Again, comments as things strike me. Beware, I'm mentally exhausted, and
unusually picky. hajime!
General Comments:
It's a rough diamond, this fic is. ^_~
Quite good, but you still need to work on character's speech patterns and your
sense of timing. Things seem to happen too quickly. Think about how you would
react the situation the characters are in.
Would you or the characters give out information that easily without promting?
Would you be willing to suddenly uproot your life and move to another continent
because you suddenly grew wings and a tail. Such a drastic physical change, IMO
would make a person seek comfortable surroundings - like staying with family,
staying in a culture that they understand, speaking a lanuage they know.
The culture shock alone could be devastating. Send 'em to Ishimura! *l*
-Damocles
------detailed C&C begins here------
Circle Sky
By: Gie (phowah@cs.com)
A Ranma 1/2 and Gargoyles Crossover
Saotome Ranma, Tendo Akane and their familiars are not mine. They
are Takahashi Rumiko-sama�s. They�ve just come over to my place
for a bit...for a sleep-over, yeah, that�s the ticket.
Goliath and his familiars are the Big Mouse�s (not Mousse)
grotesques. Although, they have decided to perch on my roof for
awhile.
Aiden Ferguson is Christine Morgan�s little gargess, and has asked for
permission to attend the sleepover. She said yes, but to make sure she
actually got some sleep.
Any unfamiliar characters, such as Shiun, are mine. Sit down and get
to know them, you just might find a new friend.
Timeline: Well, I guess you could say it is after the manga is over with
(i.e.. Saffron and the wedding) in Ranma, but time has passed and they
just graduated from school. It�s several years after Hunter�s Moon in
the Gargoyles line. (Although there were no Chronicles) I will end
up diverging from the timeline some, but since this is my story, I have
the right to, ne? Alright, on with the show.
Chapter Three: Clan Nerima
Later that afternoon, the Xanatos Enterprises� jet touched down
at Tokyo International Airport. Ryouga�s face showed several colors
of the spectrum as he drunkenly staggered off the plane.
�Gee, Ryouga,� Ukyou giggled behind her hand, �maybe you
should invest in some medicine for the next time you take a plane
anywhere.�
�Ha, ha, Ukyou. I�ve never flown in an airplane before. How
was I supposed to know how it would affect me?�
Owen came up behind the pair. �Excuse me, but we are ready
to go to where you are. We have prepared a special carrying crate for
Ranma and Akane; they have been loaded onto a truck, along with all
the luggage and equipment, and are ready and waiting to depart for
Nerima. Shall we be off, then?�
Ukyou and Ryouga nodded and followed Owen out of the
hangar, into the parking lot, and to a waiting Xanatos, who was next to
the truck. Ukyou looked in the back of the truck where a large closed
crate with large, prominent, red-stamped letters: FRAGILE! THIS
END UP!
�Is that where Ranma and Akane are?� she asked. �Is there
something inside the crate to protect them from the bouncing around in
the truck?�
Xanatos assured, �Don�t worry about them. They are securely
stowed away in straw and other packing materials. You have my
assurances that nothing will happen to them in there. They probably
will have a more comfortable ride in there, than if they were outside
and awake. Now, I will be heading to Ishimura to collect the clan
members from there. I will arrive at your location a little bit after
sunset; after the gargoyles have awoken up.�
Ukyou, Ryouga, and Owen climbed into a cab that would be
leading the truck to the Tendo home. They waved good-bye to
Xanatos and took off towards the dojo.
A half an hour later, the group pulled up in front of the dojo.
�Here goes nothing,� thought Ukyou. She climbed out of the cab,
along with Ryouga and Owen, and went up to the front gates. She rang
the bell, letting the occupants inside know someone was there.
Kasumi opened the gate, and looked in surprise at Ukyou.
�Well, hello, Ukyou! You�re back early! We didn�t expect
you back for another day or two. You should have called and let us
know you were arriving home earlier. I could have prepared a
welcome back feast. Hello, Ryouga. It�s nice to see you back as well.
Oh, a guest! Who�s your friend, Ryouga?� She looked behind the
three. �Where are Akane and Ranma?�
WHOA! Kasumi spoke that in one breath? It seems ... well, way too long.
I like to think Kasumi's more consise and observant than that. ^_^
Ukyou came in through the gate. �I�m sorry that we were
unexpected, Kasumi. This is Mr. Owen Burnett, a friend the four of us
made at Jusenkyo. Ranma and Akane will be along in a minute. They
have a surprise for you.�
Call Owen by his last name only. For the sake of social protocol - I
don't think Ukyo would be on a first name basis as yet.
�Yeah, a big surprise,� Ryouga thought.
Kasumi bowed and opened the gate wider. �It�s nice to meet
you Mr. Burnett.� Owen bowed back to Kasumi. �Welcome to our
home. Father, Uncle and Auntie Saotome are in the living room. A
surprise?�
�Yes, we will explain everything once we get inside,� Ryouga
explained. �Can we put our belongings in the dojo, Kasumi? It would
the best place to accommodate everything. We have brought quite a
few items back.�
Ryoga's not that articulate. :�
�Oh dear. That should be fine. You know the way. Won�t you
come in and have some tea?�
Ukyou smiled a little. �Thank you, Kasumi. Ryouga, can you
show the men where to put everything, and I�ll gather everyone up,
okay?� Ryouga nodded and turned back to the truck and started to
help the delivery men unload.
Ukyou and Owen followed Kasumi into the house and to the
living room, where Soun Tendo and Genma Saotome were playing
shoji and Nodoka Saotome was trying, albeit unsuccessfully, to stop
them from cheating too much. Everyone looked up when Kasumi
came into the room and announced that the wayward travelers were
back, plus one. Ukyou introduced Owen to everyone in the room.
�Kasumi, can I use your phone? I need to call some people and
let them know we�re back and to come over. Ryouga and I want to
explain everything to everyone at one time.�
�That shouldn�t be a problem, Ukyou. The phone is over there.
Help yourself. Mr. Burnett, please make yourself at home. Would you
like a cup of tea?�
Again, Kasumi's being a bit wordy for my tastes. Also, I'd make it
clear who's talking at the moment - you have four bits of speech, and no
identifying markers.
�Yes, Miss Tendo. That would be very nice. Thank you for
your hospitality.�
�Such nice manners! I will be back in a minute. Oh dear, I
better prepare some snacks if there are a lot of people coming over.�
Nodoka spoke up. �Would you like some help in the kitchen,
Kasumi?�
She brightened. �Yes, Auntie. I would gladly accept your
help.� Kasumi turned to the kitchen and Ukyou returned from using
the phone, and Ryouga came in from the dojo.
ACK... speech patterns need work. Honestly, natural speech appropriate
to the character would be better than such formal diction. Especially
for this situation. <:)
�Everything is unloaded and in the dojo. I didn�t open the crate
yet.�
�I called up everyone who we talked about before. Let�s go out
to the dojo and wait for everyone to arrive.�
Genma spoke. �Did you bring back the Nannichuan water?
Where are Ranma and Akane?�
I've noticed that people merely speak, at least until now. No indication
of emotion - haste, nervousness, anxiousness, happiness... etc. For
example, genma here, would probably be anxiously asking about Ranma,
Akane, and the Nannichuan (though not in that order :�).
Ukyou looked at Ryouga for an answer. He shrugged his
shoulders. �Um, they�re out in the dojo, waiting for us. Yes, we did
bring the Nannichuan water back. You�ll get your share when
everyone has arrived.� Owen looked to Ryouga for an answer to a
question. Ryouga explained to Owen, �Genma has a curse, too. He
got it the same time Ranma got his. He fell into Spring of Drowned
Panda, though.�
Owen raised his eyebrows are Genma. �Interesting. You are
Ranma�s father?�
Genma nodded proudly. �Yep, that�s my boy. He is cured of
the curse, isn�t he? It did work?�
Ukyou nodded. �Yes, he is fully male now. Shall we go out to
the dojo and wait for everyone?�
Everyone nodded and started out to the dojo. Ukyou popped
into the kitchen and told Kasumi and Nodoka where they were headed,
and followed the rest out a few moments later.
