Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A New Future 2 - First Blood ❯ The NWC Ride: The Doctor Is In ( Chapter 16 )

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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“No, you don't need to come with me to Nerima,” Ranma said again from where she sat on the couple's bed. “Besides, you missed school yesterday because of me, you shouldn't miss another one — especially since today I'm not recovering.”

Akane paused in the middle of buttoning up her school uniform's blouse and gazed uncertainly at her lover. “Are you sure? Because ...”

“Yes, I'm sure!” Ranma shouted, then took a deep breath, reaching for her center as she winced at Akane's suddenly stricken expression. “I'm sorry I shouted, I'm not really mad at you, but ... look, there's something I realized a few days ago, just before I joined the fight. I'm tired of never going anywhere without one of you girls with me, tired of watching all the men around me. It's time I stopped hiding.”

Akane gazed intently at the redhead for a long moment, then reluctantly nodded. “Perhaps you're right,” she admitted.

“Of course she's right, but she still aren't going alone,” came Usagi's voice from the doorway.

Akane whipped around in surprise, but Ranma just glanced over with a welcoming smile. “Mornin', big sis, whatcha doin' here?” she asked.

“I'm going with you, of course,” the blonde woman blithely asserted as she walked into the bedroom, her long braid swinging gently behind her almost like a tail, then waved a finger under Ranma's nose at her sputtering denials that big sis was going to do any such thing. “Enough of that, it's settled!” she bubbled, then sobered. “This isn't about you proving you can go outside on your own, Ranma, it's about me providing my little sister some backup when she talks to the nutcases that almost destroyed her life. There'll be plenty of time for you to show you're all better later.”

Akane closed her eyes, fighting for her own calm center against a rising tide of jealous anger. I won't fail Ranma again, I won't, she thought desperately as she fought to keep her hands from curling into fists. Then a hand landed on her shoulder and her eyes flew open in surprise to find herself looking Usagi in the face. The teenager's jealousy guttered out at the concern in Usagi's eyes.

“Akane, I know you want to help, but in this case you have too much history with those lunatics, yourself,” Usagi softly said. “How much help will you be if you're spending all your time holding yourself in check? And how will they react to you? Let big sis handle this one.”

Akane glanced over at Ranma and tried to give the redhead a smile at the concern radiating from her, then looked back at the blonde woman in from of her. “ `Big sis'?” she asked.

Usagi grinned. “Well, since Ranma's my little sister, as close as you two are you must be, too.”

Akane chuckled, relief filling her as she felt Ranma relaxing, then nodded jerkily. “Yeah, well, seeing how I was one of the lunatics perhaps you're right.” Ranma instantly started to protest, but Akane shook her head at the redhead. “It's true, and you know it. If it hadn't been for Happosai — that perverted bastard might have actually done us a favor, in the long run!” she finished with a bark of harsh laughter.

The raven-haired girl quickly finishing getting dressed, then stepped over and pulled Ranma into a brief hug and a deep kiss. “You be careful around those ... people, and I'll be waiting for you when you get back, okay?” she requested. When Ranma smiled and nodded she picked up her bookbag and headed for the door.

/oOo\

Vanguard and Sailor Moon landed on the roof across the street from Dr. Tofu's new office. “I still say we shoulda taken the train,” the ponytailed redhead grumbled.

Sailor Moon just laughed. “You're just trying to prove how tough you are,” she said. “You've never used the train before, have you — inside the cars, I mean.”

“Well, no, I haven't. Why pay ta ride inside when ya can ride on top fer free?”

“But you've heard all the horror stories about gropers, haven't you?” Moon continued. “You just want to prove you can handle it, now that you've finally decided to come out of your shell.”

Vanguard opened her mouth to hotly deny her older sister's claim, then paused at Moon's knowing eyes. Finally, she shrugged. “Maybe,” she admitted. “I kinda figured the best way ta beat what yer afraid of is ta face it head on.”

“Thought so!” Moon crowed, then grinned. “Well, while the gropers aren't usually as bad as rumor makes them, you're young and cute as a button” — she ignored Vanguard's growl at that — “and then I'd have been trying to pull you off some poor salaryman that had no idea what kind of grief he was buying for himself. He'd be lucky to get away with some broken fingers, and if we didn't end up being taken in by the police for assault, you'd get here all angry — not exactly the proper mood for handling the loonies.”

“Yeah, I guess yer right,” Vanguard reluctantly admitted. “Well, come on, let's get down there and changed back and go see Kasumi and the Doc.” With that, she walked to the side edge of the roof and stepped over the edge to drop to the alley floor, Sailor Moon quickly following her.

 

Kasumi looked up from the receptionist's desk at the sound of the door to the clinic opening. “Welcome to — Ranma!” Standing up so fast she knocked her seat over, she was around the desk and pulling the young redhead into a hug.

“Having trouble breathing!” Ranma gasped out (after luxuriating in the embrace for a few seconds), and Kasumi hastily released her and stepped back, blushing faintly at the sound of the delighted chuckle coming from the young blonde woman standing behind her unofficial sister-in-law.

