Ok this may seem stupid to you but it's really important to me.
Minako Aino Sailor Venus
Makoto Kino Sailor Jupiter
Yay! Now I won't forget!
And second.
On with the show!
Chapter 3: Unlocking False Truths
"Ah…. Another day… another dead demon." Mars sighed happily as the youma faded into nothing.
She pulled her arms behind her head and walked towards the rest of the Senshi who were present. It was a small number compared to usual but then again, it was a small youma compared to usual. It was a leftover, a fugitive from the good ole' days of Beryl making it a very quick fight.
The only Senshi who were present were Mars, Venus, and Mercury. The others were preoccupied at the moment.
"So… Looks like you had fun, eh Rei Hino?" Someone asked suddenly.
Rei froze. Her life flashed before her eyes as she slowly turned to witness the assailant who knew her name.
"Oh god." She trembled. As she finally swung a full hundred and eighty degrees, she came face to face with a young, brown haired woman. Young, meaning slightly older then herself. The girl hopped off the stone bench upon which she sat and strode over to her.
"Caught your attention that fast, eh? You Senshi are PATHETIC at hiding your identities. I had all of the "inners" names and phone numbers in just two weeks of snooping! Though unfortunately, I'm having a little bit of a problem discovering the identity of Ranma's kidnapper." She stated.
"Wha… What do you… Who are you?" She asked.
"Hey Mars! Hurry up!" Mercury shouted.
Suddenly Rei turned around to look at Mercury. The look of pure terror in her eyes told Mercury that they would not be going anywhere. Not yet.
"Hmm. I suppose I have caught your interest?" Nabiki asked. "Fine. My name is Nabiki Tendo. You might have heard of me? I've been told my reputation is usually a few steps ahead of me?"
Rei was too far in shock about hearing her name while transformed to notice too much of what the girl was saying but she had caught, and recalled Pluto talking about, her name.
"Oh don't worry so much! And stop hanging your mouth open! It's pretty easy to keep me silent. All you have to do is get my sister her Ranma back.
"I… I… " Rei said but it came out as almost nothing but stuttering. Suddenly her allies appeared next to her. Her confidence was boosted, at least enough to give her the ability to talk sensibly.
"Wha.. What do you want?" She asked. To herself it sounded like an unconfident school girl voice. To Nabiki it sounded like cornered and defenseless prey.
"Didn't I just say that all I want is Ranma back?" She asked impatiently. She was about to go on to explain the fundamentals of her bargain when suddenly a portal appeared not four feet from her. Nabiki's expression remained tranquil as Ranma's abductor appeared.
"I'll be the one making bargains here." Said Pluto as she exited her portal leaving it to close behind her.
"Finally, I'm getting somewhere. Well, since I haven't pulled a name up for you yet you mind telling me first off? I always did hate formal titles." Nabiki said. Her words were fueled with all the slyness she possessed, and with good reason as well.
She did not want to underestimate this Pluto and lulling her into a false sense of friendliness could be her undoing. She didn't even have to look at Pluto to know that she was just as "on par" in the ways of dealing as Nabiki herself.
"Heh. Well, I'm sorry about that, but I have very strict formalities where I am from. Pluto will be fine Miss Tendo." Pluto said with the same sort of tone.
"Hmm. Well let's get this party started. You have someone I want back. I don't know why you kidnapped Ranma and as long as he is returned, I don't care. However, if you do NOT return my sister's fiancée, I will be forced to take more… drastic measures.
"Oh? Well… please inform me of your more drastic measures. It doesn't matter anyway any more. As a matter of fact there should be no reason why the Senshi can not come out in the open. There are no enemies left to take advantage of them should they be in their… weakened state. So… what again were those drastic measures?" Pluto asked.
"Hmm. Is that so? Mars's reaction here seemed to say otherwise." Nabiki said coolly. She brushed her hair back out of her eye and stared at Pluto.
"She is childish and young. It doesn't matter. We can't give you your girl back," Pluto stated. "because we didn't take her."
"Don't give me that bullshit." Nabiki said, her tone having become cold. "I watched and video taped the entire thing."
Pluto looked down and shook her head side to side with her eyes closed, making to look like she was saddened by Nabiki's words.
"My poor girl…" Pluto murmured. "Your insane yet ingenious plan appears to have worked perfectly. I'm sorry about this."
"What are you talking about?" Nabiki asked. She regretted the words as soon as she said them. They would give way to a story that she did not want to hear. She did not like this woman.
"You are under the impression that we, I in particular, kidnapped your… what was her name? Ranma?" She asked still using the sad tone. She raised her head and looked into Nabiki's eyes.
"Of course… I watched it happen." Nabiki replied.
"I did not take Ranma. You forced yourself to become so deluded that you now believe your own false story. Akane destroyed your precious Ranma-chan. As soon as the video appeared, I looked in the time gates and watched her do it." Pluto said while still remaining calm.
"How DARE YOU!" Nabiki cried. Her brain ached for the answers it needed. She didn't like to become angry but when she did her mind went into overdrive.
"Who are you to say what I have and have not done when I, along with my entire school, am CERTAIN of your involvement in Ranma's kidnapping?" Nabiki cried.
Pluto's reply was instant and perfect in almost all manners. "I am the Senshi of Time, chosen to protect the Time gates. I looked into your past and watched your actions as soon as you gave us a bad name in the public. I don't know why you chose us to blame for your crimes. But for whatever reason, you and your sister are lying, murdering, fools." Pluto stated. Her tone was the bored and unreadable tone that usually decorated Nabiki's face.
"You think that I-!" Nabiki started.
"I'm here! I'm here!" Came the cry as a bubbly looking blonde girl came into view. "Finally…" Pluto muttered. "Quickly! You must use your Moon Healing Activation on her and let her remember what TRULY happened!"
"Her? Her who?" Sailor moon asked.
The other sailors, along with Pluto pointed to Nabiki. Nabiki had become a little edgy… she didn't exactly have backup and she was not expecting a fight.
"What the heck?" Nabiki asked. "What in the world are you talking about?"
"You have twisted your own mind with made-up stories and alibis. This should cure you." Pluto said.
"Alright then Pluto. Here It goes. MOON HEALING ACTIVATION!" Sailor Moon cried. She preformed the dance quickly to Nabiki's eyes, though it seemed to take half an hour to the Sailors. Nabiki had been around long enough to know about the brain. And she knew, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that something was in hers. Messing with her head and memories. This was her last thought before what she knew was true was forgotten, and what she knew was false, became true.
