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Yay! It's that time again:
*** Earth 0.000,0.000
Kozo Fuyutsuki tapped a few times on the keyboard of his computer and
watched the information scrolling across his screen with interest.
The 'information' being that of a porn site. But Akiko 'Juggs' Takayami was
proving very informative in the way her massive chest seemed to deny that
the laws of physics existed.
An
image of Ranma Saotome, captured by one of the hidden cameras that had
been hastily installed in the walls of the dormitory before his special
training began, froze in mid-motion on the screen. The boy's scores
showed a modest increase in several areas, and Fuyutsuki was pleased.
He leaned back in his chair and stretched.
So they might have him and Tiger doing the 'Kitty Shuffle' then, eh? Won't
Nabby be happy if she stumbles on that particular tape?
It was finally the day of Ranma and Utena's rematch, to take place on
Feels awkward. I think 'rematch, an event to take place' sounds better to
me.
the grounds of Ohtori Academy this time. Unable to sleep due to his
anticipation about the outcome, Fuyutsuki had gotten up before dawn to
analyze Ranma's data. The boy was proving to be a most fascinating
case study, along with Nabiki Tendo and Kodachi Kuno. He was looking
forward to seeing what developed if Ukyo Kuonji could be added to the
mixture.
It will be akin to what effect an open flame has on room filled with pure
oxygen.
Unfortunately, from what Fuyutsuki had observed of the few visits to
the Imperial Academy grounds by Mikado Sanzenin and Tatewaki Kuno from
Whitehall, those two did not appear to be offering much of a challenge
for the boy.
So it would fall to making Ryouga an integral part of the cast soon to get
that desired challenge.
But there were other testing sites available in the local
region to draw from, such as Furinkan. A few Newtypes were undergoing
training there at that facility, and the recently-transferred Akane
Tendo was already interacting with one of them.
Must be Sakura then
Furinkan had recently
acquired a new headmaster, and Fuyutsuki reminded himself to schedule a
meeting with the man and acquaint him with the special students he
would be held responsible for instructing.
Heh. Gendou and Fuyutsuki: Together Again. It must be destiny.
Fuyutsuki had been spending the pre-dawn morning comparing Utena's and
Ranma's scores, the girl's having been provided by her own overseer,
Professor Hiro Fuji, the Headmaster of Ohtori Academy. Though they had
been friends and colleagues for many years, the smug look on the other
man's face when he had handed him the datadisk was still irritating.
Despite their friendship, Fuyutsuki was not about to lose a second
time.
Nor Ranma, for that matter.
However, Utena's numbers still remained within fifty basis points of
Ranma's, a result of some hard training that Fuji had apparently put
her through in the past week, and that left the situation in doubt.
The girl was a very strong contender, but then so was the boy. Still,
Fuyutsuki had a good feeling about Ranma's chances. The final sparring
session with Tiger had been most enlightening in that regard.
If he could get her with that 'Missionary Style' position, Ranma would win
for sure. :)
Ranma had used the boost.
Well, yeah, he could use that too, I guess.
Fuyutsuki tapped a few keys on his keyboard and advanced the time index
for the recording. The images rushed forward and then paused on the
desired moment. Frozen in recorded time on the screen, Ranma was just
getting back to his feet.
Copying this and selling Ranma and Tiger porno would net him millions when
he marketed the tape. They were such enticing creatures, after all.
Roughly a minute later, the boost subsided, switched off by subliminals
within Ranma's brain that monitored his metabolism. Without them in
place to limit the physical stresses placed on a human body, the boost
would eventually burn it out completely, despite even the regenerative
abilities of a Newtype. That had happened to a number of subjects in
the earlier stage of the Project.
Makes sense. Nice to show the early problems they had with the project.
Fuyutsuki paused the images on the screen and turned his chair to face
the window. He hadn't thought much about the Mark-I's in a while, what
with the Project now giving most of their attention to the Mark-II's.
The Project's scientists had produced a potent group of individuals,
each one superior to normal humans in every aspect, both physical and
mental. The problem was that they had egos to match.
Not that the Mark II's thus far seem that much better.
The small handful of remaining Mark-I's had been allowed their freedom,
using them in a final experiment to see how they would interact with
ordinary humans, and if their genetic gifts would be inherited by their
offspring. But it was quickly discovered that most normal women could
not conceive children from a Newtype male, due to the true nature of
how the enhancement process was done.
Wonder if normal women will have the same problem with Mark II's. Will make
for serious problems down the road if so.
The only exception to this had
occurred in one particularly remote village in China.
Gee. And we are left to wonder which one that is. :)
The final one of the group had also been the youngest, barely into his
adolescence upon his release into the world with the others. But this
one was special, created using genetic material taken from the previous
century's greatest warrior and general, Shishio Makoto, a Hero of the
Empire. The original had been responsible for many of the Empire's
greatest victories during the Colonial Wars, almost a century and a
half ago.
Obviously the kept his remains on ice. Sort of like Lenin, eh?
The original finally died in one of the War's final battles several
years later,
Led at the forefront, I see.
but his body had been preserved in the Mobius Institute's
vaults by Imperial Decree.
