[AMG/Ranma][FanFic] Instruments of Change, Part 11
Mike Koos
removed the laundry from the clothesline. She considered the song to
be one of her favorites - one she had used, in fact, to entertain
Ranmira and Skuld as children.
She knew the reason why the song had surfaced in her thoughts.
Her concerns were with her sister, Ranmira, who had been summoned by
Kami-sama the night before to discuss her actions in making sure the
wish contract with Saotome Nodoka would see its fulfillment.
Belldandy knew that Ranmira couldn't be blamed for a few of her
choices, however; who could have foreseen Ranmira losing her memories
and self for sixteen or so years, due to an outbreak of bugs in
Yggdrasil? Or the peculiar chain of events her 'recovery' would set
in motion? None of Belldandy's own assignments had ever been as
unique as the one Ranmira had completed the night before.
That one person's wish could interact with another person's wish
- one wish potentially changing the course of others, or the world in
which those wishes existed - always remained a strong possibility,
with only a finite amount of people in the world. Each Goddess who
worked for the Goddess Relief Offices learned that fact and had it
reinforced in training.
Saotome Ranma and Tendo Akane were fair examples of two wishes
eventually interacting with one another.
The wish made by Akane's mother had linked Peorth to Akane, just
as Nodoka's wish had inadvertently done the same for Ranmira and
Ranma. Although Ranmira was no longer required to supplement Ranma's
conscience and common sense, a link continued to exist between the
two.
Belldandy was linked as well to Keiichi, though part of that
link preceded Keiichi's wish.
Most of the clothes on the line belonged to Keiichi; Belldandy
and her sisters could change or renew their clothes with a mere
thought. There were spells that could complete the household chores
without much effort on her part, spells that admittedly cost a lot of
energy to use on a regular basis, but Belldandy nonetheless preferred
to do the cooking and cleaning herself.
She heard the telephone ring from its small table within the
main hall of the temple. "I'll get it!" came Urd's shout.
A moment later, Urd stepped through the door and into the yard.
"Belldandy," the Goddess of the Past said, her face taking on a mask
of complete seriousness. "It's Ranmira. She wants to speak to you."
Belldandy nodded. She hurriedly folded the remaining clothes,
setting them in her hamper. "Would you bring these in for me?"
Urd waited until her sister made her way into the renovated
temple to frown. "Right. Like I've got nothing better to do than
haul Keiichi's clothes around," she muttered under her breath. Had
she not been preoccupied with hiding her concern for Ranmira, she
might have considered *other* things to do with the boy's clothes...
An Aa! Megamisama / Ranma 1/2 Crossover
Instruments of Change
Part Eleven
written by Mike Koos
--------------------
"Oneesama?"
Belldandy caught what she assumed to be a slight touch of
sadness in her sister's voice. "Ranmira? What's wrong?"
"I... I've been placed on suspension. They're starting an
investigation into my assignment."
"I had a feeling they might do that," admitted Belldandy.
"Don't worry. I'm sure everything will turn out well."
A momentary pause. "Kami-sama said that I should use this as an
opportunity to spend some time with all of you. I was wondering...
if I could stay with you at the temple for a little while."
Belldandy's face brightened at the thought of having Ranmira
come to live with them. "Absolutely. We would never turn you away;
you know that."
"I wouldn't want to impose. If you don't have the room to
spare, or if there are any other problems, I can find someplace else
to stay."
"Enough of that talk, Ranmira," her older sister scolded. "I
won't hear of it. We will have a room ready for you by this
afternoon."
At her assigned station in the Goddess Relief Offices, Ranmira
urged her hoverchair back toward her console. Everyone else within
earshot was - thankfully - too busy to pay attention to her call.
"Are you sure Keiichi won't mind? Or Urd and Skuld?"
"They would love to have you stay with us for a while. As I
would, too."
"I... um, I just don't want to be a liability."
"You won't be. Now, we really must get started in preparing
your room if we are going to have it ready by the time you arrive. I
hope to see you soon, little sister."
