Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Mist ❯ Chapter 18 ( Chapter 19 )

Started 12/05/2007 Completed 12/05/2007

Chapter 18

Before Akane could mount an offensive, a hand landed on her shoulder. “Sure, I'll enter… Raiden.”

Akane's mouth went dry, she wanted to scream greetings to her errant fiancé, but she was able to do no more than gape; on the other hand, she did give a good rendition of a fish out of water.

“Oh my, Ranma-kun! When did you arrive, and who are your guests?” Kasumi inquired, looking at a redheaded twelve-year-old, a blue-haired teenage girl and a twenty some odd woman with a predator's look in her eyes; it was similar to Nabiki's when she saw something she wanted. Maybe it was selective editing on Kasumi's part, but she didn't notice the seventeen-year-old boy to Ranma's other side, nor Ranma's unique clothing.

“It's a long story, Kasumi-chan; maybe another time?” Ranma offered. He was quite surprised he had been able to remember her name; he wasn't able to recall the entire time he was briefing his `company'.

The man in white stood to his feet and offered his hand in a show of generosity. “So you are the Ranma of so much legend; only Seventeen and you have a legacy that reaches the Kami-plane?”

Ranma stared at the proffered hand dubiously. He wasn't about to accept it; over a million years of being the only `good' soul while seal in Otherworld had taught him the value of not trusting the gods. Of any level…

“Forgive me if I have my doubts, Raiden, Earthrealm-god of Thunder,” Ranma apologized, though his voice betrayed no feelings of repentance.

Raiden looked down at his hand, left hanging in place as it was, and retracted it. “Please, forgive my impertinence,” Raiden apologized. “Your father has sold you to me for any service I ask when you have finished your training under him. I assume that you have, as you have been in the same city for over a year now.”

Ranma grinned broadly; it seemed like a lifetime ago when he heard such a story. You don't have many laughs when you become the “King” of New Hell Zone (the name the inhabitants of Otherworld named the realm when they were sealed within). “So, I'm indebted to you am I?” Ranma challenged, there was a disturbing glint in his eyes.

Raiden tried to prevent the shudder traveling the length of his back from showing.

 

The Tendo family and Saotome patrons sat opposite Ranma and his `companions as he came near the important parts of his latest adventure. The heavily edited version that is…

Nodoka couldn't shake the feeling that the three girls were sizing her up, trying to decide how they were going to feel about her. Even with the stark contrast of hair color, she could see exclusive features of herself and son in them. `Maybe Ranma brought his descendants to the past, so they could-` her ruminations were abruptly cut short by what she thought she heard Ranma say. “I'm sorry son, can you repeat that last part again?”

Ranma sweated nervously. He was hoping to say that while his mother was busy eyeing the girls he brought, but no such luck. “Uh… I escaped from a Universe of Hell?” He knew what she wanted to hear, and her shaking in negation proved that point. Ranma's shoulders slumped and he prayed that his mother would find this manly, or she would find out the hard way that son wasn't going to die; or at least for a very long time.

“I got killed trying to save the Earth and was sealed within Otherworld, after the Elder gods, a group of Original Beings that can take any appearance they want. They don't like me for some reason and tried to leave me a the mercy of all the inhabitants of HFIL the Home For Infinite Losers, or Hell, if you will.”

Akane raised a hand, “So there really is a Hell?”

Ranma stared at the girl dubiously, thinking, `She can't really have doubted its existence all of this time could she?' He nodded his head slowly.

“So, do you know who's going to Hell?” Nabiki inquired. After all, it would be more profitable if she had the knowledge and sold people their Fate. She could make a quick bundle, probably a quarter of the revenue she would have made, had she gotten Ranma to follow through on the plans she had for the week.

It was now Kasumi's turn for questions, as Nodoka took a leave, dragging the three young women with her. “Who were you fighting that caused you to die, Ranma? Was it a Samurai?”

A mass stagger ensued, people struggling hard to keep their balance.

“Why do ask if a Samurai tried to killed me, Kasumi?” Ranma questioned. It was always better not to, but call him a glutton for punishment.

Kasumi's cheerful smile never faulted in the least. “Well, I came across your ninja outfit when I was doing your laundry,” Kasumi continued unabated, either not noticing Ranma sweating like his father and waving for her to stop, or just not caring, “and by the way, you shouldn't tear up the floorboards to hide things, Ranma.” Her voice took on the slightest hint of a disapproving tone.

“Sorry, Kasumi,” Ranma apologized, for the first time since returning actually show remorse.

“There are plenty of better hiding places,” Kasumi continued, not paying any mind to Ranma's apology. “Like, Nabiki, she hides her toys and photos of you in a box marked “Bills”, and Father hides his favorite magazines beneath his newspaper stack. Oh, and I've seen your father hide a few things in his…” Kasumi's wellspring of knowledge was cut short when a panda clamped a hand over her mouth, chest heaving from heavy exertion. He held up a sign when everyone turned a glare on him. [I'm just a cute panda] He flipped the sign around, and they discovered new writing on the back. [Panda's don't hide things!]

 

Nodoka continued to give the girls a knowing smile, which was starting to disturb them; especially when they considered how vacuous her personality made her seem. “So, uh…” Washuu, the redheaded girl began. She couldn't think of a better icebreaker at the moment, but seemed to have worked.

“I know that you three are more than just friends of the Masaki boy,” Nodoka acknowledged.

The three began to sweat nervously; Ranma had warned them to expect the unexpected, especially in his hometown. “W-What do you mean, Saotome-san?” the eldest woman of the three, Tokimi questioned

Nodoka beamed brightly, threatening to blind the three females. “My son's so MANLY!” Nodoka exclaimed with pride swelling in her bosom. She didn't know how, but in a week's time her son had made her a grandmother of three beautiful daughters. “Tell me, granddaughters, has your father raised you three well?”

The three shared a glance and simultaneous shoulder shrug. They all knew now, the jig was up…

“You can't tell anyone any of this yet; not even Kasumi,” amended Sasami, the teen with blue hair.

 

 

LWH (laarcae@laarcae.com)