The cabbit was worried about his mistress, he almost didn't recognize her as the same person any longer. Her thoughts and emotions had been more and more connected with one individual. He could understand disliking the casually destructive Ryoko, but his mistress's attitude toward the pirate had been getting steadily more erratic.
He had first noticed it when Nagi first passed up a bounty in exchange for information on the pirate. Nagi had never done that before, it had been a source of pride for the bounty hunter that she had never let a bounty slide before. It got progressively worse from there, until Nagi just stopped taking bounties, living on her savings. There were even rumors that she had died, as the surprise of the three gossiping criminals showed when she accosted them for information.
Ken-Ohki was further shocked when Nagi actually involved an innocent in her quest to take Ryoko into custody. Ken-Ohki had been ignoring the misgivings at that point. It still seemed odd that Nagi would use a ploy that she had long considered a tool of the weak. Before kidnapping Tenchi, Nagi would have said that only proved that a person wasn't capable of taking someone on directly.
The cabbit hadn't really started to worry until the report of what his sunburst had caused reached his ears, or sensors. Even then he had convinced himself that it was an accident of some kind. When Sasami had commanded that a bounty be placed on Nagi's head Ken-Ohki was surprised, but certain that it was some sort of misunderstanding. Then Nagi had started talking about killing Ryoko's friends to keep them out of the way.
Now she was withdrawing from him, keeping her thoughts closed. Nagi was hiding things from him, and what Ken-Ohki caught did not calm him. It seemed there was just something about Ryoko that set the bounty hunter off. Even before the pirate had escaped the first time she had seemed eager to torture Ryoko. It was like there was something about Ryoko that just naturally ticked off his mistress.
Whatever the case, Nagi needed to be taken down, preferably in way that left her alive. Ken-Ohki accepted that reluctantly. As it was nobody would get any good from her being free. Nagi being included in those that were hurt by her current activities.
So when the cabbit saw the small gray probe on its sensors, he said nothing about it to his mistress. He reasoned that the Galaxy Police would be a lot more likely to take Nagi alive than Ryoko would.
Washu looked at the data being relayed to her through the sub space link. Chief among them was a blood scan that contained one DNA scan that was so highly crossbred that it couldn't really be assigned to any specific species. There were elements of Human, Nekojin, Tel'Quessir, Ithrit and most of the human genes were specifically from the Jurai strain. Then there were those genes that came from one of the two races that actually claimed to be true demons, the Tanar'ri.
The scientist came to the same conclusion as Kiyone and both computers involved. The blood came from Ryoko. That meant that Ryoko had been alive, at least until a few days ago. As for now, they couldn't be sure. Kiyone said she'd check into activity about the shrine. Which left it to Washu to decide what to do with this information.
"Lady Ryoko survived then?" Washu turned towards the surprised voice and stared Azaka in the face.
"What are you doing reading over my shoulder?" Washu demanded irritably. Azaka guaged the chance of him ending up a kappa and decided to apologize.
"Forgive me, Washu-s..chan," Azaka said quickly. "But I heard Makibi-San's voice and wanted to know how the hunt was going."
"She's communicating by relay probes," Washu noted. "I had to wait for two hours for all parts of this report to get to me. I would say she believes Nagi to be in the area." Washu's voice betrayed the irritation she felt at having to wait for the file. Obviously she thought that Kiyone was being over cautious in her communication methods. Azaka ignored that, Washu wasn't a proffesional in his and the police officer's field, and making her feel stupid would only resort in a temporarily rewritten genetic code.
"And Lady Ryoko?" Azaka asked. "I was certain that she would be dead from her injuries."
"She survived Kagato, and the battle," Washu said. "At least that's what the evidence shows."
"This is excellent news!" Azaka declared. "I must inform her highness." He was about to leave Washu's presence when he suddenly found himself in a small room, created around the two of them by what seemed to be a little girl.
"Don't do that," Washu said.
"Why not?"
"She'll tell her sister," Washu said simply. "And I don't know how she'd take it."
"Even if she weren't comatose again," Azaka retorted. "I do not believe that she truly hated the woman. It might help her to hear there were more survivors."
"And if Nagi has already killed Ryoko?" Washu asked. Azaka held silent a moment before nodding in understanding. "We'll wait to see what Kiyone finds."
