[UY/Ranma/SisPri][FanFic] Lonely Souls - Part 4, "B" Side (3/3)
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Nabiki and Akane leaned back from Souun as everyone sat in the
sitting room of the Tendou home. "Well, what did you expect us to do,
Dad?" the former demanded as she crossed her arms. "Just keep on
waiting until doomsday?"
Souun shuddered as her explanation sank in before he wailed, "Oh,
Nabiki-chan! How could you do this to your suffering father?! To
seek instruction from another master?! Oh, the shame of it all! The
SHAME of it . . .!"
*WHAP!*
He was slammed into the table thanks to Happoosai. "Quiet, boy!" the
grandmaster snapped as he turned back to his tea. "Considering how
right she is about how LAZY you've become as of late, you've got no
place to complain!"
Kasumi came in, placing a plate of fruit on the table. "I trust you
girls enjoyed yourselves with Negako-san," the elder daughter said.
Nabiki took up a watermelon slice to nibble on it. "It was great."
Akane picked up a slice of cantaloupe. "It was instructive," she
then admitted. "I can't believe how many holes I've got in my basic
defence stance. That girl's a whirlwind!" She then glared
witheringly at Souun. "And I thought for all this time my defence WAS
perfect!"
Souun shuddered before sitting up and crossing his arms, assuming the
demeanour of the sage teacher. "Your defence IS perfect, Akane.
Besides, you were facing an entity that's a thousand years old.
Surely in all that time, that woman would learn all sorts of
deception . . . "
He gargled as Happoosai's battle aura flared. "Are you saying that
my friend is a LIAR, Souun?" the aged grandmaster growled.
The Tendou patriarch prostrated himself before Happoosai, wailing a
storm of profuse apologies. Seeing this, Nabiki and Akane giggled.
"Actually, I think Negako-san could really pull a fast one on
anybody," the former said before sipping her tea. "She just doesn't
see the need for it."
The front gate then opened. Kasumi rose. "Oh, we have guests!"
"Hello!" a familiar voice called out. "Is anyone home?!"
Akane stood up. "Oh, it's Ranma!"
Before his daughter could answer it, Souun was there, going into the
Demon Head. "***RANMA, HOW DARE YOU . . .?!***" he bellowed.
To an empty courtyard. "Eh?!" Souun relaxed, glancing around in
shocked surprise. "Where did Ranma go . . .?!"
"Boo!"
He screamed, stumbling off the patio on sensing someone BEHIND him.
Spinning around, he quickly sensed someone he assumed was Ranma
standing there. "***RANMA, HOW DARE YOU . . .?!***" he roared, going
back into Demon Head.
And then he screamed in disbelief as a wall of condensed air sent him
into the pond just as "Ranma" faded from view. "Holy!" Nabiki gasped,
having seen it all. "Toshiko-chan's converted the Umisen-ken cloak
into an attack!"
"Oh, my!" Kasumi gasped.
"Who's Toshiko?!" Akane demanded.
Happoosai shrugged. "Oh, that's one of Ranma's mirror-twins."
"WHAT?!" bellowed from outside.
Everyone turned as a soaked Souun stormed inside, glaring around.
"They've come back?!" he demanded before spinning on Nabiki.
"Nabiki! I thought you were to get rid of those meddlesome
troublemakers . . .!"
"I wouldn't say that if I were you, Souun," Happoosai warned.
"***HAKU DATO SHINSHOU!***"
Souun's body jerked several times as invisible ki blows punched
through his body, sending him face-first into the floor! As he fell,
the air over and behind him then warped, revealing Saotome Toshiko.
Akane was quick to notice the hairstyle. She paled on seeing the
incensed look on the newcomer's face. "I HEARD that, Tendou-san,"
Toshiko snarled, her voice dripping with malice.
"Indeed, Father, that was VERY rude!" Kasumi scolded, and then she
smiled at Toshiko. "Toshiko-chan, would you like some tea?"
"Please." Toshiko stepped over Souun to sit down before she gave
Happoosai a sweet look. "I have a present for you, Jijii!"
The aged grandmaster perked. "Eh?! Present?! Where?!"
"Where do you think?" Toshiko asked with a wink as she pointed to her
cleavage. To the others' surprise, she was wearing a leather bustier
that did WONDERS for her looks, that over biker's trousers. "But you
have to fetch!"
Happoosai was quick to accept the invitation. "HOT-CHA!"
Squeals echoed through the room as Toshiko tried to fend off the
dodging grandmaster. Akane tried to swallow her disgust at the
display. Kasumi ignored the antics. And Nabiki was quick to see what
was REALLY happening. Finally, after thirty seconds, Happoosai leapt
clear, a lacy black bra in hand. "A well-earned prize!" he crooned
before rubbing his face into a bra cup.
Toshiko sighed, staring at her hands. "Needs some work."
Nabiki snapped her fingers. "Oh, I get it now!" She laughed.
"You're trying to perfect some sort of anti-chikan form, right?!"
Toshiko winked. "Hai!" She then waved to Happoosai. "And who
better to practice it on than the greatest bra-fetishist in all of
Japan?!"
She smiled at him. "Yes! Yes! She's improving!" he declared as he
hugged his treasure, and then he looked around. "Eh?! Where's Kumiko-
chan?! Oh!" A sly look crossed his face. "She's hiding, is she?!
I'll find her!"
He bounded off. By then, Souun had recovered from Toshiko's White
Snake Fist attack. "How did you escape the compact?!" he demanded.
Toshiko shrugged. "Ranma didn't like the idea of seeing us placed
back in the mirror, so he stole the compact, then let us free!"
"WHAT?!" Souun screamed, his battle aura flaring. "How DARE Ranma-
kun steal from Nabiki-chan! Why, I ought to . . .!"
"***HIRYUU SHOOTEN-HA KITEI! KIJIN RAISHUU DAN TAIFUN!***"
Souun wailed fearfully as a swirling storm of vacuum blades slammed
into him, sending him flying out of the house and into the wall by the
front gate. Toshiko remained seated, a relaxed look on her face. The
Tendou sisters were speechless. "By the way, Tendou-san, our fate was
none of *your* business, much less your daughter's," the crimson-
haired mirror-twin added with a smirk.
"B-b-b- . . .!" Akane sputtered.
Toshiko glared at her. "What's your problem, Miss Mallets?"
Hearing that, Akane's face flushed with rage. "HEY! Who the heck
are you to call me that?!" she demanded, rising.
