If there was a person in Japan who was as big a weirdness magnet as Ranma Saotome, that person was Naru Osaka. Unlike Ranma, however, who attracted paranormally powerful martial artists, bizarre curses, wandering amazons, confused ghosts, dim witted demons, and the occasional small shriveled up pervert, all Naru ever seemed to attract was monsters. She was very very good at that, though. Whenever a new enemy would appear to bedevil the Sailor Senshi, it was pretty much a sure thing that eventually said enemy would get around to Naru-chan sooner or later. For some reason, evil beings from dark dimensions seemed attracted to her in much the same way that one certain small shriveled up pervert was attracted to panties. Only worse. If it weren't for the mysterious Sailor Moon, who had saved her on more than one occasion, she'd probably be dead a dozen times over now. Well, her or her boyfriend, Gurio Umino. He'd been attacked once or twice himself. Most people didn't understand what Naru saw in Umino. They looked at the surface and saw a geek. Well, fair enough. He WAS something of a geek. But he was a geek who was loyal, affectionate, brave, unfaltering, and-- the last two factors being Naru's personal secret-- had the most gorgeous eyes under those coke-bottle glasses and was a fantastic kisser. Naru allowed herself a small smile at that thought. She wondered what Usagi would think about Umino-kun if she knew THAT part. But although they were the best of friends, there were some things she was NOT planning to share with Usagi. Like eyes and lips. Idly she wondered what Usagi was doing right now. Idle wondering was interrupted by something that seemed... odd. Even for Juuban. "Come back here, you baka monster!" Naru had seen monsters before. None quite as odd looking as this one, though. It seemed to be female-- they nearly always were, for some reason-- and made entirely out of Lego blocks. It was also, contrary to what monsters usually did, running for its semi-life. And it was being chased by... Well, whoever that was, in the skintight silver and black gear, she wasn't a Sailor. For one thing, Sailors wore, well, more modest attire. And considering the typical Sailor gear, that was saying a LOT about the outfit THIS person was wearing. Also, Sailors didn't usually chase monsters while carrying telephone poles. Heck, she didn't think they COULD carry something that heavy, or unwieldy. They were strong, yes, but... But as far as Naru Osaka was concerned, the strangest thing was that the monster wasn't after her. So she just watched as Legolette was being chased by the person who was becoming known to Juuban as the Paragon. Nice to be on the outside for once, she mused, as she took cover... #### Robert Haynie Presents A Sailor Moon / Ranma 1/2 Crossover Fanfiction PARAGON (Standard disclaimers apply. Duh.) Episode Three: A new ally? Unexpected return of an old friend! #### It was supposed to be simple. There had been nobody anywhere around. Just the target, a person of great focus. Send the Ur-demon, seek the soul, find out if the StarGem was there, kill the target if it wasn't-- didn't do to leave lose ends, after all-- and go to the next. Of COURSE that Paragon bitch had popped in out of nowhere, spouting something about judgment and being wanting and all that. As bad as a Senshi, she was. Well, Legolette had been crafted for just such a thing. She could reform herself into almost any weapon she could envision. So, it should have been simple. Ferriko groaned. SHOULD have been. But no, the Paragon was so damn fast that Legolette couldn't get a chance to form a weapon, except once. And then she hit, not a Paragon, but a telephone pole. The telephone pole had almost hit some girl with really strange hair, and Paragon went berserk. Who KNEW that such a tiny girl as the Paragon could pick up and wield a damn telephone pole? Who knew she WOULD? The Master was NOT going to be happy. Things were going not at all as planned... #### Sailor Moon wasn't exactly happy herself. Baka monster almost dropped a telephone pole on her. If it hadn't been for the unexpected arrival of the Paragon, she'd probably have been crushed. But there she was-- fast as lightning-- just in time to knock her out of the way. Lucky Usagi. Unlucky monster, because Sailor Moon was angry at nearly being squashed. Now she had to somehow catch up to Paragon. But how to find her? (Hmm... sounds like a fight around--) "MONSTER NO BAKA!" WHAM! (I guess that's her, and-- WHOA.) "My GOD. She's a monster herself! NO-ONE can be THAT strong!" exclaimed a girl in a stylized green and pink seifuku. The Sailor Senshi had arrived on the scene. And Jupiter was freaking. Of course, a short girl in a skimpy costume waving a telephone pole around and trying to beat the hell out of a female