly, covered with hot grease, boiling water, sauces, noodles, half cooked burgers, and other substances that make poor fashion accessories. She had dropped her coin and was trying to fumble around for it. Mercury felt bad attacking her the frantic woman, but she pressed the attack anyway; she had to beat her and youma never surrendered. She looked so human, though, and it made Mercury intensely uncomfortable. She launched a flying kick; big mistake. Yes, it did take down her opponent. But the kitchen was still full of too much stuff. Now it was Mercury's turn to scream as hot water fell on her and an entire rack of plates fell and shattered around her. She staggered to her feet, a gooey, bruised mess. Then she saw the woman. She was unconscious, reverted to her child form, a little eight year old, maybe even younger, wearing a dress ten sizes too big. Time to finish her off, Mercury thought. A good butcher knife would do it. She stood over the youma for long moments, then realized not all the water on her face had been spilled on it. She was crying. I can't do it. I can't kill a child, even if she turns into a youma. Her grip slipped and the knife clattered to the floor. I'll...I'll come back for her, Mercury thought. She won't go anywhere. Out in the dining room, Mars was running around screaming, jumping from table to table as Diamond sliced them up. "Do something, Mercury! I need some breathing space! I can't do my attack and run for my life at the same time! Just give me twenty seconds and I'll take him down!" "Geez, what a mess," a female voice said from one of the windows. Mercury took a look at her; Mars no doubt was curious but was too busy trying to avoid death. It was a woman, with long red hair that ran halfway down her back, and arched up in front in huge bangs parted on one side. Her bright blue eyes were somewhat shrouded by thick glasses, and she wore a cheery straw hat which clashed horribly with the rest of her clothing, since she was dressed in a blue flowered kimono, rather loosely tied, and she was carrying a diamond sword that looked exactly like the one Diamond had. "Okay, punk! Let's try it again!" Diamond turned and stared at her. "Your cheap disguise may fool others, but I know you! You're the girl from the park. Although you did have shorter hair, then." "Oh yeah, right. And how exactly did I grow my hair halfway down my back in two days?" "Uh...ummm...hey, if you've got magic powers like me, it would be EASY!" "Uhh..." Mercury did a quick sensor scan of the girl. She was magical. So was the sword, but it was two different kinds of magic. Three, really; the girl had fire and water magic, while the sword was matter magic. "Well, she does have magic powers." The redhead blinked. "I do?" "You want a fight?" Diamond said. "Fine!" He charged at the redheaded woman. "Now you DIE!" Mercury ran over to Mars and whispered, "I think she might be another senshi! Maybe even the Moon Princess." "What do you mean?" "She's got fire AND water magic!" Mercury whispered. Swords met, and the battle began. It was clear that the redhead was faster and more agile, but it was also clear that Diamond knew far more about swords than the woman did. This would be a substantial fight. Mars said, "How the hell could someone have both?" "I don't know. My computer is guessing maybe she's Neptune. She's the other water senshi." "Is there another fire senshi?" "Venus does light, not fire. Her water magic energy is stronger than her fire magic. Well, we can talk to her afterwards." Mars nodded. "I just need an opening..." Diamond grunted as their blades locked in place. "You're strong, girl. What's your name?" "Eowyn." She sounded a little uncertain. "What's your name?" "Diamond." Her eyes narrowed. "You aren't Diamond." He lost his grip and she nearly shoved his sword aside. "What do you mean I'm not Diamond?" "Diamond would have never joined Beryl! NEVER!" Mercury wasn't sure why the girl was so vehement about this, but now she was pissed off. "And he didn't hide his face behind a stupid looking helmet, either!" She was driving him back now; every blow had the strength of frenzy behind it. "SHOW YOURSELF!" "You're hardly one to speak of disguising who you are!" He aimed a blow which went wide of her. She started to laugh and then he sliced through the table she was on. She fell, and now he had the advantage. Mercury had an inspiration. She turned to Mars and said, "You know, his back is wide open." "But if I miss, I'll char her!" Mercury picked up a chair. "I didn't say with fire." Mars smiled and grabbed two handy glass bottles. "I've always wanted to do this just once." Three on one was too much for Diamond, who decided