Right next to Muhusho Disney's.
The Empire's first (and only) attempt at
cloning a human had even been given the name of the original by the
Project's scientists,
Not that anyone would make the connection with the strong resembalance and
all. No sir. Not a chance.
memories into the cloned body, but they reportedly failed and further
efforts were halted. He was to be the only one of his kind, further
work on cloning having later been banned by Imperial Edict, and all
research materials destroyed.
Interesting. Guess that was one reason they became involved in creating
replicants and such. Keeps from blurring the line between property and
people by outlawing the creation of clones.
After his release into the world with the others, young Shishio Makoto
II had initially traveled with two of the males and one of the females
who had finally ended up settling in China, but his youthful wanderlust
drove him onward. He then vanished for several years. An Empire-wide
manhunt for him eventually ended in abject failure, the boy somehow
managing to evade the Security Directorate's efforts at finding him.
Well, it was a big world for one person to lose himself in.
he had resurfaced, Shishio was already gone, but he had not departed
alone. A young woman from the village traveled with him now, said to
be extraordinarily beautiful, and strong enough to hold his interest
for an extended period of time. The two of them then vanished once
again, but Fuyutsuki was certain that the world had not heard the last
of Shishio Makoto II.
Especially since the author had seen fit to give such an extensive
background to him. :)
folded behind his back. The Empire was leading the world into a new
era of human achievement, but its successes had spawned a number of
imitators. Project Phoenix was not unique in the world; other nations
struggled to duplicate its successes.
But of course, that is how the world works. One person building on the
successes of another to achieve even higher levels of success.
The efforts of the German's Human Instrumentality Project had come the
closest to achieving a rough parity with the Empire's successes at
eugenics, but their serum had turned out to be severely flawed. It
produced charismatic and physically attractive men and women, but they
had flawed psyches. The results of the German's efforts were arrogant,
borderline sociopaths at best and megalomaniacal psychotics at worst,
each of them possessing superhuman mental and physical abilities.
Oui. I ought to give a little more background on them at some point since
things are moving along so well now. :)
The German's
Germans (I think)
had reportedly killed all of their initial test subjects
when they grew to be uncontrollable, and the Empire's operatives had
terminated the scientists responsible as well as destroying all the
research. The world could rest much easier knowing that those twisted
monsters were all dead and buried, along with their mad creator, Keel
Lorentz.
Of course they are. Keep telling yourself that. :)
But Lorentz had been reported dead before, several times. It
would not surprise Fuyutsuki very much to learn that modern-day version
of Doctor Frankenstein had somehow turned up alive again, but he hoped
that the man was finally in his well-deserved grave. The world was
better off without his insane "vision" of the ultimate human.
As opposde to the Empire's version of the 'ultimate human' :)
Fuyutsuki watched the sun rising as his thoughts returned to the early
days of Project Phoenix. He had been a much younger man when he was
recruited, full of wide-eyed wonder at the Empire's daring, eager to
assist in the forging of a new breed of Humanity.
Not sure that needs to be capitalized.
to be some sort of feline atavism. He had subdued the catgirl quickly,
pinning her down after a rather brief wrestling match. When Ranma
began to groom Tiger with his tongue, Fuyutsuki raised one eyebrow at
the sight. He glanced at Ranma's scores, noting that they were now
even higher than his boosted capabilities, if not by much.
Heh. And so he finally bears witness to the true terror of the 'neko-ken.'
Wonder how he'll like that inexplicable psychosis.
Fuyutsuki stopped the playback at that point, unwilling to play voyeur.
And the fans booed for lack of fanservice.
He could guess what must have happened next between the two,
Making a litter box and sharing it and such.
especially
when Tiger began to respond in kind to the boy, with gentle kisses and
lingering licks of her own. After all, Ranma was a healthy human male,
presumably with a normal sex drive for his age, and Tiger was a comely
humanoid female.
Grown in a vat and part feline, but hey, what woman didn't have a few
faults?
Kinnosuke Kashuoh sleepily blinked his eyes open when morning sunlight
impinged on them.
He would have ordered the sun to go back down, but even his influence didn't
reach that far.
Most of her associates had by now been "persuaded" to leave her ranks,
swelling those of his own burgeoning organization, even though they
still acted as if the Tendo girl still retained their loyalty.
My, what a devious fellow. Nabby's going to be in for a rude awakening soon.
That
left only the Devil Hunter and Nabiki's two closest henchwomen as her
true followers, and they could be dealt with easily enough by his trio
of beautiful assistants.
Heh. Or so he thinks in Yohko's case.
He knew that all three catgirls desired to
present him with a beaten Nabiki as a gift, and he was touched by the
thought. But he desired to do that himself, to prove to the Tendo girl
his masculine superiority. But first, as an appetizer, he would break
Ranma Saotome right before her eyes
Everything was all going according to plan.
Which, of course means things were going to explode in his face eventually.