About an hour later, everyone Ukyou called had gathered in the
dojo and were talking amongst themselves. There were: Ukyou;
Ryouga; Owen; the Tendos, including Nabiki; the Saotomes; all three
Amazons; both Kunos, and Dr. Tofu. Everyone was talking about
what else occupied the dojo: A huge wooden crate, and three smaller
containers with stoppers in them. Ukyou looked around and noticed
everyone had arrived and cleared her throat to get everyone�s attention
The guests started to settle down and look up at Ukyou. She looked at
Ryouga and motioned him to stand next to her. He shot a panicked
glance at her and started to inch away. Ukyou grabbed him by his
collar and yanked him up next to her. She gave him a stern look and
started to speak.
�Thank you for all coming. You all have a feeling of why we
gathered you here today. Ryouga and I decided it would be easier to
explain everything to everyone all at the same time. Now, I bet you are
wondering where Ranma and Akane are.� Just about everyone nodded
or acknowledged the statement. �We will explain their absence in a
moment. But first, the main reason you are here. As you know,
Ranma received a letter yesterday from Plum, the Jusenkyo Guide�s
Yesterday? that's a... small time frame.. I'd imagine at least two days
would have passed - booking the flight, getting to the airport, boarding,
flight, travel to Jusenkyo, the whole hooha, then everything in reverse.
daughter, telling him that the springs had refilled and Nannichuan and
Nyannichuan�s locations have been found. The four of us, Ryouga,
myself, Ranma and Akane went to Jusenkyo to retrieve the water for
the cursed members here in Nerima. Ranma jumped into the
Nannichuan water and cured himself there.� Several murmurs went
through the crowd. �We then filled up several casks with the
Nannichuan water to bring home. Mousse, please come forward for
your water.� Mousse came forward and Ryouga dumped one of the
drowned boy casks on him. Ukyou then poured cold water on Mousse
to demonstrate that the Nannichuan water did work, and handed him a
towel. Mousse, overjoyed that the duck had flown the coop, went over
to Shampoo to give her a hug. Shampoo, on the other hand, was not
overjoyed and promptly knocked Mousse over the head with one of her
bonbori and put him into a quick slumber. Ukyou then continued.
�Genma, please come and get your water.�
Genma came forward and Ryouga poured one of the two
remaining casks over his head. Ukyou then poured some cold water on
him to confirm the curse was indeed cured. Nodoka got up and gave
her husband a towel to dry off with, and a kiss on the cheek. �Well
done, my husband. Finally, no more furballs in the sink.� Everyone
chuckled at the statement, and awaited the next cursed person�s cure.
Ukyou continued. �The last cask is Nannichuan. Dr. Tofu,
could you hold on to this and when Tarou comes around, give it to
him?�
Dr. Tofu went up to Ukyou and nodded. �Of course, Ukyou.
The next time I see him, I�ll offer him the water.� He took the
remaining cask and sat down.
Shampoo looked confused. �What about Shampoo�s cure?
Where girl water?�
Ukyou looked at Ryouga, who gulped and smiled sickly, but
continued. �We did have a cask for you, Shampoo, but during a
�scuffle,� it got dropped and it broke open on the ground. There is no
Nyannichuan water, Shampoo. I�m sorry.�
Shampoo looked heartbroken. �Why not get more from
Heartbroken is not a word I'd use for Shampoo's reaction... violent...
resentful... but not heartbroken.
spring?�
Ukyou continued, �We couldn�t. The spring dried up right
after we filled the cask. Same with Nannichuan. After Ranma took
his bath, and the casks were filled, the spring dried up. The cask Dr.
Tofu is holding is the last of the drowned boy water.�
Everyone started to talk amongst themselves. Kuno finally
spoke up. �Where, pray tell, are the beauteous Akane Tendo and that
vile sorcerer Saotome?�
Owen stood up and started to speak. �This is where I come in,
if you don�t mind Miss Kuonji.� Ukyou looked relieved and nodded
her head. She backed away from Owen to give him center stage. �My
name is Owen Burnett and I had the opportunity to meet these four
people in Jusenkyo with my employer, Mr. David Xanatos. He
The mere mention of the richest man in the world would immediately
warrant Nabiki's attention.
currently is unable to be here, but will be here after sunset. Mr. Hibiki
and Miss Kuonji, plus Ranma and Akane, have asked me to explain
where the two missing are. They are, in fact, in this very room with all
of you. They are, however, in that crate.� Everyone started to talk
very loudly and look at the crate oddly. �Please, everyone. I will
explain everything in due course. Now, Ranma did get cured with the
Nannichuan water. He is fully male. But to circumstances beyond
their control,� Ryouga blushed deeply and turned towards the crate,
�Akane fell into a spring of her own.� Astonished gasps arose from
the crowd. Soun started wailing about his precious baby and spouting
a fountain of tears. Kasumi rushed to comfort her father. �As I was
saying, Akane fell into a spring of her own. Ranma jumped in to save
her from drowning in the spring. He brought her back to the surface,
where I performed CPR on her to get her to breathe again.� More
alarmed gasps and cries arose from the crowd. Soun increased his
stream to a river.
�What spring did they fall into, Mr. Burnett?� Nabiki asked.
�Are they okay?�
I'd expect that either Kasumi, Nodoka or Cologne would ask that question.
Nabiki would be too busy trying to find a good angle to approach
Xanatos, and those three would have someone's best interests at heart -
not necessarily Ranma and Akane's.
Owen waited for everyone to quiet down before he continued.
�Ranma and Akane are just fine.� Ryouga and Ukyou nodded in
agreement. �They are, at the moment, asleep. The spring they fell into
is called Gaagoirniichuan, or spring of drowned gargoyle. This spring,
however, is different from all other springs. This one is permanent.�
You stated in the previos chapter that the the spring's trigger
temperature was very high. So it's not permanent. Just diffficult to
negate. 'effectively permanent' would be better wording.
Cries of horror erupted from the crowd. The Kunos looked confused
by all of the talk of cursed springs, but were ignored. Owen
I... uh... just realised, why would the Kunos be there? They have no
reason to be invited do they? I mean, Kodachi and Tatewaki aren't aware
of the curse, right?
'Cries of horror'? 'Gasps of shock and disbelief' sounds better to my
ears, as it doens't evoke the image of a shrieking bunch of Nerimans. ^_~
interrupted the noise, and continued. �Do not worry about them. Like
I said, they are asleep. Gargoyles are nocturnal beings by nature,
meaning they function at night. During the day, however, they go into
a stasis that is set in motion by the sunrise, turning them into stone.�
Before the crowd got out of control, Owen motioned to Ryouga to
open the crate. He pried the top off and the four sides fell down at the
same time. Inside the crate, amidst the straw and other packing
materials, stood two statues holding hands--Ranma and Akane.
The crowd went ballistic. Soun and Nodoka let out a shriek
and fainted on the spot. Genma, Dr. Tofu, Nabiki, and Kasumi looked
completely stunned, and were frozen, except for an �Oh, my!� from
each of them. The girls promptly began to cry, and collapsed in each
other�s arms. All three Amazons were in shock; Cologne recovered
quickly, getting a sad, resigned look on her face; Shampoo�s look of
shock slowly turned to disgust, once she saw what Ranma really turned
into; Mousse had a thoughtful gaze start to settle on his face, once he
thought through what actually happened. Tatewaki and Kodachi
looked outraged and spoke first.
