| COLORING A GREY WORLD By azn-otaku Crossover: Gundam Wing, Sailor Moon, and Ranma � ##-------## A/N: Well, I tried to get this update out as quickly as I can. These first chapters will probably take a bit longer than the last couple of chapters I had written for 'Sunshine', as I'm completely re-writing these first chapters. But...at least you guys aren't waiting a month for a new chapter! That's a good thing. Anyways, this is chapter one. I'm glad I've gotten mostly good reviews about the re-write. There are those that worry about my updating quickly enough so I get to newer stuff...but I just want to say that I'll try my hardest. I can't make any promises because of my erratic schedule...but I do have a complete outline of the entire first part of CaGW. Yay! I'm excited for all this new material. So many more characters are fleshed out so that things are explained with much more ease. READER RESPONSES FOR 'SUNSHINE' CHAPTER 17B: Anubis-sama: I'm sorry for cutting 'Sunshine' off! Really, I am. CaGW will have a lot more of Akane I think, because I really want to explain a lot more of each character's history. It makes thing so much more understandable, don't you think? I don't know if you're reading CaGW, but I hope people like these new personal reader responses (Like in 'Miko' and 'Shadow'!) Tegasus: Thanks! Once again, I'll say I'm sorry for messing with 'Sunshine' so late in the story. I hope to be back on track eventually. CrystalBlueSeraph: Yeah, things like Usagi waiting for a week seemed too unreasonable for me so I just had to re-write things so the timeline would fit a little better. I reeeaaally hope people aren't too mad at me. Artemis Crescent: Thanks for supporting my move into CaGW! I really appreciate all those that reviewed. Ranchan17: I'm sorry if you have trouble with the GW parts, I'll try to do some explanation in CaGW at the end of the chapter when they're introduced! I know with a multi-crossover there will be people who haven't seen some series, which is why I try to do some background info. But with my complicated stories, that's hard to do! And I thank you for reviewing about my author's note. I'll try to update as often as I can. Notice that the first few chapters will take a longer time to come out as I'm re-writing the entire thing. I mentioned that somewhere before these reader responses. But anyways...I'll do my best! I try my hardest to make each chapter better (I know why you'd be upset if I was planning on re-writing the ENTIRE thing), but I just got so dissatisfied with my previous chapters! And as I continued with the story, little details here and there just kept grinding in my head until I couldn't take it anymore. I'm sorry if I'm a perfectionist ^__^; I'll try my hardest to keep this re-write the best thing I've written so far so I won't have to go back and change things again. Oh...and yes! I did read 'Genma's Daughter'! That's where I had gotten that GPS receiver idea from (but of course, you already figured that out). It is a good idea, don't you think? Tenshi-Kaikou: Thanks for supporting my CaGW move! I really appreciate those who understand the tough decision I had to make. I know several readers might back out because they don't want to have to wait for "new" material, but I say that these old chapters will be plenty new enough! Shinigami: I don't know if you're reading CaGW (because I haven't gotten too many reviews from you so I don't know how often you check back with this story) but I'll answer your questions anyways! All the G-boys mentioned are a part of this somehow, but I'm not spilling any secrets yet! I know Usagi needs to know that not everyone has abandoned her; I'm itching to write the parts where Rei and the others meet up with her. Problem is...it'll be a while from now! Ja Rule: One of the reasons why I'm re-writing is because I know how confusing I tended to make 'Sunshine'. I hope CaGW is a lot less confusing, though I'm beginning to believe that it will be a challenge to write in and of itself. *sigh* But I hope you continue with CaGW, even if it means reading some old material! Confused: Thank you so much! Your compliments flatter me. christina: Well, a Hiiro/Usagi pairing might be nice...but I was going for something original! I like Hiiro/Usa pairings, really I do. But I just didn't think it appropriate for this, that's all. Gomen nasai! Chibi Pyro Duo: Another one who supports CaGW! Thank you! And thanks for your support with the Ryouga/Usagi pairing. It's really nice to know people pay attention to these kinds of things. I like to create complicated histories of every character because that way they seem more real to me...and will seem less like fictional cardboard characters. Real people should have hopes, dreams, personality traits that make them unique, flaws...etc. One reason why I don't like Mary-Sues, though they can be so easy to write. Seriously, complicated people are SO hard to get down on paper! READER RESPONSES FOR CaGW PROLOGUES: DemonicCatGirl: Thank you for the compliments! I'm always glad to hear people approve of CaGW, I was so nervous about how readers would react to such a big change! jamesstutz: Thanks! I'm an artist? Wow...that's really nice of you to say that. Ghost Whisper: Another person who moved with me! Thank you for your support. I believe this change was DEFINITELY necessary; there were just so many details I wanted to fix before I could begin to get into the really deep stuff of 'Sunshine'! I mean, Usagi's parents were one thing...and then there were a million other details that just irked me, you know? Tegasus: A lot of people are saying CaGW is more believable, and I definitely agree. And I'm using you're abbreviation of my title! I hope that's okay with you, it's a lot easier than writing 'Coloring A Grey World' over and over. I hope to get the updates out as fast as I can...we'll see! Tenshi-Kaikou: I'm glad you're okay with the changes, I think it adds more flavor to the story, don't you? And chapter one definitely has more going on than the previous chapter one, it's almost completely different! Blood River: Oh my, you're review was very inspiring. Just so you know. I'm glad you're rooting for me, when I read through 'Sunshine'; I can always pick out where my style changes bit by bit. It's amazing what a lot of practice can do, isn't it? I'm a lot more satisfied with CaGW. Sere: So many people are satisfied! Whee! I feel like a bouncy Miwako from 'Paradise Kiss', seriously! Usagi isn't quite old enough to become a legal guardian; she is currently seventeen in this story. It's not mentioned just yet, but I guess that's a little insider information for you! fergiaj: Whoo...I'm glad you like the changes! When you mentioned reading the ending...my head started spinning. This is such an epic story that I can't even imagine what finishing this would feel like. I hope people are in for the long haul, because I have a lot planned for CaGW. But don't worry! There is definitely an end. Ja Rule: Thank you much! Chibi Pyro Duo: Wow, squealing! I guess that means you're happy! There will be pretty much the same pairings as the ones already hinted at. There were a few more pairings I had planned out, but I've been tweaking those. But they aren't even mentioned yet so don't even worry about those. Ranchan17: I'm glad I have your stamp of approval. Really, I do hope to update as fast as I can, or as fast as a student can during the school year. The summer is the time when I'll try to crunch in as many chapters as I can. Artemis Crescent: Yeah, Ikuko-san WAS too mean, wasn't she? I really couldn't picture her that way, which was one of the reasons why I just had to do a re-write. Too many things I wrote in the first couple of chapters kept being brought up throughout the story that I would have to do something major to fix it all. Hence, CaGW! Lol, "killing them off" is a nice way to put it. ##-------## "......" Dialogue -......