Disclaimer: I own neither Slayers nor Ranma 1/2. But if I did...*insert maniacal laughter here*-ahem, sorry. Anyway...
Hey everyone, I'm back, jut like I said I would. Half the time and an even longer chapter than the last...Hm, I seem to be lacking in things to rant about. Oh well. Please enjoy the epic chapter 10 of "Anything Goes Dragon Slave"!
"..." normal speech
'...' thoughts
Attacks/Spell name
Tension mounted the shoulders of the group as they stared at the pale girl. Ranma held her close, trying to hold back his tears. Silence filled the air, only to be broken when Ryoga abruptly punched the cavern wall, leaving behind a crater.
"God dammit! We were too late," he yelled, his voice falling to a whisper. Mousse looked away, he and Shampoo walking over to where Kiima was.
Gourry, on the other hand, was trying to sort through his thoughts. 'Why does this feel so familiar? Something...something about Lina and..."Phibrizo"? Who? If only I could remember!' He turned to his counterpart, who seemed to be pondering something as well. 'Maybe Lina will know.'
"Hey, Lina, can I ask you something?" he softly inquired, placing a hand on her shoulder. She shook her head.
"Not now Gourry. Maybe later," she murmured.
"Okay, well, can't you do something to help?" Again, she sadly shook her head.
"The only way to save her now would be to cast a Resurrection, but I can't do that. If Amelia were here, she could..." Lina trailed off, realization flooding into her eyes. "Of course! Gourry, you keep an eye on things here, I'll be right back. Raywing!" Drawing on the last of her reserves, an air shield formed around her and Lina took off into the darkening sky.
Feeling very confused, Gourry walked over to the Amazons with Ryoga, both feeling Ranma needed to be by himself. Mousse was busy cracking open the ice around a blue-faced Kiima while Shampoo glared at the bird-woman. Gourry stared at Kiima, trying to place where he had seen her, when it finally clicked.
"Don't I know you?" he questioned. The others looked at him strangely as he said "Yeah, aren't you the one who pushed Lina into that spring?"
"I-I don't re-recall you b-being there," she shivered. His head tilted to the side in confusion.
"Really? It was only Lina and me." With an ear-splitting crack, the front half of the ice came off and she tumbled out of the case.
"Y-You were the other f-female? I s-suppose you fell victim to the curse of the springs." Before Gourry could say anything else, Ryoga entered the conversation.
"Mousse, why did you let her out? Isn't she the enemy here?"
"Was the enemy," Mousse corrected. "There has been too much destruction today, we don't need any more." The group nodded solemnly and Gourry gazed up at the sky.
'Lina, whatever it is you're gonna do, do it fast.'
"This should be the one," Zelgadis said, glancing up from the map in his hands. Anxiety gripped his heart at the thought of being so close to a cure.
"Are you sure?" Amelia asked worriedly. He looked back at the map and nodded.
"I'm positive." With trembling fingers, he removed his cloak, sword, and the bag of items at his waist, not wanting everything to get wet. He gulped, clenching his fists. 'What do I have to lose?' he thought wryly. 'Here goes nothing.' Motioning Amelia to move back, he dived into the pool of cold water.
Amelia didn't get the chance to see him resurface. Lina came flying at her, sweating and panting. She landed, collected her breath back, and spoke.
"No time to talk," Lina said hurriedly. "Just come on!" She grabbed Amelia by the wrist before she could protest. She pushed off the ground and was airborne once more.
Zelgadis burst threw the surface of the water, gasping for breath. As the water cleared from his eyes, he could see that Amelia was not there.
"Amelia? Amelia!" he called. Cursing under his breath, he climbed out of the water, threw on his cloak and grabbed his bag and sword. He swept the horizon for a sign of her and caught a glimpse of a retreating figure. He cast a Raywing and was off in a heartbeat.
"All this, just cause you wanted to save me," Ranma finally said numbly. Having abandoned his 'guys never cry' motto, the tears had flowed freely for the first time in a long while. His eyes were dry now, rubbed raw from incensed wiping. The initial sorrow had long been replaced by a deep hollowness, as if there was nothing left in him.
"Why did they have to drag you into this?" he continued monotonously. "Why did you have to get involved? And why did you have to grab that stupid Kinjakan?" He shook his head, rejecting his statement. "No, that's not it. You were only trying to help. If you hadn't grabbed it, I'd have become bird food.
