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Hi everyone.
It's been a very long time since I've written anything for any of
my fanfics. Just to let you know that I haven't quit, just very
busy with life and school. Here's the next chapter of Chosen and
it's only in draft form and would appreciate any c&c. I haven't
decide which fic i'll be working on next, but it may be the next
chapter of chosen or completing chp4 of First Knight, which may
become just Knight.
Thanks to all that have written to me.
Also, I think there's a problem with geocities reading html files
created in frontpage since the link sometime doesn't work even
though I've checked it before uploading using personal webserver.
Later,
X-ile
http://www.geocities.com/alpha_omega_slayer/
or
http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/BookStore/7706/
And here's the fic.
*****************************************************************
*********
****Author^�s note****
Ok, here^�s chapter 3 of my Ranma/Tenchi xover. I hope you like
it. As always, c&c are welcome.
****Disclaimer****
Ranma � and Tenchi Muyu belong to their respective owner. I have
absolutely no ownership of Ranma � or Tenchi Muyu in part or
whole.
*******
Chosen
Chapter 3
***Masaki House***
Later that evening at the Masaki^�s house, Tenchi and the others
gathered in the living room. They had just finished diner and
Ranma left to help Grandpa at the shrine.
Tenchi exited the bathroom and walked over to the couch where
everyone had gathered. Sasami played with Ry-oh-ki while her
older sister, Ryoko, and Mihoshi watched some drama on TV.
^�Um^� Washu-chan?^� asked Tenchi, nervously. For some reason, he
always felt uncomfortable around her, especially, especially if
he had to ask her a favor.
^�Yes, Tenchi?^� Washu asked cheerfully.
Tenchi fidgeted with his thumb, ^�Have you been able to find
anything that might help Ranchan?^�
Washu shook her head, ^�I^�m afraid not. There^�s very little
information available on this Junsenko. I^�ve searched the
galactic database and so far, nothing useful.^�
Tenchi sighed, ^�Thanks, Washu-chan.^�
^�I don^�t see any problem with him turning into a girl,^� Ryoko
commented. ^�I mean, he does have a great body after all. Much
better than some of the people I know,^� Ryouko grinned.
^�What^�s that supposed to mean, you dry up old mummy?^� Ayeka
shouted.
Ryouko snickered and floated before Ayeka. She turned sideways
and made evident of her body to the Princess. ^�I don^�t know,
Ayeka. Maybe we should find the spring of drown girl for you.^�
Ayeka glowed as she stared daggers at the space pirate. ^�Why
you!^� At her command, miniature cylinder blocks appeared and
surrounded her. ^�If anyone needs the spring, it^�s you, you
mummy.^�
^�Ayeka, Ryoko, please!^� Tenchi said sternly, but there were hints
of disappointment in his voice. That stopped the argument cold
and they looked at Tenchi sheepishly. ^�Please, let^�s not fight.
Ranma^�s been through a lot and I don^�t want him to be caught up
in one of your fight.^�
^�Meow, meow,^� Ry-oh-ki agreed.
^�I^�m sorry, Tenchi-sama,^� Ayeka bowed.
^�I still don^�t see why we have to change because of some cross
dresser,^� Ryoko said, a little miffed.
Sasami and Ry-oh-ki glared at Ryoko, but she ignored them.
^�Ryoko, please. You heard some of the story Ranma told us. He
tired and he came here for help. I^�m not sure what kind of help,
but I^�m going to do whatever I can,^� Tenchi explained.
^�What^�s Ranma-niicha like when he was little?^� ask Sasami.
^�Heheh, I wished I could remember, Sasami. I mean, we were just
kids back then and I can only remember glimpses of images. It^�s
hard to say, Sasami.^�
^�Hmmm,^� Washu said quietly, while tapping on the panel of her
floating computer.
^�What^�s wrong, Washu-chan,^� Tenchi asked, bewildered. He didn^�t
like the sound of the tone coming from Washu. Nor did he like
the pleasing look. It was the kind that told you ^�you were in
trouble^�, or she had a brilliant idea. Unfortunately, some of
her brilliant ideas involved him, lots of needles, wires, and
other gadgets strapped to him. It was something he preferred to
remain a good distance away if possible.
^�I just had a brilliant idea! Hahahahaha^�
Tenchi and the other sweated. Tenchi involuntarily backed away
and gulped.
Washu stopped abruptly in mid laugh and looked seriously at
Tenchi. ^�You do want to help your cousin, don^�t you?^� It came
out more as a demand than a question. ^�Just as well,^� she
thought.
^�O-Of course,^� Tenchi said weakly. ^�Ummm^� W-What did you have in
mind?^� He knew better than to ask, but his curiosity overrode
his sudden fear.
^�Oh, don^�t worry about a thing. I^�ll just extract your brain
wave pattern, run it through the decoder, and we can view your
past on the screen,^� Washu explained in delight.
Tenchi envision the scene of him tied to a long table with a
large needle sucking out his brain. He shook violently and
backed away even more. He looked around for support on this
ridiculous idea, but found everyone staring at him with glassy
eyes. ^�Why me,^� he thought aloud.
Washu laughed again, ^�Don^�t worry Tenchi. It won^�t hurt a bit.^�
Tenchi groaned audibly and sighed in defeat. Against seven
females, he never had much of a chance in the first place.
Ryoko stared blankly at the ceiling from where she floated.
<<Oh, Tenchi. If we could see into your mind, then I^�ll know
exactly what you^�ve been hiding.>> She suddenly hugged herself
as images of certain possibilities floated through her mind.
Unfortunately, Ayeka had similar thought about Tenchi. However,
her images were more tamed, only by a small margin, than Ryouko.
<<Oh, Tenchi-sama!>>
Tenchi big sweated as the girls started giggling.
On the other hand, Sasami wanted a chance to see Tenchi in his
childhood. Also, she wanted to see what Ranma was like from
Tenchi point of view. She imagined Tenchi and Ranma happily
playing.
Ry-oh-ki found herself with Tenchi and Ranma feeding her carrots,
petting her, and scratching behind her ears. ^�Meow,^� she poured.
When Ryoko and Ayeka started laughing maniacally, Tenchi
swallowed hard and sought a route of escape.
Washu watched the group with an amused face. <<Interesting.
Very interesting.>>
Suddenly, two voices cried out simultaneously.
^�OH TENCHI^�
^�TENCHI-SAMA^�
Within a blink of an eye, Tenchi disappeared from the room.
^�Tenchi?^�
^�Tenchi-sama?^�
^�Tenchi-niichan?^�
^�Meow?^�
Confusion turned to understanding as Ryoko and Ayeka faced each
other and shouted in unison, ^�LOOK WHAT YOU DID!^� ^�ME?^� ^�HOW DARE
YOU?^� ^�YOU SCARED HIM AWAY^� ^�WHY YOU!^� Lightening flashed
between them. Then both ^�hmpfh^� and turned in opposite
directions.
The other relaxed that they didn^�t resort to anything else.
After a minute, Tenchi crawled out from under the couch and
sighed in relief. ^�Another impending disaster diverted,^� he
thought dryly.
