Outlaw ½: Act 2 Ranma's First Introduction
By
triviatrap1982
I don't own Ranma ½, or Outlaw Star. They're owned by Rumiko Takahaishi, and Takehiko Ito.
Jim and Gene both had Ranma take a seat where he couldn't get injured. He buckled himself in. He remembered the science lessons on space travel. Gene looked over, and he saw that Ranma knew what to do. Gene looked to Ranma and decided to introduce him to the others a bit later. Maybe when there was no trouble on the way back. The woman saw Ranma and she decided to introduce herself to him, before she took on her duties as a navigator. She really wasn't confused to see a 20th century pig-tailed martial artist. She also figured that he got there somehow, either by magic...a Ki attack...a cryogenics chamber, or both. She spoke up and she was very friendly. She was a lot friendlier than what Ranma was used to. He was skittish, but he calmed himself down to talk.
"Hello," she said, "let me introduce myself, my name is Melfina."
"I'm Ranma," he answered, now at ease.
"Gene...you were trying to hold off on this for as long as possible did you?" Jim asked.
"Yeah, though I thought it'd been wiser if we got back home," Gene admitted.
"I think we could have introduced him before hand," Jim admonished.
"Eh, it's gonna be okay!" Gene said. "Besides...as he said, he can't go back home."
"Wait...where is home for him?" Melfina asked.
"Well...here in Nerima, Japan...all the way back in the 20th century," Gene answered. "However, it's way too dangerous here for him."
"Was he able to see some familiar landmarks...?" Melfina asked.
"I was," Ranma answered. "I have a feeling that a lot of others are destroyed, or are gone."
"That's true, we can come back at a later time," Melfina suggested.
"Okay do we have everything ready?" Gene asked.
"Not quite," Melfina said. She got to her station.
Ranma looked and Melfina was in a tube and was in suspended animation to navigate the ship, and to help it launch. He glanced back and he blushed and turned back around. He knew exactly full well what was going on. Ranma, while he was comfortable with his own body (and even with the cursed form) he still was modest when he saw another girl naked. He also remembered the huge misunderstanding when he met Akane...that was a painful experience. Gene looked over and he saw Ranma blush. He spoke up and reassured him.
"You won't get walloped," Gene said.
"I won't yeah...but..." Ranma stammered.
"I think we shouldn't push the issue," Gilliam reminded. "We take off in one minute."
"That's a good idea," Jim then actually reminded.
"Doing diagnostics on all systems," Gilliam said, running through the systems. "All systems are green!"
"Then let's get going back home!" Gene announced.
Gene took off when he got the clearance to take off. Once he did, Ranma clung on tight to the seat. He really wasn't used to this at all. Still, he kept his wits to make sure he didn't pass out. After violently leaving earth's atmosphere at the speed faster than light, all was well. Gene and Jim made sure there were no Kei pirates, or no other mercenaries...or the MacDougals. The MacDougals were the worst of the worst, and Gene genuinely hated their guts. When everything was now normal and stable, the course for Sentinel three was plotted. It would take a couple of weeks to get back home at their current speed, and they had good fuel and supplies to last that long. Ranma on the other hand he looked out. After, Gilliam took over the duties for Melfina, and that allowed everybody to get some sort of rest. Gene did show Ranma to where he'd be sleeping.
"I'm kind of used to this," Ranma said bluntly. "My old man was too cheap to even get a plane ticket to China."
"I hope you didn't stow away on a boat, or something," Gene said genuinely concerned.
"I wish," Ranma said. "We swam from Japan all the way to China..."
"Okay, he's lucky he's not here," Gene said. "I'd have ended him myself."
"I guess I should tell you my story then," Ranma said.
"Yeah, first I got to get you something to eat..." Gene reminded. "Even now you'll waste away."
Gene went to get Ranma some food. He was in the kitchen when he smelled what was coming out of it. Melfina was already on doing cooking the meal; she was making rice and chicken with curry. Still Gene made sure there was enough made for four people. Ranma was resting because he has been through quite a lot. He also ended up on his first space craft ride. That took a lot of energy out of him. When the food was ready, Jim came and got Ranma, and led him to the galley. There, Ranma sat next to Jim, but across from Gene. Melfina served everybody. She was already dressed back up, and she really was cute. Though, Ranma still managed to be a lot nervous around her.
