Ranma's Tale, pt 2
by Beky NeRichnead
Sailor Cynic 8.5

     "Harley, I think you're taking this thing too far," Akane
whined. "I can take care of myself!" Her voice softened. "Besides,
this is something I have to do myself."
     Harley frowned. "Maybe. But I'll kill you if you die on my
watch." She paused. "Are you ready for this?"
     Akane centered briefly and nodded. "Yes. I love Ranma. I have
to do this."
     Harley shook her head ruefully. "If Nerima could hear you
now..."
     Akane blushed, then walked towards the copse of trees where
Ukyo sat alone. Harley remained where she was, but kept a watchful
eye on the pair. "Hi, Ukyo."
     Ukyo looked up, her glance wary and sad at the same time. "Hi,
Akane." She paused. "Are we enemies now?"
     Akane frowned and sat down. "Kinda, I guess." She sighed.
"Ukyo, I love Ranma Saotome."
     Ukyo's draw dropped at such an easy admission from her friend.
     Akane chuckled sardonically. "Yeah, I know, Akane Tendo has
actually admitted to her feelings. Amazing, huh." There was another
long pause. "I love him. But you should be the one who marries
him."
     Ukyo blinked, confused. Her mind whirled, trying to comprehend
her friend's last statement. Sadness was replaced by hope. "Eh?"
she asked coherently. "But... why? Not that I wouldn't marry him
in a second, but..."
     Akane sighed and leaned against the tree heavily. "Because he
'loves' me, Ukyo. But its not me he loves - he loves the angry,
stubborn girl he found when he came here. That isn't me."
     Ukyo frowned. "You haven't changed *that* much, Akane. You've
just calmed down a bit."
     Akane smiled. "Aren't you on the wrong side of this
discussion? Anyway, I have changed. I have new responsibilities,
almost a new personality entirely. But you haven't... you're still
his Ucchan. The cute fiancee."
     Ukyo winced and put her hand on the girl's knee. "Akane, you
don't have to do this."
     Harley appeared. "Sorry, Akane, but there's trouble in
Juuban." She turned to Ukyo and appraised her. "Ukyo, we have to
go fight. Will you join us? We'd be honored."
     Ukyo thought, then nodded. "Whatever happens, we'll be
friends. Yes, I will fight with you. Akane, we'll continue this
later."
     "Agreed. Let's go."
                              *
	Makoto frowned at the creatures before them. Youmas, really... they were black, with ichor dripping off their bodies. It dripped to the pavement, eating holes where it landed.
	Ami yelled, "Stay back, everyone! Their bodies are their weapons... they're made of acid stronger than flouric!"
	Usagi's face was covered with worry, though in these new uniforms, even that looked heroic. "How do we beat them?"
	Makoto put her finger in the air and felt the lightning that surged into it. She aimed. "Supreme Thunder!" This time, the look was different. A bolt of lightning, not showy but strong, went straight from her finger to the monster. It keened in pain, and shook. Droplets of the acid shot everywhere.
	Ami reacted quickly. "Fog!" Her fog blanketed the area. Makoto winced as the acid struck her body and crackled... but did not damage. Ami had diluted it with her fog. "Go, Aphrodite!"
	Ami smiled. "Thank you, Zap. Love, do your speech... we need reinforcements."
	Usagi grinned. "Sure! I am Warrior Love, of the Warriors for Love and Justice... um, and when our leader gets here, we will trash your butt!" She paused. "That didn't come out well, did it?"
	A majestic voice issued from above them. "No it did not... Warrior Love. Its obvious you are but pitiful pretenders, copying the Sailor Senshi. Where are they?" The speaker was a handsome black man in a general's suit. "I, General Gneiss, challenge them. But first... my acid youma shall destroy you weaklings."
	Ami frowned and concentrated. "Ice Beam!" From her hands emerged ice, which froze the lead youma in midstep. She had time to let loose one more beam when the others charged her. 
	Then, in between the four charging youma and stricken Warrior, a blue glowing shape, a chi-charged Akane, appeared. "Jautde Feru!" A shield sprang up, enclosing three of the youma.
	The fourth wrapped her in a close embrace. She keened in pain. It let go suddenly, a dozen small spatulas appeared in it. Akane fell to her knees, her uniform bloodied.
	It blinked, and in a few seconds the small metal pieces had been dissolved. It, however, did not get a chance to attack, for it was frozen by a new Warrior. "Petrification!" It was instantly turned to rock.
	Harley and Ami ran to Akane quickly, taking out medical kits. The general laughed. "That's right - tend to your friend. Soon you will be in no shape to do so!"
	Makoto stood, her eyes blazing. "Really Supreme Thunder!" This time, she aimed for the general himself. His eyes widened, and the electricity impacted on his torso. He began to fall, then righted himself.
