Ranma was still in a defensive position and waited for Saki to get up and continue the fight. His smirking face turned to a puzzled expression when she failed to rise again. He blinked "What ? It's already finished ?" His stance loosened "Feh ! I was expecting more from her..."
But Ranma had learned valuable lessons during his stay in Nerima. He idly kicked Saki a few times, just in case she was playing possum. The brown-haired android didn't react in the slightest. Ranma picked her up and shook her energically. Still nothing. He stopped when he saw the emptiness in her eyes. It was as she was in a coma. I didn't hit her THAT hard..., he thought. Back in Nerima, Pig-boy would have easily shrugged that blow off.
Kurumi approached "Aaah... Saki ? Are you all right ?" No reaction. She threw a quizzical look at her master, confusion and worry evident on her cute face "Master, is something wrong with Saki ?"
Kamahito, Nakahito and professor Ayanokoji walked up to Ranma and the two steel angels "What happened to her ? I thought she would be more... difficult... to deal with" asked Kamahito.
Before anyone could answer his question, footsteps were heard behind them. Ayanokoji turned to look at the newcomer and gasped in surprise "Professor Amagi ?"
Indeed, it was the black-haired female scientist Ranma, Kurumi and him had met and escaped from, back at his mansion. She was still clad in her military uniform with a white lab coat over it. She looked thoughtful and a little sad too "It didn't work out, after all..."
Kurumi was upset "What didn't work ? Is she dead ?"
Ayanokoji looked intently at his former co-worker "How did you manage to activate her ? The Army doesn't have the necessary ressources and knowledge"
Amagi's eyes were still on the unmoving Saki in Ranma's arms. She couldn't look at her mentor in the eyes "We forced her activation with electric discharges... But it would seem that the effect was only temporary"
"Saki was sort of fighting in her sleep then ?" Ranma sighed in relief. It wasn't completely his fault she dropped liked that. He still felt cheated out of a good fight though.
Ayanokoji was aghast that they would resort to such methods and a little curious at how they came to such a solution "Were you the one to think of this ?" he asked to a sullen Reiko Amagi.
She shook her head in denial "No, that was professor Brando's idea"
Ayanokoji was startled at the mention of that name "What !?"
Amagi nodded "He absolutely wanted to participate in Saki's activation. I'm reluctant to admit it but without his input, we wouldn't have had results so quickly"
Professor ayanokoji's thoughts were in turmoil Brando... If he's here, that means... Our time is short. We'll have to hurry then "Nevertheless, she's the second after Kurumi. I believed that I had reinforced her central system enough but if you forced her like that..."
Nakahito turned to his brother with a question "Second ? What does it mean ?"
"Well, you could say she's like a younger sister of sorts" answered Kamahito.
Suddenly Kurumi stood up, a colorful background of badly scribbled red hearts behind her as she squealed in joy "Sister !?! Kyyyuuuiinnn !!! So Saki is Kurumi's little sister !"
Everyone looked at Kurumi, incredulous at her reaction to the whole thing "Aaaah...?" Ranma did better than the others by adding a sweatdrop in the back of his head.
Kurumi was still lost in her joyous monologue. Kurumi had taken Saki out of Ranma's arms and had made her sit next to her "When a little sister arrives, we should give her a warm welcome ! Saki should celebrate her first meeting with her big sister !" said Kurumi, jumping in joy. Before the still inactive Saki could collapse back on the ground, Kurumi seized her by her collar and shook her energically "Rise and shine... Time to W-A-K-E U-P, Saaaaakiii ! You have to wake up !"
"Umm..." Everyone now sported small sweatdrops at the sight of Kurumi handling Saki like a sack of potatoes.
A wide-eyed Kurumi froze. Saki still didn't wake up and remained as unresponsive as ever, her head falling down comically. The poor pink-haired steel angel hugged her little sister and went into a crying fit worthy of Soun Tendo "WAAAAAHHH ! Why won't she wake up !? What to do ? What to doooooo !?!"
Suddenly, inspiration struck Kurumi "Ah, yes ! What if we did like with Kurumi !?"
