"The potential is always there," Charles mused. "What he makes of it is up to him. Realize, of course, that this young man has just had nearly his entire life stolen from him. What he used to be, he isn't entirely, anymore. One of his strongest values is his identity -- his unique self. That's been put on the line with what they were planning... but I don't think that will break him."
"So what's your plan?"
The professor turned away from the empty training room. "Well, there's no reason to pressure the boy. There's no need for a leader right this instant, so... we shall watch him, and see if he fulfills his potential."
Emma nodded. "That's probably the best thing we can do," she sighed.
"I have a feeling we won't need to wait long," Charles replied, a smile playing about the corners of his mouth.
"Oh?"
***
Ranma walked through the corridors of the complex. He didn't get lost as easily as Ryouga, but the entire place was... huge. And he was hungry, so the kitchen would be welcome, but then, so would a bed.
He pondered that for a moment, halting when he spotted someone familiar sitting on a long couch. No longer in the infirmary, though still not looking entirely well, he spotted Shinobu, a downcast expression on her face as she stared at the floor.
Sitting next to her, he flopped one arm over the back of the couch behind her, and shot the girl an encouraging look. She shrunk away for a moment, then recognized him, and managed a weak smile, quickly turning to stare at the floor again.
"Hey," he said softly. "You doing okay?"
"F... fine," she said after a moment, not able to meet his eyes. "Just, um... tired, Sempai."
He bit his lip for a moment, then sighed. "You sure you don't want to talk about it? I... I owe you, you know. If you hadn't... you know, those guards would have sneaked up on me, and then... well, that wouldn't have been good, one way or another."
Shinobu nodded quietly, eyes beginning to shine with moisture.
Ranma looked away again. "You know... I guess it can't be easy, doing what you did. But sometimes there are good reasons to do what you have to, Shinobu-chan."
She sniffled, once. Then twice. A lone tear escaped each eye, and then the floodgate broke, and she collapsed, turning to face him and clutching the material of his new outfit tightly while she sobbed. Ranma winced, and instinctively wrapped one arm around the girl, the other gently stroking her hair out of her face. "Hey," he whispered. "It's okay."
"We're-" the girl's sob was broken by a hiccuping noise, "we're so alone, Sempai! We don't have anyone that we used to, anymore! What bout... our parents, our families?" She sobbed again quietly, burying her face in his chest.
"Alone?" Ranma mused, shaking his head. "We're not alone. We got each other, and who says we can't go back, huh? We're safer here, now, but everything'll work out. You saved me, right? So I figure that means I owe you one."
"You... you saved me, too," the girl mumbled into his chest, her sobs subsiding.
"Well, that sounds like the beginning of a friendship, doesn't it?" Ranma asked. "I'll look out for you, you look out for me... and we're not alone."
The girl pulled away, blinking tears out of her eyes and staring at him in surprise. "Like... family?" she asked tremulously.
"Like... yeah, sure, like family," Ranma said, nodding.
"Th... thank you, Ranma-niisan," Shinobu murmured, bowing her head, her tears finally stopping. She managed a weak, but sunny smile, sniffling again as she tried to laugh, "I must look horrible. I'm sorry for being so much trouble."
"You're no trouble!" Ranma said insistently, releasing the girl from the hug.
She scooted away a miniscule distance, blushing slightly. "I'm sorry," she murmured. I shouldn't have--"
"Now, don't be like that," Ranma chastised her. "If we're going to be brother and sister, we can get close, and it don't mean nothing more than we're looking out for each other."
***
"I think this is an auspicious beginning," the professor allowed, turning to regard the woman at his side with a warm smile.
"You're right professor, as always," she allowed, shaking her head ruefully.
***
The girl giggled quietly, her blush subsiding. Ranma's stomach chose that moment to growl loudly, and she giggled again, covering her mouth with her hands when her own stomach made a much quieter noise.
"Yeah, I don't remember eating in a while, and all this knew stuff's made me a bit hungry," Ranma mused. "You want to hunt down something to eat?"
"Yes," Shinobu said, treating Ranma to another sunny smile.
"Alrighty, then, let's...."
See other episodes by Brian Randall
(Posted Sun, 27 Oct 2002 17:46)
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