Everything pertaining too Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko
Takahashi, everything pertaining to Evangelion belongs too Gainex (and not Ms.
Saotome) so without further ado Montanto Productions presents.
The tall blonde walked through the school cafeteria as if
she owned the place. She stopped at a table where a woman her own age sat
hunched over a notebook, writing diligently. The blonde pulled up a seat and
sat down in front of her. "So, Misato, are you excited?" she asked.
"If I didn't know any better I'd say that you were nervous."
Misato was a beautiful woman with long purple hair and an
obnoxiously sunny disposition. This was hard to tell at the moment she looked
half dead from exhaustion and slightly rumpled. She looked up from what she was
writing and glared at her best friend and roommate. "Gee, thanks Ritsuko,
she hissed. You had to remind me, didn't you! I finally managed to get it out
of my mind."
Ritsuko sipped her coffee. "Hey don't worry it's not
as if it's the end of the world or anything. It's only your first day of
student teaching."
"You only think that because you don't have my
professor," Misato grumbled.
"Come on Misato, Ikari can't be that bad."
"Worse, he's much worse."
"Don't tell me you believe any of those rumors you
told me about?"
"No one saw those two again."
"Yeah, right. But I still think you're overreacting.
You've got something else on your mind. I can tell." Ritsuko said eyeing
her friend carefully.
"Okay, you're right. My Mom called."
"You and your Mom are talking now?" Ritsuko hid
her smile behind her coffee mug.
"I didn't say that, she left a message," Misato
said looking very annoyed. "Besides it's not as if you're in good terms
with *your* parents."
Ritsuko glared at Misato for a moment, frowning
"That's different," she growled. "So what did your Mom
say?"
"Nothing much, something about some friends she's
been visiting. Apparently my father was staying with them.
" So the dead beat dad's trail warms at last."
"My father is not a dead beat!" Misato shouted
standing up to face Ritsuko.
"Oh, I'm sorry, my mistake. Running off with your
kid brother and leaving you and your Mom to fend for yourselves is perfectly
normal behavior in modern society. How silly of me to forget."
"Can we change the subject, please?" Misato
asked. She was not in the mood for either a fight or Ritsuko's sarcasm.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. So, what are you writing
now?" Ritsuko asked looking at her friend's notebook.
"It's my latest idea for a science fiction novel! It
takes place fourteen years in the future. Tokyo is being attacked by these
mysterious aliens called angels and the only thing between them and certain
destruction are these robots called Evas. What do you think?"
Ritsuko paused for a few moments trying to think of a way
not to hurt her friend's feelings. "I don't know, besides the
Judeo-Christian motif it sounds like a typical mecha story."
Misato looked down at her writing pensively. "You're
right, but there's something about it that makes me think it has possibilities.
All it need is something. I don't know what, but I'm going to keep working on
it."
"Well, more power to you," Ritsuko said sipping
her coffee, "just as long as you didn't make me the bitchy scientist
again."
Misato turned red smiled sheepishly and slammed her
notebook shut. "Er, ah, no, whatever gave you that idea?"
Ritsuko smiled knowingly as she took a final sip from her
coffee and got up from the table. "Intuition. Now, if you'll excuse me, I
have some thing to take care of before my class starts at noon. See you
later."
"Ritsuko?"
"What?"
"The bathroom's that way."
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
"Come on Ranma, that's ridiculous.
"I'm serious, Akane. Something's going to
happen," Ranma said nervously looking around the classroom.
"Alright you have a 'feeling' I still think you're
being paranoid."
"Think about it, Akane. I haven't been splashed in a
week, Shampoo's visiting relatives in China, Kunou's sick, Ryouga's lost, and
that crazy teacher from England quit."
"You're being unfair to Gumby-Sensei. He wasn't
anywhere near as bad as the one he replaced. You know, the one who wore his
raincoat indoors and talked about parrots and all of his pets named
'Erik'" Akane said in the man's defense.
"Akane, he wore a handkerchief on his head! And who
rolls their pants up like that? Where does Principal Kunou find these people?
Anyway, it's quiet now, but for how long? It's only a matter of time before
Ryouga shows up with a new secret technique or Shampoo or Kodachi plan
something."
"I suppose you think those three are martial artists
out to kill you." Akane said indicating the three new transfer students,
(who the class had nicknamed the Wimp, the Gaijin, and the Girl) sitting in the
back of the classroom.
The Girl actually didn't have a nickname, yet, but no one
had bothered to come up with anything or even ask her name for that matter. She
was odd looking with she had light, almost white, skin and red eyes. Her hair
was a light blue. Since she had entered the classroom, about fifteen minutes
ago, she had said nothing and just stared out of the window.
