And Seven...do I ever stop??
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Tail--Seven
Kon'nichi wa, minna! Here's a new part for you. Only one more after this,
and the first Arc will be completed! It's been a trip, hasn't it? Oh
well...toms of stiff happens, and lots of action. Some surprises, too. Let
me know what you think of it all! I love feedback, like any author. A Tail
To Remember
By: Gie (phowah@cs.com)
An Alternate Ranma 1/2 and Dragonball Z Crossover
Saotome Ranma, Tendo Akane and their familiars are not Mine.
They are Hers, Takahashi Rumiko-sama.
Son Goku, Vejiita-oujisama and their familiars are not Mine, either.
They are His, Toriyama Akira-sama.
But hey, if they want to come over and visit, party, get wasted and
fall asleep on my couch, that ki-draining chain holding them down is
not Mine, either.
Really, it�s not.
Any new characters, though, are MINE, not Hers, or His.
Timeline: In Ranmaverse, this is a few years after Saffron and the
wedding disaster. They�ve graduated from high school. Convenient,
ne? In DBZ, this is a few months after the defeat of Garlic Jr. I
will be using some Japanese within...hopefully, I will remember to
define it all at the end of the story. I will be creating my own
timeline, so some things will differ in both worlds. Especially DBZ.
That�s what �Alternate� means.
~Part Seven! Oozaru Stompin' Fun!~
The three caught up easily with the Royal twins and watched
as they flew closely together, their auras� touching. They hung back,
letting them become reacquainted with each other. Ranma watched
them with a small bit of jealousy nipping at the corner of his mind.
Akane, feeling and sensing Ranma�s emotions through their
partially-formed Bond, turned her head around and gave him a
reassuring smile. He sheepishly smiled back and she turned back to
Vejiita, resuming their conversation.
Soon, they arrived at the canyon, and set down next to the
plane. The occupants were already out of the plane and waiting for
the Saiya-jiin to arrive.
Bulma stepped up to the flying aliens. �We are going to watch
from near the plane. We really don�t want to be moving targets.�
Vejiita snorted, but nodded. �Good idea. You know what to
do if things get out of hand.� Bulma nodded and went back to the
plane. He turned to Ranma and Akane. �The brat is going to create
the artificial moonlight, but he is going to place it behind you. That
way, when you are ready to transform, you can look at it. Otherwise,
you can watch until you are ready.� He glanced over at Goku. �You
too, Kakarotto. Turn away from the light.� Goku nodded and
stepped over to Ranma and Akane.
Gohan waited until all the non-combatants were out of the
way before he created the light. He yelled, �Hiyahh!� and launched
the pulsing ball into the air. Akane and Ranma watched, fascinated,
as Gohan and Vejiita immediately began to change and transform.
Their breathing became labored; fur started to sprout from their
bodies; their limbs and torsos elongated, and their faces started to
contort and rearrange themselves. Soon, two fully changed Oozaru
stood in front of the unchanged.
Ranma and Akane watched breathlessly as Gohan-Oozaru
struggled to stay in control of his mind. They were glued to the
scene unfolding in front of them as he roared out his rage and beat
on his chest. Vejiita-Oozaru roared right back at him, but did not
move. Soon, intelligence could be seen in the red orbs of Gohan�s
eyes, and his slowed breathing gave them an indication he had
calmed down. Vejiita-Oozaru and Gohan-Oozaru bellowed back at
each other, and backed up, waiting for the next to join them.
Goku turned around and looked at the glowing orb. He backed
away from Ranma and Akane and began to change. He soon became
fully Oozaru, and started in with his rage-rampage. He roared out
his anger and started to attack the other Oozaru. Vejiita-Oozaru
bellowed back and shot a mouth-blast at him. Goku blocked it and
retaliated with his own.
Gohan roared at his father and jumped on him, trying to pin
his arms down. Goku was held fast by Gohan, the Oozaru rage
overpowering his ability to reason and fight back. Soon, Goku
calmed down, and Vejiita and Gohan grunted and snarled at him,
telling him to take control of his mind.
After a few minutes, intelligence was seen in Goku�s eyes, and
Gohan released his father. They growled at each other,
communicating to each other their states of well-being. The three
turned to the last two, waiting for them to join the ranks of Oozaru.
Ranma turned to the female next to him, �Are you ready?�
Akane swallowed and nodded. �We should do it together.
The three of them should be able to convince us.�
Ranma nodded and took hold of Akane�s hand, squeezing it.
Vejiita bellowed down at them; what could be called a smirk was
stretched across his massive jaws. Akane scowled up at her
extremely tall brother and blew a raspberry.
Akane turned around and looked at the moon-ball.
Immediately she felt tingly and could feel her insides stirring
something that was buried deep within her subconscious. She felt
her entire body stretching. It wasn�t exactly painful, but it wasn�t
the most comfortable sensation, either. She glanced over at Ranma
and saw him changing as well, fur growing out of his skin and his face
twisting and stretching, turning more animalistic. The last coherent
thought she had was she wouldn�t have anything to wear when she
changed back because her clothes were now nothing more than rags.
All too soon, five Oozaru stood in the empty canyon, growling
and snarling at each other.
In the plane, the families watched with great trepidation and
fear as the five Oozaru interacted with each other. �Oh my,�
Kasumi exclaimed. �Ranma and Akane are really those creatures?�
Bulma nodded. �Hai, that�s them, all right. I hope Vejiita,
Goku, and Gohan can handle the other two.�
Nodoka nodded in agreement. �I do, too. It seemed Goku-san
came around quickly enough.�
�Yes, but Goku�s transformed before. Ranma and Akane-san
don�t remember theirs at all.� Everyone turned their attention back
to the five Oozaru.
Vejiita, Goku, and Gohan triangulated themselves around
Ranma-Oozaru and Akane-Oozaru. They bellowed back and forth,
roaring in rage and in confusion. Akane-Oozaru seemed the calmest
of the two, and backed into Ranma-Oozaru. He turned around and
looked ready to rip into whatever touched him, but something
stopped him from doing so.
Ranma stood rigid and stuck his snout upwards, smelling the
scents around him in the air. He stopped roaring and tilted his head
in Akane�s direction. Akane roared at him, but he ignored it. Ranma
circled her, smelling the air every so often. Akane stomped her
feet, showing her frustration and displeasure at being ignored. He
stopped in front of her and sniffed cautiously in her direction. He
growled deep within his throat, emitting varying levels of sound.
Akane paused in her bellowing and cocked her head at him, answering
back with similar growls and grunts. The two began to circle each
other, keeping a fair amount of distance in between each other, all
the while, grunting and growling back and forth.
The other three Oozaru started to make a racket; trying to
distract Ranma and Akane from their circling. It wasn�t working, so
Goku went to hold down Akane, but Ranma wouldn�t have anything to
do with that. He turned his attention away from Akane and snarled
at Goku. Goku barked in return and attempted to hold Akane again.
Ranma howled his indignation and quickly moved in front of Akane;
swiping at Goku and snapping his powerful jaws at the others who
dared to get close.
The humans in the plane were baffled by their behavior.
�Why are Ranma and Akane acting that way?� Ukyou wondered
aloud. �Why haven�t they become rational yet?�
Bulma shook her head. �I don�t know. And we have no way of
knowing until the moon-ball goes out.�
Soun rubbed his chin absently. �It looks like Ranma-kun is
trying to protect Akane-chan from the others.� He pointed at their
position. �See how Ranma is always looking back and forth between
the three of them? He keeps circling Akane, trying to keep himself
between her and the others.�
Bulma�s eyes gleamed with an unnatural light as an idea
formed in her mind. �Is he protecting her or is he trying to protect
what is his?� The others looked at her in confusion. �It�s like a dog
and his bone.� She pointed out towards the five, excitement evident
in her voice. �See how he snaps at whomever comes too close to him
or Seiika-san? It�s like he�s trying to keep the others away from his
bone!� Everyone agreed with her diagnosis.
Ukyou pointed out another thing. �But why was he circling
her before, and smelling the air?�
Bulma thought for a minute, but it was Kasumi who threw out
the idea. �Isn�t smell the primary way for animals to identify each
other?�
Bulma nodded. �Hai. That�s true. He recognized Seiika-san
as his mate, and is trying to keep the other males away from her.
