[Ranma][NGE][HPL][AMG][Fusion][Fanfic] Sic Semper Morituri Chapter 50 - Big
Iron
Disclaimer:
I do not own any of the characters from Ranma 1 / 2, Neon Genesis
Evangelion, Ah My Goddess, or the Lovecraft Cycle involved in these stories.
C&C, MSTs are welcome
E-mail: dan_s.comments@worldnet.att.net
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http://www.cs.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/ftp/archive/anime-fan-works/Ranma/type/Sic-Semper-Morituri
(these are the original versions)
What has gone before:
About Book 11 of the Tankoubon Manga, Akane and Soun Tendo throw Ranma
out of the house. Nabiki, in the guise of a wish, follows him. They meet
EVA pilots Shinji Ikari, Rei Ayanami, Asuka Soryu Langley and Jeffrey Davis.
Ranma begins teaching the others the insult techniques that are part of
his art. He also senses Asuka's growing injuries, cause by ignoring her own
limitations and trying to keep up with him. He disobeys her demand, and
heals her injuries. She accuses him of using his Code of Honor to justify
any action he cares to take. Ranma attempts to discover a way make things
right, while Rei tests methods of returning Asuka to normal.
The Azores group discovers the Great Old One, the creature awakens and
the battlegroup is surrounded by clouds and all the pilots are plunged into
a dream. Jeff and Nabiki awaken and return Cthylla to her temple.
Anna Alise and an American Alpine troop encounter three EVAs in
Switzerland, Anna captures one EVA and is ejected by remote.
The Bennington arrives in Boston, while Jeff, Maya, Nabiki and Ritsuko
are having dinner, Major ggreg fights and escaped from something. Ritsuko
finds out the truth about the project that created Jeff and Sharon, as well
as others, and about Jeff's history in particular. Sharon Lauren kills
Sgt.Malkowitz, then rescues Nabiki from an angry crowd, before revealing
their `shadowless` existence. Nabiki confronts Belldandy about it,
Belldandy has no explanation. She confronts Jeff, kills Belldandy, then
Jeff detonates his prepared bomb. Belldandy returns from her murder by
Sharon with a scream, while Keiichi comforts her. Jeff gives Sharon a last
chance, then absorbs her and falls into a coma. Ritsuko, Maya and Nabiki
arrive at the blast site and investigate, they find Jeff, but not Sharon.
Ranma, Asuka and Rei awaken, Shinji remains unconscious. Rei has a
tantrum in reaction to the mission she sent Shinji on. Ranma wonders why
he's locked himself in female form. Asuka and Ranma take Rei home with
them. Asuka and Ranma discuss the odd dreams they had.
Rei's and Ranma's cults assault the last of the Children of Nyogtha.
Another group of Jeff's cultists capture Urd and threaten her with an Angel
Eater, and the knowledge she can't defend against them. The Russian cult of
the 'Gray Lady' assault a cult and Children of Nyogtha, then celebrate their
victory. The GRU man recruits several of them for an upcoming operation.
Ranma confronts Asuka over the events of August 1945, Asuka physically
attacks Ranma while Rei prevents the guards from intervening. Then Rei
began telling jokes until Asuka laughed.
Shinji destroys the Mi-Go's moonbase, but cannot see them and isn't
affected by their counterattacks. He releases many of the minds in their
containers. On Yuggoth, he meets with Jeff and Sharon, getting some
insights into the real nature of the pilots.
Keiichi delivers the bicycles, Ranma and Rei begin learning to ride
them. Admiral Simson accompanies Asuka, Ranma and Rei on a field exercise.
Asuka lays out her plans and leads the EVAs' attack. Ranma develops a new
`wire-guided` version of his AT-field-ball attack, he discovers the Ranma
and Ranko are subtly different in this regard. Also Rei, Asuka and Ranma
analyze it completely. Simson learns that two people in a plug begin acting
like each other for a while.
The troops of the Bennington, who will accompany NERV forces to U.S.S.
Boxer, give `Brown Bess` a flint to put between her teeth.
The cultists attempt another incursion into Nabiki's dreams. They are
repulsed by the rattlepated scenario the Scholarly Dragon sets up.
Ranma's `other` torments and terrorizes the Scholarly Dragon, while he
and the Red Dragons are moving into Leng.
Ranma begins developing individual arts for each pilot to incorporate
their natural inclinations, strengths and weaknesses.
The Scholarly Dragon and Jeff are thrown out of the Council of
Dragonmages for their plans to teach Nabiki.
Toji has a nightmare just before the school day begins.
To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day. Hardly spoke to
folks around him didn't have too much to say, no one dared to ask his
business no one dared to make a slip, for the stranger there among them had
a big iron on his hip. Big iron on his hip.
Big Iron - Marty Robbins
August 4, 1947
It Was Early in the Morning When He Rode into the Town
Rei walked through the gates of the new school, carrying a backpack
with her school supplies and several other tools. I have examined the
grounds, she thought, On previous days. This will be my first opportunity
to examine the interior of the buildings without arousing suspicions.
Especially since they will be unlocked today. There is something not right
here. I can `feel` it, but without concrete proof, I cannot continue taking
my suspicions to either the Commander or Admiral Simson, and expect they
will accept them. So I will get it. She considered her fellow pilots for a
moment. No, without Nabiki-kun or Roku-kun, there are none
who would both accept my word, and be able to act on my suspicions. If they
were more than mere suspicions, I might be able to enlist the others, she
paused and considered the pilot she most keenly felt the absence of, I never
meant for that to happen. It was supposed to be a simple mission, we have
all since recovered, why do you remain away, why can I not find where you
have gone? Am I alone again? Having found you again, I sent you away,
because the Commander's vision required it. Others lost to the Commander's
vision have never caused me to question, but this cannot be . . . I cannot
set aside. If I had known . . . please, if you can, come back, at least for
a moment, end the uncertainty. Nabiki-kun, Roku-kun, you too should speed
your return. You are both needed, here, now.
Now I have no need for breaking and entering, she thought as she
considered the doors. She stood just inside the school gates, and
considered each of the three buildings looking down on the site. Lines of
sight, escape routes, posting of snipers and counter snipers, she thought as
she walked to the edge of the school building, There are places where cover
can be maintained, but mobility will be reduced. She stood before the
school buildings and attempted to discern where the enemy could be placed to
bring the greatest danger to the pilots. The main entrance should be
avoided, she thought, then noted it in her book, Unless held by our forces
in great strength. It is otherwise a gauntlet coming under fire from all
three overwatch positions and the main gate.
Rei let a smile ghost across her face. Before the lessons with the
others, I would not have had the tools for this analysis. She began
circumnavigating the building, taking note of the entrances, what could be
used for entrances or exits, by which pilots. Saotome could exit from any
window. However, entry below the third floor would be problematic, she
stopped at that thought, the image of the Fourth and something else seemed
to offer the solution. The Fourth and . . . hammers, she paused to
consider, Olympic Event, the hammer throw, the Fourth could become the
hammer, rather than the recipient. She studied the building, looking
carefully at the windows, balconies and gently sloping roof. The roof
should be my target, without practice my accuracy would be too low. With
experience I could throw the Fourth through a window of my choosing. She
walked on, continuing her survey, pleased by the conclusion she'd drawn and
the solution to her problem. If we are trapped above the third floor, I
will throw the Fourth through a nearby window, and allow the Fourth to catch
the others as I toss them to the Fourth, she thought, smiled, I will of
course inform the others of my strategy, but it will be better not to
include the Fourth, until the application is required. Mein
Grossfeldmarschall seems to believe that the Fourth operates best on little
information and great improvisation. It will also demonstrate I have
adequately mastered the curriculum about teasing and insults. I do not
understand what purpose it serves, but I am no combat expert.
All three of the school buildings received identical scrutiny and
elaborate notations and sketches of lines-of-fire, escape and entrance
routes, etc. That building on the corner will have to be taken and held,
she considered, standing at one corner of the school building, It commands
nearly 70% of the grounds and gives ideal firing positions for snipers
behind its brick parapets. Her operational sketch of that entire situation
went into her notebook.
She walked around the building clockwise, then counterclockwise to
ensure that she missed no detail. The stars and the streetlights, which
would have merely attenuated the total darkness to mere gloom for others,
provided her eyes enough light, so she had no trouble making out every
detail of and on the buildings. She stopped below one place in particular,
outside the storeroom for the gym supplies. She looked around, unable to
locate what had called on her to stop. Roku-kun speaks of 'the feeling of a
place,' here, there is something wrong here, but this is where it is
strongest, she thought, glanced at her feet, An excavation perhaps,
something below ground. She pulled a long knife and folding shovel from her
pack, cut the turf and began digging, taking some care not to dirty her
school uniform. It would cause too many questions to arise, she thought as
she dug, then paused. She lifted a handful of dirt her shovel had loosened,
and sniffed at it, The smell of death has seeped into the ground, as if a
body had laid here and was lately removed. There is much to discover here.
I wish Roku-kun and Nabiki-kun were with us, this first day of school. They
would know what to look for, what to see and what to ignore. But this is
not the case, so I must go my own way. She continued to dig as she
considered her feelings and the sense of the place.
----------------------------------------
"Again, I don't think I can forgive you for what you've done," Nabiki
admitted, "But, again, I think I understand _why_ you did it." She stared
down at her comatose fellow pilot, her own anger barely under control.
"Really?" Nabiki replied, mocking Jeff's tone, "Then why - then _would_
you tell me?"
"You're always so damned definite, no grays," she said in her own
voice, then continued in a parody of his voice, "And forgiveness isn't for
me, it's about you not carrying that weight on your soul. It also doesn't
mean that you can ignore what I did."
"Rotten bastard has the damned answers for everything," she lapsed into
Japanese. She turned away, raising her fists. The small stateroom didn't
allow her to pace more than two steps to release the fury rushing through
her. She mastered herself and lowered her fists. "Then answer me
something?" she growled at the unconscious boy, "Why the Hell are you
sitting in that bed unconscious? There's nothing medically wrong with you.
What did you see that made you run away? What are you being stupidly noble
about? What do you think we can't handle, and _you_ have to protect the
defenseless women from?" She paused, knelt next to his bed. "Why can't you
talk to us? Why can't you ask for our help? Because we're girls? Or we're
Japanese? Or because you just don't care what happens to you? But you had
to protect us?" She paced the small cabin two steps at a time, trying to
get her anger back under control. "Well you might want to consider that if
you _DIE_ it might hurt us too," she shouted at him in Japanese. Closed her
eyes and shook her head. I'm starting to act like Akane, jumping to
conclusions and wondering why things look so bleak, she thought, All right,
I pushed Belldandy, you aren't a goddess, not yet at least. You wanted me
to learn infiltration techniques. It's about time they got a field test.
"I'm going to go looking around your dreams, maybe I'll figure out why
you always act like a self-disinterested _JERK!__" she told him, "Any
suggestions, regrets, counter-orders?" She waited several moments in
silence, then smirked and continued, "Fine, I'm going in. To see what I can
see."
