And here's the end of Childhood. Enjoy an C&C or I'll cancel Adulthood. :)
=======================================================================
Childhood of a Modern Dynasty
Epilogue: Childhood's End
Ranma 1/2 characters/situations created and copyright by Rumiko
Takahashi/Shogakukan/Kitty/Fuji/Viz - Used without permission
Childhood of a Modern Dynasty series created, written, and
copyright 1998-2000 by Jim Lazar
An ongoing series set after the end of the Ranma 1/2 manga and anime.
<Speech text in angle brackets is thought by character.>
"Speech text in double quotes is spoken as Japanese."
E-mail comments and/or criticisms to: mailto:jimlazar@animeprime.com
Make sure to check out my Modern Dynasty website for
all released CMD stories, graphics files, and other information:
http://www.animeprime.com/ff/md
=======================================================================
Inside the Buyierfei Monolith
James awoke and tried to get up, but a shooting pain rolled up his
side. Grimacing at the pain, he looked down and saw a blood stain
splashed across his gi. "Huh? When did that happen?" He opened his gi
top and flinched when he saw the wound. It was about ten centimeters
long, ragged, and there was blood oozing out of cracks in the dried
blood around the edges. "Oh... the spacejet crashed."
As memories of the crash resurfaced, he looked around him and
gasped as he saw nothing but black and gray shifting shadows. He knew
there was only one place he could be. "Oh.... shit."
"And here I thought your wife was the one with the potty mouth."
James looked at the sound of the voice and saw a naked redhead walk
up to him. "Sanma?"
San-chan nodded. "Thank goodness I found you, I was starting to
worry that I was all alone in here." She wiped a tear out of her eye and
did her best to steady her shaking hands. "After the crash, the
Buyierfei left the monolith and swarmed across the desert. There was a
pretty big fight and apparently at least some of us ended up inside the
monolith." She glanced around at the shifting shadows. "I hate this
place."
"I don't remember anything after the crash." James tried to get
up, only to feel a shooting pain again. "Arghhhhh..."
San-chan knelt down over James and checked the bloodstain.
"Nasty..." She shuddered. "I was never good with blood." She looked
around and saw the little backpack she had given him when the monolith
was first sighted. She ruffled through it and then frowned as her hand
went through the bottom. She wiggled her fingers. "So much for the spare
wristpad and the other electronics that are part of the standard kit."
James gasped at the mention of the wristtop and checked his
pockets. "Damn, my palmcard is gone."
San-chan extracted her arm from the hole and then opened a side
pocket that had a big red cross on it. She pulled out some bandages and
a metal surgical instrument with a curved end.
"What's that?"
"It'll help stop the bleeding." San-chan pulled the fabric of his
gi away and grimaced when she saw the wound. "Icky... This is going to
hurt. A lot."
As the instrument San-chan wielded in her shaking hand neared his
wound, James asked a question. "Um... before you do that, do you have
anything for the pain?"
San-chan's eye's went wide. "Oh... yeah." She dug through the
backpack and took out a small packet from the backpack. Tearing it open,
she tipped two pills out of the packet and held it to James' lips.
"Here, swallow these Nematril tablets."
James opened his mouth and swallowed the tablets after San-chan
placed them on his tongue.
"Okay, here I come."
James gritted his teeth and braced for the pain.
San-chan tensed as she inserted the curved end of the instrument
into the wound and hit a switch. Smoke rose from the wound as it was
cauterized.
"Arghhhhhh..." The pain was worse than anything James could have
ever imagined.
San-chan pulled the instrument out and then finished cleaning and
bandaging the wound as best she could. "That's the best I can do until
we get out of here."
James took a deep breath and sat up slowly, wincing as he did so.
"It's better. Thank you." He clutched his stomach and grunted. "Got any
more of those pills?"
"Yeah, but you can't take any more for two hours." San-chan looked
around. "I hope someone else made it in with us."
"Why?"
"I can't destroy the heart by myself."
"Oh..." James suddenly remembered San-chan was naked when she stood
up to scan the area and gave him a fairly good view of her body. "Um...
here." He started to take off the gi top he was wearing.
San-chan waved him to stop. "No... it'll help protect you from the
Buyierfei energy and Hanaki would kill me if I let you get killed."
"But..."
"I'll be okay. It's not the first time I've had to fight naked,
although usually it's that man who ends up misusing my body."
James paused to consider San-chan seemed to be talking like San-kun
was a different person. "San-kun?"
"Yeah, he just doesn't know how a girl really feels. He's used my
body for some very bad things." San-chan shuddered
"Um... okay." James decided he didn't want to know the details, so
he looked around instead. "What now?"
"Now I have to catch a Buyierfei and rip out its heart," San-chan
declared matter-of-factly as she smiled cutely. "If anyone else is
around, we should be able to find them after revealing the heart."
James blinked a few times at the thought of this seemingly frail
little teenager doing that.
Of course, that frail little teenager was really seventy-six years
old, the girl half of a man cursed by the Spring of Drowned Twins, one
of the top martial artists in the world, and had probably ripped out
many hearts in her life. And broken them too, for that matter.
-C- -M- -D-
"Moko Takabisha!!" San-chan called out and projected a beam of chi
in front of her. Buyierfei flashed into existence and then fell in
pieces around the corridor she had blasted out.
James staggered up to her. He had learned to keep his distance when
San-chan was firing chi, since some Buyierfei fragments had hit him
after her first blast.
San-chan scanned the area. "Weird... they aren't attacking at all.
Not even one glancing blow yet."
"Why would that be?"
San-chan shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know... Akane would." She
sighed heavily.
James wrapped his arm around San-chan's naked shoulder. "Shall we
continue looking?"
"Yeah..."
"Are you hitting on me?"
San-chan and James spun around at the sound of the male voice.
"Sanma!"
"Brother!" San-chan ran towards San-kun and into his arms. "I was
so worried."
"Yeah, me too." San-kun looked around. "Just you two so far?"
"Yeah."
San-kun took off his gi top and handed it to San-chan. He looked at
James, annoyed. "You could have given her yours, or do you get all hot
and bothered when you see me naked?"
James opened his mouth to respond. "I..."
San-chan wrapped the large top over her body. "Brother, stop being
mean to James. He offered, but I didn't want to leave him unprotected in
here."
San-kun nodded, but then frowned as something occurred to him.
"What about me then?"
San-chan smiled sweetly. "It's no big deal if you get killed, is
it?"
James was so stunned that his jaw dropped open.
San-kun smirked. "You really should respect yourself more, you
know." He looked around. "The Buyierfei attack you at all?"
San-chan and James shook their heads.
"Me neither, it's a little unusual not have any glancing blows
after being inside for this long. Hey, James, my wristpad and other
electronics were smashed up during the fight around the spacejet, so can
I borrow your palmcard? The satellite uplink is useless in here, but we
should be able to use its short range comm to see if anyone else is
around."
James shook his head. "I think I must have dropped it in the
crash." He patted his empty pockets. "I didn't have it on me when I woke
up here." He looked at San-chan. "I guess the spare from my backpack is
gone too."
San-chan nodded her head. "They took everything from me before I
burned my way out of the tentacles."
San-kun frowned. "Why would they be... CRAP!!" He spun around as if
expecting to see something. "We have to do this fast!" He didn't seem to
think the others got the gist of his concern, so he elaborated. "If they
are looking for a fetus..." He looked at San-chan's naked belly.
James and San-chan gasped as they realized what San-kun was worried
about: Maybe they hadn't been after Akane after all, maybe they were
after a baby instead.
James clenched his fists. "Hanaki!!"
-C- -M- -D-
She twisted in the grip of the tentacles, blood dripping from
assorted wounds on her naked body. "Oh no you don't!" She kicked out and
landed a bloody foothold in the hide of a Buyierfei. Using it as a
springboard, she vaulted herself up and over the hundreds of Buyierfei
which had been attacking her. "Moko Takabisha-Rapid Fire!!"
Dozens of chi balls flashed out and blew apart the black creatures.
At least some of them.
"Why the hell are they swarming around me so much?!"
-C- -M- -D-
"Got it!!" San-kun shouted and then swore when the tentacle slipped
out of his hands. "Dammit!"
"Can I help?" James asked.
"No... just keep out of the way."
"Brother, that's rude," San-chan as she shot off a chi blast. Black
figures flickered and the fragments dropped to the ground.
"No it's not." San-kun jumped forward, hoping to make contact with
a Buyierfei. "Damn..." He missed.
San-chan punched the empty air in front of her and was startled
when her fist hit a leathery surface. Although she had been looking for
one, when the large Buyierfei flashed into existence at her touch she
was surprised enough to stumble backwards. She barely recovered her
wits in time to avoid the tip of the tentacle that was aimed for her
chest. "Got one!!"
San-kun and James looked over to see that her statement wasn't
exactly correct. She had found one, but it was now wrapping its
tentacles around her body. So it was more like it had got her.
San-kun jumped high into the air and came down with a chi ball in
his hand. The glowing ball sliced though the creature's hide, causing
about a quarter of it to fall to the ground. San-kun hung onto the rest
and pulled at its tentacles to free San-chan.
San-chan gasped for breath as the tentacle that was wrapped around
her neck loosened. She started punching the central mass repeatedly.
"Keep..." Punch. "It..." Punch. "Still..." Punch followed by a sickening
squelchy sound. "Got it!" San-chan yanked back and ripped the still
beating heart out of the creature.
San-kun fell onto his butt when the Buyierfei suddenly stopped
moving and collapsed to the ground, it's tentacles twitching as it died.
Then he saw that San-chan had the creature's heart in her hands, which
she was holding as far away from her as possible. "Salt!!" He started
patting his pockets, only to find the pocket in question had been ripped
off. "Dammit... I lost my salt capsules!"
San-chan smiled and calmly walked over to James and dug into his
front pants pocket. "Like mother, like son," she commented as she pulled
out a salt capsule.
James smiled. "Well, you're the one who insisted I wear this
thing."
San-kun walked over and took the salt capsule from his sister. "So
I didn't remember that all the combat gis are outfitted with the same
supplies! Big deal!" He huffed and broke the salt capsule over the
heart.
James nodded. "I guess sixty years of experience pays off in being
prepared for this sort of thing."
San-kun grinned. "You should see a full monolith assault team in
action. Now, THAT is impressive."
San-chan watched the heart dissolve into dust in her hand. "You're
only saying that since you always insist on leading them."
"Of course, I'm the best."
James and San-chan looked at each other and sighed. Then they
looked around at the shifting shadows.
"It's starting," San-kun said as he watched the shadows start to
thin out.
James looked around and gasped in astonishment when he saw the
heart poke its vivid rays of multicolored light through the diminishing
shadows. He stood transfixed by the radiant light that now flooded
through the formerly drab world of gray shadows. "I wonder if this was
how my mother felt?"
"How do you feel?" San-chan asked.
"Scared, nervous, frightened, but at the same time awed by the
spectacular sight of the heart and everything."
