Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A New Future 1 - Things Change ❯ Hello ( Chapter 7 )

This is an alternate history (both the world in general and the Senshi in particular) continuation for both Sailor Moon and Ranma 1/2, set in a world with no space exploration, personal computers, cell phones, or anything else requiring a transistor. It is labeled hentai for the opening scene only (no lemons), and X for that scene and possible graphic violence later.

This was originally published by me under the name Anduril at Anime Addventures, with the only changes being a few corrections in spelling and punctuation. If you like the beginning of my story but think I've gone off the rails, or have your own ideas for a great branch-off, or think I'm taking too long to update and want to continue the story yourself, come to Anime Addventures and join in the fun!

I claim no ownership rights to any of the works of Rumiko Takahashi or Naoko Takeuchi, or anything in the GURPS Ogre and GURPS Tales of the Solar Patrol settings published by Steve Jackson Games. Everything else is mine.

The title comes from the song by Lionel Ritchie.

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“We're back!” Nabiki called out as she and Mu Tse walked through the front door of the Cat Café, Nabiki with a bag under her arm. “Well, Mousse is back, I guess I'm just here,” she added, looking around. The dining room was empty except for Ku Lon and Xian Pu sitting at a central table.

“Welcome,” Ku Lon said. “Where's Ukyo?”

“After she and Mousse finished their beatdown of Kuno,” Nabiki said, giving Mu Tse an approving look, “and the police arrived, she decided that since school was called off for the day she'd open up Ucchan's early. Where's Ranma and Akane?” she asked as she and Mu Tse walked over and sat down while Ku Lon poured two more cups of tea. “I brought a fresh change of clothes for Ranma.”

“They're upstairs in Mu Tse's bedroom,” Xian Pu replied.

Nabiki quirked an eyebrow. “That was fast work,” she mused. “I didn't think little sis had it in her.”

Ku Lon laughed as Mu Tse choked on the tea he had just started drinking, Xian Pu pounding his back. “She isn't,” Ku Lon replied, then sobered. “Ranma hasn't woken up yet. I felt that was the best bed to put her in until she does — she'll fit the bed, and it won't be Xian Pu's bedroom she wakes up in.”

Nabiki stiffened. “ `She'?” she asked with a worried frown.

Ku Lon nodded heavily. “ 'She',” she repeated. “The magic that killed Happosai also removed all magical influences on Ranma and set up a protection against any further magical meddling.”

Nabiki gave the ancient elder a hard stare. “And this wouldn't have anything to do with offering Ranma refuge at your village, would it?”

Xian Pu and Mu Tse bristled, but calmed down when Ku Lon glared at them. Turning back to Nabiki, Ku Lon responded, “No, child, it would not. Even if that were our goal, this would be a poor way to do it. Sooner or later Ranma would discover the truth, and what would the killer of Saffron do to the village whose elders had so mistreated her? But as it is, Ranma's destiny lies somewhere other than an obscure village in the backwaters of China, however prestigious its history.”

Nabiki gazed thoughtfully at Ku Lon for a long moment, then nodded acquiescence and sighed. “Ranma is not going to take this well. And how did Akane take the news? You did tell her?”

“Oh, yes, she knows. And she took it surprisingly well. She's with Ranma right now, and I believe she's finally thinking about what kind of future she wants with Ranma, and what she'll need to do to get it.”

Nabiki chuckled mirthlessly. “Unless she's had a change of orientation, that future isn't going to be much.”

“Normally, child, you would be right,” Ku Lon responded thoughtfully. “But we Amazons have more experience with sex changes than most, thanks to Jusenkyo. It doesn't always work out as you'd expect. But whatever they decide is out of our hands.”

Nabiki shrugged. “You're right, there.” Glancing over at Xian Pu, she continued, “Back at the school Shampoo said that Mousse is her fiancé, and on the walk here Mousse confirmed it. So if Ranma was never Shampoo's husband, and you weren't trying to gain a new warrior for your tribe, what was the point of your pursuit of `son-in-law' for the past two years?”

“To keep Ranma alive while giving him training,” Ku Lon said. “And yes, the next natural question is, `why should we care?' I will answer that question, but only after Ranma has awakened — she more than anyone deserves some answers.” Sitting up straight, she added, “So how did things go at the school?”

