**********************************************************************************************************************************
Chapter Eighteen: Homeward Bound
"Well?" everyone asked simultaneously.
Ranko's response was to sit there and look at them impassively. "Well what?"
It was Mousse who answered. "Well, are you gonna tell us or not?"
Ranko looked at Libby. The green eyes that stared back at her were copies of Coral's eyes from eight years back; the same determination and depth of feeling was in them. Ranko did the slightest of nods, which Libby caught, and once she saw that, backed down from her unspoken warning.
"No. No, I'm not." Ranko's voice was firm and resolute. "I made a promise on that balcony eight years ago, and I'm not about to break it now."
To their surprise, it was Libby who answered next. "I've known Mist since I was ten, and I'll be honest: never before have I met such a tragic person. I first met her back in '81, when she came to visit us here for a summer, back when I was ten or so. She was there to begin to learn the Art of being a shinobi." Libby paused, then quickly explained. "Most of that summer, we trained in the Art. We only knew her as Misty then, a girl who was visiting from Japan as a favor to an old friend of my Dad's. She spoke pretty good English, and what she didn't know either Dad or Coral translated for us. Whenever she wasn't training though, she always seemed so sad, even though me, Coral and Autumn were always trying to cheer her up. Finally, one day I asked why she was so sad. She told me she was so sad...." Libby paused, though wondering if she should share something so private and personal. Noting that Ranko was doing so despite the weirdness of it all, she completed her thought. "She said she was so sad...because she would be destined to forever live the life of something she never wanted to be. She wanted to be a doctor when she grew up, she said, but would now have to spend the rest of her life to be an assassin."
* * STORY * *
The rest of the Nerima group stayed for a few more days, to ensure that Mousse would survive, and to assist with the rebuilding of Nekonron. Despite their status as simple refugees in the area--having heard who the "real heroes" were--they were treated as visiting nobility with as much pomp and circumstance as the small principality could muster; the government having known who the true heroes were. The fact that they were friends of the royal family and most of the nobility was also quite well for them.
John Twinmoon, his assignment compete, left the day after Mist did. He was very impressed by the way that the group had pulled together, he'd said, and if he ever needed a bunch of unruly, out of control people in his foxhole someday, he'd call on them. He also heard, with horror that he'd been offered the Medal of Honor for his efforts in destroying the Crystal Temple...along with some other people that were nowhere near the site when the downfall had occurred. Once he returned home, he insisted that he would lodge an official complaint to the US government on behalf of the people who really did the dirty work. This valiant effort was cut off by Genma, who insisted that despite what it seemed, it was better this way; their lives would be horribly uprooted should the truth be told. A second later, as everyone stood in shellshock from the eldest Saotome's comments, he recanted and asked if the whole deal came with a sizable reward. Eventually, they all agreed that anonymity was the best course of action; this decision had been made subsequent to digging the disgruntled and heavily bruised panda out of the 20-meter-deep hole that his children had buried him in. Coral elected to return with the group to Japan; she wanted to see her parents--and besides, she resoned, Autumn and Libby could probably come up with a decent enough excuse to explain her abscence.
There was one thing that the American did leave as a parting shot, so to speak: to Nabiki, he gave his pistol; the way she had handled it, he said, was something that only many soldiers could dream about. Nabiki bowed her most formal and honored pose; never before had she been given something even remotely as special as this. This gun, to her--a closet gun freak--was probably one of the most valuable things she could ever receive, and would treasure it always. All that remained for her was to get a license for it--sure, Japan was notoriously impossible when it came to getting gun permits, but she, after all, was still Nabiki.
Mon-mon spent the rest of Ranma's time there trying to convince Ranma why it would be best if she accompanied him back to Tokyo so she could immediately begin her duties as his pillow-mate. After many misunderstandings, she finally decided his constant--if politely shy--refusal of her was because of his wives Akane and Shampoo and his apparent mistress, Ukyo. Mon-mon didn't mind sharing, and told this to Shampoo, who laughed it off and finally explained Ranma's celibacy, which really threw Mon-mon for a loop. In the end, she told Ranko that she would be there at his wish, and if the redhead would pass on the message, she'd be grateful.
During the week, Ukyo was still very much in a depression, but she'd improved to at least the status of functional. During this time, Ranma and Akane never saw each other because Ukyo pretty much monopolized his time; Akane was strained, but she understood. During this time, Ranko and Akane solidified their relationship, to Nabiki's chagrin. Ranko also made everyone feel at ease with her presence, and seemingly, the redhead and Shampoo were also getting along quite well. There, however, was one negative thing--during the times that Ranko and Shampoo sparred against each other, the former Amazon tried to kill the redhead, and was stopped only by Ranko's blinding counterattacks (the redhead deciding that since she was a girl, all bets against fighting girls were now off).
To the group's slight relief, the doctors announced that Mousse's condition had somewhat stabilized. He was still comatose, but was at the least now out of critical condition. Kirin, at Lychee's behest, made arrangements for the Chinese youth to be taken to the finest hospital in Tokyo that they could find, with the bill to be forwarded to the Nekonron embassy. Additionally, the Nekonron government would be sending their Surgeon-General to ensure that Mousse would receive the finest care available--as one of the Heroes of the Realm, no expense would be spared for his health.
The twins decided they would stay in Nekonron for a few weeks before returning home to Nerima. The people here needed their help, and with Shampoo's approval, they immediately lent a hand to the local reconstruction efforts. The fact that the two were so willing to assist the people of this country in their moment of need was something that brought the violet-tressed girl a ray of joy in her personal time of trial.
When the subject turned to the inevitable of task of transportation back to Tokyo, there was a minor debate on that. Kirin insisted that they use the airship to return his friends to their homeland, but Lychee advised that an aircraft would be much more expedient. Additionally, if any forces that had survived the battle in Xanadu were itching for revenge against the Nerima troupe, an unarmored balloon would make a palatable target. In the end, Kirin relented and agreed to charter a jet for his friends.
Unfortunately, Nekonron had no airports; the closest ones were in Hanoi and a Gungzhao in the PRC. Hanoi would mean flying over the Hidden Valley of Xanadu and thus exposing Ukyo to emotional trauma, while going to the PRC would put the whole group at risk of being tagged as Western spies. In the end, they chose to fly them back to Hanoi, with the airship being escorted by no less than ten of the Nekonron Air Force's finest fighter gryocopters.
The flight from Hanoi back to Japan was odd in itself. For starters, they were sitting in their own privately chartered 747 (again, courtesy of a very grateful Nekonron people), in the lap of the finest luxuries that government spending could buy. They were taking their time about arriving at Tokyo; they'd heard about the amount of hell that had transpired since they were last home two weeks ago. Ranma and Ranko had been informed of how much damage their homeland had suffered during the attack that had captured them; they sat with the stunned silence that said it was partially their fault that this had occurred. In the end, Shampoo was inconsolable that this, in the final equation, was her guilt and hers alone; Shiva, to her credit--and making her father proud--explained that it was not the Chinese girl's fault; Nguyen would've tried to get Ranko no matter what.