----------------------------------------
He Came Riding from the South Side Slowly Lookin' All Around
Rei saw the janitorial staff arriving through the main gate. She
brushed any dirt from her uniform, made sure the hole was disguised by the
turf, and followed them into the building. As though I belong, she
remembered the lesson, 'Act as if you belong, and when confronted, bluster.'
How am _I_ going to bluster? she wondered, The hole I filled in and tamped
it down, the sod I replaced, I doubt anyone will be able to tell the
difference, Rei considered her earlier handiwork as she passed through the
doors without anyone challenging her, Besides, I do have a function here. I
must see that the Commander's plan is advanced. The safety of the other
pilots, outside of combat, is integral to his plan. She headed towards the
school office to examine the class assignments and schedules of the pilots,
and the other members of their former class.
They look at me, but they do not `see` me, she thought with
satisfaction, They see only the determination and clear my way. She thought
with amazement, I had never considered simply doing, without regard for what
others, even the Commander, would consider of my actions. That I am certain
I am correct presents me with a seeming of invulnerability that others will
not question. Do the Angels act this way all the time? It is a terrible
vulnerability, to be invulnerable _all_ the time.
She found the door to the school office was locked. Rei considered the
problem. I could simply rip the door off its hinges, but there is no cause
for such `the Fourth`-like behavior, I must remember to mention it to the
Fourth. She spotted one of the staff, peering at her. She produced her
NERV I.D. badge. The Commander would do this, if he were here, she thought.
"This door is locked, open it. Please." Pause, wait a moment, she
reminded herself of how the Commander would undertake this task. "NOW!" she
growled low.
With haste, and much jingling of keys, the locked door ceased to be a
barrier. She avoided the academic records. Those are not part of my
mission, she reminded herself, Class 2-C, in the second building. I must
prepare a map to the classroom, our lockers, the routes to the gymnasium and
the cafeteria, as well as actual internal arrangement as opposed to filed
drawings. She copied the names of the others in class, who had not been in
the class with her at her former school. I will also note who are on the
teachers' rolls as well. English, second period, that will be interesting,
considering all that I have studied since the Azores Mission departed.
Rei walked the halls of the second building, pacing off distances,
sketching plans, looking out windows to determine from where threats could
come, familiarizing herself with the layout. Should evacuation become
necessary before the others have become versed in the ins and outs of the
structure, she thought.
She checked off another element on her list. Checked the janitors'
closest near the class rooms, and the cleaning supplies for cleaning the
classrooms themselves. That also exposes the last points of concealment of
possible threats, she thought as she looked at the last element on her list,
I must go down to the boiler room, it will be the most likely place for
enemies to mass, she considered as she sought it out.
----------------------------------------
Nabiki stood. She reminded herself that Jeff was an adult in dreams,
and considerably taller. The 'young woman', who had just pushed her down,
towered over her even when Nabiki stood up.
And I know the woman is dangerous. She might not be a martial artist,
but she survived on the streets and back alleys of Dicken's and Jack the
Ripper's London, not the safest place in the world for a young woman.
Nabiki glanced across the barren, gray field at the floating rock beside the
young woman. That one is equally threatening, Nabiki thought of the large,
purple quartz crystal, that appeared it had been separated from its base
with hammers, with a few such blows falling on other parts of its surface.
"Sorry, no further," the `urchin` told her, while she kept her hands in
her pockets and kept her eyes downcast.
Where she could come out with anything, Nabiki thought cautiously, And
I can't tell what she's thinking or planning. Yet she's watching me
carefully. "What's in there?" Nabiki asked of the tall, crenelated
battlement of gray stone that stretched from horizon to horizon and nearly
to the sky. That's a mountain range, not a wall. Keep the tone light, she
reminded herself, I've got a vague idea about his history and Sharon's.
I'll lay dollars to sen that what's behind there is what's keeping him this
way. But why don't they want me to see it?
"I don't think he'd mind me knowing," Nabiki said in a friendly manner.
"M'be," the urchin said not moving, no fidget or clue to her
intentions, "But without his say-so, y'don' pass, sorry mum." She looked at
Nabiki and smiled.
Like a friendly predator, she thought, I've used that smile often
enough. Nabiki considered her chances. I might be able to take her, but
the Monolith, I don't know about its powers, personality or attitudes, she
thought, Without that, I can't even begin to form a threat assessment.
"I don't think you could stop me," she said politely, "Without hurting
me, and I don't think he'd like that." She hid her smile. Ah, score one
for the Ice Queen, she thought as both shifted slightly.
"True," the Monolith said in a surprisingly musical voice, "You would
have to stop yourself."
Before Nabiki could respond, she heard a voice that filled her with
dread, one familiar from long ago. "Nabiki-chan! I'm ashamed of you!"
----------------------------------------
Anaya Hasegawa quietly frowned at the two scrambled eggs and the thin
miso soup that would be their breakfast.
"I should quit school and go to work," Anaya said morosely, "It's not
like I'm learning anything, except how to get beaten up."
"You're going to school," Sora told her younger sister when she arrived
at the tiny kitchenette Anaya was working in, "That's the main reason I'm
working so hard." Despite her age, Sora was much shorter than her younger
sister Anaya, much to their mutual embarrassment.
Why don't you lay on the guilt with a trowel? Anaya thought, Besides,
if they didn't pick on me, they'd pick on Moribe. She smiled at the thought
of her little brother, The one bright light in all of this. "Do you miss
mom and dad?" Anaya concentrated on the final preparation of the meal.
"Every day," Sora admitted, drywashed her hands while staring at the
floor, "Sometimes I wish it was me who died, not them, then you two would be
happy, and at home, instead of crammed in here with me."
"I . . . I don't really mind . . . " Anaya stammered, "Being with my
big sis, and little brother. It's just . . . sometimes I wish we had more."
"I did get paid for those bicycles," Sora said, brightening, "And Miss
Ayanami took me to the PX to get you some new clothes, so no more 'patches
on patches'." Her enthusiasm brightened the tiny apartment.
Anaya looked away in embarrassment, "I didn't think you knew about
that."
Sora smiled. "I do pay attention, like to those bruises. Maybe I
should get someone to teach you how to fight?"
"No!" she urged, "They'd just stop pushing me around and start really
beating me up," Anaya admitted, turning the eggs and stirring the soup.
"I should really do that, I am - "
"No," Anaya said firmly, paused to consider, "I have to contribute
somehow."
"And I can't cook," Sora said, smiled, "Thank you for not saying it
aloud. I did have a few lessons, and I am better."
"Not as good as me," Anaya said with some pride.
"No," Sora admitted and smiled.
"So when are you going to arrange an audience with these glorious gods
of NERV who have so favored you and your friend Keiichi?" Anaya teased.
"Oh, soon, soon." Sora stepped back in the tiny apartment to wake
Moribe for breakfast.
Then two shifts at the college, any special projects that happen to
drop your way, Anaya thought bitterly, And drag yourself home exhausted, all
to pay for that damned school neither of us want to go to. Anaya shook her
head, she loved her big sister, but Sora could be stupid sometimes.
----------------------------------------
He's an Outlaw Loose and Running Came the Whisper from Each Lip
Rei heard the comments from the janitorial staff. 'What's she doing
here?', 'Who does she think she is?' He said it loud enough for even a
normal person to hear it, Rei thought as she put herself again in the mind
and attitude of the Commander, to ensure her success. Once within the
attitude and persona of the Commander, she drew her NERV ID, simulating the
Commander's confidence, and approached the man. "I am here, because I have
the right and responsibility to be here," she told him, stared at him as the
Commander would. The way that seems to so bother the Fourth and the others,
she thought. The man turned away, and Rei returned to examining the nooks
and crannies of the boiler system and the electrical distribution network,
familiarizing herself with the layout and making notes in her notebook.
Strange, she thought as she entered a storeroom off the girls' locker
room, that corresponded to the location outside. What is the purpose of
this garment? She held up a brown poncho, covered with embroidered
lightning bolts, stars and some European letters that she did not recognize.
She sketched them in her notebook. It does not appear to be a rain poncho,
lacking waterproofing, and it is too elaborate to be the cover for something
else, although the inside is very plain, she thought.
"Hey, what are you doing in here?" the gym teacher demanded.
Rei removed her ID, assumed the Commander's manner, and gave her stock
answer, "Checking for threats to the pilots."
"You've got no right to be in here!" the chubby matron told her, fists
on her hips.
Rei stared at her. "_I_ have every right," she said, intentionally
imitating the Commander's method of intimidating subordinates.
The woman blanched and moved away. "Well, if . . . I mean -"
Rei moved towards the exit, as the woman exhaled as Rei quit staring at
her and left.
There is something further to investigate, she thought, Too much data
and none of the tools necessary to draw the conclusions. She buried her
frustrations. I will present it to the Commander, she reassured herself, He
will know what to do.
----------------------------------------
Ritsuko had been waiting in the cramped confines of Jeff's room, while
Nabiki 'went looking for the problem' of why Jeff hadn't reawakened. So,
your plan was to slip in and have a look around, Ritsuko thought, But how
long does that take? Minutes? Hours? When is it reasonable to get
worried? What could catch one pilot, could catch another, and as tricky as
you think you are Miss Tendo, you aren't as tricky as the one you're going
in to rescue. Ritsuko glanced around as the minutes dragged on. Aside from
her lips moving, there's no clue she's anything other than asleep, Ritsuko
thought, I wish I could read lips, it almost looks like she's having a
conversation, although I'd guess it's an argument.
Then Nabiki's features contorted. Not fear, but something similar,
Ritsuko thought as she knelt next to the girl in the chair.
Nabiki's eyes shot open and she leaned back abruptly in her chair,
Ritsuko caught her as she toppled backward. Nabiki had pulled herself into
a ball, her eyes squeezed shut, tears streaming down her face. Ritsuko held
the girl. Did something paralyze her, she wondered at Nabiki's rigidity,
She isn't moving, not even shivering, she's barely breathing.
Ritsuko held her, until exhaustion claimed Nabiki and the girl relaxed,
going from a rock to gelatin. Okay the extremities go first, and move to
the center, Ritsuko thought, And I'm watching this with a scientist's
detachment, rather than a mother's concern. "Is that because I trust you?"
she asked the relaxing girl quietly.
Hands, arms, legs relaxed, then the rest. Nabiki simply lay still in
Ritsuko's arms as the older woman glanced from one of her charges to the
other and back.
"Sorry," Nabiki said it so quietly Ritsuko barely heard it, "Sorry,
sorry, I'm so sorry. Don't hate me, please, I'm sorry."
"I don't hate you Nabiki-chan," Ritsuko whispered to the girl as she
stood, lifting Nabiki easily, "You know that."
Nabiki blinked, stared at Ritsuko in disbelief. "You aren't my
mother - I'm sorry I mean - I - " Nabiki paused, collected herself as
Ritsuko hugged her. "I'm not going back in there alone. The
counteroffensive was more subtle, and more devastating than I'm ready for.
