[UY/Ranma/SisPri][FanFic] Lonely Souls - Part 4, "C" Side (4/4)
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Ataru sat down at the dining room table. He seemed to be distant for
a moment, and then he flashed Haruka a reassuring smile. "I was just
thinking about something, Haruka-chan. It's alright," he assured her.
"Aniue-sama, would you want some tea?" Marie asked.
"Sure! Some of your cherry tea?"
"Alright!"
Marie stepped out of the room to head into the kitchen. Ataru
sighed, sitting back in his chair. Looking over to where Hinako was
sleeping on the couch beside Aria, he took a deep breath. So
beautiful.
So much like Reiko and Kaneko . . .
Reiko. Kaneko.
Damn it! How was he supposed to explain THEM?
"Oh, by the way, did you girls know you're AUNTS now because I
adopted a pair of Noukiite girls as my very own DAUGHTERS?"
After they got over the shock THAT would unleash, he would then have
to explain why their seven-year-old nieces were off fighting the war
against Uru. And that wasn't in a support role, but actually in the
front line of battle!
How . . .?
"Ani-kun?"
He looked up to see Chikage gazing at him. "What is it, Chikage-
chan?"
Placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder, she leaned down to
whisper, "I would like to meet them sometime soon, Ani-kun. So would
the others once you tell them of our nieces. You have nothing to
fear, Ani-kun."
She walked away. Ataru watched her before turning to look at his
hands.
* * *
"Venerable?"
Ranma turned to see the silver-haired K'et'hu girl she had first seen
when the Lost Stars as a whole confronted her and Negako at the front
gate standing at the door. Shushing her, the former pointed to the
sleeping girls on a futon, both clutching their Mister Bunnies. The
girl nodded, waving Ranma to follow her. In a minute, they arrived at
another hut, this one looking more lived-in. "This is where you live,
Sister?" she then asked.
The girl stopped, her cheeks flaming. "V-v-venerable! You don't
need to address me as *that!* I haven't taken any vows!" she
stammered.
Ranma laughed, sitting down beside a futon. The girl relaxed beside
her. "Sorry, but being called 'venerable' all the time'd drive me up
the wall!" She waved to herself. "I haven't done anything to earn
that sort of title."
She considered that. "I'm sorry. But in my culture, respect for
those born of a higher element of the Ten Orders must be shown.
Though many of us do envy the social equality the Ip'ihu project, we
fear doing something which could threaten our advancement to the next
life when we face the Ch'uoeuk." Ranma knew "Ch'uoeuk" was the
posthumous title of the founder of Noukiios' first worldwide dynasty,
Muchach. A thoughtful look then crossed the young girl's face as she
offered her hand. "Forgive me. My name is K'e-Nuk Yeho-Niap'yeng.
It's an honour to meet you, Ven- . . . " She stopped on seeing an
annoyed look cross the older woman's face, and then she smiled.
"Ranma."
"Niap'yeng," Ranma repeated her given name, hoping she got the burst
of air on the "p" right, plus enunciating the "ng" as it might be said
in Korean, with a slight "g" sound. She grasped Niap'yeng's hand to
draw it close, which made Niap'yeng shift onto her lap. "It's a
pleasure to meet you, too. So how the heck does a cute girl like you
wind up fighting for your planet?"
Niap'yeng stared at her before forlornly sighing. "How much has the
Most Venerable One told you of us, Ven- . . .? Er, Ranma?"
"Not much, but I can see through your auras you've been through quite
a lot." Ranma cradled her as she gave Niap'yeng a knowing look. "And
I can tell you've all been to Sanctuary. Is that where you met Ataru
and Negako?"
"Yes. We were the victims -- or if you wish, the *beneficiaries* --
of an evil plot to create a group of metahuman-powered Naihu warriors
to be indentured across the Galactic Federation." Hearing that, Ranma
nodded. The Naihu were Noukiios' slave caste, though in pre-
Occupation society, they served along the lines of the English concept
of "gentleman's gentleman" or "lady's lady-in-waiting." "Most of the
Lost Stars were abandoned at birth, left to die because their families
couldn't support them due to famine or poverty. Some, such as I, were
kidnapped from our families to fill the quotas our 'dealers,' who
styled themselves 'the Masters of Noukiios,' needed to fill."
Ranma blanched. "What happened?"
"Well, when the war with the dog people . . . " -- Ranma knew that
was a common way of addressing the Urusians here -- " . . . started,
the government drafted us. The Masters tried to keep us under their
control, but they were put to death by the Inquisition, aided by the
Most Venerable One and your soul-mate." Niap'yeng ignored the blush
crossing Ranma's face. "When your soul-mate announced his intention
to persecute the Imperials responsible for his grandmother's death,
the Dominion offered their assistance. In repayment of that, the Most
Venerable One offered to train us in Sanctuary so we can help the
Dominion's cause against the Urusians and bring the war to an end."
Ranma considered that. "Yeah, I can see that. What about Reiko-chan
and Kaneko-chan? How'd Ataru end up adopting them?"
Niap'yeng sighed, she gazing at her hands. "P'yeknu and Atnu are
very unique. They're both bioroids, Ranma. Purpose-built from the
DNA of some of Noukiios' greatest heroes, emperors and philosophers,
all mixed together."
