Hotaru's Beau: Ghost Date [Episode 123771]

"Yeah, that's how it started. . ." Hotaru thought, remembering her meeting with Ren.

---

"I can't believe you could get managed it!" Hotaru squealed as she looked at the two tickets in her hand.

"Eh, it wasn't that hard," Ren replied quietly, one hand at the back of his head.

"Yes, but it's still the first week!" Hotaru gushed.

Ren shrugged noncommittally, looking off to one side. Hotaru grinned as she saw the faint coloring of his cheeks. 'He's not sure what to say!' she thought with a grin.

They walked on in silence. Silence interrupted by a loud snap, that prompted them to look up at the tree branch falling toward them.

"Hah!" Ren called as he jumped and kicked the branch aside. As he landed he looked up into the tree with a scowl. Hotaru looked as well, and blinked as she realized that there was a twisted shape floating by where the branch had broken.

"Bason!" Ren called, pointing upward. The ghostly Chinese Warrior shot upward and grabbed the figure, and floated downward as it thrashed in his arms. Then he shifted as a second spirit flew at him, this one a more defined human shape.

Ren watched the three spirits fight in the air, then leapt. Both hands shot out, each his left grabbing the malformed ghost, his right grabbing the other. Energy crackled around his hands as he dropped to the ground holding them.

Ren looked at the two ghosts. The one held by his right hand was a black haired boy with a pigtail, a few years older than he was. The one griped by his left hand was reshaping into a girl with short black hair, who looked to be about the same age as the boy. "All right," Ren said quietly, "You attacked us, and I want to know why."

"Look, it wasn't serious, I'm sure she's sorry. . ." The pigtailed boy started. . .

"Don't talk for her." Ren responded squeezing his hand slightly as he looked at the girl.

"I'm sorry, I just. . . I didn't know I'd actually affect the branch!" she said."

"That inexperienced as a ghost." Ren responded simply. "So, what made you angry enough to affect the world?"

"Well. . . Not angry, Frustrated! I mean, a year ago we were supposed to go on our first date, but. . ." she trailed off.

"Really." Ren responded, releasing the pair. "So, you were going on a date but died before completing it?"

The boy sighed. "We were engaged, but that was our parents idea, still, a year ago today we decided that we'd go on a quiet normal date because it was what we wanted to do."

"And you died before you could." Hotaru said quietly. She turned to Ren. "Isn't there anything we can do for them?" She asked.

"If that's what's keeping them stuck on earth, I could call a few other Shamans I know, and have them integrate with them to let them live out that date they missed." Ren commented with a shrug. "Might take a few days, but. . ."

"But can't we help them today?" Hotaru asked. "It's the anniversary of their first date!" She briefly raised one hand to her chin. "Hey, you know how when you were teaching me so that I'd be able to counter attempts at possession, where you channeled Bason into. . ."

"No." Ren said looking at her.

"I haven't asked you yet." Hotaru responded.

"You're going to ask me to integrate her with you, and I'm saying no." Ren replied while crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Come on, it's the right thing to do."

"Integrating is stressful, and you're body's not used to handling that stress."

"Didn't you say that I handled channeling Bason incredibly well?" Hotaru asked.

Ren looked away. "That was. . . short term. You only integrated with Bason for a few minutes."

"Ren, I want to try." Hotaru said, firming her expression, and letting a little of Saturn's intensity manifest in her eyes.

Ren looked silently at her, then sighed. "Ok. We'll try it." He turned his head toward the two ghosts.

"Um, if this could hurt her. . ." The short haired ghost started, uncertainty and excitement warring on her expression.

"I'll trust you'll be careful." Ren said simply. He thrust one hand toward her, and for a moment she glowed brighter before suddenly shrinking into a ball of spiritual fire in Ren's hand. Ren turned to Hotaru.

Hotaru closed her eyes, controlling her breathing as she had learned in the practice exercises a few days earlier. Then she felt Ren's hand on her shoulder, and a second later warmth suddenly entered her chest and spread through her body. Someone else opened her eyes and looked out at where Ren had just coalesced the other ghost into it's compacted form and was now pressing it into his own chest. "Ranma," Hotaru heard her lips say quietly.

Ren's eyes opened, and with tender expression he extended his hand toward her, with the word, "Akane."

---

On her bed, Hotaru sighed. The pair had spend their time together in the park, quietly sharing their time. And finally, back among the trees, Ren's body had taken hers in his arms, and kissed her passionately. As they had pulled apart, she had felt the shifting of her spiritual passenger suddenly releasing her connection with her. A glance at Ren revealed that his Ghost had left at the same moment.

"Thank you." Akane and Ranma both said quietly as they rose on the pillar of golden light. As it vanished Hotaru had looked at Ren whose arms were still loosely around her, as hers were around him. As he turned his head toward her, she leaned forward and kissed him.

"And naturally Haruka showed up and completely overreacted." Hotaru commented with a sigh.