Ranmira sighed. "Thank you, oneesama." She reached out a
finger to click the button on her armrest that would close the
connection and removed her headset. Why in the Planes did she feel
so apprehensive, she wondered?
Belldandy found Urd waiting at the end of the hallway after
hanging up the phone. "So?" asked Urd. "What happened?"
"She has been suspended, and is coming to stay here with us
while they conduct an investigation into her actions."
The platinum-haired Goddess grimaced, no stranger to being
suspended or investigated. She knew that Ranmira had definitely been
changed through her experience as part of Ranma, but just how much
*had* Ranmira changed?
"Keiichi should be home soon," Belldandy continued, as though
she hadn't noticed her sister's reaction. "I'm going to start
preparing one of the spare rooms for Ranmira. When Keiichi returns,
tell him what is going on."
"Uh, sure. I... I'll be watching TV if you need me." Urd
turned and started toward the living room before Belldandy could
discern that she was slightly troubled as well.
She plopped into her favorite plush chair, snatched the remote
from the endtable next to her and began flipping through the
channels. There were two television sets in the temple now; the
second set resided in Urd's room, seeing more use as the television
set it had been intended to be than a gateway to Urd's medium.
None of the shows she found were of interest to her. Ranmira
was being suspended, and investigated. Urd had known full well that
some of her own actions warranted such procedural reprimands. She
had fully expected that, with no surprise and few regrets. But how
did Ranmira feel about this? Her little sister had gone from an
innocent, shy Goddess to one who had inherited several skills and
traits from her sixteen year-old martial-artist charge, and was
facing the consequences for what she had done in response to events
largely beyond her control.
In that regard, the investigation would probably turn out in
Ranmira's favor. The matter that worried Urd more was that Ranmira
had already begun to change into a different person and seemed not to
truly realize it. Her sister had become angry enough at Marller to
chase the demon across a good portion of the Nerima ward, trading
shots the entire way using skills and agility new to her. That kind
of behavior everyone normally expected from Urd, but not Ranmira.
Which was more ironic - a Goddess of Change who never changed,
herself, or a Goddess of Change who had been changed and might not
even recognize that she had?
"Urd?"
She glanced up to find Keiichi watching her from a few feet
away. "Oh, hi," Urd hastily covered the fact that she'd been too
lost in thought to catch his return.
Keiichi blinked. "Where's Belldandy?"
"Getting one of the spare rooms ready for Ranmira to use," Urd
replied, giving him a condensed version of the day's events. "I'll
bet she wouldn't mind some help."
"You think so?"
"Yeah." And with that, Keiichi rushed out of the room, stopping
on the way to drop his bookbag and jacket in his room.
Urd sighed; her desire to be alone was more important to her at
the moment than any thought of trying to 'help' Keiichi gather enough
nerve to go beyond talking with or even kissing Belldandy. She
shrugged and went back to her thoughts.
Belldandy stood in the doorway of what had been Megumi's bedroom
for a short period of time, examining her work.
A quick spell or two had the room cleaned and the basic set of
furniture that was already present moved into position; Ranmira could
tailor the room to her tastes after settling in. Belldandy had also
thought to ensure that one of the electrical outlets along the far
wall remained clear and unobstructed, as a courtesy to her sister.
She wasn't sure how Ranmira would take being suspended... from the
sound of her voice during her call, Ranmira was already experiencing
depression. Would she lock herself in her room, or decide to take
aimless walks?
Ranmira no doubt knew that an investigation - even one required
by procedure - naturally implied that they suspected she may have
done something bad, and that alone might have been enough to cause
her sadness. All of this was largely new territory for the young
Goddess, and Belldandy resolved not to let Ranmira shut herself away
from everyone and everything.
Keiichi peered around her into the room. "Urd told me
everything," he said quietly. "So Ranmira really is coming to live
with us?"
"Yes, for the moment."
