[AMG/Ranma/SM][FanFic] A Certain Distance - Chapter Six
Rob Kelk
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Well, we're past the half-way point in "A Certain Distance", and there
hasn't really been a major shake-up of the casts yet. Sure, Setsuna's
*tried* to get something going between herself and Ranma, but that
backfired rather badly.
But Ukyo was granted a wish ... What *will* she wish for? Find out
in this chapter! But first, the legal notes:
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Legal disclaimer:
"Aah! Megami-sama" (or "Oh My Goddess!") was created by Fujishima
Kosuke, and is licenced to Kodansha and AnimEigo.
"Ranma 1/2" was created by Takahashi Rumiko, and is licenced to
Shogakukan Inc., Kitty, Fuji TV, and Viz Communications Inc.
"Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon" (or "Sailor Moon") was created by
Takeuchi Naoko, and is licenced to Koudansha, TV Asahi, Toei Douga,
and DIC Entertainment, L.P.
No challenge is intended to any of these intellectual properties.
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Chapter Six - Be Careful What You Wish For ...
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"Urd, I need your help."
The Norn of the Past turned to her youngest sister. "I never expected
to hear you say *that*, Skuld!" Then she saw the determined look on
her sister's face, and stopped teasing. "What's wrong?"
"For some reason, Kami-sama told me that I have to grant a wish to
Kuonji Ukyo ..."
"And you're not sure how to fulfill what she's wished for. Is that
it?"
Skuld nodded. "Actually, she hasn't made her wish yet, but I'm pretty
sure I know what it's going to be."
"Really?"
"I *am* the Goddess of the Future, Urd."
Urd sighed. She remembered when she was just beginning to use her
powers, and wondered why she thought Skuld would act any differently.
"Okay. I'm sorry I made that remark. So, what do you think Ukyo's
wish is going to be? Will she wish that her boyfriend is madly in
love with her?"
"No - she isn't allowed to wish for anything that involves Ranma, or
his fiancee, Akane."
"Oh. So what *are* you expecting?"
Skuld pulled a presentation easel into the room and picked up a laser
pointer.
"Without the visual aids, Skuld."
"Oh, all right." She pushed the easel back into the hall. "There's a
half-percent chance that Ukyo's going to wish for something completely
off-the-wall, like a goddess position for herself. I don't think that
Kami-sama would allow that kind of wish, though, so I'm not worrying
about it. There's an eight-percent chance that she's going to wish
that she was never born. If that happens, I'll need you to go back in
time and prevent her parents from conceiving her ..."
"Which I won't do. I don't interfere in people's lives *that* way."
"Oh, yeah. I forgot you like calling yourself the 'Goddess of Love',
too." Skuld ignored Urd's glare and continued. "But it's most likely
that Ukyo's going to realize that the prohibition against involving
Ranma in her wish doesn't apply to Ranma's father ..."
As Skuld explained what she expected and how she planned to fulfill
the wish, Urd's eyes grew wide.
Finally, Urd decided that she had to interrupt. "Skuld, are you
*sure* you want to do this? You're coming dangerously close to
invoking the Ultimate Force."
"I know." Skuld looked straight at Urd. "But there's another reason
to do things this way. Are you familiar with the Sailor Senshi?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Usagi, Ami, Makoto, Minako, and Setsuna sneezed.
"I wonder who's talking about us?" Setsuna asked.
"Don't change the subject, Pluto. Usagi asked you a question."
"Please don't take that tone of voice with me, Jupiter."
Usagi stepped between Setsuna and Makoto. "That's enough." She was
getting used to using the Serenity 'voice' - the reminder of her
position that it conveyed was the only way to keep these two Senshi
from each others' throats in this matter ... "There will be no more
fighting amongst ourselves."
"Yes, ma'am," replied Setsuna and Makoto.
"Makoto is right, though, Setsuna," Usagi continued in her usual
tones. "Why *did* you make a play for Saotome Ranma?"
Setsuna looked at her feet. "It was necessary."
"That's what you *always* say!"
"Makoto!" Usagi turned back to Setsuna. "And why was it necessary?"
"I can't tell you."
