Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A New Future 2 - First Blood ❯ Assuming Responsibility ( Chapter 11 )

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 to make things clearer. 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 set aside for practice, Akane ran through her most complicated kata that used minimal space, struggling to maintain the untouched calm at her core and the ki claws on her hands, her eyes again drifting to the right to her lover. The former Tendo's control shivered as she remembered again the moment when she'd walked through their apartment door to find the newly-arrived Ranma grinning at her, how she'd dropped her school bag and fastened onto the redhead like a limpet, tears rolling down her cheeks as her desperate fear had been replaced by gasping relief.

Stop that! Ranma wasn't even scratched, it was a cakewalk! she sternly told herself yet again as she faced forward, taking in the more neutral sight of Chibi-Usa running through the basic katas Ranma had been teaching her. Still, yet again, Akane couldn't stop the thought from floating to the top, But what about next time? And there will be a next time ... and a time after that ... and after that ...

The former Tendo's eyes drifted to the left and again her calm control threatened to shatter, but this time for a very different reason as she looked at the purple-haired Amazon running through her own kata. Old, long-familiar jealousy roared through Akane, and she struggled to hold onto her center and let the emotion wash through her and out, to not grab onto it and focus it on the former rival (or so she'd thought at the time) that had outclassed her in every way that mattered and was doing it yet again!

This time, she failed. Her teeth ground together and her center vanished in a roil of hatred and jealousy and her hands suddenly had nothing but harmless, short-cut fingernails on her fingertips. She broke off her kata and dropped to the floor, pulling her legs up into the lotus position (and where had Ranma picked that up, she briefly wondered) as she fought to relax and regain control. So Ranma let her join the fight, so what? You are the one she loves, she told herself. You've known that the slut — the girl's a better fighter than you since you first met her, even if you couldn't admit it. But soon, however badly she may trounce you in a spar she'll never match you for sheer lethality in a real fight. And Ranma promised — as soon as you're ready, you're in. Trust her. Trust her honor.

Slowly, Akane's inner turmoil faded and she was finally able to let the jealousy and anger wash away, her calm center returning. Opening her eyes, she lifted her hands, focused on her fingertips, and willed, and her ki claws once again sprang into existence. Rising to her feet even as she allowed the still-fresh pleasure and wonder at the sight to wash over her without disturbing her core, she resumed her kata from where she'd left off and continued her practice.

 

Ranma watched Akane out of the corner of her eye as she savored the emotion-laden ki rolling off her lover, and carefully restrained a smile as that emotion faded away until the ki was again pristine and the taller girl rose to her feet and resumed her kata. Good, inviting Shampoo ta practice with us is paying off — Akane's life's been too easy lately ta really test her control, an old `rival' is just what she needed.

But however gratifying the success of her little stratagem was, the redhead knew it wasn't going to last. She'd only been getting to know the real Xian Pu for a few hours, but the cheerful nature she'd already known combined with the now-revealed sharp mind of Ku Lon's heir would have no problem winning over her former rival, especially since their “rivalry” was now known for the farce it had always been. And then, Ranma would have to turn to another way to shake her lover's composure. Of course, she already had one lined up — unfortunately.

Ranma's eye's darkened at the thought, and Akane stiffened and glanced over at her as her own growing ability to sense and analyze emotion-laden ki registered the spike of worry from the smaller girl. “Ranma, what's wrong?” she asked worriedly.

Ranma's eyes widened slightly, and she quickly banished thoughts of future tests as she sought out her own clear center. “Nothin',” she said offhandedly, “just thinkin' that when we're done here and Nabs gets home we need ta pay a visit ta the Cat Café.” Damn, she's gettin' good at that fast, faster than anyone I've seen but me. Is this so easy ta pick up once ya get down the basics?

Instantly, the eyes of the other two girls in the small training room were focused on Ranma. “You haven't been by since your first visit, why now?” Xian Pu asked, and Ranma's control shivered, then shattered like dropped glass.

Akane gasped at the ki now radiating from Ranma, dark, bleak ... despair? No ... she wasn't sure what it was, but she knew she didn't like it.

Ranma's eyes fell. “Ya know at least some a' yer people aren't gonna live through this, don't ya?” she asked the Amazon. Xian Pu nodded soberly. “I know Puu said she'd set things up ta alert yer people when I wanted ya ta come, but ... well, if I'm gonna get people killed on my say-so, I should at least ask in person,” the redhead finished bitterly.

