R1/2 -- Chris Collins (artc@mastnet.net) I've recently reread chapters 1 thru 4 to see if the story was flowing together smoothly, and I came to realize that Miko gets WAY to emotional. (CUTE VOICE: You not kidding.) (CHEF'S NOTE: The bitch is a psycho.) Well, its not really something I'm going to change; I'm just surprised that I turned Miko into some kind of emotional metronome--I didn't really intend to. (CHEF'S NOTE: And I have to edit this crap.) I can always pick a new editor. (CHEF'S NOTE: *growl* Fine! I'll do it.) Ok, take it away Shampoo! (CUTE VOICE: Shie shie! *clapclap* I get to open chapter again. And this time I ready. *clear throat* Stupid sewing girl desperate to find Ranma--so desperate she challenge spooky Mousse-type to fight. Meanwhile, stupid fanged samurai volunteer help sewing girl, but will he grow brain stem in time? Will stupid girl live to regret? Spooky Mousse-type meet very dangerous opponent, and he no hold back! Can anyone defeat? Can dear husband? Stay tuned and find out.) Whoa. Not bad. You write that yourself? (CUTE VOICE: *a bit embarrassed* Kunou write, I edit.) (OLD VOICE: Whoa! You edited something written by Kunou and came up with THAT? *bows down* I now realize your true greatness, Shampoo.) Yeah. Maybe I should make HER the editor. (CHEF'S NOTE: WHAT!?!?!?) -----------===================------------ | An Iron Dagger Production | -----------===================------------ "WHAT!?!?!?" Miko was yet again horrorstricken, but this time she had an added look of disbelief. She quickly sat up in bed using all the collective might she could exert from her aching muscles. "But we have to go look for him!" "YOU are not going anywhere, and I must stay here to look after you." Doshin calmly replaced the incense sticks on the table with new ones, then held out one of his odd-shaped, headache-reducing berries for his daughter to take. "But... but, he could be badly hurt, or even...." She choked at the second possibility. "I am sure your guardian spirit can take care of himself, wherever he may be." Doshin sighed, concluding that Miko was ignoring the berry--or else she was too shocked to notice it--so he set it on the edge of the table and turned to leave. "But DADDY...." He stopped in the middle of the room at his daughter's plea, but did not turn around, or else she would have seen a tear roll down his cheek. He lowered his head a bit and said, "I asked your guardian... Ranma to look after you and keep you safe, and now here you are, lying in bed, battered and bruised. Your guardian spirit has failed, and I don't want him around you anymore. You must trust me. It is for the best." He continued walking. Miko's eyes welled with tears, but rage momentarily overcame sadness and she shouted, "But Guardian Spirit saved my life! Doesn't he deserve SOMETHING for that?!" Doshin stopped in the doorway, and for a while it seemed as though he would say something, but he left without a word (mostly because he was too choked to say anything). Miko then fell back to her bed and tried not to cry. -----------===================------------ | Writen and Directed by: | | Christopher Lee Collins | -----------===================------------ Reikiba sat under a tree, sword resting in his lap, and stared up at the midnight sky. The moon had almost reached its fullest and seemed to be smiling proudly--the samurai could almost imagine it smiling down on him. The stars twinkled brightly, laughing to the moons thoughtful absorption. With a sigh, he thought (CHEF'S NOTE: I've got to cut down on the opium. The moon is winking at me and the stars are laughing.) about how good and right it felt to have a purpose once more. He had left Japan so long ago, thrown out by his own shogun, and he had wandered for so long in search of a place to fit in. (OLD VOICE: Does such a place exist?) And now, upon being given the task of guarding the cottage from an emperor wannabe, Mr. Lee had asked him to become Miko's personal bodyguard. Perhaps his wandering days were at an end. (NOTE: FORSHADOWING!) The samurai smiled back at the moon, then returned to watching the cottage. He blinked in confusion when he saw the shutters to Miko's room open; a nude, redheaded girl carrying a cloth bundle climbed out, dropped rather awkwardly to the ground, then limped around the house and into the night. Reikiba rubbed his chin and pondered the strange event, then he looked up at the moon once more and smiled. _Yes. It IS a beautiful night to take a walk. What better way to forget all your troubles?_ He shook his head and chuckled. _She must very much enjoy how the cool breeze feels against the skin._ He suddenly stood up, startled by a thought. _But it is dangerous tonight! I must follow Miss Lee and make sure she is safe!_ He rested his bokken on his shoulder and sprinted after her. -----------===================------------ | Based on Characters Created by: | | Rumiko Takahashi | -----------===================------------ Miko hopped in place as she pushed her legs into the pair of baggy, black trousers, one by one; she had to bite her lower lip to keep from crying out when she finally pulled them up to her waist despite her throbbing hands' angry protest. Afterwards, she strutted around like an angry chicken as she blew on, kissed, and waved her hands about to calm them down. _Oh! I wish Guardian Spirit was here to rub my hands like last time!