Memories flooded into her. Memories of how Akane had killed Ranma by malleting him to a bloody and broken corpse in the ground. Memories of how she had conspired with Akane to keep it a secret by making a fake video about the Senshi and by having a fake Ranma and Akane act like they were in love.
Suddenly she felt them appear in her mind's eyes. It seemed as if she was watching a black and white video, looking down upon herself.
"It has to be Pluto. She's the only one who could possibly kidnap Ranma." Nabiki watched herself say.
"But are you sure this will work Nabiki? I mean… Ranma getting kidnapped?" Akane asked. "It has too Akane. Otherwise, you could end up in jail. And no member of MY family is going to jail." Nabiki had stated.
"But how in the world could we get the ENTIRE school to believe it? I'm… scared Nabiki." Akane pouted. She poked her index fingers together nervously.
"You don't need to worry about that, Akane-chan. I have some VERY good actors. They owe me almost a hundred thousand yen each, and both are perfect with mirror effects and the like. Ranma's kidnapping will go off without a hitch and look exactly like Pluto did it herself!" Nabiki exclaimed.
"I'm still not sure… why again did you choose to blame the Sailor Scouts?" Akane asked.
"Because, they're the only ones even CAPABLE of kidnapping Ranma! The guy killed a GOD, correct Akane! The Sailors kill demons on a daily basis. If anyone had a chance at kidnapping Saotome, they would." Nabiki exclaimed. "Akane, your going to have to act a little bit too. This is going to be REALLY hard. We somehow have to A: Make you appear to be in love with Ranma. And him back. B: We have to prove Ranma is Ranma by somehow faking his curse and possibly . And C: Pull it off in a believable way."
Akane shivered.
The vision faded and Nabiki
was snapped back to the present. She stared at Pluto. Understanding and
guilt flew through her brain, letting her emotions play across her face
for the first time in a very long while.
"Are you alright, Tendo-san?" Pluto asked.
Nabiki felt like crying. How could she have done something so horrible? How could she… how could… how… She fled.
Pluto grinned. All going according to plan.
"You may go, scouts. Our work here is done. She won't bother us again." Pluto told the other scouts. Mars was still shivering. Her name exposed meant press at her house, youma attacking her grandfather or herself when she was untransformed. Possibly right in the middle of school.
But Pluto's words soothed her. "What are you going to do Pluto?" She asked. Pluto's eyes had drifted to where Nabiki had run and this had not gone unnoticed by Mars.
"I'm going to enlist her help." Pluto said. "Crystal Tokyo will be here much sooner then any of us anticipated. The great freeze will start within the year." Pluto said. "If anyone can help us… it's that girl. Stay on guard for Akane Tendo. If she comes, you'll know what to do." Pluto stated, slightly glaring at Moon.
Moon nodded giddily as always. "Of course! Moon Healing Activation. Got it!"
"Good." Pluto said. Then she was gone.
Within the void and darkness of Ranma's abode, she watched. She saw this mind healing trick that appeared to have recovered Nabiki's memories… there weren't many things that could make Nabiki cry but as she ran, Ranma's mirror became water-logged. She begged herself that what Pluto had said wasn't true. "My Akane… she wouldn't… couldn't have killed me. It couldn't have been her… and Nabiki… she…" Ranma muttered to herself.
If it were true, Ranma knew she should be angry at Akane. She should hate her… despise her. But, try as she might, she could not bring herself to hate or despise the girl. Not in the slightest bit. It couldn't be true. There was just no way that her Akane… the love of her life, would kill her. It just wasn't possible.
She waited and hoped.
Nabiki lay on her bed, buried in covers. She had gone to face Pluto today to win yet another simple duel of wits. But she had lost. So horribly had she lost. How could she have deluded herself like that? How? HOW?
She thought back to her memories. They were steel. Concrete. Absolute. She remembered everything with the crystal clarity of remembering something that had happened seconds ago. She remembered watching Akane beat Ranma constantly. Trying to stop Akane but failing. And then, once it was all said and done, conspiring this little plot of theirs, so Akane would be safe from the evil hands of the law.
"I can't have done that. It's just… not… not POSSIBLE! I couldn't have…" But she could not deny her own memories.
Taran Bowlig. Ranma Saotome's male impersonator. An accomplished actor and voice master, who happened to owe her ninety thousand yen due to a loan. He came from northern Japan and, while he didn't look much like Ranma, he had the same height and general build. That was all that mattered. Nabiki had dress experts.
Oheri Ayukawa. Ranma Saotome's female impersonator. A young martial artist who happened to look almost identical to Ranma's female half. Fortunately her entire art was based on chi techniques therefore, impersonating Ranma's Moko Takabisha wasn't difficult at all. She came from America but had very good, albeit rough, Japanese making her a perfect fit.
Sunahi Odeecha. Sailor Pluto's impersonator. A young woman, who was EXTREMELY good with mirrors, lights, and special effects. People who thought Ranma was being dragged into a portal were actually seeing mirrors. Same effect for Ranma's curse. The portal was just an effect perfectly planned out by the specialist girl. As were her perfect imitation Dead Screams. All copied. All fake. All… Not… Ranma.. Ranma was DEAD! And she had hardly thought a thing about it! Not to mention how incredibly easy the entire thing was to pull off. It had taken her a total of seven hours to contact and transport the actors here and teach them of their roles.
"Oh my god… what have I become?" Nabiki said aloud. "Am I just some pathetic con-artist?"
Be that as it may, Nabiki was impressed by her own ingenuity. By deluding herself and Akane into believing their own entire story with the help of an elderly Chinese monk after all the events involving Ranma's kidnapping had occurred, all would have been well. At least would have been well had the Senshi not known how to cure magical delusions such as the ones she and Akane had gone through.
"Do not blame yourself, Tendo Nabiki. You are not at fault here. Akane is the one who destroyed the boy. All you did was try to help her." A voice said.
Nabiki quickly turned and jumped at the sight of the green haired Senshi standing against her wall. "You!" She cried.
"Yes. Me. I normally do not associate myself with the common folk. However, I feel compassion for your plight Nabiki. That ruthless sister of yours begged you to help her and help you did. I wish to offer you a… sort of trade."
"What kind of trade! Is there something else that I am deluding myself into? What else is there? Is there more that I've covered from myself with delusions! Please! You… you have to help me! Please… I'm sorry… I…" Nabiki nearly sobbed. She grabbed the woman and hugged her tightly letting a small trickle of tears fall onto the green haired girl's shoulder.
