[FFML] [R.5/TM!] Ryoko Saotome [17]

Suffering

Ryoko looked out into the star field and leaned
back into the deck chair. She had spent most of her
life looking on that sight. Wandering, always
wandering.
She had been getting tired of it. She hadn't
really realized just how much the endless desert of
the star field was wearing her down until she
crashlanded on a backwater planet past the defined
edges of civilized space. She could have easily spent
the remainder of her life on Earth if it were not for
Kagato.
She typed a few keys on the control ball next to
her and the view changed to an Earth receeding in the
distance. She was leaving again.
"That still looks weird," Ranma said. Ryoko
snapped to face him, moderately annoyed for the first
moment. She calmed down quickly though, in truth the
sound of another voice was welcome.
"Never thought about it," Ryoko said. She
couldn't even remember the first time she'd seen a
planet falling away behind her. She frowned and
corrected herself. "Not usually anyway."
"Never stayed anywhere long?" Ranma asked. "Me
either, until Nerima."
"It's a little..." she paused for a moment. "I
guess it isn't different."

********

Ayeka's eyes cracked open again to the sound of
that incessant beeping again. Her head still pounded
with a dull, muffled ache. She looked around, the
action of moving her head hefty strain alone. The
room design looked to be a hospital maybe.
Ayeka frowned and struggled to remember the last
few days, but little if anything made sense.
Something was gnawing at her, some worry, but she
couldn't remember precisely what.
"Good morning," a voice said, and she looked to
see what seemed to be a young girl in a lab coat. She
seemed familiar, but Ayeka couldn't quite grasp from
where.
"I know you..." Ayeka said uncertainly.
The girl didn't say anything for a little bit,
checking the machine next to the bed, but she glanced
at Ayeka with a comforting smile. She looked to young
to be a nurse or doctor, but somehow Ayeka got the
feeling that she should be there with the machines.
She felt both safe and vaguely, horribly, at risk from
something truly and greatly dangerous.
"Where's Tenchi?" Ayeka asked, she moved to sit
up, this lying down was not dignified. There was
danger somewhere, it was clear before, or was that a
fever dream?
"Don't push yourself," the girl warned sharply.
"You'll have to deal with a little undignified
recuperating for a month or two."
"What happened?" Ayeka asked. "Who are you?
Where's Tenchi?" Her eyes widened and she tried to
sit up again and the girl gently pushed her back down.
"Ryoko! There's a malfunction in her cell! I could
hear her thinking!!"
"My name is Washu, and Ryoko...is fine," the
girl said in a strange manner. "She's coming here to
Jurai last I heard. Please calm down." The urgency
in her voice was directed totally at Ayeka.
"This is not Earth?" Ayeka asked. "No, we left
Earth...with...walking legends," she gave Washu a
funny look. "....and..." there was an image of
falling debris flashing through her mind. "Where's
Tenchi? And my sister?"
"Sasami is fine, too," the girl said. "She's
been here as often as she can."
"I demand you tell me what is going on!" Ayeka
commanded.
"I thought I told you not to push yourself," her
red-headed attendent firmly insisted. "You've been in
a coma for nearly two months..."
"Two...months?" Ayeka said in quiet disbelief.
"And I am not going to have you relapse on me,"
Washu said firmly.
"What happened?" Ayeka asked again. "Where's
Tenchi?" Washu breathed deeply and sighed, then she
sat down at Ayeka's side.
"I don't know how much you remember yet," the
small scientist said. "I can regenerate brain matter
to some degree, but I can't recreate it...yet."
"Just tell me," Ayeka insisted, in her normal
imperial tone. Then she relaxed her dignified image.
"Please."
"Tenchi died," Washu said reluctantly.
"...died..." Ayeka said hollowly.
"In battle," Washu said.
"Where was Ryoko when it happened," Ayeka asked
coldly.
"She was badly hurt when..." Washu hesitated.
She didn't know how Ayeka would take the idea that
this all happened to rescue her. "In the last fight
with the enemy. I'm told she went as far as she
could. We didn't think she could have survived."
"You said she was fine," Ayeka pointed out,
sounding tired.
"She turned up alive, back on Earth," Washu
said. "It would be best to ask Mihoshi and Kiyone
about her when they get back. They'll know more.
Now, I want you to relax, but tell me if you feel like
you are going to sleep."
"I suppose I must live," Ayeka said. "For the
empire."
"Living is enough for now," Washu said, leaving
it perfectly clear that they would expect more
eventually.