"Imagine Saotome-kun going off and getting married the same day we talked to him," Hinako Tendo shook her head in amusement. "It is quite a coincidence."
"I knew we should have waited for Nabiki to go on break first," Soun sighed. Of course, Genma is pushing me to track down Natsume's sister, nothing but a martial artist for him.
"Nabiki already has someone," Hinako reminded him.
"That's part of the problem," Soun mumbled.
"But they're such a nice...opportunistic...couple," Hinako either missed her husband's wince, or felt like teasing him. The impish smile on her childish face indicated the latter. "And they're both in law school, planning to manage a magician or something like that?"
"Demon hunter," Soun confirmed reluctantly.
"That's right, Nabiki is perfect for that," Hinako snapped her fingers. "What was that name again?"
"Chigako Ogawa," Soun said eyes closed. Hinako counted silently on her fingers down from three. "My little girl is dating a woman!!! WAHH!!!" Hinako laughed girlishly and glanced out the window and choked on her giggles as she saw someone walking up the street toward the dojo.
"Umm...Ohohoh, honey, you need to calm down really quickly," Hinako said in a rush. Her younger form had grown less hyperactive, but she could still be quite bouncy when excited or panicked.
"Why should I calm down!" Soun wailed. "My daughter's a lesbian and the only man she'd be attracted to is married!!!"
"Andshe'scomingupthestreet!!"
"What?" Soun asked through the wails.
"Nabiki'satthegate!!She'satthegate!" Hinako stopped herself took a deep breath and pointed at the window down to the ground level. "Na. Bi. Ki. Is. Here."
"Ack!" Soun rushed to the window to see Nabiki strolling through the gate to the door with her normal bored expression. This did not help matters. "My baby's going to think I don't love her!!!"
Hinako was panicking since she had initiated the outburst. The end result was two hyperemotional adults running around a bed-room. One of them waving her arms about and knocking things over, the other crying a river. Until Hinako latched onto an idea.
Downstairs, Nabiki entered the house and looked around. She heard something like an electrical discharge, or someone getting their chi drained, followed by a thud.
"Tadaima!" Nabiki called out.
"Why, Nabiki," adult-Hinako's cool voice rang out as she walked down the stairs to meet Nabiki. "We didn't expect you for another week or two." Nabiki noted her stepmother's appearance and arched an eyebrow.
"You're going to give me an Oedipal complex, Hinako," Nabiki said dryly.
"At least I can wear something that nearly fits now," Hinako answered cooly.
"I assume that Daddy's...resting?" Nabiki asked, as she sat down at the dining table.
"I thought that one of us should be in a condition to act their age," Hinako said as she walked into the kitchen and set up the Mr Tea. "So how is your girlfriend?"
"Chi's fine," Nabiki said. "We're looking into starting a supernatural insurance company after we're out of classes."
"That's good, the world needs one of those. Are you and she having troubles. You had said that you were moving in with her." Hinako asked, coming into the room with a pot of instant tea and a pair of cups.
Thank goodness the small talk is out of the way, Nabiki thought. "This is just a day trip, I heard there was a new addition to the family."
"I'm afraid that's not possible for another year or...oh, you mean Saotome-kun's marriage," Hinako said.
"Yes, but thank you for the disturbing thought anyway," Nabiki said. "So, what is this Ryoko like?"
"I have not met her," Hinako admitted as she lifted a tea-cup to her mouth.
Nabiki didn't even pay attention as the woman through the cup and her head back, downing the tea in one gulp. She had gotten used to Hinako's transformations as surely as she had gotten used to Ranma's.
"Ranma gets married, and Daddy doesn't do anything?" Nabiki arched an eyebrow.
"Mmmm, good," Hinako-teen sighed. "Not as good as Kasumi-chan, but better than nothing."
"Hinako," Nabiki reminded irritably.
"Hmmm?" the apparent blinked. "Ohh...well they've been out of town since we last saw him. And I think I forgot to tell him about Kasumi's message, silly me."
"Meaning they're back," Nabiki nodded. The girl turned to look at the stairs at the sound of footsteps and waved at her weary looking father. "Hi, Daddy, are you feeling better?"
"Nabiki!!" Soun shouted. "What a pleasant surprise!"
