LIME Warning: Aya can speak quite frankly at times and is completely at
ease with other people's sexuality. It's her own that she confuses her.
Putting On Heirs
The characters of Urusei Yatsura and Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi, VIZ and AnimEigo. They are used without permission.
Love means to love that which is unlovable; or it is no virtue at all. ~ Gilbert K. Chesterton ~
Part II:
Instinct
Instinctively, she huddled closer to the warmth of the ship's huge boilers. Although the temperature in the engine room in which she hid was well over ninety degrees, she shivered as if it were the dead of winter. Sheets of sweat glistened through her tattered clothing and upon her forehead as if they were sheets of ice. Again she tossed in her sleep, causing bear flesh to come in contact with the glowing hot machinery, scalding her badly, but she failed to wake. Neither the pain from the burn nor the constant drum of the machinery was enough to break the trance of her nightmare. No matter how much she may have wanted it to. As the cargo ship slowly made its way to Japan, the small fifteen-year-old amazon hiding in its bowls, relived the best and worst day in her young life... over and over again.
Her feet pounded the pavement and her twin ponytails whipped from side to side, occasionally obstructing her vision as she walked purposefully toward a soda can lying on the sidewalk. Rearing a leg back, she kicked the can with all of her might. As she extended her leg through the kick and up over her head, she lost her footing and flipped full circle on to her stomach. The can ricocheted off a lamppost and then a passing bus before finally meeting the forehead of the girl just as she hit the ground with a thud.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid... What am I suppose to do all day long at an all girls school?" The young girl ran both hands through her sandal brown hair, finally grabbing and pulling at her twin pony tails in exasperation, while she still lay flat on the pavement.
As she continued to grumble and rant in front of them, Ranma and Akane looked on in disbelief. They both stared openly at the young girl wearing the St. Hebereke uniform.
Ranma leaned down to whisper in Akane's ear. "You don' believe it, d'ya? That she's the pervert's great granddaughter?"
His breath tickled her cheek, causing it to redden and her shoulder occasionally brushed against the firmness of his chest. She found it difficult to think with him so close. "I don't know, Ranma," she answered with a catch in her throat. In truth, she wasn't even thinking about Happosai's great-granddaughter. Though her eyes focused on the girl named Aya, who had appeared with Happosai out of thin air and on to the Tendo doorstep this morning, Akane's mind was elsewhere.
Yesterday had been near perfect: no Ukyou, no Shampoo, no Kodachi, and no Kuno. She had cooked the family dinner and everyone complimented her on how good it had been. Ranma had even thought so. As she thought back to the night before and how Ranma had held her in his arms, she unconsciously closed her eyes, reliving the moment of their near kiss.
"Hey, you home in there, Akane?" Ranma asked, gently rapping on Akane's forehead with the back of his fist. 'She looks like she's zoned out. Probably still in shock,' Ranma thought as he watched her.
The spell broken, Akane opened her eyes... or had she. Again she found herself staring into eyes of slate gray, his hand on her shoulder and their faces inches apart. She blushed furiously and pushed him away and into the nearby chain fence. "I'm fine and don't stand so close to me, you pervert!" She turned away from the fallen Ranma and faced the street to hide her embarrassment.
Ranma smiled up at her from his position on the ground. "Now that's the tomboy I know. Ya' shouldn't daydream in the street. Ya' could get run over or somethin'."
Akane turned hard on him. "I wasn't daydreaming! I was thinking... that is until you put your perverted hands all over me!"
Ranma jumped to his feet. "Wha' nonsense are you talkin' about! I didn' touch you!"
Akane balled her hands into fists and marched over to where Ranma was standing. "Then what were you doing!" she demanded, standing toe to toe with her fiancé.
Ranma was becoming just as angry. "I was jus..."
"Wow! Sex between you guys must be hot!"
Both Akane and Ranma froze in their places, their faces turning cherry red.
"Oh, don't stop on my account. Keep going!"
Slowly Akane and Ranma turned to see Aya sitting cross-legged in front of them, her elbows resting on knees, her chin on the back of her hands, her eyes following their every move.
"Wha... what did you say?" Akane asked hesitantly, fearing the answer.
Aya blinked innocently at them as if confused. "Don't' stop on my account?" she offered.
Ranma shook his head. "No, before that."
Aya raised her head from her hands and thought about that for a moment before remembering. "Oh! I was just saying that you guys must have really hot sex! I'm envious," she finished with a pout.
Like bowling pins, they wobbled back and forth before crashing to the ground. Ranma stood first followed quickly by Akane. They both pointed accusatory fingers at the other.
"With... with... with that tomboy!"
"I would never let that pervert touch me!"
A puzzled expression again crossed Aya's face. "Aren't you two engaged to be married?"
Akane crossed her arms in front of her in anger. "Hmphf, that was our parent's idea..."
"...We had no say in the matter," Ranma finished.
Aya watched the pair closely, a dangerous instinctive smile coming to her lips and a predatory look to her eyes. "So, who cares how it came about? You two don't want to get married?" Her eyes moved from one to the other.
For a second time, Aya's words froze the pair in place. Slowly the anger faded from Akane's face and her arms hung loosely from her shoulders. She spared a glance at Aya, who was looking rather intently back at her. Not being able to take the scrutiny, Akane's vision focused on the ground in front of her and her sweating hands. Drawing up what she could of her courage, she began to answer Aya's question. To say 'no' to say 'yes', she wasn't sure what words would come out of her mouth.
"Well... it's...I'd rather..."
Ranma's words caught Akane off guard; she wasn't expecting him to answer. What was he going to say? She quickly turned her attention to her right and hung on his every word... for what they were.
Ranma wanted to say something to end the torture this girl, Aya, was putting him through. She was *definitely* Happosai's Great-granddaughter. Really, him and Akane doing... THAT! It was disgusting... as much as the idea of their marriage was absurd. Anything was better than this. Akane probably thought so too. He was about to say "he'd rather take another dip in one of the cursed pools of Jusenkyo before he would marry that tomboy", when his gaze turned to the tomboy in question. His brain failed when he saw the soft hue in her cheeks and her expectant expression, which seemingly looked right through him. He couldn't finish what he wanted to say; his only recourse was to look away and into the morning's blue sky.
