The characters in this story belong to their respective creators and rights
holders. Ranma 1/2 is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi. Sailor Moon is the
creation of Naoko Takeuchi. All original content is the creation of Samuel
Phoenix. Recognition is given to John Sanchez for a small kick of
inspiration that helped produce this story, and to Harold Ancell who has
been a near constant source of input, information, and ideas.

Awkward Consequences
Chapter 8: The Unexpected
PsyckoSama (syp104@psu.edu)

Ranma gulped, and whipped his sweaty palms against his pants as he entered
the lobby. Here he was, entering a Love Hotel with a girl he had only really
known for a day. Of course, they had already had sex, they were planning to
wed, and she was carrying his child. The shit had hit the fan, and he really
couldn't say that he minded.

He slowly gazed upon his mate. Her dark pink flush perfectly accented her
severe coloration, making her look beautifully exotic, like the descriptions
of Snow White in those western fairy tails.

It looked like she was nervous. What ever she wanted to tell him was really
weighing her down. She was afraid of rejection, and of being alone. She was
trembling with fear, and he didn't like it one bit.

The beautiful young woman flushed an even deeper crimson when she realized
that Ranma's affectionate gaze was upon her. Hotaru slowly looked down
demurely and slowly spoke up. "Ranma, we need a room," she said.

While obvious, this served to clear to Ranma's clouded mind. His focus
quickly shifted from his blushing betrothed, to the lobby of this secluded
hotel.

The pink wallpaper, plaster cherubs, and the large, slightly faded print of
Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" were blatantly obvious attempts to cover the
patently cheap interior.

Decoration aside, the room was spartan, just a counter, two doors, a
key-rack, and bloated swine of a man on a swivel chair, who was currently
entertaining himself with a "Tentacle High School" Manga.

Ranma slowly walked over to the desk. With a nervous lump in his throat he
said, "Excuse me."

The fat manager slowly lowered his manga, looked somewhat perturbed about
the interruption. In a dull and somewhat disinterested tone he asked, "Which
room?"

Ranma slowly looked down at the counter. Under the plastic surface was ere
pictures of each of the rooms. He had never expected this to be so
impersonal... like ordering take out, but he could understand the need for
privacy.

As Ranma looked over the selection, he gagged. The selection of rooms was
colorfully themed, and some of them were extreme. This including a Los Vegas
complete with a massive heart shaped bed like he had seen in the movies and
even an S&M room, the look of which couldn't help but remind him of Kodachi.

Quickly deciding on something plain, Ranma spoke up. "Err... Number Twelve?"

"Rest or Stay?" asked the bloated attendant.

Ranma blinked, not understanding what the he meant. "What?"

The manager nodded, and continued. "Rest means two hours, stay means
overnight. Rest or Stay?"

Ranma blushed and said, "Rest."

The man behind the counter slowly stood up, his chair giving a pained squeal
as his massive bulk shifted. Retrieving the key, he turned back to Ranma, he
stretched out his hand. "4,000 yen."

Ranma dug into his pocket and pulled out his lucky wallet. Shifting through
his lucky blue "Wombat Fury Z" wallet, he withdrew four 1,000 yen bills and
gave them to the attendant.

The man quickly snatched up the money, and handed Ranma the key.

"Where is our room?"

The fat man cracked a smile and pointed to the door opposite the entrance.
"Other side of that door. Call if you need anything."

The two youth quickly exited the lobby. The main hallway was the same dull
shade of pink, which their faces were now matching. They quickly rushed into
their room.

----------------------------------

As soon as she entered, Hotaru looked around the room. She had thought 4,000
yen was a low price, and now she saw why. While immaculately clean, it
showed years of heavy wear.

The wallpaper was yellowed with age and cigarette smoke, the stereo mixing
board mounted above the bed was in an state of disrepair, there were
cigarette burns in carpeting, and the room had a musty smell that she didn't
even *want* to try and identify.

