Echoes in Time (v1.00, 05/17/03)
Chapter 7: Untitled
By AllWhacked
Send C&C to allwhacked@hotmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/allwhacked/
--- Disclaimer ---
Ranma 1/2 and its characters are the property of Takahashi Rumiko,
Shonen Sunday Comics, Shogakukan, Kitty TV (Japan) and Viz
Communications (USA). The characters of Tenchi Muyo belong to Kajishima
Masaki. The characters of Highlander belong to Davis/Panzer Inc. All
other characters and trademarks to appear are owned by their respective
owners. Note that this work of fiction is for free entertainment
purposes only. No compensation has been or will be received.
Please do not archive this work without the author's permission. Thank
You.
--- Note to Reader ---
This is an alternate universe/divergence fic with the bulk of the story
occurring after the Nanban Mirror episode (anime only). Now Ranma finds
himself stuck 400 plus years in the past with no means of returning
home.
"..." = spoken speech
'...' = thoughts
--- End Note to Reader, Start of Chapter ---
Anger, Jealousy, Betrayal. Those were just a few of the emotions that
ran rampant in Ryoko's mindset as she stared evenly at Princess Sasami.
With her hands draped protectively over Ranma's naked chest, Ryoko felt
her blood begin to boil as she clenched her open palms into tight-balled
fists.
"Ranma," she said in an even tone. "Won't you be a dear and leave the
room for a moment? I need to speak to Sasami alone if you don't mind."
Ranma heard and hesitated--his mind in a temporary state of shock. All
he could focus on now was the sight before him, of Sasami kneeling on
the ground with her hands pressed up against her face, tears streaming
down her cheeks as she shook uncontrollably with each passing sob.
Every labored breath she took and Ranma's heart would sink deeper into
his chest, as Sasami would half-hiccup in an attempt to control her
breathing.
Now his mind began to narrow, pushing all outside thought from his head.
He no longer sensed his surroundings, no longer remembering that just a
few seconds before, Sasami had mysteriously come up and pressed her lips
against his--passionately gripping his head in a lover's embrace as she
poured forth all her heart and emotion into that short lived kiss.
In a detached sense of awareness, Ranma's right hand began to rise-
-aching to reach out and touch her. All he wanted to do now was to hold
her, to hug her in his arms like when she was little, and tell her that
everything was going to be all right. He wanted to say that he
understood that this was all some sort of joke, that he wasn't mad at
her and that all would be forgiven and soon forgotten.
In his mind, all he could think about was comforting her. He didn't
care about what he did or whom he might potentially hurt in the process-
-all that mattered was getting to Sasami and wiping away those tears.
'Oh Sasami, I'm almost there,' he thought. Just a few more inches and
he would be. He was almost to her when suddenly Ryoko caught his arm in
a vice like grip--holding him back as he turned to face her.
There was a pleading look in his eyes as he stared at her. The look
caused Ryoko to shrink back from her earlier resolve to stop him, but
with a saddened look of her own, she steeled herself and shook her head
no.
"Ranma," she began, her voice becoming weak and strained. "Please... I
need you to stop! I need you to leave the room right now!"
Ranma's mind snapped back to attention. He had almost forgotten that
Ryoko was there and felt shamefaced by his earlier actions. With a
downcast look he mumbled his apologies.
"Ryoko," he began. "I'm sor--" He stopped when he saw the look of
understanding in her eyes.
"Don't say another word," Ryoko said as she placed two fingers over his
lips. Her eyes conveyed to him the added message that she understood
his feelings and that she wasn't mad at him. And so with a relieved
sigh, Ranma said his internal thanks and gingerly gripped her delicate
hand into his--gently squeezing it a few times--as he kissed each and
every one of her knuckles. 'Thank the Gods for allowing me to meet such
a kind and forgiving woman.'
"Ryoko," he then said as he let go of her--the words were coarse and
whispered. "Please... please go easy on her," as he passed by Ryoko to
exit.
When he finally left the room, he did so without saying another word and
slid the kitchen door shut. He then proceeded to turn down the hall
towards the bathroom, where he took a quick shower and got dressed for
morning practice--the thought of which helped return some semblance of
regularity to this highly unusual morning.
++++++++++
Listening quietly to Ranma's faint footsteps, Ryoko eased her breathing
as she heard him enter the furo. When she heard the door slide and then
close, she reverted her full attention back to the light-blue haired
woman still sobbing on the kitchen floor.
There was an ounce of sympathy when she saw Sasami again. The pathetic
sight the princess projected almost made Ryoko want to breakdown herself
and cry alongside her. However, the feelings of being hurt and the act
of betrayal still etched themselves deeply across Ryoko's heart and
mind--helping to steel her resolve for what she had to do. But despite
this resolve, Ryoko was still unsure as to "what" or "how" she was going
to do it.
Waiting a minute, listening in a quiet simmering state of anger as
Sasami cried her heart out, Ryoko came to think about what this woman
had done and what she was possibly trying to do. Feelings of jealousy
reemerged, sharpening her sense of loathing--both at herself and towards
Sasami. The longer she looked at this woman, the longer she heard her
cry, the greater Ryoko's overall feelings of anger, hurt, and betrayal
grew.
Now the mere sight of Sasami seemed to pain Ryoko; she felt disgusted
just looking at her. And with this disgust added only more fuel to
Ryoko's growing ire as she now wanted to simply lash out at this woman,
to cave her head in for trying to steal her man--the man whose love she
cherished more than life itself. 'She was trying to steal something
most precious from me--something that I have worked and longed for all
my life. I will not let her or anyone else get away with this.'
All rational thought now left Ryoko. She no longer saw in Sasami the
same little girl whom she had come to love as a sister. 'She's not my
little-Sasami. She's just another conniving bitch trying to take what
doesn't belong.' Reaching deep within herself, she felt her anger
continue to rise with each passing second, the energy in her three gems
responding to their user's desire for vengeance.
And from their positions embedded in Ryoko's wrists and throat, the
energy within these gems blazed into three blinding beams of red light.
Their combined radiating output flared around her in a harsh solid glow,
consuming Ryoko's form as the lacy white negligee she had been wearing
was replaced with a red and black patterned skin-tight body suit--the
same suit she wore whenever she entered battle.
In the wake of the gem's full state of brilliance, the light they
emitted abruptly died down to the faint glow of charcoal embers. In her
changed state, Ryoko called upon even deeper reserves of power. She
strained against the safety barriers once placed upon them by Washu and
called forth the full potential of the goddess's jewels--accessing on a
subconscious level the cosmic energy that had once created and now bound
the universe together; the same cosmic energy that when applied in a
slightly different manner, could easily rip the fabric of space-time
into oblivion.
And it was this destructive potential that Ryoko sought--yearning for
its aid. For she knew that it was only through this way, through the
use of this raw and destructive force, that she could be absolutely sure
that the threat to her love would not come back to reclaim him. And as
she ached with a desperate need to destroy one of the most powerful
beings in the universe, the patron goddess of planet Jurai, Princess
Sasami, the gems responded to the pure unadulterated desire of their
mistress. Thus they began to furiously tap into the realms of subspace,
into greater inter-dimensional wells of power that would aid in
gathering enough energy for Ryoko to finally call forth ten full Light
Hawk Wings[1] that shimmered around her in a translucent halo.
With a labored breath from exertion, Ryoko closed her eyes and felt
tears begin to fall as she made a silent prayer. 'Please forgive me
Ranma. Please forgive me for what I'm about to do. But it's the only
way. I love you."
And with those last words, she gathered all her hate, all her love, all
her feelings of hurt and betrayal to cause the Light Hawk Wings to
change shape and merge--combining together to form an overtly simplistic
blade that mimicked the shimmering-translucence of crystalline metal.
'I'm sorry Ranma. I have to do this. It is the only way I can protect
you, My Love.'
Ryoko took a step forward, bringing her hand down to grip Sasami's head
by the chin--tilting it up to face her. Ryoko wanted Sasami to see her
eye to eye--to look into the face of the woman who would be her
executioner. And as if by silent command, Sasami did as Ryoko wished
and removed her hands to stare blankly at the beautifully horrific sight
of a goddess scorned.
Lifting Sasami's chin just another inch, the kneeling Royal Crown
Princess of Jurai didn't bother to flinch--almost looking relieved--when
Ryoko pulled the blade back, pointed its narrow tip forward and lunged
the blade through Sasami's exposed throat.
++++++++++
Ranma was outside, sitting on the porch of the house as he took a long
drag from a cigarette. The acrid smoke swirled in an even spiral
pattern and dissipated with a slight breeze, as he gazed out across the
valley to eye the sun as it slowly passed over the distant mountainside.
Taking another drag from his cigarette, he rubbed the back of his neck
then began to uneasily adjust the ties of his white gi[2] that was
accessorized with a black colored hakama[3]. With another uneasy puff
from the orange colored filter, Ranma shifted his gaze again to eye the
holy tree of the Masaki shrine. Looking out at the vast lake that
surrounded the Juraian tree-ship, Funaho, he couldn't help but notice
that it stuck out amongst the great expanse of water like a sore
sticking thumb.
Sighing at the picturesque sight before him, Ranma rolled the half
finished cigarette across his knuckles and then stopped when he heard
footsteps approaching.
"Tsk, Tsk, Ranma. You know the rules: no smoking on shrine grounds."
Ranma turned and eyed the elderly looking man. The man appeared to be
in his late-sixties, having a short graying mustache and long hair that
was tied in a simple ponytail that ran down the length of his back-
-nearly reaching his heels. Dressed in a similar attire as Ranma, he
carried two wooden bokens[4] over his right shoulder that clanked
against one another with each passing step. As he came within range, he
grabbed one of the bokens and tossed it towards Ranma, who in turn
caught it one handed--using the other hand to draw his cigarette for one
last puff against his lips.