to make a break for it. He managed to break out of the circle and ran into the kitchen. They gave chase, but the flash of light told them he was gone, with Turquoise. Eowyn stopped short and frowned. "Not again! He always does that!" Sailor Mercury stepped forward. "Thanks a lot. I'm Sailor Mercury." Eowyn shook her hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm...Eowyn. And you must be Sailor Mars." She turned to Sailor Mars and stuck her hand out. Mars shook it. I can feel it, she thought. The fire in her. It's not too strong, but I can feel it. I wonder if Ami felt the water magic when they touched. "You're a good fighter." She looks kinda familiar, Mars thought. "You said something about Beryl?" Mercury asked. "How do you know about her? She's leading the people we're fighting; we know that." Her fingers typed in a data search on 'Eowyn'. It came up two seconds later: EOWYN, DAUGHTER OF EOWULF BORN 978 SM SAILOR MARS, 992-1002 SM ENGAGED TO GUARDIAN JADEITE, 1001-2 SM. POWERS: FIRE AND SPIRIT More information rattled on. Mercury stared at in confusion. She can't BE Sailor Mars. Rei is Sailor Mars. "I...I don't know. It just...it just came out. He can't have been Diamond! He can't!" She shuddered. "I don't know why, but it's just not possible. I...I have to go now." "We'd like to talk to you a while longer," Sailor Mars said. "But if you have to go. Can you meet us at the park tonight at eight?" "I'll...I'll try." She fled out the door and down the stairs. "Why is she running away?" Mars muttered. "I don't know, but she has the same name you did in the Silver Millenium." "WHAT?" "Here, look." ************* Ranma-chan shook her head. I'm a lunatic. I could have destroyed all of Naru's clothing I borrowed...I should have forgotten about the sword. I could have beaten him without it. But once I took it, I needed to look like a girl so he wouldn't learn about my curse and...and...what the hell was I thinking? The Senshi were real; she knew that now. And one of them...she had fire power. And the other water. She had felt it when she shook hands with them. And...Eowyn? Why did I use that name? It's not even the one I gave Naru. She sat down on the roof of a building near Osa-P. Gotta go home; but where am I gonna get hot water? Ahh...the cafe. Perfect. ************** Naru fretted quietly. Grandpa Hino kept giving her funny looks, but not his normal ones. He seemed to think she was going to explode or something. Rei walked in. "Hi, Naru! Helping Grandpa out?" "Have you seen Ranma? He hasn't come back and I'm worried about him." Tilting her head curiously, Rei said, "Didn't he leave here with you before I did?" "There was a monster attack. He saved me, and took me here, and then he went back to go fight the monsters, and...he hasn't come back yet and I'm worried about him." "What, at the Crown Cafe?" "Yeah!" "It's over. The cops were all over the place. I didn't see Ranma there." "I just..." Footsteps doubletimed up the stairs. Ranma came sprinting in, carrying a box of food. "I decided to go get us some more food once I saw the fight was over," he said. "By the time I got back to the cafe, the Senshi had taken down whoever they were fighting. And some redhead with a diamond sword trampled me." Covered all my bases, he thought. Naru ran over. "You're so thoughtful, Ranma!" Rei frowned. She shouldn't fawn on him so much, Rei thought. His ego will expand and he'll explode. Yes, it's for his own good that he not get so much adulation. "This is the guy who keeps leaving the toilet seat up?" "Why, are you going to fall in if I don't?" Ranma fired back. "Try looking before you sit." Naru took the box of food and sat down. "Donuts. Cool." "It's called BASIC POLITENESS! You should leave the seat down for people who want to use it that way!" "What about those of us who DON'T?" "What, you going to claim you never..." "Okay, sometimes I do, but still...geez, it's not like you can't move it yourself. Or are you too FEEBLE to?" Rei stormed over to Ranma. "I am NOT feeble!" "Or maybe you can't think clearly enough to put it down first." "Says the guy who got a five on his first math quiz!" "I missed a year! I don't know this...whatever we're doing. Hey, how'd you find out about my grade? We don't even go to the same school!" "A little bird told me!" Phobos, to be precise. "What, are you Sheena, Queen of the Jungle?" "Better than being Tarzan's dumber brother, like you!" Grandpa came over. "Now, now, calm down you two." "WE ARE CALM!" they shouted. ************ Ami sat on her bed, talking to Luna. "Do you remember any red haired senshi with fire and water powers? Neptune maybe?" "Nope. Neptune could control almost any kind