"Speech"
'Thought'
#Panda sign#
X x x x x x
"This sucks!" Ranma laid her head down on her desk. The class she had to help her acclimate to life in space was not canceled due to the computers being fried. It had been three days since then, and the system still wasn't back up and running. The book she had been given for the class looked like a folder, with the pages appearing inside, controlled by small buttons on the button that went forward, backwards, or to a specific page.
Currently she was struggling to understand how the power sources for ships and planets actually worked. Everything about it was so far beyond anything she had even heard of on Earth. Gym remained difficult, while able to keep up with the rest of the students. They seemed to have an impossible level of endurance. That was fine, she was happy to have an actually physically demanding environment.
Jusenkyo was easy enough to keep under wraps. Only twice had she been hit with hot water, and with the special clothes, the water hadn't touched her. She had spent time in her male form yesterday. The only problem with that was how several students had been inquisitive to who the other person from Jurai was. So if she was going to do it again, she would try to find clothing that didn't automatically scream Jurai.
"Trouble?" Adilynn asked from her seat in front of the television. Corina was out at her gym class, and would be back in a few minutes.
"This stuff is impossible." She moaned, any of her former classes at Furinkan were easy by comparison.
"Why don't you ask Pein for help?" Her roommate suggested. "Isn't that it's job?"
"I would but he's just so smug about it." She glanced at the orb sitting over top the far side of the desk. Two days of listening to the device explain things that were considered simple here, and she had purposely told him to shut off until she called for him. The sheer amount of condescending attitude Pein could create was impressive.
"It shouldn't be all that difficult, you just need to start with something you can understand and work up."
"Ugh, I'm going to take a break." Stretching her arms up over her head and arching her back, she heard a satisfying crack. Hopping down the steps, she was going to head out the door when the television switched to the telephone line. Adilynn hit the accept button, and a familiar mint haired woman appeared on the viewscreen.
"Ah Ranma, just who was looking for." Seto said without any kind of hello. "How are your studies going?"
"Good." She answered with a nervous glance back at the book she had been reading.
"Wonderful, I heard about the problems they've been having with the computer system, and I received word from Washu-chan that she would be able to take a look at you anytime."
"Really?" Ranma asked excitedly.
"Yes." Seto confirmed. "I will stop by the Academy tomorrow at noon to pick you up. See you then." Without a chance to respond, the screen clicked off of telephone and back to television.
"You get to see Washu-sama?" Adilynn asked, looking at her with little stars in her eyes.
"Er- yes." She answered.
Adilynn quickly looked away and coughed into her hand. "I'll hate you forever if you don't ask her to contact me."
"What's so great about this Washu?" Ranma asked, this being the first time she had seen Adilynn actually worked up about anything.
"She's only the greatest mind in all the universe, who created the basis for every computer system in use today!" Adilynn announced dramatically.
"Alright alright, I'll be sure to tell her to give you a call."
"Thank you." The dark haired girl returned to watching the television without enthusiasm.
"No problem." She answered.
X x x x x x
Passing through an arched doorway into the lounge at the entry to the dorms, Ranma was taking time to enjoy the pleasant and ever present atmosphere the planet had. Her book had explained that the power plants which fueled everything, were also strong enough to regulate the weather. Nights were only cold enough to require a full sleeved shirt, days were warm enough to wear little clothing, but not hot enough to be uncomfortable.
Her current clothing was an orange short sleeved shirt in what she had rapidly decided was the 'Jurai-style', and black pants. They weren't water resistant, but she didn't like wearing the same clothes all the time. Dropping down on to a plush couch, Ranma stretched out, and closed her eyes. A fountain in the middle of the circular room was giving off a soothing white noise. Another noise was not so soothing, Seina's voice was that noise, and it caused her to sit up straight and watch the other Earthling move through the room towards the gym field.
Seina was with his two roommates, all three were dressed in blue and white gym uniforms. None of them realized that she was in the room as they passed. Never having seen what Seina could do physically, she rose from the couch, and followed the group. Neither of the other two were of interest, they would be body enhanced, and would have abilities close to her own.
Settling down on the grassy slope that bordered the track area, Ranma grimaced at who was the teacher. "How can they let that pink haired idiot be a teacher?" She asked herself out loud. Seiryo, had become a small thorn in her side. At least once a day he would bother her about something trivial, this usually ended with her bouncing his head off the wall. He was resilient though, likely from having other people do the same thing to him repeatedly.
"Yamada Seina!" Seiryo yelled loud enough for her to hear him. "You have failed to do the assigned activities everyday so far!" The pink haired man pointed in her direction. "Yet that Earthling who is also non-body enhanced, has!"
Narrowing her eyes, Ranma didn't like this one bit.
"What's your excuse?" Seiryo quit pointing and stood with his hands on his hips. "Your lack of ability shames this great institution!"
Standing, she walked purposely down the hill towards Seiryo as he continued to berate Seina for his lack of abilities, his future failure in the GP, and at life in general. She had no reason now to think Seina was anything but a normal human in terms of what he could do physically. His bad luck was something that was supernatural, but nothing else. But for Seiryo to stand there berating Seina for something beyond his control, and using her to do so, was not something she would stand for.
"Ah! The useful Earthling has arrived." Seiryo laughed haughtily at some imagined joke. "Would you be so kind as to show the class how inept your fellow Earthling is?"
"Nope." She answered, and broke his nose with a punch. Seiryo bounced twice as he flew backwards from the force of the blow. "Don't ever use me to pick on the weak again!" She called to the man before heading off the field, leaving the other students staring in mutely at Seiryo.
X x x x x
"Ne, Seina."
Seina barely acknowledged his roommate Kenneth, too busy staring at Ranma's retreating form. "What?" He asked absently, accidentally letting his eyes roam to the other Earthlings backside.
"Are all women on your planet that brutal with their violence?" Kenneth asked.
