"No . . . this can't be . . . it just CAN'T be . . .!"
Zani shuddered as his eyes scoured the information scrolling on his
computer's view screen. The rotund, bespectacled man, looking to be
in his twenties though he was actually older, had the ability to tap
directly into the computers of every Niphentaxian in and around the
Holy City. The observation notes, drafts for amendments to the Book
of Lum, copies taken from the diaries of the Holy Apostles and the
Holy Company, administrative and logistical information, even medical
data -- it was all Zani's for the asking.
As a Guardian, his purpose in Niphentaxian society was vital. Since
recorded history began on Phentax Two, the people of his world had
been caught in a vicious, endless cycle of Great Awakenings. When
some unique social fad witnessed by his countrymen would be made to
serve as inspiration to create whole new societies which would stand
the test of time until yet ANOTHER unique social fad would steal away
the attention of the m*****. On one hand, this process kept society
dynamic, allowing it to evolve to be the best it could be given the
limitations Zani's people were cursed with. On the other hand, being
addicted to basing one's whole society on others' risked leaving
Zani's people vulnerable to exploitation from all forms of tyrants,
both within and without.
And then, there was the Prophecy.
Zani sat back in his chair, his mind rolling through the information
observers assigned to monitor the Fifth Holy Apostle had just
collected. That the Church of Lum was teetering on the brink of
ultimate disaster was a foregone conclusion. Even with the deaths of
three billion of the Faithful, the Church theoretically possessed
strong sup****t. But that was at this time centred on the colonies,
not the Homeworld itself. Yes, there were many of the Faithful on the
Homeworld, but from what Zani had learned; those who survived the
Cataclysm were of moderate sects. People who looked on Morobo****
Ataru not as the "Great Evil" but as the "Goddess' Beloved Darling."
And if THAT wasn't bad enough, there were the heretics from the older
churches. Ostracized from "proper" Niphentaxian society when the
Church of Lum became the One True Faith -- and, no doubt, longing for
retribution on their tormentors. Add that to the Goddess' death, the
disappearance of the Goddess' Holy Cousin, and the murder of four of
the Holy Apostles a week before . . .
Now this . . .
THIS!
"It will not be," Zani whispered. "It will not be."
**** **** ****
"Lonely Souls"
By Fred Herriot
pyeknu@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
OR fherriot@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
**** ****
Based on "Urusei Yatsura" and "Ranma 1/2," created by Takaha****
Rumiko; and "Sister Princess," created by Tenhiro Naoto and Kimino
Sakurako.
**** **** ****
Set in the universe of the fan-fiction series "Urusei Yatsura - The
Senior Year," created by Mike Smith and Fred Herriot
**** **** ****
NOTE: The writer's notes are in a separate text file.
**** **** ****
THE SIXTH PART, "B" SIDE - REALITY'S HEADACHES
"Onee-sama, you've got a pair of visitors!"
Ranma looked up from cleaning one of her Noukiite eunuch's blades,
Et'a Yekaechsuch-at', to see Sakuya standing at the doorway to the
bedroom. Ataru was fieldstripping and cleaning his preferred distance
weapon, a musket from Yehisril called a qu'f-piaqu'r. "Who?!" Ranma
asked.
Sakuya gave her a warning look, and then she nodded towards the front
door. "Your okonomiyaki-lover, plus her father."
Ranma nodded, and then she exchanged a knowing look with Ataru.
"Right."
He nodded, moving to reassemble his musket's breechblock. "Get the
girls somewhere out of sight," he told Sakuya.
"Hai." The eldest of the sisters nodded before she walked away.
Ranma stood, running a cloth over Yekaechsuch to clear away the last
of the cleaning oil. Straightening her chemise, she headed out, the
sharp alien sword in hand. Stepping into the living room, she noticed
a pensive-looking Ukyou standing by the front door. Beside her was a
barrel-chested, bearded man about the same size as Genma, he dressed
like his "son" in an okonomiyaki-ya's gi and trousers, a big battle
spatula slung over his back. The look on his face told Ranma plenty.
"Ohayou, Kuonji-san." She nodded at Ukyou, and then she gazed
dispassionately at her companion. "I assume this must be your
father. Forgive me, sir, for not recognizing you at once."
A tremble warped through Kuonji Haruka's body as he sensed the lack
of respect coming from Ranma, and then he glared at Ukyou. The
younger Kuonji tried not to wilt as she reached into her top to draw
out a pile of papers. "What's this about, Ran-chan?" she asked as she
showed them.
"I assume you got those from the Court of Special Appeals," Ranma
said, staring first at Ukyou, and then at her father.
"We did," Mr. Kuonji snarled. "I'm not sure what sort of pathetic
game you're trying to play with my child, boy, but if you think you're
going to get away with this, you're wrong!" He aimed a finger at
Ranma. "You WILL marry my child! You will marry her and forget all
this nonsense about you declaring yourself a girl or trying to
separate yourself from your honourless parents!"
She returned his look. "To believe that a decent person like Ukyou
was born from a gutless, blind coward like you." Her voice turned
frigid, the steel in her eyes promising great pain if the older chef
tried something. Ignoring Mr. Kuonji's trembling lip, she continued,
"It sure as hell should've sunk into whatever served as your brain the
day your family met mine. You really TRUSTED a thieving fool like
Genma to honour an engagement between your daughter and me?!" She
shook her head. "Well, if you're THAT much of a coward, I pity Ukyou
then! It might explain why the hell you forced her into acting as a
boy for ten friggin' years, instead of doing the honourable thing and
acknowledging that YOU were at fault for trusting Genma at all!"
"HOW DARE YOU . . .?!" he roared.
He lunged at Ranma. Before he could sense Ranma move, Ukyou's father
screamed out as Yekaechsuch's sharp tip ripped through his cheek,
snapping his head towards Ukyou. His spatula was caught by the sharp
end of a naginata, the honed blade slicing through the handle with
ease. As the spatula's parts dropped to the floor, the naginata's
blunt end caught him in the back of the knees, tripping him onto his
backside. Before he could recover, the naginata's edge jabbed his
throat as his eyes locked on Ranma, she holding Yekaechsuch's tip at
Ukyou's throat. The young chef was staring at her ex-fiancé, a mix of
surprise and resignation fla****ng deep in her eyes. She hadn't tried
to reach for her battle spatula or the throwing spats slung across her
chest.
"Anegimi-sama, is this uncultured barbarian threatening you?!"
Ranma glanced left to see Haruka standing over Ukyou's father, the
determined look on her face speaking volumes to all. "He presumes to
dictate terms to me, Haruka-chan, but he's certainly no threat at
all. What do you think should be done with him?" she then asked.
"Well, perhaps he should be shown the folly of his ways?"
Ranma gazed on Ukyou's father. "Perhaps."
"Pardon us, but are we interrupting something?"
Haruka smiled on seeing Cologne and Tampopo standing on the front
****ch. "Oh, Elder Kelun, Kamekichi-san, ohayou gozaimasu!"
Both glanced at the Kuonjis. Cologne gazed on Ukyou. "Your father?"