Getting a lecture - from my mother - that went on and on . . . after all
that happened . . . about all that's happened . . . " Nabiki sighed. " . .
. was not something I was prepared for."
"I'll go with you next time. There's little he could do in defense
that hasn't been tried . . . and has failed," she added softly, felt Nabiki
hug her back as Ritsuko set her down on the edge of the bed.
I'm not absolutely sure, but Nabiki needs the reassurance, Ritsuko
thought.
"We need to try one of the `less protected` areas," Nabiki said.
Judging from what happened, Ritsuko thought, I'd agree.
----------------------------------------
"Jaime! Time for breakfast!" The lieutenant looked at the long-limbed
girl who walked out of the bathroom. Too gawky by half to be pretty, he
thought, But it's not my job to second guess a disguise.
"So you don't wear your black suit around the house?" the girl asked
bitingly, "And do you really think anyone's going to believe your wife is
still visiting her sister back in the States? She took off. What does she
have to do? Write you a 'Dear John' letter?"
This is going to take a _lot_ of getting used to, he thought tartly.
"Look, I may have to seem like this, but I'm _not_ a kid," Jaime told
him flatly, fists on her hips, a disgusted expression on her face.
"You could have fooled me, you act like every other teenaged girl I've
met," he told Jaime.
"It's a role," she explained with all the patience a teenager could
typically muster when speaking to, ugh, parents, "I stay in character, all
the time." She rolled her eyes at his obvious stupidity.
"Okay fine, what's your mission?"
"Get close to Ayanami, BORING!" she said in a huff.
"You really do that well," he said, a mix of admiration and distaste.
"Wait until I run away to join the circus," Jaime shot back, "Just
because I like doing a part doesn't mean I have to like it, if you
understand. Why couldn't I have gotten the pilots who're actually alive,
like Asuka or Ranko? At least with them I could do my job and _STILL_ have
fun."
"You could have gotten Shinji or worse, Ranma."
"Great, a potted plant, a coma patient, or a stuck up nerd-jock, some
choice."
"I understand Mr. Saotome is quite popular with the ladies," he said to
bait her.
"Puuuhleeez!"
----------------------------------------
And He's Here to Do Some Business with the Big Iron on His Hip
Rei poked into the last of the buildings' structures, and walked back
outside. I feel an odd joy to this . . . investigation. I have not felt
so, since the construction of the NERV headquarters, or the reconstruction
of the buildings into the U.S. Navy base. At the orphanage I have seen such
reactions, such a feeling of joy and light-headed abandon, when new toys
became available, or perhaps I should say, new playthings. Blankets and
card board boxes are not properly toys. Like this building, the entire
area, I am investigating as my duty requires, but I am also enjoying myself
as I rarely do except when I am with Shinji-kun. Perhaps these new
buildings are toy-simulacra, and that is why I never saw the purpose of
devices that simulate tools, or the utensils of adults, they had no purpose.
The actual equipment is far more complex and interesting than the
simulations, and not substantially more dangerous to the watchful. The
steam plant here, it was trivially easy to avoid the dangerous moving and
hot sections, and it was vastly more interesting and more real than a
drawing, description or model. Such are metaphors, and other such tricks of
language, they lose the reality of the thing in all their attempts to
contain its entirety.
Rei sat on the steps of the school, she carefully converted her hastily
sketched drawings into a coherent map. Likewise, she took note of the
people in the class who had not been part of the original class, some of
those names she recognized from elementary school.
Did they no longer wish to be associated with me and my peers? she
wondered, Or were they no longer qualified and were transferred here? The
security services should have investigated them, but perhaps not adequately.
The Fourth, she reminded herself as she noted sources of hot and cold
water near each area of interest, Should the Fourth require them.
Troublesome, she lamented, More useful and interesting to have investigated
the music library. She continued to unfold the outsized piece of paper,
transferring her sketches to the scale of the map, and making detailed
orthographic diagrams of the most important areas. She added the possible
hiding places that would have to be swept regularly to maintain adequate
security. On additional sheets of paper, she outlined the buildings that
overlooked the campus, what available lines of fire they presented. Should
their garrisons be defeated, she thought, Or compromised, or should they
prove traitors.
She considered all the extra effort she was going to. I am not
required to do this, however, the NERV security service has not been
successful ensuring in the security of the pilots. Therefore, my report
will simplify their problems, she thought glancing up and staring at the
early morning sunrise.
What are the others doing? she wondered, Seeking their own beginnings?
She considered the friction that had grown between the pilots and their
guards, There is nothing I can do, she concluded and returned to her work.
----------------------------------------
Ranma walked into Asuka's room. I think I'm beginning to understand
why I `trapped` myself as a girl, he thought, Asuka was dressed, But would
have yelled at a boy. But not another girl who's wearing a lot less than
she is. He braced for the onslaught.
"You want something Ran_ma_?" Asuka asked, glaring at him.
Ranma closed the door behind him, then perched on the chest of drawers
next to the door. "Just, I don't know, it's . . . "
"Spit it out!" Asuka snapped as she moved to the door.
Ensuring her escape route, Ranma thought, Or so she can easily toss me
out. That's fine.
"I'm scared." There I said it, the world will be coming to an end any
second now, he thought sarcastically. He saw Asuka's confusion. "Maybe you
and Raccoon are used to it. You've always faced accolades, Raccoon plays
the clown, when he isn't being Patton . . . how do you deal with this?"
"Deal with _what_ - specifically?" Asuka asked sharply, but not
unsympathetically. Her face still a mask of confusion.
Ranma fidgeted. "How do you deal with their faces, the looks they give
you? All I am is Ranma Saotome, which is a lot. It isn't the Fourth
Children, a good guy, but not a hero. I fight, I'm the best there is . . .
but so often . . . it hasn't been enough," Ranma admitted quietly, "And
every time I thought I could get away with something . . . I'd come up
against the certain knowledge that I'll get caught by you, or Raccoon, or
Nab-chan, or Rit-chan, or even Rei-chan, and the _LOOK_ you'd give me. Not
angry, just silent disappointment, I'd rather you'd hit me, it would . . . I
guess then it would be over," Ranma said, looked at Asuka and the room,
trying to focus, on something besides how nervous he felt, "So, it's been
easy to be `good`, I _HATE_ disappointing people, besides I can be sneaky
against the enemy, but there too you, heck even Shinji is better with that
playing 'possum trick.'"
He paused, trying to gather his rambling thoughts as Asuka stared at
him with a neutral expression. I can feel your impatience, but you won't
show it, he realized and hurried onto his next point. "You all drag me up
by my pigtail to be . . . something I'm not. I'm no hero, I'm not brave, I
just lose myself in the fight and do my job, like 'Ikari's robot' I do
what's expected of me, like a reflex, I do what I'm told. I bet I was
trained the same way, Ranma do this, Ranma do that, from what you, Raccoon
and Nab-chan said, it was the same for everything else. I never had to be
anything except what people told me to be. I'm a fighter, yet . . . I'm
beginning to understand why you all kept saying that wasn't enough." He saw
her confusion and impatience. "In the back of my mind, I know Raccoon or
Nab-chan will pull some trick I never even thought of, and we'll win the
day. But what happens if _I'm_ the one who has to pull the trick? If it's
just me fighting, that's easy, I'll just do it. But I can't get others to .
. . they'll follow because I'm a pilot, but that isn't the same as when
people follow you, they are partners, not . . . thoughtless bootlickers.
There's something coming. Something big and I don't know what it is, and I
don't know if . . . me, Ranma Saotome, will be enough. The Meliorist has
talked about doubts and concerns she had, but you never show any of them.
How can you be 'The Second Children' all the time? If . . . what almost
happened to you - happened to me, my girl form, I couldn't get out of bed in
the morning, but you go on. How do you deal with people you've never met
expecting so much of you? I thought my Martial Arts made me better than
everybody, less than a week later I had it rubbed in my face it didn't mean
anything I thought it did. But you didn't even have that, yet you taught me
how to teach, so I can be more than Ranma Saotome Martial Artist
Extraordinaire . . . cue the laugh track." Ranma saw Asuka smile at that.
"But there's still something out there, a disturbance I can't even describe,
and . . . I don't want to go through what I did with Capt. Everett, and I
definitely don't want to go through . . . what happened after Hiroko."
"Nor I," Asuka agreed.
"But I can't get them out of my mind all of a sudden. That next time I
won't be enough. I am grateful, but I need to know how to be the 'Fourth
Children', deal with everybody's expectations that I'm . . . something I'm
not, without letting them down. I'm a really good fighter. I'm no hero and
I don't know if I can be." Ranma paused, stared at the girl's hands, his
hands, these hands had been the hands of a Martial artist, now they had to
be the hands of a hero.
Asuka sighed, turned away. "Horseface, for one thing, that's _three_
problems, three _separate_ problems, not one," she said quietly, then
growled, "It's too early for this."
Okay, she's thinking, not rejecting me, Ranma thought as he read the
other girl's stance, Defiant, self-assured, but . . . tired?
"Three problems, something's coming, something's always coming, so
table that one. Second, as for your martial arts . . . for every hour you
spent learning some new technique or practicing, Raccoon spent the same hour
in a lab or a library learning everything he could about those things. I
ignored it at the time, but that's what he was doing. He also learned the
scientific language so he can tell me in shorthand what has to be none, and
leave out the squishy details. He'll figure out a way to let you punch,
kick, etc. these things, don't you worry."
He already has, Ranma thought, I just haven't figured out how to make
it work.
"On the other hand, most of the `monsters` you meet, will be humans.
And those will be just as vulnerable to your antics as any building or car
that comes into range. And if they have to be taken alive, _you_ can do
that better than _any_ of us. If they can be killed, leave it to Wondergirl
or Raccoon, and stay out of their field of fire."
"Thanks," Ranma said, "That helps." Knowing it's not all one big
tangled problem helps even more, he thought as he watched her lecture, When
she's like this, she moves like the Meliorist, flowing, confident, I wonder
if she knows that.
"Third, always keep track of the main point, there _was_ a third
point," Asuka snapped at him, becoming more `Asuka` than the Meliorist.
"Didn' wanna interrupt," he offered. That cooled her down, file that
under 'Successful Anti-Asuka' techniques.
"You can't _be_ anything except the 'Fourth Children' in public. You
_can_ tell people how scared you _were_, and it will be taken as permission
to be scared while they do their job. You have to be more than you are. We
_all_ do." She turned back, staring intently at him. "You wear the mask,
eventually you'll convince yourself of the truth of it. The legend isn't
the truth, it _never_ is, and it's difficult to live up to. But think about
what we're fighting and what's happening to us. Some of these beings
predate the existence of the planet. They have been fighting each other and
other things we are only beginning to understand, for most of that time.
