Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A New Future 2 - First Blood ❯ The NWC Ride: Greed Is Good ( Chapter 18 )

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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Akane shuddered, as an image of Ranma and Ukyo once again flashed across her mind, laughing together, reminiscing, renewing their old friendship ... Stop it! Ranma loves you, chose you over Ukyo, always did, you know that!

Banishing the images and focusing again on the teacher as she again sought out the calm at her center, Akane relaxed a little even as she hastily started writing when she realized that he was assigning that evening's homework. Then he gathered up his books and was gone, and she relaxed even more — one more class down in the neverending day. At least she was getting plenty of practice at maintaining her center.

From the desk next to her, Chibi-Usa leaned over, the pink-haired girl looking concerned. “Akane, are you all right?” she whispered. “You seem a little pale.”

“I'm fine, just wondering how Ranma's doing,” Akane murmured back. At least, I will be once I get out of here and Ranma gets home. At least Usagi's with her. “I hope you've been taking good notes,” the former Tendo added, “I've missed some.”

Chibi-Usa nodded, then straightened as the next teacher entered the classroom, shooting one more concerned look at her fellow Musketeer before facing forward.

/oOo\

Nodoka knelt in the small yard of her tiny house, the middle-aged woman tending the flowers planted along its edge while trying to ignore the snores coming from the house's open window. Sitting back, she sighed as she reached up to make sure her auburn hair wasn't coming too badly out of its fastenings as she looked over her morning's work, trying and failing to take some satisfaction in what she'd accomplished even as her thoughts turned to her son turned daughter.

I understand why Ranma had to leave Nerima. I even understand why she can't visit here, and why I can visit her only when I'm absolutely certain that Genma or Soun won't follow me. But it's so hard! I missed the long years of the training trip, and in a way the months that he spent hiding from me as `Ranko', and now that he's — she's — adjusting to being a woman all the time, when I can be a true help, I'm missing that as well! And all because that husband of mine, that ... that ... Nodoka broke off her rising mental rant, then forced her hand to unclench from around the handle of the spade she'd been using. Putting down the tool, she shook her hand in an effort to wave away the tingles of returning blood to the extremity.

“Hey, Mom!”

Nodoka looked around at the shout, eyes widening at the sight of her short redheaded daughter walking down the street toward her with a slightly taller blonde young woman walking beside her in a Sailor Moon costume. No, not a Sailor Moon costume, that must be Sailor Moon herself — Ranma's older past-life sister! But why —

Rising to her feet, Nodoka waited for the two to approach. “Mom, this's my sister, Sailor Moon,” her daughter said.

The blonde bowed deeply, her braid sliding over her shoulder to dangle in front of her for a moment before she straightened. “It is an honor to meet you at last,” she said with a bright smile.

“And I, you,” Nodoka replied. “It's good to finally meet the woman that has done so much for my daughter when I was unable to.” As Moon shot her a quick glance at the harsh undertone, Nodoka continued, “As happy as I am to see the two of you, why are you here? I thought you had to avoid Genma.”

Ranma shrugged. “Yeah, I did. But now, Akane's gotten good enough in the Art that if he was stupid enough ta try an' hurt her she could kill him, so she's probably safe. Nabiki isn't, but she never will be and we can't hide from him forever. Besides, I'm gonna need his help.”

“I see. Well, come in and have some tea.” A particularly loud snore came through the window, and Nodoka grimaced. “And while you're doing that, I'll wake up Genma.”

The three entered and Ranma and Moon knelt at the low table as Nodoka served the tea. As her mother disappeared into the bedroom, Moon leaned over and whispered in Ranma's ear, “Are you doing that sense emotions thingie?”

Ranma paused, tea cup halfway to her lips, and shook her head. “No, I stopped during the visit ta the dojo, things got a little intense. Why?”

“You might want to turn it back on.”

Ranma nodded, then put her teacup down and rose to her feet, Moon hastily following her example, as her father appeared in the doorway and stalked toward them. He was bleary-eyed, his gi stained and dirty, and he was preceded by the stench of stale sake.

Ranma sought the calm at her center without closing her eyes, not daring to take her gaze off her father, and almost reeled at the onslaught of anger, disgust and disdain radiating from her father. Then her mother appeared in the bedroom doorway and Ranma hastily dropped out of her calm state as embarrassment, hatred and despair were added to the overcharged emotional mix.

