Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A New Future 2 - First Blood ❯ Look Who's Back! ( Chapter 2 )

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. The Y rating is for violence in later chapters.

This was originally published by me under the name Anduril at Anime Addventures, with the only changes being a few corrections in spelling, punctuation and the occasional word choice and an explanatory clause. 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, 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.

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In the apartment room that had been converted into a mini-dojo, Ranma slowly moved through the most complicated ground-based kata she knew, the glowing claws on both hands slashing through empty air, her mind in an odd trance that left her aware of everything around her even as nothing seemed quite real. Her satisfaction grew as she came toward the end of the kata, claws still in place, and the claws wavered slightly. Careful not to panic, the pigtailed girl allowed the satisfaction to wash over and through her without touching her core, the claws firmed up, and a few seconds later she reached the last few steps and halted, panting. Holding up her hands, she gazed at the claws still glowing at the ends of each finger.

This time, the wave of exultation was uncontrollable and the claws winked out, but Ranma just shook her head with a grin. Okay, you're gettin' better but ya aren't there yet — not ta the point of trustin' them in a fight. So, let's try it again.

She was halfway through the kata when she heard the apartment door open, and immediately her concentration broke and the claws vanished. With a soft curse Ranma glanced at the clock on the wall and frowned. It's a little early for Akane, I hope nothing's wrong. Then Nabiki's “Tadaima!” echoed through the apartment and the slight tension Ranma had been feeling vanished as she headed for the front room.

Nabiki looked up from where she was pouring herself a glass of water as Ranma walked in. “Ranma, how's it going?” the brown-haired girl asked with her usual slightly wry smile.

“I think that's my line,” Ranma replied with a grin. “This is the first time I've seen ya this week, why home so early, the infomat blow a fuse from all the work ya been givin' it?”

“No,” Nabiki said, chuckling, “I just decided I needed a break before I collapsed — we don't all have your endurance, you know. So, how's the training been going, any breakthroughs?”

Without a word Ranma lifted her hand, and Nabiki gasped as the claws popped into existence. “You did it!” she squealed, then blushed slightly and carefully ignored Ranma's grin as she forced her own grin back to a slight smile.

“So, now that you have the claws, are you going to put on a miniskirt and go out to fight for Love and Justice?” she jibed gently, and laughed when it was Ranma's turn to blush.

“Nah, not yet — the claws aren't ready fer a serious fight,” Ranma said offhandedly, firmly ignoring the memories of Hotaru's and Usa's (and Akane's, darn it!) enthusiastic speculation on a proper costume the previous day. “So, what ya been studyin' so hard lately?”

 

“Tadaima!” Akane called as she walked through the door, and smiled at the sound of Nabiki's greeting along with Ranma's. Stepping over to the table where the two sat sharing an afternoon snack, she ignored her sister to bend down to Ranma's upturned face for a long, hard kiss.

When the two finally broke apart they blushed to find a grinning Nabiki softly clapping. “It's too bad I can't bottle that,” she commented slyly, “I'd make a fortune.”

Ranma hastily looked around for a distraction and frowned. “Akane,” she asked, “where are Hotaru and Usa?”

“They had to go to a meeting,” Akane replied. “Senshi business, something about a fight that Neptune and Uranus had yesterday. I'm sure they'll tell us all about it tomorrow.”

“Good,” Ranma said somewhat petulantly, “ `cause big sis probably won't.”

“Usagi's just trying to protect you,” Nabiki said with a shrug, “and doesn't that make a nice change of pace? By the way,” she added, “speaking of protectors, you won't believe what I saw coming home — a grand opening for a new Cat Café!”

“What!” Ranma and Akane chorused. “It's just a coincidence, right?” Ranma almost begged, but Nabiki shook her head.

“Not unless you include a shriveled up old crone for a cook and a busty purple-haired teenaged Amazon wearing next to nothing for a waitress as part of the coincidence,” she said, and Ranma shot to her feet.

“Damn it, I told them I wanted to be left alone!” she shouted and stormed to the front door only to stop as she opened it. “Uh, Nabiki, where is it?” she asked, but Akane interrupted before Nabiki could respond.

“Aren't you forgetting something, Ranma?” she asked sweetly, and Ranma frowned in confusion. “Like practice?” Akane continued. “You know, what you said yesterday about only missing if we absolutely have to?”

“Oh, yeah, right — practice,” Ranma said abashedly, and after a long moment reluctantly closed the door, carefully ignoring Akane's grin. “Come on, let's get started,” she grumped, heading for the mini-dojo while Akane picked up her schoolbag and headed for their bedroom to change.

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Welcome to the — Ranma!” Ku Lon heard from behind the window where she was busy showing Klen Sur, Elder of the Joketsuzoku, how to manage a restaurant kitchen, and the ancient matriarch looked up in time to see her great-granddaughter glomp-tackle Her Royal Highness hard enough that the petite redhead staggered back, kept from falling only by hasty support from the two Tendo sisters bracketing her.

