"Ooooh, my head . . . "
"Hey, Ataru!"
"Darling, are you alright?!"
"Papa . . .?"
Ataru's eyes fluttered as he found himself gazing at the deckhead of
his cabin aboard the "Windrider." Confusion warped through him as he
wondered what brought him here, and then his skin paled as what
happened aboard his ship over the last hour came back with crystal
clarity.
He then blinked as Ranma's and Seiko's heads loomed in his field of
vision, they soon joined by Reiko's and Kaneko's. "Guys . . . " he
whispered as his hand reached up to feel his forehead. "Um,
Ranma . . .?"
"Yeah?"
"Would you pinch me again?"
Ranma smirked as she shook her head. "It won't work."
He considered that, and then he nodded. "Right . . . "
"How do you feel?" Seiko wondered.
"How do I feel?" Ataru echoed her before he took a deep breath.
"Well, I'm not sure how I actually *should* feel, Sei-chan. That
seven weeks after the United Nations forced us apart . . . " His eyes
fell on Ranma as a hand reached over to touch her cheek. "And just a
little under two weeks after I met someone I'm starting to fall in
love with, I find out my harem fantasies have one hell of a basis in
reality, something that happened to me when I was just a kid?" His
eyes focused again on his ex-fiancée. "How on Earth should I feel
after experiencing **that,** Sei-chan?"
Seiko sadly smiled. "Darling . . . "
"You should be happy, Papa."
Eyes locked on Reiko. "Why should I be happy, musume-chan?" Ataru
asked.
"Because you're the Euk Hisehek," Kaneko answered for her sister.
"It's your destiny to be the Euk Hisehek, Papa."
Ranma blinked as she remembered when Chyek, one of Reiko's and
Kaneko's fellow Lost Stars of Noukiios, called Ataru by that title
back in their base camp while the former heir of the Saotome-ryuu had
been training with Negako in Sanctuary. Ataru's eyebrow arched as he
found himself sitting up, he leaning over to gaze at his children.
"And how is it you two know about this?"
The twins tensed before they bowed their eyes ashamedly. "Gomen,
Papa," Reiko whispered. "But we were told not to tell you."
"Why?" Seiko asked.
"We don't know," Kaneko answered. "But it's obvious, isn't it? If
the Urusians found out about Papa's connection with the Maidens, how'd
you think they'd react? Especially creeps like Yethis?" She glanced
at Ranma. "Eh?"
Seiko and Ranma exchanged a look. "He definitely wouldn't have liked
that," the former mused. "If the Maidens are as powerful as they
seem, Yethis and his sub-creatures would have gone to war to make sure
Darling couldn't access that power. He could have used it to close
Earth off from everyone, even from Oyuki-chan's people. Yethis
wouldn't have liked that at all."
"Why?" Ranma asked. "What was his big beef against Earth, Seiko?"
"Fear."
Eyes turned to the door, where a chestnut-haired Seishin-born woman
in black-and-gold stood. "Who . . .?" Ataru began before his eyes
narrowed as he peered intently at the newcomer. "Er, forgive me, but
have we . . .?"
"Met before?" Noa finished before she sighed. "Yes, Ataru, we did
meet in a park in Tomobiki several months prior to when Negako was
inserted into your mind. If we get the chance, we'll help you in
whatever way we can to regain those memories you've lost because of
that." To Seiko. "If it's anything, Seiko, I'm sorry that our
interaction with Ataru came to reflect so badly on you. And your
people as a whole." She wryly grinned. "But I won't apologize for
what happened to your leaders." She then gazed on Ranma. "And I must
say it's a pleasure to meet you at last, Ranma. We've always known
Ataru has an Other, but until we learned of you, we had no idea who
that was."
Ranma blinked. "But aren't you the one who . . .?"
"Not her. Me."
Eyes snapped to the door of Ataru's bathroom. There, a blonde
Yehisrite-born defence officer with the tattoo marking her as one of
the Pirpirsiw'r, the Most Dangerous Ones of the Royal Kingdoms,
stood. "How . . .?" Seiko gasped.
"Telepathy and empathy, Seiko, can be beat if you understand the
rules of the game," Lufy warned as she pushed herself away from the
bulkhead to calmly walk over and sit on the bed beside Ranma.
Watching the watchmistress move, Ranma shuddered as she automatically
reached out with her ki senses to take in the newcomer's measure. The
reading she got from Lufy sent a surge of pure fear -- yes, *fear!* --
up from her stomach to squeeze her heart and freeze her soul. This
woman was as different emotionally from Moroboshi Negako as night was
from day. But the training level, the knowledge, the
*experience* . . .?!
It was all the same.
"Hello, Ranma."
Ranma blinked as the greeting washed over her, and then her eyes
widened as the images of a dream she had over a week before,
immediately after what had to go down as the bloodiest day in her
life, came back to her. "You . . .!"
An ironic eyebrow arched. "You remember me?"
The martial artist paused as she considered what was just asked, and
then she shook her head. "No. It was a dream I had. The night after
the school got destroyed." She glanced at Ataru before looking anew
at Lufy. "Why?"
Lufy closed her eyes, a sigh escaping her. The moment of truth had
finally come. "Before I explain that, let me say this." She then
bowed her head, tears seeping through her eyelashes to stream down her
cheeks. "I really wish I had the guts to admit what I did to you and
Ataru all those years ago when we brought him to Sagussa a year after
we met. Maybe then, we might have gone out to bring you to our
planet, too." She gazed anew at Ranma. "At least, perhaps, it might
have saved you from a lot of the trouble that hunk of stormwalker dung
you called a father heaped over you. Not to mention all the other
things you've bumped into over the years. Eh?"
