Splitting Heirs
By Jeffrey Vasquez
Disclaimer:
All characters portrayed in this story are owned by their respective
creators
and companies. All others belong to me.
Author's Notes:
After over six months of agonizing , I've come to understand something
about
the creative process. It cannot be forced, it cannot be enticed, and it
cannot be begged to
come forth. I am a slave to my creativity, which means that it comes out
when it's darn
good and ready.
I apologize deeply for the length of time that it has taken to get this
out. I
wanted to be one of the first authors to generate a regularly scheduled
Tenchi fic that
came out every month.. But it didn't happen that way.
Sorry.
On a happy note, chapter five is shaping up well. So there is hope that
things
will pick up again.. Don't count on it though.
********
Chapter Four:
Of Men and Mice
or
Raiders of the Lost Stomach
********
The Camarris Sector. Low orbit over Camarris Prime.
Former Commodore Kohtetzu, Daughter-Heir of House Maiyabi sat in her
Ready Room tallying the latest reports on recruitment to the Henka Movement
against
Azusa and Jurai's Supreme Council. It had been a grueling seventeen years
of masked
movements and shadowed assaults on the hypocrisy of the Juraian government,
but
thanks to some well laid plans and secretive support from her "benefactors",
Kohtetzu
had done well for herself.
Well over two hundred ships from various colonies throughout the Imperium
backed her movement, and an estimated forty five-thousand supporters had
pledged
themselves to her cause. Her superiors would be pleased with her rapid
progress.
She continued with reading the report, and made mental notes of where the
force
needed to be strengthened and where her resources were beginning to
stagnate.
Decisions and compromises were made where needed, before she moved onto the
latest
intelligence reports.
Prince Yosho was still in hiding, and the Succession was beginning to be
questioned by several of the Great Houses. The Houses of the Root would
soon begin to
squabble over which of Azusa's cousins was worthy of assuming the throne,
and then the
Houses of the Trunk would fall in behind their favored House, leaving the
Minor Houses
of the Branch to pick up whatever miniscule scraps were left.
She shook her head, bewildered. A seven hundred year absence from the
Royal
Court was a tad much, even for Azusa's spoiled heir. Why would Prince Yosho
abandon
all that power for anonymity?
A faithful mole among Azusa's entourage had reported that the Emperor was
currently visiting some backwater planet on the edge of the Imperium;
information that
was confirmed by one of her superiors. The big question on everyone's mind
was: Why?
She had her opinions, the least of which being that the Emperor had finally
found Yosho.
But she was as in the dark as everyone else as to his majesty's reasons.
The Ready Room seemed to dim for a moment, as the power of her ship
fluctuated, causing Kohtetzu to leap from her chair and join her staff on
the bridge. An
Uni Scimitar was known for it's stability and fortitude, which was why
Kohtetzu had
chosen it for her flagship. Power fluctuations only happened in the
presence of Jurai
ships. The thought of facing a second, or even a third generation
battleship chilled the
rebel leader to her bones.
"Status?" Her voice was steady and cold, the command cut across the shock
and fear that
gripped the bridge crew.
"Second Generation Cruiser, m'lady. Holding position off our port bow and
hailing
friendly." The Pilot said mechanically. Kohtetzu looked at the male
standing below her
with a raised eyebrow.
Dennin was a part of the Nemuae; the left overs of Jurai's ancient caste
system.
The Forgotten were, in the eyes of Jurai, little more than a disease that
needed to be
eradicated. For Kohtetzu, they had become the main body of her freedom
fighters.
Dennin, like many of his kind had become fanatical tools in the service of
her
cause. And while she thought of him in much the same way that the rest of
Jurai did, she
at least gave him and his brethren a cause and a purpose.
"Markings?" She need not have asked. She knew that ship like the back of
her hand.
But pretenses needed to be maintained.
Dennin checked his database, and then swallowed heavily. When he spoke
again, his voice trembled. "T. . .th. . . The J. . .joh. . .Joh. . . ." he
swallowed, desperately
trying to work enough moisture back into his mouth to speak. "The Johei, m'
lady."
There was a sudden nervous rustling throughout the bridge as Scimitar's
staff looked
upon Jurai's most vicious ship. Or rather the ship captained by Jurai's
most vicious man.
