Well, here's the long-awaited first draft of chapter 22 of Onna: Red
Side. I think parts of it may seem a bit rushed...but then, that's
why we call 'em drafts, ne? ^_^ 



	***Interlude: aboard the NSX***

	Lady Mirage giggled evilly to herself as she observed her scrying
crystal. "What a crop of fools...they don't even know how to control
their magic," she laughed. "There should be no trouble in getting rid
of them." She was silent for a moment, the only sound in her chambers
being the hiss of her breathing apparatus. "Those blasted Magic
Knights, however...have returned to their own world. Why?" She
paused. "It doesn't matter. I owe the Water Knight," she spat
venomously. "I owe her a high price, indeed." 
	Mirage slid open a drawer on the desk, and retrieved a small pink
case. She sighed mechanically as she opened it. "I only have two of
these left," she said quietly. "But it's worth spending one, to get
rid of those horrid wenches." Reaching into the case, she removed a
small, perfect pink pearl, which shimmered softly. Reaching up with
her other hand, she pressed two fingers into the leather surrounding
the pink crystal in her mask, and gently pulled the gem away. There
was a slightly wet sound as the leather and crystal parted
reluctantly from the scarred, pitted flesh beneath, revealing a
small, hollow metal cylinder within an otherwise empty eye socket.
She regarded the pearl a moment longer before gingerly placing it
into the open end of the cylinder, and sealing it away behind the
crystal patch again. After a moment, the crystal lens began to glow,
and a quiet hum emitted from behind it. Amplifying her voice, she
called out, "Corsica! Camaro! Citation! Come forth, I command you!"
	Three shapeless forms slowly appeared in the room. "Yes, Lady
Mirage," they said in disturbing voices which sounded for all the
world like a chorus from Hell.
	"I am using a great deal of my power to send the three of you to the
world of the Magic Knights. You will inhabit powerful bodies, find
them...and destroy them, at all costs."
	"Understood."
	The hum from Mirage's crystal eye became louder. She glared, for
lack of a better word, at the three shadows, and a broad wave of
carnation-hued light emitted from her gaze, washing over the formless
figures. After a long moment, the beam faded away, and the
near-demonic presences were gone. Mirage sank into her chair heavily,
the hiss of her breathing apparatus increasing in pace. "Die, whores
from the other world," she spat. "Die, for turning me into
this...abomination."

	Chapter 22: A Grilling over Lunch

	Hikaru sat on a bench near a foodseller, smiling as Hikari happily
munched on a pork bun she'd just bought. "You were starving, weren't
you?" she asked the wolf. Hikari looked up at her, barked happily,
and returned to his meal.
	The redhead stroked the animal's back as he ate. Hikaru sighed. "I
wish...I wish I could take you with me this time, Hikari. But...I'm
so afraid you'd get hurt..."
	Hikari nuzzled Hikaru's hand, and looked up at her inquisitively.
She smiled sadly. "I know you can take care of yourself pretty well,
and you like to protect me...it's just, we don't know what we're
going to run into over there."
	Hikari seemed worried, as though he understood. Hikaru forced
herself to cheer up, and stood up. "Well, if you don't want anything
else to eat, how about we get back home to meet the guys?"
	Hikari barked happily. Giggling, the redhead led the wolf back to
the Shidou dojo.
	Unnoticed by either, a yellow light flashed briefly from behind a
hedge, and a soft sound hinted at a presence.
	"Puuu...."

	Lantis sat on a bench in a small park, observing the carefree
activities of children and small families, idly wondering where his
fuzzy companion had gotten off to. The white rabbit had simply
vanished...literally...while Lantis was sampling a bit of local
cuisine...something called "yakitori", which he found to be quite
delicious. He took in the sights of the surrounding
community...shops, large advertisement boards, vidscreens...
	Vidscreens?
	Lantis stood, and made his way to one shop window, where a woman was
giving a news report. It looked like a vidscreen...he'd seen them in
Autozam, certainly, and was probably the only person from his land
familiar with them. He knew the concept behind them, but was never
quite sure how they worked. He did, however, recognize the concept of
news media from his time in Autozam. He wondered what other familiar
technology he'd see here on Earth. 
	Familiar voices stirred him out of his reverie.
	"...believe the delays today! Moooouuuuuuuuuuu....."
	"Well, it does happen, Umi-chan...they said the trains would be
running on time again later this afternoon. Ah, Lantis-san! Hello!"
	Lantis nodded to Fuu and Umi. Umi looked rather angry about
something. "What happened?" he asked.
	"The stupid train lines are backed up," Umi scowled.
	"It seems a train stalled not far from the station," Fuu added. "It
was damaged...they're working to clear it from the tracks now, but
say it will take most of the afternoon."
	"What damaged it?" Lantis wondered.
	"Another one of those supposed monster attacks," Umi said, scowling.