Lynx watched her beloved's actions in the mirror on the ceiling, her
eyes merely slits. Tiger had been the favored one last night, and Lynx
simmered with jealousy over that. Kinnosuke-sama had only made love to
her once last night. Panther had received the same. But Tiger had
received his attentions three times!
However, it was very curious how she kept calling out Saotome's name during
the entire time. Luckily, Kinnosuke was so wrapped up in satisfying himself,
he completely missed the references.
"Good morning, Kinnosuke-sama," whispered Tiger sleepily when the kiss
was finally broken. "Thank you for last night." She gazed solemnly at
his handsome face and felt guilty, the emotion triggering memories that
troubled her. Something had happened between her and Ranma that she
never would have suspected could have.
Yeah. A body licking. :)
Shocked at this, Tiger had dressed Ranma and left him asleep in his
cot, tarrying only long enough to put on her uniform and fix him a good
meal for when he awoke (shying away from pondering what that act might
imply). Recalling these memories confused her, but Tiger's personality
overrides quickly reasserted control. The emotional conflict caused by
these last memories was dealt with by suppressing the memories, and
that returned Tiger to her previous state as Kinnosuke's loyal servant.
A memory purge. I guess that's one way to take care of such problems in
conflicts with the programming.
"Did you learn anything interesting about Saotome, Tiger?" Kinnosuke
asked between lingering kisses.
Tiger: He's more well endowed than you and has a rougher tongue.
Kinnosuke; I have absolutely no desire to hear that explained further.
"I have a plan to ensure my victory when the time comes, my fierce
beauties. Listen closely...."
Kinno; You must retrieve for me, a shrubbery.
eye on Ranma, and she intended to travel with him to Ohtori as his own
personal cheerleader. She also wanted to ensure that a certain pink-
haired slattern kept away from Kodachi's fianc�. Not to mention that
it would be nice to possibly see Miki again.
And for no reason other than to say 'hi'. Really.
The young noblewoman's steps faltered for a brief moment, and then they
quickly resumed their previous graceful pace. In her youth, Miki Kaoru
had been a dear friend. Seeing him again during her otherwise-failed
mission to Ohtori earlier this week had been a pleasant surprise. The
boy she knew had matured into a most handsome young man, and he had
taken care of her when she had been injured by that brutish animal.
Boxing kangaroo: Oi, mate. I resent the implication of that.
It
had been nice to spend time catching up on each other's lives while
they drank tea together.
And got harrassed by his sister.
If only Ranma was more like Miki when it came
to her. Miki would be a faithful fianc�, a woman could tell these
things.
Heh. When a woman starts comparing men, it's always bad for the men
involved.
Kodachi's thoughts stalled once more. Why was she thinking as much
about Miki Kaoru as she was about her fianc�, Ranma Saotome? She shook
her head as if to banish the errant thought, her heart catching her by
surprise with being able to care so strongly for two men. No. It was
Ranma she loved. Miki was just a friend, a good friend from her past.
One that deserved a woman is gracious and beautiful as Kodachi, but not
Kodachi. :)
"May I join you?" Kodachi asked once more. Ranma looked very fit and
healthy today,
Obviously sex with Tiger agreed with him.
"Uh, thank you, Saotome-kun," said Kodachi with a brief bow. She sat
down, her chair quite close to his. Her brief fantasy had given her a
marvelous idea. Her family owned an expansive plantation in Hawaii
Now isn't that a surprise? :)
that would make a nice getaway vacation for the two of them, and she
could surely cement her relationship with Ranma if she could only get
him away from the other trollops who unworthily sought him and kept
getting in her way. The mid-term break was coming up in a few weeks,
so it would be a perfect time.
Heh. That could be bad for the other girls.
Ranma went back to working on his breakfast and making more notes, but
he occasionally glanced at Kodachi. She seemed content to smile at him
and sigh every now and then, her gaze filled with a Hearts-and-Flowers
look. It made him feel an odd mixture of contentment and a quivering
of fear. Nabiki never looked at him that way. He was certain that she
would be happy if he just fell into ranks like a good little sidekick.
True.
And why the hell was he thinking about Nabiki? To take his mind off
that line of thought, he gulped down the remainder of his breakfast.
Having a Blooy Mary for breakfast always hit the right spot.
******************************
Kasumi Ono
Finally back to her for a brief while.
would have earned her a severe dressing down from her mother when she
had still been alive. So, the eldest Tendo daughter had doubled her
efforts, drilling herself every day since then to regain the ground she
believed she had lost. It also helped to keep her mind off of the
other concerns in her life.
Which you will no doubt tell us now. :)
As her body flowed through the ancient patterns of attack and defense
she had first learned as a child, Kasumi took a moment to allow her
mind to recall the many lessons learned from her mother on the Way of
the Warrior. Her mother had instructed her, in a seemingly endless
litany, that a warrior must be ready for combat at all times. So her
unexpected loss to her younger sister was a sign that she must have
somehow been slacking in her efforts, and that was a grave insult to
her mother's memory.
Nice to see that kind of logic flow. She's wrong, but it is nice to see.
of the two dummies in rapid succession, alternating punches with kicks.