"STAND FAST!" She bellowed to her bridge compliment. "Bossan!"
A green skinned beauty looked up from her tactical and swallowed hard.
"Yes,
ma'am!" Her voice squeaked.
"Secure me an open channel, and patch it through to my Ready Room."
"Yes, ma'am!"
She glanced over her crew a moment before smiling. "The fact that we're
alive
still means that we might have found a sympathizer to the Cause, ladies and
gentlemen.
If all goes well here, the Johei will remain our secret." She sent a cold
gaze sweeping the
room. "Any wagging tongues will be cut out. Do I make myself clear?" The
bridge
crew was silent not daring to move. "Well? Do I?"
"YES MA'AM!"
Kohtetzu smiled agin at her crew and nodded once before returning to her
Ready
Room. The time had finally come to start laying out the real ground work
for the
reformation of Jurai.
********
The Misaki kitchen, or what was left of it at least.
A moment of panic surged through Ranma's body as a meaty, purple tentacle
wrapped itself around his throat and face, dragging him through the window.
The monstrosity smelled like vanilla, and the oozing slime that coated the
underside of the tentacle tasted a lot like... wasabi? Terror immediately
filled Ranma's
heart as he fought against the inescapable pull of the creature.
Akane had been cooking again.
Ranma moaned, wondering what Gods he had offended as the creature tightened
its embrace.
*******
Washuu had seen nearly a billion different life forms, many of which she,
herself, had created, but this . . . thing, for lack of a better, term
boggled her mind. The
thing was amorphous, but in a constant phase shift; changing from one
element to the
next at the speed of thought. Liquid titanium transformed into a dense gas,
that, from the
way it still held Ranma, was very tactile. It made several more similar
mutations in rapid
succession, before returning to its base, rubbery, purple form.
She called up her terminal and began to run a detailed analysis, and
drooled with
envy at the complexity of the genetic material that she discovered. She had
to know how
this had been created! Her brows furrowed in disbelief as she began
analyzing the data.
She looked up from her terminal and stared long and hard at the creature;
flabbergasted.
She wasn't sure how they had done it, but the science never lied. The
creature
was a giant, mutating, chocolate chip, tabasco sauce, and Jello
monstrosity. Never in her
twenty thousand, plus, life span had she ever thought of the domestic arena
as a valid
school the sciences. But someone, and she had a good idea who, had just
proven her
wrong.
*******
Ryoko groaned as another slimy tentacle slapped itself across her face; the
smell
alone made her want to lose her lunch. She was sure that Ayeka had somehow
done this
on purpose, just to get back at Ryoko for the sorbet incident. But that was
months ago,
and Washu had gotten the stains out of the slippers just fine.
It was either that, or a sign of the Universal Apocalypse. Ryoko grappled
with
the tentacles in growing frustration. This thing was almost as perverted as
she was!
There had to be a way to turn this whole thing to her advantage....
Another look in Tenchi's direction solidified her course. She inhaled
deeply,
and let out the most girlish squeal that she could muster. It always worked
in the movies,
so why not here?
*******
Tenchi's shouting voice and Ryoko's squeal, brought the other denizen's of
the
house into the kitchen, much to Ranma's discomfort. He wished that his suit
wasn't so...
revealing. Ayeka, Kasumi, Sasami, and Akane could only stare at Ranma and
blush
furiously.
"I guess he really is a man among men." Nabiki said from her place next to
Nodoka and
Funaho near the door.
The middle Tendo's steamy smile made Ranma want to run and hide. Mother
and Great-Grandmother nodded their heads in unison, as similar thoughts of
little
grandchildren scampered through their heads.
Kasumi nodded her head absently to the remark, but her eyes were no longer
on
Ranma, but on something much, much more interesting. Washuu's
Holo-terminal. She
peered over Washuu's shoulder and tried to catch a glimpse of what the
little red headed
scientist was doing. The eldest Tendo was amazed to find a recipe for
chocolate chip
Jello molds, and a detailed, chemical, analysis of whipped cream. In no
time at all the
self-proclaimed greatest scientific mind in the universe, began dialoguing
with a very
curious Kasumi about the miracle of the Culinary Sciences.
A feverish gleam seemed to settle in Kasumi's eyes as the discussion took a
more creative turn. Both women began trading tips and ideas on various
desserts and
pastries, that would revolutionize the way the galaxy snacked. Kasumi didn'
t understand
very much of what Washu was saying; but she made a silent vow to learn.