	"Monster attacks?" Lantis wondered. 
	Fuu sighed. "There have been reports off and on for two years now of
monsters appearing in this part of Tokyo. Nobody is sure what to make
of the attacks..."
	"It's not the attacks, it's the people that get rid of the monsters
they don't know what to make of," Umi scowled.
	"Ah, of course, the Sailor Senshi," Fuu said.
	Lantis blinked confusedly. Umi muttered a curse under her breath.
"They're completely ridiculous!" she said. "Those outfits of theirs
are a complete embarrassment!"
	Fuu placed a hand on Umi's shoulder. "I know, Umi-chan. You say that
every single time one of these attacks happens."
	Lantis frowned. "What are you two talking about?"
	Fuu smiled sheepishly. "Well, ah, you see, Lantis-san...wait, look
at the TV behind you. There's a report on the incident. You'll see
the Sailor Senshi for yourself."
	Umi scowled. "They're an insult to real magic," she said. "Can you
imagine what Hikaru would say if she saw Sailor Mars?"
	Fuu giggled. "She probably wouldn't have much to say, Umi-chan..."
	Umi sighed. "Right, this *is* Hikaru we're talking about..." Both of
them giggled at that. Umi blinked. "Where is Hikaru, anyway?"
	Lantis shrugged. "She's going to have lunch with her brothers, and I
opted to do a little sightseeing before meeting back up with her
later this afternoon." Lantis frowned as turned back to the news
report. "I think I see the problem you have with them, Umi," he said,
nodding thoughtfully. "Aside from the fact that they don't seem to
have much experience with their magic, how can they fight without
weapons or armor? The monsters they face must not be very powerful,
if they can finish them off with those kinds of attacks..."
	"I think it's the lengths of their skirts Umi has a problem with,"
Fuu said. Umi snorted. Lantis shook his head and chuckled. After a
moment, he said, "Who are they, anyway?"
	Fuu shook her head. "Nobody knows. For some reason, it's impossible
to identify them."
	Lantis watched the screen for another moment, then nodded. "Ah, I
see. They have a glamour field surrounding them."
	"A glamour?" Umi asked.
	Fuu's eyes widened in understanding. "A magical spell protecting
their identities!"
	Umi blinked. "I guess that makes sense," she said. "Say, are either
of you hungry?"
	"I just ate," Lantis said, "but I wouldn't mind sampling more of
this world's cuisine."
	"We have enough money left over after purchasing train tickets to
make an afternoon of it," Fuu said. "We might as well enjoy ourselves
while we wait for the trains to start moving again."

