Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A New Future 2 - First Blood ❯ The NWC Ride: Lonely Souls ( Chapter 17 )

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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Ranma and Sailor Moon looked down at the Tendo Compound from the building across the street, Moon's eyebrows rising. “That's a good-sized piece of property. Considering how expensive the apartment Mamoru and I bought was, it must be worth a pretty penny, too,” she mused. “Just how wealthy are the Tendos?”

“Considerin' that all three of Soun-san's daughters have moved out and as far as I know not takin' a single yen from their pop, not very. I think Soun-san has some sorta annuity, but I don't know the details,” Ranma admitted with a shrug. “Wasn't my business when I was livin' here, and even less so now.”

“Got it,” Moon said, and looked at the redhead out of the corner of her eye. “So, little sis, are you ready for this?”

Ranma drew a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah, as ready as I'm gonna be. Let's do it.”

The two leaped down to the sidewalk, crossed the street and walked through the gate to the front door and Ranma knocked. After a few minutes, the door opened to show a tiny brown-haired girl wearing a loose dress much too big for her. “Yes, who ... Ranma!” she squealed and threw herself forward to wrap her arms around the redhead's waist.

“Hinako-sensei? What are you doing here?” Ranma gasped out through the wave of sheer joy as her arms dropped to circle the child's shoulders.

“Taking care of Soun, of course, silly,” Hinako said brightly as she released the larger girl and stepped back, smiling up at her, then glanced at Ranma's companion and her eyes went wide. “Are you really Sailor Moon?”

Moon nodded, smiling back even as she hid a wince at the dark circles under the bubbly child's eyes. And did she look a little thin? “Yes, I'm Sailor Moon ... and Ranma's big sister.”

“Oh, that is so neat!” Hinako burbled, glancing back and forth between the two and clapping her hands. “Soun is going to be so happy you're here!” Whirling, she dashed back into the house, shouting for Soun as she ran.

Ranma and Moon exchanged bemused glances, and Ranma shrugged and nodded toward the still-open door. “Come on, let's catch up,” she said, and the two followed the sound of the shouting child.

As they walked in, Moon whispered, “Is that little girl the teacher you told me about — the ki-vampire?”

“Yup, she's the one,” Ranma replied.

“She didn't look so good, do you think she's been sick?”

Ranma started to respond but broke off as the two sisters stepped into the family room, her face freezing up at the sight of the tall, raven-haired mustachioed man rising to his feet with a bouncing Hinako clinging to his hand, the bottle of sake he had been pouring from in the other. “Ranma! Is Akane and Nabiki with you?” Soun asked eagerly.

“No,” Ranma said, her voice arctic-cold. “And while Nabiki might be back sometime, fer Akane ya can just forget it — that girl knows how ta hold a grudge, and ya hurt her really bad.”

Soun swayed as the words hit home, then dropped the sake bottle. Ignoring the trail of spilled liquid as it rolled away, he fell to his knees and tears started pouring down his cheeks. Instantly, little Hinako was in his lap, arms around him as far as they'd go. “Don't cry, Soun, Ranma's just being a meanie, they'll come home!” Turning to look at the visitors, her own tears running down her cheeks, she yelled, “Why are you being so mean?! Take it back, or I'll ... I'll ... I'll zap you!”

Moon laid a hand on Ranma's shoulder, and the younger sister reached up to cover it with her own as she closed her eyes and drew in a shuddering breath as she deliberately let go of her center, then relaxed as she slowly blew it out. Bein' able ta sense how people really feel can make it tough ta hold a grudge. “Guess I was madder than I thought,” the redhead murmured. Opening her eyes and giving Moon's hand a squeeze, she knelt before the crying couple. “Hinako-sensei, do you have your fighting fish around here?” she asked, her voice warm and gentle.

“Uh ... yes, they're in the kitchen,” the confused girl replied.

“Why don't you go get them, bring them in here?” Ranma requested.

“It'll help?”

“A lot.”

Well ... alright.” The child squirmed out of the still-crying Soun's embrace and kissed him on the cheek. “You wait right here, I'll be right back. Everything will be all right, you'll see!” And with that she scampered out of the room.

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“A major `save the world' battle in a few weeks, and my baby girl is going to be in the middle of it!? How can you allow that!?” Soun shouted from where he sat across the low table from Sailor Moon and Ranma, a now adult Hinako beside him. (She was being very careful how she sat, still wearing the same, now much too short and tight, dress — and no underwear, made obvious by the way the dress slid up when she sat down.)