"Yeah... your mom probably felt the same way." San-chan looked
directly at James. "Don't worry, we all have had those feelings at one
time or another when fighting the Buyierfei."
"Not me!" San-kun insisted.
San-chan laughed. "Try telling that to someone who doesn't know
your innermost fears, pains, and dreams."
San-kun glared at San-chan, pretty much telling James and San-chan
that she had hit the nail right on the head.
-C- -M- -D-
James collapsed to the ground and panted heavily.
San-chan leaned down. "Are you okay?"
James grimaced. "Yeah... just tired."
San-chan could tell James was in pain from his wound, but trying to
be brave. She had seen her brother act like that all too often to be
fooled. "We can rest here for a bit."
San-kun looked around. "Not too long. I really don't like it that
we are the only three here."
James clutched his stomach and looked up at San-kun. "Why can't a
team get in like the other times when other monoliths have appeared?"
San-kun exchanged a nervous look with San-chan and then answered
for both of them. "Once I enter a monolith, the portal is sealed."
James frowned. "Like the Middle East monolith back in ninety-nine?"
San-chan nodded. "Yes. Since I was the source of the..." She went
silent.
San-kun put an arm around San-chan to comfort her and then
continued the explanation for her. "Since the key was once a part of me,
my body has the effect of locking the portals whenever I enter one.
Usually in planned assaults I don't enter the monolith until the full
team is already inside, but we didn't exactly have a choice in the
matter this time."
"Shuma..." James muttered, scared to say the name of the key too
loudly.
-C- -M- -D-
"Hello!!" she shouted for the millionth time as she walked towards
the opposite side of the heart from where James and the Sanmas were, but
received no response for the millionth time. <There has to be someone
else in here with me to have revealed the heart, but who and where are
they now?>
Without anything better to do, she continued walking towards the
shining heart.
-C- -M- -D-
When James and the two Sanmas entered the heart's outer aura, they
didn't even have a chance to admire the crystal center before they were
attacked by dozens of Buyierfei.
An unseen tentacle sliced deeply into James' arm. "Gaaaa..." He
clutched at the wound to staunch the flow of blood.
"Stay close, James!" San-chan shouted as she blasted a handful of
Buyierfei into pieces smaller than her dainty hand. She made a point of
checking her fingers after the blast. "If you cause me to break a nail,
I'll never forgive you!" she shouted at her attackers then thrust her
hand out and hit an invisible Buyierfei that had been approaching her
from the side. A chi ball blew it apart a second later.
San-kun had left the close ones to San-chan and took to the air. He
did a high leap and laid down a barrage of chi balls in the area
surrounding them. He grinned as the results of his handiwork became
apparent in growing piles of black flesh.
"Be careful, brother!"
San-kun smiled as he touched down. "Don't worry, I am invincible!!"
"More like intractable," James commented.
San-chan laughed at the joke and kicked a Buyierfei in its central
mass at the same time.
"What does that mean?" San-kun asked as he swept a long beam of chi
across the area. He stopped suddenly when he heard a woman's scream. He
looked back and saw that it wasn't San-chan who had screamed. "Who's
there?!"
"Stupid old man..." a bruised and blackened figure snapped as she
walked into sight from the other side of the crystal center of the
heart.
Three jaws dropped.
"Jaki?" James gasped.
"You're... alive?" San-kun asked. "But... the rear section
exploded."
"You of all people should know that it takes a lot more than that
to kill a Kuonji." Jaki smiled with her dirty lips. "I found myself here
after the rear section hit the monolith."
San-kun smiled. "Great to have you here, granddaughter."
San-chan had wrapped her arms around Jaki and hugged her tightly.
"I'm glad you're alright." Tears were streaming from her eyes.
"Yeah... me too."
San-kun looked at Jaki's naked body. "You weren't pregnant, were
you?"
Jaki glared at her uncle. "No!! I turned my implant on when John
and-" She shut up suddenly as she realized she had let a little too much
slip out. Then she gasped just as suddenly when she realized something
else. "That's why the Buyierfei were swarming all over me! I had turned
it on for my date a few days ago so by now my hormonal balance would be
similar to a pregnant woman's."
San-chan nodded. "That makes sense. Thanks for taking the heat off
us."
"No problem." Jaki smirked at her grandfather and then looked at
the crystal center. "Now let's blow this thing so we can all go home,
okay?"
"My thoughts exactly." San-kun looked around. "James, stick close
to San-chan. San-chan, lay down a suppression grid to keep the Buyierfei
off our backs."
San-chan nodded and cupped her hands.
San-kun thought for a second. "Better keep them off our fronts as
well, okay?" He saw San-chan nod and then looked at Jaki. "Ready,
granddaughter?"
"I'm always ready, old man." Jaki looked at San-chan and nodded.
San-chan started to generate a series of chi balls and flung them
out at seemingly random intervals and directions.
Jaki ran towards the left side of the ice pillar. "I'm fire!"
"You always think you're so hot," San-kun commented as he took off
for the right side, running just behind the chi balls San-chan was
firing. The chi balls crossed in front of him, occasionally vaporizing a
Buyierfei that was in his path.
Although seemingly random, San-chan's blasts were laid out in a
pattern refined through the years of battles with the Buyierfei. They
allowed San-kun and Jaki to concentrate on focusing their chi into the
fire and ice pillars they would use to crack and destroy the crystal
center.
San-kun reached his position at almost the same time as Jaki
reached hers. "Hiryu Hyouchuu Ha!" He shouted and projected a cool
pillar towards the center.
Jaki yelled out her attack a split second later. "Hiryu Hibashira
Ha!!"
Before the two pillars touched, San-kun suddenly sprung backwards.
"Get out of the way, Jaki!!" he yelled as the crystal center turned
completely black and exploded. In addition to the sharp crystal shards
that showered the area, dozens of black chi balls spread outwards.
Jaki rolled to the side at her grandfather's warning and barely
avoided several chi balls. She scanned the area. "James, look out!!"
San-kun looked towards James and saw what had prompted Jaki's cry.
Although James was doing a good job of dodging the chi balls that came
his way, he didn't see the one that had rebounded off the aura that
surrounded the heart's former crystal center and was now aimed directly
towards James' head. Since he was closer, San-kun took a step towards
James, but stopped when he realized it was too late.
James spun around and saw the black chi ball that was headed right
towards his head. Purely by instinct, he put his arms up and covered his
face. That saved his life. The black energy impacted the golden fabric
of his gi and washed across it without causing James any harm. He
lowered his hands and looked at the fabric that had just saved his life.
"Damn, that was close."
"Grandfather, get James out of here!! It's a false heart!!" Jaki
yelled to San-chan as she deflected black chi balls with her arms, which
were glowing with green chi energy.
San-kun charged his arms up with the green energy as well. "We'll
cover your backs!" He smashed a black chi ball headed for James and
San-chan out of the way.
San-chan didn't need to be told twice. "Come on, James... we were
setup." She grabbed James' hand and pulled him away.
"What's going on?" James asked as he was pulled towards the outer
aura of the heart.
"It's not the real heart..." San-chan's explanation trailed off as
she glanced back at the center. "Brother!! Look out for..."
San-kun deflected another black chi ball and spun around just in
time to be engulfed by a large ball of chi energy that had formed from a
dozen of the smaller chi balls after they had rebounded off the aura.
Without the protection of his gi top and not having been able to
get a chi shield up in time, Sanma writhed in pain as the black energy
burned into his flesh. Smoke rose from the chunks of flesh as they
dropped from his body. His face disintegrated as the flesh was burned
off layer by layer. His screams stopped after his lungs were burned
beyond their ability to draw air though his throat. His lifeless body
collapsed into a pile of burnt flesh and twisted bones.
James looked away from the burned pile that was once San-kun, a
horrified grimace frozen on his face.
***********************************************************************
November 17-18, 2057 - Tendo Compound, Nerima, Japan
Hanaki walked into the room and grimaced at the mess that met her
eyes. There were stacks of electronic components piled everywhere she
looked. Pieces of wristpads, system boxes, holo-storage arrays, and
several things that she had no idea what they were. Truth be told, there
were things that even the occupants of the room didn't know what they
were.
She walked though a very small corridor that wove its way through
the piles of equipment. She brushed against one pile and tensed when it
wobbled precariously. She relaxed when it didn't bury her and carefully
slid around it. "Rei?!"
Reiko's voice responded. "Hanaki? We're in the center!"
Hanaki looked around. "You'll have to be more specific."
Reiji's voice replied this time. "Left, right, under a pile of
zMacs, and then right at the pile of holo-cams that Reiko burned out
trying to film her swing dancing contest demo dis.... urk."
"Shut up!"
Hanaki followed the instructions and found herself in a large area
filled with benches made out of old technology. "How's it coming?" she
asked as she looked around the center of the work room the Rei's used
for their myriad of projects.
Reiji looked up from an apparatus he was bent over. The apparatus
had dozens of small articulated arms in various positions around a small
turntable. On the turntable were pieces of a old palmcard. At the end of
each arm, laser beams of various colors traced lines into the pieces on
the turntable. A holo-display floated nearby displaying data that would
make Einstein dizzy. Reiji tapped a few instructions into a keyboard and
then answered Hanaki's question. "Slow."
"It's really important to me."
Reiji nodded. "We know. The holo-memory was extremely fragmented.
The bloo.. um... there was a corrosive effect on the holo-crystal's
matrix."
Reiko put a hand on Hanaki's shoulder. "We're trying. We already
got fifty gigabytes out of the damaged memory core. I know that doesn't
sound like much, but it's a good start."
Hanaki sighed. "I appreciate your work... it's just so important to
me to get the last things that he wrote."
Reiji nodded. "We know."
"So, how's your son doing?" Reiko asked as she looked at Hanaki's
belly.
Hanaki put her hand on her stomach. She wasn't showing yet, but
that didn't stop her from experiencing the other signs of being
pregnant. Namely, throwing up a lot and eating anything that would make
normal men and women throw up. Maybe there was a connection there
somewhere. "We're doing fine, the... wait a second... why did you say
'son'?"
Reiko looked away, while Reiji suddenly found an interesting
blinking light to tap.
Hanaki glared at the twins. "You hacked into my implant, didn't
you?"
Reiko blushed and nodded. "I'm sorry... I was curious."
Hanaki sighed. "It's okay." She looked down at her stomach. "A son,
huh?" She smiled.
-C- -M- -D-
The next day, Hanaki strolled up to a gravestone with a bouquet of
flowers in her hand and knelt down in front of the grave. She stared at
the name on the grave for several seconds before putting the flowers
down and lighting a stick of incense. "I miss you. My life seems so
empty without you. I keep turning around and seeing you out of the
corner of my eye. Are you haunting me, I wonder?" She sighed heavily. "I
wouldn't mind it. Just to see your smiling face again would be worth
it."