	*****

	"Shouldn't they be back by now?" 
	"They did say they'd return the same instant they left...has
something happened, Tendou?"
	"How should I know, Saotome?" 
	The two father sat worriedly at the shogi board. Nabiki rolled her
eyes. "Oh, please. Do you honestly expect them to just show up in the
blink of an eye?"
	"But...remember the other two girls that went to that other world?
They did..."
	"Do things *ever* go that smoothly where Ranma is involved, Daddy?"
Nabiki said coolly.
	Soun considered that for a moment. "This is true," he conceded. He
returned his attention to the shogi board, his concern over the delay
completely forgotten. 
	The door opened, and a loud voice proclaimed, "Hark, for the noble
presence of the Blue Thunder graces this humble abode! Forthwith I
require the attention of the housemaidens!"
	Nabiki rolled her eyes. Kasumi emerged from the kitchen. "Why, hello
Tatewaki-kun!" she said as she approached the entrance. "What can we
do for you today?"
	"Ah, fair Tendou Kasumi, I bid you good day," Kunou said. "I beseech
thee, Kasumi-san, where might I find thy younger of kin, the
beauteous Akane?"
	"I'm afraid she's not home at the moment," Kasumi said. 
	"Canst thou tell me where I might find her then?"
	Nabiki groaned, and stood. "Kunou-chan, you won't find her around
here. She's gone off with the rest of the martial arts bunch on some
silly quest or other. We don't know when to expect them to return."
	Kunou narrowed his eyes. "A quest, you say? I was not made aware of
this quest. Tell me, Tendou Nabiki, did the cretinous--"
	"Yeah, yeah, Ranma's gone too," Nabiki said. "You expected
otherwise?"
	Kunou glared at Nabiki, then raised his bokken. "I bid this
household farewell, for I must journey now to discover the
whereabouts of Tendou Akane, and free her from the heinous
clutches--"
	"You forgot the pigtailed girl," Nabiki supplied helpfully.
	"What!? My innocent flower of fire is among the company of the demon
as well? I must make haste immediately! Farewell!" With that, Kunou
left.
	Nabiki sighed. "Why do I bother with that idiot?"
	"Was that really neccessary, Nabiki?" Soun asked.
	"You'd rather have him hanging around *here* all day?" Nabiki
replied.
	Soun considered that for a moment. "You have a point."

	*****

	Kakeru, Masaru, and Satoru stood outside the dojo waiting for
Hikaru. All three were cleaned up, groomed, and dressed in nice
slacks and shirts. Hikaru smiled when she saw them. "You three look
nice," she said. They smiled back at her. "I'd change, but I'm afraid
I don't have anything with me other than more of the same," she said,
indicating her Chinese clothes.
	"You look just fine, Hikaru-chan," Kakeru said. Hikari trotted into
the dojo, looking back at Hikaru with a happy expression. She waved
goodbye to the animal, then said, "Well, guys, where are we going to
go?"
	"There's this nice outdoor cafe in town, the Akabara," Masaru
suggested. "Why don't we go there?"
	"Sounds good to me," Satoru said. 
	"Alright then, lead the way!" Hikaru said. The foursome headed into
town.
	As soon as they were well away from the dojo, a fat white bunny
hopped out of a bush and bounced into the building. Hikari looked up
as Mokona appeared. 
	"Puuu," the white creature intoned with a serious expression on its
pudgy face. Its gem flickered yellow. Hikari yelped and took a step
back. "Puuuuuu..." Mokona said softly as a pale yellow beam slowly
emerged from its gem. Hikari stared at it nervously, but didn't move,
sensing that the creature didn't intend any harm. The beam touched
Hikari's forehead.
	Seconds later, the wolf's eyes widened, and it began whimpering.

