[Ranma/Tenchi][FanFic] Ryoko Saotome 4-6
Luke Thrythlind Green
Shampoo looked about the waiting room part of Dr.
Tofu's clinic/house. She saw Dr. Tofu, the nice-girl
~Why isn't he acting weird around her? Oh, right,
they finally got married.~ There was the lost-boy, and
Ranma's mother. She did not see Ranma.
"Nihao!" Shampoo declared happily. "Have new
patient." She stepped to the side to allow a rather
forlorn looking green-haired girl inside. The girl,
obviously an Amazon, was cradling her hand and looking
surprised. A sheepish Ukyou followed behind her.
Ryouga glanced at Ukyou and shrugged, indicating
his confusion over how the Amazons had gotten there.
Ukyou shook her head back in a "I hate today manner."
"Would have visit sooner, but spatula-girl insist
on full tour of new restaurant," Shampoo noted. "Then
Ran-Ran want spar with spatula-girl."
"I take it that's how she hurt her hand," Dr. Tofu
said as he walked over to take the injured hand and
examine it. "Several minor fractures, they should
heal soon. I take it you discovered Ukyou's been
training with her fiancee."
"She never say anything about baksai tenketsu,"
Ran-Ran said still surprised. "Would have been more
careful if she did." Ukyou giggled nervously, while
Ryouga snickered at the thought of an Amazon hurting
themselves by punching a baksai tenketsu enhanced
person.
"Oh my," Kasumi said. "Couldn't you have dodged,
Ukyou?"
"Hey, I didn't want totally humiliate her," Ukyou
said in her defense.
"Ran-Ran should have guessed when trident snap on
spatula-girl's head," Shampoo noted shaking her head
in disappointment. Then the purple-haired Amazon
turned to Nodoka. "Ranma-mother left very fast, I did
not have a chance to greet you."
"I apologize for the rush, Shampoo-san," Nodoka
said. "I had to come here as soon as possible, you
see my..."
"...Husband is embedded in sidewalk?" Shampoo
interrupted. Everybody looked at Ukyou again, she
sweatdropped.
"No, I must have missed that, though it would
explain the upside down trash can" Nodoka said. "The
reason I'm here is..."
"That stupid panda actually told me girls couldn't
be good martial artists," Ukyou snapped angrily.
"He did WHAT?!" Ryouga snapped.
"Panda-man deserve much more pain for that,"
Shampoo noted sagely.
"Is ai.." Shampoo knocked the younger Amazon on the
head. "Is big-sister's ex here?" The "ex" comment
earned another head bap from Shampoo.
"Yes, my son is here..."
"For his physical!" Ukyou snapped. "Right,
Ryouga?" She moved to sit next to him and nudged the
lost boy.
"Uh...yeah right!" Ryouga nervously noted Ukyou
taking a good whiff of him and hoped the bath had
washed all the sake smell away. The narrowed look in
her eyes told him otherwise.
"Then why Doctor here and not with Ranma?" Shampoo
asked. Kasumi sighed expressively, Ukyou didn't have
all the necessary talent to come up with on the spot
scams. At least they hadn't noticed the muffled
argument and door slamming further back in the
building.
"I do not know what foolishness you people are
talking about," Nodoka said.
"When did I say something foo...." Ryouga snapped
his mouth shut as Nodoka drew her katana.
"Now as I was saying, several times," Nodoka
accented the last two words with a polite, if annoyed,
tone. "My son is here because his wife was injured."
"WIFE!!" Shampoo shouted. "I mean I'm happy for
Ranma." Nobody believed her.
"But big-sister say...oww!" Ran-Ran rubbed her head
with her good hand.
*******************************************
"I'm not going to need your help," Ryoko growled.
Ignoring Ranma's reaction to the word "Nihao." "I
just need a drink." Ryoko stood up and began looking
through drawers.
"I think you have enough problems," Ranma muttered.
He shook his head watching her. "You really think
that the Doc left any of that gunk around this room?"
"There's got to be some around here," Ryoko
muttered. Ranma noted that she was still sweating and
leaning heavily on the counters. She slammed the last
door closed and growled in frustration. "Where is it!
Doctors always have something around. Brandy, sake,
scotch..something!"
"Man, you're stupid," Ryoko turned to growl at him.
"The only thing you NEED to drink is water, and
then..."
"Fine, I'll GET some water!" Ryoko turned to the
sink at the counter, quietly bent the faucet and
turned on the water. "Happy...Pinky?"
"Not. Really." Ranma-chan said glaring at her hair.
"The only color worse than blonde." Ryoko smirked
and stalked towards the door. "You REALLY don't
want to go out there right now."
"And why not?"
"WIFE!!" Somebody shouted.
"Answer your question?" Ranma-chan asked snidely.
"That's IT!" Ryoko snapped, continuing out towards
the lobby.
"Miao?" Ryo-Ohki did her best to speak slowly and
quietly, and was satisfied that Ranma-chan merely
gritted her teeth. He glanced at the cabbit before
following Ryoko.
"Hey, idiot, you have to get some rest," Ranma-chan
insisted before following. She stopped upon seeing
Ryoko silently staring into the waiting room.
"Ryoko?" Ranma-chan caught up to Ryoko and looked
into the waiting room and saw her mother and Shampoo
looking towards them.
"So is this your wife, Ranma?" his mother asked
politely, sheathing her katana and moving forward.
"Ayeka?" Ryoko asked quietly, ignoring everybody
aside from Shampoo.
"She look like she see ghost," Shampoo noted,
curiously. Ryoko narrowed her eyes angrily.
"How did you es..."
"Look at her, Shampoo," Ranma interrupted. Ryoko
blinked and looked back to Shampoo, shoulders
slumping. "She ain't exactly in the best shape."
The pirate dropped back into the hallway, desire to
confront these people gone.
"Excuse me," Kasumi said, following the woman.
Ranma-chan shifted to let her by.
"I'd like to ask at least some of you to leave,"
Dr. Tofu suggested firmly. "There are too many people
here."
"Yeah, I need to talk to Ryouga about some things,"
Ukyou said, standing up. She glanced back towards
where Ryoko had gone back out of sight. "And maybe
chain him to the door until the wedding."
"Stupid lost boy," Shampoo shook her head, as the
couple walked out the door.
"You still haven't fixed hand," Ran-Ran reminded
him.
"I can take care of that," Dr. Tofu said. "Just
follow me this won't take long at all." Ran-Ran
nodded and followed the doctor, brushing against
Ranma-chan as she passed.
"Oh, excuse please," she said cheerily, and wincing
at the cold look she was getting. Nodoka cleared her
throat, attracting attention from Ranma.
"I apparently have to see about extricating your
father from the sidewalk outside Ucchans'" Nodoka
said. "But your wife is welcome to stay with us,
however short a time this marriage lasts, she is
obviously upset ."
"I don't think that's going to happen," Ranma-chan
said, shaking her head. "But I'll tell her."
"Very good," Nodoka smiled and looked to the
doorway. "Not a very traditional woman, hmm." The
Saotome matriarch left Shampoo and Ranma in the room
alone.
*******************************************************
"Ryoko-san," Kasumi called sweetly, she found the
pirate in the kitchen, searching through drawers
again. The cabbit sat on the counter watching her
worriedly. "You won't find anything with alcohol, we
did think to hide it." Ryoko turned to blink at her.
"The only reason I'm going through withdrawl is
that somebody tossed my sake," she snapped. "Do you
think I want to be sober!?"
"Probably not," Kasumi answered, smiling. "Sit
down, I'll make you something that will help you feel
better."
"I good shot of something will do just fine," Ryoko
said irritably. She did find a chair and sat down,
however. The brown haired woman walked about the
kitchen collecting various fruits and vegetables.
"Who was this woman that attacked you?"
"That was Nagi," Ryoko spat.
"I see," Kasumi said. Ryoko heard the sound of a
blender and watched as Kasumi poured the resulting
drink into a glass. "And who is Ayeka?"
"What are you talking about?" Ryoko demanded as
Kasumi carried the drink over to her. She looked
questionably at the drink and took a sip.
"You called Shampoo, 'Ayeka'," Kasumi said, she
watched carefully as Ryoko took a bigger drink from
the glass. "And were asking her how she escaped when
Ranma interrupted. Quite lucky, since you are in no
condition to be fighting Shampoo, or anybody."
"Don't you people mind your own business? What do
you know about it?" Kasumi looked at her for a
moment.
"Have you heard the name Akane yet?"
"Yes, so?"
