[Ranma][NGE][HPL][AMG][Fusion][Fanfic] Sic Semper Morituri Chapter 54
- Eagles Grow From Eggs

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Evangelion, Ah My Goddess, or the Lovecraft Cycle involved in these
stories.

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But How Many Ships Do you Reckon My Presense To Be Worth?
Antigonus

Send Me An Angel - Music: Rudolf Schenker
Lyrics: Klaus Meine

----------------------------------------
Wise Man Said Just Raise Your Hand, and Reach Out For The Spell
Usagi looked down at Yuki as her rival/subordinate lay tied and
gagged on the ground. "Your plan not only failed," Usagi said, "But
they took my parents away to question them. It will take considerable
luck that they don't reveal our activities, despite the spells I have
on them. You have fallen from the service of the Goddess into service
of yourself." Or getting yourself serviced, she thought sardonically.
"You have endangered the chances we have of bringing them to the
Goddess." She sighed, honestly saddened by her colleague's fall from
grace. "I _have_ tried to be patient, to make you understand the
greater vision that the Goddess has for us, for the `Children`, for
the entire world. I don't blame _you_ for not understanding." She
knelt next to the writhing girl. "It is my fault for being a poor
advocate, I apologize. So, I've taken steps to make things right."
She smiled and patted Yuki's head.
Usagi saw Yuki's eyes focus on the cloud forming behind her.
"What are you afraid of?" she asked, trying to sound cheerful, instead
of jealous, "You will be one with the Goddess, and then return to us
better and deeper in understanding," Usagi happily explained to the
thrashing girl as the smoky tendrils wrapped around Yuki, and drew her
into the nebulous mass, which vanished a moment later.
Usagi bowed her head. "Please seek to understand your errant
daughter, and use her to increase your power and glory. And if you
see fit to return her to us as one of your Blessed or your children,
we would be eternally grateful. Your will be done." Usagi clapped
her hands and began her walk home.
I do feel bad about her parents, but without their deaths . . .
how could I have generated the power to cast the spell, and convince
the Goddess not to remain and test her powers against the EVAs? With
Ikari's return, things can be different, she thought as she walked,
For all its briefness, the Goddess's visit was a transcendent
experience. I am glad of its briefness. She watched the lights of
the NERV compound knifing through the darkness.
---------------------------------------------------------
"What do you mean it's gone?" Ikari asked. Shigeru gulped,
"Commander. It _was_ there, a signal at least as strong as the one
generated by Tulzscha. The signal held steady for 19.3 seconds, then
vanished completely." He waited, the Commander's eyes bored into his.
"I have dispatched troops to the area and maintenance teams to the
sensors. Other than that, I have no explanations."
Ikari stared at him for several long moments, Shigeru felt his
own sweat like an alien thing, crawling along under his uniform. Then
the Commander turned and walked away.
Shigeru relaxed. "I'm glad _I_ didn't get promoted. I'd hate to
have to deal with that every day." He turned back to prepare the
reports of the situation, while it was still fresh in his mind. He
glanced around. "Where's my guitar?" He looked at the departed
Commander. "Would he have ?? Naw!"
----------------------------------------
Jeff saw the EVAs, all five of them, Units 00, 01, 02, 03 and 04,
lit by the guttering fires scattered about and the first light of the
moon. He stared at the black form of Unit 03. "Okay, _this_ is why
you don't sleep in an EVA."
"Hello," came a voice from behind him, "I guess this is why I
fell asleep. Although the train ride wasn't very interesting."
"Sarah," Jeff said, smiling at his ally, "How are things going?
We got your telegram, unfortunately we were in San Diego and the plans
were set. We have to return to Tokyo. I'm sorry. What are the
chances of you getting Unit 03 operational? It alone should be able
to clear out any of those things."
He saw Sarah shudder, her conversation block was pure fear. "I'd
rather not," she said, "Its reputation is very bad."
"You certainly have mastered the British art of understatement.
'Oh please don't order me to get eaten by that monster.'" Jeff
returned to staring at Unit 03.
Sarah chuckled at his antics, then sobered. "My dad really is
sorry about . . . events." She stepped up to him and stared at Unit
03, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.
"Sorry that he was ready to kill me, or sorry he got duped into
going after the wrong target?" Jeff asked, then he turned to her, "I
apologize. Sharon's death still has me shaken up. What he did for
you . . . I have to wonder if he could have saved her. If a few days,
or a couple weeks would have made a difference. The attack on Langley
just reminded me that she's the last one . . . from the old days."
"Feeling old?" she asked.
"Feeling positively _ancient_," he told her, "Already started
training a potential replacement. She's got every sign of surpassing
me, in case your dad has to do the job for real. Shinji's coming
along well also, he's just got to realize his powers don't define who
he is."
"How . . . how are he and Rei getting along?" Sarah asked shyly,
staring at her feet.
"They are doing well, and you have every right to be jealous.
You might start looking for someone of your own."
"Do you have to know _everything_?_ So when are _you_ going to
find 'someone of your own.'" She stared at him.
"There is one thing I don't know," Jeff admitted as he walked
towards the row of EVAs, "Displacing someone from someone else who - I
assume - would be a better match than with me. Is it because I don't
really like _me_, or I just don't trust everybody else, or both.
Despite being able to see their intentions and emotions by the color
of their words. I see the truth they don't even know they're
speaking, and I still can't trust sufficiently. When I get the answer
to that dilemma, maybe I can understand more. Then I'll be able to
answer your question."
"What was it Sartre said, 'Nothing exists just slightly'?"