She put her hand on her stomach. "I'm going to have a son. I had
wanted to wait and be surprised, but Reiko got curious and read the info
from my implant. Maybe I should just have the implant removed now that
I've..." She reached up and brushed some moss off the gravestone. "I've
decided to resign from the Task Force." She paused as if she expected
something to happen, but the cemetery remained quiet. "I can't make that
choice again. I traded one life for how many? Looks good on paper, but
it left a hole in my heart."
"Those decisions are hard to make, but would you have preferred
everyone on board have died?"
Hanaki looked around to see Akane standing behind her. "Auntie..."
"Don't make rash decisions about quitting the Task Force. You'll
have time to think about it while you're pregnant."
"I don't want to think about it! I don't want to be put in that
position ever again!"
Akane sighed. "And the next time a team has a casualty, will you
start wondering if you could have helped them?"
Hanaki just stared at her aunt.
"I've been there, Hanaki. During the Black Wars I decided my
choices were getting people killed and I gave up. I stopped fighting and
cowered here in my home, trying to forget the world. It didn't keep the
Blackness from hurting me. It cost me more than I could have ever
imagined possible." She glanced at two large gravestones that were
prominently positioned in the cemetery. "It's your choice, but remember
that NOT fighting can also lead to bad things. If you don't make the
decisions, someone else will. Your conscience may rest easier knowing
you didn't send someone to their death, but deep down you'll never rid
yourself of the guilty feeling that you might have made a difference."
Hanaki wiped a tear out of her eyes. "I'll... I'll think about it."
"Good." Akane turned and started to walk towards the two large
gravestones. "In case you haven't heard, the Utah monolith exploded."
Hanaki gasped. "Huh?"
"Last night. The Americans are already complaining about the large
chunk of that national park that was vaporized, but I've asked Shashiki
to sooth their feathers and she's never lost a staring match yet."
Hanaki looked down at her wristpad. "I haven't felt like looking at
the news since we crashed. I kept dreading seeing his name listed as a
casualty. Did they..."
Akane nodded slightly. "The team that picked them up from the last
blast site is due to land soon. Your husband's okay."
Hanaki gasped. She started to run off, but stopped, turned around,
and bowed to Jaki's gravestone. Then she raced out of the cemetery.
Akane watched Hanaki run off and then walked over to the two large
gravestones. After lighting some incense, she knelt in front of them.
"Well, the fight goes on. I miss having you at my side. In battle, in
bed, and everything in between. Sanma tries his best, but he can't fill
the void left by you." She glanced at the other gravestone and clutched
her chest. "Both of you."
"The grandkids are taking up the fight like our kids did and we did
before them, but I worry that they may never have a life without the
Blackness. Even I find it hard to remember what my life was like before
the Buyierfei entered it. I know the good times are there, but the
Blackness seems to overshadow them more often than not."
Akane held her hair and skirt as a hoverjet roared overhead,
churning up a dust cloud. "We won the battle again, but can we ever win
the war?" She took a deep breath. "And how many more times will I have
to bury a husband, a friend, or a beloved family member?"
-C- -M- -D-
Hanaki's skirt was blasted into the air as the hoverjet landed in
front of her. She pushed it down with her hands as the rotors whined
down and stopped. The seemingly endless wait for the hatch to open was
excruciating to her.
Finally her impatience was rewarded and the hatch popped open. It
lowered to form a ramp, which Yohachi walked down. He saw Hanaki and
smiled. "He'll be okay."
Behind him several Task Force members carried a stretcher with a
tall man laid out on it. The man had bandages around his waist and arms.
His face was average to everyone but his wife. He looked mostly
Caucasian with just a touch of Hispanic features that he had inherited
from his grandmother. His mop of blondish-brown hair framed his hazel
eyes.
"James!!" Hanaki leapt into his arms, almost causing the
stretcher-bearers to drop him. "I was so worried!" She gave him a long
kiss.
James smiled after the kiss ended. "Yeah, me too. But the medics on
the hoverjet said that the would isn't that bad and I'll probably be up
and dancing in n time." He reached up and caressed the side of Hanaki's
face. "I had no idea what was going on outside of the monolith and if
you were safe or not?"
"I'm fine... so is our son." Hanaki patted her stomach.
"Son?" James smiled broadly.
"Yup. I'm glad you made it out safely for his sake. When I came to
after the crash and found only your blood covered palmcard, I was
worried sick that my baby might have to grow up without its father."
"Yeah, well... my only comfort was knowing you probably weren't in
the monolith with us after Jaki showed up."
Hanaki's face fell. "Huh? She... she's dead."
"You can't keep a good Kuonji down, you should know that, Captain."
Hanaki trembled as she looked up at the hatch to the hoverjet and
saw a tall, long-haired brunet standing at the top of the ramp. "Ja...
ki."
Jaki grinned. "Guess it's a good thing you sent me to my fiery
demise, I ended up saving your husband's cute ass in there."
Hanaki took several stunned steps towards the young woman before
leaping into Jaki's arms. "How... how..."
Jaki grinned. "Funny thing about us Saotomes... we turn up in the
strangest places."
Hanaki didn't release her hug as she looked up at Jaki's eyes.
"You... you were absorbed into the monolith when the aft section
exploded against it?"
"That was a clever plan you had to sic me on the Buyierfei all by
myself."
Hanaki laughed at hearing Jaki being her usually flippant self,
something she had never expected to hear again. "Damn, that would have
been a good idea. I should have sent more people with you."
Jaki grinned. "Next time."
Hanaki heart skipped a beat. <Maybe there will be a next time...>
She hugged Jaki closer. "What about my uncle?"
"NOW you finally think of your favorite uncle," Sanma said from the
top of the ramp. She started to walk down it.
Hanaki smiled. "I'm glad you're safe. Where's San-kun?"
Sanma laughed and tapped her chest. "Inside me."
Hanaki gasped. "Ahhhh, end of the string of blessings, huh?"
Sanma nodded. "Yeah, nasty fire fight inside and I ended up getting
killed. But we got though it mostly unscathed despite that."
"Mostly?"
Sanma held up her index finger and grinned. "I broke a nail."
-C- -M- -D-
"This is creepy," Jaki said as she looked at her own gravestone.
Hanaki squeezed the hand she had around Jaki's shoulder. "Sorry,
but we really had no clue that you might have survived."
James looked around, using a cane for support. "Nothing for me?"
"No, we knew that you were taken into the monolith by tracing your
tag." Hanaki indicated the bump on her wrist that covered the tag like
the one they all had inserted under their skin. "It was very hard
waiting to find out what happened inside, but Akane was confident that
Sanma could get you through it okay." She looked at Jaki. "If we had any
idea you could have been absorbed before the rear section exploded, we'd
have waited on the funeral."
"Was my funeral nice?" Jaki asked, smirking.
Hanaki hugged Jaki. "It was the best, we shot a holo-vid of it."
Jaki smirked. "Can't wait to see it."
Hanaki laughed. "I'm just glad you all made it out."
"Yup, the only casualty was my palmcard. I wish I'd have backed it
up before our flight, I ended up losing a couple days of writing."
Hanaki smiled. "The Reis are trying to extract the data from it
now. I knew it was important."
"Not as important as you are." James gave Hanaki a long kiss.
"Kissing in front of a person and her grave is impolite, guys."
The lips parted and they smiled at Jaki.
"Well, I'm just glad we don't have to put San-kun's name on that
grave instead," James remarked.
"You're glad?" They looked around and saw Sanma walk up to them.
"Well, seeing your smoking remains did make me sick," James
commented.
"Yeah, it grossed me out too," Sanma agreed. "It seems no matter
how many times I die, I just can't get used to it."
James wasn't sure if Sanma was kidding or being serious. "Well,
speaking as someone who only has one life to lose, I hope I never have
to see anyone die like that again."
"Me neither..." Sanma remarked, frowning.
James appraised Sanma's response. <It was both, her cavalier
attitude hides the pain of the friends and family he's lost over the
years.>
***********************************************************************
Inside the Buyierfei Monolith
"It's not the real heart..." San-chan's explanation trailed off as
she glanced back at the center. "Brother!! Look out for..."
San-kun deflected another black chi ball and spun around just in
time to be engulfed by a large ball of chi energy that had formed from a
dozen of the smaller chi balls after they had rebounded off the aura.
Without the protection of his gi top and not having been able to
get a chi shield up in time, Sanma writhed in pain as the black energy
burned into his flesh. Smoke rose from the chunks of flesh that dropped
from his body. His face disintegrated as the flesh was burned off layer
by layer. His screams stopped after his lungs were burned beyond their
ability to draw air though his throat. His lifeless body collapsed into
a pile of burnt flesh and twisted bones.
James looked away from the burned pile that was once San-kun, a
horrified grimace frozen on his face.
"Shit..." San-chan swore and turned toward James, who was now on
his hands and knees. "Water!"
"Huh?" James asked absently, looking up from his bent over position
where he had been doing his best to throw up, but found his stomach had
already been emptied of it's contents during the hectic flight in Tendo
One. "Water won't help him now..." His stomach churned again as he
caught sight of the body.
San-chan mumbled something and ripped a pocket on James' pants
open. She pulled a small hip flask out and ran towards the corpse,
dodging chi balls as she ran.
"Hurry up, grandfather!!" Jaki yelled as she used her glowing arms
to keep the black chi balls away from San-chan and James. She
concentrated and the green glow spread from her arms to cover her whole
body. Under the circumstances she was going to need the protection, but
the chi shield also slowed her movements somewhat.
San-chan reached the smoking remains of San-kun, she splashed the
water over the corpse and then herself, making sure that the water
touched both of them at the same time.
James shielded his eyes from the bright light that engulfed both
Sanmas. "What the..."
When the light faded, San-chan was standing over the burned pants
San-kun had been wearing. But the pile of flesh and bone that was once
San-kun was gone.
"Huh? Where's..."
San-chan grinned as she raced back towards James. "As my
granddaughter said, it takes a lot more than that to kill a Kuonji."
"The blessing..." James gasped.
While Jaki used her entire body to deflect chi balls away from
James and her grandfather, San-chan grabbed James' hand and pulled him
out of the heart's aura. "Yup... this is one of the reasons we don't
consider it a curse anymore."
"You've been dead before?"
Sanma grinned. "Yup, it's really painful, but any death you can
walk away from is a good death."
James frowned as he looked at Sanma. "Um... why are you still
young?"
Sanma smiled with her unwrinkled face. "I won't be for long. It'll
take a couple days, but my real age will start to show itself. I'll
still be ruggedly handsome, of course." She struck a pose that would
make people think 'what a babe' rather than 'handsome'.
"Okay, you ugly old man-" Jaki called out as she exited the aura.
"-now that you're alive again lets find the real heart!!"
"No argument here, I just used up my get-out-of-death-free card and
I'd rather not press our luck any further." Sanma looked at James.
"Since we're down a combatant, stay close to me and keep your eyes
peeled."