form made out of toy blocks is something that would freak anyone. Sailor Moon was willing to bet that even the normally unflappable Sailor Pluto would have reacted in the same way. "Um... should we help her?" asked Venus. "YOU wanna get close while she's waving that thing around?" Mars retorted. "Point taken," replied Venus. "But we can't just stand here... That's funny. Doesn't Paragon usually use magical blasts or weird martial arts?" "I think she's just really really mad," Chibi-Moon said. "Wow, look at her! Sugoi!" Mercury shook her head. There was something magical about the Paragon, no doubt, but there was an insane amount of non-magical energy about her also. Her visor was getting scrambled readings every time she tried to scan the red-headed magical girl. Meanwhile, said Paragon DID have a reason for using a telephone pole instead of her usual martial arts and Para Volts. She was testing herself to find out just how strong she was. As best as she could figure, right now she probably was as strong as Akane had been under the Super-Soba and twice as good a fighter as the Do-Gi incident. Not too shabby. And no unsightly whiskers either. Heh. Sometimes she wondered if the incredible physical boost she got as the Paragon was cheating, in some way. But then, she wasn't using it against other human opponents in honorable martial arts combat, but against, well, really silly looking demonic creatures trying to suck the lives out of people. In a case like that, anything goes. She allowed herself an internal snicker at that thought. No, she's never use the Power of the Paragon against a human being. Well, except maybe Happosai. Heck, for all she knew he was an evil extradimensional entity himself-- it would explain a lot. Hmm... and Pantyhose Tarou... Have to ask Star about that... Well, enough indulging her muscles. Now to finish it. Tossing the telephone pole up in the air, Paragon let out a Para Volt, followed it up with a leaping kick, and finally suplexed the Ur-demon. Which shattered. "Huh. Didn't have a lot, did it? Hey, Chainmail-chan, where you hiding? Aren't you going to start some rant about how you'll win next time?" "Why should I," a voice from apparently nowhere said, "When this time will do just nicely?" For a moment Paragon was annoyed-- after all, it was clear that the victory here was hers-- and then heard an unpleasant rattling sound. She turned around, and groaned. Legolette was reassembling herself. "This we've seen before," murmured Sailor Mercury. "Looks like she's playing Nekoneru's game there..." She raised her voice, calling, "Paragon! That thing won't stay broken-- we've fought something like that before!" "Oh, goody! You can have it, then!" replied the now dodging Paragon. "Damn thing's somehow doubled in speed! At least there aren't any--" There was a sound of many whiny-grunty voices coming down the street. "Ur-golems," Paragon finished miserably. "I'd ask if you ever had one of those days, but I just know you have... YOW!" She dodged a sudden knife-like arm. (How did she get a sharp edge from Legos?) Mars and Venus began on the Ur-golems, while Jupiter glared at the monster. She had heard a rumor that that perfect boy was in the area again, and was NOT happy with monsters distracting her from her hunt. As far as she was concerned, monsters were made for taking out frustrations. "Get back, Paragon!" yelled Jupiter, following up with the cry of "SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!" The ovoid of electrical energy smashed through the air, causing Legolette to grunt, but not to break- and Mercury noticed something. "Some of it's blocks fused! It really IS made of Legos-- and that means plastic! Mars?" "Got it! BURNING MANDALA!" Hoops of elemental fire spun out at the Ur-demon, which screamed as her body began to melt and fuse. Paragon grinned at that. "Hey, that's pretty good! You guys want to see something with hot and cold?" "I'll show you something instead," Mercury replied, adding, "SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!" The already half-molten Ur-demon suddenly froze, unable to move at all, it's structure now brittle from the extremes in temperature. Paragon blinked. She'd thought the Soul of Ice technique was something, but this? "Okay, I'M impressed. Now--" Paragon had worked carefully on this one. It had occurred to her that her normal Ranma-mode attacks could be used if she just called them something different and varied the delivery a tiny bit. (Actually, it had occurred to Star. But magical mascots are supposed to take a back seat.) "PARA IMPACT STORM!" Mercury, who had been monitoring Paragon as well as the creature, gasped. Paragon had punched it one thousand, six hundred and thirteen times in less than five seconds, each time with a force capable of shattering