" 'Nothing can exist only slightly', how does that apply?" Jeff
asked.
"I surprised or confused you," she said, "Amazing. When have you
ever been with someone who needed you, not as a pilot, a mage, a
warrior, but just because you are warm and alive, and out of those
objects with just those characteristics, chooses you. That you are a
mage, a warrior, a pilot, a teacher, etc. is just icing on the cake,
an extra side of chips with the meal, nice but not absolutely
necessary." She looked around, spotted the others walking towards
them. Two Reis, Shinji, Langley, Ranma walking side-by-side with
Ranko, and Nabiki approached.
"Maybe your real problem is you are darkness. You haven't
understood that darkness not only implies evil, but it also implies
rest for the effort and concerns of the day. Cheese it, the cops,"
Sarah told him as she walked towards the Reis as they approached
Shinji.
"Gott im Himmel," Langley announced, "What a rotten nightmare
this is! Who is she and what's she doing here?"
"Good to see you too, Langley," Jeff called, "Hear you got into a
little bother. I was teaching Nabiki a scrying spell. We saw the
whole thing."
"Did you see where they went?" Ranma demanded, changing
directions from towards Nabiki to towards Jeff.
"That answers whether he'd rather have a girlfriend or a fight,"
Langley said, glanced at Shinji and the twin Reis, "So are you going
to make a thousand copies of her, so you can have a harem?"
"Over four thousand," Rei replied.
"And too scared to make a move on any of them," Langley teased.
"It seems the malady is more widespread than I thought," Sarah
commented.
"What malady is that?" Langley demanded, fists on her hips,
glaring at Sarah, "And who are you anyway?"
"Not being able to get a boy or girlfriend," Sarah replied, "I'm
Major Alfred ggreg's daughter, Sarah."
"Ha, look at Horseface, he and she, they aren't careful they're
going to wind up being alone with each other," Langley replied, "So
why are you here?"
"The Severn Valley situation," Shinji said, "Is it really that
bad?"
"How do _you_ know about it?" Sarah asked, stunned.
"I . . . looked in to it," Shinji admitted, staring at his feet,
"It looked pretty bad."
"It still is," Sarah explained, "We are sending another team in,
I'm part of that team. I was hoping to get an EVA, or a pilot for
Unit 03. It hasn't worked out."
"If the situation is that bad," Rei said.
"The Commander will send forces," the other Rei completed the
sentence.
"Great, two and twice as boring," Langley said as she brushed off
a chair she formed from nothing and sat down.
Shinji's face screwed up in concentration and chairs appeared for
the others, as well as a small campfire in a ring of stones.
"What?" Nabiki asked as she sat down, "No marshmallows?"
"Sorry," Shinji said.
"When are you gonna quit apologizing for _EVERYTHING_!_?_"
Langley shouted at him, "She was making a joke."
"Isn't it good Asuka's back to normal, yelling and screaming at
the slightest provocation?" Ranko asked, pulling Jeff's arm so she
could sit between him and Nabiki.
"Yes," Rei said, "It is comforting."
"Older sisters are like that," Sarah added.
"Yes," the other Rei said, "Asuka's raging at Heaven, and all's
right with the World."
All Langley could do was glare at the Reis, and Sarah as she sat
down.
"Maestro, if you would," Jeff said to Shinji as he gestured at
the still standing Ranma.
Shinji nodded and concentrated. Nabiki's chair became a
cane-backed loveseat, all the unoccupied chairs vanished. Ranma
looked around in surprise, extended his hands and concentrated,
straining every sinew.
"Against all - what - five of us?" Jeff asked, turned to Ranko,
"Or is it six?"
"All in favor of hurting Ranma if he doesn't sit down in the
chair provided," Ranko announced, "Please signify by saying 'Hai'."
'Hai!' came the chorus.
"Iie?"
"You're supposed to be me!" Ranma protested.
"I'm sitting down," Ranko told him, put one arm around Nabiki's
waist and the other around Jeff's, "I kind of like the idea of a
harem. Shinji gets the Reis, I get everyone else, to admire and
flatter me."
Ranma stared at her, utterly mortified.
"With one 'Nay' - "
"Neigh," Langley quipped, "It _is_ Horseface after all."
" - and Miss Tendo abstaining, the 'hai's have it," Ranko said,
smiled at Ranma, who dropped into the loveseat next to Nabiki
Nabiki smiled at him with a 'mine!' look, but only took his hands
in hers.
"You're all picking on me," Ranma complained, glancing nervously
at the mixed messages Nabiki was sending.
"We pick on everybody," Jeff replied, "Get used to it."
"Case in point," Langley began, "So, Raccoon, you tell your new
student that you got thrown out of the Camilenn Order before you even
_started_ teaching her?"
Nabiki squirmed at that.
"Yes, Langley," Jeff said in irritation.
"How do you win against Angels?" Sarah asked.
"This is _all_ turned against the Angel," Rei said.
"Ah, makes sense now," Sarah said, nodded.
"Can we get to the point?" Langley asked.
One Rei peered at the top of Langley's head. "Not as quickly as
you can."
"You did this to her!" Langley accused Jeff, "I preferred her
boring!"
"Ranko, did you teach Rei to tell jokes?" Jeff asked.
"No, he did," Ranko said and pointed to Ranma.
"You're supposed to be on _my_side_!_" Ranma complained.
"Well, I _was_ expecting Nabiki to ride to your rescue, but she's
just been sitting there," Ranko replied, giggling, "Wives should stick
up for their husbands."
"Can't you do something about her?" Nabiki asked.
"Not in front of all these witnesses," Jeff admitted.