There was a loud click behind her as Ranma made sure the door was closed and
securely locked. Turning his attention to Hotaru, Ranma said, "So, what did
you want to show me?"

Hotaru slowly opened her mouth, but was then remembered a old rumor she had
heard the girls at school talking about, a rumor about Love Hotel rooms
holding hidden surprises. While she knew that was probably nothing more then
paranoid foolishness, it was best to be sure.

She slowly checked every possible nook and cranny of the room for recording
devices.

After about thirty seconds Ranma asked her, "What are you looking for?"

With a shrill cry, Hotaru jumped away. Her hands were sweaty, her heart was
pounding in her chest, he stomach was churning, she was almost paralyzed
with dread. What would he think of her once he knew the full truth? He would
reject her. Cast her and their child away like yesterday's trash. No one in
their right mind would *ever* want anything to do with someone like her.

Taking a deep breath in a futile attempt to calm her nerves, she said,
"Ranma, I'm checking for bugs and cameras... I've heard rumors that some of
these places secretly record you."

Ranma nodded, and checked around the room for a moment. "Room's clean," he
stated.

Hotaru blinked. He seemed very sure of that. "How... How do you know?"

Ranma leaned against the wall made that cute little "I'm the best" grin that
just turned Hotaru to jelly. "It's easy... My pop showed me lots of ways ta
spot cameras and bugs and stuff..." he paused for a moment and cocked his
head toward Hotaru. "So, what do you wanna show me?"

Hotaru felt her knees go weak. There was no way out now, no turning back.
There was only the horrible truth behind her existence. Would Ranma reject
her because she was nothing more than the Death Star in a mini-skirt?

Hotaru's breath slowly began to elevate, and her eyes started to moisten as
she thought. What would she do if he rejected her? She would be more alone
then ever! All alone in the world with an innocent child who would pay for
her mistake. What kind of mother could she be? She was a weapon, the
Harbinger of the Apocalypse.

Hyperventilating, and crying with dread Hotaru's knees gave out, sending her
falling onto the bed. How could some one as special as Ranma ever care for
her? He said she wasn't a freak, but he didn't know! She was one! She *was*
a...

"Hotaru!"

Hotaru was wrenched out of her thoughts by Ranma's shout. Her head shifted
towards him. He was shaking her. She was so lost in her own self-doubt that
she didn't even realize it, but what truly caught her attention were his
eyes. His beautiful blue-gray eyes, filled with affection and concern.

Hotaru quickly calmed down. She could get lost in these depths.

"Hotaru-chan, are you okay?"

Hotaru smiled, and pulled him down into a deep, passionate kiss. The simple
emotional bond and the desire that the kiss conveyed lifted her spirits. She
could tell him. She had the strength. She just prayed that he would not
reject the truth, reject her.

As Hotaru broke off the kiss, Ranma pulled away, his eyes full of confusion.
Hotaru could sympathize. To someone who did not know the history behind it,
her family would seem very strange, especially Setsuna, then he had to deal
with her breaking down in front of her, and to cap it all off, she just
pulled him into a kiss. She could see why he would be confused.

Ranma lifted himself from his rather precarious possession on the bed, and
held his arm out to Hotaru. Accepting his invitation, she grasped his limb
and he pulled her to her feed. "Hotaru, what was that about?"

Hotaru winched as she felt her resolve weaken once again. "I'm... I am
afraid Ranma. I'm afraid that you'll reject me once you know the *truth*."

Ranma's face twisted into a slight scowl and he stepped away. "Do ya really
think that I'll do that? You really think that little of me?" With a sigh,
he turned away from her.

As Ranma slowly walked away from her, Hotaru knees once again going weak and
once again tears slowly began to build up in her eyes. He was wrong. She
didn't think so little about him. It's that the truth is just so big. It was
monolithic factor that shadowed her, damned her, in her past life, and will
do so again.