***Nerima***
The rain poured over the city, drenching everything in its path.
Lightning flashed across the sky and the thunder responded.
Beneath the pouring rain, a lone figure roamed the street.
Shoulder slumped, hair tied in a ponytail, fist clenched, and
eyes narrowed as it scanned through the street like a hawk
searching for its prey.
^�This can^�t be happening. It just can^�t turn out this way. I
won^�t let it.^� She quickly wiped the hot tears from her eyes and
forced the anger deep down her heart. ^�I won^�t loose. I will
not! You hear me?!^� she shouted against the fallen rain.
Determined, she ran through the street, ignoring the complaining
body and wet clothes. She had more important matters to attend
to and no amount of discomfort was going to stop her. She had a
dream and she would do what ever it takes to make it come true,
even if someone got hurt in the process.
And so, she ran through the street of Nerinma until she reached
her destination, Ucchan. The restaurant was dark and gloomy,
almost as dark as her mood, but that wasn^�t important. She
quickly entered the restaurant and ran upstairs to her room. She
needed to prepare for when the Konatsu returned, she had to be
ready.
Readied for action.
Readied for whatever obstacles her opponents tossed in her paths.
She^�d be ready and she^�d fight back. Right now, she had a dream
to make true and no one will interfere with her dream. And so,
she gathered her belonging and packed what she needed for a
possible long journey.
Once done, she sat and waited. Waited and prepared. She waited
ten years; she can wait a little longer. She was patient. She
was very patient.
She sat in her bed and waited in the dark. Neither the thunder
nor lightning interrupted her thought.
She was patient.
She can wait.
She was prepared.
Soon, her dream will come true and she would be happy.
So, she waited patiently.
******
^�WHERE ON EARTH AM I!^� Ryouga screamed into the night. ^�THIS IS
ALL YOUR FAULT, RANMA!^�
Ryouga looked around him again and grunted in disgust. He didn^�t
know where he was. That was nothing new to him. It didn^�t
matter though. He knew whom to blame for it. Ranma. It was
always Ranma^�s fault.
Always.
He ran away from their man-to-man fight. Ranma made him searched
all over the world. Ranma cursed him. Ranma humiliated him.
Ranma took away his girl.
Ryouga sighed as the thought of Akane. His heart lifted for a
moment, but was suddenly shattered. Ryouga growled inhumanly.
Ranma^�s fault.
Ranma took Akane away. Ranma destroyed his happiness. Ranma
took away his Akane. Ranma will pay. Ranma will pay dearly for
the hell he caused.
^�YOU HEAR ME! YOU^�LL PAY! I^�LL SEND YOU THROUGH HELL! I^�LL
TAKE AWAY YOUR HAPPINESS. I^�LL KILL YOU, RANMA. I^�LL TAKE BACK
AKANE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!^�
Ryouga ran off towards the sunset. All he had to do was find
Ranma. No problem. He just had to pick a direction. No
problem. It was just a matter of time. He was patient. He
could wait. He was patient.
^�WHERE THE HELL AM I NOW!^�
He spun on his heel and looked around. Sand. All sand. Ryouga
growled again and ran off in another direction. Another thing to
add to the list of offenses against Ranma, he noted.
And so Ryouga ran and search for his arch nemesis. At some
distant behind him, a small sphere floated several meters above
him. So lost in his depression, he was completely oblivious to
the floating object as he ran through the vast continent of
Japan.
***Unknown***
The room was vast and dark. In the center of the room sat a
figure. He was leaning to his right with is elbow rested on the
arm of the chair. The only light reflected off the floating
screen two meters in front of the figure.
The figured leaned his on his elbow in the comfort of his chair
and watched the screen before him.
^�Interesting,^� he muttered. ^�Very interesting.^�
A weary smile appeared in the shadow.
***Hospital***
^�Well, doctor. How^�s your progress with the Kuno^�s sibling,^� a
man in business coat asked.
Dr. Kasugi shook his head in disappointment. It had been almost
a week and neither he nor his fellow doctors have made any
progress. ^�I^�m afraid not. We had attempted to inject the two
patients with drugs, but they became, er, rather hostile when we
approached. We had to fill the room with sleeping gas before we
entered the room.^�
^�I see.^�
^�I^�m afraid that^�s not all. It seemed that the dosage we gave
Tatewaki was ineffective. For unknown reason, he^�s immune to
many of our drugs. We^�re currently testing a divergent of
additive that might help him calm down to a level where we can
start talking.^�
^�Thank you for the information. I look forward to the next
report. Again, thank you, Dr. Kasugi.^� The man bowed and left
the office. As he rounded the corner, he pulled out his cellular
phone and dialed a number.
^�Hello? This is Mr. Mariko reporting.^�
^�Yes, Sir. They are fine and stable.^�
^�I absolutely agree.^�
^�They^�re in separate rooms and under minimum security, sir.^�
^�I do believe it^�s the best option, sir.^�
^�Yes. I^�ll get right on it.^� With that, he disconnected and
walked down the hall and disappeared within the mass of people.
***Masaki***
Tenchi sat quietly on the patio as he stared up at the stars.
Having a house filled with people from various parts of the
galaxies made him searched the sky more often, always wondering
where the next visitor might be from. He sighed at the thought
of having another visitor added to the already crowded house. It
wasn^�t that he did not like the company; he wished that they
weren^�t so^�so expressive towards him.
He could understand why his cousin wanted to leave his previous
trouble behind and starts over. That thought had crossed his
mind several times, but he felt that if he left, he would greatly
hurt their feelings and he couldn^�t bring himself to pursuing
that course of action.
But Ranma did take that path. What force him to make that
decision? He knew that Ranma didn^�t want to, yet he did. Ranma
felt that he had to take action. But why?
****Washu^�s Lab*****
^�I don^�t see why I have to be here,^� Ryoko nearly snarled.
^�My, my. Such disrespect for your mother. I might have to do
something about that,^� Washu grinned.
Ryoko gave her an annoyed look and turned away.
Washu continued her data collecting as she played with the lights
before her. She glanced at Ryoko, who was strapped in the
armchair a few feet away.
^�Interesting. Very interesting indeed,^� she said softly enough
for Ryoko to hear.
^�What?^�
^�Oh, nothing. Though, I^�m a bit disappointed with the data.^�
Washu relaxed back in her chair and stared at the screen,
thinking.
^�What are you talking about?^�
Washu ignored her.
^�Answered me!^� she demanded.
Washu gave her a small smile and a gleam crossed her feature as
she looked away from her screen at the retire space pirate. ^�You
^�re fat,^� she said cheerfully.
It took a moment before Ryoko registered what Washu had just said
and then she exploded, ^�I AM NOT FAT!^�
Washu ^�tst^� and rocked her index finger back and forth as she
looked at the screen. ^�According the data, you^�ve gain 5.128
centimeters to your waist.^�
^�I DID NOT!^�
^�Now, now. Don^�t get angry. You know as a fact that gaining
weight is a sign of old age.^�
^�I AM NOT OLD!^� Ryoko stared daggers at the red head. ^�YOUR OLD
THAN ME!^�
^�True, but I^�m not gaining any extra weight,^� she said
matter-of-fact.