The Gaijin was a pretty red head who chatted with anyone
who bothered to talk to her. She seemed to like the sound of her own voice.
There was nothing special about the Wimp. He was just an
ordinary kid though a bit scrawny. He looked as if he was desperately trying to
blend in with the furniture.
"Oh come on Akane, be serious," Ranma said
shaking his head, "that guy makes Gosunkugi look butch. Maybe it will rain
today." Ranma said hopefully after looking at the new students.
Akane shrugged, shaking her heads and went back to
talking with Sayuri and Yuka.
"Alright everyone take your seats." Miss Hinako
said, entering the room with another woman. "We have three new students
today but first I would like to introduce the knew student teacher who will be
here for the rest of the semester. This is her first day, so everyone be nice
to her. I'll let her introduce herself.
Every male student gasped in admiration as the woman
walked to the front of the class and wrote her name on the blackboard. She was
beautiful, in her early twenties, with long purple hair, and dressed in a black
mini skirt and red jacket. She wore a large gold cross around her neck. She
turned and smiled broadly. "Hi everybody, I'm Misato Saotome! I know we're
going to get along just fine."
Ranma's jaw dropped in shock.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
For once, Ranma paid complete attention to the classwork.
This was an impressive feat as the English lesson was boring even by Miss
Hinako's standards. He had a sneaking suspicion Miss Hinako was reading VCR
instructions. Still, he kept his eyes glued to the blackboard from behind his
textbook. Never looking behind him for a second. The reason for this was Misato
Saotome. Sure, she was pretty, and really cool, but all of his survival mechanisms
told him not to get involved no matter what. Right now he almost wished that
Shampoo would come crashing through a wall on her bicycle or Kunou would run in
with the latest of his romantic fantasies. When was good luck ever so bad?
As far as he could tell, he was one of the only students
paying attention to the lesson at all. With very few exceptions (most notably
the new students, who had been introduced as Shinji, Rei and Asuka) the rest of
the class was concentrating on Misato. It had in fact for the first 15 minutes
impossible for Miss Hinako to even start the class. Misato had been circled by
a mob of all of the boys of the class asking all sorts of questions.
"Ms Misato, do you have a boyfriend?"
"Ms Misato, what are your measurements?"
"Ms Misato, what is your bloodtype?"
"Ms Misato, do you have any relationship too
Ranyowtch!!! What the hell did you do that for Ranmmph!!" The last
question had been from Hiroshi. Ranma had thumped him before he had gotten the
chance to finish the question and clamped a hand over his mouth before Hiroshi
could get Ranma's name out.
Fortunately Misato had missed the scuffle mainly because
the girls were just as bad.
"Ms Misato, where do you get your hair done?"
"Ms Misato, what perfume are you using?
"Ms Misato, how can we get a figure like
yours?"
Too make matters worse, Misato actually encouraged this
by answering everyone's questions and flirting shamelessly as if it were all a
colossal joke. Finally Miss Hinako got so mad that even the usual bribes of
comic books and candy did not work and everyone sat down to endure the lesson.
This was going to be a long day, Ranma thought to
himself.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Hey, Rits, It's me," Misato said merrily standing in
the train station's pay phone.
"Hello, Misato, How'd it go?" Ritsuko asked on
the other end.
"Pretty good, I think. Kind of weird though. A ten
year old girl was teaching the class. Well, she wasn't really ten years old but
. . . well, you wouldn't believe me if I told you. Theres times I think I'm
cursed. Do you know who one of the new students was? Shinji Ikari, does my
professor put spies in all of the classes his students teach in?" The
other thing there was this one student, not bad looking, future stud
potential."
"Don't tell me your desperate enough to start
scouting high schools for dates," Ritsuko said facetiously.
"Would you cut it out? That wasn't my point, If I
didn't know better I'd say he was avoiding me. I only got a couple of good
looks at him the entire day.
"You always sound crazy. Anyway I'll see you later.
Enjoy your surprise."
"Surprise? Wait a minute, what surprise?" It
was too late. Ritsuko had hung up. Misato shrugged and ran to catch her train.
Sitting down once she got into the train, Misato got out
her notebook and began to write.
"Red alert! Red Alert! An Angel is attacking.
Repeat, an Angel is attacking! Scramble the Evas! Repeat, scramble the
Evas!" Captain Misato Katsuragi ran down the corridor, in full flight
gear, to the Eva entrance tube. A handsome muscular officer ran to catch up
with her.
"What's the status, Lt. Ryoji?" Katsuraji
demanded.
