Minna-san,
With help from Steve Cornett concerning formatting the
text file in case you can't read a generic word
processort TXT file, here's Part 5 of "Lonely Souls."
Enjoy!
Fred
=====
Fred Herriotfherriot@yahoo.com**** **** ****"Fanfiction IS Real Life!"**** **** ****
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals.
http://personals.yahoo.com
-- Attached file included as plaintext by Listar --
-- File: LoneS-05f.txt
-- Desc: LoneS-05f.txt
Nerima, the Tendou dojo, Sunday evening...
Nodoka Saotome sits on her futon, staring nowhere in particular.
Tears spill unashamedly down her cheeks as images of what she had
witnessed not an hour before replay again and again in her mind...
Her husband, Genma, holding the sword SHE had kept in her
possession to enforce the family honour. He having used it in an
obvious attempt to kill their child. Ranma, lying on the ground,
nearly disembowelled. Genma in a fight with Ranma's new friend Ataru
Moroboshi. Who, it turns out, held a nasty surprise under his
sleeve: the ability to transform into a cybernetic killing machine
whose power ALONE made all of Genma's martial arts skills
meaningless. As the fight progressed, Ataru passed a caduceus-like
staff to Shampoo to heal Ranma. Ukyou quickly stepped in to help.
Then...!
Somehow, the staff's energy had, atop healing Ranma, transformed
her into a winged, cat-like humanoid. Along the way, Nodoka now
understood, all of Ranma's buried pain and anger from the years of
Genma's "training" had come roaring to the surface. With that, Ranma
then teamed with Ataru to virtually dismember and destroy Genma once
and for all.
A knock. "Auntie?"
"Come in," Nodoka rasps.
The door opens, revealing Nabiki. "You okay?" she gently
inquires, walking over to kneel beside Ranma's mother.
A hand goes to Nodoka's shoulder in comfort. She blinks, then
gives a faint nod in thanks. "Where did...?" she stutters.
"The folks from the zoo just took him away," Nabiki announces,
then takes a deep breath. "According to Negako-san, when Ataru-kun
used the soulsword on Uncle -- because of his Jusenkyou curse and all
that -- it pretty much fragmented your husband's psyche. Atop that,
it brought to the surface a copy of the soul of the panda that
drowned in Shomaoniichuan. In effect, the panda's in control now.
And dumping him into the pond while he was still suffering from the
soulsword's effects destroyed his human body. Even if his soul
manages to reassemble himself -- it's possible according to
Negako-san, but not damned likely -- he can never be human again."
Nodoka stares at Nabiki, quick to note the look etched on the
younger woman's face. No doubt, Nabiki felt that after what Genma
did tonight, he deserved worse. Much worse. "How is everyone?"
she asks.
"Well..." Nabiki sighs. "Dad's in just a total state of shock.
Kasumi-neechan's keeping an eye on him. Akane's passed out in her
room. I guess being attacked by a live katana must've got to her
bad. The house is okay, but the dojo's a complete write-off.
Negako-san's promised that a contractor'll be here tomorrow morning
to look it all over."
"That's good," Nodoka nods, then notices the package in her
hand. "What's that?" she points, noting that the wrapping is
waterlogged.
"Oh," Nabiki hands it over. "Ranma-kun was bringing this to you
when he got attacked. It's something he got for you on Promised
Island."
Nodoka blinks, then lightly smiles, taking the package and
opening it. Drawing out a lovely necklace forged of amethyst,
she gapes, then beams. "Oh, heavens, this is so beautiful...!"
she whispers, then touches the heart-shaped locket hanging from the
chain. It opens, revealing two pictures. Ranma-as-boy beside
Ranma-as-girl. Blinking again, Nodoka holds the necklace close to
her. "Thank you, Nabiki-chan."
"Hey, it's no problem," Nabiki pats her shoulder, then rises,
turning to leave. Reaching the door, she stops, then sighs.
"Auntie?"
"Yes?"
"If you're thinking of doing what I think you're doing, don't."
Nodoka closes her eyes. "There may be no choice..."
"There are always choices, Auntie," Nabiki reminds her.
"Besides, you only get one crack at life. Don't throw it away.
Believe me, you'll hurt Ranma-kun a lot worse if you do something
like that."
She opens the door, then steps out. Nodoka watches her go, then
blinks before wiping her face. "Maybe..." she whispers, then glances
at the sheathed tantou now lying by her left knee. Gazing once more
at the necklace, Nodoka smiles lightly, then sets it back in its box.
Taking a deep breath, she reaches for the tantou. Before her hand
could touch it, another hand lands on it. Nodoka gasps, then looks
up. "Negako-san!!"
"Nabiki is right, Nodoka," Negako kneels before Ranma's mother.
"Atop that," she picks up the tantou, holding it close to herself
to ensure Nodoka didn't do anything rash. "...there is something
you should know. Your husband was expertly manipulated into
attacking Ranma."
Nodoka blinks, then her eyes widen. "What...?"
"In effect, either someone wanted to kill your husband and used
your child (and my brother) as the murder instruments," Negako
pauses, then her eyes narrow, "...or someone wanted to kill your
child and desired that your husband be the murder instrument."
Seeing the blood drain from Nodoka's face, Negako lightly smiles.
"So, would you like to learn who that was?"
Nodoka blinks...
* * *
"Holy shit...!!"
Nabiki sits in her bedroom, her eyes wide as Negako's words echo
through her mind. "This was all some sort of set-up...?!"
she hoarsely whispers, what happened earlier replaying again in her
mind.
Sitting back in her chair, she turns towards the window. "Who
the hell could it be...?" she wonders, her fingertip scratching
her chin...
* * *
"Lonely Souls"
by Fred Herriot <fherriot@yahoo.com>
**** **** ****
The story text Ranma reads is from "Anne of Green Gables" by Lucy M.
Montgomery, to be found at the start of Chapter XVII. The edition
I used is the Bantam Special Collector's Edition paperback, published
in 1998.
**** **** ****
Based on "Urusei Yatsura" and "Ranma 1/2" created by Rumiko
Takahashi; and "Sister Princess," created by Naoto Tenhiro and
Sakurako Kimino. This story is set after the end of the "UY" and
"Ranma" manga series.
**** **** ****
NOTE: The writer's notes are at the end of the Prologue.
**** **** ****
THE FIFTH PART - RECOVERY
Nerima, the Moroboshi home, early next morning...
"Everyone!!! Breakfast is on!!"
Groans and muttering drift from the living room as people rise
from their futons, all wakened by Shirayuki's welcome call from the
kitchen. In her bedroom, Ranma blinks, then quivers on feeing
someone laying close to her, arms wrapped around her waist. A glance
over her shoulder reveals Ataru, still asleep, contently smiling.
Shifting herself to face him, she tilts his head up by the chin, then
kisses him. "Hey, it's morning."
Ataru hums, then his eyes open, he gazing into hers. "Yeah,
it is," he replies, then kisses her. "Did you sleep okay last
night?"
Ranma blinks, then sighs. "Did last night really happen?"
"'Fraid so."
Silence falls as she considers that, then she draws him close.
"That thing you turn into," she wonders. "Did it first come out on
Phentax Two?"
"Yeah. Near as Negako-neechan could figure out, a part of my
psyche was sheared off from the rest of my brain when her soul was
dumped into me back when I was six or so," he sighs. "When she was
taken out, no one knew to mentally 'stitch' me together again. And
while the rest of me spent the next five years in selective amnesia
lala-land, that part was unaffected, but it couldn't come out..."
his mouth narrows to a slash. "Until I went to Oogi's planet of
morons and got introduced to the Guardians."
"But in spite of that, that part experienced all the crap you
went through..." Ranma shudders. "All the bullshit Kinshou, Muchi,
Lum and the rest of those bastards dumped on you..."
"Yeah," Ataru nods. "That part of me didn't like it one bit.
Just like what that part of you which got loose last night didn't
like all the crap your old man heaped all over you. I'll probably
wager that side of you holds the same opinions towards everyone
else as she did to Genma."
"Probably. Shit, what do I gotta do now? Go somewhere and
hide? I'd like to think that I'm not the type who runs from a
problem, Ataru."
"Ranma, do you want to risk killing someone in case that part
of you goes out of control?" he counters, gazing intently at her.
"Ranma, as a martial artist, you KNOW this! Look, there's nothing
wrong with learning how to better control those darker urges.
Nothing at all. You do that all the time. Hell, if you're worried
about people making the wrong judgements on that, tell 'em the whole
truth beforehand! If they can't accept it after THAT, they're the
ones who have the problem, Ranma, not you!"
She blinks, then nods. "Yeah, you're right..."
A knock. "Nii-sama?! Nee-sama?! Breakfast!" Shirayuki
calls out.
Both blink, then smile. "We're coming!" Ataru calls out...
* * *
The Tendou dojo...
"'Morning!"
Kasumi looks up from her breakfast, then faintly smiles.
"'Morning, Akane-chan. Did you sleep well last night?" she serves
tea as Akane sits down across from her. Souun and Nabiki are also
at the table.
"I tried to," Akane stretches herself, then finds her eyes
falling onto the empty floor mat beside her father. "Daddy...?"
Souun blinks, then sighs. "I'll be alright, child."
"I hope so," Kasumi sighs. "Oh, Negako-san told me last night
that she strongly suspected -- in fact was certain -- that Uncle was
manipulated into attacking Ranma-kun. She wants both you and I to
come to her place later today to discuss that with Auntie, Elder
Cologne and Ojii-san."
The Tendou patriarch blinks, then his eyes widen. "Someone
MADE Saotome-kun attack Ranma-kun?!" he cries out. "Who?!!"
"Negako-san didn't say," Kasumi reports.
"Probably, she doesn't have all the facts put together yet,"
Nabiki grunts, then looks around. "Speaking of which, where is
Auntie, anyway?"
"Negako-san took Auntie to her place so she could stay close
to Ranma-kun," Kasumi sighs. "I hope she's alright..."
* * *
The Moroboshi home, later...
"My, Shirayuki-chan!!" Nodoka gasps. "You cooked all THIS?!!"
"This is pretty normal for her, ma'am," Rinrin snickers.
Everyone sits around the dinner table as breakfast is served.
Spread out before the fourteen women and lone man -- Shirayuki
was busy in the kitchen, assisted by Aria's governess, Guenevere
-- was a feast that could easily feed twice that amount. Considering
that, she then gazes on Ranma, now sitting beside Ataru across from
her (Sakuya and Chikage sat at either ends of the table, which struck
Nodoka as odd; shouldn't it be Ataru and Negako since they were the
elder children of the family?). Seeing both take in large piles of
food EACH, Nodoka chuckles, then turns back to her breakfast.
*Well, at least some things haven't really changed,* she muses. "So
when are you girls going back to the island?" she looks around.
"We don't have to worry about school for another week or so, but
most of us're heading back today," Rinrin stretches herself. "Got
some things I gotta work on before school distracts me from my
projects."
"Oh, like this 'Mecha-Rinrin' project of yours?!" Mamoru stares
at her, an eyebrow arched. "Geez, Rinrin, it's bad enough that we
gotta put up to one of you, but TWO?! Give us a freakin' break,
huh?!"
Rinrin gives her half-sister a scowl. "Well, at least I'm glad
we don't have to put up to two of YOU, eh, Mamoru?!"
"SAY WHAT?!!" Mamoru snaps.
"What's this?!" Ranma wonders, cutting in to stop the argument.
"Miss Computer-Brain here is busy creating a robot double of
HERSELF now, Onee-sama!" Sakuya smirks. "She wants to go study
abroad to tune up her skills and all that, but she wants to make sure
Onii-sama doesn't forget her, so she'll leave Mecha-Rinrin
behind to keep him company."
"Your sisters are very devoted to you, Ataru-kun," Nodoka
observes.
"Hai, that's the best part of having them," Ataru smiles,
causing all the sisters to blush, then he sighs. "I only wish things
would've been that way back at home. Maybe a lot of the garbage
that I've been through since I left Tomobiki might've been avoided
altogether."
Nodoka blinks. "Why, surely, things couldn't've been THAT bad!"
"You didn't know either Kinshou or Muchi, I take it," Ataru's
eyebrow arches, then he sighs. "I suppose I could forgive them for
some things. I mean, Kinshou got pregnant with Nokoko-neesan
when she was in the last year of high school. Muchi decided he had
to marry her even when he was trying to complete college. You know,
if she wanted to, Kinshou could've gone on ahead with her own plans
for university and all that, but then...!" his eyes roll. "Things
like that weren't done back then. Hell, they're not done that way
even now. Anyhow, Grandma DID offered to help with expenses,
but..." he shrugs. "Then you got my brother dying when he was only
three. Kaeru was the favourite in the family. At least, that's
what I've heard. I don't remember him at all, unfortunately..."
he shakes his head.
"I see," Nodoka frowns. "You have my sympathies, Ataru-kun."
"Thanks," Ataru nods, then checks his watch. "Ooops! We better
get a move-on there, Ranma. It's almost seven-forty-five."
"Right!" Ranma grunts, setting her plate aside, then she rises.
"Thanks for the meal, Shirayuki-chan!! It was great!!!"
"Have a good day, Nee-sama!" the chef calls back...
* * *
On the road to Furinkan High School, just after eight o'clock...
"'Morning, Akane-chan!"
Akane turns, then beams. "Oh, Sayuri-chan, Yuka-chan!
Ohayou!!"
"How are you today?" Sayuri wonders, quickly noticing the
hollow-eyed look on Akane's face. Even more so, Nabiki was walking
with her sister, which worried Sayuri more. "What happened,
Akane-chan?!"
"Yeah, we heard all these explosions from the direction of the
dojo last night. What was going on?" Yuka adds.
Akane blinks, then turns away. Sayuri blinks, then walks up to
place a comforting hand on Akane's shoulder. "Was it something
Ranma did?!"
"No."
Sayuri jolts, then shivers as Nabiki's icy stare rakes over her.
When the middle Tendou daughter gave you THAT look, you feared for
your very life. "Ranma-kun had nothing to do with what happened
last night at our place," Nabiki frostily intones. "It was his
father who did all that. He wound up DYING because of it, so spare
us your condemnation of Ranma-kun and keep your damned opinions
to yourself, Asano! Got me?!"
Sayuri nods. Yuka's eyes widen. "Ranma-kun's father was
killed?!"
"Yes," Nabiki replies. "Atop that, Ranma-kun himself almost
got killed along the way, not to mention a few other people,
INCLUDING my whole damned family. He isn't going to be in any mood
to put up to any crap from anyone today. Neither are we. So if you
don't got something nice to say, Sayuri-*chan*..." her voice drips
a waterfall's worth of scorn as she adds the honorific to Sayuri's
name, "...don't say nothing at all. Okay?"
