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Sorry for the delay. It seems my computer decided to spontainiously change
my mailer on me and it took me a while to run down where it decided to screw
with my mind. Anyone that sent me stuff, I will try to get back to it as
soon as possible Now I shall stop spamming and go on to the C+C
And on to my personal favorite series of all:
Hi all,
Not as long of a wait this time. :)
Yeah. I would hate to think how long it would take with 9 months or so
between chapters.
*** Heaven 0.000,0.000
The Goddess of the Future was bored.
This was known as a 'Bad Thing.'
Skuld sat at her usual terminal in Yggdrasil's datacore, one festooned
with small personal touches that she had added to it ever since she was
first assigned here, to assist her older sisters in maintaining the
central computer that sustained the functioning of reality.
It was a TRS-80. They were versitile machines, after all.
Several
stickers adorned the front of her monitor, with pithy little sayings on
them such as: "There is no such thing as too much firepower,"
Sounds more like a Dirty Pair motto.
or "When
the going gets tough, the tough call for an air strike." There was
even one that simply said, "Genius at work."
Purloined from a certain spikey-haired redheaed scientist's lab.
A small doll that looked like a super-deformed version of Belldandy,
her beloved older sister, sat atop the monitor with a beatific smile
resting upon its face.
It was a pity Skuld had to shrink her sister, but it was necessary. Bell was
going to marry that yucky mortal, and Skuld knew nothing good would come of
it.
Next to it was a similarly-sized doll of her
other older sister, Urd, only this one
had a bunch of pins in it.
parties) of the gods and goddesses from the different pantheons. They
were a gift from one of the younger gods of the Hindu pantheon for
Skuld's birthday, which had happened to occur during the week-long
period of festivities this time.
How cute.
This morning, as had happened with all mornings in recent memory, she
had been troubled by disturbing dreams. Some of them had been
prophetic, giving her brief glimpses into the future.
Since she is a Goddess of the Future, I would say that would qualify as
potential trouble.
Others had
simply been the result of her sampling Urd's cooking. The rest had
just been dreams. Sometimes it was hard to tell them apart, especially
when they were disturbing ones. Take the one that had Belldandy
marrying a lowly mortal, for instance. That one had to be a result of
eating Urd's cooking.
Yeah. Fate worse than death there. :P
Her most recent dream had unsettled her, but it was a nightmare she had
experienced many times before, in as many variations. It was never a
coherent vision, only disjointed flashes of imagery,
Like the Purple Dinosaur, Barney holding sway over all hand-in-hand with
Lynn Minmei.
Kasumi becoming a biker slut
All of the Tenchi girls running off with Yosho because he was less of a
weenie then Tenchi.
Jurai-Knight not finishing this fic, which was truly the worst of them all.
This latest nightmare had been slightly different from all the others,
Skuld had been in front of a whole bunch of people, giving a speech while
buck naked.
The young goddess found it peaceful and relaxing here,
Reduced to being nothing more than a cubical worker.
better for a while. Every time one of her relationships inevitably
tanked, it tended to make Urd surly. Whenever Urd was surly, she
drank. However, whenever Urd was happy, she drank then too.
But the differences between an angry drunk and a happy one are a world
apart.
Skuld
just could not understand her sister, so she rarely tried. Luckily,
Belldandy was always there to keep Urd in line, providing her usual
comforting shoulder and listening ear.
And bed to screw in if they felt horny.
Oh, wait. That's Gagne's 'Ah My Hentai!' series. Never mind.
To occupy herself, and to hopefully keep her mind off of worrying about
both of her older sisters (not that she would ever admit to caring what
happened to Urd), Skuld was running some of her semi-authorized system
'semi-authorized?' Is that like being 'sort of pregnant'? :)
Those same defenses had eventually fallen to her efforts, another
obvious sign of her incomparable genius, or so she had complimented
herself after finally cracking through them. Behind that formidable
set of barriers rested a single archive of data, but it was enormous.
It seemed to have ties into the primary operating system processes on a
multitude of levels. That only inflamed the young goddess' curiosity.
Most likely another 'Bad Thing.'
Once chosen by the Destiny Protocols, these select individuals guided
changes within the system. Each was a soul touched by Fate,
or in some cases, bitch slapped by it.
laws became less so, and sometimes being ignored completely. Lucky,
unlucky, and preternatural occurrences were a bit more commonplace
around such individuals. Even physical injuries that would outright
kill or permanently cripple an ordinary human were often not as fatal
or serious to them.
Hence explaining Ranma and company.
Who they were was kept about as top secret as secrets go in existence,
known only to such higher-order beings as Kami-sama, and conceptual
entities such as the Princes of the Universe or the Four Zoas.
Groucho, Chico, Harpo, and Zeppo.
Those special mortals who had finally fulfilled their purpose for being
on the list, or died (a depressingly common way to be removed from it),
Well, most things that are alive do die at some point. :P
Skuld had never told anyone about what she had done. She checked the
master index every now and then for her own curiosity, to see who was
on it, noting changes in names as if she was following the roster of a
professional sports team. She thought it a relatively harmless hobby.
Since she is thinking of it as harmless, it probably isn't.
Her new program tool hummed along peacefully, examining the processing
codes on each of the individual datafiles within the central one. It
beeped at Skuld after it came to the end, bringing to her attention a
single item of note discovered among the mountains of data that were
contained in the file. The young goddess hummed a sprightly
'sprightly'? I think I'd go with a different adjective here.
Yggdrasil had recently upgraded two lower-ranked Probability Nodes to
Class One status, surprisingly close in physical proximity to each
other. However, neither one had fit the Protocol's set criteria at the
time of the change. And that meant the changes had been done outside
their purview, a bypass that was simply inconceivable to Skuld.
Ranma and Nabby's downloads, probably.
Still,
both files contained the proper authentications for their new status,
which Skuld confirmed. And even a detailed analysis showed that they
were legitimate, at least by every test that Skuld could conceive.
Yggdrasil denied generating them, yet there they were in the files. So
where had they come from?
Their mothers. :P
interfering with each other on a number of levels, requiring Yggdrasil
to employ some rather novel solutions in an attempt to resolve things.
Currently, it was generating a paradigm shift of unknown magnitude to
incorporate the conflicting data into the reality matrix, currently at
twenty-eight percent completion. However, its rate of progress was
climbing, and its burgeoning effects were already beginning to be felt
in the mortal world.
Ah ha. So it really is all their fault. :)
Skuld's tongue became wedged between her lips on one side of her mouth
as she began examining the two files in greater detail. The first was
a highly-skilled technologist (a vocation that Skuld heartily approved
of),
Along with that of prostitution, but that really didn't matter here.
> transfusions, but the girl had only been infused with one. The changes
done to their astral patterns had also induced similar alterations to
their files in Yggdrasil as well, causing the system to now regard them
as being Class One Probability Nodes. This mnemonic transfusion had
apparently also occurred in two others, the technologist's father and
another girl, but their status remained unchanged.
Genma and Kodachi then as well.
Yggdrasil's efforts were causing a convergence event to form, with the
duo standing right at the center of it, and it was causing a gathering
of other Probability Nodes to join them. Even as Skuld studied the
files, new links began appearing to other files, cross-indexing at a
dizzying rate of speed. When a sufficient number had been gathered,
the paradigm shift would be complete, and the future would change
forever.
Or, at least it would until it became the past.