In the back of her mind, she intended to train until she felt she was
ready to challenge Nabiki once again. Having a goal like that provided
her with a distraction to keep her mind off of her other worries of
late, such as her mother-in-law's constant harping about grandchildren.
Yeah. They are good at that.
"It's not like I'm not trying to get pregnant," Kasumi mumbled under
her breath. After all, she had wanted to become a mother ever since
she could remember, and she was certain that she would be a good one,
just like her own mother had been with her.
Teaching her children to survive on bark and destroy a tank with a wooden
spear. You know, useful everyday things you needed to get by in life.
Kasumi paused in her activities as she thought about her husband. He
was a good man, kind, and he provided a nice home for her.
Whenever you lead off with statements like that, you know there is major
trouble. They reek of rationalization.
Kasumi's fists cracked into one training dummy, again and again. It
helped her forget her worries, and there was also something distinctly
satisfying about having the ability to defend herself if she needed to.
As she continued her training, sweat dampened her plain yellow gi. She
ignored the minor distraction, her mind struggling to focus on nothing,
reaching for the bliss she used to feel when using her skills. The
more she strained, the farther away it was.
That's the way it usually works.
Then, one of her mother's old instruction suddenly came back to her,
"Be, do not do."
I see she took lesson in the Yoda Philosphical School. :)
Gendo was also looking forward to renewing his pursuit of Yui Ikari,
the love of his life. It was true that they had not parted on the best
of terms (and he planned a very slow death to whoever had given Yui
those photos of him and another woman),
Heh. Not likely. Hinako is better than that.
passionate sexuality buried beneath her surface, like nothing he had
ever experienced before. If his desires to have Yui Ikari's love were
not so strong within him, he might have considered making a play for
Hinako's. But he knew a relationship with the woman would never work.
Both of them were too strong-willed to make something like a marriage
between them work. No, what he had with Hinako was only a sharing of
carnal pleasures, mutually enjoyable, but not a relationship.
Nice to see a realist in the ranks.
Still, until Yui finally came to her senses and dropped the pathetic
man she was seeing now,
Hmm. Wonder how that could be.
Looking downward at the cadets had caused his glasses to slip downwards
a little bit, and his previous look was replaced with a grimace. He
was still unused to wearing them, but they were a necessity that he was
determined to get used to. He had evaded wearing such things for a
number of years, interpreting their presence as a sure sign of physical
weakness. And there was also the matter of maintaining his accustomed
air of quiet menace. How could someone be intimidating while wearing a
pair of glasses?
Oh, I think he'll manage. :)
Outside, his hand resting on the door handle as he composed himself,
stood a somewhat nervous Lieutenant Yusaku Godai.
A military man. What a surprise.
The newest addition to his class, Akane Tendo, was a prime example of
that sort of attitude. If it didn't involve fighting in some way, she
was less than interested. He wasn't looking forward to his first home
visit to the Tendo household, but it was part of his duties as Akane's
homeroom instructor. He planned to make his trip there a brief one.
Until he meets a certain housemaid there, methinks.
"You have a good record, Lieutenant," said Gendo after several moments
of paging through the file. "And it seems that the cadets like you."
"would like you to fall off a bridge, I mean," he clarified.
Yusaku blinked and said, "Uh, thank you, sir." The compliment had
caught him off guard. Maybe this wasn't going to be as bad as he had
feared.
Which means it will be even worse now that he has thought that.
"But the instructors here are not supposed to be liked," said Gendo
coldly, raising his gaze and pushing his glasses up the bridge of his
nose with one finger. "They are meant to be respected, even feared."
"Whip several of the students every day. You'll find they respond well to
pain."
Yusaku felt a chill go down his spine at that look. "Y-yes, sir."
"Furinkan Military Academy exists for one reason only, Lieutenant,"
intoned Gendo solemnly.
Godai: To hit on underage chicks?
Gendou: I mean besides that.
Gendo smiled coldly, and continued his lecture, saying, "Your teachings
are as important to these cadets as those of their combat instructors.
You have a noble purpose, Lieutenant, to instill within these cadets a
sense of their glorious heritage.
"Barring that, fill their hands with our propaganda so that they never try
to rebel." Gendou said.
The youngest Tendo was looking forward to today's match, to finally
overcoming the last obstacle preventing her membership in Furinkan's
Combat Club. The last of her injuries, incurred during her visit to
Ohtori Academy,
And how could we forget that little visit? :)
The distinctive sounds of a fight drifted to her ears, causing Akane to
pause in her activities. She turned around for several moments, trying
to locate the source of the clamor. It was not far away, she decided,
already heading towards it at a lope to see what was going on. She
still had a few minutes until Sakura was scheduled to arrive, so she
could spare a few minutes to watch.
drop the second 'minutes'
"What are you doing?" suddenly hissed a voice behind Akane's ear.