********

"This is very big inside," Ran Ran said in
Mandarin, looking around, then she wandered into a
room and up to a wall, giggling as the wall again
turned transparent with her approach.
"Would you please stop doing that?" Shampoo
insisted from the hallway. The window-walls did not
amuse her nearly as much as they did Ran-Ran. She
didn't like knowing her feet weren't on the ground.
Or at least within twenty feet of it. Heights were
one thing, a void something completely different.
Shampoo was beginning to have doubts about the
decision to return to Nerima. Less than a week back
and she was on the way to act as a guardian for Ran
Ran in a galatic trial. Of course it had to be her,
Mousse was more suited to dealing with the Japanese
than she was and they still had to look for property
to support a true colony of Amazons.
Ran-Ran sighed and stepped away from the wall.
She sat down on a chair at a desk and pouted.
"You said Ranma was supposed to be mine,"
Ran-Ran said. "Now he's over there with that...witch,
and I'm here."
"Grandmother suggested I try to match you up,"
Shampoo told her.
"But Amazon Law..."
"If Amazon Law were irrefutable I would be
married to Ranma," Shampoo snapped, she sighed. "It
would be better if you would find someone else."
"But..."
"The Tribe will not support a claim that
involves making an enemy out of Ranma," Shampoo said.
"We do not have the power to force Ranma to marry
anyone."
"He is just..."
"The man that killed Saffron," Shampoo reminded
her. "And he is not the only problem. There is
Ukyou, her fiancee, her ninja and that crazy girl.
There are Ranma's parents, and the Tendos..." Ran Ran
started to protest. "Don't underestimate them. Akane
is dead, but Natsume and Kurumi both consider
themselves Tendos, they are both beyond exceptional
fighters and Kurumi would surface if she felt she had
to.. The modern world is Nabiki's playground. And
that isn't considering that 'witch's' friends."
Shampoo gestured at the spaceship around them. "We
are surrounded by people that would make a permanent
stay in Japan impossible."
"Why did you bother even saying anything to me,"
the younger girl demanded. Ran Ran didn't want to
listen to it. She sat down and pouted trying not to
pay attention to her sister.
"I didn't know Ranma already had someone,"
Shampoo said. "I wanted him to be happy. If he is,
then I need do nothing."
"How do you know that sorceress didn't cast a
spell on him," Ran Ran asked. Shampoo sighed and
shook her head.
"She knows as much about magic as that blonde
would," Shampoo said.
"But," Ran Ran started to protest.
"Is Great-Grandmother Teaching you?" Shampoo
asked, knowing the answer. "Then don't presume to
know more than me."
"Yes, sister," Ran Ran muttered. Shampoo walked
over to her and hugged her comfortingly.
"You are young," Shampoo said. "You'll find
someone."
~I don't want 'someone',~ Ran Ran thought to
herself.

********

"Sister!" Kuno shouted as he entered the estate.
"Sister! I demand your presence." He turned a
corner and found himself facing a rather surprised
looking Kodachi.
"Brother?" she asked. "Is that you under those
filthy bandages?"
"Yes, but that is a minor detail," Kuno said.
"We must pool our resources, for even you must see the
evil that Saotome is commiting now."
"What evil is that, brother?" Kodachi asked, her
nose wrinkled back as she covered her mouth and nose
with a hand and handkerchief.
"Can you not see that he is working to enslave
yet another fair maiden to his evil ways?" Kuno
demanded.
"If you mean his wife," Kodachi said, looking
down to the...substance her brother was leaking onto
the floor. "Then I am told that she is an ex-criminal
strong enough to fight Ranma to a standstill. I think
perhaps she can take care of herself."
"And where have you learned this information,
Sister?" Kuno demanded. "Certainly these must be lies
crafted by that foul diabolist Saotome."
"It is amazing what you learn when you attend
dinner parties," Kodachi said. "And despite
Nodoka-san's protests and attempts at distraction,
Ryoko is quite outspoken about her past."
"You see, he already has her spreading these
foul lies about herself," Kuno insisted.
"Yes...I see," Kodachi said. She looked him
over again. "Perhaps you could take a bath while I
make a call."
"Yes, of course," Kuno said. "I must appear my
best when I destroy the foul demon." And he stomped
off toward the baths leaving a slithering trail
of....something that smelled less than healthy.
"Might I ask what call you mean to make,
mistress?" Sasuke asked as Kodachi reached for the
phone.
"The one you think I'm making," Kodachi said.
"Ah," Sasuke said, torn between loyalties. "How
long will he be staying this time?"
"Oh, I don't know," Kodachi said. "He never
generated multiple lawsuits in less than two weeks
before. Or soiled my floors for that matter."