Ukyou nodded. Her father gazed on the newcomers, and then his eyes
focused on the elder. "You're the great-grandmother of that Chinese
tramp who . . .!" His voice melted into a shocked gasp as Haruka's
naginata jabbed anew into his throat, this time drawing a trickle of
blood.
"Well, you were certainly right about one thing, Haruka-chan." Ranma
ruefully shook her head, gently lowering Yekaechsuch from Ukyou's
throat. The younger chef was quick to realize, though, that the blade
could be snapped back up in the flash of an eye should she try
something foolish. "An uncultured barbarian, indeed! Doesn't for an
instant recognize how much has been done for him and his family!" she
then spat out.
Cologne sneered. "Pity."
Tampopo shook her head. "Some people are so bull-headed."
"Got that right." Ranma turned to Ukyou. "You've been given every
chance to walk away from this. Your dowry has been returned. The
bill I ac***ulated for past services has been repaid. The man who
ultimately caused you pain is dead. His crime against your family is
now known. And with my legally becoming a girl as ordained by the
GOVERNMENT, a relation****p between us would have no legal standing."
She took a step toward the chef. "Far as I can see, you've got no
reasons to complain anymore, Kuonji-san . . . " Her eyes turned to
Kuonji Haruka, a sneer twisting Ranma's lips. "Save for the fact this
slime you call a father doesn't seem to give a damn about the crap
you've lived through since the day years ago when we were forced
apart." She turned back to Ukyou. "So what's it going to be, Ukyou?
Friend or fiancée?"
Slipping Yekaechsuch into her left hand, she extended her right.
Ukyou shuddered, her eyes glancing at her father. She then reached
out. Grasping Ranma's hand, Ukyou pulled the latter toward her. As
soon as they were within easy reach of the other, Ukyou took Ranma's
hand and allowed it to slip into her tunic. Ranma's eyes widened as
her fingers brushed past a hard point somewhere close to Ukyou's
heart. They remained frozen for a moment, and then Ukyou allowed
Ranma to draw her hand away. The redhead took a step back, staring at
her hand, and then she glazed at Ukyou.
"That's because of you, Ran-chan," Ukyou admitted, tears streaming
down her cheeks. "I can't shut what I feel off. None of us can! Not
Akane, not Shampoo, not Kodachi . . . " She sniffed. "Not me. I
love you, Ran-chan. I really do. Please, why is it so wrong for me
to feel that way? All right, you're a girl! I'm legally a guy! I've
lived this way for a decade! I can live that way for the rest of my
life! We can still get married, Ran-chan! I'll love you no matter
which way you are! You know that, don't you?!"
Ranma stared at Ukyou, and then she closed her eyes before lowering
the hand that had just felt the latter's breast. She then looked at
Ukyou's father before turning back to the younger chef. "What I don't
know is this." A light smile crossed her face. "Was that really you
talking to me . . .?" Her smile dropped as she glared balefully at
Mr. Kuonji. "Or is it you ultimately parroting whatever he says?!"
She thumbed him contemptuously.
Ukyou blinked, glancing at her father. Then, on feeling Ranma gazing
on her, she winced. She didn't return her look. "Gomen . . . "
"She appears trapped, does she not, Ane-kun?"
Ranma turned to see Chikage and Sakuya standing by the hallway
leading to the kitchen. Glancing at Mr. Kuonji, Ranma frowned. "Hai,
Chikage-chan. That she does. Hibaa-chan, paralyse this dork!"
Before the older chef could react, a strike at a ****atsu point by
Cologne's cane cut off controls between his brain and his body. Ranma
nodded, a mirthless smile crossing her face. "I don't want Haruka-
chan's blade sullied by his coward's blood!"
Haruka drew back, she moving to stand beside her sisters. Ranma then
walked over to stand beside Ukyou. Sakuya called out, "Onii-sama!
Could you come in here, please?!" Winking at Ranma, she then added,
"And bring your friend with you! Your BIG friend!"
"Hai, just a sec'!" Ataru called back.
Footsteps soon heralded Ataru's entrance into the sitting room.
Lying at rest on his shoulder was his qu'f-piaqu'r. In his free hand
were several shotgun-like shells, ammunition for the alien-built
weapon. Seeing *that,* Mr. Kuonji paled. Ukyou's eyes went wide, and
then she jolted on feeling Ranma's hand grasp hers. Ataru placed
himself between his sisters and the frozen okonomiyaki chef, and then
he turned to Sakuya. "So what's all this about?"
"A pretty complex problem, Onii-sama." Sakuya walked up to stand
beside him, gazing balefully at Ukyou's father. "You see, poor Ukyou-
san there just got the notice from the Court of Special Appeals about
what's happened to Onee-sama, but her father here . . . " She waved
contemptuously to Mr. Kuonji. "Doesn't seem to want to accept what's
happened."
"Has he now?" Ataru then turned to Ranma. "So he came here to try
to force you into marrying his daughter, right?"
Ranma let go of Ukyou's hand, walking over to join Ataru. "Hai,
Anata, though right now, I think U-chan here's still legally a boy."
"'ANATA?!'"
Ranma turned to Ukyou as she slipped an arm around Ataru. She didn't
react as he loaded his musket. "Yes, 'Anata.' Ataru is my boyfriend,
soon to be my fiancé. A fiancé **I** chose." The smile slipped from
her face as a growl entered her voice. "Not Saotome Genma. Not
Saotome Nodoka. Not Tendou Souun. And certainly not Kuonji Haruka.
>From this day on, I AND I ALONE will choose my future, Ukyou! No one
else but me!"
"THEN KILL HIM!"
Ukyou gasped, spinning on her father. Cologne moved to jab the
fool's throat silent. A stern wave of Tampopo's hand held the Nujiézú
elder back. Ranma quickly ****fted herself to block any advance
towards Ataru from Ukyou. Sakuya and Haruka tensed. Chikage was as
stony as ever. Ataru remained calm, though his thumb slowly pulled
the qu'f-piaqu'r's hammer to the "ready" position; the musket was
loaded for bear.
"D-dad . . .?!" Ukyou sputtered, glancing at Ataru before turning
back to her father, and then she turned to Ranma. "Ran-chan . . . "
"Kill him!" Haruka snapped. "And if this *girl* . . . " -- he
sneered at Ranma -- " . . . refuses to acknowledge what honour demands
of *her,* kill her, too! She's hurt you enough, Ukyou! Make her
marry you or kill her!"
Silence fell. Ukyou was frozen in place, glancing at her father, and
then at Ranma, then at Ataru, to her father, and then to nowhere in
particular. "I . . .!" Ukyou's voice froze before she looked at
Ranma. "Ran-chan . . . "
"Walk out of the trap, U-chan." Ranma raised Yekaechsuch to rest on
her shoulder. "I did it. Ataru did it, too. So can you."
Mr. Kuonji glared at his child. "Ukyou, if you do not do what I say,
then you are no longer my child!" he snarled.
