Twin Black Phoenix A Ranma ½ and Sailor Moon Crossover By Tomas Megarson Email: NighthawkTM@yahoo.com Webpage: http://nighthawk.anifics.com Disclaimer: I disclaim everything in this story that isn't mine. Meaning everything in it but Tomas. He is mine, and I am more than happy to lend him out if asked. Slavery is a wonderful thing, no? Note: This is going to be dark in some places. It will be extremely dark at times. In fact, I suggest you think of this as a Dark Fic. If you don't like dark fics don't read, but then again, this may be the fic that gets you to like them, so give it a shot anyway. Now on to the story. Chapter 4 Ranma's gaze wandered among the stars as the distant points of glowing light shined into the Sol System. "How many of you are dead as well?" Ranma whispered the question into the air as his face took on a glaze of pain. Salina was dead, the same as many of those stars he could see. Ranma regretted deeply that he couldn't see far enough so that he was gazing into the past, so that he could see her. He'd been tempted, just for an instant, to try to use the Gates of Time to go back to that dreadful night, to take the chance to save her life. In the deep silence of the night, as he lay still on his bed, the sheets cold against his skin, he wondered if he could do it. But then his honor asserted itself, his loyalty to his Lady came to the front, and he let go of the desperate plan, and dropped into sleep, never admitting even to himself the tears that marked his face. Ranma stopped looking in the mirror in the morning, first washing his face, and removing the stains by his eyes. If he didn't, he wasn't sure what his mind would do or how much control he would manage to keep. Placing his elbows on the rail keeping him from the glass, Ranma buried his head in his hands. Life had become a cold, empty place for him. He hadn't felt this alone since he was in Serenity's dungeon, waiting for his execution, wondering why it had to happen to him. "Damn." Still his voice was nothing but a whisper. He couldn't understand even how this happened. Salina had barely been in his life. He'd known her for only a few short weeks. And yet with her death, it was as though he had been cut adrift. Tomas tried to help him, and Setsuna attempted as well, but he couldn't open up. Except for when he was alone and there was no one to see him. Like now. Maybe it had been the way she had smiled at him. Maybe it had been the concern she'd shown when he'd hurt himself protecting her home. Tomas had never shown him concern like that. Neither had Setsuna. But for some reason, Salina did, and he'd barely gotten to know her. Salina had become...important to him. Maybe he even ended up loving her. He'd never get the chance to explore that, though. And maybe that's what was causing him so much pain. *** "Isn't there anything you can do for him, Tomas?" "No, My Lady, he refuses to open up to me." Setsuna gave a frustrated sigh that didn't come close to how she was truly feeling. In the two months since the rebellion she led against Queen Serenity she had been running herself ragged as she basically ruled half of the system. The administrative hassle of building completely new and just forms of government was giving her nightmares every night. She had been thankful, however, that she had been able to leave Ranma and Tomas to deal with the civil war she had begun. But now she wouldn't have either of them to help her. In two hours they were to depart for Earth in an attempt to gain support on that planet. And she would be left at her home to run everything else. If she had had a chance to look at things objectively, she probably would have found it funny that she was starting to fear what was happening. Even though she had planned this all out, even though she knew the most probable outcome to events, still she was scarred. For years now the only people she could confide in had been her two knights. And this could very well be the last time she spoke to them. Or at least to Tomas. Ranma had declined joining Tomas for this call across the system. And perhaps that hurt her most of all. "My Lady?" Setsuna brought herself back to the present and turned her gaze to the view screen that was displaying Tomas' image. "Yes?" "I know I am out of line, but you need to get some more sleep. You're trying to do everything, and that just isn't possible." It was with a tired sigh that Setsuna responded. "I know that. I should have a council fully formed by the end of the week, so stop worrying about me." "Very well, My Lady." Setsuna saw Tomas' head tilt toward the side as he listened to something that didn't make it through the communications system. "We are departing now, My Lady. May you fair well." "And you as well, Tomas." Reaching out, Setsuna cut the transmission before leaning back in her seat attempting to let the stress leave her body. The majority of her stress had come from the hunting and weeding out of all the spies and die-hard Serenity supporters from the government, military, and even the mass population. The civilians who supported Serenity were