"...want me ta save the world?" Ranma said.  He was sitting on a wall
adjacent to the sidewalk, looking at the strange woman with green hair
in disbelief.

"That is correct Saotome-san."

"Lady," Ranma said in exasperation, "Do you know _anything_ about me?  I
got more people tryin' ta kill me than I can count, I got more people
tryin' ta marry me than that, and on top of it all I got this stupid
curse.  My life is one crazy thing after 'nother.  I'd love ta, ya know,
since it's a duty of a martial artist an' all, but...lady, I ain't got
_time_."

"If we are victorious, you will likely be able to cure your curse,
Saotome-san," the woman replied evenly.

"..."

The woman frowned at the frozen young man.  "Saotome-san?"

"Who do I gotta kill?"

"Only your enemies."

Ranma started.  "What?  Geez, lady, I don't wanna kill nobody!  Can't I
just beat 'em up and teach 'em a lesson?"

The green-haired woman stared at Ranma a moment and then laughed
brightly.  "Saotome-san, you're _perfect_ for this job.  If you can,
indeed, do not kill anyone.  But remember, some of the enemies you will
be fighting will be monsters.  In fact, some of them will not even be
alive, in the true sense."

"Who said I was gonna do this?" Ranma angrily demanded, and then blushed
under the woman's steady gaze.  "Alright, so I'll do it."

"You may regret this, Saotome-san, but the world won't.  Take this," the
woman handed him a small chain with an odd moon-shaped pendant, "and say
the words that come to your mind."

Ranma looked at the pendant and began opened his mouth to speak the
words, but suddenly shut it with a click.  "Waitasec.  This ain't going
to turn me into a magical girl, is it?"

"Of course not," the woman replied, and Ranma relaxed.  "It'll turn you
into a magical boy, as you would put it."

With a grin, Ranma said, "MOON POWER!"

(one nifty transofrmation sequence later)

Ranma examined the clothing he wore.  Bracers and loose pants with an
odd blue, white and red pattern; white fighting boots...and very little
else.  "Geez, the girls'll go nuts over this."

"They won't recognize you, Saotome-san," was the reply, and she added,
"your advisor will hhelp you find the enemy."  She gestured behind her,
and a small white animal stepped forward.  Ranma's eyes widened and he
gasped....

"What kind of advisor is that?!  Lady, that's a _pig_!"

The small white piglet looked angrilly up at Ranma.  "And you're an
ass!"  The pig sniffed and glared at the woman.  "What kind of Warrior
of the Moon is this jerk, Setsuna?  Are they all going to be like that?"

"All?" Ranma parroted.

"No," Setsuna responded with a small smile, "I expect they'll be quite a
bit different from Saotome-san.  In fact, I must find them soon."

"Hey," the magical boy said with a grin.  "I know some guys who'll be
great for this."

"Do tell, Saotome-san."

***

"What a joke," Mars scoffed, adjusting his bandanna.  "I can take these
guys in my sleep."

"Ryoga," Moon snarled, "we're supposed to be defending truth, justice,
an' all that stuff.  What kinda battle cry is 'Youma, prepare to die'?"

"I thought it was quite appropriate," Venus replied.

"You _would_, Mousse!"

"Silence, Moon!" Jupiter snapped.  "Use not our true identities in this
form, lest our foul opponents use them against our loved ones."

"Well Moon-san," Mercury said, hoping to change the subject.  "At least
Jadeite-san was a bit challenging, even if he did fall before my skills
as a kunochi."

***

"_What_ did she call herself?" Moon demanded.

"Tuxedo Kamen," Venus replied.  "I suppose what she wore could
_technically_ be called a tuxedo..."

"Naked Kamen would be a more appropiate name," Jupiter commented, in a
strangely subdued tone of voice.  "Where _did_ she pull that cane from?"

Mars considered that statement, and passed out with a nosebleed.

"Aww jeez, Ryoga, grow up."

"HOLY SHIT!  Did you see the _rack_ on her?!"

The remaining conscious warriors slowly turned to stare at Mercury, who
had the grace to look embarrased.

"Saotome," Mousse whispered, "Konatsu scares me."

"You an' me both, pal."

***

"What in Metallia's name happened to you?" Beryl demanded.

Jadeite groaned and levered himself up off the floor.  "They're
monsters!"

"The Senshi?"

"Those aren't Senshi!  Senshi use spells, not that punch-kick thing they
were doing!  They took out my strongest youma in a few seconds, and then
when I went to destroy them myself, Mercury, who isn't even supposed to
HAVE offensive attacks, _kicked_my_ass_!"

Beryl sweated.  "Maybe we should hold off for another thousand years."

***

"Whoa," Setsuna breathed from the timegate.  "Wait until I tell the
other Plutos about this."