"'Bioroids?!' Like Negako?"
"Yes. Their creators wanted to give Noukiios living symbols of what
makes us who we are, symbols that could help us finally overcome the
pain and misery the Urusians left behind. They simply tricked the
Masters into paying for P'yeknu's and Atnu's creation. It . . . "
Niap'yeng stopped to take a deep breath. "It's been hard for them,
though. The DNA that went into P'yeknu and Atnu had to be taken from
the graves of their 'parents,' but grave robbing of any sort is a
capital crime on Noukiios. So . . . "
"So they needed to be adopted by someone who wouldn't look down on
them because of how they came into this world, right?"
"Yes."
Ranma sighed. "So when did it happen?"
"After your soul-mate had his encounter with those dung heap-dog
Niphentaxians." Niap'yeng made a face. "When he returned to
Sanctuary, he was on the brink of a total nervous breakdown. We . . .
" She closed her eyes as echoes of pained screams reverberated
through her mind. "We helped as best as we could. P'ye and Atnu most
of all. Eventually, he came out of it. And as he did, he started to
call P'ye and Atnu 'musume-chan.' When the Most Venerable One told
them what that term meant, P'ye and Atnu knew they had found someone
who could adopt them as his children. When our training with the Most
Venerable One was complete, her brother formally adopted them."
"But they had to come back here to help end this war, right?"
"Yes. Your soul-mate didn't want them to come back here, but to
return with him to Earth to be with him and his sisters. Many of us
felt it wouldn't be right, either, especially now that P'ye and Atnu
now had a family to call their own. But . . . " Niap'yeng shrugged.
"They just couldn't envision leaving Noukiios once and for all while
we were still fighting the Urusians. So they came back with us to
help us finish the war."
"They WILL go back to Ataru, won't they?"
"When it's all over, yes."
Ranma breathed out. "That's good. I mean, they're both sweet girls
and all. I . . . " She paused. "Ataru never told me about them."
Niap'yeng sighed. "I would not blame him for that."
Both perked on hearing someone, turning to look as a crimson-haired
girl Niap'yeng's age walked up. "Nia, we've got a problem."
"What is it, Han?" Niap'yeng asked.
"Our friends on Okusei received a message from across the line," Han
-- her full name was Eyu-Teo Yeho-Hanak'at' -- reported, eyes
sparkling with excitement. "Seq Yethis is still alive! As are his
sister and his niece. They fled to Machibusu after Onishuto was
destroyed. A group's preparing to try to get them. They want us to
help out."
Niap'yeng's eyes widened. "Still alive?! I thought all the major
leaders of the Imperial Round were accounted for by P'ye's father!"
Hanak'at' shrugged. "Who could identify bodies after Onishuto was
atomized, Nia? The sighting's been confirmed."
Niap'yeng considered that. Ranma stared at her, and then at
Hanak'at'. "Did he have a hand in what happened to Ataru's grandma?"
Hanak'at' gazed at her. "He had a hand in a LOT of things concerning
your kind, Venerable. He was the one who slipped in a clause in the
First Tag Race agreement that would've forced another tag race onto
the people of Earth if P'ye's father was killed or permanently
crippled, even AFTER the original race was done. He and his kind have
dreamt of conquering your planet, just like they dreamt of re-
conquering us! In his eyes, Venerable, your people are the 'uo-
t'ich.' And before this war started, he was the chief-of-staff to the
Urusian President himself! What do you think we should do?!"
"Han's right, Ranma." Niap'yeng sighed. "If Yethis is allowed to
live, then he could reconstitute a government that would present a
threat to your people and mine. He has to be eliminated. Quickly."
Ranma considered that before a sigh escaped her.
* * *
Night came. Ranma relaxed on the roof of the guest hut inside the
village, gazing on the stars. The star pattern was different from
what she was used to on Earth, but some of the constellations were
recognizable. Another big difference between this world and Earth was
the absence of a moon, though there were a pair of -- she assumed this
-- large planets visible in the sky off to her left. Taking a deep
breath to calm herself, she shuddered as her conversation with
Niap'yeng's and Hanak'at' replayed in her mind.
Damn, was THIS ugly or WHAT?!
Young children -- both of who should be with their families, playing
with each other and their friends -- forced to fight a war. And there
they were, calmly discussing ways of KILLING somebody with the same
tone of voice others would use to discuss going to a movie or buying
some cosmetics at the local beauty salon. Yeah, this Seq Yethis
sounded like someone who clearly had no sense of honour. And he
clearly was someone who was not just a threat to Niap'yeng's people
but to Ranma's. But still . . .!
"Ranma?"
She looked left to see Niap'yeng standing beside her. "I needed some
time to think to myself, Nia-chan," she whispered.
She blushed on hearing Ranma give her the "-chan" appellation with
her "pet" name. She then walked over to sit beside her. "It has to
be done, Ranma." She stared at the stars. "For the sake of millions
-- on my planet, on yours -- and yes, on Uru, too -- he has to die."
"Why can't you just capture him and put him on trial? Make him admit
what he did wrong in a court? That could hurt."
Niap'yeng shook her head. "If we did that, Ranma, he could do all
sorts of things that would hurt us both in the short and long term.
