Ranma was the first to wake up. He felt some kind of weight on his chest. He opened his eyes and found a nude and still asleep Kyoko, her head resting on his torso. A fierce blush came to his cheeks as he recalled what they did last night. He gently caressed her face, making her mumble in her sleep, while pondering this new development.
It was strange. Ranma had to be sent to another world, radically different from his own, to discover the true meaning of Love. The Nerima 'battle for his heart' looked more and more like a tangle of petty squabbles in light of his experiences in Rokugan. His former fiancees only wanted him for reasons that had nothing to do with Love, he knew it now. For Shampoo, he was a trophy husband, a slave and breeder. For Ukyo, he was the only way to reclaim her honor and rightful gender. Kodachi only wanted someone to abuse in her sick games. Akane felt he was her property because of the engagement and no one else will get her favorite toy. Dark thoughts came to his mind. What will happen after he defeated Fu-Leng ? Will he be sent back home, leaving Kyoko behind ? Not if he can help it !
Ranma felt Kyoko kiss his hand. The scorpion lady was awake and looking at him questioningly "What's wrong, my love ? You look pensive..." She rolled to the side and covered herself with the bed sheet.Her eyes were misty "Are you regretting what we did now ?"
Ranma shouted "NO !" He clamped his hands on his mouth and looked wildly around, hoping no one heard his outburst. The sight was so funny that Kyoko giggled. Then she was caught in her lover's embrace. She literally melted in his arms.
"I love you, Kyoko. I love you so much... How could I regret this night I had waited for so long ?" Ranma's eyes met her own. For the life of her, she couldn't break contact. She knew that the love she found in them was mirrorred in hers "Everything will turn out fine, you'll see..."
Kyoko's voice was low and breathless "How ? Even if your father respects me a little now, he will never approve a marriage between us. At best, he'll tolerate me as your mistress as long as you are not corrupted by my bad influence, so to speak" She chuckled sadly "There are things you don't know about me"
Ranma smiled in his usual carefree manner "What things ? Oh, don't worry ! I don't care if you're a ninja. I love you and that's final"
Kyoko was stunned and started to sweat "A... a ninja ?" How could he have found out about this ? "Ranma, ninjas don't exist. They are just silly tales to scare the hei-min, nothing more. I'm not..."
Ranma kept smiling "Come on... I saw you fight at the wall. Your archery style was characteristic of ninjutsu. It's no big deal, I understand you want to keep this a secret. It'll stay between us, I swear on my ancestors"
Kyoko didn't know how to react. Ranma was a chosen of the kamis, he could defeat onis like they were nothing, his fighting style was damn near universal, he wielded powers only elder monks could hope to master and now he just uncovered one of her biggest secrets just by looking at her. Then something clicked in her mind. Touched the kamis, he prophesied Fu-Leng's return, that meant... Ranma, her Ranma, had been chosen to fight the Dark God !
Tears flowed from her eyes. She hugged Ranma as if he was her only anchor to this world. "Why ?" She sniffled "Why you ?"
Ranma gently wiped her tears away with his fingers "Why me ? What are you talking about ?" He could feel her tremble.
She looked at him with a desperate expression "Why must you be the one to fight He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named ? We've just found each other... I... I don't want to lose you ! No ! I refuse !" Her grip on him was now approaching amazon glomp level.
Ranma returned his lover's hug but his voice was sad and resigned "I have to do it, Kyoko. There is no other way. I will not run from my destiny"
Kyoko was now weakly striking him with her fists "You... You stubborn crab ! You'll die ! It took Shinsei and the seven thunders to defeat him last time. There was only one survivor out of eight, ONLY ONE ! I'm well placed to know it since it was the scorpion thunder ! Please, I beg you, don't leave me..." Gone was the haughty and cold scorpion everyone was used to in Kyuden Hida, in her place was a desperate woman in love.
Ranma kissed her forehead and looked in her tear-filled eyes, radiating confidence and firm resolve "Do you believe in me, Kyoko ? Do you trust me ?"
She tried to beat back her tears "Yes... Yes, I trust you, I trust you more than anyone else, Ranma" *I love you so much it hurts* she thought.
Ranma slowly and gently disengaged himself from her "I swear on everything I hold dear I will never abandon you. No one, be it my father, the Dark One or Death itself, will keep me from you. I will accomplish my destiny and return to you" He threw another of his trademark smiles "Hida Ranma always keeps his word, ne ?"
Kyoko couldn't keep herself from laughing "I... I'm... I believe you. Against my better judgement, I believe you" She tentatively moved to kiss her beloved and soon they were lost again in each other.
Suddenly remembering why she wanted to talk to him yesterday, Kyoko abruptly broke the kiss. Ranma was puzzled "Something wrong ?"
Kyoko's sense of loyalty to her clan warred with her love for Ranma. The latter allied with what she knew and deduced from the recent happenings prevailed in the end. She took a breath and started talking "Ranma. There are things you should know. It's about my clan and the Emperor"
Read the comments on this episode
See other episodes by Jamil Nate
(Posted Thu, 07 Nov 2002 19:03)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.