[The following text is in the "iso-8859-1" character set]
[Your display is set for the "US-ASCII" character set]
[Some characters may be displayed incorrectly]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Christopher J Olsen" <GAMERS@prodigy.net>
To: <ffml@fanfic.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 26, 2000 1:40 PM
Subject: [FFML] [Ranma/Saber Marionette J]Strangers in a Strange Land:
Chapter 9
All the characters in this story are the creation of Akahori Satoru,
Kotobuki Tsukasa, and Rumiko Takahashi... or practically all of them,
anyway. The title is stolen from Heinlein... with one letter s added.
Strangers in a Strange Land
Chapter 9
...
******************
...
*******************
From the very first moment of the fight, Ranma had been feeling off
balance. She was unaccustomed to working as a team, not to mention
]] as part of a team (Ranma herself works well as a team)
holding a particular spot of ground against a determined attacker.
Ranma was much more used to taking the fight "on the road" going
wherever the fight took her. She was holding her own, however, as her
attackers seemed to be having much the same problem as she did.
]] I wonder why THAT could be? :)
The Orange Blossoms had abandoned group combat techniques at the
outset, and were attacking as individuals. One on one, they were
considerably more formidable, but as a group, they tended to get in each
other's way. That was all that saved the small band they were attacking
at first. Lime, Cherry, Bloodberry and Otaru made an excellent team, as
did Lynx and Panther, knowing how best to work as a unit. Ranma and
Akane worked less smoothly together, but with their greater skill, they
made up for it, especially Ranma.
]] Akane: It's ALWAYS Ranma! Ranma this, Ranma that!
Lorelei watched in awe and terror as an incredibly high-speed fight
was carried on just feet from her, Nabiki and Otaru. The young man had
his Jitte out and was on his guard, and after several long moments when
Lorelei was sure that the Orange Blossoms would finally break through
their guardian's line, one finally did, vaulting off a nearby wall and
into the center of the group. Otaru managed to somehow parry the first
incredibly swift blow, and the second, his knee being forced into the
pavement at the force of the attack.
Lorelei flinched as the marionette attacked a third time, but
]] Hmmm... Any way of starting the second paragraph with something
]] other than Lorelei? Just a suggestion.
instead the Orange Blossom went flying as Bloodberry grabbed it by the
back of the neck and pulled it away, then promptly started using it like
an unwieldy club...
Lime fought with relish, smiling...
Cherry could feel Lime's good humor and let it lift her own
Spirits...
]] I like the way we see how each of Otaru's marionettes react
]] to the battle.
...
Ranma swore internally as he leapt to Cherry's defense, holding off
]] she perhaps? (or does Ranma still think of herserlf as 'he'?)
...
Ranma shrugged a fraction, dropping low to duck a punch while
kicking out at an ankle at the same time. "It's always about winning.
The Anything Goes school is adaptive, using different moves against each
opponent, and if one thing doesn't work, you try another." The kick to
the knee turned out to be a feint, and Ranma ended up doing a handstand
to kick his
]] his again.
target in the face instead, throwing it back into the
marionette behind it.
...
Akane growled at Ranma and threw an Orange Blossom in her
direction. "Duck!" Ranma dropped and the marionette flew over her head
to crash into one that had been about to attack Ranma from the side.
"Less talking, more fighting, Ranma!"
Ranma grinned. "That's my tomboy." Akane growled and swung another
Orange Blossom at him, which Ranma grabbed and started using as a club,
imitating Bloodberry. "Thanks, Akane! I've been waiting to try this
one."
]] Nice bit of battle banter between Ranma and Akane.
Akane rolled her eyes and went back on the defensive, blocking
another attack a moment later. <Idiot. He's treating this fight like
it's a big game. They're trying to kill us!>
]] Now the he in THIS case is justified. Akane knows the truth,
]] after all.
She ducked and
elbow-smashed her attacker, then flinched as a second Orange Blossom
nearly caught her from the side. Ranma side kicked the marionette
threatening Akane just before it managed to grab her, and Akane went
back to her own fight. <Ranma is always looking out for me though, no
matter what.>
]] Ranma: Only 'cause she can't look after herself.
...
Lorelei nodded uncertainly then ducked over Nabiki's body as an
Orange Blossom managed to get past Lynx and Panther to attack Otaru.
"Otaru! Watch out!"