"You know Yosho. Right now, I don't give a flying-fuck about shrine
rules. And before you go and say it, I know there is no swearing
either."
Yosho, royal crown prince of planet Jurai, next in line to inherit the
Juraian Imperial throne and known on his adopted planet, Earth, by his
alias and profession, Katushito Masaki--the head Shinto shrine priest of
the Masaki shrine--gave Ranma a scrutinizing raised eyebrow.
"I see," he said, taking a seat next to Ranma. "I sense you're
troubled. Is there something I should be made aware of?"
Ranma shrugged and grinded the smoldering butt of the cigarette against
the heel of his bare foot, before placing it in his palm to incinerate
it with a fiery ball of elemental green ki.
"Troubled? I guess you could say that, though I'm not too sure what to
say Yosho. Something happened this morning--something strange. I'm not
even sure that it even happened; it all still seems so surreal--like it
was all a dream. But if what I think happened did happen, well... I
loath to think what Ryoko is doing to Sasami right now."
Yosho listened in understanding, though deciphering Ranma's cryptic
speech proved to raise more questions than answers. Adjusting his
spectacles so that they glinted with the morning's light, "perhaps you
could elaborate a little bit more Ranma. I'm still a little confused.
Did something happen between you and Ryoko, between you two and Sasami?"
Ranma nodded, still staring out with a vacant lost look. "You could say
that," he began with a slight drawl in his voice. "I'm not too sure if
I should say anything more though... this is kind of a private matter,
but still... I suppose this might concern you too. It involves your
sister."
"This morning, I came down stairs to fetch a glass of water and maybe
something to eat, when I heard someone crying in the kitchen. Of course
the sound drew my attention and I peaked my head in to catch sight of
Sasami sitting at the kitchen table with her hands over her face."
"I of course immediately went over to comfort her. When I placed my
hand on her shoulder to let her know that I was there, she batted it
away as if it were on fire. She had this look on her face too. I'm not
too sure how to describe it."
"At first, it looked as if she didn't recognize me--as if I wasn't even
there. But then her gaze soon shifted and she had this almost crazed-
animalistic look in her eye. I'll admit that I was a bit scared when I
saw this. It sort of reminded me of this berserker look that some
fighters get when they know they are going to die, but before they bite
it, their eyes will tell you: 'I have every intention of taking you down
with me.' You know what I mean?"
Yosho gave an affirmative grunt as Ranma went on to continue.
"Well you know that when someone looks at you like that, they usually
mean it. So I immediately backed up and then blanked. It was sort of
one of those rare moments when my mind failed to guide my body.
Everything after that point was being run on pure instinct. It was
either fight or flight, you know? But still, my mind was trying to
regain control and fight my instinct to get the hell out of there. I
mean, it was just Sasami after all. And so in that moment of
hesitation, Sasami rushed up and grabbed me from behind the head and
kissed me on the lips."
"And it wasn't just some sort of peck on the lips either; it was a full
blown, open mouth, tongue probing, wet sloppy kiss. By the time that I
even realized what was happening, I think Sasami had half her mouth down
my throat. When my mind finally regained control of my body, I
immediately pushed her off me and before I even had a chance to say
anything, Ryoko came downstairs and caught us."
"I'm not too sure how much she saw, but I think she knew that it was
Sasami who initiated it. She just came up behind me, asked if Sasami
was only joking around and that's when Sasami broke down in another bout
of tears. I don't quite remember what happened next, but I think Ryoko
told me to leave--that she wanted to talk to Sasami alone. That was
about twenty or thirty minutes ago."
Yosho nodded, as he fought against brotherly instinct while still trying
to be an objective friend for Ranma. He had a vague idea of what had
just happened and why, but just like Ranma, he too was loath on finding
the final outcome. If what he thought about Sasami was true, he knew
that this would indelibly affect the "wa"[5] of the household. The only
question that remained however was whether it proved to be for the
better or for the worst--an answer he simply did not know.
++++++++++
Ryoko heaved with a labored breath, panting with exertion as she tried
desperately to restrain her killer instinct. With the tip of her sword
poised dangerously close to the princess's exposed jugular, the only
reason why the blade was not already impaled through its target was the
look of complacent forgiveness in Sasami's eyes. Instead of seeing fear
or even the vapid stare of one who did not even realize they were about
to die, Ryoko saw forgiveness--forgiveness towards her and the deathblow
she was about to inflict--that shocked Ryoko out of her otherwise
inconsolable rage.
Feeling her anger wilt and bleed away with each passing second, Ryoko's
sense of rational thought returned to her. Immediately, she felt
sickened by her own actions--at the very thought that she would murder
so easily in order to protect her love for a man. Protecting him not
because she feared generally for his safety (though she would kill or
die just the same protecting it), but rather more selfishly, to protect
herself from possibly losing the love of this man. A man who was the
most important thing to her, whose love for her was Ryoko's most
cherished commodity and that it was so valued that when its supply was
threatened, it caused Ryoko to act out in ways that bordered on the line
of temporary insanity.
And so in the wake of regaining control over both her mind and body,
Ryoko found herself in a state of emotional exhaustion as she simply
brought her knees together and sank to the floor. During her descent,
her control over the Light Hawk Wings vanished--causing her sword to
simply dissipate into a multitude of white floating beams of light that
gathered around her, swirled about for a few seconds, and then funneled
themselves hurriedly back into one of the three red colored gems in her
right wrist.
This occurred simultaneously with the de-transformation of her costume.
Instead of the red and black battle suit she had been wearing, it
energized out of existence--starting at her peripheral limbs and working
its way back towards her center--to return to their storage compartments
in the pockets of sub-space. In the suit's place now rested the white
silk negligee that Ryoko had been wearing when she first came down the
stairs.
At this point Ryoko found herself now kneeling on the kitchen floor,
that when she shifted her head up she came eye to eye with Sasami. The
other woman in turn stared back at her with red-pink eyed pupils-
-looking very much like a frightened rabbit. This said to Ryoko that
Sasami wanted to both stay, but if things turned bad, to also flee if
necessary. Sensing her hesitation, Ryoko took the initiative and
grabbed Sasami in a tight embrace--hugging her with such warmth and
empathy that she could no longer imagine herself being angry with this
woman. This was still the case even after the stray thought entered
Ryoko's head that Sasami had been trying to seduce Ranma away from her.
In Ryoko's mind, all this no longer seemed to bother her. She had
somehow gotten over her jealousy, either because she was so tired
emotionally or perhaps still in shock over how close she came to
beheading Sasami, that she no longer paid much heed to the darker
emotions still lurking insider her head. All that mattered now was to
comfort Sasami, to reassure her that she was no longer mad at her, but
that an explanation was definitely in order.
The two remained like this for a whole minute, holding onto one another
until Ryoko felt the dampness of Sasami's tears soak through the thin
coverings of her silk teddy. It then occurred to Ryoko that perhaps
they could carry on the rest of their discussion back inside the women's
furo where they can first take a break, clean up, and perhaps regain a
fresh outlook on things.
Disengaging herself from their embrace, Ryoko broke the silence.
"Sasami?" Ryoko said quietly, trying to sound neither angry nor
particularly happy with the other woman. "I haven't said this yet, but
I want you to know that neither Ranma nor I are angry at you."
Sasami merely answered with a silent look that looked skeptically
frightened and begged that if Ryoko's statement were true, to please
reconfirm this. And since this seemed important for Sasami to hear,
Ryoko was more than willing to oblige.
Putting a reassuring hand on top of Sasami's, Ryoko nodded her head.
"Yes," Ryoko began again. "I'm not mad at you. Neither is Ranma. I
was mad at you before, but... I'm over it." The last part sounded a
little forced.
Giving a generally relieved sigh, Sasami responded with an outburst of
emotion. "Thank you!" Sasami said, now gripping onto Ryoko's hand. She
held the hand up, kissed it, and thanked Ryoko again. "Thank you! I'm
so sorry for what I did. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," she said in a
hurried rush. "You don't know how much this means to me. I can't
imagine what would happen if you said you hated me. I don't think I
could go on living."
A crack of a smile returned to Sasami's lips. "And Ranma," she said
eagerly. "You said that Ranma's not mad either? Is that true, is he
not mad?"
Ryoko nodded, adding: "He's less mad about this than I am. I don't
think he even realized you kissed him. I on the other hand... Well, I'm
still angry and hurt, but I don't hate you, Sasami. I just want to know
why you did it."
Sasami's earlier mirth wilted when she heard Ryoko admit that Sasami's
actions had hurt her.
'Of course she's hurt, you idiot!' Sasami internally rebuked. She cast
her head back down in shame; however, Ryoko gently placed a hand under
her chin and forced the princess to look her up in the eye.
"Sasami," Ryoko began, her voice raised and agitated. "I don't mean to
ruin your mood, but I still want you to understand that what you did
hurt and I want you to know that. But I also want you to know that I
don't hate you either... that I'm sorry for almost killing you and that-
-"
Sasami broke her off. "Don't be sorry," Sasami began regaining some of
her composure. "I deserve to die. What I did can't be forgiven; I'm a
bad and evil person. You have every right to want to kill me."
Ryoko heard this and narrowed her brow. "No, I don't have any right to
kill you and you surely don't deserve to die. What you did--it wasn't
evil I don't think."
Sasami looked unconvinced, but Ryoko continued. "Tell me Sasami... tell
me first why you did it?"
Sasami looked back down and towards her hands, looking at them as if
they held the answer. Slowly, then hesitantly, she began to answer.
"I.. I don't know," she said.
Ryoko looked on and simply snorted her disapproval. "You lie," she said
simply. "Don't give me this 'I don't know' bullshit. You know fully
well why you did it--I can see it in your eyes. Now tell me the truth!"