Busted
"What-" Akane started to ask in surprise, before she was roughly
grabbed and held fast against a tree, a hand clamped tightly over her
mouth. She struggled for a moment against the figure holding onto her
before she realized that it was Sakura. The other girl was dressed in
a highly-modified version of a Furinkan girl's fuku-style uniform: a
pleated, blue, knee-length skirt, a white, short-sleeved top that left
her midriff bare, yellow neck scarf, and a red, high-collared sports
bra. She looked angry with Akane, which surprised the youngest Tendo.
Obviously someone has the hots on one of the combatents and doesn't like
Akane oggling him.
"That was the Captain of Furinkan's Combat Club," replied Sakura
calmly. "And it was a private duel that you almost interrupted. I
couldn't let you disturb Ryu-senpai." Her voice lost its usual cool
military manner when she spoke the name, and she blushed for a brief
moment as she quickly corrected herself. "Er, I mean, Kumon-san."
Different role for him this time around, I see.
"He's a good fighter," noted Akane, looking back the way they came with
a hint of longing in her gaze.
Heh.
Sakura definitely did not like the look that Akane had on her face.
Double, heh.
"Kumon-san only fights the best. That fight was to help prepare him
for his upcoming exhibition match in the Arena.
Oh? Well now, that could be interesting.
over her shoulder contained her bokken. Her outfit was functional for
a fight, though more mannish than she usually enjoyed wearing nowadays.
She had discovered it in the back of her closet and was pleased to see
that it still fit, if a little snugly when she had first tried it on.
That was easily enough fixed with some sewing though.
Heh. 'Just a little' no doubt.
Nodoka was wearing the traditional garb of a kendo fighter,
Plaid pants and white shoes. She also brought along a caddy to carry her
bokkens. It was amazing how much kendo resembled golf, when one thought
about it.
surrounded by tall trees that gave it a sense of being cut off from the
world, like a small piece of an ancient forest somehow transplanted
into the center of Nerima. She imagined that it was still used for
that purpose by the younger fighters in the area, to settle their
differences in the traditional way of the warrior.
Probably.
"I'm here to fight, not listen to you," growled Nodoka, feeling her old
angers for the other woman rising up to the surface. "Nice to see that
some things haven't changed about you, Kenseiko." For a moment, she
smiled and then said, "A shame that the same thing can't be said about
your hips."
Kensaiko: Compared to the sag in your breasts, who would notice my hips?
Kenseiko's nostrils flared, but she held her temper, barely. However,
there was a snarl in her voice when she spoke next. "When we last met,
I was still much the novice." She brandished her warfans dramatically
for a moment. "Now, I am a master. Prepare to fall before my might,
Obi-wan.
Well, it does sound a lot like the SW speech. :P
Nodoka Saotome."
Nodoka yawned broadly. It was as if the last twenty years had never
happened, and Kenseiko was still trying to talk her to death. At least
Kodachi didn't seem to be nearly as pompous as her mother was.
No. Not really.
Nodoka ducked and evaded the other woman's attacks, and quick parries
with her bokken completed her defenses. Kenseiko had gotten better,
Nodoka had to give her that, but so had she. The pompous, ponytailed
young noblewoman who had once bedeviled her youth was still very much
alive in the mature woman trying to defeat her now. Some things never
changed.
True.
Their weapons clashed as the two women struggled for dominance, fierce
looks now present on both faces. Nodoka quickly spotted the opening
that Kenseiko always left open
'opening...open' I'd recommend changing one of them. Perhaps 'spotted the
hole in her defence that' would work
on her left side, a weakness in her
technique. Nodoka chuckled in her thoughts as she launched an attack
at the opening-
-and was abruptly blocked.
Gotcha.
Taking swift advantage of her foe's surprise, Kenseiko earned first
blood, a slash by one of her warfans opening a thin cut across Nodoka's
neck, just above her shoulder.
Ouch.
Nodoka shrugged off the aches of the wounds she had just received,
having been hurt much worse in her youth and still won. She surged
forward and slammed one of Kenseiko's arms aside with a quick strike of
her weapon and used the brief opening in her defenses to slash upwards
across the other woman's body with her wooden blade. The savage strike
left a fiery red welt running from her gut to her throat, but Kenseiko
recovered much too quickly for Nodoka to press her advantage, forcing
her to back off with lightning-fast swipes of her warfans.
Not too shabby.
Despite the pains of her injuries, Nodoka was surprised by how much she
was relishing this battle. Her sparring matches with Achika had lost
the fierce edge they had once had in their youth, replaced with a less
intense form of rivalry that didn't stir the soul like how she felt
now. Forgotten passions within her heart were rekindling now, and she
smiled.
Heh. She'll probably be hot for Genny when she gets back.
Nodoka backed off after several minutes of furious fighting went by,
astounded that the noblewoman's skills had gotten so much better over
the years. Sweat dripped from her brow, falling to the grassy earth at
her feet. She shifted her grip on her weapon, her eyes analyzing
Kenseiko's stance for the slightest weaknesses. She still had a number
of tricks left to try. She had never lost to this woman before, and
she was not about to lose now.
Never? That's a surprise. It must have really grated on Kenseiko then.
Nodoka nodded and replied, "You too." Her vision blurred for a moment,
and she shook her head to clear her eyes. She suddenly felt a slight
queasiness come over her.