"She was my sister, I practically raised her,"
Kasumi said, a tear escaping her eyes. "She's been
dead four years now."
"Was it your fault?" Ryoko asked sullenly.
"No, but it feels like it at times. I doubt
your...friend's death was your fault either," Kasumi
said.
"Nagi killed her and Tenchi," Ryoko said. "My
enemy, my fault."
"Could you have done anything to stop it?"
"I wasn't conscious," Ryoko growled. "I should
have died WITH them, if SHE hadn't gotten me to a
doctor." Kasumi looked to the cabbit at her side.
"Miao!" Ryo-Ohki sounded like she was lecturing.
"So you were not even aware it was happening."
"That's NOT the point," Ryoko growled quietly. She
didn't know exactly why she felt like explaining
herself to this person, and she wasn't about to do it
any more.
"And what is the point?" Kasumi asked. Ryoko
narrowed her eyes and looked at the empty glass.
"Can I have another one of these?" she asked.
"Certainly," Kasumi smiled and stood up to pour the
remainder of the contents of the blender into the
glass she took from Ryoko. "I for one am glad you are
here, for Ranma's sake if nothing else."
"I'm NOT staying married to him," Ryoko said
firmly.
"Of course not," Kasumi said, sweetly. "I was not
suggesting that at all." Ryoko watched the
brown-haired woman cautiously as she accepted the
glass back.
*******************************************************
"Have you been drinking?" Ukyou asked sweetly as
soon as they were out of sight of the clinic.
"Not since that one time, I swear!" Ryouga said.
Ukyou thought as much, but she didn't get very many
openings like this. Well, they came fairly often.
Okay, so she tended to make them even if they weren't
there, teasing Ryouga was fun and easy.
"Then why do you stink of sake?"
"It...it..it started raining sake bottles," he
stammered. Ukyou blinked in surprise.
~And Ryoko is going through withdrawl...uh
oh....off that track for now,~ Ukyou retrieved her
normal cheerful expression. "I'll buy that this one
time, sugar. So how'd you end up with Ranma and Ryoko
anyway?"
"I followed the bounty hunter that attacked her,"
Ryouga said. Ukyou stopped and shook her head.
"How does Ranma manage it?" she asked.
"She wanted the lady to kill her," Ryouga added.
Ukyou had about the same reaction as Ryouga had
earlier.
"We left someone like that alone with RANMA!?"
Ukyou started to turn around and found herself facing
Nodoka Saotome.
"I think Dr. Tofu and Kasumi can handle matters,"
Ranma's mother said. "Now, I believe you need to
explain to me as to why my husband is embedded into
your sidewalk."
"He deserved it."
*******************************************************
"You're just here for Ukyou's wedding, right
Shampoo?" Ranma-chan asked levelly. Shampoo resisted
the urge to fall into a battle stance. There was
nothing overly hostile in Ranma's attitude, but at the
moment he didn't seem to be overly anything.
"We come here to live," Shampoo said defiantly.
"Mousse, my sisters and I."
"Why?"
"Amazon business," Shampoo said, crossing her arms.
"You are not Amazon, is not your business."
"No marriage plans of your own?"
"Stupid, I already married," Shampoo said.
Ranma-chan looked to where Ran-Ran had disappeared and
arched an eyebrow, she then turned to face Shampoo
again.
"How about her?"
"I don't know what's in her head," Shampoo said, it
wasn't quite a lie.
"One accidental marriage is more than enough, I
don't need that mess starting again." Shampoo
narrowed her eyes, but said nothing. At this point
Dr. Tofu returned with Ran-Ran, her hand wrapped up.
"You know better Shampoo."
"Hand all better," the younger Amazon said
cheerfully, trying unsuccessfully to lighten the chill
mood.
"Your heart beat, you should not stay dead!"
Shampoo snapped, before waving the confused Ran-Ran
over and leaving with her younger sister.
"She means well, Ranma," the doctor lectured him.
"Everybody means well," Ranma-chan said.
*******************************************************
"Everybody gone?" Ryoko asked as a male Ranma
appeared in Kasumi and Tofu's kitchen. She was
drinking another of Kasumi's herb and fruit blends,
and irritably having to admit that she did feel,
indeed, better.
"Yeah," Ranma said. He glanced about, again
surprised at the small table and chairs that Kasumi
kept in the kitchen. The actual dining room was more
traditional, like he would have expected from Kasumi,
but he guessed this was easier for just a couple.
"Excuse me," Kasumi said politely, standing up. "I
have some more studying to do." Ryoko and Ranma eyed
her with open irritation as she left with an amused
smile on her face.
"She's trying to match us up," Ryoko said,
unnecessarily.
"And Ukyou and Ryouga, and maybe my mother," Ranma
added. "Though she thinks I just married you to get a
one-night stand." Ryoko stared as Ranma sat down and
let his head fall to the table.
"And she's okay with that?" Ryoko asked.
"It stretches the limits of 'manliness' but
otherwise, yeah," Ranma said without picking up his
head.
"I could get to like her," Ryoko said, without
joking. Ranma looked up and fixed her with a confused
glance.
"Nani?"
"Sounds like she's not near as anal as she seemed,"
Ryoko shrugged.
"You're both weird," Ranma said shaking his head.
"You turn into a woman when you get wet, and you
call me weird?"
"My mom invited you to stay at our place," Ranma
said, changing the subject before things degenerated
into a shouting match. There were times he COULD keep
the Saotome mouth in check. "That actually sounds
like a good idea." Ryoko stared at him, arching an
eyebrow.
"And why is that?" Ryoko asked irritably.
"Food, close to friends, easier to get to Tofu's
without calling down American fighter planes..."
"Nani?"
"Ask, Ryo-Ohki," Ranma said pointing at a suddenly
innocent looking cabbit. "Anyway, the only problems
would be Oyaji, but with Mom around he shouldn't be
too bad, and appearances."
Ryoko wanted to say she insisted on the shrine, but
her stomach was already loudly protesting the thought
of four more days of cereal. Besides which she no
longer was certain just how far Nagi was willing to
go. For all Ryoko knew, she might show up just as
Ryoko got healthy enough to put up a fight, but not
enough to win.
"Do I have a choice?" she asked irritably.
Internally she was running a last benefit through her
head. ~This way I can get my powers back quicker and
show this punk what I'm REALLY like, good warm-up for
Nagi.~
"Of course you do," Ranma said. Ryoko stared at
him and blinked. "Nani?"
~Damn it, he's giving me the choice, then again
he'll probably follow me anywhere anyway.~ Ryoko
shrugged. "Might as well, if I have to have you
around, it might as well be comfortable."
"You're saying yes!?" Ranma blinked.
"What did you think I'd do?"
"Miao?" Ryoko looked to the confused cabbit.
"I don't know why he's hitting his head again,"
Ryoko said.
*******************************************************
"Well how'd..."
*SLAM* Mousse watched his wife stomp past with
Ran-Ran following behind slightly confused.
"He accused me of trying to set him up!" Shampoo
snapped off in Chinese. "I barely got to talk!"
"But you are trying to get him to marry me,"
Ran-Ran said. "Aren't you?"
"Not the point!" Shampoo snapped. "The point is he
didn't give me the chance to prove otherwise."
"He hasn't known you to do much else," Mousse
noted, Shampoo ignored him.
"But since you brought it up, little-sister. What
did I say about how to approach this?"
"You said I shouldn't be obvious," Ran-Ran said.
"So what was that brushing against him thing?!"
"Shampoo!" Mousse snapped.
"What!?"
"This is Ranma we're talking about," he said. "It
wouldn't be obvious to him unless you shouted your
intentions from the roof tops."
"Like Shampoo shouted when she here Ranma married?"
Ran-Ran asked.
"Gee...sounds like you dug you're own grave,"
Mousse sighed.
"The restaurant looks nice," Shampoo commented,
sagely ignoring her embarrassment. Mousse chuckled
quietly in amusement at her, Shampoo mock growled and
returned to examining the restaurant.
"Big-sister Shampoo isn't..." Shampoo glared at
Ran-Ran and the girl's cheerful witticism died.
"uhhh...wrong...its in very good condition."
*******************************************************
"Excuse me, Genma," Nodoka said, looking down at
Genma. "But I've heard a few things about your
behavior today."
"What do you mean by that dear?"
"Do you really want me to list the charges?" she
asked. Genma sweatdropped. "Good, now I have invited
this Ryoko person to stay out our home for the next
few days."
"But we can't afford a freeloader," Genma declared.
