Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Polarity ❯ Closed Circuit ( Chapter 6 )

The shops of the Furinkan area were once more under siege, but this time there was a difference. The long time defender of the area was out of action at the moment, and shop owners knew that anytime a stupidly powerful foe came around, and Ranma wasn't there to control things, property damage skyrocketed and property values plummeted.

 

War stood in the middle of an intersection and watched as his troops for this attack, the strange imp like creatures his master used, spread out to harvest as much life energy as could be collected. But they were not his concern.

 

His red helmet swept the streets, searching for a red headed girl with dynamic fighting ability, or her other form, the pig tailed martial artist who had shown great skill for a simple human.

 

War sought this challenge, and would have even without his master's blessing.

 

His musings were interrupted when a sphere of blue-green power landed among his troops, destroying a few and scattering more. Looking up he saw four figures on the rooftops, three of which were obviously armed. He even heard the tall, green haired one speak.

 

“Don't give him any leeway; he is at least as strong as the one we faced before.”

 

“Well advised,” War called out, “but my power and the power of Famine are two different things. She was created to feed on lesser life forms; I was bred to destroy them.” He brandished his gigantic sword, “Now come. Come and know the true power of War.”

 

 

Polarity

By Seth

Chapter 6

Closed Circuit

 

Note: Ranma and Sailor Moon are owned by their respective creators and distributors. I use them without permission or gain, but with respect to the work done before me.

 

 

Pluto and Saturn dove from the roof, spinning their staff and glaive respectively. Landing among the brown skinned creatures swarming the street the Guardian of Time and the Senshi of Death and Rebirth lashed out, their enchanted weapons striking with precision.

 

The Garnet Orb at the end of Sailor Pluto's Time Key staff flashed a pale light as it impacted with each creature, creating a temporal knot that tore the minion apart, banishing it back to nothingness. The Silence Glaive was even more effective, dispelling each creature with a single cut. Both moved with simple grace through the ranks of the enemy, keeping the horde away from the populace.

 

Uranus and Neptune also leapt down, but their mission was to engage War directly. Neptune's second blast flew in, but the Deep Submerge was blocked by War's sword, and Uranus charged in, Space Sword held high for an overhand chop.

 

The crimson knight shifted his stance and moved forward, the hilt of his sword impacting with the sandy haired Senshi's stomach. The wind was completely knocked out of Uranus' lungs, and she found herself heaved backwards, landing twenty feet from the warrior she was supposed to have attacked.

 

“Pathetic,” War said, “A strike like that gives power, but leaves you open. You do not know how to wield that sword you wave around. Go, find me a real challenge. Bring me Polaris!”

 

Pluto almost froze at that. The enemy knew somehow, and seemed to have an interest in the reincarnated Senshi. This changed the nature of this battle instantly.

 

Nodding to Saturn, Pluto spun in place bringing her staff in contact with the Silence Glaive as the two of them called out, “Chrono Typhoon.”

 

The whirlwind of destruction that the combined attack unleashed made short work of the remaining imps and Pluto wasted no time in charging in with her Time Key spinning in front of her. Behind her Saturn ran to Uranus' side as Neptune moved to protect her downed partner as the youngest of the Outers began using her healing powers.

 

Pluto had no doubt that the knight before her was stronger then she was, physically speaking, but untold years of training had given the Guardian of Time more then a few tricks.

 

Ducking under a horizontal slash from War, Sailor Pluto stilled her staff, blunt end aimed at the warrior's knee. The impact of enchanted artifact with red armor was hard, and while the knee did not buckle as she had hoped, it did move the knight back slightly, causing him to shift his balance. But before she could capitalize on the attack he had already spun his massive blade behind his back and brought it down in an off hand strike that Pluto was just barely able to dodge.

 

Quickly Pluto brought her staff up horizontally in front of her, blocking an upward slash of the sword as War shifted to a two handed grip. Pluto was knocked back by the shear impact of the strike and flipped upwards and back to absorb the blow. On landing she dodged sideways, spinning on one boot heel as War thrust forward, the tip of his weapon almost grazing the magical bodysuit of her Senshi uniform.

 

She continued her spin, using the momentum and both hands to slam the Time Key, knocking War out of his attack for a moment and leaving him open to a hard kick that pushed him back once more.

