DISCLAIMER: The copyrights to Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki is owned by AIC Inc. and
Pioneer LDC respectively. The copyrights to Ranma 1/2 are owned by Rumiko
Takahashi and Pioneer LDC respectively. This work of fiction is not created for
commercial purposes and is done for fan entertainment only without profit.
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F A M I L Y R E U N I O N
PART 4: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!
By Michael "TheZorch" Haney
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The three Tendo sisters had become used to the many spectacular wonders of
alien technology since coming to the Masaki home, but no matter how often they
visited it the Onsen was one thing that left them with a sense of awe. It has
been three weeks since the incident with Kuno and Ryoga and already it was long
forgotten. Ranma started training with Katsuhito and Tenchi up at the shrine to
learn how to use his powers properly. Akane had gone up to the shrine to take
the men some fresh tea when she witnessed that power in action. She left quite
awed and a bit frightened at the same time. Ranma was far stronger than she
could have ever begun to imagine.
The youngest of the three Tendo sisters wasn't dwelling on that right now.
Wrapped in her pink towel she just relaxed in the warm waters of the onsen and
allowed the harmonious sound of flowing water sooth her. Nearby Ryoko and
Nabiki, both totally naked, sat together sipping tea and saki. Sasami and
Kasumi giggled and laughed just enjoying each other's company. Little Ryo-Ohki
was as always on top of the little princess's head. Aeka and Washu sat next to
Akane sharing some saki also.
"This place is so wonderful, I wish we had one in Nerima." Akane said
lazily.
"That could be arranged." Washu replied after downing her fifth saucer of
saki. "I looked into an alternate universe once and there I was, my alternate
self, creating a onsen inside of Tenchi's bathroom using a bubble in subspace
just like the way I made my lab." She went on.
"Wow, really." Said an astonished Akane.
"You'll have to clear it with dad first." Said Nabiki.
"Ryoko is the one who made this one." Aeka told her.
Akane looked over at the cyan haired beauty in surprise. "You did?" she
asked. "Yep, wasn't hard at all either." Ryoko grinned.
"It was the only thing she has ever done that I can honestly say I approve
of." Said Aeka. Ryoko narrowed her eyes and grumbled, "What was that,
Princess?"
"Lets change the subject." said Washu, hoping to keep the two from
fighting. "How about we play a little game." She suggested. "I love games."
Kasumi smiled. "Me too." Sasami said cheerfully.
"This game is called 'Kiss and Tell'," Washu told them. "You go 'first'
Akane." The diminutive genius gives her a knowing wink. Akane quickly turned a
deep shade of red.
"Do you know something we don't know, Little Washu?" Nabiki asked, a coy
smile on her lips.
"Oh, I'm going to leave that up to Akane to explain." Giggled Washu.
Akane looked at her middle sister helplessly and sighed. "There isn't
much to talk about really." She said. "I doubt that." Smiled Washu as wide as a
Cheshire cat. "Fess up Akane." Nabiki said, the curiosity was starting to
become too much for her. "Yeah, lets here all the 'gory' details." Ryoko
laughed.
"We just kissed, ok." Akane said quickly.
"You know Akane you couldn't lie to save your life." Nabiki sighed.
The others all broke out into laughter. "Well, it-it was beautiful
actually," Akane finally said. "I felt this tingling starting in my toes, it
went up my back, and I felt like I was soaring high in the air."
"Yep, she's in love." Said Washu.
"We kissed again, deeper this time, more forceful, it was incredible,"
Akane went on. "My heart felt like it was going to explode, I didn't want to
leave Ranma's arms, didn't want it to stop." All the while Akane's face grew
ever redder until she was the color of a radish. "We couldn't stop ourselves,
didn't want to stop, we kissed again and again and again, everything was a blur,
and then-and then-" she cried to continued but to too overcome with emotion.
"What, and then what?" everyone asked, all poised for the answer.
"I can't believe you're making me say this," Akane said embarrassed. "And
then-and then we-we-we MADE LOVE, IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL!" Unable to handle the
embracement anymore Akane dunked down under the water. Everyone but Washu
gasped in shock, Kasumi and Nabiki's eyes were as wide as bowling balls.
"Oh my god, you didn't!" Nabiki explained in disbelief. "No with Ranma!"
Akane came back up out of the water in time to hear her. She nodded
saying, "We did, in Washu's lab right after what happened with Kuno and Ryoga,
you could say it was motivated by what happened that day but I have no regrets."
"So that's why you two are so 'lovidovey' all of a sudden." Ryoko giggled.
Ryoko's laughter echoed off the translucent onsen dome and she slapped her
hands. "You owe me five thousand yen when we get back to the house, girly
girl." She said to Nabiki. "Damn." The middle Tendo sister sighed.
"Wah!" a shocked Akane remarked. "Do you mean to tell me the two of you
made a bet on this!" she exclaimed.
"Yeah, and I lost, I never imagined in a million years you and Ranma would
actually ever do the 'dirty deed'." Nabiki replied laughing.
"Nabiki!" exclaimed Akane.
"Do you 'really' love him, Akane?" Nabiki asked.
"Of course she does." Said Ryoko.
Akane blushed furiously and covered her face. "Three weeks ago I would
have said 'no', but now I can't deny what's in my heart, what I've felt for a
long time actually." She said. "I guess you can say I do 'love' Ranma."
"It will be wonderful now the two of you won't be fighting anymore."
Kasumi cooed.
"You and Ranma used to fight, but you were engaged." Aeka said to the
young Tendo sister astonished. "Yeah, well it was an arrangement between our
parents, as I said before," she replied. "And, my two sisters sort of nominated
me for it too if I remember."
"Better you than me." Nabiki laughed.
"So what now?" asked Sasami.
Akane turned to the little girl intending to reply. Her gaze feel on the
cute little princess, but then traveled down to her reflection in the water and
she gasped in shock. The younger Tendo sister stood up and nearly fell
backwards into the water.
"Oh my god!" she cried pointing at Sasami.
"Huh?" everyone said at once and turned to where she was pointing. Nabiki
and Kasumi noticed immediately. "Oh my goodness." Kasumi gasped. "Is this
another one of those 'alien' things?" asked Nabiki. After living in the Tendo
house most of her life and seeing all manner of weird things she wasn't shocked
in the slightest.
Sasami looked down at herself and was met by the smiling face of
'Tsunami'. The Goddess was adorned in her regal robes. Seeing Sasami looking
down at her she blinked playfully. The little princess tried to suppress her
giggle but it came out anyway.
"Maybe its time we told them about Sasami." Said Ryoko. "And me."
"Told us what, what's happening to her?" Akane asked, now in full control
of her composure.
"I'll field this one Aeka." offered Washu. The elder princess nodded to
her with a smile. After all, Washu was the best qualified person to tell the
tale, from her prison on the Soja she witness the attack on Jurai through
Ryoko's eyes.
"It all starts about five thousand years ago," Washu started. "I was a
professor at the Galactic Science Academy, I had a brilliant student named
Kagato and he assisted me in what was to be one of my most spectacular projects
yet." Ryoko pointed to herself and said, "I was that project." The Tendo
sisters looked at her in surprise. "That's right," Washu went on. "Ryoko was
engineered by me, I used one of my ova combined with the Masu, and it's the same
way I made Ryo-Ohki except with mineral life and the Masu." An astonished Akane
then asked, "What does that have to do with Sasami?" "I'm getting to that."
Washu replied a bit frustrated at being interrupted. "I am not sure where,
when, or how but something got to Kagato, a darkness or some kind of evil." She
said continuing the tale. "It began to consume him from within, soon most of
his body became incorporeal. He betrayed me one day, tricked me and locked me
up inside of my own starship the Soja and on top of that he took control of my
Little Ryoko's mind. He forced her to do unspeakable things in the name of his
quest for ultimate power, soon he became obsessed with discovering the source of
the power controlled by the Jurai Royal Family; Tsunami."
"Sasami mentioned that name three weeks ago." Kasumi remembered.
"Tsunami is the Tree of Light, the mother of all the royal trees of Jurai,
the sentient trees that function as the heart of all the ships from our world."
Aeka explained. "All members of the Jurai royal family are eventually called on
by the trees and are bonded with the one who called them. The bond forms a
symbiotic relationship between the two allowing telepathic communication, and in
return the person bonded is granted an immensely extended lifespan. Sasami at a
young age was called upon by Tsunami, and you can just imagine that this news
was a tremendous shock to the other royal houses."
"Kagato learned that Tsunami was the source of the Jurai power and wanted
to learn how to use it himself, so he sent Ryoko to attack Jurai intending to
steel the tree." Washu continued. "But, Aeka's half-brother Yosho, whom you
know as Katsuhito, fought Ryoko off and chased her here to Earth where he
defeated her and sealed her up in a cave for seven hundred years until one day
Tenchi accidentally set her free."
"That's an amazing tale." Said Kasumi.
"What happened with Sasami occurred during the battle on Jurai." Washu
explained. "She was very young at the time, about 4 or 5 or so. She wandered
off from her nanny and went to the royal hanging gardens where the trees of
Jurai and Tsunami dwell. She was making her way along the platforms when
something hit the tower and exploded. The force knocked her off her feet and
she fell to her death. Saddened at the loss of her bond mate, Tsunami generated
a 'copy' of Sasami. They are joined together, so that is why you can see
Tsunami's reflection."
"That's absolutely incredible." Akane gasped.
Sasami climbed up out of the water. "I'd better go, I have to start
dinner." She said. "I'll come and help you in a little bit." Kasumi called
after her. The little princess smiled and giggled, "Ok." "Bye." Waves Akane.
The little girl smiles and waves back as she goes through the main door.
When Sasami was gone Washu turned to the Tendo girls with a serious look
on her face. "With Sasami here I couldn't tell you the real truth because even
she doesn't know." She told them. "What truth?" Nabiki asked. "That 'she' is
the 'real' Sasami, she only 'thinks' she's a copy." Washu said pointing towards
the onsen entrance where Sasami had gone. "After the fall Sasami was barely
hanging onto life when Tsunami, in an ultimate gesture of her love, sacrificed
her individuality so that Sasami could live." Explained Aeka.
"What does that mean?" Kasumi asked, confused.
"Tsunami and Sasami are assimilated, they aren't two different people
anymore, they are the 'same' person." Washu informed them. "For now they have
separate minds to allow Sasami to have her childhood, but one day they will
fully merge and become one mind, one body, one personality, and have a complete
combined memory."
Akane gasped in complete shock, "Is that possible?"
"It is, when you are a 'goddess'." Aeka told her. Now this had a major
effect, all the Tendo sisters looked like they were about to faint. "Tsunami is
a goddess, one of three sisters." Said Washu. "I am one of them, or was before
I gave up my immortality to be human about twenty thousand year ago, and the
third is no longer with us."
"I'm so sorry." Kasumi said sadly.
"Don't be, Tokimi was evil through and through," said Aeka. "She tried to
kill us and destroy Jurai, and none of us would be here if Tenchi hadn't
destroyed her."
"This is just getting better and better, first aliens and now goddesses."
Nabiki sighed. Ryoko handed her a small saki bottle. Nabiki accepted it and
took a long swig. "Welcome to the family." Ryoko smiled.
"Hold up, you said Yosho was Aeka and Sasami's half-brother." Said Akane.
"Yes, we have the same father but two different mothers." Aeka replied.
Akane sighed, "We lost our mother, but dad never remarried."
"Oh, Yosho's mother is still alive and so is mine and Sasami's." Aeka
explained.
"Was there a divorce?" asked Kasumi.
Aeka laughed, "There is 'much' you must learn of the Royal Family of
Jurai."
"You mean your father has two wives!" Akane gasped.
Aeka nodded, "As the King of Jurai he may have as many wives as he
pleases, and the same privilege extends to Lord Tenchi and Lord Ranma if they so
choose." The Tendo sisters all looked at the First Princess with an expression
of immense surprise. "In fact, as members of the direct line of succession to
the throne, the royal family expects nothing less." She added. Akane grabbed
the saki bottle from Nabiki's hand and drained the last of it in one gulp, today
was just full of incredible revelations.
Ranma was running, very fast. The trees were going by in a blur, the air
was pushing back his hair, yet he didn't feel tired at all. For three weeks
he'd been training with Katsuhito and Tenchi at the shrine learning to harness
the Jurai power he had within him. Now he was learning to use that power, and
it felt incredible. Ranma was fast, his hands had always been quick, whether he
was throwing out punches or moving rice from one plate to another like on Prince
Toma's island. Yet, the awesome speed he was at right now was far beyond that.
