Annyoung,
Here's chapter 7 of "LS" right off the presses. A
little shorter than before, but I decided it was right
to end it where I did. More to come soon!
Fred
=====
Fred Herriotfherriot@yahoo.com**** **** ****"Fanfiction IS Real Life!"**** **** ****
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Find a job, post your resume.
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-- Attached file included as plaintext by Listar --
-- File: LoneS-07f.txt
-- Desc: LoneS-07f.txt
Near Earth...
"Januu?"
The slender teenager with the shaggy chestnut hair cut at her
neck jolts, then looks right to see a taller woman with greyish-brown
hair past her shoulders gazing at her. "Yuree," Januu nods, then
returns to gazing at the passing starfield. "What is happening?"
"We will be arriving over the 'sacred city' within a day," Yuree
reports. "So far, there is no sign of any detection by any force
which might be inclined to oppose us. The Invaders' illustrious
'leader' has discovered the factory's ability to cloak itself."
"So the Terrans will not be able to detect us before Oogi tries
to draw the Great Evil into battle," Januu quickly concludes.
"Hai," Yuree nods. Like most of those who had lived within
the Niphentaxian Union, the two Avalonians were fluent in Japanese.
Both gaze at the passing starfield. Around them, a sea of young
women, ranging in age from youngest primary school student to
mid-twenties, sit, gazing passionlessly into space. Try as they
might, none aboard the great craft could muster the mental strength
to overcome the Invaders' hold over the factory's master control
units -- and thus, themselves.
How was this possible?
The Avalon factory ship had been built at the height of
Gisan'cha, the Age of Unbounded Technology, when it seemed as if the
Te'a Itself had been within the grasp of the people of the Fourth
Sagussan Republic. Yet all attempts by the Avalonians to overcome
the Niphentaxians' grip on their lives and destiny, their very souls,
had failed.
How...?
* * *
Unseen by anyone aboard the factory, even those keeping watch
on everything via internal security monitors, a frail figure cloaked
in ragged white kneels in an empty cubicle near the aft end of the
twenty-kilometre long structure. Gripping the Staff of Gihan in her
bony hands, Miree tries not to laugh out loud at Oogi's stupidity.
To actually take a key to the power of the Maidens of the Voyager
to the Chosen One, the Saviour Himself?!
Madness!
Utter madness!!
Miree's eyes narrow, her mind's eye focusing on the *thing*
now watching over the enslaved Avalonians in the factor's primary
control room. Fool! The once-feared President of the Niphentaxian
Union was in even worse shape than Miree. He HAD no body now, which
was something Miree could claim -- for a small while yet to come,
the former priestess of the Church of Hollywood muses. She knew the
infidel Lumites' move to starve her to death had effectively
succeeded. It was now only a matter of time before her weakened
immune system would collapse entirely, leaving her vulnerable
to even the most simple pathogen. But, the Fates willing, she will
succeed in her set mission before allowing the Te'a to take her.
She closes her eyes, relaxing her guard ever so slightly as she
allows the psychic auras of the Avalonians aboard the factory to
brush past her mental defences. They could not detect Miree; she had
used the Staff to shield herself from their telepathic and empathic
powers. But she could feel them, sense their mounting frustration
at their continued enslavement. The cloak of total helplessness
the bioroids now felt was almost stifling.
Miree feels her heart go out to those poor unfortunates.
How strange to feel that now, she muses (the Avalonian factory unit
was discovered by the Niphentaxians when the Church of Hollywood
was the "first" church among Miree's people). She wanted to tell
them Oogi was doomed to fail. She wanted to tell them that the
Saviour would triumph. For Oogi only had the power of a petty curse
put on his 'goddess' when she was born. The Saviour, not to mention
His Beloved, had all of Eternity Itself backing them.
Miree sighs, allowing herself to relax, give her a chance to
gather her strength. Yes, the Saviour and His Beloved were safe.
The Te'a always protects Its Own. So very much so was the Earth
Spirit, the one the Saviour bestowed the title "elder sister,"
the one who called herself "Negako."
But what of the Saviour's Beloved Sisters?
Twelve innocents protected by Fate from the maelstrom which had
plagued the Saviour's life before His Awakening?
Miree's eyes narrow with determination.
They would be protected.
As the Te'a took in the Saviour unto It, made the Saviour Its
Avatar of Endings and Beginnings, so will It take in His Sisters.
It was only a matter of time...
* * *
"Lonely Souls"
by Fred Herriot <fherriot@yahoo.com>
**** **** ****
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 SEVENTH PART - SPIRITS
Nerima, Furinkan High School, after lunch...
The ambulance's warning wail fades as the paramedics drive off
for Nerima General Hospital. Ataru and Ranma watch it go, then
exchange a look before heading towards the school building. Given
the duel between Ataru and Tatewaki Kunou, not to mention the abrupt
departure of Kunou's father to Hawaii, the teachers had decided
to extend the lunch period for another hour so that the students
(not to mention the teachers themselves) could blow off some steam,
vent out over two years of pent-up frustration.
"So ends the reign of the Blue Blunder," Ranma crosses her arms,
then gives her friend a curious look. "How long do you give him to
recover?"
Ataru shrugs. "Hard to say. Every time I slapped the jerk,
my hand was vibrating. I was aiming for the shiatsu points that
connect right into the brain. I couldn't really tell, but I think
that before I swacked him with the soulsword flat, his brain was
already pretty much shutting down."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning that in about a week's time, he'll regain
consciousness, but it'll be a VERY LONG time before he could think
straight," he smirks.
"If he ever thought straight in the first place," she snorts.
"True, true."
They step into the school, then ascend the stairs to the second
floor, heading to Class 2-F's homeroom. As they approach, both are
quick to see a small group of boys in hakamas awaiting them. The
members of the kendo club, Ranma quickly recognizes. Kunou's most
passionate supporters.
Or were they?
"Moroboshi-san?"
Ataru stops, then stares at the man who spoke to him. Daikun
Takuichi, Ranma recognizes him, the number two man in the club.
"Yes? Takuichi-san, isn't it?" Ataru slightly tilts his head in
greetings.
"Hai, Takuichi Daikun desu," the kendoist nods, then sparing
a brief glance to his friends, turns back to Ataru. "My clubmates
and I would like to extend an invitation to both you and Saotome-san
both to attend a club meeting tomorrow morning before the start of
classes. It..." he pauses, then sighs. "It pertains to the outcome
of your fight today with Kunou."
Ranma blinks, an eyebrow arching amusedly. "What's this?! Not
'Kunou-sempai?!' You surprise me there, Daikun."
Daikun blinks, then chuckles. "Hell, I'm surprising myself
these days, I guess," he scratches the back of his head.
Some of the others smile. Ataru sighs, then crosses his hands
behind his back. "I assume by wanting to meet us at that time of day
that you guys are going to put a stop to that idiocy concerning
Akane Tendou?"
"Well..." Daikun shrugs, then sighs. "Look, don't get me wrong
here. Akane-san is a nice girl. Who wouldn't want to date her,
y'know?"
"So why didn't you simply go up and ask her for a date instead
of trying to pound her into the ground?" Ataru wonders.
"We DID try, back at the start," another kendoist, a freshman
named Ichirou Hatoyama, explains. "But Kunou wouldn't have any of
it. He was on our case all the time about doing things with
Akane-san 'honourably.' What could we do? He could'a have us tossed
out of the club, gone to his dad and...!" He throws up his hands
helplessly. "I guess, with what you said earlier, Ataru-san,
he was afraid that if someone acted like a nice guy around Akane-san,
Kunou'd loose any chance of winning her."
Ataru sighs, shaking his head as he pinches the bridge of his
nose. "You know, guys, it's that stupid 'all-for-the-group'
attitude that really, REALLY makes me hate this society we're living
in," he stretches his neck, then sighs. "Alright, we'll be there.
But I want a promise from you guys in return. Put a STOP to this
garbage with Akane in the mornings. Okay?"
"I thought you didn't like her," Daikun notes.
"I don't. Believe me, guys, I sure as hell do NOT like her,"
Ataru asserts. "But if you keep on doing what Kunou wants you to do,
you're setting yourself up, man. You're not doing either yourselves
or her any good playing to Kunou's script. He's gone, guys. So's
that moron he calls a father. There's no more need to bow to either
of them anymore."
The kendoists exchange looks, then Daikun sighs. "He's got a
point."
"Maybe we should try to apologize to her for helping out with
that shit, ya know," Ichirou proposes.
"That's a good idea," another man nods.
"Yes, it is, but remember," Ataru holds up a finger. "Apologize
for what YOU did to her, not for anything Kunou did! That's his
responsibility in the long term, guys, not yours. Anyhow, Ranma and
I're going to class. We'll see you guys tomorrow morning, okay?"
"Right," Daikun nods as the kendoists let them pass.
Ataru and Ranma watch as the boys leave, chatting among
themselves, then they step into Class 2-F. Before the latter could
react, a bubbly package of Nyuchezuu warrior-maiden suddenly appears
before her, a tray full of piping-hot ramen at the ready. "Ni hao,
Airen!!!"
Ranma acks, then sighs, remembering what Shampoo had promised
at the start of the day. "Oh, Shampoo, hi!" she takes the tray, then
walks it over to her desk. "You're kinda late with lunch today,
aren't you?"
"Not really," Shampoo shakes her head as she sits on the desk
in front of Ranma's; most of the members of Class 2-F were outside
enjoying the extended break period. "Shampoo hear that Palm Tree Man
go back to Hawaii because clan-sister Haruka chop off his head-tree,
then hear about clan-brother Ataru fighting Stick Boy. Shampoo
figure that Airen would be busy helping Ataru beat up Stick Boy. Did
you really use soulsword on Stick Boy there, Ataru?" she stares
quizzically at him.
"Just the flat of the blade," Ataru sits down, stretching
himself. "Believe me, he didn't deserve a taste of the tip
whatsoever."
"Is good," Shampoo nods; she knew very well what being struck
by the soulsword's tip would mean. "So now that Palm Tree Man and
Stick Boy are gone, what happen to school? School gets new leader?"
"Probably. And I HOPE to hell this person's a lot saner that
Kunou's idiot father," Ranma snorts, then blinks before reaching
into her skirt pocket to draw out a thousand-yen bill. "Here,"
she hands it to Shampoo.
Shampoo blinks, then her eyes widen. "Airen no need to do
that!"
"No," Ranma firmly shakes her head, reaching over to place the
money into Shampoo's hand. "Heaven only knows, I've been mooching
off both you and U-chan for WAY too long now. I don't want to do
that anymore, okay? Please, take it, Shampoo. It's only a fraction
of what I owe you and your great-grandmother, but I don't want to do
anythin' which reminds me of what Oyaji was like. Okay? Please,
will you take it?"
Shampoo blinks, then smiles before leaning up to kiss Ranma's
cheek. "Airen need to understand where real friends are. Shampoo
only hopes that Airen come to realize that very soon, before
something stupid happens."
Ranma gazes at her, then smiles before giving Shampoo a warm
hug. "Thanks, Shampoo. That really means a lot to me."
"Shampoo hope so," Shampoo pulls away, then heads out. "Shampoo
see Airen later. Wo na ai. Bai-bai!" she waves before departing.
Ranma watches her go, then sighs, sitting down to eat her lunch.
Ataru stares at where Shampoo had just been, then hums. "Well, maybe
there's a little bit of hope for her, too," he breathes out.
Ranma considers that, then sighs. "Yeah. If I told U-chan
about what Negako and Chikage warned me about, I've got to tell
Shampoo, too. I just hope this doesn't make things any worse with
her."
"It won't, not when they understand the real reason behind it,"
he assures her. "Besides, Onee-chan told Elder Kun-lon about it when
she first learned about Genma's playing around with your mind."
"She did?" she perks, then sighs. "Well, let's hope it doesn't
wind up with another stupid 'get Son-in-law to China' plan. I
really, REALLY don't need to put up to something like that these
days."
"True..."
