TRTSS20: Second Flight! – By DS Wynne
Disclaimer: R1/2, SM, ST and Sekirei belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre story.
Special Note: This is a sequel to "The Winged Horse" and "Ranma's Precious Jewel", and takes place before "Blackest Reign and a Dark Night".
Part 12
For the next few days, Ranma and Sekirei #00, the Mother Sekirei known as "Usagato", worked tireless in trying to find a cure for Ashakabi Chiho Hidaka. Ranma had asked Usagato (the prototype Sekirei, who would become the source for all one-hundred and eight Sekirei) to return to Shintou Taito (aka "New Tokyo") to help him find the cure. After all, surely one trained by the smartest scientific mind in the Universe could come up with a simple cure…
"No such luck," Usagato said, as she changed the sample data, in order to put in a new sample for examination under her nano-scope.
"Really?" Ranma said with annoyance. "Again?"
"Again," Usagato said, as she trussed back her gray hair. "And before you get on MY case about not finding a cure, I never said I couldn't find a cure. I said it would take time."
"Maybe we should get Washu on this as well?" Ranma asked.
"Tried to. Unfortunately, she is off on some wild adventure with Tenchi and company."
"Humph, well, that's not going to help," Ranma said, as he yawned. "What about the medical treatments Chiho was getting?"
"Essentially placebos," Usagato said. "What was really helping Chiho was her connection with Uzume."
"Because of the whole Ashikabi-Sekirei thing, am I right?"
"Yes. However, that connection can only take Chiho so far before an actual cure is needed-!"
Suddenly, there was a banging on the door to Ranma's TARDIS.
"I know you're in there, Minato!" said a familiar voice.
"How did Tsukiumi find us?" Usagato asked.
"Most likely she forced a confession out of Matsu," Ranma said. He then reaches for the communications array…
Meanwhile, outside of a Coca-Cola Vending Machine, by the receiving area at a local arcade, a fuming Tsukiumi is holding court with Musubi and Harmura.
"Are you sure he's here, Hamura?" Tsukiumi asked impatiently.
"That's what my contacts have said," Hamura replied. "We know from your interrogation of Matsu that Minato has a…spaceship that can disguise itself into nearly anything, and that, up until a few days ago, this vending machine was not here. In fact, while it appears to be operating, it's not connected to any power outlet."
"I see," Tsukiumi replied, as she turned towards Musubi, who was drinking cola from the vending machine. "And you agree with this assessment?"
"Yes," Musubi replied. "Minato-kun is always drinking Coca-Cola. And Musubi senses Minata-kun's presence here."
"Then Minato-kun and I need to have a word about abandoning his obligations-"
"Since when have I done anything to warrant such incrimination?" said a familiar voice, as it was being broadcasted from the vending machine.
"Minato!" Tsukiumi yelled. "If you're in there, come out!"
"And get splashed by one of your attacks?" Ranma replied through the intercom system. "No thanks."
"Grrrr!"
"Minato, I promise you that Tsukiumi will behave herself," Homura said with a sigh.
"I doubt you'll be able to maintain your promise, but…we'll see," Ranma replied. "Stand back…"
Although confused, Ranma's Sekirei do as they are told. With an audible clicking sound, Ranma's TARDIS opens to reveal one key fact…
It was a lot bigger on the inside than on the outside.
"Wow," Musubi said, as she and her companions entered the spacious control room of the TARDIS.
"Huh, impressive," Homura said. "Everything appears to be…futuristic."
"Or very advanced," Ranma said with a smile. The control room's configuration had a central hub with a singular column that pulsed with power. The main panel itself was a mixture of technical features, from Steampunk to Future-tech.
"Welcome to my TARDIS. I am…The Ranma," Ranma said, as he grinned at his own joke.
"Who?" Musubi asked.
"That's Minato's real name," Homura replied.
"His name is 'All Wet' if he doesn't explain himself," Tsukiumi said, as she tried to summon water molecules. However, she frowned.
"Impossible," Tsukiumi said. "I…I don't feel anything."
"That's because I've ionized the air in the room, making it difficult for you to use water to attack me," Ranma said. "Ergo, it's not going to be easy for you to punish yours truly."
"Humph!"
"Where have you been, Minato-kun?" Musubi asked.
"Yeah, you disappeared on us, after telling everyone you had a project to work on," Homura said.
Before Ranma could answer, Usagato walks into the room.
"I think I have a way of prolonging Miss Hidaka's life, although it's a bit radical for my liking," Usagato said, as she jotted down some notes. She then looks up to see the other Sekirei.
"Oh, hello, kids."
"Mother!" Musubi said, as she rushed to hug the Mother of the Sekirei.
"Hi, Mom," Homura said drolly.
"YOU WERE WITH HER, ALL THIS TIME?" Tsukiumi said.
"Look, I didn't want to say this, but I have some news," Ranma replied.
"YOU TOOK THIS WOMAN, MY MOTHER, AS YOUR BRIDE?"
"No, it's nothing like that at all!"
"I don't know if I should be insulted or not," Usagato said with a smirk.
"Okay, look, I might as well tell you guys what's going on, but I might as well tell everyone at the same time."
"Even Uzume-chan?" Musubi asked.
"Especially her…"
Twenty minutes later…
After Ranma and company returned to the Izumo Inn, and had told everyone present what he had been doing for the past few days with Usagato, Matsu came up with a solution.
"We should go to the Chairman about this," Matsu said, as she raised her finger. "It appears that since there it is the connection between an Ashikabi and a Sekirei is what is keeping Chiho alive, MBI would have the resources to exploits this condition into a cure."
"Why not contact Usagi for help?" Miya offered. "She knows more about the Sekirei than anyone else."