Akane stepped over and pulled Ranma into a hug. “Whatever happens, however many die, it's not your fault,” she said softly. “If you have to blame someone, blame the bastards planning to conquer us.”

“Akane's right,” Xian Pu said, stepping over to lay a hand on Ranma's shoulder even as her former `rival' looked over at her in surprise. “What was that line from that movie I saw once? You did not `purpose their deaths when you purposed their services'. As much as any martial artist, it is a warrior's duty to protect the helpless, and if some die in the process, they do no more than what that duty calls for.

“Besides, these invaders threaten the whole world, not just Japan, it's just our fate to be the ones who have to face it.”

She gave her princess's shoulder a gentle squeeze as Akane tightened her hug. Ranma took a deep breath, and Akane relaxed as she felt the dark ki fade under Ranma's renewed control. “Thanks, guys,” Ranma murmured. “Now, let's get practice done. There's some ice cream in the fridge, we can have some `fore Nabs gets here and we head out.”

“Is the food that bad that we want to fill up before we go?” Chibi-Usa asked from where she had watched and listened to everything.

Xian Pu bristled, while Akane laughed. “No, the food's great,” the black-haired girl said as she returned to the middle of the room to resume her kata. “Whatever else you can say about the Amazons, they know how to cook. And remember, you're talking about Ranma.”

“Oh, yeah, the bottomless pit,” Chibi-Usa replied as she resumed her own practice stance. “Well, I guess when the rest of us have spoiled our appetites, she can just eat whatever we don't.”

“Hey, just helpin' the rest a' ya keep yer girlish figures,” Ranma tossed off. Soft chuckles filled the room as the girls returned to their practice.

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In the back room of the Cat Café, Ku Lon looked up from the telephone handset at the sound of her name to find Lan Ren, the current greeter, standing beside her. “Yes, child?” she asked.

The finely (if skimpily) dressed teenager bowed. “My pardon for interrupting, Honored Elder, but Princess Yasuko is here with her wife, sister-in-law, and one of the Senshi — Chibi-Moon. She wishes to speak with you.”

The ancient, shrunken elder's eyes widened. Ranma here, now? “Thank you, Lan Ren. You can return to your duties,” she said with a nod. Lan Ren bowed and turned to leave as Ku Lon turned back to the telephone. “Jen Pau, Princess Yasuko is here, now, requesting my presence. I'll call you back as soon as she is finished with me.”

On receiving an affirmative from the other end of the line, she hung up the phone and pogoed out of the back room for the dining area, pausing to check out the group dynamics of the five teenagers at a private table in the back — the one that was now always empty, so that whenever the Princess dropped in she would have a place to sit. An eyebrow rose at the sight of her great-granddaughter sitting at the table, across from the ruler she was supposed to be bodyguarding. The purple-haired girl was being abnormally decorous, and Ku Lon chuckled when she saw the probable cause. Akane was sitting next to Ranma, of course — but very close, her body language shouting that the redhead beside her was hers.

The elder glanced around and nodded at the sight of Bai Ting, Xian Pu's backup, sitting unobtrusively at another table close enough to keep an eye on things but far enough away to let the teenagers have their privacy. Bai Ting was ignoring her princess, her eyes constantly scanning the dining room, and Ku Lon nodded her approval. At least she is still on station, Ku Lon thought as she resumed her approach. And the last time she was here, Akane was much more at ease with Xian Pu. I wonder what happened?

 

“— and so we are going to need all the help we can get,” Ranma finished. “Puu — Setsuna — said that she had made arrangements for your people to get over here, have you heard from her people? How quickly can you get moved over?”

Ku Lon glanced over at Xian Pu. I suppose I'll have to cut the girl some slack for getting pulled off her assigned station — the Princess's orders do take precedence, after all. Focusing back on Ranma, she softly asked, “Is this what Your Highness wishes?”

Ranma stiffened, face frozen. After a moment Akane reached up to lay a hand on her shoulder. Ranma reached up to cover her wife's hand with her own, and relaxed. “Yeah,” she said in a low voice. “Yeah, it is.”

Ku Lon nodded soberly, careful to keep any sympathy out of her expression. “Then your people can be here within a month.”

Nabiki perked up from where she was sitting beside Xian Pu, turning from where she'd been looking concernedly at the wincing redhead to stare at Ku Lon. “That quickly?!” she asked in disbelief. “Just how many Amazons are there?”