While Skuld continued her examination of the files, she decided to hold
off on any mention of this
think you can drop the 'on any mention of ' and make it 'hold off mentioning
this ' Sounds better to me
anyone else. After all, as uncertain as
the future was, it was hers to deal with. But she planned to watch
these two mortals more closely, to see what sort of things happened
both to and around them. They were the epicenter of the commencing
change in the reality matrix. Remembering her latest, incomplete
vision, Skuld felt something that she hadn't felt in a long time.
Hope.
Evil Overlord: Don't worry. I'll make it go away. MUHAHAHAHA!
The list of worlds reoccurring in this chapter:
Earth 0.000,0.000 - The world of Scholar Ranma (Baseline cluster)
Earth +1.612,+1.509 - The world of Shampoo 1/2 (Shampoo 1/2 cluster)
NOTE: Before reading this chapter, please read "Ohtori Academy Blues,"
written by DB Sommer, the second side-story set in the QD universe.
<BEGIN SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE> And send him lots of money too. <END SUBLIMINAL
MESSAGE>
What has gone before in this story (or at least what will help you
understand what is going on):
Good thing to refresh other's minds after the hiatus.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Chapter 14 - The Eye of the Tiger
Whatever does not destroy us makes us stronger.
- Friedrich Nietzsche
"Nonsense. A heart attack can leave you alive, but weak as a kitten, you
nihlistic putz."
-- Fellow philosopher Helmut 'Chunky' Hauser response to 'Freddy' Nietzche's
comments.
Ranma was growing more and more perplexed by his father's actions. He
was currently watching Genma Saotome perusing the newspaper, wondering
what was going through the man's mind lately. Dinner was already over,
and Ranma would normally now be doing his evening training with Shampoo
about this time. But the Amazon was helping his mother out in the
kitchen right now,
ie: Kissing up.
Nodoka: (to Shampoo as they wash dishes) And how do you feel about chlidren?
Shampoo: Shampoo want to have many early on.
Nodoka: (steepling her fingers like Gendou Ikari) Excellent.
That was one of the things that bothered the pigtailed boy. His father
seemed to avoid calling him 'Son' or 'Boy' anymore, instead just using
his given name all the time.
Downright bizarre, all right.
Genma sighed. Doing nothing but sit in this house for the past few
days and wait for his real son to contact him again had been getting on
his nerves. He could only train for so many hours in a day to occupy
himself.
S 1/2 Genma: Which is why you spend it training your son.
Genma also wanted to feel productive again, not sponge off of
Nodoka's meager income. Besides, he needed an income of his own for
some projects that he had been considering.
Good point.
A little careful reading at the local library over the past weekend had
brought him up to speed on the current state of this Earth's technology
base.
QD Genma: Bunch of primitive screwheads is what they are.
He had been right in his initial assessment. It lagged behind
his home in several areas by as much as twenty years,
Espcially in genetic engineering. But is this really such a bad thing? :)
but he could use
that gap to profit through a few patents. Even so, he didn't feel very
comfortable with giving this world anything significant, like fusion
power,
I could see where that might arouse Ranma's suspicions.
but there were other things he could share.
No fat ribs and steaks, for one thing. It would revolutionize the whole
barbeque business overnight.
Patents from those
would give this family a more comfortable life, but creating prototypes
required some seed money. Genma felt it would be better to earn the
money himself.
As opposed to what, raiding Ranma's wallet?
"Ranma," said Genma, setting his newspaper down. "A man takes care of
his family, so I thought it would be a good idea for me to get a job.
It's as simple as that."
Ranma frowned.
Obviously his father had unwittingly taken a plunge in 'Spring of
Responsible Man.' He was going to have to dig up some hot water, loathe
though Ranma was to do it.
"People change," said Genma with a slight smile. "I would think that
you'd be proud to have a father who was more like other fathers."
Ranma: You mean like Mr. Tendou?
Genma: Well, not him.
Ranma: Then you mean like Principal Kunou?
Genma: Shut up, boy.
"You wanted to be engaged to marry one of those girls?" Genma studied
the boy in front of him, dressed in Chinese-style clothes like his own
son had begun wearing lately. While he was unquestionably a brilliant
fighter, this Ranma was unpolished and ignorant of the world.
Unlike his own son, who was just brain dead stupid when it came to dealing
with relationships.
Still,
he was not stupid. Genma knew it wasn't fair of him to treat the boy
as if he was, but it was difficult sometimes to do otherwise.
Heh. Quite the conceited man, even if he does try to reign it in.
"No! Of course not!" Ranma blurted out in reply. "But I just don't
understand you nowadays, Pop. You always got some scheme hatching up
your sleeve, and I just don't want you to hurt Mom if you do."
Now it was Genma's turn to frown. "Ranma," he began. "I would never
do anything to cause your mother harm. You have to believe that."
Genma: Except for the rough sex, but she's the one that insists.
Ranma: Nevermind. Don't wanna know anymore.
That was the other thing that bothered Ranma. His father was treating
Shampoo nicely. Before, the man had seemed indifferent to the Amazon.
Now, Ranma didn't sense that from him. It was something else that just
felt wrong. Not bad wrong, since it was good to be home and to have
Shampoo there with him. But it was wrong in a way he couldn't seem to
explain.
'Out of place wrong', is what he's going for.
"I didn't mean it like that, you crazy Amazon!" yelled Ranma as he tore
off towards the backyard with Shampoo in hot pursuit.
"Ranma see how good Shampoo is, any
Don't think you need the comma there
second now," the Amazon promised
ominously.
As the sounds of battle erupted in the backyard, Genma chuckled. The
boy definitely needed to work on his social skills.
Just a wee bit.
******************************
Akane Tendo was an unhappy girl right now, so she did what she normally
did when she was unhappy.
Played Yahtzee.
"Damn him," she muttered, her fist impacting into a cinder block.
Think that's one word
Ranma's departure should have been a relief, and it was, in certain
ways. But it had all been so unexpected. And now everyone at school
was talking about it, not to mention that she had Kuno pressuring her
again.
Need to find him a Devil Hunter that would appreciate him for himself. :)
How could that jerk have just up and left her, without even a
backwards glance? She hated Ranma for that, for acting so indifferent
to her the last time she saw him, both him and his worthless father.
But it really isn't his fault this time, so to speak. Not that it will help
him in the long run.
>From outside, Cologne had been watching the youngest Tendo demolishing
things. In the course of a single night several days past,
That's awkward. It's borderline contradictory. I'd reword it
Shampoo had
up and disappeared,
This will irk Perfume too, now that I think about it.
apparently moving on with the two Saotome men. The
Amazon Matriarch was admittedly perplexed at the unexpected change, and
the Tendo family still seemed to be in varying states of shock over the
whole matter, the father being the worst. Cologne realized she would
have to put off her current plans for her wayward kinswoman until she
could learn the child's location.
True. It doesn't do the hunter much good if the beast has swtiched lairs.
Cologne started to depart, then she paused.
think you can drop 'she'
The youngest Tendo girl
might prove to be more amenable to assist in
Sounds off. I'd recommend 'help' instead.
Akane whirled around, her eyes reddened from crying, her hands held
tightly into fists. When she recognized Cologne, she smiled nastily.
Yeah. Won't be real happy after being KO'd by her the first time they met,
and then having RanRan give her an unwanted crewcut during their second
meeting.
"Do you want to hear the price before or after I tell you Shampoo's
location?" A hint of cold anger escaped Nabiki's self-control.
Still seems a bit emotional for her.
"Either way, I will pay it, if I feel it is fair," replied Cologne.
Heh. I like the qualifier.
"And the price?" asked Cologne, curious to see what the middle Tendo
daughter would ask for.
"Enough money for a boob job," Nabiki said. "I want to jiggle like a Gainax
character."