"And if this Ryoko is a fragile little thing then
she's bound to be picky as well....it is a bad idea to
encourage a wedding with someone we know nothing
about."
"Hmmm, I think we should get you out of there
before continuing this discussion," Genma turned to
Ryouga and Ukyou. "Kuonji-san, didn't your fiancee
say you needed some work on your baksai tenketsu
accuracy?"
"Yeah, he did," Ukyou smiled evily and looked over
to where Genma was embedded in the sidewalk. "Can you
move aside please, Mrs. Saotome?"
"Certainly," the Saotome matriarch moved away from
her immobile and worried husband.
"Can you do the trick with the spatula's again?"
Ryouga asked. It was one of the few baksai tenketsu
tricks she had come up with on her own. Of course,
she was much better with weapons than he was.
"Sure! I haven't been able to do much more than a
basic blast with those."
"Umm...we could...." Genma watched as he was
circled in mini-spatulas, shortly before the ground
exploded around and underneath him. The other three
watched him disappear into a LEO and calculated that
he was going to land in the canal. "...taaallkkk....
abbooouuuttt......thiiiiisssssss!!"
"Well now that that's over with," Ukyou smirked
towards Ryouga, leaning close. "Why don't we see
about washing that stink off of you?"
Ryouga glanced toward an intrigued Nodoka and
blushed. Ukyou restrained herself from laughing
before continuing in a sultry tone.
"I told Konatsu that I'll handle the inventory, so
it's JUST us. I could help get those hard to
reach..." Ryouga's nose started to bleed and fell back
in a faint. "Got him!" Ukyou giggled.
"Kuonji-san, it is not exactly proper to be
discussing these things in public," Nodoka lectured.
"Yeah, but its a lot more fun to tease Ryouga in
public," Ukyou said, she gestured to the unconscious
martial-artist.
"I see," Nodoka said. "For a moment I thought he
had not yet been cured of his shyness." As Ukyou
dragged Ryouga along, Nodoka examined the impact
crater from his fall and sweatdropped.
*******************************************************
Kodachi snapped her head up from the chemicals she
was working with to look back at the mirror. For a
moment she thought she had seen...
"Boo." Kodachi whipped her head around to see
Konatsu standing next to her a big grin on his face.
"Konatsu-chan!" she blinked.
"You actually saw me coming this time,
Kodachi-sama," Konatsu noted pridefully.
"Of course," Kodachi noted pridefully. "I am the
Black Rose, truly it must be a mountainous task to try
and approach me unawares."
~Well, its almost as difficult as stepping over a
log now,~ Konatsu thought, still smiling. "You
certainly see things more clearly than your...peers."
It was a safer word to use than relatives.
"That is a lovely kimono by the way," Kodachi
added.
"You think so?" Konatsu chimed, blushing.
"Oh, definitely," Kodachi nodded, cocking her head
to get a better look. "It contrasts your dark hair
quite beautifully. I must say that I am quite
jealous." Kodachi couldn't understand how Ukyou had
gone for that rather dense barbarian over the ninja.
It was hard to find a man with good sense of female
fashion, as dating material at least.
"Oh please," Konatsu waved off the comment. "That
dress you wore last week was much more elegant and
becoming."
"Yes, I did draw quite a bit of attention didn't
I?" Kodachi agreed haughtily. Konatsu forbear to
mention that it was mostly because people had thought
they were both women. "But I did not expect to be
treated to your presence until Apollo had driven his
chariot back to his abode. Do you not have to help
Kuonji-san with her inventory today?"
"Ukyou told me she'd handle it," Konatsu said.
"Then you can teach my some of your escape
methods?" Kodachi asked, hopefully. Konatsu blushed,
Kodachi did NOT need his help in learning how to
escape bonds.
"Uh...Kodachi-sama, before we discuss...training,"
Konatsu fidgeted. "You should know that your family
ninja finally learned about Ranma-san's marriage."
"Oh, what a bother," Kodachi sighed. "I suppose
I'm going to be paying for another hospital stay,
aren't I."
"Not too mention court fees," Konatsu nodded. "Why
do you bother paying for him anyway?"
"I did promise Ranma to try and handle my brother,"
Kodachi reminded him. "It was the least I could do
after breaking his heart and leaving him when I did."
The translation was that she had gotten tired and
bored with him while he was still totally ignoring the
world in the months after Akane's death.
"Uh...right," Konatsu blinked.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!?" Kodachi and Konatsu turned towards the shout.
"Excuse me, I'll be right back," Kodachi cheered happily, leaving to
deal with her brother.
"The vile Saotome dares take a wife after the death
of the virtuous Akane Tendo?!"
"The city records are quite certain of the matter,
master."
"At last Saotome has revealed his evil by betraying
the memory of that fair flower of womanhood. Surely
his magic must be weakening if the foul find must try
such obvious ploys."
"Of course master," Sasuke rolled his eyes.
"Brother-dear," Kodachi tsked from the doorway. "I
seem to remember a restraining order, and I have no
desire to contiue digging you out of trouble."
"These mere peasant laws have no hold on a scion of
the house of Kuno! And how would they expect to hold
me? Would you stop me, dear-sister?"
"Why should I bother?" Kodachi shrugged. ~I will
have a chat with Ranma about not inviting me to the
wedding though. When I told him I would no longer
seek to marry him I did not mean that I wanted to cut
him out of my life completely.~ Some unconscious part
of Kodachi's mind tried to remind her that he had been
in something like a coma at the time. The message
failed miserably.
"Of course you must realize that you're feeble
attempts would fail before my divine might!" Kuno
declared to his sister. She stared at him for a
moment before collasping to the ground in uncontroled
laughter.
"OH-HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!"
"Would you please stop that sister?" Kuno asked.
"It is most annoying."
"Perhaps if you didn't provide her with such an
ample source of amusment, master?" Sasuke suggested.
"QUIET SASUKE!!!" Kodachi, paused a moment, looked
at her brother and then collapsed in laughter again.
"OH-HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!"
*********************************************************
The In-Laws
"I think you're past the worst of it now," Dr. Tofu said. Ryoko
turned toward him, and grimaced. She was bundled up in a blanket,
damp from sweat, despite her awareness that the shivering wasn't from
being cold. "I think the sweating has stopped. How do you feel?"
"A lot better," Ryoko admitted. "The headache is down enough that I
can feel the cut in my side and all the bruises again." Ranma
snorted, while the doctor just laughed at the sarcasm.
"Oh my, I'm afraid we can't do much but give a salve for your injuries
there," Kasumi said.
"How do your injuries feel?" Dr. Tofu asked.
"She gave me a good work over," Ryoko admitted angrily after a moment.
Nagi had toyed with her, tossing her around as if she were a child.
At the same time ripping out Ryoko's heart with her words. "But the
bruises will be gone in a few days."
"What about that hole in your side?" Ranma asked, not moving from his
lotus position on the floor.
"Careful," she purred. "You sound dangerously close to being
concerned about me." Ryoko casually tossed the comment out, producing
teasing tone and phrase almost mechanically.
Ranma narrowed his eyes, noticing her tone, and watched at her closely
for a moment, trying to decide if she was hallucinating again. He
didn't notice any hint of the confusion that had accompanied her face
when she had been hallucinating earlier. And she wasn't watching him
either, she just didn't seem to care what his reaction was.
"I have to be," Ranma shrugged, watching her. Then he continued in an
accusatory tone. "We're married, remember." Ryoko glared at him,
adding a small growl for effect.
"Now, now," Kasumi waggled her finger. "You should not tease her
right now."
"Miao!" Ryo-Ohki agreed from behind the martial artist. The cabbit
nodded in satisfaction as Ranma jumped across the room.
"Thanks Ryo-Ohki," Ryoko smirked.
"Would you quit that?" Ranma shouted.
"You pretty much asked for that, Ranma," Dr. Tofu said, choking down a
chuckle.
"Yeah, whatever," Ranma answered back. Kasumi sighed in frustration
while Dr. Tofu shook his head. ~Well she noticed at least.~
"So am I clear to go?" Ryoko asked. ~One matchmaker is better than
two.~
"You should be fine," Dr. Tofu said.
"But perhaps you wouldn't mind staying for dinner," Kasumi asked. "We
would be glad for some company." Ranma watched the space pirate shift
uncomfortably.
"Maybe next time, Kasumi," Ranma said. "I'm sure my mom has something
planned, and might as well let her have some fun while this lasts."
"Of course," Kasumi smiled, wondering if Ranma noticed the slip.
"Next time then." Judging by Ryoko's glare she definitely had.