James nodded and tried to keep up with Sanma and Jaki as be he
could with his wound.
James nodded and they ran away from the false heart in search of
the real one, keeping their pace slow enough for James to keep up.
"First one to spot the heart gets the first dance!!" Sanma shouted
as they moved through the Buyierfei realm, blasting anything that moved.
After countless time, James called out. "There, behind that black
mass!!"
"Good eyes, James!" Jaki remarked as she altered her course.
Sanma smiled. "Guess you really wanted to dance with me, huh?"
James smiled. "Get me out of here in one piece and you've got
yourself a deal."
Sanma smirked. "As if there was ever any doubt I'd save us all."
***********************************************************************
November 21, 2057 - Tendo Compound, Nerima, Japan
Kasumi's eightieth birthday party was in full swing when James
walked off the dance floor and sat down. He put his hand to the spot he
had been wounded and took some deep breaths.
"Here."
James looked up and smiled at the birthday girl. "Thanks." He took
the offered glass of water and drank some.
"Is your wound bothering you?"
James shrugged. "It's still sore, but I'm okay." He looked around
the large dojo. "Quite some party."
Kasumi smiled and sat down next to James, leaving her walker
standing nearby. "Yes... but it's very tiring."
"Tell me about it. It seems like everyone wants to dance with me
tonight."
Kasumi chuckled. "We consider it good luck to dance with someone
who has recently destroyed a monolith."
James looked out on the dance floor and saw Jaki and Sanma dancing
with various people. "That explains it. I really didn't help destroy it,
you know."
Kasumi smiled and patted my hand. "We all help in our own ways,
James."
"After I catch my breath, would you care to take a spin?" James
gestured at the dance floor. "
Kasumi chuckled, but shook her head. "Maybe after I get my new hip,
tibias, and the butt-lift."
James laughed, knowing the 'butt-lift' was really a procedure to
regenerate atrophied muscle tissue. "Hanaki told me about that. Why did
you wait so long? That operation is pretty routine these days."
Kasumi sighed. "I'm an old fuddy-duddy, that's why."
"Nonsense. You're an amazing woman, whose beauty and charm makes up
for a bum hip." James leaned over and gave Kasumi a peck on her cheek.
"If I can dance after having my stomach stitched up four days ago, you
can too."
Kasumi smiled. "Maybe I'll take you up on that offer, but under one
condition."
"Name it."
"You have to be the first person to dance with me after I get my
new hips."
James smiled. "Deal." He stood up and held out his hand to Kasumi.
Kasumi took the offered hand and got shakily to her feet. "Just
take it easy on me."
"I will." James helped Kasumi out onto the dance floor and
supported her weight as they danced slowly around the dance floor.
In turn, they passed by the other dancing couples: Akane with her
husband. Hanaki was enjoying a giggle filled dance with her
recently-returned-from-the-dead best friend, Jaki. Yohachi was
attempting to teach Reiko the waltz, but she wasn't doing too well.
Shashiki and her husband were putting everyone else to shame. Ayami and
her husband ignored the others and danced slowly, cheek to cheek. Imoki
was arguing with her sister, Ukki, about the younger sister not wanting
to dance with Reiji. When little Daijiko dragged her 'fiancee' Takma out
onto the dance floor, the partygoers broke into applause and watched the
two kids put a good percentage of the other dancers to shame.
That list was by no means complete, there were many other people
dancing, talking, and enjoying the celebration. Only a small percentage
of which James would have been able to identify. The large dojo hall was
filled to the brim with Tendos, Saotomes, Onos, Kuonjis, and the other
families that all called the Compound home.
After several minutes, Kasumi's oldest son walked over. "Mind if I
cut in?" Moyashi asked and held out his hand to his mother.
James smiled. "Be my guest, I can't keep up with her."
Kasumi chuckled. "Oh, James." She slipped into her son's arms and
smiled. "It's been awhile since we've danced, hasn't it, dear?"
Moyashi nodded. "Way too long, Mother."
James watched the mother and son spin away, wishing he could be
that graceful on the dance floor. He was interrupted by a tap on his
shoulder. "Oh, Reiko. What's up?"
"I'm no good at the waltz, want to swing with me?" Reiko asked
sweetly, batting her eyelashes.
"I'll step on you for sure."
"That's okay." Reiko smiled and started to dance with James,
obviously keeping it slow for his sake. A few minutes into the dance,
she sped up.
Not long after, James sat on a chair with his head between his
knees, breathing heavily. "You... you're just too young and wild for me
Reiko."
"I know." Reiko smiled. "Thanks for the trip around the dance
floor, James." She started to walk away, but then stopped and looked
back at James. "By the way, we got a large file out of your palmcard
this afternoon. It was called 'childhood's end' or something like that."
James gasped. "That's it! That's the ending I was going to use for
Childhood!"
"Really? I didn't have a chance to read it, how does it end?"
James laughed. "I have no idea. I wrote it when I was half-asleep.
Thanks, I'll look forward to finding out what I actually wrote."
Reiko smiled. "No problem, we're the best after all. It's in the
system under your data store whenever you want to check it out."
"Thanks again." James watched Reiko walk off and ambush her
brother. A brief argument ensued, but ended when Ukki and Reiji were
pushed out together onto the dance floor by their respective sisters.
James laughed and then looked over at a system access keyboard in
the corner of the room.
"Oh no, no work for you today, honey."
James looked over to the source of the voice and smiled when he saw
his wife. If her beautiful smile didn't drive all thoughts of work from
his mind, the low-cut black dress she was barely wearing did. "Work?
Never crossed my mind."
Hanaki smiled. "Yeah, prove it."
James stood up and took Hanaki in his arms and gave her a long
kiss.
Hanaki tried to catch her breath. "Okay... I believe you."
"Oh, get a room you two!" Sanma shouted.
James smiled as he looked over to where Sanma was dancing with
Akane. "You're one to talk!"
Hanaki pulled James out onto the dance floor and beamed with
happiness as he took her in his arms and danced his feet off.
The book could wait a little longer. The night was meant for
celebration, not work.
Celebration of Kasumi's eighty years and celebration of a family
that had emerged from yet another storm, stronger than they were before.
***********************************************************************
February 1, 2000 - Cemetery of the Light, Tokyo, Japan
"Oh, Mariko! How I curse the day that you left me!!" Kuno sobbed
into his hands in front of an elaborate gravestone bearing the name
'Mariko Kuno'. He sighed and looked at the name engraved on the stone.
He traced the name again, as if it allowed him to touch his wife again.
The cemetery was silent for minutes while Kuno knelt in front of
the grave without moving or speaking. Suddenly, he jumped to his feet.
"I will avenge your death, my dear!"
He drew his bokken and raised it over his head. "I will slay the
demon who has done this to you!"
A pause.
"Ranma Saotome, I vow on my dear wife's grave that I shall slay you
for dropping that accursed dojo on my wife!!"
***********************************************************************
February 14, 2000 - Kuwait City, Kuwait
Ukyo opened her eyes only to see black shifting shadows floating
above her. <Crap, I thought we had escaped from the monoliths?> She
tried to move, but found she was unable to. She blinked a few times and
then turned her head slowly, grimacing as she found it very painful to
do so.
She was amazed to find she was not in the Buyierfei realm. Instead,
she found herself in a hospital room. <What?> She looked down at her
body and saw that she was in a body cast. Her shoulders, chest, and
stomach were fully enclosed in the cast, which also extended down her
left thigh to just above her knee. The last piece was most likely due to
the blast hitting her on her left side. <Looks like I made it out in one
piece.> She looked closer at the large cast. <I hope.>
She blinked a few times and the black shadows started to clear from
her vision. She looked to her left and saw a window with an unfamiliar
cityscape stretched out before it. She looked to her right and saw a red
pigtail. "Sanma!!" she croaked and then winced as every part of her body
protested the act of speaking.
"Sanma..." she said softly, this time without as much pain.
Sanma opened her eyes and saw a gorgeous pair of brown eyes looking
back at her. Gorgeous despite being bloodshot and very weary looking.
"Ukyo! You're finally awake!"
"Yeah..." Ukyo said softly. "Where... what... who..."
"Shhh.... don't talk, you've been hurt pretty badly. They say
you've been unconscious since they carried you out of the canyon. I'll
fill you in if you promise not to move suddenly." Sanma leant over Ukyo
and kissed her lips tenderly, afraid to put any force behind the kiss.
Ukyo took a shallow breath. "I must be in pretty bad shape if you
won't kiss me harder than that. Please tell me everything."
"First, you are going to live. I won't allow you to die on me
again."
Ukyo smiled sweetly.
"Your wounds are pretty bad and the doctors say you'll need a lot
of rehabilitation, but I'll be at your side the whole time."
Ukyo smiled contently.
"The Buyierfei are gone for good."
"Shu..." Ukyo started to ask.
"He's dead... and so is my child." Sanma took a deep breath.
"According to the Amazons, without the 'bridge' the Buyierfei are
trapped in their realm."
Ukyo nodded her understanding.
"There were some casualties."
Ukyo tensed.
"There were earthquakes and attacks from the Buyierfei all around
the world. In addition to some widespread property damage, the last
estimated death toll was over five hundred thousand, but I think it
could have been much worse if we didn't... you know. The Amazons lost
some warriors. Thirty-two, I believe. Kasumi broke her hip pretty badly.
Ranma and Ranko are mending pretty fast from their injuries. Some other
minor injuries, but all in all we were lucky." Sanma leaned down and
gave Ukyo a stronger kiss. "Very lucky."
"Baby..."
"Oh... Ranko's baby is okay and we got Akane's baby boy back. They
named him Yohachi. They almost named him Ukyo, but then you had to spoil
it and live."
Ukyo smiled. "Sorry."
"Nerima is quite a mess and I'm afraid your restaurant is gone."
Ukyo stared up at the ceiling and sighed. After several moments she
spoke. "That's okay. It'll have to be a fond memory now." She looked
into Sanma's eyes. "We can make new memories."
"Yeah... um... I want to tell you that..."
"Oh! Mrs. Kuonji, you're awake!" a voice said in very broken
Japanese.
Sanma and Ukyo looked over and saw a nurse walk in.
The nurse came over and checked a little electronic monitor by the
bedside. "Mr. Kuonji, you should have called us as soon as she woke up."
"Sorry, I was just so happy that she was finally awake."
The nurse examined Ukyo quickly and then left to get the doctor who
had been supervising Ukyo's operations and treatments.
"Mr. Kuonji?"
"Yeah, after Nabiki managed to get me a flight here, it took me a
long time to get the nurses to call me mister." Sanma smirked.
"No... why Kuonji?"
"Oh... Nabiki had the paperwork done like that. We can have a real
ceremony once you get better."
Ukyo studied Sanma's face for a few moments before replying. "No, I
married you in the monolith. That's real for me. Anything else now would
only be for show. Although, I would like a ring." She grinned.