Ranma stared at this woman, whose actions years ago had influenced
her in ways that made everything else she had dealt with until the day
she met Kamekichi Tampopo -- the day that began the march that led the
ex-heir of the Saotome-ryuu of Musabetsu Kakutou to this starship and
to the side of the man currently sitting beside her -- seem
insignificant in comparison. Even the Neko-ken training, even
Jusenkyou with the soul-altering touch those pools reserved for the
most foolish of those who disturbed its peace, even . . .!
Insignificant.
Totally insignificant.
"Please tell us why," Ranma urged, squeezing Lufy's shoulder.
The watchmistress blinked, and then she took a breath before she
began.
**** **** ****
"Lonely Souls"
By Fred Herriot
pyeknu@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
OR fherriot@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
**** ****
Crystal Palace in-jokes by Mike Smith, they first appearing in the
story "Be Forever Nassur," part of the fan-fiction series "Urusei
Yatsura - The Senior Year," created by Mike Smith and Fred Herriot.
**** **** ****
"Coinleach Glas an Fhómhair" (The Green Stubble-Field of Autumn) is a
traditional song re-mastered by the members of Clannad (Máire Ni
Bhraonáin, Ciarán Ó Bhraonáin, Pól Ó Bhraonáin, Noel Ó Dúgáin and
Pádraig Ó Dúgáin). The version of "Coinleach Glas an Fhómhair" I took
is from the compilation "In a Lifetime: The Best of Clannad" (2003),
released by BMG Music.
**** **** ****
Based on "Urusei Yatsura" and "Ranma 1/2," created by Takahashi
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 NINTH PART, "A" SIDE - NEW FANTASIES
"Children, Chikage-chan?"
The sorceress nodded. She was meeting with Sakuya, Haruka and Karen
in her cabin. Glasses of Noukiite cider -- Shirayuki had found many
casks of the stuff in a storage room next to the galley -- were in
their hands, an ice-filled pitcher of the clear liquid sitting on the
nightstand. "Emotionally, they're not that far evolved beyond what
they gained from Ani-kun when they met him en masse. I admit that
they are striving to break free of what their contact with Ani-kun did
to them. But it is hard."
"Is that good or bad?" Karen asked.
"I'm not sure," Chikage answered before she sipped her drink. "We
seem to have met the most mature of them. Noa-chan, the members of
Eluza-chan's crew and some of Sylia-chan's team. And yet, we have
people like Ayumu-chan. She seems to me more typical of these
Sagussans." Gazing at the deckhead, she added, "As Noa-chan told us,
before they met Ani-kun, they were all finely tuned logic machines.
Living computers, as in control of themselves emotionally as the
Vulcans on 'Star Trek.' Then Ani-kun was brought to Sagussa and the
inner emotional balance they possessed was critically upset. And they
are still very much recovering from that encounter."
"As Karen-chan just asked, Chikage-chan, is it good or bad for
Anigimi-sama?" Haruka wondered.
"Are you jealous of their love for Ani-kun?" Chikage countered.
The marital artist balked, and then she shook her head. "N-no, not
really! I mean, if their intentions toward Anigimi-sama and Anegimi-
sama are true and honourable, I cannot object, Chikage-chan. But
still . . . "
"I have to admit that the idea of competing with all those girls does
scare me," Sakuya then said, she gazing at the deckhead. "But if they
feel so indebted to Onii-sama, how could we object to what they might
want of him? And they did bond Onii-sama and Onee-sama together . . .
"
"Does Lufy-san feel guilty about that, Chikage-chan?" Karen asked.
"She does," Chikage answered. "Profoundly. Even if it was done in
complete innocence, I strongly suspect that it would be seen as a
crime on Sagussa these days to force a psi-bond on two four year-old
children. Granted, Lufy-chan's actions did help Ani-kun and Ane-kun,
especially when we factor in the insertion of Negako-anekun into Ani-
kun's mind, not to mention Ranma-anekun's experience with the Neko-
ken."
"We should do our best to help Lufy-san understand that," Haruka
noted.
"I think Onii-chan and Onee-chan will understand," Karen added.
"Can we talk to one of them? Get their viewpoint on this?" Sakuya
asked.
As if in answer to the elder sister's question, a knock is heard at
the door. Chikage walked over to open in. "Ya, Nene-chan!"
The others turned as Pathfinder Troop Six's coxswain stepped inside.
"Konban wa, minna-sama," she hailed with a pleasant nod.
"Nene-san, there's no need for *that* level of formality," Karen
noted.
The rose-haired, Ellsian-born Pathfinder chuckled as she sat herself
on the bed, Chikage relaxing beside her. "Gomen ne, Karen-chan." She
then nodded thanks as Haruka poured her a cup of cider. "Arigatou,
Haruka-chan."
"Why are you here?" Sakuya asked as the cup was handed over.
Nene glanced at her. "Sakuya-chan, please, I REALLY must know: who
taught Rinrin-chan all the things she knows about computers,
mechanical engineering and everything else? That girl has got major
hackitude! If she had been born on another planet, she would be a
Visionary!"
"'Visionary?'" Haruka asked.