_ She sighed and immediately felt better with that thought in mind. (CHEF'S NOTE: Grrr!) She quickly glanced at the strange new edition of bamboo poles that were now spread across the Jusenkyo ponds, then at the recession of decimated trees carved into the jungle by the unfortunate combination of her guardian and the stranger's ki blast. She growled at nothing in particular, then picked up the needle and thread that were lying on the crumpled blue-and-green shirt at her feet (the one with all her sewing supplies stored inside). She forced herself back to standing, and with a grunt and a blur of motion, she created a red shirt with golden twists--just like her guardian's shirt. She set the needle down and whimpered as she started pulling the shirt over her head. Even though it was oversized, the fabric felt like sandpaper whenever it brushed against her skin (except that sandpaper hadn't been invented). She yelped and danced around a bit more before she could even find a hole to stick her arm through. "Caw caw caw ca cacacaca!" Miko jumped at the sudden noise, and her knees buckled at her sudden movement. She qickly poked her head through the collar and turned around to see the dark-robed man standing in front of one of the ponds with his arms crossed. The crow on his shoulder seemed to be... laughing--hysterically. The dark man smiled. "Most peculiar. If that was meant to be a dance of seduction for my audience, I am afraid that you have proceeded rather ungracefully." The crow folded one wing over its stomach and bellowed loudly, eventually losing its balance and falling to the ground, rolling with laughter. "And in all these cases I've ever witnessed, the woman had been taking her clothing off instead of putting them back on." The crow got to its feet and stiffled a few giggles, then cackled loudly, placing one wing over its face and waving the other in Miko's direction. -----------===================------------ | Ranma Saotome and Miko Lee | | in: | -----------===================------------ Miko instictively backed up, her face flushed with fear and embarrassment. "W... wha... what are you talking about?" The crow rolled around a bit more, laughing to the point of tears; however, after a cold glance from its master, it abruptly stopped and walked off. The dark man, returning back to the girl before him, rubbed his chin. "I see.... My apologies. Just what are you her for?" Before Miko could answer, they heard a rustling of trees. Miko glanced over her shoulder to see her father's samurai friend walking toward her. He pointed his sword toward the dark man and asked, "Is this man going to cause trouble for you, Miss Lee?" "I was... I mean... he could... but...." Miko stuttered and watched Reikiba, shocked that he should show up at such a time. He walked right by her to stand in front of the dark man, resting his sword on his shoulder. They both spent a few seconds sizing each other up, then the dark man said, "You know, it is quite impolite to interrupt a private conversation." He placed one hand, faintly glowing, on the samurai's head, spun him around, and suggested, "Why don't you just wander off until we have concluded our meeting." He gave Reikiba a gentle push and the samurai wandered away, rubbing the back of his head and looking slightly dizzy (although that could have been normal). "Now where were we?" The dark man folded his arms again. Miko sneered at him and took a more aggressive posture. "Well, I guess now that you're here... I DO have a few things I want from you." The dark man glanced toward the area of broken trees. "And would one of those THINGS be revenge?" He turned back to see Miko's brow furrow. "Tell me: Do you still possess the wooden idol I saw in your possession earlier?" Miko frowned, which he could tell was a 'no'. "A pity." He grinned and raised his glowing hands in front of him. -----------===================------------ | NYANNIICHUAN: | | Very Tragic Story | | Part V | | "Harem Girl Ranma | | and the Clueless Samurai" | -----------===================------------ "Eeeeeep!" Miko threw herself to the side just as a bolt of energy unearthed the ground where she had been standing. She fell hard on her shoulder but managed to roll to her hands and knees. She glanced at her old shirt and the needle lying on top, then at the robed man, who was smiling and slowly building up another energy bolt, just waiting for her to move. He was going to play around with her for awhile. Miko backed into a crouch, ignoring the burning and crackling of her knees, and pounched toward her only weapon. The dark man blasted her in the side before her feet left the ground, and Miko went tumbling several feet away in agony. The dark man was surprised to see his opponent still able to jump to her feet and stagger into the jungle, although limping heavily--the blast should have at least blew her in half. (CHEF'S NOTE: Pity.) He looked at his hand curiously, then smiled. _This will prove to be an interesting match._ Miko staggered behind the nearest tree before she fell to her knees, holding her wounded shoulder and clenching her teeth as all of her muscles started uncomfortably tingling at once. She rested her back against the trunk and took a deep breath, then threw herself out of the way when several long chains wrapped around her tree at various levels. The chains tightened and the tree was crushed under the pressure; Miko bolted before