********

"I recognize this system," Ryoko said quietly as
they passed a gas giant. "Why is Kiyone bringing us
this way?"
"Is something wrong?" Ranma asked.
"We stopped here," Ryoko said. "All of us."
"Oh," Ranma said. He moved close behind her.
"We...I spent all our money," she said. "On a
karaoke machine." She sniffed and laughed a little.
"We were all taking turns on it. Mihoshi, Washu,
Tenchi's father...he couldn't sing at all." She
laughed again. "And me and Ayeka...we were still
competeing over...Tenchi. I can still remember the
song..." Ranma gripped her shoulder comfortingly and
Ryoko's hand reached up to hold his.
"...but maybe they're right..." Ryoko sang
softly, under her breath. "...but tonight's the
night...to give your winning charm a try. Most people
think...I'm a loon..." Her voice trailed off. She
was always competing with Ayeka, always uncertain
which one he would choose. Uncertain. Confused.
"Sorry," Ranma said, "I shouldn't have asked."
"I'm fine," Ryoko said.
"We...used to sing at parties," Ranma said.
"Akane, her sisters, Shampoo and me. Nabiki had us
record a few copies of a CD once. I still have it, in
a box with a lock of Akane's hair."
"You're lucky," Ryoko said. "I don't have any
souvenirs. All I have is memory."
"They ain't quite a substitute," Ranma said
softly.
"You go to...your Akane's grave how often?"
Ryoko asked cautiously.
"Every month," Ranma answered after a moment of
consideration.
"I can't do that," Ryoko said. "I don't know
where Tenchi's grave is, and they probably buried him
at Jurai in some royal cemetary or something."
"You could stay on this Jurai place probably,"
Ranma reminded her.
"No," Ryoko said. "I'm going back to Earth, one
way or another." Ranma frowned at the phrasing.
"If...Nagi does kill me, you'd see to that wouldn't
you?"
"I would try," Ranma agreed reluctantly.
"Good," Ryoko said. "That's...I think that's
home now. And if he's anywhere, he's there." She
remained silent after that, still holding Ranma's
hand. "You're right," she said finally. "It is
confusing."
"Yeah," Ranma said. "You think you know what
you want..."
"But is it okay to take it?" Ryoko finished.
"You think you know what you want?"
"Yeah," Ranma said looking down at the seated
space pirate. She smiled softly back and then frowned
pensively.
"I hope..." she was cut off as a communicator
screen popped into existence.
"Ryoko, I think you should check the..." Kiyone
stopped as she saw the scene. "Is everything okay?"
"I'm fine," Ryoko said bringing her hand away
from Ranma suddenly. "I was just remembering the last
time we were here," Ryoko said. The cop appeared
confused and then a pained look crossed Kiyone's face
for a moment.
"The last time we were here," Kiyone said.
"Right, that was fun."
"Yeah," Ryoko said, focused now. "It was fun.
What were you asking?"
"Turn on the news," Kiyone said with a good deal
more confidence. "You should probably see this, and
then we should probably stop for a talk, face to face.
Is...this planet alright for you?"
"I'll see you in the docks, Kiyone," Ryoko said.
Kiyone nodded and almost eagerly shut off the
communication. Ryoko sighed deeply.
"Ciao?" Ken-Ohki inquired to her side. Ryoko
flinched, she was still not to used to the white
cabbit being around. She didn't really trust him
either, he was loyal to Nagi, and that did not leave
her with a good feeling.
"She couldn't remember," Ranma guessed,
remembering the first time he had met the woman.
"She isn't even certain of what her relationship
with Mihoshi was," Ryoko said, she looked up. "And I
can't answer that question, I really can't. And Ayeka
might be worse. I don't ever want to forget...any of
them." She tapped a few keys on her console to call
up a news screen.
"Ya shouldn't," Ranma said as the news started
running.