Nene blushed. "That's what I was in my first life. I was Chianne du
Maratok. My hack-sign was 'Velvet Rose.' Being called a 'Visionary'
means that not only do you have the knowledge and skills to not just
master your own planet's technology, but you can also integrate
yourself into other planets' technology just like that." She snapped
her fingers before she added, "Rinrin-chan's got the same type of
gift, minna-chan. And there's no way that I'm going to let those
skills go undeveloped. So, who was her teacher?"
"Her late step-grandfather, Professor Hatoyama Junji," Chikage
answered. "He was the man who helped make Promised Island what it is
today. I suspect -- this is based on information I acquired from my
own grandfather Ryuuji, of course -- that he may have been exposed to
whatever samples of Zephyrite technology were brought from Jiyuu after
Grandmother's investiture as a Righteous Gentile in their Protestant
Reformist Church. I can't confirm that, though. Neither can Rinrin-
chan, I believe. Only Brother Sunfire could."
"You really believe she's that good, Nene-san?" Haruka wondered.
Nene held up her cider. "She's THAT good." A wink. "Think about
it. Do you think even your most advanced programming specialists,
robotics experts and what-have-you could launch a project like
creating Mecha-Rinrin on a whim?"
The sisters exchanged looks as they considered the Sagussan's
question. "Well, maybe in the general public, something like Mecha-
Rinrin-chan would take years to become reality," Karen mused. "But
you have to admit, Nene-san, our family tends to buck a lot of those
trends on the fly!"
"Yes," Nene acknowledged. "That's one of the things Noa's learned
about your family since we first had Ataru come visit us. I will
grant you all that your grandmother kept all of your existences a deep
secret, even from Noa. And she dug around a lot to get the skinny on
everything about your family. I should know; I helped her on that
end."
"Grandmother's actions concerning us were easy to execute, especially
since the person our existences had to be masked from the most was Ani-
kun's mother," Chikage stated before she gazed on the Pathfinder.
"And you must admit, Noa-chan's actions eleven years ago did
contribute to the growing rift between the various elements of our
family."
Nene closed her eyes. "I'll concede that. And I have to admit, when
we realized what we had done, we felt as guilty as Lufy does now
concerning what she did to Ataru and Ranma-san. Believe me, I wish we
had taken Mie up on her idea of sending a permanent team to Tomobiki
to keep a close eye on Ataru. It might have helped him a lot,
especially after Thoughtmistress-prime Negako's essence was downloaded
into his subconscious . . . what?!" she then demanded on seeing the
sisters burst out laughing. "What?!"
"Nene-san, you better NOT address Anegimi-sama as *that!*" Haruka
warned.
"Onee-sama'd hate being called *that* more than she hates being
called 'sensei!'" Sakuya added as she gripped the sides of her
stomach.
"One of those types?" Nene wondered before she took a drink.
"Gotcha."
A knock was heard at the door. "Enter, Rinrin-chan!" Chikage called
out.
The door opened to reveal the teen genius in question. "Hey, guys!
Oh, Ne-chan! There you are!" Rinrin hailed as she walked inside.
"Hey, Rin-chan! How're things in the sail room?" Nene asked.
"They're cool!"
Sakuya and Haruka exchanged surprised looks. *'Ne-chan?' 'Rin-
chan?'*
Karen moved to pour the newcomer a glass of cider as Rinrin hopped
onto the bed beside Nene. "Nene-chan was complimenting you on the
level of technical skill you gained apprenticing with your
grandfather," Chikage said.
Rinrin laughed as she took her drink, a blush crossing her face.
"You've got the touch, Rin-chan," Nene added with a wink as she moved
to clink glasses. "You stick with me, I'll make damn sure that you'll
know how to use it!"
"Aw, Ne-chan!" Rinrin whined.
"Don't you have laws against that sort of thing, Nene-san?" Haruka
asked.
"Oh, you mean the Non-Interference Directive?" Nene asked in turn.
On seeing Haruka nod, the Pathfinder sighed. "Well, yes, we do, but
look at the situation. Your people have already had controlled
contact with the Zephyrites over the last forty years. How did the
guys in the Special Committee on Alien Activities over in the Big
Apple get their gear? And you've had much more open exposure to the
Urusians and some of the other peoples of the Galactic Federation for
the last year-and-a-half. Yes, we won't let our tech be spread willy-
nilly all over Earth, especially when you've got some leaders who, in
our eyes, deserve to get shot for the crap they unleashed on their own
peoples. But believe me, Haruka-chan, Rin-chan has the discipline and
the fortitude she needs to understand what I can teach her. AND she
will certainly be made to understand what the good and bad effects of
what I would teach her could do."
"Ne-chan . . . " Rinrin muttered as her blush deepened.
Silence fell as everyone took the chance to enjoy their cider. "You
aren't perfect when it comes to sharing what you have, Nene-chan,"
Chikage then noted as she gave the Pathfinder a knowing look. "Aren't
you?"
Rinrin reached over to hold Nene's hand. The other sisters blinked.
"You're right about that, Chikage-chan," Nene then said.
"What do you mean?" Karen asked.
Nene lightly smiled. "Karen-chan, who do you think built this ship?"
"The Noukiites . . .!" Karen stopped as her eyes widened. "You
did?"
"I helped build her," Nene confessed, a shrug twitching her
shoulder. "This ship was a prototype built at our fleet yards at
Sen'sha Seven. It was constructed a year ago when we decided to give
the Noukiites back the designs for the GEV-capable vessels their own
scientists came up with just before their planet was conquered by the
Urusian Imperials three centuries ago."
"'Gee-Ee-Vee?'" Haruka asked.