"What I'm trying to say is...thank you. I'm sorry; I can never say what I mean to say, whether it because of rivals, fiancees, our fathers, or my own damn pride. And it's cause of that that I could never say everything I wanted to tell you. Over and over again, I kept trying to tell you how I really felt, but it always came out wrong. I just ended up bothering you and making you angry." His eyes threatened to spill over again, his throat tightening up, but he kept talking.
"And now it's too late," he said bitterly. "All this time, and I never got to tell you that I...I..." The dam broke, releasing more of his tears. He wanted to scream, to shout it to the world, but all that came was a hoarse whisper, so quiet he couldn't even tell if he spoke it or thought it.
"I love you, Akane." He hugged her close, tears streaming down his face.
Just then, he heard an ever-so faint sound, a small gasp. Puzzled, he pulled away from the navy-haired girl and looked at her, but nothing seemed to have changed. He glanced around, wondering what had made the sound, when Lina and a girl he never met landed behind him. She had short, black hair and looked to be about the same height as his girl form. Her clothes were vaguely similar to those Lina wore, though without the shoulder guards and not quite as brightly colored.
"Amelia, you need...to use a...Resurrection," Lina panted, pointing at Akane. Gourry, Mousse, Ryoga, and Shampoo followed, the latter three curious of the newcomer. The smaller girl turned to Ranma and Akane with perplexity that swiftly changed to shock. She rushed over to his side, reaching for the girl in his arms. He turned away, not wanting some stranger near Akane.
"Let me see her, I might be able to save her," Amelia said. Ranma's breath caught in his throat and he gently laid her down on the ground.
Amelia took one of Akane's wrists and sighed in relief. "She still has a pulse. She can still be saved," Amelia explained and began chanting the spell, holding both hands over Akane's sternum.
"That's not possible," Ranma murmured. "She didn't have a pulse before. How can she still be alive?" The group sat in silence, contemplating Ranma's inquiry.
"Resurrection!" Amelia finished the spell as her hands began to glow. They watched as the petite girl's hands radiated a faint blue light and, miraculously, color returned to Akane's features. Ryoga and Ranma shared a sigh of ease, whereas Shampoo scowled in irritation, though her eyes betrayed her facade.
"Ne, Ranma," a weak voice spoke out. Akane, breathing and peering through half-open eyes, addressed the pigtailed martial artist. "I heard every word," she mumbled before closing her eyes yet again.
"Akane? Akane?" Ranma made a move toward her, only to be held back by Amelia.
"She's just sleeping. She'll need to get her energy back after what almost happened," she explained. Gourry pulled Lina aside, a soft grin splitting across his face.
"That was really nice of you Lina, to get Amelia for that girl without asking for money." Lina flushed at the statement and crossed her arms.
"Sh-shut up, I was just doing it for a favor. And anyway, what were you trying to ask earlier?"
"What is going on here?" another voice demanded. Amelia immediately swiveled around at the sound, emotions playing across her features. Ranma noticed joy, familiarity, and... apprehension?
"Zelgadis-san, how did you find..." Amelia trailed off, eyes widening in amazement. Casting one more glance to the sleeping Akane, Ranma turned to look at the stranger.
His clothes resembled those of the girl who healed Akane, only he wore long sleeves, a hooded cloak, a sword at his hip, and fingerless gloves and everything was tan. His arms were crossed at his chest and the expression on his face clearly displayed his vexation, despite being partially covered by hair. His hair was a very light shade of purple and his skin was pale.
"Amelia, you know your father asked me to look after you," he started walking toward the gaping girl, "Amelia" Ranma gathered, completely oblivious to the stares from her and Lina. He continued, "What are you doing here and who are these people?"
"Ano, who are you?" Gourry asked, causing Lina, Amelia, and the new arrival to all nearly fall over in disbelief.
"Gourry, I know your memory is horrible, but we've gone through this several times! My name is Zelgadis!" he declared.
"No you're not, Zelgadis is blue and covered in rocks," Gourry rebutted.
'Whoa, what? Blue and covered in rocks? Did he fall in one of the springs?' Ranma thought incredulously. The one claiming to be Zelgadis put a hand to his head and sighed in exasperation. Ranma, Ryoga, and the Amazons briefly pulled away from the strange conversation to note that the sky had darkened and rain was beginning to fall. Ryoga hurriedly opened his umbrella and Mousse procured two of his own from inside his sleeves, giving one to Shampoo. Ranma, however, chose to grin and bear it, focusing on the exchange at hand.