"Do whatever you want with Shampoo," said Nabiki coldly. "Take her
back to China to fall on her sword for getting cursed for all I care.
I only ask for two things in return. First, I want to see both Ranma
Saotome and his good-for-nothing father suffer.
"A swift kick to the balls will do," Nabiki said.
But I want Ranma to
suffer most of all. The three of them blew in here, disrupted all of
our lives for weeks, and then just as suddenly left.
"And I can't get any more money by manipulating the girls at the school for
more Shampoo-kun pics. I've seen my proftis shrink by 85%. That's what
really has me steamed." Nabiki addmitted.
"I take it you have given the matter some thought," said Cologne dryly.
Sounds like it.
"As a matter of fact, I have," Nabiki replied sarcastically. "I want
Akane to help you when you deal with Ranma and his father. She wants
to hurt someone, and I want to see Ranma hurting. Think of it as a
form of closure for her. Get the idea?"
An interesting form though.
*** Earth 0.000,0.000
And back to the center world.
In one of the subbasement rooms of the Academy, where the maintenance
staff seldom went, a private gathering was occurring. By design, only
a select few were in attendance here. But there was also one uninvited
guest.
Ghost Sweeper Minami stood quietly on one side of the room, the amulet
of invisibility she had borrowed from the Mobius Institute concealing
her presence.
Oh ho. This should be interesting.
"I now call this inaugural meeting of the Ranma Saotome Fan Club to
order.
More bad news for Ranma.
I'm pleased that you all accepted your invitations."
Minami's awareness snapped back when she heard that. These girls were
gathered for him? How could any girl like that arrogant jerk? He had
obviously enjoyed making her look like a fool, and the redheaded Ghost
Sweeper would never forgive him for that. Still, she began paying more
attention to what was going on. Perhaps she might learn something that
would let her pay Ranma back.
Oh, I'm sure she'll find something.
Nanami Jinnai
Interesting choice of familiar character in an unfamiliar setting. I
approve.
set down the small gavel she had just used to rap upon
the table in front of her. She tugged down once on the front of her
gray uniform jacket, and then she smiled her best politician's smile at
the assembled faces in front of her.
The same one she used when watching kittens frolic in a field of flowers, as
well as when watching them get run over by cars. It was just that sort of
plastered on thing.
The group was composed of some
twenty or so girls, all dressed in either Science blue or Security
gray. However, despite being even in number, the two parties were not
mixed, and both sides had been exchanging glares with each other before
the meeting had even begun.
I see all is not right in this little gathering. Potential for trouble
already there.
After looking pointedly around the room, Ami Mizuno gently cleared her
throat and asked, "Why are these Security thugs attending this meeting?
The invitation I received by email
Of course it would be by email.
that in mind, isn't it fair to admit both Security and Science cadets
to this meeting? Not to mention the added benefit of having Security
cadets present, to assist us all in maintaining our privacy from those
parties who might seek to hinder our activities."
Minami wondered who that might be.
I'm sure she'll find out.
Nanami gave a slight bow and said, "Thank you, Mizuno-san. That is
high praise indeed to come from one of your reputed expertise.
True.
>
"We are all here for one reason only," said Nanami, her politician's
smile returning, "to share in our admiration of that quintessential
pinnacle of manhood who walks among us at the Academy, Ranma Saotome."
And so it begins. :)
Minami shook her head in wonder at that. Quintessential pinnacle?
Ranma was hardly that.
Always need at least one girl that is immune to the 'Ranma Effect.'
pigtailed boy could be seen in their eyes. Still, each girl who was
here, inexplicably pining after Ranma Saotome, meant one less girl in
competition with her for the attentions of the rest of the boys at the
Academy.
Heh. A true boon for her.
Minami grinned in anticipation. She had already had a few
dates since her arrival and was enjoying her growing popularity with
the boys.
Been a bit busy, she has.
But she was also a little irritated that her new admirers
weren't spurring that idiot Gosunkugi into paying attention to her too.
But then, of course, that would be too easy.
Ami coughed once into her fist and quickly brought her emotions back
under control. The slight blush on her cheeks at the nearby sight of a
life-sized image of Ranma Saotome, clad in just a towel wrapped around
his waist, hindered those efforts. Around her, several of her fellow
Science cadets gazed raptly at the sight of male musculature on display
before them. A few girls were even drooling a little at the sight.
Obvioulsy they need to get out more. :)
Ami flipped open the slim laptop she had brought with her, glad that
she had thought to bring it with her. As Nanami began to orate once
more, Ami occupied herself with calling up the datafiles she sought.
She was sure that the others would find them very interesting.
Of course the 'science geek' would.
moment or two in being the center of attention. Nanami congratulated
herself on coming up with the idea of organizing a club such as this,
giving a first-year cadet like herself the beginnings of a power base
to unseat the current queen of the campus, Nabiki Tendo. She ignored
the twinge of resentment she felt at having been snubbed by the older
girl when she had sought to join Nabiki's faction at the beginning of
the term.
Sounds like Nabby will be paying for that soon.
"I'd like to interrupt, Jinnai-san," said Ami suddenly, setting her
laptop to one side. "I took the liberty of analyzing the information
that you emailed me with that anonymous invitation, and I think it
would be prudent to inform our sister cadets of my findings."
Ami: Ranma's gay.
Nanami: Okay. Meeting's ajourned.
Ami was able to hook her laptop up to with a minimum of fuss. Nanami
heard the other girl clearing her throat nervously as Ami signaled that
she was ready, and she smiled as she dimmed the lights. It wouldn't be
too difficult to reduce a mousy computer geek like Ami Mizuno to a mere
figurehead leader, given enough time.
And I'm sure Ami is thinking the very same thing.
Minami shrugged. All that intellect, and he was still a jerk.
Heh
"Saotome-san's academic record speaks for itself," Ami continued, glad
that the darkness hid the blush that had returned to her face. "He is
a brilliant young man, and an accomplished scholar. Many of you have
had the pleasure of reading some of his few published works, on such
varied subjects as non-Euclidean mathematics, quantum mechanics,
superstring theory, and even cosmology. They show the workings of an
agile mind, one possessed of eloquence and a capacity for deep
thinking, a quality which is vanishingly rare in a boy his age."
In any age, really.
taken from Fuyutsuki's files. "Since his arrival at the Academy some
few months ago, Saotome-san has been improving his physical performance
ratings to a remarkably high level. The numbers you see here represent
a detailed breakdown of Saotome-san's current combat capabilities.
Ami: He currently rates as 'Major Kick Ass.'
Minami rolled her eyes. All this admiration for Ranma was starting to
seriously grate.
I'm sure she'll do something about that later.
At the side of the room, Nanami glanced around and smiled as she saw
the worshipful gazes taking place around her. Taking a risk like
hacking into the Dean's private system and liberating these files had
been a challenge, but she was pleased to see it had been well worth it.
Since Ami was the one punching them up from her personal files, i had
assumed she was the one that had hacked into the system.
Selling photographs of Ranma from her growing collection should net her
some tidy sums for her coffers. She only had to evade attention from
Nabiki's henchwomen in order to do it. In truth, Nanami relished the
challenge, especially since Nabiki's recent preoccupation with Ranma
Saotome was beginning to cause a decline in her enterprises.
Well, that and the fact Kinnosuke has been pressing all of them into his
service.
were somehow greatly enhanced. An analysis of the data, taken both
before and after the event, yields no apparent explanations for it."
"It's probably from magic, Science Nerd," Manami said from in back.