of energy EXCEPT fire. Also, she had dominion over water. That was her strongest point, but she had a lot of power over many kinds of energy. Especially sound. She did wonderful things with music. And her hair was green. You can't control fire and water at the same time." "Eowyn's got fire and water magic." Luna frowned. "But that's supposed to be impossible." "And she called herself Eowyn." Shaking her kitty head, Luna said, "No way. Eowyn was Sailor Mars." "Was she really engaged to Jadeite? I don't think Rei noticed when I showed her, but..." "Jadeite was one of Prince Endymion of Earth's Guardians. Beryl corrupted four of them and the other four...the last I knew they were out in the outer planets fighting Beryl's minions there. The Inner Guardians were Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoicite, and Kunzite. The Outer Guardians were Ruby, Diamond, Sapphire, and Opal." Ami gasped faintly. "Diamond? The youma leader we fought today...was named Diamond. Or so he said." "If she corrupted the Outer Guardians as well..." Luna's eyes widened. "Well, it would explain how everything got destroyed, but...we could be doomed. They were very powerful. So were the Outer Senshi, but I don't know if they even have been reborn. How did you defeat him?" "He ran away when we triple-teamed him." She frowned. "It doesn't sound like Diamond...but...then again, the old Diamond would never have served Beryl. He was a good man, though a little obsessive at times. Wait...triple teamed?" "I told you. This girl, Eowyn, helped us. She was good. Could she be one of the Senshi?" "Maybe. Could it have been..." "Naru's hair isn't that long and the style was wrong. I don't know who it could be." ************ Michiru sat quietly at the dinner table and picked at her food. I have to get out of this, she thought. I'll become a raving madwoman myself if I have to marry Tatewaki. Dealing with his father alone would make anyone crazy. "Uncle Shige, how soon will my parents be back?" "I'm fairly certain they'll end this once we tell them." He wouldn't look at her, which was usually a crucial sign he was lying. "But how long do I have to put up with this?" "Just a week." Time to see about contracting some horrible disease that only lasts a week, she thought. ************ The duel of words had become a duel of tongues and eye pulls at each other; Naru was beginning to suspect it would turn into mooning each other soon. She stomped over. "That's enough! You're acting like idiots!" They both blinked at her. "Anyway, Ranma-sensei needs to finish walking me home. You can fight later." Ranma let himself be dragged away. Rei watched him go. "He's so...infuriating!" "I think he likes you," Grandpa said. "I think you're CRAZY! How could anyone who liked someone have a fight like that with them?" "You did." "I did not!" "Don't try to tell me you didn't have a fight with Ranma." Putting her hands on her hips, Rei said, "I could never fall in love with an infuriating macho jerk like that!" "Especially if someone else started making moves on him first before you could get up the courage to." "Exac...you won't trap me like that, old man!" "I was waiting to tell you this until we get Ranma's father out of hock, but...you're engaged to Ranma." "WHAT?" "Genma Saotome served here for three years as penance for the things his old martial arts sensei made him do. Once he felt purified, he married Ranma's mother, Nodoka. And he promised me that one day, our lines would be joined by the marriage of one of his children to one of my descendants. You are my only grandchild, and he is Genma's only child. So you are the ones who will marry!" Grandpa clapped his hands. "It is fate." "You are a COMPLETE LUNATIC!" "It is fate. You are both children of fire. Fire burns in your heart and his. And one day, two fires will be one." "Why didn't you tell us this right off?" "I wanted to give you the chance to get to know each other first. And..." "And...?" "I wanted Genma to be here to share the resulting beating." "I'll wait for Ranma to get home so we can share this one." ************* Rei was waiting for Ranma, tapping her foot when he came in. It had been a long wait. He had been gone for hours. He came up the steps three at a time; it seemed to amuse him. "Where have you BEEN?" "Me and Naru-chan caught a movie. It was pretty cool, even though Segal wouldn't last five minutes against me; but I don't have enough money to make a cool movie. And then she like...took me to dinner to thank me for saving her earlier." He danced around on one foot, not quite looking at her. "Ranma. When you got here, you said you and your dad had a fight about you getting engaged to