*WHUMP!*
And down she went courtesy of Toshiko's own mallet, marked with
ULTIMATE IDIOT BASHER in katakana on the flanks. "After what you did
to Ranma, what did you expect me to do, Miss Mallets?" Toshiko
wondered as she stowed the mallet.
"Itte . . .!" Akane grunted. *So THAT'S what it feels like . . .!*
Unconsciousness mercifully overtook her. "Toshiko-chan, though I
sympathise with your concern for Ranma-kun, that was not nice!" Kasumi
scolded.
"Kasumi-san, when your sister decides to be a real martial artist
instead of a bully, I'll lay off her," Toshiko retorted.
Kasumi nodded. "That's agreeable."
"Kasumi-chan, how could you possibly side with this thing against
your very own flesh-and-blood?!" a voice demanded out of nowhere.
The Tendou sisters looked around the room. "Oh, my! The great
hypocrite just arrived!" Toshiko muttered before vanishing.
Genma then appeared near Kasumi. "Hah!" he barked triumphantly.
"What's the matter, demon?! Scared of a REAL martial artist?!"
"How soon we forget," a voice mused, "There are TWO of us!"
Genma's eyes widened. "Wha . . .?" He tensed too late . . .
"***MOOKO TAKABISHA KITEI! HAKU DATO SHINSHOU ARASHI!***"
Bolts of energy lashed out to slam into Genma's back, sending him
flying out of the house into the tree by the koi pond. As he dropped,
the air by the far wall fizzled, revealing a black-haired version of
Toshiko in a white bustier and biker's pants. Kasumi looked at her.
"Oh, my!" she gasped, remembering Ranma also had a MALE twin. "Did
you fell into the Nyanniichuan?"
"Hai, I did!" Kumiko chuckled before yodelling, "Jijii!"
Happoosai bounded out of nowhere to leap at her bust. "HOT-CHA!"
Another fast whirl of hand blocks. Kumiko lasted fifty seconds
before Happoosai snared her bra. "Hah!" The grandmaster leapt down
to the table, holding up his silky prize. "By George, I think they
got it!" he declared.
Toshiko de-cloaked as Kumiko moved to sit beside her. By then, Akane
had begun to recover. "Oooh . . .!" she moaned, and then she blinked
on seeing TWO copies of Ranma. Screaming, she bolted to her feet,
arms poised to fight.
"Akane!" Kasumi snapped, causing her to falter. "What are you
doing?!"
"I . . . I . . .!" Akane sputtered.
"I do believe Miss Mallets isn't used to the idea of receiving her
own medicine." Kumiko then blinked as she sensed something.
"Ah . . .!"
"What . . .?" Kasumi then tensed. "Oh, another guest . . . "
"Stay here, Kasumi-san." Toshiko waved her down before she took a
sip of her tea. "That one has business with the panda. It's not nice
to interrupt a lady when she wishes to soundly thrash an honourless
dullard like him, ne?"
She winked. "Is this because of a skipped food bill?" Nabiki
wondered. "Or another fiancée Ranma-kun might've overlooked?"
Kumiko winked. "No. This concerns a trip you all took to a certain
ryokan in the mountains before we came out of the mirror."
Silence.
Nabiki paled. "The Ryokan Ningyou-yakata?"
Kasumi covered her mouth. "Oh, my!"
Akane shuddered, clutching a hand over her heart. "Her . . .?"
A scream filled the air. The Tendou sisters and Happoosai were quick
to recognise the shout as Genma's. "My, Kimiko-san seems very upset,
doesn't she?" Kumiko mused before nodding thanks as Kasumi handed her
a cup of tea.
The Tendou sisters gaped. "'Kimiko?!'"
"Hai. Ranma felt it was only proper to name her after your mother,
especially since Kimiko now has a body cloned from Miss Mallets."
Akane raced out of the sitting room. Nabiki and Kasumi quickly
followed. The twins and Happoosai remained in place, exchanging
knowing looks. "Negako-chan is SO evil at times," he said as he
filled Toshiko's teacup.
* * *
Genma wondered if he shouldn't take a long vacation.
That is, of course, if he could spare brain cells from the waved of
pain this double of Akane was delivering him to actually THINK!
A fist slammed into his chest with the force of a runaway wrecking
ball, sending him rocketing across the lawn to hit one of the cherry
trees by the doojou. As the breath exploded from his lungs, he
blearily watched as that demon raced at him. Trying to recover, he
managed to get his chin up to knee level. That was enough for Kimiko
to give him a leaping two-knee blow to the jaw. Using her momentum to
front-flip onto his back, she pivoted her weight to her feet, flipping
Genma upside-down. Before he could get clear of her, she vaulted him
back across the yard to slam into the cherry tree by the koi pond. A
pained moan escaped Genma as he slid to the ground.
"That . . . " Kimiko wiped her hands as she walked over to stand
across the pond from Genma. "Was for stealing Ranma-sama's milk."
Watching this from the patio, the Tendou sisters blinked. "'Milk?!'"
Nabiki demanded. "What the hell's this all about?!"
"Easily explained," Toshiko announced as she and Kumiko stepped onto
the patio, teacups in hand. "The panda stole milk from Ranma when you
were at that ryokan, thus provoking the fight that wound up with Ranma
crashing into the table where Kimiko-san was resting. THAT'S what
made her possess Miss Mallets." She took a sip of her tea before
giving Akane a look. "Not that Miss Mallets would actually ACCEPT the
truth in the first place given how much she loves to blame Ranma for
EVERYTHING that happens to her!"
Akane winced as if Toshiko just slapped her. "Oh, my!" Kasumi
declared with a shake of her head, and then she gave Genma a
reproachful look, putting hands to hips. "Uncle, HONESTLY! When will
you learn to behave yourself?!"
"Should I call the zoo, Onee-chan?" Nabiki wondered.
"Don't TEMPT me!"
Kasumi marched back inside. By then, a pained moan escaped Genma.
Hearing that, Kimiko sighed. "I best finish up with him."
She walked around the koi pond. Akane watched as her twin grabbed
him by one arm to drag him up. She then gasped on seeing an evil
smile suddenly appear on Genma's face. "KIMIKO, LOOK OUT!" she cried
out.
Genma's fist flew at Kimiko. To the latter, his movements were snail-
like. She ducked the shot as her free hand smashed into his ribs. He
screamed as the *cracks!* of bones snapping sent chills down the
onlookers' spines. Kimiko twirled away from the cherry tree, dragging
Genma through the air like a doll. Akane hit the dirt as her twin
wound up before she sent Ranma's father into and THROUGH the property
wall, some distance from where Souun, having just recovered as Kimiko
had begun her attack on his best friend, currently knelt.