"'Galactic Escape Velocity,'" Rinrin explained. "Over Warp 4.4 if
you use the new 'Star Trek' speed scale. One thousand, six hundred
and forty-nine times the speed of light. That's the speed you need to
break free of the Galactic Barrier, the force field that encloses the
galaxy."
"In other words, if the Urusian Imperials had ever gotten their hands
on that level of tech, even Sagussa would have been threatened. Being
20,000 light years beyond the Barrier wouldn't have saved us," Nene
added.
Sakuya stared at Nene. "You guys threw your support behind the
Noukiites against Lum's people?" Seeing Nene nod, the elder sister
demanded, "Why?!"
"After what happened to your grandmother, how else should we have
acted?"
Silence.
"You did that because of Obaa-chan's death?" Karen asked.
Nene blinked confusedly. "Karen-chan, we did that because Lum's
people *murdered* your grandmother to ensure the Zephyrites couldn't
intervene in case Ataru lost the First Tag Race. Didn't you know?"
The sisters save Chikage shook their heads. The sorceress had a
neutral look on her face. Seeing that, Nene squeezed her eyes shut as
she realized what her words had just done. "Damn! Open mouth, insert
foot time again! Way to go, Maratok!" she muttered as she slumped
against the bulkhead beside Chikage's bed.
"It's not your fault," Rinrin soothed as she gave Nene's hand a
squeeze.
"Obaa-sama . . . " Haruka gasped, her eyes tearing. "She was
murdered?"
"THAT'S why Onii-chan fought with the Noukiites!" Karen exclaimed.
"Lum had no idea that happened," Chikage warned.
"What else did you guys do?" Sakuya asked the Pathfinder.
"Just one other thing," Nene replied. "We used our terraforming
technology to give the Noukiites twelve new colony planets they could
shift their excess population to, plus relieve the stress on the food
supply and agricultural networks on Noukiios and the older colonies.
This all happened in the year after Tag One, by the way." She took a
breath. "Believe me, minna-chan, we had a pretty good idea of what
the Noukiites might have done once they had the chance to do it. Many
of us hoped they would have just firmed up the border between them and
the Urusians and put a stop to the colonial militia raids on the old
colonies. It was that hope that made us overlook the Non-Interference
Directive and let us give them what we did. After all, making new
colonies for them was a simple act of humanity in the long term. And
since the scientists who developed the GEV-tech before the Imperial
Conquest destroyed it to prevent it from falling into Urusian hands,
Noukiios DID, in the long run, help protect Sagussa. Not to mention
every other race in the local cluster. So giving them back what was
really theirs in the long run didn't bother us too much." A pause.
"But when Yethis tried to push it . . . "
"Enough was enough in their eyes," Haruka finished for the Sagussan.
"Hai."
"And you did this in response to Obaa-sama's murder?" Sakuya
wondered.
"Yeah." Tears brimmed in Nene's eyes as she shrugged. "Yeah, we
hoped that the Noukiites would have kept things peaceful with the
Urusians. But I have to add that deep down, many of us -- myself
included -- felt that bastards like Seq Yethis and the rest of that
pack needed to have their heads handed to them. They murdered your
grandmother all because they were *afraid* of you people. That's what
really prompted the First Tag Race. Not some bullshit excuse about
the Seifukusu or the Ipraedies wanting to conquer Earth and cut the
Federation in half. No. The REAL reason the Urusians wanted to
conquer your people was that they were *afraid* that when the time
came that the people of Earth got out into the galaxy, they would
create an interstellar republic that would put to shame EVERYTHING the
Urusians themselves have created over the years. If an 'Interstellar
United Nations of Earth' ever came into being, they might have formed
strong bridges of friendship with the Seifukusu, the Ipraedies
and . . .! Oh, Lyna! Even the Noukiites!" Nene then gasped as she
waved around the room with the hand holding her glass of cider. "And
no! No! No! NO! The Urusians couldn't allow THAT now, could
they?!"
Rinrin blinked as she considered that before saying, "So when they
learned of Obaba's connections to Zephyrus . . . "
"They cut them as quickly as they could," Nene finished. She took a
breath. "And that could be blamed on us for what we did with Ataru.
Even then, we could sense the emotional distance between him and his
mother . . . "
"Don't blame yourselves for how what you did to Ani-kun affected
Kinshou, Nene-chan," Chikage said. "If you wish to assign blame for
what happened to Obaa-san, look first to Kinshou and her unwillingness
to accept some of the unique aspects of our family when she married
our father. Then add to that what happened to Kaeru-anikun after he
died and his body disappeared . . . "
"Your other brother's not dead, you know."
Silence.
"***EH?!***" the sisters, even Chikage, exclaimed as they stared at
Nene.
* * *
"AH-CHOO!"
"*Master Kaeru, are you functioning properly?*"
Kaeru blinked confusedly as he stared at his hand, it now dotted with
expended mucus from his nose. "Curious."
* * *
"Kaeru-oniisama's ALIVE?!" Sakuya screamed.
"Yep," Nene replied before she finished her cider. "Did any of you
ever wonder why Kaeru-san vanished from the hospital in Arikawa
shortly after his accident?" As the sisters exchanged looks, the
Pathfinder continued, "It was because two women from the planet
Nagussa had come to Earth at the time he fell off that cliff. They
saw the accident. And they were moved so much by his suffering that
when they got the chance, they took him out of the hospital and
transported him back to their planet to heal him."
"And Aniki's been there ever since?!" Rinrin asked.