Klen Sur raised an eyebrow at the scene. “That's the princess?” she asked, and Ku Lon nodded wryly.

“Yes, that's the princess. And yes, Xian Pu's manners don't exactly fit protocol. Just as well, I suppose — Princess Yasuko is far from reconciled to her new status and wouldn't take proper protocol well at all.”

Ku Lon carefully looked over the new trio, and smiled in approval at what she saw as the excited Xian Pu let go of her nominal ruler and escorted the three to a booth in the back away from the rest of the diners, while Mu Tse interrupted clearing tables to say hello. Good, Akane seems more secure — there was just a flash of anger that she laughed off when Xian Pu hugged Ranma, and hardly had to force it at all. And Ranma seems calmer, she isn't constantly checking for possible threats, and that habitual swagger's missing. And they're trying to hide it, but from the not-so-casual touches they're probably lovers, excellent. Then, with a chuckle, And it looks like they somehow convinced Ranma to wear a bra, I wasn't sure that was going to be possible.

The Elder quickly banished her smile as Xian Pu bounced over to the kitchen window. “Great-grandmother, Ranma wants to speak to you,” she said happily, and Ku Lon frowned sternly.

“I will be happy to attend to the princess,” she replied.

Xian Pu hung her head, the smile vanishing. “Of course, great-grandmother — the princess,” she said softly.

“No harm done, child,” Ku Lon said with a sigh. “Considering that she hasn't had a chance to become reconciled yet to her new status it's just as well. Still, eventually you are going to have to come to see her as Princess Yasuko and not just your friend Ranma.”

Xian Pu nodded and Ku Lon turned to Klen Sur. “It's a light crowd, you should be able to handle the orders for now,” she said, and with Klen Sur's nod she pogoed through the window and over to the waiting girls.

 

“Here she comes,” Nabiki warned, and Ranma looked up from where she'd been listening to Akane talk about her day at school, banishing the slightly bemused expression she'd worn since Xian Pu's … enthusiastic … greeting. It had been as energetic as ever, but the usual `come hithers' hadn't been included — it had simply been an enthusiastic hug between friends, and she wasn't sure how to handle that.

Catching the thoughtful look on Nabiki's face she asked, “Something wrong?”

Nabiki shook her head, then nodded at the approaching matriarch. “No, just an interesting scene, I'll tell you later.”

Nodding acknowledgment, Ranma focused on the tiny crone that had just landed on their table and tried to put on the stormy expression she'd worn until reaching the café, but managed only a drizzly kind of frown. “What are ya doin' here, ol' ghoul? I thought I told ya I didn't want yer help,” Ranma said in what was supposed to be a stern tone but only managed to sound petulant.

Ku Lon just smiled. “It's good to see you again as well, Princess.”

Ranma jerked, and now the stormy expression was back for real. “I told ya not ta call me that!”

Ku Lon just shook her head. “Whatever I may call you, it does not change what you are, and our own responsibilities,” she said solemnly.

Ranma opened her mouth to respond, but Nabiki spoke first, looking around the restaurant. “Nice place, it looks like it's twice as big as your old one, good choice in location, too — and you sure put everything together in a hurry. Are you hiring? Ranma could use some time out of the apartment, all that nonstop practice and study can't be good.” Not that we need the money, thanks to the extra Ms. Meioh slipped me when Ranma wasn't watching.

Akane and Ranma stared incredulously at Nabiki, but Ku Lon only chuckled. “You are quite skilled at the question game for one as young as you are. To answer your questions, we knew where to set up the restaurant because Lady Pluto told us where you'd be, and she helped smooth the way with the authorities. And even if we needed the help it wouldn't be ... proper ... for the princess to work here as a waitress, but we don't — sufficient warriors and elders have arrived to handle the restaurant while still performing our duties, while we seek a way to move the rest of the village to Tokyo.”

“What?!” Ranma shouted, then blushed and shrank back as customers glanced toward the outburst for a moment before politely turning back to their meals. “Puu told you?” she asked more quietly. “And you're all moving here? Why?”

“Don't hold it against her, Lady Pluto was reluctant to tell us,” Ku Lon said gently. “But while we normally defer to her wishes, in this we insisted and she decided it was better to tell us and help us move and keep us as allies than to lose our friendship and have us find you ourselves — it wouldn't have been that hard. And of course, the entire tribe is moving here. You are our princess, and if you will not move to China we will simply have to join you here.”

Ranma gaped, stunned speechless, and the matriarch smiled sadly. “Ranma, overall your change has done you good — gotten you out of that pressure cooker you were slowly stewing in, given you love,” — nodding at a suddenly blushing Akane — “enabled you to find your older sister, but this comes with it. And while you may so far be unwilling to accept us, we have no choice but to follow you.”