It was almost as if he was 'super-human'.
Tenchi wasn't too far behind. The boy ran with a similar speed, tapping
into his immense pool of energy. There was a strange glow surrounding the First
Prince of Jurai as he ran. Ranma remembered Tenchi said that ever since the war
with Lady Tokimi he'd been able to call upon the Light Hawk Wings whenever he
wanted to. With the wings he was able to do virtually anything, and right now
he was keeping up with Ranma using that power. The young Saotome suspected that
was just the tip of the iceberg though.
Katsuhito stood as still as an old oak tree. He held a stopwatch in his
hand as it counted down. The two cousins came racing by, the wind from their
passing sent up a huge cloud of dust and made the trees sway back and forth.
The old priest's robes flew around, but the old man didn't move an inch. The
shockwave in the air reached the porch of the shrine sending the wind chimes
into a frantic dance and knocking over several baskets.
"Hmmm, not bad." Said the old man.
The cousins came around again completing another circuit. Katsuhito
clicked the stopwatch and the two came to a sudden halt. When they stopped they
created a shockwave in the air that pushed the trees in one direction sending
them swaying again.
"That was totally awesome!" shouted Ranma.
"What would you say we were we doing, grandpa?" Tenchi asked.
"I'd say you two were doing a good sixty to eighty miles per hour or so."
The old priest said.
"That fast, WOW!" exclaimed Ranma, he was beginning to love this whole
alien thing.
"I am certain you can go much faster," Katsuhito told him. "Tenchi with
the Light Hawk Wings can fly at speeds exceeding the speed of sound."
Ranma felt a cold draft all of a sudden and looked down at his outfit. It
was nearly torn to shreds, and his shoes were practically gone. "It's murder on
my wardrobe though." He said. "Once you learn to project a force field in front
of you and use it to fly that won't be a problem anymore." The old priest said.
Suddenly, Katsuhito felt a presence nearby. He cursed himself for letting
his defenses down, who or whatever it was wasn't very far away. He jerked
around quickly as a blue and red form suddenly streaked out of the underbrush
and advanced on Ranma. The old priest didn't make a move however, he could
clearly see what it was advancing on his grandson, and what he saw made him do
an eyebrow Spock Maneuver.
"Nihao, Ranma!" the figure cried as it threw its arms around the suddenly
stunned young Saotome.
"S-S-S-Shampoo!!!!" Ranma stammered.
Much of Japan and the Orient was once a colony of planet Jurai. Juraian
culture had a major influence in shaping the cultures and traditions of the
Japanese and Chinese peoples. Tenchi recalled that Washu suggested that a
little more than sixty percent of the population in Japan and China had some
Juraian blood, but not necessarily 'royal' blood. The girl clinging to Ranma
was to say the least absolutely gorgeous, a vision of beauty who could easily
rival the girls Tenchi lived with. Her delicate features gave away her origins,
she was definitely Chinese, but her blue hair also cued Tenchi in to the fact
that she had some Juraian blood in her veins. Her hair style was slightly
similar to Aeka's and Akane's, her long bangs were tied with little red bows,
and her hair hung down low below her waist in a long braid that ended in a large
bow. She was wearing a tight red outfit with a flower print that was definitely
of Chinese make.
"Shampoo see whole thing, Ranma so strong, so manly." The girl cooed,
hugging Ranma lovingly. The boy, however, wasn't so happy to have such a
gorgeous creature glomping him. "Shampoo, let go, what are you doing here!"
Ranma shouted as he tried to pry himself loose.
"Poor Ranma must spend whole summer with baka Akane, Shampoo come to save
man she love." She replied while rubbing her cheek against his.
Something silver, reflecting the light of the sun, suddenly flew passed
Tenchi and Katsuhito. Neither moved an inch as the object slapped the Chinese
girl in the face sending her falling to the ground. Tenchi looked at the fallen
object in surprise, it was a-spatula?
"I'm the one Ranma honey truly loves." Said a new voice, a firm but gentle
feminine tone.
"U-Ukyo?" Ranma said, dumbfounded. "Both of you are here."
This new girl was dressed in the uniform robe of an Okinomiaki chef.
Slung over her back was a gigantic spatula, and she wore a bandoleer that held
several more of the smaller metal utensils. Her black tights revealed the
wonderfully elegant curvature of her long legs, her black hair hung down to her
waist and was held back by a white bow. Like the Chinese girl she too was
incredibly beautiful. Tenchi looked back and forth between his cousin and the
two girls. He nervously scratched his head and sighed, "It must run in the
family somewhere."
Akane felt incredibly refreshed after the visit to the onsen. She loved
the place and hoped her dad would allow Washu to make them one. She, her
sisters, Aeka, Mihoshi, Washu, and Ryoko walked back towards the house. They
passed close to where the stairs to the shrine started, and Ryoko noticed some
people coming down. She teleported away, then materialized just behind Tenchi
and glomped him. "Hello, my Tenchi." She whispered seductively into his ear.
"Hey, Ryoko get off will ya!" Tenchi groaned.
"Ryoko, let Lord Tenchi go this instant!" Aeka shouted.
Ryoko laughed, "Make me, your worshipfulness."
Despite the distance Tenchi's keen eyes could clearly see the veins
popping up on Aeka's forehead. "Oh no." he sighed knowing a fight was
inevitable.
"Girls, show some manners, we have new guests." Katsuhito said defusing
the situation. Thank Kami-san for grandpa, Tenchi thought.
"Ukyo, Shampoo what are you two doing in Ohkayama?" Akane asked when she
recognized the two women. "You know them?" asked Aeka.
"We came because we decided not to wait any longer." Said Ukyo. "That
right, we wait long enough." Shampoo added.
"Waited for what?" Ryoko asked.
"Either Ranma finally decides to choose who he wants to be with or we have
a three way duel, winner take all." Said Ukyo as she pulled out her big spatula
and points it at Akane.
Ranma jumps in between them waving his arms shouting, "Hey, now wait a
sec, there's something you two need to know!"
"No more talk, you choose or Akane fights!" Shampoo shouted and stomped
her foot.
Tenchi leaned towards his grandfather and whispers, "Reminds you of a
couple of somebody's doesn't it." The old man nodded in agreement.
"I'm not gonna fight!" Akane exclaimed in reply. "Listen to what Ranma
has to say!"
"Perhaps the four of you should go and discuss this in private." Katsuhito
suggested. "Right, lets go to Fonaho-Oh." Ranma said. "Fonaho-Oh?" Shampoo
said curiously.
Tenchi watched the four of them walk off into the woods towards his
grandfather's space tree. His keen senses amplified by his powers told him that
there were many eyes on him at that moment. He turned to meet the gaze of the
young women whom he shared his house with. They all looked at him expectantly,
then he remembered what he said to them before Ranma and his family came.
Tenchi sighed and said, "Ok, I guess it's about time we did the same, lets go up
to the shrine." All of the girls nodded and followed him towards the stairs.
"I will be at the house." Katsuhito said as he walked off. He showed no
emotion, but inside he felt such incredible pride in his grandson, both of his
grandsons.
Shampoo and Ukyo stared up in wonder at the magnificent tree. They were
at a loss to determine what sort of tree it was, the trunk was certainly huge,
the canopy of leaves and branches stretched out so far that it covered the
entire pool it was growing in. Ranma had taken Akane here the day after they
consummated their relationship in Washu's lab. Here, beneath the leaves, he
pledged to love her forever. This place was very special to her heart.
Ranma stopped and turned around to face them. Akane could read in his
face signs of the conflict within. She was well aware of the truth in his
heart, he loved her very much, but he also felt some attachment to Shampoo and
Ukyo as well. She knew Ranma well, he was going to tell them about him and
Akane, and she knew it was going to tear him up inside. Akane agreed, Ranma and
Tenchi were both very much alike in this respect. Then, she remembered Aeka's
words in the onsen. A part of her didn't like the idea, but her heart told her
she had to tell him.
"Ukyo, Shampoo, I brought all of you out here because-" Ranma began, but
Akane walked up and interrupted him.
"Ranma, I love you, and I'll accept any decision you choose to make." She
told him. The other girls gasped at Akane's sudden admission of her feelings.
"Akane?" a surprised Ranma said.
"There is something Aeka told me you should know before you make that
decision though, I don't like it, but my heart says to tell you and whatever you
decide I will live with it because I will always love you and will never leave
your side no matter what." She continued. The two other girls looked at each
other with puzzled expressions.
"What do you mean, what did she tell you?" Ranma asked.
Tenchi sat on the shrine steps flanked by the six women who were a part of
his life. Ryoko had teleported to the house and grabbed Sasami out of the
kitchen for this event. They all looked at him expectantly and with a little
bit of fear. They could read it in his face, today was the day, he was going to
choose and they all would have to live with his decision. After all, despite
all the rivalry the final decision was always 'his' to make.
"I want to start off by saying that I truly care about all of you, I once
thought all I wanted was a normal ordinary life, but when I really think about
it if I didn't have all of you here my life would be pretty bland." He told
them.
"We have had some interesting adventures haven't we." Said Ryoko.
"Except for the war with Tokimi, that wasn't an adventure that was a
living hell." Commented Washu.
"I almost lost all of you in that war." Said Tenchi, his voice low now.
"We almost lost you, Lord Tenchi." Said Aeka.
Tenchi looked down at his hands and sighed. He knew what he had to do, he
was torn between two worlds, two cultures. On one side was his Shinto
upbringing, on the other was his Juraian heritage and all the rights and
privileges he receives from it. It was impossible to deny that his destiny
leaned towards his Juraian heritage now more than at any other time. Ever since
the Goddess War the galaxy at large was infatuated with the young First Prince
of Jurai. Despite the ill feelings the King of Jurai had for his great grandson
there was no avoiding the fact that one day he would indeed succeed the throne.
"I don't know what I would have done if I ever lost any one of you." He
said. "I could never forgive myself."
"Tenchi-" began Ryoko, but she stopped when her mother put a hand on her
shoulder.
"Choosing, I always knew, would be inevitable," Tenchi went on. "I also
know that choosing will break the hearts of those who are not the one, and in
turn that will tear me up inside knowing I caused that pain."
Looks of confusion, surprise, and fear were exchanged between the girls.
Tenchi noticed it, they were worried, but he decided to end all of their
worrying now and forever. "So, I have decided not to choose," he said, the
girls all gasped. "Just one." He finished with a smile. Their horrified
expressions turned to surprise with a tinge of hope, had they heard him
correctly?
"It will be hard, it will be an adjustment for all of us, but I know we
can make this work." He told them. "If you are all willing to try with me."
Their eyes grew wide, he meant what he said, and effectively he opened the
door for all of them into his heart. The girls were silent for a moment, which
made Tenchi worry a bit. Would they accept, or would they all in a rage
vaporize him into a pile of dust?
There, I did it I told him, now Ranma its all up to you, Akane said to
herself. Ranma sat on the ground with the three girls. His face was an
unreadable mask. What Akane just told him nearly blew his mind; as a Prince of
Jurai and a member of the line of succession he could have as many wives as he
wished. In fact, it was expected of him to do so. He couldn't bring himself to
believe Akane agreed with that though, he could see it in her face, but he also
knew she'd accept his wishes because she said so from her heart.
"I don't know what to do." He admitted.
Akane put her hand on his shoulder and told him, "Do what your heart
says."
Ukyo and Shampoo knew nothing of Ranma's alien heritage. All of this talk
of him being a prince of someplace called Jurai was beyond them. What or where
was this place called Jurai, they thought.
"I don't want to hurt you." He told her truthfully.
"What is this place called Jurai?" Ukyo asked, interrupting the two.
Ranma and Akane both looked at her with a curious expression that made
Ukyo do a Spock Maneuver. "That is a little hard to explain." Said Akane.
"Ranma is Prince, but where is the Kingdom?" asked Shampoo.
"You sure you two 'really' want to know?" Ranma asked.
"Yes." Ukyo and Shampoo replied together.
The young Saotome sighed, "Ok, here goes."
Tenchi didn't have to wait long for the girls to answer him. With tears
streaming down their faces they surrounded him and held him in their arms.
Mihoshi was balling pretty soon leaving a noise puddle. Tenchi tried to
encircle them with his arms as best he could. Together they all cried, not out
of sadness, but out of joy. The joy of a new beginning, a new start. Then, one
my one Tenchi kissed them, but not like before. This time the kiss was on the
lips, tender, passionate. Not to leave little Sasami out of the picture he gave
her a quick kiss on the lips which made her blush furiously.
