This chapter was produced by the power of Pretzel and Nacho Combos.
The second half is credited to the eating of Dolly Madison Ice
Cream. The third half owes its creation to Crispy M&Ms and Doritos.

This fic is SM/Ranma with a dash of Star Trek and an underlying
flavor of Wheel of Time.


                    "Alterations and Revisions"
                              Chapter 4
                         Beky Sarver NeRichnead


     It was bright and sunny morning. Our heroes were up early
making final preparations for their extrachronological trip. Well,
MOST of our heroes were preparing for their journeys.
     Ranma, as always, was the exception. He was sitting at the
table eating breakfast with Akane, Hotaru, and Kasumi. Well, *he*
was eating. They were still hugging and chattering the way they had
all night... the very same night that they were supposed to be
resting. He sighed. Why was Akane such an uncute.... Where had that
thought come from?
     He mentally slapped himself. Just because he looked eighteen
did not mean he had to act or think puerilely. This was just a new
body, nothing more.
     Soun walked into the dining room yawning. "Good morning."
     Akane disengaged from her daughter. "Good morning, father. Did
you sleep well?"
     He nodded. "Yes." Then he saw Hotaru. A dark suspicion crossed
his mind. "Ranma, how could you do this to Akane? Yet another
fiancee? She's barely eleven."
     Hotaru's eyes widened. "What?"
     Ranma stood quietly and faced Soun Tendo. Then he bowed
formally. He spoke even more formally. "Sir, may I assure you that
I intend to marry your daughter Akane, and only her, at the first
opportunity?"
     Mr. Tendo blinked furiously. He seemed to be doing a lot of
that lately. "You mean, you want to get married? Really?"
     Akane came and stood next to Ranma. She said defensively, "We
ARE getting married. It's out of your hands now, Dad."
     Mr. Tendo began to weep tears of joy. "My little girl is
getting married!"
     As he began to wail, Genma was revealed to be standing behind
him. His voice was stern. "Ranma, what about your other fiancees?"
     Ranma faced him calmly. "Shampoo is betrothed to Mousse now.
Ukyo has freed me from any engagement that the two of us might have
been in. Akane is the only one I love."
     Genma glared. "Ranma, there's obviously something wrong with
you. You haven't trained in days." He paused. "There's something
wrong with your mind. I can't allow you to marry Akane. Not until
your better."
     Ranma's eyes were ice. "Isn't that a bit out of character for
you. No matter. There's nothing wrong with me." He paused. "I've
been considering these past days, and I've managed to get past some
of the conditioning you subjected me to. I'm not a fighting
machine, I'm a man. I remember that until I was six I had a mother
who loved me. I've gotten over my fear of cats, because I remember
our gentle pet cat Shigoshi that we had when I was young. I have
applied my honor not just to fighting, but to living. I love Akane,
and I won't be swayed from my decision. Besides, YOU don't have any
say."
     Genma's eyes glittered dangerously. "You're still a minor,
boy. You can't marry without my permission."
     Sure, a 946 year old minor. Ranma snorted. "I intend to ask
my mother. She deserves a chance to be at my wedding."
     Genma chuckled. "You know she'll make you commit sepukku.
You're such a MANLY man, after all." He picked up a convenient
glass of water and tossed it at Ranma.
     The contents of the glass simply dripped slowly down the pig
tailed boy's face. He laughed. "That the best you can do, Pop? I'm
going to meet my mother again. And obtain her blessing for my
marriage. You don't matter anymore."
     Genma was panicking now. He fell to his knees before Ranma.
"Please, don't! She'll kill me!"
     Ranma shrugged. "You have a chance to run, if you want. It's
what you always do, isn't it? So go ahead. Run before I tell my
mother where you are."
     Genma ran out the door. Akane came up beside her love. "Do
you think he'll stay gone?"
     Ranma was back to his former demeanor. "Nah, the old man will
run to the next district, get his meager strength together and come
back. He always does." His eyes softened at the sight of her. "But
we WILL be getting married. I'll find my mother today."
     Akane frowned. "But don't we have to..."
     Ranma asked, "Hey, Kasumi, why d'you think I didn't change
into a girl?"
     Kasumi smiled. "I'd say that since you have a great deal of
magical power, it defeated the power of the Jusenkyo curse. You
could probably change if you decide to, but you won't be forced
to."
     Ranma grinned. "Great! I wonder where Mom lives." He shuffled
off, looking for the phone book.
     Kasumi's smile seemed forced. "So, it seems that Ranma will
be taking a little detour in his journeys today."