prestressed concrete. There was a stuttering, thundering crack as her fists shattered the sound barrier repeatedly. Paragon blinked. She knew she was stronger and faster in this form, but... Oh, MAN, Cologne would freak out... "I think I've gone deaf," complained Venus. "What? I can't hear you, I've gone deaf," replied Mars. "Speak up, Mars, I can't hear you," Moon added. "It's all right, it's just temporary, I don't think she meant to do that," said Mercury, who could read lips a little. "What?" said Mars. While the Senshi tried to sort this problem out, Paragon left, her job, as it were, done. She realized that she needed to talk to Star about this side effect. Well, as soon as she could hear the rabbit, anyhow... #### "THAT'S a side effect I hadn't expected," Star murmured. "Speak up, I still can't hear you very well," complained Ranma. "But MAN, it worked great! 'Course, I gotta admit that Mercury's ice thingy helped also, and that Mars has got some pretty good moves with that fire stuff. Shame they don't trust me yet... except Sailor Moon. Wish I could find something to tell them..." "Well, you can't. You know that. Mercenary Alert," the rabbit added, in a whisper. Ranma didn't hear the last, but had noticed Nabiki anyhow. Nabiki stormed up to Ranma, repressing the desire to frown, it would be bad for her image after all, and assuming her patented sardonic smirk instead. "And where have you been all day?" she demanded. "Why?" "I'm asking the questions, Saotome," she grinned, confidently. "Your point being?" "Look, you're hiding something-- and we both know that I'll find out eventually what it is. So you might as well stop this game and tell me straight out." "And if I am, and do, then you'll sell whatever it is to the highest bidder. Well, I ain't in the mood for that any more." "Is that any way to talk to a friend?" Nabiki said, grinning. "No. But what does that have to do with you? No WAY are you my friend." Nabiki's grin faded. "What do you mean by that? Of course I'm your--" "Then why do you pull all that crap on me?" "I treat everyone the same, you know that, Ranma." "I do. That's why I don't think you're anyone's friend. I don't have time for this, I'm outta here." Before Nabiki could protest, Ranma skipped to a nearby rooftop and started his dash back to the Tendo residence. She stood there, in shock. She didn't know what had made this new Ranma, but she knew damn well that she didn't like it one bit. Because Ranma was supposed to forgive and forget like the sap she'd always known him to be. And for some reason, he'd stopped being a sap. Instead, he'd grown a spine. She had always, in her own way, considered herself a friend to Ranma, and had assumed that he felt the same. But... now she wasn't so sure. For the first time she considered the possibility that Ranma might actively dislike her. And she liked that even less. #### Ami Mizuno was usually a calm and peaceful sort. Of the Senshi, she was the most mild mannered, the calmest, and the least likely to become unduly frustrated. Thus, it was a very bemused group of girls and cats that were watching the blue-haired girl bang her head on the table. "Ami-chan," Minako said uncertainly, "Aren't you... over-reacting?" "They make no SENSE! They make no SENSE!" Ami whimpered. "What's she on about?" murmured Makoto to Rei. "The readings on Paragon," Rei replied sotto voce. "She's been getting new ones every time we meet her and she can't make them make any sense. It's like there's two entirely differing forces powering her, and she says they shouldn't be able to work together. And no, I don't understand what that means either." "Ami-chan," soothed Usagi, "She's just a different kind of warrior. She's not one of us, so maybe she isn't like us in how she does things." "Usagi, she threw over fifteen hundred punches in five seconds-- each able to crack concrete! I don't care HOW much magic she has augmenting her, there's no WAY that muscle and bone can stand the kind of stress that would create-- not to mention that her hands should have been bloody pulps! She can't be human, nothing human can do that! I don't think there was ever a daimon that could do that! She can't be human!" "Maybe she's a strange visitor from another planet, like in the American Manga I got?" Chibi-Usa put in. "No! That's the problem-- she's human!" "But you just said--" Minako asked, a confused expression settling into her face. Joined by similar ones on the rest of the girls. "I KNOW! But all scans say she's human, but she CAN'T be human and do what she does, but she IS, and... I have never felt so... so..." "Depressed?" asked Makoto. "Frustrated?" suggested Rei. "Stupid..." despaired Ami. "Ami-chan, just because you can't figure it out doesn't mean you're stupid about it-- it just means there's