*******************************************************
"You had to say 'next time'," Ryoko growled a minute or two away from
the Ono household. She was walking slowly, with Ranma close to her.
The air was cooling slightly as afternoon gave way to evening. The
pirate noticed, irritably, a few interested faces as they past by.
"What?" Ranma asked, completely unaware of what was wrong.
"Now they're thinking we're getting closer!" Ryoko snapped. "How
dense can you be?"
"Hey, you still have that chi block, remember?" Ranma noted. "You ARE
going to be back there, and I'll probably be WITH you."
"That better come off soon," Ryoko snapped in response, ignoring the
logic.
"The doc will take it off," Ranma said. "And you need to calm down."
"What do you mean _I_ need to calm down?" Ryoko demanded. She
detected the lecturing tone and started getting annoyed, who was he to
tell her what to do.
"You get mad, you get stupid," Ranma told her.
"What do you know about it?" Ryoko asked. "It seems to me that you're
the one flying off the handle all the time." Ranma stared at her and
rolled his eyes.
"You fight like this, and you'll lose," he snapped.
"Well, duh," Ryoko said. "I'm half way dead as it is! And don't take
that as an invitation to carry me, I can walk myself."
"I don't mean your body, baka!" Ranma snapped, though to tell the
truth he had been thinking about giving her a ride. For one thing she
wasn't moving very quickly and he was getting a tad impatient.
"You've tried baiting me to fight, you know how it works. Get im
riled up and let them come at you...."
"...and they don't know they've lost until it happens," Ryoko
finished. Then faced him suscipiciously. "That's a game you want to
win you strike fast and strike hard, if you just defend..."
"...you'll lose," Ranma agreed. "But you gotta make them open up and
to do that..."
"Oh that's simple," Ryoko smirked. "You just keep attacking until
they make a mistake."
"You're most open when attacking," Ranma protested. Then he smirked.
"I thought you said you weren't a martial artist."
"I'm not," Ryoko protested. A martial artist chooses to learn, I had
to learn. "And you CAN attack without being vulnerable."
As Ranma and Ryoko continued to argue the virtues of offensive versus
defensive fighting, they failed to notice as a young man in a blue
hakama appeared in the street as they turned a corner. The samurai
scanned the air quickly, looking confused.
"Hmm, I swear that the vile Saotome's voice was here just a moment
ago," he declared. "No doubt he sensed my righteous spirit and fled
before my approach. Now onward to the physician's home. If that is
where he was, then he shall have retreated back to cower behind the
beauteous Akane's elder sister."
*******************************************************
Genma-panda was pacing in an uneven stride, every once in awhile
glancing in the direction of his wife. The good thing about the panda
form was that he could voice aloud his thoughts without anyone else
understanding him. Of course, this was hampered by his habit of
writing signs whether or not he was talking to anybody or not. Which
is how he found himself staring at an irate silver-haired woman with
yellow eyes suddenly.
"'I'll bet this Ryoko doesn't know the first thing about battle?'" the
woman read irritably. "What is this?" She rubbed her head and
growled, she was not in the mood for this.
"That's Oyaji," Ryoko looked about to ask a question. "He's cursed
too."
*This is Ryoko?* the new sign asked. *She doesn't look to be in very
good shape.*
"I wonder why that is?" Ryoko narrowed her eyes at Ranma.
"Back off Oyaji," Ranma said, ignoring the glare. "And can you get
out of the way so we can get inside?" The panda glanced back inside
to make sure Nodoka hadn't seen them yet.
*Ranma, you should not distract yourself from the art with a sickly
girl like this,* the sign flipped around. *How are you going to train
if you have to spend all your time taking care of her.*
"I take care of myself," Ryoko said, then she smirked and leaned
forward seductively. "And I am much more than just a girl." Ranma
blushed at Ryoko's behavior, while Genma seemed to be enjoying the
attention, until someone cleared their throat behind him.
"Are you flirting with your daughter-in-law," another feminine voice
asked from behind the panda. Genma sweatdropped.
"Oh..I guess I'm just too much woman to ignore," Ryoko declared
cutely. Then her expression hardened and she walked past the suddenly
very nervous Genma. Nodoka noted the change in attitude, but
pretended not to.
"Err...sorry about that Mom," Ranma said edging past his parents as
well. Nodoka looked down in curiousity as Ryo-Ohki hopped cheerfully
past her.
"It is not your responsibility," she paused and glared at Genma. "I
believe it is his."
*It wasn't what it looked like,* Genma's sign declared desperately,
before being sliced in half by Nodoka's katana.
"Now can you at least try to be civil," Nodoka asked, half sheathing
her katana. Genma eyed the blade and then nodded furiously. "Good,
then perhaps you'd be good enough to change back to your human form
for dinner."
*Yes, dear,* the newest sign said. The katana snapped back into its
sheath.
*******************************************************
"No, I'm sorry, they've already left," Kasumi told the tall samurai
wannabe standing outside her door.
"It seems I am already too late to intercept the vile Saotome's
cowardly flight from my puissance in battle," Kuno turned to look at
Kasumi again. "I understand that he seeks to enslave yet another
helpless damsel now. It seems the spells he has placed on the
pig-tailed girl and your sister are not enough for his evil tastes."
The expression that crossed Kasumi's face in that half-moment revealed
with absolute certainity her relation to both Nabiki and Akane. Then
it was gone and Kasumi's normal sweet smile returned.
"I think they're taking a trip out of the city," Kasumi said. "Excuse
me a moment I'll get the location." Kuno tapped his foot impatiently
until the woman returned with a slip of paper. "Here you go, have a
nice trip."
"My thanks for this information good Kasumi," Kuno didn't bother to
bow, instead he posed heroically. "And now I am off to punish the
vile Saotome!!" Kasumi sighed as she closed the door.
"So where did you send him?" Tofu asked his wife as she returned
humming happily.
"Oh he'll be having a quite interesting time," Kasumi said sweetly.
*******************************************************
Ryoko and Ranma glanced at each other once before making the final
move to the dinner table.
"You remember the plan?" Ranma asked.
"Do you?" Ryoko returned. Then they moved, and sat down, as far away
from each other as the table would allow. They then enacted their
plan, full of the combined deviousness and skill of both Ranma and
Ryoko.
"We are NOT a couple," Ranma declared. Of course, no plan involving
Ranma has ever had much of a survival rate. Ryoko's own track record
on plans was nearly as spotty.
"Yeah, there is no way I'd be interested in that jerk," Ryoko hmphed.
And of course the "plan" to present a "stick together" and "tell them
why it won't work," had one minor drawback.
"As if you're any catch," Ranma replied. Neither of them would let an
insult slide.
"I could give you a list that would say otherwise," Ryoko hmphed and
smirked at the comment.
"That's part of what I'm talking about," Ranma snapped. "You don't
see me hitting on all the girls in sight."
"Jealousy is not a manly emotion, Ranma," Nodoka lectured. Ryoko
blinked, was Ranma really jealous of that display at the door?
"You shouldn't encourage this," Genma snorted before anyone else could
comment. "She has a tail for goodness sake." Ryoko looked confused,
not understanding the big deal about her tail. Nodoka merely sighed,
while Ranma favored his father with a glare. The next thing Genma
knew he was being dragged into away from the table and experiencing
his own "hell's cradle" technique.
"Panda no baka," Ranma muttered as he sat back down, within reach of
Ryoko this time. Neither of them noticed.
"I must apologize for my husband," Nodoka said. "He has a very bad
learning curve."
"So what is the thing about my tail anyway?" Ryoko asked in confusion.
"Some of you people act like you've never seen one before."
"Well, not on people," Nodoka noted politely. "Though considering
Genma's experiences he should be more accomodating."
"Not likely," Ranma muttered. "He never learns."
"Since the subject was brought up, however," Nodoka coughed. "Is
your...species....hmm.... compatible with human beings?" Ranma turned
to her with a beet red face.
"Mom..."
"I'm part human," Ryoko commented, not noticing that she was suddenly
arguing against a reason not to get married.
"Oh good," Nodoka smiled as she served out the food. She watched with
some surprise as Ranma and Ryoko's food vanished rapidly. Ryoko
smirked as she thought of something that would get this woman off her
back.
"Yeah, the prison doc said I had the most unique mix of
genetics he had ever seen," Ryoko said honestly. Ranma facefaulted,
considering that might be going to far. "Never did explain what a
tanar'ri was."
"Prison?" Nodoka repeated questionably. "You were in prison?"
"They tend to put space pirates there," She glared at the
pretzeled Genma.