     Akane nodded, a worried expression on her face. "He doesn't
seem... right somehow. More like the baka he used to be."
     Kasumi frowned. "Oh, my. It could be his modern persona
resurfacing. We'd better keep and eye on him."
     Akane nodded. "Yeah."
     Hotaru quietly watched the proceedings, staying silent but
cataloguing everything. She remembered them all - and they weren't
the same. Keglani seemed much softer, more pliant. She was quite
unlike the political player she had been so long ago. 
     As for her mother... she seemed much the same, yet emptier.
Like the lack of a forge to work out her emotions in had drained
her of something crucial.
     And Ranma... he had never been so forceful in their first
lives. Yet somehow all three were under the impression they were
back to their old selves. This required observation.
                                   *
     Xalen, Saeblin, and Faolin were busy cementing their plans
with Nabiki and Setsuna.
     Setsuna frowned, her eyes unfocusing for a few seconds. "It
seems Ranma has alternative plans for the day. He's going to see
his mother."
     Nabiki snorted. "You'd better check on Shampoo. I think she
has the fool idea of going to her village."
     Faolin sighed. "She really needn't know yet what happened to
Cologne."
     Saeblin nodded. "I agree."
     They all looked to Xalen, who was noticeably silent.
     Nabiki cocked her head. "Something wrong?"
     Xalen nodded. "All of this. Its all wrong." She shook her
head. "Don't listen to me when I get like this... I'm rambling."
     "Actually, I think I know what you mean. The Elders are not
the Elders," Nabiki said.
     Xalen snorted. "No, they're not."
     Setsuna shrugged. "Some are. For instance, Ryoga is exactly
like his former self."
     Nabiki grinned. "And I haven't changed."
     Saeblin nodded. "I see what you mean. Ranma, Akane, Tatewaki,
Keglani, Shampoo and Mousse... they've changed a lot."
     Faolin supplied. "I checked on Natsume and Karumi. They are
sisters now, and loving it. They are nothing like they once were -
but they are people in their own right."
     Xalen nodded. "Thank you for your input, all of you, but I and
my heir must make some decisions."
     Nabiki and Setsuna blinked in surprise. Nabiki raised an
eyebrow. "You've chosen an heir? Finally? After fifteen thousand
years?"
     Xalen smiled. "Yes, I have. I'm going to retrieve her now."
     The others nodded. Faolin smiled. "We'll take no action,
then."
     Xalen bowed. "Thank you, my friends. Nabiki, Setsuna, please
do not stray far. I will return soon."
     With that, she headed back to Nerima.
                                   *
     Akane yawned and looked up as she heard the door open. Xalen
stood there, looking fairly grim. "I need to see Hotaru."
     Maternal instinct kicked in. "Why?"
     Xalen didn't flinch. "Tell her I need to speak with her,
please."
     Akane shrugged. "Hotaru?"
     Hotaru ran up. She was a beautiful child.
     Xalen kneeled down, coming to her eye level. "Hotaru, will you
take a trip with me?"
     Hotaru nodded. "Sure." She hesitated. Akane smiled weakly and
nodded. Hotaru grinned. "Bye, Mom!" Sh ran out the door.
     Akane watched sadly as Hotaru and Xalen left. Something bad
was going to happen. She could feel it.
                                   *
     Xalen looked down at the girl walking beside her. She was so
young - only seventy, even with all her memories restored. Yet at
the same time, a quiet strength resided in her.
     Xalen started the conversation the same way that this
particular conversation had been started for generations of Solaran
royalty. "Hotaru, do you know who I am?"
     Hotaru blinked. "You're General Xalen, right?" She frowned.
"Didn't you used to be the Queen of Luna? You disappeared a really
long time ago... like five thousand years ago. Um, I mean five
thousand years before the end of the Silver Millennium."
     Xalen shook her head sadly. "That's not what I asked, though
its all true. Who am I? What kind of person am I?"
     Hotaru frowned more deeply. "You seem nice."
     Xalen sighed. "I'm afraid I'm not very nice, Hotaru. In fact,
most people would call me one of the greatest monsters that ever
lived."
     Hotaru blinked at this statement. "Why? What did you do?"
     "I am the Queen of the Empire of Solaran."
     Hotaru searched through her dusty memories. "That empire died
a while ago, didn't it? Like five thousand years... before the
Silver Millennium ended." She had made the connection. "It died
with you?"
     Xalen shook her head. "No, the Empire never died. Solaran
lived on. As long as there is life in our Solar System, there will
be a ruler of Solaran, known to their people or not."