********

"A crew of independent miners made a grisly
discovery today when tapping a previously undiscovered
asteroid field," the reporter said. "There was heavy
debris scattered about the field, some pieces large
enough for the miners to identify the debris as
multiple Galaxy Police patrollers. The GP is making
no comment, but our sources indicate that the serial
numbers they identified belong to three of the five
ship convoy assigned to escort Nagi."
"An asteroid field," Kiyone said as she noted
the coordinates on the back screen. "Nice touch."
She didn't want to think about the lapse Ryoko had
just caught her in, especially when this time the
pirate hadn't teased her about it.
"Apparently the villian's series of murders and
terrorists activites have been ended, not in a court
of law, or field of battle, but due to natural
phenomena."
"Don't count on it," Kiyone said, shutting off
the broadcast. "She used the Evslin Field as a
dumping site. Probably took one of the patrollers
until she could find something less conspicuous."
"I don't get it," Mihoshi said. "Didn't Ryoko
say she thought Nagi was a police officer?"
"Yes," Kiyone said. "About four or five years
ago."
"OHHH!!" Mihoshi said. "Are we stopping here
again?"
"Yes, Mihoshi," Kiyone said. "We're stopping
here."

********

"They're not coming along?" Ryoko asked,
indicating the two Amazons. "Are they?"
"Well of course they're coming," Mihoshi said.
"The more the merrier after all."
"I will not be treated like some weak farmer
that must be protected," Shampoo said.
"It ain't your fight Shampoo," Ranma said,
without much hope of having an effect.
"After what happened to Ran Ran," Shampoo
reminded him, eliciting a flinch from the younger
Amazon. "And it has been four years Ranma, even I
speak better Japanese than you do."
"That don't..." Ranma started. He stopped as
Shampoo arched an eyebrow and Ryoko snickered a
little. "That doesn't mean anything."
"What funny?" Ran Ran asked.
"I am at least sitting in on these plans,"
Shampoo said. "And I shall contribute if it at all
possible."
"And the kid?" Ryoko asked pointing at Ran Ran.
"She stays out of the way," Shampoo said. Ran
Ran started to protest but stopped when Shampoo turned
to glare at her. "But I want her to watch and learn
at any rate. Stupidest young warriors become good old
leaders sometimes." Ran Ran beamed. "Of course most
of them just get themselves killed."
"Big Sister..." Ran Ran whined.
Ken-Ohki watched the group leave down the docks
and started to follow them. In all likelyhood they
would be talking about Nagi, and he wanted to be there
when they did.
"Miao?" Ryo-Ohki yawned quietly from where she
was curled up resting from her travels. Of course, it
was just like the humanoids to forget that they
weren't machines. Did they expect to just leave her
alone like that, what if someone broke into the ship?
Ryoko glanced back to look at them and nodded
towards Ryo-Ohki, and Ken-Ohki understood. The woman
trusted him with Ryo-Ohki, but she didn't trust him
around her. She wasn't leaving him a choice.
"Ciaaoo," Ken-Ohki sighed wearily. "He could
still warn Nagi off of this hunt, if she got close
enough to listen that is.