"Gourry now you're just being-wait, you mean I'm not..." He pulled his hand away and silently gaped at it. He pulled off his glove to get a full view of his appendage, raindrops splattering onto his now-human skin.
"I can't believe it," he mumbled, tears beginning to line his eyelids. "I'm finally cured."
"Zelgadis-san, that's wonderful! The spring worked!" Amelia cried joyfully. The Jusenkyo victims stiffened and Lina drew in a sharp breath.
'Oh boy, this is going to get ugly,' Lina thought grimly. The rain as picking up, though not yet enough to trigger the change. 'Better tell him now than wait till later.'
"Zel, there's a reason why the book called the springs cursed," Lina began. He turned to her curiously, as did Amelia. Lina looked to the sky, water falling harder, and the change began. Her nails elongated, a feline tail sprouted from under her clothes, her ears vanished and cat ears took their place at the top of her head. She gazed over at her partner to see he-now she-had already changed. As she expected, simultaneous gasps came from Zelgadis and Amelia.
"You didn't change. You mean you found the Spring of Drowned Man?" Ryoga questioned. Lina and her group turned to the others, where they saw a now female Ranma lifting up Akane bridal style and an eager Mousse and Ryoga.
Zelgadis snapped out of the initial shock and replied, "Yes, its the reason why I'm finally back to normal." Ranma-chan scoffed at the comment and Zelgadis bristled.
"Enjoy it while it lasts," Ranma-chan said. "You change back if you're hit with warm water. Now, I don't know bout you guys, but I'm going back to the springs." With that, she lept over the destroyed edge of the mountain, followed by Ryoga, Shampoo, and Mousse, who stopped to pry a black and white creature out of the wall. A concerned Amelia moved to Zelgadis as his shoulders began shaking.
"It's not permanent? I was so close..." He lowered his head, eyes covered by his hair. After a moment of silence, he shot into the air and took off in the direction of the ship, rain flying from his body. Amelia began to cast a Raywing, but Neko-Lina held her back.
"Don't. Just give him time, he'll be back to his old, brooding self," Neko-Lina said encouragingly. Amelia nodded her consent, then asked the question that had been on her mind.
"What happened to you and Gourry-san?" Neko-Lina sighed.
"Nya, it's a long story. It started when we got to the springs..." she began to explain as the trio, all three drained of energy, made their way out of and down the mountain.
"Well, this figures," a female voice groaned. Akane blinked wearily, rising out of unconsciousness. The first thing she saw was Ranma-chan, water streaming down her face.
"Ranma? What happened?" she mumbled. Ranma-chan looked down in surprise.
"Akane! I didn't think you would wake up so soon," she said. "You don't remember what happened?" Akane shook her head.
"Nothing much after I grabbed the Kinjakan. Why?" Blood collected beneath Ranma-chan's cheeks, heating her face.
"N-no reason," she laughed nervously. She cleared her throat. "Think you can walk?" Akane looked at her curiously, then finally realized she was being held by Ranma-chan.
"Yes, now put me down!" she ordered, struggling against her hold. Ranma-chan calmly lowered her down, careful not to let Akane fall over. She looked around and asked "Where are we?"
"We're at Jusenkyo." Akane turned to him with shocked eyes, as the area looked more of a marsh rather than individual pools of water.
"But Ranma, what about your curse?" she inquired. "If the springs are flooded over, then..."
"It would be too dangerous to jump in any of them," she sighed. "But after coming so far, I'd forgotten about restoring my body. All I cared about was getting the cold water for you. I'm not sure when, but somewhere along the line, I just stopped caring about it. I suppose, in the end, my girl side was never really a curse to be cured. It was just another part of me."
Akane reached for the smaller girl's shoulder when Ryoga caught sight of the now awake Akane.
"Akane!" he called out. "Are you okay? Ranma didn't do anything, did he? Cause if he did, I'll-"
"Ryoga, I'm okay, just a little tired," she interrupted. "I think I just want to go home."
"If that's the case, why don't we give you a lift?" chirped a female. A short, black-haired girl came up to the group, accompanied by a tall, busty blonde and redhead with feline features closer to Akane's stature. Ranma-chan's eyes locked onto the redhead and Akane could feel a familiar anger bubble up, yet it diffused when she recognized an old fear.