The crowd did not go ballistic. They had varied reactions. ^_^;
Tatewaki sputtered out angrily, �You are lying! That is not the
tempestuous Akane Tendo and that certainly is not the cretin Ranma
Saotome. Those are merely statues of demons intertwined with their
visages. Where have you hidden the real thing?�
�Ohohohohoho!� Kodachi cackled insanely. �This is not my
Ranma-sama! He is not a statue of a demon! Although the one of
Tendo Akane does resemble her in many ways. Evenso, bring back the
real ones!�
Kodachi would be condescending, not laughing, that they would try to
trick her.
Ukyou and Ryouga looked at each other and sighed. They
knew this was going to happen. �These statues are really Akane and
Ranma. We watched them change to stone this morning with our very
eyes when the sun rose. Mr. Burnett is telling the truth.�
�No! You are lying! I will destroy these falsities in the
goddess Tendo Akane�s name!� Then, both Kunos brought out their
weapons of choice to destroy the Ranma and Akane statues.
Ukyou and Ryouga went into a ready stance around the pair.
They also drew their familiar weaponry. Ukyou challenged, �You will
not lay one miserable finger on them, Kuno! Come any closer and we
will forcibly show you how right we are.� Tatewaki and Kodachi just
laughed off the threat and increased their advancement on the statues,
destruction clearly intent on their minds and faces. Ukyou and Ryouga
moved forward to engage the Kunos from attacking and destroying
Ranma and Akane. But before they could inflict any real damage upon
the pair of lunatics, Owen stepped between them and held up his hand.
He turned toward the advancing Kunos and his eyes flashed green,
once.
Owen looked directly into both of the Kunos� eyes, mumbled
some words under his breath, snapped his fingers, and quietly said,
�You will not harm these statues. You will believe what has been said.
They are Ranma Saotome and Akane Tendo. You will now turn
around, go home, and never return. You will never bother Ranma
Saotome, Akane Tendo, or their families again. Now, leave.� Then,
Owen dropped his hand.
This is an extreme violation of Oberon's Edict that Owen cannot use his
powers as Puck unless he's teaching or defending Alexander Xanatos, his
protege.
Unless you come up with a good explanation, Oberon's gonna be pissed.
Tatewaki and Kodachi both turned around and walked out of
the dojo. They did not look or speak to anyone while they walked out
of the door. Everyone just watched them leave in shock. Owen turned
toward Ukyou and Ryouga and spoke. �I�m sorry for stepping in front
of you like that. I saw a chance to solve this peacefully, and I took it. I
hope I have not offended you in any way.�
Ukyou and Ryouga and everyone else just stared at the blond
blonde
man. �No, no. There was no offense taken. Thank you.� Owen just
nodded and went off to the side of the room.
At this point Nodoka and Soun woke up from their fainting
spell. �Kasumi, please tell your poor father that your sister and Ranma
have not turned into a demon-statues? That it was all a dream?�
Kasumi wiped her eyes on her apron, and looked at her father.
�If what Mr. Burnett, Ukyou and Ryouga say is true, then they have,
Father.� Soun wailed and started another tributary on River Tendo.
Kasumi patted her father�s shoulder and handed Nabiki a bucket to
catch the tears. She turned to the people in question. �Is it really true?
That those statues are Ranma and Akane, for real?�
Ukyou and Ryouga looked to Kasumi and sadly, nodded yes.
Soun started wailing again. �My poor baby! What will we do now?
My baby is a demon statue!�
Nodoka was still trying to recover from her faint when she
turned to Owen. �Mr. Burnett, if what you say is true, then my son and
Akane are sleeping, correct?� Owen nodded. �Can you wake them up
so we can see for ourselves that they truly are cursed?�
Owen shook his head. �They can not be awoken by force.
They will remain stone until sunset, which is in a half an hour. Only
It's not necessary to state when sunset is. 'They will remain stone until sunset - which is soon.
then will they break free from their stone casing and become flesh once
more. Then, at sunrise, they will return to stone for the day. Now, if
everyone could re-gather, I can answer any questions you might have
'they will break free from their stone skin, and awaken.' The way you've
got it sounds very dramatic. Almost prophetical.
before they wake up. Thank you, Miss Kuonji, Mr. Hibiki. You can
join everyone else, if you want.� Ukyou and Ryouga numbly sat down
with the rest. Owen made himself comfortable and awaited the
question session.
Nabiki came up with one first. �Can�t they be cured? Why
didn�t they just dunk themselves in the boy and girl springs again?�
�Remember, it was mentioned that the original springs dried up
after the casks were filled. Also, Miss Plum explained that the water
only works three times. Ranma had used his three times up, so the
Nannichuan water would not work on him. Akane, I have been told,
had been dunked twice, but there was no Nyannichuan water left. The
last of the spring, in the cask meant for Miss Shampoo, soaked into the
ground when it was broken. There is no cure available. Ranma and
Akane have been resigned to that fact, and I believe, accepted it.�
Soun renewed his waterworks again. Genma spoke up for the
first time. �Why didn�t they pour hot water on themselves and change
back to human form before they turned to stone?�
Owen answered, �Hot water was used right away after they
recovered from the spring. Miss Plum mentioned that different curses
had different temperature triggers. They tried all temperatures, until
they reached boiling. When they poured the boiling water on Ranma,
it did trigger the transformation.� Several people�s faces showed some
semblance of relief. �However, the change caused Ranma extreme
pain, which Ranma mentioned at the time, had never happened before.
Cold water was poured on Ranma, and he returned to the gargoyle
form with no pain whatsoever. Akane did not attempt changing,
seeing the agony Ranma went through. Like I said earlier, the curse is
permanent. I believe they have accepted this as fact.�
Again, a bit overly wordy.
�What if we pour hot water on them, now? Won�t that make
them switch back to their human forms and out of the stone?� Nabiki
inquired.
Owen raised an eyebrow at her. �I do not know what will
happen. They might break out of the stone. Or they may not.�
Nabiki went and retrieved a hot water kettle. �Only way to
know is to try, right? You said it has to be boiling, right?� Owen
nodded. Nabiki poured the entire kettle of boiling water over the
statues. Everyone watched and waited. Nothing happened. Nabiki�s
shoulders slumped in defeat. �I guess not,� she said quietly. She
straightened her shoulders and sat back down next to Kasumi, a stony
look upon her face as hard and stiff as the real thing.
Nabiki... is a bit too concerned here. IMO, her shoulders wouldn't slump,
but she would admint that her idea didn't work. In Nabiki, I would see
frustration, deteremination, a bit of anger... but that's because I think
she'd be concerned about protecting Akane.
Owen looked at his watch and nodded to Ukyou and Ryouga.
One doesn't really need a watch to determine when sunset is.
�Now, if everyone could step back, it is just about sunset, and Ranma
and Akane will awaken. Do not be frightened of them. They will not
look the same as when they left here yesterday. Certain characteristics
have changed, including skin color and some features. As you can see,
some extra parts were added, as well. Remember, they are still the
Ranma and Akane you know. Their bodies are the only things that
have changed. Also, I need to warn you. They will make a roaring
sound when they are fully awake. The gargoyles that I have associated
with tend to be quite loud when they awake from their stone slumber.
They also tend to shatter the stone skin in a fairly wide arc.�
Wordy.
Everyone looked rather alarmed and frightened at Owen�s
explanation of the Awakening. They did listen to his advice and
'explanaton of how the Gargoyle species tended to awake.'
backed away from the stone pair. A minute or so went by, and Owen
said, �Be prepared. They will awaken in 30 seconds.� As soon as the
That exact? o.O;
words left Owen�s mouth, hairline cracks began to form upon the
statues. Someone said muttered �Oh my!� and the hairs grew longer
and wider. Cracking sounds were heard. Flakes of stone started to fall
away, and red and grey skin could be seen peeking through.
