Full Ranma Panic
By Lisa Grey
Chapter 6: Clouds on the Horizon
"Gentlemen, we have a serious problem," a shadowed figure said from the foot of a long conference table around which were seated eleven other equally shadowed figure.
"You have a great talent for understatement, Number 12," a shadowed figure said. "We've lost a production facility and a great number of our newest Arm Slaves. Do we know who hit us?"
"Yes," Number 12 said. "One of our operatives managed to bring back video data from the debacle. It's very disturbing. It seems Mithril has a new AS model and a pair of incredibly talented pilots. Observe, Gentlemen."
High backed chairs swiveled around as a large screen flared to life in the wall. The scene initially depicted a group of familiar M-9's being driven back into a box canyon by the production facilities defenders. It showed as one of their Codarls tore into them only to be engaged and destroyed by Mithril's Lambda Driver equipped AS. Despite this loss, the defending forces soon had the Mithril unit pinned down with heavy fire.
Then two of their AS's inexplicably exploded, followed by two more. The scene shakily panned around to show a ridge line. The view zoomed in to reveal two unknown Arm Slaves. The image was too far to make out much detail, but as the gathered figures at the table watched twin contrails stabbed out from the mecha, followed by one launching several missiles. The view panned again and showed the defenders taking a heavy pounding by the impossibly accurate artillery and missile fire. The group watched the battle unfold and made gasps of amazement. It culminated in one of the new AS's taking on 10 of the new Jihad type AS's at once, while the other Mithril units watched as if it were an outsized pit fight. When it not only destroyed them but never seemed to be hit, there were several gasps of 'impossible'.
"What the hell were those things?" one of the group asked as the screen flickered off.
"We don't know," Number 12 said. "It would appear that Mithril has made some sort of break though with Black Technology. Our experts believe that they built those new AS's specifically to be piloted by Whispered pilots, based on the level of control the pilots seemed to have over the Lambda Drivers. As you saw, they are devastatingly effective. Three Codarls supported by four Jihad units were sent after them and were destroyed. However, it seems that while nothing we have can match them, they aren't all-powerful. If you noticed, our forces did manage to damage one of them."
"This is not good," one of the other figures commented. "What are we going to do?"
The group discussed the problem for several minutes. It was finally decided that the would keep an eye out for these AS's and after gathering further intel on them, an overwhelming force of Codarls would be sent to draw them out and destroy them and their pilots. It would be costly in the extreme to build enough of the Codarls to do it, but in the long run it would be more costly if the units were allowed to run rampant. If the pilots could be identified, it was agreed that assassination attempts would be made.
OOOOOOO
"What's the trouble, Bubble?" Kaname climbed into the subdued Ranma's lap and began to nuzzle the pigtailed young lieutenant's neck. He signed and wrapped his arms around her tightly, relishing the warmth of the teal haired woman's love.
"Does it bother you that we killed some of those people?" Ranma asked.
"Yeah, it does," Kaname said softly, "but you know what would have bothered me more? It would have bothered me more if they had killed you, or our friends, or innocent people, had we not been there to stop them. These are bad people, Love. You haven't been through some of the things I have with Mithril. The people Mithril fights are killers. They're without remorse, ruthlessly killing anyone who disagrees with them. Somebody has to stand against them, Love. You and I, we have that responsibility. Not just because we are gifted with skills that others don't have, but because of the very reason you are questioning yourself now. You, I, almost everyone at Mithril, we care, Love. We care about people. I don't think any of us likes what we do. We don't get up in the morning and think, 'gosh, I'm really looking forward to killing a few people today.' The people we fight do. It's our job, our responsibility, to stand against those kinds of people."
Ranma held Kaname closely and nuzzled her hair as he though about what she said. He'd been forced to choose between the life of an innocent and the life of someone who wanted to kill the innocent before with Saffron. The choice didn't sit well with him then and it wasn't any easier now. Still, he knew when he joined that in combat he would be forced to make such choices. When the time came, he'd found it easy not to think about the fact that there was a living being in the AS's he'd taken down. While he hadn't intentionally aimed at the pilot at any time, there were instances where he had used indiscriminate attacks like the anti-armor missiles and his Moko Takabisha. There were also times when his target had shifted and cause his shot to strike death blows where before they had been only disabling. Now that the action was over, he could vividly remember those shots and he felt regret for those lives snuffed out. Still, Kaname was right. It was the path of the warrior to sacrifice a small amount of their humanity for the good of others. Ranma knew he would continue to follow the path he'd been charged with, that of the warrior, but he vowed he would make sure he didn't sacrifice too much of his soul.
