Becky's Burger Emporium Fiction, Programming and Mayhem

Previous chapter | Home | Next chapter




Sailor Ranko: Thrice In A Millennium: Chapter 6, Ancient Laws.
by
Rebecca Ann Heineman

Ranma 1/2 and the characters therein are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. Based on "Sailor Ranko" by Duncan Zillman and "Twice in a Millennium" by Kevin D. Hammel.

I don't own these characters. Please don't sue me, kill me or sell me off for medical experiments.



The clouds were floating lazily in the sky. Their images were reflecting on the shimmering surface of the ocean waters. The fluffy white puffs were visible all the way up to the red tinted horizon where the sun was dipping down behind the edge of the world in preparation for it's evening nap. Tatewaki Kuno stood on the sandy beach, steadfast in his dramatic pose gazing at the two visions of beauty that had come before him.

The pig tailed girl was wearing a flowing white sun dress, a frilly big browed hat with a green bow tied around the dome covering the top of her head. Her hair flowed with the wind as did the hem of her skirt. "You're here for me, darling!"

Akane Tendo radiantly wore a lavender one piece swimsuit that hugged her body in all the right places. She had a long sleeve shirt tied around her waist acting like a skirt to give a bit of modesty. A flower in her hair accented her perfect flawless face. "How I have awaited you, my love!"

Both girls stood away from the beach in a field of flowers stretching out as far as the eye can see. They held hands and watched lovingly as their saviour walked steadily and purposefully toward them.

Kuno stopped two meters before the pair of radiant maidens. "I see that you've been awaiting my arrival. 'Tis I, Tatewaki Kuno, age 18, the shining star of Furinkan High, the one who has come to answer your call."

"Oh, Kuno, what could I have done without you?" The pig tailed girl swooned as she kept herself from fainting in the presence of one so great.

"Tachi! Why have you taken so long to take us into your arms? Wait no longer! Take me!" Akane took a step forward to embrace her love when the pig tailed girl pulled her back.

"I want to hold him first!" The red head pushed Akane to the ground. "Take me!" She lunged forward to grab Kuno in an Amazon type glomp.

Or tried to, as she fell face first into the ground, Akane smirking triumphantly as she let go of the shorter girl's leg. "Oh no, you don't! He's mine!"

The pig tailed one spun her head in anger toward the short haired girl. "He's mine!"

"Mine!"

"Mine!"

The two girls stared lighting bolts into each other's eyes as they made feral growls. Neither wanted to give ground as they both claimed Kuno as their own.

Akane gave a roar as she body slammed the other girl. She clawed her fingernails into the pig tailed one's dress, ripping off sections as the pair rolled around in the flowers. Not to be outdone, the red head snarled as she tore into Akane's swimsuit changing her one piece into a two piece with just one rip.

Kuno was pleased at the show of affection of his true loves. "Now girls, don't fight, I love you both." He held out his arms to calm down and embrace the pair of combatants.

Akane and the pig tailed one stopped their fight to allow Kuno to grab them and hold one girl in each arm. Akane's eyes glazed over in total adoration of the one she loved. "Oh, Kuno baby!"

Cooing softly, the pig tailed one rested her head on Kuno's strong shoulder. "Are you going to sleep all day?"

Kuno blinked at the non sequitur. He had an unclean thought as he believed the girl implied that she wanted to sleep with him and him alone. He held back a nosebleed as other more pleasant happy thoughts entered his mind, or what little passed for his mind anyway. "Very well my loves, shall we retire to my chambers?"

Akane hugged Kuno tightly around his arm. "YES! Take me now, Kuno baby!"

"Let's go!" The red head tugged Kuno's sleeve to take him over to the castle that just appeared nearby.

The threesome took a few steps in the direction of Castle Kuno when a challenge was heard. "Where are you going with MY boyfriend?" A pair of silhouettes stood before the setting sun blinding anyone trying to look at who these people were.

A second female voice rang out her demand. "Get away from my Tachi!"

Smiling at recognizing the voices, Kuno answered the call. "Sailor Sun! Sailor Io! Come to me! I have enough love for all of you."