"Oooh!" Nabiki winced. "THAT, Uncle, you had coming to you!"
Once Ranma's father was stilled, Kimiko reached into her top to draw
a sheet of paper. Scanning the diagram, she nodded. Tossing the
paper aside, she walked to Genma. Akane then walked over and picked
the paper up, opening it to read. "A shiatsu attack?" She blinked as
Kimiko grabbed Genma to pull him out of the wall. "Meant to destroy
the part of Uncle's mind . . . "
Kimiko cocked two fingers. "Containing the sealed knowledge of . . .
"
"***SHINZOU BAKUHATSU SHOKU KITEI!***"
They slammed into his head. "The Umisen-ken and the Yamasen-
ken . . . "
Genma quaked as the ki bolt ripped through his mind to do as Akane
read. Kimiko then let him go. "Thus guaranteeing that Saotome Ranma,
Saotome Kumiko and Saotome Toshiko are the only people who can
practice them," Akane finished.
Genma collapsed into the dirt. Kimiko wiped her hands clean before
walking to the patio. Stopping before Nabiki, she bowed. "I
apologise for bringing such disharmony upon your household, Nabiki-
sama," she said. "However, I do sense you and your sisters wouldn't
mind if that honourless lout was truly and thoroughly thrashed for his
many crimes and misdemeanours."
Nabiki bowed in return. "Oh, that's alright, Kimiko-san."
"'Kimiko?!'"
Everyone turned as Souun walked up. "Hai," Nabiki replied. "Ranma-
kun named her after Mom. He felt it was the right thing to do."
Silence.
Souun turned on Kimiko. "Ranma-kun named you . . .?"
She nodded. "Hai, Tendou-dono, he did."
"Oh, please, dear, call me 'father!'"
"As you wish, Otou-sama."
Kumiko and Toshiko tensed on seeing the look on Souun's face. *Uh-oh!
*
Souun shuddered as he turned from Kimiko and Nabiki, a smile crossing
his face. Such SPEED! Such POWER! Such GRACE! And it was clearly
obvious that Kimiko liked Ranma! Even if she didn't have any
training, her potential outstripped Akane's and Nabiki's COMBINED!
Yes! Yes! It was PERFECT!
"Otou-sama . . .?" Kimiko prodded.
"Yes!" Souun nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It is
decided! Ranma-kun will marry Kimiko-chan and unite the schools!"
Silence.
More silence.
Still more silence.
Then . . .
"***WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!***"
Souun screamed as Akane's mallet sent him flying into the Shakujii
River! Kumiko and Toshiko watched him disappear before exchanging a
nod. "That, he DEFINITELY had coming to him!" the former muttered
under her breath.
The latter shook her head. "He's as stupid as the panda."
Akane lowered Mallet-sama before she spun on Kimiko, her eyes burning
with wounded rage and heartbreaking sadness. Sensing what she was
thinking, Kimiko moved to moderate. "Akane-sama, you don't
understand!" She approached her in hopes of calming her down. "I
have no . . .!"
"NO!" Akane screamed, racing into the house.
" . . . interest in Ranma-sama." Kimiko then sighed. "Oh, dear."
* * *
"So THAT'S what happened to you! Thank Bensaiten for that!"
Ran sighed as she stared at Benten's image on her pilotage's view
screen. Lum was speaking for them both. "Hai! Sorry I didn't get
back to you, but we believed that the sooner we got away, the better.
How's Nassur-chan?!"
"Sends his apologies for not tellin' you about those bio-transmitters
we got." Benten pointed to the side of her head. "Oyuki and I've got
'em, too. Turns out he did somethin' more, but he wants to surprise
us about that." She then held up a finger to emphasise her point.
"It's a good surprise, too!"
Ran/Lum giggled. "From Nassur-chan, it's ALWAYS a good surprise!"
*Yeah, suuuuuuuuure!* Ran droned from inside her brain.
*Ran!* Lum scolded. Nassur and Ran had been enemies for some time.
That had started when Ran's youth-sucking powers went out of control
one day and the expat Vosian bounty hunter found himself being the
closest possible target. Knowing that, it honestly surprised Lum that
Nassur had done unto Ran what he did to Lum, Benten and Oyuki, all of
whom cared very deeply for the Vosian.
"So, you met up with Moroboshi yet?" Benten asked.
Hearing that, Ran's eyes became hooded as tears spilled down her
cheeks. She shuddered as the two souls within her switched places.
The Seishin teen sighed. "Darling wasn't very nice to Lum-chan today,
Benten," she said, automatically wiping her cheeks. "He found out
about Oogi's planet of morons. A little TOO much, unfortunately. And
he's been to Noukiios and the colonies."
The Fukunokami blinked. Benten's home planet, which had never
enjoyed cordial relations with the old Urusian Empire, was neutral in
the long-running Oni-Noukiite dispute, not to mention the present
conflict. Benten knew few Noukiites would view her with kindness if
they knew she was friends with an Oni. "Fuck!" she hissed. "That
explains this titbit Nassur sent me. He got it off the Home Base
computer." Home Base, an asteroid near Uru, was Nassur's home.
"Where that thing got it from, I got NO idea, but you GOTTA see it!"
Benten tapped controls to draw up a sub-screen on Ran's screen. The
Seishin teen tapped controls to blow up the image. She then hummed.
"This is Lumukyou?!" she wondered, remarking on the capital city of
Phentax Two.
"Yep. Watch."
Ran's eyes widened as an exploding wave of light burst from the Great
Lum Church, an exact replica of Tomobiki High School. It expanded to
cover the whole screen, obliterating everything. Seconds later, the
light faded, revealing a sea of apocalyptic devastation. "Gods!" Ran
covered her mouth, her eyes tearing. Like Lum and those who closely
associated with her, she had no love for Oogi or the Church of Lum.
But to see an entire city of five million sentient beings vaporised in
an instant was too much even for her.
"Watch the blow up," Benten advised.
A target icon fell over the Great Lum Church. The screen magnified
to show the image of a man. The image cleared. With the lens'
distance -- *What sort of probe could get pictures like THIS?!* Ran
wondered -- facial details were obscure, but over half the
body . . .! "A cyborg?!" she then demanded.
*Who is that?!* Lum demanded.
"Okay, I'm blowin' up the face," Benten advised. "Tell Lum to brace
herself, Ran. She AIN'T gonna like seein' this!"