Aya's smile cracked her face and her bared teeth glistened in the sun. If Akane and Ranma had seen her now, they would be quite shocked by the insidious nature of her expression. It wouldn't be any fun if they just fell over on their backs with their soldiers in the air. Nooo... there had to be some challenge to it. The chase was fifty percent of her fun! "Everyone falls in love at sometime... it isn't a crime, you know," Aya added to their torment. They'd deny it and turn on each other any minute now.
"You're one to talk and your faces is as horrible as ever I see."
Aya's eyes widened in terror and her posture became rigid. Slowly she stood, turned around and saw... nothing.
"What depravity are you planning now?"
Aya fearfully looked down toward her feet and in the direction of the voice. She was nearly blinded by the reflection of the sun off that baldhead. "YOU!" she shouted while reaching behind her back. Pulling out two huge black mallets with gold trim, she smashed the holy man in front of her into the ground.
Akane and Ranma were startled out of their thoughts by the sound of the cracking pavement. Now what was going on?
"Did you get him?"
Aya calmed her heaving chest and wiped the sweat from her brow. "Yeah... huhuhuh," she said still breathing hard. She smiled. "I think I got the little pest, you never know with Che..." Aya spun on her heels to see to whom she was speaking. Cherry smiled back at her. Screaming in frustration, Aya pulled out a fist full of her own hair and bolted down the street.
Cherry took up pursuit of the soul he had dedicated his life to watching. "Where are you running off to so early in the morning in a small country like Japan? Do you smell food? Wait! Don't go in that direction! It's OMINOUS!"
"STOP FOLLOWING ME!"
Soon Aya and Cherry's voices faded into the distance, to be followed shortly by the receding sounds of explosions and automobile accidents.
"What was that about, Akane?"
"I don't know. We're gonna be late for school."
The two ran off in the direction of Furikan High School.
To most, it was the start of another beautiful day in Tomobiki. In fact, Tomobiki has had a string of particularly beautiful days lasting almost six months now, for most people. Today would be no exception. The weather was a little on the hot side for the time of day, but the cool breeze made it appear just perfect, to most people. The early morning sky was clear and birds sang welcoming the coming of spring and perhaps the promise of love, to most people. Numerous individuals were making their way down a peaceful street. The pall of misfortune, insanity and destruction seems to have permanently lifted here, leaving just a quaint quiet Nerima suburb... for most people.
But to one person, and anyone stupid enough to cross her path... It was HELL.
"Morning Mr. Maki, off to work?"
"Morning, -sure am. Hate to do it on fine day like today, but," he shrugged.
"Hello Mrs. Kimura"
"Hi Mr. Noda."
"Beautiful day!"
"Gorgeous!"
"Hello Lum!"
"GOTO HELL!" she screamed, fangs bared, looking every bit the oni she was. Her hair was an unkempt, frizzled, mess with a life all its own. She didn't care. She wore a wrinkled white oversized T-shirt and her normal bikini bottoms. She wasn't looking to impress anybody. She had bags under her puffy red eyes from a combination of insomnia, and crying. Every now and then her body would twitch, shooting off an errant spark of electricity. Her head was cast down and her face was withdrawn. It was as if a part of her soul was missing. Most people gave her a wide berth. The wise ones did anyway.
"Look here young lady, I know you miss Ataru, but that is no excuse to..." the neighbor woman's rant was cut short by the intense and hateful glare she was receiving.
"You never liked my Darling. You're glad he's gone, aren't you?" Lum looked at the woman sidelong. Her eyes squinted accusingly and her voice was eerily quiet.
"Uh..."
"LIAR!" She pounced on the woman, knocking her to the ground. "WHERE IS HE? WHERE IS MY DARLING?"
"I... I don't know," the woman said fearfully.
"A likely story," Lum said getting off the woman, and snapping her fingers.
The woman continued to cower in fear as two bolts of lightning crashed from the sky. When they subsided, two rather large oni in military attire were kneeling before their princess.
"Yes, your Highness?" one spoke.
"Take her for questioning," Lum pointed at the woman.
The woman screamed in mortal terror as she was dragged away by the two oni.
"How many does that make?" asked Shinobu who had been walking with a group that was following a few paces behind Lum.
"Sixteen today, one hundred twelve in total," answered Ten, who Shinobu carried in her arms.
"Oh! Oh! Can I question her Lum-chan? Can I?" Ran asked bouncing up and down with enthusiasm. The past six months had been golden for Ran.
Megane gathered up his courage. "Lum-san, You can't just kidnap people off the street. We have laws and…"
She turned on him. "CAN'T I!" Again she snapped her fingers, and for the twentieth time in three months, Megane was hauled away.
"Well, at least she didn't electrocute him," Mendou observed.
"Lum-chan hasn't zapped anyone since Ataru disappeared," Ten said sadly.
"Lum-san, when do you think you'll return to class?" Mendou asked in a quiet voice, hoping to take the conversation and Lum's mind off the accursed Moroboshi. These months, surprisingly, had been difficult for him too. He would not have used the word friendship to describe his relationship with Moroboshi. Ataru was more of an obstacle, a hurdle that Mendou needed to pass. How dare the cur disappear before their man-to-man battle was finished!
"What for?" Lum said in a mournful wail.
"Yeah," Ran said in a similar tone, "She's lost her most precious treasure in *all* the universe." She tried her best not to snicker, and was only partially successful. "I'm surprised she even gets out of bed."
Lum's demeanor sank even further, which was not missed by Ran, who became even bubblier. Lum couldn't get angry. It was true; Ran was right. The person she dedicated her life to was gone. Tears began to flow down the well-worn tracks on her face. Tomorrow would be his nineteenth birthday. She just couldn't stand it anymore. She fell to her knees crying. "Ev… everything… everything here… reminds me of Darling!"