she could get caught in a rain of splinters and logs. The dark man walked around the wreckage, but could not find the girl. "Why not come out and face me instead of hiding like a frightened child?. (CUTE VOICE: Maybe she not stupid?) I thought your 'guardian spirit' was teaching you to fight." He scanned the area but saw no movement. "And how would you know that?" The dark man sent a ball of light in the direction of the voice. !CRASH! The whole jungle lit up and a tall tree fell forward, but there was no feminine scream to accompany it as he had hoped. "I have very reliable sources." The dark man looked carefully at the spot where the tree fell. He took a step forward and smirked, "Well, you have my congradulations! You are lasting much longer than your 'guardian' had." "Bastard!" (CHEF'S VOICE: Oooh. Miko with an attitude.) Miko ran to a closer tree and the dark man fired at her. !CRASH! Two trees fell toward each other and he heard a sharp !Aaack! which filled him with pride. She shouted from some unknown location, "Where have you taken him?!" "I don't know what you are talking about." The dark man sighed, quickly getting bored with the cat-and-mouse chase, so, knowing the general area she was in, he waved his arms outward and sent a monsterous blade of ki energy (about 15 yards wide) into the jungle. The resulting noise could only be compared to that of a pair of bulldozers and a wrecking ball tearing down a house; at least a dozen trees SPLINTERED and bushes, vines, and ferns were thrown into the air. To his pleasure, he heard a bloodcurdling scream that echoed throughout the jungle. Within seconds, all was quiet. He listened carefully as he neared the new site of destruction, but he could hear nothing; after a while, a few insects started chirping, but it was otherwise quiet. He was slightly annoyed when he could still not find the ellusive girl's body in the wooden remains. He exited the destruction and peered into the jungle. He had to get her to say something so he'd have an idea on which direction she went. He said flatly, "I expected your 'guardian spirit' to put up more of a struggle. But, alas, I was gravely disappointed, so I left your 'guardian spirit' to die from his wounds." "LIAR!" Suddenly, Miko, aura blazing, dropped from a tree and landed on the dark-robed man. They both fell to the ground, the dark man on his back and Miko on his chest. The enraged girl shouted, "Liarliarlair...." as she drove a flurry of punches into the dark man's face ala crude chestnut fist. He grabbed Miko by the collar and flung her against a tree, then sent numerous spiked balls in her direction. The girl crumpled to the ground, all the projectiles flying safely over her, and in an incredible feat of endurance, she managed to crawl behind a bush and out of his field of vision. The dark man jumped to his feet and seethed with anger. He wiped his jaw and nose and actually drew blood--no one had ever done that before! He had to make her pay! He ran after her, growling and shooting long spikes from his robe in a random pattern. Miko almost blacked out from the pain--no, pain was a slap in the face compared to what she was feeling. Her left shoulder felt like lead and she was almost sure two ribs were broken. Her hands felt like they were in the center of a fire, and they were covered with blood--although she had a hunch that most of it wasn't hers. She mashed her hands into her armpits and lumbered as fast as she could back to the ponds, fighting back the urge to collapse. She could hear her back, as well as ever joint in her body, popping with each step. She sped up when her old, heaped shirt came into view. Many long, jagged chains lept out at her, but none of them seemed to have been fired very accurately, so she had no real problem staying out of their path. She jumped and slid toward her sewing equipment just as the dark-robed man stepped out of the jungle--quite unhappy. He raised his arms and fired a sphere of energy. At the same time, Miko reflexively started sewing a large quilt. The ball of energy collided with the quilt and backfired. The dark man jumped into the air just before the tree he was standing in front of vaporized; the quilt floated to the ground in tatters and Miko was unharmed (well, no more than she already was). She stuffed the old shirt into her own and started to get up, then jumped back just as her adversary dropped down with some sort of blades on his feet. Miko and the dark-robed man were only separated by a few feet now. He raised his hands together, palms outward (like in executing a StreetFighter fireball) to deliver a point-blank ki blast to totally obliterate the pest. Tapping all the reserved energy she had left, Miko roared and grabbed at her adversary's hands with lightning speed, and the dark man's energy quickly discipated. When she paused, he realized that both his hands had been completely encased in a hive of thread. She roared again, and the next thing he knew, his feet were bound together as well. Miko fell to her knees. Her head was spinning, her face was dripping with sweat, and her muscles felt numb--which, in her opinion, wasn't an entirely bad thing. She panted hard and tried to speak, but it was useless. Her heart felt like it was about to explode. She gave her opponent a light shove and he fell over. The dark-robed man yelled into the night. His ki energy wasn't responding--probably something in the thread--and he needed his hands to use his weapons. _How could I be defeated like this?! And why did it have to be HER?!