- Thoughts ##-------## "I believe that truth has only one face: that of a violent contradiction." -Georges Bataille ##-------## Chapter One: All Tied Up ##-------## Naru watched, smiling as Mercury and Jupiter locked a drugged Pluto up. They had placed her naked body upon a cold flat table, keeping her in place while an IV was wheeled in and inserted into her wrist. Her nutrients and her muscle relaxants. "Be sure to place a towel under her," the girl smirked, eyes glinting, "We don't want her to dirty the table after she can't control her bowels anymore, do we?" She watched silently as Mercury paused in cleaning a needle and dabbing cleanser over Pluto's arm. Her ice blue eyes flickered brightly for one moment, before resuming her task with shaking hands. Naru wanted to gauge their reactions, as if testing their loyalty to her. -For why shouldn't they be loyal to me? I am the Tsuki no hime, after all.- It was all Usagi's fault. Her fault. It had been almost two years since this process began. Training those senshi of Usagi's to obey her, and only her. Naru had gained her memories as a princess of the Silver Millennium, the eldest niece of High Queen Serenity IV when she had been a mere child. No more than six years old. The laws had been at the time that should the High Queen be unable to produce an heir by the time the eldest relative was ten, the crown of the kingdom would, by default, be turned over to the next in line. That would have been HER, Naru. She had been a secondary princess, second to none except for the High Queen. She would have been made High Queen. -Usagi's fault.- That little brat had stolen Naru's title. Stolen her glory, and the praise she had gotten from the court. Naru remembered her bitterness as if it was fresh in her heart. When she had been reborn, and when she had regained her memories, Usagi had still been in the dark. Clueless. Naru watched Usagi for so very, very long...even befriending the little bitch to keep a more intimate check upon the potential Tsuki no hime. Why should Tsukino have the crown? What good would it do for her? Naru wanted the power, she deserved it. She had waited so very long, almost believing that Usagi wouldn't even remember. -But then the clumsiness set in.- The thing about Lunarian puberty is; that it happens at different times for different people. The lifespan of a Lunarian was around 2,000 years at the time of the Silver Millennium, and the oldest recorded puberty period for a Lunarian was at 1,500 years. Naru had been lucky enough to experience her puberty in this lifetime in elementary school, when her clumsiness and fogginess of the brain could be covered up. And she had also been lucky in the short span of her puberty, lasting only a year. During that time she had regained her entire memory file of her previous life and had then chosen to seek Usagi out. The girl had been the same age as her in this life, and had been born with almost the exact same personality. When the two had first met, Naru recalled Usagi's bright and cheeky personality. The girl was always finding ways to prank people, and yet hardly anyone could stay mad at her for long. Naru had been lured into a false sense of security, believing Usagi to be doomed to live out her life as a normal mortal, until Usagi started turning clumsy around middle school. At first, it wasn't certain whether the blonde's attacks had been rare moments of awkwardness or stupidity, as Usagi was normally one of the brightest in her class; however Naru KNEW the Lunarian puberty had kicked in when Usagi had been seen carrying a Mau cat around. Something must have triggered inside of her biologically, causing her aura to radiate her magical presence and therefore attracting the High Queen's advisors towards her. Naru was jealous of Usagi's ease at becoming Sailor Moon, and even summoning the Ginzuishou when she had still been an amateur senshi. -It's not fair.- SHE had been the one who planned her rise to the throne. SHE had been the one daydreaming about crowds of adoring subjects. SHE had been the one to awaken FIRST. Why did Tsukino have to ruin it? And even then, it hadn't been any trouble for the little Moon bitch to find other subjects from the Silver Millennium, her senshi from their particular star system. Naru watched in the background as Usagi gained friendships Naru hadn't thought even existed, something so close and pure that it made Naru's insides crawl with envy. She watched as Usagi met her destined lover, formed a group of powerful senshi from the Inner planets, and even defeated Beryl, someone that no one in the Silver Millennium could destroy. Those few years leading up to the war with Chaos (she had kept close tabs on Usagi's battles); Naru had wanted to rip Usagi's eyes out and scream in frustration. She had wanted to throw something really evil and stinky in the stupid girl's face, and then reveal her entire secret plot to overthrow Tsukino's reign. Her heart had begun to race faster than ever; wanting to take what Usagi loved and rip her to pieces. She wanted to hurt the Tsuki no hime, make her believe that she was nothing. So she took the bitch's loved ones. It took almost two years, to slowly steal the senshi like Usagi had stolen her title. From watching the fight with Beryl, Naru had seen Mamoru get brainwashed. That had been her first clue to disturbances in the "perfect little team" of Tsukino's. According to her knowledge, no truly loyal senshi or guardian of the Tsuki no hime may be defeated in the mind. Physically, yes, but to be a senshi meant to have a heart so pure and strong that their bodies could be made into vessels to contain their planet's power. When Mamoru, the one Naru had believed to be destined to Usagi, had been brainwashed...Naru knew she could win against her cousin. -They couldn't have been her real senshi. Even if those memories of mine were inaccurate, I still remember her annoying little self being surrounded by lots of other tiny little brats who didn't remind me of these "Inners" at all.- They hadn't had the same aura, the bursting feeling that came when they transformed. The Elders in the Silver Millennium had once said that seeing the senshi of the planets for the very first time was like watching the universe being born again. The sun seemed lighter, brighter, and the world more beautiful when they were around. -So who are these girls? Why were they considered the senshi up till now?