He nodded. At least this time, they'd been given fair warning
someone was going to come to live with them. Urd and Skuld hadn't
bothered to let anyone know they were coming - and neither had
Megumi, for that matter. It wasn't that he minded the guests;
rather, what troubled him was the possibility of someone showing up
at the worst possible moment. Hiding the fact that Belldandy and her
sisters were Goddesses was a rather difficult task on occasion...
Suddenly Belldandy hesitated, and looked at him expectantly.
"Keiichi, do you think Ranmira will like the way I've arranged this
room?"
"Why wouldn't she like it?"
She let her gaze linger on one piece of furniture, then another.
"She... Ranmira is feeling somewhat sad. I'm not sure how she is
taking this investigation and her suspension."
Keiichi regretted not having had much time to consider the
situation at hand. "If she needs any help at all getting through
this," he told her, hoping that he was saying the right thing, "we'll
all be here to help her."
"Thank you, Keiichi-san." Belldandy gave him one of her
appreciative smiles, the exact type which often seemed to numb his
body and mind all at once. Her eyes glimmered. Ah, if only she knew
what kind of effect those smiles had on him...
A thought came to him. "Wait... Belldandy, would you mind if I
added something to this room?"
"Not at all. What would you like to add?"
He dashed to his room for a spare piece of printer paper, a
large permanent marker and a roll of tape. In less than a minute
Keiichi had scribbled the words 'Ranmira's Room' on the makeshift
sign and taped it to the door.
"Oh," Belldandy said, exiting the room to examine the sign
alongside Keiichi. "I had almost forgotten about that." Now, all
the room needed to make it feel as though it belonged to Ranmira was
the scarlet-haired Goddess herself.
"So, umm, when will Ranmira be coming here?" asked Keiichi.
Someone cleared her throat behind them. "She's here," Urd
announced.
They turned to see Urd leading Ranmira into the hallway. The
young Goddess did appear downcast, almost withdrawing in on herself.
"She arrived a few minutes ago while you two were over here smiling
at each other."
She pointedly ignored the glance that Ranmira sent her way.
Keiichi decided to take the initiative. "Ranmira?"
"I'm fine," she admitted at last. "I'm merely worried--"
"You want to turn yourself into a nervous wreck?" Urd
interrupted before Ranmira could complete her sentence. "Come on,
kid - why don't you stop worrying and forget about it for now?"
"I can't do that! They're investigating everything I've done!"
Ranmira protested.
Urd folded her arms. "Ranmira. You know I've been
investigated, and suspended more times than I've bothered to
remember. Did I spend all my time worrying about what might happen?"
There was a brief silence while Ranmira reviewed her memories.
"No." She had never seen her eldest sister show much concern over
this sort of thing at all.
"I did, once," Urd corrected her, voice softening. "A long time
ago, before your birth. But no matter how much you worry, you can't
do anything about the procedure. They'll continue investigating even
if you have a nervous breakdown. It's easier to change who you are
than try to change the process."
Ranmira's eyes narrowed. "So you believe I need to change, is
that it?" she asked, her anger beginning to show.
This, Urd hadn't expected. "No, that's not--"
"Of course that's it! I should change so that I don't wind up
like you, getting in trouble and being suspended all the time.
Right?"
"No! I wasn't saying you should change! I said--"
"Leave me alone!" shouted Ranmira. She stormed into her new
room and slammed the door shut behind her.
"Ranmira!" exclaimed Belldandy. Through the thin walls of the
temple, they could faintly hear Ranmira's muffled sobbing. She
wanted nothing more than to run to her younger sister's side, to help
her and protect her... For the moment, however, she had to confront
Urd as well. "Neesan, you know Ranmira is feeling emotionally tense
at this time. You shouldn't provoke her."
Urd stared at her. "I wasn't trying to provoke her, Belldandy.
I thought I was making a remark about how she's changed since being
lost. But I guess she either doesn't know she has changed or want to
admit it."
"I'm sure she knows."
Rather than immediately respond, Urd turned away. "Maybe." She
left Belldandy and Keiichi alone in the hall to consider how to deal
with this turn of events.
