![]() |
|
![]() |
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread | Rate Thread | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
[FFML] [Fanfic][Ranma] Quantum Destinies 22 (Part 1 of 2)
*** Heaven 0.000,0.000 Skuld frowned as she sat at her usual terminal in Yggdrasil's datacore, waiting for the system to respond to her request for a status update. The two small dolls that looked like super-deformed versions of her sisters watched sightlessly as she tapped at the keyboard made of solid light in front of her. She raised her hand and pulled aside a second processing window from the main one, and the scrolling text within it faintly reflected from her eyes. The display suddenly paused and briefly cleared itself, before presenting several more lines of text. * MIDGARD REALITY PARADIGM ADJUSTMENT: 42% COMPLETE. * ERROR: ANOMALOUS DATA IN SYSTEM. * ERROR: MISSING PARAMETERS IN EQUATION. * SEARCHING FOR SOLUTION FOR MISSING PARAMETERS. PLEASE STAND BY. It had been like that for the past several days, and Skuld was growing concerned. As Yggdrasil's datacore hummed in the background, she could somehow detect a faint difference in its tonal harmonics, as if the crystalline matrix was developing some kind of strain, but there was nothing she could find wrong when she called up her various analysis algorithms. Everything was operating right within its normal working parameters, if perhaps a little higher than she had ever seen. The young goddess wished Belldandy was back, but her older sister was on an extended mission to the Earth realm. There was Urd, of course, but Skuld was not about to take her rather vague concerns to her oldest sister, since the only way she could explain why she was bothered would be to admit she had been poking around the datafile containing the list of Probability Nodes for the system, not to mention messing around with the Destiny Protocols, which was a definite no-no. Something was missing that needed to be present, some element that was being referenced from the supporting datafiles. But what? She called up the master index to take another look at the Class One Probability Nodes, and she was startled to see that another person had been recently upgraded from Class Three to Class Two and then to Class One status in rapid succession. And this one was near the other two. Multiple spontaneous upgrades within close proximity to each other was a rare event, to say the least, and usually preceded a major adjustment to the reality matrix. A few other people that were cross-indexed with the new Class One Node had risen in status as well, to Class Two and Three, and all of the proper authentications were present as with the first two, but there was still something that felt a bit off about the whole thing. Skuld glanced over at Yggdrasil's datacore, puzzled. What was going on? The young goddess nibbled her lower lip, worried about her dreams again. Events were beginning to unfold in them that had their birth here in the present, scary things. She could sense a sort of pressure looming in the future, like something leaning against a screen door, trying to get inside. Changes needed to be instituted soon into the system, or it might be too late to affect whatever was coming, to try and stop that future from becoming reality. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Quantum Destinies A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic By Steven Thesken (sthesken@earthlink.net) Ranma 1/2 and its characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This story is inspired by her works and the stories from some of my fellow fanfic authors. Among these are D.B. Sommer's "Shampoo 1/2", Jim Bader's "A Very Scary Thought -aka- Nabiki 1/2", and John Biles' Elseworlds series. All C&C is welcome. Other chapters of this story may be found at this website, or you can email the author for them: The Quantum Destinies Homepage http://home.earthlink.net/~sthesken/fanfics/qd.html The list of worlds reoccurring in this chapter: Earth 0.000,0.000 - The world of Scholar Ranma (Baseline cluster) What has gone before in this story (or at least what will help you understand what is going on): On a parallel Earth that diverged from the standard Ranma timeline over five hundred years ago, the Empire of Japan rules almost half the world and has done so for almost a century. A young scientist named Ranma Saotome, through a device of his invention, is now possessed of the skills and memories of a martial artist version of himself. Mousse had finally made his way home after several years away from the Joketsuzoku village when he ran into some difficulties. Meanwhile, Shampoo did some thinking about her life, now that she had the new perspective that memories of being Ensign Shan offered her. Nabiki and Ranma made their way home after the fight with Kinnosuke and the three catgirls, and the Kashuoh heir made new plans. Nodoka and Kenseiko had a talk about the engagement between their children, and their plans for the future. Ryoga and Ryoko arrived at the Imperial Academy, but Ryoga's revenge against Ukyo was left incomplete. Finally, Toga Kiryu began his first moves for his seduction of Nabiki Tendo. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Chapter 22 - Yin and Yang, Part II Yin - n. - The feminine passive principle in nature that in Chinese cosmology is exhibited in darkness, cold, or wetness and that combines with yang to produce all that comes to be. Yang - n. - the masculine active principle in nature that in Chinese cosmology is exhibited in light, heat, or dryness and that combines with yin to produce all that comes to be. - Merriam-Webster Dictionary xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx *** Earth 0.000,0.000 "Dear, I'm concerned about Manami-chan." Maho Minami grunted once at his wife's words, and Kunami was relieved to know he was awake and listening as she sat there in bed next to him. "She's been dating an awful lot of boys lately. Why, just last week alone she went out with four different boys. And now she's friends with that Mano girl, Yohko." She sniffed disdainfully. "I knew her mother when I was younger, the little man-stealing tramp." Her gaze hardened as she spoke. "She went through boys like they were tissue paper or something, so it was no surprise she had a child out of wedlock. Why, I've heard that this Yohko girl is just like her, and she's already had several boyfriends herself. Now she's even involved with Manami-chan's senpai, Kyosuke. He always seemed like such a nice boy, certainly not the type to take up with a loose girl like that. His poor mother." She sniffed again. "To think our sweet, little Manami-chan is friends with such a person like that dreadful Mano girl. Frankly, dear, I'm worried." He grunted once, shifting his position in the darkness. "Yes, I haven't forgotten the recent changes in her appearance. It's obvious that she's finally inherited my good looks and blossomed into quite a beautiful young woman. But she's now at that age where she should start planning out her future. Don't you agree?" There was another guttural grunt from his side of the bed and a faint rustling of sheets. Kunami gave out a relieved sigh. "I'm so glad you agree, dear. Now, I've been giving it a lot of thought, and there's just one thing to do at this point, before our daughter throws away her future with this libidinous lifestyle she's pursuing." She paused a moment, gazing fondly at her husband as he appeared to sleep while they talked. They always seemed to communicate best at such times, especially after making up in bed from one of their frequent fights. She knew it kept their marriage fresh that they could express their passions so well with each other. She smiled and said, "I think we should find Manami-chan a husband." She nodded at his grunt. "Yes, I know we've discussed it before, and you always felt she was too young. But now she's also become involved with that Kisaragi woman as her mentor, still unmarried at her age. Why, in only a few years, she'll be thirty. It's shameful! No, you can't talk me out of it this time." She looked out the window. "But decent matchmakers are so expensive, so how will we find Manami-chan a proper young man?" Maho made a questioning grumble in his throat, and he laid his arm across his face. Kunami smiled brightly as she looked back at him. "Why, that's just a perfect idea, dear. He's always been well-mannered whenever he's been over here for study sessions with Manami-chan, and they've known each other for so many years. And I'm sure his mother would be pleased to make a match as well, since I'm sure his prospects are not the best. After all, you married me and look how well our own marriage has turned out. Oh, I'm sure our little Manami-chan will be simply thrilled!" She smiled and laid back down next to him. "I'm so glad we had this talk. You've put my mind at ease, dear." Maho began to snore. Kunami cuddled up to him, happy to have such a good husband at her side, and one who listened to her so well too, even after sex. She drifted off into a contented sleep as she thought about her daughter's future happiness as a married woman. ****************************** Kasumi Ono lay on her side in the bed she shared with her husband, facing away from him, a part of her attention listening to his slow and steady breathing as he slept. The house was otherwise very quiet and peaceful around them, but she could not seem to fall asleep. Where had it all gone wrong in her marriage to Tofu? Or had it ever been right? Kasumi pondered those questions, nibbling lightly on her lower lip. She had been so certain that she would come to love him, the handsome doctor that the matchmaker had introduced to her. After all, her own parents had been an arranged marriage, and they had been happy together. So why wasn't she happy? The marriage ceremony had been beautiful. Her father had been so stoic in appearance, but she knew he was contented to see her married, and to a