Suikoden One Half
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Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters here that belong to Ranma 1/2. The Ranma 1/2 cast belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. Nor do I own Suikoden 3 or any other characters that I put into this story except for my own OCs. Neither do I own any of the character in any of the crossovers I do. I'm just using them in this fanfiction and I have no money so don't bother suing me.
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Chapter 17 – Friendship Rekindled
She's almost there. In just about a few days she would arrive in the city of Shibuya. After seeing his face on TV while he fought of those four monsters she just had to check if he's really Ranma Saotome. She had heard the anchorwoman say his name is Ranma Wild. Even though she hasn't seen him in a long time she can tell it's him. He might have changed his last name, but his pigtail is a dead giveaway. She kept on walking, heading towards the direction where she can confirm if he's really the one.
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At the front of the club –
Chris is getting worried while waiting for Ranma to return from his 'talk' with Ukyo. It's been 15 minutes already and she hasn't seen him yet. While she knows that he can take care of himself that doesn't mean she trusts that Ukyo woman. From what she knows of the 'cute fiancée' she's the mellowest out of the NWC. Still, she can be sneaky if she wanted to. She's about to go to the back parking lot to check up on her boyfriend when she heard a sound coming from an alleyway. She turned towards the sound and tensed.
She relaxed when she saw it's Ranma heading towards her. However, even though his walk and posture is confident she can tell from his face that he's in pain, lots of it. She wordlessly walked up to him and put him in an embrace. He hugged her back in a tight grip while he trembled a little from emotion.
"How did it go?" she asked him softly. She can only imagine how bad it must have gone. Actually, if she strained her hearing a little she can hear what sounds like sobs coming from the direction he came from. She tightened her grip when she realized that the sobs aren't just coming from the direction he came from. It's very low, even by her trained ears, but she can still hear some sobs coming from Ranma as well even if he's suppressing them.
"B-b-badly. R-really badly," he replied shakily to her. A large part of him feels really satisfied at how he handled the situation with his once best friend, but a small part of him felt really awful for doing it. Chris led him to a bench at a bus stop and had the two of them sit down until he got his composure back. When he did a few minutes later he disengaged from her and just smiled at her in gratitude.
She smiled back at him. "Better now?" He nodded at her. He opened his mouth to say something, but she put a finger on his lips to silence him. "I know. Don't worry, I understand. You don't have to tell me now what happened either. Come on, let's go home." He nodded at her and smiled. He got up and helped her to her feet and walked home with her, all the while keeping her close to him. To anyone who looked at them they looked like a loving couple as they walked home.
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On a rooftop above them –
Konatsu watched the two as they walked away from the club. He had left Tsubasa to take care of Ukyo in order to extract revenge on the pigtailed martial artist. Even if Ranma was always the better fighter between the two of them he'll make him PAY for what he did to Ukyo! When he spotted him he expected him to not care that he hurt his mistress badly. Instead, he finds him sobbing quietly into the shoulder of the silver haired bodyguard of his. He watched as he tried to suppress it, but clearly he hated doing what he had done to his former fiancée.
Unlike Ukyo he and Tsubasa realized that when Ranma gave up his last name he had ended his engagement to her. However, Ukyo either ignored this or honestly didn't know. Either way the two of them kept on hinting it to her. Ironically it's just like when Ranma tried to tell Akane that P-chan is Ryoga. She never got it no matter how obvious they tried to put it.
He watched the two as they went towards the direction of the temple they lived in. He shook his head and let Ranma go. He will never be Ukyo's. He's too much in love with that silver haired girl to ever go back to his mistress. He thought that he's going out with the girl he had brought with him to the ball, but now he sees he's wrong. He jumped down from the rooftop and headed towards the parking lot to help Tsubasa calm Ukyo down. It may have been harsh, whatever it is the two talked about, but it's for the best in the long run.
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At the temple –
Ranma and Chris are standing in front of her bedroom door. Watari, Ayame and Sasuke had greeted the two at the door when they arrived. Everyone else is already asleep. The two had told the ninjas what had happened at the club and told the three to keep an eye out in case she or Konatsu or Tsubasa come by for revenge. The three nodded and went away to secure the temple. The two then entered the temple and sneaked in as quietly as they could. Now the two are standing in front of Chris' door, just staring at each other.
Without saying a thing Ranma kissed his girlfriend on the lips hotly, one she returned with equal, maybe even greater passion. The two continued to make out for a few minutes before disengaging. Again without saying a word she took his hands and pulled him into her room, closing the door and locking it. However, while they were kissing three people had watched them.
Hinako had decided to stay the night on the couch in order to see the fruits of her labor. When the two walked in they didn't notice her there. Ranma is good, especially with his umi-sen-ken training, but Chris isn't as good at sneaking around. When she bumped into a table in the near darkness it made a small but loud enough noise. She woke up and then went to Yun and Viki's room to get her accomplice. She sucked a bit of Viki's ki to make her more tired and keep her asleep before waking Yun up. The two then tiptoed near Chris' room and watched the two make out, then Chris pulling Ranma into her room with only a small protest from him. She started imitating a frog after that.
Yun had heard at school that when a man and a woman that aren't related to each other enter a bedroom together like that something big is going to happen and nine months from then a baby will be born. She gasped after her big brother and Chris disappeared behind the door.
Piccolo had woken up to go to the bathroom. After doing so he heard footsteps and decided to check it out. Down the hallway he saw Ranma and Chris standing in front of her door making out before the two entered her room and he heard the sound of the lock locking. His eyes bulged out.
They rushed to the door and put their ears to it. For a while the three listened wide-eyed to the sounds of kissing and moaning coming from the room before the two groups even noticed each other. They heard the bed squeak in protest when the two landed on it heavily. They can even hear the subtle sounds of clothes rustling, to them obviously being taken off. The three barely suppressed their gasps. Piccolo motioned for the two girls to follow him to his room. Even though the three are very reluctant to leave they did so, leaving Ranma and Chris alone for the night.
When they reached the old man's room he turned on the lights and bid the two girls enter and sit on the bed. He had Edge and Fred help him clean up the place so it's no longer messy. Through the night the three exchanged stories and plans with Piccolo agreeing to help the two out. After three hours have passed the three tiptoed to Chris' room again to check on the two. However, they only heard the two sleeping peacefully. The three then went to bed, not knowing whether to be glad or nervous about this situation. Ranma could be a father in nine months! Hinako and Yun were only planning on a bit of romance between the two tonight, not this!
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She's almost there. She's very hungry, but rather than stopping at a restaurant to buy breakfast she instead went to a corner store and bough some snacks with the little money she has. She then went on towards her destination with resolute, though weary steps.
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At the temple -
Hinako, Yun and Piccolo are met with the vision of a spring in her step and smiling widely Chris the next morning. She's preparing what is obviously a feast for breakfast. The three are the first to awaken since it's still early. She practically glowed as she bounced around the kitchen preparing the food. The three sat down at the table and tried to figure out what to say to the obviously happy woman.
"Err, Chris, you seem…perky this morning," Hinako said tentatively. Chris turned to the three and beamed at them. The three winced at that.
"GOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING YOU THREE!" she shouted at the three with a big grin. "I hope you three have big appetites today! I'm preparing a BIG breakfast today!" She then turned back to the stove where she's cooking breakfast. The three turned to each other, obviously worried about this.
"So, anything happened last night young one," Piccolo asked tentatively. Chris nodded while still cooking and told them of what happened with Ranma and Ukyo. She said to them that Ranma had told her what happened at the back of the club after they were done. The three assumed that she's talking about after they were done doing 'it' and winced again.
"So…um…you had a…good time last night?" Yun asked a bit nervously. Even though they cannot see her face they can tell Chris is blushing furiously. Piccolo glared at the teacher and the young girl. Take about messing up a plan! Or is it that the plan worked too well?
Chris nodded, still looking at her cooking. "Yes. We had a GREAT time! Ranma is such a wooooonderful dancer!" she said with a giggle. "We had an even better time afterwards." She blushed and turned towards them quickly, waving her arms and telling them to forget what she said.
The three sighed. Might as well get it into the open that they know. Piccolo and Hinako covered Yun's ears before saying, "Don't worry. We know you two made love last night." Her jaw fell open and her eyes widened significantly. She tried to say something, but it came out incoherently.
Ranma walked in at that time, his hair still a bit wet from his bath. When Chris saw him she stopped trying to talk and glee came to her expression. She ran up to him and jumped onto him, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck while kissing him deeply as he held her up by her butt.
The three eyes widened again. She's never acted like that before. Sure she's not inhibited when it came to expressing her feelings for the former Saotome, but that type of reaction has never happened before. Must be having sex loosened her up a lot. Hinako and Yun winced again at that, partly from the bops on the head that Piccolo gave them with his staff. She could be pregnant this very moment! The two aren't ready to be parents yet. They're not even engaged!
After a few minutes of the two still kissing (complete with tongue, a LOT of it) the three began to feel embarrassed at being ignored. They simultaneously cleared their throats to get their attention. When the two lovers turned to them they blushed deeply and Chris got off of Ranma. The three then pointed at the stove where her cooking is starting to burn. She gave a little squeak and ran to save her cooking.
Ranma got his blush under control and went to sit with them. "Morning you three. Slept well?" The three nodded simultaneously at him.
Yun then beamed at him. She might as well accept this situation. She was hoping that her big brother ended up with all four of the girls, but him ending up with Chris is good enough. Actually, it just means Chris got to him first. She'll just have to work a bit harder to get her big brother and the other three girls together and also get the four of them to share him peacefully (A). She had one thought in her head, 'I'm going to be an aunty!' Hinako and Piccolo had given her the crude explanation that when a man and a woman spend the night together a baby will be born a few months later. They didn't give her any details how, but they did tell her that Ranma and Chris are maybe going to have a baby in nine months. The complete birds and the bees speech is reserved for Ranma to tell her.
Ranma wondered why Yun is suddenly grinning at him. He checked himself to see why she's looking at him like that while Hinako and Piccolo looked at her. She quickly whispered to the two what she's thinking and the three nodded agreeing with her. When Ranma looked up he saw that now Hinako and Piccolo had the same look.
"What? Do I have something on my face?" He's starting to feel nervous. They looked like they knew a big secret of his. Hinako motioned for him to follow her as she stood up and walked out of the room. He followed her, leaving Yun, Piccolo and Chris behind in the kitchen.
"So, how was it?" she asked bluntly when the two of them got to the living room.
"How was what?" She's starting to freak him out. His old teacher has the same expression on her face Nabiki had when she knows a big secret of his. Thankfully there's no avarice or hostility on her face, just a bit of mirth and something else he doesn't know.
"How was the sex with Chris of course," she said. Might as well get it out bluntly. She's starting to loose him.
Ranma's eyes widened to dinner plates and he started babbling incoherently while his whole body blushed. Even though she can't understand what he's saying she can tell he's saying denials.
Hinako just grinned at him and said, "Don't try to deny it. We heard the two of you kissing and moaning last night." She laughed when he somehow got redder.
"B-b-but…I mean…" Ranma looked really lost and embarrassed as she laughed at him. Thankfully, luck is with him today as everyone else is sleeping in late today, or else he didn't think he'd live to see tomorrow.
Ranma activated his Soul of Ice to get himself under control. Hinako also got herself under control and waited for him to say something. He took deep breaths before speaking.
"But we…"
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"…didn't do 'that' last night!" Chris exclaimed to Piccolo as the old man held Yun's ears. She doesn't know Ranma's Soul of Ice so she's still blushing pretty badly.
Piccolo raised an eyebrow at her. That's not the answer he was expecting, at least not as powerful as that. "Huh? Then what was all the kissing and moaning sounds we heard from your door?"
Chris looked down in embarrassment and absentmindedly started pushing her index fingers together. "We…we just made out and stuff a lot until we fell asleep." Her full body blush is still full blast.
Yun tilted her head a bit in confusion. "Huh? Then you just kissed all night last night?" Chris shook her head with a silly grin on her face.
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"So you didn't go all the way?" Hinako asked him. Ranma shook his head very much like Soun did when he met Genma's panda form for the first time.
"Look, as much as I want to I'm not ready to take that step yet and neither is she. I'm not ready to be a father yet and we didn't have any pills or condoms or anything and I haven't even asked her to marry me yet. All we did last night is making out and stuff." She can tell he's not going to give any details so she dropped her questions.
Hinako had the decency to blush at her mistake. "Err…sorry. I just assumed you did."
Ranma took deep breaths again to calm his nerves. "It's okay. This isn't the first time someone though I had sex with someone." She understood that he's talking about the Nerima Wrecking Crew. Now they feel even worse for assuming the worst of the two.
Then the rest of the temple members walked into the room. Ranma almost panicked that they had heard his last sentence, but thankfully it seems they didn't.
"Morning you three. Is breakfast ready?" Molly asked them. The two nodded and they all went to the kitchen where they found Chris back to her bouncy, happily grinning self. Tina and Viki grinned at her and decided to ask her about her date later while Kodachi promised herself to ask Ranma for a date for tomorrow night later. Ranko felt extremely jealous for a second before squishing it.
Ranma had seen Ranko's jealous expression turn to depression. He decided he'd tell everyone tonight about the blood test. A plan formed in his mind as he savored the food Chris cooked for them. He noted his is especially good and he smiled at her when nobody's looking, which she returned with her much more sultry one.
Everyone ate breakfast as Ranma told them of what happened between him and Ukyo last night. They too agreed to keep a watch out in case they come by for revenge and Watari and Ayame said that they would go and see if they are still in the area today. After breakfast is done Ranma volunteered to do the dishes and asked Ranko to help him. Everyone else then went to his or her own activities. One noticeable group is the one consisting of Tina, Viki and Kodachi dragging Chris off to grill her about her date with Ranma. Of course before they did he had given her another one of those deep kisses and winked at the other three girls to show that there should be no ill feelings.
As the two 'siblings' did the dishes Ranko had a neutral expression on her face while inside she's fighting a bout of depression. Last night she dearly missed feeling Ranma sleeping next to her with his arms protectively around her and didn't sleep well. Seeing Chris kiss Ranma had only made her feel worse. She kept telling herself she shouldn't be thinking of her brother like that. But, even the voice in her head sounded depressed. Ranma then turned to her as he handed her a bowl.
"Say Ranko, you doing anything tonight?"
Ranko blinked at the unexpected question and turned to him. "Err, no, why?"
Ranma smiled at her with the smile she loved. "Well, I was thinking of going out to town tonight, just the two of us. What do you say?"
Ranko smiled at him, her bout of depression disappearing a bit. "Sure. I'd love to bro."
The two then went back to doing the dishes. Ranko wondered why he grinned at her with the type of smile that he's thinking of something funny when she called him 'bro'.
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Near lunchtime –
"Hi grandpa! What did you want to talk about?"
Ranma and Jones are at the park again. The old man is sitting down at the base of the tree the two had met for the first time at with a wooden chest between his legs and a katana at his side. He was reading a letter until Ranma walked up to him.
Jones smiled up at Ranma and motioned him to sit in front of him. "Hello grandson. I wanted to see you for two things. One is to tell you that your sword will be finished in about a week and to give you this while you wait for your new sword." He handed Ranma the katana at his side.