Oops. I think the fight is going to end unexpectedly.
"Nodoka!" hissed Kenseiko, nudging her with a foot again. "Get up! I
won't be cheated of my satisfaction like this!"
Nice to see she has some principles.
Nodoka hardly stirred. Cursing under her breath at the unfairness of
life, Kenseiko kicked her foe's weapon aside, not even token resistance
showing on the fallen woman's part. She warily knelt down and set her
warfans behind her, but still left them near enough to grab quickly
just in case she needed them after all. Nodoka moaned rather piteously
as the noblewoman lifted her head, the cut on her neck oozing a little
blood. She barely responded, even when Kenseiko began slapping her
across the face.
Heh. Well, she's trying to help in a backward sort of way.
"It appears that I'm not the only one who has gained a few kilos over
the last twenty years," Kenseiko grumbled. Staggering at first from
carrying the limp mass of Nodoka's unconscious body, the noblewoman
quickly adjusted to the load. Continuing to grumble under her breath
at the indignity of her situation, as well as the unfairness of being
forced to carry a woman to find medical aid that she loathed with all
her soul,
I'd make 'find medical aid' moved to this part.
******************************
"You're pretty good," noted Akane, panting slightly as she circled her
opponent.
"So are you," acknowledged Sakura, watching the other girl closely.
About time we got to some hot lesbian sex.
Sakura was proving to be a very challenging match for Akane, but she
was really enjoying the intense struggle. The other girl was an
incredible fighter, as a fair number of injuries on Akane's body could
attest, but she was not about to give up. It was all going to come
down to whoever wanted the win more, and Akane knew that was going to
be her.
Oh. They're just fighting. Nevermind.
Sakura had been holding back her full might, to test how good the other
girl really was without ending the fight too quickly, but now it was
time to end the charade. She began raising her chi, feeling it flowing
into her from her surroundings and down into her hands. Only another
few moments and this battle was going to be over. She was a little
disappointed, but she had never really doubted her eventual victory.
We'll see.
"It was a nice try, Akane Tendo," Sakura remarked, her voice sounding
almost regretful. The energy built to a peak within her. "But I'm
going to win. I'm afraid you just don't have the strength to take me
down. SHO-O-KEN!"
Wow! It's just like a move in a video game.
the blow. Sakura's "Cherry Blossom Fist" impacted into her. There was
a brief flash as the energy of the strike surged into Akane's body,
lifting her completely off her feet and blasting her backwards into a
tree and unconsciousness.
Looks like Akane has to wait one more fight after all.
That was what had drawn her to Akane in the first place, for she had
sensed a kindred spirit within her. And she had been amazed at how
quickly the other girl won her first two challenges, giving her hope
that Akane could really give her fighting skills a real test. However,
when push came to shove, Akane Tendo had not been the opponent she was
searching for, a strong rival to walk with to higher levels of martial
arts mastery. It was a disappointing discovery to make, and it looked
like it was going to be her and Kumon-san reigning undefeated among the
local martial artist populace for the foreseeable future.
They've never fought one another? Wonder why.
"No," said Sakura, shaking her head. "I've seen what you have to offer
me now. You aren't the challenge I'm looking for."
Akane growled at the slight. So, her skills weren't good enough?
Not yet. But soon, methinks.
"Okay," said Akane, looking Sakura squarely in the eyes. "Help me get
better."
And nice to see they maintain their friendship.
Knocked down to her knees during their latest sparring match, Kodachi
growled softly at the mocking remark. The sheer impudence of the Tendo
girl was infuriating, but it also spurred Kodachi to get back onto her
feet. She was a Kuno, and Nabiki Tendo would someday learn to respect
that if Kodachi had her way. And she planned to do just that, just as
soon as she fully regained her senses.
Yes. Those help.
Nabiki suddenly tumbled backwards gracefully, when Kodachi launched a
new assault before she had fully risen to her feet. The kick breezed
by Nabiki's face by a fair margin, the blow dodged before she had even
been fully aware of it coming. She grinned as she rolled back to her
feet, letting herself move as instinct directed her, her reflexes alone
guiding her body as she ducked and weaved around Kodachi's attacks with
an almost casual ease.
She is walking over her with impunity.
was as much as a promise that there was another match coming up between
them. Well, that was fine with him. Unlike his wimpish counterpart
from the world Nabiki's skills came from, he had no problems treating a
girl as an opponent. Take the other version of himself, from the world
where Shampoo was cursed to turn male when wet, he treated the Amazon
as a serious opponent
Well, as equal as Ranma treats anyone.
Saionji Kyoichi only grunted in response to his companion's statement,
and grimaced as he attempted to flex his hand within the cast. He
cursed the fates for bringing him to his current state, but most of all
he cursed the one who had done this to him. Him! Saionji Kyoichi!
Now he couldn't even hold a sword until it healed. He was going to
find the little bitch who had done this to him and make her suffer. Oh
yes, how she would suffer.
Just like he had made her suffer from before. Okay, she hadn't suffered at
all. But he would be sure to make her suffer enxt time. Once he got better.