"Ma'am the angel is within 30 kilometers of Tokyo
and closing fast. You've got to hurry. The Eva is the only thing that can stop
it. "
"Well there's nothing for it is there? Smoke me a
kipper, I'll be home for breakfast." Captain Katsutaji putting her helmet
on as she leaped down the entrance tube.
"Be careful, Captain," Lt. Ryoji shouted as he
watched the captain slide down the tube, "I love you."
Captain Misato Katsuraji landed in the Eva's cockpit.
"What's our status?" she asked.
"All lights green, Captain," The voice from the
speaker said.
"Great! Launch Eva!" Captain Katsuraji shouted.
The Eva shot out of the hanger into the light of day. "Thrusters on!"
Katsuraji shouted pushing the controls. Metal wings popped out of the Eva's
back and fire flashed out of its feet. And the Eva flew into the air, hurtling
towards its quarry.
The Angel was much larger then the countless others she
had fought in the past. The Seelie Empire had out done itself when it created
this walking monstrosity. But this had never stopped her before.
"Eva missiles!" She shouted. Twin missiles
fired from the Eva's wrist hitting the angel square in the back.
The Angel turned towards her seemingly unaffected. It
fired a blast of energy knocking the Eva over.
"Damn! It's too powerful!" Misato shouted,
"There's only one thing left to do."
"Captain Katsuraji, no!" Professor Akagi
shouted over the radio, "you've sustained to much damage. If you continue
the attack you'll be killed."
"Damn It Ritsuko! Which is more important, me or the
future of humanity? I've got to do it." Energy formed around the Eva as it
charged its final attack. "ABSOLUTE TERROR BLAST!!!!!"
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Misato looked at her work shaking her head. Absolute
terror blast? This is what I write like when I'm sober? If Ritsuko sees this
she'll have enough blackmail material to last a lifetime.
She tore the page from the notebook and crumbled it into
a tiny little ball. "It comes from watching too many Grandizer and Giking
reruns as a kid," she muttered to herself as she left the train. Still
there were a few bit worth saving, albeit small ones. She thought playing with
her crucifix. Captain Katsuraji had a ring to it.
-*--*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
"It's a coincidence. It's got to be a
coincidence!" Ranma repeated a mantra as he and Akane walked home on the
way from school.
"Well, Saotome is a fairly common name." Akane
said trying to be helpful.
"It's not that common. With my luck she knows
Mom." Ranma said frantically.
"Oh like she could really tell with you trying to
hide from her all day. Besides there was so much going on Miss Hinako didn't
even get a chance to take attendance. If you're that worried about all this
just go with the wet look for a few days."
"What do you mean the wet loo . . . no, oh no!! It's
bad enough having to hide in plain sight in front of Mom thanks to that damn
Panda there is no way that I am going to do the same thing in school for the
rest of the semester as well!"
"Oh well. I'm just telling your options. If you
don't like them don't go crying to me." Akane said curtly.
"Crying? Who the hell is crying and what do you know
about it ya kawaikune tomboy?!"
"Fine! See if I help you any more! Baka!" Akane
shouted back. They continued to argue all the way home. Comfortable in their
familiar ground.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
The apartment that Misato shared with Ritsuko was about a
kilometer away from school at the northern edge of the Nerima prefect. It was
fairly nice for its price range and had a gorgeous view of a park. PenPen was
there waiting for her, enthusiastic as usual, as she opened the door.
PenPen had been a gift from Ritsuko's parents. The one
time Misato had actually met them, their dog, Shirokuro had a litter of puppies
they were giving away. PenPen was all gray on one side and white on the other.
Though nowhere as impressive as the stark black and white of his mother, he was
a gorgeous dog.
Misato looked around as she kneeled down to pet PenPen.
There was something about the place. It was clean. This wasn't too strange,
Ritsuko always kept her part of the apartment in good order, especially her cat
collectibles, but this was different. It was perfect, almost sterile. A pine
scent permeated the room. From the kitchen Misato could hear a clink of a dish
in the sink. She walked in knowing full well who it was.
A woman in her mid fifties, though looking much younger,
with reddish brown hair dressed in a formal Kimono underneath her apron stood
in front of the sink washing dishes.
"Mother, what are you doing here?" Misato
demanded.
Nodoka Saotome turned to her daughter and smiled sweetly.
"Why hello, Misato-chan. Your friend Ritsuko let me in."
"Oh did she?" Misato muttered.
"She really is a very nice girl. Why can't you be
more like her?"
"Well, to start with, it would mean giving up bran
entirely." Misato muttered under her breath.