Finally, with several loud, reverberating cracks and piercing,
vibrating roars, Ranma and Akane burst through their stone covering
for the first time, throwing out their wings, eyes glowing white and
red, respectfully, stone shards flying in every direction. They looked
around, disoriented, and then back to each other. They embraced and
gave each other a �Good Morning!� kiss.
�We made it home! We�re alive!� They turned around and
looked at everyone huddled in horror and astonishment at the back of
the dojo. Their eyes dimmed, their wings fell into place on their
shoulders and they blushed simultaneously. Ranma grabbed his tail
and said, �Hi, everyone. Sorry �bout this.�
ahehe. 'Grabbed his tail' A good echoto his grabbing his braid at the
very beginning of the Manga/Anime.
After a couple of moments of watching the crowd stare at the
newly awakened couple, and the couple staring back, Owen ahemed
and greeted the pair. �Good evening, Ranma and Akane. Did you
have a pleasant sleep?�
This started a chain reaction of shouts and murmurs intermixed
with a weeping father.
�Ranma, Akane? Is that really you?�
�What in the hell happened to you two?�
�Very impressive show, son-in-law.�
�Are you guys okay?�
�Ohhh, my baby has red skin!!!�
�Oh, Father!�
Ranma and Akane blushed and tried to settle everyone down as
quickly as possible. Ukyou and Ryouga took over for them and
nudged them in a different direction. After giving Akane�s hand a
reassuring squeeze, Ranma nudged her in the direction of her family.
Akane stepped forward and went to her sisters and father. She looked
down at them. �Hi, everyone.� She saw their doubting looks. She
sighed and reassured them, �Yes, it really is me, Akane. Even though
my body has changed, my mind and soul has not.� Tears started to
well up in her eyes. She pointed at her fiancee. �That is Ranma over
there. We know what we have become, and we are going to have to
accept it as fact, and learn how to live with it, the same as you all, even
though we do not want to. Kasumi? Nabiki? Daddy?�
Getting dramatic here. It seems a monologue... Her desparation shows a
bit, but could be better described.
Kasumi was the first to approach Akane in her new form and
looked into her eyes. She walked around Akane and took in her
sister�s new body from horn to tail. She came back around to the front.
Kasumi reached up to touch Akane�s tear-stained cheek. �It really is
you, Akane. Oh, little sister, what has happened to you?� Akane
started to sob out loud and fell into Kasumi�s embrace. Nabiki wiped
her eyes and tentatively came forward to give Akane a hug. Soun
wailed some more. Kasumi gave him a disapproving glance; he
calmed down a bit and came over to join his family.
Nodoka started toward Ranma. She noticed someone was
missing and went back and pulled Genma up to join her. Ranma met
them halfway. �Um...hi Mom, Pops. How�s it goin�?�
Nodoka looked at her newly transformed son and studied him
the same way Kasumi studied Akane. �Hello, Ranma. It is really you,
isn�t it? What have you gotten yourself into now?� Ranma blushed
and Nodoka gathered him in her arms. �I�m so sorry, Ranma. I should
have never doubted it was really you. I recognized you and Akane
when you were still statues. I just didn�t want to believe...�
Ranma cut her off. �That�s okay, Mom. I totally understand.
You do understand, though, that the curse is permanent, right? Me an�
Akane are stuck like this, forever. There is no cure.�
'almost permanent.'
Genma replied, �Yes, Ranma. Mr. Burnett over there
explained some things to us before you woke up.� Nodoka looked at
her husband and elbowed him in the ribs. He glanced back at her and
gave her a strained smile. �By the way, Ranma,� Genma looked like
he was being forced to eat poisoned fish. He quickly glanced around
to see if anyone was watching. �Um...Ranma...thank...thank you for
the Nannichuan water.� He quickly gave Ranma a small bow.
Ranma gaped at his father open-mouthed. �He thanked me?
Did I just hear right? Did he really thank me?� Ranma closed his
mouth and returned the bow. �You�re welcome, Father.�
What? no smart remark? ^_~
Genma grunted and switched topics. �Now that you are back,
and I see that you and Akane are getting along much better, don�t you
think it is time to unite the schools?�
Ranma groaned and smacked his father in the leg with his tail.
Nodoka looked surprised at the appendage. �Now, don�t get started on
us about marriage already, Pops. Don�t you think that we should have
a time to adjust to our new bodies and get used to uhh...other stuff too?
We haven�t been gargoyles for barely 24 hours! Plus, I still have three
other fiancees to deal with.�
At that moment, Cologne and company approached Ranma.
Shampoo refused to look Ranma in the eye. �Yes,
Son-in..umm..Ranma, about the engagement to Shampoo. I am afraid
I have to annul the marriage claim Shampoo has over you.� Ranma
looked at Cologne in disbelief. �The tribal laws only pertain to
humans. They do not cross the species barrier. If the curse was not
permanent, it would be a different matter entirely. We will be closing
up our restaurant and returning to China. Shampoo�s honor will
remain intact since she is not forced to marry a...creature such as
yourself.� She turned to the other two Amazons with her. �Mousse,
Shampoo, do you have anything to say to Ranma?�
Mousse stepped forward and bowed to Ranma. �Thank you for
bringing back the Nannichuan water for me, Ranma. I hope you live
the rest of your life happy, content, and free of worries."
Ranma bowed back. �You�re welcome, Mousse. Same to
Ranma seems to cordial. I'd expect him to be a bit uncomfortable with the
situation.
you.� He turned to Shampoo. �I�m sorry about the Nyannichuan
water, Shampoo. If we could have...�
Shampoo looked up at Ranma with distaste clearly written in
her eyes and on her face. She cut in before he could finish his
sentence. �Shampoo say goodbye, now. Luck to you in life.� She
quickly gave a small bow and left the dojo as quickly as she could.
Cologne sighed, gave Ranma a small bow and followed Shampoo,
pulling Mousse behind her.
Reasoning behind Shampoo's reaction?
Ranma turned to his parents with a surprised look on his face.
�Well, that was interesting. I didn�t expect the old ghoul to give up so
easily. And, to come to think about it, before we left China, Ukyou
gave up her claim on me, too. She said we weren�t compatible
anymore. He smirked a bit. �If it was this easy to get rid of the
fiancees, I would have done something like this a lot earlier.�
Nodoka frowned at Ranma. �You wouldn�t have given up your
humanity just to get rid of some girls� unwanted affections, would you,
Ranma? That�s not right.� Nodoka brightened, though. �Now, you
and Akane are truly made for each other. No one can get in your way.
Who�s the third fiancee?�
She's all over the place with her thoughts, no?
Ranma grimaced. �Kodachi Kuno. She doesn�t have a real
claim over me, but she�s nuts, and it would be the best for both me an�
Akane if both her and Kuno were out of the way.�
Nodoka gave Ranma a smile and nodded to herself. �I believe
those two were taken care of by Mr. Burnett over there before you
woke up.�
Ranma looked at his mother strangely. �Sure, Mom,
whatever.� Ranma looked like he remembered something. �I�ll be
right back. I want to go talk to Akane and Owen for a minute.� He
left his parents and went over to where the Tendos were talking. �Hey
Akane. Let�s go talk with Owen for a bit. Remember, we have guests
arriving soon?�
Akane looked up at Ranma with a question on her face.
�Guests?� Then she remembered what Ranma was talking about.
�Guests! Excuse us everyone. We�ll be right back.� Ranma and
Akane went over to Owen, who was talking with Dr. Tofu and Ukyou.
Ryouga was nowhere to be seen. �Excuse me, Mr. Burnett?� Owen
looked up at the two gargoyles. �What time is Mr. Xanatos arriving
with the other gargoyles?�
Owen looked at his watch. �They should be arriving anytime
now. Mr. Xanatos has been at the airport since sundown, waiting for
the gargoyles to awaken. He should be getting here any minute now.�
You 'say any minute/time' now twice.
