Ranma stared as the image of Queen Serenity solidified before him. Really now, why do they always appear naked before they get clothes?
Soon before him, a regal looking woman stood, her dress was similar to that of Serena’s, with the exception that less cleavage was showing, and a bit tighter, with a golden crescent moon over her breastbone. The hair styles were similar, with the main exception being that Queen Serenity’s hair was pure white, almost like fallen snow.
And her eyes... “A mother’s eyes,” he whispered.
The woman looked upon him with a kind smile. “You told me that once.”
“Huh?” he asked.
“The first time we met, when you were Admiral Ruby, you said I had a mother’s eyes. You said they showed a connection to every soul, a bond like a parent’s to a child, filled with love, compassion, and belief in the best of everyone.”
Ranma could only blink. “Damn, this Ruby guy was pretty deep.” He couldn’t help but feel a bit more intimidated by how his former life was supposed to be.
“Don’t feel down, Ranma,” said Serenity, stepping towards him, placing a warm palm to his cheek. “We each grow and shift as we move through the Wheel of Time, each new life offering new experiences. If we never changed, then how would we learn?”
“Well ... you got a point,” he said, smiling a bit. She really is like a Mom. I wonder if my own Mom could be like that.
“But I take it Serena wants you to be more like your old life.”
“WAH! I WANT MY MASTER BACK!” whined the AI.
Serenity sighed. “Don’t be too harsh in your assessment of her. She was alone for a long time, and thus became ... a bit emotional.”
Serena glomped onto Ranma, making his eyes shoot wide in some fear. “You won’t leave me again, will you, Master?” she pleaded, eyes watering a bit.
“No, I promise!” he pleaded equally as quick, his desire to say anything to stop her from crying overriding his mouth once again.
Serenity sighed. I really shouldn’t leave her alone. Look at all the trouble she got into while my back was turned. “Well then, we have come to why you are here then.”
“To get your memories back,” smiled Serena, still clutching onto Ranma.
“Um ... okay, how do we do that?” he asked.
“Well,” paused Serenity, taking on a thoughtful appearance. “We have an easy way, and a hard way.”
“Easy way!” he squeaked, finally getting free of Serena’s hold.
“Very well, the easy way is—”
WHAM!
Serenity blinked. “Serena, why did you hit him with that mallet?” she asked, seeing Ranma on the floor, and a nasty bruise on his head.
“Well, he said he wanted the easy way.”
“The easy way is deep regression hypnosis,” said Serenity. “Blunt force trauma is always the hard way.”
“... Oh,” said Serena, chuckling lightly, as she dissolved the hammer. “Oops.”
Serenity shook her head. “We really need to look at your personality core.”
“I’m fine I tell you,” she harrumphed. “We can do that when you let me update the Palace and the other ships in dry-dock.”
Shaking her head, Serenity issued the commands for two android units to enter and carry the unconscious martial artist to the medical bay. “You better hope you didn’t send him into a coma.
“Where am I?” asked Ranma. “And why are people always hitting me in the head?”
“How long before they finish with the upgrades?”
“Another few weeks, Master.”
Ranma blinked, before turning around, spotting two people standing in a hallway he had seen on the Serenity Ascendant. One he recognized as the insane computer program that had clonked him with a mallet.
The other ... looked like him.
“Damn,” muttered the man Ranma assumed was Ruby, seeing as how the AI Serena was not clinging to him like Shampoo. “I was told they would be ready by the week’s end.”
“It appears several components failed inspection,” sighed Serena, handing him what looked like a high tech piece of paper, but the writing on it shifted, like that computer thing Nabiki had shown him once. “And to make matters worse, I’m afraid the crew assignments have been shifted again.”
Ruby shook his head. “You ever get the feeling that this is one of those days,” he muttered. “This ship is only a few cycles old. How can it be having this many problems?”
“I have no answer, Master,” said Serena.
Ruby smirked at her. “Well, at least one component works beyond expectations.”
Ranma blinked as Serena blushed. “T-t-thank you, Master.”
“Well,” said Ruby, looking around. “The bright side is that we can stay for that ball Queen Serenity is throwing for her daughter. Any clue as to what it is for?”
“The recent gossip is that she is announcing the official betrothal of her daughter to Prince Endymion of Atlantis.”
“Well, he is closer to her age,” Ruby smirked.
“You disapprove?” asked Serena.
“Not really,” said Ruby, as the two started to walk towards Ranma. “I admit her crush was cute, but she deserves someone much better than a man like me. If she finds love with him, then I will support it.
“Besides,” he said, turning back to Serena, “I already have a companion with blond hair done in dumplings and pigtails.”
Ranma looked on confused as they passed him, a deep blush on Serena’s face. Didn’t they see him? Didn’t they notice him? Didn’t the guy know he was flirting with a whack job AI? “Hey!” Ranma yelled, reaching out for them...
...only to have his hands pass right through them.
“What the hell...?” he muttered.
See other episodes by The Demented Redhead
(Posted Fri, 16 Feb 2007 12:34)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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