"So you're a criminal then?" Nodoka asked coolly, Ranma
swallowed nervously.
"That's right, the most wanted criminal Ryoko," she smirked.
~Now you can give up on this match-making kick you got.~
"Well I hope you succeed in reforming yourself," Nodoka said
calmly. Ryoko and Ranma facefaulted. "But I'm certain such a
background should provide a very...interesting...married life." Ranma
and Ryoko twitched at this further introduction to life on planet
Nodoka.
"I prepared your bedroom by the way."
"And where is that?" Ryoko asked, righting her self and turning back
to the food with a frustrated growl.
"Ranma's room," Nodoka said simply resulting in both Ranma and Ryoko
nearly choking on their food. "No argument."
*******************************************************
"That went well," Ranma said after the door was closed behind them.
"I'm not the one that gave in as soon as she touched her katana,"
Ryoko noted.
"Don't worry," Ranma said. "I'll just sit in the corner, I don't
sleep much anyway." Ryoko sat on the bed and stared at him. "Are you
going to sleep or aren't you?"
"Yeah and let you try something while I'm out?" Ryoko hmphed. "No
thank you."
"I'm not going to try anything," Ranma said, sitting in a Lotus
position away from her and shaking his head.
"Yeah right," Ryoko hmphed and continued watching. She fell asleep
within twenty minutes.
*******************************************************
"Hmmm, hardly the place for a honeymoon," Kuno noted as he climbed the
hill to the first location on Kasumi Ono's list. "But an excellent
location for a vile sorcerer like Saotome. And now I shall finally
defeat him and break the spell that holds Akane Tendo in her enchanted
slumber." He climbed to the shrine up on top of the hill and ran
inside shouting his challenge.
"COME OUT AND FACE ME SAOTOME!!! YOU VILE SORCEROUS DOG!! I COME
FORTH WITH RIGHTEOUS ANGER PREPARED TO LET SLIP THE DOGS OF WAR!!!"
Kuno paused in his loud pacing and ranting as a torch sprung to life
revealing a very angry looking young man in a purple vest. Standing
next to him was slender woman with long brown hair and dressed in a
simple blue travelling outfit. In her hand was a tightly gripped rug
beater. To any other martial artist it would have been obvious that
they had just woken up, or else were engaged in some act other than
sleeping, but this was Kuno.
"Do you have any idea what time it is?" the man asked coldly.
"This is the fool who keeps trying to dig up my sister's grave," the
woman noted in an equally cool voice.
"Who are you," Kuno demanded. "Some vile minion of that fiend
Saotome? I see that you too have enslaved a defenseless woman" Tarou
and Natsume narrowed their eyes.
"Vile MINION?" Tarou cracked his knuckles.
"DEFENSELESS woman?" Natumse adjusted the grip on her weapon.
*******************************************************
It was dark and cold, and she couldn't move. Tenchi was fighting
Kagato, with Ayeka as the prize. As Ryoko watched a cloaked figure
walked past her towards the battle.
"Tenchi!! Look out for Nagi!! Nagi's behind you!" The sounds just
bounced back to her, and Ryoko was aware that she was sealed in
something. She wanted to slam against it, but she couldn't move. She
was frozen stiff and unable to do more than watch as Nagi calmly
snapped the bound Ayeka's neck and start moving toward Tenchi.
"Tenchi!!" She couldn't even hear the scream this time, and
everything seemed frozen. She was cold, chilled to the bone. There
was almost no other sensation but that cold and the scene before her.
"Let me out!!! Let me out!! She's going to kill Tenchi!!" Ryoko
watched as Kagato finally fell, Tenchi aware that Nagi was a
approaching behind him. The bounty reared back her hand to send the
whip out and...Ryoko woke up. She tried to bolt to her feet and found
something stopping her.
"Let me go, I have to..."
"Its a dream, you were having a dream," Ranma insisted, holding her
back, and deciding that if she were at her top health that he'd have
pretty much no chance to do so. Ryo-Ohki was also nearby miaoing at
her worriedly, but staying within Ranma's line of sight, since she
knew Ranma wouldn't freak as long as he knew the miaoing was coming
from her.
"Let. Me. Go." Ryoko growled.
"You keep struggling, you'll hurt yourself, and it'll be that much
longer before you can take that whip-lady," Ranma reminded her. Ryoko
stopped struggling and slumped. Ranma uncomfortably continued to hold
her as she sat silent for a few minutes.
"Why is it so cold in here?" Ryoko asked suddenly.
"That's one of my techniques," Ranma said, suspecting she was just
trying to distract herself. "Why?"
"Please don't do that," Ryoko sighed. "I don't like the cold."
"Why not?" Ranma asked. "So its cold, what's the big deal."
"Why do you jump everytime Ryo-Ohki says something," Ryoko countered.
"Okay," Ranma decided after a moments thought. "I'll tell you if you
tell me."
"Deal," then she thought about something. "You can let go of me now."
"Oh, sorry," Ranma released her, backing off and sitting against the
wall. "You go first."
"Why me?" Ryoko demanded after turning around to face him.
"You're the one that wants me to stop using that technique around
you."
"Yeah, whatever," Ryoko hmphed. "I had a faulty cryo tank, allright."
"What?"
"The Galaxy Police prisons use cryogenic freezing to keep prisoner's
in check," Ryoko said. "Its supposed to put you to sleep too, so you
don't go insane while stuck inside." Ranma felt like asking why she
was in prison, but kept his tongue. "Mine didn't do that. I was
awake and frozen for a few months before someone noticed and fixed it.
The only good thing is that, when certain people found out about it,
I ended up only spending a few more months in prison." Ryoko didn't
bother to mention that she sometimes suspected Ayeka of being "certain
people," didn't want to think about it.
"Okay," Ranma said, remembering a night spent paralyzed in the cold
air and extending that for months. "I'll try not to use the Soul of
Ice around you."
"Now you," Ryoko replied. "Why does Ryo-Ohki scare you?"
"She sounds like a c..c..cat," Ranma said, standing up and walking to
the small desk his mother had insisted on getting for him. He pulled
out a slim notebook and handed it to Ryoko. "Side effect of some
training I had as a kid, here it is."
~Gah...good thing I didn't say I was also part nekojin,~ Ryoko said
after reading the manual. "Does this have anything to do with why
that Ukyou person said to run if you started 'meowing.'?"
"Yes," Ranma admitted reluctantly. "I like freak out when I'm around
too many c..c..c..cats. And when that happens I'm more powerful and
dangerous than I am most of the time."
"Oh...thanks for the warning," the comment was moderately accusatory.
It almost spoke "why didn't you tell me about this before?" ~Why does
he keep the manual?~
"Miao?" Ryo-ohki said confused, Ranma gritted his teeth
"It's late," Ranma said, leaning against a wall. "We should get
some sleep."
"Yeah, just don't do that any more," Ryoko agreed laying back on the
bed, and bundleling up in the blankets. She didn't really think the
lack of cold would keep any nightmares away, but it had been a safer
topic of conversation.
*******************************************************
The narrowly focused Hiryu Shoten Ha slashed through Saffron and the
Phoenix God fell to ground, flame fading away. Ranma didn't wait to
see it, rushing forward to start the flow of cold Jusendo and save
Akane. They burst of flame flashed past and above him, and as he
watched the gigantic tap was destroyed, melting in on itself and
sealing the water away.
Ranma snapped awake screaming, but immediately quieted down, trying to
catch his breath. He leaned forward clutching at his knees and stared
into darkness.
Ryoko looked over, unnoticed, and considered what to do. If she had
been asleep she probably wouldn't have woken up for Ranma snapping
awake. The martial artist apparently woke up a lot quieter than she
did. The screaming had cut off almost immediately after starting, and
the only sound coming from him now wwere heavy, desperate breaths.
~I could just pretend to be asleep,~ she thought. ~And he is a jerk.~
"Hey, you okay?" Ryoko said, finding herself standing over Ranma.
"Couldn't sleep?" Ranma asked, hollowly, after a moment. He didn't
look up. Ryoko sat down to his side, taking the non-answer for a
negative.
"Why bother?" Ryoko asked. "I hate dreams."
"Never had a good one?"
"Once or twice," Ryoko admitted, wistfully.
"Its only a couple hours til day," Ranma said after a moment. "We can
last that long."
"Sure, if I DO fall asleep, you'll wake me up when I start dreaming,
right?"
"If you do the same."