Ryoko growled and retorted, ^�I^�M NOT OLD OR FAT. I CAN TAKE ON
ANYONE WITHOUT SWEATING.^�
^�Really?^�
^�YES!^�
^�What about Tenchi?^�
^�Er^� Well^�.^� Ryoko said weakly, her anger temporarily forgotten.
^�How about Ayeka?^�
^�Ha, I can take on the Princess anytime.^�
^�Ranma?^�
Ryoko burst out laughing hysterically. ^�That sex changing cross
dresser. I can take him on easily.^�
Washu grinned. ^�Really?^� she said, voice dripping with honey.
^�Of course!^� Ryoko stopped laughing and faced Washu. ^�What?
You don^�t think I can win?^�
Washu said nothing as she continued to smile.
^�Argh^�. I bet you that I can beat him without any problem!^�
^�Bet?^�
^�You got that right.^�
^�Hmm^� And what do you suggest,^� she asked with such sweetness and
a gleam in her eyes that even the Kami would be startled.
*****
[Nekohanten]
A loud crash in the hall indicated the return of Mousse and from
the racket; she deduced that his search wasn^�t successful, which
was to be expected. At the moment, she didn^�t care. It was just
a diversion to keep the blind fool busy while she took care of
more important matter.
Knock, Knock.
^�What is it?^� she asked, already knowing the answer.
^�Honor elder, I haven^�t been able to find my beloved Shampoo,^� he
said with as much respect as he could muster though he wasn^�t
sure why he started now.
^�That^�s not what I want to hear. Go find her! If my great
granddaughter dishonor the Masaki in any way, she will not only
dishonor herself, but also her clan and I will not stand by and
allow that to happen. I suggest you find her and make sure she
doesn^�t do anything we^�ll all regret,^� she threatened.
Mousse visibly gulped and nodded, ^�Yes, elder. I will find her
no matter what.^�
^�Make sure you do or there might not be anything left of her,^�
she said sternly.
Mousse gasped in shook and quickly grabbed some food from the
kitchen before running out the door.
^�Well, that should keep him busy for quite sometime,^� she thought
dryly.
Silently, she pulled out a piece of paper from her rope and laid
it on the table and began writing. It didn^�t take long before
she added the finishing touch and sealed the document with her
clan symbol. With a wave of her hand and a flashed of light,
suddenly a shadow appeared in the room.
^�Take this to the council!^� she ordered and the shadow was gone
an instant later.
^�I only pray that the council will agree to my request,^� she
whispered tiredly.
Cologne made her way across the room and sat before a shrine in
her room with her eyes closed, head bowed, and looking very
solemn. For the first time in centuries, she felt tire and
helpless. She had hoped to raise her great granddaughter in the
true ways of the warrior; she made her strong physically and
mentally. She taught her the honor of their magnificent tribe
and a greatness that surpassed all other. She had hoped that her
heir would lead the tribe into the next era with honor and pride
and a strong husband at her side.
She wanted Ranma to be that husband and even with the knowledge
of him being a Masaki didn^�t extinguish that that desire.
Unfortunately, such wishful thinking can^�t change the law. She
knew the legend behind the Masaki and realized that such heritage
will make the Amazon powerful.
So much had change with Nodoka^�s announcement and though she
would have preferred to add Ranma to the tribe by marrying
Shampoo, but she knew it was hopeless. She had hoped that she
would wear him down and have him submit, but he was too strong
will. She snickered, ^�I should have guess that from a Masaki.^�
She sighed sadly.
She moved through the completely dark room with ease and gathered
chest hidden within the wall. After placing it on the floor, she
lit some candles and strategically placed them around in a small
circle around her and the chest. A quick movement of her hand
removed the dirt and reviewed strange characters. She reached
into a drawer and pulled out the package wrapped in silk cloth.
She removed the cloth with great care to review a red rope with
characters similar to those on the chest.
She slowly removed the robe and wrapped it around her and gently
placed the wrapping outside the circle. Then, she knelt before
the chest and bowed deeply and held that position for several
seconds. From within the robe, she pulled out a gold mantle
where in matched the image at the top of the chest. Just before
the mantle locked, there was a moment hesitation but was quickly
pushed away. As the mantle locked with the chest, the chest
glowed a faint blue and brightened slowly. Soon, the room was
bathed entirely by the light from the chest.
Cologne bowed before the chest again and chanted in some strange
language for several minutes. As if understanding, the light
changed colors until it was pure white. At the end of the chant,
the chest creek open and three round discs, red, yellow, and
green glowed their individual color before rising into the air.
Slowly, the discs spun around an invisible axis until it
completely disappear and a golden ring formed.
The area within the ring swirled and twisted until a burst of
energy exploded, almost knocking Cologne out of the circle. The
energy swirled and finally merged into an image of a woman.
Cologne bowed deeply before the image and spoke with great
respect, ^�It is with great honor and privilege to meet you Lady
Tsunami. Please forgive his old woman for disturbing your
peace.^�
*****
He ran out of the restaurant near panic and searched the street
desperately. From the tone, he had no doubt that the old ghoul
was disappointed. However, it wasn^�t him that she was
disappointed in; it was his Shampoo. That only made him worried
even more. If it was him, then it was a simple beating, locked
up in his cage, and extra work. He didn^�t care for any of that;
he could take all the punishment if it kept his beloved safe.
But this time he wasn^�t sure if he could protect her. He had to,
but he had to find Shampoo first.
Mousse ran down the street to Ucchan and knocked violently on the
door for several minutes without response. He quietly cursed his
luck and ran to the next house and hoped it would bring him
better news. As he reached the Tendou, he quickly composed
himself and knocked on the door.
At the sight of the oldest daughter, he bowed and said politely,
^�Good evening, Kasumi-san. I^�m sorry to disturb you this late in
the day, but I must speak with Nabiki-san.^� She was one of the
few people he respected.
Kasumi gave him a genuine smiled and nodded. She led him in to
the dining room where he found the two fathers sprawled on the
floor, drunk and useless. He fought back a snort of disgust at
the sight.
^�Please wait here while I call Nabiki.^�
^�Again, thank you,^� Mousse apologized.
She only smiled and disappeared upstairs and soon returned with
Nabiki who had her business like expression. Even though he didn
^�t like to deal with her, she was his best option in finding
Shampoo and maybe even help him keep her safe before things got
out of hand. He frowned as he realized that nothing came easy
especially if it involved Ranma. This time, however, he had the
gut feeling that it just went from mildly dangerous adventure to
deadly, life threatening, and suicidal. He had to find Shampoo
at all cost.
^�Evening, Nabiki-san,^� he greeted.
^�Whatever, Mousse. You do realize how late it is.^�
^�Yes and I apologized, but I must ask for your help.^�
^�Oh?^�
^�There is someone I need you to find and quickly.^�
^�And who might his be?^�
^�It^�s very important that I find my beloved Shampoo. It^�s a
matter of great important for I fear for her life^�,^� he stated
sternly and then added in a soft voice, ^�and our village.^�
At the last part, he noticed that she twitched slightly before
her masked returned. He wasn^�t sure if he should be glad or
worried.
