TRTSS12: The Winged Horse! – By DS Wynne
Disclaimer: R1/2, SM, ST, Sekirei and other genres belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre story.
Special Note: This story was originally a part of an anthology format found in the Sailor Moon ST story called "Journey to Adventure". While the first two chapters are recaps found in "Journey to Adventure", the third chapter begins FRESH (i.e. the plot continues in no other story except in this one). Furthermore, this story takes place before "Ranma's Precious Jewel". As always, C&C are welcomed.
Part 1
It was the spring, the following year, and life was pretty good, if uneventful.
In a "burg" named Shintou Teitou, which was more or less "owned" by Mishima Zaibatsu rival "MBI". Recent moves to control 80 percent of the local market prompted newlywed Nabiki Kuno, a young business executive within Mishima, to call in a favor…
"…And I still don't see why I have to do this, Nabs," Ranma says, as he is walking home, while speaking on his phone. "Between my business with the American and British governments, and my teaching job in Nekomi, I am rather busy."
"Oh, please," Nabiki replied over the line. "You're not SO busy to take the Digger Sisters to Iceland this time of year with Usagi."
"Nabiki, THAT is business. Gina's old college classmate feels that his brother might be trapped in the center of the Earth. And since Usagi and I are more familiar with that prospect, we are coming along. And besides, with the economic downturn in Iceland happening, the Rantsu Foundation can make a good will-gesture in donating much-needed funding for social services."
"I know, I'm looking at the books right now."
"Well, just make sure that the only thing you do IS only looking at the books. Usagi and I didn't sock away billions of dollars for humanitarian projects, just so that you can get your hands on it."
"Well, I'm offended. Especially since I am the mother of our child…"
"By way of the Norse gods. Remember this: Ran, Prince of Asgard, is with Lokidis, goddess of Magic and Mystery, while Ranma and Nabiki are separate, mortal identities."
"Speaking of which, remember your cover…'Minato Sahashi'."
"Yeah, yeah, I KNOW. I'm supposed to be stumbling would-be college student with a poor academic record. Surprise there, eh?"
"Be as it may, Mishima wants to know what's MBI is up to. The CEO, Minato Hiroto, is a rather reclusive and eccentric man who's best known for 'gene-engineering' techniques, though he's branched out into other areas. And from what has been learned, he has had a working relationship with the Digimon Corporation. And know how THAT turned out."
"No kidding," Ranma says. "That 'business' was actually a front for the Technocratic Union, which wanted to manipulate its customers as a means of controlling the Digital Web. And this was only done successfully when the Technocrats successfully made the world think that the 'Digital Destined' were nothing more than fictional characters."
"Speaking of which, some young woman named 'Hikari Yagami' was looking for the younger you in Nerima."
"Oh, god," Ranma says to himself. He remembered Hikari (or 'Kari', as he called her back in his youth) as a sickly shy girl who got brave after being united with her own Digimon (i.e. "Digital Monster") named "Gatoman". Of course, it was REAL funny whenever his fear of cats took over his senses, but at least Ranma had "Ponimon" to keep him…
It must be noted that Ponimon's 'evolved' form was "LadyCentaurmon", which had a crush on Ranma.
"Look, just say that I'm married now, okay?" Ranma says. "Kari is a sweet girl, but…at lot of things have changed since…those days when I was a kid. She deserves someone better."
"Well, I'll make sure she knows that," Nabiki says. "Anyway, with you in Shintou Teitou, we can find out Minaka is up to. Keep me posted."
"Yeah, yeah. BYE."
CHIRP!
"Really," Ranma says, as he pockets his cellphone into his pocket. "That's the LAST time I'm doing a favor for her-"
"Ah-yiiiiii-!"
Ranma looks up, and sees massive, female chest crashing down on his face.
BAM!
"Oof!" Ranma says, as he and some strange girl collapse on ground.
"Oh, my," the girl says, as she gets up. "I'm sorry about that…"
Ranma looks at the girl, as sizes her up. She appeared to be eighteen, cute and quite 'healthy'.
"Um, forget about it-"
Suddenly, Ranma felt the air itself, as it was ionizing.
"Look out!" Ranma says, as he pulls the strange girl in the sexy Shinto shrine-maiden outfit out of the way.
FWAK!
Ranma and the girl looks up to see a pair of dark-haired twin dressed in S&M leather. Like the mysterious girl, these two were 'healthy'.
"Huh," says one of the girls. "Is that boy Musubi's 'Ashikabi'…Hibiki?"
"Not sure, Hikari," says the other girl's twin. "And don't really care."
"Well, as long as Musubi hasn't got her wings yet, she will be 'easy pickings'."
"Right."
And with that, Hikari and Hibiki lobbed a volley of lightning strikes at Ranma and Musabi.
Ranma was about to respond to the attack, when the girl suddenly yanked him by the arm.