The pair of girls leapt to the sky and landed only three meters away from the trio. Sailor Sun lunged forward grabbing Kuno around the waist with a grip that Shampoo would have been proud of. "My hero!"

The kendoist flew backwards onto a bed of roses, petals scattering everywhere and not a thorn to be found. He was lying on his back with the Senshi of the Sun snuggling his midsection. Seconds later, he was surrounded by three other kneeling girls who doted over him. He breathed a sigh of contentment, knowing that life just couldn't get any better than this.

Akane tapped his cheeks, "Kuno baby, wake up."

Sailor Io, keeling on the other side of his face gently touched his cheek. "Are you going to lie there all day?"

Kuno sat up quickly, blankets flying off of his body at his sudden motion. A startled scream was heard just next to him as Kuno proclaimed to his harem. "No, my loves, we shall retire to my chambers!"

Nabiki blinked her eyes in surprise and lowered her hands that still held the warding gestures she made when Kuno woke up suddenly. "So Kuno baby, finally decided to join us?"

Rapidly turning his head to look around the nurse's office for his missing loves, Kuno stopped to look at the mercenary girl. "Where am I? What have you done with my loves?"

"So that's what you were muttering about. And here I thought I was doing you a favor nursing you back to health." She held out her hand, open palm up. "Favors don't come cheap."

"You expect me to pay for this?" He glanced down as his kendo uniform to examine for anything out of the ordinary. He felt his forehead and found that he had a bandage wrapped around the top of his head. "What, pray tell, happened to me?"

"You don't remember? Pity." Nabiki stood up from her chair by the bed to get the blanket from the floor. "My sister smacked you over the school. Since you landed on your head, you didn't suffer any lasting damage."

Kuno growled. "That's right, that foul Saotome was there controlling her. I must find how to free her."

Kneeling down to get the blanket, Nabiki held back a snicker. She was ecstatic that Kuno was as dense as he was or she would actually develop a sense of pity for her victim. "Free my sister? Hee hee hee..." She softly giggled.

Sighing, the kendoist contemplated his problem. He couldn't directly interfere with Saotome, lest he incur the wrath of the Sailor Senshi. How were the Senshi involved with him? He must have somehow cast his beguilement on those poor girls as well. If he could somehow gain favor of the Senshi, he could work to undo Saotome's foul treachery and stop his mad plan of the enslavement of Akane Tendo and the pig tailed one. How? How could he get in with those magical girls?

He had visions of the fire Senshi, Sailor Io, and remembered about his fight with her. She claimed that he challenged her according to the laws of the Senshi and if he won the fight, she would be his wife. Of course! The Senshi marriage laws were the key to the puzzle he must solve. With new found determination, he found Nabiki as she was folding the blanket to put it back on the nurse's storage shelf. "Nabiki Tendo, I need information from you. It is of the utmost urgency."

Her back was toward her favorite customer so Kuno didn't see Nabiki's mouth form a hideous grin. A grin worthy of the Joker of Batman fame. A grin worthy of the Cheshire cat. A smile that only a mother could tolerate because no mother could love this face. She dropped the smile as she turned slowly to her soon to be poorer client. "What can I get for you?"

"I need the book of the Senshi marriage law post haste!"

"You're kidding, right?" Nabiki wondered how she could get such a book. "That's going to cost you."

"Money is no object. I must possess the knowledge on how the Sailor Senshi can be freed from the clutches of that foul sorcerer!"

Nearly falling down onto the floor in hysterics, Nabiki held on tight to a nearby table holding her breath to keep from laughing out loud. She counted to ten to regain control of her senses. "Okay, I'll get that for you. It'll take at least a week."

Kuno jumped out of his bed. "A week! That's far too long! I need this NOW!"

"Hey! Hold your little play toy in check will you?" Nabiki ducked as Kuno produced his bokken and swung it around attacking invisible foes.

"Tell me now, Miss Tendo, of where you were going to get the marriage laws tome so that I may travel there immediately." Kuno held a face of pure rage thinking about how his loves were spending time in needless agony under a ruthless overlord. "I can't wait any longer! Tell me!"

Nabiki was genuinely frightened of Kuno. He must have struck his head one too many times to be this riled up. "I'll tell you..." She sheepishly held out her hand.