"What's the matter?" Melfina asked.
"I promised I'd give you a rundown on my short life," Ranma answered.
"Wait, you're only how old?" Gene asked.
"I'm sixteen," Ranma answered bluntly.
"Well...I suppose we should eat first, and then get the ugly business out of the way," Gene suggested.
"That's the first sensible Idea you had in a while," Jim teased.
"Hey! I had other sensible ideas!" Gene protested.
Ranma ate, and he noticed that Gene and Jim and a relationship like any normal siblings. After they ate, Melfina cleaned up. Ranma helped her clean up. He started telling his story about his life. Jim and Gene listened in. Ranma then talked about the ten year training journey that barely had him pass middle school. Gilliam listened in and he was now able to put together the information about Ranma's life. Ranma then got to the cursed springs of Jusenkyo. Gene at this point had an objection...it wasn't epic, but the point still stood. Jim also was skeptical about where this was going. Gene, however, was the first one to speak up. He really had to ask the obvious question.
"Wait a second...a place like that existed...and you fell into some water...and turned to a girl?" Gene asked.
"Anybody got cold water?" Ranma asked.
"I do," Melfina said. "What do you want me to do?"
"Just pour on my head," Ranma requested.
"Okay, here goes," Melfina said.
"Yeah...this is what happens," Ranma said, now in his girl form.
"That's not...?" Jim started.
"That ain't dark magic, that's legit sprigs...to turn back, I just need only hot water," Ranma answered.
"Yes," Gilliam said, "there were a lot of springs dating back thousands of years."
"The problem is," Ranma continued, "while there is a known cure...I doubt the springs exist."
"That is correct," Gilliam answered. "The Chinese government bulldozed the springs in the early 2000's."
"I have a feeling the Chinese Amazons fled...they're not going to stay where they're not welcomed," Ranma said tersely.
"That also is correct, the Chinese Amazons, and the Musk Dynasty had fled China to other parts of the world," Gilliam finished.
Gene was convinced. Jim also was convinced. Ranma helped Melfina finish cleaning up. That is, not before she splashed him back with hot water to return him to his normal self. Ranma then continued his story on how he had so many fiancées at one shot. He admitted that he engaged a Chinese Amazon on accident, but it still stood. The rest was actually the workings of Genma who sold his marriage rights for rice and two pickles. Gene he frowned. Jim groaned. Both felt exactly as Ranma felt. Melfina felt that was beyond mean for Genma to do that, and to try to force him with a girl he probably didn't like. After, he told of his adventures where he almost always was in a life, or death situation...or just was in dumb situation. Gene he was crestfallen to see this kid been through a lot.
"Well...that definitely is a rough life," Gene said.
"I got used to it," Ranma said. "I am guilty of causing some of my trouble because I run my mouth too much."
"I'm the same way," Gene said. "I have a problem with one thing however."
"What's that?" Ranma asked.
"Were there any lost boys?"
"Oh yeah...Ryoga Hibiki...I knew him when we were in middle school," Ranma started. "He's a good marital artist...but...he has a shit sense of direction."
"I kind of figured so," Jim said.
"He got drowned in the spring of pig...and took advantage of that," Ranma announced.
"Like a huge...?" Jim started.
"Nope," Ranma stated, "he turns to a cute black piglet...that can snuggle into a woman's bosom when she's sleeping."
"Well, that sounds like a certain..." Jim started.
"Finish that sentence...i triple dog dare you," Gene warned.
"Okay that's enough," Melfina said firmly.
"I think it's for the best I stop right here," Ranma offered.
Gene and Jim both got the hint and quieted down. It is obvious that Gene didn't want to carry on. He also knew that Melfina would not forgive him at all. Little did they know...their straight trip would be interrupted by one angry Catarl Catarl. She would be waiting at the half-way point because of an incident that happened a while ago. There was one thing that Ranma wished he was able to get out. That was his deathly fear of cats...thanks to Genma...for teaching him the illegal cat fist technique. They would be arriving on Blue Haven in a few days, and it would actually make for one of the roughest meetings Ranma has ever had in his life...in the past, or the present.