** ** **
Atop the roof of an apartment building, a young woman who looked
very much like Tendo Akane sat, idly watching the grounds of the
distant Tendo residence while she let her mind wander.
Kaede sighed. Akane was essentially on her way to becoming a
Goddess, assuming she didn't make some sort of mistake and was
demoted back to being an 'ordinary' Mortal. They'd order Akane's
memories to be wiped, and Kaede's superiors would reinstate her as
little more than a Mortal's mischief-making demon.
<Maybe there's a way I can help her?> wondered Kaede. Could
she make Akane look good to those training her?
<I guess it could work,> she reasoned. But how? <Naturally, if
they find out I'm trying to help her, we'd probably get in a lot of
trouble.>
Trouble, she didn't mind. But she knew Akane, and given Akane's
temper and impulsiveness, the Goddess candidate could make a
dangerous mistake at any moment. That meant if Kaede wanted to help
Akane improve her image, the sooner, the better.
Now, what could she do to help?
** ** **
Skuld rose from the small cup of water Belldandy kept on the
kitchen counter for the express purpose of leaving open a convenient
doorway to her youngest sister's medium. Belldandy changed the cup
and water on occasion, of course; even an open container of water
could become unsanitary if left alone for a while. Leaving a cup of
water out for Skuld's use was certainly a better option than, say,
making Skuld depend on a sink or bathtub... particularly since Skuld
seemed to have a knack for rising out of bathwater while people were
still reclining in it.
"I'm home!" Skuld grinned. It was a custom in Japan to
announce oneself when returning home, although it tended to annoy
Keiichi somewhat when she announced herself after entering through
any way *other* than the front door.
"Ah, Skuld, okaerinasai," Belldandy said, without missing a
beat. "Dinner is almost ready. Would you mind seeing if Ranmira
would like to eat?"
Skuld felt her eyes widen. "She... she's here?"
"Yes," the other nodded. "Please, be careful what you say in
her presence. She may still be upset over all that has happened to
her." Belldandy related what Ranmira had told her of the judgment.
"She closed herself in her room earlier and was crying." There was
no need to chance Skuld's temper for not by telling her that the
reason why Ranmira had been crying was the result of a disagreement
with Urd.
"I will." The smile on Skuld's lips faded. Since learning that
Ranmira had been summoned by Kami-sama, Skuld had attempted to
imagine everything that could possibly happen to her sister. Despite
all her actions, Skuld doubted that Ranmira was prepared for the
official results of what she had done. Even earlier, before asking
Belldandy if she could restore Ranma to his proper age, Ranmira had
seemed unconcerned about the eventual consequences. And now... she
had been crying. She hadn't waited until *now* to truly consider
everything, had she?
Skuld threw that thought aside. Ranmira needed sympathy and
comforting, not someone to analyze what she was doing or had done.
She had always been close to Ranmira while the two of them were
growing up, with Belldandy practically scrambling in order to keep an
eye on them. Skuld still wasn't sure which of them had been more
difficult for Belldandy to care for - her two younger sisters, or Urd.
She frowned. Now wasn't the time for reminiscing, either. With
determination strengthening her steps, Skuld headed into the hall.
It took her a moment to find the room. Seeing the sign Keiichi
had taped to the door, she paused. <Is THAT all? Couldn't he at
least have run up something better on the printer?> Skuld shook her
head and made a mental note to correct the sign later.
She brought a hand up and took hold of the edge of the door,
sliding it open. "Oneesama?" asked Skuld, tentatively.
There was no answer. Had Ranmira left the temple without
letting anyone know? She slipped into the room.
Ranmira - clad in an unassuming pair of pajamas - lay fast
asleep on her bed. <Huh. I hadn't thought about that. When was the
last time she got some sleep?>
Skuld came to stand next to the bed. "Oneesama..." She gently
shook Ranmira's shoulder. "Wake up."
