Ami sighed and came to a decision. ‘If Ranma can’t come to me, then I better go to him.’ Checking her purse, to make sure she had enough money in case of emergency, she transformed into Sailor Mercury and took off over the rooftops of Azabu-Juban. She could feel where Ranma was. And as she got closer the feeling became less vague and more precise. Tracking down Ranma, even when he was unconscious, was very easy thanks to their soul bond.
‘I hope Usagi doesn’t call a meeting or some enemy shows up,’ Ami thought to herself. Just then, her communicator beeped. ‘Fate must think she’s funny.’
Ranma started to come to. ‘Ouch, my aching head.’
When Genma felt his son start to shift about, he knew the boy was awake. Quickening his pace, he tried to get to the Tendos before Ranma got free.
“Hey, old man, lemme go!” Ranma tried to twist out of his father’s grip, with little success. “Leggo y’ ol’ fool!”
Ranma fought with his father, to no avail. His father entered a house, and Ranma could see and hear the family who lived there running away from them. “Hey, you’re scaring them!”
Genma stopped running and put Ranma down, on display for the family to see.
Suddenly, Ranma was enveloped in a hug by a man. “At last, you’ve come.”
“You were expecting a panda to show up, carrying me? I guess pops does think these things out.”
However, instead of a reply, the man suddenly pushed Ranma back for a better look.
“Ooh, he’s cute,” one of the girls said.
“Thank you, I am,” Ranma said with pride.
Frowning, the girl poked at Ranma, in the chest. “He is a girl.” She sounded disappointed to Ranma. Ranma shrugged, he already had a girl he was in love with.
“I’m sorry, miss,” The man spoke solemnly, “but I am expecting my good friend and his son. If you wouldn’t mind taking your pet panda with you and leaving.”
“Sure, I’ll be on my-” Ranma was interrupted by a sign crashing down onto his head.
“Gruff, grrrowl” the panda barked as he held a sign up. ‘Tendo, old buddy, I can explain,’ it read. The sign was flipped to the other face, showing, ‘This is Ranma.”
Soun read the signs, his eyes crossed, and he slumped to the floor in a dead faint.
“I’m sorry Usagi, but I am too busy at the moment,” Mercury said again, for the fifth time.
Usagi looked like she was going to cry. “But if you tell us what is wrong, maybe we can help?”
“It’s personal, leave it at that.”
“Wahhh, Mercury is being mean to me,” Usagi cried out. “And all I wanted to do was hang out at the arcade instead of studying for history. And now Ami-chan won’t help me study and I’m going to flunk history and mom will kill me, Waaaah!”
Sailor Mercury rolled her eyes before closing the communicator and rushing off once again.
“Well, how rude!” Makoto commented.
Ranma and his father, both still in their cursed forms, sat with the Tendo sisters besides their father’s futon. ‘I still would like some hot water,’ read the sign that Genma held up, ignored by everyone. Soun was crying as he stared listlessly into space.
“Poor daddy, he’s so disappointed,” Kasumi commented as she wrung the water out of a cloth to put on her father’s head.
Nabiki scowled. “And you’re not disappointed? How are we suppose to marry a girl?”
Soun suddenly spranged upright. “That’s it! If we can not join the houses through my daughters, then I’ll just have to marry Ranma-chan.”
‘That works too.’ Genma’s signs were still ignored by everyone.
“Now wait a minute,” Ranma sputtered, “I don’t want to get married to any of you.”
Soun hugged Ranma close. “Nonsense, it is for family honor. Girls meet your new mommy and the mother of your future baby brother or sister.”
Ranma didn’t react well to that. “Hey, leggo you crazy ol’ fool.” Ranma elbowed Soun in the head and quickly escaped his grasp.
“Hey,” Akane grew angry, “Don’t you be hitting my daddy.”
“You’re all nuts!”
Genma, tired of being ignored, decided to go take a soak in the furo.
“He he he, Genma’s daughter is feisty. Calm down, it is a matter of honor, and it is not like you can marry one of my girls.”
“But I’m a boy, dammit! And keep your paws to yourself, old man.” Ranma wasn’t amused at all.
Neither was Akane. “That’s manners for you. What kind of guest are you?”
“The kind that’s leaving!”
‘Calm down, love. You won’t be able to deal with them if you’re angry.’ Sailor Mercury soothed Ranma over the link.
“No, wait! I know we got off on the wrong foot, but you can’t leave just yet. What would your father say. Speaking of which, where is Genma?”