Ranma tested it out a bit. It's obviously one of those generic katanas. Thankfully it can be used in battle, but it's nowhere near as good as his old broken katana. "Cool. Hopefully I won't need it. So, what's the other thing? Does it have to do something with that chest or the letter?" He pointed at the chest and the letter still in Jones' hand.
Jones patted the chest. "Ranma, remember I told you that your great-grandmother made her own school of swordsmanship?" He nodded. "Well, Hina left you a little present." He opened the chest and handed the astonished Ranma one of the scrolls. Ranma's eyes widened as he looked through it. It lists how Kuno was able to make an air blade with his sword! No, this one is an even more advanced version! It makes three instead of one!
Ranma looked up at the old American. "This-this-this is incredible! Grandma Hina really made up all this?"
Jones nodded proudly. "Yup. Your great-grandma is a great woman. Before her parents could destroy these scrolls she brought them to the blacksmith that made her, now your, sword and had him keep it for her. Now, she says in this letter to hand it down to our descendants. Nodoka cannot be trusted to keep these scrolls as she might destroy them. That leaves YOU to keep these scrolls and learn her school. I know that you gave up on Genma's notion that weapon users are weak after all the trouble you had with Mousse and the others, so I know you will use this school to its fullest." He handed Ranma the whole chest, which Ranma took with a bow.
"Thank you great-grandfather, and especially thank you great-grandmother for this special gift." He took the scroll in his hand and put it in the chest with the care one has for a newborn baby and took out another one. The scrolls are very old so he would have to make copies of it in case they fall apart.
Jones looked on as Ranma looked through the scrolls like a child that's been given a whole bag of candy. However, he became concerned when Ranma looked up at him with a bewildered expression.
"Err, grandpa? Are you sure grandma isn't a grandmaster?" he asked while scratching his head.
Jones also did the gesture. "Uhhh, yes. I don't really know about swordsmanship, but Hina told me she's not that good."
Ranma's eyes bugged out. "WHAT? NOT THAT GOOD? Grandpa, these techniques are just as potent as my yama-sen-ken and umi-sen-ken!"
Jones' eyes widened. He never knew that Hina was THAT good!
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That night –
"Dr. Tofu! Kasumi! How are you two tonight?" Kodachi exclaimed when she opened the door and saw the Onos at their doorstep. She ushered the two inside as the other temple members came to the room when they heard whom the visitors are.
Kasumi smiled at them with her usual smile. "We're doing well Kodachi. Hello everyone. Thank you for having us for dinner again." Everyone exchanged pleasantries and then congregated to the table for dinner. Everyone except the two Wild siblings is here tonight.
Hinako, who was also invited to dinner, spoke up as they all ate Edge's cooking. "So, Ranma said you had something to tell us Dr. Tofu. What is it?" Everyone, including Kasumi, waited for his reply. He wouldn't tell his wife what's going on as he had promised Ranma not to tell everyone. She kept grilling him for what's going on until he mentioned that he promised Ranma that he wouldn't tell ANYONE until he got his permission. Earlier that day Ranma called him and asked him to tell everyone about the blood test today while he takes Ranko out and tells her himself. Also at the table are Jones and the Gunsmith Cats. Fred had even invited Shiori, which the two are still blushing about with Rico watching the two intently.
"Oh, nothing too important." He kept on eating while emitting an aura of casualness, prompting everyone to keep eating. When they let their defenses down he said with an air of someone commenting on the weather, "Just that Ranma and Ranko aren't siblings and they've fallen in love with each other, which he's probably telling her right now." Those who were drinking something did spit takes while does that were eating choked. The more prominent ones are the four women in love with Ranma, especially Chris as he had told her he's in love with another woman. Tofu grinned at their reactions until his wife, who didn't appreciate him making her choke on her meal, knocked him out. Everyone choked again at seeing her with a mallet in her hands. It's HUGE!
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Elsewhere -
"You mean we're…not related?" Ranko asked him with disbelief.
He had brought her to see a movie that afternoon. It was one of those sappy movies even. She didn't know why he brought her to this since she knew he didn't like movies that much in the first place, only she did. She especially didn't like his sly expression when he convinced her which movie to watch. She squirmed when he put his arm over her shoulder, which is after he had put his hand on her own for a while. She loved it, but can't get the fact that they are brother and sister out of her mind. She loved it when he touched her! But she hated it at the same time, especially when he started running his hand down her side. It almost made her loose control like last time.
Ranma loved every minute of it. He loved making her squirm under his actions. This is partly because he loves her and is not afraid to show it and partly to get back at her for the make out session long ago that made him think that he's committing incest.
After the movie he brought her to a nice restaurant. All throughout the meal he flirted with her, with Ranko not knowing what to do. She felt like really, really good that Ranma is paying so much attention to her, but dreaded that it can't go anywhere.
Finally he brought her to the park. It's pretty dark out, but the streetlamps made it easy for them to see where they are going. There he brought her to a pretty secluded spot and told her everything.
Ranma nodded at her question while inching towards her face. "Yup. The doc told me that another doctor did a test and proved we aren't brother and sister. So…" He pecked her on the lips, surprising the hell out of her since she hasn't processed everything yet. "That was totally okay." He pecked her again. "That too." He gave her a kiss that lasted a bit longer than last time. "Also telling you I love you is totally fine. So…I love you Ranko." This time he kissed her fully. At first she's unresponsive until she processed what he had said to her. Then she full out kissed him as well. She even brought them down on the grass and the two rolled around kissing for who knows how long before they had to go up for air.
When they separated she's crying softly to herself while she's under him. Ranma almost panicked before he noticed that she's crying tears of joy. "You have no idea how happy that makes me. I thought my feelings for you were wrong. Now that I know I can say it too. I love you." The two resumed kissing with the same type of kiss he had done with Tina, Viki and Chris.
The two didn't return home until very late at night. Even then they just resumed what they were doing in their room. They only got a few hours of sleep near dawn.
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At the temple a few hours before Ranma and Ranko arrived -
When Tofu woke up he wished he didn't. He explained everything to them while dodging many thrown items. They didn't take very well that now they have to compete with Ranko, whom they thought was his sister, for his attentions. Now he knows why Ranma asked him to do this instead of himself. It took a full hour for the four women to calm themselves. They didn't calm down until Kasumi pointed out that Ranma loves them and that he doesn't have it in him to be a player. She explained to them (she's the one who has known him the longest after all and is like a mother to him so she probably knows him the most) that Ranma has enough love in his heart to love ten women. He hasn't received love or given it since the day he was born so he has an overabundance of it. That point they agreed with, but they weren't exactly satisfied yet.
Quietly she said to them that perhaps he might even ask them to marry him soon if they played their cards right (she doesn't know if that's true, but it did placate them anyway).
After hearing that the four women conferred to themselves on this. After a long discussion the four agreed to accept Ranko into the fold. Besides, that marriage proposal thing really got to them, especially Tina since they're already engaged. To her instead of him asking her to marry him he'll probably marry her on the spot.
Unsaid is the hope that Ranma won't fall in love with more women. They shivered when they felt an ominous chill go up their spines. They hoped to kami-sama that there's only just one more and that's it. They didn't think they could handle another one.
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Somewhere else –
She's pretty cold and hungry, but she's been living like this for a while now so she learned to adapt. Just a few more days of walking and she would make it to Shibuya. There she will find Ranma Wild and see if he really is Ranma Saotome.
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The next morning -
The sight of a practically glowing Ranko greeted everyone the next day. Even though it's Fred's turn to cook breakfast she had done it herself. She too prepared a feast just like Chris did yesterday morning.
Yun ran up to her and hugged her around the waist. "Hi oneechan! Oh, wait. I can't call you oneechan can I?" She looked up at the redhead a little confused.
Ranko just giggled a little as she returned the hug. "That's okay. You can call me whatever you want Yun. I hope you don't mind, but I want to call you Yun from now on okay." Yun nodded at her enthusiastically.
"That's okay!" Then her eyes glittered and she intensified her hug. "We know all about the blood test and you and oniisan falling in love with each other! Congratulations!" Yun last night had figured, 'Just one more girl falling in love with my big brother!' She accepted the new relationships along with everyone else, some grudgingly.
Ranko turned a bit red at that. She looked up at the others, more specifically Tina, Chris, Viki and Kodachi. Everyone else is taking it well, but the four are clearly a bit hesitant even if they look like they are accepting it. "We'll talk about it after breakfast," the four simultaneously said to her. Ranko nodded, seeing that they would have to make arrangements for this.
Everyone except Ranma sat down to eat. They asked her where he is, but she said she doesn't know. He had told her that he would take a bath and come down when he's done, but he hasn't returned in an hour (she didn't mention that she had taken the bath with him). Everyone just shrugged and went on to eat.
In the middle of breakfast Ranma walked in. However, the sight of him all sleepy and flushed made the girls see red. They didn't!
Tina, Chris, Kodachi and Viki all grew red-hot auras as they glared at the redhead and their boyfriend/fiancé. They stood up and practically towered over them. "HOW DARE YOU MAKE LOVE TO RANKO BEFORE ME!"
Everyone else ran from the table at the shout. Even Landis isn't stupid enough to stay and watch. He did hide on the rafters next to the three ninjas. Sasuke is currently shaking in fear while the other two are just looking on. The others hid behind solid objects as they watched what could turn into a massacre in just a few moments. Even Mr. Green Turtle outside in the pond got scared at the infuriated voice of his master.
Ranma and Ranko turned to them in surprise, the shout having erased his fatigue. "W-w-what are you talking about?
All four women simultaneously pointed at Ranko. "LOOK AT HER! SHE'S PRACTICALLY GLOWING! THAT'S THE SIGN OF A WOMAN THAT HAD SEX THE NIGHT BEFORE! SHE'S EVEN WORSE THAN CHRIS/ME YESTERDAY!" They then pointed to the scared pigtailed martial artist. "NOW YOU! LOOK AT YOU! YOU'RE ALL SLEEPY AND FLUSHED, JUST LIKE A GUY WHO GOT LAID THE NIGHT BEFORE! I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU WEREN'T READY!" Chris shouted the last sentence with the other three nodding along.
Ranma got the feeling that he's facing off against Akane again, four Akanes even! He backed up a bit as they had invaded his personal space. However, the four women moved with him until they had him backed up to a wall.
Ranko jumped up from her seat and squeezed in until she's blocking Ranma from their wrath. "What are you talking about? Me and Ranma didn't have sex last night!"
That didn't placate them at all. "OH YEAH! THEN WHY DOES HE LOOK ALL WORN OUT!"
Ranko whimpered a bit in fear and Ranma looked down in embarrassment. He mumbled something, clearly too scared to speak any louder, but they couldn't hear him. "WHAT DID YOU SAY!" Their auras grew hotter. At this point the others didn't want to risk their health and ran out of the house, intending to return much later. Hopefully there would still be a place to come back to. Mr. Green Turtle dived into the water as much as he could, trying to hide from the scary voices.
He mumbled it again and they still couldn't hear what he said. By this time Ranko had hidden behind him with her hands on his shoulders, clearly making him her shield. They growled and told him to say it louder.
Ranma took in a deep breath and shouted out, "I FELL ASLEEP IN THE FURO OKAY!"
…
…
…
The following silence is deafening.
After a few moments the only thing heard is a simultaneous "Oh" from the now totally embarrassed women. All four of them bowed at the waist and said, "I'm sorry. We just thought…"
Ranko peaked out from behind Ranma's shoulder. They're scary! "It-it's okay. To tell you the truth we did what he and Chris did the other night." At that everyone, especially Chris and Ranma, turned beet red. They were able to get out of Chris what she had done with their pigtailed mutual love interest when they got home the other night.
"O-o-oh." The four women said. Then all six moved to the table and resumed eating breakfast, not daring to look up at each other or allow anyone to see their blushing faces.
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That afternoon –
Everyone had returned to the temple at lunchtime, relieved at finding a still intact home. Mr. Green Turtle had also surfaced when Kodachi brought him food. They had all laughed upon hearing why Ranma is all flushed and sleepy when he came from the bath.
The five women conferred among themselves on how they should split up Ranma until he SOMEHOW manages to marry all five of them or he sticks with one. They wouldn't really mind being married to the same man since they're all friends anyway and he somehow manages to spend equal time with them. The other alternative means getting a one in five chance of getting him, which they're not willing to put up to chance. "Better to share one good man than be married to a complete bastard by yourself," said Tina. They girls nodded at that. Plus, it keeps things from getting dull and they can always overwhelm him whenever he tries to do something they don't want him to. Ranma got scared when they grinned evilly at him when they thought of that.
They haven't set up a perfect system, but figured that when one needs him they can take him unless one of the others wants him at the same time. Then they would play rock-paper-scissors to see who gets him.
Ranma felt like a toy being shared by five people when he heard of what they planned. However, he shut up fast when Edge pointed out to him that he better shut up or else they'll make him choose one and that's it. He felt a bit rotten making five wonderful women share him, but it can't be avoided. The only other way would leave one happy woman and four heartbroken ones.
That night Ranma and Kodachi left for their date that he had promised her yesterday after he had asked Ranko out. The two went to a Karaoke Bar since they didn't want to be bothered like what happened during his date with Chris at the fairgrounds.
The bar they went to is the biggest and most popular one in Shibuya. Kodachi is dressed in a green and white striped shirt with a pair of yellow pants. Ranma is dressed in blue jeans, a white muscle shirt and a red jacket. A blue cap covered the rune on his head as did the black fingerless gloves he wore covered the ones on his hands. The reporters are STILL after him so they dressed normally so they wouldn't stand out too much. They both wondered, 'Doesn't anything else happen in this city that doesn't involve us?'
The club is a good sized bar filled with teenagers since it's the weekend and at the end of the bar is the stage with a big screen on the back and a smaller one up front which displays the words to the ones on stage. Unknown to Ranma and Kodachi someone else they know was here. Quite a few people actually.
"Wow Ran, your mom's still mad at you?" Aya asked as she and the others sat down at one of the tables. With them are Miyu, Machida Black, Yuya, and Rei. The guys got dragged along with the girls so they could help pay to enter the bar (or more accurately the guy's pays for everything while the girls enjoyed themselves).
Ran nodded a bit grumpily. "Yeah. Mom is really on my case about being with Sayo 24/7 from now on. I mean, how could, I've known that she and her friends would be kidnapped like that?"
"Yes. You were really lucky that Yun's big brother came to save them," Miyu said.
Michida looked excited as they went to a topic he liked talking about. "Yeah! Did you see those moves he used against those monsters! They were so cool!" He developed a bit of hero worship after seeing the big fight on the news.
Yuya nodded in agreement. "Yes. Some of the girls at our school have the hots for him now, especially those that are romantics or are martial artists."
"Yeah, and most of the guys at the school are really bummed out about that," Rei said, chuckling a bit.
"Well, next time it'll be ME who'll come out on the top!" Ran shouted while pumping her fist into the air.
Rei crossed his arms and looked smugly at her. "You're just saying that because he's more popular then you are."
"That's right Kotobuki! You're old news now!" Mami said as she stepped in front of their table. Along with her is her friend Satsuki.
"That's right Kotobuki! Even in our area he's big news. If we even mention you they say 'Ran Kotobuki? Who's that?'"
Ran got mad and stood up to face them. "Well there's one thing I know that he can't do!"