"I'll be the judge of that, Setsuna." Usagi was beginning to lose
patience, which was frightening the others. "Answer my question."
Setsuna thought for a moment, then came to the conclusion that an
upset Usagi was a greater threat to the Plan than an informed Usagi
would be. "We need Saotome on our side. When the Dark Moon returns,
and it will, you all need to be trained in practically every possible
martial art in order to survive. Ranma knows practically every
possible martial art."
"So what's wrong with just letting him teach us on his own terms?"
asked Makoto.
"Do you really want him to know you're the Sailor Senshi?"
Makoto was about to answer, but Usagi stopped her. "That would have
been better than playing with his emotions, Setsuna. I am very
disappointed in you. You may return to the Time Gate - do not
interfere with Ranma's life again."
Setsuna nodded, then turned and left.
Minako frowned. "While we're still here, I'd like to bring up another
problem. Rei is slowly freezing to death."
Ami shook her head. "That isn't quite right, Minako. Rei's
temperature is low, but it isn't life-threatening. However, her
temperature drops to a near-fatal level when she transforms into
Sailor Mars."
Usagi frowned. "Then she mustn't transform until you figure out
what's wrong with her."
Ami switched her computer on. "I already have a good idea what's
wrong." She called up a telescope image. "Look at this - there's a
layer of ice completely covering the planet Mars."
"So?"
"Rei gets her power from the planet. If the planet is cold, ..."
"... then she's cold as well." Usagi shivered in sympathy. "Why is
Mars covered with ice?"
Just then, the door opened. "We can answer that question, Usa-ko."
"Mamo-chan!" Everyone smiled at Usagi's happy shout. Certainly they
all understood why she reacted that way - they all knew what Galaxia
had done, and how it had had to be undone. They all knew what their
leader weas about to do, too.
Sure enough, Usagi turned to the doorway and moved to rush into her
love's arms. She stopped when she saw who was with Mamoru, though.
"Michiru? When did you wake up?"
Michiru whispered her reply. ["About an hour ago. Haruka and I
failed you. I'm sorry. We tried to drive it away ..."]
"Drive *what* away?" asked Makoto.
["It's dark, and malevolent, and so very, very *cold* ..."] Michiru
collapsed against the wall. ["I'm sorry, Neo-Queen Serenity."]
Usagi held her hand out to Michiru, and smiled. "It's all right."
["Thank you, Usagi ..."] were Michiru's last words before falling
unconscious again.
While Ami was making Michiru comfortable, the others turned to Mamoru.
He didn't disappoint them. "Michiru told me everything she knew on
the way over. If we want the future to unfold the way Sailor Pluto
said it would, we don't dare interfere. What we're looking at here
is ..."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Ukyo awoke just before dawn. This was a special day - she was going
to have a wish granted! She had decided on her wish, and wanted to
see one last sunrise before it happened...
A few hours later, she walked into the schoolyard. Ranma, Akane,
Skuld and Urd were sitting under a tree, obviously waiting for her.
"Good morning, everyone!"
Skuld smiled. Notably, the others didn't. "Hi, Ukyo! Have you made
your decision yet?"
"I sure have, Skuld-sugar. Why are the others here?"
Skuld stopped smiling. "If you wish for either of the things I'm
expecting you to wish for, then Urd's going to help me fulfill your
wish. Ranma and Akane need to be near me, so I can keep them from
being affected by your wish."
"Oh. Okay. I wish ..."
Everyone held their breath.
"... that Father and Saotome Genma never made that marriage
agreement!"
Skuld smiled. That was the 91.5%-probable wish, all right.
"Granted."
Urd vanished for a moment ...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
... to appear near the Kuonji's okonomiyaki cart.
She pulled a document from her pocket. 'I sure hope you realize what
you're doing, Skuld,' she thought as she walked around the cart and
saw two men sitting on the ground.
"How unfortunate. I was going to offer my okonomiyaki cart as the
dowry."
She was *just* in time! "Genma! There you are!"
The two men looked up. "Do I know you?"
"How could you have forgotten? I'm Urd! Don't you remember?" She
frowned, and quietly tossed a bit of dust from her alchemical lab into
the air.
