Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Mahou Sensei Negima! Fan Fiction ❯ In the Shadow of the Moon ❯ Chapter 31 - Angel's Wings ( Chapter 31 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

finally understand why Happosai was always saying "sweeto" when attacking Ranma-chan. One of my favorite web comic artists, John Joseco of "The Lounge", just posted a drawing of female Ranma on his adult fan art site (google search for thong revolution). So if your of legal age and not offended by non pornographic adult fan art go give it a look.

single quotes (' ') denote thoughts or telepathy
forward slashes (/ /) denote translated speech

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the series mentioned in this story. This story is created solely for entertainment and no intention of profit.

Chapter 31 - Angel's Wings

The raven haired woman smiles at the girl held close to her. The hope showing in the child's eyes almost enough to make the older woman cry. "I could wish that title belonged to me child, but I did not bring you into this world." Tomoyo gently pulls the girl closer with her large white wing. "If, however, you desire for someone to accept that title I am more than willing."

Setsuna can't find any words to adequately express herself with and settles for wrapping her arms around the woman's waist. Tomoyo uses her arms and wings to pull both girls close to herself while Setsuna sobs quietly.
Several minutes pass before the normally calm swordswoman regains her composure. "I heard your voice, I was lost in a sea of shifting images and you called me back." Setsuna says quietly without relaxing her grip.

"Your singing called the dreams of all those who fell under its power to be yours to see. I was glad I was able to show you the way back Set-chan." The older woman says quietly.

"Is Ojo-sama alright?" Setsuna asks with a blush while her arm wraps around the other girl.

Tomoyo grins at the girl. "She is just mentally exhausted. Her link to you caused her to be pulled into the dreams as well."

Setsuna buries her face in the older woman's chest and sighs when Tomoyo strokes her short hair. "Okaa-san if you are certain I am not your daughter by blood, who was my mother, and who are you that your voice made me feel a mother's love?"

"The last question is easier to answer than the first." Tomoyo answers quietly. "I am Diadoji Tomoyo. I guess you could say I am your aunt, In that I and your mother both have the same enchantress to thank for becoming sirens." Her voice continues with a world of gentleness and warmth. "My song held love for you because I have wanted to hold you and call you my own since you became part of Konoe Eishun's home."

Setsuna finds her chin being gently lifted by Tomoyo's hand. "The first part of your question is far harder and more painful to answer. The answer has no baring on who you are, but if you truly want to know I will tell you."

Tomoyo sighs sadly with the girls answering nod. "Your mother was a creature most recently known and feared in legend as the Yuki-onna. She would wander the high mountain passes and use her voice to draw victims into a deep sleep from which they would never wake. Unfortunately her crimes and her life go back much further even to ancient greece where she delighted in causing whole ships to crash and sink when the crews fell under her spell." Tomoyo gently places a finger over the girls mouth to keep her from speaking. "But you are not her and bare no guilt for her crimes."

Any further conversation is interrupted by a knock on the door to the bedroom they are in. Tomoyo quietly calls for the visitor to enter. A young woman with long red hair enters wearing a red victorian style dress and carrying a tray of food and drinks. Setsuna blinks for several seconds trying to decide if something had happened for Ranko to have grown ... taller... since they sang together.

"I am glad to see you are feeling better Set-chan." Kari says as she sets the tray on a table next to the bed the three women are sitting on. "I hate to pull you from these two girls Sensei, but once they both wake up and have something to eat could I ask you for help in the kitchen. I am afraid I was a bit unprepared for all of these guests."

Tomoyo glances at the still sleeping Konoka and then turns with a smile to Setsuna. "We did rather catch Kari-chan off guard. Would you mind looking after Konoka until she wakes and then you can both join us downstairs." Setsuna receives a kiss on the forehead when she quietly nods. Tomoyo gently lays Konoka down on the bed and separates herself from both girls. "If you need anything just think of me and I will be here in a moment."

Tomoyo and Kari leave through the bedroom door and Setsuna settles into the bed next to Konoka. As the door closes she finally notices the both of them had been dressed in matching frilly white sleep dresses.

Kari shakes her head and smiles at the older woman as they walk down the hallway. "I think Konoka's father might have some issues if you try to lay claim to both of the girls."

"Oh that reminds me, I promised to have diner with Eishun later this week." Tomoyo says with a grin. "I wanted to get his agreement to putting a full stop to these omiais the headmaster keeps planning for her."

Kari groans before putting a hand to her head. "You would seduce a girl's father to get him to let you look after his child."

"I have not seduced him." Tomoyo answers with mock hurt before grinning. "However, I have been dating him for several years now. If he were to ask me to marry him, I would accept because he is a wonderful man."

