Nuts, should have just gone to the dojo after all Ranma thought before turning back to meet his mother eye to eye. Although unlike in her office, the Salusian princess and a bright smile on her face and to anyone who didn't know her better would of thought everything was okay. However, Ranma wasn't that stupid. "This can't be good."
Stopping cold, Asrial frowned at her son in the way only a mother can. "And just what do you mean by that?" she demanded.
On the receiving end of 'the look' Ranma put his hands up in front of his face and laughed nervously before breaking eye contact. "Oh, n-nothing mother dearest eheheheheh..."
"Well good," Asrial said before crossing her arms and looking her son in the eye. "Now Ranma, one of my old friends, Ichi from Japan called me while we were having our little talk and told me that she was sending over a student of hers later today for us to look after."
"So you want me to show him around or something?" Ranma asked.
"Not really," Asrial replied hesitantly. "You see... Ichi and I have sort of decided to try an little student exchange program."
"In other words your deporting me... again," Ranma deadpanned. Ah well, at least he was staying on Earth this time.
"Now hold on a minute Ranma, since when have you ever been 'deported' huh?" Asrial asked with a frown.
"Well, twice really," Ranma said while holding his hand up to count off the times. "First there was that time when you sent me back to Salusia." That had been a living hell. Although being part of the royal family meant first class accommodations at the palace, after the first week, when Ranma had gotten the layout of the place and started snooping around, he had heard half-breed whispered in enough corners to get the point. Ranma was just glad that Kassy, Lexus, or Lyra hadn't been old enough to go at the time. Prejudice wasn't something Ranma liked the taste of, especially when he was the target.
"Hey," Asrial countered. "You were only there for three weeks, and that was because your grandfather wanted to meet you. Besides, you should learn more about your Salusian heritage. Especially considering you're a member of the royal family, being the oldest there's a chance you could very well ascend to the throne one day."
"Believe me, I learned all I needed," Ranma mumbled to himself before looking away. He learned the fact that there might be something along the lines of a revolt if that ever happened.
Shifting his thoughts away from darker things, Ranma turned back to his mother and raised his second finger. "Okay then how about that last summer that I spent with Uncle Kalen?"
"Didn't you ask to go on that one?" Asrial replied with a skeptically raised eyebrow. "Besides, you learned plenty of things."
"You mean like how to fly spaceships that I'm never gonna use, or prepare food that tries to eat you while you're cooking it?" Ranma asked with a frown. That, and getting shot at, nearly blown up, and the week the ship had been crashed on a planet where his aunt Solora was the only female the natives had seen in two generations. That had been rather creepy.
"Oh come on Ranma," Asrial said before putting her hands on his shoulders. "It's not like I'm asking you to leave forever, it's just a month. Besides, I'd thought you'd want to go to Japan. After all, that's where ninjitsu and bushido were created! Not to mention you'll get to see your Aunt Ichi again... although I don't know if you were old enough to remember her the first time around."
"Hey, I wasn't that young at the time," Ranma mumbled. Heck, if he tried hard enough he could even drag up bits and pieces from his mother and father's wedding on Zardon.
"Look Ranma, if you really don't want to go then I'm not going to force you," Asrial said in that soft way mother's always used to crumble their children's defenses of stubbornness. "But, you know that I only have your best interests at heart."
DAMN! She just has to go and say something like that, doesn't she? Ranma thought to himself before letting out a sigh of defeat. "Okay... I'll go pack my bags."
"Thanks, and tell your father what's going on would you?" Asrial told Ranma. I need to go tell Ichi that you've agreed."
So, defeated in a contest of wills by his mother yet again, Ranma slowly trodded back into the embassy that was serving as the Feeple home till theirs was rebuilt.
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(Posted Wed, 19 May 2004 19:33)
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