Stowing away his bokken, Kuno became a perfect gentleman. "But of course, how much do you need?"

Releasing her breath, she named her price in a soft voice. "One hundred thousand yen?"

"Will you take a check?"

"But of course." Nabiki softened her stance. It was easy money. She scribbled down an address and gave it to Kuno. "Here you go."

Handing the check over, he took the address and read it. "This address is in downtown Tokyo."

"My information is always accurate and guaranteed. You'll find what you're looking for there." Nabiki slid the check into her pants pocket and gently patted it. Her college fund was already paid for, so she was going to open an account for her elder sister.

"I leave now!" He turned to the window and jumped out. "SASUKEEEEEEE!!!" A resounding crash was heard followed by the yowls of a several women. Nabiki peered out the window and saw a hole in the roof of the girl's locker room below.

"Get him!" Yelled a dozen girls as they chased a running Kuno down the pathway to the entrance of Furinkan.

Nabiki slowly shook her head at the sight. She paused, smiled and raised her arms in the air. "Hey! At least I got paid!"
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Soaring over an entrance of a misty valley, a hawk flew into an updraft gaining altitude over the grassy hills of China. A familiar landmark appeared ahead and the brown bird flapped its wings to steady it's course. Far below, pools of water with bamboo poles sticking out of them sat in the eerie quiet of the afternoon sun. Banking away from the cursed springs toward a small village twenty kilometers away, the hawk knew that a well deserved rest was waiting for her.

Gliding on air currents, the hawk saw its destination. An amazon warrior whistled to attract the bird's attention, then held out her right forearm which was covered with a thick leather bracer. The brown bird held its wings out to slow its descent and landed with the elegant grace befitting of such a magnificent bird.

"La Ping, it's good to see you home." Mulan Chow bent down to pick up a small heated kettle of water. The bird hopped off her arm onto the ground in anticipation. She poured the liquid on the hawk, transforming it into a brown haired naked Amazon warrior.

La Ping shook her head, spraying water everywhere. "I have grave news." She grabbed a towel to wipe away the excess moisture from her forehead.

"I was afraid of that." Mulan held out a set of clothes, neatly folded into a bundle, for her companion. "What's happening?"

The former hawk slipped the Chinese silk mini-skirt over her head. "What the elders have feared has come to pass. Lord Saffron is trying to take the water of Jusendo."

"He is? Why?"

"Let me get this news to the elders first. Time is precious." She put her slippers on and ran down the hill with her friend in close pursuit.

In the central meeting hut of the elders, the matriarchs of the village were in their usual heated discussion. "I'm telling you, we need to increase rice production!"

Potion slammed down her cane onto the large circular stone table that the eight ancient women were huddled around. "Rice! Everything with you is about rice! We need to keep our cows isolated or they might get infected with that virus that's going around."

"I'm telling you! That virus won't ever come around here. Nothing comes around here. When was the last time any of us had seen one of the communists eh?" Lotion retorted in her smug fashion.

Potion was livid. "After the pasting we gave them two years ago? I'm amazed they didn't just vaporize our valley and call it an 'accident'."

"You're blowing everything out of proportion. We need to send ten males from stable duty over to the rice paddies and... OUCH!"

Gel was glaring at the two arguing women that she had thrown small stones at to grab their attention. "If you two could stop for a moment and remember that it was I who called this meeting to order. We need to discuss the open issue that I've been trying to resolve for over a year. Now..."

Lotion rolled her eyes at Gel. "Not that old thing again. We'd already decided that we will reconvene on the Japanese problem in six months."

"Six months! If you had your way it would take six years to deal with something that can be fixed in six days!" Gel hopped on her cane and gave the evil eye to Lotion. "I know that you're just stalling for Cologne."

"I have no loyalty to Cologne! And I resent what you're insinuating..." Lotion's words were cut off as two young amazons warriors ran into the chamber with four guards in tow.

"Elders!" La Ping bowed to her superiors. "I have returned from my scouting mission."

Gel snarled at the young warrior. "We're conducting important business. Is what you bring so important that you interrupt a closed session?" The other elders sat back in their chairs in relief for the break this interruption had caused. They all wished meetings were interrupted more often when Gel was on a tirade.

