Disclaimer: Ranma, Ah Megamisama, and Sailormoon don't belong to me.
The only payment I get for writing this is... well... I don't really
get any payment for this.
Warning: I have a keyboard, and I'm not afraid to use it.
Warning: Altaverse (Keichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is
all messed up.)
"words"
'thoughts'
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 3
by Jose Argao
Urd was furious.
Here she was, doing her best to help Ranma find true love, and
Skuld was trying to spoil it all. She slammed her fist angrily against
the monitor in front of her, which showed the young goddess of the
future together with one of Ranma's fiancees. She paused for a few
seconds, then raised her now swollen fist to cradle it in her other
hand. Apparently, the Yggdrasil was built to last.
"If she thinks she can get away with a stunt like this, she's
got another thing coming!"
Ignoring the pain in her hand, she started typing on the
terminal. It took her a while to accomplish her task, since Skuld _was_
a goddess, but she finished eventually. With a huge grin on her face,
she left the terminal and went back to her own desk.
"Let's see you get out of _this_ one, little sister."
*****
"You don't seem to realize just how serious such a drastic
change in the timelines is. You _must_ give me access to the power!"
The rest of the inner senshi stared back and forth between
Usagi and Setsuna. They never expected such resistance coming from the
princess. She was always so meek, so quick to acquiesce to the older
woman's demands.
"No, I am not giving you access and that's final!" Usagi stared
right back at Setsuna, not allowing the older woman to intimidate her.
Across the table, Setsuna seethed.
"Why must you always be so difficult? Do you not see that I
need to fix the timelines? What part of my explanation can you not
understand?" The inners moved slightly away from Setsuna as the keeper
of time glared daggers at Usagi.
"You think I don't know what you're trying to do? The way you
described it, _all_ the lines lead to you marrying Ranma. You're going
to throw them all out and replace them. To do that, you need to remove
the lock on the current timelines."
Setsuna stared in shock at the young blonde in front of her.
It may not have been completely accurate, but she had just given a more
or less correct approximation of the process. The fact that Usagi had
been correct in her assumption of what Setsuna had planned also grated
on her nerves.
Setsuna decided she liked Usagi better as a klutzy ditz.
"How do you know all this?" Setsuna was able to recover from
her shock and resume the conversation rather quickly.
"You told me, remember? I asked you how you were so sure that
I and Mamo-chan were going to get married, and you told me all about
the Time Gate and how it works." Usagi furiously fought to stay calm.
Setsuna was scary like this, but she had to be strong.
"In any case, why are you averse to throwing them out?" Setsuna
appeared unsurprised, but she was shocked that Usagi remembered her
short explanation all those months ago. At the time, she didn't even
think the young girl understood half of what she was saying.
"Because, if you remove the lock, Crystal Tokyo may disappear
completely! The current state of the timelines may not be suitable for
you, but I'm not willing to take the chance of losing Mamo-chan just
because you don't like Ranma." Usagi was shaking, but she did not let
any other signs of her fear show.
"This isn't just about me not liking Ranma. Whoever did this
is obviously a being of great power. He probably did it to distract me
from my duties, so that he can continue undetected with whatever evil
schemes he may have. A being with enough power to do what the Time Gate
is unable to wouldn't do that just so Ranma and I can get married and
live happily ever after."
"If this being's so strong, what's stopping him from just doing
what he did again if you _did_ get the timelines back to the way they
were?"
Setsuna's face grew red with anger. She did not expect such
fierce resistance from Usagi. She expected the girl to simply agree to
her demands without a fight. She expected the inners to fear Ranma
after seeing his display of power, not swoon over his good looks. She
did not expect to lose this argument.
She hated it when things didn't go as expected.
"Listen, you meatball-headed little twit. I _will_ bring back
the timelines to what they were. I suggest you spare yourself
further trouble by handing me the energy I need now because if you
refuse I _swear_ I will take the Time Staff and shove it so far up
your-"
Setsuna was interrupted by a young man tapping lightly on her
shoulder. She turned to him quickly and glared at him.
"What do you want?"
"Excuse me, miss, but I'm afraid you must leave right now. We
do not allow such behavior here. Don't you see that there are children
around?"
Setsuna's cheeks grew red, embarrassed at her show of emotion.
She picked up her purse from beside her and stood up. She turned to the
man you had called her attention.
"I'm terribly sorry. I was just leaving anyway." She turned
back towards the inner senshi and the angry look returned to her face.
"I _will_ repair the timelines, with or without your help."
The inners watched her leave, slamming the door loudly in her
wake. The group was quiet for a few seconds as they took in the events
of the past few minutes. Minako was the first to break the silence.
"Wow... I guess it's that time of the month for her, huh?"
The others took that as a signal to facefault, and acted
accordingly.
*****
"Wow! That was so cool! What happened after you beat Kirin?"
Hotaru was beside Ranma, listening excitedly as he told her
tale after tale of his many adventures. The stories were fairly
accurate descriptions of the events as they happened, but Ranma avoided
talking about his curse. He'd just made a friend, and he didn't want
her to think he was a freak or anything.
"Well, we finally got the scroll. Turns out it was an ultimate
technique for making pickles, not fighting. Hey! What's so funny?"
Hotaru was giggling uncontrollably. She was trying to hold it
in, but failing miserably. Her cheeks grew red and tears welled up in
her eyes as she laughed harder and harder.
'Well, at least she's happy now.' Ranma looked at the younger
girl as her laughter gradually died down.
"Well, that was pretty funny how you went all the way to China
just to get a scroll for making pickles." Hotaru giggled again, but was
able to stop quickly this time. She was smiling, for which Ranma was
very thankful.
"Well, I guess it was." Ranma laughed a little himself.
"I wish _I_ could do stuff like that." Hotaru looked wistfully
at the stars in the sky. They had been talking for a while now. It was
pretty late. She wasn't worried, though. Haruka and Michiru wouldn't
be home until after midnight, and Setsuna wouldn't be angry. If she was
even home, that is.
"Why not? I mean, you're still young. I'm sure there are tons
of places where they teach martial arts around here. I mean, you won't
get as good as me, but you'll learn a few moves." Ranma began looking
up at the sky as well, admiring the beauty of the stars and the moon as
they shone brightly in the night sky.
"I... I can't. I have a weak heart, I get tired easily. I could
never do the exercises they make you do in those places. I'd just wind
up hurting myself." Hotaru looked sadly down to the ground. Tears once
more welled up in her eyes.
Ranma kicked himself mentally as the girl beside him once more
began to cry. He didn't mean to make her sad. He just wanted to cheer
her up a little. He hated these situations. For all his martial arts
skill, he was unable to help her. He felt useless, for there was
nothing he could do... or was there? He racked his mind, searching for
a way to help her.