"And that is?" they all asked.
"I can beat the highest score in this Karaoke Bar!" Ran said taking a pose. Her statement made the others sweatdrop.
Then Aya noticed that Ranma Wild and a young woman are getting onto the stage preparing to sing. "Ran, don't look now but it looks like he's about to sing with a girl," Aya pointed it out making them look over to the stage.
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A few moments before the two went on stage -
"I didn't know you watched that anime Dachi!" he exclaimed after she pointed out what she wanted to sing as they looked through a list of available songs.
Kodachi nodded at him with a smile and twinkle in her eyes. "Yes. I find it rather funny actually. Don't worry, we're not planning to do the same things to you as the heroine does to the main character, unless you deserve it of course." She giggled a little at his semi-pale face.
Ranma just shook his head when he saw the mirth in her eyes. Gods he loves staring into those eyes, which were once filled with madness, yet now has love in them. He handed the list over to the person in charge of the karaoke machine and waited for their turn. Soon the two of them went up to the stage.
"Ranma, I'm a little nervous," she said as she looked at the crowd watching them.
Ranma gave her a reassuring smile and squeezed her hand. "Don't worry. Once you get started you'll do fine." He handed her mic and signaled for it to start. Soon words appeared on the screen in front of them. Both then started to sing, Kodachi a little hesitantly at first but then as she goes on with more strength and confidence. Thankfully the screen provides which parts are sung by the male and which ones are female and which are duets. Ranma started out first with Kodachi following and the two alternating.
(Karakara kawaiteru mune no naka,
futo tachidomari ki ga tsuita kara.)
(Daremo ga isoideru machi no naka,
sukoshi yukkuri aruite mita.)
(Koe ni dasanai negai anata to nara kanaetai yo.)
(Okidoki nakitaku naru to me wo tojite kou omou no, TRY!)
The song is pretty old but famous. Most people know it since it's from a pretty famous anime series a while back. Everybody in the club listened to the two singing, mostly to each other as they're facing each other barely looking at the screen, as if already knowing the song's lyrics, which they do.
(Dakedo anata ga iru, ai wo motomete iru
donna toki mo kokoro ha aru yo soba ni,
dakara watashi ga iru ai wo sagashite iru,
futari nara yasashii namida ni kawaru,
yume ha kitto kanau!)
During the instrumentals everyone in the club applauded the two. Most people who go up there are horrid, mostly up there to make a fool out of himself or herself. These two are good, very good. This time Kodachi starts out and Ranma follows after.
(Doko ni itatte nani wo shitetatte,
anata no koto wo kangaete iru.)
(Kyou no kono aoi sora kiritotte,
futari no kinenbi no iro ni shiyou.)
(Koe ni naranai inori kono mama itsumade mo itai to.)
(Fukaku ai suru hodo ni hito ha tsuyoku naru setsunaku naru, WHY!)
Both then sang the next part together amids clapping and cheering.
(Koko ni anata ga iru ai wo motomete iru,
towa ni tsuzuku futari dake no kiseki,
soshite watashi ga iru ai wo sagashite iru,
owaranai mirai wo issho ni futari,
kore kara arukidasu!)
By now the two have blocked out the crowd, the screen, everything besides the music, which they used to be able to tell what and when to sing, and each other. Every romantic in the club felt jealous of the two as they sang to each other with hands clasped tightly. They even did a bit of dancing during instrumentals. Thankfully the mics are remote so the two didn't get tangled in any wires and the stage is pretty big.
(Zutto anata ga iru ai wo motomete iru,
watashi dake no dareka ha anata nan da,
soko ni watashi ga iru ai wo sagashite iru,
arifureta isshun ga kirameku no ha,
futari dakara koso!)
At the end Ranma swept up his girl and repeated what he did with Tina, Viki, Chris and Ranko, especially since he said to her 'I love you' in front of the whole crowd. Everyone in the crowd cheered for the two people in love.
(B)
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After the song ended the crowd went wild with an even bigger thunderous applause and cheers. Ranma and Kodachi stepped down from the stage while waving to the crowd blushing a bit. The scoreboard on the big screen showed a perfect score. The owner of the club said that everything is on the house for the couple, which the two thanked him for graciously. The two sat down at a table a bit secluded from the crowd as another pair went up to try and outdo the two.
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At the table were Ran and her friends are sitting at.
Ran stared dumbly at the scoreboard showing that Ranma and his lady friend had beaten the all time high score in the club.
"As I said before, you're old news," Mami said smirking to the still stupified Ran.
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At the temple –
Molly looked at Ranma's sister like she grew a second head. "You…didn't do anything tonight?"
Yun nodded. "Yup. From what I saw my brother didn't need help tonight. Kodachi and my big brother will do fine by themselves tonight."
"Oh. So did you see the whole Ranko thing by the way?"
Yun shook her head this time. "Nope. Not one bit. Hey, my sight isn't perfect when my big brother's involved you know."
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She smells awful! She really needs a bath right now. Thankfully there's a bathhouse and Laundromat nearby that's cheap. She carefully takes her yellow ribbon off of her hair as she prepares to go into the baths.
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The day after –
This time it's Ranma who's cooking the breakfast (it's his turn anyway). Nothing and no one could get the smile off of his face. Even worse is Kodachi. Thankfully the others didn't think that they had sex (which they didn't).
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Tina felt a bit left out until he took her out that night. Compared to the others it was a less exciting since all it involved is a candlelit dinner on a blanket in a botanical garden (C). However, it's a lot more intimate and a lot more romantic than the other dates. She especially loved it when he said to her those three words she's been meaning to hear him say for so long now as the two laid down staring up at the stars.
She did, however, wonder why no one else was there or why they weren't bothered. (D)
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The next day –
"Kami-sama! This is really good!"
That is the general statement around the table as everyone ate the food Tina had cooked. Turns out if she's really happy her cooking improves a lot. She can rival even rival Chris! Ranma wondered whether he should keep on sleeping with her (not the hentai sleeping with her, at least not yet even though they came so close with their activities the night before) the nights before she cooks. He blushed when he thought that he should check out her cooking after their wedding night.
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That afternoon -
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Everyone raced to the living room where they heard the loud female shout of anguish. When they arrived in the room they saw the weirdest scene they've ever seen before.
Ranma is on his knees constantly bowing to Hinako while repeating again and again, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
Hinako on the other hand is crying her eyes out as she clutched a thin square object to her chest. They approached her and asked her what's wrong.
"It's ruined! It's all gone!" she bawled out.
"What's all gone?" everyone asked her.
All she did is unfold the square object in her arms, which turns out to be a laptop. On the screen all it says is 'System failure'.
Everyone sweatdropped.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! All I was trying to do is play a CD on it! My CD player ran out of batteries and I figured all you had to do was pop in the CD and that's it! I know I'm bad with computers, but that seemed so simple I thought I could do it! I'm sorry!" Ranma said as he kept on bowing to his former mentor.
Everyone sweatdropped harder at that, especially Mind. How he crashed a computer trying to play a CD is beyond her. (E)
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That's funny. For a minute there she thought she heard a voice scream out in anguish.
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The day after that –
Viki woke up in the arms of the man she loves. Last night had been wonderful. A boat ride at night is so romantic, especially with him admitting he loves her, FINALLY! '(Sigh) If only we had bought some birth control pills. Then things would have been really great.' She stayed in his arms for a little while longer before getting up to take a bath before she cooked breakfast for him. She gave the still slumbering Ranma a small kiss before leaving.
He surprised her when he joined her in the bath, then helped her cook breakfast.
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That afternoon the girls got an ominous feeling, as if things are about to get interesting again. The feeling got worse when they looked in the pigtailed man's direction.
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She stared at the sign that says 'Welcome to Shibuya.' Her camp is just a little bit away from where she's standing. Tomorrow she'll enter the city to find him.
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Next day / Day of arrival -
Ranma has had a long day today. He had gone out to see some buyers for some more of those gold coins he has. Ayame and Watari to keep an eye out for him followed him in case Neclord pulled something. No activity has been noted for a while now so he might be planning something big.
It seemed like the usual business transaction, something he still can't do well, but he's learning. He can get a much better price for them than when he first started. When he had gotten to the penthouse where the deal is supposed to be made he thought that maybe it would've been safer fighting all of Neclord's monsters at the same time than being in there.
--------------------------------------Flashback--------------------------------------
When he knocked on the door he found that it's already open. He figured that they're expecting him and let himself into the penthouse. "Hello? Is anyone in here? My name is Ranma Wild and I'm here abo…" Ranma found himself at a lost for words when he got a good look at the people waiting for him.
Displayed in the penthouse are three beautiful, scantily clad women. A blonde, a brunette and a redhead are spread out on a large, fluffy mattress in the middle of the room. Each one had a 'come closer' look on their face, which spoke of a pleasurable evening if one would indeed come. Their bodies are more voluptuous than slender, with their large breasts and curvy thighs helping to show off their overdeveloped bodies.
The leggy, overly 'talented' blonde with a pageboy cut is wearing a white formal dress shirt that is buttoned up tightly over her overabundant talent that stretched the fabric to the ripping point. Short-shorts that are skintight hugged her curvy bottom nicely.
The brunette with short hair is dressed in a silk green-blue Chinese dress with the long slit on it that allowed her gorgeous hips to move freely about in the cool air. Her arms are exposed and are completely bare except for the golden bracelets that dangled off of her wrists. The dress ended just above the nipple area of her breasts. The dress is so skintight that it hugged her entire body and displayed all her wondrous curves.
The longhaired redhead is a curvaceous young woman a little bit younger than the other two with bountiful breasts and appealing thighs. She's wearing a tight legless white leotard that left nothing to the imagination. Over it she wore an open blue jacket that cause her chest to stick out more then it already did. (1)
"Hello there," the three women said at the same time. It hinted to Ranma that they're very used to working together. "We've been waiting for you!"
Ranma backed up and made a grab for the doorknob to get out of there. However, instead of grabbing the doorknob he somehow grabbed onto something a lot higher up than the knob. It's big and firm to the touch, but soft at the same time like bread dough. It made him wonder what it is as he kept his eyes on the three women on the mattress in case they tried something funny. Panic isn't letting him think straight so he couldn't figure out what it is. He gave the thing in his hand a squeeze, getting a moan in response.
Then it hit him what he has in his hand. He knew full well what it is since he and the other girls back at the temple have been making out and got to…ahem. Also most women that he has met (the ones at the police station most prominently) seemed to just love pressing it on him whenever they could.
Looking behind him to see the woman who he's holding onto her by her large… assets… he recognized her. "Lt. Wen!"
It's the same woman that Ranma had met at the station after the fight at the clock tower. She's half dressed in her uniform with her shirt open and the pants unzipped hanging on her hips. It made her look very, very hot. "Hello Mr. Wild!" Wen closed the door behind her, locking it all the while making sure that he's still holding onto her.
Ranma felt his panic level rise to new heights. 'Geeze! Why the hell does this keep happening to me! I swear the kamis are doing this to get a few laughs!' he thought as he watched the door close. In the distance thunder is heard. Weird thing is the thunder sounded like laughter.
Seeing that his hand is still on her… chest…Ranma quickly let go as if he had been holding hot iron. Looking to the three on the bed Ranma saw that they had gotten off of the bed and are 'walking' over to them. Now four over-developed women that wanted to get to really know him surrounded him. If Ranma hadn't grown taller since going to the other world he would have been looking up to their faces or would have been staring into their… chests…since all four of the women are tall as he is now. Thank the heavens that he did grow taller or he would have never been able to keep his mind clear and not on other stuff that he had to fight down. Ranma knew that if Chris and the others girls ever find out about this he's a dead man, five times over. Either that or (shudder) they might start to get some ideas of their own. Sometimes he feels they're more unpredictable that he is.
"Errr, hi Ms. Wen! What's this about? I thought there was supposed to be a buyer here?" Ranma asked, knowing full well what they wanted out of him.
She traced a finger along his chest, making him wince a little. "Well, my first name is Brittney and my friends are buyers who would VERY much like to buy some of your gold coins. I didn't even know they were in town until I bumped into them the other day. We sat down and talked about old times. It wasn't until I mentioned that I met you that they told me about this plan of theirs," Ms. Wen said while her eyes gleamed like a cat that just found a juicy mouse to eat. She had showed her friends the picture she had bought from the two cops that are selling the picture that came from Ayame. Once they saw him her friends talked her into joining them on their plan. Besides, Sam said that if they could go on anything from the picture then they're going to need as much backup as they can get.
"By the way, the names Clover," The blonde purred.
"Alex is mine lover boy," the brunette said while undressing him with her eyes.
"And I'm Sam," the redhead said huskily. "We would like to buy some of those rare coins of yours, but it looks like we may not have enough for the amount of coins we want from you. So we're going to give you the night of your life to bring down the price range."
"You know, we could just go over what your price range is then make a deal," Ranma said, sweating as the four busty beauties began to close in on him. He knows he has to get out of there, fast!
"Well, we could do that, but where's the fun in that," Sam said as she and the others got ready to jump him. "Or…if you're bisexual we can get a friend up here in no time! Then we can have a six-some!" Ranma's eyes widened in terror as Sam picked up the phone while one of Alex's hands went towards one of his body parts that only the women he loves or his future wife should be allowed to touch.
Then a loud thump sound is heard, stopping the girls from having fun with the well-endowed wild horse. Looking to where the sound came from Sam and the other's eyes opened up in shock when they saw that it came from a small metal ball. The ball let out a hiss and thick smoke burst out of it covering the whole room in smoke. When the smoke cleared up they found that Ranma's gone.
"Aww shoot! Nice going Sam! You were only supposed to double check if he really IS straight or not, not scare him off like that!" the three women yelled at the redhead.
"Umm, oops? How was I supposed to know he would believe me? At least now we know he's straight. With the way he acts around gorgeous women you would think he's gay! Now we know he's just extremely shy. When we see him next we'll bag him for sure!" The four women cheered at that.
--------------------------------------End Flashback--------------------------------------
"Thanks for the save you two. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't thrown that smoke bomb," Ranma thanked the two ninjas. They're taking the side roads back to the temple so it's okay if the two walked next to him.
"You should thank Watari for that. I wanted to see how things would have turned out," Ayame said with what is obviously a grin under her veil. Ranma groaned. It seems she's STILL set on making his life miserable, or at least entertaining to her.
Watari nodded at his thanks. "Well if I hadn't stopped them from having their way with you then, I would've never heard the end of it from Chris and the other girls."
"Awww, his girlfriends will miss poor little Wanma if he went bye-bye!" The two looked at her as if she had grown a second, even third head. Now THAT'S something they thought they'd never hear her say, much less the way she said it.
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In the Suikoden World –
Leknatt and Chaos are laughing their heads off after they watched Ranma barely avoid that situation. "Oh kami-sama Chaos, you weren't kidding! That was SOOOO mean making it so that Wen met up with those girls, but that was SOOOOOO funny!" Leknatt exclaimed between laughs.
Chaos is actually rolling around on the ground as he too laughed. "Yeah, well, things were getting way too mushy for me anyway! Didn't I tell you Ranma is living every man's dream except his own? I swear, most men would have jumped those women, but to him it's like his version of hell! Unless they are one of the women he loves they're like the plague to him! We have the Nerima Wrecking Crew to thank for that! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!