He's THAT committed. He's THAT convinced he's right. No attempt at
persuasion will help, not now." She took a breath. "If we make him
disappear, make his final fate a mystery, the Imperial cause will be
dealt a crippling blow. That is what we want, Ranma. We don't want
to kill every Urusian alive. To do THAT is a hideous crime before the
Ch'uoeuk and we would be damned to the lowest level of the Ten Orders
for it. Just like the fellow who took that annihilation bomb into
Onishuto. P'ye's father told you about that, didn't he?" Seeing
Ranma nod, she continued, "Yes, he was able to destroy the whole
Urusian government machinery, but millions of innocent people died,
too. That he did that . . . " She shuddered. "That he would do that
would make me pray for the salvation of his soul and the souls of
those who helped him, for the Ch'uoeuk will not show him any mercy
when he faces judgement at the Pool of Reincarnation."
Ranma nodded. "Is Negako going with you guys?"
"Yes, she is. Do you want to come?"
"I guess I should. And for that . . . " She sat up. "I best get in
some practice before going to bed tonight, Nia-chan."
"Practice in what . . .?"
Her eyes widened in shock as Ranma vanished before her.
* * *
Ranma triumphantly smiled as she felt her body slip into the embrace
of the Goshin Eifu. She then stopped on seeing Niap'yeng frozen in
place, her eyes wide as her jaw seemed to drop toward the roof. "What
the . . .?" she blurted out before taking a detailed look around.
What the . . .?
Holy . . .!
Oh, gods, this was JUST not POSSIBLE!
EVERYTHING . . .?!
"Now do you understand, Ranma?"
Ranma gasped, spinning around to see Negako sitting on the roof
nearby, a bemused smile on her face. "NEGAKO?! Jeez, you're just
as . . .!" She stopped to look at her hand. "Negako, what did I just
do?!" she then demanded.
An eyebrow arched. "Remember what I told you in Sanctuary, Ranma?"
Ranma considered that before a surprised grin crossed her face.
"'Time is perception first and foremost.' Then that means . . . "
"By mixing your ki with the energy of Sanctuary, you've given
yourself the ability to, for brief periods, step outside of linear
time," Negako explained. "And I emphasize BRIEF periods. If you do
this TOO often . . . "
She held up a warning finger. "I could be stuck here forever,
right?"
"Exactly."
"Ranma, why did you do that?!"
Ranma screamed, spinning around to see a mildly annoyed Niap'yeng
glaring at her. "What the HELL?!" She nearly backed into Negako
before turning to face the ninjutsu grandmaster. "H-how the
heck . . .?!" she sputtered.
Negako wryly chuckled. "Niap'yeng has the ability to temporarily
shift herself out of linear time herself. She has the added advantage
of being able to shift herself forwards and backwards through time."
Ranma blinked, blinked again, and then she sighed. "Oh!"
Niap'yeng giggled.
* * *
The next morning saw a group of Lost Stars, including Reiko, Kaneko,
Niap'yeng, Hanak'at' and Chyek, plus Ranma and Negako, board a clunky-
looking starship for Okusei. The ship blasted off from the village,
soaring into orbit without any noticeable side effects on her
passengers. Glancing out a view port in one of the ship's recreation
lounges, Ranma sighed as Noukiios, a water-bound planet with two Asia-
sized continents, they shaped somewhat like the two Koreas as if they
were separated by a narrow sea where the DMZ would be, plus many
island archipelagos, receded from view. As soon as the ship entered
warp, she relaxed. "Man, I'll be glad when this is over with . . . "
"Mama?"
She perked, turning to see Reiko and Kaneko standing there. "What is
it, girls?" she asked, beckoning the twins to approach her.
Both sat down to either side of her. "Mama, we made these for Papa's
sisters." Reiko held up a computer chip.
"What's this?"
"It's a replicator code-chip," Kaneko explained. "Auntie Negako can
help you work it when you get back to Sanctuary. It'll create sets of
formal noukik'eng for our other aunts. We . . . " She looked down.
"We can guess that Papa hasn't told his sisters about us. But no
matter what, we want to care for them as much as Papa cares for them."
Ranma considered that. She then smiled, slipping the chip into her
jersey pocket. "Don't worry." She reached over to draw the twins
into her embrace. "I'll make sure they get it. When this is all
over . . . "
"We'll be together as one family," Reiko finished.
Silence fell as Ranma reflected on what Reiko said. She then nodded,
leaning down to kiss their foreheads. "Yeah. One family."
* * *
Within two hours, the ship arrived in orbit over Okusei. Staring at
the planet, Venus' size, Ranma was stunned to see the differences
between here and Noukiios. Most of Okusei's landmass, broken up into
a dozen Greenland-sized continents in a planet-wide ocean, was a
brownish-grey, not the lush green of Noukiios. If that was the
consistency of the planet's surface . . .!
Negako stepped up behind her. "Terrible, is it not?"
Ranma breathed out. "Bad?"
"Very. Look." Negako pointed to their right.
Ranma watched as the ship drifted alongside what appeared to be an
orbital docking station, like the one from the first "Star Trek" movie
near the dock where the "Enterprise" had been refitted before her
encounter with V'ger. A glass-lined lounge was located beside the
docking collar. Staring into it, Ranma blanched on seeing a sea of
living skeletons in bare rags. Men and women of all ages,
children . . .! Oh, gods, the CHILDREN . . .?!
