Ranma sighed as he looked towards Juuban from the top of an overhanging cliff. It'd been a long journey taken at a quick pace, leaving himself exhausted, but he was finally here. In a few moments he'd be able to see his mother again. It was hard to imagine staying in one place, though. "Kind of ironic.", he thought. "I finally get something I've dreamed about for so many years and I'm already having regrets."
Xian Pu looked over his shoulder. "So, that is home?."
"Yeah, Xian. Another hour, or so, and we'll be in front of my mom's house."
"Ah, is good news. Xian Pu need...", Xian Pu started, but was cut off by a poke in the ribs. "What...I mean is, I need some time to rest. You have pushed...very hard."
"Well, we better get going. Ma should have received the post card I sent. She won't expect us 'til tomorrow, but I thought I'd surprise her.", he said with a smirk on his face. And with that, they set off towards home.
"I can't believe I'll finally be able to see Ranma again.", Nodoka Saotome thought to herself while she walked home from the grocery store, a smile on her face. "I'll have to start cooking tonight so we can have a proper feast when he arrives. Kind of funny that he sent the postcard instead of Genma, though. Then again, Genma never was one for responsibility. I hope none of that rubbed off on Ranma." Her face started to darken slightly as she pondered that line of thought.
She unlocked the door to her home and stepped inside. "It's always the same. So old and empty. It feels more like a museum then a home, but that'll change.", she thought with a with a soft smile.
She instantly headed for the kitchen, dropping off the groceries, then went upstairs to her room. She changed out of her kimono and got into some jeans and a t-shirt. No sense in getting her good clothes dirty with all of the all of the preparations she'll be making, after all.
She went back to the kitchen and put on some classical music from a portable radio she used whenever she needed to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. "Tomorrow's feast will be unlike any I've ever made before.", she vowed as she put on her apron. "Nothing is to good for my son."
She had it all planned out. She would make a combination of the best Japanese and Chinese dishes she knew, in honor of his return from China. After all, knowing Genma, he probably didn't get to eat very much while he was there. When Genma was around food seemed to magically disappear.
Lulled into complacency with the combination of the music and preparations for Ranma, Saotome Nodoka didn't hear the distant crashes as they drew closer.
Sailor Moon paused in her roof hopping and drew out her communicator. She sighed as she noted that a youma's portal was starting to open up in southern Juuban. Why couldn't they allow her to have a single day to rest?
She pressed the button on her headset. "Police Headquarters, this is Sailor Moon, come in."
"Sailor Moon, this is Police HQ, go ahead."
"We have a youma portal opening at Akasaku district, lot 203. Request evacuation of all possible citizens, and that a barricade be put up.", she said as she set off towards the most recent attack. The nearest Senshi was at least 10 minutes from the site, and she was a good 20 minutes or so. She frowned as she thought about the damage the youma could do before they got there.
"Roger, Sailor Moon. A barricade will be set up ¼ mile around Akasaku district, lot 203. We'll do what we can to evacuate the citizens. Good luck."
She didn't respond, putting all of her effort into getting there. Her legs ached as she pushed them to their limits. Why was it that all her powers seemed so useless? It'd help if she could find a way to transport herself more rapidly. Why couldn't she have the ability to fly, or something like that?
She was able to arrive at the site within 15 minutes, thanks to pushing herself, but the monster wasn't there. 'Luckily', it left a nice, wide trail for her to follow, as well as plenty of noise.
She followed the demolished houses and cars for a couple blocks, and was able to see Sailors Venus and Mercury fighting a creature that seemed to come from a bulldozer. Great, just what she needed.
"Sailors, tri-point formation", she shouted as she joined the fight. It was going to be another long day.
Ranma found himself confronted by a road block and a police guard when he was within several blocks of his mother's house. He tried to go a different way, but every street he came to was likewise blocked. After about five min. of this he got a bit fed up.
"Hey, let me through! I have to get home."
"Listen, kid, you're not going anywhere. I'm not allowed to let anyone enter."
"Whaddya mean, I can't enter? What's going on in there?!"