* * *
Outside, the impromptu schoolwide party continues. People
gaggle in small groups, chatting excitedly about whatever interests
them. Walking by herself past some of these groups, Akane tries not
to look too depressed as words flow past and through her. Naturally,
the most popular topic was the final, absolute humiliation -- some
people called it 'total and complete destruction' -- of Tatewaki
Kunou by Ataru Moroboshi not an hour ago. The abrupt departure
of Kunou's father to Hawaii was the number two topic.
Number three was the widening rift between Akane and Ranma.
Akane pauses as she takes notice of Ataru's fellow
ex-Tomobikian, Chigaiko Inu, chatting with several classmates,
Yuka among them. Neither Chigaiko or Yuka notice Akane as she slips
up behind a thick sakura tree nearby. Standing beside Chigaiko
was one of the young girls who were said to be one of Ataru's
half-sisters. She, a brown-haired lady with some of her long locks
done up in decorative French braids, has her arm wrapped around one
of Chigaiko's, a content smile on her face.
"...-t doesn't Ataru-kun even realize Ranma's really a boy?"
Akane perks on hearing that, then tilts her head to listen
closely. "Oh, I personally think Ataru-kun doesn't even care about
that," Chigaiko responds. "Trust me on this one, Mai-chan.
Ataru-kun's 'girl radar' is the most accurate thing you could ever
find. From what I heard, when he first got introduced to Fujinami's
'girlfriend' Nagisa, Ataru-kun could tell right away that something
was wrong with 'her.'"
"Fujinami?! Who's that?" Yuka wonders.
Chigaiko turns, then points. "Her. The black-haired
girl in the slacks and button shirt standing beside Mendou and
Miyaki."
The girls turn to look. Akane looks herself, noting that
Shutaro Mendou was presently being deluged by a pack of giggling
first-year and second-year students. Shinobu Miyaki and Ryuunosuke
Fujinami stand off to one side, along with the two other girls who
had come from Tomobiki. The girls were watching Mendou play the
crowd up with a combination of disgust and resignation. Seeing the
scion of the Mendou fortune in action, Akane feels her fists clench.
Damn it all, couldn't those girls see what sort of hentai creep he
was? That guy was no better than Kunou or Ranma or...!
Ranma...
Akane winces, a hand clenching over her heart as she squeezes
her eyes shut. Leaning against the tree, she glances up towards
the windows of her homeroom. Ranma. Why couldn't Ranma understand?
Why couldn't Ranma finally swallow that damned pride of his and see
her side of the argument? Why couldn't he just come out and tell her
that he l-...?
"...-ink Ranma-kun and Akane-chan are still a couple?" Mai Otabe
then asks, causing Akane to jolt, she concentrating on what was being
said.
"Forget it, Mai-chan," Chigaiko snorts.
"I agree," Yuka sighs. "I mean, Ranma-kun's been making it
pretty obvious since Akane got hurt last week. It's over between
them."
Thoughtful hums from some of the other girls. "So all we've
got to do is wait for Ranma-kun to go back to being a boy, then we
can score on him!" another girl, one Akane recognizes as Youko
Kanaya, snickers.
Hearing that, Akane shudders. Youko was the girls' equivalent
of Nobisuke Enzou. She flirted with every cute boy who passed her
field of vision. When Akane once verbally asserted that all boys
were perverts (this was sometime before Ranma arrived), Youko laughed
right in her face, calling her a "naive dyke wanna-be" for readily
rejecting the "flower of manhood" around them. Akane had been
tempted to use Mallet-sama on the bitch, but never got a chance.
It was strange that Youko hadn't tried to hit on Ranma since he
arrived. Did she respect official engagements?
Thinking of that, Akane sighs, shaking her head. Not very
likely.
"What do you think, Karen-chan?" Yuka then wonders.
"Well..." an unrecognizable voice then speaks up. Akane glances
around the corner of the tree to see that it was Ataru's sister who
was now speaking. "I'm personally glad that Onee-chan doesn't have
to put up to all of Akane-san's abuse anymore. I mean, when
Onee-chan told us about what Akane-san had done to her since they
met, it...!" another pause, then she sighs. "It just was awful.
How could Onee-chan's father've actually agreed to allow Onee-chan
to be engaged to someone like HER?!"
"Whoa, whoa!" Youko cuts in. "How come you girls always keep
calling Ranma-kun 'big sister' all the time? Don't you know she's
actually a he?!"
Silence.
"He won't be that way for much longer, Youko-san."
Akane turns sheet-white, her knees buckling. *Ranma...!*
"What?!" Yuka gasps, her eyes widening.
Karen sighs. "Gomen ne. I mean, Onee-chan showed me a picture
of what she was like when she was a boy full-time. I mean, he was
really cute and all that..." a giggle, "...but not as cute as
Onii-chan!" she adds.
"Whoa, whoa!! Back up there a moment, Karen-chan! What's this
about Ranma-kun NOT being a boy before long?!" Youko demands.
Karen pauses, then sighs. "Well, it's something Chikage told
me. She's an expert when it comes to magic and all that. You see,
Youko-san, the magic of that awful Jusenkyou place..." a pause, then
she breathes out, "Well, it hasn't fully finished transforming
Onee-chan."
Akane blinks, her mind whirling at hypersonic speeds as she
tries to make sense of Karen's words. "You mean...?" Yuka hesitantly
asks. "The magic of Jusenkyou...? It changes a person's MIND as
well as the BODY?!"
"Well, in special cases, yes," Karen nods, then sighs. "I
really, really don't understand this part, Yuka-san. You have to
talk to Chikage or Negako-oneechan about this. But..." a pause,
"...in Onee-chan's case, the magic of that awful place was really,
really strong. The only thing that's 'saved' Onee-chan all along
was that stupid think her baka father put her through when she was
ten. The one with the cats and all that."
Akane shudders. "The Neko-ken...?" Yuka wonders.
"Hai," Karen nods. "But Negako-oneechan's going to fix all that
up over the next couple of weeks. And wh-when it's all fixed up, the
magic of Onee-chan's curse'll take full effect and..." she stops,
then looks down. "Gomen nasai," she pulls away from Chigaiko,
then runs off.
"Hey!!" Youko cries out, moving to pursue.
"Let her go, Youko-san!" Chigaiko throws up an arm to block the
other girl, then she sighs. "I don't think we should press
Karen-chan or any of Ataru-kun's other sisters about this. Ranma-san
doesn't need it."
Silence falls as the others consider that, then Yuka sighs.
"It's so hard to believe," she shakes her head. "Do you think Ranma
knows?"
"Most likely," Chigaiko muses. "Negako-san is honest about
things like that. Chikage-chan strikes me as being pretty honest,
too. I..." she sighs. "I don't know what Ranma-san was like when
he was a boy, so I guess I can't judge whether or not this is going
to be good for her."
"Maybe Karen-chan's right..."
Eyes lock on Yuka. "What do you mean?" Youko wonders.
"Maybe this change Jusenkyou's supposed to do to Ranma-kun's
starting to happen now," Yuka proposes. "I mean, she didn't react
or do anything to any of us when we were changing for gym class
yesterday."
"Yeah, that's true," another girl nods.
"She even spoke out against Ukyou-san wearing those
breast-wrappings she has. Didn't sound perverted or anything like
that at ALL to me," Chigaiko nods, then sighs. "Gods. Poor
Ranma-san..."
"What about Ranma-kun's fiancees?" Yuka wonders.
"Hey, what about US?!" Youko counters.
The girls quickly break down into incoherent squabbling
as Akane pulls away from the tree, she heading nowhere in particular.
She passes by a couple of groups, then jolts on hearing a young
woman's voice call out to her from behind, "What they have said is
true, Akane."
Akane stops, spinning around to see a girl with a white cape
slung over her shoulders gazing at her. Peering intently at her,
Akane then sighs. "You're Chikage, aren't you?" she demands, her
fists shaking.
"Yes, I am," Chikage sighs, then looks nowhere in particular.
"What you overheard Karen said about the effects of Ane-kun's
curse is true."
Akane blinks, then tries not to scream out, lashing out to beat
the sorceress into the dirt, demand she renounces these...!
These...! These LIES about Ranma. "No, it can't be true..." she
hisses, shaking her head.
"It is," Chikage then appears directly in front of Akane, boring
the latter with a stare she thinks could make even the
Yamata-no-orochi wilt. "Accept it, Akane. There is no way around
this. Even if, by any luck, you find a way to freeze Ane-kun in her
male body, it will do nothing for her in the end. That part of
Jusenkyou's power is so prevailing that it would take an act from God
Himself to change Ane-kun back into a boy."
"He -- has to be -- a boy!" Akane hisses.
"Why?"
Akane jolts, then stares blankly at Chikage. The sorceress'
arms are crossed, an eyebrow arched. "Is it because you, as Ani-kun
asserted during his duel with Kunou, need a constant psychological
reminder that boys are 'perverts' and that since 'he' possesses
a curse which transforms him into a girl, Ane-kun serves as the best
'reminder,'" her eyebrow arches, then she lightly smiles. "Or are
you now starting to finally admit to yourself what you've denied
for so long. That you want to love Ane-kun?"
"I..." Akane sputters, then ducks Chikage's stare. "I don't
know."
Silence falls, then Chikage moves to depart. "Then take the
time and put your thoughts in order first before deciding on your
next course of action," she advises. "Take all the time you need.
And stop listening to what your anger demands of you, Akane. If you
continue down that path, all you'll end up doing is destroy yourself
and hurt those who still care for you. Think about them as well.
If you do not, then you'll prove Ani-kun right. You will then be no
different than Tatewaki Kunou."
Akane jerks, then sighs before turning to gaze on Chikage.
She balks on seeing no one there. "Damn..." she breathes out...
* * *
Nearby...
"Bweep!"
Marie jolts, then looks right and down to see a grunting piglet
with a tiger-striped bandanna wander past. Blinking as she remembers
something Aniue-sama and Aneue-sama told her on Promised Island,
the bespectacled teen kneels to scoop the transformed Ryouga up, her
hand cupping his legs in her palm as she strokes the top of his head.
"Oh, dear, Hibiki-san! Are you alright?" she wonders, turning the
piglet to face her.
"Bwweeeee!!" Ryouga's eyes go wide on hearing a STRANGER call
him by his real name, then when his eyes focus on the girl now
holding him, he nearly passes out. Oh, gods! Who WAS this girl,
anyway?! How did she find out about his curse?! Hey, how did she
know who he was, anyway?!
"Michael!" Marie calls out.
A bark makes P-chan glance left and down to see a handsome
golden retriever trot up, he gazing expectantly at Marie. She
kneels, allowing Michael a chance to sniff the piglet, then she
orders, "Okay, Michael, go find Hibiki-san's clothing. He's wet, so
that means he must've been soaked and transformed very recently
close by. Go now, Michael!"
Michael barks, then starts sniffing the ground before trotting
off towards the front gate. Marie falls in behind him, her fingers
absently stroking P-chan's head fur. The transformed Ryouga remains
still, unsure whether to panic and run away or just sit there and be
petted.
After all, her hands felt SOOOOOOOOOOOOO good...!
* * *
Nearby...
"Hey! What's that girl doing with P-chan?!"
Akane shudders, then races off after the girl with glasses
now holding onto her pet, following a dog off the property...
* * *
Not noticing that she is now being followed, Marie follows
Michael down the street, she keeping P-chan tucked close to her as
she continues to scratch and stroke his head fur. Ryouga's eyes are
closed as he delights in Marie's petting him, his mind overwhelmed
by the contentment her touch provokes. In the deepest part of his
mind, a voice desperately tries to warn that allowing another person
to know his secret created an increased risk for Ryouga, especially
where Akane was concerned. Akane's image faintly passes through
his mind, quickly followed by Akari Unryuu's.
Both soon fade into the fog of Ryouga's memories as Marie's
smiling face takes their place. Such a nice girl...
"My, Hibiki-san, you really like that, don't you?"
Ryouga blinks, then grunts, nodding as he curls up in Marie's
hand. Keeping an eye on where Michael is going, Marie sighs. She
had a good idea about where things are in Nerima; before they came
the first time, Ataru's sisters took time to memorize a model of the
district Rinrin and Yotsuba made for them. Sensing the zig-zag
course Michael's nose is leading her on, Marie sighs. Aneue-sama
had told her that Ryouga could get lost in a room with one door.