Pluto jumped back in surprise, but slowly she relaxed against the girl. Apparently, the Moon Healing Activation had let out a few things other then just her crafted memories. This girl was definitely NOT used to showing emotion.
"Calm yourself child. Be calm… be still. All will be well. No, from my Time Gate I have seen that you hold no other delusions for yourself. I promise." She soothed. Nabiki's grip slowly loosened and she pulled herself away from Pluto.
"Now. Where is the Tendo Nabiki I saw in my gate? You must collect yourself. I wish to have you, at least temporarily, as a personal assistant. And if you are going to look like this you will never be able to handle the job." Pluto stated.
"Wha..?" Nabiki asked, dumbfounded. "But… why?"
"Because, I sense a kindred spirit in you Nabiki. A person of great intelligence and aspiration for power. How else could you have pulled off such and ingenious kidnapping scene?" Pluto asked.
Nabiki was, to say the least, still shocked.
"I… Um. Well," Nabiki stuttered.
"You don't need to make your decision right away child. The thing that matters least to me, is time." Pluto said.
"Ok." Nabiki replied. Her mask was about ninety percent back into place. All that remained was her red eyes, and her unsteadiness at losing a battle of wits.
"Ok… what exactly is this… trade?" Nabiki asked. "I will have you as an assistant. For quite a while nothing will be asked of you, save for you avoid Akane until we can unleash her memories… just like yours." Pluto said.
Nabiki shuddered.
"And then?" Nabiki asked.
"When the time comes, you will be our… agent so to speak. When it is time to reveal our presence to the world, you will be the announcer." Pluto told her.
"And… what's in it for me?" Nabiki asked.
"Other than me publicly taking the blame for kidnapping Ranma? Money… lots and lots of money." Pluto said.
"How… much money are we talking about here?" Nabiki asked.
"Enough to keep even YOU set for life. Enough for you to perhaps, not have to worry about money. Maybe enough to give you the time to think of something else?" Pluto said. It seemed to be some sort of a question but Nabiki could not read it, nor understand what the "else" she was talking about could possibly be.
"I… That's quite a lot. Your sure? I.. Why are you offering this to me?" Nabiki asked.
"As I said before, you and I are alike. In more ways than you can fathom." Pluto said.
"I… see." Nabiki replied. "I'm assuming you want me to keep your identities secret for now? Correct?"
"For now. But what will come to pass is not exactly what you would consider a form of democracy. I know you don't know of the goals of the Senshi. Before you accept this, I will tell you of our plans." Pluto said.
"Plans?" Nabiki asked.
"Yes… plans. Plans for the great city of Crystal Tokyo." Pluto stated.
Nabiki listened as Pluto began to tell all that could be told of the magnificent city that would come to be within the decade.
Her thoughts of becoming a business woman slowly shifted as Pluto told of her future plans, to thoughts of being a high ruler of the planet. The dollar signs in her eyes turned to golden crowns.
The boy called Ranma quickly became a thought that entertained only the back alleys of her thought.
"Damn it…" Ranma sighed. She knew this day was coming. The twenty year anniversary, and the day of change, came with all the people through who's eyes she had viewed. And Nabiki was certainly no exception. It had been an interesting life Nabiki lived. Many secrets Nabiki had held from her when she was young, Ranma now knew and planned to use should she ever be able to return.
She was happy that she had regained so much after all that time. But so very sad to be leaving the life of her former friend.
Then
she regarded Nabiki. She had, well, become very outgoing in the last
fifteen years. Ever since Pluto had given her that job she had almost
instantly amassed wealth others only dreamed of. And, with that said
and done, Nabiki had time for "something else" just as Pluto had said.
So Nabiki found herself a husband.
"Toushi-chan! I… Love…" Nabiki
cooed as she leaned in to kiss her husband. Suddenly she whipped around
him and caressed his right butt-cheek. "Your Wallet! OH! It is so
precious! Oh thank god I married a rich man!"
She poked his bulging wallet pocket a few times before standing to face her smiling husband.
"You know that's really ironic coming from the most powerful woman on the planet who is not a Senshi." Toushi replied.
Nabiki ignored him, preferring to poke his butt and wallet a few more times.
"Nabiki, you do that every other day, you know. Every now and then, I wonder if you still love me." He asked twisting his head around to look down at her.
"Of course!" Nabiki replied as if it were the most common thing in the world for her. "I've loved you ever since I first laid eyes on you Toushi Kotobaki!" She cried as she stood.
He stared her down skeptically. "You loved my wallet more than me the first three years we knew each other!" He exclaimed. "I was your lawyer! Who falls in love with their lawyer?"
"Eh… Apparently me. Hmph. Eh so what? What's important is the here and now!" She cried. "So… wanna go shopping? Your treat?" She asked brandishing her unskilled yet still effective, puppy dog eyes.
They sat down on the couch, Nabiki and Ranma both looking deep into the eyes of Nabiki's lover. Ranma wasn't sure if she should stay or not. "Shopping" had become somewhat of an inside joke to Nabiki and Toushi. It meant that they either wanted to have sex or wanted to go and buy clothing and jewelry and the like. Considering they were sitting down, Ranma had no idea but figured it was probably the first.
She also hated when they had sex. Not just them either… when anyone did in the mirror, it was yet another thing that she… she had missed out on in her life.
Suddenly Ranma heard the painful squeal of the infant daughter of Nabiki, formally known as Natsumi.
"But, Natsumi-san! I just.. I just put you to sleep!… Oh.. Damn." Nabiki pouted. She sluggishly lifted herself off her husband and walked through the hallway of the home. By the way her vision was bouncing Ranma figured Nabiki was swaying her hips in a hopeful attempt to entice her husband. Ranma never found out if she had or not. Because the imaged abruptly disappeared. Faded to darkness.
Ranma sat alone again, waiting for the next life. Who knows? It could even be Akane's.
Ranma had felt that this could be the perfect time to reminisce on Nabiki's past. Ranma had learned much about her own past during her time with Nabiki. She had remembered… well almost everything about herself.
There were still vague faces that she could not recall, though. Her first kiss, she remembered, was not exactly one she was fond of. She had remembered her curse… and her true form though she didn't really remember the fundamentals of being a male. She knew deep down that she would probably never be happy in her original form lest she recover her memories from her TRUE life. Chances? Unlikely.