     Hotaru was well and truly confused by this point. "Then why
did you disappear and the empire seem to die?"
     Xalen smiled a small smile. "The Silver Millennium was one of
peace, but it was also one of atrophy. By the time that I was to
retire, there was no one with the blood and strength to carry on
the crown."
     Hotaru looked at her suspiciously. "The legends all say that
you didn't care about class or lineage."
     Xalen laughed. Yes, Hotaru was quick witted. "I don't. What
I do care about is a person's power level and life span. In
Solaran, that is tied directly to how many Zalondonian genes they
have. It depends on how much you inherited from me."
     Hotaru blinked. "From you?"
     Xalen nodded. "I had about fifty children, and they married
into the royal lines of every planet. So, really, the Senshi and
the Elders are all far off descendants of mine."
     Hotaru nodded, then got back to the point. "So you've waited
all this while for an eligible heir?"
     Xalen grinned. "Yes. And now I've finally found one." She
paused dramatically. "You. Hotaru, I've chosen you."
     Hotaru smiled. "Really?" Then she paused, and she seemed
unhappy once more. "But I'm not very talented or powerful... I get
sick a lot..."
     Xalen shook her head. "Not a problem. It is your strength of
character and the size of your heart that matters. By the way, you
are quite powerful. You just don't know it yet."
     "Oh. So you want me to be the Princess?"
     "No. I want you to be the Queen."
     Hotaru gasped. "So soon? But I don't know anything yet."
     Xalen grinned. "You will, Hotaru. You will."
                              *
          Ranma swallowed nervously. Was he about to go on stage?
Walk into a room full of enemies? Ask a girl out? No. He was going
to approach his mother for the first time in eleven years.
     He closed his eyes. Could he go through with this? Yet honor
demanded he must. Two personalities inside Ranma vied for control. 
     One was the old ruler of Jupiter. Nearly a thousand years old,
this man had developed great wisdom in dealing with his subjects.
But for most of his life, he'd had only to deal with diplomatic
enemies, and his will was soft. He stuck to Jupiter's ancestral
moral guidelines, but they had been formulated during a time of
peace. This old man was weak, tired. His only strength manifested
itself as love for Queen Saturn.  He could rule competently, and
so he did. He understood battle tactics, ceremonial fighting,
economics, botany. He was at heart the king of Jupiter.
     The other was one developed over the past two decades. He was
an arrogant, honorable person. His development had been tempered
by constant stresses, such as living with a psycho as a father. His
will was strong, honed by constant challengers. He had a strong
code of right and wrong, not governed by written rules, but
inscribed on his heart. He was a warrior.
     In Ranma's heart, these two men, the king and the warrior,
fought. Age countered will, wisdom countered arrogance. Love met
loyalty. These two were indeed well matched.
     Finally, Ranma cried in frustration. The king gained the upper
hand, and it was the King of Jupiter that went to face his mother.
     It was this Ranma Saotome that stood before the gates of the
Kinuse family manor, a huge mansion even larger than Kuno's. He
knocked on the outside of the gate strongly. The memory of the last
time he had been here flashed through his mind.

     (A tearful Nodoka waves, and, carried in his father's arms,
Ranma waves back. "Bye, Mom!"
     She smiles through her tears. "Be good, dear."
     "I will!" he promises.)

     The gates opened to reveal a man in a black suit. He spoke in
a British accent. "May I help you, sir?"
     Ranma nodded. "I request an audience with Nodoka Saotome."
     The butler raises an eyebrow. "What is your name?"
     Ranma wasn't about to give in that easily. "I can tell that
only to Mrs. Saotome."
     The butler seemed to shrug and walked away. In a few minutes
he came back. "The mistress will see you, young sir."
     Ranma followed him into a foyer, and then into a library full
of books and decorated with ceremonial swords. A woman with long
brown hair sat at a desk. "Yes, Priory?"     
     The butler bowed. "An anonymous visitor is here to see you." 
     She looked surprised, but unafraid. "Thank you, Priory. You
may go."
     He nodded. "Very well, ma'am." He left.
     The woman's demeanor changed from polished to businesslike in
moments. "Who are you and why are you here?"
     Ranma stepped into the light. "I'm Ranma Saotome and I'm here
to reunite with my mother."
     The woman's face showed astonishment. "R... Ranma? You're my
son?" 
     He nodded, and smiled shyly. "I know I'm coming back a little
late from my trip, but..."
     She ran and hugged him, and he hugged her equally vigorously.
"My son."
     Tears began to fall from both their eyes. "Mom."