Especially since they haven�t gained awareness, Serori doesn�t
realize that the other three are no threat to Seiika.�
Nodoka gasped and pointed. �What are they doing now?�
Everyone looked out at the five were-monkeys. Ranma had come
close to Akane and was nipping at her neck. What startled them the
most was when Ranma bit down hard and Akane shrieked. The other
three Oozaru, especially Vejiita, immediately tried to get Ranma off
Akane, but he wouldn�t release his hold on her neck. When he finally
did, he gently lapped up the blood that spilled from the wound.
Ranma butted his head against her shoulder, pushing her away from
the group. Akane snarled at him, but went forward in the direction
Ranma indicated.
Vejiita growled at Goku and Gohan to keep an eye on the two
Oozaru; if they should start to get more physical, try and break it
up. He broke away from them, and lumbered over to the plane.
Bulma went out to meet him, and he growled gently at her form.
Vejiita put a hand on the ground and Bulma walked over to it and sat
in his palm. �What�s going on with Seiika and Serori, Vejiita?
He raised his hand, so Bulma was eye-level. He spoke in a
gravelly voice; some words were not very clear. �Serori claimed
Seiika as mate. Ask if ceremony completed.� Bulma looked at Vejiita
confusedly, and raised her eyebrows in suggestion. Vejiita-Oozaru
nodded and Bulma swore that a tinge of pink colored his cheeks. She
turned around and crawled to the edge of Vejiita�s hand and called
down to the group.
�Ano, Saotome-san?� Nodoka stepped out of the plane and
shielded her eyes to look up at her form.
�Yes, Bulma-san? Do you know what�s going on with
Ranma-chan and Akane-chan?�
�Maybe. Vejiita has a question. Seiika and Serori performed
the Bonding ceremony today, right?� Nodoka nodded. �Do you know
if they completed it?�
Nodoka shook her head. �I don�t know what you mean,
Bulma-san.�
Bulma blushed and pointed to Vejiita to lower her more. He
grunted but lowered her to just above Nodoka�s head, squatting
down to be more comfortable. �Saotome-san, there are three parts
to the ceremony. There is the Marking, the Bonding, and the Union.
What Serori and Seiika did today was the Bonding correct?�
Nodoka shrugged her shoulders, but Vejiita nodded, answering for
her. Bulma nodded back. A shriek pierced the air. She whipped her
head around and pointed out on the field. �When Serori bit Seiika,
that was the Marking. It signifies you are bonded to another.�
Bulma blushed and rubbed her neck unconsciously. Vejiita blew air
through his nose and did his best impression of a smirk in that form.
Bulma rolled her eyes. �And as you can tell by that last yell, Seiika
just Marked Serori.� Nodoka looked out on the field. Akane now
had Ranma�s neck in her jaws, and wasn�t letting go. Ranma struggled
a bit, but didn�t resist all that much. Akane finally released him and
lapped up the pool of blood forming in his fur. He growled at her
and she responded in kind. They nuzzled each other, nipping and
growling quietly.
Bulma turned her attention back on Nodoka. �There�s one
part left, Nodoka-san. The Union. And I think you can guess what
that is.� Nodoka nodded her head, blushing like a schoolgirl.
�They have not performed that stage yet, at least not to my
knowledge.� Bulma nodded and looked back up at Vejiita.
His eyebrows came down in a scowl. He pointed his snout in
the air and sniffed a few times. �Seiika in heat.� He looked down at
Bulma, his scowl turning deeper, if possible. �Serori will complete
ceremony, now.�
Both Nodoka and Bulma gasped. They caught the meaning
despite Vejiita�s rough language skills. Nodoka shook her head. �It
can�t happen in this form! If Ranma and Akane...they won�t be able
to live with themselves like that! Isn�t there something we can do?�
Bulma helplessly looked at Vejiita. He snorted and turned
back to the field. �Cut tails off. Won�t like it, but will work.�
Bulma shook her head. �That�ll be the last resort. If they
could take control of the form, then they would be able to stop
themselves.�
Vejiita nodded his head in agreement. He lowered his hand to
let Bulma off, and stood up and walked back to the others, who were
trying to keep Ranma occupied. Vejiita grunted and snarled at the
other two, communicating the plan. The other two responded in kind,
and as one, all three jumped Ranma, forcing him off and away from
Akane. The four of them rolled around in the grass of the canyon
and held Ranma tight. Ranma struggled fiercely, but was unable to
break away. The three sentient Oozaru talked Ranma back up to
rational thought, and when he stopped struggling, and intelligence
gleamed in his scarlet eyes, they let go.
Ranma stood up and shook his head, trying to clear it. He
looked around for Akane, and saw her sitting a pace off. She
growled at him, and he answered back with his own. He started to
move toward her, but a sharp bark from Vejiita brought him back to
the group. He grunted and snarled in her direction, but remained
where he was.
Akane was getting frustrated. Her mate wasn�t finishing
what he started! She stood up and went over to him, circling and
smelling him cautiously. She whined at him, coaxing him to complete
what he had started. As she circled him, she unconsciously released
pheromones into the air, trying to get him excited and entice him to
continue.
Ranma was getting nervous. He could smell her...need and it
was driving him insane; making him crave Akane more and more, and
he didn�t know if he could control himself for much longer. He
whined in her direction and followed each of her movements with his
beady red eyes, taking in her scent and readiness for him. Finally,
his control and resolve broke, and he couldn�t handle it any longer.
He roared and lunged at Akane, attacking her with a leap.
He wasn�t the only one, though, who was aroused by her
readiness. The good thing about it was that they controlled
themselves, or didn�t realize why they felt those urges. All three
Oozaru intercepted Ranma�s charge and knocked him to the side.
They rolled a few times and came to a stop, pinning Ranma
underneath themselves until the pheromones stopped blocking his
thoughts.
Soon, Ranma calmed down and grunted his sentience. Vejiita
smelled the air and turned around. Akane had come over by them
and was trying to lure Ranma back to her. Goku, still sitting on
Ranma, bellowed at Akane to come back to the rational; Gohan
added his own encouragement. Meanwhile, Vejiita had snuck behind
Akane, and leaping, pinned her with his arms and body.
Ranma saw Vejiita attack Akane and desperately tried to get
up and got to her. Goku remained where he was, grunting that it was
for her own good. Ranma knew this, but the innate reaction to
protect his mate was strong. He cried out to Akane; she snarled
back and vainly tried to free herself from Vejiita�s immensely strong
grip.
Vejiita, meanwhile, was struggling himself. The pheromones
that Akane was encased in were affecting him strongly. He held her
tightly, nipping at her neck, trying to establish a link to her to help
coax her into rational thought. Soon, though, Akane stopped
struggling and grunted her sentience. Vejiita nipped once more at
her neck and released her. He nodded to Goku and he got off
Ranma. Ranma shot over to Akane, smelling her and checking to see
if she was okay.
Akane grunted her well-being, and not being used to the
attention Ranma was giving her, swatted him away with her arm.
Although Akane, not knowing her own strength, launched Ranma into
the air, making him land several yards away on his tail. All four
Oozaru laughed at the pride-injured Ranma.
Bulma and the others cautiously made their way out of the
jet and moved over to the five hulking Saiya-jiin.
�Akane-chan, are you okay?� Kasumi called out worriedly.
Akane looked down at her and nodded. She bent down and held her
hand out. Kasumi stepped onto it and Akane slowly brought it up
face-level.
Kasumi looked eye-to-eye with Akane. Akane grinned at her
and growled gently. �Kasumi-neechan.� Ranma ambled over to Akane
and her sister. He sniffed at Kasumi a few times, and to Kasumi�s
extreme surprise, licked her.
Kasumi stared with shock at the large were-monkey.
�Ranma-kun! Was that necessary?� Ranma just grinned widely and
bent down near his family, offering his hand for a ride. Nodoka and
Ukyou climbed aboard and held tight as Ranma brought his hand
level with Akane�s.
�Oh, dear. Ranma-chan, you are really tall now, aren�t you?�
Nodoka looked around anxiously, and held on tightly to one of
Ranma�s fingers.
�You can see forever at this height!� Ukyou looked around, as
well, marveling at the sights. Ranma grunted at Akane, and she
growled back. She turned around and rumbled to Vejiita, who
responded with a bark.
�What are you saying, Akane-chan?� Kasumi asked innocently.