"However, the files provided by Jinnai-san also reveal a new danger
that we should all be aware of,"
'The clap?" one girl asked
"No, not that," Ami clarified.
Three images appeared on the display, replacing Ranma's. There was a
muted grumbling from the audience.
Ah. The 'Forces of Evil' no doubt. :)
"But that's not fair!" yelped one girl dressed in Science blue. "He's
the most eligible boy on campus!"
"Yeah!" shouted another girl. "And an arranged marriage is just so
archaic."
Heh. And so it begins.
"Ladies," Nanami called out loudly, holding her hand up for attention
as she raised the lights. It took her three more tries to restore a
semblance of order. "Thank you. I'm afraid there's also worse news."
"He turns into a girl with cold water?" a girl asked?
"Now you're just being silly," Ami chided.
"My sources indicate that Utena Tenjou spent the night at Saotome-san's
home after beating him in their match," replied Nanami.
Yep. That would be infinitely worse in their eyes.
Minami raised an eyebrow and blushed slightly at the implications
Nanami was making. Kissing a boy was as far as the Ghost Sweeper had
ever gone.
Certainly the blow job she had given that one guy didn't count.
There was another collective gasp from the audience. The girl who had
just fainted and recovered earlier passed out again.
Heh
Ami briefly flipped through her notes and announced, "Before coming to
this meeting, I had begun compiling a psychological profile on Saotome-
san, in an attempt to determine what sort of girl might have the best
chance of earning his affections. This news about Utena Tenjou, while
admittedly most distressing, possibly serves to confirm my theory."
"What?" shouted several girls. "Tell us!"
Ami: He likes women that have been genetically altered.
records from her old school list her as being male, and she apparently
has a preference for wearing masculine clothing. I suspect that she
has numerous gender issues to work through." Ami tapped a key and the
picture changed.
Minami blinked. What sort of a freak dressed in boy's clothes?
They're called 'cross-dressers.' Obviously Manami needs to get out more.
At Whitehall Academy, she recently
became embroiled in a series of fights with another student before
transferring here, fights that Kodachi always won."
Not at first.
"The fourth and final subject: Utena Tenjou. She is best-known among
her classmates as the 'Prince of Ohtori,' a designation no doubt earned
due to her preference for wearing masculine clothing. I suspect that
this girl also has gender issues to work through. There are several
information sites dedicated to her on the Imperial Datagrid, complete
with numerous pictures of the girl and listings of her combat records.
Her own fan base, mostly from Ohtori.
"Based on this information," Ami informed the audience, "it is my
theory that Ranma Saotome subconsciously seeks to pair himself with a
strong woman. All four women here are strong fighters, and I believe
it is beyond coincidence that this should be so. I propose that his
recent assignation
Heh. 'assignation' she calls it. Most other would refer to it as a
'screwing' (Not that Ami knows the truth)
with Utena Tenjou confirms my findings." Ami's
fingers stabbed out at the audience. "Therefore, the key to winning
Saotome-san's heart is to defeat him in combat. I believe he would
expect no less from the woman who would win his love."
Hehehehehehe. How logical, and for all of the wrong reasons.
Ami smiled. She had been waiting for such a question. "Each of those
beatings
'defeats' might be better to use here.
incidents involving Akane Tendo do not matter. However, if she returns
to face him and manages to defeat him in a fair fight, then we shall
have to see if that supports my findings or not."
Good point
"So what is it that you're saying, Mizuno-san?" asked one of the girls
in the front row. "We should begin challenging Ranma Saotome in order
to get a date with him?"
Mainstream Kunou would be so proud of them. :)
"Exactly," said Nanami with a nod, gently shoving Ami aside and taking
her place behind the microphone. She now saw how she could rally these
women. "Two things are obvious here. One, Saotome-san deserves a
strong woman,
In the case of the science cadets, I am assuming 'mentally strong' would
count in their eyes? They don't seem the physical sort.
Every girl in the room cheered loudly. For the sake of winning Ranma
Saotome's love, they would train hard, strengthen themselves, and begin
challenging him to prove their love.
Lots of future problems now.
others were not as deterred. Viewing her as the most obvious target, a
few of the strongest and most athletic of the girls discussed how they
would deal with Nabiki and who would go up against her first.
Heh. Some real fun for her coming up then.
As the meeting broke up, Minami strolled out of the room, unseen by
anyone. She was happily contemplating the potentials for mischief that
she could do to a certain pigtailed boy with a wicked grin on her face.
She wondered if she could get Gosunkugi to help her. It promised to be
a lot of fun, not to mention giving her an excuse to spend some time
with him.
Oh boy. It's really going to hit the fan for Ranma soon. Getting into the
Arena is going to feel like a vacation for him. :)
Tiger was proving to be as difficult to deal with as he had suspected
she would be from his initial meeting with the catgirl. Most of the
aches now present in his body were due to her dedicated efforts over
the past couple of days. Ranma couldn't help but feel
couldn't help feeling (Sounds better to me, IMO)
irritated with
himself about that. Being beaten up for two days straight was bad
enough, but being beaten up
Just used 'beaten up' in the previous sentence. Recommend changing this part
to 'but losing to a girl' or something similar.
was battling the catgirl. She was inhumanly strong and lightning fast,
but her fighting skills lacked that unpredictable creativity that a
true martial artist was capable of, not surprising to him since her
skills were hardwired into her neurology.
Good point. A fatal downfall on their whole idea, at least to someone that
can improvise unorthadox attacks like Ranma.
Tiger, gloriously naked, stood in the furo. She had been enjoying a
hot bath as a little treat to herself before the day's activities
began. Not bothering to cover herself like a normal girl would have
done at this time, she instead glared at Ranma as the pigtailed boy
stood there in shock. Her eyes glanced downwards briefly when Ranma's
towel slipped off his waist, and then her gaze returned once again to
meet his, her irises like chips of frozen jade.
Heh. Interesting variation of the first meeting with Akane.
Nodoka absently noticed the play of the breeze across the grass, as
well as the scent of cherry blossoms tickling her nose. The haft of
her bokken rested snug in her grasp, both hands closed loosely around
it, the blade angled downwards. As her opponent stepped closer, her
mind snapped into crystal clarity. At that moment, she felt truly
alive.
A moment later, a blade was driven into her stomach. Suddenly, she felt
considerably less alive than a moment before.
"Not too bad for someone your age," murmured Achika
Since they are the same age, this isn't that much of an insult. :)
"If Achika had been a real enemy, she would have left you with more
than a temporary pain in your belly," observed Katsuhito. "If the two
of you had been fighting for real, you would now be dead. How does it
feel to be dead?"
Nodoka: Surpisingly, it feels like my stomach hurts
Nodoka frowned, angry at herself for falling for such a simple ploy.
But then she had a history of falling for such things. "Sure I'll respect
you in the morning," first and foremost among them.
"You're trying too hard," observed Katsuhito, pouring himself a cup of
iced tea from the thermos he had at his side. "A warrior's movements
should flow from a central core of stillness and calm emotions. This
challenge has been the first you have faced in many years. It seems to
have damaged your focus."
Makes sense to me.
"Grandfather is right, Nodoka," said Achika, setting her weapon down
and taking an offered cup of tea from the elderly man. "Twenty years
ago, you would never have let yourself be bothered by a challenge from
that witch, Kenseiko."
But that's because there wasn't a twenty-year gap between matches. They were
much more usual.
"Remember one of the first things I taught you, Nodoka?" said Katsuhito
Nodoka: About how you're supposed to sleep with your sensei?
Katsuhito: Urr, not that one. I mean the other one.