"Oh, my! That sounds like child abandonment, doesn't it?"
Eyes locked on Haruka. "Yes, Haruka-chan, it does." Sakuya sagely
nodded. "Don't you agree, Chikage-chan? Elder? Tampopo-san?"
Chikage and Tampopo nodded. "That it does." Cologne glanced at
Ataru. "Tell me, Ataru: What is the Zephyrite punishment for child
abandonment?"
Ataru sighed, raising the qu'f-piaqu'r to his shoulder as he lowered
the muzzle at the heart of Ukyou's father. "Death."
"NO!"
Ukyou moved to stand in the path of the musket. Ranma jabbed a point
on her back to lock her legs in place, and then she yanked Ukyou back
from falling on her face. Seeing that, her father paled as the
realization dawned on him that THIS time, he wasn't going to get his
way -- and that he might pay for his determination to avenge Genma's
crime with HIS life! "I suggest you strongly reconsider your
position, Kuonji-san," Tampopo warned. "If you take a good look into
Ataru-chan's eyes, you'll notice they're marksmen's eyes. The eyes of
a man who has killed many times in the last while. Do you really
believe you'll be able to avoid being disintegrated if he decides to
kill you?"
He gagged. "Ataru-kun, please, DON'T!" Ukyou pleaded, and then she
glanced at Ranma. "Ran-chan, make him stop! Please!"
"Not until he answers one question." Ataru held up a finger. "Why?"
"Wh-why . . .?" the older chef sputtered.
"Why force your daughter through TEN YEARS of being what she's not,
all to make up for YOUR mistake?!" Ataru snarled before he gazed at
Tampopo. "Tampopo-chan, correct me if I'm wrong, but when a dowry is
offered up in a marriage pact, it's to the bridegroom's FATHER that
the dowry is handed to before the wedding takes place. Only when they
actually go through the marriage ceremony does the dowry fall under
the groom's control."
Tampopo nodded. "Yes, that's right."
Ataru's eyebrow arched. "So if Genma disposed of the dowry without
any intent of giving same to his child, much less not bothering to
TELL his child about the engagement, doesn't that mean the engagement
has no legal standing?"
"Yes, people could agree to that."
"I do not!" Ukyou's father snarled. "Ranma recovered the dowry!"
"And returned it, after it was repaired and refurbished AT RANMA-
CHAN'S EXPENSE, to its rightful owner." Tampopo indicated Ukyou.
"Besides, the person that dowry was meant for no longer exists,"
Ranma added. "I am NO LONGER Saotome Genma or Saotome Nodoka's son.
And if you refuse to acknowledge that, well . . . " She shrugged.
"You're in contempt of court, buster. The highest family court in the
land. And nothing will save you from that court's reach if you keep
this up, Kuonji-san."
Mr. Kuonji moved to retort. He then fearfully gagged on seeing Ataru
take a step towards him, the muzzle of the qu'f-piaqu'r looming large
in his field of vision. Ranma turned to Ukyou. "Let it go, U-chan!"
She pressed the ****atsu point to unlock her legs, and then she walked
around to gaze into Ukyou's eyes. "Why?! Why are you letting this
gutless bastard get away with putting you through this ****, U-chan?!
Why?!"
Ukyou stared pleadingly at Ranma. "Ran-chan, please . . . "
"WHY, U-chan?!"
"He . . .!" Her eyes fell on her father, and then she shook her
head. "He'll take it all away from me . . .! I couldn't . . .! I
can't . . .!"
"Fine." Ataru grimaced, bracing his body as his finger curled around
the trigger. "He won't live long enough to do anything to you."
Cologne and Tampopo cleared the field of fire. "NO!" Ukyou screamed,
and then she gasped as Ataru swung the musket to lock on her.
"What's it gonna be?!" Ranma appeared behind Mr. Kuonji, swinging
Yekaechsuch to allow the blade to rest on his throat. "Are you going
to renounce this whole farce AND accept your daughter back AS your
daughter . . .? Or do I have my lover kill her?!" she then hissed.
His eyes went wide as the blade pressed into his throat. "Ran-chan,
no . . .!" Ukyou ****fted to force Ranma away, and then she screamed
as a metre-long lightsabre-like bayonet erupted from a projector under
the muzzle. Shuddering as the blade's heat scalded her, she turned to
Ataru. Haruka had moved to her brother's side, holding up her
naginata to block her escape. "Please . . .!"
Haruka looked apologetic. "We're very sorry, Ukyou-san. But none of
us will stand idly by and allow Anegimi-sama's life to be continually
disrupted like it's been since she first came to Nerima.
Besides . . . " She spared her brother a glance. "We've known from
the start that Anegimi-sama's destiny is to marry Anigimi-sama. No
one will be allowed to interfere in that, not from here in Nerima, nor
from Tomobiki, nor from elsewhere."
Ukyou shuddered, gazing at Ataru. He remained still for a moment,
and then he asked, "Remember what I told you in the park?"
She nodded. "You said your family could help me." She sniffed.
"Because in your eyes, what happened to me was child abuse."
He nodded. "Yes."
Ukyou looked away. Ataru shut off his weapon's electro-bayonet, he
drawing back. Haruka lowered her naginata. The chef stared curiously
at them, and then she turned to her father. A glance at Ranma, and
then she took a deep breath. "Father, Saotome Genma and Saotome Ranma
are dead." She slipped off her battle spatula, letting it rest on the
floor. "You have what you wanted."
"No, I do not!" the older chef snapped. "Ranma's right here!" His
eyes fell on the redhead holding the sword at his throat.
"No." Ukyou shook her head. "On Sunday night, when he was cornered
by the authorities, Genma stated he neither had son or daughter."
"That does NOT matter!" Mr. Kuonji thundered. "You will do as you're
told or you will no longer be my child! Do you understand me?! You
will never be allowed to practice the Art again! Never! NEVER!"
"Fine, then. If Ukyou-chan agrees, she'll be MY apprentice."
Ukyou stared wide-eyed at the person who spoke up for her. Mr.
Kuonji's eyes spun around to stare at Tampopo. "You have no right!"
"Correction, boy!" The other chef sneered at him. "I've every right
in the world to take anyone on as my apprentice! And since you did
such a nice job training her, I won't have to do much work to expand
her knowledge and let her evolve into what she CAN be." Her face
melted into an emotionless mask. "And do be assured of this, Kuonji:
You will get no victory from this day! Do you HONESTLY believe that
we're not going to let you go before we make DAMN sure you can't do a
THING to hurt Ukyou?!"
"The courts could charge you with child abandonment and child abuse,"
Ranma added. "Everything you decide concerning U-chan would be
ignored. Her family name? She can keep it. Her career? Same
thing. And as for you?" She snorted. "Your life'd be dragged into
the gutter. If you tried to attack U-chan or Tampopo-chan, YOU'D be
the one who'd suffer! After they pound you into the dirt, the
courts'd throw you into jail and your whole life'd be screwed!"