Huffing and puffing from her recent run, La looked up from her bow. "The Phoenix people are going to threaten Jusenkyo. They might destroy it."

Gel upturned an eyebrow. "Why is that a concern to us? I say, good riddance. Those cursed springs are the cause of too much trouble." She turned to the other elders who were taking an interest in La's report. "It's even the cause of our more recent problems."

La gulped. "But the Musk had finished their hunts."

The room grew very quiet.

The brown haired Amazon slowly scanned the room as the elders sat very still digesting the implications of what was just spoken. Potion spoke slowly and deliberately. "How long before they arrive at Jusenkyo to use the Nyaniichuan?"

"Four, maybe five days from now."

Potion continued with a softer voice. "What EXACTLY is happening with the Phoenix people?"

Recalling what she saw in detail, she began her report. "The earthquake last week must have destroyed their spring. I saw numerous maidens and workers flying from the summit to the base of Jusendo falls with buckets. They were carrying water back to their village at the top of the mountain. I tried to get close but their archers almost shot me." She rubbed her arm to show a scratch she got when an arrow had grazed her. "They were at the entrance to the falls and the booby traps kept them out. I flew to the Jusenkyo guide's hut to check it out and found it had been ransacked."

"Ransacked? Why?" Soap asked. The youngest of the elders, which by the way was not young by any stretch of the imagination, was a good friend of the Jusenkyo guide and was Plum's godmother. "Is Plum alright?"

Perfume got very uncomfortable in her chair. She hadn't been given a chance to bring up what she knew from her conversations with Cologne in Japan. "Uh..."

The scout shook her head. "I don't know. The guide and his daughter were nowhere to be found. The house looked like it had been empty for some time."

Starting with a gentle cough to get attention drawn to herself, Perfume stood up from her chair. "I've got some news to share as well. Plum has been sent to Japan and is in the care of elder Cologne." The room was filled with the sound of murmuring. She directed her tone to Soap. "I've been told that Plum is safe and sound." Soap visibly relaxed as she stopped worrying from the good news. "However, several people from Phoenix Mountain pursued her there. They seem to be looking for the secret of Jusendo Falls."

Gel slowly rubbed her temples. "If all they want is to redirect the water for their own spring, it shouldn't be a problem. There's plenty of water for everyone. It's been that way for centuries."

La gulped again, she was getting used to gulping. "Saffron is ascending."

The room got quiet again.

Soap remembered what happened last time Saffron ascended, the magical waterfall was shut off for weeks, drying up all of the cursed springs. "How soon?"

"Three, maybe four days."

"And the Musk?"

"Four, maybe five days."

The elders turned to Perfume who pointed her own finger at herself as if she was saying, why me? Lotion groaned. "Perfume, call Cologne and get her and Plum back here to the village. We will protect them."

Gel shouted out in excitement. "Have Shampoo come as well." Perfume glared at her in return causing Gel to soften her tone. "As a bodyguard for Plum of course."

Lotion gripped her aged stick with her withered hand as she made her decision. "Differences aside, Gel has a point. Have Shampoo accompany them. We can't take any chances. We must delay Saffron's ascension until after the Musk are done with their courtship rituals. We cannot risk any confrontations between them, especially during sensitive times like these." She studied the faces in the room for any dissenting members. Finding none, she finished her speech. "I, for one, do not want to be caught in the middle of anything like that again."

Smiling in glee, Gel sat in her chair in anticipation.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Master, are you sure this is the right address?" Sasuke looked up at the tall office building that he had stopped in front of. Numerous passersby paid little attention to the rickshaw he was pulling behind him.

Tatewaki Kuno looked down at the map that he had purchased from Nabiki and reread the address. He looked at the number above the glass doors of the tower and found it was a match. "Yes, my good servant. This is the correct location." He stood up from his seat and pulled out his bokken in a defiant pose. He shouted to the heavens above, for this was his most holy mission for today. "Now I will know the Senshi marriage laws and will be able to know the proper way to woo the beautiful Sailor Suited Warriors of Love and Justice into the house of Kuno!"