"Can't we go pick on those girls who've been picking on us?"
Ranma asked.
"You are more entertaining," the other Rei said.
"Besides, after chasing them with fish all last night," Langley
said dryly, "I'd think you'd want a _real_ challenge."
"I will have to settle for the Fourth," the Reis suggested in
chorus. Langley nodded sagely.
"Aren't you gonna say anything?" Ranma turned to Nabiki.
Before Nabiki could, Sarah said, "If they didn't love you, they
wouldn't tease you."
"I agree," Nabiki added leaned into Ranma, leaving him stricken
and looking for an escape route.
------------------------------
Shinji decided to change the subject. I don't want to, but I
think I have to, he considered the laughing people, The _friends_
around me. But I _don't_ want to be like my father, keeping the
unpleasant truths to myself. Maybe he's trying to protect them, maybe
he doesn't care, but _I_ think they need to know.
"When I was out walking - " Shinji began.
"One morning for pleasure, I spied a young Horseface a riding
along," Asuka-san sang, then glanced around at the silent `audience`,
"What?"
"Continue," the Rei-sans urged Shinji.
"I discovered something, many things . . . about the pilots."
"So?" Asuka-san asked, "We know a lot of stuff. We're monsters
for one, able to do things humans can't." She glanced around, as if
challenging anyone to disagree.
"They are also developing equipment and techniques to destroy
us," Nabiki-san said, "If they think they need to. Of course so is
_he_." She pointed at Raccoon.
"I said they'll _think_ the new powder will work. Give me a
little credit for brains," Raccoon turned and replied.
"That makes sense, we aren't supposed to survive this," Shinji
said, and all the arguments among the others ground to a halt,
everyone stared at him. Shinji shifted uncomfortably, then one
Rei-san took his hand and he continued. "The war, all of it, the
Outer Gods versus the Elder Gods, and the Great Old Ones on their own
side, it's all over the secrets of all Creation." He looked at his
fellow pilots. "Not just this universe, but _all_ the universes, now,
in the past, in the future. They came here to hide and fight, but
they also built this place, not just this planet, but this whole
universe to fight in."
"So this is just a battlefield?" Asuka-san asked, sitting back in
her chair, "Maybe they should rename it Poland, or Belgium."
"What's the point?" Ranma-san asked, looking from face to face,
"And what does that have to do with us?"
"They're fighting over whatever allowed them to build this,"
Shinji explained, "If they get it . . . we all lose."
"So we find it first and use it ourselves," Asuka said
offhandedly, looked around at the stunned expressions, "What, we set
it up so all of us have to agree, like a committee, that way none of
us can go completely powermad." She rocked back in her chair.
"I think you're missing Shinji's point," Raccoon said.
"Then if he - would - make - it - " Asuka-san said and set the
chair back with a thump, glaring at Shinji.
Shinji squirmed under that gaze, but persevered, "We will get it.
Raccoon showed me where it was hidden."
"If you know then the others know," Ranko-san squawked, she shook
Raccoon's arm, "They'll come and take it."
"No," Raccoon said quietly, "That's what Shinji is trying to
explain."
"The only way to open the chamber . . . " Shinji began, paused
and looked at the faces. I don't want to tell them this, he thought,
I wish _I_ didn't know. But they deserve to know. And . . . I want
someone else . . . anyone . . . to tell me what to _do_ with knowing.
" - is to chain a Great Old One to each of the four great posts, and
spill their life's blood on it."
Ranma-san exploded, leaping to his feet, "How the heck are we
supposed to _chain_ a Great Old One to a post and . . . and . . . ,"
he ended with a whisper and fell back into his chair, "We'll be Great
Old Ones then . . . right?"
"I think he's got it," Asuka-san said bitterly, "Now that _he's_
figured it out. Who at NERV knows?"
"The Commanders," the Rei-sans volunteered in chorus, "Probably
Admiral Simson."
"Dr. Akagi," Raccoon said, "Definitely." He glanced around
disgustedly. "I doubt Major Katsuragi would, she doesn't pay
attention to important things."
"Not Maya," Nabiki-san added sadly, "At least I hope . . . " She
accepted Ranko-san's hug.
"You're missing the point," Shinji said quietly, "I . . . I think
they'll be doing the right thing."
"_WHAT_!_" Ranko-san was out of her chair and screaming in
Shinji's face, "They're gonna _KILL_ us!! And _YOU_ think it's the
right thing to do?!"
"If we are a threat to humanity," one Rei-san countered gently,
"We - should - be destroyed."
"Can't fault the logic," Raccoon said despondently, "How many
Great Old Ones, Elder Gods and Outer Gods will we have killed and
absorbed by that time? How insane by human standards will we be? Or,
how will we perceive our `fellow` humans? If we're half as nuts or
half as alien as most of our enemies. Getting the chop would be a
relief, not a threat," he added hopelessly.
"But what if we _aren't_?!" Ranko-san countered, marching over to
confront Raccoon, "You want to just roll over and die?" She grabbed
his shirt with both hands and seemed on the verge of either slugging
him or bursting into tears.
"No," Shinji said, "It makes _sense_." He bowed his head and
glanced at Ayanami-san. "I didn't say I agreed with it. I saw the
future, for me, for you, for the rest of us. I saw huge, crowds of
people. Stretching from horizon to horizon. Chanting, singing,
talking about . . . well, us."
"Worshipers," Ranma-san said with distaste.
"Our victims," Shinji said with fear.
"This is . . . " Ranma-san began, "Just because . . . there's a
chance . . . that's no excuse for letting them kill us."
