The distraction team looked at the amassed knights and soldiers of Jurai before them. Sailor Moon nodded her head and turned to her best friend. “Sailor Mercury, give us some cover!”
Ami Mizuno, a.k.a. Sailor Mercury, put her hands before her. “Shabon Spray!” The area filled with a dense fog and the warriors of Jurai looked about startled at the sudden change in visibility.
Sailor Moon turned to the rest of the warriors present. “Sailor Scouts, Galactic Police, fire your attacks toward the troops to the right, everyone else attack the troops to the left hand-to-hand. Make sure you’re all using non-lethal!” She spun toward the right, “Moon Princess Halation!”
The other sailor scouts followed her lead and launched their own attacks into the fog toward the positions they remembered the Jurian warriors being. The Galactic Police women followed their lead by firing rubber bullets into the fog. Meanwhile the martial artists and the First Knights turned to face the troops to the left.
Ryoga charged out first and dug all ten of his fingers into the soil in front of himself. “Bakusai Tenketsu Revised! Riven Earth!” Ten trenches shot out from his hands and went out into the fog. Explosions and shouts of confusion were heard as the very earth beneath the unsuspecting warriors was tossed into upheaval.
Uub flew forward with his eyes closed, using his ki senses to find the warriors of Jurai in the fog. He went through with fluid efficiency and knocked many of them out with one blow each.
Shampoo followed the First Knights as they charged into the fray. She couldn’t help but admire the skill and grace the two warriors showed as they weaved through the throng of soldiers. Either one of these would make a fine husband to an Amazon warrior. She would have to see if they would visit her village when this was all over.
She turned quickly as she felt a presence behind her. She caught the soldier’s blade with her bonbari and went to knock him out with the second when she found herself on the defensive again when a second and a third joined in. She backed up as she fended the three off.
Just as fourth was about to jump into the fray, Kamidake’s staff struck the temple of the incoming warrior, knocking him unconscious. He leapt into the center of the circle to land with his back to Shampoo’s.
He smiled a roguish grin at her as he helped push back the flow against her. “A good battle, don’t you think?”
Shampoo turned and smiled back at him and could only nod as she looked at his handsome, youthful face. Fine husbands indeed…
A few feet away, Ryoga and Uub found themselves working together to clear the throng. The lost boy would set off more explosions and Uub would knock out the men while they were still in the air.
On the other side of the field, the fog was clearing and the troops were beginning to close on the Sailor Scouts. Many of the troops were tied in heart shaped chains, or just dazed from various other magical attacks. Even so, the hoard of troops continued to pour down on them.
Kiyone and Mihoshi continued to pour on the punishment. “What are we going to do when we run out of bullets?” The blonde cried as she frantically fired into the crowd.
“Start shooting the tear gas!” The teal haired woman shouted as she continued to fire in short, precise bursts at the oncoming troops.
“Oh yeah!” Mihoshi exclaimed as she thumbed the canister launcher on her armor. The can flew toward the crowd and struck one of the knights in the face, knocking him unconscious. “That worked great!”
Kiyone groaned as she shook her head for a second. “You’re supposed to arm the canisters before you launch them, you air-head!” She armed one herself and launched it into the crowd. The canister broke and the thick, green noxious gas spread throughout the Jurian troops. I wonder how the others are making out…
Ranma, Pan,
Yosho, Tenchi, Ayoko,
Ranma smiled as he cracked his knuckles. "Yeah, remembered as the day you had a chance. Too bad you won't follow through."
Ayoko landed beside him with a ball of glowing power in her right hand. "I think that we should teach these guys some manners."
The room lit up with the power radiated by the royal family and allies. Although they had considerable power, the flood of assassins kept pouring into the limited space. They were at a stalemate with the onrushing crowds.
Pan turned to Yosho in the midst of the battle. "I can't power up in this confined of space. I might fry a few of us along with them."
"You also don't want to bring the house down around us." Yosho stepped around a thrust from an attacker and countered with a Jurian powered bokken to the head.
"Son!"
"Are you sure you can handle this?" Yosho responded as he dealt with two more assailants.
His mother smiled at him as she punched another masked assassin, shattering his mask and knocking him unconscious. "We've been dealing with creatures like this since before you were born. Take your future bride and take care of that criminal!"
