Mizuno Ami, Hino Rei, Kino Makoto, Aino Minako, Luna, and Artemis were all gathered at the Hikawa Shrine, waiting for any news about Sailor Moon. They sat around the table in the living area and watched the TV, watching for any reports about their leader. The reporters were covering the ‘latest victory of the Sailor Senshi’. Everyone in the room snorted at that. They hadn’t even done anything that would have rated a stalemate, much less a victory.
Rei slammed her fist on the table in frustration. “No mention at all about Sailor Moon!”
Venus pouted. “And no mention of Uub either.” Everyone turned and looked at her. “What?”
Rei rolled her eyes. “We have to stay focused here. We have to find some way of finding Sailor Moon. Ami, do you have any ideas?”
Ami was typing away furiously at her Moon Computer. “I’ve been trying to isolate her energy signature. It blinked out for a time, and then came back in. There has also been several other energy signatures rising, falling, and rising again. I cannot figure out what is going on!”
“Yo! Anybody home? I’m looking for a priestess!” A voice came from outside.
Rei stiffened and made a quick count around the room and saw all her friends there. There was someone with a LOT of Ki outside, and she didn’t know who it was. She walked over to the window and looked out. She saw the Great Saiya-Man holding Sailor Moon in her arms. She told the others what she saw. “You guys stay here, and I’ll see what she wants.”
Rei straightened out her priestess attire and stepped outside. “What can I do for you?”
Saiya-Man held up Sailor Moon. “I was told that you would know what to do with her. She’s been through a lot, but she’s okay.”
Rei nodded her and walked over to Saiya-Man. She tried to get a good look at the newest superhero’s face. “Just set her over here on the shrine. I’ll take care of her.”
Saiya-Man nodded, walked over to the porch of the shrine and put Moon down.
“What happened?” Rei asked.
Saiya-Man took a deep breath. “The youma has been taken care of. Moon was hurt, but we healed her wounds.”
“With the beans?”
Saiya-Man eyed her suspiciously. “Yeah, something like that.”
“Who were those other people?”
“How do you know so much?”
Rei bit her lip. Oops! “I…I…was there. I…felt the evil and went to investigate.”
Saiya-Man cocked an eyebrow. “Riiiiight.”
Rei held up her hands defensively. “No really! I can sense evil! It’s part of my training! I can also see into the future some times!”
“Riiiiight.” Saiya-Man shook her head. “Anyway, we’re all fine, and so is Sailor Moon. I need to be going.” She turned to leave.
Rei grabbed her arm before she could leave. “Wait! How can we get a hold of you in case we need help?”
Saiya-Man thought for a second, and then started to run through the ridiculous poses. “I will always be there when people are in need! I am the champion of justice…The Great Saiya-Man!” She held the last pose for a couple of seconds, and then fly away.
Rei facefaulted.
“Rei-Chan?”
Rei picked herself up off the floor and walked over to Sailor Moon. “Moon-Chan, are you all right? What happened?”
“I don’t remember.”
“What do you mean you don’t remember, meatball-head?!”
Sailor Moon’s bottom lip pushed out in a pouting face. “You’re so mean, Rei-Chan.”
“Just change back and come in with the rest of us. We need to figure out what happened tonight.”
Moon nodded her head and followed the raven-haired girl into the shrine. She was a little confused about what was going on, but they had defeated a youma, right?
The next morning everyone awoke for their pre-school routine, but this morning was going to be all but routine. Ranma and Akane went and sat in the lotus position in the middle of the dojo. Ranma fidgeted a little, he was a bit nervous about being in Akane’s presence this morning. Akane, on the other hand, was cool and confident. She knew that today’s training would be a lot different.
“So, Akane…” Ranma started. “You ready to train this morning?”
Akane smiled and nodded her head with enthusiasm. “Yes! Let’s start with the Ki ball.”
Ranma scratched the back of his head. Something definitely changed about her last night. I didn’t think she was affected by the kiss as much as I was. “Okay. Go ahead and try.”