Now that Tenchi was finally settled down with a fianc�e, Achika felt it
was time to start working on her other child's future again.
Two of them. Oh how wonderful.
Achika sighed inwardly. What was she going to do about Ryoko? The
girl took after her namesake ancestress far too much sometimes.
Ryouko is Tenchi and Achika's ancestor? Well now that should be making
things interesting.
very proud of her and loved her deeply. After all, she was now only a
year away from graduating into the ranks of one of the most respected
group in the Empire, the Imperial Bodyguards, also known as the Blood
Guard. Charged with the defense of the Emperor and his kin, a Guard
was an almost preternaturally-skilled warrior, and many in their ranks
possessed some knowledge of Tao sorcery.
Hmm. Wonder if they'll come into play later.
Achika sometimes feared that the only way she was going to get Ryoko to
submit to an arranged marriage would be by force.
Wouldn't that be illegal, though? :)
She glanced over at
Nodoka, envious of the woman for not having a daughter to contend with.
A son was much easier to manipulate for a mother.
Depends on the son. A weenie like Tenchi, sure. One like Ranma, much more
difficult. One like Ataru, strangle at birth. :)
hoped that he would. She had genuinely liked the girl, who reminded
her so much of how she herself had been at that age. Well, except for
the cross-dressing and Utena's odd hair color. Nodoka smiled at the
thought of the pink-haired girl and her son together. They made a fine
couple.
Heh. Always thinking, Nodoka is.
It was now day four of his training.
Heh. So now we know the lenght of his sentence in hell to date.
Tiger looked around, seeing a tawny-colored cat sitting on the wall
near her. It was eyeing the fish in her bowl hungrily. She smiled at
it, unselfishly pulling off a chunk of fish from the one in her bowl
and offering the tidbit to the cat. She had always liked housecats.
Not surprising. A distant relation.
Tiger wondered at Ranma's reaction, absently feeding another morsel of
fish to the cat when it nudged against her hand. After it had eaten a
good portion of her lunch, it consented to her picking it up, and she
stroked her hand down its back as it rested in her arms. The cat
purred its contentment at that, having just been fed and now being held
and petted. She stood up with the cat in her arms and began walking
over to Ranma.
Big mistake.
"Interesting," murmured Tiger, her predatory smile returning. She had
a fun, new game to play, and she liked to play with her chosen prey.
Ranma is no mouse. He's a cat too. Tiger's going to be in for a rude
awakening. :)
Kodachi work even harder to close the gap. However, there's still a
large difference between their relative skill levels, and, from the
reports I get from Takami, I don't see that gap dwindling soon."
"Why is that, Fujinami-san?" asked Fuyutsuki with interest.
I would think it obvious. There are limits to each person.
been showing up at classes with her hands bandaged. He isn't sure what
she's doing on her own, but her speed is showing marked improvement.
Ranma's going to have his hands full when he gets back.
And even well after, I'd wager. :)
found nothing. As near as I can tell, this Happosai person was never
born, never attended formal schooling of any sort, and he had no record
of any military service. Other than a criminal record that ends at the
turn of the century, the only thing Happosai ever did that was of any
significance to the Empire was to be credited with the founding of this
mystery school of martial arts."
My. Such thorough records they kept.
"No," said Fuyutsuki with a smile of his own. "There you would be in
error. According to the records at the Security Directorate, Happosai
once molested the Empress of that time. He was tried, convicted, and
executed for treason, all in a single day, in the year 1901.
I'm impressed they managed to catch him.
caution. The skills that Ranma and Nabiki both now possess lead me to
wonder how they came to learn them. I have a few theories
Hmm. Wonder if he'll make the resonator connection.
The small fire blazed away, crackling merrily as Nabiki fed it several
small twigs and a few larger sticks.
Pyromania was fun, she decided.
She sat back on her haunches and
considered the flames. As she did so, she slowly began to unwrap the
cloth bandages from around her hands, letting them fall into a pile.
She had been pushing her body to its limits to increase her speed, and
enduring the pains of her burns stoically.
Crying, "Wah! Daddy kiss it and make it better!" counted as 'stoically' in
her book
The Amaguriken Technique.
The edge she's been looking for. Of course the bad news is Ranma knows it
aswell from his S 1/2 download.
Losing to Ranma had been a blow to her ego, and her decision to train
herself in the Amaguriken Technique had been an admittedly impulsive
reaction to that loss. But Ranma was not a better fighter than she
was.
Except outside of her own mind.
Nabiki's thoughts paused. How did she really feel about Ranma?
You aanna boff him after beating him, dearie. :)
Ranma Saotome. He had been such a quiet sort before, devoting himself
to his research project and his studies, never even associating much
with his fellow Science cadets.
They were inferior material. That was all. :)
There were also her rivals to consider. Akane was getting involved
with Furinkan's Combat Club, and she was sure to find a boy there who
suited her tastes.
Heh. Right. Too easy.
Utena Tenjou, the so-called "Prince of Ohtori." She refused to believe
that Ranma had slept with the girl,
What most other people would call, 'Denial' :)
Nabiki's quest to find Utena and explain
things to her in no uncertain terms had been an utter failure.
Except for meeting Touga. :)
Nabiki opened her eyes when she felt a blush flood her cheeks. Toga
had possessed a certain charm, and a presence that was undeniable. His
touch had been electric, very similar to the sensations she felt when
Ranma had held her hand. It would serve Ranma Saotome right if she
flaunted another boy in his face, especially a handsome one like Toga
Kiryu. She shook her head. She was getting off track.
Though the idea has merit. Making Ranma jealous, I mean.
around, a boy named Kinnosuke Kashuoh, a Science cadet from a wealthy
family.
Hmm. Didn't realize he was supposed to be a science cadet.
Nabiki had once considered him to be her secret nemesis,
Why? I didn't know she was aware she had a rival.
but
had ultimately rejected the notion. After all, why would someone that
wealthy want to bother with taking over her business enterprises?
Solely for the thrill, and making you his own.
Nabiki had seen Tiger around campus for months, strutting along behind
her owner like a faithful hound.
Actually more like a faithful cat. :)
Nabiki's hands became blurs, streaking in and out of the flames. When
it was over, she raised her fists to the sky, her hands unburned. A
throaty chuckle bubbled up from deep within her. She looked forward to
showing Ranma Saotome just who truly was the better fighter between
them. The next time she faced off against the pigtailed boy, she would
be the winner.
Looks bad for Ranma.
The wooden target disintegrated under the power of Kuno's rapid-fire
blows, and even the wall behind it began to buckle and warp from the
air pressure generated by them. The wood and stone were reacting as if
caught by the focused force of a hurricane. With a last shattering
wrench, a two-meter wide hole was ripped through the wall, scattering
chunks of stone and shards of wood out across the grass outside.
Well, at least he's got one move. :)
"Excellent, my boy!" cheered Lord Kuno in congratulations. In truth,
he was both pleased and astonished that his son had managed to master
the technique
had mastered the technique (sounds better this way to me. Less wordy)
so quickly. Less than a week had gone by, after all.
The last traces of chi fire fading from his bokken, Kuno saluted his
father with the weapon. Never before had he felt so powerful. No, he
was now invincible.
Heh. Good ole' Kunou.
Lord Kuno wasn't sure why his son suddenly broke out into a gale of
laughter. He could only attribute it to youthful exuberance at having
mastered a new combat technique.