********

"Do you need anything to drink, ladies and
gentleman?" the waiter asked, succeeding wonderfully
in not sounding shaky.
"Yeah," Ryoko started. "I'll have..."
"Something that ain't got alcohol," Ranma
interrupted. Ryoko turned to look at him and tapped
her fingers irritably. Ranma returned the look with
one of his own.
"I was going to have the klah, thank you," Ryoko
said after a moment, and a quick glance at the menu.
"No alcohol, just caffeine."
"Bleh, not as bad I guess," Ranma said. "Ain't
they got fruit juices or something?"
"We certainly have a selection of fruit juices,
sir," waiter said. "What would you like?" Ranma
looked at the menu's breverage section and frowned.
"What these drinks?" Ran Ran asked.
"I don't recognize anything on this menu,"
Shampoo echoed.
"Start with the leej juice," Mihoshi suggested.
"It tastes almost exactly like orange juice." The
three Terrans shrugged and decided to go with the
blonde's suggestion.
"I'll have a klah, also," Kiyone said, massaging
her forehead and sounding as tired as usual.
"All right," the waiter said. "I'll be back
shortly to take your order." He bowed and stepped
away from them, as soon as he was out of their sight,
he grabbed the closest pay-communicator and started
dialling. Ryoko did not wait long past when the
waiter disappeared.
"You don't think that she's dead," Ryoko said
sharply. "Nagi would not be taken down by something
as meaningless as an asteroid field."
"The convoy certainly wouldn't have had trouble
with a field that has been a GP landmark for the last
two years," Kiyone added. Ryoko blinked and looked at
her. "What, you don't think that pirates are the only
ones using undocumented phenomena, do you?"
"I guess not," Ryoko said. "Still think letting
her live was a good idea?"
"I'm not bounty hunter, Ryoko," Kiyone said. "I
don't have the luxury of doing what I want to do. I
have my own duties and obligations."
"And when you were on the run with us?" Ryoko
asked. Kiyone hesitated.
"I didn't have a choice then, either," Kiyone
said. "Nagi has to be stopped, secured, but I am not
going to her level to do it!" Ryoko and Kiyone stared
across the table at each other, and everyone tensed.
"She wouldn't have gotten far in a GP ship,"
Ryoko said finally, eliciting a group sigh of relief.
"Yes, well, I'm checking all the reports of
missing vehicles," Mihoshi said. "But there are a lot
of them."
They quieted down as the waiter returned with
their drinks, until they asked for more time to
decide.
"She will come for you," Shampoo said, simply.
"Yes?" Ryoko nodded, frowning at the Amazon's entrance
to the conversation. "Then we wait, and while she
attacks you, we take her."
"I am not going to be a decoy while the rest of
you take down Nagi," Ryoko said. "I am not doing
that."
"What about someone dressed like you?" Mihoshi
asked.
"Right," Kiyone said. "There's nobody here that
can pass for more than a couple of seconds, and then
she knows its a trap."
"We don't need a decoy anyway," Ryoko said.
"She wants to fight me full out. Not take me down
from hiding like some sniper."
"How about a couple of seconds at a time?" Ranma
asked. Ryoko snapped her attention to Ranma.
"What do you mean?" Kiyone asked.
"What about that thing where you blink in and
out?" Ranma asked turning to Ryoko. "Can't get a good
look at someone doing that." Ryoko froze.
"And who else can teleport?" Kiyone asked
wearily.
"Or move fast enough to look like it?" Ryoko
asked hesitantly. She shook her head. "It won't
work, how the hell do we know where Nagi's going to
attack? We just have to wait for her."
"Giving up the iniative loses the battle,"
Shampoo lectured.
"What do you know about it?" Ryoko asked.
"Nagi is hunted, and she is desperate," Kiyone
said interrupting the potential argument. "She'll
strike soon or she'll lay low and strike years from
now. If she strikes soon, it will be somewhere she
knows we're going to be. Where we should be relaxed
and feel safe. With high security, but not too high."
"You know a place like that, doncha?" Ranma
said.
"No, this is a bad idea," Ryoko said.
"Do you have any other idea?" Kiyone asked.
Ryoko frowned, but said nothing.

********

"And who is this we see sitting in animated
conversation around a table," the reporter asked as a
small image appeared in the corner above him. The
image zoomed forward to fill the screen to show six
people at a back corner table of a small restaurant.
The small group consisted mostly of women or girls
with a variety of hair colors. There was, in fact,
only one male in the group. "We recognize prominent
hero police officers Kiyone Makibi and Mihoshi
Kuramitsu, and the pardoned space pirate Ryoko. As
for the other three, your guess is as good as ours."
"I'll bet those bigwigs in the Jurai are really
chewing their fingers off now," someone laughed in the
bar as the news turned to something else.
"Yeah, bet they never expected Ryoko to turn up
alive when they pardoned her," another added.
"It would be better if she had been dead,"
someone muttered.
"What are you talking about?" someone asked.
"It's the biggest tag the powers that be have taken in
ages."
"If she's turned bounty hunter?" the nay-sayer
pointed out. "She'll be more dangerous than ever Nagi
was." A figure in the corner of the bar frowned at
that, and the way that the rest of the bar seemed to
take it seriously. Ryoko could never be as dangerous
as her.
The broadcast itself proved it. It was sloppy.
Getting caught on film like that was something Nagi
would never allow to happen if she didn't want it to.
She silently tsked as she sipped her drink. It just
went to prove that even Kiyone was not up to her
standards.
"So you've left Earth," Nagi whispered. "But
you aren't following my trail. Hmmm. Where are you
going?" She glanced up again as the television news
gave an update on the status of the crown princess
Ayeka. Nagi smiled darkly.
There was only one entrance to the Jurai inner
systems.