They stayed that way for two minutes, looking away from each
other. The awkward silence between them was deafening. Suddenly, Ranma
slapped his head with his right hand and grabbed Hotaru by both of her
shoulders, forcing her to face him.
"Huh... what are you doing, Ranma?" Hotaru looked up at Ranma,
confused at his sudden action.
"Can you meet me here tomorrow afternoon?" Ranma's eyes
gleamed with excitement as he held her. She could almost see the fire
burning in his eyes.
"You... you want to meet again? What for?" Hotaru was now more
confused than ever.
"You'll see, it's a surprise. So can you go?" Ranma noticed his
hands on her, and immediately let go. He didn't want to scare her or
anything.
Hotaru thought for a few seconds, then smiled. "Okay, Ranma.
I'll be here tomorrow."
"Alright!" Ranma raised his fist in the air and stood up
quickly. He helped Hotaru up and smiled at her.
"We better get going now. It's getting pretty late. Where do
you live? I can walk you home."
"I live near here, I can make it by myself." Hotaru began to
walk, but was stopped when Ranma grabbed her arm.
"But I insist. There are all sorts of weirdoes walking around at
night. I'll protect you."
"Well, if you insist. It's this way." Hotaru held Ranma's hand
as they walked to their house. She didn't normally behave this way
around strangers, but she felt safe around Ranma for some reason.
*****
"How long do you think we'll be gone? How much should I pack?"
Ukyo was in her room, busy packing clothes into a suitcase. She
was still in a daze. It was hard to believe that only a few short hours
ago, she was all alone in her apartment above the Ucchan's. Now she had
a goddess living with her.
"Don't pack too much. We'll only be gone for a day or two. We
might even be done in a few hours." Skuld entered her room and looked
at the large suitcase on the bed.
"You won't need all that." Ukyo stopped throwing clothes from
her closet onto her bed and looked at her new companion.
"But you said we were going to Jusenkyo. It's going to take a
while to get there, and we still have to get back. It's not like we're
going to Beijing. There are no trains, buses, or planes going there.
We'll need to hike up the mountains. That'll take at least a week."
Skuld giggled slightly. "We won't need to do any of that. I'm
a goddess, all we need is to fill up your bathtub."
*****
"So, what was _that_ all about?"
Makoto turned to Usagi, waiting for an explanation. The rest
of the inner senshi looked at her as well.
"Well, I didn't want to give her the crystal."
Rei's left eye twitched. This was not the answer that she was
looking for.
"What I meant was, why didn't you want to give it to her?"
"Well, I had to make sure there were no more obstacles to my
destiny with Mamo-chan. I can't leave true love to chance."
"But what about those things Setsuna said? Shouldn't we have
listened to her? I mean, she _does_ have more experience with this
sort of thing than we do. What if she was right? What if something
bad _does_ happen after Crystal Tokyo?"
Minako didn't like this at all. At this rate, the battle for
Ranma's affections would be over before it even started.
"We'll deal with that when it happens. The important thing is
that Crystal Tokyo is still there. As long as it stands, there's still
hope." Usagi started eating what was left of her sundae, which had
melted considerably while she was arguing with Setsuna.
"But Setsuna-" Makoto found herself unable to finish as Usagi
abruptly cut her off.
"Never mind what Setsuna said. I have a feeling in my gut that
I'm doing the right thing."
"Are you sure it's not just a tape worm?"
The girls all looked at Ami, who blushed under their combined
stares.
"What?"
Having convinced themselves that they were just hearing things,
they turned their attention back to Usagi, who had finished her first
sundae and was working on her second.
"Anyway, Setsuna is just being selfish. She doesn't want to get
married to Ranma so she's willing to risk my future with Mamoru just so
she can get out of marrying him. Honestly, she can be so self-centered
sometimes," Usagi said between mouthfuls of ice cream.
Makoto wasn't about to give up without a fight.
"I still think we're making a mistake. Setsuna has been doing
her job for ages. I think she'd know what to do in a situation like
this better than us."
"Why are you all being this way? I thought you were my friends!
You're supposed to support me, not question my decisions. The Silver
Imperium Crystal is _my_ responsibility. I'm not giving it to Setsuna,
and that's final! I'll talk to you guys tomorrow, after you've had a
chance to think this over. I'm sure you'll all see things my way after
sleeping on it. It's getting kinda late, and I'm leaving."
The rest of the inner senshi could only watch as Usagi picked
up her purse, bought another ice cream cone, and left.
*****
Plum went about her day cheerfully. There weren't any tourists
scheduled to visit today, and she would be getting a reprieve from
all the crazed martial artists that have been coming lately. She bent
down to one of the safe springs to the side, and prepared to fill up
the bucket she was carrying with water. She was just about to dip the
container in when the water started to ripple and glow. The water
started spinning, forming a miniature whirlpool on the center of the
spring. She stared transfixed at the spectacle until something emerged
from the middle. It was a girl.
Plum stumbled backwards in shock as first, the head and
shoulders of the girl were revealed. The rest of her body followed
shortly and she slowly floated towards the edge of the pool. She had
long, dark hair that flowed freely past her shoulders and reached the
small of her back. Her clothes were of a style that she had never seen
before. Strapped to her back was a long mallet. Her face also bore
markings that he had never seen before. Plum guessed her age to be
around thirteen.
After smoothing out the curves of the dress she was wearing,
she turned back towards the pool she came from and shouted into the
middle of the pool.
"It's okay, you can come in now!"
Plum watched as another figure emerged from the water. This one
was different from the girl before her. Her clothes were decidedly less
flashy than her younger companion, and her face had none of the strange
markings that adorned the younger one. Rather than a hammer, she had
what looked like a giant spatula strapped to her back. She was carrying
a small pack, and was looking around the place curiously.
"Wow, it's true! We really _are_ in Jusenkyo!"
The girl with the mallet turned to her companion. "Of course
we're in Jusenkyo. I'm a goddess, remember?"
Plum slowly stood up. She was used to being around strange
people by now, but a goddess was something new to her. She decided to
be friendly.
"Welcome to Jusenkyo, honored guests. I am Plum!" She smiled
as brightly as she could, hoping that the goddess was pleased with
her.
Skuld noticed the little girl for the first time.
"Oh, hello there. I am Skuld, goddess of the future. This is
my friend, Ukyo. We have come here in search of the spring of drowned
boy."
Plum heaved a sigh of relief. She could easily guide them to
the correct pool. "I would be happy to take you there, honored guests.
Please, follow me. It is a little ways off, towards the middle of the
training grounds."
Plum was happy that all they wanted was to find the spring of
drowned boy. Lately almost all the guests have been looking for the
more... exotic pools. As they neared the actual training grounds, she
began to think that maybe this would be an easy mission, over and done
with before she knew it.