On the flight back, the changes in the way that the Nerima group had come were now clear, and quite unbelievable when compared to what they would've been weeks ago. Ranma sat not with Akane, but with Ukyo attached to his arm, asleep on his shoulder. Akane herself was sitting next to Ranko and Shiva, this time getting to know the younger daughter better. Mikado and Kodachi sat together, subsisting for the entire flight off of nothing else save their sighs of love, and kisses; Nabiki and Kuno took the time to sit and begin a betting pool as to how long the relationship would last. Azusa and Kurumi were sitting each to one side of Ryoga, making him feel just a wee bit tense, and wishing he'd stayed behind with the twins. Shampoo sat in the medical section of the aircraft, tending to Mousse's unmoving body and hoping that he would just come out of it; she was, on more than one occasion, joined by Mai, who felt comfortable around her fellow Chinese national and equally rural girl.
Additionally, when it came to the ghost, Natsumi and Mai spent most of the time engaged in conversation; Natsumi trying to give her "wife" a crash course in modern society and trying to come up with a way to explain this to her father. As for Mai, she simply just soaked in everything that Natsumi explained to her with a fervor that went beyond mere photographic memory; in addition to the time spent with Shampoo, she also spent time with Nabiki trying to figure out how to "consummate" her "marriage."
Genma spent his time at the aircraft bar getting toasted on the finest sake, chu-hi, and beer available.
The animal simulacra spent their time in the medical compartment with Shampoo. Miss Kitty spent most of her time trying to figure out what she was going to do with the rest of her life. Muu-muu-chan was torn between his sorrow at Mousse's fate, and his confusion on whether to start making the moves on either Shampoo or Miss Kitty. P-Chan spent most of his time oinking profanities and staying locked up in Ryoga's baggage. Ranko, understanding them all more than anyone else save their human halves, went down to see them as much as she could during the flight.
In another part of the plane, Kaori sat alone, exponentially fueling her hatred of Akane every second that she was sitting and stewing in her own juices.
* * *
Finally, the moment of truth was at hand, their final return to Tokyo. Landing in Narita under fighter escort (the US and Japanese air forces were overly cautious when it came to foreign aircraft), they'd gotten to see for themselves the extent of the damage that had been done by the forces of the black monolith. Ranma and Ranko were deeply shamed to see the destruction that had been caused by their capture, as though it had been their personal fault. Shampoo shivered, out of pure horror--in the final tally, she was the one responsible for all of this senseless murder and random violence now displayed before them.
Stepping off the jet and into the airport itself was a somber challenge. The group moved silently, walking off the mobile stairway--the gateways were far too damaged or were already occupied--and then began the process of checking in. Passports were handled, customs checks were completed, and what scant baggage there was to be collected was gathered. Through most of that time, Mai had to make herself insubstantial, and thus assume the traditional Sino-Japanese haunting location, perched invisibly upon Natsumi's now-aching right shoulder. The fact that Mai offered to rub her shoulder in consolation a little later was of little comfort to Natsumi. To make matters even more jumbled, somewhere in the jumble, Kaori was separated from them, and had been unfortunately forgotten again, resigned to spend her anonymity with the group ensconced with her blinding hatred of Akane. In truth, Kaori was watching her lover's body from a distance from the group, having hired a taxi to shadow them once they would depart.
It had taken the majority of an hour, but in the final tally, they were ready to go. Now all that was left was the return trip to Nerima. Before they could really say their good-byes, the hospital ambulance came by to pick up Mousse. Shampoo said nothing to her friends, only glancing at them wordlessly as she got into the back of the van with the paramedics and the gurney bearing Mousse. The medical aides initially objected to the presence of Miss Kitty and Muu-muu-chan, but one hard stare from Shampoo's face silenced them more than an hour of ranting and raving ever would have. At the last, the back doors closing, she commented, "Shampoo see airen and friends next day." With a purr of the engine, the ambulance drove off, headed towards its rendezvous with the hospital in Tomobiki.
The hearse was next. At the personal request of Akane, Azusa--with Mikado in tow--volunteered to go with the earthly remains of Shinnosuke and Konatsu. From there, they would head back to Azusa's home in Suginami, where the two would be staying. As Mikado kissed the lips of his girlfriend, he gave Kodachi the number, professing his greatest desire to see her again soon, as his heart and soul virtually wouldn't go on without one more minute in her presence. The two lovers kissed briefly, then climbed into the passenger section of the hearse. The two lovers gazed longingly at each other from the barrier of the door window, then through a growing span as the hearse fell away from the curb, on the move towards where Shinnosuke and Konatsu would be held until their funerals. No one paid notice to the taxi that immediately fell into place behind the other vehicle, nor did anyone wonder why Kaori was no longer with them. Kodachi watched alongside the others as they watched the black shape glide away, words breathing away from her lips: "We will be together soon again, my beloved Mikado."
Once the hearse was gone, the remaining group fell into an uncomfortable silence. They were beginning to splinter off and go their own ways. It had been apparent in the eyes of Shampoo and Azusa, and to a lesser extent in the animals and Mikado--the events of the last couple of weeks had finally pulled them together more than anyone could have ever imagined. They were no longer enemies, though some would still be rivals; they were more than friends--they'd become extended family for one another. The fate that had brought them all to Nerima so long ago had come to its climax, and all that remained was the warmth and joy that they would share until the end of their days.
Ranma looked not at Akane, but at Nabiki. "Nabiki, I...." He looked down at Ukyo, who was currently vice-gripped onto his arms. It had been a little more than a week, and she very much was still in shock. He absolutely hated to see her like this; the only times she ever reached any state of lucidity were when Ranma was alone with her. {{Alone with Uc-chan,}} he thought, the concept ringing in his ears unpleasantly. {{When was the last time I was by myself, or with my sisters, or with anybody else for that matter? Of course, not that I mind, but....}} He took a second to momentarily glance at Akane, but she unfortunately did not see it.
Fortunately, Nabiki understood Ranma's unspoken plea. "Ranma, she's our friend as well. Of course she'll be staying at the dojo. In fact, I think that we'll all be staying there until the rest of your homes are rebuilt." She then looked at Ryoga. "You know that means you and Akari, too." She then turned a whimsical smile on Kuno. "And that goes without saying for you and Kodachi, Tatewaki-kun."
"Unfortunately, Nabiki-chan, we won't," Kuno looked at Nabiki, the faintest trace of a smile on his own face, "though I appreciate the offer. Your home's already too crowded as is, and we'd hate to inconvenience you and your family."
"Well, where do you two plan to stay?" Kurumi inquired.