********

"Well?" Ranma asked.
"You don't look at all like me," Ryoko said,
looking over Ranma-chan in the wig they had procured
and a spare outfit of hers that had to be altered
somewhat to fit. "She's going to know something's
off. She'll..."
"You want to get her right?" Ranma asked.
"This isn't going to work," Ryoko protested.
"Hey," Ranma said. "I can take care of myself."
"Only if you see it coming," Ryoko snapped.
"Do you have a better plan?" Ranma asked.
"She wants a fight," Ryoko said.
"That's right," Ranma said. "SHE wants the
fight."
"I want her to suffer," Ryoko growled.
"Fine with me," Ranma said. "Don't see how
you'll do it, I don't she cares if she lives or dies.
As long as she fights you to the end."

********

"Excuse me, miss," the officer said, approaching
a serious looking woman in a heavy coat. "I need to
ask you to clear this area."
"What's the problem," the woman asked. The tone
of voice set the young Jurain security officer on
edge, and he narrowed his eyes. There was word that
an assassination attempt might be made in the next
day, by Nagi no less. Really, he should have called
for back-up in handling any apparent vagrant
considering the circumstances, but he doubted anything
would happen. And if it was Nagi, he'd be a hero.
"There's no loitering here," he said.
"I'm not loitering," the woman said. "I'm
waiting for someone."
"There are any number of restaurants to wait for
your other party," the officer said. "We've had too
much trouble recently to allow people to hang about
the checkpoint proper." He said, catching a glimpse
of something through her coat.
"Enjoying the view officer?" the woman asked
irritably. He looked her over cautiously and his eyes
widened, when he came back to her face. He started to
draw breath and move for his sidearm.
The woman moved quicker and dragged him out of
sight. A few moments later Nagi was looking into the
darkened window next to her and frowned. The make-up
had rubbed off her facial tattoos somehow. They made
things so cheap these days. She dragged the rookie's
body into a closet and eased her way back into where
she could see the lines of people heading for the
check point.
Any moment now.
It was coming close, they'd all know she was
here soon, and something was wrong.
Ryoko wasn't coming here, that was it. Ryoko
wasn't coming.
"Time to..." Nagi stopped as she caught a
glimpse of silver hair in the line ahead. "Maybe I
was wrong." She smirked and eased out into the main
section. Something was still wrong. She could feel
it as she broke from the shadows of the stations
structure.
She glanced about for a moment and returned her
focus on Ryoko as she got closer to the silver-haired
woman. That sense of warning was getting stronger,
almost like something...or someone, yelling in her
head.
Nagi stopped.
"Ken-Ohki?" she asked and then frowned. "You
chose your side. Leave!"

********

Ken-Ohki realed in shock as Nagi forcibly cut
the connection between them, hardly willing to believe
it.