"You have to be kidding me, right? What do you think it's about? Hmmph. The city's been under attack for over a month now and... Hey!! You can't enter. It's too dangerous.", the policeman yelled, while trying to grab Ranma's leg as he jumped ten feet above the barricade.
"Xian Pu sorry about this.", Xian Pu muttered, bowing to the policeman. "Have to find Revered One's mother. Have no time." Xian Pu followed Ranma's lead by leaping over the policeman. Why did it seem like she was always trailing so far behind Ranma?
Ranma ended up stopping fairly quickly. It seemed like the logical thing to do, with the scene in front of him. There were four girls in rather skimpy sailor outfits that seemed to be fighting a...bulldozer? Not only that, but they were doing it right in front of his mother's house. This was not the homecoming he was expecting.
"Hey, ugly. Need someone to fight? Try me on for size.", Ranma said, getting into a ready stance.
The bulldozer ignored him, in favor of continuing to attack the girls, who kept hurling something at it? "Could that be ki?", Ranma thought to himself. He'd have time to check that out later. He got ready to attack the monster, when he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye.
Ranma turned around to see what could only be his mother in the doorway. What were the police thinking? Why didn't they clear everyone out?! Ranma started to run towards his mother, when he was passed up by a figure flying backwards at an incredible rate. With horror Ranma watched as the figure in red plunged into the side of the house, collapsing part of the roof on his mother.
"Noooo!!", Ranma screamed, running towards his mother as fast as he could. Why?! Why the hell did these things keep happening to him.
Ranma used his kachu tenchin amagurikan to clear away the rubble as fast as he could. However, her figure just lay there, still and pale. He ignored the background noises of the fight as he checked for breathing and a pulse. Tears started to stream down his face as he performed CPR.
In, in, out. In, in, out. In, in, out. Why wasn't it working? In, in, out. He was doing it just like he was shown. In, in, out. If his mother didn't survive... In, in, out. No, he wouldn't go there. She had to survive. She WOULD survive.
A golden aura started to surround him as he continued his administrations. It started quite softly, first surrounding him, then slowly creeping over to surround Nodoka as well. As the aura gained intensity, Nodoka's complexion grew better. After a couple more minutes Nodoka Saotome coughed weakly and started to breathe on her own.
Ranma cried as hugged his mother to him. Unnoticed to him, the battle had stopped. All that mattered was his mother. She was alive!!!
Ranma felt a weight on his shoulder and turned around to see one of the girls, the one with a blue skirt and red bow, had a hand on his shoulder. "Get your hand offa me!", he shouted, batting the girls hand to the side as he gently laid his mother back onto the ground. His face red with the rage he felt he lashed out at her. "This is your fault. You shouldn't participate in fights you can't handle. Thanks to you my Mom almost got killed!!".
Sailor Moon's face fell, looking as if he had struck her. "I'm sorry, I...".
"Just where do you get off, talking to us like that?!", Sailor Mars self-righteously exclaimed. "Here we are, sacrificing everything we have, in order to protect this city, and this is what we get?"
"Hmmph. Some protection. You couldn't even protect the ONE innocent that was left in the area!"
"Listen, you ungrateful little..."
"That's enough, Sailor Mars.", Sailor Moon said quietly, an ashen look upon her face.
"But..."
"No, this is not the time or the place.", Sailor Moon stated, turned back towards Ranma and bowed to him. "I'm sorry about what happened to your mother.", she said while a tear rolled down her cheek. "More sorry than you'll ever know...". She jerked around and fled at a speed Ranma would have found awfully hard pressed to keep up with.
The rest of the senshi gave him one last look then ran off after their leader. Why was it that Ranma felt so bad about what he said? It was all true. Oh well, he didn't have time to think about that right now. He needed to get his mother to a hospital ASAP.
With that, Ranma gently lifted his mother up and started walking in the direction of a hospital he'd passed while coming here. Ranma sighed. It not only turned out to be a long day, but was looking to be an even longer night.
10 hours later
Ranma sat bolt upright as the doctor gently shook him awake.