"RYOKO!" Tenchi's voice brought everyone back to the dilemma at hand. The
young
prince had finally made it through the window and took in the scene with
growing horror.
The Master Key sparked to life majestically in his white knuckled fists.
Ayeka glared daggers at Ryoko, who simply allowed the beast to fling her
around dramatically. Her fake cries for help sent Tenchi into a frenzy, and
set Ayeka to
boiling. The crown princess knew very well that the hussy could teleport
anytime that
she wanted to! She was just playing this up to get Tenchi!
Unfortunately for Ayeka, there was very little that she could do without
putting
herself in danger as well. A calculating gleam entered her lavender eyes;
one that would
have made Nabiki envious.
She'd have to plan it perfectly in order to make it believable, but there
was no
way in Hell that she was going to let that floozy get any of HER Tenchi!
Er. . . that was
to say. . .any of his attentions.
That honor fell to her.
She blushed as a very sordid thought entered her mind, and a goofy little
grin
split her face.
******
Akane waved her hand in front of her new friend's eyes for a very long time
before getting any response from the purple haired princess. She had
expected the other
girl to look surprised, but the hungry look of determination that decorated
Ayeka's face,
was the last thing Akane thought she would see. Ranma's family was turning
out to be as
weird as he was.
Not that this was any great surprise.
Speaking of Ranma, Akane's eyes tracked the thrashing tentacles until she
located her reluctant fiancee. The skin tight body suit caused her cheeks
to burn, and her
heart to pound. She quickly glanced around the room, hoping that no one had
noticed,
and found that the only two people that were even remotely looking in her
direction were
Nabiki and Sasami.
The youngest Tendo could tell by the glazed and flushed looks on the two
girls'
faces, what. . . or rather who they were looking at. She snorted at the way
Ranma was
displaying himself for the entire world to see! The pervert just had to
show off!
Akane moved over to Sasamai and covered the young princess' eyes. Much to
Sasami's hearty disapproval. This was getting way out of hand, and it was
way past time
to put a stop to it.
Ayeka sidled up next to Akane, seemingly of the same mind. The two women
chose their targets, took a deep breath, and let their indignation and
embarrassment find
voices.
"RANMA!"
"RYOKO-SAN!"
All heads in the room turned in unison to the commanding, imperial tone in
the
voices; even the Chocolate Chip-Jello monster. Ayeka smiled approvingly at
Akane.
The girl would make a wonderful addition to the family.
********
The Camarris Sector. Low orbit over Camarris Prime.
Kohtetzu sat in her Ready Room, tapping the hard wood arm of her chair
anxiously. Her discussion with the Admiral had been brief, and to the
point. As was the
case when the man spoke to anyone.
"I will be boarding your vessel. Lower your shields."
That was all that he had said. But, that was all he needed to say. His
presence
here alone was proof that the time table had been stepped up. It was an
exciting, but
sobering thought. She hoped that the People's Liberation Front was ready to
weather the
storm that was about to be unleashed on them. The fact that their numbers
were still
short by sixteen percent, was enough to set anyone's nerves on edge.
Kohtetzu's thoughts were interrupted by a tall, powerfully built man,
materializing before her. The woman scrambled to her feet, and bowed to her
commander reverently.
"Are your troops ready Commodore?" His voice always reminded her of the
Great Void;
cold and empty of life, but hiding ruthless mysteries.
"My recruitment is ahead of schedule Admiral Tozin, and their training
exceeds
expectations. I estimate that eighty percent of our force is battle ready."
Tozin nodded, causing Kohtetzu to sigh inwardly. "This is favorable
Commodore. You are to be commended for your efforts." The compliment
stunned the
woman, almost to the point of collapse. The Admiral was a perfectionist,
and a
compliment from him meant something.
"I will be taking command from this point out. The situation is delicate,
and the
Brotherhood are expecting results." Kohtetzu bowed. "However, considering
your
record and your consistency in this effort, I would like to invite you to
stay on as my
assistant."
Khotetzu could only nod.
"Very good. Now then, on to business. In the Emperor's absence. . . ."