Now, she believed every word Ranma had said.
"It must be terrible," she whispers.
"Bweep?" Ryouga looks up quizzically at her.
"To get lost so easily," Marie explains. "Tell me something.
Is this problem of yours just with you? Does it affect your family?"
As Ryouga sits up, Marie hums. "Your father, perhaps?" she asks.
A shake of the head. "What of your mother?"
A nod. "I see. Do you have any brothers?"
Ryouga makes one stroke of his left hoof on her palm. "Does
he have this problem then?" Marie blinks.
A nod. "I see. What about sisters? Do you have any sisters?"
Another stroke on the palm from the right hoof. "And she has
this problem, too, does she?" Marie wonders, then sighs as Ryouga
nods again. "Gods! I can't imagine how long it's been since you
last saw them."
"Bweeee..." Ryouga sighs, then lays down again...
* * *
Five metres behind Marie, Akane feels her hands clench as her
hearing picks up what the girl is saying. Confusion, concern and a
touch of fear warp around her heart as she wonders what the hell that
girl was talking about. Why was she asking questions of P-chan as if
he was a person, not an animal? As if he was...! No! It...! It
just couldn't be...
Could it...?
But...
No!
* * *
"May I ask you something?"
Ryouga looks up. "Bweep?"
Marie pauses, seeing Michael head down an alley, then turns to
follow. "Well, Aneue-sama told all of us that you blamed her for you
being cursed at this Jusenkyou place. Do you really blame her for
that?"
"Bweep?!" *Who are you calling 'big sister?!'*
"Sumimasen," Marie chuckles. "It's Ranma-aneuesama
I speak of."
"BWEEP?!!" *WHAT?!! Ranma told you about my curse?!!*
Seeing Ryouga shiver indignantly, Marie sighs. "Relax,
Hibiki-san, Aneue-sama didn't break her promise to you," she shakes
her head. Hearing that, Ryouga pauses, staring quizzically
at her. "It was Aniue-sama, my brother Ataru Moroboshi, who told us
about your curse."
"Bweee..." *Moroboshi?! Oh, perfect!* Ryouga moans...
* * *
*'Hibiki-san'...?!*
Akane shudders, feeling hot anger explode from her heart to
surge through every muscle and bone in her body.
*'Hibiki-san?!' Then she must mean...!*
Tears suddenly stream down her cheeks as images flash through
her mind, a burst of sorrow surging forth to dampen her anger.
Images of Ranma chasing after P-chan. Images of Ranma and Ryouga
fighting. Memories of Ranma always calling Ryouga "P-chan" or "pork
boy" or things like that. Memories of Ryouga screaming back "Don't
call me P-chan!!" Memories which never put P-chan and Ryouga in the
same space at the same time.
*She means...!!*
Akane clutches a hand over her heart.
*Ryouga...! Why?!*
* * *
Michael barks. Marie looks up, then sees a backpack laying
on the ground nearby, a bamboo-like umbrella tucked in atop it.
Right beside it are men's clothing, including an orange sleeved
over shirt and black pants. About a metre away is a puddle of water,
no doubt the source of Ryouga's latest transformation into P-chan.
"Oh, here we are!" she turns Ryouga to look. "My, it must be
embarrassing to get splashed like that!"
Ryouga grunts, nodding. Marie places the transformed martial
artist on Michael's head before kneeling to pick the backpack up.
She grunts as the weight of the pack and umbrella hits, then she
drops on her backside, air exploding from her lungs. Ryouga winces,
then ducks Marie's stare.
"Hibiki-san, what on Earth do you put into this pack, anyway?!
Rocks?!" she then stands up, brushing her backside down, then reaches
down to attempt to pick it up again. "Oh, dear..." she grunts.
Ryouga looks around. There had to be some sort of hot water
outlet nearby. They were in an alley connecting two residential
streets; that's as far as he could tell. Sighing, he then calls out,
"Bweeep!!"
Marie stops, then looks at him. Ryouga points a hoof towards
the puddle. Marie looks, blinks, then her eyes widen. "Oh, that's
right! You need hot water to reverse your transformation!!"
she lets go of the pack, then looks around, nodding appreciatively.
"Alright, then. Michael, you make sure Hibiki-san stays right where
he is! I'll be right back!!"
She runs off. Michael barks...
* * *
At the opposite end of the alley from where Marie exited, Akane
secludes herself, glancing around every once in a while to see P-chan
still perched on the head of that dog. Gazing intently at the
striped cloth wrapped around the piglet's neck, Akane shudders,
a new burst of anger surging up from her heart as she notes the
similarity between that and a certain lost boy's tiger-striped
bandanna.
P-chan...
Ryouga...
*How could you...?!* Akane's teeth grind together, images of
P-chan sitting on her bed as she undressed while chatting away
flashing through her mind. *How could you do THAT to me, Ryouga?!
How?! How...?!*
She leans against the wall, taking a deep breath to calm
herself. No. She couldn't lash out now. Not yet. She needed
proof. The one act that would prove whether or not Ryouga had
actually been to Jusenkyou.
She had to see it.
Looking back, she sees P-chan sitting on the dog's head. No
sign of the girl. Akane takes a deep breath, then moves to wait.
She had to see him transform...
* * *
"Hibiki-san!!"
Ryouga perks up as Marie returns, a glass of steaming water in
hand. "Fortunately, we're about a block away from where Aniue-sama
lives, so I could just go inside and get a cup of this," she puts a
finger into the glass, then tenses on feeling the water temperature.
"I hope this isn't scalding," she kneels beside Ryouga's clothes.
Taking the hint, Ryouga hops off Michael's head, then poises
himself beside his clothes. Marie puts the glass over his head, then
reaches up to slip off her glasses. "There, you won't be so
embarrassed," she smiles. "I suffer from a horrible case of
astigmatism. Everything's a total blur to me now. Are you ready,
Hibiki-san?!" she moves to tip the glass.
"Bweep!!"
"Okay, here goes."
She tilts the glass over. Water splashes on the ground, Ryouga
leaping into the stream as he feels the transformation overcome
him. Marie gasps as she feels something brush past her outstretched
arm, then a quick shuffling off to one side before a relieved grunt.
"There!" a man's voice then calls out. "Thanks, Marie-san. I needed
that! Just a sec'." Some more shuffling, then a hand shifts Marie's
glasses back to her eyes. She turns to look, then sees a handsome
fellow staring back at her. "Thanks."
"Oh, my..." Marie blinks as Ryouga helps her straighten
up, then she feels her cheeks flame on seeing how tall and well-built
he was. As tall as Aniue-sama, but more, much more muscular.
"The difference is..." she sputters, then covers her mouth politely.
"Astonishing."
"Um..." Ryouga feels his own cheeks heat up as Marie's
appraising gaze rakes over him, then he chuckles, scratching
the back of his head. "Um, y-yeah, it is! That's the big problem
with this curse!"
"That's not the only problem. Right, 'P-chan?!'"
Ryouga jolts, then spins around to see the LAST person he wanted
to see him transform from P-chan standing not three metres away,
aglow with terribly righteous anger, a huge mallet in hand.
"A-a-akane...?!"
Akane snarls, then lunges, moving for an undercut strike that
always worked with Ranma until two weeks ago. "***RYOUGA, YOU
BASTARD!!!!***"
Marie gasps, then automatically throws herself into Ryouga to
knock him clear of Mallet-sama's path. Taken by surprise by the
smaller girl's act, the wanderer stumbles clear. Fine for Ryouga.
Definitely NOT so fine for Marie as Mallet-sama slams into her side,
sending her flying into a wall with a sickening *THUD!!* Ryouga
collapses to his knees, then spins around to see Marie drop to the
ground, blood streaming from her nose and mouth. His eyes lock on
her, his vision hazing out everything else around him, including
the fact that the one who just hit Marie was Akane, someone he still
deeply cared for even if she now wanted to kill him.
"How could you...?" he hisses.
Akane stops, spinning around to stare at Ryouga, then seeing
the ugly green aura indicating he is drawing on all his depressing
chi to form the Shishi Houkoudan, pales, drawing back from him. Her
foot then stumbles on something. She looks down, then cries out on
seeing one of Ataru's sisters unconscious on the ground, blood
streaming from her mouth. "No...!" she pales, the realization
that SHE had hit this innocent girl hitting home...
...just before Ryouga does.
"***SHISHI HOUKOUDAN!!!!!!***"
* * *
Furinkan High...
Ataru tenses on feeling the scatter-flash of emotionally-charged
chi warp past him, then glances out the window to see a green-tinged
explosion leap into the sky from near his home. Standing up, he
lunges to the window to get a closer look, then his eyes widen on
seeing someone fly away from the blast, heading for a dip into the
Shakujii River. He then balks as a weak flash of life chi hits him,
coming only from one person. "Marie!!"
His feet send him flying out the window to land on the ground,
then with a chi-boosted leap, he races towards the battle scene.
Twenty seconds later, the door to the class slides open, revealing
Ranma. "Hey, Ataru, I think we'll get...?!" she stops, looking
around. "Ataru...?"
* * *
Ryouga shudders, then kneels beside Marie, gently feeling her
side. He winces on hearing her moan, his hand detecting several
breaks in her rib cage. "Oh, damn it all..." he mutters, then curses
himself. With his directional sense, he'd probably wind up in Tibet
or Afghanistan before he could hope to get her to medical attention.
She...! Oh, no...!!
A hand slams down on his forehead, fingers locking on the joints
between his skull plates at the temples, causing Ryouga to scream
out. He then quivers as his mind registers that the hand is METAL.
That meant one thing.
*I'm dead...!* Ryouga groans as he finds himself turned around
to stare into the inhuman features of the Cyborg. *I am SO dead!!*
Ataru glares intently at Ryouga, then down at Marie before
tossing the wanderer single-handedly into a wall. Kneeling down,
Ataru pauses as psychic flame restores him to his normal self, then
after taking a moment to do a chi-scan of her, moves to pick her up.
"Tendou..." he hisses, then glares at Ryouga as the wanderer tries
to recover. "Hibiki, if I learn that you had something to do with
this..." he hisses, his left eye suddenly glowing as his voice
hardens. "**You are a dead man.**"
A spring of the legs sends Ataru soaring off towards Furinkan
High. Michael barks, then races off to follow. Ryouga moans as he
runs his hands over his body to determine there were no broken bones
or torn muscles, then he moves to stand up. "Oh, shit..." he groans,
then reaches down for his pack. "Oh, man, how could something
like THIS happen to me...?"
Glancing around, he sighs, then slips the backpack on.
No matter what, he had to find Akane and see if she was
alright...
* * *
Furinkan High...
"NEGAKO!!!!"
Negako looks up as Ataru lands on the front lawn, an unmoving
Marie in his arms. Sighing, the ninjitsu grandmistress runs over to
lift Marie from Ataru's arms, she taking time to do a chi scan.
"Several ribs broken and a punctured lung," she announces, then
carries her inside, she heading for the nurse's room. "She was
struck by Akane Tendou's ki-mallet."
"That's what I sensed," Ataru grits his teeth. "Hibiki was
there, too. What the hell happened to her, Nee-chan?!"
"We shall see," Negako sighs, ignoring Michiko Ooda's stunned
look as she places Marie on the diagnostic table, then summoning
her ki energy, begins to effect some basic repairs to her
half-sister's rib cage.
"What happened?!" the nurse demands.
"Tendou happened to her," Ataru bluntly reports.
Michiko sighs, walking over to the intercom to pass on a
message. A moment later, the secretary's voice rings out through
the speakers, "Nabiki Tendou and Ranma Saotome, report to the nurse's
office. I repeat, Nabiki Tendou and Ranma Saotome, report to the
nurse's office."
A moment later, Nabiki walks inside. "What's going on, Ata-..."
she stops on seeing Marie on the bed, Negako sending chi pulses into
her to help mend what could be broken ribs. "What the hell
happened?!"
Ranma comes in just in time to hear Ataru answer, "That psycho
maniac you happen to call a sister happened to her, Nabiki-san.
Marie-chan just got introduced to Akane's delightful mallet, heaven
only knows why!"