Shaking her head, she stood, moving away from him, though she kept
Yekaechsuch aimed in his direction as she moved to stand beside
Ataru. "So what's it going to be? Are you going to wise up finally
and accept what's happened? Or are you going to be as much a blind
fool as Genma and Souun were?"
Mr. Kuonji glared hotly at her, and then he turned to Ukyou. "Do
what I told you, Ukyou," he ordered.
Ukyou remained in place, squeezing her eyes shut. "DO IT!" he
bellowed.
Silence.
"Tampopo-sensei?"
Tampopo perked. "What is it, Ukyou-chan?"
"If you and the Elder don't mind, drag that jackass' carcass out of
this house." Ukyou stared at the man at her new teacher's feet. He
was staring in stunned shock at her. "I don't think Ataru-kun's
sisters would appreciate me spreading blood all over their floor."
Tampopo nodded. "Alright, then."
Before Mr. Kuonji could respond, a finger tapped his throat. "You
have no right to speak to anyone in this house anymore," Cologne icily
intoned.
He moaned, though his eyes still flashed defiance. "One more
thing!" Haruka clapped her hands three times. "Jinseiko-san!"
A flash revealed the leader of the Kuromorobo**** kneeling beside the
raven-haired woman's feet. "You summoned me, Young Mistress?"
"Please have your girls remove this uncouth barbarian from our land
when Ukyou-san finishes pummelling him for his stupidity." Haruka
indicated Ukyou's father with a finger. "Preferably in a place far
from Tokyo. Also ensure that he remains paralysed for the remainder
of the day. I'm sure by this evening, our honoured friends in the
Court of Special Appeals will have removed his parental rights
concerning his child."
Jinseiko bowed. "Of course, Young Mistress."
Mr. Kuonji moaned.
* * *
"Is that Nihon?"
"Yes, Venerable One. Those four large islands forming that crescent-
shaped archipelago on the eastern side of the largest continent." The
captain of the Noukiite ****p pointed as he guided his barque-like
craft into orbit over the Pacific. Once, no more than a month ago as
Terrans told time, no Noukiite ****p would have been allowed to remain
for any time in this particular system. If the stupid dog people from
Uru didn't send one of their battlewagons to chase the intruders out
of "their" territory, the fools from Triton might get upset and try to
deluge the poor traveller with a mountain of snow.
As to what the Zephyrites might have done, well . . .!
That sort of nonsense wouldn't happen again, the captain grinned.
With Uru's leader****p all radioactive dust over what remained of
Onishuto, the Oni fleet either turned to scrap or caught in the throes
of mass mutiny and the colony planets cut off from each other, the dog
people's dominance over this particular sector of space had been
eliminated once and for all time. Without their traditional
protectors, the Tritonians would have to think hard and fast before
trying to stand up on their own. Yes, those ice lovers had
considerable advantages. But in the end, they were only one moon
orbiting a planet rendered lifeless thanks to the hordes of the
Seifukusu. The Dominion of Noukiios, born of a culture five millennia
old, one that weathered Urusian occupation and centuries of economic
blockade relatively unscathed, was no pushover.
Dismissing that, the captain gazed on his passengers. "We'll be at
the drop point in a few minutes, Venerable Ones. Your father's ****p
will be placed in orbit within the magnetic well over the planet's
north pole."
One of them gazed appreciatively at the older man. "Thank you."
* * *
"I'd think Nassur would be better than this, Seiko-chan."
A muscle over Seiko's eye twitched, and then she sighed as she tapped
the point to calm herself. Despite the chasm of mistrust and hatred
that had existed between Nassur and Aruka Ran for the past several
years, Sakiko had just made a valid point. There was just NO way that
Nassur would risk the lives of four sentient beings -- even if they
were meticulously constructed clone-bioroids -- as living targets to
ensure Lum, Ran, Benten and Oyuki would not be drawn into the
multitude of vendettas focused on the expat Vosian.
Unless . . .
She gazed on the replica of Lum. "They're Avalonians, right?"
"All four of them." Sakiko gazed on the replica of her past self.
The bioroids were dressed in the usual swimsuits their templates
preferred. Oyuki's replica even wore a kimono over her silver one-
piece. A thoughtful hum escaped Sakiko. "Seiko-chan, could it be
possible that Nassur couldn't sense their brainwaves?" She gazed at
Seiko. "If our hosts are any example, Avalonians possess abnormally
strong mental ****elds. Maybe strong enough to mask themselves from a
Vosian's powers, just like Yehisrites can do."
Seiko considered that suggestion, and then she nodded. "Possible.
And if Nassur-chan trained these four to as high a standard as he
could, they could've easily avoided any serious injury if they were
out in the field."
"True. I guess we'll have to ask him the first chance we get."
Sakiko grunted as her eyes fell on the cryo-stasis chamber the
Avalonians had brought with them to Earth. "What about Ten-chan?" she
asked in a hushed voice.
Seiko shuddered as she gazed on the body inside the stasis unit.
"Not much left of him." She ****fted herself over to run a hand along
the glass. "All I can sense from him now was that he met these four
close to To****o a week or so ago. Then some Ip'ihu ****p ambushed
them. They were able to use the Central Warp Chamber to ****ft to
their home base on Io. After that . . . " She shrugged. "I guess
their first priority was keeping Ten-chan alive. Then they tried to
come here to find Darling and get his help. But . . . "
She gazed on the closet. Sakiko walked over to the doorway.
Scanning the doorframes, she then scowled. "I guess when they cleared
this place out, Darling's family and friends were more thorough that
we would have expected of them. I don't see any of the target relay
markers Oyuki-chan would use to allow the Warp Chamber to focus in on
this beam-in point."
"Not that I'd expect that Darling'd ever allow Oyuki-chan to do
something like that again." Seiko then grinned, remembering the time
B-Boy, the abominable snowman-like alien who served as Oyuki's
personal bodyguard, had come through the Chamber to Earth in pursuit
of Ataru after he tried to seduce the Tritonian crown princess the day
they met. "Something tells me that if something like that ever
happened again, especially if it was anywhere close to Darling's
sisters, B-Boy'd be sent back to Triton in pieces."
"I wouldn't blame him at all." Sakiko smirked, having sensed what
Seiko just reminisced about. "Sometimes, Seiko-chan, I think Oyuki-
chan needs a little humiliation just to remind her that she's not
perfect."
She gave her a wink. "She's not THAT bad, Saki-chan!" Seiko scolded,
and then she jolted on hearing a *thrum!* through the windows. "What
the . . .?"
Both walked to the window, looking up to see a star****p shaped like a
schooner, its prow topped by a snarling dragon's head, coming to a
stop over Tomobiki High. "That's a Noukiite scout****p!" Sakiko gasped
as her eyes widened before they glowed. "Beaming in someone . . . "
"Two young girls . . . " Seiko's own eyes glowed as she focused her
telepathic powers on the two newcomers standing by the front gate of
Tomobiki High. "Who . . .?" she wondered before a shocked gasp
escaped her. "Mother!"
Sakiko spun on her. "What?!"