The planning
lasted for four grueling hours. Complex schedules were drawn up, outlining
where she
and her assault forces were to be at any given moment. Despite the risk of
the campaign,
Khotetzu knew that the PLF would control Jurai in the end.
Her honor would be restored, and those that had destroyed her life would in
turn
be destroyed. As Tozin left, Khotezu began laying the ground work of her
own plans.
******
The Masaki Kitchen
Ranma and Ryoko turned at the sound of their names. The sight of Ayeka and
Akane glaring at them, with their fists planted firmly on their hips made
the two groan.
Ranma wondered what he was going to get blamed for now, while Ryoko flipped
Ayeka
an obscene gesture.
The First Princess of Jurai ground her teeth furiously, and Akane backed
away
from her new friend as tiny logs appeared around the other girl's body. The
logs alone
didn't seem all that dangerous, but the energy that arced hungrily between
them was a
healthy deterant.
The monster was feeling neglected, and decided to make itself known by
trying
to use Ranma as a hammer against the two girls. Ryoko squealed in mock
distress,
crying out to Tenchi. "Oh! Tenchi save me!"
Ranma howled in genuine frustration, while Washuu snickered from her place
near Kasumi..
Akane jumped out of the way barely avoiding her fiancee's plummeting body.
Ayeka however wasn't so lucky. The momentum of Ranma's decent carried the
martial
artist and the Princess to the floor in a very compromising position.
Ayeka and Akane could have been twins in their reactions. Their faces
turned
bright red, for very different reasons, while their eyebrows began to twitch
violently. For
Ayeka, the whole situation wouldn't have been so bad, had it been Lord
Tenchi instead of
Lord Ranma. Not that she had anything against Yosho's other grandson; he
was certainly
handsome enough, and the way his muscles rippled. . . .
The Crown Princess shook her head to clear the images out of her mind. **I
must remain true to Lord Tenchi!** she thought to herself stiffly. It was
hard to keep her
thoughts focused and. . . clear, due to the fact that Ranma kept squirming
in an attempt to
free himself from the monster's clutches. The sensations were. . .
memorable to say the
least.
"PERVERT!" The voice was like thunder, and the force of a mighty blow
rocked Ayeka
where she lay. The sudden sense of freedom left Ayeka feeling at a loss.
She allowed
her gaze to climb up to a seething, irate Akane.
The youngest Tendo heard something about "excessive force not truly
necessary" and "she could have waited just a little longer", and decided
that everyone in
the world except her was depraved.
Ranma tried to pry himself out of the monster's sticky forehead, stuck as
he was
from the tip of his head down to his waist in a slimy purple substance. The
wiggling and
jiggling caused Akane to blush beet red and to avert her eyes, which for
some reason
wouldn't stay averted. Akane could see from the glazed looks on many of the
female
faces that they were enjoying the show a little too much.
Poor Sasami struggled against Misaki, trying to get a look at what everyone
else
found so interesting. That, in and of itself, made Akane feel twice as self
conscious.
There was a groan from the beast, as Ranma finally freed himself from its
amorphous strangle hold. Akane took it upon herself to get her fiancee into
some proper
clothing, before someone passed out from a loss of blood.
"RANMA!"
The martial artist whirled on his fiancee, sending streams of slime across
the
kitchen. "WHAT!" The vehemence in Ranma's voice caused Akane to back up a
step.
She hated it when this happened. Here Ranma was embarrassing the daylights
out of her, and now he had to lay into her to boot. Well, she wasn't going
to back down.
Not now, or ever. She would prove to him that she could be his equal; she
would make
him respect her like she deserved.
"Stop playing around and put some decent clothes on!" There was an audible
moan from
the rest of the women in the room; surprisingly Kasumi was foremost among
the
moaners. Akane stared at her eldest sister a moment, and then chanced a
look at the
others.
Washuu, Nabiki, and Misaki were all leering openly at Ranma's finely toned
body; while Nodoka and Funaho giggled girlishly between themselves and
started
planning for grand-kids. . . . All of this plus the fact that Ranma was
pointedly ignoring
her, sent Akane over the edge.
"RANMA!" The boy in question swung on her, whipping more slime in every
conceivable direction.
"WHAT NOW!" He growled loudly, holding a tentacle at bay while trying to
avoid the
one that was sneaking up behind him.
"Are you listening to a word that I'm saying?"