The Meliorist can kick your butt in dreams not because she's `better`, but
she has a lot more experience, her manipulations are too subtle for a novice
like you to pick out until it's too late. So these things are so
experienced that we should have no chance. Stoneface knows that, it's
probably why he's so grim, Simson knows that, and puts a good face on,
because neither of them wants to break the fragile spell of victory we've
cast. We win, we've been winning because none of us will ever give up, that
is who we are, all of us. Wondergirl may not seem like it, but she's as
stubborn as you are. If you got into a boxing match, Marquis of Queensberry
rules, you'd have to kill her to get her to quit. Spineless may whine and
whimper and hide behind Misato's skirt, but put him in an EVA, and _I_
wouldn't want to take him on. Raccoon is methodical and controlled, and
_just_ as dogged as the rest of us. Ice Princess will probably worry a foe
like a terrier with a rat, while maneuvering to achieve the kill," Asuka
told him.
"But the people out there?" Asuka gestured to encompass the whole
world. "They aren't like you, like us, they know when to quit, they know
when enough is enough. So they need us. They have no use for Shinji Ikari,
Ranma Saotome or even Asuka Soryu Langley, not as we _really_ are. They
need the 2d, 3d, 4th, etc. Children as big and bold as they can get them.
We have to be so much bigger than our foes, so _they'll_ know we'll win, and
they'll survive. That the monsters under the bed they've tried all their
lives to convince themselves really aren't there, not only _are_ there, but
can be handled. I hate Stoneface, but dammit if his subordinates aren't
more afraid of failing him than they are of our enemies."
"So be the arrogant MARTIAL ARTIST," Asuka told Ranma, "Or be the 'aw
shucks twert nothin' ma'am'. But don't let them know you ever _consider_
you can't do it. You don't have to think and plan, leave that to me,
Raccoon or Ice Princess, but you do have to exude confidence, breathe
certainty. The day we can't, really can't dredge up one last idea, one last
burst of strength or inspirations, that's the day we are all dead, the
Children, the entire human race in it's squalling, stupid mass all led to
the slaughter. That is the day our enemies can shovel humanity, the people,
the history, music, ideas, everything, into a lime pit, and cover us over
and forget about us." Her face took on a fierce aspect, Ranma drew back.
Her voice was frighteningly calm, "I'll die before I let that happen, so
will the others. You have to be ready to as well, and _everybody_ has to
know it."
"All that?" Ranma asked, shaking himself loose of the fright. Now I
don't think I want to go outside again, he thought, Ever.
"Of course there's more," Asuka assured him, patting his cheek, "While
you can talk about how scared you were, how you seemed out of ideas or
strength, or hope, _but_ you got the job done, you or somebody had some last
bit, or it was all part of a grand plan you weren't privy to. You can _not_
admit your fears about the job you _are_ doing, or worse the job you haven't
done. Fear is contagious, you can't show it. You can be a clown like
Raccoon, a stoic like Wondergirl, appropriately confident like me, or whine
about everything that doesn't really matter like Spineless does." She
leaned in close, practically speaking into his face. "But when you're
_in_it_, you concentrate on the battle. Like you usually do, so that's not
the problem. The problem you've got, is how people react. You and I both
know what happened on June 15th."
Ranma blanched, he wanted to run and hide, but stayed on the dresser.
"But you can't let anyone inside where they can hurt you with that. It
was a victory, and you don't want to talk about it. Otherwise you can let
them know you're just a human being, because everyone knows in their heart
that human beings can't stand against those things, but heroes can - "
Asuka's voice caught. "And so can monsters," she added quietly.
Probably doesn't think I heard, Ranma thought, filing it away for
later.
"So that's what we have to do. We can't be anything except the very
best," Asuka said proudly, "As for you and Wondergirl competing, _her_ you
can lose to, it goes without saying you _can't_ be as brilliant as I am, but
you will have to excel at academics as well, to the limits of your ability."
"Oh, joy," Ranma said.
"We'll all help, after all, you are teaching us."
Oh joy, Ranma thought, At least now I've got something concrete to
worry about.
----------------------------------------
In this Town There Lived an Outlaw by the Name of Texas Red
Tomoe woke slowly, she looked at the calendar and cursed her luck.
"Back to school," she lamented. Got to get to the bathroom before Usagi!
she thought as she hurried to the bathroom, closing the bathroom door as
Usagi opened her bedroom door.
"Hey!" her older sister protested her slowness as Tomoe washed herself
and rinsed. "Don't forget that the new kids are coming to school. We'll
have to welcome them," Usagi told Tomoe.
Tomoe poured another bucket of cold water over her head to keep from
cursing the world's unfairness. "Yes, but they aren't in any of _my_
classes," she told her sister through the door as she toweled off and dried
her hair, "So all I have to do is greet them." Especially Ranko, she added
silently with a smile, She supposedly doesn't hit girls, that should make
this easy.
"Do you remember the proper greeting?" Usagi asked sweetly, setting
Tomoe's teeth on edge.
She does that on purpose, Tomoe thought of revenge on her sister, Maybe
get her smitten with some wimp. "Yes, Princess," she muttered as she headed
to the door to let her sister use the bathroom.
"You'll be so adorable," Usagi told her while shoving her out of the
bathroom and closing the door in her face, before Tomoe could clobber her.
Tomoe headed for her room to get dressed. Her father had already
headed off to work, she heard her mother below, preparing their lunches,
despite the servants available to do the job.
Think some morning you might get up the nerve or the will to actually
poison your darling daughters? Tomoe laughed at the thought, But can't
forget to renew the compulsion spell on her and father. If `her Highness`,
Beloved of the Goddess hasn't already done it, she added acidly.
----------------------------------------
They stood in the Great Hall of the Camilenn Order sanctum. Nabiki
glanced across the room, trying to take it all in. The elaborate stonework,
the inset patterns in the floor, the stained glass windows made the building
seem more like a church than a meeting hall or secular schoolhouse.
Although I can't place the `religion` Nabiki thought, But these are all
fervent participants/acolytes. I'm not sure if this is Raccoon's memory,
Ritsuko's or a mix of both, she thought, But since we aren't actively
interacting, they shouldn't `notice` either of us. Nabiki thought as
Ritsuko picked her way easily through the milling crowd.
"It was a confirmation, an advancement from apprentice to journeyman
mage," Ritsuko explained to Nabiki, "They can't see us?"
'Confirmation,' Nabiki thought, Another religious term. "They see us,
but they really don't notice us, we blend into the background."
"Ssh!" someone warned the assembly as the most resplendent looking
people in the crowd walked to the high-backed chairs on a dais that had been
hidden by the crowd. As they began walking, the crowd fell silent, hence
the warning, Nabiki realized.
Several more people, in unadorned robes arrived, five of them, young,
proud and uncertain. One of the mages from the crowd detached from the knot
he'd been part of, and walked towards the newcomers. Then another. In a
moment, with each newcomer, a more senior escort.
Apprentice and master, she thought, And elaborateness of the robes
seems to mark the progression, except . . . why am I not surprised? She
looked at the man who stood with Jeff, the gray-haired man's robe was as
plain as Jeff's, so was the gray-haired woman the man had been talking to,
whom Jeff now nodded to. Of course, _he's_ calm, does _anything_ get that
guy excited? Nabiki wondered, What scheme are you going to unfold on these
poor victims? she kept her derisive question to herself while she frowned at
her future colleague.
The first would-be mage presented himself to the raised dais, the rest
of the group took lower benches off to the side, masters and apprentices
sitting together, silently chatting, pointing, gesturing. Shielded from
making any sound, she thought, Last minute instructions, pep talks, who to
impress, who not to insult and how, etc. She felt a little surge of
jealousy. I had to learn all my skills myself, no mentor, no teacher, no
one to help _me_, she thought with a trace of anger.
Another group cleared the center of the room, revealing an elaborate
magical circle permanently built into the floor.
"Who are you?" one of the mages on the dais intoned.
"I am who my culture, my family and my teacher have made, as I enter my
own, I seek to find who they made." The apprentice spoke as if reciting a
speech, badly. The boy sweated heavily as he stood trying to look near the
raised figures without looking _at_ them.
Calm down or you'll mess up, Nabiki mentally `warned` him, And no
reaction from the figures, I wonder if they're even there, mentally _or_
physically.
"What is your expression?" came another question from the dais.
'Expression'? Nabiki wondered, What is that?
"Light and movement," the apprentice answered with a more confident
tone.
Not a good answer either, Nabiki thought, C-, passing but barely.
_You_ aren't getting into Tokyo University.
"Can you give us a reason to elevate you? So you may find who others
have made?" another question from the dais.
Why can't I actually _see_ them speaking? Nabiki wondered, Doesn't he
remember, or didn't he care. She glanced at Ritsuko, She isn't watching
Jeff, or the dais, she's scanning the crowd, what does she know? Or rather,
_who_ is she looking for? Nabiki wondered.
The young man nodded and entered the circle with a rather sick
expression on is face. The circle and the associated sigils flared briefly,
then dimmed. The man raised his staff and drew several glowing sigils in
the air. He set these dancing over his head while he drew another, and
another, setting these dancing in and among those already there. The runes
changed to different shapes, different colors. The dance became more
complicated, faster and more intricate, the shapes blurring as they changed.
Many of the blurs became a ring. The ring solidified as many rune-spun
rainbows became strips of the same seven colors, other runes wove through
it, crossing, blending colors, and emerging unaffected from the other side.
The ring began to rotate around the apprentice through all three dimensions,
centered on the apprentice while he hovered a few centimeters over the
floor.
Then the man canceled the spell, erasing the ring, the runes and
returning to earth.
Nearly messed up your landing, Nabiki observed the man nearly buckling
with exhaustion, then he straightened and walked out of the circle to his
place on the bench, No bow to the judges? Bad form, the East German judge
gives a 2.0, but at least you know to walk out with head held high. Even if
you weren't very impressive. You could always entertain at kids' parties.
The next apprentice offered who he was and his expression, sound. The
chorus he summoned sounded like the voices of angels, so beautiful he had
half the assembly openly weeping.
Now _that's_ a magical performance! Nabiki thought as she dried her
eyes, glanced it Ritsuko who was doing the same. Lab rat cry like us!
The next two were as lackluster as the first, to Nabiki's way of
thinking. Where's the _useful_ magic? If you aren't going to blow
something up, how about healing, or shields or something? she thought
angrily, Or how about a spell that makes everything in the room except your
lost keys, paper, book or whatever, transparent like plexiglass or Lucite,
so you can easily see where it is and go get it? _That_ would be a useful,
if low level spell! She noted the old gray-haired man commenting to Jeff,
his apprentice, the cowled apprentice nodded as the old man critiqued each
of the offerings of the others. It's clear he saw things I didn't, she
thought, And he knows about lipreading, I'm getting nothing but gibberish,
unless they're speaking a language that has nothing like English, German or
Japanese words, she thought, And Jeff, if you think you're going to do some
dramatic reveal, you should learn to stand differently. Nobody but _you_,
well and Ranma, can just sit there and be that arrogantly overconfident.