something you don't know yet," Usagi said, with a trace of sharpness. She didn't care to see Ami belittling herself. "Thank you, Usagi-chan... but... I just can't figure out what she is..." Ami HATED being this much in the dark about the mysterious warrior. "I don't see what it matters," Minako said. "She's on our side, right?" "We don't know that for sure," Luna interjected. "She seems to be so, though," added Artemis. "We can't be sure about her at all," Rei said. "She's not a Senshi, so we can't be sure." "Her enemies are our enemies, right? As far as I'm concerned, it's six of one and two in the bush," Minako retorted. There was a pause. "That's six of-- oh, never mind," Artemis sighed. "I trust her," Usagi said. No emphasis, no challenge, just a calm, serene confidence. "She is on our side-- or we're on hers. Remember what she said-- this might be her fight? We might be the outsiders in this conflict?" Makoto cracked her knuckles. "Hey, it's all the same to ME. If she's a good guy and they are bad guys, then we help the good guy. I want to see if I can learn some of her moves." Rei scowled, but said nothing. To her annoyance, that argument made perfect sense. "Besides, she dresses neat," added Chibi-Usa. "Now you do NOT go there, ninjin-atama," Usagi said. "I won't have it now, and I KNOW I won't have it in a thousand years. You are NOT dressing like her!" "Spoilsport." #### Akane was becoming very worried about Ranma. He'd started to change after the battle with Saffron. He'd had to do something there that he had never had to do before. He'd had to kill. Never mind that Saffron had been reborn, like the Phoenix he was-- Ranma had killed him. Had, in fact, frozen him solid and broken him into bits. Had used the Art not only to kill, but to kill in an incredibly gruesome fashion. Never mind that he had no other recourse in the battle-- it was kill or be killed, kill or let Akane die, kill or allow a madman with incredible power to do who knew what-- Ranma had killed him. Something in Ranma had died that day, she knew. Somehow the purity of the Art had been sullied in his eyes. Somehow, a certain innocence that had always been a part of Ranma throughout two years of unrelenting insanity had been erased. Then came the wedding. She didn't know if Ranma had wanted to get married-- she knew SHE had, but... She BELIEVED he did, she believed it would have worked out, she believed it would have all been right... But apparently the rest of Nerima hadn't agreed. She'd always assumed blithely-- well, perhaps not blithely, but confidently-- that all Ranma had to do was to make a choice, or have someone make it for him in this case, and all the other suitors and lunatics would vanish away. But Shampoo and Ukyo throwing exploding food, Kodachi popping up to steal the wedding ceremony, Kuno trying to marry BOTH of them, Happosai drinking the Nannichuan while Mousse, Genma, and Ryoga-- the last for reasons she couldn't figure out-- fought over it... That pretty well proved that Ranma had been right in one thing-- there was no simple solution. Things had begun to get strained over the next few weeks. Ranma had become sullen and depressed. He'd become almost impossible to talk to, simply because he wouldn't answer. He wouldn't talk to Ukyo, or Shampoo, or even Akane herself. He had been becoming lost. Then one day, two days before school was to start again, something had happened. Akane suspected that Ranma wasn't telling everything, but he'd come home that night with a pet rabbit and no curse. No Curse. It was hard to imagine Ranma without a curse. And then, Ranma had cheered up-- but he'd also changed. He didn't seem to be worried about the various fiancees, or the stable of enemies, or anything of the sort. It was as though he had more important things to worry about. He'd disappear for hours on end, and return without saying where to. If asked, he'd only shrug-- and not reply. This was driving Nabiki insane, Akane mused. It wasn't doing much for her peace of mind either. The one time Akane had asked, his reply was, "Akane, I'm sorry, but it's private. And no, it's not another fiancee or another girl or anything like that, so you can forget that part of the argument right now. Heck, forget the argument." Akane had been stunned. But she hadn't asked again-- because she could see that the young martial artist was completely resolute. Whatever he was involved in, he was NOT talking. All she knew for certain was that this new Ranma-- this Ranma who was studying in school, who was apparently unconcerned with the multiple girls, who would quietly talk about things in a calm and non insulting way (and who would simply cease talking if she insulted him, breaking off the conversation right there, refusing to argue) and who most of all had decided that in