When he was about three meters from her Ranma stopped and turned around.
Hotaru's heart lifted when she saw his scowl had been replaced by the
roguish smile that Hotaru had quickly learned to love. "Ya don't gotta
worry! I gave ya my word, Hotaru, and Saotome Ranma always keeps his word,
and I don't run away either! Hotaru, I ain't gonna leave ya over some bit of
weirdness... So, you gonna show me this or what?"

She smiled. Somehow, Ranma knew exactly how to cheer her up, even when she
was at her worst. She was still nervous, but no longer as afraid... "I'll
show you Ranma... I think you should sit down for this."

Ranma nodded, and the two slowly traded positions as she walked toward the
center of the room, while Ranma returned to the bed as he was told.

Hotaru took a deep breath and summoned her Henshin Rod. She had to do this
now while she had the strength.

Ranma blinked as the small object appeared in her hand. "Hey, you know
hidden weapons style?"

Hotaru rolled he eyes. "No..."

Ranma blinked. "Err, Okay..."

This is it, acceptance or rejection... salvation or damnation. Hotaru raised
her transformation pen to the heavens.

"Saturn Crystal Power, Make Up!"

Hotaru vanished in a rainbow of energy as she embraced the power of her
destiny. Ranma watched as the woman he knew, and was growing to love quickly
transformed into her alternate identity.

As the corona of mystical energy faded, Sailor Saturn. This was the moment
where her fate would be decided. In a weak, unsure voice, she said, "Ranma,
I'm a Sailor Senshi"

Slowly she opened her eyes and glanced at her love, trying to determine his
emotions. She did not see what she expected. He had a nosebleed.

Ranma chucked and scratched his head. With a big, silly look on his face, he
said, "Hotaru-chan, do you know you're naked when you do that."

Hotaru gawked blankly at him, and slowly rubbed under her nose.

Getting the point, Ranma did as well. When he felt blood, he quickly wiped
it clear. "Sorry bout Hotaru, it's just that that transformation is just,
well, kinda erotic, and that costume is so... sexy."

Hotaru stood in place, utterly dumbfounded, blushing a brighter shade of
scarlet then she thought physically possible.

The two stood in place for a moment or two, then Ranma spoke up. "So... 
you're a Magic Girl. No prob' there...."

Hotaru shook her head. She looked him in the eyes, her heart pounding and
her knees weak. "I. I'm not just a. I'm not just a Magic Girl." Tears slowly
began to build up in her eyes, and she began to tremble as she continued,
"Ran... Ranma, I'm the Magic Girl... who can destroy a planet in a
moment.... "

He blinked, "What?"

"I am weapon, Ranma. I could destroy the world if I wanted to. That was why
Sailor Saturn was created, to be a kind of twisted Mutually Assured
Destruction tool. I could end all life on Earth."

Ranma stood in place, dumbfounded by this news. Hotaru slowly began to lose
he balance as fear began to swell in her heart. So this was it. She just
knew it.

A after a long moment, Ranma opened his mouth and said, "Whoa..."

With building tears in her eyes, Hotaru quietly whispered, "Ranma... please
don't leave me..."

Hotaru's words were so low that no normal person could hear them, but Ranma
senses were far from normal. "Why would I do somethin' stupid like that?"

Hotaru jumped back with shock. He had heard her! In barely a whisper, she
said, "Because I'm only a weapon."

Ranma sighed, and shook his head. "No you're not. You're not a weapon, our
just Hotaru."

"But..."

Ranma did not allow Hotaru to continue her sentence. "No buts, even if ya
turn into... what every ya turn into, you're still you. It doesn't matter
one bit."

Hotaru smiled brightly. She hadn't given him enough credit, had she? The
truth was slowly starting to dawn on her. Ranma would not reject her, no
matter how weird and freakish her powers might be. He was to kind a
person... and far more jaded to the strange and unusual then any human being
should ever be. He didn't care if she was a Magic Girl. He didn't care if
she could end the world. He only cared that she was Hotaru.

"Sailor Saturn... That makes ya a Sailor Senshi, right?" asked Ranma.