Ranma stops, her eyes widening. "What?!! What the hell would
make Akane hit Marie-chan, for cryin' out loud?!"
"Ryouga was there as well," Negako announces.
Silence.
"Hibiki?! What the hell's going on?!" Nabiki snaps.
Ranma blinks, then sighs. "Oh, hell! Akane must've found out
about Ryouga's damned curse!!" she slaps her forehead.
The middle Tendou daughter blinks, then stares at Ranma.
"What?!! Hibiki has a curse?! What sorta...?!" she stops, her brow
furrowing.
Ranma gazes at her. "You DON'T know?!"
"No!! Of course not! I..." Nabiki pauses, then her eyes widen
as she gazes intently at Ranma. "P-chan! Ryouga turns to P-chan,
right?!"
Ranma blinks, then sighs. "Yes."
"You KNEW about this?!"
"I had no choice, Nabiki. I was the one who cursed him!"
Nabiki blinks, then she sighs. "I take it he used that against
you to make sure people didn't find out about his problem," she
crosses her arms. "Was this before or after Akane adopted 'P-chan'
as her pet?"
"Before," Ranma closes her eyes.
"Oh, shit!" Nabiki grunts, then runs through her mind all the
times she heard Ranma call Ryouga 'P-chan.' "Forced to keep your
word about another martial artist's weakness, then taken advantage
of because other martial artist was in love with your then-fiancee.
Cute."
"You see how readily honour becomes a knife aimed at your heart,
Ranma," Negako lightly smiles, then grunts. "There, that seals the
lung up. All she needs now is several days of bed-rest, then she
should be fine. Be careful when you carry her back home, Ataru."
"Right," Ataru sighs, moving to scoop Marie up.
"Ooooh..."
"Marie!!!" Ataru, Ranma and Nabiki gasp together.
Marie's eyes flutter, then she groans as scalding pain rips up
from her lungs and ribs. "Gods, that hurts...!!" she moans, then
looks dazedly around. "Where...?!" she rasps. "Where is Hibiki-san?
Is he alright?" she closes her eyes. "Did that awful woman hurt
him...?"
Nabiki exchanges a look with Ranma, then moves to kneel down
beside Marie's head. "Marie-chan, what happened? How did you find
Ryouga?"
Marie blinks, then sighs. "Oh, Nabiki-san..." she takes several
breaths, then sighs. "I saw Hibiki-san. He was in his pig-form..."
she shudders, then coughs, nearly curling in on herself as fresh pain
warps through her. "I...! I asked Michael to find his clothes
and pack, then I could turn him back. Gods, it must be awful for
him..."
"How can you say that?" Nabiki wonders.
Marie sighs. "Could you imagine what it must be like...?"
she pauses. "To be turned from a tall man to a tiny piglet...?
All w-with the touch of c-cold water?" her voice then rasps, then she
coughs again before a moan steals her voice, her hand moving to feel
her just-healed ribs.
Negako sighs. "Enough," she reaches around to tap the back of
Marie's head to put the younger girl to sleep. "You can interrogate
her at another time, Nabiki. She needs her rest. Ataru?"
"Right," Ataru lifts his sister up, then carries her out.
Ranma and Nabiki watch him go, then remain silent as Negako
heads out herself. Both exchange a look, then head out themselves,
moving towards a stairwell. "I can guess what probably happened
next," Ranma muses, shaking her head. "Marie-chan gets some hot
water, then she transforms Ryouga back just as Akane stumbles onto
the scene. Geez, that must've hit her hard."
"Not as hard as she hit Marie-chan," Nabiki grimaces. "And
since Marie-chan doesn't know about Hibiki's habit of disguising
himself as Akane's pet...! Oh, fuck!!" she breathes out. "This is
NOT good!"
"Got that right..."
* * *
The Shakujii River...
"Oh, gods!!"
Akane sobs, face in her hands as she sits under a bridge, the
image of her mallet slamming into an innocent girl repeats again and
again in her mind. Ironically, this is the very spot Ranma came to
when she wanted to be alone and the roof of the Tendou home didn't
offer enough privacy. "Oh, gods! How could I've been so STUPID?!
She...! She...!!" she moans.
"Akane!!"
Akane jolts, then spins around before her jaw drops.
"Ryouga!!!"
"There you are!" Ryouga leaps down onto the dry riverbed before
approaching her, grave concern etched on his face. "Akane, I am SO
sorry about that! Are you alright?! You weren't hurt too bad, were
you?!"
Akane blinks, then sighs, looking away. "I...! I'm okay..."
she hugs herself, turning away from the wanderer, then she spins on
him. "WHY, Ryouga?!! Why didn't you tell me you were cursed?!
Why?!!"
"I...!!" Ryouga balks, then sighs, bowing his head. "Akane,
I am SO sorry! I didn't mean for this to go on all this time,
but...!!"
Akane shudders, the urge to hit the wanderer for his long
deception boiling up from her heart, then she blinks as Marie's
image passes through her mind. Her hand unclenches, then she moves
to place it on his shoulder. "You keep telling Ranma every time you
fight hi-..." she nearly chokes on that word, then sighs, "...fight
her that because of something Ranma did, you've seen Hell! Is it
because of the curse?! Was it Ranma's fault?!"
Ryouga blinks, surprised that Akane wanted to talk this out,
then he nods. "Yes. I followed him to China, then wound up in
Jusenkyou. I was on a cliff overlooking the springs when Ranma -- I
think he was chasing his dad after they got cursed -- hit me into the
Heitouenniichuan. The..." he pauses, then sighs. "Worst part about
it was that after I feel in and got my curse, that idiot guide there
plucked me out of the pool, then nearly broiled me alive in a pot so
that he and that bastard Genma could have lunch! It must've been a
couple minutes later...!!" he looks away.
Akane takes that in, then sighs. "So that bastard knew all
along. When did Ranma find out? When you came to the house the
first time? Did he know about your curse anytime before that?!"
"No," Ryouga shakes his head. "He found out when he took me
into the furo the first time to wash me down."
Silence falls over them as Akane considers what happened that
night, adding that to what she understood of Ranma at the time, how
he -- how SHE -- then perceived what being "honourable" was all
about. "You made Ranma promise not to tell anyone about your curse,
right?" she then asks.
A pause, then, "Yes."
Akane sighs. "Then you took advantage of being my pet,
listening to all I said about Ranma, then used it to keep your
vendetta going, right?"
Ryouga winces, then nods. "Yes."
She takes a deep breath, then draws her hand away, she turning
to gaze nowhere in particular. "You wanted all along to break us
apart, end the engagement between us. Is that it?" she turns to gaze
on him.
He blinks, then bows his head. "Yes."
"I see," she bites her lip, then wryly smiles. "Well,
congratulate yourself, Hibiki-san. You, not to mention Kunou,
Shampoo, Kuonji and the rest of you bastards, succeeded beyond your
wildest dreams. Ranma doesn't love me. In fact..." she sucks in her
breath to choke off a sob. "Right now, she hates me with every fibre
of her being!!" she hisses, turning to stare at him, her voice
quivering with a mix of rage and sadness.
"Thanks to you and all of them, a person who had to KILL to save
my life not so long ago...! Well, now she probably wouldn't shed a
damned TEAR if I died now! A person I so wished could just drop that
sick macho act, that act forced on him by that honourless thing he
called a father and that arrogant bitch he calls a mother, and just
love and respect me like NORMAL people should! A person who became
friends with that girl I nearly KILLED not minutes ago thanks to YOU
and YOUR damned curse...!!" her fist clenches, she taking a step
towards him, then she shakes her head. "And all this happened
because of that petty bread feud you had with Ranma when you were in
junior high school?! All this because of BREAD...?!!"
Ryouga yelps as Akane's fist lashes at his face, then he blinks
on noticing that her fist had stopped an inch from his nose. He
looks around to see streams of tears flowing down her cheeks. "Yeah,
you all got your way in the end," she growls, her voice starting
to break. "But you really screwed up this time. You didn't bet on
someone coming along who doesn't give a rat's ass about Bushido.
Who looks on Bushido and all the screw-ups it made as the cause of
our getting into the Greater East Asia War.
"You should've heard Ataru-san in history class yesterday
and today, Hibiki-san. It was really interesting to hear someone
who really HATES people like that go at it." She lowers her hand.
"No doubt, he warned his sisters about all of you who have curses.
And once that got into the open, Ranma's promise no longer applied,
so she was free to say all she wanted. And then along comes that
girl, who showed you kindness and all that..."
Her voice trails off. "Akane..." Ryouga reaches for her.
She pushes his hand away. "Don't!" she growls, glaring at him.
"If I were you, Hibiki-san, I'd start running! Because once she gets
wind of what happened to that girl, Ranma's going to tell Ataru-san
everything about what you did to me and why. And I think that
Ataru-san is going to decide that you're no better than that bastard
Kunou!
"Do you know what happened to Kunou today, Hibiki-san?!
Ataru-san took him on in a sword fight and beat him...! No!!
Ataru-san DESTROYED Kunou once and for all!! And I know he'll want
to do that to you! And thanks to you, that curse of yours and what
happened to his sister, he's got all the excuse in the world!!
Remember Sunday night, what Ataru-san and Ranma did to Genma?! I'll
lay bets he'll do the same thing to you!!" she stabs a finger at him,
then turns away. "Start running, Hibiki-san."
She leaps up to the bridge deck, then runs off. He remains
still for a moment, then notices the trail of tears marking her
passage. "Akane, wait!!!" Ryouga lunges after her, then crosses
a bridge before losing track of her. A shift into a side alley,
then he vanishes. A second later, an outraged, helpless scream
bellows from somewhere in Tokyo.
"***WHERE THE HELL AM I NOW?!?!?!***"
* * *
The Moroboshi home, sometime later...
"Tadaima!!"
"Oh, Ranma, there you are!" Nodoka appears at the doorway,
then waves Ranma inside. "Here, Marie-chan is this way!!"
"Right," Ranma, lugging both hers and Ataru's bookbags, steps
into the living room. A futon is laid out, Marie now peacefully
resting on it. Chikage kneels by Marie's head, holding a seashell
close to the latter's ear. Ataru holds Marie's hand, sitting across
from the sorceress. A light smile is on Marie's face. The other
sisters sit to one side, all trembling with outrage. Negako stands
by Marie's feet, staring at the younger girl as she analyses Marie's
chi aura. "How is she, Negako?" Ranma asks.
"She will recover, though I think she'll be more cautious
in dealing with your many so-called 'friends' in the future," the
grandmistress sighs.
Ranma stares at Marie, then shakes her head before feeling
her mother touch her shoulder. The martial artist then follows
Nodoka to the outside patio. Once alone, Nodoka faces her.
"Ataru-kun and Negako-san've told me about Hibiki and his curse,"
she closes her eyes. "Hibiki claims that you were responsible
for that problem of his. Is it true or not, Ranma?"
"It is," Ranma nods. "But it was an accident."
"Explain."
Ranma does. It takes two minutes. At the end of it, Nodoka
sighs. "So this boy took advantage of his curse to abuse your honour
and force a rift between you and Akane, in hopes of breaking you
apart and putting you through the same emotional 'hell' he supposedly
endured," the older Saotome shakes her head, then stares nowhere
in particular, taking a breath. "Did anyone in the Tendou home
outside you and Genma know of Hibiki's problem?"
"I think Akane's dad knew. I'm probably sure Kasumi knows,
too. I could be wrong, though. It often seems to me that Kasumi
knows everything that happens in that place," Ranma reports, then
crosses her arms. "The shocking thing to me is that Nabiki didn't
know a thing about this. You'd figure for a girl who loves to spy on
everyone around her, she shouldn't've missed Ryouga's curse. Oh,
well, I guess no one's perfect," she shrugs.
"I see..." Nodoka sighs, then shakes her head. "No doubt, Souun
and Genma believed that by keeping this disgusting matter secret,
Hibiki would continue to play out as Akane's pet and make you so
jealous, you'd gladly do anything to admit your 'love' for Akane."
She then breathes out before noticing the gate opening, revealing
Nabiki. "Oh, Nabiki-chan!"