     Finally they separated. Nodoka looked her newly rediscovered
son over. "You've really grown, Ranma."
     He smiled. "Yes. I've been training a long, long time."
     Her face creased. "Why haven't you come home before this?
Where's your father?"
     He grimaced. The warrior took that chance to take control.
"Maybe we should sit down. Its... a long story."
     She gestured towards some comfortable armchairs, and they sat
down. Ranma began to summarize his life. "After Pop started our
training mission, he began to get worse and worse. He would do
anything for food, and lost any honor he may have had. He betrothed
me to a dozen girls."
     Nodoka gasped. "What..." she stopped herself. "No. I'll let
you tell it your way."
     The king reasserted himself, and Ranma continued. "Mom, I've
managed to free myself of eleven of them. And I've found the girl
I want to marry."
     Nodoka smiled. "Tell me about her."
     "She's the youngest daughter of an old friend of Pop's. Her
name is Akane. She's very pretty. I love her. She loves me. We've
risked our lives for each other more times than I can count."
     Nodoka chuckled. "Does this dream girl of yours have any
flaws?"
     He blushed. "Well, yeah. She has a pretty bad temper, and
she's kind of a tomboy. But I still love her."
     Nodoka smiled. "If you can acknowledge her faults and still
love her, then by all means marry her. But, why have you returned
only now?"
     Ranma frowned. "Pop told me about this vow that you made him
take that said we both had to commit sepukku if I didn't grow up
to be manly enough." He paused. This next part could destroy any
chance of a relationship with his mother. "Mom, he took me to
Jusenkyo, and I got knocked into the Pool of the Drowned Girl."
     Nodoka's face was painted in shock, and Ranma's heart sank.
It was obvious that the curse was too much for her. He readied
several self defense techniques as her face turned a bright red.
     "Why, I never... the nerve of that man! This is unforgivable!"
out. 
     "I'm sorry, Mom. I'll understand if you don't want to see me
again."
     She shook her head vehemently. "Oh, no, honey. I'm not angry
at you. I'm sorry if I scared you. I'm furious at your no good
father, though."
     Ranma looked up hopefully. "Then... you're not going to make
me commit sepukku?"
     She looked astonished. "Of course not! That vow never applied
to you, only to Genma. He lied to you about it. And getting a
Jusenkyo curse hardly keeps you from being manly. It's obvious that
you are perfectly masculine, considering your feelings about
Akane."
     Ranma smiled. "Um, by the way, I've been cured of the curse." 
     She looked puzzled. "Then why would you bring it up and risk
sepukku?" 
     He stood. "Because I had to know where I stood with you. I
had to know, if the curse came back, would you still love me?" Or
the me that used to exist, he added silently.
     She embraced him. "Son, I'll love you no matter what! You have
to believe that." 
     A surge of strength went through Ranma, and his modern day
self prevailed again. He melted into his mother's embrace, content.
"Thanks, Mom."  
     A moment later, he heard a man clearing his voice. He
separated from his mother to see the butler standing there. "Lady
Nodoka, there is a young lady at the gate searching for someone
named Ranma. What shall I tell her?"
     Nodoka turned to him. "Priory, may I present my son, Ranma
Saotome?"
     The butler must have been amazed, but as all butlers, he hid
it well. "Pleased to meet you, sir. And about the young lady?"
     Ranma asked. "Short blue hair?"
     The butler nodded. "Shall I show her in?"
     Nodoka smiled. "Please do, Priory." The man exited the room.
"Your betrothed?"
     Ranma nodded. "I think so."
     The butler appeared at the door. Akane stood next to him.
Ranma strode over to her, leading her to his mother. "Mom, may I
introduce Akane Tendo... the love of my life... I mean my fiancee?"
     Akane blushed. "Hello."
     Nodoka embraced her. "So, you're my future daughter-in-law?
Welcome to the Kinuse clan." She turned to the butler. "Oh, Priory,
get my name changed from Saotome back to Kinuse, please."
     The butler bowed. "Yes, Lady. And the young master?"
     She looked at Ranma, leaving it up to him. He was kind of
confused. "Not now." The butler bowed again and left. "Mom, who
are the Kinuse?"
     The three sat down. Nodoka told the story of her family. "Many
generations ago, a samurai named Tanketsu Kinuse settled down on
a manor in Japan, married, and started a clan. The Kinuse were
known everywhere for their administration of justice and fair
rulings. They became quite powerful before settling out of the
public view. The legendary weapon of the Kinuse is the katana, the
weapon I carry. You, Ranma, are the inheritor to the line." 