^�Please Nabiki-san. It is very important that I find her,^� he
begged. He didn^�t care if he had to get down on his hands and
knees to ask for her help, considering what was at stake.
^�This will cost you.^�
In his rushed to get here, he had forgotten that important fact
about Nabiki. He paused and considered what was available to him
and sighed sadly. ^�I don^�t have much, but perhaps we can work
something for the service.^�
Nabiki remained silent for a bit before answering, ^�Fine. Here^�s
the deal. I^�ll look for Shampoo and when I do find her, I want
you to promise on your life that you keep her away from Ranma and
us.^�
Mousse almost cheered at the proposal. ^�I promise to do my best
to keep her away from Ranma and the Tendo.^�
Nabiki momentarily frowned and nodded. ^�Guess that will have to
do. In the mean time, I want you to tell everything about this
danger to your village and why you fear Shampoo is in danger.^�
He nodded and cleared his throat, ^�I don^�t know all the detail
regarding the Masaki, but legend has it that an ancestor of the
Masaki saved the Amazon village from destruction hundred of years
ago. Since then, our tribe have always regarded the Masaki in
the highest of Honor.^�
Nabiki nodded as Kasumi brought some tea and offered it to the
two. Mousse gave his thank and continued his story. ^�It was
said that this ancestor was aided by a powerful female being.
With her aid, they battled the demon and brought peace to the
valley^�
^�What kind of demon?^�
He shrugged, ^�I don^�t know, but the demon was powerful enough to
level a mountain without trouble.^�
^�Oh my,^� Kasumi said softly.
^�What does this have to do with Shampoo or your village?^�
^�Because of the honor held by the Masaki and therefore Ranma, any
harm brought to him will result in severe punishment. If Shampoo
did anything that damage the honor of the Masaki, she would not
only dishonor her clan, but also the village and so the
punishment will be most severe.^�
*****
Just beneath the Tendo compound, a small creature crept silently
toward the source of the voice after having been awoken by the
noise. As it near the source, it froze in mid step when it
recognized the voice. Hurriedly, it rushed and listened
intently.
****
[Tendo^�s home]
^�When was the last time you saw her?^�
^�It was late last night while I was chasing over the rooftop when
she disappeared in the alley. I got splashed and tied.^�
The two stayed silent while Kasumi continued to serve tea.
^�Can you find her?^� he asked, almost desperate, but cowered back
when she gave him the look, ^�Ah, never mind. I^�ll just leave now
and continue my search.^�
Before he left, Nabiki interrupted, ^�If you have any information
on her where-a-bout, I would appreciate the information.^�
He nodded and added, ^�Only if you do the same for me.^� At her
confirmation, he ran out of the house and disappeared into the
night.
*****
[Masaki^�s house]
It was half pass three in the morning and Ranma had yet found a
comfortable position to sleep. Maybe it was the new bed or the
new surrounding or maybe there wasn^�t a snoring panda next to him
or it could be the fact that he was still uncertain about his
decision to leave. Whatever it might be, the sandman refused to
visit him tonight and the next best thing he could do in such a
situation was eat; well, other than martial arts. He grumbled
silently and made his way to the kitchen, careful not to disturb
the other inhabitant.
In no time, he was in front of the refrigerator and was searching
through the left over. It was still quite surprising that his
newfound sister made all the food for them that was on the par of
Kasumi^�s best. He grabbed a few dishes and popped it in the
microwave. Within a minute, he had a meal that was almost as
good as diner. He reminded himself to thank Washu, er Washu-chan
for the special microwave.
Ranma sat silently, enjoying his meal when light footstep alerted
him. With a sigh, he lowered his guards and continued eating.
Warily, Sasami descended the stairs and was surprise when she
noticed another presence, but released a deep breath when she
realized who it was. ^�Hi, Ranma-niichan.^�
Looking up, he smiled, ^�Hiya, Sasami. Whatcha doing up?^�
She walked up to him in her pajama and gave a short yawned, ^�I
just came down to get a drink.^� Looking at the table filled with
food, ^�Are you going to eat all of that?^�
Ranma chuckled, ^�Yeah. I^� I had some trouble sleeping so I
thought I come down and grab some food.^�
^�Oh, did you have a nightmare?^� she asked while filling a glass
of water.
^�No, I just couldn^�t sleep,^� he said with a shrug.
^�Ayeka-neechan said that a glass of warm milk could help you
sleep.^�
^�Maybe.^�
[will change this to a scene with Ranma and Sasami instead.
Ranma will be out for a midnight snack because he^�s unable to
sleep and Sasami came down for a drink. They will talk about
various things and soon fell asleep together on the couch.]
[incomplete scene]
****
After a long night of writing and rewriting, she finally had the
letter completed and was on her way to see Nodoka early the next
morning. There was so much she wanted to tell him, but was at a
lost for words. How do you tell someone your sorry in a letter
when you could barely do it in life? She spent most of last
night attempting to answer that question and now she hoped that
the answer would be good enough.
She was almost to Nodoka^�s house when she noticed a duck with
spectacle lying in the alley, exhausted.
^�Mousse? Are you ok?^�
^�Quack.^� The duck in question awoke with a start and glanced
around. He looked at Akane and sighed.
^�Come on, let get you clean up.^�
Mousse nodded and followed Akane, not sure where they wereheading
until they were at the gate and realized it was the Saotonme^�s
house. The appearance of the matriarch only confirmed his
conclusion.
^�Why, hello Akane-chan. What brings you here at such early
hours,^� she said cheerfully.
Akane flushed slightly, ^�I-I^� Good morning, obaasan. Ummm^�. I
hope I^�m not disturbing you.^�
Nodoka waved her hand dismissingly, ^�Of course not. I^�m glad you
stop by. I could always use the company since^�well you know,^�
she paused, ^�Please come in,^� and stepped back. She arched her
brow when a duck followed Akane inside and shook her head.
The group entered the dining room and sat. ^�I haven^�t expected
any company, but I do believe there^�s plenty of food. Is that a
new pet, Akane-chan,^� she gestured the duck.
Akane blinked and shook her head, ^�No, obaasan. This is Mousse,
one of Ranma^�s^�er^�rival.^� She looked down at the plate and said
darkly, ^�I don^�t think I can trust any pet that wonders into my
house anymore.^�
Nodoka smiled in understanding, ^�I can understand how you feel,
but you shouldn^�t blame yourself for it. You didn^�t know and he
used you trust to betray you.^�
^�But that^�s the problem! I should have known! Ranma gave me so
many clues that I just ignored because I don^�t want to believe
him! And^�And I ended up hurting him because I didn^�t trust him.^�
Nodoka reached out and held her hands, ^�Akane-chan, you made a
mistake. You can^�t change it, but you can correct it. We all
make mistake and must all live with it, like myself,^� she said
the last part with shame.
Akane looked at the matriarch in surprise.