Many other people she remembered as well. Characters from her life, all those thousands of years ago had appeared… and one by one, slowly left… leaving him to drift, soon making the thought of him fade into nothing but a memory even to Nabiki.
Shampoo had been the first. After her humiliating defeat at the hands of Sailor Pluto, not to mention her inability to exact the kiss of death, Pluto and the other Amazons left quickly.
The Kuno's had probably gone insane. The last time Nabiki had seen them, Kodachi was attacking Akane, who was in turn, being defended by Tatewaki.
Supposedly, the fight had been a stalemate, ending with both parties unconscious and finally, in a mental institution. Nabiki had never heard about them again.
Ryoga had already left but had come back in Akane's time of need, or so she heard. Though, Nabiki stopped associating herself with her family more and more as time went by. And the job of being the Senshi of Time's assistant had begun to grow on her.
And Ranma was saddened all the more.
Suddenly she felt a prick in her mind. It didn't appear to do anything damaging but it seemed as if someone had mentally poked her in the head. Like a headache that lasted only for a few seconds.
"What the hell?" She thought.
She twitched a little bit, preparing for it to assault her again. And assault it did. She again felt the small poke.
"OW!" She cried. It didn't actually hurt but it could become damn annoying.
She lay down and closed her eyes. And there she saw light.
Normally when she closed her eyes she saw the same darkness as everyone else. However, this time there was something there. As if she could see a dark veil. But she could see through the veil. A light, was shining, just on the other side of it. A bright white powerful light, that could be her key to escape. Suddenly a slight bit of the light escaped through the veil and pricked her, giving her the same annoyed feeling.
A word fluttered into her mind. She didn't know where or how it had gotten there, but there it was.
"Saidin."
The light stood there, just beyond her grasp.
"Hiya!" Akane shouted again. Her haymaker slammed towards the body of Genma Saotome however it was a complete miss which left her open for way to many attacks for her to count.
And Genma exploited every one of them.
Fortunately, Genma held some of the same hatred for hitting girls as Ranma did, so Akane was not sent flying into a nearby tree or anything akin to that kind of pain.
However she slumped to the ground protecting her bruised and broken stomach. She threw up a little in her mouth as she waited for the taunts that she KNEW would come.
"Come on you weak little girl! All my life I taught Ranma how weak little girls like you are! Now here you are, proving my point all over again! GET UP!" He shouted down on her.
It really dampened Akane's spirits but she persevered. She would NOT give up. She would become strong enough to face the Senshi or her name wasn't Akane Tendo.
She wobbled to her feet and to a ready stance again. Genma's left fist flew toward her, but this one she dodged with a slide to her left. She crouched and used a sweep kick she had seen Ranma use on him before. Unfortunately he read the moved and bound over her. He crouched, performing the same move and tripping her as she rose to her feet.
She leapt up quickly before he could continue with his taunts. She preformed a back round house kick flying straight into his stomach. He skidded back a few feet and smiled.
"Now that's more like it. But you'll need more than that, little girl!" He cried. He flew towards her yet again, slamming a straight right punch into her face, sending her careening backward to land painfully on her back.
"Ahh!" She cried at the impact. She lay twitching for a few moments. When she had again regained enough of her conscious mind to try to again return to her feet she looked up to see Genma who had come to stand over her.
"Roll over." He commanded.
She wasn't exactly sure what he had said. Her body was in too much pain to completely register it. But when he put his foot on her shoulder and rolled her onto her stomach, she almost felt the energy to complain.
Suddenly his hands hit her back and rubbed her shoulder blades for a few moments placing her in a temporary heaven. Suddenly, he grasped her shoulder blades and twisted. The clearing reeked with the sound of a crack.
It hurt Akane like hell but suddenly her back felt in place again. The pain faded slowly and soon she was on her feet again.
"I… Thanks Mr. Saotome." Akane said as she forced herself to her feet.
"Don't go soft on me Akane. If you plan to become my son's wife then you'd better be able to handle that yourself next time!" He cried. His fists flew this time, sending them at a rate of about eighty… possibly ninety punches per minute.
Akane didn't know how she did it. But in the three days she had resided in the clearing with her fiancée's father, she knew she had become astronomically better in the art. Because she knew that there was no way she could have weaved through the punches now flying her way, three days before. But weave she did. And she truly enjoyed it. She still knew she was no where near Ranma's level. But she was getting closer.
For some strange reason, she felt that Ranma was watching her. She didn't know how. But Ranma, HAD to be watching her.
Suddenly it began to rain, causing Akane's target to become much more ferocious. Soon one of the paws made a hit, strengthening her all the more. Through the barrage of punches she searched, ever more frantically for an opening. She never found one and soon lost her ability to dodge as his connected hits became more and more numerous.
Genma was impressed. Ranma had, of course, shown much more potential then Akane. But at the rate she was going she would beat all of Ranma's other fiancée's with ease soon. Possibly even become a match for that Ryoga boy.
But she had a long way to go to get to Ranma. Genma, despite his outer attitude, was proud of his son. After all, who else could say their son killed a demi-god?
Genma could!
But perhaps he could be proud of his daughter-in-law as well. Hmm. If anything, her determination was something to definitely be proud of. It was amazing how many times she stood when she should be out cold.
Just like Ranma had.
Yes. Genma was proud
"Another life goes bye. Time… That's all I have now. Time, time and more time." Ranma thought to herself. "And one day… All people will have time. One day they will all be like me. All alone… All alone! Ha ha." Ranma muttered to herself.
She lay on the ground, twiddling hundreds of tiny balls of light around in amazing formations, taking temporary joy in her skill. And then anger at the worthlessness of it.
Another two thousand years had gone by. Another hundred lives. Big deal.
She closed her eyes and treated herself with another view of the great black veil that housed the light.
It wasn't a veil actually. It was more like a wall. A great, black, flowing, transparent, barrier between her and her light.
It had a small crack that she had made over the years by, in essence, mentally pounding on it.
Some of the light seeped through this crack… had been seeping through the crack since she had found it. They were small streams of raw power, and they had strengthened her even more. She felt that they had done something else to her though she was unsure of what.
As time had gone on she had become less and less caring for the world of the mirror, preferring to spar against her own self created shadow images.
But she did want one thing. She wanted EVERYONE to experience the joys of being alone for the eighteen thousand years she had been subjected too. She had become jealous of the living. So much so…
She didn't understand why. She knew that a mere two thousand years ago she had been…. Mostly completely normal. But she had been driven partially insane by her own memories. Memories of what had happened to her. Did Akane kill her? Did Pluto? Or was the video true?