�I�m afraid I don�t understand growls and grunts all that well.�
Akane turned back to Kasumi. �Asking how long in form.�
Akane�s gravelly voice answered her.
Goku, who was silent while watching the families� reaction to
their new forms, looked around suddenly and barked sharply. The
other four Oozaru looked up and scanned the area.
Nodoka asked, �What�s wrong, Ranma?�
�Goku feel presence. Strong.� Ranma answered, watching the
horizon. Gohan was the one who spotted the newcomers. He
growled and flared his aura. The others reacted in the same way.
Soon, the non-Oozaru of the group saw the two Amazons bounce into
sight. They stopped near Soun and Genma.
�Good evening, everyone.� Cologne addressed the group.
Soun and Genma nodded.
Shampoo, after looking around, called out. �Where Airen?�
Akane�s aura intensified and she growled deep in her throat, fur
bristling.
Everyone noticed Akane�s change in attitude, including
Cologne. She raised an eyebrow and looked up at the flaming
Oozaru. �Giant monkeys? With auras?� She glanced at each of the
other Oozaru. �All very powerful ones, at that.�
Shampoo did notice Akane�s flare of anger, and realized that
Nodoka, Ukyou and Kasumi were in the hands of Ranma and Akane.
�Aiyah! What Kasumi doing in hand of monster? Spatula girl and
Airen�s mother in monster�s hand, too?�
Bulma and ChiChi looked indignant. �They are not monsters,
girl! Watch what you say!�
Shampoo turned to the two fuming females and shrugged.
�Look like monsters to Shampoo. King Kong movie on TV.�
Ranma and Akane lowered their cargo to the ground. Ukyou
snickered, and went over to Cologne and Shampoo. �You looking for
your �Airen�?� Akane growled. She pointed behind her. �He�s right
there, Sugar.�
Shampoo looked, but shook her head, frustrated. �Shampoo
no see Ranma. Only see King Kong.�
Ranma and Akane both snorted through their snouts. Ranma
crossed his arms and rumbled. �Shampoo, I�m here.�
Shampoo looked up, startled wouldn�t even begin to cover her
expression. Cologne raised the other eyebrow, but said nothing.
She wanted to see where this was headed on its own.
Shampoo backed away. �You monster! Not Airen!�
Akane snarled and bent down. She picked the Amazon up and
placed her in Ranma�s hand. �Shampoo, that�s Ranma.�
Shampoo squealed in fright. �How you know name, monster?�
She snorted once more. �I�m Akane.�
Shampoo shook her head violently and pulled out her bonbori.
�No, you monsters! Not Airen and Violent Tomboy!�
Vejiita, watching the confrontation with a bored glance,
perked up at Shampoo�s description of his sister. He growled nastily
and stomped over to Ranma�s hand and bellowed at the diminutive
Shampoo. She freaked out, and with a small �Eek!�, fainted in
Ranma�s hand. Vejiita snorted in disgust and walked over to Goku,
pulling him away by the tail from the group to start sparring. Goku
roared out in pain and quickly followed Vejiita. Gohan ambled after
his father to watch, leaving Ranma and Akane alone with the
Amazons and family members.
Akane mimicked her brother�s snort, and picked up the
purple-haired Amazon and placed her on the ground next to Cologne.
Cologne clucked her tongue at her great-granddaughter and bounced
over to Ranma. She tapped on his foot with her walking stick to get
his attention. �Ghoul...� he rumbled menacingly.
Cologne chuckled and looked up. �Ah...so it really is you,
muko-domo.� Akane growled in reply and bristled visibly. Cologne
nodded at Akane. �And, you, Akane.� She looked over at the other
three Oozaru in the distance, fighting with each other. �Who are
your friends?�
Ranma growled, but lowered the intensity of his aura. He
bent down and offered his hand to the Matriarch of the Amazons.
She hopped onto it and waited patiently as Ranma brought her
face-level. Ranma pointed out the humans first. �Bulma-san,
Chichi-san.� Each nodded at their names. He then pointed out the
Oozaru. �Goku-san, Gohan-san, Vejiita-oujisama.� He then pointed
at Akane. �Seiika-oujosama, my mate.� Ranma stressed the phrase
�my mate� with a burst of aura.
Cologne noticed the stress and smiled slightly. �Mate?� She
shook her head and wagged her finger at him in mock-anger.
�Muko-domo, you didin�t do anything foolish like try to marry Akane
again, did you?� He nodded, lips slightly curled in a snarl, and stared
into Cologne�s eyes, daring her to challenge him and his claim.
Akane�s aura flared bright and she roared at Cologne, red
eyes gleaming in the light. �Yes, mate!� Her roaring caught Vejiita
and the others� attention. Instantly Vejiita was at her side, glaring
at the tiny female on Ranma�s palm. She spoke slowly, threats
dripping from each word. �Do not challenge the Bond, Cologne! You
and all you know will die if the Bond is challenged!� She growled
ferally and placed her snout right next to Cologne�s face. She bared
her tremendously sharp teeth and spoke calmly and clearly. �My
treat.� Vejiita and Ranma snarled their agreement.
Cologne took the threat calmly and nodded. �I understand,
Akane.� At this point, Gohan barked sharply and pointed at the
moon-ball. It was flickering.
Ranma spoke to Cologne. �Turning back. Get down.� Cologne
nodded and jumped off Ranma�s hand when he had lowered it far
enough.
Bulma and ChiChi widened their eyes at Ranma�s words. They
rushed into the jet and returned with a handful of blankets. They
handed Kasumi and Nodoka a blanket.
�What are these for?� Nodoka asked, fingering the soft
material.
�Well, unless you want Seiika and Serori running around
naked, these are to cover them up after they�re done transforming
back.� Bulma explained with a smile.
ChiChi sighed. �Goku and Gohan wouldn�t mind.�
�Vejiita-san wouldn�t either.� Bulma made a face. �Saiya-jiin
are *so* modest about nudity.� ChiChi giggled and Bulma joined her
as they watched and waited for the five to shrink to normal size.
ChiChi wrapped a blanket around Gohan and kissed his
forehead. He blushed and smiled, wrapping the blanket around his
waist. ChiChi wrapped the other around Goku and greeted him with
a peck on the cheek. Goku smiled and kissed her hungrily on the lips,
hugging her tight to him.
ChiChi was, nevertheless, surprised. �What�s gotten into you,
Goku-saa?�
He nuzzled her neck, nipping at her shoulder and collarbone.
�Seiika smelled...really good. Almost couldn�t control myself.�
ChiChi�s eyes widened dramatically. She pushed him away a
bit. �Oh, my. Well, control yourself, now.�
Goku looked hurt, but stopped. He raised an eyebrow at his
wife and mate. �But I can continue later?�
ChiChi blushed and smiled. �We�ll see, Goku-saa.�
***
Bulma wrapped her blanket around the naked Prince, but not
without getting an eyeful of his �physique.� She smiled and arched an
eyebrow. �Here you go, Vejiita-chan.�
He nodded gruffly, and glancing around, softly nipped her
nose. Bulma returned the kiss, and wrapped her arms around him.
He moved his mouth to her neck, gently sucking on the Mark he had
created last night. Bulma purred quietly in his ear. He caught
himself before things could get out of hand and backed up a step.
He visibly composed himself and wrapped the blanket around his
waist tightly. He gave Bulma a look that said �later, definitely later,�
and walked up to the two Amazons, tail lashing agitatedly. He
demanded loudly. �Who are you, and what are you to Seiika and
Serori?�
Cologne looked over the Prince, feeling his aura and noting his
flailing appendage with a small start. Cologne smiled. �You are a
strong one, now, aren�t you?� Vejiita just crossed his arms and
glared at her. �Who are Seiika and Serori? Fruit and Celery? Is
that a new dessert?�
Vejiita started to get mad. �Tell me, old woman, before I
blast you into Hell!� He raised his palm and shot off a ki-ball,
destroying a tree in the distance.
Bulma came over and pulled him away, trying to calm him
down. He wouldn�t have anything to do with it. He stomped back
over to Cologne and got in her face. �Well?� He increased his aura,
showing he meant what he said, and was not afraid of the
repercussions.
Vejiita�s aura did die down, slightly, when a small hand rested
on his arm. �Vejiita-chan, calm down.� He did, but a scowl firmly
etched itself on his features. He continued to glare at Cologne.