Dream on, Old man. :)
******************************
Kenseiko paused in her workout, feeling her shoulder muscle spasm a
bit. She gritted her teeth at the brief pain, a sign that she wasn't
quite as young as she used to be. Sometimes, she felt she might be
getting too old for such a childish thing as revenge,
Nah. You're never too old for revenge.
it, one of the dummy's arms came loose and fell with a clatter, and she
smirked. She had gotten much better with her chosen weapons, and
Nodoka Saotome would soon enough learn who the superior warrior was.
Well, we'll see.
"There is a flaw in your technique, my dear wife," said Lord Kuno from
the doorway. He quirked his lips slightly at the glare she gave him in
reply, before she realized who he was.
Oh? Does she normally act demure toward him?
Without preamble, they engaged in combat, Lord Kuno's bokken versus
Kenseiko's twin warfans. There was the sound of weapons clashing as
they fought, the ring of steel and the crack of hardened wood. It was
a battle of skill, and it re-ignited memories of their past youth.
So they used to play with one another as well, eh?
Kenseiko said with a broader smile, "Perhaps My Lord imagined the flaw
that he claimed to see."
Oops. Mistake.
Lord Kuno knelt down and put an arm around Kenseiko, surprised to feel
her trembling. He said gently, "You've always had it, my dear wife,
for as long as I can remember. I kept it to myself, an old habit from
my youth whenever I found a flaw in an opponent's defenses. I am sorry
if I have hurt your feelings."
Nice to see them like this. Makes them more human and sympathetic.
for a woman, possessing an athletic build overlaid on a solid frame.
But, she still moved lithely, and with a dancer's grace. Fuyutsuki was
a bit surprised at himself for gawking like an adolescent at a woman,
considering himself to be too much the detached scientist, as well as a
confirmed bachelor, to pay much attention to such things.
If you're a confirmed bachelor, that's why you pay attention to such things.
:)
"Anything else I can get for you, sir?" asked Yumi pleasantly. She
waited for his reply, briefly glancing at the clock. Ukyo still hadn't
gotten back from her little hunting trip at Ohtori yet,
Obviously Ukyou was rolled in a direction opposite her home. :)
Fuyutsuki nodded, picked up the picture of Ukyo and put it back in his
satchel. "I understand," he said. "But have her call me in the next
couple of days. Your niece has a lot of potential, and I truly feel
that the Imperial Academy would offer her more opportunities than she
could get anywhere else. I'll also leave some forms for her to fill
out, if she decides to attend."
To be close to Ranma? Try stopping her. Now things are going to be even more
fun at school from now on. :)
"I would be honored to cook for you again, Fuyutsuki-kun," said Yumi to
the empty air, her voice sugary and her eyes wide and innocent-looking.
Returning her expression to normal, she wrinkled her nose and shook her
head again. "Where the hell did that come from? That didn't sound
like me at all."
Probably been a while since she's been with a guy. :)
"Sorry," Ukyo mumbled. She tried to avoid showing her aunt the bruise
she wore under one eye,
Snort. Right. She won't notice something like THAT. :P
Behind her, Yumi smiled and shook her head. Her niece reminded her all
too much of herself at that age, when all she cared about was food,
fighting, and pursuing a certain boy who had held a special place in
her heart, not necessarily in that order.
We still don't know who it is. Personally not making it anyone in particular
might be the way to go, since it's not necessary everyone in the past is
someone around now.
Ranma absently picked at the food on his plate, wondering once again
why he was letting the Dean put him through this abuse.
Because he's a loyal student that really wants to get better and defeat
Utena.? :)
> Utena was in just a couple of days, and he had to focus on that thought
to keep the fear at bay. When that was all over, then he could turn
his full attentions back to rescuing his father. Who knows what sort
of chaos could be besetting him in that other world?
Like getting laid, and chaotic stuff like that. :)
Pathetic coward, thought Tiger disdainfully, before quickly consuming
another large piece of raw tuna. To think that a great warrior like
her beloved Kinnosuke-sama would even consider a weakling like Ranma
Saotome to be any potential challenge at all was laughable.
Methinks she shall be in for a rude surprise before overlong.
I'm a scientist, not a warrior, Ranma mused, eating his meal with more
vigor. I should be in a lab, not getting my body beaten black and blue
by some c-c-c- by some weird girl with ears. What the hell was I even
thinking? Do I really care if the world thinks I lost to Utena? He
stabbed at the meat on his plate, impaling it on his chopstick. The
morsel quickly disappeared into his mouth.
Nice to see him questioning his resolve.
Ranma swallowed another mouthful of food, then blinked when he realized
that he was done with his meal. He set his bowl down and relaxed for a
moment, while keeping his eyes turned away from Tiger. He had gotten
this stupid phobia from a version of himself that existed on a world
where Shampoo was cursed to turn into a guy. That other analog of
himself, the one where he had initially gained his fighting skills
from, had never suffered through that horrible training.
He hadn't? I thought it was from the 'mainstream' universe.
Ranma Saotome wasn't a coward, something he had to remind himself of
now and again, and he was certain he would conquer this fear. He just
needed to simply hold out against it for long enough, to build up his
mental resistance like he would strengthen a muscle.
Yeah. Right.
away once again. He couldn't even explain the vacillations in his own
thoughts to himself. Sometimes, he felt an eagerness within himself
for the challenge of a strong opponent, to have another chance to test
his skills against another. Then there were times like now, when Ranma
just wanted to go back to being the way he once was. But the pigtailed
boy could admit that his periods of regret were becoming fewer.
Winning does that to a guy.
want to torment him. Until a few days ago in the Dean's office, he had
only ever seen her from a distance, her and the other two catgirls who
acted as bodyguards for one of his fellow Science cadets.
Heh. He'll be learning Kinnosuke's name soon enough, I'd wager.
"Yes," growled Ranma. The sudden surge of anger within him brought his
eyes up reflexively, the goal being to give her a defiant glare, but
the up-close view of Tiger's bosom stopped him in mid-motion. A slight
trickle of blood leaked from one of his nostrils, and Ranma gave off a
sort of squeaking, swallowing sound.
And somethings remain the same. :)
"My son desires to take both of your two daughters as his concubines,
pending his marriage to a daughter of noble blood," said Lord Kuno.
Hehehehehe. I can see where that would surprise Soun.
Kodachi smirked, ever so slightly, as she regarded her rivals for
Ranma's attentions with an otherwise detached look. This was very
entertaining for her.
But not for long, methinks.
dare this pompous lordling look at her like she was some sort of sex
object? Besides, she knew she was destined to be Ranma's wife, if she
had any say in the matter.
I'd drop the 'if...' part. Akane is determined and I can't see her being
that doubtful.
Seeing that expression on Nabiki's face startled Kenseiko, but she hid
it well. Still, Nabiki was reminding her more and more of Kimiko, and
that was raising unpleasant memories.
Didn't realize she knew Kimiko as well. Did you mention that before?
Tatewaki Kuno saw the two Tendo sisters looking at him, and he basked
in their regard.
Heh. Typical Kunou
He noted that both were obviously speechless with
gratitude at the chance to become his concubines, and Kuno resolved
himself to proving himself worthy of their love. They were both so
beautiful, he wondered how he could live without possessing them. He
had to have them both.
And how some things remain the same.
"While I am honored that your son would seek to make such an offer to
my daughters, Your Lordship," said Soun in his best diplomatic tones.
"I am afraid that I promised their departed mother that I would see to
it that all of them became wives. I hope Your Lordship can understand
my situation."
An interesting way to get out of the predicament.
She could also see a bit of her old nemesis' thuggish tendencies in the
younger daughter. The thought of her beloved son ever siring children
on these two was a repellant notion, now that she had met them. She
was glad that their father was rejecting the matter
Heh. Interesting reaction.