Pan smiled and jumped to the middle of the group. "Cover me, old man! I'm clearing a path!" Her aura leapt to life as she cupped her hands and started forming her attack. Black assassins jumped at her, but they were all met with miniature lighthawk blades deflecting them away. "KAMEHAMEHA!" The ball of white chi expanded until it was the size of the hallway and began to pass down the corridor ahead. "Let's go!"
She charged
forward behind her turtle destruction blast with Ranma, Tenchi, Ayoko, and
Yosho hot on her heels.
Misaki motioned outward with her hands, crushing several assassins against the wall with a wave of Jurian powered winds. “It’s just like our honeymoon Azusa-chan!”
The others ran down the halls, trying to outpace the oncoming hordes. They came to a sudden stop as they were faced with the two dark knights standing in their path. “Where do you think you are going?” Ito asked as he brandished his staff. Dark power oozed off the ends.
Warugi sneered as he brought up his ebony blade. “Things were just getting interesting.”
Pan. Yosho thought to the young Saiya-Jin.
Pan’s eyes
lit up as she heard the voice in her head.
You know ki telepathy?
I’ve been around a long time. He smiled as he gripped harder on his blade. Do you think we have enough room for a Super Saiya-Jin two?
She looked around the open area they had come to. I think so if we get rid of Ayoko and the boys.
Who you callin’ a boy? Ranma’s voice barged into the conversation.
Pan’s eyes went wide. How long have you been listening?
How long
have you been a Super Saiya-Jin two?
Since
Trantor, but that’s beside the point! Get
the other two out of here and we’ll take care of the dark knights!
“How do you plan to get past us?” Ito scoffed.
Pan threw her hands up in the air. “Can’t we have a private conversation around here?!”
Warugi’s teeth showed as he gave her an evil grin. “We are trained to know what our enemies are thinking. It’s a simple trick actually.”
Ito twirled his staff causing the dark energy to swirl. “Nobody is getting past us!”
Ranma smiled as he glanced toward Ayoko and put his left hand on Tenchi’s shoulder. “Well, normally I’d object to being called ‘nobody’, but see ya!” With that he put two fingers to his head and teleported. Ayoko smiled as she faded from sight as well.
“Were did they go?” Warugi asked as he looked left and right.
They turned when they heard three sets of feet running behind them. “After them!” Ito screamed.
Before either of them could move, they were both sucker punched by Pan and Yosho. They flew across the room and slammed against the wall.
“You guys forgot about someone.” Pan smiled maliciously as her power began to swarm around her. Her hair began to float in the air as she glowed in the hallway. In a flash she was transformed into her Super Saiyan Two form.
Yosho smiled as he looked at the pair of dark knights as they struggled back to their feet. “You two just bit off more than you could chew.” His formed swirled as he dropped his disguise to reveal the young looking prince wearing lighthawk armor with a sword of power in his hand.
The pair charged the fallen knights, Yosho charging Warugi, and Pan confronting Ito. Dark and light swords clashed as fists met staff. The battles raged as Ranma, Tenchi, and Ayoko ran down the passageway.
“Hurry up, Tenchi!” Ranma yelled as he and Ayoko flew down the corridor. “We’ve got to get to Akane!”
“I’m coming as fast as I can!” Tenchi managed between gasps of air as he ran to try and keep up with the flying pair. “Can’t one of you carry me?”
“Heh, heh, heh.” Ranma laughed nervously. “I guess that would be quicker…”
Ayoko rolled her eyes as she circled back and picked Tenchi up by his armpits. “Come on lover. We’re going to teach you how to fly when this is over.”
“It’s not my fault that I’m not a martial arts genius or was engineered to fly.” Tenchi grumbled. “Where to now?”
Ranma pointed down the hallway. “It should be just around the bend.”
“We’ve circled around to the tree gardens.” Ayoko commented. “Whatever we do, we have to keep the damage to a minimum. Those trees are the life and power of the Jurian people.”
Tenchi and Ranma nodded as they both could tell Ayeka’s influence in Ayoko’s speech. They stopped in front of the door; Ayoko, still transformed into her Sailor Jurai outfit, slowly pushed the doors open. The interior was dark with only limited illumination around the saplings in their various levels and distances.
“Where’s the girls?” Tenchi asked as he looked around the room.
“Shhh.” Ranma motioned for the other boy to quiet down. “Kagato is still here somewhere. Spread out, keep your head down, and keep quiet.”