Sayuri nods again. "H-hai..."
"I wonder if Ranma's going to go through with that whole idea
of wearing a girl's uniform and all that," Akane sighs.
"She is."
The girls jolt, then turn around as a familiar red-haired
martial artist comes up, draped properly in the white-and-sky
blue Furinkan High girl's uniform. "Hey, Ranma-chan, lookin' sharp
there!" Nabiki whistles.
"'Morning, Ranma," Akane and Yuka hail. Sayuri says nothing,
but gives the pseudo-girl an annoyed stare.
"'Morning," Ranma waves, then waits as Ataru walks up.
Seeing him spiffed up in a white button shirt and black trousers
(the summer uniform for boys at Furinkan), Yuka's jaw drops to the
ground. The beard and moustache were nicely trimmed, the hair tied
into a ponytail at mid-neck with black jumper's cord. Nabiki is
quick to appreciate what a dashing figure Ranma's new friend cut.
"Looking sharp there, Ataru-kun. But I'll guarantee that the
principal ain't going to like seeing the beard and 'stache. He's
pretty damned good with barber shears, you know."
"So Ranma's warned me ahead of time, Nabiki-san," Ataru reaches
into his pocket, then draws out a small booklet. The others quickly
recognize it as a copy of the official Furinkan High School student's
guidebook. Flipping to the section concerning personal deportment,
Ataru hums as he scans the pages, then shakes his head. "However,
I do possess the current edition of this handbook and, believe it or
not, it says NOTHING in here at ALL about facial hair on boys (or
girls for that matter; no doubt, the writers of this thing never
heard about what steroids can do to a lot of girls our age, eh?).
I've checked this front-to-back, Nabiki-san." He then holds up a
finger in objection. "AND I happen to know for a fact that the
Education Ministry states clearly that the teachers HAVE to follow
the guidelines set out in these books to prevent any confusion
about what the students have to do to make themselves presentable."
"What about the stupid haircuts and all that?!" Yuka demands.
Ataru blinks, then shrugs. "Sorry. If it isn't in here," he
points to the guidebook, "...it ain't 'legit' as they'd say it in
Chicago back in Al Capone's day. And if this bozo wants to fight
it...?" he shrugs again. "Hey, no problem at all. But he better
be ready to loose his job 'cause I had my fill of teachers thinking
they're God back at Tomobiki."
"I didn't know that," Sayuri gasps.
"Of course not. Most teachers these days don't realize that
they've got a responsibility to GUIDE the students into adulthood,
not DICTATE to them. It's because of attitudes like THAT throughout
the country that our economy's in such bad shape," Ataru sneers,
then turns to Ranma. "Well, shall we make our way into class? We
still got some time ahead of us."
"Yeah, let's go. Nice to be early for a change. Race ya?!"
"You're on!"
Both then spring for the telephone poles on both sides of the
street, then bound off. The others watch them go, then Nabiki
whistles. "Man, I don't believe it at all!" she shakes her head.
"What?!" Yuka gapes. "That Ataru-san there's as good as
Ranma-kun?"
"No! That Ranma-kun's wearing BLOOMERS under the skirt!!"
The others jolt. "She IS?!!" Akane exclaims.
"No way!!" Sayuri gasps.
"Yeah! Which also tells me Ranma-kun's got on panties and most
likely a bra," Nabiki chuckles, then moves off towards school. "I
guess he's really getting full-tilt into this whole girl-thing,
ne?!"
The others blink, then sigh...
* * *
Within a minute, Ranma and Ataru make it to Furinkan High. With
a stunning leap that could impress Eiko Magami, both make perfect
two-point landings on the roof near the clock tower. Taking several
deep breaths to replenish the oxygen supply in their bodies, both
then stretch themselves before Ataru glances toward the front gate.
"Hey, Ranma..."
"What?" Ranma looks, then blinks before sighing. "Oh, man...!"
"What's this all about?"
"It's the Fight."
"Eh?!" Ataru gazes quizzically at her.
"Remember when I told you how many of the guys treated Akane
before I came to Nerima?" Ranma asks, then thumbs the crowd of fifty
or so boys now standing halfway between the front gate and the main
doors, all ready to lash out at Akane Tendou in hopes of "winning"
her heart.
Ataru blinks, gives the crowd a quick once-over to get a sense
of their chi levels, then shakes his head. "It's gonna be tough on
her. Even if she could take them out, they got numbers on their
side. And I can tell she hasn't been preparing herself for that
sorta thing for a long while."
"Yeah, but if we butt in, she'll resent us a lot," Ranma notes,
then blinks, noticing someone missing. "Hey, where's Kunou?!"
Ataru stares at her, then notices two giant humanoid footprints
on the ground off to one side of the front walkway. He takes a
closer glance with his inner eye, then chuckles. "By the looks of
it, bokken-for-brains got introduced to Mega-Rinrin's feet when
everyone came by yesterday."
"Eh?!" Ranma looks, then spots wood fragments which had to have
come from Kunou's practice sword by the hole. "Oh! Well, too bad
for him!"
"Saotome-kun!"
Ranma jolts, then turns to see Hinako Ninomiya standing by the
door leading to the lower floors. Now in child-form, the English
teacher is giving Ranma an appraising look. "My, I thought the
secretary was joking about you spending a term as a woman!" she walks
up to give Ranma a crucial once-over, then she gushes on seeing the
latter's white knee-highs with their prancing horses and orchids.
"Waaaai!!! What kawaii socks!! Where did you get them,
Ranma-chan?!! They're just PERFECT for you!!!"
Sweatdrop, eyebrow twitch. "Ah, when I was visitin' Promised
Island there, Sensei," Ranma chuckles, then waves to Ataru. "Oh,
this is Ataru Moroboshi here, Sensei. He's comin' into our class
this term."
Hinako blinks, then looks at Ataru before humming. "Well, well,
well. I've heard much about you, Moroboshi-kun. Not all good, I
have to say. By the way, the beard and moustache have to go."
Ataru's eyebrow arches. "Sensei, with due respect, there is no
rule in the student's guidebook concerning facial hair. I have
checked it out with the Education Ministry, by the way, as has my
sister (who is also my legal guardian). And, as I am very sure you
are well aware, the guidebook is the final say on matters like that,
not the lunatic who's said to be the principal here. As for what
happened at Tomobiki High School, I do admit to having a hand in the
shenanigans there. However, I am sure, given your own experience
with all the odd incidents here, that you would understand how things
tend to start because of MANY people, not just one."
Hinako blinks. The young man before him, whom she swore seemed
to be much older than seventeen, hadn't snapped back at her or tried
to fumble a litany of excuses like most others would have in similar
circumstances. He had stood his ground with her, however. Atop
that, he projected an aura of passive strength at a level that could
overwhelm most people around him. This young man, regardless
of what things were like back at his old school, clearly didn't
suffer any fools these days. "Yes, you may have a point there,
Moroboshi-kun," she nods. "May I see your guidebook?"
"Hai," Ataru hands it to her.
Hinako scans the pages, then hums. "I see you're right about
facial hair. But don't expect the principal to cut you any slack,
however."
"If he's the father of a half-blind narcissist like Tatewaki
Kunou, Sensei, I wouldn't expect any less," Ataru smirks. "But don't
expect me to give him any freebies. I WILL defend myself if I feel
threatened, Sensei."
"True. But he might twist it around to say you attacked him."
"Then let's see how he likes being unemployed," Ataru winks,
holding his hand out for his guidebook. "Now, if you'll excuse us
both, we'd like to get to class. Besides, I think you'll have your
hands full soon with that crowd on the front lawn, especially
when Akane Tendou arrives."
Hinako blinks, then jolts as a mass cry of "***AKANE, DATE
ME!!!***" echoes from the front lawn. She turns to see the boys
charge at Akane, the latter bracing herself for the assault. "Oh,
those DELINQUENTS!!!" the teacher snarls, handing the book back to
Ataru, then she races off.
Ranma and Ataru watch her go, then the former gazes on the
latter. "C'mon, let's go watch this from the classroom."
"Right behind you, ma'am," Ataru nods...
* * *
Tomobiki, the Mendou mansion...
"Wh-wh-wh-what i-i-i-is th-th-th-this...?!"
Shutaro Mendou gazes at several low-light photographs.
Standing with him now are Shinobu and Ryuunosuke, along with the
squad of Kuromegane who saw last night's action first hand. "That,
Young Master, is what Master Moroboshi transformed into when he was
fighting (whom we believe to be) Genma Saotome. And this..." one of
the special agents points to another picture, "...is what Ranma
Saotome transformed into."
Mendou blinks, shakes his head, then nods. "Right! Saotome
has that odd water-transformation curse he gained in China, correct?"
"Yes, sir. We have also ascertained that Saotome-san suffers
from an acute case of ailurophobia due to a bizarre training regimen
his father subjected him to when he was ten years old or so." The
Kuromegane takes a deep breath, then announces, "I believe it was
because of what happened then, not to mention other matters, which
made Saotome-san kill his father last night. And given Master
Moroboshi's feelings towards abusive parents and friends, it is
understandable why he chose to assist Saotome-san."
"I see..." Mendou breathes out, then nods. "Thank you,
gentlemen. That'll be all for now. Ensure we keep agents in Nerima
for the time being. I want Moroboshi and his sister watched
constantly."
"Hai!!" the Kuromegane bow, then depart.
Ryuunosuke watches them go, then turns back to the pictures
of Ataru's cybernetic self. "Shit, how the hell can Moroboshi
do THIS, for cryin' out loud?!" she picks one up, then shivering,
puts it back on the pile. "Was it somethin' that 'sister' of his
taught him?!"
"Not really, Ryuunosuke."
They turn around, then gasp. "Lan-san!! Lum-san!!" Mendou
then grins before noting that Yamada was with them. "Sensei, did it
work?!"
"Of course it worked, Shutaro-san!" the alien doctor chuckles,
then waves to the people beside them. "I don't think people'll
be able to really recognize either of them now, ne?!"
The Terrans look. Lan still had her green eyes, but her hair,
now cut tomboyishly short, was a red-brown shade, a common sight
among the more "hip" elements of Japanese youth these days. Lum now
had black hair and brown eyes, cut short but in a more shaggy style.
Best of all for both expat Urusians, they didn't have the fangs,
tapered ears and horn buds (in Lum's case) that would mark them as
aliens. "I guess not!" Shinobu smiles, then walks over to embrace
them both. "I'm glad you're both okay."
"So are we," Lan sighs, then with Lum, walks over to stare at
the pictures Mendou's agents took. Seeing the Cyborg up close in
something other than the video Benten sent them, both expat aliens
shudder.
"Ugly, isn't he?" Ryuunosuke shakes her head.
"Maybe," Lum closes her eyes. "But then again, maybe Darling
feels that's what's needed to keep us away from him from now on."
"Lum...!" Shinobu's eyes widen. "Are you...?!"
"I don't know," Lum shakes her head. "But, having sensed the
power Darling taps into so he can become this..." she waves to the
pictures, "...now I understand why he felt it was necessary to force
me away."
"Lum-san...?!" Mendou blinks.
"There somethin' you're not telling us?" Ryuunosuke wonders.
Lum blinks, then sighs. "Something Benten learned from a friend
of mine some days ago, Ryuunosuke. And it's got much to do with that
insanity Oogi formed in my name on Phentax Two..." she looks down,
"...and it's got EVERYTHING to do with why there are now three
billion LESS members of the 'Church of Lum' than there were not more
than two weeks ago."
The others blink, their eyes widening...
* * *
Furinkan High School, after the late bell...
"Everyone, we've got two new students joining us today from
Tomobiki High School," Hinako announces to the class, then waves.
"I'm sure, if you saw what happened on television last week in
Tomobiki, you'll all recognize Ataru Moroboshi. And this is his
former classmate, Chigaiko Inu."
"Hello, everyone!" Chigaiko bows energetically. To her surprise
and delight, Hinako didn't need to look at a student list after she
had been introduced to the newest members of her class. "Pleased
to meet you."
"Hello, everyone," Ataru gives them a reserved nod.
"Now, before you all ask why is it Moroboshi-kun has a beard
and moustache, you should know that the rules actually say NOTHING
about facial hair for boys," Hinako adds. "However, I do believe
that it would be seen as prudent that if you boys DO want to try to
grow something, you have to do it during the holiday season as
Moroboshi-kun has. Can anyone do that?"
Silence, some boys shrugging, shaking their heads. "I guess
not, Sensei, but I suspect some might try," Ataru winks knowingly
at Hinako.
"So how'd you grow that in six weeks, man?!" Daisuke wonders.
Ataru blinks, then shrugs. "A little accident like the one that
forces Ranma to wear a dragon's hair when she's in boy-form,"
he replies. "Except for me, it also affected my facial hair, too."
"Tough luck!" Hiroshi shakes his head.
"Well, even though I'm sure you want to ask many questions
of both Moroboshi-kun and Inu-kun about life at Tomobiki High School,
we do have classes to start," Hinako waves them to two empty chairs.
As they sit down, the teacher catches herself. "Oh, I forgot. I'm
sure you've all noticed that Saotome-kun is dressed as a girl today.
There's a very big reason for that. Saotome-kun is under medical
orders to stay as a girl for the next seven weeks due to considerable
brain tissue damage from repeated mallet strikes and other unpleasant
things hitting her head all the time."
Eyes quickly lock on Akane. Sensing that, she shudders as her
cheeks flame in embarrassment. Even Hinako is quick to add her two
cents worth to that unspoken accusation. "Tendou-kun, you MUST learn
to control your temper from now on," the teacher warns, then sighs.
"Anyhow, Saotome-kun's mother decided it would be best for him to
actually see what it is like being a girl. And since we do have to
acknowledge the parent's wishes on this matter, I expect no trouble
from you girls about this," she wags her finger at members of the
class. "Understood, everyone?"
"Haaaaaaaaaaai!" people chime, many half-heartedly...
* * *
Tomobiki...
"THREE BILLION DEAD?!?!?!"
Mendou, Shinobu and Ryuunosuke gape at Lum and Lan, all three
Terrans overwhelmed by the sheer scale of what the aliens had just
dropped on them. "Hai, it's all true," Lum nods. "And Darling
saw it all."
"Did he actually...?!" Ryuunosuke begins.
"NO!!!" Lum snaps, causing the tomboy to clam up, then she
sighs. "No, Darling wouldn't do that, not at THAT scale, even IF the
people who died would've killed him if they had the chance." A
pause, then, "But given what I sensed last night when Darling was
fighting that awful man, the part that forms this 'Cyborg' self of
his is a part of his mind that doesn't hold ANY good feelings for any
of us. Even me."