". . . no." He murmured. He had wanted to yell, but that was difficult
while something
was strangling you.
"Why not?" Akane felt really stupid for even asking. Ranma was in the
middle of a
battle after all.
******
He was speechless, more because the creature had cut off his air supply
than for
lack of things to say. Of all the stupid things to ask! And now, of all
times too! Ranma
knew that for as long as he lived, he would never understand women or their
logic.
The one thing that he did understand, was how sick and tired he was of
being
brow beat, mauled, and generally abused by people that he should have been
able to trust.
The injustice of the whole situation hit Ranma like a ton of bricks; and the
more that he
thought about it, the more upset he became. He was tired of not living up
to the standards
that everyone else set for him.
He pried one tentacle off at a time, with a strength born from his anger.
The
coldness in his eyes made even the creature wary. "Why not? Why not!" His
voice was
hoarse and dry with contempt.
Just once, he would like to have lived his life for himself. But that
seemed
impossible now. He was a Prince now, which meant that he would have to do
sissy
prince stuff! For the love of Heaven! He was tired of being obligated to
live his life a
certain way!
Well, no more. From here on out he was going to be his own man. No more
oppression. No more obligation. No more Mr. Nice Guy!
******
Nabiki shook her head and planted her face in her hand. Akane was an idiot
sometimes. She loved her sister to death, but the girl just didn't know
when to reign in
her pride. Maybe that's why she and Ranma were such a good match. The pair
had so
much in common that it was scary.
As the scene played out before her, Nabiki could feel the tension build.
That
uncomfortable sensation of something big about to happen, floated in the air
causing
everyone to hang on Ranma's words. A monumental change was about to occur
in their
lives. Again.
She looked at Kasumi, and saw her own feelings confirmed in her sister's
eyes.
Maybe it was the way that Ranma was glowing, or perhaps the way that Nodoka
clenched
her fists until her knuckles were white. It didn't matter, in the end the
change would still
come. The signs were all there. And the look of righteous anger on poor
Ranma's face
was something that she had expected to surface long before tonight. She was
surprised
that he had lasted this long without cracking.
The big question on everyone's mind wasn't when Ranma would blow, but how.
******
Akane didn't like the way that Ranma was reacting to her question. She had
never seen him look so . . . so scary. She had expected him to be angry, to
throw barbed
insults, or lash out in some other way. But he just sat there, not saying a
word, glowing a
bright blue.
Funaho touched Ayeka's arm and motioned for the young princess to back
away. The tension grew greater as the monster tried exerting more pressure
on its
captive. Ranma countered its attacks unconsciously, dancing and weaving on
an unerring
path toward Akane.
He mouthed something that Akane couldn't hear, which frustrated her to know
end. "What did you say?" She asked impatiently. He had no right to act
this way over a
simple little question. He was the one that was embarrassing her.
Ranma dodged.
"I said you ain't got nothin' to say, that I wanna hear!"
******
Ranma knew that he had hurt her the instant that the words had left his
mouth.
He couldn't take them back, and he wondered if he really wanted to.
******
A cold, blue aura sprung up around Akane's body, more than matching Ranma's
in intensity. "Is that so?"
"Yeah!" Ranma said ducking under a wild swing by the monster. "Yer always
yellin' at
me, callin' me names and stuff. Even when it ain't my fault."
The gathered spectators were amazed that the pair could argue during a
battle.
Misaki was really impressed with Ranma's reflexes, as he hopped over yet
another futile
strike from the creature.
"Not your fault!" Akane said in disbelief. "You mean to tell me that
Shampoo wasn't
your fault?" Everyone looked to Ranma for his response.
"How the Hell was I supposed to know what the sign said? I don't speak
Chinese!" The
group's gaze shifted to Akane.
"As if that's an excuse! You had the guide there as your translator!"
Ranma could feel the collective stares settle on him again. "Oh yeah! Well
I'm
not the only one who doesn't listen, when it's important!"
Akane was getting really perturbed with the way Ranma was dragging this
out.
The others were treating this like some sort of tennis match, and it was
totally getting on
her nerves. Why couldn't Ranma ever stop and think about how his actions
affected her?
"Is that so?" She said, crossing her arms beneath her breasts. "Prove it."