contrast to the past two years he had a right to a private life of his own-- This Ranma scared her a little. Because this Ranma wasn't playing by the rules that the world had set for him. #### "I'm sorry, Mr. Kuno, but we do not rent time on the SETI array to private citizens." "Hmmmph. Peasant." #### "Getting along better with Akane?" Ranma sighed. "Don't know, Star... it's easier to be not insultin' like you said to be, but... I can't help but feel like I'm changing inside, y'know? Like I'm turning into a different person." "Hmm... let's take a look at the last two months of your life. Jusendo. The wedding. Becoming the Paragon. No longer having to worry about water. The fact that you actually passed an English test with more than a minimum grade. Those are experiences that can change anyone." "Please... don't remind me about Jusendo." Ranma shuddered. "That was the worst day of my life." "Oh? I would have thought the Nyannichuan would have been in that spot." "Who cares about that? I almost lost--" Ranma broke off. "I mean..." "I know what you mean. So do you. Even though you would rather have your teeth pulled with rusty steel chopsticks than admit it. Of course, considering your upbringing, that's not so surprising. I can't see Genma teaching you anything about interpersonal relationships." "Whatever... anyhow, I don't mean that when I say I feel like I'm changing. I feel... I don't know what. Just today, well, you heard me with Nabiki. I don't believe I SAID that! I mean, I've thought that for a while-- deep inside-- but I never thought I'd SAY it! Man, what if I hurt her feelings?" "Would she care if she hurt yours?" "Not a bit, but that ain't the point. I don't like to hurt a girl's feelings... I don't like to hurt people, really." "THIS from the man who regularly beats the crap out of a certain half-pig?" "Bunny no baka. Fights are different. That's just the body, not the soul. It's flesh and blood, which heals easily-- not spirit, which heals more slowly. And he starts them anyhow." "Hmm... awful poetic for you, Ranma." Ranma blinked. "Aw, MAN, it's happening again. I'm saying things that are all fancy and stuff! Next I'll start waving a bokken and chasing those girls instead of ducking them!" Star chuckled, a rather unnerving sound coming from a rabbit. "No, it's more that you're growing up at last. I don't think you've ever really been allowed to grow up for real, you know... but the Paragon effect is having more effect on your 'normal' self than I'd suspected it would." "You mean this thing is turning me into someone else?" Ranma stared in sudden apprehension at the amulet. "No... I mean it's allowing you to finally BE you-- the you you have the potential to be, the you that your father's training in nothing but martial arts and your mother's rather... extreme expectations and the pressure from practically everyone you know hasn't let you be. You're becoming Ranma." "What if I don't like this... Ranma?" "I don't think that will be a problem. Hmm... I smell You Know Who coming this way... want to have some fun? I think it's your turn." "Which You Know Who?" "The fat one." Ranma cracked his knuckles. "OOOH, yeah." #### "WHAAHAHAHAIIIE!" SPLASH! "GROWF!" "Honestly, old man. You're getting lax in your training." Genma-panda rose from the koi pond and fumed. How the HELL had the boy gotten that fast? #### In Juuban, two girls were laying very careful plans to catch the Boy. Minako and Makoto had seen him from time to time in the streets of Azabu Juuban. Tallish but not too tall, well built, with dark hair in a pigtail and the most incredible blue eyes either of them had EVER seen. He affected Chinese garments, which only added to his mysterious allure. Exotic, see? It wasn't exactly that he was handsome-- although that was certainly part of it-- it was rather that he radiated a casual masculinity that was just plain the most enticing thing they had ever experienced. While Minako dreamed about his cute pigtail and those incredible eyes, Makoto was more fascinated by the amazing grace that his every move had and his wonderful physique. And neither of them could get close to him. Every time they'd seen him, he'd go into a tea shop or an alleyway or something and never come out. It was as though he was able to vanish off the face of the earth. Normally that sort of thing would have started to trigger suspicions-- and they had a lot to be suspicious about-- but when a girl is under the effects of a full blown crush, deductive reasoning goes out the window. To date, they had had no success whatsoever. They didn't even know the Boy's name. They just knew that they wanted him. This wasn't actually unusual for either. Minako had run through many a crush in her time after Alan, and Makoto had a way of falling in love on a regular