doctor with a fine career ahead of him. Her sisters had been envious of her, especially Nabiki, but they were also openly pleased to see her married. It had been a wonderful, magical day. Their honeymoon in Kyoto had been quite romantic, and Tofu was gentle with her that first night, treating her like the most precious thing in his world. Still, while that night had been a pleasurable experience, something had seemed to be missing, something intangible. But she had convinced herself that she was just being a nervous new bride. After a few weeks, she was certain she would settle down and then discover the contentment from being a married woman. However, several weeks passed, and then a few months, but the vague feelings of wrongness continued. The contentment her mother had once told her to expect as a wife never appeared. She was married to a good man who provided a nice home for her, but she wasn't happy. What had gone wrong? She had done everything that was expected of a young woman by getting married. Perhaps a child would help, she finally decided, so she had her birth control implant removed in a simple procedure. The months continued to roll on, and pregnancy eluded her. Tofu began drifting away from her, a little bit more with each failed attempt. He never yelled at her or struck her, not like some of the other husbands in their neighborhood would do with their wives, and he never cheated on her that she could tell. Instead, he simply began to spend more time away at work, and the two of them settled into a sort of quiet desperation as the passion between them gradually faded away to nothing, if it had ever really existed at all. Kasumi felt a few tears roll down her cheeks and stain her pillow. It wasn't fair. She had done everything properly, playing the role of the dutiful daughter and then the honorable bride. She had turned in her uniform to be a housewife instead, ending a promising career in the Security Directorate. Even in the one thing she had always secretly taken pride in, her skills as a martial artist, she had been surpassed by Nabiki. When had her little sister grown so skilled? To lose to her had been humbling. This wasn't how her story was supposed to end up, not like this. As she thought about her life, depression roiling within her, something suddenly occurred to her. She rolled over a bit and glanced over her shoulder at her sleeping husband for a moment before laying back down. Actually, there was nothing stopping her from simply reactivating her commission again, to take up the uniform of a Security Directorate agent once more. Her husband was hardly ever home as it was, and it would give her something useful to do with her time, other than cooking and cleaning in a house where she was by herself most of the time. A new excitement seemed to fill her, having made the decision. She felt she had to tell somebody about it, and the first person she thought of was Lt. Yusaku Godai, startling her a bit. She blushed. Kasumi had never felt so attracted to someone else before, like she was to Lt. Godai, and she would be lying to herself if she tried to deny it. She smiled wistfully as she thought about the young soldier, only a few years older than herself. She had met him by chance at her father's house, and the feelings he had awoken within her when she first laid eyes upon him were as unexpected as they were pleasant. She had been quite startled by those feelings at first, and she still felt a bit guilty over having them, but she could no longer deny their existence. Not that she intended to act upon them, since that would just not be proper. No matter how she felt, she was a married woman after all. However, if she had never met him, she might never have made her decision to rejoin the Security Directorate. So she wanted to thank him for that, and perhaps he would even be willing to have dinner with her sometime. As a friend, of course, she hastily amended in her thoughts. In the morning, she would go down to the Directorate and fill out the necessary paperwork and request to be an active agent again. She made a mental note to pull her uniform out of the back of her closet and check to make sure it still fit her all right. It had been many months since she last wore it, but she was looking forward to putting it on again. Perhaps she would even visit her father while she was there, or see if any of her old classmates were still around. As if a burden had been lifted from her, Kasumi finally drifted off into a contented sleep, feeling that her future was now a much brighter place than it once had been. And as her mind fell to slumber, images of herself and a certain young soldier of the Empire floated across her thoughts, and a number of her imaginings were quite scandalous. ****************************** The thrumming sounds of a military helicopter approaching disturbed the stillness of the night air. Dawn was still a little ways off, but the arrival was expected, due to the recent misfortune that had befallen the facility. Losing three prized subjects, the result of years of effort at eugenics and genetic manipulation, had been enough to bring to this place the man who pioneered both Project Phoenix as well as the Empire's decades-long study of the so-called Jusenkyo Effect. It was also one of the few times he had ever left his private laboratory on Togenkyo Island in almost a decade. Two armed soldiers flanked the portly figure of the facility's current director, Doctor Taiko Gaido. He appeared Chinese, but he was actually a third-generation Imperial Citizen, his grandfather having earned the honor many years ago as a fighter in the Arena. He sweated nervously as he waited near the helicopter pad, occasionally mopping his face with a white cotton handkerchief. One of his hands was bandaged, from injuries he sustained during the escape of the three young fugitives. The helicopter settled down and came to a rest, and a soldier hopped out of the front area, hurried to the side, and rolled open the door of the vehicle there. A dark shape loomed for a moment in the interior, lit by the helicopter's cabin lights, and then it emerged, a rotund figure dressed in a trenchcoat, holding a hat down over its head and concealing its features. Gaido stepped forward. "Moreau-sensei, Director Saito informed me of your arrival. While I am extremely distressed at the circumstances necessitating your visit, let me start by saying what an honor it is-" He abruptly stopped as the figure raised one gloved hand and waved it once sharply, abruptly cutting off his welcoming speech. A female figure emerged from the vehicle behind the trenchcoated figure, coming into the illumination provided by the spotlights pointed towards the tarmac. She was an attractive Japanese woman with her hair worn long and pulled into a single loose braid that fell to the middle of her back, dressed in a finely-tailored business suit with a modest skirt and carrying a thin, metal briefcase. A professional look of disdain was seemingly permanently etched upon her otherwise lovely features. "Moreau-sensei has not come here to exchange pleasantries with you, Gaido-san," said the woman grimly, with a faint accent he could not quite place. "He is here on business." "And you are?" Gaido turned to face the woman. He was not used to being spoken to in such a way. "I am Moreau-sensei's attaché. You will call me Silk. Now, the doctor has had a long journey, so I expect you have prepared a room for him to refresh himself in before we conduct our investigation." It was not phrased as a question, but a command. Gaido glared at the woman briefly, but then he saw something quite dangerous in the gaze she directed back at him and quickly backed down. He bowed to them and gestured with his arm to one side. "Right this way, Moreau-sensei, Silk-san." He then led the way, Moreau stepping up next to him and matching his pace with his own lumbering gate, still holding his hat down over his face with a heavy, gloved hand. As Gaido led them towards the main building, Silk fell into place a single pace behind them, her eyes scanning their surroundings as she walked, alert for any sort of threat. She moved gracefully but with an almost predatory power in her step. The two guards fell in at the rear, their automatic weapons held in a ready position. "Have you made any progress in retrieving the subjects?" Silk inquired after a few moments. "I have my men out scouring the area," Gaido assured them, his comments more directed at Moreau. "They may have had a day's lead, but it's only a matter of time before they're found and brought back. They've never been outside the walls of this facility, so they can't possibly know the terrain." "The doctor has invested a great deal of time and effort into those three. They must be returned alive and in good condition. If they aren't..." She left the statement hanging, an unspoken threat. Gaido sweated some more and suddenly swallowed. "I-I am doing everything I can. There was no reason for them to do this. They have always been compliant to their captivity, especially Herb. But she fought with such skill, such great ferocity, it was amazing. I don't know how it was possible. They have never received any such combat training." "The doctor is aware of their physical capabilities," Silk commented calmly. "But you are right on one thing. How could they know how to fight without training? Someone must have taught them in secret, so I will be reviewing the security recordings after we've settled in. It's possible that something could be discovered there." She noted from a change in his posture that Gaido suddenly seemed to be even more nervous, and her eyes narrowed. "Is there a problem?" "W-well," he began, mopping his forehead with his handkerchief again, glancing over at Moreau. "It's just that the security recordings were somehow damaged during their escape. I'm not sure how it happened. It appears that the trio somehow accessed the main computer, or perhaps someone on