]] I'll cite Lorelei's protectiveness of Nabiki at the end with
]] a suggestion.
...
As one, Lime, Cherry and Bloodberry called their master's name and
started to glow.
]] Oh okay. As you said, the glow is canon SM/J. I'm glad the
]] DVDs will be out soon. Looks like a neat series.
"OTARU!!!" Four of the Orange Blossoms had turned to
attack the new target, but before they could strike, Otaru's three
marionettes were there, scattering them like pinballs.
...
"Help us!" Lorelei yelled frantically. "They're going to destroy
Nabiki!"
A bright blue battle aura sprung into life around Akane, and the
Orange Blossoms around her suddenly started to go flying.
As Akane springs into action to protect some SHE loves...
]] Lynx and
Panther fought with increasing desperation; both of them minorly wounded
already, their bodies sparking slightly where they had taken hits.
...
For Ranma, everything else started to slow down as something clicked
in her mind. <Chi! They're using Chi! Why didn't I see it sooner!
Somehow... somehow they're alive, and if they can use Chi, then I should
be able to use it too!>
]] Chi mania! Not Chi, but an incredible simulation.
]] (or IS it Chi for the Ranma, Akane, and Nabiki?)
Ranma jumped into the air to buy herself some
time, and started to concentrate on the space between her outstretched
hands. "Moko...."
]] Ellipsis is 3 dots.
]]
]] Ranma: Not for MY cool attacks!
Akane heard Ranma begin the attack and glanced up in shock. "No
way!"
Ranma grinned as the reddish ball of energy formed before him. <I
can do this!> "... Takabisha!!!" She shot the blast over Lorelei and
Nabiki's prone forms, sweeping away the half dozen Orange Blossoms that
had been standing around them, about to attack, and carrying them the
length of the alleyway, where they smashed into the fall wall and
through it. As she landed Ranma felt for the first time a hint of
fatigue. The blast had obviously taken something out of her, but it had
worked!
]] Wow.
As half a dozen more Orange Blossoms moved in on her from every
side, Ranma called out another attack. " Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!" Up
to that point, Ranma's punching speed had been incredible, a function of
her excellent construction as a Saber marionette, as well as her years
of training which let her do each maneuver with a minimum of time and
effort. Aided by her Chi, however, Ranma's punches quickly exceeded the
speed of sound, and her attackers flew back, each having been hit by
dozens of supersonic punches in just under a tenth of a second.
]] Ranma: Let's see Kuno-baka's copies do THAT!
...
Akane had been powered up much like Otaru's Sabers,
]] And for a similar reason, someone she loved was in jeopardy.
using her inner
energy to heighten her strength and speed almost unconsciously, but
Ranma seemed to have complete control of her power, putting it to
whatever use she required. Lorelei shook her head in amazement, then
glanced down at Nabiki, recalling their conversation on the subject.
...
Ranma and Akane came over as well, to check on Nabiki. "The two
marionettes from the palace?" Ranma asked. "They'll be alright. Those
two were pretty good. Not as good as me of course,
]] Akane: <Modest as always, Ranma.>
but if they keep
ahead of the bunch after them they should be fine."
Akane came over to them and knelt by her sister to pick her up.
"Lorelei-san, what should we do now?"
...
Ranma nodded thoughtfully. "You're probably right. What we gotta
do is force his hand, then pull the rug out from under him. Everybody
gather round, I've got a plan...."
]] Ellipsis is... I know, for Ranma, it's FOUR dots.
]]
]] Great battle scene.
*************************
Godai Kuno watched the small group bunch together in discussion from
the eyes of a marionette watching from a distance.
]] observing for the second watch perhaps?
"How could I have
miscalculated that badly? I can hardly believe it's possible for anyone
with only human experiences to have developed such power in the body of
a marionette. It's those accursed Maiden Circuits....
]] Ranma: Hey! Only *I* get for dots for that elip-thingy!
I never should
have used them. If only they had become loyal to me as they were
supposed to. I just can't understand what could have gone wrong."
...
*************************
...
Otaru frowned. "But if we leave you behind, Godai might find you,
and use you against us as hostages."
]] Actually, he would probably use Nabiki as a guard.
Lorelei nodded slowly. "Until I am able to disengage Nabiki's
control program, she will be a threat to you if Godai manages to turn
her back on."
]] Oh... She remembered.
...