Akane took a deep breath and visibly relaxed, startling Ranma. He had never her seen her do that. Suddenly a ball of Ki formed in her hands. It was about the size of softball, and held solidly, without waver or flicker.
Ranma just watched in amazement. “Wow, Akane! That’s the most improvement I’ve seen in you yet. I didn’t think you’d be able to do it.”
Akane smiled at the compliment and ignored the last sentence. “Goku helped me relax and learn how to use my Ki. He helped me reach out to you. In the course of searching for you, I found my center. I found something that I could depend on and draw strength from, instead of my anger.”
Ranma was all colors of confused. A lot more had happened yesterday than he was aware of. “That’s great Akane. What did you find for a center?”
Akane smiled again. Still as thick as ever. “It’s you, you idiot.”
Ranma glared at her. “Who’s an idiot, you tomboy?” Akane just smiled back at him. Ranma didn’t know to do. He just stared at her in disbelief. No more insults? No mallet? Who is this, and what did they do with the real Akane?
The silence grew heavy in the room. Akane’s smile broadened at Ranma’s shock. She flicked the ball of Ki that she had been holding the whole time at Ranma’s face. The blast wasn’t enough to do any damage, but it did knock him over, of course the fact that all his defenses were down help as well. Akane crawled over to Ranma and stroked his cheek as she stared into his eyes. “I love you, you dolt. Is that so hard to believe?”
Ranma finally blinked back into the real world. “N...No. It’s…It’s just I never thought…I…I…”
“Well, Ranma, what do you say when a woman tells you that they love you?”
Ranma’s cocky grin returned to his face. “I usually cover my head and scream, ‘It’s not what it looks like’, because there’s usually a mallet from another girl on the way.”
Akane pouted a little. “Was I really that bad?”
“You made me think my life was in danger every time I was around another girl! Even if it was perfectly innocent!”
“You were NEVER perfectly innocent.”
“What about me and Pan? We’re just friends, and time and again you thought we were going behind your back.”
Akane’s expression wilted. “I’m sorry. I guess…I guess I could have been a little jealous of the other girls.”
“A little? Akane, calling it jealousy would have been an understatement!”
Akane’s eyes narrowed. “Careful, I still have mallet-sama.”
Ranma waved his hands defensively. “Hey! Hey! I’m just saying you were a little out of control! You never took the time to listen to my side!”
Akane’s expression became angrier and she started to move her face closer to Ranma’s.
Ranma continued to try to wave her off. “I didn’t mean it!”
Akane grabbed the head and hauled it up to hers in a deep, passionate kiss. She let him go, and his head hit the dojo floor with a thud. He eyes were glazed over in shock, just like last night. Akane stood back up to her feet. “I know, Ranma, and I’m sorry. I’ll try to make it all up to you.” She turned to leave to go take her morning bath.
Ranma sat up. “I love you too, Akane.”
Akane looked back and smiled. She turned and left Ranma with his thoughts.
Ranma touched his finger to his lips. He was used to kisses being forced on him. Somehow the last two had been different from any of the previous ones. Even the time that Shampoo had given him the kiss of marriage, he had not locked up like that. He was the one out of control now. Definitely not the way a true martial artist was supposed to be.
While Ranma sat there contemplating his feelings, Pan walked in wearing a training gi. “Well I can already see things are improving.”
Ranma looked up at her. “What makes you say that?”
Pan smiled at the pigtailed martial artist. “No new bruises this morning. I’d say that’s a good sign.”
Ranma returned the smile. “Yeah, Yeah. Let’s just get on with the morning sparring.”
Pan dropped into a relaxed stance. Now if only I could find someone to love like they have…
Ranma matched her stance, and then the two began their morning workout. They traded blows slowly at first. They picked up the pace a bit after another couple of minutes. Then they started going faster. They approached the pace that Ranma’s fights with Ryoga usually went. This was usually the point where Pan could turn up her abilities a bit and take Ranma out for the morning. This morning when she tried, Ranma matched her! Pan got an extra shock when Ranma landed a firm punch into her midsection. She doubled over and took a step back.