 

Quickly bringing the Key in close, Pluto whispered, “Dead Scream.”

 

At close range the red knight could not dodge the attack, and it was followed a second later by an almost screamed, “Deep Submerge!” The Blue orb of magic water added to the damage and the crimson knight, War, crashed into a storefront, raising a massive cloud of debris.

 

Pluto looked back to see an angry Neptune backing her up as Sailor Saturn helped Uranus to her feet. While the blond member of the Outers looked a little shaken, Pluto was glad to have her upright again.

 

“That takes care of him,” Neptune said simply turning to check on her partner.

 

Suddenly Pluto felt the hair on the back of her neck stand out, and moved to block the coming blow as War cleared the smoke; his armor not even scratched, and heaved a large chunk of masonry at the off guard Senshi of water.

 

The stonework struck the Time key as Pluto got it up just in time, but the impact made her arms shake and go numb as it was deflected away. Neptune heard the metallic clang and turned back to face War as the knight charged, his sword already spinning to attack.

 

Pluto was out of place and off balance, Uranus was still weak, and Neptune was caught flat footed.

 

Fortunately they had a fourth.

 

Drawing on training from a life long gone, Saturn leapt forward, Glaive humming with power as the bladed tip dug into pavement and twisted upwards, the flat striking War's claymore. The tiny Saturn put all her power into the blow, and even with her small frame she wielded the very forces of Life and Death, so the counter had considerable weight behind it.

 

As the blade was blocked Saturn jumped, using the impact point as a pivot and lashed out with a hard kick to the head. She then pulled her pole-arm away and used War's head as another pivot, kicking off and launching herself into the air. At the apex of her magically assisted leap she brought her blade down and cast her weakest, and most useful spell.

 

“Silence Wall!”

 

The shimmering purple barrier appeared below her as she began her descent, and War was forced to dive backwards to avoid the impact of the offensively used defensive spell. The wall snapped and sizzled as it touched the ground where War had stood, disintegrating the pavement and leaving a darkened crater as it faded.

 

War was bringing his sword around to strike Saturn, but had to pull it upright to deflect another attack as Pluto jumped over her teammate and lashed out with a spinning strike. He had to take a step further back when Saturn rolled under Pluto and pulled the Glaive around hard to try and take him off at the knees.

 

The two Senshi weapon wielders moved in concert, attacking and defending alternately, forcing War into a purely defensive stance as he continued to give ground to them.

 

Despite their success, Pluto knew it was only a matter of time now. Saturn was pulling on the last of her reserves, and even with the training Polaris had given her before The Fall she was at her limit. They would have to end this soon.

 

War suddenly jumped backwards and got some breathing room away from the Senshi, but instead of retreating, or preparing to go on the offensive, the red knight began to laugh.

 

It wasn't a laugh of manic evil, or even a gloating laugh. It was a laugh of enjoyment.

 

He finally controlled his mirth and spoke, “Ah, this is what I seek. The destruction, the chaos, our lives hanging by a thread. Do you feel it? Your blood pumping, your breath quickening. This is the glory of battle. This is the challenge I seek. Show me more, students of Polaris' ways.”

 

Saturn blinked and looked up at Pluto, “How does he know who trained us? That was thousands of years ago in another life.”

 

“There is more going on here then we know,” the Guardian of Time answered, “and I for one do not like the coincidence it represents.”

 

Wasting no more words, the two moved to attack once more.

 

**********

 

“May I come in, Ranma?”

 

He had just returned to his birth form, and it was the last voice he was expecting given where he was, but Ranma could never say no to Kasumi.

 

“Yeah, come on in.”

 

She entered his room to find him sitting up in his bed at the clinic, giving him a small smile. Closing the door behind her she moved to sit down next to Ranma's bed and placed a small covered plate on the table next to him.

 

“I figured that you would be awake by now. And Doctor Tofu said you were back here…before he grabbed Betty and headed for the river.” The last was said with a hint of exasperation, but Kasumi quickly covered it up. That didn't stop Ranma from snorting at the young woman's seemingly endless patience.

 

“I'd tell you to just try an Amazon Glomp Tackle with him,” Ranma said jokingly, “but it never works on me.”

 

“No fair teasing,” the eldest Tendo sister chided, “especially when the one you are teasing brought you cookies.”