the staff was coerced into helping them. Our chief of security was one of those killed during their escape, his neck broken, but I have his assistant, Asagiri, working on the matter." Moreau growled, an animal sort of sound. Gaido cringed a bit at the unexpected noise, and he was extremely grateful when they entered the main building. The two guards made no appearance that they were even listening to the conversation, but they kept a wary eye on everything. After a brief walk and an elevator ride, Gaido led them into the staff housing region of the building. He paused outside a door just down the hall from his own quarters and slid a magnetic keycard into the lock. When the lock's light turned green, Silk calmly stepped up and took the card from his hand. "Thank you for your welcome, Gaido-san," she said smoothly, opening the door and letting Moreau walk past her. "The doctor and I will let you know what we'll need. For now, continue your search, and also inform Director Saito of our safe arrival." She left a startled Gaido behind her as she shut the door. The look on his face went from surprised to angry after several moments. Who did that woman think she was, addressing him in such a fashion? With a grim look at the two guards, who immediately snapped to attention, he stalked off down the hallway, still mopping his sweating forehead. Once inside, Moreau finally pulled off his hat, and the furred face of an Asian gorilla was revealed, more commonly known as a yeti, a beast thought to be extinct, and his legacy from his early work on Jusenkyo's secrets. He grumbled a bit as he clumsily pulled off his heavy gloves, revealing powerful, fur-covered hands. With a deep sigh, he pulled off his long trenchcoat and sank down on the comfortable bed, dressed in a loose tunic and pants. As he relaxed, Silk proceeded into the bathroom to investigate the facilities. After several moments, the sound of running water was heard. "I thought a hot bath would be in order for you, sir," said Silk as she came back into the bedroom. "Moreau-sensei?" Hearing a rumbling snore, she sighed. The man was one of the most brilliant geneticists on the planet, second only to that megalomaniacal madman, Keel Lorenz (now hopefully dead, although it was the fifth time the Security Directorate had declared him so). While remaining in his cursed form extended his life, he seemed to enjoy the lazy nature of a gorilla far too much. Silk shivered a moment, recalling Keel. She shook her head. No, that monster had to be dead this time. There was simply no way he could have survived the destruction of his base in Antarctica over six years ago. Keel had vaporized it and whatever he had been working on rather than being taken by Imperial special forces, and over four hundred of the Empire's best soldiers had lost their lives in an instant. It was for the best. Both he and the products of the Germans own attempt at eugenics, their Human Instrumentality Project, were better off dead and buried. They just had to be, for the world should never have been subjected to Keel's creations, his 'ubermenschen', powerful, intelligent, and physically attractive boys and girls, born to rule over ordinary humans, but without a single shred of morality in the lot. The future better belonged to the results of Moreau-sensei's labors, the children of Project Phoenix, not to that madman Keel's twisted vision of what the ultimate human should be. Wandering over to the window, Silk looked out at the fading night as Moreau napped. She casually unbuttoned her jacket, revealing more of the plain white silk blouse she wore underneath it and pulled out a silver cigarette case and matching lighter from an inner pocket. She lit the thin cigarette with a practiced move and held it to her lips, before setting the lighter and case down on the sill. The tip's golden glow reflected on the glass in front of her, even as she gazed at her image dimly shown there, a pensive look on her face, lost in thought. Somewhere out there, wandering in that darkness were the prototypes for Moreau's greatest creation, the Mark-II Newtypes, the next stage in the evolution of humanity. But where were they now? Why had they escaped? And what were they doing? ****************************** Mint could not seem to remove his gaze from Herb's chest as she slept there in the moonlit darkness in front of him, her cloak having fallen open. Lime stood guard a short distance away. He should have been asleep as well, but he was unable to. Intellectually, one part of him knew that the two soft mounds of flesh beneath her tunic were merely glands that women had for feeding newborn young. But there was another part of him that yearned to touch them, that felt oddly fascinated by the mere sight of them, concealed from his view by thin cloth, and he could not deny that he felt very attracted to Herb's female body. Swallowing once, Mint stared at those breasts. The way they rose and fell slightly with Herb's gentle breathing was mesmerizing in a way that he could not explain. He could not seem to stop himself as his fingers moved of their own accord, reaching out to touch them. A hand seized his wrist, suddenly and painfully. "<What do you think you're doing, you idiot?>" came Herb's voice, her eyes now open and glaring at him. Mint sat up quickly and then fell to his knees. "<A thousand pardons, Milord Herb.>" He all but buried his face in the soft loam of the forest floor. "<Forgive me.>" "<If I didn't need you for this mission, I would break your spine and leave you for those soldiers to find.>" Herb increased the pressure of her grip on Mint's wrist, the bones grinding a bit beneath her fingers, feeling unfamiliar emotions at his halted attempt to molest her. Other sensations caused by his nearness did not bear even thinking about, and they only made her angrier. "<Do not forget that I am Herb, your lord, not some pretty plaything for you to amuse yourself with, no matter how I may appear. I will never be any man's woman. Now, I hope I don't have to tell you this ever again.>" She suddenly released her grip on his wrist and wrapped her cloak more tightly around her, glaring at her companion for another moment before closing her eyes again. "<Get some rest, idiot. We move at first light.>" Lime, his senses alert, kept watch on the forest around them for any movement, but he spared a glance in Mint's direction. He hoped the other boy took Herb's warning to heart. It would damage their chances of success to indulge in such things. His own gaze then drifted over to linger on Herb's face, noting how beautiful it was, but he quickly looked away, his face blushing. Such feelings were counter-productive. Lord Herb was female in body only, and that would be rectified when they reached Japan and found the tools they needed to restore him to his proper form. Then they could begin their search for this resonator source Lord Herb sought. It was probably a fool's errand, Lime mused, but he would not allow such thoughts to take root. Lord Herb had commanded they would find the source of that signal, so find it they would. He was a Musk, as were they all, so failure was not an option. That decided, Lime turned his gaze outwards again, his ears alert for any signs of pursuit while the others rested. ****************************** Mousse settled himself on the cliff and listened for patrols. He had been fortunate in being able to retrieve his pack from where it had fallen, and it rested in a crack in the rocks near him while he took a rest. Fortunately, his grandmother had told him stories of Jusenkyo's magic when he was young, so he knew that hot water would restore his human form. A shiver ran up his spine at the thought of what had happened to him, that a simple dash of cold water would now turn him into something other than human. Unfortunately, with so many soldiers guarding the pools, he would have to find a cure for his condition elsewhere. He was only half a man now, and he laid the blame for delaying his cure on the Empire. An intense hatred for all Japanese simmered within him. However, after several moments, he turned his thoughts to his true goal. Not even an army of soldiers would keep him from that one, the only thing that mattered to him: Shampoo. Once he returned to the village, he would win her for himself, and he chafed at the present delay. For several days now, he had been dodging the clumsy soldiers stomping around the terrain. Not wanting to bring any suspicion on the village of Joketsuzoku, he had held off returning to it until the Empire's search efforts cooled. It wasn't so difficult to stay hidden from them, but he did have to keep moving. Still, there was one benefit, being hunted was proving to be good training for his stealth skills. He decided it was time for a quick nap. There had been no sign of any pursuit today, so perhaps the soldiers had found their targets. Either way, it was no concern of his. His only reason for being right now was to return to the village and face Shampoo, to face his destiny. But it was so hard to wait, knowing how close she was. It had been far too long since he had last seen his beloved. Mousse closed his eyes to sleep, and his dreams were of Shampoo, of finally becoming her husband. He had been told what he must do to claim her, the path he must walk, and now, some two years later, it was time for him to return and fight for what was rightfully his. ****************************** Director Kasuga looked up from reading through the morning pile of papers currently looming over his desk when the intercom buzzed for his attention. Setting down his pen, he reached over and tapped at it. "Yes?" His voice sounded tired, even to himself. The long days were really starting to catch up to him. He resolved to only work until lunch today. "Frost is here to see you, sir." "Good. Send her in." He shuffled the papers in front of him back into a rough semblance of order as the door opened. Frost came in quietly and bowed slightly to