They laughed and laughed until they ran out of breath. They then resumed watching over the pigtailed Chaos Rune bearer.
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Back to Ranmas world-
They're after her again. There are ten of them running after her, much more than they usually send out. They're dressed in regular black suits that most ninjas wear when they're relentlessly hunting someone down, namely her. She had just jumped across a roof when she felt a sharp pain as one of the ninjas threw a star into her back. She fell down to the ground, loosing consciousness midway. Getting struck by such a wound and malnutrition does not go well together.
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Down below-
Ranma is about to say something to Ayame when he saw something falling out of the sky. His body moved before he even knew it and caught the falling body before it hit the ground. When Ranma regained his balance he saw that he had caught a beautiful young busty woman about a year younger than him.
She has reddish brown hair that while a bit unkept is very silky and long. She's wearing white stockings and a blue and white half-cut kimono around her shapely body. The bottom part is cut at the slits all the way to her hips so it reveals her shapely and long legs. Actually it's more like flaps are at the front and back and that's it. A short sword hung from her back and she's wearing blue boots that are actually ankle guards and blue arm guards. There's also a white collar around her neck. However, it's the yellow ribbon in her hair that tipped him off. 'Oh my! It's her!'
It's the same girl he had known so long ago. She's the only true friend he had made during his childhood. Then he saw that there's a ninja star sticking out of her back. Pulling it out Ranma ripped off a piece of his shirt to cover the wound to stop the bleeding. Looking up to where she had fallen from Ranma saw a group of ten ninjas jumping down from the rooftop.
"Hand the girl over. It's none of your business," the leader of the group ordered him.
He stood up with the girl in his arms and a scowl on his face to the ones who had hurt her. "If you think I'm going to give her to you think again!" he growled as his own two ninjas jumped in front of him. "Ayame, Watari, I'll leave these lightweights to you two. It's time for my training to be put to good use. I'll meet you two back at home."
"Good. It wouldn't have been fair if you stayed," Watari said as he drew out his sword.
"Yeah. You would have just have kept them for yourself, leaving none for us," Ayame as she readied her own weapons. Ranma nodded to them and seemed to vanish with the girl in his arms, surprising the ten ninjas and leaving them facing off with two ninjas that they couldn't tell what clan they're from.
"I'll take the five on the right," Watari said as the two of them advanced on their opponents.
"I'll take the ones on the left!"
The two took off against the ten ninjas who thought it would be an easy win for them. They're going to learn their mistake the hard way. Watari and Ayame are going to teach them that sometimes numbers don't always win a fight, especially when dealing with ninjas trained by Ranma and their own clan.
Watari slashed through two of the ninjas with his sword before they could even defend themselves. After being trained by Ranma in increasing their speed and power in their attacks these guys are nothing. Ranma had given them weights to wear to increase their power and speed along with the other fighters of their group. He had gotten that idea from watching Dragonball Z on TV and had Mind made some weights for everyone to wear. It took them a while to get used to the weights before they could freely move around, but all that training paid off as they moved around these so-called ninjas like they're snails.
Ayame easily ducked below one of the ninja's attacks with his sword and slice his side with her claws. Then she caught the weighted chain from another and pulled on it, making the ninja who threw it come to her. She sent him flying through the air and into a wall with a kick to his side. Two of the attacking ninjas tried to take her down, but Ayame dug her claws into the shoulder of one of them and gave a head kick to the other one taking both of them out of the fight.
Watari saw that one of the ninjas he's facing throw a bomb at him hoping to blow him up, but Watari caught the bomb in midair and then threw it back at the ninja who just barely jumped out of the blast zone. The blast DID throw him into one of the alleyway walls though and knocked him out. Watari gave a punch to the face of the ninja that tried to sneak up on him.
The two ninjas that are left found themselves cornered as they faced off against two ninjas that are way above their level in both skill and power. Then the alleyway is filled with the sounds of a police car and few others heading their way. The bomb blast had alerted the cops who are on the look out for anything. Ayame and Watari nodded to each other and took off before the cops entered the alley. The two ninjas that are left quickly ran away as they needed to tell the boss of what had happened on this hunt.
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At the temple -
Ranma ran as fast as he could without harming the girl he carried in his arms. If he used the Gale Rune the g-force would have opened up her wound more than it already is.
Ranma burst into the back door of the temple. Chris and Viki are there to greet him as they were preparing dinner. The slamming of the door surprised and they readied to fight off whoever is trying to storm their home. They turned to face the intruder, but let their guard down seeing its Ranma. But then their eyes turned to the young woman that he's holding in his arms and bleeding a bit on the floor. She's short, about the same height as Ranko is, but they clearly saw that the skimpy ninja outfit she's wearing showed that she and Ranko had more than height in common. Their big bust size for their body height made it look like they're bigger than they really are. Taking a quick glance down to their own chests they wished that they would grow a bit more.
Ranma set the girl down onto the table. Reaching into his sub-space pocket he pulled out a Mega Medicine B since he's running low on the Mega-Medicines and got her to drink it down, healing her wounds as she did. He sighed in relief at seeing that the wound has closed and disappeared and started cleaning up the blood.
Then Landis entered the kitchen and saw the scene in front of him. Seeing the girl would be fine he decided to joke around a bit.
"Ranma, what's with you and young shapely women anyways? I mean, what ARE you going to do with all these lovely women, show them how much of a 'manly man' you are?" Landis laughed as Ranma, Viki and Chris faces turned a very deep shade of red as thoughts of them all… well, it would be best to stop thinking along those lines, but they couldn't stop thinking about it.
"Ranma, who's that?" Chris asked hoping to change the subject.
He finished cleaning up the blood as he replied, "She's an old friend of mine. I need to put her into a bed." Ranma lifted her up again and took her through the living room and upstairs with Chris and Viki following, getting the other's attention as he did.
Ranko recognized the girl he's carrying in his arms. She's the only true friend that he's had ever made as a child that didn't betray their friendship. She knows her because while in Nerima Ranma kept on hoping that she would show up again, at least so he could have ONE friend who wouldn't betray him. It's the ninja girl that he had met so many years ago. Ranko got off of her chair and followed Ranma upstairs wanting to know what had happened. The others quickly followed suit.
Putting her onto his bed Ranma made sure she's comfortable before taking a seat next to her. Looking at the door he found Ranko standing in the doorway with the others looking in.
Ranko stepped inside the room and came up beside him. "Ranma, that's Kasumi isn't it?"
He smiled at the sleeping figure, a smile he usually reserves for those that means a lot to him, worrying the five women. "Yeah. I was walking home when she fell in front of me. It looks like a group of ten ninjas were after her and wounded her. Ayame and Watari stayed behind to handle those guys. They should be back soon," Ranma said without ever taking his eyes off the sleeping figure, worrying the girls even more while the others looked on not knowing what to do.
"Ranma, who is she?" Kodachi asked quietly. Tina, Chris and Viki nodded at her question, very worried at the caring that could be seen in their love interest's eyes as he stared at the busty ninja.
"Ranko, would you mind filling them in? I need to stay by her side," Ranma said as he scooted a bit closer to her.
Ranko didn't reply for a few moments. When she did she did so hesitantly, as if afraid to leave him alone. "Okay Ranma. I'll tell them all about it," Ranko said as she closed the door behind her.
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Downstairs -
Ranko sat down seeing that she had everyone's attention on her. Ayame and Watari were waiting for them when they got downstairs. They said that they had taken care of the ninjas that were after that girl. They also brought with them a pretty beat up backpack, obviously belonging to the girl.
"Ranko, who's that with Ranma?" Tina asked apprehensively. Seems that bad feeling they had yesterday is proving true.
Ranko made herself comfortable, but not enough. She can't get the dreadful feeling out of her that things are about to change. "Her name is Kasumi and she's the only real friend that Ranma made in his childhood. I think she's from a ninja clan that Genma found when Ranma was around 10 and stayed there for a while. There he met Kasumi and became friends with her. I don't have the complete memories since he met her before Jusenkyo. I only know the small pieces of the whole thing whenever Ranma would think about her."
"Wait. You mean she's the only real childhood friend he had?" Rico asked.
Ranko nodded. "Yes, one that didn't betray him later on anyway. Well, we'll see when she wakes up anyway. You see Genma brought Ranma to their school to learn the ninja clan's moves and somehow got them to teach him and Ranma their school's art. Even though it's an assassin school their moves are very potent for bringing down an opponent fast. He won the right for him and Ranma to stay there by winning against the master of the school. There Ranma met kids around his age, Kasumi, Hayate her big brother, and Ayane her half-sister. Ranma didn't get along with Hayate since he was always WAY too serious in the art and not friendly at all and Ayane was too bitter since she saw that Ranma and her sister got along so well. She always hated the fact that Kasumi was always better than her and beats her every time that they fought each other. When they finally left Ranma and Kasumi vowed to each other that they would always be friends."
"So why was she being chase then?" Chris asked.
"You have to ask her that when she wakes up," Ranko said.
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Back in the Suikoden world -
Chaos is furiously looking over the folder that contains the information regarding this timeline. "That isn't supposed to happen! She's not supposed to be here!"
Leknatt tried to calm the cat down. "Chaos, stop and tell me what's going on. I thought you said you changed only one thing in this timeline and that's to cross my world and Ranma's right?"
"I can tell you two what happened." said from behind them.
Chaos turned around and spotted the newcomer. "Hi Toltiir. So, how did this happen?"
Toltiir approached his fellow cat god and the blind woman. "Well, you see when we messed around with this timeline we didn't check if it's already been altered before. Even I didn't know until Kasumi showed up out of nowhere. I was watching too and as soon as I saw her I checked the timeline and found traces of divine tampering."
Chaos nodded after he checked the timeline as well. "So who's the one that had the timeline Dead or Alive crossover with this Ranmaverse?"
Toltiir sat down next to the blind woman. "It was Ongo, God of Destruction. You see after he played the games he wanted to see a crossover with Ranma since he likes both timelines. But you know him. Once he sees something else he drops everything and does that instead. He left a few notes behind." A small pad of paper materialized in front of him. "According to this he only changed a few things on both timelines, mainly Ranma and Kasumi meeting up and those dancing schools of his. Apparently if we hadn't interfered he would have met up with Kasumi later on. It doesn't list everything, but from what I can tell he was trying to steer the two so that they fall in love, which isn't very hard to do, move to America where they're safe from the Mugen Tenjin School and the NWC and raise a family there. Standard happily ever after bid."
Leknatt looked down at the cat next to her. "So what made him drop it?" She didn't know who this Ongo is or what is a 'Dead or Alive', but didn't ask.
"He saw a one of those timelines where Ranma grew up to be a sex god and liked it so much that he's making all kinds of crossover timelines with Ranma in it and pairing up all the different girls and (shudder) guys with him/her. He's more God of Lust than God of Destruction now. Luckily that's after he messed with this timeline or else we would have Ranma having sex with all kinds of people, both sexes even. No offense, but those worlds has no humor in it. It's all about lust and that's it. Hey, I'm up for lust and everything, I AM a cat after all, but those kinds of worlds get boring fast since it's just sex scene after sex scene and that's it."
Chaos got thoughtful all of a sudden. "I should look into those later. I've been checking out this female cat god and maybe I'll pick up something from those timelines," Chaos said with a catty grin.
"So you two used a timeline that already was a crossover already?" Leknatt asked trying to get back to the main subject.
Toltiir nodded. "Yup. Well, at least Ranma can fall for another girl now right," he said with his own catty grin. Think of the chaos this will make!
Leknatt looked a bit worried. "Isn't that a lot for him? That's six girls already."
Chaos had lost his grin and is now back into the conversation. "Not really. A few of his counterparts have been married to many women before so it's not a real big thing for him. Actually, now that I think about it there was this one world where he married at least a hundred women, but that's because he kept on moving from one universe to another and resetting everything whenever he does."
"Why is it that he can marry multiple women?"
Toltiir took up this explanation. He's given it before to those gods who didn't know the Ranma timelines much. "Well, you see since Ranma never bonded with anyone as a child he never felt any kind of love before. Both of his parents are nothing but people who saw him as a tool to be used. That training trip put a huge hole in his heart that needs to be filled or we have one of those tragedy timelines where he kills everyone in sight. Loving so many women is one of the ways to fill that hole. Loving one or loving many, it doesn't matter since he would latch on to anyone who offers him love and/or friendship. That's why he stuck with Akane for so long even with all her constant abuse. He stays with her until he realizes that she's only making that hole bigger, not filling it."
Leknatt nodded, and then turned thoughtful for a while. She looked towards the folders she had received from Chaos before turning to the two cats and asking a question. "If he marries all the women that love him won't there be nothing left of him but a dried up husk after their wedding night?"
Chaos grinned. He wants to answer this question since he too has seen timelines where Ranma marries multiple women. One comes to mind even. "Yes, but you've got to remember Ranma's endurance and stamina are much higher than normal guys. If he starts to wear out one of the girls or he's getting worn out himself they can just cast a healing spell and they can go for a few more rounds. Besides, there's that one timeline that Ranma is married to the three Digger sisters. If that Ranma, one who didn't go through what our Ranma has gone through in your world and doesn't have healing magic, can satisfy THEM for eight hours straight with a breather now and then and is still alive and can get up under his own power afterwards then our Ranma will be just fine." (2)
"And also there's that timeline where Ranma gets together with all four of the Digger Girls. Where Grave Digger becomes the fourth Digger sister," Toltiir added in.
"Wait. You're saying that Ranma can sleep with all those girls in my timeline that loves him without killing him because of THAT?" She couldn't believe that there would be girls that sex hungry that the Ranma in her timeline can handle six women or even more if he gets together with the girls back in her world.
"I guess you never looked into any of the Gold Digger timelines have you?" Chaos asked with a knowing grin.
Leknatt shook her head getting a feeling she knows where this is going. "Well, no, not really."
"Trust me when I tell you that when it comes to sex crazed the Digger sisters fit the bill perfectly."
"They're that bad?"
"Yup. That bad."
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In one of the Gold Diggers world-
The four Digger sisters all sneezed as if someone was talking about them. Then they suddenly got hungry for some more horse meat again. And the Ranma in that world suddenly felt like he should hide for awhile. It looks like his wives were in the mood again. And they had just had their way with him four hours ago.
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Back to the other world -
Ranma is looking down at the sleeping form of Kasumi. She jerked from time to time as if dreaming of something she would rather forget. Then her eyes started fluttering, and then they are wide open as soon as the image before her focused. She stared at him for a long time; staring into him and looking for something only she could see. Then her arms shot forward and pulled him in for an embrace, drawing him closer to her.
"Rammie! It's you! It's really you! I though I'd never see a friendly face ever again!" Kasumi cried as she finally saw the friend she had so long ago.
Hugging her closer to himself he spoke to her trying to calm her down. "It's been a long time since I saw you last Ka-chan. I've missed you so much."
"Rammie, I'm sorry to put you through all this, but I had to make sure that you were the one I knew. I've missed you so much since you left so long ago," Kasumi said as her tears fell from her happy face, finally being able to find a friend from her past that isn't trying to kill her.
The two stayed like that for a while until her tears stopped a bit. Without getting out of the hug he asked, "Ka-chan, what's happened to you and why were those guys after you?"
