Part 6; aren't we zooming along?

Thanks to ZeYoung Liou for part of the second scene. The
evil twist is all mine though. :)

View! Life's Full of Surprises.
By Kagami

"So, it's finally come down to this."

Amelia couldn't understand it. Apart from slightly more
purplish-coloured hair, Luna Inverse looked like an older
version of Lina. Why was Lina so afraid of her sister?

"That's right, onee-sama." Lina hesitated. "I need your
help."

Luna tapped her fingers on the counter of the bar. "Don't
do it, Lina. That's my advice. Just don't."

"What? Why not?" Lina exclaimed, surprised at this
reaction.

"How old were you when Mother left, Lina? About eight?"
Luna asked pensively. "You don't remember a thing about
it, do you?"

"No, not really," replied Lina.

Luna shrugged. "I was fourteen at the time. I remember
all of it. Every little bit. Don't do it," she repeated.

"What are you both talking about?" asked Akane in
bewilderment.

Luna looked at the rest of them in surprise. "Lina never
told you? Here, I'll show you." She pulled a small hand
mirror from a pocket and beckoned to them to look.

---

Zelgadis stepped up to the house in which he and Ranma now
lived. It wasn't very large, definitely on the small side
for two Knights of Ceipheid. However, with him often
travelling abroad in search for Ranma's cure, and Ranma
usually on some errand or another for the king, it wasn't
as if they needed anything fancy.

Zel smiled to himself.  After all those years of drifting
from one place to another, it actually felt good to have
a home and someone familiar to return to - just as a good
friend, of course. Zelgadis would one day find a cure for
Ranma, he promised himself yet again.

He was just about to knock, when the door burst open.

"Zel-chan! I knew it was you," Ranma ran up to Zelgadis,
and folded him into an eager embrace.

Zelgadis was mildly surprised. While Ranma was always happy
at his return, she was seldom so openly affectionate.

"Are you over that bout of food poisoning?" he asked with
concern. Ranma had been pretty sick when he had left
nearly seven months ago.

"Huh? Oh, sure, Zel-chan. I'm fine and I'm glad you're
back," Ranma said with a bright smile.

Zelgadis looked down at the excited redhead clutching to
him, and allowed a smile to form. It was at times like
this that he could allow himself to dream a little - a
beautiful home, loyal friends, and he could just imagine
Ranma greeting him like this, twenty years later, while
the children stood by, teenagers by then ...

Then, he heard a soft cry coming from indoors. Zelgadis
cocked his head and asked, "What was that?"

"Oh, remember that victory celebration before this last
trip of yours and how we both got drunk?" Ranma asked as
she drew him inside.

"Uh, huh." Zelgadis racked his brains in an effort to
remember. Wasn't that about ten months ago?

"And remember how we ended up on the bed ... together?"
Ranma continued.

"Uh ..." Zelgadis paused, warning signals flashing all
over his brain. Was that a cot Ranma was leaning over?

"And how we insisted nothing happened?" she asked. Turning,
she brought a tiny, cherubic angel into view. "Meet your
new daughter, Zel-chan," Ranma said softly, "I named her
Luna. Isn't she cute?"

---

"Ranma ...?" Akane asked, nausea coursing through her
system.

"... and Zelgadis-san?" finished Amelia with a sickly
smile pasted on her face.

"Wow, Lina, Ranma's really your mom, huh?" Gourry said,
innocent delight evident in his eyes. "And Zelgadis! I had
no idea it was true. It must be so wonderful ..."

*Crash* *Pummel* *Tinkle*

"Owww ..."

"Want to see more?" Luna asked, not taking her eyes from
the small mirror in her hands.

---

"Ouch!" exclaimed Zelgadis as he removed the mallet from
his head. "I'm not made of stone anymore, you know."

"Hah!" Ranma folded her hands across her chest and
snapped back. "The first time was forgivable. After all,
you had no idea. But this time, you've no excuse!"

"Aww, come on, Ranma. The King sent me to Kalmaart in
your place. You know I didn't have a choice."

"Hmmph," Ranma snorted, then softened. "A feeble excuse
... but come over and say hello then."

Rubbing his head, Zelgadis stepped up to the small cot,
a slow smile stealing across his features. "Hello, Lina.
Welcome to the world."

---

"Urgh.." Akane gurgled, looking ready to puke.

"Waaah! Zelgadis-san!" wailed Amelia in distress.

"Awww, Lina, you were so cute as a baby," Gourry said,
gazing at the unfolding scene in the mirror.

*Blam* *Thud* *Clonk*

"Owww ..."

"Still want to do it, Lina?" asked Luna with a solemn
expression on her face.

"I have to," Lina replied. Her eyes flicked towards the two
distressed, dark-haired girls. "It's not right to leave
them there."

"When did you ever get so concerned with right and wrong?"
Bitterness clouded Luna's face. "But I won't stop you. Take
this, then." She handed over two slips of paper.

Lina unfolded the first slip. "The Gate?"

Luna nodded. "You'll know when to use the other. Now, get
lost, Lina."

When they left, the taproom seemed much smaller and more
lonely than it had been. "Lina, you idiot." The words
held old, faded anger. Her gaze fell on the silver frame
of the mirror, worked with a stylized R motif.

"Mother," she whispered as she looked into the past.

---

A fourteen-year old girl, gangling and with bright purple
hair, ran up to her waiting mother.

"I did it, Mom," she gasped breathlessly. "Timas gave me
the job."

Ranma smiled at her enthusiastic daughter. "That's great,
Luna-chan. Now, remember what we told you about what to
do if anyone gropes you."

"Right, a low-level fireball!" Luna recited in unison with
her laughing mother. "Let's go home and tell daddy."

"Yes, why don't we?"

---

Comments?

Oh, and why is Saillune a Kingdom, yet its ruler is Prince
Philionel?