 

Ranma instantly wiped the amusement from his face and bowed as much as he could, “Oh Great Cookie Provider, please forgive this humble one.”

 

Now it was Kasumi's turn to giggle at Ranma's antics as he eyed the covered plate. She opened it, revealing a small pile of chocolate chip cookies and handed the plate over to Ranma who set upon them as only a Saotome could. Halfway through them he slowed down, stopping with a cookie halfway to his mouth as he contemplated it.

 

“You know,” he said quietly, “I really enjoy these cookies.” Kasumi smiled, but his expression said that this was more then praise. “I don't get to do that much, you know? Enjoy something, I mean. I haven't had a good day in a while now. I can't just go out for a quiet walk without someone trying to kill me. I can't go camping without it being some kind of training trip or quest or something. My friends at school only stick around so they can ogle my girl type.”

 

He took a deep breath and admitted something that shocked Kasumi, “I don't even get much enjoyment from the Art as I used to. It used to be something special, something worthwhile. Now it's just a way to keep all the assholes in my life from beating the hell out of me. I want…I don't even know anymore.”

 

Kasumi looked at the defeat in Ranma's posture and almost let herself cry for this poor boy. It took all she had not to take the almost empty plate, go home, and cave Genma's head in with it.

 

She suddenly took a deep breath, reached over, and bopped Ranma on the head.

 

“That's enough,” she said sternly. Ranma's eyes shot up as he took in the unexpected frown that had appeared on Kasumi's face. She continued, “I know it's rough right now, and believe me when I say I know perfectly well how it feels to have your life steered away from your control. But you have an option. You are skilled, adaptive and resourceful. And you are smarter then anyone around here gives you credit for. If your life is really falling apart, then it is up to you, and no one else, to rebuild it in whatever way you can.”

 

Ranma was wide eyed, “But what about my Pops, or Mom, or Akane and the others?”

 

“Forget them,” Kasumi said with conviction. “You need to make your life yours again. You need to find the enjoyment you lost. Whether it's in martial arts or something new is entirely up to you.”

 

“But the engagements…”

 

Kasumi shook her head, “You know as well as I do that they will never work. You and Akane simply are not made for each other. You see Ukyo as a friend, or even a sister. And Shampoo? You know you'd never be happy back in China with the Amazons. You need to find your own path.”

 

Ranma tried again, “But honor demands…”

 

“Whose honor? Theirs? How many times have our fathers, or any of those girls, stooped to tricks or cons to get you? In my opinion you are the only one left with honor in this miserable situation.”

 

Ranma was stunned my Kasumi's declaration. Not because of its content, he had been thinking along those very lines lately, but because it had come from Kasumi herself. She had always been the calm one, the young woman who was always in control of her emotions.

 

Sometimes he forgot just how tough she was; after all she had to put up with her father and two sisters long before he came along.

 

Now because of her he had confirmation on his own suspicions. He frowned, and lowered his head, fighting down a wave of depression that would rival Ryoga and tried to force back the emotions that had been building up within him since the failed wedding. Since even before that.

 

Kasumi looked sadly down at the boy, and right now, despite his awesome power that was all he was. But she did not feel pity for him. She knew that if she did he would never forgive her.

 

Instead she felt affection, worry, concern, and a small hint of pride in the fact that this boy was now getting ready to face his truly greatest challenge. He was becoming a man in his own way.

 

She wondered for a moment if this is what her own mother had felt about her before passing. Had she made the woman who had shaped her life proud?

 

Kasumi saw that Ranma's emotional wall was about to break, and decided that her mother would be proud as she acted. She pulled Ranma into a hug. Not one of a lover, or even a sister, but of a mother comforting her child. And with that comfort Ranma was finally able to let go of over a decade and a half of sadness, anger, frustration and disappointment.

 

In moments, Kasumi's dress shoulder was soaked with tears, but she did not care. She had been right only a few days ago when she felt that she had been more of a mother to Ranma then Nodaka Saotome. She could have been sad about that, but she didn't care, right now her son needed her, and the rest of her family could go hang itself.

 

Finally Ranma's silent tears and quiet shudders ended, and he moved away from Kasumi, feeling like a great weight was lifted from his shoulders. For a moment he panicked at the idea of what he'd done, but then he looked into Kasumi's face and saw something he had never seen before.

