al709382@campus.ccm.itesm.mx
The Caller's Plight, by Jorge Pratt
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"A leap into the dark."
(Thomas Brown, _Letters from the Dead_)
Fourth Test:
Parting
A family in whole
"So where are we?" Ranma asked, looking out the window.
"Hm?" Shampoo peered out next to him, "Aiya! We home! It
China!"
"China?" Mousse stood up at the mention of his homeland.
"Now Ranma can forget violent girl!" Shampoo bounced
happily, "And stay home with wife!"
"You have a death wish? Ranchan's not staying here!"
"Okay, we're back on Earth. But when?" Phaeron turned to
Mireillia.
"Huh?" she blinked, still smiling, "Oh, it's the same day we
left. Look," she pointed at an indicator on the control panel.
"What the..."
"Did something go wrong?" Akane asked.
"The date... According to this, we missed our mark! This is
one week _before_ we left!"
"That... That's weird," Ranko came to the bridge, trying to
hide her reddened face.
"Swell. Guess we'll have to stay hidden for a week before
going back," Ranma rolled his eyes.
"Maybe not," Herb smirked, "At the present, the 'other me'
should be in Japan with the rest of you. We could simply go to
the palace of Musk Dynasty and stay there."
"That sounds like a good idea," Phaeron said, then thought
to himself, "And being here might help her remember."
"Okay, you can get off while we level the ship,"Nadir said,
"Wait a sec, I'll open the hatch."
He pushed a button and lowered a lever. With a whoosh of
wind, the airlock gave out and the hatch opened. A bright morning
light came from the gap, followed by the sweet scent of moist
grass.
"Ah, smell that," Ranma filled his lungs, "We're home alright.
Come on!" he leapt out the hatch.
"Earth..." Akane sighed in tranquil joy, "We're back--" her
dramatic sigh was broken as Shampoo trampled over her, pursuing
Ranma.
"Aiyaa!" her high-pitched scream was heard.
"Shampoo!" Mousse roared, "Saotome, you animal! What did
you do to her?!" He also leapt out the hatch.
"Growf..." the panda stood up in pain, grabbing hold of the
controls beside him. Accidentally, he pushed a lever on the
panel, causing the entire ship to tilt to one side, spilling
everyone out through the hatch. Only Nadir and Mireillia managed
to hold on to the controls.
"Somebody help..." Ranma said with a tiny voice.
He was balancing on his nose, on the ground strip between
Spring of Drowned Platypus and Spring of Drowned Earthworm. On
his left hand he held Akane, while Nodoka was on his shoulder. On
his right hand was Ukyou, next to her was Ryouga. He also held
up the panda, who carried Yuannyan and Ranko, who held Lime and
Mint respectively. Holding on to Ranma's legs were Shampoo and
Andellia, with Mousse and Terion hanging on to them. Only Herb
floated above them, blinking at the mess. Mog had stuck a lance
into one of the pools, clinging to it easily.
"Somebody get a camera, quick," Phaeron and Coldfire, who
had fallen into their own dried springs, snickered at them.
Crystallus stood in front of Ranma and blinked at him.
"Aaat... AaAaaaAaAAttT..."
"You sneeze and I kill you," Akane glared at him.
"Cab't helb it," Ranma tried to say, "AAaaAaaAAAaaatTt..."
A squadron of soldier ants suddenly thought it would be a
good idea to explore his nostrils. The rest I leave to
imagination.
SPLASH!
* * *
The royal dancers twirled their silken standards with the
long poles, shaping an X formation across the floor. Then they
all leapt up and hurled their staves upwards, then landed on
handstands and caught the standards with their feet. A loud
ovation was heard from the dining tables thatsurrounded the
forum.
"Good show, men!" Herb clapped loudly.
"They're very good-- atchoo!"
"Are you okay?" Herb turned to Yuannyan, "Do you need a
blanket?"
"No thanks, Herb-chan. I'm still a little cold from that swim
in the spring."
"I still can't believe how lucky we were," Ranko said, picking
into the rice.
"No kidding," Ranma said as he paused between bites,
"There's over a hundred pools there, and we fall in the only one
that has never been cursed."
"We could've fallen into mine and we'd still be okay," Ranko
said, sipping her tea.
"No thanks, I don't wanna risk it," he replied, "Besides, it's
full again. How am I supposed to know which is your pool?"
"You fell in it and you don't remember where it is? It's
right in the edge! Next to Phaeron-kun's spring!"
"But how come his is empty?" Akane asked, "If the rain
refilled yours, it should have filled his too."
"Maybe it's because I dried it with a RedBird," he said, "It
probably wiped out the spring's magic."
"Ah, this is the life," a human Genma said, rubbing his not-
full-yet belly. "Just spend a week of vacation here, doing
nothing and having great meals three times a day. Nothing but
lay around."
"Dear, you just described your entire life," Nodoka said,
then turned to Herb, "I hope we're not imposing too much."
"There's no need to worry," he replied, "If the Espers could
hold a celebration, why not us?" he opened his arm to motion
towards the dancing warriors, while the servants weaved a path
among them to set down the dishes on the tables. "Being the heir
of the Musk Dynasty has its privileges."
"But will you always throw away all our tresures, brother
Herb?" the voice came from behind him as the Nekonron prince,
Kirin, stepped out from a drape and faced him, steel chopsticks
glimmering in the afternoon light.
"Late as always, brother?" Herb began to snicker, but
suddenly recalled Nadir's Esper shape and decided to shut up.
"It is your own fault that Kirin did not arrive on time,"
the other prince sat down to Herb's left. "But tell him, brother,
to what do we owe the celebration?"
Soon Herb had to explain most of the adventure in Esper
World, leaving Kirin blinking with almost every word. Yuannyan
looked at her fianc� in wonder, he seemed to be enjoying every
second of Kirin's amazement. But she was brought out of her
reverie as her twin nudged her, winking. Yuannyan turned
scarlet-red and giggled, but then nudged back and pointed at the
phoenix sitting nearby. Ranko blushed mightily and shook her head
vigorously, trying to deny it. But Yuannyan pointed at the gold
bracelet and the Wall ring, winking. Ranko covered them with her
other hand, as if hiding them.
"Truly..." Kirin broke out of his stupor, "You lie. Otherwise,
show proof of your claims." Smirking in confidence, he lifted his
chopsticks before his face, as if waiting.
"It's proof what you want?" Herb smirked back, "Very well,
watch." He lifted one finger, which crackled with Lightning magic.
Hidden beneath the tablecloth, he grasped his Brindstone tightly.
"Im... Impossible!" Kirin stammered.
"Yuannyan?" Herb turned to her, distracting her from the
silent argument with Ranko.
"Huh? Oh, sure!" she opened her palm, creating a wide ball
of Silver magic. The amethyst Brindstone in her pocket glowed
brightly.
"Mog?" Herb called.