Nodoka gave her a small smile, ^�Yes, Akane-chan, we all make
mistake. My gravest was to allow Genma to take my only son away
from me and allow my view of ^�man amongst men^� to blind me to
Ranma^�s suffering.^� She turned away and stared out the patio,
^�No so long ago, I turned away from my family and searched for my
own honor. After a while, I thought I found it and then I meet
Genma. He was the opposite of everything I believe and yet I
fell in love with him. I thought I could change him. Teach him
about honor, but I was wrong,^� she shook her head.
^�He was too set in his ways and too much of a coward. Then, I
force my sense of honor onto Ranma, thinking that he could redeem
Genma and perhaps myself as well.^� Nodoka shook her head, ^�So,
you see Akane-chan. We all make mistakes and we all must take
responsibility for it no matter how much it hurts. You have your
mistakes and so do my son. All you can do now is take
responsibility for it and try not to make the same mistake
again.^�
Akane nodded, ^�Hai, obaasan. I^�ll do my best.^�
Nodoka smiled brightly at her, ^�Now, why don^�t we get some hot
water for your friend here and then have some breakfast before it
gets cold.^�
Akane nodded and lead the duck to the bathroom. Soon, she
returned and Mousse came out a little after. They sat and ate
breakfast in silence; each thinking about the meaning of honor
and responsibility.
After they cleared away the table, Mousse excused himself and
left, leaving a nervous Akane sitting next to Nodoka.
^�Now Akane-chan, aren^�t you going to tell me why you came?
Granted that I enjoy the company, but I^�m sure you had something
else in mind.^�
Akane blushed and fidgeted in her seat, ^�Well^� I have something
for you.^�
^�Oh?^�
^�Er^� I meant, I have something to give to Ranma,^� she said
quietly and pulled out the letter and handed to Nodoka.
^�I see.^�
Akane faced Nodoka and tears welled in her eyes, ^�Please,
obaasan. I know he doesn^�t want to see anyone of us right now,
but^�but I need to tell him. Tell him that I^�m sorry. I just
needs to,^� she collapsed on the floor sobbing.
Nodoka reached out and pulled her into a tight hug. ^�There,
there child. Everything will be ok,^� she cooed and stroked her
hair.
It took a while before Akane was able to control her sobbing and
soon pulled gently away. She wiped the tears away and said
sheepishly, ^�Thank you, obaasan. I-I needed that.^�
She smiled warmly in replied, ^�I that^�s quite alright Akane-chan.
I think both of us needed that.^� She pocketed the letter in her
kimono and looked at Akane expectantly, ^�Now, why don^�t we go
outside and talk for a little bit.^�
Akane nodded happily and followed the older woman.
Once outside, they sat at the step, ^�Now, why don^�t you tell me
about my wonderful son and what he done since the two of you
met.^�
Akane smiled wistfully and began the tale of Masaki Ranma, once
known as Saotonme Ranma.
******
^�Hi Ran-chan,^� Tenchi said quietly as he sat down next to his
cousin on the roof of the house. It was one of few places he
would go to think about the day and prepared for the next. It
seemed that his cousin had similar thoughts. Strange that he and
Ranma had so much in common.
^�Hey, Tenchan. What are you doing here?^� Ranma didn^�t move from
his position and continued to stare at the stars.
^�The same as you I guess,^� he chuckled quietly.
Ranma merely shrugged and returned his stargazing.
The two sat under the cool night sky, each lost in their own
thoughts and neither knew what to say to the other.
^�Ran-chan?^� Tenchi interrupted the uncomfortable silent. ^�Why
did you do it?^�
^�Huh? Do what?^� he asked, confused, but a part of him knew what
Tenchi was referring to, but decided to play ignorant.
^�Why did you decide leave everyone? What was so bad?^�
^�Because I got tire of all the crap that kept happening to me,^�
he nearly yelled.
Tenchi didn^�t say anything and waited patiently.
Ranma took a deep breath and laid back and thought for a moment.
^�I-I don^�t know. I guess it^�s the little things that just kept
adding.^� He paused. ^�The constant fights between me and Akane.
The problem was with the other fiancees interfering. People
coming after me wanting to kill or challenge or even marry me.
Nabiki^�s robbing for whatever I was worth or had. Pops planning
some stupid schemes he calls training.^�
Sighed, ^�After a while, it just got so confusing that I didn^�t
know what to do anymore. I mean, I don^�t mind some of it, but it
^�s the same thing over and over again, day after day. It never
ends,^� sounding dejected and lost.
^�I guess I just got tire of all the crap,^� he said, defeated.
^�I guess I could understand some of it,^� Tenchi acknowledged.
^�With Ayeka and Ryoko constantly fighting and Washu^�s, er,
unusual experiments, I sometime wonder if I should leave also.^�
Ranma looked at Tenchi strangely, ^�Look, I know you might have
some girls problem, but I doubt it^�s anywhere compare to mine.^�
Shrugged, ^�It might not be, but I still have similar problem.^�
^�So, why didn^�t you?^�
^�Whether or not I like the trouble, they^�re still my friends and
I don^�t want to hurt any of them.^�
Ranma snorted, ^�You don^�t think I know that. Hell, I tried being
friends with them and let the past be the past, but no. Why
would they just be friends when they could cause me more trouble
and make my life a living hell?!^�
^�I sure they didn^�t mean to,^� he tried to assure his cousin.
^�Of course they didn^�t mean to,^� he said sarcastically. ^�They
didn^�t mean to mallet me, drug me, tricked me, glomped me, kill
me, or hell whatever else they had planned.^�
Tenchi looked at his cousin and noticed the anger and pains as
well the hidden sadness.
^�You have no idea how much I want everything to work out and make
everyone happy. It just won^�t work for me.^�
The two watched the stars in silent.
^�Ran-chan? You do realize that Ayeka and Ryoko will continue to
fight no matter what.^�
Ranma nodded, ^�I know,^� and then smirked, ^�It^�s strange though.^�
Curious, ^�How^�s that?^�
^�I mean, I^�m watching the fight from the side line and it^�s not
about me or my fault. It^�s kinda funny really. Watching them
fight remind me of Shampoo and Ukyou, but they^�re fighting over
you, so I^�m not worry about it.^�
Tenchi gave him a hard stare while Ranma tried to suppress from
busting into full-blown laughter. ^�Thanks a lot, Ran-chan.^�
^�Any time,^� he said cheerfully.
Deciding it was best to change subject, ^�What do you have plans
for tomorrow? Or do we stick with routine?^�
^�Keep practicing I guess. I want to try that technique grandpa
showed yesterday.^�
^�I guess^�^�
^�Well, I think I can have the technique down by diner,^� he
boasted.
Tenchi shook his head, but decided it was best not to comment.
^�The girls want to go shopping next weekend.^�
Ranma shuddered, ^�Um^� do we have a choice in this?^�
Tenchi shook his head sadly, ^�No.^�
^�Is there any way out of it?^�
Again, he shook his head, ^�no.^�
^�Didn^�t think so.^�
Both of their shoulders slumped at the thought of spending an
entire day shopping. It wasn^�t something at the top of their
list, but it was them against the girls and even though both were
competent fighters, they still didn^�t stand a chance, not with
Washu in the mass.
