Kimitsu…
"So here it is, Ma-chan! Your new school!"
Ranma blinked as she looked around the beautiful campus of Nan'yô. A clean school building, well-kept grounds, everything looking to be in excellent repair all around, no signs of weird things like statues of the principal, hidden traps and all the other odd things that haunted Fûrinkan High. Taking that in, she then nodded before looking down at herself. "Glad we got new clothes for me before I came here," she mused as she felt the jeans hugging her legs. While they were quite skin-tight, they were also made of a material that could stretch very well, thus ensuring Ranma didn't get into an embarrassing position if she was forced to do a high kick. A tastefully designed tank-top, mary janes and a purse completed the ensemble. "It's not right to dress in the school uniform when I'm not a student here. I don't want to insult anyone."
"Oh, relax, Ma-chan! They're all pretty okay here!" Hakufu then perked on sensing a familiar presence approach from the direction of the gymnasium. Turning around, she grinned as she waved. "Ah, Gaku-chan! Gaku-chan! Hi!"
Ranma looked as a very imposing woman approached them. Standing a good 250 centimetres tall, she was currently dressed in running shoes, track bottoms and a Nan'yô tank top pulled taunt over a very muscular yet still quite female — and quite beautiful at that! — body. Her head was topped with spiky black hair forming a sunflower-like halo when viewed from the front, a sweatband pulling some of those strands back from her forehead. Smoky brown eyes peeked out of a very well-shaped face. "Gakushû?" she asked as she stared knowingly at Hakufu just as the other woman walked up to them.
"Shûshun Gakushû, to be exact," the newcomer said in a very kind voice as she stopped beside Hakufu, and then she stared fondly at the blonde tôshi. "Where were you today, Hakufu-san? Your cousin and a lot of other people were asking about you."
"Oh, I was just spending time with Ma-chan here," Hakufu said as she waved to Ranma, and then she perked. "Whoops! My bad! Gaku-chan, this is Ranma Saotome, my boyfriend." A knowing wink. "Though right now, she's my girlfriend." She waved to the taller woman as she looked at Ranma. "Ma-chan, this is Shûshun Gakushû, but her real name's Tsukumi Tano. She's a senior student here and one of the 'Four Divas' along with Mô-chan, Saji-san and Kannei-san. She's a really good fighter, too!"
Hearing her real name spoken aloud, Shûshun moaned. "Hakufu-san, how many times must I tell you this: NEVER use our real names when we're on campus! There's a…"
It hit her.
"RANMA SAOTOME?!"
Hakufu and Ranma winced as Shûshun dropped to her knees in disbelief and shock. "Um, Gaku-chan, I don't think they heard you all the way in Ôsaka," the latter said as she reached up to pop her eardrums back into position. "Did you have to be THAT loud?!"
Too late.
"Ranma-san!"
Ranma perked, and then looked over before laughing. "Hey, Yumi-chan! Long time, no see!" she whooped as she waved just as Kôkin Shûyu ran up to hug her. "How are you?!"
"Okay! Welcome to Nan'yô!" Kôkin said as she exchanged a warm kiss with her future cousin-in-law. "Hakufu bringing you here for the ten-yen tour before you transfer in?"
"Hai, she is! How about you?" Ranma leaned up to leer knowingly at Kôkin. "Got yourself a girlfriend or boyfriend you want to tell me about?"
"Gyaah!" Kôkin yelped as she backed off, making a warding motion with her hands. "Knock it off with that, Ranma! I swear, Oba-chan's been brainwashing you too much with all that etchi stuff! Leave my love-life alone, for heaven's sake!"
"Oh, really? What about Shôko-chan?"
Kôkin nearly gagged on the bile in her throat. "LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS, RANMA!"
Suddenly, heat exploded from behind Kôkin, causing her to pale in panic. "KÔKIN SHÛYU! WHAT IS THIS WOMAN TALKING ABOUT?! WHO IS 'SHÔKO-CHAN?!'"
