“Cool, isn’t it?” replied Ranma. She looked around noticing several members of the group eyeballing her. Damn, she’d spoken aloud! “Er,” she began, “I mean the majesty of nature,” she gestured her arm expansively, a sweat drop already perched on her head at the flat look she felt from within. "Its so cool, heh."
“I… suppose so…” answered Red, before turning his attention back to Cait Sith, who had gotten one of his optical sensors operational again. The rest of the group were seemingly placated by this and turned back to their own conversations.
“Too close,” breathed Ranma.”
“Geez, who made you queen of the world!?” complained Yuffie sulkily, moving away from Ranma. Argh! She had done it again. And somehow her passenger was a communicating an expression she’d once seen before on Nabiki's face in her old life, after she had inadvertently destroyed one of the mercenary's most profitable schemes. *Eh-heh* She turned back to Yuffie, “Heck, I’m really sorry. I, ah, was asking if were we close to the farm yet.”
“Oh,” smiled Yuffie, instantly brightening up. “Sure, we’re close now. Its actually a ranch, you know. Farms are much easier to ro… ah, roam around in, yeah…
Yuffie’s embarrassment only served to highlight to Ranma just how she had hopeless she herself had appeared earlier, as the genie felt the voice speak.
*That was… what’s the most polite way of saying this?* Ranma winced. *Oh yeah. Pathetic!*
*Hey!* complained the redhead, ignoring the accuracy of that assessment. *You don’t have to be so sna-*
*Oh, Ranma* cried the voice. *I’m so sorry* she apologised. *I don’t know what came over me. I… I just suddenly felt so… cynical. Where did that...I know you’re not a cynical person, Ranma.*
*Not _anymore_.* Ranma had been expecting something like this to happen. Things had thus far gone too smoothly, and it was time for the other shoe to drop. *I figured that something like this might happen Aechan,* explained Ranma. *What I figure is you’re encountering some of the more dominant personalities and memories of my predecessors. I guess me being a genie makes me…* Ranma reached for an analogy. *Not immune… tolerant of them. Like they’re part of me I’d wouldn’t be whole without. You know how we are with one another. Like that. You understand?*
*Ranma* began the voice with worry, *I… I don’t like this at all. You’re a good person… but some of your predecessors…*
*Don’t worry, Aechan. Me being here is proof that every single one of them became good people in the end. Even the ones that were still kinda evil,* she added jokingly and immediately regretted it.
*EVIL!? Oh mother… this one killed thousands… I don’t want to be a murderer, Ranma.* Aechan wailed. *You should have left me where-*
*Enough of that,* insisted Ranma. *You of all people should know better than to think that.*
*I’m sorry, Ranma,* apologised the voice. *I know you wouldn’t let that that happen.*
*No,* countered the genie. *YOU wouldn’t let that happen.* Somehow, Aechan conveyed a smile. *’Sides, soon enough, you’ll only have your new significant other’s thoughts and memories to deal with, without hundreds of years of genie memories as window dressing,* finished Ranma mirthfully.
Aechan was pensive.
*I do hope that Tifa won’t be put out with me.*
*Maybe for the first few years,* smirked Ranma, but Aechan didn’t rise to the bait. *But I suspect you’ll get along just fine,” added Ranma in her best reassuring tone, as much as tone can exist in one’s head.
*Thank you, Ranma. I really want you to know how much this means to me,* the voice sounded almost tearful, and Ranma found that tears were actually escaping her eyes.
“Eh, just a bug,” lied Ranma to the frowning pair of Cid and Barrett as she wiped at her moist eyes. In her mind Aechan continued.
*I’ll never forget you, Ranma...I…I…*
Ranma realised that she had to calm Aechan down before she herself became lost in her passenger’s emotions. Were it not for her genie constitution, she imagined she’d have already become a weeping ball of misery.
*Aechan! Aechan!* she pleaded. * Calm down! Remember, as soon as Tifa touches hot water you’ll be back with me again, okay?* Ranma felt the urge to sniffle. But it was an improvement over bawling her eyes out. *Even once you make your home there, you and Tifa can visit me any time you want!*
*R-really?* asked the small voice.
*Of course! I plan on being here a long time!* she answered genuinely.
*Thank you, Ranma. I was just frightened that it would rain and I’d never get the chance to let you know AS you, how grateful I am.*
*Heh, don’t worry about it.*
“Hello?!” demanded Yuffie. “Earth to Ranma, or Ranko or whatever your name is!”
“Oh, sorry,” blinked Ranma. “I was somewhere else.”
“No, really?” replied the ninja girl with all the sincerity of a rebellious adolescent.
“What do want to tell me?” asked Ranma, recalling how before the integration of all the predecessors’ memories into her own, she was that adolescent.
“Just what I’ve been telling you for five minutes! We’re nearly there.”
Ranma surveyed the large fenced area the group was approaching, noticing the huge ostrich-like birds of various colours cantering around the huge ground. She experienced déjà vu that wasn’t. With a smile and a quick glimpse at the sky, she charged onward to the Chocobo Ranch, bellowing her war cry,
"Fooooooood!!!"
"She remind you of anyone?" asked Cait Sith, surreptitiously glancing at their largest member.
"Like who?" asked Tifa, innocently.
"FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDD!" roared Barrett, as he ran beyond the hungry genie.
"Oh," the robot shrugged. "No one in particular."
Read the comments on this episode
(Posted Wed, 01 Jun 2005 06:03)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.