Target icon appeared again, this time locked on the machine-man's
head. The image blew up, hazing immediately. The image then
cleared. The entity seemed to turn and face the camera's eye. Seeing
that image, Ran gagged, she covering her mouth as nausea overwhelmed
her. The hair. The general facial shape. The still-organic right
eye, matched to a glowing orb, ruby-red.
"Gods . . .!" Ran gasped, she trying not to choke on her bile.
*DARLING?!* Lum exclaimed.
"Watch what comes next," Benten warned.
The camera fell back as something burst from a pile of wreckage
behind the transformed Ataru. He spun to gaze on a vaguely humanoid
shape in the robes of a monk. In the figure's hand was a tall staff
topped with a glowing ruby. Ataru braced himself as the figure
pointed at him. She -- a woman? -- levelled the staff. The ruby
flared, a blast of energy hitting Ataru. No effect. He lunged, one
hand grabbing the staff. The gem then flared, this time creating
another nuclear blast wave. The camera fell back to near-orbital
space. An explosion of light burst from Lumukyou, followed by a
concussion wave that spread over all of Phentax Two. "What is
that . . .?!" Ran demanded.
The wave vanished. The camera lens then zoomed up again on
Lumukyou. Standing alone in the wreckage of the Great Lum Church, the
cyborg Ataru was looking about. A close-up of his face revealed that
his human eye was wide with shock and horror. He dropped the strange
staff like it was a poisonous snake or worse before falling to his
knees and screaming to the heavens.
*Darling . . . * Lum sobbed.
"What happened, Benten?!" Ran demanded.
"Way Nassur thinks it happened, that staff-thing must've been some
high-tech power conduit." Benten sighed as the sub-screen vanishes,
revealing the Fukunokami scratching the side of her face, a tired look
on her face. "As ta what sorta power that thing drew from, he has NO
idea whatsoever. Some sort of doomsday device Oogi's morons created
one day?! I dunno!"
Ran shuddered. "What about that woman who confronted Darling?" she
then wondered, Lum once again in control of the body.
"According to what Nassur has, she must've been a Guardian. It's a
pre-Lumite sect that's been around since the Niphentaxians first got
inta space. According to what the Home Base computer says, the
Guardians are like the Holy Inquisition's Special Enforcement Teams.
They handle the REALLY nasty problems. Atop that, they also kinda
believed that if something bad happened to the one faith that
attracted the worship of almost EVERYONE on Phentax Two, then *BOOM!*
They all get wiped out." A pause. "I guess it came true."
Ran/Lum blinked. "When Darling left Tomobiki and we were all sent
back to Uru . . . " she mused before paling. "Do you think Oogi or
one of his people might've captured Darling?! Tried to kill him or
something like that?!"
Benten shrugged. "Hard ta say, Lum. Anyhow, about that big blast
wave that covered the planet: Wanna know what it did? It terminally
cooked three BILLION people. Nothin' left to bury! Nothin' at ALL!
Near as Nassur can figure out now, the ones who died were the hard-
core Oogi supporters, the ones who hated Moroboshi's guts and all
that."
Ran sank back in her chair. "Tcha . . .!"
A nod from the Fukunokami. "Yeah. Look, Nassur doesn't believe that
Moroboshi woulda intentionally killed three billion people even IF any
one of 'em would've killed him if they got the chance! I agree! He
just ain't that type of guy! But . . . " She shrugged. "If the
Church leaders who survived that mess, the ones with the Niphentaxian
Fleet and the colonies, ever saw that . . .! Hell, you can sure guess
what they'll all end up concluding!"
Ran then looked down. "Oh, Darling . . .!"
"Right. Don't worry about it, though. Nassur's keeping totally mum
about it, at least until he can come to Earth and have a chat with
Moroboshi about this." Benten then smirked. "'Sides, with Oogi and
all the top idiots all ashes now, the non-Lumites might decide to
finally do away with that nonsense and finish off the rest of those
clowns!"
Ran/Lum nodded. "I hope so, Benten. Still, I don't think Darling
would be in ANY mood to meet any more of my friends, even Nassur-chan,
after what he just went through. And there's Negako-san to worry
about, too. Nassur-chan might be good, but he's nowhere in Negako-
san's league. And if she thinks Nassur-chan might be threatening
Darling . . . "
Benten snorted. "Find that damn hard to believe."
Lum and Ran both knew that the Fukunokami held a long crush on the
expat Vosian, her feelings for him worlds deeper than what any
Tomobiki High girl might hold for Mendou Shuutarou. "Well, anyhow, I
gotta get back to Home Base." Benten was calling from her parents'
home in Bensaikyou, Fukunokami's capital city. "I'll call you guys
soon as I get a chance, okay?! See ya!"
The link was cut. Ran then sank in her chair. Silence fell as the
possessed Seishin teen stared nowhere in particular. *Lum-chan . . .?
* the Seishin teen's voice echoed in her mind. *What can we do now?
Darling doesn't want to have ANYTHING to do with us . . .!*
"I don't know, Ran-chan . . . "
*Perhaps we may be of some assistance?*
Ran spun around to gaze toward the hatchway of her ship. Floating up
the stairwell were two balls of water, both of them the size of Rei in
tiger-bull form. As if seeing perfectly symmetrical balls of seawater
float up to her door wasn't unnerving enough, each ball contained
something that looked like a giant Terran squid, each with a pair of
glowing eyes on stalk-like appendages. "Who . . .?! What
the . . .?!" Ran/Lum gargled. The young Urusians had met all sorts of
beings in their lifetimes, but nothing like THIS!
*Forgive us for disturbing you, but we could not help but sense your
current state of joint-ness,* the one on Ran's left mused, her glowing
eyes pulsing. *Such a state is clearly life-threatening to you, which
will do your friends nor your surviving family any good in the long
run.*
"Who are you?!" Lum, finally gaining the composure to take charge of
Ran's -- and hers -- body, asked. "WHAT are you?!"
*That, Redet Lum, is very easy to explain.*
* * *
"Cripes! I just can't BELIEVE that guy!"
Walking toward Ran's lot, Shinobu, Ryuunosuke and Mendou seemed to
sway between indignation and fear. Shinobu had the Book of Lum in
hand, she having just scanned the part ascribed to her. "Maybe," she
stated. "Then again, if Ataru-kun believes this thing actually
contained ACCURATE copies of our diary entries -- and given the tone
of this book -- his opinions do make sense."
Mendou gazed questioningly at her. "What do you mean, Shinobu-san?"
"Well, except for the 'flowering' of the language, the parts of this
book taken from my diary are pretty much dead on. Except for one
thing." Shinobu held up a finger. "Everything, at least in my
'book,' has been deliberately rewritten to follow a sort of basic
'party line.'"