Sanma smiled and reached into her pocket. She pulled out a little
ring box and opened it. "I didn't come halfway around the world-" She
paused to consider she had flown to the Middle East twice now. "-without
being prepared to seal our marriage with a ring."
"Oh my... it's beautiful." Ukyo smiled as Sanma slipped it on her
finger. She bent her arm up to look at the ring. "I was kind of hoping
to be a Saotome, but my father will like the idea of the Kuonji name
being carried on."
Sanma frowned. "Well, I don't know about that... I'm a girl now."
"But the new curse..."
Sanma shrugged. "It's been a month and half since... actually over
two months if you count the time on Earth, since I became a girl in the
desert. I think the curse is finished with me, since I've been splashed
with cold water several times since then."
"Oh..."
Sanma could hear the disappointment in her voice. "Are you okay
with me not being a man anymore?"
Ukyo's eyes went wide. "Oh, Sanma... I didn't mean it like that. I
love you no matter what sex..." She paused as something occurred to her.
"Or species you are. It's just that... well, I've always wanted to have
children."
"Who knows... maybe we'll find someway to have kids. Life is full
of surprises."
"Yeah... but I think I've had enough surprises for one lifetime
already."
Sanma laughed and gave her wife a long kiss.
***********************************************************************
December 11, 2000 - Mudwart, Australia
"Come on, Kang! Tell us how you fought the black beasties!" An
obviously drunk man said as he tried without success to sit on the bar
stool next to Kang.
Kang smirked. "You've heard it all before, mate. Why don't I buy
you some coffee?"
The drunk looked up from the floor where he had fallen. "Everyone
knows it was those big breasted bimbos that fought the demons... not
some two-bit tour guide from Mudwart!"
"Believe what you want, mate, I know I fought alongside the
Amazons." Kang reached over and grabbed his giant barbecue fork. "See?"
He indicated the bent tine and dried black blood.
The drunk stumbled to his feet. "You really should clean and repair
that thing, Kang."
Kang smiled. "Yeah, but it reminds me of someone."
The drunk man looked at the bartender. "You got a fork, Dirk?"
The bartender nodded and handed a fork to the drunk.
The drunk grinned and bent one of the fork's tines and then dipped
it in a bowl of barbecue sauce that sat nearby on the bar. He waved it
at Kang. "Oooooooo, look at me, the dreaded demon killer Kang!"
Before Kang could reply, a ribbon came out of nowhere and wrapped
around the drunk's wrist. A quick yank sent the fork clattering across
the floor.
Kang followed the ribbon back to its source. "Ko... Kodachi?"
"Glad to see me, darling?" Kodachi smiled pleasantly.
Kang was too shocked to answer, so he just nodded.
"That must be one of those big-breasted bimbos!" the drunk said,
laughing.
Kang showed great restraint in just bashing the drunk over the head
with the handle of his fork instead of shoving the other end up a
certain orifice.
-C- -M- -D-
The half moon shone down on Kang and Kodachi as they sat close to
each other on a cliffside.
"Do you think the Moon will ever look like it used to?" Kodachi
asked, gazing at the large cloud of debris that surrounded the Moon,
which caused it to look fuzzy and out of focus to those looking at it
from Earth.
Kang glanced at Kodachi. "They say that the debris will eventually
fall back to the surface." Kang tried to casually put his hand on
Kodachi's, but missed and put it on her thigh.
Kodachi didn't mind. "Kang?"
"Yes?"
"I love you."
Kang tensed. "Kodachi, I don't know if this will work."
"But... I'm better now and my doctor say's it's okay for me to have
a relationship as long as I'm honest with you." Kodachi looked down at
her lap and started to twiddle her thumbs. "I have to take some medicine
once a day, but it's only to control..."
"That's not what I mean..." Kang took a deep breath. "I like you
and everything, but I'm not sure if this is just another example of you
just latching onto a man who had shown you kindness."
Kodachi frowned. "You've been talking to my doctor, haven't you?"
Kang nodded. "Yeah, sorry. I was just worried about you and wanted
to make sure you were okay."
Kodachi smiled and looked up at Kang. "That tells me I didn't make
this trip in vain." The moonlight lit up their faces as she leaned over
and gave Kang a long kiss.
Kang was shocked at first, but slowly closed his eyes. <Maybe it
could work.> He wasn't able to tell Kodachi that since her tongue was in
his mouth, so he told her with body language.
Kodachi felt Kang's body press her down onto the ground. <Oh...
Kang.>
***********************************************************************
December 19, 2000 - Nerima, Japan
"Where the hell are we now!" Ryoga screamed.
Akari smiled and pulled the blindfold off Ryoga's eyes. "We're
here."
Ryoga started at the gate with a sign reading 'Tendo & Saotome
Residence'. "Oh, that worked great! To think all I had to do to keep
from getting lost was to not look where I was going!!"
Akari smiled and gave Ryoga a quick peck on his cheek. "I think I
might have helped."
Ryoga looked a little confused. "Really?"
Akari giggled and looked around. The Tendo house was surrounded by
a five-meter high fence. Unlike the rather crude and spike trimmed
barricade-style fence the Amazons originally built to protect the 'Tendo
Compound', this new fence looked similar to the original fence that
surrounded the Tendo house. Of course, it was taller, thicker, and
placed about two blocks further from the house than the original fence.
"Why did they rebuild the fence? Those creatures are gone, aren't they?"
Ryoga nodded. "Akane's last letter said that the Amazons insisted
that their honor demanded that they continue protecting the Tendos until
they were sure the Buyierfei were gone for good. That, and the fact no
one wanted to buy back the land from the Amazons, led the Amazons to
rebuild the compound. But Akane insisted on making it as appealing as
possible."
Akari looked at the fence. "Well, I guess it looks nicer than the
way you described it before." She suddenly frowned. "I hope those demons
are gone for good, I was so worried when you were missing."
"Yeah, I was worried about you too." Ryoga looked around to see if
anyone was watching and then gave Akari a kiss.
After the kiss ended, Akari had to hold onto Ryoga's shirt to keep
her suddenly weak knees from collapsing out from under her.
The dazed Ryoga knocked on the large door in the fence. After there
was no response, he pounded again. "Strange." He pounded again.
"Ryoga, there's a sign." Akari pointed at the sign Ryoga had just
been repeatedly pounding.
Ryoga frowned. "Oh..." He leaned in and read the sign. "They're not
here. They're hiding from the rest of the world somewhere. 'Just to be
safe' it says."
Akari frowned. "Oh... they are probably off fighting someone or
something again then."
"Yeah..." Ryoga sighed.
Akari looked up at Ryoga's eyes. "Do you miss the big city fights?"
Ryoga smiled. "No, I like life on your farm. It's just that
fighting pigs isn't as much of a workout as I'm used to."
"Maybe after we're married you'll be able to get enough exercise."
Ryoga frowned. "I'm not sure why us being married would..."
Recognition dawned on his face in the form of a blush. "Oh! Um..."
Akari smiled and gestured down the road. "Shall we go then?"
Ryoga reached for the blindfold, but Akari pulled it away from him.
"Huh? Where?"
"You lead the way, maybe we'll find the fight."
Ryoga smiled. He took Akari's hand and then walked down the street.
Suddenly, he stopped and looked around. "Are you sure this is Nerima? It
looks so different."
"That monolith vaporized the area, remember?"
"Oh, yeah." Ryoga smiled nervously. "For a second I thought I had
gotten lost."
"Don't worry, you will eventually."
Ryoga smiled proudly. "Yeah."
***********************************************************************
December 21, 2000 - Nerima, Japan
In the now empty lot where Ucchan's used to stand, two figures
knelt in front of a small shrine.
"Goodbye, Maigo," Sanma said softly as she placed a tarnished
rattle into a wooden drawer in the shrine that she had built for her
lost child.
Ukyo lit a stick of incense. "Where did that rattle come from?"
"I found it in the ruins of our... the Tendo's house. It was
probably some cheap toy my pop got Daiji. I don't know why, but I
thought that something that survived the destruction caused by that...
'thing' was the best way to remember my child."
"That's nice. But you know, I think they still consider you a part
of their family."
Sanma glanced at Ukyo. "I know, but we have our own family to work
on."
Ukyo smiled.
They stayed until the incense burned itself out and then stood up
and slowly walked away, hand in hand. Sanma kept his pace slow, since
Ukyo wasn't fully healed from her massive injuries. Sanma wondered
sometimes if she would ever be her old self.
"Are you sure you can handle working on the road?" Sanma asked as
they neared Ucchan's new okonomiyaki cart. It looked similar to the
original, but with a modern grill and several other enhancements to make
life on the road more comfortable for the young couple.
Ukyo smiled and nodded. "Yes, if I'm with you I can do anything."
She gave Sanma a long kiss. "What about you? Are you okay with leaving
Nerima?"
Sanma nodded. "I want Akane to be happy and until the wounds in our
hearts heal, I think it would be better if she isn't constantly reminded
of me."
Ukyo nodded. "Okay, let's go take Japan by storm and put every
other okonomiyaki restaurant out of business!!" She grabbed her repaired
spatula from the side of the cart and held it above her head.
Sanma nodded. "Kuonji School of Anything Goes Okonomiyaki is now in
business!!"
Ukyo smiled and gave her husband a long kiss.
***********************************************************************
December 22-31, 2000 - Joketsuzoku, China; Jusenkyo, China
The huge bonfire burned brightly into the night sky as it had since
the Amazons returned victorious from their battles with the Buyierfei.
Their honored dead were receiving a yearlong tribute to their memories,
as befitted those who helped vanquish the Blackness with their lives.
Using the bonfire as a guide, a group of weary travelers drove up
to the gates of the Amazon village in two rented Humvees. For various
reasons, the group was just not able to hike in like they had in the
past. The heavy trucks plowed through the snow that covered the ground
before coming to a halt right in front of the main gate.
The ever-diligent Amazon sentries swarmed around the Humvees and
aimed their weapons at the occupants.
"Halt, who goes there?!" one of the Amazons challenged.
"Who do you think it is, Rant?"
"Deeod?" Rant smiled and leapt into her wife's arms. "I've missed
you."
"Save it for later. We have guests." Deeod gestured to the people
pouring out of the Humvees. Then she winked at her wife.
Rant winked back and then bowed in front of Akane. "Welcome,
Leader."
Akane ran her hand though her almost shoulder-length hair and
nodded. "Thank you, I believe the Matriarch is expecting us?" Akane
hefted her son into her arms and smiled.
"Yes, she's in her audience hall." Rant gestured and led the way.
Akane followed, carrying her not-quite one-year-old son, Yohachi,
in her arms. He was dressed in a little blue outfit and sported a short
black pigtail courtesy of his father's insistence that Yohachi looked
good with it.
His father was walking by Akane's side, carrying a large backpack.
Ranma smiled and looked around.
On Akane's other side, Ranko held a fidgeting one-year-old, who had
a red pigtail just a little longer than his or her brother. "I think
he's wet."