Nene nodded. "Exactly. Now I don't know all the details of what's
happened to him since the day he got there, but I do know that he's
currently a member of their defence force, working as an engineer on
one of their star cruisers. And . . . " She held up a warning
finger.
"And?!" Sakuya prompted.
"He's on Earth right now. At your hostel to be exact."
Silence.
"WHAT?!" the sisters cried out.
Nene smirked as she tapped her left wrist-bracelet. "Nene to Linna."
"Go, Nene," the coxswain's lover replied from the "Kiboo'cha."
"Put a link through to my laptop, lover. Then open a link from my
laptop to the 'Haengge'cha.' I need to talk to Yomi."
"Right!"
"I'll get it!" Rinrin announced as she ran out of the room.
The teen inventor returned a moment later with the coxswain's
laptop. Nene opened it and tapped some controls to open a
communications link to the nearby "Kiboo'cha." A second later, a
holographic screen appeared before Nene's face, it projecting an image
of a certain bespectacled, Yehisrite-born engineer. "Koyomi here,"
the construction chief engineer artificer called out as she recognized
her caller. "What is it, Nene?"
"How's that virus I whipped up for you working, Yomi?"
"Like a charm." A knowing smile then crossed Koyomi's face. "The
Rover's sending us some interesting pictures from Welcome House. I
assume certain new friends of ours would want to see their brother in
the flesh?"
"Please."
"Hai!"
The image changed to show a view of Welcome House's rotunda.
Currently, the place was a construction zone as four semi-humanoid
hover-capable robots worked to expand every room. "Holy . . .!"
Rinrin gasped. "What are those?!"
"Nagussan construction-maintenance robots," Nene replied. "I'll bet
that Kaeru-san himself built these beauties. Now . . . " She then
tapped controls to call up a thermograph view. A human-shaped heat
source appeared, it standing in a room on the third floor. "And there
he is," Nene announced.
"Hey! What's he doing in my lab?!" Rinrin cried out.
"Looking over Mecha-Rinrin, I think . . . ah!"
Nene tapped controls to switch back to visual light mode. The person
in Rinrin's private laboratory had just moved to the window to gaze
outside. Seeing those wondrously familiar features, the sisters
gasped.
"Onii-chan!" Karen whispered for them all.
* * *
"Let me get this straight," Kaneko moved to recap. "Your people took
interest in the Terrans when you learned these Nagussans had come and
taken Uncle Kaeru with them back to their planet after he supposedly
'died' . . . "
"Then a year later, when I was on Triton playing hide-and-seek with
Oyuki-chan and everyone, the Central Warp Chamber misfired, making you
believe Oyuki-chan, Toji-chan or I had been taken to Earth by
accident," Seiko added.
"And after you calculated that Lum might have come to Uncle's estate
in Sendai, you beamed down to look for her," Ataru said.
"And that's when you stumbled onto Oyaji beating me up all because I
tried to be friends with Ataru and Nokoko-oneechan," Ranma added.
"And when you thought Papa and Mama were the reincarnations of two of
your planet's ancient gods, you bonded them," Reiko finished.
Lufy nodded. "That's it in a nutshell."
Silence fell as the others in Ataru's cabin considered what had just
been said. Ranma then stared at the watchmistress. "Lufy, I hate to
ask you this, but where the hell was your logic when you bonded Ataru
and me together?!"
Muted laughter filled the room. "It rather left me at the time, I'm
afraid," Lufy replied with a light smile before she frowned. "While I
certainly will not shirk my responsibility when it came to what I did
to both of you, I will say this: When I sensed your father's feelings
towards you, Ranma, I realized that he wasn't acting anywhere NEAR
what a proper parent -- as I then understood the concept -- should act
toward his offspring. You, put frankly, were seen by Genma as his
meal ticket to a cozy retirement. Every wrong he unleashed on others,
he would pass the blame onto you, make you answer for his crimes.
Everything that he could use to make you the perfect fighting machine,
the icon of his school of martial arts, he would use, regardless of
the cost to your body and soul." A pause as she reached up to wipe
her cheeks. "And the worst part about it was that he believed deep in
his heart that he was doing the right thing for you. That your best
course -- No! Excuse me! Your ONLY course! -- in life was to be
transformed into that living icon of martial arts Genma wanted you to
be." She sniffed back more tears. "Back then, even with my total
lack of understanding when it came to human emotions, to all the non-
logical, non-rational elements that influence human lives, I could
easily conclude this: That is NO WAY for a parent to raise a child."
"And when you heard our names?" Ataru gently prodded.
Lufy snorted. "I heard your names right after Genma -- who, I have
to admit, had, by then, been so battered by both Starleaf and I, he
had lost all sense of control over himself -- tried to use his vacuum
blade attack on you, Ataru. When I saw that, and then heard the names
'Ranma' and 'Ataru' -- which, in Sagussan phonetic structure, are
quite close to 'Ram' and 'Atar' -- well, that was the excuse I
needed." She shrugged.
"So after you pounded him, you bonded Darling and Ranma-san," Seiko
said.
"Hai." She gazed at Ranma. "In that regard, I believed Ranma would,
from that day on, have a friend . . . " Here, she paused before she
smiled. "A soul-mate . . . " She shrugged. "That Genma could never
take from him."
"And that . . . " Noa spoke up, "Is the purest essence of Marei'cha.
The person whom you would trust with your immortality. The one you
care for -- you love -- beyond all others, for she or he is the one
who is with you always."
Ataru and Ranma took that in, and then they gazed on each other. The
latter stood, walking over to stare out the cabin windows at the
passing star field. "That's probably why Oyaji always kept pressing
that women were weak."