Shinji was on his feet, along with all the others, only the Reis
and Ranko prevented him from charging. "You keep talking about honor!
Where's the honor in slaughtering people, _our_ people. We're
supposed to protect them. I don't want to suddenly . . . _be_ the
threat."
"Only you could manage an enraged whine, Spineless," Asuka-san
said, as she sat down, "But he's right, we are monsters." Asuka-san
paused to glare Ranma-san into silence. "When we start _acting_ like
monsters, what do you suggests, Horseface, hope we'll wake up and be
nice people again? Each time we absorb one of those things, we
change. Spineless grows a backbone, Wondergirl starts thinking about
starting a family with Spineless, and _you_ aren't nearly as
irritating as you once were. My point is, how deep do those changes
go? Are they just on the surface, or will they change how we react to
everything? Are the changes cumulative, so if we absorb several will
we be able to shrug it off as easily? Spineless is saying the effects
are chronic, each change doesn't simply fade. Eventually - eventually
the change will prove too great." During her speech, the others took
their seats again.
"There . . . has to be another way," Nabiki-san said worriedly.
"Your friends, fat chance," Raccoon said angrily, "They hate what
we are, they'll really hate what we'll become. They'll be of zero
help when we most need them."
"That's not what I meant," Nabiki-san said, bowed her head, "You
said Cthulhu would wait, patiently, for humanity to . . . catch up
with him. Couldn't we . . . make a deal to - put us to sleep until
then?"
"At what cost?" Sarah-san asked, shocked at the direction the
conversation had taken.
"So our only hope, is to do our job, and then - " Ranma-san
couldn't complete his sentence.
"You're forgetting," Raccoon pointed out, "Four of us will have
to die to _do_ our job. We can select those who are worst off."
"You sound like you're volunteering!" Ranko-san was aghast.
"Look, the reason I can _do_ the things I can do, is I _started_
further along," Raccoon replied.
"That proves my point," Ranko-san argued, "That you have
survived, and are still as human - "
"Quite a vote of confidence," Asuka-san interjected.
"Maybe things will be different with us," Ranma-san said,
completely out of his element, "Has there _ever_ been a group who did
this?" He looked at Asuka-san, who didn't know, then at Raccoon, who
did.
"No," he said, "Not in my research, and not in any of the stolen
memories." He looked at Nabiki-san, who shook her head.
"So there's a chance!" Ranma-san shouted as he turned to face
each of them in turn.
"There has to be a chance," Ranko-san echoed his sentiment,
concentrating on Nabiki-san and Raccoon.
"The Great Old Ones were a result of the Outer Gods and the Elder
Gods coming here," Shinji said, "Like . . . disease fighters?"
"Antibodies." Asuka-san rocked back in her chair and stared at
the sky, presumably to ignore Ranma-san and Ranko-san, who both
continued to look at the other pilots with a searching gaze. No one
could meet that gaze.
"Is that why they went mad!?" Nabiki-san asked, "They went
looking for the secrets of the universe, and the first piece of
enlightenment is that all they were, was a glorified iodine swab? No
wonder they went nuts." She shook her head.
"But we understand that - is - our raison dre," a Rei-san
commented.
"See," Ranma-san shouted, slapping the flat of his hand, "That's
what I'm talking about."
Asuka-san shot to her feet. "You don't even know _WHAT_ we're
talking about!!" she shouted at him.
"But," Ranma-san said more quietly, "I can hear the _way_ you're
talking about it."
"Why can't I just kill him?" Asuka-san turned to Raccoon and
Nabiki-san.
"You kill him, you eat him," Raccoon said.
"I will not lend you my ketchup," the Rei-sans added.
"Traitors. Wait a second!" Asuka-san turned to face Nabiki-san.
"How does Ice Princess know about this, all she did was kill some
servants."
"Who were assembling themselves into a single entity," Raccoon
added.
"And what did she do? Look into each and every one of their
dreams?" Asuka-san fell silent when Nabiki-san nodded. "How? That's
totally impossible."
"_I_KNOW_!_" Nabiki-san shot to her feet and roared so fiercely,
Asuka-san sat down and remained silent. "I know," she said quietly as
she sat down, pulling her legs in under her chin.
Raccoon reached over and put his hand on her shoulder. "I taught
her - taught her how to infiltrate dreams," Raccoon admitted, "She
used the ability to look inside the thoughts of those Brothers of
Chaugnar Faugn who comprised the creature she killed."
"What a fun way to spend an evening," Asuka-san commented,
earning a glare from Nabiki-san.
"The point is, we don't _have_ to give up!" Ranma-san insisted,
"We aren't all doomed."
"We _are_ doomed," Raccoon replied, "Humanity is the one we're
supposed to be saving." He stared at Ranma-san. "We're expendable."
"Now _you're_ starting to talk like that beer-hound," Asuka-san
replied.
"I didn't say thrown away to be replaced," Raccoon countered
hotly, "But if I go from protector to ravager, I hope somebody puts a
bullet in my head."
"I shall," Rei-san volunteered, "If you will do likewise."
Raccoon nodded.
"You people are _real_ fun," Sarah-san said as she looked around,
"I'd hoped to get some advice about dealing with the Severn Valley
situation."
"Get a good pair of running shoes," Asuka-san said, "There's no
way any conventional defense can defeat a Great Old One. The Jap -
panese - tried everything from spirit wards to heavy artillery. Then
the Americans added a couple of atom bombs."
"Which had been blessed by every major religious person they
could get their hands on, on short notice," Raccoon added, "No
effect."
