Ch 7 Part 2
Colone sighed. There was that certain feeling in the air again. The little twitch she got in her toes that told her something big was happening, and in Nerima, that meant something to do with Ranma. On top of that she had been feeling a familiar presence. Not that she hadn't felt him from time to time over the last 300 years, but having Sessho-maru here, with a possible Ranma fiasco in the air, couldn't be good news.
- I hope the boy doesn't tackle with him. He would lose, and badly. Maybe I should go over and warn my future son-in-law. -
The bell rang to the front door of the café. "Nihao! Welcome to Cat Café! Would you like a seat, yes?"
"Thank you, child, but I must see the proprietress of this establishment."
"Aiya! Shampoo go find great grandmother."
"I'm here Shampoo. Go attend the other customers," she said, shooing the young girl with her staff. Then warily, she turned to face him. "Sessho- maru."
"Sango."
"It's been a long time since I've gone by that name. Come, let's sit in the back room. Since this is the first time I've seen you in almost 200 years, I'm assuming you found him." Colone heard a sound and cocked her head. Sheepishly, a cowed looking Happosai scuttled out from behind the demon lord.
"You see that Miroku is here as well. I have already explained the situation to him."
Happosai cringed and made a disgusted face.
"He has been born again then." Colone drew her withered frame up to its full height. "I shall take it upon myself to train him in the arts. As you know, we vowed years ago that we would protect him when he was born again so he and Kagome may someday be reunited."
Happosai shifted uneasily. "Do you remember back then, when they came to our wedding?"
Colone's grip tightened on her staff. The memory still hurt. They had been so close.
"Do you remember what his reincarnation looked like?"
Colone shook her head. "Only vaguely. That was nearly 300 years ago. Even before we moved to China to help fight the demon's there." "And before you joined the Amazons," Happosai stated with an equally pained look.
Colone flinched. "I'm sure your not here to dredge up bad memories. Why do you ask? Has he not been found?"
Sessho-maru smirked. "He has, but your hearing must be getting bad in your old age. After all, he sounds exactly the same."
Happosai sighed and looked up at her again. "It's Ranma."
Colone felt her world drop out from under her. "# * & $ ^!"
"That's not very lady like," Sessho-maru murmured, amused.
"That's not all," Happosai said with a sideways glance at Sessho-maru, and they explained.
*
Colone sighed morosely. "My poor great granddaughter. At least she can leave with her honor intact. The oath we made all those years ago included Inu-Yasha and Kagome. And Kagome, as an honorary tribe member due to her valiant accomplishments as a demon extractor, has first rights. No wonder he was able to resist Shampoo's charms. Bound with a soul oath as he was, promised beyond death, he could love no other woman."
"I suggest you go tell him at the Tendo's tonight. Tomorrow I will be taking him to my Tokyo estate."
"And Kagome?" Colone stated sharply.
"The necessary measures will be made to ensure that he finds her. No doubt he was brought back so their times could align."
Colone nodded and excused herself. There was much to be done.
* * * *
Ranma's steps slowed as he came up to the door of 'Ucchan's'. This one was going to be the hardest. However, he didn't want her to hear this second hand or have to pay Nabiki. This was something he had to tell her himself.
As he entered the restaurant, he gratefully noted only two customers were present and they seemed to be finishing up. Lunch was over and it was a little early yet for the dinner crowd.
"Ranchan!" came the cheerful call, followed by a brilliant smile. Ukyo had been worried since he missed class that day and she hadn't yet had the chance to talk to him.
Ranma's return smile was tentative. "I need to talk to you, Ucchan."
"Sure, anytime for you! Konatsu, watch the place for a few minutes, ok?"
"Yes, Ukyo-sama."
They sat down in the backroom on stools near the sink. (Although Ukyo much rather have taken him upstairs . . .) "What's on your mind, sugar?"
"Ucchan, I need to tell you a story. It's a true story, and I want you to listen, no matter how fantastic or weird it seems, ok?"
"No problem," Ukyo shifted on the stool a little uneasily. Ranma was acting serious. He was speaking to her calmly, without bravado or the nonchalance he usually used. To top it off, the sinking feeling she had been having in the pit of her stomach, since he disappeared that day, seemed to become worse.
"This story took place back in the feudal ages, where demons roamed freely, seeking power and using humans as their prey."
- Roamed freely? Seeking their prey? Since when did Ranma talk like this? -
"During this time, the struggle between a group of powerful demons and a certain priestess created a powerful jewel." Ranma went on to relate the tail of the Shikon jewel, or jewel of four souls. He told of another young miko who took charge of the jewel and how she met a young half demon who sought it. Their betrayal by Naraku, followed by Kikyo's death and Inu- Yasha's entrapment. The coming of her reincarnation from the future, Kagome. The shattering of the jewel. The friendships made, and love found only to be lost in the end. He told her about the promise.