"Yes."

"Okay," replied Ranma. He paused for a moment, obviously deep in thought.
With her knees threatening to give way, Hotaru slowly shifted her weight to
the haft of her Silence Glaive.

Ranma scowled and looked her in the eyes, "Hotaru...."

So this was it, her rejection. S He was going to cast her away. To damn her
to a live time of loneness. She clamped her eyes closed and tensed up,
trying to prepare herself best she could for the crippling emotional blow.

Paying no visible heed to Hotaru's reaction, Ranma continued, "If we're
gonna get married, then you gotta find a way to transform that doesn't give
everybody a free peep show."

Hotaru almost lost her footing at the glaive slipped, and after taking a
moment to regain her footing, she gawked at her lover. "Ranma?"

The pigtailed youth blinked, "Err... Yeah Hotaru-chan?"

"Don't you... have anything else to say?" He was going to reject her, she
knew it. No one in their right mind would want someone as pitiful as her.

"Not really, 'cept that's a really badass pole arm ya got there."

Hotaru chuckled to her self in total disbelief. She had told him that she
was a Senshi. She had told him that she could end all life on Earth. He was
not casting her away? He was only complaining about her state of dress
during her transformation! This was the big reaction that she had feared? It
couldn't be. There was no way in hell that someone could take this so easly!

How the hell could he be so casual about this? It was as if he had somehow
been expecting it, or didn't even care! She could blow up the god damn
planet, how could he not care about that?! She swallowed the lump in her
throat and asked him. "Ranma, how can you be so relaxed about this?"

The pigtailed youth sighed and looked down, his face showing clouded with
sadness. "Hotaru, nothin's ever been easy for me. No matter what I do or how
hard I try, something is always gonna blow up in my face or turn out weird.
Why would this be any different?"

Hotaru's shoulders slowly dropped, and tears began to well up in her eyes.
"So you knew I was a freak all along..."

Ranma's eyes narrowed and he grabbed her by the shoulders, giving her a firm
shake. "No Hotaru, it wasn't you, it was me!  If any one here is a freak, it's 
me! I turn into a goddamn girl! That's a lot worse then a magic girl
transformation, and I don't care if ya can destroy a planet! That's old new
to me!"

Hotaru blinked. Old News? Was he serious? "What the hell do you mean by
that?"

Ranma shrugged. "It's a long story... a very long story... Anyways, I didn't
think you are a freak, and I still don't" Ranma paused for a moment and
backed off. "I just thought there would be something about you that was just
wasn't normal, because I don't do normal. It's just not in my karma. I was
expecting something like this."

She giggled, and looked him in the eyes. "So what kind of strangeness were
you expecting?"

Ranma shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe a Magic Girl, relative of some world
class martial artist, alien from another planet, android catgirl... sure the planet 
killer bit was unexpected, but something like that."

Hotaru cocked her head at his last example. "Android catgirl?"

"I guess you've never met Nuku-chan?"

"Nuku-chan?"

Ranma shrugged it off. "Another long long story... I'll tell ya later."

"So you aren't going to abandon me? You don't think I'm a freak?"

Ranma nodded, "I've been saying that all along."

Hotaru slowly laid her glaive against the wall, and stepped up to her
beloved. With a smile on her face, she wrapped her arms around him, and laid
her head on his chest. Ranma's strong arms quickly encircled her as she
began to weep tears of joy.

Without removing her head for his chest, she said, "Ranma?"

"Yeah?" he asked, as he took a whiff of her floral scented hair.

""I... I was so lonely," she replied.

Ranma squeezed her tighter and replied, "So was I."

Hotaru's smiled relaxed as she lost herself in Ranma's arms. With a sigh of
contentment, she wisped, "I love you."

The two stood in each others arms for what felt like an eternity, enjoying
the bond that was growing between them. Slowly, Hotaru moved her head from
his chest and looked Ranma in the eyes. With an Impish smiled on her face,
she said, "Make love to me."