Akane turned to face Cologne with a scowl matching the one
on Vejiita�s face. �You don�t want to get on Vejiita-chan�s bad side,
Cologne.� Her face darkened and her tail whipped back and forth.
�Or mine, for that matter.�
At that moment, Shampoo chose to wake up. She opened her
eyes and the first thing she saw were two brown tails flashing back
and forth in front of her. She naturally grabbed the closest one,
pulling it to her to see what it was, up close.
It just so happened to be that the tail she grabbed was
attached to Akane. The Saiya-jiin Princess screamed in agony and
fell onto Vejiita, gasping in pain. Vejiita�s eyes went wide as he
caught her. �What�s wrong, Seiika-chan?�
All of a sudden the pain stopped, and Akane stopped
screaming. She turned around and saw Ranma had Shampoo in his
grasp, dangling by her neck. His face was clouded in fury and his
aura was going full-blast. �Let go of her tail, Shampoo, or I will not
hesitate to snap your neck.�
Shampoo nodded, her eyes wide with fear. She quickly
dropped the appendage. Ranma stared into Shampoo�s eyes for a
moment, and released his grip. Shampoo quickly scurried away and
hid behind Cologne.
Ranma kneeled in front of Akane, who was sitting on the
ground, gently fingering her tail. Vejiita was next to her, rubbing
her shoulders. Ranma reached out and touched it, stroking it softly
with his fingers. �Are you hurt? Is it broken?�
She shook her head, hiccuping from the pain. �No, she just
pulled really hard.� She leaned her forehead against Ranma. He
rumbled in his throat and continued to stroke it, calming her down.
Vejiita growled deep in his throat and stood up, wanting to inflict
damage to the purple-haired creature that hurt his sister. Akane
glanced at him and shook her head. He just snorted and stomped
away from the group.
Cologne cleared her throat and spoke. �Ranma, are you going
to explain why you just physically attacked your fiancée?�
Everyone that didn�t know Ranma�s fiancée situation looked at
the male in question. �Fiancée?�
Ranma�s head snapped up and around at Cologne. �Shampoo is
not my fiancée,� he said angrily, aura blazing strong once again.
�Akane is my mate and my wife. She has been since we were two
years old. Shampoo has no claim over me, since I was �claimed�
before I even got to your stupid village or this planet. No one has a
claim on me except Akane, and I have the Mark to prove it.� He
pointed to the red spot on his neck where Akane bit him earlier.
Both Shampoo and Ukyou�s eyes widened at Ranma�s words.
Cologne�s widened as well. She walked around Akane and
Ranma, who were glaring at her and growling deep in their throats,
visible death threats oozing out of their stares. She came to a stop
in front of them and sighed. �Very well, then, Ranma. I see you have
made your choice.� She nodded her head at Ranma�s Mark on Akane.
�But before I dissolve the marriage claim,� Shampoo cried out in
protest.
�No, Great-Grandmother! I love Ranma. He mine!�
Ranma stood up and stomped over to Shampoo. He leaned
close, and spoke. �I am not yours, Shampoo! I never was, and never
will be. I don�t love you. I never have. Can�t you get it through your
thick skull?�
Shampoo shook her head. �I give you kiss of marriage. I
must marry you and bring you to village.�
Ranma growled in frustration, and shook his head. �I don�t
care about your stupid Amazon laws, Shampoo. They�re null and void
here in Japan.�
He was interrupted by Akane�s hand on his arm. He glanced
at her and she shook her head. She turned to the Chinese Amazon
and spoke calmly and clearly, surprising all that was listening and
were very familiar with her temper. �Shampoo, you have no claim on
Ranma. He is mine, as much as I am his. We have been this way
since we were children. Long before you were even born, Shampoo.
If you challenge the Bond between us, you will die, Shampoo. By one
of our hands. We can not be separated, and nothing can come
between us. Our kind mates for life. This life and beyond. Do you
understand Shampoo?�
Shampoo glanced at Akane, disbelief gracing her features.
�You talk nonsense, Violent Tomboy.�
Akane bristled, her aura flashing into visible range. �Alright,
then. I guess you only understand one way. I didn�t want to have to
do it this way.�
Ranma shook his head. �Don�t, Akane. Shampoo doesn�t know
what you�re capable of.�
Akane started to speak, but was interrupted by Shampoo�s
snort. �Violent Tomboy don�t know what Shampoo capable of.
Tomboy is weak as kitten.� Ranma cringed at the comparison, for
more than one reason.
Akane growled at Shampoo. �Nani? You are mocking me,
Shampoo?� Akane�s aura started to pulse. �Fine! Shampoo, I, Seiika
no Oujo, Crown Princess of Vejiita-sei, Heir to the Saiya-jiin Empire,
and as Serori�s mate, challenge you! You will give up all claims on
Serori and acknowledge my claim on him!�
Shampoo blinked a few times at the names she rattled off.
�Who Serori? I thought we fight for Ranma?�
Ukyou hissed. �Serori is Ranma, Shampoo. And Seiika is
Akane. Those are their real names.�
Shampoo nodded, and crouched into a fighting stance, pulling
out her fighting clubs. �All right, Fruity Tomboy. That way you want
it, that fine with Shampoo.�
Everyone backed away from the two dueling females.
Shampoo yelled and swung one of the bonbori at Akane�s head. She
ducked to avoid the shot and launched a leg at Shampoo�s feet. The
Amazon jumped over the outstretched leg, and drove her own at
Akane�s head. Akane countered, but not enough. The foot struck
her shoulder and she cried out as she skidded away from Shampoo.
Ranma mimicked her cry, but Vejiita stopped him with a hand
on his shoulder. Vejiita nodded his head toward his twin and
indicated her expression. Ranma saw the Saiya-jiin fire visibly
burning in Akane�s eyes, and nodded. There was nothing he could do
to stop her, at this point.
Akane got up swiftly and crouched once more. She watched
Shampoo circle, a look of clear dominance on the Amazon�s face.
�You give up, Fruity-Tomboy? Shampoo no want to hurt you too bad.
Airen might get sad, then.� Shampoo smiled, a look of pity gracing
her features.
Akane smirked, a sneer curling over her lips. �Iie, I think you
should be the one that is giving up, Shampoo. Give Ranma one last
glance, for it will be your last!� Akane screamed, her aura flaming
around her, bloodlust singing in her expression.
Everyone backed up more, for the heat given off by Akane
was overwhelming. Vejiita smirked, and shook his head. He spoke to
Ranma. �I hope that bitch has said her goodbyes, Serori. Seiika is
going to kill her.�
Ranma glanced at Vejiita, seeing the bloodlust echoed off his
own face. He turned back to Akane and yelled. �Don�t, Akane! She�s
not worth it!�
Akane shook her head. �I have to, Ranma. She doesn�t
understand any other way. She will not bother us anymore!� With
that, Akane cupped her hands in front of her and screamed again,
releasing the accumulated ki at Shampoo.
***
Akane panted heavily, exhausted by the extremely large blast
she released. She looked into the misty blue-grey eyes of Ranma,
who stood in front of her, holding her hands by the wrists over her
head. �Why did you do that, Ranma? You could have been hit.�
Ranma brought her hands down, and intertwined his fingers
within his own. �You are not a murderer, Akane. If you killed
Shampoo, you would not have been able to live with yourself after
that. It was your bloodlust doing all the fighting, Akane, not you.�
Akane�s face twisted into an unreadable expression. �I tried
talking to her, but she wouldn�t listen. That was the only talking she
knows.� She collapsed onto his chest and cried openly.
Ranma wrapped her in his arms and comforted her, smoothing
down her hair. �I know, Akane-chan. You tried. But I think she
heard you now.� He threw a glance back at the Amazons. Shampoo
had a look of horror frozen upon her face, while Cologne had her
eyes closed, an unreadable expression flickering across her
shriveled and wrinkled features.
Cologne opened her eyes and shook her head in amazement.
