Ranma also had something that Akane never would. Trust in others and the willingness to defend them to his own detriment.
It was late at night and all was dark and silent as Kasumi staggered into the house, bone-weary and covered in scrapes and bruises. Her mystic uniform was tattered, but it's armor-like capabilities had saved her yet again. She was leaning against the doorframe, attempting to gather enough energy to surmount the stairs, when their younger houseguest's voice waifted from the darkest part of the hallway. "Kasssumi?" he hissed questioningly.
She gulped and straightened. "Hai, Ranma-kun, it's me," she replied in a low whisper. She narrowed her eyes in a vain attempt to pierce the shadowed area. "Did I wake you?"
"Naa, 'sssumi-chan," he responded in the same sillibant tone. "Juss getting a ssnack." She heard the sounds of something being crunched wetly, then the distinctive sound of his swallow. "Iss everything okay?"
She tried to take a step forward, but her twisted ankle caused her to suck in a short, pained breath.
Faster than she could comprehend, Ranma had his arms wrapped around her waist. "Lean on me, 'Sssumi," he hissed. She felt a hand slip down her leg and moaned in pain as his fingers gently probe at the swollen joint. "Juss a sssprain. Stay transsformed," he directed her.
She gulped. "How did you find out?" she requested, certain that he would not tell anyone else of his discovery.
His grip on her loosened. "I can sssee by heat, azz much azz by normal light," he admitted. "Pleasse, don't be afraid." He brought forth an orb of ki to gently light the room.
She gulped as his body was revealed. She used her mask's abilities to verify that, yes, this was Ranma and, yes, he was naturally a naga; though the last was obvious by the simple fact that from around his wasit onward, his lower body was serpentine. His head was lowered, and the ball of spritual energy slowly began to tint a darker and deeper green as she look upon him.
His voice was so soft, she almost missed it. "Sssincce I'm a monsster," he husked, "you'll have to kill me now, ne?"
"Why?" she replied just as softly. At that, his head snapped upward to allow his slit-pupiled orbs to fix to her own. She continued, as she knelt to give him a hug. "Just because you can change into a form that's part snake? What's wrong with that?"
"But?" he gulped.
She touched her finger to his lips. "Itouto," she soothed, "look at me. I'm not exactly what I normally act like myself, right now."
She watched as his eyes took in her clothing, and she could see a spark of humor begin to light his sapphire orbs. "I'd exsspect thiss from Akane," he chucked softly.
She knew well the sight that filled his eyes. The black, form-hugging slacks; the tight, white blouse and the black, double-breasted suit jacket. Her eyes, hidden behind the violet butterfly mask and the rapier adorned with the black and purple ribbons sheathed at her belt. "So, I'm Tuxedo Saturn," she giggled. "A reincarnated prince of a long-dead kingdom, born into this life as a girl." She grinned as she did before leaping into battle. "You're a aquatranssexual naga. Six of one, half a dozen of the other."
He reabsorbed the ki, allowing the room to slip back into shadows. She felt his arms gather her to his chest, as he slithered up the stairs as silently as he could move on two feet. She was quickly deposited on her bed and he slipped away, a single statement hanging in the air.
"Juss call me if you need any help."
Since that day, her fiends could call upon the aid of the Scarlet Serpents. He was, as usual, as good as his word. There were several times that one of the senshi had been in dire straits; but after the third time rescuing Sailor Moon by coiling around her and taking the brunt of an attack, this time as a she-naga, even Setsuna was mollified.
So if Nabiki was like he was, maybe that was a better match. She just shook her head, as she dialed. Time would tell.
And Setsuna was notorious for being stingy with words.
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(Posted Fri, 04 Jun 2004 08:28)
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