^�What about grandpa?^�
^�He^�s staying at the shrine,^� he said with envy.
^�Hey, how come he doesn^�t have to come?^�
Tenchi shrugged, ^�I have no idea. He always got out of it some
how.^�
^�Do you think we can convince him to let us stay?^� he asked, hint
of hope.
He involuntarily shuddered, ^�No way. The last time I tried to
get out of it, all the girls gang up on me for a week because
they thought I didn^�t want to spend time with them and was
rejecting them. I don^�t want to go through that again.^�
^�Well, good luck then.^�
^�W-What do you mean ^�good luck^�?^� he bolted right up and glared
at Ranma.
^�Hey, they^�re after you so I don^�t have to worry about,^� he
smirked.
^�Oh no, you don^�t. You^�re coming too,^� he demanded.
^�Like hell I am. Do you have any ideas what they do when they
shop?^�
^�As a matter of fact I do. That^�s why you^�re coming with me!^�
^�You got to be kidding. I rather eat Akane^�s cooking. I^�ll just
be knock out for a few hours and only wake up with a headache.
But if I go, then it^�s several hours of wondering from stores to
stores and I^�ll still have a headache. No thanks,^� he stated
flatly with his arms crossed.
^�And you expect me to go with them along?^� he asked disbelieving.
^�Why not. You^�ve handle them pretty well,^� he grinned like a
Cheshire cat.
^�We^�ll see about that,^� he smiled mischievously.
His grinned and good humor dropped at the look his cousin gave
him, ^�Don^�t you dare.^�
^�I don^�t know. I think Ayeka, Sasami, and Washu-chan would love
to have ^�Ranma-chan^� accompany them,^� he smirked.
^�You wouldn^�t!^�
^�Wouldn^�t I?^� Moment later, he fell on his back laughing hard.
Ranma ^�hmph^� and muttered something about ^�stupid^�, ^�curse^�,
^�unfair^�, ^�girls^�, and ^�cousin^�.
Tenchi clasped his hand on Ranma^�s shoulder, ^�Don^�t worry,
Ran-chan. I^�ll be there right beside you.^�
Ranma grumbled a bit more but soon caught in the laughter.
****
^�Yosho, what brings you here?^� Washu said in a polite manner.
^�At such late hour too. You wouldn^�t be up to something now,
would you?^� she winked.
Yosho chuckled, ^�You certainly are in a good mood. This doesn^�t
have anything to do with Ranma does it?^�
Washu laughed, ^�Little me? I wouldn^�t do anything to harm
Ranma-chan,^� she chirped innocently.
^�Of course not.^�
^�What can I do for you, Crown Prince of Jurai?^� she said
seriously.
Yosho adjusted his spectacles, ^�I^�m here to talk about Ranma.^�
After a moment, he added, ^�and Tenchi.^�
^�I see.^�
^�There^�s something about the curse that bothers me.^�
^�I thought that^�s why you^�re here. There^�s something protecting
him. When I tried to unravel the curse, a power surge from Ranma
nearly destroyed all of my equipments.^�
^�I was analyzing the discharge a little while ago when I noticed
something else,^� she continued after sipping the tea.
^�Oh?^� He looked up and raised his eyebrow.
^�I can^�t be sure but there was a second burst of energy.^�
^�From the same source?^�
Nodded, ^�Yes, it came from Ranma, but it was different. I can^�t
conclude it yet, but the second energy came from the curse form.
If I didn^�t know any better, it was use to contain the first.^�
^�Hmmm... Very interesting.^�
^�Interesting indeed,^� Washu agreed. And after a short paused,
^�Oh, did I also mentioned that Ryoko challenged Ranma?^� she asked
as Yosho was sipping his tea.
Fortunately Yosho was able to cover from his startled with just a
cough rather than a choke and raised his brow, ^�That^�That should
be quite interesting.^�
Washu grinned, ^�Yes, very interesting.^�
******
[needs to add a scene to tie the fight scene into the story.]
It was early the next morning and the entire cast sat around the
table, casually eating their breakfast when Washu interrupted
them.
^�I have great news!^� she chimed cheerfully.
^�What is it, Washu-chan?^� Ayeka asked.
^�Did you find my cure?^� Ranma nearly leaped to hug the red head.
Tenchi nodded his agreement as he stared wide eye at the greatest
scientist.
Washu just grinned and whipped out her floating laptop. With a
few keystrokes, the room dimmed and blue and red lights flashed
across the room. There were a few ^�oohh^� and ^�aaahh^� as the
light show came to a halt, with the main spotlight directed at
herself. Once she had everyone attention, her eyes tinkled and
she snapped her fingers.
^�Washu the greatest!^� one kappa appeared and shouted to the
audience with a small courteous bow.
^�Washu the greatest!^� another kappa shouted from her left
shoulder.
^�The world^�^� continued the first kappa before a small cough
interrupted her. ^�The galaxy^�^� Again, another cough disrupted
her announcement. A small bead appeared before continuing, ^�The
Universe greatest scientific mind,^� it said with emphasis on the
second word.
Again, the second kappa repeated the phrase and pulled out a
snare drum.
^�Has another brilliant idea,^� both kappas said at once.
The room fell silent. Not a single sound was heard throughout
the room or the rest of the house for that matter. Even the more
annoying insects outside would not interrupt the deafening
silent. Even Ranma, whose quick knee foot in the mouth reaction
refused to make itself presence.
After what felt like an eternity, something happened that caused
everyone to response at once.
Her right brow twitched.
As if a nuclear bomb went off next door, the entire audience,
though not complete willing exploded at once.
^�That^�s great Washu-chan,^� someone shouted.
^�You^�re the greatest,^� another commented.
^�We knew you could do it,^� said another.
Then came the big question, ^�What^�s the great news?^�
Unfortunately, the voice originated from none other than our
favorite martial artist. And as usual, his infamous
foot-in-the-mouth took control and added this little comment, ^�I
mean, it couldn^�t be as bad as all the other one I heard about.^�
The room suddenly halted and fell silent again. This time,
however, the silent could only be described as eerie and deadly.
Everyone in the room turned to Ranma and gasped. Tenchi^�s father
began praying to the Kami asking for protection and that his only
nephew would be spare.
^�What?!^� came the clueless response.
No one responded and a bead appeared on Ranma^�s head.
^�I mean, she can^�t be that bad at least not as bad as^� as^� this
tomboy^�s cooking.^�
Finally, a soft growl permeated the silent. To bad it never
reached a certain martial artist ears as he continued.
^�Man, you should have seen some of the food. I was positively
certain that some could be classified as toxic waste,^� he
recalled though his feature paled slight. Unbeknownst, a few
other faceS also paled but for different reason.
******
Ryoko smirked as she faced off with her latest antagonist. He was
obviously no Tenchi, having just recently entered into the lives
of everyone here at the Masaki Shrine. He didn't have the
'benefit' of Tenchi's intensive training under his grandfather
with his Jurian power. Even if he is an extremely powerful
martial artist, he can't be that great without any power to back
it up.
