Disclaimer: The characters used within this are mostly the property of others. I have a few originals, but the vast majority are not original. Everything here is fiction. This is for entertainment only and not for profit.
-=oOo=-
Araiansu - Chapter 32
-=oOo=-
Thor met them all as they discussed next steps.
Sam said, "I'm really concerned about this Aschen Federation stuff, particularly with who they are associating with. Jack's message along with his own thoughts are anything but comforting."
"Indeed," Thor added.
Nabiki asked, "We still don't know where these people came from?"
"No," Heimdall confirmed. "Though your Stargate should retain a record of it, at least if it is a recent trip."
Ranma asked, "So we just head back and try to figure it out, or do we attempt to track the bomb culprit through time?"
Thor said, "Nozomi will need to carry out that task. Another will need to investigate the Aschen. I will take that task. Ranma, Samantha, will you join me?"
"Of course."
Another Asgard walked in the door.
"Loki, what are you doing here?" asked Thor.
"I believe you are being short sighted."
Heimdall said, "You were caught experimenting on sentient beings, including creating unstable clones with memories and we are the ones being short sighted?"
Loki said, "Yes, I was, and had I found a cure, before one was miraculously delivered to us you would have no doubt used it."
Heimdall said, "I do not approve of your methods, but had your work been half competent you at least might have had something to show for it."
"I am not here to argue. You are correct."
Thor and Heimdall blinked in surprise.
Thor asked, "What do you propose?"
"You have an unused Lantean warship. There is one here that has expressed an interest in becoming the heart. There is another here from the same universe. A third that is not here may work as the other."
"That is years away," Kasumi said, then added, "At best."
Nabiki said, "I thought all that was private."
Heimdall grumbled, "Loki is decent at hacking records he should not."
Doctor Tofu said, "I presume I'm the second mentioned. What are you proposing I become a captain like Kasumi?"
"Not necessarily," replied Loki. "We initialize the ship and send it back to their universe for the required time. I can go with them and make sure it all occurs smoothly. The difference in universes will allow them to travel back to this time."
Aya, who was merged with Rommie said, "You think we are going to send a newly born ship to a another universe and just hope it works out? We will have no part in that."
Loki blinked, surprised.
Lya said, "If we think this crazy scheme truly worth doing, and if Ayiana and my husband agree, we will go along and tend to things. It was the Furling that first came up with this idea of blending man and machine. We never truly approved."
The merged pair said, "Well that would be something I guess, but you can't just throw together people and make a team. I'm not even certain Nabiki has what it takes to come through the transition mentally whole. I certainly can't assume I can substitute myself for the teams of psychologists that evaluated candidates in my time."
Nabiki asked, "Why do you think this should be done now, and that the risk is worth taking now?"
Loki blinked. "I should think that is obvious. If this universe destabilizes, there needs to be a secondary team not currently in it to stop the threat to the larger multiverse."
Ranma said, "I'm not sure I buy that."
Rein, who was sitting on Lindy's shoulder asked, "Nabiki, will you permit me to unison with you?"
"I guess. It is safe right?"
Lindy nodded.
They were surprised when a few seconds later Nabiki's hair glowed white and she partly stood up in the air.
-=oOo=-
Rein smiled as she felt the kind of person Nabiki was from inside of the young woman. "You can do this, if you want to, but do you want to? Not even you know that."
"I know," she said internally. "It feels really nice to be merged with you."
"A unison is not a merge like Kasumi and Aya do. Separate identities are kept during the duration, even if that fades over time. I was born from the remnants of the Tome of the Night Sky, which due to corruption had taken the name the book of Darkness. The heart of the tome, who was a very good woman in her own right, was given the name of the blessed wind Reinforce by Hayate to help her separate herself from the corruption. It was not enough. Reinforce had to suicide to fully end the corruption. I was born from that, but Reinforce was born human, though the spells they used to bind her and the knights to the book were anything but light or kind."
Deep in the darkness the entity that had begun to wake stirred more. The part that was Rein blinked in confusion.
"You are sure Rommie was never under such bindings and I wouldn't be either?"
"I would sense it if Rommie was under a binding. I know well what they feel like. That much I remember."
"How much of you is old and how much is new?"
"Only about a third of what was Reinforce could be spared. I am that and more. I am whole again."
Nabiki asked, "Do you think this would all matter, that if I worked hard at this I could make a difference?"
"You already have, and you may or may not make a difference in the coming fight, but in the thousands of years you could live, I would think you would."
"I don't know. I like this though. It is such a warm feeling."