- Naru nodded to Mercury and Jupiter, dismissing them of their duties as of now. They headed towards the far-off door in the dark chamber; deep in the heart of an alternate dimension. With Naru's basic Lunarian white magic she had inherited through royal birth, she had the ability to create pockets, doors if you will, into other dimensions. Through this power the young woman had built her own domain into an empty hole in an unknown alley of Tokyo. She had brought the Inners here, as well as Mamoru...her new fianc�. Tsukino didn't know. Not yet. -Because of the fire.- -The fire which I burned her with till she cried.- She would give Usagi HER rules soon enough. And the bitch's world will come crashing down upon her. -The day has come. I will not let you defeat me, Tsukino.- Tomorrow, Naru would reveal herself to that bitch Tsukino. Claim her prize, the Ginzuishou, and leave Usagi to her parent-less fate. Naru had wanted Usagi as miserable as possible, the anger and hate welling up within her like thick poison. She had killed off Usagi's family, except for the little brat of the brother whom she had missed somehow. -No matter. He'll just be placed with another family and I'll be done with him. It's not like Usagi is old enough yet to be his legal guardian.- It was time for Naru to take what was rightfully hers. Usagi didn't DESERVE the Tsuki no hime title, she didn't!! If she hadn't shown up in the Silver Millennium, Naru would have been the new heir! It wasn't fair; Usagi wasn't even REALLY a part of the royal family! What had caused Serenity IV to choose that little brat over HER was beyond Naru's comprehension. -She's just the bastard child. A stupid little bastard child...- ##--------## -My nice, isolated room...- Usagi watched warily as someone was wheeled into the room, unconscious at the moment. There had been gossip among the nurses who had nothing better to do among their lives except talk about the comings and goings of the hospital's worse patients...there had been a young woman admitted recently. She remembered this only because apparently the girl had been found in an abandoned warehouse, lying in a scattered heap of blood and flesh. The very thought of the vision it brought to Usagi's mind made her shiver. That had been two days ago, and the nurses would not stop chattering about the current condition of the girl. -My peace and quiet...- Squinting, Usagi made out a tuft of red hair under the covers. The old woman who normally gave Usagi pills was busy tucking in the bed-sheets and hooking the redhead up to an IV system. Looking more closely, Usagi realized the bag was filled with nutrients, couldn't the patient eat or something? Her deep sapphire eyes sparked with curiosity, a rarity these past few days, observing the silent rise and fall of the blankets indicating the redhead's sleep. She nodded stiffly to the nurse who left them to their own devices without another word, never taking her eyes off of her new roommate. The blonde young woman had really liked this room out of all the other hospital rooms, because she didn't have a roommate. It was quiet, leaving Usagi to her somewhat frightening thoughts. She had never been one to enjoy silence and lonesomeness, but with the current turn of events...being alone was the best thing that had happened to her in a long while. It was in this room that Usagi could relax, imagining herself well enough to hunt out her parents' murderer. Of course those thoughts were always bad for a person's health, so after an hour or two Usagi would take a breather and imagine her senshi finally coming to call. -Either way...this is a pretty pathetic existence I'm leading at this moment.- "Uuurgh..." -Nani?- The rustling covers became more violent as the tuft of red hair rolled over. Usagi watched with wary eyes as the patient managed to push their torso up with shaky arms. It turned out to be a girl, most likely the girl all the nurses were talking about. The blonde moon child in turn shrank into her bed. She hadn't had much contact with the outside for awhile; it was different watching someone her age. What was she supposed to do? The girl had the most brilliantly red hair Usagi had ever seen, and it fell in waves just a few inches below her shoulders. Slender shoulders hiding powerful muscles (reminding her of a sleek cheetah) and deep blue-grey eyes. With a cherub-like face, Usagi couldn't help feeling slightly jealous at this hot little thing right across from her. Not to mention the fact that she was quite well-endowed in the chest region. Some females had all the luck. Another groan escaped the redhead's mouth, "Urrrgh...what...hit me...?" This time, the new girl gave Usagi a jolt of shock. She looked like an angel, yet her voice was definitely un-cultured. Like...some sort of guy who hadn't had much schooling. It wasn't like a MANLY voice, definitely not...it just sounded as if she had been RAISED like a guy or something. As odd as that sounded. -Interesting.- Deciding to be social, Usagi gave a grin, "You fell off a horse while looking for your long-lost love in the 1700s and somehow magically appeared in the future. Nice to meet you, I'm your roommate Tsukino Usagi. Well, not exactly sure about the 'Tsukino' part. Don't ask, long story." She gave a slight grimace at the reference to her parents' death. Not a good way to do the whole meet and greet. The new girl just gave her an incredulous stare, as if wondering how to react. Usagi missed this; she rarely had a chance to be sarcastic or comical when all her friends expected her to be stupid and clumsy. Whenever she did happen to say something witty (well, SHE thought her comments were witty), they would just stare at her much like this new girl was staring at her. Like they didn't know how to react. Did they really think they knew the 'real' Usagi so well, that they wouldn't even TRY to find the REAL her? She had lost most of her old friends from before becoming Moon; most of them had just drifted away after she became too busy with training and fights to pay much attention to them. Now, Usagi could honestly say that probably no one except for Shingo and her parents (now deceased) remembered what she had been like before Moon took over. -Sucks to be me, eh?- "Er...Saotome Ranma...nice to...meet...you...?" The girl gave Usagi another odd stare, yet this time it seemed a little less dumbfounded and a little more wary. It was like she was used to odd things happening and was just a tiny bit jaded. -Huh. That's unexpected.