"Mama . . .?" Reiko whispered.
"What do you mean?" Seiko asked.
Ranma closed her eyes. "He wanted to ensure I'd never take Lufy's
side if she came back. By making me think that all women were weak,
Oyaji probably hoped I would hold Lufy in such contempt that we would
always remain enemies."
"Ranma, what are you talking about?" Noa asked.
Ranma stared at them. "One thing I can't ever deny about Oyaji: For
all his goof-ups, training disasters and mistakes, he was one of the
best martial arts teachers around. After all, he created the Sen-ken
forms. He managed to alter my mind and did it in such a way that
Jijii and Hibaa-chan couldn't detect it. And yet, look what
happened?" She waved to Lufy. "He was beaten by a WOMAN. Even if he
didn't remember what happened the day he ran into Lufy, he had to have
realized that a WOMAN had beaten the tar out of him. A WOMAN who was
clearly more skilled than HAPPOOSAI. And perhaps, just perhaps, he
also might have sensed what Lufy did to Ataru and me." She pointed to
Ataru, and then herself. "I think that's what probably prompted him
to play around with my head to make me focus only on martial arts. He
was afraid Lufy's influence would have made me turn on him. He didn't
want that, so . . . "
She shrugged. "Ranma, I'm sorry," Lufy whispered, she bowing her
head.
Ranma shook her head. "Don't apologize. It's not your fault that
Oyaji never allowed himself to see the world as it really is."
"So what do you intend to do now?" Noa asked.
The martial artist sighed. "Well, as I'm sure Ataru will more than
agree, whatever happens between us is between us, right?"
"Of course," Sagussa's Elder Mother agreed with a nod.
"Alright. I . . . " She paused before looking directly at Lufy. "I
want something from you, Lufy. It's not gonna be anything bad or
anything like that. But I need to think it through first before I ask
you about it. Okay?"
Lufy nodded. "That's fair enough . . . "
The door to the cabin flew open to reveal Karen. "Onii-chan!"
Ataru tensed. "What is it, Karen-chan?!"
She stopped beside his bed. "You're not going to believe this, Onii-
chan! It's about Kaeru-oniichan! He's . . .!"
"Alive?"
"Ali- . . .!" Karen stopped. "Eh?! How did . . .?!" She then
paused before she looked at Noa. "Oh, did Noa-san tell you?!"
"Just now," Noa replied before a giggle escaped her.
"Who did you find this out from, Karen-chan?" Ataru asked.
"Nene-san told us!" Karen gushed. "But you won't believe this, Onii-
chan! Kaeru-oniichan's on Earth right now!"
Ataru's jaw dropped. "He IS?!"
Karen eagerly nodded. "Hai! He's at Welcome House! He's using his
special robots to rebuild the rotunda right now! Nene-san's calling
her friend Koyomi-san to contact Onii-chan so we can talk to him!
Sakuya-chan's getting everyone on the pilotage right now! Come on!"
With that, she grabbed Ataru's arm and moved to drag him out of the
room. "Hey! Hey! HEY! Leggo my hand!" Ataru yelped.
* * *
"*Master Kaeru?*"
Kaeru blinked. "What is the matter, Unit Two?"
"*A signal from a Sagussan civilian starship, the 'Haengge'cha.' Its
shipmistress wishes to speak to you.*"
Kaeru blinked again, the surprise he felt on hearing that report
quite evident. "A Sagussan civilian starship?"
"*Affirmative. The shipmistress states that she wishes to speak to
you on a matter of considerable importance.*"
"Very well. Convey the message to this unit." The Terran-born
Nagussan engineer indicated the Rinrin-Viewer.
"*Compliance.*"
The Viewer flicked on, it transmitting the image of the main bridge
of a Sagussan starship. Seated in the commander's chair was a brown-
haired woman with visual viewing aides -- "glasses" as Marie addressed
them -- over her eyes, she dressed in the work uniform of Sagussa's
engineer corps. "This is Engineer-second Kaeru ryi'Kouhae-Raikue of
the Nagussan Defence Force Ship 'Ganshiki,' currently at the Welcome
House hostel on Oomure-jima, Dai-Nihon," he announced. "Whom do I
have the honour of addressing?"
"Engineer-second, I'm Daishi'cha #40033, Chief Construction Engineer
Artificer Koyomi of the Engineering Ministry of the Fifth Republic of
Sagussa, Construction Engineering Department Headquarters Team," she
said. "I'm about to relay a message to you from the Independent Solar-
Sail Craft 'Windrider.'"
Kaeru blinked. "Is there a reason the sentient beings on this craft
wish to communicate with me, Chief Artificer Koyomi?"
A smile crept across Koyomi's face. "See for yourself . . . "
The screen then blanked out. "Sagussans are an illogical species,"
Kaeru then whispered before the screen flicked on again.
"Onii-chan!"
"Onii-chama!"
"Ya-hoo, Anii!"
"Hi, Onii-sama!"
"Ah, it's Onii-tama!"
"Aniue-sama, konban wa!"
"Hi, Nii-sama!"
"Aniki!"
"Ya, Ani-kun."
"Anigimi-sama!"
"Ani-chama, checky!"
"Nii-ya!"
"Hey, Otooto! Where've you been these last fourteen years?!"
"Yo, Kaeru! Lookin' good for a guy who's said to be dead!"
"Uncle Kaeru!"
Kaeru blinked on seeing an image of the bridge of an unknown type of
ship projected from the Rinrin-Viewer. "Karen," he spoke out on
recognizing most of the people there. "Kaho. Mamoru. Sakuya.