Nabiki nodded at the change of subject. “Officially, if the autopsy shows what it looks like it should, the police are probably going to classify Happosai's death as a freak lightning strike. Normally Akane would be up on charges for desecrating a corpse, but considering Happosai's known history they are going to let that slide as well — assuming Happosai was actually dead when she started hammering on him,” she added with a slightly worried frown.

“However, Inspector Koruba, the officer in charge, wants to speak to Ranma to get the full story before he makes any final decisions. I told him what I think happened to Ranma, and he thinks forensics can verify at least part of it, unofficially of course. But Happosai's death violates the unofficial agreement between the martial arts community and the police, and Koruba wants to find out if it was at least unintentional....”

 

Akane heard Nabiki's called greeting, but didn't move from her place on Mu Tse's bed next to a sleeping Ranma. For the past hour she had sat there, gazing at her former fiancé and reviewing her past behavior in light of Ku Lon's implied judgment. She had tried to summon the anger she found so comforting but found she couldn't because Ku Lon was right, and in the light of Happosai's assault on Ranma Akane was finally seeing her actions for what they were — the acts of a spoiled, angry brat that thought the world was supposed to revolve around her — and she cringed as she thought of how she had treated Ranma when he refused to toe the line.

Akane flinched and glanced over at Ranma when she felt her shift, half hoping that Ranma was simply moving in her sleep again. But no, Ranma's eyes slowly cracked open and looked up at the ceiling. Moment of truth time, Akane thought with a sigh, then winced when Ranma glanced over at the sound and flinched. Why didn't I notice how jumpy Ranma was getting around me? Akane thought bitterly. Please, please, please let Cologne be right, that I still have a chance.

Ranma sat up and glanced down at the shirt she was wearing, then around the room. “Where am I?” she asked somewhat groggily.

“The Cat Café,” Akane replied, “this is Mousse's bedroom. The shirt's Shampoo's, though.” Ranma looked around wildly, and Akane winced again. “Don't worry,” she said soothingly (she hoped), “Shampoo isn't going to come bursting through the door and glomp onto you. She's engaged to Mousse.”

“What!?” Ranma exclaimed. “When did that happen, how did you find out?”

“Apparently, she always has been,” Akane said with a shrug. “And she told me and Nabiki when she and Mousse showed up right after —” She froze as Ranma paled and made an abortive start at curling up. Instantly, Akane had her arms around the redhead in a gentle hug. “I'm sorry, Ranma, I didn't mean to remind you ... of ...” Her voice trailed off, as Ranma clutched at her for a moment, then stiffened and pushed back.

“It's no big deal,” she said with forced nonchalance. “H-H-Happosai?”

“Dead, and a good thing, too,” Akane ground out.

“Good!” Ranma said forcefully, then forced herself to relax. “Well, let's get me some pants and hot water and get back to the dojo.”

Akane felt herself tighten up inside. “Uh, Ranma, I'm ... I'm afraid the hot water won't do you any good, we already tried. Cologne said that whatever fried Happosai also destroyed all magics affecting you.”

Ranma stared at her for a long moment, then shook her head. “No! Ya gotta be wrong! I ... I can't be stuck like this!”

Akane sighed and pointed over at a tea kettle sitting on a portable burner on a nearby table. “Cologne thought you might feel like that, so here, try it for yourself.”

Ranma grabbed the kettle by its wooden handle, not caring about the heat, and started to pour ... and poured ... and kept pouring until the kettle was empty, then simply stood in the steaming puddle around her feet for a few minutes staring at the wall. Finally, she nodded. “Okay, so I'm stuck like this for awhile. Just means I need to make a trip to Jusenkyo and jump in the Spring of Drowned Boy — that'll actually work out better, so what if I'll be a girl when bathing, at least I won't be turning inta one with every splash a' cold water.”

“Uh, Ranma, th-that won't work, either,” Akane said in a quavery voice. “Cologne says th-that now magic doesn't affect you at all, one way o-or the o-other.”

Ranma stared at Akane for a long moment, then slowly stated, “An' you believe her.” Akane jerkily nodded, and Ranma stiffened and turned to face the wall. “Well, it looks like ya get yer wish.”