	"You'll pay for that, girl!" He drew a long black sword.
	"Dead Scream." He dropped the sword, and turned around to see three more of his opponents standing there.
	A rose thudded through his heart, and he fell over dead.
	Makoto knelt by Akane. "How is she?"
	Harley and Ami smiled encouragingly. "She just needs a little rest."
	Ukyo walked over, and gasped. Akane's skin was nearly shredded, and she was wincing hard. "Akane-chan..."
	Akane opened her eyes. "Don't worry, Ukyo." Then, before Ukyo's eyes, the skin began to slowly reform into healthy, if pale, skin. "I'll be fine soon."
	Makoto smiled. "I got him for you."
	Akane grinned. "Thanks, Mako-chan. I appreciate it." Ukyo blinked in surprise at this.
	Harley turned to her. "Akane, what was that shield of yours about?"
	Akane shrugged, then winced. "I don't know, I just made it up. I kind of projected my chi around them. I think it will fall soon."
	Ami nodded. "Can you let it down so I can freeze them?"
	Akane nodded, and concentrated.
	"Petrification!" "Ice Beam!" "Petrification!"
	The three youma hardened into various solids, while Ukyo did her best fish impression. Finally she regained her voice. "Those things... are nasty."
	Akane stood, supported by Makoto. "Yes."
	Setsuna frowned. "We'll probably be seeing more of them."
	Mamoru smiled. "Well, at least it seems our deception is working."
	Jedaite nodded. "And they don't recognize me."
	Harley cocked her head. "Did you know him?"
	Jedaite nodded. "Yes. He was a colonel when I last saw him, he worked in the biochemistry wing. I guess Beryl has resurrected the dark kingdom."
	A long silence prevailed.
	Ukyo fidgeted. "Well, I like your uniforms!" 
	Makoto nodded. "We should all get back to school."
	Harley shook her head. "Not all of us, I'm going to take Akane back home with me... she needs to rest and have no questions asked. Ukyo, want to cut out with us?"
	Ukyo nodded shakily.
						*
	Harley looked up from the stove as Akane answered the door to her apartment. "Hi, Rei."
	Rei and Zoitan worked in. Harley frowned. "Rei, aren't you in school right now? How do I know you're not a Dark Kingdom spy or something?" She smiled slightly so that Ukyo would see it was a joke.
	Rei shrugged, then affected surprise. "I'm not at school? That's amazing! I was just their a second ago." She turned to Akane. "How are you? I heard you got cut up pretty badly."
	Akane smiled. "I'm okay now... I was just sleeping. Ukyo distracted him from me."
	Harley took the cup of soup she had been working on and walked out. She handed it to a grateful Akane. "The DK has come up with a new kind of youma - acid youma. Ukyo was a great help."
	Ukyo smiled. "Maybe I can join you guys."
	Akane looked up from her soup. "Ucchan... it wouldn't be wise. You saw how fast we heal. That's genetic - you'd be really hurt by those demons."
	Ukyo nodded unhappilly. Rei looked at the two of them, and Harley heard her voice in her mind. <Did they work that out yet?>
	<No, they were interrupted. Want to go out? I want some time with my husband and sister - they need to talk.>
	Rei nodded. "Hey, Harley, are you up for some sukiyaki? I'm hungry."
	Harley smiled. "Sure, sis. Akane, Ukyo you guys can have the place to yourself. Akane, make sure there's someone with you all the time... we'll be back in about an hour."
	'Tan waved. "See you later, girls." 
	Harley, Rei, and Zoitan left.
	"So, how exactly did you get out of school, Rei?"
	"Oh, Zoitan signed me out."
	"Tan..." Harley growled, locking the door. "My Warriors have to be edumacated, you know."
	The three walked off, laughing.
						*
	Akane watched the her friends walk out the door and sipped some more soup. "So..."
	Ukyo chuckled weakly. "Yeah. So... I guess we should get back to our conversation, huh?"
	Akane shrugged. "I don't want to... but I guess we should. Look, I'm a Warrior. I have a job to do - protecting the world. None of our gang, even Ranma, is up to that. Only me and my friends. So I do what I have to."
	Ukyo nodded. "I understand. How will we pull this off? Shampoo's the con artist, not me."
	Akane shrugged. "I figured we'd play a game."
	"A game? Like Duck Duck Goose?"
	Akane laughed. "No. We play Rock, Scissors, Paper. We figure out what we're throwing before it happens. You win Ranma, and everyone can be happy."
	"Except you father."
	"Dad will come around. Are you okay with this?"
	Ukyo frowned. "Its a lot to take in... can I give you answer tomorrow?"
	"Sure."
	They sat silently for a few minutes.
	Akane smiled hesitantly. "Friends?"
	"Friends."
						*