And, again, as Owen finished his sentence, the gate�s bell was heard.
Kasumi looked up. �Oh, we have more visitors. I will be right
back.�
Owen excused himself and went to intercept Kasumi as she
was on the way out the door. �That would be for me, Miss Tendo.
Do you mind if I accompany you to the gate?�
Kasumi smiled. �Certainly not, Mr. Burnett. I would
appreciate the company.� The two then left to go welcome Mr.
Xanatos into the house.
Meanwhile, Akane and Ranma were trying to get everyone�s
attention. Akane started to speak. �Excuse us, everyone. We have an
announcement to make. Mr. Burnett�s employer, Mr. David Xanatos, I
believe, has just arrived and he�s brought along some guests.�
Kasumi, Xanatos, and Owen returned to the dojo. Xanatos and Owen
came over to the pair. �We were aware of this from the start, so
please, do not be alarmed. His guests are members of a clan of
gargoyles from New York City, USA. They learned of us and are
No need to state the country, i think.
willing to meet with Ranma and me to answer any questions we might
have.� �And we certainly do,� Akane added silently. She turned to
Xanatos. �Do you want them to come in here or should we go out
there and greet them?�
Xanatos smiled. �Why don�t you come out to the garden and
meet them. They�re waiting out there. Everyone can come out as
well.� Xanatos and Owen started to walk out the door, followed by
Ranma, Akane, and everyone else shortly after the Americans.
Xanatos, Owen, Ranma and Akane stepped out into the yard.
Everyone else hung back on the porch and watched the scene. Xanatos
looked up and gave a short whistle.
Suddenly, the sky was filled with four winged creatures,
gliding down from one of the neighbor�s trees. Everyone on the porch
'Out of the sky dropped four winged creatures,' No need for suddenly, as
it wouldn't be an unexpected development, and the sky wouln'd be filled
with merely four gargies... unless they're gigantic. o.O;
gasped aloud at the sight of the new gargoyles. They still weren�t used
to Ranma and Akane, and as Akane predicted, four more added fuel to
the already hot bonfires. All four landed gracefully, and caped their
wings. A tall red male with long white hair and horns similar to
Ranma�s, and a brown leather loincloth stepped forward and bowed.
�I am Brooklyn, of Clan Manhattan, formerly Clan Wyvern. It is nice
to meet you.�
Not how Brooklyn would greet anyone... he's closer to being cool and
witty. ^_^ He has a dry wit about him. Sorta like: "I'm Brooklyn from
Manhattan. Hi."
Ranma stepped forward and returned the bow. �I am Saotome
Ranma, of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts. It�s a
pleasure to meet you as well.�
My my aren't we formal? ^_~
Akane also stepped forward and returned Brooklyn�s bow. �I
am Tendo Akane, of the Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts.
It is an honor to meet you, Brooklyn, of Clan Manhattan. We are, �
Akane looked at Ranma in question, and then brightened. �We are
Clan Nerima. Welcome to our home.�
ergk. *chokes on the mental image that evoked* They wouldn't name
a clan that spontaneously and be happy about it. Certainly suggest the
name later on. it's a noble name, just the introduction of it needs work.
Ranma extended his hand for a handshake. Brooklyn grasped
his forearm in a warrior�s shake and smiled. �Thank you.�
Everyone let out a collective breath they didn�t realize they
were holding. The three unnamed gargoyles approached the Nerima
pair. A lavender female, long, black hair pulled back in a loose braid
announced herself. She wore a beige tunic with a belt and stitching at
the neck. �I am Angela of Clan Manhattan, formerly of Clan Avalon.
Greetings.�
She'd make no distinction of clan, and introduce herself as merely
'Angela'.
A portly, bald, turquoise male with a brown leather loincloth
went next. He had a row of nobby horns going down the center of his
scalp. �I am Broadway of Clan Manhattan, formerly Clan Wyvern.
It�s really nice to meet you.�
Again, waaay too formal.
A hunter green female with long dark purple hair with the sides
pulled up went last. Her horns were arranged on a crown pattern on
her forehead. She wore a dark blue tunic with an intricate white cloud
design pattern stitched all over it. To Akane, it looked like it was
fashioned after a kimono. She gave them a deep bow. �I am Shiun, of
Clan Manhattan, formerly of Clan Ishimura.� Ranma and Akane
looked at each other in recognition. �Hajimemashite?�
'Ranma and Akane looked at each other, recognising something' seeing as
I don't know what they're recognising.
Seeing as I don't know who Shiun is, but I'd introduce her as an envoy
to the clan from Manhattan from Ishimura.
Akane replied, returning the bow. �Kochira kosa. Domo
arigato gozaimasu.�
On the Japanese. Glossary later? And it seems out of place.
Only when the Ishimuran show up do people start using Japanese words.
If you're gonna use Japanese be consistent. ^_^
Shiun and Akane gave each other a bright smile. Akane turned
to Ranma, and said, �Ranma, why don�t we introduce everyone, and go
inside for some tea. Would you all please come this way?� Akane and
Ranma turned toward the dojo. Everyone on the porch went inside,
seeing where the gargoyles were headed. Kasumi and Nodoka went
off to the kitchen to get some snacks and drinks. Ranma and Akane
went around and introduced the new gargoyles to their families and
friends, and led everyone into the house proper and into the living
room.
Once everyone was settled down and Kasumi and Nodoka
handed out tea and enough snacks to constitute a meal to everyone,
Brooklyn got down to business. �Now, Ranma and Akane, Xanatos
told us how you became gargoyles. Is it really true that you fell in a
cursed spring and came out like that?�
Ranma smirked. �Yeah, it�s true all right. I think I am
becoming an authority on curses. I had a different one before that.
That�s why I was there in the first place; to remove it."
Smirk? he'd be embarrased before strangers. IMO.
�Which one did you have before?�
�I fell into Nyannichuan. Spring of drowned girl. When I was
splashed with cold water, I became female in body only. My mind
stayed male. �Very tragic story...�� The Nermites laughed at the
wisecracks, Laughter? should be embarrasment again.
impression. The NY gargoyles just glanced between each other funny.
�So, now you can�t change back to human anymore?� Angela
asked.
Ranma and Akane looked at each other and winced. �Well,
technically, we can still go back to human form. It�s just that the water
has to be boiling and the transformation is extremely slow and
painful.�
The NY gargoyles glanced at each other in recognition.
Broadway turned to Xanatos and Owen. �Like Demona�s?� They
both nodded.
'NY gargoyles'. er... find another way to refer to them... please.
Akane looked confused. �Demona? Who�s she? Mr. Burnett
didn�t mention a Demona when he listed off your clan members.�
Angela explained. �Demona is my mother. She�s not part of
'Angela's mood darkened.'
the clan anymore. She�s done many horrible and evil things to the clan
and to humankind. She�s been banished. But, that�s another story, for
another time.� Brooklyn patted Angela�s knee in solidarity. �So, do
you have any questions for us?�
Solidarity? 'comfortingly' more like it. ^_^
Ranma and Akane looked at each other, trying to think of one
particular question to ask out of the thousands running through their
Dozens. I doubt that there would be thousands of questions through any
person's mind. o.O
minds. It was Dr. Tofu who spoke the first one. �Why does the
gargoyle physiology need to turn to stone? Mr. Burnett mentioned that
you heal with the stone sleep, and feel refreshed after you wake up.