someone?" "Yeah, but I don't know who. Someone related to an old friend of Pop's. It had better not be Kasumi Tendo, or I'll go nuts." "Grandpa says that..." "Rei, you've like studied about evil goddesses and spirits and stuff, right?" "What?" "Ever heard of one called Beryl?" "Who told you about Beryl?" "I like helped the Sailor Senshi beat the crap out of this guy, Diamond, and in the middle of it...it was like...I got really pissed because he was claiming to be some guy...like I'd known him or something. I mean, I just spouted off something about how Diamond would never join Beryl ever. And...I don't know why." He looked more scared than Rei had ever seen him be, except for the cat incident. "I'm not like...I mean...They wanted to meet me this evening at the park, but...I don't know what to say to them. Or what to tell them...but this Diamond guy. I have to nail him. I have to. He's nearly killed Naru twice and he's got this kid who turns into an adult and drains people's life force and...you know, I never did find out what Mercury did to her." Rei stared. You're Eowyn...but your hair....how did it get so long? And where did you get a kimono and a diamond sword? "Maybe it was a flashback to a past life. Maybe you knew Diamond then." Maybe you were Diamond, she thought. I guess it's possible some of the Outer Guardians died and were reincarnated in this time. "And Beryl?" "She's behind the monster attacks, I've heard. That's all I know. Some sort of Queen from thousands of years ago, according to the legends." Ranma stared at the ground. "Do you think I should go?" "You really went toe to toe with the monsters and won?" "Yeah." He perked up a bit. "We kicked butt." You'll risk your life for people you don't even know, Rei thought, but you'll have a fight with your hostess over the way you leave the toilet seat up and won't even apologize for it. Men are so weird. "You probably should go meet with them." Ranma nodded. "I need a good monster fighting costume. I mean...I don't want to be recognized; the monsters might track me back here and attack. Are you any good at sewing?" "Let's see what we can whip up for you," Rei said. The engagement will keep, she thought. *********** Feldspar was taking a shower when Jadeite appeared. Luckily, he didn't appear INSIDE the shower. Feldspar was short, with blue-black hair flowing down to about the middle of her back, currently dripping wet. She had dark violet eyes and a well muscled figure. "You could knock first, you know." "How is the operation coming?" He didn't peep; she did have to give him credit for that. "Very well. Lots of people come, I get a good workout, they go home more exhausted than is natural and never realize the difference. And the Sailor Senshi haven't wrecked it yet." Feldspar scrubbed her hair and hoped the curtain was opaque enough. "Excellent. Diamond is keeping them busy." "I'm not going to be happy if you get him killed." Her voice rose a few decibels. "What's he doing?" "The usual idiocy." Jadeite shrugged. "But he's fought them twice and lived twice, so I have to give him some points for that. And Turquoise survived too. Now I just have to find out what Tourmaline is up to." "My sister is a mystery wrapped inside an enigma hidden in a question with a mousetrap attached that catches you if you try to touch her." Feldspar shrugged and got a bit more shampoo; long hair took more. Suds soon flew. "She's probably trying to use your youma to take over the Yakuza." An interesting idea, Jadeite thought. "He claims some redheaded woman is helping them. Know anything about her?" "I think mom dyed her hair red once. Probably not her, though." Not too likely she'd attack her own husband, Jadeite thought. "That's all you know?" "It wasn't me. Pass me the conditioner, will you?" He did so, snaking a hand around the curtain without looking. "Keep me briefed on your operation." "Will do." ************** Ranma-chan looked at herself dubiously in the mirror. Black pants. White blouse. A black bandana wrapped around her head and hair. Zorro mask. A nice black hat. A rapier. Where on earth did Rei find a rapier? Ranma-chan wondered. "So I take it I should tell them my name is Zorro when I show up." "Hey, that was a cool movie," Rei said. "And it's practical for fighting. Unlike one of Naru's kimonos." Ranma-chan nodded. "Good point. I can move in this, but it's different from my usual clothing. Well, I guess I'd best get going." She looked at herself one more time. "See ya!" She leaped out the window. Rei frowned. "You could thank me, you know!" There was no reply. Rei spent a few seconds fuming, then thought, I was supposed to meet Ami fifteen minutes ago...AAAA!!!!! ************ Sailor Mercury sat under a tree and fretted. Mars was late and so was Eowyn. Or whatever her true name was. Her computer's databanks and Luna's swiss cheese memory both had failed to find anyone who fit what little data they had on her. Eowyn came running up. "Sorry, I'm late!" She was wearing a different outfit; Mercury took a few seconds to recognize her. She had a rapier now, instead of a diamond blade. Mercury wondered how many different swords Eowyn had. "I had to change." "That's fine. I'm surprised Sailor Mars is late, though." Eowyn sat down on a handy park bench. "So, like, how did you become a Sailor Senshi?" "I'm the reincarnation of the last Sailor Mercury of the Silver Millenium, thousands of years ago. Queen Beryl destroyed the Moon Kingdom, which I was a guardian of. My guardian cat, who seems to be late also, Luna, was an advisor of Queen Serenity, who ruled the Moon Kingdom. She found me and Sailor Mars and awakened our powers." Sailor Mercury looked around, then sat down by Eowyn. "Is Eowyn your real name or your...fighting name?" "Fighting name. My real name is...Eiko. Eiko Masaki." Eowyn looked around, then said, "I got the name Eowyn from a book I read. She was a female warrior who killed the Witch-King. She kicked butt. I don't have a hobbit sidekick, but..." Sailor Mercury laughed, and then Sailor Mars ran up with Luna. "Sorry I'm late! I had to feed my...fish before I...left." She trailed off, looking nervous. Luna said, "Hmm. You look as strong as they said." Eowyn flexed. "I AM strong." She looked at Luna, then looked again, then blinked. "Do you have a sister?" "Umm...I had a sister. I'm sure she died a long time ago, though. Even faerie cats don't live forever," Luna said. "She was red and had a stubby tail, though. She was the King of Mars' advisor. And that moron Artemis is around this city somewhere, but he's white furred. And not really a relative." "Then you are Ami's pet," Eowyn said. "..." "Not too many cats running around with crescent moons on their head. She doesn't know, does she?" "I'm...um...pretty good at keeping my secret," Luna said. "She hasn't...caught me yet." Mercury laughed. "No discoursing on philosophy at the dinner table for her." "So, like where did this Beryl bink come from and why is she sending all these monsters?" Luna leaped up onto the park bench next to Eowyn. "Beryl was the ruler of the Gemworld, which is now the Asteroid belt. It was created as a prison for Metallia, an evil kami defeated by the founders of the Eleven Kingdoms. Several other kamis were defeated and imprisoned by the founders. For example, what you know as the 'Great Red Spot' on Jupiter is actually a storm prison for a powerful kami known as 'The Red Death'. Unfortunately, Metallia eventually broke free enough to gain control over Beryl and her other jailors, and Beryl freed her, then went on a rampage to take over all of the Kingdoms. The Gemworld shattered, and she managed to free The Red Death and the other imprisoned kamis. The Ten Kingdoms were devastated." Luna clambered into Eowyn's lap. Eowyn tensed slightly, then began to pet her clumsily, as if she had no experience petting cats. "Worst of all, Beryl corrupted four and possibly more of the Guardians of the Earth Kingdom, then used its army to attack and destroy the Moon Kingdom. Distraught, Queen Serenity tried to use the Silver Crystal to stop the attack, but things went awry, and everyone died. Although most were already dead. Beryl and her minions were banished to the Dark Kingdom, another dimension. The seals keeping them imprisoned must have eventually decayed. Now, Beryl seeks enough energy to revive Metallia and conquer Earth." Eowyn nodded. "And all the fallen of the Moon Kingdom reincarnated here." "Yes. We hope to find the Moon Princess, who should have reincarnated. She is our leader, and with her help and that of the Silver Crystal of the Moon, we can stop Beryl and reimprison Metallia." "How can we find them?" "My computer is running a program to search for the Crystal and the Princess," Mercury said. And meanwhile, we're just trying to stop as many of Jadeite's plans as we can." "And who is that?" The full briefing took quite a while. ********** When Eowyn finally departed as the meeting broke up, Mars said, "Are we going to tell her our secret identities next time?" "We need to be sure she's not a spy for Beryl," Luna said. "She isn't." Mars said, transforming back to normal Rei. "How can you be sure?" Ami asked as she detransformed. "I know her. She's no genius and can be pretty rude, but she's not a monster," Rei said. "Her father is another story from the tales she's told, but..." "You know her as Rei?" Luna