Sasami looked back up and hesitated, but still gave the same answer.
"I.. I don't know."
"Oh is that so?" Ryoko inquired. "Then tell me why you had to kiss
Ranma! Why did it have to be him?"
Sasami looked stunned. "I don't know," she answered again.
Ryoko's voice was getting angry and she could feel the ire in her
returning. "Sasami, stop fucking lying to me! Tell me why you kissed
Ranma. Tell me why you kissed HIM. Why did it have to be HIM? Now
tell me!"
"I.. I don't--"
*SLAP!*
Sasami felt the sting of Ryoko's open palm as she stared at the furious
yellow eyes looking straight at her.
"I told you to stop fucking lying to me," hissed Ryoko. "Now I'm going
to ask you one more time: 'Why did you kiss Ranma?' If I hear anything
more from your mouth, outside that of the truth, I swear to all that I
hold dear that I will hate you for the rest of my life. And I don't
think I need to remind you how much Ranma hates liars too."
Sasami felt a great pressure weigh itself down against her chest as she
fought against conscious thought and instinct. Part of her wanted to
tell the truth, to say that she loved Ranma with all her heart, but the
other part wanted to protect Ryoko. She couldn't imagine what such an
admission would do to her and how all this would effect Ryoko's
relationship with Ranma. It would be better if she just lied again and
risk Ryoko hating her for life--she couldn't live with herself otherwise
if Ranma somehow got wind of this and broke up with Ryoko in order to
appease Sasami. Or worst yet she thought, he would hear about her
admission and reject her love outright.
But even if Ranma didn't love her, like she loved him, Sasami knew that
she had always been his favorite. Ranma had always pampered her like a
daughter, loved and cared for her like a sister, and left an impression
on Sasami at a very young age, that Ranma was everything she could ever
want in a man. So it was little wonder that she had fallen head over
heals in love with him. And it was also little wonder that the mere
thought of him hating her now caused Sasami's resolve to crumble.
Feeling the heartache of Ranma's hatred towards her far outweighing the
possible burden of ruining Ranma and Ryoko's relationship, Sasami made
the decision to unleash the torrent of hidden feelings and emotions that
she had kept locked away for the past six months--doing so with the
utterance of one single sentence.
"I kissed Ranma because I love him Ryoko, because I love him and I can't
stop thinking about him."
Moisture had returned to Sasami's eyes as she gave Ryoko a furious
glare.
"Are you happy now? Do you like what you hear? I said: I LOVE HIM. I
L-O-V-E HIM. I love him so much that I'm beginning to hate you for it,
did you know that? You said that you don't hate me, but I hate you!"
"I hate you Ryoko! I hate everything about you. I hate the fact that
you have him and I don't. I hate the fact that every time I see you
together I just want to claw your eyes out. I hate it! I hate it so
much that I have these feelings and I can't do anything about them."
"Every morning I wake up dreaming about him. In the afternoon all I do
is think about is him. And in the evening, the only way I can get to
sleep at night is to fantasize about him. If you hadn't come in just
when you did, I would have torn off those skimpy little boxers of his
and made love to him right here on the kitchen floor. I would have MADE
him make love to me. I don't know how, but I would have. And I would
do things to his body that I doubt even you would ever dream of."
"So Ryoko, do you still think I don't deserve to die? Do you still
think I should have told you the truth? Does this make you feel better
knowing that I would rape your fiancé if given half a chance?"
By now Sasami was panting, her voice almost out of breath. Whether
Ryoko felt better for knowing about this was still unknown, however
Sasami hadn't felt this good for a very long time. Now having said all
these things that she had been forced to keep secret for oh so long, the
liberating experience proved to be the perfect cathartic release for the
princess. This elation she felt lasted just up to the point when she
realized all the mean things she had just said.
Gasping, "Oh Ryoko! I'm so sorry. I.. I didn't really mean what I
just-- I.. I.." Sasami started to get up, but Ryoko stopped her,
gripping her by the arm and pulling her back down.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Ryoko asked.
Sasami didn't bother hesitating. "I'm going to go pack and get out of
here. I'm going to go somewhere, far away from here, where you and
Ranma won't be bothered by me ever again. I'm sorry Ryoko... I'm sorry
for what I said. Just promise me that you won't tell Ranma about this.
Don't tell Ranma that I.. that I love him."
By now Sasami was trying her best to struggle out of Ryoko's iron strong
grip, kicking and squirming her best in order to break free. However,
the cyan haired woman would have none of that and increased her hold on
Sasami by using her other hand to pull the princess into another tight
embrace--holding the woman's back up against her chest, while Sasami
kicked and thrashed and threw out curses in an attempt to escape.
"Ryoko, let go of me you bitch! Let go of me, I hate you! I hate you,
I hate you, I hate you!"
Sasami's tirade went on like this for another half a minute, stopping
only after the princess grew tired and resigned herself to the fact that
Ryoko was physically stronger than her. Panting, she began to weep and
Ryoko moved her hand to cradle Sasami's head to her breast--rocking her
in her lap like a babe.
"Ryoko... I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," Sasami said.
Ryoko just shushed her and kissed her forehead. "I know you are and I
forgive you."
Sasami cried some more but added: "But I said I hate you. I said all
those mean things. I promised I would take Ranma away from you. How
can you forgive me?"
Ryoko was quiet for a few seconds before answering. "I can forgive
because first of all I love you. And I will love you unconditionally no
matter what you say or do. Second, I understand your pain. I know that
if our situations were reversed, I would hate you too."
"But what you're feeling is not hate, it's jealousy," Ryoko added. "I
know you love Ranma and I also know what the power of love can make you
do." A distant smile appeared on her face as a long ago memory came to
pass. "You might not remember this, but twenty years ago, I did a lot
of stupid things because of love--because of my jealousy."
Sasami sat there, trying to picture an image of Ryoko being as mean and
as vindictively spiteful as she had been to her. She couldn't fathom
the idea, but she took comfort in Ryoko's words nonetheless. As the two
sat there for a while, holding on to one another as they rocked in
rhythm with the constant ticking of the kitchen's clock, Sasami finally
murmured a query.
"What's going to happen now?"
Ryoko looked down and frowned. "I don't know for sure... not until 'we'
talk to Ranma." She added an emphasis on the "we" part and then paused
before adding, "but I don't think you'll be needing to leave anytime
soon. Ranma and I still love you. We'll work through this, I'm sure of
it." She gave Sasami a comforting hug.
"Now before we go talk to him, I think we should head to the furo and
clean ourselves up. We can talk some more in there."
Sasami listened and then turned to face Ryoko. She gave a weak smile
and nodded her acceptance.
++++++++++
Swing, block, duck, parry, dodge, attack, and counter attack were just
some of the martial art moves put into play as Katushito and Ranma
carried out their morning training routine. As the two fought against
imaginary opponents in this elaborately orchestrated sword kata, the
former followed the latter in copying the complex moves employed by the
Anything Goes School Grandmaster.
The two men flowed together in perfect unison, dancing a deadly ballet
that employed sword strikes, punches and kicks. While the two men
blurred from one strike to another, they ended their kata by stopping at
their points of origin. Ceasing all action after they carried out the
last finishing move, then both gave respectful bows before turning to
face one another.
Breathing hard, with perspiration on his faces, Katushito thanked Ranma
for leading today's practice.
"That was a good one. I haven't practiced that form in a while."
Ranma grinned as the two approached a wooden bench. They each took a
seat as they toweled themselves off, while taking comfort in the cool
morning breeze.
"So, where's that lazy boy of yours?" Ranma remarked once the two had
rested.
"Don't know. Tenchi wasn't in his room this morning and I didn't see
him at home last night. Ukyo was pretty disappointed when he didn't
show."
Ranma snorted. "He's probably goofing off with some friends." He took
pause after he said this. "Hmmm, I'm surprised though. Ukyo and Tenchi
have been getting pretty close lately and that mother of his usually
keeps him on a short enough leash."
Katushito gave a hearty laugh. "I had a talk with Ayeka just the other
day about that. I told her: 'The boy needs to learn to be on his own.
You can't keep pampering him as if he's still you're little-boy. He's
almost a man now and if he's going to be emperor one day, then you're
simply going to have to let him go so he can grow up.'"
Ranma gave his own laugh when he heard this. "I bet she didn't take
that very well."
"You can say that again. I got an ear full, but I think I made my
point. She let Tenchi stay home, while we went to the intergalactic
convention. But last night she was nearly frantic when she didn't hear
from him. But I took some of your advice and told her: 'Tenchi is a
smart boy and he knows how to stay out of trouble. If anything bad
happens the cops will call.'[6] Of course that didn't put her mind at
ease, but I found 'other ways' to keep her quiet until we fell asleep."
Ranma simply raised a perturbed eyebrow at the old man's lecherous
smile.
"You really like gloating about fucking your own sister don't you, Old
Man?"
Katushito simply shrugged. "It's not every day that a man can say he
likes 'sticking it' to his own sister without being labeled a social
outcast."
Ranma nodded at the truth of the statement. "I suppose that's true--'If
you're not from butt-fuck Japan'--but speaking about one of your
sisters," he continued. "You didn't tell me what you thought about
Sasami's actions from this morning. What do you think that was all
about?"
Katushito lost his smile when he answered. "I had hoped you would
forget about asking me that," he sighed. "I'm not totally sure what
Sasami was thinking when she kissed you, but if I were to take an
educated guess, I would think that she was in love with you."
"You're shitting me, right?"
The older man shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I believe that Sasami
has developed strong feelings for you and that this morning she acted
out on them."
Ranma let the bottle in his hand slip from his grip and fall to the
ground, spilling its liquid content, while his mind went into shock for
the second time that day.