"Dachi-chan and I will be checking ourselves in to a hotel, then go apartment hunting once we get the opportunity. I don't know about her, but I never want to live at the Manor ever again. If it is never rebuilt, we'll let it stay razed. If my family rebuilds it, I won't let either my sister or I live there, though she can live anywhere else. That place is a symbol of all that is wrong in my life, and I owe it to myself and her to avoid it like the plague." He looked at Nabiki. "Trust me. I'll call you as soon as I find a place." He looked off into the relative distance. "Tonight, however, I think my sister and I will stay at one of the airport hotels." He paused once, then added, "I'm wont to see you all gone, but time grows short and we must all go."
"Are you sure your mind is made up, Tatewaki?" Nabiki's voice had the slightest edge of sorrow to it.
"Yes, I'm sure." Tatewaki pulled several 10000-yen bills from his wallet, then gave them to Nabiki. "This is for your family, to repay them for letting us stay over there, earlier. At the least, it should get you home on a taxi. I only wish I could do more to recompense your family for their kindness."
Akane looked at Kuno, giving him a smile of friendship that previously would have been impossible. "You've done more than you could even know, Kuno. Thank you."
"You're quite welcome, dear Akane." He bowed to her in a flourishing, European-style. "I hope that you will find the happiness that you so much wanted." He then turned to Kodachi. "Ready to leave, sister mine?"
Kodachi absently nodded. She was still looking back at where Mikado had been, minutes earlier. After a hair's-breath, she spoke, "Yes, dearest brother. Yes I am." She grabbed her small backpack, then his, saying to Nabiki, "Thank you again for everything, Nabiki. I appreciate it," then to Akane, "Take care of him, Akane, because he is more valued than you'll ever know." Nothing more to be said, the duo grabbed their bags and began to slowly made their way down the concourse, pausing every so often to turn and look at their friends. A minute or so later, the Kunos rounded a corner heading for the hotel shuttle, and moved out of view.
Genma looked at his family and their friends. "So, Nabiki, what next?"
"Please, Uncle Saotome." There was no way that she was going to let him suggest any idea whatsoever. "I believe that the entry to the JR is that way." She pointed at a nearby sign that marked the station. "It should take no more than a half hour to get to Tokyo station, where we can get on the subway back to home."
"But what about the taxis?" Genma pleaded, nearly sinking to the level of a child in front of his own. "I think we deserve a little luxury after those trying weeks!"
"What did you think our time at Nekonron was?!?" Akane spluttered. "Roughing it in the great outdoors?"
"Don't mind him, Akane." Ranko's eyes were filled with mirth. "The old man's just getting a little bit soft."
"Insolent girl!" Genma thundered, taking the bait. "I'll show you soft, Ranko!" He rushed the redhead, fist at the ready.
"I doubt it." Ranko counterattacked, enjoying every minute of it.
"Here we go again." Kurumi buried her face in her hand out of frustration. "Why must your family always be like this, Ranma?"
Fortunately, Coral picked that exact time to step out of the building. Easily moving out of the way as Genma was slammed into a wall, she commented, "Okay guys, they'll be here any minute."
"Who'll be here, Coral?" Akane asked.
On cue, a small train of limousines pulled up to the curb. Seeing them, Coral smiled, "Wow. Quicker service than I thought. Well guys, here's where we part ways. They'll get you back to Nerima as soon as. As for me, well, I'm Shinjuku bound."
Nabiki was stunned, to say the least. "H-h-h-how did you get a hold of that many limos at such short notice?!?!?"
Natsumi then added, "Y'know, you are welcome to stay with us at the dojo."
Coral waved off the comments. "I appreciate it, but I intend to see my parents while I'm still in town. I haven't seen them for a year and a half--and although they're busy with the reconstruction, 'n all, I'm sure they'll take the time to see their little girl."
"In fact, I'm sure of it," a man said, as he stepped out of foremost limo. "Hello, Umi. How about a hug for your father?"
Coral immediately leapt into her father's arms, hugging him fiercely and saying, "Of course, Daddy."
Azusa commented aloud, "Hey, I thought she was American."
Natsumi answered, "Nope; from what she told me, she only lives in America with the Windhams. She was actually born in Juban ward. She's lived in the US since she was about nine years old."
Nabiki, on the other hand, was in the shock of her life. She couldn't concentrate. {{All this time--all this time!!!!!!! She never said a damn thing!!! What the hell?!?!?}} Kurumi went over to Nabiki and easily shut the other girl's mouth before something embarrassing happened.
In the meanwhile, Coral and her father were saying their good byes, and hoped that they would all meet again soon; the remainder of the limos would stand by to return them to their homes. So with that being said, Coral and her father drove off into the distance, and out of the lives of the Nerima crew.
It was at this time that Nabiki found her voice. *"Che!! Baka! Damn!! I had the chance of lifetime, and I screwed it up!!! Damn!! It all makes sense now!! How could I have been so blind?!?!?"*
To the side, Ranko commented, "I can think of a lot of reasons why."
Not wanting to have another altercation between the two, Akane ventured, "Nabiki, I'm afraid I don't understand. Can you explain?"
*"I feel like such an IDIOT!!!"* she seethed. Trying to calm down, she attmepted to explain. "One of the hardest things to do during this little adventure has been trying to get all my contacts in the Foriegn Ministry to come through. At first, it was an uphill battle of a lifetime. But once we got to Hong Kong, things began to pop into place just like that!" She snapped her fingers for emphasis. "I thought it was because I had control of the situation. I should've known better."
Ranma then spoke up. "That still doesn't make things clear, Nabiki."
"That man! With Coral! Do you all know who he was?"
"Easy enough," Ryoga answered, shrugging his shoulders. "Coral already said it--he's her father."
*"DO ANY OF YOU EVER WATCH THE NEWS?!?!?!"* Nabiki said, her voice screeching now, as though her life was at its end. "That man was Mizuno Sanosuke!"
Natsumi, as well as the others, was still blissfully ignorant. "That figures, sis, since Coral's full name is Mizuno Umi."
*"That man,"* Nabiki moaned, *"is the FOREIGN MINISTER OF JAPAN!!!!!! Do you realize what kind of contacts I've missed out on?"* She sat down on the curb, holding her head in her hands and moaning, "I think I'm gonna be sick...."
* * *
Two hours and many streets later--the whole highway network had been temporarily rerouted around the heavily-damaged areas of the city--the group finally found themselves in front of the dojo. It seemed so different, now; something wasn't quite the same about the place that they all called home for so long. It seemed bigger, as though it had somehow expanded, looming larger in the return of its prodigal inhabitants. For the most part, it physically looked the same; just somehow expanded.
"Hey, Akane," Nabiki whispered as the group looked at their home, "does something look a little different about the place?"
Akane didn't respond verbally, merely nodding her head. It was Kurumi that answered. "Yes, it does. For that matter, look at where our house is. It's on the corner of the block. We were always in the middle; the Kisaragis were on the corner. Yet their house isn't there anymore. What's goin' on here?"
"Maybe their house got destroyed in the battle three weeks ago," Ryoga offered. He was standing next to Ranma and Ukyo, occasionally tapping his pack rhythmically, as though he was either distracted or trying to calm something within.