********

Nagi turned back toward Ryoko and was surprised
to notice the former pirate staring at her.
"Excuse me," a man next to her asked before she
could react. "I didn't
hear....y...y..you're...NAGI!!!" Half a dozen heads
turned to the shout and then there was screaming as
the area around Nagi cleared. The bounty hunter
cursed as officers started to respond to the screams.
They'd be working their way through the stampede any
moment.
"RYOKO!!!" Nagi shouted, charging forward.
She made it about half the fifty feet before
something smashed into her leg. She tumbled to the
ground, feeling another solid blow to her back. Her
whip skittered across the floor and she struggled to
get up and reach it. Whoever her attacker was kicked
her across the room.
Nagi barely held onto consciousness now as
somebody lifted her off the ground. She blinked and
tried to focus on the person holding her, finally
focusing on a angry, pained face. Ryoko's face.
"This isn't the way it ends Ryoko," she wheezed.
"We're warriors both, this isn't the way warriors end
things." Ryoko growled and pulled the hunter to her
face.
"What kind of warrior are you?" Ryoko growled.
"I could kill you now easily."
"You won't," Nagi said smirking. She was
recovering now, and she still had an ace in her hands.
"No," Ryoko said. "I won't. You're going to
sleep."
She shoved the woman away and Nagi flew across
the room and slammed into a pillar. She crumpled
painfully to the ground, coughing and looked up to see
Ryoko and one of her accidental husband's
acquaintances. That Shampoo woman. Kiyone and
Mihoshi were coming from another side of the room with
side arms drawn. All the civilians had left, and now
the room was flooding with Jurai and GP.
"By the time you wake up," Ryoko snapped. "I'll
be thousands of years dead and buried. You'll never
get your fight." Nagi sneered angrily as Ryoko turned
away and let the authorities close in on the battered
fighter.
"No one kills you, but ME!!" Nagi shouted,
reaching into her coat and drawing out a small
cynlider. Before she could do anything with it
though, somebody grabbed her arm and twisted it,
shattering the bones into splinters. Ranma grabbed
the cylinder out of her hand and looked at it
curiously.
"This goes boom, right?" he asked, tossing the
thing to Ryoko who glanced at it. Kiyone next to her
glanced at it and swallowed before sighing in relief.
"She could have breached the hull with that,"
she said. "We'd all be dead."
"Fuck you all," Nagi snapped angrily from her
position on the ground.
She couldn't do much more. She couldn't feel
her legs after Ryoko threw her into the pillar, which
was partially good since she couldn't feel it was
broken. Her right arm was useless, and her whip was
twenty feet away from her. She wasn't getting away
this time.
"You're a coward, Ryoko," Nagi shouted as they
carried her away. "I always knew it, you're a soft
coward that can't do anything but run!! You could
never beat me! Never!"
Ryoko growled and looked down with closed eyes,
with eyes clinched.
She wasn't the only one fighting conflicting
emotions as Nagi was carried away. Ken-Ohki perched
within easy sight of Nagi's stretcher and watched her
taken away. Nagi's eyes brushed past the cabbit, held
for a moment and then right back to ranting about
Ryoko. As if she had never seen the cabbit.

********

"Did I do the right thing?" Ryoko asked from the
deck chair as they were leaving the checkpoint.
"Well," Ranma said.
"I'm letting her live," she said. "Tenchi's
dead, Yosho's dead, Tenchi's dad is dead. Kiyone and
Ayeka have had chunks of their life ripped from them.
And I know for a fact that none of it would have
happened if it weren't for her."
"You said it yourself," Ranma said. "You can't
trust what that mirror shows you."
"Oh kami, I wish I knew," Ryoko said. "I wish
Tenchi would tell me what he wanted." Ranma walked
next to her and crouched down to be level with her.
"That would be nice," Ranma agreed. "But I
think ya were right." He hesitantly wrapped a
comforting arm around her.
"I still want her dead," Ryoko said. She turned
and looked into his face, close to hers. She looked
over his face and sighed. "But I guess its over now."
"How about you," Ranma asked. "Still want to
die?" Ryoko hesitated for a moment.
"No, I don't," she said finally, smiling
lightly. "Do you?"
"I still have to keep track of you," he said,
smirking. Ryoko laughed once and then her face turned
serious as she leaned forward and closed the
difference between her and Ranma. "Ryoko?"
~I should talk to Ayeka first,~ Ryoko thought as
she closed her eyes. ~I should ask her if I have the
right. I should�~ "I love you."
"I love you, too," Ranma said as they started to
kiss.

=====
"Caffeinated Kender? What's that, a berserk spell?" -
Tribble, Kender Warrior of the Celestial Kingdom
"God has to have a sense of humor, it's the only explanation for sex." - my father
"I have to write a how-to paper for class, so I'm writing a paper on how to be psuedo-evil." - my brother

http://members.aol.com/thrythlind/snake.html

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