“So, boy, are you ready to finally redeem your honor?” Genma demanded.

Ranma fell into the Anything Goes School's deceptively laid back basic stance. “Yeah, like ya have a clue what honor means,” she shot back. “No, I'm not marryin' Tendo-san, now or ever, so forget it!”

“Then if you are so lost to honor as to disregard your father and master, you are banned from using the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts,” Genma intoned.

Ranma snorted. “Right, like yer a master a' anything,” she said. “Don't masters normally get certified by their masters? When did the freak ever do that? Not that it matters,” she continued. “I've changed my style so much over the last few years that it's not really Anything Goes anymore.”

Reddening with anger, Genma tensed to lunge forward only to freeze as his daughter added, “Tell me, Pop, how would ya like ta get enough money ta live off of fer the rest a' yer life? Free sake forever.”

“And where would you get that kind of money?” he scoffed even as greedy ember seemed to flicker in his eyes.

“Aren't payin' much attention, are ya?” Ranma retorted, nodding to his sister beside her. “This's Sailor Moon, leader of the Sailor Senshi. They have money, lots of it.”

Moon stiffened, opening her mouth to protest, then paused. After a moment she closed her mouth and nodded as Genma glanced at her.

Genma stared at her for a long moment, then looked back at his daughter. “So, what would I have to do? Leave you and your bitch alone? Are you trying to buy what you can't win through honest fighting?”

Moon found herself stepping away from her suddenly tense younger sister as the temperature around the redhead dropped, then hastily caught her balance as she slipped on the frost radiating out from around Ranma's feet. For the first time in months, Ranma had called on the Soul of Ice.

“Ya know, Pop, the only reason I'm here is `cause Akane's gotten good enough that she can kill ya if ya attack her, so don't push yer luck.” Taking a deep breath, she continued, “No, I'm not here ta pay ya off ta leave us alone. There's a fight comin' up, a big one. We need all the high-level fighters we can get. Join us fer the entire fight, and I'll see to it ya live comfortably fer the rest of yer life, without liftin' a finger.”

Genma stared angrily at his daughter for a long moment, then nodded curtly. “I'm in, when and where?”

“Not sure yet, it's up ta the people doin' the attackin', though we'll have enough forewarnin' ta get into position fer an ambush. I'll let ya know when we do.” The redhead waved a hand, then tossed her father a roll of yen she'd plucked out of thin air. “Here's a down payment, go get drunk or somethin'.”

Genma untied the roll, and his eyes widened at the number and denominations of the bills. In a flash, he was out the front door and gone. Ranma closed her eyes and sought her center, doing her best to ignore the worn-feeling despair radiating from her mother, and reached out to sense the ki filling the space around the three, then relaxed. “He's gone fer real. Come on, Mom, we're headed out ta grab somethin' ta eat.”

“I will need some time to prepare,” Nodoka said. “Do you wish to wait that long?”

Ranma waved it off. “Naw, just some clean clothes, no need ta go all formal, it won't be that high-scale — just some fast food and a chance ta talk.”

“Of course. Please, make yourselves at home while I get washed up and changed,” the older woman said, pasting on a smile, and hurried from the room.

As the two knelt back down at the low table, Moon leaned over to whisper, “Ranma, she can't stay here.”

Ranma nodded. “Agreed. Somethin' else ta talk ta Puu about.”

“Oh, so that's where the money came from, I'd wondered.”

“Uh, actually, that was our food money,” Ranma admitted, shamefaced. “I'll have ta see if Puu'll spot me enough money ta replace it when I talk ta her `bout Mom an' Pop.”

“You mean you didn't clear it with her before making the offer to your father!?” Moon hissed, exasperated.

Ranma shrugged. “No, it didn't occur ta me `til we were almost here. But considerin' how old Puu is and her ability ta look at the future she's gotta be rich, right?”

“Well, yes,” Moon admitted, “but it's the principle of the thing. You can't just go around making promises for other —”

She broke off as Nodoka swept back into the room, dressed in a fresh kimono and her hair back into place, her smile more natural now. Ranma relaxed slightly at the happiness driving away the pain her mother had been radiating. “So, where are we going?” Nodoka asked cheerily.