"No, remember that nothing got destroyed in this part of Nerima," Natsumi pointed out, trying not to rub her sore shoulder. "The damage was all done near Kuno's home. We were on the relative edge of the blast zone. Kisaragi-san's home should not have been affected."
"That's my airen!" Mai's bodiless voice squealed in joy. "So smart and brave, and beautiful, too!" She immediately reappeared next to Natsumi, dressed in a soft blue Western-style dress. She grabbed on to Natsumi's arm, kissing the taller girl's injured shoulder. "Oh, my husband--I'm sorry that I've injured you so. When we go to bed tonight, I'll give you a back rub. I promise."
Natsumi rolled her eyes in resignation, then shook her head as she sighed. "Whatever, Mai. Whatever."
Genma strode to the front gate just as confused as the others, but more eager to get to his shoji and chess games with Soun. "Well, we won't find out what's going on standing around here, will we? Time to step inside and face the music." He opened the gate, and moved forward, ready to face what lay in the future before him and the others.
* * *
"Lao-san," the first doctor replied, "he will be in the very best care. We can assure you."
The second then spoke, slight impatience in her voice. "Besides, Dr. Ono is unavailable at the moment. He's handling a surgical operation that started about an hour ago. He may still be in the operating room, miss. We will get word to him for you, but currently, you must allow us to tend to your friend before his condition deteriorates. He may be stable now, but that could change in five minutes."
"Sensei, it not that Shampoo not trust skills," she lied diplomatically, "but Shampoo see Dr. Ono on wall list as part of volunteer staff. Ono-san friend of Muu Tsu, need to be doctor for Muu Tsu. Not other choice." She smiled to try to take the sting out of some of her words. "Let Shampoo see Ono-san. Shampoo explain." At her feet, Muu-muu-chan and Miss Kitty respectively hissed and quacked their displeasure at the physicians present.
Outside appearances cast her as looking very neutral. Inside, she wasn't happy. She'd spent ten minutes now verbally fencing with the staff here at Tomobiki General. She understood that because of the situation, they were relying on the assistance of nearby medical clinics to help with the over-billeting; since Tofu's clinic was nearby, and he had an excellent reputation, he was requested immediately. If she could get word to him, then he would be more than glad to assist in Mousse's case. In fact, he would insist on it.
The only problem in that was the fact that they weren't letting Shampoo speak to him.
Fortunately, a voice behind her solved all that. "Dr. Shidara, Dr. Kanagawa, this lady in question is a friend of mine--and I've been her family's practitioner since they moved here from China. I will take it from here, if you don't mind."
Dr. Kanagawa bowed, understanding when she was fighting a lost cause. "We understand, Dr. Ono. We apologize for any affront to you or your charge." Grabbing her colleague by the arm, the pair beat a hasty retreat.
Unperturbed, the voice continued, happiness and relief clear within. "Shampoo. It's good to see you again, though you look a bit worse for wear."
The Chinese girl turned to look at Dr. Ono Tofu. He was dressed quite differently than she'd ever seen him. Wearing a suit, tie, and lab coat, he looked every bit the clinical expert instead of the warm, friendly, gi-clad doctor that she'd always known. "Dr. Tofu look different today," she remarked noncommittally.
"Yeah," he answered, his tone belying a bit of annoyance. "I don't care for it much either, but this place has a dress code, and...." He let the subject lie, instead preferring to concentrate on her problem. "Well, it's good to see that you're back. I haven't been able to call the dojo yet, but how was your attempt to rescue Ranma and Ranko? I take it that it was successful?"
"Yes," she whispered, too lost in her sadness. She tried not to look around the hospital, but she could see that it was overburdened because of the attack on the city--which she'd brought on because of the Phoenix Eye, a gem now in the possession of Saotome Ranko.
"Shan Fu," Tofu said somberly, "I understand that Mousse was nearly killed." Holding up a clipboard, he said, "according to the stats here, it's a wonder that he's even in a coma. By all rights, he should be with the ancestors. It is simply amazing that he's holding on." He paused for breath, then continued. "I'll make sure he lives, Shampoo. Don't worry. He's in my care now, and I'd be wont if I let you or your great-grandmother down in this matter."
"Arigato, Tofu-san. Shampoo appreciate help." She looked inconsolable, unable to meet his eyes. He thought her to be a friend of the Tendos, and one of his patients. He didn't know she was the one that had caused all this pain and suffering. He couldn't know, nor would she tell him. This was her shame to bear, and the only one she could tell would be Cologne.
Tofu looked at the girl, seeing some kind of infinite sadness in her eyes, though he was unsure of what it was. He wouldn't press her for details, knowing Shampoo all too well, but he obviously noted that she needed someone to talk to. When his break came, he would call Cologne and inform her, if she didn't already know. He then noticed something--no, *two* somethings--at her feet. "Shampoo, those wouldn't happen to be...."
"Yes, they are. Shampoo and others cured, and these were--are--cursed forms. Only they now living, not cursed forms."
"So, did that happen to everybody? Ranma and his father, as well?"
"No, not everybody. Saotome-san still keep Panda form, though Shampoo not know why."
Tofu smiled; at least there was some good to come out of the whole mess besides Ranma and Ranko's rescue. "I'm sure that Ranma and Akane are happy about it."
"No, not at all," Shampoo responded mechanically. "Some of friends died."
The doctor's face immediately took on a stunned, crestfallen look. "Shampoo, I...." Instinct told him to look at his watch. "Dinner break, and I don't have time to go home. Have you eaten yet?" His question was met by her negative shake. "Okay, there's a restaurant across the street. We'll head over there, and you can tell me the whole thing. This is something I'll need to know."
"But Muu Tsu?" The animals at her feet agreed with her, nodding in very human style.
"He will be fine, Shampoo," Tofu consoled her. "I'll have one of my best nurses keep an eye on him until we get back from dinner. In any event, it would not do to have you hospitalized because you wouldn't take care of yourself. It just won't do, Shampoo." Before she could answer, he flagged down a petite and pretty young woman with soft lime hair. "Otane, I need you to watch after the patient in room 316."
"Is that the one from the Nekonron embassy, Tofu?" Otane asked. She had known Tofu for years, and also had the honor of being a high school classmate of Kasumi. She was only a nurse-in-training, but she was bright and quick, and very reliable. "Sure, not a problem. Is he someone you know?"
"Yes. Not only one of my personal patients, but a friend of the family, too. I'll give you the details later, but here's the basics." He handed her the clipboard, then said, "It's imperative that we put in our best for this young man."
"Hai, gambarimasu, ne." She had the gleam in her eyes that said she'd do whatever it took. "I'm on it." No further words, she took off down the hall, heading to tend to her new charge.