"Mr. Saotome, you're mother just woke up. She insists on talking with you right away."
"Thanks, Doc. I appreciate all that you've done."
"Don't mention it.", he responded with a smile on his face. "She wasn't that badly hurt in the first place. A little rest and she'll be fine."
Ranma hopped to his feet and bowed to the Doctor, who bowed in return, and left for what he could only assume was another needy patient.
Ranma looked at the girl that had been sleeping by his side. He contemplated waking Xian up, but thought better of it. She looked so peaceful, smiling while she had her head placed on the back of her arm. He knew that she really needed the rest and he wanted to have some time alone with his mother anyway.
He proceeded towards his mother's room, knowing the route by heart thanks to sitting by her side for several hours before he retired to the waiting room. It was a small walk, and site that greeted him upon his arrival left him momentarily speechless.
"Ranma", Nodoka whispered as she looked at her son for the first time.
"Mom.", Ranma said, rushing to his mothers side, and gently hugging her. It felt so good this time, not having to worry about her health. This was exactly how he'd envisioned it feeling. So peaceful. So comfortable.
"Shhh...it's alright. I'm fine. That monster didn't hurt me."
This caused an Ranma to instantly bolt upright. "Monster, nothing. Those girls caused this. It's thanks to them you're here."
Nodoka gazed at him with sadness showing in her eyes. "I'm disappointed in you Ranma. What would make you think that?".
"Well, it was that red skirted girls' fault, wasn't it? She's the one that crashed into the house, and caused this."
"Oh, yes. I almost forgot. After all, I'm sure she enjoyed being thrown into the building. In fact, I'm sure that she feels much better now that she hit it with enough force to make it fall down."
"You don't understand, Ma. If you can't control a fight you shouldn't be fightin'. I almost lost ya because of them! I almost lost you as soon as I found ya."
"I appreciate the sentiment, son, but you're wrong.", she said as she his hair with her hand. "Who do you expect to fight those monsters? After all, did you get a good look at it?".
"Well, yeah, it did look tough, but I'm sure there are better people than them."
"Name one.", she challenged. "Bullets don't have any effect at all, and explosives barely scratch those things."
"Well, me for starters.", Ranma mumbled.
"You will stop that at once.", Nodoka stated with some iron showing up in her voice. "It's thanks to those girls that this city hasn't been completely taken over as of yet. Did you know that they patrol this city both day and night looking for the newest monsters to come up? Do you have any idea how much they sacrifice?"
Ranma gazed at his mother steadily. He was quite knowledgeable in the area of sacrifice, but decided it might be better left unsaid. He didn't want to ruin things any more than he already had.
"Okay, Ma. I still can't say that I approve of the whole situation, but I'll forgive them if it means so much to ya."
"Thanks, Ran-chan."
"Ah, man, not you too."
"Eh? What's this? Someone else calling you Ran-chan?"
Ranma coughed and turned his head to the side. He'd almost let the secret about the curse out, telling her about the nickname Xian used to kid him about his curse with. Time for some quick thinking. "Ummm...yeah. There's a girl named Xian Pu that came with me that sometimes calls me that."
Nodoka's eye's lit up at this statement and she interrupted him before he could go any further. "I see. Well, since I have to spend the night here we have quite a bit of time for you to tell me all about her and the rest of your trip."
A smile lit Ranma's face as he sat back down in the chair beside his mothers' bed.
Usagi woke up even more groggy and bleary eyed than usual. She wasn't able to get a good night's sleep after her last fight. She could still see that boy's haunting eyes. Blue and accusing, and he was right. They had hurt an innocent with their ineptitude.
She just laid there in bed, her head pressed against her pillow, as tears overtook her once again. Maybe he was right. Maybe they weren't good enough to be Protectors of Love, Warriors of Justice.
"What's wrong, Usagi?", Luna asked, hopping onto the bed. She was rather worried about her charge. She acted differently than she normally did lately. For some reason, Luna wished that she would start acting a little bit more like the Usagi she knew, and a little bit less like the princess she was.