"I love you, Kaname," Ranma said to the girl cuddled in his lap. She looked up and smiled gently at him.
"I love you too, Ranma," she whispered against his lips,
The pair kissed, softly at first then with more urgency as their hands began to roam over the other's form.
OOOOOOO
After a couple hours of 'making it count' later, Ranma stood up from the bed and stretched languidly. Kaname watched from where she lay with a rumpled sheet casually covering her.
"Leaving so soon?" the teal hair temptress pouted adorably.
"Insatiable," Ranma laughed. "Come on, get up, Dearest. It's time for training."
"Hai, Sensei," she said, clearly having a different sort of activity in mind than Ranma did. Sighing, she got up and moved across the room in a slow sultry strut, knowing his eyes would be glued to her naked form.
"Erk," Ranma said at the brazen display.
"You're sure you want to train right now?" she said, letting her hand trail down her curvy torso while shooting him a smoky look.
"Erk," he repeated, then shook himself free of the spell. "Sweetie, we gotta train. As much as I'd love to say right here in this bed with you forever, duty calls."
Kaname giggled. "Honey, you are so fun to tease," she said happily.
The two got cleaned up and dressed before making their way to the hanger deck where they trained each day. Entering the bay, they had a surprise waiting for them. Urz was there waiting for them, dressed in sweats.
"What's up?" Ranma asked the assembled AS pilots.
"After seeing you in action and how your martial arts worked with your AS piloting, we wanted to ask you if you could train us," Melissa replied hopefully.
"You all realize that the only reason Kaname and I can do what we do is because of our ability to bond with the Seraph, right?" Ranma asked.
"We are aware of that, Lieutenant," Sousuke said dryly. "I believe I could benefit from your training when using Arbalest's Lambda Driver while the others could benefit from the increases in their speed and control training with you would achieve. We could also all use the skills in hand to hand combat you could teach us."
"Hmmm," Ranma said thoughtfully. "Well, I can't teach the Anything Goes School since I left it. However, lucky for you guys, the Anything Goes School is pretty much a joke. It's more like a style that steals from many other styles with very few proprietary moves of its own. I have high rankings in many styles myself like, Kenpo, Jeet Kune Do, Jujitsu armed and unarmed, Judo, Akido, Tai Chi Chuan, Shaolin Kung Fu, and Karate. I guess I can teach you those and to merge them if you what, but here's the thing, if you want me to train you than I expect dedication. I'll be hard on you and at times, and it's gonna hurt. It's really gonna hurt if I don't think you're trying hard enough. If you still want to do it then I guess I'll set something up."
OOOOOOO
"At ease, Lieutenant," Tessa said cheerfully. "Please have a seat. Would you like some tea?" Ranma smiled at the silver haired young woman and sat down next to Lt. Cmdr Kalinin.
"Madam Captain, Lt. Commander," Ranma greeted as he sat and declined the offer of tea. "What did you need to see me about?"
"Lieutenant, after the last battle, we've been able to convince Command to allow us to restructure the SRT," Kalinin said. "You are to become the CO of the AS group aboard the De Danaan, under me as the over all commander. Your unit will still be independent from Urz which will still be under the command of Sgt. Maj. Mao. However, we intend to reinforce the unit with new Arbalest model AS's. Given the you are our expert in non-Whispered use of the Lambda Driver, we would like your assessment on who we should put in these machines."
"Well, I can tell you, as of now, only Sgt. Maj. Mao and Sgt. Webber have the focus needed," Ranma said thoughtfully. "The entire Urz team came to me for training in the art. Depending on how well they respond, I could begin working on teaching them techniques to better their focus. I really couldn't say how effective it will be. Not everyone can achieve the proper state of mind to progress passed a certain point in the art. That also seems to carry over into the Lambda Driver. From what I've come up with since being brought in on the Seraph Project, you have to be one in body and mind to use the Lambda Driver. It's the same with the art. As you know, there is only a hand full of people around the world that can do what I do. I used to think that anyone could achieve the ability to manipulate their ki as I have, but more and more I'm coming to believe that those scientists are right. It is a gift like that of the Whispered. However, there are people that have the talent to become great in the art while not having ki abilities. Well, that's not necessarily true. Those people do use their ki, but not on a conscious level and not in the amounts that I or people like me do. Right now, Sgt. Sagara has that ability. Sgt. Maj. Mao and Sgt. Webber are right there. With a few focusing techniques and practice they could reach Sousuke's level very quickly."