Ranma and Hakufu blinked as Kôkin slowly turned around to see a green-eyed, flame-haired girl with side ponytails like Hôsen Ryofu styled her hair, though she wasn't as busty or as well developed since she was a freshman. She was now looking at Kôkin with the same mixture of hurt and outrage Ranma had become all too familiar with thanks to her 'fiancées' and their antics. "Um, Shi-shi-Shiyoku-san, I can r-r-really explain th-this to y-y-you…!" she stammered as she tried to wave the angry girl back.
"Who's she?" Ranma asked as she stared at Hakufu.
"Don't know, Ma-chan," the latter replied. "Hey, Kôkin! Who is this girl?!"
The girl turned to Hakufu, her angry look melting into a warm smile. "Konnichi wa, Hakufu-san! I'm Shiyoku Shôkan! I'm your cousin's girlfriend!" She then growled as she glared at Kôkin, making the other girl wilt. "Or at least I thought I was until this two-timer here got himself ANOTHER girlfriend behind my back!"
"I SWEAR!" Kôkin screamed out loud enough to cause all the windows of Nan'yô to rattle. "SHÔKO-CHAN ISN'T MY GIRLFRIEND! SHE'S MY FIANCÉE!"
Silence.
Total silence.
Complete silence.
You could hear the bird chirping, it was that silent.
"'Fi-fi-fiancée'…?"
Kôkin felt her heart crash deep into her bowels as the look on Shiyoku's face turned from outrage to disbelief to a heartbreaking sadness that was now making even the normally impassive Shûshun weep. Watching this, Hakufu could only shake her head, tsking her tongue on the roof of her mouth as she muttered, "Shame! SHAME, Kôkin!" Ranma was also shaking her head; oh, yes, this was just TOO damned familiar to her. And Shiyoku looked as if she was about to break down and do a perfect imitation of Niagara Falls with all the side diversions of water into power plants shut off.
Then…
"Um, excuse me, but how is it that two women can get married?"
That was Shimei Ryomô, by the way.
"Canada," Hakufu, Ranma and Kôkin said at the same time.
Hearing that, Shimei blinked, and then she nodded in understanding.
"Mama's even saving money for the flight over there," Hakufu noted.
"Beats swimming there," Ranma mused.
Shûshun stared wide-eyed at her. "You would actually swim to Canada?!"
"Swam to China and back, believe it or not."
The large warrior took that in, and then she nodded in understanding.
She had heard all the stories, too.
"Kôkin…!"
Kôkin gasped as another battle aura appeared around Shiyoku as she stood up, her eyes blazing with a promise of very painful, horrible, bone-shattering, muscle-shearing, nerve-ripping DEATH. Instantly, a whole forest of long acupuncture needles appeared in both hands as she moved in on him, her purpose as clear as daylight.
"KOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN…!"
Kôkin screamed…
A few minutes later, Hakufu was walking in a sobbing Shiyoku to the school cafeteria, they being followed by Ranma, Shimei and Shûshun. "Now THAT, she had coming to her," Ranma mused as she glanced out the window at the front courtyard.
The scene there was…
We'll let you imagine it, dear readers.
"So what the hell happened out there, anyway?"
Everyone perked on hearing that new voice, and then they turned as a senior student, still in school uniform, walked up to join them. She was quite attractive and in excellent shape, though nowhere near Shûshun in the muscle department. Her hair was a wavy blonde and cut to mid-neck, her eyes brown. Looking into those eyes, Ranma was quick to sense the intensive calculation in them, the all-absorbing stare she would only associate with one person: Nabiki Tendô. A glance to the others told Ranma that Shimei was certainly NOT happy to see the other woman, Shûshun seemed not to care either which way, Hakufu was friendly yet on guard and Shiyoku seemed very much ON guard.
Okay, the conclusion was easy: Don't trust this girl.