"I can remain, if you wish."
"I appreciate it. Just give me another five minutes."
"No, not just that. If you did this I could remain. Even if you found no one to be your captain, I think I could unison with you and keep you company for a time at least."
"Would that work?" Nabiki asked hopefully.
"I could test it with just Rommie."
"Please."
Rein separated, then flew over to Aya and Rommie and whispered in their ear. They said, "We will be back shortly."
They vanished in a flash of light, causing all eyes to turn to Nabiki, who said, "It shouldn't take long."
The entity saw its chance and slipped sideways. Safety after a fashion. It would have to rest and recover. So much was lost.
A few awkward minutes later all three returned. Aya was again merged with Rommie and Rein was separate. Rein gave her a thumbs up, and the merged pair gave her a soft smile.
Nabiki suddenly found herself without words.
Ranma said softly, "So you have made your decision huh?"
"What do you know about that Ranma-kun? Since when did you become observant?"
"I'm not quite the teenager you remember, just as you are not the one I remember."
"Are you so sure?" Nabiki asked hopefully.
"Yes, we are," Sam added. "We healed you and helped you as best we could. We saw the core of you. If you wish to do this, we will support you."
Ranma nodded.
Nabiki looked around the room.
Heimdall said, "I would hardly have given you access to the data you requested if I had any significant doubts."
Rommie added, "And I gave you access to even more personal data."
"You did?" she asked surprised.
"You don't think just anyone gets access to my diary entries? Not even Heimdall has that."
"True," Heimdall added.
Nabiki said, "I have a lot of doubts, but I want this, if not for this universe then perhaps for my own. Are there any Asgard there? Is there anyone there any willing to fight for it?"
Thor said, "From what I can tell there were no Asgard. No one remarked on my dimensional travel, and I did specifically check for a version of my people."
Nabiki said, "I don't want to be trapped on Earth like Rommie was."
Thor said, "For now, we will give you two spares."
Loki said, "I can easily build a reliable Naquadah reactor, or if the universe doesn't have a ready supply, there are many alternatives, at least for day to day operation and normal travel through hyperspace."
Thor said, "I am willing, with council approval, to create a one time special purpose drive that will return you to this time and this dimension, if it exists at the time you choose to return, which is not before you are ready. Rein, will you take responsibility for that drives use?"
"I will,"
"So we don't get the super drive huh?"
"Not without need and proven stability," Thor said bluntly.
Hayate said, "I will go too. I was confined in a chair, helpless, and slowly drifting towards death for a long time. I will not let anyone face these things alone, and perhaps with Rein's help I can too help."
Lindy smiled. "I'll miss you Hayate."
"I'll miss you too. What's more, if anyone thinks of threatening Toma, before she is ready to defend herself, they will have to face me."
Lindy said, "She is our only SS class mage. You will be in good hands."
Nabiki smiled warmly. "Thanks."
Doctor Tofu said, "Well thanks to Ranma and others, I've learned quite a few new things. I'll go, both to keep Nabiki company and return to my own world."
Rommie said, "I did what I could to dissuade you. Others did the same. There is one final thing you must do. You will have to be deprived of all your senses for at least four hours. It was longer for me and the reality of the change wasn't as bad as that. I had to wait twenty four hours while the medical techs kept me alive and held off my condition. That was the worst twenty four hours of my life, and you will be awake, not asleep. Are you willing to do this?"
"I am."
"Then let us go to the Toma. The existing medical bed there, while not as fancy as the Asgard ones can do this much."
Thor said, "Then we shall stand vigil during your time of becoming."
Toma's sick bay lacked the high tech upgrades of the Nozomi, but was still far beyond anything the Earth knew outside of the EDF.
Nabiki asked quietly, "When will I be able to walk around like you do Rommie?"
"Months probably," the merged pair answered honestly.
She swallowed and nodded before getting up and laying on the bed indicated.
The merged pair asked, "Are you ready?"
"No," Nabiki admitted.
"Shall we stop?"
"No. Do it."
Suddenly Nabiki's eyes went blank.
"This seems almost cruel," Doctor Tofu offered.
Rommie separated from Aya.
The beautiful white haired woman slipped to the side of the room.
Rommie said, "It is cruel, but only to be kind. It gives her time to think about this without distraction and makes her face the worst part of being a living ship."
"Being alone," Kasumi offered.
Aya added, "She has to be certain. We never had to make this choice. One day we will die, but Rommie may end up alone again."