----------------------------------

Ranma smiled and stared at the Love Hotel's steeling. Well, he was right.
She was more energetic in her Senshi form, MUCH more energetic.

He smiled as he gazed upon her sleeping form. He always thought falling
asleep after sex was the guy's job, not the girl's. Oh well, whatever. She
sure looked peaceful when she slept, like she didn't have a problem in the
world. He envied her right now.

I love you. She said, "I love you". Ranma wished he could say the same to
her, but he couldn't. He couldn't lie to her like that. He really didn't
know if he did. You can't honestly say that you love someone if you don't
really know what love is in the first place.

He could be in love with her, then again he might not be. He sure as hell
knew he liked her. She treated him with about ten thousand times the respect
that his 'fianc�es'.

His fianc�es. He better stop thinking of them like that. He had a fianc�e,
and that was Hotaru. She was carrying his child and would soon be his wife.
They jut had to make it official.

Then what? Then what would he do? He would still would have to deal with the
other fia... girls. If the way the *last* wedding the blew up in his was any
indication was any indication of things to come, this would not be easy.

Of course he didn't really know what love was. He never had any definite
experience with it, at least in the romantic sense! He though he loved
Akane, be now he was not sure. He knew he loved Ucchan, or at least used to,
but that was as a friend and sibling.

Ranma pounded his fist onto the bed, with a hiss of, "Damn it, why does this
have to be so hard.."

The blow sent a powerful tremor through the mattress. Next to him Hotaru
stirred, awoken by the impact.

Slowly, she turned over, still wearing elements of her Senshi uniform. She
slowly opened her eyes, and smiled when she saw him next to her. Through a
suppressed yawn, she said, "Hi."

Ranma blushed. Man Hotaru was cute when she smiled. He had always though
Akane's was cute, but she didn't hold a candle to Hotaru. She looked even
cuter, especially with that Senshi tiara on. It made her look like some kind
of princess.

Ranma smiled and slowly stretched out his hand, following the rim of the
tiara then caressing her cheek.

Hotaru smiled brightly and took Ranma's hand in her own, snuggling against
it with her cheek. ""I love you, Ranma."

Ranma sighed, and looked away. He wanted to tell her, to comfort her, but
there was no way he would say unless he was sure. He liked her too much.

"Ranma, what's wrong?" Hotaru's smile vanished, and she looked down. "Is it
something I did?"

"No." replied Ranma. "I can't tell ya I love ya, 'cause I don't know if I
do."

"What?" Hotaru clamped her eyes shut, and rolled over.

Ranma silently cursed himself and his big mouth. He really needed to shut
up. "Hotaru, I..."

"No!" cried Hotaru and she turned over. Ranma really felt bad. She was
crying again. "Why, Ranma, why did you lie to me! How could I believe that a
man like you could like a freak like me?"

Ranma sighed, he really screwed to pooch this time. "Hotaru, listen to me,
and listen to me good." Hotaru began to open her mouth, but was shushed by
Ranma. "I said that I don't know if I love ya, not that I don't like ya. You
're really cute, your really nice, and you've treated me better then almost
anyone I've ever met!"

Hotaru's tears slowly ebbed, and with a confused look on her face, she
asked, "How can you not know?"

"I think I love ya... I know I like ya a lot, but really ain't exactly sure
what love is," he replied.

"What?"

"It... it's a long story Hotaru, and I'll explain it all later." Ranma
sighed and continued, "I said I like ya... and I'm gonna prove it."

Hotaru blinked. "How are you going to do that?"

Ranma turned over the edge of the bed and started digging around in their
discarded clothing. When he found what he was looking for, he slowly pulled
himself back onto the bed.

"Ranma, what's this about?" inquired Hotaru.

Ranma gulped, and with nervous hands presented the ring box. As he opened
it, he asked, "Hotaru, will ya marry me?"