The martial artist spun around and raced to the nearest washroom, a
hand covering her mouth as nausea overwhelmed her. Negako watched
her, and then she sighed, staring at the station. "Not as pretty as
you would think, eh, Ranma?"
* * *
The ship took on a battalion's worth of Ip'ihu irregulars and two
companies of Dominion Marines, the Noukiites' elite shock troopers
below the Lost Stars. Once aboard, the leader of the strike force, a
wizened brigade commander Genma's age, called everyone together for a
meeting in the ship's largest lounge. Ranma and Negako were invited
along, the grandmaster doing the introductions. On hearing Ranma's
"relationship" to Ataru, Eyu-Uch Chuho-Nakseuch grinned. "So you are
the one the Euk Hisehek bonded with?" He gave Ranma a firm squeeze of
the hand. "We've heard of his so-called 'girl-hunts' even on
Noukiios. It's nice to see that his taste in ladies is so high."
Ranma flustered, embarrassed that she was seen as THAT in the
soldier's eyes, yet she felt . . .! Complimented? "Um, y-yeah!"
"Oh, it's quite alright, child." Nakseuch chuckled before staring
concernedly at Negako. "Most Venerable, did young Niap'yeng speak the
truth to me earlier on about the Venerable One's ability to step clear
of linear time?"
Negako nodded. "Yes, she does speak the truth. Unlike Niap'yeng's
power, however, Ranma's is not based on alterations of her DNA, but
her ability to manipulate her very own life-force to do what she
desires."
"Indeed?" Nakseuch grimaced. "Good. We've heard reports that some
scientists from the Urusian Defence Chronology Institute -- those who
survived the Euk Hisehek's attack some weeks ago, I should add --
might be trying to develop defences against our manipulating time to
our benefit. They're unsubstantiated, but one can't run the risk."
Ranma perked up on hearing that establishment's name. "You mean the
stupid jerks that helped Pochik Ando kill Ataru's grandmother?"
The Noukiite nodded. "The same. One of the goals of our current
conflict with the dog people is to see to it that all commercial use
of time-travel devices -- 'spacializers' as they call them -- is put
to a stop. What happened to the Most Venerable Lady Nagaiwakai is
just an example of what their kind could do to every race in the
galaxy and beyond if they're not checked."
Ranma shuddered as Nakseuch's words sank in. "Damn!" She crossed
her arms. "If they succeeded in screwing around with history . . . "
"Many would be affected across a dozen worlds," Negako finished.
"So how can I help if these guys did what the general just said?"
Ranma demanded. "I can't slip from one time-frame to another like Nia-
chan can. I CAN step out of linear time, but everything around me
freezes up . . . " Her voice trailed as her eyes widened. "Oh."
Nakseuch grinned. "Exactly."
* * *
Another two-hour trip finally brought the ship to Machibusu. Gazing
on the planet, Ranma whistled. "Man, THAT'S different."
"Indeed it is." Niap'yeng walked up beside her as they stared on the
pink-orange hued world. Electric blue seas, some as big as the
Mediterranean, dotted Machibusu's surface, but there were no oceans
like the ones found on Earth, Noukiios or Okusei. Taking a closer
look, Ranma quickly picked out the fair-sized cities hugging the
shores of those seas. "This is one of their larger food-producing
worlds, Ranma. With what is made here, the Urusians have more than
enough to sustain their people, plus export the surplus elsewhere,"
the young Noukiite explained before she gazed on the martial artist.
"Why then do they seek to deprive us of the ability to sustain our own
people?"
Ranma shuddered as she tried to consider how to answer. The arrival
of Nakseuch and Negako cut that short. "The intelligence forces here
have located Yethis and his relatives," the grandmaster reported.
"They have hidden themselves in a farming village near the planetary
capital."
Ranma stared at her. "That was pretty quick!"
"Someone in the general's party is sympathetic to our cause."
Nakseuch chuckled. "Not all Urusians are 'dog people' as we term
them, Venerable. Many of them are descent of commoners who were made
to resettle on our planet during the Occupation. We have always
treated them with the respect they deserve even if their own
government views them as traitors to the Urusian 'cause.'"
Ranma considered that before nodding. "So what do we do?"
* * *
Twenty minutes later -- after Ranma's first ride via matter-quantum
transporter; it made her feel like someone had infused her body with a
sea of ants for about five seconds -- found her and Negako, both
presently masked by the Goshin Buufu, sneaking into a village about
the same size as the Lost Stars' home base. The differences between
Niap'yeng's current home and the village here were stark. Everything
appeared to be pre-fabricated, either reinforced plastic or some form
of stainless steel. All the houses sat on stilts, the main floors ten
metres or so off the ground. That made sense. Most Oni-Urusians
could fly and those who couldn't could be given anti-gravity belts
with thruster jets to compensate. "Where're the folks who live here?"
she asked Negako as they placed themselves under the overhang of a
family home.
"In the capital city being processed by the occupation forces,"
Negako reported. "Another goal the Noukiites seek in this war is the
destruction of the colonial militia forces who've raided Okusei,
Tunchusei and Kurrusei since the Union Revolution two centuries ago.