"Well, what do we do now?" asked Washu.
"Breed like rabbits." Said Ryoko.
Tenchi turned bright red. "Besides that, but not a bad idea." Washu
replied smiling.
"Maybe we should take things easy for awhile, allow ourselves to get used
to this 'new life'." Aeka suggested.
Ryoko sighed, "Aeka's right, lets not rush into anything yet."
"You agree with me?" Aeka asked her, astonished.
"Yeah, why so surprised?" asked Ryoko.
"Because we were all suspecting things would end up this way, that's why."
Washu told them. "We all know Tenchi better than anybody, we should have seen
this coming from a billion miles away."
"Does this mean we're all going to be, well, Princesses?" Mihoshi asked.
Aeka nodded, "Technically yes, after our eventual marriage to Lord
Tenchi."
"When I saw all of you prepared to give your lives for mine, I knew in my
heart this was the only solution." Tenchi explained to them.
"Well, it's a great solution in my book," replied Washu. "And besides,
now I can get that 'sample'." She smiled at him like a Cheshire cat. "Does it
all have to boil down to sex?" Tenchi sighed.
"Damn straight!" Ryoko answered.
"But none of us here would ever make love to anyone other than the man we
love." Said Aeka with a slight blush on her cheeks.
"Like my heart would belong to none other than the six of you." Tenchi
replied.
Ukyo and Shampoo stared to Ranma, speechless. Thoughts raced through
their heads. Ranma was part alien, and the member of the royal family of the
most powerful empire in the galaxy. This knowledge was overwhelming to say the
least.
"This is true?" asked Shampoo.
Ranma nodded, "It's true, my grandfather is a half-alien prince."
"And your mother never knew any of this." Ukyo said.
"No, not a soul has known until my cousin Tenchi encountered Ryoko and the
others." Ranma explained.
"Is all too incredible." Said Shampoo, still looking overwhelmed.
"Look, Ukyo, Shampoo, I love Akane, and I care about the two of you-"
Ranma began but Ukyo sat up and look him square in the eye.
"Ranma I love you!" she admitted. "I love you so much it hurts inside!"
"Ukyo-" Ranma gasped.
Shampoo looked up, tears streaked her face. "Life have no meaning to
Shampoo without Ranma, Shampoo no want to go on without him." She said with a
shaking voice.
Ranma was taken aback. He never imagined how deeply the two girls really
felt about him. He knew Ukyo had a crush on him, but that was all he thought it
was. And, he had always thought Shampoo's advanced were because of the law her
tribe had that said she had to marry him because he defeated her in battle.
"I-I-I need some time to think." Ranma said lowering his head.
"This is a big decision for Ranma, we need to give him some space." Said
Akane to the two women. The other two nodded in agreement.
"Thank you." Said Ranma. Akane leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
"You're going to marry all of them!" Nabiki said in total surprise.
Tenchi smiled and nodded. He and the girls had made a grand entrance at
the house. They were all practically hanging onto him as they came through the
back door. Kasumi had asked what was going on and Tenchi made the announcement
to the surprise of everyone in the house except for Katsuhito. Deep inside the
old priest suspected that this sort of thing would happen one day. He wasn't at
all disappointed with Tenchi for taking the easy way out of his situation.
"Isn't that illegal?" she asked.
"On Earth by Japanese law, yes, but not according to Juraian law." Aeka
explained. "Therefore, our wedding will have to take place offworld."
Tendo and Saotome had returned to the house after a long practice session
outside. The two were beginning to take all of this much better. It was odd,
Genma though, but he knew somehow deep inside that Ranma was meant for something
great. He just wasn't expecting something like this.
"Where is Ranma?" Genma asked.
"He's up by the shrine with Akane and two girls who just showed up." Said
Ryoko.
"Who are the two girls?" Soun asked.
"I think they said their names were Shampoo and Ukyo." Ryoko told him.
The two men just looked at each other and at the same time they both said,
"Uh ho." Ryoko shrugged her shoulders and handed them both a couple a cups of
sake. "Don't worry, they went off alone to talk." She added.
"You don't know how attached those two are to Ranma." Saotome said. "Some
guys get all the luck." Tendo sighed.
Aeka looked over at Tenchi and nodded, "Oh I can just imagine."
Kasumi brought out a pitcher of fresh iced cinnamon tea and a snack tray
that Sasami had made with crackers, cheese, little cold cuts and fresh
vegetables with dip. The girls sat with Tenchi on the couch not wanting to part
with him for a while and were still glowing from the surprise he gave them up at
the shrine.
"I'll be graduating high school soon," said Tenchi. "So I've been
applying to different colleges and universities."
"Doesn't that mean you'd have to move away for a while?" Mihoshi asked.
Tenchi nodded. "It's not like I'll be gone forever, and I'm sure a
certain someone here can figure out a way for us to still see each other." He
was looking at Washu when he said that. The diminutive genius laughed and
smiled, "I may have something that could help with that sort of situation."
"What college might you attend?" Washu asked Tenchi.
"Well, I've gotten letters of acceptance from the Nekomi Institute of
Technology, Fujimitsu University in Tokyo, and the Isakawa University of
Technology in Nerima." He said.
"Isakawa has a great architecture program." Kasumi said.
"Oh?" said Tenchi in response. "Yes, I have a friend who goes there, and
her brother is taking architecture classes there." Kasumi continued.
"And you're welcome to stay with us if you want." Tendo offered.
"Thanks, but I'm still thinking about where I want to go." Tenchi told
him.
Tendo smiled and replied, "Well, the offer still stands if you decide to
come to Nerima."
Ranma threw a flat stone skipping it off the surface of the lake. He sat
on top of a small boulder that sat at the waters edge. Far across the lake he
could see the Masaki home and the mountain where the family shrine was. In the
distance the very top of the great tree Fonaho-oh peeked over the other trees in
the valley. The young Saotome sighed, he didn't know what to do. He could tell
Akane did not like the idea of having to share him with anybody else. This
feeling they had for each other was new to the two them, well, secretly they did
both care for each other but would have never admitted it. In some ways Ranma
knew he had to thank Kuno and Ryoga for his new relationship with Akane. Ranma
was still slightly shocked at the fact that he actually made love to her in
Washu's lab. He could remember every detail, it was totally spur of the moment,
driven by some passion within that came out in that instant that they kissed.
He could still feel Akane's body next to his, still hear the sound of her voice
in his ear. I love her I do love her, Ranma told himself. But, also something
within from the same place also told him not to hurt the other two. Shampoo and
Ukyo had their hearts set on him, he knew that, and he also knew they were not
lacking in the beauty category either. Yet beauty wasn't at the heart of this
matter, one should never fall in love based on looks alone. That is how hearts
can be broken, but Ranma knew the two girls, knew how devoted they were to him,
and knew that generally Shampoo and Ukyo were both wonderful, kind people.
"So what should I do?" he asked himself.
"Do what is in your heart." Came a voice.
If he could Ranma would have jumped right of his skin. He felt like
kicking himself for letting his guard down so low that just anyone could sneak
up on him. He looked around expecting it to be one of Tenchi's girls but there
was nobody there. Then, out of the corner of his eye he spotted something, or
was that someone. He turned towards the lake and gasped in a mixture of
surprise and awe. She was 'standing' on the surface of the lake dressed in
elegant and regal finery, her sky blue hair was long and lustrous, her voice was
soft and gentle, she was the most beautiful creature Ranma had ever seen in his
entire life.
"W-w-what?" Ranma managed to stammer.
"Do what is in your heart, Ranma Saotome." She said.
Ranma stumbled backwards and fell down onto his rear on the rock he'd been
sitting on. "H-h-how do you know my name, and w-w-who are you?" he asked her.
The woman laughed, it was like the chiming of little bells. "My name is
Tsunami."
Tsunami. She's the one Sasami is supposedly going to turn into when she
grows up!, Ranma told himself. That little girl is going to look like her! My
god she's beautiful!
"Yes, I am the vision of Sasami in the future." Tsunami answered him
hearing his thoughts, then she blushed. "And thank you, I think you rather
handsome yourself."
Ranma's eyes went wide, she was able to read his thoughts. "Well, I-uh-
that is-" he stammered. "Don't be worried, I came because I felt you needed
someone to talk to, someone to help you sort things out." She reassured him.
"I got one heck of problem on my hands, lady." Ranma laughed and scratched
his head Tenchi-style. Tsunami giggled and covered her mouth in a way that made
her look even cuter, if that was possible. "I can see that." She laughed.
"Akane told me that I am 'allowed' to marry more than one wife because of
my heritage with the royal family, but I know deep down she's not happy with the
idea." Ranma explained. "Answer this question, if she wasn't happy with the
idea then 'why' did she tell you?" Tsunami asked him.
"I'm not sure, she could have kept it to herself, but she told me after
Ukyo and Shampoo showed up," he said. "I don't really know."
Tsunami glided across the water to the edge of the lake leaned towards the
young Saotome. She was almost close enough to his face to kiss him, this names
Ranma blush a furious red. He has grown up around beautiful woman, but this
woman made them 'all' pale in comparison. "Then you should ask her why." She
told him. "Maybe what she tells you will help you." She adds as she stands back
up.
Ranma recovers his composure and says, "You know, you're right I should
ask her." Quickly he stands up and starts for the house. "Uh, thank you." He
thanks her then runs off.
After Ranma is far enough away Tsunami folds her arms and looks to the
side with a whimsical expression. "You can show yourself now." She says. A
person materializes next to her floating in the air. She is no less beautiful
than Tsunami, her long white hair hangs low and lustrous over her curvaceous
frame, she skin is tanned, on her face are three curious blue markings on her
forehead and above her cheeks.
"You handled that pretty well." Said Urd.
"Well, he 'was' easier to work with than Tenchi." Tsunami smiled.
"Thank you for helping with Tenchi, by the way." Tsunami thanked her.
Urd sighed, "Boy was he a hard one to crack, I thought I'd never get
through his mental shell." The white haired goddess smiled and laughed, "I hope
the outcome was what you were looking for."
"He had the feelings in his heart, but he needed the right 'push' to make
him act on it." Urd went on.
"Oh yes, its exactly what I hoped for." Tsunami sighed happily.
Urd floated away from the lake and headed for the forest. "Well, I'd
better be getting back, gotta keep my eye on Kaiichi and Belldandy you know."
She said.
"Say hi to Bell and Skuld for me." Tsunami called to her.
"Will do, see ya." Urd called back before vanishing.
Tsunami's visage shimmered with golden light as she slowly vanished with a
happy, contented smile on her lips.
Ranma found Akane at the onsen. He wasn't sure but something told him to
check there. Perhaps, he thought, it was Tsunami directing him to the right
place. The youngest of the three Tendo sisters was a bit surprised at his
entrance. She was dressed in little more than a pink towel as she relaxed in
the warm waters surrounded by the sound of singing song birds and running water.
"Ranma, what are you doing here?" she asked, a blush on her face.
"I-uh-I needed to talk to you." He replied.
Akane glided through the water over to where Ranma stood. The young man
sat down there and let his bare feet dip into the water. Akane put her elbows
on the edge of the pool and looked up at him.
"Can't decide can you." She said in a matter of fact like tone.
"Actually, I wanted to ask 'you' something." Ranma told her.
Akane perked up her eyebrows. "If you're not happy with the idea of me
marrying more than one wife, why did you tell me I can because of my royal
status?" he asked.
Akane sighed, "I said I'd accept anything you-"
Ranma cut her off putting a finger to her lips and asked, "You told me
that but I want the truth, why?"
"Because I know how I would feel if-" she began. "If you weren't with
me." He finished for her. Akane sighed and looked at her hands. Ranma turned
her face up to his gently. "I love you, I'm not ashamed to admit it, and I'm
happy with what we did in Washu's lab." He told her.
"You would be, you're a 'guy'." She laughed.
"Hey, I didn't hear you complain." Ranma smirked.
They laughed then leaned towards one another and kissed gently. "I see it
in their eyes, Ukyo and Shampoo love you with all their heart, like I do." Akane
said when they parted.
"It will be an adjustment, but I 'can' live with it if they will." She
continued.
"I wonder how Mr. Tendo will handle this." Said Ranma, dreading the
possibilities. He could still feel the bite of the man's bokken from the time
Ukyo came to stay with them two years ago. After that he couldn't look at
okinomiaki without getting queasy for a month.
"And Dad." He went on.
"Happosai would be proud of you." Akane giggled.