"Lum-san." Mendou rushed over to help her up, but she brushed his hand and slowly stood on her own.
"Maybe… maybe I should just go home," Lum finally said.
Mendou pushed down the hurt he felt from her rebuke. Though he wasn't actively pursing her as much since having found Asuka, he still felt the need to comfort Lum. Cautiously, he put his arm around her shoulder and quickly withdrew it, fearing a shock. When none came, he rested his arm fully around her shoulders. "Yes, I think that would be best," he said reassuringly and turned her back in the direction of the Moroboshi household. "Although, you should consider staying at the Mendou Estate if these surroundings remind you too much of Moroboshi."
"You don't understand, Shutaro. I mean *go home*… to my world."
All those in the small group looked at her with stricken faces, including Ran. Perhaps there had been a time when she wouldn't have mind leaving Earth, but now… She… she had friends here, and Earth people were so naïve! What about the fun she had here? How would she earn money for dates with Rei? The thought of leaving… It left her with an empty feeling.
Lum-chan, you… you don't mean it," Ran said sincerely, as she approached her weeping best friend.
Lum looked at Ran with eyes that poured tears. She had never felt this depressed before. She didn't think anyone could feel as bad as she did right now. Her shoulders began to shake uncontrollably as she spoke. "Ran… I… I just can't…" Suddenly, she picked up her head. She felt…
"Lum-chan? What's thew matter?" Ran asked with genuine concern.
Lum didn't answer. She wiped the tears from her eyes and began to walk slowly down the street, a strange expression on her face.
Puzzled, her group of friends quickly caught up to her and followed her as she headed in one direction, paused and then began walking in another direction. She looked as though she were looking or expecting something. She did this for several blocks, pausing at intersections and then seemingly choosing a direction at random.
Walking down a quiet deserted street, Shinobu finally got up the courage to ask her what was wrong. Lum didn't answer, but paused in the middle of the street and quickly rose in the air. Squinting her eyes, she tried to focus on something in the distance; there was a plume of smoke billowing up into the air several blocks away.
"What's wrong Lum," Shinobu asked again.
Suddenly, Lum broke out in a huge smile, her first smile in six months and quickly flew in the direction of the plume of smoke.
The others again took up pursuit, following as best they could.
Apparently, Akane and Ranma shouldn't have worried about getting to school on time. It looked as though classes weren't going to start anytime soon. A large group of mostly female high school students from various schools stood outside the gates of Furinkan HS. They were quite agitated which was just how Nabiki liked her customers... desperate.
"No one is safe with that menace, the Silken Stalker, on the loose!" Nabiki shouted with a bullhorn from a top the wall that surrounded the school grounds. "He strikes without the slightest warning and wrenches your underwear from you. He's attacked over a hundred women. They were savagely assaulted last night, not one seeing the attacker's face. ANYONE OF YOU COULD BE NEXT!" She said sweeping the crowd with a finger. "Who knows, it could be a rape gang or a slave ring!" Nabiki warned, playing on the crowd's fears. By the fervent whispering and gasps, she had succeeded in turning what was probably just an over-heated bunch of teenagers stealing underwear into the crime wave of the century.
"What are the police doing!" Someone shouted out.
Nabiki laughed at the question. "Are you willing to wait for them to figure out what's going on! Where were the police last night? We have to protect ourselves!"
"How Nabiki?"
Nabiki hid her smile. Her plants in the crowd knew their jobs well. "I'll tell you how!" She noticed Ranma and Akane walk up to the back of the crowd. She wanted to laugh; the timing was so perfect. 'Time to stroke some ego,' Nabiki thought with a smirk. "By employing the man who keeps Happosai in check. By calling on the man who freed us of Kuno's perversion and dictatorship!" She shouted fist in the air. "We have the world's greatest martial artist right here in our school! We don't need to fear anymore! Ranma Saotome will save us!" She proclaimed and pointed at the confused martial artist at the back of the crowd.
"What's goin' on, Akane?" Ranma leaned over and whispered to Akane.
She shrugged her shoulders in reply.
"Ranma, Ranma, Ranma," Nabiki slowly encouraged the chant. Soon her retainers in the crowd did likewise and before he knew it Ranma's name was being shouted out by a group of over seventy-five teenage girls.
Akane could just see his head expanding.
Inside the school, the male body of Furinkan watched the scene outside with feelings ranging from disinterest to disgust. There was just something about a gaggle of screaming girls calling out Ranma's name that made them want to cry. Weren't they men too?
As the mantra continued Ranma made his way through the crowd and towards Nabiki who was waving him to come up on the wall. Akane followed close behind. Leaping up on to the wall, Ranma turned to face the crowd of screaming women. Nervously, he scratched his head, not so much due to the amount of attention he was receiving, rather because he didn't know what was going on.
Nabiki walked over to Ranma and grasping his hand, raised it high in the air. "I give you the man, who will bring the 'Silken Stalker' to justice!"
"Death to lechers!" The crowd chanted.
"Death to preverts!"
"Death to Shutaro Mendou!"
Finally climbing up onto the wall herself, Akane grabbed hold of Nabiki's arm to gain her attention.
"Nabiki, what's all this about?" Akane asked confused. "Why are all these girls here and why are they shouting out Ranma's name." Anger was beginning to creep into her voice.
"I'll tell you in a second. Let me finish reeling them in first," Nabiki whispered to Akane and then turned to face the crowd again. "The Anything Goes School of Martial Arts will guarantee the capture of this scoundrel in one week, all for the low price of two thousand yen from each of you. I think that's a bargain for a peaceful night's sleep. Please remit payment to Seikou, who is standing next to the oak tree in the school courtyard."
As the crowd dispersed, the two Tendo sisters and Ranma climbed down from the wall and began walking in the opposite direction.
"Ok, Nabiki. Now can you tell me what's going on?"
"Sure, Akane. Apparently, some guy calling himself 'Mendou Shutaro, the Silken Stalker' attacked over a hundred women last night and stole their underwear," Nabiki explained. The trio sat down underneath a nearby tree to get out of the morning sun.