Kodachi watched her brother visibly deflating as his dream faded, and
she was suddenly inspired. Her brother never could resist a challenge.
I wondered when Kodachi would try to move things along.
"Then prove it, brother dear," said Kodachi with a calm look. "Nabiki
Tendo here fancies herself to be a strong fighter. Challenge her and
prove it."
Cute.
"I accept your challenge, Tatewaki Kuno," said Nabiki. She smirked as
a sudden inspiration struck her. "If you win, then I'll go out with
you on a date. If I win, you'll leave me and my sister alone for a
week."
Oh dear. This could be problematic.
Nabiki watched Kuno limbering up with a lazy look. After all, Ranma
had defeated this version of Kuno several times now, so he wasn't very
tough.
Arrogance could be her downfall here. Akane would never forgive her either.
in action. It would be a challenge to do so without Nabiki realizing
what she was doing, but Akane had always possessed a strong gift for
picking up new combat techniques. She would memorize her sister's
movements and break them down later, analyzing each one's strengths and
weaknesses to add to her own repertoire.
Hmm. Be interesting to see if she succeeds.
ever desire a boy as strongly as she loved to fight. She had also been
mulling over her disappointing trip to Ohtori, and also the unfinished
business she still had with a certain pink-haired bimbo. She was still
puzzled as to why Nabiki had been at Ohtori, since her sister's answers
during the ride home were unsatisfying.
Could always have lied and said she wanted to meet Touga.
Kenseiko was torn in her desires, watching both sides of the training
hall with equal interest. She didn't want her beloved son to lose to a
daughter of Kimiko's, but the thought of Tatewaki sullying himself in
the embrace of one was equally as concerning. As a loving mother, one
who only desired the best for her little boy, who should she root for?
Heh. Nice to see the conflict within her.
Kodachi inwardly restrained herself from attacking Akane for acting so
familiarly with one of her social betters. She also made a mental note
to pummel the girl for her rude impertinence at a more opportune time.
Ignoring her did not appear to be working, since Akane was making no
moves to leave her presence.
Nice to see Dachi a little snobby.
Your brother is going to get pounded." She paused for a moment and
lowered her voice. "Just like you're going to get pounded, if I catch
you going near Ranma Saotome." Akane glared at Kodachi.
Heh. Hasn't had a chance to threaten anyone away for a while.
Nabiki dodged aside as Kuno immediately went on the offensive, and she
was a little surprised to see that he wasn't holding back against her.
Combined with the pleasant tingling that Kuno's nearness was causing
within her, that upped her interest level in the fight a little. She
evaded his strikes by only centimeters on purpose, supremely confident
in her skills. It made their duel look more dramatic, after all.
Methinks she might get taken down a peg here.
Kuno toppled over, an astonished look upon his face.
Well now, that was quick.
"Your daughter is a most skilled combatant, Tendo-san," said Lord Kuno
with icy calm. "I feel certain that her abilities shall bring your
household great honor."
Someone is sorely disappointed in what just happened. Wonder if that will
get him to spur Kunou on to greater heights.
thing to witness his little girl in action. He felt a tear welling up
in one eye, born of a father's pride, and he made no effort to wipe it
away or hide it. She had reminded him so much of her mother while she
was fighting.
That he just had to sleep with her later. :)
into her hands as well. Her brother would never accept such a defeat
gracefully, and he was certain to challenge Nabiki Tendo again. With a
little careful effort on her part, Kodachi was certain that she could
gradually steer the pair into a relationship, for they already had a
certain amount of passion towards each other. Her scheme was working
out well so far.
*Snort* Yeah. Right, Dachi.
"Congratulations on your victory, Nabiki Tendo," said Kodachi with
diplomacy. "How is your own injury?"
"This?" scoffed Akane, quickly ramming her hand against Nabiki's side,
to show the pompous noblewoman that a Tendo girl was made of much
sterner stuff than other women were. "This is nothing. Right, Sis?"
Hehehehe.
"Nabiki Tendo," intoned Kuno, gazing at Nabiki. "Know that I shall not
rest until my skills can overcome thine." He then turned to look at
Akane. "Ah, fair lioness, thou art the equal in charms to those of thy
lovely sister." He turned back to study Nabiki, then once again to
Akane. Suddenly, he leaped at the startled pair, crying, "I must have
you both!"
And still some things never change.
Lord Kuno shook his head and sighed. Days spent training him, and the
boy gets taken down by a slip of a girl nearly a head shorter than he
was. But Lord Daisho Kuno wasn't finished with Nabiki Tendo yet, not
quite.
Oh dear. That is bit forboding.
the results of her latest handiwork, but he could not be sure. The
catgirl was still an enigma to him, even after almost a week watching
her spar with Ranma. She displayed far more personality than he had
expected from a replicant, combined with a gung-ho attitude.
Must be that healthy diet of raw fish. :)
amount during this intense training, so Coach Fujinami was going to
give the boy the remainder of the day to recover. Ranma's recuperative
abilities were impressive, so a good night's sleep should leave him in
good fighting shape.
Two uses of 'good' close together. I'd drop the second one, or change it to
another word with a similiar meaning.
master's wishes. She was also beginning to wonder at Ranma's combat
abilities. For the past week, she had kicked him, punched him, body
slammed him, and generally spent her time knocking him around with only
token resistance on his part. Admittedly, her Genom-bioengineered
speed and strength gave her a tremendous advantage over any mere human
(except, she quickly amended, for her beloved Kinnosuke-sama),
Oh yes, we must not forget him.
Ranma was improving.
And of course, this has her worried. It's too fast.
ones about her beloved. She missed him, especially late at night while
she lay all alone in the bed provided for her. Tiger's right hand
closed into a tight fist as she imagined how Lynx and Panther must have
been taking advantage of her absence.
Playing chess and checkers with her beloved Kinnosuke-sama well into the
night.
The sooner she returned to her
master's side, the better. However, until she was released from her
labors, she would continue to follow her orders.
They are obediant to a fault. Probably their primary weakness.
prowling around the back, coming up to her during a mealtime break as
if sensing a kinship. The look of stark terror suddenly appearing on
Ranma's face at the sight of the cat had been priceless.
Except in Ranma's case the fear is not deibililatating, but something far
greater.
Now all alone with Ranma, Tiger paused to crack her knuckles. An hour?
She could inflict a fair amount of pain in an hour.
I have a feeling this is not to be this time.
"Get up," suddenly said a voice from his right. "You've gotta get up,
bookworm. You bested Nabiki, and you can win here. So get back on
your feet."
Ranma blinked and tried to clear the fog in his head. Leaning against
the wall felt pretty good right now. His thoughts continued to drift.
"You're just a punk kid playing dress-up," he heard Genma's voice say.
"You're not a real martial artist."
"You're a wimp, Ranma Saotome," Ranko's voice taunted.
"You can be my sidekick, Ranma-kun," said Nabiki from his memories. "I
heard you lost your big fight in under five minutes."
Ohh. That one will really get him fired up.
option, aside from the Neko-ken. Ever since his fight with his two
assailants from the Wolf Pack, he had been aware of it. Something
powerful coiled in the cells in the back of his brain, only waiting to
be unleashed.
Ah. The Boost then.
His heart raced, and blood roared through Ranma's head. The subliminal
control programs buried in his brain were triggered by the awakening of
this primitive self within him. His system flooded with adrenaline,
endorphins, and other complex serums from the genetically engineered
glands laced throughout his body. His muscles surged with vitality,
his senses expanded, and his thoughts flew lightning-fast and clear in
his mind.