the agent holding open the door for her. Her pale hair was held back in a loose ponytail by a jade hairpiece, her feet covered in soft silk slippers, and she was wearing a silvery silken robe with embroideries of pale gold thread depicting a stylized Phoenix, the Chinese symbol of femininity. The outfit made her albino coloring even more otherworldly. After taking a seat in front of him without speaking or waiting to be offered a chair, she sat quietly for several moments. She fidgeted slightly as he studied her, bouncing her heels a little. When he still said nothing after several more moments, she finally looked up at him. Her gaze had a glimmering of emotion in it, an unusual sight to see in the normally placid girl. Director Kasuga folded his hands in front of him and tried his best to smile reassuringly. After all, the Chinese sorceress was one of his personal pet projects, and he had been her legal guardian for many years, ever since the unfortunate death of her parents in an incident in China that had first brought her to his attention. "What can I do for you, Frost?" "I-it's about what happened to me that night," said the girl, but her usual cool and confident tones were absent. She looked uncertain of herself as she lowered her gaze to the floor. "Th-there was a boy, a trainee of the Institute. H-he defeated me." Her voice fell almost to a whisper as she blushed slightly. "I-I would like to see him again." Director Kasuga blinked. Frost had been involved in dozens of arcane duels, almost since her arrival years ago. When she was only ten years old, one of her classmates, no doubt jealous of the foreign girl's much greater talent, had learned of her people's Amazon code and had spread it around the Institute as a way of mocking the pale-skinned girl and her aloofness. With typical male pride, one boy had challenged Frost to a duel that same week, a top-ranked student two years older than the Amazon sorceress. Frost defeated him within moments, knocking him unconscious with a blast of cold magefire. Within a single week, a score of the Mobius Institute's most promising young mages had joined the boy in defeat, and her legend began. Someone began calling her the Wizardslayer, and the nickname stuck. Her natural magical talents, already vast in their potential, appeared to thrive on each new challenge, and her power and skill grew with every victory. So it was with every young wizard and esper who dared to challenge her. Not one proved able to defeat her. Until now. "So, who is this young man who has caught your eye?" asked Director Kasuga with keen interest as he studied Frost. He was curious to know what young prodigy had finally taken down the undefeated legend, and he noted idly that the girl was showing more emotion now than he could ever remember her displaying before, though they were still only brief flashes. Even in the midst of a battle, Frost's countenance would always remain utterly composed and as cool as her namesake, which had earned her a less respectful nickname from her female peers: 'Robot Girl.' It was possible that her defeat had rattled her self-control a bit. Frost whispered a name too softly for him to hear, and a slight blush appeared on her cheeks. "I'm afraid I didn't quite catch that, Frost. Could you repeat his name a little louder?" He leaned forward, his curiosity tantalized. "I-it's Hikaru. Hikaru Gosunkugi." And Frost smiled, a tiny wisp of a smile, as she said his name, her gaze looking down at the floor as she sat demurely. "I don't believe it," Director Kasuga remarked, sitting back heavily in his chair with an astonished look on his face. That name was the absolute last one he would have ever expected the pale-skinned girl to utter in answer to his question. He noted that Frost was once again fidgeting slightly in her seat, her slender hands resting on her knees as they bounced up and down a tiny amount. "I-it's true." Frost looked at the floor demurely as she spoke softly. "He defeated me in single combat. By the laws of my people, he is my 'Airen.' He is the man I must marry." Frost blushed again slightly, and the crimson flush showed up rather starkly against the paleness of her skin. She fidgeted some more. Director Kasuga studied the young Amazon sorceress for several moments before smiling. "Then I am happy for you, Frost," he said sincerely. "So, what are your plans now?" "I've thought a great deal about this, and I would like to go live with him, in his mother's home," Frost replied, still looking demurely at the floor. "Even though it is not true under the Empire's laws, in the eyes of my people, he is my husband. I should be with him. I-I wish to be with him." Director Kasuga sat back in his chair and thought for a moment. Frost was indirectly asking his permission to move out of the small dormitory room she had lived in since she was nine. He then said, "Well, the Empire has recognized the Amazon laws in this regard as an engagement, legally binding as a contract, so you are now technically his fiancée, assuming he fulfilled all the requirements involved. Are you sure this is what you want?" "Yes," she replied softly, nodding her head once without lifting her gaze. "Then you have my permission, Frost-chan," he said, slipping for a moment into more familiar tones. While she was a valuable asset of the Mobius Institute, he had come to look on her as another daughter over the years. And he trusted her judgment that this would not interfere with her duties at the Institute. "I will telephone his mother and inform her of your arrival, and the circumstances surrounding it." Frost looked up at that point, and a quiet smile was on her face. She stood and bowed to him. "Thank you, sir. I have already packed, so I will go change clothes and go see him." Director Kasuga watched her as she left his office. When she was gone, he turned around in his chair and faced out the armored glass of his window. He shook his head slightly. "Hikaru Gosunkugi," he said with a bemused shake of his head. "Will wonders never cease?" After a time, he turned back to the intercom on his desk and buzzed his aide. "Bring me Hikaru Gosunkugi's file and schedule the boy for a full battery of tests. It seems we have some revising to do on his capabilities." "Yes, sir." Director Kasuga shook his head. Another name that was associated with Nabiki Tendo had turned up in a most surprising way. Although he had given his word to Cherry to keep the Institute at a distance from the girl, he resolved to talk with his friend Soun sometime in the near future about his middle daughter. After a few moments, there was a knock and the door opened, revealing his aide. Director Kasuga blinked. "That was faster than I expected." "It's not that, sir. We've received the report from the postcognitives that you requested. We're still getting weird echoes and distortions from the past, almost as bad as the static we're still getting from the future, but we did get something. I thought you should hear about it." "Come in then, and shut the door behind you." He closed the folder on his desk as his aide did as ordered, taking a seat in front of him. He folded his hands and looked expectantly at the young man. "So, what can you tell me?" "Well, most of it you already know, sir. A few weeks ago someone managed to penetrate our database's security and downloaded numerous files concerning a location in China known as Jusenkyo and the effects of the waters from its many pools, and our standard tracing methods proved to be less than adequate. However, the postcognitives you requested did succeed." "Stop trying to build the suspense," Director Kasuga said a bit tartly, waving his hand slightly. "A name. Give me a name." His aide immediately replied, "It was Ranma Saotome, sir." "Now why would-" Director Kasuga started to ask, then he paused and thought. What interest would the Saotome boy have in Jusenkyo? For that matter, how did he even know about it? Ranma had spent most of his youth in Europe and the American Prefectures, far from the pools of Jusenkyo. Why would he want to know about them? Perhaps he should have the boy brought in for questioning, or maybe even a telepathic inquiry. Director Kasuga abruptly paused. Cherry had told him specifically that he was not to do anything to hinder the path that both Ranma and Nabiki walked. Was this a part of it? Was this why he was warned? He could not afford to take a chance, not with the dangers Cherry hinted at, so he chose to trust the old monk and played a hunch instead. He leaned forward. "There's a storage depot the Institute maintains in Nerima, isn't there? What are its contents?" His aide pulled out his datapad and performed a quick search. As he scrolled through the inventory and saw what was listed there, he looked up, startled. "Why, there are several vats of Jusenkyo water there, sir. Multiple varieties, in fact. They were just delivered yesterday from the research station near Jusenkyo. Shall I alert the guards to increase security?" He started to stand up. "No!" the older man said sharply, waving him to sit down. "No, don't do anything of the kind. In fact, I want you to remove the guards from the premises until I say otherwise. All of them. And leave every vat uncovered." "Sir?" His aide looked at him, startled. "You heard me," said Director Kasuga. "This is going to be designated a Level Indigo situation, and no records will be made of this order. Do you understand?" "Yes, sir." The aide snapped to attention and saluted. Level Indigo was one of the highest security ratings the Institute had. "But what do we do if someone is affected by some of the Jusenkyo water?" "Nothing," Director Kasuga replied, casually leaning back in his chair and thinking about the possible outcomes. "We do absolutely nothing. As far as the Institute is concerned, we let whatever happens happen." "All right, sir. I'll take care of getting the guards pulled from the facility." The man saluted again and then left. Director Kasuga