Seina was about to point out how Ranma was actually male, before thinking better of doing so. After watching Ranma drop Seiryo with a single punch, he didn't want to risk offending the other Earthling by letting out information that may embarrass Ranma. "Some." He answered, feeling like not even his bad luck could bring doom upon him for that answer.
"Class is canceled." Seiryo's muffled voice informed them from his place on the ground.
X x x x x x
"You wanted to see me?" Ranma asked the GP chairwoman, Airi. The green haired woman was sitting at a wooden table on the balcony of the teacher's cafeteria. The roof was made up of leaves, but was otherwise made to appear open to the elements. Many other teachers were sitting at tables eating food, but they paid her little mind, and there were no teachers sitting next to the table Airi was occupying.
"Have a seat." The chairwoman pointed to the bench across from her. Ranma did as asked, curious over why she had been called. "So how's the dorm food?" Airi asked casually.
"It's alright, little bland, but Pein says that it's better for me."
"Pein?"
"Uh, the little helper ball that Seto-san gave me."
"Ah." Airi nodded in understanding. "Well order whatever you want, my treat."
Ranma just raised an eyebrow before finding the button built into the end of the table to call up a viewscreen menu. "So why am I getting a free dinner?" She asked, selecting a dish that looked similar to an Earth one, even though classes weren't in session, gossip got around, and Ranma knew that the teacher's cafeteria was all home cooked food.
"For standing up for Seina-kun." The woman answered simply, selecting her own meal.
"You're like the principal right."
"Chairwoman, but in a way yes."
"So why are you rewarding me for hitting a teacher?"
"Because even though I'm the chairwoman, I can't get rid of him. With his family connections, in order to keep his parents support, he needs to remain gainfully employed within the GP. So unless he does something against regulations, I can't do anything to him."
"Sounds similar to something I had to deal with on Earth."
"So, when someone puts him in his place, I try to do something nice for them."
"Thanks, I guess I'll hit him more often." Ranma smirked.
"Ah ah ah." Airi shook a finger at her. "Only if he's doing something wrong."
"Of course, I would never think to just find him and hit him." Ranma lied through her teeth. Then again, the guy was just like Tatewaki, so she could occasionally treat Seiryo like a person.
"I also heard from Seto-sama that you'll be leaving the Academy to go to Earth." Airi reached down to pick up a black folder from the bench next to her. "Would you be so kind as to give this to Washu-chan?"
"Sure." Ranma agreed, taking the folder from Airi. "What's it for?" She asked, trying to open it up, but finding it sealed, and big letters appeared across the front asking for a key.
"Just a little something special Washu-chan requested. Consider delivering it your first assignment as a cadet." (1)
"Fun." She answered, sliding the folder off to the side.
"So, tell me about yourself." Airi folded her hands on the table. "I know a lot about Seina-kun from Kiriko-chan and Tenchi-chan. But you－ you're just an unknown who tagged along for the ride. Someone who gained the attention of Seto-sama."
"What do you want to know?" Ranma wasn't going to volunteer information, or probably tell the whole truth.
"How about your parents? What are they like?"
Ranma considered this a rather safe area. "I don't remember my mother, but my old man is a greedy idiot most of the time, the rest of the time he's just an idiot."
"Being rather hard on the man aren't you? If you don't know your mother, he did seem to raise you well enough."
"I know, it's just easier to expect idiocy. He's not really that bad, he just doesn't always think things through." Ranma breathed out a deep breath. "Heh, I kind of miss not having him around."
"I'm sure it's not out of the question for a visit after the body enhancement, keep up with your studies though."
"Visit him? That panda? Why would I want to do that?" Ranma crossed her arms with a snort and looked off to the side.
"I couldn't say, but if you did, just ask Seto-sama." Airi seemed unimpressed by her act, choosing to thank the waitress who set their food in front of them. "How about boyfriends?"
"I'm really a boy, remember?" Ranma rolled her eyes.
"So?"
Ranma's face flushed in anger and embarrassment. "No I don't have a boyfriend, I have a very female fiancee. Actually I have two and then a third that I'm married to through some archaic village laws."
"Must be interesting when it's time for bed."
Ranma's face became even more red. "I don't want any of them!" She protested, earning strange looks from the teachers who had not been listening in before. Dropping her voice back down and below normal conversational levels, she continued. "I mean it was decided before I was born for one, the other my dad did it again, and the third is just too stupid to take seriously."
"A little suggestion, never, ever－ ever, ever ever, mention your girl troubles to Seto-sama." Airi informed her with deathly seriousness.
"Wha- why?" Ranma stammered, unnerved by Airi's seriousness.
"Is polygamy legal on Earth?"
"No." Ranma said in a small voice getting some of the hint. "Not in Japan."
"Well it is legal in space, and Seto-sama enjoys nothing more, than to arrange marriages, and she has the power and influence to make sure it happens. Get it?" Airi finished and Ranma nodded rapidly.
"Then again, love makes the galaxy go round, so maybe you should give being married a chance. It's not like you couldn't get a divorce later." Airi decided to add.
Ranma just whimpered and ate her food, crying lightly that she was now in the care of people who thought it was just fine to not just engage, but to forcibly marry her off for the fun of it.
X x x x x x
Not knowing where she was supposed to wait for Seto, Ranma simply waited in her room, ready and packed to go. Both of her roommates were in class, the system for that having been fixed sometime during the night. So now on top of her studies on life in space, there would also be ones detailing various laws, ship operations, and several other subjects including etiquette. The various thin books on the subjects were sitting in a brown satchel bag made from a leather material next to her.
Glancing around at the room, she sort of wished that Adilynn and Corina were around to say goodbye. Though the two had already done so before they left for class earlier, it seemed artificial to do it so far ahead of time. They were obviously both jealous of her, as were many of the random passersby who had stopped by to congratulate her on bashing the creepy teacher. Which was a real ego boost. As scary as the information she had found out about Seto the day before was, Ranma was still getting special treatment from one of the most powerful figures in the galaxy.