"A banishment might be attempted with ceremonial magic," Rei
offered.
"Ceremonial magic isn't portable, and the power requirements are
immense for the banishment to work. The other problem is you said
they were waking up," Raccoon pointed out, "Banishments only send them
`home`, if they are home, you're out of luck."
"Brilliant," Sarah-san said sarcastically.
------------------------------
Find The Door To The Promised Land
Ranma walked along the gravel path, thick fog walling it in. He
was furious at his only traveling companion. "You could have stood up
for me," he berated her, "You could have helped me."
"Are you saying you _LOST_?_" Ranko teased, covering her mouth in
shock, "Why the end of the world must be coming."
"I didn't say I lost," Ranma shot back angrily, "I said you
should have helped me." He stopped and shook his head. "I can't
believe I'm having this conversation."
"It's an argument, and you're losing this one too," Ranko replied
as they were walking, "Where does it say I have to agree? Especially
when you're so afraid it's pitiful. You're pitiful."
"I thought you were me," Ranma countered and drew himself up,
"And I'm not pitiful."
"You're me, and a lot more," Ranko said.
"See."
"All I got was your sense of fun and adventure. All the stupid
fears you have, you kept them all for yourself. Selfish really," she
added disdainfully, she smiled as Ranma threateningly towered over
her. Then Ranma smiled.
"So you aren't afraid of c - " Ranma couldn't say it, and from
Ranko's terrified expression, she didn't want to hear it.
"Of course I am," Ranko replied, shaking herself to drive away
the fear, "But that's not what you are _really_ scared of."
Ranma turned his back on her and stared at his other self over
his shoulder. "So what am I afraid of?"
"Your friends," Ranko said with derision, "You are _terrified_ of
letting them get close to you. _I'm_ not. I like getting them close,
Raccoon and Nab-chan, preferably both together." She giggled at
Ranma's disgusted expression.
"You're nuts," Ranma said, looked ahead and started walking down
the path. Suddenly he was face down in the gravel, with his arm
twisted uncomfortably, preventing his escape.
"You keep forgetting you can't hit girls," Ranko told him cutely,
"And you keep underestimating me. How 'bout I put this - " She
twisted his trapped arm. "- In a few places you're terrified of
anybody touching when you're in this body . . . or when you're in your
own body."
"I don't like gettin' grabbed!" Ranma shouted back as he twisted,
only to have Ranko counter, and remain in control, "You don't like it
either!" Ranma tried to break the hold, but only received a twinge
from his shoulder to the elbow indicating not only would he dislocate
both joints, but also give himself a spiral fracture if he tried to
press.
"That's right, but there's a difference between being grabbed and
being touched," she said as Ranma leapt into the air, trying to shake
her off. She maneuvered in the air so Ranma came down first,
face-first. She continued as he grumbled. "Do really think that a
hug from Rit-chan is the same as getting groped by one of the kids in
school?" She waited while the grumbling died down a little. "And
that being touched outside of a fight will turn you to stone?"
Ranma freed himself with a shout and when rolling away, landing
in a crouch ready to continue the fight. His snarl died as he stared
at Ranko smirking at him, he read the truth in her expression. "So
you _let_ me escape."
"You would have hurt yourself if I hadn't, and hurting you wasn't
what I wanted. I wanted to _win_._ By doing what you did, you proved
my point entirely. Your move let you escape, but _I_ won."
Ranma stared at her in shock. Then hung his head.
Ranko proved she was Ranma by rubbing it in. "Oh a little,
helpless girl against big strong, male you, how could I ever hope to
survive," Ranko teased him, nearly galling him to try to charge.
"You're just a silly, little girl who cheats to win," Ranma
replied, "I don't know why I'm even talkin' to you."
"Oh, I am wounded, boo hoo," Ranko replied, sniffed, "_I_ cheat,
that's rich coming from you. The only reason you quit trying that
crap, is you kept getting caught and punished. And you _really_
couldn't handle the way Rit-chan and Nab-chan looked at you. You
cheat _all_the_time_, calling them _Rit_-chan and _Nab_-chan is a
cheat against the rules of Japanese, you found out English doesn't
follow the same rules, and you incorporated that into your bag of
tricks." Ranko walked over to Ranma. He massaged his arm as he
glared at her smiling face. "You've been looking for a cheat, a
simple, easy way to deal with Nab-chan and Raccoon, their feelings,
their love." She let him shudder at that before continuing, "Instead
of coming out and saying what you feel, or just asking for time to
figure out what you feel. That's the only _honorable_ option in this
case, and you refuse to do it. You, are a coward."
"Take that back." Ranma towered over her, his fist clenched in
her face.
"You can't hit girls," Ranko replied, a wide smile on her face,
secure in her invulnerability.
Ranma turned away in frustration.
"Since you won't share your fears, I can't imagine what you're
scared of. The only one of the pilots who really hates you, damn near
died to protect you, or have you forgotten Rei with that steel rod
shoved through her . . . and all that blood." Ranko lost her
composure, shuddered at the memory. "Her blood. What is it the
Christians say? 'This is my blood shed for you.' That was hers, shed
for _you_, and me."
"I remember," Ranma replied distantly, shuddering himself, "I
remember how she looked at me, with that pole shoved through her."
"So if _Nab_-chan cries out in her sleep, it's okay to comfort
the sleeping, _naked_ girl, but if she's awake, you can't talk to her,
can't smile at her, can't say she looks nice. You like her with the
longer hair, makes her more soft and feminine. More approachable, but
you never did approach. What is it you're so afraid of? That if you
want her as your girlfriend, you might lose her as part of your
adoring fans? Are you that self-centered that you'd keep hurting her
just so she'll keep fluttering around you?"