"Panty-thief… Happosai" Ranma and Akane said together.
Nabiki shook her head and waved a finger back and forth. "Not this time it isn't. He may be involved, but he wasn't the one to do the actual stealing." To herself, Nabiki continued the thought, "And… Happosai didn't arrive this morning alone, either.'
"How d'ya know?" Ranma asked.
"Because dear Ranma, this guy is far taller than Happosai." Nabiki took out a small notepad with the description of the 'Silken Stalker' she had gather together and handed it to Ranma. "Judging by his voice, he is a young guy, maybe early twenties. He has a slight build, is very athletic and extremely fast. Some of the women didn't know they had been attacked until they got home and found out they weren't wearing underwear."
Akane looked at Nabiki in shock. With the thought that such a thing was impossible, Akane made a quick check. Blushing fiercely, she hugged her arms tightly to her chest and pulled her knees in as well. "How! WHEN!" Akane exclaimed.
"Got you too, Sis?" Nabiki asked raising an eyebrow.
Disbelief, curiosity, and concern for Akane got the better of Ranma for a moment as he reached over and with a finger pulled at the collar of Akane shirt as if to check if she were wearing a bra. "No way!" he claimed inclining his head to see down Akane's blouse. "I was with her the whole mornin'."
Akane grabbed his arm and tossed him over her shoulder and into the tree. "What do you think you're doing! You pervert!"
Ranma poked his head out from the branches of the tree. "I was checkin' to see if you were really stupid enough to walk out of the house with no panties on!" Ranma shouted back.
"What's this then?" Kuno said popping out of nowhere. Quickly scooping up Akane and holding her by the shoulders, Kuno looked at her with imploring eyes. "My love, you must think of your reputation. I know that your passion for me does not lend itself to be bound by mere cloth. I too, at times, feel the need to 'roam free' as it were…"
Ranma fell from out of the tree due to the information overload and Akane became ill. Nabiki merely made a note to update the personal file on Kuno she kept.
"…But you must be strong. Think of the scandal that this will cause," Kuno continued, slowly bending over in an attempt to see beneath Akane's skirt.
Akane punted him several blocks away and then immediately regretted it. She ran in the direction of the school in order to put on a pair of gym shorts at the very least.
"I have seen the Promised Land!" Kuno's voice was heard to say as it receded into the distance.
Nabiki walked over to the floored Ranma who was still shaking at Kuno's revelation on underwear. "So you were with her all morning?"
Ranma wasn't yet capable of human speech, so he nodded his head instead.
"No one else was with you?"
Though scarred for life, Ranma recovered enough to talk. "N… nobody. Just Me, Akane and Aya… wait! There was this guy who had a striking resemblance to one of those good weather charms, but he was a munchkin like the old lech."
'Aya, huh. Well, this stalker is supposed to be a guy, but there are ways around that,' Nabiki brainstormed looking over at Ranma. 'It's an easy enough theory to prove or disprove… but where is the money angle,' she wondered. Saving that thought for later, Nabiki helped Ranma to his feet. "Anyway, you need to catch this guy. You have one week to do it in, or my business's reputation will be tarnished."
"Yeah, so? Nothing to do with me," Ranma replied with disinterest and began walking towards the school.
"You sure about that? Isn't it a martial artist's duty to protect the weak?" Nabiki asked.
Ranma didn't answer and continued to walk towards the school.
"Not at all worried about Akane's welfare?"
Ranma paused.
"Especially after what happened this morning? Not to mention what he did to Ukyou…"
Ranma turned to look at Nabiki with a serious expression on his face. "Wha' happened to Ukyou?"
Nabiki walked up to Ranma and then past him on her way into the school. "Go see for yourself," she called back to him. "She's locked herself in the nurse's office."
*Knock* *Knock*
"Hey Ucchan, ya' in there? Open the door."
"G… go away," a muffled and strained voice answered back.
'That was definitely Ukyou's voice,' Ranma realized. 'Plus, she don't sound too good.' He began pounding on the door. "Hey, you okay in there, Ukyou? You sound out of it."
"Ra… Ranma?" Ukyou's voice cracked.
"Yeah, open the door," Ranma said rattling the lock. "Nabiki said ya got attacked last night."
"I'm fine! Go away!"
"Ya don't sound fine! I'm comin' in!" Ranma warned before taking a step back.
"D… don't come in here, Ranma? I… I can't… I can't," Ukyou's voice stuttered out.
"I'm comin' in!" Ranma said before kicking the door open and off its hinges. Rushing into the room, Ranma scanned for Ukyou, but found nothing. The interior of the nurse's office was extremely dark, making it difficult to see. The lights were off, the window shades had all been pulled and the thermostat turned low.
Something was seriously wrong here, but Ranma couldn't put a finger on what it was. Cautiously, he walked further into the room. He was becoming very concerned for Ukyou. Recalling the things Nabiki had said to the crowd in front of the school, dark thoughts began to enter into Ranma's head. Maybe Ukyou had been ra…
Unable to complete the thought, Ranma clenched his fists. If that was the case, he'd beat the sh….
The sound of something metal being dragged across the floor broke Ranma from his threat. Turning in the direction of the door, he saw that the entrance had been blocked by a large filing cabinet. He also saw a shaking and profusely sweating Ukyou leaning against the side of the cabinet. When her body slumped to the floor, Ranma rushed over to her.
Kneeling in front of her and resting his hands reassuringly on her shoulders, he vowed to get whomever it was who did this to Ukyou. "It's okay, Ucchan. I'm here for ya' now."
Gradually, Ukyou raised her head. Her faced was flushed and sweat had matted a great deal of her hair to her face. Her eyes were tightly closed as if fighting off an intense pain.
"Ra… Ranma…" Ukyou shook.
"Ya' Ucchan?"