�We heard, Ranma.� She pogoed over to the young Saiya-jiin couple,
Shampoo slowly following behind. �And we understand. Akane has
won the battle. If you did not deflect the ki blast, Shampoo would
have been killed.� She studied the now-calm Akane with a practiced
eye. �The marriage claim is defunct. But I�d like to know where
Akane accumulated all of that ki. She never had that much before.�
Cologne then frowned. �You will tell me what you are, and your
planet comment. You are not human anymore.� She looked around at
the other Saiya-jiin, peering at each of them. �You five are not
human.�
Akane shook her head, moving out of Ranma�s embrace. �We
never were. Our race is called Saiya-jiin. The four of us were born
on Vejiita-sei, and Ranma and I landed on Chikyuu about sixteen
years ago. Goku arrived much earlier, and Vejiita-chan landed about
a year or so ago.�
Ranma nodded. �Our memories and abilities were blocked
when we arrived by Kami-sama,� Nodoka, Soun and Genma all gasped
when they heard that. They did not know the green man was The
Kami-sama, himself. �Along with our tails being removed.�
Cologne nodded. �I see. So why do you have a tail now?�
�It grew back.�
Bulma interjected. �Actually, Kami-sama gave the Saiya-jiin
back the tails. He was blocking their growth.�
Gohan added. �He said we would need the strength for the
new enemy that was coming.�
Cologne frowned. �I wonder if that�s what I felt yesterday.�
Bulma looked interested. �You sensed the new enemy?
Kami-sama only told us last night.�
She nodded. �I sensed something gathering last night, as
well.� She frowned. �I think I felt it before, but long ago.�
Bulma asked her excitedly. �Do you know what it is? Are
they black and white creatures?� Vejiita frowned in Bulma�s
direction, but remained quiet.
Cologne raised an eyebrow. �Black and white creatures you
say? Hmm, I do not remember when or what it felt like, or any black
and white creatures.� Cologne closed her eyes. �It might have been
the ki the god Kami-sama gave off last night, and the original time.
I don�t know.�
Gohan spoke up. �Bulma-san, do you know what the new enemy
is?�
She shook her head. �No, Gohan-chan, I don�t think so. I did
have a dream last night with these creatures in it, and they were
attacking everyone. I don�t know if they are the new one, or not.�
ChiChi placed a hand on her shoulder and rubbed it
comfortingly. �You�re having dreams again, Bulma?�
She nodded. �I think so, ChiChi. When Vejiita woke me up
last night, he said I was talking in my sleep....�
Goku interrupted her. �Why did you wake her up,
Vejiita-san?�
Vejiita blushed a bit, and scowled. �Shut up, Kakarotto.
That�s none of your business.�
Bulma blushed as well and continued. �He said I was yelling
out, and conversing with him.�
�What were you yelling out?� Ranma asked.
She turned to Vejiita. He scowled and looked down, glancing
at his sister. �She said �Protect the Princess.�� The others gasped
and turned to Akane, who had a startled look.
�Princess? Why me?� Ranma wrapped his tail around her
waist in a protective gesture. She gingerly wrapped hers around his
leg. It was still sore from earlier.
�Why not you?� he said with a frown. �Everyone comes after
you, Akane. Toma, Kirin, Herb, Saffron...� He trailed off, frowning.
He tightened his grip on her. �Don�t worry. I won�t let nothin�
happen to you, Akane-chan. Nothing.�
Vejiita�s scowl deepened. �Worry, Serori. Bulma said you
were the first to fall.�
A rare frown flashed across Goku�s features. �Do you know
the outcome of the battle, Bulma-san?�
She shook her head. �Not entirely. The Z senshi were the
first to fall, then followed by Serori, Vejiita and then you, Goku.�
The others gasped at this bit of news. �All three of you were Super
Saiya-jiin at the time.�
�Then Gohan showed up with two other Super Saiya-jiin and
started to attack.� She shrugged her shoulders helplessly. �That�s
all I can recall.�
�Do you know what defeated us, Bulma-san? I mean, besides
them being black and white creatures?� Gohan persisted.
She shook her head again. �All I remember is this green
light--I don�t know if it was their ki or a laser beam of some sort.
The dream grew fuzzy, after that.� She shrugged her shoulders
helplessly. �I�m sorry, minna.�
Goku smiled at his friend. �Don�t worry, Bulma. We�ll take
care of everything.� He turned to Vejiita. �Vejiita, I can tell you�ve
gotten stronger since Friiezer. Have you become a Super Saiya-jiin
yet?�
Vejiita scowled and frowned. He turned away from Goku and
faced the horizon. �Not yet, Kakarotto. I was close a few times.�
Goku shrugged. �All right, then. Keep trying!� He then
turned to Ranma. �Serori, you have studied the Art, haven�t you?�
Ranma nodded. �Yup. I�m the best in Tokyo.�
�What style do you use?�
Ranma puffed a little. �It�s the family�s style. Musabetsu
Kasebuto. I�m the heir to the Saotome Ryu, and Akane is the heir to
the Tendo Ryu. We�re the only two families who practice the
Indiscriminate Grappling style.�
Soun nodded his head in agreement. �That�s why we joined
the two of you together as fiancées, so the schools could be joined
at last.� Tears sprung to Soun�s eyes. �And now, our dream has
come true, right, Saotome?�
Genma nodded his head. �Indeed, Tendo. I knew taking
Ranma on that training trip was a good idea.�
Ranma suddenly appeared on Genma�s head, aura bright
surrounding him. �Are you sure about that Oyaji? See, I don�t see
it that way, at all!� With that, Ranma kicked Genma into the air and
started to attack him, blows going fast and furious.
Goku and Vejiita raptly followed the fight going on in the air.
Their eyes easily followed Ranma�s movements as he beat up his
well-deserving foster father. To the non-combatants, though, they
were fuzzy blurs, or just invisible.
Goku spoke quietly to Vejiita, still focusing on the fight.
�He�s got great potential.�
Vejiita nodded. �Hai. His training is vastly incomplete. If he
was trained properly, with all his memories and abilities intact, he
would be close to our level, now. He is a Saiya-jiin Elite.�
Goku smiled wide. �We�ll have to change that, then, won�t we,
Vejiita?�
Vejiita grunted and flew up to the combatants. He flashed in
and pulled Genma away from Ranma, holding the larger man by the
back of his gi. Ranma immediately stopped. �Hey, what�s the big
idea?�
Vejiita grunted again. He dropped Genma into the waiting
arms of Goku. �Stop pulverizing someone that can�t fight back
properly.�
Genma moaned on the ground. Ranma snorted and waved him
off. �Oyaji has taken and dished out worse to me before.� Ranma
floated in the air with a smug look on his face.
Vejiita grinned. �Then fight me.�
Ranma looked at Vejiita. Sure, he was small, but he knew size
doesn�t matter. Ranma also remembered from Vejiita-sei that the
Prince was a powerful creature, especially when pissed off; he didn�t
know if he would be able to take him then.
�Sure,� he said confidently. Ranma went into a ready stance.
�Anytime you�re ready.� Within moments the battle was underway.
Akane watched the two combatants with a practiced eye.
Even then, Ranma and Vejiita were mere blurs in the sky; a beige
flash of an arm or a tuft of black hair was all that was seen for
several minutes.
Soon, Ranma came flying out of the air and landed on the
ground unceremoniously. He had numerous cuts and bruises
scattered over his body. He landed next to Akane.
�Ranma, are you okay?� She asked him worriedly.
He sat up and shook his head to clear it. �Ugh!� He looked up
at the smirking form of Vejiita, still floating in the air.
�Are you done now, boy? Or are you ready to start?�
Ranma spit out a mouthful of dirt and glared up at his Prince.
�Start? What do you think we were doing?�
Vejiita laughed out loud. �Ha! I was just doing my stretches!
I haven�t even powered up, yet!� He smirked at the perturbed
Ranma, and preened his knuckles in boredom.
Ranma gritted his teeth and snarled. �Yeah, well, I was just
doing a warm-up kata, as well!� He growled under his breath
something about snot-nosed royalty. He turned to Akane, who had
her eyebrow raised at his comment. He blushed slightly and spoke.
�Akane, when I ask for it, I want you to throw cold water on me.�
He stood up and flared his aura bright.
�Ranma, that would trigger your curse! Are you sure you want
to let everyone know about it?�
He shrugged. �They�d learn about it at some point. Might as
well use it to my advantage as a surprise tactic, ne?�
Akane slowly nodded, but before Ranma could jump into the
air, she grabbed his head in her hands and brought him in for the
most passionate kiss she could muster.
When she released him, Ranma looked at her in shock.
�What...what was that for? Not that I�m complainin� or nothin�...� He
gave her a small smile.
