Chapter 20

Disclaimer: Ranma ½ and its characters and settings belong to Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Kitty, and Viz Video. Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon belongs to Takeuchi Naoko, Koudansha, TV Asahi, and Toei Douga, and DIC.

One of the Elders turned out to be a low class sorceress. She chose to test her power against mine, despite the stupidity of the action. I didn't even bother to deflect the bolt of condensed air that she threw. The blurry sphere smashed against my shields, throwing up a small cloud of dust and tearing a few chunks of sod from the ground.

"Don't get pissy," I told them, staring all the while at Cologne. "I already know that Saffron will end up in charge at the end of the war. Your whole tribe will be better off with Usagi in power. She's compassionate, tolerant, caring, and all kinds of other things that the phoenix isn't." I shrugged. "And look at it like this; her kingdom will be a matriarchy," yeah, right, "so women will hold most of the power. Amazons will be in much better positions than they would have if the Musk or Phoenix People remained in power." I sure thought I was making sense, but all the Elders except for Cologne were pulling up every ounce of chi or magic that they could.

"Perhaps we should discuss this with… this Usagi. Maybe she will see reason," Cologne said slowly. She was regretting sending Shampoo and Mousse to find me now. She just doesn't know how lucky she is. If the Amazons along with the others from Jusendo had attacked us, the Senshi and I, our pokémon included, would have laid down some unholy ass-kicking on them.

I waved that suggestion aside. "Don't bother. She's just a child. Think of me as her business manager. I make the decisions, and she sits there and looks pretty. In a few decades, maybe things will change. She is a direct descendent of Kami-sama." Like the great-to the twentieth power-granddaughter. Still, that does qualify as blood relation, if barely.

"Why the nerve of this boy," spat a small redheaded Elder with big tits. "You don't know who you're dealing with." She was almost ready to spit nails. Heh. I grinned at her, illuminating my eyes and making them glow with green and golden fire.

"Maybe you don't understand what I'm saying," I drawled. "I'm not taking charge of the tribe. You ladies can make all the decisions. When the war is over and done, that's when you're gonna sit back and let us take over. And don't even think about double-crossing me. Usagi has an army of extra-dimensional animals that even I would have trouble dealing with. If something were to happen to her, well, there would probably be a few Amazons left after they got through with you. Cooperate and that army, along with all our magic will be turned towards saving Amazon lives. Otherwise, as much as I'd hate to do it, I'll just kill you all and start the takeover now." If I were female, then they would probably be able to swallow this much easier. Hey, that's a good idea. Good me.

I still wore the black ring given to me by Setsuna. I liked the way it looked; so sue me. It had recharged itself over time. I repeated the simple mental cantrip that would change the metal of the ring white and the change overtook me. I became, Ranma Saotome, mega-babe. The Elders gasped, gawked, or did a combination of the two. Except for Cologne. She's a steady one, that's for sure.

"Now that I've revealed my true form, does anyone feel more like cooperating?" Cologne probably wouldn't buy this, but by now she had to have seen that there was no reason to resist my course of action. It would benefit the Amazons in every way.

The green-haired sorceress wannabe whispered, "That is not the magic of Jusenkyo at work." No shit, ya dumb bitch. Did anyone else not see a large amount of cold water fall on me?

"Ranma, if that is your real name, why did you first visit our tribe as a man?" Cologne asked. I'm gonna have to make her something special for going along with me. "You must have known that you would be better treated as a woman."

"It's fun to pretend to be a man every so often. Most of the rest of the world gives them more respect and power," I said mischievously, like I'd played a joke on someone. "You girls wouldn't believe what guys talk about when they're alone." That comment got some knowing looks and a few sets of raised eyebrows.

"And your… fling with my great-granddaughter?" pressed Cologne. Maybe she had been taken in, too.

"I like women. As a man that looks like my male form, it's not too hard to find willing women. Can you blame Shampoo? I do have a nice ass, don't you think?" This is fun!

By the time we'd walked back to the Council building, I'd pretty much convinced the old coots that I was the real deal. One of the elders though, the one who didn't like boys kept checking out my rack. That was going to need some attention, or Ami was likely to use the brain freeze spell on someone… possibly me.

"Sure, since the Senshi are all female, males aren't likely to get too far ahead in the future." I probably should have gone to the Musk with my offer. They respect women more than Amazons respect men.

All the Elders exchanged odd glances after that comment. I let my senses range over them. They'd suddenly begun to feel a small bit of fear. Why would that load of bull about men being second-class citizens bother this group of dikes?

"Senshi? Do you refer to soldiers or 'Sailor Senshi'?" Cologne asked evenly. Her voice was tight, tension actually coming to the surface of her mind.