     Ranma blinked. "I had no idea."
     Akane chuckled. "You were a bit young when you left home,
Ranma."
     Nodoka nodded. "You've trained hard?"
     Ranma nodded proudly. "I'm the best."
     Nodoka gestured, "Care to show off a little in the dojo?"
     He nodded. "Sure."
     Akane put in. "Ranma wouldn't miss a chance to show off."
     He grinned and stuck his tongue out at her. She followed suit.
Nodoka smiled.
                              *
     Akane grinned as she followed Ranma and his mother into the
dojo. Nodoka grabbed a katana near the door, and seemed surprised
when Ranma chose no weapon.
     Nodoka's brow furrowed. "Which one do you want?"
     Ranma smiled, shook his head, and adopted a solid defensive
stance. "No thanks. I'm more comfortable using my fists."
     Nodoka bowed, and Ranma followed suit. She came in with a weak
overhand blow, seemingly afraid to hurt Ranma. Akane chuckled.
Nodoka wouldn't feel that way for long. Just as he had done to her
when they'd first met, Ranma easily evaded the blow.
     Akane's memory of that day was crystal clear. The girl she'd
been sparring with had jumped over every blow, never even breaking
a sweat. Boy, had she been angry at the time. And when that girl
turned out to be a boy? She'd been furious. At the same time,
something long buried had awakened, and she found that part of her
loved him. That hadn't lasted long, as she had submerged that love
under anger quickly.
     Her attention turned back to fight. Ranma was giving the
evasion treatment to his mother's increasingly fast and hard blows.
She hadn't touched him once.
     A war hammer on the wall caught Akane's eye. Unconsciously,
her hand snaked out to her pocket dimension, as if making sure her
own was still there. She fell into a reverie of remembrance.

     (Twenty year old Akane of Saturn slammed her door shut and
headed out of the palace. A few hundred feet away stood the
building that had absorbed so much of her hurt and pain.
     She pounded into the forge and the royal blacksmith, Perrin,
nodded curtly at her, tossing her a hammer. "Make me a knife, six
inches long, serrated edge, jeweled handle in the shape of a
phoenix's head. Have it done in a week."
     She smiled. "Ok, Perrin." She walked over to a forge which
was already hot, and began to work on the blade. After the metal
heated to an orange glow, she began to constructively pound away
at it, forming the beginnings of a dagger edge, folding, pounding,
sharpening, folding, pounding... She fell into the rhythm of the
work.
     "Akane, our parents want to see you," a soft but insistent
voice said, breaking her concentration.
     Akane turned off the forge, leaving her work in progress. "Ok,
thanks Natsume."
     Her sister, a long brown haired beauty, walked into the forge.
"Are you all right?"
     Akane frowned. "No. Mom and Dad are being so stupid about
this! I told them you could be a fine heir, but still they refuse."
     They began to walk together towards the palace. Natsume
frowned gently. "You know they're very... traditional. Give them
a few years to think it over."
     Akane stopped midstep, her anger rising again. "Sis, have you
ever been in love?"
     Natsume shook her head. "Of course not, I'm too young. I'm
sure I'll like whoever our parents affiance me to."
     Akane shook her head. Natsu-chan just didn't get it. "But what
if you fall in love first? Wouldn't you want to marry him?"
     Natsume shrugged. "Our parents would probably agree. They
don't really notice I exist, anyway."
     Akane nodded glumly. "Being the heir stinks. Oh, Ranma. Will
we ever be together?")

     Nodoka's voice brought Akane back to reality. "Do you like
it?" 
     Akane blinked and looked around. Her right hand was stroking
the battle hammer. "Oh, yes."
     Nodoka smiled. "It's yours, then."
     Ranma turned to her. "Mom, when we're married, may we move
into this manor?"
     She looked at him as if she thought he was crazy. "Of course!
As if you could even think differently."
     As they walked out into the yard, Akane asked, "So how did
your sparring go?"
     Nodoka blushed. "Ranma's quite good."
     Ranma shushed her, the king firmly back in control and quite
diplomatic. "Don't believe a word she says. Its obvious that she's
much better than she was showing. I'd say she's as good with her
katana as I am barehanded. She was really holding back a lot. Every
once and a while she'd slip, and I'd get a glimpse of how good she
is."
     Nodoka shrugged. "I've trained with the katana all my life.
Are you an adept fighter, Akane?"
     Akane grinned and hefted the battle hammer. "Want a
demonstration?"
