From: "Kevin D. Hammel" <kevinsff@pacbell.net>

To: Christopher J Olsen <GAMERS@prodigy.net>

CC: Fanfic Mailing List <ffml@fanfic.com>

Subject: [FFML] [C&C][Ranma/Saber Marionette J]Strangers in a Strange Land:
Chapter 9

Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2000 08:36:48 -0800



----- 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





  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?)



]]] This point has been gone over before, both in this story and

]]] previous C&C's.  (1) Rumiko Takahashi made a play off of the

]]] 'ki'='feeling' pun durring the Shishi Hokodan storyline.  (2) The

]]] basis of Saber Marionette J story is that the Maiden Circuits

]]] allowed the Marionettes to develop true emotions, which gave them

]]] an edge in combat.  The core of this fanfic was putting the two

]]] ideas together.

]]]

]]] Consider it a revised version of the Turring Test; a marionette is

]]] truely alive when she can use her ki/chi in battle.





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!



]]]] Yes, please let's see them try!!  Please!!!



...



   Akane had been powered up much like Otaru's Sabers,



]] And for a similar reason, someone she loved was in jeopardy.



]]] See, it's ki/chi.



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.



...



   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?



]]] By using her Chi to hide all sense of her presence.  The techniques

]]] of the Umi-sen-ken (sea of a thousand fists) are based on the way

]]] a sneak thief attacks a house, as opposed to the Yama-sen-ken

]]] (mountain of a thousand fists) which is a set of techniques based

]]] on the way a burglar breaks into a house with violence.



   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!



...



]] 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?



]]] If there were any, they'd most likely be found in the Kuno estate's

]]] archives.  However, as they'd be told from Tatewaki's point of view,

]]] they'd probably lack any semblance to reality.



       **********************

...





   Nabiki cleared her throat.  "For all of you, anyway.  What about

us?  Ranma, Akane and myself.  What is going to happen to us?"



]]] That's a good point.  I can't wait to find out.



]] 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!



]]] Keep writing.  This has been a great story, but there are still

]]] lots of loose ends to tie up.  What will happen to Ranma, Akane and

]]] Nabiki?  Will Loreli admit her feelings for Otaru?  Will Ranma get

]]] a male body?  Enquiring readers want to know!



------

Graham

gj.kemp@bigfoot.com



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