Seiko's eyes reverted to normal as she faced her sister.
"They're . . . " She stopped before sputtering, "Darling's
daughters?!"
Sakiko gaped at her.
* * *
"AND THAT'S FOR PUTTING ME THROUGH ALL THAT CRAP, YOU JACKASS!"
Hi****o winced as she heard Ukyou's battle spatula slam HARD into the
side of Kuonji Haruka's skull. Sitting on the roof of the old shrine,
the Staff of Gihan in her lap, the youngest of Ataru's sisters gazed
absently on the surrounding cityscape. Seeing how angry the
okonomiyaki chef had become when her baka-baka father refused to budge
from his desire to see his child marry Ranma-oneetama, Hi****o couldn't
blame her for wanting to beat him up. While Hi****o had no problems
when it came to her parents -- except for them living on the mainland
and forcing her to live at Welcome House -- she knew classmates at
Stargazer West whose parents were on the road to breaking up.
*Stupid adults! Hina's glad she's still a kid!* the young girl
ruefully mused as she focused in the direction of Tomobiki.
Her eyes then went wide on seeing something dive from outer space to
halt over a point close to the centre of town. "A space****p?" Hi****o
stood, holding the Staff close to her as she tried to make out
details. It wasn't a big ****p, not like the giant ****p Miree and her
family had come from last night. Even more, it was shaped like a
sailing boat from Earth.
What sort of ****p was that, anyway?
"What the . . .?"
"Ah!" Hi****o turned. "Onii-tama!"
Ataru stood beside her. "A Noukiite ****p?" he whispered, placing a
reassuring hand on Hi****o's shoulder. "What's it doing here . . .?"
Hi****o pointed. "They're the people Onii-tama helped, right?"
"Hai, Hi****o-chan, the same . . . " He nodded, sighing. "Wait
here. I'm going to get some stuff. We'll go see what's going on
right away."
He raced to his bedroom. Hi****o watched him go, shuddering
delightedly as she held the Staff against her chest. *Waaaaaaai!
Onii-tama wants Hina to help Onii-tama with the aliens!* she gushed,
her eyes sparkling as she focused anew on the visiting Noukiite ****p
now hovering over Tomobiki.
Boy, she was really, really, REALLY happy that she got Bou-san!
* * *
"Tell me something." Jay stared at the ****p from the offices of the
Special Committee located atop one of the three towers in the centre
of Tomobiki, right next to the Toranosei****n Finances Tower. "Are
there days you wished you never got out of bed?" He waved at the ****p
in question.
Kay closed his briefcase, and then he slipped his sidearm into its
holster. "All the time, kid. Let's go see what they want."
"What about those other aliens Ataru warned us about?"
"Feh, if they're being discrete, they can wait. It's things like
THIS . . . " He nodded to the ****p. "That can start wars. Let's
go."
"Right."
Jay followed him out of the room.
* * *
"Ne, ****nobu-chan. Is this NORMAL around these parts?"
A sigh escaped ****nobu's lips as she stared on the two diminutive
people standing by the front gate. Jolting on feeling Sawada Mi****o's
hand squeeze her shoulder, Ataru's ex-girlfriend glanced at her new
friend. "Yeah, this is pretty normal, Mi****o-chan," she then replied.
"So who the heck are those kids, anyway?" Yo****no Tomomi asked.
"What makes you think they're kids, Tomomi-san?" Marubeya Momoe
asked, standing behind the transplanted Hokkaido native. "They could
be very short people like Cherry or that crazy underwear-thief from
Nerima."
"They seem like kids to me," Tomomi admitted, not wanting to clue her
classmate in on her various psionic powers. Sakura had warned Tomomi
and her friends yesterday that being a little TOO open about their
ancestry could lead to a whole host of problems. "Girls, I think."
"Hey, they're taking their hoods off!" a boy standing by another
window called out. "Geez! They're Klingons!"
"Kling- . . .?!" ****nobu blinked, and then she looked. Sure enough,
both of them had very prominent bony forehead ridges, though those
seemed to disappear under sky-blue hair. "Somewhat like them, ne,
Mi****o-chan?"
Mi****o smirked. "Yeah! And they're both so kawaii, too!"
Another boy pointed closer to the school. "There goes Onsen-sensei!"
Everyone watched as the vice-principal stormed out of the building.
"C'mon!" ****nobu waved Mi****o and Ryuunosuke with her.
Mi****o nodded. "Right!"
She and the tomboy followed ****nobu out of the room. They were in
turn followed by Tomomi, Momoe, Ikusawa Kyooko and Gekasawa Kumiko.
In a minute, most of the rest of the class had streamed out, their
curiosity about the newcomers getting the better of them. A minute
after, Hanawa Mitsu stepped in. "Good morning, class!" He stopped.
"Ara?! Where did everyone go?!"
* * *
"So this is Tomobiki, eh?!" Kaneko looked around. "Quiet place."
"Wasn't so quiet when Papa was living here," Reiko warned as she took
her own look around. "What would the name translate to in Nouki-e?"
"'A-ich,' I think." Kaneko then turned as a stocky man welding a
light bamboo sword stormed towards the twins. "Uh-oh!"
"Alright, you two!" Onsen thundered as he stopped before them, his
****nai ready for action. "What makes you aliens think you can just
beam down and disrupt school with your ****p flying overheard?!
Where's . . .?"
He stopped, looking up in shocked surprise. The Noukiite craft was
soaring away from Tomobiki, gaining altitude as it commenced its trip
home. Onsen blinked, blinked again, and then he turned to the
newcomers, pointing at the disappearing star****p. "Where are they
going?"
"Back to our home planet," Reiko replied as they shrugged
nonchalantly. "They gave us a lift here so we can live with Papa and
Mama."
Onsen jolted. "'Papa?!' 'Mama?!' Who are they?!"
"Morobo**** Ataru and Saotome Ranma!" Kaneko replied.
He sighed. "Morobo**** and Saotome, eh . . .?" It hit him. "WHAT?!"
he yelled loud enough to cause a quake. "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING
ABOUT?!"
"By the looks of it, Onsen-sensei, Ataru-kun adopted them."
Onsen spun around to see Ataru's old classmates (plus extras)
standing behind him. Mi****o had been the one who had spoken up.
"What?!" He spun again to stare on Reiko and Kaneko. "Hey, wait a
minute! Since when can Morobo**** adopt either of you?!" he then
demanded.
Kaneko smiled. "Because Papa helped us defeat the dog people!"
****nobu perked. "Ataru-kun was in a fight?! When was this?!"
"Probably a couple of weeks ago, after Onishuto got nuked!"
Reiko and Kaneko turned around, smiling. "Ah!" the former then
hailed with a wave of her hand. "You must be from your world
government!"
She pointed as Jay and Kay approached. "The very same, young lady!
And welcome to Earth," the elder of the SCAA agents replied, he and
Jay nodding. "So what brings a pair of nice girls like you two here
to our little planet?"
"Because Papa and Mama live here, sir," Kaneko replied.