Something that I didn't understand was going on here. "The Sailor Senshi. My students. What's the big deal?" I'm not truly empathic, having to combine my higher senses with magic to sense true emotions, but I could nearly smell the surge of fear and anger that the Elders released before they could control themselves.

"Ranma, Saffron has spoken in great detail about the Sailor Senshi, his captors during the ancient times before even Jusenkyo existed. None of us believe that any other woman could come close to acting the way he has said, but his hate borders on the insane." Cologne was a virtual fount of knowledge. So Saffron came from the Silver Millennium. That would bear definite looking into. "If he were to discover the Senshi here…" she left the statement hanging, attempting to convey danger, I think.

"So? The Senshi don't look anything like they did in their former incarnations. I've even changed their armor. As long as none of your Amazons starts flapping their jaws, he won't ever find out, at least not until I'm ready for him to." If Saffron caused this much worry, his power must be considerable. A fire-kami, not just an elemental? Maybe, maybe not. If he were as powerful as everyone seems to think, he wouldn't need the Amazons or Musk. I'll deal with him when the need arises. To assuage the Amazon's fears, I said, "Don't worry. I can handle Saffron. My pet dragon could probably handle Saffron." Gyarados was reasonably strong with ice and water, the elemental opposites of fire.

Mentioning Gyarados quickly changed the topic of discussion. A few more assurances that Saffron wouldn't come streaking out of the sky without warning and turning the village into a pit of lava and we were talking about pokémon. "We got lost in another dimension and the place turned out to be crawling with the things. People keep them as pets mostly, but their power can grow to be quite formidable." They weren't quite ready for Demon. Slammer, yes, he would work nicely.

"Where are these pokémon?" another busty Elder asked. Ami had already confirmed that the pokéballs would work even after Saffron's technology suppressor went active. There would have been a whole bunch of pokémon to feed and shelter otherwise.

I pulled Slammer's pokéball from a rudimentary spatial pocket (yes, I was finally developing my own). The pocket was small, barely large enough to hold my three pokéballs and a handful of weapons I thought might prove useful in the near future. It was growing, though, and would reach a size comparable to the Senshi, or so Katya told me. "They're kept in these devices. They work kinda like Mousse's Hidden Weapons technique, warping space inside to make much larger objects fit."

Cologne nodded, as if she had expected nothing less. "Would a demonstration be too much trouble?" I had been about to offer just that.

The bakusai tenketsu training field seemed like the best place to turn Slammer loose for a little demonstrative mayhem. We didn't need for anyone to see the pokémon and have a fit about demons. "Go, Slammer!" I called, activating the pokéball. Slammer materialized from the crimson light, a ton of diamond-hard living stone.

"Gooooooooo Leeeeeeemmmmmmmm!!!" Slammer roared, pounding the ground with his fists, shivering the stone beneath our feet. He and I had worked that out as a sort of battle cry last week. He always had liked to show off whenever he got the chance.

"As you can see, Slammer is most… impressive. His animate nature negates the bakusai tenketsu, and he gives off no heat, so a renegade Amazon would have more than her share of trouble harming him." They had to know I was emphasizing just how powerless they were. As I said before, being female was making this much easier. The Elders would probably have been much more distrustful of me in less stressful times, but they were so desperate to see reality the way they wanted it (this being not having a man in charge) that they'd practically ignored my blatant manipulation.

"What exactly is this pokémon capable of?" I wonder. What do giant rock creatures do?

"Slammer, smash stuff," I commanded, grinning at him. I think the pokémon winked at me, but I can't say for certain. The next few minutes involved Slammer picking up huge boulders and smashing them, throwing them, and exploding them into various sized pieces of rubble.

"Just think how useful he'll be in urban warfare," I commented as Slammer was digging a tunnel. "Slammer can just shake the city to pieces and none of your warriors ever get hurt." I felt like a salesman, and in a way I was, a salesman selling himself (herself, whatever) as head honcho.

While the Elders had a little powwow to draw out the length of their total autonomy, Cologne walked over to me. "I commend you, Ranma. You come across a little strong as a woman, but they bought it, hook, line, and sinker."

"You Amazons have such a hard time seeing that men are your equals that I decided to bypass the whole problem. Besides, you know it as much as I do that my plan and presence will benefit everyone— not including Saffron." Stupid old women, making me become a chick again. Ami would be getting her Ranko back, at least. For your own health, just forget that I ever mentioned that.

"For a man," Cologne grinned, making herself look even more like Shampoo, "you have an amazing grasp of the overall situation. Now, how do your other pokémon compare to Slammer and the enhancing curses of Jusenkyo?" Down to business, again.