The pigtailed martial artist turned and faded from sight. Tenchi turned to Ayoko and nodded. Ayoko faded from sight as she began to teleport around the complex. Tenchi tried to keep to the darkness a he leapt from pad to pad.
Toward the center, Ranma spotted two stasis containers with Akane and Sasami inside. He took a quick look around and saw nobody watching the prisoners. Slowly he stepped out from the shadows and approached the cells. He took a quick look at them. I guess we’ll just have to do this the old fashioned way.
He pulled back his fist to punch through the container. Just as he was about strike, the container disappeared.
“Looking for someone?” A deep, dark voice spoke from the shadows.
Ranma powered up and let his aura bath the area in light. He searched all about him for the source of the voice. “Where are you, you coward? Come face me like a man?”
A ghostly fist came from behind him and knocked him from the platform. He fell several feet before righting himself and flying back up. He floated above the platform and looked around again. “You’re not taking me that easy!” He yelled.
“You’re quite resilient.” The voice seemed to come from all directions at once. “I didn’t expect anyone besides Ryoko to be able to fly. What a pleasant surprise. You’ll take longer to die this way.”
Ranma set himself in a ready stance in mid-air. “Bring it on!”
What appeared to be a darker version of Yosho appeared behind Ranma and punched him in the back of the head, sending him falling downward once more. “There, I ‘brought it on’.”
A ball of energy hit him from the side and sent him sailing against the far wall. Ayoko smirked as she floated in place. “Time to take out the trash, right Tenchi?”
The pony tailed boy nodded his head as from where he stood on one of the tree basins. “You two take care of Kagato. I’m going to try and find the girls.”
The floor at Tenchi’s feet exploded and sent him flying back. Kagato smirked as he watched Tenchi come back to his feet. “As if I would allow any of you out of my sight…” He lifted his hand and a energy blade formed in it. “We have a score to settle, you and I.”
He charged straight toward Tenchi at full speed. Tenchi barely brought the Tenchi-Ken to ignite in time to catch Kagato’s blade. Ayoko came in from the side with her own blade but was turned aside with a blade formed in Kagato’s other hand. Kagato then shot straight up in the air in time to clear Ranma’s kick from to his back.
The Dark Yosho laughed as he watched the three reorient on him. “I have the power of the trees of Jurai and a god! How can you hope to beat me?”
“We can just do it.” Ranma snarled as his aura erupted red as he powered up the first stage Kaio-Ken. Tenchi followed suit by activating his light hawk armor and sword. Ayoko smirked and upped her visible power level. They smiled and resumed their attacks.
A tear ran down Sasami’s cheek as she watched the fight resume. She knew that the cruel captur was using her/Tsuami’s trees for power and could do nothing to staunch the flow. She looked aside briefly and saw that Akane was still out cold in her tube. Kagato didn’t even know why he grabbed her, but soon got tired of her complaining and impotent threats. He had left her sedated for several weeks nourishing her through the fluids in the stasis tube.
The youngest Juraian heir looked back to the battle to see that the others still had not gained any ground in the battle. Kagato still outclassed them significantly. Another tear joined the first on her face. “Tsuami, isn’t there anything you can do for them?”
“I can help them, but we will need two things.” The unearthly beautiful voice of Tsuami came to the young princess. “We will need more of Kagato’s power directed toward the others and…” The goddess began to hedge.
Sasami nodded. “You will need to fully merge with me.” She finished.
“Are you willing to join with me?” Tsuami asked tentatively. “That would mean that you could no longer be a child.”
The young princess smiled. “I’ve been wanting to be an adult for the past 500 years.” Her smile dropped as she adopted a serious expression. “And I would do anything for Tenchi.”
The goddess in her head seemed to smile at that. “I agree, but we will have to bide our time until the power he is using to keep us caged is siphoned off.”
Back at the battle Ranma and Tenchi were once more thrown aside by the power of the demi-god. The pig-tailed martial artist rubbed his back where it impacted on the floating island. “We’ve got to use the fusion technique! It’s the only way we can beat him!”
They both rolled as a power blast impacted between them. Tenchi brought his sword to bear once more. “But we can’t spare the time! We need someone to help Ayoko keep him busy while we fuse!”
Ranma nodded. “Get in there with Ayoko right now, and I’ll call for some help.”
As Tenchi leapt back into the fray with Kagato, Ranma closed his eyes and began to concentrated. Pan, he thought. We need some help in here.
I’m a little busy my own self here! Ranma could tell that there was some heavy strain in her voice. The dark knights must really be pressing her.