turned to face the window, watching the falling rain outside. "Such an interesting day today has become," he mused. ****************************** Minami put the finishing touches on herself for the day, then incanted the words that had by now become second nature to her, sealing the spell of cosmetic sorcery in place until the next sunrise. She then spent several moments admiring herself in the mirror. A smile lit her face at what she saw, her bustline looking nicely firm and well-rounded today. She first turned to one side and then the other as she struck a few poses, some quite demure and others more sultry and suggestive in nature. She then nodded at the effect, her face turning serious. "Perfect," she murmured. "Now let Kuonji-kun try and ignore me." She felt a new determination fill her. She had begun to doubt the power of her femininity to attract his attention, but today was a new day. She was confident that he would notice her now, hopefully even ask her out on a date. And if Hikaru Gosunkugi knew what was good for him, he would take more notice of her as well when she showed up at his door to walk with him to the Academy. Grabbing up her schoolbag, she exited her bedroom and headed downstairs. Today was going to be a good day for her, she was confident of that. ****************************** "Where is that idiot?" Ryoko grumbled to herself as she stood outside the public bath in the rain, holding a dark blue umbrella over her head, angry with herself for having let Ryoga out of her sight so she could clean up a bit. After taking nearly two full days to find the Hibiki boy, using what little money she had with her to sleep in cheap hotels and eat fast food, getting more and more irritated and frantic with each hour spent searching for him, she had finally came across him camped out in a city park, calmly boiling some water for soup. After a few minutes spent pummeling him to ease her stress levels, she joined him at his camp. She was currently wearing some of his spare clothing right now, since her own were not fit for use right now after being worn for two days straight without a washing. She dearly wished she had thought to bring a change of underwear with her though. The bath had helped her mood, until now. Ryoko glanced at her watch again as the rain poured down around her. It had only been thirty minutes. How could a guy get lost from inside a public bath in so short a time? He wasn't illiterate, so was reading a sign too much to ask for? She growled again. At least sharing his sleeping bag in his tent last night had shown her one thing. Ryoga Hibiki might have been a total idiot, as well as inexplicably dyslexic with directions, but he was a trustworthy guy. He didn't try a single thing with her all night, keeping his back to her the whole time and going right to sleep. Ryoko growled again and set off hunting for Ryoga, her free hand twitching at her side. He was probably on his way to find that Ukyo guy again, she quickly decided, so she headed off in the general direction of the Imperial Academy. She was just as eager to return there herself anyway. After two days spent brooding about it, a habit she had picked up from spending time with Ryoga on the way to Tokyo, she was yearning to pound some respect into Nabiki Tendo for her remarks. Calling her 'Goblin Girl' had been, well, just plain rude. "Just you wait, Nabiki Tendo," Ryoko murmured grimly, as she stomped down the street. "Once I catch up to that idiot Ryoga and tie a bell around his neck, you're getting yours. Just you wait." ****************************** Hitomi Gosunkugi was nervous as she fixed her son's breakfast. Today was the day when she would finally be hearing back from Genom on her application for a loan to purchase a Lilith. Unfortunately, the best she could afford on their limited budget was one of Genom's factory seconds with minimal training packages installed. Still, she (since Hitomi didn't like thinking of a Lilith as an 'it') would be able to help maintain the household and be a companion for her little Hikaru, and that was all that really mattered to her. Visiting Genom's new showroom in Nerima's commercial district had actually been quite a pleasant experience, and she had seen a great many variety of models of the female Liliths and the male Samaels on display for potential customers. It reminded her a bit of how shopping for a car had been like when she had gone with her husband, back when he was still alive, but a car could not talk with an interested buyer about available options and pricing plans like a Genom replicant could. In fact, the only real human being there had been the general manager. Everyone else on staff had been produced in one of Genom's production facilities, from the demonstration models and salespeople right down to the cleaning staff. And all of them had been so nice to her, it had made her feel so much at ease. One of the Samaels, a handsome and muscular young man named Jun had seemed quite happy to take her around the showroom and introduce her to the various models on display. She had not known that there was such a variety available. Jun had also happily explained about Genom's new sales drive this year, to make replicants more commonly available to the average family by offering cash rebates and very low-interest payment plans. She had left her information, and Jun had promised to look around for a bargain for her. She hoped he was successful in his search. The wait was starting to fray her nerves. If a Lilith did arrive, she hoped Hikaru would be happy with his new companion. ****************************** Frost materialized in the hallway outside the apartment where Hikaru lived with his mother, startling one of the neighbors on his way to work. Instead of her usual loose robes, she was wearing a pale blue Chinese-style dress, slit up one side to just below her hip, with dark blue shoes and a small matching pocketbook. After shrinking her staff down to the size of a pencil, she put it inside her purse and snapped it shut. She then cast a simple charm spell on the man, who was still staring at her, causing him to forget her sudden appearance and even ignore her current presence. She watched him as he walked down the hall, muttering to himself. When she was finally alone in the hallway, Frost pulled out a small compact and did one last check on her appearance in its tiny mirror, wanting to make a good first impression on her future mother-in-law. She smoothed back her pale hair with one hand and adjusted her jade hairpiece, fussing with it until it was just right. When she was finally satisfied, she put the compact away and took a deep breath to calm herself, letting it out as she rang the bell. Her expression became placid once again, especially since a smile might have made her appear frivolous. Besides, she was unused to smiling, or even showing any emotions actually. Then she waited. ****************************** "Mother, why are you walking with me to Gosunkugi-kun's place?" Minami asked in irritation, turning around briefly. Rain dripped off of their umbrellas. The woman had been walking with her for several minutes now, making typical mother-daughter small talk with her. It was really getting on Minami's nerves, this rare attempt by her mother at familial closeness. "I just have something to discuss with Gosunkugi-kun's mother, and her telephone wasn't working," Kunami said cryptically. "Besides, we don't spend much time together anymore, Manami-chan, so I thought I'd walk with you and we could talk a bit about how things are going with you." "Great," Minami muttered, pasting a smile on her face. The day could not get any worse now, as far as she was concerned. ****************************** Director Kasuga set down the telephone when the Gosunkugi household's number came up busy again. His aide came in at that point with some new crisis threatening the Empire, so he decided he would just have to try again later. Hopefully, a slight delay would not cause Frost any problems. ****************************** Hitomi jumped a bit when she heard the doorbell ring. She hurried out of the kitchen and opened the front door. She blinked at the sight that greeted her eyes, seeing the calm, pale-skinned girl standing on her doorstep. Then she smiled. With coloring like that, Genom must have made her, and she was an adorable little Lilith. "Come in, dear," Hitomi said pleasantly, standing aside to allow the girl in and gesturing for her to come inside. "Come right in. I've been expecting you. I wasn't told your name, I'm afraid." "I am Frost." Although her expression did not change, the sorceress was relieved that she had not arrived before Director Kasuga had been able to make his telephone call. She bowed slightly and then stepped into the small apartment, looking around with interest. She noted that Hikaru's mother was studying her as she walked past. Hitomi watched as Frost slipped off her shoes, and she looked the girl up and down. Such an exotic name the Lilith had, but it seemed to suit her. The albino coloring and pale hair had been a bit of a shock at first, as well as the girl's Chinese features, but she had a certain ethereal beauty that was pleasing to the eye. Her figure was slender but nicely proportioned, with an adequate enough bustline to attract a boy's attention without being overdone like someone Hitomi could name, and the silk dress she was wearing showed that she possessed slim but shapely legs. She was sure Hikaru would love his new companion. "Oh, let me go get my son," she said, gushing with excitement. She shut the door and hurried to Hikaru's room. "Oh, he's just going to adore you!" Frost made her way to the main room and settled herself at the main table to wait for Hikaru's mother to deliver him to her. Although her face had an appearance of wintry disinterest upon it, inside she felt quite pleased that things seemed to be going so well, especially that her future mother-in-law accepted her so readily. She