Ukyo was in tears, it was the most beautiful and tragic story she had ever heard.
Ranma bit his lip. "Ucchan, do you believe in reincarnation?"
"Why," sniff, "yes. My Aunt used to have past life memories of being a noble in the Tokagowa era."
Changing the subject abruptly, Ranma asked, "Did you see that man at the school yard today? The one I met before school?"
"Why? Is he Inu-Yasha's reincarnation?"
Ranma gawked at her and then burst out laughing. "Sorry Ucchan," he said, trying to calm down when he saw her hurt face. "That was Sessho-maru."
"Oh."
"I was Inu-Yasha."
The pit in her stomach became bottomless.
"It turns out that, in this life, Genma isn't my father, Sessho-maru is. And father has declared all the promises and contracts made by Genma are now null and void." Ranma stared intently at his childhood best friend. "So if you want to, you can kill Genma to fulfill your honor," he said with a faint grin, trying to lighten the mood.
Ukyo felt numb.
"I'm, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was never able to love you like you wanted me to, but Ucchan . . ." he reached out to touch her hand and she jerked it away. "Ukyo," he said firmly, "I promised, and I never go back on my word. I made no promises to you but friendship. That offer still holds." Ranma looked away from her. "I just wanted to be the one to tell you."
"I won't give up."
"Whaa?"
"I won't ever give up. I don't care about some fairy tale or who your father is. I won't ever give up on winning you."
- I am not a prize. - "Then this is goodbye." Ranma got up and walked away from her. Over his shoulder he added, "Don't come after me. If you persist on following me around I'll have the police charge you with stalking and my father's lawyers will wrap you up in a lawsuit so tight you won't be able to come within miles of me."
"YOU JERK! You said I was cute!"
"And you're as bad as Kodatchi. Get a life Ukyo, you can't always have everything you want."
And he was gone. Ukyo crumpled into a heap on the floor sobbing. Konatsu came and tried to comfort her. He'd heard most of what had been said through his Ninja skills. After several hours, he helped her climb up the stairs where she crawled into bed. If anyone wondered at the 'closed' sign at the door, they just shrugged their shoulders disappointedly and put it down to another martial artist thing.
Author's note: I had Ranma OOC in this, I know, both for him and for Inu- Yasha. I guess I'll put it down to the 'mind meld' with Sessho-maru and leave it at that.
Colone sighed. There was that certain feeling in the air again. The little twitch she got in her toes that told her something big was happening, and in Nerima, that meant something to do with Ranma. On top of that she had been feeling a familiar presence. Not that she hadn't felt him from time to time over the last 300 years, but having Sessho-maru here, with a possible Ranma fiasco in the air, couldn't be good news.
- I hope the boy doesn't tackle with him. He would lose, and badly. Maybe I should go over and warn my future son-in-law. -
The bell rang to the front door of the café. "Nihao! Welcome to Cat Café! Would you like a seat, yes?"
"Thank you, child, but I must see the proprietress of this establishment."
"Aiya! Shampoo go find great grandmother."
"I'm here Shampoo. Go attend the other customers," she said, shooing the young girl with her staff. Then warily, she turned to face him. "Sessho- maru."
"Sango."
"It's been a long time since I've gone by that name. Come, let's sit in the back room. Since this is the first time I've seen you in almost 200 years, I'm assuming you found him." Colone heard a sound and cocked her head. Sheepishly, a cowed looking Happosai scuttled out from behind the demon lord.
"You see that Miroku is here as well. I have already explained the situation to him."
Happosai cringed and made a disgusted face.
"He has been born again then." Colone drew her withered frame up to its full height. "I shall take it upon myself to train him in the arts. As you know, we vowed years ago that we would protect him when he was born again so he and Kagome may someday be reunited."
Happosai shifted uneasily. "Do you remember back then, when they came to our wedding?"
Colone's grip tightened on her staff. The memory still hurt. They had been so close.
"Do you remember what his reincarnation looked like?"
Colone shook her head. "Only vaguely. That was nearly 300 years ago. Even before we moved to China to help fight the demon's there." "And before you joined the Amazons," Happosai stated with an equally pained look.
Colone flinched. "I'm sure your not here to dredge up bad memories. Why do you ask? Has he not been found?"
Sessho-maru smirked. "He has, but your hearing must be getting bad in your old age. After all, he sounds exactly the same."
Happosai sighed and looked up at her again. "It's Ranma."
Colone felt her world drop out from under her. "# * & $ ^!"
"That's not very lady like," Sessho-maru murmured, amused.
"That's not all," Happosai said with a sideways glance at Sessho-maru, and they explained.