Akane smiled. "We'll get some hot water and clean her up once we
get inside."
Ranko nodded.
Behind the threesome and their two children, Nabiki walked hand in
hand with Mousse, who was wearing a fake beard and mustache.
"This is silly," Mousse said, the tips of the handlebar mustache
bouncing up and down as he spoke.
"Quiet, Bullwinkle, they know who you are, but Amazon tradition
would forbid you to enter the Amazon village using your own name and
looking like the person they banished." Nabiki smiled. "Beside, you look
cute." She resisted the urge to burst out laughing.
Mousse grumbled something as the couple entered the gates.
Soun and Hinako followed, holding hands. Little Hinako held a small
puppy in her free arm and gazed at the surroundings with the eyes of a
child. "Are you okay returning to this place, Soun?"
Soun smiled. "Yes... I take great pleasure in walking into the
gates I had to be carried out of before." Just then, Soun tripped over a
rock hidden by the snow and fell flat on his face.
"Soun!"
With Hinako's help, Soun got up and brushed the snow off his heavy
jacket. "Damn..."
Dr. Tofu helped his wife out of the Humvee. He stuck to her side
like superglue to everything except the item to be glued together. He
nervously watched each step the six-month pregnant Kasumi took towards
the gates, a noticeable limp to her stride. "Can I help?"
Kasumi smiled and shook her head. "I'm fine, Tofu. I may not break
any speed records in my condition-" She patted her belly. "-but I'll get
there in time."
Dr. Tofu wrapped his arm around Kasumi and smiled. "I know, I'm
just worried."
"I know, but please don't be." Kasumi smiled sweetly at her
husband.
Behind them, Nodoka walked next to a large panda, who had a
three-month-old boy strapped to his furry chest. The baby was cuddled up
into the fur and sleeping peacefully.
Nipplering brought up the rear of the group, dragging a large
canvas bag behind her. Something inside the bag was squirming around and
trying to escape. That something was the tour guide who had rented them
the Humvees. Or as Nipplering referred to him, her future husband.
Assuming he couldn't find a way to escape before the wedding ceremony,
that is.
-C- -M- -D-
"Matriarch?"
Yukiko was leaning back in a large padded chair when Rant entered
the hut. Her hair had grown to waist length since her last battle and
was bleached white. She looked up from her feet. "Yes?"
"The Nerima Amazons are here," Rant announced.
"Show them in." Yukiko smiled and looked back down at Shinuma, who
was rubbing her feet. "That'll have to wait for later, dear. Maybe after
I do your shoulders?"
"Okay." Shinuma smiled and started to rise.
"The old tyrant has you bowing and scraping already, huh, Shinuma?"
Ranma asked as he walked in and saw Shinuma in front of Yukiko.
Shinuma laughed. "No... her feet just get so sore in her
condition."
A number of jaws dropped as they got a good look at Yukiko's large
pregnant belly.
"Wow... you're fatter than Akane was!" Ranko commented, earning an
annoyed look from her wife.
Yukiko giggled and patted her own stomach. "This one is likely to
be a warrior for sure," she said, repeating the general Amazon belief
that a huge belly always produced a great female warrior.
Akane knelt down next to Yukiko. "I hope your birth is easier than
mine was."
Yukiko nodded. "I hope no one ever has to have that difficult a
birth again." She looked at the child in Akane's arms. "Is that
Yohachi?"
Akane nodded and handed her son to Yukiko.
Yukiko balanced the child next to her on the chair's arm and
brushed the hair out of his eyes. "He's grown so much since I saw him
when we stopped in Nerima after..." She trailed off, not needing to
elaborate. They all knew all to well what event she was referring to.
"Yeah..."
"I'm sure he'll grow up big and strong."
Akane nodded. "Ranma's already trying to teach him how to fight in
our new bunker slash dojo."
Yukiko leaned forward and whispered to Akane. "That's nothing, the
Amazons routinely put unsharpened swords into their baby's cribs to get
them used to the feeling."
Akane laughed. "Not for my children, thank you. I'm hoping they
never have to fight like we have."
Yukiko nodded. "I hope so too. I'm slowly starting to change some
of the more... shall we say 'severe' Amazon traditions around here."
Akane smiled. "Change is good. You remember Daiji?" She gestured to
the redhead in Ranko's arms.
Yukiko smiled and nodded. "Yes... she's such a cutie." She reached
over and tickled Daiji's stomach, producing gurgling sounds from the
little girl.
Nodoka laughed. "Yes, she looks just like Ranma when he was that
age."
"Only when he's a boy!!" Ranma insisted.
Everyone laughed.
Shinuma looked between Daiji and Ranma. "Actually, she looks like
you now too."
"She does not!"
Akane patted Ranma's shoulder to calm him down.
"And who is Mr. Saotome breast feeding?" Yukiko asked, gesturing at
the panda.
The panda's eyes went wide and he held up a little sign. 'I'm not
breast feeding, I am bonding with my son.'
Nodoka smiled. "Little Kenage cries when Genma holds him, but
absolutely loves the panda."
Yukiko let out a quick laugh before restraining herself. "Sorry..."
The panda sighed.
Akane smiled at her panda-in-law and then looked back at Yukiko
"Thanks for inviting us all."
"It's my pleasure, but I think it's unlikely that the Buyierfei
will reappear like you said you were worried about in your letter."
Akane smiled. "I really don't think so either, but after last year
we figured it was better safe in a village of warriors armed to the
teeth than sorry."
"I thought the deserted island was a better idea," Kasumi commented
and blushed when she met her husband's gaze.
Nabiki crossed her arms. "You know, when I mentioned that I meant
it to be just for Mou..." She stopped herself before she could say
Mousse's name, since he was supposed to be incognito. "Bullwinkle and
me."
Kasumi winked at her sister. "I know you did."
Yukiko looked closely at Akane. "You're growing you hair longer?"
Akane nodded and fingered her hair. "Yeah... figured a change might
be due. You seemed to have changed yours."
Yukiko smiled. "It's a Amazon thing. The longer the better and the
color-" She fingered the white strands. "-indicates position in the
tribe. I don't like my white hair any more than Powder does, but after a
year Amazon tradition requires that the hair match a person's position."
Shinuma smiled and fingered a strand of Yukiko's white hair. "I
kind of like it."
"Hey, Yukiko, weren't you supposed to get out of this gig by now?"
Ranma asked, looking around the reception hall. He paused briefly on the
golden armor of the First Matriarch that was hanging on the wall behind
Yukiko.
Yukiko smiled and looked at her husband. "Well, somehow we got used
to life here."
Shinuma nodded his agreement. "It's not as stressful as living in
the city and there are more than enough animals here that are in need of
good medical treatment to keep me busy."
"I think it's also because a part of him missed the simple life he
had growing up on his parent's farm."
Shinuma frowned. "No... this is an entirely different life than
that."
Yukiko smiled lovingly at her husband's usual denials. "What about
the field you plowed and planted?"
"Um... the local livestock needed a better quality of feed."
Yukiko reached out and gave Shinuma's arm a loving squeeze. "He's
even gotten used to being called 'The Matriarch's Spermbank', as Amazon
tradition requires. At least that's the best translation of the term
into Japanese."
Ranma laughed. "Oh, that has to be so degrading!!"
"Yeah, what a way to refer to a man!" Ranko laughed, making her
breasts bounce.
Ranma laughed. "Well, they'd never call you that!" His laughing
stopped when Daiji kicked him in the stomach. "Ooooof..."
Ranko tried to hide the amused smile that appeared on her face.
"Bad boy, you shouldn't kick papa-Ranma like that." She resisted the
urge to show Daiji the proper way to kick Ranma, since she knew Akane
would not be amused. She was sure Ranma'd get a good kick out of it
though. Ranko chuckled at her unspoken joke.
Daiji just sat in Ranko's arms and innocently swung her feet back
and forth.
-C- -M- -D-
The next evening after the travelers had a chance to rest and
explore the Amazon village, everyone was assembled in front of the
bonfire.
Normally, the Matriarch would be standing for this occasion, but in
this case the pregnant Matriarch was allowed to sit in a comfortable
chair that rested on the dais that rose six meters above the ground.
Yukiko was wearing the First Matriarch's armor, which looked a little
odd on a pregnant woman.
Deood, Nipplering, and Powder all stood to the Matriarch's left,
while Shinuma stood to her right, as tradition required of the
Spermbank.
Yukiko looked out and saw the assembled Amazons surrounding the
bonfire.
The Tendos and Saotomes were all grouped together in front of her
on another raised platform about half the height of the dais Yukiko sat
on.
Yukiko raised her golden staff and the quiet murmurs from the crowd
vanished. "We gather here at the end of the storm to honor those who
gave their lives to fight the Blackness, in hopes that the Amazon Way
would survive. It has." She paused, and then repeated in Mandarin.
All the assembled Amazons kissed their fingers and pressed them
against their foreheads. As Nipplering had told them when she explained
the ceremony, the Tendo, Saotome, and Ono families performed the gesture
as well.
In Ranko's arms, little Daiji saw the others do the gesture. She
looked at her hand and kissed it, then slapped her forehead. She giggled
as Ranko kissed her forehead like a proud mother.
From Akane's arms, Yohachi saw his little sister do the gesture and
mimicked her. He ended up poking his eye instead of hitting his
forehead. He started to cry.
Akane patted his back. "There, there."
Ranma reached over and stroked his son's hair.
"Real coordinated son you have there, Ranma."
"Shut up!"
Ranko looked humbly down at the ground. "Sorry, Akane."
"I'll tell you both this one last time before I get a divorce from
the offender. Our children are all of ours, equally. Got it?"
"Yeah... sorry."
Akane looked at Ranma.
"What? Ranko was the..." The look Akane gave Ranma stopped his
argument in its tracks. "I understand."
Yukiko cleared her throat.
Akane blushed and looked up at the raised dais Yukiko was on.
"Sorry."
Yukiko smiled to show she wasn't upset. "We also gather here to
honor those that braved the Blackness and brought honor to themselves,
the Amazons, and those who have come before us." She pointed at the
Tendos, Saotomes, and Onos and then repeated her statement in Mandarin.
"We also gather here to honor the newest Amazons. Daiji, Yohachi,
and Kenage." She gestured at the babies held by Ranko, Akane, and Nodoka
and then repeated in Mandarin.
"Mothers, bring your children forward."
Ranko grumbled something about her being a father, causing Akane to
giggle.
The three new mothers walked forward and raised their children
towards Yukiko.
"Kenage, proud manchild of Nodoka and Genma Saotome. The Amazon
tribe salutes you as one of their own." After Yukiko repeated in
Mandarin the Amazons started chanting the baby's name over and over.
Yukiko raised her golden staff and then spoke again. "May you be
victorious in any battle you find yourself in and be a loving husband to
whatever warrior you wed and impregnate with many warriors."
Genma and Nodoka exchanged an amused smile at the phrasing and then
kissed their baby. Then they kissed each other.