Such thoughts evaporated when she saw the goddess' reaction to
seeing the cursed pools.
"Aaaaaaah! So many bugs! They're everywhere!" Skuld retrieved
her mallet, and began chasing down the bugs closest to her. She managed
to hit a lot of them, since there were so many. However, for every bug
she hit, three more would take its place.
"Please, honored guest, calm down! It is very dangerous to run
around this place!"
Plum shot a pleading look at Ukyo, who only hung her head
helplessly as Skuld ran deeper into the training grounds.
"Gotcha!" Skuld got rid of her eightieth bug, and looked around
her. It actually looked as if there were even more bugs than before.
She promptly started chasing after them again.
"Please calm down, honored guest! These are very dangerous
springs!" Plum walked carefully along the springs, mindful of every
step she made.
"Don't worry about me, I'm a goddess! I know what I'm doing!
I can handle a few- eeep!" Skuld stepped on a bug that had appeared
under her right foot and lost her balance. She stumbled for a few
seconds, before falling into one of the springs.
"Oh no! That is the legendary spring of drowned-" Plum found
herself pushed to the side as Ukyo ran past her to the spring Skuld
had fallen into.
"We've got to help her! I don't know if she can swim, she might
drown!" Ukyo held the handle of her battle spatula and thrust it into
the water.
"Skuld, can you hear me? Grab hold of the handle! I'll pull
you out!"
For a few seconds, nothing happened. Suddenly, a hand shot up
from under the water. Ukyo found herself pulled in before she even
realized what had happened.
"Oh no..." Plum stared at the now still waters of the pool for
a few seconds, before she stood up and made her way back to her house.
She wasn't sure how the curse would affect a goddess, but she didn't
want to stick around to find out.
*****
"Gotcha, serves you right." Urd looked at the monitor in front
of her, which showed the still waters of the spring Ukyo and Skuld had
fallen into.
*****
"Okay, Ranma. We're here!" Hotaru stopped in front of a large
house and pointed to it.
"That's where I live."
Ranma looked at the house, noticing that it was very large. It
was much larger than the Tendo home. It was also well kept, and looked
very nice. He stopped staring when he realized that Hotaru had begun
walking up to the door. He quickly went to follow her.
"Nice place you got here. You must be loaded, Hotaru."
Hotaru blushed and ignored the comment. "Good night, Ranma.
I'll see you tomorrow."
"G'night, Hotaru. It was fun. I'd better get going now." Ranma
was already three steps away when he heard Hotaru call after him.
"Ranma!"
He turned to see that Hotaru had not moved from the door. She
quietly walked up to him, and pulled him into a hug. She kissed him
quickly on the cheek before she relinquished her hold on him.
"Thanks, Ranma, for everything."
Ranma stood speechless as the blushing young girl turned and
ran into the house. He raised his hand to his face and touched the area
where she had kissed him just moments ago.
He decided to get going before things got even weirder.
*****
Hotaru closed the door behind her, closed her eyes, and leaned
back on the door for support. She'd never done anything like that
before. Her heart was beating like crazy. She could hardly wait one
whole day to see Ranma again. When she opened her eyes, she found two
more pairs looking right at her.
"Who was that guy, Hotaru?"
Hotaru looked back and forth between Haruka and Michiru. They
weren't supposed to be here.
"Um... Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama... how was your date?"
Haruka rolled her eyes and stepped closer to Hotaru.
"Don't try to change the subject, young lady. We saw everything
from inside."
Hotaru felt beads of sweat forming on her brow. She knew she
hadn't done anything wrong, but she felt extremely nervous just the
same.
"He was just... a new friend of mine."
Michiru and Haruka looked at each other and looked back to
their little girl. It was Michiru's turn to ask questions.
"Friend?"
Hotaru's face broke out into a smile. "Yeah, his name is Ranma
Saotome. I met him today at the park. I was feeling kinda down but he
cheered me up. We're meeting again tomorrow."
Haruka's eyebrows raised at the mention of tomorrow's planned
activities. "Tomorrow, huh? Okay. If it's fine by Michiru, it's fine by
me."
Hotaru looked expectantly at Michiru. "Oh, alright. You can go,
but don't be late this time."
Hotaru jumped for joy and gave Haruka and Michiru a hug. "Thank
you, you're the best!"
She then climbed the stairs to her room. A few seconds later,
Michiru turned to her companion and broke the silence.
"So what do you think?"
Haruka looked thoughtful for a few moments. "I think we should
go down there and take a look for ourselves. If this Ranma is who I
think he is, things could get... interesting.
Michiru thought for a few seconds, then her eyes opened wide
with realization. "Ranma Saotome? _The_ Ranma Saotome?"
Haruka just walked over to a chair and sat down. "I'm not sure.
I guess we'll find out tomorrow."
*****
Minako turned to Makoto. "So, what's the deal with your Sempai,
Mako-chan?"
After Usagi left, the remaining inners did not bother to stay
for much longer. After finishing their sundaes, they decided to take
the train back to Juuban.
"Well, I met him a couple of years ago, when I was in the
fifth grade. I was such a wimp back then, and everyone was teasing me
because I was so tall and thin."
*****
"Stop it, that's not nice!"
A young Makoto Kino found herself trapped between a wall and
a group of older boys. One of them came closer, holding a large piece
of balled up bubble gum. He waved it threateningly at her.
"Who cares whether it's nice or not, it's fun!"
Makoto attempted to make a run for it, but found her way
blocked by one of the boys. She tries the opposite direction, but met
with similar results. She felt tears running down her eyes.
"Please stop, my Mom had to cut off some of my hair the last
time."
The boy brandishing the gum just laughed at her. "By the time
we're done with you, your mother will have to shave your head bald."
"Leave her alone, you big bully!"
The group abruptly stopped laughing, turning to see the idiot
who dared to challenge them. They found an average looking boy wearing
a bandanna on his head and carrying a large pack. The leader of the
group shook his head in disappointment.
"Oh, it's just some snotty kid playing superhero. Hey kid,
you better stay the hell out of our business if you know what's good
for you!"
The group moved closer to Ryoga, allowing Makoto to run to a
secluded corner and watch the confrontation from afar. She uttered a
silent prayer to the Kami that the group of bullies would be merciful
in their treatment of her rescuer.
"You're new here, so I'm gonna let you off easy this time. Just
give me all of your money and I'll let you go. How's that for a fair
deal, kid?"
The newcomer just looked menacingly at them. "I've got a better
deal. How about you stop harassing that girl, and I won't break _all_
of your bones?"
"Why you little... Get him!"
The group quickly circled Ryoga, who had dropped his pack and
was now holding an old fashioned umbrella. He was waving it around
like it was a sword.