all shipped to the inner planets on freighters who had all of their navigational gear destroyed. There was no real reason to chance the civilians turning the ships around and crashing them into military installations. Fanatics were never known to be sane, after all. If they had been sane, they wouldn't be supporting Serenity. Opening a drawer in her desk, Setsuna dug underneath a stack of paperwork. She didn't bother looking into the deep drawer; she would know by touch when she had found what she was looking for. After a few minutes her fingers brushed against an almost glass smooth surface. Taking the book in her hand, she pulled it from under all of the work. It had been almost a week since she had last removed this specific book from her desk. Her memories drifted back to the days when she had time to do so two or even three times in a single day. The book was her personal journal, it was what she used to get her feelings, thoughts, ideas, and pain out of her system. Her parents had given it to her when she had turned seven, all those years ago. The silver journal had remained mostly unused until she had received the mark of Pluto and had been taken under her predecessor's wing. The horrors she had discovered in those next four years were beyond anything she could have dreamed possible. It had brought back memories of stories her older brother had told her, about the evil that their Mother committed and let others commit. She hadn't really believed her brother's stories, at least not until he disappeared just months before she had been revealed as the next Sailor Pluto. The 'search' her mother had called for was pathetic, not even a token amount of what she had available to her. Setsuna had never forgotten that, and when she had taken over as Sailor Pluto, the first thing she sought out in the Gates of Time was her brother. It took a lot of effort, a lot of time, and a lot of her strength, but eventually she found him, blanketed by the Ginzuishou. He had been given to Princess Serenity as nothing more then a toy. The Princess had tortured him for almost a week before his life finally gave out and he died. She didn't even have to look at the pages, her fingers immediately opened to the page when she wrote that down. Turning her mauve eyes down to the entry, she wondered briefly how any one girl could have so many tears to shed. The two pages on which she had written that horrible event were wrinkled, smeared, and stained by the pain that had flooded through her. It was then that she began to seriously consider over throwing the House of Serenity. She spent weeks at a time away from court, away from what was left of her family, and searched through the Gates trying to find something, anything that would let her succeed. When she came across the already ambitious Beryl, she thought for a moment that she had something that would work. But Serenity's Senshi would prove more then enough to destroy Beryl and those she brought to her cause, leaving Serenity and the Ginzuishou to destroy Metallia. So something else was needed. And as her search took her to the moon, she came across two street boys who showed guts and courage, though in the end they would be killed because of it. But if they weren't killed, if she could train them so they had the strength and skill they needed to go with their courage and guts, then perhaps they could become a force to be reckoned with. But she couldn't find any paths within the Gates that showed her a possible future of this happening. After some more searching, she came to realize that she never once saw a time where the House of Serenity would fall. It was as though the Gates of Time refused to admit that such a thing could ever happen. Setsuna had been forced to decide whether her guess on how the Gates worked was correct or not. All of the books she had studied on the gates had only made mention of searching for paths that would allow the Silver Millenium to continue, never once did someone record a search for seeing it end. This was perhaps her best chance, so she took the risk and saved the pair from the wrath of Queen Serenity. Again Setsuna's fingers flipped straight to a page, though this one had no tearstains. She didn't look at the words so much as she did the letters, wondering if she could analyze her writing that day. She failed to do so, though she did recall how ecstatic and thrilled she was that her plan was working so far. The two boys on who she was placing a large piece of faith had agreed to help her. Flipping again, Setsuna arrived at the next blank page to write upon. Pulling out a quill and ink, she set the book down on her desk and thought for a few moments. Things were going as she had planned, it seemed as though her desperate gamble would work. But perhaps it would be best to check the Gates of Time once more. Maybe now, with things as far as they were, it would show her something. Placing that idea to the side, she began to write. *** Ryoga Habiki swallowed hard as he gazed out of the view port. He wondered why he had been chosen to lead this attack when there were