"Yeah, I guess we can take you guys where you need to go, nya," Lina said nonchalantly. Ranma-chan stiffed.
"C-ca-cat, c-cat!" Ranma-chan stuttered, rushing to hide behind Akane. She turned to the trio of girls, looking at Ranma-chan strangely.
"You've got a Jusenkyo curse, don't you?" Akane asked. The redhead and blonde nodded slowly, not sure where she was going with her question. "Unless you want Ranma to go berserk, you either need to change or get away from him. He's terrified of cats!"
Neko-Lina shrugged, "Whatever. Followed us if you still want that ride." The trio ran off, soon followed by Ryoga, the Amazons, and lastly, Akane and a slightly calmer Ranma-chan.
Zelgadis leaned up against the shut door of his room, sliding down to sit. He held his head in his hands, disappointment filling his being.
'Kuso!' he thought angrily, punching the floor in frustration. 'So close! All this way, for what? A false cure?'
He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, trying to clear the raging storm of ire. Time passed unnoticed as the sorcerer meditated. He was brought back when someone knocked on his door.
"Ano, Zelgadis-san." From the tone and honorific, he could easily tell it was Amelia. He listened silently as she continued.
"I know Lina-san said to leave you alone, but its not right to stand by when a friend is suffering. Friends need to help one another, and I know you would help me if I needed it. So...even if you didn't get exactly what you came for, that doesn't mean you should give up. And thanks to the springs, you're halfway there, ne? I guess what I'm trying to say is..."
A drop landed on his hand and Zelgadis blinked, inciting more to fall. Surprised, he wiped his face and stood.
On the other side of the door, Amelia stood nervously, wondering whether to continue or leave, when the door swung open. Zelgadis looked at her with a small, grateful smile and her cheeks instantly heated.
"Are you okay?" Amelia asked.
"Yes. Thank you," he whispered. She gave a large smile and his cheeks quickly imitated hers. She began leading him to where the others were.
"I guess the trip wasn't a whole waste. Next time Gourry needs a disguise, just pour cold water over him," he commented. She gave a light smack on his shoulder.
"Be nice to your friends Zelgadis-san!" she reprimanded, trying to keep a grin from ruining her seriousness and failing. They arrived at the galley where everyone was beginning the introductions and in their original forms.
"Ah, there you are Zelgadis. Care to join us, or are you going to go brood some more?" Lina inquired. He merely scowled at the sorceress and took a seat, Amelia right next to him. Intros were taken care of swiftly and the ship set sail for Japan.
Much to the shock and awe of Ranma and Akane, the week they spent on the ship was fairly uneventful, aside from the "mysterious" appearance of P-chan. Ranma reluctantly explained his aversion to cats, though Zelgadis blatantly refused to show his original body despite the growing curiosity among the Nerima residents.
The day they were due to dock, Mousse brought out a cellphone from somewhere and called their families. That way, they were met by the Tendos, Nodoka Saotome, Ukyo Kuonji, and Cologne. Soun burst into tears when Akane greeted them, whereas Kasumi welcomed her more calmly. Ukyo said hi to Ranma and invited him to Ucchan's, which he regretfully declined, saying he needed some down time. He went on over to his mom, who embraced him in a tearful hug. Mousse and Shampoo gave a short greeting to Cologne and began to recount all that had happened.
The Slayers stood off to one side, taking in the sights of a new country. 'She looks exactly like that old crone,' Lina thought incredulously as she looked at the Amazon matriarch.
Genma took Soun aside, hunching down as if that would keep others from hearing their conversation.
"Tendo, are the preparations ready?"
"Yes, everything has been taken care of. But are you sure we should do this so soon? Especially after last time-"
"I'm sure. If we don't do it now, the schools may never unite." Soun sighed, conceding to his friend's point.
"Saotome, what about those strangers? Will they be a hindrance to the plan?" Genma waved off his concerns.
"It'll be fine, I doubt they'll even be staying."
"Hey guys, why don't you stay the night at the dojo?" Ranma called out. Picking himself up, Genma sent a glare in his son's direction.
"Free food?" Lina asked eagerly, Gourry sharing her sentiments. Amelia was quick to reprimand her, though they accepted the invitation.
Later, at the Tendo Dojo...