"That's not possible," Ranma remarked.
Katushito put a hand on his friend's shoulder and shook his head. "What
you say and what might be are two different things. I might be wrong
about my assessment of my sister, but I wouldn't make such a claim
without some strong evidence."
Ranma turned to face Katushito, searching for any deceit in the other
man's face. Finding none, he listened in silence as the Shinto priest
continued.
"It's not just one little instance that has led me to believe this. I
have had my suspicions about Sasami ever since she fully merged with
Tsunami."
Ranma interrupted. "Are you saying that Tsunami has taken over Sasami's
mind?" There was almost a hopeful eagerness in his voice.
"No, I don't think that's the case," Katushito remarked, shooting down
Ranma's hopes. "Remember, Tsunami told us that when she and Sasami
fully merge, then they would become one single entity. Sasami, Tsunami-
-both would be the same. There is no reason for Tsunami to have lied to
us."
Katushito then added, "I believe that if our current Sasami loves you,
it's because both the Goddess Tsunami and my sister have harbored these
feelings towards you since before the merger. Perhaps their feelings
were not as strong when the two were still separate personalities, but
now that they have combined, I can only guess that they have blended in
such a way that has made them fall in love with you."
Ranma continued to remain silent, as Katushito began listing off his
reasons for believing this hypothesis.
"As I said before, I don't make such strong claims without equally
convincing evidence. Since the merger between Sasami and Tsunami, I
have noticed a few odd things about their behavior. Nothing
particularly concrete or definitive to make me think that they were in
love with you, but given what you have said this morning, all those
little details I've been noticing are starting to make sense."
"I'm not sure if you had noticed this or not, but I think you and Ryoko
have kept a blind eye to the fact that when Sasami looks at you, she
looks at you the same way Ryoko does. You know... the way that a
schoolgirl might look at a boy whom she has a crush on. But more so
than that."
"What I mean is that it's that schoolgirl crush combined with the look
of a grown woman who is sexually aware and has now set her sights on a
man whom she wants to bed down with and marry. Sometimes I see the
longing in my sister's eye. It's not always there, but when I see her
looking at you and Ryoko, I had thought that maybe my little sister was
just longing to find a man of her own. However, now I realize that she
has already set her sights on a man, it's just that that man--you--is
already taken."
"Ranma? There are a host of other little things that I can go on about
that all point to the same conclusion, but trust me when I say that its
safe to assume that Sasami is in love with you. And if it's not love
per say that she is feelings, it's at the very least a very-very strong
romantic interest in you."
Ranma turned to the man and nodded, still trying to cope with such an
Earth shattering revelation. He still couldn't get past the idea of
"his" little-Sasami as a sexual being, which on top of that, had sexual
designs on him. It seemed almost vulgar to think about it, if at the
very least taboo. However, if what Katushito was saying was true, Ranma
knew that he was going to have to deal with this immediately. He only
hoped that Ryoko would be as understanding about this revelation as he
was.
"Yosho?" Ranma was now using Katushito's formal name. This meant that
he was being absolutely serious in his questioning. "What do you think
I should do about Sasami?"
Yosho nodded and began to pull on the imaginary whiskers on his chin
that he would have had had he actually grown a beard. Looking very sage
like, the crown prince dispensed the only bit of knowledge that he
thought could save his little-sister some heartbreak, while not
completely destroying the happy union of people whom he had come to call
family.
"I think Ranma, that you should marry her--" The rest of Yosho's
sentence was cut off.
Ranma took this advice and internally replied: 'Yeah, that might work,'
he thought sarcastically. 'If Ryoko doesn't shoot my balls off first.'
He then added out loud, "--Old Man, I asked you for advice. Not a death
sentence. Give me something I can work with here."
The "Old Man" merely reiterated his point. "That's correct, you asked
for advice and I'm giving it to you. Now let me finish. I was about to
add that I think you should marry her as well as Ryoko. The three of
you would make a wonderful couple."
Ranma turned to Yosho and looked at him with two narrowed brows. "Do
you really think it's that simple!" he challenged. "Do you honestly
believe that if I married them both, that all our problems would be
solved, that the three of us would go on and live happily ever after? I
mean... no offense, but I don't see how this could possibly work. I
mean... even if Ryoko were to agree, and I highly doubt it, there is the
fact that I myself don't have any sexual or romantic interests in Sasami
at all.
"I mean, it's Sasami!--she's still my little-girl, she's still my
little-Sasami! She is NOT someone whom I'm going to go home to at night
and crawl into bed with to do..." He then threw his arms up in
exasperation. "Shit! I can't even fucking say it. But you get the
picture."
Yosho took Ranma's criticisms in stride. "I hear your complaints, but
listen. First off, sometimes the simplest solutions are the best.
Second, I never did say that all your problems would be solved. I just
meant that if you could marry them both, and get it to work out, the
three of you could potentially make a wonderful life together."
"Third, about Ryoko, aside from the sex, the three of you do nearly
everything else together. You go to the movies together, you do your
shopping together, you spend all your free time together. You guys are
practically a three-way couple already. And since, Ryoko and Sasami
already think of each other as best friends and sisters, I don't think I
could come up with two better people who could make a three-way marriage
work."
"So if it were anyone else besides those two, I would never suggest such
a scheme, but because it's them I do believe it would be possible for
Ryoko to willing go along with a co-marriage or relationship with you
and Sasami. And in turn, Sasami has grown up all her life having two
mothers who've shared the same husband. She would not think it the
least bit abnormal for you to marry her alongside with Ryoko. In fact,
I think she would be rather pleased with such a relationship because she
would have the two people whom she loves the most closest to her."
"And finally, while I can understand your initial apprehension about all
of this, I don't want you to forget that you've been in this situation
before. I still remember when you first came here with Benisato and
Kagero. Do you still remember? If not, let me just refresh your
memory."
"I can still see it in my mind as if it were yesterday, the sight of you
coming up those very steps with two young women in tow. Those two women
I could tell had obvious feelings towards you, but you did not initially
share them. But overtime however, while the three of you came to live
here, neither woman pressed to try to claim you and as a result, the
three of you developed a very strong and loyal friendship that
eventually blossomed into mutual love. And this love in turn bloomed
into marriage where you married both of them, did you not?"
Ranma nodded the last part, beginning to see some of the logic of his
old friend words.
"And did you not love them both, even though at first you didn't?"
Ranma nodded again.
"And while Kagero and Benisato had their initial misgivings about the
arrangement, were they not happy in the end because of it?"
Again, Ranma nodded. Those two had been very happy throughout their
marriage and he had often wondered how two seemingly different people,
who initially met the other as their enemy, could put aside such
differences to ultimately find true friendship and love in the other.
His memory of the two often served as a key reminder of his hope in
mankind, which he used to pull his spirits out of the brink whenever he
had thought all hope was lost. And at the moment, it was a memory that
still burned true to its purpose as Ranma relented under Yosho's brand
of logic.
"Ranma," Yosho said as he pumped the other's shoulder. "I know it's
going to be hard for you to adjust to the idea of Sasami being in love
with you. I know it's going to be hard to think of her as a grown
woman, as a sexual being, but don't forget that it's going to be just as
hard for Ryoko and Sasami."
"If Ryoko agrees to share you, she's going to need your support. She
needs to know that you still love her and don't think any less of her
because she's willing to share you. Likewise, Sasami is going to need
you there for her. She needs to know that you don't hate her."
"I don't know what's exactly going on in Sasami's mind, but I can only
imagine that she's probably feeling a deep sense of guilt and grief over
her actions from this morning. While at the same time, I'm sure she's
probably battling over her feelings towards you. If she's been in love
with you for as long as I suspect, then what happened today was probably
the culmination of six months of pent up jealousy, frustration, and lust
that had no other outlet except to explode as it did."
"Keep all that in mind when you talk to Ryoko and Sasami. And keep in
mind that if you suggest to Ryoko that you should marry both of them,
that Ryoko might not take the news lightly, but she'll do whatever you
ask because she loves you. And because she loves you she'll forgive
you, no matter what decision you make."
In silence, Ranma nodded as he contemplated his choice of options. He
knew that the next time he saw Ryoko or Sasami, he was going to have to
make a decision.
++++++++++
To be continued...
--- End of Chapter ---
Please send C&C to allwhacked@hotmail.com and if you're going to
criticize, please give reasons why. Thanks.
[1] Light Hawk Wings - For those who are new to Tenchi Muyo, just know
that the LHW are basically the ultimate manifestation of Juraian power
and can be used as nearly indestructible energy shields or can convert
energy into matter to form clothes, swords, etc. Anyway, its rumored
that the energy of Jurai is the same energy within Ryoko's jewels and
thus it has been hinted that when Ryoko has all three of her gems she
could potentially conjure up 10 LHW, which only the battleship Tsunami
can do.
[2] Gi - A gi (pronounced gee) is basically the traditional uniforms
worn by Karate, Ju-jitsu, and Aikido students. If you've watched the
Ranma 1/2 anime, it's the clothing that Genma and Ranma wore when they
first when to Jusenkyo.
[3] Hakama - it looks like a divided skirt. In reality, it's more like
long and wide-legged pants that are worn over a gi. If you have watched
samurai movies or the Ruroni Kenshin anime, then it's the divided skirt
thing that Kenshin wears. It's also the pants that Kuno wears, so think
of that.
[4] Boken - it's a long solid wood practice sword. It's the same wooden
stick that kuno uses for Kendo practice.
[5] Wa - Wa is a Japanese word for harmony.
[6] That is the exact same thing my dad used to say to my mom, whenever
my sisters or I didn't come home by curfew. Of course my dad's words
didn't put my mom's mind at ease, but I think he's probably right and
that there is no use worry about something you can't do anything about.