Slowly, Ukyou's eyes opened and a rather lecherous smile spread across her face. Ranma instinctively got the impression that he was a mouse looking into the eyes of a very hungry cat. "I warned you not to come in here…"
Putting On Heirs
The characters of Urusei Yatsura and Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi, VIZ and AnimEigo. They are used without permission.
Love means to love that which is unlovable; or it is no virtue at all. ~ Gilbert K. Chesterton ~
Part II:
Instinct
Instinctively, she huddled closer to the warmth of the ship's huge boilers. Although the temperature in the engine room in which she hid was well over ninety degrees, she shivered as if it were the dead of winter. Sheets of sweat glistened through her tattered clothing and upon her forehead as if they were sheets of ice. Again she tossed in her sleep, causing bear flesh to come in contact with the glowing hot machinery, scalding her badly, but she failed to wake. Neither the pain from the burn nor the constant drum of the machinery was enough to break the trance of her nightmare. No matter how much she may have wanted it to. As the cargo ship slowly made its way to Japan, the small fifteen-year-old amazon hiding in its bowls, relived the best and worst day in her young life... over and over again.
Her feet pounded the pavement and her twin ponytails whipped from side to side, occasionally obstructing her vision as she walked purposefully toward a soda can lying on the sidewalk. Rearing a leg back, she kicked the can with all of her might. As she extended her leg through the kick and up over her head, she lost her footing and flipped full circle on to her stomach. The can ricocheted off a lamppost and then a passing bus before finally meeting the forehead of the girl just as she hit the ground with a thud.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid... What am I suppose to do all day long at an all girls school?" The young girl ran both hands through her sandal brown hair, finally grabbing and pulling at her twin pony tails in exasperation, while she still lay flat on the pavement.
As she continued to grumble and rant in front of them, Ranma and Akane looked on in disbelief. They both stared openly at the young girl wearing the St. Hebereke uniform.
Ranma leaned down to whisper in Akane's ear. "You don' believe it, d'ya? That she's the pervert's great granddaughter?"
His breath tickled her cheek, causing it to redden and her shoulder occasionally brushed against the firmness of his chest. She found it difficult to think with him so close. "I don't know, Ranma," she answered with a catch in her throat. In truth, she wasn't even thinking about Happosai's great-granddaughter. Though her eyes focused on the girl named Aya, who had appeared with Happosai out of thin air and on to the Tendo doorstep this morning, Akane's mind was elsewhere.
Yesterday had been near perfect: no Ukyou, no Shampoo, no Kodachi, and no Kuno. She had cooked the family dinner and everyone complimented her on how good it had been. Ranma had even thought so. As she thought back to the night before and how Ranma had held her in his arms, she unconsciously closed her eyes, reliving the moment of their near kiss.
"Hey, you home in there, Akane?" Ranma asked, gently rapping on Akane's forehead with the back of his fist. 'She looks like she's zoned out. Probably still in shock,' Ranma thought as he watched her.
The spell broken, Akane opened her eyes... or had she. Again she found herself staring into eyes of slate gray, his hand on her shoulder and their faces inches apart. She blushed furiously and pushed him away and into the nearby chain fence. "I'm fine and don't stand so close to me, you pervert!" She turned away from the fallen Ranma and faced the street to hide her embarrassment.
Ranma smiled up at her from his position on the ground. "Now that's the tomboy I know. Ya' shouldn't daydream in the street. Ya' could get run over or somethin'."
Akane turned hard on him. "I wasn't daydreaming! I was thinking... that is until you put your perverted hands all over me!"
Ranma jumped to his feet. "Wha' nonsense are you talkin' about! I didn' touch you!"
Akane balled her hands into fists and marched over to where Ranma was standing. "Then what were you doing!" she demanded, standing toe to toe with her fiancé.
Ranma was becoming just as angry. "I was jus..."
"Wow! Sex between you guys must be hot!"
Both Akane and Ranma froze in their places, their faces turning cherry red.
"Oh, don't stop on my account. Keep going!"
Slowly Akane and Ranma turned to see Aya sitting cross-legged in front of them, her elbows resting on knees, her chin on the back of her hands, her eyes following their every move.
"Wha... what did you say?" Akane asked hesitantly, fearing the answer.
Aya blinked innocently at them as if confused. "Don't' stop on my account?" she offered.
Ranma shook his head. "No, before that."
Aya raised her head from her hands and thought about that for a moment before remembering. "Oh! I was just saying that you guys must have really hot sex! I'm envious," she finished with a pout.
Like bowling pins, they wobbled back and forth before crashing to the ground. Ranma stood first followed quickly by Akane. They both pointed accusatory fingers at the other.
"With... with... with that tomboy!"
"I would never let that pervert touch me!"
A puzzled expression again crossed Aya's face. "Aren't you two engaged to be married?"
Akane crossed her arms in front of her in anger. "Hmphf, that was our parent's idea..."
"...We had no say in the matter," Ranma finished.
Aya watched the pair closely, a dangerous instinctive smile coming to her lips and a predatory look to her eyes. "So, who cares how it came about? You two don't want to get married?" Her eyes moved from one to the other.
For a second time, Aya's words froze the pair in place. Slowly the anger faded from Akane's face and her arms hung loosely from her shoulders. She spared a glance at Aya, who was looking rather intently back at her. Not being able to take the scrutiny, Akane's vision focused on the ground in front of her and her sweating hands. Drawing up what she could of her courage, she began to answer Aya's question. To say 'no' to say 'yes', she wasn't sure what words would come out of her mouth.
"Well... it's...I'd rather..."
Ranma's words caught Akane off guard; she wasn't expecting him to answer. What was he going to say? She quickly turned her attention to her right and hung on his every word... for what they were.
Ranma wanted to say something to end the torture this girl, Aya, was putting him through. She was *definitely* Happosai's Great-granddaughter. Really, him and Akane doing... THAT! It was disgusting... as much as the idea of their marriage was absurd. Anything was better than this. Akane probably thought so too. He was about to say "he'd rather take another dip in one of the cursed pools of Jusenkyo before he would marry that tomboy", when his gaze turned to the tomboy in question. His brain failed when he saw the soft hue in her cheeks and her expectant expression, which seemingly looked right through him. He couldn't finish what he wanted to say; his only recourse was to look away and into the morning's blue sky.