     So they were back in the dojo again, only this time it was
Akane facing Ranma. Ranma attacked first, a one two punch
combination. Akane mind was suddenly filled with the details of
Martial Arts Blacksmithing as her memories surged to life. She
countered both thrusts with a Spinning for Rounded Edge hammer
block. He blinked. "You've gotten better."
     She nodded, and launched an attack of her own, a Bottom Top
Weight Adjustment, catching him full on the chest. He was thrown
back two feet, then managed to reverse his momentum and come at
her with a flying kick. She blocked with a A Bee Got Into The Forge
smash, ducking.
     Nodoka was pale. "Stop! You're both very talented, and
someone's going to get hurt."
     Akane bowed to Ranma, and he (with a new gleam of respect in
his eye) bowed back. She placed the hammer on her waist. "Thank
you."
     Priory's characteristic voice clearing broke through the
congratulations. "Tea has been served, Lady, Master, Mistress."
     She smiled at the butler. "We'll be right there, Priory." She
turned to Akane and Ranma. "Would you like some tea?"
     They both agreed.
                              *
     "Hotaru, remember that a Queen is not a President. A President
does 'the will of the people'. A Queen does the good of the people.
A Queen has the responsibility to make decisions for their subjects
that those subjects would never agree with."
     Hotaru looked up at her. "So that's why you claim to be a
monster?"
     Xalen nodded. "I let the Silver Millennium end, Hotaru. I knew
it would happen and allowed it anyway."
     Hotaru frowned. "What would have happened if you'd stopped
it?"
     Xalen looked her in the eye. "Within fifteen hundred years,
all life in Solaran would have been dead."
     Hotaru smiled. "See! So you're not a monster."
     Xalen chuckled. "Well, its all your point of view. But I'm
glad to see that you know what you're facing."
     Hotaru nodded seriously. "I not sure I'll be able to remember
this all, though."
     Xalen grinned. "That part isn't a problem." She took out the
golden crown of Solaran. Its crest bore the symbols and colors of
all the planets. "This circlet contains the collected wisdom of
every king and queen of Solaran that has been crowned since
Serenity forged the empire."
     Hotaru's eyes widened. "Wow."
     Xalen smiled. "Wow is right. So don't worry yourself on that
score. Now, we have recent plans to discuss."
     Hotaru nodded. "What do you have planned?"
     Xalen took a deep breath. "Its now my firm belief that some
of the Elders should never have been awakened. The situation
occurring with the Senshi should never have happened. I am going
back in time to fix these mistakes."
     Hotaru's face was clouded. "What about the Elders already
awake?"
     Xalen pursed her lips. "Hotaru, I think you need a court. Its
not traditional, but old traditions don't fit this situation. Maybe
not a court exactly, but a group of companions and protectors.
People to slap you if you need it; to protect your back; to listen
to you."
     Hotaru nodded. "That makes sense."
     "I think we should ask Setsuna and the Elders that either have
stock in staying around or have fully integrated."
     Hotaru's face fell. "That isn't going to include Akane or
Ranma."   
     Xalen shook her head. "Their personalities are totally
incompatible."
     Hotaru nodded. "I... agree. It hurts, but they are different
now."
     Xalen smiled. "I'm glad you can see that. I believe that
Nabiki and Ryoga are completely integrated. Naru and Nephrale
deserve a chance to be together, as do Shampoo and Mousse."
     Hotaru agreed, "We should ask them. What about Ukyo and
Tatewaki? Or Keglani?"
     Xalen frowned. "I'm not sure. What's your opinion?"
     Hotaru sat back and considered it. "Well, Ukyo seems to be
doing pretty well. She also seems much happier then she was before.
I think she would be a good person to keep around."
     Xalen nodded. "Okay. What about the other two?"
     Hotaru concentrated. "I think Kasumi has been having problems.
Her older personality was hard hitting, but her newer one was
subservient and mothering. I think she'd be happier asleep, but we
should keep her in reserve."
     Xalen nodded. "You're thinking along the right lines. So, what
do you think about Tatewaki?"
     Hotaru giggled. "He's a nut. I like him. But I don't remember
his past self, so I'm not sure what to do."
     Xalen shrugged. "He hasn't changed much, except that he is
more... fulfilled in this lifetime. But he is embarrassed by his
behavior this time around."
     Hotaru frowned. "He seems to have conquered that."
     Xalen smiled. "Do you want him by you side?"  Hotaru nodded.
"Then we'll ask him."
     Hotaru paused for a second. "We're not asking Ranma and Akane,
are we? Or Kasumi, for that matter. They have no choice."
     Xalen shook her head. "No."
     Hotaru frowned. "This is the monster part you mentioned."