"I don't think we've met, miss ..." Genma then inhaled a bit of the
dust. "Oh, of course! Urd!" He then started to sweat. "You don't
mean to say ..."
"That's right! I've got a little sister now, and I expect you to
carry out your part of the deal!" Urd pushed the document into
Genma's face.
Kuonji took the document from Genma. "What's this? Saotome, this
looks like an engagement agreement!" He started to glower. "How many
girls have you engaged your son to?"
"Well, there's Tendo's daughter, and Urd's sister, ..."
"I've heard enough." Kuonji stood up. "The marriage offer is
withdrawn. If I see you again, I may do something rash. Ukyo, we're
leaving now!" And he took his leave of the Saotomes.
"That's too bad," muttered Genma. "That cart would have kept us fed
for weeks ..."
Urd smiled at Genma. "Oh, you don't have to worry about *that*!
Here's enough money to keep you going for a month!" She handed him a
bag. "Now don't you go getting any strange ideas, Genma - my little
sister's more than enough for your son, and I don't want her to have
to share with too many other girls."
Genma was amazed at her poise, even after hearing what she had heard.
"You're taking the multiple engagements awfully well, Urd."
"Hey, we aren't all hung up on monogamy, Genma. Your son's going to
grow up to be a man among men, and that's worth a lot."
Genma smiled. "I'm glad you're happy with the engagement between
Ranma and ... What *is* your sister's name?"
"Skuld."
"... and Skuld. I'm planning on bringing the boy to the Tendo dojo in
Nerima when he's sixteen. We'll meet Skuld there and then, all
right?"
"That's fine with me, Genma," replied Urd. "I have to go now, and let
Skuld know about her fiancee!"
Urd walked away, then vanished ...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
... to return to the same spot in space-time that she had originally
left. Ranma and Akane hadn't visibly changed. Skuld and Ukyo looked
comfortable wearing the school's girl's uniform. Ukyo's "battle
spatula" was still on her back, but she was otherwise unarmed. Their
classmates, Usagi and Ami, were present and talking with Ranma.
Otherwise, it looked like everything was the same.
"I'm truly sorry about her behaviour, Ranma," Usagi was saying.
"Setsuna won't be bothering you any more."
"Thanks, I guess. But I still don't want you doing anything to Akane
or Ryoga or me without asking first. You got that?"
Usagi sighed. "Yes, Ranma, I understand."
Wait - there *was* another change. Skuld was sitting *right* *beside*
Ranma. She looked up. "Hi, big sister!" smiled Skuld. "How'd it
go?"
"Don't you know?"
"Wait a minute ..." Suddenly, all six of them got glazed expressions
on their faces, which lasted for half a minute. Urd recognized the
expression as an outward sign of memory reconciliation, and let it
take its course. They then looked at each other, blushed, and looked
at the ground. "Wow! We were like *that* before history changed? I
really goofed *this* time!"
"What do you mean?" asked Urd, half-expecting the worst.
Skuld blushed even more. "We changed the past, all right. Ukyo
decided to study martial arts, just like her best friend from
childhood, and moved to Juuban last year. Ranma, Akane, Usagi and Ami
are almost exactly the same, except that Ranma and Akane both know
about Usagi and Ami's secret. However, ..."
"What?"
Skuld, Ranma and Akane looked at each other, and smiled. Skuld turned
back to her sister. "Well, the Ultimate Force kicked in, since you
and I both agreed to do it this way and a balance has to be kept."
"Ukyo's happy with Kintaro, her boyfriend. I'm Ranma's fiancee now."
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Coming in Chapter Seven:
The main villain arrives, and the battle lines are drawn. But are
those two events connected?
Tears filled Skuld's eyes. "But ... but ... fiancees always
act like this in the shojo manga Usagi let me read! I'm
sorry!!!"
--
Rob Kelk http://members.tripod.com/~robkelk/ rob...@ottawa.com
"I'm *not* a kid! Nyyyeaaah!" - Skuld (in "Oh My Goddess!" OAV #3)
"When I became a man, I put away childish things, including the fear of
childishness and the desire to be very grown-up." - C.S. Lewis, 1947