"I don't know where you came from, but I'm sending you back!"
The leader of the group ran towards Ryoga and attempted to
punch the smaller boy. His fist was stopped long before it reached its
mark when the newcomer swatted it away with a blow from his umbrella.
The other boys heard a loud crack as every bone in his hand was crushed
by the strength of the blow. He cradled it in his other hand, tears
streaming from his face as he shouted at his comrades.
"What are you waiting for! Kick his ass! There's five of you
and one of him, you can't lose!"
The other boys looked questioningly at each other, then closed
in on their opponent. Ryoga looked around him and smirked before
running right at the biggest bully. The larger boy brought his hand
back to strike at Ryoga, but was never able to launch his attack as
he found himself with a brand new nasal cavity.
Makoto watched in fascination from her hiding place as Ryoga
quickly dealt with her former tormentors in painful fashion. She
gasped as Ryoga stood in the middle of his fallen foes, and walked
slowly towards the leader, still nursing his broken hand. He had
fallen to his knees, and was wailing in pain.
"I don't normally inflict this much pain on my opponents, but
I have a special hatred reserved for bullies like you."
Makoto looked on as Ryoga kicked the boy in the groin,
eliciting a shriek of pain from the former bully before he finally
passed out. She then noticed him approaching her. She shrank back
from him in fear.
"Don't be afraid, miss. I won't hurt you. I just want to make
sure you're alright. They didn't hurt you or anything, did they?"
Makoto slowly left her hiding place and answered in a soft
voice. "I'm okay."
"That's good." Ryoga turned to walk away and was already
hefting his pack when he noticed that the girl he saved had followed
him.
"Yes, what is it?"
The girl bowed low in front of him. "Thank you very much, sir.
If there is any way at all that I can repay you, please just ask."
Ryoga smiled at her. "Well, if you could help me find another
new student here, I'd be grateful."
Makoto stood up and frowned. "Another new student? What's his
name?"
Ryoga lifted his pack and turned back towards her. "I think he
transferred here a few weeks ago. His name is Saotome, Ranma Saotome."
Makoto's eyes brightened in recognition. "I know that name! I
think he transferred to this school one and a half months ago."
Ryoga ran towards her and held her by the shoulders. "Really?
Can you take me to him?"
Makoto, startled by his sudden action, held her books in front
of her protectively. "I'm not sure, but I can try."
Ryoga let go of her and looked to the skies, his fist raised
to the heavens.
"Finally I find you, Ranma Saotome! Vengeance will be mine at
last!"
*****
Makoto sighed wistfully as she finished telling the tale of her
first meeting with Ryoga.
"We spent a lot of time together after that. He wasn't really
older than me or anything but he was so much stronger that I called
him sempai anyway. It wasn't until two weeks later that we found out
that Ranma already left town the day before he arrived. He went after
him and left me. He still went back pretty often though, and we became
good friends. Then, one day, he broke my heart."
"What happened? What did he do?" Minako was hanging on to every
word, listening to the tale with great interest.
"Well, it was the last time he came to see me. I think it was
about two years ago. We were sitting under a tree, eating a picnic
lunch I'd prepared. I wanted to say something to him for the longest
time, and I figured that this was my chance."
*****
"Sempai, we have to talk."
Ryoga stopped eating the delicious sandwich Makoto had prepared
for him and turned towards her.
"What about, Mako-chan?"
Makoto took a deep breath, and looked to him with pleading
eyes. "You can't go on this way, Sempai. You've been chasing after
Ranma for so long. You have to stop, it's not worth it anymore."
"But he must be punished for skipping out on our duel all those
years ago!" Ryoga found himself torn between pleasing the girl he
loved and going after the vengeance he craved.
"Ryoga, it was so long ago. I don't think Ranma even remembers
it by now. please, just stop it. Do it for me, Ryoga." Tears were
welling up in her eyes, but Makoto forced them down.
"But... but Mako-chan..." Ryoga was at a loss, unable to decide
what he wanted.
"I can't go on like this, sempai. I can't keep playing second
to this mission of yours. I'm giving you until nightfall to make your
decision. I'll be waiting for you at the playground where we first
met tonight at six. I'm going to be there until eight in the evening.
If you don't come for me, I'll understand. You have to choose, Ryoga.
Ranma or me, you can't have both."
"But Mako-chan I can't-" Makoto raised a finger to Ryoga's
lips, silencing him.
"No buts, Ryoga. Just think, and choose. I'll be waiting."
Makoto stood up and ran away, leaving behind her a protesting
Ryoga.
"I waited until ten, actually. He never came for me, and now
I know why." A lone tear fell from Makoto's left eye, which she
quickly brushed off.
"Why that little jerk! I'll-" Makoto silenced Rei and regained
her composure.
"Stop it, Rei. Ryoga has made his decision, and we must respect
it. He obviously hasn't stopped chasing after Ranma to this day. I
gave him a choice and he chose his vendetta. Besides, I'm over him now.
I'm stronger now that he's broken my heart. I learned _one_ thing from
my experience with Ryoga, though." Makoto's eyes burned with resolve.
"What's that, Mako-chan?" Minako stopped wiping her eyes with
tissue and blew her nose.
"I learned that if you truly love a man, you must never give
him a choice. You must be ready to force yourself upon him if you
must! True love cannot be hampered by such trivial things as his own
feelings on the matter!"
"Right!" Makoto and Minako balled their hands into fists and
slammed them onto the table, their eyes burning.
Rei and Ami grew sweat drops the size of basketballs.
"Wasn't there something you wanted to tell us about Ranma,
Ami-chan?" Rei had heard enough about Ryoga. She could care less if
Makoto was dumped by the guy a couple of years ago. She had obviously
recovered well anyway.
Ami sighed. "Never mind that. It's getting pretty late. I'll
tell you guys tomorrow, when we meet up with Usagi. I have to analyze
these readings anyway. Let's just go home."
The inners made the rest of the trip in silence.
*****
Ranma rummaged along the various scrolls, artifacts, and other
junk in Happosai's bag. He had arrived an hour ago to the angry stares
of most of the Tendo household. He just took it in stride and went
straight to his room. He waited until everyone was asleep before he
crept into the small room where Happosai kept his bag of belongings
hidden.
A few minutes of reading later, Ranma discarded another of the
badly written scrolls and began reading a new one. His eyes got bigger
and bigger as he recognized the techniques described in it. He smiled
as he put the rest of the scrolls back into the bag and replaced it in
its hiding place.
'Found it!'
*****
Author's notes:
And the plot thickens even more... I realize I'm introducing
more questions than I'm resolving them but please bear with me. All
of your questions will be answered in time. Thanks for reading! I
would like to thank Ash, Chester, James Merrit, and Seaver for all
of their help and suggestions.