"We will be getting three more Arbalest models when we get back to base to refit, Lieutenant," Tessa said. "I would like you to start preparing Miss Mao, Mr. Webber, and one other that you feel has the potential. They will be the new pilots."
"Roger," Ranma grinned.
"Here's how the new structure will work, Lieutenant," Kalinin said. "The four Arbalests will form the central company for the SRT. The remaining M-9's will operate in support of that company. Command still wants Angel held back to keep the extent of the Seraph's abilities under wraps. We have been directed to deploy Angel as fire support only, unless the Arbalests run into something they can't handle. I'm sorry, Lieutenant, but at least you will be seeing more action than before and we have a freer hand to utilize you and Lieutenant Chidori."
"I understand, Sir," Ranma sighed. He didn't like having to sit back out of harms way, but he had to admit that the Seraphs were well suited to provide accurate long range fire support.
OOOOOOO
"Three days until we get back, Kaname," the silver haired young woman grinned. "The only a week until the big day. Are you excited?" Kaname smiled brightly as she, Tessa and Melissa made their way through the streets of the Okinawa shopping district.
"You know I am," Kaname giggled. "I'm so happy I want to shout it to the world. I'M MARRYING MY RANMA IN A WEEK!" Unnoticed to the trio, one of the other occupants of the street looked up and narrowed her eyes, deciding that this group needed to be followed.
"So what's our pigtailed lieutenant doing that he let his other half out of his sight for shore leave, hmm?" Melissa asked teasingly. "I think this is the first time I've seen the two of you apart in a long time."
"I know," Kaname said. "He and the other guys stayed behind to work on Corporal Dominguez's focus training. I miss him so much and it's only been a couple of hours. It's amazing how I can spend almost every hour for the past year and a half with him and not feel crowded by him. That's love I guess!" Kaname's eyes widened and she gasped. "Sore Ga Ai Deshou! That's the perfect theme song for our wedding! I definitely find the answer I'm looking for when I look in those clear ocean blue eyes and that breath taking smile of his!" Kaname's companions giggled at the happy girl.
"You've got it bad, Kaname," Melissa laughed.
"Why, Melissa, are you jealous?" Kaname teased.
"You know, I think I just might be," the dark haired woman grinned. "Feel like sharing?"
"Hey! Get your own!" Kaname mock-growled. "There's always Sgt. Webber. He's kinda cute."
"Ha! That playboy?" Melissa dismissed. "Besides, for all that he acts like he's on the prowl his heart still belongs to his poor comatose girlfriend back home. I won't play second fiddle to a girl in a coma."
"Don't worry, Melissa, maybe you can hook up with one of Ranma's friends when they come to Chofu for our wedding," Kaname suggested.
"Yeah, right," Melissa snorted. "You forget who had him under surveillance in Nerima before we recruited him from there. He didn't have any friends, only psychotic women that wanted to own him and their psychotic boyfriends that wanted to kill him because their stupid tramps wanted him." The three companions heard a something shatter behind them but when the looked around they didn't see anything. Shrugging they moved on.
"Well, there's always Shinji," Kaname smirked. "I bet he'd just love to play with your 'AS'."
"The JSDF officer's military trivia nut son?" Melissa laughed. "That'd be like robbing the cradle. Besides, I doubt he'd know what to do with my 'AS' if I let him play with it."
"You might be surprised, Melissa," Kaname teased. "It has been a couple of years, he might have hit a growth spurt. And all you'd have to do is let him touch 'it' and he worship you till his dying day. I bet you wouldn't even need to give him a mission briefing." Kaname laughed while Melissa rolled her eyes. "What about it, Tessa, has Sousuke 'secured the objective' yet?" The silver haired girl blushed.
"I...um...well..." Tessa stammered.
"You mean he hasn't?" Kaname asked incredulously.
"Well...not exactly," the girl admitted.
"Not exactly?" Kaname asked with half lidded eyes.
"Well, you see, I was all set for him to...um...'press forward to the final objective'," the petite girl sad sadly. "I was laid out on the couched, dressed for the occasion when he came in. He took one look at me and his nose exploded in a fountain of blood and he passed out. It was embarrassing. For the rest of the week he couldn't look at me without getting a blank look in his eyes and a trickle of blood from his nose." Kaname and Melissa developed a large sweat drop on the back of their heads.