"Mmmm..." the scarlet-haired Goddess stirred. Her eyes bleared
open, and found Skuld standing beside her. "Hi."
"Hi." Skuld's smile returned. Time and sleep had removed most
of the signs of sadness from Ranmira's face. "Sorry about having to
wake you up, but Belldandy asked me to see if you were hungry. It's
about time for dinner."
The older Goddess sat on the edge of the bed, checking herself.
"I... hmm. I guess I am hungry. Let me have a few seconds; I'll
change my clothes and go with you."
Skuld nodded and stepped back. Ranmira's pajamas shifted around
her into a modest pastel-green blouse, white skirt with green trim
similar to that of the blouse, and a pair of black leggings.
"So, green is still your favorite color?" Skuld raised an
eyebrow. The color was a reminder of life and growth in Nature, as
Ranmira had a fondness for saying.
"I suppose it is," said Ranmira. "What are we having for
dinner?"
Skuld shrugged. "I don't know. I just got back from the
afternoon session with Akane. But since oneesama's cooking it, it'll
be great." She stuck her tongue out. "Keiichi goes to the weirdest
places for takeout sometimes."
That earned a slight chuckle from Ranmira. "In other words, he
isn't getting nearly enough ice cream." When Skuld snorted, she
allowed herself the luxury of a stronger laugh.
<She seems okay,> Skuld thought, studying her. "Ranmira... are
you okay? Belldandy told me you've been crying."
"I will be fine. I guess I just let the worrying get to me."
"I'm sure everything will turn out okay, oneesama."
Pause. "Well, that is what everyone keeps telling me." It was
Ranmira's turn to snort, as she walked toward the door.
Skuld followed her out of the room. When they reached the end
of the hall, Urd passed them on the way to her own room. "Oh, hey,
Ranmira. I just wanna say I'm sorry for what happened earlier.
...Okay?"
Ranmira continued walking as though she hadn't seen or heard Urd
at all.
"Why?" Skuld turned a narrow glare on her eldest sister,
confused. "What happened earlier?"
All she received in response from Urd was an indifferent shrug.
** ** **
Admittedly, Kasumi wasn't taken by surprise when Ranmira emerged
from the only unused electrical outlet in her kitchen the following
afternoon. Skuld had warned her before leaving for school with Ranma
and Akane that Ranmira would likely pay a visit.
According to Skuld, Ranmira had been upset about something -
though Skuld wouldn't go into detail about the reasons why; Kasumi
hoped nothing bad had resulted as a consequence of Ranmira's last
assignment and her summons to see Kami-sama Himself - and, after an
argument of some sort with Urd, was seemingly behaving as if her
oldest sister no longer existed.
That certainly was unlike the young Goddess... but at the same
time, Kasumi was reminded of another person she knew who behaved in
much the same manner toward a member of her family. Perhaps, Kasumi
reasoned, she could do something to resolve both problems.
Ranmira picked up a clean dishtowel and began drying the dishes
as Kasumi washed them. "Kasumi?" the Goddess asked in a slightly
reserved voice. "So... where is everyone this afternoon?"
Kasumi assumed that by the words 'everyone else,' Ranmira was
referring to everyone but Ranma, Akane, Nabiki and Skuld, as all four
were still at school and would return in about half an hour. Unless
Ranmira was hoping that a conversation would distract her from
certain issues... "Mr. and Mrs. Saotome have been out with Father
for most of the afternoon, looking for a new home, one which hopefully
is closer to us."
Nodoka did live within the neighboring district, though she
wanted to sell her house and buy one in the neighborhood - so that
she could live near her son and his iinazuke. Without Genma present
to assume complete control of the family finances, Nodoka had been
able to set aside a considerable amount of money within her savings.
She had decided that it would be for the best if she put a bit
of distance between Genma and his friend, Soun. When the two were
together, they discarded most forms of rational thought. Separating
them also helped ease the pressure they were forcing upon Ranma and
Akane... not just to marry, but for other schemes in the name of
'honor' as well.