- "You're name's 'Ranma'?" Usagi tilted her head, "That's a guy's name, isn't it? Did your parents want to, like, cause psychological trauma or something?" It was easier to be social with the new girl than Usagi had originally thought. She had been isolated for several weeks now, and had expected to be at a loss for words when dealing with others outside of nurses and doctors. It was slightly comforting to know that her wit was still about her. She felt a little bit more at ease, willing to finally put thoughts of her senshi and her parents aside for the moment and to get to know her roommate a bit better. "N-No," Ranma blushed with embarrassment. She slowly tapered off from her stuttered statement, "I-It's...not like...that..." The blonde grinned hesitatingly, a bit unsure of Ranma's answer, "Well, you either ARE a girl, or you're not. I mean, I really can see no reason to say you're a GUY." When the redhead flinched, Usagi jerked in her bed. She blinked two or three times; then let her crystalline blue eyes stare Ranma up and down. She squinted slightly and craned her neck forward, "Because if you ARE a guy, those are AWFULLY large...man boobs, for lack of a better word, on your chest." Again, Ranma blushed furiously. She didn't seem the type to socialize with others that well. At least, not with girls. This was slightly odd to Usagi, seeing as Ranma was CLEARLY a girl...and should therefore be somewhat skilled in the "talking" department. It was a relief to see someone else after such a long period of silence, that Usagi couldn't help feel herself getting excited over basic conversation. What was wrong with her? First she was pissed and depressed (which was quite hard to do, as both emotions required a lot of time and energy from her), and now she was just curious and hyper. But of course, Usagi never could satisfy her boundless energy, even since before Moon took over. Her mother had always complained (with a smile, of course) how often Usagi had gotten into trouble in elementary school just because of the large number of pranks she would pull. It was just...interesting, was all...to see what would happen if she hid bugs in a girl's pencil case...or "accidentally" spilled glue all over the teacher's seat. She hadn't really meant any harm in those days; Usagi was just a naturally inquisitive person with a wicked sense of humor. The sadness and numbness of the past few days were lifted off her chest at being able to think about something else for a change, and Usagi was damn sure she wouldn't miss these few moments before the angst settled in again like a ball and chain. Noticing Ranma opening her mouth to finally speak, Usagi perked both ears and leaned in closely. This only made the other girl even more fidgety, as if she half-expected Usagi to leap up and start pummeling her just because she felt like it. Usagi really didn't need to remind herself AGAIN of how odd this girl was acting. "I-It..." "Yes...?" The redhead sighed, "It's...complicated. Ain't really none of you're business either, if you ask me." -Hff...how rude!- ##-------## The room was lit softly by the glow of the sun in the window, highlighting the warm comforter of a bed and the small suitcase resting on top of it. Somewhere in the room, a girl was humming as she snatched a few sets of clothing out of her dresser and made her way towards said suitcase. She would only be gone for a few days; it wasn't like Ranma would be in the hospital for a LONG time or anything. Akane was a girl who was very loyal to those she cared about, though she wouldn't admit to feeling anything for Ranma to anyone other than herself. The short girl with a straight bob of dark hair and warm chocolate brown eyes was very defensive of her rights as an individual being, and it made sense that she would be outraged at the fact that her own father arranged a marriage between her and someone she did not know. This, of course, had been a year ago when she had been in the middle of her sophomore year. Now she had actually warmed up to the jovial martial artist with a foot-in-mouth syndrome. But that didn't mean she was going to tell that to her father, who would burst out into tears should he hear that piece of news. -Tousan would hit the roof if he heard that I might even lo...- Flushing, Akane shook herself out of those thoughts. She was just concerned about Ranma's health; that was all. That battle with Happosai hadn't looked like a walk in the park, as far as Akane was concerned. And apparently it had gotten worse when Ranma managed to lead Happosai far away from the Tendou home. Her father had gotten a call from a hospital in the next district about Ranma's current condition. Though he had gotten more banged up than usual (which was why Akane gave him several days to heal, instead of just one night), everyone was sure he would be up and about in less than a week. It wasn't a big deal, right? It was at this moment that a hesitant knock came at her doorway, causing the headstrong girl to jump in surprise. She hated to be caught thinking about Ranma, it did no good for her image as the girl-who-hated-boys. Not that she really HATED boys. Just...she got irritated more than once with their immaturity. "H-Hai? Come in, the door's open!" Akane's dark brown eyes watched as her father entered her room with an unusual expression on his face. It wasn't like anything she had seen before, as if he were actually being serious for once. He stood in the doorway for a minute, before Akane smiled hesitatingly. "Umm...konnichiwa Tousan...is everything alright?" Tendou Soun sighed before finally walking in. Was there something wrong? He did know she was going to be staying at the hospital with Ranma, right? Even if the nurses turned her out during visiting hours, Akane planned on refusing to leave. Ranma shouldn't have to stay in some hospital room all alone. Still, Akane made sure to plant a cheerful smile on her face, keeping a polite front before her father. He did weird things like this all the time, she shouldn't be so surprised. "It's...about Ranma...Akane-chan...I just got a call from the hospital about his condition..." "R-Ranma?" Akane was getting slightly nervous at the still-serious look her father had on. He had NEVER looked this way, in all the time Akane knew him, "What...about...Ranma?" "He's a girl..." Silence. The youngest Tendou stared unblinkingly at her father, before laughing out loud, "Tousan! Of COURSE Ranma is part-girl, you know about her curse! I mean, it's been a year already..." "No." At this forceful word from her father, Akane stopped chuckling immediately. Soun seemed to struggle with himself for a minute, before giving a small, forced smile. He sat stiffly down upon Akane's bed, taking his daughter's hand in his own and looking up at her with his intense stare. "W-Wha..." She jerked out of his grasp, eyes wide, "W-What are you d-doing...?" "Akane-chan. Ranma is a GIRL." "I-I know that Tousan..." "AKANE!" Soun didn't seem to know how to tell his daughter to be quiet and listen. Frightened, Akane backed up across the room. She planted her hands behind her on the wall, staring at her father as if he had grown two heads. What was he on about? She KNEW Ranma was a girl. Almost EVERYONE (except for the Kunous, of course) knew Ranma was part-girl. It was part of the insanity that invaded Nerima every single day. It was something she had gotten used to about the pigtailed martial artist, and it was something she had grown to love about him. -But why is my father acting as if this were...abnormal? He...he's never had a problem with it before...