"Oh, Auntie Saotome, konnichi wa!!" Nabiki waves, then walks
up to them. "How's Marie-chan there?" she glances around Nodoka
to look inside.
"She will recover," Nodoka sighs. "Nabiki-chan, I will be by
later this evening to retrieve the rest of my belongings from your
house." As Nabiki's eyebrow rises questioningly, she explains.
"I've just been told about everything concerning Hibiki. According
to my son, my husband, your father and most likely your older sister
were fully aware of Hibiki's curse and how he was using it to press
his petty vendetta against Ranma. The fact that they did that
without showing any concern at all about Akane's personal space and
privacy is something I find intolerable. Because of that, I no
longer see any reason to object to Ranma's renouncing of the
agreement between our families. You may tell your father that I will
no longer wish to have anything to do with your family anymore and
that I will hope that over time, Ranma will come to feel the same
way."
"I..." Nabiki sighs, then reluctantly nods. "I suppose I can
agree to that, Auntie. Hell, I'm still angry at myself for not
noticing what was going on, especially when you had Ranma calling
that pig 'P-chan' all the time. Even more, I'm not sure as to what
I'd've done if I did found out."
"Probably bribe the hell outta him, not that he wouldn't've
deserved it," Ranma snorts, heading back inside.
"Probably," Nabiki admits, then stares at Nodoka. "I won't pass
the news on to Dad and Kasumi until you're out of the house, okay?"
"Fair enough," Nodoka sighs, then turns to see Ataru standing
behind her. "Oh, Ataru-kun! Is there something wrong?"
"Not really. I just overheard what you were talking to
Nabiki-san about," Ataru smiles, then calls out, "Jinseiko!!"
Instantly, a black-clad kunoichi appears, kneeling by Ataru's
leg. "You called out, Master?" Jinseiko stares at him.
"What's the status of Project Bee-Tee-Bee?"
"It is half-way done, sir. The project manager promises full
results first thing Thursday morning. You said you desired it done
right, Master."
"Ah, right, I did!" he nods. "Anyhow, get two of the girls,
then go to the Tendou home to get all of the Saotomes' belongings.
Then contact our emergency construction people and have them go help
repair the Saotome house. Much that I certainly don't mind you
staying with us, madame, but it is getting a little crowded here,"
he smiles at Nodoka.
"You've been more than hospitable, Ataru-kun," Nodoka smiles
back, then turns to Jinseiko. "Could you get my things right now,
young lady?"
"Right away, Mistress. Excuse me, please."
She vanishes. "Very handy people to have around," Nabiki
whistles.
"Got that right," Ataru turns to head inside.
"So what's this 'Project BTB,' Ataru-kun?"
"It's a surprise," he winks at her. "And just like I told
Chigaiko-chan earlier on, if I told you, then it wouldn't be a
surprise."
"Er...! Right," she pouts.
Nodoka laughs...
* * *
The Tendou home, twenty minutes later...
"Oh, my!!"
Souun looks upstairs, then blinks as Kasumi descends, a worried
look on her face. "Kasumi, is there something the matter?"
"I..." the eldest daughter pauses, then stares at her father.
"I was just looking into the guest room. All of Auntie's personal
belongings are gone, Father. Even all of Uncle's belongings
have been taken away."
"WHAT?!!" Souun jolts, then his eyes widen. "Who would come in
here and steal all of Nodoka-san's belongings?!! We must...!!"
"They weren't stolen."
Both turn to see Nabiki step inside. "What do you mean, they
weren't stolen, Nabiki-chan?" Kasumi wonders as her sister sits at
the table.
Nabiki sighs, then gazes at Souun before lightly smiling.
"Akane now knows about Ryouga's delightful little curse," she flatly
announces.
Silence.
"Oh, my...!" Kasumi gasps.
"Did Ranma...?!" Souun demands.
"No," Nabiki flatly responds, her eyes narrowing. "Ataru-kun's
known about Hibiki's curse since he came to Nerima. Ranma-chan
didn't violate her promise to that pathetic pig whatsoever."
"But then, Moroboshi-san should've..."
"He doesn't care about that, Dad," Nabiki cuts him off.
"Ataru-kun's a ninja, remember? His own code of honour works a lot
differently than yours." Seeing Souun shudder, she presses on.
"Anyhow, Ataru-kun felt it was only right to warn all his sisters
about all the cursed people in town. One of them, Marie-chan,
found Hibiki in his pig-form, then moved to get some hot water to
change him back. She just had the ill-luck of doing that as
Akane-chan came on the scene. When Akane freaked out..." she pauses,
then announces, "Marie-chan got caught in the crossfire."
Silence.
"Is she hurt?!" Kasumi gasps. She had seen the pictures of
Ataru's sisters, even had been told their names by Nabiki. She
didn't exactly know who Marie was, but she did know that save for
three, Ataru's sisters were all quite young. "How could Akane-chan
actually...?!"
"Well, what the hell do YOU think, Onee-chan?!!" Nabiki spins
on her, causing Kasumi to falter back. "For nearly two years, she
trusted that honourless asshole, trusted him a LOT more than she
should've trusted her FIANCE, remember?! Then she finds out that pig
LIED to her! He actually tricked her own FIANCE to lie to her, then
he turned around and stabbed her FIANCE in the back just to get his
worthless 'revenge!!' What do you think Akane should've done,
Onee-chan?! Just sit there and TAKE it?!!"
"Now, Nabiki, please...!!"
*SLAP!!!!*
Souun blinks, his cheek flaming from Nabiki's strike. "YOU
should talk, Daddy," the middle Tendou daughter snarls. "You knew
all along that Hibiki was P-chan, didn't you?! Why didn't you say
something?!! Why the HELL didn't you put a stop to it?! You
should've known all along that the whole crap with Hibiki was helping
pull Ranma-chan and Akane apart!!" She holds up a finger. "And
don't you DARE give me an excuse about trying to make Ranma-chan
jealous so she could've consummated things with Akane! You have NO
RIGHT to judge them, especially your own DAUGHTER, like that!!"
"Nabiki-chan, please...!"
*SLAP!!!!*
Same manoeuvre, different target. "And YOU!!" Nabiki spins on
Kasumi. "Damn it all, Ranma-chan and Akane both trusted you!! How
could you keep silent about something like this?!! Didn't YOU want
the whole engagement to succeed, Kasumi?! Well?!! Didn't you?!"
"I..." Kasumi shudders, then bows her head. "Nabiki..."
Nabiki blinks, then sighs. "Looks like you've got some serious
thinking to do, Onee-chan. Same with you, Dad," she glares at Souun,
who seems ready to launch into another crying fit. "'Cause I've got
a message from Auntie. As far as SHE'S now concerned, she doesn't
want ANYTHING to do with us anymore. And she sure as hell doesn't
want RANMA to have anything to do with us anymore, either! The
agreement you made with that bastard Genma is forever up in smoke,
Dad!! Satisfied?!"
Silence hangs over the living room. Souun shudders, then sighs.
"I was only trying to do what was proper..." he whispers.
"Maybe," Nabiki grimaces. "But I got a very hot news flash for
you, Daddy. Thanks to our sister's temper, one of Ataru-kun's
sisters nearly got killed today. If he wanted to, he could do
ANYTHING he wants to Akane in retaliation. Remember what happened
to the panda on Sunday?!"
Kasumi turns sheet-white. Souun blinks, then moans...
* * *
In orbit over Tokyo...
A haunting, insanity-tinged cackle echoes through the heart of
the Avalon factory ship as Miree secludes herself inside one of the
hundreds of gestation rooms scattered throughout the city-sized
structure. Glancing at the two metre-tall glass capsules, the
Hollywoodite priestess smiles. Four chambers, each filled with a
white-skinned, quasi-humanoid figure. Each of these was a 'base'
form, only requiring a complete DNA code to mould the bodies into a
completely functional bioroid. Taking a deep breath, Miree
concentrates, using the Staff to focus on what Oogi was doing.
She then smiles. Excellent. He was concentrating his energies
on scanning Tokyo to determine where the Savior was, using the
factory's own sensors to aid him in his quest to locate, then smite,
the 'great evil.' But the records memorized in the factory's
logs were grossly outdated, Miree knew. The Savior had changed
radically during his visit to Phentax Two, his DNA pattern shifting
ever so slightly, but it would be off enough to keep Oogi guessing
as to where he lived. And with Lum dead...
Miree hums, an eyebrow arching. Oogi was now tapping into
secure communications links. Oh, that was right. There would still
be observers, about two hundred in all, living in and around
Tomobiki. They could try to determine where Ataru might have gone,
but that process would take time. Further, she strongly doubted
that the Lumites had bothered to get some surgery to hide the tapered
ears common to natives of Phentax Two (that was something which
always happened to Hollywoodite spies who went to the Holy City of
Angels to observe their Blessed Icons in person). The Lumites would
have to show extra discretion lest they be discovered, thus bringing
the United Nations' authorities down on their heads and alerting
Ataru.
No. To Oogi, that wouldn't do at all.
Well, wasn't that just too bad?
Miree smiles, then gently draws her hand over the glass of one
of the chambers. Now, it was time to demonstrate the power of her
devotion to the Savior, His Beloved and His Beloved Sisters. And...
And...
And to her own children...
* * *
Nerima...
"Interesting..."
"Is there something wrong, Ane-kun?"
Negako blinks, then glances over her shoulder to see Chikage
staring concernedly at her. The ninjitsu grandmistress blinks again,
then turns to gaze into the starry evening. "Yes, there is. It
appears that a would-be lover of Lum's has come to Earth to renew
acquaintances with Ataru."
The sorceress blinks, then her eyebrow arches warily. "Why
would this person wish to seek Ani-kun out...?!" her voice trails
off, then she stares nowhere in particular. "I see. This is the
same person who hurt Ani-kun while he was training with you in
Sanctuary."
"He is. There is not much left of him, but what remains of him
has merged with the remains of another delightful product of Lum's
past life," Negako sighs. "And the entity which will spring forth
from that merger will seek to siphon off energy from yet another
source to make themselves the equal of Ataru in his armoured form.
Interesting."
Chikage blinks, then gazes at Negako. "Ane-kun, why haven't
you or Ani-kun told us of everything that happened to Ani-kun while
you two were in Sanctuary? Ani-kun mentioned earlier today during
his duel with Kunou about him killing several Urusians to obtain
one of his swords. What else happened to him? We deserve to know,
Ane-kun. We WANT to know."
"But are you emotionally ready to understand why that happened,
Chikage? Why Ataru was so willing to make war on Lum's people in
support of a race such as the Noukiites?" Negako counters, then
sighs. "Patience, Chikage. There were reasons things happened
the way they did. This all pertains to much of what has befallen
Ataru throughout his lifetime. You and the others will understand
soon enough. Don't worry about it." She turns towards the Moroboshi
home, then pauses, looking back. "It would be wise for all of you to
proceed back to the island tomorrow morning."
"What of Ani-kun?"
"He will be alright," Negako assures her. "Ataru is more
concerned for your safety and your sisters' safety than he is for his
own or Ranma's for that matter. Do not concern yourself. This
would-be lover of Lum's possesses a blinding level of fanaticism
when it comes to her. And with Lum now in a new body, available
to be used if needed, he can be distracted from pressing a battle
with Ataru. He can be defeated with ease, Chikage. But it must be
done the right way or else many innocents will suffer."
The sorceress considers that, then nods. "I understand..."
* * *
The Moroboshi home...
The dark figure breathes out in relief as she quietly surveys
the old shrine, then advances on the front door. She looks inside
to see Marie on her futon, a dozing Michael curled nearby. No one
else was inside. Ataru, Ranma, Nodoka and most of Ataru's sisters
had gone off to eat somewhere, most likely at Tampopo's. Negako
and Chikage were off somewhere else.
Good.
Taking a deep breath, Akane opens the door, slips off her shoes,
then steps inside. Michael jolts, looking up to see a strange woman
entering the house, then he rises, a growl escaping him. This
strange woman wasn't so strange at all. She was the one who had
badly hurt his mistress Marie. In his own way, the retriever
loved Marie very much. To see her nearly die hurt Michael as badly
as it did Marie. She would not be hurt again.