Realizing that she shouldn't likewise separate Akane and Ranma,
however, Nodoka had insisted that Ranma continue living at the Tendo
home until he finished school and moved on to college. At that
point, Ranma could decide for himself what he would do with his life.
Ranmira breathed a mental sigh of relief. Her biggest concerns
remained with Ranma; simply because she had seen Nodoka's wish
contract through to its end did not mean that the rest of Ranma's
life would be quiet and normal. Plenty of other outside influences
remained, waiting, hoping to wreak havoc in his life - far more than
even his counterpart demon might accomplish in a couple of months.
"I can't say I know where Happosai-ojiisama might be, however,"
concluded Kasumi.
Ranmira's lips formed a tight line. There were Mortals close
enough to the Darkness that a Goddess could mistake their 'presence'
as that of a demon's; Happosai, in particular, triggered that sense.
Skuld had sensed the same thing, and was keeping an eye on Happosai
as often as she could. That was the best either of them could
officially do at the moment, given the Goddess' non-interference
policy.
Time for a subject change. "Did Mrs. Saotome happen to mention
how she knew to come here at this time?"
"Oh, yes," Kasumi said without looking away from her work.
"Akane guessed after some reasoning that it was Nabiki who told her
that Ranma and his father would be here, and Mrs. Saotome confirmed
it."
<Nabiki,> Ranmira mused. <I'm not sure if I should have a talk
with her about her scheming or thank her.> "I assume Mr. Saotome
wasn't pleased," she shook her head.
Kasumi nodded. "He threatened to do something to her, but Mrs.
Saotome kept him from doing anything. What surprised me is that
Nabiki remained calm the entire time."
"She knew that no one would let him harm her."
Another nod. Kasumi turned on the water so that she could rinse
a plate. "I had the impression Mr. Saotome only wanted to scare her."
"Mr. Saotome likes being in control of a situation whenever
possible," Ranmira thought to point out. If he couldn't have
control, as was the case whenever he confronted Happosai, he became
desperate. The man acted more or less like a bully, pushing around
those people he knew were weaker than him or had to defer to him, and
cowering in the presence of those he knew were stronger.
"Would you mind if I asked you a question?"
Ranmira turned to look at Kasumi. "No, of course not."
"How... how is Peorth? Is she... okay?"
"From what I have heard, they have placed her on suspension and
are looking into all of her assignments from the time period when she
granted your mother's wish." For a brief instant Kasumi thought she
heard a touch of distress in Ranmira's voice. Was Ranmira in a
similar situation? "Other than that, I haven't really seen her at
all. Why do you ask?"
Kasumi paused. "I'm worried about Akane. Peorth is her mother,
perhaps just as much as our mother was. If not for her, Akane would
have died with Mother. Akane is enjoying being given the chance to
become a Goddess, yet she wants nothing to do with the Goddess who
gave her that chance." She took a breath. "I know that Peorth made
some errors in judgment, and having to leave us wasn't entirely her
decision - though she could have handled it better - but I don't
think that is reason enough for Akane to condemn her for the rest of
their lives."
Ranmira blinked in surprise. "Yes. You're right, Kasumi. In
fact, that's one of the things I wanted to ask you about in coming
here, today. To become a true Goddess, Akane must completely accept
her universe and appreciate it, both as a whole and the components
which come together to shape that universe. That includes Kaede,
Akane's corresponding demon, and Peorth."
Kasumi shuddered at the mention of Kaede. She had yet to get
used to the idea that somewhere in the world, her own 'twin' - an
evil copy of herself, perhaps - might be doing things the true Kasumi
would never think of doing. Nabiki, her father, Ranma, his
parents... who knew what *their* counterpart demons were doing in
their name? Or Happosai... if everyone claimed the man was evil,
what was his demon capable of doing? Kasumi shuddered again. <I'd
better not think about it,> she thought. No sense in giving her
nightmares more inspiration.