"Hi, kupo!" he sprouted in front of Kirin, who eeked away
from him.
"Then... if what you say is truth..." Kirin's chopsticks
clacked nervously against each other, "You really saw Kirin's
father?"
Herb nodded sternly, "I did. The king of the Musk, although
not as we remember. Of course, you can already tell that from
what I told you."
"Kirin regrets not being with you," the Nekonron prince
said, sighing, "He would have truly enjoyed meeting Father once
more." Herb nodded in sympathy. "We lost him so long ago, I can
barely remember him," Kirin said, "If only Kirin were to see him
again..."
Yuannyan and Ranko swallowed hard at his reaction, their
own memories travelling back over 1500 years. It had been
because of their parents' death that they left for China, even
though they were still children, hardly reaching the age of
twelve. It had been so long, and Jusenkyo had tormented them so
much, they could vaguely recall what their parents were like.
True, they had Genma and Nodoka now, but they weren't their real
parents.
"I understand," Yuannyan said, "Zhaodi-chan and I lost our
own parents a long time ago." Nodoka listened carefully to her
words. "I know I'd like to see them again, to know what they were
like."
"There might be a solution to that," Nodoka thought, looking
at her husband. He noticed her and looked up, chow mein dangling
from his mouth. She winced in disgust and looked away.
"Yeah... our folks..." Ranko sighed, her thoughts elsewhere.
"Would you like to see them?" Nodoka asked.
Ranko looked at her, startled, "Mom, don't get this wrong..."
She smiled, "Don't wory, dear. I understand perfectly." She
took Ranko and Yuannyan's hands, "What do you say if we pray to
them later?"
The twins' eyes enlarged considerably, "Will you join us?"
"Of course," the smile that Nodoka sent them seemed to
warm her hearts, "I said 'we,' remember?"
"Their parents?" Akane and Ranma thought, curious, but not
wanting to interrupt the special moment. And now that they
thought about it, neither of the twins ever said a word about
this subject. How had their parents been like?
* * *
The shrine of the Musk palace is a place rarely visited by
people other than the prince. But even within the gleaming walls,
adorned with ancient scrolls and scriptures... Even on the
polished marble tiles on the floor, their soft gray rythm broken
every so often to make way for an altar or a gravestone... Even
below the candle chandelier above them, concentrating the
candlelight with its prism pieces... Even with all this offering,
the shrine glowed with a modesty and humility that came
unexpected after the lavish decor of the palace.
Kneeling before the altar, three silent female shapes
joined their hands in prayer. Their eyes were closed, but their
hearts were open. Their minds, skimming the vastness of the soul
as they sought to commune with the spirits. Opening her eyes,
but only slightly, Nodoka smiled at her children. She hadn't asked
Phaeron for the Bridnstone just out of curiosity: she needed it.
She had seen this moment coming ever since she was reunited
with her daughter. And now, it was time for the dormant soul to
awake within her.
Gently holding the topaz Brindstone between her palms, she
smiled at it and closed her eyes. Ever so slowly, her kimono
began to shed away its colors, becoming the whitest of silks of
supernatural purity. The pin on her hair fell away, releasing the
pigtail into a cascade of dark brown.
"What's going on?"
Outside the shrine, guarding the doors, Akane and Phaeron
joined Ranma and Genma. None would disturb this moment of peace
between the three women inside, but there was a strange, warm
glow coming from the slit between the door and the floor. What
could be happening inside?
"I sense something," Phaeron said, closing his eyes. "What
the... I feel as if Cordis were coming here..."
"The angel?" Akane asked, surprised.
Phaeron's guess had been correct, but not as accurate.
True, there was an angel in the shrine, but it wasn't Cordis.
Thanks to the Brindstone, Nodoka had transformed into her
pseudo-Esper shape. Her radiant spirit manifested itself freely
now, making her surpass even Seraphim's glow. But the
transformation had been silent, she had been careful enough not
to disturb the twins' prayer. Instead, she reached into her new
might and covered them with her bright aura of gold. With her
help, their prayer became much more intense, more devout.
Tears of happiness began to gather in her eyes at her
daughters' state of rapture. She smiled tenderly at seeing them
both move their lips, as if mouthing words. Words that they
would say to their parents.
It was enough for her. The twins had to know. Nodoka hid
the Brindstone in her clothes and extended the white limbs on
her back. Silent as ever, she turned to her side, taking
Yuannyan's hands with her own right hand. Almost instantly, she
used her left to hold Ranko's hands. Sighing softly, the twins
fluttered their eyes open, as if awakening from a wonderful
dream. Eyes wide-open, mouth slack, they stared silently at
Nodoka. She giggled, then embraced her girls with her large wings.
"Zhaodi... Pandi... I'm so glad..." she whispered, crying. The
twins did not dare speak. They were stunned by all that was
happening around them, all too quickly.
"Let's go outside," Nodoka said, releasing them, "There is
so much to tell..."
"It's coming closer," Phaeron said, still concentrating, "It's
an angel, there's no doubt, but it's not Cordis. Seraphim?"
"No, it isn't me," the angel said as she suddenly appeared
in the corridor. A broad smile filled her face, "Prepare
yourselves for one of the greatest surprises in your life."
The door opened by itself as a being of light stepped out.
Genma passed out instantly.
Ranma waited half a second before joining him.
Akane and Phaeron just stared. What they thought of
Nodoka's semi-Esper shape was actually her true form.
She was a _real_ angel.
"Perhaps I should start explaining," she smiled.
* * *
The group walked along the edge of Jusenkyo, the orange
glows of twilight grasping onto the celestial canopy as if a
velvet curtain, dyed by the master artist called Mother Nature.
The irregular yet pointed spires that made the valley were
nearly black against the light, like giant guardians looking over
the pools. The shadows they cast stretched far into the
distance, shaping dark blankets that covered the dreaded
grounds. But even these shadows had to yield, as a great light
moved along the thin strips of land that separated each spring.
Following Nodoka, Ranko and Yuannyan walked hand in hand,
too excited to even talk. Nodoka had to change in front of her
daughters, but it was worth it. Every dark cloud of despair had
been lifted from Ranko's heart; perhaps her mother could help
her now. As for Yuannyan, her child-like heart could barely
contain her emotions. She immediately thought back to meeting
Cordis: she wanted to cry out in excitement, but she had to
control herself as she wanted to know how this miracle was
possible.
Akane just didn't know what to make of it. If she had been
confused to see Cordis' face, it was a wonder she hadn't been
cast into insanity by this turn of events. But now that she
thought of it... Mrs. Saotome had always been angelical. Maybe
not in physique, but in manner.
Ranma would much rather be someplace else. Not that he
was upset by this surprise, but he was just too nervous, too
confused. His mother...! His thought were too much a jumble to
even describe.
Phaeron somehow knew this was coming. He wasn't too
surprised, but now he wanted to know what had made her show
her true self. Then he thought about Cordis. Could it be? Could
she be related to Mrs. Saotome?