And now we're back to small talk, Nabiki thought irritably.
"I'll see who it is," Dr. Tofu called back to Kasumi as a knock came on the door. He moved at a more or less calm pace, if it had been some sort of medical emergency the caller would have just gone in through the clinic entrance.
As Tofu approached the door he felt a fuzzy, half-hidden chi just beyond the entrance. He paused and sighed, incidences like this were becoming commonplace around Nerima of late. He had to admit that the girl was getting better at erasing her presence. Tofu prepared himself to humor the young woman as most people had been, and opened the door to empty air.
"Hello?" he asked, stepping outside for a moment and looking around. The chi in question passed quietly behind him, radiating mischievious joy, not so much as a stir in the wind to alert his physical senses of the passage.
The doctor made a play of shrugging his shoulders and turned back into the house.
"Must be a..." he stopped upon seeing Kodachi trying, and failing, to keep a straight face. "Kodachi, you know you really shouldn't sneak up on people like that. It'll get you in trouble someday."
"Oh but the looks on peoples faces are simply priceless!" Kodachi squealed happily. "Konatsu-chan has been teaching me oh so many useful things, I actually won a match without using doctored tools. It is to laugh. OH-HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!"
"How do you manage to sneak around without laughing?" Tofu wondered idly.
"It is a secret ninja trick," Kodachi said superiorally.
"I would have thought you'd have to gag yourself," the doctor continued. A large bead of sweat formed on Kodachi's forehead and worked its way down.
"Yes, well onto why I'm here," Kodachi cleared her throat before continuing. "My brother has recently received word of Ranma-sama's nuptials and left to smite him with the vengeance of heaven. That was sometime yesterday. Usually by now I have heard from either the police or the hospital, and yet no word of my brother has come to me since he left on his rather ill-conceived quest. I spoke with the Saotome matriarch this morning, but she had heard nothing of my brother. Perhaps I should have made another call to see if Ranma-sama and his bride had yet awakened, but that is for later. I am here now and wish to ask if you have seen my delusional brother."
At some point in the rant Kasumi had entered the room, attracted by the sound of Kodachi's laughter, and joined in with her husband in observing the Kuno girl's seemingly unending stream of speech. For a moment they stood there waiting for her to continue talking, not sure that she had yet finished.
"Oh, you're finished," Kasumi said finally. "Yes he was here, I gave him some suggestions on where he might find Ranma." Kodachi noted the looks on the older couple's faces and slumped.
"Is this little sight-seeing tour going to cost me a great sum of money?" Kodachi asked.
"That is assuming that he survives it," Tofu added while Kasumi blushed in embarrassment.
"What are you doing Kiyone?" Mihoshi asked, trying to see over her partners' shoulder.
"I'm borrowing some satellites," Kiyone answered.
"Are we allowed to do that?" Mihoshi asked.
"Well this planet is under our jurisdiction," Kiyone explained hesitantly.
"Oh, Okay!" Mihoshi said cheerfully. "Then is it okay if you look into some of the local files?"
"Sure, I guess," Kiyone said, not paying attention. With the level of technology on this planet, security was a joke. It wasn't like there'd be anything to find though. As if I'm going to find Nagi with one of these eyepieces, assuming she's even in orbit, or out in the open.
"I didn't know Ryoko had married Tenchi," Mihoshi said suddenly. Kiyone looked up from her work and turned to Mihoshi.
"What are you talking about?" Kiyone asked. "She didn't."
"Well this must be another Ryoko Masaki who inherited the shrine then," Mihoshi said, shrugging. The blonde suddenly found herself being pushed to the side as the green haired detetctive moved into a position to look over the information she had found.
"Are you really stupid," Kiyone asked after a minute or two. "Or do you just enjoy making me frustrated?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Kiyone," Mihoshi said, blinking. "Is that Ryoko?"
"It looks like it," Kiyone said. "A second marriage, she was really trying to bury herself..." Suddenly there was a hard rapping echoing through the ship. "What is that?"
"I'll get it," Mihoshi said cheerfully.
"It's probably just some animal," Kiyone said over her shoulder returning to studying the files Mihoshi had hacked into. "We're in the middle of nowhere." The door opened letting more of the outside sounds into the small craft.