"Hello, Saji. Just a normal incident between two freshmen," Shimei stated as she adjusted the gloves covering her hands. "Where've you been for the last while?"
"Oh, here and there," the other woman said with a shrug. And a lanky smile that certainly didn't go anywhere close to her eyes, Ranma quickly noted. She then turned to gaze on the beautiful redhead in civilian clothes. "Who's this?"
"Sonsaku's girlfriend and boyfriend in combination, Ranma Saotome," Shimei provided with a smile as she gazed on Genpô Saji. "She'll be transferring into our school next term under the name 'Kanami Hayashi.' As a girl, too, by the way."
Hearing that, Genpô's jaw dropped in shock as she took in that information, and then she shook her head. "Okay, that's pretty new on me! Why?"
"Three complete bitches for fiancées!" Hakufu snarled.
"Two of which are lesbians and dream of trapping Ranma in her girl-form to make her a sex-slave, the third being a bisexual nymphomaniac who wouldn't care any which way about her," Shimei added as she glanced sympathetically at Ranma. "And they all believe they're pulling fast ones on Ranma when Ranma here was pulling the ultimate fast one by using Akane Tendô's mallet to travel to Sonsaku's home so she could train her."
"And do other wonderful things two people in love would do with each other, Mô-chan!" Hakufu noted with a wink and a raised finger. "Don't forget that!"
"Oh, you're right, Sonsaku! I did forget that! My apologies."
Shiyoku blinked. "So who are the lesbians?"
"Akane and U-chan," Ranma provided. "Shänpú's fully bi. And sleeps with anything on two legs." She then hummed as she thought of something, and then she raised her finger. "Except Mùsï, of course. He probably didn't satisfy her very much."
Hearing that, everyone stared at her for a moment, and then broke out in laughter. "Well, if that doesn't beat all, nothing will!" Genpô said with a laugh before she offered her hand. "Genpô Saji, Ranma-chan!" She then paused before winking at her. "My apologies, Kanami-chan!" A nod. "Welcome to Nan'yô."
Ranma blinked, and then she laughed as she squeezed the offered hand. "Dômo!"
As Shiyoku moved to introduce herself, Shimei hung back, her eye locked on Genpô's face as she took a moment to take full measure of the other woman.
What the hell was she up to?
"So you're getting away from that place just to get a chance to get away from the hypocrisy you've been forced into by your family and 'fiancées,' right?"
"That's pretty much the start and end of it, Son-chan," Ranma said before taking a sip of her drink. She was currently seated in the cafeteria with Hakufu at her side. A whole slew of Nan'yô students, having heard of who was in the building, had flocked down from their after-school clubs and study halls to meet the Godslayer in person and learn of how s/he of all people had won the heart of Hakufu Sonsaku. Ranma had just answered a question posed to her by Hakufu's classmate Hakugen Rikuson. "Yeah, it may be seen as wrong to disguise myself as a girl to attend an all-girls school…"
"Let me correct you on that point, Ranma-san. Technically, Nan'yô is a co-ed institute," Shikei Roshuku cut in with an objecting finger. "So you wouldn't actually be out of place here even if you attend as 'Kanami Hayashi.'"
"Besides, how long have you had this curse of yours anyway?" Genpô added. "A year? Maybe more? That's more than enough time to get used to being able to switch sexes like that, especially with the way I've heard you attract water all the time."
A moan. "That's the truth. I swear, it would be a perfectly clear day, and then BOOM!" Ranma made an exploding motion with her hands. "Instant downpour! Or that old lady near the Tendô home splashes me. Or a car hits a puddle that I'm walking next to. Or some other crazy thing happens. And sure enough, I'm a girl!"
"But what if you stay as a girl for any period of time?" Shimei asked. "Wouldn't the curse work in the reverse way?"
"Sometimes it does that," Ranma admitted. "But there are times it didn't. And there are times I've been locked as a girl. Just like I did this morning after I met up with Fu-chan before we headed down to Shinjuku."