Genma was in a state of total bewilderment. He knew
nothing, he did nothing, he wanted no part in all this. As he
struggled and struggled, his son had to pull him along. Genma
simply pointed at Nodoka, blabbering incoherently.
"It has been so long..." Nodoka sighed, looking upwards. She
saw her husband's madness and giggled. "Okay, I guess you want
an explanation."
"It would help," Phaeron said.
"Well then, from the beginning," Nodoka sat down at the
edge of the former Nyannichuan, inviting the others to take a
seat. "Masamune, are you here?"
"Of course," the mystic sword suddenly appeared next to
her as a shaft of blinding light. Nodoka took her and stroked
the smooth scabbard.
"Let's start," she said. Smoothing out her long hair, she
smiled at Ranma tying up his father to a bamboo pole so he
wouldn't escape. "I should begin by saying that Masamune and I
come from the same place: the Light."
"How?" Akane asked.
"I think you remember about the man called Delat, don't
you?" they nodded, recalling the castle back at Cat's Eye. "Well,
when he released the power of light, he pulled not only
Masamune, but he also pulled me out.
"I remember it clearly. It was about 1522 years ago..."
* * *
An old, evil-eyed man stared flaggerbasted into the cleft
that opened on his lab's wall. The cleft grew wider, releasing
countless silvery glimmers into the room. This was not supposed
to happen! When he began his incantations, he intended to
release a great evil. Apparently, he would have been summoned by
this spell. All that Delat needed was the first letter of the
demon's name. Due to an incredible coincidence, that letter was
the same as his own: a "D."
But something went awfully wrong. He was not calling a
demon. He wasn't even reaching the Realm of Shadows! Instead, his
experiments had opened a gate to the Light!That was _not_ good!
"Whoooaa!"
He stared aghast as a large ball of light burst out of the
cleft, followed by a glimmering shaft. Both crashed into a table,
spreading splinters all over in a wooden mess. No, it couldn't
be... No. For all the demons, no!
The angel coughed several times, her glow diminishing
slightly after the rough crash against the table. Opening her
eyes widely, she looked around, trying to focus...
...and quickly focused on a man that loomed over her,
lifting an axe over his head.
"Kyaa!" the angel lifted her arm, defending. But suddenly
the axe was dissipated completely. Delat stared in shock at the
sword of light, held by another female angel. Both pulsated with
a golden glow, the angel's halo was much too bright to let him
see her face. Blinded, Delat could do only one thing: dispel this
wrecked incantation.
Swirling his arms around him, Delat suddenly pointed at
both angels, "Begone, creatures! Leave my sanctum and forever
roam astray!"
A sudden black ball sucked the angels and the sword into
its darkness. Delat ignored their pleas as he closed that portal
again, then looked straight into the bright cleft on the wall. It
was too much, too powerful. This power had to be sealed, lest
his ambitions be ruined.
"Big sisteeeer!" a trio of childish voices came from the
cleft. Throwing himself aside, Delat caught a glimpse of a large
ghostly sword shooting out of the cleft, then turning to face
him. "What have you done to big sister?!"
Scared spitless, Delat stumbled to the door, closing it
shut behind him with an evil spell. As he quickly tumbled through
th long corridor that lead from the underground lab to the
castle, he knew that his dreams of destruction were over. But
this power had to be cast away.
Pushing the stone on the ceiling with a staff, he closed
the secret passage to his laboratory. The chamber was
underground, but it remained beneath the castle's soil. The
simple stones wouldn't hold the power back. Beginning a new spell,
he summoned the mystic powers about him and aimed at the
secret corridor.
"Power of dark, masters of the realm... A mantle of light
befell me. I now invoke your might, to cast away the mantle!"
But just before he could pronounce that last word, a thin
shaft of light shot out from between the stones. It drove him
out of focus, he mispronounced. It was too late when he
discovered he had said...
"...cast away the castle!"
A ring of darkness surrounded the entire castle,
imprisoning it as it travelled through time and space. Delat
quickly tried to dispel the enchantment, but his sense of
direction sent him away into a distant land, over a thousand
years into the future.
Esper World's magic immediately seized him. As Delat writhed
in pain, he could only see his own body being absorbed by the
castle. There he would remain forever, his dead soul trapped
within the cold gray stones.
"Are you okay?" the angel with the blinding halo asked,
putting the sword on the grass. "Looks like the old coot just
sent us out of his... wherever that was."
"I'm... I'm fine. Thank you," the first angel shook her head,
trying to clear it. She stood up, but the spell had weakened her
too much.
"You better sit down," the other one said, pulling her down
to lean her against a tree. "Maybe..." she looked around, "Maybe
we better change into humans. Who knows where we are now."
Nodding, the first one closed her eyes. As her light
receded, her long, dark brown hair could be seen, just as her
wings faded away. She seemed to be about twenty-five, in human
terms. Her robes turned to normal cloth, if whiter than white.
With a sigh, Pax turned to the other angel. She had changed to
human as well, although she looked like a six year-old.
"Where are we, mother?" she asked, turning to Pax.
"I don't know," she looked around. They were in a meadow,
but it was hard to tell anything else.
"I sense trouble," a female voice came from the sword on
the ground, "It might be wise to escape from here. Humans tend
to listen to their instincts before reason."
"She's right," Pax' daughter said, "Come on, I'll carry you."
With a quick flash of light, the angel turned back to her
real shape, then lifted her mother and sped away. The sword
darted behind them.
"Look, up in the sky!" one of the barbarians said.
"It's a bird!"
"It's a plane!" another said. "Uh, what's a plane?"
"It's mine!" a last barbarian smirked, drawing out his bow
and arrows...
"Agh!"
"Co--" Pax tried to say as she saw her daughter's wings
being skewered by the deadly arrows. The trip had drained them
too much. None should have ever faced this.
"M-mother..." the angel tried, "G-get outta here..."
"My daughter!" Pax attempted to transform, but she was
still too weak.
"Lumen!" the daughter bellowed. Hesitant at first, the
sword's spirit sighed and engulfed Pax in an aura of gold.
Shooting out towards the far East, the female side of Lumen
Gladius took Pax with her as they escaped the bloodthirsty
creatures, leaving her daughter behind.
* * *
"M-mom..." Ranko looked at her mother, astounded.
"Funny, isn't it?" Nodoka smiled, "To think I would
eventually arrive in Japan."
* * *
"My daughter..." Pax cried unconsolably, not caring about
who might hear. The sword, resting on the ground beside her,
gleamed in sorrow. But Pax had been through so much... Being
stranded on Earth by a warlock, losing her only daughter...
"Onna da..."
"H-huh?" Pax lifted her head slightly at the vicious voices
around her.
"Masaka. Furui onna..."
"What..." Pax turned to see another group of barbarians,
circling her, snarling. They began to reach for her.