Even though her two roommates were jealous of her supposed good fortune, it wasn't like on Earth where pretty much everyone she knew would be trying to take advantage of it for their own ends. Both roommates were genuinely happy for her, and aside from some suggestions of putting in a good word for the pair, they were just sad that she had to leave so soon. It was such a different attitude than what she was used to, and what she herself had, that she didn't really know how to respond.
A light knocking on the outside of the open entrance alerted her to Seto standing there smiling pleasantly. "I believe that I am right on time."
"Looks like it." Ranma glanced at a clock on the wall.
"Let's be off then." Seto didn't move but suddenly Ranma was surrounded briefly by a kaleidoscope of rainbow colored light, and when it abated she was standing in what looked like a very fancy hotel room.
"What- I mean how did we just use a transporter tube?" She asked.
"A Jurai tree ship has the capability to teleport persons and objects short distances without the assistance of a transporter tube. From a planets surface to the ship in orbit is hardly a strain." Seto answered helpfully, waving a hand horizontally. "This will be your room while here."
"This is mine?" She asked incredulously.
"Yes, you will likely be aboard my ship as your first assignment." Seto's voice had an auditory smirk to it. "So if you are ever on the Mikagami, this will be yours."
"Wow－ I mean thanks. But this is way more than I need." Ranma inspected the room closer.
The bed was big enough that could do a kata on it, and was covered in a burgundy sheet with a half dozen pillows at one end. The floor was made from one solid slice of a tree big enough to encompass the entire room, which was nearly ten meters in diameter. An entryway lead out on to a platform overlooking a valley of trees and grass. Two other entrances were spaced equally around the round room, one leading to a large bath, the other door was closed. Five meters over head was a light source diffused by six wide strips of fabric draped down to points two meters above the floor. Three dressers lined the circular fringe to the room, each one made from what looked like a solid piece of wood.(2)
"Nonsense." Seto waved off her concern. "Come, there are some things I would like to show you."
"Alright." Ranma set her satchel bag down on one of the dressers and followed the mint haired woman out one the main entrance and into the sunlight. Being inside a tree ship again was weird. It literally looked like she was on a planet rather than out in space. "Er, shouldn't you tell whoever's driving this thing that we're here?"
"Nobody is driving." Seto smiled at a private joke. "And we're already underway."
"How does that work?"
"Well that takes a complicated answer." Seto answered, strolling down a well worn dirt path. "Normally it is a secret even to members of the Jurai military. But you're a special case."
"I am? Is it cause I'm from Earth?"
"Nope."
"I have a magical curse?"
"Most definitely not."
"Then why?"
"It has to deal with that complicated answer I mentioned." Seto clarified by going back to her original statement, and didn't seem like she was going to answer, because they continued to walk down the path without speaking.
"And that is?" She finally asked, growing irritated at the silence when they started to pass through a group of trees.
"Patience, we're almost there." Seto answered.
Ranma rolled her eyes, following Seto as the trees opened up into a large open area that appeared to be open to space. On the ground portion was a stair step system with water flowing from around the base of a giant oak tree, down to the lower levels, and out back through the forest. Starting from their position, a walkway wrapped around the entire waterworks up to a platform that encircled the tree where the branches were the widest. Ranma realized that this was the cockpit area that she remembered from the first time on the ship.
"This way." Seto waved a hand and a series of tan platforms rose from the water, allowing them access to the base of the tree. Approaching the giant flora, it had to be almost seven meters in diameter. There was also a palpable feeling of both power and strangely a feeling of warmth and contentment, all coming from the tree in the center.
"So you noticed, most people cannot feel a royal tree." Seto's gave her an amused smirk. "Do you have any idea why the Mikagami is called a tree ship?"
"Cause it has a lot of trees in it?" She answered lamely, walking with Seto on to the grassy platform.
"No, it is because one tree, this tree. A tree ship is not merely a ship, it is the result of a bond between a person and a royal tree, the source of Jurai's power. I am bonded with Mikagami, and this is her actual form."
"You're bonded to a tree?" Ranma looked up at the lowest branches several meters over head. "Can't be much for conversation."
"On the contrary, a royal tree is just as sentient as you or I."
"You said this was a big secret, so why are you telling me?"
"Who is bonded with a royal tree cannot be forced. Members of the royal family are almost guaranteed to be bonded, others receive a call that echos to the other trees, and they are brought to the palace for the ceremony." Seto turned to look directly in her eyes. "And Mikagami has indicated that sometime soon you will be called."
"That's a good thing?" She asked, not knowing if she wanted to be bonded to a tree.
Seto laughed to herself. "I don't think I've ever heard someone ask that question." Ranma scrunched up her face in a frown at being laughed at. "Yes, it's a very good thing. Among many advantages to your person, with the bond you'll become part of a royal family."
"WHAT?" She screeched.
"Since your parents don't legally exist off of Earth, I'm your current legal guardian. You can become part of my family permanently if you wish."
"Uh, ah, er, um." Ranma finally settled on just furrowing her brow and staring at the woman. "What if I don't want to be bonded to some weird tree?"
"I understand this is a lot to take in at once. Mikagami-chan, why don't you say hello." Seto told the tree.
"You bet it's a lot to take in－ hey what's with the lights?" Looking down at her hands, thin beams of rainbow colored light were raining down upon her from the tree above. Even through her clothing it felt like someone was touching her with the tips of feathers. Along with the soft touches of light, she started to feel several positive emotions.
'Greetings.'
Ranma jerked when a feminine voice appeared within her head, if it didn't have such a calm feel to it, she would be freaked out over the strange voice.
"Even though I often have visitors, and hundreds work upon Mikagami, she does not often get to greet individuals personally." Seto explained. "Do you hear her talking?"
"I－ I do." Ranma answered, her face flushing in embarrassment when Mikagami chastised her for making the comment about being poor conversation. "Sorry, I've never met a tree that could talk before."