"How did you do that?" Shiyoku asked.
Ranma hummed. "How many of you know of my fight with Prince Herb of the Musk?" Hands went up. "Okay, that makes explaining this easy. Do you know of the Chiisui-ton?"
"That's the device Herb used to lock your curse once," Hakugen stated. "The Kaisui-fû is the device that unlocked the curse. Herb was looking for it when you met."
A nod. "The same. When I was exposed to the Chiisui-ton, it left an impact on my body's ki fields. Even after I got unlocked with the Kaisui-fû, there was still that small place in my ki pattern that held the energy of the Chiisui-ton." A nod to Hakufu. "While I was studying with Fu-chan and using the training manuals Fu-chan's father left behind, I discovered a way to manipulate my ki so that I could 'switch on' the lock whenever I wanted to, then 'switch off' the lock when I wanted to go back to what's 'normal' for me." A shake of the head. "That was a little embarrassing."
"Why?" Genpô asked.
"'Cause that gave Fu-chan's mom the excuse to get me a whole new wardrobe, not to mention force me into wearing panties and bras!"
Laughter filled the room. "Well, obviously, you are used to it now," Shûshun noted, indicating the straps of the bra visible under Ranma's tank top. "And clearly, given the way you've described how Tendô-san and the others in Nerima treat you, I can see why you'd want to do everything to get away from them once and for all."
"She's certainly welcome here," Shimei noted.
"I'll second that," Shikei added.
Shouts of approval came from the others in the room. "Arigatô, minna," Ranma said with a delighted smile, and then she winked. "So, if you all don't mind, when I come in for my first day of classes next term, when the 'reception committee' comes up to greet me, can I deal with them all at once? I don't want to be late for my first class!"
Hearing that, everyone gaped at her, and then howled with laughter.
Later…
"This is the student council office," Shikei stated as she waved Ranma into the room. She and Shimei were helping Hakufu with the tour of the school. As soon as all four girls were in the room, Shikei closed the door and locked it. "You can come here to see any of us if you have any problems getting adjusted in."
"Worried about spies?" Ranma mused knowingly as she took a seat while Shimei headed to the coffee machine to pour cups for everyone.
"One specifically," Shikei stated as she sat down across from her.
A nod. "Genpô Saji. Or whoever the hell she REALLY is."
The three tôshi froze in place as they stared at their visitor and future schoolmate. "How in the name of Buddha did you sense THAT?!" Shimei demanded. "I've only suspected something like that in all the years I've known her! Yet you…!"
"Mô-chan, let me be truthful with you," Ranma stated, nodding her thanks as she took in the cup of coffee. "When I decided it was time to join Fu-chan full time and attend school here, I immediately made it my business to know about EVERYONE Fu-chan might run into because of her connection to Shàobà and Cè Sün. Especially here at Nan'yô." She sipped her coffee. "I know about what forces you to wear that eye patch all the time, Mô-chan. I know why is it Shuku-chan here has to make herself look like an extra for Return of the Mummies all the time. I even know what happened to your school boss Enjutsu and how that fucked around with Kannei's mind." A deep sigh. "And I know about what Saji really is and why she's doing what she's doing now."
"Can you tell us?" Shikei asked.
A shake of the head. "No. It may seem wrong for her to do this, but there is an honourable and proper reason she is doing this. I have to respect that, Shuku-chan. To not do that dishonours not only Saji and others, it will dishonour me."
The two older tôshi stared at her for a moment, and then they nodded in understanding. "Fair enough. But if it does become something dangerous, I hope you'll help put a stop to it," Shimei stated before she sat down and sipped her coffee.
"Naturally," Ranma said with a nod. "So how will my coming here affect all your pals at the other schools? Any potential threats I have to deal with right away?"