Now for the main event, Nabiki thought as Jeff, eyes downcast, the very
epitome of humility, stood and walked into the circle, Nobody is going to
buy that act, buddy boy. Not me and not them . . . or I could be wrong.
She watched him bow to the examiners. Lay it on thick why don't you, she
thought and frowned, Haven't they learned you're just setting them up? She
was used to the theatrical tone to the questions now.
"Who are you?" came the same patrician, near-monotone.
"I am called many things, most often . . . " he said something Nabiki
wouldn't have tried to pronounce on a bet.
"Literally translated," Ritsuko whispered over the chuckles of most of
the assembled mages, "It means Dark Walker."
Pretentious like - Nabiki's thoughts were interrupted.
"It has overtones of someone willing to walk into the alimentary canal
singing about how wonderful all the fertilizer is."
Nabiki added her own laughter to the assembly's. Those seated on the
dais let the laughter subside slightly, then in unison, rapped their staves
on the dais. Silence reigned. Spoilsports, Nabiki thought acerbically,
still smiling.
"What is your expression?"
The apprentice raised his head. Nabiki shook hers. "Spirits,
enchantments . . . deals."
That's Raccoon through and through, Nabiki thought, Now lower the boom
on these clowns so we can figure out why you're out cold in the waking
world. She glanced at Ritsuko, who seemed to be enjoying watching the
events unfold, outside her own `misappropriated` memories.
"Can you give us a reason to elevate you, to let you again walk where
you have, only now as a mage?"
Rather than walk to the circle, Jeff walked to the dais. With a
flourish, he removed a walking stick from beneath his robes, kneeling to set
it on the dais before one of the mages. It stood upright on its own as he
removed his hand and moved away. The old mage stared at it with deep
suspicion.
"You admired the stick, but since you already had a staff, you were
forced to leave it. Now that you no longer have your staff, I thought this
might be suitable," Jeff said quietly, almost deferentially.
The old man took the walking stick. Nabiki still thought it reminded
her of a sword. That's _Jeff's_ staff, why is he giving it to that old man?
she asked herself as she noted the hand guard, hand grip and pommel.
The old mage stared at the odd device with a look of longing, confusion
and joy, his mask of indifference shattered completely. The others on the
dais were glancing around in confusion.
And _fear,_ Nabiki realized, They're afraid. What did you _do_?_
Jeff stepped backward, bowing to the dais. "I will let Master Kavon
decide. His staff was lost, is this a suitable replacement?" he asked
humbly.
"You built this in four weeks?" the old mage, Kavon, demanded, his
voice a threatening storm.
"One only has to know how to do it," Jeff replied respectfully.
"He, Kavon, had to destroy his staff a few weeks ago," Ritsuko
whispered to Nabiki over the growing murmurs among the crowd.
"The work of a Master is the work of a mere Journeyman, eventually,"
Jeff explained meekly.
The mages on the high dais were arguing among themselves, the other
apprentices and mentors on the bench sat with pursed lips and waited,
sending Jeff and his mentor occasional angry glances.
"Legend has it that Lengo-Nuen took two years to make that staff, and
took the secret to his grave, even his summoned shade refuses to explain,"
Ritsuko leaned over and whispered to Nabiki, "Jeff found a reference that he
actually took two years, less a week to make the preparations, a _day_ to
fabricate it, and rested six days, before presenting it to the
ArchChancellor."
Nabiki nodded. Seems like him, she thought, And throwing not a cat
among the pigeons, but stuffing a tiger into the chicken coop. Don't you
_ever_ grow up? No wonder Ranko likes you, you're alike: arrogant,
overconfident trouble makers.
"There are still questions of your abilities," came the voice from the
dais, breaking the deadlock among those seated there.
Jeff walked into the circle, it flared, as it had for the others. Jeff
bared his arm and began wrapping his hand in cloth. The old gray-haired man
brought an anvil into the circle as if it weighed nothing. As he withdrew,
leaving the anvil behind, a woman in a tabard and slacks, tall, proud to the
point of arrogance, and red-haired, entered the circle carrying a large
sledge hammer.
"Asuka?" Nabiki recognized the woman, and read her lips, a German
comment, " 'You know I've always wanted to do this.' _NO_!_" Nabiki
screamed and scrabbled at the shield as Jeff laid his hand on the anvil, and
Asuka brought the hammer down with her full force. Nabiki's cry was joined
by many others, and the horror was real. "Does he have to show off that
way?" Nabiki asked as she turned away in disgust from the initiation
spectacle.
----------------------------------------
Ritsuko watched the dream Asuka's face and saw the revulsion on it.
Like Nabiki, she hated what was happening, Ritsuko thought, And she's a good
deal less guarded than our pilot. Interesting. I'll have to look into
that. I wish he hadn't done that, even knowing what to expect and that he
recovered, I still want to rush forward and help. I'd need to be a sorcerer
to help . . . but I _am_ now, aren't I. At least partially.
With Asuka's strike and withdrawal out of the circle, the field had
come up, preventing anyone or anything from passing through in either
direction. Ritsuko examined the faces of the examiners. They're convinced
that the injury is no illusion, she thought as she watched them squirm,
Always the showman, never do something when you can overdue it. The healing
of such an injury, especially when suffering from the pain of it . . . but
heal it he did, this is a memory. Why did Nabiki bring us here . . . or did
Jeff bring us here? Something to consider. Ritsuko writhed at the memory
of the pain and the healing.
Then the circle's protection faded, he raised his arms, and he
unwrapped the wounded arm. Ritsuko recognized the hidden exhaustion. He
remained on his feet only because of his pride, Ritsuko's borrowed memories
provided, One too many slights and smirks from the `high and mighty`, so he
had to rub their noses in it. She sighed and shook her head. "All he had
to do was remain upright until the trial was over," she said quietly to
Nabiki, "And listen to the murmurs." Some I can hear, some I just remember,
she thought, 'Bad taste', 'missing the point', 'retreating to a baser time',
all that garbage to reduce what he did, not that he'll be surprised by what
follows. Gendo figured it out during the first meeting that Davis and
Langley would be trouble, and that trouble could be directed in useful
directions. Okay, point to you Gendo, you are a bastard, but a cleverer one
than I initially thought. Jeff knew, even in the days of the Battle of
Britain, that a war was coming, and he needed others to believe as well.
Once the Battle of Russia began, as predicted in Mein Kampf, the war would
widen quickly, and what it would unleash in dreams would be unknown. God
help us when either you or Gendo guess wrong.
"We have something to discuss," Kavon intoned, tossing the staff he'd
carried into the room to Jeff, who caught it one handed, with his
once-wounded hand. Kavon retained the staff Jeff had given him at the
beginning of his trial. "The High Council has always been called to
conclave, to select those who are not journeymen, but masters," Kavon told
them, "Alwyk, the boy must be a grave disappointment to you, your first
apprentice who makes master without being thrown out of his order, if not
the entire council, at least once."
"Yes," Alwyk said, he bowed his silver-haired head, "No acceptance of
tradition, no understanding that the old ways are the old ways, because they
are the best ways."
"You have my sincerest sympathies," Kavon told Alwyk.
All the wizards on the dais trooped out. Ritsuko was sure that Nabiki
would want to follow and observe their deliberations, instead she was making
a beeline after Jeff and Asuka. That pair had left the room and separated
themselves from the others by a good distance, and no one seemed willing to
interfere with their talk. Besides, anyone with ears could hear Asuka's
side, Ritsuko thought, And anyone with eyes could clearly deduce Jeff's.
Ritsuko had no need to eavesdrop, she knew what Jeff had said and what he
had thought during the exchange. And what he'd had to offer Asuka to get
her to go along with his plan, she thought as she watched the two
soon-to-be-pilots. Ritsuko let Nabiki wander close, but stayed back and
watched carefully. You didn't expect they'd be so much like the people you
already know, did you Nabiki? she thought, They were younger and more
innocent, less hardened. They'll lose so much so soon, but not yet.
The doors opened again after an interminable wait, calling Jeff back to
be questioned. Asuka instantly fell into formation beside him, with a
furious yet protective expression that said 'I and _only_ I am going to kill
him, and soon'. Nabiki headed after them, Ritsuko followed. You don't like
not being part of it do you? she thought of her young charge, then glanced
around fearfully, So far we haven't been noticed. This intrusion may change
that.
Two mages on the dais waited until the door closed.
"How?!" the leader, Kavon, demanded, barely controlling himself.
Rage, surprise, joy? Ritsuko wondered, All of the above? Just accept
how lucky you are, dealing with just _one_. _I_ have to deal with three, at
once. She smirked at the two elder mages made overwrought by her charge's
machinations.
"Deals," Jeff replied, "I simply found the spirit. It only wanted to
look after its old friend in his final days. Once that agreement was
reached, the rest followed." Jeff rested on the staff Kavon had tossed him.
"The staff he's got, is an old Camilenn Order artifact," Ritsuko
whispered to Nabiki, "Powerful, but not a patch on the Staff of Kavon." I
still can't figure out how they can neither see nor hear us, Ritsuko
wondered about their situation, These aren't static recordings. The mages
turned towards each other and it was impossible to hear or see what they
were saying.
Kavon turned back to Jeff, a veneer of solemnity covering the clamor
within. "The High mages have always overseen the trials of the Orders in
case just this occurs."
"What's going on?" Nabiki asked nervously.
Not according to the script? Ritsuko thought to Nabiki, A distrust of
all authority figures perhaps? "That a mage has already done a Masterwork,
and will be raised clear out of journeyman. Going from apprentice to
master. It's rare, but it occasionally happens," Ritsuko explained. Rare
as in 10 to 20 years between occurrences, she didn't add, And _planned_ this
time, to shake things up?
"Figures he'd do something like that," Nabiki said in a vexed tone.
You don't know the half of it, but just wait until Asuka gets him
alone, Ritsuko thought, She'll give him the blistering he deserves, one even
you couldn't match.
----------------------------------------
Many Men Had Tried to Take Him and That Many Men Were Dead
Usagi led the group towards the campus. "Is everyone clear on their
targets and the actions needed?" Usagi asked her fellow cultists.
"After what Tendo did to us," Yuki said, "I'd _suggest_ we wait until
she shows up, and concentrate on her."
"No," Usagi told them as she walked along, ignoring the glares from
Yuki and Tomoe, "We have to cut the legs out from under her, her support
staff."
"I think trying to hit Tendo in her dream has shaken you up," Kiki
said, one of the `inner circle`, but not part of the innermost circle.
"You go after her," Tomoe said angrily, "Be my guest. You didn't enjoy
the cinnamon chickens that one time. We ran into a _lot_ worse."
"You actually sound like you respect her," Kiki pressed, "Am I hearing
you correctly?"
"She can have _your_ place anytime she wants it," Tomoe confronted the
other girl.