"Sheesh, I guess I really was lucky with Ranma," Kaname said. "With his girl form, he's kind of immune to blowing a blood vessel at the site of a female body. And his ability to see my aura makes him a great lover. I asked after we first made love how he'd gotten so good if it was his first time and he told me that when he touched the right spot, my aura lit up like a fireworks display. He's incredible in bed."
The women heard another crash from behind them. The looked around and saw a fist sized hole in the wall of a shop a short way down but didn't see anything. They looked at each other and shrugged before walking on. Tessa sighed.
"Don't worry, Kiddo," Melissa said reassuringly. "I'm sure Sousuke will come around."
"Yeah, maybe I can get Ranma to talk to him," Kaname added.
OOOOOOO
"So the blue haired witch thinks she can claim what's mine," the observer growled. "I must wait until Chofu, when my property is there, then I will kill her and take what's mine."
The figure bounded away over the roof tops, while another observing figure decided to make plans for a surprise of his own.
OOOOOOO
"Yo, Sancho," Ranma said cheerfully, "I think you got it."
"You think I'm ready, Lieutenant?" the burly Hispanic asked as he removed his fist from the rubble that used to be a stack of bricks.
"Yup," Ranma grinned at him. "You're ready."
"I still don't see how breaking a bunch of bricks will help us use the Lambda Driver," Kurz griped. Ranma sighed.
"Kurz, what's harder, normally," Ranma asked, "a brick, or someone's fist?"
"A brick, but what's that got to do with it?" Kurz asked.
"How do you suppose Corporal Dominguez was able to punch through those bricks without hurting himself?" Ranma asked.
"I dunno, some sort of martial arts trick, I guess," Kurz answered.
"No, it's all in the focus," Ranma explained. "Come on, Kurz, you were able to do this and you still haven't caught on?" Kurz shrugged. "Look, when you focus on breaking the bricks, the reason the bricks break and not you hand is that you pool your ki in your fist. This exercise gets you used to directing your ki to augment your body. When you use the Lambda Driver, you are doing the same thing, only the Lambda Driver takes the ki and amplifies it and uses it in the AS body. Like say for instance, you want to punch you AS's fist through another AS. Ordinarily your AS would receive damage too, but using the same technique that you use to break the bricks, your AS's fist is infused with ki and protected while the target you are punching is damaged not only by the physical impact but by the ki energy built up in your AS fist as well. It's kinda like a shaped charge. The energy discharges on the target, doing the damage, while protecting your fist. With enough training, you can do this all over your body as well, making your skin resistant against an attack."
"You mean we'll start glowing like you do sometimes?" Kurz asked.
"No, I doubt it," Ranma disagreed. "It's different for me. I can actively manifest my ki and project it. Most people can be trained to use their ki inside their own body, but I've come to believe that only people with an inborn gift can project it like I do."
"How do you mean?" Dominguez asked, not having witnessed some of the things Ranma had done. Ranma looked at Kurz, who waved his hands around as if to ward something off.
"Hey, he asked," Kurz said quickly. "He gets to be the victim this time."
"Real tough guy, ain't ya, Kurz," Ranma chuckled.
"Hey that crap hurts," Kurz protested.
"Alright, Corporal," Ranma grinned. "Do you want a first hand demonstration?" Dominguez looked unsure, but nodded. "Okay, what would you say if I said I could knock you across the bay from ten meters away?"
"I'd say you were on some heavy-duty ganja," Dominguez grinned. Ranma smirked.
"Okay, stand over there and set yourself," Ranma instructed. "Be ready to roll with the impact. It's gonna feel like you got hit with an AS fist. You ready?"
"When you are, Lieutenant," Dominguez grinned.
Ranma gathered his ki and began to pool it into a ball in his cupped hands. When it was big enough for the demonstration but not large enough to hurt the corporal too much, he thrust it out, yelling, "Moko Takabisha!"
The blue ball of energy stabbed forward and struck the wide eyed corporal and sent him sprawling across the bay. The stunned corporal lay on the deck wincing in pain, but not otherwise injured. Ranma walked over and checked on him. Assured that nothing was damaged he offer the man a hand up.
"Santa Maria," Dominguez gasped as he got to his feet. "What the hell was that?"