Pain suddenly lanced up Saionji's arm when his companion reached out
and slammed her palm down on the back of his hand.
Heh
For the second time
in a single week, his cry of tortured pain echoed across the length and
breadth of Ohtori's campus. He turned hate-filled eyes upon the young
woman seated next to him on the highest balcony on the Tower of Roses,
her red hair blowing backwards gently in the wind.
Nice imagery.
"Indeed," noted Toga Kiryu, stepping forward and posing majestically
next to the railing. The shapes of roses were etched into the metal of
the railing's bars, as they were into the chairs that Juri and Saionji
were seated upon. "Perhaps his visit will be as interesting as the
others were."
Heh. That would be a difficult one to top off.
Juri took a sip of her tea before speaking. "Perhaps. But, be that as
it may, it will be rather interesting to see what manner of man he is."
Glancing once at her two companions, she observed, "There are so few
real men in this world."
Hehehe. What a jab.
Despite the physical attraction she felt for
her two companions, she despised their personalities. Saionji was a
swaggering bully, and Toga was an arrogant playboy. Her parents had
once suggested engaging her to Toga, but she had quickly shot that idea
down. She wanted a man who would be faithful to her alone, since she
should be woman enough for any man's needs.
And any woman's needs too, for that matter. :)
Hearing her words, now it was Toga's turn to raise an eyebrow, but he
refused to be baited by Juri.
Saionji was not so composed, and he asked,
"What do you mean by referring to Touga in such terms? You are correct, of
course, but it was just plain rude.."
Saionji grimaced angrily at her taunting of his present state. In his
rage, he made a fist and slammed it down on the table. There was a
soft cracking sound from within his cast, and a blank look crossed his
face as the pain quickly made itself known.
Heh.
The other two members of Ohtori's Student Council winced slightly at
the bellow of pain that emerged from Saionji. They exchanged a look as
the green-haired youth cradled his broken hand and cursed.
Today was already promising to be an interesting day.
At least no lightning hit the place this time. :)
******************************
The Ministry of Health boasted of having the largest and best-equipped
hospital in all the Empire, and its doctors were the finest to be found
anywhere.
Except for the cast of 'ER.'
When the man had Nodoka in hand, Kenseiko turned and swept past him,
striding towards the front door of the Ministry. The chauffeur
followed along behind her, the woman in his charge held in his arms
like a sleeping child. They made quite a sight, Nodoka and Kenseiko
both blood-spattered, as they marched the length of the distance
towards the main entrance to the Ministry's hospital.
Yep. That would be quite the sight
Tofu Ono,
My. What a small world.
"This woman is Nodoka Saotome, and she requires treatment," Kenseiko
said crisply. "See to it." She snapped her fingers, pointed at him,
and her chauffeur very promptly dumped Nodoka into a startled Tofu's
arms. "Know this, physician. I am Kenseiko Kuno, wife to Lord Daisho
Kuno, and I command you to find what ails this woman and treat it."
She then folded her arms and gave Tofu her most commanding glare,
looking every inch the part of a high noble of the Empire at that
moment.
Certainly playing up the high born role.
I lost, Nodoka finally realized, staring up at the strange ceiling. I
lost to that blue-blooded witch!
Lost easily too.
Nodoka growled as she snapped her eyes back open. "Come to gloat?"
"Why Nodoka-chan, my oldest and dearest rival," replied Kenseiko with a
smile. "Would I do such a thing?"
Nodoka; Do you breathe?
"What?" Nodoka muttered. She hopped off the bed, felt her knees wobble
a bit for a few moments, and then she stomped to the door. A quick
inquiry, before the nurses hustled her back into her room, showed that
the arrogant noblewoman had left the building.
Taking a page from Elvis, I see,
would do with the remainder of the weekend. The girls were gathered
together in small clusters, some giggling about having been asked out
by this or that boy, and others discussing upcoming tests or the latest
gossip. Groups of boys were gathered together as well, talking about
girls and sports, and making plans to go out and have fun during this
brief time of freedom.
Typical school like atmosphere then. Nice way of showing it.
Kyosuke Kasuga tuned out the voices of his classmates as he walked
alongside his girlfriend, Yohko Mano, and their mutual friend, the
redheaded Ghost Sweeper, Minami. The two young women were happily
chattering away, but he was not paying attention,
Of course not. Men never pay attention to women's mindless babble, which is
a concept most women can't quite seem to grasp.
They were two very different girls, like two others he had come to know
better in the last week, Madoka Ayukawa and Hikaru Hiyama. Somehow,
through some odd quirk of Esper powers, he had exchanged physical
places with another Earth's version of himself. It had been a very
eye-opening experience, and he was still getting used to the fact that
he was back, that the bed he had woken up in this morning was his own.
During his time here, his counterpart had managed to patch things up
with Yohko, a far cry from how things had been before. That made his
life quite a bit easier.
Ah. The Temporal Thunder side story. Was that ever released in its enitrety?
Kyosuke adjusted the weight of the bookbag slung over his shoulder and
considered the life of his counterpart. Such a different world that
other Kyosuke lived in.