Ryuunosuke's eyebrow arched. "Bein'?"
"That Lum's the Goddess, she's ALWAYS in the right concerning
EVERYTHING she does, we support her . . . " Shinobu paused before
closing the Book. "And that everything that 'defies' Lum's wishes is
Ataru-kun's fault since . . . "
"He's the Great Evil," the tomboy finished.
"Hai . . . EH?!"
"Wha- . . .?!" Mendou looked over before his jaw dropped. "Gods!"
They, then by the gate of Ran's property, had arrived in time to see
two LARGE balls of seawater -- they assume it was seawater from its
green-blue tint as it was reflected by sunlight -- *float* up to the
Seishin teen's hatchway. As soon as they disappeared, the Terrans
scrambled over. Given all that had befallen them in the last week,
Mendou and his friends did not want to take any chances of losing
their friends TWICE! Seeing the coast was clear, Mendou drew his
katana before ascending the gangway, Shinobu and Ryuunosuke right
behind him. In seconds, they arrived in the pilotage. And they then
paused, they surprised to see Ran staring at the balls of seawater --
and the beings within.
"Are they . . .?!" Mendou lowered his katana, though he remained
tense. "Er, friends of yours, Lum-san?"
"Um . . . " Ran/Lum began before shrugging.
Mendou's eyes fell on the shapes WITHIN the watery globes before they
widened. Whatever these things were, they resembled his personal
octopi companions. And unless he was VERY mistaken, the one on Ran's
right was injured. Gritting his teeth, he sighed. No matter what
these newcomers' intentions were, there was ONE person who could
help. Drawing his cell phone, he dialled a number before he sensed
Ryuunosuke's annoyed glare. "Hey, wait until we at least *know*
whether they're okay or not before calling . . .!"
Mendou turned away as the other end responded. Ryuunosuke then
started on hearing him utter "Yamada-sensei." The tomboy kept her
peace as Mendou explained the situation, and then she heard a high-
pitched voice respond with, "I'll be right there!" Mendou nodded.
"Arigatou, Sensei."
"Hey, who did you . . .?!" Ryuunosuke demanded.
"I contacted the one person who can help a sick octopi or other
mollusc. One of Lum-san's visitors is injured." He indicated the
wounded entity. Noting Ryuunosuke looking, he added, "If anyone can
help, he might be able to."
"Injured?" Ran/Lum gasped. She then turned her attention to the
entity in question. There were several deep gashes in her flesh,
though to both Urusians' surprise, no blood was flowing from the
wound. "I . . .!" the possessed teen stammered. "I . . . I didn't
know . . .!"
A high-pitched squeal of excitement rang out from near Mendou.
Shinobu and Ryuunosuke turned to see one of the curious fish-headed
people who often turned up in town run up to gaze, helmet to glowing
eye, with the visitors.
"Amazing!" Yamada Sakanasuke gasped, rubbing his webbed hands
together. "I've heard all the legends of the Nendo-kata since I was
just a guppy, but I never thought I'd actually encounter a *live* one,
let alone TWO!"
The others blinked.
* * *
"Splendid." Negako gazed in the direction of Ran's scoutship from
the vantage point of the Toranoseishin Finances Tower. "With them
involved, *some* sort of rationality might curb them from their more
annoying excesses."
* * *
"I didn't mean to make her think THAT!"
Kasumi patted Kimiko's hand. "It's okay." The older Tendou
daughters, the mirror-twins, Happoosai and Kimiko were relaxing around
the sitting room table enjoying tea and snacks. "Father's become
really worried over the whole matter with the schools since before
Akane-chan had her big fight with Ranma-kun," Kasumi explained. "And
after what you just did to Uncle . . . "
Nabiki grimaced. "Let's just hope the other fiancées don't get wind
of this. The one thing Kimiko here doesn't need is for Shampoo to lay
a Kiss of Death on her, not to mention Kodachi sneak-attacking
her . . . "
Kumiko sipped her tea. "The only solution to that is for Kimiko-san
to get training. Perhaps we best let Negako-san deal with this."
Hearing that name, Nabiki blinked, her eyes widening. "The hair
lock . . . " she whispered before grinning. "Why, that sly dog . . .
"
"What?" Kasumi asked.
Her sister shook her head. "Never mind."
Happoosai chuckled before taking a puff on his pipe. "You best head
out before Souun and Genma recover, girls. Genma's gonna be on enough
of a bend because of what Kimiko-chan did to him. And Souun . . . "
He shook his head.
"That seems the best, Happoosai-sama." Kimiko rose, and then she
bowed to her new siblings. "Thank you for your hospitality. Please
excuse me."
She headed out. "Go with her," Toshiko said to Kumiko.
"Right. Have a good night, everyone." The raven-haired mirror-twin
stood, bowed to the Tendou sisters, and then she raced out.
Seeing that, Toshiko then turned to finish her tea. "With your kind
permission, ladies, I'm just going to look in on Miss Mallets and make
sure she isn't going to start something stupid," she declared before
standing.
"Please be discrete, Toshiko-chan," Kasumi asked.
"No problem." She then vanished behind the Umisen-ken cloak.
The sisters and Happoosai stared at the space where she had been.
The aged grandmaster then breathed out. "It's a damn good thing they
burned those scrolls after Ranma dug them out," he said before sipping
his tea.
"The Sen-ken scrolls are gone?" Nabiki then smiled. "Too bad."
Kasumi nodded. "Indeed."
* * *
Cloaked by the Umisen-ken's null-chi shield -- the twins had given
this remarkable manoeuvre the name "Goshin Buufu" -- Toshiko walked
outside, and then she leapt into the cherry tree by the koi pond to
peek into Akane's bedroom. Her eyes narrowed as she watched Akane on
her phone, speaking rapidly into the receiver. Okay, to whom was she
calling . . .?
"You still have it?!" Akane asked excitedly, and then she nodded.
"Oh, it's fully mended itself, has it? That's wonderful!" She
grinned. "Look, can you tell Dou-chan that Akane needs it to come to
the doojou as quickly as possible?" Another pause before she slammed
her hand on the table. "Look! Just do it, okay?!" she barked out.
Another pause before she nodded. "Thank you. Good night!" She
slammed the receiver into its cradle before sinking into her chair.
"No . . .!" she snarled, her fists quaking. "He's MINE, you bitch!
You're not taking MY fiancé away from me . . .!"