"I thought that you might help us convince Akane that she should
speak to Peorth," the Goddess said. "I would rather Akane wish to
meet her, instead of forcing them together. Nothing would be
accomplished if Akane isn't willing to listen to anything Peorth
might say."
Kasumi considered this. Akane was remarkably stubborn, indeed -
who *had* she inherited that trait from? She carefully worded her
next question. "Is there... is there a way we can have Akane talk to
our mother? Tendo Hiroko, I mean?"
"You wish you could see her again, don't you?" Ranmira asked,
studying her.
"Naturally, I wouldn't mind being able to see her again.
Neither would Nabiki, Akane, or Father. If we could..." Kasumi
caught herself. "That's not the reason why I asked. Maybe, if Akane
had a chance to visit Mother, she might help in changing Akane's mind
about Peorth."
The Goddess of Change smiled. Kasumi was the most selfless
member of the Tendo household, placing everyone else's desires before
any of her own. "It might be possible, but unless she has chosen to
rest or something has happened to her, she has probably been reborn
and is living a new life. I'm sorry," she apologized.
"No, that's quite all right."
Together, they finished putting away the remainder of the dishes
in silence, then moved on to the next chore in Kasumi's agenda -
making sure that the family room was once again clean, until the rest
of the family again turned it into a mess.
Ranmira hastened the process by casting a spell that cleaned the
room and set everything back into its proper place.
"Will Akane be able to do that?" Kasumi inquired, amazed.
"If she chooses to keep spellcasting as one of her abilities,
she can. That spell is one of the basic spells every Goddess learns,
but not everyone wants to continue learning more than the basics."
"Skuld mentioned that you and Belldandy are quite skilled at
casting spells," said Kasumi. "She also said that Akane has the
potential to become a powerful spellcaster."
"Yes, she does. Particularly if she applies herself and
remembers not to misuse her magic."
"As she did earlier."
"Yes."
The sound of the front door opening brought an end to their
conversation. "Tadaima!!" Akane called, brightly.
Kasumi blinked. "Oh, Akane is home."
Ranmira extended her senses to 'feel' the presences entering the
foyer. "Ranma and Skuld are with her." A moment later, the three
joined them in the family room.
"Ranmira!" Akane smiled. "Skuld said you'd be here. Are you
okay? I heard about your fight with Urd."
Pause. "Who?"
Ranma looked curiously at Ranmira. "Urd. Your oldest sister?"
"I don't know anyone named 'Urd,'" she declared.
Kasumi opened her mouth to differ, as did Ranma, but relented
when they noticed Skuld shaking her head no. It was true; for
Ranmira, Urd had apparently ceased to exist. She knew from dealing
with Akane that no matter how much they directly confronted Ranmira,
the Goddess would stubbornly refuse to reconsider her disagreement.
What kind of disagreement had it been, for Akane to 'forget' about
her sister in such a manner? Akane's refusal to have anything to do
with Peorth was understandable, though not completely warranted.
Nonetheless... this type of behavior wasn't what she would
expect from Ranmira. Surely whatever had happened during her meeting
with Kami-sama hadn't been enough to make her behave this way...
Before Kasumi could consider the matter further, Ranmira took an
awkward step toward her former charge. "Ranma," she said, hoping
that the apprehension she felt wasn't obvious.
"Yeah?"
Her voice caught, briefly hesitating within her throat. "I... I
would like you to train me to be a martial artist."
"What?" Everyone stared at her, taken completely by surprise -
even Skuld. "O-oneesama!" the younger of the two Goddesses
stammered. "Why... would you want to do that?" Worst-case scenarios
and possibilities began pouring from her overactive imagination,
worrying her to no end.
Ranma's thoughts were also racing, but through slightly different
concerns. Ranmira - a Goddess! - wanted *him* to train her in the
martial arts? Didn't they already have access to knowledge of this
sort through that super-computer of theirs? She had been a part of
him for sixteen or so years; she must have seen the training his
father forced upon him. The Nekoken. The Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken,
and the Hiryuu Shoutenha, among other techniques.