Ranma stared at her for a moment, and then at everyone around him. He
blocked an incoming strike with his forearm, and danced out of the way of
the monster's
reach.
When his body came to rest on the ground again, he simply closed his eyes
and
hung his head. He didn't want to be here. He wanted to run, but the
presence of his
mother and grandfather stopped him. He wasn't a coward. He would face this
battle like
he did any other: head on. He lifted his eyes to meet Akane's, forcing her
to look away.
The room fell silent, as if the world had stopped.
"You never listen to me." Akane turned back to him and opened her mouth to
offer a
biting retort, but the way Ranma just stood there, stopped her.
******
The Chocolate Chip Jello monster was tired of the chase. The fast one was
more
work than it was worth. Oh, sure, it might taste scrumptious; but that was
just conjecture.
For all it knew, the thing might be sour or stringy. No, it was time to
focus on different
prey.
It looked at the spiky one in its grasp and unceremoniously dumped it to
the
floor. The monster was sure it would get indigestion with that morsel.
Hmmm. What
else?
Too sweet. It's gaze passed over Kasumi quickly and took in Washuu next.
Too spicy. Heart burn for sure.
Too furry. Besides the hairballs that it would get from that little snack
would be
horrendous.
Too small. Perhaps that one would do for an after dinner mint though. . . .
It
had the right coloring. Sasami was very thankful that the creature seemed
to move on.
As its gaze fell on Misaki, the whole thing's body quivered in revulsion.
Whoa!
Waaaay too sweet! For the love of pudding! If it ate that one, he wouldn't
sleep for
weeks! How could anyone put that much sugar into anything?
Hmmm. No. Too pretty. Those two would work well for garnishes though.
Nodoka and Funaho didn't even notice the thing as their attention was fully
on Ranma
and Akane at the moment.
So many choices left though! The thing hated smorgasbords! His optical
receptors were always bigger than its stomach. Sigh! It would have to take
this slowly
and pace itself. Now then, where to start the feast?
Its gargantuan stomach grumbled loudly as Akane came into view. Plump,
without the grisle this morsel would be the perfect start to is eating
marathon.
******
Kasumi found it odd that a monster could blush, but she remembered the time
that she had been shopping and had forgotten to eat her breakfast. Her
tummy had
grumbled almost as loud as Mr. Jello Monster's. She had been embarrassed
too.
Maybe she could make him something to tide him over until breakfast. The
way
that it was eyeing Akane wasn't good for its health. Nope, not in the
least.
******
Akane took one look at her fianc�e, and saw that she had lost the battle.
The
fact that Ranma was right made it even worse. Not that she would ever admit
that he was
right; his ego was big enough as it was, without her helping it along.
She looked around at her sisters and Ranma's newly extended family, and
cringed. Why did he have to do this to her?
Boyfriend's weren't supposed to embarrass. . . .
Boyfriend!?! Since when had she started considering him her boyfriend?
******
The silence was deafening as the crowd watched Akane expectantly. The
monster took this distraction as a sign to gorge, while its prey was
stunned. It reared up,
roaring loudly and flailing its tentacles about madly. It was a nightmarish
sight that
would have sent the average mortal howling mad.
Unfortunately for it, this group was anything but average.
Funaho and Misaki glared up at the descending creature, and quickly silenced
it. . . forever. Few acts of violence have ever been so swift and viciously
final. Washuu
was more than a little disappointed at the tiny, floating motes of glowing
matter that were
left over. There was no way that she'd ever get a good enough sample for
study.
******
Boyfriend.
Akane tested the word uncertainly. It tumbled in her mind ceaselessly,
refusing
to go away or be ignored. The whole concept was forcing her to see the
young man in
front of her in a new light.
Sure, he was crass, and insensitive at times, but she had never met a more
loyal
person in her life. He was backward and na�ve, but vigilant; he had always
been there
when she had needed him most. She had fought so long and hard to remain
aloof , but as
she looked deep into Ranma's piercing eyes, Akane realized that she had lost
this battle
long ago.
Perhaps, even that very first day.
Is this what she really wanted though? There were so many new variables to
think about now. Ranma was an alien, or at least his grandfather was. He
was also a
prince, and possible heir to a throne. She didn't even want to think about
the problems
that went along with these new issues. She was still having enough problems
dealing
with all of his other quirks.