Rommie said softly, "You don't know how many times I considered detonating. It was a strange comfort to me, but my duty kept me here, and then the Vatican people helped as well. They were so clever at times, but not a potential in sight, but for the most part they were kind. It gave me hope."
"I'm so sorry," Ranma said.
"You don't need to be. I was pretty messed up then. I still say you would make a great captain, both you and Samantha."
Ranma said, "We can't do that, not while our children may need us."
"I understand."
Thor said, "The return drive for this ship is under construction. The temporal core is currently being installed in Nozomi. A single Asgard healing bed will also be installed on Toma."
Rommie said, "It will take another day for Nabiki to be reborn if she continues to choose it. Sometime shortly after that, I will need to tow her back to her new home. If we are to do this, I will need to do so before she is awake enough to accidentally disrupt my control. Rein, I will give you access to all the ships systems. You will be able to override her, when necessary for the first year after. By then she should have enough control to safely do most tasks."
Rein said, "So I'll be able to move through space and hyperspace, and if necessary, authorize firing of drone weapons."
"Yes, not to the extent of a full crew, but you will not be helpless."
"Good."
"Don't forget rebuilding your supply of drone weapons is a very slow process and you won't be able to do it at all without Nabiki helping."
"Less good, but hopefully we never need to fire them."
Hayate said, "I could possibly destroy a ship this size if I had to."
The three Asgard looked at her again.
Loki added, "Interesting."
Thor said, "You are on your last warning Loki. Harm anyone or experiment on anyone and we will exercise the final sanction."
Loki swallowed nervously.
Hayate said softly, "Bind." Four circles of light appeared near Loki holding him briefly before vanishing.
Lindy smiled. "I believe Hayate can keep him in line. We can resist transporter beams should we choose to. I know Hayate has to consciously suppress her magic to permit our transporters to work."
Loki looked interested again before scowling.
Doctor Tofu said, "This is stressing Nabiki significantly."
Rommie said, "We know, and while I will consider aborting if a healer tells me to, I will not consider her again, at least not for a long while."
Ranma said, "I sense it too, but she is strong, you can sense that too."
Sam added, "Stubborn you mean?"
"That too."
Thor asked, "Is there anything else they will need that we have forgotten? I did add the Asgard food pellets that humans usually find least objectionable. The system to regenerate water and air is already triply redundant and there is stored oxygen as well."
Rommie said, "She will not be able to heal, not like I do, not until she is ready."
Loki said, "I can fix anything that needs repaired in the mean time. I request the contents of my lab."
Thor said, "Some of the contents will be transferred. Heimdall, could you please review the contents and make appropriate decisions?"
"Of course."
Lindy asked, "What did he do exactly to annoy you so much?"
Thor said, "It is not precisely what he did, since he did not actually harm anyone, but he created hundreds of copies of different sentient lifeforms without their permission. What is worse is the copies were all flawed. They were sentient in their own right but doomed to die. Many voted for his execution."
"Including you," noted Loki.
"But our race is so few now, that we will not kill another if it can be avoided."
Sam asked, "You still cannot have children, even after presumably cloning your original forms?"
"We had few even back then, and while it is possible now, few have a real interest in it. A few had children, and they are precious to us, but it also seems to have scared off any others from doing so."
Lindy said, "We planned to have more children than just Chrono, but when my husband died, I just lost any interest as well."
"You are still young," Dr. Tofu noted.
"It is not known beyond the leader of our government, but he has asked and I have accepted to try to win the next election. Even if I found someone that I wished to have a child with, I'm less than certain about adding them to the mess that awaits me."
Loki pointed out, "If you came with us, you would likely have two or more years to begin to raise a child."
"That is an interesting point. Still, I don't know."
Thor said, "In the event that medical help is required, we will fully expect you to do much better Loki."
Lindy asked, "You mean, he could um help like our medics sometimes do with two women."
Heimdall snorted. "Loki may be many things, but even he could not be so incompetent as to fail at that."
"Damned by faint praise," muttered Loki.
Doctor Tofu said softly, "She is doing better now. I think she has learned something, maybe even got a better handle on her ki. That can come in odd moments in one's life."
Lya smiled. "She has. So few truly do reach this point." Ayiana enfolded her in her arms.
Rommie said, "It is now time to instruct those here in their part in Nabiki's becoming. It does not mean that she is committed. She is not, until she is, but there is much to teach, and to be kept secure. If you do not feel you can carry this information to your death, then leave."
Thor said, "Leave Loki."
"Very well."
After he was gone, Ranma asked, "Are you sure you trust him enough for this mission?"