was looking forward to announcing her formal claim upon Hikaru and setting a date for the wedding. She then wondered what their future children would be like and started considering what she would name them. ****************************** He was falling. The streets of a vast, sprawling city lay spread before his vision as he plummeted down towards the paving stones of Rome far below. Terror gripped him as the scene blurred in his gaze as tears filled his eyes, the ground rushing up at him as he rolled and tumbled helplessly. Air roaring past him stole his voice. He could not breathe. He could not scream. His life was about to end, and his own pride had killed him, for dueling one of the Nazarene's followers with magic. How could that simpleton Peter have defeated him? He was Simon Magus, damn it! He was the greatest sorcerer in the entire Roman Empire, the Lord of Illusions, and yet he was about to die on the cobblestones of the Holy Way of Rome below him within moments, bested by a mere fisherman. His thoughts spiraled into regret, that he would never see his beloved Helen again, never be able to feel the touch of her hand or taste her lips anymore. Tears flowed from his eyes, and his soul screamed in defiance of his fate. He would cheat it. He would cheat death. He would not let it end this way! The cobblestones zoomed upwards at him- -and Hikaru Gosunkugi came awake with a gasp, his heart pounding. For a moment, he didn't know where he was, and he looked around wildly, yet his mind was blank as to why he felt such blind terror, the reasons already faded. After a few moments, the familiar sights of his small room finally registered on him. With a shuddering sigh, he buried his face in his hands and tried to calm his labored breathing, to still the nameless fears that had already begun to fade. As he did so, he heard someone knocking on his door. "Hikaru-chan?" Hitomi called through the door, and then she knocked once more. Her precious son was sometimes slow to wake in the morning. "Hikaru-chan? There's someone here to see you." There was another pause. "It's a surprise I have for you." "A-all right, Mother," he called back, his voice still a little shaky. "I'll be right out." He slowly got out of bed and then began putting on his uniform, wondering what was going on. ****************************** Minami rang the doorbell and waited for Hikaru or his mother to come and answer the door. Behind her, her mother was humming cheerfully, a suspicious thing in itself. The whole experience was beginning to seriously grate on her. She shot her mother a glance, wondering what was going on in the woman's head. Impatiently, she rang again, leaning on the button a bit this time. What was taking them so long? ****************************** Hearing the doorbell ring a couple of times, and knowing that Hikaru's mother was busy, Frost got up from the table and took it upon herself to answer it. Her bare feet padded softly on the tatami mats laid out neatly on the floor. She rested her hand on the door handle, and she suddenly realized that she was acting just like a proper Japanese wife would. With a faint smile on her face at the thought, she opened the door. "Welcome to-" and then Frost stopped, seeing who was at the door. Her wisp of a smile vanished as she stared at Minami, wondering what the Ghost Sweeper trainee was doing here. And who was that slightly heavyset woman with her? She appeared much like the redhead standing before her might look in a few years. The two girls briefly gawked at each other. Breaking the brief staring contest, Minami blinked at the unexpected sight of the pale-skinned sorceress in a Chinese-style dress. What was Robot Girl doing in that outfit? And, far more importantly, just what the hell was she doing there in _her_ Hikaru-kun's apartment answering the door? "Um." For a moment, Minami actually found herself at a loss for words. Frost's gaze narrowed slightly, and then she simply shut the door in Minami's face and headed back to the main table to sit down. "Hikaru will be out shortly, dear," said Hitomi as she came back into the room. "Who was that at the door?" "No one of consequence," Frost remarked calmly as she sat back down. There was a sudden loud banging on the door. Hitomi glanced at Frost and then answered it herself. "Where is she?!" a seething Minami demanded. "WHERE'S FROST?!" "Um." Now it was Hitomi's turn to find herself at a loss for words. She noticed Minami's mother behind the girl before the young Ghost Sweeper quickly pushed past her. "Such a lively household you have in the mornings, Gosunkugi-san," said Kunami critically, with a frown on her face. "Do you mind if I come in for a little bit?" Hitomi shook her head automatically and stood aside to let the other woman past, still a little shocked at all the excitement suddenly going on. Behind her, she heard Minami's loud voice and Frost's quieter one as the two girls began arguing. "What's the big idea of shutting the door in my face?" Minami demanded, her glasses glinting menacingly as she loomed over Frost. "And what the hell are you doing here, anyway?" Frost looked up, her gaze serene. "Your presence here is not required, Manami Minami," she said simply. "Please leave." She then went back to ignoring the seething redhead while she quietly waited for Hikaru to arrive, so that she could formally state her acceptance of his victory over her and bestow upon him a proper Kiss of Marriage, then they could begin making plans for the wedding. "Not required?" Minami felt one eyebrow twitch a bit at the use of her full name, and her glasses fogged up some. She hated the alliterative sound of it, which was why she only used her family name. "Look, Robot Girl, I don't know what kind of game you're playing here, but I want you out of this apartment! Go back to the Mobius Institute and study a spellbook, or whatever it is you usually do." "No." Frost glanced only briefly at Minami, wondering when the noisy intruder upon the peace of this household was going to leave. She then went back to considering what names she would be giving to her future children with Gosunkugi, finding that to be a more pleasant activity than dealing with the fuming redhead still looming over her. Minami's right eyebrow twitched again, and her glasses glinted. She was about to utter a scathing tirade upon Frost when Hikaru made his appearance. She glanced at him, and her gaze was fierce and accusing. "Um, what's going on?" he asked somewhat timidly, shying back a little from Minami's angry glare at him as he set his bookbag down. "W-what's all the shouting about?" Frost stood up from the table when he came into the room. "Airen," she said calmly, and then she strode over to him and laid her arms over his shoulders. "Wo da airen." And then she kissed him firmly on the lips, bestowing upon him the Kiss of Marriage. She did find it to be so much more pleasant kissing him when he was awake and aware, although she still wasn't quite sure if she was doing it right, never having kissed anyone before. So, after a moment, she began putting more effort into it, finding the resulting sensations enjoyable. Reactions were mixed. Hikaru blinked when Frost's lips first made contact with his, and he felt her arms reach around his neck and gently hug him to her. He just stood there, shocked to the core of his being, uncertain what to do. A girl, a _pretty_ girl, was kissing him! Wait, not just any girl. She was Frost, the Wizardslayer. His eyes went very wide as he stood there in a state of near panic, the initial kiss beginning to deepen as the young sorceress started putting quite a bit more of herself into it. He twitched with uncertainty, unable to decide whether he should embrace her back or shove her away from him, but the desire to do the former was quickly winning. Minami stared, utterly aghast, wondering what was going on and why her Hikaru-kun was being molested by this pale-skinned Chinese floozy. Why was Robot Girl kissing him? And how dare he look like he was enjoying it so much? That stunned expression on his face didn't fool her a bit. Hitomi was startled. Her son's new Lilith was certainly an aggressive girl, but it was probably the right approach to take with her shy son. Her little Hikaru was apparently enjoying her gift to him, and she was secretly pleased by the effect the scene was having on Minami. Maybe this would finally allow her to be rid of the girl from their lives. Kunami stood there, shocked and aghast, and then she glanced from her daughter to Hikaru. Why wasn't the Gosunkugi boy pushing that little Chinese tramp away from him? How could he kiss some foreign bimbo in a tight dress right there in front of her precious Manami-chan like he was doing? Did the boy have no shame at all? And what of his mother? What proper mother would ever want their son involved with a foreign girl? It just wasn't proper. "H-Hikaru-kun!" Minami finally managed to stammer out, and then she stomped over to the couple and pulled them apart quite forcefully, her breath coming in heaving gasps. She immediately put herself between them and then glared at the stupefied look on Hikaru's face. "Snap out of it!" she commanded him, and then she slapped him, quite hard. Kunami whirled to face Hitomi. "What kind of a boy are you raising here, Gosunkugi-san?" She pointed at Frost. "And who is this- this-" "I am Frost," the Amazon sorceress said calmly. "By defeating me in arcane combat, Hikaru Gosunkugi is now my Airen, my intended husband." "Th-that's ridiculous!" Minami blustered, keeping her position between Frost and Hikaru. "Y-you're the Wizardslayer! No boy has ever been able to defeat you, not even the upperclassmen! How could Hikaru-kun of all people ever beat you?" "I was undefeated, until now." Frost laid a hand on Minami's shoulder. "Stand aside, please. He is mine now." "Like hell," Minami muttered angrily. Who did this albino freak think she was dealing with? She was Ghost Sweeper Minami! She was the