"Can't," Ranma said, as he shook his head. "She's on assignment fulfilling her obligations."
"What kind of obligations?"
"This," Ranma said, as he takes out his 'Sonic Screw-Laser', makes some adjustments to it, and then points it at the television set. "Observe…"
The television in the room comes up, and depicts Hell…literally. Sitting on a throne was Trigona the Unbelievable, which was the demon form of the Moon Princess…
"Please!" said a mob boss, as he is tosses onto the ground in chains by big, burly guards in demonic-looking masks. "I'll repent!"
"That is a question I wonder, mortal," Trigona said, as she intertwines her clawed fingers. "You have no problem selling innocent girls into 'white slavery' for your crime syndicate, but you have been given when it comes to charity…"
Pause.
"Therefore, you shall live by becoming your own commodity! For every girl you have exploited, each year you will be exploited thusly. And then, you will return to the world of the living…as a girl. And perhaps then, your soul will appreciate choice in love, not in bondage…"
Pause.
"Your sentence begins now!"
Trigona points at the mob boss, and changes him into a nubile girl.
"Wha-what?" the mob boss said, as she took stock at her new appearance.
"Enjoy your stay in the Shikima Realm," Trigona said with a smirk. "Take her away!"
"Nooooooooooooo!" the mob boss said, as she was removed from Trigona's throne room.
"HOHOHOHOHOHOHO!" Trigona chortled. She then composed herself.
"Next-!"
"And there you have it," Ranma said, as he shuts down the link between the Earth Realm and the Nether Realm. "She'll be meting out punishment to sinners for a while…"
"Eep!" Tsukiumi said, imagine the Moon Princess punishing her for some perceived reason.
"Well, that certainly explains the 'Demon Aura Technique'," Kazehana said, as she glances over at a calm Miya, as she sips her tea…
"That's…all well and good, but what about Chiho?" Uzume asked. "We still have to save her."
"Sounds like MBI is our only hope right now," Homura said.
"And that would be a correct assumption," said a familiar voice from within the television.
"It's the Chairman!" Musubi said in delight.
"Well, I must say that you have been an interesting component in my plan, 'Minato Sahashi'," Minaka said.
"And I have to say that you are a total idiot," Ranma said, as he folds his arms together. "What do you want?"
"I want to inform you that I have been monitoring Miss Hidaka's condition, and, as a result, I have authorized MBI to create a cure for her."
"You have one?" Uzume asked excitedly.
"Indeed. However, there is a catch."
"This, I got to hear," Ranma said.
Minaka told everyone that Hidaka's cure would be located at the clock tower on top of MBI Building. However, everyone else would be told that Hidaka's cure would be accompanied by a "jinki", one of eight artifacts that could give a Sekirie a boost in power, among other abilities. And if all eight artifacts are gathered together, then it would be possible to control all of the Sekirei…or destroy them all in one fell swoop. So far, Ranma has collected four of the eight jinki, while his so-called competitors had two jinki crystals.
"So, in other words, we'll have every nut coming out of the woodwork," Ranma said.
"Think of it this way: at least you can show off what you can do with your Sekirei," Minaka said. "So, prepare yourself; the announcement goes out in an hour. Good luck…"
When the television set shuts off, Ranma turns towards his companions and friends.
"Well, what do you guys think?" Ranma asked.
"I think we're screwed," Byokko said with a yawn.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Ranma said with a smirk.
"What's to think about?" Uzume asked. "We have to have a cure."
"But we also know that the Chairman has set up a trap for anyone seeking to obtain the prize," Matsu said. "Not to mention we are most likely going to go against the Disciplinary Squad as well."
"It would be easier if you simply have the matter dealt with, Minato-kun," Miya said.
"I told you, can't interfere directly since I am an Ashikabi," Ranma said.
"But you're not just an Ashikabi," Homura said. "You are also the 'Root Sekirei', Number 109. You are the foundation in which Tsukiumi, Musubi, Kusano, Matsu, Kazehana and I draw our strength from."
"Oh, that's right," Ranma said, thinking about how Minaka turned his female guise into a Sekirei. "So, I should go?"
"That is up to you, of course."
"Of course it is, but I wanted your input all the same…"
Ranma takes a look at everyone around him, and then switches to his female guise.
"We eat now, then commune together in the furo," Ranko said. "And then, we take the fight to MBI itself."
"Yes!" Uzume said.
"Oh!" Musubi said with glee. "BATH TIME!"
"Indeed," Kazehana said.
"Big Brother, can I come, too?" Kusano asked.
"Only if Usagato looks after you," Ranko said.
"I'm coming, too?" Usagato asked.
"Yes."
"Oh, okay…"
"I'll try to eliminate as many of the traps as possible remotely, but I would also need to be with you guys to deal with the rest on-site," Matsu said.
"Uzume, Usagato, and Kusano: you three stick with Matsu, and break into MBI obliquely," Ranma said.
"Right!" said the aforementioned three.
"Looks like you have a plan," Byokko said.
"No, I doubt, but I'm sure that I'll think of something when the time is right," Ranko said with a sigh. "At least, I hope so…"
Meanwhile, at MBI HQ…
For the past few days, Karasuba trained hard on her own, using the Tao of the Izanagi as a primer. Even while soaking in the furo, the Black Sekirei was going over every stratagem, in preparation for her fight with Musubi…or her soul Yume. And, if not them, there is certainly the Root Sekirei to deal with.
"I will finally get the battle that I crave," Karasuba said, as she breathed a sigh of relief, as she rises from the furo. "Yes, indeed I will…"
Tbc.
Next Time: Our story concludes. See you then…