"Like with Kurumi ?" answered a nonplussed professor Ayanokoji. It didn't take long for everyone to understand what she was talking about. All heads turned to the still sitting Ranma.
Of course, his reaction to the whole idea was predictable for those who knew him "WHAT !? Absolutely not ! Nu uh, not gonna kiss her, nope ! Ain't no way !" He turned to stare at the nearest wall, mumbling about Nerima and not wanting his 'fiancees trouble' to start again.
Reiko Amagi didn't understand "Kiss ? How is kissing Saki supposed to arrange things ?"
Ayanokoji nodded "I am a little skeptical myself" At least, it would confirm if Ranma had told them the truth and/or if it was a fluke. He could always take Saki to his laboratory in Izumo where he and Kamahito could activate her in the right way.
"Pleeeeeaaaaaase, Master, do to Saki what you did to Kurumi !" begged Kurumi who practically shoved her sister in Ranma's face.
Ranma gulped. Kurumi was using the dreaded 'puppy dog eyes filled with tears' technique. He steeled his resolve. He hadn't left the Nerima madhouse to fall in the same traps all over again "I... I just can't, okay !?!"
Kurumi frowned "And why is that ? Don't you want to help Saki ?"
Ayanokoji put a hand on Ranma's shoulder "If you do nothing... Reactivating Saki will be..." He let that statement hang out, making Ranma believe the situation was deadly serious. It was a little white lie but his scientific curiousity demanded that the pig-tailed martial artist kissed the second steel angel to see the results.
Ranma gulped. Kamahito-sensei was giving an approving nod to the scientist's words "You know what you have to do, Ranma-kun" Nakahito looked sympathetic but was obviously more worried about Saki than his ethical quandary. Reiko Amagi shrugged in a 'Don't look at me' way, she didn't understand what the fuss was all about. He turned back to Kurumi. Her eyes were locked onto his own, filled with intense resolve. He finally slumped a little and gave up "All right..."
"Thank you, master !!!" Kurumi's face lit with joy. She put Saki right in front of him, her face nearly into his own "Here you go !"
Ranma blushed red like a tomato "Ah... Right..." He took a few calming breaths and prepared himself. It wasn't as if it was a big deal, right ? Akane and the others weren't even born yet, for Kami's sake ! Kurumi had given him permission so it was okay, wasn't it ? He wouldn't betray anyone by kissing Saki.
While Ranma was mentally shilly-shallying, jealousy was mounting in Kurumi. It was irrational but a part of her couldn't bear the thought of her beloved master kissing another girl. She was almost ready to deck Ranma to avoid that when something totally unexpected happened.
Reiko Amagi had grown fed up of all these theatrics. That male steel angel behaved like a shy wimp "Oh, come on ! Be a man and kiss her !" She walked in Ranma's back and gave him a good push. Predictably, he fell first onto Saki. We all know how Ranma's luck is so it was no surprise that his lips met Saki's in a sloppy kiss.
Inside Saki's chest, a green sphere covered with strange wards lit up and started beating like a human heart.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH !!!" Kurumi screamed in dismay, her hair toinging in all directions with her ponytail standing straight up "NOOOOOOOOO !!!"
*WHAM !* Kurumi shoved Ranma away from Saki but used a tad too much strength to do it.
"Whooooooaaaaaaa !!!" Ranma went flying and crashed into a wall. He rapidly was up and upset "Hey, what's the big idea !? You asked me to kiss her in the first place !"
"Kurumi changed her mind ! Master belongs only to Kurumi !"
"Dammit ! I knew it was a bad idea ! Why did I have to something as stupid as that ?"
A soft and feminine voice cut through the little altercation between Ranma and Kurumi "Master...?" Everyone tensed and turned to look at the now awke Saki who was unsteadily standing up, her gaze fixed on Ranma all the while.
There was no mistaking in the obvious longing and love directed at Ranma in Saki's eyes. He slapped himself and muttered "Why me ? Here we go again..."
Read the comments on this episode
See other episodes by Jamil Nate
(Posted Thu, 29 May 2003 17:22)
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