Toshiko smirked. *That's what you think, Akane,* she mentally
declared before slipping away from the tree. Bounding over the fence
to land in the street, she turned to head towards Kasuga-chou. A
burst of air then escaped her on seeing Negako standing there, a
bemused smile on the grandmaster's face. "Negako . . .?" she gasped,
dropping the screen. "What are you doing here?"
She waved Toshiko to accompany her. "I see Akane is not taking well
to this latest development," she mused.
"Yeah!" Toshiko nodded as she followed Negako up to the tops of the
telephone poles as they raced back for the Moroboshi home. "She just
put in a call to get the Densetsu no Doogi back. I'll lay bets that,
come tomorrow, she'll try to challenge Kimiko-san for Ranma."
"Foolish. Ranma will not tolerate such a thing." Negako smirked
before glancing at Toshiko. "I think the time has come to advance
Ranma's healing to the point where she will have no doubts about
herself anymore."
"How can you do that?!" Toshiko demanded.
"It is much easier than you think," the grandmaster replied.
* * *
"Sensei, do you think this might work?!" Shinobu asked.
Yamada nodded. "Of course it'll work." Once explanations about the
two new arrivals were made, the doctor had the Nendo-kata couple
shifted to Ran's swimming pool, located on the keel deck of her ship,
so they could relax their telekinetic powers and prepare for what had
to happen to save the lives of both Ran and Lum. "Oh, don't worry
about it. The Great School has been doing this for over a hundred
thousand years. It's quite automatic."
"B-but . . .!" Ryuunosuke, sitting beside Shinobu and Mendou near the
pool's edge, stammered. "I mean, sacrificin' themselves just to give
Lum a new body to use, then do the same for Ran . . .?! Jeez!
There's gotta . . .!"
"Be another way?!" Yamada sighed. "According to them, Lum-san and
Ran-san could die from a complete neural burn-out anytime in the next
week or so, Ryuunosuke-san. And with this war situation, do you
honestly believe we could rush back to Uru, find samples of Lum-san's
DNA, then locate SOMEONE in this galaxy who has the right sort of
cloning technology to help us in time?" He held up a finger. "And,
of course, that doesn't BEGIN to mention what might happen if the
Noukiites or the Zephyrites get wind of this."
"What happens to the souls of the Nendo-kata when they do this
'Crossing Over' of theirs, Sensei?" Shinobu asked.
"Oh, they won't fade into the 'Black Ocean.'" Yamada chuckled.
"Their souls will fully, completely merge with Ran-san's and Lum-
san's, thus bestowing the morals, teachings and herstory of the Great
School onto both of your friends. Nothing detrimental, of course.
Shinobu-san, ask yourself this: If your friend was in danger of
dying . . . " He indicated Ryuunosuke with a webbed hand. "Wouldn't
you sacrifice yourself to save her?"
"I . . . " Shinobu then nodded. "Of course I would."
"So why would you think that other sentient beings in the Universe
might do otherwise?" Yamada said before gazing on the two Nendo-kata.
"Anyhow, I must look in on our wounded visitor. Will you please
excuse me?"
"Of course, Sensei," Mendou replied as they rose and headed out.
Yamada turned his attention to the wounded alien. "You're clearly
doing better now than when you were first wounded, ma'am. But, I'm
sure you realise you still don't have the required mental strength for
the Crossing Over. You could die before you complete it, and then
you'd doom yourself and Lum-san."
*Do you have a suggestion as to how to resolve this to everyone's
benefit, Healer?* the uninjured Nendo-kata inquired.
"What about giving Ran-san's persona to your companion and merge her
life-force with Ran-san's body?" Yamada mused after a moment's
contemplation, the tight line of his mouth indicating the severity of
the situation as he stared at the life-aura graphs on his scanner.
"That could work."
*Indeed it would, Healer, but there is a concern. In scanning many
of the sentient beings around us now, considerable xenophobia against
members of the Great School of Uru presently exists among the natives
of Tomobiki. Lum will have to assume a form that won't draw specific
attention to herself if she wishes to continue to reside on Earth.
Wouldn't you agree, Healer?*
"I agree. They'll need to match themselves to the populace. While
Ran-san can pass as a surface-dweller, she's unfortunately become too
notorious to live safely in Tomobiki. Never mind what the Noukiites
might do if they learn Lum-san survived their attack on Onishuto. The
SCAA and the Zephyrites would hold the deciding card on their lives."
A sigh escaped him as he remembered one other thing. "And that sadly
means that both their lives now depend on the good graces of their
friends. Not to mention Shuutarou-san's rival!"
*Do you believe this 'Darling' they place such importance on would
allow them to be harmed if Shuutarou presses matters too much?*
"Wouldn't he? Ataru-san didn't seem inclined to help them the first
time they were sent off Earth. Besides, I've noticed humans often use
the people they profess to care about as pawns in their conflicts.
Watch any of their visual broadcasts or read any of their literature.
You'd see then. If the case is heated enough, their children and
loved ones are the first sacrificed."
*Many humanoids we've encountered are the same way,* the Nendo-kata
mused. *They carry a veneer of Unity and courtesy, while gladly
courting the forces of disUnity at any and every opportunity.*
"Agreed. Why do you think millions of humans fight and kill each
other over 'sacred lands' with such fervour that they ultimately
forget *why* they are sacred?! They profess reverence to religions
whose prophets and gods teach peace, love, and respect for their
fellows. Then they gladly repress, brutalize and murder each other in
the name of the same god!"
*They are undisciplined. They cannot turn from their own passions
and momentary desires long enough to see the harm they cause.*
"You want to know what I think the real problem is?" the alien doctor
said before he moved to answer his own question. "They're too
simple. For all their intelligence and culture, the cold hard fact is
that they're still wild animals. Too close to the cave and the forest
they evolved out of to really accept the truths they themselves
discovered. They know the words of angels, but the wild, savage
instincts of the beast lie still within them."
*Saddening, isn't it . . . oh!*
"Um . . . Sensei?!"
Yamada turned to see Ran standing at the entrance to her pool area.
"Oh, Ran-san, there you are!" he called out. "I believe we've
discovered a possible route by which both you and Lum-san may finally
get your lives back in order."
"Er . . . " Ran blinked. Then, sensing Lum's urgent desire to be
free and have a body of her own push her, she nodded. "Alright."
* * *
"You want to take me to this Sanctuary place?"