 

Acceptance.

 

Still, he felt embarrassed by his outburst, and clinging on to the Tendo girl. He blushed and started to stammer out, “I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…”

 

“Nonsense,” Kasumi said with a smile. “You needed that. You've needed that for a long time, and deserve to let off a little of the pressure like that. It's been unhealthy for you, holding back so much for so long.”

 

Ranma couldn't argue, simply because he didn't understand. Kasumi seemed to think that it was no sign of weakness, what had just happened. If his parents had been there he would have been belittled, or worse. Could this be part of what Kasumi had been trying to tell him? Was it a part of rebuilding his life?

 

“I…Thanks, Kasumi. I guess I really did need that,” he said simply. “So what do I do next?”

 

Kasumi nodded and thought for a moment, “That's up to you really. I would recommend a few basic things at first. Keeping a distance from the others for one. Maybe trying to find some real friends. People who can believe in you and you can believe in as well. Your destiny is up to you to forge.”

 

Ranma nodded, reassured but still hesitant. He knew it would take a great deal of effort to get his life back and only Kasumi seemed willing to help. Or was she the only one?

 

He looked over to the table by his bedside and saw the card Setsuna had left him. She had said that she would be there to talk to. She also seemed to be a lot smarter then he was. Maybe she and Kasumi could really help him start anew.

 

“Oh my!”

 

Kasumi's exclamation interrupted Ranma's musings, and he knew it was bad.

 

Kasumi had a scale of `oh my' that Ranma had come to know during his stay at the Tendo's. There was the `oh my' for when Genma had run out of bamboo shoots for the week, that was not bad. There was the `oh my' for when one of Ranma's `friends' had come over to play, that was annoyed bordering on irritated. Then there was the `oh my' for when Kasumi had tried double chocolate fudge, Ranma had brought it as a thank you gift for her and the smile Kasumi had on her face after she tried it was the best one he had ever seen.

 

This `oh my' was the equivalent of `There's a fire in the barn, the cows are stampeding, the river's flooding, the stock market just nosedived, and Michel Jackson is making another album'.

 

It was bad, nuf' said.

 

Kasumi was looking out the window and Ranma could plainly see the trail of smoke heading up to the sky. It was distinctive of a large fight with property damage involved and Ranma started up his combat senses. On the edge of his range he could almost feel the rage and joy permeating the area in the direction of the smoke. He had felt this presence before and knew that people were in danger.

 

Swinging his legs off the clinic bed, Ranma looked around for his clothes, but Kasumi saw him and put her hands on his shoulders.

 

“No,” she said sternly, “you are in no condition to go gallivanting around right now. You are barely healed as it is, if you get hit like that again it could do even more damage.”

 

Ranma looked up, “Not an option, Kasumi. I have to go out there. People are in danger and who do you think is going to help them? Ryoga? He's not even around, and even if he was he wouldn't give a damn. The Amazons? Yeah, right. Akane? She'd get herself killed and you know it. I'm the only one around who can fight, and who cares. I have to go.”

 

Kasumi sighed in defeat and lowered her arms. Ranma stood, only a hint of unsteadiness in him and moved past her to get dressed. As Kasumi heard him open the door she turned and saw the young man wearing his usual red and black, a confident smile on his face.

 

“Just be careful,” she said softly.

 

Ranma nodded and left. Seconds later Kasumi saw him bounding up to the rooftops and accelerating, becoming a blur against the skyline as he charged into battle once more.

 

“Always the hero,” she whispered, “my son.”

 

**********

 

Saturn had finally run out of steam, and now Pluto was hard pressed to cover her withdrawing teammate. Uranus and Neptune had rejoined the fight, each moving to flanking positions and using ranged attacks to distract and hopefully injure War, but the big knight was inhumanly fast with his sword and avoided or deflected each magical blast.

 

Sailor Uranus had been discouraged from engaging in close quarters combat again, but the Space Sword was still in play as it sent slicing blasts out one after another, attempting to find the weakness in the crimson armor. It was frustrating to her, that her attacks were so ineffective, but she knew that only as a team would they be able to bring down the knight.