Kuno stood at the edge of the rickshaw in anticipation. Sasuke dropped the kickstand and got down on all fours so Kuno could use him as a footstool to disembark the carriage. "I shall return shortly. I expect that we will journey back to the estate, so plan accordingly."

"Oh, master." Sasuke slowly shook his head wondering from which window in the skyscraper that Kuno would eventually be ejected from, so he could collect his master's body to take it home.

"Sasuke! You shall not gaze at me with that sort of face." Kuno slid his bokken into his belt. "You should be grateful for your position among the house of Kuno."

"Of course I am grateful, my master!" Sasuke groveled at Kuno's feet. "I am as always, your humble servant."

The kendoist nodded in approval with Sasuke's proper respect for his betters. He turned and marched into the lobby of the office building with an air of confidence reserved for Julius Caesar before his meeting with Brutus. He almost got to the bulletin board with the directory of companies when a security guard approached. "Sir, I'm afraid you'll have to check in your weapon."

Kuno ignored the lesser man for he was going to delay his meeting with the people with the book he sought. His eyes went to the entries starting with the letter 'S' and found the office he was looking for. "I am allowed to carry my bokken for I am the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High."

"And I'm allowed to carry my nightstick because people like you carry bokkens." The guard grasped the hilt of his stick to show he meant business. "Check in your weapon, or leave."

Kuno turned only his head to examine his opponent. "And if I refuse?"

"Then it will get ugly real fast. Check in the bokken, or please leave the premises." Two other guards took positions near the elevators to prevent Kuno from charging into the building.

Kuno was puzzled. "I've been to numerous establishments with my ceremonial weapon. Why is it not permitted here?"

The guard flexed his chest muscles showing that he could stand up to Kuno in a fist fight. "Sir, there is a strict no-weapons policy here. Unless you can show me a license to carry that thing, I can't allow you to take that with you. So, I'm going to ask one last time. Check in your weapon."

"Very well." He handed over the bokken. "If it is damaged in any way, I will hold you responsible."

The guard took the bokken and handed Kuno a tag. "Don't forget to pick it up on your way out."

Kuno stormed away from the security guards and into a waiting elevator. He huffed at being treated as a common peasant. How dare these lesser people treat the undefeated Kendo champion as a commoner?

The elevator played "The Girl from Ipanema" as every other elevator did on the entire planet. Kuno hummed along much to the dismay of the other two passengers with him.

Moments later, he stood at the solid wooden door that kept him from the book he sought. The tome that held the key to tearing away the foul Saotome from the Beautiful Sailor Suited Warriors of Love and Justice. He only needed to know exactly how to court and then marry the Senshi of Io and the Sun. They would assist him by using their magic to counteract the dark black magic that Ranma had used on Akane and the pig tailed one. Together, he and his four dear loves would be an unstoppable team leading the way for a beautiful future for all mankind. It was a day worth fighting for!

The door had a placard on it that read, "Sailor Moon Fan Club." Kuno turned the knob and gallantly entered.

The room was a typical Japanese office. It was cramped, tiny, filled with cubicles and was brimming with activity. The walls were plastered with dozens of posters of the Inner Senshi in dramatic poses. Display cases lined the walls that held hundreds of small figurines of all the Sailor Senshi.

The secretary snapped to attention, focusing her gaze at Kuno while talking on the phone. "Yes, the new Sailor Moon movie is in production. No, I don't have a release date. We'll issue a press release when we're ready to make our announcements. Thank you." She slammed the phone down hard, almost breaking the handset. "If I have to answer that question one more time..."

"Ahem." Kuno stood close to the secretary. "Who's in charge here?"

"Beg your pardon?" The girl grimaced as the phone rang again distracting her away from Tatewaki. She held up her hand to alert the kendoist to pause to give her some breathing time. "Please wait a moment." She hesitated, fearing the interrogation she was going to endure again at the hands of a fan. She whispered to herself. "Quitting time is only thirty minutes away." She picked up the phone and went into cute mode. "Sailor Moon Fan Club, Sailor Vesta speaking, how may I direct your call?" She listened for a moment to the voice on the other end. "No, Sailor Moon can't come over to get your cat out of your tree." She cupped her hand over the phone then waved at Kuno. "Sir, please have a seat over there and I'll be right with you."