"He'll be in good hands, Shampoo. Imae Otane is someone I trust." Tofu held his arm out to her. "Now, then, I believe we have some food to eat, and you have a tale to tell me." Trusting in him, she took his arm, and they headed towards the elevator. As for the two animals, the pair looked at each other, then headed back towards Mousse's room. Once Shampoo was taken care of, then they would worry about themselves. This situation had brought out the something new between the cat who had once been a woman and the duck that had once been a man. Though their personal situation would never allow them to live the lives that they might have, they would at least expand upon their friendship.
* * *
The Tendo dojo was silent, as it had always been since the day that the majority of the Tendo daughters had marched off to war on their rescue attempt. All that lived at the house at the moment were Akari, Nodoka, Soun, Happosai, and Hinako, whose home had been about a block away from the Kuno residence. Currently, Soun and Hinako (in adult form) were currently engaged in a game of backgammon, another Western game that she was trying to teach her paramour. Nodoka and Akari were chatting on a few minor subjects, the two finding much in common with the other. Happosai lay on the engawa, working on his personal project, his memoirs.
In addition, Kasumi was there. She'd apparently been juggling so much time between studying her paramedics studies, and picking up the slack at Tofu's clinic, no one had seen her for most of a couple of weeks. Indeed, it was only over the last few days that she'd gotten enough time to come to the dojo. At the present moment, she was in her element, alone in the kitchen, preparing some snack for the people present.
Nodoka sipped at her tea that had grown cold from sitting so long, while Akari's was still sitting untouched. They were, as they had been doing during all this time, chatting about neutral subjects that the two had liked. The two had grown to like each other for the last couple of weeks, and Nodoka had become a foster mother for the young girl who not only had no family present, but now no fianc�.
In the kitchen, the eldest Tendo daughter was preparing a new kettle of tea, since the old one had long since gone cold. She was also debating whether to bake a new batch of cookies, or use the store-bought ones they had in the event that she wasn't up to it. However, that wasn't the biggest thing on her mind, despite what the majority of the household might think.
Kasumi sensed the house was mostly silent due to the obvious fact that its inhabitants were on edge. If it weren't for Auntie Nodoka and Akari discussing the basics of the tea ceremony, there would be no conversation going on in the house at all. It had been like this for the last few days, and it was driving Kasumi on edge to no end.
She idly realized that she, as the others, were wondering when--or if--any of the group would ever return home again.
"Tadaima!" an instantly familiar male voice called out.
A the sound of that voice, she wanted to move like lightning, practically run like the wind to propel her to hug her returning family, to let them know how much she missed them and could now tell them that in person. She wanted to, but she couldn't. It would be very unlady-like. And if there was ever such an image of feminine perfection to behold, it was Ono Kasumi. That did, of course, not mean that she wasn't going to give them all the biggest hugs of their lives when she saw them.
Kasumi grabbed the teakettle, a few extra cups, and a box of cookies. Her family was now home.
* * *
Ranma, Ukyo, Akane and Ranko walked into the door, looking at the group. They were followed in short order by Shiva, Nabiki, Ryoga, and the others. The group by the front door stared at the group seated by the table and the game board. No one dared to make a move, lest they were afraid of the whole dream, the entire image being shattered away to nothingness. There was nothing that could vocalize this instantaneous moment, this gossamer instant. Just a memory suspended in time, unmoving, carrying with it the emotions of a lifetime. It was joy, love, and peace, and every peaceful emotion in between.
Then it was shattered, as time leapt forward once more.
*"MY CHILDREN!"* Nodoka thrust herself forward, instantly grabbing Ranma and Ranko, tears instantly falling freely from her cheeks, her kimono being stained by the wetness; she didn't care. *"I thought I would never see you two again!"*
Ranma and Ranko stared at each other in shock. Their eyes conveyed the same message that everyone else was thinking: how did Nodoka know about Ranko? Ranko and Ranma looked back at each other helplessly, then said simultaneously, "We missed you too, Mom."
Ukyo was still on Ranma's arm, and it was next that she focused her attention on. "Little Uc-chan, I've missed you so. What is so wrong? Tell Auntie, and I'll try to help."
{{Auntie?!?}} Warning sirens went off in Ranma's head as Ukyo relinquished her grip on his arm and threw herself into Nodoka's arms, glad to have a mother figure there. {{What the...? I just don't get it! Mom and Ukyo never really got along too well before, and--}}
Ranko grabbed her brother's shoulder and pointed. In the immediate confusion, neither sibling--nor Genma, for that matter--noticed Nodoka's condition.
She was no longer pregnant.
(Un)fortunately, Nodoka wasn't the only adult in the house acting outright bizarrely.
*"Akane! Nabiki! Kurumi! Natsumi! Son! Ranko!"* Soun raced up to them and bearhugged each of them in turn, tears blasting from his eyes with the intensity of a force of nature. The patriarch of the Tendo clan was thrilled to see the family once together again, and the School once again on track. "We worried so much about you all, but to see you all here safe and sound is a pure gift of fate!"
Hinako chirped in as well. "It's good to see you all together again. We've truly missed you so. We had no idea what kind of delinquents would have gotten their hands on you, but now that you're home...."
Happosai leapt towards the redhead. "Ranko, my girl!"
Ranko spun and threw a ki-charged punch.
Happosai sped off, propelled by Ranko's attack, towards the direction of Okinawa.
It was at this time that Kasumi came out of the kitchen. Bearing her tray, she did one of her classic "Oh my!" exclamations before she went fully into her act. Kasumi set the tray down and went up to each of them, hugging them all and telling them just how glad to see that they were home safe. When it came to everyone, she couldn't just stop crying tears of joy as she held each one of them, so glad to see them all home and healthy.
Meanwhile, Nodoka looked at her husband, who had just introduced her to Shiva. Nodoka eagerly took Shiva into her heart, looking at Genma with the eyes of someone who'd always wanted another child. Despite already holding on to Ukyo, she motioned for the child to come forward.
Shiva proceeded nervously at first, then looked back at her siblings and her father. She then followed at that gaze of love, watching its equal on the visage of Nodoka. With no further to be said, she moved towards the older woman, saying the last word she needed to complete in her life. She looked at Saotome Nodoka, and made her pronouncement: "Mother."
Nodoka lowered herself to Shiva's eye level, then grabbed and hugged her with the voraciousness of someone who needed the contact of a child. She looked up at Genma and said, "Darling, how-how did you know? How did you know that I was thinking about another child?"
What? Another child? Ranma dealt with this subject in his usual, delicate manner. "Mom, what happened to the baby?"
Nodoka looked at her son with a puzzled glance. "What baby, Ranma?"
"Whaddya mean what baby, Mom? When I was kidnapped three weeks ago, you were getting ready to have another baby!"
The answer he received wasn't something he--or anyone else--would have expected.
* * *
Shampoo left the hospital, feeling a bit more at ease. Tofu swore that he would do everything in his power to ensure that Mousse would survive and have a shot at coming back to consciousness, and that Otane would also do the same. She was also touched at his concern for her own health, but she assured him that she would be heading home immediately after.