"It's a long story," she said from where she has her face buried in his shoulder.
"I got all the time to hear it. Then I can tell you mine."
"It all started after my brother disappeared one day…" Kasumi began her tale that lasted well into the night as did Ranma with his. She told him that she's been running for a long time now. Running for her very life all because she did the right thing. Her brother had sent dozens of ninjas to go after her and kill her, who is the very same person she helped to save when no other in their clan would. Now he's trying to kill her because of the honor of their clan.
Her brother Hayate was injured in an accident. Then he went missing. He was to be the successor of the ninja clan that they're part of. However, since he was missing a little after that she was supposed to be the new successor. But she gave up that claim and went out to search for her brother and to avenge him, making her a runaway shinobi. In accordance to the clan rules they have to kill her for that.
She found him in the Dead or Alive tournament with his memories gone. After the tournament is over with he gains it back and returns to the ninja clan and takes his place as the successor. However, she could never return because she has to be killed for her running away from the clan. Hayate, her own brother and leader of the very clan out to kill her, cannot stop this and more and more of the clan ninjas are sent to kill her every day.
One of them is Ayane, her half-sister. She always hated Kasumi because she's always better than her. She tries to kill her all the time, but isn't successful. Neither are the ninjas that Hayate sends out. She's the best besides Hayate. Ranma remembers back to the time he had met Ayane. She was so cute, but her personality stunk.
She tells him that all that means nothing to her since Hayate is alive and well. All because she did the right thing to save her brother she can never find rest or stay in one spot for long because there would be a ninja from her clan lurking nearby waiting for her to let down her guard to kill her. She had been like this ever since the end of the second Dead or Alive tournament. Hayate had been absolutely ruthless in sending the entire clan after her, so much that sometimes Kasumi wondered if he even remembers that she's his little sister.
She told him of how she had seen the news footage of his fight at the old clock tower in Shibuya. The moment she saw his face she knew it's the same boy she had met so long ago. She told him that he's the only one who's REALLY her friend, not someone who would just leave her to die because of honor for a clan. In fact, all of her former friends had abandoned her. Not even the ones she met at the DOA tournaments or Zack's Island would help her as they have seen the might of the Mugen Tenjin School. They only wished her luck in getting away.
She knew she would put him in danger, but he's the only hope she has left. She doesn't want to spend the rest of her life running away always looking behind her knowing someone is after her. She could tell that if she got to him he could protect her and himself. After seeing him fight off those monsters she knew he could stand up to anyone in her old clan. She asked, no, begged for his help. Ranma didn't hesitate to say yes. He promised her he would protect her and be with her for as long as they lived, no matter what. Ranma Wild keeps his promises. When he said this she sobbed into his chest again.
As they talked to each other somehow Ranma found himself on the bed next to her, hugging her for all he's worth. She asked him if she could just stay like this for a while longer as she clung to him, feeling safer than she had ever felt before in such a long time. Ranma held her to him, making her feel warmth that she hasn't felt in a long time. They stayed like that for a long time until sleep finally took them both into the land of dreams. Even then they did not separate.
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Somewhere else in a deep forest -
In a large compound the current leader of the ninja clan had just received a field report from the two remaining ninjas that were sent to kill his sister. Reading through it Hayate couldn't believe that there are two ninjas that are at a level higher than the ninjas that he sent out for the hunt. The ten that he had sent were trained to be the best that the clan could throw at Kasumi and just two ninjas took out eight of the ten like they were nothing.
Ayane walked into the room after having spoken with the two ninjas sent out to kill her sister. "So Kasumi got away again huh?" She's just a little bit shorter than Kasumi is, but like she had often pointed out she has a slightly larger bust. She's dressed in skin-tight purple clothes that didn't hide her shapely body. She kept her light purple hair short and bound by her favorite bandanna.
Hayate looked up at his half sister and nodded his head. "Yes, she did. Looks like she has found some people who can help her."
Ayane just threw her head in disgust. "So? We'll just kill whoever is helping her then," she said in a tone that says this will become an absolute fact.
Hayate narrowed his eyes at her. She had always been like that. It's one of the reasons why she could never beat Kasumi. "That won't be so simple. The one that's helping her is Ranma Wild."
She just looked at him with an expression that clearly said 'So?' until she remembered where she had heard that name. "You mean that guy who fought off those monsters that took his little sister in Shibuya?"
"Yes. If we move in then Wild would stand in our way. If we did manage to kill him we would then have to face the armed forces of the government since it would look real bad for them if they just leave us alone after killing such a high profile person like him. We also have to think of the Americans since he is a half breed." There's also something at the back of his head that he just can't seem to get out. It's like distant memory he can't grasp.
"So what's the plan then?" She too can't get the feeling she has come across the name 'Ranma' before.
"We do nothing till the time is right."
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Inside a laboratory -
"So how are the new troops coming?"
"They're all ready to go," the head scientist named Baker said as he typed on one of the computer panels. "Eight are waiting for your command."
"Good. It's time for me to step out into the spotlight," Neclord said as he looked at the eight stasis tubes holding monsters right out of the game they're based on. He looked at each one as his magic took their effect on them so they will obey him.
The Bandersnatcher is between seven and eight feet tall. Its face is that of a grinning skeleton. The human skeleton structure showed through, particularly in the face and torso, giving it the classic Death look. Its skull face leered out beneath corded ropes of real and synthetic tendons like a neo grim reaper. The disproportionately huge upper body supported its primary weapons. Its arms are as thick as one of its tree-trunk legs, longer than half its full body length at rest, both of the hands span big enough to cover an ordinary man's chest. Unlike the Bandersnatchers in the game it has two powerful arms instead on just one.
The Hunter is huge and shaped like a man, but the resemblance stopped there. Naked, but sexless, its entire muscular body is covered with a pebbled, amphibious skin shaded a dark green. It has impossibly long arms and both its hands and feet are tipped with thick brutal claws. Tiny, light-colored eyes peered out of its flat reptilian skull. Its skin is like body armor. Only a really powerful gun would get through its thick hide. The healing factor it had made killing the monster harder than the ones in the game. You would have to destroy its whole body or take off its head to kill it without the fear of it getting back up later.
Its counterpart is the Hunter Gamma. It's a giant humanoid, tall, wide and dripping with its slime. The slime made the creature very slippery and hard to hold onto. It also made cutting it with a blade or shooting at it hard since its body is rubbery and the slime coating it would absorb the impact of the attacks or makes the blows slide off of its body. Like the Hunter it has the healing factor of its body. Its body is a dark blue-green, almost black in the dim lights of the lab. With its webbed oversized hands and feet and its huge rounded head and mouth, it resembled nothing so much as a mammoth, hideously squashed frog. While the Hunter is a land-based monster the Gamma is meant for water and land, making it very deadly. Also unlike the ones in the game the Gamma has a tongue like a frog.
Then there are the four Lickers. They are the size of a full-grown man, but the resemblance ended there. They all have inflamed, purplish flesh and long limbs. The brain is partially exposed revealing puffed grey-white tissue. It's protected by a steel plated helmet that would be able to withstand most firearms. There are scar-rimmed holes where the eyes should have been. They see like a snake, only seeing heat and the smell of their prey. Two of the Lickers had long talons that are thick and curved while the other two had long pointy claws.
Finally, the Dac. It's the very image of the ancient Pterodactyl. The streamlined, muscular body and the narrow beak, even the bone 'comb' on top of its head. Its wingspan is between eight or ten feet, the leathery wings tipped with curved hooks. The large flat eyes that have the eyesight of a hawk. The clawed feet that can tear into the flesh of any unlucky prey. It's a nice change of pace since he did need a flyer in his monster crew.
"I'm sorry to say this but creating the Lickers was much easier to create than the other monsters. Don't worry though, they will do a lot of damage to whatever you're going to do with them along with the big guy," Baker said looking over at the sleeping form of Tyrant.
When he first came to work for Neclord he truly didn't believed that all this was even possible. Creating monsters right out of a video game? Sure it could be done with the right equipment and the backing to do it, but not at this kind of speed. All he had gotten from Neclord was that he had someone working for him that works in the field of bringing the dead back to life. As with the rest of the people working for him Baker is scared of him. He's so smooth, well-mannered and soft-spoken, but with a glitter in his eyes that made him always seem to be laughing. Like everything is a joke and he's the only one who got it. In Baker's experience people like that are the most dangerous types. They didn't feel like they had anything to prove, and are usually at least slightly insane.
"Yes. I'm going to show this city that I rule this city now and I know where and how to do it," Neclord smiled evilly.
Looking at the stasis tank that held Tyrant Neclord walked over to it. Waving his hand the support machines turned off. The tank began to drain and Tyrant began to awaken. The glass tube of the tank slid down when the tank is drained completely. Opening its eyes it looked down at the man standing in front of it. Then it knew who it is, his master.
"Tyrant 001, I have great plans for you. You have only one mission, and that is to kill Ranma Wild!" Neclord said as Tyrant let out a roar that shook the lab and filled all those who heard it with fear.
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The next morning at the temple -
The room is dark, and I mean dark. It's the kind of darkness that only people like vampires and other beings of darkness revel in. Only the miniscule light from the cracks between the door and wall could be seen.
That is until the automatic systems went on and opened the windows. The owner of the room thought it would be easiest to set up a timed motor in the drapes than to set up an alarm clock, which never worked to wake him up anyway. In order to do this he had gotten the help of his fiancée's little sister to set it up for him so that at a certain time the curtains would open by themselves. The unrelenting sunlight shone down brightly upon the bed, practically trying to scream 'Wake up dummy!' to its inhabitants.
One person on the bed let out a low groan as he fought to keep his eyes closed to the light. To him the rays of the morning sunlight are like hellfire burning into his eye sockets. Very few things can wake him up, and unfortunately bright sunlight is one of them.
Then he felt someone moving against him in the bed. Looking under the blanket that covered the person Ranma found himself staring at a skimpy ninja outfit. Her outfit showed off her shapely body really well. She lying on top of him as she slept with her arms around him and his around hers. Her ample breasts are pressing onto his chest as she used him like a stuffed animal. Her face is peaceful as she slept and Ranma remembered what happened yesterday. Yes, Kasumi is here sleeping in the same bed as he is. He felt every guy's morning…condition pressing against her inner thigh. He had experienced this before with the other girls so it didn't bother him much. It's quite pleasant actually.
Then Ranma noticed that he's not alone in the room. All around the bed are Tina, Ranko, Chris, Viki and Kodachi looking down at the two of them. The look in their eyes didn't help calm Ranma down since he knew that look too well. Some are worse than others, particularly the ones with moisture going down their cheeks. Since the blanket still covered them and Ranma slept without his shirt things didn't look very good.
"So the first time you have sex with someone is with Kasumi, instead of one of us," Ranko said with her left eye twitching and her fist opening and closing.
"Ranma, how could you?" Viki said on the verge of crying. No, wait, she's crying now.
"Were we not good enough?" Tina asked, looking between crying and throttling him to death.
"You said you weren't ready to make love to me. Why her?" Chris said with a lump in her throat. Tears are already going down her cheeks.
"Ranma, since we all agreed to not act like the other girls we will let you explain yourself," Kodachi said. Her face looked regal, calm. However, her eyes conveyed her true emotions, betrayal and anger.
Ranma is about to say something when Kasumi woke up. Still half asleep she let out a yawn. Then she stared at the person that's under her. She has a blissful smile as she buried her face into his chest. The thing poking her thigh didn't even feel uncomfortable. "Rammie, don't ever let me go. Hold me forever like you did last night," Kasumi said remembering how safe she felt when he hugged her before as they slept.
Those words really, Really didn't help matters as Ranma found himself surrounded by five very, very, VERY angry women. He knew that calming them down is going to be one hell of a job to do.
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A couple of days later at the temple-
A week had passed since Kasumi came to the temple. Doctor Tofu had looked her over and said she needed to have bed rest as well as something to eat. Since she was on the run most of the time she hadn't eaten well in a long time she's malnourished. She needs to stay off her feet and let her body recover from constantly being on alert, getting half the required sleep and constant battles for her life. Ranma is by her side most of the time during her bed rest, helping her with anything and everything she wanted. Much to Kasumi's embarrassment Ranma even helped feed her while she stayed in his bed. They would also take short walks together to keep her muscles in shape.
The two would talk about anything and everything. He'd tell her all about his past, keeping nothing back. He'd tell her about all the adventures he had and all the people he had met and the places he's been. She in turn would tell him of the people she had met and all the fights she had been in. Anything became a topic for discussion. She even told him of when she had spent two weeks on an island playing volleyball and just relaxing.
The two would then talk about the time they spent together when they were kids. They would talk about the six months they spent together as he learned her school of Mugen Tenjin. They would talk about all the fun games they played together. They talked about how they kept their playing from Genma as Ranma had learned his lesson when he lost Ukyo. It seems his father takes him away if he gets too attached to someone so the two of them acted as proper training partners and that's it. When no one's looking the two are the best of friends, much more than with Ukyo. They even talked about when they gave each other their first kiss. It was the day before Ranma would finally leave. He gave her a yellow ribbon to tie her hair with. He had saved and worked to buy the ribbon for weeks. She became overjoyed and kissed him on the lips, something she had seen a few adults do. The two stayed with their lips connected for five seconds before slowly coming apart. He had uttered "Wow" before fainting. The day after that Ranma left with Kasumi waving a tearful goodbye at him.
The two even admitted to each other that they were each other's first crushes (big blush attack at that). They don't know what to do about that now, but would later deal with it when she's at top shape again.
She would also sometimes read his future by tarot cards and palm reading. Fortune telling is her hobby and she predicted that 'you will have a long and challenging task before you, but a very fulfilling one with lots of rewards'. The girls hated it when she read his palm as it involved handholding.
Feeding time is the best time for the two as he would sometimes feed her himself, mostly dessert. She loves Strawberry Mille-Feuilles and he would go out and get it for her and spoonfeed it to her, causing her to blush, a lot. In return she would then take the spoon and feed some of the dessert to him. The two really enjoys being in each other's company.
Yun thought it's sweet that her big brother is looking over his friend like that. But the other girls are all steamed seeing that Ranma is feeding her like that. They're just glad that she's no longer wearing that skimpy ninja outfit anymore. Besides, what kind of ninja would dress in a skimpy outfit like that anyways?
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A huge number of female ninjas who likes to wear skimpy outfits in the multiverse sneezed, including Ayane and even Kasumi herself.
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However, she's now wearing some of Ranma's own shirts and panties. Most of her clothes are so worn that they just threw them out and would buy new ones for her when she's feeling better. Only three of her outfits were salvageable; her original outfit with the hole from the ninja star sewed up, a white version of it that's sleeveless and a full pink ninja's attire. The oversized shirt and panties look is really good on her, making the other girls more steamed. When confronted by them Ranma would say he hasn't seen her in a long time and is just catching up and that Tofu ordered him to take care of her (which he did), but they can tell he's falling for the quiet and kittenish girl just like when he fell in love with them, and Kasumi is returning the feelings. Landis had made the mistake of uttering, "Green-eyed monsters anyone?" The beating he received from the five women is too gruesome to be described.