most powerful Ghost Sweeper of her generation! There was no way she was just going to back down from some emotionless mannequin of a girl, no matter what her rep was. Fueled by her surging passions, she began summoning up her powers, feeling them flowing quite easily within her, a red-gold aura beginning to rise from the floor and surround her. Sensing an imminent arcane attack from the overly emotional girl, Frost began raising her own powers to defend herself. While the young Ghost Sweeper was a capable enough spellcaster in her own right, Frost knew she clearly outmatched the other girl, and the pale-skinned sorceress was confident she would quickly prevail if it came down to a fight between them. Even so, she was a bit uncertain how to minimize the collateral damage that would occur if she and the Ghost Sweeper fought each other here. A blue-white aura began to coruscate up around her. When both girls began powering up in front of him, Hikaru abruptly came out of his kiss-induced paralysis and quickly grabbed hold of Minami's shoulder before things went too far. "P-please d-don't do this. N-not in my Mom's apartment!" "W-what?" Minami replied, a bit startled, looking back at him as her own energies began dissipating. She quickly glanced at Frost and then to him once more. Then she whirled on Hikaru, her temper flaring up again. "Oh, I see how it is now! Fine! Go ahead and play house with Robot Girl! You can't handle a real woman, Hikaru Gosunkugi, so you want to play with this emotionless doll instead! You couldn't handle something like this!" She suddenly grabbed him and kissed him, pouring into the embrace all of the passions for him she had held back for so long, feeling tears stinging her eyes and misting her glasses. It was far more intense than their first kiss had been, the one where he had called her by another girl's name. Well, she would show him her measure as a woman in this kiss, as she put her entire being into it. For the second time this morning, Hikaru's eyes went wide as he felt his vision glazing over. What was Minami doing? Why was she kissing him? Was that her tongue? She felt so warm against him as her body pressed up against his. He belatedly realized it felt pretty good, now that he thought about it. He felt a sudden heat run through him like a flashfire as the kiss deepened and became even more passionate, and he began instinctively putting his arms around her to return the embrace. "That's enough," Frost's cold voice suddenly announced, grabbing one of Minami's arms and quickly muscling her away from Hikaru. The two girls began exchanging withering looks at each other again, Minami's eyes flashing with fire and Frost's holding an icy chill within them as they regarded one another grimly. Invisible sparks suddenly clashed within the air between them as they briefly attempted to glare each other to death. Gosunkugi took that opportunity, while the two young sorceresses were distracted with each other, to beat a hasty retreat before they could blow up the apartment, or him for that matter. He quickly snatched up his jacket and bookbag, only pausing at the door to slip on his shoes before he bolted from the apartment as fast as he could run. Once clear of the door, he unconsciously muttered a spell of invisibility, enhancing his own esper abilities at concealment, and he kept running. Several moments later, both girls suddenly realized he was gone. "Coward!" Minami roared, charging out the door after him. How dare he run out on her like that after she'd declared her true feeling for him? A blush burned her cheeks as she thought about the kiss. Kunami spared a pointed look at Hitomi, and then she too left. Her poor daughter. Well, it was obvious how strongly her precious little Manami-chan felt for the boy, and it would deal with two big problems at once, since it seemed both her daughter and the Gosunkugi boy were running wild with the opposite sex. Engaging them to each other would at least give them an acceptable outlet for their hormonally-driven passions. As she walked down the hallway, she began considering plans. After everyone else had left, Frost turned to her future mother-in-law and looked at her calmly. "So, where will I be sleeping?" Hitomi, still a bit shell-shocked by everything that had just happened, chuckled slightly. Did other mothers have such difficulties with their sons? ****************************** "An engagement?" Nodoka set down her teacup and began refilling it from the pot on the table as she considered the somewhat startling offer she had just heard. As she did so, Achika sipped at her tea, trying to hide her nervousness, feeling worried that Nodoka might not grant her request. She was near to her wit's end. She had not heard from Ryoko for a couple of days after that brief phone call, and all sorts of very worrisome thoughts had been filling her mind during that time, wondering about her wayward daughter and what was going on between her and that Hibiki boy. After all, he seemed to be a healthy young man, and Ryoko was a healthy young woman. Both of them were filled with the passions and hormones of youth. She glanced at Nodoka again. "I know we never really discussed it much," Achika began, setting down her own teacup. "But now that Ranma is back and settled in at home, we should talk about it. Having our children marry would please me very much, Nodoka." She bowed deeply. "Please consider it." Nodoka put her hand gently on Achika's shoulder as her best friend looked up from her bow, and she asked, "Why this sudden interest?" "Oh, Nodoka, having a daughter is so troublesome sometimes," Achika sighed. "When Ryoko's only contact with boys was beating them up, I never felt this concerned, but she's brought a young man home with her from her last training trip. His name is Ryoga Hibiki." She picked up her teacup and drank from it briefly. "You're lucky you only have a son to raise. Boys are much less worrisome, like my Tenchi is. He never gives me cause for concern." "Well, I might be having a daughter this time, so I will rely on your advice in raising her," she said with a smile. The thought that she might have a little girl around the house pleased her as she briefly stroked her belly. If she had one, she teach her how to be a proper Japanese woman, and that made her happy. And she would never quarrel with her daughter, she was quite sure of that. Theirs would be a relationship of mutual and sincere respect, Nodoka mused, unlike how she had gotten along with her own mother. "When Ranma first came home, I did consider talking with you about such a thing, but Ryoko seemed a bit much for my son to handle." She smiled as she thought about the girl, so active and filled with life, so much like Achika was at that age. It was like looking back in time, in a way. Achika nodded. "Yes, Ryoko-chan can be a handful, which is why Ranma would be good for her. He could be a stabilizing influence on her." She paused a moment, then asked a bit tentatively, "How is his martial arts training going?" "Oh, Ranma is becoming such a fine young warrior," Nodoka said with a proud smile. "He trains so hard now, and Genma and I are both deeply honored that a living legend like Master Jun Fan Lee has taken him on as a student. Ranma's even been getting into fights lately, but I'm sure he's winning them. I was a little worried about how quiet he was when he first came home, but he's become so manly nowadays." She took a sip of her tea. "Yes, that's why I feel more confident about approaching you like this now. We've been best friends for so many years, Nodoka, that I can't think of another woman I would want to have as an in-law instead of you. Tell me, of the girls you were looking at to marry Ranma, have any agreements been signed yet? Is there still a chance that Ryoko could become Ranma's fiancée?" "Well," Nodoka said with a brief pause. "Unless Genma signed one of them without consulting me, there aren't any official agreements." She chuckled at that then looked thoughtful. "However, there is now a tentative verbal agreement between myself and Kenseiko Kuno, concerning her daughter, Kodachi. That's the only agreement that I'm aware of, but it's nothing formal." "Kenseiko?" Achika exclaimed, surprised. "But you hate her. You two were the worst of enemies. Why would you agree to engage your own son to a daughter of that psychotic bitch?" Nodoka sipped her tea for a moment. "Oh, we had a talk the other day, and while she's still a little shaky mentally, she's not quite as bad as she used to be years ago. We cleared the air a bit between us, and I actually had what turned out to be an enjoyable visit. I suspect Kenseiko is actually a bit lonely, so I was even thinking of inviting her to join our workouts. After all, you'll need a sparring partner for when I get too heavy to move around well." "I'd love to," Achika said with a wolfish smile, savoring the thought. Kenseiko and Nodoka had mostly clashed with each other as enemies, much like she herself had often fought more with Kimiko, but she had been involved in her own share of run-ins with the crazy young noblewoman. Nodoka set down her tea. "I also secured her promise to hold off on challenging me until after my baby is born. However, if it's a boy and Ranma does marry Kodachi, he is to become a Kuno. If it's a girl, then Kodachi will become a Saotome. But nothing is definite or official yet. Kenseiko and I agreed to wait and see how Ranma and Kodachi's relationship develops. But it might become problematic for me if things don't work out between them." "Don't worry," Achika said, laying her hand on Nodoka's. "If Kenseiko does challenge you before you're ready, I will stand in as your second. Nothing would please me more than to have another chance to pound that annoying woman into the dirt. Gods, how I hated her laugh." She shuddered. The two women held hands. "Thank you, Achika. When Ryoko returns home, we will have an omiai and introduce our children to each other." She