Advancing on the stranger, the dog then pauses, his nose flaring
again as a different scent registers in his mind. There was no
anger-scent coming from her, not like what burned from her earlier
that day when she had confronted that pig-man. No. This was the
scent of grief, sadness and shame. The same scent Marie made
whenever she thought of her long-departed mother or her step-father,
who died a year ago. Michael didn't understand why Marie felt shame
when it came to her late parents. It was a human thing, no doubt.
Death was death. It came to everyone.
"You must hate me right now, don't you?"
Michael tilts his head, a confused whine escaping him as the
stranger lowers herself to her knees, then bows her head. Relaxing
himself, Michael trots over to give the stranger a closer inspection
with his nose and eyes. Tears stream down her face. Michael didn't
like it when he saw humans cry, especially when he saw Marie cry.
His reaction is automatic; his tongue laps out to gently clean the
stranger's cheek.
Akane jolts, then stares at the dog before reaching out to
stroke the top of his head. "You love her, don't you?" she wonders.
Michael returns her look, then shifts himself as Akane gently
moves to kneel beside Marie, more tears spilling down her cheeks.
Taking a deep breath, the youngest Tendou daughter reaches out to
gently stroke the dozing girl's cheek. "I am so sorry, Marie-san,"
Akane whispers. "Some martial artist I turned out to be, huh? I
loose my temper all the time, hit people without any excuse, never
give anyone, especially Ranma, the chance to explain things..."
she bites her lip, then draws her hand back.
A whine causes Akane to look right; Michael had shifted himself
to sit beside her. Akane gently strokes his fur. Michael whines,
then leans up to continue cleaning her face. She giggles, then
sighs, bringing her other hand up to stroke his fur along his
shoulder. "You're a really good boy, aren't you?" she muses, then
seeing a small dogtag hanging from his neck, reaches over to read it.
"'Michael?' Is that your name?"
He barks, then offers his paw. "Hi, I'm Akane," she shakes
his paw, then jolts on hearing a moan escape the girl beside her.
"Marie!"
Both turn as Marie's eyes flutter open. "Hello...?" the younger
girl rasps, then fumbles with her hand before making contact with
Akane's leg. "Who's there? Aniue-sama? Aneue-sama?! Hello...?!"
she tries to focus on the dark shape looming over her to her right.
"Who are you?"
Akane blinks, then sighs, bowing her head. "I'm sorry,
Marie-san."
Silence.
"Akane-san?"
"Hai."
Marie blinks, then draws her hand back. "What are you doing
here?"
"I..." Akane's voice breaks, then she bows her head, fresh tears
flowing down her cheeks. "I came to apologize, Marie-san,"
she whispers, her voice hoarse, then she grips the girl's hand,
drawing it close to her as she moans, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!! Oh,
gods, I'm so sorry...!"
"Akane-san..." Marie blinks, then reaches with her other hand
to draw Akane's hands to her. "Why? Why did you want to hurt
Hibiki-san? Why do you hurt Aneue-sama all the time?! Why are you
so angry, Akane-san?"
*Why AM I angry?* Akane wonders to herself, then she takes a
deep breath. "I..." she stutters, then begins to explain.
It takes ten minutes. Marie remains still as she hears Akane's
words, then when the latter finally falls silent, lets go of Akane's
hands as she tries to focus on the ceiling. "Marie-san?" Akane
wonders.
Marie blinks, then breathes out. "I know what it's like,
Akane-san."
"What?"
"What it's like when your mother dies," Marie closes her eyes.
"My mother died when I was little. I cherish every memory I have of
her, everything she left behind. I did everything I could to keep
her memory alive, for my sake and my step-father's. But her death
broke his heart. He died about a year ago. And I..." she bites her
lip. "I blamed myself for not being strong enough. I've always
wished I could do something, ANYTHING, to bring Mother back. But..."
she sighs. "It can never happen. No matter how much we wish for it
to be different, it can never happen."
Akane deflates. "It hurts..."
"Hai, it always does. The pain recedes over time, but it never
goes away," Marie admits, then reaches over to grasp Akane's hand.
"Akane-san, you can't lash out at people like that just because
you're in pain because of your mother. You..." she pauses, then pats
Akane's hand. "You can't blame the whole world for something
that happened to you. It's not right and you'll never get any
justice walking down that path. All you'll end up doing is isolating
yourself from those who want to care for you. All you'll end up
doing is making sure you live the rest of your life alone. Do you
want that, Akane-san? Do you really want that?"
Silence falls, then Akane sighs. "I don't know, Marie-san."
"Akane-san...?"
Akane breathes out. "I went back to my house sometime earlier.
I was up in my room when my sister Nabiki confronted my other sister
Kasumi and my father about Ryouga and his curse." A wry smile
crosses her face. "Irony of ironies, Nabiki never knew about Ryouga
and 'P-chan.' She let Kasumi and Daddy have it with both barrels
tonight." A pause, then, "I'm kinda glad that Auntie Saotome stood
up for me, too. I'd figure that after all I've done to Ranma, she'd
wish I was dead." She bows her head. "Well, it won't really matter
in a short while, I guess."
Marie blinks, then tenses. "Akane-san...?"
Akane raises Marie's hand to kiss it by her knuckle, then she
gently lowers it to the girl's side. "Sayonara, Marie-san."
She rises, then runs out of the house. Marie blinks, then her
skin pales. "Oh, no..." she grunts, then gasps on feeling her lower
body's lack of response. No! Negako-aneuesama paralysed her so she
could remain still and heal properly! "No!! Michael?! Michael!!!"
she calls out, then gasps as her dog comes up to lick her face.
"No!! Go after her, Michael! Stop her!! She's going to kill
herself!! Michael, save Akane-san!!!"
Michael arches, then on hearing Marie's command "save
Akane-san," barks before trotting out of the room. Marie strains
herself to hear her pet's footsteps, then when only silence comes
back to her, she allows herself to relax. "Oh, Akane-san...!
Michael, hurry!!"
* * *
In orbit over Tokyo...
"Oh, Mother, why...?!"
Hands gently draw Miree's cloak around her shrivelled body, then
she is reverently shifted to an empty mattress laying in one corner
of the gestation room. Once the lifeless form is secure, the two
nude teenagers exchange a look, then stand. The Staff of Gihan is in
one's hands, she raising it to put the ruby over their heads. The
ruby glows, showering both of them with a cascade of energy, that
energy morphing into normal street clothes common to the Western
nations of Earth. As soon as they are properly covered, both girls
relax, then gaze on the other.
"Why couldn't Mother save herself, Jonna?" the younger of the
pair, a blue-eyed lass with long auburn hair in a thick French braid,
wonders.
The one holding the staff, a brown-eyed woman with red-brown
hair done up in ponytails similar to the way Hinako styled her hair,
sighs, then gazes at Miree's body. "She felt it wasn't right, Orin,"
Jonna allows a tear to stream down her cheek. "The Saviour did so
much for both of us when he allowed our spirits to shift into
Mother's mind. To save both us and herself would have been too much.
This weapon, as it is configured now, demands too much of those who
weld it," she gazes on the Staff of Gihan.
"It can be changed?" Orin blinks.
"Only by another like it. Mother was able to discover where
one of these devices is currently located," Jonna lightly smiles.
"She was able to imprint that and what must be done into the Staff
before she died. When the Staff is bestowed onto Hinako-sama,
things should go much better. I've had one too many close brushes
with Death for my tastes, sister."
"Hai, the same here. But will Hinako-sama be able to make the
other device accept Aria-sama? Which device is it, anyway?" Orin
wonders.
Jonna smiles. "It is the Genesis Wand of Paran, Orin. To the
Vosians, it is called the Sceptre of Lecasur."
Orin's eyes widen...
* * *
Nerima, the Shakujii River...
Akane sighs, staring at the cleaver in her hands. It was one of
Kasumi's prized kitchen utensils. How many meals this knife had
helped create, the youngest Tendou daughter had no idea. She traces
a finger along its well-honed edge, wincing slightly as the sharp
tip bites ever so lightly into her skin. Perfect. Yes, this was
more than perfect. She closes her eyes, taking a deep breath as
people's faces flash through her mind, she gazing absently at the
flowing water before her.
"Oh, Ranma..." she shudders as the image of a tall man with
black hair flashes before her eyes. "Forgive me, Ranma. Why
couldn't you make yourself respect me? Was it because you thought
I didn't respect the Art you were made to give your whole life to
understand?" Akane's eyes tear as the image of the male Ranma morphs
into the female Ranma. "And now..." she lightly smiles. "Oh, how
ironic. You were taught by that bastard girls were weak, and
then...! And then, you were made to become a girl, both in body and
in mind. If only..." she stares heavenward, though the underside
of a bridge presently blocks her view of the stars. "If only I
hadn't turned back on my words when we first met, maybe...! Just
maybe, I could help you as you go through the next few weeks.
But..." she sighs.
A man's image takes Ranma's place. "Ataru-san..." Akane smirks.
"How ironic it is that fate brought Ranma together with YOU of all
people. I guess there are two sides to every story. I can't begin
to guess what must've changed you over the last two months. Was it
because people in Tomobiki didn't want to understand you? Was it
because of something else? I wish I could understand what drives
you. I still care for Ranma. If you and Ranma do become a couple,
I want Ranma to be safe." She closes her eyes. "Oh, please,
Ataru-san, please make Ranma happy..."
She shudders as another image comes up. "Nodoka..." she hisses,
then shakes her head. "Railing all the time about honour. What do
you know about honour? You damned bitch..." she growls. "For over
ten years, you ignored what that panda did to your son and let a
stupid scrap of paper take the place of your child's love and
happiness. You let tradition blind you. Well, you can't be blinded
by what's going to happen to Ranma..." a giggle escapes her. "Now,
you have no power over her. No power at all..."
The giggle becomes a sob as her family appears in Akane's mind.
"Oh, Daddy, how COULD you?! Why did you let me be tricked by
Ryouga?! And why didn't YOU say something, Kasumi?! Didn't you care
about how I'd feel when I found out the truth?! Didn't you care
about my feelings?! After all, you and Nabiki just threw me at
Ranma! Remember that?" She then calms down before focusing on
Nabiki. "I'm sorry, Nabiki. I know how much the Art meant to you.
And I went and took it away. It's no wonder you didn't really care
for me..." she sniffs. "Before now. Thanks for sticking up for me,
Onee-chan. I hope you can find what you want where I couldn't..."
Silence, then a final image. "Marie-san..." she breathes
out. "I wish we could've become friends..." Akane takes a deep
breath, then draws up the cleaver, poising the edge over her wrist.
A bark. Akane jolts, then spins right to see a dog standing
a metre away. "Michael!!" she gapes, then moves to put some distance
between her and him. "No, Michael! Please, go away!! Please...!"
Michael barks again, then moves towards her. "No!!!" Akane
falls on her backside, she keeping the cleaver close to her, the
point aimed away from the dog's head. She already felt guilty enough
over what happened to Marie; Akane would NEVER forgive herself if
Michael was hurt, too. "No, Michael! Please!! I have to do this!
Michael, please...!!"
Michael barks again, then leaps to Akane's side, his mouth
snaring her blouse top. "Michael!!" Akane gasps as she feels herself
being pulled towards him, then she puts her free hand on his shoulder
to push him back. "Please, Michael, let go of me!! Michael,
please...!!!"
Michael yanks, causing Akane to stumble onto her stomach.
She cries out as something sharp rips into her belly, then a cascade
of numbing pain overwhelms her as her blood spurts from the wound
the cleaver made onto her hand. Biting back a scream, Akane shoves
Michael away, then collapses to her side, she glancing down to see
that her right hand was now covered in her own blood. "Oh, damn..."
she coughs, then gargles as something surges up her throat. "Damn,
that hurt..." she feels her conscience fade.
Michael stares at her, then begins to fidget, a pained bark
escaping him, then he arches his head and howls...
* * *
"What was that?!!"
Jonna jolts, then looks nowhere in particular before her mind
focuses on the source of that wail. "A dog...?" she blinks, then her
eyes widen in disbelief. "Oh, no! That's Marie-sama's dog!
Michael!!"
Orin gapes, then closes her eyes, concentrating.