basis. But somehow this was different. The Boy was, they knew, by far a cut above the rest. The Boy was also not cooperating. The usual methods-- bump into him, or ask his name with a careful expression of shyness, or the like, were not exactly working. After all, it's hard to be properly flirtatious with someone who has a nasty habit of going poof-i'm-gone on you. So, other, more drastic methods had to be taken. Well, in Minako's opinion, anyhow. "Mina-chan, that's silly." "No, really. See this book about this Chinese tribe in the Byankala range? They use all sorts of methods to meet boys. We can set up a snare here, and--" "I'm NOT going to start setting traps to catch him! That's silly! Besides, I think all that stuff is made up, anyhow. Chinese Amazons in a valley next to a magical martial arts training ground and all... it's ridiculous!" "Well... it was just a thought." "And this stuff about marriage by combat is nuts! By that logic we'd have been married to all four Generals, Wiseman, Diamond, Sapphire, AND Professor Tomoe if that applied to us! What are you thinking?" "I'm thinking that I want to meet the cutest boy that ever walked the face of the earth, is what I'm thinking, Mako-chan." "So do I. But I'm not going to be THIS silly to do it. Where did you get that book, anyhow?" "From that new doctor that started practice last month. Tofu Ono. He's pretty cute himself, for an older man..." "The one with the skeleton? That does all those meditation exercises?" "Hai. I think it has something to do with a girl." "Girl?" "Well, I heard him mention a name a few times. Betty." "Pretty name..." #### "Damn, I was right! I THOUGHT I recognized that shingle! Been a year since I last saw you, Doc-- where'dya go anyhow?" Doctor Tofu Ono looked up, startled, and then grinned. "Ranma! What brings YOU to Juuban?" "Aw, um, personal business. Nothing important, really. But you?" Tofu frowned slightly. "I... had to leave. You may not be aware of this, Ranma, but whenever I saw Kasumi, I would become a little erratic..." Ranma stared at Tofu. "I kinda noticed." Tofu gave a wry, almost bitter chuckle. "Oh, who am I fooling. It was far beyond erratic. Every time I saw... her, I'd lose control. I was becoming a danger to my patients. I've been on a training journey, to learn how to control myself. So I can speak to K-K-Kasumi without... you know." "I see... so, why not set back up in Nerima?" "Too many memories, and I want to take it very slowly in getting to know her... if I moved back then I'd see her far too often. And I might... slip. I want to take this carefully... Ah, Ranma, she isn't... isn't seeing anyone, is she?" Ranma shook his head. "Nope. Never even tried. Far as I know, you don't have any competition..." "I... I need to be very careful... remember the training and meditations I have learned..." "Hey, if there's any way I can help, be glad to. Not that I'm an expert on relationships, or anything..." "Yes, I'd heard about the wedding attempt. I've been keeping tabs on you, Ranma. You were always the most interesting medical case I knew of. I even heard you were cured of your aquatransexuality." "Yeah, cured. Big load off my mind, I can tell you." (Or it would be if I wasn't a magical girl who's stronger than an elephant.) "You wouldn't mind if I tested that for myself? For purely purposes of record, I mean." Ranma grinned. "Hey, no prob. Let me take my shirt off first, though-- for once I don't wanna be running around in wet clothes." As Ranma began to remove his garment, Tofu turned to fill a beaker with cold water. He turned back, froze, and dropped the beaker, which shattered on the floor. "Doc? Doc, what's wrong?" Ranma was, understandably, perplexed. And in a voice filled with shock and amazement, Tofu stammered, "Wh-where did YOU get the Paragon Amulet?" (HOO-BOY,) thought Ranma. #### In a place that wasn't a place, an elderly man and a young boy peered into a pool of water and smiled. "Perfect." "Of course. About the only one of his friends that did not have an ulterior motive regarding him. A man who can be trusted with the secret, and who can help him cover. As well as a skilled physician should our Paragon be injured. And he IS a member of the Brotherhood of the Paragon, sworn to aid her should she arise again." "Do you EVER make a mistake?" The boy shrugged. "Well, once I THOUGHT I had..." The old man waited. "But... I was wrong." The old man groaned. #### There were some things that Ranma was not prepared for. An apparently insane Doc Tofu shaking him by the shoulders and screaming "WHERE DID YOU GET THAT AMULET?!?" was one of them. "G-GEEZE, DOC! The kid GAVE it to me!" Tofu released the somewhat baffled Ranma and sat, shaking. "But... if you were still cursed, I could possibly see it... possibly... but if you're not cursed