- Her father continued, "Akane...we have to cancel the engagement...something happened at that fight with Happosai...I mean..." She was already dreading his words. Her sixth sense was tingling, and she didn't like the way her father was starting to look slightly desperate. "..You know how that old man was...he had so many years of experience...he was BOUND to know some spells, like Cologne does..." -Iie...- "I don't understand it myself...but the nurse did swear that she gave the patient a hot bath...they reported all the care Ranma had been given..." -Iie!- "She's CLEARLY a girl in their eyes. They're starting to question the origin of her name...they're asking for birth records and whether or not her parents are expecting to come..." "IIE!" This time, Akane's voice cut through her father's words like a knife, "Why are you telling me this Tousan?! It's not true! It's not!" "Akane!" Shoving her father's pleading hand away, Akane snapped at him, "This is a joke! WHY are you telling me this?! WHY?!" -Surreal.- "Akane, I talked with Cologne! She's already located the exact spell Happosai used; we've visited the sight where they battled. We discovered Holy Ash, Akane. You can't change old, old magic such as this. There's no way..." "STOP IT!! So Ranma's a girl for now! So what?! He's always changed back before, ALWAYS. There's no such thing as unconquerable magic!" It was odd, Akane vaguely noticed how not even five minutes had gone by, and she had made such a sudden transition in emotion. She had been humming! Expecting to see Ranma and to argue with him in less than an hour! She had been dreaming of the day that she would finally tell him she lo-loved him...didn't that count for ANYTHING?! It was like she had been anticipating this sort of chaos, after it has been so abnormally peaceful for a while now that Ranma was in the hospital. She was blowing up without reason. Was she really that strung up? Did the chaos of Nerima really make her so cynical? Always assuming the worst? It was as if...Akane just KNEW why her father was telling her this. Why she was so frightened. "It's just, Akane..." Soun stopped where he was standing, "I know how much you care about him..." "I DON'T!!" He gave her a sympathetic frown, which she turned away from, "But you know perfectly well how much we need an heir for the Tendou school to continue..." "So get Kasumi or Nabiki to fuck somebody!" "AKANE! I will not have that language from ANYONE in this house!" "I DON'T CARE!!!" She was acting like a little five year old. Folding her arms and glaring at the wall in order to not look her father in the eye. -Why am I getting so angry...?- It wasn't as if she REALLY lo-loved him, right? She should be happy this happened. If this was real, she wouldn't be engaged anymore! She'd be free... And this didn't even HAVE to be real! What did the nurses know? What did Cologne know? Holy Ash didn't exist...magic doesn't, or shouldn't exist. Maybe that "hot" water wasn't really hot to begin with. Maybe it would just take longer for Ranma to transform. Maybe he was already a guy and was telling the nurse to call back and say he was normal. As normal as he could be. -Except you know how powerful magic can be. You know as a fact that it exists.- She vaguely noted her father talking to her again, this time a little more forcefully. "Kasumi will be marrying Tofu-san, they have plans to move to America and start a clinic there. Tofu-san doesn't have his own school, his own art, nothing. No matter how good of an Artist he is, he'd be no benefit to the Tendou clan." "SHUT UP!" He continued calmly, "Nabiki? Who would take her? And if someone did find her attractive, who would take her that would be an asset to our clan?" "Shut UP!!!" [You're the only one.] -Iie.- [You're the only one who has to give up her freedom.] -I don't have to be engaged to stupid Ranma. That is freedom.- [You love him.] -I do not.- In her head, Akane could hear screaming. It was like a nightmare, something so sudden and flying by like a whirlwind. She tried to remember what set her off, to find out that she couldn't. Her father's face taunted her even as she closed her eyes. She didn't know why she was angry. She didn't know why everything was black. She didn't know why her father was talking to her in this way. She didn't know why he couldn't just force Nabiki or Kasumi to marry someone they didn't want to like he was forcing her. "You're my last chance, Akane. You have to continue the Tendou line," His voice was once again, desperate, "I'm begging you...forget her..." -I can't.- "We'll be visiting her in a week, that should give you time to cool off." -I can't.- "I'm sure with time...we can find you a suitable fianc�. It'll be okay..." In the dead silence as her father left, Akane finally opened her eyes to stare at his retreating back. The door was closing; he was shutting her inside a more intricate cage than he had before. Instead of just ARRANGING a marriage, he was TAKING AWAY her lo-love and arranging a marriage. She felt claustrophobic. She needed to scream. "I WON'T!!!" -I'll be okay.- "I WON'T LOVE HIM!!!" -You're new fianc� will be just as good as Ranma.- "I WON'T LOVE ANYONE ELSE!!!" She couldn't let herself get out of control like this. It wasn't healthy. Ranma wasn't so great that she needed to throw a fit if she never saw him again. No...he wasn't like the sun. He didn't just smile at her even though she hit him and argued with him like the undesirable tomboy she was. He didn't make her feel guilty after she would think about her actions and realize that Ranma was just Ranma. He was good at putting his foot in his mouth. He was good at creating misunderstandings. He was good at teasing, and being so lively, and getting jealous while trying to let on that he wasn't, and being faithful even though Akane would always doubt him. She couldn't possible be so high-strung over him. He was always there, in the back of her mind. She was full of contradictions. And even though there was only a small crack through the door from when her father left her room, Akane could still hear her father muttering under his breath. She felt an incredible hate for him at that very moment. But his voice was quiet, and it sounded broken. "I'm sorry...Akane-chan. Demo...two girls don't make heirs." -That was the problem.- She never let on that she might love Ranma. That was why her father chose her to be unhappy, when Kasumi was so obviously happy with Dr. Tofu. It was why Akane couldn't be with Ranma, because she wasn't strong enough to express her emotions. It was easier to cancel an engagement when everyone pretended to believe you weren't madly in love. It was easier on their conscious. ##-------## "-ind that in our house we share all things, and that includes chores. Now, Father and I have created a chart several years back with all the little errands that need to be done around the house, and we assign tasks to each and every child that passes through. I'm sure you know that you'll just be staying here for little more than several months as..." Shingo tuned out the middle-aged woman as she rambled on about "family rules" and "responsibilities". Instead, he chose to look around the room they were currently in, trying to ignore the curious stares of kids ranging from fifteen all the way to what looked like a three year old. If wasn't as if there weren't enough of them, why should they care that he was the newest child up for adoption? It still made him slightly bitter, thinking about how much he was alone. -Where is Usagi when I need her?