�For luck,� she blushed. She threw her voice into the air so
Vejiita could hear her next comment. �Trounce on His Highness� ass,
Ranma-chan!�
Vejiita laughed and crossed his arms. �I don�t think he�ll be
doing the trouncing today, Seiika-chan.� He raised an eyebrow. �Do
I get what he got if I win?� Akane just blew him a raspberry.
Ranma jumped into the air and leveled out with Vejiita. �So
are you powered up, yet?�
Vejiita shook his head and smirked. �Are you sure you want
me to do that? You might get hurt, little boy.�
Ranma nodded. �If I�m going to get mutilated tonight, I
might as well get it over with.� He crossed his arms and mimicked
the male in front of him. �Unless I�m the one that gets to do the
mutilating.�
Vejiita snorted at his cocky attitude. �You could stand to get
knocked down a notch or two, little boy!� With that, Vejiita yelled
and started to gather his power into his aura. He grew brighter and
brighter.
Ranma widened his eyes and the sheer power that was
radiating from the male in front of him. �And he�s still powering up!�
He called out to the glowing Prince. �If I remember correctly, I am
older than you, Vejiita-ouji.�
Vejiita finally finished powering up and stood there, a corona
of light. He cracked his knuckles and launched a barrage of kicks
and punches at Ranma. �Not anymore, Serori.�
Goku and Gohan both �tsked� at the display of machismo.
Gohan commented out loud. �Vejiita-san is going to murder
Serori-san.� Goku nodded in agreement.
Akane walked up next to the father and son with a glass of
cold water in her hand. �Don�t underestimate him, Goku-san. Ranma
always has a trick or two up his sleeve.�
Gohan pointed out. �But Serori-san isn�t wearing any clothes!�
Akane heavily facefaulted with the rest of the group that heard his
comment.
Nodoka called out to Akane. �What are you going to do with
the water, Akane-chan?�
Akane kept one eye on the battle and answered her. �Ranma
asked for it.�
Nodoka, Genma, Soun, and Ukyou�s eyes all widened
dramatically. �He did?� Ukyou wondered aloud. �But then that would
mean...�
Cologne put an arm up to silence Ukyou. �We know what that
means, child. He,� she pointed to the other combatant with Ranma,
�he does not.�
Shampoo nodded. �Ranma use curse as surprise, right,
�Babachan?� Cologne nodded in agreement.
Bulma perked her ears up at the mention of the curse.
�Curse? What curse?�
Ukyou nodded and smiled. �Jusenkyo.�
�What�s Jusenkyo?�
Soun started to answer, put was silenced by a gentle hand on
his arm. Kasumi smiled sweetly at her father. �Otousan, why not
just show them?� With that, she poured a kettle of cold water over
Genma�s head. The others gasped at the sight where Genma stood,
for now there was a Giant Panda in his spot, waving a sign that said,
*Tragic story...*
�A panda? Where�d that come from?� exclaimed Goku.
�That�s Saotome-san, Son-kun!� sighed Bulma, shaking her
head. �So how does it work?�
�Cold water triggers the curse, and hot water reverts them
back to their natural forms.� Ukyou told them.
�So Serori-san turns into a panda? What good will that do in
the fight?� ChiChi asked confusedly.
�Ranma no change into panda.� Shampoo said rather
disgustedly. �Many curses at Jusenkyo. He fall into different one.�
�How did he get the curse? And what does he turn into?�
Bulma persisted, an interested gleam entering her eyes.
Cologne explained the Legend of the Cursed Springs. �In
China, there is a valley of mist. And within the valley lie several
dozen natural springs. Many bamboo poles are stuck in the ground in
various places. It is a famous training ground, and Genma brought
Ranma there to train.�
Genma produced another sign. *The book said it was
legendary.*
Soun nodded his head. �Ah, the true horror of Jusenkyo was
soon revealed that if you fall into one of the springs you take on the
form that was last drowned within.�
�So, Saotome-san, you fell into...� Bulma trailed off.
*Shaoniichuan: Spring of Drowned Panda.*
Bulma nodded. �And Serori-kun fell into...�
Akane raised a hand. �You�ll find out soon enough.� And just
as Akane turned back to the fight, Ranma had broken away from
Vejiita�s clutches. He yelled down to her before he got pulled in
again.
�Akane, now!�
Akane shot into the air and splashed Ranma and Vejiita at the
same time.
Vejiita let go of Ranma and sputtered. �What in the hell was
that for?� He yelled at Akane. �I don�t need a bath!�
She smirked. �I know.� She floated over to Ranma and gave
him a peck on the cheek. �Good luck, Ranko!� She winked at him and
returned to the ground.
�Thanks!�
Vejiita�s eyes widened at the vision in front of him. Where
before floated a male Ranma, now floated a petite redhead that was
quite...female. �Who in the hell are you?�
�Ranko� waggled her eyebrows, sashayed closer to him, and ran
a finger up his chest. She brushed her tail up against his legs
suggestively. �What, you don�t remember me, Vejiita-oujisama? I�m
your long lost lover, Ranko!� With that, she launched herself at him.
�Kachuu Tenshin Ameguriken!�
Vejiita was so shocked by the sight of the busty female
coming on to him that he was affected by Ranko�s blows. He
staggered back at the sheer number of them, staring into space.
�Ranko? Lover?? Where�s Serori?� He snapped to attention,
addressing the unfamiliar female in front of him, grabbing her arm
in the process.
Ranma was blown away by the sheer luck or skill Vejiita had
to just pluck her arm out of her Chestnut Fist attack. She hung
there by her arm, struggling to get out of his grasp. �Hey, leggo me!
I thought you wanted to fight, not dance!�
Vejiita peered into Ranma�s face. �Is that you, Serori?�
Ranma rolled her eyes. �Yeah, Vejiita-ouji, it�s me. Are we
gonna fight or not?�
He snickered a bit. �Well, I could just stand here and stare
at your naked body...�
Ranma looked down. �Aww, kuso!� She had forgotten about
that. She shrugged. �Oh, well.� Ranma wrapped her legs around
Vejiita, and flipped him over. �Alley oop!�
Vejiita, surprised by the move, let go of Ranma�s arm.
�Kachuu Tenshin Ameguriken!� Another barrage of punches hit
Vejiita. As Ranma was punching he called out an amendment.
�Saotome revised version--Flaming nut fist!� Now, with each punch,
a burst of ki was attached, adding to the damage caused.
Vejiita was pushed back, stunned. �I felt those!� He got a
feral grin to his face. �Okay, now we start going at it for real!�
With that, he shot a ki ball at Ranma�s head.
Ranma ducked and watched it soar over his head, feeling the
heat from the blast singe a few loose hairs. �You missed! I�m
shorter as a girl!� He readied his own strike. �Mouko Takabisha!�
The blast was just batted away by Vejiita. �You have to do
better than that, boy!� He fired off several rounds of numerous
small ki balls. Ranma avoided most of them, but there were too many
to avoid them all. He was thrown back, stung by the blows. Ranma
knew he wasn�t going to win the fight today--Vejiita was too strong,
and he hadn�t barely made a scratch on him. Ranma decided to end it
now. Hopefully.
�Okay, that does it!� Ranma began to subtly lead Vejiita into
a spiral, and at the same time cooling his aura into the �Soul of Ice�
that Cologne taught him. He threw a barrage of kicks and punches
to keep Vejiita�s hot aura going strong.
Akane, who was watching the fight the entire time, noticed
the spiral was forming. She shot over to the group, pulling Bulma
and ChiChi behind her. �Everyone run for cover! Ranma�s spiraling!�
All the Nerimians recognized the signs and followed Akane as
she ran for the Capsule jet. The Z Senshi looked at them in
confusion. �Spiraling? What�s wrong with that?�
Akane called from the plane. �It�s Ranma�s final and most
powerful attack. You need to get out of the way!�
Cologne called out to Ranma. �Now, Ranma!�
With that, Ranma executed the final move. �Hiryuu Shoten
Ha!� He mixed his cold aura and Vejiita�s flaming one and created
the tornado.
The wind whipped around Goku and Gohan, who were still out
in the open. �How�d he do that, �Tousan?� Gohan asked.