<<Michael-sama?! Michael-sama, what's wrong?! Why are you crying
like that?!>>
* * *
Michael pauses as he feels something, someone, touch his mind,
then he gazes on Akane once more before howling again...
* * *
"Who's that girl?!" Orin demands.
"Wait..." Jonna closes her eyes, then she jolts on hearing
a woman's voice echo deep in her mind. <<Michael, save
Akane-san!!!>>
"Marie-sama!!" Orin gasps. "But who is that girl?!"
"It doesn't matter!" Jonna raises the Staff, the ruby glowing...
* * *
Michael yelps, backing away fearfully as a shower of energy
cascades over Akane's body, then she fades from view. Seeing the
girl disappear, the retriever barks several times, then howls once
more...
* * *
In orbit, Akane's body materializes at Jonna's feet. Seeing
the cleaver plunged into the Terran's stomach, her blouse now soaked
with her blood, the Niphentaxian-turned-Avalonian
waves the Staff once more. A bolt of energy lances down to hit
Akane's forehead. A second bolt then lashes out to one of the two
gestation chambers still holding an untemplated Avalonian body. Orin
watches as the albino skin gains colour, the body shifting slightly
as it assumes Akane's dimensions.
"Thank Elvis!!" Orin breathes out, then hearing a dog's howl
echo once more through her mind, concentrates. <<It's alright,
Michael-sama! She's alright!! She's safe! Please, Michael-sama,
don't cry anymore!>>
* * *
Michael pauses, sniffing the air, then sensing a tidal wave of
hope and happiness from whoever was now speaking to him, relaxes.
He sits down, barking a couple of times in response. By what he
could sense, the girl his mistress liked was safe and alright.
Marie would be very happy. No doubt, Marie's new friend would be
back very soon. Once she was here, he would take her back to Marie's
side so they could be together again.
Yes, he could wait...
* * *
"There..."
Orin stares at the empty husk at her sister's feet, then turns
to look inside the gestation chamber, where a nude Akane Tendou now
floats. Jonna relaxes, then taps controls at the chamber's base to
drain out the gestation fluids. It normally took about an Earth-day
to complete all the physical work on an Avalonian, but with the help
of a device like the Staff of Gihan, time becomes relatively
meaningless. "There..." she sighs.
"Who is this woman, Jonna?" Orin wonders.
"According to what the Staff told me, she is Akane Tendou,"
Jonna reports. "One of several girls who were promised to the
Saviour's Beloved as a future life-mate. Of course, this was before
Ranma-sama was made aware of Her True Nature. Akane still cares for
Ranma-sama even now, though there has been much emotional tension
between them in the past."
"So why would Marie-sama want this girl to be saved?" Orin
demands. "If Ranma-sama's so-called 'fiancees' were all eliminated,
none would stand in the way of Ranma-sama consummating Her
Relationship with the Saviour."
"It is not our place to question these events, Orin."
Orin pauses, then nods. "Hai, true."
The chamber is fully drained, then Jonna opens it up. A
confused moan escapes Akane's lips as Orin reaches in to lift her
out. Once she is clear of the chamber, Jonna waves the Staff over
her. Instantly, what gestational fluid was still on Akane's skin
vanishes, clothing now draping her body. With that done, Jonna
sighs, then aims the staff at the lifeless shell which once contained
Akane Tendou's soul. A flash of energy later, the body vanishes.
A pause, then Jonna does the same with her mother's body. "There,"
she breathes out. "I think it's time we left."
"Where can we go?" Orin wonders.
"To where the Beloved Sisters now live," Jonna raises the Staff.
"But we have to make two small stops beforehand."
A flash of light later, all three Avalonians are gone...
* * *
Michael barks as a ball of light explodes before him, fading
to reveal Akane, she now asleep in the arms of a strange girl with
pointed ears. Another pointy-eared girl stands beside the one
holding Akane, a funny-looking, long stick-thing in her hand. Both
women breathe out, then stare at the dog before bowing very
respectfully to him. "It is alright, Michael-sama," the one with the
long thing intones. "Akane Tendou is alive and safe. Marie-sama's
Will has been done, Michael-sama."
Michael blinks, then barks before trotting up to sniff Akane's
hand. The scent was slightly different, but yes, this was Marie's
new friend. Were the pointy-eared girls friends, too? He barks
again, then backs off.
Jonna and Orin exchange a look, then the latter announces,
"We will take Akane to your island home, Michael-sama. There, Akane
will be given the chance to reunite with Marie-sama as She so
desires. But first, we must obtain Akane's personal belongings,
then move them to Promised Island, then we must explain what has
happened to her."
Michael turns his head slightly, then barks again. "Please,
do not feel threatened by us, Michael-sama," Jonna bows her head.
"We mean You, nor Your Beloved Mistress and Her Sisters, no harm.
In fact, we are here to protect Them from a terrible being who has
already earned the enmity of the Saviour, Your Mistress' Beloved
Brother Ataru. Please understand."
The dog seems to hum, then he barks a couple of times before
heading off towards the Moroboshi home. Jonna and Orin watch him go,
then the former faces the latter, raising the Staff high. "I'll
transport you and Akane to Promised Island now, then go get Akane's
belongings."
"Hai!"
A flash of light takes the two expat Niphentaxians away, leaving
the underside of the bridge over the Shakujii empty save for the
puddle of blood soon to be washed away as a storm sweeps in over the
Kantou plain...
* * *
The Tendou home, minutes later...
"OH, MY!!!!"
The door to Nabiki's room snaps open, she leaning out to see
Kasumi standing at the door leading to Akane's room. "What is it?!"
The elder daughter shivers, pointing wordlessly into the room
in question. Nabiki walks over, then peeks in before her jaw drops.
"What the HELL...?!!" she steps inside, scanning around.
What awaits her is an empty space devoid of EVERYTHING,
including all the furniture. Even the duck-shaped plate with Akane's
name on the doorway has vanished. A quick check of the closet
reveals the very same thing. Nabiki blinks, blinks again, then
stares wide-eyed at Kasumi. "What the hell happened to all of
Akane's things?!" she demands.
Kasumi shakes her head helplessly...
* * *
The Moroboshi home...
"Michael?"
A low bark, then Marie gasps as Michael proceeds to clean her
face with his tongue. "Stop that!!" Marie playfully swats her dog
away, then sighs. "What happened to Akane-san, Michael?! Is she
safe?!"
Michael barks again, then licks Marie's face. She giggles,
then sensing her dog's happy mood, reaches over to stroke his neck
fur. "Oh, thank the gods! I'm so glad she's alright!" she draws
Michael down to lay beside her, closing her eyes as fatigue overcomes
her.
Michael whines, then lays his head on her stomach...
* * *
Nearby...
"Ane-kun, what was THAT all about?!"
Negako blinks, then her lips twitch into an amused smile. "You
might say that is part of what Ataru ran into when he was with me in
Sanctuary."
Chikage stares at her, then her eyebrow arches. "I see."
"Now, imagine all that passion turned AGAINST Ataru," the
ninjitsu grandmistress warns, holding up a finger. "Then you might
begin to better understand what happened to Ataru during that time."
The sorceress blinks, then breathes out. "I see..."
* * *
Somewhere...
Akane's eyes flutter as she finds herself in a hazy mist the
shade of angry storm clouds. There is no discernable shape within
her visual range. Taking a moment to allow herself to recover,
she then draws her hands into visual range. Her body is translucent,
glowing with a bright white light, the fringes of that aura
disappearing into whatever surrounds her.
"Where...?"
Akane curls into herself, noting that what now affected her
hands pretty much affected the rest of her body.
"Where am I...?"
She looks around, her body twisting as it follows her eyes. Her
eyes look up and down, but she sees nothing. Nothing at all.
"Is this...?"
Nothing...
"Am I dead...?"
Akane blinks, then her hands fall on her abdomen. She does not
feel any pain from where the cleaver had punched into her stomach.
A quick movement both ways reveals she is nude. Fortunately,
with nothing and no one -- especially no one of the male persuasion
-- looking at her, Akane's automatic embarrassment at her nudity
doesn't reach paranoid proportions.
"I'm dead..."
Akane blinks again, then lightly smiles, allowing herself to
"fall" back as if she was collapsing onto her bed at home. Finally.
Finally, the years of pain and loneliness were over. The hollowness
in the depths of her heart had no meaning now. If she was dead, that
meant Mother was, HAD TO BE, close by. If that was so, Akane would
never be alone again.
"Mama...?"
Akane glances around as the dark haze begins to lighten. Like
the sky lightened just before the dawn. Her eyes widen as the purity
of That Light seems to infuse her with energy. Oh, gods...! Oh,
gods, It was so beautiful! Was This Place...?! Was It Heaven?!
Was It...?!
"Mama?! I'm here, Mama! Mama, where are you?!"
Akane blinks, then her eyes narrow as she tries to peer through
That Light, hoping to discern what might be hidden behind Its
Brightness. Cupping her ears with her hands, Akane strains to
hear...
What could she hear Here?
"Mama!!" Akane calls out. "Mama?! Mama, are you here?!
Mama!!!"
Silence.
No response.
"Mama..." Akane shudders as the sting of tears fills her eyes.
***Go back, Akane.***
Akane jolts, then watches as a section of That Light around
her becomes even more brighter -- *How's THAT possible?!* a voice
deep within her demands -- then morphs into a humanoid shape, The
Light fading to something more tolerable to one accustomed to human
senses. Akane focuses again on the image before her, then her eyes
widen with delight.
"Mama!!!"
***STOP!!!***
Akane feels something hold her in place just before she was
about to spring into the image's embrace. "Mama..." she winces,
drawing back a bit, wondering what she might've done now to earn her
mother's scorn.
***No, Akane,*** the image smiles. ***I am not angry at you.
But it is not your time to come Here, musume-chan.***
Akane blinks, then shudders. "No, Mama! I want to stay...!!"
***You cannot. It is not your time. Go back, Akane. Please
go back and be with your sisters and your friends. Go back,
Akane...***
Akane shudders as The Light melts once more into darkness,
the image of Kimiko Tendou melting away with It. "NO!!!!" she vainly
reaches out for her mother. "NO!!! PLEASE!!! I WANT TO STAY WITH
YOU!!! MAMA...!!!!"
Her mind fades as darkness overtakes her...
* * *
Akane's eyes open again...
Taking a moment to orientate herself, she then feels a chill
warp through her body as the three-dimensional sea of circuitry
surround her comes into full view. Gulping as she tries to
understand where she is now, she quips, "Now I know what Ryouga must
feel like when he gets lost..."
A hollow laugh escapes her, then she blinks as a point of light
appears before her. Akane blinks, then shudders. That light had the
same consistency, the same brightness, as That Place which held the
spirit of her mother. What was this? What was going on here...?!
The light then morphs, assuming humanoid dimensions, becomes
female, then its luminescence fades into something Akane recognized
at once.
"Ranma...?"
As soon as the word left her lips, Akane realizes she made a big
mistake. While the being before her clearly bore Ranma's warm
features, she was as tall as Ranma's male self, with dark chestnut
hair in lieu of locks the bold shade of a fire engine. The eyes...!
The eyes, thank the gods, were still the same, but they seemed to
glow with heavenly fire.
And the clothes...
The clothes...
A black, form-fitting bodysuit covering her from neck-to-toe.
The arms, from shoulder to wrist, trimmed in crenelle-type
lace. Over that, an robe similar to what certain Christian high
priests wore, this done in gold-trimmed black. Emblazoned on that,
the wingtips resting on the shoulders, the body over the navel, was
a stylized golden bird insignia. A phoenix -- the Western version
of one -- perhaps? Or something else...?
"Who...?"
The being before her lightly smiles, her eyes echoing with pain.
***Another innocent victim of so long ago,*** she mouths, though
her voice echoes deep in Akane's mind and not her ears.
"'Victim'...?!" Akane seems to falter.
***Yes,*** the other nods. ***Though profoundly affected
by the grief and anger you feel at your mother's death, the love you
feel for Ranma Saotome shines like a supernova, Akane Tendou. But,
as you are now realizing, it is a love that will not produce the
desired fruit you seek. And for that, Akane Tendou...*** she bows
her head. ***I am sorry.***
Akane blinks, blinks again, then asks, "Why do you
apologize...?"