anymore, why would you have it? It makes no sense..." "You... know what it is?" "Since I was a young man. And a boy is NOT supposed to have it! The Amulet is strictly for females!" "Wait a minute. How do you know what this is, anyhow?" Tofu blinked. "I... I can't tell you. It doesn't matter. Ranma, you have to give me that amulet right NOW! It's not meant for a male!" "Doc, I CAN'T give it to you, even if I wanted to. And how do you know what it is?" "Hey, Ranma, I've been looking all over for you-- I just remembered that you're supposed to have an ally, his name's-- Oh, you've met already." Ranma stared at Star, surprised that the rabbit would break his cover and speak in front of another human. Tofu stared at Star, surprised that a rabbit could talk. Then he slowly toppled over. "This is going to be complicated, isn't it?" sighed the rabbit. #### After Tofu woke up from his faint, and after a LOT of explanation, the doctor was still in denial. "But... if the curse is cured..." "Not cured. Controlled. It's not a curse any more." Ranma sighed. "I guess I'll just have to show you." Tofu had seen many strange and peculiar things in his life, and not all of them were due to his residence in Nerima. But when Ranma closed his eyes and... Well. It wasn't like the old get-splashed-and-instant-girl transformation of the curse. Rather, there was a wavering distortion for a moment, a visible shift, and then Ranma was standing there, female, dressed female in a black miniskirt and white blouse, with her hair free-flowing instead of the ubiquitous pigtail. "This... this is incredible..." "It is, isn't it? Oh, and Doctor, please call me Naoko when I'm like this. None of the old crowd recognizes the girl side any more, so I'm keeping it as a secret..." Tofu blinked. She was even using nearly perfect feminine speech patterns. "Ah, well... certainly, Naoko. And... you ARE... Her?" You could almost hear the capitalization. "Oh, yeah. No doubt about THAT. And... well, I have to admit, it's a rush." Star nodded. "Oooh, yeah! She LOVES it! Biggest and best fight she's ever known except for Jusendo." "Don't mention that place, Star-chan," the neo-girl groused. Tofu stared at the rabbit. "They never mentioned talking rabbits when I took the Oath." "What oath is that?" asked Ranma. "Well... since I was sixteen, I've been a part of a very small circle called the Brotherhood of the Paragon. We knew that someday one would arise, to save the world from something terrible. It's part of why I studied all that obscure magical stuff, so I could be of help. But... I was thinking..." "Thinking what?" asked Star. "Well... a political leader, or a great scientist, or even a soldier-- a female general. But... a magical girl? You're a real magical girl, Ra-- ah, Naoko?" Naoko shrugged. "It's the best thing I can think to call it. Hey, I'm not the only one. You should see the Sailor Senshi. Now, THEY have a funky act." Tofu's jaw sagged. "What-- THEY'RE real? They actually exist?" "Yup. They actually exist. And gotta admit it-- they are good at what they do. Especially Sailor Moon. Now, SHE can really beat up on an Ur-Demon-- given a clear shot. I like her." Naoko shrugged. "Besides, she's the only one that seems to trust me." "The others don't?" "They seem to be a pretty close knit group, you know? And face it-- the Paragon is NOT a Sailor Senshi. That outfit alone..." "Is there something wrong with it?" "Well... Star, is it okay if I just show him?" The rabbit shrugged-- a fascinating process to Tofu, who was well aware that rabbits did not have the musculature to shrug. "I suppose. But Doctor... you had better lock the door. No sense in people connecting you and the Paragon, is there?" "Of course..." After doors had been locked, drapes drawn, and such precautions taken, Naoko took out the Amulet, and said... "PARAGON NO POWER-- HENSHIN!" Lights. And Tofu almost passed out again. "In... incredible..." "Yeah, I know... pretty spectacular, isn't it?" "Not the light-show, the outfit. You DO realize that that's nearly as revealing as anything Masamune Shirow could come up with?" Tofu's meditation training was allowing him to restrain a nosebleed. Even knowing the complete truth (As far as anyone did) it was still... Then a bad thought hit Tofu, and he began to shiver. "You okay, Doc?" asked Paragon, concerned. "Please... please change back..." Paragon shifted to Naoko again. "What's wrong?" "I... I just had a image of K-Kasumi dressed like that... almost lost it... oh, GOD..." Naoko couldn't help it. Neither could Star. They both collapsed in laughter... and after a moment, Tofu joined in. #### "Then it did work out." "Yep. And Ranma has a valuable ally in his battle against the Dark." "He-- and she-- will need every ally they can GET." "I know..." #### To Be Continued.