*******************************************************
As dawn broke, Nodoka quietly opened the door to check (spy) on her
son and daughter-in-law. The Saotome matriarch was pleased to see the
two of them asleep, leaning against each other. That strange cabbit
critter was curled up in the silver-haired woman's lap. True, there
was no cuddling and it look more like they had fallen asleep while on
guard, but she was willing to take a little bit here and there.
It had been a while since she had seen her son actually sleeping,
rather sitting in something like suspended animation in the middle of
the room. An impressive, if disturbing, feat. She quietly closed the
door again, letting them sleep in.
She walked into the dining room and paused in confusion. Then she
turned to the source of that confusion.
"Have you been there all night, dear?" Nodoka asked her husband. "You
know, after everything else that you went through yesterday, that
probably wasn't a very good idea. At your age you could develope some
nasty kinks."
"I didn't have much of a choice," Genma-pretzel explained bitterly.
******************************************************************************
Amazon Cooking
Nabiki stared at the paper on the desk in front of her. She didn't
know whether or not to be happy or angry at the news this portrayed.
Granted the entire thing was probably just one huge mistake. The fact
that she hadn't heard about this through her family certainly
supported that.
"They couldn't have kept this secret for long," she noted to herself.
"Perhaps they just didn't think to tell me." She opened a drawer in
her desk and looked at the sole photograph it contained before she
removed it and slipped it into her purse.
"Ryoko Saotome..." she muttered. "And who were you before you married
my would-be brother-in-law?"
*******************************************************
Nerimites watched in nervous anticipation as they watched a teenage
Amazon happily roof-hopping along towards a specific destination. The
young girl carried in her hands a take-out delivery box, and it was a
marvel that she could move at such speeds without disturbing the
contents of that box. Such a sight had not been seen for over four
years.
"I do believe that was an Amazon," one onlooker, a young man with
brown hair, noted.
"That's one of Shampoo's sisters!" his companion, a young woman noted.
"I was there when they fought the kendo club."
"But why would the Amazons be back in town," a black haired young man
asked. "Isn't Ranma like a vegetable?" A pair of glares were
directed at the unthinking speaker.
"Daisuke, he snapped out of that more than three years ago," the first
young man noted.
"Men," a second woman, perhaps Daisuke's companion, hmphed. "Don't
they understand anything about heartbreak? It is so sad, and they
said he did everything he could to save her too." She sniffed
sympathetically.
"It seems he's better now," Daisuke noted, watching the Amazon vanish
betweeen some houses.
******************************************************
Ryoko yawned as she blinked herself awake, for a brief moment she
marvelled at waking up without a headache or trying to escape a
nightmare. Ryo-Ohki adjusted herself in Ryoko's lap as the pirate
shifted. Then she turned to look for Ranma and narrowed her eyes.
Just how was the jerk supposed to wake her up from a nightmare if he
was asleep? The stiffness of day-old bruises that permeated her
senses wasn't cooling her mood any.
"Some overwatch he is," she snorted. Of course she neglected to
remind herself that she was supposed to be doing the same thing. She
crossed her legs under her and leaned forward elbow on knee, head on
hand, anc considered what to do about this perceived insult. Ryo-Ohki
cracked open an eye momentarily and muttered in frustration before
going back to sleep.
Ryoko looked toward her, she curled her lip, "husband" and scratched
Ryo-Ohki's head with her free hand. The man was rude, casually
arrogant, uptight, and, from what she could tell, lost his temper at
the drop of a hat. Though he also stifled his anger at the same time.
That seemed unnatural to her, emotions should be given full reign.
In addition to this, there was also a sense of purposelessness around
him that several months ago she would have noted as depressing. As it
was, she was too much the same to notice.
"Three days," she muttered to herself. "Just three more days and
he'll be out of my life." With the exception, of course, of a brief
appearance before she killed Nagi to show him and that panda what her
REAL power was like.
Ryoko took a moment from scratching Ryo-Ohki to examine the wound
under her clothes. It was healing, yesterday was probably the last
time it would ever directly threaten her life. In a couple of days of
rest it wouldn't seem like anything more than the time Ayeka and her
had gotten a little too enthusiastic about their fight.
That would never happen again, Ryoko scowled. No Ayeka to fight with,
and, no Tenchi to fight over. Sweet, kind and noble Tenchi who had
neither cowered away from her, nor treated her like a free ride. The
man she'd given up her perfect world for. The man who'd told her he'd
love to go on a trip with her. The man she'd nearly died for, helping
him try to rescue her rival for his heart.
The man Ryoko had spared HER for.
~Why did I ever listen to Ryo-Ohki about letting Nagi live?~ She
growled. She knew very clearly why. She wasn't about to kill someone
in cold blood in front of Tenchi. That had clearly been a mistake.
Tears ran down her face as her low growling continued.
Ryoko turned to glare at the still sleeping Ranma. ~How could he
sleep like that?~
"HEY!! WAKE-UP!!!" Ranma shifted in his sleep but didn't awaken.
"Miao!" Ryo-Ohki hadn't quite expected that much of an outburst, even
considering the emotions she was picking up from Ryoko. The cat-like
sound did accomplish Ryoko's goal though. She blinked for a moment at
the sight of Ranma clinging to the ceiling, then hardened her face
again.
"Would you tell her to QUIT that?" Ranma demanded.
"What are you doing sleeping?" Ryoko ignored his demand. "You're
supposed to be making sure I don't dream!" Ranma scowled before
lightly dropping down from the ceiling to the floor.
"Weren't you supposed to be doing the same for me?" Ranma asked
narrowly. She stood up to glare at him.
"You had just HAD some sleep," she reminded him, uncomfortable
memories and thoughts faded as she engaged in one of her favorite
distractions. "And you're the one that won't let me have a drink."
"I wouldn't NEED to sleep if you weren't afraid of the cold," he
reminded her.
"You're blaming me for THAT?"
"If you'd do some..." Ranma paused for a moment.
"Why don't you do something about this fear of cats?" she demanded,
then noticed the thoughtful expression on his face. "What?"
"How long were we asleep?" he asked.
"Umm," Ryoko checked the clock and noticed that it was almost noon.
"About seven hours, maybe." Ryoko blinked. Now the truly interesting
thing was that they'd slept that long without having nightmares.
Ranma and Ryoko had other things on their minds.
"Did anyone see us?"
The door to Ranma's room snapped open to reveal Nodoka's serenely
smiling face.
"Oh good, you're awake," she commented. "Shampoo's sister has come to
pay a visit." Ranma's eyes narrowed.
"Swell."
**************************************************************
Outside of town, at the Masaki shrine, a woman walked along what were
the grounds of the Masaki home. She never actually lived here, but
the stillness hanging about the shrine still felt wrong. She ran in
her hand through the shock of green hair that was starting to grow
back in. Idly she wondered if Washu's rejuvenation tank had truly
required her to be free of most body hair, but shrugged the thought
aside. She had more important things to worry about.
"Someone's been here," she noted to herself as she looked over the
remains of a small camp. It had been evacuated in a hurry, there was
some old rice over the firepit. She didn't think it was Nagi, but
couldn't be sure. There was a cabbit in the area though, or had been
recently. The crops that had been planted before they left for space
were devestated.
"Why did Nagi come here?" Kiyone wondered quietly. The rumors
indicated she was looking for Ryoko, but Azaka had said he doubted she
was even alive. The pirate had apparently been more seriously injured
by Kagato than any of them had guessed.
A little more investigation found a large fallen tree that looked like
it had been used as a training dummy by someone with great strength.
The damage certainly hadn't been done by an energy whip or in battle.
The blows were also too precise for Ryoko, who's style of fighting
revolved mostly around her powers rather than traditional martial
arts. The detective frowned a little as she looked up toward the
shrine proper, and headed that way.
The bloodstained tiles she found in front of the shrine stopped her
cold. There had been a fight or accident of some kind. She frowned
as she realized that a fight was most likely. Checking the shrine
briefly she found it littered with dry leaves and a few empty sake
bottles. Kiyone was beginning to get a very uncomfortable feeling.
She exited the shrine again gave the dried blood over the tiles a
closer look, and then scraped off a sample of the blood to feed to a
small machine. The small device analyazed the blood's DNA for several
minutes displaying information as it confirmed the data.
"Comparing to known DNA files," the computers small Washu-like voice
noted. "Identified subject as space pirate Ryoko with ninety-six
percent probabilty." Kiyone sighed and sat down staring at the
bloodstain.
"She was alive," the detective sighed. "At least until whatever this
was happened." She lifted her arm to activate the communicator
feature on her watch. Kiyone hesitated briefly before calling her
partner.