asked. "I helped her dress up for this," Rei said. "Which is why I was late." Ami laughed, while Luna frowned. "You should have said something before!" "I have many secrets to keep," Rei said quietly. "So should I tell her?" "I say yes," Ami said. "She was honest with us." Not entirely honest, Rei thought. But I can't blame her. *********** "We're WHAT?" Ranma shouted at breakfast. "You and Rei are engaged. Since before you were born. I'm sure you'll be very happy together," Grandpa said, hiding under the table. "I ain't got time for no engagement! I gotta get rid of this stupid curse. And I wanna PICK who I marry!" "Same for me," Rei said. "Since your parents died, I have been your legal guardian, and I have every right, as is traditional, to set your marriage," Grandpa said. "It is part of the ways which you have learned here. Or do you choose to reject them and try to live on your own?" Rei frowned and fell silent, fuming. Ranma simply punted Grandpa out the window, then fumed. *********** While there was no actual thunderstorm at the Hino Temple that day, most of the neighbors thought there was, with good reason. After her phone conversation with her father, Rei looked about ready to unleash the Sacred Fire on the entire building. Ranma fled out of the temple; he wasn't happy either, but he didn't want to face the wrath of Rei. He began going roof to roof, taking a look around the neighborhood, a nice relaxing run, to get his worries off his mind and scout for potential monster attacks. He had the communicator that Luna gave him in his pocket. I wonder if I've met the Senshi in their civilian identities, he thought. I suppose I'll find out soon enough. The Crown Game Arcade looked inviting as he passed by, so he headed in, where the friendly clerk, a college student named Motoki, waved hello. "Hey, I've seen you with Rei. You her new boyfriend?" he asked. Ranma winced. "Don't go telling no one but our parents decided to engage us to each other without asking us." Umino spun around from the 'Things to do in Tomobiki when you're electrocuted' video game he had been playing. "So you're officially engaged to Rei Hino? Woo! And I got the scoop first!" "Don't you go telling nobody nothing!" Ranma shouted, waving his fist. "I'll just write it, then!" I'm dead, Ranma thought. Bury me now. Shrugging it off, he turned to Motoki. "I guess she isn't too bad for a self-centered egomaniac, but I don't wanna marry her." "We've got the new Evangelion Fighting Game where you try to see how many ways you can kill Gendo," Motoki said. "If you want to work out some aggression." "Sounds like a deal." *********** Later, Ranma picked up some posters that Grandpa had ordered and started working on getting them posted everywhere. He was a little nervous about teaching large numbers of students, but it would be the only way to get enough money to get his dad back, although he was often of two minds about the whole idea. It was the honorable thing to do, though, and even though Ranma didn't usually spend his time worrying about honor, deep down he did care about his father, although he would never have admitted it. As he was starting to run out of posters, he spotted a similar one for a new dojo. 'The Dojo of the Four Clouds, home of Anything Goes Martial Arts.' He blinked. That's our style! The chief instructor, who didn't look much older than Ranma, a cute woman with blue-black hair down to about her mid-back and big violet eyes, was dressed in a brown and yellow gi, striking an attack pose. 'Want to learn to kick butt? Come on by. We've got plans suitable for everyone, no matter how pathetic you may be now. In just one month, you'll be crushing your enemies under your heels and listening to the lamentations of their loved ones.' "Yeesh," Ranma said. "Martial Arts ain't supposed to be about making no people cry." "Yeah, but she wears tight clothing, and she has a nice butt," Komatsu said. Suddenly, he was near Ranma, looking over his shoulder. "Although Rei has a nice butt too, so making up my mind won't be easy." He was a little shorter than Ranma, but much heavier, with short brown hair. Ranma knew him vaguely from school. "Seen her naked yet?" Ranma nearly jumped out of his skin. How did a lardball like Komatsu sneak up on me? The guy was quiet; Ranma had to give him that. "No, I ain't seen her naked. I wouldn't want to see Rei naked if you PAID me. So you've been to this other dojo?" "Yeah. I started lessons there on Thursday. The instructor's a babe, although she's kinda young to be a teacher." He got into a sloppy combat stance. "I was so tired, I about died, but I found out something important." "What?" "She doesn't wear a