He would placate them when they talked to him about it in one way or another, but as soon as he went back to her they would get steamed again. It's not that he's brushing them off. Oh no, if they needed his attention he's there 100 percent. However, he would go back to her when they're done. THAT is what makes them so mad and jealous. They're mad and jealous because he's favoring her since she needs time and help to recover from running and fighting for her life for months. They found it sweet and so irritating at the same time.
To help ease their jealousy he invited them to stay in the room with the two of them so they hopefully won't feel too jealous. Kasumi didn't mind at all as long as she has her 'Rammie'. Amazing how something as simple as a nickname could get them so mad. Ranma and Kasumi would sleep in his bed with one of the other girls at night. Kasumi would sleep on one side of him while one of the other girls would sleep on the other side with the five of them taking turns. He spent equal time with them, snuggling their body to his every night, but they weren't happy that she got to stay with him every night while they had to alternate. They especially didn't like how she would sleep in only a shirt and panties while Ranma only wore boxer shorts, and the two felt completely comfortable with each other! They didn't know that as kids they would sneak into each other's beds at night, especially when there's a storm since back then Kasumi was scared of lightning. Also their developing their feelings for each other allows them to be comfortable with each other's bodies.
Ranma's spending way too much time with her. They had heard the story of why she's here. They all thought it isn't right that she had to be hunted down just because she did the right thing. But the way Ranma is fawning over her just gets their blood boiling. They wanted to be the one to be fed by Ranma! They wanted to be the one he treats like a princess! They wanted to be the one he puts a strawberry in their mouths by pushing it in with his finger! They haven't seen it happen, but Yun said it looked SOOOO cute when he did and they got more jealous. They know he would treat them like that if they asked, but his attention is on her almost all the time. His protectiveness and caring streak is working in Kasumi's favor right now. If she weren't so quiet, kittenish, shy and just plain likable they would have done 'something' about it. If only there's a way to get Ranma away from her for a while. Things were going so well before this girl came and took him away!
Then Yun walked in on them as they're all trying to think of an idea. "Can one of you come with me to the grand opening of the new mall today? Sayo said she and her sister along with her friends are going there and Sayo wants me to come along with her."
Light bulbs appeared over their heads as they saw the perfect way to get Ranma away from Kasumi, at least for an afternoon.
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In the Suikoden World –
"Why IS Ranma treating her like that anyway?"
The two cat gods both said, "Hey, you NEVER get over your first crush you know. Besides, he's originally supposed to end up with her. That counts for something."
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Somewhere in the outskirts of Shibuya, four days ago -
Riding on the train Nabiki Tendo stared out of the window at the city of Shibuya. She didn't bother going with her family and the Saotomes since she knows they would just mess things up. The city is far larger than Nerima and has a much better police force than her home town as well. The police force in Nerima became too used to having Ranma around to keep the peace and didn't even try to maintain order after he was gone. Now they're paying for it. Everyone just figured that things would stay the same after Ranma left, and now Nerima has become a slum.
"Ranma, you just HAVE to come back," Nabiki said softly to herself as she watched the landscape roll past the window.
She had to find where Ranma lives and make him come back to Nerima and save it like he always does. She knows Ranma is living in a temple somewhere on the outer rim of the city. She already knows about how reporters have been trying to get into the compound, but is always stopped by Ranma's bodyguards every time they tried to get in. Tapping the phones is useless because someone made sure that the phone lines couldn't be bugged.
Her information sources had told her that Kuno, Mousse and Ukyo along with those two cross-dressers already tried and failed to get Ranma. It also looks like Ranma has given Kodachi another chance at trying to win his heart. Sasuke is living at the temple as well. Also the main reason why the reporters stopped trying to get into the compound is Kodachi's pet gator, Mr. Green Turtle, has made his home in the pond on the temple grounds and tries to eat anyone that tries to enter the compound anywhere else besides the main entrance. No chances of her sneaking in.
She know that if she wants Ranma to come back with her she has to talk to him when he's alone or his bodyguards would just throw her out of the temple. If she tried blackmailing him like she did before he would just call the cops on her, and she knows the cops of Shibuya are much better than the ones back home. Plus, with his cover of being half American he can call in the additional help from the American Justice System.
There's also another reason why she's doing this. It's because like the other girls she has fallen in love with Ranma. Gods it took her forever to admit it. Hell, she went to the Amazons just to check if she wasn't being affected by one of their potions or spells. And that almost got her killed. Problem is that it's genuine love. It just took Ranma's leaving to get her to even admit it to herself. Oh she was mad, very, very mad at herself for feeling like this. But no matter how much she tried to force it down she couldn't get the images of her and Ranma growing old together out of her head. She hides it behind a wall of cold anger at all the profits she had lost and her businesses going down the drain. But the closer she gets to finally seeing those eyes she has been seeing in her dreams the past year the harder it is to keep up that wall. Heh, who knew the former Ice Queen had actually melted. Now she knows why she had broken up the failed wedding. She kept telling herself it was for the money, but the sheer relief at seeing Ranma and her sister unwed couldn't be explained away back then.
But she knows that with the way she has treated him he would never look at her without wanting to know how much it would cost him or what he had to do to repay her. She had completely ruined any kind of chance she had to win him, and unlike all of the others that are after him for one thing or another. She knows the only one to blame is herself.
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Downtown Shibuya -
Ranma is walking towards the mall with Yun wearing jeans, a black shirt and a blue jacket. He's also wearing a baseball cap and shades so that the people in the crowd wouldn't know it's him. The girls thought that he should take Yun to the mall since he's been inside of his room with Kasumi most of the time. He and Yun are to meet Sayo and her sister's friends at the mall.
Walking to the front door Ranma saw Sayo and her sister as well as her friends near the front door. There are also three guys with them. Walking over to them Yun went straight to Sayo when she spotted her.
"Hi Sayo!" Yun shouted at Sayo as she ran over to her.
"Hi Yun!"
"Thanks for inviting me."
"It's nothing," Sayo said. Then she saw the man standing behind Yun. "Hi Ranma. How're you doing?"
Ranma made warding motions to her as he looked around nervously at the crowd. "Not so loud! I don't want to be mobbed by the crowd!"
"Wow. So you're Yun's big brother. I'm Aya," Aya said to him as she held out her hand, which he took in his and shook. She knows that it's an American greeting and so greeted him that way.
"Wow! You're so cool!" Miyu said as she jumped in front of him with stars in her eyes.
She bumped away by Machida Black. "You've got to tell me where you learn those sword moves! You were so cool!"
Yuya nodded beside him. "Yeah. My grandpa is a Kendo teacher and he never saw anything like those moves you used."
"Those moves were quite impressive," Rei said in agreement.
"Blah blah blah. He's not so cool," Ran said, still ticked off at what happened at the Karaoke Bar and him being more popular than her.
Ranma is about to say something to them when his view is blocked by a very familiar figure.
"Hi! Remember me?" Kaori said as she stepped right into his face, pushing the three guys away. Walking up to the group are Ryo and Yamato. All three are in plain clothes today.
Yamato went up to the pigtailed man in disguise and bowed to him. "Thank you for saving my sister, Wild-san." Ever since the day that Sayo was almost killed again at the clock tower he had been issued a gun thanks to his parents. Ryo had gotten him a gun that would be useful for taking out one of those monsters. Since only heavy firearms would be the only thing to put one down the gun he's been given is a Desert Eagle .50AE Magnum with a custom barrel from one of Ryo's friends. Not the standard issue for a Japanese cop. In fact, it's much more powerful. Only a few officers even carry one around outside of the Core unit.
"Those moves you did and the way you acted was a big hit with the ladies at the police station Wild," Ryo said as he nodded at the 'Leader of the Dark Hunters'. It looks like things are going to be interesting today. Kotobuki had asked that Ryo and Kaori to go with his kids to the new mall that's opening downtown since his wife is still worried about Sayo's safety with all the things that's been happening. At first Kaori didn't want to go saying she doesn't want to be on babysitting duties, but then Kotobuki said that Yun is going to be there too with her big brother. After that Ryo found himself in the seat of car with Kaori at the wheel driving like a racer. He hadn't even blinked!
"Err, you're welcome. You're, uh, Sayo's big brother right?" Yamato nodded. "Don't worry about it. Oh, and, err, nice to see you again Ms. Kaori," Ranma said a bit hesitantly as he felt a bit overwhelmed. He nodded back at Ryo as he tried to sort out what each person is saying. It's starting to scare him, especially how Kaori is now attached to his arm and how Ran is still glaring at him. It reminded him too much of his experiences with Shampoo and Akane.
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Somewhere in the crowd-
Watching hidden by the huge crowd is Nabiki. She had trailed Ranma all the way here after she saw him leaving the temple with that girl that he says is his little sister. She had waited for four days for the right moment to make her move.
Watching the temple for those four days had helped answers some questions she had. She saw that Ranko had somehow been separated from Ranma like that ghost girl thing a long time ago. Ranko has grown from being only 5'0' to being 5'2' from when she was still a part of Ranma. She's also grown a bit curvier and has a now slightly bigger bust, proving she's not yet done growing. Ranko's also obviously a full woman now. The way she walks and acts is far from the way Ranma acted whenever he's in his cursed form. She acts sort of like a combination of when Ranma had thought she was a real girl and Kasumi, except she's confident in herself and not childish or oblivious. She's also wearing feminine clothing and undergarments and her hair is kept nicely. Most of the time it's still in that pigtail the two are famous for, but sometimes she lets it down or puts it in a high ponytail. Her smile also lights up a room and makes anyone's day, much better than when Ranma smiled in his cursed form.
Ranma had gotten bigger in muscle mass as well as height since she last saw him. He stood at 5'9' now from his 5'6' he was before he left Nerima. He also seems to have a much better wardrobe now. She's only seen him once in a while in his usual Chinese clothes. Sometimes he even puts his pigtail into a ponytail! He never takes his pigtail off unless he has to. Sometimes it's even combed! He never really made a fuss about his hair and keeps it wild. His stride has also changed. Before he left Nerima it was graceful, but still seemed to be a lazy type of walk. Now it's confident, the laziness gone. His posture has improved and his cocky and irritating attitude is gone. He's a lot more humble and caring. Actually he reminded her of what Doctor Tofu might have been like when he was younger and still a serious martial artist and caregiver, especially when he's with that little sister of his. He also smiles a lot more, a rarity the longer he stayed in Nerima. She never noticed before now how handsome that smile makes him look. In all he went from 'cute' to 'first class hunk' since she had last seen him.
She knows she could move in now, but she didn't want to make a big scene. She has to wait for him to be alone before she can make her move. She knew that if she waited for the others to come then it would just be a big mess. She's the only one that can do it and the only one that's smart enough to know to wait for the right time to move in. All she needed is for him to wander away from the group so she could talk to him and get him to be the hero who saves Nerima like he's always meant to be.
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Inside the mall -
The doors finally opened and the crowd waiting outside could finally get in the mall. The mall is most state of the art mall to be built in Shibuya to date. It's has five levels and is as big as a two football fields. It's the very same mall where Ryo and Kaori had first met Mind Hat when they were in the then empty parking lot. It also has a large pond in the middle of the building filled with Koi. A skylight is placed over the pond to let light pour down onto the pond down below. The shops are filled with new items for the people coming in to shop.
"Come on Ranma! Let's go check out some of these stores!" Kaori yelled as she dragged Ranma around from store to store. Yun and everybody else laughed at seeing an older woman dragging around a teenager. She's not letting his protests bother her as she brought him around like Chris and Tina and the other girls back at the temple usually do.
Ranma felt like rag doll as she looked around each and every store. The detective is talking nonstop, barely letting him get a word out. She's even making suggestions on what he should buy, even going so far as trying to put on articles of clothing on him. Sometimes right in the middle of the store. 'Oh kami-sama! It's like shopping with Nodoka when she still didn't' know about my curse!' he mentally cried. He looked pleadingly at the others to get him out of his predicament. No help there. Ryo's too busy oogling any and all women that passed him by, Yamato is keeping an eye out for trouble and his sister, Miyu is too busy latching onto Yamato, Aya is looking a bit weirder out by Kaori's actions, Ran is still glaring at him, and the three guys looked clueless.
'Why me?' he thought in anguish as she dragged him to another store as she asked him what kinds of things he likes to do.
In the control room of the mall someone else is watching his movements, waiting for the right amount of people to enter before springing his trap. He watched the person that he's after and also the girl who helped killed Grasper. Look's like he's going to have some fun today.
Yun had gone off with Sayo to one of the stores with Sayo's brother following behind them and Ran had gone off with her friends to another part of the store. Ranma thought it's time to deal with the person that's trailing him. He also desperately needed to get away from Kaori who wouldn't leave him alone.
Ranma wretched his arm away from the woman and took a step back. "Sorry, but I've got to go do something. See you later!" he said and took off.
"Hey!" Kaori moaned as Ranma took off away from them into the crowd.
"Give it the rest Kaori. He's not going to fall for you. You came on too strong. Besides, you're way too old for him," Ryo said as he watched the young women walking around the mall. Then when he turned to face her all he saw is a huge hammer coming straight at his head.
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On the road to the mall -
Outside of the mall Jones is in the back seat of the Gunsmith Cats' car. They had just come back from Jura's blacksmith shop and picking up the new sword. They were a little late in picking it up but she didn't mind. They had called ahead to the temple, but Fred said that Ranma is out with Yun to the opening of the new mall downtown. They thought that they might as well check out the new mall as well and hopefully they might even run into Jones' great-grandson.
"Wow! This is some sword!" Becky said looking it over. She's sitting at the back with Dr. Jones as the two studied the fine craftsmanship of the blade.
"She sure did a good job with that thing," Minnie said as she's turned around in her seat to look at the sword with them.
"Yeah. You don't see that kind of craftsmanship these days," Rally said keeping her eyes on the road.
"Yes. Jura did a marvelous job. She follows the craftsmanship that her grandfather had passed down to her and her own ways to make the sword better than ever." Jones said. He held the sword as if it's the very blade of the ancient samurais.
"Well, one thing's for sure. Ranma's going to love his new sword," Becky said and everyone agreed with her.
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In a quiet area of the mall -
Nabiki followed Ranma after he had gotten away from the group he was with and had followed him to the area that's still under construction, making sure she's not spotted by him. This part of the mall isn't ready yet to be opened since the power cables still needed to be hooked up and the stores are still preparing to open.
Turning a corner Nabiki saw that Ranma's gone. She looked around frantically around the area until she heard a voice behind her, making her jump.
"Hello Nabiki," Ranma said from behind her.
Facing him Nabiki clearly saw that Ranma has really changed since she had last saw him. From far away she could just tell the differences, but up close like this the changes can be really seen, and appreciated. He's taller now that she had to now look up to meet his eyes. His body is much better built now too. She guessed that being away from Nerima and all the fights he had to go through every day had helped his body a lot. He's more handsome than he was before he left and his eyes are…she couldn't put it into words as his eyes look like those belonging to a man than the boy she once knew.
She swallowed and gathered her courage, putting up the wall of ice like she usually does when she's doing transactions. "Ranma, is that you?"
He smiled a little and his eyes gleamed, the purest cobalt blue. His face was neutral, a clear change from the slight nervousness that he used to have whenever he was dealing with her.
"What's the matter, Nabiki, can't you figure it out?" Ranma asked with a bit of mirth and cold satisfaction in his voice.