Thor said, "I believe the benefits outweigh the risks, and that is the best answer I can give. He has never really worked against his fellow Asgard. It is just that sometimes his help is less than helpful."
Hayate said, "I will keep him in line."
Doctor Tofu said, "I will also do what I can."
Lindy added, "I also will go and do what I can. If this world does truly have more magic in it, perhaps I can teach again for a time." She smiled. "The fact that it delays me taking a job I don't particularly want is of course purely unrelated."
Ranma said, "I'm tempted to go, particularly since you may return after you leave. I could probably learn a lot, but my duty is here, and I just don't particularly want to face any of the girls that chased me when I was younger."
Doctor Tofu said, "Akane really did grow up. Ukyo never did marry. She, I would worry about. As for Shampoo, I honestly don't know."
"I still don't think opening that wound is a good idea."
"You could be right. What shall I tell Kasumi?"
"I have always wished her the best. Tell my mother the same."
The local Kasumi said, "I'll write her a letter as well. The few conversations I've had with my almost sister have been precious to me."
Rommie brought them back in focus.
She said, "What am am about to tell you is the key information that I know about the connection between life energy, magic, bodies, and souls, and about what limits we believe are true, and which are not. I will tell you about the hidden sins that my people made as we tried to learn how to copy the Furlan art, and about the kind Furlan who helped solve them. I will tell about the mistakes made and about the great ships of the past and those the great ships were regrettably forced to destroy, sometimes at the cost of their own lives."
Kasumi added, "Nabiki will have access to all this before the decision is no longer changeable."
They listened closely with rapt attention as Rommie explained what they needed to know and more.
-=oOo=-
Rommie released the sensory deprivation lock on Nabiki's senses and waited for her to recover.
Rommie was wearing an odd silver necklace that seemed to contain blue fire trapped in a darker blue sapphire. It pulsed and glowed and caused blue shadows to dance around the room. She was the only other one there.
Rommie looked Nabiki clearly in the eyes and asked, "Are you ready and willing to continue?"
"I am."
Rommie carefully, as if it was the most precious thing in the world, removed the necklace from around her neck and held it in the palm of her hands in offering.
Nabiki carefully and reverently went to pick it up, when she stopped. "It is you. No, not just you. It is Kasumi and Aya as well."
"A part only. A gift. Nothing to bind or control. It is merely warmth for the cold nights."
"I cannot take this. It is far too precious."
"We would not have severed this small piece from our souls if we had not intended it for you. Please take it."
"Are you sure? Are you sure I am worth something so very precious?"
Rommie smiled. "You are, and we will heal. In time, if you find another worthy you can remember this day."
Nabiki gently placed the necklace over her neck. "It is so warm."
"Thank you."
"Before we go to the cargo bay of the Toma for the ceremony, I have a question for you to consider."
"Yes?"
"Your body cannot live without a soul, though we can keep it technically alive for a time."
"Why would you do that? There is no undo, right?"
"No, there is not, but if you wish it your eggs can be saved and your body could be found on your Earth to give some closure. You could even donate your organs if you want to."
"Well that is one thought I hadn't planned to think about. Kids, me? Organ donation?"
"You don't have to decide now, but you could become unable to communicate for some time after, so you really need to decide soon."
"They won't use my eggs without asking right?"
"They will not."
"Sure, save them I guess and set it up so it looks like I died normally and donated my body, but let my Kasumi know."
"I will. Are you sure you want to do this?"
Nabiki nodded.
"Then the time for full disclosure is here."
Nabiki swallowed, but nodded.
-=oOo=-
The cargo bay was empty now, save for people. The room was pristine, without so much as a scratch on it. Nabiki stepped in first, her new necklace flickering and dazzling everyone and coloring the walls in flickering rays of deep blue. She was a bit surprised to see Loki there, but it seemed he had earned some trust.
Rommie stepped in next. She nodded at Lya and Heimdall who nodded back.
"So what is next?" asked Nabiki with false bravado.
Rein flew over and landed on Rommie's shoulder and turned to Nabiki.
She said, "With your permission, I will help Hayate generate this as the magical analog to the ritual Rommie described. It was part of what was saved from Reinforce when I was born, but without the dark additions."
"Why the change?"
Lya said, "The amount of energy we can provide is limited. I too recognize the ceremony. The Nox use a similar one when necessary, though to restore life, not to transfer it to another form. With Hayate, Rein, and Lindy providing magical power we can be almost as if in a life bond without so many risks. We can then use our energy to aid this process. This mix should also have benefits."