Ranma paused with a concerned look on his face. “You okay? I didn’t think I hit you that hard.”
Pan got back into her stance. “It was nothing. You just took me by surprise.” Luck. Must have been luck.
They started their dance again. Pan turned it up again, and Ranma matched again. Pan screwed her face into an unbelieving sneer. Let’s see what happens when we go to higher level. She turned up the speed and power once again. Ranma matched her, and then he raised his speed and power even higher.
A sly grin crossed Pan’s face. Looks like you’ve been holding out on me, Saotome-Kun. What made you decide to pull it out now? She started into a series of combo punches.
Ranma easily saw the combos and easily evaded the punches and countered most of them. Why’s she holding back this morning? Does she still think I’m hurt or something?
After another half hour, Akane walked in. She was dressed in the school uniform and had her bag ready to go to school. Why are those two still fighting? They should have been done already. We’ll be late for school if this keeps up. “Hey, you guys! You better get ready for school, or we’ll be late.
Pan’s face was contorted in an expression of pure determination. “Not until I hit Ranma!”
Ranma just stared at her with a confused look on his face. “So hit me. You’ve been holding back all morning.” Pan’s stopped as her jaw dropped to the floor. “What?”
“I’ve been going all out for the past ten minutes! To get any stronger I’d have to go Super Saiya-Jin. I can’t touch you! You’re power and speed are the same as mine, but I can’t touch you!”
Ranma took a quick evaluation of his current power level. His eyes lit up in surprise. He DID match Pan. The gap between them was gone. Overnight, he was as fast and powerful as Pan was before she changed into a Super Saiya-Jin. Since the speed and power gap had been bridged, Ranma’s superior skill had been winning out the whole time. Ranma’s trademark cocky smirk crossed onto his face. “It looks like I’m back on top again.”
“Don’t count on it. I can still go Super Saiya-Jin.” Pan put her hands on her hips. “I can still beat you.”
Ranma raised an eyebrow, grin still in place. “You sure? I might surprise you.”
Akane could believe the testosterone overdose in Ranma (she’d seen it enough times), but she couldn’t believe Pan. Pan was actually starting to act threatened by Ranma. Pan’s usual Saiya-Jin confidence was starting to waver.
Son Goten was awoken by the presence of two large powers in his dojo. He had walked in a little bit after Pan and Ranma had stopped. Where’d Ranma get that kind of power? “Hey guys, shouldn’t you guys be getting ready for school?”
Everyone turned to see Goten walk in. Ranma and Pan looked at the clock on the wall. They had lost track of the time! They needed to hurry!
All of the sudden a look of sheer terror crossed Goten’s face. He pointed toward the dojo entrance. “Tell whoever comes through that door, that I’m not here!” He turned around and bolted back into the living area. The trio left in the dojo felt his Ki linger in his room a couple of seconds, and then bolt out the window (they assumed). They could only look at each other and shrug in ‘I don’t know’ gestures as Goten sped away from the dojo.
The door of the dojo slid open. A very attractive blonde stepped in. She looked to be about twenty-five and stood a few inches shorter than Goten. “Excuse me,” she said in a very sweet voice. “Could any of you tell me if Goten is here? I’d really like to talk to him.”
Ranma, Pan, and Akane’s jaw hit the floor. They were expecting the terror of a thousand ages, but all that came through was this beautiful woman. Ranma finally spoke for the three. “Who are you?” He was as tactful as ever.
The blonde blushed a little. “My name’s Maron. I’m Son Goten’s fiancée.”
Ranma slapped his forehead. No wonder he ran.
Pan walked up to her. “Maron? Is that really you?”
Maron smiled at the younger girl. “Yes. How have you been, Pan-Chan?”
Pan couldn’t believe it. She hadn’t seen Maron in years and all the sudden she shows up and claims to be Goten’s fiancée. “I’m doing okay, but what are you doing here, and why are you Uncle Goten’s fiancée?”
Ranma put his hands behind his head. “Arranged probably. I can sympathize, they’re a pain in the neck.” Akane elbowed him in the ribs. “Oof!”