Ranma stared at Negako as both relaxed in the dining room. It was
just before midnight. "Yes." The latter, who came to the Island via
Chikage's travelling rainbow -- then spent an hour recovering from the
icy fear her hydrophobia unleashed when she crossed the Sagami Sea --
as soon as she saw the mirror-twins and Kimiko secured at the old
shrine, nodded. Ranma herself had just watched "Gone With The Wind"
with Ataru and the sisters. "In essence, it will be like your normal
training trips, but compressed in time due to the temporal differences
between here and Sanctuary. A five-week period of time in Sanctuary
would now equate to you returning to the House before dawn tomorrow
morning." Her eyebrow then arched. "Are you interested?"
Ranma blinked. "Five weeks? In other words, if what Chikage's
hinted to me is true, I'd come back as a girl both in mind and body."
"Yes."
"Why are you offering me this now?"
"Lum's return is part of the reason," Negako explained. "The other
part is your own would-be suitors, especially Akane. Tonight . . . "
She gave a re-cap of events at the Tendou doojou. Ranma listened in
before she shuddered, her fists clenching. "You mean to tell me that
after Kimiko-chan pasted Oyaji and old man Tendou said he wanted
Kimiko-chan to marry me to unite the schools, Akane assumed Kimiko-
chan wanted to become my fiancée. And now she wants to fight Kimiko-
chan for me?!" she demanded.
"Exactly."
"Well, to HELL with that!" Ranma snapped, slamming her fist into the
table. "I renounced the engagement on Tuesday! Akane doesn't have
any right to fight ANYONE on my 'behalf!' Especially not Kimiko-
chan!" She rose, walking away from the table. "And especially if
Akane's gonna get her hands on that doogi and use it against Kimiko-
chan!" she added with a snarl.
"May I propose something?"
Ranma glanced at Negako. "What?"
"That if you come with me to Sanctuary, we strive to cross-train each
other in our Arts," Negako proposed. "You teach me what you have
learned through your experiences and I would reciprocate. After all,
a soulsword thrust into the Densetsu no Doogi's belt buckle would
destroy it far beyond anyone's hope to repair. If it was *you* who
did that, Ranma, you would shatter Akane's illusions about herself far
more thoroughly than anything you might have done to her to date, even
counting Tuesday's events."
Ranma then sighed. "Why not bring Ataru, too?"
"I don't want you to think I'm trying to pressure you, Ranma."
Both turned to see Ataru standing at the doorway. "Ataru?" Ranma
then chuckled. "Hell, some could say you're already pressuring me to
go along with that through her." She indicated Negako with a thumb.
"Hai, true, true." He then sighed. "Ranma?"
"What's wrong?"
He shrugged. "Look, I know what the girls think about you now.
And . . . " He walked over to her. "If you come back and . . .!" He
stopped, gazing at her. "Well, if you're inclined to . . .! Oh,
hell, this is . . . "
A finger landed on his lips. "Hey, you had the same problem with
Lum, remember? Just like I did with Akane." She smirked. "Ataru?"
"Yeah?"
"Would you want to come?"
"No. I've spent too much time in Sanctuary as is. You'll understand
when you come back after Onee-chan's done with you. But . . . " He
paused. "Like it or not, Ranma, you ARE a martial artist. Hell,
you've been living and breathing the Art since you were old enough to
walk. Yeah, you were denied the chance to choose your life's path
because of Genma, but even if you shift into a new career path, the
Art will influence your life. It suits you, Ranma. It does.
But . . . " He pointed to himself. "It's not for me."
"Bullshit, Ataru! You ARE good . . .!"
"Yeah, but look what I've just been through!" he countered. "I just
helped fight a war, Ranma. I've watched a whole race nearly get wiped
out before my eyes. I've met people who were brainwashed into
believing my race are no better than monkeys in the trees, people
who'd do ANYTHING to keep us laid low! I . . . " He then sighed.
"I'm tired. Yeah, many would think me a warrior and a martial artist,
but . . .!" He shook his head. "This 'warrior' right now just wants
to lay up the Lawgiver, the qu'f-piaqu'r, his eunuch swords and the
camouflaged cloak, then be a normal person for a change."
A sympathetic hand squeezed his shoulder. Ataru gazed on Negako.
"We want to help you gain control of your life." The latter turned to
Ranma. "Yes, you are both martial artists. But you deserve to be
'normal' people. Let this be a way you can take to achieve that."
Ranma then sighed. "What happens afterward?"
Ataru smiled. "Your choice. Always your choice."
They stared into each other's eyes, and then Ranma nodded. "Okay."
* * *
Minutes later, Ranma came down the stairs, backpack in hand. She
stopped on seeing a small crowd by the front doors. "Everyone . . . "
she gasped, and then she blinked as Kaho came up to her, pom-poms in
hand. "Kaho-chan . . . "
"Onee-chama," the cheerleader said. "Kaho wants to cheer Onee-chama
when she goes with Negako-oneechama to Sanctuary. But . . . "
Negako walked up to stand beside Ranma. "You have been told several
times that Sanctuary is a dangerous place to visit, Kaho."
"Uhn!" Kaho nodded. "Onee-chama, please don't be angry at us
because we want Onee-chama to fall in love with Onii-chama. W-
we . . . "
"We just want both of you to be happy," Marie finished.
Ranma then stared at Sakuya. "You're part of our family, Onee-sama,"
the eldest of the sisters declared as she came up to squeeze Ranma's
shoulder. "This is your home now, Onee-sama. Just like it's become
Onii-sama's home."
The martial artist then gazed at the others. Seeing the acceptance,
love and concern in their eyes, she looked down. "Thanks, guys. I
mean it." She then turned to Negako. "I'm ready. What do we have to
do?"
The grandmaster waved her to the doorway. "Follow me."
The sisters backed away. Hinako then broke free of the crowd, a
stuffed rabbit in hand. "Onee-tama," she called out.
She handed it to Ranma. "I'll bring it back." She scooped Mister
Bunny into her free arm before giving Hinako a kiss. "I promise."
Kaho shook her pom-poms. "Gambatte, Onee-chama!"
"Stand back, Hinako," Negako beckoned the youngest of the sisters
away from the doors. She then drew out a rectangular device and
placed it on the wall beside the doorway. "Brace yourself, Ranma,"
she then ordered.
Ranma nodded. "Hai!"
Negako tapped a control. A strange hum echoed through the rotunda.
The doors then opened. Instead of revealing the yard, the doors
opened on a black, star-studded tunnel leading to a faint point of
light an infinity away. "Come, Ranma," the grandmaster beckoned
before she stepped into the tunnel.
Ranma headed in. Just past the gateway, she waved to the sisters.