Ryoko snorted. Martial arts versus her powers of flight,
teleportation and energy blasts. She almost felt kind of sorry
for the poor kid. Almost. No one makes a crack about her age.
With a thought, she shifted her outfit to body-hugging red
clothing that left just her head free.
Ranma studied his opponent from across the grassy glade. In the
background, the mountains tops that encompassed the Masaki shrine
were shrouded in light clouds. The sun peaked through, sending
beams of sunlight across the valley. The wind blew softly,
sending ripples across the grass and also tugging at his deep
blue sleeveless Chinese shirt. A small quirky grin had found its
way to his face. This was just the sort of stress reliever that
he needed.
Ranma smirked. He almost felt sorry for the supposed ^�all
terrible^� space pirate or was it ex-space pirate. With all that
had happened, he never really got a chance to go all out and
enjoy a good fight, not sparring, and for once, he was glad for
his foot-in-mouth reaction to Washu^�s idle comment. ^�Ha! He was
the best,^� he told himself.
Ranma and Ryoko continued to stare at one another, in the age-old
tradition of the stare down.
Washu-chan whistled softly to herself. Ranma bio-readings are
typically very normal for an Earth/Jurian in very good physical
condition. But since the beginning of the 'fight' subtle changes
were occurring in his aura. Washu chortled to herself as her
portable computer continued to record all of the data from the
sensors she had planted around the entire valley.
Sasami and Ayeka watched impassively, kneeling on the grass to
either side of Tenchi. Ryo-oki mewed from on top of Sasami's
head, looking upset. Tenchi tried to appear calm, but a small
frown of worry kept appearing on his face. Yosho sat cross-legged
behind Tenchi and to one side, arms folded across his chest
stoically. The sun glinted off of his glasses, hiding his eyes
from view and making it very difficult to ascertain what exactly
he was thinking.
Ryoko had enough of waiting. "Yaaaah!" she cried out as she
charged, a glowing energy beam sword appeared instantly in her
hands. Her cat-like eyes narrowed, as she got closer, until she
disappeared ten feet away from Ranma.
Ranma blinked, trying to see where she had gone. Could she really
be that fast? A change in the air pressure alerted him to Ryoko's
attack just a split second before she connected. A life long set
of ingrained training kicked in, as Ranma fell to one hand,
rolled to the side to avoid Ryoko's second swing, which burned a
line into the ground.
Ryoko grinned ferally as Ranma flipped himself up with one hand.
Just as Ranma got close enough to unleash a kick or two through
her defenses, she vanished again. She reappeared a moment later,
floating above and behind Ranma just as he had landed in a
crouch. She zipped forward, preparing to swing a stinging blow,
when Ranma bounced backwards, twisting in mid-air to unleash an
unreal number of physical punches.
Two of the punches actually connected before she could phase out,
letting Ranma pass through her to land on the ground below. Ryoko
didn't give him a chance to recover, following him with her
sword.
Ranma frowned as he landed, springing to the side to avoid two
quick slashes. She didn't even look slightly bruised by his
attacks. Somehow he didn't think that he would be able to get
enough punches to her to knock her out. She was just too hard to
hit effectively.
Ha! That's a perfect idea! Ranma suddenly sprinted towards the
woods, surprising Ryoko by the change in tactics. She teleported
in his way twice, but Ranma barely twisted and spun to avoid her
attacks. In moments, he had disappeared into the overhanging
trees.
Ryoko blinked in surprise, floating through the woods. "Where'd
you go, kid? What, too scared to take little old me?"
The only response was the rustling of the tree's leaves, making
it almost impossible for her to notice where her opponent was.
Ryoko started to growl in anger. That jerk. What a coward. Hey,
that gave her an idea. "Coward! Wimp! Girly-boy! Transvestite!
Come out and fight!" Ryoko sent out a request for Ryo-oki to tell
her where Ranma had hidden. It shouldn't take the cabbit long to
find him.
Which was when a shadow dropped from the tree above her. Ranma
grinned as he wrapped his legs around her waist and his left arm
over her shoulder from behind, getting an impromptu piggy back
ride. Ranma started to slide as Ryoko jinked in the air, so he
instinctively reaching down for a better grip with his left hand
and tightening his legs as his free hand jabbed a certain set of
pressure points on the nape of her neck. "Yeah! Nighty-night,
bimbo!" Ranma crowed.
Ranma's jubilation was short lived as he realized a few things.
A) Ryoko wasn't falling to the ground unconscious. B) She seemed
to have developed are very bright and hot battle aura. C) His
grip on Ryoko was quite soft and squeezable, as he belatedly
tested a couple of times.
"Uh, oh," Ranma muttered. He thought to himself, how come this
always happens to me?
"BIMBO? YOU PERVERT!" Ryoko screamed, starting to spin like a
cyclone. Ranma decided on the better part of valor and let go
almost immediately, allowing himself be flung at high speeds
through the forest.
Ranma came to a rest four trees, two bushes and one really hard
boulder later. His eyes swam, trying keep him from a sea on inky
unconsciousness. "Ouch. I ate your food, didn't I?" Ranma
complained dizzily as he sat up in the gravely remains of the
boulder. He shook his head to clear it. Funny, one of the spots
was getting bigger, not smaller.
"DIE, LETCHER!" Ryoko screamed, hands unleashing a crimson stream
of energy, cutting a swath through the trees and bisecting the
new gravel bed.
"Eeep!" Ranma squeaked out he continued to dodge through the
forest. Feet, don't fail me know, Ranma said silently. "I didn't
mean it! It was an accident! Whoa, Momma!" Ranma shouted out,
hoping that Ryoko could hear him. He continued to run, jumping
over fallen logs and a small stream as he set new land speed
records for any obstacle course.
Ryoko actually heard him, but chose to ignore, in her eyes, his
feeble lies! Only Tenchi could touch her like that, even if he
didn't have the guts to do so yet. "GRRR. Stand still and die,
bug!"
-
"Tenchi? Is Ranma going to be all right?" Sasami asked. Her eyes
were wide and vulnerable, worry evident by her eyebrows curving
up.
Tenchi laughed uneasily. "Sure! Ranma's a big boy! Besides, I
don't think Ryoko is going to really hurt him." A sweat drop
appeared on his head.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Ranma's scream changed pitch due to the
Doppler effect as he sprinted past the group of spectators.
"DIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIE!!" Ryoko punctuated each 'die' with
another burst of energy. From the air it looked as if a stream of
fire and explosions was tracing a very fast, winding path across
the valley.
"Wow! These reading are incredible!" Washu cried, ignoring the
stream of pebbles that bounce off of her dome force field. "Wa ha
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
Sasami and Ayeka just stared each other for a second and then at
the maniacally laughing genius. "Um, Washu-chan? Aren't you
worried about Ranma getting hurt?" Sasami asked, fear seeping
from her.