----------------------------------

Hotaru gasped, was he actually asking her. She had know they had talked
about it, she had chosen the ring, his buying it had been an even bigger
step, but she could not believe it. This felt more dream then reality.
"Is... is this for real?"

Ranma smiled. "Yeah, though this feels pretty surreal to me too. I never
thought I would ask a girl to marry me."

Hotaru blinked. "Why not?"

Ranma sighed. "I thought I would be told who I was going to marry. I didn't
exactly have much choice back there..."

"Not like you have much of a choice here..." added Hotaru quietly. Her
pregnancy had forced their hand. They really had no other acceptable choice.

Ranma shook his head. "I don't mind. You're a nice girl, a lot nicer and
more normal then the kinda girl I thought I'd marry."

Hotaru blinked. She'd been called more things then she would ever care to
remember, but normal was never one of them.

"Hotaru, I... I'm no good with this mushy stuff, but I like ya a lot." Ranma
smiled, and continued, "I'm gonna ask you this again. Will ya marry me?"

Hotaru smiled and nodded, "Yes, Ranma. I will be your wife."

Ranma gulped, and slowly removed the ring for its protective casing. Taking
her left hand into his, he slowly slipped the ring onto her finger.

Hotaru gazed upon the ring and smiled. They were engaged! So much had
happened to her in the last few days. First, she found out that she was
going to become a mother, and now she is going to become a wife. She
silently swore to herself that her children would grow up with the happiness
that she and Ranma both didn't had.

Hotaru glanced up at the clock, and sighed. It was noon. Their two hours was
almost up. "Ranma, it's time to leave."

He blinked, looked at the clock, then cursed. "Shit! We got less then five
minutes."

"Oh no... Great, just great. There isn't nearly enough time for both of us
to clean up. You don't know what happened last time I came home after having
sex." Hotaru cursed.

"What happened?" inquired Ranma

Hotaru's eyes narrowed. "Don't ask... I don't want to talk about it."

"You know we're just wasting time... anyways I think this place has a
western style shower."

"What does that matter?" demanded Hotaru.

Ranma gave Hotaru a predatory smiled. "I'm sure that it'll be big enough for
two, and I've heard about some 'creative' uses for showers from the guys at
school."

Hotaru looked Ranma in the eyes, and returned the smile, "I'll wash your
back..."

"Sure thing..."

----------------------------------

Ranma laughed as he and Hotaru exited the room. It felt good to be with
someone he liked. He had never felt this way about Akane, he was sure of
that.

Ranma opened the door to the lobby and laid the keys onto the counter, and
he and Hotaru continued towards the door.

As they were about to exit the lobby, the attendant coughed to get their
attention. "Your late. You're going to have to pay over time."

Ranma blinked, and looked at the room's wall clock. "Come on! It was only
five minutes!"

The man behind the counter shook his head. "Five minutes or fifty, your
late... that'll be 2500 yen for the additional hour."

"Fine..." grumbled Ranma as he paid the man.

With a sigh, he turned to Hotaru. "So, we have another hour, what now. You
want to..."

"Ranma, I would like to, but I'm hungry, I want you to meet my best friend,
and..." Hotaru blushed bright red in embarrassment. She moved up to Ranma,
and continued in a low voice, "I'm starting get a little sour... much more
and I will have problems walking."

Ranma blushed as red as he fianc�e, and nodded. "Ahh... err... Okay, Hotaru!
That sounds like a plan."

Ranma opened the door and the two continued back onto the street. "I want
you to meet my friends too... My mom would love to meet ya, and If when can
hunt down the baka, I wanna introduce you to my best bud Ryo... Oh, shit!"
Ranma exclaimed as they turned the corner that led out of the ally way.

Hotaru's blood froze in her veins, and a big blank smiled made it's way to
her face. "Hi... Papa!"

Notes: The scene after Hotaru's transformation is very rough and I'm not
exactly happy with it. I will be thankful for any and all sugestions and
ideas.

The previous chapters can be found at: http://www.fanfic.net/~psyckosama/




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