"They said we'd be staying in the dojo, whatever that is. Might as well check it out," Lina reasoned. Kasumi pointed them in the direction and resumed her duties. They found the room easily, but stopped right outside the door. A loud thud had sounded from beyond the door, followed by some groans and clothes rustling. Puzzled, Lina slid the door open.
In the middle of the floor sat Genma and Soun, both hurrying to finish dressing an unconscious Ranma in a white tuxedo, with his mom watching the display. Their work completed, the two moved away from the sleeping boy to admire their handiwork.
"What are you guys doing to him?" Lina demanded. The men jumped, just now aware of their presence. Before either of them could respond, Ranma woke up.
"WHAT THE HELL AM I WEARING?" Ranma exclaimed, pulling at his suit.
"A tuxedo, my son," Soun explained. "You have to dress appropriately for your wedding, don't you?"
"My what?" he deadpanned.
"His what?" Lina, Zelgadis, and Gourry echoed his sentiment, though stars shone brightly in Amelia's eyes.
"A wedding! Oh, how romantic!" Amelia began.
"Akane has consented to proceed with the wedding," said Genma.
"Oh, Ranma! You look so manly and strong!" Nodoka gushed. Ranma bolted past Lina and ran to the door with the duck plate.
"He just risked life and limb to save his fiancee, both of whom never asked for the engagement in the first place, and you people are forcing the two to get married?" Lina questioned, recalling the details they had been told earlier that week.
"What better time for it? If we don't get those two married now, the schools may never be united!" Genma explained with his old friend nodding in agreement.
"That doesn't make any sense," Gourry stated and Lina smirked at her companion's bluntness.
"Maybe not to you, but if you had seen what has happened in the last year, you would understand," Soun added. With that, the far wall of the dojo burst apart in a cloud of sawdust, pieces of lumber flying towards the occupants.
As the dust began to settle, an angry-looking young man was revealing clutching a wooden sword and a scrap of paper. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded. Without waiting for an answer, he continued "Not only has the fierce tigress Akane Tendo been away for hardly two weeks, but she is to wed the foul sorcerer Ranma Saotome on this date? I will not allow it!"
"Excuse me, but who are you?" Amelia voiced the question on her friends' minds.
"You know not of who I am? Very well. I am Tatewaki Kuno, Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, and I seek to date Akane Tendo," he declared as he turned to the source of the question. Immediately, his gaze locked onto the petite girl and his eyes widened. He stepped across the room in the blink of an eye.
"Such innocent beauty, like a delicate flower waiting to be viewed by mine eyes. Tell me, young miss, what is your name?" he asked, clasping the hands of a confused and blushing Amelia. Zelgadis unsheathed his sword and forced himself between the two.
"Back away or you will regret it," Zelgadis threatened. His act of protection brought about a rush of more blood to Amelia's features. Kuno's face hardened and he glared at the stranger.
"And if I should not?"
"Then you'll have to answer to me." Kuno lifted his bokken.
"It seems to me you have this beauteous lily under a spell of sorts. Are you a sorcerer like the wicked Saotome?" Zelgadis smirked in response.
"You have no idea." He raised his sword when a flying disk whizzed past his head. Akane and Ranma came running into the room, Akane donned in an extravagant wedding gown. Kuno turned to the original object of his affection as more people made themselves known.
First was Shampoo and Mousse, the latter attempting to calm his childhood friend. The next was a befuddled Ryoga, who looked like he had no clue where he was. Another was wearing a kimono and holding a stack of discs that smelled odd, yet pleasant, and had arrived with someone who preferred to enter on the ceiling. Zelgadis soon realized the one in the kimono to be Ranma's friend Ukyo, who they briefly met when the group docked. The last was a female in a black wedding dress and black roses.
'Who are these people?' Lina wondered. The one in the black wedding gown let loose a laugh that chilled Lina to her core. 'How can there be more than one person in the world with that laugh?'
"Oh, Ranma darling, forget that wretched Tendo girl and let us be wed!" declared the one in black, latching onto Ranma's arm. Akane, Shampoo, and Ukyo scowled in response.
"You psycho, get your hands off Ranchan!" yelled Ukyo. She gripped her spatula and sent the steaming discs flying in all directions. The loud girl glared and, letting go of Ranma, whipped out a ribbon. One disc knocked into a bucket of water that sat on a shelf which, in turn, fell and landed on Ranma. He became a she and was quickly spotted by the "Blue Thunder".
"Pig-tailed girl, what fate that we should meet again here. Come, let us marry while we are dressed for it."
'First Amelia, then Akane, now Ranma? What is with this nut job?' Zelgadis thought angrily. Ranma-chan kicked the offender and caught sight of Soun attempting to sneak away with a cask. She gaped at the writing on the outside of the small barrel.
"Is that Nannichuan water? Why didn't you tell me?" she yelled, and swiftly regretted her decision. Her shout gained the attention of Genma, Mousse, and Ryoga, each who homed in on the source.
"Nannichuan? Here?" Ryoga exclaimed, jumping on top of Genma to look for said water. Panicked, the elder Tendo man ran faster, only to trip and drop the cask. Out of nowhere appeared a pint-sized old man, catching the barrel.
"Oh, just what I needed, some sake!" Before anyone could intervene, the old man cracked the top open and guzzled the liquid inside. He spat some back out in disgust, throwing the rest to the floor. "This isn't sake, its only stupid water!" The original Jusenkyo victims gawked in shock and moved the the diminutive man. Ranma-chan grabbed his ankles and hoisted him into the air, Genma and Ryoga pried his mouth open, and Mousse placed a bowl under to catch the water.
"C'mon, give it back teme! Cough it up!" Ranma-chan demanded. The annoyed captive pulled several balls from within the folds of his shirt, lit the attached strings with a match, and threw them to the ground.
"Happodaikarin!" he cried. The orbs burst in flame and smoke, scorching the martial artists holding him. Ukyo and Shampoo rushed into the smoke for Ranma-chan, who lay unconscious in a small crater. Ryoga sat off to the side, mourning the loss of the enchanted water. Mousse hugged the closest thing near him, thinking it was his beloved Shampoo. He was instead met with a face full of paralyzing powder and collapsed to the floor.
Away from the chaos, Lina and her friends stared at the situation before them. Gourry gazed at the destroyed wedding cake somberly. Zelgadis glared at the womanizing Kuno, almost daring him to try and come close to Amelia again. Oblivious to the glare, Kuno ran over to Akane. She, being extremely annoyed and frustrated by the recent events, stopped Kuno in his tracks and punted him across the room. Now unconscious, he sailed through the air and landed the one place that caused Gourry, Zelgadis, and Amelia to fear for their lives and drop to the floor.
Lina. She slammed against the closed door behind her thanks to Kuno. His arms were draped over her shoulders and his face was planted squarely in her chest. Her face practically ignited, her hair stood on end, and she screeched "FIREBALL!"
The guests just arriving, standing outside the front entrance, saw the sudden burst of fire and smoke. They each turned to head home, thinking today was a bad day to be at the Tendo Dojo.
"Oh, like it was my fault that hentai landed on me! I was just trying to defend myself!" Lina argued as she finished sweeping up the rest of the ashes. The party crashers had been sent home, and they carried away their unconscious companions. The Tendos and Saotomes had helped to clean the mess, though Ranma and Akane were the first to retire to their rooms, both in deep thought. Since then, the dojo had slowly emptied, leaving only Lina, Gourry, Zelgadis, and Amelia to finish the cleaning.
"Maybe, but we didn't even get to have any cake," Gourry complained. Zelgadis sighed and set his broom down.
"Perhaps it would be best if we leave early tomorrow morning, if not tonight." Gourry and Lina gaped at their half-time chimera friend.
"Not without breakfast!" Lina protested. "They promised us food!" Zel rolled his eyes and Amelia giggled. The four began to lay out the flat beds provided on the now clean floor when a soft knock came at the door.
"Mind if I come in?" Ranma asked quietly, pushing the door open some. Seeing no disapproval he entered the room, closing the door behind him.
"What was with those people?" Lina inquired. The pigtailed boy sighed and rubbed the back of his head.
"It's a long story, trust me. For all of them. And its part of the reason why I want to talk to you guys." The four looked between themselves quizzically, then gave him their full attention. "First off, how long do you think you'll be sticking around?"
"Probably sometime in the next couple days," Zel said, prompting an oddly expectant, yet sad chuckle from Ranma.
"Yeah, I kinda figured as much."
"What does this have to do with your question?" Lina asked, even though she already had a fairly good idea. Ranma looked around hesitantly, balled his fists, and looked at her straight in the eye.
"I want you guys to take me with you."
Okay, seriously, how many people saw that coming? Still, what a way to end a chapter. Be sure to tell me what you think in a review. Ja ne!