"Seto-sama." An attendant clad in teal clothing with her face covered, stood on one of the walkways over the water. "Your lunch is ready."
"Thank you." The mint haired woman responded. "Shall we eat Ranma?"
"Sure." Ranma watched the light show abruptly end, as well as the direct connection to Mikagami, leaving only the general feeling that the royal tree had been emitting initially.
Reluctantly she left the grassy platform to follow Seto back out through the path they had came in through. Taking a split in the path rather than going back along it towards her quarters, they used a teleporter tube to go to a spot high up on the large tree that she remembered from the first visit. It wasn't the same table, but the view was just as spectacular looking out over the vast forest below.
Sitting down at the table across from Seto, plates filled with food were already set out, and a pair of attendants waited off to the side. The woman across from her started to eat without hesitation while Ranma simply glanced from the plate, up to Seto, and back down again.
"Is something wrong?" Seto asked, noticing her lack of action. "Something else can be prepared if you wish."
"I know what you're trying to do." She stared into the woman's red eyes. "You're trying to make this seem really great, and get me to do what you want. Then you're going to spring some catch on me. Well－ I get why you're my guardian and all, but I don't want to be adopted or get attached to a tree."
"That's fine." Seto answered with a shrug. "You don't have to do anything you don't want."
"You mean like stay or get my memory erased?"
"Point." Seto smiled approvingly. "This is different. If you do not wish to be bonded to a tree, you do not have to be, no consequences. If you do not wish to be part of my family, that is fine as well. As soon as you reach the age of majority in a couple years, I will cease to be your guardian."
"You mean, you're not going to try and force me?" Ranma gaped. All that warning from Airi on Seto, and the woman was being this agreeable?
"Has someone been telling tall tales about me?" Seto looked at her suspiciously.
"Er, well Airi kind of mentioned something with you and weddings." She replied hastily.
"Well if you were interested, I'm sure I could find someone. But I would never force anyone into a marriage."
"You－ you're a lot different than people make you out to be." Ranma admitted, berating herself for believing the things she had heard over the real thing.
"I wouldn't say that." Seto smirked. "I'm sure a few of them got me halfway right." With her free hand, the woman gestured towards Ranma's food. "Now eat, eat, I feel self conscious if it's just myself."
X x x x x x
Ranma was not allowed to simply relax, Seto wanting to spend time on the bridge of the ship, which was situated on the ring surrounding the royal tree. Now that Ranma knew of the tree, she had trouble putting it out of her mind. Mikagami's presence was everywhere, which was to be expecting since it's power was what held the area together. It wasn't a distracting presence, and truth be told she actually liked it, but the idea of being permanently bonded to such a thing was just too strange.
Seto had taken a seat on two person sofa, and directed Ranma to observe the stations being attended to by four women. Since she now knew that control of the Mikagami was done by the tree, Ranma was curious over what they were actually doing. It turned out that they were monitoring transmissions, areas of space around them, and checking on various people working within the ship.
"Ranma-san." A girl she remembered from her first visit bowed her head politely, and Ranma returned it.
"Sorry, I don't really remember your name." Ranma admitted, scratching at the back of her head absently.
"That's quite alright, I'm Masaki Minaho Jurai, would you mind coming with me for a moment?"
"Um－ sure." Ranma followed the only slightly taller girl down the ramp leading from the platform down to the base of the tree. They didn't go all the way, but stopped at a level half way down. "Er, you wouldn't happen to be part of the royal family are you?" She asked, putting the surname together with the addition of Jurai.
"I am, Funaho-sama is my grandmother." The black haired girl informed her, which meant that Minaho was directly connected to the ruling King. "I just wanted to discuss how you will act while on Earth."
"What do you mean?" Ranma cocked her head to one side.
"Seto-sama asked that I explain the guidelines you must follow."
"Alright."
"First, should you encounter Earthlings, you must not discuss life in space, vague hints are fine with your family and close friends. But others must remain completely ignorant or they may have to have their memories erased, or be brought to space themselves."
Ranma simply nodded at this, knowing about the memory erasing bit, but not that she could give some information about what she was doing. Which if she was going to visit the people that she knew, would require some planning on what answers to give, or else she would end up blurting something out.
"The second is not just for when you are on Earth, discussion of royal trees can only be initiated by a member of the royal family. Even though you will be living for a time with princess Ayeka and Sasami, and the others in the home as well know, you are still to abide by this rule no matter what."
Nodding again, Ranma didn't see why she would ever just up and talk about sentient trees, and certainly not with random people. They would thinks he was crazy. Especially if she tried to communicate just what made up a tree ship. It was mind boggling just how big the interior was, even when she was currently in it.
"Finally, the home you are going to is that of Masaki Tenchi. His existence is one of the highest secrets."
Ranma interrupted her with a question. "Isn't he the guy who beat that－ what's his name, Kagato?"
"Yes, there is some information about him that has leaked to the galaxy at large, but you need to keep anything you learn about him to yourself, Seto-sama, or the Emperor himself."
"What's so great about him?"
"That's the reason why he's not to be talked about." Minaho may have been trying to get rid of Ranma's curiosity, but all it did was increase it. "Please repeat back these rules."
"Uh." Ranma faltered, running through her brain to track down the information. "No talking to people about stuff in space. The only ones who can talk about a tree ship are royal family members. And－ don't talk about that Tenchi guy to anyone."
"Close enough, but you may want to train yourself to remember details. If you become part of the royal family it's immeasurably important when dealing with politics."
"You know about that too?" Ranma grimaced.
"I'm Seto-sama's intelligence officer. I didn't need a tree ship to find it out." Minaho smiled. "I'll have a book on memory techniques sent to your quarters."
"Thanks." Ranma replied absently, mentally grumbling over having another subject added to the list. But then perked up that it was something to remember things better, which would make the rest easier.