"That was a ki blast," Ranma smirked. "I can also use my ki to boost my strength and speed to superhuman levels, cut things, heat or freeze things, and even put up a shield to protect myself. Also I can infuse my ki into an inanimate object. Not only can this increase the strength of that object, but it can also be used to control that object, but to control it, I have to be touching it."
"That's why you and Lieutenant Chidori are so damn good with those Seraphs, isn't it?" Dominguez asked.
"I couldn't say one way or another," Ranma said. "However, Kaname can't do what I do. I've been teaching her various techniques and she is starting to develop the ability to use her ki some, but her ki use seems to work differently than mine. I have to focus my ki through an emotion to project it, usually I use confidence, but Kaname doesn't seem to have to do that. Her ki isn't as powerful, but her control is instinctively finer than mine."
"Speaking of," Kurz grinned, "how come you aren't writhing on the floor in mortal agony yet, Ranma?"
"Huh?" Ranma asked.
"Well, it has been several hours since she left the boat to go shopping with the other girls," Kurz explained. "I figured you'd be going through withdrawls by now. You two have practically been joined at the hip since BT. Scuttlebutt says it'd take a pair of AS's to pry you apart."
"Don't you worry about that, Kurz," Ranma chuckled. "Besides, I'm sure I'll get my 'fix' with interest when she comes back." Ranma shook his head ruefully. "I love her more than life itself, but sometimes I wonder how I'm going to survive the wedding night."
"You braggin' or complainin'?" Kurz laughed.
"Well, I ain't complainin'," Ranma smirked. "What about you, Sousuke? You planning on claiming our lovely little captain anytime soon?"
"I...um...that is...it's...It's not a problem," Sousuke stammered, turning red.
"Well, you better not wait too long," Ranma laughed at the somber sergeant. "If you make her wait much longer, she might just confine you to her quarters until the 'objective has been secured'."
"I think she already tried that," Kurz teased. "He came back one night with glazed over eyes and the mother of all nose bleeds after going to see her. He couldn't look at her for a week without a trickle of blood coming out of his nose." The three men laughed while Sousuke just turned redder and looked at the deck. Ranma decided he needed to have a talk with the sergeant.
"Okay, guys, that's it for today," Ranma said. "Sousuke, my quarters, if you would."
OOOOOOO
"So what's up?" Ranma asked as they seated themselves in the sitting room of Ranma's quarters.
"I don't know what you mean," Sousuke said flatly.
"What's going on between you and Tessa?" Ranma clarified. "Far be it from me to give advice to the lovelorn but I figured it might help if you talk about it."
"I...I really don't know what to say," Sousuke said, unused to talking about his problems with anyone.
"Let's start by telling me how you feel about her," Ranma suggested.
"I think she's a very competent captain who cares for her crew," Sousuke answered, causing Ranma to roll his eyes.
"I meant how you feel about her as a girl, not an officer," Ranma said.
"I...don't know," Sousuke said, obviously confused.
"Well, when you're around her do you feel differently than when you're around, say, me, or Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin?" Ranma asked. "Do you feel energized, or lighter than normal? When she smiles at you does it seem like the room got brighter? Does it cause your heart to clinch in your chest? Do you have the urge to make her smile again so you can feel that again?"
"I would say that was an accurate assessment," Sousuke said.
"Okay, so when you touch, when you kiss her how do you feel?" Ranma asked.
"I feel like there's a pressure that builds inside me," Sousuke replied. "I don't know what it is, but I feel like I'm going to explode."
"Does that scare you?" Ranma asked in a friendly non-judging a tone as he could muster.
"Yes, it does, because I don't understand it and I can't control it," Sousuke said.
"What if I were to tell you that pressure is perfectly normal?" Ranma asked.
"It is?" Sousuke asked surprised.
"Yes," Ranma smiled. "What you are feeling is your passion and desire for her. It's your body's way of telling you that you care about her a lot and you want to know her completely. Your body is telling you what you can't mentally grasp, that you may well be in love with her."
"In love with her?" Sousuke asked in wonder. "But I don't even know what love is."
"Love is when one particular person's happiness means more to you than that of anyone else," Ranma explained, "particularly your own happiness. When you love someone, you would do anything to make that person happy, to see them smile. You would go to any lengths to protect them from harm and their pain becomes your own as if you feel it for them."
"I see," Sousuke said, "but what about the pressure? What happens if it gets too great?"