"She hasn't made a serious mistake since the battle, she's really a
lot calmer, nothing's going to happen," Kiyone cricked her neck upon
completing the mantra, and then made the call. "Mihoshi, I'm finished
here, come by for pick-up and we can compare notes."
"Ummm, alright, be right there!" Mihoshi sounded closer to her
pre-Jurai chipper self. This made Kiyone worried, which in turn made
her feel a little guilty. Worry was appropriate though. Mihoshi
chipper was Mihoshi not paying attention, which is how BAD things
happened. The green-haired detective silently prayed for thanks when
she appeared on the bridge of their small ship without incident.
"Good news?" she asked, trying to be optimistic. The blonde police
officer's hair was only a little longer than Kiyone's. Then again
Mihoshi had some how found the luck to not be
"Uh huh!" Mihoshi smiled happily, if a little strained. "She was
awake! It was on the news, so I called Washu and..."
"You sent an intersystem communication?" Kiyone said suddenly, the
urgency of that fact outweighing the otherwise welcome news. "Find us
a landing right now!"
"Huh? Why?" Kiyone hadn't said anything about not calling the others.
"Because Nagi might be in the area, and I'd rather see her before she
sees us," Kiyone noticed Mihoshi's normal confused expression, though
the blonde was bringing the craft down into a forested region of the
country side.
"Nagi!? We found her?!" Mihoshi gasped as she was powering down the
ship's engines, and accidentally firing the laser. Thus clearing a
decent sized line of trees. Kiyone sighed in frustration as she
scanned for any trace of a cabbit.
"There was a fight of some kind at the shrine," Kiyone explained.
"Their was a good-sized blood-stain." She paused. "Ryoko's blood."
Mihoshi just stared back at her partner.
*****************************************************
"Missed them," Nagi said quietly, as she scanned the starscape. "Well
they found me, whoever they are. Bounty hunters or Ryoko's friends.
We should have made certain they were out of the way first, eh,
Ken-Ohki?" The ship did not respond for a long silence.
"Miao?" the questioning sound echoed through the chamber.
"They're in the way," Nagi answered with a scowl. Then there was
silence again.
*******************************************************
Ranma glanced at Ryoko and Ryo-Ohki, the cabbit had just said
something that had caught the silver haired woman's attention. Ranma
was curious, especially since the last time that had happened was just
before Nagi showed up, but he turned back to the problem at hand.
"....and Shampoo want give apology for all her tricks and plans in
past," Ran-Ran said with a smile. "This start of apology, you get
free ramen every day, so long you no break Nekohanten." Ranma looked
at the ramen questionably.
"Well, isn't that nice," Nodoka smiled quietly as she took a sip of
her own bowl of ramen. "This is very well done, did your sister make
this?" Ran-Ran nodded happily.
"Sister Shampoo very good cook," the Amazon declared.
"Well, boy, are you going to thank her or not?" Genma demanded.
Ranma glanced at his father, the thoughts in the panda's head
virtually written in neon on his face. ~She's an Amazon, a fit wife
for a master of the martial arts, come on boy, all you have to do is
give a little suggestion and she'll be all over you.~ Of course, this
was assuming that Genma and Soun didn't have plans for Nabiki. Then
again, if they did, he almost felt sorry for them when Nabiki found
out. Almost.
"Genma, Ranma is no longer a boy," Nodoka reminded him sharply.
"..its probably nothing," Ryoko shrugged as she turned back to the
table. Ranma glanced at Ryo-Ohki and wondered what the cabbit had
said.
"You talk to rabbit?" Ran-Ran asked confused. "Is Jusenkyo cursed?"
"Jusenkyo cursed?" Ryoko blinked. "You mean like fem-boy and the
panda here?" Nodoka titled her head at the "fem-boy" comment and the
as yet quiet Ranma sighed in irritation. Fortunately Ran-Ran provided
a suitable distraction.
"This panda who say womans not good martial-artist?" Ran-Ran asked
with narrowed eyes.
"No, that was a different panda entirely," Genma sputtered. Everybody
else alternated their reactions from arched eyebrows to rolling eyes.
The green-haired amazon considered this and then shrugged.
"Ranma want try the ramen?" the girl asked hopefully.
"Ain't nothing going to happen is it?" he asked irritably. "No
hypnotic mushrooms, or love potions or nothing like that?" Ryoko, who
had been about to start eating, blinked and looked at her bowl
cautiously.
"That's a perfect beginning to the day," Ryoko sighed.
"Ranma," Nodoka gasped at the straightforward question.
"Older sister serious about apology," Ran-Ran said, as if affronted.
"I've had a lot of experience with Amazon cooking," Ranma noted dryly.
"No drugs in ramen!" Ran-Ran insisted. She then proceeded to take a
quick bite of noodles from each of Ryoko's and Ranma's bowls of ramen,
and then one of the extra bowls of ramen. "See."
She pouted and started on her own bowl ramen, which was a different
color than the others. There was a reason for that, but as irritated
as she was, she couldn't remember why.
"Better safe than sorry," Ranma shrugged and cautiously started
eating.
"Ranma, that is not exactly polite," Nodoka lectured. Ran-Ran started
to nod smugly before Nodoka continued. "Though I suppose it is
prudent."
~What all did Sister Shampoo do back then?~ Ran-Ran asked herself,
slumping. Deciding to change the subject she turned to the
silver-haired woman that she understood was her current competition.
"So what was duel like?"
Ranma groaned, and Ryoko merely continued eating. It was a few
seconds before she realized the girl was talking to her. She looked
up confused.
"Duel? What duel?" Ran-Ran narrowed her eyes, with a smirk.
"Ranma no beat you in duel?" she asked. Ranma narrowed his eyes and
idly wondered just how much chinese he had learned for his foreign
language requirement.
"There's is no way I'd be beaten by a little punk from a hayseed
planet like this one," Ryoko sniffed. The Saotome's sweatdropped at
Ryoko's casual indication of her extraterrestial origin.
~I must talk to her about that,~ Nodoka noted. ~Its fine among
friends, but it might cause too many problems otherwise.~
~I must work on my Japanese, I thought she said planet,~ Ran-Ran said
after a moment's confusion. "Then how you...." Ranma interrupted
speaking in halting Mandarin, Ran-Ran's face paled visibly as Ranma
finished speaking. She suddenly felt very uncomfortable. "Uh...my
apologies, is none of my business." Everybody looked from Ranma to
Ran-Ran and tried to figure out what Ranma had said.
"You got that right," Ryoko said finally. "But what are you talking
about?"
"Umm...nothing important, my mistake," Ran-Ran said. She glanced at
Ranma who nodded before going back to the ramen.
"This is excellent ramen," Nodoka changed the subject quietly. "Did
you make it?"
"No, sister Shampoo make it," Ran-Ran affirmed. "Is her apology. You
already ask that." Ranma wasn't glaring at her anymore, she noticed
with relief. However, she still felt a little queasy and
light-headed. That was odd, the threat hadn't been that nasty, and
Ranma was probably bluffing anyway.
"Yeah, it tastes good," Ryoko admitted.
"Ah the garlic blends perfectly with the broth," Genma sighed
appreciatively.
"Ran-Ran would not know," the young Amazon admitted. "Is allergic
to....garlic...uh oh." She looked from her bowl to the extra bowl she
had devoured. That's right, that's why her bowl was a different
color.
"Are you okay?" Ranma asked noticing the direction of her gaze.
"Ranma worried about Ran-Ran?" the Amazon suddenly asked, momentarily
forgetting Ranma's earlier comment.
~Who does she think she is?~ Ryoko wondered. ~I might not WANT to be
married to him, but STILL!!~
The table was treated to a stereo growl before Ranma and Ryoko stared
at each other in surprise. Before they could turn back to the young
Amazon, Ran-Ran was bolting for the restroom. Everybody sweatdropped
at the retching sounds emanating from that direction, and then a few
minutes later a still pale looking Ran-Ran returned.
"Think Ran-Ran go home now," she said.
"Hold a moment," Nodoka interrupted the Amazon leaving. "Perhaps
Ranma should see you home safely."
"Yes, an excellent notion," Genma declared, and Ran-Ran beamed as much
as she could after being sick.
~That's a welcome change of policy,~ Ryoko smirked. "But where does
she get off sending Ranma to escort someone that's obviously after
him, when I'm supposed to be married to him?" Ryoko wondered for a
moment why Ranma, the slut in-training, and the stupid panda were
suddenly glaring at her.
"Oh I'm sorry, Ryoko-chan," Nodoka said suddenly.