"And Ataru is your father?" Jay asked, drawing out a very complex
scanner. "I hope you got some do***entation to prove that."
They reached into their tunics and drew out data chips. Jay loaded
them into his machine. Kay glanced over his partner's shoulder as the
readout came up. Their eyes widened before they exchanged a look.
"Nice guy!" Jay stated as he drew the chips out to return them to
Reiko and Kaneko. "So when was he going to tell US about this?!" he
asked his partner.
"Probably when he expected them to come here, which certainly wasn't
today," Kay admitted, turning to the twins. "In the meantime, girls,
welcome to Earth. We'll be happy to help you both settle in once you
get back together with your father. I assume that since you're here,
the war between your people and the Urusians has come to an end."
"They found Heaven's Gate Bridge twelve of your hours ago. It was
located in the mountains north of Onishuto," Kaneko re****ted. "The
cease-fire was declared four hours later. Once that happened, Onee-
chan and I were free to come here to be with Papa and Mama."
"Well, let's hope this doesn't lead to a mass of Urusian refugees
coming this way," the older SCAA agent mused.
Reiko shook her head. "Won't happen. No Urusian'll be allowed to
come anywhere close to Earth for the next century. There're part of
the terms we're going to force on them if they want peace . . . "
"***SAY WHAT?!***"
The twins and the SCAA agents ducked as a massive aura of heat washed
over them from the direction of the school. Spinning around, Reiko
and Kaneko tensed on seeing a sea of outraged looks emanating from
every teenage boy standing on the walkway. "No Urusian permitted to
come to Earth for a CENTURY?!" Koi ****njin -- who, in the wake of
Megane's death, had become the effective de-facto leader of Lum's
widespread fan club -- pointed accusingly at the Noukiites. "***WE
WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS!***" he screamed out.
"***REVENGE FOR LUM-CHAN!***" the other boys bellowed.
Onsen howled as the boys trampled him down, they reaching out for the
young alien girls who had just crowed over the Urusians' defeat.
Before they could get within grasping range, Reiko and Kaneko bounded
into the air, their eyes glowing as they used their telekinetic powers
to keep their bodies well out of the boys' reach. Kay and Jay
scattered, their Lawgivers clearing their holsters, as the boys wound
up in a dog pile of idiocy where Reiko and Kaneko had just stood. As
their bellowed outcry became a chorus of grunts, curses and pained
yelps, the ominous *click-clack!* of an alien particle musket's breech
being locked into place turned everyone's attention to the gate.
"And what are you clowns doing attacking my daughters?!"
The girls paled on seeing Ataru, he dressed in a brown gi-like
jumpsuit, a woodland camouflage cape draped over his shoulder. In his
hand was his qu'f-piaqu'r, the barrel pointed up. Seeing him, Reiko
and Kaneko gushed, "PAPA!"
The twins flew into his embrace, Kaneko ensuring she didn't
accidentally knock her father's musket out of his hand. Ataru
blinked, and then, clicking the safety on his weapon, he allowed the
alien rifle to rest on the ground so he could return his daughters'
hugs. Standing behind him, a confused Hi****o stared at this Kodak
moment, unsure of WHAT to say at this time.
"Onii-tama . . . " she whispered.
The twins looked, and then they squealed, "Auntie Hi****o!"
Before she could react, twin typhoons of alien love knocked her
over. "HEY!" Hi****o screamed as she tried to get free from their
embrace. "HELP! ONII-TAMA! HINA NEEDS TO BREATHE! WHO ARE THESE
GIRLS, ONII-TAMA?!"
An explosion echoed from inside school grounds. "'ONII-TAMA?!'"
Ataru noticed that ALL of his former and would-be classmates, even
the three half-Avalonians and the other Avalonian-like girl he could
sense in the school, were staring at him. Taking a deep breath, he
gazed on Kay and Jay. "Tell me something. Have either of you ever
had days like this?" He indicated the members of the family with him,
and then the people staring at him.
"Many times," Kay admitted, he indicating Reiko and Kaneko. "But
taking these girls in was a pretty nice thing to do, Ataru."
"They saved my sanity after I watched three billion people get turned
into air pollution, Kay-san. What do you think I should've done?"
Both SCAA men tensed, exchanged a look, and then they turned back to
Ataru. "You mean what went down on Phentax Two a few weeks ago? You
were there?" Jay asked. Seeing Ataru nod, the younger agent breathed
out, "Right."
"Onii-tama . . .?"
Ataru spun around as Hi****o walked up. Reiko and Kaneko stood to
either side of their aunt, the former holding the Staff of Gihan.
"Onii-tama, are these girls . . .?!" Hi****o waved to the twins.
"REALLY your daughters?!"
"Hai, Hi****o-chan, they are," Ataru admitted as he scratched the back
of his head. "My *adopted* daughters! Sorry about that! I was
waiting for a good time to tell you! I didn't expect them to come
here today, though . . . "
Hi****o blinked. "Onii-tama has daughters . . .?" She looked nowhere
in particular. "Onii-tama has daughters . . .!" she whispered again,
and then she screamed out, waving her hands, "***HINA'S TOO YOUNG TO
BE AN AUNT!***"
Ataru, Reiko and Kaneko fell flat on their faces. Jay tried not to
topple over laughing. Kay, at least, was able to keep his composure.
The students staring at them were unsure as to what to say, though
Ataru was quick to sense that some of the boys were about to call out
questions that would, in the LEAST, be grossly offensive to his sister
and daughters. "C'mon, Hi****o-chan." He got back to his feet, and
then he helped his daughters up. "Let's find a nice ice cream parlour
so we can have some fruit parfait!"
Hi****o gushed, "Wai! Fruit parfait! Fruit parfait! Fruit parfait!"
She jogged off after her brother and his daughters. Kay and Jay
moved to follow. Both then stopped, their bodies tensing on hearing
the shuffle of many feet moving towards them, and then they turned to
see the members of ****nobu's class ready to race off in pursuit.
"Gl*****!" Kay barked.
Both SCAA agents slipped on their Ray-bans, hands snapping to their
tunics to draw out devices similar to hand-held mini-flashlights
doctors would use to examine one's ears and throat. Before the
hapless Tomobiki students could take another three steps, twin bursts
of high-intensity light froze them in place. Seeing their neuralizers
had done their job, Kay and Jay slipped off their gl*****. "Okay,
back to class and don't EVER bother Ataru about his sisters or his
daughters again! Alright?!" Jay stated.
No response. Kay waved his partner with him. "Let's go."
"Right."
They headed off. The students remained frozen. Onsen was still flat
on his back. In the back of the crowd, Mi****o -- she had not been
affected by the neuralizers -- turned to Tomomi and Kyooko. "So why
doesn't Ataru-kun want to talk about his family to everyone here?" the
rose-haired Avalonian asked.
"Probably because he's tired of being blamed for everything under the
sun by these jerks!" Kyooko snorted disgustedly. "I sensed a couple
of these boys were ready to call those girls Ataru-kun's love
children!"