	"This is a good place to eat," Umi said.
	Fuu nodded. "Yes, I've been here before as well. The food is
excellent."
	The trio was greeted by a hostess, who showed them to a table.
"Welcome to the Akabara," the hostess said. "I'll have menus brought
out to you shortly."
	The Akabara was a popular hangout for teenagers and young adults in
Juuban, with its peaceful atmosphere, delicious food, and moderate
prices. Therefore, it was no surprise to either Fuu or Umi that they
encountered many of their classmates and friends there. At one nearby
table, Fuu spotted her friend Mizuno Ami, who was sitting with two
other girls she recognized from school, Aino Minako and Tsukino
Usagi. Fuu waved at the blue-haired girl, who smiled and waved back. 
	Lantis caught sight of the three girls, and his eyes narrowed. When
Fuu returned her attention to the menu she'd been handed, and the
three at the other table returned to their own conversation, he
whispered quietly, "Do you two know those girls?"
	Fuu nodded. "They're classmates of ours. The one I waved to is a
friend of mine," she said.
	Lantis smirked. "And I take it you don't know that all three of them
are Sailor Senshi?"
	Umi and Fuu both dropped their menus. "NANI!?" Umi shouted.
	Lantis looked around, waiting for everyone to stop staring at their
table, before continuing, "Remember the glamour I mentioned? I know a
spell that allowed me to see through it on the news report. I could
see all of their faces clearly...those three girls sitting over there
were among them." 
	"Are you positive?" Fuu asked. Lantis nodded.
	Umi looked over at the three girls chatting amicably at their table,
unaware that they were a topic of discussion. "I'd never have guessed
it would be them..."	
	Fuu looked up, and saw four figures approaching. "Look, Hikaru-chan
and her brothers are here as well!" 
	Umi saw the foursome, and waved. Hikaru caught sight of them, and
waved back cheerfully. "Guys, look! The friends I'll be travelling
with are here as well! Let's sit with them, alright?"
	Kakeru was about to object, but Satoru whispered to him, "We
should...we might get a better idea of what's going on."
	Masaru apparently had the same thought, because he was quick to
agree to sit with Hikaru's friends. The foursome approached the table
as a hostess greeted them. "Excuse me, miss," Fuu said, "We'd like to
change seating arrangements to sit with our friends here."
	The hostess looked up at the new foursome, who nodded. She smiled.
"Alright then, table for seven, this way." She led them to the back
of the cafe, where they took their seats at a much larger table. She
handed menus to the new arrivals, and headed off to check on other
guests.
	"I didn't imagine I'd run into you guys here," Hikaru said.
	"We couldn't get a train to Nerima," Fuu said. "The station's closed
down until later today."
	"That stalled train?" Kakeru said. "I heard about it on the news
while I was getting dressed."
	Fuu nodded. "That's right."
	"Why were you headed to Nerima?" Satoru asked. 
	"We have one more member in our group, a skilled martial artist
who's traveled across China before," Hikaru said. "He lives in
Nerima. We're going to get our supplies there," she said. 
	"So, you're expecting to encounter a lot of danger over there?"
Masaru asked after everyone had ordered their food.
	Hikaru shrugged. "We hope not, but you never know, especially in the
part of China we're headed for."
	In Hikaru's head, a soft voice murmured, <Baka! You shouldn't let
them know exactly where you're going...> Hikaru blinked. 
	"Where is that?" Kakeru asked.
	"Qinghai province," Hikaru said, before she could stop herself.
<BAKA!> "Lots of mountains and such there, you know. Animals, such as
that. Maybe a bandit or two. That's all." 
	<Much better.>
	<I hate lying...>
	<You didn't lie. We'll run into all that kinda stuff there. It's
just that we'll probably run into other stuff too, considering what
else is around there...>
	"Hikaru-chan? Are you alright? You seem a little out of it," Satoru
said, leaning forward with concern.
	"Oh, I'm fine," she said. "Just thinking."
	Umi whispered to Fuu, "Something's up. You don't think...?"
	Fuu nodded, and whispered back, "I think they intend to follow us to
China..."
	Curiosity over their whispering was thrown aside as the food
arrived. The meal was accompanied by less intense conversation,
mostly Lantis' comments about the food, questions from the brothers
about his homeland and the kind of food there, and questions about
Umi and Fuu...mostly about the day Hikaru had vanished, which made
them both rather uncomfortable. 
	Around dessert, people on the street began screaming, which
interrupted any further conversation. The seven of them looked up to
see a creature resembling a cross between a lion and a half-naked
woman in the street, blowing fireballs at people and generally
causing chaos. "Kuso!" Hikaru breathed. "What is *that* doing here?"
	"There've been attacks by monsters like that one in Juuban for the
last couple of years, Hikaru-chan," Fuu said. 