"Wait-!"
ZOOM!
"Darn," Hikari says, as she ceased her attack.
"We'll find her, sister," Hibiki says. "Count on it."
Later…
Ranma and the strange girl stopped near a canal. As the girl panted while trying to get her bearings straight, Ranma wondered why refugees of team "Sailor Starlights" were chasing her…
"Um, you okay?" Ranma asked.
The girl slowly turns to face Ranma.
"We…should be safe," the girl says. "But…I shouldn't have gotten you involved."
"Uh, yeah," Ranma replied.
"Where are my manners?" the girl says, as she and Ranma get up off the bench. She then turns to face Ranma, and bows slightly.
"My name is 'Musubi'. What's yours?"
'I got to remember that I'm undercover,' Ranma thought to himself…
"I'm…'Minato Sahashi'," Ranma bows likewise.
"Well, Minato, I am glad that you had saved my life," the girl says with a smile.
BLOOP!
Ranma notices how 'gifted' Musubi was. Due to his Jusenkyo curse, he was unfazed.
"Actually, I didn't…"
"Oh, but you have," Musubi says. "Had you not been there, those girls wouldn't have hesitated."
"Well, glad to help I guess-"
"Ohhhhhhh," Musubi says, as the girl collapse.
"Musubi!" Ranma says, as he caught the girl. "You okay, girl?"
"I'm so…HUNGRY…"
"Well, if you can hold off for a moment, we can go and get something to eat," Ranma offered.
"Really?"
"Really. Come…let's get out of here…"
Later…
CHOMP! CHOMP! CHOMP-!
'Healthy appetite,' Ranma thinks, as Musubi eats yet another hamburger.
"Oh, thank you," Musubi says between mouthfuls. "You don't know how hungry I was…"
"I can…imagine," Ranma says. Upon learning that his guest had no home, he had suggested that Musubi go to his rented studio for the time being, until Musubi was comfortable enough to go out on her own.
Once Musubi finishes eating her burgers, she turns to face Ranma.
"If only you were my 'Ashikubi'," Musubi says gently. "I would want to be winged with a noble soul like yours."
'That word again,' Ranma thinks. And then, Musubi takes Ranma's hand.
"Eh?"
"We are born to find are perfect partner," Musubi says, as she directs Ranma's hand unto her chest.
"W-wait-" Ranma says.
Upon placing Ranma's hand on her own chest, Musubi felt a powerful connection between herself and Ranma.
ZAP!
"Ohhh…"
And with that, Musubi fell into a state of unconsciousness.
"Um," Ranma says, as he looks at his hand, wondering why he felt a spark between the two of them.
"I'm going to find out what the heck is going on," Ranma says, as he goes over to his book-bag for his pocket computer. "I'm going to see if this 'Ashikubi' business have anything to do with MBI…"
The next day…
Musubi wakes up. She sees Ranma shutting down a mini-computer.
"Minato?" Musubi asked.
"Nothing," Ranma says. He was frustrated that the firewalls within the MBI were proving more problematic than they were worth. Still, hacking into a high-security databank wasn't so suppose to be easy.
"I was just surfing the web."
"Oh-"
KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!
Ranma and Musubi turn towards the door of his room.
"Hey!" says a gruff voice. "I KNOW you are in there, Minato!"
"What the blaze is the Landlord doing here?" Ranma says.
"Is there a problem?" Musubi says.
"Um, I'm not suppose to have females in my place."
"Oh. Well, perhaps I can explain my situation-"
"No, I'll handle it."
"Okay…"
Ranma straightens himself, as exits his room-
DOOM!
Ranma has seen many horrific things in his life, but the face of the Landlord was enough to terrorize even HIM.
"Ah!"
"Very funny," the Landlord says.
"Sorry about that," Ranma says. "What's up?"
"I want to let you know that you last rent check bounced."
"BOUNCED?"
"Bounced. You have tonight to give me the rent—cash—or you're out of here."
"No problem," Ranma says, thinking that the bounced check could be a sign that someone caught onto his hacking activities in the MBI mainframe. He'll have to tap into his 'unmarked' accounts to pull himself through…
"Humph. And, to remind you, I better not catch you with a girl in that room of yours!"
"Landlord, you don't need to be jealous of my potential to get quality 'tail', you know," Ranma says with a smirk, as he folds his arms.
"Grrr! Just have my money tonight, or else!"
And with that, the Landlord turns and walks away.
"Jerk," Ranma says, as he turns back into the room.
SLAM!
"Minato, what are we going to do?" Musubi asked.
"Ah, don't worry about it," Ranma says. "Landlord is a jerk-"
"MINATO!" Musubi says suddenly.
"What is it?" Ranma says with concern.
"I…I…I…"
"What?"
"I'm SO hungry!"
"…"
"Minato?"
"Let's go get something to eat."
"YAY!"
"…"
Tbc.