     Xalen nodded. "Yeah."
     In her eyes, tears formed. "I don't like this part."
     Xalen's tears matched those of her heir. "Neither do I." She
paused and embraced the girl. "You don't have to accept the crown,
you know."
     Hotaru looked up. "Why did you? You hate the very concept of
royalty. Solaran isn't even your home."
     Xalen smiled wistfully. "Because Jarvis was dying, and he
begged me. I could never deny that man anything."
     Hotaru giggled. "Guys. Can't live with 'em, can't live with
'em whining."
     They laughed and cried together, then set out on their way.
                                   *
     Setsuna saw Hotaru and Xalen approaching. "Well, it seems that
Xalen's mysterious heir is revealed."
     Her mother smiled. She whispered conspiratorially, "Given that
she is the only young one around, it was fairly obvious."
     Setsuna resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at her
mother. Instead, she adopted an aloof tone. "The ultimate outcome
was unclear. It could have been anyone."
     Nabiki sighed. "I never taught you to have fun, did I? Did Ryo
at least get a childhood?"
     Setsuna nodded, and spoke less formally. "Yes. I've been
watching him for a while." She smiled. "And he likes Ami, too."
     Xalen and Hotaru stepped into their conversation. 
"Hello."
     Nabiki cocked her head. "So, have you made any decisions?"
     Xalen was silent, probably allowing Hotaru time to take the
lead. Hotaru took a deep breath. "Setsuna, Nabiki, will you swear
a vow of friendship to me? Will you stay with me?"
     Nabiki bowed on one knee. "I am in your service, Princess."
     Hotaru shook her head. "That's not what I asked. Will you join
my court as companion and protector both?"
     Nabiki nodded. "Of course." She rose and gave the smaller girl
a hug.
     They all looked towards Setsuna. She frowned. "Hotaru...
Princess... I have one condition."
     Hotaru nodded. "You want Jedian to come too?"
     Setsuna was shocked by the girl's amount of insight. "Yes."
     Hotaru frowned. "Xalen, can I arrange for that?"
     Xalen chuckled. "Yes, with the power of the crown, you can."
     Hotaru nodded. "I will free him." She frowned. "But I'll free
him whichever way you decide."
     Setsuna's heart felt instantly lighter. "Then I will join
you." Then a problem came across her mind. "Hmm, I'll have to
arrange for a new Sailor Pluto."
     Her mother smiled. "Is your brother busy?"
     Hotaru grinned. "It would be nice to see Ryo again."
     Xalen laughed lightly. "It sounds like a plan." Her face grew
serious. "Will you two wait in the forest of possibilities for us?
We must continue unhindered."
     Setsuna nodded in unison with her mother. "Of course." Setsuna
took her mother's hand, and they left.
                              *
     Xalen looked down proudly at her protege. "You did that well,
Hotaru."
     Hotaru smiled shyly. "You think so?"
     She nodded. "I know so. So, who's next?"
     Hotaru frowned. "Hmm. How about Uncle Ryoga?"
     Xalen chuckled. "Sure." Not that I'm sure where he is right
now, but...
                              *
     Hotaru grinned at the figure in front of them. He stood in the
back of a parking lot confusedly scratching his head. "Now how did
I get here exactly?"
     She grabbed Xalen's hand and stepped into his line of vision.
"Hi, Ryoga!"
     He smiled at her. "Hello, Hotaru." He blushed. "You wouldn't
happen to know where we are, would you?"
     Xalen chuckled. "Not far from home."
     Hotaru faced him. "Uncle Ryoga, you're my friend, right?"
     He nodded. "Yes, of course."
     She frowned. "Would you be my friend even if I was the Queen
of Solaran?"
     He blinked in surprise. He looked at Xalen, trying to
remember. "That's right. You're Solaran's queen. You're passing the
crown to Hotaru?"
     Xalen nodded. "I am."
     Ryoga knelt down solemnly. "I am yours forever, young Hotaru."
     She hugged him tightly. "Thanks!" She let go. "Would you wait
outside of time for us? We have stuff to do."
     He nodded. "Sure."
     Xalen took his hand and disappeared. She reappeared nearly
instantly. "Where to, my heir?"
     Hotaru frowned. "Well, we're out of fully integrated Elders.
How about Ukyo?"
     Xalen shrugged. "Sounds fine to me."
                              *
     Ukyo sat supported by a thick oak tree, a few feet from the
path. She closed her eyes. "How did I get myself into this?"
     Of course, she knew the answer perfectly well. It had all
started all those years ago, as an adolescent.