Everyone considers that, then Shinobu sighs. "It makes sense,"
she nods. "I mean, we've all got that dark side to our natures,
don't we? I admit, there have been times, many of them, when I've
hated what your being on Earth's done to everyone around us, Lum..."
"I'm sorry," Lum bows her eyes.
"Hai, it's okay," Shinobu gently squeezes Lum's hand, then she
looks out the window. "But to believe this weapon those Guardians
created could do THAT to Ataru-kun...?!" A shudder races through
her. "Now I see why you really never wanted anything to do with
those people, Lum."
"So what do we do now?" Ryuunosuke wonders.
Lum blinks, then looks over. "Shutaro?"
"Lum-san?"
"Call your people back from Nerima."
"Eh?!"
Lum's eyes narrow. "Don't you understand?" she stares intently
into his eyes, causing Mendou to back away. "Darling wants to be
left alone from now on, at least by everyone here in Tomobiki.
And as far as he's concerned, he's got every right in the world to do
whatever he has to do to ensure he IS left alone. I never said
anything about this beforehand, but I'll say it now: a lot of people
in this town really don't appreciate you sending out your bodyguards
and everyone else out to spy on everyone you might not happen to
like! Darling's no different than anyone else when it comes to that.
Do you REALLY wish to push a fight with Darling now?!"
Mendou blinks, stunned that Lum was dressing him down for
something that had often worked to her advantage in the past, then
he sighs. "But what of you, Lum-san?" he wonders. "Doesn't your own
opinions matter?"
"Hai, they do. And I thank you very much for your concern
about that. But I have to confront Darling about this in the end.
Not you. If they were still alive, I'd tell Aisuru and his friends
the same thing I'm telling you now, Shutaro: BUTT OUT of our
personal business!!" With that, she rises. "Now, if you'll excuse
us, Lan-chan and I have to go apartment hunting since we're going
to have to hide Lan-chan's scout for now on. We'll see you sometime
later, okay? Lan-chan, let's go!"
"Hai!" Lan rises, following Lum out.
The Terrans watch her go, then Shinobu stares at Mendou. A
lost, confused look is on his face. That had been the first time
EVER that Lum had seriously dressed Mendou down all that he'd done
to Ataru. Sensing that Mendou seemed to depend on having Ataru
around so he could carry on as before, Shinobu reaches over to
squeeze his shoulder. He looks quizzically at her, then turns away.
"You had to have expected something like that sooner or later,
Mendou-san," she warns him, giving Mendou a smile.
"What of yourself, Shinobu-san?" he asks. "You still care for
that man even now. Look what he did to you. What will you do?"
Shinobu blinks, then sighs. "I don't know..."
* * *
Sometime later, Ryuunosuke and Shinobu arrive at the Miyaki
home, having been driven there by one of Mendou's staff cars.
Thanking the driver, the two head inside. "Tadaima!!" Shinobu calls
out.
"Oh, Shinobu-chan, Ryuu-chan, you're back!" Shinobu's mother
stares at them from the kitchen. "How are Lum and Lan?"
"Settlin' down now, I hope," Ryuunosuke announces as the girls
head upstairs. "We'll gonna do some studying, okay?"
"Alright," Kimiki nods. "I'll call when lunch is ready."
They head into Shinobu's room. Given that the Miyaki home only
had two bedroom spaces, it was decided to allow Ryuunosuke to bunk
with her best friend. Even if space was now a little tight, it was
much better than what the orphaned tomboy had enjoyed living with her
father and Nagisa at Tomobiki High School. Sitting on her bed,
Shinobu lays down, then blinks as tears glisten in her eyes.
Ryuunosuke quickly notices. "Hey, Shinobu, you okay?" she reaches
over to squeeze the other girl's shoulder.
"No..." Shinobu hoarsely replies, then shakes her head. "My
God, Ryuu-chan, I can't believe Ataru-kun's been through all
THAT...!!" She sucks in her breath to avert a sob, then looks away.
"Jesu Cristo, it's no wonder he hates us now!! He was caught on a
planet full of people who'd kill him because their own RELIGION
taught them that it was right! A religion based on OUR diaries,
our...!!" a sob cuts into her voice, then she curls onto her side.
"Oh, Ataru-kun, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...!" she moans,
Ryuunosuke quickly moving to comfort her...
* * *
Furinkan High...
"Saotome-kun...?"
Students watch, many dumbstruck, as Ranma reads the text
passage. "'...afternoon Anne, bending over her patchwork at the
kitchen window, happened to glance out and beheld Diana down by the
Dryad's Bubble beckoning mysteriously. In a trice Anne was out of
the house and flying down to the hollow, astonishment and hope
struggling in her expressive eyes. But the hope faded when she saw
Diana's dejected countenance.'"
Stopping, she places her copy of "Anne of Green Gables" on the
desk, then sits down before noticing that everyone was gazing
wide-eyed at her (save for Ataru and Chigaiko, both who had been
following along in their own copies of Lucy M. Montgomery's
classic novel). Blinking, she looks around, then turns to Hinako.
"Um, was that okay, Sensei?"
"I..." the teacher catches herself, then shakes her head before
putting hands to hips. "Saotome-kun, you've always had problems
reading straight from the text. How is it that you can just pick up
the book now and read it like you were reading normal Japanese?!"
Ranma blinks, then stares at the book. "Guess it's not so hard
now," she shrugs, then asks, "Do you want me to go on?"
"Er...!" Hinako blinks, then shakes her head. "No, that's not
necessary. Tendou-kun, will you continue, please?"
No response.
"Tendou-kun?"
Ranma blinks, then looks left to see Akane staring back at her,
eyes wide with disbelief. Blinking, Ranma then smiles before
reaching over to tweak Akane's nose. The latter gasps, then grabs
her nose as Ranma starts to laugh. "Better pay attention, Akane!
The teacher wants you to read," Ranma indicates a mildly annoyed
Hinako, then gazes at her book.
"Yes, Tendou-kun. I was hoping you'd be paying attention,"
Hinako adds as several of the people around Akane start to laugh.
Shuddering, Akane sends Ranma a 'I'll get you for that, later!'
look, then turns back to her own copy of the novel. "We're on page
One-thirty-one," Ranma then stage-whispers. "Second paragraph..."
"I KNOW WHERE WE ARE, RANMA!!!!" Akane shrills.
"Tendou-kun!" Hinako growls, causing Akane to pale. "I see that
you seem more concerned about the fact that Saotome-kun is paying
attention to her own scholastic studies than your own."
As Akane wilts under the child-teacher's glare, some of the
others in class try not to grin too much on seeing her in the
hot-seat. "And seeing that Saotome-kun was being very kind enough
to remind you of where we're at, I would believe thanks are in order,
not being hit by your mallet," Hinako adds. "After all, that IS the
reason Saotome-kun has to spend a good portion of the next term AS a
girl, isn't it?" her eyebrows arch.
"I...! I...!" Akane stutters.
"Now, will you PLEASE continue with the story?" Hinako orders.
"Er...! H-hai!" Akane meekly nods, then begins...
* * *
After English class ends, students relax for their quick
ten-minute break before history class is to begin. Ataru is busy
scanning through his text, shaking his head. "What's wrong there,
Ataru?" Ranma walks up.
"It's this abortion they're calling a textbook," Ataru waves
to the book in question. "Geez, you'd think this was written by the
same morons who wrote that junior high text that got everyone in
Korea and China so ticked off! Cripes, what sort of idiot chose
this?!"
"Actually, I heard it was the principal that forced
Kimihara-sensei to use this one. He hates using this text, too,"
Hiroshi speaks up from behind Ataru. "Turns out the reason we're
using this textbook is because Kunou-sempai..." he sneers the
honorific, "...thought it was the...! What did he say again, Dai?"
he looks at his best friend.
"Oh, yeah, he said," Daisuke takes a deep breath, then speaks
in a plausible Kunou accent, "'This work of history brings honour
and pride to all those who believe in the true, righteous destiny
of Japan as a leader in the world!'" His voice goes to normal as he
shakes his head, shrugging. "Or something really, REALLY stupid
like that. I dunno..."
"That sort of moronic attitude is what got us into that useless
war with the Americans and the British in the FIRST place!" Ataru
snorts, rolling his eyes. "Never mind what we did to the Koreans
since before Meiji died, not to mention the Chinese before Pearl!!
Sheesh!" he sighs. "If you ask me, the 'righteousness'
of that holier-than-thou, hot-hair bullshit got blown into
radioactive dust at Hiroshima and Nagasaki!"
"He's got that right," Ranma snorts, sitting on a desk. "I met
a few Koreans when I was on my training trip. They just can't STAND
the way idiots in the Diet and elsewhere just whitewash everything
that happened when we practically STOLE their whole country from
them!!"
"Careful, guys," Hiroshi warns, then nods right.
Ataru blinks, then glances over his shoulder. Sitting near the
front entrance to the room is a young man currently showing the signs
of having his battle chi sucked away by Hinako Ninomiya earlier
that day. Right now, that fellow looks away from Ranma and her
friends, though Ataru is quick to notice him shivering indignantly.
"Who's he, Hiroshi?" he whispers.
"Nagao Koriko," Hiroshi supplies, keeping his voice down.
"Member of the kendo team, not to mention the Horde o' Hentais,"
he quotes the most applied nickname to the men who engage in the
morning Fight for Akane's Heart. "I found out the bastard just loves
to snitch on Kimihara-sensei to Kunou-sempai. Once he gets the news,
it's a talk to Daddykins, then...!"
"I always thought Kunou hated his old man," Ranma notes.
"Maybe, but could you imagine what the THREAT of Kunou talking
to the principal might do to Kimihara-sensei?" Hiroshi asks.
Ataru sighs, then reaches into his briefcase to draw out a very
short pencil. Taking a glance around the room, he measures out
angles of attack, then flicks it towards a ceiling beam. The pencil
bounds off the beam, then the blackboard before bouncing off Nagao's
head. The kendoist jerks, then drops face-first into his desk,
passed out. At that moment, the history teacher arrives. "Everyone,
take your seats!" he calls out.
People assume their places. The teacher draws out his lecture
notes and sets them on the podium before noticing the lack of
movement from Nagao's desk. "Koriko-kun...?" Mr. Kimihara blinks,
then sensing the lack of response from the unconscious kendoist,
sighs. "Well, perhaps this'll be a quiet day. Alright, class, let's
turn to page 221 in the textbook..."
* * *
Upstairs, Class 3-D...
"Gee, Kunou-baby, we missed you this morning. What happened?"
A visibly-pained Tatewaki Kunou sits in his chair. Since it was
presently study hall for Nabiki's class, there is no teacher in
attendance. "A mere trivial matter, Nabiki Tendou, that is all,"
the kendoist grunts, feeling his ribs. "May I ask what happened
this morning before the first bell? I am aware that your beauteous
sister has been finally freed of the hideous pact forced on her by
the foul sorcerer Saotome..."
"Yes, yes, the guys decided they'd try to challenge her like
they did before Ranma-kun arrived," Nabiki cuts in. "Well, I'm
afraid that's not going to go far, not if Hinako-sensei has anything
to say about it."
Kunou blinks, then his eyes widen as his mind puts together
what happened next. Ah, a most unfortunate mistake on his part.
Clearly, if the rightful challenge for the fair Akane's love was to
continue without hindrance, Hinako Ninomiya would have to be dealt
with. And soon. Easily arranged, though Kunou personally abhorred
dealing with the would-be Yakuza who lurked in the dark corners
of the school's social scene.
"No matter," he makes a dismissive wave with his hand, then
perks up as he remembers something else. "What news do you have of
the pig-tailed girl? I am also aware that lecherous beast Ataru
Moroboshi now fouls our fair institution with his perverted presence.
I now suspect that the beast has chosen the fiery-haired damsel as
the latest target in his unholy quest to deflower and dishonour
all the fair maidens of Tokyo..."
Nabiki tries not to throw up as the kendoist continues his
monologue, then reaches into her pocket to draw out a computer
print-out. "Well, I hate to say this, Kunou-baby, but Ataru-kun's
been making pretty good time with the Osagi-no-Onna. Look here and
see for yourself."
She shows the printout from Yotsuba's digital camera. A picture
of Ranma giving Ataru a thank-you kiss during yesterday's party.
Seeing that, Kunou pales, then screams, "***WHAT MADNESS IS
THIS?!?!?!***"
"Oh, it was all in innocence, of course," Nabiki shrugs.
"Ataru-kun and his sisters threw a party for Ranma-chan yesterday
at their place. Ataru-kun's sisters got Ranma-chan all sorts of neat
presence, including," she reaches into her jumper for another
picture, "...THIS!!"
Kunou blinks, then gags on seeing a picture of Ranma in her new
wrap-around swimsuit. "Such unearthly beauty..." he croons, then
remembers the first picture Nabiki showed him. "NO!!!! I WILL NOT
HAVE THIS!!!"
Without hesitation, he springs for the doorway, drawing out his
bokken as he charges for the nearest stairwell. Nabiki watches
him go, then sighs. "Well, you get what you wanted, Ataru-kun..."
* * *
Downstairs...
"So you do not agree to what the textbook says about our
occupation of Korea, Moroboshi-kun?" the history teacher hums.
"No, sir, I don't agree with it at all," Ataru smiles, he having
just answered a question about the beginning of that horrible chapter
in Korea's history with an answer that Mr. Kimihara personally
agreed to even if it didn't chime with the "facts" in the textbook.
"Let's take, for example, the assassination of Hirobumi Itou by
Chung-geun An back in 1909. Now, when most Koreans speak of Mr. An,
they normally attach the word 'Patriot' to his name. Why is that?
It's quite simple, really..."
The door crashes open. "***MOROBOSHI!!!!***"
"***SEISHIN KUSARIGAMA!!!!***"
Before Kunou could lunge in to attack, a glowing chi-energy
chain bursts from Ataru's palm to loop around the kendoist's
neck. "Ever since the start of old Chosoun's opening to the west
around 1880 or so, all the 'greater' powers around the peninsula
were caught in a vicious contest over who'd have what was then called
'suzerainty' over Korea..."
Drawing the Psychic Kusarigama tight, Ataru cuts off Kunou's
voice as he yanks the kendoist over everyone's heads to slam
face-first into Ataru's desk. "Of course, in a battle of that
nature, the leaders of the competing powers -- China, Japan and
Russia -- didn't give a single whit over what the Korean people,
much less their leaders, wanted," he continues, his hand grabbing
Kunou by the back of his neck, then employing a variation of the
Typhoon Wind Fist, he smashes the kendoist's face five hundred times
into the desk. "Pretty damned typical if you ask me," he shrugs,
then glances over to where Ukyou now sits by a window. "Could you
open that, please?"
"Sure thing, sugar," Ukyou throws open the window.