"Should I ask what you did to the headmaster to convince him to let you be the manager for the coed dorm on such short notice." Kari deadpans.

Tomoyo grins wickedly as they turn down the stairs to the lower floor. "Never underestimate the power of a kiss and a little flattery, especially on naughty older men. Though I admit to having kept tabs on things here for the last several years." The raven haired siren giggles. "It really is entertaining how he thought arranging so many possible matches with men twice her age would make a certain young mage more appealing to his granddaughter."

Kari shakes her head. "You have been planning this for years haven't you?"
"Not too long really." Tomoyo answers innocently as they leave the stairs and head to the kitchen. "Only since both girls came to school here."

The pair walk into a kitchen that looks like a larger version of the one in the Hinode Shrine, currently occupied by the Tendo girls, Ranko and her mother.

Nodoka looks up from the miso soup, she is closely supervising Akane preparing, as the two women enter. "How are your two girls doing Tomoyo-san?"

"They are both so adorable Nodoka-chan." Tomoyo replies lightly. "Little angels while asleep, now I wonder what devilry they will get into while awake."

Ranko looks up from where she was setting up the rice cooker. "So how much longer do you think everyone else will be asleep Tomoyo-sensei?"

"Hard to say with certainty, since I have only seen something like this once before." Tomoyo grins as Kari blushes. "They all are in good health and should be waking up in the next few hours." Tomoyo pauses to push up the sleeves on her white gown and starts helping Kasumi with kneading bread dough. "We should have time to get food ready to feed everyone. I am certain they will wake up hungry."

Nabiki smiles gratefully when Kari steps beside her and helps with chopping vegetables for stir fry. Leaning over towards the other girl she ask quietly. "So where is Eva, Negi, and Asuna?"

Kari smiles. "The link I created with her resort isn't stable so she took her students, that were awake, with her while she worked on completing the link." Kari grins and finishes with a wink. "I think she was nervous at how Sensei looked at her at the Karaoke-kan and is trying to keep her distance."

"So why are you so nervous with having your sensei around all of us?" Nabiki asks while trying to keep her voice from carrying.

"I don't mind her attentions myself, and there is worse things she could do then try to dress people, especially younger girls, in almost embarrassingly cute clothing." Kari sighs tiredly. "She just sometimes does not seem to realize when people are just too polite to say she is making them uncomfortable. I promised I would look after all the girls while they are here. Now I need to come up with some way to keep her occupied and away from the less than eager girls while they recuperate."

"Huu Whee, everything smells delicious in here." A lanky blond man says while entering the kitchen. "I am pretty good at cooking, Is there anything I can help with in here?"

"I believe we have all the hands we need for the moment Fay-san." Kari answers politely. "I suppose it is too much to hope Kurogane is going easy on his shoulder."

Fay raises his hands and shrugs helplessly. "He seems to be trying his best to outrun the crystal ants and those cute cabbits you have working on the grounds. He is using his other arm for hammering so he should be alright."

Nabiki shudders. "Why did you make six inch long crystal ants anyway?"

Kari chuckles. "It would be nice to have humanoid servants like Eva-chan. Unfortunately, I have not had demon hunters trying to kill me for several centuries as a resource to make them from." She finishes with a shrug. "So I settled for making something from an ant colony the groundskeepers were getting ready to destroy."

"I see the oven is not in use, are you sure I can't work on a desert?" Fay offers trying to move to more lighthearted topics. "I have been told my chocolate three layer cake is delicious."

Seeing the eager look from all the women in the room, Fay grabs an apron. "Perhaps I should make several then." Fay chuckles lightly when Ranko eagerly offers to help.

--

Sailor Mars made it home after the evening patrols. She sighed and shook her head at Haruka still having to stave off a nose bleed, hours after Kari had left.

"If the Witches Five had tried anything of that sort in our fight, half the outers would have been useless." Rei grumbles while laying out her books.
Rei begins working on her homework while idly thinking about how she might try to catch Ranma's attention, if they spend any time at all at the Nekohanten on Friday. Her mind wanders over Ranma being able to turn into the girl Ranko they met at the shrine.

These musings soon take more interesting turns, and one redhead is soon joined by a slightly taller one in provocative clothing.

Rei looks down at the drawing of curled batwings that had appeared on her calculus homework. "Oh Kami, I am turning into Haruka."

--

"I definitely will need to remember this in the future." Tomoyo giggles while looking over all of the girls now in the common room. "The smell of fresh chocolate cake and fudge icing will wake even the heaviest sleepers. I hope you took good notes Ranko-chan." The girl's eager nod earns another smile.