"Yohachi, proud manchild of Akane and Ranma Saotome. The Amazon
tribe salutes you as one of their own." The Amazons chanted Yohachi's
name until Yukiko interrupted with her golden staff. "May you be
victorious in any battle you find yourself in and be a loving husband to
whatever warrior you wed and impregnate with many warriors."
Ranma and Akane kissed their son and then each other.
"Daiji... proud warrior and sometimes manchild of Akane and Ranko
Tendo. The Amazon tribe salutes you as one of their proud warriors."
This time, swords were thrust repeatedly into the air as the Amazons
chanted. "May you find yourself victorious in the many battles you shall
find yourself in, bear many future warriors, and be a loving husband to
whatever warrior you wed and impregnate with many warriors."
There were some chuckles at the apparent contradictions in those
mixed male/female pronouncements. Ranko and Akane kissed Daiji and then
each other.
The kiss was interrupted by a long drawn out scream.
The Amazons all snapped into battle stances. A thunderous series of
clanking sounds were heard as swords, pikes, and other sharp weapons
were brought to ready positions.
Remembering the nightmare they had gone through a year before,
those who could quickly generated chi balls and scanned the area for the
attackers.
Ranma stepped in front of Akane, Ranko, and his children then
scanned the area. "Where are they?"
Akane and Ranko clutched their respective child with one hand and
prepared a chi ball in the other. Daiji cooed and tried to touch the
bright glowing ball in Ranko's hand. Yohachi did as well, but reached
too far and almost fell out of Akane's grip before she caught him.
Dr. Tofu practically tackled Kasumi in his attempts to protect her.
In an unusual show of courage, Genma jumped in front of his wife
and child and scanned the area.
"Um... excuse me."
Everyone looked at Nabiki, who was calmly looking at the dais.
"What, Nabiki?" Mousse asked, from his ready position.
Nabiki pointed at he dais. "I don't think we're being attacked."
Heads looked up and saw Yukiko grimacing on her chair. A pool of
water was dripping down the chair and the side of the dais.
"Oh..." Akane gasped and looked at Ranko. "Her water broke."
Ranko nodded. "Oh yeah... I should have recognized that scream."
She glanced at Daiji, who was trying her best to pull her own nose off
for some reason.
-C- -M- -D-
Aftershave paced back in fourth in front of the hut that the
bloodcurdling screams emanated from. "Oh, my dear Shampoo... my baby is
giving birth to a baby!"
Ranma and Ranko walked up to the crowd around the Matriarch's hut.
In addition to Nipplering and Deeod, who were standing on each side of
the doorway as guards, dozens of Amazons waited for news with
Aftershave, Mousse, Nabiki, Genma, and Nodoka.
"How's it coming? She spurt the kid out yet?" Ranma asked with his
usual sensitivity.
Nipplering glared at Ranma. "That's our leader you're talking
about."
Ranma waved the tall green-harried Amazon off. "Sorry... I just
wanted to know if she's had the baby yet." <I guess she's still holding
a grudge. All I did was dump her and run away from her as fast as I
could run.>
Nabiki smirked. "Don't mind Nip, Ranma, she's just upset that her
latest future husband got away."
Nipplering snarled. "I'll track him down... eventually."
Ranma cringed. <I feel sorry for the poor guy.>
"How's Kenage?" Nodoka asked Ranma, trying to change the subject.
"He's fine. Akane is tucking all the kids in for the night," Ranma
answered. "You know, it's odd having a brother."
"You've got me," Ranko insisted.
"I said bother not sis... oooof..." Ranma clutched his stomach
where Ranko had just punched him.
"Boys..."
"Sorry, Mom."
'Yeah, sorry, Ranko."
Suddenly, a baby's cry was heard.
A few minutes after the cry was heard, Dr. Tofu poked his head out
the doorway. "It's a gir... err... warrior!"
Nipplering quickly translated into Mandarin. All the Amazons
started to chant "A new warrior has arrived! May her cleavage be full
and her cleaving of enemies be precise!" in Mandarin over and over.
Within less than a minute, everyone in the village knew that the
Matriarch had given birth to a baby warrior.
"Aftershave... your daughter is asking for you," Dr. Tofu said and
gestured inside.
Aftershave nodded and slipped inside. "Shampoo..." he whispered as
he saw his daughter and her husband sitting up in a bed, cradling a
bundle in their arms.
Yukiko looked up from the bundle in her arms at her father. "It's a
girl."
Aftershave nodded and then looked at Kasumi, who was just finishing
washing up. "Are they both okay?"
Kasumi dried her hands as she walked over to Aftershave. "Your
daughter did a great job and the baby is very healthy."
Aftershave smiled. "Thank you for helping."
"Well, my husband did most of the work, I just assisted."
Aftershave nodded. "I know, but don't tell anyone else. A man
delivering the Matriarch's child wouldn't sit well with some of the
Amazons."
Kasumi chuckled. "I won't."
As Kasumi slipped out of the hut, Yukiko gestured to her father.
"Come see your granddaughter."
Aftershave walked over and knelt down over the baby. "She's as
beautiful as you were, Shampoo."
Yukiko gave her father a peck on his check. Everyone else would
have be told to call her Yukiko if they called her by her old name, but
she let her father have his 'Shampoo'.
"So, what are you going to name her?"
Yukiko looked at Shinuma before answering. "Well, we wanted to use
Shashiki."
Aftershave frowned. "That doesn't sound very Amazon."
"Yeah, we know."
"How about Blush, Highheels, Toothpaste, Latexco..."
Yukiko interrupted. "Father, we like Shashiki. Sha for Shampoo, shi
for Shinuma, and ki because she is the results of our two spirits coming
together."
Aftershave considered that for a few moments before replying.
"Well, it's your choice. But your mother would have had a fit at you not
using an Amazon name. Oh, how I wish Hairspray could still be with us so
she could see her granddaughter."
Yukiko smiled. "I hope she won't mind. Thank you, father." She gave
her father a peck on his forehead.
-C- -M- -D-
Powder walked up to Ranma and Ranko as they sparred together on a
cold winter night a couple days after Shashiki was born. "Ranko?"
Ranko ducked a swing thrown by Ranma and replied. "Yes?" She lashed
out at Ranma's stomach with her foot.
"One of our patrols reported that the spring in Jusenkyo has
refilled. They think it might be caused by the new moon, since it
refilled once earlier this year during a new moon." Powder looked up at
the dark moon and the glittering debris circling it.
"Well, that's nice, but-" Ranko leapt into the air to avoid a leg
sweep from Ranma and aimed her foot towards Ranma's face. "-what does
that have to do with me?" Ranma deflected his kick and lashed out with a
series of fast Chestnut punches.
"It's the spring Sanma reactivated to get his new curse."
"Wha... ooof." Ranko crumbled to the ground when she let her guard
down and Ranma punched her savagely in the face. "Mommy..."
-C- -M- -D-
Ranko sat in the cold water and shivered.
"Come on, man, come back to the village with me," Ranma asked
again, and pulled his heavy coat tighter around his body. He had another
coat for Ranko draped across his arm.
Ranko looked up from her nipples, which were very evident though
her shirt due to the cold water. "It's not fair! This spring made Sanma
a man!"
"Well, didn't he say he heated it up?"
Ranko frowned. "I tried that already. I even blew up some cliffs."
She looked at a nearby pile of rocks. "Nothing happens no matter what I
do."
"Well, maybe it only worked that one time for Sanma. The Amazons
say this is only the second time the pool has refilled since Sanma
reactivated it. It only refills during certain new moons, apparently."
"So?! Why isn't it turning me into a man?!" She pointed to the
black disc of the new Moon.
"Well... maybe the Buyierfei blast caused something to change or
maybe it only works once or just for Sanma? You don't really want to be
all those other things Sanma has to become, do you?"
"If I can be a man for a short time because of it... yes." Ranko
clenched her fist. "And Daiji..."
Ranma gasped. "I understand, man. But Akane doesn't mind you being
a gi... a man in a woman's body and I think Daiji would be better off
with just a male/female curse than all those animal curses."
"I know that!!" Ranko snapped. "But if it did work for me, maybe we
could find a way to separate just the Spring of Drowned Man part of it
for Daiji."
"I'll help you anyway I can, man. But in the meantime, let's just
accept Daiji for who he and she is, okay?" Ranma held out a hand to
Ranko.
"Damn, you're starting to get as deep as me." Ranko smirked and
finally reached out with her wet hand. She grabbed the offered hand,
only to get dropped right back into the cold water when Ranma suddenly
released her. "You jerk! Whatcha do that for?!"
Ranma frowned and shook his blistered hand. "It... burned. The
water burned me."
"Huh? It's freezing, how could it burn you?" Ranko frowned and
lifted some water in her cupped hand. "It doesn't hurt me. Weird." Ranko
got out of the water by herself and grabbed the coat Ranma threw at her.
"Something about the new spring doesn't like you."
"Oh, great... now I have inanimate pools of water on my enemies
list." Ranma rolled his eyes.
Ranko laughed.
-C- -M- -D-
"Happy anniversary!!"
Kasumi blushed and gripped Dr. Tofu's hand tighter as the assembled
friends, family, and Amazon warriors all cheered for her. "Thank you
all."
Dr. Tofu looked out into the crowd. "I'm a little overwhelmed by
this, but am very glad that I have called Kasumi my wife for the last
year and that in a few months, the mother of my child. I remember the
first time she walked into my clinic with her injured brother-"
"That's my beautiful wife you're talking about!"
"OUR beautiful wife!"
Dr. Tofu smiled at the interruption. "Yes, I know that now. That
tomboy has grown into a very beautiful woman."
Akane blushed and looked down at the ground.
"Kasumi was so loving and caring when I first met her. Having taken
on the household, she seemed so mature and responsible for her young
age."
"He stole my baby!"
"Clam down dear, pet the puppy and relax." Hinako held the puppy
she was carrying up so Soun could stroke it.
Soun felt his despair at losing his oldest easing as he stroked the
cute little puppy.
"Cradle robber!"
"Stop it, Genma. There's nearly the same age difference between
them as us."
"Yeah, I know, I robbed the cradle too."
Kissing sounds were heard. They were shortly followed by retching
sounds from Ranma and Ranko.
"Pop, will you two get a room already!!"
Dr. Tofu cleared his throat. "Well, thank you all again for helping
us celebrate our anniversary."
Kasumi nodded. "Yes, thank you. As soon as the new year arrives,
let's all give my youngest sister the same treatment for her first
anniversary with Ranma."
Akane blushed at the sudden attention. When Nabiki had registered
the weddings, she had put Kasumi and Dr. Tofu's on December thirty-first
and, for lack of a more exact date, the other two on January first. <It
was better than us all having the same anniversary date, I guess.>
Cheers rang out as the couple sat down again.
-C- -M- -D-
"Five, four, three, two, one!!" "Happy New Year!!" "Happy V-B
day!!" "Happy New Millennium!!"