"Don't mention it, you're keeping Seto-sama busy, it's the least I can do."
"Why do people keep talking like that?"
"Yes, why do people keep saying such things?" Seto appeared behind Minaho with a fan spread in front of her face, her eyes looked upwards.
"Se-Seto-sama!" Minaho recoiled from the tall woman. "How long were you there?"
"Since you began talking about Tenchi-chan." Seto answered, fanning herself.
'How didn't I notice her?' Ranma looked around, trying to find a spot where the woman could have been hiding.
"I was just joking." Minaho laughed nervously and waved her hands in front of her. "Just trying to lighten the mood."
"Ah, I see." Seto snapped her fan shut. "Perhaps I should do the same, perhaps with a story." The woman suggested, tapping the fan to her chin, before motioning with the fan that Ranma should follow her back up the steps. "I know just the one, back when Minaho-chan was about two years old."
"Seto-sama, please not embarrassing childhood stories!" Minaho protested.
"I'm just trying to－ lighten the mood." Seto gave off a high pitched giggle. "She was about two years old, and I was visiting her mother when she."
"Please not that one Seto-sama, please." Minaho begged.
"Oh but it's one of the best, I simply MUST tell this one. Now, as I was saying."
X x x x x x
Standing in a pair of blue jeans, white button up shirt, and navy haori, Masaki Tenchi waited for the newest, and purposely temporary, arrival to his home. The whole household had turned out to wait on the dock outside the enrance to his home, this being the latest, and most interesting thing to happen in the past week. Hakubi Ryoko, the former space pirate hovered at his side along with Masaki Ayeka, the daughter of the current Emperor of Jurai, Azusa.
Ayeka's younger sister, Sasami was close by as well, holding the hand of the humanoid form of Ryo-ohki, Ryoko's multi-form space ship. Ryoko's mother, Washu was standing a bit forward with Seto's adopted daughter Noike, since they were the real ones to be welcoming their houseguess. The last member of the household, Kuramistu Mihoshi was off on a mission in space, and wouldn't be back till later that night.
In front of them, three trails of glitter seemed to fall from the sky. Before any of the arrivals could be seen, wild uncontrollable feminine laughter met their ears. Finally three forms faded into view. The laughing one was a short black haired girl wearing what Tenchi thought of as Jurai style clothing, she had on white pants and a green blouse. She was also rolling on the ground, holding her sides, with small tears being squeezed from her tightly shut eyes.
The other two were more familiar, his multiple great grandmother Seto was waving a folding fan in front of her face, acting completely oblivious to his aunt Minaho who was pleading with the woman.
"Please grandmother, no more stories, please please please please please, I beg of you." Minaho implored the woman, before she realized that they had an audience. "Erk!" Straightening up, she tried to look nonchalant. "Hello." She said in a small voice.
"I wonder if Tenchi-chan would like to hear the one about you－." Seto trailed off, focusing on the assembled group. "Ranma." She warned sternly. "It's impolite to meet people while laughing like a lunatic."
"Eh?" The girl on the ground froze, also noticing the audience for the first time. "Oops." In a single quick movement she was up to her feet. "Hi." The girl greeted weakly, bowing politely.
"Welcome." Noike and Washu greeted close to unison, before returning the bow, Noike then helpfully introduced everyone for the new arrivals benefit. When he introduced after Noike and Washu, he found himself suddenly face to face with the short girl, her blue eyes examining him.
"So you're Tenchi? You don't look like much." She looked him up and down critically. "You look pretty normal to me, pathetic even."
"Hey you!" Ryoko appeared with the front of the girl's shirt gripped in her hand. "Don't you dare insult Tenchi!"
"Yes this is most impolite." Ayeka agreed with her eyes closed.
"Hold it!" Noike's voice cut into the moment. "Ryoko, let her go." The cyan haired space pirate did as commanded after a moment. "Ayeka, no ganging up." Ayeka backed away to his side, trying not to look embarrassed. "And you, don't pick fights." She finished with Ranma who shot back to stand slightly behind Seto, as if that would be some kind of protection.
Giving a strained smile, he could already tell that having a visit from his Great Grandmother and this possible future relation, was not going to be the quiet affair he had hoped for. 'I knew it.' Seto of course looked highly amused by the situation, and Minaho had taken the opportunity to return to the ship floating in orbit, before any attention could return to her.
Noike coughed into her hand. "Now, this is Ryo-Ohki-chan." She indicated the humanoid cabbit, who meowed several times happily while running up to show off one of the many small dances she had taken to greeting people with.
As Ryo-Ohki began to wave her arms about and sing with meows, Tenchi noticed that Ranma's face rapidly fell into a look of horror. When Ryo-ohki finished with a final loud meow, the new arrival screamed in pure unadulterated horror and took off at a sprint in the opposite direction. Which unfortunately meant she sped out to the end of the dock, and ended up taking a swim.
"I knew it." He groaned externally this time.
X x x x x x
"I said relax." Washu was behind a semi-transparent laptop floating in the air before her, rapidly typing on keys. The short red head was also sitting on a red cushion that was also floating in mid air.
Ranma frowned and tried to do as the short red head commanded. After embarrassing herself by running from that scary little very cat like girl, she had been almost teleported into some lab complex, before even getting out of the lake. It had all happened so quickly that Ranma's frazzled mind didn't really know how she ended up here, sitting in a white cotton robe as her clothing rapidly dried on a simple wooden rack nearby. Shifting the towel she had wrapped around her neck, she tried not to dislodge the head sized yellow sphere thing that Washu had placed upon the top of her hair.
"What are you doing anyways?" Ranma asked, glancing around wearily for that strange rabbit cat-girl.
"Just a basic bioscan, figured I would get a base reading."
"Er, shouldn't you be doing that on my real body?" She had thought about that, not wanting to be body enhanced as a girl, while her real body was left as is. Or worse, become locked as a girl.
"I will." Washu answered simply, not even looking at her.