Goku shielded his eyes from the flying debris and watched
the tornado spin around. �I don�t know, Gohan. We�ll have to ask
Serori-kun.�
~Inside the Tornado~
Vejiita smirked at Ranma. �I didn�t know you had this inside
you, Serori.�
Ranma smiled. �This ain�t very big. I�ve made stronger ones
when I�m male. When I�m female, I have more speed, rather than
strength.�
Vejiita nodded to himself. �You�ve held your own pretty well
out there tonight, Serori. I was a bit surprised.� Vejiita admitted
grudgingly. He looked around at the swirling ki. �You�ll have to show
me how to do this move.�
�Yeah, well, maybe.� Ranma brightened. �I will if you train
me.�
Vejiita raised an eyebrow. �And if I don�t?�
Ranma shrugged. �Then I don�t show you the tornado.�
Ranma then grinned evilly. �And I pester you to death until you do.
Also, I think I remember Akane screaming one morning because she
found Tellurian snapping beetles in her bath. I wonder if she�d like
to know how they got there...�
Vejiita looked wide and then scowled. �There�s no need to
bring that up.�
Ranma smirked, but said nothing.
They were silent for a moment, as the tornado whirled around
them, no sign of dissipating. �So, what about Seiika?�
�What about her?� Ranma asked defensively.
�Will she want to train, as well?�
Ranma nodded and smiled widely. �Oh, boy. Don�t even think
of leaving her outta that. She�s always complainin� that I don�t treat
her like a real martial artist.�
�And why don�t you?� A small flicker went through Vejiita�s
aura.
Ranma blushed. �Well, if I was to go all out on her, I�d end up
hurtin� her...and I don�t want to do that.�
Vejiita crossed his arms. �It�s the only way she�d learn.
Would you want to be babied? She is a warrior, is she not?�
�Well, yeah, but still...� Ranma scratched her head
uncomfortable with the conversation.
Vejiita looked around. �Okay, it�s really time to end this.� He
glanced at Ranma�s still naked form. �You really have to explain how
you�re female, now.� Ranma shrugged noncommittally. Vejiita
clenched his fists together and yelled, blasting his aura out around
him, dissipating the tornado.
Ranma blinked at the other male. �Why didn�t you do that in
the first place?�
He shrugged. �I wanted to talk to you in private. It wasn�t
doing any damage, so I�d thought, �What the hell!�� Vejiita smirked
at him and attacked Ranma once more.
The others on the ground blinked when the tornado vanished
suddenly. Both appeared unscathed by the tornado. Cologne raised
an eyebrow. �My, both Ranma and the other alien are unhurt.�
Akane nodded. �Vejiita-chan is definitely stronger than
Ranma.�
Cologne studied Vejiita, then Akane, noting some similarities.
�What is the small one to you, Akane?�
Akane blinked and looked at Cologne. �Didn�t you know? He�s
my brother--my twin, actually.� She said with a hint of pride in her
voice.
�Wasn�t he called a prince earlier?�
She nodded. �Yup. My full title is �Seiika-oujosama, Crown
Princess of Vejiita-sei, Heir to the Saiya-jiin Empire.�� Akane smiled
a bit. �It�s a mouthful.�
Cologne looked impressed. She winked and curtsied to Akane.
�Your Highness.� Akane just blushed and turned away slightly.
Cologne continued. �Akane-chan, I see and acknowledge your
love for Ranma, and his for you. You will not have to worry about
Shampoo�s claim any more.� Cologne smiled at her kindly. �Your Bond
is strong.�
Akane nodded, blushing still. �Saiya-jiin Mate for life. We
usually don�t Bond as early as Serori-chan and I did on Vejiita-sei,
but we knew back then.�
Cologne inclined her head in agreement. �I understand.� She
looked up at the fighters. They were still going as strong as ever.
�Love him well, child. The two of you are strongest together.�
Akane smiled. �I know. Arigato.�
Cologne continued once more. �If you need help fighting the
new enemy we were talking about earlier, don�t hesitate to ask. I
might be able to come up with where I felt that energy before.�
Akane nodded, frowning just a little bit. �No offense, but I
hope we don�t have to ask you to help.�
�I understand, child, and agree completely.�
Goku interrupted their conversation when he called out to the
assembled group. �Vejiita-san�s going to end the fight, now!�
Everyone turned their attention directly on to the two fighters.
They watched as the two separated; Vejiita powering up for his final
attack, and Ranma just barely hanging in the air.
�Big Bang Attack!�
Vejiita launched the massive blast at Ranma, who just barely
was able to move. He brought up his arms to give some semblance of
a block, but it was all for nothing. The attack hit head on, and
Ranma came plummeting to the ground.
Akane ran over to where Ranma landed, face-up in the ground.
She pulled the fried girl into her lap, and stroked the singed hair
from his face. �Ranma, are you okay?�
He grunted and opened one swollen eye slightly. �I�m fine,
Akane.� He grunted again and reclosed it. �You know nothin� keeps
me down for long.�
Akane sighed and nodded. �Baka. Just shut up and rest.�
Ranma opened his eyes and looked into Akane�s worried ones. �Don�t
worry, Seiika-chan. I�ll be okay.� He grinned slightly at the girl
above him and winced, for that hurt as well.
Akane sniffled a bit and nodded. Ranma reached up despite
the pain and wiped away a stray tear. �I love you, Akane.�
Akane whispered, choked up. �I love you too, Ranma.� She
sniffled once more and smiled, leaning down to capture the redhead�s
lips with her own. The others, who had gathered to see if Ranma
was okay, smiled at the scene and backed away to give them some
privacy.
Akane released Ranma and bit him on the nose gently. �Can
you get up?�
Ranma started to, but fell back down. �I don�t think so. Not
yet, at least.�
Vejiita came over to the two and handed Akane a small brown
object. �Give it to Serori. Eat it.�
Akane looked at it, examining the small bean in her hand.
�What does it do?� She handed Ranma the bean. He took it, and
shrugging his shoulders, placed it in his mouth and chewed.
Bulma came over and explained. �It�s called a senzu bean. It
restores you back to perfect health. Eat it, you�ll feel immensely
better right away.�
Ranma sat up, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. �Wow! I do feel
tons better!�
Bulma turned to Vejiita, smiling. She placed a hand on his
arm, squeezing it lightly. �That was actually nice of you, Vejiita-san!�
He grunted and turned his head away. He did not remove Bulma�s
hand from his arm, though.
Nodoka came over to the small group, handing Akane Genma�s
gi top and Ranma a kettle of hot water. They both nodded their
thanks and applied each item. The Z-senshi watched in amazement
as Ranma grew and filled out into his original male form. He blushed
slightly under all of the scrutiny and turned to Akane. �Ready to go
home?�
Akane nodded and adjusted the top. �Definitely. I can�t wait
to wear my own clothes again.�
Goku looked up, startled. �Aren�t you coming back with us?�
Ranma scratched his head. �Why would we? We live in
Nerima, remember?�
�But I thought...� he turned to Vejiita. �Didn�t you ask him,
Vejiita-san?�
�I shouldn�t have to ask anyone, anything, Kakarotto.� He
crossed his arms.
�Ask me what?� Ranma was thoroughly confused.
�Well, since Vejiita won�t ask, I will, then.� Goku smiled
brightly. �Serori-kun, do you want to be trained by me and
Vejiita-san?�
Ranma blinked a few times, and a slow smile spread across his
features. �Well, sure, but you all live so far away...�
Bulma snorted. �As if you�d be able to go home in one piece
after a training �session� with Goku and Vejiita.� She smiled. �Why
don�t you come live at Capsule Corp.? I have plenty of room! That
way, Seiika and Vejiita can be back together again, as well!� She
clapped in excitement. �Why didn�t I think of this right away?
Bulma-chan, you�re slipping!� She giggled to herself, increasing the
strength of her grip on Vejiita�s arm in her excitement.
Vejiita snorted out loud. �Onna, you get excited way too
easily. Let go of my arm before you cut off the circulation
completely.� Bulma giggled again, but let go. Vejiita smirked at her
and turned to Akane and Ranma. �For once, the Onna has a good
idea.� He spoke a little softer. �I wouldn�t mind having you there,
Seiika-chan.� He looked at Ranma out of the corner of his slanted
eyes. �I guess you can come too, Serori.�
�Gee, thanks, Vejiita-ouji. You sure make a guy feel wanted.�
Ranma drawled sarcastically. Vejiita just scowled. Ranma snorted
and scowled back.
Akane smiled at the two males. �I guess we accept your
offer, Bulma-san.�
Bulma crossed her arms and smirked in a Saiya-jiin manner.