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters.
The only payment I get for writing this is... well... I don't really
get any payment for this.
Warning: I have a keyboard, and I'm not afraid to use it.
Warning: Altaverse (Keichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is
all messed up.)
"words"
'thoughts'
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 3
by Jose Argao
Urd was furious.
Here she was, doing her best to help Ranma find true love, and
Skuld was trying to spoil it all. She slammed her fist angrily against
the monitor in front of her, which showed the young goddess of the
future together with one of Ranma's fiancees. She paused for a few
seconds, then raised her now swollen fist to cradle it in her other
hand. Apparently, the Yggdrasil was built to last.
"If she thinks she can get away with a stunt like this, she's
got another thing coming!"
Ignoring the pain in her hand, she started typing on the
terminal. It took her a while to accomplish her task, since Skuld _was_
a goddess, but she finished eventually. With a huge grin on her face,
she left the terminal and went back to her own desk.
"Let's see you get out of _this_ one, little sister."
*****
"You don't seem to realize just how serious such a drastic
change in the timelines is. You _must_ give me access to the power!"
The rest of the inner senshi stared back and forth between
Usagi and Setsuna. They never expected such resistance coming from the
princess. She was always so meek, so quick to acquiesce to the older
woman's demands.
"No, I am not giving you access and that's final!" Usagi stared
right back at Setsuna, not allowing the older woman to intimidate her.
Across the table, Setsuna seethed.
"Why must you always be so difficult? Do you not see that I
need to fix the timelines? What part of my explanation can you not
understand?" The inners moved slightly away from Setsuna as the keeper
of time glared daggers at Usagi.
"You think I don't know what you're trying to do? The way you
described it, _all_ the lines lead to you marrying Ranma. You're going
to throw them all out and replace them. To do that, you need to remove
the lock on the current timelines."
Setsuna stared in shock at the young blonde in front of her.
It may not have been completely accurate, but she had just given a more
or less correct approximation of the process. The fact that Usagi had
been correct in her assumption of what Setsuna had planned also grated
on her nerves.
Setsuna decided she liked Usagi better as a klutzy ditz.
"How do you know all this?" Setsuna was able to recover from
her shock and resume the conversation rather quickly.
"You told me, remember? I asked you how you were so sure that
I and Mamo-chan were going to get married, and you told me all about
the Time Gate and how it works." Usagi furiously fought to stay calm.
Setsuna was scary like this, but she had to be strong.
"In any case, why are you averse to throwing them out?" Setsuna
appeared unsurprised, but she was shocked that Usagi remembered her
short explanation all those months ago. At the time, she didn't even
think the young girl understood half of what she was saying.
"Because, if you remove the lock, Crystal Tokyo may disappear
completely! The current state of the timelines may not be suitable for
you, but I'm not willing to take the chance of losing Mamo-chan just
because you don't like Ranma." Usagi was shaking, but she did not let
any other signs of her fear show.
"This isn't just about me not liking Ranma. Whoever did this
is obviously a being of great power. He probably did it to distract me
from my duties, so that he can continue undetected with whatever evil
schemes he may have. A being with enough power to do what the Time Gate
is unable to wouldn't do that just so Ranma and I can get married and
live happily ever after."
"If this being's so strong, what's stopping him from just doing
what he did again if you _did_ get the timelines back to the way they
were?"
Setsuna's face grew red with anger. She did not expect such
fierce resistance from Usagi. She expected the girl to simply agree to
her demands without a fight. She expected the inners to fear Ranma
after seeing his display of power, not swoon over his good looks. She
did not expect to lose this argument.
She hated it when things didn't go as expected.
"Listen, you meatball-headed little twit. I _will_ bring back
the timelines to what they were. I suggest you spare yourself
further trouble by handing me the energy I need now because if you
refuse I _swear_ I will take the Time Staff and shove it so far up
your-"
Setsuna was interrupted by a young man tapping lightly on her
shoulder. She turned to him quickly and glared at him.
"What do you want?"
"Excuse me, miss, but I'm afraid you must leave right now. We
do not allow such behavior here. Don't you see that there are children
around?"
Setsuna's cheeks grew red, embarrassed at her show of emotion.
She picked up her purse from beside her and stood up. She turned to the
man you had called her attention.
"I'm terribly sorry. I was just leaving anyway." She turned
back towards the inner senshi and the angry look returned to her face.
"I _will_ repair the timelines, with or without your help."
The inners watched her leave, slamming the door loudly in her
wake. The group was quiet for a few seconds as they took in the events
of the past few minutes. Minako was the first to break the silence.
"Wow... I guess it's that time of the month for her, huh?"
The others took that as a signal to facefault, and acted
accordingly.
*****
"Wow! That was so cool! What happened after you beat Kirin?"
Hotaru was beside Ranma, listening excitedly as he told her
tale after tale of his many adventures. The stories were fairly
accurate descriptions of the events as they happened, but Ranma avoided
talking about his curse. He'd just made a friend, and he didn't want
her to think he was a freak or anything.
"Well, we finally got the scroll. Turns out it was an ultimate
technique for making pickles, not fighting. Hey! What's so funny?"
Hotaru was giggling uncontrollably. She was trying to hold it
in, but failing miserably. Her cheeks grew red and tears welled up in
her eyes as she laughed harder and harder.
'Well, at least she's happy now.' Ranma looked at the younger
girl as her laughter gradually died down.
"Well, that was pretty funny how you went all the way to China
just to get a scroll for making pickles." Hotaru giggled again, but was
able to stop quickly this time. She was smiling, for which Ranma was
very thankful.
"Well, I guess it was." Ranma laughed a little himself.
"I wish _I_ could do stuff like that." Hotaru looked wistfully
at the stars in the sky. They had been talking for a while now. It was
pretty late. She wasn't worried, though. Haruka and Michiru wouldn't
be home until after midnight, and Setsuna wouldn't be angry. If she was
even home, that is.
"Why not? I mean, you're still young. I'm sure there are tons
of places where they teach martial arts around here. I mean, you won't
get as good as me, but you'll learn a few moves." Ranma began looking
up at the sky as well, admiring the beauty of the stars and the moon as
they shone brightly in the night sky.
"I... I can't. I have a weak heart, I get tired easily. I could
never do the exercises they make you do in those places. I'd just wind
up hurting myself." Hotaru looked sadly down to the ground. Tears once
more welled up in her eyes.
Ranma kicked himself mentally as the girl beside him once more
began to cry. He didn't mean to make her sad. He just wanted to cheer
her up a little. He hated these situations. For all his martial arts
skill, he was unable to help her. He felt useless, for there was
nothing he could do... or was there? He racked his mind, searching for
a way to help her.