"Now, foul beast, you shall fall at the hands of the great and powerful Blue Thunder of the Kuno clan," a male voice shouted out as the rapping continued. "Do you here me demon-sorcerer, no matter how foul the demon you send I shall yet prevail over your unholy designs!"
Mihoshi looked out of the ship and stared at the kendoist attacking their ship and blinked. She turned back to the equally non-pulsed Kiyone and produced perhaps one of the most damning statements ever uttered.
"Kiyone, there's an idiot out here," Mihoshi said. Kiyone's face planted into the floor of the ship. The green-haired detective picked herself up to take a look at what the blonde called an idiot.
"Excuse me," Kiyone called out as she walked past Mihoshi. "Is there any reason that your hammering on our...RV?"
"Forsooth this vile daemonic creature must certainly be have allied itself with the nefarious and unholy might of the foul sorcerer that seeks to part me from the presence of my true loves!" Kuno ranted as he continued to beat on the oddly shuttle-like "beast."
Certainly it must be an evil thing indeed if it could resist blows that could cleave the earth itself. Either that or some mystery alloy invented by a mostly-sane genius and reinforced by force shielding. Kiyone suddenly considered that last fact and regarded the wooden sword with renewed respect.
"That 'vile daemonic creature' is our vehicle," Kiyone said irritably. "We're trying to camp here and that's hard to do with all this noise." Kuno paused a moment and considered the woman before him. Mihoshi suddenly acquired a thoughtful expression and disappeared around the small ship.
"You say this...is a motorized vehicle?" Kuno asked staring at the ship.
"That's what I think I said," Kiyone added irritably. "Look. Doooor." She pointed to the entrance of the ship and tried not to growl.
"It seems that I have been gravely mistaken," Kuno said reluctantly. "Certainly this must be the work of the evil Saotome trying to distract from my goal. Never fear good woman, I shall avenge the slight the sorcerer has done you this day." With that the kendoist limped away into the forest, much to Kiyone's relief. Then she frowned at the sound of a cheerfully humming Mihoshi behind her.
"Just what are you doing Mihoshi?" Kiyone asked.
"I'm setting up camp," Mihoshi said. "You're right, it is easier to do without all that noise."
"Why are you doing that?" Kiyone asked tightly.
"Well we can't camp out if we don't set up camp," Mihoshi said, as if talking to a child.
"We don't need to do that!" Kiyone yelled. "That ship is about five times as big inside as it is out, we're travelling with a bloody house!"
"Then why did you tell that..." Mihoshi paused. "Oh, that was a lie, wasn't it?"
"Yes Mihoshi," Kiyone said wearily. "Now I found a phone number, and I'm going to make a call okay?"
"Why are you talking like that?" Mihoshi asked.
"Got into a rut," Kiyone muttered walking into the ship. She paused as she looked at the name matching the phone number. "Saotome, I wonder if that person knows him." She shook her head. "Too much of a coincidence, even for us."
Ranma turned away from the silent accusation being leveled at her from her own reflection and started to walk into the open room. Briefly she considered switching back to male form, but decided against it. She needed to work out both sides.
She guaged the amount of room she had for a moment before starting. She had an idea that she might need to work on her chi skills somewhat. That meant using the soul of ice, and with Ryoko around she couldn't just let it go.
Ranma called up the soul of ice and concentrated on seeing and controlling the chi flows. At her command the swirls of cold chi stayed in the same small room as her, not coming close to the sleeping alien in the next room. There was something about the mental state that seemed different. She couldn't quite lay her finger on it, but she seemed more comfortable than she had in a long time.
Ice had started to form on the walls when the phone started ringing. Ranma quickly retreated from the soul of ice as she left the room. Crossing the doorway, Ranma barely felt the huge change in temperature.
"Hello?" Ranma said irritably as she picked up the phone. There was silence for a moment. "I'm hanging up now."
"Ohkay what number did I reach?" the woman asked.
"This is the Saotome place," Ranma demanded. "But I ain't the owner and I don't have any credit so don't try selling me nothing."
"I'm not selling anything, is there a Ranma Saotome there?" there was a questioning tone in her voice.
"That's me," Ranma stated. She could almost see the blank look at the other end of the line.
"That's impossible," the woman said. "The information I have says that...why are there two sets of vital information listed under your files?"