So just wait till the cops call.
Chapter 7: Untitled
By AllWhacked
Send C&C to allwhacked@hotmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/allwhacked/
--- Disclaimer ---
Ranma 1/2 and its characters are the property of Takahashi Rumiko,
Shonen Sunday Comics, Shogakukan, Kitty TV (Japan) and Viz
Communications (USA). The characters of Tenchi Muyo belong to Kajishima
Masaki. The characters of Highlander belong to Davis/Panzer Inc. All
other characters and trademarks to appear are owned by their respective
owners. Note that this work of fiction is for free entertainment
purposes only. No compensation has been or will be received.
Please do not archive this work without the author's permission. Thank
You.
--- Note to Reader ---
This is an alternate universe/divergence fic with the bulk of the story
occurring after the Nanban Mirror episode (anime only). Now Ranma finds
himself stuck 400 plus years in the past with no means of returning
home.
"..." = spoken speech
'...' = thoughts
--- End Note to Reader, Start of Chapter ---
Anger, Jealousy, Betrayal. Those were just a few of the emotions that
ran rampant in Ryoko's mindset as she stared evenly at Princess Sasami.
With her hands draped protectively over Ranma's naked chest, Ryoko felt
her blood begin to boil as she clenched her open palms into tight-balled
fists.
"Ranma," she said in an even tone. "Won't you be a dear and leave the
room for a moment? I need to speak to Sasami alone if you don't mind."
Ranma heard and hesitated--his mind in a temporary state of shock. All
he could focus on now was the sight before him, of Sasami kneeling on
the ground with her hands pressed up against her face, tears streaming
down her cheeks as she shook uncontrollably with each passing sob.
Every labored breath she took and Ranma's heart would sink deeper into
his chest, as Sasami would half-hiccup in an attempt to control her
breathing.
Now his mind began to narrow, pushing all outside thought from his head.
He no longer sensed his surroundings, no longer remembering that just a
few seconds before, Sasami had mysteriously come up and pressed her lips
against his--passionately gripping his head in a lover's embrace as she
poured forth all her heart and emotion into that short lived kiss.
In a detached sense of awareness, Ranma's right hand began to rise-
-aching to reach out and touch her. All he wanted to do now was to hold
her, to hug her in his arms like when she was little, and tell her that
everything was going to be all right. He wanted to say that he
understood that this was all some sort of joke, that he wasn't mad at
her and that all would be forgiven and soon forgotten.
In his mind, all he could think about was comforting her. He didn't
care about what he did or whom he might potentially hurt in the process-
-all that mattered was getting to Sasami and wiping away those tears.
'Oh Sasami, I'm almost there,' he thought. Just a few more inches and
he would be. He was almost to her when suddenly Ryoko caught his arm in
a vice like grip--holding him back as he turned to face her.
There was a pleading look in his eyes as he stared at her. The look
caused Ryoko to shrink back from her earlier resolve to stop him, but
with a saddened look of her own, she steeled herself and shook her head
no.
"Ranma," she began, her voice becoming weak and strained. "Please... I
need you to stop! I need you to leave the room right now!"
Ranma's mind snapped back to attention. He had almost forgotten that
Ryoko was there and felt shamefaced by his earlier actions. With a
downcast look he mumbled his apologies.
"Ryoko," he began. "I'm sor--" He stopped when he saw the look of
understanding in her eyes.
"Don't say another word," Ryoko said as she placed two fingers over his
lips. Her eyes conveyed to him the added message that she understood
his feelings and that she wasn't mad at him. And so with a relieved
sigh, Ranma said his internal thanks and gingerly gripped her delicate
hand into his--gently squeezing it a few times--as he kissed each and
every one of her knuckles. 'Thank the Gods for allowing me to meet such
a kind and forgiving woman.'
"Ryoko," he then said as he let go of her--the words were coarse and
whispered. "Please... please go easy on her," as he passed by Ryoko to
exit.
When he finally left the room, he did so without saying another word and
slid the kitchen door shut. He then proceeded to turn down the hall
towards the bathroom, where he took a quick shower and got dressed for
morning practice--the thought of which helped return some semblance of
regularity to this highly unusual morning.
++++++++++
Listening quietly to Ranma's faint footsteps, Ryoko eased her breathing
as she heard him enter the furo. When she heard the door slide and then
close, she reverted her full attention back to the light-blue haired
woman still sobbing on the kitchen floor.
There was an ounce of sympathy when she saw Sasami again. The pathetic
sight the princess projected almost made Ryoko want to breakdown herself
and cry alongside her. However, the feelings of being hurt and the act
of betrayal still etched themselves deeply across Ryoko's heart and
mind--helping to steel her resolve for what she had to do. But despite
this resolve, Ryoko was still unsure as to "what" or "how" she was going
to do it.
Waiting a minute, listening in a quiet simmering state of anger as
Sasami cried her heart out, Ryoko came to think about what this woman
had done and what she was possibly trying to do. Feelings of jealousy
reemerged, sharpening her sense of loathing--both at herself and towards
Sasami. The longer she looked at this woman, the longer she heard her
cry, the greater Ryoko's overall feelings of anger, hurt, and betrayal
grew.
Now the mere sight of Sasami seemed to pain Ryoko; she felt disgusted
just looking at her. And with this disgust added only more fuel to
Ryoko's growing ire as she now wanted to simply lash out at this woman,
to cave her head in for trying to steal her man--the man whose love she
cherished more than life itself. 'She was trying to steal something
most precious from me--something that I have worked and longed for all
my life. I will not let her or anyone else get away with this.'
All rational thought now left Ryoko. She no longer saw in Sasami the
same little girl whom she had come to love as a sister. 'She's not my
little-Sasami. She's just another conniving bitch trying to take what
doesn't belong.' Reaching deep within herself, she felt her anger
continue to rise with each passing second, the energy in her three gems
responding to their user's desire for vengeance.
And from their positions embedded in Ryoko's wrists and throat, the
energy within these gems blazed into three blinding beams of red light.
Their combined radiating output flared around her in a harsh solid glow,
consuming Ryoko's form as the lacy white negligee she had been wearing
was replaced with a red and black patterned skin-tight body suit--the
same suit she wore whenever she entered battle.
In the wake of the gem's full state of brilliance, the light they
emitted abruptly died down to the faint glow of charcoal embers. In her
changed state, Ryoko called upon even deeper reserves of power. She
strained against the safety barriers once placed upon them by Washu and
called forth the full potential of the goddess's jewels--accessing on a
subconscious level the cosmic energy that had once created and now bound
the universe together; the same cosmic energy that when applied in a
slightly different manner, could easily rip the fabric of space-time
into oblivion.
And it was this destructive potential that Ryoko sought--yearning for
its aid. For she knew that it was only through this way, through the
use of this raw and destructive force, that she could be absolutely sure
that the threat to her love would not come back to reclaim him. And as
she ached with a desperate need to destroy one of the most powerful
beings in the universe, the patron goddess of planet Jurai, Princess
Sasami, the gems responded to the pure unadulterated desire of their
mistress. Thus they began to furiously tap into the realms of subspace,
into greater inter-dimensional wells of power that would aid in
gathering enough energy for Ryoko to finally call forth ten full Light
Hawk Wings[1] that shimmered around her in a translucent halo.
With a labored breath from exertion, Ryoko closed her eyes and felt
tears begin to fall as she made a silent prayer. 'Please forgive me
Ranma. Please forgive me for what I'm about to do. But it's the only
way. I love you."
And with those last words, she gathered all her hate, all her love, all
her feelings of hurt and betrayal to cause the Light Hawk Wings to
change shape and merge--combining together to form an overtly simplistic
blade that mimicked the shimmering-translucence of crystalline metal.
'I'm sorry Ranma. I have to do this. It is the only way I can protect
you, My Love.'
Ryoko took a step forward, bringing her hand down to grip Sasami's head
by the chin--tilting it up to face her. Ryoko wanted Sasami to see her
eye to eye--to look into the face of the woman who would be her
executioner. And as if by silent command, Sasami did as Ryoko wished
and removed her hands to stare blankly at the beautifully horrific sight
of a goddess scorned.
Lifting Sasami's chin just another inch, the kneeling Royal Crown
Princess of Jurai didn't bother to flinch--almost looking relieved--when
Ryoko pulled the blade back, pointed its narrow tip forward and lunged
the blade through Sasami's exposed throat.
++++++++++
Ranma was outside, sitting on the porch of the house as he took a long
drag from a cigarette. The acrid smoke swirled in an even spiral
pattern and dissipated with a slight breeze, as he gazed out across the
valley to eye the sun as it slowly passed over the distant mountainside.
Taking another drag from his cigarette, he rubbed the back of his neck
then began to uneasily adjust the ties of his white gi[2] that was
accessorized with a black colored hakama[3]. With another uneasy puff
from the orange colored filter, Ranma shifted his gaze again to eye the
holy tree of the Masaki shrine. Looking out at the vast lake that
surrounded the Juraian tree-ship, Funaho, he couldn't help but notice
that it stuck out amongst the great expanse of water like a sore
sticking thumb.
Sighing at the picturesque sight before him, Ranma rolled the half
finished cigarette across his knuckles and then stopped when he heard
footsteps approaching.
"Tsk, Tsk, Ranma. You know the rules: no smoking on shrine grounds."
Ranma turned and eyed the elderly looking man. The man appeared to be
in his late-sixties, having a short graying mustache and long hair that
was tied in a simple ponytail that ran down the length of his back-
-nearly reaching his heels. Dressed in a similar attire as Ranma, he
carried two wooden bokens[4] over his right shoulder that clanked
against one another with each passing step. As he came within range, he
grabbed one of the bokens and tossed it towards Ranma, who in turn
caught it one handed--using the other hand to draw his cigarette for one
last puff against his lips.