Aya's smile cracked her face and her bared teeth glistened in the sun. If Akane and Ranma had seen her now, they would be quite shocked by the insidious nature of her expression. It wouldn't be any fun if they just fell over on their backs with their soldiers in the air. Nooo... there had to be some challenge to it. The chase was fifty percent of her fun! "Everyone falls in love at sometime... it isn't a crime, you know," Aya added to their torment. They'd deny it and turn on each other any minute now.
"You're one to talk and your faces is as horrible as ever I see."
Aya's eyes widened in terror and her posture became rigid. Slowly she stood, turned around and saw... nothing.
"What depravity are you planning now?"
Aya fearfully looked down toward her feet and in the direction of the voice. She was nearly blinded by the reflection of the sun off that baldhead. "YOU!" she shouted while reaching behind her back. Pulling out two huge black mallets with gold trim, she smashed the holy man in front of her into the ground.
Akane and Ranma were startled out of their thoughts by the sound of the cracking pavement. Now what was going on?
"Did you get him?"
Aya calmed her heaving chest and wiped the sweat from her brow. "Yeah... huhuhuh," she said still breathing hard. She smiled. "I think I got the little pest, you never know with Che..." Aya spun on her heels to see to whom she was speaking. Cherry smiled back at her. Screaming in frustration, Aya pulled out a fist full of her own hair and bolted down the street.
Cherry took up pursuit of the soul he had dedicated his life to watching. "Where are you running off to so early in the morning in a small country like Japan? Do you smell food? Wait! Don't go in that direction! It's OMINOUS!"
"STOP FOLLOWING ME!"
Soon Aya and Cherry's voices faded into the distance, to be followed shortly by the receding sounds of explosions and automobile accidents.
"What was that about, Akane?"
"I don't know. We're gonna be late for school."
The two ran off in the direction of Furikan High School.
To most, it was the start of another beautiful day in Tomobiki. In fact, Tomobiki has had a string of particularly beautiful days lasting almost six months now, for most people. Today would be no exception. The weather was a little on the hot side for the time of day, but the cool breeze made it appear just perfect, to most people. The early morning sky was clear and birds sang welcoming the coming of spring and perhaps the promise of love, to most people. Numerous individuals were making their way down a peaceful street. The pall of misfortune, insanity and destruction seems to have permanently lifted here, leaving just a quaint quiet Nerima suburb... for most people.
But to one person, and anyone stupid enough to cross her path... It was HELL.
"Morning Mr. Maki, off to work?"
"Morning, -sure am. Hate to do it on fine day like today, but," he shrugged.
"Hello Mrs. Kimura"
"Hi Mr. Noda."
"Beautiful day!"
"Gorgeous!"
"Hello Lum!"
"GOTO HELL!" she screamed, fangs bared, looking every bit the oni she was. Her hair was an unkempt, frizzled, mess with a life all its own. She didn't care. She wore a wrinkled white oversized T-shirt and her normal bikini bottoms. She wasn't looking to impress anybody. She had bags under her puffy red eyes from a combination of insomnia, and crying. Every now and then her body would twitch, shooting off an errant spark of electricity. Her head was cast down and her face was withdrawn. It was as if a part of her soul was missing. Most people gave her a wide berth. The wise ones did anyway.
"Look here young lady, I know you miss Ataru, but that is no excuse to..." the neighbor woman's rant was cut short by the intense and hateful glare she was receiving.
"You never liked my Darling. You're glad he's gone, aren't you?" Lum looked at the woman sidelong. Her eyes squinted accusingly and her voice was eerily quiet.
"Uh..."
"LIAR!" She pounced on the woman, knocking her to the ground. "WHERE IS HE? WHERE IS MY DARLING?"
"I... I don't know," the woman said fearfully.
"A likely story," Lum said getting off the woman, and snapping her fingers.
The woman continued to cower in fear as two bolts of lightning crashed from the sky. When they subsided, two rather large oni in military attire were kneeling before their princess.
"Yes, your Highness?" one spoke.
"Take her for questioning," Lum pointed at the woman.
The woman screamed in mortal terror as she was dragged away by the two oni.
"How many does that make?" asked Shinobu who had been walking with a group that was following a few paces behind Lum.
"Sixteen today, one hundred twelve in total," answered Ten, who Shinobu carried in her arms.
"Oh! Oh! Can I question her Lum-chan? Can I?" Ran asked bouncing up and down with enthusiasm. The past six months had been golden for Ran.
Megane gathered up his courage. "Lum-san, You can't just kidnap people off the street. We have laws and…"
She turned on him. "CAN'T I!" Again she snapped her fingers, and for the twentieth time in three months, Megane was hauled away.
"Well, at least she didn't electrocute him," Mendou observed.
"Lum-chan hasn't zapped anyone since Ataru disappeared," Ten said sadly.
"Lum-san, when do you think you'll return to class?" Mendou asked in a quiet voice, hoping to take the conversation and Lum's mind off the accursed Moroboshi. These months, surprisingly, had been difficult for him too. He would not have used the word friendship to describe his relationship with Moroboshi. Ataru was more of an obstacle, a hurdle that Mendou needed to pass. How dare the cur disappear before their man-to-man battle was finished!
"What for?" Lum said in a mournful wail.
"Yeah," Ran said in a similar tone, "She's lost her most precious treasure in *all* the universe." She tried her best not to snicker, and was only partially successful. "I'm surprised she even gets out of bed."
Lum's demeanor sank even further, which was not missed by Ran, who became even bubblier. Lum couldn't get angry. It was true; Ran was right. The person she dedicated her life to was gone. Tears began to flow down the well-worn tracks on her face. Tomorrow would be his nineteenth birthday. She just couldn't stand it anymore. She fell to her knees crying. "Ev… everything… everything here… reminds me of Darling!"