It was like watching something out of 'The Matrix'
Tiger could see the change in Ranma's eyes, and she knew she was in for
a real fight. That was fine with her. An opportunity to cut loose was
always welcome. Fighting was what she was designed for, after all.
She was planning to enjoy this.
Not for very long, methinks.
No words were spoken by either combatant, and none were needed. They
charged each other, each instinctively recognizing the other as an
opponent that needed to be taken down as quickly and as efficiently as
possible. Witty banter had no place in that. Instead, they conversed
in movements, a symphony of combat taking place between them.
Nice wording.
the cocktail of biochemicals now filling his bloodstream. Every motion
was born of reflex, leaving his conscious thoughts disconnected in a
way from the rest of his body, free to enjoy the fight. Doubt was
gone, and so was fear. For these precious moments, he felt invincible.
So it can override the Neko-ken. Interesting.
exception. Her subliminal combat programming reacted far faster than
her conscious mind could absorb, shifting to a more defensive mode. It
was only a single blow. It meant nothing. Her neurology contained an
expansive repertoire of pre-programmed, hardwired maneuvers capable of
dealing with anything. It could deal with Ranma Saotome.
Right, pre-programmed rather than taught. She can react like a text book,
but without inspiration, which will be her downfall.
After a minute, Ranma felt something happen to him. His body suddenly
dropped out of boost, the change triggered by some sort of subliminal
limiter within his brain.
Whoops. Ran out of juice.
Tiger staggered where she was, shaking her head. She felt her ribs and
grimaced. One of Ranma's punches had bruised or possibly even cracked
a few of them. She was astonished. Ranma had the boost, like her own
master did. Luckily, his body must be unused to it, or he would still
be fighting. Her Kinnosuke-sama could sustain it for several minutes,
Oh my. That will make him difficult to overcome.
Staring down at the catgirl, Ranma saw his nightmares personified in
Tiger at that moment. Struggling to breathe, he tried to summon up the
boost once again, but it had gone away somewhere. His fears surged up
as his vision slowly turned gray, his brain beginning to starve for
lack of oxygen.
About time we had the Neko-ken pop up. Thought you might go around it with
the Boost there, though.
Ranma shuddered in Tiger's grasp, held fast against the wall by her
iron grip on his throat. Fear filled him, flooding all corners of his
being. His hands dropped away from Tiger's arm as his mind went away
somewhere. Battered from the fight, and drained by the Boost of any
reserves he might have had, the fear he'd been barely holding back over
the past few days broke free. His last conscious thoughts, before the
numbing warmness washed over his mind, was to curse Genma Saotome, and
to hope to hell whatever was happening to him, worked.
Yeah. In this case it's going to save him.
"Meeeooowwww," growled Ranma-neko.
"What?" Tiger blurted out in confusion.
Heh.
Ranma-neko eyed the female in front of him. She had been hurting him,
and he didn't like that. It was time to teach the female who the
dominant one around here was. With a leap, Ranma-neko tackled Tiger,
taking her down like she was an unruly cub.
'kitten' would be better since he's thinking likek a cat. Also adds to the
imagery.
A brief struggle ensued,
only ending when Ranma-neko finally pinned Tiger underneath him. He
batted away her efforts to free herself, and grasped the back of her
neck in his jaws, his chi forming fangs that pressed against her flesh.
Interesting variation.
Tiger froze, surprised and a little frightened at how easily Ranma had
overcome her. She had reflexively ceased struggling when she felt his
fangs on the back of her neck. She blinked in surprise when she felt
Ranma's tongue beginning to groom her.
Hehehe. That's really going to freak her out.
Ranma-neko paused in his grooming efforts, batting aside the silly
female's renewed efforts to free herself. When she continued them, he
pinned her firmly and grasped the back of her neck once more. He held
on until she relented.
Instincts are taking over with her, I see.
Tiger felt Ranma's breath tickling the back of her neck as he groomed
her, gently licking the back of her neck and the side of her face.
After a while, she was surprised to find herself purring from his
attentions, responding to him as her instincts demanded. She closed
her eyes and relished the sensations, something that Kinnosuke-sama had
never done for her.
Well, licking women is not something most men do, in all defense of
Kinnosuke here.
face, her tongue moving across his skin. He rumbled a purr low in his
throat, enjoying the sensations, and continued to groom the female now
that she had accepted his dominion over her. Life was good.
Well, now, this could get messy if either of them are feeling particularly
'frisky.' Wonder if you'll leave us in suspence as to in what condition
they'll be in when they finally come around.
Unsure whether or not to trust his own instincts, the diminutive monk
pulled out a small ivory bowl, and a matching set of small, ivory
sticks. He picked the sticks up in one hand and scattered them into
the bowl. One of them bounced out and almost landed in the fire. He
scooped it off of the ashes before it could be damaged.
"A bad omen,"
I suspect he'll be getting a lot of those in the near future.
whispered Cherry, studying the errant stick. His rice
cooker bubbled over some more, and he immediately snapped back to more
important matters. Ominous fates were one thing, but his lunch was far
more important.
Heh. And back to his usual form.
"Tiger," greeted Lynx, smirking a bit. "So, how went your mission?
I'm sure you'll be quite pleased to hear that Panther and I kept
Kinnosuke-sama satisfied while you were gone. Mainly me though."
Oops. Big mistake
Tiger's gaze suddenly hardened. Before Lynx could even react, she
backhanded the other catgirl hard across the face, knocking her into
some shrubbery. Picking up her small bag, Tiger nodded to the stunned
Lynx.
"My mission went satisfactorily."
Leaving us to wonder if she got some or not.
Ranma awoke several hours later, alone in his bedroom in the dormitory.
He couldn't remember how he had gotten there. That last fight with
Tiger was nothing but a blur in his mind. He sat up and turned on the
lamp. His stomach rumbled demandingly with hunger. A tray of food was
on the desk, calling to him. He ate it quickly. It was delicious.
Ah, how sweet. She left dinner for him. Must have done it then.
Ranma flipped open his notebook and studied it. He had been giving his
father's rescue a great deal of thought this week, those few hours when
he wasn't getting beaten up or spending unconscious.
Which were many.
While the two Earths had been linked through the resonator, a brief
period had occurred when the superspace paraequipotential flux reached
a state of hyper-alignment. It was during that window of opportunity
that the resonator's capacitor had chosen to overload and spontaneously
discharge.
Exactly my thoughts too.
Really.
Shuddering at that notion, Ranma struggled to avoid being pessimistic
in his thoughts. The concept that his real father could be forever
trapped in that world was unthinkable. There had to be a way to bring
him back safely.
Only via physical jump, I'd wager.
Ranko had been wrong. Her device wouldn't generate an anti-gravity
field at all. Instead, when the superspacial paraequipotential flux
aligned just so, activating it would punch a hole from an originating
timeline tangent into an alternate one. But, without some method of
charting a course, the results would be random. This quantum tunnel
would only last a short while before collapsing again, when the flux
moved out of the proper alignment. Ranma sincerely hoped that Ranko
had discovered this risk before testing her device, otherwise the
chances of her ever seeing her home tangent again would be vanishingly
small.
a la Sliders.
Sitting back, Ranma closed the notebook and smiled. He felt confident
that his father's rescue was near at hand. And once that was finally
done, he could turn his attentions back to exploring other worlds, both
through the windows of the resonator and the doorways that the quantum
tunneler would open for him.
Perhaps next chapter.
Excellent work as things are moving along. I already can't wait to see
more. Get to work, boy. Ya!
D.B. Sommer