�I wasn�t going to accept no for an answer, anyway. It�ll be nice to
have another female around to help balance Vejiita�s nasty temper.�
The male in question growled slightly.
Ranma laughed out loud. �Control his temper? Ha! Who�s
gonna control Akane�s?� Akane started to growl in unison with her
brother.
�Ranma...�
Ranma ignored her, or at least acted like he didn�t hear her.
�And don�t even think of getting her in the kitchen. She�ll demolish
it with just a look!�
�No...� Akane was glowing bright blue. Her tail was whipping
back and forth menacingly.
Ranma was on a roll now. He couldn�t be stopped. The others
around him noticed Akane�s anger and stepped back. �And just wait
until you taste what she makes! You won�t have to worry about
fightin� no enemy...just feed them some of Akane�s crappy cooking,
and they�ll be wiped off the face of the planet!�
�BAKA!� Akane exploded in anger and reached behind her and
pulled out her mallet. She wound up with a roar, and knocked him
into the next week. Everyone stared at the mallet-propelled
Saiya-jiin. Drifted back on the wind was the final insult.
�Kawaiikunee otembaaaa...�
Akane screamed in rage. Her aura exploded and Akane
flashed brightly. She roared out Ranma�s name again, and to
everyone�s astonishment, especially the Saiya-jiin present, Akane�s
hair stood on end. It grew slightly longer and had turned a
white-gold, her eyes aquamarine, and a corona of yellow surrounded
her. She shot into the air and with her mallet extended, flew at
supersonic speeds after Ranma to pound him into micro-molecules.
Vejiita, Gohan, and Goku blinked, and turned to each other in
unison. �Did she just do what I think she just did?� Gohan asked,
amazed.
Goku nodded energetically. �She did! She went
Super-Saiya-jiin! Sugoi! Now I have someone to spar with!�
Vejiita whapped Goku alongside the head and shout angrily in
his face. �Baka! That�s my sister you�re talking about! You will not
harm one hair on her head, Golden or not.� He turned to the
distance. �Maybe she was right. Maybe I�m not the Prophetized
One, after all...�
Goku laid a hand on his shoulder in a gesture of comfort.
�Don�t talk that way, Vejiita-san. She just got the extra boost when
she got mad at Serori-kun.�
Soun frowned at the fading yellow light that was his
daughter. �Akane-chan always had a lot of anger within her,
especially after Kikuko died. That�s one of the reasons that I
started to teach her the Art, so she could have an outlet for the
anger, and a way of controlling it.�
Kasumi nodded and laid a comforting hand upon her father�
shoulder. �You did the best you could, Otousan.�
�You also didn�t stand a chance of controlling it.� All eyes
turned to the Prince, who was still staring off into the distance.
�She always had a temper, and it was much worse than mine. Her
power level would skyrocket when she was angry at someone, and she
usually took it out on some hapless third-class senshi. I was on the
receiving end of her tantrums several times.� He smiled at the
memory. �And those sparring sessions always required time in a
regeneration tank afterwards. Friiezer saw her untapped potential
and wanted to use it within his armies. That was the reason she and
Serori were sent away from Vejiita-sei.�
�Why Ranma, too?� Nodoka asked gently.
Vejiita glanced over his shoulder at the Chikyuu native that
raised Serori. �He was her Honor Guard, and her mate. Where she
went, he went.�
Bulma nodded. �Like Nappa to you?� Vejiita grunted his
agreement.
Gohan frowned, thinking out loud. �So why did you go with
Friiezer, Vejiita-san?�
The Dark Prince scowled. �Baka. I didn�t want to go with
Friiezer. I was forced to. I went in exchange of Seiika, and the
safety of all Saiya-jiin.� He snorted loudly. �Much good it did,
anyway.�
�What do you mean, Vejiita-san?� Gohan asked again.
Vejiita was becoming uncomfortable with all of the questions.
He turned away from the group slightly. �Friiezer said that if I
went into his services, the Saiya-jiin, and Vejiita-sei would be under
his protection.�
Vejiita snorted, shaking his head and glancing over at Goku
slightly before directing his attention back to the skyline.. �He was
afraid of the uprising of the Legendary Super-Saiya-jiin. He heard
the prophecies surrounding Seiika and mine�s arrival.�
Gohan smiled, hugging his father�s leg. �And �Tousan gave him
a reason to be afraid of Super Saiya-jiin, right, �Tousan?� He smiled
up into his father�s face.
Goku ruffled Gohan�s hair. �Sure did, Gohan.� He glanced up
at Vejiita, who was giving him a glare.
Both Vejiita and Goku looked out into the distance for several
long moments. They turned back to the rest of the group, who was
still staring out into the horizon. Goku shuddered a bit. �Remind me
never to get Seiika-oujo mad at me.� The Nerimians chuckled to
themselves.
Kasumi cast a worried look in Akane and Ranma�s direction. �I
hope Akane-chan�s okay. I wouldn�t want to her catch a cold in the
night air.�
Bulma and ChiChi blinked at the concerned Kasumi. �Aren�t
you worried about Serori-kun? He�s getting walloped by Seiika.�
Ukyou reassured them. �Oh, Ranchan has received worse
beatings from Akane, before. He recovers quickly enough.� She saw
the doubting looks on their faces remained. �Akane has a
hair-trigger temper. As quickly as it arrives, it leaves, once she�s
done pulverizing Ranma, that is.� The others around her nodded in
agreement.
Nodoka turned to Bulma. �Well, Bulma-san, I believe we had
better get going. Akane-chan aimed Ranma for home, so they should
be there soon, if not already.�
Bulma nodded and turned to the others. �Anyone want to
come along?�
ChiChi shook her head. �Gohan and I are heading for home.�
She gave him a stern look when he started to whine. �You still have
to read three chapters tonight, Gohan-chan, and take a bath.�
Gohan hung his head. �Okay, �Kaasan.� He waved at everyone
and shot up in the air towards home, and his waiting homework.
ChiChi looked at her mate and raised an eyebrow. �Well,
Goku-saa? Coming home?� Her voice and actions left no room for
argument.
He meekly looked at her and nodded. �Yes, ChiChi.� He
waved at everyone and picked his mate up in his arms. ChiChi
wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. �Wanna spar tomorrow,
Vejiita?� He started to float in the air.
Vejiita nodded curtly. Goku smiled at everyone again.
�Sayonara, minna!� He then turned around and holding onto ChiChi
tightly, shot after Gohan, becoming a small speck of blue in the
distance.
Bulma turned to everyone left. �Ready, everyone?� They all
nodded, and jumped or leapt into the plane. Bulma turned to Vejiita,
who picked her up gently and flew her up into the cockpit. �Are you
coming with us, Vejiita-chan?� she asked him, brushing his stiff hair
out of her eyes.
He shook his head. �No, Onna. I�ll go back home.� He
blushed a bit. �I need to prepare for the Ceremony tonight.�
Bulma smiled and nodded. �All right. Do I need to do
anything?�
He shook his head. �No. I�ll have everything ready. I�ll also
tell your mother to prepare a suite for Serori and Seiika.�
She nodded. �Good idea, Vejiita-chan.� She kissed his cheek
and stepped back. �I gotta got these people to their home. I�ll see
you at home, okay?� He nodded and floated backwards. She smiled
and waved as she started the engines and took off, headed towards
Nerima.
Vejiita sighed, and watched the horizon for a moment. A
bright flash of yellow alerted his senses. Vejiita widened his eyes
and smirked evilly to himself. He could guess what that flash
represented. He spoke aloud and to no one in particular. �Well,
Seiika-chan, you finished it, at last.� He floated up into the air and
bowed slightly in her direction. �Congratulations to you and Serori.�
He shook his head and sighed. He turned towards Capsule Corp, and
prepared for the scariest night of his life.
How's that, minna?? Tons of action, and a Super Saiya-jiin Akane! Was it
believeable enough? She wasn't completely calmed down from her fight with
Shampoo, and Ranma teasing her broke the proverbial straw. Next time,
MatingCeremonies!!! That means a big ol' pile of Lemons. I might add a bit
with the Hachi. Also, let me know if you want a guide to all the Japanese
inmy stories. Someone mentioned that once, that I may use too much
Japanese,but I enjoy learning new stuff! Review, and let me know.
~~~Feedback warms the heart and feeds the soul~~~.