 

Sailor Neptune had attempted to use the Deep Aqua Mirror's special ability to divine a weakness as well, but the armor seemed to be one piece, forged solid and alive around War. In truth the artistic water Senshi couldn't even tell if the armor had anyone inside. And the few of her blasts that had connected had only knocked War off balance for a breath before the knight was on the attack again.

 

And now Sailor Pluto stood holding her Time Key staff, her arms going numb from the continual hard impacts. Saturn was behind her, falling back from close combat, and Pluto had to draw on all her considerable training, Polaris and otherwise to keep the knight from pressing his advantage.

 

All her skill could not, however, counter War's monstrous strength.

 

She was one step too slow countering a savage slash across her chest, but did manage an off balance block. The impact was enough to rattle her, lifting her off the ground and sending her flying as her staff fell from numb fingers.

 

As she came to a rest against a streetlight she saw War advancing on Sailor Saturn and through blurred vision and sore limb she attempted to stand once more.

 

Shrugging off a renewed assault from Neptune and Uranus, war rotated his body to bring his sword up. The blade glowed darkly and a crackle of energy came from it as he swung towards Neptune. The young woman was caught off guard by a blast of dark lightning that came from the sword and fell to the ground stunned.

 

Sailor Uranus charged in, avoiding War's backswing, and thrust sharply. For a moment Uranus felt her sword enter War's armor, but it didn't last as the knight's free arm came down on her back, knocking her into the ground.

 

War fingered the damage to his armor and laughed in satisfaction, “A desperate maneuver. Well played. But now it is over. None of you have the skill and strength necessary to defeat me, and it is time you paid the price.” He faced Saturn once more and continued, “You have the power, and the training, and you only use one effectively. I shall finish you first as a lesson in not holding back against me.”

 

He brought his sword up, getting ready to rain a blow down on her head. All the youngest of the Senshi could do was to hold up her Glaive in her now weak arms. She could almost feel the call of her terrible power, but she turned away from it, the cost would be too great to save her life alone.

 

She was resigned to her fate, and prepared for the final darkness.

 

War's arm came down, ready to cleave Saturn in half.

 

A red and black blur shot over one of the stores and landed hard on the street, blasting forward again faster then the eye could track and the blade hit Saturn.

 

For a moment the young Senshi sat there, impaled by the massive sword. Then her image faded away to show a long gash in the pavement and no trace of the warrior of Death and Rebirth.

 

“Hey, Buckethead!”

 

War quickly looked up and saw the young man he had faced before, still dressed in red shirt and black paints. He had Sailor Saturn cradled in his arms, her pole arm behind his back. The look of confidence was the same as the last time they had battled, but in the boy's eyes War saw something different.

 

Cold, hard rage.

 

Setting the young girl he had scooped up gently down, Ranma evaluated the situation. The four cheerleaders he had just dropped in on looked like they had been put through the wringer, but they had been fighting for a while now. War's armor was scorched, and even breached at one spot, but he was still standing tall. No real surprise there, the guy was a tank like Ryoga.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Ranma was startled for a moment and looked down to see the dark purple eyes of the girl he had just saved. They were stunned, and afraid, and most frightening of all, resigned. Ranma wasn't good at reassuring girls, but for some reason he just felt comfortable with doing so here.

 

He passed her Glaive back to her and ruffled her hair with one hand and smiled, “No problem kiddo. Rescuing cute girls from monsters is my second best skill.”

 

The girl asked, “What's the first?”

 

“Kicking ass.”

 

Ranma stood tall and took a few steps forward, sliding into a very aggressive stance of the Anything Goes School and focused his ki, his battle aura manifesting around him as his focus became laser like on the form of War.

 

“Round two, asshole.”

 

To be continued…

 

 

Endnote: Kasumi's view of Ranma is really my view on their relationship. She cares for him and takes care of him, but she never really steps up to the fiancé position in the manga. Even Nabiki takes her turn there. Instead Kasumi seems to me to represent the only real maternal figure in the series. Yes, I do have a low opinion of Nodaka, but that's only because she seems like more of a Kuno then anything else. In my worldview the idea of mother is that they love their child unconditionally and above all else, Nodaka doesn't do that. But that's just my opinion and other authors have portrayed her much more positively and with great skill and emotion. Ok, rant off. Next time, Ranma steps up and tangles with War. But will victory have a price? Until next time, may the Schwartz be with you!