those who both out ranked him and had more experience then he did in combat. And yet he was leading this strike. Before him the Jupiter Three orbital station grew larger. Spread around the assault shuttle he was aboard the Third Freedom Fleet was engaging the Jupiter Royal Fleet. Supposedly this would be a fast mission, taking no longer then twenty minutes. A dozen Assault shuttles escorted by the Third Fleet would send 200 soldiers on board the station. Once on board the soldiers would make their way to key points, set up heavy explosives, arm them, and pull out. Then as their forces retreated, the explosives would detonate causing confusion among the enemy while they pulled back to their own lines. And for some strange reason that no one had bothered to explain, he, Ryoga Habiki, just a senior member at the Saturn Military Academy until a pair of months ago, was in command of the assault team. Perhaps whoever designed the plan had faith that he could handle the mission, that he could shoulder the responsibility. It was far more likely, however, that whoever had planned the mission just didn't want to risk anyone who was important. Glancing over at the mission timer, Ryoga again swallowed hard. Reaching out with a slightly trembling hand, he flicked on the intercom and com. "Thirty seconds until go people." He was surprised at how steady his voice was. He couldn't even hear a touch of fear in it. "Get ready to break through." Again with his trembling hand, Ryoga turned both systems off. He then nodded to the pilot of the shuttle and left the cockpit for the passenger compartment. Opening a container at the back of the compartment, Ryoga withdrew a bladed staff that had a hefty weight at the end. The blade had runes of pure silver inlaid to its surface. It was hoped that the runes of power would give him an advantage over any demons that their opponents might summon for help. Armed, armored, and as ready as he thought he could be, Ryoga closed his eyes and waited. In the thirty seconds that it took for the craft to reach the station, Ryoga's mind went through a dozen nightmare scenarios. They ranged from the station blowing up just as his craft set down to Queen Serenity herself being on board and destroying all of their minds as they stepped out of their craft. Then a shudder ran through the craft, there was a thump, a hiss of air, and the back hatch opened. No blast of energy came through the entryway. No hoard of demons appeared in their midst. Raising a hand, Ryoga waved his people forward. Now things got tricky. *** The room was bright, even cheerful considering who's thrown was at the far end of it. Upon the thrown at the top of a raised dais sat Beryl, a Dutchess of Earth, an avid hater of the Silver Millenium, and a consorter of demons. She had pale skin, blood red hair, and very cruel eyes. And she was clearly angry. Beryl was normally angry at something, and this time that something was the two young men standing before her thrown. Neither had bowed to her, neither had shown much courtesy toward her, and neither showed even the slightest hint of fear of her. And it was driving her mad. Well, madder, anyway. At least that's what Ranma thought. If Beryl had been sane to start with, she wouldn't be working to free Metallia. But then they wouldn't have any use for her, either. Which would have been fine with him. It wasn't the palace or the people within it that bothered him. No, it was the fact that Beryl's palace was at the North Pole of the world, and it was damn cold. Instead, he spoke with a calm sure voice. "Your Grace, thank-you for seeing us." "Of course. Speak your words." Ranma wondered briefly how Beryl could make her voice colder then the air in the palace before he continued. "Our Lady Pluto has seen within the Gates of Time that you shall attack Serenity soon, Your Grace. Should you attack alone, you are destined to fail and die in the attack." He ignored the flinty look he got and continued speaking. "Our Lady has no wish to see Serenity survive and continue to rule, and so, she proposes a temporary alliance." "What would I get out of this?" Straight and to the point. Ranma found that rather refreshing after having to dance with politicians the past few weeks. Getting right to the heart of the matter was rather nice. "For starters you get the chance to live. Don't get me wrong, we do NOT need you, Beryl." Okay, so he wasn't exactly tactful. "We will win eventually. The only question is how long it takes us to finish off Serenity's little playmates, and then Serenity herself." "I think you're lying. And your Lady," Beryl spoke with contempt just dripping from her voice, "wouldn't be so stupid as to offer me so pitiful of rewards." Tomas, who had been silent thus far, nodded. "You are correct, Your Grace." He showed no signs of the anger he felt at Beryl for speaking of Setsuna with such disrespect. "Lady Pluto is willing to grant you control of the Solar System from Mars inward. We will use the asteroid belt as the boarder between our two nations." Beryl remained silent for a few moments. "You are dismissed. I