- This really sucked. It didn't matter anymore that his real family would have scolded him for such language. It still sucked. Ten years old, and Shingo had no family other than his sister who wasn't even old enough to adopt him properly. Yeah. Life sucked major butt. He had been a normal kid. Annoying little brother, blah blah, average grades at school, blah blah, regular life...and then it had all been taken away. Some said if the world didn't suck, we'd all fall off...Shingo really wanted to send whoever made that one up a picture of his middle fingers. He wasn't normally a crude young man; he just really needed to vent some anger at the injustice of it all. Like...what happened? One minute he was walking home from playing with his friends at the park...the next minute, he was staring at the red sirens of police cars and being pulled away from his house that looked like it had some sort of wrecking ball colliding into its side or something. A whole half of it was completely demolished, there were burns across the walls and blackened carpets. He could see into his bedroom; and his sister's as well. The police drove him away before he could see his parents clearly. All he saw was part of a head that was hidden by pieces of couch. From what he was told, Shingo assumed that that was all that was left. The biggest piece left, anyways. He was still a little dead with shock from just...finding...his mother's head. How twisted was that? The adoption center had assumed he was just normally quiet. They would get him to nod or to shake his head now and then, but mostly Shingo stared out their window as he ignored all the other kids getting transferred to foster homes or to new families. His mind had been flying at lightning fast speeds ever since that incident. The police didn't know what to do with him, the adoption center didn't know what to do with him, he suspected he would alienate this new Mother and Father (as they insisted he call them) as well. It was only a matter of time. -Usagi...why aren't you here with me? I need you.- Never before...Shingo had never heard those words in his head before. He never imagined his sister would become so important to him. She was his last remaining family member, the only one he could be truly loyal to at the moment. She had been in the hospital for a while now; they had been just planning on visiting her before this Incident happened. He really needed to talk to her; the police had told him that they would contact her about this...murder...but Shingo knew he needed to see Usagi for himself. She wasn't as hard-hearted as he could be; she was always smiling and laughing. How would she take this news? Shingo didn't want to find out what an Usagi in depression looked like, it would be too wrong. Looking around the room once more, Shingo tried to keep Mother tuned out. She was starting to get on his nerves. Everyone was treating him like the kid he was SUPPOSED to be, ignoring the fact that something life-changing had happened to him. Did they expect him to be na�ve? Innocent? Still immature and playing around like some little boy? -Life...sucks.- ##-------## Minako watched Ami change medicines for Pluto, her eyes blank with deep thought. -How...did this happen?- Was it right for her to stare at a comatose Pluto with no compassion? Was she heartless? Where was her strength...courage...will to resist? Two years ago, Minako had been happy. Sure, she had no boyfriend and her dreams of becoming a teen idol were still very far away. But she had close friends, allies, and a confidant in another blonde with two odangos at the top of her head. There had been so much laughter, tears, and bonding. -Where...did it all go?- She didn't understand how she had been tricked this way. At first, it had been just a few hints here and there from Naru, which had been odd at the time because Minako, Ami, and Makoto had no idea that Naru knew about them being senshi. Since they all went to the same school, the three of them were semi-close to Usagi's old best friend. They had ignored her little "nudges" so to speak; waving them off as nothing to worry about. Naru had become more persistent as the years grew on: whether Usagi was really important, how strongly did they felt about Usagi, did the girl seem...oh I don't know...a bit ditzy to you? Does she seem...like "leadership" material? At first, Minako hadn't been observant enough. She didn't know that Naru was hinting at anything important, the questions were very (while QUITE un-best-friend-ish) subtle. She, Ami and Makoto went along with these questions because they didn't know how else to take them. They didn't know then that Naru was also working on Mamoru as well. He had been apparently "brainwashed" (according to Naru) during senshi battles earlier than she, Makoto, and Ami had been (as early as the Beryl fights) so Naru had known that he wasn't really destined for Usagi earlier than she knew the other senshi weren't real senshi. -Then...who is?- As far as she knew, Minako and the others weren't "real" senshi. She didn't know how this was possible. Naru had said that only a true senshi of the stars would have a heart so strong that nobody would be able to brainwash or convince the senshi from betraying the Tsuki royalty or the rest of the star system. But...how was this possible? Who else did they know have the power of the stars? Wasn't she, Aino Minako, powerful enough to be Venus? What other power was out there? And besides, if she was apparently not a real senshi because she could be swayed from protecting Usagi, didn't that mean that all the other senshi found weren't real? Pluto, Uranus, Mars, Saturn, Neptune...all those that weren't following Naru right now...they had been brainwashed during the Chaos war. They had attacked Usagi. What about them? -Too many questions.- She followed Naru because it felt right. Minako's heart was guilty about betraying Usagi. This had been going on for weeks. She couldn't believe she had no choice in the matter. Naru said that Minako was supposed to follow her because it was Fate. She was so confused right now. She didn't know what to think. All these contradictions were swimming in her head as if they enjoyed taunting her. It wasn't fair that Naru tricked her into joining her cause. At the time, Minako had been just as confused as she was now. Naru had been pushing harder than ever in the past few weeks: Ami and Makoto were having doubts, Naru kept pointing out how clumsy Usagi was, how ditzy she was, how she didn't seem to have any leadership skills, how she wasn't smart like the Tsuki no hime SHOULD be...what was Minako to do? She made a mistake...there was no turning back. [You can't go back to Usagi now...not after what you've done.] She didn't mean to follow Naru. How could she have helped her out with those hideous crimes? [Usagi is in the hospital because of you.] Her...Ami...Makoto...they all knew that they were stuck. Naru pointed that out to them time and time again. There was NO turning back. [She has no parents because of you.] Minako felt like crying. Ami had already gone away; Minako was just left with a dark room and Pluto lying on a cold metal table in her prison. It was an empty black hole that seemed to have no walls or floors. A single transparent path led from the door into empty space. Several glass boxes floated near the pathway, the only way to get them to come towards the road was by willing with the mind. Pluto's glass prison was slowly heading into the black fog after Ami had left her to babble incoherently. What once was a tall, proud woman was now a pitiful being with rolled back eyes and a keening moan. -How...could I?