Do you know what causes the transformation?�
The gargoyles looked at each other, but before they could
answer, Xanatos answered amicably. �I have had many leading
scientists study the stone stasis in-depth. They haven�t found an
answer to that; other than some trace elements and compounds in the
gargoyle�s bloodstream and throughout the body. There is no solid
proof of anything definite triggering the stone. Some say that the
gargoyles� stone skin soaks up the rays of the sun and the nutrients
from the sun heal them, but they also turn to stone inside, or in the
dark. But that is just a theory.�
Shiun added, �I know I feel more refreshed and alive when the
sun has been out all day.� The other gargoyles nodded their heads in
agreement.
�Okay, I have a question,� Ranma started out. �Why did our
eyes glow when we woke up this morning? That was sort of
interesting. Mr. Burnett also mentioned that they glow when we are in
battle mode.�
ACK!!! PLEASE, no battle modes! (though it is a very mecha anime thing
to say *l*)
Broadway smiled. �Well, not just in �battle mode.� Usually
the eyes will light up when strong emotions are involved, like anger,
but not just in battle. If you feel passionate about something,� he
uh... I'll shut up now. -_-;
looked over at Shiun and blushed. She blushed back and touched his
cheek. Their eyes glow briefly. �Or someone, the emotion is played
out with the eyes.�
Brooklyn snorted. �Yeah, well, you also get rather passionate
about food, too. I remember one meatball sandwich in particular...�
Broadway�s stomach grumbled in acknowledgment. He
blushed considerably and covered up his stomach with a wing. �Yeah,
well, you get the same way about motorcycles. Remember the one Lex
built?�
Angela stopped the contest before it got out of control. �Okay,
boys. We are guests in someone else�s home. Please try and control
yourselves.� She turned to Akane and winked. �You can tell they�re
rookery brothers, can�t you? Always at each other�s throats, arguing
about something.� Akane and Ranma laughed and the siblings turned
away from each other in a huff.
Nodoka brought up another question. �What about family
structure? You said you had a mother, Angela, is it? What about a
father or other family members?�
I'm gonna head this off now - I just read the paragraph after this, and
well she seems to forthcoming with info. Usually people need prodding.
A better lead in to it would be for something like this:
-----
"Rookery brothers?" Nodoka questioned. "You two certainly do not look
related." She indicated the differences in Brooklyn and Broadway's
features.
"The clan is everything to us." Shiun answered. "A child of the clan
belongs to the whole clan, and those of the same age are rookery brothers
and sisters. In the old days hatchlings viewed the entire clan as their
parents. Now though, one's biological parents take care of their
offspring"
Nodoka's brow furrowed. "Hatchlings? Your kind come from eggs?"
Shiun nodded. "It takes ten years for an egg to hatch... and twenty
before a female is ready to breed. It is the reason why there are so few
of us in the world."
-----
Shiun took this question. �When born, a gargoyle hatches out
of an egg. The incubation period of a gargoyle egg is 10 years long.
The female can have from one to four eggs. One or two is most
common. The hatchling, from the beginning, is raised in the rookery
with the rest of the clutch, by a few females, called rookery-mothers.
The hatchlings, themselves, call each other �brother� and �sister.�
Gargoyles usually don�t take names, but it depends on the clan. Also,
parental lineage is not taken notice of, although it may be obvious who
the parents would be through coloring, or characteristics.� Brooklyn
rubbed his beak in agreement. �The clan raises the clutch as one, not
showing favoritism to any particular hatchling. The older members of
the clan were referred to by their place in the clan, like Leader, or
Second, or Elder and others.�
�So you two are not really brothers,� Nabiki surmised.
�Not by blood, no,� Brooklyn shook his head. �By spirit and
rookeryship, yes. Broadway and I were born in the same clutch, along
with Lexington, who is back at the Castle with Aiden, Goliath,
Hudson, and Bronx. We were like peas in a pod, the three of us, as the
saying goes. Where one was, usually the other two were there, or not
that far behind.� Brooklyn and Broadway chuckled.
Kasumi looked at each of the gargoyles. �You look to be about
Ranma and Akane�s age. How old are you all?�
�Well, that�s a tricky topic. A gargoyle only ages while awake,
so when in stone sleep, the aging process is put on hold.�
�So you age one year for every two of our years?� Dr. Tofu
wondered.
Broadway nodded. �Yes, we are actually 36 years old, or
comparatively, 18 in human years. Although, our clutch hatched in the
year 964 A.D.�
Everyone gasped and shook their heads in disbelief. �That
can�t be true! You would have to 1036, then!�
�That�s a long story in itself. In 994 A.D., a wizard put a spell
on us that would keep us stone at all times until �the castle rises above
the clouds.��
Xanatos coughed loudly at this point. �This is where I come in.
I read about the Scottish gargoyles� story in an old magic book I had
bought. I was very interested to see if the story was true. I bought and
brought Castle Wyvern over from Scotland, brick by brick, gargoyle by
gargoyle, and placed it on top of the world�s largest building, the Aerie
Building, which I had just constructed. That made the castle �rise
above the clouds,� and one night, in 1994, I brought the clan back to
life.� Xanatos gave them a huge smirk. �They owe their existence to
me.�
Again too forthcoming with information. People usually have to ask for
info. "How did you live that long?" "How did you break the spell?" and
the like. ^_^
Plus Xanatos owes the Clan the life of his son. ^_^;
Brooklyn and the others just rolled their eyes and groaned.
�Yeah, whatever, Xanatos. There is a whole bunch more to that story,
but we won�t get into that tonight. That�d take forever to tell.�
Akane had been quiet, taking in everything Brooklyn and the
others were saying. She leaned over to Ranma and whispered
something in his ear. He looked at her in question and whispered
something back. They continued like this for a couple of moments.
Finally, Ranma nodded and gave her an encouraging smile. �Just ask
them, already. We won�t know unless we ask and find out. The worst
they can say is no.�
The New York gargoyles looked to Akane in question. She
blushed and started in on her thoughts. �I have been listening to you
all talk and such.� She smiled ruefully. �Your lives sound just as
interesting as ours at times. The thing is, and I just talked it over with
Ranma; we would like to know, since we just became gargoyles
yesterday, we would like to learn how to be a gargoyle and use our
new bodies correctly. I know it sounds silly, but all we have is our
human background to go from, and that is going to only get us so far.
We would like to learn from you, if possible, how to be a proper
gargoyle. We don�t even know if our wings work or if we did the right
thing when we woke up, or anything. You could say we�re just mere
hatchlings at this.�
ACK! Spit it out Akane!
Akane glanced back at Ranma with a worried look, and back at
the visiting gargoyles. Brooklyn raised his browridge at that question,
and smiled. �We were wondering when you were going to get to the
nitty-gritty. We discussed this on the glide over here, and we were
prepared for that question.� Brooklyn glanced at the other three
Manhattanites. They nodded their heads and smiled at the new
gargoyles. �We would be honored and happy to help you and show
you both all about the gargoyle way. Although, to get the proper
experience, we would like to invite you to come to New York and stay
with us. If, that is all right with you, Xanatos? How would you like
two more ornaments on the parapets?�
Why not stay in Ishimura?
David Xanatos, furrowed his eyebrows and rubbed at his
goatee. He looked deep in thought. �Well, I don�t know...� Ranma
and Akane gave each other more worried glances. He gave the
Nermites a big grin. �Of course you are welcome to stay with us at the
Castle.� He winked at Ranma and Akane. �It�s the least I can do for
the hatchlings.�
Ranma and Akane stood up and went over excitedly to the
other gargoyles. �Do you really mean it? You will help us out?
Thank you! Thank you very much. You don�t know what this means
to us.�
Akane would be happy, Ranma would take Brooklyn aside and thank him sort
of embarrasedly IMO.
Soun started to wail once more. �Oh, my baby is leaving the
nest with her fiancee! What a proud day this is for me! Waaah!�
Kasumi patted her father�s shoulder in sympathy. Nabiki just rolled
her eyes.