Shikei and Shimei shook their heads. "Not that we know of now at this time, Ranma," the former said as she crossed her arms. "The news is still too fresh and hasn't really percolated down yet to all the other school bosses, so it's hard for me to make even a faint prediction." A sigh. "We have potentially serious threats coming from the direction of Rakuyô and Kyoshô. Against both you and Hakufu."
A nod. "Chûei Tôtaku and Môtoku Sôsô. Anyone else?"
"Seito is pretty much neutral to us," Shimei continued. "Their leader, Gentoku Ryûbi is the most pacifist of us all. She would never do something like that even if we threatened them in return. Gogun holds the one serious threat to Sonsaku…"
"Don't worry about Ukitsu."
The older tôshi stared at Ranma. "You sure?" Shikei asked.
"She's practically a nun in her feelings about a lot of things," Ranma said. "She dreads facing Fu-chan and letting that part of their 'destiny' lock into place. If Fu-chan didn't have control over her dragon, I would be hard pressed to call what a fight like that would be. But now?" A shake of the head. "Skill wise, Ukitsu's got the edge. Power wise, they're equal. And Fu-chan can hold Shàobà back."
"I'd like to fight Tsu-chan, but not kill her," Hakufu noted.
The older tôshi took that in, and then they nodded. "Well, that removes one potential worry from our shoulders. Yôshû has one very good fighter: Shigi Taishiji. She's very well respected and can even give me a run for my money," Shimei stated.
"I know her," Ranma said with a nod. "An honourable fighter. 'Righteous,' to borrow her own words for it. I'm looking forward to sparring with her."
"But she's not the boss over there and she's too popular with the rank and file," Shikei warned. "Yômin Ryûyô, the boss there, is getting jealous and nervous of Shigi's popularity and might move to knock her down a few pegs along the way."
"Not good," Ranma noted. "I know about Yoshû."
"What about them?" Shimei asked.
"Almost a clear break between the boss of the place, Honsho Enshô, and the lady who wants to forge an alliance with Seito and keep the peace with Kyoshô, Môki Bachô," Ranma reported. "Enshô wants to rumble with Sôsô. She's actually wanting to do it now to save Tôtaku's butt from Hôsen Ryofu if she moves against her. Môki-chan doesn't want to fight Sôsô and wants to pal up with her buddies from Seito." A shrug. "A third for Enshô, a third for Môki-chan, and a third on the fence. Nice place."
"You keep yourself well-informed," Shikei noted.
A smirk. "Shuku-chan, after all the shit I've been through this last year, does that REALLY surprise you?!" Ranma asked as she warily stared at her host.
A shake of the head. "Not really."
Later on, four women walked off the school grounds. Ranma, Hakufu and Shimei waited for Shikei to close the front gate and lock things in place before she walked over to join them. "Well, maybe not as exciting as Fûrinkan High School, but it's our home away from home for three years of our lives," the bandaged tôshi stated as they walked down the street. "You sure you're making the right decision, Ranma?"
Ranma nodded. "I am. Martial artists, for the most part, who love the art and are willing to push themselves to as far as they could go. Some loons and real challenges, but I'll bet you run into them anywhere you go. And I'm with the woman I love." She reached over to wrap her arm around Hakufu's shoulder to kiss her before she looked back at her companions, winking. "Much better than I could hope it be."
"Ditto here," Hakufu sighed as she leaned her head on Ranma's.
The older tôshi nodded. "Well, as Saji said, welcome to Nan'yô," Shikei stated before moving to head off down a side street. "We'll see you soon, Kanami-chan. 'Night."
"'Night," the others chanted as the bandaged warrior headed off. As soon as they were alone, Shimei then took a deep breath. "Ranma…?"
"You want help controlling the dragon, right?"
The blue-haired tôshi tensed, and then she grinned. "Yeah."
"Want to come with us on our training trip, Mô-chan?" Hakufu offered.
Shimei blinked as she took that in, and then she grinned. "I think I can."
And now that's happened, we…
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(Posted Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:58)
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