"The Amazon Fifth Millennium started over a hundred years ago,"
Nipplering commented to Nabiki as everyone celebrated around them.
Nabiki laughed. "Yeah, and some people celebrated the Gregorian's
Third last year... or tried to before..." She stopped herself. "It's
just a date. Personally... this is the one year anniversary of my
boyfriend making it safely out of the Buyierfei's nightmare world."
Nipplering kissed her fingers and then pressed them against her
forehead. "How is Mousse?" she asked, ignoring the man in the fake
mustache standing by Nabiki's side.
Nabiki grinned. "He's great."
"In bed too?"
"Yeah..." Nabiki said absently, and then blushed when she heard
Mousse gasp. She looked at Nipplering only to see the same
expressionless look that the Amazon always wore. <She did that
intentionally, I'm sure of it.> She shrugged it off then leaned over
and gave Mousse a kiss.
The others were all hugging and kissing each other as the new year
arrived and depending on which calendar one used, the new millenium.
Soun and Hinako shared a kiss, not even caring that Hinako was
still a child.
Genma and Nodoka enjoyed a long kiss before Kenage decided he
wanted some attention and started crying.
Dr. Tofu and Kasumi shared a long kiss to celebrate their one year
and one day anniversary.
Akane was sitting down and had her hands full with two babies as
her two husbands fought to get their kisses in first.
Ranma had forced himself past Ranko and managed to win Akane's lips
first.
Ranko got the second kiss, but then started arguing with Ranma.
"Don't you ever push me away from my wife's lips again!"
"You got to marry her first, so it's only fair I get the first kiss
on an important day like this!"
Akane rolled her eyes. <I hope they grow out of this stage fast...
it's like having four babies to take care of.> "You guys really need to
start acting your ages. After all, we're all turning twenty next... this
year."
"Yeah, so what?" Ranma asked.
"We'll be adults, that's what."
Ranko looked at Ranma. "Well, some of us are going to take longer
than others to act like adults."
"Look who's talking, you're only going to be two years old!"
Akane rolled her eyes.
Yohachi mimicked the adults around him and gave Daiji a kiss on her
ear. Daiji proceeded to slap Yohachi. "Ikkkk..."
Akane was about to scold Daiji, before she realized what had come
out of her mouth. "Did she say icky?"
Ranma and Ranko stopped fighting and looked at the babies. "Huh?"
Ranma asked.
Akane looked at Daiji. "I think she just said icky."
"That's my son!" Ranko knelt down in front of Akane and smiled at
Daiji. "Come on, say daddy!"
Daiji just smiled and looked at Ranko with an amused smile on her
face.
"Say daddy..." Ranko prodded again. By that moment, the crowd had
gone silent and was intently watching the small group, waiting for Daiji
to say something.
"Well, maybe it wasn't a word..." Akane suggested.
"Say daddy," Ranma continued, causing Daiji to gurgled something
that didn't even remotely sound like 'daddy'. But then parents ears work
differently at times like these. "There! She said it!"
"I don't think so. Maybe you should try 'mommy'." Ranma leaned down
towards little Daiji and then pointed at Ranko. "Can you say mommy?"
"Hey!"
"Mo... mo.... mommy!!" little Daiji blurted.
Ranma grinned and clapped his hands. "Good girl!!"
Ranko looked crossed at Ranma. "Jerk." She turned back towards
Daiji. "I'm your daddy, right?"
Daiji smiled and patted Ranko's cheek. "Mommy!"
Ranko's eye twitched and she pointed to Akane. "That's your mommy.
I'm daddy."
Daiji looked up at Akane and smiled. "Daaaaa... ddy."
Akane smiled broadly and kissed Daiji's head. "She's talking..."
Daiji looked at Ranma. "Poo... pooppa..."
"No.. no... call him idiot," Ranko insisted.
Daiji looked back at Ranko and stretched out her arms. "Mommy!!"
Ranma guffawed. "She is a bright kid after all!! She knows exactly
who gave birth to her!"
Ranko glared at Ranma. "Shut up!"
"Mommy... mommy... mommy!!" Daiji repeated like a kid with a new
toy to play with.
Ranko sighed. She reached over and pulled Daiji out ok Akane's
arms. She cradled her in his arms. "Well, I'll work on teaching you the
right terms later, my darling girl." She gave Daiji a tender kiss and
then hugged her child tightly.
"Mommy!"
Ranko's eye twitched.
-C- -M- -D-
Not long after, Nodoka and Genma took the sleepy babies back to
the huts they were staying in and put them to sleep.
When the party finally ended three hours later, Akane walked back
to their hut with her husbands. <I wonder how Sanma and Ukyo are doing?
I hope they're okay.> She was shaken out of her thoughts by a comment
from Ranko.
"We didn't get this big of a party for OUR anniversary."
Akane giggled and wrapped her arms around Ranko. "Yes, but it was
fun just getting out by ourselves while Ranma took care of the babies,
wasn't it?"
Ranko smiled at the memory. "Oh yeah..." She winked.
"So no complaints. Ranma could never duplicate what you did that
night."
"I can do anything Ranko can do! And better!" Ranma boast.
Akane giggled. "Trust me, Ranma, you're not equipped."
"Of course I am!"
Ranko smirked. "Face it, Ranma, you may have that thing, but there
are other ways to enjoy love."
"Like what?"
"Like this!!" Ranko smothered Akane with a long, passionate kiss.
When it was done, Akane just took a couple steps backwards with a dazed
look on her face. "How's them apples?"
"Fine..." Akane replied, still dazed.
"Two can play that game!" Ranma reached over and twirled Akane into
a tight embrace and then gave her a longer kiss. When he released her,
she almost fell down.
Akane looked between her two husbands. <Maybe there is a benefit to
them arguing over me after all.> She grinned lopsidedly.
"What are you smiling at?" Ranma asked, before hitting Ranko with
his fist.
Akane smile broadened. "Nothing much. Just enjoying my happy
family."
Ranko and Ranma exchanged a confused look. Ranma didn't feel like
pounding Ranko anymore, so he let her go. "Well, if this makes you happy
that means I can beat Ranko up anytime I want, right?"
"In your dreams, buttwad!"
Akane chuckled and slipped in between her two husbands, hooking her
arms onto theirs. "Yup, just me and my two idiot husbands and our two
children. An unusual, but happy family."
Ranma and Ranko smiled and walked off with their wife, arm in arm.
Maybe not perfect and maybe missing one member, but Akane and her
two husbands were happy.
***********************************************************************
January 1, 2001 - Cemetery of the Light, Tokyo, Japan
In the center of the less than a year old cemetery, a monument
stood. An eternal flame lit up the otherwise dark area as its light
flickered across the inscription on the monument.
"Dedicated to those who lost their lives on The Day the Blackness
Engulfed the Earth, December thirty-first, nineteen ninety-nine. Let the
unknown dead rest here forever, safe in the knowledge that they will not
be forgotten in the years that follow the Day the Light Retook the
Earth, January first, two-thousand."
Without warning, a hand trust up through the ground covering the
graves of the unknown dead and sprayed dirt across the immaculately
manicured lawn.
Or at least the groundskeepers tried to keep it immaculate. Despite
their best attempts, the grass always died within a couple weeks of
being replaced, which it had already been a half-dozen times since the
cemetery was built a few weeks after the dust settled on Tokyo. The
locals claimed it was the tears of the dead that caused the grass to
die.
The real reason groped around for a few moments before it started
to use its fingers to dig at the dirt. After the hand had widened the
hole enough, the arm attached to the hand appeared and reached out.
Clutching the dirt with its fingers, it slowly pulled more of its body
out. Finally a single eye saw the sky for the first time in over a year.
The head looked around, revealing that it was only half of a head. The
ghastly apparition opened and closed its mouth without making any sound.
The black tissue that made up its head, skull, and the internal organs
visible pulsed slightly with its movements.
Had anyone been around, they would have run in terror from the
appearance of the half head from the brown grass. But no one was
watching.
After the half head scanned the entire area, it fixed its single
eye in one direction. Moving purely by instinct and without any
conscious thought, the single arm pulled the rest of the half body out
of the ground. Then using just its fingertips and single foot, the half
body crawled determinedly towards the west. Always towards the west.
It moved only at night and hid from the burning light of the sun
during the day, but slowly it made its way west.
Something was to the west and it had to find that something no
matter how long it would take.
[End - Epilogue]
[End - Childhood of a Modern Dynasty]
Coming soon: Adulthood of Modern Dynasty
=======================================================================
The real author's (Jim Lazar) notes/ramblings:
Kenage is Japanese for brave; gallant; courage; manly; heroic;
praiseworthy; industrious; pure; lovable
Finished!
What started as a fairly simple idea "What if Ranma was split into two
people?" soon ballooned into a multi-book mega-epic story. And this is
the end... of the first book of the epic. Adulthood of a Modern Dynasty
is next, with two smaller books (I hope they are, since I can't write
many more of these 33 chapter (well 32 chapters and a epilogue) monsters
and stay sane... well, if someone would pay me to do it, I could) to
follow after AMD is finished. Needless to say, things aren't over yet.
Please stick with me and I will try to give you a ride you won't forget.
When I first decided to split the Modern Dynasty story into several
books I originally thought CMD would be 20-25 chapters. I never expected
33 chapters, but certain things presented themselves as I wrote it. I
just couldn't gloss over them and live with myself as an author or as a
fan of Rumiko Takahashi's works. And unfortunately for CMD fans and
fortunately for Garden of EVA fans, that Garden suddenly sprung to life
and helped slow down CMD a bit.
BTW, I really wanted to call the half body "Shuma One-half", but decided
that didn't fit mood of the final scene.
I'd like to thank my pre-readers Jyh-I Lu, Michael C. Chase, David
Johnston, EBJ, Jonathan Ng, and Thomas Kinnen for helping me find and
fix problems with this story. Thank you all. Of course in the end, any
mistakes and botched characters are my fault.
Revision 0.0 - Rough draft began (January 12, 2000)
Revision 0.1 - Rough draft finished (January 19, 2000)
Revision 0.3 - Pre-reader draft (April 22, 2000)
Revision 0.4 - FFML draft (May 10, 2000)
--
Jim Lazar
E-Mail -
mailto:jimlazar@animeprime.com
FanFiction -
http://www.animeprime.com/ff
Please sign the Uncut Kite Petition -
http://www.crosswinds.net/~jimlazar/kite.html
-=-
Kasumi found her father cradling her mother in his arms. He
had run out of tears to shed long ago, but the expression on his face
told the story.
After several minutes of silence, Soun asked with a scratchy
voice, "Kasumi dear. Will you please say goodbye to your mother?"
"Of course, Father," Kasumi said. She stood up, took one of her
mother's hands in hers, and said a soft, "Goodbye, Mother. I'll keep
my promise."
-=-
Excerpt from: Ranma-ototo: Please Save My Family