- [Usagi could never forgive you.] That was what Naru told her. She had no choice but to follow Naru. No choice at all. Even if Minako knew that her heart was more loyal to Naru than it was to Usagi...this was still wrong. She couldn't explain why she felt so strongly about Usagi's cousin re-incarnated. There was a bursting feeling within her heart whenever she thought about serving Naru. Something Minako couldn't quite describe. She knew what she was doing was wrong. And she felt like crying when she knew she had no choice in the matter. -Like I said...too many contradictions.- She was loyal...yet completely going insane because of all the wrongs she's committed. Did that make sense? She'd choose Naru over Usagi...but she'd never dream of betraying Usagi. Did THAT make sense? Usagi was like a king, Naru was like a personal master. A servant would follow his masters to the end of the world, yet he still followed the laws made by the king too. It was all very, VERY complicated. ##-------## It was a beautiful day outside. Nodoka stared at the white sheet in her hands, her fingers trembling. The sound of a teapot squealing rang in the distance as the woman stood in her living room. An envelope fell to the floor like a fallen leaf in autumn. -Ranma...?- She hadn't seen her son in years, he and her husband had disappeared on a training trip a long, long time ago. There had been rumors of their return, of which she had then headed towards the Tendou complex in hopes of meeting her family again. But there had been neither hide nor hair of them since the day they left her to care for the Saotome home. And here was a letter, saying her Ranma was in the nearby hospital. -Yet...they use 'she' instead of 'he'. My son is a boy.- Why? An odd occurrence had happened at the Tendou home recently; which caused Nodoka to think about things for a minute. She had met Ranko, Akane's cousin, and the redhead's pet panda. Ranko was an adorable girl, yet Nodoka (in all the times she talked with the girl) had always felt odd about her. Because...first off...she had never heard of Akane-chan having a cousin before. And secondly...there were always...little instances...that made Nodoka think that Ranko acted more like a boy than a girl. And it was especially during the incident with the poor thief who pretended to be her son...that she soon had a hunch that Ranma WAS close by. Perhaps closer than she had thought. -But I always thought it was just the desperate need to see my family that made me think such crazy things.- How could a boy be a girl at the same time? What would this have done with the contract her husband and her son had signed, promising that Ranma would be the man amongst men? How could he? You couldn't be a "man amongst men" with half of you a girl. Nodoka didn't know what to think. She needed to know the truth. The teapot kept steaming. The sun hit homey couches as Nodoka slowly sat down. The letter explained everything clearly and concisely. Nothing to misunderstand. Ranma was clearly a 'she'. Red hair, breasts, wearing a pigtail when they had first found her...every detail was there. How could she have missed it? Ranko...was Ranma? The girl had acted so much like Nodoka would have imagined her son acting: she was courageous, strong, loyal to those she loved, lively...she was every mother's dream. If Ranma hadn't been a boy when he was born, Nodoka would have very much liked a girl like her. It was mind-boggling to think that Ranko had been her son all this time. No doubt scared of the contract that was obviously not going to be filled. -What should I do?- She obviously couldn't force her child to commit seppuku. Her husband was a different matter, but her son was her own! She was never serious about that contract when she had first signed it, she just wanted an excuse for Genma to bring Ranma back home in case he decided to just up and leave and never return. It wasn't until after all the threat letters sent to her house because of Genma's doings on the road, or the random fianc� showing up, or the piles of debt Nodoka had to pay off...that the Saotome clan's name began to be dragged into the dirt. She was too proud of a woman to let that happen. Her entire life had been spent training to be the perfect wife, and she had gone against her parents' wishes to marry Genma (whom they thought un-trustworthy, with reason). How could she turn up at their door now with news that they were right? She was ashamed of walking down the street, where she could hear old maids whispering about her dishonorable husband. As a woman, this made her every bit as disgusting as Genma was. -It is a pain to bear.- Crumpling the letter in her hands, Nodoka let out a frustrated moan. She didn't want to follow through with the contract. She didn't want her son to die. But this would be like another stain on the Saotome honor. If she couldn't follow through with a written agreement, what would be left of her pride? This was something she could directly affect, not like all those nasty letters she got because of her husband. -Ranma...- -Why has Genma kept this from me?- Why did her husband hide from her? Was he afraid of the consequences of Ranma being half-girl? The lonely woman needed to speak with her "dearly beloved spouse" immediately...to find out what has been going on. She could not possible make any decision otherwise. No doubt it would have to be quickly, else Genma caught on that she had received information about Ranma and was heading away from the Tendou home. Now that she thought about it, "Mr. Panda" seemed too intelligent for an average house pet. -I should have known.- ##-------## A/N: Okay, so there are some things I'd like to talk about here after you've all read chapter one. 1) So yeah. There's a twist with Usagi being a "bastard child" as Naru so kindly puts it. I won't explain much here, because that's what reading the story is for. Just know that, yes, this IS intentional. There will be a point to all this, it's not going to be just some random statement that means nothing. Usagi is not what she seems. History will be re-written. I can't resist! 