He was not the kind of man that she had always dreamed of. The jerk didn't
have a romantic bone in his body, and his ego could eclipse the sun. Akane
shook her
head, but did not take her eyes off of her fianc�e. The goofy, clueless
look on his face
made her want to laugh.
No. No one would ever mistake him for Prince Charming. Yet, he was a
prince.
A loyal, self sacrificing, alien, prince. A thoughtful look blossomed on
her face, and
quickly turned to an expression of wonder.
The Universe is filled with magical and miraculous events: the birth of
stars, the
conception of planetary systems, and new forms of life. None of these could
compare to
the radiance that accompanied the acceptance of a love long denied.
He had sacrificed so much for her. He had bled for her, he had thrown away
freedom to keep her whole, and he had even offered to walk away from the
engagement
to ensure her happiness. Three words, impossible to verbalize, had never
been necessary
at all. He had shown her how he felt.
His actions had been louder than words, and yet she had been deaf and blind.
Boyfriend.
No. That wasn't right. He was more than that to her. She wasn't ready to
accept it fully, at least not verbally, but maybe she could follow his
example. Actions
spoke louder and meant more than hollow words anyway.
For the first time since the failed wedding, Akane smiled at the thought of
a
relationship with Ranma Saotome. She took a deep, cleansing breath and
tilted her head
to the side to get a better look her fianc�e.
Her fianc�e. She liked the sound of that.
******
Ranma waited patiently for Akane to respond, doing his best not to fidget
beneath the united attentions of those gathered. The frenzied look in Akane
's eyes
should have brought him some sort of satisfaction, but he didn't.
He wasn't truly sure what he felt.
He looked away wondering why all of this was happening now. Why couldn't
she say something, or hit him? Anything was better than this silence. He
let his eyes
drift back to Akane, and was startled by the change that he found there.
The smile that he had faced death for time, after time, graced her lips
making
Ranma's heart pound in his chest. There was a subtle shift in the delicate
balance of
power between them, with that smile, and Ranma could feel that he was no
longer in
control here. Akane knew it too, and her smile deepened.
The whole change unnerved him to no end. He had expected her to lash out,
to
yell, and at the very least inflict an unwarranted amount of physical pain
on his person.
This tactic was entirely new to him, and he had no idea how to defend
against it.
He wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not. Her smile seemed awfully. .
.
possessive to him.
******
Akane decided that she liked Ranma like this; slightly off balance and
unsure of
himself. The look of nervous bewilderment, coupled with the way that he
scratched the
back of his head was just too adorable.
Not that she'd ever tell him that. His ego was large enough as it was.
As much as she wanted this to go on, Ranma had challenged her and there was
no way that she was going to walk away from that. She took another
cleansing breath
and walked over to him slowly. She could tell by the way that his eyes
widened, that he
was contemplating bolting for the nearest exit.
That was unacceptable. She scooped up his hands before he could move to
prevent his escape, and looked him squarely in the eye. She wasn't sure
whose hands
trembled more, but his touch sent electricity arcing through her body.
She had never been so bold before! Her voice, when she spoke, was little
more
than a whisper, meant for his ears alone. "I'm listening now."
Ranma did the predictable thing: he emitted a strangled "Eep!" and fell to
the
ground twitching.
******
Washuu was fascinated. Ranma and Tenchi were so very much alike, it was
uncanny! She looked from one to the other and back again, her finger
tapping her lips
absently. She knew that Juraians were generally up tight, but these two
boys were
ridiculously shy. There had to be some sort of genetic quirk involved.
Yosho had never
been this bad, and considering who Tenchi's dad was. . . well, Washuu just
knew that
there had to be some other force at work here. She needed to do more
testing! She
needed samples!
Everyone in the room that saw the feverish, glazed look on the scientist's
face
cringed and prayed for Ranma and Tenchi.
Before her plans could really gain any momentum, they were scattered to the
four winds by a loud siren and a flashing, red light that filled the entire
house. There was
only one thing that could set off that alarm. One thing, that when named,
sent a
foreboding chill and a sense of dread through Washuu. She didn't want to
name it.
Acknowledging its presence gave it power over you. But like the moth
mesmerized by
the flame, the mad scientist opened her mouth and whispered with terrible
reverence.
"Mihoshi."
Everyone in the room shuddered in unison.