I thought that question over for a minute before answering. "That chimera one, the yeti-riding the whatever thing, could probably take out some of the weaker ones that the Senshi have, but most of the pokémon have powerful projectile attacks that would take it out before it got close enough to use its physical strength. Mine would decimate it. The Ashura curse is very powerful, but that one changes personality too much to be useful. I'd say that it could, one-on-one, defeat all but the girls' strongest pokémon. Once again, mine would win." What can I say; I have good taste in pets. The only other halfway beneficial curse I knew was the elf curse. I didn't mention it, though, as I knew Cologne wouldn't even consider allowing anyone to use it. That particular curse turned its victim into a psychotic elven death mage that I would have had major trouble defeating before acquiring the crystals. As a matter of fact, I had had to defeat that damned elf when some little old Chinese man had fallen into it during my last stay in the village. That's the kind of coincidence that I really hate.

"There are a few others, but none as powerful in combat as those you mentioned. Do these pokémon breed?" she asked. Already looking for a way to get your greedy little paws on the pokémon, eh?

"Yeah, they lay eggs occasionally. Ami and Usagi have worked out a breeding program that will keep the pokémon at controllable levels." Usagi was only allowed to have pokémon of the opposing sexes capable of breeding out when we were fighting or needed particular eggs. "For now, those eggs will be going to the people that came with us from Japan. Eventually we may begin introducing them to Amazon warriors. The fighting type pokémon will be of particular interest to you and your people, I believe." Cologne wasn't happy with the pokémon being held just out of her grasp. She covered it up well enough that only someone as sensitive as me could have felt the emotion, though, and we continued to discuss the important matters of the next few days.

"I'm home!" Nabiki announced, stepping into the house and dragging a surprise behind her. The lights weren't flickering any longer, which meant that either Akane had electrocuted herself or succeeded. Kami-sama knew she wouldn't have just given up. "I've got a surprise!"

Kasumi came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a small towel, her face flushed and her brow slick with sweat. Akane, equally bedraggled, followed behind the eldest Tendo. "Oh, hello Tatewaki," Kasumi greeted. "What brings you here today?"

Kuno's brow furrowed in immense concentration, finally he gave up and said, "I haven't a clue."

"Nabiki," Akane growled, "you're not serious are you?"

Nabiki shrugged. "Why not? He's got the necessary equipment, and lacks the intelligence of a rock. He may not be up to Ryoga's standards, but we can make due with him for now."

Kuno looked from Akane to Nabiki and back again, "What speaketh thee, my love?" he asked, puzzlement overriding the usual urge to shower Akane Tendo in love.

"Nothing," Akane snapped at the boy. "But, it's Kuno," persisted Akane.

"Well, if you don't want him… I suppose Kasumi and I can share him. Is that okay with you, big sister?" Kasumi nodded.

Tatewaki was such a nice young man, volunteering to take care of their womanly needs. She would make sure to make his first experience with her especially memorable. "Oh, yes, of course."

Nabiki looked at Akane. "It would be your turn first, you know."

Akane was obviously torn between revulsion of Kuno and the almost uncontrollable urge to screw anything that walked, man, woman, or beast. If only their father hadn't run away, she wouldn't have to stoop to Kuno. She shuddered, but said, "Okay, you win. Go strap him in and I'll get ready."

Nabiki, as last to use Ryoga, was responsible for readying their toy for its next use. "Come along, Kuno, I have a surprise for you."

Kuno scratched the back of his head in confusion. "Perchance, none of you lovely ladies has partaken of the twisted fruits of my dear sister's labor, have thee?"

"Don't talk, Kuno," Nabiki ordered.

As Tatewaki leaned against the wall Nabiki had chained him to, he attempted to piece together the puzzle presented to him by the unusual behavior displayed by his love and her sisters. Was there a gas leak nearby? That must be it. Why else would Nabiki chain him to a wall and force him to where a rubber body suit? He would have to arrange for Sasuke to fix the faulty pipe just as soon as he was released.

The door opened, temporarily lighting the dark room and showing a backlit figure whose features Tatewaki couldn't make out. The figure reached over to the wall and switched on a set of dim red light.

Tatewaki nearly suffered a massive coronary at the sight of Akane, his love, wearing a tight leather corset, her breasts spilling over its top. In her left hand the girl held a stiff riding crop, and in the other a coiled bull whip.

"Heeeellllpppp!!!!" Tatewaki bellowed. "Someone, save meeeeAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!"

My old hut had been refurbished after the decision to bring me into the Alliance was made. Ami and I were due a little quality time together, since we'd been working our asses off getting crap together and making sure no one screwed up and got us all in trouble, and we'd just finished taking advantage of some of that time.