Under other circumstances, she could have very easily
erased these thugs from existence. But she was not like that.
After all, she was named after her attribution. Pax always
avoided fighting, and even now she wouldn't bring herself to harm
a living creature. But this left her defenseless against the
humans.
Pax' scream was heard throughout the region.
"Ko no yaro!" another man's shout was heard, along with the
sound of a body hitting the ground.
"Eh...?" Pax uncovered her eyes to witness a powerful man,
a little older than her in appearance, dispatching of the thugs
one by one. In less than twenty seconds, all six men were on the
ground. "Who is he?" she thought.
Wiping the sweat off his brow, the man turned to her, but
she didn't understand a word he said. He repeated, but she just
looked blankly at him. Then she realized where she was.
"We... must be in that group of islands. Ja... Java? No,
Japan..."
"Omae no namae wa nan to iu no?" the man repeated,
exasperated as he asked for her name again. "Kuroma desu."
"P-Pax de--" she interrupted herself. Her Latin name would
be of no use in Japan. But what was the Japanese word for
"peace"?
"Pasu?" Kuroma asked for confirmation. She shook her head.
"No... Nodoka desu."
* * *
"Mind telling me who this 'black horse' character is?!" Genma
suddenly appeared next to her, still tied to a broken bamboo.
Nodoka showed a little smile, "Why, of course, dear. It's
you."
"Eeeeehhh?!"
* * *
Japan was still a primitive country by the year 475.
Nevertheless, there were men that wouldn't put honor aside. As
the times changed, many strange customs began. One of such
customs was marriage.
Pax, or Nodoka as she now called herself, had found
comfort in the shape of a human man, a very skilled barehanded
warrior. "Black horse" he was called, for he always rode such
steed. And it was on his horse that he and his beautiful bride
left his village.
But she never did show her true self, her angel side. She
thought she might frighten him, and she loved him so much that
was the last thing she would do. But several months after their
wedding...
"BWAAAAAHH!"
"It's a girl!" the midwife held the beautiful baby up to her
father, who cried in joy at the sight of his little treasure. But
almost immediately he heard another cry, and his heart beat hard
once more.
"Twins!" he cried out in happiness. "My little girls!"
"Kuroma... please..." Nodoka stretched her arms for the two
babies. Her face, flushed but showing a petit smile, brightened
when she held her daughters. "Are you disappointed, dear?"
Kuroma looked at her oddly, "Dissapointed? How could I?
Look at my beautiful girls!"
Nodoka sighed weakly, but happily, at him, "But you always
said you wanted a boy..."
"Yes, I wanted a boy, but who cares about that now? Look
at my girls!"
Nodoka giggled through her exhaustion, "I'm looking at them,
Kuroma." She turned to her baby daughters, watching the midwife
cleaning the blood off them with a damp cloth. "Little angels..."
she smiled sadly, recalling what had happened to her first
daughter, "Your father wants to inherit the training grounds. If
I don't give him a son, he'll be sad... He was expecting a boy so
much..." she looked at the youngest twin, "I hope you bring a
brother soon..." she smiled at the older twin. "My Pandi... My
Zhaodi..."
"Foreign names?" the midwife cocked one eye, but shrugged.
* * *
"Hey, wake up!" Ranma shook his sister, trying to awake her.
"I guess they're just too impressed," Phaeron said, gently
slapping Yuannyan's face. "How would you react if you found out
your real mother is an angel?"
"Been there, got the T-shirt," Ranma glared at him.
"But... But then you _are_ their mother, auntie?" Akane
asked, "What happened?"
Nodoka sighed, "Well, Dear and I didn't have any other
children. We were so happy with our twins, we just forgot about
him being heir to his family's martial-arts heritage."
"What _was_ that family?" Ranma asked. Genma gasped as he
figured it out.
"The Saotome school..." he said involuntarily.
"Yes," Nodoka nodded, "Dear trained our little girls in his
own style, always teaching them what the true path was.
Meanwhile, I taught them in the Way. But they seemed to already
know about it, as if they had learned in a previous life. We were
all very happy, until one day..."
"The day..." Phaeron was almost afraid to say it, "When
you... passed away?"
Nodoka sighed gravely, "It was during a rainy day, when the
girls were twelve . Pandi was sick, and we only knew of one
remedy: a strange herb that grows on the mountainside. Dear
immediately went to get it, but we all knew the mountains were
dangerous. I went along, to see if I could be of help. But then I
heard somebody laugh. As we climbed the mountain, somebody
appeared above us and lifted his hand. Suddenly a bolt of
lightning hit the rocks. Dear and I... we were buried under the
landslide. I tried to change, but the years of living as a human
made me unable to become an angel again. But the last thing I
remember about that was a tall man with wings, like an angel,
and he had a cross-shaped scar on his forehead."
"Impossible..." Akane thought, awestruck, "It couldn't have
been _him_!"
Genma was wobbling dizzily after all these revelations. To
begin with, he had met his wife in a previous life over 1500
years ago. Then, he ignored the offer to carry on the beginnings
of the Saotome school. And finally, he was killed in a landslide!
"Dear..." Nodoka beckoned for him, "This is all part of you,
you've just forgotten."
"Yeah, talk about spoiling with age," Ranma said, "You're
completely different from that Kuroma guy."
"Not at all, Ranma," Nodoka smiled, "I have lived with Dear
for 1516 years, and he hasn't changed that much. Just because he
didn't promise our daughters in marriage doesn't mean he wouldn't
do it," she glared briefly at Genma.
"But what happened then?" Akane asked.
"Where was I? Oh yes. Since we were killed by a demon, we
were allowed to pick whichever era we wanted to live in, and we
were assured we would be reunited there. But we only wanted to
look over our children. And so we did." She smirked at Phaeron,
"And don't worry, I'm sure she'll remember about it. But anyway,
we were shocked when they had the accident here. But we still
looked over them. Our daughters may have died, but their spirits
were trapped here," she waved her hand in the spring's water.
"You can't imagine how much it hurt to see them like that."
"I can," Phaeron said, sadly recalling.
"But then I found out that they would be released," Nodoka
brightened up, "So we decided to come to Earth again. But we
still wanted a boy, so..." she smiled warmly at Ranma. "Who would
have thought that our son would release our daughters?"
"Waaaait a minute here," Ranma said, "Are you saying that
if not for them, I wouldn't have been born?"
"And you wanted to find Nannichuan," Akane bonked him
upside the head.
"Then it's true," Ranko surprised them now that she was
awake. Yuannyan followed quickly. "You... you really are our
mother...!" her voice broke as the words escaped her mouth.
Running for her, the twins hugged Nodoka tightly, tears streaming
down the reddened faces. Sighing again, Nodoka embraced them
with her arms and wings.
"At last," Masamune would have smiled if she had a mouth,
"The family is reunited!"