"Is that why you hug him at every chance? You want him to - " A
slap interrupted, it stung and surprised him.
"_I'm_ not the one who was willing to offer seppuku or marriage
vows to regain my honor," Ranko screamed at him. Ranma wisely backed
up. "You did that, and yes it hurt when he said no," Ranko continued
in a calmer tone, "But he at least gave reasons, and he's still with
me. And unlike you, I can see how scared he is. Maybe you ought to
use all that combat expertise to read the people around you."
"All right, I'm scared!" Ranma shouted back, barely restraining
himself from hitting her, his other self, "Is that what you wanted,
you got it. I'm scared." Ranma felt as if something broke inside
him. "I don't want to be alone." He squatted in the middle of the
road, running his fingers through the gravel. "I couldn't live with
it."
Ranko squatted in front of him. She took him into her arms.
"You won't be. All of them are just as scared, of exactly the same
thing. You were the only one assuming you'll get through this. How
much of that was you being afraid you were going to be the _only_ one
who got through it alive? If you're going to keep any of them, you
have to let them get closer. Sometimes it will hurt, but you don't
mind getting hurt in training or a fight. Why are you so worried
about getting hurt like that?"
"I . . . I don't know," Ranma said softly, "I . . . I keep
expecting that if . . . if I let them get close . . . they'll hurt me,
and keep hurting me. I couldn't fight them then. I don't know why
I'm sure, but I am."
Ranko took his face in her hands, raised it so he was looking at
her amused smile. "Did you see how Raccoon and `Langley` carried on?
If someone said those things to you, they'd be picking their teeth out
of the walls. But what would have happened if Raccoon had been with
us when we rescued Asuka?"
Ranma shuddered. "Even Rei wouldn't have been able to keep him
from taking them apart." Ranma paused, shuddered again. "No, he
would have hurt them bad enough they couldn't get away, but they'd be
eager to answer questions. As long as they kept him out of the room."
"Okay, what about Raccoon and Nab-chan? Same thing, all claws,
fangs and flying fur," Ranko shuddered at the image, as did Ranma, she
continued, "But no blood, and they enjoyed it. Once you quit trying
to out-insult them and played at the `safe`-level, they quit trying to
tear a strip out of your hide."
"Don't get near me, don't leave me," Ranma `quoted` them, "How
stupid is that?"
"That's the 'Hedgehog's Dilemma'," Ranko said as she released his
face, "Do you remember the cure Asuka mentioned?" She gently ran the
back of her hand down his sleeve.
"The spines go back down when they relax," Ranma said, "I'm not
_completely_ stupid." He pulled his arm away from her.
"Not _completely_," Ranko replied with a smile, "See, it didn't
kill you. Are you going to tell me you didn't like Nab-chan depending
on you, or being able to crawl into Raccoon's arms and feel safe and
needed?"
Ranma looked like he'd just swallowed a live cat, whole.
"Okay, you _had_ to see how Shinji and Rei were acting. He was
doing almost all the talking for both of them, but he was depending on
her supporting him while he spoke. He was willing to take Asuka on
directly, as long as Rei was with him. You can have that, you can
have that as Ranma _and_ Ranko, all you have to do is let them need
you, and let you need them." Ranko smirked. "Then maybe we won't
have to have these conversations. And I love you too, I can't stand
you hurting yourself." Ranko wrapped her arms around his neck and
before he could pull away, gave him a very passionate kiss.
Ranma blinked and now sat alone in the middle of the gravel road,
his lips and cheeks still burning from the intensity of the kiss. He
shook his head as he stood. "I lost an argument to myself," he said
as he stood, "How weird is that?" He sighed sadly. "But it was me,
and she - I - whatever, was right. I'm just like the others, get
close, but not too close." He clenched his hands together, stared at
them. "I _do_ want Nab-chan with me, in some ways, I want Raccoon
with me." He laughed. "I even want `Sour Kraut` and `Wondergirl`
around, but I can't see that I need them." He yelped and leapt into
the air. On landing, he whirled around to see how he had received a
kick in the seat of the pants. The laughter in his head told him the
source of the `kick`. "Okay, maybe I need them, but I haven't figured
out _how_, is that better?" The sense of another impending kick
forced him to think fast. "Okay,
IneededAsukatoteachmehowtoteachtheothersmartialarts!" he shouted
rapidfire at the surroundings, "Geez, does _everybody_ have to pick on
me?"
"Only because you love you," came the disembodied answer from
Ranko.
"Isn't that supposed to be 'only because _we_ love you'?!" Ranma
shouted back.
"I'm glad you see that."
The laughter continued all the way down the road until Ranma
found himself back in bed asleep. He remembered having Nab-chan
leaning against him in the loveseat, and Raccoon and Ranko holding
hands. Yes, he admitted, I kinda liked it.
------------------------------
Jeff shifted Nabiki's dazed form and knocked on the cottage's
door. The meeting was fun, she thought sarcastically, Especially
seeing Ranma again. He's just so _cute_ when he's not so sure of
himself. But it was also exhausting, and for whatever reason we can't
get back `home` to sleep. We must have argued for _hours_, about
everything. But it is good to get that all out in the open, I suspect
there was a lot Shinji and Raccoon _didn't_ tell us, but I bet they
covered everything that directly touched on us. I'll have to go look
at those chairs on Yuggoth myself.
He knocked again and announced, "I know the rules of hospitality
as well as you do," he said in the dragon's tongue, "I also know
you're in there."