She didn't remember. Two thousand years, one hundred lives, and fading memories had all occurred between her last sighting of Akane.
This time she remembered who the girl was. And dreamed of the good days when she did not remember her. Those days had been easy. She had no reason to feel jealous of anyone. But when she even thought of anyone taking lightly of the chance to talk to Akane it made her blood boil. She hadn't been able too. For twenty years while she had been with Nabiki she had not been able to talk to the girl. Suddenly the mirror sprang to life again as it always did.
And again… she saw someone from her memories. And yet again. Akane was brought back into her life.
"But Akane-chan! You can't!" The black haired man shouted.
But the voice from the mirror interrupted. "I can and I will if Mr. Saotome doesn't train me."
It was a dark and devious threat, at least to the man receiving it. Ranma could tell. From the reaction on the black haired man's face Ranma knew that whoever's eyes she was looking through was placing a horrible threat on the man. And then his name came to her.
"Soun." She thought. "Soun Tendo. Father of-"
"My baby yelled at me!" The man cried.
"Saotome-san! You MUST train her! For the sake of her humanity!"
"Saotome? My.." Ranma exclaimed. Suddenly the vision turned and faced a large man in a white gi.
"My father." Ranma thought.
It was amazing how he appeared to have not changed a bit.
"My Akane… I can see you… finally… I can see you again." Ranma sighed. Tears came from her eyes and landed on the ground, dissolving into it's darkness instantly.
Ranma felt her insanity dwindle. She no longer felt the urge to bring all people into her misery. Not anymore. And she was glad.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"DAMNITALL!" Akane swore. She lay in her tent thinking about the day and the events that had led to her usual defeat.
The man would not fall. Even after a month and a half! No matter how hard she tried, no matter how much she concentrated, that damn bastard always found a way to maneuver around all her attacks.
So much like Ranma. It was amazing how alike they were. The only difference was this man was a cold hearted bastard. While Ranma was sweet, kind, caring. All other mannerisms of perfect.
"STUPID UNCUTE TOMBOY!"
The words rang in her mind. "DUMB INSENSITIVE JERK!" Came her own voices reply.
"Hmm. He was only kind and caring in the past few months. So… why can't I get him off my mind?" She thought.
He was a perverted boy who had wormed himself into her mind, heart, and not to mention her pants.
Then when he had everything, disappeared leaving a promise of "I'll be back!" And that was that.
"No. He'll come back. I'll make him come back. And when I get him back I'm NEVER letting him go again." She almost clipped on the words, "He's Mine" to her mental monologue. But she caught herself. She did not want to think of him as a possession.
Suddenly her stomach rumbled.
"Oh… that really hurts!" She moaned.
It was curious… ever since about two weeks previous her stomach had been aching. Also, curious. She had not had her period at the right time like normal. As a matter of fact, it still hadn't yet occurred.
"Ooooh." She moaned again. She rolled over on her futon.
She decided to go to sleep. She knew that Genma would wake her in the most annoying way possible. He seemed to enjoy it immensely, so she had prepared to be on guard.
She lay down again on her futon and quickly fell asleep.
"Don't worry Akane. I'm watching you. I'm still here with you. Watching you."
The voice was very soft. But Akane had thought she had heard it, just as she fell into dreamless sleep.
Shampoo was happy. She stood, accompanied by one other person in an abandoned clearing. Finally, her chance to rid herself of this stupid honor kiss. She could finally rid herself of her "airen" and go home to be the champion of the village again.
"So… You keep Ranma. You swear?" She asked, tentatively but still holding a slightly threatening tone.
She had been looking for Sailor Pluto for almost two weeks now. Finally she had found her and, having done that, she convinced a compromise from the witch. She had brought her to this clearing no less then twenty seconds before, telling her plan to Pluto on the way.
"From what I know of him, it will be a long time… at least six months, before I will allow him back." The green haired woman said. "Alright… you somehow make your great-grandmother believe Nabiki's story. I will make sure that your villages ears are turned away from any information about Ranma's release."
"Good. Ok. I don't want do this part. But you beat Shampoo now." Shampoo commanded. Shampoo braced herself and became ready for the damage.
Sailor Pluto nodded.
"Dead Scream!" Pluto cried. The blast threw Shampoo back and slammed her into a tree.
The tree was strong. It held Shampoo as attack upon attack came whirling from Pluto, slamming Shampoo further and further into the tree.
Her eyes were closed. She had expected pain, but this was down right mutilating. Blood fell from her face and abdomen. Her arms were scarred from the bark of the tree they were being forced into repeatedly. Her back faired no better. Her clothing, ripped and torn, exposing certain places Shampoo would rather not be exposed.
The onslaught stopped and she fell out of the tree, falling to the ground in a disheveled pile of flesh blood and fabric.
"You know the plan." Were the words she heard from Pluto as her consciousness left her.
Akane's training went quickly. It lasted for a grand total of two months.
Most of her newfound skill appeared during the last two weeks. She had become determined to defeat the Senshi and thus began waking up at ungodly hours, training breakfast which lasted a grand total of say ten minutes, and then doing the same for the rest of the day, ten minutes per food break. While she progressed the most during this time, the most interesting time had been when she was on her period.
She had almost defeated Genma in barely contained rage. She had woken him from his slumber in the same way he usually did to her. By throwing him into a tree. Then the had fought ferociously to the point of exhaustion when they both collapsed. It was horribly funny. But it was all worth it.
By the end of her training Akane had become GOOD.
And not just decently good. Ranma knew that if she had been fighting Akane, back when she was still free anyway, Akane could have given her a run for her money.
Well, even that might be pushing it. Ranma probably still would have been able to toy with Akane, but not as much as she could with Ukyo or Shampoo.
She thought of how Akane's training had progressed. As she had almost come to be able to defeat Mr. Saotome, Ryoga showed up and attacked Genma with a rage. Genma was older but that did not mean he was weaker.
Ryoga met his match in Ranma's father. They traded blow for blow until Akane malleted them both into unconscious bliss.
In the end, they both helped Akane train. Ryoga enlisted in the aid of Akane against the Senshi, knowing that he could no longer have Akane's love. Ranma suspected he secretly hoped for her loss.
Akane's power grew exponentially. Soon she came close to being able to take on both Ryoga and Genma at the same time.