"Mother! Mother!" the twins kept on repeating, trying to
recover from the years of living as orphans.
"My little angels..." Nodoka cried also, "I'm sorry I didn't
tell you sooner."
"But... But why until now?" Ranma asked.
"Try to spend 1500 years without forgetting a few things,"
Phaeron said, "The way I see it, the reason she never mentioned
any of this is because she forgot about it when she came back
to Earth. Maybe it was Esper World's magic, when it changed her
back to her real self, what helped her remember."
"And you?" Akane turned to the Masamune, "What happened to
you?"
"Oh, many things," she replied, "When Pa-- I mean, Nodoka
decided to stay in Japan, I disguised myself as a katana. And
liked it. But with the pass of time I went from hand to hand to
hand until a powerful warlord recovered me, and I was given his
own name. The "One-eyed Dragon" Masamune, they called him. And
by coincidence, I fell back into the hands of the Saotome clan."
"It's... It's so good to see you, mother," Ranko said, not
releasing her hold.
"And I'm so grateful," Nodoka replied, "I was beginning to
think you two might have forgotten about us."
"How... could we forget?" Yuannyan said, "We've always
thought about you."
"We can forget other things but we won't ever forget you,"
Ranko smiled, closing her eyes in a sigh. Her phrase dropped on
Phaeron like a bomb. "S-sorry, I didn't mean that..."
He looked down, depressed, "Don't worry."
"Auntie?" Akane asked, "I don't know if I should ask, but...
What happened to her? Your other daughter?"
* * *
Kuroma paced restlessly around the room as he heard his
wife's moans of pain while she gave birth to their daughters. The
midwife stroked Nodoka's forehead, trying to soothe her pain.
"Just a few more minutes now," she said, turning to Kuroma,
"You better leave the room. I'll handle it here." Too nervous to
contest, he stepped out, fiddling with his hands.
As bright supernovas flared before her eyes, Nodoka kept
going back to that moment, an eternity ago, when she lost her
daughter. She had grown up too quickly, at her six hundred years
of age she acted like a full-grade Guardian, despite looking like
a six-year-old girl. But all those dreams... Being there for her
first assignment, enjoying her first triumphs... Nodoka thought
she would never go through that.
But it happened. Five seconds before Zhaodi was born, time
became frozen. An unbelievable number of silvery glimmers
appeared over Nodoka. Suddenly, they all became a single, bright
ball of spiritual light. The ball then hovered towards Nodoka's
belly, phasing into her womb.
"BWAAAAAAHH!"
* * *
"I once had a daughter," Nodoka's eyes showed a peaceful
happiness, "But now I have two."
She detached the twins from her, kneeling to look up at
their faces. Then, with her hands moving as delicate as
butterflies, she touched their shoulders. A sudden aura of gold
and silver enveloped the twins, who immediately fell into rapture
once more. Seeing they had closed their eyes, Nodoka stood and
held her daughters, spreading her wings upwards.
Phaeron suddenly felt a part of himself being pulled
towards the trio. But this time his intervention wasn't
necessary. A bright light flared in the place where they stood.
And Cordis came.
Her aura, a solid light of gold, covered the twins, mixing
with their own aura. Cordis then spread her wings and arms,
lifting her face to meet the heavens. Ever so slowly, Cordis
descended upon the twins, superimposing onto them. With a flash,
Cordis disappeared from sight, leaving a large white cocoon of
feathers.
Nodoka slowly opened her wings once more, not sure if she
should open them fully. Taking the chance, she spread her wings
and opened her arms, releasing the twins. The other three people
gasped. And Akane understood.
Phaeron had known this for a long time, almost ever since
he met the twins. Ranma _thought_ he had a clue, recalling what
had happened when his sister left, two weeks after Phaeron's
demise. The white feather that dropped from the sky when
Seraphim picked her up...
It _had_ been her face, Akane thought, what she had seen
when Cordis saved her from Lord and Mistress. There was no
doubt.
The twins, fully awake, glowed from within as golden rings
formed around each red head. But they were so bright they
hardly let anyone see their faces, letting only the blue eyes
contrast against the pale yellow glow. There were no wings, no
auras, but the clothes they wore were the purest white.
"Now you understand," Nodoka said, "My daughter didn't die.
Little Cordis simply gave part of her soul to both of my girls."
"And where is she?" Phaeron asked.
Nodoka sighed, "Cordis is in the Light, at least for now."
"Then what about..." Akane pointed at the twins.
Ranko laughed good-heartedly, "Oneechan, we're _not_ Cordis.
We simply have a bit of her soul, that's all."
"That's right," Phaeron said, "That's why Cordis can enter
them. When we fought Kefka, we had to let Cordis possess Ranko-
chan's body. But she can't enter anyone else, because only
Ranko-chan and Yuannyan are close enough to her."
"How else do you think I stopped Lavos?" Ranko smirked. "It
was because Cordis helped me."
"But even if you're not like Cordis," Nodoka put her hands
on the twins' shoulders, "You'll always be my little angels."
Akane put her hand on her forehead, "This is too much for
one evening."
"Hey Pop," Ranma looked around, "You've sure been quiet...
uh?"
Genma had passed out long ago.
* * *
The twins walked through the halls of the palace, one
giggling and the other laughing out loud. After coming back,
Yuannyan had pulled that little Cordis trick in front of Herb.
They would never forget the face he had before fainting.
"Maybe I can tease Ryouga with this..." Ranko laughed again,
"What's up?" she asked, noticing her sister had fallen silent.
"Oh, nothing. I just thought about how things were when we
were little. You know, living in our old place in Japan and all..."
"Yeah, I remember," Ranko crossed her arms behind her head,
"But I forgot a lot about that too."
"Don't you think it's amazing that we found our real
parents so easily?"
"I'm surprised at Pop," Ranko smirked, "He must've wanted a
boy even more than we thought. Whenever I think about that 'man
among men or seppuku' thing, I get the creeps."
"Next thing you know, he'll promise to raise us as 'women
among women.'" Both girls laughed at the mere thought.
"Ah, the old man is crazy," Ranko said, calming down. "It was
nice to just be a little kid, pretending to be a martial artist."
Her eyes became distant as she thought about her two
childhoods: during the Fifth century and Ranma's own child-years.
In both occasions, she would remember her father as a playful
man, teaching her martial arts through games. She sighed, why
had he changed?
"I'd sure like to be a kid again."
"Huh?" Ranko turned to her sister, "What're you saying?"
Yuannyan smiled, "Wouldn't you? Being just a little girl
again, with everyone taking care of you and saying how cute you
look... We never had that sort of childhood."
"How could we? We were always moving from town to town."
But now that she thought about it, she knew Yuannyan had a
point. She envied the little kids that she saw on her way to
school. They all had sedentary lives, many little friends to play
with... The only friend Ranma had during those years was Ukyou,
and she turned out to be a girl.