Angela looked back at Ranma and Akane with questioning
eyes. �Fiancee?�
The pair blushed, sat back down, and explained. �Our fathers
arranged the marriage before we were even born.�
�I thought you two were mated already. It seemed like that to
me,� mused Shiun.
They blushed even deeper and looked each other in the eyes.
For a moment, you could see their eyes light up and flash at each other,
but it was gone in the next instant.
Owen cleared his throat. �If we want to leave tonight, we had
better get going. Sunrise will be in a few hours and Ranma and Akane
still have to pack, correct? That is, if you are still coming with us.�
Everyone turned expectantly to Ranma and Akane. They
looked startled, and Ranma answered, �I thought we were. Has
something changed?�
Brooklyn, smirked and said, �Nope. We were just making
sure. Now before we go, let�s see if your wings came fully functional.
How�s about a quick gliding lesson?�
�Don�t you mean flying?�
Broadway smiled. �Nope. Gargoyles glide. We don�t flap our
wings or that silly stuff birds do. We do, though, use the natural air
'We have to find natural air'
currents to glide on. Jumping from one thermal to the next gets us
where we need to be.�
Owen suggested, �Why doesn�t your family pack up the things
you can carry with you, while you have your gliding lesson. You can
send for the bulkier objects later, or see what we have available at the
castle. You might find we have all that you need.� Kasumi and
Nodoka nodded their heads in agreement and took off for other ends of
the house, getting ready what the travelers would need for the trip.
Xanatos continued, �Or we can always get it for you. Most of
my resources are usually available for the gargoyles� use. We�ll see
how things go once we get back to New York.�
Ranma smiled a wide smile. �Okay, let�s start! I�ve been dying
to try out these wings. Just think of the hang time with these, Akane!�
Akane just rolled her eyes. �Whatever, Ranma. I�m going to
show Kasumi what I want to bring along, and I�ll be right out. Do you
want anything special along?�
�Nah, just some clothes that fit right. You know that I travel
light, Akane.�
Shiun looked up and remembered something. �I just
remembered that I brought along some gargoyle-tailored clothing that
might suit your new bodies better than what you have available, now.
They�re here in my bag.� Shiun pulled out a dark green belted tunic
for Akane and a black leather loincloth and vest for Ranma.
How... convenient. <:)
Akane widened her eyes at the tunic. �It�s beautiful, Shiun!
Thank you very much!� She got a closer look at the dress. It was a
soft, treated leather that had an open back to accommodate the wings.
A strip of leather tied at the neck for a better fit. The belt was black
and had a buckle that looked like it was made out of ivory. The slits
were made just right to accommodate the tail and the legs. The front
had a few clasps at the neck to make it more comfortable. Akane saw
there was a delicate stitching inlaid throughout the fabric. �I could
never in a million years make something like this! It looks like wisps
of smoke,� she thought. She looked up at Shiun and nodded her
appreciation again. Akane then looked at the outfit Ranma was
handed. He held between his talons and she giggled. �Ranma, look
what you get to wear!�
Ranma held up what Shiun pulled out and blushed. The
loincloth was of black leather, standard cut, and the belt had a white
ivory buckle. The vest was of black leather as well, with slits in the
back to accommodate the wings. The vest, however, had some ornate
stitching in red and blue. If you followed the pattern closely, it looked
like a dragon flying and twisting through the air. �You don�t happened
to have a pair of pants in there, do you?�
Brooklyn and Broadway looked mock-insulted at his remark.
�I hope you know we have worn loincloths all our lives. There�s
nothing wrong with them. Try it, you�ll see they are very practical. At
least, you have a vest. We go bare-chested all the time.�
Ranma took the clothes Shiun handed him and went into his
room, grumbling. A few moments later, there was some shouting.
Nodoka came out of the room a couple of seconds later, looking
startled. �Oh my! I guess he didn�t see me in there at first.� The ones
left in the hallways snickered at that comment and continued outside.
Akane went into her room to see if Kasumi was there and to
change into her new outfit. She found Kasumi packing a bag. She
looked up and saw Akane in her new clothes and smiled. �I was
wondering what I was going to pack for clothes, Akane. I didn�t think
anything you owned was going to fit you anymore. You have grown
quite a bit in height and pretty much everywhere else, too. Not to
mention wings and a tail.� She looked Akane once over appraisingly.
�That dress really suits you well, Akane. It�s very beautiful. The
stitching is very delicate.� She looked closer at her sister. �You don�t
need any support or anything, do you?�
A bit subtle there.
Akane blushed at Kasumi�s comment. �I don�t think so,
Kasumi. I sort of noticed that both Angela and Shiun weren�t wearing
anything else under their tunics. Plus,� Akane jumped up and down a
bit, �I don�t think I really need anything.�
Kasumi raised an eyebrow. �Nothing else? Really? If you say
so....if you need anything, you can always get what you require in New
'what you need in New'
York.� She sighed loudly. �Everything is happening so fast. We�re
going to miss you tremendously, Akane. You know that, right? Father
has started falling to pieces already. Who am I going to cook for?�
Akane sniffled, and hugged her older sister. �Of course I know
that, big sister. It�s not like I am dying, or anything. Just think of it as
an exchange student-type trip. You can always call; we�re in opposite
time zones, now. Day is night and night is day. And I�m sure I�ll be
able to come back and visit every once in a while. Or maybe you can
come and visit Ranma and me in New York. Isn�t that a good idea?�
Nabiki spoke from the doorway. �Well, with Ranma gone out
of the house, we shouldn�t have any more repair bills to worry about.�
Nabiki winked at her older sister and put a finger alongside her nose.
�Besides, now here�s your chance to go after Dr. Tofu, big sister. I�ll
be back at college soon, and hopefully Daddy will start taking in some
students. He said he was thinking of it the other day.�
Akane�s tear barrier broke. �I am going to miss you both so
much!� She gathered Nabiki and Kasumi in a bone-crushing embrace,
wings and all.
All too soon, gurgling noises were heard from behind the black
wings.
�Um...Akane..gak...need...air..breathe...too..strong...urk...Akane!�
Akane, startled out of her sobbing by the choking noises, quickly
released her sisters from her grasp. Both fell to the ground, gasping for
air. �Geez, Akane. That new body of yours sure got stronger, didn�t it?
Good thing Ranma�s increased, as well. He�d never be able to take the
abuse.� Nabiki got a wicked gleam in her eye. �By the way Akane,
what�s up with you two? The way you both were acting earlier, I�d say
something else besides a new curse happened in China.�
Akane giggled and went to help her sisters up when she heard a
tapping on her window. She opened it and saw Ranma hovering in
front of her window with a goofy smile on his face. �Are you ready for
I would think that gliding would preclude hovering that close to the ground.
o.O;
your gliding lesson, Akane?� He did a few circles and loops in the air
to demonstrate. �It�s tons of fun, an� real easy! I picked it up after one
try.� He held out his hand to her to bring her outside. �Let�s go up to
the roof. Put your foot in my hand and flip up, okay?� She did so and
grabbed his shoulders for support. She nodded and crouched, ready to
jump. �Ready, and go.�
Angela and Shiun were circling above the roof, waiting for
Akane to come out. They were shocked to see her come flying
backwards, somersaulting, up to the top of the roof. The landed and
came over to her. �Akane, are you okay? You didn�t try anything
without our help, did you?�
Akane landed on her feet and wobbled a little, getting used to
the balance her new body gave her. �No, Ranma flipped me up here
from my room. We do that all the time. We are martial artists, you
know. That was only a simple flip. I have to get used to the extra
appendages and the different center of balance I have, now.�
Ranma landed on the roof next to her and looked at Akane in
her new outfit. He beamed at her and brushed away a lock of hair out
of her face. �You look beautiful, Akane. I like that color on you.�
Akane looked down at herself, and blushed. She straightened
out the dress and looked back up at Ranma with a big smile. �Thanks,
Ranma. That means a lot to me. You look pretty handsome in that
outfit, yourself.� She winked at him. �Just make sure you keep the
flaps of that loincloth where they are supposed to be, okay?� Akane
turned to Angela and Shiun and bowed to them. �I�m ready for my
lesson, sensei.�
Shiun bowed back and Angela awkwardly bowed back. �Okay.