Ranma figured both of them were holding back a little but Akane definitely gave them a run for their money a few times. But if Akane were to be put up against the eighteen thousandish years she had lived…
Ranma wasn't sure if ANYONE could give her a run for her money, now. She had become godly. Or… so she hoped. Given eighteen thousand years she hoped she had become strong. But she had no one to compare herself too. No one to compete against.
So alone.
She glanced back from her
own training towards the screen. Akane was no longer training. She was
now in a tent resting with her eyes still open.
"Today is the day." Akane muttered to herself. "I'm going back today." She said to herself.
"Today.." Ranma thought. "Perhaps today… maybe today I will be freed."
It was an old thought. Ranma had thought it about once a day for a very long time now. Sometimes even twice a day. Dreaming to herself about acquiring freedom had become somewhat of a hobby.
But perhaps, today Akane would be able to save her from her prison. Or perhaps not. Ranma could not get her hopes up. She'd been keeping them down for… thousands of years. She couldn't become hopeful for aid now.
"Come on. It's time to head back!" Akane shouted as she exited her tent.
She began to pull up the sides of her tent and quickly folded it back into a carrying size and placed it in her pack.
"Um gruff rowr." Came from Ranma's father as Akane finished folding her tent. He exited his tent and yawned. It annoyed him that his new trainee was so… good in the mornings.
Ryoga was the last to wake. Though he beat Genma in folding his tent by about ten minutes. "Come on old man! Your son would be ashamed of you! Were waiting!" Ryoga shouted.
The panda flashed it's claws at Ryoga and continued to try to force the tent to fold correctly with his enormous paws.
After Genma's third try Ryoga did it for him. He simply could not bend the tent correctly in his panda form.
During this time Akane had grown impatient. "Hey, come on! I wanna get home!" Akane cried. "So I can go to Juuban." She stopped herself from adding.
The journey home was uneventful. None of them spoke. Ryoga only got lost once or twice. Akane remained silent as well.
"Taidama!" Akane cried as she entered the house.
"Oh. Welcome home Akane! It's been so long! I was getting worried!" Kasumi cried. She ran to her sister and hugged her gently.
"It's good to be back Kasumi. But, I'm afraid I can't stay. I'm getting Ranma back, today or never." Akane said firmly.
"I… well, he has been gone awfully long. It's been… lonely without you both here." Kasumi said sadly.
"Akane-chan." Came another voice. It was Nabiki who stood at the top of the stairs.
"Oneesan." Akane replied. She hadn't truly expected Nabiki to be present as she usually was out doing… something.
"Akane. Go get Ranma back. I… couldn't blackmail them into it. So it'll have to be you." Nabiki said.
"I… Ok. Nabiki? Are… are you… crying?" Akane asked noticing the red around her sisters eyes.
"No… of, course not." Nabiki said. To Akane it sounded firm. To Nabiki, her own voice sounded like it was underwater.
"Alright then!" Akane exclaimed. "Um… where is father?" She asked tentatively.
"He's in the Dojo praying Akane. Akane… without Ranma around this place has become so… so… not like home. Please save him. Perhaps I was wrong and he won't be able to get back on his own this time. So… for all of us. Please save him?" Kasumi pleaded.
Akane was surprised at her sisters pleading. It appeared that somehow Kasumi had been affected by the loss of Ranma as much as she had. As if his presence, or lack of his presence, had eaten at the soul of Kasumi and even Nabiki. But Akane held her emotions firmly now and this time, she WOULDN'T lose Ranma.
"Alright. I'm going to go to Juuban then. I'll be back, and so will Ranma!" Akane cried. "Come on, Ryoga… lets go!" "Hai, Akane-san." Ryoga stuttered.
They turned and exited.
"No… You won't." Nabiki whispered. A tear trailed down her face and she fled to the solitude of her room.
Ranma was impressed by Akane's ability. Akane could jump almost as high as she could have herself back then. Probably even higher. Even on to a moving object such as the train she and Ryoga were riding.
Ranma was equally impressed by her clothing. She almost laughed at it. It brought out the tomboy in her. A red Chinese shirt with blue pants.
Right after she'd left she'd returned and grabbed up a pair of Ranma's clothing. Ranma had caught a glimpse of it in the mirror Akane looked in momentarily. It looked good on her.
She recalled, having worn these clothes herself once upon a time though she had been naked for longer then she could remember.
It was an interesting ride to say the least but it ended quickly. Juuban was twenty minutes away by way of car. The speedy bullet trains made it in ten.
Akane leapt off the train, Ryoga in toe, and made her way across the city.
Unfortunately the Senshi did not appear to be anywhere nearby. She had no idea as to how to make her presence known to them so she did what came naturally.
"Ryoga, can you throw a perfect Shi Shi Hokodan?" Akane asked.
Ryoga's heart wrenched in two. The… EX-love of his life had just asked him to recall that horrible moment when she had told him she hated him. But, it was Akane. For her, he would do anything. Even if it meant something like this.
"Uh.. I guess." He answered solemnly. "Ok, can you do it in a safe place where there isn't any people, or expensive property around? Uh… there!" She cried oblivious to his pain. She pointed to an open clearing that didn't appear to have anything special involved with it.
"Yeah… sure." He said sadly.
Akane
noted his depression and went to apologize and take back the idea but
it was too late. Ryoga already stood in the center of the clearing.
"SHI SHI HOKODON!" He cried.
The purplish blast of light exploded into the air, attracting the attention of almost every person in the district. Including one Makoto Kino who happened to be not too far away.
"Oh my…" She thought as she looked at the great ball of light that hung itself in the sky.
She pulled out her communicator and contacted Amy. She was the best at rounding up the Senshi. Whatever this thing was, it was pretty damn big and they might need all of them.
"Uh.. Amy?" She said through the communicator.
"Makoto?" She replied. "Do you see…"
"YES!" Makoto interrupted. "Get the rest of the Senshi. I'm going in."
Makoto made the change into Sailor Jupiter and sped towards where the ball had disappeared.
She arrived on the scene quickly. The large crater was difficult to miss. There was a young man at the bottom of the crater, apparently in good shape though he was breathing hard.
Akane watched the Senshi appear. But, she did not wait for the introductions.
"Hiya!" She cried. She charged down off the building she stood on and slammed her foot into the green-skirted Senshi's face. The kick slammed Jupiter's face to the right but she remained grounded.
"Hey what the heck?" She cried. She looked back only to see a fist flying at her face. She bent her back, ducking under it quickly. Then she smirked. This girl wanted a fist fight, eh? She had no idea who she was dealing with.
The began trading punches and kicks, each with almost equal speed and accuracy.