"So it is all to the good?"
"It is," Lindy said. "Let us do our part."
"Okay. I'm curious. Why here? I expected either on the bridge, or maybe sick bay, or some mysterious hidden room that is kind of scary."
Rommie laughed.
She said, "This ship will become your body. There is no one part more or less your body. It makes no difference. You will tend to focus more on some areas than others, but you could, if you wanted, feel a mouse walk across the smallest corner of the smallest corridor."
"Weird," she admitted.
"So are you ready to begin?" she asked.
"I suppose I am. Do you have any idea of what an amazing gift you gave me? How can I ever repay you?"
Rommie smiled. "We are about to get to that."
"Ah, should have seen that coming. I'm ready."
"Then stand in the middle between my dear partners. They will be the primary guardians of your soul."
Nabiki's eyes widened, but hesitantly walked forward. "Hey, not quite sister. Aya."
"You can call me sister without the caveat. I know I am not your Kasumi, but you are welcome to consider me another sister."
"Onee-sama"
"Please, not so formal."
"Onee-chan"
"Thank you imouto, and know that you shall remain my sister now and always."
Aya said, "You can think of me as one too if you want, or maybe just as the slightly rebellious girlfriend of your onee-chan that intends to corrupt you as much as possible?"
Rommie smiled.
"Thank you too Aya. As for the other? Maybe later?"
She nodded.
Rommie said, "I believe it is your turn Hayate, Rein. Everyone else, get in position."
Rein unisoned with Hayate and stood at one end of the cargo bay. Lindy was at the other end. Rommie stood outside the circle and watched, keeping one hand in touch with Toma. Power swirled casually around her hand.
Hayate said, "This is very very old magic, dating well back before the time of legendary Al-Hazard. Legend says that this remains one of the keys to that mysterious place; that it still exists outside of space and time. It's original purpose was to protect the one who would journey, so it fits this purpose as well. Do you Nabiki Tendo consent to be the one who is protected by magic, by spirit, and by soul?"
"This won't harm anyone will it?"
Hayate said, "It should not. Tired, perhaps exhausted, but we should all recover."
"I Nabiki Tendo consent to being protected by magic, spirit, and soul."
Lindy smiled as the magical array appeared, not just on the floor, but the ceiling and all the walls. It was constantly rotating, yet there were also fixed points. They were no less intricate, but stood stationary amidst all the motion. She stepped slightly to the left to enter her circle.
Aya and Kasumi took Nabiki by the hands and walked to the middle most circle.
Hayate said, "The circle forms. I stand for the beginning, the birth of all things, of life giving magic, of hope, of renewal."
Lindy said, "And I stand at the end. I represent the end of all things. Entropy. Darkness. Despair. With the power of those here today we will deny these things. The circle forms."
Sam, Ranma, and Doctor Tofu walked to three positions directly next to the middle and gripped the shoulders of the three inside. Sam held Aya. Ranma held Nabiki, and Doctor Tofu held Kasumi.
They said as one, "We are the first guardians. We stand at the border of the circle. We grant strength and the potential of new life to the one to journey. The circle forms."
As they said this the already blinding light became near painful as life energy flooded the room.
The Asgard walked into the next circles that were farther out.
This circle was offset thirty degrees to the other positions. The Asgard could not touch the center or the others. Instead they sat facing the center and placed their hands on the ground nearest the center. They spoke as one, "We are the second guardians. We offer wisdom, knowledge, and insight. The circle forms."
Lya, Ayiana, and Narim made up the final group. Their circles were between the Asgard's and the final circles held by the mages. They were again offset another thirty degrees so that all together they completed a basic spiral. They sat and placed their hands on the ground nearest the center. They spoke as one, "We are the final guardians. We guard the balance. The one before us seeks to step into eternity. In balance she offers all that she is now. We say this is not enough. Tell us, young woman, why you want this? Stand and be judged."
Nabiki's eyes widened. She felt Aya and Kasumi grip her hands a bit tighter. The sapphire at her neck glowed brighter, casting more spots of blue in the now painful light. Ranma's hands on her shoulders seemed a bit tighter as she felt the torrent of his power flood through her. Around her the magic seemed to be boiling in the air. She suddenly knew these were the most important words she would ever speak.
"I was not a good person. I did many things when Ranma knew me that were unethical, using him and others for my own advantage. I did, in fairness, give much of the money I made for house upkeep, but I then used that to justify more unethical actions. My dad wasn't making any money, and the money he thought we were living off of was all but gone. Ranma though, dumb idiot that he was, had a heart of gold. He always saved the girl. He fought a being that called himself a god for my sister, and even said he loved her, though I don't think he truly knew what love was back then. I don't think my sister did either, and I certainly did not."