Ranma gave her a horrified expression then laughed at the joke. "He'd be
giddy beyond human expression." Ranma laughed. Akane joined in laughing so hard
she nearly lost her towel.
"Opps!" she said grabbing it just in time.
"Why be so modest, I've already seen what you got and then some." Ranma
said with a seductive smile. Akane blushed furiously and gave him a playful
punch in the arm. "You lech!" she laughed.
"You really are cute, and I think you have a great body." He told her.
Ranma took her hand, his fingers caressed hers. The young Tendo sister blushed
deeply. "You're not just saying that because you want to get me in bed again do
you." She said smirking. Ranma leaned down just close enough to kiss her. "I
meant what I said," he told her softly. "And a guy 'can' hope can't he."
Akane gasped in pretend shock then grabbed the boy and pulled him head
first into the hot water. Ranma came up sputtering then found himself with
Akane's arms wrapped around him. "We'd better not take too long because if Ukyo
and Shampoo come looking for us it could be World War III." She whispered to
him. She let her towel fall, kissing and caressing each other the two slowly
eased down into the warm water.
An hour later, Ranma and Akane went walking through the countryside. The
young Tendo sister had a bright, happy glow on her face. She hugged the young
Saotome boy's arm lovingly. Ranma had been so gentle with her despite his new
incredible strength. She could easily imagine herself spending the rest of her
life with him. They traveled the path that leads past Fonaho-Oh and found Ukyo
and Shampoo there in conversation. The two young woman looked as if they'd be
best friends for years the way they talking, but in reality they were bitter
rivals for Ranma's heart. Ranma looked at Akane, she nodded, time to tell them
had come. But, the two wondered how would the girls handle it.
The two were surprised at how well Ukyo and Shampoo were handling the
Ranma's decision. They didn't know how to react, whether to be happy or angry.
They were both at a loss for words for the second time in the same day.
"If the two of you can set your differences aside with Akane I know we can
make this work out." Ranma told them.
"You want to marry all three of us." Ukyo said still unable to believe it.
"Is very unusual." Shampoo said.
Ranma reached out and took both girls' hands. "I know how much you love
me, and I really care about the two of you although I haven't really shown it
all that well in the past." He explained to them.
"Besides, I'm sure the people in space never had okinomiaki before." Ranma
went on with a smile hoping to lighten the mood.
Shampoo gasped, "We have to live in space!"
"No, no, but we'd have to get married in space to make it legal." Said
Akane. "I think, we'd have to ask Princess Aeka."
"Oh." Ukyo and Shampoo said together.
"What do we have to loose, we get to be with one another freely without
any barriers or worries, and besides you'd all be princesses." Ranma told them
smiling.
"Shampoo would be princess?" Shampoo asked.
Ranma smiled and laughed, "You three are already has beautiful as
princesses, so you might as well become princesses for real."
"Ranma." The three girls swooned to his words.
"Ryoga and Kuno have been taken care of, sort of, so we have nobody to
worry about or get in our way." Ranma went on.
Akane gasped just then with sudden realization. "Uh, Ranma, you're
forgetting someone." She told him.
"Huh?" he said. "Who?"
Shampoo jumped to her feet and pointed towards the forest. "Mousse!" she
cried. Ranma learned from his encounter with Tsunami not to let his guard down,
so his new found powers and awareness told him to move...now. He dodged to the
side, his body literally blurring as he moved, a chain whip lashed out where
he'd be sitting only an instant before.
"Ranma no baka!" Mousse yelled from the top of one of the nearby trees.
Akane sighed, "Here we go again."
What is this, open season on me?!, Ranma though to himself. The young
Chinese martial artist was an expert at the hidden weapons style. Although he
was severely nearsighted Mousse was no slouch. If this situation turned into an
all our fight things could get real interesting really quick. Ranma fought
Mousse in the past, once while trying to save Shampoo from that shaggy no good
ghost cat Mamolin, but that was a few years ago. Mousse's experience on
Togenkyo Island had helped to hone his fighting prowess.
"I don't know what's going on here, but I can't allow it!" the young man
cried as he hurled himself into the air and landed deftly on his feet only a few
inches away from Ranma.
"This not concern you!" Shampoo yelled at him.
"It does," Mousse shouted back. "'I' Love you, I'm the one who wants to
be your husband!"
"Sometimes a guy has to know when you give up, but you're not one of those
guys." Said Ranma.
"I'll never give up because Shampoo is mine." Said Mousse.
"Shampoo belong to Ranma now." The Chinese girl said folding her arms.
Mousse flicked his wrists and two sai appeared in his hands. "Then, we
decide this with a duel, just you and me Ranma." He said relaxing into a
fighting stance, the razor sharp points of the sai aimed the young Saotome.
"Hey, I don't want to fight you, but I'm also not giving up Shampoo." Said
Ranma waving his hands in front of him.
"Then I'll make you fight!" Mousse cried and lunged with the sai leading
the way. Ranma dodged to the side, his visage blurring with movement. Mousse
recovered, reversed the sai in his hands and whirled around with them aiming at
Ranma's midsection. To Ranma's perspective Mousse was in slow motion, he was
able to easily step away from the Chinese man's strike.
"How can you move so fast?" Mousse asked as he caught his breath. "I
should have skewered you just then." Ranma knew he was telling the truth, if he
didn't have the training to use his Jurai powers Mousse would have gotten him
with that move.
"You don't want to fight me Mousse, I've changed." Ranma warned him.
The martial artist dropped the sai and quickly produced a three-section
staff. "Let's test that!" he cried. Mousse whirled around sending the sections
of the weapon flying towards Ranma in one blindingly fast move. Ranma blurred
for an instant just enough to change positions slightly and the weapon passed
him harmlessly.
"What the hell!" Mousse explained in shock.
Mousse reacted quickly, threw out his right hand shooting out a long chain
whip. Ranma has been expecting Mousse to make a move, but the chain caught him
and wrapped around his body pinning his arms. "HA!" Mousse laughed. "You're
not that good."
Ranma eased his mind as Katsuhito taught him and focused on calling upon
his Jurai power. There was still much he had to learn about his hidden
abilities, so he simply tried something new out of the blue. Mousse gasped as
Ranma began to shimmer with a golden glow then vanish. The chains with nothing
now to hold them up just feel to the ground harmlessly. Mousse heard and felt
something displace the air behind him. Before he could come around with the
handful of shurikens he now had Ranma grabbed his arm and forced him to the
ground.
"You were saying." Ranma said. He wasn't even breaking a sweat. The
girls hadn't moved during this entire exchange, they had been watching with
total fascination and wonderment.
"H-h-how did you do that?" Mousse asked in wonder. He'd seen many things,
many wonders, many horrors, but nothing like actual honest to goodness
'teleportation'!
Ranma felt a gentle hand on his arm. He looked up into Shampoo's gentle
eyes. "Let me talk to Mousse for moment." She said. "Alone."
Ranma nodded and let the young man go. He stepped back and joined the
other two girls who were still over by the great Juraian tree. Mousse sat up on
the ground and looked at Ranma with awe and a new kind of respect. He knew
Ranma was a strong martial artist, he knew about his ability to throw a chi
blast, but powers like he demonstrated today were remarkable. Then, he looked
up at Shampoo. The beautiful Chinese girl kneeled down in front of him and
looked him in the eyes.
"Shampoo I-" he began.
"No, you listen." She interrupted.
"It Shampoo's decision who she want to be with, not Mousse's." she went
on. "I thank you for what you do on Togenkyo Island to save Shampoo, it was
brave, but changes nothing." She told him.
Mousse looked down at the ground. "I've been in love with you for as long
as I remember, you're all I can think about." He said.
"Mousse must forget Shampoo, move on, there more fish in sea." She said.
"What about Akane?" Mousse asked.
"She marry Ranma too." Shampoo told him. "And Ukyo."
Mousse looked at her as if he didn't understand what she just said, then
looked at Ranma and the other girls across the clearing. "You can't be serious,
he's marrying all three of you!" he shouted.
"Yes, there is much you not know Mousse, much you no understand." She
explained.
"Then help me to understand why I must live with my heart torn asunder."
Said Mousse. Shampoo sighed. She really did like the young man, he was
annoying at times, but she didn't like him enough to love him. Yet, she also
didn't want him to suffer because of her either. "Shampoo will tell you then."
She said.
The house was a buzz with activity inside and out. Mousse wasn't sure
what to expect. He remembered watching an American movie on TV once staring
someone famous named Richard Dreyfus, if he read the English credit correctly.
He often imagined what it would be like to meet real aliens. Mousse envisioned
himself as Dreyfus walking up the ramp to the alien ship, looking at the
wondrous interior with all of its exotic and beautiful sights and sounds. This
"Close Encounter" was very different, these aliens were gorgeous babes.
Mousse was fascinated with Sasami, she was the cutest thing he ever seen.
She also made one of the best meals he'd ever tasted. If she worked at the
ramen restaurant we'd be rolling in Yen!, he thought.
Ranma and the girls sat with Tendo and Saotome. They hadn't let the cat
out of the bag yet, they just sat together eating dinner quietly, but did notice
the curious glances the two old men were giving them. Finally, Ranma decided to
say something.
"Dad, Mr. Tendo, everybody," he said to get their attention, they all
looked his way. "I have an announcement to make."
"Akane and I are getting married," he continued, Genma and Soun's faces
lit up like two blazing suns just born. "But I'm also marrying Ukyo and
Shampoo." The two older men dropped their chopsticks in unison and face
faltered with a loud crash.
"YOU'RE WHAT!" Soun cried after he climbs up to his feet.
"HOLD ON HERE!" Genma joins him.
Aeka clears her throat and stands up drawing the attention of the two
irate fathers. "Lord Ranma is a member of the Royal Family of Planet Jurai, is
in the Line of Succession to the throne, and as such has the right to marry as
many wives as he so pleases." She said calmly. "In fact, it is his
responsibility to do so, as a member of the Line of Succession he is expected to
have many sons and daughters, this is only possible if he has more than one
wife." She goes on.
"But, how are they-" Genma started to ask.
"The marriage will take place offworld of course, possibly the moon
station where Seina Yamada got married." Said Aeka. Tenchi laughed, he
remembered that 'interesting' day. He looked back on it as a prelude to what
would happen to him, or what 'was' happening to him now. He remembered the look
on the young GP Academy graduate's face during the ceremony as he was presented
to his 'nine' wives. Lady Seto, of course, being the Great Manipulator that she
had been instrumental in the whole affair. Tenchi often wondered when she would
have one day returned to try and 'arrange' such a marriage for him. If she was
planning something boy was she in for one major disappointment.
"Look at this way Dad, once we're married to Ranma we'll be princesses."
Akane smiled brightly.
"Yes, and the marriage gifts from the royal family will be quite
extensive." Said Aeka. "Uh, marriage gifts?" Soun and Genma asked at the same
time.
"Oh yes, Ranma will become 'quite' rich when the marriage is done." Aeka
replied, smiling like a Cheshire cat. Seto would be proud of me., she thought
to herself.
"Well, maybe this isn't so bad after all, eh Tendo." Said Saotome.
"Its what we dreamed of Saotome, and more." Tendo said, tears streaming
down his cheeks.
Ranma spoke up then, "There is one other thing, and Princess Aeka you
could help out with this."
"Oh?" she said curiously.
Tenchi and Ranma stood together waving farewell to their friend. To
Tenchi he was new friend, but Ranma has known the young man for some time now.
The girls, Tenchi's six stood beside him, and Ranma's three stood beside him.
In the background stood Noboyuki, Saotome, Tendo, and Katsuhito. Mousse waved
back before turning around looking up into the interior of the great ship. It
was called the Kamadake II, and walking up its boarding ramp made him 'feel'
like he was reliving that scene in the American movie. The ramp slowly closed
behind him and the huge GP cruiser slowly lifted off and roared across the sky
into the horizon. Amane and Kiriko met Mousse and processed his GP Academy
application. The young man looked out the window in the great ship's
observation deck as the Earth quickly receded into the distance. He smiled, he
was actually happy for Shampoo finally gaining the happiness she dreamed of
having. He was also smiling for himself, a part of him was heartbroken to
loosing Shampoo, but another part of him was happy too. Happy for the new life
he was going lead, here he could forget Shampoo and start fresh with a new life.
Mousse turned away from view of his homeworld disappearing into the distance, he
looked forward towards the future, his bright new future in the Galaxy Police.
__________
CONTINUED IN PART 5...
FAMILY REUNION - PART 5: The End of Summer
Its time for the two families to go their separate ways. Yet, with the end of
summer vacation something new and beautiful has begun.