Ranma looked around, but didn’t see his father anywhere. “He’s probably stuffing his face,” Ranma groused bitterly.
“That sounds like Genma,” Soun agreed.
“Look, Mr. Tendo, sir. If I could have some hot water, you’ll see what I’m talking about.”
Soun looked perplexed. “Hot water? What does that have to do with anything?”
Ranma resisted the urge to sigh. “Can I take a bath then?”
Soun shrugged. “Sure, right this way.”
Akane still hadn’t cooled off. “If you think you can just waltz in and replace my mother, you have another think coming!”
Ranma ignored her in favor of following Mr. Tendo. When they reached the door to the furo, it slid open and his father stepped out.
“Soun!” Genma greeted.
“Genma!” Soun and Genma clapped each other into a manly embrace. “Why were you in the furo?”
“Long story, my old friend. Come and I’ll tell you all about it.”
As the two fathers went off to catch up on old times, Ranma went into the furo to take a bath.
Usagi held court over the Inners. “I call this study group to an end. Now let’s go find Ami and see what kind of trouble she got herself into.”
“You don’t think she got herself pregnant, do you?” Mina gossiped with Makoto. “Maybe she’s on her way to get an abortion.”
Matoko giggled. “But who’d be the father? She doesn’t even look at boys, I don’t think. Do you think she’s ...”
“No,” Mina giggled. “If she was, she’d be all over us.” Mina winked at Makoto. “The sailor scouts should be known as the lovely moon kingdom women.”
Rei cleared her throat. “If the two of you gossips are done, let’s go chase Ami down. Anyone know where she’s headed?”
“Why not check the communicator?” Luna suggested.
“Who’s the old guy?” Nabiki asked Kasumi.
Kasumi shrugged, and answered without pausing her cooking, “You got me.”
“I still say this whole thing stinks. Just because some old friend of daddy’s shows up out of the blue, we have to turn our lives upside down.” Akane was still grumpy.
“What’s up with you little sister?” Nabiki asked. “I’d have though you’d be thrilled that you don’t have to marry some boy. And it isn’t like Ranma did anything to you.”
“Whatever, Nabiki. I just don’t like her type, that home-breaking gold digger. I think I’ll go take a bath.”
“Oh dear, but Ranma’s in the bath. You shouldn’t intrude upon her.” Kasumi admonished Akane.
“Whatever, Kasumi. It’s no big deal.” Akane left to bathe.
Not even five minutes later, she was storming through the house half dressed. “I’ll drown him in the tub.”
“Akane, what’s wrong?” Kasumi asked in concern.
“There’s a strange boy in the furo.”
A boy, wearing Ranma’s silk clothing, entered sheepishly. “Sorry ‘bout this,” he apologized with a blush.
“Who’re you?” Nabiki asked.
“Ranma Saotome.”
Nabiki and Kasumi looked at each other in confusion. Soun had spotted Ranma. “Ah, Ranma. Now that I had the confusion cleared up by your father, we can plan your wedding to one of my daughters. I believe Nabiki was looking forward to this.”
“Uhm, about that sir.”
Soun chuckled. “Don’t be so formal. Please, call me Daddy.”
Akane glared at Ranma. “What’s going on here?”
Ranma sighed. “I’m not going to marry anyone I barely met.”
“Where’s the girl?” Akane demanded to know.
Soun tossed a glass of water at Ranma. “Right here.”
Ranma groaned as his face sunk into his hand.
All three Tendo girls stared in amazement. As such, they missed a figure dropping into their backyard. Walking into the house, Sailor Mercury approached Ranma. “Found you at last!”
‘Hey Ami-chan. I felt you coming to get me.’
‘We better hurry, I think my friends are right behind me.’
“Sailor Mercury?” Was chorused by a couple Tendos and the scouts dropping onto the premises.
“Sorry all, Ranma is coming with me.”
‘Can’t I get some hot water first.’ Ranma felt hesitation, and knew what it was from. ‘You know you can trust me around your friends.’
‘I know, it is them I don’t trust.’
“Hey look,” Mercury exclaimed as she doused Genma with cold water. “A youma!”
“Growf?”
In the following scuffle and chaos, Ranma and Mercury slipped out as a number of scouts chased after a panda.
“What do you know,” Nabiki commented to Akane, “You fiancè knows the Sailor Scouts.”
“He’s not my ... Sailor Scouts?” Akane got a distant, thoughtful look to her face.
Read the comments on this episode
See other episodes by Errol Peregrinus
(Posted Mon, 05 Jan 2009 01:30)
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