Tomoyo and Nodoka happily organized the distribution of the food they had been preparing, only having to chase a few overeager girls away from the set of chocolate cakes made for dessert.

Ranko sits down next to the tendo sisters with Inhoshi in tow. "So are you going to have a rematch against Mokona Ran-chan?" Nabiki asks with a grin, earning a groan from everyone else.

"That may not be a good idea imouto. I was hoping to at least try some of the ramen Kari brought." Kasumi says with a grin.

"I still don't see how that little creature could have eaten ten times its own weight." Ranko then says more heatedly. "And I did not loose an eating contest. I was just trying to eat something before the animated pork bun devoured it all."

--

In another room the white creature with bunny ears sneezes while sitting in Sakura-hime's lap. "Mokona is really popular." She says with a grin.

--

"Well you better try to catch up with the other bottomless pit there." Akane says between giggles while pointing at Ranko's empty plates and a too innocent seeming cabbit. Ranko just sighs and reloads her plates. After finally tasting it she turns to Akane. "The soup turned out really well Akane."

At another table Kari grins at the younger girl blushing at the compliment. "So you have experience creating magical humanoid automatons Fay-san."

"I created Chi using one of Sakura-san's feathers(1). If you can make another power source you might be able to do something similar." The former enchanter replies.

The two settle into discussing the particulars of the creation of magical constructs, sparing a few glances for Kurogane silently eating his food while watching Tomoyo. The swordsman rises and bows as they are joined by Tomoyo and Nodoka.

"Your larger than life reproduction of the hinode shrine is amazing Imouto." Nodoka says happily to Kari. "It does seem a bit barren without the trees though."

"Unfortunately Trees can't simply be built Onee-san." Kari says with a grin. "I do have some baby sakura trees that I have planted but I need to use a cheat to get them full sized. I was planning on doing that later tonight"

"That should be interesting to see." Nodoka grins. "Speaking of interesting things, Tomoyo tells me your wings are a sight to behold. Any chance I could get you to let me see them."

Kari makes a show of thinking about the request. "I will show everyone my wings, if you let me take that dark dye out of your hair."

"People would hardly recognize me then." Nodoka says quietly.

"You don't need to hide from father anymore." Kari reaches over and takes her sisters hand. She then gets a more naughty grin. "Besides Takahata-sensei would be floored to see your beautiful hair in its true glory."

Nodoka protests for a while longer, but finally agrees. Kari grins and brings Ranko over. "Your Okaa-san has finally agreed to stop hiding."

At her child's puzzled expression Nodoka clarifies. "For as long as you have been alive, I have been dyeing my hair darker so I would not stand out so much. Kari promised to let everyone see her wings if I would let her remove the dye. I wanted to tell you the truth before I let her do so."

Ranko smiles and hugs her mom. Kari takes this as her queue to start. Very soon mother and daughter both are sitting with bright red hair. Nodoka smiles at her sister in expectation.

Kari sighs and with a rush of wind her wings appear. Kari looks up at everyone's hushed silence. Kari glances at the nearby table with Setsuna, Negi, Asuna and Konoka.

Kari just has time for a small 'eep' before nearly every girl in the room rushes at her with a yell of "Kirei"

--

In a room on the third floor a conversation is interrupted by the commotion from downstairs, and the room went silent except for the normally reserved and mysterious teacher breaking down in giggles.

Li Sakura decided now was a good time to take a break from hearing about her son and counterparts adventures. The others had been nice enough to let them talk privately for most of the preceding evening and morning.

Inviting the young couple downstairs with her to get something to eat, they almost make it down the last set of stairs when they hear a shriek.

"WOULD ALL OF YOU STOP THAT!!"

Both the women break down in giggles when they enter the room, Syaoran just stares. In the common room he finds Kari blushing nearly as red as her hair while more than a dozen girls, including her niece and sister, run their fingers through her glowing feathered wings(1).

Kari's wings glow as though they were white and reflected the light of an unseen aurora, hypnotic patterns of color slowly shifting across the feather's surface. Both Fay and Kurogane are literally floored looking up at the girls wings.

The elder Sakura grins at Tomoyo sitting of to the side. "Should I help her Tomoyo-chan?" Both of the women giggle at a plaintive wail of "Auntie" from the young enchantress.

Sakura pulls a black and gold key pendent from the neck of her dress. "Key that holds the power of the stars. Reveal your true form to me. I, Sakura, commands thee under our contract. Release." The key transforms into a shimmering obsidian baton topped with a golden star contained in a black circle with golden wings on the outside.