Nabiki looked at Ranma. There's something in him that wasn't in the old Ranma. Something that she remembered perfectly that was never around unless he was in a fight. And that was the feeling of superiority.
As far as she remembered she always knew that if he wanted to he could have done some really serious harm to those fighting against him. He never had to be vicious in a fight as she suspected he held back a lot of his real fighting capabilities. It was because Ranma wouldn't use an attack that could kill the person that was fighting him.
Back in those days she had been asking herself if Akane and the others had a death wish. Treating Ranma like that knowing, and they all knew, that Ranma could brush them all aside if he really wanted to. If he ever didn't held back, well, there's what happened to Saffron to think about.
In all that's fighting and martial arts related then the same air of confidence, of superiority, that he's displaying now in front of her would be present, but no time else. Now he's not in a fight, yet she can FEEL that he thinks of himself being superior to her. In other words he thought of her as an inferior beneath his notice. Using her mental control over herself, Nabiki held her temper at bay. Since her days in Furinkan when she used to rule the school and the start of all the nightmares that is the Nerima ward she had more trouble keeping her anger back, controlled.
Even then it's a cold kind of anger. Not the burning all consuming kind that held her younger sister, but the more deadly, precise one that's under the control of the being it tried to control.
Now it made her angrier that she knew she couldn't do anything about it. This new Ranma is a mystery, an unknown as the lethal art he now practiced. She HATES unknowns! She has only some bits of information on his strength, but most of his skills are hidden and what isn't couldn't help her in figuring out this new Ranma. Like most people in Japan she had seen the news footage of Ranma's fight with those monsters. Everyone in the Tendo and Saotome home couldn't believe what swordsmanship he displayed against those monsters. Both his parents couldn't believe that someone like him, who broke the sword he was using, could use it so good. Her sister boasted that she knew that Ranma needed a weapon to fight since he's so weak while Genma moaned about the fact of him having a cowardly son who uses weapons. But then they all saw the fight between Ranma and that monster calling itself Faceless. The station they were watching had brought in a sword master to explain what Ranma was doing. The sword master saw that after watching the footage that the only way someone could get that good is if they had been trained to use a sword all their life. He also noted that he could learn a thing or two from Ranma since he's fighting with a broken sword, something that no one had really done before unless they were desperate. Anyone could tell, however, that if Ranma had bothered to buy a new sword he would be just as good, maybe better. It means he CHOOSES to fight using a broken sword. But that couldn't have been right since Ranma had only been gone for a year. Even before he left he never even held a sword before. (F)
"It is you, right?" She asked again. That was also another new thing. It had been a long time since she had to repeat herself. And she didn't like it one bit.
Generally people who knew her would answered her as fast as they could by a mixture of fear, respect and knowledge that what she's asking is important. They all recognized her control upon herself, upon them, upon her surroundings and her very precious time. But this Ranma had no reason to fear her or even to respect her at all. He can only hate her.
After all she wasn't very 'nice' to him in all of those months he had been living in their home. The only one that had been nice to him was Kasumi and even then it seemed like the generic type of kindness she gave to everyone (she doesn't know about all the help and kindness she had given him whenever no one's looking).
Truth is that she's afraid of him because even if she had known Ranma from before he left them as well as the back of her hand (or so she thought) this new one is made of something else, something latent in the old Ranma that this new one used to his full advantage.
She didn't know what it is exactly, but she knew that it's something dark and dangerous... Wait, now she knows what it is. Hatred is what she's feeling from him. If he were to form a chi blast using that emotion she didn't think that this city would survive that kind of power.
Anyway, that's not important now. What's important is that she has to get Ranma under her control again.
"Is it you? Answer me damn it!" She raised her voice to him when he wouldn't answer her.
For the longest time he just merely looked at her, all sense of superiority was gone. But his eyes seemed to be silently boring into her. She felt as if she was being dissected into all of the layers that formed herself, all of her parts under close inspection.
Finally he nodded, almost to himself, but Nabiki felt relieved as she took that sign as a positive answer.
"Let me guess, you want me to go back to Nerima and restore order to the city right?" Ranma said, sounding that he really didn't care what happened to the city at all.
Nabiki nodded, her usual smirk in place. "Yes. The ward's in chaos and the only one that can stop it is you. So, when are we leaving?" Nabiki asked, expecting him to refuse. Then she would stir him to do her bidding like she always does.
"Why?" Unknown to him the blood red part of his Chaos Rune is slowly starting to appear more solid as he spoke with her. Thankfully his cap kept its glowing from being seen.
"Because even if you did leave the ward it was still your home for two years. Doesn't that mean anything to you?" Nabiki asks him.
"Why don't you just blackmail someone else to do it for you. Let someone else save the city for you guys. Try getting something on one of the police brass to send in help. It would be something that you would do anyhow," Ranma said while his arms are crossed and his face frowned slightly.
Nabiki crossed his face as she slapped him as hard as she could. Ranma barely felt the blow as he looked coldly at Nabiki. Sure that slap was nothing to the attacks that he has been hit before. But still someone like Nabiki thinking that she can hit him and he wouldn't mind had another thought coming to her.
"What's the matter girl did I hit a nerve?" Ranma asked, not even caring about her slap. He smirked at her, clearly enjoying this.
Nabiki glared at him. "How dare you coming into our lives then leave us all behind and judge us! Who do you think you are? Do you have any idea what Nerima has become because you're not there anymore! You have no idea about what we suffered, what Akane and the others lived through after you left us!"
Ranma kept looking at her and for once Nabiki didn't turn her eyes away. She held on to it using her anger that's overrunning her fear that was flowing threw her body. And the pain that she's feeling coming from her hand is also helping her. It seemed as if she had slapped a steel wall.
"If I were you, I would think twice the next time you have a need to slap me. It may end with you losing your arm," he said coldly at her. For once Nabiki KNOWS he means it and restrained herself from hitting him again.
He seemed more relaxed, but no less hateful. "You ask me how, I can even dare to judge you and the others? I will answer you girl. It's my pain gives me the right. The pain that you all have inflicted on me time and time again is what gives me the right to judge you. Did you feel good to make my life hell Nabiki? Did you relish in the control that you had over on my life? On my suffering? Did you slept well at night even as, I was battered, brutalized, by the very situation that was cause of your doing? The pain of countless humiliations that, I had to endure day after day gives me the right. Through that pain you owe me. I own your ass Nabiki. So you have better get used to it because as I see it you are no better than the scum that, I had to deal with countless times. I don't care at all about yours or the others suffering. Out of all the beings in this world you and the others in my old life are the only ones that I can't see as innocents that I have to defend. You want me to respect you do you girl? Well then you will have to prove me that you are worth respecting. But I would rather kill you first than let you ever control me again." He smirked. "I killed Saffron in order to save Akane. This time, I'll kill anyone threatening my new life and family. That includes you Nabiki."
Ranma's words had opened an old set of wounds that Nabiki believed that she had already been dealt with long ago. It isn't like what he said that had set her anger off, even if he had said some vile things about her and her family. It isn't even the tone of voice that he had used, it was so full of contempt and barely restrained loathing. It's not even the threat to her own life that had set her off. It's simply that those words are for the most part…true.
Yeah, she had been a controlling bitch, and always ready to make a fast buck. To her, family was the reason and her explanation of her behavior. It was too easy for her to use her family as the visible explanation of her mercenary ways. But the truth of it, the real cold hard truth of the matter was that it was her thirst for control that was the responsible for most of her scheming.
Money. With money comes control. Control is the ultimate goal.
It's always been about it, control through the money and the blackmailing, a poor weapon against the chaos that is life. She hated chaos, the way life had to change things each passing minute. Ever since her mother died she had done everything she could do to control everything in her life.
So she strived for even more control upon her life, upon her family, upon the people of her high school, upon each tiny bit of her life. Of course some chaos was fun, but she strived to hold it down as best as she could even if living in Nerima wasn't making things easier for her.
Even before Ranma came to Nerima that ward of the Tokyo's suburb wasn't what you could say normal. You only had to see the morning battles between Akane and all the boys of the school, Kuno and her sister and hundreds of little details that Nabiki had no trouble in controlling.
Then Ranma came into their lives. Nothing's has been the same ever since then, giving her mixed of feelings all of that stuff. That was until he had left them she hadn't fully understood it all. She had fallen in love with Ranma, the same as all the other girls had. Every time she tried to take control of him he would always get out of it. Then she would try again and again. Soon it wasn't even about trying to take control of him. It's the trill of trying to that got to her. It took her a real long time to admit it, even to herself, but finally she did. They are complete opposites. Brains and brawns, man and woman, even fire and ice. She had never met a man she couldn't completely control, and that broke through the ice in her heart.
Oh she hated him. She hated anything that she can't control. However, somehow, someway, whatever it was about him that got Ukyo and Shampoo to fall for the big lug got her as well. However, this was all subconscious.
For the first time in years she's having fun and feeling joy in her life. The reason she always broke up all his get-togethers with any one of the other girls was because she couldn't stand the thought of losing him to any one of them, even if it was subconsciously. She knew she could never win him over after all of the things that she had done to him, especially the failed wedding, but she had to try. However, she failed. Clearly it's a one-way attraction.
"You haven't change at all Nabiki, just like all the others except for one in my old life," Ranma said as he left her behind him.
Nabiki was about to follow him when she saw something move. A shadow, soft and darting is under the walkway some twenty feet in front of her and at the same time Nabiki heard a strange rasping sound, breathing.
She looked up, still not sure what she's seeing or hearing. That ragged breathing and the tick of talons on the walkway, the talons themselves, thick and curved, the claws of a creature that couldn't possibly exist. Big, the size of a full-grown man, but the resemblance ended there. It's so impossible what she's seeing. The inflamed, purplish flesh of the naked, long-limbed creature as it clung to the ceiling. The puffed gray-white tissue of the partially exposed brain could be seen a bit underneath the metal helmet that it's wearing on its head. The skull had scar-rimmed holes where its eyes should have been.
'Not seeing this. Not seeing this,' Nabiki said to herself over and over again in her mind as she stared at a nightmarish creature that shouldn't even exist at all.
The creature's rounded head dropped back, the wide jaws opening, a ropy stream of dark drool pouring out and splattering over the cement floor. It extended its tongue, eely and pink, the rough surface shimmering wetly as it slithered out, and out, and out. The snaking tongue uncoiling and whipping from side to side, so long that it actually trailed to her.
Still frozen, Nabiki watched in horrified disbelief as the incredible tongue snapped back up, flicking droplets of droll through the shadowy air. The entire process had taken only a second, but time had slowed down to a crawl. Nabiki's heart is beating so fast that everything else is in slow motion even as the creature's drop to the floor, its body flipping in midair so that it landed in a crouched position. Then she remembered where she saw the creature before. She had seen one of her lackey playing a game called Resident Evil. Licker. That's what it was called in the game. But it couldn't be real! It was just a game!
The creature opened its mouth again and screamed and Nabiki is finally able to move as the bizarre, hollow shriek erupted from the Lickers mouth, echoing throughout the mall. Nabiki let out a scream of her own as she ran with the Licker right behind her.
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Elsewhere in the mall -
Everyone froze when they heard the scream of something then followed by the scream of a woman. A guy that's standing near the pond is suddenly pulled into the water. A long frog like tongue had wrapped around his leg and pulled. He let out a scream as he is pulled down into the pool, then red blood covered the water surface. A huge frog like monster leaped out of the water onto a couple who're standing nearby, crushing them underneath its huge frog feet like a couple of coke cans.
People stared screaming and running away as the Gamma started attacking anything in its line of sight. A woman pressed herself onto one of the walls seeing the monster attacking anything that moved. Then hearing something above her she looked up to see a Licker with huge crab like claws racing down the wall to her. She let out a scream, only to be silenced by it when it got to her. The other two Lickers are busy with the people on the upper floors.
The people inside of the mall tried to run for the doors, but steel bars that are used to lock up the mall at night closed in front of them, trapping them in the mall with the monsters inside of it.
The people on the upper floors were all looking down at the action on the ground floor in horrid disbelief when they heard the flapping of wings overhead. Looking up they saw a Pterodactyl like creature flying overhead. It flew down, knocking a few people off the walkways to the ground floor below. It started to grab people with its claws as it flew over head. The Dac began picking them up so it could drop them down before grabbing someone else.
Two huge hands grabbed two people on the upper floors and threw them off the walkway. The Bandersnatcher jumped down from the ceiling to the top floor of the mall making the people around it run in terror. The Bandersnatcher roared, a rough guttural scream, and then performed its trick. Its massive arms snapped towards the closest body from it that is fifteen feet away, the engineered arms hyper extending, the elastic tendons and ligaments stretching. It grabbed onto the bodies like toy figures and threw them over the side as it started to stretch its arms all over the place and grabbing people on the lower floors, pulling them up just to throw them down.
Then crashing through one of the display windows is the Hunter. It slashed at the people running around the mall for safety. With its sharp brutal claws it sliced through the people it hit like they're made out of paper. It let out a tremendous, high-pitched screech like nothing they had ever heard before. The sound echoed around them, filling them with mortal terror.
Ryo fired three shots that smacked into the creature's chest and sent it reeling backwards. It stumbled, falling against a wall. With another shriek it sprang at him, pushing off the floor with powerful legs, its claws outstretched.
Ryo fired again and again as it flew at him, the bullets tearing into its puckered flesh, ribbons of dark blood coiling away. It landed in a heavy thud only a few feet in front of him. The last shot had hit its heart.
"Ryo! Is it dead?" Kaori asked as she ran up to him.
"Kaori! Go and find the kids! I need to handle the rest of the monsters here," Ryo shouted to her. Then he saw the Hunter getting back up and saw the bullet wounds healing up, "Go now! I'll handle him!" Ryo started to fire his gun at the Hunter again as the thing ran after him.
Kaori took off, knowing that she needed to make sure that Ran and her friends are okay.
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Upstairs -
Ran and the others were in the Music store when the screaming began. Then seeing that people were running pass the store the sales clerk went out to check things out. He had only gotten a few steps out when long set of claws dug into the top of his head. He jerked a bit as the claw hand lifted him up before being thrown off of the walkway down to the ground floor.
Then jumping down to the walkway was a Licker. It leaped into the store ready for a kill. It gutted two teenagers who tried to run pass it, then turn its attention to Ran and her friends and leapt at them.
But it's knocked back when Machida Black grabbed a big stereo and threw it at the Licker. The others followed suit and all began grabbing anything they could and began throwing it at the monster. Ripping out two metal pole from one of the display stands Rei and Yuya began to club away at the Licker when it got too close to the others.
Ran grabbed a TV set and slammed it onto its head. Seeing that it couldn't see Miyu grabbed the power cord and plugged the TV in. Electricity went through the killer's body, shocking it till it died.
Seeing its dead Ran shouted out to her friends, "Come on guys! We need to make sure my sister is okay!"
"Yeah! Let's go and stay together!" Aya shouted as they took off for Ran's little sister.
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In the second floor-
Sayo and Yun hid behind Sayo's brother as he drew out his gun. One of the Lickers, the ones with the crab like claws, was trying to get into the store. They had walked into the store right before the screaming started and had hidden inside until this thing spotted them.