It has resulted in the near-extermination of whole towns on this
world."
Ranma paled. "But . . .!"
"Ranma, remember what I told you about wars?"
Silence fell as she considered that. "Right . . . " she drawled.
"Wait!" Her eyes focused on a building, built of the same design as
the other structures, located near a line of pink-leaved trees.
"Someone's there."
Negako looked. "Good. Shall we pay them a visit?"
"Let's go."
They slipped into the open, casually making their way to the hut.
Given their presently being hidden under a total-ki shield, there was
no fear of anyone spotting them. Even better, the grass was cut low,
thus no tall stalks could get in their way or rustle when they walked
amongst them. "Negako, this is too easy," Ranma warned as they came
within ten metres of the hut.
"Perhaps. Then again, the Onis are too addicted to technology to
worry about this," Negako said with a smirk before her eyes widened.
"What's wrong?"
The ninjutsu grandmaster stopped, her eyes narrowing as she focused
her senses on the hut. "Interesting . . . " she mused.
"What?" Ranma prodded.
"Ranma, do you remember what Yedris and Sugoi look like?"
"Um, yeah! What about them?!"
"Use the Goshin Eifu to get in there, and then carry them out. When
you do get to them, strike them here . . . " Negako pointed to an
area on the back of her head, an inch above where the skull joined the
spine. "Before handling their bodies. I will explain why later. Go
now!" she ordered.
Ranma nodded, concentrating as she shifted from the Body Defence Air
Cloth to the Body Defence Cloth of Eternity. Everything around her
froze in place as she raced to the hut. Getting there, she noticed an
open hatchway leading into the lower floor. Leaping inside was
child's play. Once there, she looked around before relaxing as she
switched to the Goshin Buufu. With that, she perked on hearing
voices. Finding stairs, she headed up.
" . . . very unsafe for you and your family here, General."
The speaker was a burly Oni soldier, he presently standing by a
window. There were a half-dozen others like him in the room, along
with three other people. Seq Yethis reminded Ranma of a green-haired
Oni version of Abraham Lincoln, though he also wore glasses. Seq
Yedris appeared to be Nodoka's age and every bit as beautiful, though
she wore her green hair loose to her waist. Seq Sugoi, a girl
Rinrin's age, was a slender teen about to blossom into womanhood.
Unlike her mother and uncle, Sugoi had one horn on her head, just
above the point where Ranma had to strike her . . .
Wait!
*Well, I'll be damned! They're just like Kimiko-chan!* she mused
before turning back to the conversation as Yethis moved to reply.
"There's no need to concern yourself, Captain." He smiled, turning
to look out the window at the fields around the house. "The Noukiites
have been VERY lucky of late, but they're not the warriors they like
to think they are. One strong strike against them would send them
reeling back past *our* colonies, then we'll show them who are the
REAL warriors in this galaxy."
Ranma scowled. *Jeez, this asshole's like Kunou!* she snorted before
her eyes widened as an idea popped into her head. With that, she
allowed the Goshin Buufu to shift back to the normal Umisen-ken
cloak. "Let's test that theory of yours, General!" she then called
out.
Everyone screamed out on hearing that alien voice as Ranma shifted
back into the Goshin Eifu. The screams faded into total silence as
she yanked the weapons out of the troopers' hands to shatter them.
They wound up in a pile on the floor. Over to Yedris and Sugoi.
Shiatsu strikes to the backs of their heads, and then Ranma called
out, "Negako!"
"Bring them downstairs!" Negako ordered from the lower floor.
Ranma grunted as she carried Yedris to the stairwell. "Sorry about
that, ma'am!" she apologized as her hands brushed past the older
woman's bust. Once Negako had her, she went back to Sugoi. Once she
was passed down, Ranma shifted to the Air Cloth. Everything went back
to normal.
"Hey!" the captain screamed out, finding himself without a rifle, and
then he looked around in desperation. "What the hell . . .?!"
"Who was that?!" Yethis demanded before he noticed two people missing
from the room. "Yedris?! Sugoi?! What the . . .?!"
"That was me!"
Ranma dropped the Goshin Buufu. The Onis spun on her, stunned to see
a TERRAN here. "Who are you?!" Yethis demanded.
"Name's Saotome Ranma, Yethis." She smirked, her battle aura
flaring. "Just in case you were wondering about your other Imperial
pals in Onishuto and elsewhere, I got a news flash." She tensed.
"Moroboshi Ataru killed them!"
Yethis' eyes went wide. "Moroboshi . . .?!"
"Yeah!" Ranma nodded as ki coalesced in her hands. "***KACHUU
TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN KITEI! SEISHIN SHURIKEN TAIFUN!***"
A storm of ki bolts slammed into the troopers protecting Yethis,
sending them flying through the window to crash-land on the ground
beyond. Suddenly finding himself alone, the general moved to flee. A
Psychic Kusarigama snared his legs to yank him back to make him kiss
Ranma's fist. He dropped to the floor, blood showering from a broken
nose and shattered teeth. Ranma's foot then slammed into the back of
his head to keep him down. She then allowed ki to flow into her
hands. "Jeez, Yethis! Did you REALLY think Ataru was gonna let you
get away with murdering his grandmother?!" She leaned down to
contemptuously flick the horns from his head. "I don't think so!"