"What files are you talking about?" Ranma demanded.
"College transcripts, drivers liscense, medical records," the woman continued. "Curse? Damn, cute pictures. Looks like something I saw on a romance novel, wait a minute..." Ranma rolled her eyes, there was a novel out there that had used his respective forms as models. Something Nabiki had worked out to help him pay for college.
"Hey! Those are private," Ranma snapped. "You still haven't said who you are yet."
"My apologies, you took me by surprise, I was expecting a male voice," the woman said. "Are you aware that you seem to be married to a Ryoko Masaki?"
"Is that her na...I mean what are you talking about?" Ranma belatedly realized that he didn't know what the relationship between Ryoko and this person was. For the moment she was his responsibility and that meant protecting her.
"Then...she's alive?" the voice sounded hopeful. Ranma glanced at the still sleeping Ryoko and narrowed her eyes. Coincidence often seemed to rule Ranma's life, as a result the neo-girl had developed a tendency, right or wrong, to leap to some very interesting conclusions on the flimsiest bits of information.
"You wouldn't know a tall blue-haired psychopath with a whip would you?" There was a long period of silence again.
"You aren't very subtle, are you," the woman stated.
"Is there a reason I should be?" Ranma asked.
"But Ryoko's alive?" the woman asked again desperately.
"I don't know what you got against her, and I don't care, but if you want to get her you'll have to come through me," Ranma snapped. Don't expect me to stand around while a bunch a psychos beat up on someone. It could be considered odd that a person would feel it necessary to add the last as a conscious thought.
"I think you have the wrong idea here," the woman said quickly. "I'm Kiyone Makibi, I traveled with her, maybe she mentioned me?"
"We haven't talked much about our pasts," Ranma said, it was mostly the truth. The only past they'd talked about were a few specific events and some skirting the edges of mutual loss. "We're stuck together until she's on her feet and this bureaucratic snafu is fixxed. Ain't like we're getting along."
"Not my business, but how is she? Where is she!? I found traces of a fight at the shrine, was it Nagi!" as the questioning continued Ranma held the uncomfortably loud phone away from her ear. There was a muffled voice that sounded like "That's how I usually talk," followed by a sudden stop in the questions and a low growl.
"Who are you talking to?" an irritated Ryoko demanded from behind Ranma.
"Why aren't you still asleep?" Ranma snapped back.
"I can't sleep with you yelling practically in my ear," Ryoko retorted. "Now who are you talking to?"
"She says her name's Kiyone," Ranma answered, surprised as Ryoko snatched the phone from her grasp.
"Kiyone!" Ryoko gasped in disbelief. "You're alive!"
"It is you Ryoko," Kiyone shouted on the other end. "What's going on here?"
"First you tell me what happened," Ryoko returned angrily. She paused for a long time. "How did Tenchi die?" She asked quietly, turned away from Ranma. The redhead herself had politely walked away a small distance.
"I'm about to be noticed by the locals," Kiyone noted, stalling for time. "Let's meet somewhere tomorrow and I'll tell you."
"What's the name of the okonomiyaki place," Ryoko asked Ranma.
"Ucchan's, why?" Ranma asked.
"There's this joint in, Nerima?" she asked Ranma, who nodded. "Ucchan's, be there tomorrow about four in the afternoon by local time, and you'd better answer me then."
"I'll find it," Kiyone said. "I'm glad you're alive."
"Whatever," Ryoko shrugged. "You'd better have answers." She clicked the phone down into the carriage and turned to Ranma. "I can't get you to stay here, can I?" It was more of a statement than a question really.
"Not very likely," Ranma muttered.
"Don't you dare tell anyone I cried in your arms," Ryoko snarled. "I'll tear you to pieces."
"Lots of tried to before," Ranma said shrugging.
"Whatever."
"Kiyone," Mihoshi said. "Washu designed the communication systems, Nagi couldn't find such a short range signal, much less Earth."
"I don't want to talk about that over the phone," Kiyone explained. "And I need some time to think of what to say and how to say it."
"Are you going to tell her about Ayeka?" Mihoshi asked.
"No, Ayeka still might not survive," Kiyone said. "Better Ryoko think she's already dead for now."
"Okay, now what?"
"Now we do a little more digging on this Ranma person," Kiyone said, turning back to the computer.