*
Colone sighed morosely. "My poor great granddaughter. At least she can leave with her honor intact. The oath we made all those years ago included Inu-Yasha and Kagome. And Kagome, as an honorary tribe member due to her valiant accomplishments as a demon extractor, has first rights. No wonder he was able to resist Shampoo's charms. Bound with a soul oath as he was, promised beyond death, he could love no other woman."
"I suggest you go tell him at the Tendo's tonight. Tomorrow I will be taking him to my Tokyo estate."
"And Kagome?" Colone stated sharply.
"The necessary measures will be made to ensure that he finds her. No doubt he was brought back so their times could align."
Colone nodded and excused herself. There was much to be done.
* * * *
Ranma's steps slowed as he came up to the door of 'Ucchan's'. This one was going to be the hardest. However, he didn't want her to hear this second hand or have to pay Nabiki. This was something he had to tell her himself.
As he entered the restaurant, he gratefully noted only two customers were present and they seemed to be finishing up. Lunch was over and it was a little early yet for the dinner crowd.
"Ranchan!" came the cheerful call, followed by a brilliant smile. Ukyo had been worried since he missed class that day and she hadn't yet had the chance to talk to him.
Ranma's return smile was tentative. "I need to talk to you, Ucchan."
"Sure, anytime for you! Konatsu, watch the place for a few minutes, ok?"
"Yes, Ukyo-sama."
They sat down in the backroom on stools near the sink. (Although Ukyo much rather have taken him upstairs . . .) "What's on your mind, sugar?"
"Ucchan, I need to tell you a story. It's a true story, and I want you to listen, no matter how fantastic or weird it seems, ok?"
"No problem," Ukyo shifted on the stool a little uneasily. Ranma was acting serious. He was speaking to her calmly, without bravado or the nonchalance he usually used. To top it off, the sinking feeling she had been having in the pit of her stomach, since he disappeared that day, seemed to become worse.
"This story took place back in the feudal ages, where demons roamed freely, seeking power and using humans as their prey."
- Roamed freely? Seeking their prey? Since when did Ranma talk like this? -
"During this time, the struggle between a group of powerful demons and a certain priestess created a powerful jewel." Ranma went on to relate the tail of the Shikon jewel, or jewel of four souls. He told of another young miko who took charge of the jewel and how she met a young half demon who sought it. Their betrayal by Naraku, followed by Kikyo's death and Inu- Yasha's entrapment. The coming of her reincarnation from the future, Kagome. The shattering of the jewel. The friendships made, and love found only to be lost in the end. He told her about the promise.
Ukyo was in tears, it was the most beautiful and tragic story she had ever heard.
Ranma bit his lip. "Ucchan, do you believe in reincarnation?"
"Why," sniff, "yes. My Aunt used to have past life memories of being a noble in the Tokagowa era."
Changing the subject abruptly, Ranma asked, "Did you see that man at the school yard today? The one I met before school?"
"Why? Is he Inu-Yasha's reincarnation?"
Ranma gawked at her and then burst out laughing. "Sorry Ucchan," he said, trying to calm down when he saw her hurt face. "That was Sessho-maru."
"Oh."
"I was Inu-Yasha."
The pit in her stomach became bottomless.
"It turns out that, in this life, Genma isn't my father, Sessho-maru is. And father has declared all the promises and contracts made by Genma are now null and void." Ranma stared intently at his childhood best friend. "So if you want to, you can kill Genma to fulfill your honor," he said with a faint grin, trying to lighten the mood.
Ukyo felt numb.
"I'm, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was never able to love you like you wanted me to, but Ucchan . . ." he reached out to touch her hand and she jerked it away. "Ukyo," he said firmly, "I promised, and I never go back on my word. I made no promises to you but friendship. That offer still holds." Ranma looked away from her. "I just wanted to be the one to tell you."
"I won't give up."
"Whaa?"
"I won't ever give up. I don't care about some fairy tale or who your father is. I won't ever give up on winning you."
- I am not a prize. - "Then this is goodbye." Ranma got up and walked away from her. Over his shoulder he added, "Don't come after me. If you persist on following me around I'll have the police charge you with stalking and my father's lawyers will wrap you up in a lawsuit so tight you won't be able to come within miles of me."
"YOU JERK! You said I was cute!"
"And you're as bad as Kodatchi. Get a life Ukyo, you can't always have everything you want."
And he was gone. Ukyo crumpled into a heap on the floor sobbing. Konatsu came and tried to comfort her. He'd heard most of what had been said through his Ninja skills. After several hours, he helped her climb up the stairs where she crawled into bed. If anyone wondered at the 'closed' sign at the door, they just shrugged their shoulders disappointedly and put it down to another martial artist thing.
Author's note: I had Ranma OOC in this, I know, both for him and for Inu- Yasha. I guess I'll put it down to the 'mind meld' with Sessho-maru and leave it at that.