Yethis shuddered as he sensed Ranma fade from view. He then screamed
out as a storm of fists smashed into his body from all over.
* * *
"Impressive," Negako mused, sensing what Ranma was doing from nearby
the hut. Around the grandmaster, the troopers Ranma dealt with were
tied up, stripped of their horns and made to sleep thanks to some deft
shiatsu strikes. Yedris and Sugoi were asleep nearby, they having
been given their own shiatsu treatment to allow them to better
function among other people without their un-moulded Avalonian powers
overcoming them.
A second later, a broken body sailed out one of the shattered windows
to smash into the ground some distance away from Negako. She gazed at
Yethis' battered face before turning back as Ranma leapt down to join
her.
"I trust your first test of the Eien Mooko Taifun-ke went well?"
Ranma sighed. "Needs some work."
"Fair enough." Negako then drew out a communicator.
* * *
"She sold her own brother out?!"
Nakseuch nodded. "Yes!" The general was meeting with Ranma in one
of the Noukiite ship's lounges, the ship still in orbit over
Machibusu. It was an hour after the raid on Yethis' hideout. "Lady
Yedris is the leader of the Urusian Democratic Alliance. We want them
to survive this war so they can lead their people to a better future.
They will need strong leadership, especially after what happened some
weeks ago in Onishuto."
Ranma took that in before sighing. "That's a brave lady. I take it
Sugoi-chan backs her mom up all the way."
"I do."
Both turned as Sugoi stepped into the room, followed by Yedris and
Negako. Seeing the two Onis in plain noukik'eng in lieu of the tiger-
striped cheongsam-like dresses Ranma first saw them in on the planet
below, the martial artist grinned as she accepted the Seqs' embrace.
"So you are the one who was truly meant for Lum-chan's Darling."
Yedris gave the Terran a careful look-over, nodding approvingly.
"Well, at least, if what Negako told us is true, he'll have someone
who truly understands him."
Ranma nodded. "I do. So what's going to happen to you two?"
"We'll stay with the Lost Stars," Yedris explained. "They're
interrogating my brother as we speak. He supposedly has knowledge of
a Noukiite missionary colony that was established on Uru over a
thousand years ago, before the Seifukusu conquered us. If the remains
of that colony are found, everything the Imperial Round has espoused
concerning our relations with the Noukiites will be made hollow. And,
if the good general here . . . " She gazed on Nakseuch, who bowed in
return. "Speaks the truth about his people's war aims, once Heaven's
Gate Bridge -- that's the colony's name -- is found, the Dominion will
then move to bring hostilities to an end."
Nakseuch smiled. "That is something we all want, Lady."
Ranma smirked, popping her knuckles to emphasize her point. "Hey, if
you need help with that creep, let me have some time with him."
Yedris chuckled. "It's alright. The Lost Stars have many strong
telepaths among them. You won't be needed."
"And if Uncle proves stubborn about it, that's just too bad," Sugoi
added. "Don't they say on your planet, 'You reap what you sow?'"
Ranma chuckled. "Yeah, that's true. Um, General, if you don't mind,
I'd like to talk to Yedris and Sugoi-chan here alone . . . "
"Of course." Nakseuch nodded before heading off.
Once she sensed that they were alone, Ranma turned to Yedris. "Um,
if you were wondering about Lum and Ran, ma'am, I can tell you . . . "
"It's alright." Yedris squeezed Ranma's hand. "Negako told us about
them. It's good they're safe on Earth. Even if Lum-chan wouldn't
EVER think of doing what my brother and his friends might have wanted,
there are many on Noukiios who wouldn't hesitate in 'finishing the
job' as your people'd say. I just hope the chance will come that Lum-
chan and your fiancé will reconcile."
Ranma nearly gagged on her bile, and then she sputtered, "Hey, wait a
sec' . . .!" She backed away from Yedris only to feel Negako's hand
on her shoulder, the ninjutsu grandmaster moving to guide her out of
the lounge.
"Come, Ranma. It is time to return to Sanctuary," Negako ordained.
"Um, y-y-yeah, r-right!" Ranma nodded, waving. "'Bye!"
"Mama, wait!"
Ranma stopped as Reiko and Kaneko ran in. The twins carried long,
narrow cases, cases that could only contain swords. Stopping before
their father's friend, they held out the cases. "Here you go, Mama!"
they chimed in sync.
"What're these?" Ranma wondered.
"Seucheuchet'," Reiko explained, that being interpreted as "eunuch's
sword" thanks to Ranma's language translator. "It's okay! Papa has
two of his own; he found them when he helped the Inquisition deal with
Yethis' friends."
"It's only right that you have a pair of your own," Kaneko added.
"These were ones welded by our . . . " She paused before shrugging.
"Well, two of the people -- the two women of the group -- whose DNA
went into us."
Ranma considered that before she sighed, shaking her head. "They
should go back to the graves where they were found, Kaneko-chan . . .
"
"It's alright." Reiko shook her head. "One of them -- this is her
blade . . . " She patted her case. "Was the T'yekhek Empress. She
was murdered by Urusian agents before the Occupation began. Her grave
was destroyed mid-way through the Occupation. She . . . " She looked
at the case. "Wound up with Auntie Yedris' family on Uru after the
Liberation."