"I know what you mean," Ranko finally had to yield, "But
what's the point in thinking about it? It's not like we can be
little kids again..." her voice drifted off as a lightbulb appeared
over her head. The twins smirked mischievously to each other,
then dashed through the halls. Suddenly, they burst into one of
the guest rooms.
"You need my help?" Andellia asked, blinking.
* * *
"Okay, everything set?"
They were gathered in Genma and Nodoka's room.
Fortunately, she had changed back to human, so he wouldn't pass
out anymore. Ranma and Akane were standing by the foot of the
bed, holding all of the twins' clothes. Phaeron had covered his
eyes with a cloth _and_ was looking away.
"You can look now," Ranko giggled, as she and Yuannyan were
tucked into the bed.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Akane asked.
"It's okay by me," Nodoka smiled motherly, "I would give
anything to see my little angels like small children again."
"Look, sis, I said that I'm sorry for saying that you were
never born. You don't have to go through with this."
"That was over four months ago, oniisan," the redhead said,
"We _want_ to do this."
"We'll sure miss you while you're gone," Phaeron said.
"But we won't be going anywhere, remember?" Ranko smiled at
him, "Thanks for caring, though."
"Okay, let's get started," Andellia said, holding her
Caduceous. "Now, I'll go over it again. When I use my spell on
you, you'll grow young all the way back. I'll leave a small
imitation of my staff with you. To grow up again, you need to
touch your head with the staff and leave it for a few minutes.
Two minutes age you one year." She turned to Nodoka, "Instead
of nine months, the spell will make it nine days. Can you take it
so quickly?" Nodoka nodded, eager. Andellia turned back to the
twins, "Now remember. While you grow up, you'll have all your
memories but with the mind of a small child. _Do_ be careful,
remember that you'll be magic-using children." She took her staff,
"Ready?"
"Ready," the twins answered. Beneath the sheets of the bed,
they held hands for reassurance.
"Okay, and you..." Andellia turned to Ranma, Akane and
Phaeron.
"Okay, see you in nine days, pigtails," Phaeron called.
"Wait!" she replied, hurriedly taking off the Wall ring and the
bracelet, then flinging them to him along with her Brindstone
emerald, "Can you take care of them in the meantime?"
"Sure," Phaeron flashed her a thumbs-up and left the room.
"Kuno will go crazy if he sees you," Akane said, "See you
later!"
Ranma just looked silently at his sisters before laughing
mildly, "You really are crazy, you know?" he said as he left the
room.
"Very well..." Andellia aimed her staff at the twins, "Playful
Children!"
The spell took effect immediately. The girls shrank
gradually, their features becoming less and less mature. But the
spell didn't end there. In just a matter of seconds, two newborn
babies lied down on the bed. And the magic went even further:
the twins vanished. Each had become a pair of gamets.
As Andellia kept the four gamets on the air, Nodoka quickly
readied herself. The Esper lowered her staff, aiming for her, and
used the magic to push the gamets into her lower abdomen.
Nodoka only whimpered slightly as the magic flooded her.
"I... I felt it!" she said excitedly, as her motherly instincts
let her know the precise moment when her children were
conceived.
Two new lives were beginning inside her, although they
aleady existed previously. But Nodoka could barely contain her
excitement, already feeling the first symptoms of pregnancy. And
once more, an angel experienced the miracle of giving life.
* * *
The morning mist covered most of the region surrounding
Jusenkyo. With its cold breath, the fog gave a spectral
appearance to the valley. But the constant scruffing of feet
against the earth was easily heard. Soon, a darkened figure
stepped through the mist, carrying an empty backpack.
Adjusting the Spectacle Frame on his nose, Mousse scanned
the landscape, trying to find his way through the winding paths.
The distance from the Musk palace wasn't too great, he would
soon arrive at the village of the Joketsuzoku. He snickered,
without Cologne around he would easily find the items he needed.
So the old troll got Shampoo into using magic to capture
Ranma, eh? Mousse clenched his fist, it was all the little prune's
fault. But Cologne had still left many artifacts home, artifacts
that would undoubtedly help him. Yet he would never use magic to
win Shampoo's heart: his feelings for her were high and pure.
Instead, he wanted the items so he could defeat Ranma.
Fine, so she didn't even thank him for saving her life back
in Esper World. But he would find a way. He had to find a w--
Mousse "pulled a Godai" on a bamboo pole.
"Ow..." he detached his face from the bamboo, checking his
glasses. Good, still in one piece. These Spectacle Frames were
amazing, he thought. Not once had his glasses been broken since
he started using them. Cursing under his breath at his
misfortune, he continued.
Meanwhile, another figure strode amid the foggy paths. A
slim, feminine figure, with a long ponytail that reached down to
her waist. Every so often, she stopped to take a look at her
surroundings. She was looking for somebody. Another figure, a
bird of prey, flew around her.
"Is it good?" an imaginary Shampoo asked in Chinese, smiling
as Mousse ate an imaginary meal. He grinned idiotically.
The girl stopped again, adjusting her belt. Somebody was
nearby. She continued, looking to the sides. Her pet bird
shrieked.
Mousse's eyes were open, but blank. His reverie was taking
him to a faraway land.
He and the girl crashed into each other, stumbling to the
ground.
"S-sorry..." Mousse stammered, reflexilvely speaking in
Japanese, "Who's there?"
"I sorry," the girl responded in broken Japanese, "Who you?"
Mousse suddenly lifted a hand to his face, "Agh! My
glasses!"
"Lost glasses?" the girl asked, standing up. Mousse winced
as he heard the inch-think lenses being stepped on. "Oh! I sorry!
I really sorry!" the girl tried to apologize.
"Don't worry," Mousse said with a sigh, searching his sleeve
for his extra pair of _normal_ glasses. Still seeing just a
yellow blur in front of him, he placed the glasses on his face.
The first thing he saw was another pair, with a slim frame, lying
on the ground.
"You see my glasses?" the girl asked, crawling on all fours
in search of them.
"Here," Mousse said without looking at her. A small hand
reached out to take them, but missed and took his hand instead.
"Huh?"
"Huh?" the girl followed. She hurriedly put on her glasses.
Both looked at each other.
Mousse found himself looking at the most beautiful Amazon
he had ever seen. Her face, bright and clear, surrounded by what
resembled a cascade of golden threads. Her hair, as long as
Shampoo's, was pulled into a long ponytail, tied by a scarlet
string that fell sideways along the ponytail. She had wild front
locks falling down her forehead, typical for anime characters.
Her clothes were similar to Shampoo's, but they were leaden-blue
with scarlet belt and armlets, all made of perfect silk. But her
lively, green eyes were barely hidden by the slight glasses,
which in Mousse's opinion enhanced her great beauty.
"I'm Mousse," he said in Chinese, "Are you alright?"