They waved back as the doors closed behind the martial artist. The
hum faded. Silence fell before Karen sighed. "I don't think we'll be
getting much sleep tonight," she stated, walking up to place a hand on
Hinako's shoulder.
Mamoru chuckled. "Oh, don't panic about it, Karen-chan! Anee's
gonna be back here in six hours and she'll be in perfect shape!"
"Hime thinks she better make some calorie milkshakes if we all want
to stay up late tonight," Shirayuki thoughtfully mused.
"Shirayuki-chan?"
Everyone turned to see Ataru by the doorway to the dining room. "Is
there something wrong, Nii-sama?" Shirayuki wondered.
"Make mine coffee. And black."
He headed into his bedroom. "Um . . .!" Shirayuki stuttered, and
then she nodded. "H-hai desu no, Nii-sama . . .!"
The others giggled as Ataru stepped into his bedroom. Before he
could head to his bed, a hand rested on his shoulder. He turned to
gaze into Chikage's eyes. "Don't panic, Ani-kun. This is EXACTLY
what Ane-kun needs."
He nodded. "I wish it didn't have to happen *this* way, Chikage-
chan."
He squeezed her hand in return.
* * *
An hour after midnight found Chikage was busy indulging herself in
one of her favourite pastimes: Moon-gazing. Clouds drifted in the
dark sky over the Island, but the moon was bright, a waning quarter.
She closed her eyes. Later that morning, once Ranma came back from
Sanctuary, the sisters would head to Nerima to help her and Ataru move
fully into the old shrine. Once that was done, they would back off
and let things develop . . .
Eh?!
Chikage's eyes widened as she gazed towards Welcome House. Rising,
the sorceress levitated, soaring off for Ataru's room. Reaching the
window, she looked inside, and then she paused, her eyes widening.
"Ani-kun!"
Despite the request he made for coffee, Ataru was in bed, asleep.
Yet why were his eyes open?
And why was his left eye GLOWING?!
Chikage blinked. "Ani-kun . . .!"
* * *
"Oh, dear! This isn't going well . . . "
Yamada gazed fretfully at the readouts on his scanner. So far, the
Crossing Over for Lum was proceeding without difficulty. The Nendo-
kata bonding with the Oni had taken a "psi-scan sample" of the DNA of
Miyake Shinobu, Fujinami Ryuunosuke and Mendou Shuutarou, mixing them
together to create strands which would exhibit the best physical
qualities of all three of her Terran friends. The doctor estimated
that Lum would emerge from the Crossing Over by early Sunday evening,
about eighteen hours away.
Ran was another problem. Yes, the soul and life force of the wounded
Nendo-kata had been successfully transferred into the Seishin girl's
body. However, the strain of such an insertion on Ran's body and soul
was too much given the sheer differences in matters such as lifespan,
paranormal powers, not to mention the unique parthenogenetic
reproductive abilities members of the Great School of the Nendo-kata
had possessed for millennia. If something didn't happen to stabilise
Ran's life force, she could be lost.
Yamada turned to where a sweating Ran reclined on the couch. The
doctor placed a hand on her head. "Be strong, Ran-san. Please, be
str- . . . "
His voice failed as a flash of light turned his gaze behind him. The
luminescence faded, revealing a figure draped in gold-trimmed, black,
form-fitting clothing. And gunmetal grey cybernetic parts covering
half the chest and upper abdomen, the whole right arm and left leg,
part of the left arm and right leg -- not to mention most of the
face. Staring at this Terminator-esque apparition, Yamada's jaw
flapped open and closed in stunned disbelief for a moment before he
finally squeaked, "A-ata-Ataru-san . . .?!"
The Cyborg walked around Yamada to kneel beside Ran, he gazing on her
sweat-soaked face. A metal hand gently touched her forehead. A
hollow sigh escaped the skull-like jaws that stood for his mouth. He
then gazed at Yamada. The alien doctor shuddered, immediately
realising that the situation between Tomobiki's most infamous resident
and his former schoolmates was MUCH more complex than he first
assumed. For even if he had only one organic eye in this form, the
look in that eye told Yamada much. The being kneeling before the
doctor had seen a near-infinity of tragedy, endless levels of pain and
grief.
For what, Yamada couldn't imagine.
He then decided he didn't WANT to know.
It would help him sleep easier at nights.
Taking a breath, the Cyborg held up his arm. Something ejected from
a hatchway above the wrist joint. A pole. Drawing that out, the
Cyborg waited for it to morph into the shape of a caduceus, and then
he held it over Ran's heart. The device glowed as a shower of energy
pours down to sprinkle the Seishin teen from head to toe. Ran gasped,
her body quivering. Yamada turned to his scanner. His eyes widened
as all of Ran's vitals took a marked climb up. The shower soon
stopped, and then the Cyborg sheathed the staff. "**The remainder of
this process should happen without problems, Sensei,**" he announced,
his voice a hollow, metallic twang. "**By the time Lum's come through
what she's experiencing, Ran should make a recovery.**"
Yamada blinked before asking, "Why?"
A pause as the entity seemed to consider if he would answer or not.
He then sighed, looking nowhere in particular. "**I can't be what Lum
wants me to be, Sensei. Even now, I can sense her hoping, dreaming
that things will go back to the way they were before the last Tag
Race.**" He shook his head. "**They can't. My destiny was written
-- by whom, I've NO idea -- long before I ever met Lum before the
First Tag Race. And there's no way I'm going to tolerate her trying
to go back in time to change things just for her benefit. Fate's got
other ideas for me . . . **" His right eye closed, a single tear
trailing down his cheek. "**And She won't tolerate any
interference.**"
"But, then why did you . . .?"
"**I know.**" The Cyborg nodded. "**I had to do that. Much that I
hated doing it, I HAD to do it. Right now, I'm too dangerous for the
people in Tomobiki to be close to. And right now, I seem to have
found someone who's in as much need of help getting herself out of the
pit her life's become as I needed some time ago. But . . . **" He
stared at Ran. "**At least Lum will have someone to be with her.**"
He reached out to touch Ran's forehead again. "**Pity I didn't learn
of what your mom did to you when you were a little girl. Seems we've
got something in common now. Take care of her, Ran-chan.**"
Another flash, then Yamada found himself alone with Ran. "Oh,
dear . . . " the doctor breathed out, ruefully shaking his head.
* * *
"Ani-kun . . .?!"
The glow disappeared from Ataru's eye as his eyelids closed, a breath
escaping him. Gazing at him from beyond the window, Chikage blinked,
and then she lightly smiled before gliding away to give her Ani-kun
some privacy.
* * *
To be continued . . .