As she vaulted upon a rooftop, ready to take the express route home, she was flanked upon one side by Miss Kitty, who was easily keeping pace with her, despite her size; and Muu-muu-chan, who flew with a grace not attributed to the common duck. Her thoughts were a complete jumble, and she really had no one to talk to about them...at least no one that she was with, at the moment, though either of the animals would easily understand her plight.
The Chinese girl looked down for the briefest hint of a second, as though hinting at what was to come. She tossed her arm out, and the cat at her feet leapt into her arm's curl. Shampoo brought her other self against her chest, and readied for her immediate instant shortcut. She bolted from one roof, straight into mid-air. Spinning once, she hooked her dainty foot around a nearby wire and used that momentum to throw herself skyward. Tucking into a tight roll to achieve maximum air time, she came out of the roll to allow her feet to connect with the side of an apartment building. Pushing off it, she dived for a group of telephone cables, and caroming off of those with a skill that any Olympic gymnast would envy, she landed on a rooftop approximately a half-kilometer from where she was a second ago. Once firmly on the roof, she released the cat, then flicked her head around for a nanosecond to double-check the duck's whereabouts; he was right at her side. Satisfied, she sped on, towards home, her animal companions never once losing their pace with her.
She leapt a bit higher, clearing a gas station sign as she continued on her way home. She wasn't that far now, and once she arrived, she'd be able to get at least a few hours of sleep before tomorrow. The next would be a new day, she realized, a day to hopefully wash away the stain and stench of her abysmal failure of the last few weeks. Yes, tomorrow would be a wondrous, magical day, one to make her shout with joy and smile the delight of a young girl on the gateway to womanhood.
She put extra oomph as she did another power-leap towards the houses on the other side of the train tracks.
* * *
"Ranma, are you sure they didn't do something to your mind, my son? You know that I can't have children anymore, not after I had Ranko. That's not something a gentleman should bring up in polite company." Her hand momentarily released Shiva, going towards her katana, but stopped. "It's probably something they did to your mind, so I'll let it pass."
* * INTERMISSION * *
Ranko stopped abruptly in the middle of her story. As everyone watched her, she looked down, sobs once more wracking her body. "To this day, I swear I will never forgive myself."
Shampoo's next statement gave everyone pause. "You didn't know, Ranko! There was a demon in that gem, and you didn't know! You we're already on the way to possession and you didn't know! Please stop blaming yourself!"
Ranko's already red-rimmed eyes flickered in self-rage, even as the tears began anew. *"LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE, SHAN FU!!!!"* Whenever Ranko used Shampoo's Chinese name, everyone knew things were delicate. *"HOW DO YOU THINK I FEEL? HOW DO YOU THINK I SLEEP AT NIGHT, CONSTANTLY REMEMBERING THIS OVER AND OVER! THE DEMON HAS SLAMMED IT A MILLION TIMES INTO MY HEAD! BY MY MAKING MY WISH TO BE MADE A REAL PERSON, THERE HAD TO BE A BALANCE!"*
"I don't understand, Ranko," Tyler said, quiet as a mouse. "What are you trying to say?"
It was Ronnie who clarified. "Some believe that for every life, there must be a death. Somewhere along the line, for Ranko's 'birth', there was a death--namely, that of the unborn Saotome child."
Sobbing, Ranko moaned, "And now you see the true horror of what I am. By the starting of my very life, I killed my unborn sibling. Worse--erased it from the timestream, due to my tampering with it. And how much more damage have I caused with that one spell? Sometimes, I can't sleep, knowing what I've done. I wonder why no one damns and hates me for it."
"And no one ever will, Ranko." Shampoo grabbed Ranko by the shoulders and stared her down, eye for eye, amethyst orbs staring into pools of cobalt. "Did it ever occur to you that *YOU* might be the unborn child? The body of Saotome Ranma was split in two, but was the soul? You and he are nearly alike in soul--*nearly* alike, not exact. If that was the case, you would have gone insane, having to live life as a girl. Yet you do it, and enjoy it.
"Do you ever blame Ranma? He was the one that made the wish that was misconstrued and created you. If anything, it is his fault. But do you blame him?"
"No! Never!" Ranko gasped.
"Nor do any of us--neither him nor you. There is so much about that time that we'll never understand, Ranko, but I'll tell you this: no one will ever blame you for the loss of the child. The fact that you and Shiva entered the lives of the Saotomes made up for the balance--and besides, who's to say that your tampering with the timestream *was* tampering? You never know--you may have corrected it.
"It may be a burden that you'll shoulder for the rest of your days, Ranko, but you don't have to. None of us expect you to. And we still love you, regardless."
* * STORY * *
"Oh, son, I just hope you're alright. All of my children." Her eyes crossed Ranma, then Ranko, then Ukyo (who was so much in her own world that she hadn't realized what was occurring), then Ryoga. "I'm just so glad you're safe. All of you." She let go of Shiva, then began to stand up rather quickly.
In her haste, she accidentally knocked a glass of water out of Kasumi's hands. The glass, predicatbly, spilled its contents on Ranma. In her surprise, she initially apologized to her son for her slip-up, then stared, as the rest of them did, in shock, at the sight of the soaked male Ranma.
"You-you-you're...." Nodoka stammered, the shock that she felt easily mimicked upon the faces of the others in the household who didn't know.
"Yes, Mom," he said with a smile, "I'm cured." He glanced knowingly at Ranko, who also smiled. "Not entirely, but enough so that I can live with the aftereffects."
While this was occurring, Akari went to her fianc�'s side. "Oh, Ryoga-sama, I've missed you so." She rested her head on his arm, looking up at him with loving eyes. "If it wasn't for your Aunt Nodoka, I don't know how I would've survived."
"M-m-my what?!?!" Ryoga, his mind operating at a slightly more frantic pace than its usual glacial speed, caught his lover's words immediately. "Could you repeat that, sweetheart?"
Akari reacted with a "oh-you-tease" smile. Sighing with all the love she had for him, she elaborated. "She was telling me about all the adventures that you had when you were kids in Osaka. I especially liked hearing about the time that you, Ukyo, Ranma and Ranko always used to play samurai warriors when you were little kids. Ukyo had the advantage because of her training with her spatula weapon, but you and Ranma were always too quick to be hit. Ranko, on the other hand, liked going hand-to-hand with Ukyo." She glanced at the redhead. "Sometimes, I wonder why you two never hit it off. I mean, you've been pretty much part of their family for your entire life, and...." She let her thoughts trail off.
Ryoga was still puzzled by her words. "Ranko? Ya gotta be kiddin', Akari! I'd never!" That was just one of a bunch of things he admitted he'd never do...like figuring out just what the hell was going on, for starters.
Akari then turned a solemn glance at him. "I saw what happened to Ranma. Does that mean you were cured, too, Ryoga-sama?" she whispered, aware of Akane's ignorance of the situation. There was a slight look of disappointment in her eyes.