_ He hissed through his teeth for several seconds, then muttered, "You win!" Miko, mouth gaping (for need of oxygen), nodded and slipped her needle somewhere inside her blouse. Her hand reappeared holding a short dagger. The dark man stared at it and growled. She wearily crawled to his side and cut his bindings before passing out across his lap. The dark man was a bit shocked, but then he smiled rather peacefully (without the sinister overtones). He gently took her by the shoulders and pulled her to his chest. Looking into her eyes, he said, "I suppose now you will want your reward?" He gently kissed her on the lips and her whole body began to shimmer like starlight. Doshin sat on a small mat in his room, his legs crossed, arms folded, eyes lightly closed. Since he had begun his troubled meditaion, several more tears had followed the path of the one he had shed outside Miko's room. His expression seemed unrealistically devoid of emotion, but his lower lip ocassionally trembled with sadness to prove his humanity before slipping back into its trained, placid pattern. _How could I make such a decision?_ He had repeated the same question over and over, and he always followed up with the same set of counterquestions and unresolved points, successfully leading him nowhere but to his first question. _How could I choose between the two most important things in my life? Why did I have to be given a choice? _I couldn't bear to look at my own daughter when I denied her the right to see Ranma, her own 'guardian spirit' and possibly greatest friend. How could I dishonor such a good and noble man? He saved Miko's life--twice--and HONOR demands that I repay him in full! I cannot just banish him and his deeds so selfishly. But what else am I to do? If I allow Miko to follow in her guardian's path, I could lose her forever...._ Doshin snapped out of his meditative trance when he started hearing faint explosions. He gasped at what it might mean, especially with HIM walking around somewhere out there. His first instinct was to check on his daughter. He threw open the door to her room (quietly). Through the darkness, he could see that she was fast asleep in her bed, unawakened by the noise. He was getting ready to close the door when he noticed that the shutters to her window were wide open. He hurried to Miko's bedside and paled. He pulled back the covers to reveal a pile of clothes and a stuffed ball with red string for hair (meant to be her head). He stared absently at the poor representation of his daughter, then at the open window. Doshin arrived at the site of the battle in a panic, but the two combatants were gone. Twilight, who had reached the scene ahead of her master, was sniffing around the uncanny destruction that had been left behind. Many strong trees had been practically leveled and, in a few places, there were wide craters that had been smoothly dug out by some tremendous force. Doshin didn't want to think about what may have happened to cause such a mess, but he knew who was responsible--few individuals possessed the power to wreak such havok. He turned this way and that in search of some sign as to where his midnight-cloaked nemisis could have gone, but couldn't find one and didn't expect to. He also searched in vain for his daughter, having found her dagger embedded in the ground. His heart beat faster and he called her name several times with little result, then clamped his eyes shut in hopelessness. Things did not look good. Perhaps he was going to lose her anyway. Twilight whimpered and stared pitifully at her master. As Ranma started to awaken, he became aware that he was being held in someone's arms. He blinked his eyes open and mumbled, "Where am I?" "Shhhh." Akane, in nothing but a sheer nightgown, was sitting up straight, cradling her fiancee's still sleep-ridden body, holding his head against her chest and draping an arm across his shoulders. She smiled warmly down to him, and all he could focus on was her beautiful face. "It's alright, Ranma. You were just having a bad dream." He felt relieved by her voice. He stared into Akane's cool amber eyes and nuzzled his head between her breasts; she didn't seem to mind and he felt comfortable doing it. Everything seemed as it should have been. He breathed, "You never showed up in my dream, and it felt... wrong." Akane giggled and patted Ranma on his chest. She rested her own head on his and whispered, "That's so sweet. You're such an angel." Ranma almost gasped, then Akane cooed, "I love you." Ranma sighed with relief at finally hearing her say that. He rested a hand on the side of her face and she rubbed against it. He turned his head up to brush his lips against hers, then whispered back, "I love you too." Akane took the initiative and threw her lips gently over his; Ranma let her play with his mouth while he relaxed into the kiss. He realized that she was slowly inching her hand from his chest to his stomach and beyond. He chuckled out of the side of his mouth, "What're ya doing?" Akane just pressed her lips harder. (CHEF'S NOTE: Oh, PLEASE!) (CUTE VOICE: Sooooo romantic. But he with wrong person.) (OLD VOICE: Well, I donno about you, but I wouldn't mind seein more.) !SWIPE SWIPE! (OLD VOICE: Ha ha! Missed me!)To Nyannichuan Chapter 5, Part 2