"Huh?" Ryoko blinked.
"You're quite right," Nodoka continued. "Genma and I will make sure
she gets home. Won't we dear."
"Uh...yes dear," Genma said suddenly. Ran-Ran growled, but allowed
herself to be escorted out of the house, she'd be back later...after
sleeping for at least four hours. Then she remembered Ranma's threat
earlier, and decided maybe that a longer time period to let him cool
down would be smart.
"Did I say that out loud?" Ryoko asked Ranma after they were gone.
"Yes," Ranma answered irritably.
"Damn!"
******************************************************************************
Kuno finally managed to crawl out of the pile of burnt and crashed
wood. He had been striding heroically towards his goal (limping on
his bokken) when some eldritch blast of yellow fire had cut a swath
through the forest. Obviously it was the work of the wretch Saotome.
His minion, Tarou must have warned him of the samurai's approach.
"This shall not stop me! Do you hear that Saotome! The vengence of
heaven is slow but sure!"
At the moment the "vengence of heaven" was about to give up trying to
teach the fool a lesson, and just smear him from the face of the
Earth. Fortunately for Kuno, the power in question decided he wasn't
worth getting a restricted liscense over.
"Now, onward!!" he shouted, charging forward, at a speed to make a
three legged turtle proud.
******************************************************************
"Sense we're out, dear," Nodoka said after making sure Ran-Ran got
home, the young amazon had gone for her bed almost immediately.
"Perhaps we should do some shopping."
"But..."
"Really, Genma," Nodoka sighed. "You act like a married couple needs
a chaperone, Ranma is not a child any longer. Now let's get the
shopping done."
"Yes dear," Genma said reluctantly.
******************************************************************
"You act like you wanted to go with that brat," Ryoko hmphed. Ranma
glanced at her cautiously. That had the air of one of those loaded
questions he always seemed to be asked.
"Yeah, so?" Sure enough Ryoko's eyes narrowed.
"Well, its a good thing for me that you prefer little girls to a true
woman," Ryoko smirked.
"Hey, I ain't like that, idiot," Ranma noticed her growling and
decided to throw in a few key words. "Why are you jealous over that
little girl?" The pirate growled, her tail twitching irrtiable before
she relaxed again and lounged back on the sofa.
"Jealous?" Ryoko snickered, her eyes closed, stretched out like a
sunbathing cat. Sighing slightly as each stiff joint untied, soon
she'd be able to take Nagi. "She's an amateur, its obvious she's
never done anything."
"It is?" Ranma asked, sweatdropping as she curled over the sofa's back
and stretched open her legs for a moment. Ranma quickly averted his
eyes from the seemingly unintentional invitation, blushing deep red.
~Well that's different. Usually I get hit with something.~
"All that chest flaunting," Ryoko said with a yawn as she settled
again. She absently checked her injury again, it would be a bad idea
to aggravate it now. She needed to be healthy for Nagi. "Strictly
for hormonal adolescent virgins. Mmmm, that felt good."
"You're still tired," Ranma noted after a moment, he turned his
attention back to her after a glance told him it was safe. "Go ahead
and try to get some sleep, I'll be up practicing."
"Yeah, sure, I'm going to trust you again," Ryoko noted sourly, she
was no longer moving provocatively, just relaxing. She pulled back
into herself and grabbed the remote to switch on the television. A
little channel flipping later and a soap opera clicked on the screen.
Ryoko hesistated a little before setting the remote back down. "When
did those two get together?" she asked, changing the subject.
Ranma glanced at the TV and idly wondered if he should answer her, but
instead just shrugged as he moved off to the empty room behind the
sofa. His mother watched this show every day while he practiced his
kata's in the room behind her, he was fairly well caught up on it. He
didn't particularly care to mention that though. Watching TV she
might fall asleep, give her a chance to argue and that wouldn't
happen.
The woman jumped at a chance to push an advantage. She was way too
hot-headed and impulsive for her own good, striking at her goal, blind
to anything else. There was no discipline, no control, at least none
that he could see. Her relaxation was more like a bomb waiting to go
off than anything else. She was a self-centered, vindictative, and
loose woman.
At least vindictive and self-centered was something he was used to.
The fact that she could exude more sexuality than he remembered
Shampoo ever doing was rather disturbing. Though he had to admit that
she wasn't pushing herself at him, she just did it without considering
it. He idly wondered what she was like before her Tenchi was killed.
She had probably been out of control.
Ranma glanced over at the pirate and paused in his kata. Her face was
locked on the television where the soap opera was running. Ryoko's
shoulders were shaking slightly, though he could tell it wasn't a sad
scene. He stood straight, looked down and rubbed the bridge of his
nose.
~This is how I always got myself in trouble,~ he sighed before walking
into the kitchen. A minute later a slightly soaked Ranma-chan
deposited herself on the sofa next too Ryoko. The pirate glanced at
her, confused. Her eyes were only a little red, and it seemed she had
wiped her eyes before had turned to look at her.
"What do you think you're doing?" It took her a moment to recognize
the red-headed girl as Ranma. That curse of his was still a little
weird, even by her standards.
"I've noticed girls get a little weird when guys watch soap operas,"
he explained, shrugging. He purposefully didn't mention her crying,
~And this works with other people.~
"Okay..." Ryoko arched an eyebrow and watched h..er suspiciously.
Ranma merely pointed at the television without turning to face her.
She looked back at the television, paying attention out of respect for
the sacred truce the daily dramas represented. The show itself wasn't
of interest to her at the moment. Her surroundings, however, were.
"You know if your hearing this, then I'm probably dead," a televised
voice was saying. Ranma sort of half-listened but Ryoko almost acted
like she didn't even hear it.
~She's ignoring it,~ he thought cooly.
"And you probably think its your fault," the voice continued.
The entire situation was grating on Ryoko's nerves. She glanced
about, looking for the source of her discomfort. As the show
continued, building to a point of high drama, the entire situation
just bore down on her as wrong.
"But, hey, I took this on, I knew the risks."
Ryoko had no idea how obvious her state of mind was to the red-head
next to her. Her face might not have revealed much, but her body
language certainly spoke volumes. Ranma watched as she scanned about
the room and fixed her gaze on seemingly random spots. As the show
continued, the pirate started fidgetting.
"And if I'm successful, that means you're alive. That's what matters.
I know you'd give your life for me, did you think I cared any less
about you?" Ranma gave the television her full attention, to see a
couple sitting close together in front of a stereo. The sound of
quiet whimper turned her attention back to Ryoko, and she wondered
again why he would care whether she was okay or not. "Don't waste
what I've given you, baka."
The pirate collapsed as the credits started rolling. When Mihoshi
failed to interrupt the ending of the episode the wrongness of the
scene became too much for her. Ranma tried not to groan as she saw
Ryoko's shoulders shaking. She guessed that tears were again running
down the pirate's cheeks though her head was turned away from Ranma.
"Hey," he tapped Ryoko's shoulder. A low growl emanated from the
pirate, but she didn't turn around. ~How did Ukyou do this?~
"Leave me alone," Ryoko growled.
"No," Ranma said firmly. "I said I'd help you get ready to fight, you
won't win if you're this upset over a television show."
"Its wrong, ALL wrong!" Ryoko growled as she whirled to face him.
"Hmm?" Ranma crossed his arms and arched an eyebrow as he waited for
an explanation. The diminutive red-head suddenly reminded Ryoko of
both Yosho and Washu. Ryoko growled, lunged, and found herself turned
around and being held from behind. "Why'd you do that?"
"It shouldn't be YOU here!" Ryoko snapped, and struggled briefly but
not seriously. Ryoko slumped as she finished. "Maybe Nagi lied about
survivors, maybe I'm the only one left alive." Ranma continued to
hold her while she sobbed, all the missing elements of the daily drama
crushing her. No Sasami preparing lunch, no Mihoshi to interrupt the
show, no Ayeka to help kill Mihoshi, and no Tenchi to keep them from
doing it. Just an insensitive martial artist who was only helping her
so he could avoid losing face.
When Ryoko finally cried herself to sleep, body still exhausted from
recent ordeals, in Ranma's arms, the martial artist lay her down on
the couch. She then collected a comforter from her room and draped it
over the space pirate and sighed. She turned an accusatory glance to
her reflection in the window.
"Hey, she needs to be ready for that Nagi person," she told herself
angrily, but quietly. "And she needs to be rested for that. Why
would I care about her beyond that. I barely know her." Her
reflection didn't have to remind them that he had barely known Akane
when she first decided that she liked Akane.