******
Jurai
Segota sat in a plush chair that practically swallowed him. Being Royalty
had
its perks, and as he gazed at the holo-emitter that the Myraian had sold
him. He had
never been so haunted by a woman before. He had been in the company of
powerful
people before, but she had something that was. . . primal.
He couldn't categorize her.
"You're newest acquisition I presume?" The deep baritone voice caused
Segota's eyes to
close in irritation. The last thing that he wanted to deal with right now
was his father.
"Perhaps something more Father." He said carefully, causing the elderly
gentleman to
raise an eyebrow. "But, pray tell me, what brings the Lord of house Gotan
in from the
country estates?"
Lord Gotan looked a bit put out by his son's bored tone, but this form of
banter
had been the status quo since Segota had reached puberty. "If you must
know, I had a
dream." Segota's father smiled as his son sat up straight in the plush
chair.
The power of the Goddess ran strong through House Gotan, and the Lord Gotan
had been gifted with the power of foresight. His visions had directed the
empire for three
millennia, and had never failed to come to pass. What he saw was, and there
was no way
around it.
Segota watched the old man as walked over to the room's bar and pour himself
a
drink. "Well, Father? What did you see?" Gotan downed the stiff,
Sartesian brandy in
one gulp, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Segota noted the
dark circles
under the old man's eyes, and the weakness in his step. It was a sobering
sight for
Segota, who saw himself four thousand years from now, standing before him.
Lord Gotan smiled darkly at his son as he tottered over to the couch
opposite
Segota. "What did I see? Let me tell you what I saw. . ." He sneered.
Segota never saw
the hand strike, but he did feel the pain exploding in his jaw. Gotan
towered over his son,
despite the feebleness that Segota had noted earlier.
"What I saw, was my son," He spat the word as if it were the most vile
curse. ". . .
betraying his family and his people to traitors. Not once, but Twice! All
because of that,
that. . . woman!" He thrust an accusing finger at the holo-emitter, and
spat on his son.
Segota was stunned and appalled. But the truth of his father's visions
could not
be disputed. The grief in the old man's eyes was terrible to behold.
"You are no longer my son. I strip you of all title and rights that are
associated with the
glorious name of Gotan." His voice broke at the end, and the august Lord of
Gotan
slumped into the couch heavily. "Gather your belongings and leave my home."
There was little else that the Minister of Science could do, but stand and
leave.
The title meant nothing now, but it was all that he had left. No. Without
his house, even
that was going to be stripped from him. Segota breathed in deeply and
stood. If nothing
else, he would leave with all the grace and dignity that he could muster.
******
Lord Gotan watched his son leave through his silent tears. He wanted to
tear his
eyes out for the nightmares that he had seen. The thunder would come, and
Jurai would
fall. And his son was going to be in the thick of it. He should have told
him the rest of
the vision. It would have made parting easier.
But could Segota do what must be done with a full knowledge of his future?
Gotan turned his eyes to the heavens, and wept. "How many sons must I lose
to you
Goddess? You took Kagato from me, and now I will never see little Segota
again." He
shook his head sadly. "Your gifts carry a heavy burden."
******
Washuu's lab
Mihoshi didn't understand what the problem was. The door back
to the house was around here somewhere, she just had to find it. She
bumped into something and set off a number of loud, shrill alarms. The
noise woke Ryouga up and the two looked up at the flashing red crystals
that had begun pulsating rhythmically.
P-chan looked down at the button that the blonde woman had
bumped and then up at the ridiculously large sign above the machine. It
too was flashing menacingly, repeating one singular message over and over
again.
"Mihoshi you idiot! Mihoshi you idiot! Mihoshi you idiot! Mihoshi you
idiot!"
Ryouga and Mihoshi looked down at one of the panels and cringed.
Mihoshi read the sign out loud, tasting the words, but not really
understanding what they meant.
"Quantum Flux Balancer."
The Galaxy Police Operative and the tiny black pig exchanged
worried glances. It sounded awfully important, and the way the lights kept
flashing,
meant that Mihoshi had done something bad again.
"Uh Oh."
Ryouga "Bweed" nervously and buried himself deeper into
Mihoshi's arms. Something dreadful was about to happen, and somehow,
some way Ryouga knew it was all Saotome's fault.
******
End of Chapter Four