	"Really!?" Hikaru asked. She whispered, "Where are they coming
from?"
	"Nobody knows. They're not from Cephiro, if that's what you mean,"
Fuu said. More loudly, she said, "Don't worry about it. Any second
now, the Sailor Senshi will show up and deal with it." She looked
around and noticed that, indeed, the three girls that had been there
earlier had vanished.
	Umi snorted. Hikaru blinked. "Sailor Senshi?" Just then, five girls
in ridiculously tight costumes with short, colored skirts appeared in
the middle of the street, facing off against the monster. Their
apparent leader, whose costume was more ornate than the others (and
whose hair was done up in odango) made a ridiculous speech, which the
creature responded to by blowing a fireball at her.
	Hikaru sweatdropped. "What in the--!?"
	Umi smirked. "Those are the Sailor Senshi," she said. 
	The one calling herself Sailor Mercury strummed a harp of water and
unleashed a stream of bubbles at the creature. Umi rolled her eyes.
"What a pathetic spell! Mercury Aqua Rhapsody my--"
	The creature suddenly seemed to take notice of their group, and
roared, unleashing a fireball at their table. The seven of them
scattered. The Senshi noticed. "Get out of here! It's dangerous!"
Mercury called.
	"Like hell!" Umi yelled back. "I'll show you how to deal with
monsters like this..." she muttered.
	"Umi-chan..." Fuu warned. "You shouldn't..."
	Umi smirked. "Admit it, Fuu...you'd like to see someone show these
girls up too..."
	Fuu sighed. Hikaru blinked confusedly. 
	"This isn't a game, you guys! This thing's serious!" Mars called.
The monster roared again, and blasted a fireball at Umi. The Sailor
Senshi gasped.
	"Okay, that's *enough* out of you," Umi said. Before Fuu could stop
her, she summoned her armor and sword. "MIZU NO...RYUU!!" she called.
Her Water Dragon roared to life, blocking the fireball, sending up a
cloud of steam. The Sailor Senshi stared in shock. 
	Umi smirked, and turned to Mercury. "Let me show you some *real*
water magic," she said. "AOI TATSUMAKI!" A churning torrent of water
tore forth from her hands, slamming into the monster. It shrieked in
pain, and collapsed, disintegrating.
	"UMI!" Fuu yelled, grabbing her by the shoulder. "What were you
thinking!?"
	Umi cackled. "I showed them! That's how *real* magic is done!" she
crowed.
	Hikaru stared at her nervously. "You shouldn't have called attention
to yourself so, Umi-chan."
	Umi shrugged. "Nobody's here but us, Lantis, the Sailor Senshi,
and..." she paled. "...and Hikaru's brothers..." she groaned. 
	The three in question were staring at Umi in shock. Lantis sighed.
"I take it the people of this world are *not* used to magic," he
said.
	Before any of the brothers could react to that comment, as the
Sailor Senshi closed in on their group, another monster erupted from
the street. This one had a body composed of water. Sailor Mars
quickly used her most powerful attack, which the creature dodged. The
burst of fire narrowly missed Hikaru, who had moved to get a better
look. "HEY! Watch where you're aiming that!" she yelled.
	"HIKARU-CHAN!!!" The three brothers chorused. "Come away from
there!"
	Hikaru sighed. <Might as well get in on the action,> Ranma's voice
chimed weakly in her head. <Those girls with the skirts don't look
strong enough to handle it.>
	Shaking her head wearily, Hikaru summoned her armor. The three
brothers gasped as the brilliant scarlet and white armor appeared,
the yin-yang adornment in the center gleaming brightly, the gold trim
glinting in the light. A gout of flame erupted from her right hand,
resolving into the form of her broadsword. She gauged her opponent
with a practiced eye. "Not much to this one," she said. Banishing her
sword, she summoned her Scarlet Lightning spell. The glaring ball of
compressed fire slammed into the water creature, completely
obliterating it with a hiss of steam. 
	"Good work Hikaru!" Umi cheered. Hikaru grinned. She looked over at
her brothers, who were staring at her wide-eyed. She sighed. "Please
don't make me explain this, guys. It'd take too long."
	"Uhh, whatever you say, Hikaru-chan," Satoru said.
	"Sure thing, little sister," Masaru said.
	"No problem, you can tell us about it some other time," Kakeru said.
	"We'd better make ourselves scarce," Lantis said. "Those Senshi are
getting too curious, and I think I see some of the local news media
coming this way."
	"Kuso!" Hikaru spat. Banishing her armor (as did Umi), she helped
her brothers to their feet. She looked around, and spotted an alley.
"There! We can take the backroads back to the dojo," she said. 
	The Sailor Senshi called for them to stop, but soon lost track of
them.
	"Who the hell *were* they?" Mars wondered.
	"I didn't recognize the redhead, but the other two go to Juuban,"
Venus said.
	"Fuu-chan was with them," Mercury commented. 
	"Where did they get those powers?" Moon wondered.
	"We'll worry about it later," Jupiter said. "We gotta make tracks
too."
	In their own escape from the press, the Sailor Senshi completely
lost the trail of the mysterious mages.