How do I know that's the dragon tongue? she wondered, And how do
I know what he said in it?
An old, silver-haired woman wearing a house coat of almost the
same color opened the door, "You might be patient and let a body get
some clothes on, first." She helped Jeff carry Nabiki to a day bed
near the kitchen, and lay her down. "What in the name of all the
ancient fathers have you been doin'?"
" 'Blessings and peace on all within'," Jeff gave the ritual
salute, "Killing Flying Polyps with hand-to-hand and magic. Then
discussing the plan to set the universe to rights." Jeff let her
guide him to a chair at the kitchen table, "Having received
hospitality. I ask what payment is required. As in the ancient
codes."
"At least you remember your manners. From the look of you, an
explanation is all I could really expect. Orderless vagabond like
you." She rested a hand on his shoulder to forestall his protest,
"The explanation will do, the truth. Starting with the girl, she's
the one, isn't she."
Nabiki despised being talked about, when she was right there.
But I can barely move, let alone talk, she thought exhaustedly, I
guess that's part of 'touching the world lightly', it means
maintaining my own existence in a dream versus `riding` in someone
else's is exhausting.
"Yes." Jeff crossed his arms and laid them on the table, he put
his head on his arms, "She's the one. Pilot first alternate Tendo
Nabiki, Fifth Children, martial artist, marketeer, mage, and friend."
The old woman stared down at Nabiki who opened her eyes, and
massed her energy to speak, "Wha, is Jeff?" I sound like I'm drunk or
stoned, she silently complained, Instead of wrung out by the effort.
"He's fine, child. Not much better than you I'd wager."
"What odds?" Nabiki replied, tried to sit up, fell back down as
the world did a slow roll. "Mind 'f I jus' lie here a while?"
"Kids today," the old woman grumped, heading to the kitchen, "No
sense of honor, no sense period." She looked at Jeff pillowing his
head on his arms at the table, "Don't you agree?"
"I'll agree to anything that keeps my head from exploding."
"Used up all your powers, the both of you. Didn't Alwyk teach
you better than that?"
"Yes, ma'am." Jeff raised his head. "Just before he saved you
from El Nureenen using up all of his. I thought it an especially
effective lesson in rules, and when to ignore them."
The old woman laughed as she walked through her kitchen, mixing
and preparing something that smelled wonderful.
"I'll have tea in a moment. I take it you killed all of them?"
"Deader'n hell on a Friday night." Jeff said, resting his head
down again.
Concerned, the woman selected an incense stick, lit it and placed
it in a vase near Jeff. He raised his head to protest.
"No charge, I suspect the story will be more than worth it." She
rounded up some crackers and honey while she heated water for tea.
"How many?"
"Sixty, real big, biggest I've ever heard of. Glad it was night,
the jeeps' machineguns had tracers, hurt the things. Let Nabiki and I
finish off the big ones with the EVA. Littlest one fell to the
soldiers, flame throwers and satchel charges. Lots of screaming kids,
still hear it." He dropped his head back down.
"Your friends at NERV couldn't help? I thought that was what
they were for."
"It was San Diego, clear across the ocean. Still, sometimes NERV
can't find their butt with both hands and a proctologist," Nabiki
commented, "I just haven't figured out why. Stupidity, sabotage . . .
" She tried and failed to sit up again. "Or too much politics."
"Oh, I wouldn't know about politics, not poor little old me," the
woman laughed, Jeff joined her. "Does your friend know about the
order?"
"I know they tossed him out." Nabiki sat up, finally managed to
stay that way, put her feet on the floor, decided against standing up.
"Because of me."
"Not entirely true. The order is for dragons, and a few
respected wizards, the wizards are all men, human males. I don't
think they realize two-thirds of the council are female dragons. The
hearing on your teacher was one of the most acrimonious I've ever
participated in, despite the fact they were yelling at and around the
Scholarly Dragon. Good thing he either expected it, or was amused by
it. Teaching a human is bad enough, losing his connection to
dragonkind and the Dreamlands was bad enough, but teaching a woman for
free, oh the scandal and the outrage." Now she really laughed. "I
thought poor Alwyk would have apoplexy when he heard the dragons
weren't going to support the humans decision to throw him out."
"From what you've said." Nabiki got unsteadily to her feet. "I
thought this Alwyk was a friend." I guess Coffee gives me the
strength to stand and move, she thought, After a little rest, and a
willingness to accept a `helping hand`.
"No, he's my teacher," Jeff replied, his head still down on the
table.
"Oh, a mortal enemy and an annoyance." Nabiki sat down heavily in
a kitchen chair, breathing deeply the incense fumes, exhaustion being
replaced by relaxation.
"I see you've learned selection of apprentices and teaching from
him too," the woman continued, "Alwyk is a dear soul, who'd rather do
what needs to be done, instead of what's `right` or what's civil.
He's been thrown out of the order five times. All his best students
have been thrown out of the order at least once, 'They aren't really
seasoned until they've been tossed out,'" she chuckled as she set down
a plate of crackers and a jar of honey, "He was rather disappointed in
young Jeffrey here, until recently."
"What she's not telling you," Jeff sat up, partially revived, "Is
that the council comes crawling to Alwyk or his students offering not
only reinstatement, but usually the ArchChancellorship or the
Dictatorship. Now the sight of a dozen ancient dragons groveling is
rare enough, Alwyk has managed to be there every time a student was
reinstated. It makes his decade."
"So he `arranged` to have you thrown out, so the punishment
exceeds the crime, so they'll ignore you, us, sneaky," Nabiki
concluded, "If the Scholarly Dragon was tossed out, why hasn't Asuka
been crowing about it?"