They stayed that way for two minutes, looking away from each
other. The awkward silence between them was deafening. Suddenly, Ranma
slapped his head with his right hand and grabbed Hotaru by both of her
shoulders, forcing her to face him.
"Huh... what are you doing, Ranma?" Hotaru looked up at Ranma,
confused at his sudden action.
"Can you meet me here tomorrow afternoon?" Ranma's eyes
gleamed with excitement as he held her. She could almost see the fire
burning in his eyes.
"You... you want to meet again? What for?" Hotaru was now more
confused than ever.
"You'll see, it's a surprise. So can you go?" Ranma noticed his
hands on her, and immediately let go. He didn't want to scare her or
anything.
Hotaru thought for a few seconds, then smiled. "Okay, Ranma.
I'll be here tomorrow."
"Alright!" Ranma raised his fist in the air and stood up
quickly. He helped Hotaru up and smiled at her.
"We better get going now. It's getting pretty late. Where do
you live? I can walk you home."
"I live near here, I can make it by myself." Hotaru began to
walk, but was stopped when Ranma grabbed her arm.
"But I insist. There are all sorts of weirdoes walking around at
night. I'll protect you."
"Well, if you insist. It's this way." Hotaru held Ranma's hand
as they walked to their house. She didn't normally behave this way
around strangers, but she felt safe around Ranma for some reason.
*****
"How long do you think we'll be gone? How much should I pack?"
Ukyo was in her room, busy packing clothes into a suitcase. She
was still in a daze. It was hard to believe that only a few short hours
ago, she was all alone in her apartment above the Ucchan's. Now she had
a goddess living with her.
"Don't pack too much. We'll only be gone for a day or two. We
might even be done in a few hours." Skuld entered her room and looked
at the large suitcase on the bed.
"You won't need all that." Ukyo stopped throwing clothes from
her closet onto her bed and looked at her new companion.
"But you said we were going to Jusenkyo. It's going to take a
while to get there, and we still have to get back. It's not like we're
going to Beijing. There are no trains, buses, or planes going there.
We'll need to hike up the mountains. That'll take at least a week."
Skuld giggled slightly. "We won't need to do any of that. I'm
a goddess, all we need is to fill up your bathtub."
*****
"So, what was _that_ all about?"
Makoto turned to Usagi, waiting for an explanation. The rest
of the inner senshi looked at her as well.
"Well, I didn't want to give her the crystal."
Rei's left eye twitched. This was not the answer that she was
looking for.
"What I meant was, why didn't you want to give it to her?"
"Well, I had to make sure there were no more obstacles to my
destiny with Mamo-chan. I can't leave true love to chance."
"But what about those things Setsuna said? Shouldn't we have
listened to her? I mean, she _does_ have more experience with this
sort of thing than we do. What if she was right? What if something
bad _does_ happen after Crystal Tokyo?"
Minako didn't like this at all. At this rate, the battle for
Ranma's affections would be over before it even started.
"We'll deal with that when it happens. The important thing is
that Crystal Tokyo is still there. As long as it stands, there's still
hope." Usagi started eating what was left of her sundae, which had
melted considerably while she was arguing with Setsuna.
"But Setsuna-" Makoto found herself unable to finish as Usagi
abruptly cut her off.
"Never mind what Setsuna said. I have a feeling in my gut that
I'm doing the right thing."
"Are you sure it's not just a tape worm?"
The girls all looked at Ami, who blushed under their combined
stares.
"What?"
Having convinced themselves that they were just hearing things,
they turned their attention back to Usagi, who had finished her first
sundae and was working on her second.
"Anyway, Setsuna is just being selfish. She doesn't want to get
married to Ranma so she's willing to risk my future with Mamoru just so
she can get out of marrying him. Honestly, she can be so self-centered
sometimes," Usagi said between mouthfuls of ice cream.
Makoto wasn't about to give up without a fight.
"I still think we're making a mistake. Setsuna has been doing
her job for ages. I think she'd know what to do in a situation like
this better than us."
"Why are you all being this way? I thought you were my friends!
You're supposed to support me, not question my decisions. The Silver
Imperium Crystal is _my_ responsibility. I'm not giving it to Setsuna,
and that's final! I'll talk to you guys tomorrow, after you've had a
chance to think this over. I'm sure you'll all see things my way after
sleeping on it. It's getting kinda late, and I'm leaving."
The rest of the inner senshi could only watch as Usagi picked
up her purse, bought another ice cream cone, and left.
*****
Plum went about her day cheerfully. There weren't any tourists
scheduled to visit today, and she would be getting a reprieve from
all the crazed martial artists that have been coming lately. She bent
down to one of the safe springs to the side, and prepared to fill up
the bucket she was carrying with water. She was just about to dip the
container in when the water started to ripple and glow. The water
started spinning, forming a miniature whirlpool on the center of the
spring. She stared transfixed at the spectacle until something emerged
from the middle. It was a girl.
Plum stumbled backwards in shock as first, the head and
shoulders of the girl were revealed. The rest of her body followed
shortly and she slowly floated towards the edge of the pool. She had
long, dark hair that flowed freely past her shoulders and reached the
small of her back. Her clothes were of a style that she had never seen
before. Strapped to her back was a long mallet. Her face also bore
markings that he had never seen before. Plum guessed her age to be
around thirteen.
After smoothing out the curves of the dress she was wearing,
she turned back towards the pool she came from and shouted into the
middle of the pool.
"It's okay, you can come in now!"
Plum watched as another figure emerged from the water. This one
was different from the girl before her. Her clothes were decidedly less
flashy than her younger companion, and her face had none of the strange
markings that adorned the younger one. Rather than a hammer, she had
what looked like a giant spatula strapped to her back. She was carrying
a small pack, and was looking around the place curiously.
"Wow, it's true! We really _are_ in Jusenkyo!"
The girl with the mallet turned to her companion. "Of course
we're in Jusenkyo. I'm a goddess, remember?"
Plum slowly stood up. She was used to being around strange
people by now, but a goddess was something new to her. She decided to
be friendly.
"Welcome to Jusenkyo, honored guests. I am Plum!" She smiled
as brightly as she could, hoping that the goddess was pleased with
her.
Skuld noticed the little girl for the first time.
"Oh, hello there. I am Skuld, goddess of the future. This is
my friend, Ukyo. We have come here in search of the spring of drowned
boy."
Plum heaved a sigh of relief. She could easily guide them to
the correct pool. "I would be happy to take you there, honored guests.
Please, follow me. It is a little ways off, towards the middle of the
training grounds."
Plum was happy that all they wanted was to find the spring of
drowned boy. Lately almost all the guests have been looking for the
more... exotic pools. As they neared the actual training grounds, she
began to think that maybe this would be an easy mission, over and done
with before she knew it.