First let�s see you spread your wings to their maximum width.�
Angela and Shiun demonstrated for her.
Akane thought about the new muscle groups that she seemed to
know existed. She spread them out as far as she could. She could feel
each muscle and tendon pulling and stretching each of the wing struts
to their maximum distance. She looked back at her wingspan. �Hey,
these wings are huge. I have just about the same span as Angela and a
little bit larger than Shiun�s wings. Ranma�s is longer than mine,
though. That might be the male aspect to him, though.� �How�s that?�
Angela and Shiun nodded.
Ranma nodded as well. �That�s great, Akane! You�re looking
good.�
Angela then instructed, �Now, move your wings up and
down.� Angela demonstrated for her. �Feel the air blowing across the
inner membranes. Can you feel the different gusts of wind, Akane?�
Akane closed her eyes and concentrated on the wind flowing
across her wings. She could feel the different levels of air blowing,
some warmer than others, some stronger than others. She opened her
eyes and nodded.
She saw that Angela was on one side of her and Shiun was on
the other. Ranma was facing her in the front. Shiun continued, �Now,
while keeping your wings extended, we are going to run across the
roof. Once we reach the end, you are going to bend down and push off
with your feet. That�s what those huge muscles in your legs are for,
Akane. Don�t be afraid to use them. After you jump, tuck your legs
under, and reach for the strongest air current with the tips of your
wings. Imagine yourself latching your wings onto the current and
letting it take you away from the house. Are you ready? We�ll be
holding onto your hands as you jump, so if you don�t get it the first
time, you won�t fall, okay?�
Ranma gave Akane one of his most brightest, winningest
smiles. �I know you can do it, Akane. I have complete faith in you!
I�ll be waiting out here, so don�t worry about nothin�. I�ll be there to
catch you if you fall.�
He hasn't had faith in her abilites before... but then again, they have been
getting better. ^_^
Akane, warmed throughout by Ranma�s words, felt she could
take on anything. She nodded at the females on either side of her, and
once to Ranma. He backed off and jumped into the air, waiting for
her. Akane also saw Brooklyn and Broadway giving her encouraging
smiles from the air. She nodded once again and started to run.
Akane ran as fast as she could. She could feel the extra muscle
in her legs, moving in synch with the rest of her body. She saw the end
of the roof and prepared to jump. She reached the edge, squatted, and
jumped in one fluid motion. She felt the different air currents rushing
across her body and her wings. One huge gust of wind caught her
attention and she �grabbed� onto the thermal with all her strength. She
felt her wings struggle to catch the gust of wind and for one brief
moment, she thought she was going to fall. All of a sudden, she felt
her wings catch the air, like a bedsheet blowing in the wind, and
Sails are good. A ship's sails catch wind, bedsheets tend to er... flutter.
started to rise in the air. She looked to the females on either side of her
and found they had already let go. She laughed and continued to go
higher.
Akane felt something come up on her left. She looked to her
side and saw Ranma beaming at her, with his hand outstretched.
Akane smiled back at him and grabbed his hand. Together, they glided
through the sky, turning and bobbing, weaving up and down, hopping
different air currents as their giddiness took over. Finally, they circled
back to the roof. The four New York gargoyles had bright smiles on
their faces and welcomed the two back with applause and cheers.
�Great job, you two! We have some mighty fast learners, here.
Now, Akane, you have the easy part done. Here comes the tricky part.
You need to land, and land in one piece.�
Ranma, still holding on to her hand, let go and came in front of
her again. �Akane, just think of it as descending with a parachute. Let
your wings be the parachute, and let the air out slowly from under
them.� Akane, still on a high from her maiden flight, let the air out too
fast. She started to gain speed instead of slowing down in the decent
to the roof.
�Ranma, help!�
Ranma seeing what was happening, tucked his wings and dove
underneath her to try and help cushion her fall. She caught a weak air
current before landing and slowed down a little bit, but not enough to
save herself and Ranma from crashing into the roof. They rolled a
little bit and came to a stop. The New York four came rushing over to
the pair to see if anything was wrong.
Akane groaned and rolled off Ranma. �Ugh...that didn�t work
out very well. Ranma, are you okay? Are you hurt?�
Ranma just groaned in response. �Boy, with that new body of
yours, Akane, you sure felt like a sack of bricks landing on me. I said
slowly, not all at once.�
Akane looked sick. �I�m sorry, Ranma. I didn�t mean to let
out all of the air at once.�
She looked sick? why?
Ranma looked at Akane and saw she was near tears. �Aww,
Akane. You know you�ve hit me a lot harder with that damned mallet
of yours! I�m fine. Now, stop your whimpering and give me a hug.�
Akane quickly dried the tears and glomped onto Ranma. �Wo
ai ni, Airen!�
Heh?
Ranma groaned, but took the glomp in stride. �Now, those I do
not miss.�
"Now, those I won't miss" Shampoo only left a few minutes ago...
The New Yorkers gave each other puzzled looks and shrugged
their shoulders. �I guess they�re okay.� They turned to Akane. �See
what we meant by the hard part?�
Everyone had a good laugh over this, and Owen called from the
yard. �The sun will be up in an hour or so. We need to leave soon if
we want to beat the sunrise.�
Er... but... didn't the Gargoyles just get there? o.O There was no sense of
the passage of time here. Sure there was a long conversation, but keep in
mind that people tend to speak faster then you or I can read or type.
The six gargoyles jumped off the roof and went to the front
gate, where everyone was waiting to send the two Nerimans off for
more adventures.
Xanatos clasped his hands together. �Okay, Ranma, Akane,
this is it. Please say your good byes and we will be off to the airport.�
Ranma and Akane only just got home. I still say Ishimura would be a better
move in the short range time period.
Ranma and Akane turned around to the group assembled and
gave each one a hug or a handshake. Kasumi, Nodoka and Ukyou
were teary-eyed as they gave their goodbye hugs; Genma waved as he
held a pail under Soun�s eyes to collect his tears. �My baby! My
baby! Waaaah!!�
Earlier, Ryouga went to use the bathroom, and has not been
seen since.
Nabiki hesitated, then caved in and gave each Akane and
Ranma a hug. �Now take care of her, Ranma. I don�t want to have to
come over there and give you a piece of my mind. Wait a minute,
maybe I do want to come over there. New York is where the
American Stock Exchange is located. And that Xanatos guy is a hunk
and a half. Hmmm.�
But... but he's MARRIED! *l* 'sides, I'm sure Nabiki plays the Nikkei
(Tokyo Stock Exchange)
Dr. Tofu gave Akane a hug and Ranma a firm handshake. �Do
take care of each other. We�ll be here waiting for you when you return
home.� Kasumi moved up behind Dr. Tofu and took hold of his hand.
He started, and saw who held his hand. He gave Kasumi a sweet smile
and looked back at Ranma and Akane, glasses only slightly fogged.
Ranma and Akane both raised a brow ridge at the new couple and
smiled. They turned around to their new friends and watched Owen
and Xanatos get into a cab. Ranma and Akane jumped onto the roof of
the house to get a launching point, while the others climbed a nearby
tree. Soon, the six gargoyles were winging their way through the air,
waving to the ones left behind.
Akane glided over to Ranma and clasped his hand in hers. He
smiled at her and gave her hand a gentle squeeze, intertwining his
talons with hers and headed towards the airport and their new life.
------detailed C&C ends here------
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