“It’s not like that.” Maron started to twiddle her thumbs while she stared at something interesting on the floor. “He told me that he’d marry me when we were younger. I’ve been trying to talk to him ever since I graduated from college. Every time that I’ve come by, I’ve just missed him. Yamucha keeps saying that Goten had just left on a training journey.”
Pan and Akane started to see red. “That little…good for nothing…”
Ranma felt their Ki levels began to rise. He also recognized the shade that Akane’s was and was glad that for once it wasn’t directed at him. He realized from experience that it could easily shift over to him, if he didn’t choose his words correctly. “Uhhh…I’mgoingtogetreadyforschoolbye!” He turned and bolted from the room.
Maron held her hands, trying to calm the girls down. “It’s okay really! I’ll just come back some other time and talk to him!”
Pan’s expression dropped. Could she really be that dense? “You can’t tell?”
Maron had a confused look on her face. “Tell what?”
“He’s running from you. He’s trying to dodge whatever agreement you guys had.”
Maron blushed a bit at the mention of an agreement. “But why would he run from me?”
Pan took another look at her and had a hard time coming up with a good reason herself. “Come back by after five today. We’re going to get to the bottom of this.”
On the way home from school, Akane explained the whole situation as she saw it to Ranma. “So we need to think of some way to get them together.”
Ranma was walking across the top of the chain link fence. “Aren’t you going to go hang out with Usagi, like you usually do after school?” He asked.
“She’s off on a ski trip. Some ‘Moon Princess Skiing Contest’. I didn’t understand, but she and all her friends were all gung-ho about going.”
Ranma snorted. “Just change the ‘Moon Princess’ to ‘Martial Arts’ and I’d say it was an open challenge for me.”
Akane shrugged. “Maybe it’s one for her and her friends, but that’s not important now. Right now we need to get Goten and Maron together.”
Ranma shrugged indifferently. “Why? I’m sure Goten doesn’t want it.”
Akane glared at him. “How can you be so insensitive?! He’s been lying and dodging for we don’t know how long! Think of how she feels! We need to at least get a good explanation out of Goten. She should be attractive enough for any man to want her.”
It’s a trap! Ranma’s mind yelled at him, but unfortunately his mouth was always faster than his brain. “Yeah, she’s pretty cute.”
“Ranma no baka!”
“WHAM!” Ranma (and a section of the fence he was walking on) were smashed into the ground.
Ranma dug himself out and hopped back onto the fence. “What’d you do that for?! I was only agreeing!”
Akane caught herself before she started to vent on Ranma. The anger drained from her face. “I’m sorry. I just reacted. I’m working on it, really!”
Ranma scratched the back of his head and thought for the second time that day: Who is this, and what did they do with the real Akane?
They arrived at the dojo as Goten was finishing his afternoon class. They walked in as the last of the students were walking out. Goten looked up and saw the couple. “Hey, it’s the honeymooners! What’s up?”
Ranma and Akane blushed simultaneously. Akane lifted her head. “Goten what’s between you and Maron? She seems like a nice girl.”
Goten scratched the back of his head. “It’s a long story. I really don’t want to go into it.”
“I think you need to go into it.”
Goten turned to see a very angry Pan standing in the doorway. “Pan-Chan! This is something that’s between us. You don’t need to worry about it.”
Pan walked up to him and stared him down. “Maron is like a sister to me, and you know it. I want to know what’s going on and why you keep dodging her!”
“Pan! Pan!” Goten backed up, trying to wave her off. “I’m handling it!”
This statement sent Akane into motion. She stormed right up to him and joined Pan in the Ki charged stare down. “We’ll you’re not doing a very good job of it! You need to tell her what’s going on!”
Goten looked around trying to find some relief. He frantic gaze fell on Ranma. “Ranma! Why don’t we go spar some?!”
Ranma shook his head. “Normally I’d agree, but I’m trying to cut down on my daily dose of mallet. Good luck!” Ranma waved and walked up to the living area.