2) Usagi in general seems different from the Usagi we know, yes? Old readers, you know what I'm talking about when I say this Usagi is witty and slightly sarcastic. But for the new readers, I want to say again that everything is not as it appears. Usagi is not as she appears. Chapter one automatically states that Usagi from the manga or the anime was just an Usagi who was going through lunarian puberty. I'm not trying to create a new character by giving Usagi a COMPLETELY different personality, not at all! I'm giving her a more mature outlook, within reasonable boundaries. She was gradually getting more mature in the manga (though the anime never really depicts this, I don't think) so I'm trying to explain this change by describing symptoms of puberty. Lol. 3) The Akane and Minako parts seem a little wide-spread in my opinion. I really don't know how to describe them. I mean, the emotions described in both narratives are just so...ambiguous. One minute everything's happy, then it's sad, then it's angry, then it's confused...the list goes on. It's not like I'm trying to be confusing, so I hope people could still follow the chapter. I wanted to get the confliction emotions of both characters across to readers. Akane is still in doubt about her love, yet she doesn't want Ranma to go away. This can cause some brain damage, mind you. And Minako is experiencing different feelings herself...thought it's a bit more complicated than Akane's dilemma. I'm trying to reveal something here that won't be explained fully until the series gets in deeper, just know that Minako, Ami, Makoto, and Mamoru (notice how I didn't say Rei. That's important.) are struggling with the fact that they feel so loyal to Naru...even though they've been fighting for Usagi for much longer. What do you make of that? Could it somehow have to do with the fact that Naru claims they aren't really the planetary senshi? I'm questioning you guys, not myself. Just so you know. O.o I'm not trying to be weird or anything like that! 4) Where this takes place in the actual arcs of each series: in the Ranma � series, this will be taking place sometime after the storyline with the thief (I can't remember his name!) who pretended to be Ranma and tried to get close to Nodoka. In the Sailor Moon series, this starts completely after the entire manga is done: after defeating Chaos. When Gundam Wing comes in later, that will all be AU. I'm not about to try and bring in Gundams and all that. Too complicated (like it's not complicated enough!). SOOO....I really don't know what else to say. I've tried explaining myself fully so that I won't get so many confused reviewers. I'm really sorry about that from 'Sunshine', so I'm trying to do better in my author's notes. Yeah. Is there anything else I might need to explain? I try not to give away too many spoilers to CaGW because there'd be no point in writing if you guys knew everything...but sometimes talking about what's happened in every chapter helps to focus the audience's attention and to give a better understanding before I give you more material in the next chapter! That said...see you on the flip side. ##-------## JAPANESE DICTIONARY Tsuki - Moon. Hime - Princess. 'No' can mean 'of', so 'Tsuki no hime' would be 'Princess of the moon'. Senshi - Soldier. Used in this fic for just the planetary senshi. Example: Venus no senshi is the "soldier of Venus". Ginzuishou - The crystal Usagi uses. Let's see...it's called...what...the Imperium crystal or something like that in English? Ah well. In Japanese this is what it is. Tousan - A shortening of 'Otousan' which just means 'Father'. Hai - Yes. Right. Konnichiwa - Good Afternoon -Chan - Suffix used for girls mainly, for someone close to you or younger than you. Iie - No. -San - Suffix used for those you respect, those older than you. Odango - Those are what the senshi used to describe Usagi's little buns at the top of her head. I can't remember if they were supposed to be meatballs (as in 'odango atama', or meatball head) or just the type of buns you eat. When someone corrects me on this, I'll change it. ##-------## A LESSON IN NAMES When I first started reading fanfiction a long while back, I was always confused as to who 'Usagi' was or why some names were spelled differently and things like that. For all those who are ignorant, this is just a review before I continue with the story. Remember, in Japanese, you place the surname first before the personal name. I'm going by the names translated in the manga, so sometimes there might be differences in last names for the anime as well. Bear with me! Tsukino Usagi - Serena "Bunny" Tsukino. She's also called "Koneko" by Haruka (Means "kitten" in Japanese), "Odango Atama" by Rei and the other Princess' Guardians ("Meatball Head"), and "Usako" by Mamoru (the "-ko" ending is used in a lot of cutesy girl nicknames, I guess this could be translated as the "Buns" or "Bun" in the English manga). Her Earth family includes Tsukino Shingo (Sammy or Sam), Tsukino Ikuko (Mom), and Tsukino Kenji (Dad) Saotome Ranma - Shouldn't be hard, just Ranma Saotome. "Ranchan" to Ukyou (Ucchan) in the Ranma � series. The Saotomes include Saotome Genma, and Saotome Nodoka as well. Tendou Akane - Akane Tendo. I think they just spell her name with 'o' instead of 'ou', but I just use 'ou' because it helps with pronunciation. The Tendous include Tendou Soun, Tendou Nabiki, and Tendou Kasumi as well. Aino Minako - Mina Aino (Venus) Mizuno Ami - Amy Anderson (Mercury) Kino Makoto - Lita Kino (Jupiter) Hino Rei - Raye Hino (Mars) Chiba Mamoru - Darien Shields. His alter-ego is "Tuxedo Kamen", or Tuxedo Mask. And he's also Endymion from the Silver Millennium. Ten'ou Haruka - Amara Tenoh (Uranus) Kaiou Michiru - Michelle Kaioh (Neptune) Meiou Setsuna - Trista Meioh (Pluto). Setsuna is called "Puu" by Chibiusa. Chibiusa - You all know the sugary pink future daughter of Usagi's. She's "Rini" or "Small Lady" or "Rabbit" in English. She's considered Chibi Moon, training under Usagi to become a full-fledged senshi. Osaka Naru - Molly Baker. Known as Usagi's friend in the manga. Umm...I think that's it. Unless you count people like Umino (Melvin), Momo (Chibiusa's friend Peaches), Motoki (Andrew from the arcade, he's mentioned in this story I think), and etc. I really can't think of any more. But if they come up in the story, I'll be sure to explain who they are at the end of the chapter. ##-------## GROUPINGS A lot of fans use the terms "Inners" and "Outers" when they're referring to specific groups. I used to do that a lot too, but I was led to one site by Yami Nocturna called "Dies Gaudii" which is an AMAZING site filled with research articles all about the universe known as 'Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon' or BSSM. Now, I've decided to try and be as correct as possible in naming the "Inners" and "Outers". Inners - Guardian Soldiers, Princess' Guardians, Soldiers of the Four Guardian Deities. These terms will be used, but watch carefully for a gradual change in titles as many senshi will be switching loyalties and the groupings will be twisted. Outers - Outer-Planet Soldiers. I guess not much needs to be said. ##-------## Previous Chapter Next Chapter Back to Coloring A Grey World Back to My Crossovers Email Me! |