"Lum-san." Mendou rushed over to help her up, but she brushed his hand and slowly stood on her own.
"Maybe… maybe I should just go home," Lum finally said.
Mendou pushed down the hurt he felt from her rebuke. Though he wasn't actively pursing her as much since having found Asuka, he still felt the need to comfort Lum. Cautiously, he put his arm around her shoulder and quickly withdrew it, fearing a shock. When none came, he rested his arm fully around her shoulders. "Yes, I think that would be best," he said reassuringly and turned her back in the direction of the Moroboshi household. "Although, you should consider staying at the Mendou Estate if these surroundings remind you too much of Moroboshi."
"You don't understand, Shutaro. I mean *go home*… to my world."
All those in the small group looked at her with stricken faces, including Ran. Perhaps there had been a time when she wouldn't have mind leaving Earth, but now… She… she had friends here, and Earth people were so naïve! What about the fun she had here? How would she earn money for dates with Rei? The thought of leaving… It left her with an empty feeling.
Lum-chan, you… you don't mean it," Ran said sincerely, as she approached her weeping best friend.
Lum looked at Ran with eyes that poured tears. She had never felt this depressed before. She didn't think anyone could feel as bad as she did right now. Her shoulders began to shake uncontrollably as she spoke. "Ran… I… I just can't…" Suddenly, she picked up her head. She felt…
"Lum-chan? What's thew matter?" Ran asked with genuine concern.
Lum didn't answer. She wiped the tears from her eyes and began to walk slowly down the street, a strange expression on her face.
Puzzled, her group of friends quickly caught up to her and followed her as she headed in one direction, paused and then began walking in another direction. She looked as though she were looking or expecting something. She did this for several blocks, pausing at intersections and then seemingly choosing a direction at random.
Walking down a quiet deserted street, Shinobu finally got up the courage to ask her what was wrong. Lum didn't answer, but paused in the middle of the street and quickly rose in the air. Squinting her eyes, she tried to focus on something in the distance; there was a plume of smoke billowing up into the air several blocks away.
"What's wrong Lum," Shinobu asked again.
Suddenly, Lum broke out in a huge smile, her first smile in six months and quickly flew in the direction of the plume of smoke.
The others again took up pursuit, following as best they could.
Apparently, Akane and Ranma shouldn't have worried about getting to school on time. It looked as though classes weren't going to start anytime soon. A large group of mostly female high school students from various schools stood outside the gates of Furinkan HS. They were quite agitated which was just how Nabiki liked her customers... desperate.
"No one is safe with that menace, the Silken Stalker, on the loose!" Nabiki shouted with a bullhorn from a top the wall that surrounded the school grounds. "He strikes without the slightest warning and wrenches your underwear from you. He's attacked over a hundred women. They were savagely assaulted last night, not one seeing the attacker's face. ANYONE OF YOU COULD BE NEXT!" She said sweeping the crowd with a finger. "Who knows, it could be a rape gang or a slave ring!" Nabiki warned, playing on the crowd's fears. By the fervent whispering and gasps, she had succeeded in turning what was probably just an over-heated bunch of teenagers stealing underwear into the crime wave of the century.
"What are the police doing!" Someone shouted out.
Nabiki laughed at the question. "Are you willing to wait for them to figure out what's going on! Where were the police last night? We have to protect ourselves!"
"How Nabiki?"
Nabiki hid her smile. Her plants in the crowd knew their jobs well. "I'll tell you how!" She noticed Ranma and Akane walk up to the back of the crowd. She wanted to laugh; the timing was so perfect. 'Time to stroke some ego,' Nabiki thought with a smirk. "By employing the man who keeps Happosai in check. By calling on the man who freed us of Kuno's perversion and dictatorship!" She shouted fist in the air. "We have the world's greatest martial artist right here in our school! We don't need to fear anymore! Ranma Saotome will save us!" She proclaimed and pointed at the confused martial artist at the back of the crowd.
"What's goin' on, Akane?" Ranma leaned over and whispered to Akane.
She shrugged her shoulders in reply.
"Ranma, Ranma, Ranma," Nabiki slowly encouraged the chant. Soon her retainers in the crowd did likewise and before he knew it Ranma's name was being shouted out by a group of over seventy-five teenage girls.
Akane could just see his head expanding.
Inside the school, the male body of Furinkan watched the scene outside with feelings ranging from disinterest to disgust. There was just something about a gaggle of screaming girls calling out Ranma's name that made them want to cry. Weren't they men too?
As the mantra continued Ranma made his way through the crowd and towards Nabiki who was waving him to come up on the wall. Akane followed close behind. Leaping up on to the wall, Ranma turned to face the crowd of screaming women. Nervously, he scratched his head, not so much due to the amount of attention he was receiving, rather because he didn't know what was going on.
Nabiki walked over to Ranma and grasping his hand, raised it high in the air. "I give you the man, who will bring the 'Silken Stalker' to justice!"
"Death to lechers!" The crowd chanted.
"Death to preverts!"
"Death to Shutaro Mendou!"
Finally climbing up onto the wall herself, Akane grabbed hold of Nabiki's arm to gain her attention.
"Nabiki, what's all this about?" Akane asked confused. "Why are all these girls here and why are they shouting out Ranma's name." Anger was beginning to creep into her voice.
"I'll tell you in a second. Let me finish reeling them in first," Nabiki whispered to Akane and then turned to face the crowd again. "The Anything Goes School of Martial Arts will guarantee the capture of this scoundrel in one week, all for the low price of two thousand yen from each of you. I think that's a bargain for a peaceful night's sleep. Please remit payment to Seikou, who is standing next to the oak tree in the school courtyard."
As the crowd dispersed, the two Tendo sisters and Ranma climbed down from the wall and began walking in the opposite direction.
"Ok, Nabiki. Now can you tell me what's going on?"
"Sure, Akane. Apparently, some guy calling himself 'Mendou Shutaro, the Silken Stalker' attacked over a hundred women last night and stole their underwear," Nabiki explained. The trio sat down underneath a nearby tree to get out of the morning sun.