"Jeez! I guess the intelligence level in this place IS shorter than
my shoe size," Tomomi said. "In AMERICAN measurements! Let's go back
to class!"
"Hai!" the others chimed as they followed their friend back, leaving
their classmates frozen in place by the front gate.
"What happened to them?" a voice called from their homeroom.
Mi****o, Tomomi and Kyooko looked up. Gazing at them from the window
was a brown-haired, blue-eyed girl distantly resembling Tomoe Hotaru
from "Sailor Moon." "They just got zapped for being idiots, Mie-san,"
Mi****o replied.
Seikou Mie snorted. "Doesn't surprise me."
* * *
"Slight headache, Nabiki-chan?"
Nabiki nodded as Miree drew her fingers away from her face. Both
were relaxing in Nabiki's bedroom, sitting on the bed so the
Niphentaxian high priestess could teach the younger girl the finer
points of mind-****elding. "Well, it was either this or keep sharing
my body with my brother." Nabiki pinched her nose. "Was it this hard
for you when you got your new body?"
"No. The information needed for me to make use of my powers was
automatically downloaded into it." Miree chuckled. "The next time we
ask Hi****o-chan to use Bou-san in creating new Avalonians, we ensure
they can adjust immediately to their new abilities."
"Sounds like a plan," Nabiki agreed before she tensed on sensing a
wave of -- well, *something* -- come her way from the general
direction of the kitchen. "What the heck . . .?" She peered in that
direction. "Who . . .?"
Miree smiled. "Oh, that feels like Chieko-san."
"Chieko?!" Nabiki perked, and then she breathed out, "Geez, what's
that girl doing here?! She knows if I'm absent from school . . . "
"I think it's because she's worried about you." The priestess gave
the younger woman a knowing look, and then she blinked. "Oh . . .!"
Nabiki blinked as she sensed someone come into the front yard. "Who
is that, anyway . . .?" she wondered.
Miree looked outside. "It's Rinrin-chan! And Yotsuba-chan's back,
too! Looks like she did quite a bit of shopping!"
Nabiki stood beside her. "Boy, she did," she confirmed. "I guess
she really does have it in for ****n****, ne?"
Both women laughed.
* * *
"So you want me to get the construction boys to build an extension to
your room so you and ****n****-kun can live together, right?!"
Yotsuba nodded as Rinrin opened up her laptop computer. "Checky!"
"Okay, let's see what we can do."
The inventor tapped controls to call up her data files on the rotunda
at Welcome House. As Rinrin played with her machine, Yotsuba picked
up the clothing to drag them to the master bedroom. Fujii Chieko
remained in the kitchen with Kasumi, preparing lunch. Akane had gone
back to her bedroom to sleep; with the revelations about Ranma tacked
onto the sea of problems her father instigated with Nabiki and
****n****, she definitely needed a chance to relax and organize her
thoughts. ****n**** was asleep. He was using Souun's old room as his
own. Miree had dealt with him before dealing with Nabiki.
As a diagram of the rotunda's third floor appeared on the computer's
screen, the kitchen door opened. "Rinrin-san!" Kasumi hailed with a
smile as she walked in with a tea tray. "Did your sister come back?"
"She's carrying the things into your brother's room," Rinrin re****ted
as she traced a finger over the computer screen. "Okay . . . "
Her hands flew over the keyboard. "What are you doing?" Kasumi
asked.
"Yotsuba-chan asked me to put in an extension to her room so she and
****n****-kun can live together," Rinrin re****ted matter-of-factly.
"Since we're putting in an extension on the first floor for Aniki and
Aneki, we can get the construction crews to do this as well."
Kasumi's eyebrow arched in surprise. "Rinrin-san, do Yotsuba-san's
parents know about this?" She gazed concernedly on the teen
inventor. "At least her mother should be told. I mean, to start a
relation****p . . . "
"Our parents don't really care about us anymore, Kasumi-san."
Silence fell as Rinrin's fingers continued to dance over the
keyboard. "Take me for example." She pointed to herself, and then
she nodded as Kasumi poured her a cup. "My mom and step-dad left me
at Welcome House two years ago so they could work at a big science lab
in Osaka. Never told me why." She sniffed. "Dad gets killed last
year in an accident. Mom . . . " She stopped, shrugging. "She
hasn't come back. Hasn't wrote to me, called me or done anything of
the sort. Last time I saw her was at Dad's funeral. I only found out
whom my real dad was when Aneki came to the Island and told me about
Aniki. By then, all of us had pretty much settled into the House,
became friends and . . . " A smile crossed her face. "Then we
learned we were family! It . . . "
"Rinrin-chan . . . " Kasumi gazed sympathetically at her, and then
she reached over to draw the teen inventor into a comforting embrace.
"You didn't deserve that . . . " she whispered. "You didn't deserve
any of that . . . "
"Oh, is Rinrin-chan giving you that old sob story?!"
Both looked as Yotsuba stepped into the sitting room. "How's ****n****-
chan, Yotsuba-chan?" Kasumi asked as she let Rinrin go, the latter
going back to work on her computer. "Miree-sama said he needed his
sleep."
"Yotsuba knows that." The would-be detective sat, stretching
herself. "****-chama's sleeping like the dead right now."
"Yotsuba-chan!" Kasumi gasped. "Don't say such unlucky things!"
The younger girl laughed. "Oh, relax!"
"If you haven't clued in by now, she's English," Rinrin explained as
she pointed at her sister. "Yotsuba-chan always tends to throw some
strange words out, even in Japanese. You can't escape it!"
Yotsuba growled indignantly as Rinrin laughed. Kasumi tried not to
lose all de****tment herself as the teen inventor went back to her
machine. A minute later, Rinrin sat back. "Okay, here's what we'll
do . . . "
Yotsuba gazed on the screen. "What are you doing?"
"Well, I don't need a window for my lab room, so we'll let your room
come out the same distance as Aniki's room, then wrap clockwise to
cover the wall of my lab space." Rinrin pointed to the details.
"Hey, we could even board up the door to my lab, and then you can
****ft your front door to the hallway, at right-angles to the door to
****rayuki-chan's room. You could use the hall space between the old
entrance to your room and the entrance to my room as a new closet,
turn your old room into a sitting room . . . "
Nodding, she got to work drafting up the new plans. "Aaaah! Don't
take Yotsuba's ladder away, Rinrin-chan!" Yotsuba pleaded.
"Oh, relax!" Rinrin laughed. "No doubt, Aniki'd love the idea of
putting in a safety fence on the roof, not to mention your ceiling."
Playing with the touch pad, she nodded as the new floor plans came
up. "Okay! We'll put the ladder here, at the corner of the space
beside my lab. We'll turn the window into an emergency door between
my lab and your space, then keep the old door to my lab as another
emergency door. Sounds okay?"
"Checky!"
"My, are you sure you can do all this, Rinrin-chan?" Kasumi asked.
"Sure! The family owns the House!" Rinrin then stopped before
looking anew at Kasumi. "Why don't you come live with us?"