Ranma did a quick scan with his senses. You’re still at Super Saiya-Jin one! Turn into two, and wipe them out!
Pan’s reply was a little slow in coming. Ranma had to dodge a few bolts from Kagato and return a few of his own. Can’t. If I do, the hallway will come down on Yosho.
Ranma smiled. Tell him to retreat to the last chamber, power up, trap the dark knights in the rubble, and then get yourself in here and help us with Kagato.
In the hallway where they left them, Pan and Yosho were preparing to square off again. Didn’t think about that. Pan replied to Ranma. She turned to Yosho. “Did you get all that?”
Yosho nodded.
Luckily, the dark knights had not had enough attention to spare to listen in to their communications. They were taken completely by surprise when Yosho retreated into the previous hallway and Pan powered up. Her aura leapt outward and swept both of them off their feet and pinned them to the walls of the room. Spider factures splintered out from their bodies and propagated around the room. When Pan had reached her SSJ2 form, she toned down her aura and shot forward through the now clear doorway. The knights had enough time to sigh for relief when they and the ceiling fell to the floor.
Yosho smiled from his spot in the hallway. He turned to see his parents walk up behind him.
Funaho looked at the caved in room and smiled. “You certainly picked a rare young woman for a wife son.” He nodded in agreement. “Now you just need to make sure she doesn’t get into the habit of doing this. It’s expensive to replace these ceilings.”
Once more in the tree garden, Pan barreled into the room and slammed into a distracted Kagato. She began to rain blows fast and furiously into the demi-god, driving him into a far wall. She restricted herself to hand-to-hand moves and blows to keep this room from coming down around their ears.
Ranma nodded to Tenchi as they got into their positions for the fusion technique.
“FUUUUU-“ They started as they paced away from each other in synch. “SION!” They stepped into the one legged stances with their arms outward from each other. “HA!!” They shouted as they bent back toward one another and touched finger tips.
All the other combatants stopped what they were doing when they felt a power surge coming from the tree island. Energy and light exploded outward. When the blinding light settled back, it revealed a young man with a wild aura blazing around him. He had black hair like Ranma and Tenchi, a black vest with gold trim, with matching pants, shoes and wristbands.
“Who are you supposed to be?” Kagato inquired with a sneer on his face.
The young warrior smirked. “Tenma.”
Before Kagato could blink, he had a fist planted in his stomach. While he was reeling from that blow, he was axe kicked on top of the head and sent flying down below with a blazing Tenma chasing close after.
He struck the floor with a resounding bloom, no doubt collapsing a room or two below. He quickly reignited his swords and sliced them inward in an X in an attempt to intercept the incoming warrior. The swords met with two Light Hawk shields and Tenma didn’t even pause his attack to acknowledge the blows. The blazing warrior laid into him with a super-powered Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken followed by a snap kick to the jaw.
Kagato found himself flying once more as he struck another wall. He stood back up and wiped a trace of blood from his mouth as he glared at Tenma standing there like he was bored. The demi-god didn’t have time for any threats or rejoinders as ki bolts began raining down on him. Pan had caught up to the fight once more. He began to float away from the incoming bombardment, only to be cut off with bolts from an angry Ayoko.
He quickly flared his power up and blew back the other combatants. “Now you all will die! You’ve forced me to draw more power, and now you will DIE!” With the final word the others were all flung backwards.
Inside the stasis tank, Sasami’s eyes snapped open. Now. Almost as soon as she thought it, she began to glow. Her whole form turned into a being of white light. The humanoid light stepped out of the glass enclosure and onto the ground in front. Still bathed in light, her form began to shift and change into the size of a grown woman.
When the light dimmed down, only the adult Tsunami was left. She looked just like everyone thought she would from Sasami’s reflection, beautiful and stately. The symbol on her forehead began to glow as she tilted her head back. An unseen pulse went out from her and swept across the expansive room.
She lifted her head back up and seemed to look out into space. “That’s one power, now to help my sister take care of the other one.” Her form took on a soft glow and then disappeared in field light sparkles.
Back at the fight, Tenma felt the reduction in Kagato’s power immediately. He smiled as he powered up again with the Kaio-Ken. His right aura turned deep red as he began to pummel Kagato once more, who found out about his reduced power with the first hit.