Yamato fired his gun at the Licker as it leaped at them. The powerful rounds of the gun ripped through its body, pushing it back by the powerful rounds. Even the metal helmet it wore couldn't withstand the rounds of the gun as the last bullet ripped through it, making the Licker fall off the walkway.
The Licker fell right at the feet of the Gamma Hunter. Seeing that one of its own dead the Gamma jump up to the floor it came from to face the one who killed it.
Yamato had just reloaded when he saw the Gamma jump in front of the store. The first three shots he fired at it just bounce off of its flesh. The protective slime and its rubbery skin made shooting at it pointless. Since the slime slowed down the bullets and the rubbery skin just absorbed the impact of the rounds. It opened its mouth and shot out its tongue that Yamato jumped out of the way from.
Seeing this Sayo grabbed a wooden yardstick and waited for it to open its mouth again. When it opened its mouth again and shot out its tongue Sayo hit it in midair, making it wrap around the yardstick.
"Got you now! Lighting Come Forth!" Sayo shouted as she activated her rune. The Gamma jerked around as it was fried from the inside out. "Oniisan! Shoot into its mouth!"
Knowing that it's not time to ask how she's doing that Yamato shot his remaining rounds into the roof of the monster's mouth. The bullets went through and straight into its brain, killing it.
Sayo stopped her rune seeing that the monster fell back down dead. But wanting to make sure Yamato reloaded and fired away inside the downed Gamma's mouth to make sure it wouldn't get back up ever.
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On the ground floor -
Ranma had run back hearing Nabiki scream and saw the Licker. He didn't know what the hell it is but figured it's a monster so he has to kill it. Seeing that they're still alone it's safe to use his rune.
"Chaos Wave!" Ranma shouted out, sending the attack at the monster and making it melt away to nothing.
"Ranma!" Nabiki shouted seeing that he had saved her. But then she saw something shooting up from behind him.
"Ranma look out!" Nabiki screamed as she pushed him out of the way.
Standing behind Ranma is another monster. It's tall, but proportionally correct. At least the broad muscular torso and long legs anyway. Those parts appeared human. One of its arms had been altered into a cluster of massive, dragging claws hanging past its knees, while the other seemed ordinary if overly large. There's a thick, bloody tumor protruding from where its heart would be. Incasing it is a metal plate to protect it as it's pulsing slowly, expanding and contracting in slow, rhythmic beats. In the split second the two saw it and they realized it's the thing's heart.
Ranma could see lines of scar tissue snaking across its limbs, surgical scars. It's wearing tan colored pants held up by red suspenders. He looked up at its face and saw that parts of the flesh there had also been removed. The lips are gone and it seemed to grin broadly at him through the sliced tissue of its face, all of its teeth exposed.
But then Ranma saw what's hanging from its clawed hand. Nabiki, the Ice Queen of Nerima, had pushed him out of the way only to be killed by the blow meant for him. Tyrant threw her onto the floor in front of Ranma.
Ranma quickly kneeled down and cradled her head in his lap. "Well, Ranma, looks like I wasn't as heartless as I thought I was," Nabiki gasped before she died in a pool of blood and in his arms.
Ranma's eyes misted over and he realized there are tears in his eyes. In one split second she had redeemed herself to him. One of his tears fell down to her pale, blood covered face. He shook his head repeatedly, as if trying to dispel the image before him.
The monster let out a roar as if letting him know it's still there. He carefully put down Nabiki's head on the floor and closed her dead eyes. He faced the Tyrant with pure hate in his eyes. On his forehead both sides of the Chaos Rune glowed brightly, as if in agreement with his hatred at the monster. "I'LL KILL YOU!" Ranma roared as he let out a Hand of Chaos fully charged. It threw Tyrant through the wall and into the part of the mall where all the action is taking place. He landed in one of the stores in the ground floor.
Ranma would have followed, but the Bandersnatch that had been watching up above had jumped in front of Ranma, blocking his way till he kills it. That's just fine with him as he pulled out the generic katana his grandfather had given him to practice with. And faced off with the Bandersnatch that was blocking his way.
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Elsewhere -
Ryo had hidden himself behind a pillar as he shot at the Hunter that just wouldn't die. It seemed hopeless as he only has a few bullets left. He had already wasted over twenty shots at it. And no matter how many shots he used at the thing it won't stay down. The floor is covered with the dead bodies of those unlucky enough to get in the monster's way.
Then the front entrance steel plate guards are blown down and a car sped into the mall as the people in the mall ran for the new exit.
Getting out of the car Minnie threw a bomb into the mouth of the screaming Hunter. Going down its mouth the Hunter tried to scream again when the bomb blew up inside its gut. It blew up its upper body into bits and all that's left of it is its legs. Both stumps fell forward, dead for sure.
Then Rally stepped out of the car and began shooting at the Dac as it charged down at her. Her shots cut through its wingspan, sending it crashing down to the floor. It tried to get back up, but was smashed into a bloody pulp thanks to Kaori who had found the kids and brought them with her to the ground floor.
"Is that the last of them?" Becky asked as she got out of the car. A bullet flew by her head making her hair fly by the force. Looking where the bullet came from Becky saw that it had come from Dr. Jones. Then looking where he shot at it's the remaining Licker. His bullet had shot through its face. It would have gotten her if he hadn't shot it first.
"Hopefully that's all of them," Jones said as he held his smoking gun.
"What do you mean I missed everything?" Ellen exclaimed as she had came to a stop in front of their group. She had come to shop at the mall, but with the people running out screaming about monsters inside she had grabbed her camera and ran into the mall to cover the event. Unfortunately she heard Jones' last statement.
"It's not over yet," said Yun as she ran to her grandfather's side and stared at the wall a couple of yards ahead of them.
Ryo is about to ask what she means by that when a tremendous, thundering crash came from behind the wall in front of them. Everyone knew something was tearing down the store walls like glass. It sounded like a bull in a china shop. Something VERY bad and VERY big was coming. Ellen pointed her camera at the place the girl pointed to and the sounds are coming from.
In a cloud of dust and rubble, cracked concrete and plaster Tyrant burst out of the wall like a vision from hell. Its right clawed hand is covered with blood like the rest of its body. Inside of the stores it went through it found people inside hiding and killed them all as it made its way through them. Its giant, impossible body filling the gaping holes it just made.
"It's Tyrant!" Machida Black shouted knowing him from the game that he owned.
"Clip!" Rally shouted as she had run out of bullets on the Dac. Not taking her gaze from the looming monster still a hundred feet in front of them she drew up her empty H&K and ejected the clip, barely aware as Becky handed her another clip as Tyrant took a step towards them.
Rally fired like all the others that had firearms with them. Their bullets slammed into its body, tearing into its unnatural flesh. They tried shooting its heart but the metal plate over it protected it from their shots. The wounds it received didn't even seem to bother it as it walked over to them threw the wall of bullets. Seeing that the guns aren't stopping the monster Minnie pulled out a frag grenade out from the car.
Minnie threw the grenade at the monster shouting, "FIRE IN THE HOLE!" Everyone dove behind the car as the bomb blew up, sending shreds of hot metal flying.
When they look up from behind the car they saw that Tyrant is still standing. It brushed at its chest with its normal left arm at the blackened patches from the frag grenade. A few shards had pierced its flesh, but everyone could see it didn't matter as it took another step them looking totally unfazed. What's worse is that the wounds it had from the hail of bullets are healing up and fast.
However, a figure too fast for them to see kicked the hulking monster back and faced off against it in front of them. "Guys, I'll handle this," Ranma said as he took up a stance in front of everyone. A pitch-black aura of hate swirled around him as he faced off against Nabiki's killer. In his hands he held a broken bloodied katana, the generic katana his grandfather had given him to practice with. The katana broke when he fought the Bandersnatch. The sword wasn't strong enough to withstand the force that was needed to cut threw the monsters body.
"Yes! You're here!" Ellen exclaimed as she filmed the event.
Jones grabbed the sword and sheath from the car and tossed it towards his great-grandson. "Ranma! Catch!"
Ranma saw what's heading his way and threw away the useless katana. Catching the new sword he stared at it for a moment before drawing it from its sheath, making the metal sing as he did. It's better than ever, even more so than when he had seen his mother take it out a few times. Even if it's changed from the katana it once was he can tell it's the same sword. The blade is single edged and curved a bit more than a regular katana. It's also colored a golden tan color, much different from the usual swords. The end point is different as well. The end point is cut in a slanted way, giving the sword an odd look to it. If you held the sword parallel to the ground with the sharp edge pointed towards the ground the end point sticks out at the top. From about halfway up the blade the blade would widen making the top half larger. The added girth gives more power to its slashes. The blade is also a bit thinner than a regular katana and a tiny bit more curved, but the main design is still a katana. The thinner blade actually made it more aerodynamic. Overall it emphasized speed and efficiency as its thinner shape would cut through the air faster and the end point would inflict more damage than a regular katana would. The curve also reduces the tension that goes through the sword and also through the wielder's hand when it strikes your opponent even more than usual katanas. It's the spitting image of the sword that's on the blueprints Jones had given Jura.
"Thanks for the gift," Ranma said as he faced against the monster that killed Nabiki. He used the Soul of Ice to control his emotions. He didn't want his aura of hate to seep into his new sword, therefore ruining it. The only indication of his hatred is his eyes, cold and unforgiving.
Tyrant made a running leap at him, readying his clawed hand to cut him into bits. Ranma wanted this to end quickly so he decided to use one of his great-grandmother's final moves. He hasn't perfected it, he's even only used it once on a training dummy when there was a lull at the temple, but it will do in a pinch. The 'Splitting Heaven' technique makes over a hundred slashes like his Amaguriken on the opponent, except it makes it look like only one slash is made. It's a bit draining so he can only use it once or twice in one battle. He powered up his ki to do the move as charged the monster.
"Now you DIE!" Ranma shouted as he shouted out his new technique. "Final Attack! Splitting Heaven!" Ranma and Tyrant ran at each other and strike at the same time.
In the end Tyrant's clawed arm is imbedded in the floor and Ranma is behind him, just standing there with his sword raised and his back to the monster. Turning towards his opponent Tyrant lifted itself up, but then found its clawed arm is still imbedded in the floor. Then his whole body started to fall apart. Piece by piece he fell apart and his body parts littered the floor.
Everyone cheered as they saw the last of the monsters die. Ranma fell down to one knee breathing heavily. Everyone is about to rush to his side when they heard a voice come over the speakers. "Wonderful! Just wonderful!"
Ranma growled and stood up, his adrenaline making him ignore his fatigue. "Neclord!"
Ryo and Kaori's eyes both widened when they heard Ranma scream out that name. That's the one the 'Dark Hunters' were after! So it was all true! Everything they were told was true!
Neclord chuckled a little. "Yes, it is, I 'Ranma Wild'. You did well today as did the others that killed my monsters. All of you did quite well. But don't let it go to your heads. These monsters were just prototypes after all and I did need to see how well they would do in combat. I can see that there needs to be some improvements to be made in their designs. The next ones will be much stronger than these that you faced."
"Why don't you come out and fight me you coward!" Ranma shouted as he leveled his sword and waited for his opponent to come out.
"Tsk, tsk. Sorry, but I can see that the local police are almost here and I don't want anyone to help you out when we fight. Till then, I will be busy making some more of those monsters and I hope you'll be ready for them. Until next time we meet, 'Ranma Wild'." The speakers went dead.
"I will be! I swear it Neclord, for everything you've done I'LL KILL YOU!" Ranma roared as the cops showed up at last.
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Later at the a small doctor's office -
Nabiki opened her eyes and saw that she's staring at a ceiling instead of the gates of heaven or the fires of hell. She never believed in those things, but she wasn't expecting to see a ceiling after dying. The last thing she remembered is looking up at Ranma's face, the face of the man she had fallen in love with, before she died. Now she's lying down on a bed in what looks like a waiting room.
"Hello sister," said a familiar voice to her side. She turned her head towards the voice and saw the sister she hasn't seen in close to a year sitting next to her. From the looks of things she's with child.
"Kasumi? How? I thought I was dead?" Nabiki asked a bit nervously.
She didn't know why, but then she turned towards the door where she saw Ranma entering the room. "You were Nabiki, but I brought you back to life."
'Oh my!' she exclaimed mentally. However, instead of saying that because of his words she said it because of the expression on his face. He no longer had the air of superiority around him, nor the hatred that he has for her. Instead he has a slightly warm expression on his face. His eyes even had warmth in it. He had NEVER looked at her with warmth before, and she couldn't describe in words how it felt seeing that.
"Ranma? How did you bring me back to life?" Nabiki asked a bit dazedly.
He took a seat next to Kasumi. "I have a magic rune that can bring people back to life as long their heads are still on their body and they have died in an hour's time. It's been fifty minutes since you died."
"Why are you telling me this? I thought you didn't trust me?" she asked him.
He stood up from his chair and sat down on her bed while facing her. "You saved my life Nabiki. That is the single most selfless act you have ever done. To repay you I gave you back your life. This is your second chance at life. People around here don't know you so you can start over here."
'Start over.' That's a sentence she though she would never hear. However, what about her town of birth? "But how can I leave Nerima like it is now?"
Ranma smirked at her with the smirk that says 'Duh, isn't it obvious'. "By working with the cops here and the government to help clean that place up. I'm sure you got stuff on the guys messing up Nerima. You can join the police and start there."
"But…"
Her sister interrupted her. "Nabiki, you have gotten something that most people don't ever get, a second chance at life, literally even. Don't waste it."
"You mean…"
Kasumi nodded. "Yes. I will give you a second chance here. But I will make this clear; this is your only chance. Ranma may have forgiven you, but I haven't yet. You have to earn that forgiveness."
"I'll leave you two alone," Ranma said as he left the two sisters in the room, but stopped before closing the door. He turned around and went up to the girl still on the bed. He surprised the two sisters when he bent down and gently kissed her on the forehead. "Well, Nabiki, I have repayed you for what you did for me back there. Don't make me regret giving you another chance at life." He stood up and walked out of the room.
Seeing that Ranma is leaving Nabiki thought in her head as she touched the spot where he kissed her, 'Thank you Ranma, for everything you have done. I probably have lost you, but I've gained a new life in return.'
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Next time – For people who still haven't voted in yet send them in now! I start the chapter you guys voted for in a week to count them so send them in!. The voting choices are in chapter 16.
Author's Notes
1- Three guesses on where I got those three women from. The show they're based on is on Cartoon Network. Don't worry, they are not from that show so it's not another crossover.
2- 'All My Diggers' by RedPriest 17.
3- As for the Neclords monster crew that came with him to Ranma world. Can anyone guess where I base them from?
Co-Writer's Notes
(A) What a good little sister huh.
(B) Love Hina Again Soundtrack – Be For you, Be For Me. Look up the English translation if you need it. I put in the Japanese words instead of the English because the words, no offence, seem weird in English. It sounds MUCH better in Japanese.
(C) I don't know if there are botanical gardens there, but this IS a fic after all.
(D) Ahh, the joys of having well trained ninjas as your friends.
(E) My little sister SOMEHOW broke our family computer this way. No one, not even the repairman nor my computer nerd friends knows how she did it. To think she was only five when she did it. Then again it could have been the CD was infected, but we'll never know since we threw it away before we could check.
(F) Those scrolls aren't the only things he inherited from his great-grandmother. As they say, "It runs in the family".
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