Ataru grabs a dazed-and-bloody Kunou, then sends him flying
out the window into a nearby sakura tree. "And further more," he
turns back to the teacher, Mr. Kimihara now open-mouthed at Ataru
having continued with his explanation while pounding the snot out of
the school's most arrogant student at the same time, "...when you
take a deep look at the attitudes most Japanese leaders had about
Korea at the time, it's understandable that when the Occupation
began, so many Koreans were up in arms."
Outside, Kunou flops head-over-heels to slam into the ground.
Seeing that, Ukyou closes the window with a satisfied nod. Many of
the students now gaze warily at Ataru. He ignores them as he adds,
"Matter of fact, when he was teaching the Showa Emperor, a guy named
Kurakichi Shiratori said Korea was the 'the root of all problems
in the Orient,' or something pathetic like that. And this guy even
wrote *textbooks*..." he holds up the class text, "...on Asian and
Western history. Now, I don't know about you, Sensei, but you have
to admit, that attitude's been predominant in our relations with
Korea ever since! And I've long learned that if you keep treating
someone as a pariah for no real reason whatsoever, they're gonna
sooner or later start acting like it. Who's fault is it then?"
People blink, surprised that he had gone THAT far in totally
debasing a lot of accepted "myths" concerning this hot issue in
Japanese history. At his corner desk, Nagao Koriko shudders,
both by Ataru's rough handling of Tatewaki Kunou AND his actually
siding with a bastard like the history teacher when it came to such
"hot" topics like this. Yet his anger is also squelched by
considerable fear. If Ataru could take out a guy like Kunou using
some sort of energy chain, what could Ataru do to Nagao?
"You seem very passionate about this topic, Moroboshi-kun,"
Mr. Kimihara then collects himself, clearing his throat.
"Sir, my grandfather was a kamikaze pilot in the Special Attack
Corps who died in the fighting in Okinawa. Quite USELESSLY,
I might add," Ataru sighs. "My grandmother never fully recovered
from his death. And because of that, she, like many in Japan, have
asked hard questions about that war. Or, to paraphrase our country's
late ace of aces, 'Who the hell gave the orders to start that stupid
war in the first place?!' I'm sure all of us here have relatives
who either died on the battlefield or were killed when the Americans
sent the B-29s to bomb every city in the country. If they sit back
and think about it, I'm sure people would agree with me."
"Many would, if they only were given the chance to hear the
truth," the history teacher nods. "Anyhow, let's go on..."
* * *
The Moroboshi home...
"The Felinar?"
"Yes," Negako calmly stirs her tea as she sits with Chikage,
Nodoka, Cologne, Souun, Kasumi and Happousai in the living room.
Most of Ataru's sisters have gone back to Promised Island at this
time. Outside the young sorceress, Shirayuki chose to remain behind,
she ensuring that the people here had good food to eat before going
home. "They're a hybrid race of felinoids who came to Earth many
millennia ago. They're animorphs, having the ability to transform
themselves from a humanoid to a hybrid-felinoid state -- even
transform themselves into a fully-animal state -- at will."
"Weretigers, Negako-san?" Kasumi asks.
"No, they're not lyncathropes in the magical sense, Kasumi,"
the grandmistress shakes her head. "They could be affected by
non-magical weapons and standard martial arts training. There are
actually very few felinoid lyncathropes (in the magical sense) here
on Earth now."
"And they are the ones who first devised the Neko-ken?"
Nodoka asks.
"Yes," Negako nods. "The Neko-ken, as one can surmise, was
devised for use by the Felinar. It was certainly NOT meant for
'normal' humanoids. However, as time progressed, some ambitious
martial arts 'masters' did try to adopt the Felinar's technique
to the human body. The first acknowledged attempt here in the Orient
was stopped by Master Hosan around the time my sentience was first
created. However, it is now clearly obvious that other like moves
did succeed despite the Felinar's attempts at screening them."
"So why would they seek to kill my husband? And will they
attempt to kill my son?" Nodoka then prods.
Negako sighs. "Over the last several centuries, a very radical
wing of the Felinar has come to dominate the 'enforcer' roles within
their clan. The enforcers are those who serve as the clan's police,
ensuring the clan is kept safe from outsiders as well as ensuring
the clan's secrets remain within the clan. You can understand
why. In times past, whenever one who was forced through the
'incorrect' version of Neko-ken training was found by the Felinar,
s/he was healed of the mental trauma that training forced on him/her,
then welcomed into the clan. That does not happen now."
"What does happen?" Cologne wonders.
"Those who are judged to be 'hopeless' are put to death by the
enforcers," Negako smiles. "Naturally, the Felinar reserve the right
to 'judge' who is 'hopeless' and who is 'not.' And all those who
force the training on such victims are automatically put to death."
"Would they judge Ranma-kun as 'hopeless?'" Souun wonders.
"It depends. I will have to watch over some of the enforcers
to properly gauge their mood," Negako sips her tea. "However,
I have met the chief enforcer of the clan, a fellow named White
Claw..."
A surprised gasp escapes Happousai, he nearly choking on his
tea. Eyes turn to him. "Master, have you met this person?!"
Souun gasps.
Happousai coughs his throat clear, then spins on Negako. "Did
you say 'White Claw,' Negako-chan?!! He's still around?!!"
"No, the man you once fought was the grandfather of the person
now using of that name," Negako lightly smiles. "Happy, here, as you
all will surmise, was caught several times by White Claw's
grandfather concerning certain artifacts he stole from the Felinar."
Hearing groans from Chikage, Souun, Nodoka and Cologne, Negako then
sighs. "You should learn to better control your urges, Happy,"
the grandmistress scolds.
"W-w-Well...!" Happousai sweats, scratching the back of his
head.
"Ojii-san, really!" Kasumi shakes her head.
"When did you meet this White Claw, Ane-kun?" Chikage wonders.
"Three years ago, in Hong Kong," Negako reports. "I was
meditating at a Taoist temple when the mother of a young girl who had
been subject to the Neko-ken training by her father sought my
assistance in restoring her to normal. She had all but been fully
lost to the Neko-ken madness. I agreed since Saikoo Jinseijitsu-ryuu
has ways of dealing with such matters. As I was doing that, White
Claw came to end her life. I stopped him. He was..." she sips her
tea, "...an amusing distraction, then I became bored and subjected
him to the fire-geyser. Of course, he didn't appreciate the
third-degree burns the attack had left over eighty percent of his
body."
"Ouch!!" Cologne winces. "Did he come back?"
"Twice. The second time, he attempted close-quarters
combat to stop me from using distance attacks. Using the Touch on
his joints showed him that was a VERY stupid option to take. The
third time," Negako then sighs, "...he ALMOST succeeded. He had
brought several fellow enforcers with him. The girl's mother died
in the battle, but the girl survived. I used the flat of the
soulsword to paralyse White Claw, then beheaded his companions,
dumping all of them into Hong Kong Bay. By the time White Claw
recovered enough to try again, the girl had been dispatched to one of
Nagaiwakai's farms on the planet Jiyuu and I had proceeded with my
journey."
"He'll want to get even, Negako-chan," Happousai warns. "If
this guy's anything like what I remember about his grandfather,
he ain't gonna live that down. Did he have any chance to get your
name?"
"No. All White Claw does know of me is my often-used nickname
among those in the know about the *saikoo jinseijitsu*: the 'Black
Death of the Martial Arts.' And yes, I suspect he would desire to
strike back at me. He is welcome to try, of course," Negako shrugs,
lightly smirking.
"But his chances of success are questionable at best," Chikage
nods.
The others laugh. "So, what could happen to Ranma-kun?"
Kasumi asks. "Would the Felinar welcome Ranma-kun into their clan?"
"Were this before Ranma's battle with Saffron, I believed
such could have happened," Negako nods, then shakes her head. "Now,
I doubt it. Saffron's people are another group who has strongly
demonstrated to the Felinar that there are beings on this planet
who will not kowtow to them and their arrogance whatsoever.
White Claw would fear that if Ranma did become part of the Felinar,
his position as chief enforcer would be under direct threat from a
possible challenge by Ranma. And since he decides the clan's
policies towards outsiders, his decision is, in effect, law."
"So what can we do?!" Souun wonders.
"At present, we can wait. Whoever programmed Genma into
attacking Ranma would've most likely seen her transformation
into her winged felinoid form," Negako finishes her tea. "No doubt,
when news of this gets back to the Felinar, that would give the
enforcers, even White Claw, pause. Make them all ask 'Who is this
being?' Now, Ranma, of course, has no Felinar blood within her. I
would sense such immediately, as would the enforcers. But the fact
that Ranma CAN transform into such a being MIGHT make them decide
to take a chance and approach her in a more peaceful manner."
"But they should realize that such a being is clearly not from
Earth, Negako," Cologne advises. "I know for the fact that not even
pure-magic weretigers or other felinoid lyncathropes possess wings."
"True."
"Do you have an idea what sort of creature that was?" Nodoka
wonders.
Negako shakes her head. "I cannot say at this time, Nodoka.
I do have a possible theory, but I prefer to prove such theories
first before letting such information go public. I have already
sent a message to Darklight Sunfire, Nagaiwakai's former Zephyrite
clerical assistant up in Rishiri-tou. I expect a reply sometime
in the next several days."
"Will it be in time?" Kasumi wonders.
"I believe so..."
* * *
Sometime later, Negako relaxes alone in the living room.
Chikage had gone with Shirayuki to get some supplies for the kitchen.
Everyone else had gone to do their own things. Taking a deep breath,
she then calls out, "You can come out now, Bastet. I know you're
there."
A flash of light behind the grandmistress heralds the arrival
of a tawny-furred felinoid with pitch-black hair and green, slitted
eyes. The woman is dressed in quite revealing "exotic" clothing
complete with lots of jewellery, an ankh-like shepherd's staff in
hand. Her tail twitching annoyingly, she walks around to sit facing
the ninjitsu grandmistress. Silence falls as they stare into the
other's eyes, then the visitor sighs. "Is therrre ANY way to sneak
up on you, Negako Morrroboshi?" she growls, her purring voice
automatically slurring her 'r's and 'l's.
"You were never able to sneak up on Hosan, Bastet," Negako
smiles.
The goddess of cats and guardian spirit of men and pregnant
women in the pantheon of old Egypt blinks, then nods. "Agreed,"
her voice takes on a more normal quality, then she smiles. "So,
things are starting to pick up now between your last host and his
fated soul-mate."
"No thanks to your current round of worshippers," Negako
counters, then sighs. "I apologize. Those who give lip-service
to you, I mean."
"Yes, you are right there," Bastet nods, then sadly shakes her
head. Like many others among the classical deities, she took her
responsibilities to those who needed her help the most seriously.
"Right now, with the way things are going, there are scant few in the
Felinar who adhere to what I once taught them about relations
with normal humans. At least those who DO understand what I taught
are willing to put those teachings to practice."
"Such as the one who helped eliminate Genma?"
The cat goddess's ears flatten against her skull. "I would
hope, Negako, that if it had to happen, you'd've killllled that
honourrrlllless slllime yoursellllf, much lllless llllet Atarrru
do it," she snarls, her anger at Genma Saotome's idiocy making her
well-intoned words slip.
"Or Ranma," Negako shrugs.
Bastet blinks, then nods. "Yes. Or Ranma. How is she?"
"Approaching the point where she will experience first-hand
what Jusenkyou has done to her," Negako sighs. "Of course, the
influence of whatever power bonded her to Ataru all those years ago
has started to properly manifest itself. You saw what happened
last night."
"Through the enforcer who dealt with Genma..." Bastet nearly
spits out the name, then she calms herself. "Yes, I did. I what
sort of feline Ranma might be able to transform into over time.
Look."
She holds up her hand. A burst of spirit-flame leaps from the
palm, forming the image of a cougar-like feline, but one with a
larger breastbone and collar-shoulder structure. Understandable,
given that this animal also sports bat-like wings large enough,
Negako quickly realizes, to help it fly over short distances.
Atop that, the animal also has muscular snake-like grippers growing
from behind the jawbone. "Fascinating," Negako whistles. "Did you
have a chance to speak to this being when he came to Earth?"
"Briefly," Bastet nods. "The humanoids on his home planet call
his kind 'sandpanthers.' A remarkably intelligent creature, almost
matching human levels in many areas. Quite a nice fellow, too. His
name is, as I recall it now, 'Starleaf.' And, now that I've had a
chance to think about it, I believe it was one of his 'pets' who
bonded Ranma to Ataru."
"'Pets?'" Negako's eyebrow arches.
"Yes," Bastet grins. "You see, it is said on Starleaf's
home planet that sandpanthers 'own' their humans, not the other way
around."
"I see. And the planet's name?"
Bastet lowers her hand, dispersing her spirit-flame.
"Sagussa."
The grandmistress -- whom, to the cat goddess, is in fact the
Avatar of Life on Earth, thus (in the eyes of all the gods and
goddesses, demons and demonesses alive today) servant to and
protector of the Great Mother Gaia Herself -- takes that in, then
nods. "Now, it makes sense..."
* * *
Furinkan High, lunchtime...
"Ni hao, Airen!!!"
Everyone there sighs, gazing at what now remained of one of the
cafeteria walls in the wake of yet ANOTHER of Shampoo's smashing
entrances. In the warrior-maiden's hands are a bonbori and a
delivery box filled with hot food. Gazing at the mess her would-be
fiancee just made, Ranma shakes her head. "Shampoo, does the concept
of the door scare you THAT much?!"
Shampoo blinks, then shrugs, walking over to place the box on
the table next to Ranma, she then opening it to reveal several bowls
of ramen. "Hibaa-chan tell Shampoo to get good food to Airen!
Shampoo bring good food to Airen! What so wrong with that? Besides,
this make sure Violent Kitchen-Destroyer doesn't poison Airen while
Airen is healing!"
At a nearby table, Akane, who had been chatting with Sayuri
and some of the other girls in class, quivers indignantly,
her battle aura flaring. Sensing this, Shampoo inwardly grins. Yes,
she knew that any formalized bond between Ranma and Akane had been
shattered at Nodoka's order. And with Genma in all effect dead, the
spirit behind that bond had been taken away. All that was really
needed at this time was to ensure the wedge between them was kept as
wide as possible. "Well..." Ranma then tenses, staring suspiciously
at the ramen. "This isn't drugged, is it?"
Shampoo balks, then flusters. "No, no love drug. Only put in
herbs to help Airen's mind heal from all the damage honourless
panda and Violent Kitchen-Destroyer do to Airen," she shakes her
head.
Ataru, sitting across from Ranma, nods reassuringly.
Ranma smiles, then takes up one of the bowls. "Thanks, Shampoo.
I appreciate it."
"But will the school appreciate that?" Daisuke points to the
hole in the wall, chuckling knowingly as Shampoo passes out the other
bowls.