Checking to make sure that no one else was around, she played with the left cuff of her robe. "And don't you want to know why I freaked out?" Normally she wouldn't have thought to even bring up the subject, but for all her strange appearance, this was the number one super genius, Washu. Ranma quickly mentally slapped herself for falling into the way Adilynn had described the girl before her.
"Of course I do." The red head answered simply. "Are you interested in explaining?"
"Not really." It hadn't really been the neko-ken by itself that had caused such an extreme reaction, it was a brief flash of just what kind of power that little girl held, coupled with the meows she had been making. The only image that had entered into her mind was that of a cat capable of destroying a planet, and blind panic had taken over.
"Well it's obviously not seeing a strange humanoid. You couldn't go into space and not come across species that deviate from Earth norm like the Wau." Washu mused, never ceasing her typing.
"Is that girl part cat?" She asked, trying to work up the urge to at least explain the neko-ken, hoping that Washu wouldn't laugh like the Tendo's.
"She hasn't always been, but yes she has incorporated feline traits into her body matrix. You see, she's a combination of a mineral life form, and an organic life form called the Masu."
"What?"
"Yes, she is part cat, but she's mostly a form of life that doesn't exist on this planet." Washu summarized.
"Ah－ well I don't like cats."
"Not liking, is a far cry from such a hysterical reaction."
"Are you a psychiatrist too?"
"Hmm, I believe on Earth I would hold some type of collegiate certification in that as well." Washu answered with a shrug. "So I take it you have an extreme phobia of cats? I feel compelled to inform you that there's a strict patient doctor confidentiality, currently you're in a subspace area the size of Mars, where not another sentient can be found." Washu paused in typing briefly before starting up again.
"Kay, er－ why is that little girl so strong?" Ranma ignored explaining that cats terrified her by asking the more important question she had. How could such a child possess so much power?
"That's because she's really just a normal space projection of a space ship. It is impressive that you were able to realize that there was more to her than just her body." Washu's green eyes shifted from the screen to focus purely on her. "Which begs the question of how you were able to do so." With a final click, a dozen viewscreens popped into existence around them, each one showing various bits of information. "Because by all my scans, aside from your curious shape changing, and high level physical abilities, you're just a normal human."
"I dunno." Ranma answered with a shrug, more worried about the space ship shaped girl. "Is that a bad thing?"
"No, it just means your ability to perceive reality is far more attuned than it should be."
Ranma's face quickly shifted into a frown. "Then why did you just ask me how I was able to if you knew already?"
"I was just asking if you knew." Washu smirked.
"Can I take this thing off my head yet?" She asked irritably.
"Of course, I just wanted some time to talk." Washu's smirk grew. With a huff Ranma quickly got dressed back into her now dry clothing. The same field that kept minor amounts from coming into contact with them or someone contained within them, also forced water from the fibers. "Ryo-Ohki lives here, she's vocal, and she's affectionate, it will be difficult if you become hysterical at the sight of her."
"And I suppose you have some super high tech way to fix that too?" She asked sarcastically. "I haven't gotten along with cats for years now, and it don't look like it's getting better."
"Nothing that wouldn't seem be cliched."
"Huh?"
"Nothing." Washu waved her hand dismissively, hopping off the red cushion she had been sitting on. "But now that you're in a better mindset, do you think you can handle being around Ryo-Ohki?"
"If she doesn't meow and stays way away from me." She answered quickly.
"We'll have to work on that." Washu's smirk returned with a vengeance.
X x x x x x
Lounging in the spacious living room as the sun slowly set over the lake. Seto briefly wondered what it was like around here when she wasn't present. So many fun personalities all under one roof, she could understand how even a genius like Washu could never get bored. Ranma seemed to be fitting in as well. Although watching the shape changer make simple conversation with the occupants, while avoiding Ryo-Ohki completely, she realized that some tutoring on socialization would be good.
"So how long will you be staying Grandmother?" Ayeka asked, reminding her that she had not really said when she had told Washu that she would like to monitor Ranma's progress.
"I'm not sure, Washu-chan, do you know how long it will take for Ranma-chan to be done?" She twisted her head slightly to look over at the red haired scientist.
"Hmm." Washu looked deep in though for a moment. "At least a month."
"That long?" Seto asked, glancing at Ranma for just a second to see that her charge looked insulted, no doubt expecting to complete the required adjustment period in record time.
"Oh yes, there's the physical training, that phobia will also have to be dealt with, and then there's the shape changing." With the last word, all eyes turned towards Ranma who simply shrugged.
"What? I'm really a guy." The short girl said in an overly casual tone, hiding an underlying nervousness.
"Neat." Sasami chirped, as the group collectively moved past the oddity in a second.
Seto's calm smile grew slightly at Ranma's reaction. The Earthling had obviously been expecting a different, more extreme reaction, her mouth hanging slightly open. 'Ranma still hasn't learned that things strange on Earth are not so in space.' Beyond that though, her little project would have to learn soon enough not to become to frazzled over simple conversation.
"While I would love to stay for a month, I'm sure I will have to head back in a few days, and I would so like to meet Ranma-chan's family before I do." Her smile grew just a bit more, glancing back to the Earthling.
"Oh ho! That's right isn't it." Washu clapped her hands. "That will have to be done first, Ranma-dono simply won't be able to while adjusting."
"It is late, but we could go visit now." Seto suggested to herself, it wasn't all that late, only half past seven Earth time. "I'm sure Washu-chan would like to get started first thing tomorrow morning." She let the red head catch her suggestion.
"That works for me." The red head answered her suggestion.
"Right now?" Ranma wondered. "But it's half way across Japan." (3)
"Of course." Contacting Mikagami, they were both surrounded by light when the tree ship responded to her request.
X x x x x x
Ranma glanced left, then right, after the teleport was finished. Finding herself standing in front of a familiar gate, with a familiar sign declaring this to be the home of the Tendo Musabetsu Kakutou Ryu. Realizing how small a distance it was from the former location to here, compared to going to a ship in orbit, she felt silly for bring it up right before Seto had acted.