"You know Yosho. Right now, I don't give a flying-fuck about shrine
rules. And before you go and say it, I know there is no swearing
either."
Yosho, royal crown prince of planet Jurai, next in line to inherit the
Juraian Imperial throne and known on his adopted planet, Earth, by his
alias and profession, Katushito Masaki--the head Shinto shrine priest of
the Masaki shrine--gave Ranma a scrutinizing raised eyebrow.
"I see," he said, taking a seat next to Ranma. "I sense you're
troubled. Is there something I should be made aware of?"
Ranma shrugged and grinded the smoldering butt of the cigarette against
the heel of his bare foot, before placing it in his palm to incinerate
it with a fiery ball of elemental green ki.
"Troubled? I guess you could say that, though I'm not too sure what to
say Yosho. Something happened this morning--something strange. I'm not
even sure that it even happened; it all still seems so surreal--like it
was all a dream. But if what I think happened did happen, well... I
loath to think what Ryoko is doing to Sasami right now."
Yosho listened in understanding, though deciphering Ranma's cryptic
speech proved to raise more questions than answers. Adjusting his
spectacles so that they glinted with the morning's light, "perhaps you
could elaborate a little bit more Ranma. I'm still a little confused.
Did something happen between you and Ryoko, between you two and Sasami?"
Ranma nodded, still staring out with a vacant lost look. "You could say
that," he began with a slight drawl in his voice. "I'm not too sure if
I should say anything more though... this is kind of a private matter,
but still... I suppose this might concern you too. It involves your
sister."
"This morning, I came down stairs to fetch a glass of water and maybe
something to eat, when I heard someone crying in the kitchen. Of course
the sound drew my attention and I peaked my head in to catch sight of
Sasami sitting at the kitchen table with her hands over her face."
"I of course immediately went over to comfort her. When I placed my
hand on her shoulder to let her know that I was there, she batted it
away as if it were on fire. She had this look on her face too. I'm not
too sure how to describe it."
"At first, it looked as if she didn't recognize me--as if I wasn't even
there. But then her gaze soon shifted and she had this almost crazed-
animalistic look in her eye. I'll admit that I was a bit scared when I
saw this. It sort of reminded me of this berserker look that some
fighters get when they know they are going to die, but before they bite
it, their eyes will tell you: 'I have every intention of taking you down
with me.' You know what I mean?"
Yosho gave an affirmative grunt as Ranma went on to continue.
"Well you know that when someone looks at you like that, they usually
mean it. So I immediately backed up and then blanked. It was sort of
one of those rare moments when my mind failed to guide my body.
Everything after that point was being run on pure instinct. It was
either fight or flight, you know? But still, my mind was trying to
regain control and fight my instinct to get the hell out of there. I
mean, it was just Sasami after all. And so in that moment of
hesitation, Sasami rushed up and grabbed me from behind the head and
kissed me on the lips."
"And it wasn't just some sort of peck on the lips either; it was a full
blown, open mouth, tongue probing, wet sloppy kiss. By the time that I
even realized what was happening, I think Sasami had half her mouth down
my throat. When my mind finally regained control of my body, I
immediately pushed her off me and before I even had a chance to say
anything, Ryoko came downstairs and caught us."
"I'm not too sure how much she saw, but I think she knew that it was
Sasami who initiated it. She just came up behind me, asked if Sasami
was only joking around and that's when Sasami broke down in another bout
of tears. I don't quite remember what happened next, but I think Ryoko
told me to leave--that she wanted to talk to Sasami alone. That was
about twenty or thirty minutes ago."
Yosho nodded, as he fought against brotherly instinct while still trying
to be an objective friend for Ranma. He had a vague idea of what had
just happened and why, but just like Ranma, he too was loath on finding
the final outcome. If what he thought about Sasami was true, he knew
that this would indelibly affect the "wa"[5] of the household. The only
question that remained however was whether it proved to be for the
better or for the worst--an answer he simply did not know.
++++++++++
Ryoko heaved with a labored breath, panting with exertion as she tried
desperately to restrain her killer instinct. With the tip of her sword
poised dangerously close to the princess's exposed jugular, the only
reason why the blade was not already impaled through its target was the
look of complacent forgiveness in Sasami's eyes. Instead of seeing fear
or even the vapid stare of one who did not even realize they were about
to die, Ryoko saw forgiveness--forgiveness towards her and the deathblow
she was about to inflict--that shocked Ryoko out of her otherwise
inconsolable rage.
Feeling her anger wilt and bleed away with each passing second, Ryoko's
sense of rational thought returned to her. Immediately, she felt
sickened by her own actions--at the very thought that she would murder
so easily in order to protect her love for a man. Protecting him not
because she feared generally for his safety (though she would kill or
die just the same protecting it), but rather more selfishly, to protect
herself from possibly losing the love of this man. A man who was the
most important thing to her, whose love for her was Ryoko's most
cherished commodity and that it was so valued that when its supply was
threatened, it caused Ryoko to act out in ways that bordered on the line
of temporary insanity.
And so in the wake of regaining control over both her mind and body,
Ryoko found herself in a state of emotional exhaustion as she simply
brought her knees together and sank to the floor. During her descent,
her control over the Light Hawk Wings vanished--causing her sword to
simply dissipate into a multitude of white floating beams of light that
gathered around her, swirled about for a few seconds, and then funneled
themselves hurriedly back into one of the three red colored gems in her
right wrist.
This occurred simultaneously with the de-transformation of her costume.
Instead of the red and black battle suit she had been wearing, it
energized out of existence--starting at her peripheral limbs and working
its way back towards her center--to return to their storage compartments
in the pockets of sub-space. In the suit's place now rested the white
silk negligee that Ryoko had been wearing when she first came down the
stairs.
At this point Ryoko found herself now kneeling on the kitchen floor,
that when she shifted her head up she came eye to eye with Sasami. The
other woman in turn stared back at her with red-pink eyed pupils-
-looking very much like a frightened rabbit. This said to Ryoko that
Sasami wanted to both stay, but if things turned bad, to also flee if
necessary. Sensing her hesitation, Ryoko took the initiative and
grabbed Sasami in a tight embrace--hugging her with such warmth and
empathy that she could no longer imagine herself being angry with this
woman. This was still the case even after the stray thought entered
Ryoko's head that Sasami had been trying to seduce Ranma away from her.
In Ryoko's mind, all this no longer seemed to bother her. She had
somehow gotten over her jealousy, either because she was so tired
emotionally or perhaps still in shock over how close she came to
beheading Sasami, that she no longer paid much heed to the darker
emotions still lurking insider her head. All that mattered now was to
comfort Sasami, to reassure her that she was no longer mad at her, but
that an explanation was definitely in order.
The two remained like this for a whole minute, holding onto one another
until Ryoko felt the dampness of Sasami's tears soak through the thin
coverings of her silk teddy. It then occurred to Ryoko that perhaps
they could carry on the rest of their discussion back inside the women's
furo where they can first take a break, clean up, and perhaps regain a
fresh outlook on things.
Disengaging herself from their embrace, Ryoko broke the silence.
"Sasami?" Ryoko said quietly, trying to sound neither angry nor
particularly happy with the other woman. "I haven't said this yet, but
I want you to know that neither Ranma nor I are angry at you."
Sasami merely answered with a silent look that looked skeptically
frightened and begged that if Ryoko's statement were true, to please
reconfirm this. And since this seemed important for Sasami to hear,
Ryoko was more than willing to oblige.
Putting a reassuring hand on top of Sasami's, Ryoko nodded her head.
"Yes," Ryoko began again. "I'm not mad at you. Neither is Ranma. I
was mad at you before, but... I'm over it." The last part sounded a
little forced.
Giving a generally relieved sigh, Sasami responded with an outburst of
emotion. "Thank you!" Sasami said, now gripping onto Ryoko's hand. She
held the hand up, kissed it, and thanked Ryoko again. "Thank you! I'm
so sorry for what I did. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," she said in a
hurried rush. "You don't know how much this means to me. I can't
imagine what would happen if you said you hated me. I don't think I
could go on living."
A crack of a smile returned to Sasami's lips. "And Ranma," she said
eagerly. "You said that Ranma's not mad either? Is that true, is he
not mad?"
Ryoko nodded, adding: "He's less mad about this than I am. I don't
think he even realized you kissed him. I on the other hand... Well, I'm
still angry and hurt, but I don't hate you, Sasami. I just want to know
why you did it."
Sasami's earlier mirth wilted when she heard Ryoko admit that Sasami's
actions had hurt her.
'Of course she's hurt, you idiot!' Sasami internally rebuked. She cast
her head back down in shame; however, Ryoko gently placed a hand under
her chin and forced the princess to look her up in the eye.
"Sasami," Ryoko began, her voice raised and agitated. "I don't mean to
ruin your mood, but I still want you to understand that what you did
hurt and I want you to know that. But I also want you to know that I
don't hate you either... that I'm sorry for almost killing you and that-
-"
Sasami broke her off. "Don't be sorry," Sasami began regaining some of
her composure. "I deserve to die. What I did can't be forgiven; I'm a
bad and evil person. You have every right to want to kill me."
Ryoko heard this and narrowed her brow. "No, I don't have any right to
kill you and you surely don't deserve to die. What you did--it wasn't
evil I don't think."
Sasami looked unconvinced, but Ryoko continued. "Tell me Sasami... tell
me first why you did it?"
Sasami looked back down and towards her hands, looking at them as if
they held the answer. Slowly, then hesitantly, she began to answer.
"I.. I don't know," she said.
Ryoko looked on and simply snorted her disapproval. "You lie," she said
simply. "Don't give me this 'I don't know' bullshit. You know fully
well why you did it--I can see it in your eyes. Now tell me the truth!"