"<<Clan-sister,>>" Ataru switches to Mandarin.
Shampoo jolts, then sighs. "<<Yes, clan-brother?>>"
"<<Could you PLEASE use the doors from now on when you deliver
things to Ranma?>>" Ataru claps his hands in a 'pretty please'
gesture.
The warrior-maiden hums, then smiles. "<<Well, since you asked
so nicely,>>" she hands him a bowl, winking, then she sighs, going
back to Japanese. "Problem here is that Palm Tree Man always try to
stop Shampoo from making sure Airen isn't poisoned by Violent
Kitchen-Destroyer."
Ataru's eyebrow arches. "'Palm Tree Man?'"
"She means the principal, Ataru-kun," Hiroshi warns, quickly
understanding where Shampoo is coming from.
And, as luck would have it, a hair-raising cackle fills the air
as something flies towards Shampoo.
"WHA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!!
De Big Kahuna say no keiki at da Big Kahuna's school get NO ta-...!!"
*CLONK!!!*
The principal is rudely introduced face-first into Shampoo's
weapon. "Shampoo no care what Palm Tree Man say! Shampoo think
Airen and Airen's friends no deserve Palm Tree Man hurting them!!"
With that, she bounces the principal off her bonbori, then with
a nice overhand smash Bjorn Borg would admire, swats him through
the hole in the wall Shampoo made. Seeing that, the other students
cheer, some giving the warrior-maiden a standing ovation. "See?!"
she then winks at Ranma. "Everyone agree with Shampoo! Shampoo
go now, Airen! Wo na ai! Bai-bai!"
She leaps outside through the hole, then disappears. "Well,
maybe that'll keep the nut off our backs for a bit," Ranma sighs,
drawing off the plastic cover over her bowl of ramen, then she digs
in.
"Hey, Ran-chan!!"
Ranma looks up to see Ukyou standing there, a plate piled high
with freshly fried okonomiyaki in one hand. Before Ranma could say
anything, the place is placed down beside her ramen. "Don'tcha
worry about this, Ran-chan!" Ukyou winks. "I called Negako-san
to learn what sorta herbs you need to heal up there, then put them
in the batter! Try it!!"
"I..." Ranma blinks, then sighs. "Um, th-thanks, Ukyou."
Ukyou jolts, her eyes suddenly widening, then she nods. "Er,
no problem there, Ran-chan! I'll see ya later."
She heads off. Ranma watches her go, then shakes her head. "I
really don't need this now," she mutters, leaning her face into a
hand.
"Like I told you long ago, Ranma," Ataru winks. "You better
do something with those two before it really gets outta hand...!
Eh?!"
"Nii-sama!! Nee-sama!!"
Eyes turn as Shirayuki walks into the cafeteria, then spotting
Ranma thanks to her hair, marches up, two lovingly-wrapped
bento boxes in hand. Onlookers' jaws drop as the chef places the
boxes on the table beside Ataru and Ranma. Seeing how much food
Shirayuki prepared for her, Ranma's jaw drops, then she flusters.
"Aw, Shirayuki, ya didn't have to do this!!"
"Now, you hush there, Nee-sama!" Shirayuki scolds, pushing
aside the okonomiyaki and ramen. "Oh, honestly!! Eating only ramen
and okonomiyaki! That's not a balanced diet at all, Nee-sama!!
Here you go!" she unwraps the bentos, then stands back. "Enjoy!!"
she waves at her creations.
Ranma sighs, then exchanges a knowing look with Ataru, an
eyebrow arching. "Well, shall we?!" she waves to the bentos.
"I have long known never to argue with a sister of mine," Ataru
draws up his chopsticks, then poises himself. "Ready?!"
"Hai!" she poises herself.
"Hajime!!"
Both launch into their bentos. Shirayuki watches them go, then
sighs. "Mou!! Nii-sama, Nee-sama, slow down!! Honestly, Nee-sama,
that stupid father of yours isn't around to steal your food!!!
You'll give yourselves stomachaches if you keep this up!!
Nii-sama!!! Nee-sama!!!"
A hand lands on her shoulder. "Relax, Shirayuki-chan,"
Chigaiko now stands beside the chef. "I've seen Ataru-kun demolish
over FIVE times the amount of food that's here in a single sitting!!
He'll be okay! Besides, I don't think either Ataru-kun or Ranma-chan
there want to insult either you OR Ukyou-san OR Shampoo-san
by not eating what you all made!!"
Shirayuki stares at the ex-Tomobiki High student, a confused
look on her face. "You really mean it, Chigaiko-san?"
"Hai," Chigaiko nods.
In a minute, both bento boxes are empty. "Whoo!!!" Ranma sits
back in her chair, patting her stomach. "Man, that was great,
Shirayuki-chan! Hey, Ataru, we really gotta slow down here, ya
know!!"
"Yeah, I guess I better get used to the way I ate food back in
Sanctuary," Ataru covers his mouth in a polite burp. "Well, now that
we've made my sister happy, what say we make some more people
happy?!"
"Weeeeeell..." Ranma stares at the ramen and okonomiyaki,
then sighs, remembering how Shampoo and Ukyou came to her aid last
night. "Yeah, it's the right thing to do. Want some?" she points
to the plate Ukyou made.
"Pass it over," Ataru motions with his hand.
Some servings are passed across the table, then both immediately
dig in. Shirayuki watches them try to eat more slowly, then smiles,
picking up her bento boxes. Before she could turn away, a hand lands
on her shoulder. "Hey there, cutie, where's a nice girl like you
come from...?" a boy Ranma recognizes as being from her own homeroom
asks.
*CRUNCH!!!!*
Everyone gasps on seeing the boy now planted face-first
into the floor, the arm that touched the chef now twisted behind
his back. Ataru's foot is planted into the back of the poor guy's
neck. "She comes from a place that's very CLEARLY marked 'Out of
Bounds,' pal!!" Ataru snarls. "And if you so much as even THINK
about layin' a hand on MY sister again, bozo, you better have your
damned papers in order first! Got me?!"
"H-h-h-hai!" the boy sputters.
Shirayuki blinks, then blushes. "Nii-sama!" she titters
delightedly.
The students stare at the chef, then back to Ataru before
Hiroshi asks the obvious question. "Ataru-kun, she really IS your
sister?!"
"Well, half-sister to be exact," Shirayuki answers as Ataru
hauls the poor boy to his feet, then shoves him away from her.
"How'd that happen?!" Daisuke wonders.
"Turns out that roonin who WAS my father was even more of a
hentai than I've been accused of being, Daisuke," Ataru winks.
"Mou, Nii-sama, you sure got that right!" Shirayuki snorts,
then sighs, picking up the empty bento boxes as she turns to leave.
"Hey, Ataru-kun, you got any more sisters?!" another boy
ventures.
Ataru jolts, then glares at the offending questioner. Ranma
quickly recognizes the boy as Nobisuke Enzou, perhaps the most
perverted guy in the whole of Furinkan High. Even with everyone
in her class knowing everything about her curse and all that, Ranma
had several times been the target of Enzou's pathetic attempts
at asking her out. Comparing Enzou's antics with all the things
that had been said about Ataru, Ranma had to agree with what Chigaiko
told her yesterday at the party: at least ATARU was a gentleman.
"If I did?" Ataru wonders.
The room instantly chills, the temperature dropping forty
degrees from the icy look in Ataru's eyes. Enzou jolts, then quickly
withdraws. Shaking his head in annoyance, Ataru relaxes as he turns
back to Shirayuki. "You better get out of here, Shirayuki-chan.
Who knows what other sort of goofball'd come out of the woodwork
now."
"Er...?" the chef blinks, then nods. "H-hai. I'll see you both
after school, okay, Nii-sama, Nee-sama?!"
"Sure thing," Ranma waves. "And thanks for lunch!"
Hearing that, Shirayuki beams, then heads off. As she passes
through the cafeteria doors en route to the entrance, the chef jolts
on hearing some girls whisper off to her right. "...-at poor girl!
Actually being related to Moroboshi of all people?! She must be SO
insulted!"
Shirayuki turns to see three girls standing several metres away
from her. "Yeah!" one of them nods. "I mean, you've heard all the
awful things about that guy and what was going on in Tomobiki!
I wonder...! Erk!!!"
They spin around to see the chef gazing at them. Shirayuki
blinks, then smiles, winking at them. "You know, Nii-sama was sure
right about one thing!" she turns to leave, a knowing smile crossing
her face. "Everyone living in Tomobiki now ARE a pack of two-faced
liars!!"
With that, she heads off. The girls watch her go, then exchange
looks. "Ne, you don't think...?" one wonders.
The others hum, then another shrugs. "Who knows..."
They head off to class. Back inside the cafeteria, everyone
finishes the ramen Shampoo made. "Man, I've got to stop mooching
off those two," Ranma stretches herself as Ataru collects the bowls,
then nods thanks as Hiroshi takes them away to be collected by
Shampoo later.
"Well, it's best you do it very delicately," Ataru winks at her,
then notices Akane advancing on her ex-fiancee. "Oh, shit..."
he mutters.
Ranma blinks, then sighs, sensing Akane come into range. Well,
much that she didn't in the least enjoy the more harmful
after-effects of what Negako did to her a week ago, she did
appreciate being able to detect her ex-fiancee's movements better
than she had before she met the Moroboshis. "What do you want,
Akane?" she leans her chin on the palm of her hand.
Akane blinks, stunned by the curt words, then she draws out some
folded sheets of paper. "Some notes for you, Ranma."
She places them on the table. Ranma looks at them, then sighs.
"What, I'm not approachable anymore?" she shakes her head, then picks
one up, flipping it open single-handedly. Scanning the note, she
then summons a small ball of chi to burn it up, then she goes to the
next one.
"Offensive, I assume," Ataru sips his juice.
"Could be said," Ranma flips open the second letter, scans it,
then burns it up before picking up the third.
Akane watches her ex-fiancee destroy that, a chill warping
through her spine as Ranma scans the fourth, then destroys that. She
had seen the notes beforehand, knowing they contained dire warnings
from other girls to ensure Ranma didn't do anything funny when gym
class (the last class of the day) came around. A quick glance out of
the corners of her eyes around the room reveal that many of the girls
who'd written Ranma were now pale-faced, realizing the pseudo-girl
wasn't going to kowtow to their wishes this time.
In a minute, all the notes are ashes, then Ranma sips her juice.
"What about the notes to Ranma in your right pocket, Akane?" Ataru
asks.
Akane jolts, her eyes spinning on him. "Wha-...?!!" she
sputters, then takes a hesitant step back. "H-how did you
kn-know...?!"
"I kept an eye on you throughout morning classes. You got
thirty-two notes passed to you. Two went to your breast pocket,
so those were notes obviously meant for you. Ten went to your left
pocket. Those are the ones you just gave Ranma. That leaves twenty
notes in your right pocket. Each of those, as I recall, made you
shiver indignantly," he winks as he finishes his juice, then he turns
to Ranma. "Tell me something, Ranma. Do you really appreciate
this person censoring your mail all the time?"
Ranma rises, turning to Akane. "Are those notes for me, too?"
Akane blinks, then sputters. Quick to sense her mood, Ranma
sighs, then holds out one hand. "The notes, please," she asks.
Silence falls as Akane stares at her, then with a grunt, she
draws them out of her pocket, then drops them into Ranma's hand,
several missing the mark and falling to the floor. Ranma stares
at her hand, then she sighs. "I'll make sure everyone in class knows
not to pass notes to me through you from now on, Akane. Thank you,"
she smiles, placing the notes on the table, then she bends down to
pick up the others.
Akane watches her, then shivering, she marches away. Ranma
watches her go, then shakes her head as she sits down to read the new
notes. Ataru watches Akane withdraw, then shakes his head. "Jeez,
just like Lum," he shakes his head. "Always thinkin' that you have
no brains at all and that you need everyone else to do your thinkin'
for you! What a jerk!!"
"Lum was really that bad?!" Daisuke wonders.
"Worse," Ataru rolls his eyes. "It's a typical bullying
attitude, Daisuke. For a bully to keep somebody under his -- or in
this particular case, 'her' -- thumb, she's got to do everything
to make sure you can't ultimately think for yourself, man. After
all, if you could do something DANGEROUS like that, that means that
sooner or later, you might figure out that said bully is a coward
at heart and could be beaten."
"His EX-parents, now DEAD ex-parents, were the same way," Ranma
augments, then frowns as the details of one note become clearer.
"So what do those ones say, man?" Hiroshi asks.
"Well, I got eight from girls encouraging me to do my best while
I'm stuck this way. I guess they're the type who don't listen to
Akane," Ranma sighs. "Three notes from girls wondering why the hell
I'm letting Mom put me through this mess. Guess they don't realize
that I can't be frozen just as a guy with a curse like mine. Six
notes from guys wondering why the hell I haven't put Mom in an asylum
for doing this for me. Two notes from guys wondering if I'd want to
date them. And one from Enzou."
"Enzou?!" Hiroshi looks over, then sighs as the gist of the note
comes through. "He's gotta be kiddin', right?! You wouldn't do
that!"
"No, I wouldn't. Don't worry about it, 'Roshi. I'll handle
that perverted jerk in class," Ranma smirks knowingly...
* * *
Later...
The first of the three afternoon classes for Ranma was
geography. As students take their seats, class begins. Like
co-workers in classes before lunch, the geography teacher is
surprised that the pseudo-girl is actively participating in class.
As the period goes on, Akane scribbles a note, then passes it to
Ranma's desk. Ranma blinks, then partially opens it to see Akane's
handwriting. Sighing, she closes the note, then holds it up as a chi
ball disintegrates it. Akane jolts, then spins away as the teacher
calls out, "Saotome-kun, is there something the matter?!"
Ranma blinks, then curses herself; she hadn't taken notice of
the teacher looking her way. Clearing her throat, she rises. "I'm
sorry, Sensei, but I was simply burning up a note Tendou-san
gave to me."
The teacher blinks surprisedly. "A 'personal' note,
Saotome-kun?"
Several of the class snicker. "No, sir, I don't know what type
of note it was. I destroyed it before reading it," Ranma replies.
Silence falls as eyes lock on her. The teacher is surprised.
Much that he personally didn't like his students 'chatting' with each
other via those type of notes, he did remember writing notes like
that when he was in high school. "Don't you believe that was being
rude to your fiancee?"
"No, sir," Ranma shakes her head. "I take it you haven't heard
that my mother ended the engagement between Tendou-san and I, then?"
"Er...?!" the teacher blinks, then shakes his head. "No, I
haven't. Well, I won't disrupt the class further because of
something trivial like that, but please, Saotome-kun!" he wags his
finger in a 'no-no' gesture. "If you wish to destroy notes, could
you wait until after class?"