(    "No!!!!!" Ukyo cried in anguish.
     Her older brother, Rinyo, bent over her. "Shh, little sister.
Shh."
     The tears wouldn't stop flowing. "But... it will take so many
years to grow back..."
     He turned her to face him. "Look, you didn't know. Stop
killing yourself over one tree."
     She snorted. "Easy for you to say." Her sadness had settled
into despair. "Mother and Father will disown me for this. King
Saturn will send an assassin's squad."
     "I don't think so." He tried to reassure her, but his eyes
shadowed. "Surely they'll see..."
     ".. that I started the first interplanetary war in ages?" Ukyo
added cynically.
     He frowned. "Do what you can, but don't beat yourself up over
the rest."
     She nodded, and some of her foreboding left. She stood. "I
take an oath to do all in my power to protect and nurture Mars'
avendesora till it grows to twice its former height!"
     "I'm very glad to hear that," a voice from the shadows came.
"It seems that drastic action will not be required - but keep your
oath well."
     Silence prevailed. Rinyo paled. "By Solaran's crown - the
Assassin's Guild of Terror exists!" 
     Ukyo nodded. "I shall keep my oath."                  )

     And she had - even coming to this millennium to guard the
small offshoot of Saturn's Avendesora, the Tree of Life. And she
would go on into the future as long as it took. She had made an
oath, after all.
     Besides, Hotaru was such a fragile child - and a beautiful
one. Her heart could encompass the world. Ukyo feared that she
would give up even the Tree for her someday.
                              *
     Setsuna Meiou was a woman of action. Yet she could take none.
She fidgeted.
     Nabiki smiled at her. "Bored?"     
     The Senshi of Time grinned wryly. "Well,..." Setsuna blinked.
There was a large... bulldozer heading down the path of time.
Behind it, the path disappeared. 
     She quickly grabbed her mother's arm. "Come." Then she stepped
into time.
     Xalen and Hotaru stood outside the Nekohanten. "Queen,
Princess, come quickly. Danger fast approaches."
     Xalen looked to Hotaru, who nodded. All four made the gut
wrenching transition to the Forest.
     Xalen's eyes widened. "Setsuna, go get the others! And
Shampoo, Mousse, Tate, Nephrale, and Naru."
     Setsuna nodded and disappeared.
     Hotaru frowned. "What's happening?"
     Nabiki cocked her head. "I'd say someone's destroying our
universe, at a guess."
     Xalen nodded. Hotaru, emboldened, ran out in front of the huge
construction machine.
     Nabiki gasped. "No, Hotaru!"
     The bulldozer stopped short, shrinking to size and shape of
a man. He wore a suit and dark glasses. His accent was English.
"Excuse me?"
     Xalen stood behind her protegee. "I should have known."
     The man laughed. "Xalen, what a surprise to find you in the
world of the living."
     Setsuna appeared off to the side, accompanied by Venus,
Mercury, the Uranuses, Neptune, Mars, and Earth.
     Xalen's eyes burned with hatred. "Querulous."
     He bowed. "At your service - but call me Q. So, who is the
girl?"
     Hotaru spoke up. "Why are you attacking our universe?" 
     He sighed. "That's not exactly what I was doing..."
     Faolin and Saeblin stepped out of thin air. Faolin snorted.
"No, you were just rewriting so that the Q Continuum would become
the reigning force of the world."
     Hotaru blinked. "Who is he?"
     Saeblin frowned grimly. "A nearly omnipotent being," she
replied.
     Xalen smiled at her. "But we can fight him - and win."
     Querulous backed up. "Oh, no you don't..."
     Xalen took out of her dimensional pocket a crown. It was
ringed by the stones and symbols of each planet. "On my authority
as Queen of Solaran, I order your compliance."
     He froze in place.
     Hotaru's eyes widened. "What did you do?"
     Xalen explained, "Nearly omnipotent beings can be conquered
using the power of jurisdiction. He'll do what we want now. But it
won't last long."
     Setsuna stepped up. "Princess, I invited these people on your
authority. They have all agreed to be your companions."
     Xalen winced. "He's strong - we must hurry. Setsuna, quickly
awaken the new Sailor Pluto."
     A few seconds later, Setsuna reappeared in princess form. 
     The world went dark, and the world was altered and revised.

                            THE END



                              *

You may be thinking "That's it." Well, this story has ended. This
is the end of "Alterations and Revisions". But fear not - the saga
has not ended. Further stories in the AaRverse will come out,
written by Shadra, myself, and any others whom wish to participate.