Sasami looked back up and hesitated, but still gave the same answer.
"I.. I don't know."
"Oh is that so?" Ryoko inquired. "Then tell me why you had to kiss
Ranma! Why did it have to be him?"
Sasami looked stunned. "I don't know," she answered again.
Ryoko's voice was getting angry and she could feel the ire in her
returning. "Sasami, stop fucking lying to me! Tell me why you kissed
Ranma. Tell me why you kissed HIM. Why did it have to be HIM? Now
tell me!"
"I.. I don't--"
*SLAP!*
Sasami felt the sting of Ryoko's open palm as she stared at the furious
yellow eyes looking straight at her.
"I told you to stop fucking lying to me," hissed Ryoko. "Now I'm going
to ask you one more time: 'Why did you kiss Ranma?' If I hear anything
more from your mouth, outside that of the truth, I swear to all that I
hold dear that I will hate you for the rest of my life. And I don't
think I need to remind you how much Ranma hates liars too."
Sasami felt a great pressure weigh itself down against her chest as she
fought against conscious thought and instinct. Part of her wanted to
tell the truth, to say that she loved Ranma with all her heart, but the
other part wanted to protect Ryoko. She couldn't imagine what such an
admission would do to her and how all this would effect Ryoko's
relationship with Ranma. It would be better if she just lied again and
risk Ryoko hating her for life--she couldn't live with herself otherwise
if Ranma somehow got wind of this and broke up with Ryoko in order to
appease Sasami. Or worst yet she thought, he would hear about her
admission and reject her love outright.
But even if Ranma didn't love her, like she loved him, Sasami knew that
she had always been his favorite. Ranma had always pampered her like a
daughter, loved and cared for her like a sister, and left an impression
on Sasami at a very young age, that Ranma was everything she could ever
want in a man. So it was little wonder that she had fallen head over
heals in love with him. And it was also little wonder that the mere
thought of him hating her now caused Sasami's resolve to crumble.
Feeling the heartache of Ranma's hatred towards her far outweighing the
possible burden of ruining Ranma and Ryoko's relationship, Sasami made
the decision to unleash the torrent of hidden feelings and emotions that
she had kept locked away for the past six months--doing so with the
utterance of one single sentence.
"I kissed Ranma because I love him Ryoko, because I love him and I can't
stop thinking about him."
Moisture had returned to Sasami's eyes as she gave Ryoko a furious
glare.
"Are you happy now? Do you like what you hear? I said: I LOVE HIM. I
L-O-V-E HIM. I love him so much that I'm beginning to hate you for it,
did you know that? You said that you don't hate me, but I hate you!"
"I hate you Ryoko! I hate everything about you. I hate the fact that
you have him and I don't. I hate the fact that every time I see you
together I just want to claw your eyes out. I hate it! I hate it so
much that I have these feelings and I can't do anything about them."
"Every morning I wake up dreaming about him. In the afternoon all I do
is think about is him. And in the evening, the only way I can get to
sleep at night is to fantasize about him. If you hadn't come in just
when you did, I would have torn off those skimpy little boxers of his
and made love to him right here on the kitchen floor. I would have MADE
him make love to me. I don't know how, but I would have. And I would
do things to his body that I doubt even you would ever dream of."
"So Ryoko, do you still think I don't deserve to die? Do you still
think I should have told you the truth? Does this make you feel better
knowing that I would rape your fiancé if given half a chance?"
By now Sasami was panting, her voice almost out of breath. Whether
Ryoko felt better for knowing about this was still unknown, however
Sasami hadn't felt this good for a very long time. Now having said all
these things that she had been forced to keep secret for oh so long, the
liberating experience proved to be the perfect cathartic release for the
princess. This elation she felt lasted just up to the point when she
realized all the mean things she had just said.
Gasping, "Oh Ryoko! I'm so sorry. I.. I didn't really mean what I
just-- I.. I.." Sasami started to get up, but Ryoko stopped her,
gripping her by the arm and pulling her back down.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Ryoko asked.
Sasami didn't bother hesitating. "I'm going to go pack and get out of
here. I'm going to go somewhere, far away from here, where you and
Ranma won't be bothered by me ever again. I'm sorry Ryoko... I'm sorry
for what I said. Just promise me that you won't tell Ranma about this.
Don't tell Ranma that I.. that I love him."
By now Sasami was trying her best to struggle out of Ryoko's iron strong
grip, kicking and squirming her best in order to break free. However,
the cyan haired woman would have none of that and increased her hold on
Sasami by using her other hand to pull the princess into another tight
embrace--holding the woman's back up against her chest, while Sasami
kicked and thrashed and threw out curses in an attempt to escape.
"Ryoko, let go of me you bitch! Let go of me, I hate you! I hate you,
I hate you, I hate you!"
Sasami's tirade went on like this for another half a minute, stopping
only after the princess grew tired and resigned herself to the fact that
Ryoko was physically stronger than her. Panting, she began to weep and
Ryoko moved her hand to cradle Sasami's head to her breast--rocking her
in her lap like a babe.
"Ryoko... I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," Sasami said.
Ryoko just shushed her and kissed her forehead. "I know you are and I
forgive you."
Sasami cried some more but added: "But I said I hate you. I said all
those mean things. I promised I would take Ranma away from you. How
can you forgive me?"
Ryoko was quiet for a few seconds before answering. "I can forgive
because first of all I love you. And I will love you unconditionally no
matter what you say or do. Second, I understand your pain. I know that
if our situations were reversed, I would hate you too."
"But what you're feeling is not hate, it's jealousy," Ryoko added. "I
know you love Ranma and I also know what the power of love can make you
do." A distant smile appeared on her face as a long ago memory came to
pass. "You might not remember this, but twenty years ago, I did a lot
of stupid things because of love--because of my jealousy."
Sasami sat there, trying to picture an image of Ryoko being as mean and
as vindictively spiteful as she had been to her. She couldn't fathom
the idea, but she took comfort in Ryoko's words nonetheless. As the two
sat there for a while, holding on to one another as they rocked in
rhythm with the constant ticking of the kitchen's clock, Sasami finally
murmured a query.
"What's going to happen now?"
Ryoko looked down and frowned. "I don't know for sure... not until 'we'
talk to Ranma." She added an emphasis on the "we" part and then paused
before adding, "but I don't think you'll be needing to leave anytime
soon. Ranma and I still love you. We'll work through this, I'm sure of
it." She gave Sasami a comforting hug.
"Now before we go talk to him, I think we should head to the furo and
clean ourselves up. We can talk some more in there."
Sasami listened and then turned to face Ryoko. She gave a weak smile
and nodded her acceptance.
++++++++++
Swing, block, duck, parry, dodge, attack, and counter attack were just
some of the martial art moves put into play as Katushito and Ranma
carried out their morning training routine. As the two fought against
imaginary opponents in this elaborately orchestrated sword kata, the
former followed the latter in copying the complex moves employed by the
Anything Goes School Grandmaster.
The two men flowed together in perfect unison, dancing a deadly ballet
that employed sword strikes, punches and kicks. While the two men
blurred from one strike to another, they ended their kata by stopping at
their points of origin. Ceasing all action after they carried out the
last finishing move, then both gave respectful bows before turning to
face one another.
Breathing hard, with perspiration on his faces, Katushito thanked Ranma
for leading today's practice.
"That was a good one. I haven't practiced that form in a while."
Ranma grinned as the two approached a wooden bench. They each took a
seat as they toweled themselves off, while taking comfort in the cool
morning breeze.
"So, where's that lazy boy of yours?" Ranma remarked once the two had
rested.
"Don't know. Tenchi wasn't in his room this morning and I didn't see
him at home last night. Ukyo was pretty disappointed when he didn't
show."
Ranma snorted. "He's probably goofing off with some friends." He took
pause after he said this. "Hmmm, I'm surprised though. Ukyo and Tenchi
have been getting pretty close lately and that mother of his usually
keeps him on a short enough leash."
Katushito gave a hearty laugh. "I had a talk with Ayeka just the other
day about that. I told her: 'The boy needs to learn to be on his own.
You can't keep pampering him as if he's still you're little-boy. He's
almost a man now and if he's going to be emperor one day, then you're
simply going to have to let him go so he can grow up.'"
Ranma gave his own laugh when he heard this. "I bet she didn't take
that very well."
"You can say that again. I got an ear full, but I think I made my
point. She let Tenchi stay home, while we went to the intergalactic
convention. But last night she was nearly frantic when she didn't hear
from him. But I took some of your advice and told her: 'Tenchi is a
smart boy and he knows how to stay out of trouble. If anything bad
happens the cops will call.'[6] Of course that didn't put her mind at
ease, but I found 'other ways' to keep her quiet until we fell asleep."
Ranma simply raised a perturbed eyebrow at the old man's lecherous
smile.
"You really like gloating about fucking your own sister don't you, Old
Man?"
Katushito simply shrugged. "It's not every day that a man can say he
likes 'sticking it' to his own sister without being labeled a social
outcast."
Ranma nodded at the truth of the statement. "I suppose that's true--'If
you're not from butt-fuck Japan'--but speaking about one of your
sisters," he continued. "You didn't tell me what you thought about
Sasami's actions from this morning. What do you think that was all
about?"
Katushito lost his smile when he answered. "I had hoped you would
forget about asking me that," he sighed. "I'm not totally sure what
Sasami was thinking when she kissed you, but if I were to take an
educated guess, I would think that she was in love with you."
"You're shitting me, right?"
The older man shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I believe that Sasami
has developed strong feelings for you and that this morning she acted
out on them."
Ranma let the bottle in his hand slip from his grip and fall to the
ground, spilling its liquid content, while his mind went into shock for
the second time that day.