"_I'M_" Harumi began loudly, "Looking forward to a new school year full
of work." She nodded to the crowd which had formed just inside the school
entrance.
"You said 50 to 80 maximum," Yuki said, looking at all the unfamiliar
faces, "That looks more like two hundred."
"I'm beginning to think going into dreams is looking easier," Usagi
said flatly, making her own headcount of the newcomers, "We should have been
informed, somehow."
"I still don't think we should waste time trying to bring them in,"
Tomoe said, refusing to give up her argument, "Accidents happen."
"There is a time for us to be hidden, and there will come a time for us
to be open, and now, especially now, is a hidden time," Usagi said firmly,
"If we get the pilots fully on our side, _then_ nothing can touch us."
"Until then," Tomoe complained quietly, "WE creep around like mice."
The image of Tomoe as a mouse brought a smile to several of the
members, Usagi included. "As we discussed, Asuka Soryu Langley will be
Yuki's primary target. Since she doesn't have a boyfriend, maybe you can
find out, if the fiery redhead prefers girls and just hasn't been able to
express herself." Usagi inwardly shuddered at Yuki's predatory smile. She
seems to relish the idea of getting `caught` with a girl, Usagi thought with
revulsion, And that challenge appeals to her voyeuristic side. I just wish
I could tell her to be discreet and have some hope the order would be
followed. Perhaps Miss Langley is seeking a judicious lover, better to
leave Yuki to her methods. Even her failure would be useful. And I do have
plans of my own.
"Tomoe," Usagi continued, "You'll challenge Ranko Saotome, who is an
expert martial artist, but doesn't hit girls. That should be an interesting
exchange." Usagi was privately disgusted at Tomoe's gleeful smile at
victimizing the helpless. There's no sport in either Tomoe's or Yuki's
attacks, Usagi lamented, That's why I'll want Tendo all to myself, what
games we can play. "Harumi, keep an eye out for Ranma Saotome, Ranko's
brother, he's yours."
"Oh joy," Harumi said, to the other girls' consternation.
"The yummiest guy in the school and all you can manage is 'Oh joy', and
sarcastically at that?" Yuki asked petulantly.
"He's an uncouth bar - barian," Harumi said, sniffing disdainfully and
complaining again as was her wont, "Some of us want a boy who is more than a
. . . plaything, we want to be able to talk to him."
"You have a cricket in your pocket or is that the royal `we`?" Tomoe
asked, "Cause I think you're in the minority."
"Kiki," Usagi said, to forestall the impending explosion, "If Shinji
Ikari shows up, he's your responsibility."
"If he's a musician," Kiki said, "I've got him."
Usagi nodded at the girl. Too bad she'd never countenance the true
worship of the Goddess, Usagi lamented, It would be nice to have someone
stable on the Council, besides me. "We should stride boldly and enjoy this
new day," Usagi said happily.
"Better to get creamed by it later," Tomoe groused.
"I _am_ looking forward to my assignment," Yuki said cheerfully, "It
should prove very interesting, and Miss Langley's reaction ought to be
enjoyable too."
"It will certainly increase your chances of getting a date." Harumi
sniffed disdainfully, again.
"I've _never_ had a problem getting a date," Yuki said airily, "That
has been _your_ area of expertise. Maybe `Raccoon` would be your speed, if
he'd have you."
"Well drawing Saotome out should be easy," Tomoe said, for once
preventing an argument instead of starting one, "Looky who decided to show
her face again." The others looked at the trio Tomoe was pointing to.
"Fresh meat can wait, old meat - "
"No," Usagi said, "Not because you don't have the right, but Saotome
isn't here yet. Besides, let the big sister remove herself before you make
Anaya remember who run things here." Besides, watching Saotome hand you
your head will be very entertaining, Usagi thought, Whoever heard of a girl
unwilling to hit other girls, ridiculous.
"You aren't as clever as you think," Harumi sought to reignite her
argument with Yuki.
"And _nobody_ is as clever as you think _you_ are," Kiki interjected.
"Except _Her_," Usagi said warningly, as much to avoid blasphemy as the
battle.
"Agreed," they chorused, relenting for the moment.
Ryuu, another of the innermost circle approached. "We aren't going to
have much work," she said breathlessly, "Ikari hasn't been released from his
hospital bed, and Ranma Saotome is doing a deep sync study. Something about
considering how to link EVAs with conventional forces. The EVAs beat an
entire armored infantry division a couple days ago. Saotome is
concentrating on seaborne gun power and carrier aviation."
"Naval contemplation?" Usagi asked incredulously. What sick mind came
up with _that_ one? she wondered about the recruitment potential of such a
person. "All right, everyone tasked to Ranma and Ikari will be redirected
to finding out who all these people are."
"Already done," Ryuu told them, "The U.S.S. Boxer will be deployed
along with the Coral Sea, so there's some guys who sent for their families,
that's who they are. The school is protesting 238 new students, but with
the Navy and NERV providing a lot of the money to run the school . . . they
could complain, but couldn't say 'no'."
"Well, the pilots aren't the only newcomers who will have to find their
_place_," Usagi said, "_WE_ don't want Tendo recruiting from them. When she
arrives, she's going to find herself . . . reduced. She'll be out of
resources when she _does_ return. Harumi, Ryuu, Kiki, get everyone whom we
tasked to Ikari and Ranma Saotome, find out if any of these newcomers are .
. . suitable. Go get Sakura, I want to talk to her about Ayanami." Usagi
sighed and considered how she was going to manage all of this.
----------------------------------------
He Was Vicious and a Killer Though a Youth of Twenty-Four
Sora bowed down to look into Moribe's face, so proud of his new school
uniform. "Now try to keep it clean, but don't go overboard," she told him,
"It's a new year, full of new chances."
Moribe nodded, but glanced at Anaya.
"I wish you'd let me report them," Sora said to Anaya as she
straightened up.
"They'd throw _us_ out, and you wouldn't get a refund," Anaya said
firmly, "With all these new kids and our new uniforms, maybe they'll find
someone else to pick on."
Sora could tell her little sister was trying to give her a gentle brush
off. "Very well," she said, bowed and received one in return, "I'll see you
after school and after work. You might find some nice people to pal around
with." Sora smiled. As `outgoing` as I am, Anaya is even worse. But in
one case, that might be a good thing, Sora thought as she walked away, But I
think the `newcomers` will shake things up even more. She looked down the
road and saw the greatest 'shakers up' she'd ever met. She smiled at what
the pilots would do to any schoolyard bullies they ran into. Or ran _over,_
she thought happily.
----------------------------------------
"Come _ON_ Horseface!" Asuka shouted back at her fellow pilot, who was
standing on one pedal of the bicycle and not moving, "I thought you said you
learned how to shift the gears."
"I forgot!" Horseface shouted back at her, "I don't see why we can't
just use the jeep."
"The Invincible Ranko Saotome is surrendering to a bicycle," Asuka
said, all aghast, "We have to get to the base! The world is coming to an
end."
Asuka watched Horseface jump down and race alongside the bike she was
pushing, until it was going fast enough for her to shift the gears. It's
too easy sometimes, Asuka thought as she rode on towards the school, Seems a
lot more crowded than we were told. I wonder if Wondergirl is sitting at
the ruins of the other school waiting for someone to unlock the doors?
Maybe we should send someone to check.
The pair rode into the school grounds, Erin and Sammi in the jeep
following them. Asuka spotted the bike racks and headed towards them. She
heard whoops and hollering behind her. As she parked her bike, she saw
Horseface performing an elaborate gymnastic routine on the seat, handlebars
and frame of her bicycle as she moved slowly towards the bike racks.
"Now who didn't expect that?" Asuka thought, she spotted Hikari and
Wondergirl both heading towards her. "Now that is an ill wind."
"I have prepared maps, lists of important features," Wondergirl said,
handing over the hand drawn map and a list of exits, escape routes, and
other 'important features'.
"This is . . . surprisingly thorough," Asuka said, honestly impressed
by the job Wondergirl had done. "What did you do? Get here at daybreak and
map all this out?"
"0300 hours," Wondergirl said as she headed towards Erin and Sammi, who
were trying to watch everything at once.
"She did a good job," Hikari admitted, she seemed to be waiting for
Asuka's reaction.
"Something about her still bothers me," Asuka said, "It's like she
can't leave well-enough alone, always having to do more than what's
reasonable."
"Oh," Hikari said, nodding her understanding, "You're jealous. I never
expected you to act like Ranma."
Asuka growled at her friend and the scurrilous insult. Hikari made it
worse by laughing at Asuka's expression which threatened dire fates.
"What's with all these people? There were 80 from our school, but this
looks like more than 300."
"Newcomers, Americans, British, Canadians, Australians, a couple
Germans, to work in the shipyards on the new carrier. It seems Tendo-san
and Davis-san wrecked the other one." Hikari took her hand. "I want you to
meet some of them."
"Always making new friends," Asuka said of her friend in German. She
put on her best smile as the people clustered around her. She lost track of
the names after the first dozen.
----------------------------------------
"The thing that concerns me is Ayanami," Sakura, who'd been assigned
that pilot, complained, "There's almost nothing known about her. Even her
classmates don't know much about her, and there's already a bunch of the
underclassmen all talking about how 'beautiful, delicate and exotic' she is.
It makes me sick. She just keeps making notations in that stupid notebook
of hers and that drawing. A real weirdo if you ask me. She hasn't said
more than one word to anyone who tried to talk to her, real queen bee, let
the others flutter around and she barely acknowledges them."
"That . . . doesn't sound like the Ayanami _I've_ heard of," Yuki
admitted, "Real stuck up prig, too good to talk to you."
"I heard she was some kind of weird, nihilistic philosopher, never
saying anything and playing her violin in a darkened auditorium," Harumi
said.
"WHO CARES?" Tomoe let her opinion be known, "Just - "
"Tomoe," Usagi warned, "We have time to find out."
"Yeah," Tomoe said, "Why don't you walk over and ask her?"
"Have _you_ ever had her stare at _you_?_" Sakura stared at Tomoe and
shivered, "You wouldn't talk that way if you had. She is . . . really
spooky, like she isn't really there, in the head I mean. And that soft
little voice, it gives you the creeps."
"You have your assignment," Usagi said, ending the discussion, then
looked up at the pilots and their guards arriving, "Well, it looks like the
main event is about to begin. Already making friends. Should we go over
there and make our presence known?"
"I'm going," Yuki said as she headed out.
"So am I," Tomoe said as she headed towards her target.
----------------------------------------
Nabiki stood, watching events unfold. Ritsuko stood beside her. "This
was what led him to the breakthrough that let him do what he did at the
confirmation we watched," Nabiki told Ritsuko.
"I don't see why you keep doing this," Ritsuko whispered to her.
Nabiki knew that whispering, hiding, etc. wasn't necessary. We won't
be noticed by the living memories unfolding before us, I'm getting good at
this infiltration, she thought proudly.
"I don't see why you keep doing this!" Alwyk shouted to his apprentice
following behind him.