Pioneer LDC respectively. The copyrights to Ranma 1/2 are owned by Rumiko
Takahashi and Pioneer LDC respectively. This work of fiction is not created for
commercial purposes and is done for fan entertainment only without profit.
__________
F A M I L Y R E U N I O N
PART 4: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!
By Michael "TheZorch" Haney
__________
The three Tendo sisters had become used to the many spectacular wonders of
alien technology since coming to the Masaki home, but no matter how often they
visited it the Onsen was one thing that left them with a sense of awe. It has
been three weeks since the incident with Kuno and Ryoga and already it was long
forgotten. Ranma started training with Katsuhito and Tenchi up at the shrine to
learn how to use his powers properly. Akane had gone up to the shrine to take
the men some fresh tea when she witnessed that power in action. She left quite
awed and a bit frightened at the same time. Ranma was far stronger than she
could have ever begun to imagine.
The youngest of the three Tendo sisters wasn't dwelling on that right now.
Wrapped in her pink towel she just relaxed in the warm waters of the onsen and
allowed the harmonious sound of flowing water sooth her. Nearby Ryoko and
Nabiki, both totally naked, sat together sipping tea and saki. Sasami and
Kasumi giggled and laughed just enjoying each other's company. Little Ryo-Ohki
was as always on top of the little princess's head. Aeka and Washu sat next to
Akane sharing some saki also.
"This place is so wonderful, I wish we had one in Nerima." Akane said
lazily.
"That could be arranged." Washu replied after downing her fifth saucer of
saki. "I looked into an alternate universe once and there I was, my alternate
self, creating a onsen inside of Tenchi's bathroom using a bubble in subspace
just like the way I made my lab." She went on.
"Wow, really." Said an astonished Akane.
"You'll have to clear it with dad first." Said Nabiki.
"Ryoko is the one who made this one." Aeka told her.
Akane looked over at the cyan haired beauty in surprise. "You did?" she
asked. "Yep, wasn't hard at all either." Ryoko grinned.
"It was the only thing she has ever done that I can honestly say I approve
of." Said Aeka. Ryoko narrowed her eyes and grumbled, "What was that,
Princess?"
"Lets change the subject." said Washu, hoping to keep the two from
fighting. "How about we play a little game." She suggested. "I love games."
Kasumi smiled. "Me too." Sasami said cheerfully.
"This game is called 'Kiss and Tell'," Washu told them. "You go 'first'
Akane." The diminutive genius gives her a knowing wink. Akane quickly turned a
deep shade of red.
"Do you know something we don't know, Little Washu?" Nabiki asked, a coy
smile on her lips.
"Oh, I'm going to leave that up to Akane to explain." Giggled Washu.
Akane looked at her middle sister helplessly and sighed. "There isn't
much to talk about really." She said. "I doubt that." Smiled Washu as wide as a
Cheshire cat. "Fess up Akane." Nabiki said, the curiosity was starting to
become too much for her. "Yeah, lets here all the 'gory' details." Ryoko
laughed.
"We just kissed, ok." Akane said quickly.
"You know Akane you couldn't lie to save your life." Nabiki sighed.
The others all broke out into laughter. "Well, it-it was beautiful
actually," Akane finally said. "I felt this tingling starting in my toes, it
went up my back, and I felt like I was soaring high in the air."
"Yep, she's in love." Said Washu.
"We kissed again, deeper this time, more forceful, it was incredible,"
Akane went on. "My heart felt like it was going to explode, I didn't want to
leave Ranma's arms, didn't want it to stop." All the while Akane's face grew
ever redder until she was the color of a radish. "We couldn't stop ourselves,
didn't want to stop, we kissed again and again and again, everything was a blur,
and then-and then-" she cried to continued but to too overcome with emotion.
"What, and then what?" everyone asked, all poised for the answer.
"I can't believe you're making me say this," Akane said embarrassed. "And
then-and then we-we-we MADE LOVE, IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL!" Unable to handle the
embracement anymore Akane dunked down under the water. Everyone but Washu
gasped in shock, Kasumi and Nabiki's eyes were as wide as bowling balls.
"Oh my god, you didn't!" Nabiki explained in disbelief. "No with Ranma!"
Akane came back up out of the water in time to hear her. She nodded
saying, "We did, in Washu's lab right after what happened with Kuno and Ryoga,
you could say it was motivated by what happened that day but I have no regrets."
"So that's why you two are so 'lovidovey' all of a sudden." Ryoko giggled.
Ryoko's laughter echoed off the translucent onsen dome and she slapped her
hands. "You owe me five thousand yen when we get back to the house, girly
girl." She said to Nabiki. "Damn." The middle Tendo sister sighed.
"Wah!" a shocked Akane remarked. "Do you mean to tell me the two of you
made a bet on this!" she exclaimed.
"Yeah, and I lost, I never imagined in a million years you and Ranma would
actually ever do the 'dirty deed'." Nabiki replied laughing.
"Nabiki!" exclaimed Akane.
"Do you 'really' love him, Akane?" Nabiki asked.
"Of course she does." Said Ryoko.
Akane blushed furiously and covered her face. "Three weeks ago I would
have said 'no', but now I can't deny what's in my heart, what I've felt for a
long time actually." She said. "I guess you can say I do 'love' Ranma."
"It will be wonderful now the two of you won't be fighting anymore."
Kasumi cooed.
"You and Ranma used to fight, but you were engaged." Aeka said to the
young Tendo sister astonished. "Yeah, well it was an arrangement between our
parents, as I said before," she replied. "And, my two sisters sort of nominated
me for it too if I remember."
"Better you than me." Nabiki laughed.
"So what now?" asked Sasami.
Akane turned to the little girl intending to reply. Her gaze feel on the
cute little princess, but then traveled down to her reflection in the water and
she gasped in shock. The younger Tendo sister stood up and nearly fell
backwards into the water.
"Oh my god!" she cried pointing at Sasami.
"Huh?" everyone said at once and turned to where she was pointing. Nabiki
and Kasumi noticed immediately. "Oh my goodness." Kasumi gasped. "Is this
another one of those 'alien' things?" asked Nabiki. After living in the Tendo
house most of her life and seeing all manner of weird things she wasn't shocked
in the slightest.
Sasami looked down at herself and was met by the smiling face of
'Tsunami'. The Goddess was adorned in her regal robes. Seeing Sasami looking
down at her she blinked playfully. The little princess tried to suppress her
giggle but it came out anyway.
"Maybe its time we told them about Sasami." Said Ryoko. "And me."
"Told us what, what's happening to her?" Akane asked, now in full control
of her composure.
"I'll field this one Aeka." offered Washu. The elder princess nodded to
her with a smile. After all, Washu was the best qualified person to tell the
tale, from her prison on the Soja she witness the attack on Jurai through
Ryoko's eyes.
"It all starts about five thousand years ago," Washu started. "I was a
professor at the Galactic Science Academy, I had a brilliant student named
Kagato and he assisted me in what was to be one of my most spectacular projects
yet." Ryoko pointed to herself and said, "I was that project." The Tendo
sisters looked at her in surprise. "That's right," Washu went on. "Ryoko was
engineered by me, I used one of my ova combined with the Masu, and it's the same
way I made Ryo-Ohki except with mineral life and the Masu." An astonished Akane
then asked, "What does that have to do with Sasami?" "I'm getting to that."
Washu replied a bit frustrated at being interrupted. "I am not sure where,
when, or how but something got to Kagato, a darkness or some kind of evil." She
said continuing the tale. "It began to consume him from within, soon most of
his body became incorporeal. He betrayed me one day, tricked me and locked me
up inside of my own starship the Soja and on top of that he took control of my
Little Ryoko's mind. He forced her to do unspeakable things in the name of his
quest for ultimate power, soon he became obsessed with discovering the source of
the power controlled by the Jurai Royal Family; Tsunami."
"Sasami mentioned that name three weeks ago." Kasumi remembered.
"Tsunami is the Tree of Light, the mother of all the royal trees of Jurai,
the sentient trees that function as the heart of all the ships from our world."
Aeka explained. "All members of the Jurai royal family are eventually called on
by the trees and are bonded with the one who called them. The bond forms a
symbiotic relationship between the two allowing telepathic communication, and in
return the person bonded is granted an immensely extended lifespan. Sasami at a
young age was called upon by Tsunami, and you can just imagine that this news
was a tremendous shock to the other royal houses."
"Kagato learned that Tsunami was the source of the Jurai power and wanted
to learn how to use it himself, so he sent Ryoko to attack Jurai intending to
steel the tree." Washu continued. "But, Aeka's half-brother Yosho, whom you
know as Katsuhito, fought Ryoko off and chased her here to Earth where he
defeated her and sealed her up in a cave for seven hundred years until one day
Tenchi accidentally set her free."
"That's an amazing tale." Said Kasumi.
"What happened with Sasami occurred during the battle on Jurai." Washu
explained. "She was very young at the time, about 4 or 5 or so. She wandered
off from her nanny and went to the royal hanging gardens where the trees of
Jurai and Tsunami dwell. She was making her way along the platforms when
something hit the tower and exploded. The force knocked her off her feet and
she fell to her death. Saddened at the loss of her bond mate, Tsunami generated
a 'copy' of Sasami. They are joined together, so that is why you can see
Tsunami's reflection."
"That's absolutely incredible." Akane gasped.
Sasami climbed up out of the water. "I'd better go, I have to start
dinner." She said. "I'll come and help you in a little bit." Kasumi called
after her. The little princess smiled and giggled, "Ok." "Bye." Waves Akane.
The little girl smiles and waves back as she goes through the main door.
When Sasami was gone Washu turned to the Tendo girls with a serious look
on her face. "With Sasami here I couldn't tell you the real truth because even
she doesn't know." She told them. "What truth?" Nabiki asked. "That 'she' is
the 'real' Sasami, she only 'thinks' she's a copy." Washu said pointing towards
the onsen entrance where Sasami had gone. "After the fall Sasami was barely
hanging onto life when Tsunami, in an ultimate gesture of her love, sacrificed
her individuality so that Sasami could live." Explained Aeka.
"What does that mean?" Kasumi asked, confused.
"Tsunami and Sasami are assimilated, they aren't two different people
anymore, they are the 'same' person." Washu informed them. "For now they have
separate minds to allow Sasami to have her childhood, but one day they will
fully merge and become one mind, one body, one personality, and have a complete
combined memory."
Akane gasped in complete shock, "Is that possible?"
"It is, when you are a 'goddess'." Aeka told her. Now this had a major
effect, all the Tendo sisters looked like they were about to faint. "Tsunami is
a goddess, one of three sisters." Said Washu. "I am one of them, or was before
I gave up my immortality to be human about twenty thousand year ago, and the
third is no longer with us."
"I'm so sorry." Kasumi said sadly.
"Don't be, Tokimi was evil through and through," said Aeka. "She tried to
kill us and destroy Jurai, and none of us would be here if Tenchi hadn't
destroyed her."
"This is just getting better and better, first aliens and now goddesses."
Nabiki sighed. Ryoko handed her a small saki bottle. Nabiki accepted it and
took a long swig. "Welcome to the family." Ryoko smiled.
"Hold up, you said Yosho was Aeka and Sasami's half-brother." Said Akane.
"Yes, we have the same father but two different mothers." Aeka replied.
Akane sighed, "We lost our mother, but dad never remarried."
"Oh, Yosho's mother is still alive and so is mine and Sasami's." Aeka
explained.
"Was there a divorce?" asked Kasumi.
Aeka laughed, "There is 'much' you must learn of the Royal Family of
Jurai."
"You mean your father has two wives!" Akane gasped.
Aeka nodded, "As the King of Jurai he may have as many wives as he
pleases, and the same privilege extends to Lord Tenchi and Lord Ranma if they so
choose." The Tendo sisters all looked at the First Princess with an expression
of immense surprise. "In fact, as members of the direct line of succession to
the throne, the royal family expects nothing less." She added. Akane grabbed
the saki bottle from Nabiki's hand and drained the last of it in one gulp, today
was just full of incredible revelations.
Ranma was running, very fast. The trees were going by in a blur, the air
was pushing back his hair, yet he didn't feel tired at all. For three weeks
he'd been training with Katsuhito and Tenchi at the shrine learning to harness
the Jurai power he had within him. Now he was learning to use that power, and
it felt incredible. Ranma was fast, his hands had always been quick, whether he
was throwing out punches or moving rice from one plate to another like on Prince
Toma's island. Yet, the awesome speed he was at right now was far beyond that.