"Yes. P-Chan and I were separated into two beings. Ranma and I left him back about a block or so, and hopefully he should be arriving here within a day or two." He looked back at her with a glance of concern. "Akari-chan, I realize that it was P-Chan that initially attracted you to me, and that's no longer the case. I still love you, but if you...." He trailed off, unable to say the words.
The girl's response was to kiss him sweetly. "Ryoga, I was always attracted to you because of your strength and power, then because of your kindness and gentleness. The fact that you could change was a plus, but something that didn't drive our relationship. I love you, Hibiki Ryoga," she said, leaning into his chest, "and whether you can change or not makes no difference to me whatsoever."
Meanwhile, Kurumi and Natsumi were floored by the revelation that they'd always been Tendos...since the day that Soun and Yoshie adopted them, so long ago. They struggled to keep themselves from not appearing too shocked by the fact that what they'd always considered to be a hard and strenuous past was no longer in existence, that they'd never been on the road, and always had family.
Soun, however, did react in his typical manner in regards to Mai. When introduced to the Chinese ghost, and given an edited account of how she'd entered the life of Tendo Natsumi, he bawled up a storm--for the joy of having a daughter-in-law, and the fact that another one of his children was on the pinnacle of womanhood; and for sadness because his child would forever be in a relationship with a dead person. It mattered not that Natsumi was obviously reluctant to have her relationship explained; it only mattered that she was happy--or resigned, as the case clearly was.
With a look on her face that bordered upon priceless, Nabiki, already reeling from the events of two hours ago, was further stunned by the impossibility of what was occurring. It was sending her logical mind into a tailspin, and she couldn't, for once, keep up. This was above and beyond the call of the insanity in what passed for her life.
Ryoga and Ukyo: two people that Auntie Nodoka had always taken a jaundiced eye towards, were now--had always been--part of her family? Ranma, and the other two grew up together in Osaka? She knew that Ranma was from Osaka, and Ukyo was from some small town on Kyushu, but she didn't know where Ryoga was from--and they certainly never played together when they were younger than six!
And speaking of weirdness, what happened to Nodoka herself? When they all left, she was pregnant and near term; now, according to her, she was not only not but never had been with child! She was also acting though that bitch Ranma-chan--who was now calling herself "Ranko"--was her very own flesh and blood.
{{Flesh and blood.}} That comment chilled Nabiki to the bone. {{The last time that bitch was here, she had been summoned by one of Happosai's tricks, and was, as a result, and had instantly tried to seduce Ranma--and had almost succeeded in turning him into a vampire.}} It was only through the vigilance and quick thinking of Cologne and Shampoo (a rare reason to give thanks to the two) that Ranma had survived at all. In any case, it was close to the bone that Ranma and the rest of them had survived the whole ordeal. Nabiki swore that she would not let any of them go through that again, if there was anything she could do about it. She had a gun now, but that wasn't the easiest answer. The bitch had the whole family under her spell, and Nabiki would have to something to quickly rectify the situation immediately. She excused herself, feigning exhaustion, and then went to bed, facing a few more shocks along the way.
* * *
Shampoo arrived home, a darkened and hushed facade. She figured that her great-grandmother might be asleep, but should have woken up to even the slight noise that Shampoo and the others had made as she arrived home.
She didn't want to wake up her grandmother, despite the fact that she felt she needed someone to talk to. Going to the Tendo residence was out of the question, as Ranma and the rest would be having a welcome home celebration of their own, and besides, she was too tired to go. Instead, she grabbed the nearest pen and paper, filled out her comments, then stuck it under the door, then ushered Muu-muu-chan and Miss Kitty to her room, where the three went to bed for the night. For Shampoo, it was heaven to be finally back in her own futon again, while the cat and the duck enjoyed the company of sleeping side by side. In any event, the trio slept the bittersweet dreams of three who would hope that all would turn out for the best regardless of the circumstances.
From where she sat, Cologne watched Shampoo and the animals tread up to Shampoo's room. {{So, it's true what Mon-mon wrote,}} Cologne thought as she watched her only living relative, and the stealthy way in which she was moving. {{Shampoo has a lot to discuss with me tomorrow, I'll bet. I'll have a few things to say, as well.}} Cologne had not only been getting her information from the warrior-minstrel, but was also able to put two and two together and solve the puzzle as to why this had all occurred.
She patiently waited for a few minutes until Shampoo would be peacefully asleep, then went up to her own room, moving with a silence that not even Shampoo could master. {{Yes, tomorrow will definitely be a day to remember,}} Cologne mused as she placed her wizened head to her pillow and dozed off into the arms of Morpheus.
* * *
"Nabiki?" a voice called into the darkened room, after she knocked. Rare for Kasumi, she slid into the room without being bidden, and sat down on her sister's bed without waiting to be called in.
There was a fumbling sound in the darkness, then a light clicked on as Nabiki rubbed her eyes. "Oh, it's you, Kasumi," she said semi-grumpily, trying to come back to consciousness. "What can I do for you, sis?"
"It's not what you can do for me, it's what you can do for Ranko." The look in Kasumi's eyes were solemn. "I've noticed that there's some kind of rift between you two. Did something happen between you two? You've never been one to hold a grudge."
Nabiki eyed her sister with a "you-too?" kind of look. She opened her mouth as to speak, then paused before completing, "I don't want to talk about it, onnechan."
"I understand your reluctance--that's your personal business. I just don't want to see you two at odds. Ranko has always trusted and adored you, and has always been there when you needed it. Likewise, I think that you feel the same. You two are more than just potential in-laws, Nabiki--you two are friends as well. I'd like to see you resolve your personal differences and enjoy each other's company again. At least, please try for my sake."
Nabiki, eager to back to sleep, shot back, "Okay, I will. So long as she tries." Inside, she felt remorse about having to lie to her sister. She wanted nothing to do with the redhead, unless it involved putting the family out of her misery.
Kasumi yawned, and commented that she had to get home, as Tofu would be getting off his volunteer shift soon. Saying goodnight, she left the room, and went downstairs to say her good-byes to her family.
Nabiki promised herself that she would have to do some investigative work come the first light of the dawn. If she could find the one crucial bit of evidence that would topple the redhead's house of cards, she could save her family. She'd also have to see about an exorcist; something inside told her that Cologne's knowledge wouldn't be able to help her on this one. She fell back asleep as one last, uncomfortable concept lodged its way into her mind:
What if everyone was right about the creature that was calling herself Saotome Ranko?
* * *
Nighttime found Ranma, as usual, on the roof of the dojo, watching the stars and a moon that was past the zenith of midnight. Everyone had long since gone to bed, therein uncovering another surprise of the Tendo home--Kurumi and Natsumi had their own rooms, and had always had them. Ranko had moved into Kasumi's old room--she'd been sharing a room with Kurumi, previously--while Ranma had always lived in the guest room. Tonight, his mother--who had taken over the duties of watching Ukyo until she recovered--Akari, and Shiva were staying in the guest room, leaving Genma, Ryoga, and Ranma to the dojo. Ranma had desired some time alone, so he went up to the sanctuary of his old familiar rooftop spot.