bra!" he cackled. Ranma rolled his eyes. I don't wear one either, he thought. "Also, she's really, really strong. Probably stronger than you." "As if. The woman ain't been born that's stronger than me." Besides Kasumi, a little voice whispered to him, but he ignored it. "What makes you think that?" "She shattered a stone block with her bare hands!" "Big deal. So could I." Komatsu smiled a big smile. "Wanna put your money where your mouth is?" Sucker, Ranma thought. "Damn straight." ********** Komatsu almost cried as he handed over 1000 yen to Ranma. "I can't believe you can shatter a boulder!" Ranma was a little surprised himself. He could break bricks, but he'd never actually broken a boulder proper. He was almost as surprised that Komatsu had found a boulder, but there seemed to be several lying around by the river. There was a huge splash, and Ranma had to leap to avoid getting wet. Looking over, he saw a woman on the far side of the river, the woman from the posters. She was hefting a second boulder. He stared in shock. It had to weigh at least a ton. He could break it, but he was sure he couldn't have lifted it. It wasn't even making her sweat. I thought I LEFT the Amazon village, Ranma thought. For no apparent reason, she hurled the second boulder into the river. There was a massive splash this time; Ranma was too shocked to dodge. The change was swift; Komatsu was still down on the ground, sopping wet by the time it finished. The woman turned and strode away, looking satisfied. "Whaddya do THAT for?" Ranma shouted, but the woman didn't answer. Komatsu staggered to his feet. "See? No bra and very strong. My kind of woman...Ranma?" "Who's Ranma?" Ranma-chan bluffed. "My name is Eiko Masaki." Komatsu took off his glasses, cleaned them, and then stared through them. "You're dressed like Ranma, but...you've got no bra on!" Ranma-chan stepped back a step. "What, this Ranma person wears one?" In seconds, Komatsu was by Ranma-chan's side. "So, your name is Eiko?" Ranma-chan laughed nervously. "Yeah." She started to back up, but Komatsu advanced relentlessly. "I...umm...attend T&A Academy with Rei." "Yeah, I can see that," he said, looking her up and down. "Hmm. That would explain why she has such a...anyway, you ever posed naked for any magazines?" "NO!" Ranma-chan shouted. "I ain't gonna go wiggling my chest for some guy!" "Lesbian, eh?" "YES!" Ranma-chan shouted, not entirely sure what a lesbian was. "Even better. Get a lesbian into your bed and everyone knows you're a stud," Komatsu said, stepping forward again. "I bet I could change your mind!" Like an avenging angel, Naru suddenly swept down the bank, grabbed Ranma-chan's arm, and dragged her away. "Beat it, Komatsu." "Hey! We were just getting to know each other!" He waved his arms futilely as Naru and Ranma-chan scaled the bank to the street. "He's not really a bad guy, but he is a major pervert," Naru said to Ranma-chan. "Wanna get some ice cream with me?" "Sounds good to me," Ranma-chan said. They sat down at the ice cream shop, settling down into a booth. Their waitress, who was about their age, with short auburn hair, came up and said, "Hi, I'm Miki. What can I do for you?" "Give me a double scoop of vanilla and chocolate," Naru said. "Gimme a lemon parfait with some cherries and whipped cream," Ranma-chan said. I can't eat something like this as a guy, but when I'm a girl...I can go hog wild. "You'll gain ten thousand pounds!" Naru said. "I get so much exercise, I gotta eat like a pig or I'd shrivel up and die." Ranma-chan said. "And I don't eat ice cream often, anyway." "Anyway, so when I find him, he's going to die," a gruff voice said from the next booth. "I'll kill Genma first, then Ranma." The waitress nodded. "Coming right up!" she scampered off. Ranma-chan froze up like a deer in headlights. Someone wants to kill me and Pop? "Man, you're just too vengeful, although I can't blame you," the other man said. "You really think you'll ever find them?" "Ranma is in Tokyo. I can just smell it," the first guy said. "I'll crush...her!" Ranma-chan relaxed. It must be a coincidence. The only people who wanna kill me in this form are those two Amazons. I didn't MEAN to eat their prize. She sighed. "Are you okay, Eiko?" Naru asked. "I wonder if they're talking about my Ranma." "Well, your Ranma isn't a girl, and they're talking about a woman," Ranma-chan said. "Given they sound like one of them wants to kill this person, I'm glad about that," Naru said. Miki brought them their food, which they dug into, right as the two guys in the other booth got up. One looked vaguely familiar to Ranma, although he couldn't think of where he might have met a dark haired boy with