It was almost as if he was 'super-human'.
Tenchi wasn't too far behind. The boy ran with a similar speed, tapping
into his immense pool of energy. There was a strange glow surrounding the First
Prince of Jurai as he ran. Ranma remembered Tenchi said that ever since the war
with Lady Tokimi he'd been able to call upon the Light Hawk Wings whenever he
wanted to. With the wings he was able to do virtually anything, and right now
he was keeping up with Ranma using that power. The young Saotome suspected that
was just the tip of the iceberg though.
Katsuhito stood as still as an old oak tree. He held a stopwatch in his
hand as it counted down. The two cousins came racing by, the wind from their
passing sent up a huge cloud of dust and made the trees sway back and forth.
The old priest's robes flew around, but the old man didn't move an inch. The
shockwave in the air reached the porch of the shrine sending the wind chimes
into a frantic dance and knocking over several baskets.
"Hmmm, not bad." Said the old man.
The cousins came around again completing another circuit. Katsuhito
clicked the stopwatch and the two came to a sudden halt. When they stopped they
created a shockwave in the air that pushed the trees in one direction sending
them swaying again.
"That was totally awesome!" shouted Ranma.
"What would you say we were we doing, grandpa?" Tenchi asked.
"I'd say you two were doing a good sixty to eighty miles per hour or so."
The old priest said.
"That fast, WOW!" exclaimed Ranma, he was beginning to love this whole
alien thing.
"I am certain you can go much faster," Katsuhito told him. "Tenchi with
the Light Hawk Wings can fly at speeds exceeding the speed of sound."
Ranma felt a cold draft all of a sudden and looked down at his outfit. It
was nearly torn to shreds, and his shoes were practically gone. "It's murder on
my wardrobe though." He said. "Once you learn to project a force field in front
of you and use it to fly that won't be a problem anymore." The old priest said.
Suddenly, Katsuhito felt a presence nearby. He cursed himself for letting
his defenses down, who or whatever it was wasn't very far away. He jerked
around quickly as a blue and red form suddenly streaked out of the underbrush
and advanced on Ranma. The old priest didn't make a move however, he could
clearly see what it was advancing on his grandson, and what he saw made him do
an eyebrow Spock Maneuver.
"Nihao, Ranma!" the figure cried as it threw its arms around the suddenly
stunned young Saotome.
"S-S-S-Shampoo!!!!" Ranma stammered.
Much of Japan and the Orient was once a colony of planet Jurai. Juraian
culture had a major influence in shaping the cultures and traditions of the
Japanese and Chinese peoples. Tenchi recalled that Washu suggested that a
little more than sixty percent of the population in Japan and China had some
Juraian blood, but not necessarily 'royal' blood. The girl clinging to Ranma
was to say the least absolutely gorgeous, a vision of beauty who could easily
rival the girls Tenchi lived with. Her delicate features gave away her origins,
she was definitely Chinese, but her blue hair also cued Tenchi in to the fact
that she had some Juraian blood in her veins. Her hair style was slightly
similar to Aeka's and Akane's, her long bangs were tied with little red bows,
and her hair hung down low below her waist in a long braid that ended in a large
bow. She was wearing a tight red outfit with a flower print that was definitely
of Chinese make.
"Shampoo see whole thing, Ranma so strong, so manly." The girl cooed,
hugging Ranma lovingly. The boy, however, wasn't so happy to have such a
gorgeous creature glomping him. "Shampoo, let go, what are you doing here!"
Ranma shouted as he tried to pry himself loose.
"Poor Ranma must spend whole summer with baka Akane, Shampoo come to save
man she love." She replied while rubbing her cheek against his.
Something silver, reflecting the light of the sun, suddenly flew passed
Tenchi and Katsuhito. Neither moved an inch as the object slapped the Chinese
girl in the face sending her falling to the ground. Tenchi looked at the fallen
object in surprise, it was a-spatula?
"I'm the one Ranma honey truly loves." Said a new voice, a firm but gentle
feminine tone.
"U-Ukyo?" Ranma said, dumbfounded. "Both of you are here."
This new girl was dressed in the uniform robe of an Okinomiaki chef.
Slung over her back was a gigantic spatula, and she wore a bandoleer that held
several more of the smaller metal utensils. Her black tights revealed the
wonderfully elegant curvature of her long legs, her black hair hung down to her
waist and was held back by a white bow. Like the Chinese girl she too was
incredibly beautiful. Tenchi looked back and forth between his cousin and the
two girls. He nervously scratched his head and sighed, "It must run in the
family somewhere."
Akane felt incredibly refreshed after the visit to the onsen. She loved
the place and hoped her dad would allow Washu to make them one. She, her
sisters, Aeka, Mihoshi, Washu, and Ryoko walked back towards the house. They
passed close to where the stairs to the shrine started, and Ryoko noticed some
people coming down. She teleported away, then materialized just behind Tenchi
and glomped him. "Hello, my Tenchi." She whispered seductively into his ear.
"Hey, Ryoko get off will ya!" Tenchi groaned.
"Ryoko, let Lord Tenchi go this instant!" Aeka shouted.
Ryoko laughed, "Make me, your worshipfulness."
Despite the distance Tenchi's keen eyes could clearly see the veins
popping up on Aeka's forehead. "Oh no." he sighed knowing a fight was
inevitable.
"Girls, show some manners, we have new guests." Katsuhito said defusing
the situation. Thank Kami-san for grandpa, Tenchi thought.
"Ukyo, Shampoo what are you two doing in Ohkayama?" Akane asked when she
recognized the two women. "You know them?" asked Aeka.
"We came because we decided not to wait any longer." Said Ukyo. "That
right, we wait long enough." Shampoo added.
"Waited for what?" Ryoko asked.
"Either Ranma finally decides to choose who he wants to be with or we have
a three way duel, winner take all." Said Ukyo as she pulled out her big spatula
and points it at Akane.
Ranma jumps in between them waving his arms shouting, "Hey, now wait a
sec, there's something you two need to know!"
"No more talk, you choose or Akane fights!" Shampoo shouted and stomped
her foot.
Tenchi leaned towards his grandfather and whispers, "Reminds you of a
couple of somebody's doesn't it." The old man nodded in agreement.
"I'm not gonna fight!" Akane exclaimed in reply. "Listen to what Ranma
has to say!"
"Perhaps the four of you should go and discuss this in private." Katsuhito
suggested. "Right, lets go to Fonaho-Oh." Ranma said. "Fonaho-Oh?" Shampoo
said curiously.
Tenchi watched the four of them walk off into the woods towards his
grandfather's space tree. His keen senses amplified by his powers told him that
there were many eyes on him at that moment. He turned to meet the gaze of the
young women whom he shared his house with. They all looked at him expectantly,
then he remembered what he said to them before Ranma and his family came.
Tenchi sighed and said, "Ok, I guess it's about time we did the same, lets go up
to the shrine." All of the girls nodded and followed him towards the stairs.
"I will be at the house." Katsuhito said as he walked off. He showed no
emotion, but inside he felt such incredible pride in his grandson, both of his
grandsons.
Shampoo and Ukyo stared up in wonder at the magnificent tree. They were
at a loss to determine what sort of tree it was, the trunk was certainly huge,
the canopy of leaves and branches stretched out so far that it covered the
entire pool it was growing in. Ranma had taken Akane here the day after they
consummated their relationship in Washu's lab. Here, beneath the leaves, he
pledged to love her forever. This place was very special to her heart.
Ranma stopped and turned around to face them. Akane could read in his
face signs of the conflict within. She was well aware of the truth in his
heart, he loved her very much, but he also felt some attachment to Shampoo and
Ukyo as well. She knew Ranma well, he was going to tell them about him and
Akane, and she knew it was going to tear him up inside. Akane agreed, Ranma and
Tenchi were both very much alike in this respect. Then, she remembered Aeka's
words in the onsen. A part of her didn't like the idea, but her heart told her
she had to tell him.
"Ukyo, Shampoo, I brought all of you out here because-" Ranma began, but
Akane walked up and interrupted him.
"Ranma, I love you, and I'll accept any decision you choose to make." She
told him. The other girls gasped at Akane's sudden admission of her feelings.
"Akane?" a surprised Ranma said.
"There is something Aeka told me you should know before you make that
decision though, I don't like it, but my heart says to tell you and whatever you
decide I will live with it because I will always love you and will never leave
your side no matter what." She continued. The two other girls looked at each
other with puzzled expressions.
"What do you mean, what did she tell you?" Ranma asked.
Tenchi sat on the shrine steps flanked by the six women who were a part of
his life. Ryoko had teleported to the house and grabbed Sasami out of the
kitchen for this event. They all looked at him expectantly and with a little
bit of fear. They could read it in his face, today was the day, he was going to
choose and they all would have to live with his decision. After all, despite
all the rivalry the final decision was always 'his' to make.
"I want to start off by saying that I truly care about all of you, I once
thought all I wanted was a normal ordinary life, but when I really think about
it if I didn't have all of you here my life would be pretty bland." He told
them.
"We have had some interesting adventures haven't we." Said Ryoko.
"Except for the war with Tokimi, that wasn't an adventure that was a
living hell." Commented Washu.
"I almost lost all of you in that war." Said Tenchi, his voice low now.
"We almost lost you, Lord Tenchi." Said Aeka.
Tenchi looked down at his hands and sighed. He knew what he had to do, he
was torn between two worlds, two cultures. On one side was his Shinto
upbringing, on the other was his Juraian heritage and all the rights and
privileges he receives from it. It was impossible to deny that his destiny
leaned towards his Juraian heritage now more than at any other time. Ever since
the Goddess War the galaxy at large was infatuated with the young First Prince
of Jurai. Despite the ill feelings the King of Jurai had for his great grandson
there was no avoiding the fact that one day he would indeed succeed the throne.
"I don't know what I would have done if I ever lost any one of you." He
said. "I could never forgive myself."
"Tenchi-" began Ryoko, but she stopped when her mother put a hand on her
shoulder.
"Choosing, I always knew, would be inevitable," Tenchi went on. "I also
know that choosing will break the hearts of those who are not the one, and in
turn that will tear me up inside knowing I caused that pain."
Looks of confusion, surprise, and fear were exchanged between the girls.
Tenchi noticed it, they were worried, but he decided to end all of their
worrying now and forever. "So, I have decided not to choose," he said, the
girls all gasped. "Just one." He finished with a smile. Their horrified
expressions turned to surprise with a tinge of hope, had they heard him
correctly?
"It will be hard, it will be an adjustment for all of us, but I know we
can make this work." He told them. "If you are all willing to try with me."
Their eyes grew wide, he meant what he said, and effectively he opened the
door for all of them into his heart. The girls were silent for a moment, which
made Tenchi worry a bit. Would they accept, or would they all in a rage
vaporize him into a pile of dust?
There, I did it I told him, now Ranma its all up to you, Akane said to
herself. Ranma sat on the ground with the three girls. His face was an
unreadable mask. What Akane just told him nearly blew his mind; as a Prince of
Jurai and a member of the line of succession he could have as many wives as he
wished. In fact, it was expected of him to do so. He couldn't bring himself to
believe Akane agreed with that though, he could see it in her face, but he also
knew she'd accept his wishes because she said so from her heart.
"I don't know what to do." He admitted.
Akane put her hand on his shoulder and told him, "Do what your heart
says."
Ukyo and Shampoo knew nothing of Ranma's alien heritage. All of this talk
of him being a prince of someplace called Jurai was beyond them. What or where
was this place called Jurai, they thought.
"I don't want to hurt you." He told her truthfully.
"What is this place called Jurai?" Ukyo asked, interrupting the two.
Ranma and Akane both looked at her with a curious expression that made
Ukyo do a Spock Maneuver. "That is a little hard to explain." Said Akane.
"Ranma is Prince, but where is the Kingdom?" asked Shampoo.
"You sure you two 'really' want to know?" Ranma asked.
"Yes." Ukyo and Shampoo replied together.
The young Saotome sighed, "Ok, here goes."
Tenchi didn't have to wait long for the girls to answer him. With tears
streaming down their faces they surrounded him and held him in their arms.
Mihoshi was balling pretty soon leaving a noise puddle. Tenchi tried to
encircle them with his arms as best he could. Together they all cried, not out
of sadness, but out of joy. The joy of a new beginning, a new start. Then, one
my one Tenchi kissed them, but not like before. This time the kiss was on the
lips, tender, passionate. Not to leave little Sasami out of the picture he gave
her a quick kiss on the lips which made her blush furiously.