	A short while later, the small group arrived at the Shidou dojo. As
soon as they were safely inside, Satoru said, "Hikaru-chan, talk.
What was all that?"
	Hikaru sighed. "It's a very long story, Satoru-niisama." 
	"Does it have anything to do with Tokyo Tower two years ago?" Masaru
asked.
	Hikaru nodded. "Hai, it all started there."
	Fuu looked at her watch. "Hikaru-chan...the trains should be moving
again. We really need to get to Nerima," she said.
	"I know, but..." Hikaru sighed. She looked at her brothers. "I'm
sorry...she's right. We have to get going, so that we can get our
journey over with and I can come home again."
	The three brothers did not look particularly pleased. "You'll take
care of yourself?" Satoru asked.
	Hikaru nodded. "Hai. As you've seen, I can manage." She smiled
weakly.
	"When you come back, you *will* tell us everything," Kakeru said.
	"Hai, I will," Hikaru said. "I promise." Hikari padded over to her,
and nuzzled her, whimpering sadly. She hugged the wolf fiercely.
"I'm...I'm sorry, Hikari," she said. "I...I don't want to go again,
but I have to. I wish I could take you with me...I just can't.
It's...it's going to be dangerous...you might get hurt..."
	Mokona suddenly appeared, and bounced over to the two of them.
"Mokona looks...solemn," Umi said, then smacked herself. "What am I
*saying!?* Mooouuu....don't tell me I'm starting to understand that
stupid bunny!"
	"Puu," Mokona said harshly to her. It returned its attention to
Hikaru and Hikari. "Puuu, puu puuuu." 
	"What is it, Mokona?" Hikaru asked, turning to the white rabbit.
Mokona looked at Hikari, and the wolf looked back, not flinching as
it had before. Hikaru looked between the two animals. 
	"What's going on?" Umi asked.
	Lantis frowned thoughtfully. "Mokona appears to be up to
something..."
	Mokona's jewel flared yellow, and a wide beam enveloped Hikari.
Hikaru gasped, but held her place, trusting Mokona. Hikari didn't
move, didn't make a sound. 
	"What...what's going on here?" Satoru asked.
	The beam from Mokona's jewel began darkening in color, through
orange, towards red. After a few long moments, the flame-red beam
faded. Everyone gasped.
	Hikari had become a bit larger, and appeared stronger. His fur had
turned the same shade of red as Hikaru's hair, and his eyes were now
red as well. The red wolf looked around, a mischevious twinkle in its
eyes. It threw back its head and barked...sending a small gout of
flame into the air. The three brothers fell over. Fuu and Umi gaped.
Hikaru blinked, then giggled. "I get it now," she said, beaming. She
hugged Hikari, then Mokona. "Mokona made Hikari stronger, so he can
come with me!" 
	"Puu!" Mokona said. The others blinked.
	"Thank you, Mokona," Hikaru said. She looked at the flame-red wolf.
"I think red is a nice color for Hikari," she said. 
	"So now we have to put up with two magical creatures?" Umi said in a
pained voice. Fuu giggled.
	
	Sometime later, the Magic Knights, Lantis, Mokona, and Hikari left
the Shidou dojo. "The trains should be running properly by now," Fuu
said.
	"Then our next stop is Nerima," Hikaru announced. She smiled
happily. "Today's been a wonderful day," she said.
	
	Across town, in Nerima, three shadows flitted along the rooftops...

-----------------------------------------------------------

Brief notes: Sailormoon fans may flame me for this chapter, and for
this note, but for the record...I *do*, most definitely, consider the
Magic Knights to be superior to the Sailor Senshi. To put it bluntly,
if the two teams ever faced off, even *without* their Mashins the
Magic Knights would beat the skirts off the Sailor Senshi...in my
opinion, anyway.

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America must truly be a great country indeed, 
for Americans can so easily sneer upon the 
fine, quality works of Japanese animators, which
fall far short of shows featuring flatulent bovines
and dialogue such as "Ready, Ike? Kick the baby!"

---
The Eternal Lost Lurker
EternalLostLurker@worldnet.att.net
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Garden/9502

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