Unfortunately a loud "thump" signaled the exit of close range combat as Jupiter found herself careening backwards and slamming into a building, only to fall off it onto the ground quickly.
"Uhh…" She moaned but managed to rise to her feet. Mentally she thanked god for the disguises. Injuries received during transformations, seemed to not appear. Otherwise, Makoto would have a hard time coming up with an explanation for her black eye and bloody nose.
"This girl is good." She muttered.
She had no time to think of a strategy as the blue haired girl charged her again. She was placed on the defensive as punches and kicks hailed down on her enhanced body.
"God, what IS this girl?" she thought. Defeating her in her Non-Senshi form in fist combat was a feat in itself. This in particular should not have been possible.
Suddenly another Senshi appeared. It was Mars. She jumped out from a building a ways away and landed close.
"Hey! That's my friend your beating there!" She cried. She was about the throw a punch to her face when she suddenly found a horrible crick in her neck and that she was flying through the air.
"No one interrupts Akane's fights while I'm around." Ryoga said calmly.
Mars picked herself up from the rubble. She was horribly annoyed. They were human, yet very powerful in their own right. The real problem was, none of her magical attacks were usable as they were not about to kill humans.
"Damn it.. Where's Venus and that damn chain of hers when you need it?" She moaned as she stood from the rubble of the collapsed wall.
They found themselves in a park shortly as their fights seemed to follow each other. Akane made sure she and Jupiter never strayed far from Ryoga.
"We want Ranma back now." Ryoga stated during a pause between their fights. "If anyone plans on getting rid of Ranma. It had better be me."
Ryoga was impressed with Mars. She dodged almost every attack he through. Granted he was distracted by her short skirt and other parts of her skimpy outfit. But still, Ranma had done the same and even he usually took more damage than this girl was avoiding.
It was usually against his creed to hit a girl. But he had made exceptions before. And this girl was separating Akane from the person she loved. Even if that was Ranma… Ryoga couldn't handle that fact.
"Rr! Stop avoiding me!" He cried as he charged her. She jumped and sailed over his form landing gracefully on the other side of him.
"Look we don't know who this Ranma person is! That video was a fake! A publicity stunt!"
"Enough with your lies! PREPARE TO DIE!" He cried. While he didn't actually intend to kill her, his speech usually threw opponents off guard. Well… opponents who weren't Ranma.
"Bakusai Tenketsu!" he cried. He stuck the ground below him and rocks exploded everywhere, creating unavoidable meteors that impaled Mars, cutting her face and skin. She was blown back though not bodily. She landed on her back, bruised and cut everywhere.
Ryoga smirked. "I win."
Mars simply moaned.
Akane however, still appeared to be evenly matched with Jupiter.
"Heh… your pretty good…" Jupiter said between breaths.
"You… aren't bad yourself…" Akane wheezed. "But, it doesn't matter. I've been holding back."
"Huh?" Was Jupiter's last thought.
Akane had a special trick up her sleeve. She had mastered one of Ranma's techniques. "Katsuu Tenshin Amaguriken!" She cried. Her fists were fast and precise, hitting every vital point, repeatedly until Jupiter fell unconscious.
"And that's that." She said. She glanced toward Ryoga who had also subdued his opponent. Fortunately, however, his was not unconscious.
"Alright. I asked nicely before, I'll ask nicely one more time. Where is Ranma?" Ryoga asked menacingly he crouched down low and stared into the eyes of the red-skirted girl.
"I…ah… don't know… what you're…" "Stop lying!" Ryoga shouted. He grabbed her necked and came even closer stared deeper into her eyes.
Rei was afraid. This man, a completely human man at that, had beaten her thoroughly. Even if she were at full condition she figured she wouldn't have a chance. "Usagi… where are you!" She thought desperately.
"STOP RIGHT THERE!" Came a cry. And, sure enough, Rei's savior jumped into view.
Sailor's Moon, Venus, and Mercury all appeared high above the scene of the battle. "Who are you who attack your fellow comrades in the fight against the forces of evil?" Usagi cried.
Mercury and Venus looked at her peculiarly.
"Where did that speech come from?" They both wondered. They were well accustomed to the, 'In the name of the Moon, I will punish you." But this was new. Perhaps Usagi was growing a brain?
"Fellow comrade? You kidnapped my fiancée!" Akane shouted.
Moon jumped off the building and squat-landed on the ground below. "We did not!" Moon shouted angrily.
"Hmm. Then perhaps you haven't spoken with the green haired member of your team? Calls herself Pluto I think?" Akane said skeptically.
"As a matter of fact we have." Mercury spoke up. "And she told us not to believe a thing you or your sister Nabiki said!"
"Is that so? Well, then I'll just have to let my fists do the talking." Akane replied.
She charged, Ryoga in toe.
Suddenly she heard the sound of a technique.
"MOON HEALING ACTIVATION!" Moon shouted.
Akane was halted by the wave of energy she felt. She didn't know why they would cast a rejuvenating spell, but they did. And it, WORKED. Akane felt better then she ever had in her life. But then she felt it. Something was inside her head.
She felt her memories being altered and changed and knew that she had walked right into a trap.
"Oh DAMNIT! Ran.. ma… oh…"
Ranma watched Akane.
She was proud of the blue-haired girl. No teacher whatsoever, yet she had mastered one of Ranma's most difficult techniques. If she had soul of ice she seriously be kickin' ass.
But as soon as the blond who would later become queen Serenity let loose her attack Akane's vision blurred.
She didn't exactly black out, though it was… fuzzy. He saw through her eyes though, at the moment SHE didn't appear to be seeing through HER eyes. As if she were.. Blank, or… watching something else. It had happened a few times before, though never quite as extreme as this case.
The person who's eyes she was looking through, went into a mild comatose and then woke talking about something crazy. A vision or a… or something unusual.
Suddenly they snapped back open. She found herself held by a pair of strong arms. Ryoga's arms.
She stared at Usagi.
"I… I…" She babbled. "I couldn't… it…"
Ryoga looked at Akane. He had felt the full blast of the healing technique and nothing save for a feeling of wholeness beyond anything he had ever felt before, had happened to him. But Akane had temporarily been whacked out of it.
"What the hell did you do to her!" He cried.
"Ryoga… I…" Akane muttered.
"CHANGE HER BACK!" Ryoga screamed.
Ryoga charged Sailor Moon. She had done something to Akane. Something that hadn't happened to himself. Whatever it was it had better get undone. He would not have Akane stuttering like this. Nor would he have that look in her eyes.