a giant spatula. The other, an attractive blond, was completely alien to Ranma-chan, so she relaxed completely. Obviously it's just a coincidence, she thought. She finished before Naru, despite having twice as much food. "You eat like a pig!" Naru said. "I had to learn to eat fast on the road," Ranma- chan said. "And it was yummy." Naru looked over at the window. "Look, it's a cute kitty!" A black cat had gotten up onto the windowsill and was looking into the room. Ranma-chan still didn't like cats, even if she was no longer reduced to tears by them, but she did have to admit it was cute. Looks like Luna, Ranma-chan thought. Then she spotted the yellow crescent moon. It IS Luna, she thought. "I'll be right back." "Okay." She slipped into the bathroom and got out her little keypad communicator. Luna soon answered the call. "Yes, Eowyn?" "I saw you lurking outside the window. You need me?" "Huh? I'm on Ami's bed right now." "But...There's a cat just like you right outside the window!" "Black with a crescent moon?" "Could be your evil twin. Or good twin." "Stay where you are. I'll be right there." When Ranma-chan heard two guys talking and realized she'd gone into the men's room, she soon knew she was going to stay RIGHT there in the stall where she had hidden for quite a while. ************ Naru began to worry after Eiko didn't come out of the bathroom. When she went in to look for her, she worried even more, because unless Eiko had become a dust particle, she simply wasn't there. A tiny part of her brain wondered if Eiko had fallen in and flushed herself, but the much more sensible part was pretty sure that was impossible. Just as Naru paid the bill and went to look outside, Eiko finally popped up. "Sorry about that. I...went into the wrong bathroom and had to hide." Naru laughed. "I've done that. I bet the men all left the seats up." Ranma-chan blushed slightly. "Yeah." She looked around. Where is Luna? Luna sprinted up, jumping onto Ranma-chan's shoulder and whispering, "Where is she?" Ranma-chan looked around. "Did you see where that cat went, Naru?" Naru petted Luna. "This one? It must have just been Luna." Ranma-chan and Luna never did find the other cat. *********** Ranma-chan got in late. Rei was sitting in the living room, doing homework. "Don't you EVER do homework?" she sniped. "Hey, I was putting up posters to get more students so I can earn money to buy back Pop. Looks like I may have a rival teacher. She's strong, but I think most of her students like her because she doesn't wear a bra." "Well, you'll be able to compete with her then," Rei said. "So have you done your homework?" "Hmm. Did I have homework..." Ranma-chan frowned. "Well, it's too late to do it now. I need to work out and take a shower before bed." "Do you take ANYTHING seriously besides martial arts?" Rei asked, frowning. "My friends. My new job fighting monsters. I'll probably have to save their butts every time, but they take it seriously too. And one of them is really smart. I was impressed. And the other one has a really good power. And she's cute. She could give you lessons." Ranma-chan wandered towards the kitchen. "Although they need better shoes for their combat uniforms. You can't fight in high heels." "Whaddya mean she could give me lessons?" Rei flared up. "I'm twenty times better looking than..." Myself, she thought, feeling silly. He means Sailor Mars. "You think Sailor Mars is cute?" "They're both cute, but Sailor Mars was a lot cuter...how'd you know which one I meant?" Ranma-chan turned around. Rei blushed. "A...uh...a little bird told me." "You sent one of your ravens to spy on us?" Ranma-chan looked shocked. "You know about..." "I saw you talking to them, and I know priestesses talk to animals and stuff." Should I tell him? It would be embarrassing if he...she looked at him. He is kinda cute, she thought. Maybe this won't be so bad after all. "You see, I'm..." "Kind of a stupid power compared to fire, but still, I guess you'd make a good star for a Doctor Doolittle remake." He turned to head into the kitchen. "My Shinto powers are NOT stupid!" she shouted, throwing her coffee cup at him. Still full of coffee. Watching Ranma-chan change was surreal; Rei was sure she would never entirely get used to it. "Whaddya do THAT for?" "Insulting the kamis!" "You ain't no kami!" By the time they finished shouting, it was too late for either of them to finish their homework. ************ "I found her," the black cat reported to her allies, two humans and two cats. "I still think this is a bad idea." "Honor demands it," the leader of the expedition, who was human, rather than a cat, said. "She broke Amazon law. Soon. Soon we strike."