"Hai, Sensei, I understand," Ranma bows apologetically.
"Very well, then..."
* * *
Geography class ends. As soon as the teacher has cleared out of
the room, Akane rises, marching over to Sayuri's desk so she could
have a private conversation. To Ranma's surprise, Yuka doesn't
join them; she is presently chatting with Chigaiko. Sighing, she
turns to her notebag to draw items for music class, then jolts as a
hand touches her shoulder.
She looks up to see Ukyou gazing at her. "Hey, Ran-chan,
way to go!" the okonomiyaki chef kneels beside her fiancee. "It's
about time you finally spoke your mind about all the crap Akane's
been shovelling down your throat all this time!! Even in class...!
Whoo!!"
"Well, I just got angry at her because she was holdin' back some
notes from me that she didn't personally agree with," Ranma mutters,
then stares at the chef. "Ukyou, we gotta have a long talk."
Ukyou jolts, then shudders as raw fear surges up her spine,
she glancing away from Ranma. "R-r-ran-chan..."
"Not now," Ranma gives Ukyou's shoulder a gentle squeeze,
then she sees the music teacher arrive. "After dinner tonight,
I'll come by your place, okay? We'll talk then. Just you and me,
okay?"
Ukyou stares into her fiancee's eyes, then nods. "Sure."
The chef returns to her seat. Ranma then rises, walking up to
the front desk to have a quick chat with the teacher. People make
their way to their chairs as Ranma draws out a folded note to show
to the teacher. Fortunately for her, the teacher is also a woman,
not much older than Hinako Ninomiya when she was in her adult body.
Finally, as soon as the last people are in place, the teacher smiles.
"Well, before we begin, Saotome-kun here has an announcement
to make. Saotome-kun?"
"Arigatou, Sensei," Ranma bows thanks, then after everyone
has quieted down, holds up the note. "I got this at lunchtime
from one of the people in our class. I figured that before we headed
into gym class, you girls'd want to hear this," she turns it to read.
"'Dear Ranma-chan. Seeing that you're gonna be taking girl's classes
for the next term, could you do me a favour and knock a hole in the
wall between the girls' and boys' changerooms so we can peek in and
check them out. Thanks.'"
Her eyes fall on Nobisuke Enzou. "Gee, Enzou-*kun*,"
her voice drips loads of scorn as she utters the honorific, "It
doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that you'd be staring
at ME as well as all the other girls if I did something like that!
What's the matter?! Can't stand the fact that if you jokers ever
tried to splash me with cold water in the boys' changeroom just to
get your pathetic thrills, I'd nail you with a Mouko Takaibisha
at point-blank range?! Thanks, but no thanks!"
"Excuse me, Ranma," Ataru then puts up his hand. "You mean to
tell me that some of the guys in the class would do a perverted
thing like splash you with cold water in the boys' showers just to
get a cheap feel?"
"They tried," Ranma winks. "After I broke a few bones and gave
them a nice scare and all that, they changed their minds shortly
afterward."
"Oh," Ataru nods, placing his hand down.
"Enzou-kun," the teacher sighs, shaking her head. "While
keeping a healthy interest towards girls is understandable
at your age, the school will NOT tolerate that sort of behaviour.
I trust, ladies, you'll all do something about that before the next
class begins!"
"HAI!!!" many of the girls instantly chant, causing Enzou to
duck, he quickly realizing what that sort of reaction would spell
for him.
"Anything else, Saotome-kun?" the teacher turns back to Ranma.
"Oh, one more thing," Ranma nods. "If any of you want to pass
notes to me from now on, please make sure you don't pass them through
Tendou-san. I'll destroy them automatically if they do come that
way, just like I did back in geography class. Oh," she then perks
up on remembering something else. "In case you guys who go out in
the mornings to get some exercise're wondering, since I am no longer
engaged to Tendou-san, I am no longer under any obligations
to protect her anymore from any possible threat. But that shouldn't
be no problem since she IS a martial artist, so she can use the extra
exercise herself. I'm sure the teachers'd understand. Arigatou,
Sensei," she bows thanks to the teacher again, then takes her seat.
Akane glares intently at her ex-fiancee as the teacher begins
the class, then jolts as the teacher calls out, "Tendou-kun!!!"
"H-h-hai!!" Akane sputters, bolting to her feet.
The teacher sighs. "Kindly save your childish behaviour
for AFTER class, if you don't mind! I've been told about
Saotome-kun's problem by Ninomiya-sensei, so if you think I'm going
to let you get away with THAT in this class, a few spells with the
buckets out in the hallway might make you change your mind." A
pause, then, "As a matter of fact, I'll speak to Ninomiya-sensei
after school about giving you a new seat assignment to ensure that
the rest of the class can enjoy their classes here in relative
peace. Now, if you don't mind, pay attention to the class and we'll
begin.
"I..." Akane falters, then sinks into her chair. "H-hai..."
* * *
Music class ends soon enough, then the members of Ranma's class
head to the gymnasium. The boys and girls break up into two files
to enter their respective changeroom. Automatically, Ranma slips
toward the boys' line-up, then catches herself and moves towards
the girls'. She then slows down. Akane had gone in ahead of the
others. No doubt, after the several embarrassments she'd been at the
receiving end of today, Ranma's ex-fiancee would be in a rare mood.
A hand then falls on her shoulder, she turning to see Ukyou gazing
knowingly at her. "Hey, Ran-chan, you don't have to use the
changerooms, ya know," the chef winks. "The washroom's a lot safer
and since it's the final class, you can get a shower at home instead
of here."
Ranma blinks, then jolts as Chigaiko peeks out the changeroom
door. "Ranma-san, Ukyou-san, aren't you coming? You'll be late!"
Ranma takes that in, then smiles. "C'mon, U-chan!" she waves
Ukyou with her. "Who gives a damn about what a tomboy like Akane
says!!"
Ukyou blinks, then grins. "Sure!"
They head in. To give some semblance of privacy for people
changing clothes in this place, the lockers are set up in dividing
rows. Chigaiko, Ukyou and Ranma take the last row on the right side
by the door. "You sure you got the right uniform there, Ran-chan?"
Ukyou wonders.
"Yeah, Mom got it for me," Ranma sighs, pulling out a pair of
gym bloomers, then she reaches under her skirt to draw off the
bloomers she'd been wearing since she left the Moroboshi home.
Chigaiko quickly notices. "You know, Ranma-san, you don't have
to wear bloomers all day in class. You could've slipped them off
when you came in before homeroom, you know."
"Yeah, well, you don't know what sort of dorks go to this
school, Chigaiko-san," Ranma sneers, then moves to change. "I bet
they're even worse than the idiots goin' to Tomobiki High, right?"
"Well, not really," Chigaiko admits. "Almost all the goofballs
there never cared one bit for the other girls going to school. It
was always Lum, Lum, Lum, Lum, ALL the damned time! Ataru-kun
and Mendou were the ONLY ones who cared for anyone else outside
that stupid Oni!! Gods..."
"Sports bra there, Ran-chan?"
Chigaiko looks as Ranma slips off her blouse and jumper, then
draws off the bra she had been wearing underneath. "Yeah, it's less
complicated than what other girls wear. Sakuya-chan thought it'd be
a smart idea to start off simply. I like 'em," she draws out another
sports bra, one she reserved for gym class, then slips that on before
donning the bloomers and T-shirt. "Ya know, U-chan, you shouldn't
be wrappin' your breasts up with those bandages. It's a quick way to
get breast cancer or somethin'."
Ukyou pauses, then stares at her bindings. "You think so?!"
"Well, it's what Chikage and Sakuya-chan told me. After all,
even if you're registered as a boy and all that, you still have the
ability to have kids and all that," Ranma muses, then shrugs. "What
happens if you want to breast-feed 'em and you can't cause the glands
there don't work?"
Ukyou stares at her fiancee, then hums. "Maybe you're right..."
"She is right, Ukyou-san," Chigaiko warns. "Gods, seeing THAT
on you reminds me too much of that idiot Fujinami back at Tomobiki!"
"Who?!" the chef wonders.
"Ryuunosuke Fujinami. She's an old classmate of Ataru's,"
Ranma moves to explain. "She was raised since birth as a boy 'cause
her mother died so young and her damnfool idiot of a dad didn't know
better, not to mention the fact that he wanted a son in the first
place."
"Oh!"
With that, the three finish changing, then head past the other
lockers and the shower stalls to step into the gymnasium. None take
the time to notice the other girls gaping slack-jawed at Ranma as
they pass. Silence falls as they head out, then Yuka turns to Akane.
"Are you SURE she was going to do something perverted, Akane-chan?"
her eyebrow arches.
No response comes from Akane...
* * *
Fifteen minutes later...
"Nicely done, Moroboshi-kun."
"I guess learning how to avoid Lum and the rest of those clowns
must've given me greater dexterity," Ataru admits as he comes off the
parallel bars, then heads over to sit beside Hiroshi and Daisuke
as the next student takes his turn. "Not to mention other things."
"Way to go, guy!" Hiroshi claps Ataru's back, then glances
over to where the girls were now playing softball.
Ataru looks over. Ranma was up at bat, Akane on the pitcher's
mound. The girls' physical education teacher was now dressing
the latter down, no doubt for trying to bean Ranma with the ball.
Shaking his head, Ataru directs Hiroshi's and Daisuke's attention
over. "Pride sure does take a hard fall when it's knocked off the
pedestal, ne?" he muses.
"Yeah, got that right," Daisuke shakes his head. "Man, I still
just can't understand why the hell does someone like Akane snare the
attention of almost every guy in this school?! I mean, she's cute
and all that..."
"She's nothin' when you get to the bare bones of it, dude,"
Ataru shakes his head. "I've seen a LOT cuter. Trust me on that
one!"
"Yeah, I'll bet," Hiroshi slaps Ataru's back.
Finished with her scolding, the girls' teacher heads back to her
position as umpire. Ranma steps into the batter's box. Akane winds
up, then lets go with a pitch right down the slot. *CRACK!!!*
Sayonara into the far left field. Ranma laughs as she trots around
the bases, the girls in the outfield scrambling to get the ball. As
she makes the home stretch run, Ranma makes a face at Ataru, Hiroshi
and Daisuke, then tapping home plate with her foot, heads to where
her team were seated, many cheering her home run. Ataru watches
them, then sighs. "Depressing."
"What is?" Daisuke wonders.
"I'm tired of seein' bloomers, Daisuke."
"Eh?!" both guys perk up.
"Bloomers," Ataru repeats, then takes a breath before
explaining. "Look, here we are, dressed right in gym SHORTS and a
T-shirt, while the girls're forced to wear THOSE archaic things!
Don't you think that's a little unfair, guys?" he glances at Hiroshi,
then Daisuke.
"Well..." Daisuke scratches the side of his face, then nods.
"Yeah, you got a point there, dude. They're always complainin'
about wearin' them in gym class. Problem is, even if they took their
complaints up to the teachers, none of those guys'd be able to decide
what to do. And with the nut we've got for a principal...?!"
A snort, then, "Who knows?! If he got a chance to change the
uniforms, the girls'd probably be forced to wear grass skirts or
something REALLY stupid like that!!"
"True," Ataru closes his eyes, then smiles. "Well, if the
teachers can't do something, then maybe we should try, ne?"
"What could we do?" Hiroshi asks.
"Well, is there a ko-gal infotaku around this place?!" Ataru
asks.
"You mean a guy who's got the stats on all the girls and all
that, like in that one dating sim game?!" Daisuke wonders, then hums.
"Yeah! I know who you're talking about, Ataru! We'll take you to
him after school!"
"Perfect," Ataru smiles...
* * *
After gym class, the school library...
"Yo, Yoshi-kun, you around here?!"
A bookwormish second-year student looks up from his text, then
adjusts his glasses. "What's the problem?" he wonders, then notices
who is now with Hiroshi and Daisuke. "Ah, Moroboshi-san,
I presume."
"You presume correctly," Ataru sits across from Yoshi Nagata,
then plays with his chin hair. "I've heard that your 'black book'
collection there's the envy of every guy in the whole of Furinkan
High."
"Sorry, Moroboshi-san, I'm not selling," Yoshi chuckles.
"I'm not interested in buying, but I still have copies of my own
black books from all the Tomobiki area schools," Ataru offers.
Furinkan's local 'ko-gal infotaku' -- high school girl
information fanatic -- jolts, then his eyes widen. "Up-to-date?!"
he whispers.
"To the end of last term, when I left. Except for the more..."
Ataru shrugs, "...'well-known' personalities, it's quite up-to-date."
"And you'd be willing to give such a treasure to me?!"
"For a small favour in return."
Silence falls as he considers it, then Yoshi clears his throat.
"So what would this 'small' favour help with, Moroboshi-san?
And what exactly would you want from me in the first place, anyway?"
"Your information on all the girls here to help with an
unofficial school-wide change in the girl's gym uniform standards,"
Ataru smiles. "Bloomers to proper gym shorts, all stylized with the
school insignia, personalized with their names. Five pairs each.
Intrigued?"
Yoshi considers that, then his eyebrow arches. "Who's buying?"
"That's gonna be secret, but you're looking at the man who'll
splurge the cash courtesy of the inheritance my late grandmother
set aside for me," Ataru points to himself. "C'mon, man. You gotta
be sick and tired of watching girls prance around in clothes they
HATE to wear even for gym class. 'Sides..." a smirk turns his lips.
"There's a side benefit."
"Being?"
"Less panty raids by a certain pervert."
Hiroshi and Daisuke jolt. "How'd you figure that?" the former
asks.
"Please, do go on," Yoshi waves the other boys to be silent,
then stares intently into Ataru's eyes. "Do tell me more,
Moroboshi-san..."
* * *
By the front gate...
"Ranma-san, where's Ataru-kun?"
"In the library," Ranma slides away from the wall as Chigaiko
walks up. "Said he had something to do with 'Roshi and Dai."
"Oh?" Chigaiko's eyebrows arch. "Did he say what?"
"Oh, it was somethin' about making life a little easier for all
of the girls, but he didn't elaborate. Says it's a surprise,"
Ranma shrugs, then smiles. "Knowing some of the girls here, they'd
automatically assume it's something stupid, like Enzou tried to
pull."
"Oh, yes," Chigaiko's eyebrow twitches, she glancing over to see
a badly beaten-up Enzou stagger from the school, trying to make his
way home.
Chigaiko and Ranma smirk as the poor guy saunters past, then as
soon as he is pretty much out of hearing range, break down and laugh.
That is quickly interrupted by a voice calling out, "Ranma-kun?!"
"Yeah?" she looks over to see Kimiko, one of the girls from her
class who had sent a warning note at lunchtime, standing nearby.
"What is it?"