Kuno glanced behind himself to see several director chairs with names and a cartoon likeness of Sailor Moon, Mars and Venus. He nodded in approval knowing that once again, Nabiki had delivered exactly what he had needed.

The girl sighed then continued on the phone. "No, Sailor Mars can't get your cat out of the tree either. Have you tried just asking your parents? No? How about... No, I'm not available either. Someone has to watch the office." She placed her elbow on her desk resting her head on her hand as she grew bored humoring the fan. "Miss, I've got a call coming in from Queen Serenity. Duty calls." She gently hung up the phone, relieved that this fan bought the excuse this time.

Kuno shot like a bullet to the desk, wanting to get a word in before the phone rang again. "I ask again, who's in charge?"

"That would be Mr. Nishida. He's over..." The instant she pointed in the direction of his office, Kuno started marching in that direction. "Sir! You just can't..." She followed Kuno as he walked purposefully through the narrow hallway past busy people drawing art, laying out books and creating next year's toy line. He stopped at the office with a simple nameplate reading "Hiro Nishida, President".

Kuno stopped only for a moment to see if the company president was in a meeting. The medium height, medium build Japanese man was typing up a letter on his computer when Kuno made his presence known. "Sir, I have business to discuss."

Hiro faced his new guest in his office while his receptionist apologized to him with a bow. "I'm sorry sir, he just barged in."

Huffing at the term 'barged', Kuno tactlessly ignored the lesser person to his noble stature to address the man who must know the Senshi personally. "I am in need of a copy of the Senshi marriage laws."

Blinking at the odd request, he answered the only way he could. "Say what?"

"The marriage laws. Surely you know of them. Sailor Io spoke of the book's existence to me."

"Sailor who? You actually met a Senshi?" He pulled out a pad and pen from a drawer then sat with rapt attention. "What was that name again." He waved his hand to instruct Kuno to have a seat, then he waved off his receptionist. "I'll take care of him, Miss Yamato." As Kuno sat down, Hiro leaned back in his chair.

Brushing off his pants legs to tidy up, Kuno bowed politely. "Where are my manners. I am Tatewaki Kuno, age 18, the shining star of the kendo world. The undefeated champion of Furinkan High." He raised a fist in the air and thunder roared from outside startling several office workers since it was a clear day.

"Okay." Hiro wondered how Kuno synchronized a thunderclap, but then this man might have had some connection to the Senshi. "Now, what was the name of the Senshi that spoke to you?"

"It was Sailor Io. Ah, the fierce tigress that she is, she's worthy of my love."

Mr. Nishida froze at that statement. Was this man the boyfriend of a Senshi? This might have been the big break he'd been looking for. "Your love? Is she?"

"Why yes. She and Sailor Sun are women after my heart."

Hiro was drinking from a can of soda at the moment and coughed, trying to keep from choking. "S-Sailor Sun? She's your girlfriend too? Tell me, what does she look like?"

"Huh? You jest. How can you not know what she looks like? The fiery red hair, the determined face, that healthy beauty, they're all traits of a strong warrior worthy of the house of Kuno. Yes, she seeks me out." He drifted off into fantasyland as he had images of fire Senshi dance in his mind.

"Red hair, got it. What's the color of her skirt and bow exactly? I believe it's red with yellow trim, but is there anything else special about her uniform?" He hastily grabbed a red pencil to quickly draw in red hair on a simple sketch of a girl in a Senshi uniform.

"Hmm... Her bow was yellow and her skirt was red like, what was her name? Yes, Sailor Mars. Her skirt was just like Mars. But we're digressing, I'm here to obtain a copy of the Senshi marriage laws."

"Was her hair long like Mars too? Or does she keep it short like Mercury?" The red pencil was seeing some heavy use as he rapidly sketched a red skirt on the drawing.

"Are you listening to what I'm asking?" Kuno noticed the drawing the man was making. "The hair was longer. It flowed freely and reached to her waist."

"This is great." He barely held back his excitement. "What other corrections do I need to make?"

Holding back his anger, Tatewaki tried again with the polite approach. "I'm not here to describe the one who loves me. I need the Senshi marriage laws and I need it now."