The girls closed the gap on Goten. “Girls! Let’s be reasonable!”
Pan’s anger flared visibly. “Yeah, Let’s!”
Akane flared to march. “I agree!”
Goten took another step back. “Come on! This is marriage we’re talking about! Marriage! I can’t be held down now! I’m in the prime of my life!”
Pan’s aura blazed higher. “Wrong answer! Try again!” She started advancing on him, causing him to take several steps back.
“We we’re just kids! I didn’t know what I was agreeing to!”
Akane followed Pan’s lead. “Don’t you have any honor?”
Goten was waving his hands frantically. “Hey! Hey! Hey! I was only nine years old at the time! I didn’t even know what the word ‘marriage’ meant!”
Akane and Pan stopped in their tracks. “You made a marriage agreement at nine?” Pan asked.
Akane shrugged. “Why not? Ranma had one when he was five…Of course he chose food over his fiancée.”
Goten pointed at Akane. “See! I’m not the only one with this problem! He didn’t wind up with her, so I don’t have to!”
Akane turned on him. “Ranma’s engagement was set up by his father and he didn’t know anything about it. He thought the girl was a guy!”
Goten got a confused look on his face. “Huh?”
Akane her hand dismissively. “That isn’t important! You need to at least talk to her!”
Goten’s back hit the dojo wall. “But I’m too young to die!…I mean marry…” He turned his head toward the door. “Igottago!” With a burst of super speed, Goten vanished from sight.
Once again Maron stepped through the door. “Hello! Goten!” She saw Pan and Akane standing there. She smiled sweetly. “Pan, Akane, how nice to see you again!”
Akane smiled in return. Something about this woman reminded her of her sister Kasumi. “Goten’s taken off again, but we did manage to get some details out of him.”
Maron frowned a bit. “I hope you didn’t hurt him.”
Pan shook her head. “No, not yet anyway…”
“Why are you still after him after all these years?” Akane asked. “You made the agreement when he was nine years old! How old were you?”
Maron blushed. “I was five years old. Goten seemed so strong and handsome. I watched him and Trunks fight at the Tenkaichi Bodoukai. It was love at first sight. A year later I asked him if he would marry me. He agreed and I was so happy.”
Akane raised an eyebrow. “So why didn’t you approach him sooner about it?”
“I did. We dated the whole time I was in high school. I went off to college and I told him I would return to be his bride.”
Pan shook her head and muttered to herself. “Goten, you slimeball.” Aloud she stated. “We have to find him and get you two together!”
Maron shook her head. “Don’t go to so much trouble for me. Goten will come around eventually.”
Akane turned to Pan. “How does he know when she’s coming?”
Pan rubbed her chin in a thinking posture. “He must be sensing her somehow.”
“Really you don’t have to.” Maron repeated.
Akane assumed the same thinking position as Pan. “He must be sensing her Ki, but I don’t see how. She’s not a fighter and I can barely sense her now.”
Pan snapped her fingers. “That’s it! He’s known her for years! He’d be able to sense her Ki, even as small as it is, anywhere!”
Maron had a lost look on her face. “I do not want you girls worrying about this. I’m sure Goten will come around.”
Pan went back to the thinking position. “But what can we do about it?”
Akane thought in silence for a second. “I have an idea, but it will take some work, and Ranma’s cooperation.”
Maron had a desperate look on her face. “Don’t go to any trouble for me! It’s not worth it.”
Pan swung her attention over to her, as if hearing her for the first time. “Yes, it is! You love him, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Then it’s worth it! We just have to convince Goten…” Pan turned back to Akane. “So what’s the plan?”
Akane smiled. “We’re going to give her some training. Oh Raaannnmmmaaa!” She yelled in the sweetest voice she had.
No answer.
“Ranma! Get down here!” She yelled in her usual angry tone.
Ranma poked his head out the door to the living area. “What’s up Akane?”
Akane walked over him, smiling evilly. “I need you to teach Maron a few things…”
Ranma got an apprehensive look on his face. “What kind of things?”
“Some special techniques…”