"Well, what do we do now?" asked Washu.
"Breed like rabbits." Said Ryoko.
Tenchi turned bright red. "Besides that, but not a bad idea." Washu
replied smiling.
"Maybe we should take things easy for awhile, allow ourselves to get used
to this 'new life'." Aeka suggested.
Ryoko sighed, "Aeka's right, lets not rush into anything yet."
"You agree with me?" Aeka asked her, astonished.
"Yeah, why so surprised?" asked Ryoko.
"Because we were all suspecting things would end up this way, that's why."
Washu told them. "We all know Tenchi better than anybody, we should have seen
this coming from a billion miles away."
"Does this mean we're all going to be, well, Princesses?" Mihoshi asked.
Aeka nodded, "Technically yes, after our eventual marriage to Lord
Tenchi."
"When I saw all of you prepared to give your lives for mine, I knew in my
heart this was the only solution." Tenchi explained to them.
"Well, it's a great solution in my book," replied Washu. "And besides,
now I can get that 'sample'." She smiled at him like a Cheshire cat. "Does it
all have to boil down to sex?" Tenchi sighed.
"Damn straight!" Ryoko answered.
"But none of us here would ever make love to anyone other than the man we
love." Said Aeka with a slight blush on her cheeks.
"Like my heart would belong to none other than the six of you." Tenchi
replied.
Ukyo and Shampoo stared to Ranma, speechless. Thoughts raced through
their heads. Ranma was part alien, and the member of the royal family of the
most powerful empire in the galaxy. This knowledge was overwhelming to say the
least.
"This is true?" asked Shampoo.
Ranma nodded, "It's true, my grandfather is a half-alien prince."
"And your mother never knew any of this." Ukyo said.
"No, not a soul has known until my cousin Tenchi encountered Ryoko and the
others." Ranma explained.
"Is all too incredible." Said Shampoo, still looking overwhelmed.
"Look, Ukyo, Shampoo, I love Akane, and I care about the two of you-"
Ranma began but Ukyo sat up and look him square in the eye.
"Ranma I love you!" she admitted. "I love you so much it hurts inside!"
"Ukyo-" Ranma gasped.
Shampoo looked up, tears streaked her face. "Life have no meaning to
Shampoo without Ranma, Shampoo no want to go on without him." She said with a
shaking voice.
Ranma was taken aback. He never imagined how deeply the two girls really
felt about him. He knew Ukyo had a crush on him, but that was all he thought it
was. And, he had always thought Shampoo's advanced were because of the law her
tribe had that said she had to marry him because he defeated her in battle.
"I-I-I need some time to think." Ranma said lowering his head.
"This is a big decision for Ranma, we need to give him some space." Said
Akane to the two women. The other two nodded in agreement.
"Thank you." Said Ranma. Akane leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
"You're going to marry all of them!" Nabiki said in total surprise.
Tenchi smiled and nodded. He and the girls had made a grand entrance at
the house. They were all practically hanging onto him as they came through the
back door. Kasumi had asked what was going on and Tenchi made the announcement
to the surprise of everyone in the house except for Katsuhito. Deep inside the
old priest suspected that this sort of thing would happen one day. He wasn't at
all disappointed with Tenchi for taking the easy way out of his situation.
"Isn't that illegal?" she asked.
"On Earth by Japanese law, yes, but not according to Juraian law." Aeka
explained. "Therefore, our wedding will have to take place offworld."
Tendo and Saotome had returned to the house after a long practice session
outside. The two were beginning to take all of this much better. It was odd,
Genma though, but he knew somehow deep inside that Ranma was meant for something
great. He just wasn't expecting something like this.
"Where is Ranma?" Genma asked.
"He's up by the shrine with Akane and two girls who just showed up." Said
Ryoko.
"Who are the two girls?" Soun asked.
"I think they said their names were Shampoo and Ukyo." Ryoko told him.
The two men just looked at each other and at the same time they both said,
"Uh ho." Ryoko shrugged her shoulders and handed them both a couple a cups of
sake. "Don't worry, they went off alone to talk." She added.
"You don't know how attached those two are to Ranma." Saotome said. "Some
guys get all the luck." Tendo sighed.
Aeka looked over at Tenchi and nodded, "Oh I can just imagine."
Kasumi brought out a pitcher of fresh iced cinnamon tea and a snack tray
that Sasami had made with crackers, cheese, little cold cuts and fresh
vegetables with dip. The girls sat with Tenchi on the couch not wanting to part
with him for a while and were still glowing from the surprise he gave them up at
the shrine.
"I'll be graduating high school soon," said Tenchi. "So I've been
applying to different colleges and universities."
"Doesn't that mean you'd have to move away for a while?" Mihoshi asked.
Tenchi nodded. "It's not like I'll be gone forever, and I'm sure a
certain someone here can figure out a way for us to still see each other." He
was looking at Washu when he said that. The diminutive genius laughed and
smiled, "I may have something that could help with that sort of situation."
"What college might you attend?" Washu asked Tenchi.
"Well, I've gotten letters of acceptance from the Nekomi Institute of
Technology, Fujimitsu University in Tokyo, and the Isakawa University of
Technology in Nerima." He said.
"Isakawa has a great architecture program." Kasumi said.
"Oh?" said Tenchi in response. "Yes, I have a friend who goes there, and
her brother is taking architecture classes there." Kasumi continued.
"And you're welcome to stay with us if you want." Tendo offered.
"Thanks, but I'm still thinking about where I want to go." Tenchi told
him.
Tendo smiled and replied, "Well, the offer still stands if you decide to
come to Nerima."
Ranma threw a flat stone skipping it off the surface of the lake. He sat
on top of a small boulder that sat at the waters edge. Far across the lake he
could see the Masaki home and the mountain where the family shrine was. In the
distance the very top of the great tree Fonaho-oh peeked over the other trees in
the valley. The young Saotome sighed, he didn't know what to do. He could tell
Akane did not like the idea of having to share him with anybody else. This
feeling they had for each other was new to the two them, well, secretly they did
both care for each other but would have never admitted it. In some ways Ranma
knew he had to thank Kuno and Ryoga for his new relationship with Akane. Ranma
was still slightly shocked at the fact that he actually made love to her in
Washu's lab. He could remember every detail, it was totally spur of the moment,
driven by some passion within that came out in that instant that they kissed.
He could still feel Akane's body next to his, still hear the sound of her voice
in his ear. I love her I do love her, Ranma told himself. But, also something
within from the same place also told him not to hurt the other two. Shampoo and
Ukyo had their hearts set on him, he knew that, and he also knew they were not
lacking in the beauty category either. Yet beauty wasn't at the heart of this
matter, one should never fall in love based on looks alone. That is how hearts
can be broken, but Ranma knew the two girls, knew how devoted they were to him,
and knew that generally Shampoo and Ukyo were both wonderful, kind people.
"So what should I do?" he asked himself.
"Do what is in your heart." Came a voice.
If he could Ranma would have jumped right of his skin. He felt like
kicking himself for letting his guard down so low that just anyone could sneak
up on him. He looked around expecting it to be one of Tenchi's girls but there
was nobody there. Then, out of the corner of his eye he spotted something, or
was that someone. He turned towards the lake and gasped in a mixture of
surprise and awe. She was 'standing' on the surface of the lake dressed in
elegant and regal finery, her sky blue hair was long and lustrous, her voice was
soft and gentle, she was the most beautiful creature Ranma had ever seen in his
entire life.
"W-w-what?" Ranma managed to stammer.
"Do what is in your heart, Ranma Saotome." She said.
Ranma stumbled backwards and fell down onto his rear on the rock he'd been
sitting on. "H-h-how do you know my name, and w-w-who are you?" he asked her.
The woman laughed, it was like the chiming of little bells. "My name is
Tsunami."
Tsunami. She's the one Sasami is supposedly going to turn into when she
grows up!, Ranma told himself. That little girl is going to look like her! My
god she's beautiful!
"Yes, I am the vision of Sasami in the future." Tsunami answered him
hearing his thoughts, then she blushed. "And thank you, I think you rather
handsome yourself."
Ranma's eyes went wide, she was able to read his thoughts. "Well, I-uh-
that is-" he stammered. "Don't be worried, I came because I felt you needed
someone to talk to, someone to help you sort things out." She reassured him.
"I got one heck of problem on my hands, lady." Ranma laughed and scratched
his head Tenchi-style. Tsunami giggled and covered her mouth in a way that made
her look even cuter, if that was possible. "I can see that." She laughed.
"Akane told me that I am 'allowed' to marry more than one wife because of
my heritage with the royal family, but I know deep down she's not happy with the
idea." Ranma explained. "Answer this question, if she wasn't happy with the
idea then 'why' did she tell you?" Tsunami asked him.
"I'm not sure, she could have kept it to herself, but she told me after
Ukyo and Shampoo showed up," he said. "I don't really know."
Tsunami glided across the water to the edge of the lake leaned towards the
young Saotome. She was almost close enough to his face to kiss him, this names
Ranma blush a furious red. He has grown up around beautiful woman, but this
woman made them 'all' pale in comparison. "Then you should ask her why." She
told him. "Maybe what she tells you will help you." She adds as she stands back
up.
Ranma recovers his composure and says, "You know, you're right I should
ask her." Quickly he stands up and starts for the house. "Uh, thank you." He
thanks her then runs off.
After Ranma is far enough away Tsunami folds her arms and looks to the
side with a whimsical expression. "You can show yourself now." She says. A
person materializes next to her floating in the air. She is no less beautiful
than Tsunami, her long white hair hangs low and lustrous over her curvaceous
frame, she skin is tanned, on her face are three curious blue markings on her
forehead and above her cheeks.
"You handled that pretty well." Said Urd.
"Well, he 'was' easier to work with than Tenchi." Tsunami smiled.
"Thank you for helping with Tenchi, by the way." Tsunami thanked her.
Urd sighed, "Boy was he a hard one to crack, I thought I'd never get
through his mental shell." The white haired goddess smiled and laughed, "I hope
the outcome was what you were looking for."
"He had the feelings in his heart, but he needed the right 'push' to make
him act on it." Urd went on.
"Oh yes, its exactly what I hoped for." Tsunami sighed happily.
Urd floated away from the lake and headed for the forest. "Well, I'd
better be getting back, gotta keep my eye on Kaiichi and Belldandy you know."
She said.
"Say hi to Bell and Skuld for me." Tsunami called to her.
"Will do, see ya." Urd called back before vanishing.
Tsunami's visage shimmered with golden light as she slowly vanished with a
happy, contented smile on her lips.
Ranma found Akane at the onsen. He wasn't sure but something told him to
check there. Perhaps, he thought, it was Tsunami directing him to the right
place. The youngest of the three Tendo sisters was a bit surprised at his
entrance. She was dressed in little more than a pink towel as she relaxed in
the warm waters surrounded by the sound of singing song birds and running water.
"Ranma, what are you doing here?" she asked, a blush on her face.
"I-uh-I needed to talk to you." He replied.
Akane glided through the water over to where Ranma stood. The young man
sat down there and let his bare feet dip into the water. Akane put her elbows
on the edge of the pool and looked up at him.
"Can't decide can you." She said in a matter of fact like tone.
"Actually, I wanted to ask 'you' something." Ranma told her.
Akane perked up her eyebrows. "If you're not happy with the idea of me
marrying more than one wife, why did you tell me I can because of my royal
status?" he asked.
Akane sighed, "I said I'd accept anything you-"
Ranma cut her off putting a finger to her lips and asked, "You told me
that but I want the truth, why?"
"Because I know how I would feel if-" she began. "If you weren't with
me." He finished for her. Akane sighed and looked at her hands. Ranma turned
her face up to his gently. "I love you, I'm not ashamed to admit it, and I'm
happy with what we did in Washu's lab." He told her.
"You would be, you're a 'guy'." She laughed.
"Hey, I didn't hear you complain." Ranma smirked.
They laughed then leaned towards one another and kissed gently. "I see it
in their eyes, Ukyo and Shampoo love you with all their heart, like I do." Akane
said when they parted.
"It will be an adjustment, but I 'can' live with it if they will." She
continued.
"I wonder how Mr. Tendo will handle this." Said Ranma, dreading the
possibilities. He could still feel the bite of the man's bokken from the time
Ukyo came to stay with them two years ago. After that he couldn't look at
okinomiaki without getting queasy for a month.
"And Dad." He went on.
"Happosai would be proud of you." Akane giggled.
Ranma gave her a horrified expression then laughed at the joke. "He'd be
giddy beyond human expression." Ranma laughed. Akane joined in laughing so hard
she nearly lost her towel.