"The what? What are you talking about?"

Kuno rolled his eyes in disgust. This man was being no help in assisting him in freeing the Senshi from the clutches of the dark sorcerer. "I'm talking about the way of the Senshi. I've been told that they have a book of laws that they follow. Part of that book is how you court and marry one of them. I need the book that has that information."

"B-but..." Hiro wrapped up the simple drawing of Sailor Sun that looked close to what the girl really looked like, but still needed a lot of work to be a good likeness. He thought about the lines of books that they published as a substitute for Kuno's strange request. "Are you looking for something like 'Meet Sailor Moon'?"

"I don't wish to meet Sailor Moon. I wish to understand the marriage laws. If you produce this book, I'll pay any price."

"Any price?" He snickered. "I'll give it to you for say... A million yen."

"Done." Kuno reached into his pocket for his checkbook. "Who do I make the check out to?"

"You're serious?" Hiro sat up in surprise.

"I am from a long line of Samurai. I'm always serious." He wrote out the amount on the check leaving the pay to line empty. He ripped out the check and handed it to the president. "Give me the book."

Holding the check in his hands, he trembled at the thought of someone who callously handed over a great deal of money for something that should retail for one thousand yen. "Uh, I'll have to wait until the check clears before I... Uh... I can give you the book. Is that okay?"

Thinking for a moment, which for Kuno was a monumental task, he agreed with the man's assessment. "Very well, I expect the funds to transfer soon. May I at least glance at the book now, I only need to read the chapter on the laws pertaining to the marriage combat ceremony."

"Marriage combat? Tell me about that?"

"To win the hand of a Senshi, you must first defeat her in combat. That was told to me by the Senshi themselves. I however need to understand all the bylaws and the nuances to be able to properly prepare myself for my marriage to Sailor Sun." Kuno stated matter of factly.

Hiro simply sat and blinked at the nonsense he was told. "You're telling me, that Tuxedo Mask had to fight Sailor Moon for her hand in marriage? Wow. No wonder there aren't many men among the Senshi."

"I would assume that to be the case. Few men are as worthy as I to be among such greatness. Will you show me the book or not?"

Curiosity was getting the better of the CEO. "Why do you want this book?"

"There is a dark magician named Ranma Saotome. He keeps the Senshi entrapped through his powerful spells."

Hiro grew ashen. "A magic user? You mean like Queen Beryl?"

"I don't know about this Beryl person, but I assure you, Saotome is far more treacherous. I need the book to complete my quest to break the spell and free those who love me."

"Uh... Well..." The company owner needed to buy some time since the book didn't exist. "It's not here. It's... Uh... It's off site in a secret location. I can get it... Uh..." He softly spoke. "Day after tomorrow?"

Kuno gritted his teeth at the latest delay. "Fine. But do not keep me waiting." He pulled out a pen and paper. He scribbled his phone number and name then handed it to the man behind the desk. "Call me the instant you have the book. Time is not important. Call me at any hour, I must have this book." He stood up to leave. "Good afternoon, my good man." With that, he gallantly marched out the door and out of the office.

His head spinning, Hiro contemplated his good fortune. If this man knew the Senshi, he could be convinced to have one or two of them actually come over to help him fight off that crazed girl who was claiming that she represented the Senshi and that he would have to turn over his operation to her. If he could actually make contact with the magical girls, he could put an end to this unwelcome take over attempt and save his profitable company. He formed a quick plan and pressed the buzzer. "Miss Yamato."

"Yes, sir?" Came the voice from the speakerphone.

"Call in Mr. Johnson and Miss Okazaki, I'll need them to work late tonight."

"Very well, sir. I'll notify them in a moment."

Turning the page on his notepad, he wrote down some notes for what this book he needed to create had to contain. "Let's see, marriage by combat. Where have I heard that before?" He turned to his computer and spent a few minutes doing searches on the topic. "Chinese Amazon marriage laws? Hmm... Good starting point as any."



Author's Notes: Please review my story. It makes me feel oh so happy and I'll churn out these chapters faster than I'm doing them now.

Last edited on January 25th, 2007



Previous chapter | Home | Next chapter