Ranma gazed on Yedris. Seeing the older woman nod, the martial
artist then turned on Kaneko. "What about that one?"
"This was a posthumous present for the Most Venerable Ye-Hit' Yeho-
Huit'ch'uk, the mother of one of our planet's greatest philosophers,"
Kaneko explained. "It was buried with her until it was stolen during
the Occupation." She glanced at Yedris and Sugoi. "It wound up with
the Seqs, too," she added.
"And there's no one left of the Most Venerable's family, Mama," Reiko
added, holding up the case to Ranma. "Please?"
Kaneko echoed her sister's actions. Seeing the pleading looks in
their eyes, Ranma nodded. "Alright, then. I vow on my honour as a
student of Saikoo Jinseijitsu Ninjutsu-ryuu, home Art of your adopted
family, that I will keep these blades in my company until such time as
the government of the Dominion of Noukiios requests their return. OR
until such time that you two are old enough to weld them yourselves,"
she then declared.
Hearing that, the twins beamed.
* * *
"Journal Entry, Day 30 of Sanctuary visit (counting time elsewhere),
"Dear Diary,
"They called me 'Mother.'
"That scared me, but at the same time, it warmed my heart.
"Once we returned to Sanctuary, Negako explained to me that if it
wasn't for Reiko-chan and Kaneko-chan, Ataru's recovery from what
happened in Lumukyou might not have happened. It's no wonder he was
willing to adopt them once he learned of the problems they faced being
what they are.
"If that had been me, I would've done the same thing.
"The blades they gave me, according to Negako, have nice names to
them. According to the traditions concerning these swords, they have
to be given 'soft' names to offset their purpose. Huit'ch'uk's blade
is Et'a Yekaechsuch-at', 'Mother's Eternal Dream.' T'yekhek's blade
is Aeyek-hup'uk, 'Righteous Love.' Man, some of these syllables are
tongue twisters, but I won't give them Japanese names. After hearing
what happened to Reiko-chan and Kaneko-chan's people, it doesn't seem
right.
"Reminds me too much of what Japan once did to Korea."
Ranma paused to collect her thoughts before she carried on:
"It's nice to be back in Sanctuary, even if I can't work on the new
form I used against Yethis. When I return to Earth, I'll have to
practice it quick. There's no telling what might happen when I go to
Nerima and have to worry about the tomboy or the lunkheads, especially
with what Negako has in mind now.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you that. Negako's come up with an idea about
my breaking away forever from the panda. What I'd have to do is apply
to the Family Registrar to start up an independent branch of the
Saotome family based on Promised Island. Along the way, I have to
talk to the Court of Special Appeals to ensure Oyaji couldn't dodge
around that and make me roonin before I could finally stick it to
him. Even if he HAS dragged our family honour through the dirt, I'm
not taking another name.
"To do THAT would give the bastard some satisfaction in the end.
"He gets NONE because of me.
"NONE!
"To do that, though, I'd have to turn over all the information
Tampopo-chan helped collect on the bastard when I was off modelling to
the Court of Special Appeals. I doubt that showing some of that,
including information on the five OTHER fiancées Oyaji got me engaged
to -- Honestly! What the hell was I supposed to do with TRIPLETS as
my fiancées?! -- to Akane's dad won't make him turn away from his so-
called 'dream' of uniting the schools. That also means I have to
attack him where it'll hurt the most: Going after his doojou sign.
I've got a couple ideas about that, but I'll bounce it off Negako
first before making any firm plans. And no, it won't involve a Doojou
Destroyer!
"Whoo, won't HE be in for a surprise!"
Ranma stopped, and then she saved the entry.
* * *
Six "days" later, Negako silently stepped into Ranma's room to crouch
beside the sleeping girl. Fortunately, Ranma was reclining on her
side. Reaching over, the ninjutsu grandmaster tapped several points
on the younger woman's head and back. With that, she rose, moving to
the door.
"Time to wake up, Ranma. Go have a bath first."
A moan escaped Ranma, and then she rolled onto her back.
"Right . . . "
Negako headed into the kitchen as Ranma gathered her toiletries
before she jogged into the bathroom. Turning back to her cooking, the
grandmaster relaxed as she extended her ki-senses to keep an "eye" on
her student.
Any moment now . . .
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!"
That was a BOY'S yell, by the way.
Negako walked to the bathroom door to peek in. Kneeling beside the
furo was a MALE Ranma, staring down at himself with a mixture of
stunned shock and horror. *Perhaps the same expression he showed when
he was initially immersed in the Niángniquán?* she wondered to herself
as she crossed her arms.
"Are you alright, Ranma?" she calmly asked.
He shuddered as he gazed at her, and then he sputtered, "W-
why . . .?"
"You had to feel it for yourself," Negako reported. "Change back,
and then meet me in the doojou. It is time for your final lesson
here."
She headed out.
* * *
Minutes later, a female Ranma stepped into the doojou. Negako knelt
by the head, where the kamidana would be located. Ranma placed
herself before her, and then she bowed. Negako nodded. Straightening
herself, Ranma sniffed before wiping her eyes. Silence then fell as
she collected herself. She then stared at her host. "Could you
please lock me up as a girl again, Negako?"