"Panty-thief… Happosai" Ranma and Akane said together.
Nabiki shook her head and waved a finger back and forth. "Not this time it isn't. He may be involved, but he wasn't the one to do the actual stealing." To herself, Nabiki continued the thought, "And… Happosai didn't arrive this morning alone, either.'
"How d'ya know?" Ranma asked.
"Because dear Ranma, this guy is far taller than Happosai." Nabiki took out a small notepad with the description of the 'Silken Stalker' she had gather together and handed it to Ranma. "Judging by his voice, he is a young guy, maybe early twenties. He has a slight build, is very athletic and extremely fast. Some of the women didn't know they had been attacked until they got home and found out they weren't wearing underwear."
Akane looked at Nabiki in shock. With the thought that such a thing was impossible, Akane made a quick check. Blushing fiercely, she hugged her arms tightly to her chest and pulled her knees in as well. "How! WHEN!" Akane exclaimed.
"Got you too, Sis?" Nabiki asked raising an eyebrow.
Disbelief, curiosity, and concern for Akane got the better of Ranma for a moment as he reached over and with a finger pulled at the collar of Akane shirt as if to check if she were wearing a bra. "No way!" he claimed inclining his head to see down Akane's blouse. "I was with her the whole mornin'."
Akane grabbed his arm and tossed him over her shoulder and into the tree. "What do you think you're doing! You pervert!"
Ranma poked his head out from the branches of the tree. "I was checkin' to see if you were really stupid enough to walk out of the house with no panties on!" Ranma shouted back.
"What's this then?" Kuno said popping out of nowhere. Quickly scooping up Akane and holding her by the shoulders, Kuno looked at her with imploring eyes. "My love, you must think of your reputation. I know that your passion for me does not lend itself to be bound by mere cloth. I too, at times, feel the need to 'roam free' as it were…"
Ranma fell from out of the tree due to the information overload and Akane became ill. Nabiki merely made a note to update the personal file on Kuno she kept.
"…But you must be strong. Think of the scandal that this will cause," Kuno continued, slowly bending over in an attempt to see beneath Akane's skirt.
Akane punted him several blocks away and then immediately regretted it. She ran in the direction of the school in order to put on a pair of gym shorts at the very least.
"I have seen the Promised Land!" Kuno's voice was heard to say as it receded into the distance.
Nabiki walked over to the floored Ranma who was still shaking at Kuno's revelation on underwear. "So you were with her all morning?"
Ranma wasn't yet capable of human speech, so he nodded his head instead.
"No one else was with you?"
Though scarred for life, Ranma recovered enough to talk. "N… nobody. Just Me, Akane and Aya… wait! There was this guy who had a striking resemblance to one of those good weather charms, but he was a munchkin like the old lech."
'Aya, huh. Well, this stalker is supposed to be a guy, but there are ways around that,' Nabiki brainstormed looking over at Ranma. 'It's an easy enough theory to prove or disprove… but where is the money angle,' she wondered. Saving that thought for later, Nabiki helped Ranma to his feet. "Anyway, you need to catch this guy. You have one week to do it in, or my business's reputation will be tarnished."
"Yeah, so? Nothing to do with me," Ranma replied with disinterest and began walking towards the school.
"You sure about that? Isn't it a martial artist's duty to protect the weak?" Nabiki asked.
Ranma didn't answer and continued to walk towards the school.
"Not at all worried about Akane's welfare?"
Ranma paused.
"Especially after what happened this morning? Not to mention what he did to Ukyou…"
Ranma turned to look at Nabiki with a serious expression on his face. "Wha' happened to Ukyou?"
Nabiki walked up to Ranma and then past him on her way into the school. "Go see for yourself," she called back to him. "She's locked herself in the nurse's office."
*Knock* *Knock*
"Hey Ucchan, ya' in there? Open the door."
"G… go away," a muffled and strained voice answered back.
'That was definitely Ukyou's voice,' Ranma realized. 'Plus, she don't sound too good.' He began pounding on the door. "Hey, you okay in there, Ukyou? You sound out of it."
"Ra… Ranma?" Ukyou's voice cracked.
"Yeah, open the door," Ranma said rattling the lock. "Nabiki said ya got attacked last night."
"I'm fine! Go away!"
"Ya don't sound fine! I'm comin' in!" Ranma warned before taking a step back.
"D… don't come in here, Ranma? I… I can't… I can't," Ukyou's voice stuttered out.
"I'm comin' in!" Ranma said before kicking the door open and off its hinges. Rushing into the room, Ranma scanned for Ukyou, but found nothing. The interior of the nurse's office was extremely dark, making it difficult to see. The lights were off, the window shades had all been pulled and the thermostat turned low.
Something was seriously wrong here, but Ranma couldn't put a finger on what it was. Cautiously, he walked further into the room. He was becoming very concerned for Ukyou. Recalling the things Nabiki had said to the crowd in front of the school, dark thoughts began to enter into Ranma's head. Maybe Ukyou had been ra…
Unable to complete the thought, Ranma clenched his fists. If that was the case, he'd beat the sh….
The sound of something metal being dragged across the floor broke Ranma from his threat. Turning in the direction of the door, he saw that the entrance had been blocked by a large filing cabinet. He also saw a shaking and profusely sweating Ukyou leaning against the side of the cabinet. When her body slumped to the floor, Ranma rushed over to her.
Kneeling in front of her and resting his hands reassuringly on her shoulders, he vowed to get whomever it was who did this to Ukyou. "It's okay, Ucchan. I'm here for ya' now."
Gradually, Ukyou raised her head. Her faced was flushed and sweat had matted a great deal of her hair to her face. Her eyes were tightly closed as if fighting off an intense pain.
"Ra… Ranma…" Ukyou shook.
"Ya' Ucchan?"
Slowly, Ukyou's eyes opened and a rather lecherous smile spread across her face. Ranma instinctively got the impression that he was a mouse looking into the eyes of a very hungry cat. "I warned you not to come in here…"