***********************
Godai ran into the cloning chamber, winded from the exertion. "I've
got to hurry, before they catch me...." He pointed to several points
among the cloning booths. "Alright, place the explosives there... and
there." The Orange Blossom's he had with him were quick to obey,
placing the devices they had carried with them in the positions he had
indicated.
A technician in a lab coat came out from behind a computer bank.
"General Kuno? What's going on here? Why are you placing those devices
on the cloning facilities?"
Godai frowned at the man. "Why didn't you evacuate the building as
I ordered? I told everyone that they had to be out in ten minutes!"
The technician frowned back. "Someone is to be at hand in the
cloning chamber at all times, in case of an emergency. The clones take
top priority."
]] Good point.
...
Kuno raised an eyebrow. "I really don't think so." Six Orange
Blossom marionettes jumped between Godai and the three of them, and he
brought out a small box. Akane, Bloodberry and Lime charged, plowing
through the Orange Blossoms like they weren't there, their battle auras
flaring brightly. Godai took a step back and pressed a button on the
device, pointing it at the fight going on in front of him. Akane,
Bloodberry, and two of the three remaining Orange Blossoms fell in a
heap.
]] Still vulnerable.
Otaru charged forward through the gap, however, and his Jitte shot
out, impaling the EMP caster and destroying it. The two Orange Blossoms
that had been holding the technician reached him a second later,
knocking him away from the startled Godai. Otaru hit the wall but
managed to stay on his feet, although he was obviously in pain. Godai
stepped back again in sudden worry as the three Saber marionettes rose
to their feet and started to advance on him again. His every remaining
Orange Blossom jumped to his defense but he knew how long they would
last.
"Stop!" Godai yelled commandingly, bringing a second box-like
device out of his pocket. "This will detonate the bombs I planted on
the cloning machinery. If any of you get any closer, I'll use it."
Akane threw the marionette she had been grappling with off to the
side, causing it to hit the reinforced wall quite a bit too hard, then
froze as she heard the threat. Bloodberry halted in the middle of
breaking one of the Orange Blossom marionettes over her knee. Three of
the Orange Blossoms remained, but they too halted at Godai's command.
Lime was frozen in mid punch, her eyes wide in alarm.
]] Wow, that was a quick recovery.
...
Kuno shook his head sadly. "You just don't understand, do you? Do
you think we can just introduce the human female into Terra Two without
repercussions? What your Dr. Lorelei intends to do will destroy our
world and our way of life! This world has survived, even prospered
without women in it for hundreds of years. Men are superior in every
way, it's scientific fact, and yet you'd give females back the power to
control us? We must retain our position of superiority
]] Akane: <With Kunou, it's a position of inferiority.>
if we're to keep
our civilization intact."
Otaru blinked incredulously. "You're crazy! What's wrong with
human females? Lorelei is as intelligent... as good for our
civilization as any other person I've met. If women are like her, I
don't see why we shouldn't have more of them around."
Godai sighed. "I see that you don't understand. Nevertheless, you
will do as I say, or I will press this button."
"I've heard about enough of this." Came a familiar voice from the
shadows. "Press away, if you like." Godai blinked, trying to place
it. "Ranma? What? Where are you?"
Akane blinked, then noticed something. "Godai! Don't press that
button!" She jumped forward to stop him.
Godai's eye narrowed. "No choice then, I see you've left me with no
other options."
He lifted his hand and pressed the remote's button, just as Ranma
shouted. "No! Look down!" The explosives that Ranma had taken from
the cloning machinery and placed at Godai's feet all went off at once.
]] HOW did she do it?
Ranma appeared, standing between the explosion and the cloning
tanks. "Umi-sen-ken final attack! Deep Sea smother!"
]] The Secret Techniques save the day again!
He raised a huge
cloth in the path of the blast and somehow managed to contain the force
of the thankfully, localized explosion. Akane dived for the technician,
pushing him clear, and Bloodberry and Lime jumped in front of Otaru,
taking what remained of the blast for their love and master.
When the smoke finally cleared, Ranma emerged, her borrowed kimono
badly singed, but otherwise mostly unharmed. Behind her, the cloning
tanks stood intact, protected by Ranma's technique.
]] Whew.
Ranma sighed, shaking her head. "I should have know he'd be too
]] known
stupid to listen. I would have taken the controller in the first place,
but I was afraid that the button would get pressed by accident if I
did."