Hinako. Marie. Shirayuki. Rinrin. Chikage. Haruka. Yotsuba.
Aria. Ataru. Ranma. Reiko. Kaneko." He smiled. "It pleases me to
see all of you are functioning properly."
The people on the "Windrider" stared at him, some of the sisters
blinking in shock. Sakuya turned to a Sagussan dressed in the uniform
of a minister in the Republic's government. "Noa-chan, are they ALL
like that on Nagussa?!"
"I'm afraid so," Noa responded.
"Not so different from what we were like before we met Ataru, eh,
Noa?" a blonde Sagussan Navy watchmistress seated beside Reiko then
said.
"True!"
Everyone took that in, and then a raven-haired woman -- one Kaeru did
not recognize -- seated to Ataru's left turned to him. "Darling, no
matter what people say, you did the right thing going to Sagussa when
you did."
"I'm beginning to think you're right, Sei-chan," Ataru muttered.
Kaeru continued to blink.
* * *
"So Kaeru-san was taken to Nagussa when everyone thought he died,
right?"
"Exactly," Nene replied before she took a sip of her juice.
The other people aboard the "Windrider" -- save for the sleeping
Ayumu (she was in Hinako's cabin) and the still-comatose Makoto, plus
Seikou Mie and Pony (they were in the ship's cockpit) -- had shifted
themselves to the galley to allow Ataru and his siblings -- plus those
still emotionally close to the Moroboshis -- the chance to converse
with Kaeru in private. "That must be wild," Akane mused before she
took a sip of her own glass of cider. She then stared at Shinshi.
"Could you imagine what it might be like for all of us if Okaa-san
came back from the dead and popped up at the front door of the house?"
"The other you experienced something like that last night."
Akane tensed, and then she relaxed. "That's true, isn't it?"
"It's alright, Akane-chan," Miree reached over to gently squeeze the
newborn Terran/Avalonian's hand in sympathy.
"So what do you think brought Kaeru-kun back to Earth?" Kawamura
Himiko asked. "If he's got a life on Nagussa and if he didn't know
about Haruka-san and the other sisters until now, what would have
brought him back to Earth?"
"He's probably contemplating seeking out a child-mate."
Eyes locked on Nene. Pathfinder Troop Six's coxswain was seated with
the other Sagussans at a nearby table. "A wife?" Jonna asked.
"Most likely," Nene replied. "For some weird reason, everyone on
Nagussa -- except Kaeru-san -- believes that they're actually very
advanced androids, not really different from what Rin-chan envisions
Mecha-Rinrin will be like."
"So what are they, then?" Orin wondered.
"In truth, they're no different from you Avalonians," Patty spoke
up. The chief engineer of the "Hasei'cha" -- she had been part of the
team that had built the prototype GEV-capable solar-sail barque at the
Fleet Dockyards on Sen'sha Seven -- had been busy running diagnostic
checks in all of the "Windrider's" systems since she came aboard with
everyone else. "They're bioroids. Each of them was grown from
genetic samples taken from hominoid races on their side of the galaxy
over the last ten thousand years."
"Sorta like what the Eternal Voyager did when it went out to find all
of you guys, right?" Fujikaze Nobuko, who was seated with the other
replicas of Lum and her closest friends at a table next to Akane's,
then asked.
"Pretty much so," Catty answered.
"If these Nagussans are actually organic, what brought Kaeru-sama to
Earth then?" Jonna asked.
"Does he have a lover on Nagussa?" Orin wondered.
"I'm not sure, but from what Noa told me, he might be in a
relationship with a fellow engineer on the 'Ganshiki,' a woman named
Naromo," Catty said.
"So what's the problem?" Arashi Mika then asked. "All he has to do
is hop in the sack with Naromo and . . . "
"They're all sterile."
Silence.
"What?!" Miree gasped.
"Why?!" Akane demanded.
"We're not sure," Catty replied with a shake of her head. "We've
tried to tell them that in the few times we have been in close contact
with them, but the message has never gotten through. As to
why . . .?" She then shrugged.
"Well, maybe Hinako-chan or Aria-chan might be able to change that
with the Staff or the Genesis Wand," Shinshi then mused.
Nene nodded. "There's an idea."
Footsteps then heralded the arrival of several of the sisters. "Onii-
chama's girlfriend is so pretty!" Kaho declared.
Mamoru nodded. "Anii's got great taste when it comes to girls!"
"Onii-chan probably got it from living with his adopted mother and
her girlfriend!" Karen added.
"I agree!" Sakuya said, an envious shudder racing through her. "Any
girl on Earth would KILL to have looks like that!"
"Hina can go to the big-big ship and get Bou-san to give Naromo-
oneetama a new body so she can be Onii-tama's bride!" Hinako said as
she walked over to sit with Jonna. "And Hina can do that for all the
people on Nagussa, too!"
"Hinako-chan, you might need help from Aria-chan and Tsue-san if you
have to do that for EVERYONE on Nagussa," Sakuya then warned.
"And how is our Daimon'cha's equally-handsome twin brother these
days, Sakuya-san?" Catty asked.
The eldest of the sisters stopped as she considered that question,
and then she moaned, reaching up to scratch the sides of her head.
"Ooooh, this is terrible!" she wailed. "It's terrible! I can't
choose! I just can't choose!"
"Choose WHAT, Sakuya-san?!" Serizawa Mikiko gasped.