I was female; the ring has its advantages, as I may have previously mentioned, and it doesn't take nearly as much work to get off lots of times as a girl. Ami's head rested against one of my bare breasts and I was starting to get randy again, but I'd wore the poor girl out. I'd have to wait a few minutes, at least.

"Mom tried to make me stay in the tent with her," Ami was saying, her breath teasing my nipple. Those things are much too sensitive. "All I had to do was mention the inventory she had to take of all the stuff she stole from the hospital, and she forgot about me completely." She laughed. Ami, devious? Real turn-on, that.

Warm, contented sleep. I don't experience it often, not often enough to take it for granted. With Ami snuggled against me, I was sleeping soundly. That changed when all four walls of my hut exploded, sheered away by a powerful chi blast. My mind, fuzzed by sleep and sex, didn't immediately grasp the situation. Reflexes, developed over years of constant danger, did prompt me to raise a semi-decent body shield.

Objects, enchanted objects, bounced off this shield almost before I could form it. Figures, at least a dozen, formed a ring around the remains of my hut. They were swathed in baggy black clothing, all but hiding their identity. All female.

When you're surprised, and, yes, a little afraid, you don't act as you would in more controlled conditions. Three of the women exploded into clouds of gory mist as I encased them in bubble of true vacuum space. They didn't even get a chance to scream. Power, from my own reserves, from the surrounding environment, and energy from the Silver Imperium Crystal flooded through me, in turn passing through my lens and gaining in strength by a factor of ten.

I spared a moment to glance at my love. From her arm and chest, shuriken, each dark stained and glowing malevolently, protruded. She didn't move, her life force barely remained within her body. It was fading. My Ami was dying.

I had to save Ami. She was all that mattered. Instantly, the energy that throbbed within me extended, wrapping my fiancée in a web of solid energy, cutting her off from time, removing her from existence. The Almighty could not take her if he couldn't reach her. A handful of seconds had passed. The Amazons were closing in, weapons, all holding enchantments of some kind, drawn. The element of surprise was lost to my attackers, those who had harmed Ami, now that my perceptions had been thrown into overdrive with the step-up in power and the cold rage that consumed me.

Knowledge of the Infernal Gateways, combined with my recently learned teleportation spell, came together in my mind and a thought later a doorway stood open before me, a doorway to Hell. Demons raved and tortured souls cried out in unending agony. I ignored the piteous screaming. The nine remaining Amazons, now all nearly within striking distance, froze, first in fear of the vision that was all too real, and then as I took away control of their bodies.

"ARISE!" I commanded, my voice booming, the air around me humming with crackling energy waiting for release. I gave the energy its freedom, using it to increase the power of my demonic presence a hundredfold. "COME TO ME!!!" They had no choice but to obey.

They came, a horde of ravening, soul-starved beasts. A thousand demons attempted to pile through the tear in reality. I only allowed the strongest, the most sadistic to cross. The price of the Hellborn is high. Someone was going to pay.

The explosion woke the lighter sleepers. The cries of the damned got to the more firmly entrenched. My command raised the dead. It was the continuous scream of nine Amazons being tortured and repeatedly raped by the denizens of Hell while the sky burned with black fire that brought me my audience, though.

Many who saw the demons at work became violently ill, others lost consciousness, and some watched in sick fascination. No one had the nerve to approach my minions or me.

As my captured Amazons neared death, I returned the spark of life to their bodies and healed their wounds. Dawn approached, the torment continued. The sun rose and the sky barely lightened, obscured as it was by the Death Flame. The flame would soon leave this world, though, its job completed as each tortured Amazon's soul twisted, became a thing barely resembling its former self.

They would live. They would also be absolutely insane. Karma? If their souls ever escaped Hell, pond scum would be above their place in existence.

Even demons can be sated, and when a demon feeds off pain and suffering, it gains most greatly from inflicting pain itself. My demons reached their fill almost exactly as the death spell that hung in the sky departed. Nine Amazons, nine Elders, each a mass of poorly healed scars and never-ending anguish, remained twitching upon the ground.

To be continued.

Author's Notes: I was going to handle that last part differently, but I drank a little too much last night and my buzz was strong enough to mess me up a little (I don't drink to the point of being drunk; I do stupid things that I can't remember if I do). After rereading it this morning, and fixing a lot of spelling and grammar errors, I decided to leave it how it was. That last scene was a bit dark, wasn't it? I normally don't do that. I think I may start, though. It's fun. C&C me at dark_phoneix@hotmail.com

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Last revision: May 21, 2007