Taking two cards from a pocket of her dress she continues. "Release and Dispel: The Glow, The Illusion." The cards disappear into smoke, and at the same time the glow from Kari's wings expands into a true Aurora Borealis through out the room. This new event distracts the women around Kari enough for her to get loose and bolt through the open shogi into the rock garden. The patterns of light float gently on the air in the wake of her wings.
Sakura-sensei soon allows the distraction to fade. Ranko is the first to recover, and approaches her aunt slowly. "Umm, I am really sorry Kari-nee, but your wings really are very pretty." The girls behind her quietly make similar apologies.

Kari sighs and walks up to her niece. "Thats pretty much the normal reaction people, especially girls, have when they first see my wings." Kari tests the other girl's resistance by wrapping Ranko in a hug with both her arms and wings. Kari smiles when there is no repeat attempt to grab her feathers. "Come on I have an idea you can help me with for practice." Kari waves to the others. As they walk off towards the growing dojo, they are soon joined by Akiri, Inhoshi, and Kaede.

After they walk away Syaoran finds his mother being asked rapid fire questions by a young boy with dog ears and a blond haired, dark skinned girl.

"That card trick was impressive Nee-san." The boy says.

The girl cheerfully asks her own questions. "It was Onmyodo? Can you teach me?"

"Thank you Kotaro-kun." Sakura replies and turns to the other. "It is more of a family style of magic I inherited Ku Fei-chan." Seeing the young woman seem to wilt at this statement Sakura continues. "It is fairly similar to Onmyodo and I can teach you about making charms while we are here." The teacher smiles at her new student's eagerness, the smile only increases when Kotaro quietly asks if he might participate too.

As his mother transforms the baton back into a key Syaoran whispers quietly to her. "That looks like a very different staff from the one you used before I left."

"I had to give that one up.(2)" Sakura confides in a quiet tone. "I went to the person who helped Clow Reed make the original for help to create this one. I am still having trouble controlling cards with attack abilities with it though."

Syaoran nods and offers to advise the other two youngsters with their new studies.

--

Ranko grins at the work she and Kari had accomplished with Akiri and Inhoshi's help. What had previously been a pile of aluminum and titanium scrap was now three figures with white angel wings in various poses. She looks to where Kari is inspecting the figures while humming a tune. "So Kari-nee, if you like to wear clothes like this why don't you around the academy."

"I try to keep a low profile to stay out of trouble." Kari coughs. "My last year of middle school I caused a good deal of trouble, The headmaster covered for me, but he does not want it to happen again."

"What kind of trouble could you have made." Ranko scratches her head in puzzlement. "I heard what happened at the end of the festival last year, and Negi said the headmaster laughed that one off."

"I won't give you all the details, but the event that capped the deal was pretty bad." Kari smiles sadly. "I used to love to sing. Sensei had to rescue me from a similar situation as Setsuna. Only in my case it was in the academy amphitheater during a singing contest with almost a thousand people in attendance. No one affected could remember the cause afterwords, so the headmaster officially stated it was a case of mild carbon monoxide poisoning from a faulty generator for the lights."

Ranko blinks at this revelation before Kari continues. "Even now I don't have perfect control. That is why I did not go with you and your friends."
"I did not fall asleep with Setsuna." Ranko says while hugging the older girl. "Maybe you could sing for me?"

Kari nods and begins to lead their group back to the sand garden. Ranko steps over a line of crystalline ants hauling materials to the dojo. "So, the ant colony worked out pretty well then?"

"I was able to put the worker drones to use here. The more aggressive ones I had to find a different use for." Kari replies mildly.

"Where are they?" Ranko ask cautiously.

"Don't worry," Kari responds with a grin. "I put them where they are out of the way and won't harm anyone here."

Ranko nods while releasing the breath she had been holding

--

Somewhere else a panda screams causing a cackle from a certain puppet.

notes:
Yuki-onna - Snow Woman - a spirit or yokai in japanese folklore. Blamed for a peoples death from frostbite in high mountain passes

Huu Whee - Fay can't whistle or at least claims not to be able too several times in the manga. So instead he says the sound of a whistle.

(1) The first time we see Fay in TRC he is talking with a furry eared version of Chi from Chobits. Much later in the series he explains how he came across two of Sakura's scattered memory feathers and used one to create Chi.

Kirei - beautiful, fair

(2)In the Negima manga they hint that Setsuna's wings are very sensitive to being touched, when touched by another person at least. This is demonstrated when she and Asuna are bathing together under a waterfall in the magical world, and the other girl helpfully tries to clean her wings for her. She does not have a similar reaction when using them to fly or fight. This seems strange to me, and makes me think it is a reaction to them being in contact with another person. Seems harmless enough to make a drawback for sirens

(3)Sakura gave the Yuko her staff as the price for her son to go on his original dimensional journey.