Elsewhere, Tsunami appeared in the void to see Washu and Tokimi rolling around on nothingness pulling each other’s hair. “A-hem!” She shouted at the two fighters. They both stopped and turned to her. “Now that I have your attention, it’s time to settle accounts sister.”
Tokimi stood and sneered at Tsunami. “How did you get here?”
Tsunami smiled a sweet serene smile. “I am the older sister, and have certain privileges toward not telling. Good job of keeping me out of the vote for as long as you have, but now you are in the minority. Cut your ties from Kagato NOW!”
Tokimi shrank back as her normally peaceful sister scowled at her. Her other, more firery, sister was back on her feet and glaring at her. She knew that she had lost. They were all equal in power, but that was why there were three, so there was never a tie on any matter. The majority always ruled. “Fine. I’ll relinquish my link to Kagato, but Tenchi will be mine eventually.”
Tsunami gave her another smile. “You’re wrong again, I’ll have Tenchi.”
Washu lifted an eyebrow toward her eldest sister. “What about me? Don’t I get a piece of him?”
Tsuanami held up her hands. “It’s up to Tenchi to decide.” She relented. “Now, Tokimi, release your link.”
Tokimi grumbled but nodded slowly.
Once more in the Jurian tree garden, Kagato felt the link to Tokimi sever. “NO! IT’S NOT POSSIBLE!” He shouted. As he looked around he could tell that his power was fading. It was time for plan B. Using a portion of his remaining power he teleported beside Akane’s stasis pod and dropped the illusion hiding it.
He waited until the others had caught up to him before speaking. “You will clear away and allow me to leave or I’ll kill this one!”
Tenma growled at him. “Kill her and there won’t be anything left for any god to find.”
Kagato laughed. “This is still my show kid. I’ll have the power of Jurai again and then I will wipe all of you off the face of the universe.” He looked around as he felt another power build-up. “Wha?”
That was all he could get out before he was engulfed in a pillar of lava. It took most of his remaining power, but he managed to escape the attack.
“Good job Akane.” Tenma smirked as she punched open her stasis tank.
“Nice outfit.” The youngest Tendo commented as she stepped out. “Good thing Tsunami turned my stasis chamber off before she left.”
“It’s not over yet!” A charred and smoking Kagato yelled. “I will still-“
His speech was cut off by a Light Hawk blade embedded in his neck. “That’s enough out of you.” Tenma growled before slashing down through the rest of Kagato’s body. He stepped back and slashed across the neck, neatly cutting the former demi-god into three pieces.
“So this is the power of Jurai.” Kagato’s decapitated head said as his body began to dissolve.
“No, this is our power.” Pan said as she unleashed a Kamehameha at the remains of the tyrant. She turned the blast up after it hit him to send the destruction to obliterate the body and send the excess energy to the surface.
As the smoke cleared, the four warriors stood and admired their handy work. Before they could get to patting themselves on the back, Tenma split in two.
“RANMA/TENCHI!” Akane and Ayoko shouted respectively as they each grabbed the object of their affections.
Before the moment could get any more heartfelt, Pan decided to find her own man. “I’m going to go check on the others.” She hedged as she shot up and out of the hole she made with the Kamehameha.
On the surface, she found the royal family talking to the throngs of warriors, convincing them that they were the true royals and not another fabrication of the false prince.
“Where is the real Prince Yosho then!” Someone in the crowd shouted.
Katsuhito stepped forward and held up his hand. In a swirl of energy, he was in his true form. “I am the true prince of Jurai.”
“How do we know that what we see isn’t the illusion?” Another shouted.
“He is the true prince.”
Everyone turned to see Tsunami and Washu appear in the air before them. “I am Tsunami, god of the Jurai. He is the one and true prince Yosho.”
The crowd was obviously convinced. It’s kind of hard to argue when your god shows up and tells you something.
Pan smiled and dove toward Yosho and tackled him to the ground with firm embrace. “Hi handsome!” She quipped as she held him close.
“Who’s that?” Someone in the crowd shouted.
Unsteadily Yosho got back to his feet (it’s hard to stand back up when you’ve got a large growth attached to your chest). “This is my fiancé Son Pan.”
“Isn’t she a little young?”
ZAP!!!
The man who spoke was now knocked down from a ki-blast from Pan that she had casually thrown while still holding Yosho with her other hand. “Anybody else want to comment about my age?”
The entire crowd shook its head in unison.
“Now that we got that settled…” Pan trailed off as she kissed her fiancé by Amazon law.