"Which is cuter?! Moustache and beard?! Or moustache and goatee?!"
Hearing that, everyone save the other sisters fell flat on their
faces! "Aaaah!" Kaho then wailed. "Kaho can't choose either!"
"Hina doesn't even WANT to choose between Onii-tama and Onii-tama!"
"I can't decide about that, either!" Karen confessed.
"Me neither!" Mamoru added.
Everyone else stared up at the sisters. "No offence, you guys, but
you sure have some WEIRD priorities!" Shinshi moaned.
Footfalls on the ladder were then heard. "Ah, Hinako-chan! Konban
wa!"
"Ah, Ayumu-chan!" Hinako gushed.
The master chief petty officer of the Sagussan Navy had an arm
wrapped around her back. "Got a surprise for you, Hinako-chan!"
"Eh?! A surprise for Hina? Nani?! Nani?!"
"Ta-daa!"
The hand came around, holding a glowing Staff of Gihan. "Bou-san!"
Hinako screamed as she leapt out of her chair, running over to take
hold of the Sagussan weapon from her new friend. "Waaaaai! Bou-san's
all better now!"
As soon as Hinako's hand touched the Staff, a shower of energy then
emerged from the crystal to spread over the youngest sister. Her
clothes were then transformed into a black-and-gold Sagussan jumpsuit
like the one Noa wore. In this case, there were five wreaths-of-
laurel wrapped around the arms. "A-ri-ri?!" Hinako blinked. "Hina's
clothes are different."
"That's the uniform your brother will wear when he comes to Sagussa,"
Ayumu said. "Since you're his sister, you have the right to wear the
same uniform!" She gave Hinako an appraising look. "Looks good on
you!"
"Really?!" Hinako gushed.
"Man, this thing sure re-charged fast!" Mamoru said as she reached
over to feel the Staff's focusing crystal.
***My close proximity to Ayumu allowed me to restore my reserves
quicker than I calculated, Mamoru,*** the Staff said, its voice
echoing in everyone's minds. ***I assume the plan to retrieve the
Genesis Wand is still active.***
"Very active," Chikage announced as she descended from the upper
deck, Aria behind her. "Aria-chan, are you ready?"
The young Parisian blinked as she heard her sister's question, and
then her eyes fell on the Staff. "Everyone wants Aria . . . " she
then said as her eyes locked once more on Chikage, "To become a
magical girl like Hinako-chan?"
"Hai!" Sakuya confirmed. "Ready to go get Tsue-san, Aria-chan?!"
Aria considered that, and then she nodded. "Hai!"
"They should go escorted," Catty advised.
"I'm going with them!" Ayumu then announced.
"What?!" Nene shrieked. "Ayumu, you've got no experience in field
ops!"
"No, but you have to admit, Ayumu IS the most powerful of us all,
Nene."
Eyes turned as Seikou Mie walked up from the direction of the
cockpit. To everyone's surprise, the once-amnesiac pilot was dressed
in a midnight-black, form-fitting combat jumpsuit, complete with
webbing holding a communicator, a holster with pistol, a combat knife
and other field supplies. "Mie-san, you want to come with Hina, Aria-
chan and Ayumu-chan?!" Hinako asked.
"Not just me, Hinako-chan," Mie announced before her eyes fixed on
Ayumu.
The Yizibajohei-born Navy master chief blinked as Mie's blue eyes
locked on her own dark brown orbs. She then nodded. "Okay!"
She waved her hand in the direction of the cockpit. A flash of light
heralded the arrival of someone who should NOT be standing on her own
feet. "MAKOTO?!" the other Sagussans shrieked on seeing Mie's would-
be bond-mate.
"Aaaah!" Kaho screamed out. "Makoto-san's all better!"
"Not exactly, Kaho-chan."
Everyone blinked. "Mie-san . . . " Hinako whispered.
Mie waved to Ayumu. "Ayumu's using her probability-altering powers
to restore Mako-vayae back to the way she was just before she took her
Gladiator into the warp stream the 'Windrider' produced when we left
the Slot for the Planet of Shadows. But Ayumu's changes on reality
only last as long as she stays awake. The instant she falls asleep,
Mako-vayae . . . "
"I bleed to death," Makoto finished.
Shocked horror crossed many people's faces. "Makoto-san, go back to
bed!" Hinako pleaded. "We'll get Tsue-san and . . . "
"Hinako-sama," Makoto's calm voice cut her off. "After what I did,
how in Lyna's name can I do that?"
Kaho's eyes watered. "Makoto-san . . . "
The flightmistress pointed at Aria. "Kaho-sama, thanks to MY
stupidity, Aria-sama here is about to have her life turned upside-down
and inside-out in a way she never could imagine." Makoto took a
breath. "I know you guys were planning to get the Genesis Wand for
her anyway. But if I hadn't done what I did, you could have done it
in a way that wouldn't hurt her in the long run."
"Makoto . . . " Catty whispered.
Makoto's gaze locked on the doctor. "Don't pull medical rank on me!"
Senior doctor and flightmistress stared at each other. The former
then nodded. "You reckless fool," she whispered.
"Makoto-san . . . "
A hand grasped hers. Makoto looked down to see Aria staring up at
her. "Aria-sama, are you ready to go?" she then asked.
The Parisian nodded. Mie linked her arm around Makoto's as the
former's free hand grasped Ayumu's. Holding the Staff high, Hinako
grasped Ayumu's free hand. "Hai! We're off to get Tsue-san!" the
youngest sister declared.
In a flash of blinding light, the five people vanished.
* * *
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