will think about your offer. Someone show them to their room." Ranma and Tomas turned to follow one of the maids that had begun to leave the room. As they stepped out of the room they shared a glance, wondering why Beryl had cut them off so soon. They had far more to their speech and what they could offer. What was going through the crazy bitch's mind? *** It was the fire that awoke him. The burning sensation that tore across his face brought him back to the realm of the living. Ryoga let out a long, low groan of pain. His face burned with a fire so intense he wasn't sure what was causing it. Slowly his eyes came from the blackness. It took all of his strength not to scream or even cringe in fear, for over him stood the Dark Priestess of Mars, the Senshi of that blood covered world. The memories came back to him in a rush. The unit he was a part of had made it to the airflow control station and had set its explosive packs. As they were pulling out of the station not one or two Senshi, but all four ambushed them. His men had fought hard, but they fell one by one. Then something slammed into him, knocking him unconscious. And now he was here, in the clutches of those who he was fighting against. He was dead now, he was sure. They would torture him in ways so horrible he couldn't imagine; they would offer his heart to whatever dark god it was they worshipped. But perhaps he had accomplished something good, perhaps the mission had been a success. He certainly hoped so. The fear in his eyes was easy for the Senshi of Mars to read. Her dark smile and eyes promising suffering showed that to Ryoga. He pulled and yanked at the chains holding him down, but even with his strength he failed to so much as cause them to twitch. He would have continued to struggle, but for the hot finger that began to trace over his face. He could feel the Senshi's fingers burn into his face, melting the skin and causing it to scar. "My dear little soldier," the Senshi's voice was sultry, almost promising both pleasure and pain. It was then that Ryoga noticed that she was naked. His nose almost began to bleed. Had he not been so scared it might have. As it was, however, all he could think of was trying to find a way to escape, to return home to his friends and family. Even as he began to pull against the chains again he knew it was useless. Which is why what the Red Priestess said next shocked him. "I'm going to let you go, my dear little soldier. You are going to pay a steep price, little soldier. Rebellion against our Queen needs to be discouraged, and death is far to clean and simple an escape. No, instead I am going to give you a curse, one that will haunt you and your family to the end of your days." The Senshi of Mars then reached over to the side to get something. Ryoga tried to turn his head to see what she was getting, even as he began to tremble in fear. Who knew what kind of curse would be so cruel that death was a better option? Then the Senshi of Mars was over him again and in her hand was a long thin knife, glowing orange by the fire it had been resting in. Then, with a wicked and almost gleeful grin, she began to carve into Ryoga's chest, chanting a dark mantra all along. Ryoga began to scream. *** Setsuna blinked her tired eyes as she finished dating the entry into her journal. It had been a long day filled with more diplomacy then she wanted to remember. But her council was finally formed, and a truly fair and just rule would begin within the Sol System. It was a day long awaited for many. Again she opened the drawer of her desk and placed Journal in its special place. There was no real reason to keep it there, as all the system knew her feelings about Serenity now. But it was a habit she was used to, and one that was harmless. Getting up from her desk, she walked to the large, body length mirror that was on the far side of her bedroom. With an almost negligent movement, she removed her bathrobe and gazed at the skin that her nightgown revealed. The last of the bruises had finally faded from her skin, and the scars had been healed over completely by those mages who had joined her side of the civil war. For the first time in a long while, she tried a smile in her mirror, checking to see if it still fit on her face. It had been far too long since she had last gazed at herself like this without feeling the pain and sadness that she had hidden away for so long. Her life was finally moving on. Turning away from the mirror, the smile still on her face, Setsuna walked over to her large bed and slipped in under the covers. She had another long day ahead of her and she needed all of the sleep she could get. Perhaps she'd manage not to have any nightmares this time. It would be good for her soul if she had peaceful dreams, dreams of better and happier times that should come in the future. And as she drifted to sleep, her last question for the day was whether there would be a time that her bed wouldn't be so cold. Author's Notes: So, chapter four comes to an end, and things are set up. Come back for Chapter 5, in which this story comes to an end.