Horror. It was the only word capable of describing Akane's expression.
Moon was surprise at the attack. The other two moved quickly but Moon was left directly in Ryoga's path.
Suddenly a shout yelled above the rushing winds singing in Ryoga's ears.
"RYOGA STOP!"
Ryoga halted quickly. While his feet stopped quickly, the momentum of his travel did not and thus, his upper body slammed into the ground.
"Akane?" He cried as he stood and turned around.
"Ryoga… I…"
"Akane? What happened? What did they do!" He shouted.
"They… didn't… they didn't do anything." Akane buried her face in her hands and curled her legs up. "It… it was me…"
"What are you talking about!" Ryoga exclaimed.
"They… the Senshi… they didn't… kill Ranma…"
"Kill Ranma? Huh? Yes they did. They kidnapped him. Akane they must have done something… cast some dark magic to make you think that-"
"THEY DID DO IT! I DID! I …. I KILLED RANMA!" She sobbed. Her tears dripped off the side of her hands and onto her blue pants.
"NO!" Ranma screamed! "NO NO NO! THAT CAN'T BE TRUE! Not after all this time! NO! NO!" She cried.
She let loose and enormous ki blast against the pedestal that held her mirror. She screamed energy rammed into the crystalline covering on the pedestal. It still appeared undamaged in the face of all of her energy.
She closed her eyes and looked deep for the power to break the wretched thing. The evil cruel item that told her Akane was her killer. She would not believe it! NEVER!
And suddenly. The wall barring her from her light broke. She gripped onto the light and it burst through the barrier and seeped within her. She felt warm. Happy. Powerful. Colorful. Alive. Alive in a way that she had not felt since she had been brought to this god-forsaken void.
But the only one of these feelings that mattered to her was the third. Powerful.
Suddenly, enhanced by the power of her light, she found the power she needed. The true power. The one power.
And the crystal encasement cracked. And then burst into millions of tiny shards. The mirror disappeared leaving only the book and the pedestal, which was now unprotected.
The book was flung away as the pedestal itself shattered and disintegrated.
And below the ground stood a swirling circle of void, even darker then her current imprisonment. But it was a way out. A portal.
She let down her ki blast. And slumped to the ground slowly.
"What have I done?" She thought.
There was fortunately, still light. A small light quite far from where she stood.
She ran towards it. Slowly realizing what it was.
"The book. The book the mirror image came from." She thought.
She picked it up upon arriving at it's side. She looked at it. It only had one page. The rest of them seemed to be completely glued together, made of metal or tough plastic
She closed the book and ran toward the hole.
"This is it." She thought. "I've finally broken it. Finally… my freedom."
She jumped into the hole.
And darkness consumed her.
Her eyes snapped open at the feeling of being touched. Something she had not felt... She felt overwelmed by the sensation.
She stared up at the man and slid to the back of whatever the small room she was in was. He had been placing a blanket over her. The feeling was odd. The furry touch of the red blanket felt awkward and odd upon her untouched and pale skin.
"Who are you?" She asked threateningly.
"Eh?" He replied.
"I said who are you!" She cried.
The man didn't understand a word out of the woman's mouth. He had been wandering the ways for quite some time now and never had he found a person as powerful as this girl. She wasn't dead. She wasn't even low on her soul even after his draining.
"I'm sorry, I don't understand." He stated. He couldn't help glancing at her unhindered breasts and other such unmentionable places.
"What do you want? Where am I? How did I get here?" She cried.
"Calm down! Calm down!" He said. He motioned with his hands to get the irate girl to simmer down. He didn't understand what she was saying but he could tell she was angry and confused. Apparently she had no idea how she had gotten to where she was.
She calmed slowly. She looked at her surroundings and found herself in awe. Things. Actual things! Things she could see and touch and feel! All the pretty things! It didn't matter what they were or what they did. It was just that they WERE! And she could touch them!
There actually were not that many things. A blanket, a fire, a tin can, possibly holding water, and a few books.
Books? Oh no! Where was her-!
She then noticed the book in the man's hand! "GIMME!" She cried. She bounded at the man and latched onto the book, while throwing them both onto the ground.
She landed on top of him and suddenly felt her face flush. An odd feeling. Something she had not felt… ever.
"Here." He said calmly. He handed her the book as she got off him. She accepted it and clutched it to her chest. She felt like a small child. But she couldn't help it. It was the only thing she had known and understood for so long.
She opened it. And sure enough, it lit and through Akane's eyes, again did she see though this time, it was interrupted by the crease in the middle of the book.
"Wow… what is… who are you?" He asked.
She didn't understand and gave him a clueless look.
He pointed to himself. "Machin Shin." He tapped his chest.
Understanding dawned on her face.
"I'm Ranma." She said.
"Just Ranma?" He questioned.
She nodded. She felt giddy. It had been so long since she had someone to talk to.
OH MY GOD THAT WAS SO HARD TO WRITE! I HAD TO ARTICULATE LIKE SEVEN DIFFERENT EVENTS FOR THE SAME SPECIFIC TIME AND… AND… AND…
Oh it was just hard to write.
If you haven't noticed. I "messed up!" In one scene I said, Akane had a period. And in another I said she didn't.
THIS IS NOT A MESS UP!
PLEASE DON'T YELL AT ME FOR IT! ALL WILL BE EXPLAINED LATER!
Replies
not many cuz I don't really feel like it. Taxzombie: Thanks for the
review! Nice to get a review from someone I bitched at for something
stupid way back when. So… have I gotten better since the good ole' days
of The Blessing?
Max
Krugman: I had intended a very very very long reply for you. But then I
noticed that you called me a moron and because of that decided you
don't deserve it… I decided I would sum it all up it a few words.
First off. Sorry about archaic. My mistake. Thought it meant mystic but found out that it means old. Will change.
Second. I know what sama means. It can ALSO mean beloved as in the way Konatsu uses it. Try rereading Akane's sentence. MY is the key word making Ranma into Akane's possession. Not sama.
I am not a moron. Don't call me one. Or don't review.
Borg Rabbit: Wot… a… plot… device? Um… um.. Um.. Um… AHAH! Sry. Wheel of time is a VERY VERY LONG book series by Robert Jordan. 10 books spanning for bout 600 pages on average. Actually prolly longer. Really good stories too. You should read em.
Thank you to all who reviewed! And all who will review! This is quickly becoming my favorite work and probably will remain so for some time to come.