Nabiki pointedly _ignored_ Ritsuko's expression. The young man
following the silver-haired dragonmage had a bemused smile that Nabiki
easily recognized.
"It's never been done before, else we'd have a record of it," Alwyk
continued the argument with an air of hopelessness.
You already know you can't win, Nabiki thought, You just want him to
make an informed mistake.
"If you are going to pose questions, only to answer them completely,"
Jeff, as a 20-ish man, told his teacher, "I may cease to speak altogether."
"Ha!" Alwyk retorted, "As if _that_ would ever happen."
"But it did divert you long enough, your own tactics of verbal combat,
divert, obfuscate, slip in the truth in an hundred bits and let them stumble
over it," Jeff replied, "I am a good student."
Ritsuko and Nabiki exchanged shocked looks, then both glared at the
image of their ally.
"The answer is, as you quite rightly said, there are no records of
anyone having done this," Jeff explained, "That seems reason enough to try."
Alwyk turned back to face Jeff, his expression one of fatherly concern.
"Did it ever occur to you, that the reason there are no records, is that
there was no one left to make the records?"
"That's why I wanted you and Altara here, to document whatever
happens," he told his mentor, then smiled, "I have considered the risks, but
the potential gains vastly outweigh them. So much of the magic we do is
merely glorified copies of what the Great Old Ones and the Elder Gods let
slip in their fighting. This is a chance to bypass the brewers and
distillers and touch the source directly."
I can _see_, I can feel the enthusiasm, Nabiki thought, I've seen it on
Ranma often enough. 'Ooo! A new technique! Must have!' The boy would do
anything to master 'Martial Art X', so Raccoon is the same way with magic.
The old man was joined by an equally silver-haired, but still vigorous
woman. The same one from the confirmation. She wasn't beautiful, age had
relieved her of that, but she was still striking, a presence to be noticed
and admired as she entered a room. "You haven't dissuaded him," she said,
not asked, amused by it all.
"I'd considered putting him in stasis, but that would merely transfer
the insanity to whoever woke him up," the man replied, "And they might not
be able to stop him."
The two unseen watchers examined the room carefully while Jeff laid out
the robes, drew the magic circle and set candles and oil lamps at specific
places, acting very much like the apprentice he still was.
"He told Gosenkugi you didn't need all that stuff," Nabiki murmured.
And he doesn't seem as subservient as an apprentice would be, she added
mentally.
"Maybe an apprentice does," Ritsuko replied, "I mean look at all their
junk, this is a real wizard's lair." She gestured to all the books,
bottles, jars, etc. adorning the room and every horizontal space except the
floor.
The trio of mages began robing themselves, black cassocks and gray
skullcaps. Nabiki noticed the tassels that touched the floor and wracked
her brains where she had seen that, and the metal pectorals that the two
older mages fitted to Jeff's chest.
"Static discharge," Ritsuko supplied, "Earth any electrostatic
overloads."
"I was thinking of Orthodox Judaism," Nabiki admitted, "Why would a
rabbi need to be shielded against E.M.P., electromagnetic pulse?"
"That's why the Elder Things used doped diamond semiconductors with
gallium arsenide as a second choice," Ritsuko told her, then explained at
her incomprehension, "Their electronics could ignore most EM.P.."
Nabiki shook her head. "How backward are we . . . really?"
"No cold fusion, no cloning or genetic manipulation, except by
breeding. Pretty backward," Ritsuko told her frankly.
"So have you figured out what he's planning to do?" Nabiki asked as she
walked the perimeter of the magic circle, "I've no clue."
"I'm nearly hopeless at magic," Ritsuko answered.
Nabiki stared at her. "That isn't the question I asked," she accused,
"You _know_, you remember, you know what's going to happen."
"He'll live through it," Ritsuko said, seemingly disinterestedly "If
that's what you're worried about."
"Control is the key to all magic," Altara intoned, "Mastery of self,
and mastery of magic, leads to mastery of the universe."
"Unless there's another way," Jeff replied in the same tone, "If you
are trying to break a horse, you can bust him like a bronco, or like a
thoroughbred. I'd like to try the thoroughbred method and see what happens.
Surrender myself to the magic, see what it does if I let it do as it wills.
We've always speculated there's an intention behind it. That indicates
goals and desires. Time to make a deal."
Altara shrugged. Nabiki glanced at Ritsuko, who had a thoughtful
expression.
"What?" she asked the older woman, "You figured out something."
Calm down, Nabiki told herself, He survived, and Ritsuko isn't worried.
"Just that . . . he said the same thing about syncing with the EVA,
that you could overpower it, or try a gentler approach." Ritsuko paused and
looked around. "So his experiment was successful, if not wildly
successful."
Nabiki nodded. I want to know about magic, how to cast it, how to
control it. I could never match any of the martial artists `back home`
force-to-force, as Ranma and Akane did, and confronting them that way was
worse than useless. The methods I and Kasumi used of turning their
weaknesses back on them, were much more successful, she thought, then
admitted, "Maybe." I won't admit I'm worried, she thought, I've been
fascinated by the stories of magic since I was a little girl, since I
believed magic might actually exist, since before it was proven to me there
was no real magic in the world and no miracles. Akane still believed in the
stories of the brave, honorable, wonderful, honorable, and so on and so
forth martial artists. But _I_ learned, that both of them turned out to be
lies and hoccum, used by the clever against the gullible, and so I'd be the
clever one, _always_, and not the gullible one, _ever_!_ The ideas of magic
and the ideas of a truly 'honorable' martial artist, even Ranma, were all
disappointments. While he was a good deal more honorable than the other two
masters of the Anything Goes School, or three masters I should say, he
treated their pronouncements and protestations about honor as if they had
more meaning than any other kind of flatulence. And he would take advantage
where he could as well, no underhanded tactic was too low to win or learn a
new technique, and people thought _I_ was shallow and deceitful.
But magic . . . she thought hungrily as she watched the final
preparations. She stepped into the magic circle. I want to see what he
sees, experience what he felt, and most important, to learn what he did, she
thought covetously, To discover the secrets he has uncovered. She glanced
up and saw Ritsuko's knowing smile as she prepared, Nabiki disregarded it.
This is a dream, a memory, we saw him pass from apprenticeship to mastery,
so maybe what he found here really worked, Nabiki thought, It must _really_
have been good.
Nabiki ignored Ritsuko's warning glance as she knelt down beside the
dream-shade Jeff, and touched his head, waiting for her ability to see into
a dream shade's experiences to kick in. The chanting and drumming of Jeff
and the two masters washed over her, forgotten. She felt herself falling
away, all the cares, the worries, the day-to-day struggles that took up so
much of her time, so much of her life, the concerns about her place in the
world, and in the grand scheme of things. All such things fell away.
Now she saw filaments, like glowing lines that traveled and tangled
with others, sometimes briefly, sometimes so strongly they never separated
again. Entranced, she reached out, as Jeff had reached out. Unlike her, he
tried to touch several strands at once. She sought out only one. It calls
to me, she thought, mesmerized, It's no different from the others, she
thought, entranced by it, Same color, luminosity and thickness, but I could
tell this one out of millions. It calls to me.
Her hand brushed it as Jeff's hand connected with a knot of dozens of
threads tangled together for a moment in time and space, then separating to
their own distant domains.
"It's so beautiful," she said enraptured, hearing the echo of the same
tone from Jeff's voice.
----------------------------------------
And the Notches on His Pistol Numbered One An' Nineteen More
Ranma watched the school populace smile and shout and laugh at his
antics. What was I ever worried about? Ranma asked himself as he parked his
bike next to Asuka's with a flourish. He noticed some people continued
staring at the bikes as the riders walked away from them. Okay, are they
staring at it because it's a good bike, or because it belongs to the pilots?
Ranma wondered.
"Hello Ranko," Toji said as he smiled at her.
Okay, this one is easy, Ranma thought as he smiled back as cutely as he
could, without throwing up. "I could never have anything to do with a man
who'd leave his true love for a pretty face," Ranma said as coquettishly as
he could, pouting cutely and batting his eyelashes. I need a _bath_, Ranma
thought while holding the smile as his cheeks ached, as Toji blushed and
stammered, then Ranma smiled at Hikari and Asuka's matching shocked
expressions. Ranma joined the shocked pair. Act two, he thought as `Ranko`
took Hikari's hands and used `her` full power of cute on the class
president. "You'd better keep a tighter grip on him," Ranma whispered to
Hikari, "Or somebody might just steal him away." He remembered the cooking
contest. "You should offer to cook for his family sometime." She leaned
close to Hikari, enjoyed Asuka's absolutely stunned expression. "Or you two
should get together and cook for both families, a big pot of something,
split it up and take it home," Ranma suggested, whispering in her ear,
"Working together."
He giggled girlishly at Asuka's jaw-dropped, bugeyed expression. "You
just have to be yourself, but let him be who he is at the same time." Got
you! Ranma thought, smiling broadly at Asuka, It's just a _role,_ I'm still
me, but if that's what's needed, that's what I'll show them. Me is just for
those I care about.
"Thank you," Hikari said, blushed furiously, then her blush redoubled
as `Ranko` hugged her.
"I'll help how I can, like we've been helping Rei-chan and
Shinji-chan," Ranma whispered in her ear. Then grinned ear to ear at Asuka
who was swaying, almost falling down.
"I do believe I'm going to be ill," Asuka muttered in disbelief, than
added something in German Ranma couldn't follow as she turned away from the
scene.
"Ranko-chan!" Mirei charged out of the crowd shouting, "It's so good to
see you!"
The young girl hugged Ranko enthusiastically. Ranma hugged her back,
carefully.
"So you're going to be on the softball team," Ranma said, "When are
they going to make you the pitcher?"
"I have to be a third year to pitch," Mirei said with a frown, "Why
haven't any of you tried out?"
"Pilots would have to leave games too often," Ranma explained,
"Besides, you haven't seen us play," he whispered loud enough for Asuka to
hear, "It wouldn't be fair."
Mirei pointed at Asuka, "She can't be any good, she's German, what do
_they_ know about baseball?"
Before Asuka could explode, Ranma answered, "She's American-trained,
same as Rei, she's . . . " Ranma seemed to deeply consider while letting
Asuka hang for a moment on how good she was, "She's not bad . . . " Wait
for it, wait for it, Ranma told himself as he watched Asuka's temper rise,
Now.
"For a pilot, which means she's _real_ good," Ranma said, smiled at
Asuka who was on the verge of an explosion.
Asuka visibly unwound, as she had to put away her anger. "I've figured
it out," Asuka said sourly, "You're a vampire, if you don't have adoring
crowds, you curl up and die."
"Asuka!" Hikari warned.
"Well, it's the truth," Asuka countered.
"It's nice to see you're all such good friends," one of the softball
players approached them, "Yuki Yamajima, yes I've heard all the jokes, snowy
island mountain, Aleutians they're called I think. If you're interested in
. . . playing, something could be arranged . . . I'm sure."