"Opps!" she said grabbing it just in time.
"Why be so modest, I've already seen what you got and then some." Ranma
said with a seductive smile. Akane blushed furiously and gave him a playful
punch in the arm. "You lech!" she laughed.
"You really are cute, and I think you have a great body." He told her.
Ranma took her hand, his fingers caressed hers. The young Tendo sister blushed
deeply. "You're not just saying that because you want to get me in bed again do
you." She said smirking. Ranma leaned down just close enough to kiss her. "I
meant what I said," he told her softly. "And a guy 'can' hope can't he."
Akane gasped in pretend shock then grabbed the boy and pulled him head
first into the hot water. Ranma came up sputtering then found himself with
Akane's arms wrapped around him. "We'd better not take too long because if Ukyo
and Shampoo come looking for us it could be World War III." She whispered to
him. She let her towel fall, kissing and caressing each other the two slowly
eased down into the warm water.
An hour later, Ranma and Akane went walking through the countryside. The
young Tendo sister had a bright, happy glow on her face. She hugged the young
Saotome boy's arm lovingly. Ranma had been so gentle with her despite his new
incredible strength. She could easily imagine herself spending the rest of her
life with him. They traveled the path that leads past Fonaho-Oh and found Ukyo
and Shampoo there in conversation. The two young woman looked as if they'd be
best friends for years the way they talking, but in reality they were bitter
rivals for Ranma's heart. Ranma looked at Akane, she nodded, time to tell them
had come. But, the two wondered how would the girls handle it.
The two were surprised at how well Ukyo and Shampoo were handling the
Ranma's decision. They didn't know how to react, whether to be happy or angry.
They were both at a loss for words for the second time in the same day.
"If the two of you can set your differences aside with Akane I know we can
make this work out." Ranma told them.
"You want to marry all three of us." Ukyo said still unable to believe it.
"Is very unusual." Shampoo said.
Ranma reached out and took both girls' hands. "I know how much you love
me, and I really care about the two of you although I haven't really shown it
all that well in the past." He explained to them.
"Besides, I'm sure the people in space never had okinomiaki before." Ranma
went on with a smile hoping to lighten the mood.
Shampoo gasped, "We have to live in space!"
"No, no, but we'd have to get married in space to make it legal." Said
Akane. "I think, we'd have to ask Princess Aeka."
"Oh." Ukyo and Shampoo said together.
"What do we have to loose, we get to be with one another freely without
any barriers or worries, and besides you'd all be princesses." Ranma told them
smiling.
"Shampoo would be princess?" Shampoo asked.
Ranma smiled and laughed, "You three are already has beautiful as
princesses, so you might as well become princesses for real."
"Ranma." The three girls swooned to his words.
"Ryoga and Kuno have been taken care of, sort of, so we have nobody to
worry about or get in our way." Ranma went on.
Akane gasped just then with sudden realization. "Uh, Ranma, you're
forgetting someone." She told him.
"Huh?" he said. "Who?"
Shampoo jumped to her feet and pointed towards the forest. "Mousse!" she
cried. Ranma learned from his encounter with Tsunami not to let his guard down,
so his new found powers and awareness told him to move...now. He dodged to the
side, his body literally blurring as he moved, a chain whip lashed out where
he'd be sitting only an instant before.
"Ranma no baka!" Mousse yelled from the top of one of the nearby trees.
Akane sighed, "Here we go again."
What is this, open season on me?!, Ranma though to himself. The young
Chinese martial artist was an expert at the hidden weapons style. Although he
was severely nearsighted Mousse was no slouch. If this situation turned into an
all our fight things could get real interesting really quick. Ranma fought
Mousse in the past, once while trying to save Shampoo from that shaggy no good
ghost cat Mamolin, but that was a few years ago. Mousse's experience on
Togenkyo Island had helped to hone his fighting prowess.
"I don't know what's going on here, but I can't allow it!" the young man
cried as he hurled himself into the air and landed deftly on his feet only a few
inches away from Ranma.
"This not concern you!" Shampoo yelled at him.
"It does," Mousse shouted back. "'I' Love you, I'm the one who wants to
be your husband!"
"Sometimes a guy has to know when you give up, but you're not one of those
guys." Said Ranma.
"I'll never give up because Shampoo is mine." Said Mousse.
"Shampoo belong to Ranma now." The Chinese girl said folding her arms.
Mousse flicked his wrists and two sai appeared in his hands. "Then, we
decide this with a duel, just you and me Ranma." He said relaxing into a
fighting stance, the razor sharp points of the sai aimed the young Saotome.
"Hey, I don't want to fight you, but I'm also not giving up Shampoo." Said
Ranma waving his hands in front of him.
"Then I'll make you fight!" Mousse cried and lunged with the sai leading
the way. Ranma dodged to the side, his visage blurring with movement. Mousse
recovered, reversed the sai in his hands and whirled around with them aiming at
Ranma's midsection. To Ranma's perspective Mousse was in slow motion, he was
able to easily step away from the Chinese man's strike.
"How can you move so fast?" Mousse asked as he caught his breath. "I
should have skewered you just then." Ranma knew he was telling the truth, if he
didn't have the training to use his Jurai powers Mousse would have gotten him
with that move.
"You don't want to fight me Mousse, I've changed." Ranma warned him.
The martial artist dropped the sai and quickly produced a three-section
staff. "Let's test that!" he cried. Mousse whirled around sending the sections
of the weapon flying towards Ranma in one blindingly fast move. Ranma blurred
for an instant just enough to change positions slightly and the weapon passed
him harmlessly.
"What the hell!" Mousse explained in shock.
Mousse reacted quickly, threw out his right hand shooting out a long chain
whip. Ranma has been expecting Mousse to make a move, but the chain caught him
and wrapped around his body pinning his arms. "HA!" Mousse laughed. "You're
not that good."
Ranma eased his mind as Katsuhito taught him and focused on calling upon
his Jurai power. There was still much he had to learn about his hidden
abilities, so he simply tried something new out of the blue. Mousse gasped as
Ranma began to shimmer with a golden glow then vanish. The chains with nothing
now to hold them up just feel to the ground harmlessly. Mousse heard and felt
something displace the air behind him. Before he could come around with the
handful of shurikens he now had Ranma grabbed his arm and forced him to the
ground.
"You were saying." Ranma said. He wasn't even breaking a sweat. The
girls hadn't moved during this entire exchange, they had been watching with
total fascination and wonderment.
"H-h-how did you do that?" Mousse asked in wonder. He'd seen many things,
many wonders, many horrors, but nothing like actual honest to goodness
'teleportation'!
Ranma felt a gentle hand on his arm. He looked up into Shampoo's gentle
eyes. "Let me talk to Mousse for moment." She said. "Alone."
Ranma nodded and let the young man go. He stepped back and joined the
other two girls who were still over by the great Juraian tree. Mousse sat up on
the ground and looked at Ranma with awe and a new kind of respect. He knew
Ranma was a strong martial artist, he knew about his ability to throw a chi
blast, but powers like he demonstrated today were remarkable. Then, he looked
up at Shampoo. The beautiful Chinese girl kneeled down in front of him and
looked him in the eyes.
"Shampoo I-" he began.
"No, you listen." She interrupted.
"It Shampoo's decision who she want to be with, not Mousse's." she went
on. "I thank you for what you do on Togenkyo Island to save Shampoo, it was
brave, but changes nothing." She told him.
Mousse looked down at the ground. "I've been in love with you for as long
as I remember, you're all I can think about." He said.
"Mousse must forget Shampoo, move on, there more fish in sea." She said.
"What about Akane?" Mousse asked.
"She marry Ranma too." Shampoo told him. "And Ukyo."
Mousse looked at her as if he didn't understand what she just said, then
looked at Ranma and the other girls across the clearing. "You can't be serious,
he's marrying all three of you!" he shouted.
"Yes, there is much you not know Mousse, much you no understand." She
explained.
"Then help me to understand why I must live with my heart torn asunder."
Said Mousse. Shampoo sighed. She really did like the young man, he was
annoying at times, but she didn't like him enough to love him. Yet, she also
didn't want him to suffer because of her either. "Shampoo will tell you then."
She said.
The house was a buzz with activity inside and out. Mousse wasn't sure
what to expect. He remembered watching an American movie on TV once staring
someone famous named Richard Dreyfus, if he read the English credit correctly.
He often imagined what it would be like to meet real aliens. Mousse envisioned
himself as Dreyfus walking up the ramp to the alien ship, looking at the
wondrous interior with all of its exotic and beautiful sights and sounds. This
"Close Encounter" was very different, these aliens were gorgeous babes.
Mousse was fascinated with Sasami, she was the cutest thing he ever seen.
She also made one of the best meals he'd ever tasted. If she worked at the
ramen restaurant we'd be rolling in Yen!, he thought.
Ranma and the girls sat with Tendo and Saotome. They hadn't let the cat
out of the bag yet, they just sat together eating dinner quietly, but did notice
the curious glances the two old men were giving them. Finally, Ranma decided to
say something.
"Dad, Mr. Tendo, everybody," he said to get their attention, they all
looked his way. "I have an announcement to make."
"Akane and I are getting married," he continued, Genma and Soun's faces
lit up like two blazing suns just born. "But I'm also marrying Ukyo and
Shampoo." The two older men dropped their chopsticks in unison and face
faltered with a loud crash.
"YOU'RE WHAT!" Soun cried after he climbs up to his feet.
"HOLD ON HERE!" Genma joins him.
Aeka clears her throat and stands up drawing the attention of the two
irate fathers. "Lord Ranma is a member of the Royal Family of Planet Jurai, is
in the Line of Succession to the throne, and as such has the right to marry as
many wives as he so pleases." She said calmly. "In fact, it is his
responsibility to do so, as a member of the Line of Succession he is expected to
have many sons and daughters, this is only possible if he has more than one
wife." She goes on.
"But, how are they-" Genma started to ask.
"The marriage will take place offworld of course, possibly the moon
station where Seina Yamada got married." Said Aeka. Tenchi laughed, he
remembered that 'interesting' day. He looked back on it as a prelude to what
would happen to him, or what 'was' happening to him now. He remembered the look
on the young GP Academy graduate's face during the ceremony as he was presented
to his 'nine' wives. Lady Seto, of course, being the Great Manipulator that she
had been instrumental in the whole affair. Tenchi often wondered when she would
have one day returned to try and 'arrange' such a marriage for him. If she was
planning something boy was she in for one major disappointment.
"Look at this way Dad, once we're married to Ranma we'll be princesses."
Akane smiled brightly.
"Yes, and the marriage gifts from the royal family will be quite
extensive." Said Aeka. "Uh, marriage gifts?" Soun and Genma asked at the same
time.
"Oh yes, Ranma will become 'quite' rich when the marriage is done." Aeka
replied, smiling like a Cheshire cat. Seto would be proud of me., she thought
to herself.
"Well, maybe this isn't so bad after all, eh Tendo." Said Saotome.
"Its what we dreamed of Saotome, and more." Tendo said, tears streaming
down his cheeks.
Ranma spoke up then, "There is one other thing, and Princess Aeka you
could help out with this."
"Oh?" she said curiously.
Tenchi and Ranma stood together waving farewell to their friend. To
Tenchi he was new friend, but Ranma has known the young man for some time now.
The girls, Tenchi's six stood beside him, and Ranma's three stood beside him.
In the background stood Noboyuki, Saotome, Tendo, and Katsuhito. Mousse waved
back before turning around looking up into the interior of the great ship. It
was called the Kamadake II, and walking up its boarding ramp made him 'feel'
like he was reliving that scene in the American movie. The ramp slowly closed
behind him and the huge GP cruiser slowly lifted off and roared across the sky
into the horizon. Amane and Kiriko met Mousse and processed his GP Academy
application. The young man looked out the window in the great ship's
observation deck as the Earth quickly receded into the distance. He smiled, he
was actually happy for Shampoo finally gaining the happiness she dreamed of
having. He was also smiling for himself, a part of him was heartbroken to
loosing Shampoo, but another part of him was happy too. Happy for the new life
he was going lead, here he could forget Shampoo and start fresh with a new life.
Mousse turned away from view of his homeworld disappearing into the distance, he
looked forward towards the future, his bright new future in the Galaxy Police.
__________
CONTINUED IN PART 5...
FAMILY REUNION - PART 5: The End of Summer
Its time for the two families to go their separate ways. Yet, with the end of
summer vacation something new and beautiful has begun.