"Oh, I doubt it. Ranma hasn't even powered up his Jurian
abilities yet. This is opening up realms of subtle aura
manipulation that I hadn't even dream existed." Multi-tone
beeping was her only response for a second, as she typed away at
insane speeds. "Hm, looks likes he's starting to get tired. Oh,
well. It was fun while it lasted."
-
Ranma was panting, sweat sticking his shirt to his body. At least
what was left of it, at this point. Large rips covered his shirt
and pants, showing bruises and small abrasions from the
explosions. This was not working out the way he thought it would.
She was supposed to have slowed down by now.
Another eleven trees and four boulders ceased to exist as he
frantically avoided her attacks. But, by that time, he had
focused his mind enough. He suddenly dashed up a tall tree,
taking to the air and getting right next to Ryoko. "Moko
Takabishi!" Ranma screamed out, unleashing his patent pending ki
blast.
Ryoko's fierce, sneering visage was transformed into surprise as
she ended getting blasted through several trees. The sudden
silence was punctuated by the crashing of a tree, slamming into
the ground with stunning force.
Ranma didn't let it fool him, unleashing another blast the moment
he could see her. This was going to be some good practice at
throwing these things faster, he thought to himself. It wasn't
often that he could use these sort of techniques with impunity.
Ryoko barely saw the second one before it hit her, but teleported
out of the way of the third one. Then it became a contest to see
who could hit who with their blasts. Ryoko was almost as hard to
hit as Ranma, which means she only got hit three times to Ranma's
one during the ten minute duel of ranged attacks.
Of course, the fight nearly ended right there, as Ranma had
nowhere near the level of resistance that Ryoko had. The burn
that he had received across his upper torso was almost fatally
disabling. It was blistering almost immediately, cracking and
starting to bleed. The next several minutes were spent running
for his life as he fought blackness from overtaking him.
-
"That has to break several theorems of energy conservation
negation. I ought to know, I wrote them several thousand years
ago. He's actually recovered from his exertions and gotten a
second wind. Amazing. And without a single artificial
enhancement! And he just took a shot that's been exploding trees
and rocks, with out a defensive field."
Unnoticed by all, Yosho's concrete fa�ade had split into a tight
grin. Maybe some of those stories that Nodoka had been telling
him weren't as far off as he thought. This should prove quite
interesting.
-
"Hiryo Shotan Ha!" Ranma cried out, hoping that he would have
caught her off guard using a different technique. The wind howled
and tore at the trees, as a gigantic tornado was created,
striking at the flying, wide eyed woman. Ranma struggled to
maintain his control, feeling himself start to lose himself in
its fury. That hadn't happened since that fight with the Seven
Lucky Gods, a long time ago.
Ryoko was spinning round and round, up became down and back again
for seconds. Finally, nearing blackout herself, she managed to
regain her concentration and became as immaterial as a ghost. She
slowed to a stop, panting in exertion and pain. Where the hell
was this kid coming up with this stuff? Whatever the energy he
had used in that last attack had really hurt. It almost felt like
she'd blasted herself, dozens of times.
Slowly the dragon, as Chinese tornadoes are also known, weakened
and then finally imploded, leaving a frazzled Ranma in the center
of a field of desolation. Nothing existed within fifty yards
larger than a matchstick. Ranma lowered his right arm, staring up
at the floating figure.
"Ok, no more Mrs. Nice-gal. I'm through toying with you, you
perverted freak!" She could handle losing to Tenchi. He had the
legendary Light Hawk Wings, after all. This punk, this kid was no
way in the same league as that. Her sword flared into existence
"I don't know what you think I did, but Ranma Saotome never
loses!" Ranma screamed out. This was getting to be as bad as
Saffron, when he'd had to use even magical weapons and still
hadn't been to do more than destroy Saffron's body, sending him
back into a child-like reincarnation.
With that realization, a cold calm enveloped him, coming from the
pit of his stomach. "Oh, man," Ranma mumbled. He was going to
have to stop her, no matter the consequence. He hoped that his
new friends and family wouldn't hate him for this.
When he bent his knees to go into a crouch, he was holding a
Japanese sword hilt, a look intense concentration on his face. A
bright light flared and a sword blade of pure light blazed into
existence. Ranma slowly drifted the katana left and right,
adapting to its weight and drag.
-
Washu cheered, little fireworks exploding behind her head,
spelling little words. 'Genius' and 'You're the Best!' were the
most prominent. "Wow! He hasn't actually accessed the Light Hawk
Wings, but he's incredibly powerful, even so. Hey, Tenchi! How
much practice has he put into using that sword?"
Tenchi was gaping in astonishment. He was usually in the middle
of these battles, so he wasn't used to actually seeing the damage
until afterwards. "What? Washu-chan! This is enough! They're
trying to kill each other!" Tenchi dashed off in the direction of
the fight, stumbling across the debris in his haste.
"Tenchi!" Ayeka called out, hurrying after him.
"Washu-chan, please! You have to stop them! Can't you do
anything?" Sasami said urgently, tugging on her sleeve.
"Why, thank you for you confidence in me, Sasami! But I think
Tenchi's got it under control," Washu said cheerfully. Besides,
she left all of her best equipment back in the lab. By the time
she could retrieve it, the fight would be over, one way or
another.
"Perhaps that's for the best. It will teach Tenchi
responsibility. A very good lesson to learn, no matter your age,"
Yosho said, staring off at the battleground.
"Huh?" Sasami asked. The cabbit meowed its confusion from on top
of her head.
Washu blinked in surprise, looking over at the elder Masaki.
"Heh. Heh. Why, that's a very good point, Yosho." Oops. It looked
like Yosho noticed her setting this whole fight up. Washu started
to sweat nervously.
-
Tenchi burst through the trees, seeing Ranma and Ryoko battling
fiercely with their swords forty feet away. The strobe-like
effect and the tracers of the blades were almost blinding. They
danced slowly across the field, fighting a stunning battle of
pyrotechnic sparks and clashes of light beams.
Tenchi calmed himself and reached into his jacket for his blade
hilt. Light flashed and then dimmed. He would to time this just
right. "Hai Ya!" he cried out, spinning his blade away, in
between the two, striking both of their blades squarely from an
unexpected angle.
The three blades released an explosion of scintillating energy
that knocked even Tenchi down, stunning him for a second. He
shook his head in bewilderment, coming to his senses. Two figures
greeted his gaze, lying on the ground about thirty feet apart.
"Lord Tenchi! Are you all right?" Ayeka asked, little wooden
cylinders crackled around her.
"Uh. I'm fine. What about Ranma and Ryoko?" Tenchi cried out. He
dashed over to his cousin, stopping to kneel over him. He looked
up at Ayeka, who was following just a little slower. "Check on
Ryoko!" He turned back to the young man, seeing the burns and
scrapes. He sighed in relief, seeing that he was still breathing,
ragged though it was.
Ayeka found that Ryoko was similarly unconscious, much to her
relief. Her respect for Tenchi's cousin went up considerably. She
knew from considerable experience, that Ryoko was a very tough
nut to crack. She looked around frantically, hoping no one had
seen her concern. Her face became a mask of icy calmness. "She's
fine, Lord Tenchi."