Silence, then streams of shamed tears flow down the other's
cheeks. ***Many, many of your centuries ago, a terrible battle,
one beyond your wildest imagination, fought between the Powers of
Creation and Entropy occurred near where you call home, in the place
you know of as 'Tomobiki.' How ironic that a place named that exists
on your world, for on the planet I once called home, the syllables
'togh-mogh-bi-ki' put together in that order form a word meaning
'the place of fools and madmen.'***
"What does Tomobiki have to do with...?! Akane sputters.
The other gazes sadly at her. ***Has it not caused you to
wonder, Akane Tendou? All the 'weirdness,' to use your terms, that
has afflicted not just the Tomobiki-of-now, but places close to
Tomobiki such as your own home district and other places within the
city you call 'Tokyo?' All the darkness, the pain, the tragedy
which has rocked Tokyo for so long, has its impetus in the battle
of Toghmoghbiki many centuries agone.***
Akane takes that in, then shakes her head. "Wait! You can't
just heap all that on yourself. If this fight happened centuries
ago, how were you to predict what would happen after you died...?!"
***But there, Akane Tendou, you are wrong,*** the other shakes
her head. ***I, not to mention the one I love more than Life Itself,
can take the blame on ourselves. And we have, Akane Tendou. And
even more so, we have chosen to do something to atone for what we
have done.*** She bows her head again. ***But in doing so, many
will be hurt anew. Some will be marked forever by this. Including
the one you care for so deeply.***
Akane blinks, then shudders. "Ranma...?"
***Yes.***
"But, why...?!"
Silence, then the other fixes Akane with a pained stare. Gazing
at her, Akane is quick to notice that the fire deep within the other
woman's eyes has faded. "Because it is my destiny, Akane-chan,"
she then speaks.
Silence.
"Ranma...?"
"Hai," Ranma squeezes her hands over her heart as the bodysuit
fades, morphing into her preferred Mandarin tang and track pants.
She then reaches out to touch Akane's cheek. Akane gasps, then
blinks, staring down at herself. Her body was now 'solid.' It is
also draped in a sleeveless black bodysuit with gold trim and
buccaneer boots, a two-phoenix insignia covering her chest. Golden
bracelets cover her wrists, nearly unnoticeable with their lack of
weight.
"Wha...?!" Akane gapes, her cheeks reddening, then she stares
at Ranma. "What is this?!" she demands, her fists clenching.
"I wish I could really explain it to you, but I can't because
I don't really understand all the details myself," Ranma shrugs,
then points to her forehead. "I'm not the whole of what you call
'Ranma Saotome,' Akane-chan. I'm a part of her. A reflection
of her inner subconscious that's been growing in her mind ever
since..." she pauses, then looks nowhere in particular before
sighing. "Since I can't remember, I guess."
"Ranma..."
Ranma blinks, then closes her eyes, her clothes morphing again.
Akane blinks, then nearly gags on seeing the sleeved black bodysuit
her ex-fiancee now sports. While Akane's suit is enticing due to its
sheerness on her body, Ranma's is positively scandalous thanks to the
golden-trimmed diamond cuts revealing her navel and BOTH her hips,
the latter reaching from the small of her waist and diving almost
halfway down her thighs. Further, Ranma has a the same one-phoenix
insignia her other-self had on her bodysuit. But this time, the
phoenix's wings frame a lot of exposed cleavage. And Akane could
tell there was no underwear beneath that suit.
Ranma seems to ignore the amount of flesh she now shows off as
she lifts her arms to stare at her wrists. It is then that Akane
notices that the lower sleeves of Ranma's suit are puffed, though
clasped tight on her wrist by bracelets similar to her own. Further,
the arms were trimmed with a golden wreath-of-laurel from her
shoulder to her wrist, though that line was interrupted by a
military-type rank insignia on the lower arms. Five converging
wreath-of-laurel stripes in a pile, the columns divided by a
miniature phoenix, a four-point star between the upswept wings.
Akane gazes at it, then stares questioningly at Ranma. The
latter sighs, then smiles. "There's only one other person who's got
the right to wear this exact type of uniform, Akane-chan,"
she sighs.
Confusion pulses through Akane, then her eyes widen.
"Ataru-san?"
"Yeah," Ranma lowers her arms, then takes a deep breath before
staring at her. "I'm falling in love with him, Akane-chan."
Akane shudders, the suddenness of Ranma's declaration hitting
her like the proverbial ton of bricks. Gripping her hand over her
heart, she tries not to scream out, much less lash out at the person
before her, then she looks away. "Wh-...?!" she croaks out, then
gazes at her. "Why...?"
Ranma frowns, then closes her eyes. "Remember Sunday night?
That thing I turned into when Ataru and I were fighting Oyaji?"
A nod. "Y-yes..."
"Well, let me tell you something," Ranma allows tears to flow
down her cheeks. Tears of shame. Tears of pain. "If you or Mom or
anyone else had decided to push their luck that night..." she bites
her lip, then hoarsely finishes, "...you would've been just as dead.
For that thing is part of me," she points to her heart. "A part that
got sheared away when Oyaji put me through the Neko-ken. A part that
couldn't influence me, but still experienced all the pain I've gone
through ever since. And because she couldn't do a thing to help me,
she just floated there in some part of my mind. And got angrier
and angrier..." her voice trails off.
Akane blinks, then shudders. "Until something happened to give
her the chance to finally come out and express herself."
"Yeah," Ranma nods. "And, as I'm sure you can guess now,
something like that happened to Ataru when Negako got fired into his
mind back when he was six or so. And because that part of him has
been in the hurt locker longer, that part of him..." a pause, then,
"...the Cyborg's willing to do a hell of a lot more damage to those
he perceives as potential enemies."
Silence as Akane considers that, then she asks, "Is that why he
left Tomobiki, came to Nerima? Because the surface part of him
doesn't want the Cyborg to get loose? Doesn't want that thing to
kill...?"
"Yeah, that's part of it," Ranma nods, then she sighs. "But the
other part of it's because..." she looks away, then murmurs. "Of
me."
Silence.
"You...?"
"Yeah. You see..." Ranma sniffs back tears, then sighs.
"Someone -- I don't remember who and neither does Ataru -- helped
us form a really deep psychic bond when we were very little. I
guess..." a pause, then, "...if you looked at Oyaji's journal,
sometime before we went on the big training trip, we wound up
travelling to Sendai, around where Ataru's uncle lives. Ataru used
to stay there a lot when he was really young. And..." she takes a
deep sigh. "Something happened. All I remember is cold. Ataru..."
she shakes her head. "He can't remember anything from that since
it was buried so deep in his mind and, well..." a helpless shrug
shifts her shoulders, then she gazes directly at Akane. "And that
bond, even with all the crap that happened to both of us after, has
remained firm."
"Can it be broken?" Akane wonders.
Ranma shakes her head. "Not without killing us both, not to
mention letting loose things that shouldn't be let loose to the end
of time. But..." she bows her head. "It's too late now."
"Too late...?"
"Yeah," Ranma sighs, then turns away from Akane. "Akane...?"
"Ranma..."
Ranma glances over her shoulder. "Promise me one thing?"
Akane shudders. "Wh-what...?"
A sigh, then Ranma looks away. "That you'll live your life?
That you won't do something stupid like killing yourself? That
you'll move on, find someone to care for, love and protect?" She
bites her lip as she hoarsely adds, "That you'll let your feelings
for me go?"
Silence. Akane shudders, a storm of mixed emotions boiling
deep in her heart, then she bows her head. "Ranma..."
"Akane-chan, I can't give you what you want," Ranma shakes her
head. "And I don't want to do that, not with you, not with U-chan,
not with Xian or anyone else that I knew before I met up again with
Ataru."
The raven-haired woman jolts, then shudders as anger rips
through her. "And what makes you think you know what I might want?!"
The redhead stares knowingly at her. "I've known all along,
though I haven't admitted it to myself until recently," she smirks.
"In a way, you were no different than U-chan, Shampoo or Kodachi.
I wasn't a person to you at all. And believe it or not, that's the
way everyone I've known's treated me. I'm either something to be
coveted, something to be despised, something to be tamed or something
to be ignored. Even Toofuu-sensei and Kasumi treated me like that
when you get down to it." She looks off into the surrounding
scenery, wistfully smiling. "Until Ataru came back..."
Akane blinks, then shudders as a fresh bout of shame dampens
the rage boiling in her heart. "Ranma..." she bows her head. "I'm
sorry..."
"I know," Ranma smiles. "And I know you mean it."
"Then come back!!"
She shakes her head. "I can't. Because I know what you want
now -- for things to go back to the way they were just after the
wedding and all that, when we were really getting along, trying to
like and respect each other as everyone close to us wanted -- well,
that's something I don't want to give to you anymore, Akane. I've
found something a lot better. I've found someone that not only can
I love, but that I can also call a real friend. The first person
EVER to treat me right from the start, knowing all the contradictions
my life's been warped into, with respect and kindness. You wanna
know how that felt to me, Akane?" she stares at her ex-fiancee,
tears brimming her eyes. "To be seen as a human being?"
Akane blinks, then looks away. "I..." she stutters, then bows
her head. "No, I really don't know how that'd feel like, I guess."
"Well, if you want an idea, talk to Ryouga about how he felt
like when you first gave him comfort as P-chan," Ranma smiles. "All
those years wandering on the road, not knowing when he'd ever see his
family again, not knowing a kind hand along the way. And then
someone came and showed him warmth and love. You, Akane. Is it any
wonder that he chose to keeping doing that for so long, even after
he met Akari and all that?"
"You forgive him?" Akane blinks. "After all he's done to you?"
Ranma shakes her head. "It doesn't matter now, Akane-chan.
That's because I'm growing beyond all that. You see..." she points
to herself. "What you see before you now is what I'm evolving
into. The person you and the others knew two weeks ago...! Well,
he's evolving into me. Just like the person all of Ataru's old
classmates knew at the Second Tag Race has evolved into what he is
now. And we don't want to change back. Neither of us do,
Akane-chan. And that's part of why we've come together. The other
part..." she lowers her hand. "Well, Ram warned you about that, I
guess."
Akane blinks again. "'Ram'...?" she wonders, then her eyes
widen. "You mean that woman...? The one who looks like you?"
"Yeah," Ranma nods. "You see, the Universe recycles itself
through the power of the Te'a -- that Light you saw when you wanted
to see your mom again. Ram lived thousands of years ago. But part
of the life energy that was her touched me when I was born. Just
like part of the life energy that was Atar, Ram's soulmate and
lifemate, touched Ataru. And all it took in the end is that someone
who brought us together so long ago." She pauses, then takes a deep
breath. "And because of that along with so many other things,
something big'll happen. And we'll be caught in the middle of it."
Akane blinks. "How big...?" she tries not to gulp.
"Think of Mount Phoenix," Ranma sighs, then gazes at her. "Then
multiply it to the hundredth exponent. Then you got an idea."
The other woman pales. "Gods..."
"Yeah," Ranma nods, then reaches over to give Akane's shoulder
a friendly squeeze. "I do like you, Akane-chan. I really do. If
there's one thing I want from our time together..." she leans over
to gently peck Akane's cheek, "...is for what you said when we first
met to come true."
Ranma pulls away, she moving to walk away from her ex-fiancee.
Akane gazes tearfully at her. "'Let's be friends,'" she whispers.
"Yeah," Ranma nods. "But if you don't want that...? Well, I
won't hold it against you, Akane-chan. Right now, you need time to
put your life into some sense of order. To make sense of where you
want to go. I've no right to influence it one way or another.
I've no right to demand things of you anymore. Whatever you decide
to do, I'll respect it."
She turns away, her body starting to fade. "Ranma?!" Akane
gasps.
Ranma stops, then stares at her. Akane blinks, then squeezes
her fists shut. "If I decided to..." she begins, then sighs. "To
commit..."
"Seppuku?" Ranma wonders, then on noting Akane's nod, sighs.
"I would respect that decision, too. I owe you that much at least."
Akane blinks, then she finds herself alone...
* * *
To be continued...
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