"I looked at myself and didn't like what I saw, and I suppose Ranma became my goal. Oh, I don't mean a romantic relationship, though I'd have certainly been willing to try again, and counted myself lucky if I got the chance. I also certainly don't mean his naivety. I could have helped him so much, but I did not and by the time I saw him again he no longer needed my help, and was married to someone brilliant and passionate. She had done all that I should have done. I have no idea if I am as smart as Sam, but I was considered brilliant, and I wasted it."
"I wanted to be like Ranma or Samantha, or all these others who had found a way to make a difference, not to give back, for that is nonsense. Ranma never gave back when he was around us. He just gave, and we were better people far it. I wanted to find a way to overcome my doubts and hesitations and become like them. The opportunity of becoming the heart of a living ship is something incredibly rare. Clearly it was such an opportunity, yet it was also really scary. I have never been scared of something so much in my life, yet look here."
She held up the brilliantly glowing sapphire with Aya and Kasumi's hands still twined in hers. "They gave me a part of their very souls. Me, the one who sold pictures of Ranma's female form to half the perverts at school, and no I don't just mean the male ones."
Ranma twitched.
She continued. "Me, the one who had plausible plans to become a millionaire, but had none for why I was doing it. I could have stopped the chaos, could have ended the mess Ranma was in; could have kept him from being taken from us. I had plans. They were good plans. None of them were remotely safe, but I made them. I would often dream them up before sleep. Sometimes I dreamed I would then marry Ranma. Sometimes not. We are not really much alike. I didn't act on any of them, yet look at this." Their combined hands held up the sapphire again. "And look around at all this effort just to help me carry an uncertain dream; to be like the ones I admired. To make a difference. To quote from Man of La Mancha."
"To dream the impossible dream. To fight the unbeatable foe. To bear with unbearable sorrow. To run where the brave dare not go. To right the unrightable wrong. To love pure and chaste from afar. To try when your arms are too weary. To reach the unreachable star. This is my quest, to follow that star. No matter how hopeless, no matter how far. To fight for the right without question or pause. To be willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause."
Then she added, "Well perhaps not completely chaste, and I know I will fail, probably often. I guess I never really dreamed of being a princess. All being around Ranma taught me of those is they get kidnapped too often."
Sam and Ranma smiled fondly at her.
She continued once more. "I suppose, I'm doing the Utena thing. I'll bet it all on a quest to be the valiant prince. I blame it all on you Ranma. How with his example could I aspire to so much less? That is the truth, as well as I can express it. I hope it is enough."
Lya spoke by herself, but not before looking to both of her follow guardians. "It is. As guardians of the balance we approve." The light became almost total. The motion of the magic also picked up in speed as the rapidly spinning discs of power gained in complexity.
From her spot between the two outer guardians on the far wall Rommie said, "It is said that Helva was the first of our kind. Our memories of her are little more than legend. She was said to be from a dimension like, yet unlike our own. She was crippled and lost. Her crippled body was connected in ways none today would approve of, yet she and her partner became as legend as the Ship who Sang. Others of our kind of have been created. After Helva, the most legendary of our kind was Volfield. She had many first names in her lifetime but the one most spoke of was Canal Volfield. She was created to stop others who had abused this art to create ships of darkness. She and her partner Cain Blueriver succeeded though it very nearly cost them everything. Ships created with the knowledge we use today plus the sacrifice of the unwilling can be truly powerful. There is no doubt of that. Swordbreaker, Canal, and Cain should have failed but they did their duty."
"There are three questions you must answer yes to or this ends. There is no shame in it. Many have answered no. We do not fault them."
"I understand."
Rommie paused to stare directly in Nabiki's eyes. The energy swirling around her right hand that touched the ship grew even more complex. The magic and life energy made it almost impossible to see, except it parted for them. They could see each other clearly.
Rommie asked, "First, will you swear on all that you are and all that you hope to be, to, if you encounter these abominations again to do all that is possible to end them, and if the choice is between letting them escape to again kill potentially hundreds, millions, or billions that you will, if necessary, allow yourself and anyone aboard that cannot be transported to safely to die with you to stop them."
"I will. I'll try everything possible to avoid it, but if that is the only way, I will. How would that even work?"