There was no Empire and Japan was nothing more than a big wuzz country. He
preferred his version greatly.
When he had first seen pictures of the Devil Hunter, he had been almost
spellbound by her loveliness. Her body was well-built, with everything
that a young man could desire in a girl, and her facial features were
equally pleasing. But his initial ardor had cooled somewhat after he
began reading through the reports on the unpleasant fates of Yohko's
last four boyfriends. Two had been possessed, one died, and the fourth
had seen something that drove his mind over the brink of sanity.
Heh. Probably a bad idea to pursue a relationship then, unless he thinks he
can defend himself.
So it
was with some admitted trepidation that he had first approached Yohko.
I thought his grandfather had ordered him to do it. Or am I misremembering
things?
However, their first date had been a surprise. Nothing supernatural
had occurred throughout the entire evening,
That is a surprise.
and talking with her had
left him with an impression of an intelligent mind behind her comely
exterior. Later dates had brought him face to face with the realities
of Yohko's life as a Devil Hunter, but his Institute training and his
Esper powers allowed him to deal with them. But, over the past several
weeks, what had begun as an assignment was now something more,
Yep. Thought I remembered that.
and that
left him feeling confused. And his problems did not end there.
They never do.
When Madoka Ayukawa (having learned her name from his analog's sisters)
had caught his attention during a date with Yohko, he had seen first-
hand just how jealous a certain Devil Hunter could become where he was
concerned. It had not been an enjoyable experience at all, the angry
hurt in her gaze being far worse than anything physical she might have
done to him. But he had felt drawn to the biker girl for some unknown
reason. His visit to that other world had deepened his confusion, and
he wondered if he had only been perceiving a subconscious echo of the
feelings from other versions of himself dealing with other versions of
Madoka. With Esper powers involved, who knew what was possible?
True. Very true.
It was just as well. Who could he talk to about such a thing? Yohko
was not part of the Institute, and it would likely just complicate his
relationship with her now that it was back on track. No. There was no
one on the planet who could understand what he had just been through.
Well, that's not exactly true. :)
"Kasuga-san. I was wondering if I could speak with you briefly."
Kyosuke: Okay.
Ranma; Hi.That's all I wanted to say.
Kyosuke. Wow. That was brief.
Kyosuke, his musings about the lovely Devil Hunter interrupted, turned
his head to see who had addressed him. Over by one of the trees near
the main gate stood Ranma Saotome, Nabiki Tendo's boyfriend according
to what he had heard from Yohko lately.
Heh. No matter how much Nabby denies it.
>
Minami paused in her conversation with Yohko to send a withering glance
at the pigtailed boy. When it was ignored, it only further incensed
her.
Heh. Typical woman.
"Can an Esper with telekinetic powers use them without realizing it?"
Ranma asked without preamble. "And can that be detected by another
Esper?"
Kyosuke thought about it for a moment before responding, "Yes, to both
questions. Why do you wish to know, Saotome-san?"
Ah. So he wants the fight monitored. Good thing it's subconscious on Anthy's
part, though, since consciously she could toss Kyosuke around like a giant
soccer ball no matter how much he resists.
Kyosuke was surprised, to say the least. Interfering in such a matter
was against Institute regulations, outside of any assigned mission
parameters.
Ironically, in Anthy's case, they'd be delighted if she was finally showing
some initiative in using them on her own for herself rather than just being
obidiant to others.
"That's terrible," said Yohko sincerely. Ranma had suffered a measure
of public humiliation over his rapid loss to the Tenjou girl, and she
suddenly saw a way that she could help him, especially since he was
practically Nabiki's boyfriend now. Besides, her school pride was also
involved. She turned to Kyosuke. "Kasuga-kun, I want you to accompany
Saotome-san to Ohtori."
Well that takes care of that.
"What?" Kyosuke asked, blinking for several moments at this sudden turn
of events. "But we have a date tonight."
"Please?" Yohko asked, unleashing the full power of her soft-eyed gaze
at him. She upped the ante by stepping closer and brushing her index
finger up and down his chest. "For me? I promise to make this evening
special if you do."
How can he say no to that?
Minami made subtle gagging noises behind Yohko,
Heh
"I guess you're coming to Ohtori with me," commented Ranma dryly. He
was grateful that he was made of sterner stuff when it came to girls.
Of course you are, dear.
have been easy, a fun way to drive a knife into Yohko's heart, but he
had somehow known she wasn't his precious girlfriend, perhaps due to
his Esper abilities. And his refusal had somehow backfired the whole
matter upon her, leaving her deeply envious of her cousin for having
such a loyal boyfriend.
However, she wasn't prepared to abandon Kyosuke yet. No, not just yet.
Of course not. That would make things all too easy. And we wouldn't want
that, would we?
Will get to the second part eventually. Very nice work so far as events move
towards the return match with Utena and Kensaiko and Nodoka's fight took an
unexpected turn. Thing with Kinnosuke draw closer as well, promising to be a
major event in Ranma's life.
D.B. Sommer