"Y-yes," she said timidly, "My name is Mink." She pointed to
the side, at the hawk that stood beside her, "That's my pet
hawk, Shugo-kou."
"He's your guardian?" Mousse examined the bird. It pecked
him furiously.
"_She_'s my friend," Mink giggled softly.
Mousse repeated her name in his mind, recalling. "Excuse me,
but do you know the twins named Pink and Link?"
Mink nodded, "They're my cousins, why?"
"Forget it," he stood up, then offered a hand to help her.
Hesitant at first, she placed her hand inside his, blushing
timidly as he pulled her to her feet.
"Hm?" Mousse looked into her eyes, only a few inches away
from his own. "Agh!" he thought, "She's beautiful, but I have my
dear Shampoo! I can't betray my Shampoo!"
"Excuse me, sir..." Mink adjusted her glasses, "Are you from
the Joketsuzoku village?"
"Are you looking for someone?"
"Well, I..." Mink said shyly, "I was looking for somebody
named Shampoo."
Mousse gulped loudly. If this was Pink and Link's cousing,
she probably wanted to avenge them also. Cursing himself, he had
to reply, "Just... walk down that road," he pointed randomly into
the mist.
Mink showed the tiniest of smiles, "Th-thank you, sir," she
bowed, and quickly ran off in the direction he had pointed,
followed by Shugo-kou. Sighing, she took off her glasses, thinking
to herself, "What a nice person--"
She pulled a Godai on a tree. Mousse slapped his forehead.
Wobbling back, she rubbed the bump on her head and went on...
unaware that the path lead straight for Jusenkyo.
Eventually Mousse reached the village. He cursed his luck.
The safe that held all of Cologne's magic artifacts had a single
piece of paper: "Send everything to Nekohanten in Japan.
Cologne."
* * *
"Mink?" Shampoo bolted around, scowling mildly.
"That's what she said," Mousse replied.
"Hmph. Blind girl no match for Shampoo," she crossed her
arms, "She just angry because Shampoo beat her in last Amazon
Tournament." She snickered at the memory, "Stupid girl no finish
Shampoo of when she could, Shampoo come back and beat her."
"Mink almost defeated you?" Mousse stared widely.
"One word and Mousse die," Shampoo aimed her bonbori at
him. "But Shampoo have to thank Mink," she smirked, "If Mink won,
Shampoo no champion, and no meet Ranma." She sighed dreamily.
Mousse sweated visibly. "But if Mink won..." Shampoo's voice rose
slightly, "She champion. She meet Ranma. She steal Ranma!" She
drew out her bonbori, "Shampoo kill!"
"Now, Shampoo..." Mousse tried to calm her down.
"Yes, now!" she bashed him with her maces. "If Shampoo ever
find Mink again, Shampoo kill!"
* * *
"Kyaaa!" Mink screamed as she splashed into a pond.
"Oh, what tragedy!" the Guide yelled, seeing a damp creature
rise from the pool. "That... That is Spring of Drowned Ha--"
Mink and Shugo-kou shrieked. In stereo.
* * *
"Feel that?" Nodoka smiled as she took Akane's hand and put
it over her belly, "They're kicking!"
"Incredible..." Akane smiled also, "And it's only been a week."
The soft thumps she felt beneath her palm warmed her heart.
"She did say it would take nine days," Ranma said, leaning
against the doorframe. His eyes rested on the large belly that
his mother showed, as she lied down on a bed.
"And how do you feel, auntie?" Akane asked, resting her
head against Nodoka's abdomen. She giggled at the baby kicks she
felt.
Nodoka sighed deeply, "I'm full of life. Just think, I'm going
to give birth to my little angels again. And I can be there for
them..." she recalled the time when Genma left with Ranma. "I
wasn't there when Ranma grew up. I wanted so much to be a part
of it..." small glimmers gathered in her eyes, "And now, I can."
"I'm happy for you, auntie," Akane said, then stood up and
let her rest. Quietly, she and Ranma left the room. Standing by
the door a few seconds, they sighed as they heard Nodoka
talking to her belly.
"Andellia's magic is amazing," Akane said, walking away from
the room. "I thought that going through this so quickly would
hurt auntie Saotome. After all the changes one goes through..."
"It'll sure be weird when we get back," Ranma said, "Having
two kiddies running around and all that."
"How are they?" Phaeron came from another corridor, joining
them.
"They're fine," Akane smiled, "But just wait two more days.
That's when we'll all be running around like crazy."
Phaeron smirked, "Sure, but it won't be here."
"What do you mean?"
"We came back in time, remember? In two days, at night, the
'other us' that are in Japan will leave for Esper World. We
already spoke to Kirin and he'll lend us his ship again. We leave
tomorrow morning, so start packing."
* * *
With a blast of wind, Kirin's barge rose from the ground.
The people on board waved goodbye to their friends, wishing they
could stay a while longer. The Musk warriors remained in their
home, anxiously waiting for the news of their princess' birth.
Herb in particular sighed in hope.
"We'll call when she's back to normal!" Akane reassured him,
calling from the ship's deck.
"See you soon!" Terion called from the hatch of the Big
Whale, which also rose into the air.
"Remember, use that little staff I gave you!" Andellia
reminded.
"Be careful, guys!" Coldfire yelled, "Don't let the humans
catch you or they'll open you up so see what's inside!"
"Very funny," Mireillia and Nadir smirked. "Bye!"
Nadir closed the hatch. The four Espers inside the Big
Whale continued to speak through the loudspeakers even as the
Big Whale shot out into the distance.
"Okay, our turn," Phaeron said, activating the flight
controls on Epoch's dashboard. Beside him, Crystallus nodded. The
engines of the time-vehicle roared to life, the wings extended to
their fullest. In a cloud of dust, the small ship rose to meet
Kirin's barge. Phaeron pressed a button, shooting out a metal
line to the ship. Ryouga caught it and quickly tied it to the
bow. Engaging the main thrusters, Epoch pulled the barge as it
sped to the East.
A pair of magnificent hawks landed on the railing of the
ship, hidden from everyone's view. Both glared at Shampoo, and
one of them sighed at Mousse.
* * *
"UNNHH!"
"Will somebody get that hot water?!" Akane bellowed from
the door to Nodoka's quarters. "Can't you see they're coming
NOW?!"
"I thought you said tomorrow!" Ranma yelled from the deck,
dashing towards the door.
"You can't be sure with babies! Some come after nine
months, others after just eight!" she nearly tore the pot from
Ranma's hands, going back into the room.
"Okay, what can I do to hel--" Ranma couldn't finish as he
saw his mother on bed, with a wet cloth on her forehead, while
Akane began to help her undo the kimono. He fainted immediately.
"Arrrgh! Men!" Akane muttered.
"Ak... Akane-chan...!" Nodoka reached wildly with her hand.
Akane took it immediately, using her free hand to stroke
Nodoka's head soothingly, "It'll be okay, auntie. Everything will
be over soon."