"Rinrin-chan . . . " Kasumi gasped, she taken aback by Rinrin's
offer.
"I mean . . . " Rinrin grasped the older woman's hand. "I know this
is your land, but with your dad in the asylum and you, Nabiki, ****n****-
kun and Akane about to go to university, do you want to hang onto this
place? You can come stay with us on the Island, your sisters go to
school at the College."
"I . . .!" Kasumi then gently folded her other hand over Rinrin's.
"Rinrin-chan, please, you don't have to do this . . . "
"Yes, we do." Rinrin smiled. "Kasumi-san, do you want to know why
it was so easy for all of us to come together like we did?"
"Well, I suspect your birth-father's . . . " Kasumi then caught
herself.
"Other than that!" Yotsuba laughed, walking over to sit on the other
side of Kasumi from Rinrin. Reaching over to grasp the older woman's
hand, the detective gazed into her eyes. "Ane-chama, you lost your
mom a long time ago. And your dad's gone now. Even though you're at
the point where you want to go out into the big world, you really
don't have much of a family to fall back onto. That's not right,
especially after what your dad did. Why shouldn't we help you? It's
what our family's done all these years."
Kasumi blinked, her eyes misting. "You just called me . . . "
"Hai." Yotsuba nodded before she shrugged. "Yotsuba can't explain
it. When Yotsuba checked ****-chama for the first time, it . . . "
She glanced at her lap. "All Yotsuba could think about is that ****-
chama was the first man other than Ani-chama that Yotsuba could learn
to love. And if it does happen, then Ane-chama'll be Yotsuba's sister-
in-law. Ono-sensei told Yotsuba lots of nice things about you, Ane-
chama." She gazed tranquilly on Kasumi. The latter blushed on
hearing that; even though nothing had ever truthfully worked out
between herself and Ono Toofuu, that the chiropractor still held the
Tendou matriarch in high respect was heart-warming. Yotsuba then
sighed. "And, well . . . " She frowned. "Yotsuba knows there's a
chance that things between Yotsuba and ****-chama won't check out.
Yotsuba thinks it's really not checky, but . . . " She shrugged. "If
****-chama doesn't want Yotsuba as a lover, Yotsuba hopes ****-chama'll
have Yotsuba as a friend."
"You're only fourteen, Yotsuba-chan," Kasumi warned, reaching over to
squeeze the younger girl's shoulder. "Look at all the trouble Ranma-
chan and Akane-chan had in their 'engagement.' They were SIXTEEN, for
heaven's sake. You don't deserve to go through that . . . "
"Yotsuba knows." She winked. "Yotsuba also knows that there won't
be dumb parents or stupid idiots with bokken trying to butt into the
way. After all, if ****-chama, Na-chama and Ane-chama come to Promised
Island, that doesn't mean Kunou'll come live on the Island!"
"The jerk might think he's king-**** here in Nerima, but he's nobody
where we come from." Rinrin smirked. "Okay, here we go!"
The others looked. "Oh, my!" Kasumi gasped.
* * *
"Feeling a little better, U-chan?"
Ukyou perked before she stared at Ranma. After the chef got finished
with her father, the Kuromorobo**** came along to dump him outside
Uenohara, near the border between Metro Tokyo and Yamana****
prefecture. As planned, Ukyou's father wouldn't be free of the
paralysis Cologne forced on him until late that evening. Long before
that, a clerk from the Court of Special Appeals would visit U-chan's
to record Ukyou's complaint concerning his father's refusal to
recognize the legal changes concerning Ranma. "It's nice to hear you
call me 'U-chan' again." The chef smiled as she laid back on the a
futon Ranma provided for her, her eyes locked on the ceiling fan of
the room Ranma shared with Ataru. "Hearing you call me 'Ukyou-san'
got to me, you know."
"I had no choice," Ranma admitted as she sat beside her.
"Guess so." Ukyou closed her eyes. "Ran-chan?"
"What is it?"
"Did you ever love me?"
Ranma sighed. "Depends on what type of love you mean."
Ukyou gazed on her. "As a fiancée."
The answer was automatic: "No. I mean, even now, it's so hard for
me to think of you as anything other than my best friend, U-chan.
I . . . " She closed her eyes, shaking her head. "I'm sorry. I know
it's not the least bit fair to you given all you've been through these
last ten years, but I won't lie to you either. I love you, but as a
friend, not a fiancée. I'll always be there to help you if you're
really in a jam . . . "
"You didn't act that way after the wedding," Ukyou warned, closing
her eyes. "I'd become a stranger to you. That hurt, Ran-chan!"
Ranma nodded. "True, I did. And I'm sorry I did hurt you, but from
the moment you and Shan started lobbing okonomiyaki and nikuman bombs
in the middle of a doojou filled with people who couldn't protect
themselves from folks like us, I knew a line had to be drawn. I . . .
" She leaned her chin on her knees. "I only wish I had the ability
to draw that sooner. Maybe it would've saved us a lot of trouble in
the long term."
"Because of what Genma did to you, right? That whole business with
messing your mind up before you went on the training trip?"
"Yep."
Ukyou turned onto her side, gazing at Ranma. "Yeah, I guess that
didn't really help matters a lot. For all of us."
"Yeah, that's true."
"So where's Ataru-kun?"
Ranma shrugged. "Went off with Hi****o-chan to Tomobiki a few minutes
ago. Some alien ****p showed up while you were pounding the snot outta
your old man. They went to check it out. Ataru told me they were
Noukiites."
Confusion crossed Ukyou's face. "Who're they?"
"The people who are, at present, pounding the hell out of Lum's
people, the Urusians. It's a five-century version of what happened
between us and the Koreans some decades back." Ranma perked. "I've
been to Noukiios myself."
Ukyou jolted. "WHAT?! WHEN?!"
Ranma laughed. "Saturday night, Negako took me to this place called
'Sanctuary' to help me overcome my fear of cats. It's . . . " She
stopped, her hands shaking as she tried to muster the right words to
describe that place, and then she shrugged. "Well, it's a place
outside of normal time and space. I spent the equivalent of thirty-
eight days there. Went through my first period, plus came up with
some new moves, while I was training there. Along the way, Negako
took me to Noukiios so I could see . . . "
Her voice trailed off on seeing the stunned look of disbelief cross
the chef's face. "That can't be true . . . " Ukyou sputtered.
"Well, if you don't believe me, ask Negako. She'll confirm it."
Silence fell as Ukyou considers her ex-fiancée's words. Both then
perked as the bedroom door slid open, revealing ****rayuki. "Nee-sama,
your mom's here," the young chef re****ted. "She needs to see you."
Ranma sighed. "Right."
She stood, bru****ng off the back of her chemise before heading to the
door. "You're gonna be okay, Ran-chan?" Ukyou asked on sensing a
cloud of uncertainty descend on Ranma. "I know you broke off ties
with her . . . "
The redhead stopped. "Yeah."
She gave Ukyou a faint smile before she followed ****rayuki out of the
bedroom. Ukyou watched her go before she sighed, reclining on the
bed.
* * *
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