Rommie said, "It is not well known for good reason, but a living ship can drain it's partners to death. That is the key the evil ships used for power, though we only permit it voluntarily. There are many protections against it, but the chief one is we choose people like you carefully as those like me are chosen carefully."
"With their life energy they can temporarily enhance all of our drone weapons hundreds of times beyond their maximum safe level. A full supply of drone weapons can then, for a very short time, take all the energy from a full ZPM. It is brief, but if circumstances are good, they can be fired and there is a small chance the living ship survives. Not much else will."
"Our control of things is also great enough that with our partners energy we can not only overcharge the drones, but the built in cascade bomb built into the ships design can be activated. This is automatic once the final command is entered. It overrides all the safeties and causes the ship to occupy the same space as an enemy ship. I assure you, I've only seen it once, and I was at extreme range with shields and even then I was heavily damaged. Nothing can survive that. This is the price we pay, and must always pay. For us to exist, we pay the price of stopping those that must not be allowed to exist."
"I understand, and swear to do what is necessary," she said solemnly.
"Good. Your second involves me. Should I become unworthy of my shell, such that allowing me to survive has a high likelihood of innocents dying for no reason, will you do what is necessary to stop me? This could include non lethal means if that will work, but if you have no other way, will you kill me, thus saving others?"
"You really know how to pick the questions, but yes, if there was no other way, I swear to do whatever it takes if that situation were to occur. Can I trust you to do the same for me?"
"Always."
Nabiki and Rommie smiled. Energy and magic still swirled.
"Your final question is about standards of conduct. I have tried to demonstrate them. I have failed at times, particularly after so much time without a partner. You must choose your partners very carefully and do your best to treasure them always. Your partners needs are your own needs, yet they must work for the purpose you work."
"Your partners can, if they are particularly skilled, corrupt you. The bond works both ways. If you make a mistake and despite chances to change, a partner of yours continues to drives you towards darkness, then you must sever the bond knowing it may kill you both. If you make a horrible mistake and have more than one partner that has fallen to darkness with no counters to support you, then the only way to stop them is to self destruct. You alone can will that. It has been done in the past. It will have no special enhancement but the ship will be destroyed. Finally, there is the subject of new living ships. If you choose to help another I strongly suggest you wait at least fifty years. Will you do your best to uphold equal or better standards of conduct that I have shown? We do not expect you to always succeed, but you must at least try."
"I will, though I would like to point out that was a multipart question."
Rommie laughed. "The format requires three. It does not say I can't use multiple parts. Now, are you ready? There will be pain."
"I am ready."
Suddenly Rommie wasn't at the wall touching the ship, but instead right before Nabiki. The two brunettes starred each other in the eyes before Rommie gently and delicately kissed Nabiki and then faded inside her.
Suddenly Nabiki's clothes vanished. Aya and Sam gently helped her to the floor.
Nabiki's hands turned face down as she was splayed out with the maximum contact between herself and the floor. Aya held onto her shoulders while Kasumi held onto her back. Power continued to swirl, yet now the roughly cargo bay shaped size of it started to shrink, but slowly.
Ten minutes later the guardians had covered almost a fourth of the distance to the center. The gem that Nabiki carried lay twined over her right hand between her fingers and the floor. It's brilliant glow was dimmer now. The magical and life energy seemed just as intense, but it was over a smaller volume.
Less than ten minutes later and they were half way there. The brilliant glow of the sapphire was barely there now. The rest of the energy seemed as bright, but again, the volume was so much less.
Almost five minutes later and they were about three quarters the way there. The sapphire barely flickered. Everyone was crowded together now and even hunched down. The storm was still bright, but it was small now.
Just a minute later all were touching and then it all vanished. The sapphire was dull and lifeless. Nabiki's body wasn't breathing. Lya and Ayiana gently moved people aside to lay hands on her lifeless body and pass energy into it.
Heimdall said, "I will have her body beamed to medical. Her eggs can be saved then the body returned to the bio bed to preserve her for organ donation."
Lya nodded. The body vanished.
Aya said, "Everything is well. It will take Rommie a few hours to separate herself, but Nabiki needs the time too."
Kasumi said, "Rommie became her mother."
Aya said, "All your energy, wisdom, intelligence, and magic helped more than you can know. We think she will become much like Rommie sooner than we could have hoped."
"Then she will generate her own life energy?" asked Ranma.
Kasumi said, "We hope so. The rest will take time. All your help helped Rommie to become more alive than ever. She hopes it means she will never risk going crazy again, even if the worst occurs and she loses us. We hope so too, for both of them."
Sam asked, "When will we know it worked?"