"I..." Kimiko blinks, then bows. "I'm very sorry about sending
that note to you, Ranma-kun! I..." she straightens herself, her eyes
looking anywhere else but the martial artist's face, then she bites
her lip. "I guess I believed like Akane-chan and all the others
believed about you. But thanks for doing what you did to that jerk
Enzou! And, um..."
Ranma sighs, then turns away. "Alright, you're forgiven.
See you tomorrow, Kimiko-san. C'mon, Chigaiko, let's go ho-..."
"WAIT!!!"
Ranma jolts, then turns back. "What IS it, Kimiko-san?"
"W-well, you're doing this..." Kimiko waves to Ranma's uniform,
then sighs. "You're doing this to learn what being a girl's all
about, right?" Seeing Ranma guardedly nod, she then looks into her
eyes. "Well, some of us were talking and all that and we were
wondering if you'd be interested in coming to a slumber party I'm
holding on Friday night."
Ranma blinks, then points to herself in a 'Who, ME?!!' gesture.
"Is this for all the girls in the class, Kimiko-san?" Chigaiko
wonders.
"Um, n-no, not really," Kimiko stares at Chigaiko, then smiles.
"But if you'd like to come, Chigaiko-chan, you can! I mean, you can
tell us all about Ataru-kun and all the people in Tomobiki High and
that!!" She then turns back to Ranma. "Ranma-kun...?!"
she then gasps. "What's wrong?!"
"I..." Ranma blinks, then wipes her eyes before shrugging.
"I'm sorry, Kimiko-chan. It's just that no one's ever invited me to
a party like that straight-up, y'know. It's either been Akane's
dad and mine forcing me to go to a party with Akane to try to bring
us closer together, or Nabiki bribin' me to come along so she can try
to meet people and make money and all that, or shit like that. I..."
a pause, then she bites her lip. "No one's ever invited me to a
party by myself. Thanks, Kimiko-chan. I really, really appreciate
it from the bottom of my heart!"
Kimiko blinks, then shudders as Ranma leans up to give her a
friendly peck on her cheek, then her face flushes. "Um, I...!" she
stutters, then smiles. "Okay! I'll come back to you on Wednesday
with the details!"
"Sure thing," Ranma nods.
"Okay, see you tomorrow!" Kimiko waves as she passes by, then
heads off to her home, her mind going a kilometre a second. *He
kissed me!! He kissed me!!! HE KISSED ME!!!! I'm so LUCKY!!!!*
her mind chants.
Chigaiko and Ranma watch her go, then jolt on hearing an
incensed woman's voice demand, "What the hell was THAT all about,
Ranma?!"
Ranma sighs, then stares at Akane. The martial artist is quick
to note that Sayuri is the only person standing with Akane now.
"What do you mean by that, Akane?" Ranma's eyebrow arches.
"You know what I mean!" Akane snaps. "What were you doing
kissing Kimiko?! I doubt it was because something got into her
ey-...! EEEP!!!"
Akane's voice stammers to a halt as her vision is filled with
a glowing chi ball hovering not thirty centimetres from her face.
Behind it, Ranma icily replies, "No, I don't think it IS any of your
business about what I do with our classmates, Tendou-san, especially
now that we are NO LONGER engaged. Or do you need me to break your
OTHER arm to get the message through that slab o' concrete you call
a brain?!" Instantly, the chi ball vanishes as Ranma turns her back
on her. "C'mon, Chigaiko-san. Let's get out of here. The company
isn't the LEAST bit civilized!"
"Hai," Chigaiko sends a disgusted look Akane's way before
falling in beside Ranma as they head for the Moroboshi home.
Akane remains rooted in place, then slumps to her knees, her
skin as white as a sheet's. "H-he..." she stutters, not wanting
to believe that Ranma actually threatened to hurt HER of all people.
"H-he..."
"Akane-chan," Sayuri moves to help her friend back up...
* * *
Nearby...
"Geez, boss, what was THAT about?!"
Nabiki stands with two of her assistants, all three having
watched Ranma's discussion with Kimiko, then her confrontation
with Akane. "It appears to me that Ranma-kun has finally grown tired
of my idiot sister always questioning everything he does in the
company of another girl, not to mention her jumping to the wrong
conclusions all the time," Nabiki shakes her head, then throws up her
hands. "Me thinks, to quote our dear ol' Kunou-baby, my beautiful
yet dense sister has yet to really comprehend that the flame-haired
damsel (not to mention the 'foul sorcerer' Saotome) has decided
to abandon her totally to her own defences, so to speak!"
"You can say that again, boss," one of the girls shakes her
head. "In music class, Ranma-kun practically told all the boys they
can go to town on Akane in the mornings. He ain't gonna raise a
finger to stop it."
"He said that?" Nabiki's eyebrows arch.
The other girl nods. "You can bet that it'll be all over the
local student grapevine before midnight. Probably a hundred guys're
gonna be there tomorrow morning to face off against her. Kunou-chan,
too, since Ataru-kun didn't go totally hog-wild on him before lunch."
Nabiki considers that, then hums. "Well, put out a feeler just
in case the ol' Blue Thunder decides to challenge Ataru-kun
directly..."
"Nabiki Tendou!!"
Nabiki yelps, then spins around to see a still-bruised
Tatewaki Kunou appear behind her. "Geez!!!" she breathes out, then
bonks the kendoist on the forehead with her bookbag. "Don't sneak
up on me like that, idiot!!!"
"That hurt, you know," Kunou calmly reports.
"It was supposed to!" Nabiki snaps, then sighs. "What is it?!"
"You will please deliver this into the hands of the lecherous
monster Ataru Moroboshi!" he places a folded note in her hand. "See
to it the foul beast receives it before the morrow. A fair evening
to you all, ladies."
He walks away. Nabiki watches him go, then turns to gaze on the
note before her face pales. "Oh, shit...!" she whispers.
"Boss, that's a formal letter of challenge," one of the girls
warns.
"Yeah..." Nabiki nods, then blinks, sensing someone come out of
the school. Turning to look, she recognizes Ataru, then runs over.
"Ataru!!"
Ataru waves his hands peacefully. "I didn't do it, Nabiki-san!"
"Very funny, wise guy!" Nabiki stops before him, then hands the
note over. "From Kunou-baby to you! And I don't think he's joking."
Ataru opens it, scanning the note. "A formal challenge?"
he clicks his tongue, then an eyebrow arches. "With live steel,
I see. Tomorrow at noon. Oooh, that does make a day happen, I
guess," he closes it up, then hands it back to Nabiki. "Tell
bokken-for-brains I'll be willing to meet him at the place and time
so ordained. Oh, Nabiki-san, do tell him to be ready to accept the
challenge for the whole kendo club 'cause I'm sure as hell am NOT
going to put up to any sort of revenge attacks, okay?"
"I thought you wanted practice in the Art."
"Practice and sparring are one thing, but from what Ranma's
told me about this goof, he's probably the type to turn these sorts
of things into blood-feuds. I've got sisters to worry about,
remember?"
"I doubt he'll do that!" Nabiki snorts.
Ataru gives her a knowing look. "I'm not betting any of their
lives on that proposition, Nabiki-san. Anyhow, I gotta get some
things arranged. I'll see you tomorrow morning. 'Night, girls!"
he waves, heading off.
They watch him go, then one of Nabiki's assistants hums. "Geez,
boss, do you really think Ataru-kun's capable of facin' Kunou-san
in a fight with real swords?!" she stares at the middle Tendou
daughter.
Nabiki sighs. "If I didn't see what I saw last night, Michiko,
I'd say 'no' right away. But right now, I'm willing to bet
Ataru-kun's going to carry the day tomorrow." She blinks, then
sighs, holding up a finger. "Note to self: stop hanging around
Kunou-baby so damned much!"
The girls beside her laugh...
* * *
The Moroboshi home, an hour later...
"You've been formally challenged?!"
Nodoka stares wide-eyed at Ataru as everyone sits down for
dinner. With the absence of all of Ataru's sisters (even Negako,
now spending some time with Happousai), the dining room is very quiet
tonight. "Yeah! Seems this goof was willing to leap to conclusions
about me even faster than he did about Ranma when she first showed
up at Furinkan High," Ataru slurps the hot noodles, then sets his
soup bowl aside.
"And this is the same fellow who brought the sword to the
wedding?" Nodoka then turns to Ranma, her eyebrow arching.
"Very same. His sister's the lunatic who showed up for that
mess actually DRESSED for a wedding," Ranma rolls her eyes, then
turns to Ataru, eyebrow arching. "Are you SURE you're ready to take
Kunou on using live blades, Ataru? He ain't no slouch when it comes
to his Art, you know."
"So I noticed, but I've got quite the surprise in store for him
come tomorrow," Ataru smirks, then tenses slightly before turning
to see Chikage step into the room. "Did you get it, there?"
"Hai," Chikage sets down a long case beside Ataru.
Ataru sets aside his bowl, then sliding back from the table,
opens the case. Ranma and Nodoka look, then gape in utter shock as
he draws up a sheathed, chisel-pointed longsword. The scabbard
is pure matt-black with gold trim that matched the gold on the helm.
The helm itself is a mixture of gold, tanned leather and emerald
studs. Noticing the looks coming at him from the Saotomes, Ataru
grins, then offers the blade helm-first to Nodoka. "Care to look at
her, Mrs. Saotome?" he smiles.
Nodoka gingerly takes the blade in hand, then firmly gripping
it, draws it partway to gaze on the metal itself. The steel, clearly
not of Terran origin, shines like a bright star in the light, even
within the blood-groove that indicated this was a true weapon of war.
Both edges are razor-sharp, kept that way with gentle strokes from
a holystone on both flanks of the blade. "Oh, gods, she's
beautiful!" Nodoka hoarsely gasps, then stares intently at Ataru.
"But clearly not from Earth."
"No. This one and a second I found during my training with
Onee-chan were forged on Noukiios five centuries ago. They're called
seucheuchet' -- 'eunuch swords' -- since all of their forgers were
incapable of parenting children. This one in particular is called
K'ut't'irak -- well, the name would translate in our language as
'Breeze of Evening.' The other one I have is called Kutit'kihap'
Chacht'ap'. 'Tears of the Morning Dew.'"
"Odd names," Nodoka sheathes the blade, then hands it back.
"Perhaps, but no doubt, their forgers believed that since the
swords themselves possessed a soul, it would do their karma good to
offset their purpose with a lighthearted name," Ataru smiles as he
allows Ranma a chance to inspect K'ut't'irak. "This one, for
example, was used by a Noukiite naval admiral in action against
renegade Urusian pirates. The other one I possess was the personal
weapon of the emperor of Noukiios at the time. And..." he frowns.
"I found both in the possession of Oni families who no doubt stole
the weapons when their ancestors ransacked their graves."
"What?!!" Ranma gasps, wide-eyed.
"Hai, it's true. That's part of the reason most Noukiites
don't like the Urusians at all," Ataru takes K'ut't'irak back, then
slips her into her carrying case. "You see, when the Onis controlled
Noukiios, they engaged in a campaign that would've (so the Onis
hoped) destroyed all vestiges of pre-Occupation Noukiite culture.
Sorta like the same thing we did to the Koreans. Unfortunately,
the Onis were trying to destroy a culture that was four times older
than theirs. Atop that, loads of internal pressures inside the Oni
empire at the time were coming to a head. So when they finally
exploded, the Noukiites took the chance and threw the Onis clear off
the planet. And..." he sighs. "They've been forced to 'pay' for
their 'rejection' of Uru's 'superior' culture ever since."
"You've actually seen this?" Nodoka wonders.
"Hai, Mrs. Saotome, I did, first hand," Ataru nods. "Believe
me, if anything at all could've wrecked what faith I might've had in
Lum's people, visiting Noukiios and her colony planets did it."
"Do you still keep track of what they're doing to the Onis now?"
Ranma wonders, slurping up the rest of her noodles.
"Hai. As of the last report I got last night from Brother
Sunfire -- this was after you went to bed, Ranma -- the Zephyrites'
best estimates put the Onis at two weeks before being forced to
surrender. After all, the Onis are practically leaderless now.
People are just fighting to survive and save the homes of their
families and friends."
"What will happen then?" Nodoka asks.
"Well, the Dominion government has assured the Zephyrites
that the terms they'll force on Uru will be 'honourable,'"
Ataru lightly smiles. "They'll make the Onis publicly renounce
all claims on Noukiios' three colony planets, now and forever.
Make them also totally demilitarize the Oni colonies closest to
Noukiios. Ensure that the so-called citizen 'militias' who've been
raiding the Noukiite colonies are eliminated FOREVER. And..." he
holds up a finger, winking, "...thanks to a word from me through
Brother Sunfire to the Noukiite leadership, they'll also force the
Onis to give up ALL claims on Earth once and for all time."
"No more Tag Races, you mean," Ranma smirks.
"Exactly," Ataru nods.
"How long has this discord between the Onis and the Noukiites
lasted, Ataru-kun?" Nodoka then wonders.
"Well, the Occupation started three hundred years ago and lasted
a century," Ataru admits. "Tack that onto the earlier fight with the
Oni renegades that K'ut't'irak's original owner was involved in,
you're looking at about five hundred years of animosity that's been
built up."
"So this war won't really end for some."
"Maybe," he sighs. "But at least in this instance, the cycle's
been pretty much broken. You see, beforehand, Uru always leaned
on her closer allies like Phentax Two and some others to 'gang' up on
the Noukiites diplomatically. With the Niphentaxians gutted and all
the other Galactic Federation worlds getting the message that they've
been backing the wrong side all along in this mess, it's changed.
I don't think the Noukiites'll turn this momentum into a thirst for
conquest, though. Since they were on the receiving end of it for so
long, they know what others might feel if they decided to walk down
that path. Yes, they need new colonies now; they've got a VERY big
population control problem since they don't believe whatsoever
in abortion or other forms of birth control. But recently, they've
been given some new, terraformed colony planets to settle, far OUT of
Urusian reach," a knowing smile then crosses his face.
Ranma is quick to notice. "Oh?! I wonder WHO exactly it was
who terraformed those colonies for them, eh, Ataru?!"
"I'm saying nothing," Ataru winks. "After all, it ain't my
fault that I found all those genesis bombs in Sanctuary, ne?!"
Laughter fills the dining room, then Ranma sighs, rising.
"Well, I'm done here. I gotta go see U-chan for a bit. I'll see you
guys later."
"Why must you see her?" Nodoka wonders. Even if Ukyou had been
ready to help Ranma last night, Nodoka hadn't fully forgiven the
okonomiyaki chef for her part in the wedding disaster, not to mention
the wrecking of the Saotomes' home before that. "You've publicly
renounced all that Genma forced on you. She has no right to press
any claim on you, Ranma."