He glanced at her again, mentally admonishing himself. <Idiot!>
*Knowing* the moves and even special techniques was one thing... but
having one's body physically conditioned to be able to use that
knowledge was a different story. Ranmira would need to improve her
reaction time, as well as her reflexes. Assuming he *did* train her,
of course.
But why would she want the training? The Goddesses had magic,
elemental powers, debugging hammers... and, if one counted them,
Skuld's bombs. They could levitate, teleport and more. With all
that, they didn't need the martial arts, as far as Ranma could tell.
Ranmira sighed. "Kami-sama insisted that I ask." This wasn't
of much reassurance for Skuld, however. "Ranma, due to the time I
spent as a part of you without my memories and powers, I have
inadvertently inherited some of your knowledge as a fighter, your
reflexes, instinct and skill... which is why I need you to train me.
I'm afraid of what might possibly happen if I accidentally used...
say, the Hiryuu Shoutenha technique without knowing how to keep it
under control."
Ranma and Akane both nodded. Although the Hiryuu Shoutenha
could hardly be executed on accident, if Ranmira did just that and
supplemented the technique with her divine powers... who knew what
the end result could be? Worse, Akane could now execute her own
version of the move - a version that needed *no* preparation or
buildup whatsoever.
Wait. Wouldn't Ranmira and Akane have access to even more
advanced martial-arts techniques, through Yggdrasil? Akane would not
have much need for them, but if he became Ranmira's teacher, perhaps
they could look into the more advanced techniques? He supposed it
was worth a try, and said as much. How difficult could training
Ranmira be? She supposedly had some of the knowledge and skill
already within her...
"Oneesama... I'm really not sure I like the idea of you becoming
a martial artist," Skuld said. "You're not a fighter."
Ranmira tried to gauge her sister's concerns. "There is a
difference between knowing how to fight and aggressively looking for
any kind of fight. Becoming a fighter won't make me want to pick a
fight at a moment's notice."
Skuld wasn't convinced. "Yes, but doesn't trouble have a way of
singling out those who can fight?" she argued. Goodness knew Ranma
was enough proof of that.
Before Ranmira could answer, an all-too-familiar figure leapt
into the yard - a young man wielding a wooden sword. Kunou
immediately forced his way into the family room, leveling his bokutou
at Akane. "My long search is over," he gave her a cold glare. "I
was correct in assuming the wretched Saotome and the demon that dares
to assume control of the fair Tendo Akane would have the audacity to
gather here."
"See!?" Skuld asked her sister. Kunou ignored them.
"If you wanted to find us, you could've just come to school,"
Ranma snorted. The Kendo swordsman hadn't been seen at school since
Marller had convinced him that Akane was possessed. Apparently, he'd
spent these two days searching for Akane to 'exorcise' the demon from
her.
Ranma flipped backward to throw himself out of the way as
Kunou's sword suddenly flashed through the spot where he had stood.
"Hey!"
"SILENCE!" snarled Kunou. He leveled his sword at Akane again.
"Destiny writes that two foul evils that blacken the Earth and the
Heavens shall be eradicated by my sword this day. You cannot hide
from me any longer! I intend to show you your end!"
(...to be continued...)
------------
Credits:
Written by: Mike Koos
Prereaders: Richard Beaubien, Kevin D. Hammel, Jonathan Ng,
Shadowmane, Tom Williams, David Wills
With apologies to Takahashi Rumiko and Fujishima Kosuke...
All parts of this series are available at the RAAC archives at
ftp://ftp.cs.ubc.ca/pub/archive/anime-fan-works
or from my WWW pages at
http://www.anime.usacomputers.net/~makoto/index.htm
Comments and questions welcome.
*****************************
* Mike ('Kino Makoto') Koos * "I can do nothing to stop you.
*---------------------------* Your background music is too
* email: mak...@mother.com * strong for me."
***************************** - Whose Line is it Anyway?
www: http://www.anime.usacomputers.net/~makoto/index.htm