"Are you a man or a woman?" Negako asked in return.
Silence.
More silence.
Still more silence.
Then . . .
"I'm a woman. Chikage and the guide were right."
Negako beckoned Ranma with a hand. Ranma shifted over, and then she
remained still as the grandmaster fused new ki into her. Once that
was done and the Chiisui-ton lock was again in place, Ranma shifted
back to where she first sat. "How did you feel when you changed?"
Negako asked.
"Ugly!" Ranma immediately responded. "I went over a month without a
change. My sense of balance was totally out of whack. And I . . . "
She quaked. "I saw myself in the mirror there, as a guy. And it just
HIT me, Negako! That just wasn't ME! It wasn't ME anymore, Negako!"
Taking another deep breath, she pointed to herself. "THIS is me,
Negako! A woman who wants nothing to do with that . . . that . . . "
She sputtered. "That macho, sexist FREAK Oyaji wanted to create to
please Mom! Oh, gods . . .!"
She covered her face with her hands, wiping away the tears. "Now
that you have allowed that to escape you, it is time," Negako said.
She reached behind her to draw a box. Laying that before Ranma, she
opened it. Ranma looked in. A black belt with a kanji symbol.
"Mizu."
Ranma stared at Negako. "Happy, Kelun and I made an agreement before
you and I came here," the grandmaster explained. "If you show to me
that you have proven the right to have this, Happy will release you as
a student of Musabetsu Kakutou-ryuu and acknowledge you as a student
of Saikoo Jinseijitsu-ryuu under my tutelage. Furthermore, he will
strip Souun and Genma of their teaching licenses. The Tendou-ryuu and
the Saotome-ryuu will cease to be. Happy will then take Nabiki and
Akane under his direct tutelage." A pause. "Furthermore, if you earn
this, Kelun will send a message to her sister councillors about your
emotional change of gender, then have you adopted into the Nujiézú as
a warrior of full standing. You and Shanpú will become blood-sisters
under their Blood Sibling Law. Chikage explained to you about that
after you first came to Promised Island. Once that is done, if you
desire, you will be free to pursue your own future. It will NOT force
you into a marriage with Ataru, though."
"And if I desire to marry Ataru?"
"Do you desire that now?"
"I . . . " Ranma stopped before sighing. "I don't know."
"Then you have to find out."
"I guess I do." Ranma looked down. "Negako, I haven't learned all
the forms yet. I don't even deserve a plain black belt . . . "
Negako held up her hand to silence her student's protest. "Ranma,
your time here wasn't meant to be spent learning ALL the basic forms.
Some of them, including the Earth-Heart Fire Geyser and the Paranormal-
Power Inverse Fire Bomb, require special training. And you might not
be compatible to learning those forms since, even with your curse
locked in place, your natural affinity is water." She pointed to her
own belt with the "chi" kanji. "What you had to prove, to yourself
most of all . . . " She pointed to Ranma. "Was the fact that before
a teacher can truly teach others . . . "
"I have to learn how to teach myself."
"And to fully THINK for yourself. To take what you hear from others,
make your own theory, and then proceed to prove it and use it to your
benefit. You did it when you created the Mooko Takabisha. You did it
when you modified the Hiryuu Shooten-ha to suit your style of combat.
You did it when you created the Goshin Buufu, then later the Goshin
Eifu and the Eien Mooko Taifun-ke. You CAN do it, both within martial
arts and beyond, that you see and do for yourself. What you will
learn over time is how to differentiate between the good forms and the
bad forms. That comes with experience."
Silence falls as Ranma considered that before she sighed. "What
now?"
"Part of the trial will be done here. The rest comes in Nerima when
you deal with your would-be suitors and the other hangers-on."
Ranma's eyebrow arched. "So this includes the thing with the Court
of Special Appeals and the Family Registrar, right?!"
"Exactly. Not everything in life is battle, Ranma."
Ranma grinned. Life. "I can see that. Nokoko-oneechan was right."
"She was. Up!"
Both rose, and then properly greeted each other; practitioners in
Saikoo Jinseijitsu used the left fist-in-right palm salute employed by
certain kung fu and t'ai chi schools. Ranma stepped back to give
Negako space, and then she assumed a standing sword-draw stance.
Negako nodded, concentrating her ki into her hand. Seeing that, Ranma
nodded, relaxing herself.
"Better," Negako said. "Now, draw."
"***KONTOU!***"
* * *
"Ranma . . .?!"
Everyone in the dining room perked on hearing Ataru. They then
turned to gaze on him. "Onii-chan, are you alright?!" Karen asked.
A lost look was on his face as he rose, heading out. "Anigimi-sama,
what's wrong?!" Haruka demanded as the sisters crowded the door.
"Leave him be."
"Chikage-chan!" Karen snapped. She then fell silent as everyone
watched Ataru place himself before the doors leading out of the
rotunda. He lowered himself into seiza, and then he relaxed, his eyes
fixed on the doorknobs.
"What's wrong with Onii-tama?" Hinako wondered.
"What we have wished for has taken the largest step towards coming
true, Hinako-chan," Chikage replied. "Now, we wait."
The others nodded.
* * *
To be continued . . .