"That's not possible," Ranma remarked.
Katushito put a hand on his friend's shoulder and shook his head. "What
you say and what might be are two different things. I might be wrong
about my assessment of my sister, but I wouldn't make such a claim
without some strong evidence."
Ranma turned to face Katushito, searching for any deceit in the other
man's face. Finding none, he listened in silence as the Shinto priest
continued.
"It's not just one little instance that has led me to believe this. I
have had my suspicions about Sasami ever since she fully merged with
Tsunami."
Ranma interrupted. "Are you saying that Tsunami has taken over Sasami's
mind?" There was almost a hopeful eagerness in his voice.
"No, I don't think that's the case," Katushito remarked, shooting down
Ranma's hopes. "Remember, Tsunami told us that when she and Sasami
fully merge, then they would become one single entity. Sasami, Tsunami-
-both would be the same. There is no reason for Tsunami to have lied to
us."
Katushito then added, "I believe that if our current Sasami loves you,
it's because both the Goddess Tsunami and my sister have harbored these
feelings towards you since before the merger. Perhaps their feelings
were not as strong when the two were still separate personalities, but
now that they have combined, I can only guess that they have blended in
such a way that has made them fall in love with you."
Ranma continued to remain silent, as Katushito began listing off his
reasons for believing this hypothesis.
"As I said before, I don't make such strong claims without equally
convincing evidence. Since the merger between Sasami and Tsunami, I
have noticed a few odd things about their behavior. Nothing
particularly concrete or definitive to make me think that they were in
love with you, but given what you have said this morning, all those
little details I've been noticing are starting to make sense."
"I'm not sure if you had noticed this or not, but I think you and Ryoko
have kept a blind eye to the fact that when Sasami looks at you, she
looks at you the same way Ryoko does. You know... the way that a
schoolgirl might look at a boy whom she has a crush on. But more so
than that."
"What I mean is that it's that schoolgirl crush combined with the look
of a grown woman who is sexually aware and has now set her sights on a
man whom she wants to bed down with and marry. Sometimes I see the
longing in my sister's eye. It's not always there, but when I see her
looking at you and Ryoko, I had thought that maybe my little sister was
just longing to find a man of her own. However, now I realize that she
has already set her sights on a man, it's just that that man--you--is
already taken."
"Ranma? There are a host of other little things that I can go on about
that all point to the same conclusion, but trust me when I say that its
safe to assume that Sasami is in love with you. And if it's not love
per say that she is feelings, it's at the very least a very-very strong
romantic interest in you."
Ranma turned to the man and nodded, still trying to cope with such an
Earth shattering revelation. He still couldn't get past the idea of
"his" little-Sasami as a sexual being, which on top of that, had sexual
designs on him. It seemed almost vulgar to think about it, if at the
very least taboo. However, if what Katushito was saying was true, Ranma
knew that he was going to have to deal with this immediately. He only
hoped that Ryoko would be as understanding about this revelation as he
was.
"Yosho?" Ranma was now using Katushito's formal name. This meant that
he was being absolutely serious in his questioning. "What do you think
I should do about Sasami?"
Yosho nodded and began to pull on the imaginary whiskers on his chin
that he would have had had he actually grown a beard. Looking very sage
like, the crown prince dispensed the only bit of knowledge that he
thought could save his little-sister some heartbreak, while not
completely destroying the happy union of people whom he had come to call
family.
"I think Ranma, that you should marry her--" The rest of Yosho's
sentence was cut off.
Ranma took this advice and internally replied: 'Yeah, that might work,'
he thought sarcastically. 'If Ryoko doesn't shoot my balls off first.'
He then added out loud, "--Old Man, I asked you for advice. Not a death
sentence. Give me something I can work with here."
The "Old Man" merely reiterated his point. "That's correct, you asked
for advice and I'm giving it to you. Now let me finish. I was about to
add that I think you should marry her as well as Ryoko. The three of
you would make a wonderful couple."
Ranma turned to Yosho and looked at him with two narrowed brows. "Do
you really think it's that simple!" he challenged. "Do you honestly
believe that if I married them both, that all our problems would be
solved, that the three of us would go on and live happily ever after? I
mean... no offense, but I don't see how this could possibly work. I
mean... even if Ryoko were to agree, and I highly doubt it, there is the
fact that I myself don't have any sexual or romantic interests in Sasami
at all.
"I mean, it's Sasami!--she's still my little-girl, she's still my
little-Sasami! She is NOT someone whom I'm going to go home to at night
and crawl into bed with to do..." He then threw his arms up in
exasperation. "Shit! I can't even fucking say it. But you get the
picture."
Yosho took Ranma's criticisms in stride. "I hear your complaints, but
listen. First off, sometimes the simplest solutions are the best.
Second, I never did say that all your problems would be solved. I just
meant that if you could marry them both, and get it to work out, the
three of you could potentially make a wonderful life together."
"Third, about Ryoko, aside from the sex, the three of you do nearly
everything else together. You go to the movies together, you do your
shopping together, you spend all your free time together. You guys are
practically a three-way couple already. And since, Ryoko and Sasami
already think of each other as best friends and sisters, I don't think I
could come up with two better people who could make a three-way marriage
work."
"So if it were anyone else besides those two, I would never suggest such
a scheme, but because it's them I do believe it would be possible for
Ryoko to willing go along with a co-marriage or relationship with you
and Sasami. And in turn, Sasami has grown up all her life having two
mothers who've shared the same husband. She would not think it the
least bit abnormal for you to marry her alongside with Ryoko. In fact,
I think she would be rather pleased with such a relationship because she
would have the two people whom she loves the most closest to her."
"And finally, while I can understand your initial apprehension about all
of this, I don't want you to forget that you've been in this situation
before. I still remember when you first came here with Benisato and
Kagero. Do you still remember? If not, let me just refresh your
memory."
"I can still see it in my mind as if it were yesterday, the sight of you
coming up those very steps with two young women in tow. Those two women
I could tell had obvious feelings towards you, but you did not initially
share them. But overtime however, while the three of you came to live
here, neither woman pressed to try to claim you and as a result, the
three of you developed a very strong and loyal friendship that
eventually blossomed into mutual love. And this love in turn bloomed
into marriage where you married both of them, did you not?"
Ranma nodded the last part, beginning to see some of the logic of his
old friend words.
"And did you not love them both, even though at first you didn't?"
Ranma nodded again.
"And while Kagero and Benisato had their initial misgivings about the
arrangement, were they not happy in the end because of it?"
Again, Ranma nodded. Those two had been very happy throughout their
marriage and he had often wondered how two seemingly different people,
who initially met the other as their enemy, could put aside such
differences to ultimately find true friendship and love in the other.
His memory of the two often served as a key reminder of his hope in
mankind, which he used to pull his spirits out of the brink whenever he
had thought all hope was lost. And at the moment, it was a memory that
still burned true to its purpose as Ranma relented under Yosho's brand
of logic.
"Ranma," Yosho said as he pumped the other's shoulder. "I know it's
going to be hard for you to adjust to the idea of Sasami being in love
with you. I know it's going to be hard to think of her as a grown
woman, as a sexual being, but don't forget that it's going to be just as
hard for Ryoko and Sasami."
"If Ryoko agrees to share you, she's going to need your support. She
needs to know that you still love her and don't think any less of her
because she's willing to share you. Likewise, Sasami is going to need
you there for her. She needs to know that you don't hate her."
"I don't know what's exactly going on in Sasami's mind, but I can only
imagine that she's probably feeling a deep sense of guilt and grief over
her actions from this morning. While at the same time, I'm sure she's
probably battling over her feelings towards you. If she's been in love
with you for as long as I suspect, then what happened today was probably
the culmination of six months of pent up jealousy, frustration, and lust
that had no other outlet except to explode as it did."
"Keep all that in mind when you talk to Ryoko and Sasami. And keep in
mind that if you suggest to Ryoko that you should marry both of them,
that Ryoko might not take the news lightly, but she'll do whatever you
ask because she loves you. And because she loves you she'll forgive
you, no matter what decision you make."
In silence, Ranma nodded as he contemplated his choice of options. He
knew that the next time he saw Ryoko or Sasami, he was going to have to
make a decision.
++++++++++
To be continued...
--- End of Chapter ---
Please send C&C to allwhacked@hotmail.com and if you're going to
criticize, please give reasons why. Thanks.
[1] Light Hawk Wings - For those who are new to Tenchi Muyo, just know
that the LHW are basically the ultimate manifestation of Juraian power
and can be used as nearly indestructible energy shields or can convert
energy into matter to form clothes, swords, etc. Anyway, its rumored
that the energy of Jurai is the same energy within Ryoko's jewels and
thus it has been hinted that when Ryoko has all three of her gems she
could potentially conjure up 10 LHW, which only the battleship Tsunami
can do.
[2] Gi - A gi (pronounced gee) is basically the traditional uniforms
worn by Karate, Ju-jitsu, and Aikido students. If you've watched the
Ranma 1/2 anime, it's the clothing that Genma and Ranma wore when they
first when to Jusenkyo.
[3] Hakama - it looks like a divided skirt. In reality, it's more like
long and wide-legged pants that are worn over a gi. If you have watched
samurai movies or the Ruroni Kenshin anime, then it's the divided skirt
thing that Kenshin wears. It's also the pants that Kuno wears, so think
of that.
[4] Boken - it's a long solid wood practice sword. It's the same wooden
stick that kuno uses for Kendo practice.
[5] Wa - Wa is a Japanese word for harmony.
[6] That is the exact same thing my dad used to say to my mom, whenever
my sisters or I didn't come home by curfew. Of course my dad's words
didn't put my mom's mind at ease, but I think he's probably right and
that there is no use worry about something you can't do anything about.
So just wait till the cops call.