"Team Captain Yamajima," Mirei said nervously, "Saotome Ranko-san, my
coach, Hokari Hikari, she was class president at their old school - "
"We've dispensed with such silly notions as class presidents," Yuki cut
Mirei off, "Leaders are evident, or they aren't." She stared at Asuka and
smiled warmly. "And who is that?"
"Asuka Soryu Langley," Asuka said staring back defiantly at the
invader.
Something's wrong with her, that Yuki, it's like she smells real bad or
something, Ranma thought, he felt as if a battle had begun, and he had no
idea how to fight it, Insult or fist, neither would work. "You can call her
'Your Majesty'," Ranma suggested, watching Yuki's reaction while smiling
like an idiot to disguise that he might not be able to launch a frontal
assault in this war, he could still support Asuka's moves from the flanks.
Just like she and Raccoon did for me their first day in Japan, Ranma
realized, When we rescued Hikari. But where's Rei? Normally she'd be here.
Yuki smiled, stared at Ranma. "Very droll, I'm sure," she said, with
all the warmth of her namesake, "I'm surprised your brother isn't here."
"Pilot Davis isn't her brother," Asuka said, matching the genuine
warmth of Yuki's smile, "They're just friends."
"And you," Yuki asked Asuka, "Are you allowed friends? Or just people
who kiss your ring?"
"My rings are at the jewelers getting a new slobber-proof coating,"
Asuka replied, waving airily, "It is such a bother, but tradition _is_
tradition."
"Of course," Yuki said, obviously disappointed by the reactions she was
getting.
This is more like what we did to the `Inspector`, Ranma saw the battle,
but couldn't understand the rules or the patterns of the fighting. Asuka
doesn't like this newcomer, and I can't blame her. I don't know _why_, and
that troubles me, Ranma considered as he looked back and forth between the
pair, analyzing the battle, Well, _now_ I know one thing at least, there's
no where Asuka or Rei can go, that Ranko can't. That's why I stuck myself
like this. I needed practice being a girl, so now I can be one all the time
and not draw attention . . . other than what any pretty girl would draw
anyway. 'Don't try to understand the pilots, their incomprehensible, even
Saotome Ranma.' Ranma smirked at that, breaking the deadlock of frozen
smiles between the two.
"Something amuses you?" Yuki asked as if she'd stepped in something
while barefoot.
"Just how much you remind me of Katsuragi Misato," Ranma said
innocently, and watched the girl's face contort in fury. Ranma saw that
Asuka caught it.
"Yes, I think you're right. The Major is so . . . distinctive," Asuka
said smiling all the time, "But also very high maintenance. I could never
be that way. But I give you credit for carrying it off." Yuki looked like
she wanted to kill both redheads, slowly to savor their torture.
Okay, I can smash it open, Ranma thought, Then let the cavalry storm
through. Ranma noted Hikari looking around with a confused and frightened
look, and that Mirei seemed to understand completely what was happening, and
was staying carefully neutral.
----------------------------------------
Now the Stranger Started Talking Made it Plain to Folks Around
"Come on breathe!" Ritsuko breathed for Nabiki, who'd suddenly broken
the dream connection and fallen out of her chair. "Breathe!" Ritsuko
ordered as she remembered Jeff clawing his way back to consciousness, when
he'd succeeded in 'touching all magic', all the while Ritsuko knew that
something terrible had happened.
Nabiki gasped, drawing breath as if it was her first ever. He did it,
I saw, Ritsuko said, Now she's done it, why _that_ place and _that_ time?
"Beautiful," was all Nabiki said before falling unconscious again.
Ritsuko verified Nabiki was breathing, shallowly, and her pulse was
still beating, slow and strong.
Ritsuko sighed. "You two are going to drive me crazy!" Ritsuko
complained to Jeff who lay there, still unmoving, but alive, "I'll bet you
did that to poor Alwyk too."
What happened during your confrontation with Sharon? Ritsuko wondered,
How did you come through that explosion without a scratch but unconscious,
and we couldn't find _any_ trace of Sharon. Of course ground zero for an
explosion like that, maybe there _wasn't_ anything left to find, but you
made it through. I know what you could have done, but there was no where
you could have hidden from the explosion that she couldn't have gone too.
Ritsuko carefully picked up Nabiki, she toyed with the idea of putting
them in bed together, then decided against it and carried Nabiki out of
Jeff's cabin. Between teenage hormones and battle stress, I'll be having
enough trouble on that score soon enough, Ritsuko thought, No use
encouraging it now.
Maya was waiting outside of Jeff's cabin. "No change?" she asked, very
concerned.
"We nearly lost Nabiki to something," Ritsuko said, "When she wakes up,
she may be able to give us some clues about what has happened."
Maya nodded, then dashed down the corridor to open the door to Nabiki's
cabin for her Sempai. Ritsuko followed along, then settled the pilot in her
bed.
"I'll watch her for a while," Maya offered, sitting on the chair beside
the bed, "So you can rest and maybe eat something?"
Ritsuko caught the faintly accusatory tone in Maya's voice. "Very
well, _Mother_ Ibuki," Ritsuko bowed and told her assistant, "I'll go be a
good girl."
"I'm not your mother," Maya said. "And I don't want a good girl," Maya
told her, eyes blinking cutely, like a Disney cartoon animal.
Ritsuko retreated before she went into sugar shock.
----------------------------------------
"This is the map of the facilities," Rei said to Sammi as she handed
over the oversized pieces of paper, she glanced at the crowd which had
trailed her to the jeep and now surrounded them, "It contains all the
relevant elements." I _hate_ being so vague, Rei fumed silently, But are
all these people cleared to know? Have they all been vetted? If not, they
cannot know our needs. "As well as a list of security concerns," she gave
Sammi the sheets covered with her precise handwriting, detailing the points
of concern.
Sammi scanned the paper and looked around.
Her eyes pause on the important spots, Rei thought, relieved, Without
drawing attention that they _are_ the important spots.
"Thank you, Rei," Erin said.
"Yes, thank you," Sammi said as she removed the pack radio from the
jeep and began contacting additional security forces, speaking quietly in
German.
Rei moved away, drawing many of the onlookers with her, as she moved
back to her spot. It is still unoccupied? she wondered as several girls
cleared a path so she could return to it, In this crush someone _must_ have
desired a seat out of the main crush. This makes no sense.
As she sat down, she noted that she retained clear lines of sight
across the entire campus, over the heads of most of the students. This is
why I picked this location, she thought, It is out of the way and lets me
watch, why are these others _here_, and quiet, instead of making noise with
their friends and fellow students? Perhaps they are under the influence of
an enemy, I should observe. Or should I retreat? She was aware of the
weight of the pistol and ammunition concealed within her skirt, as well as
her own hand-to-hand abilities. I will remain and observe, she decided,
Gunfire will draw the help I would require.
She sat, watched the milling crowds, and the crowd before her who sat
also. She removed a notebook from her pocket and noted in it the bizarre
behavior she was observing, as well as her questions and possible
conclusions.
"Do you always write everything down?" a small boy in the front row
asked.
"Sometimes" Rei answered, not raising her head from her study.
"How can you 'sometimes' always do something?" the boy persisted.
"Easily," Rei replied. You don't _ever_ always do something, even
breathing, she thought, But you always do some things when appropriate.
"What's it like being pilots?" one girl breathlessly asked.
Rei glanced at her, saw the fascination and unbridled enthusiasm she'd
seen on others. But it was never _directed_ at me, always the others, Rei
thought, I believe I prefer to be ignored.
"Difficult," Rei told her, "Dangerous."
"Do you always answer in one-word sentences?" one boy near the back
asked disgustedly.
So this is theatre, the Fourth has discovered that, she realized as she
noted her fellow pilots' actions, Then perhaps a show, like we gave the
Inspector. "Asuka. Soryu. Langley." She pointed to the two redheads.
"Talks."
Rei blushed at the laughter of the crowd and the embarrassment of her
interrogator.
"What's the scariest situation you've ever been in?" another girl
asked, leaning close.
"Now," Rei said. She stared at them, a stare that had repelled her
classmates before. There are too many, she realized, And they are not
repulsed.
"Give her room to breathe!" another girl pulled the leaner back, "It's
no wonder she's nervous."
"She means have you ever been scared in combat? You know, were you
afraid when you were getting ready to fight?"
"Name?" Rei said, trying to deflect the question.
"Oh," the girl stammered, blushed, stood and bowed awkwardly, "Nie
Bisai, we, well most of us are in the classical music club or the school
orchestra . . . we don't get the attention that the softball team does, but
we do all right, the conductor is very good. We'd . . . some of us know
kids in your old school, and they say you play the violin, and we thought .
. . before you joined the softball team, we'd ask you to join the orchestra
and classical music club." The girl looked ready to faint as she stood
there holding her bow.
Such anticipation of my answer, Rei considered, bowed slightly to
`release` the girl, Why is it of such importance?
"We heard you were coming to our school, and we had to ask," another
boy announced breathlessly, to the nods of many of the others.
"My duty is first," Rei said, buying time to analyze her feelings and
those of the people around her, "Pilots Ikari, Langley and Davis are also
musicians."
"We heard. But if you say yes, the others will join too," one boy
said, "After all _you're_ the _First_ Children, that means you're the
leader."
Rei stopped in confusion, blinked, and stared in amazement at the boy.
For several moments she couldn't think. It is such an impossible statement,
she finally reflected, as she glanced at the others, who seemed to all nod
their support of the impossible statement, Yet they all agree with it, my
designation and our `rank` have nothing to do with one another. We don't
_have_ `rank`, we all follow orders.
"I do not lead," she finally said, "The Commander leads."
"Yes, in a battle," the boy continued breathlessly, as if he might not
get it all out, "But when you're outside, you have to be the leader, while
Langley and Saotome stir things up, you stay back and watch, then you send
in Tendo and Davis to hit the targets hard. We've all heard it, everybody
knows it. That's how you took out the gang who ran the school you used to
go to. Once you had your strike team assembled, you moved in. Then you
selected people to run things while you sat back and watched." He took a
step back and inhaled deeply.
Rei was speechless. I can see how the conclusions were reached, she
thought, trying to find words to explain things, But the premises are so
completely fallacious . . . where do I begin?
"I am not the leader," she said, blushing furiously at the implication.
If Mein Grossfeldmarschall hears such ideas, Rei thought, She will either
laugh until she does herself an injury, or will injure me to the same
degree, or both in sequence.
"Oh!" Nie said suddenly, swatting the boy who'd spoken on the head,
"We're supposed to keep it secret!" she hissed at him, "We're sorry, we
haven't told anybody, we just thought everybody knew!" She bowed, touching
her forehead to the ground as did several others, "Please forgive us."
"You are," Rei said, unable to think of anything else to say. She
looked at Mein Grossfeldmarschall and the Fourth studying her map, and
wished she had some way, short of firing her pistol, to summon them to her
aid.
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