He was staring at them, as if asking for answers, when he was joined on the roof by a second shape. He didn't even bother to move or look, saying, "Have a seat. There's plenty o' room, Ryoga."
"Thanks; don't mind if I do." He sat next to Ranma, saying, "Y'know, all the times I saw you doing this, I thought it was because you were plotting some new trick against Akane. I had no idea that stargazing was a hobby of yours."
"Not really; it's just something I do every now and then when I feel like it. Prob'ly comes from too many nights living under the stars--either that, or from watching one too many reruns of _Star Trek_ with Kurumi." He then turned and looked at his friend. "So what's up, man? Subtlety ain't usually your style."
"Come on, Ranma, you should know what's bugging me. We have grown up together, you know--you, me, Ukyo, and your sister."
"Oh, that." Ranma looked back at the sky. "I'm just getting used to that, too. Strangest part is, if I think about it, I can see it as clear as if it were a memory or somethin'. What about you?"
"Yeah," the other youth admitted. "'Though, I hafta admit, it's nice having a family now. My parents were never really around for me, and now that my life has been changed, it seems that your parents were around for me, instead. It is kinda funny though, the way things have changed--your mother looks at me with the slightest of disappointments when she doesn't see me with Ranko, as if...."
"Yeah, having seen that Mom claims that she arranged Uc-chan's engagement to me instead of my Pop, well that was a surprise, too."
"Oh really? I don't know much about that. Tell me, wouldja?"
"Sure. What I *know* is that I met Uc-chan when I was six, in Miyazaki. To make a long story short, Pop sold my engagement for her father's okinomiyaki cart, and skipped town with the dowry, leaving Uc-chan to hate me for ten years. Now, Mom says she arranged the engagement between us because she and Uc-chan's mom were best friends in high school, and made that vow years back, not knowing about Pop's promise." Ranma uncharacteristically sighed. "Just another thing that I hafta get used to. Y'know, speaking of used to, how's Akari getting to your not changing anymore?"
"She says it doesn't bother her, but time will tell," Ryoga responded. "I also told her about what we did with P-Chan, and she said that it was the right thing to do. You know, I envy you, Ranma."
"Um, what about?"
"P-Chan. He's always gonna dislike you because you're with his Akane, but he hates me more than he ever will you. He was human once, something he'll never be again, while I'm the human one, roaming around not only able to be with Akane--not that I would," he said, soothing Ranma's nerves, "but I also have Akari as well. He'll never find a pig that's like him in this world. He's utterly alone, while I'm no longer so. That's cause for hatred an' a half."
"I c'n understand that," Ranma said solemnly. "What about taking him to Jusenkyo?"
"That's your call, Ranma. As far as I'm concerned, he's Akane's pet, someone I have no link to. He's not like Ranko, who you can call your sister, or Mousse or Shampoo's forms, who can be taken care of by their other halves. He'll stay with Akane as P-Chan, or go to the Nyannichuan and challenge you for her hand--and not only would I jump in on your side if you needed it, but a pig that suddenly looks like me? It's not worth it, Ranma. He's your pet, your problem."
Ranma's response was to nod solemnly, signaling his understanding. Ryoga was about to ask Ranma something when he was tapped on the shoulder by someone. The lost boy turned to see the redhead, looking at him with an uncommonly serious expression.
Ryoga smiled. "Hiya, little sis."
Ranko smiled in return. "Hiya back, big bro." Seeing Ranma's puzzled expression, she explained. "Since Mom insists that we've all grown up together, oniichan, that would make Ryoga and Uc-chan virtually older siblings to me as well. Ryoga and I talked about this an hour ago, and from what Mom hinted at, the reason Ryoga and I aren't engaged is he feels the same way that you do about Uc-chan--you both would, but you don't really feel comfortable about it. The only difference was, Mom wanted a voluntary engagement between me an' Ryoga since they could never find his parents, ne?"
Ryoga smiled at that. "It's still weird in regards to that, Ranko. I feel pretty bad about lying to your mother about that."
"How do we know it's a lie? We still have no idea why things are the way they are." Ranko avoided her brother's hard stare at her little lie.
"Yeah, I guess you're right." He stretched and yawned, adding, "I have no idea how you two do it, but I really have no desire to find out. I'm goin' to bed. I'll see you in the morning." Without waiting for an answer, he leapt off the roof and landed easily near the entrance to the dojo, striding in.
Ranko immediately slid next to her brother, placing her head in his lap. <<Stars look pretty tonight, Ranma,>> she replied, practicing the use of her mental link.
<<Yeah, they do.>> He then looked down and toyed momentarily with his sister's hair. <<I was expecting you to show up earlier, sis. You missed a very cool shooting star.>> He then tried to send a mental image of the event to her. Ranma admitted to himself that this new mental exercise, although quite natural to them, still required fine-tuning to discover its depths and ranges. He knew that they could feel each other's emotions and physiological events, and they were seeing if there was a way to block them out.
She received the image. <<It was very beautiful. Thank you, bro.>> She sent a stream of love his way, and he immediately returned it...as well as his disappointment in her for her lie. <<I know, oniichan, but what did you want me to say? The less people know, the better. Nabiki already thinks I'm the Vampire Queen returned; I don't want to give her ammunition.>>
<<I know about that, sis. I'll talk to Nabiki tomorrow--she'll listen to me. I appreciate the fact that she's looking out for me, but she just doesn't understand.>> Ranma smiled wistfully. Nabiki was changing, from what he saw, and the young man appreciated the changes he was seeing in her. Perhaps she'd finally find a boyfriend that was perfect for her--if that baka Kuno kept his slimy paws off of her.
<<Thanks. She won't come near me, and she won't listen to Akane. She's absolutely dear to me, and I don't want her to hate me.>> The redhead leaned up, then stretched, then looked straight into her brother's eyes as she went to verbal communication. "While you're at it, about Akane...."
Ranma took the cue immediately. "Yeah, I still want to do that in the morning."
Ranko sighed. "Please be careful about that, oniichan. One wrong step, and...." She turned and even in the light of the waxing moon, the blush could be seen on the face of the redhead.
Ranma grinned slightly. "You care about her just as much as I do, I know--it's partially my fault."
Ranko laughed at that. "Hey, if I was a guy, there'd be a three-way rivalry 'tween you, me and Ryoga. As it is, I care a little more deeply about her than just a sisterly figure."
Ranma laughed back, replying, "That'd be the least thing I'd need." Going back to a semi-serious tone, he said, "It's about timing, sis. Trust me."
"You know I do. What's your plan?" She repositioned herself in his lap, eager to hear the details.
<<You know about half of it already,>> he replied in his mental speech, in case someone moved into eavesdropping range. <<It'll start off when....>>