Such thoughts evaporated when she saw the goddess' reaction to
seeing the cursed pools.
"Aaaaaaah! So many bugs! They're everywhere!" Skuld retrieved
her mallet, and began chasing down the bugs closest to her. She managed
to hit a lot of them, since there were so many. However, for every bug
she hit, three more would take its place.
"Please, honored guest, calm down! It is very dangerous to run
around this place!"
Plum shot a pleading look at Ukyo, who only hung her head
helplessly as Skuld ran deeper into the training grounds.
"Gotcha!" Skuld got rid of her eightieth bug, and looked around
her. It actually looked as if there were even more bugs than before.
She promptly started chasing after them again.
"Please calm down, honored guest! These are very dangerous
springs!" Plum walked carefully along the springs, mindful of every
step she made.
"Don't worry about me, I'm a goddess! I know what I'm doing!
I can handle a few- eeep!" Skuld stepped on a bug that had appeared
under her right foot and lost her balance. She stumbled for a few
seconds, before falling into one of the springs.
"Oh no! That is the legendary spring of drowned-" Plum found
herself pushed to the side as Ukyo ran past her to the spring Skuld
had fallen into.
"We've got to help her! I don't know if she can swim, she might
drown!" Ukyo held the handle of her battle spatula and thrust it into
the water.
"Skuld, can you hear me? Grab hold of the handle! I'll pull
you out!"
For a few seconds, nothing happened. Suddenly, a hand shot up
from under the water. Ukyo found herself pulled in before she even
realized what had happened.
"Oh no..." Plum stared at the now still waters of the pool for
a few seconds, before she stood up and made her way back to her house.
She wasn't sure how the curse would affect a goddess, but she didn't
want to stick around to find out.
*****
"Gotcha, serves you right." Urd looked at the monitor in front
of her, which showed the still waters of the spring Ukyo and Skuld had
fallen into.
*****
"Okay, Ranma. We're here!" Hotaru stopped in front of a large
house and pointed to it.
"That's where I live."
Ranma looked at the house, noticing that it was very large. It
was much larger than the Tendo home. It was also well kept, and looked
very nice. He stopped staring when he realized that Hotaru had begun
walking up to the door. He quickly went to follow her.
"Nice place you got here. You must be loaded, Hotaru."
Hotaru blushed and ignored the comment. "Good night, Ranma.
I'll see you tomorrow."
"G'night, Hotaru. It was fun. I'd better get going now." Ranma
was already three steps away when he heard Hotaru call after him.
"Ranma!"
He turned to see that Hotaru had not moved from the door. She
quietly walked up to him, and pulled him into a hug. She kissed him
quickly on the cheek before she relinquished her hold on him.
"Thanks, Ranma, for everything."
Ranma stood speechless as the blushing young girl turned and
ran into the house. He raised his hand to his face and touched the area
where she had kissed him just moments ago.
He decided to get going before things got even weirder.
*****
Hotaru closed the door behind her, closed her eyes, and leaned
back on the door for support. She'd never done anything like that
before. Her heart was beating like crazy. She could hardly wait one
whole day to see Ranma again. When she opened her eyes, she found two
more pairs looking right at her.
"Who was that guy, Hotaru?"
Hotaru looked back and forth between Haruka and Michiru. They
weren't supposed to be here.
"Um... Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama... how was your date?"
Haruka rolled her eyes and stepped closer to Hotaru.
"Don't try to change the subject, young lady. We saw everything
from inside."
Hotaru felt beads of sweat forming on her brow. She knew she
hadn't done anything wrong, but she felt extremely nervous just the
same.
"He was just... a new friend of mine."
Michiru and Haruka looked at each other and looked back to
their little girl. It was Michiru's turn to ask questions.
"Friend?"
Hotaru's face broke out into a smile. "Yeah, his name is Ranma
Saotome. I met him today at the park. I was feeling kinda down but he
cheered me up. We're meeting again tomorrow."
Haruka's eyebrows raised at the mention of tomorrow's planned
activities. "Tomorrow, huh? Okay. If it's fine by Michiru, it's fine by
me."
Hotaru looked expectantly at Michiru. "Oh, alright. You can go,
but don't be late this time."
Hotaru jumped for joy and gave Haruka and Michiru a hug. "Thank
you, you're the best!"
She then climbed the stairs to her room. A few seconds later,
Michiru turned to her companion and broke the silence.
"So what do you think?"
Haruka looked thoughtful for a few moments. "I think we should
go down there and take a look for ourselves. If this Ranma is who I
think he is, things could get... interesting.
Michiru thought for a few seconds, then her eyes opened wide
with realization. "Ranma Saotome? _The_ Ranma Saotome?"
Haruka just walked over to a chair and sat down. "I'm not sure.
I guess we'll find out tomorrow."
*****
Minako turned to Makoto. "So, what's the deal with your Sempai,
Mako-chan?"
After Usagi left, the remaining inners did not bother to stay
for much longer. After finishing their sundaes, they decided to take
the train back to Juuban.
"Well, I met him a couple of years ago, when I was in the
fifth grade. I was such a wimp back then, and everyone was teasing me
because I was so tall and thin."
*****
"Stop it, that's not nice!"
A young Makoto Kino found herself trapped between a wall and
a group of older boys. One of them came closer, holding a large piece
of balled up bubble gum. He waved it threateningly at her.
"Who cares whether it's nice or not, it's fun!"
Makoto attempted to make a run for it, but found her way
blocked by one of the boys. She tries the opposite direction, but met
with similar results. She felt tears running down her eyes.
"Please stop, my Mom had to cut off some of my hair the last
time."
The boy brandishing the gum just laughed at her. "By the time
we're done with you, your mother will have to shave your head bald."
"Leave her alone, you big bully!"
The group abruptly stopped laughing, turning to see the idiot
who dared to challenge them. They found an average looking boy wearing
a bandanna on his head and carrying a large pack. The leader of the
group shook his head in disappointment.
"Oh, it's just some snotty kid playing superhero. Hey kid,
you better stay the hell out of our business if you know what's good
for you!"
The group moved closer to Ryoga, allowing Makoto to run to a
secluded corner and watch the confrontation from afar. She uttered a
silent prayer to the Kami that the group of bullies would be merciful
in their treatment of her rescuer.
"You're new here, so I'm gonna let you off easy this time. Just
give me all of your money and I'll let you go. How's that for a fair
deal, kid?"
The newcomer just looked menacingly at them. "I've got a better
deal. How about you stop harassing that girl, and I won't break _all_
of your bones?"
"Why you little... Get him!"
The group quickly circled Ryoga, who had dropped his pack and
was now holding an old fashioned umbrella. He was waving it around
like it was a sword.
"I don't know where you came from, but I'm sending you back!"