"Than you pass out and get a huge nose bleed," Ranma chuckled. "But seriously, the pressure will only get too great if you don't express how you feel. You once gave me some really fantastic advice about that, do you remember?" Sousuke looked blank. "You told me to watch for her advances and meet them with equal commitment. You said to face them with courage and I would win the most priceless objective. Now it's time you followed your own advice. She loves you, Sousuke. And it sounds like you love her. She wants to make you happy. She wants to give herself to you. Let me give you some advice that Kaname gave me. We are soldiers. At any time, we could die in combat and leave the people we love behind. This is why we need to make the time we have with these people count. Do you really want to leave her without her knowing how you felt about her? Do you want to deny her the experience she most desires, sharing her love with you?"
"But she does," Sousuke said. "She says she loves me all the time."
"Sousuke," Ranma groaned, "have you ever had sex ed? Do you know what making love is?"
"I know sex is whether one is a man or a woman," Sousuke said. "Men have certain parts and women have others. These parts are concerned with reproduction."
"Good, at least you know what they do," Ranma said tiredly, chiding himself because he to was this ignorant at one time. At least he wasn't charging Sousuke to explain it to him like he was when Nabiki explained it. "Sousuke, when a man and a woman love each other, one of the strongest ways they can express this is making love..." Ranma continued on for some time detailing the process to the increasingly embarrassed military man.
"So you...and Kaname..." Sousuke asked in embarrassment.
"As often as possible," Ranma said. "We call it 'making it count' because we want every moment we have with each other to count and making each other feel so damn good is the best way to do that."
"So that means, when Captain Tessa was laying on the couch wearing...not much, and the pressure got really high, I wanted to do...that...with her?" Sousuke asked with wide eyes.
"You get a gold star!" Ranma grinned. "And if she was laying there on the couch not wearing much, knowing you were going to come in, then I'm betting she wanted you to do 'that' with her. And another thing, if you love her and you do...'make it count' with her, you should consider proposing to her. Ask her for her hand in marriage. It's a declaration that you want to spend the rest of you life by her side making her happy. It's not something you shouldn't do lightly, so you need to think about whether that's something you want. If she wants to spend the rest of her life making you happy, she'll say yes."
OOOOOOO
Ranma sighed unhappily as she sat on the nose of her Seraph and watched from the ridge she was parked on as the Urz team put their new AS's through their paces. They were doing fantastic with the Lambda Driver, just like she thought they would. Her training had paid off in spades. Sousuke was far better now than he had been and the other Urz members weren't too far behind. So why was she unhappy?
She missed Kaname. Kaname and Tessa had already let for Chofu to complete the wedding arrangements that had been begun by Kaname's friends there. That had been three days ago and Ranma felt ever instant of her absence. She sighed again, shifting a little on the Seraph.
"That was a heavy duty sigh there, Ranma," a voice said from beside the Seraph.
"Gah!" Ranma mentioned as she jumped and nearly slid off the AS. Seeing who had spoken, she leaped gracefully to the ground before coming to attention and issuing a sharp salute. "Major, may I ask what you are doing here? This is a classified area."
"Good morning to you too, Ranma," Nabiki chuckled saluting back. "Don't worry, I have clearance." Nabiki showed Ranma her badge. "Now, what's with the sighing? Are the troops not working out?"
"No, they're performing as expected, Ma'am," Ranma said.
"Sheesh, at ease, Lieutenant," Nabiki rolled her eyes. "Look when it's just you and me, I don't want us to stand on convention, okay? We've known each other for a long time. I think that rates some familiarity."
"Aye, Aye, ma'am," Ranma said with a smile.
"So what's got you panties in a bunch if the troops are doing okay?" the intel officer quizzed.
"Well, it's just that, well, Kaname has been in Chofu for the last three days," Ranma sighed. "It's the longest we've been apart since we met. I really miss her."
"So are you nervous?" Nabiki asked with a smile.
"A little, I guess," Ranma admitted. "Not that I'm having second thoughts. I want this more than I've ever wanted anything in my life. I just want it to be perfect for her."
"You really love her a lot, don't you?" Nabiki asked gently. Ranma shrugged.
"She's the other half of my soul, Nabiki," Ranma said simply. "My life is hers, her life is mine."
The pair stood there in silence for a few minutes watching the Urz team practice.
"What did you come for, Nabiki?" Ranma asked.