“What wish?”

“The engagement's off, an' as soon as Mom an' Pop find out `bout me bein' stuck she'll be pulling out the seppuku contract, Pop'll want me ta marry yer dad `cause `the schools must be joined', an' I'll be out on the street without a name when I tell `em all ta go ta hell. So yer free.”

Akane stiffened as in her core she felt the oh-so-familiar anger begin to uncoil, her hand curling in preparation for the hammer's appearance. No! Not now! Not again, never again! Closing her eyes, she fought the anger back. Gasping with relief when she succeeded, she opened her eyes again to find Ranma walking toward the door and called out, “Ranma, wait!”

Ranma stopped. “Yeah?” she asked tonelessly without turning around.

“Ranma, there's a question you refused to answer last week, and I'd like an answer now. Do you love me?”

Ranma clenched her fists and stared at the floor. “What's it matter?”

“It matters to me. Please, Ranma, do you love me?”

Ranma struggled with herself for a few minutes that to Akane seemed to last an eternity, then finally nodded. “Yeah, I do, satisfied?”

Lightheaded with relief, Akane stepped up behind the smaller redhead and pulled her into a gentle hug. “Yes, I am — because that means we're sticking together. You didn't let Saffron tear us apart, and I'm not letting this succeed where Saffron failed!”

“But — but what about ... I'm a girl! I'm always gonna be a girl. What about ... you always call me a pervert, but ...”

“ ... but I guess we'll have to be perverts together,” Akane finished with an only slightly forced chuckle.

“But you've never been inta girls,” Ranma protested.

“No, but I am `into' you,” Akane responded, “lately even when you're a girl. I think that's been part of my problem,” she mused. “Girls aren't supposed to be attracted to girls, but there I was, more and more attracted to your girl side and maybe lashing out at you because of it.”

Ranma turned in Akane's arms and looked up at her. “Really? You aren't just tryin' ta make me feel better?”

Akane looked down at the redhead for a moment, then leaned down and pulled a stunned Ranma into a deep kiss. It wasn't an earth-shaking kiss, one to make Ranma's knees weaken or her toes curl — Akane lacked experience and Ranma had a similar lack with shock added — but it was heartfelt, and after stiffening for a moment Ranma softened and returned the effort. Finally, they broke the kiss and Ranma laid her head against Akane's shoulder as tears started streaming down her face in spite of her best efforts to suppress them. Akane gently picked up the distraught girl, walked back over to the bed, and sat down with the smaller girl in her lap as she tried to comfort the grieving Ranma. “Just think,” she whispered as she rocked in place, “no more fiancée wars, no more sepukku contract and `manliness' nonsense, no more `the schools must be joined'.”

Finally the tears stopped, and after a time Ranma pulled away and moved off of Akane's lap while ashamedly wiping at her face. “So what about our parents?” she asked. “You know they're gonna throw me out.”

“If your parents disown you, good riddance. Do you really need them, anyway? So you'll be a Tendo instead of a Saotome, who cares?” Akane retorted.

“But they're all I ...” Ranma began, when new memories surfaced — a tall, regal (if ancient to Yasuko's child's eyes), but loving mother that had always tried to make time to be with her daughter every day, that would berate her when she was selfish or careless but loved her no matter what she did; a laughing, happy, gentle (if somewhat klutzy and clueless), blond, teenage ( and therefore only old) girl that was (almost always) happy to talk to and even (occasionally) play with her little sister. Beside those memories, Genma belittling Ranma over and over, bewailing his `useless' and `honorless' son even as he cheated and connived to add more and more to Ranma's honor debts; Nodoka holding a sepukku pledge inadvertently made by a clueless little child over her son's head while constantly judging his every action by a standard bizarre enough to leave everyone else shaking their heads. “No,” Ranma whispered, “you're right. They're not worth it.”

Akane glanced over and Ranma in surprise, then grinned. Standing up and holding out her hand, she said, “Damn right. Listen, I heard Nabiki come in just before you woke up. She stayed behind to handle the police while I brought you here, we'd better find out what's happened.”

Ranma reached out for Akane's hand, and together they headed for the door.