"How do you know?" Crystallus asked, "Have you been in
this sort of situation before?"
"Well, no, but..."
"Don't worry, you're doing a fine job," Crystallus smirked,
"But don't be careless. We still need a healer here." He peeked
his head out the door, "Can somebody help in here?"
"What's wro--" Ryouga stopped on his tracks... and collapsed
in the mother of all nosebleeds.
"Akane-chan... a blanket..."
"Oops. Sorry, auntie," Akane covered her.
Crystallus dragged a deathly-pale Ryouga out of the room
(of course, he woulnd't be too colored after releasing over
twenty gallons of blood,) meeting Phaeron in the way out. "Good,
you're here. We need your help in there."
"I-- I can't go in there!" Phaeron shook nervously.
"But there's no one else!" Crystallus protested, "Their
father and Ranma passed out. Ukyou and Mog are preparing the
water and cloths, Shampoo is being chased by two hawks --who
are very cute, I might add-- Mousse is driving Epoch, and the
owners of this ship don't even dare show up!"
"I'll go," Coldfire said, "If bird-boy's too shy to help, I'll
do it."
"Everything's ready," Ukyou came running from the kitchen,
"The water's hot, the blankets and cloths are set. We even have
a couple of the healing potions we got in Esper World."
"Let's go, kupo!" Mog led the way back to the room.
"Get away from Shampoo!" she screamed as she ran all over
the deck, pursued by hawks.
"Uhhh..." a big fat man walked towards her.
"Get out of way!"
A big fat man was kicked overboard.
"Okay, remember the breathing," Coldfire said, sitting by the
foot of the bed.
"It's okay, auntie, it's okay," both Akane and Ukyou said.
They glared at each other. Suddenly recalling her magic, Akane
grasped her Brindstone. "Heal!" she aimed her hand at Nodoka.
"Kyaa!" a strong beam of light was shot out of her hand,
demolishing a part of the wall.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Ukyou asked.
"What... I thought I had it down cold..." Akane looked at her
hand.
"Don't... worry..." Nodoka said, clenching her fist so tightly
it seemed she would crush her topaz. Using the Brindstone, she
quickly turned into an angel to endure the pain. Ukyou and
Coldfire gasped, but they couldn't let this distract them now.
"Agh!" Nodoka grimaced, "They're... coming...!"
"I see her!" Coldfire said. "OhGodIcan'tbelieveI'mdoingthis,"
he thought. "Here goes!" he stretched his hands to receive the
baby...
"Aiyaaa!" a purple blur broke into the room and stomped his
head, then broke out through the other wall.
"Wha...?" Crystallus blinked.
"Come out, girl!" Coldfire called, "There!"
"BWAAAAHH!"
"It's a boy!" Coldfire said in triumph.
"EEEEEEEHHH???"
"Gotcha!" he winked. A big wooden mallet and a steroid-bred
spatula were smashed on his head.
Swish! With a wave of his wing, Crystallus professionaly
cleaved the umbilical cord. Ukyou wrapped the baby in a blanket
in less than a second, using her magic to cleanse her pure skin
with a mild dew.
"Uhhh!" Nodoka grimaced, "We're... not...over... yet... you...
kids!!"
"Oh, right!" Coldfire dug himself out of the weapons, "You're
a fast one!" he said to the head that he quickly saw. "Come
here!"
"BWAAAAAHHH!"
"Yes!" Coldfire took the baby in his arms, summoning a claw
to cut off the cord. He promptly gave her to Ukyou, who
repeated the process. Akane quickly took the healing potion.
Nodoka took a sip, still breathing hard and shaking
uncontrollably. Akane rushed towards the foot of the bed,
dousing the rest of the potion on Nodoka. She winced slightly at
the cold, but her body was immediately restored by the liquid.
"I'll take over from here," Seraphim suddenly appeared in
the room. Coldfire stared widely at her, which made her smile
back, "You've done a great job, Raphael. But let an angel heal
another one, okay?"
Smirking, he nodded and stepped away, tripping over the
comatose Ranma. He stood up, then pulled the boy upwards and
slapped him awake.
"Uh...?" he focused his eyes on the ceiling. "Ugh. Kirin _has_
to fix this place up."
"Look at that, you idiot," Coldfire bonked him, pointing.
Nodoka was sighing peacefully, her halo glowing with soft
light. Seraphim had finished her job, and sat beside her while
stroking the dark brown hair. Akane and Ukyou were holding a
baby each, absently smiling at them.
"Here are your sisters, Ranma," Akane said softly, feeling
the baby's warmth. Ranma blushed mightily at seeing her holding
the baby. Ukyou must have noticed, for she tried to imitate
Akane's expression.
"You can come in now, birdie," Coldfire called. First peeking
to make sure it was okay, Phaeron slowly entered the room.
"So, which is which?" Ranma asked.
"Oww!" Akane smiled as the baby sent a soft kick, "This is
Ranko-chan, no doubt."
"Then that is Yuannyan," Phaeron turned to the baby that
Ukyou held.
"Please..." Nodoka stretched her hands for the twins. "Let
me hold them..."
"We'll let you sleep, auntie," Akane and Ukyou put the
babies in her arms. Nodoka sighed, covering her daughters with
her wings. The twins already opened their eyes, looking at her
weakly.
"You're tired too?" Nodoka smiled. Not making a noise, the
others left the room. Only Mog leapt onto the bed, smiling at
the twins. "They're just like you, kupo!"
"Thank you," Nodoka sighed, then Mog leapt off the bed and
took Ukyou's hand, walking out of the room.
"Can I...?" a voice came from outside.
"Sure, dear," Nodoka blinked weakly. Genma opened the door,
then silently walked over to his wife. "Do you want to hold
them?"
Taken aback, Genma hesitantly nodded and took baby Ranko
in his arms. Nodoka smiled to herself when she saw him look
quietly at the girl. But she was pleasantly surprised when she
saw tears coming down his eyes.
"Nodoka..." he suddenly said. She listened carefully, waiting
to hear the deep message he would say. "There's something you
should know..."
"Yes, dear?" Nodoka's eyes widened in anticipation.
"She needs to be changed," he handed Ranko back to her
mother. Her hopes flustered. "My poor, poor dougi..." Genma
continued to cry for his stained clothes. As he left the room,
Nodoka shook her head. She enveloped Yuannyan in the feathers
of her left wing, using her hands to change Ranko's blanket.
"What happened to you, dear?" Nodoka asked to no one in
particular, curling into a ball and holding her daughters inside
her wings, moments before sleep claimed the three of them.
End of Part IV, section A
Warning:
The next part is entitled "Childhood lost... madness regained." This is
about the two weeks that the twins spend as children, thus I have
divided it in "days." However, due to its length, this section has had
to be split as well.
Keep that in mind when you read it.
The TerBril
(who wishes he could just post the entire story and get it over with.)