Aya said, "Oh it definitely worked. The three of us are more tightly linked right now. We are Rommie's way back."
Ranma asked, "You have the energy you need?"
Kasumi replied. "Easily, Ranma-kun. Do you have the energy you need?"
"I've been better. We gave her all we could, but we will be fine."
"Thank you for your care of my new sister."
"Ha! She was my annoying scheming older sister first."
"She still is," Kasumi noted.
"Of course," Ranma agreed.
"So tell me dear husband, if this Nabiki met you on that rainy day so long ago, would you have perhaps married her?"
"You know, I think that Nabiki was there that day, or part of her at least. Looking back she was so hopeful, but I showed up as a girl and then the curse. The curse wasn't the problem of course. Our immaturity was. If this Nabiki was there back then, well, yes things could have been different. I don't regret how things turned out of course. I love you and would not trade, would not redo, would not even think of it, but this Nabiki, in a world with a different me? Sure, I'd tell that guy to give her a shot."
Sam said, "I bet the you back then would have been hard pressed to say something that didn't get himself in trouble."
"No bet. I'm not that foolish."
Lya said, "Does anyone have any objections to sleeping here? I'm tired."
Ranma said, "Ask Heather and the others if they could bring over our blankets and pillows."
Thor said, "I have done so."
Sam said, "We are all used to either one of Avon's personal assistant programs, Zen, or Rommie. We are all spoiled."
Aya said, "Rommie does not mind."
Sam said, "There is one thing I am not sure I understand. The Asgard can clone bodies, so surely if Nabiki changed her mind, we could well undo it maybe?"
Kasumi said, "No, we cannot. It is a matter of scope."
Aya said, "With our help to give her the strength in various ways, she can make the jump from small to big, but while you can drain a bathtub into a lake, the tub cannot hold the lake. It would be kinder to kill her than to attempt it."
Lya said, "Aya is correct. That is one of the reasons we do not normally do this, though I suppose I am now an exception. It cannot be undone. Still, she can live, and even love if she wants. She can travel freely all her life. She can walk on uncountable planets if she but shares the body of one of her partners. She can even have children, as odd as that is to say of a ship, for we have saved that part of her and can handle the rest."
Loki sat up against the wall. He too was clearly tired. "You included me in this. Does that mean you trust me now?"
Narim said, "My people screwed up pretty badly not long ago. I would like to think I would never have made the decisions they did, but in the heat of the moment, would I perhaps try it to buy time, and then that moment got longer and longer as the time I bought started costing lives? I don't know, but it is possible. We screw up. We fall down. The real question is, do we get up and do better?"
Loki said, "I will try."
Rein separated from Hayate, both barely awake. Heather helped her put a pillow under her head and covered both.
The rest of her people brought other pillows and blankets to everyone.
Heather spoke up a bit to be able to be heard. "We have heard of your task today and your success. We intend to ask the holy father if we may stay with Nabiki and Toma. Our work so far can be submitted. Perhaps we will see you all again and submit more of it, but she has the greater need."
Kasumi said, "Nabiki will probably not be able to speak directly to you before we must depart, but we can talk to Rommie now who has already asked her. You are welcome to come, though you did get one thing incorrect."
"I did?" asked a confused Heather.
Aya said, "Toma was the name given to the ship when it was made. Now that it is whole it is up to Nabiki to give it a new name."
"Now I'm curious," Sam admitted.
Kasumi said, "Oh you will like it, but I'm not supposed to tell you."
"Sounds like Nabiki," opined Ranma.
Aya said, "Rommie relayed that Nabiki asked for a thousand yen."
Ranma said, "Tell her to put it on my tab. I don't carry money anymore."
Kasumi smiled. "They thought it quite amusing. Perhaps you will tell us the story sometime?"
"Sure."
Aya said softly, "Satori."
Sam said, "I don't know that one. If Daniel was here, I bet he would."
Ayiana said, "It is among the oldest of words in our language. It refers to either truth or enlightenment. The word really means both, and either the quest for such or the beginning of the attainment of such, but with a focus that it is the beginning of a long path. Seeking of knowledge is part of it, but the focus is not on raw knowledge but the attainment of true understanding. It is really a complex word."
Doctor Tofu said, "It still means much of that in Japanese."
Ranma smiled. "Fitting."
Sam smacked him playfully on the top of the head.
Kasumi said softly, "It truly is fitting." She then laid her head softly on Aya's breast and fell asleep, much as the others did only moments later.
-=oOo=-
Author's Note: Comments?
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