"That boy...di..did you see that boy's eyes? Did yo...you see...e the pain? And it was all...it was all our fault."
Luna nuzzled face, trying to comfort her. "It's not your fault, Usagi. You can't do everything. Despite your powers, you're still only human. You've protected thousands of lives!! You should be proud of yourself for what you've done."
Usagi knew that she was right, but couldn't get past those eyes. Those terrible blue eyes.
Luna sighed, noticing that her administrations weren't doing that much good. "If you feel that bad, you can use some of your time constructively before you go out for your patrol."
This brought Usagi up short, and she turned to her guardian. "What do you mean? What can I do?".
"If I recall correctly, that boy's house wasn't looking too good after the fight. You might not know anything about construction, but you could clear away the debris for them. Plus, you should be able to pick up the larger pieces while you're in your Senshi form."
Usagi's face brightened as realization dawned on her. She hugged Luna to her as she thought more and more about it. "Thanks, Luna. That's a wonderful idea.".
Luna proved, once again, that cat's can blush when properly inspired. "Well, let's get going. We have a full night ahead of us.", she said, crawling into her bag/ carrying case.
"Just one sec, Luna. I have to make a call before we leave.", she said, running for the phone. A quick push of the speed dial and she got just who she was looking for.
"Hello?", a weary voice answered.
"Hey, Ami. Sorry for waking you up, but do you still have a list of businesses that are willing to help out the Senshi?"
"Well, yes. Why?"
"Okay, here's what I need..."
Ranma smiled as he walked next to his mother, while Xian Pu pushed her wheel chair towards the exit of the Hospital. She still had quite a few bruises & cuts here and there, but looked quite a bit better than yesterday.
"So, Ma. How 'bout I whip up something special for ya when we get back?"
Nodoka smirked to herself as she answered her son. She wasn't able to finish her preparations, but was able to get most of the cooking done. "Oh, really? That's all right, Ran-chan, I'm sure I'll manage. I would appreciate it if you could help out with the patio, though. I'm afraid we don't have enough money to get someone else to do it."
Ranma's face darkened at this. He knew it wasn't the Senshi's fault, especially after talking to his mom and seeing some of the news pieces on them, but that still didn't change what happened. Someone was going to pay.
His thoughts were interrupted as they came to the front gate, where a taxi was waiting for them.
A short ride later and they found themselves confronted by an astonishing site. In front of their house was a news crew and a small crowd. On top of that, it seemed like somebody was working on the front of the house.
Getting out from the taxi, Ranma went to the other side as the doors for Xian Pu and his mother opened, so he could walk beside them. As they got out most of the crowd turned their gaze towards them.
The crowd opened up a path for them as they moved towards the house, but the reporter made a grab for Ranma. "So, young man, what are your thoughts about what the Senshi have done for you and your family?"
"Huhhh?"
The reporters left eye started to twitch slightly as she dove into an explanation. "The Sailor Senshi are the one's that are responsible for the reconstruction of you home. I was wondering what you thought of that?"
"Oh.", Ranma said while scratching the back of his head. "Well, I think it's...umm...great. Is this going to be shown on TV?", he asked, turning towards the reporter.
"That's right."
"I was wonderin' if you would let me tell the Senshi something."
"Sure, go ahead."
"I just wanted to apologize for some things I said to them, especially that blue skirted one. I know it wasn't your fault, and I'll do everythin' I can to help ya.", he said, bowing to the camera.
"And there you have it, folks. It looks as if the Sailor Senshi are able to do more than just conquer against the visible foe. This is Sakura Shimazu signing out."
Usagi smiled to herself as she went to sleep that night. She hadn't defeated any youma that day, but she felt she'd won a much more important battle.
Little did she know how right she was.
I hope you enjoyed it. There wasn't too much fighting in it, since I suck at fight scenes. Please tell me if you think it was better or worse for their lack. Also, since I'll have a pretty big fight scene coming up in 2-3 chapters, I was wondering if anybody could lead me to a site that could help me out with them. If so, I would greatly appreciate it.
As always, feel free to email me about likes, dislikes, or any questions you might have.