Ranko Saotome was at the stables behind her parent's house in the small village called Nerima. She was putting everything she needed at the bard's academy in the saddle bags of her horse, when suddenly, a small purple blur came shooting around the house's corner.
"Pops is elected to be this year's Dark Lord," Hotaru gasped in a nervous voice.
At first Ranko thought she misheard her feathered sibling. But when Minako followed her and confirmed what Hotaru just said, Ranko took all of her bags off the saddle and led it back into the stable.
"Pops needs all the help he can get," she decided. "And the academy can wait. So I'm gonna stay here."
When she came back into the house, she saw her parents standing in the living room, in the middle of a heated discussion.
"I'm not gonna play the puppet of this cursed Kuno," Genma yelled. "There has to be a way out of this." Normally, he didn't like special effects, but in his rage, he was giving off small, magical flames that were spraying through the room.
Nodoka quickly surrounded herself with a magical shield before responding: "Well, you should have prepared for such a situation, husband. It was only a matter of time before it would be your turn. Besides, if the oracle said you should do it, there's not much you can do about it."
A blazing trail of sparks was gliding across Nodoka's shield as Genma shouted: "I don't care about the oracle!"
Ranma was busy trying to put out the fire with his frost spell, but wasn't very successful. But before the living room got torched, a blue-furred griffin came inside and emptied the rain barrel over the fire.
Genma realized how his anger had caused the living room to be slightly toasted and calmed down a little. He didn't say anything more and walked outside to take care of his pets and plants.
Ranko hugged her mother when the magical shield was dropped. "Don't worry, mom," she said. "Dad has two magic users, five griffins and a bard to help him out. That's a lot of helpers, even for a Dark Lord, don't you think?"
'Sis really has a sense of family,' Ranma thought. 'And she knows how to talk to Mom and Pops. If I tried calming them down, I'd probably upset Pops even more.'
Ranko let out a little sigh. "I guess I go talk to Pops," she said and went after her father.
Finally, Ranma had a chance of talking to his mother in private.
Well, almost in private, as Makoto was in the kitchen, preparing dinner. When Ranma and Nodoka sat down at the table, she threw him an unhappy look. "Do you have to sit behind my back while I'm cooking?" she asked.
Nodoka just gave her a nod as response, and Makoto angrily ruffled the feather crest on her head, but stayed quiet.
"Now what did the oracle say?" Nodoka asked her son.
"It said someone called Herb would teach me," he said in a depressed voice.
Nodoka frowned and pondered about something.
"Do you know him?" Ranma asked in surprise.
But Nodoka shook her head. "I don't think so... I think. No human mage, at least. But I'm pretty sure there is someone out there called Herb. Don't worry, son. The oracle is never wrong."
Ranma wanted to say something else, when Makoto asked:
"This Mr. Kuno... he's human, right? That means he's eating normal food?"
Nodoka jumped to her feet. "Oh my... I almost forgot about that... Yes, I believe so."
"Good," Makoto nodded. "I planned to make my famous 'Marvelous Morsels'."
That lifted Ranma's spirits immediately. He loved Makoto's cooking, and her 'Marvelous Morsels' surely were his favorite.
"And we have to enlarge the living room," Nodoka said. "Let's see, about 80 wizards, Mr. Kuno and two of his assistants, and us... Ranma, come help me stretching the walls. I think we have to merge several tables as well. And your father has to wear special robes on that day..."
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(Posted Thu, 27 Jul 2006 13:52)
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