"Well, I wanted to see how things were going with the new ARX-7 pilots," Nabiki answered, "but really I just wanted to come visit with you and see how you were doing. I wanted to see if you were enjoying your last days as a free..." Nabiki gestured up and down at Ranma and smirked, "woman." Ranma grinned ruefully.
"I haven't been that since a year and a half ago on a beach when I lost my heart to the most beautiful sight anyone has ever seen," Ranma said with a fond smile.
"I'm happy for you, Little Brother," Nabiki hugged her. "I really am. You deserve it."
"Nah, I'm not worthy of her," Ranma said. "She deserves much better than the likes of this worthless sexchanging ronin. It amazes me everyday that she said yes." She then winced as Nabiki slapped her in the face.
"Stop it, Ranma," Nabiki said harshly. "I'm sure if Kaname heard someone talking about her chosen that way she beat the snot out of them, so since she isn't here, I guess that's my privilege."
"Touché, Nabiki," Ranma replied, laughingly.
"Anyway, you'll be glad to know that Kasumi is going to be there and she's bringing Tofu," Nabiki said.
"Good, it'll be really good to see them again," Ranma said happily.
The pair continued to watch the AS's below while chatting about old times and the new ones the future had in store for them. Nabiki could hardly believe the bright well spoken happy person with her was the same Ranma that had left Nerima. She had changed a lot and for the better. It was comforting for Nabiki to know that things really could work out.
OOOOOOO
"Gosh, Kaname, you're going to be such a beautiful bride," Kyouko gushed as she snapped a picture of Kaname as she stood on the platform while the seamstress made alterations to the pure white satin and lace gown she wore. "You're going to knock his socks off."
"Yes, Kaname, you look amazing," Tessa agreed.
"You're so lucky, Kaname," Mizuki said as she hugged a photo of Ranma possessively. "I mean this guy is so gorgeous. He much cuter than the military maniac you used to hang around with."
"Hey!" Tessa protested, feeling compelled to defend her boyfriend's honor. "That's my boyfriend you're talking about!"
"Oh yeah, sorry," Mizuki said giving the silver haired girl an odd look. "But this Ranma is a total hotti. What's he like?"
"Where to begin?" Kaname giggled. "He strong, sweet, sensitive, caring, compassionate, protective, probably one of the best martial artist on the planet, and he makes me feel so loved and cherished. I wake up everyday thanking the kami that gave him to me."
"He sounds too perfect," Mizuki laughed. "He must have a down side."
"He was a little rough around the edges at first," Kaname admitted. "He was raised on the road training in martial arts by a father that didn't believe in education or much of anything that didn't relate to martial arts. But he's polishing up nicely. He doesn't realize just how brilliant he really is to be perusing a college degree even after having such a spotty education. He also has a condition."
"A condition?" Mizuki asked.
"Some people might be put off by it," Kaname said conversationally. "I guess I was a little at first, but then as I got to know him I've come to cherish it as part of him, a part that I love as much as him." Kaname bit her lip, wondering if she should be telling her friends this.
"Well tell us!" Mizuki demanded. Kaname decided that it would come out sooner or later and if her friends couldn't handle it, then it was their loss.
"Well, not only is he a gorgeous guy," Kaname said smiling, "but thanks to a magical spell that he got in China, he turns into the most adorable girl."
Her friends froze with a giant sweat drop on the back of their heads.
"Magic spell, huh," Mizuki said in a flat tone. "Good one, Kaname. Just how stupid do you think we are?"
"Yeah, Kaname," Kyouko said. "You don't really expect us to believe that do you?"
"It's true," Tessa giggled. "I know it's hard to believe until you see it happen, but I assure you it's true."
"So he likes to dress up like a girl, huh?" Mizuki asked.
"Well, I wouldn't say 'likes'," Kaname grinned, "but she does when she's in girl form. And believe me, the change is complete. She even has a period." Kaname directed Tessa to get a picture of Ranma's girl form out of her purse.
"Well, she certainly is a healthy girl," Kyouko said.
"I can see the resemblance," Mizuki said, "but come on, Kaname, you really expect us to buy that?"
"It doesn't matter if you do or don't," Kaname laughed. "It's the truth. And given the tendency of water to find him, you will probably see it happen at some point. Hopefully not until after the ceremony and the first dance. I would like for him to be a guy for that much. However, I wouldn't mind for him to be a her after that."
Kaname's friends looked at her like she was nuts. Kaname and Tessa just laughed knowingly.
OOOOOOO