"What was that, Dear?" Nodoka asked.
"Nothing, Mother, nothing," Misato said
quickly. "So what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"
"There's no need to be rude, Misato-chan, with an
attitude like that it's no wonder you don't have a husband."
Actually it's because the first thing they ask me on the
second date is " tell me Misato-chan, does your mother still carry that
pig sticker around," Misato thought to herself.
"To answer your question, I was on my way to visit
the Tendous and I was wondering if you would like to come along."
"To see if there's finally a chance of seeing Dad
and Ranma?" Misato asked walking over to the refrigerator.
"We can only hope, at least you can get to meet
Ranko-chan."
"Ranko-chan?" Misato repeated pausing in front
of the refrigerator.
"Why yes, dear. She's Mr. Tendou's niece. She's very
sweet but seems a bit tomboyish. Still I think all she needs is a woman's
touch."
"Kind of like the daughter you never had, huh?"
Misato said opening the refrigerator door.
"Oh Misato-chan, you know I love you. It's just some
times I wish you would be more proper and, well, more ladylike."
Misato said nothing. She was too busy staring at the
contents of the fridge. It was filled with an excellent selection of foods.
Some of them looked healthy. Something vital was missing.
"Mother, where's my beer?"
"I threw it out. It really isn't good to drink that
much, Misato-chan, and hardly feminine."
Before Misato had a chance to loose her temper the
doorbell rang. "Just a second, Mother," she said and marched to the
doorway thanking the gods for this brief respite.
Ritsuko's underclassman Maya Ibuki was standing in the
hallway. She looked very worried. "Oh, hello Misato-san. Have you seen
Ritsuko-Sempai?" she asked.
"She hasn't come home yet, Maya," Misato had a
good idea where this was going.
Maya looked frantic. "I'm sorry, Sempai. I swear I
just turned my back for one minute and she was gone. If only I was more
careful.
"Don't worry, Maya. It happens to all of us,"
Misato said comforting the younger woman. "She'll show up in a few days.
Just you wait; we used to have a pool going in the freshman dorm. I used to
make a fortune."
"But Sempai, she has an exam tomorrow! If this
effects her grade point average what. . ."
"Look, Ritsuko's a big girl. She has a cell phone.
She'll call if she has a problem. Besides, how far can she can she get in one
hour?"
As if on cue, the phone rang. "See?" Misato
said smiling as she went to answer it. "Hello? Oh, Hi Ritsuko we were just
talking about you. Where are you?" She paused, listening to Ritsuko's
description. I need a little more to go on then 'somewhere around Fujikawa,'
Ritsuko," she said impatiently.
She quickly drew the phone back to avoid Ritsuko's
retort. "Okay, I'm sorry. Are there any road signs near you?" Please
don't let her be in the middle of the woods." Okay, Good, tell me what
they say. There's no need to get sarcastic. Okay I've got it."
Misato wrote down the address and handed it too Maya who
started to look through her pocket atlas. She gave Misato a thumbs up sign.
"Okay, we found it. Stay there and we should be
there in about an hour. Great, bye."
"How her family even manages to reproduce is beyond
me," Misato said hanging up the phone.
"Mother, we're going to have to make a slight detour
on the way to the Tendous is that alright?"
Oh so you want to come with me then? Nodoka asked drying
her hands as she walked out of the kitchen.
"Of course, Mother. I'd love to meet
Ranko-chan," Misato said.
"That's wonderful, Dear. Oh, before we go I wonder
if you could do one little favor for me."
"Mother, I'm not wearing the kimono," Misato
said before Nodoka could even finish the request.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
"Misato? Why would I know a Misato?" Genma
asked. He sounded hesitant.
"Give it a rest, Pop. She's a Saotome. What if she
knows Mom? What if she finds out about the curse and spills the beans? C'mon
Pop, Is there a Misato in the family or not?"
There were times when Ranma was convinced that his father
had a hidden supply of cold water bottles hidden throughout the house for such
occasions. A large panda, playing with a tire in front of him, supported this
theory.
"Hello? Is there anyone here?" a frightenly
familiar voice asked.
"Shit! It's Mom!" Ranma hissed. Before he had a
chance to respond in any way. The Panda had thrown the rest of the cold water
on him. Grumbling she walked to the foyer to great her mother yet again.
Mr. Tendou was there with Kasumi talking to Nodoka.
Nodoka was there with two young woman in their mid twenties. One was dressed in
what looked like fashionable hiking gear carrying a daypack. Her hair was died
blonde. The other had purple hair and was dressed in a black miniskirt and red
jacket and looked far too familiar.