Ranma took a moment to look around the room before answering. The damage Akane had inflicted when she'd knocked Genma into the garden had been fixed, but from weather damage to the floor not right away; and while there wasn't garbage or dirt around, there was dust here and there, an ... untidy ... feel to the room — as if someone occasionally did a pass through but not the kind of day-to-day maintenance Kasumi had maintained. Yeah, it's a lot like yer apartment, isn't it, Ranma? the pigtailed girl thought. Turning her attention back to her unofficial father-in-law, she shrugged. “A few weeks ta a few months. And it isn't a matter of `allowing' her ta help. We're gonna need every high-level fighter we can get, and she's workin' hard ta fit inta that group — if she's in, she'll have earned it. And she probably will.”

Soun swelled up, his demon head beginning to form, but a suddenly pale Hinako gently squeezed his hand and murmured, “Softly, dearheart.” As Soun settled back with a grumble, the older woman turned her attention back to Ranma. “That's why you're here, isn't it? You're recruiting warriors for the battle.”

“Yeah, that's right,” Ranma agreed, then looked over at Soun and sighed. “Soun-san, I ... was a little harsh, earlier, but not much. Akane doesn't talk much about it, but she misses you. But she is still very angry and hurt. But if ya train hard ta get back in shape and join us, I think she'll be ready ta forgive ya. And I'll put in a good word for ya.”

Soun straightened, his expression firming. “Of course, Ranma, it is the duty of a Martial Artist to protect the weak. I will begin training again immediately.”

“And you can count me in, as well!” Hinako stated. Overriding Soun's and Ranma's instant protests, she continued, “From what you said, Ranma, these invaders depend on magic. I doubt they will have any defense from my Happy's Five-Yen Obliteration and Happy's Change Returned. And I'll have Soun to protect me from any soldiers that get past that.”

Ranma paused in mid-objection, a thoughtful look on her face. “That might work. Let me think about it, I'll get back ta ya on that,” she said finally. Glancing at the fresh tears beginning to pour down Soun's face, she sighed. “Look, Soun, I won't okay it unless I'm sure she'll be pretty safe, but I wasn't kiddin' when I said we could use all the help we can get.” Then, rising to her feet, she continued, “And now I need ta see who else will sign on.”

Moon and Hinako quickly rose as well, Hinako picking up the bowl with the fighting fish in it. She walked over and picked up the now mostly empty bottle of saki from where it had rolled and handed it to Soun. “I'll walk you to the door,” she said to the other two with a smile.

As soon as the three were out of earshot of the family room, Hinako said, “Ranma, I imagine you have some questions for me.”

“I ... well ... yeah, Hinako-sensei, are ya livin' here now?” Ranma asked, reaching up to tug at her pigtail.

“Please, Ranma, just Hinako, I'm no longer your teacher. And yes, I am,” Hinako responded. She waited for a moment, then chuckled when Ranma blushed and glanced away. “Oh, Ranma, you are such a gentleman, even when you're stuck as a girl. To answer the questions you can't bring yourself to ask, yes, I am sharing Soun's bed. Yes, that includes sex. No, that sex doesn't include my child-form, though Soun has no problem just sleeping with me like that often.” For a moment her face turned sad. “I think Soun takes comfort from having a child around, even if I'm not really a child, sort of.”

Moon looked the woman over out of the corner of her eye as the trio reached the front door. The grown-up Hinako shared the same shadows under her eyes that her child-form had, and faint impressions of her ribs were visible through the tight dress. “Hinako-san, I just got married a few months ago, and I've been finding things a little boring during the day,” the braided blonde said softly. “My husband works, and my friends mostly have careers or college. Would you mind if I visited once or twice a week?”

“Oh, would you? That would be wonderful!” Hinako enthused, smiling broadly. “I've been lonely, too, since I quite my teaching job and moved here.”

“I would be happy to,” Moon assured her. And I'll be able to see to it you get in some decent meals, and some help with the housework.

Ranma and Moon made their farewells, then quickly crossed the street and took to the rooftops. Several minutes and some distance later, the two settled on the sloping roof of one of the taller buildings in Nerima and looked out across the district. “Well, that went better than I expected,” Ranma finally commented. “Lucky Hinako-sensei was there.”

“Yes, Hinako was very helpful,” Usagi agreed. “Were you serious about allowing her to join us?”

“I'll check with Puu first,” the younger girl said with a shrug. “If Hinako-sen — Hinako'll make a difference and has a good chance a' livin' through it, yeah. Were ya serious about visitin' Hinako regularly?”

“Of course I was, that girl — woman, rather — has been working too hard and not eating enough. Though if the finale happens in only a couple of weeks it might not make much of a difference. Do you really think it could happen that fast? Setsuna hasn't said anything about it.”

Ranma shrugged. “I've had an idea on that, might speed things up. But that's somethin' else I need ta talk ta Puu about first.” With a sigh, the redhead stood up. “Come on, let's get the rest a' this day over with and head home.”