Otaru shook his head. "You did everything you could, Ranma. Godai
died from his own action... and you saved our future. Those little
girls all owe you their lives."
Ranma blinked, glancing back at the cloning chamber with dismay.
"Oh no... Somehow I just know I ain't gonna like it when they all start
growing up."
Otaru looked confused. "What? Why in the world would you say
that?"
Ranma shrugged. "I just know they're all going to feel like they
owe me something, and before you know it, I'll be stuck with a hundred
new fiancees."
Otaru blinked. "Um... what's a fiancee?"
Akane groaned, slapping herself in the forehead. "Ranma, you
idiot. You're a girl! They can't marry you!"
Ranma blinked. "Oh yeah, I forgot."
]] It will be interesting to see how Ranma sorts herself (and
]] her relationship with Akane) out.
]]
]] Akane has some sorting to do too. She will have to get used
]] to being a marionette. A thing, not a person.
Otaru scratched his head. "What are you two talking about?"
Bloodberry shook her head and put an arm around him companionably.
"I'll explain it to you, Otaru." She glanced at Ranma in mild
confusion. "Although I'm not quite sure I understand it all myself."
]] I wonder if they will even know the truth? (or do they NEED to?)
]] I wonder if there are any archives hidden somewhere that might
]] tell of Ranma, Akane, and Nabiki's fate in the past?
**********************
...
Lorelei sighed in relief and started bringing up pictures on the
main screen from various locations around and outside the palace. She
spotted Panther and Lynx at the base of the castle, standing in the
midst of a dozen fallen marionettes. Near the castle gates she was
surprised to see Tamasaburo and Baiko, surrounded by several hundred men
carrying various weapons.
]] The traditional torches and pitchforks, perhaps? :)
She focused in and noticed that the men were
being led by a white haired man that she recognized.
"Gennai-san!" Cherry cried from where she was working on Nabiki.
"He came with reinforcements, like he promised." As they watched,
Tamasaburo and Baiko led the band of men into the palace grounds,
apparently leading them.
...
*******************
Half an hour later, Otaru, his three marionettes, Faust's two,
Ranma, Akane, Nabiki, Lorelei, Tamasaburo and Baiko, and Gennai all sat
in a large circle inside the palace's main hall.
Ranma was explaining. "So while everyone else went in the hard way,
I kept to the shadows and waited for Godai to pull his... um... his...."
Nabiki spoke up helpfully. "His Trump card?"
Ranma blinked. "Nah, whatever it was he was holding out for last.
What does a card have to do with it?"
Nabiki shook her head wryly. "Never mind, Ranma. Remind me to play
cards with you sometime."
]] As she thinks back to the Gambling King fiasco.
Ranma blinked again. "Er... I don't think so, Nabiki."
]] Perhaps, Ranma was too.
Akane broke in. "So when Godai pulled out that detonator, you took
all the bombs and dropped them at his feet, right?"
Ranma nodded. "I didn't think he'd blow himself up! Anyway, that
was about it, right?"
...
Lorelei nodded, smiling. "Thank you, Gennai-san. You've been of
invaluable assistance." She looked at Otaru and company. "Hopefully
things will go back to normal soon enough."
Nabiki cleared her throat. "For all of you, anyway. What about
us? Ranma, Akane and myself. What is going to happen to us?"
]] What indeed? One thing these three will have to come to terms
]] with is the fact that society at large will consider them things,
]] not girls or even people. "Just because I have a recording of my
]] voice, does that make the tape ME? Of course not! You are merely
]] a recording of a human long dead." Etc. For added drama, there
]] might be a move to destroy Kunou's marionettes. Or maybe not,
]] with Otaru and Lorelei to vouch for them.
]]
]] Perhaps they might come under Otaru's jurisdiction but...
]] what about Lorelei's?
]]
]] She has already had some time to get to know Nabiki, after
]] all. I feel that Ranma would naturally fall into the role
]] of protector for her (as well as Akane and Nabiki of course.)
]] Akane would probably like that arrangement too (and get
]] jealous of Lorelei and Ranma upon occasion?)
]]
]] Your call, of course!
End Chapter 9
Please C&C, it's why I write!
]] Okay. Please write, that's why I C&C!
Kevin D. Hammel
========================================
khammel@mail.anime.sobhrach.com
kevinsff@pacbell.net
http://www.fanfic.net/~khammel/
========================================