The leader of the group ran towards Ryoga and attempted to
punch the smaller boy. His fist was stopped long before it reached its
mark when the newcomer swatted it away with a blow from his umbrella.
The other boys heard a loud crack as every bone in his hand was crushed
by the strength of the blow. He cradled it in his other hand, tears
streaming from his face as he shouted at his comrades.
"What are you waiting for! Kick his ass! There's five of you
and one of him, you can't lose!"
The other boys looked questioningly at each other, then closed
in on their opponent. Ryoga looked around him and smirked before
running right at the biggest bully. The larger boy brought his hand
back to strike at Ryoga, but was never able to launch his attack as
he found himself with a brand new nasal cavity.
Makoto watched in fascination from her hiding place as Ryoga
quickly dealt with her former tormentors in painful fashion. She
gasped as Ryoga stood in the middle of his fallen foes, and walked
slowly towards the leader, still nursing his broken hand. He had
fallen to his knees, and was wailing in pain.
"I don't normally inflict this much pain on my opponents, but
I have a special hatred reserved for bullies like you."
Makoto looked on as Ryoga kicked the boy in the groin,
eliciting a shriek of pain from the former bully before he finally
passed out. She then noticed him approaching her. She shrank back
from him in fear.
"Don't be afraid, miss. I won't hurt you. I just want to make
sure you're alright. They didn't hurt you or anything, did they?"
Makoto slowly left her hiding place and answered in a soft
voice. "I'm okay."
"That's good." Ryoga turned to walk away and was already
hefting his pack when he noticed that the girl he saved had followed
him.
"Yes, what is it?"
The girl bowed low in front of him. "Thank you very much, sir.
If there is any way at all that I can repay you, please just ask."
Ryoga smiled at her. "Well, if you could help me find another
new student here, I'd be grateful."
Makoto stood up and frowned. "Another new student? What's his
name?"
Ryoga lifted his pack and turned back towards her. "I think he
transferred here a few weeks ago. His name is Saotome, Ranma Saotome."
Makoto's eyes brightened in recognition. "I know that name! I
think he transferred to this school one and a half months ago."
Ryoga ran towards her and held her by the shoulders. "Really?
Can you take me to him?"
Makoto, startled by his sudden action, held her books in front
of her protectively. "I'm not sure, but I can try."
Ryoga let go of her and looked to the skies, his fist raised
to the heavens.
"Finally I find you, Ranma Saotome! Vengeance will be mine at
last!"
*****
Makoto sighed wistfully as she finished telling the tale of her
first meeting with Ryoga.
"We spent a lot of time together after that. He wasn't really
older than me or anything but he was so much stronger that I called
him sempai anyway. It wasn't until two weeks later that we found out
that Ranma already left town the day before he arrived. He went after
him and left me. He still went back pretty often though, and we became
good friends. Then, one day, he broke my heart."
"What happened? What did he do?" Minako was hanging on to every
word, listening to the tale with great interest.
"Well, it was the last time he came to see me. I think it was
about two years ago. We were sitting under a tree, eating a picnic
lunch I'd prepared. I wanted to say something to him for the longest
time, and I figured that this was my chance."
*****
"Sempai, we have to talk."
Ryoga stopped eating the delicious sandwich Makoto had prepared
for him and turned towards her.
"What about, Mako-chan?"
Makoto took a deep breath, and looked to him with pleading
eyes. "You can't go on this way, Sempai. You've been chasing after
Ranma for so long. You have to stop, it's not worth it anymore."
"But he must be punished for skipping out on our duel all those
years ago!" Ryoga found himself torn between pleasing the girl he
loved and going after the vengeance he craved.
"Ryoga, it was so long ago. I don't think Ranma even remembers
it by now. please, just stop it. Do it for me, Ryoga." Tears were
welling up in her eyes, but Makoto forced them down.
"But... but Mako-chan..." Ryoga was at a loss, unable to decide
what he wanted.
"I can't go on like this, sempai. I can't keep playing second
to this mission of yours. I'm giving you until nightfall to make your
decision. I'll be waiting for you at the playground where we first
met tonight at six. I'm going to be there until eight in the evening.
If you don't come for me, I'll understand. You have to choose, Ryoga.
Ranma or me, you can't have both."
"But Mako-chan I can't-" Makoto raised a finger to Ryoga's
lips, silencing him.
"No buts, Ryoga. Just think, and choose. I'll be waiting."
Makoto stood up and ran away, leaving behind her a protesting
Ryoga.
"I waited until ten, actually. He never came for me, and now
I know why." A lone tear fell from Makoto's left eye, which she
quickly brushed off.
"Why that little jerk! I'll-" Makoto silenced Rei and regained
her composure.
"Stop it, Rei. Ryoga has made his decision, and we must respect
it. He obviously hasn't stopped chasing after Ranma to this day. I
gave him a choice and he chose his vendetta. Besides, I'm over him now.
I'm stronger now that he's broken my heart. I learned _one_ thing from
my experience with Ryoga, though." Makoto's eyes burned with resolve.
"What's that, Mako-chan?" Minako stopped wiping her eyes with
tissue and blew her nose.
"I learned that if you truly love a man, you must never give
him a choice. You must be ready to force yourself upon him if you
must! True love cannot be hampered by such trivial things as his own
feelings on the matter!"
"Right!" Makoto and Minako balled their hands into fists and
slammed them onto the table, their eyes burning.
Rei and Ami grew sweat drops the size of basketballs.
"Wasn't there something you wanted to tell us about Ranma,
Ami-chan?" Rei had heard enough about Ryoga. She could care less if
Makoto was dumped by the guy a couple of years ago. She had obviously
recovered well anyway.
Ami sighed. "Never mind that. It's getting pretty late. I'll
tell you guys tomorrow, when we meet up with Usagi. I have to analyze
these readings anyway. Let's just go home."
The inners made the rest of the trip in silence.
*****
Ranma rummaged along the various scrolls, artifacts, and other
junk in Happosai's bag. He had arrived an hour ago to the angry stares
of most of the Tendo household. He just took it in stride and went
straight to his room. He waited until everyone was asleep before he
crept into the small room where Happosai kept his bag of belongings
hidden.
A few minutes of reading later, Ranma discarded another of the
badly written scrolls and began reading a new one. His eyes got bigger
and bigger as he recognized the techniques described in it. He smiled
as he put the rest of the scrolls back into the bag and replaced it in
its hiding place.
'Found it!'
*****
Author's notes:
And the plot thickens even more... I realize I'm introducing
more questions than I'm resolving them but please bear with me. All
of your questions will be answered in time. Thanks for reading! I
would like to thank Ash, Chester, James Merrit, and Seaver for all
of their help and suggestions.
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters.