SMST5B: Journey to Adventure! – By DS Wynne
Disclaimer: None of the principle characters and situations belongs to me.
Note: This is a multi-genre story.
Author's note: In an effort to catch up, my stories will be 1000+ words each (for now). C&C are welcomed.
Part 15
It was the spring, the following year, and life was pretty good, if uneventful.
In a "burg" named Shintou Teitou, which was more or less "owned" by Mishima Zaibatsu rival "MBI". Recent moves to control 80 percent of the local market prompted newlywed Nabiki Kuno, a young business executive within Mishima, to call in a favor…
"…And I still don't see why I have to do this, Nabs," Ranma says, as he is walking home, while speaking on his phone. "Between my business with the American and British governments, and my teaching job in Nekomi, I am rather busy."
"Oh, please," Nabiki replied over the line. "You're not SO busy to take the Digger Sisters to Iceland this time of year with Usagi."
"Nabiki, THAT is business. Gina's old college classmate feels that his brother might be trapped in the center of the Earth. And since Usagi and I are more familiar with that prospect, we are coming along. And besides, with the economic downturn in Iceland happening, the Rantsu Foundation can make a good will-gesture in donating much-needed funding for social services."
"I know, I'm looking at the books right now."
"Well, just make sure that the only thing you do IS only looking at the books. Usagi and I didn't sock away billions of dollars for humanitarian projects, just so that you can get your hands on it."
"Well, I'm offended. Especially since I am the mother of our child…"
"By way of the Norse gods. Remember this: Ran, Prince of Asgard, is with Lokidis, goddess of Magic and Mystery, while Ranma and Nabiki are separate, mortal identities."
"Speaking of which, remember your cover…'Minato Sahashi'."
"Yeah, yeah, I KNOW. I'm supposed to be stumbling would-be college student with a poor academic record. Surprise there, eh?"
"Be as it may, Mishima wants to know what's MBI is up to. The CEO, Minato Hiroto, is a rather reclusive and eccentric man who's best known for 'gene-engineering' techniques, though he's branched out into other areas. And from what has been learned, he has had a working relationship with the Digimon Corporation. And know how THAT turned out."
"No kidding," Ranma says. "That 'business' was actually a front for the Technocratic Union, which wanted to manipulate its customers as a means of controlling the Digital Web. And this was only done successfully when the Technocrats successfully made the world think that the 'Digital Destined' were nothing more than fictional characters."
"Speaking of which, some young woman named 'Hikari Yagami' was looking for the younger you in Nerima."
"Oh, god," Ranma says to himself. He remembered Hikari (or 'Kari', as he called her back in his youth) as a sickly shy girl who got brave after being united with her own Digimon (i.e. "Digital Monster") named "Gatoman". Of course, it was REAL funny whenever his fear of cats took over his senses, but at least Ranma had "Ponimon" to keep him…
It must be noted that Ponimon's 'evolved' form was "LadyCentaurmon", which had a crush on Ranma.
"Look, just say that I'm married now, okay?" Ranma says. "Kari is a sweet girl, but…at lot of things have changed since…those days when I was a kid. She deserves someone better."
"Well, I'll make sure she knows that," Nabiki says. "Anyway, with you in Shintou Teitou, we can find out Minaka is up to. Keep me posted."
"Yeah, yeah. BYE."
CHIRP!
"Really," Ranma says, as he pockets his cellphone into his pocket. "That's the LAST time I'm doing a favor for her-"
"Ah-yiiiiii-!"
Ranma looks up, and sees massive, female chest crashing down on his face.
BAM!
"Oof!" Ranma says, as he and some strange girl collapse on ground.
"Oh, my," the girl says, as she gets up. "I'm sorry about that…"
Ranma looks at the girl, as sizes her up. She appeared to be eighteen, cute and quite 'healthy'.
"Um, forget about it-"
Suddenly, Ranma felt the air itself, as it was ionizing.
"Look out!" Ranma says, as he pulls the strange girl in the sexy Shinto shrine-maiden outfit out of the way.
FWAK!
Ranma and the girl looks up to see a pair of dark-haired twin dressed in S&M leather. Like the mysterious girl, these two were 'healthy'.
"Huh," says one of the girls. "Is that boy Musubi's 'Ashikabi'…Hibiki?"
"Not sure, Hikari," says the other girl's twin. "And don't really care."
"Well, as long as Musubi hasn't got her wings yet, she will be 'easy pickings'."
"Right."
And with that, Hikari and Hibiki lobbed a volley of lightning strikes at Ranma and Musabi.
Ranma was about to respond to the attack, when the girl suddenly yanked him by the arm.
"Wait-!"
ZOOM!
"Darn," Hikari says, as she ceased her attack.
"We'll find her, sister," Hibiki says. "Count on it."
Meanwhile…
Usagi sighed, as she traveled on a school bus to a private academy in the country yard.
'To think that I had forgotten that I've signed up on the teacher exchange program between Hogwarts and the Youkai Academy,' Usagi thinks.
"Thanks a lot, Snappe!" Usagi yelled. "I owe you one…in spades!"
The bus driver smirks a laugh, as he enters the tunnel that separates the human world and the other world…
"I thought I was the only one from the human world going to Youkai," says a voice from behind.
"Hmmm?" Usagi says, as she turns to see a pleasant looking young man.
"I said, I thought I was the only one from the human world going to Youkai."
"Well, I suppose so…"
"My name is 'Tsukune Aono'. I'm a senior at Youkai."
"'Tsukune', eh?" Usagi smirked.
"Yep. What's yours?"
"'Usashinko Rantsu," Usagi replied. "I'm going to be a teacher at Youkai."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Tsukune says. "I…assumed that you were a student."
"Hey, I'm not exactly an old lady, you know."
"I know, that's what threw me off, since you're…cute."
Usagi blushed a bit at the compliment…
"Say, how old are you anyway?"
"I just turned 18 years-old recently."
"And you are still attending Youkai?"
"Well, I got held back a year, on account of not being a good student."
"But you're definitely eighteen years old?"
"Yes."
"Hmmm," Usagi thought. Technically, the national consent laws in Japan were 13 years of age, though each prefecture had the right to adjust those laws locally. Then again, she was going to be an instructor at the school, so it wouldn't be ethical to break certain barriers. And Usagi is married, though she did have a special agreement with her husband concerning other partners…
"Miss Rantsu?"
"Hmmm? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about something."
"We're here," says the bus driver, as the bus emerges from the tunnel. It stops.
"Well, Mister Aono, I'll see you later," Usagi says, as she departs from the bus.
"Wait," Tsukune says, as he hurries off the bus. "Let me walk you to the school. I can be your guide. And please, call me Tsukune."
"Um, sure," Usagi says. "If, you tell about your school. And when it's just us, you can call me…'Usagi'."
"Deal," Tsukune says with a smile.
As Usagi and Tsukune walk towards the main school grounds, Tsukune recounts his experiences during the previous year.
"…And right here on this spot, is where I met Moka here right on this spot," Tsukune says. "Since then, we've been pretty close."
"That sounds nice," Usagi says. "It's neat to have cute first encounters-"
CHING-CHING!
Usagi and Tsukune turn to face the source of the sound.
"Hey, that could be Moka right now-" Tsukune begin to say, before-
BAM!
Usagi watched as a pink-haired girl crashed into Tsukune on her bike.
"Oh, my," Usagi says.
"Urggh!" Tsukune yelps.
As soon as the dust settles, Tsukune sits up.
"Moka…"
He then feels something soft.
"Um, Tsukune?"
"Yes, Usagi?"
Usagi points towards the direction of the girl.
Tsukune looks in that direction. Not only was the girl that crashed into her was NOT his friend Moka, but he was grabbing this girl's chest.
"Eh?" the girl says.
"Um, sorry-?"
SLAP!
"Ow!"
"How DARE you touch me?" the girl says angrily. She then chambered her legs to do a-
KICK!
"What a kick…"
"Humph!" the girl with the pink-rose colored hair, as she begins to walk away towards the school. "Pervert!
"Come on," Usagi says, as she helps Tsukune up. "Let's go to school."
"But I thought she was Moka-san…"
Meanwhile…
"Some vacation this turns out to be," Brittany complained, as she climbed up
"Come on, we're almost there to the top!" says Hannah, who was serving a guide to her latest clients Trevor, Trevor's nephew Sean, Ranma, Usagi, and Gina, Brianna and Brittany were climbing up the mouth of an extinct volcano in Iceland.
"Great!" Trevor says jovially. He then turns towards Ranma.
"Mister Rantsu, I really appreciate your foundation's help in funding this trip," Trevor says.
"Well, I knew Hannah's father, Dr. Hans Asgeirsson, for years. And, I felt it was time to restore the purpose of the Institute of Volcanology, as a favor for him."
"Ranma, I really don't need any favors from you," Hannah says.
"It's NOT a favor for you, Hannah," Usagi says. "We're working on a joint economic project with your government."
"I see," Hannah replied.
"Some vacation this is turning out to be," Brittany says, as she pulls up her pack.
"I like the family trip," Brianna says.
"Now, Brianna," Gina says. "Mom and Dad did say that they won't mind your relationship with Ranma, but they ARE hoping that you find someone more your age."
"I don't care!"
"Of course you don't," Brittany says. "Otherwise, we wouldn't be up here."
"Hater," Brianna says, as she sticks out her tongue.
"Hey, Sean!" Trevor says. "I found the probe!"
Sean (14 years-old) was not paying attention. Instead, he was paying attention to Hannah's rear-end.
"Sean!"
"Yeah?" Sean says.
"We're almost there!"
"Yeah, yeah…"
"Your nephew doesn't particularly want to be here, Trevor," Ranma says.
"Yeah, well, we're going through a family situation," Trevor says.
"Well, I am a trained psychiatrist," Usagi says. "Maybe I can set up an impromptu session?"
"I don't know-"
"Stop looking at my butt, kid," Hannah says.
Trevor turns his attention back towards Usagi.
"How much per hour?" Trevor asked.
"For you, free."
"Deal."
Ranma shakes his head, as he smiles. He then looks up his at the extinct volcano.
'To think Usagi and I have returned to this place, after all these years…'
Tbc.