Ranma pauses, then sighs. "I know. And..." she bites her lip,
then stares at her mother. "And I really can't call U-chan even a
friend now that I've had some time to think about it. But I want her
to be a friend, Mom. She's gone through a lot of garbage because
of what Oyaji pulled all those years ago. If I don't acknowledge
that at least, then I'm sayin' that her feelings don't count. That's
not fair to her, Mom, especially after she came and tried to help me
last night."
"I..." Nodoka considers that, then nods. "Alright, I can agree
to that. But if she does press matters, you come tell me right
away."
"Right," Ranma nods, then heads off.
Nodoka and Ataru watch her go, then exchange a look. "She needs
a chance to set things right on her own, ma'am," the latter warns.
"Genma never gave Ranma much of a chance to learn how to really think
for herself, remember? Don't worry. I think she'll do okay."
"I hope so," the former sighs...
* * *
U-chan's, minutes later...
"Hey, Ran-chan, there you are!!"
"Hey, U-chan," Ranma walks inside, then places herself at the
counter. Noting that the chef was moving to cook something,
she shakes her head. "Nah, no thanks, U-chan. I had something
to eat at Ataru's place."
"Actually, I'm making my own supper there," Ukyou assures her,
then pours some batter on the frying surface. "So what happened
after gym class. I heard you had another little fight with Akane
there."
"Oh, Kimiko invited me to a slumber party on Friday," Ranma
smiles. "I gotta admit, that's the first time someone's ever done
that for me since I came to this place. Ya know, invitin' me to
somethin' just for the sake of invitin' me, makin' me feel like I
really belong here."
"Really?!" Ukyou perks up, then sighs. "Well, that's great!
So what happened afterward? How'd Akane get involved?"
"Oh, I gave Kimiko a thank-you kiss on the cheek and Akane
thought I was moving to 'add' to my collection of fiancees,"
Ranma rolls her eyes.
Ukyou snickers, then sighs, turning the heat down to allow the
new okonomiyaki to cook evenly. "Ran-chan...?"
"I..." Ranma blinks, then feels something squeeze her heart.
"Oh, hell..." she bows her eyes, then squaring her shoulders,
exhales. *Can't run now, Saotome,* she mentally admonishes herself,
then sighs. "U-chan?"
"Yeah?" Ukyou gazes into her fiancee's eyes.
"I've got somethin' ta say. An'..." Ranma pauses. "I'm not
really good at explainin' things, but I can't...! Oh, hell, I can't
really run from it now," she squeezes her hands into fists, then bows
her eyes again.
"Do you love me?"
Ranma jolts, then stares into Ukyou's face, quick to note that
the chef's eyes were in shadow. Taking a deep breath, she shakes
her head. "No, Ukyou," she whispers. "I don't love you. Not the
way you want me to love you, that is. I..." another pause, then she
sniffs as tears appear in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Ukyou. I...! I'm
so sorry..." her body starts to quake, then she covers her face with
her hands as her voice fails.
Ukyou watches her, then feeling a pang of guilt rip through
her heart, shuts off the frying area as she walks around the counter
to draw Ranma into a warm embrace. Taking her to a booth away from
any of the windows, Ukyou sits Ranma down, then sitting beside her,
draws her close, gentle shushing noises escaping the chef's lips as
she comforts the weeping martial artist. "It's okay, Ran-chan..."
she soothes. "It's okay..."
Ranma blinks, then taking several deep breaths, wipes her face
as she stares at Ukyou. "U-chan...?!" she blinks confusedly.
"You ain't been the only one who's been sitting back and doing
some thinking there, Ran-chan," the chef smiles, reaching up to help
wipe Ranma's cheeks. "I've been doing some thinking, too. I..."
she bows her eyes, then takes a deep breath. "I owe you an apology,
too, Ran-chan."
"U-chan..."
"Ran-chan, look," Ukyou gently grasps Ranma's hands, then leans
her forehead against Ranma's. "I...! When I came to understand
the way Akane and Shampoo were treatin' you, I decided I was going
to play it low-key. I wasn't gonna keep pushin' you like Shampoo
did all the time. I wasn't gonna leap to conclusions like Akane did
all the time. You didn't deserve any of that at all. I..." she
takes a deep breath. "I hoped, I believed that I stood a better
chance with you if I could show you there was at least ONE person
in this place who was willing to trust you, to give you the benefit
of the doubt. And..." she shrugs, sniffing back her own tears.
"Guess what? I royally blew it at the wedding, didn't I?"
"You had a right to do that, you know," Ranma reminds her.
"Maybe," Ukyou lightly smiles. "But I think we could've all
handled that better. Still..." she pulls back to gaze into Ranma's
eyes. "Can you answer me something? Did you want to marry Akane
then? Did you?"
"At that moment before everything went crazy?" Ranma blinks,
then nods. "Yes, I could pretty well admit that I wanted it.
Well..." she bites her lip. "Actually, I felt I wanted it until I
found out about the casket of Nanniichuan that was meant as a
'wedding gift' for me."
The chef blinks. "I don't understand."
Ranma sighs. "U-chan, the one thing I've always..." she
grimaces, then calms herself. "I've always HATED the fact that you
and Shampoo and Akane have...! Have always treated me like I'm some
THING, ya know!!" she pulls her hands away to indicate yourself.
"Yeah, before the wedding, I did trust you. I really liked you,
U-chan. When I told you 'You're my best friend,' I meant it from the
bottom of my heart. But..." she squeezes her hand. "There were
times I felt that none of you -- even you, U-chan -- didn't give a
damn about what *I* felt. You didn't stop to think that I might've
had somethin' else in mind about the way my life was gonna be. Even
knowin' now what Oyaji did..." she shudders, then lowers her hand.
"There was a part of me that kept sayin'..." her voice then fails.
"'This isn't the way it's supposed to be,'" Ukyou finishes.
"Yeah," Ranma nods.
Silence falls as they consider what has been said, then Ukyou
places a hand on Ranma's shoulder. "What do you want now, Ran-chan?"
"I..." Ranma blinks, then sighs. "You heard what I said last
night?"
"Yeah," Ukyou nods.
Ranma is quick to sense the light shudder flowing through the
chef's body. No doubt, seeing how vicious that version of the
martial artist had been to Genma last night had given Ukyou some
serious food for thought. "So where do you stand now?" Ranma then
wonders.
Ukyou considers that, then draws her hand back. "Well, when you
told that fool you were renouncing everything he supposedly 'did'
for you -- not to mention Genma dying, of course -- my mission of
revenge was fulfilled. I..." she rubs one arm. "I called my father
and told him what happened."
"He must've been overjoyed," Ranma wryly notes.
"Not really, which is kind of surprising to me," Ukyou admits.
"I guess that no matter what, he wanted to see me happy and accepted
that my marrying you would make me happy. And..." she pauses, then
smiles. "And believe it or not, I still want that, Ran-chan."
Ranma gazes at her, then sighs. "U-chan..."
"But," Ukyou cuts her off with a soft hand on Ranma's cheek.
"I know now that may not be what you'd want," the chef smiles. "I
can accept that. I want you to trust me again, Ran-chan. When you
call me 'Ukyou' instead of 'U-chan,' that hurts me, Ran-chan.
It really does. I..." she pauses, then leans close to gaze into
Ranma's eyes. "If you want us to just be friends, I can accept it,
Ran-chan. I'll..." she takes a deep breath, then sighs. "I'll hurt
because of it, because it's not what I'd want in the end, Ran-chan.
But if that's what you want, I'll take that instead."
Ranma blinks, then shudders, fresh tears streaming down her
cheeks. "I don't deserve you, U-chan. I don't deserve..."
"Hey!" Ukyou grips Ranma's head, then shakes her own. "That's
not the point, Ran-chan! It's what YOU don't deserve that counts
here, huh?! It's YOU who doesn't deserve to be treated like a thing,
like some great prize for us to win, Ran-chan! Isn't that what you
said that you hated earlier on?! It's YOU who needs a chance to know
what having real friends and learning how to love someone is REALLY
all about! It's YOU who needs to learn what everyone around you's
like! Ran-chan, regardless of how things between you and me -- Hell!
You and ANYONE when you get down to it!! -- turn out, I don't WANT
you to walk away and HATE me because of that stupid mistake I made
at the wedding!! Okay?!"
Ranma blinks, blinks again, then smiles. "Thanks."
They embrace the other, sobs stealing Ranma's voice as Ukyou
holds her tight. The martial artist's weeping lasts several minutes,
then she shifts her head to snuggle her nose into the crook of
Ukyou's neck. The chef shudders lightly as that ticklish feeling
surges from her skin right to her brain, then she nearly gags,
wide-eyed, on feeling Ranma's lips give her a fleeting peck. They
pull apart, Ukyou staring confusedly at Ranma. "R-r-Ran-chan..."
she stutters, then tries not to gulp as Ranma leans up to deliver
a gentle kiss on the chef's lips. They remain together for what
seems an eternity, then Ranma draws back. "Ran-chan...?"
"U-chan?" Ranma lightly smiles, then reaches down to firmly
grip the chef's hand. "There's somethin' else you gotta know."
Ukyou blinks, then gulps. "Being?"
"Well..." the martial artist bites her lip, then sighs. "It's
somethin' that right now...! Well, I'm havin' a hard time acceptin'
it and all, but..." she takes a deep breath. "But this is somethin'
Negako told me about what Jusenkyou did to me. And..." she looks
away. "With what you just told me now...! I don't think you're
going to like hearing this."
Ukyou feels her body start to quake. "What is it, Ran-chan...?"
* * *
The Tendou dojo, minutes later...
Nabiki jolts on hearing a faint scream waif through her open
window, then she gets up from the table, walking over to see where
it might've come from. "Ukyou's place...?!" she blinks, then turning
to her computer, taps controls to access the special program
monitoring what listening devices she had planted at Okonomiyaki
U-chan's. Drawing the recordings up, she slips on her earphones
to review what had been said there...
* * *
U-chan's...
"Please tell me that was a joke!!!"
Ukyou's hand is over her heart as she stares wide-eyed at Ranma.
The latter is looking down at the empty seat between them; Ukyou had
bolted to her feet when she screamed out. "I..." Ranma begins,
then sighs. "I wish to hell it WAS some sort of joke, U-chan!
But..." she then sits back, her shoulders shifting slightly. "I
dunno. I mean, it's something the guide told me, even though it
didn't really sink in back then. Negako confirmed it. She even
explained how the damage from what Oyaji did to me back when I
learned the N-n-n-Neko-ken would've slowed the magic down from doin'
what it should've to me. And Chikage confirmed it, too. I..."
Her voice fades as Ranma turns away, staring nowhere in
particular. Ukyou gazes on her, then moves to sit down beside the
martial artist, a hand reaching up to squeeze Ranma's shoulder.
"So when Negako-san starts fixing your mind up from the damage from
the Neko-ken..."
A sigh. "I'll know one way or another," Ranma admits.
"Does your mom know about this?"
"No," Ranma shakes her head. "Not yet. Even if she did know
and didn't go along with it, it don't matter. First thing I told
Oyaji last night was that I rejected the whole seppuku thing,
remember?"
The chef blinks, then nods. "Yeah, that's true. I..." she
pauses, then leans over to gently kiss Ranma's cheek. "Thanks for
telling me that, Ran-chan. I know that must've been hard for you."
"Well, right now, it's easy ta say since I don't fully believe
it myself," Ranma admits, then sighs. "But if it happens...!"
she pauses, then a wary shrug rolls her shoulder. "Well, I dunno.
I mean, I'm not really scared about it. Maybe that's the curse magic
doin' somethin' to prepare me for all this. I dunno, U-chan. I
really, really don't know."
"Looks like you got to see what happens first before making
any sort of decisions," Ukyou closes her eyes, then reaches down to
give Ranma's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry about it now,
Ran-chan. 'Sides, you've got people ready to help out in case
somethin' happens."
"Yeah," Ranma blinks, then gives the chef a warm smile. "Even
you."
"Yeah, even me."
Both blink, then laugh, sharing another warm embrace. Silence
falls as Ranma and Ukyou bask in each other's warmth, then the former
pulls back from the latter, then leans in to give Ukyou another
kiss. The chef blinks, then purrs as her own head tilts, their kiss
deepening. Their bodies draw closer together as they hold onto each
other, then after another blissful eternity, they draw apart.
"Ran-chan..." Ukyou sighs.
"You know," Ranma smiles, reaching up to gently part Ukyou's
hair. "Ataru told me that even friends can say 'I love you.'"
"He said that?" Ukyou blinks.
"Yeah. And he's right, you know," Ranma nods.
Ukyou closes her eyes, then hums before opening them to gaze on
Ranma once more. "Ran-chan? Do you want to stay with me tonight?"
The martial artist blinks, then tilts her head concernedly.
"Why are you asking me that, U-chan? Is there something wrong?"
"I..." Ukyou blinks, then shrugs. "I dunno, Ran-chan. I just
don't know. After what you told me, I don't know what'd be seen as
'right' or 'wrong' concernin' you. Nothing's really 'normal' about
you, Ran-chan. And thinkin' about that, I'm startin' to say that
maybe I shouldn't worry about stupid things like that. And I really
am curious, I guess. I mean, even if Jusenkyou didn't monkey around
with your mind and all that, you'd probably be stuck with that curse
for the rest of your life. So somethin' like this might've come up
sooner or later regardless of who you might've chosen in the end.
But right now, I don't care. All I want right now is to spend one
night with the person I want to love. So let's leave tomorrow
to tomorrow, okay, Ran-chan? Please, will you stay with me tonight?"
Ranma blinks, then nods. "Okay..."
* * *
The Moroboshi home, minutes later...
"Ranma is staying with Ukyou?"
"Hai, Nee-chan," Ataru sets the telephone receiver back in its
cradle, then gazes on Nokoko. The ninjitsu grandmistress
had just come back; Nodoka had decided to turn in early. "Looks
like their talk together must've opened a few boxes they considered
taboo until now."
Negako gives him a curious look. "You do not seem bothered
by that."
"Why should I be?" Ataru shrugs. "Look, Nee-chan, if I was the
one who's going through what Ranma's going through right now, I'd
want every chance to figure things out without some moralistic
moron dropping down on my head saying this is wrong or that's wrong.
If this helps Ranma learn more things about herself, that's good in
the end, isn't it?"
"True," Negako nods...
* * *
The Tendou dojo...
"Oh, Ranma..."
Nabiki stares blankly at her computer screen, having just
slipped off her earphones after getting the full dump from U-chan's.
Shaking her head as her mind churns again and again through what
Ranma had just confessed to her oldest friend, the middle Tendou
daughter rises, walking to the window to gaze on the growing evening,
tears brimming her eyes.
Ye gods above, to believe...!
"It just doesn't stop, does it...?"
* * *
To be continued...
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