smiled. "And you're right. It would be pleasing to wed our two children together, to seal our friendship in such a way. I'll talk it over with Genma. I'm sure he won't object." Visions of grandchildren, black-haired little boys and green-haired little girls, danced in the back of her mind, and she wondered if Achika would mind if Ranma showed Ryoko how manly he was, like he had with the Tenjou girl. ****************************** The heavy rain spilled down outside the walls of Yu-chan's, briefly punctuated by occasional loud rumbles of thunder rolling across the skies. It had been raining like this for several days. Yumi sighed, eyeing her empty restaurant, the last of the lunch crowd having already left for work or other business, leaving her alone again amidst the solitude of her own thoughts. She bent her spine back a bit and twisted her shoulders from left to right, hearing a few crackling pops from her back as the bones realigned back into place, causing her to sigh with relief. She and Ukyo had enjoyed another strenuous workout on the roof just after dawn, during a brief lull in the rain. It had become their habit to do so, and those first few days had quickly shown Yumi that she had definitely been letting herself slide over the past few years of softer living, far too much for her tastes. The rigorous training sessions with Ukyo were gradually knocking the rust off her skills, bringing her back again to being the powerful fighter she once was. It seemed like just yesterday to Yumi that she was Ukyo's age, a proud young martial artist, ready to take on the world. Looking at her niece now, filled with the passions and strength of youth, it was a reminder to Yumi that she was getting older. The fiery-tempered girl she had once been was now matured into an adult woman, still relatively young, but she was most definitely not a teenager anymore. Where had all the time gone? Ukyo had left for school in really good spirits again this morning. A little bit of friendly persuasion (which included an admittedly rather painful joint lock applied to the girl) had loosened Ukyo's tongue as to the cause, a second date with Ranma coming up. Yumi was pleased that things were going so well for her niece, and that the business the Hibiki boy had with Ukyo the other day must have concluded quietly, since the girl had not talked about it. Still, Ukyo's eventful social life reminded Yumi of the doldrums her own was in. She had been throwing hints of interest at the few men she had been noticing eyeing her, like Kozo Fuyutsuki, the Dean of Ukyo's new school, but so far none of them had asked her out yet. She sighed a bit wistfully, eyeing the rain coming down outside. She considered heading over to the local Go salon and relaxing with a game or two before the lunch crowd was due. At least she wouldn't be alone, even though everyone there this time of day was her senior by at least some twenty years. A bolt of lightning cracked across the sky almost directly overhead, lighting up the front of her restaurant. It illuminated a figure on the other side of the front door, just before it was slid to one side. Yumi put on her best professional smile, with just the proper twinkle in her eyes to put a customer at ease. When she saw who it was, her eyebrow raised slightly and her expression darkened a bit. "Welcome to Yu-chan's," she said neutrally, gazing at the figure in her doorway as he tipped his head back, eventually revealing a familiar face under the broad-brimmed straw hat. The expression on Yumi's face became inscrutable, and she said a bit grimly, "I was wondering if I'd ever see you again, Cherry." She paused for a moment and frowned deeply. "You're late." "On the contrary," Cherry replied a bit stiffly, as the elderly monk lifted his hat from his head and casually tossed it up to land on the stand by the door. "A true follower of the Buddha's teachings is never late. Neither is he ever early." He removed his rain slicker and hung it up, then he rested his seven-ring staff against the wall with a soft jingle and turned to face Yumi. She could see a small, tightly-wrapped bundle in his hands. "He always arrives anywhere precisely on time, for such is his fate." For a few moments, the two stared at each other. Then Yumi's grim look faded into a grin, one quickly matched by Cherry. "It's good to see you again, old friend," said Yumi with a mirthful chuckle. "So, where have you been hiding yourself these past few months?" Cherry hopped up on one of the stools in front of the griddle. "Oh, here and there. I try to keep my hand in things as I can." He dropped the small bundle on top of the counter and gave her a wry grin. "I don't suppose you might have anything vaguely edible in this place for a tired old man, cold and wet from the rain?" "I'll see what I can do," said Yumi with false solemnity, even as she was already mixing together several items into the batter before skillfully pouring it on to the griddle. She smiled at the blissful look that appeared on Cherry's face at the scent of fresh okonomiyaki cooking in front of him. She briefly eyed the package he had brought with him. Cherry seemed content to inhale the delicate odor as he felt his body warm in the heated interior of the restaurant. After a while he said quietly, "Three months goes by fast." "That it does," agreed Yumi, flipping the okonomiyaki over, where it sizzled slightly and steamed a bit as it cooked. She reached over and picked up the bundle from where it sat, placing it behind the counter. "Although things have been getting livelier around here lately." "Oh?" Cherry licked his lips briefly, the delicious smell of the food enticing him. "Business picking up, or is it something else?" He glanced up at Yumi's face. "My niece is staying with me," Yumi replied, listening to the sizzling sounds as a gauge to judge the optimal moment to serve it. Her left hand snagged up a sauce dispenser, and she began writing wishes of good fortune on the top of it in kanji, in a loose-handed script. Ukyo had been delighted at seeing her do such things for special customers, and she had begun practicing writing Ranma's name in sauce and drawing a heart around it. It had been rather cute to watch. Cherry licked his lips again. Eating good food was the one weakness he allowed himself as a man, but it was a struggle sometimes to hold it in moderation. The smell of Yumi's cooking was distracting him quite a bit, but he forced himself to look at her again. "Your niece?" Yumi grunted once in affirmation. "Her name's Ukyo." "That must make things more difficult for you." Yumi served the piping hot okonomiyaki to Cherry, putting it on a plate in front of him. "Nothing I can't handle. I've had a lot of practice in hiding it over the years." She wiped her hands on a towel and then poured him some tea. "It's not like the old days." "True," Cherry acknowledged. "It's not like the old days." He raised his cup of tea to her in salute. "Do you ever miss it?" "You mean all the hairbreadth escapes and life and death fights?" Yumi paused, shrugged, and then grinned conspiratorially. "Sometimes. But at other times I'm glad I got out when I did. A person can only have so many victories in life. Sooner or later, you push your luck too far and buy the farm, or maybe just a piece of it. I saw it happening to too many of my peers, but it wasn't going to happen to me. Still, while doing my part for king and country cost me my chance at marriage and a normal existence as a woman, I don't have many regrets about what I've done with my life." Cherry nodded. "You were the best agent I ever had, Kuonji-kun. I'm glad things are going well for you." Cherry began consuming the meal in front of him, savoring it fully. "So, what brings your niece into town? Cooking training? Combat training?" Yumi grinned. "Nothing like that. She's engaged to a local boy named Ranma Saotome. She's staying with me while they get to know each other a bit better." His meal already half-eaten despite his best efforts at holding back, Cherry suddenly paused and glanced at Yumi. "I see," he said, and then he went back to eating, this time a bit more slowly. "He's a nice kid," said Yumi with a smile, looking down at Cherry. "I like him a lot. And I think he'll make Ukyo a pretty good husband." She then thought back to the somewhat furtive conversation she had observed yesterday between the two men in her restaurant, one of them a high-ranked officer in the Security Directorate. It nagged at the back of her mind that they might have been talking about Ranma marrying some girl other than Ukyo, but Saotome was a fairly common last name in Tokyo. She was sure her concerns over Ukyo's future happiness would ease after meeting the boy's parents. The girl had practically been floating on air ever since her first date with Ranma. Cherry slowly finished his meal, looking thoughtful. Yumi could tell that something was bothering him. She studied the elderly monk. "What is it, Cherry?" She started cleaning the grill. When he was done eating, Cherry hopped down off the stool and headed for the door. But he turned to face her before opening the door. "The past always seems to have a way of catching up to us whenever we least expect it, Kuonji-kun. I suppose it's fate." He put on his rain slicker and hat, before picking up his staff. Then he left without another word. "Uh, yeah," Yumi replied after several moments, mystified at Cherry's enigmatic words. Then she shrugged her shoulders. After he was gone, she pulled down the banner outside and locked up. The weather was still storming pretty heavily outside. Passing the counter, she picked up the small bundle behind it and carried it upstairs, humming softly. ****************************** (to be continued in Part 2 of 2) .---Anime/Manga Fanfiction Mailing List----. | Administrators - ffml-admins@anifics.com | | Unsubscribing - ffml-request@anifics.com | | Put 'unsubscribe' in the subject | `---- http://ffml.anifics.com/faq.txt -----' |