"You could have at least give some warning before doing that." She grumbled. Seto was the one doing it so the sudden shifts in perspective weren't nearly as disorientating to her.
She nearly added that Seto should have allowed her to change back to male, and out of the purely female clothing she was wearing. Ranma had tried to simply resize the female clothing and see if it would change to fit her male form. It did, but the cut still remained female, and it didn't look right at all. But then Ranma remembered that she still had clothing at the Tendo home, so she didn't voice this thought.
Setting aside other concerns, such as giant tree ships, schools that took up an entire solar system, and the myriad of other knowledge about space that she had, Ranma headed into the home for a dose of normalcy.
"Yo! Anyone home?" She asked, wandering through the hall past the kitchen towards the living room. No lights were on though, no one answered her shout, and the usual signs of life were absent. That the doors hadn't been locked wasn't an oddity, Ranma couldn't remember a time where it had been.
"It seems that we chose a bad time to visit." Seto mused, peering at a picture of the Tendo family hanging on the wall.
"Where are they?" Ranma wondered out loud, heading to the kitchen to check a calender that Kasumi always put planned activities on. "Six thirty, dinner with Saotomes?" She wondered, confused over what that could mean. "Does this mean that one crazy lady really was my mom?" Rubbing at her forehead, Ranma was both interested in finding out if it was true, and worried that it was.
"Would you like to try your mother's home?" Seto asked inspecting the kitchen with a small smile.
"I don't even know my mother." Ranma answered, assuming that this was proof that the lady she had talked to was indeed her mother. "But if you know where she is, lemme change into a guy first before you zap us there."
"Of course." Seto allowed her to go past on her way up to the guest room to grab some male clothing. Taking a single step into her former room, Ranma froze, finding it to be empty of everything that she and her father had kept in it. "Where's my stuff?" She demanded angrily, opening up the closet to find it empty, the dresser was the same way.
"Such a humble residence." Seto commented, appearing at the door.
"Don't follow me around like that." Ranma frowned at the mint haired woman, more frustrated that Genma had apparently pawned all her stuff. Who knows how many of the little valuable things he had collected were lost now, sold for pocket change.
"We could return the ship for clothing if you wish." The Jurai noble suggested. Ranma was about to agree but then stopped, leveling Seto with a serious look, and trying to decide why she was being so helpful. "Something wrong?"
"Are you trying to make being bonded to a tree ship look really great?" She asked, already having to accept that it seemed to be all benefits.
"Ranma, when I said that you could be adopted by me, I did not mean it as a joke, or merely as a political move."
"You don't even know me." Ranma pointed out angrily. Literally they had met twice, and all that time combined still wasn't even a day. "What do you even care past the tree thing?"
She had enough experience with people trying to marry her at the drop of a hat, but adoption was a new angle. Especially by someone who was literally offering to make her royalty. How was she supposed to respond to something like that? Ranma wasn't sure, but getting it over with quickly was probably for the best.
"A whim I suppose." Seto shrugged her shoulders almost imperceptibly. "Noike was also just a whim, I learned long ago that my whims are usually for the best."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
Ranma sighed. "At least you're honest about it." Still unnerved about the casual adoption angle, she did still want to track down her old man. "Can I go back to your ship from some clothes and to change back to a guy?"
"Of course."
X x x x x x
One change of gender and clothing, and Ranma once again found himself standing in front of a gate, with Seto standing nearby with a patient, amused smile across her face. Hitting a doorbell set off to the side of the gate, he waited for a response.
Glancing down at his new clothing, he fidgeted with the hanging yellow badge signifying that he was a cadet, to make sure it was in it's proper place. All of his clothing was basically the same as the female version, though the colors were darker, and the cut was for a male. His pants were a blue, his shirt was green, but his overcoat was a navy blue with a green leaf pattern acting as a border for the short sleeves.
The gate opened, allowing him to see that Genma had come to answer the door. As always, his father was wearing a white gi, and a bandanna over his bald head. Genma took a moment to adjust his glasses, trying to be sure that Ranma was indeed at the gate. Once he seemed satisfied, Genma broke out into a sweat and glanced back nervously.
"What is it this time old man?" Ranma groaned, knowing all too well the obvious signs of Genma having done something stupid.
"Come on boy!" Genma suddenly grabbed him and dragged him through the gate. Letting the elder Saotome move him, he realized too late what his father was up to when he was thrown towards a koi pond only slightly smaller than the one at the Tendo's.
"Stupid old man!" Ranma cried out before hitting the water. There was a moment where his clothing attempted to repel the water, then with a pop the small air bubble that had surrounded him popped, and he was once again a she. "You stupid panda!" She yelled, leaping from the water towards Genma.
"Genma, who's this?" A woman's voice asked, glancing over to a door, she fumbled with her next step. It was the woman she had seen on the telephone her first day in space. She was wearing a white kimono, her black hair tied up in a bun.
"This is." Genma appeared at her side, grabbing her by the shoulders to point her towards the woman. "This is－." The man fumbled for a word, glancing down at Ranma's clothing. "Midori, she's Akane's cousin."
"Eh?" She stared at her father's smiling face, wondering what the reason was behind this.
"Just go along with it." Genma whispered out the side of his mouth. "I thought you were out of town." He said louder.
"I was." Ranma glanced between the two, from her nervously smiling old man, to the serenely smiling woman who looked to be her mother. "Way out of town." Raising a hand to tap her clothing control node, she resized them to fit better on her body.
"My my, so lively." Seto was watching the precedings from the corner of the building.
"And who is this?" Nodoka switched from her to Seto.
"I am Kamiki Seto Jurai." The noble woman greeted with a polite bow of her head. "Midori-chan's guardian."
"Hello, I am Saotome Nodoka." The kimono clad woman returned the bow. "Please come inside, and I'll get you a towel Midori-chan."