"He was never a member, and getting tossed out was the
alternative to censuring _you_, Miss Tendo, and all of this happened
before he was officially teaching you. The Scholarly Dragon is not
teaching, and he's still only sort of a Dreamlands' dragon," the woman
said, "But he did help Alwyk, and he had the waking world portion of
Kovaak's staff delivered to Mr. Davis here, months ago. Imagine, the
staff of the late ArchChancellor Emeritus in the hands of a
fully-human renegade." The woman laughed again. "One more shock like
that, and half the moribund members of the council and the teaching
order will die, go into the mystic, or on permanent sabbatical."
"I hope you realize you aren't making much sense." Nabiki
sampled the crackers and honey.
"That's for the tea, dear. And it will all make sense, in time."
She stared at Nabiki as a thought crossed her mind. "Jeff, she isn't
a Dreamer is she?"
"No, but I'm not anymore either."
Nabiki calmed down, her secret still safe. I think I can trust
her, she thought, But I don't want it broadcast all over.
"Well, I've got something in that case." The woman got up and
put the tea bags in the pot, then vanished up stairs Nabiki hadn't
spotted before. Jeff laid his head back on his arms.
"Are we safe here? I understand she's your friend, but she seems
a little, off."
"Like Rei?" Jeff asked, "That's because she isn't human. Like
Rei, and me, she's wearing humanity, without being human."
"A dragon," Nabiki said. Okay, Raccoon said that the dreams of
humans created dragons, but why would a couple of fairly senior
dragons put up with him and his antics. Or because he knew they were
the ones called in when everything went to hell, did he go after them?
she wondered, I doubt similarity of personality would be all of it.
What do they know, and what do they want?
The woman returned carrying a set of massive books, "These are
some basic spells, incantations, blessings and the like. You do know
the true seeing cantrip?"
Nabiki nodded.
"Otherwise they just look like an old woman's photo albums. I
got them at an auction a few years ago, had to make up a family
history, so I could bore the neighbors into leaving me alone."
"That slide viewer still works?" Jeff asked.
"Wait a second," Nabiki said, "I thought we were in the
Dreamlands!"
"We are in my Dreamscape," the woman explained, "I sensed you
didn't have the strength to make the transition to the Waking World on
your own. And the slide viewer, works wonderfully. Best present you
could have given me." She spoke conspiratorially to Nabiki, "Some
neighbor watches my house too much. Nice lady shows up on his or her
doorstep with the viewer and five boxes of vacation pictures. Those
who peep to peep quit, those who are just plain lonely, well, I have a
whole circle who play cards together and spy out the neighborhood."
"That's why we have those weirdos looking into everything,"
Nabiki realized, "An early warning system. Learned behavior."
"All you have to do is separate the wheat from the chaff of their
reports, and you have a bunch of loyal agents," the woman said, "But
you already knew that."
"I hate to be rude," Nabiki said.
"She does, she really does," Jeff said, Nabiki mimed hitting him.
"What should we call you? Thinking of you as `the old woman`
seems faintly ill-mannered."
"Aratara," she replied, "It's as close as Japanese can get to
what I'm commonly called." She smiled. "Taught her about Names huh?"
Jeff raised his head and nodded. "Same reason I call you `Dear` or
`child`, some names have no power, others, they'll get you killed if
you aren't strong enough." Her hand suddenly darted forward and
rolled up Nabiki's sleeve. "Maybe I should call you Wind Angel."
Nabiki pulled free and nervously rolled her sleeve back. "It was
an accident." I've got enough people thinking I'm just a bag of hot
air, Nabiki thought.
"No, child, the summoning may have been an accident, but that was
a gift beyond all price. And its tale must not leave this room." For
once the woman seemed frightened.
"I understand that, why the urgency?" Nabiki asked.
"When you can read the elemental tongue, you'll understand fully.
Tea." She got up.
Nabiki's head was spinning, the day was rapidly becoming too much
to handle. Too many secrets revealed, too many new concerns and
responsibilities, and too much power added and then used all at once.
She felt dizzy.
----------------------------------------
Just Believe In Yourself
The cold cloth on her forehead and the clear view of the ceiling
told her she's fainted. Stupid, like some silly girl in a romance
novel, Nabiki thought, I really need the sleep.
"Rest easy, child." Aratara sat her up, held the tea cup to her
lips. "You've had a hard day. That dizziness you feel is Wind's
natural state, always moving, always changing. If you weren't
exhausted, you'd probably be exhilarated by it."
Nabiki swallowed the tea, it seemed to take the edge off. "You
were worried about the mark?"
"Wind is a good element, playful, but not malicious. Powerful
enough, without being hard to control. I don't know what price that
elemental demanded for this, but pay it and be glad. That's a trick
most mages would kill to know, literally."
"It didn't ask a price, not one of me."
"Then be yourself child, that's the price. Fight your war, love
your friends, and that pays for all. You've got the devil's own luck
to strike a deal like that, and an angel's character to carry it out."
Nabiki's instant denial died on her lips and she felt her eyelids
closing.
"Be at ease, I drugged the tea. Only enough to make you sleep."
She eased Nabiki back down on the bed. "I know this one," jerking a
finger at Jeff who was asleep at the table, "And his friend the
Knight."
"Sister," Nabiki slurred, overcome by the world becoming warm and
fluffy.
"Proof you're probably the same: too stubborn by half." She
picked up the youth and set him next to her in the bed, "You two watch
over each other, I'm afraid no one else can any more."
---------------------------------------------------------