“Thousands, and yes that quickly,” Ku Lon replied with a chuckle. “But we can't take credit for it — Meioh-san set it up with your emperor.”

Now she had the undivided attention of all the others around the table. “The Emperor!” Ranma breathed.

Ku Lon nodded. “Yes, the Emperor. He actually bought out the inhabitants of a small town up in the highlands for us to move to. They're moving out now, and several Amazons are already onsite to see to it that our move in goes smoothly.”

“But ... but Setsuna says we need to keep this quiet!” Ranma protested.

Ku Lon shrugged. “I'm sure the Emperor understands that, we will simply have to trust that he knows what he's doing.

“So, Ranma, your plan isn't bad at all, for an off-the-cuff piece of work. I assume Meioh-san can supply a map for more detailed work. Just who were you thinking of recruiting?”

Ranma shook off her shock and frowned. “Well, Akane should be ready to join us by then.” The girl beside her lit up with delight, and Ku Lon thought she noticed a slight wince on Ranma's part, mostly suppressed. “I was thinking a' talkin' ta Ryoga, Uc-chan and Konatsu, maybe Hinako-san, and ...” Her voice trailed off, she took a deep breath, and finished with, “... and Pop and Tendo-san.”

Akane's face froze, and Ku Lon's eyebrows rose as this time there was nothing suppressed about Ranma's wince. Odd — Ranma didn't see Akane's reaction, but she reacted, anyway.... “An interesting group,” she said, “but not all of those you mentioned can jump well enough to join the Senshi in the inner ring. And hasn't it been years since Tendo-san really practiced his Art?”

“Yeah, it has,” Ranma replied. “But it should be at least a couple a' months before the final fight, and when I tell him Akane'll be a part of it that should be enough ta convince him ta really work at gettin' back on top a' things. And yeah, not all a' them can roof-hop, but they can help the outer ring.”

Ku Lon considered this for a bit, then nodded with a shrug. “There's no point in wasting time trying to plan in more detail until Meioh-san supplies a map and we know what those you wish to speak with say. However, there is a name you left off your list that should perhaps be added —Kuno Tatewaki.”

“What!” Akane shouted, glaring at Ku Lon across the table.

It was Ranma's turn to place a hand on her shoulder. “Remember, calm, center,” she murmured.

Akane took a deep breath, than another. Slowly she relaxed. Much more quietly, she asked, “Why would we want to include that would-be molester?!”

“Perhaps because now he isn't a would-be molester, if he was before,” Ku Lon replied, and quickly related the tale of his visit the evening of Ranma's and Akane's last day in Nerima.

When she was through, Ranma glanced at Akane. “This one's yer call, I think — you were the first one he went after. He'd be a big help, but our history isn't exactly good. Do ya think ya can put up with the flowery speeches?”

Akane grimaced, but finally nodded reluctantly. “Yeah, fine, add the delusional idiot. I suppose I can put up with him for a few hours.”

“Still, we should probably keep the contact to a minimum,” Nabiki said. “Perhaps I should be the one to speak to him.” She smiled at the grateful smiles and sighs of relief from Akane and Ranma.

“Thanks, Nabiki, that'll be a big help,” Ranma said gratefully. “But hold off until after I talk ta everyone else, I don't want any forewarning and he isn't exactly the most close-mouthed of people.”

Nabiki chuckled. “True, though I suspect he'll be able to keep his mouth shut if I stress that the Emperor wants things kept quiet — he'll do it as flamboyantly as possible, of course, but he'll do it. Still, I'll wait for your word.”

Ranma nodded her thanks. She turned to Ku Lon and was just opening her mouth to speak when her stomach growled — loudly. She flushed as everyone else laughed.

As the laughter died to chuckles, Ku Lon jumped to the top of her staff on the chair she'd been standing on. “I don't believe there's anything else we need to discuss at the moment, so on that note I'll leave you to your meal,” she said. Then, smiling at Ranma she added, “Oh, and don't worry about how much you eat, there will be no charge — not for Princess Yasuko's party.”

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Yeah, I know, a lump of conversation - what one writer described as an Asimov trip, all plot and no action. Just for a visual, here's a partial view of where the Amazons are moving, on Katsura River (and yes, I'm too lazy to set up the link, just copy and paste, and remove the spaces): http://calger459.deviantart.com/art/Katsura-River-103983223.