Ranma watched the woman head into the home, with Seto following wearing a greatly amused smirk. Once Nodoka was out of sight she elbowed Genma in the stomach with a great deal of force, making him gag as the wind was driven from his lungs. "Spill old man, is she really my mom?"
"She is." Genma gasped. "But you gotta listen to me."
"Oh yea? What's it this time? Cause I gotta tell ya, you're going to have to work really hard to top what I got myself into right now."
"Before we left on the training trip she made me sign a contract."
"Go on." She waved her hand in little circles next to her head.
"That if you weren't manly, she would make us both commit seppuku."
Ranma stared at Genma, her mouth slightly agape. "You can't be serious."
"Boy, I have never been more serious about anything before in my life."
Using a very creative and explicit curse word she had picked up at the Academy, the meaning of which was completely lost on Genma, Ranma punched him once again in the stomach just for good measure. "GAH! How could you be so stupid!" She screamed at him, kicking him into the pond.
#It was all her idea!# The wet panda held up a wooden sign. #Whatever you do, don't tell her!#
Putting her face in her hands, Ranma shook her head. "Of course my mom is crazy, who else would marry a moron like you?"
"Midori-chan, here's a towel." Nodoka stepped out of the door into the side of the traditional home to hand her a towel. Ranma stared up into the woman's eyes, wondering if she was really as crazy as Genma was making her out to be. Nodoka was smiling in such a friendly way, and she looked so caring, it was hard to take the old panda seriously. "Is something wrong dear?" Nodoka asked, noticing that Ranma had been staring.
"Well." She started, glancing nervously to the side.
"Do you happen to know my Ranma?" The Saotome woman asked before Ranma could come up with a question.
"Yes." She answered slowly.
"Is he manly?" Nodoka asked, her eyes shining with hope.
"Yea." Ranma didn't think it prudent to bring up that it was kind of hard to be manly when inhabiting a body that was one hundred percent female.
"That's wonderful! Akane-chan was just telling me about how he had been manly in fighting off that wretched gnome Happosai." Nodoka gave her an ecstatic smile. "Come on inside, would you like anything?"
"No, I ate before coming down." She answered, following the woman inside the home. 'She can't be nuts, she's way too nice to want me to kill myself.' Once out of the night air, she found the entire Tendo family gathered around a low table, Seto had taken a kneeling position nearby, still obviously amused by the situation. Akane looked like she wanted to greet her, but quickly held her tongue.
"Sit next to me Midori-chan." Seto patted a spot next to her.
Holding off on doing as the woman asked, Ranma opened her mouth to tell Nodoka who she was before this farce could go on any further. She was just starting to utter a syllable when Genma as a panda bumped her from behind as he lumbered into sit down. His beady eyes pleading with her not to say anything. "Saotome-san." She started.
"Midori-chan, could you tell me about my son? I wouldn't want to make a decision on his manliness without more information." Nodoka asked oblivious to Ranma wanting to say something different.
"Decision?" Seto asked for her.
"Oh yes." Nodoka addressed the noble woman. "Ranma and his father made a solemn vow that they would return from their training journey with him as a man amongst men, or else he would commit seppuku."
"That is rather extreme." Seto answered this declaration casually. "Don't you think?"
"It is, but as an honorable martial artist, such an honorable pact, must be upheld." Nodoka became very serious, grabbing a long silk wrapped bundle to pull out the top of a katana. "I've prepared myself since that day they left to act as their second. I would expect such a manly son, as Ranma no doubt is, to stand by his vows."
'She's serious!' Ranma screamed mentally.
"But it won't come to that, after all, my son is manly." Nodoka hastily wrapped the katana back into the silk. Ranma whimpered lightly, glancing at the silk wrapped bundle with dread. "Of course now that he's out in space doing who knows what manly activities, I fear that I won't get to meet him for some time." Her mother sighed with such sadness that Ranma felt a sharp pain in her chest.
"Is something wrong Midori-chan?" Kasumi joined the conversation, the eldest Tendo daughter being quick enough to realize that using her real name was out of the question at the moment.
Ranma didn't answer the question, choosing to look right at Seto. "Can we go?"
"But you just got here." Nodoka twisted her head to the side. "Please don't feel uncomfortable with this talk about my son."
"I'd just like to go." Ranma said more forcefully.
"Of course." Seto rose to her feet. "I'm very sorry that we could not stay longer." The Jurai noble apologized, Ranma didn't remain to watch the woman work her verbal game with the Tendo's and her parents.
As soon as she was outside the gate, light surrounded her, and she found herself transported up to her room on the Mikagami. Sitting down on the edge of the vast bed, she glanced down at her bust. 'How can I meet my own mother like this?' A minute later, Seto appeared just outside the doorway before stepping in.
"Can Washu really get rid of this? Get rid of my curse?" Ranma asked hopefully.
"Considering Washu-chan has already said she could, yes." Seto answered. "Though after meeting your mother, I think you should consider your reasons for doing so carefully."
"What's that supposed to mean? This isn't me, this body is just a curse, and if it means I wouldn't have a death threat hanging over my head, why wouldn't I jump at a cure?" She demanded angrily.
"I didn't say don't do it, merely I think you should do it because you want to, not because an unbalanced woman who wishes for your death if you are unmanly, would desire it." The tall woman answered calmly.
Without wanting to verbally spar with the woman, Ranma sat for a minute in silence. "I want to be alone." She finally told Seto with her head titled forward and looking up through her bangs. Seto nodded in understanding.
Seto said one last thing before leaving her alone. "Mikagami-chan will send you down to Earth in the morning, so don't stay up too late."
X x x x x x
Author Notes:
1 – Revisions to Washu's proposed plan for the Kamidake.
2 - You can think Ayeka's room on her own ship, although a bit less ornate.
3 – Ranma saw on a viewscreen before they went down to the planet where they were going.