Ranma followed the motherly Tendo's gaze and smiled. “Kasumi, this is the older sister I told ya about, Usagi. Usagi, this is Kasumi — the closest thing I had ta a mother before Mom came ta her senses.”

Usagi bowed respectfully. “I am delighted to meet you, Kasumi-san,” she said.

“Please, call me Kasumi — Ranma's sister counts as family,” Kasumi replied, smiling, then sobered. “And don't take Ranma's praise at face value, my motivations weren't always as pure as he — she — makes it sound, and my actions weren't always ... proper.”

“Maybe not,” Ranma said with a shrug, “but at least ya weren't hammering me inta next week or renting me ta other fiancées, and look where Akane and Nabiki ended up. And ya had a kind word for me when I needed it more often than not.”

“You are kind to say so,” Kasumi replied. Then, turning to Usagi, she bowed deeply. “And may I say it is an honor to meet Sailor Moon?” she said softly.

Ranma and Usagi froze. “What, me?! What makes you think I'm Sailor Moon?” Usagi managed to gasp out.

“The fact that Ranma is Vanguard,” Kasumi replied calmly. “The feminine costume is an excellent distraction, the claws are new, and the change of hairstyle helps, as does the way Vanguard tends to appear and disappear, but she can't disguise the way she moves when she fights. Almost everyone in Nerima knew she was Vanguard within days of the newsreel with her first appearance arriving in the movie theaters. Usagi-san, I suggest you change to Sailor Moon for the rest of your time here, since everyone you meet will know who you are anyway — your magic may blur your features, even on film, but it doesn't change your hairstyle.”

The two stunned sisters exchanged glances. Ranma shrugged, and Usagi grimaced then reluctantly nodded. “Thank you for your suggestion, Kasumi. And call me Usagi.”

“Certainly, Usagi. Would the two of you care for some cookies?”

Both Ranma and Usagi nodded vigorously, and Kasumi smiled happily as she stepped out of the room for a moment, then returned with a tray stacked with her famous treats and set it down on the waiting room table in front of the two sisters.

Usagi instantly dove in, but Ranma paused. There was something about Kasumi bothering her ... she quickly calmed and focused (and again resolved to get to the point that she was always centered) and again looked over Kasumi, focusing on the ki radiated from the young woman. Suddenly Ranma stiffened, a broad grin breaking out across her face. “Hey, Kasumi, how long have ya been pregnant, and why didn't ya say anything?” she asked.

Kasumi froze. “I'm pregnant?” she squeaked.

“Yah mean ya didn't know?” a now confused Ranma asked.

“I ... no ... I ... I'll be right back.” Kasumi whirled and ran through the door into the clinic. “Tofu! Tofu! You won't believe it!” echoed back into the waiting room. Within minutes she was back with an excited Dr. Tofu right behind her.

“Ranma, are you sure?” the kampo asked. “How can you tell so soon? You didn't even touch her, and it's only been a couple of weeks at most!”

“Did Kasumi tell ya how I was tryin' ta use ki without mixin' in emotions?” Ranma asked; Dr. Tofu nodded. “Well, I figured it out. And I found out that when I do that, I can `read' other people's ki a lot better — know how they're feelin', get a feel fer their personalities, what kind a condition they're in, and with women when they're pregnant. `Course, most of the other women that `felt' like Kasumi were pretty obviously pregnant, but not all of `em. I guess whatever it is that changes a pregnant woman's ki happens pretty early.”

Kasumi threw herself into Tofu's arms and the beaming doctor whirled her in a circle before pressing his lips to hers. When they finally came up for air, a smirking Ranma said, “I guess it's safe ta say yer the dad. So, when's the wedding?”

Kasumi blushed. “Actually, we're already married,” she admitted.

“What, and ya didn't invite anyone!? Akane's gonna ... well, she wouldn't hammer Kasumi even if she still did that, but you, Doc — you'd better avoid her for awhile.”

“Oh, we haven't had the ceremony, yet,” he hastened to assure the angry redhead. “We just signed the papers. We thought we'd hold the actual ceremony when ... well, when we thought we could without helping Genma find you, if he's still looking. Nodoka isn't sure.”

“Oh, right.” Ranma settled down, looking thoughtful. “Well, maybe today will help.”

“Today? It's time?” Tofu asked as Kasumi went pale and clutched at his arm.

“It's time ta ask him, anyway, the actual fight's probably still a few months down the road,” Ranma said with a shrug. “I dropped in here ta see what ya know about some a' the people I need ta talk to, what's goin' on with them right now — and ta see big sis, a' course,” she added with a smile to a Kasumi still pulling herself together from her fright. “Doc, are ya still in for that, when the time comes?”

Tofu nodded, a hand circling his wife's waist to settle on her stomach. “Now more than ever. I don't have any appointments for a few hours, let me put up the `closed' sign and then we can go back to the living quarters and talk.”